> Tell me Why > by Derec mc coy > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Scootaloo? Are you there?” Applebloom walked through Ponyville Square, looking for her pegasus friend. She has been looking for her for the whole morning. Applebloom decided to go to her other friend, Sweetie belle. Ponyville’s own fashionista opened the door of the carousel boutique. “Well, hello darling. How are you?” “I’m fine,” Applebloom responded with her heavy accent. “Is Sweetie belle home?” “Well, yes. She’s in her room, upstairs.” Rarity stepped back, and let Applebloom enter. “Is there something wrong sweetie? You seem kind of worried.” “Well,” Applebloom responded. “I’ve been looking for Scootaloo for like, the whole morning, but I can’t find her.” “And she isn’t home?” Rarity asked. “No, she’s nowhere!” Applebloom walked to the stairs. “I actually hoped Sweetie Belle knows something” “Oh, well. I’m sure there is nothing to worry about.” Rarity smiled. Applebloom turned around with a concerned look on her face. “I hope so too” She hopped upstairs, as fast as she could, but right before she left Rarity behind, she turned around one last time “Rarity?” she asked. Rarity was about to continue her work, but looked up and turned to the little filly. “Yes sweetie?” “Do you have any Idea where she could be?” Applebloom asked. “I’m afraid I don’t have the slightest idea.” Rarity said. Applebloom put her head down “Oh, okay…” and she hopped on the last steps of the stair. “Hmm… maybe I should ask Rainbow Dash. Perhaps she saw Scootaloo.” Rarity mumbled. And she turned back to the dress she was working on. “Sweetie Belle?” Applebloom entered the bedroom. Sweetie Belle looked up from her drawing. “Oh, hey Applebloom.” And she put away her crayons. She took a close look at her friend. “What’s wrong?” “I can’t find Scootaloo. I looked everywhere, but she’s just gone. I looked at her house, the market, even school!” Applebloom said, while she waved her hooves to make it look more dramatic. “Calm down,” Sweetie Belle said. “Maybe she’s hanging out with Rainbow Dash. She does that a lot lately.” “No!” Applebloom exclaimed. “She would come over for….” Applebloom started to blush. “For what?” Sweetie Belle asked. “To… hang out?” Applebloom said with doubt in her voice. “Are you… lying?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Wh.. what? No! Of course not!” Applebloom started to blush again. Sweetie Belle started to smirk “What did you plan? A prank?” She smiled brightly. Applebloom looked around “N…no…” “Yes it is. You wanted to prank me. I knew it!” Sweetie Belle hopped around from joy. “That’s why I wasn’t invited!” “O… okay, you’ve got me.” Applebloom forced a smile. “As long as she believes that…” she mumbled Sweetie Belle stopped jumping. “What was that?” “Nothing,” Applebloom said. “You wanna help look for Scootaloo? I’m a bit worried.” “Sure,” Sweetie Belle said. All of a sudden, she gasped, like she had a great idea “Maybe we could become detectives and get our detective cutie mark!” “We already tried that.” Applebloom said, with a monotone voice. “Oh, right. Forgot that.” Sweetie Belle smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. Now, what are we waiting for? C’mon, let’s find her!” Applebloom yelled, and she ran outside. Sweetie Belle looked a bit surprised. “Okay. But I have to tell Rarity first. She would be worried if I disappear all of a sudden” “Quick then.” Applebloom said. “Okay,” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Why are you so impatient?” Applebloom was almost jumping up and down. “I’m not! I’m just a bit worried.” “You almost shake out of your coat. Please. Calm down. Scootaloo will be fine.” Sweetie Belle said a bit annoyed. “Oh, what if she had an accident with her scooter, or…. she fell of a stairway, or…. caught by ninja ponies!” Applebloom exclaimed. “Ninja ponies? Really?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Please. Why all those thoughts suddenly?” “I don’t know! I just really need to pee!” Applebloom ran to the toilet as fast as she could. “Of course you have.” Sweetie Belle said. She cleaned up her crayons, and walked downstairs to her elder sister. “Hello sweetie,” Rarity said when she noticed her younger sister. “Did Applebloom find you?” “Yes. She’s in the bathroom now. She’s overreacting a bit.” Sweetie Belle said. “I noticed she acts a bit off. And it is strange that Applebloom can’t find Scootaloo.” Rarity said. “Please. She’s just hanging out somewhere… nothing strange.” Sweetie Belle said. “I suppose you’re right” Rarity said. “Just, if it turns out to be serious, let me, or somepony else, know. Understood?” “Okay” Sweetie Belle answered. “Is it okay if I help Applebloom look for Scootaloo?” “Of course it is,” Rarity smiled “Be careful.” “Always,” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. At that moment, Applebloom walked in the room. “Sweetie Belle, are you ready?” Sweetie Belle gave her big sister a quick hug “I’m ready.” and she left the boutique with her earth pony friend. ***** “Tell me!” a pink Earth Pony filly yelled. She grabbed the light and shone it on an orange colored Pegasus. “Never.” Scootaloo was tight down on a chair. Diamond Tiara slammed on the table in front of her. “You will tell me!” “NO” Scootaloo yelled. Tiara sighed. “You do realize, nopony will find you? Only I know you’re here. And nopony… can hear you…” Tiara sounded a bit threatening. “I can keep you here as long as I want. So if you ever want to see the daylight again, you better work along.” “No…” Scootaloo whispered. “After all those years you bullied, I won’t tell you this… I won’t give you this pleasure…” “Pleasure?” Tiara yelled. “Do you think I do this for my pleasure? No. I do this for revenge, to restore my honor you broke!” “By kidnap me and threat me?” Scootaloo yelled. “To make me tell lies? Yes, that’s how you get respect and honor!” she tried to escape, but the ropes were too tight. “LIES?” Tiara grabbed a brown folder. She threw it on the table, and a few pictures slide out. “You think I make this all up?” she grabbed a picture and showed it to her hostage. “Is this a lie?” “It’s just a picture of me and Applebloom. Nothing more.” Scootaloo said. “Just you and… oh, please. Don’t make me laugh.” Diamond Tiara said. “Look at it. Does this look like you two are ‘playing’.” She picked another picture. “This is beyond friendship…” Scootaloo blushed a bit. “What do you mean.” “Just admit you and Applebloom are in love!” Tiara yelled. “What?” Scootaloo blushed. But her orange coat, and the darkness of the room hidden the red colour. “That’s just plain nonsense.” “Oh yeah?” She showed a picture of Scootaloo hugging. “Just nonsense?” “Okay, we hug. So what? That doesn’t prove anything.” Scootaloo said. She stared at Diamond Tiara with an angry look. “And even if it Is true… who should care?” Diamond Tiara smirked. “Everypony.” Scootaloo cocked her eyebrow. “Why?” “Just imagine. To fillies, loving eachother… I could write the best article ever. I would get my place as director back.” Diamond Tiara. “Think about all the recognition. This isn’t only good for my career. Also for you. If you tell me the truth… you will be a symbol of strong independency. Of rebellion. And I will become a great journalist. The best Ponyville ever had. I will become director!” “Is that what you really think?” Scootaloo asked. “Yes. I’m sure I’ll become the director” Diamond Tiara said. “I mean, about the whole ‘symbol of independency’ thing. You think I get respected because I lo… if I love Applebloom?” Scootaloo asked. “That, or you get bullied for the rest of your life.” Diamond Tiara smirked. She grabbed an audio recorder and hold the microphone close to Scootaloo. “Scootaloo. Do you love Applebloom?” ***** “Come on Sweetie Belle. Hurry!” Applebloom ran across Ponyville square. “Calm down Applebloom.” The little unicorn panted. She trotted behind her friend, but she could barely follow. “There is no time to calm down!” Applebloom exclaimed. “We need to find her!” Sweetie Belle finally caught up with her friend. “Applebloom. Wait.” Applebloom stopped and turned to her friend. “What?” she asked a bit annoyed.” “Why are you so worried about Scootaloo? I know she’s a good friend, but still. She’s just gone for the morning.” Applebloom sighed. “Just…” “And don’t tell me you were about to do some crusading without me.” Sweetie Belle said. “What’s wrong?” “Fine. I think I can trust you…” “THINK???” Sweetie Belle interrupted. “Seriously? How long have we know each other? And you still doubt you can trust me?” “It’s …” Applebloom looked around. “Follow me to our tree house… I’ll explain everything there.” ***** ~~~Two weeks earlier~~~ “Applebloom. What are you doing?” an orange Pegasus filly asked. “I’m trying to make up a new dance move. Our performance from the talent show a little while ago, needs a ‘restyling’,” Applebloom answered. “But it just won’t work.” She tried to spin around on one hoof, but fell down on her flank. “See?” Scootaloo smiled genially. “I see what you do wrong.” She balanced on front hoofs hoof. “See, when you spin around, you push yourself of with your other hoof, and you keep your head up. At that way, you keep in balance.” And she performed the little trick. “Like this?” Applebloom tried again, but she fell on her head this time. Scootaloo sighed. “Here, let me help you,” She wrapped her front hooves around her friend. “Balance on your front hooves.” She said. Applebloom tryed to balance, but almost lost it. Scootaloo prevented her from falling by holding her tight. “And now, spin.” She let her friend go. Applebloom pushed herself around. “Good,” Scootaloo said. “Push again.” Applebloom did what she asked, and spun faster, and faster. “I … I did it!” she exclaimed. “Scootaloo, look. I’m spinning!” “I see,” Scootaloo smiled. Applebloom pushed herself for one last time. “Euhm… Scootaloo? How do you stop?” she started to lose control. “I’m gonna fall!” “Nope.” Scootaloo jumped closer to Applebloom, and caught her, right before she fell. “Thanks,” Applebloom said, eyes shaking. “You’re welcome, but could you please get off of me?” Scootaloo asked. Applebloom shook her head and found herself on top of her friend. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She proceeded to stand up, but slipped away in her dizziness, and fell with her tummy, straight on Scootaloo’s. “I… I’m sorry….” She stared in her eyes and didn’t know what to say. “I…” Scootaloo pushed Applebloom off her. “It’s okay. I’m still one piece.” She looked at the clock on the wall. “Oh, I need to go. Rainbow Dash is going to teach me how to fly.” She stood up, and ran to the door. “See ya later?” “Yeah. That’s fine….” Applebloom said weakly. Scootaloo jumped on her scooter, and put her helmet on her head. “Bye” “B.. bye” Applebloom said softly. And she watched how her friend disappeared in the distance. > part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applebloom laid down on her bad. She’s been thinking about the little accident with Scootaloo yesterday. She couldn’t forget those rose eyes she stared in. They looked so pure, so happy, so…. natural. She wished she could stare in those eyes again. She wished she could drown in them. She dreamed about the soft belly she fell on, about the sweet voice telling her “It’s okay”. She dreamed about… her and Scootaloo dancing even more…. “What happened?” she asked herself. She got up from her bed and walked to her window. She moved the curtains aside, and stared at the rising sun. The orange light remembered her of the special pony. “Scoots…” she sighed. “Applebloom?” Applejack came in the bedroom, which awoke Applebloom from her daydream. “Y… Yes?” Applebloom asked, and she turned around to her big sister. “Good, you’re awake.” The elder pony said. “Breakfast is ready. You’re comin’ to eat?” “Okay. in a minute.” Applebloom said. Applejack cocked her eyebrow. “Okay then,” and she turned around, and left her little sister alone. Applejack trotted downstairs, and moved on to the dinner table. “Do you know what’s wrong with Applebloom?” she asked her big brother. “Nope.” the big red stallion replied. “She acted a bit weird this morning. Normally she’d run downstairs when breakfast is ready.” She said, and she took a seat. “It’s just puberty.” Granny Smith mumbled. “Back in my youth, we worked hard on that age. Nowadays, all them kids are spoiled, and she’s takin’ over that bad behavior.” “I don’t think that’s the problem Granny,” Applejack said. “Yesterday afternoon, she was really quiet.” “After she played with one o’ her friends?” Granny asked. “Eeyup.” Big Mac replied. “I think something happened then.” Applejack said a bit concerned. “I’m afraid they had a fight” “Those three had more fights before.” Big Mac stated. “I know, but normally they’re mad for a few moments, and then they forget everything.” Applejack said. “Maybe I should talk to her” “Good morning,” Applebloom mumbled when she entered the room. “Good mornin’ sweetie.” Granny Smith said. Without any more words, Applebloom walked to the table and took a seat. She stared dreamingly to her empty plate. “You’re alright, sugarcube?” Applejack asked. Applebloom was too far in her thoughts to hear her big sister. “Applebloom?” Applejack placed her hoof on her shoulder. “Is there something wrong?” Applebloom woke up from her dream and shook her head. “Euhm… no, everything is fine.” She said weakly, and she forced a smile. And she continued staring at her empty plate. “Want some bread?” Big Mac asked. “Hmm?” Applebloom mumbled. “Applebloom” said Applejack, and she grabbed the little filly by her shoulder again. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” Applebloom lied. “Tell me.” Applejack insisted “I… It’s just… euhm…” Applebloom scratched the back of her head nervously. “I was working on a new dance, and Scootaloo helped me out. She was really good, and it was kind, but then we I fell on her, and I stared in her eyes, and …” Applebloom stopped and blushed a bit “I mean,” she looked around to hide her blush “Euhm… she helped me so much, that it’s not my dance anymore. And I wanted it to be mine.” “Is that all?” Applejack asked. “Y.. yeah,” Applebloom nodded. “I’m thinking how to improve it, so it’ll be my dance.” “Well, you have whole day,” Applejack said. “Try to forget it for a moment, and maybe you figure something out later.” Applebloom forced a little smile. “Okay” ***** Applebloom and Sweetie Belle arrived in their tree house. They both took a seat across each other. “Now tell me, what’s going on?” Sweetie Belle said, sounding a bit annoyed. “Fine,” Applebloom sighed. “You thought me and Scoots would meet up for a prank, well, it wasn’t for a prank.” “Okay, so?” Sweetie Belle asked, impatient. “You see, a week ago, me and Scootaloo had a talk.” Applebloom continued. “You two talk a lot. I know that. We talk a lot too.” Sweetie Belle said. “So what’s the big deal about it?” “Well…” Applebloom stood up and she trotted nervously around. “I… I have a crush on Scootaloo” “What?” Sweetiebelle asked, astonished. “We planned to date, here in our tree house. But she didn’t come” Applebloom wiped her tears. “You and Scootaloo…”Sweetie Belle asked again. “And she wanted to give me a chance, this isn’t the first date, you know? We had two dates before!” Applebloom trotted circles and started to rage. “Two dates…” Sweetie Belle sat on the ground, staring in front of her. “And she was on time. Every time again.” Applebloom teared up. “She was there for me. She can’t leave me without no good reason.” “So, Scootaloo loved you back?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I guess so,” Applebloom sighed. She placed her hoofs on the windowsill “She never really said she liked me, but we did have some mushy moments.” “Mushy?” Sweetie Belle looked surprised. “Scootaloo?” “What’s that?” Applebloom asked and she stared outside. “Euhm… impossible?” Sweetie Belle said. “No, no. not that, that.” She pointed at a near bush, with a small, shimmering dot under it. “Don’t change subject now!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “You’re in love with Scootaloo, and you didn’t tell me?” Applebloom ignored her friend and walked outside, toward the shimmering dot. “Come back here!” Sweetie Belle said. “Tell me, since when did you two date?” Applebloom grabbed the shimmering thing of the ground. “It’s a pearl.” she mumbled “A purple pearl…” Sweetie Belle ran outside, and stood next to Applebloom. “Stop ignoring me! Tell me, why didn’t you say anything?” “Do you know what this is?” Applebloom showed the pearl to her friend. “Euhm, yes, it looks like it’s from a crown or a tiara, but THAT’S NOT THE POINT!!!” Sweetie Belle raged. “Tiara?” Applebloom spread her eyes wide “Diamond Tiara!” “What? Did she know about this?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Why can she knows about this, and I don’t?” “She doesn’t know, I hope” Applebloom had a worried look on her face. “We need to find Scootaloo. Now!” “First, you tell me everything!” Sweetie Belle insisted. Applebloom turned to her unicorn friend “Please… I’ll tell you everything when Scootaloo is here too. “But please… help me to find her.” “Promise?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Promise,” Applebloom sighed, and she looked at her hoofs. “Okay then,” Sweetie Belle said., and she grabbed the little pearl. “This does seems like it’s from Diamond Tiaras diadem, but why would it be here?” “I don’t know,” Applebloom said. “She never gets around our tree house.” “And how did she lose it? According to her, it’s a real expensive crown.” Sweetie Belle thought out loud. “I don’t know… maybe it fell of her head?” said Applebloom. “What’s that?” Sweetie Belle dug in the bush “What’s what?” Applebloom asked. “An orange feather.” Sweetie Belle held the feather in her mouth. “It’s from Scootaloo!” Applebloom exclaimed. “I figured that out too,” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Do you think that Diamond Tiara kidnapped Scootaloo?” Applebloom asked. “I don’t really think she would do that. She’s a bully, true, but kidnapping?” Sweetie Belle answered. “That’s a bit much, don’t you think?” “I think we should at least check it.” Applebloom said. “It’s our only clue.” “Fine. We will go To Diamond Tiara.” Sweetie Belle said. ***** “NO!” Scootaloo raged. “Why do you have such a sick mind? Applebloom is a girl, and I am a girl! No! we’re just friends!” Diamond Tiara flicked off the recorder. “You still want to deny it?” She sighed. “I know you and Applebloom are together, and as long as it’ proven you’re not, I’ll find a way to prove it!” “Fine!” Scootaloo tried to break out again, but failed. “Can I please go now?” “NO!” Tiara yelled. “Not until I proved you have a crush on Applebloom!” and she put away the recorder. “I don’t have a crush on her!” Scootaloo yelled. “Pictures don’t lie, Scootaloo,” Tiara showed those pictures again. “But I just need you, telling the truth to write this article!” She walked nervously around. “OH, NOW YOU WANT THE TRUTH AND NOt GOSSIP!?” the orange Pegasus raged. “BECAUSE I HAVE TO!” Diamond Tiara. “I talked to with the Director of Ponyville’s newspaper. He is interested in this news. But he wants me to prove it, and if I can prove it, he’ll make me a journalist. And once I’m old enough, I’ll be the new director. My dad helped me to fix that.” “Of course he did,” Scootaloo mumbled. “When some ponies work hard, you just get it.” “Because I deserve it!” Diamond Tiara yelled. And she slammed on the table. “Now, tell me you’re in love with Applebloom!” “NO!!!” Scootaloo yelled. “Was that a no on the ‘you’re in love’ or a no for telling the truth?” Tiara asked. And she took a seat in front of her hostage. “Euhm…” Scootaloo doubted. “Both.” “So you say you’re not in love, and that you don’t tell the truth?” Tiara smirked. “What?” Scootaloo cocked an eyebrow. She thought of what she just said. “That means you are in love!” Tiara exclaimed. “I knew it!” And she slammed on the table. “What? N-no!” she did another attempt to wrestle herself free. “I don’t love Applebloom!” Diamond Tiara got up from her chair. “Then you leave me no choice,” She walked to a closet behind her. “I thought you would be easier,” She opened a drawer “But apparently, I underestimated you. Such a pity.” “What are you gonna do?” Scootaloo asked anxiously. She heard the sound of iron chains. “Tiara?” “You leave me now choice, Scootaloo.” The weak light of the candles gave Tiara a grim look. “I must make you a bit more… talkative.”