An Understanding Heart

by Alaborn

Prologue

An Understanding Heart
By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

Prologue

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Three fillies gazed at a large round device, set up outside the tree that serves as Ponyville’s library. A circle of tough fabric was stretched and attached to springs, which were then connected to a circular frame. The edges of the device were covered by quilted fabric, draped over the springs to prevent manes or tails being caught in them. The yellow earth pony and white unicorn smiled as they looked at their proud friend, an orange pegasus.

“Where did ya find a trampoline?” asked Apple Bloom.

“I didn’t,” replied Scootaloo. “Twilight Sparkle was nice enough to conjure one.”

“She must know every spell!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle. “I wish Rarity or Mom or Dad could do that.”

“Yeah, but she also conjured these,” said Scootaloo, holding up a pair of helmets. Each helmet was painted the color of one of her friends’ coats, with stripes the same color as their manes. “Safety first,” she said, mimicking Twilight Sparkle’s voice.

“That’s right,” said Twilight Sparkle, opening the top half of the door to the library. “I don’t want your crusading to put you in the hospital again.”

“But that only happened with the Cutie Mark Crusaders tightrope walkers,” said Apple Bloom.

“Oh, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders distillers!” said Sweetie Belle.

“And the Cute Mark Crusaders cliff climbers!” said Scootaloo.

“Maybe we have been doing a lot of dangerous things,” said Sweetie Belle.

“But Ah’m sure we’ll find our cutie marks today!” said Apple Bloom hopefully.

“Like I said, be careful,” Twilight Sparkle chided. “Don’t do anything crazy, and you won’t get hurt.”

The three fillies’ spirits deflated slightly. Still, they donned their helmets, with Scootaloo putting on the helmet she normally wore while riding her scooter. Raising their hooves and placing them together, the three fillies shouted, “Cutie Mark Crusaders trampoline acrobats are go!”

Scootaloo was the first to climb onto the trampoline, helping her friends up afterwards. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stood hesitantly on the side of the trampoline, not sure what to do.

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” the pegasus said. She stepped to the center of the trampoline and began jumping. Even without using her wings, the rebound provided by the trampoline propelled her high into the air. Scootaloo grinned as she felt herself rise into the air, imagining she was taking off towards the clouds.

“That does look like fun!” said Apple Bloom. She joined Scootaloo in her bouncing. Sweetie Belle, determined not to be left out, followed.

The three fillies enjoyed the haphazard motions of trampolining. Squeals of joy filled the air. The movement of the fabric underneath their hooves, ever-changing based on the motions of the three jumpers, caused the fillies to bounce in different directions, occasionally bumping into each other. They tried bouncing on their hooves, on their rumps, and on their sides. The giving surface of the trampoline made each bounce safe and fun.

Scootaloo glanced through the window of the library. Twilight Sparkle’s focus had returned to a thick book. Scootaloo moved towards the edge of the trampoline, checked Twilight again, and stepped off. Casting a glance to the limbs of the library’s tree home, Scootaloo flapped her wings furiously, rising enough in the air to reach the lowest branch. Repeating the process several times, she reached a branch two stories up.

Scootaloo peered down at the trampoline, planning her jump, picturing in her mind the awesome bounce she’d enjoy. With a twitch of her muscles, the pegasus jumped off the branch. “YEAAAAH!” she screamed as she fell.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked up in surprise. They bounced away from the center as the orange daredevil landed. As Scootaloo had expected, she rebounded incredibly high, at least one story. But her momentum carried her away from the trampoline. She beat her wings in an attempt to reorient herself.

Meanwhile, the force of Scootaloo’s rebound threw off the rhythm the other fillies had established. They bounced in unexpected directions, away from the trampoline. Sweetie Belle was able to catch her hooves on the edge of the trampoline, before slipping to the ground. Apple Bloom, on the other hoof, was going to crash. However, she was surprised to be caught on the back of another pony.

The pony grunted, then asked, “Are you okay?” He lowered himself to the ground to allow the filly to step off.

Apple Bloom, shaken, just nodded. Once on the ground, she looked at the pony who caught her. He was a brown earth pony with a yellow mane. His cutie mark was an open book. And he was old. Not Granny Smith old, but definitely older than most of the adults in her life. She was pretty sure he was a visitor to Ponyville, as she had never seen him before.

“Ah’m sorry, sir,” Apple Bloom apologized.

The older pony stretched, working out a kink in his back. “Don’t worry. It was nothing serious, I think.”

By this time, all three fillies were looking at the stranger. He smiled warmly. “I think you are just the ponies to help me. I’m looking for the Ponyville schoolhouse. Can you give me directions?”

“Of course, sir,” said Sweetie Belle. “Down the road, you’ll see Sugarcube Corners—that’s the building that looks like a gingerbread house. Turn left at that intersection, and take that street until you reach the schoolhouse. You can’t miss it.”

“I thank you for your assistance,” the stallion said.

As the stranger departed, the three fillies whispered conspiratorially. “Who was that?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Are we getting a new teacher?” wondered Scootaloo.

“Maybe Cheerilee has a new special somepony!” said Sweetie Belle.

“But he’s so old!” Scootaloo commented.

“That doesn’t matter for true love,” Sweetie Belle explained.

“We should help him out!” suggested Apple Bloom.

“Yeah!” Scootaloo replied enthusiastically. “Cutie Mark Crusader matchmakers!”

“But we already tried that, two Hearts and Hooves Days ago!” said Apple Bloom. “And we royally screwed that up.”

“Then we’ll do it right this time!” said Scootaloo.

A pony cleared her throat. The fillies looked up, and realized Twilight Sparkle had been standing over them, probably for some time. “I told you to be careful, girls, and the minute I looked away, you almost killed yourself. I think the only thing you’re going to be today is Cutie Mark Crusader library cleaners.”

“Awwww,” the three fillies whined in unison.

Comments

[Emil]

If Twilight wanted her library cleaned, Cute Mark Crusader Library Cleaners sounds like the worst possible way to go about it.