Chapter 10: Adjustments
Rainbow Dash awoke with a jerk, a small catch of air stopping in her throat. She groaned, pulling in a yawn as she subconsciously rubbed away the line of drool trickling out the corner of her mouth. With a sigh, she settled back down, allowing the comfortable, warm weight on her side to lull her into—
“Hmm…”
Her eyes flew open, the little voice right by her ear startling her awake at once. Confusion momentarily flooded her brain as her unfocused eyes found the curved leg of her coffee table. The added shock finally made her aware of the hard cloud floor she lay against; and with a jerk, she rose off the floor, grabbing Scootaloo and pulling the filly into her lap. Still dazed and half-asleep, she blinked hard, struggling to ask Scootaloo, “What happened?”
The little filly in her lap giggled, nuzzling up against her before responding, “You were sleepy, so I helped you take a nap.”
The answer only served to make Rainbow Dash more confused, the cloud of it descending over her mind as she tried to remember what happened. “What?” she finally asked.
A peal of laughter bubbled from the filly, and she elaborated, “You were being slow this morning. When I felt you nodding off, I tackled you from the side. I knocked you over, and you tried to get me off, but you fell asleep in like ten seconds!”
As she tapped, Rainbow Dash found herself remembering the strange encounter bit by bit. The day before, she’d had a meeting with the Weather Team, orders coming in for the next two months straight from Cloudsdale. Forming the teams, assigning duties, and filing paperwork culminated into a deep mental exhaustion that apparently had not been completely helped by only six hours of sleep last night.
She looked up at the clock, blinking in surprise when she found an hour and a half had passed. She sighed, stretching out her neck with a yawn. As bad as she felt for sleeping when she was supposed to be teaching Scootaloo, she really needed that nap.
Rainbow Dash nuzzled her forehead against Scootaloo’s. “Thanks for helping me out, squirt.”
Scootaloo hummed a chuckle, grabbing Rainbow’s face as she placed a kiss between Rainbow’s eyes, eliciting a giggle of a melted heart from the bigger pegasus. “You’re welcome,” she answered, before reaching around Rainbow’s neck and squeezing her tight.
The cyan mare let the moment pass, before she peeled Scootaloo away. “How’d you know that would work, anyway?”
Blushing, Scootaloo answered, “It always worked with Foggy. Every once in a while, she wouldn’t sleep very well at night. The first time that happened, I was three, and I was actually trying to play with her to wake her up, but I wound up on her side, and the next thing I know, she’s passed out.” Rainbow Dash gave a small smile as she gazed down at Scootaloo as the filly giggled at the memory.
Rainbow pressed a kiss to Scootaloo’s forehead. “Is there anything you can’t do?”
Scootaloo blushed at the compliment, hiding her face in Rainbow’s chest. She felt her sister’s chest shake with a laugh, before the bigger hoof began again on her withers. “Alright, let’s hurry and get your schoolwork done. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle wanted to hang out today, right?”
The little filly nodded in delight, looking back up at her.
“Alright, then, let’s see how quick we can finish up, yeah?”
An excited giggle bubbled from Scootaloo, eager for the challenge.
Apple Bloom rolled her pencil under her hoof, trying her hardest to catch the last little bits of the lesson. She glanced up at the clock for probably the hundredth time in the past hour, her excitement growing with every minute that finally ticked by.
Next to her seat stood a box holding a game of Jenga. All week, she and Sweetie Belle had helped themselves to the board games in the school cabinet, trying to find ones that would let Scootaloo play with them. After some counsel from Cheerilee, and some visually-unaided tactile exploration of their own, they had finally settled on the one game in the cabinet that didn’t include pictures or Braille-less cards. The very thought of being able to play a regular game with their best friend was enough to keep them fidgety all day.
It was a sentiment Cheerilee understood perfectly well, though she asked them to curb their excitement as best they could.
The shrill ringing of the school bell startled Apple Bloom from her deep thoughts, and immediately she joined in the shuffle and ruckus of students as they all hurried to pack their bags. She met eyes with Sweetie Belle, the two sharing a mutual giggle as they thought of all the fun they were about to have with Scootaloo.
“Alright, class,” Miss Cheerilee called as the swarm of foals made for the door. “Don’t forget your Equestrian History essays are due at the end of the week, and get started on your group projects sooner rather than later.”
“Yes, Miss Cheerilee,” came the collective reply, the chorus of her students’ voices never failing to put a smile on her face.
She followed the last foal out the door and to the courtyard, keeping a watchful eye over her charges as they dispersed, individual destinations leading them all home.
Within a series of mere moments, only four fillies remained. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon spoke between themselves at the far end of the courtyard, while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat in jittery patience by the steps.
Chuckling, Cheerilee joined them for a moment. “Excited?”
The two fillies gave quick, joyful nods, beaming up at her.
Cheerilee giggled. “Well, I have to go back inside to get started on tomorrow’s lesson, okay? You three have fun! Stay safe getting to your clubhouse.”
“We will!” they promised simultaneously, their beloved teacher stepping back inside, the door closing behind her.
Only a moment passed before they heard who they were waiting for.
“Hey, girls!”
The voice’s arrival instantly lit up their faces, Rainbow Dash lighting upon the grass with the familiar filly on her back.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” they practically squealed, jumping up at once and helping Scootaloo off the mare’s back, tracing their name-signs as they did so.
Once she was on the ground, Scootaloo giggled as she extended a hoof to her best friends. Giving her a hoof each, her friends gently pushed her hoof into her chest. Panting a laugh, Scootaloo reciprocated, pushing their hooves first to Sweetie Belle, then to Apple Bloom. Their hooves returned to the center point between them before they rose into the air, three faces rising with them as three little voices whooped into the sky.
Rainbow Dash couldn’t help a playful snort at the display between the three fillies. The funny game that had been the icebreaker from the first day they met had become a sort of secret hoofshake for the fillies, and they went through its motions every time they saw each other now.
A part of her mind nagged at her, and she internally sighed before double-checking, “You girls got her alright?”
“Yes!” they beamed simultaneously.
The mare breathed a small sigh as she passed a Braille book to Scootaloo, helping the filly balance it on her back. “Okay,” she said, letting them go. “I’ve got to get to my meeting. We’re dividing teams for the month, so I’ll only be gone about an hour, okay?”
They nodded, giving her mutual ‘goodbye’s and ‘good luck’s, going so far as to help Scootaloo aim her hoof in the right direction for a wave.
The elated giggle that escaped her nearly made Rainbow Dash scoop her up in her forelegs again, and she had to beat back the desire to squeeze the absolute life out of the little filly. With a barely-held-back squee, she waved back instinctively before forcing herself to fly off, on track to be nearly late for the meeting.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle beamed at each other, guiding Scootaloo around to begin the trek to—
“Ugh, great. Now there’s three of you?!”
The shrill voice made the two guides stop, their hearts falling at once. Scootaloo hummed curiously at their sudden halt, asking Sweetie Belle’s hoof what was wrong.
“What do you want, Diamond Tiara?” Apple Bloom rebutted, throwing a glare to her left as Sweetie Belle explained as nonchalantly as possible that somepony was talking to them.
The frilly pink earth pony sauntered up to the three of them, her gray lackey flanking her. “What? Am I not allowed to talk to whoever I want?” She smirked at the quiet pegasus between her two classmates, trotting up to her. “And who are you supposed to—AYYEE!”
Diamond Tiara leapt back with a shriek of horror, her eyes having finally found Scootaloo’s own, taking in her first look at the pegasus’s unique characteristic.
“What’s wrong with her?” she spat, face scrunching up in disgust. Silver Spoon’s own eyes found Scootaloo’s, and they widened in shock, though she remained silent.
Immediately, anger flared in Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s chests, and they stepped in front of their friend. “There ain’t a thang wrong with ‘er!” Apple Bloom objected.
“What, is she blind or something?” Diamond returned. Her nose turned up when she didn’t get a response of any kind from the new filly.
“Yeah, actually,” Sweetie Belle replied, her hackles raising. “Deaf, too. But that doesn’t mean anything’s wrong with her. She’s just different!”
Diamond Tiara scoffed. “She’s a freak!”
The insult, unknown by the one it was intended for, speared itself into the hearts of those for whom it wasn’t. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle jolted back, jaws hanging slack and unbidden tears springing to their eyes.
“N-no she’s not!” Apple Bloom snapped, unable to stop the waver in her voice.
Scootaloo hummed, tapping Sweetie Belle’s shoulder again. Sniffing, Sweetie Belle told Scootaloo’s fetlock to hang on a moment.
Diamond Tiara let out a sound of confused revulsion. “She can’t even talk?! She’s a freak!”
“Go away, Diamond Tiara!” Sweetie Belle screamed, hurt tears trekking down her face. “Just leave us alone!”
“Ugh, like I’d want to stay here any longer, anyway,” she scoffed. “Have fun with your freak.” she gave one last throw of her head before trotting off, leaving the two with a wound deeper than she’d ever be able to understand.
Silver Spoon’s eyes flicked to Diamond Tiara as she stepped away, before landing on Scootaloo’s again. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watched her warily as her head tilted to the side curiously.
“Silver Spoon!” The gray earth pony jumped, cringing at the harsh summoning. Wincing, her eyes chased her friend before coming to rest on Scootaloo again, an internal battle waging within her.
Finally, her allegiances won, and she shrunk in on herself as she trotted off after Diamond Tiara.
Left alone, the fillies finally let themselves break. Slowly, golden eyes met green, tears pouring from both as their collective gaze found Scootaloo. Their best friend stood patiently, not having a clue as to what had just happened, and the careless words that had so deeply hurt her friends.
Simultaneously, the two fillies burst from the pressure of their sorrow, throwing themselves at their friend. With a confused little shout, Scootaloo nearly toppled back, her book slipping to the ground as she steadied herself.
She felt her friends bury their faces into her neck, and instantly, worry crept up her throat. What happened?
She tried asking them, only to receive shakes of the head as a response. Content to simply wait, she snaked her forelegs around her upset friends, holding them close as she felt their shaking shoulders slowly cease their sporadic motions.
When they had finally calmed down enough to pull themselves away, she ignored the moisture left behind on her shoulders and immediately grabbed a hoof each.
“What happened?” she repeated, only to feel hesitation from her friends before Apple Bloom finally answered.
“We…were just…talking to somepony,” her earth pony friend answered.
Apple Bloom wiped away her remaining tears as Scootaloo tapped out, “Who were you talking to?”
Dread made her freeze for a moment, before she replied, “No pony important.”
Scootaloo’s brow furrowed, and she gave a little determined hum. “Everypony’s important!” she objected.
The earth pony filly gulped. “I know, but…trust me, it’d be better if we just ignore her.”
She was met with a blank expression from Scootaloo, the pegasus’s eyes freezing for a moment before they began their flicking again. Slowly, as if carefully holding something back, Scootaloo spelt out:
“There are some ponies out there who would say the same thing about me.”
Apple Bloom felt a rush of panic. How could she say ‘no’ to that? But…it really was different…
“Who was that?” Scootaloo tapped, giving Apple Bloom a small smile.
The earth pony filly bit her lip, sniffing. Finally, she answered, “A pony who would say that about you.”
Heart wrenching, she watched Scootaloo’s eyes widen, her mouth hang open. “Oh…” she slowly tapped, her hoof drooping.
Nervously, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle glanced at each other. Sweetie Belle took Scootaloo’s hoof in her own. “Don’t worry about her. She’s always been mean. She’s mean to me and Apple Bloom and…well, pretty much everypony.”
Scootaloo blinked, head tilting in confusion before she tapped her friends’ hooves simultaneously. “But…why?”
Apple Bloom’s hoof answered. “Wish I knew. Don’t take it personally, it’s…like her life’s goal is to put ponies down. Honestly, she’s just rotten to the core.”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a nervous glance as Apple Bloom’s hoof stopped, hoping her words would cheer Scootaloo up.
A sigh of relief escaped them both as a small smile flickered across their best friend’s face. It twitched into a smirk, and Scootaloo gave an airy little chuckle. “If all she can do is make fun of ponies, then she seriously needs to get a hobby or something.”
The laughter that abounded through the three friends at once melted away whatever tension was left over from the interaction. Though the pang of hurt remained, the tiny trio pulled one another into a tight embrace, chasing away whatever darkness that could have embedded itself in their hearts. After a mutual wade in the joy, only love remained, and they picked each other up from the grass.
“Alright, let’s go,” Sweetie Belle tapped on Scootaloo’s fetlock before saying the same thing. Apple Bloom picked up Scootaloo’s book, placing it back on her back.
“We’ve a game we wanna play with you,” Apple Bloom tapped on Scootaloo’s shoulder, the little pegasus perking up at once.
“Really?” she grinned. “What is it?”
Apple Bloom giggled, translating the sentence for Sweetie Belle before tapping out, “You’ll have to wait and see!”
After a smiling, playful groan from Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sidled up beside their friend, beginning to guide her into the orchard, the previous interaction with Diamond Tiara all but forgotten.
With Sweetie Belle’s help, Apple Bloom stacked the blocks three by three, preemptive giggles bubbling from their throats. Sweetie Belle reached for Scootaloo, asking her if she wanted to play.
“What game is it?” Scootaloo asked curiously.
“Jenga!” Sweetie Belle answered happily.
At once, Scootlaoo’s smile faltered. The pegasus hesitated, a little hum rising from her before she answered. Sweetie Belle’s face fell as a small, apologetic smile rose from Scootaloo.
“What’d she say?” Apple Bloom questioned.
Sweetie Belle glanced up at her, sadness misting her eyes. “She said she’d love to, but she can’t. She said…she’s tried to play Jenga before…but it’s never worked out.”
Scootaloo let her throat move in a hum, feeling her friend’s hesitation. “I can’t feel the blocks without knocking over the tower before the game’s even begun,” she explained sheepishly.
Her friend hesitated again. She could tell they didn’t want to play without her, and that alone was enough to make her feel better. “It’s okay!” she insisted. “You guys can play without me. I have my book!”
Two little hearts cracked as Sweetie Belle translated. “It’s okay, we can play something else!” Sweetie Belle offered, just as Apple Bloom said the same thing.
Scootaloo chuckled. “It’s fine. Really, I promise.” Before Sweetie Belle could object any more, she scooped up her Daring Do book and trudged to the space under the window, planting herself inside a ray of warm sunlight and opening to where she left off.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watched their friend a moment in silence. With a glance to each other, they tried to begin their game.
Sweetie Belle poked at a center block, sliding it through easily and placing it on top. Apple Bloom carefully took hold of an edge piece and eased it out, placing it next to Sweetie Belle’s piece. In silence, they exchanged a glance, eyes finding Scootaloo again as she turned a page, smiling softly to herself.
“It’s no fun playing without her,” Sweetie Belle lamented, posture sinking.
“Yeah…” Apple Bloom’s mind galloped a million miles an hour trying to figure out a way to include, all angles seeming impossible. Scootaloo couldn’t see it, couldn’t touch it without risk of ending the game in a way it wasn’t intended to. But…she couldn’t see anything, anyway…and couldn’t touch much without—
A gasp jolted through her, and suddenly her demeanor flipped on its head. Even her bow seemed to raise up a bit as a bright grin almost split her face in two.
“What?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Ah’ve got an idea,” she chirped, her excitement proving contagious as a little spark lit up Sweetie Belle’s eyes. The little earth pony popped up, nearly prancing to her friend before she carefully took a hoof and traced her name-sign with her toe.
Before Scootaloo could ask Apple Bloom what she wanted, she was lightly tugged up and guided to the center of the clubhouse. Her throat moved in confusion. “Apple Bloom, really, it’s—“
Her friend pulled her hoof out of her grasp, placing her own over Scootaloo’s fetlock and tapping:
“Safe or risky?”
Confusion creased Scootaloo’s brow, and the pegasus grunted. “What?”
Apple Bloom grinned, and she repeated, “Safe or risky?”
After a heavy hesitation, Scootaloo still trying to figure out where her friend was going with this, she slowly responded, “Safe.”
Apple Bloom’s smile only grew, and she found an easy middle piece. Reaching around to the back, she pushed the block out in Scootaloo’s direction. Once it was about halfway through, she sidled up to Scootaloo again, taking both of her hooves and tugging them toward the tower.
Scootaloo wormed her hooves out of Apple Bloom’s hold, tapping, “No, don’t! I don’t want to knock it over.”
“Do you trust me?” Apple Bloom returned. She grinned when her pegasus friend hesitated at the sudden question. Finally, she gulped, answering:
“Yes.”
Smile only growing, Apple Bloom gently guided Scootaloo’s hooves to the half of the block sticking out of the tower. She held them apart until she reached it, bringing them together so Scootaloo’s hooves now only touched the block that was already on its way out of the tower.
“Pull it straight toward you,” she instructed, leaving her friend to do the rest herself.
Scootaloo’s heart leapt to her throat, feeling the smooth block in her hooves as Apple Bloom’s left. A moment passed with her forelegs tense, afraid to move, lest the tower come toppling down and she effectively ruin her friends’ fun.
And yet…something inside her sparked with excitement. A small part of her…really wanted this to work.
With a steadying breath, Scootaloo pulled the block toward her. She felt no resistance as she went, the block sliding smoothly from its surroundings. Finally, she felt something give way at the opposite end, the block twisting in her hooves before slipping away when she startled at its movement.
She felt a tap on her back hoof, the block bouncing away to oblivion.
A moment passed, and she felt a blush rise in her cheeks, convinced she had ruined the game. Such thoughts were shattered when she felt a hoof press the block back into her own, gently guiding it up, where she felt the tiniest brush of the top of the Jenga tower.
Shocked, she let Apple Bloom’s hooves help her place the block down with a slackened jaw. She felt her throat move a little in surprise as the tower barely wobbled, and she pulled her hooves back, resting breathlessly against her chest.
Thoughts racing, she waited for the inevitable chaos of vibrations that signaled the tower’s toppling, only for none to come.
Brief, steady moments passed, before she felt Sweetie Belle’s hooves take hers. “Safe or risky?” her unicorn friend asked.
Her jaw dropped further. The tower never fell? And…they had placed more blocks down?
Something in her mind clicked into place, and a sudden grin split her face as she excitedly grabbed Sweetie Belle’s hoof. “Risky!”
Her friend’s hooves left for a small moment, leaving Scootaloo jittering through the wait. When they came back, Sweetie Belle guided Scootaloo around to another side of the tower, gently taking her hooves and moving them to touch the block sticking halfway out of the stack.
Apple Bloom watched with a wide grin as Scootaloo’s hooves met the side block sticking out of the tower. Sweetie Belle let her go, and Scootaloo bit her lip as she carefully eased the block out the rest of the way, giving a squeal of a giggle when it came free, Sweetie Belle guiding her hooves up to the new layer to place it back down.
On and on it went, several turns passing before the Jenga tower now stood a skeleton of what it used to be.
“Tower’s looking really shaky,” Apple Bloom informed Scootaloo. “Safe or risky?”
Scootaloo pondered the question a moment, humming quietly to herself. Finally, in a flash of daring and bravery, she took Apple Bloom’s hoof.
“Risky!”
Apple Bloom chuckled to herself as she began the hunt, spying a side block from a layer already missing the opposite side block. Above and below, only the center pieces remained.
Her eyebrow cocked, she wiggled the block out of its tight confines, stopping when it was about halfway out to guide Scootaloo’s hooves to it.
She debated giving Scootaloo a hint, finally deciding to let her friend try to figure it out first as she let go of her hooves.
Scootaloo smirked to herself, her eyes flicking excitedly as she wiggled the block back and forth, until finally she frowned a bit, the block refusing to move out any further. She hummed quietly, tugging on one part of the block, the tower beginning to sway.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watched the wobbling pile of blocks with bated breath, their eyes flying to Scootaloo as she stood, keeping a hoof hovering over the block. Gingerly, she prodded at it, the tower rippling ever so slightly with each touch.
With a half-smile and a huff through her nose, Scootaloo brought her hoof slowly out to the side. A second’s contemplation, and she thrust her hoof to the side, sharply colliding with the block.
The two sighted fillies’ heads snapped to the side, following the block as it struck the floor, bouncing and twisting as it slid, bumping against the wall before coming to a stop.
Two pairs of eyes flew to the tower once again, three fillies holding their breath as it rocked once, twice, three times…
And stilled.
Two jaws dropped, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gawking at the precariously-standing tower. On the other side of it, Scootaloo held her breath, waiting to feel the telltale vibrations of a hundred blocks hitting the ground, only for none to come.
With a shrill, happy shout, Scootaloo hopped in place, hooves dancing in her celebration. She felt two pairs of hooves snake around her, two chests jumping in what she could only assume was laughter, her friends holding her close and sharing in her moment of triumph.
“That was so cool!” one of them said.
“You showed that thing who’s boss!” the other tactiley cheered.
Scootaloo’s own chest trembled with her own giggles, hugging her friends as tight as she could. “Thank you so much for helping me play!” she furiously tapped, tears springing to her eyes.
“No problem!” came the reply. “It’s way more fun with you playing with us!”
The response sent another laugh through Scootaloo, and she squeezed all the harder, finally letting go after a moment, eager to continue on with the game for as long as they could.
Sitting on either side of Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gave their attention to the tower once again. They exchanged a glance, knowing full well that the tower was barely a touch away from falling. Grinning to herself, Sweetie Belle poked at one of the less precarious areas, the block of her choice sliding ever so slightly, before it caught, sending the top of the tower into a dangerous sway.
Biting her lip, Sweetie Belle yanked the block out. The rest of the tower followed its motion as it was plucked free, the leftover momentum finally being the straw that sent the top half of the tower tumbling down.
Three little fillies erupted in laughter as the blocks exploded across the floor, scattering every which way throughout the clubhouse. As a unit, they jumped up, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle darting throughout the treehouse to pick up the wayward blocks, while Scootaloo shifted about near her place on the floor to snag whichever ones had landed close by, shuffling them back toward the tower to make it easier for her friends.
Once the blocks were found, Scootaloo waited patiently while her friends began the stacking again, humming a chuckle of anticipation to herself.
Just as the game began again, Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s ears flicked, their attention at once snapped to the entrance, where the sound of hooves had suddenly come from right outside the door. With a small creak, it opened, revealing Rainbow Dash standing in the doorway.
The mare eyed Scootaloo, the filly’s back turned to her, a few paces away. She smirked, raising a hoof to her lips. The two filly’s nodded, waiting with quiet giggles as the mare approached their best friend.
Rainbow Dash crouched down right behind Scootaloo, sneaking as slowly as possible as she brought her muzzle to the tip of Scootaloo’s ear. A sudden puff of breath made Scootaloo’s ear flick, the little filly jumping with a squeal of surprise.
Scootaloo twisted around, grabbing her guardian’s muzzle in her hooves and nuzzling her nose against Rainbow’s. With a light chortle, Rainbow asked, “Hey, squirt! Did you have fun?”
“Yeah!” Scootaloo grinned, a little coo escaping her as she bounced in place from pure, unchecked joy.
“I can play Jenga!”
The declaration, a simple one in its own right, speared itself into Rainbow’s heart, the explosion of joy in her chest sending liquid shrapnel into her eyes, blurring her view of the precious little filly giggling as if today were one of the best of her life.
Sniffling, Rainbow Dash asked, “Oh, yeah? Mind if I watch?”
Scootaloo shook her head, reaching for her sister. Rainbow pulled the filly into her lap, adjusting her seat to scoot Scootaloo closer to the precarious tower, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom grinning at her as they picked up their turns.
As Rainbow Dash watched the game go on, with the two sighted and hearing fillies guiding their friend through round after round until the tower ultimately fell (to the giggles and cheers of all three of them), she felt an ever-growing gratitude toward the little earth pony and unicorn.
After Scootaloo took her next turn, ending with a fit of giggles from the pegasus, they met her teary eyes.
“Thank you both,” she breathed. “You two are so awesome!”
With a mutual blush, they grinned up at her. “Nothin’ ta thank us for,” Apple Bloom said, Sweetie Belle nodding in agreement.
“Scootaloo’s our best friend!” Sweetie Belle added, taking her turn. “We love playing with her, too!”
A bubble of laughter gently shook Rainbow’s chest, and she hugged Scootaloo a little tighter, resting her chin on her filly’s head as she waited to watch Scootaloo’s next big accomplishment with the tower of Jenga blocks.
Sweetie Belle took a deep breath through her nose, glancing at her door, straining her ears with bated breath to make sure her sister wasn’t close by.
Resolutely, she let the breath go, reaching for her ear plugs on her bedside table.
After so many times of being woken up by Rarity’s all-nighters, she had finally requested her big sister to buy her the ear plugs so she could sleep.
Now, they would serve a slightly…different purpose.
Nervously glancing at her door again, she crossed her room to her dresser, opening it and fishing around inside. Finally, she re-emerged with a black scarf in her hooves, shoving her drawer closed before shuffling back to the center of her room. Keeping her eyes on the door, she strained her ears for a final time.
Hearing nothing potentially telling of her sister’s arrival, she carefully put in the ear plugs, silencing the ambient noise of the distant sewing machine. Shaking out the scarf, she closed her eyes, pulling it around her head and tying it in place.
She let her eyes open again, letting out a small, satisfied huff of air when she couldn’t see anything through it. She closed them again, pulling herself up to standing.
Hesitating, Sweetie Belle gulped, a twinge of nervousness plaguing her chest before she shook it down, pulling in another breath. She knew, in a way, where everything was. Her bed was to her right, she was facing her door. Her desk and the dresser was to her left, her window was behind her.
But knowing that defeated the purpose.
With a little hop, she spun herself around. When she landed, she pushed harder, managing to make herself dizzy despite being unable to see the world blur around her.
Nearly rolling her hoof when she landed, she let out a gasp she couldn’t hear as she steadied herself, now unable to tell where she was facing in her room.
Swallowing a small lump in her throat, she carefully stepped forward, tapping the floor in front of her a few times before committing to the step. Breathing through the knot in her chest, she went for a second step. Then another. Then another.
Building up a rhythm of motion, she allowed herself a smile as she moved to take another—
Her hoof collided painfully with an edge, and she let out a shout muffled by her plugged ears. Frowning to herself, she shook it out, groaning to herself as she carefully put it back down to where it made impact.
She found the smooth wood at the bottom of her dresser, running her hoof along it until she found the corner. Humming to herself, she used the corner to orient herself, her mind becoming vaguely aware of where everything else in her room was based on the singular point she had found.
Sweetie Belle turned herself around, aiming for her bed. With a calming, deep breath, she began the trek toward the biggest landmark of her room.
“Yes, see you soon,” Rarity answered, the voice on the other end chittering one final time. “Mm-hmm, love you too. Goodbye.”
With a flick of her magic, she hung the phone back onto the receiver, releasing a tense breath as the gravity of what she needed to do settled onto her shoulders. With a small, unladylike grunt, she turned tail and traipsed to the stairs.
Thoughts clouding her mind, she stepped up them, mentally preparing herself. She took in a deep, calming breath as she reached Sweetie Belle’s door, and raised a hoof to knock.
“Sweetie Belle, darling,” she called, “may I come in?”
Silence.
Brow creased in confusion, she knocked again. “Sweetie?”
Again, she was only met with silence.
With a hum, she gently opened the door, poking her head inside.
“Sweetie Be—“
Rarity’s breath all but stopped, her eyes wide at the scene before her.
Ear plugs stuck in place, her blindfolded sister shuffled near her bed, a hoof extended to reach its spread. Another step, and Sweetie Belle found it, a wheeze of relief escaping her.
A thousand thoughts ran through Rarity’s head, and she carefully stepped forward, tears pricking her eyes. As Sweetie Belle maneuvered to the end of her bed, Rarity hesitated, grimacing to herself.
Carefully, gently, she reached out a hoof.
Sweetie Bell shrieked at the sudden pressure on her shoulder, the tiny unicorn leaping away from the touch, knocking herself into her bed.
It didn’t even take her a second.
“Rarity!” she cried, yanking down the blindfold, her eyes blinking against the sudden influx of light. “I-I…” she trailed off as her startled eyes flew to her sister, whatever panic that was rising up her throat disappearing in an instant.
Rarity’s eyes were welling with tears, her older sister smiling down at her with quiet understanding.
Tenderly, Rarity reached down and removed Sweetie Belle’s ear plugs, running her hooves down her face.
The calming gesture coaxed Sweetie’s own tears to the surface, and her chin quivered as she tried to explain:
“I…I just…I wanted to see what it was like…I just…wanted to know…what she sees, you know?”
Her tears slipped from her eyes when Rarity kissed her forehead. “I understand, Sweetie,” she breathed. “Really, I do. I’m so proud of you for wanting to know.”
“Y…You are?” Sweetie Belle sniffed, rubbing away her tears to look back up at the mare.
“Of course I am,” Rarity beamed tearfully, tugging her little sister into her lap, hugging her tight. “You want to understand your friend better. Of course I’m proud of you for that.”
Sweetie Belle felt a blush creep up her neck, her eyes dodging away from Rarity’s gaze. The sight sent a warm chuckle through the mare, her brief moment of respite quickly snuffed as she remembered what she had come up to do in the first place.
Her smile faltered, and she took a deep breath.
“Sweetie Belle, darling,” Rarity began, cupping her beautiful little sister’s jaw in her hoof.
Sweetie Belle blinked at the odd look in her big sister’s eyes. “Yeah, Rarity? What is it?”
Rarity’s words caught in her throat, and she released a small breath before pulling it in to try again.
“Sweetie Belle, Mom and Dad are coming to visit.”
The effect was instantaneous. The little unicorn’s eyes widened, her mouth dropping open in shock for only a few seconds before she tried to gather herself again. “Wh…when?” she asked shakily.
Her big sister grimaced in sympathy. “Nightmare Night.”
Sweetie’s wide eyes gained a layer of sadness, her entire face seeming to droop with the news.
“It won’t be all day,” Rarity assured, instinctually trying to make her little sister feel better. “They’re planning to leave right after dinner, so they won’t be around for trick-or-treating.”
It seemed to do the trick, Sweetie Belle’s shoulders relaxing at once, the little unicorn breathing a small sigh of relief. “Okay…” she trailed, unable to stop a pout from creasing her face.
Her heart clenching, Rarity pulled her little sister into her lap, hugging her tight. “It will only be for a little while, Sweetie Belle. I promise.” She pressed a kiss to her temple. “And once the visit is over, we’ll have a lovely evening with our friends. How does that sound?”
Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but smile at the idea, pressing her face into the mare’s chest. “That sounds really good.”
A smile warmed Rarity’s face, and she tucked a stray strand back into place within Sweetie Belle’s mane. “Now,” she offered, “do you have any leftover homework you need assistance with?”
Rainbow Dash passed a hoof through Scootaloo’s mane, pressing a kiss to the filly’s forehead. Her little sister grabbed for her head, hugging her tight with a happy little hum, finally letting her go.
“Goodnight, Scootaloo,” Rainbow tapped against her fetlock. “I love you.”
“I love you, too!” Scootaloo tapped back, snuggling down into her bed with a little yawn.
Rainbow smiled warmly down at the precious little filly one more moment before trotting back to the hall, heading downstairs to reorganize the schoolwork for tomorrow.
As she shuffled the papers, she stole a glance at the calendar.
‘The middle of Septembus already?!’ she mused to herself. ‘Wow, time flies…’
A stray thought occurred to her, and she hummed to herself. Looking down at the school supplies, she snagged a sheet of paper and a pencil.
Rainbow Dash smoothed out the paper, gripping the pencil between her teeth for a moment as she pondered the thoughts swirling around her mind, her message finally beginning to click into place as she touched the tip to the paper.
Dear Foggy,
How are you? It’s been a while.
Scootaloo’s doing great! Her schooling’s coming along, and the whole town loves her! She’s got two best friends now, and they’re almost as good at helping her as I am! Even helped her play Jenga, and now I think that’s her favorite game!
Rainbow Dash chuckled to herself a moment, adjusting her bite on the pencil and continuing:
Anyway, I wanted to invite you to our Nightmare Night party. The whole town gets together to celebrate! Scootaloo’s really excited for it, and I figured it’d be a nice surprise if one of her favorite ponies came to visit!
So, if you want to meet up, write back and we can work something out. Or you can just show up. You know, whichever works for you. Can’t wait to see Scootaloo’s face when she sees you again!
Anyway, hope everything’s going okay with you! Can’t wait to hear all about it! See you soon!
-Rainbow Dash
"Do what is right to other people, love being kind to others, and live humbly."
-Micah 6:8
Hello, everyone!
So sorry I haven't posted the name-sign master page yet! This chapter kinda grabbed me by the neck and ran, so...
It'll be posted in the next few days, promise!
Again, a big thank you to my good friend who never fails to keep me giggling like an idiot!
Let me know what you guys think, and I'll see you all again soon!
Stay lovely, everyone!
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Good
every time I come back to this story I wish I could give it another like or favorite it harder.
I'm looking forward to this hidden drama you have with Rarity, Sweetie Bell, and her parents. there has always been something off about that arrangement to me and I look forward to how you explain it.
I'm also *really* looking forward to Foggy getting to be happy
The bit about Rarity and Sweetie's Parents worry me... wouldn't be mentioned if it won't be important...
Okay, this was awesome, apart from the bit involving Diamond Tiara. Seriously, that b***h needs a thump. Good to see Silver Spoon isn't quite so bad. Something tells me the break between those two will come a fair bit sooner.
I do wonder what's going on with Rarity's and Sweetie Belle's parents.
11244775
Me in my head: Okay, now we need Sweetie or Bloom to accidentally misspell words that cause Rainbow issues when Scootaloo asks her about them.
I.e. Shit instead of shut, fuck instead of buck, a word beginning with c instead of stunt, that sort of thing.
6 hours that's luxury!
Well time to wait and see what spoiled rich aka spoiled milk has to say about scootaloo
Reading those chapters always puts a smile on my face :)
In ten seconds flat, dear.
I really like this scene, it's just a little slice of heartwarming and it shows how Rainbow is balancing work and home. Scootaloo is best weighted blanket.
I actually thought you used the word 'lighting' incorrectly here, but it is correct, it's just archaic, I learned something today.
Ah, going for the feels early I see. This is a lovely callback, and it's sweet to see they made something so wonderful out of something borne of a terrible situation.
Can't... Too cute...
And now there's you...
🔪
You're handling the pacing of the episodic format really well, stopping us from retreading old ground and keeping things fresh without having to drag on a scene unecessarily. Really looking forward to what the next chapters are promising. Silver Spoon, Sweetie's parents (very concerning reactions there
) and the return of Foggy!
I hope Diamond's reformed soon before she passes the point of no return.
Poor Silver
Yay Apple Bloom to the rescue!
My heart!
Wasn't expecting that!
Now I'm worried about Sweetie Belle's parents.
Foggy's coming back!
As always this was a delightful read, looking forward to more!
Devoured all the chapters today, most of the during work where I'm technically not allowed to use my phone
Really love this story, and can't wait for more to come. Keep up the amazing work
11245039
Such things would be out of bounds for an E rated story. I, for one am enjoying the stories continued wholesomeness. Keep up the great work.
11246233
You've got a point! Still a possibility if done in a more wholesome way and would demonstrate that the girls are in no way perfect when it comes to EHS
Oh hay, the Scootadopt genre isn’t dead after her horrible parents were revealed? Yay! I know what I am reading next!
And Foggy still hasn’t visited. Oof.
And now I must wait...
This is a gem, Noccy. Even if the Apple accent is a little overdone.
11246375
There were more than a few that were started after the reveal. Spits Fire is one I'm watching. It was started two months after The Last Crusade aired, and Scootaloo doesn't appear till chapter 4, six months later, and isn't revealed to be living rough until chapter 10, which wasn't posted for more than eight months after that. I mean, it's a pretty good story all things considered, but the bit with Scootaloo doesn't quite sit well with me. This one is different, this isn't show Scootaloo with a rewritten backstory, it's a completely different filly that just happens to share a name and colours with her.
Another great chapter! Keep up the great work!
Another great chapter! I wonder why Rarity and Sweetie belle don't want to see their parents?
Absolutely love this story. So many emotions. Keep up the great work.
so damn adorable, I sometimes feel my eyes start to water
I have a feeling we shouldn't get to excited to see Foggy visit Scootaloo again just yet. Don't get me wrong, I really want it to happen. But from what we've seen so far about Foggy as well as some comments from the author regarding her I don't think she is ready to allow herself that yet. In fact, I worry about what she yet has to go through to reach that point.
Love to be proven wrong here, but all signs point to the fact that is not the direction this story is going in, not yet anyway.
Rereading this, still enjoyed it as much as the first time.
That was a very sweet chapter. I love the connection between Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo.