Ponyville Scouting

by La Vallett1

Meeting New Friends

It was morning. The sun rose up from the horizon, illuminating everything below it. North was already awake and getting his scarf ready to roll and be worn. It was coloured royal blue with a yellow stripe on the edge and it also had a simple picture of a triangular shaped mountain right above the scarf’s wide corner. It is the scarf of his last Scout Group. He also brought out his green cap to wear in his first meeting with the Ponyville scouts. When he looked at the circular, he noted that today’s meeting and activity was about knots. Personally, he absolutely dreaded his first meeting would have anything to do with knots. If there was anything he would have definitely never get a cutie mark with, it would be knots. What would anypony think of him if they saw him making a mess of himself with knots?

“North! Have you gotten yourself ready yet?” came a call from his mother.

“Almost there, Mum! Just need to roll and wear the scarf,” North called back. He looked back at his scarf and, using his magic and his mouth, started to roll it. After he finished, he put his rolled up scarf around his neck and bound it together with a woggle.

Afterwards, he opened his saddlebags and started packing several things he needed for today’s meeting and some extra stuff just in case he needed them.

He went downstairs afterwards, with his cap, scarf and saddlebags on. “OK, Mum. I’m ready,” North said with a smile.

***

North and his mother Melody walked towards the HQ. They could already hear sounds of talking and chattering and shouting coming from the first floor. They went up the stairs and entered the HQ. Their eyes found a herd of fillies and colts around North’s age. He recognised most from Ponyville, but he also saw some that he never saw. Probably from a neighbouring town or village. He saw that there are two leaders in this HQ, including Swift Sky. The other leader was a magenta coated earth pony with two shades of pink coloured mane and tail and had a cutie mark of three smiling flowers. She was talking to three sheepish looking fillies and currently had a stern look on her face.

Swift Sky saw North and Melody arriving, smiled and came towards them. “Hello again, North! How are you today?” Swift asked happily.

“I’m fine, thanks!” North replied with a smile of his own.

“I’m going back home now, sweetie,” Melody told her son while they nuzzled. “At what time will today’s meeting be over?” she asked Swift.

“At noon, ma’am. You can pick him up at that time,” Swift told her.

“OK, mister Sky, I will be here for him at noon,” Melody replied. “Have fun now, North,” she told North before she left.

“Alright, now I don’t know if you have went to school here already, but if you haven’t yet then let me introduce you to my assistant leader who is also the local school teacher, Miss Cheerilee,” said Swift. As Swift and North went nearer to the magenta mare, they heard what she was telling the fillies in front of her.

“... I don’t care if it might give you three any cutie marks, that place is very dangerous and out of bounds to any colt and filly. You could get yourselves injured or worse if you all went there. Now, have I made myself clear?” the mare scolded to the fillies.

“Yes, Miss Cheerilee,” the fillies said sombrely, somewhat sounding as if they had recited it countless times.

“Good. Let’s hope you three won’t try anything more reckless just like what you wanted to do,” Cheerilee told them, sounding relieved. She turned around and saw Swift Sky and North Compass. “Oh hello there! Are you new here?” she said happily.

“Cheerilee, this is North Compass. He just moved here from Canterlot and wants to be part of our group. North, this is your other leader Cheerilee,” Swift told them.

“Nice to meet you, miss,” North greeted with a smile.

“I hope you will enjoy your time with us. We will going to have some fun together,” replied Cheerilee with a smile of her own. “Now, your Patrol will be the Wolf Patrol. You will be with these three fillies and that colt over there.” She pointed at the same fillies that she had only recenly scolded and a smaller colt.

The fillies were a yellow earth pony with a red mane, a white unicorn with a lilac and very light pink mane and an orange pegasus with a purple mane. The colt was a white earth pony who also brown spots on his coat with a dark brown mane. What North also noticed is that none of them had cutie marks.

Oh well, at least I’m not going to be the only colt in my Patrol, thought North as he went at them. The Patrol looked up when they saw him arrive.

“Hey, I never seen ya before. You new here?” the yellow filly asked.

“Yeah, I just moved here from Canterlot the day before yesterday. I’m North Compass,” North said while offering his hoof.

“Well howdy y’all, I’m Apple Bloom!” the filly greeted enthusiastically while shaking North’s hoof very violently, hurting his poor hoof. “Welcome ta Ponyville an’ the Wolf Patrol! I’m the Patrol Leader.” She let go his hoof, much to North’s relief, and pointed at the orange pegasus. “This is our Assistant Patrol Leader, Scootaloo.”

“’Sup,” the filly named Scootaloo said to North.

Apple Bloom then pointed at the white unicorn. “This is Sweetie Belle.”

“Hiya,” greeted Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom then pointed at the only colt besides North. “And las’, but not least, Pipsqueak.”

“’Ello,” said Pipsqueak.

Apple Bloom continued. “An’ together, now with you as our newest member, we make the best Patrol in Ponyville,” she paused, all members of the Wolf Patrol except North took a deep breath and yelled, “THE WOLF PATROL!” After their yell, there was a loud silence. Everypony in the room was staring at them in deadpan expression until they continued on their conversation. The four who yelled blushed.

“I still don’t think that yelling was really necessary,” Pip told Apple Bloom.

“Oh come on, they’re just jealous on how awesome we are!” Scootaloo told him.

“Pipsqueak does have a point though. I think we have accidentally deafened North Compass here,” said Sweetie Belle, looking at North worryingly. Poor North Compass was rubbing his ears muttering over how he might need hearing aids if it was one decibel louder.

“OK, Troop! Now, as you all know today we are going to practice on making knots,” Swift Sky called to everypony in the room. “You should all know by now that knots can be useful for many things. They can help you build some temporary structures, they can help binding things together, you can make designs with them. But most important of all, they can also save your lives. Now, we can start again with the basics to refresh our memories. Let’s start off with the Reef Knot. Now this is one of the simplest knots, and I am sure most of you know how to tie it by now. Let’s revise it, imagine that the left end is the snake and the right end is the branch. Now first, the snake moves under the branch like this,” he moved the left end of the rope under the right end. “Then, the snake moves under the branch again like this,” he moved the same end under the unmoved end. “And you have the reef knot.” North groaned as he messed up the knot, again.

“C’mon, North. It’s easy! Look!” said Apple Bloom. She put the left end under the right end and again as if it is as natural as breathing.

“I was never good at knots,” grumbled North as he messed up his knot again.

“Tell me about it. Apple Bloom just manages to make it look easier than it really is,” Scootaloo groaned as she, for some strange reason that North couldn’t fathom, managed to tie herself up with her rope.

“It’s really not that hard once you know how to do it,” said Pipsqueak after finishing his third reef knot.

“Yeah, but it’s so boring! I wish that Cheerilee had let us go tracking and rock-climbing in the Ghastly Gorge!” Scootaloo replied while trying to set herself free from the evil clutches of her rope.

“OK, now I know you will become annoyed for revising very simple knots. By now you all should know about the Thumb Knot...” Swift continued his lecture while the Wolf Patrol conversed casually.

“Don’t tell me you really trying to go to the Gastly Gorge,” North told them deadpanned.

“It was actually Scootaloo’s idea,” said Sweetie Belle as she struggled on doing her Sheet Bend.

“Why? Rainbow Dash went there herself!” exclaimed Scootaloo, somehow getting tied up again.

“Who’s Rainbow Dash?” asked North as he started trying to free Scootaloo. “Is she your sister?”

“I wish. Come on, you stupid rope! Gerrof me!” Scootaloo angrily shouted. She had gotten herself free again, sighing with relief. “Thanks, North. I really hate ropes!”

“You’re welcome! If I haven’t already got my cutie mark, I would definitely not get one with knots myself,” said North.

“Hey, now I’ve realised! Ya have a cutie mark!” exclaimed Apple Bloom excitedly.

“Yeah! Got it after finding out that I’m very good in hiking,” North replied, proudly showing his cutie mark. “I hope I will be useful.”

“Ya will, North. Welcome to the Wolf Patrol, by the way,” Apple Bloom told him with a smile.

Author's Note:

Remember, things could be a little different to what you are used to due to different countries.

As always, ask me things if you want them explained. As long as you give me feedback, of course. ;)

Comments

[Celestias Paladin]

Must be interesting to do knots without hands..Or have a knot named after a body part they don't have.

Scoots must be anxious to do a High Adventure outing, though it sounds like they might not be cool enough for Rainbow Dash

[La Vallett1]

3770508 Sorry, had to name them with their real names. And you could go with making the knots the same way as Rarity building a nest and straw sculptures.

And about Scootaloo, sorry if it felt cliched by putting RD in the conversation. But yeah, Scootaloo wants High Adventure and she wants it now.

Did you like their interactions?

[Celestias Paladin]

3770536
I think we now come across another difference in terminology, from the picture you gave us a Thumb Knot looks a lot like an Overhand Knot (which can easily ponified into a Overhoof Knot)

Scoots better wait then... or not since I did see 11 and 12 year olds go to Northern Tier (the next year they made the age limit official)

[PegasusKlondike]

On my honor,
I will do my best,
To do my duty,
To god and my country,
To obey the Scout Law,
To help other people at all times,
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
webspace.webring.com/people/ru/um_2042/images/hoac50.gif
Heart of America Council, Troop 1256, Dragon Patrol. Made Eagle in 2010.

Carry on, brother.

[La Vallett1]

3770942 Same to you.

[doorcf]

This is going good

I LIKE IT MAKE MOAR!!!

[La Vallett1]

3771065 Patience. I do have a life, sort of.

[doorcf]

3771081
Sorry

[La Vallett1]

3771085 It's OK. I wasn't really angry. Tell me what you liked about it.

[doorcf]

3771097
Basically how scouts works as a rganization there isn't any here (well there IS but only for girls and it seems that it is already dead)

[La Vallett1]

3771113 *Looks at avatar* Admit it, you also enjoyed it because of Pipsqueak.

[doorcf]

3771125
Really yes, the story was a bonus

[vren55]

Sorry Vallet, for not popping your review just yet. I got a lot of work and RL is being annoying. I'll get to it in a bit so please be patient.

[La Vallett1]

3812240 Take your time.

[vren55]

Grammar score out of 10: 8
Pros (list three pros)
It's written quite well and doesn't have any blatant technical errors.
The plot also flows naturally so that's good and I feel the interactions between North and the CMC are alright.
In terms of scouting lore and rules? I think you've got that to a tee, so that's perfect for a story like this
Cons (list three cons)
I don't really relate to North... I mean he's a nice colt, but you need to let the audience know more about him.
Moreover, I don't really see a plot that I can follow or I am enthusiastic about. Its just my personal preference, but what conflict is there in this story?
And that's what the crux of the issue is, for now, i don't see a story just yet... more of an introduction. Sure, its Slice of Life, but its a bit boring in my case and I would like to see more adventuring for the scouts
Notes Section (how you can improve your fic, at the very least an elaboration of Pros and Cons section)
All in all, its a nice, simple story, but perhaps a bit simplistic. I think it needs more conflict or more ways to drive the character interaction between North and the CMC. Then again, you are very early in the story so you have time to add that.

Enjoy your review!

[La Vallett1]

3843949 Thank you. I needed that review.

[The Accursed One]

Wait... is Scouting co-ed in other countries (Like the Venturing program thing in America) or is it just like that for the story?

[La Vallett1]

4241457 If you are asking if there are Scout Groups with mixed sexes in other countries, yes there are.

[The Accursed One]

4241513
Wow. America is weird.
Also, I'm hopefully gonna make Eagle within a year depending on getting merit badges. :D I'd probably be the youngest one in my troop to get the rank as well.

[La Vallett1]

4241533 Good luck.

[Timewarp321]

I'm intrigued. A story of Ponies and the BSA...... Nice. This coming from an Eagle Scout who has NEVER seen one of these stories before, probably should have looked up that first, oh well.

[Timewarp321]

crap I forgot about that comic series. I know what it is. It's astrex and obliques

[La Vallett1]

6775034 Asterix and Obelix.

[Timewarp321]

It's been a while since I read it......

[La Vallett1]

7497195 I mostly based it on the Scouts in Malta and the UK.