//------------------------------// // Chapter Five - Train Cars and Pegasus Tears // Story: The Struggles of Radiance // by Crystal Static //------------------------------// The Struggles of Radiance Chapter Five I can't wait to hear what Rarity finds out when she talks to Scootaloo. I wonder if she feels the same way about me… Well, I'll see I guess… I have two days until I go to Canterlot. Scootaloo is going to be coming with me since Twilight sent Princess Celestia a letter about how she is learning the Gale King style. Apparently the princess wants to see how far along Scoots has come with it. I wonder if the princess is going to be mad about it… The Gale King is incredibly powerful after all; the last master of it was able to take out a force of five hundred griffons with it in battle. Mom saw how happy I was that Scootaloo is coming with me. I thought I saw her smile about it, but I wasn't sure. I wonder if she suspects my feelings… I just realized something, I have been using '…' a lot in my journal entries lately… I wonder if it is because of how a lot of the things going on right now are what I would consider 'wait and see what happens' things… Well, Sweetie Belle is at the door, so I have to go… --- Sweetie Belle apologized for teasing me and Scootaloo the other day, she also told me that Rarity wanted to speak with me. I didn't quite understand what she said, but it sounded like she meant that Scoots doesn't like me like that, but there is a good possibility that her feelings could change if I play it right. After seeing Rarity, I went to see if I could find Scootaloo to see if she is excited to go to Canterlot. I looked everywhere for her, but I couldn't find her. I ended up going to find her home address in the town directory over in town hall. I found her address under her family name then went to her house. It didn't look like it was lived in for years, the yard was all overgrown, the flower garden was dead, the paint was chipped and cracked, and the roof was missing more than a few shingles. When I went inside, I found Scootaloo asleep on an old camp cot. I had no idea that Scootaloo lived all alone, next time I get time with her where nobody else is around, I will have to ask her about it… Come to think of it, this makes perfect sense, her always treating a meal like it is her last, the fact that she always changes the subject when somepony asks about her family, whenever we have a sleepover it is at Rarity's, Sweet Apple Acres, or my house. I just hope she won't get mad at me for this. It doesn't really matter that much I guess, we will be going to Canterlot tomorrow anyways… --- Trains are cool. There is something about a giant mechanical object that pulls cars full of ponies at ridiculously fast speeds to get from 'Point A' to 'Point B' that gives me chills. When I talked to the engineer, he told me how trains work. They put coal-rock into a furnace that heats up a tank of water to produce steam, which is then pushed through a mechanical system to drive the train forwards. Apparently the pony who came up with the design for the train was a mechanical engineer when he was younger. I think I might want to learn more about mechanical engineering, if I can make cool stuff like this train… On a different note, me and Scootaloo got our own train car; it is nice. I haven't yet asked Scoots about how she lives, but I think I am going to before we get to Canterlot, as we have a few hours to go before we get there. I just hope she doesn't get too upset about things. I have been trying to think of ways to talk to her about her family (or lack of) in a way that won't make her upset, but I am not having much luck… I will just have to break it slow to her… --- "Hey Scoots, can I talk to you about something for a minute?" "Sure Radi, what's up?" "I just wanted to ask you if everything is okay at home, I know you don't get enough to eat normally, and I wanted to make sure you are okay…" "Don't worry about me Radi, I can handle myself, nothing's going on." "Scoots, I'm gonna just say it. I saw your house. I am just worried about you…" "Oh… You saw that… yeah, that is just… uh… my parent's summer house?" "I'm not buying it Scoots. You don't have to hide it from me, I won't tell anypony your secret." "Fine… I'm an orphan okay! My parents were attacked by timberwolves three years before your mom moved to Ponyville, they never made it out of the forest…"-she starts to cry-"I just didn't want somepony to worry about me so I didn't tell anypony. I miss my parents so much, but if I tell anypony about what happened, they will put me in an orphanage." I pull Scootaloo into a hug, "It's okay Scoots, just cry it out. I will always be here for you…" --- Several hours later Scootaloo stops crying, "*Sniff* Thanks for being here for me Radi, I never had anypony who would be there like you have…' "That's because you haven't had anypony who cares about you like I do"-I jam my hoof in my mouth in a futile attempt to stop before I say to much. "You want to know something Radi? I always thought you were really cool. I mean, you are smart, funny, you really care about your friends and family, you aren't afraid to get in a fight, and I guess it helps that you are kinda cute…" her train of thought devolves into mumbling that I can't quite understand. "What was that last bit Scoots? I didn't quite hear you…" "I just like how you are always there for me, you always know just how to cheer me up when I am feeling down, and I can name two times now where you have done nothing but hold me while I cry for hours. I guess what I am trying to say is that I really care about you…" she turns to look me in the eye. "You never give up on things, you are always there to be strong when we- no, I -need somepony to be strong, and you are the only pony who knows about where and how I train. I am just trying to say is that I care about you more than you know." Scootaloo slowly closes her eyes and starts to lean towards me, I panic a bit at first but then I start to do the same. When our lips meet, it feels like the room suddenly turned as hot as a summer day in Apploosa, while at the same time, as cold as the darkest trench in the ice flows of the frozen north. Sadly, before the moment ends, Aunty Twilight bursts through the door, "We're almost- oops, sorry… I'll just wait in the next car over for you to come out…" Way to kill the moment Twilight… Before our blushes wear down, I had to ask, "So Scoots, what does this make us? Are we friends? Marefriends? Friends with benefits?" "Marefriends, definitely marefriends." "Sooo… want to go out to eat sometime next Friday?" "Sure Radi. I just hope Twilight doesn't tell anypony what she walked in on just yet. I really don't want to be outed to our friends by Twilight…" "I'll see what I can do Scoots." --- Before we got off the train, I told Aunty Twilight not to tell anypony, as we aren't quite ready to come out and tell our friends yet (Not to mention mom would be really annoying if she found out). She agreed not to tell anypony, as long as we don't tell anypony about anything we might see her do with Princess Celestia. I wonder what she meant… Eh, doesn't matter, I am officially Scootaloo's marefriend. It makes me want to steal that one pegasus stallion's bit, what was his name… AH! Snowflake. Yeah, it makes me want to yell 'yeah' at an obscenely loud volume with questionably high amounts of energy. I can't wait for next friday…