//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Freak // by TomTheHunkyDiamond //------------------------------// /Author's notes: I sincerely apologize for the long delay in updates. So much stuff has been happening lately, along with quite a bit of procrastination. There shouldn’t be any more waits for chapters quite as long as this one. I’ve also switched to Google docs to write these instead of the site editor, so expect a slight change in the style and layout of these chapters. I apologize again for the long wait, and I hope you all enjoy./ ____________________________________________ Scootaloo awoke to light filtering through the curtains, her mouth tasted horrible and she felt light-headed. She could hear voices downstairs, but she was still too disorientated from waking up to make out exactly what they were saying. One sounded like it belonged to Applejack, another’s Granny Smith’s. And one more... Rainbow Dash? “Oh no...” She thought, her stomach twisting in anxiety. “What’ll she think of me? What if she disowns me as her sister?” Scootaloo’s thoughts grew in a crescendo of worry and worse-case scenarios. “But Big Macintosh said that liking fillies was nothing to be ashamed of!”  Part of her thought, the rest of her was not so easily reasoned with. “Big Macintosh doesn’t know anything! He was probably just trying to make me feel better, I bet he thinks I’m disgusting.” Scootaloo’s father’s words flashed in her mind again. “Fillyfooling little freak!” Scootaloo heard hoofsteps coming up the stairs; she hid under the covers in a vain attempt at avoiding confrontation with Rainbow Dash. The door creaked open. “Scoots?” She heard Rainbow Dash’s voice say. “Leave me alone...” Scootaloo croaked, her voice harsh and cracked for lack of water. “Scoots please, I just wanna talk to you.” Dash said, approaching the bed in which Scootaloo lay. “No, Rainbow Dash please, I’m a freak, a crime against nature. I don’t deserve you, I don’t deserve anyone. All of my friends are so wonderful and I don’t deserve them one bit. I’m a horrible pony. You can do so much better than me. Please just leave me alone...” She said, her voice cracking even more, tears streaming from her cheeks. “Scoots, you’re not a horrible pony.” Dash said, laying a hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “You’re the sweetest and most hardworking filly I’ve ever met.” “Yeah, but I’m still a fillyfooler, no one’s gonna want to associate themselves with me. I’m a freak!” She said, shrugging Dash’s hoof off her shoulder. “But who cares about that? What you do in your own life, who you fall in love with, it’s no one’s business but yours!” Dash said, trying to coax Scootaloo out from under the covers. “But it’s wrong! Fillies should like colts!” Scootaloo shouted, her wings flaring like her temper. “Scootaloo, you love who you love, no one can change that! It doesn’t matter if you want a fillyfriend instead of a coltfriend, your friends and family will still love you.” Dash said, desperately trying to reach out to Scootaloo. “What about my Dad though? He hates me because I like fillies! How am I supposed to know if anyone else will react that way?” Scootaloo said, tears still running down her face. “Your Dad doesn’t matter! You don’t need him, you’ve got me, and you’ve got Applebloom and Sweetie Belle too!” Dash said, pulling Scootaloo into a hug. “I’ll always love you Scootaloo, no matter how uncool it sounds. You’re like a sister to me and I love you. I don’t care if you like fillies, do whatever makes you happy. Because that’s what I want, for you to be happy.” She explained, as Scootaloo wept into her mane. “Dash...” Scootaloo murmured, nestling herself as far into Dash’s mane as she could manage. “It’s okay Scoots, it’s okay... There’s nothing wrong with you. I promise. I really do.” Dash said, hugging Scootaloo as tight as she could. They lay there for a while, Dash muttering sympathetic and comforting words as Scootaloo wept. Weeping away everything that had happened to her: all the stress, all the heartache, all of the sadness; it flowed from her tear ducts as it washed away like the salty tears she cried. And then she was done crying. Just as soon as it had started it had stopped. For once, for the first time in weeks, she felt content. She felt as if the world was not going to crumble around her, she felt as if she could carry on without dragging herself out of bed. She felt tired. Even though she had slept, even though she had done nothing but sleep, she felt tired. So she did what anypony does when they’re tired, she slept. ____________________________________________________ Scootaloo was strolling through a field full of cattails, the sun was shining, and the smell of flowers and freshly cut grass was in the air. On the other side of the field there was a pony. It was a mare; no, not a mare, more of a filly... but she was the most beautiful filly Scootaloo had ever seen. She was slim, fragile, yet she had a presence. She was there. Nothing Scootaloo had ever seen had ever been more there. Her coat was of a pristine white, shimmering impossibly like silver in spite of the golden sunlight. Her mane was a pale fuchsia, falling in bouncy curls down the side of her face. Sweet Celestia her face. Her eyes were of a pale emerald that rimmed the deepest black, through which you could see into her very being. The grin on her face was joyful and mischievous, yet despite its childishness it still managed to be absolutely stunning. The pony was Sweetie Belle, and she was breathtaking. Scootaloo stood stock still, staring in awe at Sweetie Belle. “She’s beautiful.” Said a voice from behind her, full of poise and regality. “Yeah, she really is.” Said Scootaloo, as the Princess of the night stepped out from behind her. “You are aware you are dreaming, no?” She asked, sitting down on her haunches beside Scootaloo, even then towering above her. “Yeah, I know this is a dream. Ever since you visited me to get rid of the nightmares, having lucid dreams is a normal occurrence for me.” “Will you not go and talk to her?” Luna asked, cocking her head towards Scootaloo. The filly in question laughed. “I wish I could, she’s one of my best friends. She’s beautiful, smart, funny, kind... She’s... perfect...” Scootaloo said, her eyes growing wistful. “Ah, my dear. As they say these days, you have it bad.” Said the Princess. Scootaloo giggled at her slightly awkward use of modern terms. “Yeah...” She murmured. “I guess I do.” She turned away from Luna, and strolled to the other side of the field. Away from Sweetie Belle. “In my opinion you should go and talk to her.” Luna called out to Scootaloo. “You should go and tell her how you feel.” “Well, that’s easier said than done, Princess.” Scootaloo called back. Still walking away from the filly on the other side of the field. “You know, child, I do have a certain affinity for these kinds of things.” The Princess said, her long strides letting her catch up to Scootaloo in only a few steps. “I am the princess of the night, and even if Cadence is now the Princess of love, that title once also belonged to me. I am well versed in the manners of love. Both the side of the heart and the more...” Luna blushed slightly. “...physical side.” Scootaloo’s face flushed a bright red. “Well, I definitely could have gone without knowing that...” She said, hiding her gaze from Luna. “So, here I am, standing in a field with the goddess of sex trying to give me advice on my love life while I’m still trying to come to terms with being a lfillyfooler.” Scootaloo looked up at Luna with eyes full of confusion. “I really have no idea how I got into this situation.” “Well, when you put it like that it does seem rather strange doesn’t it? But don’t worry, I’m sure it will all work out in the end.” The two of them continued strolling for a while. They did not converse, but nor was there a need to. When the time came, Luna turned her head to Scootaloo and smiled. There was no need for words, she understood. Scootaloo woke up.