Sweetie Belle had left the equipment shed feeling much better than she had when she went in. Scootaloo had learned how she felt and hadn’t immediately rejected her. Furthermore, the orange pegasus agreed to go on an actual date; not dinner with a friend, not cutie mark crusaders restaurant eaters (yay), an actual two-ponies-spending-time-together-to-see-if-a-relationship-might-blossom-possible-good-night- kiss-date. So while Sweetie was no longer worried about how to mend a broken heart; her thoughts were now consumed with where exactly they should go on their foray into a new relationship. Other than agreeing that said date should take place, they hadn’t set any of the details; though there seemed to be an unspoken understanding that Sweetie Belle, as the one who initiated the date, would be responsible for planning it.
Without any better options presenting themselves, Sweetie found herself again in Rarity’s parlor room asking for advice.
“Um... So I kinda have a date on Saturday,” she said almost as though she was embarrassed, which she didn’t understand. She was ecstatic, thrilled, maybe a little nervous, but definitely not embarrassed. Nevertheless, Sweetie Belle found herself tentative when speaking to her big sister.
Rarity, however, had no feelings even approaching embarrassed or tentative. Upon hearing the news, she let out an ear shattering squeal of delight. “Ooh How exciting! So who’s the lucky colt who gets to try and sweep you off your hooves?”
“It’s a filly, and I think I’m the one who has to do the sweeping,” Sweetie said, glancing downward.
Rarity’s excitement vanished as an apologetic look replaced her previous expression. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, Sweetie. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. Naturally, whomever you choose to date is fine with me as long as they make you happy.” Apology delivered, her smile reappeared, “So who’s the lucky filly?”
“It’s kind of… Scootaloo.”
Rarity let out another high pitched squeal, “Ooh you two make such an adorable couple. You simply must let me design a pair of matching dresses for the two of you. With her shade of persimmon and your ivory coat, the possible color combinations are simply divine!”
“Umm... yeah, so do you think you could get me reservations at Le Tuffe D’or?”
Rarity arched an eyebrow,“Wow Sweetie, you clearly don’t play around. Le Tuffe D’or on a first date? Quite audacious if I do say so myself.”
“I know it’s fancy but I think I have enough bits saved up, it’s just... I want to our first date to be special.”
“I see…” Rarity nodded thoughtfully,” And you think taking Scootaloo to the most lavish restaurant in all of Ponyville is what’s going to make your date special?”
“I don’t know. But I only have one chance to make her like me,” Sweetie said, the aching apprehension coming through her tone despite her best efforts to hide it.
Rarity adopted a firm gentleness for her reply. “Sweetie dear, she already likes you. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have said ‘yes’ when you asked her out.”
“But what if she only said ‘yes’ to be nice? I wasn’t exactly subtle when I told her how I felt.”
“Well, you know Scootaloo better than I do. Do you think she would string you along?”
“No,” Sweetie Belle admitted. “But I really want this to go well.”
“I know you do, dear. Do you want to know the secret to a memorable evening?” Rarity asked with a twinkle in her eyes. Sweetie Belle nodded enthusiastically. “Take her someplace you like,” Rarity said plainly.
“But shouldn’t I try to make it memorable or at least special?”
“Darling, I’ve had stallions take me to fancy restaurants all over Equestria, trying to impress me with reservations at Le Tuffe D’or or Alinea. They were nice in an obvious way, I suppose, but do you know the best date I’ve ever been on?”
“The Grand Galloping Gala with Blue Blood?” Sweetie guessed, unable to immediately recall any other dates that Rarity had been on.
“That boorish cad!? Perish the thought! No, Sweetie Belle, the best date I ever went on was when I was in Manehattan and a wonderfully charming stallion named Starburst, took me to a little hole- in-the-wall noodle house on the upper east side. Do you know why I enjoyed that date so much?” Sweetie shook her head. “Because he wasn’t trying to show off or take me someplace he thought I would like after knowing me for all of a few hours. He took me someplace that he enjoyed and he was excited about sharing it, and that made me comfortable because I didn’t have to pretend to be impressed by the fancy tables and overpriced food, as if I couldn’t get a table at Olive on my own, thank you very much,” Rarity finished with a satisfied hmph.
“If it was such a great date, how come you two aren’t still together?”
“He lived in Manehattan and I wasn’t ready to leave Ponyville. And truthfully, I’m not sure it would have worked out anyways, but that is beside the point,” Rarity said, dismissively waving a hoof in the air. “The point is that it was a lovely date, and it was special even though it wasn’t at an expensive restaurant or posh museum gala.”
“But I want Scootaloo to have a good time,” Sweetie protested.
“Of course you do, dear. Do you really think Scootaloo would enjoy dinner at Le Tuffe D’or?”
The thought of Scootaloo using her salad plate as a frisbee as the other patrons looked on in horror ran through Sweetie Belle’s head. It was an amusing image, and Scootaloo’s carefree attitude was one of the reasons Sweetie Belle was attracted to her in the first place, but Sweetie was forced to concede that maybe taking Scootaloo to Le Tuffe D’or wasn’t the most well thought out plan.
Her grand idea dashed, she began to ruminate on an alternative course of action. “Hmmm... so I don’t need to spend a lot of bits to make our date special? I could cook dinner for Scootaloo, that’d be special right?”
“NO! Umm..I just mean making somepony dinner is really more of a third date activity.”
“Well then, where should I take her?” Sweetie Belle asked, growing desperate to find a date that wasn’t doomed from it’s inception.
“If she was the one picking the restaurant, where would you want her to take you?”
“Umm… Well, I really like seaweed, and there’s that new restaurant that opened over by the amphitheater. It’s not fancy or anything but it looks kinda neat. I guess if she was the one planning everything, I’d like her to take me there and then maybe see a show. I don’t know what’s playing this weekend though. I don’t even know if Scootaloo eats seaweed - I’m not sure I’ve seen her eat anything from the ocean, period!”
“Seaweed and a show sounds like a wonderful evening, Sweetie Belle. And for a future date, if you want, I’m sure I can finagle you a reservation at Le Tuffe D’or.
“Thanks, sis,” Sweetie Belle said as she breathed a momentary sigh of relief.
“Of course, Sweetie. Now we simply must pick out the perfect dress for you to wear, I’m thinking,,, something elegant but flirty. Not too showy but still fabulous...”
***
Sweetie Belle spent the better part of Saturday pacing circles in her room. When that became tiring, she took to lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling until the nervous energy demanded that she do something, and then it was back to pacing. When that became too monotonous, she spent time studying the dress she and Rarity had finally settled on after a seemingly endless parade of options. It was a simple ruffled black dress, lightly adorned with a few silver sequins to make it shimmer ever so slightly. It used to belong to Rarity, but it had always been one of Sweetie’s favorites, and Rarity was more than happy to tailor it to Sweetie’s size. Even though Rarity had a penchant for being overdramatic, and she didn’t always appreciate Sweetie’s attempts at helping, Sweetie had to admit that sometimes having your sister be the Element of Generosity had its advantages. And as the pièce de résistance, Rarity had agreed to lend Sweetie the matching clutch, complete with gold chain, making it the perfect ensemble for dinner and a show.
When they had first picked it out, Sweetie had been overjoyed, but now studying the dress as it hung on her door handle, she wasn’t so sure. What if it was too fancy? What if Scootaloo went out and bought a totally new dress? Wouldn’t it be bad form if she went out wearing what was essentially a hand-me-down? What if Scootaloo hated it and refused to go anywhere until she changed? What if Scootaloo took one look at the dress and it made her realize that the whole relationship was doomed, leaving her and her horrible dress all alone for the rest of her life?
But Scootaloo probably expected her to wear something, and right now, it seemed that the dress hanging on her door was her best option. Though the day dragged on slowly, eventually it became time for Sweetie Belle to start actually getting ready. They had agreed that Scootaloo should pick her up at the Carousel Boutique mainly because it was closer to town square than either of their houses. But what if Scootaloo had only said so because she didn’t want to introduce her date to her parents? Well that was silly; Scootaloo’s parents had met Sweetie Belle dozens of times already, and they adored her. But what if Scootaloo didn’t want Sweetie Belle to come to her house so that she didn’t have to actually go on the date? What if her plan was to stand Sweetie Belle up, leaving her alone and crying in the Boutique?
A calm voice cut through her panicked monologue. It’s Scootaloo, she wouldn’t hurt your feelings like that. Even if the romantic relationship doesn’t work out, she’d still want to be friends. The reminder that Scootaloo was many things, but a bad friend was not one of them allowed Sweetie to finish getting ready without any further hysterics.
Until the clock hit 7:01.
Well that’s it, we said 7 and now it’s past 7. She’s definitely not coming, hope you like being alo-
A knock at the door interrupted Sweetie’s downward spiral. She opened it to see Scootaloo wearing a simple yellow sundress and carrying a blue purse over her shoulder.
“Wow! Scootaloo, you look really nice.”
Nice? She looks radiant, gorgeous, lovely and you go with nice. What’s the point of all that reading if you use words like nice to describe your date.
Scootaloo smiled and blushed just a little bit. “Thanks. I normally wouldn’t wear something like this, but Mom said ponies should look nice on a date. You look great too,” she said with her trademark carefree cheer.
It was a short walk to the restaurant. Saltwater was a humble establishment, sparsely decorated with some plants and the occasional ancient Chineighese-style paintings. Sweetie assumed that the paintings were reproductions rather than priceless artifacts, but what Saltwater lacked in opulence, it made up for with a quiet, understated elegance. The furnishings were all a dyed black wood that created a sharp contrast against the white walls and bright green plants.
“Two please,” Sweetie Belle said confidently as she walked up to the host, a light blue colt. “And can we sit on the patio?” she asked, making sure to use her most mature voice.
“But of course. Right this way, ladies.”
Sweetie would have pulled out Scootaloo’s chair for her but the host seated both of them, robbing her of the opportunity to be chivalrous. After a quick promise to send a waiter over to take their order, Sweetie Belle found herself staring across the table at her date.
Unsure of exactly how to proceed, Sweetie Belle opened her menu, eager for the distraction and potential conversation starter. Inside, she was delighted to find a wide assortment of aquatic plants prepared in an equally varied array of traditional Chineighese cooking methods. Her joy was tempered when she noticed Scootaloo was peering at the menu the way one might look at tools in a dentist’s office.
“What is this stuff?” The orange pegasus asked with equal parts curiosity and apprehension.
“It’s ocean plants. They can be kind of salty, so they usually serve them with ginger. I really like sea grass, but most ponies usually get kelp if it’s their first time,” Sweetie said, trying her best to be helpful.
Despite Sweetie’s endorsement, Scootaloo still looked skeptical. “I guess you’d better order for me, huh?”
“I can totally do that,” she said closing her own menu, secretly pleased that already their meal was very date like.
“So, what do you think Apple Bloom is doing right now?” Scootaloo asked, now that she was relieved of the burden of making sense of the list of unfamiliar dining options.
“Well, she went with the Apple family to Appleloosa to help with the apple harvest so I’m guessing it’s probably something involving apples.”
Both fillies fell into a round of giggling that was interrupted by their waiter. “Are you ladies ready to order?”
Sweetie re-adopted her mature voice. “Yes, sir. I’ll have the seagrass with red algae and my-Scootaloo will have the grilled kelp with sunflowers.”
“Excellent choices. They’ll be out shortly.”
“So I have some great ideas for our next crusade,” Scootaloo said as the waiter walked away.
Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No, no crusading talk. I want this to be an actual date.”
“Well, what do ponies talk about on dates?”
“I think they try to get to know each other. So... umm…. what do you like to do in your spare time?” Sweetie asked with her best “I’m interested in what you have to say” smile.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes ever so slightly. “Well I like to ride my scooter, and I’m in this really cool club with my friends where we try different things to get our cutie marks, but I guess you already knew about that because you’re in it too!”
“Oh, right. Umm… tell me about your family?” Sweetie Belle said, still grasping for an acceptable, non crusading topic.
“Sweetie, you’ve met my family. You saw them a few days ago.” Scootaloo waved an orange hoof in front of Sweetie’s face. “Hello? It’s me - Scootaloo! I’m still the same pony you hang out with all the time.”
Sweetie did her best not to appear crestfallen. “Sorry, I just want this to go well. What should we talk about then?”
Scootaloo rested a hoof on her chin, as she did whenever she was thinking particularly hard about something. Her lips pursed together in the adorable way that they often did when the pegasus was thinking particularly hard, and Sweetie Belle would have been perfectly happy to spend the entire date studying Scootaloo’s face. Suddenly, the adorable face lit up, the pursed lips changing into a wide smile. “I’ve got it, we can play the cutie mark game!” Sweetie Belle just looked at her enthusiastic dining companion with marked skepticism. “C’mon, it’ll be fun. Did you notice our waiter’s cutie mark?”
“Yeah it was a star of some kind; I didn’t get that close of a look.”
“Okay and…” Scootaloo said, prodding her date.
Sweetie let out an audible sigh. “Maybe he’s a really good waiter and always wins employee of the month?” she finished.
“Nah, he hasn’t come by to refill our water once. I think he’s an actor and he’s just waiting tables til he gets his big break.”
Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but mirror Scootaloo’s infectious smile. “Okay, what about that mare over there, the one in the funny hat with a rose. I’ll bet she’s good at gardening,”
“That’s not a rose, it’s a paint splotch. She’s an artist.”
The two fillies enjoyably giggled through roughly half of the other diners before their food arrived.
Sweetie was about to dig in when she noticed Scootaloo poking at the plate in front of her with her hoof. “You hate it, don’t you?”
Scootaloo forced a smile.“I wouldn’t say I hate it, it’s just not what I normally eat.”
“Umm... I’m sure you can order you something else if you don’t like it?” Sweetie squeaked, trying to salvage the situation.
“No, it’s okay,” Scootaloo took a small bite and chewed slowly. “It tastes kinda like daisies” she said with another obviously forced smile.
They pair ate the rest of the meal, comfortably making small talk with Sweetie Belle clearly enjoying the cuisine more than Scootaloo did. Maybe the company makes up for it? Sweetie thought desperately.
The fillies decided to pass on dessert and in short order the waiter brought the check. “So how much is my half of the bill? You didn’t order me the most expensive thing on the menu, did you?” Scootaloo asked turning her head in the direction of her purse.
“Don’t be silly! It’s a date, so I should pay. You can pay for the next one.” Sweetie Belle found her cheeks turning bright red as she realized that she had assumed there would be a second date.
If Scootaloo was put off by her presumption, she certainly didn’t show it. “Okay. Thanks Sweetie!” she said with a grin that Sweetie Belle hoped was borne out of gratitude and not masked annoyance.
Sweetie left the restaurant with a smile. So far her date with Scootaloo wasn’t going quite as well as she wanted, but it hadn’t been a total disaster, and besides, she was on a date with Scootaloo! The amphitheatre wasn’t far, but as they approached Sweetie couldn’t help but notice that it was quieter than it should be. They were a little early, but only by a few minutes. There should have been ponies excitedly milling about outside, but instead, the only ponies she saw were walking away from the amphitheater with disappointed looks on their faces. As they got closer, the reason for the malaise became apparent:
Due to an outbreak of Feather Flu among the cast, tonight’s performance has been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and hope you’ll come see us next weekend.
Sweetie Belle again tried to hide the disappointment on her face and again failed. Her perfect date was now in danger of going completely off the rails. It was too early to go home, but they had already eaten, so it’s not like they could go to a different restaurant. They hadn’t had dessert yet, so maybe a milkshake at Sugar Cube Corner? But Sweetie wasn’t really ready for dessert, and they went to Sugar Cube Corner all the time. There would be nothing memorable about going there; and if their date wasn’t memorable would Scootaloo want a second one?
Scootaloo interrupted Sweetie’s inner monologue before she could get to the part where they broke up never to speak to each other again. “It’s still a nice night out, want to go for a walk in the park?” Scootaloo said with her carefree grin. “That’s a thing ponies do on dates, right?”
The mere presence of Scootaloo’s smile brightened Sweetie Belle’s mood considerably, and the two ponies began a slow trot to the park.
The crisp spring air was pleasantly cool, not so cold as to be uncomfortable, yet not so warm as to be stifling. There was only a small crescent of a moon, and what little light it gave off was obscured by the clouds, but thanks to the lanterns hung in the park, the two fillies were still able to see clearly. The park was emptier than usual, but that only served to make the walk more enjoyable as far as Sweetie was concerned. The young fillies walked through the park, silently enjoying each other’s company, save for a few snippets of light conversation, until Sweetie Belle felt a few small droplets of rain splash against her forehead.
“Is it supposed to rain tonight?”
“I dunno,” Scootaloo responded with a shrug.
Regardless of whether or not the rain was scheduled watering by Ponyville’s weather pegasi or a rogue raincloud, the two fillies soon found themselves drenched as the heavens opened up in a furious downpour. Instinctively, the pair began sprinting for the nearest tree.
Unfortunately for them, the nearest tree happened to rest on top of a hill, and so as Sweetie ran up the hill desperately seeking shelter, the rapidly deteriorating condition of the ground conspired with her general misfortune for the evening to cause her to trip over her own forelegs. She was very ungracefully sent tumbling back down the hill and crashing right into Scootaloo. The two fillies quickly became a mess of an orange, yellow, black, purple and mud ball as they rolled toward the bottom of the hill, coming to a stop in the middle of a growing mud puddle in one of the shallow recesses of the park grounds.
The two, now very muddy, ponies took shelter under one of the park’s gazebos. The gazebo was a little further away than the nearest tree, but it was also not on top of any hills.
“Oh my, your dress! I’m so, so sorry Scoots! Um, maybe Rarity knows a good dry cleaner?” Sweetie gasped as she saw the condition of both her date and her attire.
Scootaloo shrugged her shoulders and wiggled out of her dress. She shook her head, sending flecks of dirt flying as the dress fell to the ground, getting muddier than it already was. “That’s better,” she said with a satisfied sigh. Gingerly, she picked up the dress with her teeth and tossed it over her shoulder. “What’s wrong, Sweetie?” the pegasus asked, noticing a distinctly troubled look had now etched itself on her (filly?) friends face.
“What’s wrong? You didn’t like the restaurant, our play was canceled and now your dress is ruined and we’re covered in mud! This is the worst date ever!” Sweetie Belle said, ignoring the shoddy condition of her own dress.
Much to Sweetie’s surprise, instead of commiserating with her, Scootaloo started giggling, which very quickly progressed into outright laughter. “If this is the worst date ever then dating is awesome!” Scootaloo managed to gasp out between bouts of laughter.
Scootaloo’s laughter couldn’t help but to ease Sweetie’s anguish. It wasn’t quite enough for her recognize the humor in their clearly awful situation, but it did set her mind a little more at ease. “I suppose it is pretty funny. I tried to plan a totally romantic date and it blew up in my face,” Sweetie guessed.
Seeing the distress on Sweetie’s face was enough motivation for Scootaloo to get her laughter under control. After one last bark of a “Ha”, a much more sympathetic look settled on Scootaloo’s face. “Seaweed isn’t my new favorite food, but I got to try something new. And we can always see a play some other night, but in the meantime. I got to spend time with of my favorite ponies.”
“But your dress-”
“Is just a dress, it can be washed. This night’s been awesome!”
Before she could react Sweetie found herself wrapped up in a hug, and seconds later she was pleasantly surprised to feel the soft caress of Scootaloo’s muzzle as it gently grazed across her cheek. Sweetie sighed and allowed herself to enjoy the sensation, not caring one tiny bit that her cheek was getting muddier before responding. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
“You looked like you needed that,” Scootaloo said, comforting her.
“I did. You’re not just pretending to have fun because you don’t want to hurt my feelings, are you?”
“Of course not! Well, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I was being totally serious when I said that this date’s been awesome.”
“I’m glad you had fun,” Sweetie said weakly, still having trouble accepting the idea that her date was anything shy of a total disaster.
“You bet I did. But our date isn’t over yet - aren’t you supposed to walk me home?”
Sweetie Belle leapt at her one last chance to have something go well. “Yes! I should totally do that.”
The two mud covered fillies began to head towards Scootaloo’s house. Shortly after they set out, Sweetie Belle was momentarily surprised by the feeling of Scootaloo tentatively intertwining their tails. It was a perfectly innocent gesture. Parents would wrap their tails into those of their foals to keep them from wandering off, but it was also something ponies only did with those they were close with. It was casual physical contact given intimacy by the intent behind it. Sweetie smiled at Scootaloo, who responded by blushing, and the pair walked to Scootaloo’s house in comfortable silence, tails tangled together in a perfect mess.
A short walk later, they arrived at Scootaloo’s front door, her parents having thoughtfully left the porch light on, and even more considerately, decided to wait for their daughter upstairs, away from any windows.
Sweetie Belle could feel her face heat up as a lump formed in her throat. She chuckled nervously, trying to mask her feelings but only highlighting them further. “Well, here we are.”
Much to her surprise, Scootaloo’s face had also turned a shade of orangish red. “Yep. This is where I live. Glad to see my parents didn’t move out while I was gone, heh.”
Sweetie Belle took a deep breath, “I had a really great time even though everything went wrong and I want to go on another date.” She gasped out in a single breath, and braced herself for the inevitable crushing rejection.
Instead of saying anything, Scootaloo responded by pawing at the ground, absent mindedly scratching her right foreleg with her left. She leaned in and gave Sweetie Belle a kiss on the cheek, longer than a peck, but not so long that Sweetie Belle had time to register what was happening. “I’d like that,” she said softly, her tone lacking any of it’s usual brash quality that Sweetie found so endearing.
“Wow... Really?” was the only reply Sweetie could come up with.
Scootaloo nodded with a smile. “Night, Sweetie,” Scootaloo said before turning around and closing the door behind her.
Sweetie happily trotted home, and if she wasn’t flying, it was only because she wasn’t a pegasus.