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// Granny's law 
// Story: Short stories about ponies and whatnot 
// by shutaro 
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	Sweetie Belle did not know what to do. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo hadn’t talked to each other for the whole morning, they hadn’t so much as looked at each other. They had just grumbled. Not one plan to get their cutie marks had been hatched all day. Normally she would have looked for Rarity or Applejack or any other pony to come and mediate a peace between the fillies, possibly with a lesson in friendship and a letter to the princess if they got Twilight Sparkle to do it, but Sweetie hadn’t dared to leave her friends alone at the clubhouse. Who knew if they didn’t resort to tail-pulling or trying to kick each other out of the treehouse?

They were now on their way back to Sweet Apple Acres for dinner but the prospect of food, while usually a universal reason for any ceasefire, was not helping at all.

“Sweetie Bell, would you be so kind as to inform Miss Scootaloo that she will have to apologize first if she wants to eat at the Apple family’s table?”

“Scoots, Apple Bloom says that she wants an apology or you’ll get no dinner at the farm.”

“Sweetie Bell, please tell Miss Apple Bloom that she can keep the food. I’m only walking this way to get to to the street to Ponyville.”

“Apple Bloom, Scootaloo says ...”

“I heard her Sweetie Belle, thank you all the same.”

Sweetie had been on the lookout for windigos the whole morning but the summer day was almost mocking her with clear skies and warm winds, not a single snowstorm in sight. As the unusually silent trio walked up to the farm the smell of Granny Smith’s food reached them. Sweetie Belle felt her mouth water and the rumble from Apple Bloom’s stomach could probably be heard up in Canterlot. But Scootaloo left the path and headed for the main gate that lead to the road to Ponyville. She didn’t even say goodbye to Apple Bloom and just nodded to Sweetie Belle.

Up at the farm’s Granny Smith waited at the door. “And what’s this now? Where is li'l Scootaloo headed?”

Apple Bloom stood silent and so Sweetie told the old mare how she had been late for the meeting and how the other crusaders had brooded in silence all morning. The wrinkles in Granny Smith’s face shifted into something that might have been anger or disappointment or both. “Apple Bloom, do you bring unresolved quarrel to my dinner table?”

Apple Bloom swallowed and looked at her hooves, “Yes ma’am.”

“You know the rules, young’un. Under my roof you can have dispute or you can have dinner, but you can’t have both.”

“But I’m your grandkid! How can you make me apologize when I’m in the right?”

Grannies eyes sparkled, “Because this is still my house and hearth and I make the rules. And I don’t remember raising you to be a whiner either. Off you go and don’t expect us to wait with dinner. I’d hurry if I were you.”

Not even bothering with a “yes ma’am” Apple Bloom ran to catch up with Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle tried to follow but Granny Smith called her back. 

Setting the plates took a little more time than usual because Granny had Sweetie help her. By the time the table was set for three fillies and three ponies Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were back. Granny watched as the two fillies apologized to each other, then to Sweetie for and last to Granny Smith and the family for disturbing a perfectly good meal.
They got no second helping of dessert though and were still made to collect and wash up the dishes. The farm lost quite a few pieces of earthenware that day.

Back at the clubhouse Sweetie Belle could no longer contain her curiosity. “What did you two argue about anyway?”
Her friends looked at her as if she had just suggested to try for a cutie mark in doing homework. “It was nothing important, we have already forgotten about it.”