A Game of Homes.

by Lethrael

An advice from an elder friend.

An advice from an elder friend.

The night was shorter, than Scootaloo wanted to. She awakened in sweat out of her last dream. The nightmares had gone worse this time and Luna didn't show up to help her. The filly snuggled closer into her pillow, laid her right, than her left side of the head onto it, but even as she fluffed it up again the images from her last dream kept her awake. Sweetie Belle with dark green glooming eyes said again and again:

“You're a little whiner.”

And this was the most inoffensive image she remembered. The fleeing from unknown frightening things, from cold glances, from pitying glances, all images together hit her like a very dark cloud, as she struggled away the blanket with all four hooves. She stood up hesitantly, crawled up from her bed and sneaked into the bathroom. She looked over the taps, the shower and stayed finally on the great mirror in the right corner. The filly lagged in her own dark spirits and watched for a long time into her own reflection. She could barely see her colours in the twilight, but the greyish coat and the darker mane mirrored her frame of mind just perfectly. She tried to put on a smile on her face to face her fears and bouncing heart, but a frown returned very fast.

“I just don't want it any more...

I want change.”

Her voice whispered first and faded away. She turned on the cold water with a shivering hoof, put this hoof under the running water and tried to wash away her feelings with many hooffuls of chilling water. The prickling cold of it dispersed the least bit of tiredness and her mane stuck wet on her coat in a short notice. She shook the water away and tried to smile again, but this time it faded much faster away from her face and she bit her lips.

“Cripes, I must...”

The sound of moving hooves got her attention and woke her up from her ongoing self accusation. She galloped out of the bathroom, before her aunt spotted her.

“Good morning, Aunt Sunny.

I just want to go outside...”

She ran to the front door and opened it, before Sunny was able to reply. The answer sounded unclear from behind her, but Scootaloo didn't stop and rushed forward quickly. The air still smelled like a taste of night and the filly galloped through a quiet and even empty Ponyville. Greyish houses appeared in her way, the sky above wasn't just black but very dark blue and far away a small always gone crescent was shining pale on the fields. She easily dodged every obstacle in her path, but didn't slow down. Where she was running, she didn't even bother. She just wanted to run away. But what was she running away from anyway? Aunt Sunny was very nice and... No, she wasn't running away from her. Was she running away from her room, her bed, her new home? She slowed down and shook her thoughts of. Her head drooped a little bit and she breathed out to suppress a sob. Finally she stopped.

The filly rubbed over her face and with one hoof and then over her other front hoof. A goose bump ran over her body and her tail flapped around in the cold air. She closed her eyes shut, chewed on her lips for while and snuffled her nose to calm herself down again. Finally her hooves were moving on their own, guiding her through Ponyville, leading her not back to Sunny Rays house, but to the Golden Oaks library instead. Like she had gone the two days before. Wouldn't it be way to early...

As she arrived at the library she lifted her head and looked up. Illuminated windows, quiet sounds of moving pots and the obvious sound and presence of magic were fighting the silence of the early morning, like the light was fighting the darkness of the night. Right now the front door of the library opened with a glimmer of purple light and Twilight went out with a shimmering horn. A really big book levitated fore her nose and she put it only down to look at the sky. Then she lifted it and delved into the lines again. Scootaloo considered what to do and drew lines on the ground meanwhile .

“Uh...uhm. Good morning, Twilight.”

She said it under her breath and took a deep breath afterwards. She sneezed in the fresh air. The elder unicorn snapped out of the book with a surprised squeak.

“Oh, for Celestias sake. Good morning Scootaloo.

Is it really that late? I must have forgotten the time...”

The mare looked confused down to the filly and let sink the book slowly. She spotted the trembling wings and the frowning face quite easily and sighed silently. She smiled and beckoned the filly over to her side. Her tail stroke once in a determined matter and her smile widened.

“Come on in.

Do you like some cocoa?”

The filly followed the invitation and stepped in the library hesitantly. She spotted Spike with a strange skirt around his body and a bucket full of water in his left claw. He roughed down the benches he laid on. His eyes looked to her and he leapt up quickly.

“Good morning Scootaloo.

I wanted to tell you...”

The closing door interrupted his explanation and a strange look from the little dragon glanced over the filly to the pony behind her. The mare cleared her throat and Spike started to clean up the benches with a annoying sigh.

“What Spike wanted to say:

I'm sorry, that I was yesterday...”

The filly turned over with a confused look and Twilight drew apologetic circles on the ground. She even smiled disarming. Scootaloo opened her mouth, but as a sob found its way out of it, she closed it again.

“I mean...I won't that you..

Shoot. Well, would you be so good and help me out Spike?”

Twilight tried to step closer to the shaking filly, but Scootaloo shied away a few steps, to make sure, that the distance stayed the same. Spike rolled his eyes over Twilights attempts and shook his head. He threw the sponge into the bucket and wiped away the soapy water from his claws with the skirt. He stepped slowly closer onto the filly, laid both warm claws on her face and smiled friendly.

“What Twilight is trying to say: She is sorry, that she wasn't helpful yesterday.

We want to do it better today, okay Scoots?”

Scootaloo closed her eyes under the gentle caressing claws from Spike and took a deep breath. She whispered so fast, that Twilight couldn't understand everything, but quite enough.

“But I want to be better...

I want to be different...”

Twilight took a step closer, as she saw, that the filly almost lost her poise, but tried to fight it. She wiped over her eyes with one hoof, wiped away the tears and dried them in her mane. She chewed on her lips and fought back the sobs. The unicorn laid a hoof around her shoulder and she and Spike led her upstairs.

“But I just don't want to be sad any more.

I want to...want to...”

The sobs finally overtook her and were pressing themselves over her stammering, as she tried to speak up. She wiped away more tears. Twilight levitated a mug of cocoa to her and poured in a cup of tea for herself in at the same time. She led the trembling filly to a few blankets, which she had prepared already. Her look glided upstairs to her night stand. First she levitated a book on it with her magic, but Spike glanced at her and shook his head quickly. She put the book back on the stand, sighed and kneeled beside the filly.

“You know.

I understand this. But...

it isn't so easy to change yourself.”

She lifted the head of the filly gently and looked in her eyes. Scootaloo stayed on the blankets and searched in the smiling face of the unicorn any kind of secureness.

“But I don't want to feel bad.

Do you know a spell, which could make me happy again?”

Twilight shook her head and Scootaloo saw a kind of regret in her eyes.

“I'm sorry, Scootaloo.

But magic won't help in this case.”

Twilight closed her mouth, like she wanted to seal in more explanations and a really insecure expression returned on her face. Scootaloo pranced on the spot and shut her eyes closed. A sob fought through her resistance and came out of her mouth again.

“But what should I do instead?

How can I become happier again?”

Scootaloo brought this questions out of her mouth, before she had to chew on her lips to fight back her sobs again. She drooped her head and her wings trembled. Twilight pulled her hoof away from Scootaloo and looked to Spike, who lifted his claws and smiled encouraging. His lips were forming a silent word and the unicorn bit her lips once.

“This needs time, Scootaloo.

But the solution you chose yesterday wasn't a good one.

It won't make it easier for you, when you're acting tough or when you're suppressing your feelings.

The emotions will come back back much stronger than before.”

Scootaloo nodded and snuffled once. A few tears were streaming out of her eyes and over her cheeks. Twilight cleared her throat and continued gently. Her own hooves were drawing circles on the blankets and her tail flapped nervously.

“Look out for a pony you can talk with about your feelings.

Somepony who listens and who you trust.”

The filly raised her head, her eyes were searching out for Twilights, moving around to Spike and starring finally to the ceiling.

“My mum had always...”

Tears were filling her eyes again and Twilight sighed. She had expected this answer of course, but it wasn't easy to repeat anyway.

“I think a friend is actually better to...”

Scootaloo shook her head fast and bit her lips strongly. Her wings opened halfway and a cloud came out of her mouth. Twilight nodded and heated up the fire in the fireplace with her magic. The cold flowed out of the pegasus and gripped her body like a strong claw.

“I don't want, that Sweetie Belle...”

Her whispering voice strengthened the cold and Twilight pulled another blanket closer to the filly. But she didn't wrapped it around the filly for once, instead she laid down a hoof around the trembling filly, even when the difference in temperature sent a goose bump down on her body.

“I understand that.

Eventually your aunt can help...”

Before she was able to finish her sentence, Scootaloo sobbed again.

“She can't help me.”

Spike stepped closer and laid his claws on the trembling filly. If she would go down the road of sadness much further, the fire couldn't protect the library from the mist or even worst the frost. He put an arm around her and hugged her really gently. Thankfully dragons couldn't get a goose bump, but the cold body of filly let him tremble. His own warmth on the other claw took Scootaloo like a gentle wing and led her step by step to a memory of her mum, her warmth, her hugs. Twilight thought out for while, what she should suggest and glanced over to the book at the night stand again. Here was something it couldn't explain.

“Maybe one of my pegasus friends could help you.

Rainbow Dash is...”

Scootaloos look silenced Twilight very quickly. She looked scared and shook her head.

“Fluttershy is the only one left than.

Maybe she is able to help...”

The next look from Scootaloo was uncommon for Twilight at best. There was no sadness for a moment, but a hint of relief. Even her trembling wings stopped for a moment.

“Do you really think...

Do you really think she can help me?

She can make me feel better?”

Twilight wanted to nod, but she remembered then how sensitive the yellow pegasus mare usually was and sighed.

“She would probably cry with...”

Spike raised his head and shook it. He let go the filly and lifted her head with a claw.

“I think she can help you, Scoots.

Do you want to make a try?

Shall we write a letter to her?

And shall we go to visit her later?”

Scootaloo shut her eyes closed bit her lips and nodded finally.

Dear Fluttershy,

I'm sorry about the hurry in with I ask you out for a visit,

but a little friend of mine really needs your help.

Scootaloo, a pegasusfilly had a rough time,

and needs somepony to listen to her.

Could we please come over for a tea this afternoon?

I know it must be rather unusual for you,

but I hope you will agree, that our visit is important.

If it bothers you, please don't be hesitant to send a letter,

or tell us, if you don't want to meet the filly today.

Yours truly

Twilight Sparkle.

Author's Note:

Again a new chapter is finally done.
I hope it sounded much better, than the earlier ones.
I think I have improved my style and English a little bit.
So I hope you enjoy the interaction between TWilight and Scootaloo.
Because one of the other M6 gets a chance to comfort her in the next two chapters recently.