//------------------------------// // Mom, Milkshakes, and Many Lessons // Story: Scooter Tracks in My Life // by Pyrus Nightwrite //------------------------------// Ice cream. I could really use some ice cream. Maybe a milkshake. Even a good fudge bar. Pyrus thought. He pictured a frothing vanilla milkshake, and imagined what it would taste like. Yep. Definitely a milkshake. Pyrus sighed and adjusted his position in the overly-white bed. He closed his eyes and remembered back to the times back in Canterlot. One day in particular, years before he had even met Luna, stuck it’s self out in his mind. Scribbles and he had just gotten out of school, and her parents were working late that day, so they had a few hours to walk around Canterlot and hang out. “Sweet Scoop’s Ice Cream? I’ve never been there. Wanna try it out?” Scribbles had asked energetically. “I’m not really in the mood for ice cream. I don’t have any money either…” Pyrus had replied, surly over the jeering they had received from bullies as they left the school together. Scribbles, carefree as always, had completely gotten over the jeering. “I do. Come on Pyrus, I’ll get you a milkshake, or something! Pleeeeeease!?” “Okay, okay, I’ll go. A milkshake it is,” Pyrus gave Scribbles a smirk. “Even if it is just to get you to be quiet.” Scribbles rolled her eyes and dragged Pyrus inside. A friendly looking mare with an off-white coat and strawberry pink mane greeted the pair with a grin from behind the counter. “Welcome to my shop. If you’re looking for ice cream you’ve come to the right place.” The mare had a silky voice, one that reminded Pyrus of frozen yogurt. “What can I get for you?” “You know you don’t have to do this, right?” Pyrus said. “I know. I want to.” Scribbles replied, then said to the unicorn behind the counter “Two milkshakes please. Strawberry for me.” “And for you?” the mare looked at Pyrus “… How about vanilla?” “Certainly! That’ll be eight bits.” “Uh oh. Um… I… only have four…” “Here,” the mare said, then pulled four shiny bits out from the register with an understanding grin. “The other half is on the house.” With that, she accepted the golden bits from Scribbles thankful hooves and gave them their respective orders. After sitting down, they discussed some little things, teased each other a little in a friendly manner, and enjoyed their treats. After again thanking the mare who, as they had discovered, was named the same as, and owned, the store, the pair left. “I knew it would make you feel better.” Scribbles said as Pyrus followed her out the door. Pyrus sighed. She was right. That store became a place the two went often, after that day. They got to know Sweet Scoop well, and they were regulars there, showing up at least once weekly, and even sometimes daily. They sometimes ordered actual ice cream, and every once in a while when they could afford it they would get sundays, but Pyrus usually found himself returning to the simple milkshake. The memories were as sweet as vanilla. ***** “So you’re saying that they won’t let you back into the bowling alley here? All because of a little accident?” “No, no, that accident was anything but little. It was hard enough trying to convince them it was an accident and not a terrorist attack.” The two fillies had reached the hospital, and after a small discussion confirming that Pyrus was indeed fine and will be out tomorrow morning for school, the pair had launched into a story about a particular bowling alley and the mayhem they had caused. Scootaloo sat on one side of the bed, while Sweetie Bell had taken the other. Both were relieved to see that he was ok, almost as relived as Pyrus was to see them in the first place. “I’m glad you guys came… this place is more boring than-“ CRASH “Uhh… what in Equestria was that?” Sweetie Bell asked to nopony in particular. Another sound of destructive nature ensued from the hallway, this one sounding a little closer. “You two might want to take shelter. I’d suggest the bathroom, over there” Pyrus indicated with his hoof. Scootaloo looked at Sweetie Bell, and both gave a decisive nod. The duo headed into the bathroom and closed the door so that only a small crack remained, which they peeked through. A very large, very upset looking brown unicorn stumbled into the room just as they had gotten into position. She had a greasy yellow main, a cutie mark that resembled a pile of quart-bit pieces, and a piece of paper floated in front of her with a dark yellow glow that reminded Scootaloo of tree sap. Sweetie Bell mumbled something incoherent underneath Scootaloo as she watched. “Hi Mom. How are you today? Is there some kind of problem?” “Mom?” Scootaloo whispered to Sweetie, who just shrugged and kept watching. “Of course there’s a problem. See this!?” Pyrus’s mom spoke in a gravelly voice, angry, with a touch of tired slur. She shoved the paper into Pyrus’s face. He pulled it off and studied it for a moment. “Ok, they charge based on income. On your lack thereof, this will cost what,” Pyrus looked at the paper again, “50 bits? That’s nothing.” Pyrus replied calmly, almost over controlled in Scootaloo’s opinion. “Nothing?” Her voice rose. “Nothing!? You mean that that 50 bits, which is the difference between my favorite hard cider and cheap-flank knockoffs of said cider is NOTHING!?” “Yes. Nothing. You should be using that money to buy something else instead. Food maybe? So I wouldn’t have to buy it all myself?” “You worthless piece of-“ Dr. Stable was suddenly in the room, with two security guards following behind. He looked annoyed. “Mrs. Glass, I’m afraid I must ask you to leave. You’re disturbing the patients.” “Yeah, you and what army?” ‘Mrs. Glass’ replied harshly, before catching a glimpse of the burly guard-stallions. “Oh. Fine, but I’m not paying this bill.” She threw the paper behind her and allowed the guards to escort her out of the room. As she left, she looked back at Pyrus with a toxic glare. “We’ll talk later.” It was a threat. As she left, Dr. Stable sighed deeply, and looked at Pyrus. “What a mess. Did she… Did she mean it when she said she wouldn’t pay?” “Unfortunately, she doesn’t joke about that kind of thing often. I’m pretty sure she means it.” Pyrus replied. His horn light up, and out from Pyrus’s saddlebag (which Scootaloo had remembered they left at the zipline and brought over, to the thanks of Pyrus) came a few bits. He counted up the coins, and frowned. A few streaks appeared on his already highly darkened mane. “I don’t think I have enough… here’s 20 bits. I’ll… I’ll find some way to pay the rest off later?” “Pyrus. The Ponyville Clinic is completely non-profit. This is why we change by income. Unless you have a steady income, 20 bits will be more than enough. Hold on to those though, we’ll take them when you get to the front desk.” With a final assurance that things were fine, and a somewhat worried glance from the departing doctor, Pyrus motioned for his friends. Scootaloo opened the door and the ponies walked back to the bedside. “Meet my mother, Glass Shard. She’s the best mother a pony could ask for.” Pyrus’s cold sarcasm froze the hatred that Scootaloo glimpsed flashing briefly in his eyes. “She drinks heavily, forgets I exist every once in a while, has astounding anger issues, and her only income comes from social security checks, or convincing others to give her money. She’s good at that. Any questions?” Scoots and Sweetie sat silently, shocked by the sudden change in Pyrus. Sweetie looked at the door, then back at Pyrus. “W-What did you mean by food?” “Well, she spends all the money she gets on booze. All of it. I end up buying most of the food.” Pyrus said with a touch of venom. “Where do you get the money then?” Scootaloo asked. “Bits on the ground can only get you so far.” Scootaloo spoke before her mind caught up and slapped her in the face. She had just said too much, and she knew it. Pyrus looked at Scootaloo with a questioning glance before shrugging and answering. “Well, I used to sell my poems to the Canterlot bookstore and even once got one put into the archives… but I haven’t found anypony here yet that wants to buy anything. I had some money saved up… but I’m starting to run a bit dry…” Sweetie squeaked out excitedly “Twilight could probably help with that! She loves to read and stuff!” Pyrus smiled, though there was a small bit of confusion written on his face. He looked outside, then at the clock next to him. “Wow. It’s about time I hit the hay. It’s getting late. I think you two should probably head home too… we’ve all got school tomorrow. Thanks again for coming here. And… sorry you had to see mom… that wasn’t something I expected. I hope you’re not too afraid of me now.” Scootaloo didn’t think Pyrus looked too tired, and judging by last night she knew he didn’t sleep much. His mane hasn’t lightened up yet… He was fine before his mom came. Now it’s almost as dark as it was last night. That can’t be good… I wonder if there’s something I can say to cheer him up. “Well, I guess we should go, Scoots. See you tomorrow Pyrus.” Sweetie began walking out the door. “You go ahead, I’ll… I’ll catch up.” Scootaloo called to Sweetie. Giving her an eyebrow raised, Sweetie walked out slowly. Turning to Pyrus, Scootaloo allowed her face to darken slightly, and frowned. She lifted a lock of Pyrus’s mane, and let it fall back down. Concern flowed down her face, and she looked Pyrus in the eye, with her own nearly tear-filled. “I’m sorry. I wish I could help.” She whispered, then turned and left. “What was that all about, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Bell had asked when Scootaloo emerged from the hospital room. “Some things just take too long to explain, Bell. This is one of them.” ***** Scootaloo certainly gave me enough to think about… I wonder when Luna will get here. I really need to talk to her. Silence gripped the hospital. A single light was in the window of a treehouse close by. Somepony else is awake right now… I wonder who it is. I wonder why I wonder about such things. Maybe it’s because I’m lonely… Pyrus felt himself drifting into past memories, in a time where he wasn’t lonely, even while being an outcast. He had a friend, a friend he missed dearly. Recently he felt that feeling of not being lonely returning, with something new he could not yet explain. He thought he liked it, but wasn’t sure. Questions buzzed in his head, making his mind tingle. So many he knew he needed to ask, others he was afraid to even think. He knew that soon the time would come for answers, at least he hoped. If anyone could answer them, it had to be Luna. Where is she anyway? It’s been a long time since the moon rose, where could she… oh. Pyrus slipped out of the bed that he lay upon and waked to the beam of moonlight that was streaming in from the glass in the wall. He silently cursed himself for not opening the window and let his friend and princess in. “Sorry, Princess, I totally forgot. How long were you out there?” “Long enough to brighten the moon up and shine it directly in the window. I thought I’d have to put you to sleep and tell you in a dream to open the blasted window!” Luna’s voice teased through the darkness. “Still, it’s good to see you, Pyrus. How’s your… ouch! How are you even walking?” “Painfully,” Pyrus hissed. “It isn’t too bad, I’ve had worse. It’s good to see you’re still in princess prime shape. How have the courts been?” The princess frowned, groaned, and gave Pyrus a look that said ‘Are you really asking me that question?’ “Well, at least your sense of humor wasn’t injured. Lucky for you. For me… not so much,” Luna sighed. “Hey, my sense of humor is better than a timberwolf’s sense of direction. And I don’t mean the ones who get lost and end up wandering into the Canterlot garden.” Luna and Pyrus both glared at each other for a moment. Luna snickered, causing Pyrus to respond in kind. Before long, they were both laughing uncontrollably. “Ahahaha! Oh, I missed you, Pyrus. Canterlot is so… boring without you there to lighten things up. How has the house been treating you? Not bad, huh?” “Yeah, thanks for that anyway. I don’t know where you got it, or how, but it’s working really well.” Luna winked. “Well, it was once a station for one of my Nightguards. He was moving out, so I made sure it got put into the right hooves. You know, in the realm of home ownership, you’re a Nightguard yourself.” “Cool.” Pyrus and Luna fell silent for a moment. Luna looked around, then at her young friend. “There is a reason you’re here. I can feel it. I can also see it in your mane, but that’s beside the point.” Pyrus felt a spreading feeling in his gut, as if a flower was blooming nervousness within him. “Yeah, uh… yes. I have a… question…” “Well, I probably have answers. I may not be quite as wise as my sister, but I can probably answer your question.” Come on, man, just ask her. It’s not like you haven’t had awkward conversations with her before… “Princess, can you… can you tell me what love feels like?” Luna was quiet for a moment before speaking. “I’d ask you where that question came from, but I think I already know, and I know you won’t answer anyway. First off, there are many different types of love, and each one feels different. Also, everypony experiences each kind differently, so I cannot tell you what it is you feel, only what I feel for each kind. So I can’t give you a full explanation, as that can only come from within yourself.” “I understand, princess.” Pyrus said, trying his best to mask his disappointment. “Please keep going.” “Ok.” Luna walked to the other side of the room, where she turned and looked at Pyrus. “There are, as I said, many kinds of love. “There’s the love my sister and I feel for all our subjects. There is care and concern, even if we’ve never known them before, and they are important to us. However, I have a feeling that’s not exactly what you meant. “The next ‘type’ of love is within families. The care and concern are there, but there is also some genuine love, one that comes from being together, whether you like it or not. Celestia and I love each other very much, because we’ve always know each other. It’s… difficult to explain, honestly. The love is kinda… assumed. For many, this is the strongest kind of love. Others….” Luna paused while she looked at Pyrus and pointed towards him vaguely. “not so much. “The third kind is the bond that forms between friends. This is also for many the strongest love. This love is formed through trials, failures, and successes, as well as with simply hanging out. This is the one I feel towards you, and I’d hope you feel for me.” She added with a taste of sarcasm. “Personally, I feel a lot of longing to spend time with the people I love this way. It’s pretty powerful, but not quite a feeling of… giving one’s whole self to another. Which brings me to the fourth type of love. “This one most refer to as love to begin with. This is the love felt between couples. The one most consider the strongest, and the one many long for. It is a love for a friend, intensified, until both ponies feel like they must be together forever. It drives many ponies insane. It is considered one of the natural magic forces, along with the elements of harmony, chaos, hatred, and fear. It is also, unfortunately, the one I know the least about. I have only felt this kind of love once… and before you ask I do not want to talk about her-I mean, uhh, IT.” Pyrus gave Luna a confused look, which Luna burned off him with a stare. The princess recovered quickly. “Anyway, when I felt this love I felt a sort of soft tug upon my horn, and almost a light feeling in my wings, like I wouldn’t need to use them to fly. It was rather odd. It would likely be different for you.” “I see… anything more on that last one felt between couples?” Pyrus asked. “I’m sorry, Pyrus, I don’t know anything more about that. But I do have one more to tell you, and warn you, about. “Many ponies would argue this isn’t love at all. Others think it’s all love is. It’s been called many things, but for now I will simply refer to it as lust. Be very wary of lust.” Luna warned. Pyrus nodded quickly to show his understanding. A moment of silence passed by, then another, and another until they passed like a train moving slowly and awkwardly on a mud-covered track. Pyrus sat pondering what he had just heard. “So, wait a minute. You say that the love between ‘friends’ and ‘lovers’ is very similar.” Pyrus asked Luna, who nodded. “So, where does one draw the line between the two?” “That, my dear friend, is a question only your heart can answer. As cliché as it sounds, it’s true. I know not where to draw the line myself.” Luna walked over to Pyrus and wrapped a wing around his midsection and pulled him close. She whispered softly: “When you find the answer within your heart, you will know. And I think you know where to start looking.” AN: I know there's a section of the actual story submission page that says authors notes, but i don't care. screw the rules, i'm doing it this way. Something interesting happened to me during this chapter. (besides getting halfway through and my computer saying "nope" and deleting the whole thing) i, for some reason, actually felt nervous while i was writing about Luna's lesson. i know it's probably a common thing, but i guess it means i'm writing from the heart.