//------------------------------// // White Winter (♫) // Story: The Autobiography of Scootaloo - A Diary Collection // by Tails_155 //------------------------------// -------------------- Sweetie Belle didn't realize how big the script was. She seems worried she won't have time. There may not be any crusading for a while. Sweetie Belle seems nervous, but I know she'll do great. She's good at performing in front of people. She stayed in at recess reading over the lines. I offered to stay in and help her, but she said she needed to read, and she was afraid if her friends stayed in with her she'd get to talking. She seems to be worrying about this more than she needs to. I just hope she doesn't upset herself. After school, Apple Bloom and I got all our friends together to plan on what to do for the night of the show. We're probably going to get her some flowers, but we want to do something cooler than that, too. Mister Center Stage called all the Hearth's Warming Eve ponies to the Ponyville Community Center to discuss the schedule. Sweetie Belle is one of the youngest ponies on the team. We all hung around outside the meeting to see how she was doing. She seemed happy when she came out, but she still sounded nervous. She said there will be three actor's dinners she needs to attend to get to know her fellow cast this week and next week. She's going to be really busy. She said she could bring friends to the last one, so we may go with her if everything works out. Pipsqueak says he's never seen Sweetie Belle so nervous. It is a big show, and she has a special part. She's the narrator, after all. We may go see if Spike has any words of encouragement for her. He did it a couple of years ago, after all. -------------------- Pipsqueak, Featherweight and I went to see Spike. He said he'd be happy to help Sweetie Belle with the script. He said he didn't even know she was selected. He's pretty excited for her, so is Twilight. I asked Twilight how she didn't already know. Twilight says Rarity was so worried about getting the costumes "just so" that she didn't even really talk about anything. She thought Sweetie Belle was with us. We took Spike to the Carousel Boutique, and after we dragged him away from Rarity, he helped Sweetie Belle with the script. I don't know whether it was worth it or not, though, because Spike just kind of hammed it up a lot. Sweetie Belle should do the part her way, not Spike's. He did help her work on memorizing the lines, though, so at least that was good. This evening, Sweetie Belle has to go to the first of the actor's dinners, so Pipsqueak is hanging out with Featherweight and me. We decided to go to Sugarcube Corner. All three of us felt exhausted after listening to Spike ramble on about Rarity on the way back to the Library. He just won't shut up about her, it's really weird. Pipsqueak says Spike's a bit "daft," whatever that is. We went to Featherweight's dad's house and hung out for a bit. His dad told us some stores about Trottingham back before Pipsqueak was born. They had a big struggle between the country's government and the Trotland Liberation Initiative. The Trotlandians didn't want to be part of the Bridligland Confederation, and fought to secede. He says he remembers fires, explosions, and foalnappings. It was a scary time. He said he thought the way that the Trotlandians handled the situation was terrible, but that he understood why they wanted to break off. The BC taxed them unfairly, and forced all colts into the BC Armed Forces when they came of age. No other places in Bridligland had to deal with this. How awful! When we left to head home, Pipsqueak says his dad was arrested around he was born for being a TLI sympathizer, and actually missed his birth. He says his dad has always regretted being unable to see his colt's birth, and has always taken Pipsqueak's birthday off to spend time with him. -------------------- Sweetie Belle says the dinner was great, but that everypony else seems to have a lot more experience in stage shows. I told her she's going to do great, but she didn't seem to believe me. I just hope she uses her nervous energy to practice, and doesn't worry herself to the point she doesn't practice. After school, Pipsqueak went with Sweetie Belle to do the other parts of the show, so Sweetie Belle could practice her cues. Featherweight and I went to visit Apple Bloom and Ocean Breeze at the clubhouse. We didn't stay around, long. It was too cold even with the blankets we had up there. We went to Apple Bloom's house, where Applejack was fixing apple baskets. Big Macintosh carried the rotten wood pieces in a wagon out to a barn. We helped him and Applejack unload it all into the barn. They said when it got nicer they'd break it up into mulch to place around the new saplings. We got back to the house and helped stain the new wood for the baskets. It was a lot of fun, but the stain smells really bad. I have some matted spots on my front legs from the stain. Applejack said a bath should wash it out, so I guess that's okay. Featherweight and I went to his house. His dad was gone again. Featherweight seemed really upset. It was getting dark, and I knew why. I offered to stay with him until his dad got back. He said I needed to get home before it got too dark. I basically forced him to come with me to Dad's house. He hates being alone. He can worry himself sick if he's alone too long. Dad said he could stay here for a while, and that he would walk Featherweight home. Featherweight still seemed upset. He kept asking me where his dad was, like I would know. I just tried to keep his mind off of it. Shutter Speed came to the house and picked up Featherweight. He told Featherweight he was really sorry he was so late. He had gone to Port Mane and lost track of time, and even hurrying back, it took him longer than he expected. Featherweight seemed much happier when he left. I am really starting to wonder about Shutter Speed, he would never forget something like that, he's usually ahead of schedule. He always shows up to his galleries two hours ahead of time to straighten frames and set up snacks. He used to be at school to pick up Featherweight about a half hour before school ended, camera in hoof. He's acting really strange. -------------------- Sweetie Belle stayed inside for recess, again. Pipsqueak and Cheerilee read lines with her. Apple Bloom and I decided that since we weren't going to be able to crusade for a while, we'd need to get some ideas together, soon, to have things ready for Sweetie Belle when we could get back to it. I have a feeling that after the show it'll be one of the first things she will want to do. We already have a small list: Snow fort building, ice skating and sledding. We're going to make use of the snowy weather while it's here. Mom picked me up from school, today. She said she hasn't gotten to fly with me in a while, and with the cold wind, she figured it'd be good practice. She was right, flying in the cold wind is a lot harder. I've done it a bit with cold weather, but the gusts almost knocked me out of the air a few times. It's a good thing Mom's pretty good at catching. I haven't had so much trouble flying in ages. I haven't practiced as much as I used to, but I haven't ever felt so cold! We went to Dad's house, where he and Featherweight had hot cocoa ready. Mine even had peppermint in it. It was fantastic. I'm still chilly, right now, but I feel a lot better than I did, earlier. Featherweight showed me his idea for Sweetie Belle. We're going to work together on it. He's going to take some pictures of places that look like scenes from the play (he better keep that sweater close, it's a cold winter so far this year, and it's not even officially winter, yet!) I'm going to draw the characters, and we're going to make a book of the story, for her. I think she'll really like it, especially since it's from us. We went and told Apple Bloom our idea, and she said she would help. Applejack has her script from a couple of years ago, and she said she's write the story out under the pictures for us. She has better hoofwriting than I do. She probably has one of the best in the class. I think Sweetie Belle will find this really special. -------------------- I'm starting to miss Sweetie Belle at recess. I understand why she's gone, but we could have had some awesome snowball fights, already. It isn't a lot of snow, but it's definitely enough! Featherweight and I made a little Snowpony. We used up enough snow that you could see the grass, again. We didn't really have anything for the face, though, so it kind of just looks like a few lumps of snow. After class, Pipsqueak hung out with Featherweight and me again. He said Sweetie Belle had to work on her costume with Rarity, again. We went to the center of town and walked around, looking at ponies' holiday lights. I love all the lights in the winter. It looks so pretty. Golden Manchet is helping do the town's lights. The Mayor picked the team he works in to do it this year. It's a big honor. We went to visit Jasmine Tea, and helped her decorate the house. It looks really nice. She said that it was a lot easier doing the lights with pegasi helping her. I can imagine! Pipsqueak stayed behind with his mom to help take care of the chores. She's been out of town for several days, and the house needed cleaning. We offered to help, but he said that we should go enjoy the sights. We went to Feathereweight's house after that. It looked so out of place on the block, no decorations outside, yet. When we got inside, Shutter Speed was happy to see us, and was digging through boxes. He told us he was waiting on Featherweight to get started. Featherweight looked happier than I have seen him in days. I got all wrapped up in garlands and tinsel after falling off the roof. I'm okay, but I'm still getting metal flakes out of my mane. Featherweight gave his dad a hug goodbye, and we went to Dad's house to see if we were ready to decorate. Dad's house is probably the last house in town to be decorated, this year. He said we needed to go buy lights, tomorrow, because the lights from last year got broken when he was taking them down, and it'll be easier (and probably cheaper) to just buy new lights instead of replacing all the old bulbs. We got wreaths and other things up, but it's dark compared to the rest of the houses. Featherweight says he wants to do some night photography sometime this week. He said I should take pictures, too. He said he'd show me how to take pictures when it's dark, when he gets his tripod out of his room. Dad and I walked Featherweight home, and headed back to the house. Dad said Featherweight seemed happier today, too. I told him his dad has been gone a lot lately, and Shutter Speed being home to decorate the house with Featherweight seemed to pick him up a lot. He said he thought it seemed odd that he was so late the other day. It's still strange, but hopefully it has passed, now.