//------------------------------// // Chapter 1-1: The Squad Forms // Story: The Social Rejects Squad: Loose Ends // by Betty_Starlight //------------------------------// The deep purple unicorn filly trotted past the Ponyville market square. She was thinking to herself, Okay, I should go get Little Snack now and we can surprise Cozy later today! I’m sure she’d like a visit from her best friends! Her long white mane and tail swayed in the breeze as she walked, and her hot pink highlights were even more visible in the sunlight, which peaked out from behind two clouds. Her cutie mark of stars and planets moved with her legs as she kept trotting and thinking to herself. Soon she saw Little Snack’s house coming up in the distance on the right and trotted a little bit faster. But as she approached, she heard ponies talking behind the privacy fence. She got closer to see what she could hear. She overhears Cozy Glow saying, “No! You’re cuter because you have those long flowing ribbons that move with your pigtails and tail as you run and bounce across the field!” And then Little Snack says, “No! You’re cute because you have freckles and dimples!” “That doesn’t count Little Snack! You have freckles and dimples too!” “Oh yeah! Well, you’re cute because uh… You got those adorable bluish white curls in your mane and tail!” “No! You’re cuter because you of the hyperactive way you act and how easily excitable you are!” “Oh yeah, well your cute because…” Starshine had enough by this point and so she bursts through the hidden gate and says, “YOU’RE BOTH ADORABLE!” Cozy and Little Snack are standing by the tetherball pole, Cozy on the left and Little Snack to the right. They’re both looking at Starshine the moment she came through for a moment before Cozy turns to look at Little Snack, and says, “You know what Little Snack? I think Starshine is cuter than both of us!” Little Snack looks at the unicorn, scrunches her mouth, and says, “You know Cozy, I think you’re right! Starshine here is pretty adorable!” Starshine starts and says, “Hey! Wait a minute!” Cozy smiles and says, “So now YOU get to be CUTE Starshine!” Starshine looks up and finally asks, “Um, why are we acting like being cute is something undesirable? I mean, isn’t being cute and adorable supposed to be a good thing?” “You know, I never actually thought about it?” Cozy says as her mouth scrunches. Little Snack looks over at Cozy and says, “Um, why can’t we just all be cute and be done with it? I mean, isn’t this kinda silly?” Cozy closes her eyes and begins to softly giggle. Starshine asks her, “What’s with you Cozy?” Cozy opens her soft brown eyes to the unicorn and says, “Well, this whole time, you all were trying to convince me that I’m cute automatically! As in, I don’t really have to work at it and you know, that annoyed me at first… But I’m starting to think that maybe that was just silly of me? I mean, why is being cute a bad thing anyway? You can use it to get ponies to do what you want!” Starshine looks at her sternly… Cozy sees this, widens her eyes, and says, “Okay I know! No using other ponies!” Starshine smiles as she trots towards the pegasus and says, “Right Cozy! You’re reformed now!” “Of course!” Cozy says as she trots up to meet her friend for a tight warm hug. They break and Little Snack looks at Starshine and says, “Um, Starshine?” “Hang on!” Starshine says as she smiles and trots to the earth filly… Little Snack has a nervous expression on her face when Starshine suddenly hugs her tightly as well. “Okay! Now, what’s up Little Snack?” Starshine asks the orange filly after she breaks her embrace to return to all fours. “Um, I was about to ask you for a hug… Uh, never mind!” Little Snack says before smiling nervously at the unicorn. Starshine smiles again and says, “Of course! I always hug my friends! Like I did yesterday!” Cozy starts and looks over before saying, “Wait! You were here yesterday? Why didn’t you invite me to come along?” Starshine looks over at Cozy and says, “Well, we thought you needed to rest up after your trip to Canterlot earlier. Well, that and I wanted some one-on-one time with Little Snack here! Um, I hope you’re not mad?” Cozy looks at them as she gauges this… She says, “Golly Starshine! So, I guess you wanna know both of us huh?” “Of course, Cozy! I didn’t forget about you! I just have more than one friend now!” Little Snack chimes in, “Yeah! We didn’t know what to do with you and so I told myself three days! I’ll do it three days after we get back! Er, to give you time to relax after you get home!” she says before smiling dimly at the pegasus. Cozy smiles as she looks at Little Snack and trots towards her slowly. She calmly says, “Is that the REAL reason you didn’t see me sooner?” Little Snack looks at Cozy like a deer looks at an oncoming train as she says, “Well, right! Yes! That!” Cozy gets close to Little Snack and stops, tilts her head to the right, and says, “And that’s all? Nothing else about me is scary to you Little Snack?” Little gulps and starts pawing at the dirt. Cozy straightens her neck, sighs, and says, “I already told you, I don’t want you to be afraid of me! You didn’t hate and fear me on the train! So, something must’ve changed, huh? What is it, Little Snack?” Little Snack finally just closes her eyes and says, “You’re so smart and devious! I read about you again when I got back! And, and the more I think about it, the more nervous I get around you!” Cozy looks down and chuckles before saying, “Somehow, I just knew this would come up” Starshine looks at Cozy and says, “What do you mean Cozy?” Cozy looks at the unicorn and says, “I mean, my past will still catch up to me, no matter what I do!” Starshine smiles and says, “And like Trixie told you, it’s your job to rise above it!” Cozy then looks at Little and says, “Right! Okay Little Snack! Tell me, you were fine when we were hanging out in Canterlot earlier! You were fine in the restaurant and in the castle later when you, me, and Starshine were hanging out… But you’ve never been alone with me before have you?” she says before tilting her head to the right. Little Snack looks at Cozy, gulps, and says, “Um, not until today no, I don’t think?” she says as her right eye squints. “Right! But today, you finally trotted over to my house and got me to play!” “Um, I did, didn’t I? I guess that means you’re not THAT scary or?” “Well golly gee, I think it means you need to get to know me better! I mean, me and Starshine there have been hanging out on and off for about a month… But you’re new huh?” “Well, right!” Little Snack says as she stares at the Cozy nervously. "I'm new!" Cozy looks up again and says, “I guess this means I need to hug you now?” Little Snack starts and says, “Huh?” Cozy trots to the earth filly and embraces her in her forehooves slowly and gently. “EEP!” Little Snack says before slowly returning the hug with her own forehooves. Cozy whispers in her ear, “I know I did a lot of amazing and scary things a long time ago Little Snack… But please believe me when I say, I am not that pony anymore!” “Er, right! Uh, ten years can make a big difference?” Cozy lets her out of her embrace to return to the ground on her hooves as she says, “Well, to be honest with you, I don’t think time really matters?” Little looks at Cozy and asks, “Huh?” “Well, I was a baddie ten years ago right? I tried to take over Equestria and I did all sorts of nasty and evil things… I know this… But…” she closes her eyes as she continues, “It doesn’t matter how long ago it was Little Snack…” she opens her eyes and stares at the earth filly openly as she says, “The only thing that does matter, is that you work on it! If you don’t, you won’t get better you know?” Little looks up as she says, “Uh, right! That makes sense!" She looks down at Cozy, "I mean, I’ve gotten hurt kicking my ball around a lot and my mom did teach me that certain deep injuries won’t get better unless you treat them… I guess this is sorta the same thing?” “Uh, right! We’ll go with that!” Cozy says before nodding and turning back to the unicorn and asking her, “So, did you have any plans for when you got to Little Snack’s?” Starshine looks at Cozy and says, “Well, that’s the thing! I took a day to myself to recover after we all got back and I hung out with Little Snack yesterday. I was actually gonna get her before we both trotted over to your house! I thought you’d like a surprise visit from your two best friends! But uh, I guess that’s out now huh?” Cozy smiles and says, “I don’t think so? I mean, we’re all together here, right? We all met anyway!” “Yeah, I guess that’s right? I expected this to be at your house though! That’s the only thing…” “Well golly gee Starshine! What is there to do at my house?” “Oh uh, not much!” Starshine giggles before saying, “I guess we’d end up either here or at my place anyway, right?” as she glances off to the left side. Cozy smiles and says, “Probably! So, I guess it all worked out anyway, huh? But now there’s three of us! What do you wanna do now?” Starshine says, “Well, I always wanted to take a walk in the White Tail Woods Northwest of here? We could do that?” Cozy looks over at Little Snack and asks her, “Feel like a hike Little Snack?” Little looks over at Cozy and says, “Sure Cozy!” <*****> Later, the three fillies are trotting down the trail westward into the White Tail Woods from Ponyville. Cozy finally says, “Golly! You know, I never really explored the White Tail Woods before?” Starshine chimes in from the left and says, “Yeah, me neither!” She looks at the earth filly behind them and asks, “Hey, Little Snack! You ever been here before?” Little Snack says, “Um, not really? I mean, I know it’s not too far from the field where I normally play and kick my ball, but I never went up here because I didn’t think it looked that interesting… But now that I’m out here in nature with my friends, it seems kinda nice! I like the wooded scenery too!” before she looks around with her wide green eyes to take everything in. Starshine says, “Yeah, but now I’m wondering if this trail circles back round or if we’re gonna end up trotting the other way through here?” Little Snack says, “Well, let’s find out!” Then, Cozy hears a familiar voice coming from her right. It simply says, “Hello Cozy Glow!” Cozy turns to the voice and sees a familiar draconequus there before saying, “YOU!” Discord then floats past the trees to the trail in front of the fillies and says, “Yes, me! And you’re you! A selfish, power hungry, and maniacal little brat!” Cozy fluffs her wings and shouts, “I understand that I was bad and needed to be punished… I know this… But you’re an asshole! Get away from me! I don’t ever want to talk to you again!” Discord smiles as Cozy’s friends look at her in shock as she doesn’t normally curse and says, “Believe me, the feeling is mutual! However, I can’t let your recent 'reformation' (he uses air quotes) go unnoticed and so there’s some things I need to do!” Cozy starts and says, “You don’t need to do anything right now but leave me alone!” Discord then disappears except for his eyes and mouth as he smiles once more and says, “We shall see…” before that too disappears… Cozy is quivering as Starshine asks her, “Who was that?” Cozy turns to face Starshine and says, “His name is Discord! He’s the draconequus who tricked me, Chrysalis, and Tirek into believing he was Grogar and that ended up getting me turned to stone for ten years!” Starshine scrunches her mouth and says, “Okay, so that’s why you don’t want to deal with him?” Cozy shakes her head, “Golly no! I don’t want to know him, I don’t want to see him, and I definitely don’t want to talk with him!” Little Snack says, “Well um, he seemed to be interested in you?” Cozy looks at Little Snack and says, “Yes, he did! And that’s one thing I don’t like about this! Listen! I need to fly back home now! Mom won’t be back until this evening, but um…” She looks down. Starshine smiles and says, “I’ll swing by my house and trot down there and meet you Cozy!” Little Snack says, “Yeah Cozy! We’re in this together now and I’m not leaving you alone with that crazy draconequus on the loose! I’ll trot back to my place, let my mom know what's up, and I’ll be right there!” Cozy looks at them and says, “Golly! You really are my friends huh?” Starshine smiles, “Always Cozy!” Little Snack nods at the Pegasus determinately and says, “You got it Cozy! Discord isn’t messing with my friend!” Cozy stares back to the east towards her house and says, “Okay! Here I go!” before starting to gallop that way and flapping her wings. She soon begins to leave the ground as she gets higher and higher and flapping her wings forcefully to gain more speed. As she flies over the busy market square, she sees ponies there wandering the roads and shopping at stalls set up on the sides. She thinks, “Golly! What does he want with me? Why is he suddenly bothering me now?” She flies past the market square and soon sees the familiar grove. She turns right as she thinks, “Okay, there’s the grove! Almost there now!” She sees Trixie’s cottage approaching and lands right in front of the door with a skidding stop. She trots to it and opens it with her forehoof before going inside and shutting it. She walks to the beanbag couch in the center of the foyer and sits there on her haunches as she thinks, “Okay! I made it back! Shouldn’t be too much longer before the others arrive, but…” She looks around the room carefully for anything out of place. She finally says, “Okay, he’s probably not here? Of course, I really don’t have any way of knowing for sure huh?” Soon, there’s a knock on the door. Cozy gets up and quickly trots to it to answer. She opens it and sees a unicorn filly to the right and an earth filly on the left, standing on the other side and says, “Okay, now come inside! Quick!” Starshine says, “You really don’t like this do you Cozy?” as she and Little Snack trot inside the cottage past the pegasus. Cozy quickly shuts the door with her right forehoof and says, “Golly no! I don’t like this at all! I keep thinking of what he might be planning!” Little Snack says, “Well, there’s literally no way you can prepare for everything, right? So maybe it would be best to just lay low for a bit? Hide out, you know?” Cozy looks at Little Snack and says, “I just spent about a month hiding myself away and now I gotta do it again huh?” Little Snack trots forward and pats Cozy’s shoulder with her left forehoof and says, “Unless you got a better idea? Well, hey! At least you got us now, right? What else are we gonna do?” Cozy looks down as she softly giggles and says, “Golly yes! Here we are! The Social Rejects Squad huh?” Starshine says, “Social Rejects Squad?” Cozy looks to her and says, “Well, I’m a recovering villain, you’re a nerd, and Little Snack, well…” she looks to the earth filly who’s currently sniffing her right forehoof with a perplexed look on her face, before Cozy glances back at Starshine, “she’s Little Snack! We’re all here because there’s nothing else for us to do and nowhere else for us to go! But that’s not a bad thing is it? I mean, they told us at the school to find our people, huh?” Starshine looks up and says, “Yeah, that’s right! I remember Professor Pinkie Pie going over 'grooves' and 'party people' with us in her celebration seminar!” She then smiles at Cozy and says, “Social Rejects? Like what you called us back when we first met?” Cozy giggles softly as she shakes her head lightly and says, “Yup! Why not?” Little Snack speaks up, “So um, this is okay then? Us all being a 'crew' or 'squad' and hanging out together?” Cozy looks at the earth filly, “Well golly gee, it might sound sappy, but I don’t want to be anywhere but with my best friends right now!” Starshine adds, “Well, it’s probably better that we all stick together until we at least know something about what Discord is planning?” Little Snack says, “Yeah, and this sure beats kicking my ball by myself across the field!” Cozy reaches her right forehoof towards the two other fillies and said, “So we’re a team now?” Starshine puts her right forehoof over Cozy’s and says, “Let’s do this! Social Rejects Squad!” Little Snack is standing to the left of Starshine, but to the right of Cozy Glow and she puts her right forehoof on top of the other two before she exclaims, “Yay! I got friends now!” (To be continued…)