Over the next week things had returned to normal for Scootaloo and her family. Fluttering down the stairs Scootaloo found her parents in the living room.
“Later guys. I’m gonna hang with the others today.”
Lightning looked up from the weather papers in front of her. “Did you finish that essay for school?”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes but grinned. “Yeah mom, I got it done yesterday.”
Quicksilver chuckled. “Well then we’ll see you later. Remember me and your mom are going out tonight so be back by seven.”
Nodding, Scootaloo out. “Sure thing dad, later.”
=======================================
After flying through Sweet Apple Acres Scootaloo touched down just outside the clubhouse. As she folded her wings to her side she winced a bit at the twinge of pain that ran through them. “I gotta work my wings more. These things get tired too easy”
Giving a shrug Scootaloo went up the ramp and into the clubhouse where her four friends sat around the table. Silver Spoon happened to glance at the door and smirked.
“Hey, the chicken’s here.”
Giving a groan Scootaloo joined the others at the table. “You know I can fly now right?”
Silver kept up her smirk. “Then you’re the first flying chicken.”
Scootaloo scoffed. “Better than having spooning be my special talent.”
Silver Spoon glared at the pegasus and huffed. “I told you it’s not spooning. I’m a silversmith!”
This time Scootaloo smirked. “You make spoons though right?”
Silver Spoon’s brow rose. “Well yeah, of course I make spoons. Why?”
Scootaloo’s smirk widened. “Then technically your talent is spooning.”
Silver stammered for a comeback before pouting. “Fine, you win.”
Applebloom shook her head at the exchange. “Ah can’t tell if they’re friends or they just like one upin’ each other.”
Diamond shrugged. “Spoon’s always been that way. She likes the back and forth.”
Sweetie Belle giggled. “Maybe they like each other.”
That remark earned Sweetie a glare from Silver Spoon and Scootaloo who responded simultaneously. “Do not!”
Sweetie Belle just continued to giggle as Applebloom and Diamond looked on. Diamond turned to Applebloom with a smile. “Did you ever think we’d all be sitting around and getting along like this?”
Applebloom shook her head and chuckled. “Nope. If ya’d told me a week ago that I’d be spending time with you and Silver and enjoyin’ it I’d have thought you’d gone nuttier than a peanut farm.”
Silver Spoon turned to Applebloom and rose a brow. “Hey, didn’t you have something to tell us when Scootaloo got here?”
Applebloom brought a large book out from under the table. “Yeah. Ah found this book in the library and it’s got all kinds of cool stuff we can try and do to get our cutie marks.”
Sweetie Belle leaned over and flipped the book open. “ One thousand and one exciting activities. Wow, there is a lot of stuff in here. It even looks like Diamond and Silver can help us out with it.”
“Joy.” Spoon said in a deadpan tone.
Diamond chuckled. “Oh lighten up Spoony. It won’t be that bad.”
Spoon rolled her eyes. “Say that after your the one that ends up covered in tree sap and your coat dyed green.”
Sweetie Belle gave a sheepish smile. “I said I was sorry. And Rarity had the solvent for the dye so everything turned out ok.”
Spoon shook her head. “Whatever, so what’s first on that list?”
Sweetie Belle smiled as she scanned the book. “First we’ll start with.....alchemy!”
========================================
At the end of the day the five fillies sat in the clubhouse, trying to recuperate from what had been an exhausting misadventure.
Spoon fixed Sweetie Belle with a half hearted glare. “Do you enjoy putting our lives in danger or does this just always happen?”
Sweetie Belle groaned. “Hey how was I supposed to know that alchemic liquid and varnish would be explosive?”
Scootaloo slowly lifted her head. “Why is it that you can make things explode when they’re not supposed too?”
Sweetie shrugged. “Luck?”
Receiving a groan from her friends Sweetie Belle giggled. “At least we got out of the Everfree in one piece. Though we didn’t get to crusade at all.”
Scootaloo rose from her spot on the floor and chuckled. “Well maybe next time we’ll try something that won’t blow us sky high.”
Silver Spoon scoffed. “I won’t hold my breath. You three are trouble magnets.”
Rolling her eyes Scootaloo moved towards the door. “Anyway, see you guys later. I’m gonna head home.
Giving her friends a last wave Scootaloo spread her wings and headed for home.
================================
When Scootaloo got home she lazily greeted her parents and started trudging up the stairs to her room.
Lightning rose a brow. “Have a tough day kiddo?”
Scootaloo yawned as she replied. “Yeah. I’m gonna get to bed early. G’night.”
Lightning and Quicksilver said their goodnights to Scootaloo and headed out the door for a night on the town, their pony forms in place. As the pair was walking Quicksilver turned to Lightning. “What d’you think Scoots did to tire herself out?”
Lightning chuckled. “Who knows. She and her friends always seem to find interesting things to do. And with all the strange things that happen in this town it could have been anything.”
Quicksilver nodded and smiled. “Well either way this just means we can spend some quality time together.” As she finished speaking Quicksilver bumped her flank with Lightning’s.
Lighting smiled. “That sounds nice. We haven’t really had much time for just us have we.?”
Quicksilver returned Lightnings smile with one of her own. “Yeah, that’s why I organised this date night.”
Lightning giggled. “Well look at you being romantic. Not going soft are you?”
Quicksliver smirked. “For you, maybe I am.”
Lighting blushed lightly and bumped Quicksilver’s shoulder with hers. “So, where are we going anyway?”
Quicksilver increased her pace as she answered. “Just follow me. I’m pretty sure you’ll like it when we get there.”
Eager to see just what Quicksilver had in mind for their night out Lighting matched her partners pace and let Quicksilver lead her through Ponyville. After a few minutes they had come to the outskirts of town and Quicksilver continued trotting down the road.
Raising a brow Lighitng questioned Quicksliver. “Ok now I’m really curious. Just where are you taking us?”
Flashing a smile Quicksilver dropped her pony skin and took to the air. “It’s just a bit further. Come on.”
Changing to her original form Lighting flew after Quicsilver, her curiosity rising by the minute. And just as she was about to question her partner again Quicksilver landed in front of a small lake. Holding her questions Lighting settled next to Quicksilver who started talking.
“Twilight had me do an experiment a few days back that involved seeing if I could change into something aquatic and she brought me here. After the test was done we took a break and I got a good look at this little lake and, well just see for yourself.”
Lighting turned her attention to the lake and she gasped at what she saw. The water reflected the stars and moon like a mirror and the slight mist that hovered over the surface gave it a shimmering afterglow. The effect was doubled as countless fireflies flitted to and fro in the calm night air.
Quicksilver chuckled at Lightings expression. “I saw this when the sun was just starting to set and thought, wouldn’t it look even better at night? With the stars and moon shining of the water. So I figured this was a good place for us to just enjoy each others company.”
Lighting turned to Quicksilver with a smile. “You figured right, this is a nice place. So what did you feel like doing?”
Quicksilver shifted closer to Lighting and nuzzled her. “Just sitting here with you and talking. Sound good?”
Lighting returned the nuzzle and wrapped a foreleg around Quicksilver. “Sounds good. Anything you want to talk about?”
Quicksilver sighed. “Yeah. It’s a bit of a heavy issue but I’d rather talk about it sooner than later.”
Receiving a reassuring squeeze from Lighting, Quicksilver continued. “Lighting.... Do you think we’re actually in love or are we just going through the motions?”
Lighitng turned to her partner and rose a brow. “Going through the motions? What do you mean?”
Quicksilvers ears flattened against her skull. “I’ve been thinking and I just don’t know if what we’re doing is actually us or if it’s just us doing what we’ve always done. Playing a part to get the love we need. I mean I think that what I’m doing is genuine but why couldn’t I do that before now?”
Lighting was silent as she thought about what Quicksilver had said. It was true that most times when the changelings had taken the form of someones loved one they had quickly fallen into whatever roll suited that person. It was almost second nature to changelings to change into a roll as for them to change their appearance. But was that what was going on now?
As Lightning was thinking she felt Quicksilver shiver a little as she continued talking.
“It scares me Lightning. To think that everything I’m doing is just to fill a need.That we changelings don’t have the capacity to love. That the ponies that do fear us have a reason to, because we can’t truly feel.”
As Quicksilver finished she heaved a shuddering sigh and fixed her eyes on the ground while leaning on Lighting.
Lighting used a hoof and lifted Quicksilvers head till their eyes locked. Lightning stared into Quicksilvers eyes and started to lean forward. When her lips met Quicksilveres she felt an influx of love mixed with confusion and fear. Pulling away she moved until she was sitting behind Quicksilver and hugged her, resting her head on Silvers shoulder.
“You’ve been carrying that around for a while huh? Just thinking about it in the back of your head?”
Receiving a nod Lighting continued. “I’ll admit, it is possible that what we’re doing is just part of our nature. But I don’t believe that it’s what’s driving us to stay together. Remember that night after the hive fell?”
Quicksilver nodded and placed a hoof on the forelegs that encircled her. “Yeah. I was just as confused then as I am now. Although for different reasons.”
“Well then tell me again. Why did you come to help me? What did you feel?”
Quicksilver turned her head slightly to look at Lightning. “I was worried that you’d be hurt. And when I thought of you being hurt it made me feel cold inside.”
“And when we decided to try and be a family?”
Quicksilver smiled. “I was happier than I’d ever been.”
Lighting nodded. “Well then I think you know that what you feel isn’t fake.”
Quicksilvers smile dropped and she gave Lighting a confused look. “What?”
Lighting chuckled. “I felt like that once. Not knowing my own feelings. Confused about what they meant and if they were real but Scootaloo helped me with that. She helped me see that what i”m doing is what I want to do and not because it’ll get me love.”
Quicksilver sighed again. “But how can you be sure?”
Lighting turned Quicksilver in her embrace until they were face to face. “Because you’re questioning yourself. And...”
Lighting learnt in again and kissed Quicksilver passionately, literally pouring the love she felt for Quicksilver into the kiss and Quicksilver herself. When the kiss broke Lighitng continued breathily.
“Because....I can feel how much you care about me. And I can tell you it’s just as real as any emotion I’ve felt from others.”
Quicksilver smiled and nuzzled into the crook of Lightings neck while putting her forelegs around her. “Thank you.”
Lighting gave Quicksilver an affectionate squeeze. “Anytime love.”
The pair sat by the lake for hours after. Talking and enjoying the closeness of one another. And when they finally make it home and settled down for bed they each wore a contented smile.