Scootaloo leaned on the counter of Ponyville’s Post Office. She tapped a hoof against a little bell. “Hello? Service? I need a stamp, here.”
Featherweight came barreling out of the sorting room. He skidded to a stop, reached out a twig-like limb, and grasped his hat off a coat rack. He plopped it on his head while he polished his name badge. “Hi, Scootaloo. What can I do for you today?”
Scootaloo dropped her letter on the countertop. “Stamp. I need to mail this pronto.”
Featherweight picked up the letter. His wings spread out as his face scrunched up. “There are two pieces of paper in here.”
Scootaloo grimaced. “Don’t tell me you’re gonna charge me double for—”
“No, no, that’s not it. This is legal.” Featherweight eyed the envelope. “It’s just not every day you see somepony mail two letters at the same time…”
Scootaloo leaned on her elbow. “How long have you worked here, again?”
“About a week.” Featherweight adjusted his red bowtie. “Gots tah make some money, gots tah pay the bills…”
Scootaloo held her hoof out under the pretense of examining it. “Gots tah woo the princess…”
“Gots tah woo the—” Featherweight blinked. He scowled at her. “I’ll have you know that I’ve actually gone on a date with Princess Twilight. That’s step one.”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard her fervently deny that it was a date. Several times.”
“Ha.” Featherweight broke a stamp off of a roll. “You wanna lick it, or are you gonna make me do it?”
“And get your creepy stallion germs all over it?” Scootaloo snatched it. “Gimme.”
With the stamp in place, she slid the letter across the counter. “To Cloudsdale, via Pony Express Delivery.”
“Your letter is in PED’s safe hooves,” Featherweight droned. “Thank you, have a nice day.”
“You, too,” Scootaloo said. “Kiss the princess for me, will yah?”
“Kiss my cutie mark, Scootaloo.” Featherweight smiled as he waved goodbye.
She rolled through town, avoiding the flower shops and anywhere particularly political. She had a few hours to kill before she was expected back home. Burning daylight required a few precise decisions. She had the time, she had the motive, but she required a proper weapon and location.
Princess Twilight Sparkle’s castle gleamed in the sunlight, blinding her. Scootaloo stuck her rear hooves into the ground and rolled to a stop. She covered her face and peered at the massive crystalline formation near the edge of town. A home fit for a princess, perhaps, but at times a literal eyesore. It did wonders for the local tourist economy, though.
A second later, the glare went away. A shadow fell over Scootaloo, and most of the town along with her. Cloudkicker flew overhead, barking orders to the Ponyville Weather Team. Scootaloo could see Rumble in the thick of it. He nudged a few clouds into position over the marketplace and used a few beats of his wings to smooth them out.
Scootaloo watched them for a while, her eyes assisted by innate pegasus magic. She killed a few minutes watching how their bodies bent and flexed in flight, how their wings flapped and their tails flicked. Her own wings and tail flicked to match, copying movements to the best of her ability.
With the base cloud cover assembled, the pegasi retreated higher to adjust the inner workings of the coming weather pattern.
She gripped the handlebars on her scooter. “Oh yeah. We’re getting there.”
She felt the wind blow past her as she beat her wings. She pulled it in and pushed it behind her. Building flew by in a blur, and ponies called as she passed. She lifted a hoof to wave, but was usually gone before she could say anything.
Her eyes lit up as she passed Sweetie Belle’s shop. It wouldn’t be too much trouble just to stop in. If Sweetie was with a customer, she could just say hi and waltz back out. If not, hay, there’s an hour to send to the morgue. She performed a quick three-sixty and skidded to a stop in front of the shop.
She found herself parked next to a griffon. Its beak was moving, and small words were coming out, but it looked like a private conversation. So private, in fact, that there was nopony speaking with him.
He stared at the door to the Boutique, muttering to himself. He didn’t seem to notice as she locked the scooter to a streetlamp and walked up beside him.
“Don’t be alarmed, I’m a griffon,” he muttered just above his breath. “No, that didn’t work last time, either.”
Scootaloo, being short for a pegasus, felt tiny compared to even a midsized griffon like this guy. Her eyebrows came up to his shoulder. Her hoof was a fraction of the size of his paw. His wingspan reached twice as far as hers.
Even with all of that, he still jumped back with a little shriek when she tapped his side. “Are you okay, sir?”
“What?” the griffon brushed down the fur and feathers that had stood on end. “Um, yes. Of course. Thank you.”
“You… um…” Scootaloo swallowed a lump that formed in her throat as the griffon turned his head full to the side to look directly at her. It was a plenty unnerving to see someone with eyes on the sides of their head instead of the front, full range of sight notwithstanding. “You looking for somepo—somebody?”
The griffon’s fuzzy ears angled towards her. “Yeah. Sompony, actually. I was just… going to look through the shop for a gift to a friend.”
Scootaloo turned towards the Boutique, glad to have an excuse not to look at the griffon’s eagle eyes. “Well, hate to say it and don’t tell Sweetie Belle, but Carousel Boutique doesn’t have the best window shopping. You’d do better actually, you know, going inside.”
“Well, that is—” The griffon’s front legs did a nervous little dance, like a chickadee that wasn’t sure if it wanted to take off or not. “I would rather not scare the patrons or the owner away. I tend to do that.”
Scootaloo lifted an eyebrow. “You’re new around here, aren’t you?”
“Actually, I live here. Occasionally.” The griffon clicked his beak. “Why do you say that?”
“Splendid!” Discord said as he exited the Boutique. “Absolutely splendiferous! You say it’ll be done on Thursday?”
Behind him, draped in various fabrics and attempting to adjust a frizzy mane, was Sweetie Belle herself. She gave a slow, even nod.
Discord stood up straight and saluted with his left hand. “I’ll be by to pick it up—”
“No need! No need!” Sweetie Belle waved her forelegs. “I’ll have it—ah—delivered! Yes! Delivered right to your home! The very instant it’s done. Yes.”
Discord frowned. He took a bow, said “Very well. Rarity would be proud!” and vanished into thin air.
Sweetie Belle adjusted her glasses, which had gone lopsided sometime in the hour the draconequus had been there. Her eyes lit up when she saw Scootaloo and the griffon standing outside. “Oh my gosh, people! Please come in! Please, please come in.”
Scootaloo smirked at the griffon and walked inside.
The griffon stared at the Boutique with his beak unhinged. He clapped it shut, smoothed down his feathers, and strode through the door.
Sweetie curtsied. “Good afternoon, sir, and welcome to Carousel Boutique, where the fashion is chic, unique and magnifique. How may I suit your fancy today?”
“Thank you,” the griffon said. “I was hoping to purchase a scarf for a friend.”
“Very good,” Sweetie said. “Would you like to peruse the scarves I have available, or would you like to commission a custom piece?”
“I’ll… see what you got.”
“Alright. What is your friend’s coat color?”
“It’s a… light sky-blue?”
Sweetie smiled and slipped into one of her back rooms. The smile she gave Scootaloo was just as friendly, though a little more tired.
The griffon snapped his talons. “You must be Scootaloo.”
It was Scootaloo’s turn to jump. “Who wants to know?”
“Ha.” The griffon turned his head sideways again. “I’m Martial Paw. I’ve been working with Rainbow Dash on the movie. You know the one?”
“Yeah. Daring Do.” Scootaloo stretched her wings in and out. “You an actor or something?”
“No,” Martial said. “No. Historical advisor, actually. Subject matter expert. I’m an archeologist.”
“Oh, cool,” Scootaloo said. “Like Daring Do? Have you worked with her?”
“Um.” Martial Paw blinked. “Daring Do is a fictional—”
Scootaloo sat in one of the waiting chairs. “Relax, I know about Yearling. Rainbow Dash told me about it.”
Martial Paw clicked his beak. He cleared his throat. “Does Rainbow Dash regularly share matters of national security with her younger sister?”
“Only when they make for good stories.” Scootaloo chuckled. “So how’d you end up getting a job in Applewood?”
“Rainbow Dash recommended me after she was cast as Dr. Do.” Martial glared at one of the chairs for a moment. He sat down with a sigh. “We met after she got caught up in another one of her world-saving escapades.”
“And how’d you meet Daring?”
“Dr. Do hired me as a cartographer,” Martial said. “She said something about following the ‘buddy system.’”
“Right. Buddy system’s important.” Scootaloo glanced at the magazines on the table. There were a few new ones, most of which featured Rarity. “You said you live here?”
“Just occasionally. When there’s a dig in the Everfree.” Martial tapped his talons together. “Though I’m thinking of setting up a more permanent residence.”
“Really.” Scootaloo looked toward the back room, where sounds of rummaging could be heard. “The scarf’s for Rainbow Dash, isn’t it?”
Martial turned his beak towards her. “Yes. Something of a ‘welcome home’ present, I guess. Something to thank her for being a good friend.”
Scootaloo didn’t know whether to be thankful that he was facing her or annoyed that he wasn’t making eye contact. “Word to the wise, she really likes white.”
Martial’s beak turned up at the corners. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Sweetie Belle carried a rainbow of scarves behind her in her magic grasp. “It’s quite glamorous to serve a griffon; we don’t get many in Ponyville. Are you visiting from the griffon kingdom?”
“Ah, no.” Martial stood and rummaged around in his shoulder-slung sack. He pulled out a sheet of paper with a royal stamp. “I was born in Felaccia, but I am an Equestrian citizen.”
Scootaloo leaned forward. “You really have to carry that around?”
“It… tends to come up.” Martial slid the citizenship papers into his sack. He perused the scarves with a keen eye. “Rainbow likes white, you say?”
“Oh!” Sweetie Belle shuffled a few from the pile. “Of course an aviator such as Miss Dash would appreciate scarves. Things must be chilly that high up.” She grinned. “This purple one would match her eyes.”
“It would, wouldn’t it?” Martial scratched his beak. He pointed to a soft, wooly scarf. “I think this one would do.”
Sweetie Belle assisted him at the cash register, bagged the item, and waved goodbye as he soared off. She slumped to the ground soon after. “I hate Discord.”
Scootaloo slid up beside her and rubbed her back. “You really nailed that whole ‘Retail Smile’ thing. I wouldn’t have guessed.”
“I hate Discord!” Sweetie shouted. Her glasses slid down her nose. “He brought the flannel to life! It started eating the silk!” She caught her glasses in her magic as they slid towards the ground. “He kept calling me Rarity’s daughter. Her daughter, Scootaloo! It doesn’t matter how many times I correct him, it just…”
She waved a hoof over her head. “Whoosh!”
“That’s…” Scootaloo shrugged. “Rough.”
“It’s not even the final nail in the coffin.” Sweetie Belle dragged Scootaloo into the inspiration room, where a sketch sat upon an easel. “I checked the calendars. Fluttershy’s birthday was two months ago. He’s doing this just to torment me!”
She sat down and stared at the drawing. “He’s so… childish.”
Scootaloo patted Sweetie’s shoulder with a wing. “I really doubt he’s putting this together just to rag on you. Maybe he wants to get a head start on next year’s birthday.”
“He is insane. Insane and evil.” Sweetie stood up and pushed Scootaloo’s wing away. “Sorry, but I’ve got to get to work.”
“Need some help?” Scootaloo flapped her wings. “I could, like, model or something.”
“Scootaloo, no offence.” Sweetie made a box with her hooves and examined her friend. “You’re sleek and lean. Fluttershy is one-hundred percent curves by volume.” She gathered up a few rolls of fabric. “I’d have a better chance modeling myself.”
Scootaloo snickered. “Too bad Pinkie closed up the mirror pool.”
“Don’t think I haven’t considered it.” Sweetie examined a pattern before tossing it to the side. “Thank you for the offer, but I think I’ve got this.”
“Hay, if you ever need anything, you know where to holler.” Scootaloo held up a glittering gold ticket. “So, you wanna see the new Daring Do movie?”
“That just started today, didn’t it?” Sweetie carried some pins in her mouth to a ponnequin. “I’m sorry, Scootaloo, but I’ve got a lot of work to do over the next few days.”
“We’ll see it on Thursday, to celebrate another job well done!”
“Eegh.”
“What?”
The pins in Sweetie’s mouth pointed up as she frowned. “I never really liked those books.”
Scootaloo froze. She crossed her forelegs. “Since when?”
Sweetie flicked her tail. “Since I grew out of grade school.”
“Wow.” Scootaloo rubbed her face. “Wow, geeze, Sweetie.” She returned the ticket to her bags. “Way to toss in the offhand insult.”
Sweetie Belle let out a little gasp. She turned her nose up. “It’s perfectly fine if I don’t enjoy all the same books that—”
“It’s not even that!” Scootaloo brushed her mane back. “What even makes you happy anymore? I mean, you are really, seriously grumpy. Especially the last few days.”
Sweetie’s eyes turned down. “Not all of us have charmed lives, Scootaloo.”
“And I do?” Scootaloo said. “I mean, really? I don’t—”
Scootaloo’s mouth snapped shut. She closed her eyes tight. “I’m sorry. That was dumb of me. I’ll let you work.” She walked to the door.
“Wait,” Sweetie said. “I… can come.”
Scootaloo looked over her shoulder, her eyebrows low.
“It will be fun, just hanging out with you guys again.” Sweetie rubbed her hooves together. “I always have so much fun with you. Thank you.”
Scootaloo slouched in the doorway. “I don’t wanna force it on you. Really, I don’t.”
“You aren’t. You’re just…” Sweetie lifted a roll of fabric and draped it across the ponnequin. “You just want to help me out of a slump. Or something.”
Scootaloo put on her best reassuring smile. It didn’t quite meet her usual standard. “Is it working?”
“Maybe.” Sweetie made a small correction to the sketch. “Could you help me with one favor?”
She chewed the inside of her cheek. “Will you please deliver the dress Thursday? On your way to or from work? I’d really rather not face Discord again. Ever, if at all possible.”
“Sure,” Scootaloo said. “What are friends for?”
“Saving my life, apparently.” Sweetie shook her head. “See you later.”
“Yeah,” Scootaloo said. “See yah.”
Scootaloo had too much to think about, and too much time to viciously murder.
She streaked through town, keeping to the streets that weren’t very busy. She’d knocked over too many pedestrians as a kid; there was no telling how much damage she could do as an adult. She passed a small square with a fountain in the middle. The pumps were low-key, barely enough to keep the water flowing. A few foals played around or tossed bits into the pool.
“You’re pretty close,” Rumble said from her left, “but Rainbow Dash’s rainbow is in her mane.”
Scootaloo yelped and came to a grinding halt. She stared at Rumble for a few moments, pondering what he said, before she let her eyes drop to her paint-covered hooves. “You’re a riot.”
“A prison riot.” Rumble landed beside her. “So what’s the story behind Rainbow McCrayon-Hooves?”
Scootaloo dusted off her scooter with her tail. “You’re trying to be clever and it’s not working.”
“Alright,” Rumble said. He shifted weight from hoof to hoof as she got back on her scooter. “Candid, then. I thought you were working today.”
“I was, but then I learned how to paint with magic.” She waved her hooves in front of his face. “I painted the barn in less than an hour.”
Rumble’s eyes popped. “You’re just chewing the cud.”
“Nope.” Scootaloo leaned on her handlebars. “I painted a chicken coop in the time it takes to blink. Then I painted a cottage in two hours. Oh, yeah. I almost forgot the entire fence along the road to Sweet Apple Acres.”
Rumble’s lips hung slack. “Teach to me your secret, oh wise one.”
“What’s to teach?” Scootaloo shrugged. “It’s like pushing clouds around, only you put a little more oomph into it.” She skipped over to the fountain and drew forth a snake of water. “Like so. Try it out.”
Rumble stuck his hoof in and wiggled it around. Bubbles formed. “I’m not feeling it, Scoots.”
“You gotta practice.” Scootaloo sat on the edge of the fountain and juggled blobs of water. “Just grab a drop or two.”
She watched him splash the water, attempting to separate a few sprinkles. She snorted. “Hay, Taxi.”
She tossed a water blob at him. “Catch!”
It exploded against his face. He shook his head, snorting and coughing. He blinked back tears as he looked up at her. “Taxi?”
“From the other night, remember?” Scootaloo smirked and spread her wings. “We can keep doing that until you figure it out. How’s that sound?”
“I think…” Rumble closed his eyes and waved his legs. “No, no, wait. I think I feel it. I think I see what you mean.” He dipped his hoof back in the water. “I think… I think…”
He splashed Scootaloo with a wave that drenched her back and wings with cold water. She shrieked and jumped into the air.
“I think I got you!” he laughed.
She landed on her hooves a few meters away, next to her scooter. She shivered as she flapped her wings free of moisture. She giggled and flicked a few drops at him. “Jerk.”
The sky darkened as the clouds grew thicker. A few of the kids around the fountain were shuffling and thinking about heading inside. “Storm coming?” Scootaloo asked.
“Rain tomorrow, lightning Wednesday.” He flicked water back at her. “Some light sprinkling today.”
“That sucks for you and Spike trimming lawns tomorrow.”
Rumble grimaced. “We’ll manage. It’s just the overflow in preparation for the real storm.”
Scootaloo snorted. “Nice of you guys to schedule a thunderstorm when I’m babysitting for the Cakes. Rice and Patty are gonna love it.”
“What can I say?” Rumble said. “Cloudkicker’s the boss.”
“Hmm.” Scootaloo rubbed her chin as she spotted a lighter bunch of clouds. “How deep of trouble would you get if you bucked that particular patch of cloud on my mark?”
“None.” Rumble craned his neck. “I could fix it up pretty quick without ruining anything. Why?”
“I got time to kill, and I think I just found the murder weapon.” Scootaloo rubbed her hooves together. “Head on up there and wait for my signal.”
Rumble jumped into the air. “What’s the signal?”
“You’ll know it when you see it.” Scootaloo strapped her helmet on tight. “Go for it, Taxi.”
“That’s not as cute as you think it is.”
“Whatever you say, Cabbie.”
“That might be worse.”
“Exactly.”
She leapt onto her scooter and buzzed around the fountain. “Hay, kids, wanna see a trick? Step back, please, and watch closely.”
The kids pitter-pattered back a few steps, enough room for Scootaloo to roll around the fountain without rolling over anypony. She orbited around, her hoof trailing in the water. After a moment, she could feel the entire pool revolving around with her.
A small crowd drew as the first drops lifted out of the fountain. They continued to spin around as she rolled, at first not as fast as she was, but soon picking up speed. She glanced up and noted that Rumble was in just the right spot, watching with a raised eyebrow.
She hit a bump in the road and shot into the air. She rose up until she was right beside Rumble.
For that brief moment, she was weightless. No strings attached, no worries dragging her down, no issues clouding her vision. It was clear skies, open air, and Rumble.
She leaned out and kissed him on the cheek.
She must have broken something in his head, because she was halfway to the ground before he bucked the cloud and sent sunlight streaming towards the fountain. The light hit the whirlwind of water droplets, and refracted into a countless colors.
Scootaloo landed in front of her rainbow tornado and flared her wings out. The small crowd applauded heartily. She bowed as the rainbow died away. “Thank you, folks, thank you. I live in Ponyville, so I’m here for good. You’re a lovely audience.”
She rolled down the street at a sedate pace, satisfaction spread across her face. She heard flapping wings as Rumble caught up with her. She kept her eyes on the road, but she could feel his eyes on her.
“You amaze me,” he said. “You always, always amaze me.”
The tips of Scootaloo’s ears grew hot. “Y-you’re just saying that.”
“No I’m not.” Rumble rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re… special. I’m not sure how else to say it, but you’re very, very special.”
“Any pegasus could do what I just—”
“Then why don’t they?” Rumble flipped around and flew in front of her. His wings beat harder as he flew backwards. “I mean, seriously. I don’t know of any others who can do what you do.”
Scootaloo’s scooter slowed until she was inching along. She met his gray-purple gaze. “I—”
She stopped. He dropped to the ground with a thump and took a couple steps closer. “I think it’s okay to be a little proud, isn’t it?”
“Don’t—” Scootaloo turned away and choked out a laugh. “Don’t wanna get too big a head, right?”
Rumble’s lopsided grin didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Is it pride if it’s true?”
“Yeah,” Scootaloo said. “Yeah, it is.”
“It’s still true.” Rumble’s grin gained a little strength. “Ain’t nopony like you.”
Scootaloo felt like her ears could boil water and her cheeks could fry an egg. “Y-you’re a real sweet talker, you know that?”
Rumble tilted his head, his left ear flicking down. “Words are all I got, so it’s all I can give.”
Scootaloo dug her rear-left hoof into the ground. “I don’t really believe that.”
“Believe what?”
“That that’s all you’ve got to give.” Scootaloo pressed her wings against her sides. “I mean, your cutie mark says otherwise.”
A shiver ran across Rumble’s body. His eyes turned to look back at his flank, but his neck locked up to prevent it. “I dunno, Scoots.”
“Aw, this is too heavy!” She leaped up and wrapped her right foreleg around his neck. He stumbled tipsily under the lopsided, unexpected weight. “When did we become Ponyville’s philosophers? Let’s do something nuts!”
Rumble braced himself and stood to his full height. Scootaloo’s hooves dangled above the road. “How long’ve you got before you gotta go home for supper?”
“’Bout an hour.” Scootaloo reached over Rumble to climb onto his back, but stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a pot smash.
She turned her head and got an eyeful of the shop they’d stopped in front of, particularly the name on the sign: “Three Flowers Greenhouse.”
“Or, you know, less.”
A cream-coated mare bent down to clean up scattered pottery shards and dirt. “Hi, Honey.”
“Hay, Mom,” Scootaloo said. She jumped off of Rumble and helped her mother gather up the mess. Rumble followed soon after. “You okay?”
“I just bumped it, that’s all,” Roseluck said. “Mistakes happen.”
Rumble’s throat bobbed. “Good afternoon, Missus Roseluck.”
“Good afternoon to you, too, Rumble!” Roseluck stood up and wiped sweat off her brow. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you around. My, you’re tall!”
Rumble chuckled as he focused on the pottery. “Yeah, kinda. I ate my wheat growing up.”
Roseluck nodded, her best bright smile plastered to her face. “You two have any plans for today?”
“Nope,” Scootaloo said. “We just ran into each other.” She punched Rumble’s shoulder. “Almost literally, in this guy’s case.”
“Hay, I got distracted…” Rumble coughed as he caught a negative shift in Roseluck’s stance. “By her rainbow tornado. It was something else.”
Scootaloo held her hooves up for Roseluck to see. “I can paint with magic, now.”
Roseluck’s shallow smile tightened. “Rumble, would you like to come over for supper tonight?”
Rumble shook his head. “Sorry, ma’am, but it’s my turn to cook over at Thunderlane’s. He and Cloudkicker are kinda expecting me.” He sucked his cheeks in before continuing. “I’d invite you guys over, but we’re kinda low on—”
“Oh, that’s alright, I understand how things get.” Roseluck exhaled a deep, long breath. Pounds of tension left her shoulders. “It’ll have to be some other time, then.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” He winked at Scootaloo. “See you around.”
“Yeah.” Scootaloo stopped herself from acting on her first instinct; to hug him. Instead, she slapped his back with her wing. “Take care.”
He flew off, leaving Scootaloo with her mother.
“We do have to have him over sometime.” Roseluck carried a watering can towards a row of tulips. “He really is a nice young stallion. He really is.”
She watered the flowers for a little longer than necessary. “Especially if you two grow more… serious.”
Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak. Then she thought better of it. She mulled over her words for a few more seconds. “You’ll be cool about this, won’t you? I mean, it’ll get easier, won’t it?”
“I suppose.” Roseluck put the can away and sniffed a yellow rose. “I’ll manage. I promise.”
Scootaloo leaned back and forth. “You don’t have to worry about me so much, you know. I’m an adult, now. I can take care of myself.”
Roseluck wilted. Her tail dragged along the ground as she walked up to her daughter. She wrapped her forelegs around Scootaloo’s neck and pulled her close.
Scootaloo returned the hug. She felt damp tears on her shoulder.
“I love you, Scootaloo,” Roseluck said. “I want to protect you forever. I’m sorry I keep… embarrassing you—”
“You’re not embarrassing me, you’re just”—Scootaloo wrapped her wings around Roseluck—“you don’t have to worry.”
Roseluck sniffed. “I can’t help it.”
Scootaloo breathed deep. She held her mother and watched the sun go down. “You about ready to close up shop?”
“Lily will do it today.” Roseluck stood up and brushed herself off. She picked up her saddlebags. “We can head home anytime.”
Scootaloo climbed aboard her scooter and rolled slowly down the road beside Roseluck. “Seriously, though, I painted a barn with magic.”
“How’d you manage that?”
“Water in the paint, easy as pie.”
“Did you dance while you painted?”
“Of course I did! That’s half the fun!”
“The Macadamia? A waltz? Maybe something from Sapphire Shores?”
“A little something I made up that I like the call ‘the Roller.’”
“Roller?”
“Yeah, you sorta roll your whole body around, and the paint just floats around like bubbles.”
“Like belly dancing?”
“Um. Kinda. Except for the whole ‘belly’ part.”
“Aw, you didn’t do the wave?”
“My stomach is strong, but not that strong, Mom.”
“When I was your age, I could make my stomach dance all by itself.”
“That’s a little bit weird.”
“I should teach you how when we get home.”
“No offence, but that kinda dancing ain’t my—”
“You just got to have good balance on your rear hooves—”
“Mom.”
“—and good abdominal muscles—”
“Mom, please.”
“—maybe a silky skirt and saddle combo—”
“Mom!”
The moon appeared in the sky as they arrived at Quills and Sofas. The hearth was already warm and waiting for them, as well as a tasty meal. It proved to be a relatively relaxing night, even with the new dance lessons. Davenport got a good laugh out of Scootaloo’s embarrassment. After a bit, she joined in with the laughter, too.
Scootaloo was out like a light when she hit the mattress.
I still demand to know what happened to Sweetiebelle's music!
Dancing cutie mark
4956546
Fear not, for all shall be revealed... at the most dramatic moment.
4956582
Mmmmaybe maybe not.
God, Discord is such a troll! I can totally see him going on an on like he was with Sweetie Bell unless Fluttershy comes by to make him behave. I loved Scootaloo's rainbow whirlwind, very nice. I'm a little unsure if Roseluck was disaproving of Rumble and Scootaloo's closeness or really did just have an accident with that pot. But the comment about having Rumble over for dinner implies she actually likes him, so I hope it was just an accident, or she was going "Dawwww!" and didn't notice when the pot slipped from her hooves.
4959309
Too bad for Sweetie, Fluttershy keeps him on a pretty long leash nowadays.
It's all in the attitude, and I'll say no more.
Another great chapter, a little less belly laughs, but very touching overall.
I hope Twilight complains to Rarity about how annoying it is to have this younger colt crushing on her like crazy, I'm sure Rarity could give her good advice. Also, Featherweight should think about enlisting in the Royal Guard if he really wants to impress Princess Twilight, it's pretty clear she has a type...
Martial Paw needs Sweetie Bell to make him a t-shirt with that slogan. I notice he's second generation at least, he has a pony name rather than a Griffon one.
Oh, look at all the worms that spilled on the floor when you opened a big can of them! So the government sanctions Daring Do's grave-robbing, and allows her to publish those volumes as fiction? Is Dr. Caballeron a wanted criminal? When Daring Do retrieves artifacts she's taken from native tribes, do they go in museums under someone else's name or what?
At this point, maybe Discord knows something Sweetie doesn't...
I will be gravely disappointed if, by the end of this fic, we don't hear Roseluck proclaiming "the horror, the horror!" at least once.
What about date night? That's cold, Scootaloo, it took you and Rumble like 5 tries just to pick that night in the first place.
Sick burn bro!
*Grins* Very cool. Hoping you're going to clear up Rose's issue with Scoots dating soon, for me it's starting to verge from intriguing to annoying.
4960197
It's probably going to get less funny as we go forward. There's a reason I didn't tag it as a comedy. But I aim to keep the touching strong.
Whoa, that could have been phrased better.
Considering how things ended between Rarity and Spike, that would be a complete spoiler. It may or may not be good advice.
Heeheeheeheeheehee. She may not have much of a type anymore, but that's for another story.
We might need three. One for him, one for you, and one for me.
Actually, take a second look at the griffon names from Lord Mayor Applejack. Andean Ursagryph. Crested Barbary. Those two are most certainly from the glorious griffon homeland. Martial Paw's name matches their "Eagle-Lion" name convention. Or, in the case of the king, "Eagle-Bearbutt." He was born in Felaccia, just like he said. First generation.
Lord Mayor Gaston of Cloudsdale, on the other talon, is third generation Equestrian. Gustave le Grande and Gilda are both second generation. I figure they begin their names with "G" to honor some great cross-cultural hero or other.
World building, yay!
I like the thought that Daring Do is a deep undercover agent tasked with making sure none of the ancient artifacts from bygone days are used to hurt ponies. I also like the thought that she's just inspired by her adventures, and doesn't publish word for word reality.
Regardless, she's going to be a major player in the Button Mash/Sweetie Belle story coming out after this one is done. I've also been thinking of writing a series of short stories showcasing the heroes of Equestria besides the Mane Six. Knights of Equestria, or something like that.
More like unwanted, but what can you do, amiright?
Hay, A.K. Yearling has some pull in academics. Daring Who?
I'm gonna pretend I never saw that.
That's more Lilly's shtick, isn't it?
Dinner and a show, dude. Might as well fill the audience of the theater with friends. They ain't coming to the restaurant.
4960245
Eee... definitely want to avoid annoying. We probably won't even see Roseluck again until a dramatic story beat calls for serious growth from somepony.
4960395
Probably for the best, Featherweight would look weird if he died his coat white and his mane blue...
So the Equestrian government sanctioned her robbing of those indigenous tribes of primitive ponies and their animal befriending blue-furred leader? And even the destruction of their home? Wow, Celestia plays for keeps.
That actually makes sense, as the generations go by the kids get named with a G to connect them to their native culture. If you're shipping him the way I think you are, maybe he'll have a hippogryph son he names Roy G Biv.
Ok, that was mean, sorry. Maybe a nicer interpretation: Discord isn't impressed with parents who are always on vacation, and considers Rarity more worthy of the title "Mama Belle" than Pearl.
I bet this all started decades ago, when a young archaeology grad student named A.K.Yearling had her dissertation rejected by her graduate adviser, Dr. Caballeron, and things kind of spiraled out of control from there.
I'd say it's kind of unfair to Rumble that he only gets 1/2 a date to impress Scoots, but judging from his smooth lines that's all he needs.
4960395 Pshaw, it was more if we were gonna see it a lot, I felt it could get annoying, but definitely looking forward to seeing ore character growth.
So! The Embarrassing Mom is also a former exotic dancer? It seems some True Talents flow in the family, doesn't it?
4960552
Mmyeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and write a short story about that. Celestia always plays for keepsies.
If you wanna see Rainbow Dash and Martial paw together, read my highly-flawed novel Sonata de Equestria. It's amateur and scattered, but it features a lot of neat worldbuilding for griffons. The griffons in that story are roughly equivalent to the griffons in this series, with the exception of fewer power-hungry madmen in the house of lords.
As for this story, they're friends. Really. Friends.
Pfft. It would start out like that, wouldn't it? Ponies and their blood feuds, honestly, it's adorable.
4962343
Believe me, I really dislike stories that outstay their welcome. There is resolution ahead, you can be assured!
4963383
Dunno if i'd go so far as to say "exotic," but people are influenced by their surroundings. Scootaloo's just so happened to have a whole lot of dancing.
4963725
I'm already loving it. "So they want to turn up the heat in their little valley, do they? No one touches the thermostat on this planet except ME! Daring Do, tear that fortress apart! Succeed, and I'll see to it that your thesis committee lets you skip orally defending your dissertation."
You can say exotic, we get it. Before he earned the capital to open his shop, there was a young stallion famed for his dance of the thousand quills, performed on a love seat...
A gryphon, neat. And he's buying a gift for Dash, hmn. Not sure if shipping, or just a dude buying a friend a gift.
Aww yeah, there's the scooter/water tricks I've been hoping for.
Awesome.
Rose worries so, so much. I'm starting to wonder if she has some sort of anxiety disorder.
Gottas ask... what color of scarf did he pick?
--Spade
4963850
I foresee the story being full of swashbuckling action, amazing exploits, and an altogether diabolical interpretation of Ahuizotl. Plus Rainbows, featherbrained cartographers, and an archaeologist who really doesn't have time for any of this crud.
4967054
I shipped them in another story, but for this one it's pretty much friendship as far as the eye can see. Maybe.
With hopefully more to come.
You mean it isn't normal to panic in the presence of your daughter's new beau?
4973004
Oh. Well. I knew I forgot to mention something. We'll find out when he gives it to her.
Thankfully, it's not plaid.
4973093 Awesome. It'd be nice to see the blue guy upgraded from ineffectual tribal leader to Aztec God. I'm guessing his ponies will have to cut out a few hearts on his behalf on a regular basis.
4973389
You just gave me an idea based around the fact that ponies produce magic in their hearts, but I may not use it. It'd be pretty dark for an action adventure short story. Maybe I'll use it, but dumb it down a bit.
I mean, a magic-producing heart that's still beating a la Temple of Doom might work as a pretty excellent battery...
4980306
Those traps have to be powered by something. Have you heard the theory about Applejack & Pinkie Pie being descended from Ahuizotls adopted tribe? Remember Goldie Delicious, the Apple family historian who resembles an older version of Pinkie? She has tons of cats, and even a leopard, those aren't easy to tame. She guards valuable Apple family relics, and manages the precarious counterweights of all those book-piles. And just where did that group of wandering earth ponies Granny Smith was a part of come from, anyway?
..Ok, you probably haven't heard that theory before because I came up with it this morning. Sometimes I feel like one of those guys with a wall full of newspapers tied together with Yarn, tracking the President's collusion with the Lizardmen.
4980381
As interesting as it would be to see that particular headcanon applied, it doesn't quite fit with my plans for Owie's little following... But I will say that earth ponies have magic that's very influential in nature (not that you couldn't tell that from watching the show ). Not just with plants, either.
And that's all I can say for now.
Spur of the moment, gut reaction theories are the best theories!
You know it of it, too!? I thought I was the only one! We must join forces, before the current administration's plans for a second Jurassic age come to fruition! The Tyrannopocalypse must never happen! Huzzah!
4980498
I saw the Tyrannopocalypse coming years ago. Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex!
I have to saythis is some of the best world building I've read...good work.
5086129
Thank you! This whole series is a way for me to train myself to build worlds in interesting and clever ways. It's been quite the experience. I'm glad you're enjoying it.
4960395
What can you do? What can you do!?
t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSI_tBQTUwpBq5HOxEFhfzrjZcgtBWmlOFP7F_SkqAv8WMCHPP5cZNuRF9G
I will be saying the chapter title from now on when I need to.
Next chapter review begins . . . now!
Given that I'm pretty sure Twilight was an adult pony in Equestria Girls, and Human!Flash isn't, it wouldn't be the first time she's been interested in someone younger than her. That said, Featherweight is not handling it nearly as smoothly as Spike does in canon, or that could just be his age making it seem less adorable.
If she had already passed the shop, it would be a one-eighty.
Yeah, next to Discord anyone would seem normal. Sweetie does seem particularly harsh on him though. Wonder how'd she react if she learned the truth? She seems to be trying to be grown up but is giving up her sense of childish joy in the process; I can barely recognize her. I mean, she was usually the most hesitant of the Crusaders, but still.
It's a rather interesting bit about how Griffons have to turn their heads to make eye contact. Course we now know that isn't the case thanks to Griffonstone, but it's not that big of a change. Makes you wonder why we get so worked up about skin color when we could have had to deal with this sort of stuff.
How come no one until Rumble commented on her colored hooves? Speaking of him, they seem to have moved along pretty fast, they haven't even gone on a date yet and Scootaloo's already giving him cheek kisses. Also, the only time I remember one pony riding another pony was a pair of Pinkie clones, and they aren't exactly good examples of pony behavior, so was Scoot's just trying to catch a ride or what?
I still don't get Roseluck's behavior.
On the whole, it was a good chapter. I'll have to have a look at that other story with Martial Paw, if only for some probably good Rainbow/OC shipping. For the record, I didn't view his behavior as particularly romantic, so I buy it being as platonic as you intended. It had good call backs, exciting moments, continued various subplots, and even a touch of world building. Thumbs up, and I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts on the next chapter.
6648165
Exactly like a hovercraft. I'm running on the notion that pegasi are less aerodynamic than bumblebees, and can only fly via magic. She's pushing magic through her overdeveloped hooves subconsciously, since the fairy strings in her wings are underdeveloped. Hooves weren't designed with flight in mind. It's why she couldn't move around after the balloon juice carried her off the ground. For jumping, releasing magic in a short burst propels her upwards like a rocket.
I probably should have included this explanation in the future doctor scene. Think, think, think...
Well, an earlier scene established them as friends. She wasn't speaking so much out of romantic interest, it was more having fun looking around town.
That said, he is a rather handsome bloke.
Thank you. Yeah, he knows about it, he's nosey like that. The jury's out on whether he's started looking for solutions at the hospital yet. A guy with his power pretty much has all the time in the world. Until he doesn't.
He also didn't have wings. There's practically no comparison to the namesake, but it's more of a reference than a repurposing. I really want to use the anansi in a bigger role in a later story. They're probably big-time pests in Cloudsdale.
It wasn't contradictory when I released it. It was a Bulk Biceps-sized gamble, though. I was practically asking for it. Not as much as I was with In the Absence of Sunset Shimmer, but close. Now I just have to wait on Scootaloo's parents getting revealed, and the circle of canon-breaking will be complete!
Thank you. This was the single biggest thing I was nervous about including... Thus far, though, I don't think I had anything to worry about.
I think that such things are so rare because they are so often done poorly. you've got amateur authors who think that it's good and proper to shout from the soapbox to people who don't want to hear it. There's a hard lesson in store for them. Writers see the reaction to the poor attempt and become afraid of receiving the same criticism, and thus ignore the issue entirely.
I just made sure to treat it with respect, and to present it in a way that fit in with the world I'm working with. I feel like that's all one can ask for.
Huh. That makes quite a bit of sense. I was intending for that moment to be the Chekov's gun which gets fired in the dancing scene, but I might have just taken the gun, fired it, hit nothing, and then placed it back on the wall...
I like your suggestion a lot; it showcases her power without glossing over the fact that what she can do is a big, fat, hairy deal. There are quite a few spots where this story could use a bit of revision, I know. Should I ever get off my bottom and work at it, I'll be giving this section a hard look.
Along with this. Honestly, I never really realized how big an oversight this was. She really should have sunk through the cloud at that point in time. Darn it, good stories are supposed to get better with every reading, not more holey!
I'm not sure if I mis-remembered the details of this scene, or if I originally had a different direction for the story. Either way... this'll be adjusted in the currently hypothetical second draft...
You can, and it looks absolutely terrifying. You can also do what Apple Bloom is trying to do and give them wings. Run, Mario, run, indeed.
All jokes are secretly deep commentary, and much deep commentary is made up of jokes that take themselves too seriously.
(I'm torn on whether this story is a meme gone mad or a madman's attempt to justify a meme. Probably both!)
Quite right. It's practically begging to be a plot line in a future story. Imagine how Applejack might feel to learn that her lil' sis wants to move out...
It's a similar issue to having the water bubble before the dance. A few chapters down the line, Scootaloo has a flashback conversation with Dash about Rumble earning his cutie mark. He says he wants to be the best he can be. These words are echoed occasionally, sometimes by different characters. I was trying to make it a bit of a discussed theme running through the background, culminating with the scene at the restaurant when the piercing question is asked: "The best what?"
Perhaps it would have been better to have his cutie mark story come first, to give it a grounding.
Probably. Most likely. If there's enough water in paint, blood isn't too far a stretch.
The problem is that in order for her to do something like pick somebody up... she would be lifting a creature by their veins. Those little streams and tubes traveling throughout your body, leading into muscles and straight to the heart and brain. It would hurt like nobody's business. The slowed blood flow would mean you'd start feeling dizzy immediately. The veins in your arms and legs would swell. If she held on too long, you would die.
I think Scootaloo would be terrified to even try.
She turned a city fountain into a whirlwind, at least enough to make a decent-sized rainbow. I think she can wield about her body weight in water, but without a lot of fine control. That's why she mostly juggles around football-sized globs. The smaller it gets, the finer control she has over it.
The water wings idea would be asking for disaster. It's navagating a tubful of water through the air, while swimming in it, and expending the energy required for both tasks. Her magic field also has a limited range of influence, which stretches about as far as she can hover. To say nothing of the laws of physics that would be defied in an almost Pinkie Pie-esque level.
Inefficient, dangerous, potentially awesome... Sounds like a Scootaloo thing to do.
I've fudged the ages a bit here and there. According to my timeline for the series, Twilight Sparkle was sixteen when she met her friends and activated the Elements of Harmony. The society of Equestria is such that greater responsibility is placed on ponies earlier in life. Apprenticeships take the place of high school, teenagers can be found organizing town functions, and generally life gets tougher earlier.
So, in my timeline, he's actually a year or two older, if not the same age.
Spike has the benefit of being both innocent and a gentleman. Featherweight is neither of those things, at least not to Spike's degree. He's not irredeemable, but he's still got some growing to do.
Naw, she just spun in a complete circle for style points.
Sweetie's is a story of loss and redemption; or regaining what was stolen from her: Her joy. She's fought against tragedy and lost, and the road of healing is long. She doesn't even know she's walking it yet. I like to see her as a classic Greek Tragedy in reverse, where the person brought down by their big flaw gradually rebuilds their life.
Does this story fit Sweetie? It's a question I ask myself too often and not enough.
Martial was a stranger, and it's impolite to comment on somebody's appearance five seconds after you meet them. Sweetie Belle was frazzled and had many other things on her mind, and Discord is Discord. Roseluck knew that it was possible she'd be painting that day.
Well, they're teenagers, and they're both pretty new to the whole "relationship" thing. They at least had the sense to hold off on the full-blown makeout session until after the first date... They'll move faster in some areas, slower in others, and generally make a mess of things.
She was teasing him. Or trying to. Making him cart her around, showing affection by joking around. In this story, she's a bit more comfortable with being physically affectionate than in the show; a product of her parents' influence and the influence of her friends.
She suffers from depression featuring, among other effects, mood swings, usually downward ones. It's been a lifelong struggle for her. Essentially, I took the comedic anxiety the Flower Trio has and made it dramatic and sad.
I make no promises as to the quality of Sonata de Equestria. It's not very good, is what I mean. It has quite a few things that churn my stomach, looking back at them.
It does some things right. It does some things well. It's just not really my best work anymore, if it ever was.
That said, I do like most of Martial's and Rainbow's interactions.
I took an hour break came bak to this bookmark and took a full 3.5min for my brain to catch up lol
Nice trick with the fountain Scootaloo and hold on to Rumble he's a keeper. Also roll credits.
9838688
Just wanted to say I'm glad to hear you've been enjoying the series!
These are not mutually exclusive ideas. Rumble had better be on his best behavior.