//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: A Joke Too Far // by DouglasTrotter //------------------------------// “Wow, a little tightening up and you could sell that story. ” Sweetie Belle chuckled, watching Scootaloo friend rise up to mimic Princess Celestia at the Summer Sun Celebration. She patted her friend on the back. “Maybe we could be Cutie Mark Crusader novelists?” Apple Bloom sighed. With an exasperated expression, she turned to Sweetie Belle and said, “Yea… no, ah don’t want anything to do with writing after that whole incident with the school’s newspaper. It took a solid month to get all of Ponyville to forget the whole ‘gossip’ column thing, if ah recall.” She then targeted her raised hoof at Scootaloo, “Anyways, ah told ya already, for the tenth time, that isn’t how it works. Poison Joke can’t cause that kinda destruction.” The bead of sweat that formed on Scootaloo’s brow rolled down her cheek, and the nervous filly’s eyes darted about. Outside the club house, the cicadas continued their noise, taking brief pauses between the Cutie Mark Crusader’s chat. As her wings twitched, the filly stared at them. Despite her relaxed shrug, her mind refused to relent. Those images flashed within her mind once more; its vividness similar to a powerful dream, unguarded by Princess Luna. Sweetie Belle chuckled to herself, in a quiet tone, and then gave a sheepish grin to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Apple Bloom lowered her firm hoof. “I do have to admit, that story does kinda gets better each time ya tell it.” Apple Bloom said with a slight giggle. “Though, for the record, Princess Celestia wouldn’t use the word ‘thee’ anymore. If ah remember mah history right, all that funny talk was phased out during Granny’s time to ‘update—‘what am I sayin? Look, again, Poison Joke – even the concentrated stuff Zecora works with – can’t do that stuff. Ah know it for a fact.” “But… but…” Scootaloo said. She jumped up and shouted, “My wings twitched!” Apple Bloom planted her left hoof onto her forehead. Sweetie Belle starred towards the ceiling and rolled her eyes. They turned to each other, shook their heads, and then turned towards Scootaloo with raised eyebrows. “If you’re ‘that’ nervous, we should tell some pony. We could go to your mother. Perhaps we should tell the doctor. “Sweetie Belle said then received a firm hoof planted into her mouth before she could continue, “Yuck! Will you stop doing that?! Ok, new plan, we could have a sleep over. We can do it here at the club house. Apple Bloom, you can take the first shift and I’ll switch later.” Scootaloo nodded but stopped. “No, that won’t work. Mom says I have to finish my makeup work over the summer. Could we do it at my house?” Pencil firm in hooves, the Cutie Mark Crusaders pulled out some scrap pieces of construction paper, several pieces left over from their parade float designer cutie mark experience. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle smiled at Scootaloo. The three fillies plunged their hooves together with a “Cutie Mark Crusaders Forever” shout that silenced the cicadas. They waved at each other and proceeded out of the club house; Sweetie Belle headed for Carousel Boutique; Apple Bloom bolted towards the Sweet Apple Acres farm house; Scootaloo headed for home. Her helmet secured and a final safety check, Scootaloo sped down the dirt road. As she entered Ponyville, in a quiet voice, Scootaloo’s eyes scanned the road. “Phew, no pebbles.” *** *** *** “It’s summer, I shouldn’t be doing homework!” Scootaloo said with a grumble. The sound her room and crept down the hallway. Her pencil tapped against the paper on the desk. Several books lay off to her side with “Mathematics and You” open to the filly’s left, several sheets of paper starred back at the filly. Despite the three pages that remained, Scootaloo sighed and remembered the two page essay still left to written, two weeks remaining before school began. “I’m never doing this again. I won’t wait until the last minute.” “Isn’t that what ya said the time before that?” A voice said. The door to the room opened and Apple Bloom trotted in with Sweetie Belle behind her. She placed her sleeping bag on the floor, “Wasn’t easy convincin’ mah sis, but ah can stay for the night, how bout you Sweetie Belle?” Sweetie Belle gave a cheery smile as she laid her sleeping bag on the floor, “If I don’t cause trouble for Mrs. Zip, I can stay the whole weekend if I want. I’ll have to get that recipe from your mom, Scootaloo. Those hay cake surprises she gave us were awesome. She could give Pinkie Pie a run for her bits with those sweets.” Several boxed lay piled of in the corner, pulled from the closet. Scootaloo sat at her desk while a few remaining rays of light from the setting sun came through the window near her bed. With a tap of the pencil, the filly said “finished” before she hopped down from her desk chair. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rolled out their sleeping bags. Sweetie Belle examined the games, straining to levitate one towards her before it plopped onto the ground. With a smile she placed it back on top, only for the pile to crash to the ground. The last ray of remaining light glinted off of a glass jar, reflecting off Apple Bloom’s eyes. She looked over and spied a tan brown package next to the container. “So, this is the real medicine. Ah hope ya didn’t put this stuff on.” Scootaloo pointed Apple Bloom towards the scroll. Apple Bloom’s eyes scanned the parchment’s contents then Scootaloo took it away, placed it into the tan box with the jar, and placed the box inside the closet. The clock on her desk soon read eight o’clock. With a semi-halfhearted laugh she said, “Well, what should we do first?” “Scootaloo,” Apple bloom said in a slow tone, “ya didn’t put this stuff on? Please tell me—“ “What?! No way. I don’t want Diamond Tiara’s stupid prank ruining something that cost my mom a lot of bits,” Scootaloo waived her hoof at Apple Bloom. “Anyways, what are you guys up for? I have tons of games pulled out of the closet. I even pulled out my mom’s telescope from the attic.” A calm, gentle knock on the door came before a pegasus mare entered. “Ok Scootaloo, I have some treats for you and your friends. Just remember to be in bed by ten. Rainbow Dash has been really gracious to you this summer, giving you one-on-one flight lessons. Did you finish writing her that thank you note?” “Yes, ‘mom,’” Scootaloo said. A kind smile given her way, Mrs. Zip departed towards the living room. “I’ve already told Rainbow Dash ‘thank you,’ like a million times. I don’t think she needs it in writing. Whatever, let’s get this show on the road.” At the base of the steps that led to Scootaloo’s room, a grandfather clock’s pendulum swung back and forth. Its internal mechanism ticked away. Hooves and Horseshoes was pulled out and plopped down. Soon, the grandfather clock chimed. The final game’s lid was placed back on top of its bottom. “Awww geeze,” Scootaloo said. Time had crawled forward as, with a lazy eye, she looked at the clock on her desk. Scootaloo’s heavy eye lids closed. She let out a yawn. Between successive yawns she said, “I can’t… believe it’s… only ten.” “…” Silence greeted the filly’s ears. Sweetie Belle, passed out, lay on her sleeping bag as Apple Bloom nestled her friend’s mane. Scootaloo nabbed her camera. With the flash off, she snapped a quick picture and said to herself, “I’ll keep this for later.” Cicadas and their boisterous music were replaced by the cricket’s serenading melody. Star twinkled in the clear sky as Equestria found itself graced by a beautiful night, crafted with meticulous hooves and care by Princess Luna. A fresh, gentle breeze rolled down from Canterlot and brushed against the tree leaves near Scootaloo’s house. “They wussed out. On. Me,” Scootaloo yawned, “I need to stay awake. I got to stay awake. I have to stay. Awake….” She pushed on Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. No effect. The filly’s heavy eye lids won, closing for the final time as she collapsed to the floor. The door to Scootaloo’s room creaked open. With a soft wing, Mrs. Zip placed Scootaloo in her bed and pulled the covers over her daughter. She moved Apple Bloom to her sleeping bag then fixed Sweetie Belle’s mane. “You will fly some day. For now, I hope you can be happy with your dreams.” Mrs. Zip said after she came to her daughter’s bed side, giving Scootaloo a kiss on the forehead before she closed the door behind her with a gentle hoof. “Good night, my little filly.”