//------------------------------// // Chapter 3- Treehouse Talk // Story: The Book of AppleDash // by Twinsez //------------------------------// ‘Whack’ “Ow! What the heck was that for?” Scootaloo complained while rubbing her now throbbing forehead with a hoof. “I’ll tell ya what that was for ya varmint! You embarrassed me yesterday! To think I ever trusted you!” Apple Bloom raised a hoof up in anger, which Sweetie Belle slowly lowered. These fights broke so often between Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle could rival Twilight Sparkle with her peacemaking abilities. Even before they found that notebook, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom just couldn’t see eye to eye on anything. Just that week, the two got into an argument about what the best Ice Cream flavor was at a party. Sweetie Belle personally enjoyed Rum Raisin but apparently, an argument over Vanilla and Chocolate could nearly spawn a entire school war.  “Hey Apple Bloom, just calm down,” Sweetie Belle soothed. “I’m sure that whatever happened last night, Scootaloo didn’t mean it.” “Didn’t mean it? I didn’t even do anything!” “Ya sure did! How about you stop giving me stupid answers from now on?” “How about I give you a big ol’ sock in the muzzle?” Scootaloo threatened as she began to storm towards Apple Bloom. “Sounds good to me!” Apple Bloom spat right back, straightening her bow like it was some ancient fighting exercise.  “Now hold on, just wait. Wait! WAIT!” Sweetie Belle slammed her hoof on the wooden floor, causing the whole treehouse to shake from the impact. When two idiots won’t listen, sometimes you have to take a more… direct approach. It certainly worked, as Scootaloo stopped in her tracks and Apple Bloom dropped her hooves from her hair. When she was confident that she had everypony’s attention, she pulled out that same sweet smile she always pulled during situations like this. If she learned anything from Rarity, it was how to break up a dramatic situation, even if more drama was required. “Now Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and I were just sitting here quietly waiting for Pipsqueak to show up to his appointment. Then you came in here and started hitting on Scootaloo without telling us what’s the matter. Now let me take a wild guess: it’s about the book isn’t it?” Apple Bloom kept quiet for a couple of seconds before cracking, giving out a wordless nod. Before Sweetie Belle could continue her questioning, Scootaloo spoke up. “Uh, Sweetie Belle?” “Yes, Scootalo?” “When you said she was hitting on me, I don’t think that was the right term. You see when you say that-” Scootaloo’s ramblings were promptly cut off with a yelp as a green magical aura took hold of her right forearm. Scootaloo looked up to see Sweetie Belle frowning, her horn aglow with a green light. “Scootaloo,” the white unicorn said with a touch of authority in her voice, “if you ask another stupid question, I’m going to drag you over here, and somepony might or might not get hurt. Understand?” “But I didn’t ask a quest-” “Understand?” “Uh, y-yes?” Scootaloo whimpered. “Good!” Sweetie Belle released her magic from Scootaloo, her smile reappearing as if it never left her face at all. “Now then… “Apple Bloom, what happened with the book yesterday?” Sweetie Belle gasped as a sudden thought came to her mind. “No! Don’t tell me the book’s fake! That was going to be the one exciting thing this week! I mean, Rarity was going to take me gem hunting, but she never lets me touch any of them. They’re so shiny!” Sweetie whined. Apple Bloom lifted up a hoof to calm her friend down. “Woah, relax there Sweetie Belle. The notebook worked out just fine.” The other fillies gasped in excitement. A slight buzzing sound could be heard from the rapid flapping of Scootaloo’s stubby wings. “Wow!” the orange pegasus exclaimed. “It really does work! We found something magical!’ The buzzing sound suddenly began to decrease in volume as Scootaloo became confused. “Wait… then what did I do wrong? Your sister coming out was a great success, right?” “Yeah about that…” Apple Bloom trailed off, returning her hostility to the orange filly with a steely-eyed glare. “You got that definition wrong. Comin’ out doesn’t mean admitting to public relationships. Well, not really. It means if you’re a fillyfooler or not.” A couple of seconds went by for the others to process what that truly meant. Before they were able to ask any more questions, however, Apple Bloom spoke back up. ”An’ ah may have kinda... told my family that ah was comin’ out before ah realized what it really meant.” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were left speechless for several seconds, struggling to process what they just heard. Apple Bloom couldn’t help but glance at each of them trying to figure out how they would respond to her misery. Most likely through laughter. Lots of it.  Sure enough, after what seemed like hours, a sound broke the silence: “Pbftttttttttt!” “Oh come on Sweetie! Ah thought you would at least try to hold it in?” “I-I’m sorry, I just c-HAAAAAAHAHAHAH.” Sweetie Belle put a shaking hoof in front of her smiling face while backing away from Apple Bloom as if that would do anything to help. “I’m really sorry I just-“  Her words were cut off as she bumped into a giggling Scootaloo, and that was it. Both fell to the floor, laughing at their tumble before remembering why they were laughing in the first place. This only caused them to laugh even harder. The treehouse echoed gales of laughter that Apple Bloom bet all of Ponyville could hear. A buzzing sound could be heard throughout the treehouse’s interior but was mostly drowned out by the laughing. Each attempt to get back up was simply in vain as their shaking bodies seemed to fail the two fillies. Apple Bloom patiently waited for the two “friends” to stop, blushing slightly. She knew trying to get them to stop herself would just be a losing effort. Surely her situation couldn’t be that hilarious. After several years of continuing laughter, Scootaoo and Sweetie Belle returned to their hooves, their fits of laughter reduced to small bursts of chuckles. Scootaloo was the first to speak out, and it was the obvious question: “Why did you do that?” “Ah thought if ah came out first, it would get mah sister to be more comfortable, an’ she would come out after. An’ guess what? It worked!”  “Wait, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle snickered as she trotted over to Apple Bloom’s position near the treehouse’s left window and laid a hoof across her shoulder. “Do you have something to tell us?” Apple Bloom shoved the hoof away. “ Come on now Sweetie Belle, knock it off! Ah’m not gay. Now let’s talk about that b-“ “You know, Diamond Tiara’s gay.”  “Scootaloo! How the hay does that have to do with anything?” “Really? How do you know? Who told you?” Sweetie Belle questioned rapidly. The humor in her voice was gone, relaxed with a hunger for gossip. Scootaloo shrugged. “She told me herself.” “WHAT?!” gasped the other two together. “When?” “She told me at that random Dessert Party in Sugarcube Corner last week. I saw her kissing somepony in secret. I asked her about it, she told me I didn’t need to know, I told her yes I do, she told me fine, I said spill me the goods, then she said-“ “Just get to the point!” Sweetie rushed. “Jeez, I was just about to! Anyways, turns out she and Gold Case have a little thing going on.” Scootaloo winked. “The daughter of the Cases? The ones that sell those antiques in the upper-class part of Ponyville?” “Those are the ones!” “Wow, ah never knew that. Diamond’s stopped asking to hang out lately, but she never told me she had a girlfriend.” “Scootaloo, why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Scootaloo squinted her face in thought. “ I'm pretty sure I told you guys actually. At the party. Why didn’t you…” Her facial features dropped as she remembered what happened. She turned to glare at Apple Bloom as if she just did something terribly wrong. “Oh, right that party.” Apple Bloom seemed to remember as well, returning Scootaloo’s glare. “ Yeah, where we had that argument.” “Right, because somepony doesn’t know how to eat ice cream.” “Ahm thinking the same thing.” “Heh heh heh, well the past is in the past. No need to get worked up over it!” Sweetie Belle imposed herself between the other two the second time that day, a nervous smile on her face. It seemed to work, as both fillies relaxed and relieved their glares from each other.  Sweetie Belle let out a sigh of relief before asking Apple Bloom, “So Apple Bloom, why don’t you show us the book? I’m sure you brought it, right?” Apple Bloom nodded. “Uh yeah, that’s kinda what I wanted to show you girls.” Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves together in excitement. “Great! Why don’t you show it to us. If this book is the real deal, that’s great news for Applejack and Rainbow Dash! Oh, I can already imagine them…” “Uh yeah…” Apple Bloom responded awkwardly. She left Sweetie Belle and her daydreams and swiftly walked over to the entrance of the treehouse, where a saddlebag was propped up against one of the wooden door’s corners. There she rummaged through the packed bag, throwing random things here and there to make room for her search. These included several uneaten apple cores, two tickets to a year-old hoofball game, and a tennis racket. Finally, Apple Bloom found what she was looking for and pulled out a battered and beaten purple spiral notebook. “Sheesh,” Scootaloo muttered. “How the heck is it that damaged already? And how was there so much stuff in there?”  “Hm?” Apple Bloom tilted her head towards the pegasus, unsure of what she just heard. The notebook was hanging from her mouth, a paper near the end threatening to fall through the cracks of the floor’s wooden planks. “Nothing!” Scootaloo spurted out a little too quickly. Luckily, Apple Bloom only shrugged and walked to the center of the treehouse, kicking a few stray marbles on the way, and dropped the book on the floor with a plop. This seemed to snap Sweetie Belle out of her daze and joined the rest of the Crusaders around the magical book. Apple Bloom opened the book and turned the first page, revealing the other side with the steps. Sure enough, the step that read “Get Applejack to come out” with what appeared to be black ink, and below it was a new step. “Have Applejack buy Rainbow Dash an Oatson” Scootaloo scratched her head after reading. “An Oatson? What’s that?” Apple Bloom gasped as if Scootaloo just admitted strawberries were her favorite fruit. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what an Oatson is?” Scootaloo just shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, should I?” Apple Bloom turned to Sweetie Belle, her mouth agape, “Come on Sweetie, you have to know what an Oatson is, right?” Sweetie Belle tapped her chin in thought. “Hmmm, those are the expensive cowboy hats, right?” Apple Bloom recoiled in shock, nearly banging into Scootaloo and almost tripping over a twirling pole. “They ain’t just ANY cowboy hats. Those things are made of only the finest material, an’ they feel like a sheepdog taking a big ol’ nap on your hair. Sis never let me get one though. Too expensive and unnecessary she says. Well ah’ll tell her… heh. Guess I got a little carried away there.” “Wait, I’m confused. What would buying a hat for Rainbow Dash do for Applejack?” Apple Bloom deadpanned at Scootaloo. “It’s a gift featherbrain. That’s what couples do.” “Ooooooh, right.” Scootaloo didn’t catch Sweetie Belle at the corner of her eye pointing her horn at her leg.  Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, then turned to look out the window. “Ah’m a little cautious though about this whole thing though. Ah mean, Applejack’s at Sugarcube corner right now telling everypony the same thing she told us. Ah’m sure it’s too late now, but do you think… do you think that… wait.” Apple Bloom squinted through the window. “Hol’ on” Apple Bloom rested her hoof on the entrances doorknob, and in a sudden yank pulled the door open. The door flung to the other side in a flash, leaving the colt against it leaning on air. The white and brown colt failed to keep his balance and fell on his stomach in the middle of the doorway. “Oh rats!” the colt replied in a very heavy and distinct accent. Apple Bloom tried her hardest to keep from glaring at the newcomer. “Pip, what are you doing here?” “What do you mean?” Pipsqueak asked. He began to stand back up and started brushing off the dust off his coat. “I was coming here for my appointment. It’s not my fault you weren’t ready!” He blinked in surprise. “...Why is there such a mess in here?” “Pip,” Sweetie Belle said carefully, “how much did you hear?” “Yeah Pipsqueak, what did you hear? Why were you listening to us, huh? What were you trying to do?” Scootaloo followed her interrogation by stretching out her undersized wings and arranging her body in an attacking form (“The Rainbow Dash Wild Animal Defense Form™”). Pipsqueak began to tremble with fear. “ I swear, I just wondered why you all were laughing so much. I only listened to you a little bit, and I don’t even really understand it. Excluding the Diamond Tiara thing of course. I could see that coming a mile away. Just please don’t hurt me...”  Pip squeaked out. “Pip, relax. You’re fine. We ain’t goin’ to hurt you, so Scootaloo you can cut out.” Scootaloo snorted in protest but nonetheless relaxed her standing position.  Sweetie Belle walked over and laid a friendly hoof across Pip’s neck.  “We’re so sorry Pip. We forgot about your appointment because of an argument. So why don’t we-“ “Say,” Pip interrupted. “I also heard something about an Oatson. If you need one of those, there’s this small little place downtown that sells those pretty cheap. Good condition too. “Really?” Apple Bloom asked, excitement in her voice. “Ah’ve looked all over this place for an Oatson at a decent price an’ ah couldn’t find one. How did you find this place?”  “I don’t know. I’ve always been good at finding good discounts, even back at Trottingham.” Sweetie Belle ruffled the colts brown mane as a friendly gesture. “I bet you are. Would you mind showing us this place?” Pip nodded enthusiastically and pointed a hoof towards Ponyville. “Come on Crusaders! Follow me to the store!” “Sure thing Pip!” Apple Bloom said with an equal amount of enthusiasm. Apple Bloom waved a hoof over her back. “Come on Scootaloo, let’s go!” With that, the three foals ran off.  “Wait! Who’s going to clean up this… mess…” She looked over the treehouse. Junk was littered all over the floor that Sweetie Belle tried so hard to clean. The notebook remained in the center of the room, teasing Scootaloo’s with its magical mystique. Scootaloo glared at the inanimate object.  “How many messes am I going to clean up because of you?”