An Enthusiastic Admirer

by Eyeswirl the Weirded

Bonus #1: Side-Tracked!

When the smoke of Trixie's departure was clear, Pinkie turned to the band of fillies she'd gone looking for after the guest of honor arrived. "Hey, you guys missed pretty much the whole party. What were you up to, anyway?"

Sweetie Belle smiled a little. "Just trying to slake Scootaloo's thirst for vengeance on a stallion that did nothing to her, personally."

"It's JUSTICE," amended the vengeful little daredevil, "on a VILE CRIMINAL that assaulted Rainbow Dash!"

Apple Bloom scratched her head. "Didn't Rainbow say nothin' happened b'tween her an' Mr. Armor?"

"She was-"

Sweetie Belle, with a look on her face suggesting she was anticipating Scootaloo's reaction with amusement, cut her off. "She said it very loudly, about four times."

Everypony that hadn't left a moment after Trixie looked to Scootaloo, whose eyes shifted back and forth. "It's... a secret...?"

"Not really," giggled Sweetie Belle, "but it is kindof a long story."

Those who hadn't left gathered around for a second round of flashback.

Apple Bloom put a hoof to her chin in recollection. "Well, Ah think it started this mornin'..."

---

"Ok," muttered a yellow, sticky filly, "climbin' up trees an' pickin' the apples right off 'em ain't faster than buckin'."

Scootalloo, equally covered in tree sap, tried to shake it off not unlike a dog would water, to no avail. "I guess we won't be getting apple-picking cutie marks. Which is fine with me, because climbing around trees sounds like something a monkey would do."

Sweetie Belle beamed. "Ooh, you know what else a monkey might do?"

Before the others could ask, she hurled herself to the floor, giggling and rolling around in the dirt and grass and leaves that had been knocked loose by their earlier efforts.

"Yer sister's gonna blow a gasket when she sees ya like that."

She stopped, but didn't get up. "Maybe, but is it really any worse than being dirty and sticky?"

Scootaloo smiled, an idea emerging in her head as she looked at Sweetie Belle. "Oh, I get it! Glitter doesn't stick where the glue is already covered, so," she began to roll around too, "we might as well try for a cutie mark in rolling!"

Apple Bloom, not sold on the idea, but happy to join in on the fun anyway, did just that.

---

The three of them stood covered in filth, looking like a trio of filly-shaped bushes.

Scootaloo grinned, ready to put her plan into action. "Ok, now that we look like this, we can-"

"Hey," interrupted Apple Bloom, turning about a little like a dog chasing it's tail, "Ah can't see mah flank with all this gunk in the way, how do we know we got our cutie marks?"

Sweetie nodded. "Yea, it won't make much difference if nopony knows we got them."

"Maybe, but we can still try for something else, right?"

"Rrrright?"
"Ah guess?"

The little pegasus beamed. "We can sneak around town disguised as bushes, and then-"

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, one of the few features visible under the layer of brownish green. "We tried that a few weeks back, remember?"

"Yea, but-"

Sweetie Belle inspected a hoof curiously. "I don't think we used tree sap that time, but I know we didn't get our cutie marks."

"Maybe, but-"

The young farmer started off towards the usual spot for tree-sap removal. "Yea, let's wash this stuff off, Ah think we got time for one more idea b'fore school starts."

Scootaloo sighed. She'd have to think of another way to spy on Shining Armor without getting noticed.

---

Clean and no longer risking Rarity's wrath, they decided on doing something with the apples they'd gathered during the first attempt. In this case: making a sculpture out of sliced up apples. The effort was mainly coordinated by Sweetie Belle.

"That one there... The big one here... A few more over... Done!"

The three of them stepped back to get a good look at their work.

Sweetie grinned proudly. "So, what do you think?"

Apple Bloom, who had trotted back to her room to grab a different bow after getting clean, scratched her head. "It's a... very nice lobster?"

"L-lobster?!"

Scootaloo nodded. "Yea. Why'd you want to make a lobster out of apples?"

Her face scrunched up. "It's not a lobster, it's Princess Celestia!"

"What?!"
"Huh?!"

She spent the next few minutes trying to explain that the crustacean's many legs were her mane, which she acknowledged was supposed to float, but apparently Celestia was supposed to be tired in this depiction. This also was meant to explain why she didn't seem to have a neck, she was laying down, the massive claws at the front the best fit Sweetie Belle could find for her "gold hoof-thingies".

Not sure what to do with the abomination, they opted to leave it on a plate on a stump until after school, later opting to bring it to Sugarcube Corner to be part of the snack table at the party Pinkie Pie was preparing.

---

The three of them stood behind Trixie as Pinkie did her usual thing, Scootaloo whispering to the others. "Ok, we got her here, anypony got a mark?"

"Nope."
"No."

"Alright, so no cutecenaras to plan for, now can we go back and see what that scumbag is up to? Three of his friends were there, so I'm sure he's planning something!"

Despite a shared eyeroll, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle complied, a faint hope of getting cutie marks in spying still in their hearts as much as the desire to help their feathered friend with her weird obsession.

"It is NOT an obsession!"

"Shh!"
"Shh!"

And so they searched...

Shining Armor is a crook!
He's the worst pony we could suffer!

It's for that evil stallion now we look,
Maybe now he's in this gutter...?

Buuuut,
He's not down low,
He's not up high...
I don't think, he could be in the sky!

Not in this chimney,
or flyin' a kite.

Maybe he's in a cottage,
With Fluttershy?

Just bears and a walrus.

Maybe that house?
Or in that prairie?

This basement?
That is WAY too scary!! That is WAY too scary!!

Not here!
Not there!
Not up!
Not down!
He must be hiding somewhere, in this town...!

Sigh! Sigh! Sigh!

I don't think we'll get this mission,
No matter where we look, he's hidden...

I really feel that at this rate,
his justice will come way too late,

Don't wanna quit and give up hope! Don't wanna quit and give up hope! Don't wanna quit and give up hope!

Hey, have we checked the library?

You know, now that you ask, I-

Nope!

They peeked in the library window.

We did it girls, we've found that scum!
Vengeance will be swift, and hearty!

Hey, where have you guys been? There's still plenty of cake left at the party!

---

Pinkie gasped in horror. "I interrupted a musical number?!"

Apple Bloom shrugged. "Nah, Ah think we were just about done anyway."

Those that had remained to hear the story mused to themselves that while shorter, Flashback #2 came with a catchy little song. Which one was the better story would be the subject of discourse among some citizens of Ponyville for days to come.

Author's Note:

Yes, a whole bonus chapter to justify a re-worded song from the show is a little indulgent.

I regret nothing!

Comments

[ShadowLDrago]

Pinkie gasped in horror. "I interrupted a musical number?!"
Apple Bloom shrugged. "Nah, Ah think we were just about done anyway."

Guess musical numbers are so commonplace that even little fillies just shrug them off.

I regret nothing!

Why should you? There's nothing to regret, this was a funny little slice of life chapter, I liked it.

[djthomp]

That was a fun little bonus, and it's nice to have gotten an explanation for the apple lobster.

[furryman]

They seek him here
They seek him there
Those damned ponies seek him everywhere
Is he in heaven or is he in the mud
That damned elusive Blueblood