Aviators: Friendship

by Mitslits

Reunion

Out of habit, the three former Crusaders busied themselves. Scootaloo grabbed as many pillows as she could carry while Apple Bloom did the same with the blankets. Sweetie Belle swept off the layers of dust and grime on the floor with her tail; she absentmindedly began humming their old theme song.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom froze as her sweet voice rang out among the room.

“We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders…” she trailed off and went back to her work silently.

Apple Bloom piled two blankets one on top of the other and made two more piles in the shape of a small circle. Scoots followed, dropping a hoof full of pillows on top of the blankets. Eventually, all three settled down, making themselves comfortable.

“Ah think we should get this all out in the open, once ‘n fer all”, AB said, a little roughly.

Sweetie Belle was looking a little nervous, but she nodded.

Scootaloo spread her wing, draping it over Sweetie’s back. After all that had happened, it felt good to just be touching her again. “Why haven’t you said anything?” she asked the unicorn.

“She made a vow ta herself”, Apple Bloom spat. “After ya left. She told herself she would never tahlk ta anypony agin, until we were friends. Ya might have known that if ya had actually stuck around ‘stead of goin’ off with them Wonderbolts.”

Scootaloo was about to deliver a stinging retort, but she felt Sweetie Belle stir slightly under her wing. She turned to face her.

Purple eyes met green, and in them she saw all the pain Sweetie had felt when their friendship had fallen apart. Painfully, Scoots remembered the proud, determined filly Sweetie had used to be. Now all she could see was a broken shell of a pony. “When did this happen?” she wondered. “It must have been after I left.” Another memory wormed its way into her brain.

“I promise I’ll come back”, Scootaloo said to Sweetie, Apple Bloom glaring at them all the while. “The Wonderbolts have just invited me for one tour. I’ll be back this summer.” She leaned forwards and lightly pecked her marefriend on the tip of her nose. The orange pegasus spread her wings, already outfitted in the standard blue and yellow Wonderbolts costume. She leaped into the air, joining Spitfire and Soarin, who had been waiting for her.

That was when Sweetie Belle broke. Really and truly fell apart. She didn’t want to stay in Ponyville with only bitter Apple Bloom. Rarity, away at Canterlot, would not be returning until the summer either, and every other pony had one thing or another planned. The spirit flew right out of the unicorn and that was when she made her vow. She told only Apple Bloom and then she quit speaking.

Sweetie was delighted when she heard Scootaloo was coming back from the tour early-until she found out why. She wasn’t coming back because of Sweetie Belle. She was coming back because of Rainbow Dash.

Scoots remembered the sheer jolt of terror she had felt when she found out that Rainbow Dash had been hurled into a tree by a bolt of lighting. She left the tour early. To her immense relief, Rainbow was fine, just a broken rib and a few bruises. Scootaloo didn’t return to the ‘bolts after that. Instead, she bought a house on the edge of Ponyville, traveling to the town only when necessary.

Scootaloo cursed herself. How could she have been so selfish, abandoning Sweetie Belle like that? Apple Bloom was tough and bitter; she had probably been glad to see Scoots leave after what had happened.

The yellow earth pony adjusted her bow, trying to keep the sour expression off her face at seeing Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle curled together. They had barely been together for an hour, but they were already glued to each other. In a way, she envied them. Apple Bloom hadn’t ever been a silly schoolfilly, concerned only with colts and gossip, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be totally alone. Truth be told, she had missed her friends. But she, like the rest of the Apple Family, was stubborn and refused to back down.

Scootaloo shifted into a more comfortable position, took a deep breath, and looked Apple Bloom straight in the eyes. “Okay”, she said, a steely determination in her words. “Let’s just start at the beginning.”

Comments

[Countpony]

Like. Favorite. Track.

[Mitslits]

Ohmigosh, omighosh, omigosh! I thank you, all of you, for your generous compliments! Thank you so so so much!

[discord7]

I want more, this story is great!!!

[GemstonexCherry4life]

It's cute and sad at the same time. I LOVE IT. MOAR. MOAR!!!!! uhm....i-if you don't mind....*squee*