//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Filly Scouts // by L_Wolf //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Noi got out of bed the next morning excited and ready to start the day. She went over and got into her filly scout uniform before she made her way down stairs looking around. "I'm going to the Filly Scouts headquarters sis." She called out looking around. "Sis?!" She called again before hearing movement outside. "Alright Noi, have a good time, just don't forget to have breakfast before you go alright?" Carrot Top said, she was wearing her gardening hat and saddle bag set. She was standing by the back door smiling in at Noi. "The uniform looks nice on you." "Thank you sis." Noi said with a big smile at Carrot Top. "I'll have breakfast right now then I'll go," she said heading to the counter and looking up at the fruit before reaching up and getting an orange, using her teeth to carefully peel it. "Alright Noi, I'll see you when you get home. Be back before dinner if you can." Carrot Top said smiling at her before heading back to work on her garden some more humming softly to herself. Noi smiled before finished getting the orange peeled and started to eat it. "Mmm juicy orange." She commented to herself being careful not to get any of the juice on her sash or tie. Once she finished the orange she cleaned her hooves and muzzle before making her way outside the front door and started down the road to the Filly Scout headquarters. The walk to the headquarters wasn't to far from where she lived, but she took her time looking around smiling. Once she got to the building she went inside closing the door behind her looking around. It was empty again so she moved through the building and went out the back to the large camp ground areas behind it. "Hello, is anypony here?" She called not seeing the others she started to wonder if she was early. "Ah, Noi there you are," She heard Mixed Berries call to her from a different building across the field. It was larger then the supply room and recruitment office. "We're all in here," she said smiling and waving a hoof to her. "Oh, okay." Noi said smiling trotting over to the bigger building and heading inside following Mixed Berriers closing the door behind her. Inside was a bunch of cushions for sitting and a raised platform. "What is this building?" She asked quietly so not to bother any of the others. "This is the meeting hall, we start the day here with a meeting, announcements, and we do our badge ceremonies here," Mixed Berries told her just as quietly smiling over at Noi before turning her attention back up front. Noi did the same as another pony came up to stand on the platform. "Greetings Filly Scouts, I can see some new faces in here today so let me introduce myself. My name is Shimmer, and I'm the leader of this branch of Filly Scouts. If you have any questions feel free to ask me," Shimmer, a pegasus with a sky blue coat, violet mane and tail and green eyes spoke looking over members filly scouts. Shimmer had a cutie mark of sparkling cloud. "My second, Mixed Berries is also here if you need help. Remember we're here to have fun and help the community, so don't be afraid to offer other ponies help if it looks like they need it." She continued before reaching up and saluted the crowd of filly scouts who saluted back. Noi doing her best to not look awkward in her salute. Once Shimmer had finished speaking she left the platform and everypony started to file out of the meeting hall. Noi not sure what to do she followed the rest of ponies out. Mixed Berries following after her. "So Noi, let's get you started on your first badge, how does that sound?" She asked smiling at her. "That sounds great, what badge should I work on?" She asked looking up at Mixed Berries smiling at her. Mixed Berries considered for a moment then smiled at her. "There was a fire the other day that burned down part of the forest, we've been replanting some trees. You can earn a nature badge by helping to clean up the area and planting trees to help get the forest grow back." Noi tilted her head for a moment then smiled nodding. "That sounds good, I would love to help." She said following Mixed Berries as she lead her to were the fire had broken out and a bunch of other filly scouts were helping to clean up the area. Mixed Berries pulled over a small cart and hitched it to Noi for her to pull, "Just put the branches and other things in here, once you have an area cleaned out you can plant some saplings alright?" She said smiling at her and Noi gave her an awkward salute. "We'll work on your salute later." Mix Berries said blinking at her before going to check on some other ponies who were working in a nearby area. Noi took a deep breath and smiled. "Alright Noi, time to earn your nature badge!" She told herself before starting to move, grunting a bit the cart heavier then she expected. She strained and pulled before getting to roll forward and shove her face first into the dirt. "Owww...." She rubbed her forehead. "Dumb cart...." She muttered glaring at it before getting up and dusting herself off. She took a deep breath and backed up abit before galloping forward pulling the wagon loose of the rocks lodged in the wheels squeaking abit as the force behind the cart kept her going when she tried to stop sliding her across the ground a few feet. Mixed Berries saw her having trouble and face hoofed coming over and looked down at her. "Maybe it'll be easier if you left the cart in one area and just brought stuff over to it." She said unhitching from the cart and helping her up. Noi nodded dusting herself off a little again. "Yea... I think your right. Guess I wont get a cart pulling badge." She said pouting softly. "But I wont give up, I'll get this done." She said smiling at Mixed Berries, free of the cart she started to trot around her marked off area and pick up broken branches and other stuff from the fire putting it in the cart. Mixed Berries smiled watching her as she got back up and went back to doing her best to get the area cleaned up. "At least she has determination and heart." She said to herself softly watching the little filly work. "Most give up after a few minutes." Once the cart was full Mixed Berries called over a different filly scout to come and pull it away and bring in an empty cart for Noi to fill up. It didn't take her to long and the area was cleaned up enough for her to start on the planting part of the recovery effort. "You did very good Noi, this area is looking great." She told the small, now dirty filly, "Lilac bring Noi some of the saplings." She called to one of the filly scouts who nodded and brought over a wagon fully of saplings. "Now I'll show you how to plants these." She said using her magic to get two she brings them over to a spot. "We need them spaced out evenly." She digs a small hole and places one of the saplings before moving and places the other. "About this far enough apart should be good enough understand?" She said looking at Noi who looked at the two saplings then smiled nodding. "Good once you get all the saplings done that should be enough to earn you your badge." Noi smiled and nodded before starting to do the rest taking her time to make sure each is spaced right. Once she had them all done she goes back through and checks to make sure each had been done right before going to get more saplings. She knew she was done enough to get her badge but she wanted to finish her area first. Mixed Berries just watched and smiled seeing her not stop when she finished that load of saplings, she had actually been testing her to see if she would stop or not. She would of still got her badge, but Mixed Berries would of been disappointed in her for not finishing her area off. Once Noi had finished off her whole area planting all of the trees Mixed Berries goes over to her and smiled patting her back softly. "You did a very good job Noi, you more then earned this." She said floating the nature bag, which was a symbol of a tree and put it on her sash using her magic to attach it into place. "Now, it's starting to get late you should probably head home." Noi smiled looking at the badge before blinking. "Wait... late?" She looked up seeing it was starting to get dark. "Oh no! I was suppose to be home for dinner." She said looking at Mixed Berries and bowed before giving her the same awkward salute. "Thank you very much for the badge and letting me help." She said before turning and galloping as fast as she could home.