//------------------------------// // 3 – Asking Questions // Story: Piece by Piece // by Krickis //------------------------------// Chapter Three Asking Questions ⠀ ⠀ Some ponies liked to complain the world was out to get them. Even at her worst, Scootaloo never felt like that, but sometimes she did feel like it was out to annoy her. She dashed through town on her way to the Carousel Boutique for the fourth time in the past week, and she very much wished she wasn’t. But Sweetie Belle had passed along a message that Rarity wanted to see her again. The first time it had happened, Scootaloo, in her naïvety, had hoped the dress was finished. She knew better now. No doubt Rarity wanted her to model her dress again to make sure it was coming along properly. She wasn’t really sure if all this was necessary, but Rarity seemed to think it was. The only redeeming thing of these fitting sessions was the excuse to hang out with Spike. And sure, she could always hang out with Spike without needing an excuse, but seeing his adoring smiles as she wore the frilly clothing made it a little more bearable. Just a little, though. Even then, even with the chance to revel in the way he looked at her, she was in a hurry for this to be over with. A shadow passed over her head, too fast to be a cloud. In fact, it was almost too fast to be a pony, which meant it could only be one pony in particular. Scootaloo sighed tiredly. This was another thing she couldn’t wait to be over. For a second, she considered going faster. She might’ve done it too, except she knew it would be no use. Nopony was as fast as Rainbow Dash, not even her. At least not yet, anyway. No, there was only one option. She could only slow down and bear with it. With any luck, this would be another awkward silence moment or a failed attempt at discussion before Rainbow gave her the ‘never mind’ and let her be on her way. She could deal with that, just as long as it wasn’t another awkward string of questions… “Hey, Scootaloo!” Rainbow said as she swooped down. “Got a minute?” “I’m kinda in a hurry.” Scootaloo felt like she had lived this exact moment a few too many times already, and she did not care to live it again if she could help it. “Oh, uh, okay…” Rainbow looked to the side awkwardly. Normally Scootaloo would cave in and try to talk it out at this point, unwilling to leave Rainbow looking so disheartened. But she was so tired of how Rainbow had been acting lately. And worse, she thought she had an idea of where the change had come from. “Yeah, Spike’s waiting for me, so I’ll catch you later.” Scootaloo flapped her wings to propel her scooter forward. “Oh, meeting up with Spike today?” Rainbow asked, flying alongside Scootaloo. A clean getaway had been too much to hope for, it seemed. “Yeah, we’re going over the outfits for the Gala again.” “You’ve been doing that a lot. Guess Rarity really wants them to be perfect.” Scootaloo glanced at Rainbow, but she did nothing to slow down. At least this way, Rainbow would only have until they reached the Boutique to make things awkward. “Yeah, you know Rarity.” “Yeah, I do.” Rainbow scratched at her neck, seeming to have no problem doing so while flying. “So, uh, what do you think about the dress? Like how it’s coming out?” Scootaloo had no idea why Rainbow would ask her that – she knew very well that her younger sister hated getting dressed up. “I don’t know. I just wish it was over with, you know? Not my favorite thing.” “Eh, it took me a while to get used to Rarity’s dress obsession, but it can be pretty cool.” Scootaloo scoffed. “I guess.” “Or, you know, for me anyway. But, er, I guess maybe you just aren’t into dresses and stuff.” “Not really.” Rainbow was quiet for a moment, and Scootaloo let herself believe that maybe she would leave well enough alone. She did not. “So what’s Spike think about you, you know, not liking dresses?” Scootaloo narrowed her eyes as she swerved around a flower cart, letting that distract her from answering for a moment. She debated not answering at all, but she eventually said, “He likes the dress.” “You shouldn’t just do things because Spike or anyone else likes them. You have to be true to yourself, you know?” Scootaloo sighed. “The Gala has a dress code. I don’t have a choice if I wanna go.” “Sure you do! You could always wear, like, a suit or something. Would… you prefer something like that?” “Straight mares don’t wear suits,” Scootaloo answered irritably. This conversation was weird, just like every conversation she’d had with Rainbow recently. “Even you wear dresses to stuff like this.” “Yeah, but I kinda like dresses, you know?” Scootaloo came to an abrupt stop. Rainbow kept going for a moment, having to double back to get to where Scootaloo had stopped. “What’s this all about? You’ve been acting weird all week.” Rainbow looked around for something to save her, then let her eyes fall to the ground. “I just… I want to make sure you’re really happy, Scoots.” Scootaloo gritted her teeth. She loved Rainbow, but this was going too far. “Is this because of Spike?” “What? Why would this be because of Spike?” “You’ve been acting weird ever since we started dating. Admit it, you don’t like the idea of me dating a dragon!” “Whoa, hold on.” Rainbow frowned and pointed a hoof accusatively. “I’ve known Spike for years, he’s not just some dragon to me! He’s a great guy, and I’m happy you two are dating!” “Well you don’t act like it! All you’ve done since we started dating is ask me all these weird questions about if I’m really happy with things!” “That’s not because of Spike! It’s because…” Rainbow shook her head. “Well, it’s not because of Spike. I can’t believe you’d even think that about me!” “Well then what is it!? Because I’m sick of this!” “It’s…” Rainbow looked around. They were in the middle of town, and their raised voices were attracting looks from the townsponies. “We shouldn’t talk about it here.” “No, this has gone on for long enough. I need to know what’s going on with you, Dash! Because the way you’ve been acting is… it’s just not cool!” Rainbow seemed to be weighing her options. She kept her voice down when she answered. “It’s about the other Scootaloo…” Scootaloo shook her head. “Other Scootaloo? You’re not making any sense, Dash!” “The one from where Sunset’s from.” Oh, right, the mirror world. Sunset had been in Equestria for so long that Scootaloo had forgotten that she had come from another world. Well, at least it made sense that Rainbow didn’t want to talk about it in public now. But Scootaloo wasn’t letting her get off that easily. “Fine. Tell me at the Boutique.” “Wait, that might not –” But Scootaloo was already gone. And whether it was what Rainbow wanted or not, she was following behind. Mercifully, they travelled the rest of the way to the Carousel Boutique in silence. It made the trip go by much faster, and Scootaloo felt good about her chances of getting a straight answer from Rainbow this time. Since Spike and Rarity both knew about the other world, she wouldn’t have any excuse to not talk about it there. And she was in luck as they walked in, since it seemed that no one else was at the shop. “Hey, Scoots,” Spike said as she walked in. He was wearing what was done of his tuxedo jacket while Rarity made adjustments. “Hello, Scootaloo,” Rarity said as she glanced away from her work. “And Rainbow too? About time you came to me about your own dress.” “You know, maybe I should just come back about that later…” Rainbow said. “You’re busy now, and –” “No way,” Scootaloo shot back. “No one’s here besides us, so spill it. What’s going on with you lately?” Rainbow looked at Spike. “Trust me, Squirt, you really don’t want me to do this now…” Just as Scootaloo had expected, she didn’t want to say it around him because it was about him. “Tell me!” “Uh, tell you what?” Spike asked. “What’s going on?” “Er, is everything alright?” Rarity asked. “It’s fine,” Rainbow said. “No, it’s not.” If Rainbow wasn’t going to say anything, Scootaloo was going to force her hoof. “Something’s been going on with Rainbow ever since I told her I’m dating Spike, and she won’t tell me what it is!” “Since we started dating?” Spike asked, sounding hurt. Panic flashed across Rainbow’s face. “It’s not about that! I told you already, I’m happy for you two!” “But you won’t tell me what it is about!” Scootaloo said, her voice growing louder. “Come now, Rainbow,” Rarity said, walking over towards the two of them. “We’re all friends here. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s nothing worth being so dodgy about.” Rainbow sighed and leaned in to whisper something in Rarity’s ear. She shot a glance at Spike. “Er, perhaps it’d be best for us to give these two some privacy for a moment, Spike.” “No!” Scootaloo stamped her hoof. “Anything you have to say to me you can say to Spike too!” “You really don’t want that,” Rainbow said. “Tell me!” Rainbow looked between Scootaloo and Spike, and finally blurted out, “The other Scootaloo is transgender!” Scootaloo blinked. The other Scootaloo was… “What?” Rainbow looked away and scratched awkwardly at her neck. “Yeah, he… he’s a guy, Scoots. I found out when Sunset’s friends were here for the wedding. And the thing is, well… None of us know what that means for you.” “What do you mean ‘what it means for me’?” Scootaloo asked, if only to give her brain enough time to catch up with what they were talking about. “Hold on,” Spike said, stepping beside Scootaloo. “There are tons of differences between the worlds. Like how Sunset’s only in this one, or that Fluttershy and Twilight aren’t together over there.” Scootaloo looked up towards Spike, but she didn’t say anything. Spike grinned. “And if you think it’s weird that the other you is a guy, the other me is a dog!” He laughed as if this was no big deal. “So, you know, that really doesn’t have to mean anything about you at all.” “He’s right,” Rainbow said. “That’s why I’ve been trying to figure out how you feel before I told you. Because he’s him and you’re you, no matter what.” He’s him. He’s a guy. There was another Scootaloo out there, and he was a transstallion. He’d been born as a mare, just like Scootaloo, but he figured out that wasn’t right for him. “So…” Rainbow stepped forward and looked into Scootaloo’s eyes. “What do you think? Just a crazy difference, or…?” “I… I…” Scootaloo looked over at Spike, who was looking at her expectantly. She looked back at Rainbow and Rarity, who were also waiting for an answer. But she didn’t have one. She should. It would be so easy to laugh it off, say it was nothing, and just go on with things the way they were. But she couldn’t. All she could do was run away. She ran out the door, ignoring the call of “Scootaloo!” that came from Spike. She grabbed her scooter and flapped her wings, taking off into the town. She didn’t look back to see if Rainbow was following her, and she knew neither of the others had a chance of catching up to her. But after a few moments, there was still no sign of Rainbow. She must have stayed back at the Boutique. That suited Scootaloo just fine. If Rainbow had followed her, she would’ve wanted an answer. And Scootaloo just didn’t have one. She didn’t stop until she reached her house. Leaving her scooter outside, she ran in and made straight for her room. She shut the door behind her and dove headfirst into her bed. The other Scootaloo was trans. No one knew what that meant about her. Was she trans too? Of course, she knew that no one else could answer that question. It wasn’t something she knew a lot about, but she knew there was no checklist that compared her traits and told her definitively yes or no. Which meant it was up to her to figure out on her own. She rose from her bed and walked over to a mirror. She examined herself looking back. She had never seen anything feminine in her face, and that was always how she liked it. But then… was there anything masculine there either? She reached a hoof up to touch herself, and she decided that no, there wasn’t really. Thoughts of Rainbow’s awkward prodding ran through her head. She thought of the upcoming Gala and the question of if she wanted to wear a tux instead of a dress. She had always hated dresses, had always thought of them as too girly for her. Would she be more comfortable in a tuxedo after all? Even then, she knew that was a superficial question. Dress or tux, that really wasn’t the answer to the question at hoof. But it was all she could think to focus on in light of the revelation. There was a knock on her door. “Scootaloo?” her Aunt Holiday called. “Is everything okay?” Scootaloo looked at her door and grimaced. She couldn’t tell Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty about this. “Yeah, everything’s fine!” The door creaked open and Holiday’s head popped through it. “You came rushing in and ran straight for your room without even saying hi. What’s going on?” She wouldn’t understand. This wasn’t something she’d ever gone through, it wasn’t something anypony she knew had ever gone through. Even Scootaloo wasn’t sure how she felt, so how could anyone else know? “Scootaloo?” Holiday prompted. “If something’s wrong, you know you can talk to us.” “Give her some space, Holiday,” Lofty said. Scootaloo couldn’t see her from the doorway, but she didn’t sound too far away. Scootaloo sighed. “You two can come in.” Both Holiday and Lofty stepped into her room. Despite being less prone to worrying than her wife, Lofty looked a little concerned as well. “Something happen at the fitting today?” “No, I… I didn’t stay for it.” “Why not?” Lofty asked. “Weren’t you looking forward to hanging out with Spike?” “Yeah, but he…” What would Spike think about all this? Would he still want to be with Scootaloo if she decided she didn’t feel like a girl at all? “I don’t know if…” “Oh geez,” Lofty said as Scootaloo began crying. Holiday was quick to hug her. “Did something happen with Spike, dear?” “No… Not yet, anyway…” Scootaloo took a deep breath. Maybe… maybe it would be better to try and explain things to them after all. She could never dream of trying to explain this to her parents, but Lofty and Holiday weren’t her parents – they were her aunts, the coolest ponies she knew, and they had always been there for her. But explaining it wouldn’t be easy… they didn’t even know about the mirror world, so how could Scootaloo explain that there was another Scootaloo? “He’s him and you’re you, no matter what.” Maybe it didn’t really matter. This wasn’t about the other Scootaloo, this was about herself. Sure, that had been what raised the question, but it wasn’t the question at hoof, not really. “Do either of you know anything about, uhm… trans ponies?” Holiday and Lofty looked at each other, then Holiday answered with a smile. “Well, a little. We’ve met a few at pride events.” “Why do you ask?” Lofty added. “Because…” Scootaloo looked between them, then settled on the ground. “I think… maybe…” She squeezed her eyes shut tight and tried to keep from crying. “Maybe I’m not really supposed to be a mare at all.” She felt a hoof on her shoulder, but didn’t open her eyes to see whose it was. “That’s okay,” Holiday said. “You know we love you no matter what.” “Yeah, we’re here for you, Scoot,” Lofty said. “And it’s okay to not know. We’ll help you figure it out as much as we can.” Scootaloo opened her eyes and immediately started blinking away tears. “R-Really?” “Of course really!” Lofty said. “Whether you’re our niece or our nephew, you’re our family. Nothing changes that.” Scootaloo threw her forelegs around her Auntie Lofty, who hugged her back. Holiday joined in as well, and nopony said anything for a while. Nopony had to. There were still questions that needed answers, but that wasn’t something they had to worry about right away. For now, it was enough to know that it was okay to ask the questions. When Scootaloo pulled away, however, she had a question of a different sort. “What… what do I do about Spike?” Holiday looked uncertain, so Lofty answered. “I think the two of you will need to have a talk. Then you can figure things out from there.” “But what if… what if he doesn’t want to date me anymore?” “Then he’ll be missing out on being with a great pony,” Holiday said. “But he’s been your friend for years before he was ever your coltfriend. I’m sure he’ll only want you to be happy.” “I hope so…” “Well, don’t take our word for it,” Lofty said. “Ask him yourself!” Scootaloo winced, which Holiday took note of. “When you’re ready, of course.” Scootaloo sighed. “No, Auntie Lofty is right… I need to talk to him. I kinda left him waiting at the Boutique…” “Ah, I get it now.” Holiday gave a comforting smile. “I was wondering what brought all this on, but it must’ve been all that dress business, huh?” Scootaloo scratched her neck. “There was a little more to it than that, but how about I explain later? Right now I think I should go talk to Spike.” “Okay, dear.” Holiday smiled. “Just remember that no matter what happens, he’s still going to be your friend.” “But let me know if I need to kick his flank!” Lofty added with a grin. Scootaloo smiled. Her aunts always knew just what to say. “I will, Auntie Lofty. I’ll be back for dinner.” With another hug from each of them, Scootaloo was on her way. She passed through the house, retrieved her scooter from outside, and tore down the streets of Ponyville. Her mind was more focused now. She still had tons to figure out, but for now the answers were less important than the questions. She needed to figure things out, and as long as she had her family, her friends, and Celestia willing her boyfriend by her side, she would be able to take on anything. The only question she needed an answer to right now was whether Spike was still at the Boutique or if he had gone back to the castle. She had no way of knowing, so she decided to try the castle. Better to waste a trip to the castle than to make a pointless and painfully awkward trip to the Boutique if he wasn’t there. Thinking of the Boutique, Scootaloo realized she’d also need to talk to Rainbow soon, and maybe Rarity too. She wasn’t as worried about that, at least. She knew she could count on Rainbow to stand beside her no matter what. No, the only pony she needed to talk to sooner rather than later wasn’t a pony at all. She zipped through town and made it to the castle before she even had a chance to worry about it, and she kept her head clear as she knocked on the door. That held out right up until the door opened and Spike was on the other side. Actually seeing him face to face filled her with dread at all the ways this conversation could go. If he had any similar feelings, he did a poor job at showing it. Rather than say anything at all, he walked over to her, knelt down, and hugged her. She smiled as she hugged him back, glad to see he didn’t seem too weirded out. “Uh… hey, Spike.” “Hey, Scoots. I was worried when you ran off like that.” He let go and backed off enough so that they could look at each other. Scootaloo glanced down, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. “Yeah, sorry about that. It was just… a lot to take in.” “No no, I understand. I’m just happy to see you is all.” Why was Spike always so nice? That should have made this easier, but all it did was remind her of how much she had to lose. “Yeah… so, uh, we should probably talk about that, huh?” Spike looked as uncertain Scootaloo felt. “Uh, sure. We can talk.” He stood up and led them inside. Scootaloo followed him up the stairs, where he stopped at the first room they came to. Spike’s bedroom was becoming a familiar sight to Scootaloo ever since they started dating. She just hoped she’d be welcome in it after their talk. “So…” Spike prompted, but he didn’t seem to know how to continue. “Yeah…” Scootaloo said, not knowing what to say herself. Spike sat down on his bed, Scootaloo sitting beside him. “You know, just because the other Scootaloo is trans doesn’t mean you are.” “I know,” Scootaloo said. “This isn’t about… him. This is about me and how I feel.” “So… how do you feel?” Spike was trying to keep his tone casual, but Scootaloo thought she heard a little worry seep in. “I… I don’t know.” Scootaloo bowed her head. “I think… I think I have a lot to think about. And… and I don’t know what answer I’ll get.” While she stared down at her hooves, a scaled arm found its way around her shoulders. “Yeah, that’s kinda what I thought when you ran off like that.” Scootaloo suddenly turned to Spike. “I’m sorry, I never meant to make things weird. I never really thought I’d…” “Hey, it’s okay,” Spike said with a smile. “Is it though?” Scootaloo asked, desperately hoping for a yes. “I mean…” Spike ran his free claw along his spines. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?” Scootaloo looked away. “Well, because if I’m a… a guy… What does that mean for us? Do you even like guys?” Spike smiled at her. “I… Well, no. I mean, I never thought I did. But, you know, I like you. And I don’t want this to be the end. So… no matter what you decide, I want to try and make things work. And if you decide you’re a guy, then I guess that’ll just make you my… coltfriend.” It was obvious that no matter what Spike was willing to try, he wasn’t entirely thrilled about the idea of maybe having a coltfriend. But Scootaloo couldn’t fault him for that, not when he only signed up for a marefriend. And at least he was willing to give it a shot and see where it went. That was really the best thing she could hope for. “Thank you. And… I’m sorry. Again.” “It’s okay.” Spike did an impressive job of keeping his voice neutral as he said, “So then do you want me to start using guy terms for you?” Scootaloo didn’t really have an answer for that, not yet. Was that what she wanted? What he wanted? Scootaloo wasn’t even sure how to think, let alone what other people should say. “No. At least… not right now. I… I still need more time to think.” “Yeah. That makes sense.” Scootaloo sighed and looked up at Spike’s ceiling. Only for a moment though, then Spike pulled her over and held her close. “We’ll get through this one way or another.” Scootaloo found it in herself to smile. “Yeah. You’re the best, Spike.” Spike chuckled. “You know, figuring out you might be a guy probably doesn’t make most ponies sappier.” “Hey!” Scootaloo grabbed his pillow and hit him with it. Spike laughed, then they locked eyes, then both of them were laughing. Whatever. Maybe Scootaloo was a stallion, maybe not. That didn’t matter right now. All that mattered was that everyone who really mattered was going to still be there for her. And hitting Spike in the face with his pillow as much as she could before he managed to retaliate. That was important too.