//------------------------------// // part 2 // Story: Tell me Why // by Derec mc coy //------------------------------// Applebloom laid down on her bad. She’s been thinking about the little accident with Scootaloo yesterday. She couldn’t forget those rose eyes she stared in. They looked so pure, so happy, so…. natural. She wished she could stare in those eyes again. She wished she could drown in them. She dreamed about the soft belly she fell on, about the sweet voice telling her “It’s okay”. She dreamed about… her and Scootaloo dancing even more…. “What happened?” she asked herself. She got up from her bed and walked to her window. She moved the curtains aside, and stared at the rising sun. The orange light remembered her of the special pony. “Scoots…” she sighed. “Applebloom?” Applejack came in the bedroom, which awoke Applebloom from her daydream. “Y… Yes?” Applebloom asked, and she turned around to her big sister. “Good, you’re awake.” The elder pony said. “Breakfast is ready. You’re comin’ to eat?” “Okay. in a minute.” Applebloom said. Applejack cocked her eyebrow. “Okay then,” and she turned around, and left her little sister alone. Applejack trotted downstairs, and moved on to the dinner table. “Do you know what’s wrong with Applebloom?” she asked her big brother. “Nope.” the big red stallion replied. “She acted a bit weird this morning. Normally she’d run downstairs when breakfast is ready.” She said, and she took a seat. “It’s just puberty.” Granny Smith mumbled. “Back in my youth, we worked hard on that age. Nowadays, all them kids are spoiled, and she’s takin’ over that bad behavior.” “I don’t think that’s the problem Granny,” Applejack said. “Yesterday afternoon, she was really quiet.” “After she played with one o’ her friends?” Granny asked. “Eeyup.” Big Mac replied. “I think something happened then.” Applejack said a bit concerned. “I’m afraid they had a fight” “Those three had more fights before.” Big Mac stated. “I know, but normally they’re mad for a few moments, and then they forget everything.” Applejack said. “Maybe I should talk to her” “Good morning,” Applebloom mumbled when she entered the room. “Good mornin’ sweetie.” Granny Smith said. Without any more words, Applebloom walked to the table and took a seat. She stared dreamingly to her empty plate. “You’re alright, sugarcube?” Applejack asked. Applebloom was too far in her thoughts to hear her big sister. “Applebloom?” Applejack placed her hoof on her shoulder. “Is there something wrong?” Applebloom woke up from her dream and shook her head. “Euhm… no, everything is fine.” She said weakly, and she forced a smile. And she continued staring at her empty plate. “Want some bread?” Big Mac asked. “Hmm?” Applebloom mumbled. “Applebloom” said Applejack, and she grabbed the little filly by her shoulder again. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” Applebloom lied. “Tell me.” Applejack insisted “I… It’s just… euhm…” Applebloom scratched the back of her head nervously. “I was working on a new dance, and Scootaloo helped me out. She was really good, and it was kind, but then we I fell on her, and I stared in her eyes, and …” Applebloom stopped and blushed a bit “I mean,” she looked around to hide her blush “Euhm… she helped me so much, that it’s not my dance anymore. And I wanted it to be mine.” “Is that all?” Applejack asked. “Y.. yeah,” Applebloom nodded. “I’m thinking how to improve it, so it’ll be my dance.” “Well, you have whole day,” Applejack said. “Try to forget it for a moment, and maybe you figure something out later.” Applebloom forced a little smile. “Okay” ***** Applebloom and Sweetie Belle arrived in their tree house. They both took a seat across each other. “Now tell me, what’s going on?” Sweetie Belle said, sounding a bit annoyed. “Fine,” Applebloom sighed. “You thought me and Scoots would meet up for a prank, well, it wasn’t for a prank.” “Okay, so?” Sweetie Belle asked, impatient. “You see, a week ago, me and Scootaloo had a talk.” Applebloom continued. “You two talk a lot. I know that. We talk a lot too.” Sweetie Belle said. “So what’s the big deal about it?” “Well…” Applebloom stood up and she trotted nervously around. “I… I have a crush on Scootaloo” “What?” Sweetiebelle asked, astonished. “We planned to date, here in our tree house. But she didn’t come” Applebloom wiped her tears. “You and Scootaloo…”Sweetie Belle asked again. “And she wanted to give me a chance, this isn’t the first date, you know? We had two dates before!” Applebloom trotted circles and started to rage. “Two dates…” Sweetie Belle sat on the ground, staring in front of her. “And she was on time. Every time again.” Applebloom teared up. “She was there for me. She can’t leave me without no good reason.” “So, Scootaloo loved you back?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I guess so,” Applebloom sighed. She placed her hoofs on the windowsill “She never really said she liked me, but we did have some mushy moments.” “Mushy?” Sweetie Belle looked surprised. “Scootaloo?” “What’s that?” Applebloom asked and she stared outside. “Euhm… impossible?” Sweetie Belle said. “No, no. not that, that.” She pointed at a near bush, with a small, shimmering dot under it. “Don’t change subject now!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “You’re in love with Scootaloo, and you didn’t tell me?” Applebloom ignored her friend and walked outside, toward the shimmering dot. “Come back here!” Sweetie Belle said. “Tell me, since when did you two date?” Applebloom grabbed the shimmering thing of the ground. “It’s a pearl.” she mumbled “A purple pearl…” Sweetie Belle ran outside, and stood next to Applebloom. “Stop ignoring me! Tell me, why didn’t you say anything?” “Do you know what this is?” Applebloom showed the pearl to her friend. “Euhm, yes, it looks like it’s from a crown or a tiara, but THAT’S NOT THE POINT!!!” Sweetie Belle raged. “Tiara?” Applebloom spread her eyes wide “Diamond Tiara!” “What? Did she know about this?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Why can she knows about this, and I don’t?” “She doesn’t know, I hope” Applebloom had a worried look on her face. “We need to find Scootaloo. Now!” “First, you tell me everything!” Sweetie Belle insisted. Applebloom turned to her unicorn friend “Please… I’ll tell you everything when Scootaloo is here too. “But please… help me to find her.” “Promise?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Promise,” Applebloom sighed, and she looked at her hoofs. “Okay then,” Sweetie Belle said., and she grabbed the little pearl. “This does seems like it’s from Diamond Tiaras diadem, but why would it be here?” “I don’t know,” Applebloom said. “She never gets around our tree house.” “And how did she lose it? According to her, it’s a real expensive crown.” Sweetie Belle thought out loud. “I don’t know… maybe it fell of her head?” said Applebloom. “What’s that?” Sweetie Belle dug in the bush “What’s what?” Applebloom asked. “An orange feather.” Sweetie Belle held the feather in her mouth. “It’s from Scootaloo!” Applebloom exclaimed. “I figured that out too,” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Do you think that Diamond Tiara kidnapped Scootaloo?” Applebloom asked. “I don’t really think she would do that. She’s a bully, true, but kidnapping?” Sweetie Belle answered. “That’s a bit much, don’t you think?” “I think we should at least check it.” Applebloom said. “It’s our only clue.” “Fine. We will go To Diamond Tiara.” Sweetie Belle said. ***** “NO!” Scootaloo raged. “Why do you have such a sick mind? Applebloom is a girl, and I am a girl! No! we’re just friends!” Diamond Tiara flicked off the recorder. “You still want to deny it?” She sighed. “I know you and Applebloom are together, and as long as it’ proven you’re not, I’ll find a way to prove it!” “Fine!” Scootaloo tried to break out again, but failed. “Can I please go now?” “NO!” Tiara yelled. “Not until I proved you have a crush on Applebloom!” and she put away the recorder. “I don’t have a crush on her!” Scootaloo yelled. “Pictures don’t lie, Scootaloo,” Tiara showed those pictures again. “But I just need you, telling the truth to write this article!” She walked nervously around. “OH, NOW YOU WANT THE TRUTH AND NOt GOSSIP!?” the orange Pegasus raged. “BECAUSE I HAVE TO!” Diamond Tiara. “I talked to with the Director of Ponyville’s newspaper. He is interested in this news. But he wants me to prove it, and if I can prove it, he’ll make me a journalist. And once I’m old enough, I’ll be the new director. My dad helped me to fix that.” “Of course he did,” Scootaloo mumbled. “When some ponies work hard, you just get it.” “Because I deserve it!” Diamond Tiara yelled. And she slammed on the table. “Now, tell me you’re in love with Applebloom!” “NO!!!” Scootaloo yelled. “Was that a no on the ‘you’re in love’ or a no for telling the truth?” Tiara asked. And she took a seat in front of her hostage. “Euhm…” Scootaloo doubted. “Both.” “So you say you’re not in love, and that you don’t tell the truth?” Tiara smirked. “What?” Scootaloo cocked an eyebrow. She thought of what she just said. “That means you are in love!” Tiara exclaimed. “I knew it!” And she slammed on the table. “What? N-no!” she did another attempt to wrestle herself free. “I don’t love Applebloom!” Diamond Tiara got up from her chair. “Then you leave me no choice,” She walked to a closet behind her. “I thought you would be easier,” She opened a drawer “But apparently, I underestimated you. Such a pity.” “What are you gonna do?” Scootaloo asked anxiously. She heard the sound of iron chains. “Tiara?” “You leave me now choice, Scootaloo.” The weak light of the candles gave Tiara a grim look. “I must make you a bit more… talkative.”