Treasured Moon & Stars: Vol. 2 Treasures From Mirrors

by TigerSwirl448

Chapter 9.5: Intermission

Chapter 9.5
Intermission

Scootaloo sighed with annoyance. She had been stuck in the bland room ever since the crew was captured by the zebras. She still shook from when the zebra's had ambushed them, not from fear of the zebras but from the memories it had dredged up. She could see her time in the arena; ponies banging on the fences for her to end the life of her opponent, a former friend that now had to kill her. She could hear her other friends screaming for her to fight back, to survive.

Scootaloo shook her head getting rid of the memory. Because of that night, the times of the arena came back. It was harder trying to figure out where her friends were. Was Derpy alright? What of Spike? Or even worse ... Where was Vinyl?

"Vinyl," Scootaloo whispered sadly rolling to her side to stare at the dirt wall. For the first time in a long time Scootaloo felt lost. Without Vinyl around things have been hard on her. Vinyl was sick and hurt before but she hadn't woken up this time. Even stranger, Scootaloo wondered how Vinyl lived this long.

Scootaloo heard coughing and turned over back to her back to look over at the other side of the room to see Sweetie Belle sniffling, rubbing her nose with a slight whimper.

"Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo whispered. When Sweetie Belle didn't answer Scootaloo called out to her again.

"Huh?" Sweetie Belle asked looking over to see Scootaloo sitting up on her haunches propping her hands behind her.

"Are you alright?" Scootaloo asked curiously.

Sweetie Belle nodded sniffling, rubbing her running nose. Her eyes were red from crying.

"Are you sure?" Scootaloo asked softly.

"I'm fine." Sweetie Belle whimpered sniffling.

The two heard footsteps and looked up to see Apple Bloom walk into the room fixing her trousers with a tired look on her face. She stopped seeing her two friends looking at her.

"Um, howdy?" Apple Bloom asked nervously. "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

"Where have you been?" Scootaloo scolded.

Apple Bloom glared at her. "I had to use the filly’s room." She said blushing a touch with a glare at the pegasus. "I got lost finding the right tunnel. This place is confusing." Apple Bloom complained walking over to her sleeping pad and sat down with her back against the wall.

Scootaloo remained silent shaking her head. Apple Bloom looked to Scootaloo with a glare.

"What's wrong with you?" Apple Bloom asked irritated.

Scootaloo looked to her with a glare. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been a rotting hayseed ever since we came here. And now that we were given this room to sleep in and given free reign, you're still acting like a sour apple."

Scootaloo glared at the earth pony. "It's none of your damn business."

Sweetie Belle sniffled seeing her friends starting another argument. Ever since they've been on Everfree, Scootaloo had been acting mean and angry and Apple Bloom was starting to get tired of it. These two had been butting heads and it was starting to hurt Sweetie Belle more.

"Why can't you two stop fighting?" Sweetie Belle screamed out silencing the arguing pair. The two turned to Sweetie Belle seeing her cry. "You two are friends! Why are you two acting so mean to each other?” She blubbered hiding her face in her hands. Apple Bloom's ears went flat on her head with shame. Scootaloo turned away and glared at the floor.

"Sorry, Sweetie Belle." Apple Bloom said shamefully. Apple Bloom looked to Scootaloo to see her silent. She poked Scootaloo on the shoulder causing her to turn to her. Apple Bloom pointed to Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo snorted and stood up leaving the fillies in the room.

Apple Bloom glared at the pegasus shaking her head. "What's up with her anyway? She's been acting like a ... Whatever." Apple Bloom snarled laying down on the pad then pulling her blanket over her shoulder.

Sweetie Belle sniffed as she stood up and left the room to look for Scootaloo.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Scootaloo was sitting on the stairs leading to the surface, she turned to see the zebra guards guarding the top of the stairs, preventing anypony from getting out. Sweetie Belle peeked out from the corner to see Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle sighed then walked over. Scootaloo looked up seeing her walk over.

“What?” Scootaloo grouched. Sweetie Belle shrugged as she sat down beside her with a sigh. For a long moment they sat there in silence.

“Scoots?”

“What?”

“Why are you so angry all the time?” Sweetie belle asked with sadness.

Scootaloo shrugged, not saying a word. Sweetie Belle was silent too, thinking.

“I’m worried about you two.” Sweetie Belle whispered. Scootaloo turned to her to see her with her head bowed low. “We were so close …”

Scootaloo sighed thinking. “Just things are going on right now alright?”

“Like what? Vinyl being sick, Octavia always with her, Rainbow Dash being locked up or something.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Things are just unsettling. Nothing makes sense anymore.”

Sweetie Belle nodded trying to think of something to say. She knew Apple Bloom and Scootaloo experienced so much more than her in their lives. So trying to think of the bright side of a situation she probably didn’t understand was hard. Sweetie Belle wrapped her arm around Scootaloo hugging her. Scootaloo blushed with a look of shock on her face feeling Sweetie Belle rub her back. Scootaloo slowly wrapped her arms around Sweetie Belle hugging her back. After a long moment Scootaloo pulled away with a small smile and a blush.

“Feel better?” Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo nodded.

“Yeah, sort of.” Scootaloo whispered turning away looking at the tunnel ahead of them. Sweetie Belle nodded.

“Anything I can do to make you feel better?”

Scootaloo looked at her for a long moment then sighed. “No, nothing.” After another short moment Scootaloo cleared her throat. “Thanks.” Sweetie Belle smiled.

“You’re welcome.”

Scootaloo stood up then headed back to the tunnel. “You coming?”

Sweetie Belle stood up and ran to catch up to her. “Will you and Apple Bloom talk? Apologize?”

Scootaloo sighed. “Fine, I’ll talk to her.”

Sweetie Belle squeed skipping ahead of the Pegasus. Scootaloo watched the naïve girl skip along and couldn’t help but smile. Sweetie Belle was some filly. She lived a peaceful and protective life compared to her own. While Scootaloo had lived in a slavery cell, Sweetie Belle had lived in some house with a family. Scootaloo’s family was the slaves that took care of her, like Vinyl.

Scootaloo stopped in her step seeing images of Vinyl hiding her from the guards to keep her from being thrown in the arena, trying to take care of her hurts, and even in some rare occasions Vinyl would sometimes hum a tune that only she knew to get her to fall asleep. Just thinking about Vinyl in the past made her worry for her now.

Sweetie Belle stopped her skipping realizing Scootaloo wasn’t behind her. She turned and walked back over to see Scootaloo standing in the hall looking down at her feet.

“Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle called walking over. When Scootaloo didn’t move the unicorn bent over and stretched her neck over to look up at Scootaloo’s eyes. “Are you alright?” she asked worriedly.

Scootaloo sniffed once using her sleeve to wipe her nose. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She grouched turning away. She couldn't let Apple Bloom see her like this! She turned around and walked away. Sweetie Belle gasped and ran after her.

“Wait, aren’t you going to talk to Apple Bloom?”

“Later.” Scootaloo snapped marching away leaving Sweetie Belle alone.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

When dinner was served for everyone, Scootaloo sat on the floor with her back against the wall watching Octavia gather two bowls of the soupy barley stuff that Zebras eat for food and went to the medical caverns where Vinyl was. Scootaloo gulped hard turning away feeling fear and regret. She should be there with Vinyl, too! But she was scared of going in there. She had seen Vinyl at her worst before in the slave arena and it just made her sick in her stomach seeing somepony she cared about being in that much pain or close to dying.

“Hey there little one.” Scootaloo gasped then looked up seeing Applejack looking down at her. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle?”

Scootaloo blushed turning away. Applejack blinked seeing the response and sat down with a wince holding her knee as she sat down next to her. Scootaloo turned to her with surprise.

“What’s the matter?” Applejack said exhaling with relief after straightening her leg.

“Nothing’s the matter.” Scootaloo lied with a shameful blush.

“No fibbing now.” Applejack said with a smile. Scootaloo turned to her. “I wasn’t granted the Element of Honesty for nothin’. So go on and tell me, what’s eating you?”

Scootaloo thought for a moment then sighed rubbing her head. “Things are hard.” She said with sadness. “With Vinyl and everything and everypony is doing their own thing and not worried like I am.”

Applejack nodded. “Ah, you feel like you’re the only one worried sick?”

Scootaloo nodded hiking her legs up and wrapping her arms around her legs. “Vinyl was always there when I was hurt or sick. She never got sick, she was a brick wall and I always wanted to be strong like her.” Scootaloo paused turning away.

“Sugarcube, everyone is worried about Vinyl and I do admit I wish I had strength like hers again. Being old might have its pros but it also has way more cons.” She said rubbing her knee with a wince. “Like now my leg won’t stop aching and giving me pain now that I’m older.”

“What happened?” Scootaloo asked curious.

Applejack shrugged. “Meh, got caught under some rocks in the war and it busted my leg.” Scootaloo looked pale as Applejack smirked. “But it still works fine.”

Scootaloo shook her head feeling sick. “I get it.”

Applejack frowned watching her. “So, why aren’t you with the others?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Apple Bloom and I got into a fight. Sweetie Belle wants me to apologize but …”

Applejack smirked seeing the blush on Scootaloo’s face. “Let me guess, you’re too tough to apologize?”

Scootaloo buried her face into her knees.

“Scootaloo, being truthful here, I know how it feels to apologize to someone but being too prideful not to.” Scootaloo looked up at her. Applejack winked at her. “I was very prideful when I was younger and I didn’t want Rainbow Dash to be the hero when it was my plan all along. One day we got into a huge argument and well, I wasn’t going to apologize, even though I knew it was the right thing to do. It took Rarity slapping me a few times and telling me I was selfish to think of such things. So I finally swallowed my pride and apologized to her. Then the next day things were back to normal.”

Scootaloo blinked. “Rarity? Who’s Rarity?” She asked curiously.

Applejack blushed then sighed sadly, looking at her knee rubbing it tenderly. “My regret.” She whispered faintly before answering. “A friend.” She said louder. “An Element of Harmony.” Scootaloo blinked to realize Applejack looked sad remembering this one pony. After a while Scootaloo began to think.

The reason why she put off the apologies for so long was the fact she didn’t want Apple Bloom to think of her as weak. Back as a slave you had to show that you were tough; no tears, no regret, and no shame, nothing that proved you were weak.

Then she began to understand why things have turned bad. She didn’t want to show her friends her true feelings. Vinyl was hurt which was the source of her shame and anger. But being bitter was hurting not only Apple Bloom but Sweetie Belle too. Scootaloo gulped rubbing her arms remembering that chill she felt feeling Sweetie Belle’s arms around her

Sweetie Belle, perhaps she’ll be happy if she apologized.

“Thanks Applejack!” Scootaloo called and began her sprint to her room. Applejack blinked hearing the call and waved.

“Uh sure …” She whispered with a frown. She turned away and couldn’t stop thinking about the Element of Generosity.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Scootaloo ran to all the places she and her friends would go. She stopped to find Sweetie Belle sitting on the floor in the target practice room drawing designs in the dirt with her finger as Apple Bloom was firing a pistol trying to get better aim. Sweetie Belle looked up and gasped and stood up. Apple Bloom paused and turned to see Scootaloo walk into the room.

“Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo said worriedly "There is something I have to say to you.” She said quietly. Apple Bloom nodded sticking the pistol into the back of her pants like Applejack does and waited.

“Yeah?” She asked.

Scootaloo walked forward rubbing the back of her neck. I’m sorry if I was … snappy and being a bitch. It wasn’t fair.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t.” Apple Bloom said turning away thinking.

“Can we get back to the way it was. I don’t want our,” At this point Scootaloo turned to Sweetie Belle to see her stand up smiling excitedly. “Friendship to die off over something as little as me being upset.” Apple Bloom’s facade of being angry faltered as she began to smile turning back to her.

"I don't want it to die off either. You guys are the best friends I've ever had."

Scootaloo began to smile, "Can we start over? I mean, like before we got here?"

Apple Bloom smiled, "Yeah, we can start over."

Sweetie Belle rushed over to her two best friends, "Yay! Group hug!"

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

That night the crusaders were sleeping peacefully and happily, well on the exception of Scootaloo. She was still worried and sad over Vinyl and almost ruining their friendship over her pride. She stood up and tip-toed out of the room. Sweetie Belle stirred and turned to see Scootaloo leaving. Sweetie Belle turned to notice Apple Bloom snoring lightly in a deep sleep. Sweetie Belle got out of her blanket and followed Scootaloo out. She found her in the hall sitting down with a sigh.

“Are you okay?” Scootaloo jumped and turned to see it was Sweetie Belle.

“Damnit!” Scootaloo cursed in a whisper holding her chest feeling her heart pound a mile a minute. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!” She panted.

“Sorry.” Sweetie Belle said softly then walked over. “Why are you here?”

“Can’t sleep.” Scootaloo whispered rubbing her eyes.

“Why?” Sweetie Belle asked curiously.

Scootaloo was ready to say 'none of her business' then stopped remembering what Applejack had told her and what she realized. She gulped and turned to Sweetie Belle to see her looking at her with worry.

“I’m afraid.” She whispered. “I’m afraid of losing Vinyl.”

Sweetie belle wrapped her arms around Scootaloo her hugging her. “I’m worried about her too. But I’m sure Zecora and Fluttershy will take care of her.”

“I sure hope so.” Scootaloo whispered patting her hand feeling a blush. “Sweetie Belle.”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.” Scootaloo whispered smiling.

“For what?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“For making me realize what a friendship I have with you and Apple Bloom. I had to swallow my pride and turn off all that I was taught to apologize. Thanks for reminding me of that.” She said, even though Applejack helped her see it, it was Sweetie Belle that opened that door for her.

Sweetie Belle blushed and smiled bashfully. “Well it was nothing … I don’t like seeing my friends fight.” She paused scratching her cheek thinking. “And I don’t like seeing you so sad all the time.” Scootaloo noticed her deep blush saying that.

"I don't like seeing you sad either, Sweetie Belle."

"Then don't make me sad." Sweetie Belle said.

Scootaloo looked at Sweetie Belle with a blush, "I think I can do that, for you."

"Is that a deal?"

"Yeah, it's a deal."

"Come on then, let's go to bed."

Sweetie Belle grabbed Scootaloo's hand and they both stood up. They both made their way back to the room, hands intertwined the whole way.

Author's Note:

Finally, this is done. Co-wrote and edited by my bud, Xhoral1865.

Since the very beginning of posting this story up, people have been wanting a more positive chapter during the depressing ones. So the idea of making this chapter popped up.

We get to learn more about the CMC, maybe seeing something between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle ... maybe? Anyway more stuff coming very soon. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Comments

[Kenshinryuu]

Cute chapter, glad to see the Crusaders getting some time in the spotlight.