//------------------------------// // At The Gazebo // Story: Pegasus Feathers // by Vanilla Mocha //------------------------------// Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle trotted down the street. Sweetie Belle hummed and whistled while Apple Bloom stared at the rocky road beneath her. "Do 'ya think Scootaloo fergut us?" Apple Bloom asked, sighing. "Why'd you ever think that?" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "Well, she's trying 'ta get 'er cutie mark at Sugar Cube Corner." Apple Bloom said, still looking down. "Didn't we already try that?" Sweetie asked. "Yeah, all three of us did. It jest doesn't make any sense!" Apple Bloom continued. "How?" Sweetie wondered. "What'dya mean, 'how?' It's like she doesn't care 'bout us 'nymoar!" Apple Bloom pouted. "I don't get it." Sweetie Belle said. "What ah'm say'in is that ya'll can be friends, but ah'm go'n on my own. Din't you see how she completely ignored us at Sugar Cube Corner the oth' day? And how she keeps on do'in it too?" Apple Bloom stopped walking. "What?! Apple Bloom, don't be serious! You can't just assume and stick with it! She's our friend! Our Cutie Mark Crusader, you know? You can't just leave her like that!" Sweetie Belle yelled, standing next to Apple Bloom. "Ah'm sorry, but I jest don't thank it's goin' to work like that. She ditched us for a job. She could'ah invited us to join her, but no. Instead she went off 'lone, and where did she leave us, Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom asked. "She left us... here?" The confused unicorn asked, hoping to get the answer right. "She left us in the dust! The dust, Sweetie Belle! She left us in the dust! What kind of friend does that? She's the one that abandoned us. Now it's our turn to leave her. At least ah' am. 'Ya can make up yer own mand." Apple Bloom turned around and began running into the town. "No, Apple Bloom! Please stop! You can't be serious! Apple Bloom!!!" Sweetie Belle yelled, still standing in the same spot. Apple Bloom stopped in her tracks. "Ya have a choice, Sweetie. Either come along with mah, and have plenty o' friends. Or, ya' can jest stay behind with that lil' good fer noth'n Scootaloo." Sweetie Belle's heart began to beat hard. She could feel the cold sweat running down her forehead, as she wanted to take both of the choices. "Well?" Apple Bloom asked, not looking at her friend. "I'll... I... I'll go with you." Sweetie Belle said out of peer pressure. "Good choice." Apple Bloom said, walking. Sweetie Belle didn't know for sure, but she thought she felt a small, chilly tear fall down her cheek. "Finally!" Loviatar said, seeing her friend Apple Bloom approach her in the Ponyville park, inside the gazebo. The pegasus was still wearing her new dress, as Sweetie Belle was also wearing hers with the rip. "Sorry ah'm late, Lov'tar. Ah's jest busy with mah friend, see. She wanted 'ta tag 'long with mah, so ah' let 'er." Apple Bloom explained. "That's good. The more, the merrier, right?" Loviatar said, looking into Sweetie Belle's green eyes. "Right... Hey, Apple Bloom, can I talk to you, uh, in private?" Sweetie Belle quietly asked her earth pony friend. "Sure. Lov'tar, Ah'm be right back." Apple Bloom said. "Alright!" Loviatar answered, smiling. Walking a few yards away from Loviatar, Sweetie Belle asked, "Why are you friends with her?" "What da' ya' mean, Sweetie?" Apple Bloom felt confused. "Well, you guys didn't act like good friends. Earlier at recess you wanted me to ditch Irothrust. And now you're mad because Scootaloo left us behind?" Sweetie Belle asked. "That's diff'rent. 'N after what Lov'tar told me 'bout her, and after ah 'xperienced some of it mahself, it was all jest ta' protect ya'." Apple Bloom explained. "What did she do to you?" Sweetie Belle became quite curious. "On Monday she demanded mah fer some appah seeds. When ah told her no, the only thing I remember was wak'in up, an' findin' mahself in the middle of the road. Mah nose had dry blood in one nostril, and all mah appah seeds were stolen from mah seedling bag." Apple Bloom said. "Are you sure she did it?" Sweetie squeaked. "Of coarse ah'm sure she did it!" Apple Bloom replied. Sweetie Belle remained silent. The two ponies walked back to Loviatar. Sitting down inside the gazebo, Sweetie Belle remembered something. "Oh my goodness!" she accidentally said out loud. "What's wrong?" Loviatar asked. "I forgot something." Sweetie Belle replied. "What? Oh, please tell mah we don't have homework!" Apple Bloom asked. "No. It's just that..." Sweetie paused. She knew she couldn't tell them. "It's just that... what?" Loviatar asked. "I... I forgot... I..." Sweetie Belle stuttered. "Spit it out, why don't you?! Uh, you know, just tell us." Loviatar tried to keep her cool. "I've got to go." Sweetie Belle squeaked, cracking her voice once more. She stood up, and ran out of the gazebo. "Huh. Ah wondar where she's go'n in such ah huarry." Apple Bloom pondered out loud. "Oh well. Forget her, right?" Loviatar said. "But she's mah friend, Lov'tar. We've already been ditched today by somepo-" Apple Bloom began. "OVER HERE!" Loviatar yelled, waving one hoof frantically in the air. "Sorry, what were you saying?" She asked. "Noth'n..." Apple Bloom said, realizing it wasn't important at the moment. A pink pony, accompanied by her gray sidekick, walked up and into the gazebo. "Why's she here?" Diamond tiara snapped, looking at Apple Bloom.