-A Question Arose That Day
Applebloom tumbled down on the floor as she finally entered into the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse. Her legs were aching and her head was throbbing. She couldn't believe that she had actually made it up here this quickly. She looked at her hooves spread out in front of her. She tried to lift them from the ground but they only wobbled back down. That was the last time she was going to try bucking apples as her special talent. Silly Applejack had no idea what she was talking about. Applebloom knew that her special talent had nothing to do with apples.
She sighed loudly as she thought back to her failure of an attempt she had made that day. That was her worst idea yet. She would stick to group ideas from now on.
She let her head rise up an inch off the floor and tried to open her eyes up. It took her a moment to let her vision focus, but she finally was able to see Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo sitting before her.
She wanted to tell them about her day, but she was too tired to open her mouth. With that thought, she let her head fall back down on the floor and she closed her eyes tightly together. She could feel her body trembling as she breathed. She wasn't sure if she would be able to get up from this spot at all.
"Applebloom?" Scootaloo spoke up and broke the silence that was caused by the fillies grand entrance.
The yellow pony opened her mouth slightly as if she were going to respond, but she then closed it and began to grumble quietly.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at each other with confusion. As they exchanged glances, they turned back to the moaning Applebloom laying at their hooves.
"Bad day?" Sweetie Belle chimed in. Her voice squeaked, as it always did.
The two fillies waited for a response once again, but as before, all they got was a mumble or two from Applebloom.
"I see..." Scootaloo turned back around and walked over to window. She squinted her eyes as if she were trying to see off into the distance, but she then turned back to her two friends.
She looked over to Sweetie Belle who was now poking at Applebloom's sides, trying to get her to speak, but still all the filly could do was moan and groan; however, Sweetie Belle did succeed in getting a few giggles to escape Applebloom, so they both knew now that she wasn't too bad off.
"So what's on the agenda today, girls?" Scootaloo turned back to the window as she awaited orders from one or the other.
"Um...." Sweetie Belle rushed over to the table that was in the corner. She darted for a notebook and began to quickly flip through the pages.
Scootaloo could hear the paper turning from behind her. The sound of Sweetie Belle flipping through the book was soothing. Much more soothing than it should be.
"Uh....Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle called out to her friend as she stopped turning through the notebook.
Scootaloo turned her head to the white unicorn behind her. She raised an eyebrow as she saw Sweetie Belle holding up the notebook in one hoof. Her green eyes wide with an astonished look.
"What?" Scootaloo shook her head in confusion at the filly.
"The agenda is empty!" Sweetie Belle cried out as if it were the end of the world. What else would they do if their agenda was completely empty?
"Empty?" Scootaloo walked over to her friend and grabbed the notebook to see for herself. The whole thing was filled with brand new, unused sheets of paper.
Scootaloo rubbed her chin with one hoof and without a thought, she tossed the notebook behind her. Sweetie Belle gasped at the scene.
"What'd you do that for?" She looked over at the abandoned purple notebook. Shiny stickers were lined on it that she had put there.
"We don't need a silly agenda. We will just have to think of something ourselves!" Scootaloo turned from Sweetie Belle and over to Applebloom who was still planted to the floor. She rolled her eyes as she made her way over to her exhausted friend.
"Applebloom, get up. We need to think of ideas for our crusading!" Scootaloo softly kicked at Applebloom's side as she tried to nuzzle her up.
"Too......tired.....can't.....crusade...." Applebloom made out as she tilted her head upwards to the orange pegasus.
"Don't give me that! The Cutie Mark Crusaders are never too tired to crusade, and you're no exception!" Scootaloo crossed her arms in front of her chest as she fell back down upon her hind quarters.
Sweetie Belle made her way over to the two as she tried to include herself among them. Her eyes fell on Scootaloo who was pouting at Applebloom's laziness. She smiled as she watched the pegasus go on and on about how they can never quit no matter how tired they may be. After a while of listening to Scootaloo preach, she soon tuned out all of her words and just watched her facial expressions. They were pretty amusing in themselves to watch, and it was much better than hearing her scold Applebloom.
The little unicorn sat back and relaxed as she let Scootaloo continue her rant. She let her smile grow larger as she heard Scootaloo start to pout some more as Applebloom refused to do anything today. Sweetie Belle had to admit that her friends were acting childish, but they were children after all. It was interesting in itself to watch though from the crowds point of view.
Sweetie Belle's daze was quickly shattered by Scootaloo. She turned over to the pegasus who was now directing her attention towards Sweetie.
"Are you listening?" Scootaloo lifted a hoof up in the air as if she were frustrated, which was obvious she was.
"I was...but..." Sweetie Belle looked away from her friend and giggled.
"This isn't a laughing matter Sweeite Belle!" Scootaloo shoved her arms together again.
"Calm down, Scootaloo. Maybe we should just take a break for today." Applebloom finally spoke up after the endless preaching from the pegasus. She let her weak legs bring her to her haunches as she sat up in front of the two fillies.
"But..."
"Applebloom's right. Maybe we should just hang out or something." Sweetie Belle pitched in with the farm fillies idea. She thought it would be nice actually to just spend one day with her friends having fun instead of working to find their talents. Sure, crusading was fun to some extent, but wouldn't hanging out be so much more...natural?
"Ugh..."
"Yeah! I could just go back to the farm and get some food or something and then we can play something when I get back. Or maybe just talk. Yeah! Applejack just talks with her friends all the time!" Applebloom slowly got on all fours as she tried to stretch out her legs.
"Talking?!" Scootaloo sound as if she was almost revolted by the idea.
"Talking is nice!" Sweetie Belle smiled at Applebloom as she once again agreed with her idea.
"Oh come on!" Scootaloo threw her arms in the air and fell backwards. Sweetie Belle's face popped into her view as she looked upwards.
"It will be fun, Scootaloo!" Sweetie smiled at her annoyed friend.
The orange filly looked up into Sweetie Belle's sparkling green eyes. She wasn't sure if it was the look on Sweetie Belle's face, or the sheer acceptance of defeat, but Scootaloo ended up agreeing with Applebloom's idea that day.
---
Applebloom waved back at her two friends in the clubhouse as she reassured them she would be back soon with snacks. Sweetie Belle waved back at her with excitement, but Scootaloo still had her arms crossed and a smug look on her face as she tried to cover up her disappointment.
"Are you sure this will be a good idea?" Scootaloo looked over to the joyful filly beside of her. Her heart thumped as Sweetie's attention was brought to her.
"Of course it will!" She smiled widely and skipped back over to the center of the clubhouse and sat back on her haunches. She waved one hoof at Scootaloo steering her in her direction.
Scootaloo relentlessly followed Sweetie's command and brought herself over to the filly and sat down in front of her. Her purple eyes looked into Sweetie Belle's with a hint of confusion within them. What was Sweetie Belle thinking right now?
Scootaloo tried to look away from her smiling face, but it was nearly impossible. She felt drawn to her eyes as if they were magnets. Scootaloo would admit she had been feeling a bit strange lately. Not really for any particular reason, or at least she didn't know of anything particular at the moment, but she had been feeling odd whenever she was with Sweetie Belle.
She didn't know what it was exactly, but she couldn't help but look at her even when she didn't want to. She tried to look away, but it wouldn't work. She also hated being alone with her. She never felt right when it was just her and Sweetie Belle. When Applebloom was absent, Scootaloo felt like her heart was shattering. Not because she felt anything towards Applebloom, but because she felt something towards Sweetie Belle, but she didn't know what it was yet.
With these thoughts running through her mind, Scootaloo felt even worse about being with Sweetie Belle at the moment. Looking deep into her green eyes with questions arousing within her. What is this feeling?
"Scootaloo?"
The pegasus broke all her thoughts as Sweetie Belle's voice rung through her ears, calling out her name. Her heart raced as she shook her mind of everything and looked back at the unicorn who had called to her.
"Y-yeah?" She tried to play it cool, but her voice was shaky, and she definitely had a fishy tone.
"What are you thinking about?"
Scootaloo knew this was coming. She feared for something like this. Why did Sweetie Belle have to be so observant of her all the time. Could she not think about something privately without Sweetie Belle sensing it?
"Um....n-nothing?" Scootaloo didn't know anything else to say. Her lie was indeed a terrible one and she knew it.
"Really?" Sweetie Belle looked deeper into Scootaloo's purple eyes. Her face gleamed with interest.
"Yeah. Really." Scootaloo succeeded to look away from the filly for a moment, but she was soon drawn back in.
"W-what is it...?" Scootaloo managed to let out as she tried to keep her thoughts safe by changing the subject towards Sweetie Belle's.
"Have you been feeling weird lately?" Sweetie Belle moved in a bit closer to Scootaloo causing the pegasus to feel mighty uncomfortable where she was sitting.
Her heart raced at the question Sweetie Belle had just asked. She was totally on to her now! She just needed to keep cool and blow it off.
"Um....no. Why do you ask?" Scootaloo tried to attempt a laugh, but it was a failure of an attempt.
"Really?" Sweetie Belle once again hit Scootaloo right in the stomach with her words. What has gotten into her?
"Yeah....Really..." Scootaloo felt as if things were on repeat now. Weren't they just saying the exact words moments ago? It was like deja vu.
"Well...I have." Sweetie Belle inched closer again towards the orange filly. Scootaloo was now squirming where she sat. She was not liking where this was going.
"Oh....why's that?" Scootaloo tried to cover her fear that she was feeling at the moment. Sweetie Belle was definitely having a large affect on her, but she wasn't sure yet in what way.
"I don't really know. You make me feel strange." Sweetie Belle moved back to her original place and gave Scootaloo some breathing space.
The pegasus was feeling worried now. What did Sweetie Belle mean by that? Was she feeling the same strangeness that Sweetie Belle was feeling? Were they actually the cause of each others lack of comfort?
Scootaloo was ready to tell Sweetie Belle that she made her feel strange too, but she stopped herself as she thought maybe this was a trick. Sweetie Belle may just be trying to get the truth out of Scootaloo, and if she told her the truth now, then she would be completely embarrassed.
"Oh." That was all Scootaloo could make out. She had no more words to say to Sweetie Belle. All she could think was how much she wished Applebloom would hurry up and get back here.
"Yeah....oh." Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo deeply.
Scootaloo tried not to look back. She tried not to make eye contact with the unicorn, but her own magnets were being attracted to Sweetie's. It was as if their eyes complimented each other. It was as if they had to look into each others eyes deeply with no words attached. What was this feeling?!
Sweetie Belle made no sound as she continued to look at Scootaloo. Her eyes were glistening as they stared back at the pegasus.
Scootaloo's heart was on fire, but she didn't know why. What was this feeling!?!
The pegasus felt like she was going to die as she saw Sweetie Belle once again move closer to her. Her head was leaning in towards her own, and Scootaloo had no idea what to think. What was going on? That was all the could ask herself.
Sweetie Belle was now inches away from Scootaloo's muzzle. Their hot breaths were mixing with one another's as Sweetie Belle moved just a little bit closer. Scootaloo could feel nothing in her body at the moment. She was completely numb. Was Sweetie Belle about to do what she thought she was?!
Scootaloo could feel Sweetie's mane brush against her face. She could feel her breath on her cheeks. She could feel her heart stop beating as time stopped along with it. She could feel her eyes opening to what was really happening around her. Was this what this feeling was?
As Scootaloo felt herself loosen up as she awaited Sweetie's lips, her heart began to beat again as Sweetie Belle stopped right before she reached Scootaloo's muzzle.
"...not yet." Sweetie Belle whispered, however, it wasn't as if she were directing it to Scootaloo, it was more as if she were saying it to herself. What did she mean by that anyway.
Scootaloo watched as Sweetie Belle moved back away from her face. Her heart was pounding in her chest again as she let her mind go crazy.
There was nothing more she could ask herself except where in the world was Applebloom?!?!