The Only Chapter
“You want us to do what?”
“A tea party!” Sweetie Belle said. “Just the three of us and some tea!”
“That’s boring!” Scootaloo complained. “Why can’t we go do something like Cutie Mark Crusaders Secret Agents?”
“We did that last week!” Sweetie Belle retorted.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders Rhythm Agents?” Scootaloo asked.
“Now that’s just silly,” Applebloom countered, “but I got a few questions.”
“Go ahead and ask! I’ve figured some things out,” Sweetie reassured.
“Well, are there going to be presents?” Applebloom inquired.
“Why would there be presents?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Then I’m pretty sure it’s not a party,” Applebloom said.
“...Good point,” Sweetie Belle replied. “I guess it’s a tea get-together then?” The other fillies nodded in approval. “Fair enough.”
“I still think it sounds boring,” Scootaloo stated.
“Don’t knock it until you try it,” Applebloom replied. “Although, another question. What will we have, besides tea?”
“Crumpets,” Sweetie Belle explained.
“...Do those have apples in them?” Applebloom asked.
“You can put apples on them,” Sweetie Belle said.
“Works for me!” Applebloom stated. “Then again, wouldn’t we have to get dressed up all fancy?”
“Do you still have those wedding dresses?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Yeah, why?” Scootaloo said.
“Same here,” Applebloom said.
“You could wear those,” Sweetie Belle said.
“I take it you’ll be wearing yours, too?” Applebloom asked.
“Rarity sold it by accident,” Sweetie Belle explained, growing a little sad in tone.
“Sorry to hear that,” Scootaloo said. frowning.
“It’s fine,” Sweetie Belle replied, trying to cheer herself up.
“Anyway,” Applebloom said, “another question. Where are we having this tea get-together?”
“I was thinking about the field on the outskirts of Ponyville,” Sweetie Belle explained.
“Can’t we do it somewhere where Dash wouldn’t potentially see me?” Scootaloo asked.
“She won’t, and besides, even if she did, she’d understand!” Sweetie Belle assured.
“Alright, you win. I’ll go too,” Scootaloo said, sighing.
“I don’t think you really had a choice,” Applebloom pointed out.
“Alright, how about we have it in an hour?” Sweetie Belle offered.
“Sure, I guess,” Scootaloo accepted.
“Alright, but one more question. Who will be bringing the tea?” Applebloom asked.
“Leave it to me!” Sweetie Belle said. “Okay, see you all in an hour!” She turned to leave, clearly excited.
“Bye, Sweetie!” Applebloom and Scootaloo said, waving.
“And I’ll see you there too, Scootaloo,” Applebloom said before trotting off.
“Celestia help me,” Scootaloo groaned.
Sweetie Belle sat on a cushion at the small, circular table she prepared in the middle of the field. On the table were three cups, with three spoons to compliment them, a teapot, a plate of crumpets, and a cup of sugar cubes, with a teaspoon next to it. Beaming at her work, she adjusted her hat. The hat she had borrowed from Rarity was a tad too big for her head, and nearly covered her eyes. However, if it meant possibly getting cutie marks, she would be willing to try anything.
Soon enough, she could see a yellow figure with a red mane and bow, as well as an orange figure with a purple mane and laurel of flowers. She stood up, and galloped over to them to greet them.
“Hi Applebloom! Hi Scootaloo!” she greeted, grinning.
“Howdy!” exclaimed Applebloom. She was wearing her dress from the wedding of Twilight Sparkle, the town librarian’s, brother, Shining Armor, and Mi Amore Cadenza, from about a month ago.
“Hey, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo said. She was wearing her dress from the same event. “So, ready to try to get our cutie marks in being...uh...”
“Proper ladies,” Sweetie Belle corrected.
“What did we have to do, again?” Applebloom asked, confused.
“We drink tea and talk about things,” Sweetie Belle explained.
“I still think it sounds boring,” Scootaloo complained.
“Hey!” Sweetie Belle wasn’t particularly amused by the remark..
“I mean, uh, those cutie marks aren’t gonna get themselves,” Scootaloo said, putting on a fake grin.
“Oh, right!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “Besides, the tea’s probably getting cold!” She turned around and trotted to the table, Scootaloo and Applebloom following.
Once they arrived, Applebloom sat down at the cushion that Sweetie Belle prepared in advance that was to the left. Scootaloo took the closer seat, sitting down with a ‘FWUMP’.
Sweetie, on the other hand, took the teapot with both of her hooves, and poured some tea into Scootaloo’s cup. “Here you go,” Sweetie Belle said as she poured.
“Thanks!” Scootaloo said, smiling.
Applebloom was next. Sweetie Belle carried the teapot carefully, and, once she arrived, poured some tea into Applebloom’s cup.
“Thank you,” Applebloom said, taking the tea and holding it. “I can drink this now, right?”
“You can, but-”
Sweetie Belle was interrupted by Applebloom spitting out what little tea she sipped. “Yuck!” Applebloom exclaimed, revolted.
“I was about to say, I didn’t add the sugar yet!” Sweetie Belle said, annoyed at her reaction.
“Oh. Whoops,” Applebloom replied, blushing a little.
Sweetie simply sighed, as she proceeded to her cup, and poured herself a cup full of tea. Finally placing the teapot down, she used her magic to levitate the teaspoon beside the sugar cube cup, before descending it towards the cup. “How many cubes do you want, Scootaloo?”
“Two, please,” she said, tapping her hoof on the table as Sweetie Belle gently put the cubes in her tea.
“And for you, Applebloom?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Three,” she said, watching the spoon as it put the cubes in her tea.
Sweetie Belle decided to use two cubes in her tea. She gently took the cubes out, before bringing the spoon to her cup, and dunking them in.
She placed the spoon back to its original position, before taking the closer spoon and stirring her tea with it, dissolving the sugar. The other two fillies followed suit, albeit less gently. After the sugar was now one with the tea, Sweetie Belle put the spoon down, and took her tea, sipping it.
It was just right. A perfect mix of strength and sweetness, Rarity’s recommendation for preparing it should’ve been the only way. Sweetie Belle almost expected to have her cutie mark right then and there. However, she quickly learned that making a good cup of tea did not earn her a cutie mark. Besides, there was one more part of being a lady she needed to fulfill; gossip.
“So,” Sweetie Belle said, placing her teacup down. “What should we talk about?”
“How we should be doing something else?” Scootaloo said, staring at her tea.
“Ain’t gonna drink itself,” Applebloom stated, before sipping hers. She placed the cup down, giving it a funny look. “I think you put in too much sugar, Sweetie.”
“Hey, it’s what you asked for!” Sweetie Belle countered.
“Oh, right. Sorry,” Applebloom said, shifting in her seat.
“Also, Scootaloo, if you just sip your tea and talk, you can pick what we do next, okay?” Sweetie Belle compromised.
“Deal!” Scootaloo said, before begrudgingly sipping her tea. A light came to her eyes after she swallowed it. “Not bad, actually,” she complimented.
“Anyway, did you hear what Snips and Snails were up to yesterday?” Applebloom said, attempting to initiate a conversation.
“Something about taking Pipsqueak’s scarf and playing tug-of-war with it, right?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Yeah,” Applebloom asked. “I don’t think he was too happy about the results!”
“You can say that again,” Scootaloo replied. “Considering that when we partnered up, all he could write about was how the biggest mistake he ever made was letting two buh...bah...balloons?”
“Buffoons,” Sweetie Belle corrected.
“Oh, right,” Scootaloo said. “Anyway, if he was actually thinking about something besides being so mad at them, maybe I wouldn’t have had to do that test again!”
“You could’ve at least tried,” Applebloom said. “You’re a good writer, you know.”
“No, I’m not,” Scootaloo countered. “I’m as bad at writing as this ‘party’ is boring!”
“Come on Scootaloo! At least try to enjoy it!” Sweetie Belle snapped. Scootaloo replied by groaning.
“But what if Dash sees me? I’ll never live it down!” Scootaloo retorted.
Sweetie Belle groaned. “She won’t, for the millionth time! Anyway, any of you have any other stories?”
“I do!” Scootaloo offered, raising a hoof.
“That don’t involve Rainbow Dash?” Applebloom said.
Scootaloo promptly lowered her hoof.
Scootaloo quickly perked up. “Did I tell you about the time she did a Sonic Rainb-”
“Heard it.”
“The time she reenacted the Buccaneer Bl-”
“Told us yesterday.”
“How about the Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Thr-”
“At least twenty times.”
Scootaloo sighed, shaking her head. “I got nothing.”
“Well,” Applebloom initiated, “I got another story!”
“Go on,” Sweetie Belle implored.
“So here was Snips and Snails-”
“Hold up,” Scootaloo interrupted. “You sure are talking about them a lot.”
“Yeah, so?” Applebloom asked.
“You like them, don’t you?” Scootaloo said, a devilish smirk appearing on her face.
“I do not!” Applebloom said, blushing furiously.
“Girls!” Sweetie Belle interrupted. “Ladies don’t argue!”
“Rarity argues with Applejack all the time!” Applebloom argued.
“Only because Applejack starts it!” Sweetie Belle countered.
“Maybe tea parties aren’t so boring after all,” Scootaloo uttered, smirking.
“Would you stop, both of you?!” Sweetie Belle snapped. “Let’s just drink our tea!”
“Alright,” Applebloom said, before sipping her tea, getting used to the overly sweet taste.
“Fine, I’m sorry,” Scootaloo said before returning to her tea.
Sweetie Belle groaned in frustration, obviously not pleased with the scenario.
“Really, though,” Scootaloo began, “can’t we do something like, I dunno, Happy Artists?”
“None of us are Happy Trees,” Applebloom reminded.
“I miss that guy,” Scootaloo sighed, reminiscing of the old days of the afroed artist.
“So,” Sweetie Belle interrupted, while levitating a crumpet towards her way. “Did I ever tell you about the time when Doughnut Joe and Thunderlane came over?”
“Go on,” Applebloom said, interested.
“Well, they were shouting, then Rarity came down. She took them upstairs, and didn’t come down for the rest of the night. The door was locked, so I couldn’t see anything. Although I heard them. I think they were fighting.”
Troubled, uncomfortable glares were sent towards Sweetie Belle.
“Sorry to hear that?” Applebloom said nervously, having a good idea as to what happened.
“It’s fine,” Sweetie Belle said, too innocent for her own good. “Although, I kind of wonder if Rarity’s okay...”
“This is boring,” Scootaloo said out of nowhere.
“Alright, Scootaloo, I get it!” Sweetie Belle snapped. “This was a silly idea anyway...” She stood up, adjusting her hat as she began to trot away.
“Where are you going?” Scootaloo asked.
“Back home,” Sweetie Belle replied.
As her figure faded in the distance, her grumbling growing silent, Applebloom facehoofed in frustration. “Really, Scootaloo?”
“I’ll apologize, I swear!” Scootaloo pleaded.
“Just...let’s go,” Applebloom replied, shaking her head.
“What about the table?” Scootaloo pointed out.
The rest of the day was spent silently hauling a table.
The next day, Sweetie Belle was rushing, pushing past the crowds. In her frustration from yesterday, she forgot the table and tea!
Once Sweetie Belle arrived at the field, she noticed that it was gone. Scootaloo and Applebloom must’ve took it somewhere, she thought to herself, but where?
She decided that Sweet Apple Acres was a good a place to start as any, as she galloped her way there.
The trip was uneventful, and before long, she was at the farm. The orchards of apple trees were as far as the eye could see, blanketing the fields with green, orange, and red. Wait, orange?
Sweetie Belle looked closely and saw that the orange-colored thing was moving. She could tell who it was even from here.
Trotting to it, she cleared her throat. “Hi, Applejack!” Sweetie Belle greeted.
“Howdy, Sweetie Belle,” Applejack said, before tipping her hat in greeting.
“Have you seen Applebloom, by some chance?” Sweetie Belle inquired.
“She went to go see Scootaloo,” Applejack exposited. “Went off in the direction of the clubhouse.”
“”Alright, thanks!” Sweetie Belle said, before turning around and galloping off.
Applejack waved goodbye as Sweetie Belle ran. “Kids these days,” Applejack muttered to herself, smirking.
Finally arriving at the clubhouse, Sweetie Belle stopped to catch her breath. “Finally,” she uttered to herself.
Climbing up the steps, she opened the door. “Applebloom, Scootaloo, have you seen the-HUH?!”
“Hey, Sweetie Belle!”
“Howdy!”
Scootaloo and Applebloom were sitting at the table that Sweetie Belle brought to the field the other day, along with the teapot, cups, spoons, and crumpets.
“But...I thought...” Sweetie Belle was at an almost complete loss for words.
“Turns out, tea parties aren’t so bad after all,” Scootaloo explained.
“Why the sudden change of heart?” Sweetie Belle questioned.
"Let's just say they aren't that lame after all," Scootaloo replied. “At least, the participants.”
“Where did you get more tea,” Sweetie Belle asked, “and crumpets?”
“I’d tell, but I promised to not,” Scootaloo explained.
“As for the crumpets, Applejack taught me how to make apple crumpets!” Applebloom said.
“Wow, there really are apple versions of everything,” Sweetie Belle said. “Also, uh, sorry about getting mad yesterday.”
“It’s okay,” Scootaloo said. “Also, I’m sorry for not giving it a chance.”
“I forgive you,” Sweetie Belle replied, smiling.
“Want some tea?” Applebloom intervened, grabbing the teapot and pouring some into a cup for Sweetie Belle.
“Thank you,” Sweetie Belle said, sitting at the table and retrieving two sugarcubes, dunking them into her tea, before stirring it, just like yesterday. “So, what should we talk about?”
“I...never mind.” Scootaloo retrieved a crumpet, munching on it.
“You can tell us,” Sweetie Belle said.
“Well, you know that Cutie Mark Crusaders Rhythm Agents idea I had yesterday?” Scootaloo began, a grin coming to her face.
The rest of the day was spent singing to ponies in need.