Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful

by David Silver

25 - End Episode 6: Everyone Knows

Prickle walked along on her hindlegs, her forebody resting on the platform she was strapped to snugly. It felt odd, but she was moving well. Apple Bloom was on one side, Scootaloo was on the other. She looked back and forth between them as she went. "So... I have a question."

"Yeah?" Scootaloo glanced at her. "Sounds heavy, what's wrong?"

"Does... I mean..."

Apple Bloom suddenly stopped her, throwing a leg around her neck and pulling her close. "Ah think ah know what yer about t' ask and it don't matter not one bit."

Prickle backpedaled, and there was little Apple Bloom could do to stop her. "You say that! You're... not the freak."

Apple Bloom pointed at her as she sank to her haunches. "Neither are you. Ah mean, ya could say that, but it ain't the right word to use. Freaks are bad, ya ain't bad. Yer good, real good. Yer special in all the right ways."

Scootaloo gave a big grin. "You think anypony in town is unhappy when you're around? You don't even notice, but I do. Wherever you go, ponies are happy to have you around. They know you'll help them however you can. No big bad monster can bother them with you around. No criminal has a chance! I mean, sure, it's a little... odd... having that be a filly, but they're not complaining." Scootaloo extended a tiny wing. "Now you want to talk about freaks?!" Her voice hitched. "I'm a pegasus that can't even fly. How useless is that?!" Her voice was getting a little shrill. "There isn't anything good about that. That doesn't make a single pony smile."

Prickle could see Scootaloo was veering down a dark path and suddenly felt bad for her own troubles. She pressed forward on her cart towards Scoot. "Stop that! You're an amazing pony."

"Yeah," agreed Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo shook her head violently, coming out of the funk even as she sniffed loudly. "Funny thing... I can thank the same pony for reminding me of that. I mean, the bad part that is."

Prickle frowned. "Diamond picked on you?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "She did. I mean, we're alright now, but she did."

Prickle huffed indignantly. Diamond seemed to be the source of too much pain and misery. "I should... teach her a lesson." For herself she couldn't dream of facing Diamond Tiara, but for Scootaloo, who had been nothing but a friend, it seemed less impossible. "She's a real monster! I can take her down just like the bugbear."

Apple Bloom shook her forehooves wildly. "Don't even think about that! No hurting ponies, especially not some filly, no matter how much she annoys us."

Prickle turned her cart to Apple Bloom. "She's done a lot more than annoy Scootaloo!" Whatever slights she had suffered were forgotten for the moment. "I should... She should know what it feels like."

Scootaloo rest a hoof on the cart. "Hey, thanks. I mean it, but don't go hitting ponies for me. That isn't right, even for Diamond Tiara." She had her goofy grin back. "Now if you wanna play a prank on her..."

Prickle's ears perked right up. "Huh?"

Scootaloo's grin widened. "With your skills and our ingenuity, I bet we could come up with something satisfying, and doesn't involve punching a pony."

Apple Bloom burst into soft laughter. "Let's just make sure we don't break anything along the way." She hopped up to her hooves and started trotting towards Prickle's house. "Let's get you home. Everyone alright?"

"Yeah." Prickle smiled a little. Diamond Tiara or not, she had friends, good ones. Even confusing ones... She thought to Silver Spoon giving her an adult kiss. "Hey, why'd Silver do that?"

"Do what?" Scootaloo asked with an ear perked at Prickle. "Oh, the kiss? I thought you two might have been... special someponies, but you shot her down pretty hard."

Prickle paled faintly in her quivering nose. "I didn't mean to! Did I hurt her?"

Apple Bloom shook her head. "Ah think she was jus' tryin' ta be a damsel in distress. Ah think she likes being that, an' damsels in distress give their heroes big ole' smooches when they're done heroin' fer the day. Ah read it in Spike's comics. 'Course, sometimes the hero and the damsel are either or. Ah mean, a girl hero gets smooches from boy damsels. Girl heroes and girl damsels. Heck, ah saw boy heroes and boy damsels. Don't matter none. Smooches. Heroes get smooches."

Prickle's ears dances as she walked along under the dark sky. "Huh, so it doesn't mean anything? It's just... a thank you?"

Apple Bloom shrugged as she went. "That's what ah figure, but yer gonna have to go and ask Silver for yerself to be sure one way or the otha."

Scootaloo bumped into Apple Bloom from the side after dashing around to be on her side of the cart. "How do you know so much stuff?"

Apple Bloom looked mighty proud of herself. "Ah read, and pay attention. Gotta do that if ya want to do alchemy good, n' ah love doin' that. Don't be puttin' me up on any pedestals now. Yer awful good at mechanics more than I ever was."

Prickle felt suddenly awkward. "I can... I'm strong?"

Scootaloo snorted at that. "You can jump through the air faster than some pegasi can fly. You can fight it out better than I'd ever want to try. You aren't scared of any monster!" She suddenly jumped and came down on Prickle's wagon, her hooves on either side of Prickle. "You are 100% awesome!"

Apple Bloom pointed. "Here we are. You get some rest and we'll see you tomorrow at school, kay?"

Scootaloo quickly dismounted the pinned Prickle. "Good night!"

Prickle wanted to wave, but that was impossible. She settled for saying it, "Bye! Thanks for staying with me."

She headed inside, to explain what happened to her worried mother, get some dinner, and prepare for the next day.

Author's Note:

End episode. So, hey, how are they, the episodes, the story, etc. Let me know! And where should we explore next. So much fertile ground...

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

Pickle can always go half and half with the CMC scooter and cart? Either hang out the back with her wheels to save room, or hang out with her legs and help push?

[Snow]

Prickle needs to strap Scoots to her back and go bouncing around.

[Fireeaters]

So she "doesn't afraid of anything", huh?

Oh! Uh, if all ponyville knows about Prickle's ludicrous strength, wouldn't it be really easy for them to put two and two together? Do they already know and are pretending for the sake of Prickle's privacy?

[tsaukpaetra]

Hmm. Maybe. We think Silver's infatuation may have dimmed, but she probably still wants it.
Poor Scoots, teetering on depression like that, at least she has friends to knock that off.
Keep going! ;)

[David Silver]

8034721 It has been implied that the school foals at least are aware of her strength. She did rescue Sweetie from that weight that the other foals knew was far too heavy for a normal pony to deal with. She also lifted the entire schoolhouse that time. She likely did lots of other things while trying to be subtle.

It would be odder if they didn't have some clue.

[Fireeaters]

8034740 Neat.

[Hydra_1324]

8034565

*Prickle XD