New Discoveries

by Phantom Shadow

Chapter 19: No Turning Back

Rarity watched, as the two friends began walking away together. She remained hidden until she was certain that the two of them were out of earshot. Then, she slowly crept out of the bushes she was hiding in and looked in the direction they were going.

“What are you two up to?” she asked herself, “Maybe they’re going to meet Apple Bloom and then introduce them to Scott! Whatever the case may be, I need to follow them. This may be the only chance I have to meet him!”

Then, she began brushing the debris from the bush off her coat with her hooves. Then, she began following them again. However, she only took a few steps forward before she was unable to move.

She tried to go forward, but something had caught onto her tail, preventing her from moving. Thinking it was a branch from the bush, she tugged on it, hoping that it would break free from its root. However, no matter how hard she tried, the branch wouldn’t budge. She stopped trying to tug it free when she began to feel pain in her flank. Letting out a frustrated groan, she turned her head to her backside, ready to buck at the branch to let her go. Unfortunately, when she looked behind her, her heart froze and her eyes went wide.

Her tail wasn’t caught on a branch, but instead, was being held down by the orange earth pony that was standing behind her. Rarity could only stare, as the look on Applejack’s face became one of annoyance and anger. Her eyebrows were furrowed and there was a frown across her mouth.

Nervously, the unicorn smiled, feeling the sweat drops begin to form on the back of her neck. Her heart began to race as her mind began fishing for something to say.

Finally, she said with a nervous tone, “Hey Applejack...um...uh...how are you?”

The earth pony said nothing, as her eyebrows furrowed more than they already were. Disregarding what she said, she asked, “What the hay do ya think your doin’?”

“Oh...uh...nothing,” she said, as she played with a curl in her mane, “I was just...you know...going out for a stroll into town. Nothing important, you know.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” said Applejack, “And it just so happens you’re following your sister, snoopin’ ‘round in her private business, again?”

“Oh no, no, no, of course not,” she said, trying to force a smile, “I mean, it is convenient that she was heading my way, but...”

“Save it, Rarity,” she interrupted, “Ya’ll been followin’ her since she left the Boutique. Ah know, ‘cause ah’ve been followin’ you! Ah saw ya hidin’ in the bushes, watchin’ her like a hawk the whole time!”

Defeated, Rarity hung her head, not saying a word.

“Ya’ll promised me ya wouldn’t do that anymore,” the southern pony continued, “Ah told ya ah’d let the first time slide, but not this time. You’re gonna go back to the Boutique this instant and leave your sister alone, ya hear?”

Immediately, Rarity said, “I know I promised, and I’m really sorry, but I just need to know! She just bolted out the door and didn’t even tell me where she was going! Please, Applejack, at least let me see where she is...”

“Ah’m sorry, but no means no,” she interrupted, “Ah think you’ve done enough snoopin’, miss ‘element-of-generosity.’ Ah told you before, she’ll tell ya when she feels ready. Now, go home, before ah drag ya there myself.”

Rarity let out a defeated sigh again. She knew she stood no chance against Applejack this time. Even though she considered running from her the moment she released her tail, it’d only make the workhorse even madder than she already was, not to mention that she was much faster at running than her; she’d catch up to her in an instant.

“Fine,” she said, annoyance and disappointment in her voice, “I’ll go back to the Boutique. You can let go of my tail now, Applejack.”

As she lifted her hoof off her tail, Applejack said, “C’mon, I’ll walk you back.”

“You’re too kind,” she mumbled flatly, as the two of them began making their way back to the Boutique.

“Cheer up, sugar cube,” said Applejack, a smile on her face, “Ah’m sure she’ll tell ya all about it when she comes back. She’s probably just hangin’ out with her friends, is all.”

Rarity said nothing. She turned her head and looked in the direction that Sweetie Belle was heading. As much as she wanted to continue following them, she let out one finally defeated sigh, turned her head straight and continued to walk back to the Boutique with Applejack.

---

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo continued to make their way down the dirt path together, heading for their clubhouse in Sweet Apple Acres. All the while, they were silent, not even making eye contact with one another. Sweetie Belle was quiet, mainly because she was still trying to figure out how she was going to break the news to her friend. Scootaloo was quiet because she didn’t know what to say or what was going through her friend’s mind at the moment. Whether it was fear or anticipation, the Pegasus filly couldn’t tell, but she knew it had to be something very important; so important that she needed to talk to her alone about it.

After several moments of silence, the two of them passed the main area of Sweet Apple Acres, continuing to the clubhouse. Soon, as they were past the barn, Scootaloo decided to try and break the ice.

“Sweetie Belle, you’re really starting to scare me,” she said, as she continued to ride her scooter besides the unicorn filly, “You barely said two words since we left town. It’s really creeping me out. What is this all about?”

Sweetie Belle could feel the sweat beginning to form on the back of her neck. She didn’t want to tell her until they got there, but orange filly seemed intent on finding out now. She had to think of something, and fast.

“It’s...um...it’s kind of a...a...a secret,” she stammered, not looking at her friend, “You know, just between us.”

“You know something, you’ve been acting really strange lately, especially since this ‘Scott’ pony came into the picture,” she said, hoping to get some kind of response from her, “Does this have something to do with him?”

“I’ll...I’ll tell you when we get there,” she quickly said, directing her attention to the road ahead. When she did, her already fast heart sped up faster than it ever had before.

The two fillies were just mere moments away from the clubhouse, and Sweetie Belle hadn’t come up with a single way to tell Scootaloo the truth. The panic and anxiety began kicking in again, as the two of them approached the ramp that led up into their clubhouse.

“Well, here we are, somewhere nice and private,” said Scootaloo, as she took off her helmet, “Now, do you mind telling me what’s so important that you needed to bring me out here in the first place?”

“Yeah...sure...” she stammered, “But, let’s go inside first.”

The two fillies began walking up the ramp together. However, the unicorn was still not ready to tell her just yet. She needed to quickly devise a way to buy her more time. It didn’t take long before a situation presented itself.

As they went up the ramp, Sweetie Belle, coyly and covertly, knocked Scootaloo’s scooter with her hind leg, causing it to fall over. When they heard the muffled clank of the scooter as it fell onto the grass beneath it, the two of them turned their heads and looked at it. A few seconds had passed before the Pegasus filly directed her attention to her friend, eyebrows furrowed. It was pretty obvious that Scootaloo knew that she was the one that cause it to fall.

“Whoops,” said Sweetie Belle, as she forced a smile, “Sorry about that. You go ahead in and I’ll get that for you.”

Deciding not to question her about anymore of her strange actions, Scootaloo let out a muffled “whatever” and trotted up the ramp, entering the clubhouse.

As she stood the scooter up and leaned it on the tree supporting the clubhouse, Sweetie Belle let out deep, yet shallow breaths, none of it easing her rapid heart.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered to herself, as she put the helmet on one of the handles, “I just can’t do this. This was a mistake. I should just call the whole thing off.”

No sooner did the words leave her mouth that the thoughts of what the Alicorn princess had said to her the previous night began flooding into her head again. As the words she told her echoed in her thoughts, a small ounce of confidence began to rear its head into her mind.

“No, I have to do this,” she whispered, as she began making her way up the ramp, “There’s no turning back now. I just have to follow my heart and tell her the truth. I can do this. I can do this...I hope...”

With that, she gave one last deep breath and entered the clubhouse, where her Pegasus friend awaited her.

Comments

[M_D_Quill]

Gah! Lost my bits again!!!

If Sweetie does not come clean by next chapter, I am going to go

[Delicious]

Cliffhangers? FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF...

P.S. I might be able to win the bet if they kiss in chapter 24.

[Phantom Shadow]

383613
Only time will tell, mate!

383681
Not to worry, I've just looked back at all the bets and know who is going to win/lose
I can't tell you whether you win or lose now. You'll just have to wait and see!
As mentioned earlier, cliffhangers are what I'm all about!

[Ehrlichkeit]

GOD DAMN CLIFFHANGERS AGHKJLSADHFASKJDHFLAKSJHDFLSKAJHDFLASKDJHFASD

[TheGreatAndPowerfullHaje]

OH COME ON!!

[KahjiinDun]

omegeh omegeh omegeh omegeh a thousand times omegeh Okay I just need to take a deep breath and wait for the next chapter, and stay cool but seriously , its like I have been eating cereal and waiting to get the prize at the bottom of the box but I am full... and I have to wait.... or waste cereal but then, it doesn't make a good analogy just two more words tho: DAT CLIFFHANGER...

[Phantom Shadow]

384581
384604
384682
As mentioned before, cliffhangers are what I'm all about. It keeps the reader interested

[HydroHeat]

Come on! Next chapter Scoot finds out for my bet!

[hyourei]

4.bp.blogspot.com/-A9Y7l7Om7CI/TzvNT5rZdKI/AAAAAAAAPYg/TS7KaoLH0BY/s1600/cliffhanger_stallone_1993.jpg

[KahjiinDun]

384763 I swear you turned me into a masochist for cliffhangers or something keep up the good work

[Colt Cuddler]

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!! FIRST MY BITS NOW MY ALCHOL!!! I LOST BOTH BETS!!!

[portalthinker92]

380026

[portalthinker92]

cliffhanger... original.

[I AM CINNIMEN BUN]

U FAKING TROLL!!!!!!!