//------------------------------// // Pink Side Story (A Friend in Deed) // Story: Scootaloo Dies a Bunch // by alexmagnet //------------------------------// It was an unbelievably bright and sunny day in Ponyville when Scootaloo got her cutie mark. So bright and sunny, in fact, that if Scootaloo didn’t know any better, she’d say the sun seemed a bit bigger than usual, and it looked like it was getting closer every second. Of course, she did know better, and she told herself how silly it was to think that the sun would kill everyone on the planet the day she got her cutie mark. The idea was absurd. However, today was not that day. That day was somewhere in the fog-filled future. This day, on the other hand, was an unbelievably normal day, or rather, believably normal and annoying. Today was the day school started up again, and Scootaloo couldn’t have been less excited. “Great,” she muttered to herself as she rolled out of bed and plopped onto the floor. “This day’s gonna suck… hard.” Going through her morning routine, which pretty much just involved rolling out of bed and walking downstairs to eat a bowl of porridge, Scootaloo waved goodbye to her mother and father and headed out the front door. As soon as she opened it, she was greeted by her two friends. “Howdy!” said Apple Bloom enthusiastically. “You’re late,” said Sweetie Belle as she sighed. “...Again.” “Again? Today is the first day of class, isn’t it? How can I be late again?” asked Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes so hard, Scootaloo was sure they’d pop out of her head. “School started last week, you dummy. Summer break ended, like, nine days ago.” Scootaloo considered this for a moment, her tongue sticking out slightly as she thought. “Huh… that’s right. I guess every day feels like the first day of school after summer is over, right?” She chuckled. “I totally know how you feel,” said Apple Bloom, her eyes wide as she nodded in agreement. “It’s like I’m wakin’ up for school for the first time every morning.” Shutting her eyes and letting out a slow and strained groan, Sweetie Belle muttered under her breath, “I’m surrounded by idiots.” Shrugging, she raised her voice and said, “Well, anyway, we should probably get going. Ms. Cheerilee will beat us again if we’re late.” “Ms. Cheerilee never beat us,” said Apple Bloom, confused. “I know that, obviously, Apple Bloom, but can’t you just let me pretend for awhile? It might actually make our lives more interesting for once,” snapped Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo frowned, pursing her lips. “Man, what’s your deal, Sweets? I mean, you’re not normally this mean. Didja wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, or something?” Whipping around to Scootaloo, Sweetie shouted, “I woke up on the wrong side of your face!” Biting her lip and cocking her head to the side, Scootaloo said, “So… wait, does that mean you—” “Don’t read too much into it,” said Sweetie Belle, her voice back to normal. She sighed. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just mad because Mom and Dad have been too busy to do anything with me, and Rarity just keeps pushing me away all the time. It’s like no one wants to be around me lately.” Scootaloo nodded sagely, patting her hoof on Sweetie Belle’s head. “I see, young filly. Yes, yes…” Suddenly, her face lit up and she snapped her hooves, which didn’t seem possible, but she did it somehow. “I’ve got it!” She wrapped her hoof around Sweetie’s neck and pointed her other hoof towards the sky. “I know how to get you outta the dumps, Sweets.” She grinned. Sweetie Belle felt a sudden sense of fear in the pit of her stomach, like she was falling backwards into a dark hole. “No,” she said, holding out her hoof, struggling to escape Scootaloo’s grasp. “Don’t you even dar—” Throwing her hooves wide, Scootaloo dropped Sweetie Belle to the ground and started to sing. “My name is Scootaloo! Hey oh! And I am here to sing. Wassup? I’m gonna make you smile, and I will liven up your day! It doesn’t matter how, Yo, Ya got to be so mad. All righty? ‘Cause picking up your frown’s what makes Scootaloo so rad!” Scootaloo reached out a hoof and helped Sweetie Belle stand up, obviously forgetting she was the one who knocked her to the ground in the first place. Nodding her head vigorously, Scootaloo said, “Keep going, right?” Sweetie Belle’s ears flattened out. She shook her head just as, if not more, vigorously. “No, seriously, don—” Scootaloo winked. “You don’t have to tell me twice!” Breaking away from Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo reached for Apple Bloom, grabbing her by the hoof and swinging her around in circles as she continued to sing. “‘Cause ya love to hear me sing, sing, sing! Know ya do! And I’m sure ya love to hear my voice ring. Sure ya do! ‘Cause all I really need’s to sing, sing, sing! For these happy friends of mine!” The look on Sweetie Belle’s face was one of utter contempt, but that didn’t stop Scootaloo, not even for a second. She just shot the filly a beaming grin and soldiered on. Apple Bloom even started clapping along to the beat of the non-existent music, her face plastered with a cheery grin. “I love to see you rant. Cool! I love to see you rave. Awesome! But when you act like such a jerk, it’s up to Scoots to save! High five!” Scootaloo stuck out her hoof for a high five, which Sweetie Belle did not return. “And if you’re kinda angry, And your mood is lookin’ down, I’ll sing real loud and hit every note, fill every inch of this whole town!” Grabbing the reluctant Sweetie Belle’s hoof, Scootaloo took Apple Bloom in her other hoof and started running down the street, laughing and shouting for them to follow her. She let go of their hooves as they reached a small park and leapt up onto a bench.Standing on her hind legs with a beaming grin across her face, she spread her hooves out wide. “‘Cause I really love my friends, friends, friends, ‘Course I do! Come sing along with me, we’ll make amends! Just open up your hearts, my friends, friends, friends! Spread your joy both far and near.” Hopping off the bench, Scootaloo approached Sweetie Belle. Placing a hoof under her chin, she lifted the filly’s face up until the sun was shining on it, lighting it up with a warm glow. Sweetie Belle looked like she was struggling with something as she bit her lip, but all that concerned Scootaloo right now was getting her to stop being such a sourpuss. Still holding her hoof under Sweetie’s chin and pointing her eyes towards the sky where a cloud was passing over, Scootaloo pointed at the passing cloud. “Yeah, sure some days are kinda sucky, And maybe you’re a little mad, But is that any reason to blame it on your Mom and Dad? If there’s one thing I know for sure, one thing I will never doubt, Your parents love you, Sweetie Belle, you’ll never be without!” The cloud slowly moved away, allowing sunshine to pour down. There, at the edges of her mouth, a smile started to worm its way across Sweetie Belle’s face. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, Scootaloo waved for her friends to follow her and hurried further down the street. Twirling around a light pole, she sang. “I see you’re gettin’ happy! Can’t hide that smile from me. I guess my song did the trick, AB, don’t you agree?” Chuckling, Apple Bloom nodded happily. “Y’know I can’t stand to see you seethe, seethe, seethe! No can do! I’m happy that you’re comin’ ‘round to see, That I don’t! Fills my heart with sadness when you seethe, seethe, seethe, But now I’ve made your day!” Fluttering her wings as she leapt from the light pole, Scootaloo landed right between Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. She put her hooves around both their necks and the three of them began to walk in tandem. All three filly’s faces were adorned with the brightest smiles one could imagine, and, as Scootaloo started to sing once again, even Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom joined in. “Come on everypony, smile, smile, smile! Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine! All I really need’s a smile, smile, smile, From these happy friends of mine!” Scootaloo then broke off and began to sing her own verse while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle continued the chorus. “Yes, the perfect gift for me!” “Come on everypony, smile, smile, smile!” “Is a smile as wide as a mile!” “Filly my heart up with sunshine, sunshine!” “To make me happy as can be!” “All I really need’s a smile, smile, smile! From these happy friends of—” Scootaloo began to spin around in in circles, surrounded by her friends, and an extra pony she didn’t notice at first. “Smile, smile, smile, smile, smile! Come on and smile! Come on and sm—” KABOOM A loud explosion rocked the area, sending Scootaloo to the ground while Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom covered their ears. The two fillies still standing turned to see Pinkie Pie standing next to her party cannon, still smoking with confetti, and an angry look on her face. She pointed to Scootaloo and said, “That’s copyright infringement! Nopony steals my songs!” A horrified look on her face, Sweetie Belle yelled, “Pinkie! What the heck! You just killed Scootaloo over a song!” Cocking her head to the side, Pinkie said, “No I didn’t. I just shot confetti in her face to teach her a lesson about copyright infringement. She’s fine, look.” Pinkie nodded towards Scootaloo who was busy shaking her head as she tried to get up. “Gah,” said Scootaloo, taking a hoof and smacking it against the side of her head. “My ears are ringing. What’s in that thing, confetti?” “Yep!” chirped Pinkie Pie, happily leaning against the cannon. Sweetie Belle shook her head slowly. Walking over to Scootaloo’s side, she started pulling bits of paper out of the filly’s mane, then she helped her stand up. Sweetie smiled softly. “Hey… thanks for that, Scootaloo. I think I needed it.” Scootaloo blushed, chuckled. “Aww shucks, Sweets. You woulda done the same for me, right?” “Uhh…” “Well, that doesn’t matter anyway,” said Scootaloo, waving her hoof dismissively. “That’s what friends are for. I’m just glad I could turn that sad frown upside down.” Pinkie swiveled her cannon menacingly. She shook her head slowly. Scootaloo gulped. “Right, sorry, sorry. Anyway, we’re probably way late for school now, huh? Sorry about that, heh.” Sweetie shrugged. “Oh well, one late day won’t kill us.” Suddenly, Apple Bloom’s eyes went wide. “Kill us! Wait, get away from Scootaloo! Something’s probably about to kill her. It always does at the end of these songs!” Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo started looking around, and towards the sky, trying to find anything that might fall suddenly and squash them. “I don’t see any chandeliers,” said Sweetie. “And it isn’t winter,” said Scootaloo. Shrugging, she added, “I guess that means I’m safe. Plus, heh, I already offed myself once this morning after I woke up, just in case.” “So… does that mean you’re not going to die?” asked Apple Bloom, cocking an eyebrow. Scootaloo pursed her lips. “Well, I don’t know about the rest of the day, but I think I’m okay for right now. Plus, it just wouldn’t feel right after such a heartwarming song, right? Kinda puts a damper on the whole thing.” “Yeah, I guess so,” said Apple Bloom. “Well, come on, then!” cried Scootaloo, reaching out and pulling her two friends into a tight hug. “Let’s get to class before Cheerilee gets really mad.” “Yeah!” shouted the other two ponies in unison, and then they took off running down the street towards the schoolhouse. Once they were out of earshot, Pinkie Pie sighed. “Kids these days, huh? Well, come on, Mr. Cannon. I hear there’s a new person in town today. It’s time to roll out the welcome wagon.” Hitching up the rope tied to the cannon on her tail, Pinkie dragged it away, skipping merrily.