Barking Mad; Madly Barking
Click. Tick tick tick. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
The sound of the sewing machine echoed throughout the Carousel Boutique.
Click. Tick tick tick. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
“Hey Rarity, can we go and do something fun? I’m sooooooooo booooored.” moped a young, troubled filly.
Click. Tick tick tick. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
“I wish I could, Sweetie, but I have all of these orders to deal with. My customers would just be devastated if I didn’t finish them on time! How about you go play with Opalescence?”
Click. Tick tick tick. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
“Oh alright,” groaned Sweetie Belle, as she left the room, looking for Opal.
Soon enough, Opalescence was found in Rarity’s bedroom, taking a nap on the soft blankets over her big sister’s bed. Over in the corner of the room, Sweetie Belle spotted a yellow ball of yarn. A few knots and tangles were found, but to a cat it would probably still be just as fun to play with. She gripped the yarn with her teeth and trotted over to Opal. She tossed the ball on the bed, while Opal was still snoozing.
“Opal, I’ve got a ball of yarn for you to play with!”
Opal gave no reaction to Sweetie Belle’s voice, still fast asleep. Sweetie Belle was determined, however, and rested a hoof onto the cat.
“Come on, Opal. I’m soooooo boooooored.”
Opal was now awake, and apparently angry, as well. She reached a paw outwards and extended her claws, cutting off the edge of Sweetie Belle’s mane like a pair of scissors.
“Okay, I’ll just leave you to your sleeping.”
Sweetie Belle backed up quietly and left the room, praying she wouldn’t disturb the dangerous feline anymore. She was thankful that she didn’t get hurt.
Rarity was busy and Opalescence was sleeping, who else could Sweetie Belle turn to in order to overcome her boredom? She thought for a moment and then realized she could visit her friends! Apple Bloom and Scootaloo would surely be able to keep her from her boredom.
“Rarity,” spoke Sweetie Belle. “Can I go visit Apple Bloom and Scootaloo?”
Rarity was too deep in focus while sewing to really understand what she said.
“Yeah sure,” said Rarity as she waved a hoof, not taking her eyes off of the dress she was stitching.
Sweetie Belle took advantage of this and ran off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Hopefully Apple Bloom could help cure her boredom. Maybe the Cutie Mark Crusaders could get together on some fun adventures, or even better, maybe they’d finally earn their cutie marks!
Unfortunately for Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom didn’t have any time for crusading.
“I’m really sorry, Sweetie Belle. It’s just I don’t have any time since I have all these chores. Big Macintosh is sick so Applejack’s working extra, which means I have to work extra to fill in for some of her other chores. I’m really sorry.”
Sweetie Belle frowned at this. She could tell that Apple Bloom was working pretty hard with feeding the animals. She dumped a bucket of food for the pigs to eat, then offered a suggestion that might cheer up Sweetie Belle.
“Maybe Scoots will be available! I’m sure the two of ya will find somethin’ fun to do.”
Sweetie Belle cracked a smile, trying to stay hopeful.
“You’re right, Apple Bloom. Scootaloo’s always doing something fun and exciting. Maybe she can get me another ride on her scooter!”
“Now yer talkin,” Apple Bloom agreed. “Oh, before you go,” Apple Bloom went over and grabbed a leftover saddlebag, tossing some apples in there, and then hoofing it over to Sweetie Belle.
“Applejack always told me to be thankful, and since you came to visit, I thought I’d offer you some apples.”
Sweetie Belle wasn’t hungry, but that was alright. She loved eating apples from Sweet Apple Acres and gladly accepted the gift.
“Thanks, Apple Bloom! I’ll go see Scootaloo. We can do some crusading later!”
So Sweetie Belle left the farm, giving a wave. She then went off to find Scootaloo. It took her a little while, but she found Scootaloo sitting down in the middle of a field. She was simply looking up to the sky with nopony else around.
“Hey Scootaloo, why are you sitting out here in the middle of this field?”
“I’m watching Rainbow Dash prepare for her new flying technique!” the orange filly said with loads of excitement.
Sweetie Belle attempted to look in the same direction as Scootaloo was looking. She didn’t see Rainbow Dash. She tried squinting, but the results were the same. The sky was clear, with no Rainbow Dash.
“I don’t see her.”
“That’s because she just went up at a really high speed! I’m sure she’ll be back any moment now.”
Sweetie Belle sat down and waited a little longer, hoping to see the sight of Rainbow Dash. Unfortunately, all she saw was the occasional bird.
“I think I’m going to leave.”
“You sure? Rainbow Dash is always exciting! I can’t wait to see what she’s going to pull off.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Scootaloo never changed the direction she was facing, so she couldn’t notice Sweetie Belle walking away with her head facing the ground. What was a bored filly to do? Her friends were too busy, her sister was working, and her sister’s cat was too scary. She had been in so many exciting adventures before, and now the closest thing that she had to an adventure was trying to find an adventure.
Little did Sweetie Belle know that looking down at the ground while she walked was a very bad idea. She was stopped by her horn crashing into a tree. It stung pretty painfully, so she rubbed it, attempting to relieve the pain. Once the pain went away, she looked around herself and started to shake in fear.
“I’m… stuck in the Everfree Forest.”
Sweetie Belle starting breathing quickly, nervous about her past experiences in the forest. She was almost turned into stone by a cockatrice! And nopony knew she was in there. It was scary before, but now the scariness had doubled since she was all alone, with no Apple Bloom or Scootaloo by her side.
She trotted off, hoping that she would be able to find a way out of the place without being harmed. No moving creature was in sight so far, but she could hear the chirps of crickets and the sound of a crow. It was all so frightening. Sweetie Belle then heard behind her what sounded to her like a bark.
The bark definitely startled her. She started to panic and her trot turned into a run. She ran forward, attempting to escape the creature that was behind her. What creature barked? A stray dog perhaps… or maybe even worse, a Timberwolf!
She heard the bark again, this time it was louder. That creature was gaining on her. She took a turn to her right, hoping to avoid the animal. If she couldn’t outrun it, she would hide. She got low and hid behind a tree, covering her mouth with a hoof to quiet her breathing. The barking simply grew louder. She just stood still, hoping the creature wouldn’t find her. She was so terrified that a tear rolled down her cheek. She couldn’t take the pressure anymore, and closed her eyes.
The barking stopped. She heard the animal move towards her, but now all she heard was panting. She was greeted by a strange sensation, it felt slimy. She was licked! So this was a dog after all. That was a relief. She gained enough confidence to open her eyes.
It wasn’t a dog. It was… a pony, a blue mare with a greyish mane, and had the cutie mark of a screw. Her mane was all out of place, and she had a piece of cloth attached to her back, appearing to have been ripped. Sweetie Belle wasn’t quite sure what to make of this strange pony. She was crouching down and panting, just like a dog would.
“Umm… Hello?” the filly asked the strange pony.
The panting mare barked, then began to pant once more.
“You think you’re a dog? Well… that’s quite strange. Hmm… well, I’m glad you’re here. It’s quite scary to be in the Everfree Forest all alone. At least I have some company now.”
Sweetie Belle never met a pony like this before. Did she seriously think she was a dog? That was quite odd, but she did act like a dog quite a bit. The pony reminded her of Apple Bloom’s pet, Winona. Winona was always so kind and friendly, unlike Opalescence, who tried to swipe a claw at her any chance she got. Maybe this happened for a reason. Sweetie Belle wasn’t bored anymore, that was for sure. If anything, she was terrified since she was lost in the Everfree Forest.
“How’d you get in here, anyway?”
Sweetie Belle was unsure if the pony understood, but the panting mare barked once more and turned to Sweetie Belle’s left. She then slowly trotted and continued her panting. Sweetie Belle followed in curiosity.
Could this really be happening? A crazy pony that was acting like a dog was leading her to safety, away from the Everfree Forest? Sweetie Belle began to wonder if she was going nuts, not the pony leading the way.
The mare ruffled through some bushes and Sweetie Belle could see light. She beamed with joy and ran up to the bush. She struggled a bit and her saddlebag snagged to a branch at one point, but she escaped safely. Her mane was almost as out of place as the crazy pony.
“You… saved me.”
The mare sat on the ground, panting and wagging her tail. Sweetie Belle laughed and raised her forehooves around the pony, giving her a powerful hug. The unicorn was greeted by a lick. It was slobbery and gross, but that didn’t matter. She was just grateful to be safe.
“Thank you,” Sweetie Belle spoke, who then began to start thinking carefully. “Hmm... I wonder what your name is.” She would have greeted her with a name in this case, but the pony couldn’t talk. Still, she needed something to call her, but what?
The pony simply started to scratch behind her ear with one of her hind hooves. She could stretch like a dog, too. This brought the mare’s cutie mark back in sight of Sweetie Belle. It was some sort of screw.
“…would you like me to give you a name?”
After a moment of panting, the pony responded with a bark.
“Hmm… How does ‘Screwy’ sound?”
She barked again.
“Well… I can’t call you ‘Screw Up’ or ‘Screw Around,’”
Sweetie Belle placed a hoof on her chin, trying to think of a proper name. Soon after, she lifted that hoof in the air, proposing an idea.
“Oh I know! I’ll call you ‘Screw Belle!’ It’ll be like you’re part of the family! I bet you’d fit right in with us.”
‘Screw Belle’ just continued to pant, not acknowledging anything. Sweetie Belle figured this would be a more appropriate name for her. The pony didn’t respond back, but she bet Screw Belle would like her new name.
“Screw Belle it is!” Sweetie Belle jumped for joy when she found a fitting name for her friend. Her joy, however, was interrupted shortly after by a rumbling in her stomach.
“Hehe… guess it’s about time for lunch. Good thing Apple Bloom gave me these apples.” Sweetie Belle opened up her saddle bag to reveal apples of all colors, though most of them red. Each one had a particular shine that made them all look more appealing, and they complimented each other to seem even tastier when together. She reached into the bag with a hoof and tossed an apple up to her mouth, crunching on the tasty fruit.
After hearing the crunch from the apple, Sweetie Belle heard a whine, much similar to a normal dog’s. She looked over at Screw Belle and could see her eyes grow larger. Somepony else was hungry.
“I’m sorry, Screw Belle. You’re probably really hungry, too. Who knows how long you’ve been in the Everfree Forest? Here, have a few apples.”
Sweetie Belle dumped her saddlebag to let four apples roll out onto the grass in front of her friend. Screw Belle sniffed at the apples before chowing down. She was a very fast eater, to say the least.
“I’m glad you like them,” Sweetie Belle said in a tone of excitement. She was glad to see her new friend enjoying herself, and she took another bite from her second apple. Her generosity made the apple taste even sweeter.
After eating, Sweetie Belle decided to lead Screw Belle back to Ponyville. She figured that was probably where she came from, and she didn’t know where else to take her. On the pathway there, she spotted Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. It seemed to Sweetie Belle that this day had finally gone sour, and unfortunately for her, the two fillies spotted them, as well.
“Hi there, blank flank!” Silver Spoon mocked.
“…oh no,” Sweetie Belle muttered angrily. There was no avoiding them at this point.
“Who’s this mess of a pony you’re with?” asked Diamond Tiara, obviously talking about Screw Belle and her messed up mane and… dog-like habits.
“Leave her alone!” Sweetie Belle shouted.
“Oh, is she your friend? Even better, you two fools seem like you’re perfect for each other!”
“Quit it!” Sweetie Belle yelled louder, hoping they would just go away.
Suddenly Sweetie Belle heard an even louder noise coming from behind her. She turned around to see Screw Belle barking at Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, then growling, and barking again.
“That pony’s crazy!” yelled Silver Spoon.
“Let’s get out of here!” shrieked Diamond Tiara, agreeing with her friend.
The two fillies ran off and Screw Belle ran forward a bit, then stopped and turned back to Sweetie Belle. The unicorn was amazed. This pony helped her out not once, but twice. Even though she didn’t act like a pony, she could tell that Screw Belle truly cared for her.
“…thank you,” said Sweetie Belle, patting Screw Belle on the head. Screw Belle just panted with a look on her face that showed she was happy. Her tail was wagging again, too.
Along the path to Ponyville, Sweetie Belle spotted a loose twig. This gave her an idea! She always wanted to play fetch, but never had the chance to play it before. Perhaps she’d be able to give it a try now.
“Screw Belle… would you like to play fetch with me?”
Screw Belle’s ears perked up at the sound of Sweetie Belle’s voice. She then spotted a stick in the unicorn’s mouth, and instantly she crouched down and panted. It seemed as if Screw Belle was familiar with this game.
Sweetie Belle grinned and tossed the stick as far as she could. It wasn’t very far, she would’ve had an easier time if she could use magic, but she threw it pretty far for a filly of her age. The mare ran off to retrieve the stick. Once she was back with the stick in her mouth in front of Sweetie Belle, she dropped it and started to pant again, looking up to her.
Sweetie Belle gladly picked it up again and was ready for another toss.
Once in Ponyville, Sweetie Belle beamed with joy as she returned to the Carousel Boutique. She had done much more than conquer her own boredom. She found more than simply something to do or an adventure to go on. Dare say it, she even enjoyed today more than when she spent time with the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
She pushed the door open, hoping her sister would stop working so she could take a look at Screw Belle. Her sister was the most generous pony in all of Ponyville! There was no way she could turn down taking in such a wonderful pet… no… she was more than a pet. She was her friend. Surely Rarity would let her stay. This day couldn’t have gone any better for Sweetie Belle.
“Rarity, I’m back!” shouted Sweetie Belle.
She walked in and could see Rarity pinning some needles onto a few of her dresses to stick to the mannequins.
“Ah yes,” Rarity responded, not taking an eye off of her work. “How was your day with the Cutie Mark Crusaders?”
“Actually, I didn’t hang out with the crusaders. I met a new friend, instead.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yeah! I brought her over and thought you’d like to meet her.”
Rarity turned around, ready to greet the new pony when her jaw dropped.
“I… I’ve seen that pony before! Excuse me, Sweetie Belle, I need to get help!”
Rarity slammed the door, taking off at first sight of the pony. Sweetie Belle was puzzled, and started to groom Screw Belle’s mane to pass the time. She wondered how Rarity could’ve seen her before, and why she reacted that way.
Shortly after, the door busted open.
“Where is she?” an unfamiliar voice asked.
“She’s over there!” yelled Rarity.
“Get over here!” that same, unfamiliar voice commanded.
After a bit of scrambling, all of the ponies except Rarity and Sweetie Belle left the Carousel Boutique.
“What just happened? Where’s my friend?” Sweetie Belle wondered.
“Sweetie Belle,” Rarity interrupted. “You know better than to bring strange ponies into our home. What were you thinking?”
“What was I thinking? I made a new friend and you made her leave!”
“That pony was crazy, darling. You couldn’t possibly-”
“She was NOT crazy! She was my friend, and if you would just listen to me, you’d realize that she means well!”
“How could she possibly-”
“She saved me from the Everfree Forest!”
Rarity’s eyes grew larger after hearing this.
“And then on top of that, after all of my friends were busy, we got to play together! And she protected me from being bullied by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon! She is one of the greatest ponies I’ve met, and you made her leave!”
“Sweetie Belle, I…”
“I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” Sweetie Belle’s volume lowered greatly. She was now tearing up. She started to walk away towards her room, and Rarity could hear her sniffling on the way there.
Rarity was shocked. She couldn’t have possibly known such a thing would happen. She had never seen Sweetie Belle so mad at her since she refused to enter the Sisterhoof Social. This all happened so quickly. Did she really mean what she said? Was she saved by a pony that acted like a dog? And from the Everfree Forest out of all places? Maybe that pony wasn’t crazy… Rarity had begun to think that she was the crazy mare, for not giving a chance for her sister to speak. She had to make it up to her, somehow.
“Where are you taking me?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Oh, don’t worry, darling. Patience is key.”
Rarity had blindfolded Sweetie Belle, and she was walking through an unfamiliar area… The floor felt more cold and hard on her hooves. She was definitely indoors. She could hear other ponies’ hooves on the floor, as well. She heard the opening of a door and was guided by Rarity to go through it.
“Almost there,” said Rarity.
Just then, she could hear a familiar and comforting sound. It was the sound of barking. It wasn’t just any barking, however.
“We’re here. You can take off your blindfold,” said Rarity.
It was the barking of Screw Belle. She was in a bed, but she was being held down and tied to it with chains and locks. Sweetie Belle came closer to hug her friend, and the barking stopped. She was then greeted by a familiar lick.
“Eww,” Rarity said, disgusted.
“I’ve missed you so much!” Sweetie Belle shouted with joy. She was licked once more by the pony. “Hehe, and it looks like you’ve missed me, too.” She then turned to her big sister, stumped. “I don’t get it. Why’d you bring me back to her? You said she was crazy.”
“Well, darling, I know how much it hurts to be away from a friend.” She happened to look out the window to see Pinkie Pie rolling around in a sandbox from far away. She then dug beneath the sand and sprouted upwards, launching the sand in the air. “No matter how crazy that pony may be.”
Sweetie Belle laughed for a few seconds, then stopped. “So, is this the last time I’m going to see her?”
“Of course not, darling! I’ve spoken to the doctor and he said you’re welcome to visit her anytime.”
“Yaaaaaaaaay!” yelled Sweetie Belle, hugging her new friend.
“Just make sure you finished your homework, first.”
“Aww,” Sweetie Belle frowned. She then lifted her head back up at Rarity. “Want to know what I named her?”
“The doctor told me her name was ‘Screw Loose.’”
“That’s pretty close to what I named her. I chose ‘Screw Belle.’ Screw because of her cutie mark, and Belle because that’d make her part of the family!”
Rarity smiled a bit, though she was a bit startled at the thought of such a pony being part of her family. Regardless, she wanted her sister to be happy, more than anything. “That’s a wonderful name.”
“So, did you want me to tell you about my day?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Please do. I want to hear what kept you from being soooooooooo booooooooored.” Rarity mimicked Sweetie Belle’s way of stretching out those words. They both laughed at her joke, then settled down as Sweetie Belle began to prepare her story.
“Well, it all started when I went to visit Apple Bloom…”
Author's Note
So this is my first one-shot. Please tell me what you thought of it! Also I'd like to thank PonIver for making the Hearth's Warming Care Package. I couldn't resist entering! Maybe I'll make more one-shots in the future.
