//------------------------------// // Night 17 // Story: Nights on Horlick's Hill // by RarityEQM //------------------------------// It was peaceful, up on the hill. The swirl of the universe and all its quiet splendor danced above Scootaloo's head in a silent twirl of majesty. Stars, galaxies, moons and planets colored the night sky, and sitting upon Horlick's Hill, taking it all in, Scootaloo felt like it was all for her. Like the sky was putting on a show for an audience of one. She felt insignificant, but almost in a good way. Like everything above her was fighting for her attention. Like the universe itself was trying to cram in as much ornate magnificence into her attention span as possible, each planet, each star and every inch of the night sky, competing for her attention all at once. Of course, it was all too much for her to take in, but sitting up on that hill, she could see where Night Ponies found their devotion to the darkness. There was a melody to the silence of the night. Some hypnotic sound that wasn't there, drawing her attention to the sky and holding it there, twirling about in her thoughts. It was soothing. It was peaceful. It was- "SCOOTALOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" It was Diamond Dancer. Scootaloo let out an exhausted sigh and let her attention drift down the hill, peering at the little bolt of silver that raced along the dirt road towards her. Normally the filly wasn't so loud and boisterous in her approach. Normally, her movements weren't so panicked and frenzied. Was something wrong? There was nothing chasing her that Scootaloo could detect. Was there some unseen danger that drove her into the fierce gallop that lead her towards Horlick's Hill? She'd not engaged in her super speed, she was running at a normal pace. She did not look as if she'd recently had a brush with combat: her spiked mohawk straight, her fur groomed, her wings pressed tightly against her sides. No, there didn't seem to be any immediate jeopardy, and yet somewhere deep down inside, Scootaloo knew this was about to be a 'thing.' A 'thing' that would require her to give up her evening in order to resolve whatever troubles plagued the tiny crystal filly racing towards her. "Scootaloo! Scootaloo, Scootaloo, Scootaloo!" Diamond squealed, bursting up to the summit of the hill where she danced in place, bouncing from one hoof to the other. Scootaloo stared at Diamond quietly, before twisting herself ever so slightly towards the other girl. She blinked. Twice. "...yeah?" "YOU'SE GOT TO HIDE ME!" Diamond shrieked, grasping at Scootaloo's chest and pulling her nose-to-nose with her in unbridled panic. Scootaloo squirmed in Diamond's grasp, annoyed, but curious. What in Equestria had managed to get Diamond so riled up? She didn't seem like she'd ever need to request sanctuary. In any situation. Interesting. "Hide you?" "YES!" "Hide you from what, Diamond?" Scootaloo asked. Flatly. She peered into Diamond's frenzied eyes and wriggled until she could pull herself free of the other girl, and immediately, Diamond began to hop in place again, as if standing still were costing her valuable time she couldn't afford. "Bardigan!!" Diamond screamed. Scootaloo cocked her head to one side. As far as she knew. Diamond borderline worshiped the older pegasus that had adopted her, so requesting harbor from him drew more questions to Scootaloo's lips. "You need me to hide you from your brother?" "YES!" "I'm going to regret asking this, but: why?" Scootaloo asked. Diamond and Bardigan got along fabulously. There was nothing that she could imagine that would rock Diamond to the core enough to request safety from him. The idea that he might be hurting her was literally impossible, so Scootaloo found herself drifting towards the conclusion that Diamond was being dramatic. Again. "Okok, so, you know how I was complainin' bout not knowin' anything bout crystal culture a few weeks back?" "Yeah?" "And ya know how ya said I should ask Bardigan to take me to the Crystal Empire for a lil bit?" "Uh huh?" "So I did that, and Bardy says he's too busy to take me now, but he understands that I wanna learn more about my culture, right? So he goes and gets me feather-flippin' floogle horn lessons!!" Diamond shrieked. Ah, there it is. Scootaloo held back a snort, but a grin managed to crack through her defenses. floogle horn Lessons. Of all the things to be afraid of. It was getting harder and harder to fight the laughter threatening to rip its way through her clenched teeth, try as she might. Diamond now cocked her head to one side as well. Didn't Scootaloo understand the gravity of the situation? "...why is you'se laughin'?" she asked quietly. Scootaloo bit at her lower lip and drew in a cleansing breath, best she could. "He got you floogle horn lessons?" she asked quietly. Diamond wildly nodded her head. "Yeah! Can you'se believe it?! I'm terrible at the floogle horn, I hate that thing and it hates me. Sheesh, there is so many different ways you'se gotta purse you'se lips, right? But I can't feel my lips so anytime I try to blow it just comes out as noise. Noise that HURTS! So, uh, I've soooooorta been ditchin' my lessons, right? Cause, I can't tell Bardy, cause, like, what if he thinks I'm ungrateful, right? And I ain't! I'm really super duper happy that he tried to help, but that thing is horrible. I am not musical. Like, at all. Don't do instruments. Ick. But, I've got this recital comin' up, and I told him, like, um, that I had a mission out in the Sahoofa desert that night, and I couldn't go to the recital, but there ain't no mission, and I gotta hideout somewheres for a coupla nights! You'se gotta help me Scoots!" "Uh..." "PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE?! I ain't gots no where else ta go! I ain't gots no idea where miss Velvet is and I can't go back ta hidin' under the bridge in Ponyville, too many ponies know me there, and the Castle of the Two Sisters ain't exactly hospitable ta fillies for long periods of time! You'se gotta help me, Scoots, you'se jus gotta!!" "Ok, but where will I hide you?" "How about you'se room?" "Riiiight. And how do we get you into my room without aunt Lofty and aunt Holiday finding out?" Scootaloo asked, rolling her eyes. Diamond, however, seemed to have come up with the answers ahead of time, because she nearly jumped at the orange filly the moment she stopped talking. "You'se gotta window, dontchas?!" "Yeeeeeah?" Scootaloo winced. She didn't like where this was going. "Then it's no problem, I'll just fly up to the window and use that!" Scootaloo sighed. "I guess if you sleep during the day while Aunt Lofty and Aunt Holiday are at work...that might work..." Scootaloo stammered hesitantly. This was going to end in her being grounded. She just knew it. This was a bad idea and she was going to be grounded. For sure. No. She wasn't going to let this happened. There was nothing Diamond could say or do that woul- "Yeahyeahyeah! This'll work! It'll totally work! And, I'll letcha make a wish on my star for all you'se troubles!" Diamond squeaked. Scootaloo's eyes widened immediately, and her gaze shot to the glittering jewel hanging from Diamond's neck. A star. A wish for anything she could think of. A real chance for flight! "REALLY?!" Scootaloo practically screamed. Diamond beamed brightly and nodded her head. "Yeah! Really! I owe ya one! ONE! ONE wish, cause ain't no tellin' what that thing'll do! But I'll wish for anything you'se want. Oh, gosh, thank you'se Scoots! I promise I won't be no trouble! You'se won't even know I'm there! Geez, Scoots, you'se the best! The very best!!" Diamond squeaked, her voice pitched higher than normal with giddy anticipation. Scootaloo sighed. Every warning flag she had was going off in her head. Every last one. But there was really no way of knowing when Diamond was willing to make a wish for her again. The girl was stingy with her power, and for good reason, but if this was the one time one of her wishes actually worked, Scootaloo could be high in the sky by the end of the week! It was worth it. It was totally worth it. She hoped.