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// Chapter 23 - Scootaloo's Birthday 
// Story: Roads of Life 
// by PonyWrites 
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        Scooter had insisted he was just fine without a birthday party, but Rainbow wanted the best for her brother. Everyone deserves a Pinkie-Party. It’s the most fun a being could possibly have in a day. And all things considered, it was no surprise he hadn’t had one. The last two were awful. The day she was kicked out of her house, and then the next one was spent in the hospital after her suicide attempt.  Scooter didn’t tell anyone, and her friends had respected that wish. They only found out when Reg told the family. Scooter was reading a book and generally enjoying himself. 
        Remembering the ground rules, Rainbow knocked on his brother’s door. She knew he was awake, it was nearly ten o’clock and they already had breakfast. Scooter was odd for a teenager and got up at six thirty each morning. Even on the weekends. Her brother let her enter. 
        “Hey champ. Wanna go get something at Sugar Cube Corner?”
        Scooter sighed, the proposition transparent enough. With an eyeroll he agreed. 

        Compared his lack of enthusiasm, the party itself was wonderful. Everyone Scooter knew was there (except his mother, who couldn’t be within a few football fields.) to celebrate another year of life and to wish the next one would be as good if not better. Scooter himself was definitely leaning toward better. This last year had been a mess. He could do without two/thirds of it. Sugar Cube Corner was decorated with purple and orange streamers and a huge banner that proudly said “HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY SCOOTER,” decorated with whatever Pinkie doodled. Rainbows and stars and hearts. Pinkie sprung from nowhere and started singing the birthday song, scooting a chair under him and sweeping him to the main table with the giant cake and presents. The audience joined in and clapped. This wasn’t normally his cup of tea, but the joy was infectious. The cake was excellent, the company even better. It looked like Sweetie and the other two members of the former harem were talking again. He wasn’t sure about what, but progress was progress. Scooter just wanted everyone to get along. After all, they’ve known each other for years. 
        The gifts ranged from fantastic to suitably hilarious. No pies were thrown in his face and he wasn’t bound again. So yeah, fantastic. He got all the parts for a super awesome new skateboard, including some new wheels that were shaped like a square and somehow made you go faster, according to Prism. His father changed his birth certificate to reflect accurately. He was ecstatic about that. 
        Applejack bought him a toolset. “Every boy needs one,” she said. Rainbow snickered at the unsaid joke and Scooter also laughed. The set was fantastic. The toolbox alone was wonderful, everything was so organized and had a proper place. The tools were high end too. Apple Bloom gave him a scrapbook of all their misadventures. He was grateful, he still couldn't fully remember half of them since that was during what he started calling “the dark times.”
        Rarity gave him five shirts, three over shirts, and two pairs of pants with a more masculine cut and coloration. To be fair, for the last couple months he basically declared “I’m a boy now,” but didn’t change his wardrobe. Really he barely needed to. 
        Sweetie pulled a box out from under her shirt. It spoke volumes that she was able to hide it under there. All things considered, the gift was tiny compared to the others. An onyx heart with a wrench insignia. It was obviously either custom made or custom ordered. Even though it was small in size, this is the gift that brought Scooter to tears. He held her close and gave her enough quick smooches she thought she might drown. “Onyx is supposed to be protective. Look on the back.” 
        Scooter grinned. His girlfriend was keeping notes on his favorite fantasy series. “Life Before Death. Strength Before Weakness. Journey Before Destination. ~~Your Shield.” It was just the right combination of goofy and sentimental -- the perfect compromise between them both. “You know, for all the times I can’t be there in person.” Sweetie whispered.
        “I’ve got your back, you’ve got mine.” Another line from the series. They momentarily forgot they were in public and kissed. LIke really, really kissed. It wasn’t rare for them to do but they usually didn’t when people could see them. The crowd cheered. Because Rainbow is Rainbow, the moment was interrupted with her shouting “Gaaaaaaaayyyyy.” 
        The sound faded as Applejack shut her up with a kiss of her own. And a slap. Finally Scooter had to come up for air. Sweetie could kiss to the end of the world. Her hobby of singing gave her a huge lung capacity. 
         It was a wonderful time. He should do this more often. To make things even better, Rumble and Apple Bloom rushed to hug the still-attached couple. “So you three have kissed and made up?”
        “Well, not kissed.” Apple Bloom giggled. 
        “But yeah, we’re cool again. Right?” Rumble asked.
        “Absolutely. I’ll try not to be a bootchy.”
        “I mean, I can’t even blame you. We basically violated our promise.” Apple Bloom excused.
        “Yeah, yeah, let’s go to the clubhouse and chill,” Scooter said as they started out the door. “And I mean chill. Unless you’re into that whole exposition thing.”
        “Nuh-uh.” Sweetie shut it down quickly.
        “I’m joking, I’m joking.” 
        “I know.”
        “Oh, hey, by the way, You get your test back?” Rumble used, using the euphemism they agreed upon. 
        “Haven’t taken it today but the last one was Monday and it failed.” Happy news for now. 

        Well, today had been going great. A wonderful party at the bakery and a lazy afternoon with his friends. Maybe birthdays weren't so bad. Scooter had just got back to the Dash household and decided now was as good a time as any to “take the test.”
        He expected the two lines he now saw to end the world. Bring his holy peace, manicured over the past year so that nothing could disturb it, crashing down. Well. He was expecting it, so maybe peace had already flown the coop. There was no earth-shattering gong. No boulder to crush her. There was nothing. And the absence of feeling was oddly welcomed. She could be having an anxiety attack. But he wasn’t. And that was much better. He tossed the stick in the trash. She knew what he had to do. He staggered to her room.
        And then the earthquake hit. There was no optimistic denial of the situation anymore.