//------------------------------//
// 3. Trial And Error 
// Story: That's A First 
// by FeignedSincerity 
//------------------------------//

"Oh goodness, are you alright? Oh, you poor dear."

Scootaloo laid back on Fluttershy's couch, rubbing a rabbit foot shaped lump on her head. She felt like her brain was about to explode, after a flying kick from Angel directly to the temple. Fluttershy emerged from the kitchen with a pack of ice, and an undying blush on her cheeks.

"I do apologize for Angel, and I'm sure he feels awful." Almost on cue, Angel stuck his tongue out at his victim. "But you must understand, he gets protective of me sometimes. Are you alright?"

"Yeah... I think so..." Scootaloo took the ice pack from her host and held it to her throbbing bruise. 'You'd think I came at her with a knife... Jeez.'

"But I will admit that you startled me. I certainly wasn't expecting..." The older pegasus blushed even harder and turned her nose away in embarrassment. "Well that was just very spontaneous of you..."

Scoots let her head fall back on the cushion, closing her eyes to rest for a moment. She felt as though she could just fall asleep there, call it a day, and hope for her headache to be gone tomorrow. Either way, she had pressing matters to deal with.

'The tingly feeling still didn't come back... Perhaps I need to take a different approach to this...'


                                                                                                                                          


"So what's the actual issue?" Scootaloo sat at the front of a long table, overlooking five copies of herself. None of them answered. "Well? Let's go over everypony we've tried so far. First, let's talk about Sweetie Belle."

Five simultaneous sighs harmonized at the name. Scootaloo watched herself literally melt over the very mention of her friend five times over. One Scootaloo with a large pair of glasses stood from her seat.

"Sight here, and I'd like to start off by saying that Sweetie Belle is an absolute babe. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Four voices rang out in unison, as another Scootaloo with unusually large ears stood as well.

"On the behalf of hearing, I would like to add that Sweetie Belle's voice is like vanilla frosting. It's so sweet and alluring, and I could listen to it all day."

At the mention of frosting, a third copy who had been panting greedily the entire time rose her hoof. "Speaking of frosting, can you say yum? That kiss... I swear I could put Sugar Cube Corner out of business if I could wrap that up!"

The original Scootaloo waved both hooves to signal silence. She set her glare on a Scootaloo who seemed to be itching uncontrollably. "What about you, Touch?"

"She... Uh... Well she made me feel... Warm and... Warm and fuzzy... I liked it quite a lot..."

"Fair enough." Her gaze shifted to the last Scootaloo who had kept relatively quiet the whole time, and was combating a particularly bad runny nose. "You haven't said much, any thoughts?"

Smell looked up with a nervous smile. "She smelled really good." Her tone was low and breathy, which sent a chill up Scootaloo's spine.

"Uh... Yeah... So that's Sweetie Belle, we can all agree on her, right?" All five of the copies nodded their heads. "Good, then let's move on to Rainbow Dash. Sight?"

"Yes, well Rainbow Dash is a looker. As cool as cool can be, and her assets are nothing to laugh about."

Touch batted at a particularly bothersome itch behind her ear, and tapped the table to get everyponies' attention. "I hate to say she's not much to brush up against though. Rough on rough doesn't make for a very good time."

"And her breath, her mouth. She was so... Bland..." Taste leaned back in her chair as she recalled the event. "I mean, she tasted like morning dew and clouds. Hardly any different than your own breath Scootaloo, I need something stimulating!"

Hearing let out a fan-girlish sigh as she fell back to her seat. "Oh but her voice. Her stories are so invigorating!"

Five pairs of eyes shifted to Smell, waiting for her part of the discussion.

"She smelled like a work out... Nice and sweaty... Do you know where she keeps her gym bag or-?"

"Okay! Alright, so we know we can't agree on Rainbow Dash. What about Fluttershy?"

"Nope!" Taste scoffed right off the bat. "Herbs and dirt. It was like kissing a rabbit... You don't think-"

"Stop right there, don't want to hear it!" Scootaloo shoved her hooves in her ears before anything too weird was said. Touch was the next to speak up.

"Well, also like a rabbit, she was soft. Cuddling with her would be wonderful I would imagine."

"And that voice, oh dear me, record it and give me headphones, I'll be gone for the next week!" Hearing nearly fainted to the ground, only to be caught by Sight.

"Gotta go with Taste on this one, girls. I'd swear she's wasting away!" A few murmurs of approval led into yet another collective glare at Smell

"Mmmmm..."

Scootaloo made a mental note to consider breaking her nose in the near future. "Right, right, so that's it?" She looked over her senses as they all nodded and began fading into her mind. "So we all need to agree on somepony, and then I'll get the tingly feeling again?"

More nods, no answers. Scootaloo was soon alone at the table.

"But who..."


                                                                                                                                          


"...and that's why kissing ponies without warning is looked down upon." Fluttershy took a sip of tea, satisfied that she had taught her lesson, and looked at her guest expectantly. "Now, if it isn't too bold of me to ask, why did you kiss me?"

Scootaloo opened her eyes, coming to the realization that she had actually fallen asleep. Fluttershy was still going on about the incident in the kitchen, so it clearly hadn't been a very long nap. Either way, Scoots hadn't heard a single word that was spoken to her, and she was actually quite alright with that. 'Probably just some sappy stuff about love. I need to figure this out.'

"Well, I'm glad that this has all been resolved!" The orange pegasus brought herself to her hooves, causing her to remember the aching in her hoof, and in her head. 

"But we haven't..." Fluttershy looked down at the floor, feeling almost like she'd been brushed off. "We haven't resolved anything really..."

"Well, there's always tomorrow! I'll see you around Fluttershy!"

Before another word could be spoken, Scootaloo was out the door. Fluttershy was left alone with Angel Bunny at her side.

"Every year..." She looked down at Angel, who was giving her a sympathetic smile. "It's always the same..."


                                                                                                                                          


"Are you sure she went to the forest?"

"Not really, but I figured that it's as good a place as any to run to!" Sweetie Belle kicked a small rock in front of her, causing it to lead the way toward the Everfree Forest. Shoeshine sighed to herself, starting to wish she hadn't agreed to help with the search.

"You know, we've been walking for a while now. Why did your friend run away anyway?"

Sweetie stopped dead in her tracks and watched the rock bounce down the dirt path. "I never told you?"

"No, you just said you needed to finish your date, which sounds like it's a bust by now, and not much else."

"Well, I kissed her and she got all weird." The younger of the two kicked at the ground. "Do you think it was my breath?"

Shoe cocked an eyebrow, recalling her own dating troubles as a filly. "Did she say anything before she ran?"

Looking back on the incident, Sweetie Belle's cheeks produced a light blush. "She... Asked me to kiss her again..."

"And you said...?"

"That we didn't have to?"

At this point, the older mare felt a strange magnetism between her hoof and her face. Resisting the urge, she looked down at the little unicorn with an understanding smile. "Look kid, it sounds like she likes you, and you just got nervous. Tell her it was a mistake, like you didn't want to sound too eager. Come on, let's go find your little fillyfriend and we can-"

Her mouth was silenced by what seemed to be the softest cork she had ever felt. Her eyes went wide as she looked down to see a little white unicorn attached to her by the lips. Even more distressing, she could have sworn she heard a camera click from behind a tree. Sweetie Belle retracted herself and watched Shoeshine intently.

"I uh... Who just... What?"

Sweetie leaned in closer, taking careful note at the details of Shoeshine's reaction. She noticed that her victim's hooves were shaking, as if they were about to take off.

"I need to... Oh goodness... Ch-Cherry? Cherry Berry, I need to talk to you!"

Just like that, Shoeshine was sprinting back to town frantically. Sweetie stood and watched for a second, before holding a hoof up to her mouth and letting out a small breath.

"Same reaction... Must be my breath." Another camera click resounded from behind the same tree as before, summoning Sweetie's attention. "Hey, who's there?" No answer, just the rustling of leaves. "I must be imagining things. Scootaloo, here I come!"


                                                                                                                                          


Featherweight had been following Sweetie Belle for a while now. His day had been going rather poorly, but that wasn't going to last. He was determined.

---------------------

Earlier in the day, just after school, he had finally resolved to speak his mind. He was finally going to approach Sweetie Belle, and ask her to lunch, or dinner, or something. Anything would do really, just to be with her would be enough. Flowers all bundled nicely in a bouquet, he saw the object of his affection sitting on the hill with Scootaloo.

The presence of the orange filly would certainly make things difficult, but it would only be a small snag in the plan. 'You got this Featherweight, sweep her off her feet!' he thought, planning out the entire date ahead of time in his head. He wasn't the same scrawny kid he used to be. No, his training sessions with his father had certainly paid off, and he was now a much stronger colt, both physically and mentally.

The two fillies were sitting strangely close together, closer than friends normally would. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were notoriously attached to each other though, so Featherweight thought nothing of it. At least, he thought nothing of it until they were holding hooves.

"Now this can't be right. Are these two...?"

Then the kiss. That dreaded kiss that seemed to last forever. As each millisecond dragged on, Featherweight could feel his wings rising from place in both anger and an unwelcome feeling of interest. After what felt like a year, the kiss was broken, and the two fillies stared into each other's eyes. All Featherweight could think to do was raise his camera and take a picture.

---------------------

And now, he found himself in very much the same situation. Sweetie had led him to the outskirts of the forest, and he had just now gotten any good material.

"Hey, who's there?"

Featherweight pressed his back to the tree as hard as he could, silencing his breath and hugging his camera to his chest. Now would not be a good time to get caught. Instinctively, he dove for the nearest bush.

"I must be imagining things. Scootaloo, here I come!"

With that disaster avoided, Feather wiped the sweat from his forehead and allowed himself to breathe once more. "Who knew research could be so intense? Let's take a look at the photos."

Switching his camera to slideshow mode, he cringed at the first picture. There was the silhouette of Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, shadowed by the intense sun behind them. The lens flare and framing of the trees had made the shot an accidental masterpiece.

"At least I can use it for my portfolio. Next."

A picture of Sweetie Belle laughing at her sister. Nothing particularly telling about it, just that she and her sister had a healthy relationship. He clicked the button to continue, bringing up the picture of Sweetie Belle and Shoeshine. Not as cringe worthy as the first, but he still felt awkward even possessing the picture.

"So, Shoeshine too, huh? At least now I have something to cross reference. And finally..."

The fourth picture. This one was just Sweetie Belle testing her breath. Nothing portfolio worthy, but definitely earning a spot on his wall. It was adorable, nothing more to say about it.

"So what I can take away from this is that Scootaloo and Shoeshine have both somehow captured Sweetie's affection. Shoeshine heard me and ran, so I might not want to look for her right now. If only I could find..."

As soon as the thought so much as formed in his head, Featherweight heard light hoof beats in the distance. They were getting closer, and heading directly for him. Poking his head out of the bush, he saw a blur of orange rocketing towards him.

'Careful what you wish for, Feather...'

Scootaloo collided with Featherweight at full speed, being caught off guard by the colt she was currently tangled with. The two tumbled across the grass, feeling each and every bump in the dirt reverberate through their bodies. Once they had stopped, Featherweight held up a shaky hoof, snapping a picture of himself.

'Found her...'


                                                                                                                                          


After slamming the cottage door behind her, Scootaloo began to trot back towards the town. It felt as if her mind was clear, though it really wasn't. That nap had at least calmed her down a bit.

"So, I need to find somepony who appeals to all of my senses. That shouldn't be hard."

Her pace picked up a little, and she lifted her hooves a little higher with each step. The very first image in her head was, of course, Sweetie Belle. Every sense perked right up as figurative hearts overtook her eyes. Eventually, she caught herself mid-skip and cleared her mind.

"So, somepony else who appeals to all of my senses. Simple," she told herself, trying to sound convincing. "I guess the easiest thing would be to find somepony who is similar enough... Like if she had a sister or something..."

If the trees could have yelled at her for being stupid, they would have. It didn't take long for her to bring up a mental image of Rarity in her head.

"Right, she totally has a sister. Senses, what do you think?"

She wasn't in her head anymore, so she couldn't talk to her senses as easily. Either way, she began to work out the details.

"So she's beautiful, everypony knows that. Her voice just oozes seduction. Yeah, she might do." Scootaloo began walking again, not entirely paying attention to where she was going. The checklist continued. "From the few times I've been around her, I know she's soft, just like Sweetie Belle. And taste... I guess we'll just have to find out!"

Her pace picked up again, and she was once again skipping along the dirt road. She wasn't in a love struck daze any longer, but the answer to her problem seemed to be in view. She would go to the Boutique, and she'd be able to find out for sure what was going on.

With her head in the clouds, she had failed to realize that she was almost at a full sprint. Nothing seemed to be in her way, just a straight path from point A to point B. It all seemed resolved, until object C arrived. A pony's head popped out of the very bush that Scootaloo was about to run right through.

"Featherweight?"

The two tangled in seconds, and they got at least three feet before they hit the ground. They rolled as one, and Scootaloo clung for dear life. One side of her was actually okay using Featherweight as a buffer, and the other side had no opinion on the matter. All that did matter was that she was being shielded from more physical harm.

A few bumps along the way made sure that the trip along the grass was as uncomfortable as possible. Something about all of this was oddly soothing. She had let her mood get out of hand there, and this was a nice wake up call.

Soon, the two stopped, and Featherweight was pinned to the ground. Scootaloo had her hooves wrapped around his body, and she had almost forgotten who she was even clinging to.

'So warm... The tingles! Praise the sun the tingles are back!'

Her eyes were closed, and neither had realized until seconds after their landing that they were engaged in a passionate kiss. Featherweight raised a hoof and snapped a picture of them, and the click of the camera proved to bring Scootaloo back to her senses. She opened her eyes to see another pair staring at her in dangerously close proximity. Needless to say, the tingles were gone.

"Featherweight?! Bluh!" As fast as she could, Scootaloo was up on her hooves and scraping the taste off of her tongue. The unfortunate(?) colt pushed himself up on his knees.

"So, uh... How's it going?"

"What the hay are you doing?! Why were you hiding in that bush?"

"Research?" It wasn't a lie at least, that was what he was doing.

Scootaloo cleared her throat to try and quell her rage. It was bad enough that she just accidentally made out with one of her class mates, but she got the tingles again from it. Even worse, they were gone as soon as she realized that it was Featherweight, so nothing could even be learned from the experience.

"I don't have time to be mad at you. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

In a desperate attempt to distance herself from the situation, Scootaloo redirected herself towards the town and took off. Featherweight had to sit for a few seconds to fully register what had just happened. He wasn't sure if he should be embarrassed, insulted, or flattered. He looked down at the screen of his camera, and it showed a scene straight from a cheesy romantic comedy. He was pinned, with his eyes almost bulging, staring with microscopic pupils at a confused filly with much the same expression.

"Well, I can at least rule out 'good kisser'. If that's what I'm competing with then I should be all set."

Featherweight forced himself up on his hooves, still watching as Scootaloo became an orange speck in the distance. He had his target, and now the real research could begin.