//------------------------------// // 7: Interruptions & Continued Apple Guilt // Story: A Do-Over // by Pip232 //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle was standing on a stage in Canterlot for several high-class ponies. She was modeling one of many dresses Rarity had made for the express purpose of cute-ceañeras. The one she was in was marvelous, just like the others. The fabrics complimented her two-toned mane, her coat accentuated by the vibrant colors. Best of all, neither she nor Rarity were hogging the spotlight from each other. No, this time they were sharing it together. Her dresses drew oohs and aahs while Sweetie herself was complimented on how beautiful she looked in them. Rarity had planned this perfectly. All cameras or anything that could capture an image had been banned. This only served to make word of mouth stronger for the beauty of her work. The elite ponies viewing her work would gossip about it, and rumors about her work would spread. Also, it would no doubt attract future ponies to these presentations just to get a look at what the fashionista had put together. Rarity’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much; she was so happy for her little sister. She’d tried to find a way she could sew and still bond with Sweetie Belle, and this was the result. A letter appeared before her in a puff of green fire, and she took it out of the air, opening it up. It was written in a frenzy, with misspelled words crossed out and drops of ink smudging other words. She struggled to make out what it was but as soon as she did her pupils shrank to pinpricks. “Sassy Saddles, we're going to have to reschedule this presentation. Sweetie Belle and I need to get back to Ponyville right away.” Rarity rushed to the stage and began to take the dress off her sister. “Of course Rarity, but may I ask why?” Sassy asked with a puzzled look on her face. “We’ve been looking forward to this for a while.” “It’s an emergency. There’s been an accident in Ponyville and we need to get there quickly.” Rarity withheld that Scootaloo was hurt so her sister would stay calm. She’d tell Sweetie Belle exactly what was wrong once they were aboard the train. “What kind of emergency?” Sweetie Belle asked, raising her forelegs to help Rarity take the dress off of her and return it to the mannequin. When it was off she checked her flank to see if a modeling cutie mark had appeared, but none had. “We’re needed back in Ponyville, Sweetie. I'm sorry we have to cut this short.” Rarity levitated her saddlebags on before putting Sweetie Belle’s on for her. As the two began to leave the studio, Rarity turned to her younger sister with a loving smile. “I want to let you know how proud I am of you.” “For what, Rarity?” Sweetie asked in an innocent tone as the two unicorns made a beeline for the station. She noticed the fashionista was walking at a faster pace than she normally did, but it wasn’t enough to give the filly any trouble. “You helped me show off my latest fashion line, and looked très magnifique while doing it. I’m glad we found an activity we can do and enjoy together.” Rarity's smile never left her face as they arrived at the train station. She levitated some bits out of her saddlebag and placed them on the counter of the ticket window. “Two tickets to Ponyville please.” The stallion behind the window swept the bits into his hoof before sliding two tickets out to Rarity. Rarity and Sweetie Belle boarded the train and made themselves comfortable. Rarity decided she’d tell Sweetie Belle exactly why they had to leave in such a rush once they were well on their way back to Ponyville. Applejack pushed open the door to Zecora’s hut and entered, hearing, of all things, her little sister’s voice. “Please Zecora, there must be something you can do to help Scootaloo! A potion for her bones, an herb for her mind, or, something?” Apple Bloom asked desperately while the farm mare listened. “I’m truly sorry about your friend, but nothing in my hut can make her injuries mend.” Zecora’s distinct rhyming voice had a tone of sadness. “They don’t have to completely heal her, just help her! C’mon Zecora, you can make a potion for anything, why not injuries?!” Apple Bloom asked desperately. She felt tears in her eyes. “What about the Alicorn Amulet?! It could empower one of the doctors working on her to guarantee her recovery!” The zebra was horrified that she would even suggest this and shook her head. “That Amulet only grants dark corrupting power, it would absolutely do more harm than good in this dire hour.” She took a deep breath to calm herself down, and put a hoof on the filly’s shoulder. “The fact that you’re trying to help her shows you have a caring nature, but right now your place is right beside her.” “If Ah wasn’t beside her, none of this would’ve happened!” She immediately responded, her tears starting to fall down her cheeks. “If Ah hadn’t frozen up, or we’d been further apart, she coulda saved herself! Instead, she saved me. It should be me on that operating table, not her!” The filly explained, unable to stop the flow of tears. She left the hut before Zecora could stop her, but was met with the sight of a sad Applejack. “NO!” Applejack said harshly, looking into her sister’s eyes with determination, but it was rapidly giving way to sadness. “Is that really what you think? That it’s your fault this happened to Scootaloo?” She asked, eliciting a nod from her sister. Applejack wasted no time in bringing her sister into the closest hug she could. “Well it ain’t.” “Then whose is it?” She asked, crying into her older sister’s chest. Her mind was plagued by images of the crushed pegasus, and her own voice telling her brother Scootaloo wasn’t breathing. “Whose fault is it for her getting hurt?” That question broke Applejack’s heart, and she loosened the hug so she could look her sibling in the eye. Her gaze was soft, and both ponies had tears in their eyes. “It’s not anypony’s fault. It’s not yours, mine, or Big Mac’s. It was an accident, none of us coulda known the wagon would come unhitched.” She said nuzzling the top of her head. “And we should be grateful beyond words for what that pony did. She may well have saved your life.” “But she could die because she saved me!” “Apple Bloom, Ah didn’t wanna bring this up but you’re putting me in a Tartarus of a position here.” There was a moment of silence as Applejack braced herself for the unpleasant emotions it’d cause them both. “Do you remember the storm that took ma and pa away from us?”