I walked over to Rarity’s place. If I had to wear this stupid bandage on my face for much longer, I might as well have it look cool, like a ninja mask or something. I wanted to see if she could whip something up.
I’d already written out what I wanted to ask on a piece of paper. Rarity read it, her brows knitting together. Heh, knitting. She was a seamstress. Okay, not a great pun.
“I’m free right now,” she said. “Sweetie Belle and her friends are usually underhoof, so I managed to finish my work early today. Do you know where they might be?”
I mimed throwing out a line and reeling it in.
“Fishing? Dear Celestia, why?”
I shrugged. The Cutie Mark Crusaders seemed exceptionally interested in getting at the robot on the bottom of the lake. I supposed as long as it kept them out of trouble.
Fluttershy came in with Rarity’s cat, Opalescence. She had been grooming the cat because apparently Fluttershy was the only pony Opal didn’t hate.
“Did you use...The Stare on her?” asked Rarity.
“Oh, no! I wouldn't! I couldn't! I-I don't really have any control over when that happens. I-It just does.”
I wanted to ask what ‘The Stare’ was. Rarity saw my questioning look.
“It’s Fluttershy’s special ability,” she explained. “She can influence anypony or anything with it.”
“I don’t try,” said Fluttershy meekly.
Just then, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle burst in. Both of them looked scared and were out of breath.
“Scootaloo…the lake…not coming up…” they managed to communicate.
Rarity, Fluttershy, and I looked at each other and then took off at a mad dash for the lake. On the way, we ran past Twilight coming from one direction and Applejack coming from the other. We didn’t have time to explain, but they saw how worried we looked and ran after us.
Pinkie looked out the window at Sugarcube Corner and watched us go by. “Ooh! A race!” I heard her say. She came out and joined the pack.
“Where is everypony going?” asked Rainbow Dash, floating down from the sky.
“The lake!” Rarity shouted. “Come on!” Rainbow shrugged and came with us.
We skidded to a stop at the shore of the lake. Several tow lines and pieces of hoisting equipment were scattered around.
“We found the robot!” said Apple Bloom.
“Scootaloo swam out to attach the winch to it, but she didn’t come back!” explained Sweetie Belle.
“Stand back!” shouted Twilight. Her horn flashed with purple light, and the water of the lake began to boil. The long-lost robot rose out of the depths, the limp form of Scootaloo tangled in the wreckage.
Twilight hovered the machine over to shore and laid it down. The nine of us pulled Scootaloo out. She wasn’t breathing.
There was a moment of silence. None of them seemed to know what to do next. It struck me then. Equestria didn’t know anything about drowning rescue. That meant…
Stand aside, ponies. This is a job for a man. I put my front hooves on Scootaloo’s chest and pushed down. Some water came bubbling out of her mouth. I pushed a few more times and heard a faint crackling noise. That was probably her ribs breaking. Oops.
After a couple more compressions, I lowered my head and performed the rescue breaths. I was completely weirded out by it. I was a pony who was actually a human who was currently kissing an underage female pony.
“What in tarnation—” began Applejack.
Scootaloo coughed. There was a collective gasp from the crowd. I laid off the compressions. Slowly, the filly began to move.
“Scootaloo!” said the other Cutie Mark Crusaders, rushing forward. I stopped them gently.
“Don’t touch her,” said Twilight. “She’s probably in a lot of pain right now.” …from injuries I had caused. Oh well, I figured Scoots would forgive me.
Once it seemed like she would live, we got her to the Ponyville hospital. The doctor decided to treat her for drowning and crushing wounds.
No need to thank me, guys, I thought as we walked out. Getting the robot back was payment enough.
Fluttershy, displaying a side of her I had never seen before, whirled on me with a glare.
“How dare you! If you hadn’t told them to go looking for that stupid machine, this never would have happened!”
I took a step back, surprised. Now wait a minute, I never told them…
“Valiant! How could you?” said Twilight.
“Yeah!” shouted Rainbow. “This is all your fault!”
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” said Fluttershy, fixing me with a stare that I never would have thought that she could have mustered. I thought her eyes were going to bore right through me. My knees began to shake.
“You’re a terrible pony,” she said.
I took another couple of steps backwards, and then just kept going. I turned and ran. I honestly didn’t think that I had done anything wrong, but clearly this was not a simple misunderstanding.
I was honestly scared by Fluttershy’s look, and I didn’t know where I was going. That wasn’t the first thing on my mind, though. I was pretty sure that I was pony non grata now, and that meant there wasn’t anywhere that I could go. I was going to have to leave town.
I found myself in the Everfree Forest first, though. Hmm. Maybe I could go to Zecora’s place. She didn’t know what had happened yet. I found my way to the path that led to her house.
She wasn’t home. A note was tacked to her door explaining that she was on vacation. I had no idea where a zebra would go to get away from things, but it sure worked out to my benefit.
The door wasn’t locked and I walked in. The note said Zecora would be back in a few days. I supposed I could stay until then.
I tried to take a nap. I should have known that wasn’t going to work. As I lay on the floor, I began to realize a few things. Maybe if I had been able to talk, I could have gotten things sorted out. The other Cutie Mark Crusaders didn’t seem to blame me, unlike the older ponies. Regardless, I still felt sorry.
Looking around, I spotted Zecora’s quill and supply of paper. I managed to write a note expressing my feelings. Borrowing a cloak from a hook on the wall, I put the note into a pocket and set off for town.
The cloak was a little too small, so I would have to be careful that no part of me would show. My coloring was pretty distinctive.
I found my way to Scootaloo’s room in the hospital. She was awake when I came in. I passed her the note.
I’m sorry for what happened. I should never have given you the idea to try and salvage the robot from the lake. I want to donate it to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
“What are you apologizing for?” she said. “We did that on our own.”
My eyebrows went up.
“Anyway, I’m gonna forgive you even if you did do something wrong. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom said you saved my life.”
I hope I could smile with my eyes convincingly enough, as my mouth was still bandaged. I borrowed a pencil and wrote out six notes.
“Thanks for the robot!” said Scootaloo. I nodded to her and went back outside, pulling up the hood on the cloak.
I had a plan. After covertly leaving six notes in six mailboxes, I went over to the school. It was getting late in the day, and it was closed. With luck, Cheerilee wouldn’t notice that I had borrowed some things.
Back at the library, I set up the projector and screen. After preparing the slides, I sat down to wait.
Twilight and her friends showed up right on time.
“What are you doing here?” said Twilight sourly.
I pointed them to chairs that I had pulled into position. I indicated that I wanted to give them a show. They settled down and I turned on the projector.
The first slide read, Scootaloo has forgiven me, and none of her friends believe that I am at fault.
The second slide read, Thanks for getting my robot back, Twilight. I don’t want to kill you anymore. Rainbow and Pinkie are downgraded as well, to a probationary status.
“Wait, what?” said Rainbow. I quickly advanced to the next slide.
Also, I slew a hydra to save your freaking lives, so you owe me.
“Killing is wrong,” said Fluttershy meekly.
I had planned on that, and had a slide prepared. Tell that to the hydra. It ate me first.
“Okay, I guess it’s clear that there’s been some kind of misunderstanding,” said Twilight. “I’m sorry that I jumped to conclusions.”
“I’m sorry I used The Stare on you,” said Fluttershy.
While waiting for the rest of them to apologize, my hoof slipped and I accidentally advanced to the last slide. I had only been planning to show it if the situation got rough.
Furthermore, I’m giving the Cutie Mark Crusaders the old robot!
The six of them gaped at me in horrified silence.