As soon as Scootaloo stepped down the train at the Ponyville Station, she was greeted by a warm hug on each side by her foalhood friends.
"Aww, hey Sweetie, hey Bloom," she said, frazzling a bit the mane of each in return. "Getting impatient for those autographs, I see?" She snarked.
Applebloom answered that with a glare that could melt rocks.
"Just kidding! It's good to see you guys again," Scootaloo said, returning the hugs with full force.
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Around a table at Sugarcube Corner, the three mares were enjoying an "Extra-large-superriffic- Pinkie Sundae", standing in all its overboarding glory in the middle of them.
"So why didn't Babs join us again?" Sweetie Belle said, before levitating another bite to her mouth.
"She's bein' real busy with a client right now; she's mighty sorry she couldn't join fer this."
"Oh."
"Too bad," Scootaloo commented. "Guess it's only us three for this weekend... Like in the good ol' days of crusading."
The other two simply nodded and mhmm'ed, focusing more on the ice-cream.
"Hmmm..." She tapped hoof on chin in thought. "How's the music lessons going about Sweetie?"
"Oh, they've been EXAUSTING!" Sweetie threw her forehooves up in the air. "Piano Forte is driving me up the walls with all this theory and scales and-and all that SOLFEGGIO, ugh! That is the. Absolutely. Worst. Thing!" She sighed. "But Rarity says that it's 'positively fundamental' to have a solid theory...."
"Yeah, I guess six months of that can't be too pleasant... How's your project faring, Bloom?"
"Oh, it's going pretty well. Rumble has gone to Manehatten to see if the idea can sell, meanwhile Ah'm stuck at the farm helping for harvest season."
Scootaloo edged closer. "Do I smell.... a COLTFRIEND?"
"I know!" Sweetie joined in. "That's what I said when I first saw them! They have toootally the hots for each other!"
"Oh come on Sweetie, you know we aren't a thing or anythin'!"
"Are too!"
"Are not!"
"Are too~!" Sweetie gave her a mock-sultry look.
"Are- Oh for land's sakes Sweetie," Applebloom said, jabbing Sweetie lightly, while all three giggled at the antics. "What about you Scoots?"
Scootaloo went starry eyed. "Oh, I'm totally gonna be the lead attraction of the next show in Trottingham! This is. So. Amazing! I've been, like, sending dozens of letters to Rainbow Dash to warn her, free VIP tickets for her and friends and everything! I'll totally wow her when I perform my 720 double inverted spin! I've been working on it for a week, now, you see, I've had to order a new ramp JUST to reach the desired height..."
-----
"So is that it? Are our days of crusading over?" Scootaloo said to her friends, who not dared return her gaze as they shuffled through the crowded streets of Ponyville.
"I don't know... Thinking back on it, we were doing pretty dangerous stuff," Sweetie Belle Said.
"But that was like, half the point! Awesome things are awesome because they're dangerous! And cool! How could we ever get a cutie mark in something awesome if what we did wasn't?"
"Ah reckon that worked for you, Scoots, but us two weren't really cut for the daredevil department," Applebloom said.
"Yeah... I guess it fits that I would get my cutie mark outside of a crusading session," Sweetie Belle said.
"Well... Ah guess there's also the fact that we weren't crusading as much at that point, Sweetie, with me and Scoots havin' already found our special talent and all."
"Yeah..."
"But there MUST be something we can still do, right guys?" Scootaloo offered. "What about... Mmmm... Oh! We could play pranks around Ponyville! I could go ask Rainbow Dash for advi-"
"I remember Rarity saying that Pinkie Pie was the Ponyville expert on pranks." Sweetie belle hazarded.
Applebloom chuckled. "They're even worse when they're together, trust me. AJ will never forget that time they coloured two acres of the orchard's apples."
"Wow, that's so cool! I'll go grab the colours right away, we can-"
Another death glare from Applebloom, under which Scootaloo wilted. "Oh, ehehe, right, so I guess we can throw that idea away."
"How about we put on a show?" Sweetie Belle perked up. "I'm sure we could get it right this time!
"You mean, like that time at the talent show?"
"Oh yeah, same as always, how we got our cutie marks, only this time we can actually tell the tale from the other side of a cutie mark realization!"
"We could show the foals how to get theirs!" Applebloom said. "Ah'm sure our stories would be good inspiration."
"Awesome! And let me guess... we'd be playing by our strengths this time, right? So Applebloom in charge of..."
"Scene props, costumes and organization, eeyup!" Applebloom saluted.
"And Sweetie Belle tasked with..."
"Music and lyrics! Ooooh, I KNOW I can make something really special for this one!"
"And the one and only Scootaloo in charge of the choreography and dance routines! Looks like it's all set girls, let's get cracking!"
"YAY!" All three cheered, high-hoofing in the middle.