//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Birthday Wishes // by StarFall825 //------------------------------// “Well?” Diamond Tiara asked. Scootaloo bit her lower lip, her mind numb with indecision from Diamond Tiara’s challenge. A small hoof touched her shoulder, drawing attention to Sweetie Belle’s tearful expression. “It’s okay, Scootaloo, you don’t have to do this,” Sweetie Belle said, her wavering voice barely more than a whisper. Scootaloo‘s stomach settled as her earlier confidence settled firmly in her gut once more. Her confident smirk had returned as she turned and stared down Diamond Tiara. That settles it then, she thought. “You’re on daddy’s girl!” Scootaloo said. Diamond’s face twisted into a half snarl that squirmed on her face for a few seconds before settling back into her sickly sweet smile. “Good to hear. So, what do you think you’re the best at... Go ahead, show us all that you are actually are worth something.” Scootaloo thought hard on what she might be the best at. Unfortunately, everything that she was good at, somepony else was better. “Well, Scootaloo?” Diamond’s mocking voice came cutting through her thoughts. “Not giving up already, are you?” “Of course not!” Scootaloo answered, giving her surrounding classmates one last look over. “Alright, I choose a race.” “A flying race?” Diamond asked with a sneer. “No, a running race,” Scootaloo answered with a slight growl, not rising to her bait. “Now, who am I racing against? You?” Diamond Tiara threw her head back and laughed, stomping her hoof in a rather impressive display of dramatized amusement. “Me? As if I would ever let a loser like you race against me.” “I figured, you’re afraid to race me,” Scootaloo retorted. Diamond’s face froze for a half second before she scoffed. “As if, loser. I just want it to be a fair race.” Diamond looked around carefully, ignoring Scootaloo’s incredulous expression before a smirk crossed her face. “Alright then, you have to race her.” Scootaloo turned to see where she was pointing and felt her heart plummet. “Well, go ahead then,” Diamond Tiara said. “Challenge her to a race; or I suppose you could always back out now. Let’s face it, that’s probably better than losing, right?” Scootaloo swallowed her nervousness and walked over to the pony she would challenge. The filly was standing over on the school steps talking with Miss Cheerilee. The two of them must have just walked out the school doors; they hadn’t been there when Scootaloo had looked half a minute ago. Scootaloo had thought she had already left for home, and was relieved when she hadn’t been in sight. “Thanks again for the help, Miss Cheerilee,” the filly said as Scootaloo walked up the steps. “I promise not to fall behind on my work again.” “Don’t worry about that, dear, you’re a very bright student.” The filly gave a smile of mixed pride and bashfulness. “Just make sure to keep doing your best, alright?” “Yes ma'am!” “Okay then, bye Apple Bloom.” Miss Cheerilee turned back to her classroom and Apple Bloom jumped down the steps and turned towards home. “Hey, Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo called after her. “Wait up!” Apple Bloom paused mid step, looking back in confusion that quickly changed to a warm smile. “Oh, hey there, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said cheerfully. “Did ya need somethin’?” “Uh, yeah, I did.” Scootaloo swallowed her nerves as Apple Bloom turned to face her. “I, um, I bet everyone that I could beat you in a race.”   Apple Bloom chuckled loudly, punching Scootaloo playfully in the arm. “Ha! Good one there, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said, as Scootaloo rubbed her arm. “But we both know you wouldn’t have a chance beating me in a race. Don’t get me wrong,” she hurried to say. “You’re pretty darn fast, but you’re nowhere near my level.” “O-oh, yeah! Well then, you should have no problem racing me.” “I don’t, but—” Apple Bloom looked up at the sun, then over her shoulder towards home. “Well, I promised my sister I’d come home as soon as school was over, and I’m already late...” Scootaloo felt her spirits soar. If she’s not racing, then maybe I have a chance after all, Scootaloo thought in excitement. “Aw, shucks, I guess another few minutes won’t matter now. You’re on Scootaloo.” Apple Bloom walked over towards the hoofball field, while Scootaloo followed her with lowered head and drooping ears. The crowd of foals watching ran over to the field to get a better view. “Hey, everypony!” Apple Bloom called out to the crowd. “Ya’ll ready for a good race?” There was a small amount of scattered clapping and a few cheers, but the majority of the crowd just looked nervously between the two racers and Diamond Tiara. Apple Bloom raised a perplexed brow and nudged Scootaloo. “Tough crowd, huh?” she whispered to her her. “Well, since you’re both here, let’s start the race,” Diamond said drawing an imaginary line on the grass. Applebloom eagerly stood behind it, and Scootaloo reluctantly took up a similar position next to her. “First one to run all the way around the field is the winner.” “Good luck, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said, not taking her eyes off Diamond Tiara as she raised her hoof. “On your mark...” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom both tensed up. The crowd buzzed quietly in anticipation. “Get set...” Scootaloo’s heart thudded in her ears, and she distantly noticed the crowd of her classmates had gone completely silent. Looking over from the corner of her eye, she saw Sweetie Belle watching her anxiously from the sidelines. Scootaloo gave her a confident smile to reassure her. Sweetie Belle smiled right back, her frown fading away. Scootaloo looked back towards Diamond Tiara, all nervousness gone. I’m definitely going to win, she thought. I won’t let Sweetie Belle down. “Go!” “What a day,” Cypress mumbled to himself as he trudged towards the school. Despite the fact school was already out, he didn’t hurry. Picking Scoot up late was an old game of theirs. When Dawn was helping Cypress start up his business, she came up with the idea of staying open slightly longer than the other shops, to give ponies who worked a chance to get to the store before it closed. A great decision and it really helped give him an early boost in business, but that meant that whenever it was his turn to pick up Scootaloo from school, he was always at least twenty minutes late. It was the same routine every time: he would arrive late and Scootaloo would tease him about his lack of punctuality. He would apologize profusely, offering her anything to make up for it. She would say the only way he could make up for it would be to carry her home on his back, and after some half-hearted protests he would relent to carrying her home, complaining the entire way that she was much too heavy for her age. As far as games go, that one wasn’t too bad.  But today, he was relatively early. Instead of working in the shop, he had been out at the town hall, renovating it for the Summer Sun Celebration. The day hadn’t gone all that smoothly though. When he and his two assistants were halfway finished putting in the new floorboards, the mayor had rushed in. “No, no, wait,” she had cried. “I’ve changed my mind. I want a lighter colored wood for the floors.” So they had had to tear up all the hard work they had done. There was something about having to undo good work that made the labor much more draining, and now he was dragging his hooves just walking up the hill towards the school. An entire day’s work wasted, he thought, exasperated. The least the mayor could do is decide what she wants the hall to look like before I start working on it. Oh well, at least we got paid. Finally, when he reached the top of the hill, he was surprised to find a small group of parents watching the hoofball field, and he walked over to see what the fuss was about. “A close race, huh?” He heard one mare say to another. The other nodded her head in agreement. “Yes, a very close race; shame about the loser, I think the others are teasing her now.” “I think so too. Do you think we should stop them?” the first mare asked, her expression worried. The second mare tilted her head in thought for a moment. “No, I don’t think we should. You know foals, they always want to settle everything themselves. Besides, I don’t want one of their parents mad because we messed with their foal.” “I guess you’re right,” the first mare said, though she still looked uncertain. Cypress pushed his way through the other parents to see what was going on. The sight he found sent a chill down his spine. Scootaloo stood ostracized, her classmates standing around her. As Cypress tried to figure out what was going on, he noticed one of the fillies in the crowd stood in front of the others. She was wearing a ridiculous tiara, and the way she carried herself set Cypress’ teeth on edge. She was saying something to Scootaloo; he pointed his ears their direction, but try as he could, he couldn’t understand what she was saying. He could hear her tone though; arrogant, mocking, and filled with cruel amusement. His daughter shrank under the continuous verbal attack. Cypress fought the urge to run over and help Scootaloo. Seeing her so sad and alone like that tore at his heart, but he managed to hold himself back. I need to let her handle this, he thought. I need to know if she can handle this by giving her the chance to stand up for herself. His anticipation died as she began choking back sobs, her shoulders shaking, and he couldn’t wait any longer. “Hey, Scoots!” he called out drawing the crowds attention. “C’mon, let’s go home.” He expected relief at her rescue, but when she looked towards him, he only saw pain in her eyes. Turning from her classmates, she started to walk towards him. She started at a slow pace, but broke out in a run as instead of stopping, the filly with the tiara continued to yell after her. “That’s right, loser, run home to daddy!” Scootaloo hunched forward even more as mocking laughter chased after her. “Who’s the daddy’s girl now?” Scootaloo pushed open the gate to the hoofball field and ran down the path into town. “Hey, Scoot, wait up!” Cypress called after her. She ignored him, running down the path and out of sight. He managed to catch up to her halfway down the hill, running in front of her to stop her. “Slow down, Scoot,” Cypress said as she skidded to a stop before running into him. “What’s the matter kid?” “Nothing,” she replied before trying to walk around him, her eyes held firm on the ground. “That was not nothing, Scoot,” Cypress said, side-stepping in front of her again. “Now just tell me what happened so I can help you.” Scootaloo looked up at him then, the anger in her eyes made him cringe. “I don’t want your help. This is your fault anyways.” Scootaloo said trying to move around him again. Once more Cypress stepped in front of her. “Whoa, hey, slow down. What do you mean this is my fault?” Scootaloo shook her head in anger, and again tried walk around him. “You can’t just walk away like that,” he said, grabbing his daughter with a hoof. “Tell me what I did to mess up. Maybe I can fix it.” “Don’t you get it!” she yelled at him. “I don’t want your help, this is all your fault, I don’t need you making things worse. I—I hate you!” Cypress reeled back from the outburst; regret flashed across her face. “Why can’t you just leave me alone!” She pushed past him and stormed down the hill, leaving her stunned father behind.