Apple Bloom leaned against the doorframe of the clubhouse with a look on her face that was a mix of impatience and defeat. She had been waiting here for what felt like hours, keeping an eye on the horizon for any signs of Rumble's arrival. As the sun slowly crept across the skies overhead, the day slowly coming to a close, she let out a sigh as she trotted down the ramp and headed for home, her ears lying flat against her head.
"Ah don't get it," she said aloud. "There's gotta be a reason why he didn't show up. Sure, he might've gotten lost, but ah'm sure Sweetie would've helped him find the way here."
She let out another sigh as she hung her head. "Maybe he knew that it was me and chose not ta come. Maybe he doesn't like me, but somepony else instead. What could've possibly gone wrong?"
Then, a familiar sound of galloping hoof-steps made her ears perk up, as well as her spirit. Lifting up her head to see who it was, a hopeful smile came across her face. However, it slowly turned to a look of confusion as she recognized Scootaloo, running faster than she ever thought possible. She was going so fast that she didn't have a chance to open her mouth to ask what was wrong before she was already past her, heading for the clubhouse.
"What the hay?" Apple Bloom asked as she looked in the direction her friend had just gone. She took a few steps in her direction before stopping, the sound of more approaching hoof-steps making her turn around again.
This time it was Sweetie Belle galloping towards her, not as fast as Scootaloo, but as fast as the filly could muster. She was able to open her mouth to ask what was going on this time, but quickly silenced herself when she saw the red puffy eyes she had, clearly the results of crying.
"Where is she?" Sweetie asked, huffing from both crying and being out of breath. "Where's Scootaloo?"
"She went that-a way," Apple Bloom answered, pointing towards the clubhouse. "Sweetie Belle, what's goin' on? Where's Rumble?"
"No time to explain," she answered as she began galloping again. "I have to talk to Scootaloo!"
With that, she headed towards the clubhouse as fast as she could. A worried look on her face, Apple Bloom began following her. Since the clubhouse wasn't that far away, she managed to get there in a jiffy. However, her heart began to race as she trotted up the ramp and heard the two of them arguing with each other.
"Go away, Sweetie Belle!"
"Scootaloo, please let me explain!"
"I don't wanna hear it, so go away!"
What's goin' on with them? Apple Bloom thought, entering the clubhouse to see the two of them on opposite sides of the room. Although they both had tears in their eyes, Sweetie Belle looked like she was upset while Scootaloo looked outraged.
"Scoots, please," Sweetie Belle pleaded. "Just listen to me!"
"Why, so you can lie to me some more?" Scootaloo asked as she wiped her eyes.
"I'd never lie, to you or anypony else!"
"What in tarnation is goin' on?" Apple Bloom asked, stopping the two of them, if only for a moment.
"Why don't you tell her, Sweetie Belle?" prompted Scootaloo, not taking her eyes off her as she pointed a hoof in Apple Bloom's direction. "Why don't you tell her all about you and Rumble?"
A moment of silence followed as they waited for Sweetie Belle to say something. Lowering her head and shifting her eyes, Sweetie bit her lower lip as she felt the weight of both their eyes glaring down on her.
Eventually, Apple Bloom broke the silence. "Sweetie, what is she talkin' 'bout?"
"Nothing!" she exclaimed. "She's got it all wrong!"
"Do I?" Scootaloo shot back. "I heard and saw everything, Sweetie Belle! You and Rumble are really close, aren't you?"
"No, were not! It's all a misunderstanding!"
"Just admit it: you love Rumble!"
"WHAT!?" Apple Bloom shrieked, her eyes becoming pinpoints.
"No! I don't!" she protested as fresh tears streamed down her face. "I mean, I thought I did, but I don't!"
"If you don't love him, why did you take that necklace he gave you?" Scootaloo asked as she pointed at her neck.
Slowly, Apple Bloom lowered her eyes to Sweetie's neck to see the silver, diamond-studded necklace she was now wearing. Instantly, a saddened expression fell upon her face as her heart began pumping fast.
"He got that fer ya?" she asked, her voice almost in a whisper.
Sweetie Belle put a hoof over it, as if she was trying to hide if from her. Slowly and softly, she replied, "Y-Yes, he did."
Apple Bloom sat on her haunches as everything started falling into place. "So...yer the pony he has a crush on?" she asked, almost to herself than either of them.
Unfortunately, Scootaloo heard and answered her question. "Crush? Ha! It's much more than a crush! You should have seen the way they were looking into each other's eyes just before they kissed each other!
"YOU KISSED HIM?" she yelled, standing up on all fours again.
"No!" she said at first. "I mean, yes...but...I didn't..."
"First he kissed her," Scootaloo interrupted. "Then she kissed him! Go on, Sweetie, tell her all about it! Tell her how you looked each other in the eyes all lovey-dovey before lip-locking!"
"You...you did...twice?" Apple Bloom asked, her heart sinking deeper than she thought imaginable.
"Well..." Sweetie said. "Kinda...I didn't mean to...I just..."
"But...ya knew ah liked him. Ah told ya ah did."
The statement took Scootaloo by surprise, making her flinch. "Wait...you liked Rumble?"
Realizing that the kitten was out of the bag now, Apple Bloom nodded and said, "Yeah...ah did."
Scootaloo broke out in a fake laugh. "Well, isn't this a nice surprise? Not only did you betray me, but you betrayed Apple Bloom, too!"
"I didn't betray anyone! Honest!" Sweetie protested, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Give me a break!" Scootaloo said. "You think I'm blind or something? You think I didn't notice you two from the start? You've had your eye on him ever since he became a Crusader! Just admit it!"
"No! Why would you think..?"
"Because you've been making excuses to see him, that's why! It was you all along!"
"WHAT?" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shouted in unison, both of them shocked at her accusation.
"Don't act so surprised!" she continued. "You're the one who wanted him to become a Crusader! You're the one who brought him with us when we were supposed to be alone together! You're the one who ditched me for him! You're the one who kissed him! It's all your fault!"
The room fell silent as they allowed her words to soak in. Thinking about everything Scootaloo had said, mixed with everything that had happened within the past few days till now, Apple Bloom began piecing together everything, coming to a conclusion that made tears well up in her eyes.
"So that's why you're eager fer me ta do this ridiculous plan of yers," Apple Bloom said, the tears starting to stream down her cheeks. "Ya wanted me outta the way so you can take him fer yerself!"
"No!" she said. "I wouldn't..."
Interrupting her, Apple Bloom yelled out, "Some friend you are!"
With that, she ran out of the clubhouse, tears pouring out of her eyes as she headed back to her home. Quickly, Sweetie Belle got up to try and go after her, but she remained where she was; she had to deal with Scootaloo first.
"All this time, I thought it was Rarity who was trying to come between us," Scootaloo said through gritted teeth, her head turned away from Sweetie Belle. "I should have known that it wasn't her...it was you!"
"You're wrong!" Sweetie shouted. "Why won't you listen to me?"
"Because that's why all of this is happening! All I've ever done was listen to you! All I've ever done was forgive you, and all you've done is lie to me! Well, I'm not listening to you anymore!"
Sweetie Belle began furrowing her eyebrows as anger began overtaking her sadness, though her tears remained. Scootaloo was outright ignoring her, denying her the chance to explain her actions while throwing wild accusations at her.
"Well...maybe that's the problem!" she said. "You never listen when I need you to!"
"Don't try to turn this on me," Scootaloo said, looking at her from the side. "Besides, I've already seen everything I had to see! Give me one good reason why I should listen to anything you say?"
"Because you don't understand!"
"I understand everything!" she retorted, stomping her forehooves on the ground. "You're nothing but a two-timing, backstabbing, traitor!"
Sweetie Belle was taken aback by her words, but only for a second. "Well, at least I'm not a...a...a non-listening jerk like you!"
"HA! What’s the matter, Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo asked as her voice changed into a mocking tone. "You too busy thinking about your sweet, little colt-friend to come up with a come-back?"
"He's not my colt-friend, but if he was, he'd be a much better pony to be with than you!" she shot back.
"Oh yeah? If he's so much better than me, then why don't you go be with him, then?"
It was then that Sweetie lashed out without even thinking about it. "M-Maybe I will! At least he'll listen to me when I need him to, unlike you...you...stupid, flightless chicken!"
The look on Scootaloo's face was all she needed to see in order to put her hooves over her mouth, eyes as wide as anything. Silence dawned on them again as the extremely hurtful words hit Scootaloo, making her clutch her wings closely at her side. Turning her back on her, she squeezed her eyes shut as she tried desperately to stop herself from crying uncontrollably. Sure, she had been called these names from foals in the past, but what made it hurt the most was that it came from Sweetie Belle; she was one of the few ponies that would never throw that in her face.
Instantly, all the rage within Sweetie Belle was gone; she had never seen Scootaloo like this before in her entire life. Tears fell down her cheeks as she watched her friend, trying to maintain her tough exterior and failing immensely. There was a line in the sand and she had just crossed it.
"Scootaloo," she said in a soft whisper. "I'm sorry."
Sniffling, Scootaloo straightened her composure when she was confident she wasn't going to break down. Her voice as soft as Sweetie Belle's, she said, "No, Sweetie, I'm the one who should be sorry...sorry I ever thought the two of us would work out. I hope you're happy because this...this is over."
The words hit Sweetie Belle like a ton of bricks as they replayed in her head like a scratched record. Just the idea of their relationship ending was more than she could bear. As she watched her trotting towards the door, she realized that Scootaloo was right; she didn't have to go with Rumble, she didn't have to listen to Rarity, she didn't have to kiss him a second time. Whether she wanted to believe it or not, it was all her fault.
"Scootaloo, I'm sorry!" she tried again, as if those words could take back everything that had happened.
She didn't answer as she continued trotting out the door and down the ramp. Her head was held up, though her gaze was on the ground with her eyebrows furrowed. Standing in the door, Sweetie Belle watched as she continued trotting away, not speeding up or slowing down. Just by her stride, she could tell that she had really hurt her badly.
Trotting behind her, Sweetie said, "Scoots, please! I didn't mean to..."
"Don't you get it," Scootaloo snapped, turning her head to look at her but not stopping her trot. "I don't want to see you anymore. We're finished!"
With those final words, Sweetie stopped her trotting. Then, she sat on her haunches as she watched her friend trot out of her life forever, leaving her to do nothing but cry.
The journey back to the Carousel Boutique was one of the most painful experiences Sweetie Belle had ever felt in her life. All the way, her mind kept trying to wrap around everything that happened and how it was all blown to pieces. Tears slowly streamed down her face as she made it to the front door of her home, not even bothering to look up as she entered the store and slowly bee-lined towards the stairs. She heard Rarity talking with somepony, who she recognized as Twilight Sparkle, but even that didn't make her head rise.
"Don't get me wrong, darling," Rarity said. "While your Gala dress is gorgeous and would suffice, one shouldn't be afraid to change her style now and again. A new dress is just the thing you need to make everypony see how ravishing you are."
"You really think so?" Twilight asked.
"I know so."
The two of them stopped talking when they spotted Sweetie Belle trotting in, a look on her face that clearly said she was upset. Offering each other a look, Twilight tilted her head towards the filly, prompting Rarity to find out what was wrong.
Nodding, Rarity began following her as she trotted up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her. Softly, she knocked on the door, waiting for a response that never came. Then, taking a deep breath, she opened the door to find Sweetie Belle lying on her bed, curled up in a ball while hugging one of her pillows. Looking at her for a few moments, the sound of her sniffling was all the proof she need to conclude that she was upset.
"Sweet'ums?" she asked softly as she entered the room, closing the door behind her. "Whatever's the matter?"
"It's nothing, honest," she answered in a whisper.
Rarity let out a huff; this felt very familiar and she wasn't going to put up with it again. "Sweetie, don't do this to me again," she said. "I know something is bothering you, so please tell me what is so I can help you."
She trotted over to the side of Sweetie Belle's bed, a worried look on her face. A feeling of familiarity still upon her, Rarity tried to lighten the mood by asking, "Having trouble with 'Scott' again?"
Rarity forced out a laugh, hoping it would make Sweetie Belle smile. Unfortunately, it did little to bring her spirits up. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at herself; she was no Pinkie Pie, but at least she tried.
"Come on, Sweetie," she said reassuringly. "Tell me what's wrong."
Hugging her pillow tighter, Sweetie sniffled again and softly said, "Scootaloo..."
"Yes?" she asked, leaning in to hear her better.
"She...she..."
"She what?"
Taking one last shaky breath, Sweetie said, "Scootaloo broke up with me."
The words made Rarity double back a few steps. "What? She broke up with you? Why?"
As best as she could, Sweetie began retelling what happened, from her and Rumble at the field to the spat at the clubhouse. As she spoke, Rarity felt everything begin to disappear; it was like she was sitting in an empty room with nothing but a single spotlight shining down on her.
Sweet Celestia, she thought as she felt tears beginning to well up. What have I done?
When she finished telling her story, Sweetie buried her face into her pillow, trying her best to muffle her crying. Immediately, Rarity shook her head out of her thoughts and trotted up to her, bringing her into a reassuring brace. The moment her hooves wrapped around her, Sweetie got up and held Rarity close, crying into her shoulder.
"There, there," she cooed. "Everything will be alright. I'm here, I'm here."
"It's all my fault," she said between her sniffles. "If I hadn't gotten so close to Rumble, none of this would be happening. I'm the worst pony in the world!"
No, I'm the worst pony in the world, she thought. All this is happening because of me. I guess I should have seen this coming. There's only one thing left to do. I do hope you understand and forgive me for this, Sweetie Belle, but I'm doing this because I love you.
"No, no, no," Rarity said aloud. "You're not the 'worst pony in the world', and neither is Scootaloo. You two...just...don't see things eye to eye like you used to. However, I do think it was rather rude of her to not give you a chance to justify your actions."
Her sister's silence prompted her to continue. "Maybe...in an odd sort of way...it's better that this happened."
Sweetie lifted her head and gave her a questioning look amidst her tears. "W-What do you mean?"
"Well...oh, how should one put this?" Rarity asked as she looked to the ceiling in fake thinking. "Maybe...you two have...you know...outgrown each other."
"Outgrown?" she asked as she freed herself from Rarity and sat on the bed. "What do you mean?"
She fiddled a hoof on her blanket, making tiny circles. "Well, did you ever think that...maybe...just maybe...your love for Scootaloo was...just a phase?"
"A...phase?"
Rarity nodded as she rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. "Everypony goes through certain phases in their lives; it's all a part of growing up and finding who you are."
"Like a Cutie Mark?" Sweetie asked.
"I suppose you can say that. You're at the age where you're still trying to find who you are and trying different things to see what you might like or dislike. Like your Cutie Mark, you and your friends try different things that might work, but when they don't, you try something else."
Sweetie looked at the ground as her eyes shifted back and forth, taking all of it in.
"It's possible your love for Scootaloo was a part of that," Rarity continued. "Maybe your love for Scootaloo was just you trying something new out to see if you liked it. Perhaps all of that has finally run its course, making you see that it was something you didn't like at all."
"I don't know," she said.
Rarity felt her heart start to pound harder. "Maybe it's time for you to move on from Scootaloo and try something new. Who knows? You might feel much happier if you found somepony else, like Rumble, for example. You two seem to like each other already, so there's no harm in trying."
Again, she looked at the ground in thought. Seeing this, Rarity brought her into an embrace again.
"Let's not worry about that now," she softly said. "For now, you should try and put all of this behind you and move on. I know you're feeling hurt now, but it'll be much better tomorrow, I promise."
"Thanks, sis," Sweetie said as she returned the gesture.
"No need to thank me, Sweet'ums," Rarity said softly. "That's what sisters are for."
With that, the two of them released their embrace and Rarity trotted out of the room, closing the door behind her. When she was certain she was out of earshot, Sweetie Belle let out a sigh as she rested her head on the pillow she was hugging moments before. As Rarity's works sunk in, what she had said many days ago began resurfacing into her head, making her heart start fluttering again.
Maybe Rarity was right all along, she thought. Maybe I'll be much happier if I was with a colt instead of a filly. Maybe my love for Scootaloo was all just a phase that has run its course. Maybe I should just put her behind me and move on.
A saddened look came across her face as she softly closed her eyes, a few more tears streaming down her cheeks. Although she was ready to try and move on, it still didn't take heartache of losing Scootaloo away.
Rarity trotted down the stairs to resume assisting Twilight with her outfit. When she reached the base of the stairs, she put a hoof over her mouth in an attempt to keep herself from crying.
Come now, Rarity. There's no reason to be upset, she thought as she wiped her eyes. Everything is going to be alright. She'll be much happier now, you'll see. Just try not to think about it now.
Taking a deep breath, she trotted into the showroom where Twilight was and put on a pseudo smile.
"Is everything alright?" Twilight asked. "How's Sweetie Belle?"
"She'll be fine," Rarity said. "She's just...having trouble with Scootaloo. Everything is fine now. Now, where were we?"
As she began sorting through a few outfits for Twilight to try, the thought of her planting the seed of doubt in Sweetie's head began running laps around her brain, making it hard to concentrate. Unfortunately, her inability to focus didn't go unnoticed.
"Are you sure everything is alright?" Twilight asked. "You seem a little...rattled."
Letting out a sigh, Rarity lowered her head and asked, "Twilight, can I ask you something?"
"Of course," she answered, sitting on her haunches.
"Do you know what the worst part about having a bad idea and a horrible plan is?"
Tilting her head and raising an eyebrow at her strange question, Twilight replied, "No...I don't. What is it?"
A single tear streaming out of the corner of her eye, Rarity gave her the answer in a voice barely above a whisper, the cold-hearted truth sinking in as she spoke each word:
"When that bad idea and horrible plan...actually works."