Bridging the Gap between Hope and Despair
Apple Bloom led Scootaloo to the gang's treehouse in the woods behind Sweet Apple Acres. Scootaloo followed her friend up the hammered wooden ladder. Inside, Apple Bloom cranked up the generator by the back wall.
"Figured you'd spend most of your time here eatin' and playin' games. Charged it for ya last night."
"Thanks."
"Sweetie'll be by tomorrow. Hope she'll bring more of those imported cookies."
"Yeah..."
"You feelin' okay? You seem kinda...Zombie-ish today."
Scootaloo attempted to brush off her friend's concern.
"Probably just the fatigue of the year catchin' up with me."
"If ya start feelin' sick, I can get ya some medicine."
"I'm okay. Just ready to chill out, ya know?"
"I hear ya."
"What time's dinner?"
"It'll be ready in a few hours. I'll get you when it's time."
"Thanks..."
"I stocked up the fridge with some goodies for ya. Maybe that'll perk you up."
"I appreciate it."
"I'm gonna hang out in my room for a bit. Come get me if you need anything."
"Will do."
Scootaloo opened the mini fridge to her left. It was filled to capacity with candy and soda.
"You know me too well, A.B."
The child retrieved a chocolate bar and a can of root beer from the cooler's depths. Unzipping her computer case, she connected the device to a nearby power strip. She set up the network before plugging in her controller for a round of Battlefield. As she expected, she got absolutely destroyed, but it didn't matter. She was just happy to be alone without anyone bothering her. Still, a tinge of guilt crept through her mind.
"Man. I feel like a real jerk..."
She tried to push the thought from her mind. She hadn't treated anyone particularly poorly, so she supposed it was fine for now. Things would be relatively peaceful for a while. Maybe it would be enough time to recharge.
After a few matches in Battlefield, Scootaloo began a new game in Final Fantasy 9. She'd played it for an hour at home after downloading it. Now that she was alone, she could concentrate on making real progress. She got up to Cid's castle before Apple Bloom entered the clubhouse for the second time.
"Dinner's ready."
"Let me get to a save point."
"Whatcha' playin'?"
"Final Fantasy 9."
"Ain't that another one of them turn-based combat games?"
"Yeah."
"Gotta have the patience of a saint to play somethin' like that."
"This is a newer version with cheats to make it faster."
"Fair enough."
"Let's grab some grub. I'm starving."
"I'm surprised you didn't eat up the whole fridge already."
"I promised my aunts I wouldn't make myself sick eating too much junk."
"I'll order some pizza later for a midnight snack, assuming y'all can stay up that long."
"I plan to make the most of my time."
'That's what I like to hear."
"Come on. We should go before they get worried."
After dinner, Scootaloo returned to her secluded gaming session. She turned on some metal to keep her focused while grinding. She became lost in her own world, barely noticing the clock shift past twelve.
"Have I really been at it this long? Guess I should turn in soon..."
She saved before shutting off her computer for the night.
"Is it raining?"
She took a moment to digest the sound waves penetrating her ears. Fast, heavy drops pelted against the structure's exterior.
"Good thing Applejack bought an internal generator. We'd be leaving ourselves wide open for trouble otherwise."
Scootaloo stretched, yawning as she relieved the tension in her muscles.
"Guess I'd better hit the hay..."
She shut down the power, reminding herself to charge the generator for another day's use. Though her sadness had yet to subside entirely, her frame of mind was much more stable than before. She was on the road to recovery. That alone was something to be proud of. The darkness of sleep would compose her further, aiding in her journey to wellness. She unraveled her sleeping bag and tucked herself in. Her emotions melted away in a calm nothingness as she drifted off...
Sweetie arrived early the next morning. The group frolicked about in Animal Crossing for a while before Sweetie suggested going to town for a shopping spree.
"Rarity gave me some allowance for getting good grades."
"If it's okay with you guys, I'd rather stay here," Scootaloo admitted, "I don't feel like dealing with anybody this week."
"I knew something was up," Apple Bloom voiced, "What's goin' on?"
"Sorry. I've just been feeling kind of down lately. I didn't wanna drag you guys into it."
"We're you're friends," Sweetie assured, "You can always talk to us if there's something on your mind."
"I know. I just didn't know how to articulate it."
"What's wrong?"
"Do you guys ever feel like life really isn't all that fun?"
"Sometimes."
"It's like, every time the news is on, it's all bad stuff. Everyone feels isolated and alone now. It makes me feel scared and stressed out."
"I know what you mean."
"Sis mentioned somethin' about this a while back," Apple Bloom cut in, "You might be depressed."
"You think?" Scootaloo questioned.
"Yeah. Lotta people our age feel like that now. She was worried it might happen to me."
"Did it?"
"Nah. I usually just ignore it. It's outta my hands, anyway."
"That's what scares me. I wished I could get rid of all the bad stuff in the world. Being powerless makes me feel like crap."
"That's why you gotta live on your own terms."
"My own...?"
"Grown-ups are supposed to lead us in the right direction - help us turn out right so we don't go crazy. We ain't supposed to be clones. We have our own beliefs and ideas. They know things ain't so great for us youngins right now. That's why most of 'em are tryin' to be lenient and leave us to our own devices. We have to decide what kind of world we want to live in. You have more power than you think."
With that last sentence, Scootaloo's world turned completely on its head. She wasn't afraid of the world. She was afraid of her own influence within it. Upon seeing her friend's expression, Apple Bloom smiled.
"So...Ya comin'?"
Scootaloo trained at the clubhouse for a while before catching up with her friends. The rush of adrenaline helped calm her nerves. In town, they bought both Mega Man Legends games, a new dress for Sweetie, and a scythe for Applejack. Sweetie and Apple Bloom made their purchases quick to set Scootaloo's anxiety at ease. They returned home within two hours time.
Back at the clubhouse, Apple Bloom came up with the idea to sing karaoke. She and Sweetie went first. When it was Scootaloo's turn, the young girl did the only she could think of. She threw her friends into the deep end of the metal pool.
"Apple Bloom, I'm scared." Sweetie said emotionlessly.
"Same here. I didn't know anyone could shout like that. I kinda like it, though."
"You're nuts."
"Ain't we all?"
"Not me."
"Guess we just gotta wait and see."
"Whatever you say."
Scootaloo let out a scream which rang out across the woods.
"YOUR LOVE FAILED ME!!!"
After hearing the raw emotion in the recesses of the rock scene, Apple Bloom requested an encore. Sweetie Belle plugged her ears.
"I haven't practiced this one yet," Scootaloo acknowledged, "If I sound weird, that's why."
"We gotcha." Apple Bloom noted.
"Here goes."
Scootaloo hit play. This song was faster and more aggressive than the last one.
"IT'S TRUE, THERE WERE BETTER ONES THAT LED THEIR PEOPLE! IT'S TRUE, THERE WERE BETTER ONES TO LEAD THEIR COUNTRY! IT'S TRUE, THERE WERE BETTER ONES WHO CARED FOR THIS WORLD! IT'S TRUE, THERE WERE BETTER ONES, BUT WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE!? WITHOUT THE STRENGTH OF ALL, THE NATIONS WILL CRUMBLE!"
Sweetie unplugged her ears, surprised by the level of thought put into the lyrics.
"FEED LIES FOR WAR! BRING THE NATION TO ITS KNEES, RISKING WORLDLY STRUCTURE AND INTEGRITY!"
The instrumentation transitioned to a more melodic sound.
"The balance of our kind, controlled by hatred: distorted truth and lies! UNITED IS THE ONLY WAY TO STAND! LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD LEADING TO THE LAND OF THEIR UN-FREE! GOD-SENT POLITICS HAMMERED DOWN WITH A FIST TOO BOLD! PLAY THE COUNCIL OF PAWNS IN THE QUEST OF TOTAL CONTROL! FREE US FROM THIS HATE!"
The song went into the final crescendo.
"Take over the world. Does hate mean freedom? Divide our home. Does hate mean freedom? Take over the world...DOES HATE MEAN FREEDOM!? TAKE OVER THE WORLD, DIVIDE OUR HOME! DOES HATE MEAN FREEDOM!? TAKING OVER THE WORLD, DIVIDE OUR HOME! DOES HATE MEAN FREEDOM!!!?"
The breakdown slowed, allowing the message to sink in while the song reached its conclusion. Sweetie and Apple Bloom gawked at each other with stunned expressions.
"Looks like our childhood's over." the country girl concluded.
"Yep."
Author's Note
