Author's Note

This is set before Crusaders of the Lost Mark.

Scootaloo Finds Beauty in the Eye of the Bee Holder

"I still don't get why I'm modeling this dress." Scootaloo complained. "Sweetie Belle is just upstairs."

Rarity sighed irritably, working on the stitching of the dress Scootaloo was modeling. "Because Coco Pommel, a very good friend of mine, is getting married. And she specifically asked me to make a dress for her niece. Who is your age. And a pegasus. You may not know this, but pegasi and unicorns have very subtle body differences. Pegasi are usually smaller and have thicker coats to help with the cold temperature."

"But it's so..." Scootaloo bit back the word 'ugly' "So... kinda an eyesore."

It was true. The main part of the dress was purple with a white trim, there were many red accents running along the dress. Not to mention it was way too flowy and frou-frou for Scootaloo.

Rarity chuckled. "These are the specifications Coco asked me to make. Even if it's not... my fondest work, I'm not going to let down Miss Pommel."

Finishing her final alternation, Rarity levitated the dress off Scootaloo with a flourish of her horn. "Scootaloo, one important lesson I'll teach you is that true beauty? True beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And if you should find beauty, you should grab it and never let go. Thank you for modeling for me. You may go now."

Scootaloo blinked in confusion.

In the eye of the bee holder? What does holding bees have to do with beauty?

"Crochet? Really?" Scootaloo deadpanned.

"I have to admit Sweetie Belle, that does sound kind of boring." Applebloom agreed.

"Well..." Sweetie Belle tried vainly to defend herself. "Okay. I can try that on my own. I was talking to Mr. Api Eyrie earlier. He said he could help us out. He has a couple foal sized outfits."

"You'd have to try that without me." Applebloom moped. "I'm allergic."

"Well that's okay, Applebloom. You can still come with us and hang out! We'll do something else when we're done!" Scootaloo uttered with a smile. "We can still try... hmm... 'Cutie Mark Crusaders: Chefs!' after that!"

Applebloom returned her smile. "Yeah! That sounds great! Alright, I'm in!"

Fully decked out into their outfits, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle followed Api Eyrie to his bee farms. Regarding the uncomfortably shifting unicorn, he let out a chuckle.

"Nervous?"

Sweetie Belle swallowed and nodded. "A little bit. Last time I was near bees they stung me."

"Here." Api Eyrie handed Sweetie Belle a little tub of honey. "Dip your hoof in this and a few bees will just crawl over you. Tickles, if anything."

Hesitantly, Sweetie Belle dipped her hoof in honey and Api Eyrie opened one layer of the bee farm. A few moments later, she had a small army of bees swarming her hoof. She moved her hoof around gently, watching the bees stick to her regardless. She gave out a little giggle.

"That tickles! Scootaloo, you have to try this!"

But Scootaloo was not thinking about beekeeping at that moment. Her mind flashed back to what Rarity had told her earlier.

If beauty is in the eye of the bee holder, and Sweetie Belle is holding bees in front of me, does that mean I should find her beautiful? I mean she does have a nice white coat... and uh... she has... eyes. I guess?

Well, scratch poetry off the Crusader list.

After spending more time playing with the bees than actually working, the Crusaders spent the rest of the day failing in their cutie mark attempts. At sundown, Twilight flew down to Scootaloo to pick her up. Twilight explained that Rainbow Dash was working late.

"Hey mom..." Scootaloo began, tapping her chin with a hoof. "What are you supposed to do when you find somebody beautiful?"

Twilight gasped happily. "You find somebody beautiful?! That's adorable! Who is it?"

Scootaloo hummed quietly, pondering over her answer. "Sweetie Belle. I think."

"You... think?" Twilight questioned. "Oh well, I'm not exactly the... expert on these matters. But I'd say a good start is just spent more time with her. Have some special dinners together or something. Maybe get her flowers? She'd probably like that. If it's meant to happen, Sweetie Belle will also show interest in you."

Scootaloo scratched her head. "You mean like... dates?"

Twilight nodded happily.

"But won't Applebloom get jealous?"

Twilight paused. "Well do you see Applebloom the same way?"

"No."

"Then I'm sure she'll be fine, and support you two!" Twilight beamed.

Support us in what?

The next day was a Sunday, so the Crusaders got together at Sweet Apple Acres again. Scootaloo, still thoroughly confused about this whole situation, shot sideways glances at Sweetie Belle all morning.

"I'll go get the monster catching nets! We have them stored in out barn!" Applebloom spouted, running off.

Well, I guess Twilight wouldn't lead me wrong. What was it that Twilight had said? Get her flowers?

Scootaloo glanced around. There were a couple flowers here and there. Which one would be good?

Eh, whatever.

Scootaloo dashed away, picked up a random flower, and zipped back over to Sweetie Belle, dropping it at her feet.

"Hey Sweetie Belle, I uh... got you a flower?" Scootaloo put on a fake grin.

"Oh. Thanks Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle smiled, levitating the flower to the area right next to her right ear, situating it in her mane. "Does it look good?"

I mean... It looks fine? Am I supposed to feel something differently now or something?

"Yeah, looks great." Scootaloo shrugged.

"Thanks!" Sweetie Belle chirped, and resumed waiting for Applebloom.

Well okay, so I did that right. I think. What else did Twilight say? Dinners. Right. Well that is something I know.

"Hey Sweetie Belle, Spike showed me how to make this cauliflower casserole. You want me to make some for the two of us sometime?"

"Just the two of us?" Sweetie questioned.

"Uh, yes?"

"Sure! Sounds great. I'm not doing anything after we finish Crusading today. How about then?" Sweetie Belle replied unassumingly.

Man, this is easy.

"Sounds good to me!" Scootaloo replied.

Scootaloo had set the table for two. There was a lit candle in the center of the table. Scootaloo had found a bunch of those little inch long purple and white flowers outside and put them in one of Rarity's vases. Scootaloo pulled the casserole out of the oven and got to work divvying up a portion for both her and Sweetie Belle. They both took their plates to the table and sat in silence.

Okay, now what?

"So... Anything interesting happen recently?" Scootaloo rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow at her. "Scootaloo, we've spent the entire day together. We've done all the interesting things together."

"Oh, heh, right."

Sweetie took a bite of the casserole. Her eyes shot open.

"Wow Scootaloo, this is really good!"

"Thanks!" Scootaloo took on a tone of bravado. "But you should try it when Spike cooks it with dragon fire. Makes it way better!"

The two returned to the silence.

I think dinner and flowers are the only things Twilight mentioned. Uh, what did Rarity say? Grab it and never let go. This is gonna be really weird.

Scootaloo jumped down off her chair and padded over to Sweetie Belle, jumping onto her chair and throwing a tight hug around her friend.

"Scootaloo, are you okay?" Sweetie asked in a concerned tone.

"I'm fine." Scootaloo replied, faking a nonchalant tone.

"Then uh... what are you doing?" Sweetie laughed nervously.

"I have no idea!" Scootaloo cried. "Rarity told me to!"

At that moment, the door to the kitchen swung open and Rarity walked in, distractedly looking around.

"Sweetie Belle, have you seen my-"

Rarity froze as she took the scene in. She broke out into a wide smile and clapped a hoof over her mouth to keep her from fawning over the situation.

"I'm so sorry girls, I didn't mean to interrupt your date." Rarity trilled. "You two are so adorable together. I'll just leave and let your resume your date."

"Date?" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "What do you mean?"

Rarity blinked in confusion. "You two aren't on a date?"

"Scootaloo do you have any idea what she's talking about?" Sweetie Belle queried.

"I don't know! All I know is Twilight told me to do this!" Scootaloo protested.

"Twilight told you to... Scootaloo, what's going on, and why does it look like you're dating my sister?" Rarity interrupted.

Dating? Wait, Rarity thought... Oh Celestia, is this why Twilight responded the way she did?

"Well remember yesterday when you said something about beauty and bee holders?" Scootaloo started. "Later that day I was beekeeping with Sweetie Belle and I saw her holding bees, so by your logic, she was beautiful. Then I told Twilight I found her beautiful and Twilight recommended getting her flowers and cooking her a dinner."

Rarity stood stock still for a moment, then promptly fell to the floor, sides heaving with the most unladylike and raucous laughter Scootaloo had ever heard. Releasing the hug, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle met gazes, both thoroughly confused.

Rarity struggled to her hooves, trying to talk through bouts of laughter. "You thought..."

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Rarity wiped a tear from her eye and regarded Scootaloo. "Beholder, Scootaloo. One word. 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' has nothing to do with bees, it means where one pony sees something not beautiful, another pony will find beauty."

"Oh." Scootaloo replied simply, blushing. "That makes sense."

Rarity let out another chuckle. "Oh my. Darling, thank you, I needed that laugh." Rarity peered out the window. "Well it is getting rather late. Would you like to stay the night? I'd be only too happy to accommodate you."

"Oh no thanks." Scootaloo smiled. "Rainbow Dash said she'd pick me up in like..." Scootaloo gazed at the nearby clock. "half an hour."

"Oh good, Rainbow Dash is gonna pick you up? She's gonna love this story." Rarity tittered.

"Bee holder?! That's the funniest thing ever!" Rainbow Dash laughed the entire ride home.

I'm never dating anybody again. This was the most humiliating thing ever.