Short stories about ponies and whatnot

by shutaro

I spy with my little eye ...

Scootaloo put down the binoculars. “I wish we could go over there and meet Babs Seed, too. A real shame this family reunion is only for one day.”

Sweetie Belle dropped her head on the hoofrail. “Yeah, but how would you feel if me and Apple Bloom showed up at your family celebrations?”

“That would be the best thing ever!” Scootaloo stomped a hoof on the planks of the little balcony on the Crusader Clubhouse. “Do you have any idea how annoying my aunts and uncles can get? ‘Oh, little ‘loo, still not flying?’ I don’t even want to think about it.”

Sweetie Belle rolled her head from left to right and back. “Yeah, me too. ‘Show us some magic trick, Belle' they say. So embarrassing!”

The two sighed.

Scootaloo offered the binoculars. “Wanna take a look, too? They just started a seven-legged race.”

“Na, that feels kinda like spying ... not that I’m saying you’re spying on them. Where did you get those anyway?”

“From the Rainbow Dash fan club. We use it to keep tabs on Rainbow Dash, her training and new tricks.” Scootaloo resumed watching her fellow crusaders. “Hmmm...”

Sweetie Belle decided not to pursue that thought: Scootaloo could get funny when it came to following her idol. “What are you hmm-ing?”

“Did you ever notice how good Babs and Apple Bloom fit each other?”

Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo. “Well, they are cousins.”

“No. I mean, they make a great team.”

“Of course, they are cousins.”

“No, Sweetie. I mean they look really good together.”

“Scootaloo, they are cousins. What are you trying to say?”

Scootaloo sighed. How could the sister of Ponyville’s most romantically inclined Pony be so ignorant of the blooming — ha, the Apple Blooming — love right in front of her? “Sweetie Belle, didn’t you ever wonder how close those two got when Babs was here the first time? They ate together, played together, took baths together, slept in the same room, maybe even the same bed!” Scootaloo started pacing up and down the balcony. “Don’t you remember how excited Apple Bloom was when her sister told us of her time in Manehattan, and how even more excited she was when she told us about her cousin visiting.” She stopped in front of Sweetie Belle. “I tell you, Apple Bloom wants to be a girl from the big city.”

Sweetie Belle could hardly believe her ears. “Scootaloo, stop this. Apple Bloom will not run away with Babs Seed. And even if she wanted, which she doesn’t, but just for the sake of argument, why should Babs want to run away with her?”

“Are you kidding me? Babs would love to have Bloom close! She is so lonely at home and always gets picked on. A loving cousin would be just the right thing for her.”

Sweetie Belle only shook her head. “Scoot, did you read any of my sisters novels? You’re an only child, you wouldn’t know this, but all that stuff isn’t romantic. It’s just living together. Eating and playing is fun, but taking a bath together just means that there is even more hair in the drain. And sleeping in the same bed with another pony is just snoring, elbows and fighting for the blanket.”

“But ...”

“No buts. Apple Bloom wouldn’t fall for Babs because she is a city pony. She’s interested in the city, but so am I. And I know you are too. That’s just curiosity, she wouldn’t move there. We’re not even out of school for crying out loud. And she loves Ponyville, us and her family far too much to just run away.”

“But maybe Babs would …,” Scootaloo tried to save her idea.

“Stop it, sheesh! Take your binoculars and look at her. That pony is happy to meet her family, I get that, but she’s even more happy to simply be out here. If they really were so much into each other, why don’t they just hide behind some bales of straw and ... I don’t know, make kissy faces?” Sweetie Belle was puffing from agitation and her ears glowed a bright red.

Scootaloo decided not press the matter. Maybe Sweetie is not the right pony to talk to for this kind of thing? “Perhaps you’re right. I let my imagination run wild a bit too much.” She scratched a hoof on the ground. “Don’t tell Babs or Bloom about this, please. That would be so embarrassing.” And they might get more cautious if they knew I’m onto them.

Sweetie nodded. “Yes, that’s probably better for all of us.” Looking for a topic less dangerous, she fell back on the old classic in Scootaloo-distraction. “So, which Wonderbolt do you think would be the the best partner for Rainbow Dash? I heard there is a new pony on the team?”

Scootaloo took the bait, hook, line and sinker. “Well, Soarin is still the best stallion on the team, but he’s not getting any younger, you know …”

Sweetie Belle slowly tuned Scootaloo’s ramblings out; she did so most of the time when the topic of Rainbow Dash was discussed. Then she felt a shiver run down her spine and when she looked at Scootaloo, all her feathers were standing on end.

“Did you feel that too?”

---

Babs Seed and Apple Bloom ran the umpteth round arount the tree. There had been almost no time to talk and so Babs simply asked the question that interested her most “How are Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?”

Author's Note:

First a normal couple, then mares, then stallions and today we are shipping fillies?
TMP, what are you doing to me?

---

The prompt: One of the Cutie Mark Crusaders ships two of the others.

Comments

[Twilightsparklefairy]

What was the shiver? Umm... Babs mentioning their names?

[shutaro]

5741948
Exactly. Read the story's prompt again and "Turnabout is fair play."