On the following day, the Cutie Mark Crusaders decided to have a meeting in honor of their newest member.
"Wait 'till you see the clubhouse Beats!" Scootaloo said, she was very excited to finally have her best friend involved in the club.
Apple Bloom took a big leaf from a plant in her teeth and moved it to the side. Beyond it was a clearing, and in that clearing was a beautiful looking clubhouse.
"Wow." Beats was surprised, he didn't expect something this official looking.
Scootlaoo smiled, "I knew you'd be surprised!" She walked past the stunned pony.
The crusaders entered the clubhouse and began showing Beats around. It was a short tour as all there was to show was a table and a map that Scootaloo had drawn a long time ago.
"Oh, Beats, did you bring your iPony?" Scootlaoo asked.
"Yeah, I always keep it on me." Beats bent his head down and took the iPony from its pouch in his teeth. He was already nervous and didn't want to try levitating it out only to embarrass himself with a failure.
"Bring it over here!" Scootaloo said. She was standing beside a small stereo.
Beats brought the iPony over to her and caught on to what she had planned as Scootaloo attached one end of a cord to the stereo. Scootaloo took the other end of the cable in her mouth and began to approach Beats. Beats face suddenly turned red at the thought of Scootaloo being so close to his face. He immediately levitated the iPony out of his mouth and into the air. Beats began to wonder why his magic always seemed to work flawlessly when he never expects to use it.
Scootloo raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. She attached the other end of the cord into Beats' iPony, "Put on one of your sweet tunes!" Scoootaloo said with a big smile, "Something we can dance too, but also something with words, you know how I love singing." Scootaloo laughed.
Beats nodded his head with a small smile playing at his mouth. He knew Scootaloo loved to sing, but he also knew she was a much better dancer than a singer, but who was he to ruin her fun? He knew just the song to put on, it was a rock song that Scootaloo would always listen too when they were together.
"How's this one, Scoot?" Beats asked.
Scootaloo and the other ponies were already bobbing and spinning in place, dancing to the beat of the music.
Beats smiled and couldn't help but feel his body also rock to the beat.
The four started settling down after a while, and even Beats had worked up a sweat from all of the dancing. The crusaders settled down around their table and began planning their next attempt at earning their cutie marks.
"Yesterday was a lot of work, I don't think I ever want to hear the word apples again." Scootaloo said with a frown.
"Aw horse apples, you jus' don' wanna work!" Apple Bloom pointed out.
"Hey, we're supposed to try things we like, right? Well I don't like working." Scootaloo stuck her tongue out.
"Why don't we ask our newest member to pick the next job?" Sweetie Belle spoke up.
"Hey, yeah! That's a great idea Sweetie Belle!" Scootlaoo said as he looked at Beats.
"Yeah! What should we do Beats?" Apple Bloom said as she also looked to the young unicorn.
Beats only looked to the ground, with everyone's eyes on him it made him feel nervous. He racked his brain for ideas, but couldn't come up with anything. The truth was that Beats never really worried about getting a cutie mark. He never wondered about what his special talent was because as long as he had his music, nothing mattered. 'Music' rang in Beats head.
"Maybe something to do with music...?" Beats proposed.
The other three crusaders looked to each other with grim faces and shuddered.
Beats shrank in his chair, had he said something wrong?
"Our last attempt with music... Didn't go so well." Scootaloo said. Memories of the talent show came flooding back to her.
"Oh..." Beats said as he looked down.
Scootaloo bit her lip, unsure of what to say to cheer her friend up, "But then again we didn't have the unicorn with the best taste in music with us!"
Beats looked up with a weak smile on his face.
"We can try music again someday, but for now let's stick to some new things." Scootaloo said, smiling to try and keep her friend happy.
Beats nodded.
"I've actually been working on a list." Scootaloo said as she reached into her saddlebag. She let a piece of paper drop from her mouth onto the table, "Here it is! I say we just close our eyes and all pick one. Then we can try all four of them tomorrow!"
"Hey! Good idea Scoot!" Apple Bloom said.
"Me first, me first!" Sweetie Bell closed her eyes and dropped her hoof onto the list.
She opened her eyes and moved her hoof, she had chosen "Cutie Mark Crusader Artists"
"Mah turn!" Apple Bloom closed her eyes and slammed her hoof down. She had chosen "Cutie Mark Crusader Cupcake Chefs"
Scootaloo closed her eyes and also picked a job at random, "Cutie Mark Crusader Fashion Models" Scootaloo's face grew grim as her selection dawned on her.
"Yer turn, Beats!" Apple Bloom was excited to see their last choice.
Beats closed his eyes and put it down on the list, "Cutie Mark Crusader Matchmakers"
Scootaloo made a 'blech' noise, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both wore big grins, and Beats was unsure how a pony goes about discovering their special talent is matchmaking.
"Well, looks like we got quite a day ahead of us!" Scootaloo said.
Long shadows were being cast across the floor as the sun began to go down. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gasped as they noticed how much time had gone by.
"If ah don't get home soon, Apple Jack's gonna tan mah hide!" Apple Bloom darted out of the door.
Sweetie Belle also began to trot towards the door, "Oh, I'll have your new cape done for you tomorrow Scootaloo." Sweetie Belle said, she waved goodbye to the remaining two ponies and left.
"What happened to your old cape, Scoot?" Beats asked.
Scootaloo laughed, "You're wearing it, dodo."
Beats turned and looked at the cape on his back. He hadn't noticed Scootaloo was the only one lacking a cape today.
"Scoot, this is your cape. I'll just wear the one Sweetie Belle brings tomorrow." He began to remove the cape.
Scootaloo stopped him though, "Just keep it. It's a gift."
Beats smiled and nodded, "OK then," Beats turned and was about to leave the clubhouse, "Aren't you coming?" Beats asked.
Scootaloo shook her head, "Nah, I'll head home in a bit. I'm going to finish organizing a schedule for tomorrow and then I'll head home." Scootaloo looked off to the side and not directly at Beats as she told him her plans.
"OK then, I'll see you tomorrow Scoot." Beats turned and left the club house.
He stood outside of the club, waiting for Scootaloo to leave. Scootaloo was never one to organize anything, the fact that she compiled a list surprised Beats enough. It felt wrong to spy on his friend, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was up.
He heard hooves on the wooden floor of the club. He heard Scootaloo trotting in what seemed like a straight line back and forth, and then nothing as if she stopped in place. Beats was really suspicious now, he wanted to go up and check to see what Scootaloo was up to. He tried to think of an excuse, a reason to go back up. He raised his hoof to his chin, and that's when he noticed his iPony wasn't in his leg band. A smile grew across Beats' face.
He climbed the ramp up to the clubhouse as quietly as possible, making sure not to make a noise.
'If she asks, just say you forgot your iPony," Beats said to himself.
He was at the door now, but hiding behind to wall to keep out of sight. He slowly inched his headd around the corner and peered into the clubhouse. What he saw almost made him gasp, but he held it in to stay unnoticed.
Scootaloo was laying down on a pillow in the clubhouse with a blanket pulled over her. Tears began to form in Beats' eyes, he had never thought to go over to Scootaloo's house, she always came over to his. Scootaloo had told him that she didn't have any parents just like Beats, but he didn't realize she didn't have a home either. 'Oh Scoot, why didn't you tell anypony...?' Beats said to himself. Tears were falling off his cheeks onto the wooden floor below him.
He shook them out of his eyes and descended the ramp with determination in his eyes.
He galloped home as fast as he could and packed his blanket and pillow into his saddlebags.
He then turned and galloped through the night. Usually the night scared Beats, he would always spend them either curled up beside a studying Twilight, or in his bed with the covers pulled over his head. He pushed his fears aside though and made a beeline for the clubhouse.
Beats slowly ascended the ramp again and looked inside, sure enough Scootaloo was fast asleep on the wooden floor of the clubhouse.
Beats pulled his pillow from one saddlebag and sat it down beside Scootaloo's. He pulled his blanket from the other bag and laid beside his best friend. He draped the larger and thicker blanket over the both of them and then laid his head on the pillow. At first he was turned towards the wall but after a while he decided to turn over. Scootaloo's face was turned directly towards him. Beats could only smile at how adorable she looked when she was asleep.
"Don't worry buddy, you always got your friend Beats." Beats whispered.
Beats closed his eyes and began to fall asleep.
If Beats had stayed awake for just a minute longer, he would of noticed the arrival of a familiar purple unicorn who noticed him galloping towards Sweet Apple Acres.
Beats felt something touching his flank, in a half awake half asleep state he mumbled, "Ugh, Scoot stay on your side of the bed..."
"I am dodo..." Scootaloo said, also still asleep.
There was a silence as the two processed what each of them just said.
Beats and Scootaloo both shot up at the same time, staring at each other.
"B-Beats!?" Scootaloo said surprised.
"Scoot! I-Uh, Well..." Beats didn't know what to say, should he say anything? Oh, he didn't think this through at all. He looked down at the mattress they were on, not wanting to look Scootaloo in the eyes. His brain began processing the fact that he was on a mattress. He looked around him, trying to figure out where they were. He recognized this place, he knew it better then his own home.
"Beats, I...Why... How...Where?..." Scootaloo couldn't think of what to say.
"This is Twilight's house." Beats said looking around.
"That's not what I meant. I meant how did you know that I..." Scootaloo didn't trust her own voice to stay steady as she talked about her current housing situation.
Beats put a hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder, "Scoot, it's OK. I just wish you would of told me." Beats was a little saddened by the fact that Scootaloo hadn't been completely honest with him.
"Beats, ya gotta understand why I didn't tell anypony..." Scootaloo said, looking off to the side.
Beats smiled, "I understand."
Scootaloo smiled too, "Cool."
"I see the two of you are awake." Twilight Sparkle had ascended the stairs into the bedroom.
"Twilight, how did you find us?" Beats asked.
"Well, I noticed you galloping through Ponyville last night while I was on my way home from Rarity's. I tried to catch up to you and ask you where you were going, but I ended up following you all the way to that clubhouse. When I walked inside I saw the two of you. Of course I couldn't leave the two of you there, so I brought you back here with a teleportation spell. Just be glad your hair isn't singed." Twilight said with a giggle.
"Thanks, sis." Beats said with a wide grin.
Scootaloo looked confused, "Sis? Twilight's your sister?"
Beats and Twilight both giggled this time, "No, Scoot. I spend a lot of my time over here though when we're not hanging out. Twilight's like a big sister to me."
Twilight simply nodded her head.
"Oh." Scootaloo said, his voice was barely decorated with a bit of jealousy.
Nopony else would of noticed it, but Beats picked up on it. He reach over and took Scootaloo into a hug, instantly he regretted it. His mind went to work second guessing everything as it does when Beats does something he doesn't do normally. Was it OK to hug Scootaloo? They were friends after all, and Scootaloo was sad, what else was he supposed to do? Should he of just said something? His train of second guessing was cut off when he felt Scootaloo's hooves around him, hugging Beats back. Beats smiled, but his smile faded as he felt tears soaking his coat.
"Scoot..." Beats said quietly. He held his friend close as she let out all of her bottled up feelings. Beats had never seen Scootaloo cry, he always saw her as this daring and cool pegasus who was never upset and always kept her cool. He hugged Scootaloo tighter, hoping that the more effort he put into it, the sooner it would stop Scootaloo's tears.
Twilight was biting her lip, not sure what to say or do. She had never been in a situation like this before, and she herself wasn't all too good at helping these situations either. She tried to remember anything about consoling sad people from any of her books she had read.
"Beats, why us...?" Was all the pegasus said.
Beats looked down, but all he could see was Scootaloo's mane, "What?"
"Why us? Why were we left alone? Why did they leave us...?" The tears were coming harder now.
"Scoot, it wasn't their fault..." Beats said, knowing very well what she was talking about.
"I can't even go back to that house... That's why I sleep there every night. I can't even step inside of it without thinking of them!" Scootaloo all but yelled.
Beats remembered the day well too, even though he was still a little pony. Scootaloo's parents had dropped her off at Beats house, her parents were going to see some of their family in Horseton. His mom kissed Scootaloo's head, waved goodbye and then trotted away. Scootaloo's fear of trains was what saved her life, but was also what cursed her to a lifetime of loneliness. The buffalo were really ate up that day, it was the day after the new planting of apple trees in Appleoosa. If only that train didn't have to pass through there.
It was about a week after Scootaloo's parents had left that the royal guard came knocking. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what the visit was about.
Scootaloo stayed with Beats and his mom. His father passed away earlier that year to cancer, so Beats did his best to ease the devastated Scootaloo's pain. With his dad gone, and two kids to raise, financial problems obviously began to pop up. It only got worse and worse too.
Beats remembered waking up one day with an iPony laying on his stomach. A note was attached to it, "Sorry."
Beats became depressed after that, no longer wanting to go out, to do anything. Scootaloo felt unwelcome without Beats' mother there, so she left. Beats was left to that dark house, every day.
It was one day that Beats couldn't stave off his hunger anymore that he decided to leave the house. It was only by chance that Twilight had found him passed out from exhaustion. From then on, Twilight practically raised the unicorn.
Scootaloo never did talk about what happened after he left Beats' house, and Beats had never asked. He mentally scolded himself for not ever wondering about it. Tears began to form in his eyes too as he realized how awful of a friend he had been.
"I'm sorry Scoot..." Beats said, "I should have asked. I never knew."
"I'm sorry too. I couldn't help you when you were sad."
"Shut up...Dodo." Beats said, holding the pegasus tighter to him.
"Loser." Scootaloo said with a smile.
After what felt like forever the two finally separated and decided to head downstairs. Twilight was hard at work reading up on Pony Psychology, hoping to find a way to help the two upstairs.
Beats cleared his throat, making their presence known.
Twilight turned, she noticed the two looked back to their normal selves which made her smile too, "Are you two OK?" She asked.
Beats and Scootaloo nodded their head at the same time.
"That's wonderful news," Twilight said.
Beats nodded his head again, "Scootaloo is going to live with me now, right Scoot?" Beats said, turning to his friend.
Scootaloo nodded her head, "Yep!"
Twilight sparkle began to rub a hoof across her chin, "I think I have a better idea..."
It only took an hour to move Beats stuff into Twilight's house, mostly because he didn't have much stuff. All he decided to take was a few sweaters for the cold weather and his stereo.
"Are you sure this is alright, Twilight?" Beats asked as he sat his bag down on the top floor of the library.
Twilight nodded, "The library makes enough bits to support me and Spike with some left over, and I'm sure the princess wouldn't mind helping out her faithful student." Twilight said with a wink.
"Thanks a lot Twilight." Beats said.
"It's no problem at all." Twilight said as she nuzzled her young student.
Scootaloo ascended the stairs with one of Beats speakers balanced oh her back, "H-Help!" She called out as she wobbled.
Twilight lifted the speaker with her magic, "I can get that Scootaloo." She sat the speaker down and went downstairs to get the rest of Beats' stereo.
"Welcome home, Scoot." Beats said with a smile.
"Home sweet home." Scootaloo nodded.