//------------------------------// // Making Reservations // Story: Mare In Motion // by TuxRug //------------------------------// Ponyville, having a relatively small population, bordered in size between what some ponies would call a town versus what some would call a village. As such, its single, small schoolhouse was sufficient to educate the local fillies and colts. The outer walls of the schoolhouse were light red, and each window was decorated with a pink heart at the top. A modest belfry decorated with another pink heart on each side stood atop the front half of the roof. As usual at this time on a weekday, the immediate area around the school was quiet. The playground, significantly larger than the schoolhouse itself, was vacant. Excluding the slight motion of the flag in front and the occasional sway of the weather vane atop the belfry, the school could pass for a photograph of itself. This would change with the dismissal of the class inside. The bell rang, and less than a moment later the first of the students eagerly left through a single door, ready to enjoy their freedom. Some children were ready to just head home, while others looked forward to playing with their friends. Most passed through the door single-file. A couple of more eager unicorn colts hurriedly pushed their way out simultaneously as if they didn’t want the outdoors to have a chance to escape. Among the last to leave the school were three fillies: a yellow earth pony, an orange pegasus, and a white unicorn. They stayed together as close friends do, and made their way to the road. The earth pony looked upward toward the cloudy sky. “Ah thought we're s’posed ta have a clear sky today,” the earth pony commented as she reached to straighten the pink bow in her ruby red mane. The unicorn glanced upward as well, through her pink and purple curls. “I wonder if Rainbow Dash just forgot to move the clouds away.” “That’s a bit of a hard thing ‘ta forget, Sweetie Belle! Ya think she’d notice that she’d be runnin’ inta clouds up there when there’s s’posed ta be none.” “She’s probably running late,” the pegasus suggested. “She has an audition for the Wonderbolts later this year and she’s probably busy practicing.” Sweetie Belle looked quizzically at the pegasus filly. “How do you know these things?” “I’m the president of the fan club,” the pegasus replied. “I’m supposed to know stuff like this.” “Mah sis told me this mornin’. Ah jus’ thought she’d clear the sky first ‘fore doin’ anythin’ else.” The pegasus sighed. “You’re right, Apple Bloom. I didn’t notice her in the sky during recess either.” She sat and stared up at the clouds, hoping to see a streak of color shooting by at any moment. “Wait,” Sweetie Belle said with a squeak. “Applejack told you,” she said as she pointed at Apple Bloom. “And Scootaloo knows. Why didn’t my sister say anything?” Scootaloo grinned as a blue pegasus suddenly shot across the sky, leaving behind the colorful afterimage of a rainbow-hued tail. Even as far away in the air as the other pegasus was, her speed created a gust of wind that threw Scootaloo’s purple hair out of place. Scootaloo began to count aloud as the pegasus in the sky began pushing and kicking clouds away. “One Maressissippi, two Maressissippi…” As Scootaloo counted, Sweetie Belle looked to her briefly. Sweetie Belle then looked at the sky just in time to see Rainbow Dash kick the last cloud away. “Um, Scootaloo? What are you –“ “Seven seconds!” Scootaloo jumped and buzzed her wings. “Seven seconds!” “Ah’m guessin’ that’s a new record, ain’t it?” “Yeah!” Scootaloo bounced a few more times, buzzing her wings but still returning to the ground. “I knew she was just busy. She never forgot to do the weather before!” Apple Bloom scratched at her mane as the other two began to walk down the path towards the rest of town. “Didn’t she fall asleep once after she set up th’ rain over the farm? Sis was worried Bloomberg’d drown.” “I don’t remember that,” Scootaloo countered as Apple Bloom caught up. “Maybe she was working a half day? Cloud Kicker was late the other day and Rainbow Dash had to go back and cover for her. I bet something like that happened.” “Could be. Ah do know sis wasn’t too happy with Rainbow that day, though. We were lucky Bloomberg turned out jus’ fine an’ he was still ready ta get replanted in Appleoosa.” “Wait, how do you drown a tree?” Sweetie Belle cast a confused look. “Too much water can be just as bad for plants as not enough water, right?” Scootaloo confirmed with Apple Bloom. “Yep. Overwaterin’ an’ underwaterin’ll both make a tree sick,” Apple Bloom replied. “An’ if ya overwater an apple tree, at best it won’t make much fruit.” “Oh.” Sweetie Belle moved on to a new subject. “So what are we trying today?” Scootaloo pondered for a moment. “Pyrotechnics?” “Sounds dangerous,” Sweetie Belle hesitated. “What about being pony cannonballs?” Apple Bloom laughed loudly. “Ya shoot down pyro-whatsits fer bein’ too dangerous, but yer okay with launchin’ ourselves outta cannon?” “We gotta figure out something, girls.” Scootaloo pointed at her flank. “Everypony else in class figured out what they’re good at. We’re the only blank flanks left!” “What would a pyrotechnics cutie mark even look like?” Scootaloo turned her head to Sweetie Belle as she walked. “I dunno, Sweetie Belle. Maybe a firework or a rocket or a flame or something,” she mused. Scootaloo turned her head forward just in time to stop herself from walking into somepony. She knew who it looked like, but she blinked a couple times to make sure her eyes weren’t playing a trick on her. She looked up to a smirking cyan face and magenta eyes. Scootaloo’s eyes shot wide. “I didn’t just hear you talking about playing with fireworks, did I?” “Oh, Rainbow Dash!” The pegasus filly was visibly and audibly excited to see her hero. Stuttering slightly, she added, “not ‘playing’ with them so much as learning how they work!” “Well, whatever you do, don’t do it by yourselves. I don’t want you kids burning down Ponyville.” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “If you’re serious, go find Firecracker Burst. She does all the fireworks shows. I have no clue where she lives though.” “Cool! Thanks, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo beamed, thankful not to be in trouble. “Hey, do you want to help us earn our cutie marks?” Rainbow Dash hid her reluctance to spend time with the trio of fillies. “Sorry, squirt. I can’t today. Too busy. But I heard I your birthday’s Saturday and my invitation got lost in the mail or something.” Scootaloo’s jaw dropped. “Can you come?” “Of course! I gotta make some time for my number one fan, Scoots!” Rainbow lied. “I wouldn’t want to miss your party.” “Oh my gosh!” Scootaloo exclaimed. She hopped around Rainbow Dash and her friends, flapping her wings frantically the whole time. The grown pegasus extended a wing downwards to block Scootaloo’s path on her third lap around the group. “What time should I show up?” “Oh!” The filly blinked a few times. “That’s right, you said you never got your invitation! The party starts at 10 AM.” “Got it, kid. A little early for me on a weekend, but I’ll be there.” Rainbow faked a smile. “Like I said, I’m busy today, so I can’t stay. Catch ya later!” Scootaloo sat and waved, dumbfounded at the event as her idol flew away. Even after Rainbow Dash was out of sight, Scootaloo continued to wave at the empty air until Apple Bloom nudged her. “Earth pony ta’ Scootaloo… Come in, Scootaloo… Ya there?” Scootaloo shook her head back to reality. She looked at Apple Bloom and pushed her away playfully. As the other two giggled, Sweetie Belle looked downward, eyebrows lowered. “I don’t think Rainbow Dash sounded too happy.” “What do you mean?” Scootaloo asked. “I mean,” Sweetie Belle continued, “she didn’t seem like she really wanted to go.” “Ah,” Scootaloo pretended to take the concern seriously. “She was probably just tired.” The trio continued on the path towards the center of town, laughing, joking, and swapping ideas for the day’s activities. As they reached a fountain in the center of the busiest part of town, they agreed on an activity and shouted it simultaneously. The cry startled several ponies, but a few that knew the three took relief in their latest idea. “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS MIMES! YAY!”