//------------------------------// // Answers and Forgiveness // Story: The Last Crusade // by SunDrifter //------------------------------// Chapter 4 Answers and Forgiveness “I never thought we would be back in this old place again.” Apple Bloom would say to herself as she pulled a cover off of one of the chairs. They were all back in the place where they separated for several years. It was for the better of Scootaloo. She had a real home with a great friend. She got a proper home, bed, school, food, and love. She was the happiest of us four in the past four years. The four mares started taking the covers off the furniture that had rested in the same condition as they left it. The podium was still in the back of the club house, covered in the dust from the past years. As Apple Bloom got behind her old stand, she would smile. Memories would fill her again. Her young ambitions returning as she smiled, those times were so easy. She would look back up, her friend Scootaloo would be giggling and hopping onto a chair. Her body leaning her weight forward so that the chair would tilt towards Apple Bloom, “This place isn’t as bad as I thought it wou-” She would giggle as the chair fell forward. Her muzzle hitting the ground with a loud thud, and Bab Seed would run over. “You ok?” Bab Seed would say with concern, as the other two ran over to check on Scootaloo. The peach colored pony would just sit up, and giggled. A hint of embarrassment heard in her voice as she managed to get a, “I meant to do that.” Allowing the group to get a small laugh again, they felt like little fillies again. Sweetie Belle would re-adjust her dress, the rip becoming more obvious. Obvious enough that Scootaloo would notice the damage to the dress. “Hey Sweetie Belle, why are you wearing that dress anyways?” The peach pony would bite a part of the dress and giggled as she tossed up her head, making the dress fluff up, and Sweetie Belle lower her hoofs. Trying her best not to have the dress’s movement show anything, making Apple Bloom look at Scootaloo, “What was that about Scootaloo?” The peach pony just giggled and would shake her hoofs, sitting back ‘innocently’ “My bad, my bad! I forgot you weren’t one of my friends from back at Manehattan.” She would place a hoof behind her head with a sly grin as Sweetie Belle just huffed. “Didn’t know you would spend your time with barbaric urchins, I thought better of you Scootaloo.” Scootaloo would get a frown covering her face. Babs Seed ran over to her sister, trying to help put off the comment, but it was too late. “What is that spose to mean?” “Suppose’ Honey. Not ‘spose’. And you know exactly what I was talking about. I thought you wouldn’t spend your time with underlings, seems like they have influenced you too much.” Sweetie Belle would fluff her dress, readjusting it so the rip looked natural. But Scootaloo would turn her muzzle, and spit on the ground next to her. “Oh, I’m sorry,’Madam Perfect’ would you like me to wear a dress too? How about I walk around like I am better than all of my friends, ‘cause I am totally important.” Sweetie Belle scrunched her nose at Scootaloo’s remark then huffed again. “Why I-“Her sentence interrupted by Apple Bloom, who finally went in between the two. “Please, please calm down! Let’s not fight!” The two ponies, once fighting, were now pouting in two different directions. Bab Seed looked over to Scootaloo and whispered into her ear. Apple Bloom knew that the group had been separated for quite some time. But she never would believe they would fight like that, and if she hadn’t interrupted, it might have gotten much worse. “Look, let’s just get ready for the trip.” Scootaloo would have a smile again and turning to see Sweetie Belle, who just sighed, and nodded.”Sure, but let’s get my things.” She would smile as she went to walk out of the Club house. Scootaloo, scratching the back of her head, would just shake her head. “Whatever, let’s just get ready. Come on Babs Seed.” Scootaloo would pick up both of the satchels and would carry it out of the door. Apple bloom would just sigh; she just wanted to have fun. But she knew now, that this was not going to be the reunion she had wanted. As Apple Bloom entered her room, she grabbed her picture of them all and just stared at it. She stared for what seemed like days until the evitable tear came. She lied on her cushioned bed and wept like never before. She was in that tear retching pain for hours and hours. Her pillow was pretty much drowning in her tears at this point then a knock came with a sweet voice following. “Can I come in Apple Bloom?” She knew who it was and stayed quiet. Her door creaked open and there stood Sweetie Belle. As Sweetie Belle approached the bed, she realized what Apple Bloom had been doing. “Are you okay Apple Bloom?” Sweetie Belle would ask in a sympathetic tone. Apple Bloom would go to turn around and meet her friend eye to eye. When she saw her friend, something was different. Her dress that she had been wearing had disappeared. Sweetie Belle was looking at her friend waiting for a response. “What happened to your dress?” Apple Bloom would ask confused. “I got rid of it. I haven’t heard from you since the fight and I came to check on you. I’m sorry that we got into it. We all have really changed since four years ago.” Sweetie Belle admitted. “Yea, we all have. It’s hard to think that we aren’t the same friends as we use to be. I thought Scootaloo and Babs coming back to Ponyville would help us all be the best of friends again. I never thought it would turn out this way. We should go on the trip. Maybe there is still a chance to fix our friendship.” Apple Bloom would tell her concerned friend. “I think so too. I want us to be friends again. Can I explain something to you? Something very personal.” Sweetie Belle asked Apple Bloom. “Of course you can Sweetie Belle, your one of my bests of friends.” Apple Bloom responded. “That time you came to deliver the cider and I got mad then yelled at you to leave. You wanted to know why I was like that and I said that I just grew up. That wasn’t it.” “I thought so.” Apple Bloom said to herself. “The real reason is Rarity. You know she is a high class designer and I really look up to her. I asked her one day how I could help and she told me that I needed to become refined like her. Not to be so spontaneous and messy. It would be a huge help to her business if I were to use my singing talent to advertise her business as well. I wanted to help her in any possible way and I wanted to make my sister proud of me. I did but ended up. . .” “Selling out.” Apple Bloom interrupted. “Yea and I’m so sorry and I know it will be hard for-“Sweetie Belle was abruptly cut off with the feeling of two hoofs around her neck and a tear drenched face rubbing against her cheek. She lost her balance due to this unexpected act of embracement and forgiveness then fell with Apple Bloom on top of her. “I forgive you. I just want us all to be friends again. I love you girls so much and it hurt all that much more to have the feeling of us separating. I never wanted us to argue and I never thought Scootaloo would be like this. We need to makes things right. Do you know where Scootaloo and Babs are?” Apple Bloom asked as she took the picture out of the picture frame. “If I had to guess, probably to Rainbow Dash.” Sweetie Belle answered. “How did I know you were going to say that? Let’s go find where they are.” Apple Bloom said as she stuck the now folded picture into her large bow. They looked up to the cloud house floating in the air. It had not changed much since they were fillies, but it began to have more signs of Wonder Bolt pride. Things lined the place such as flags, decals, and even little garden decorations had adorned the cloud, making Rainbow Dash’s house seem more like a barracks than a home. But the two saw that this was indeed Rainbow Dash’s house. Their friends were seen talking to the rainbow mane pony through one of the many windows. “Hey Scootaloo, come outside!” Apple Bloom screamed, making Bab Seed look to the group. Her hoofs sat shifting through the clouds and a necklace dangling from her neck that had a gentle aura of light glowing from its gem center. It seemed as it allowed her to stay up in clouds with her sister and not fall to the ground. Babs slowly staggered across the cloud and walked into the cloud house with a bit of difficulty. After a bit the two came out again, Scootaloo looking down and just shrugging as she hopped off. As Babs held onto to her back as the mare landed onto the ground. Scootaloo’s little chicken like wings flattering, but doing very little less than balance her fall. “Ready?” Scootaloo said, her brow raised as her hoof shuffled the contents in her bag, in a desperate attempt at a supply check. Slipping on her goggles around her neck she would smile at her two friends. “Cause I know I am!” The other three mares would nod and smile back. “Wait, you never told us where we are camping. I knew we were going on a trip, but not what kind of trip.” Sweetie Belle looked with curiosity; Scootaloo just giving a slight laugh as she just walked on. As she gestured her hoof for the three mares to follow her, she told them “It’s a surprise! Just trust me! You’ll love it.”