One of the benefits of living in a city made entirely out of crystals was the absolutely stunning light show every sunset; when the sky began to close its eye and sink into a deep sleep, the light reflected through each and every building, street, and pony, bathing the city in rays of blue, green, and octarine. To the everyday citizen, it became rather mundane eventually, but to someone raised in a farm town her whole life, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
Scootaloo smiled, taking another lick of her blue popsicle and waving her legs back and forth under the ledge she sat on. Flurry Heart followed suit, a little miffed overall by the light in her eyes but still taking time to enjoy it.
"This is delicious. What flavour is it?"
"Sea salt. Me and my friends used to have these every summer and just lounge around the clubhouse, too pooped to do anything." She chuckled at the reminiscing.
"The Crusaders?"
"Yep, that was us. The best days of my life, but I would not relive that stress if I was being paid. But I suppose you'd know a few things about stress, huh?"
Flurry sighed, looking down to the streets hundreds of feet below them. Under them, ponies wrapped up their day, coming home from work to their families. A few watched the sunset with them.
"My Princess duties don't start until I'm of age. Mom wouldn't give me control of a country where I am now."
"Still, everyone's stressed about something. Growing up is hard to do, but one of the good parts is looking back and realising that your childhood vexes weren't actually that bad. Speaking of which, if you've got a cutie mark problem, believe me I'm your mare."
"I don't. I know it's going to be a crown, or the crystal heart, or something like that."
"With that attitude it will be. Ponies are going to beat you senseless with how important that little mark is, but it really doesn't define you at all. If it did, Celestia would probably have a Tailia mask on her rump." She laughed at the mental image.
"I suppose you're right. I guess my only real concern is the future; a whole kingdom is nothing to scoff at, and from someone as forgetful and absent-minded as me? I'm going to end up leading us into war."
"Maybe so. But you know what? That's then. You're gonna have many more moons before you take the throne, and if you can be the only one in the room not sweating it, that's a pretty cool accomplishment. For now, though?"
Scootaloo pondered her thoughts, flipping her popsicle upside down as she did and watching a single drop poke it's way down, cling to the end for a second before falling to the ground far below. Finally, she began gesticulating, trying to help her words.
"Another part of growing up, and this is one a lot of ponies don't understand, is asking yourself, 'What do I wish I had as a kid?' And then making sure nobody else has to grow up without that, instead of bragging about how you had it worse in your day like some old boomer in a generational pain contest. You know what I wish I had as a kid?"
Flurry looked up at her. "What?"
Scootaloo smiled back, touseling her hair.
I wish I had someone to tell me to take it easy. Youll have a lot to worry about when your grow up, but now? You can be aimless, and make mistakes, and learn, and be free. You can be a kid, and nobody will judge you for it. So focus on the now, and enjoy yourself, because soon enough you won't be able to do that anymore. If you don't mess around now, you're going to regret it on the future, and wind up old and cranky, like that guy."
She pointed down at an elderly crystal pony sitting on a chair in his lawn. Flurry laughed a little, licking her ice cream again, and looked back up at the sunset.
It really was beautiful.