Scootaloo sat upon the floor of her room with a quill in her mouth as she scrawled upon a slightly crumpled piece of paper. A few flecks of dust glittered in the light pouring in from the window which lit up the spot where she sat, as well as her letter. She gave a proud smile after signing her name at the bottom and placing the quill back into the inkwell, then went about rereading her words.
Dear Sweetie Belle,
I know I made a mistake and it’s okay if you’re still upset. I need to talk to you, though. It’s about Apple Bloom. I hope you’ll do this for her sake more than mine, but I would really appreciate it. We both know you’re a really sweet pony and I guess we sort of take it for granted sometimes. This time, I’m not, and I’m not trying to use you or anything either. I just want you and Apple Bloom to be happy is all. Meet me down by the stream near Fluttershy’s cottage once you get this letter. I’ll be there and we’ll talk.
Your friend,
Scootaloo
Satisfied, she then folded the letter three times and scrawled the filly’s name upon its front. Setting it aside, she began reviewing the letter which was previously concealed beneath the other and smiled.
Dear Apple Bloom,
I can tell you’re still mad at me and I deserve it after what I did. I need to talk to you, though. It’s about Sweetie Belle. You’re not as mad at her, right? I know you still care about her and so do I. You’re a tough filly, even tougher than me sometimes, and pretty stubborn too. So I know it’s hard to say yes to this. But please trust me, I’m doing this for yours and Sweetie’s sake more than mine. Even if you are a bit stubborn, you’ve still got a heart and I know that. Please do this for you and Sweetie Belle. Meet me down by the stream near Fluttershy’s cottage once you get this letter. I’ll be there and we’ll talk.
Your friend,
Scootaloo
She repeated the folding process as with the previous note. After adding the recipient’s name on its front, she placed both of them snuggly beneath her small wing before rushing outside. Luckily, she found the pony who she searched for almost immediately after exiting the door. Upon a small but extremely fluffy cloud lay her big sister in a peaceful slumber, her loud snores echoing through the street. Scootaloo felt somewhat bad for rousing her from a nap, but what she asked was of the utmost importance.
“Rainbow Dash… Rainbow Dash!” the filly called loudly in hopes to wake the mare above. She buzzed her wings furiously, lifting herself just slightly away from the ground as she called once more, hoping the slight change of distance would allow her voice to reach the cloud better.
“Oh…hey, Scoots, what’s up?” Rainbow mumbled, peaking over the cloud and rubbing a hoof against her groggy eyes.
“I need your help!” she exclaimed with a confident smile. “I figured out how I can apologize.”
Dash’s eyes brightened and she smiled back before gliding down to meet the filly. “Oh yeah? What do you need me for?”
Scootaloo quickly but gently bit down upon the two letters tucked beneath her wing and pulled them into view. “I need you tho thake thesthe to Sthweetie Belle and Apple Bloom,” she sputtered out between her teeth.
The cyan pegasus took the two letters in her mouth and placed them beneath her own much larger and stronger wing for the time being. “Easy enough. Where are they?”
“Apple Bloom should be somewhere between Sweet Apple Acres and the market, probably still at the market. Then, Sweetie Belle, I think, is at Rarity’s again.”
“That it? Anything else I need to do?” Rainbow asked.
“Nah, they’ll know what to do when they read the letters,” the filly responded with an eager grin. “Thanks for doing this.”
“Hey, it’s no problem kid. I’m just glad to see ya actually doing it…and to see you smile again.” Dash took the letters in her mouth once more and unfurled her wings with a quick snap. She then raised a hoof to her forehead, saluted the small filly, and gave a confident nod before she pushed off into the clear blue skies. Now, Scootaloo only had to reach the selected place of meeting and await the letters’ recipients. She easily hopped onto her scooter, nearly forgetting to strap on her helmet in the process, and pushed off towards the edge of the Everfree Forest.
***
Scootaloo reached the small stream in what seemed like only minutes and noticed that, of course, nopony else had yet arrived. The pegasus took the free time to collect herself for the final task at hoof. She plopped down upon the vibrant, grassy bank beside the water and allowed her eyes to fall shut as she turned her concentration to the beats of her heart.
They were quick, but her calm, deep breaths aided in slowing the organ down. With her heart comforted, she then went through the makeshift speech she had prepared for the two fillies in her head. She wanted every detail to be perfect, but overthinking it wasn’t necessarily a good idea either. As her heart began to pound once more, she decided to find a way a better way to occupy her time.
Opening her eyes, the pegasus gazed down at the fast moving and slightly murky stream below. She gingerly pushed the tip of her hoof below its ever changing surface. Its frigid touch was a stark contrast to the near sweltering heat of the day, which caused her to gasp ever so lightly. She did not pull her hoof away though, but instead let it relax. It was the hottest it had been since the previous summer, even warmer than the day she had made her way to Sweet Apple Acers. It brought back thoughts and hopes for the free time ahead, something else which hadn’t crossed her mind since then. The reason being was because her future seemed lost without the two fillies whom she’d imagined spending those warm days with her. But now, she was sure they would be there after what she was about to do, that is, if they made the decision to follow her instructions. This, she was also sure of.
She briefly glanced over at Fluttershy’s peaceful looking cottage in the distance and wondered what she and the animals were doing inside as she leaned back and rested her head against the soft grass. She pulled her hoof away from the stream to allow time for it to dry and gazed up into the infinite expanse of blue. A sudden but certainly enjoyable sensation of contentedness flowed through her body, letting it relax and fall motionless against the cool earth. While the constant rushing sound of water invaded her ears, her eyes slowly drew closed once more, but this time in a light, almost half awakened state of sleep.
Scootaloo’s ears perked up as they perceived the crushing down of grass nearby. She easily shook herself from the near-sleep which had overcome her and allowed her eyes to shoot open as a shadow was cast down upon her. “Sweetie Belle…you came!” the pegasus exclaimed with a groggy smile as she admired the unicorn’s familiar face.
“Hi, Scootaloo,” the filly responded as distantly as possible, although a tinge of sadness could be perceived in her words.
Scootaloo hardly struggled to push herself up into a sitting position, feeling more alive and renewed than even that morning when she had first awoken from a long night’s sleep. “Is Apple Bloom here too?” she asked curiously, rubbing one eye as the other scanned the rolling field along with the path which ran through it, heading back towards town.
“Apple Bloom? I thought you-” Sweetie’s question came to a halt when a perturbed voice hollered out from behind her. Although she already knew who it was by the distinct accent, Scootaloo peered around the unicorn to watch as the second crusader approached. A rather large paper sack of what she assumed to be the supplies she had retrieved for Applejack, was balanced precariously upon her back.
“Ah thought you said it was just gonna be me and you? Lyin’ even more now, huh? Ah don’t even know why ah came,” Apple Bloom grumbled, coming to a stop before them and then lowering the bag to a flat resting place upon the ground.
“Wait, huh?” Sweetie Belle muttered. “Scootaloo’s note told me it was just going to be the two of us,” she turned to the orange filly with a scowl and shrieked. “Scootaloo! Ugh! The nerve of some ponies! I have no clue why I came either! I guess I just hoped you were changing back to your normal self.”
Scootaloo smiled calmly. “I never said it would just be me waiting here. I said I needed to talk to Apple Bloom about Sweetie Belle and Sweetie Belle about Apple Bloom. What I need to say deals with both of you and me too. Can you just hear me out?”
Sweetie Belle gave a slight nod of agreement. “I don’t know exactly where you’re headed with this, but I guess.”
“Ah didn’t come all the way out here for nothin’,” Apple Bloom growled.
“Well, first off, I just wanna say I’m sorry…really, truly, and sincerely sorry. I was scared, I didn’t know what I was feeling or how to deal with it, but that’s no excuse. I should have reacted better, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to hurt either of you two, but ended up hurting you both even worse than I ever would’ve thought. I was sorta selfish too, thinking more about myself than you. I screwed up, and I’m really sorry.” Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to speak, but held back her words as the pegasus before her raised a hoof. “I hope you do, but if you don’t forgive me and still hate me, that’s okay. I just don’t want you to hate each other. I was the one who made this mess and you should be mad at me, not each other. You’re both really great friends and I want you to stick together. I really just want you two to be happy again. ”
“Ah-” Apple Blooms interjection was quickly interrupted be Scootaloo’s raised hoof. The two fillies came to the conclusion that the speech would not be paused unless finished.
“I love both of you, but as friends. Rainbow Dash told me that I was too young for that kind of stuff and she was totally right. I don’t know about you, but I think I’m gonna wait a while to do that. I have something way more important to deal with anyway, getting my cutie mark and making sure you two fillies get yours. Even if we aren’t friends anymore, I still wanna help. We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders, no matter what!”
The speech was followed with a whimper, sniffle and then high pitched cry as Sweetie Belle burst into tears. “Scootaloo…I…never knew you could…be so…sweet,” she forced out in between sniffles. Her mouth formed into a wide smile as she sprang forward and wrapped her hooves around the filly’s neck. “I completely forgive you and Apple Bloom; and you’re right, that whole love thing kind of seems silly when I look back on it, silly for all of us,” the unicorn said calmly, regaining her composure as she nuzzled her cheek against Scootaloo’s chest.
“Well, ya sound honest enough, and ah guess you’re right. Ah forgive both of ya too,” Apple Bloom said with a slight, half-hearted nod. “Ah’m still a little angry though.”
“It’s okay, I understand,” Scootaloo said with a warm smile as Sweetie broke away from the embrace. “I’m just glad you’re talking to me again. I don’t know about you girls, but I felt horrible without having anypony to talk to or hang out with.”
Sweetie Belle agreed with a shudder. “Really horrible. What about you, Apple Bloom?”
“Ah…oh alright, ah missed ya real bad, both of you.”
“That’s what I thought,” the unicorn responded smugly. “Now I think a group hug is in order,” she then demanded with a cute squeak.
Scootaloo grinned and nodded her head as she wrapped one hoof around Sweetie Belle and extended the other to country filly before her. Apple Bloom gave a playful huff before taking a few steps forward and completing the circle of embrace. “When did ya get so cheesy, Scoots?” she asked as she tightened her hooves around them.
“Sometimes you just have to be…and hey, it isn’t all that bad,” the pegasus said with a shrug and smile.
“Ah guess,” Apple Bloom said with a laugh.
“Hey, if you want, I can help carry that bag back for you,” Scootaloo suggested, motioning her head towards the paper sack as the hug came to an end.
“Ah can always get it myself. Ah did lug it all the way out here, after all, but ah guess that’s alright.”
“Sweet, it’s the least I can do,” the pegasus responded with an eager grin and an equally eager buzz of the wings.
“Mind if I tag along too?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Ah don’t see why not.”
With Apple Bloom’s approval, the two fillies balanced the overhanging edges of the bag as she lifted it up onto her back. In that position, they then began the long trek which would lead them back through town and all the way to the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres. Although the evening grew closer and closer with every minute passed, the sun remained fairly high in the sky. Celestia was keeping it up longer and longer every day after all. This once again reminded Scootaloo that it would soon be summer. A fluttering sensation spread through her body, but it certainly wasn’t the same sensation she had experienced when the two fillies had admitted their feelings for her. It was the feeling of love and happiness in the form of friendship. One of the greatest feelings she had ever felt, and one which she never wanted to lose again.
“Maybe we could get our cutie marks in transportin’ goods?” Apple Bloom asked curiously, breaking the silence.
“I think it’d have to be something a lot more complicated than just carrying a bag full of groceries and whatever else you’ve got in there,” Sweetie Belle said, shaking her head.
Scootaloo couldn’t help but let out a contended and joy filled laugh. “It’s good to be back, crusaders, real good. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”