“Oh Come on!”
“Ah never knew you felt this way Scoot.” Applejack said as she slowly came closer to Scootaloo’s lips.
“A..a..plejack this is wrong.” Scootaloo hesitantly said. How did this happen, how did she even get here. This wasn’t what she wanted, who she wanted, she wanted…
“But it feels so right.” Applejack said as she pulled Scootaloo in a passionate kiss. Slowly the country mare moved her hoof down towards Scootaloo’s….
The moonlight was seeping in through the window as Scootaloo opened her eyes. Scootaloo groaned, lately her dreams had been getting weirder and weirder. She’d have a little talk about that with a certain someone later. “Still night out.” She noted as she got up. Having lost any urge to go back to sleep she grabbed her jacket and decided to take a walk around town.
The party had been a blast. Twilight Sparkle had gotten so drunk she tried to kiss Spleen Ripper, much to the minotaur chagrin. Rainbow Dash and Rarity had tried to reenact certain scenes from the Daring Do radio program. And even Pinkie Pie seemed partied out by the end. Alcohol is a funny thing. Though Scootaloo had purposely gone easy on the booze, so she could at least be a little sober while reconnecting with her friends. Right before she left, she had agreed to meet Applebloom and Sweetie Belle for lunch the next morning before she had to leave.
Though the morning was still a few hours away. Scootaloo preferred the nights, they always seemed to make things clearer. Mornings were for sleeping anyway. She made her way through the empty streets of Ponyville not consciously aware of where she was going. Then she stopped, standing right in front of her on the edge of town, was an old and abandoned house, that had significant fire damage. Home.
The very sight of it was almost too much for Scoot. Tears were building up inside her as she slowly made her way to the front door. Slowly opening it, she walked inside. The living room was completely empty except for an old family photo and some stray graffiti. Her gaze turned to the photo, there she was little filly Scootaloo with her mom and her younger brother. The part where her dad should’ve stood was cut out. As Scootaloo’s mom had done so long ago, right before she met ‘new daddy’. The buck didn’t last long though, who could with a mare like her mom.
“Stupid Cunt.” Scootaloo said to the Picture. Then she turned her gaze towards the image of her younger brother. “Damn it, it should’ve been me, not you…I miss you.” She couldn’t take looking at this picture anymore and walked away. She moved through the house and opened another door. Revealing a wall behind it with the words ‘Fuck you!” painted on it. ‘Charming’ Scootaloo thought as she walked towards her old room.
Just as the others, this room was empty. But Scootaloo didn’t care. Because what she was looking for was still there, hidden behind a loose floorboard. Her old journal, and her most prised possession. And old picture of her and her fellow crusaders. She grabbed the picture a sad smile curling on her lips. She flipped it to reveal it’s backside. On it was a small heart, written in the middle was the word ‘Sweetie’. She folded the picture and put it back in her journal, which in turn was placed in her pocket.
Sweetie Belle couldn’t sleep, she didn’t know why but something was keeping her away. She had enjoyed the party, a welcome break from the life of an entertainer. But she had the feeling like she forgot to do something important. She groaned as she got up, and turned on the Radio.
You are listening to the Adventures of Daring Do, and her stalwart foxy mareservant ‘Bayou Beauty’. Tonight’s episode: Daring Do ‘and the lost Zebra City.’ “Nice one Bayou, those Zebra Cultists will never track us now.” “It’s the old Appleloosa Stampede boss.” “Where would I be without you Bayou.” “Honestly Daring you’d probably be dead in some ruin.” “Yeah? Well…”
“Bleh” Sweetie switched off the Radio. She had already seen Rarity and Rainbow reenact this particular scene earlier this night. “The way they were at it you’d say they were a couple.” She thought, to herself. “Wait..what if? Nah.” The very idea seemed silly.
The sun was still an hour or so away so Sweetie decided to take a walk and maybe get a glimpse of the sunrise. She loved this time of day, the twilight before dawn. It’s like a deep inhale right before waking up. “Oh that sounds good, I could put that in a song.” She mused to herself while her feet were taking her further and further away from her sister’s home.
Slowly she walked towards Sweet Apple Acres stopping when she realized where she had been going. The old Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse. She walked inside it was dark inside but the place haden’t changed one bit. Almost as if Applebloom herself had kept it this way all these years.
“Can’t sleep?” Scootaloo said sitting against a wall hidden by the darkness.
“Yeah, you neither?” Sweetie asked as she sat down besides the Pegasus.
“Bad dreams.” Scootaloo said, which caused a concerned look from Sweetie Belle. “Whiskey?” Scootaloo asked as she got a bottle that had been hidden away in her pocket.
“Where did you get this?” Sweetie asked as she grabbed the bottle and took a zip.
“My mom’s old room.” Scootaloo said. “Went by the old place. Surprised they haven’t broke it down yet.”
“That’s because you technically still own it Scootaloo.” Sweetie sighed. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine Sweetie Belle, I’m a grown mare.” Scootaloo angrily replied.
“Oh, okay.” Sweetie Belle said as her face dropped.
Scootaloo sighed, why was she so bitchy against Sweetie? “Look Sweetie Belle I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“No it’s not, I shouldn’t have replied like that. The truth is…the truth is, I’m not alright Sweetie. Luna damn it I’m not fine.” Scootaloo started to tear up.
Sweetie laced her hoof on Scoots shoulder. “It’s fine Scoot, you can tell me.”
When Scootaloo looked in those eyes she just cracked. She started talking and didn’t stop. She told Sweetie Belle about the failed fliers competition. How her life had been after she was forced to leave Ponyville how she had a crappy as a commercial skywriter. There was a lot she didn’t talk about, couldn’t talk about. But just having someone to talk to was nice, real nice. And Sweetie in turn talked to Scoot about her life, about her manager, about the feeling of loneliness she just couldn’t shake. About how after the Cutiemark Crusaders split up she had missed a kind of purpose in live.
“It’s like my Cutiemark took away that what made me special. You, and Applebloom.” Sweetie Belle sighed. Scootaloo just hugged her.
“I know that feel.” She softly said.
“I missed you so much.” Sweetie Belle said as she moved closer to Scootaloo. “I missed you too.” Scootaloo said as she turned her muzzle towards Sweetie Belle. “Hey Sweetie?” She said a mere inch away from Sweetie’s lips.
“Yeah?” Sweetie whisperd.
“You have something stuck in your teeth.”
“Oh thanks.” Sweetie said as she plucked whatever it was out with her hoof.
Sunrise. Slowly Ponyville was waking up. Scootaloo already spotted Big Macintosh awake and at work, and the paper was being delivered as she walked though town. Arriving at the tavern she picked up a paper.
The front page was some stupid article about a change in Zebra politics. She flipped through it a bit when a headline made her stop. ‘Fashion Designer’s dirty little Secret.’ With what looked like a candid picture off Rarity and Sweetie Belle above it. Scootaloo started to read the article.
“Well shit.” She said as she finished the article.
In the distance a scream could be heard meaning a certain unicorn had just found the morning paper.