Chapter 7_Pasta and potato sandwich on sourdough
The evening gave way to a thunderstorm scheduled at 6:35 pm by the Ponyville Weather Patrol. Rain dripped against the window pane of Applebloom’s room. Applebloom rubbed her chin pondering her next move. A flash of lighting did not faze neither her nor her opponent Sweetie Belle, her hooves crossed over her chest, content, waiting. The glow of another lightning flash illuminated Applebloom’s face of a mind deep in concentration. The fillies had recently been evicted from the CMC headquarters by Apple Jack, the tree house being a dangerous spot during a storm. However their gaming competition would only continue in Applebloom’s room. After Scootaloo left to rekindle their friendship with Diamond Tiara; Applebloom and Sweetie Belle set about nursing their bee stings and playing a marathon of board games the entire afternoon. It turned into an intense competition, the fillies even kept score of every win in their duel of games. Go fish, chess, pickup sticks, marbles, scrabble, an extensive catalog of games was sampled that afternoon. For every game Apple Bloom won, Sweetie Belle would win the very next match. That was until they played ‘Operation’, where Sweetie Belle won six games in a row despite Applebloom’s best efforts. It seemed that Sweetie Belle would walk away as ‘Princess of Board Games’ and Applebloom, the loser, would have to capture a frog to designate as next week’s Cutie Mark Crusaders’ official mascot. But a breakaway game of checkers was chipping away at Sweetie Belle’s lead.
“Ah ha!”,exclaimed Applebloom.
Click, click, click her tiny hoof moved her piece across the board.
“King Me! ” , a victorious Applebloom made a little hoof bump in the air.
“How could I’ve missed that?!”, bemoaned an irritated Sweetie Belle, her hooves pulling at her cheeks, there was no possible way she could win now.
“Ha Ha! Tell Rarity you need a net stitched and have fun hunt’n frogs!”, grinned Applebloom as she rolled on the floor laughing.
“We’re tied, late bloomer.”,smugly grimaced Sweetie Belle, she playfully hurled a pillow at Applebloom with her telekinesis.
A raucous laughter engulfed the fillies. It was loud enough to be interrupted by a sudden rapping of the floor boards from downstairs.
“Apple Bloom!”, called out her no-nonsense sister Apple Jack inbetween knocks of a broom handle from the bottom floor.
“ Ya’ll shush your gavallant’n and chuckl’n up there, you know Granny needs her forty winks.”
“Sorry AppleJack”, Apple Bloom responded, rolling her darling, bright orange eyes, making a zipping motion with her hoof over her mouth, locking it with an imaginary key, and finishing with a tossing motion.
Swette Belle struggled to suppress a chuckle.
“You two might wanna come on downstairs,” continued Apple Jack in a warm, earthy tone“ Scootaloo’s come to see ya, right time to be hosting our friends, but mindful of your noise.”
“Scootaloo!” the two fillies perked up nearly in unison, they trotted in place for just a moment before hurrying downstairs while trying to be quiet. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom exchanged looks of glee, without words the two best friends wondered how the day went between Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara,during their board games the girls daydreamed about the details of the rendezvous. They imagined a hallway ball pit leading up to Diamond Tiara’s room and a secret underground luge track beneath the mansion. Once their bee stings were healed, they’d be sure to speculate potential sleepovers at Diamond Tiara’s mansion. The fillies arrived down stairs elated to find Scootaloo in the Apple family kitchen, looking glamorous but tired. Thunder crashed outside.
“Boy howdy they sure are cooking up something fierce out there, that weather patrol better be mindful of my Apple Trees. They send all their greenhorns out this way and they throw lighting everywhere like it's last week’s bath water.” remarked Applejack, she poured Scootaloo a tall glass of apple juice.
There were additional glasses set aside on the table for the other fillies.
“Scootaloo, Scootaloo!”exclaimed her friends in tempered excitement, eager to hear of her adventures.
Scootaloo just turned to give a tired grin to her friends, it was clear she was happy to see them, but something weighed heavily on her mind. The fillies took their seats. Apple juice and Apple Jack continued to pour.
“Anypony want Apple Cobbler? Made some this morn’n, but I’d need to heat it up if you want it warm”.
Normally the fillies would pipe up enthusiastically for some of Apple Jack’s apple cobbler, which was among her best desserts, especially fresh from the oven. But Apple Jack was just greeted with synchronized head shakes of ‘no’ from three little heads. Something wasn’t right, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle knew it. Apple Jack per usual, was clueless. Scootaloo usually gets milk when adults offered beverages and Apple Jack serves apple juice ,of course, unless her guests speak up. The fillies knew that something had gone wrong with Diamond Tiara, though Scootaloo’s face and mane looked incredible.
“ Well I’ll leave you three to catch up”, shrugged Apple Jack making her way out of the kitchen.
“Help yourselves, but keep the chatter down, I’m gonna prep the store room for this storm, come get me if you need anything.”
‘Apple Jack, we love you’ ,thought Apple Bloom ‘You’ve traveled the world, rescued Equestria with your honesty, we all owe you one, but you got no wherewithal with Crusader business.’
A thunder clap , Apple Jack dawning her poncho and galoshes, and closing the front door enroute to the store room, were the only sounds. Apple Bloom finally broke the moment of silence.
“You okay Scootaloo?” , her voice just above a whisper.
Sweetie Belle, getting better with her Telekinesis, hovered the apple cobbler to the table.
“What happened today, Scoots?” she inquired, her gaze in concentration on landing the cobbler on the table.
As soon the cobbler made a successful touchdown there came a sudden,cataclysmic explosion of a ravenous, orange filly. Shoveling the confectionery into her tiny maul, her immaculately polished hooves dug into the moist, pillowy, cinnamon infuse desert that had the misfortune of coming within reach. Heaps of choice cut apples, caramelized sugar crumbles, disappeared into a minuscule muzzle. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were gobsmacked, jaws hanging agape.
‘Did Diamond Tiara hypnotize their best friend into a cobbler eating wild animal, reverting back to the bully she’d always been in an odd scheme for revenge?’
‘Was Scootaloo struck by a magical lighting bolt that made her always hungry and forgetful of her manners?’
These thoughts ran through the two fillies' fertile imagination. But they knew this was not the case, because with saint-like restraint Scootaloo held her cobbler stuffed, quivering maul shut. Tears trailed, smearing mascara and crumbs down her cheek. Scootaloo fought the urge to consume the last two filly sized servings of cobbler. She finished with a swallow that echoed through the quiet kitchen, and a deep sigh. Before any of her friends could say a word…
“They had a frozen grape…, mixed in with chickpeas… served on a cucumber slice…”, a gruff Scootaloo managed to mutter.
Apple Bloom leaned in further with a cocked eyebrow, “Pardon, Scoots?”
“ Ninety minutes of my life and that was the only course at Iguana Del Ray!” blurted a pained Scootaloo her limbs outstretched across the table her luminous eyes dulled and drained from the day's misadventure.
“It took me nine years of my life to rid this orchard of iguanas… I’ll buck em to last week!” snored the half woken apple family matriarch, Granny Smith from upstairs.
“ Its just a dream Granny, get your shut eye!”, called back Apple Bloom.
“Trouble with Diamond Tiara?”, noted Sweetie Belle as a restless Scootloo promptly left her seat to pace about the kitchen.
“Okay Scootaloo settle down.” Applebloom made a downward pressing motion with her hooves, “please explain what in tarnation has got you so fed up with eat’n frozen grapes and chicken peas? Come clean with that Iguana too, I’m trying to rectify all this in my mind.”
Scootaloo was a bit too preoccupied rummaging through a kitchen drawer to respond just yet.
“A-Ha!” she remarked, removing a corkscrew and began prying her back molar.
“ No Scootaloo!, the Tooth Breezy won’t leave bits for your teeth!” managed a frantic Sweetie Belle.
“ Putoo!” Scootaloo spit the infernal cabbage leaf into the sink, she felt so much better.
“Sorry”, signed a relieved Scootaloo, running the sink to clean up.
Her concerned friends came closer.
“You wouldn’t believe the day I had… Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are much nicer than they were before and she has an awesome mansion….” ,Scootaloo paused and took another sigh.
“Go on Scootaloo… that’s good to hear…” ,comforted Apple Bloom.
Scootaloo cut her off, pacing back and forth in the kitchen that could not contain her despair and disappointment.
“ But those fillies are so rich, so privileged that they have no clue how other ponies operate! It's just not normal what they do! I mean they eat tiny frozen foods, they hate Sugar Cube Corner ! They don’t ride on scooters or play tag. All they do is talk about imaginary money capitals that no pony gives a road apple about, they like to feel important, and they take super slow carriage rides for no reason!”
“I’m guessing it's safe to say there’s no ball pit hallway, huh?”, mentioned Sweetie Belle out of the corner of her mouth to a captivated Apple Bloom.
“ And the worst part about it all…” she said with a slow turn of her head toward her friends, “ ...they love Feather Bangs…”
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, hugged each other tight and let out a shriek. It briefly woke Granny Smith upstairs who screamed as well ,but then immediately returned to sleep as evident in her now amplified snoring. The fillies paused, color in their coats had dulled at the mention of the name. They waited a moment for Apple Jack to storm up from the store room with an all too familiar lecturing for waking Granny, but she never came. More than likely the eldest apple sibling, Big Mac, had arranged things down there and Apple Jack was busy rearranging it to her liking as usual.
“ No, no, no ...” , said Sweetie Belle burying her head in Apple Bloom’s chest at the thought of Feather Bangs.
“It's true” sighed Scootaloo she looked up at the thunderstorm outside, a lightning flash illuminating her perfect, adorable face, “ Worst part is she’s taking me to see him in concert on the first train to Canterlot tomorrow.”
Sweetie Belle’s white fur turned green at the thought, she put a hoof to her mouth and eyed the sink, but she managed to keep down her lunch.
“Okay, let’s not lose our heads here Crusaders”, said an unusually pale Applebloom.
“ So maybe Diamond Tiara isn't the filly that we were expecting.”
“Expecting? She’s bonkers!”, protested Sweetie Belle, a tinge of sickness still echoed in her voice. “I can overlook her eccentricities and out of touch opinions but Feather Bangs…”
Sweetie Belle paused to prevent herself from fainting “... Is just rotten! He asked if I could pose as his niece so could help show the mares his nurturing side!”
Applebloom held up a hoof to calm her friend, “ We all met him at the same time in Starlight’s village. He tried to pay me a bit to go up and ask a stranger if she’d go on a date with him, no sense in digging up old ghosts.”
“Yah and our friend Scootaloo is about to meet the ghost of ‘pickup lines past’ himself.” said Sweetie Belle she stomped her hoof on the floor to make a point.
“ You guys don’t fight over me, I know what I have to face,” said a weary Scootaloo ,”but Diamond Tiara is a different pony than she was before, she’s honestly trying to be better.”
“Scootaloo, tell her how you feel about Feather Bangs and that you don’t wanna go.”, reassured Applebloom.
“ I told her how I felt Applebloom and it didn’t change her mind at all! And besides, this is important to her, I know she’s doing her best but there’s absolutely nothing binding us together!”
Scootaloo continued sulking, climbing back into her seat at the kitchen table.
“ We crusaders are there for all fillies who need our help and reach out to us for friendship. When I swallowed that bee for Diamond Tiara, She thought I saved her life. There’s just so much history between us that I don't know how to get out of this without casting her aside.”
“Ohhh I should never have run off at that field trip,'' moaned Scootaloo “ I would’ve never swallowed that bee and be in this mess.”
Her heavy head came down with a thud on the kitchen table. Applebloom put a reassuring hoof on her friend, Sweetie Belle curled her lip in thought, an idea was about to present itself.
“Diamond Tiara thinks you saved her life right.” Said Sweetie Belle with a sly look in her eyes leaning in among her friends.
“ What are you getting at? “ inquired Apple Bloom for Scootaloo.
“Just a thought. What if you get Diamond Tiara to think she saved your life? Then you’d be even, no pony would be obligated to be friends, no more awkward clothes, no more creepy musicians.” said Sweetie Belle with a smug little smile
“You’re suggesting Scootaloo put herself in danger! What’s gotten into you Sweetie Belle?”, shot back Apple Bloom sounding a bit too much like Apple Jack.
“Scootaloo Isn’t going to be in actual danger,” replied Sweetie Belle rolling her eyes, she did have a bit of a devious streak, good thing she used it mostly for good.
“We just have to get Diamond Tiara to think she’s rescued Scootaloo. Yesterday, we all got stung dozens of times, she was scared of just one little bee and she isn’t even allergic. She’s sure to fall for something trivial like that”, She continued with a coy grin.
“ I follow ya”, nodded a shrewd Apple Bloom, coming into Sweetie Belle’s logically shaking scheme.
“ We just gotta figure out how to be natural about it and Diamond Tiara would have to be in some capacity to do something about it.”
“Have Scootaloo carry a bee in a jar and she’ll have her butler shoo it away?,” said Sweetie Belle her cleverness diminishing as the plan became more involved.
“ Uh uh” Applebloom shook her head, “We need something simpler, and more importantly something Diamond Tiara can do herself.”
The fillies paused deep in thought, a deafening silence filled the kitchen, nothing was coming to mind. Out of nowhere…
“Pasta and potato sandwich on sourdough…” , broke the silence.
Followed by the crack of a close lightning strike. The filles looked over to Scootaloo no longer in the doldrums on the kitchen table, but up in her seat a furrowed brow and with an intense concentrated glare, the type of face Scootaloo often made while attempting an especially difficult scooter trick.
“ Pasta and potato sandwich on sourdough….”, repeated Scootaloo “I tasted it myself, that sandwich has everything that Diamond Tiara despises , two thousand six hundred thirty-six calories, a three days serving of carbohydrates, the size of a filly’s head, she’d be terrified if I took a bite of it. All she’d have to do is swat it out my hooves and ‘save my life’”.
Thinking back to how Diamond Tiara responded at Sugar Cube Corner to Pinkie’s Pie’s delicious, now long consumed cupcakes, this was an excellent plan to get Scootaloo out of an undesirable friendship while saving face.
The Fillies just looked at each other with mischievous grins on their tiny muzzles. Sweetie Belle nonchalantly hovered a box of dry macaroni noodles in view and gave it a sassy little shake. Apple bloom went to open a cabinet and out rolled bag of red potatoes.
“Let’s pack you a lunch tomorrow, Scoots ” said Applebloom with a confident gaze.
“Cutie Mark Crusader’s sandwich makers! Friendship savers!”, the Fillies clamored.
The gloom and doom of the last fifteen minutes gave way to flurry of activity in the kitchen, even the weather improved outside as the clouds cleared. It took the fillies back to the days,not so long ago, where they’d spend hours trying to achieve their cutie marks. Culinary themed marks were early failed experiments, with Sweetie Belle being the worst cook. The fillies boil pasta, sliced potatoes, shredded cheese, and toasted sourdough. They were only disturbed momentarily by Apple Jack, back from reorganizing the storehouse who recommended that apples would make a perfect addition to any sandwich as was always her opinion. Soon the fillies had their sandwich, a gooey, edible calorie bomb and Scootaloo’s ticket to freedom. Scootaloo had learned the recipe from Rainbow Dash’s mother, Windy Whistle, on a visit for a school assignment. Her heroine’s go-to source for carbo-loading to complement her intense training regimen, the sandwich was also heavenly. Buttery potatoes, mixed in with the tangy crunch of the sourdough was somehow perfect together with the creamy, gooey noodles. At least remembering Windy Whistle’s incredible meal helped Scootaloo choke down the Crusader’s sorry attempt. The noodles were overcooked and mushy, their gastly texture combining with the cheese in an odd way. The potatoes were undercooked and had a hard, waxy taste to them. The sourdough bread slices were burnt and almost hurt to bite through. On top of all that, in order to fit the barely edible sandwich in the available wax paper, the girls had to eat a few bites. Well Scootalloo did, the other fillies could barely stomach a nibble before later discreetly feeding their portions to the Apple family dog, Winona.
“Well I won’t blame Diamond Tiara for thinking this here sandwich will be the end of ya.” muttered Apple Bloom.
Scootaloo swallowed and finished tying the twine on the remaining portion of the sandwich, “Maybe some mayonnaise will help.”
Its was getting late and Scootaloo needed to catch a train to Canterlot in the morning. The girls parted ways, Scootaloo gave Sweetie Belle a ride on her scooter back into Ponyville. There was a fresh smell of rain on the trees and grass as they made their way home through the darkness of the early evening. Luna’s moon peering down on them through clouds above them. The pasta and potato sandwich stained the wax paper with blotches of grease in Scootaloo’s saddlebag awaiting its moment.
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'evil laughter'
Those fillies have been listening to that awful Zesty Gourmand again, haven't they?
In fairness, who wouldn't want to dote on Sweetie Belle?
Okay that's just sad.
She's going to fall back on her status as Scootaloo's friend to take control of her life in order to protect her isn't she?
Pfft!
Thanks for reading everyone!
11350110
'Evil laughter intensifies.'