Home is Where the Heart is

by smileyfacer

Chapter 2

Sleep never seemed to come easy to one particular Crusader when a fellow Crusader was not content. Apple Bloom had gone straight to bed after her return from the clubhouse, and without a word. Granny Smith had long since returned to bed, but Big Macintosh and Applejack were still awake, and they were instantly concerned when Apple Bloom hardly said 'hello' and 'good night' when she entered their residence. Apple Bloom continued to toss and turn in her bed hours after she had gotten home, until she grunted loudly, and rose.

She tip-hooved across the wooden floor, and walked over to the window that provided her with the golden rays of sun in the day, and if she was lucky, the darker rays of the moon during the nights. The moon tonight was full, and Apple Bloom couldn't imagine going to bed nonetheless, so she thought she might ponder about Scootaloo's troubles throughout the night, with only the moon as her company. She stood up on her hind legs to get a better look at the view, and rested her head on her forelegs. It seemed the more she stared into the sky, the less she paid attention to everything else around her.

"Shouldn't ye' be goin' to bed sugarcube?"

Applebloom let out a little squeal, and managed to fall flat on her flank. Applejack made a face at the noise, and hoped that Granny Smith nor Big Mac heard the ordeal. Her little sister rubbed her hoof at the sore spot, before turning to her sister with a sad expression on her face.

"I would, but ye' see, Scootaloo's been mighty upset lately, and I don't kno' what's da matter wit' 'er. Sweetie Belle and I thought it might have sometin' do to wit' her not bein' able to fly, or her missin' cutie mark, or sometin' I have no clue about."

Applejack smiled at her sister's naive ways, and took her over to the window to admire the moon once more.

"Oh little sis', I'll tell ye what Scootaloo's so mighty upset about."

"Ye' can?!" Applebloom exclaimed, and hopped up in the air as a sign of her excitement. Applejack instantly, but gently shushed at her littlesister.

"If ye' wanna hear what Scootaloo's so upset about, ye' silly filly need ta' shush." Applejack gently said, and padded Applebloom's cover as she laid on the bed. Applebloom quietly hopped upon her bed, and cuddled up to her bigger sister.

"Applebloom, my little sugarcube, what's the most importan' thing in ye life?"

"Why Applejack, ye' kno' that my family an' friends are the most important thing in my life. But wha' does that have to do wit' Scootaloo?"

"Is there anythin' that ye' have, that Scootaloo doesn't?"

Applebloom looked confused at her sister for a minute, thought it over, but then shook her head as a reply to her sisters' question.

"A family, sugarcube. She doesn't have a sister to cuddle up wit' on the cold winter nights, a granny to make that delicious zap apple jam, or a big brother to play wit'. Ye' got all of that, but Scootaloo lives at the orphanage."

"But Applejack, we don't live wit' our parents either!" Applebloom objected loudly, only causing the orange mare to shush at her, once more.

"Now that's very true, but ye' see, we kno' our family, where we come from, and our heritage. Scootaloo ain't got the faintest clue."

Applebloom started to understand why Scootaloo was so upset. She felt like inviting her fellow Crusader to join her family, but she also figured that no matter how kindly and nicely the Apple family would treat Scootaloo, it would never really be her family. It began to deem on Applebloom how horrid it must be to be an orphan, to not know your heritage, family or anything like that. In sadness, the little filly snuggled up closer to Applejack, who seemed surprise over Appleblooms reaction.

"Don't be sad little filly. Scootaloo is lucky to have friends like ye' and Sweetie Belle. Ye' might aswell be family after all the Crusaders have been through. Ya'll just stay strong, and ya'll will be friends forever."

Applebloom nodded in agreement, and sniffled slightly.

"Aw, sugarcube. I bet the exhaustion's getting to ye', let's go into my room. Ye' can cuddle up wit' me t'night."

"I'm not tired at all..." Applebloom objected, but her sentence got cut off in the middle as the filly slowly drifted off to sleep. Applejack smiled, and gently scooped Applebloom unto her back before she got up to go into her room. She groaned slightly as she maneuvered off the bed.

"Tarnation, ya'll are gettin' heavy..." she muttered under her breath, as she tip-hooved into her room, and gently put her sister under the covers before joining her in a minute.

Applebloom's eyes slowly fluttered open as Applejack snuggled up beside her sister.

"Applejack?" she mumbled

"Silly filly, ye' need to sleep. Ye' got school tomorr-"

"I love ye'."

Applejack didn't even bother to correct her little sister as the filly drifted off to sleep again.

"I love ye' too sugarcube."

Before long, both Apple sisters were having the best nights sleep in quite awhile.

---

"Rise and shine my little ponies. It's a bright and sunny day." the headmistress gently said as she strolled down the common rooms of the orphanage. Every foal in there groaned slightly, before turning over and wishing to continue their sleep.

"C'mon everypony, time to get some breakfast and start day at school." she said, a little sterner this time.

Although the headmistress in general was a kind, warm and loving pony, she demanded respect. No foals ever disrespected her, but nonetheless, some discipline was required. Scootaloo was usually the first one to get up, even though she seemed to like sleep more than any foal in the orphanage. Before anypony else could see her get up, she quickly hid Teddy, and yawned loudly.

"Morning headmistress." She said, involuntarily adding a yawn after her finished sentence.

"Good morning Scootaloo. Breakfast is ready in the dining hall." the headmistress smiled.

Scootaloo sighed slightly, before nodding as a thanks, and walked towards the dining hall. It was the same usual schedule of her day. Get up, get breakfast, go to school, have some free-time, then home, with or without dinner. On repeat, every single day. She envied Applebloom and her Sweet Apple Acres. Sure, applebucking happened all the time, but there was always something to do. Life at Sweet Apple Acres must be sweet, she concluded.

As repetitive Scootaloo's daily schedule was, so was the breakfast available in the dining hall. A small variety of fruit and vegetables were at the table, aswell as the whole-wheat müsli, and grass sandwiches. If they were lucky, the slightly chubby lunchmare mrs. Sprinkles, would spend some extra time on buying dandelions to put in the sandwiches, and today was indeed Scootaloo's lucky day. She was the first in line, and was lucky enough to get the first grass sandwich with the delicious dandelion, thanked the lunchmare before she sat down and started to munch on her. Several other foals send a wide smile at mrs. Sprinkles way, before they too sat down. Before long, all of the foals were up and about, enjoying they breakfast as the new day began.

Scootaloo was certain that she had only just had a single bite of her delicious sandwich, before the bell sounded. Before long, the headmistress entered the dining hall. All the foals stopped their eating, and looked in the elder mare's direction.

"All right my little ponies, finish up your breakfast, and get ready to go to school. Finish up your breakfast, go get your books and lunch from mrs. Sprinkles, and meet me in the main hall in a couple of minutes. Chop-chop!"

The mare left the dining hall, and as if in a mad frenzy, all the ponies didn't hesitate to eat their breakfast as quickly as possible. Scootaloo didn't want to go to school on a hungry stomach, so she opened her jaws as wide as she could, and shoved the rest of her sandwich in her mouth. She chewed as much as she could as she went over to clean up after herself with her tray, before heading to mrs. Sprinkles for lunch. The chubby mare grinned loudly as Scootaloo came over with her maw full of sandwich, as it became the filly's turn.

"I see you liked the sandwich, little Scootaloo?" mrs. Sprinkles said as she tried to contain her fit of giggles.

"Yesh, fma'am, itsh vewy felicious." Scootaloo replied, and smiled as wide as she could without showing the leftover foods in her mouth.

"Wonderful, wonderful. Now have your lunch, and be on your way before the headmistress comes after you."

Mrs. Sprinkles handed Scootaloo her lunch and sent the filly on her way, before the others behind Scootaloo became too impatient.

It wasn't easy to trot out of the dining hall into the common room with a mouth full of sandwich, and a lunch bag in her hoof, but somehow Scootaloo managed it. With a final chew, she swallowed her sandwich, grabbed her schoolbag, and swiftly trotted towards the main hall. Few foals stood with their bags packed and ready, but before long, all the others joined Scootaloo and the early-risers in the main hall. The headmistress counted them all, happily concluded they were all there.

"Come with me, my little ponies. Let's go to school!" she cheerily exclaimed, and opened the door so all the foals could leave before her. Scootaloo was the last one to leave the orphanage, with the headmistress right behind her. She sighed slightly, and thought to herself.

Yet another day of boring school, without a cutie mark...

Comments

[IAmScootaloo]

Great chapter! This story is looking good.

[smileyfacer]

602067

Thankyou so much! :) I'm really glad you like it - it's my first one, so any critique is always helpful. Ofcourse, don't hesitate to let me know if you like it!

[Levimos]

Hmm.. interesting! can't wait to see more

[SuperPinkBrony12]

Only thing I have to ask about this chapter is what happened to Sweetie Belle, did Rarity explain Scootaloo's situation to her?

This is still good though.

[smileyfacer]

603660

Not yet no - ofcourse Sweetie Belle will know from someone, but it seems that Applebloom's and Applejack's relationship is 'perfect' compared to Sweetie Belle and Rarity, which was what I wanted to depict. Fear not, she will know!

[PinkPearl]

will we get to see rarity and sweetie belle talk in the next chapter?

this one was sweet. i loved it

[Magic_Is_Magic]

I find the story to my liking... You should probably proofread it a couple times though as there are a few grammar mistakes... Also I feel like I'm reading cockney English when reading the Apple dialogue... Still, i ejoy the story as a whole.

[Magical Trevor]

602067 ... Dammit *Adds +1 to 'Fluttershy killed me' tally sheet*

[Shire Folk]

Definitely interested in this now.

May the Grace of the Valar Protect You

Shire Folk

[arcane drain]

Very good!

Only one small grammar mistake stuck out with me; 'Mrs.' should be in caps, like you do with names or 'Headmistress'.

But I'm definitely interest

[Fluttershyisacutegal]

my heart!