//------------------------------//
// A milk-shaky breakfast. 
// Story: A Game of Homes. 
// by Lethrael 
//------------------------------//

A milk-shaky breakfast.

Scootaloo got to Sweetie Belle's home, knocked and was acclaimed by a smiling unicorn mare. She wore a high indigo mane, which lied perfect on her head. It framed her face with the friendly blue eyes, which were wandering over Scootaloo.
“Good Morning, Sweetie. Let me guess, you want to call for Sweetie Belle, right?”
Her voice sounded calm and Scootaloo simply replied her smile with her own.
“Yeah, I'm...”
“Scootaloo, I'm ready!”
Sweetie Belle galloped past her mother, swarmed further and flashed a glance back at her.
“I'm back for lunch, mummy.”
Scootaloo drove beside Sweetie Belle and waved with a hoof a goodbye for the smiling unicorn. As both were turning around the next corner and were out off sight, Sweetie Belle slowed down her pacing and breathed a sight of relief.
“Mummy had peppered me with questions about you, you know. 
But I couldn't tell her much about you.
So she was intend to ask, if you stay for lunch today. Do you like to stay for lunch with us?”
Her voice sounded very high pitched and reached as the question started an even painful pitch. She stopped and scrabbled with her hooves on the ground. Scootaloo was revolving her and thought a while.
“I would like that. But I have to ask mum and aunt Sunny for advice.”
Her answer let the little white unicorn scurrying on the place she stood and her voice even squeaked.
“That's great.”
She jumped forward with great cracks, as she led Scootaloo on her scooter to Sugarcube Corner. Meanwhile she chuntered down on her new friend.
“Mum is a great cook, you know. She worked  at least as one. Her cookies were sell out in Sugarcube Corner. 
Hence I can get something sweet without selling and. Uh eventually you could too...”
Scootaloo opened her mouth and shook a little bit, to let her bits clink in her saddlebacks, but the unicorn spoke anyway.
“Pinkie didn't charge us foal anyway, as long as we don't push it too far. She is really nice and...”

They were walking past a few ponies, which were assembling the market stalls and greeted Sweetie friendly. A few were trying to have a conversation with her, but as they mentioned, that she already was in one, they stopped and smiled simply. They were examining Scootaloo with interested views, nodded at her friendly, but didn't speak up to her.
“You know...hello Carrot Top...
I like Pinkie...Good Morning Miss Harvest...
very much...Roma how do you do...
and her parties are so much....
Good Morning Mrs. Rich.”
The last addressed pony glanced down to Sweetie Belle, frowned and ignored her then. She entered Sugarcube Corner and closed the door in front of the noses of both younger ponies. Sweetie looked past her, was shaking her head confused and panting the ground two times with her hoof. At the same time she was biting her lips and tried to consider what to do next. Scootaloo dismounted her scooter, leaned it against a well on the left side of the building. She nudged the little unicorn with a hoof, but she didn't respond.
“Sweetie Belle, are you alright?”

Not till she addressed her and even shook her a little bit, the unicorn aroused from her confusion and smiled.
“She is the president of the school board, you know. 
She talks very nicely, when she was talking with Mummy, so I presume...”
Scootaloo nodded and pushed the door open with her hoof. A pushy voice thrilled past the door and was holding off both fillies to enter.
“I was saying: I would like to hire Sugarcube Corner for a Cute-cenera.”
The pink pony with the purple mane thumped down on the ground for once with one hoof and pierced Pinkie Pie with her glance.
“Ey havsh undverstand you. Ey wilth ppreppare it ppropperly.”
The voice shoved itself away from a big swollen blue pointed tongue and took many spittle with it. The spatted mare, flinched away in disgust and bumped into both fillies at the door.
“Miss Pie, you should betook yourself into medical attendance as soon as possible and ah...”
She tripped over the smaller ponies, pushed Scootaloo down the stair steps and was landing on Sweetie Belle by herself. Scootaloo felt down the two two stair steps, took the first with her head and the second with her side and landed finally on her flank.
“Look out! You two almost made me trip and fall down the stairs!”
The mare stood up very fast and drew Sweetie Belle back on her hooves with a harsh grip. After this she gazed peevishly back to Pinkie Pie. She galloped past Scootaloo, as she was picking herself up slowly. Scootaloo was glad, that she didn't took off the helmet now, but her ears jingled like a small bell, as she came back on her hooves. She bit her lips to overcame it and jogged back into the bakery. Sweetie Belle stood where she was pulled on and looked back at the strutting mare. Her mouth was gaping wide open and she wasn't sure, if she simply understand, what happened.

“I think, she is just a birdbrain! Come on, we wanted to drink a milkshake, right?”
Scootaloo led her friend to table and pushed her on a chair. Then she turned to the counter and opened her mouth.
“Ey ppelive, shie ar alright. Ey visvisit Twlifs. Excuse me.”
Pinkie Pie was spitting around again and Scootaloo shied one step away from her. The pink pony circled the counter, pranced around the pegasusfoal and disappeared through the open door. The fillies weren't leave alone for a long time. Mister Cakes brought them milkshakes and welcomed them.
“Hello Sweetie Belle and uhm Wingdaloo, right?”
Scootaloo shook her head really fast and corrected him.
“Uhm I thought Pinkie Pie had said, that your name is in fact Wingdaloo and...”
The little pegasusfoal sighed and took the chocolate milkshake into both hooves, took a sip and replied then.
“Yes, she was right. But I have thought through it and think that Scootaloo matches me better and have changed it recently.”
The stallion nodded and was distracted from another pony, which called for a cake.
“I didn't know, that you have changed your name! I like the sound of your other name, Wingdaloo.”
Sweetie Belle had finally found her voice again and goggled on Scootaloo across her vanilla milkshake. The next hour went slowly. Sweetie Belle pestered Scootaloo with questions and the little pegasus answered evasive and hesitantly. She told her friend, why she moved to Ponyville.
“...I didn't want that everpony glanced at me this way...”
Why she simply disappeared after the summer sun celebration.
“...I wanted to make Mum happy again and thought, that I have to stay there...”
And why she returned again.
“Mum had told me, that we both could life here. So we moved into aunt Sunny's house, as long as we don't have one of our own.”
Meanwhile they had cleared the milkshakes ad Scootaloo pushed the empty cup away.
“But, Sweetie Belle, could you tell me something? I would like to ask you, if you know Rainbow Dash a little bit? 
Do you know, what she likes? What she does in her spared time? Does she have a favourite dish?”
The voice of the pesgasusfoal picked up the pace and she even put a gleam into her droopy eyes, as she mentioned Rainbow Dash. As Sweetie Belle shook her head after a moment of mediation and answered the question, the gleaming eyes were loosing the light again.
“I don't know much about her, you know. She moved to Ponyville not long before you and she worked here as a weatherpony. 
The only thing I really know about her, is, that she is living in a cloudhouse nearby...Come on, I'll show you.”
The smaller unicorn jumped off the chair and pushed her low spirited friend with her. 

Ponyville was full of life and everywhere the ponies attended their businesses. Sweetie Belle galloped ahead the scooter and led her friend out off Ponyville, 	over the flow and up on a hill. There she stopped and panted heavily for a while.	Scootaloo on the other hoof saw the biggest cloudhouse she ever had seen. High above a rainbow enthroned at the top of the building and its colours fell down gently aside the columns. Under the multicoloured light she spotted a balcony and a huge grey gate.
“This is awesome, Sweetie. I never...”
Hoofstamping,yelling and a ”Look out!” tore Scootaloo's attention from the impressive buildings and to the causers of the turmoil. A cyan shape was heading towards her at rapid speed, leaving a rainbow coloured trail in the air. Scootaloo tried to jump out of the way, but it was too late. Once again she landed hard on her flank all four hooves kicking air.
“Whoops, sorry kiddo. Wait I will wah...”

Before the mare was able to speak further, her wings were flapping again and pushing her forwards into a tree. Scootaloo picked herself painful up, as four other ponies gathered up. 	The little pegasus  recognised Pinkie Pie immediately and the purple unicorn mare aside her was familiar too. But the other two weren't. A pegasus mare with yellow fur and a long pink mane was helping her on the hooves, with not more than a little bit effort and she nudged her with a wing. Then she looked at her encouraging and let out a small smile. She opened her mouth, but before any word slipped out off her, she bit her lips and blushed. The other unknown pony looked stranger. Her mane was a mess of matted shags, who were hanging on her face and the bright purple of the mane looked surreal to her white fur. Sweetie Belle moved closer hesitantly and lifted a  trembling hoof.
“Friends, we don't have time for this! Rainbow Dash is far ahead already. Come on!”
The unicorn mare galloped further and the rest followed quickly. Scootaloo looked after the four ponies and the names were just now sinking in her. 

Without any more notice of the cloudhouse she scurried excited on the ground and a big smile grew on her face. She mounted her scooter again and started to follow the ponies, as she glanced back to her frozen friend.
“Sweetie Belle, are you alright?”
She get no answer so far and dismounted aside her. First she waved over her eyes, but she didn't respond. So she touched her shoulder finally.
“This was Rarity.”
This came out off Sweetie Belle's lips and she jumped quickly forward. She thrust Scootaloo aside with it an galloped past the four ponies. The pegasusfilly looked after her at first, shook her head confused and roared after her with the scooter.	What's got into Sweetie Belle?