> Snuggle > by TwizzleDragon > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Uhh... Hey Rumble... You uhh...” Scootaloo tried to speak, unable to form her question correctly. It had been a few weeks as she continued to build up her feelings for this friendly colt friend of hers. They had started hanging out a little bit more when the other crusaders were off doing their own things, always trying to enjoy little time together. Rumble didn’t have much to do, his family wasn’t a big work environment for him to bask in helping, nor his friends being around much outside of school. The two just seemed to meet one day, connecting by their lonesome. “Yeah?” Rumble asked, sitting down in the Crusader Clubhouse. They had used it since the start of their friendship, the others didn’t mind. He was such a nice pegasus, a great friend to Scootaloo too, much more kind than his brother, Thunderlane. Whenever the two went out he would walk with Scootaloo, never flying in front of her face, always staying down to the ground to make her feel less of an outcast. “Well... I was just wondering...” she froze, staring right out of the window frame and into the distance. She gave out a sigh, breathing heavily to calm her anxiety. She looked back towards Rumble, the colt she had taken a liking to for weeks. Her hair was messed up, uncombed for who knows when. “Do you...” Scootaloo stuttered, “do you like me?” Rumble’s face took the shape of confusion. “Of course I do, Scoots, you’re like my best friend in all of Ponyville!” Rumble got up from the corner, making his way towards Scootaloo. His body pushed against hers, making Scootaloo happy at his touch. “No I meant... do you like me more than a friend? I-i just... sort of like you a lot and-” Rumble sighed. “D-do you?” Rumble’s mouth opened, yet did not speak. He gulped down the words that could not form. “Scoot... I really like you and all but...” Scootaloo frowned, she looked down in rejection. Rumble took his hoof and lifted her head up. “Hey, don’t be like that. You’re the most amazing filly in all of Ponyville. I do like you alot. You’re really special to me, so special that I want to be friends for as long as possible. I don’t want to screw up with you ever. It’s not that I don’t want you... It’s that I want you too much.” Scootaloo gave a little smile. She hugged Rumble and loved him for the way he put it. “Thank you.” Scootaloo yawned as the tears started to form down her face. “Hey, you wanna race back to town?” Rumble asked in hopes the competition that had brought them together in the first place would cheer her up. “You know it!” Scootaloo bolted out of the clubhouse. “Hey, no fair!” Rumble yelled as he realized she had cheated with a head start. He took off after her, catching up quickly as she wasn’t very fast on her feet. They were coming close to the Apple Family Barn, just almost out of the orchards. And then she tripped. Scootaloo gave out a small scream in pain. Rumble kept sprinting towards her from just a bit away. He came over and sat down right next to her as she tried to be strong, even if it turned out to be bad. “Let me see it!” Rumble ordered Scootaloo, as she turned over to acknowledge the crimson stains. Scootaloo didn’t look away, she was biting down on her lip just a little bit, trying not to show any pain. The area of impact had just been a large scrap, deep enough to cause bleeding but nothing too serious. “Is it bad?” Scootaloo asked, just enjoying his comfort over the pain. “I-i think so. You’re bleeding. Can you walk?” Rumble stood up, looking down at the filly as she thought about the question. “Maybe...” Scootaloo stood up just fine, or she could have. She cried in pain but Rumble was there to help. He grabbed her and gently lifted her up to his back. “Come on, we’re almost there.” Rumble said as he gently carried the filly to the hospital. The evening had turned to night by the time Rumble and Scootaloo had reached their destination. It was surprisingly hot and dry out, especially for the nearing fall season. The weather ponies must’ve been lazy that night. Bugs flew around what was left of this night. Chirping and biting all things about. Rumble carefully set Scootaloo down so he could open the doors to the hospital. These giant doors intimidated the small colt, being not of height to reach the knob. He knocked on the door out of defeat and waited for help to come for his friend. “Hello?” came the voice of Nurse Redheart as she opened the door. She bared no quick witness to Scootaloo’s pain, taking only notice of the gray colt in front of her. “Are you alright, Rumble? It’s late and you look fine.” Rumble pointed to Scootaloo, still bleeding on the ground. “Oh my poor dear, what happened?” Nurse Redheart picked the filly up, carrying her into the hospital. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” Rumble yelled as Scootaloo was taken into Redheart’s care. “So,” Redheart began, setting Scootaloo down on a mat where she could clean the wound. “What were you two up to that caused this?” “Oh uhh...” Scootaloo turned her head to the side. “N-nothing really... just racing back to town.” “Oh?” “Yes, ma’am.” Redheart pulled out some rubbing alcohol from the cupboards behind her. “Hold still, this is going to hurt for a second.” She poured it onto the scrap. Scootaloo lightly screamed, underestimating the pain. “Alright, it should be good. Let me wrap it before you go.” Redheart went back to the cupboards, grabbing some wrapping cloth. She tightly bandaged the cut and sent Scootaloo on her way. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I wanted so badly to lie down next to her on the couch, to wrap my arms around her and sleep.. Not even have sex. Just to sleep together, in the most innocent sense of the phrase. But I lacked courage and she had a boyfriend and I was gawky and she was gorgeous and I was hopelessly boring and she was endlessly fascinating. So I walked back to my room…thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.” — John Green, Looking for Alaska She walked in the dark, tired and still hurting from her injury. Not showing a tear, nor emotion of pain. She didn’t want to go home, she didn’t want to stay with her friends or be around anyone right now. No, it was time for her to be alone. Time to think of it all. Time to grow. Time to sleep. Scootaloo continued herself towards the only solitude she knew. The place of comfort and friendship that had brought her life to the greatness it was to this day. The place that got her cutie mark, the same place that her friendship with Rumble started. The Crusader’s Clubhouse. She arrived there late in the night. She walked right in, looking around for a blanket. She found one quickly as they had filled it with warm cloth during Winter. Scootaloo formed herself a bed in the corner, fluffing the blanket up a bit and gathering more to keep on top of herself. The makeshift bed was actually quite well for sleeping. She snuggled herself right into her creation and pulled another blanket over herself with her hoof. In seconds it all ended, she went from the dark of the night to the blackness of her subconscious. Finally asleep, able to dream. And into the white room... Rumble entered the clubhouse. He was different, as this were a dream to Scootaloo. His mane was sharply combed. His fur cleaned and his tongue quick to speak. “Hey, Scootaloo!” Rumble said with a great big smile on his face. Scootaloo looked over to him, hiding none of her happiness as she knew reality didn’t exist in this world. The clubhouse had yet to come into focus to her brain, she had been already standing when it started, not even near the blankets from the bed she had made before slumber. “Rumble!” Scootaloo ran towards her love with all haste and no thought. She hugged him immediately as they touched. He caressed her cheek with his hoof, moving it down slowly. He nuzzled his face against hers as she couldn’t help but squeal in delight. Then Rumble smiled once more as the sun rose behind him. He looked like an angel to Scootaloo, and surely he was. He moved his face closer to hers, closer than nuzzled together. Their lips were about to touch when he stopped. I... I’m sorry... And for a moment, it all ceased. It was as if the dream was put on pause. She had what she wanted, she had him, even if it was a dream it was enough. They continued to hug and nuzzle their faces together, unable to separate their bodies. “Hey...” Scootaloo started to move away, getting herself a place to sit down. “I... Umm...” Her words faulted. “Sit with me?” Rumble moved by the window, just where Scootaloo had placed herself. He sat down next to her and pushed his body against her own. She leaned her head onto his shoulder, wishing for this dream to become reality. The two had never gone so far before, and even though Scootaloo wanted more of him, this was enough for her, at least for now. This would continue for a time until Rumble took his hoof and started to pet Scootaloo’s mane. It sounds as if this would probably hurt but Rumble wasn’t much of a worker in the first place. His hooves were soft, very soft in fact that it felt as if you were touching a foal’s skin. His touch was so deliquiet against her skin, running it through her glorious purple mane. All those little strands that just stood out of the style seemed to depart once he pushed them down. She became tired somehow, despite the irony, she was waking up. Things in the clubhouse started to disappear slowly before her eyes. Soon the trees outside the window and the door were blank. Scootaloo turned her head towards Rumble’s face, watching it slowly, wanting it to be the last thing she saw before it was over. As his face went into the blackness, the feelings stayed with her. She tried to hold onto him as he went, but nothing would stop the inevitable. A flash of white once more... She woke calmy, just as the dream had ended, as if it were planned. She took the blanket off herself and stretched before getting up. Her leg didn’t hurt as much today, but it was still in need of that band aid. There was dry blood all over the blankets, the wrapping had broken in one spot. Scootaloo didn’t have much time to react, she could already hear Rumble coming towards the Clubhouse. Rumble’s laughter was light, as if trying to hide the sound from Scootaloo. It wasn’t enough to get rid of the calm before the storm. He kept getting closer as the sound became heavier, but still light. Scootaloo kicked the blankets to the side, hoping he wouldn’t notice the blood, even though he would understand. Scootaloo looked out the window wanting to see how far Rumble was away. And that’s when she saw him... With her... The two kissed, the angel pegasi and the tainted soil, right in sight of Scootaloo, unable to see she was there watching it. There was a pain in Scootaloo’s chest, her heart began to beat fast and her emotions ran wild. The burden was hard to bear but there was nothing she could do to unsee it. “Bye!” Rumble said quietly, still able for Scootaloo to hear him despite his efforts. His partner trotted out of the orchard quickly. Scootaloo just stared at the door, unable to get a grip on the situation as Rumble entered the room. “Scootaloo!” Rumble said, running up to the mare and giving her a hug. “How’d it go?” Rumble asked, thinking she had gone home with her injury. Scootaloo didn’t speak, she gave out a mumble and looked towards the ground. “You okay, Scoots?” “I-I’m... I’m fine... Just tired...”