> Never Be Alone
>  by New Canterlot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: When the Heart Breaks...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The weather had begun to cool, and the days were starting to grow shorter and shorter. Within a couple months, Scootaloo knew that snow would be inevitable. She hated snow. It was wet, cold, and made it impossible to ride her scooter outside. She hated cold weather, among many other things that the cold months brought. TV would be crowded with basketball games, and all the burger joints would stop serving milkshakes until spring. Thankfully, Scootaloo did have some time before facing the dreaded cold, and that meant there was still some more soccer games left in the season! 

But…first, she had school.

Scootaloo swung her legs over the side of her bed and slowly stood with her arms stretched over her head. There was a slight pain in her lower back, probably from sleeping with half her body hanging off the edge of her sheets. With a loud yawn, she rotated her hips to pop her back before sitting back down to scratch under her chin. Her foot nudged an empty Pringles can that rolled its way across her room towards an empty bag of potato chips. Her room might be a complete mess, but she took solace in the fact that it was HER room. Up until middle school, she never had a room of her own, and moving to Canterlot City had been a welcome change for her. Heck, even having her own bed was pretty sweet.

Once she made her way to her bathroom to inspect her appearance, a small giggle escaped her lips. Her dark purple hair was a dry mop, tangled and wild like a tumbleweed. Her pajamas included a much too large black t-shirt with skull printed on the front, and a pair of boy’s boxer shorts over her favorite pair of rainbow striped panties. If today wasn’t a school day, Scootaloo probably wouldn’t bother putting on real clothes even for a trip down the street to the gas station for a candy bar. The only other things she’d need to make that trip would be some slippers and her wallet. 

Since today was a school day, Scootaloo had no choice but to shower and change into her favorite pair of skinny brown cargo pants and black hoodie. Not bothering to comb her hair, she left her room to shuffle her way into the tiny kitchen shared by her adopted mother. “Oh, good morning, little miss sunshine.” The tall, professionally groomed woman said. There was definitely some sarcasm in her voice, but Scootaloo knew it was good natured. Her clothes were formally plain, and her blue hair done up in a professional bun. 

Scootaloo briskly walked over to the fridge and fetched some bread and the jar of jam. “Yo.” She muttered while sliding two pieces of bread into the toaster.

With a sigh, her adopted mother put her hands on her hips. “Young lady, what happened to that pretty skirt I bought you? Do you have to wear the same exact thing everyday?”

“Um…” Scootaloo waited to reply until she got the lid off the jar. “…I’ll wear it later.”

“I’m sure you will.” Her guardian sipped from her coffee before snatching up her purse. “I’m heading to work, so please be sure to lock up before you leave.”

“Kay.” Scootaloo nodded once with her eyes fixed on the toaster, eagerly waiting for her breakfast. She received a small kiss atop the head before her guardian walked to the door. This only made Scootaloo’s face scrunch up in annoyance. 

“Please keep your phone on today. I might have to call you in case I’m running late. I left some money on the counter for lunch and maybe dinner if I have to work late.”

“Thanks.” Scootaloo finally met her eyes with a nod before turning back to the toaster. 

“Have a good day, Scootaloo.” Her guardian opened the front door and left, trying to flash her adopted daughter a smile that was never received. Once the door closed, Scootaloo slumped against the counter. 

With a sigh, Scootaloo took a deep, relaxed breath. “Geez…” She ran her fingers through her short, wild hair while hopping up onto the counter. Once her toast finished, she globbed a big splotch of jam on the center of one of the pieces, squishing the two pieces of bread together to spread the sweet paste without the use of a knife.

As she began eating her breakfast, Scootaloo thought about her relationship with her guardian. For the first time in her life, she actually had an adopted mother who genuinely cared about her and wanted to make her feel at home. Maybe she wasn’t so great at it, and maybe it was still weird for her, but at least Scootaloo knew she was trying to make her feel welcome. Most of her childhood was full of adopted parents, but all of them either gave her away or left her on her own without any real parenting or supervision. But now, she actually felt some level of stability in her life. Moving into her new home had been the first time she actually felt relatively safe. With a good home and good friends, it was hard not to feel grateful. The only thing keeping her back from accepting her new life completely was the looming possibility of the same thing happening with this new mother like all the others before. 

Scootaloo knew this was the reason she kept a big distance between herself and Blue Aura. While finishing the last of her toast, Scootaloo pulled her phone out to check messages. There were a couple little pics and doo-dads from her two best buddies which made her smile. 

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were the first people in her life to accept her for her, and Scootaloo could finally admit that she had friends in her life that would always be her friends no matter what. It was a hard thing to admit, but she had overcome her fear of abandonment soon after spending an entire spring break with them during their freshman year. It was at that time that the trio began referring to themselves as ‘the crusaders’, even starting a Youtube channel under the same name. In hindsight, it might not have been the best idea. Their channel had been a total flop, and it ended up being nothing more than an enjoyable waste of time. The only thing that stuck after their vacation had been the name of the group.

Once it was time to go, Scootaloo grabbed her backpack and scooter from her room before leaving the house at high speed down the sidewalk. Having a scooter meant she could sleep in, but even though she only lived a few minutes away, it also meant she needed to rush to school in order to have a chance to hang out with her buddies before class started. The closer she got to the school gates, the more people she had to swerve out of the way in order to avoid an accident. Taking a sharp left turn onto school grounds, Scootaloo halted right before hitting the stairs leading to the front door. Sure enough, her two best pals were waiting for her on the stairs. “Yo!” Scootaloo waved at them from just a few yards away. 

“Howdy there, Scoots!” Applebloom cheered joyfully, her fiery red hair bobbing in the long green ribbon tied around her big ponytail. The short capri pants and hand-me-down flannel shirt she wore held a striking resemblance to her older sister’s style of wardrobe. Scootaloo thought about how nice it would be to have an older sister giving her stuff. Regardless of her attire, Applebloom looked very adorable. If her older brother Big Mac got the brawns and her older sister Applejack got the brains, then she definitely got the looks. Like her sister, her proportions were becoming defined with each added year past puberty. “Ya’ll got here fast!”

“Hey there, Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle hopped over to her to give her a great big hug. Her short curly pink hair exposed her precious pale face, and her plain white frilly dress made her look more delightfully cuter than usual. The natural structure of her frame revealed the same gorgeous figure which her older sister Rarity was known for. If looks ran in the family, then Scootaloo had to wonder if she would remain plain and boyish looking forever. “You never called me back last night!” Sweetie Belle tried to sound angry, but her smile betrayed her real sentiment.

Scootaloo hugged her back with a red tint across her orange cheeks. Her friends had always been very outgoing, but it was hard to ignore just how often she admired their appearances. “Yeah, sorry. I forgot all about my phone last night when I was playing games.” She giggled sheepishly, very aware that Sweetie Belle had gotten into her older sister’s perfume.

“Yer lookin’ a touch sweaty, Scoots.” Applebloom giggled. “How fast were ya’ll goin’?”

“I dunno. Pretty fast I guess. I wanted to get here early.” Scootaloo folded her scooter and slung it over her backpack after Sweetie Belle let her go. “Were you girls waiting long?”

“No, we just got here. Rarity was kind of late leaving the house today…again.” Sweetie Belle shook her head and palmed her face. “Ever since she got together with Applejack, she’s gotten super crazy.”

“Can ya’ll not bring that up?” Applebloom stuck her tongue out and gagged. “Thinkin’ ‘bout my big sis frenchin’ yer big sis just…yuck!”

All three girls giggled loudly. “Yeah, it is pretty gross.” Scootaloo said with a shrug. From outward appearances, she conveyed the same amount of repulsion, but on the inside, it was a VERY alluring thought. The thought was emphasized by the fanciful idea of kissing her biggest idol and biggest crush. “S-So, you girls wanna get some cookies before class?” She asked while stuffing her hands into her pockets. 

“Sure.” Sweetie Belle nodded. “I think today is snickerdoodle day.”

“Oh, yum.” Applebloom licked her lips. “Ah could go fer a cookie right ‘bout now. Can any of ya’ll spot me a couple quarters?”

“Yeah, hold on a sec.” Scootaloo held out a couple quarters for her, and Applebloom accepted the gesture by giving her a big hug. It was nice to get hugs from her friends. Even having friends was nice. 

“Thanks a bunch, Scoots.” Applebloom ran a hand through her messy purple hair with a giggle before turning away. 

Sweetie Belle led the way to the cafeteria while walking next to the red head, Scootaloo bringing up the rear. She watched as the other two girls hung on each other’s arms, laughing at each little thing they said. They seemed so comfortable and carefree around each other…not to mention cute. They were really cute. Sure, there probably were other words to describe them, but Scootaloo couldn’t think of any. They looked…almost kissable cute. Wow, that would be something. Getting to kiss her two best friends would definitely be something to write about in her diary. 

A hard blush crossed her whole face, and Scootaloo giggled inwardly at herself. It was a nice idea, but in her heart of hearts, she was saving her first kiss for a special someone. And that someone happened to be standing right in front of her in line for cookies! “Are you sure you don’t want a cookie, Shy?” Rainbow Dash asked the shorter girl with long pink hair and a yellow complexion standing next to her. The tall athlete stood in front of the polished metal counter that separated the rest of the cafeteria from the kitchen. “It’s like, two for a quarter. No biggie.”

“Oh, um, n-no, that’s ok.” The short friend shook her head. 

Rainbow Dash shrugged and patted her on the head before taking a massive bite out of her stack of cookies in hand. “Whatheverth.” 

“Howdy, Rainbow!” Applebloom waved to the two upperclassmen. “Ya’ll had a great game last Friday!”

“Oh, little Applejack. What up?” Rainbow Dash giggled and waved back. “How’s it hanging, kid?”

“Did she just call you ‘little Applejack’?” Sweetie Belle asked through snickering. “That’s hilarious!”

“My name’s Applebloom.” Little Applejack scowled up at her.

“I’m just playing, kid. Relax.” Rainbow nudged her on the shoulder. “So, you guys saw the game, huh?”

“Sure did!” Sweetie Belle nodded. “It was pretty goo-”

“Awesome!!!” Scootaloo nearly burst. “Oh my gosh it was the best game ever! You scored like, fifty goals that game!”

“Uh, more like five.” Rainbow giggled hard and shook her head. “But yeah, it was pretty awesome.” She placed a hand atop her small friend’s head the moment she cowered away from Scootaloo’s loud voice.

“Sorry ‘bout Scoots here.” Applebloom nudged the little speed demon in the ribs. “She’s got this big ‘ol crush on ya.” That comment made Sweetie Belle snicker again.

“W-WHAT?” Scootaloo shook her head adamantly and blushed furiously. “N-No I don’t! Shut up, jerk face!”

“Make me, ya sour lemon peel.” Applebloom stuck her tongue out at her. 

“You are such a dumb jerk.” Scootaloo grumbled and crossed her arms. 

“Can we buy cookies now?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I’m hungry.”

“WE can.” Applebloom winked at her and stuck her tongue out one more time towards Scootaloo. “But Ah’m guessin’ Scoots over here’s gotta get the flirtin’ out a her system first.” She grabbed Sweetie Belle’s hand and walked towards the cafeteria’s counter. 

“Jerk face!” Scootaloo shouted after them.

“We love you, Scootaloooooo!” Sweetie Belle giggled.

“Whatever…” She grumbled, crossing her arms. 

Rainbow Dash had stood in place with her yellow friend during the entire exchange. “She’s got kind of a big mouth, huh? I guess it runs in the family.” She giggled. 

“Really big mouth.” Scootaloo sighed, fighting her blush harder than before. “S-Sorry about that…”

“It’s cool. I’m like that with my friends too. No worries.”

“Y-Yeah…” Scootaloo nervously rubbed the back of her head. “…Listen, Rainbow Dash, I-It’s not like that. I don’t have a crush on…I mean; I don’t like you! I mean, I do, but not in that way, like, I don’t like-like you!”

Rainbow laughed hard and put an arm around the underclassman. “Relax, squirt. Don’t worry about it. I’m pretty sure I know what you mean.” 

Scootaloo’s eyes glanced down at Rainbow Dash’s hand, tracing up to her wrist that was circled by an athletic wristband. She could feel the warm heat coming off her arm moving up her neck. “O-Okay…I just don’t want you to think I’m weird…”

“Don’t worry, kid. I don’t think you’re weird or anything.” Rainbow lowered her arm and smiled.

Scootaloo smiled back and nodded. “Thanks, Rainbow Dash.” It was hard to ignore how perfect she looked. Her rainbow hair had been cut very short, cropped in the back. It was a new, and surprisingly cute look for her. Instead of the usual jeans or skirt that most girls wore to school, Dash was sporting a pair of white spandex shorts that went well with her school gym shirt. Everything about her was perfect, and Scootaloo felt a strong desire to be exactly like her. “H-Hey, listen…do you, you know, wanna like, hang out sometime?” She asked. “If you don’t want to, I totally understand.”

“Sure, yeah. I’m down.” Rainbow giggled again and nodded her head once. 

“Oh, uh, really? Great!” Scootaloo gasped with excitement. “I’ll, um, text you or something?”

“Sure. You got my number?”

“I have you on Facebook.” Scootaloo quickly covered her mouth. “Crap, I sound like a TOTAL creep right now.”

“Scootaloo! Get over here before Sweetie Belle buys all the cookies!” Applebloom shouted back at her.

The yellow girl suddenly yawned very softly, putting a hand over her mouth while blinking a few times. Scootaloo noticed the same exact wristband on her wrist, although this girl didn’t look much like an athlete at all. “O-Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I’m a little tired.” She said in a quiet, almost silky soft voice.

“You okay, Shy? Want a soda or coffee or something?” Dash put a hand on her back with a warm smile. Before the little yellow girl could answer, she turned back to Scootaloo. “Hey, sorry squirt. We’re gonna head out.”

“O-Oh, yeah sure thing. Catch up with you later?” Scootaloo could almost hear the desperation in her own voice. 

“Sounds good. Later, kid.” Dash gave her a wave as she began her way out of the cafeteria with the yellow girl’s hand in her own. Scootaloo watched them leave and wondered just who that girl was exactly. She had seen her around school before, but she really didn’t seem like the type to be friends with Rainbow Dash. As much as she hated herself for thinking it, she didn’t feel like that small yellow girl should be hanging on her arm like that. That was what she was supposed to do!

“C’mon, Scoots!” Applebloom waved over to her. “They’re almost out a cookies!”

“Coming!” Scootaloo ran over to her friends and squeezed between them, placing a few quarters down on the counter.

“Sorry…” The girl behind the counter apologized with a very sorry frown on her face. If her eyes weren’t comically crossed, Scootaloo might have felt genuinely sad. “Your friends bought the last of the cookies.”

“Seriously?” Scootaloo picked up her quarters and flashed an annoyed furrowed brow at her friends. “You couldn’t leave at least a couple for me?”

“Ya snooze, ya looze!” Applebloom giggled and bit the end off a cookie. 

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Maybe if you stopped flirting sooner, you-”

“Oh my gosh, you guys suck!” Scootaloo crossed her arms and groaned loudly. “Why am I even friends with you two?”

“Cause yer just a real sweetie deep down.” Applebloom poked her cheek and held out two cookies for her. 

Scootaloo took the cookies and sighed. “I still hate you two…”

“We love you too, Scoots.” Sweetie Belle gave her a hug that Scootaloo did not return. 

“Don’t be a sour guss, Scoots.” Applebloom patted her on the back. “We’re only teasin’. C’mon. Give us a hug.” She wrapped her arms around her waist with Sweetie Belle still embracing on the other side. 

Scootaloo bit into her cookie with angry eyes, begrudgingly accepting the hugs while nibbling. “…Love you girls.” She grumbled angrily while biting into her snack.

-o0o-

After school, Scootaloo felt an inescapable need to distance herself as far as possible from school grounds. The thought of staying one more minute in a cramped classroom full of loud and obnoxious boys revolted her, and the whole school day of doing absolutely nothing had made her hungry. Fortunately, her friends felt the same way. The trio had quickly hurried to their favorite fast food restaurant for milkshakes and burgers. All three girls immediately began inhaling their pre-dinner food, a luxury that only young teens going through growth spurts could really enjoy without the concerns of weight gain or stomach discomfort. 

Once their tummies filled up, the remaining food on their trays became projectile ammunition to be launched at each other in numerous ways. “Hey!” Applebloom exclaimed as a fry hit her in the face.

Scootaloo giggled hard right after the fry she had flicked bounced off Applebloom’s cheek and flew across the room. “Goalll!”

“Ya’ll ‘er gonna get us kicked out if ya keep that up.” Applebloom wiped her cheek with her napkin.

Sweetie Belle took a big sip from her milkshake and gulped hard. Once the food fighting subsided a bit, she poised a question. “You two wanna see a movie this weekend at my place? I’m pretty sure Rarity will be with Applejack on Saturday, so we can have a sleep over in the living room.”

“Ah, nuts…” Applebloom palmed her face while mental images surfaced. “Ah don’t wanna know…just don’t tell me.”

“You know, they’re probably gonna be dating for a while. You might wanna try and get used to it.” Scootaloo noted.

“Ah can’t! It’s just…too weird.” Applebloom sighed. “Ya’ll try gettin’ the image a yer sister makin’ out with another girl outta yer head.”

“I’m picturing it.” Sweetie Belle eyed her with annoyance. “I’m picturing it, and I’m wishing that you hadn’t said that.”

“Oh, hey, we could make a pillow fort with the couch cushions!” Scootaloo gasped. This was something she had always wanted to try, but her own home was too bare of furniture to make the attempt. As a little kid, she never had the opportunity, but there was still some hope left to salvage her childhood. 

Applebloom was very grateful to have the conversation pulled into a different direction. “Oh, that sounds like fun! Ah can bring all my pillows from my room, ‘n we can have a big ‘ol pillow war!”

“I’m really liking this idea.” Sweetie Belle clapped her hands together. “But don’t get your hopes up yet. I still have to ask Rarity.”

“Why don’t you just ask your parents?” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “You seem to ask Rarity for permission about everything.”

“My parents don’t really care, but Rarity will FREAK if I get a stain on the couch. Plus, she might be staying home for the weekend to work on her designs if she decides not to go anywhere.”

“If ya want, ya’ll can come by my place this weekend. My family probably ain’t gonna mind too much, ‘n we can sleep out ‘n the barn ‘n make a campfire.” Applebloom reasoned, a chicken nugget from Sweetie Belle’s tray in her hand.

“Hey, that’s mine!” Sweetie Belle reached out to snatch the nugget, but Applebloom was quick to stuff it in her mouth. Having no choice but to resort to plan B, Sweetie Belle snatched up the rest of her friend’s fries and stuffed them into her own mouth.

Scootaloo stared at her two nearly idiotic friends. They both looked marvelously silly with their mouths full while trying to poke each other in the sides to force each other to giggle. “Um, I wouldn’t do that if I were-” It was too late, Applebloom had failed to fully defend herself, and in a fit of tickle induced giggles, she spewed her chicken nugget all over the floor. “Gross!!!” 

“Uh…shoot.” Applebloom awkwardly dropped a napkin on the floor and wiped up the small mess before throwing it away in the trash. “Well, that was just…disgustin’.”

Sweetie Belle swallowed her mouthful and chased it down with a sip of milkshake before speaking. “Winner winner!” She shouted with her hands in the air. 

It was hard not to giggle, but it was also hard not to feel a tad excluded. Scootaloo felt a tiny bit dejected while watching her two best (and only real) friends affectionately tease each other. The idea of something more going on between them had yet to even cross her mind, but Scootaloo did know one thing. She was definitely missing a real closeness in her life, a hole in her heart that even close friends couldn’t fill. Even though she had the greatest friends in the world, there was still one other person out there that she desired to be close to. “Sorry, girls.” Scootaloo said with a sigh. “I think…I’m gonna head out. There’s something I gotta do before I go home.”

“I bet I know what it is.” Sweetie Belle gave Applebloom a smirk. 

“Gotta go see a certain soccer player, huh?” Applebloom giggled and waved a teasing finger at her.

“You two are never gonna let this go, are you?” Scootaloo groaned. “No, I have to pick up some…flour, or something, for Aura.”

“Who’s Aura?” Applebloom asked.

“Oh, you mean your guardian mom?” Sweetie Belle cocked her head to the side. “Why don’t you just call her ‘mom’?”

“I dunno…” Scootaloo shrugged. “It’s kinda weird, you know? She’s not my real mom, and I don’t even really know her all that well.”

“You’ve been living with her for a couple of years now, right?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Maybe you just need a little more time.”

“Ah thought she was nice enough.” Applebloom looked over at Sweetie Belle with a slightly concerned look. “Is she givin’ ya’ll a hard time ‘er somethin’?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. She’s been pretty cool lately.” Scootaloo got up from the table. “You girls can have the rest of my food.” She snatched up her scooter from the ground and slung her backpack over her shoulder. She was about to head towards the door right before Applebloom grabbed her hand.

“Are ya’ll sure…there ain’t nothin’ botherin’ ya, Scoots?” She asked with genuine concern. “Ya know ya’ll can tell us anythin’, right?”

“It’s fine.” Scootaloo nodded. “Don’t worry. Can…I have my hand back?”

“Just as soon as ya give us a hug.”

Scootaloo groaned and rolled her eyes. “Fine.” Applebloom stood and wrapped her arms around her shoulders for a tight squeeze. Sweetie Belle got up and did the same with her arms around Scootaloo’s waist. The hug was anything but quick, and the growing pressure around her torso made Scootaloo nearly cough. “Oh my gosh…” She gasped. “I can’t breathe…ow...owowowow…”

“Should we do it?” Sweetie Belle whispered to the little country bumpkin. 

Applebloom nodded with a smirk. “Ah think we should.”

Before Scootaloo had a chance to breathe again and before she was even fully aware of what was happening, she felt two warm sets of lips peck each of her cheeks. “H-Hey!” She gasped loudly, rubbing her face with her palms as her face turned beet red. 

“Aww! She’s so cute when she’s mad!” Sweetie Belle giggled very loudly. 

Applebloom clapped her hands together and nearly snorted from her loud snicker. “Just the darn cutest!”

“You girls are sooooooo weird!” Scootaloo groaned very loudly as she tried to shake off her captors. “I’m gonna go now.”

“Bye-bye!” Sweetie Belle waved to her despite only being a couple feet away.

Applebloom gave her a pat on the back. “See ya’ll tomorrow!”

“Whatever.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes and quickly left the restaurant, hopping on her scooter to fly down the sidewalk. On her way out, she shared in her friend’s giggling. Their silliness was very easy to get swept up in. 

As soon as she had put a block’s distance between herself and the restaurant, she slowed down considerably. Her tummy was fluttering with little butterflies from having been pecked on both her cheeks. She knew it was all in good fun, but she couldn’t help but feel partially excited by it. Not only did the pecks on the cheek show just how much she was valued as a friend, but it also made her feel loved. Never in her entire life did she ever receive a peck on the cheek from either a friend or a parent with the exception of her current guardian mother. This time, however, it was full of affection that was almost alien to her.

That simple gesture by her friend put her in high spirits that fed off a growing sense of security. Her life was finally starting to feel safe, and she actually felt like she could explore her relationships with others more without feeling too guarded. If her adopted mother knew of her daughter’s realization, she would have been overjoyed. 

The sun had fallen lower on the horizon a few degrees since school had let out. By now, Rainbow Dash had probably finished up practice, and Scootaloo was on her way to see her. The closer to got to the soccer fields in the distance, the more she wondered if her behavior was somewhat creepy. Maybe she should have just sent her a message online or bumped into her at school the next day, but she felt it necessary to stop by and formally exchange numbers. At the very least, she would like to be able to talk again with her idol. 

Most importantly, she wanted to have an opportunity to talk to her about soccer. Scootaloo didn’t even consider the possibility of joining a school team upon entering high school. She was still rather reclusive socially, and it wasn’t until she made friends did she venture out and try new things. All throughout her freshman year, she watched Canterlot High’s star player, and a growing desire to be a part of the action ignited in her heart. She wanted to not only be a player, but also be just like Rainbow Dash on and off the field. If all went well, maybe she would agree to show her a few tricks and share a few tips. 

Most of the players were making their way off the field after packing up all the field gear once practice was over, and Scootaloo could see all the players making their way back to the school campus to retreat into the locker rooms. She knew it would probably be best to just wait for Rainbow Dash outside the doors until she emerged, so Scootaloo did just that. Outside the doors to the gymnasium building, she leaned against the wall with one foot on her scooter, rolling it back and forth on the sidewalk. To her surprise, someone else was waiting outside.

That weird, quiet little yellow girl was standing by the bleachers wearing what appeared to be Rainbow’s soccer jacket. She looked silly with it on considering the jacket was much too big for her, but Scootaloo unmistakably knew it belonged to Rainbow Dash. It had to be. This was the same girl as this morning, and she was probably waiting for the same person. Luckily, she was a little far off and hadn’t noticed her standing by the school doors. With various assortments of sports team players exiting the campus, Scootaloo became masked in the crowd of students. The only thing making her stand out was the scooter now that most all the players had changed into street clothes. 

Suddenly, a flock of people swarmed out the doors, all recognized as members of the soccer team Scootaloo had seen before. Most of the girls she never met or even seen around campus, but the fiery red and yellow haired leather jacket girl she immediately recognized as Sunset Shimmer. Although she harbored no ill will towards that particular upperclassman, Scootaloo didn’t much care for her or even trust her. That girl’s reputation had changed dramatically, but she didn’t like how close she seemed to be with Rainbow Dash. They seemed to laugh and joke together like they were close friends or something.

Scootaloo shook her head to clear her mind of her rambling thoughts upon realizing that Rainbow Dash had already left the building. She was walking side by side with her soccer buddy down the opposite direction of the sidewalk while Scootaloo had been passing her judgements. As swiftly as she could, Scootaloo raced down the sidewalk after her, but she was immediately halted by the crowd of students making their own ways home. 

“Hey, watch it!” A girl of average height and silver green hair shouted. Her hair looked like she had just gone skydiving, and Scootaloo had to nearly duck to avoid the massive ‘fro. 

Before she could catch up to her, Scootaloo watched Rainbow Dash wave goodbye to Sunset before jogging at a brisk pace towards the bleachers. This would have been her moment to catch up to her, but Rainbow was determined to meet up with that yellow girl. Once Rainbow met up with her, they ducked under the bleachers together out of sight from everyone else congregating at the end of the street. If she didn’t know any better, Scootaloo would have made the assumption that they were meeting up for a kiss or something. 

Scootaloo’s suspicion became an incredibly painful truth once she ducked her head behind the bleachers. 

Their lips…were locked…

She could see Rainbow Dash wrap her arms around the little yellow girl’s waist, picking her up into the air to give her a playful kiss. The yellow girl had put her arms around Rainbow’s neck to kiss back, and Scootaloo could not deny how happy both girls appeared in each other’s arms. Their happiness and their displays of affection were claws that scratched against the outside of Scootaloo’s heart, each kiss after another dug deeper and deeper until nothing but shreds of her spirit were left. 

Feeling stupid, embarrassed, ashamed, and broken, Scootaloo slowly turned away to begin her slow walk across the soccer field towards home. All the hope and sense of security she had built up since coming to Canterlot High seemed to disappear with each gloomy step forward, and a very angry tear rolled down her cheek and off her chin. 

On top of all the horrible crushing feelings that began to overwhelm her, she deeply despised and hated herself. She hated herself for believing that she would never be hurt again, and she hated herself for believing that her luck was actually changing for the first time in her life. 

“Why…” She muttered. “Why her? Why did it have to be her?” Scootaloo choked and bit her lip hard to keep from crying. It was no real surprise if she thought about it. Rainbow Dash never did notice her before, so there was no real loss, was there? 

If that was true, then Rainbow Dash probably wouldn’t give a rip if she never showed up to school again. Her friends would have to understand. She needed some time to herself. 
> Chapter 2: ...Love Heals the Pain
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Although it was a school day, Scootaloo had no intention of getting out of bed any time soon. She had cried in the middle of the night after having gotten up to go pee, and right now, she was in no such mood to leave the small comfort of her blankets. Her face was blotchy and her eyes puffy after some intermittent crying spasms, and regardless of the text messages she received from her friends, not once did she bother to reach for her phone. 

Her adopted mother came by her room to check up on her. Scootaloo had been pretty convincing when she told her she was sick. She said she was feeling terrible, and she had slept horribly. All of this was completely true, and just by Scootaloo’s complexion, Blue Aura was quick to surmise as much and call the school to inform them of her daughter’s absence. However, there were two girls in particular that never got the memo, and because of this, the text messages kept on buzzing Scootaloo’s phone well into the late morning. 

With her TV on, Scootaloo sat with her head propped up against her pillows, her blankets having been kicked onto the floor. After taking a wiz, Scootaloo never bothered to get fully dressed before getting back in bed. With her short purple hair in a complete mess, Scootaloo sported nothing more than a black pair of panties and her black skull t-shirt that she knew she would eventually need to wash. 

The only saving grace about today was the opportunity to not fake her way through anything. The last thing she felt like doing was force a smile and try to get through the day like nothing was bothering her. Sure, from someone else’s perspective, her little issue would probably sound silly and insignificant, but Rainbow Dash had been her first real and serious crush. She was the first girl that ever took her breath away. Rainbow Dash was everything she wanted to be; cool, exciting, outgoing, pretty, everything! 

Now, someone else had her, and she would be destined to sulk and feel broken from an immovable distance. 

Scootaloo felt like crying again, so she forced herself to avoid thinking about what was bothering her. Well, she was trying to, but it wasn’t working. Maybe the TV wasn’t loud enough. Maybe if she played a game that might help. Hell, anything might help as long as it would put her out of her misery. A big beer would do the trick, just like the ones her first adopted mother would bring home. Most of the time she was too drunk to notice one or two missing from the fridge every week. 

With a sour grumble, Scootaloo hoisted herself out of bed and slipped into the nearest pair of sweatpants on the floor. They were tattered and very faded from countless washes, but it had been a couple years since Scootaloo had made any significant physical growth so they fit well enough. She was a tad shorter than her two friends, with a very noticeable deficit when it came to her womanly assets. By the time she faced herself in her bathroom mirror, she asked herself another usual question; was she destined to be boyish forever? 

Her sexuality might argue that it wasn’t that big of a deal, but if Rainbow Dash’s new girlfriend was any indication, being cute and girly could go a long way. With a heavy sigh, Scootaloo marched out of the bathroom, refusing to look at herself any further for fear that she might cry again. Why couldn’t she be cute like her friends? Why couldn’t she have well defined hips like Applebloom or bright pink lips like Sweetie Belle? Was she going to be an ugly, good for no one girl for the rest of her life? 

Maybe that’s why all her other adopted families gave her up. Maybe they all wanted a sweet, pretty little girl that she couldn’t be. 

Scootaloo flopped down on her bed and grabbed her pillow to scream as loud as she could with her face buried in the soft material. It was nice having something to vent her anger out on, but her pillow probably didn’t appreciate being kicked across the room like a soccer ball. Whoops. 

With a heavy sigh, Scootaloo laid her head down and closed her eyes. If anything, taking a nap would probably help her feel better. Putting as much time between herself and her bad memories might help her move forward in her life, although, moving to a new town would definitely fix everything. It worked before, so one more time couldn’t hurt. It was too bad though… Her new adopted mother actually wanted to hang on to her. 

The time going by seemed almost nonexistent to her as Scootaloo lazily stared at the TV. The usual early morning to midday programming was filled with lackluster infomercials and bad TV sitcoms which must have been funny at some point thirty years ago. Although she felt incredibly bored, Scootaloo never bothered to change the channel or even move except to kick her stupid sweatpants off. If she was going to lay around in bed all day, at the very least she was going to be comfortable. If she got up to get some water, she might have to pee again later. If she got up to eat, she might need to brush her teeth. Neither of those options sounded very appealing right now. Just rotting away half naked with puffy eyes on her bed was the best option for her at the moment. 

That was until she heard a knock at her door which stirred her out of her sulking and into a mild state or curiosity. Who in the world was knocking on her door at whatever o’clock in the morning? With a groan, Scootaloo swung her legs over the side of her bed and began walking towards the front door, giving her butt a little scratch along the way. When she looked through the peek-hole, her eyes widened with surprise. She opened the door very slowly in order to keep herself from becoming completely blinded by the sun. 

Applebloom quickly pulled the door the rest of the way open before shouting, “Scoots! Where the hay have ya’ll been all day?!” Her voice was full of genuine indignation. “We’ve been tryin’ to text ya all day!”

“You look terrible!” Sweetie Belle announced. “Are you sick or something? Were you in bed all day?”

“All…day?” Scootaloo asked. By her accounts, it was still morning. Had she been lounging around like a zombie the entire day? It might have helped to check the time at some point, but it was too late for that now.

“Yeah! All day!” Applebloom put her hands on her hips much like her older sister. “Me ‘n Sweetie Belle been tryin’ to reach ya since gym class! Almost got ‘n trouble fer havin’ my phone out, ‘n we had to eat lunch by ourselves!”

“Some of the wrestlers stole our table that YOU were supposed to save for us, thank you.” Sweetie Belle crossed her arms. 

“Plus, ya’ll missed out ‘n Taco Tuesday! How in the heck does a body miss Taco Tuesday?” Applebloom shook her head. 

“What happened to you?” Sweetie Belle nearly cringed when she gave Scootaloo the once-over, fully appraising her disheveled appearance and lack of any pants. “Did you lose all your clothes in the washer or something? You look really silly without any pants on.”

Scootaloo’s face slowly morphed into an appreciative smile. This relieved her friends a little, but as soon as they saw the tears trickling down her cheeks, their anger melted into concern. “You…g-girls…came all the way out here…to see me?”

“Well…” Applebloom cleared her throat. “…Ya’ll don’t live too far away, ‘n it ain’t like we’re just not gonna see ya…” 

“Are…you crying?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Oh geez…you’re crying!” She approached Scootaloo and put an arm around her shoulder. “What happened to you?!”

Applebloom approached from the other side and did the same. “Aw, shucks…yer really cryin’, huh?”

Scootaloo began sobbing loudly, burying her face into Applebloom’s flannel clad shoulder. Her shoulders heaved up and down as her arms wrapped around her waist. Sweetie Belle began patting her shoulder while glancing outside from the threshold of the door. “Heyyy…don’t cry. You’re ok…” She looked up at Applebloom and nodded her head to the side to signal her friend further into the home. “Let’s get you inside.”

Applebloom lead her to the couch while Sweetie Belle closed the door. “Aw, Scoots…Ah’m so sorry Ah yelled at ya..”

“Me too…We’re really sorry. We didn’t know you were having a bad day.” Sweetie Belle sat on the couch next to Scootaloo and put a hand on her bare thigh.

It was true, Scootaloo was having a horrible day, but for some inexplicable reason, she felt a thousand times better the moment she saw her friends at the door. It was almost as if they cared about her enough to make the trip to see her, and she had to admit that it was a new experience. Scootaloo never had friends before, let alone friends who would come knocking even if she never bothered to return their messages. “…Y-You…girls…came…” She choked out, her face pressed against Applebloom’s shoulders. 

“Well, ‘course we came! Ain’t ya’ll our friend?” Applebloom gave her a friendly little peck on the cheek. “We can’t help it if we’re a tad worried ‘bout ya.”

“You didn’t reply to our texts…so…we thought something bad happened to you. Like…you died or something.” Sweetie Belle palmed her face and sighed. “Sorry…not helping. But seriously, you made us super worried!” Her voice squeaked.

Scootaloo released her hold on Applebloom and quickly turned to Sweetie Belle to hug her as well. Her arms circled her waist, and Scootaloo squeezed very tightly. “I am the worst friend in the whole world!” She shouted into her shoulder. 

“No, ya’ll ain’t that bad.” Applebloom shook her head. “Honestly, ya’ll ain’t been the greatest friend today, but Ah’m just glad to see ya…” She put a hand on Scootaloo’s shoulder and squeezed gently. 

“It’s ok, it’s ok.” Sweetie Belle tilted her face up to wipe the remaining tears from her face after the sobbing had subsided. “Just tell us what’s wrong.”

Scootaloo took a deep breath and released her hold on Sweetie Belle before folding her hands in her lap to look down at the floor. “I’m sorry, girls…It’s…so stupid…I am so stupid.”

“No, you’re not.” Sweetie Belle shook her head. “If anyone’s stupid, it’s Applebloom. She dropped her backpack on her foot during English and bumped into the teacher’s desk.”

Applebloom scowled at her. “Hush up, Sweetie Belle. Ya’ll ain’t helpin’.”

“Sorry.” Sweetie Belle put her hands up and nodded. 

Scootaloo giggled very hoarsely and wiped her face with the back of her wrist. “I wish I could’ve seen that.”

“Well, if ya’ll came to school, this wouldn’t a been a problem.” Applebloom began rubbing her back gently with the tips of her fingers. “So…why ya’ll holed up at home cryin’ all day?”

Scootaloo looked up at her with a little smile. Whatever she was doing with her fingertips felt very nice, and it seemed to be calming her down very well. “I…I guess it’s…well…”

Sweetie Belle began patting her thigh. “It’s ok. Don’t feel like we’re rushing you or anything. Take as much time as you need.”

“Sure…” Scootaloo closed her eyes to take a long sigh. Having her friends dote on her like this felt better than a confetti cake on her birthday. “…It’s really silly though…I feel really dumb…”

“Nothin’s too silly if it makes my Scoots cry.” Applebloom circled her arm around her shoulder and rested her forehead against Scootaloo’s temple. “Did somebody beat ya’ll up? Ah know karate. Ah’ll kick their asses. Ah don’t care WHO it is!”

“No, no…” Scootaloo laughed softly. “…It’s nothing like that.”

“Ok.” Sweetie Belle squeezed her thigh a bit harder. “So? What happened?”

Scootaloo turned to face her and immediately sighed. “It’s…Rain…bow…”

“Rainbow?” Applebloom asked with an inquisitive look. “Rainbow Dash?”

“What about Rainbow Dash?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Did she say something mean? If she did, I’ll tell my sister, and I KNOW Rarity will knock some sense into her.”

“No, she didn’t say anything mean.” Scootaloo ran a hand through her short, messy hair. “She’s…She’s…with someone.”

“With…someone?” It took Applebloom a second to understand. “…Like, datin’ someone?”

“Yeah.” Scootaloo nodded. “She’s dating someone…I think.”

“You think?” Sweetie Belle traded confused expressions with Applebloom. “I don’t get it. What’s the big deal with Rainbow Dash dating someone?”

“Oh…” Applebloom finally realized what was happening, and a million little pangs of guilt stabbed at her gut. “Oh, shucks! Ya’ll got the hots for Rainbow Dash!”

“Whoa!” Sweetie Belle’s voice crackled. “Seriously?”

“Y-Yeah…” Scootaloo shrugged and shook her head. “It’s whatever…I like her…no big deal…just some dumb jock chick…who cares.”

Applebloom laid her head on Scootaloo’s shoulder and gave her another little peck on the cheek. “H-Hey…it ain’t ‘whatever’, Scoots. It’s a big deal.”

“Yeah.” Sweetie Belle squeezed her hand on Scootaloo’s thigh and pecked her on the shoulder. “Having a crush is SUPER big deal. You shouldn’t feel bad for having a crush.”

“A crush…” Scootaloo repeated. Maybe that was all this was…a crush. “Yeah…I guess I do have a crush…” She swallowed hard. “…Well, it doesn’t really matter now anyway… She’s dating someone else.”

There was a moment of silence before Sweetie Belle asked, “Who?” Apparently, a love of gossip hadn’t fallen far from her family tree. 

“Sweetie Belle!” Applebloom hissed before mouthing the words, “Not now!”

“That yellow chick…” Scootaloo sighed.

“Yellow…chick?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I…don’t really know who you’re talking about.”

Applebloom began pulling up everyone in her memory who was somehow yellow. There were a lot of people like that, including herself. It might be that Sunset girl Rainbow Dash was always hanging out with on the team. Or… “Are ya’ll talkin’ ‘bout that girl she was with yesterday?”

“Oh, that quiet girl? The one with the long pink hair?” Sweetie Belle asked. “What was her name again?”

“I don’t know…” Scootaloo shrugged. “She’s one of Rainbow Dash’s friends, I know that. I’ve seen them hanging out together at lunch.”

“Oh, right. Fluttershy.” Sweetie Belle put her finger to her chin. “Rarity said she’s made a couple dresses for her.”

“Right, Fluttershee…whatever.” Scootaloo shook her head and leaned back on the couch. “Doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care what her name is…” She angrily spat, quickly wiping her face in the anticipation of fresh tears.

“Scoots…” Applebloom exchanged worried looks with Sweetie Belle before pulling Scootaloo’s head down onto her chest. “Shush…it’s alright now. Ya’ll don’t gotta say nothin’ right now.”

Sweetie Belle leaned back and scooped Scootaloo’s legs up, resting them on her lap. “Just lay down, ok? We don’t have to talk anymore if you don’t want to.”

“Thanks, you guys….” Scootaloo sniffled and nodded a bit before laying her head down on Applebloom’s thighs. “…Can…would it be ok…is it cool if I just lay here for a while?”

“Course it is, Scoots.” Applebloom began combing her wild purple hair back with her fingers. “If yer tired, go ahead ‘n take a nap.”

“Really?” Scootaloo rolled onto her back with her feet and head resting on her friends. “Are you sure? I’m pretty sure we look dumb...”

“We don’t care, silly.” Sweetie Belle gently squeezed her fingers around Scootaloo’s toes. “But it might be a good idea to put some pants on. You look really funny walking around the house in panties.”

“Oh…right.” Scootaloo self-consciously covered herself with her hands and blushed hard. “…I am such a slob…”

“Real cute slob.” Applebloom giggled and wiggled her finger against Scootaloo’s chin. “Ain’t she, Sweets?”

“She sure is!” Sweetie Belle giggled back and wiggled a finger between Scootaloo’s toes. “Who’s a cute slob? Are you? Are you?”

Scootaloo laughed very hard and began kicking her feet up and down. “Stooooop! That really tickles!!!”

“Hold ‘er down!” Applebloom commanded, pulling Scootaloo back towards her so her back rested against her lap. Sweetie Belle did as commanded, holding her feet down with both hands.

“N-NO! W-WAIT NONONO-” Her protests were cut off when Applebloom leaned down, pulling her skull print t-shirt up to begin blowing powerful raspberries on her tummy. Scootaloo began squealing in a fit of giggles, her body writhing side to side in a desperate attempt to escape. Sweetie Belle had a good hold around her ankles, but it was really Applebloom’s surprising strength that baffled the little daredevil. Not only had years of farm work been good for her busting assets like her sister, but she was definitely becoming stronger for it. 

Sweetie Belle began wiggling the tips of her fingers up her ankles to her exposed thighs. The tickling sensation Scootaloo was feeling against her tummy began radiating across her whole body now that her two friends were coordinating their efforts. Scootaloo had one moment to breathe as Applebloom raised her head to suck in a big gasp of air before diving right back into the fray. During that moment, Scootaloo caught a good glimpse of Sweetie Belle’s infectious, gorgeous smile. What other girls may have in assets she had in raw loveliness, much like her older sister, and Scootaloo felt very blessed in that moment to be surrounded by beautiful people. 

Up until her friend’s arrival, she had been feeling vulnerable and lonely, so if she wasn’t too busy fighting off her attackers, she might have been inclined to kiss one of them in the heat of the moment. Unfortunately, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle seemed to be more preoccupied with torturing her than kissing her. 

-o0o-

She might be new to the whole ‘mom’ thing, but Blue Aura wasn’t ignorant to a young girl’s emotions. Her new daughter was definitely distraught that morning, and although she played it off as being sick, she allowed her to stay home from school anyway. Having been a teenage girl herself, Aura knew what a broken heart looked like. A couple times in her life, she had experienced the same thing, and it was best to give her daughter some space to work it out. 

After work, Blue Aura drove home with a small gift of pizza and wings. Fatty foods always worked for her at times like this, so it was only natural for her to think of the same solution for Scootaloo. She knew it wouldn’t be the perfect fix, but for now, it would help. Aura opened the front door and smiled at the sight of three girls flopped out on the couch with the TV on in the living room. 

It was obvious that Scootaloo hadn’t bathed or even bothered getting dressed. One of these days, she would need to have a talk with her about hanging around the house half naked when company came over. However, her two friends didn’t seem to care. Scootaloo had her head resting on the farm girl’s lap who she knew as Applebloom. The other girl, Sweetie something, was curled up on Scootaloo’s feet. All three girls appeared to be asleep, and it was nice to see Scootaloo looking so comfortable, regardless of her attire. 

Aura placed the box of pizza and wings on the small table in front of the couch with a note written on the box before retreating to the kitchen for a cold sparkling water. Up until she made the decision to become a foster mom, Aura had often indulged herself with alcohol after work. Now that she had a daughter, she would probably have to wait until Scootaloo was of age until she could keep alcohol in the house. The tallest, biggest girl with fiery red hair began to stir. Applebloom opened her eyes with a soft smile, gently moving a hand through Scootaloo’s hair. “Aw…just too cute…ya silly ‘lil punk.” 

With a smile, Aura tiptoed her way to her room down the hall. With any luck, the pizza and wings would be gone in the morning, although she might need to set some ground rules for friends spending the night. She didn’t have any problems with it, but Aura really didn’t want to worry any of the girl’s parents. For now, it was a welcome relief to know that Scootaloo had such good friends. Maybe now she could relax more and stop worrying so much about her daughter. She may not be the friendliest or the most outgoing girl, but Aura did have to admit that Scootaloo was pretty independent. She would probably be just fine as long as she had her friends. 

A little love always goes a long way. 

-o0o-

The next day at school, Scootaloo was welcomed with open arms. Applebloom had lifted her off the ground to hug her, and Sweetie Belle had bit her shoulder the moment she arrived that morning. It was both heartwarming and annoyingly painful, but Scootaloo was very glad to be the center of lots of hugs. She knew today would definitely be a better day than the one before, but there was still a tiny thing bothering her. There was a good chance that, at some point somewhere on campus, she might bump into Rainbow Dash. Normally, this would’ve made her very excited, but for now, she really just wanted to avoid her until she knew what to say. 

Scootaloo walked side by side with her two besties into the girls locker rooms adjacent to the gymnasium. Gym class had always been her favorite, and sharing it with friends made the experience that much better. An added plus was getting to see Applebloom and Sweetie Belle change, although there wasn’t much time to admire the view since everyone crowding into the locker rooms all needed to get to their teachers before the last lunch bell rang out. 

During today’s gym class, the crusaders found themselves walking circles around the track that surrounded the football field. While the rest of the class threw dodgeballs at each other on the field, anyone who chose not to play had the option of walking. Normally, the crusaders would’ve jumped on the chance to engage in mild violence, but today was different. Scootaloo needed to talk about something important.

“So, Ah’m guessin’ ya’ll don’t really know what to say, huh?” Applebloom asked, her hands shoved deep down the waistband of her gym shorts due to a lack of pockets. 

Sweetie Belle stood on the other side of Scootaloo with her arms swinging freely. “I don’t think Rainbow Dash is mean or anything. If you asked her, she’ll probably be ok with talking to you about stuff.”

“Yeah, I know that…” Scootaloo sighed, intertwining her fingers behind her head. “But…I feel like it would be super weird. Plus, Applebloom’s right. I don’t know what to say to her.”

“Ah know it don’t feel like the best thing, but ya’ll might wanna tell her how ya feel.” Applebloom put a finger to her chin.

“Really?” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at her. “Even if she’s already dating someone?”

“Well…sure. Why not?” Applebloom shrugged. “Ain’t like it’s gonna hurt none. ‘Sides, it’ll do ya’ll some good to get it all out there.”

“You…really think so?” Scootaloo took a deep breath and cast a glance towards the soccer fields. “Do you think…she’ll hate me for saying that I…you know.”

“Like her?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I don’t think so.” She shook her head and wrapped her arm around Scootaloo’s elbow. “Guys always tell my sister they like her, and she doesn’t hate them. They just move on.”

“A real grownup thing to do.” Applebloom nodded in agreement. “Ah think Rainbow Dash’s a big gal. She ain’t gonna give ya no trouble. If she does, me ‘n Sweetie’ll go ‘n put Nair ‘n her shampoo.”

Scootaloo giggled. “I don’t think it’ll come to that.”

“Just sayin, Scoots. Me ‘n Sweetie Belle got yer back. If ya want, we can come with ya’ll ‘n watch from a distance.” Applebloom put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 

“R-Really?” Scootaloo looked up at her appreciatively. “Wow…y-yeah. That would help…That would totally help.”

“See? Everything’s going to work out.” Sweetie Belle giggled, dropping her arm. “Just think of us as your backup.” She brought a hand up to her mouth and made a fake radio crackling noise. “Breaker breaker one-niner, we have a suspect in custody.” She stepped behind Scootaloo and grabbed her wrists.

Scootaloo nearly lurched forward in surprise as she felt her hands become pinned against her toosh. “Hey!”

“Miss, Ah’m a need ya’ll to calm yer horses there.” Applebloom waved an accusing finger at her. “Just cooperate, ‘n don’t give us no trouble.”

“Am I supposed to be under arrest?” Scootaloo giggled. “You two make really terrible cops.”

“Ah’m a need ya’ll to get ‘n the ground over there.” Applebloom pointed to the grass. 

“Just take it easy, miss.” Sweetie Belle said through a snicker. “We just have a few questions for you.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and yanked her hands free. “You’ll never take me alive, coppers!” She bolted down the track away from her pursuers. Being the fastest of her group, Scootaloo had no problem creating distance between herself and the law. Alas, the law was more resourceful than she realized. Instead of fully chasing her down the track, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle cut across the grass to corner her, effectively interrupting the game of dodgeball on the grass long enough to make the other students a bit miffed. 

“Resitin’ arrest!” Applebloom nearly shrieked as she closed in on Scootaloo’s left. Sweetie Belle came in on her right, both girls closing in inch by inch, their hands outstretched for yet another tickle attack that Scootaloo knew was coming. Using her lightning speed, Scootaloo made a mad dash towards the grass. The explosiveness in her movements surprised her two hunters, but they kept right on her tail. 

Many of the dodgeballs had scattered across the grass from the game, giving Scootaloo much needed ammunition to fend off her attackers. They came closing in, and Scootaloo stopped mid-stride to retrieve a couple rounds from the ground. She threw them as hard and as fast as possible, one after the other. The first shot completely missed, sailing right over their heads. The second shot was, in hindsight, only rivaled by the infamous magic bullet. The dodgeball smacked Applebloom in the ribs, leveling her tall frame to the ground. The ball then changed directions, landing squaring against Sweetie Belle’s head. Both girls, now sprawled on the ground, squirmed in what appeared to be pain. 

“Oh crap!!!” Scootaloo quickly hurried to her nearest friend. “Sweetie Belle? Are you ok? Oh my gosh I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to throw it that hard!”

Sweetie Belle rubbed her head with both hands, still giggling despite the pain. Instead of reassuring her friend that she was indeed fine, she grabbed Scootaloo’s ankles firmly. Applebloom had just picked herself up off the grass long enough to lazily tackle the dare devil to the ground, effectively knocking the wind out of her. “Gotcha!” She exclaimed with a pained smile.

“Owowowowow you’re too heavyyyyy!” Scootaloo shrieked as she felt Applebloom sit on her tummy. The little farm girl wasn’t so little anymore, making it nearly impossible to breathe. “H-HEL-LP!”

Sweetie Belle pulled Scootaloo’s ankles harder, flattening her body out. “Stop struggling you criminal!”

“I didn’t do anythin-” Scootaloo’s eyes widened as her vision went black. Although she could breathe a bit better, she felt soft, warm flesh against her face with the familiar scent of apples and sweat. It took her a moment to realize that Applebloom had lifted up the front of her shirt and pulled it over her head. 

It was hard to know how to feel in that moment. On one hand, she was in pain, unable to freely move. On the other hand, she was now at second base with one of her best friends without even using her arms. Another cry for help tried to escape her lips, but it was muffled by the soft flesh of Applebloom’s budding front. Her hands grabbed Applebloom’s surprisingly strong hips as she desperately pushed with all her might. At least, she thought she was pushing with all her might. A part of her wasn’t yet ready to end whatever was happening, so her struggles were less forceful than usual.

“Gotcha now, ya varmint!” Applebloom pulled her shirt back up to let Scootaloo breathe and flop onto her back. “Ya’ll have the right to remain silent!”

Scootaloo looked up at the sky, a mad blush across her face, still feeling those soft pillows against her cheeks. After a moment to collect herself, she slowly sat up with an angry yet amused smile. “I give up, I give up! Can you get off me now?”

Applebloom shook her head and crossed her arms, taking a solid position atop Scootaloo’s lap to further keep her in custody. “No way, no how.”

Sweetie Belle let go of her ankles and sat right behind Applebloom, her arms wrapped around the little farm gal’s waist. “You have to buy us candy after school.”

“What???” Scootaloo shook her head definitely. “You dirty cops. I’m not buying anyone candy!”

“Looks like we got ourselves a real troublemaker.” Applebloom giggled mischievously. She reached down and began tickling Scootaloo in the ribs. “Buy us candy!”

“Ahahahahaha nooooooahahahaha nooOOO!!!” Scootaloo fought with all her might to get free, this time putting everything she had into her struggling. It was no use. The combined weight of both her friends on her lap made any movement pointless. 

“I want Milk Duds!” Sweetie Belle shouted. 

“Candy canes!” Applebloom added. 

“It’s not even Christmas!” Scootaloo swallowed hard, gulping down air she had lost from the laughter. Now, having no other option, she grabbed Applebloom’s hands, pulling them down onto the grass while sitting up to bite the collar of her gym shirt. With a hard yank with her whole body, she brought the two girls down onto the grass before scrambling up onto her feet. 

Sweetie Belle was the first to get back onto her feet. “Milk Duds!” She ran towards Scootaloo, latching onto her arm to scream into her ear. “MILK DUDS!”

Applebloom was taken by surprise by her captor’s resourcefulness, but she was never one to give up. She got back up and swung her arms around Scootaloo’s waist. “Candy canes!”

“OK OK OK!!!” Scootaloo yelled loudly before taking a big sigh. “Fine! I’ll buy you guys candy!”

“Hooray!” Applebloom lifted Scootaloo off her feet before tipping her onto her side, making her fall back down on the ground.

“Seriously?!” Scootaloo shouted in exasperation. “Come on!”
> Chapter 3: Once the Heart Heals...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Scootaloo was a bit saddened by her upcoming boring afternoon. Sweetie Belle had gone home at the insistence of her big sister to help try on a few arrangements, and Applebloom seemed preoccupied with something important after receiving a text from Applejack about taking care of some business together. With her friends too busy to hang out and no big sister to engage with, Scootaloo reluctantly went home to do what she does best: eat snacks half naked while playing video games. 

In her previous homes, Scootaloo rarely had the chance to play games of any kind. It was a luxury she was very grateful for on top of having a nice home and constant meals each day regardless of how they tasted. On her first birthday living with Blue Aura, she had received a small TV for her room. The following Christmas, she received a game console to go with it. Having been some of the first and few gifts she had ever received, Scootaloo both enjoyed and got her money’s worth out of them. Both she and Aura knew she spent far more time playing video games than she did studying or doing homework, but since she passed all her classes and didn’t cause any trouble, Aura left her to herself whenever possible. 

While half of her mind went into autopilot staring at her TV screen and hitting buttons on her controller, the other half of her mind pondered her options to fill the immediate loneliness she felt. Sure, this feeling was probably due to being stuck at home by herself with no friends to hang out with, but it would have been nice to be invited to go with Sweetie Belle back to her place to try on dresses or something. Putting dresses on would’ve been really lame, but at least they could spend some time together. If given the chance, Scootaloo would’ve volunteered to help Applebloom and her family with whatever they were doing today. They could’ve spent some time together too…

Thoughts about her friends were beginning to create another problem. Being a teenager, alone, at home, bored, and with too much time on her hands, Scootaloo began to wonder if she should spend the next half hour having some ‘quality alone’ time before ordering takeout for dinner. It was an attractive idea considering her golden opportunity, but Scootaloo decided against it. The last thing she wanted to feel was a ‘weirdness’ about herself for doing something rather shameful. After all, it was the middle of the day, and she wasn’t being productive anyhow. Besides, that was a ‘middle of the night on her phone’ thing, so it could wait if she still felt like it later. 

By the time the sun was setting, Scootaloo gave her eyes a rest and got up from her bed to go to the kitchen for a snack to eat while waiting for her pizza she was going to order. Luckily, there was pizza already in the fridge from last weekend. Although the cheese had solidified in a couple places, her microwave made short work of that issue. After a messy dinner on paper plates now in the trash, Scootaloo went back to her room to strategize a better way to rid Novigrad of the werewolf attacking the red light district that wouldn’t end in everyone dying violently. Seeing people get killed was kind of cool in the game, but she couldn’t advance to the next level unless the conflict ended favorably. Games can be jerks sometimes. 

Once the sun went down, Scootaloo turned her game console off to watch TV. She checked her phone to see if there were any messages from her friends, but sadly, there was none. They must really be busy…

Scootaloo gave up on trying to make her day worth remembering and decided to get some sleep. Her body would thank her for going to bed early anyway, but just in case she needed it, she got up and walked back to the kitchen to get some water. Hopefully Blue Aura wouldn’t be too upset about her having dishes in her room after dinner.

With a bottle of water next to her bed, a warm blanket pulled over her lap, and her two pillows squarely fitted under her head, Scootaloo’s eyes opened and closed very slowly as sleep began to take her towards the land of unconsciousness. Everything felt perfect, so warm and cozy, the cool brisk air of the night breezing through her window. With a happy little sigh, she closed her eyes for what should have been the final time that evening. 

There came a loud and alarming buzzing sound, and Scootaloo nearly jolted in surprise. Her eyes widened as her arms and legs stiffened up, a sudden rush of heat inching up her neck as her adrenalin response kicked it. It took a long moment to realize just what that noise was, and Scootaloo groaned loudly in painful annoyance at the sight of her phone rattling atop the little plastic dresser by her bed. 

With a quick slam of her hand down on the object, Scootaloo successfully silenced her phone. However, the bright screen still pierced her eyes like the angry glare of the sun, and the only thing to remedy the problem was to engage the enemy. Without bothering to read the screen, she tapped her finger against the glass a few times before laying her head on her side with the phone on her ear. 

“What?” Scootaloo asked harshly, her voice gargled by a dry throat.

“Hi-ya, Scoots.” Came a cheery and unmistakable voice. “Wow, got a frog ‘n yer throat er somethin’?”

“No, I’m just happy you called.” Scootaloo sighed and slowly sat up. “I was about to go to bed.”

“Oh, shoot…Sorry ‘bout that…” Applebloom’s voice was noticeably sadder now. 

“It’s finneeee…” Scootaloo sighed again. “What’s up? Something wrong?”

“Umm….no?” It sounded more like a question than a statement. “I just thought I’d call ya ‘n see how ya’ll ‘er doin’.”

“Seriously?” Scootaloo yawned loudly and bit her lip. “This couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”

“Is that you, Scootaloo?” Came another voice, just as chipper and lively. “Hi, Scootaloo!”

“Hi…Sweetie Belle…” Scootaloo grumbled and brought her phone down to look at the time. It was nearly eleven at night, so that meant she probably slept for at least a couple hours so far. She knew she could live off a couple hours, but that came free with a side of grumpy goose feathers. “Can you guys tell me why you’re calling, or can I go back to bed now?”

“Well, we were wonderin’ if ya’ll want to sneak out.” Applebloom said in a near whisper that probably wasn’t necessary. 

“Are you serious?” Scootaloo’s eyes widened in surprise as she cleared her throat. This time, it was her turn to whisper for fear of waking Aura who was probably in the other room sleeping. “Like, totally serious?”

“Sure! Why wouldn’t we be?” Sweetie Belle giggled in a way that made Scootaloo want to either pinch her cheek or bite her ear. Actually, both sounded pretty good. Either choice would satisfy both her annoyance and sexual frustration. “So? You wanna sneak out or what?”

“Uhhh…I dunno…” Scootaloo rubbed the back of her head and wiggled her bare knees together, very aware that if she was really going to do this, she would need to wear clothes. “I…think I’m just gonna chill and get some sleep.”

“Aw, c’mon now.” Applebloom whined. “Let’s go to the park! It’ll be fun! Don’t ya’ll live like, down the street from the park anyhow?”

“Yeah, but…you guys don’t live anywhere near me. How are you two gonna get down here?” 

“Shh, don’t tell her yet.” Sweetie Belle whispered.

Applebloom whispered back in the phone. “Why not?”

“Cause it’s supposed to be a surprise, duh!”

“Ain’t it my surprise, not yer surprise?”

“That’s not the point!” 

Scootaloo sometimes wondered if her friends might be a bit slow. Sure, they had their moments, moments which Scootaloo would never trade for the world, but now was not one of them. Once those two girls got excited about something, it seemed like their intelligence would be replaced by enthusiasm. Scootaloo reluctantly had to admit to herself that she indeed had the same problem. “You guys do know that I can hear you, right?”

“What?” Applebloom asked. “Ya still there, Scoots?”

“Scootaloo? Can you hear us?”

With a heavy sigh, Scootaloo palmed her face. “Yeah. I’m here. I can stilllllll hear you.”

“Great!” Sweetie Belle clapped her hands together, and for some reason, Scootaloo could hear the clap come from both ends of the line. “So, are you coming?”

“Fine…” Scootaloo swung her legs over the bed and stood to crack her back and scratch her purple panty covered bum. 

“Great! Get down here as soon as you can!” Sweetie Belle squeaked with excitement. 

“See ya’ll ‘n a bit, Scoots!” Applebloom made a loud shushing sound into the phone, presumably at Sweetie Belle. 

Scootaloo paused for a moment to look at her screen. She brought the phone back up to ear to ask, “Are you guys there already?” 

“Shhhhhhhhh!” Sweetie Belle and Applebloom both hissed at each other right before the line went dead.

“The heck?” Scootaloo muttered to herself before tossing her phone onto her bed. A lot of curiosity and suspicion motivated her to leave the house as soon as possible, so she began to look for some clothes. Her eyes had gotten used to the darkness of the night during the past minute, so it wasn’t too hard to find a pair of ripped jeans on the floor. Her jeans were so tattered and ripped that even Applebloom might not wear them, but they were her favorite pair, and she would never get rid of them no matter how many times Aura would try to replace them. Along with the jeans, she put on her favorite hoodie before walking to her window.

Aura wasn’t the type to stay up late or bother her at night, so making noise probably wouldn’t be much of a problem. Still, Scootaloo didn’t feel like getting caught. It wasn’t so much of a problem of getting in trouble as it was worrying her adopted mother. So, as quietly as possible, Scootaloo opened her window. She was about to hop out onto the ground in the backyard but remembered she nearly forgot her phone. She returned to her bed to retrieve it before hopping outside, landing on her feet behind the backyard fence. 

Scootaloo tiptoed to the sidewalk and pulled the hood of her jacket over her head to keep her ears warm. Having short hair was nice when taking showers but not the best in cold weather. Tonight was especially brisk. 

The streets were eerily dark at night. When living at her previous homes with other parents, she snuck out all the time. In those days, she knew the streets like the back of her hand, but since coming to Canterlot City, this was a first. Scootaloo began to wonder if she was getting soft. Having a nice home and a routine schedule meant she was a good kid now. Scootaloo didn’t like the sound of that. She gritted her teeth and began hurriedly walking towards the park. It would have been a much faster trip if she brought her scooter, but that would’ve been a hassle. 

Once she arrived to the park, she scanned the playground and parking lot. It wasn’t unusual to see the parking lot with a few cars scattered near the street since the park was so close to the surrounding homes, but it was very strange to see two shadows hanging around the swing set in the middle of the night. Scootaloo was pretty sure who the two figures were, so she trudged her way towards them. 

Sweetie Belle was sitting on one of the swings with her ankles crossed, and her face lit up into an adorable smile when she caught a glimpse of Scootaloo. Having forgone her usual cute little outfits, Sweetie Belle wore tight fitting capri pants and a button up nautical style coat that contrasted her bright pink lips. With one hand, she waved her down while speaking in a loud whisper. “Heyyyy! Scoots!”

Applebloom stopped leaning against the pole of the swing set and ran over to Scootaloo with open arms to give her a hug. Her choice of attire was usual, consisting of brown work pants that curved nicely around her butt and an oversized flannel shirt that obviously belonged to her big sister. “Scoots!”

“Whoa, hey!” Scootaloo whispered loudly back. The hug she received knocked the hood right off her head. “When did you guys get here?” A slight blush crossed her cheeks in the dim moonlight as she caught a whiff of Applebloom’s sweet musk. Her heart sank a little when the embrace ended, but she was quick enough to return the hug.

Instead of replying right away, Applebloom reached into the back pocket of her pants to pull out her wallet. “Look! Look!”

Scootaloo had to lean her head back to create enough distance to see what was in front of her face. “You…got your driver’s license?”

“She sure did!” Sweetie Belle got out of her swing and clapped her hands together with a little squeal. 

“Whoa…” Scootaloo took the little plastic card and marveled at it. “Awesome!!!” She screamed in a whisper that crackled. “That’s so cool! Did you guys drive here?”

“Sure did!” Applebloom pointed towards the parking lot to a small pickup truck that, even in the dim light, appeared to have seen much better days. The truck was much smaller than Applejack’s oversized pickup, but at least it didn’t have any rust. The whole frame of the truck was peeling paint, and the rims of the tires had completely faded to a flat grayish color. Although it wasn’t the best of cars, it was still something. “Ah got myself a truck too!”

“Isn’t it the best thing ever?” Sweetie Belle giggled. 

“Yeah.” Scootaloo nodded appreciatively. “This is…super cool!” She handed Applebloom her license back with a big grin. “When did this happen?”

“Today after school.” Applebloom giggled and put her wallet back into her pocket. “Applejack took me to take my driver’s test, ‘n Ah passed ‘n my first try! After that, we drove all the way out to my cousin’s ‘n he gave me his old truck.”

“No way…” Scootaloo giggled enthusiastically and rubbed the back of her head. “That’s gotta be like, the best day ever! Your cousin must be really cool.”

“Hey’s…kinda weird.” Applebloom giggled and shook her head. “Always got guy friends hangin’ ‘round his place.”

“Still, I mean, it’s awesome that he just gave you that truck.” Scootaloo pointed admirably at the vehicle.

“Isn’t it so exciting???” Sweetie Belle put her hands on her much taller friend’s shoulders. “Now we can all go on a road trip! Or camping! Or a camping road trip!”

“Yeah! ‘N now Ah ain’t gotta ask my sister fer a ride all the time! We can stay out late ‘n party!” Applebloom put her hands into the air and shook her shapely hips. 

“Really?” Scootaloo giggled and shook her head. “You’re kidding, right? Since when do you girls party?”

“Alright, maybe Ah got a ‘lil carried away there, but ya’ll know what Ah mean.” Applebloom gave her a shrug. “Now that Ah can drive, we can pretty much do anythin’!”

“Anything!” Sweetie Belle chimed in. “We can even take a trip to Manehatten and check out some of the concerts there.”

“Or maybe get tickets to the rodeo ‘n camp out ‘n the back of my truck, eat s’mores fer dinner, ‘n have a bonfire!” Applebloom put an arm around Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Didn’t ya’ll say ya wanted to go see Rainbow Dash play ‘n the city tournament next month? Bet now we can actually do that.”

“That would be so…so cool…Heck, I’ll even skip school for that.” Scootaloo nodded up at her and hugged her tightly. “Would you really take me there?”

“Course! Who wouldn’t wanna see the championship game?” Applebloom giggled and rubbed the top of her purple head. 

“We can eat all the hotdogs and popcorn we want!” Sweetie Belle gasped. “Rarity never lets me get hotdogs.”

“Wait a sec.” Scootaloo gave her friends a worried look. “Aren’t you two gonna get in trouble for sneaking out?”

“Not if we don’t get caught.” Sweetie Belle whispered mischievously. “We’ve never been caught before, so I think we’ll be ok.”

“Yeah. Ah just thought it’d be kinda nice to go fer a ride tonight now that Ah got my own truck. ‘Sides, don’t ya’ll sneak out all the time?” Applebloom asked. 

“Well, yeah, I mean, I used to a long time ago.” Scootaloo nodded. “I probably won’t get in trouble, but I don’t want you guys to get in trouble.”

“Oh, don’t worry about us.” Sweetie Belle giggled and wrapped an arm around Scootaloo’s elbow. “My parents are hard sleepers, and Rarity always gets her beauty rest.”

Applebloom nodded in agreement. “Applejack sleeps like a rock, ‘n as long as Ah get back home before the sun comes up, Ah should be fine.”

“Since when did you guys break the rules?” Scootaloo asked. “I’m kind of impressed.”

“Shucks.” Applebloom giggled and shook her head. “Ain’t like that. Me ‘n Sweetie Belle been sneakin’ out together fer a while now. Do it all the time ‘n the summer.”

“Seriously?” Scootaloo gasped. “You guys never invited me?”

“Well, we wanted to…” Sweetie Belle squeezed her arm gently. “But we weren’t sure if you’d want to. I mean…you just moved out here a couple years ago, and…honestly, we didn’t really know you all that well back then.”

“But…we’ve been best friends for years!” Scootaloo brought her face closer to her friend’s faces to keep from having to shout. “I thought we did everything together. What do you guys do that’s so important that I can’t tag along?”

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle traded silent glances. “Well…it’s not that.” Sweetie Belle shook her head slowly and lowered her hands to stand next to the tall redhead. “Me and Applebloom….we’ve been…”

“Been…what?” Scootaloo crossed her arms. “Sneaking out without me?”

“We’ve only snuck out together a handful a times.” Applebloom sighed. “It ain’t like we do it ALL the time.”

“Ok.” Scootaloo took a deep breath. “But still, I can’t help but feel a little hurt.”

“I know, and we’re sorry, Scootaloo. We’re really sorry.” Sweetie Belle took a step forward and put her hands on her shoulders. “The…real reason why we wanted you to meet us tonight was to talk about something.”

“It ain’t bad ‘er nothin’.” Applebloom shook her head to reassure her. “It’s just…it’s ‘bout us.”

“Us? Us friends? Are you saying that…you don’t want to hang out anymore?” Scootaloo had to ask just to make sure this wasn’t happening, and she bought back a tear.

“Oh, heavens no!” Sweetie Belle shook her head adamantly. “No, of course not. We’re still best friends!”

Scootaloo sighed very deeply. “Oh thank goodness…” She exhaled slowly. “I was really worried that you guys didn’t want to be friends with me anymore…”

“How could ya even think that, Scoots?!” Applebloom gasped. “Ain’t no way that’d ever happen! Yer our bestest friend ‘n the whole world, ‘n we love ya!” She quickly wrapped her arms around her and squeezed tightly for a moment. “Why would Ah take ya to go see the championship game if Ah don’t wanna be friends with ya no more?”

Scootaloo shifted her feet and wiped her eyes, shaking her head like failed a test. “I feel really silly right now…” She giggled awkwardly. “I don’t know why that was the first thing my mind went to…I guess I…Sorry, I guess I worry sometimes that you guys…It’s stupid. Nevermind. It’s stupid. I can be realllllly dumb sometimes.”

Sweetie Belle giggled. “Sometimes…but so can we.” She gave Scootaloo a gentle hug around the waist and wiped her face with the back of her wrist. “Listen, Scoots. We called you out here because we wanted to talk to you about…” She paused to search for the right words. “…how you still feel about…Rainbow Dash.”

“Rainbow…?” Scootaloo looked up at her friends as she felt her cheeks brighten and tingle. “What about her?”

Applebloom gave her a pat on the shoulder. “We know ya’ll been kinda broken up ‘bout her… We’re real sorry she hurt ya like that, but we think it’d probably be best if ya’ll moved on ‘n…tried gettin’ over her.”

“You’re a really sweet girl, Scootaloo. We love that about you.” Sweetie Belle took her hand and squeezed gently. “We think that…we could help you get over her. We want to try and make you happy again like you used to be…We miss our best friend’s smile.”

“Wow, umm…Well, this wasn’t what I was expecting.” Scootaloo looked down at the ground. “Girls…I don’t feel like talking about it right now…but…” She bit her lip to keep from crying, but now that the subject had been brought up, it was impossible not to sniffle. Her friends were right. Her heart had been broken upon realizing Rainbow Dash was with someone. Although she had an infatuation towards her that she couldn’t really explain, the pain was undeniable. “…Y-Yeah…” She choked out. “In all honesty, I-I haven’t been taking this well…”

“That’s fer sure.” Applebloom nodded. “Ya’ll don’t show up to school, ‘n ya’ll disappear on us fer a whole day. We ain’t mad ‘bout that no more, but it did kinda shock us ‘n it…really made us think.”

“It made us really worry about you too.” Sweetie Belle began rubbing her back. “I know I already said this, but we care about you a lot, and we wanna try to make you happy. We’re your friends, and…well, that’s what friends do.”

Scootaloo made a small giggle through her soft sobbing. “Just hearing that all over again makes me happy.” She wiped her face hard one last time before throwing her arms around her friends. “I love you girls…and I’m sorry for not being the best of pals lately. I’m sorry for crying too…I’ve been doing that a lot lately.” She giggled at herself and took a step back to run a hand through her hair.

“Aw, shucks, Scoots.” Applebloom pecked her on the cheek. “We’re just glad yer feelin’ better.”

“Mhm! And we wanted to…ask you something.” Sweetie Belle gave her a smile as Scootaloo took a step back. 

“Ask me?” Scootaloo asked, her hands finding the pockets of her hoodie. 

“Uh, yeah.” Applebloom gave her a nod and began to blush. This was something that Scootaloo had only seen a handful of times, and each time was like a pretty birthday present. “Me ‘n Sweetie Belle been talkin’…’n uh…we were wonderin’…”

“If you want…” Sweetie Belle’s pale face lit up under the moonlight in a red hue that brought out her long lashes. “…would you like to…”

Scootaloo’s tummy was beginning to fill with butterflies. She had no idea what they were going to ask, but whatever it was must be extremely important to make her best friends blush so furiously, and this was making her rather nervous. “T-To…what?”

“Uh…” Applebloom cleared her throat. “Well…”

Sweetie Belle turned her face away and squeaked nervously as the butterflies in her own tummy made her stiffen up. “…We…like you, Scoots…” She finally squeaked out. “And…we…wanna be more than…friends…with you.” 

Scootaloo just stared up at them with a dumbfound expression. “L-Like….m-me?” She choked.

“W-Well…y-yeah.” Applebloom breathed deeply and ran her fingers over her ear to brush back a strand of hair that wasn’t there. “W-We do…”

“Since…when?” Scootaloo asked, her mind still trying to grasp the situation. 

“Since we first met.” Sweetie Belle quickly answered. “Scootaloo…we’ve never told you this, but…me and Applebloom...”

“A-Are…dating?” 

“N-No, not datin’ really. We’re just…more than…friends, Ah guess.” Applebloom shared a smile with Sweetie Belle. “We ain’t datin’, but…we’re close like that.”

“And we want you to be close like that with us too.” Sweetie Belle stepped forward again and grabbed Scootaloo’s hands. “Scoots, we…we think you’re the best friend in the whole world, and we love you…we love you a lot.”

Applebloom began rubbing her arm with her hand and looked down at the ground. “…We were thinkin’…if ya’ll wanted…we could try ‘n make ya happy.” She looked up directly Scootaloo. “Ah know…ya’ll still love Rainbow Dash, and Ah hate to say this, but…we never wanted ya to get together with her. She ain’t right for ya, Scoots. She don’t love ya the way we do.” She stepped forward and put her hand on Scootaloo’s back again. 

Scootaloo pulled her hands free to cover her face with her palms. Her tears were beginning to flow again, and her shoulders heaved up and down with each little sob. It hurt a little bit to know that her friends were actually opposed to her feelings towards Rainbow Dash, but it was warming to know how much they really loved her, even if it was difficult to fully understand. “…Girls…I don’t know…” She sucked in some air and brought her gaze back up to them. “I’m not gonna lie…I have thought about it. I’ve always thought you guys were really cute…but…I think I still love Rainbow Dash…”

“Yeah, we knew ya’ll probably still got feelins for her, Scoots.” Applebloom put her arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground for a moment. “That’s ok. We ain’t got no problem with that. We just wanna have a shot at fillin’ her place ‘n make ya happy the same way ya’ll make us happy.”

Sweetie Belle reached out to squeeze Scootaloo’s forearm before planting a soft little kiss on the cheek. “…Could…you give us…a chance?” She asked, her face displaying the nervous anticipation that Scootaloo was definitely feeling. “If you don’t like it, we can always go back to being friends.”

With a long breath, Scootaloo gave her two friends a slow nod. Her response was much quicker than she realized, and it wasn’t a hard decision to make considering she didn’t have much to lose if she agreed. Her friends would still love her, and at the very least, this new arrangement might make her at least a little happy again. “I-I…y-yeah…let’s give it a shot.” She said through a giggle. She raised her arms up into the air for a moment before taking a long sigh. “Why not…”

Applebloom breathed a massive sigh of relief and threw her arms around the small girl, picking her up into the air. Sweetie Belle nuzzled her face into Scootaloo’s side and squealed with delight. “Thank you, Scoots!” 

“Ah promise we ain’t never gonna hurt ya, Scoots.” Applebloom whispered into her ear after setting her back down. “We’ll always be here for ya no matter what.”

Scootaloo nodded at her and wiped her entire face with the sleeve of her hoodie. “I really needed to hear that… Thanks, you guys.” She looked up at Sweetie Belle and gave her a hug. “You are the sweetest person I’ve ever met.” She turned to Applebloom and gave her a hug as well. “And you just give me a hard time, so I guess things even out.”

“Hey!” Applebloom gasped. “Ah don’t ALWAYS tease ya. Just when Ah think ya’ll deserve it.”

“Seems to be most of the time.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes before nervously fiddling with inner lining of her pockets. “S-So…u-um…I’m really curious about something.”

“What’s that?” Sweetie Belle asked, linking both her own and Scootaloo’s fingers together. 

“Have you girls…uh…kissed?” The moment she uttered the question, her face turned beet red. “N-Nevermind. Just forget I asked.”

“It’s ok, Scoots.” Applebloom giggled and slipped a hand around her hip. “Ah guess if we’re all gonna be galfriends now, then we can tell ya.”

“So…is that a yes?”

“Mhm!” Sweetie Belle nodded and quickly clapped a hand over her mouth upon realizing her response had been less than quiet. 

“S-Seriously?” Scootaloo had to clear her throat again as she felt her ears tingle with heat. 

“Well, yeah, sure.” Applebloom dropped her arms and shrugged. “Me ‘n Sweetie Belle kiss sometimes.”

“L-Like…everyday, or…”

Sweetie Belle giggled hard into her hand and nodded. “Well, when we feel like it.”

“No kidding…” Scootaloo had to remind herself to breathe. “Would it be totally weird to say…that...I would kinda like to see that?”

“Nah, it ain’t weird.” Applebloom shook her head and giggled along side Sweetie Belle who now had one hand in her own. “Not unless ya’ll make it weird. Why? Ya’ll wanna see us kiss right now?”

Scootaloo hesitated to answer. “U-Um…w-well, yeah…kinda.” She nervously squeezed her fingers into fists inside the pockets of her hoodie. 

“Well, Applebloom?” Sweetie Belle turned to the tall girl and giggled innocently. Applebloom met her eyes and took a step forward to close the distance. They linked hands together and both girls leaned forward to peck each other on the lips. It wasn’t a dramatic or intense kiss, but it was definitely a kiss. There was a sweet virtue and tenderness in their embrace that made Scootaloo’s heart skip a beat. “How’s that?” Sweetie Belle asked their audience.

“Um…y-yeah, pretty cool.” Scootaloo shrugged and awkwardly kicked the dirt beneath her feet. “Really cute…”

“Ya’ll wanna give it a try?” Applebloom asked, still holding Sweetie Belle’s hand.

“I-It’s ok…” Scootaloo shook her head and darted her eyes left and right. “I…don’t know how to kiss…”

“You’ve never had a kiss before?” Sweetie Belle asked in genuine surprise. “Really?”

“Well, yeah…I guess I’ve been saving it for the right person…” Scootaloo shrugged again and wiggled her toe against the ground. “Besides…no one’s ever wanted to kiss me anyway.”

“Aw, shucks…” Applebloom grabbed her hands and brought them up to her chest which gave the little speed demon a bit of a shock. “…A sweet gal like you ain’t been kissed? That’s a real crime.”

“W-Well…” Scootaloo couldn’t meet her gaze but allowed her hands to be bound in her grip. “I-I...”

“Is it alright if Ah get to be yer first then?” Applebloom asked, leaning forward to touch noses. 

Sweetie Belle put her hands on her hips. “Hey, what about me? Why do you get to be Scootaloo’s first kiss? I wanna be her first kiss!” She shouted in a hoarse whisper. 

“Alright then.” Applebloom reached into her pocket to fish out a coin. “We’ll flip for it.”

“Seriously?” Scootaloo asked. “You’re gonna flip for it?”

“Is that a problem?” Applebloom looked back at her.

“W-Well, n-no I guess not, but…I dunno. I was kind of imagining my first kiss to be a lot more romantic.” Scootaloo shook her head and sighed. “N-Nevermind…”

“Aww, that’s so sweet!” Sweetie Belle threw her arms around her shoulders and nuzzled their cheeks together. “How about this. We both get to be your first kiss, and whoever is better gets to go twice!”

“W-Wait, I dunno, maybe we should just-”

“Great idea!” Applebloom exclaimed as quietly as possible. “Ah get to go first.”

“No, I get to go first.” Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out at her and held her position by Scootaloo’s side. “You owe me, remember? I gave you my last fish stick at lunch today.”

Applebloom sighed. “Fine…” She crossed her arm and grumbled. “Well? Gonna make me wait all night ‘er what?”

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes at her and turned back to Scootaloo. “Scoots, look at me for a sec?” She asked in a sweet voice that oozed a honey finish.

Scootaloo did as she was told and met her eyes. She took a moment to appreciate her long beautiful lashes as Sweetie Belle dropped her hands down to her waist. “K-Kay…”

“Close your eyes…” Sweetie Belle whispered, her warm breath brushing against Scootaloo’s cheek. Again, Scootaloo did as she was told. After a deep breath, Sweetie Belle leaned in to kiss her. 

The first thing Scootaloo tasted was a sweet mint flavor, almost refreshing and delicious. The taste was made even better by the sensation of warm, wet, and extremely soft lips pressing against her own. The almost indescribable bliss of Sweetie Belle’s lips caused Scootaloo to open her mouth and gasp for a bit of air. However, the only air available to her was the warm air from Sweetie Belle’s mouth that rolled over her tongue and caused her to gasp louder.

Just as quickly as it had happened, the kiss ended. Sweetie Belle took a step back and licked her lips, her knees shaking from nervous excitement. “S-So, how was it?” She inquired softly.

Scootaloo nearly stumbled backwards from the kiss, and her knees were shaking worse than her friend’s. “U-Uh…i-it…it was…g-great…” She cleared her throat awkwardly and looked away towards the ground.

“Did… you like it?” Sweetie Belle asked, feeling a bit dejected at the possibility that her kiss was not well received. “Did…you hate it?”

“N-No, I…I did like it…” Scootaloo nodded slowly and found it impossible not to lick her lips. “I…r-really liked it.”

Applebloom stepped towards her. “Is it my turn now? Ah’ve been waitin’, ya know?”

“Yeah, for like ten whole seconds.” Sweetie Belle teased. “It’s called ‘waiting your turn’.”

“Ah ain’t listenin’ to ya’ll right now.” Applebloom waved a hand dismissively at her. “Not until Ah have my turn.” She put her arms around Scootaloo’s neck. 

“H-Hang on…” Scootaloo took another deep breath to steady herself. This was not at all how she planned on spending her night, and her mind was still reeling from that last embrace. “…I…need a moment.”

“Can it wait?” Applebloom asked, putting a finger under her chin. “Cause it’s been nearly two years now. Ah really don’t feel like waitin’ another second.”

Scootaloo nervously swallowed and met her gaze. “…S-Sure…” Was all she offered before receiving her second kiss.

This new kiss was different in many ways, but very similar in others. The taste was sweet like before, but instead of mint flavor, Scootaloo swore she could taste the hint of apple pie. Not like the inner filling of a pie, but the iced crust surrounding it. Applebloom’s lips were firmer than Sweetie Belle’s, maybe even warmer and thicker. They felt just as heavenly and delectable, also having the power of taking her breath away. Once Applebloom pulled back to take a breath in, she gave Scootaloo a firm peck on the cheek for good measure before taking a step back. 

Scootaloo’s legs did give out on this kiss, probably meaning that Applebloom won. Her body felt weak, and Applebloom had to keep her on her feet by wrapping her arms around her waist. “Whoa there, Scoots. Ya’ll ain’t gonna faint ‘n me, are ya?”

“S-Sorry…” Scootaloo choked out in a quiet whisper that could barely be heard even in the silence of the night.

Applebloom shot Sweetie Belle a triumphant smirk. “Guess this means Ah won, ‘n ya’ll lose.”

“You wish.” Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out again. 

With a slight giggle, Scootaloo nodded. “A-Actually…u-uh…I think Applebloom did win that one.” She humorously pointed out. Having been kissed by her two best friends relieved a lot of the tension in the air, and now that it was over, she actually felt pretty relaxed. 

“See?” Applebloom let go of Scootaloo’s waist to shake her hips. “Ah won! Ah won!” She chanted quiet celebration. 

“Aw, no fair… I really wanted to win.” Sweetie Belle made a pouty face. “Can I still give her another kiss?”

“Nope. Fair’s fair ‘n love ‘n war, Sweetie Belle.” Applebloom shook her head. “Ya’ll just gonna have to wait til the tomorrow.” She turned back to Scootaloo. “Mind if Ah have my victory kiss, Scoots?”

With a happy giggle, Scootaloo shook her head and brought the sleeve of her hoodie up to her mouth to savor the flavor of her friends within the fabric of the material for later. She dropped her sleeve to her side, and this time, it was her turn to take a step forward. “Go for it, Applebloom.”
> Chapter 4: ...the Love Can Begin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	When Scootaloo emerged from her room at seven in the morning, Blue Aura nearly spit out her coffee, almost knocking her morning paper off the counter. Aura stood with a proud and surprised smile as she watched her daughter walk into the kitchen. Having forgone the usual cargo pants and tattered hoodie, Scootaloo was actually wearing some of her new clothes! Wearing a new pair of blue skinny jeans coupled with a studded black belt and a black, two layered tank top with a ‘hang loose’ hand gesture printed on the front, Scootaloo looked ready to be a young model! It was quite the miraculous improvement for her appearance, and Blue Aura couldn’t believe her eyes. Was that a bit of lipstick on her lips too?

“Hey, good morning.” Scootaloo greeted her much more cheerfully than mornings past. 

Aura had to blink hard a few times to believe her eyes. “Are you…wearing your new clothes?” she asked directly. 

“Uh, yeah.” Scootaloo gave a little shrug and blushed a tiny bit. “I thought, what the heck. Why not?”

“I…honestly can’t believe it.” Aura sat back down and smiled warmly. “I thought you didn’t like new clothes.”

Scootaloo gave herself a once over while pulling on the hem of her top. “Yeah, well this stuff is pretty cool. I kinda like it.”

“You have no idea how happy this makes me.” Aura sighed happily and put her coffee down. 

“It’s not a big deal.” Scootaloo blushed a bit harder and took a seat next to her after getting a bowl and some milk. “I guess I… I dunno. Just grew into them or something.” This was a total lie. Scootaloo knew all her new clothes were a perfect fit. Aura had a good eye for well fitting clothing, but she wasn’t about to tell her the real reason why she was now sporting a wardrobe change. 

“I see,” Aura nodded, although a bit suspicious of the real reason. She wondered if she had met a boy recently. This would explain the change in heart. “Well, I am very glad you like your new clothes. You look beautiful.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and giggled. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.” This compliment actually meant a lot to her. It was the first time any parent had given her a real genuine compliment on her appearance. This bolstered her confidence greatly, reassuring her that the very two girls on her mind would definitely have the same reaction. 

Aura gave her a pat on the back. “If you want, we can go to the mall this weekend and get some more outfits for you,” she said in more of a statement than a proposal. “I think it’s about time we replaced your closet.”

“Since when do you care about looking cool?” Scootaloo asked, feeling a tad excitement at the prospect. 

“Not cool, Scootaloo.” Aura shook her head. “I think looking presentable and well groomed is important on any given day. I don’t want you looking scraggly all the time.”

“Oh, great.” Scootaloo nodded sarcastically. “I didn’t know I was scraggly.”

Aura shook her head and laughed. “You can be sometimes. But today, you look beautiful.”

“Thanks…” Scootaloo poured herself a bowl of cereal and actually returned a smile up at her. “Actually, some new clothes would be pretty cool.”

“Wonderful!” Aura gave her back another pat. “Let’s make it a mother-daughter date then.”

“Blech…” Scootaloo stuck her tongue out before taking a spoonful of her sugary flakes. Contrary to her outward expression of the idea, she really liked the thought of having a mother-daughter day with Blue Aura. She had heard about such a thing, but now was the first time that such a thing was actually tangible. 

Aura could clearly see through her attitude. Her adopted daughter was always a bit of a cold shoulder, but there was a real sweetheart in there that she was determined to bring out in her. “Whatever you say, Scootaloo.” She sipped her coffee with a victorious smile only a parent could fully appreciate. “I see you’re wearing lipstick too.”

Scootaloo nearly choked on her cereal as her face brightened. “W-Well, yeah.” She swallowed hard and almost wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before realizing what that would do to her makeup. Being new to the makeup game, Scootaloo learned for the first time that makeup and meals don’t go well together. She would have to refresh her lips after breakfast. “Why? Does it look…stupid or something?”

“Oh, not at all.” Aura shook her head. “It’s a nice touch. Just ask before getting into my makeup, okay?”

“Y-Yeah…” Scootaloo looked away at the side of the counter. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Don’t be sorry. If you want, keep the lipstick. It’s a good color for you.” Aura took another sip and flipped the page of her morning paper. 

“C-Cool…” Scootaloo ate another spoonful and focused her attention on creating a part of the little flakes in her milk with her spoon. “…Thanks.”

Aura finished her coffee and got up from the table to place her dirty mug in the sink. “You need some lunch money today?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah.” Scootaloo could never bring herself to ask Aura directly for lunch money, or anything at all for that matter. She felt that it was too demanding and weird, a conditioned behavior of having been refused many things as an early child. Aura, however, was more than willing and readily available to do so. 

Aura fetched her purse from beside the toaster with her keys and handed Scootaloo a couple folded bills. The denomination of the bills was twice as much as what Scootaloo normally received. If Scootaloo was planning on going on a date today (which was highly likely considering her appearance) then she would need extra. “Have a good day at school, honey.” She planted a kiss on top of Scootaloo’s head and walked towards the front door.

“T-Thanks…” Scootaloo was still a bit surprised by the amount of money she had received, but if she had learned anything when living with Aura it was to accept a gift without question. She remembered her saying something about (deleted “a”) looking a horse in the face or something a couple years ago after recently moving in. Scootaloo didn’t remember jack about that saying, but the lesson had more or less stuck. 

Aura left with a smile, leaving Scootaloo to spend the next five minutes in silence to finish her cereal. The remaining sugar covered flakes had gotten much too soggy by the time she had her fill, so into the sink the bowl went. Because Aura had more or less given her lipstick, Scootaloo hurried to the bathroom to refresh her lips before making the trip to school. 

While standing in front of the mirror, Scootaloo began to second guess all the decisions she had made that morning. Had she over done herself? Compared to Sweetie Belle with her glossy lips and rosy cheeks probably not, but this wasn’t like her at all. Maybe the clothes were much too her fashion, all nicely punked out, but would her friends think of her differently? All of her endeavors to pretty herself were to impress her new… girlfriends? Was that the right word? Both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle probably wouldn’t care what she looked like as long as kissing would be available. In reality that’s all Scootaloo wanted, but now having entered a serious relationship (however unique in its structure) had caused the little dare devil to feel self conscious vanity, a desire to be just as cute and pretty as her two best friends. It was the least she could do now that she had been accepted and loved. It was only natural to want to look your best for your girlfriend(s), right?

Scootaloo dropped her lipstick into the sink by accident when she felt her pocket buzz. With quick hands, she salvaged her lipstick and brought her phone to her ear. “Aura?” she asked, assuming it was her adopted mother. “Did I forget to take out the trash?”

“What?” Applebloom giggled hard, and Scootaloo could hear Sweetie Belle giggling in the background. “No, silly! It’s us! Ya’ll ready fer school yet?”

“Um…” Scootaloo frantically raced out of the bathroom and grabbed her backpack in a hurry from her room. If she was getting a call from her friends, that meant she had spent too much time at home and was incredibly late for school. “Am I late??? Oh crap! Are you girls already at school?”

“No,” Applebloom giggled once more. “We’re outside yer house! We still got like a half hour.”

Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief as she stopped dead in her tracks at the front door, her backpack over her shoulder and her scooter already unfolded at her feet. “Oh thank goodness!” She gasped. “Wait, you’re outside?”

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle’s voice dominated the phone line, and Scootaloo could only assume that she now had two people talking into one device on the other end. “Get outside already! Let’s get some breakfast!”

“I already ate.” Scootaloo poked her head out the window, and sure enough, Applebloom and her little truck was outside by the curb. “But, yeah. Breakfast sounds good.”

“Then get yer butt ‘n gear, Scoots!” Applebloom shouted. “Ah can see ya ‘n the window! C’mon!”

“Alright alright, geez.” Scootaloo hung up her phone and slid the device into her pocket beside her new lipstick. She opened the door and skipped out to the truck where Sweetie Belle opened the passenger door to let her in. 

“Whoa, Scoots! You look suppppeerrrrr cute!” Sweetie Belle gasped. 

Scootaloo blushed incredibly hard, her cheeks now matching the dark blood red shade of her lips. “R-Really? You think so?”

Applebloom leaned across the passenger seat to greet her. “Get in, missy! We’re gonna be late if ya’ll ‘er gonna dawdle all day.”

Scootaloo threw her backpack and scooter into the back of the truck, a practice she had picked up from catching rides in Applejack’s vehicle. She climbed into the cab of the truck, immediately realizing how cramped the seating arrangements now were. The truck was designed to carry a maximum of three passengers; one behind the wheel, one in the seat where the center console flips up from, and one in the passenger seat. Sweetie Belle had taken the middle position to allow Scootaloo the bigger seat beside her. “Wowwww!” Sweetie Belle squealed with delight as she looked Scootaloo over. “You look amazing!”

Applebloom turned her head to admire Scootaloo’s new appearance. “Shucks, Scoots! Ya’ll look like one a them models ‘n yer skateboard magazines.” 

“T-Thanks.” Scootaloo giggled nervously and darted her eyes towards the floorboards. Her friends didn’t look to shabby either. Applebloom wore the usual faded blue jeans and a flannel shirt which could not look any better on anyone else, and Sweetie Belle wore a pleated black skirt and a white blouse with a loosely knotted oxford striped tie. With a delicious cowgirl and an adorable schoolgirl sitting beside her, Scootaloo couldn’t have been happier. “You girls look cute too…”

“Aw, you’re sweet.” Sweetie Belle planted a wet kiss on her cheek, making Scootloo hold her breath. “You ok? You look like your face is gonna explode.”

“Y-Yeah, I’m good…great!” Scootaloo giggled hard and shook her head. “It’s a really nice surprise to be picked up at home.”

“Well, let’s make it a thing, huh?” Applebloom started the truck up and shifted hard before rolling down the street. “Ah’ll pick each of ya up everyday.”

“Really?” Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “That would be so cool!”

“Oh oh oh! And we can get sausage and pancakes everyday too!” Sweetie Belle clapped her hands together. She laid her head on Scootaloo’s shoulder and squeezed her thigh. “You want pancakes, Scoots?”

“We we’re thinkin’ a goin’ through a drive thru ‘n the way,” Applebloom explained as she pulled out onto the main road. 

“Uh, yeah, pancakes sound great.” Scootaloo’s blush continued as she turned her head to sniff Sweetie Belle’s hair. She smelled very lovely, a faint whiff of mint entering Scootaloo’s nose. 

“Is this new?” Sweetie Belle asked, tugging on the excess of Scootaloo’s studded belt. “It’s cute! Where did you get it?”

“Uh, Aura got it for me. I don’t know where she got it.” Scootaloo’s face grew a shade brighter pink after becoming very aware of just how cozy Sweetie Belle was getting with her hands. 

“She’s got a good eye.” Sweetie Belle looked up at her with an innocent smile. She closed her eyes and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

Scootaloo’s eyes grew as wide as dinner plates when she felt her lips make contact with her friends. Deep down, she had expected this at some point today, but it still made her heart skip a beat. “Mn…” Scootaloo moaned very softly and closed her eyes to return the kiss. Once her body had recognized what was happening, a flood of endorphin fueled pleasure radiated up her enter body. 

“Aw, no fair,” Applebloom sulked. “Ah wanted to kiss her first today.”

Sweetie Belle pulled away and gave Scootaloo’s thigh another squeeze before turning to the driver. “You’re driving, Applebloom. That probably wouldn’t be a good idea.”

“Still, it ain’t fair. Ah’m the one drivin’ ya’ll ‘round. Ah should be the one to get a kiss first,” Applebloom said defiantly. 

“Ok, then let me drive,” Sweetie Belle said with a matter-of-fact tone. “Then YOU can make out with Scoots, and I get to choose where we go for breakfast.”

“U-Uh, g-girls…” Scootaloo giggled sheepishly as her ears and cheeks tingled. “It’s really not a big deal-”

“Ya’ll ain’t got a license, Sweetie Belle.” Applebloom rolled her eyes and shot her an angry brow, paying absolutely no attention to the third passenger. “Ah’d get ‘n a heap a trouble if Ah let ya’ll behind the wheel.”

“Then I guess that settles it.” Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out at the tall redhead. “You snooze, you loose! I guess I’ll just go back to kissing Scootaloo now.”

“Jerk,” Applebloom mumbled as she turned her eyes back to the road. 

Sweetie Belle gave Applebloom a quick peck on the cheek. “Don’t be a wet blanket, Applebloom.”

“U-Um, girls?” Scootaloo fidgeted awkwardly and rubbed the back of her head. “Is kissing me really that… special?”

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both looked at each other with amusement before giggling hard. “Well ‘course it is, Scoots,” Applebloom nodded. “Yer the only gal fer us, ya know that?”

“Always will be.” Sweetie Belle booped her on the nose and wrapped her arm around Scootaloo’s elbow. 

“Wow…” Scootaloo’s felt genuine embarresement. “…That’s actually really sweet… Like… REALLY sweet.” She looked up from the floorboard and turned to Sweetie Belle. “I didn’t know you girls liked me that much.”

“If we didn’t, we wouldn’t do this.” Sweetie Belle leaned up and caught Scootaloo’s ear with her teeth. 

“O-OW!” Scootaloo yelped in surprise, but a strange electric zap went up her spine that felt almost sinfully good. “Sweetie Belle!”

Instead of apologizing with words, Sweetie Belle pulled on Scootaloo’s arm to close the nonexistent distance between them to kiss her again. This time, their kiss lasted longer than before, and a couple of soft popping sounds were exchanged as the kiss continued. Sweetie Belle brought her head back with that same adorably innocent smile. “You’re actually pretty good at this,” she giggled. “You practice on a watermelon or something?”

“What?” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at her. “Ew, no! That’s weird!”

“Guess that makes just makes Applebloom the only one.” 

Applebloom nearly stompped on the brakes but controlled herself. She shook her head very slowly and growled low. “Sweetie Belle, yer gonna get it so bad when Ah get outta my truck.”

“Oh no, I’m sooo scared.” Sweetie Belle taunted her. 

“Just fer that, Ah ain’t drivin’ ya no more.” Applebloom got into the turning lane to drive up into the small parking lot of their favorite burger joint. “Guess ya’ll can just hitch a ride from yer big sister from now on.”

“Hey, girls?” Scootaloo interjected. “Please don’t fight over me. I love both of you, so can we just live with that?” She rubbed the back of her head again and giggled nervously. “I’m not going anywhere, so… it’s not a big deal.”

“Ya know we’re only kiddin’ with each other, right?” Applebloom giggled at her. 

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah, we’re just giving each other a hard time. It’s a joke, Scoots.”

“Yeah, I guess…” Scootaloo nodded slowly with a sigh. “It’s just kind of worrying me. I don’t wanna play favorites with you guys. You’re both my friends.”

“Girlfriends,” Sweetie Belle corrected her.

“Galpals,” Applebloom did the same.

“R-Right.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes and laughed. “Girlfriend-pals. Got it.”

“Hey, what do ya want?” Applebloom asked as she stopped the truck and rolled down the window.

“Me?” Scootaloo asked, pointing to herself.

“Yeah, you.” Sweetie Belle nudged her side. “Pancakes, right?”

“Oh, uh, I can pay for myself.” Scootaloo said while putting her hands up. “Really, it’s ok.”

“No can do, Scoots.” Applebloom shook her head. “Ah’m buyin’ breakfast today. Tomorrow, Sweetie Belle can buy. Then it’ll be yer turn.”

“Oh, uh, yeah ok. Sounds good.” Scootaloo shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll have those pancake sticks with syrup.”

“How ‘bout you, Sweetie Belle?” Applebloom asked the middle passenger. 

“A sausage muffin and pancakes.” 

“Hah. Hah bah bah. Habbah dag gah dah?” came a voice from the external speaker underneath the backlit menu of the drive thru. All three girls looked at each other in confusion, neither girl understanding a single word uttered by the cheap, ineffective speaker. “Hah bah dahdahdah bah?”

“Uhhh…” Applebloom stuck her head out of the window with a blank face. “Can Ah get three pancake sticks please, ‘n two sausage muffins?”

“Hah bah bah. Hah bah dah gahdah gahdah bah.”

“Uh…” Applebloom raised an eyebrow. “So…next window?”

“Bah. Hah dah bah dahgah.”

“Great…” Applebloom pulled her head back into the truck as all three girls broke out in giggles.

-o0o-

There were two very important things that Scootaloo learned that day, both of which had absolutely nothing to do with school. The first was never eat fast food in front of Rarity, especially if Sweetie Belle was doing the same. Right before school started, Applebloom had parked right next to her big sister’s truck, and like clockwork Rarity was there with her. She had seen the crusaders holding small boxes and wrappers from the drive thru and nearly pitched a fit about the horrible dangers concerning their health. Most of her ranting was directed at her little sister, many of the concerns pertaining to possible weight gain and a ruined complexion. Although it hadn’t been terribly awkward, all three girls decided that any food they bring to school would have to be finished before arrival. 

The second and more important lesson of the day was this: Scootaloo would need to buy a lot more lipstick for herself if she planned on it being a usual part of her appearance. Normally lipstick could last well over a few hours, but with two girlfriends and three pairs of lips, that was never going to happen. This lesson became most apparent during her lunch break when the trio had gone behind the bleachers to eat. They did this mostly to avoid Rarity’s lecture on healthy eating habits, but considering the privacy of the area, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had taken turns with her. Applebloom got to go first since Sweetie Belle already had her chance that morning. That lunch experience had definitely been something to remember. Scootaloo was beginning to realize that Applebloom was a ‘nonstop’ type kisser. Her kisses were deep and powerful, a drawn out facing sucking style. Sweetie Belle was more of a ‘double-tap’ type kisser. Her kisses were softer and made up of multiple little kisses all linked together into one. Either way, Scootaloo couldn’t deny that she was having the time of her life. It was then that she discovered that eating food and trading spit not only could be possible at the same time, but done right, could also be very enjoyable. 

There was something that Scootaloo felt very curious about. As much as she enjoyed being showered with hugs and kisses, it did still feel a bit weird. She supposed this awkward feeling would eventually go away the more the relationship continued, but Scootaloo still didn’t fully understand why both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were so affectionate with her. Sure, they kiss each other too, but Scootaloo seemed to be the one getting the most out of their relationship. Not that she was complaining, but it was starting to become apparent that both girls seemed to crush on her the most. Scootaloo wondered if this was a bad thing. What if she started crushing on one of her friends more than the other? Would that cause a rift between the three of them? That probably wasn’t going to happen. Scootaloo loved both of her friends just as much for separate reasons. Sweetie Belle was sweet and loveable, and Applebloom was forceful and chipper. It was like having both popcorn and soda at a movie: the perfect pair.

The absolute best thing about this new arrangement was just how much her friend’s affections seemed to make her feel genuinely happy. Although not completely gone, Scootaloo no longer had strong feelings of hatred and anger towards herself and the rest of the world around her. Right now, those feelings that had overwhelmed her earlier that week seemed silly and dumb. It was as if a big weight had been lifted off of her shoulders now that she was certain she would always have two friends who genuinely loved her enough to actually want to be with her, both in kinship and in intimacy. Maybe one day she would revisit her past to put her emotional angst to rest, but for now, Scootaloo just wanted to enjoy life like never before. 

Sweetie Belle wrapped her arm around Scootaloo’s waist as she gave her one last peck on the cheek. “You okay, Scootaloo?” she asked. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”

“What?” Scootaloo shook her head as she snapped back to reality. “Oh, no… sorry. I was just thinking about… how happy I am right now. With you two.” She looked from Sweetie Belle up to Apple bloom who put her hands up to her cheeks and smiled. “It’s weird…I haven’t felt this good in a really long time.”

“Aww, Scoots!” She sat down on the other side of Scootaloo and laid her head on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “We’re real happy too! Honest. Ah’ve been waitin’ a long time to tell ya about Sweetie Belle an’ Ah, an’ havin’ everything work out the way it has got me real excited about whatever comes next.”

Scootaloo nodded and pressed her head up against Applebloom’s. “Yeah, ever since you told me, I haven’t been able to stop smiling.” She giggled as she entangled her fingers with Sweetie Belle’s. “It’s like all the problems I’d had swimming around in my head are just…GONE.” She gave a nervous giggle. “So… anyway… I just wanted to say thank you, girls. For everything.” A slight blush found its way onto Scootaloo’s cheeks, certainly due to her moment of vulnerable emotion. 

“You are just too cute!” Sweetie Belle cheered as she guided Scootaloo’s chin with her free hand and kissed her on her curved up lips. “Too cute!”

Applebloom leaned over and beamed at Sweetie Belle. “Hey, Ah was gonna say that!” She leaned in and kissed Scootaloo on the cheek, hoping to punctuate her point.

“Then I guess you should have!” Sweetie Belle grinned as she refocused on Scootaloo’s lips. “Snooze, you lose!”

After a moment, Scootaloo detached herself from Sweetie Belle and looked back and forth between her two friends. “Girls, you’re not gonna keep fighting over me, are you?” She certainly didn’t want to make this an issue, but this ‘argument’ seemed to keep reappearing, no matter how playful it was. If felt nice to be so loved, but she didn’t want to create a rift between them.

Sweetie Belle put her hand on Scootaloo’s knee. “Don’t worry, Scootaloo. It’s not that we’re fighting over you, it’s just that…” She paused, trying to find the right way to describe things. “Well, it’s like…

“It’s just that we’re only used to havin’ each other,” Applebloom interjected. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow, prompting Applebloom to continue. “An’ Ah don’t mean y’all’re intrudin’ or nothin’, Ah’m just sayin’ that when it’s one on one things are a bit… easier. Each person has the other, so there’s no decidin’ who gets what and when. Ya know what Ah’m tryin’ t’ say?”

“I-I think so.” Obviously Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had more experience than she did, so Scootaloo decided that she would give them the benefit of the doubt and trust that they knew what they were doing. They were her best friends after all, and she could trust them more than anyone else, right? “Alright. I won’t bring it up anymore. Sorry I get worried about this stuff. I’m… not really used to any of it.”

Sweetie Belle rubbed Scootaloo’s leg. “Don’t worry about it. We’re trying to take things slow and give you all the time you need.” She giggled again as she gave Applebloom a knowing look. “But I guess we could figure out a way so each of us could get some more kisses out of you.”

Applebloom leaned in and whispered sensually into Scootaloo’s ear. “Ah guess we could share.” As Scootaloo was looking at Sweetie Belle, Applebloom had ample room to drift downwards and kiss Scootaloo in the nape of her neck.

“WOAH!” Scootaloo shouted, contorting her torso in a weird way and giving Applebloom a surprised look. While she may have appeared angry on the outside, inside her heart was beating like a jackhammer. She had honestly never felt anything like that before. It was difficult to put into words, but Scootaloo certainly found it… arousing? Why did that sound so…naughty?

Applebloom put her hands up. “What? Ya’ll don’t like that? Ah’m sorry! Ah shoulda asked ya…”

Scootaloo shook her head and took a deep breath. “I-It’s fine, it’s fine! Just, uh… kinda surprised me. But it was good! New. New but good.” Applebloom sighed in relief as Scootaloo inspected the spot where Applebloom kissed her with her finger. “You know,” she giggled, “I never knew getting kissed there could feel so… good. But, yeah… I kinda liked it.”

A mischievous grin formed its way across Sweetie Belle’s mouth. “There’s a lot of places like that, Scootaloo. Trust us, we’ve had some time to practice.” She looked over to Applebloom, who placed a hand on Scootaloo’s back.

“If ya’ll liked that, then give us some time n’ we can show ya some other places too.” She spoke softly while running two fingers up and down Scootaloo’s lower back.

Scootaloo loudly cleared her throat as she quickly stood up. Her chest felt like it was going to burst, and her face was burning brighter than a smoldering ember. “Uh, hey, the bell is about to ring to call us back inside!” She nervously ran her fingers through her short hair and took a deep breath. “S-So… the weekend is in two days. You girls have any plans? Maybe we could all do something, you know, together?” Though her face was deep red and her ears burned hot, Scootaloo was doing her best not to show how much Appleblooms’s offer had gotten to her. A warm tingling sensation was hitting her in an area much lower than she’d like to admit, and for the moment it was all a bit too much for her. All she could do was divert somehow with awkward body language and stuttering speech.

“Hmm,” Applebloom wondered with a finger to her chin. “Well, we were talkin’ ‘bout having a sleepover type thing. That still sound interestin’ to y’all?”

Sweetie Belle clapped her hands together as she stood up. “Yeah! That sounds great! If Rarity will let me go, that is.” After the grilling Rarity had given them earlier that morning, Sweetie Belle wasn’t sure if her big sister would ever again let her go see a movie. “What about you, Scootaloo? Does that sound like fun?”

“Yes!” shouted Scootaloo, a bit too excitedly. She was glad the topic had so easily shifted. “Um, I mean, yeah that sounds cool.” She chuckled slightly as Applebloom put a hand to her hip. “So, where are we thinking? Sweetie Belle?”

She shook her head. “Well, we could do it at the Boutique, but… Applejack will probably be coming over, so unless you want to hear our sisters sucking face all night then I don’t really think that’s a good idea.” She cringed at the thought and sighed. “Ok, it’s not like they do that EVERY night, but…once is enough.”

Applebloom lifted a finger. “Again, ya mentioned it. Really, really wish you didn’t.” She stuck her tongue out in a disgusted manner before turning back towards Scootaloo. “How ‘bout we do it at Scootaloo’s house? We ain’t never had a real sleepover there before!”

Scootaloo stuttered in silence for a moment. In her haste to make a suggestion, she didn’t really think about one of them asking to do it at her house. If she was being completely honest with herself, she was somewhat afraid of Aura seeing or hearing them doing something… unseemly. It’s not like she was planning on going too far with anything, but Aura didn’t even know she was…like ‘that’, and it would be a long string of awkward moments if she found out while Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were there with her. Divert.

“Uh, hehe…” Scootaloo’s eyes darted back and forth between her two girlfriends. “A-Applebloom’s place is fine with me. My house is really messy, and… my room’s not really set up for a sleepover right now.”

Applebloom looked curiously at Scootaloo. “But… didn’t we just sleep over there like two days ago? Ah mean, it was on yer couch ‘n all, but it was still-”

“And I really don’t want to bother Aura!” interrupted Scootaloo. “I… don’t really think she’d want me to have a sleepover this weekend. Don’t want to step on her toes too much, you know?”

Applebloom shrugged. “Whatever ya say, Scoots. Ah don’t mind it bein’ at my house, so long as y’all don’t mind Big Mac an’ Granny Smith bein’ there.” She turned to Sweetie Belle. “Sound good t’ you?” 

“Sounds great! We’ll probably be upstairs in your room most of the time anyway.” Sweetie Belle saluted Applebloom before she wrapped an arm around Scootaloo’s waist. “Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover is a go!” She beamed her perfect white teeth at Scootaloo, who became lost in her smile for a moment before she realized her cue.

“Oh, uh… yay!” She muttered, still trying to put the embarrassment of the previous moment into the back of her mind. After a brief moment of Applebloom yelping from being pinched on her perfect rump, the sharp tone of the school’s lunch bell rang across the campus indicating that they all needed to return to resume learning.

“Oops,” Sweetie Belle began, “Looks like we need to head back. You girls ready?” Both Scootaloo and Applebloom nodded as they picked up their backpacks and threw away the remains of their lunch. 

Scootaloo checked her pockets and felt a reminder of what she needed to do. “Oh, hold up, let me do this real quick!” she called as she pulled out her lipstick and reapplied it as quickly as she could. She rolled the red dye on both lips before rolling them together in order to flatten out any residue. “Look good?” she asked to her friends.

Applebloom placed her hand on the small of Scootaloo’s back as she guided them all back to the building. “Looks good enough t’ eat, Scoots.” she said with a grin.

Again, Scootaloo giggled nervously as she stared at the ground on her way back. She wasn’t entirely used to the compliments, but if it always felt this good to hear them, then she definitely didn’t mind if it kept happening. As they reintroduced themselves to the crowd of students working their way through the double doors of the high school, Scootaloo couldn’t help but notice a particular rainbow haired athlete and who she now was very sure was her girlfriend walking in at almost the exact same time a few feet ahead of her.

“Don’t let her see me, don’t let her see me…” Scootaloo repeated to herself as Sweetie Belle and Applebloom both placed an arm on each of Scootaloo’s respective shoulders. She wasn’t quite ready to see Rainbow after all that had happened, even with her now having her two gal-pals arm in arm next to her.

“It’s okay, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said with a squeeze of her hand. “We’re right here if you need us.”

“Yeah,” added Applebloom. “Yer gonna be okay. Let’s just try ‘n move past her.” They both left their hands on Scootaloo’s shoulder as they tried to push their way past Rainbow Dash and towards the central stairwells that lead to the second floor of Canterlot High. “Or if ya feel like, Ah can pull her shirt over her head.” This made Scootaloo smile, but just as she felt as if she was in the clear, she felt her heart pang as a familiar voice called out to her from behind.

“Hey, squirt!” Scootaloo winced as the three turned around to face Rainbow Dash with Fluttershy bringing up her rear. “I didn’t see you there. What’s going on? It’s been a while.”

Scootaloo failed to look Rainbow in the eye. “Uh… yeah… it has, hasn’t it?” She wracked her brain to try and find something to say. Scootaloo really had to appreciate the irony of the situation. Under normal circumstances, she would have given her left leg just to be recognized by Rainbow Dash like this. Now…all she wanted to do was walk away as fast as possible. She looked at Applebloom for support, but all she received was an earnest smile.

“Hey, is that lipstick?” Rainbow asked. Scootaloo was shocked out of her thoughts as she looked up at her idol.

“Uh, y-yeah. Kinda thought I’d start… trying to look nice, you know?” Her voice betrayed her timid and hurt attitude, but it seemed as if Rainbow either decided to ignore it or didn’t even notice. Given her luck, it would probably be the latter. 

Rainbow ruffled Scootaloo’s hair. “Well, it looks good on you, kid.” She turned back to look her girlfriend in the eye, who jumped once she noticed she was under attention. “Don’t you think so, Fluttershy?”

The pink haired girl paused a moment, seemingly panicked as she quickly looked back and forth between Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. “Oh, um… yes. It looks very… nice, um…” 

Scootaloo thought the girl’s behavior was strange, but she was more focused on the fact that Rainbow had complimented her looks. If there was a time she’d ever felt more conflicted, she couldn’t remember it. It was nice to hear that Rainbow thought well of her, but it wasn’t really something she wanted to hear from her after she’d hurt her feelings so badly, even if it was completely unintentional. And now, Scootaloo felt incredibly guilty for having such animosity when all her idol was trying to do was be friendly. She gave all she could to finally mutter out a response. “Oh, uh… thanks…” she said, dejection still evident in her voice.

Rainbow Dash shared a concerned look at Fluttershy before bending down to the same level as Scootaloo. “Hey, Scoots. You doing okay? You seem a little-”

“I’m fine!” Scootaloo shouted softly enough to avoid attention of other students but loudly enough to cause a ring of tears to form in her eyes. “I’m good. Just a little… tired, is all.” Applebloom began to rub her back as the two crusaders gave Rainbow a scowl.

“Uh, you sure?” Rainbow asked, completely lost as to why she was being treated with such hostility. “’Cause you don’t look fine.”

“Dashie…” Fluttershy muttered, gently tugging on the bottom of her girlfriend’s shirt. 

“I gotta go!” Scootaloo spun around and quickly walked away from the two older girls. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom soon followed after glaring daggers at Rainbow Dash one last time.

Rainbow stuttered as she reached a hand out for the departing Scootaloo, a look of bewilderment on her face. She quickly turned to Fluttershy, who looked equally confused. “Was…it something I said?”

Scootaloo ran her way up the stairs and onto the second floor, but stopped short of running down the hallway. She really didn’t have it in her to see Rainbow Dash again, and as easy as it was to forget her pain when Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were around, it was still too difficult for her to process while she was right there in her face. Her girlfriends soon caught up with her, and they wrapped their arms around Scootaloo as quickly as they could.

“You did really well, Scootaloo,” sympathized Sweetie as she planted a secret kiss on her girlfriends’ cheek. “I’m sorry we weren’t able to sneak past her, but you did a good job at holding your own!”

“Yeah!” added Applebloom. “Y’all didn’t even cry ‘r nothin’!”

Scootaloo huffed as she rubbed a stray tear from her cheek. “I sure felt like it.” She knew her friends were stretching the truth a bit, but they were just trying to make her feel better like any good significant other would do. 

Applebloom continued to rub her back. “That’s what makes it so impressive!” she said. “Ah don’t know if Ah would be able to handle somethin’ like that. An’ we both know Sweetie Belle would start cryin’.”

“Hey!” Sweetie Belle shouted. “I mean… that might be true. But you don’t know!”

A small chuckle found its way out of Scootaloo’s mouth. Her girlfriends smiled, their plan having worked. 

“All we’re sayin’ is that we’re real proud o’ ya, Scoots.” Applebloom pressed her forehead against Scootaloo’s temple. “Real proud o’ ya.”

Scootaloo slung her arms around the girls’ shoulders and brought them in even closer. “Thank you so much, girls. I probably wouldn’t have made it through that without you two. You’ve already made my life so much better.”

Tears formed in both Sweetie Belle’s and Applebloom’s eyes. 

“Aw, Scootaloo…” Sweetie said, unsure of how to respond. 

“Ya’ll make our lives a whole lot better too, Scoots.” Applebloom kissed Scootaloo’s dimpled cheek, uncaring of whoever may see. Sweetie Belle followed suit, and for a brief moment Scootaloo was all giggles.

“Aw, girls! I…really love you guys…a lot.” And Scootaloo had meant it, too. Despite the tumultuous world around her, Scootaloo had found herself a rock on which she could rely on. Well, two rocks to be specific. Even though she might not be okay right now, she knew that with the help of her friends - her girlfriends - eventually she was going to be. And for now that was all she needed. “Come on,” She said as she pushed past the girls before taking each of them by the hand and pulling them down the hall. “Let’s get to class, and then afterwards we can start planning out our sleepover.”

“Sleepover!” The two girls said in unison. The trio made their way down the bend of the hall, a skip in their step and their spirits lifted once more. Scootaloo couldn’t wait to unwind with her best friends in the world over the weekend, and she was even happier that she’d be able to see whatever romantic entanglements the three of them could now get into. As they made their way into their classroom, Scootaloo took note of the dark clouds brewing outside with a hope that a storm wasn’t about to come and rain on their collective parade. Tossing that thought aside, the trio crossed the threshold of their classroom and sat together in the back of the class, eager for time to pass quickly so they could get to whatever treats may lie ahead once out of school.

> Chapter 5: If the Heart Has Doubts...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

            The weekend had finally arrived, and Scootaloo awoke with a smile on her face. The past few days had felt like a blur to her, being both an exciting step forward in her young-adult life as well as a glorious retreat from the feelings she harbored for one rainbow-haired soccer player. Scootaloo looked at the clock that lay next to her bed and let out a relieved sigh. Not too late. The young girl had decided to sleep in but was worried that she may not get up early enough to enjoy the morning hours. The clock read fifteen past ten; a perfect time to wake up if she ever saw one.

            Sitting up in her bed, Scootaloo turned to her phone charging on her bedside table. Tapping the button to unlock her screen, she was greeted by two separate morning messages, each one belonging to the two most special girls she had in her life. While each message was relatively the same, wishing her a good-morning as well as expressing enthusiasm for the day ahead of them, each one had unique flourishes that touched Scootaloo’s heart and made her shake her head in disbelief as she rubbed the corners of her eyes. Whether it was Sweetie Belle’s almost irresponsible use of multi-colored heart emojis or Applebloom’s reminder that she gets first kiss of the day, Scootaloo couldn’t help but feel excitement in her stomach and the pleasurable sting of tears in her eyes whenever she thought of her new girlfriends. Or was it gal-pals? With a quick but cute response to each girl detailing her own eagerness to reunite with them, Scootaloo stood up and made her way to the bathroom. Today was the day of her first sleepover while in a relationship, which is why she elected to sleep in. Scootaloo didn’t know much about sleepovers—her previous guardians were never high on the idea—but she did know one thing… If she were going to have a sleepover, especially considering the two girls she was going to spend it with, she definitely wasn’t going to get much sleep that night.

            After showering, brushing her teeth, and using the facilities, Scootaloo had to make sure her aesthetics were in order. A blush came to her cheeks as she recalled the lessons she’d learned over the last few days: they liked it when she dressed nicely, they liked a tad bit of makeup on her, and if she was going to wear lipstick, she would need to bring a lot, lot more of it, because her girlfriends had absolutely no issue with removing it with any chance they could get. With a comb, Scootaloo worked hard to create the “looks like she just got out of bed but not so bad that she actually looks like she just got out of bed” look that she patented as a child. Putting on a black, sleeveless T-shirt and faded blue jeans, Scootaloo considered herself worthy enough to be seen by those whom she wished to impress. Perhaps even a little… cute? She shook her head of her silliness and made her way to the kitchen.

            “Good morning, little miss sunshine,” Blue Aura said as Scootaloo passed the dining room table. “Dressing to impress again, hm?”

            Scootaloo giggled nervously as she got out a plastic bowl and a spoon. “Uh… n-not really. Just, hehe, trying to maintain a look, you know?” Aura nodded once before turning back to her paper. Whew.

            “Meet anyone new?” asked Aura.

            “No? Not really.” Scootaloo used her free hand to pick up a box of cereal before beginning her trek to the table.

            “Is it a boy?”

            “WHAT?” Scootaloo shouted as the bowl slipped from her hands, bringing along the spoon and cereal box with it. “Oops… Uh…” She scrambled to pick up what she dropped before placing the dishes in the sink. “Um… I wanted toast anyway.”

            “I know you’re at that age, Scootaloo,” Aura continued. “You can tell me if you’ve got a boy on your mind, you know.”

            Scootaloo chuckled at she placed two pieces of wheat bread into their toaster. She supposed her guardian wasn’t… entirely off base. But if she was being honest with herself, Scootaloo was just as surprised that everything was happening as much as Blue Aura would be. If someone had told her a week prior that she would be having a sleepover tonight with not only one but two of her girlfriends, both of which also happened to be her best friends, she would ask that person what controlled substance they happened to be abusing. She had just come to the conclusion that she was useless and wasn’t worth anybody’s time. The fact that she was actually one of the most important people in the world to Sweetie Belle and Applebloom was more than a shock to the heart. It was a completely new world for her.

            “Uh, yeah, Aura…” Scootaloo mumbled as she stared deeply into the toaster. “I know I can. Trust me… it’s not a boy.” It was technically the truth, which is the best kind of truth.

            Blue Aura sighed before closing her newspaper and walking alongside Scootaloo. “Okay, I’ll take your word for it.” She glanced at the young girl, taking note that she refused to meet her in the eye. “Regardless of your reasons, I’d say you look absolutely stunning.”

            Scootaloo blushed. “… Thank you.”

            “And when you do get involved with something like that,” Aura said as she wrapped an arm around her step-daughter and kissed her atop her head, “make sure you get somebody that cares and loves you just as much as I do. Alright, sweetheart?”

            “Y-yeah…” Scootaloo muttered. “I will. Trust me.” Scootaloo’s heart warmed. Did Blue Aura know something? She seemed to skate dangerously close to the reality of things. Regardless, the fact that her guardian continued to support her, to love her, to actually try… As much as she fought against it, and as much as she didn’t want to let herself, Scootaloo felt a great deal of kinship with her adoptive mother. She’d never felt this level of interest and care for her well-being in previous foster homes, the tragic experiences that they were. With the new trials of having girlfriends, as well as the inclusion of having an actual loving parent in her life, Scootaloo’s heart was feeling increasingly vulnerable. It scared her. The higher up you go, the greater your downfall could be, and after dealing with Rainbow Dash she wasn’t sure she could take another hit. Still, despite all that, she couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope deep in the chambers of her heart. Perhaps, Scootaloo thought, life may finally allow her to be happy. Just this once.

            “Now,” Blue Aura said after kissing Scootaloo one last time, “this is Saturday, so you know I won’t be getting home until very late. It’s going to be a really stormy night, are you going to be okay by yourself? The power might go out.”

            Scootaloo quickly spun around. Shoot, I knew there was something I was forgetting.

            “Uh, actually,” she said, worried she may be bringing it up a tad late, “I was kinda hoping that I could have a sleepover at the Apple’s home tonight. Me and Sweetie Belle, that is.” Scootaloo winced. Really should’ve mentioned that one earlier.

            Aura’s face lit up. “Oh really? Well, wonderful! Then I won’t have to worry as much!”

            Scootaloo blew an audible sigh of relief. Dodged that one.

            “It’s nice seeing you have best friends that you can depend on,” Aura said as she buttoned her jacked and left money on the kitchen counter. “I’m glad you have someone to get close to. That’s hard to find these days, you know.”

            “Yeah… I know. I’m glad too.” Scootaloo grinned, remembering just how loved her girlfriends made her feel.

            “I left money here on the table in case you girls decide to go out.” Aura grabbed her purse before placing a hand atop Scootaloo’s head. “How will you be getting there? You’re not going to ride your scooter all the way out there, will you?”

            Scootaloo shook her head. “Applebloom just got her license, so Applejack got her a truck. It’s… kind of a rust bucket, but it’ll get the job done.”

            “Oh, how nice!” Aura replied. “You girls are all growing up, aren’t you?”

            Scootaloo ducked out from under Aura’s hand and leaned against the counter. “Uh, kinda? I don’t really feel like I am. And I really don’t think Applebloom and Sweetie Belle are.” She chuckled. Those two acted like buffoons on a daily basis, almost the complete opposite of the image of maturity. But then again so did she, so maybe that’s why she loved them so much.

            “Trust me,” Aura said, “you’re growing a lot faster than you think. Which reminds me, don’t forget we’ve having our mother-daughter clothes shopping date tomorrow after you get home from your friend’s. Alright?”

            Oh, right. She had almost forgotten. But as bad or as boring as she would’ve initially thought that might be, Scootaloo had to admit she was a little excited to spend more time with her step-mother. It was an opportunity she’d be remiss to forget about.

            “Got it,” was her only reply.

            “Good.” Blue Aura kissed Scootaloo on the forehead before making her way to the front door. “Don’t forget to wear a jacket before you go out tonight. It’ll be windy and probably rainy, and I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

            “I’ll be okay, Aura,” Scootaloo said as she waved her goodbye.

            “And keep your phone on and nearby in case I need to call.”

            Scootaloo nodded. “Roger that.”

            “And tell Sweetie Belle and Applebloom I said ‘hello.’”

            “Aura!” Scootaloo shouted, a smirk on her face.

            “And don’t be embarrassed to bring… feminine products if you need them.

            “AURA!” Scootaloo buried her face in her hands. “Just go!”

            Blue Aura giggled as she stuck her key in the front door. “I’m just playing with you, honey. Have a fun day. Oh, and, um… your toast is burning.”

            “OH CRAP!” Scootaloo turned back to the kitchen, a small plume of smoke rising from the toaster. She quickly grabbed a plate and ejected the pieces of toast onto its surface. Two pure black piles of charcoal were all that remained.

            “Whelp…” Scootaloo muttered as she tossed the plate into the garbage, “yogurt it is, then.”

-o0o-

            As the hours slowly passed by, Scootaloo attempted to find ways to keep busy. If she was being honest with herself, Scootaloo realized just how nervous she was to see Applebloom and Sweetie Belle again. Nervous, but excited. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach while watching TV, browsing the internet, and playing video games, and no matter what she did she could not get the feeling to relinquish itself. She giggled inwardly as she plopped down on her bed and realized that, actually, she didn’t want this feeling to go away. It felt new, upheaving whatever preconceptions she held pertaining to having a girlfriend. Maybe this was what being in a relationship was always going to be like, she considered. Perhaps this is what it’s like to truly feel alive.

            Her phone buzzed as this thought crossed her head. Snapping herself out of her own mind, Scootaloo quickly scrambled to see what message might lie ahead. Only three people knew her number—Blue Aura, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom—so it’s not like she’d be surprised at whoever it was. Still, every chance she had to have a new interaction with one of her girlfriends made her heart swell and her brain course with new ideas of what might be said. Her excitement paid off this time; a text from Sweetie Belle emblazoned the screen, rife with emojis and exclamation marks.

            “Hey, Scoots!!!” it said. “Applebloom picked me up and we’re headed towards your house!! Hope you’re ready to get kissed <3 <3” Several smiley faces with kissy lips and heart-eyes followed, hammering in the fact that Scootaloo had a lot to look forward to. Another knot formed in her stomach, her eagerness becoming more prevalent as each minute passed.

            “I can’t wait! I’ve been waiting all day to see you girls!” Scootaloo replied, her phone autocorrecting her less than stellar spelling. “I’m ready for whatever you have in mind ;)” Behind the comfort of her screen, Scootaloo emulated confidence. Would she be able to say something like that in person? Probably not. Not yet, at the very least. But she’d heard that fortune favors the bold, and she’d take whatever win she could get. This was her first real chance to be assertive in life, to take the reins of her future and guide it in the direction she wanted to take it, not wherever fate decided to drop her off. The idea of it chilled her to the bone, but she had to try.

            As she nervously waited for a reply, Scootaloo set off to pack her bag for the night. A pack of playing cards, her lipstick, a handheld gaming device paired with some games she thought she and the girls could play, pajamas, her toothbrush and other toiletries, and some snacks for late night devouring were all tossed into her backpack with the expectation that she wouldn’t have use for all of them. A thought crossed her mind. Wait… where will I sleep? Did she have a sleeping bag? Did she need a sleeping bag? Her body went red at the thought of Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and herself crowded tightly together in Applebloom’s bed, having only each other for warmth in the cold, stormy night. Oh boy… Scootaloo shook her head of the thought. Now was not the time nor place to be having such fantasies. Those were saved for later when she was much more… alone. Besides, it was way too early in their relationship for her to be even considering such ideas, right? It’s not like she would ever agree to such a proposal anyway.

            Although…

            Before she could take her teenage perversion any further, once again her phone buzzed with the implication of a loved one messaging her. Wiping the drool from her mouth, Scootaloo whipped out her phone and swiped open the messaging app, revealing a picture of Sweetie Belle and Applebloom winking at the camera with the text, “Applebloom says hi,” inscribed underneath.

            With a grin on her face and a quick maneuver of her fingers, Scootaloo saved the photo to her photo album. Having new girlfriends and a new view on life, Scootaloo affirmed the notion of taking more pictures and treasuring her memories. Her past “family” experiences were nothing really worth remembering, a sad dinner here and an ignored school activity there. With the constant moving and being in and out of homes, Scootaloo really had no photo albums to bring with her and no tangible memories to cling to save for a select few baby pictures. With this, Scootaloo had come to realize that nothing in this life has great permanence, and that she’s not guaranteed that her life with Blue Aura, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom would last forever. But she’s here now, and she’s happy now, so she’s going to laugh, take pictures, and cherish the memories she held every damn day that she could.

            Her cellphone rang in her hand, an image of a grayed out human shape displaying with the name “Sweetie Belle” written across the front. She noted that she’d have to take profile pictures for each of her girlfriends. Tapping her thumb against the “answer” button, Scootaloo brought the phone up to her ear and spoke. “Hey, Sweetie Belle! Uh… what’s going on?”

            “Hey, Scootaloo! We’re on our way!” Sweetie Belle was in the cab of Applebloom’s truck, so Scootaloo figured the young country girl was going to chime in right about…

            “Howdy, Scoots!” Ah, there it is.

            Scootaloo snickered. “Hi, girls. I’m almost ready to go. Um, is there any reason you called? I kinda need to keep packing.”

            “Yes, silly!” Sweetie Belle retorted. “We’re just around the corner! We’re gonna wait for you to come out!”

            “Ah’m pretty sure she’s already past that part,” Applebloom joked in the background.

            “Wait, WHAT?!” Scootaloo asked, ignoring Applebloom. “You just texted me a few minutes ago saying she just picked you up! How are you already almost here?”

            “Um, I didn’t say I just got picked up,” Sweetie Belle replied. “We were kinda already three-quarters of the way here.”

            Scootaloo smacked her palm against her forehead. “And you’re just now telling me about this?”

            “Um… yes?”

            “Ugh!” Scootaloo quickly ran to the hall closet, phone still in hand. “You guys just can’t keep showing up out of the blue like this without telling me!”

            “Y’all know you love it!” shouted Applebloom, her voice distant.

            Knocking a few folded blankets and pillow cases out of the way, Scootaloo reached to the very back of the shadowy closet in order to find what she needed. After a few seconds she struck gold, a sleeping bag Blue Aura had mentioned in passing once before while volunteering to take Scootaloo camping the following summer. With a tenacious tug on one of the straps that held the sleeping bag together Scootaloo flung herself backwards out of the closet, taking it and a pile of blankets out with her.

            “Shoot,” she muttered. Covered in blankets and dust from the musty, rarely vacuumed closet, Scootaloo had lost her phone in the mess. “Uh, girls? Can you hear me?” Scootaloo hurriedly sorted through blankets, hoping to hear a voice and praying that she didn’t accidentally break her phone by stepping on it. After a few alarming seconds, she saw the familiar glow of a cellphone sitting face down on the floor. “Hello?” she called after picking it back up. “You still there, Sweetie Belle?”

            “Yes!” Sweetie Belle grunted. “I’ve been talking to you! Weren’t you listening?”

            Scootaloo stood up with her arm wrapped around the yellow sleeping bag. Looking around at the mess she made, she opted to clean up later when she returned from the sleepover. Blue Aura would understand, right? “Uh, yeah, no, I was totally listening. Heard every word!”

            “Good, ‘cause we’re out on your driveway waiting for you!”

            A slight rustle was heard on the phone. “Scootaloo!” Applebloom called, her voice now clear. “Get yer cute lil’ behind out here before Ah have to come in and wrangle it out myself!”

            “Uh, c-coming!” While she had to admit the offer sounded somewhat tempting, Scootaloo had to concede. Tapping the button on her phone to end the call, Scootaloo quickly returned to her backpack and zipped it up before placing it and her sleeping bag by the front door. She sprinted to her room, checked herself one last time in her bathroom’s mirror, and grabbed her blue four-wheeled scooter before heading back to the front door. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “Almost forgot!” One quick trip to the coat hanger that held her dark grey hoodie and she was ready to go.

            Scootaloo rushed out of the house and, after taking a moment to lock the door behind her, rounded the corner to see a rusted pickup truck idling in her driveway. In the driver’s seat sat Applebloom, the sleeves on her green T-shirt rolled up above her elbows and her patented pink bow cutely tied amongst her hair. While Applebloom was still looking at something on her phone, Sweetie Belle lit up at the sight of Scootaloo coming her way. They were much, much too cute for her, Scootaloo thought. So much so that she felt she would die from cuteness overdose. But if there were ever a way to go, then that route would certainly be favorable.

            After heaving her backpack, sleeping bag, and scooter into the truck bed, Scootaloo opened the passenger side door and hopped inside.

            “Scootaloo!” her girlfriends shouted in unison. She smiled as Sweetie Belle leaned in for a kiss, only to be smushed into the seat by Applebloom. To Scootaloo’s surprise, Applebloom quickly leaned over and planted a firm kiss on her startled lips.

            “Excuse me!” Sweetie Belle shouted as she smacked Applebloom’s arm off her face. “What the heck was that?!”

            Applebloom snickered. “Ah told y’all that Ah’d be the first to kiss Scootaloo today. Just stayin’ true to my word, ‘s’all.” She returned her hands to position on the steering wheel and smirked at Sweetie Belle. “No hard feelin’s, right?”

            “Hmph!” pouted Sweetie Belle, crossing her arms. “My face has hard feelings.”

            “Uh, hey, girls…” Scootaloo said, sheepishly. “Nice to see you too.”

            Sweetie Belle turned to Scootaloo. “Scootaloo, Applebloom’s already being mean to me!”

            “Ah am not!” retorted Applebloom. “It’s all tough love, y’know? Showing y’all how much Ah care!”

            Leaning her head on Scootaloo’s shoulder, Sweetie Belle whimpered. “I think you’ll have to kiss me to make things better.”

            Scootaloo rolled her eyes, but cherished the thought all the same. If that was the way to make Sweetie Belle “better,” then consider her a part time nurse. Mustering all the courage she had, Scootaloo grabbed Sweetie Belle by the chin and leaned into her, pressing their lips together. Sweetie Belle moaned as Scootaloo repeatedly moved between her top and bottom lip, eventually pulling away to give themselves room to breathe. Scootaloo’s head spun, hoping that her air of confidence paid off.

            “You…” Sweetie Belle muttered, taking a moment to find her bearings. “You’re getting better at that…”

            Scootaloo hid her grin behind her mouth and looked out the window, a bit too embarrassed to look at her girlfriends for the moment. For once, she had been the one to kiss one of them, not the other way around. She could definitely get used to the feeling.

            “Hey!” Applebloom called. “How come Ah didn’t get a kiss like that?”

            “You don’t deserve a kiss like that!” Sweetie Belle put a possessive hand on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “She only kisses nice girlfriends!”

            Scootaloo leaned forward to meet Applebloom’s gaze. “I mean, I’ll kiss either of you if you really want me to.”

            Applebloom shifted the truck into reverse before pulling out onto the road and heading back the way they had come. “Oh trust me, we will. Ah’ll make sure of that.”

            Small, almost unnoticeable drops of rain began to patter on the windshield. As Scootaloo leaned back and took note of it, she contemplated the weight that night could hold over her relationships. The feign of calm collectiveness was there, and she seemed to be holding fast on that front. But the more she thought about it, the more Scootaloo realized that tonight was far more important than she had initially thought. So far, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom had been doing all of the work. They initiated the relationship, they were the first to kiss her, and they were the ones that had been there for her when she needed them to be. As far as Scootaloo saw it, it was her turn now. She needed to show that she could be a good girlfriend, that she was worth being with… that she shouldn’t be abandoned like she had been before. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead, mimicking the rain outside, as the realization hit her. If she didn’t live up to their expectations, then she wouldn’t just lose her girlfriends but her best friends as well. A wave of anxiety passed over her at just the thought.

            “Hey, Scoots?” Applebloom’s voice cut through the darkness. “Y’all doin’ alright? Yer bein’ mighty quiet over there.”

            Scootaloo took a moment to bring herself back to the moment at hand. “Uh, yeah, just… thinking about stuff.” Seeing Sweetie Belle’s concerned face made her realize she didn’t want to dive down that rabbit hole. Looking at Applebloom, she quickly changed the subject. “S-so Applebloom… Uh, are you sure your family’s okay with having us sleep over?”

            “Sure as sherbet!” Applebloom replied.

            “Uh… so how sure is that, exactly?”

            Applebloom raised an eyebrow. “Um… very? Ah don’t rightly know. It’s just kinda somethin’ Ah say sometimes.”

            Scootaloo nodded and returned her gaze to the houses buzzing by, happy that the center of attention had been taken off of her. Before long they came to a red light, the rain above now falling heavily on the truck. She turned back to Applebloom, who was looking inquisitively at the many handles behind her steering wheel.

            “Uh, Ah think this one is the wiper switch.” Grabbing the switch and pulling it one notch downward, Applebloom beamed as the windshield wiper jerked to life and began sliding its way back and forth across the window. Until, that is, it quickly slammed to a stop right in the middle of the windshield, prompting her to quickly jerk the switch up and down to no avail.

            “Hmph,” she muttered, “Ah don’t know what Ah expected.”

            Sweetie Belle giggled. “Looks like you bought a hunk of junk!”

            “Ah didn’t buy this ‘hunk o’ junk,’ Applejack did!” Accepting her fate, Applebloom removed her hand from the switch and began driving once the light turned green. “’Sides, it’s not like y’all have a car to drive us in. So Ah don’t wanna hear any complaints from you, missy.”

            “Are we gonna be able to make it to your farm?” Scootaloo asked. “You’re almost out of gas.”

            Applebloom quickly looked through to the fuel gage, seeing that the needle was nearly on empty.

            “Aw, shoot!” she cried. “Uh, we’ll make it to the farm just fine, Ah’ll just have to ask Applejack to refill it with some tanks we got once we get there.”

            “I thought she was going over to Rarity’s,” Scootaloo said.

            Applebloom nodded. “She wanted to make sure Ah got home with y’all safe n’ sound. Y’know… sister stuff.” Sweetie Belle smiled in agreement. “Then she was gonna take off. But, she did say she was gonna buy pizza for us!”

            “Yay, pizza!” shouted Sweetie Belle as she put an arm around each girl’s shoulder. “You excited to have the best night ever, Scootaloo?”

            Scootaloo shifted in her seat, exhaling deeply in an attempt to calm her nerves. There was no going back now, and this ‘best night ever’ increasingly became more horrifying to Scootaloo than exciting. Take your future by the reins, Scootaloo. As soon as it became evident that she may be taking too long to answer, Scootaloo turned to Sweetie Belle and put on the best fake smile that she could.

            “You bet I am.”

-o0o-

            Applebloom pried open another box of pizza, firmly grasping a slice and placing it on the paper plate she held. “Y’all want another piece?” she asked to nobody in particular.

            “I’ll have one,” Scootaloo said, a slice already in her mouth. “This stuff is really good. Way better than the guys that Blue Aura orders from.”

            Taking the plate over to her girlfriend and setting it down, Applebloom ran a finger through Scootaloo’s short, purple hair as she sat on the couch next to her. “Sorry we didn’t have any home cookin’ ready fer y’all, but Big Mac n’ Granny Smith had a job to do ‘fore comin’ home tonight.” She bent over and picked up another plate filled with pizza before sticking a slice in her mouth. “’n Applejack sure was anxious to get outta here. Didn’t even bother to wait fer us t’ get home. Wonder why she was so rarin’ to go to Rarity’s.”

            Sweetie Belle, sitting on the other side of Scootaloo, rolled her eyes as she set her plate laden with uneaten pizza crusts and peeled-off mushrooms down on the coffee table. “Gee, I really can’t imagine… It’s okay, though. I’ve had your family’s home cooking before, and if we ate that then I think we’d be too bloated to do anything else tonight.”

            Applebloom swallowed. “Uh, what’s all that s’posed to mean? Y’all saying ya don’t like our cookin’?”

            “Mmm!” Scootaloo interrupted, food still in her mouth. “Uh, I’ve had your Granny Smith’s cooking too, and I think she means that it’s so good that we literally wouldn’t stop eating it.” It was true, too. The last time she had been over, Applebloom’s grandmother had made the three of them bowls of some sort of southern soup that she prided herself over. It was good. Too good, in fact. She ended the night with three and a half bowls of it in her stomach. Scootaloo was dumbfounded how their entire family somehow weren’t all five-hundred pounds. Applebloom was as fit as could be, but Scootaloo knew that she ate well. At least in Scootaloo’s opinion, Applebloom’s dietary habits showed up in all the right places.

            Sweetie Belle giggled. “See? Scootaloo gets me. We’d be eating so much that we’d end up like Augustus Gloop from Willy Wonka!” The three swung their heads back in laughter, knowing just how true that would be. Scootaloo took a moment to look back and forth between her girlfriends as they laughed. Seeing them with unfiltered joy filling their faces was the most beautiful sight Scootaloo had ever seen. There was something so pure about it; so unabashed and sweet that she wished she could burn the image into her mind forever. It calmed her nerves a little, if only for the moment.

“Besides,” Sweetie Belle continued, “if we did that we’d have no room to for any extra-curricular activities. Right, Scootaloo?” She leaned over and pecked Scootaloo on the cheek, instantly turning it to a bright crimson.

            “Uh, y-yeah…” she muttered, already embarrassed. “S-so, hey, what are we gonna do now that we’re almost done eating?” As if to punctuate the end of her sentence, a wayward pillow soared into her field of vision and pegged Scootaloo in the head, flipping her plate upward and slapping her last slice of pizza across her face.

            “HEY!” she shouted, quickly ripping both the pillow and pizza slice off of her. Looking to her left, she saw a solitary Applebloom grinning proudly at a job well done. “You got pepperoni in my eye, you butt!”

            “Pepperon-eye!” Sweetie Belle bellowed as she quickly stood and handed Scootaloo one of the couch pillows that sat behind her.

            Applebloom revealed another pillow from behind her back and held it up in the air. “Pillow fight!”

            Oh, crap. Scootaloo jerked to her right with just enough time to duck underneath Sweetie Belle’s incoming barrage. Rolling underneath the coffee table, Scootaloo held her weapon tight as she constructed her battle plan. This was decidedly not the romantic evening she originally hoped for, but now was not the time for disappointment. Bolting upright, Scootaloo quickly tossed a pillow into Applebloom’s face before retrieving it and fleeing into the kitchen.

            “Get back here, ya chicken!” Applebloom called, her and Sweetie Belle following suit. As Applebloom crossed the threshold into the kitchen, a soft and fluffy mass collided with her stomach. Scootaloo’s trick had worked, and now she was on the offensive. Scootaloo ripped a surprised Applebloom’s pillow out of her grip and began assaulting the poor girl with two hands. Rolling onto her back, Applebloom jabbed Scootaloo’s shin out from underneath her and she was sent tumbling downwards screaming with glee. Scootaloo landed atop Applebloom, her face pleasantly buried into her soft chest. Any other time and Scootaloo’s heart would’ve been jumping with joy, but for the moment only pure adrenaline pumped through her veins. Stealing back the pillow that was rightfully hers, Applebloom brought it down over the back of Scootaloo’s head, causing Scootaloo to flail her arms in an attempt to free herself from the bountiful suffocation she now faced.

            “Dogpile!” Sweetie Belle proclaimed as she threw her pillow atop Scootaloo’s back before slamming herself down upon the duo.

            “OHHH!” bellowed the simultaneous cries of Scootaloo and Applebloom, the air getting knocked from their lungs. Applebloom took her pillow off of Scootaloo’s head, a generous measure given that the two of them were now in a great deal of pain. As oxygen and her senses returned to her, Scootaloo smirked ever so slightly at the sexy sandwich she was now a part of. Remove the pillow fight from the equation and this was more of the direction she was hoping this sleepover would go. With a little less clothing, to be sure. A blush came to her face as she locked eyes with Applebloom, cognizant of Scootaloo’s thoughts no doubt, grinning ear-to-ear as similar thoughts bounced around her head. Scootaloo quickly turned her head and tried to avert attention back to the problem at hand.

            “Ugh, Sweetie Belle!” she yelled. “Get your big butt off of me!”

            Sweetie Belle pivoted herself until she lay parallel to both Scootaloo and Applebloom. “Did you just say I had a big butt?”

            Applebloom grunted as she fruitlessly tried to push the two girls off of her. “Yeah, an’ Ah can definitely back that up. Y’all’re—ugh!—definitely heavier than ya look!”

            Sweetie Belle spun onto her back and assumed a more comfortable position. “I dunno… I don’t think I should let you girls up if you’re calling me names. Don’t you agree, Scootaloo?”

            “GET OFF!” she replied.

            “See? Scootaloo agrees with me!” Sweetie Belle began to facetiously check her nails and smiled as her two girlfriend writhed beneath her.

            “Y’all better get off ‘fore Ah get ya off myself!” Applebloom shouted, now swatting up at Sweetie Belle with her pillow.

            Sweetie Belle effortlessly plucked the pillow away from her attacker. “I’d like to see you try,” she said with a giggle.

            Scootaloo coughed. “Is this how I die?”

            “Alright, Scoots,” Applebloom commanded, “on the count of ‘three’ Ah need ya to roll to my right side. Ready?”

            Scootaloo nodded.

            “One…” Before Applebloom could continue, Sweetie Belle arched her body upwards before slamming her rear into Scootaloo’s with great force, squishing them even more.

            “AHH! THREE!” Applebloom cried, putting all her effort into grabbing for Sweetie Belle and twisting her body to her right. Try as she might, Scootaloo was really at the mercy at the two better positioned girls around her. Like a titanic skyscraper the pile of teenagers toppled, coupled with pained grunts and groans as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were sent spiraling onto the floor.

            “Oxygen!” Scootaloo screamed, bracing herself up with her elbows. She heaved in heavy swaths of air, thankful to no longer be compressed on both sides. “I thought that was the end.”

            Sweetie Belle sat up, rubbing her head at the point where she’d landed. “Oh, don’t exaggerate. You make it sound like I weighed a ton.” She was unable to get another word in before a pillow soared past Scootaloo’s head and implanted itself angrily on Sweetie Belle’s face.

            “Sure felt like it!” Applebloom called, taking both pillows before standing tall and handing one to Scootaloo. “Don’t y’all be tryin’ to act all cute about it, neither. Ah thought we were teamin’ up!” Despite the serene closeness Scootaloo had just felt with her two girlfriends, she knew such crimes couldn’t go unpunished. As Sweetie Belle removed the pillow from her head she quivered in fear at the mischievous faces her two partners steadily encroached on her looking for revenge.

            “Uh… girls?” Sweetie Belle asked, slowly backing away. “Y-you’re not mad, are you?”

            “O’ course not!” Applebloom replied. “We’re just wantin’ a hug.”

            “Yeah!” followed Scootaloo. “I just love getting body slammed by your butt.” Somewhat true, but that wasn’t important right now. As they backed Sweetie Belle into a wall, a pleading, almost sympathetic look crossed her features as she puppy-eyed Applebloom.

            “But… it’s like you said, right? We’re partners!” She pulled a protective pillow up to her chest. “‘Peace in our time’ and all that… right?”

            Applebloom turned to Scootaloo with a nod before returning her gaze to Sweetie Belle. “There will be no peace…”

            Sweetie Belle found herself swarmed with pillows both left and right, and despite her valiant efforts to block the incoming barrage she found herself succumbing to the fluffy assault. Scootaloo couldn’t help but giggle to herself; she was having much more fun than expected! The night that she accepted her friends’ offer to be in a relationship filled her with both joy and anxiety, as well as a fear of what the oncoming tides of change would bring. Scootaloo had been afraid that by gaining two girlfriends she had at the same time traded out two best friends, and that there would be no going back to how things were before. But this night—these moments—sparked a sense of realization for her: maybe she hadn’t traded anything. They were still the same cute, silly girls that she had always known, and the harmony they all shared had only been strengthened in return. So far, it seemed as if being their girlfriend just meant they cared about each other and made out with each other a lot more, and Scootaloo certainly had no qualms with that. Maybe she had less to worry about than she thought.

            Sweetie Belle leapt with an excited squeal behind Granny Smith’s rocking chair, a small respite from the constant bombardment of cushiony softness. As Scootaloo lined up a shot to finally take their collective opponent down for the count, Sweetie Belle dashed away up the stairway and onto the second story of the Apple’s home.

            “Y’all ain’t gettin’ away that easily!” Applebloom called, abandoning Scootaloo at her post and following Sweetie Belle up the stairs. Scootaloo was now alone, although she had to admit it was one of those “hate to see you go but love to watch you leave” kind of moments. Shaking the thought from her mind, Scootaloo tucked her pillow underneath her armpit and followed the sound of the brawl her girlfriends were having. A cute, fluffy brawl that was as fun as it was charming. At least they’re not fighting about who’s gonna kiss me first anymore.

            Scootaloo rounded the corner and saw only a blur of red before she was smashed in the stomach by a large pillow. Not a second later was she hit again with an uppercut to the jaw, with enough force to send her tumbling backwards.

            “Woah!” she cried as she slammed her back on the floor, confused and dizzy as her skull smacked against the wood flooring.

            “Aw, geez,” Applebloom said, tossing her pillow to the side and kneeling down next to Scootaloo. “Ah’m sorry! Are y’all okay? Ah was bein’ a bit rough on ya, wasn’t Ah? Figured Ah could get ya’ll when ya weren’t expecting it.”

            Scootaloo’s double vision finally coalesced into one, an image of her yellow-skinned girlfriend appearing worried in front of her. “I-it’s okay, Applebloom,” she said, her stomach finally catching up with her body and air returning to her lungs. “Heh, that was a good one. Took the air out of me…” She had forgotten; though her sweet and beautiful girlfriends they may be, they were also still Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. No matter how close they were, things were gonna get rough.

            Applebloom caressed Scootaloo’s cheek with her hand, still obviously feeling badly about her actions. “No, no, Ah was bein’ careless. Sweetie Belle ducked into one of the rooms and Ah got all cought up in the heat of the moment, and…”

            “It’s okay, Applebloom,” Scootaloo whispered, her voice warm as she rubbed Applebloom’s arm. “You know me. I hit my head harder than this every day when riding my scooter. I can make it through being hit by a pillow.” She giggled, remembering all the times she ate it falling off of her scooter. Sweetie Belle was usually the one to freak out about it, making sure Scootaloo was always okay after sailing into a bush or a tree… or a lake. Still, she’d always known that Applebloom could be just as worried at times, perhaps even more, and little moments of care like this always meant the world to her. “Don’t worry. It takes a lot more than a fall on my ass to take me out.”

            Applebloom smiled, a sigh of relief escaping her. Shifting her body above Scootaloo’s head so that her face now looked upside-down, Applebloom’s half lidded eyes entranced Scootaloo’s. “As long as y’all say yer okay, then Ah’m good with it.” She returned her wayward hand to Scootaloo’s cheek, soothing her once more. Scootaloo had to admit, she was selfishly enjoying all of the attention she was getting. Although, she was yearning for just a bit more.

            “Maybe… you could get that kiss now?” she asked, sheepishly looking up at her girlfriend. “You know… if you really want it…”

            Applebloom grinned, acting as if she wasn’t going to do so anyway. Unmoving from her position, Applebloom placed her upside-down mouth over Scootaloo’s, engaging in a long, breathless kiss that seemed to last an eternity. Scootaloo closed her eyes, enjoying every sensation she was feeling at the hands of her beloved. She smelled like apples. She tasted like apples. Feeling brave, Scootaloo took her right hand and cupped the back of Applebloom’s neck, forcing her deeper into Scootaloo’s mouth until it was finally breached, her tongue finding its way through Scootaloo’s teeth and meeting with her own. Scootaloo’s eyes shot open. A new experience, to be sure, and one that she always figured she’d dislike. She’d watched lovers kiss in multiple movies before, and while the act of locking lips with another always enticed her teenage mind, she found herself reeling from the idea of tongue-wrestling with another person. But now, as her tongue swam along Applebloom’s and her nose was entrenched deeply in the nape of Applebloom’s neck, she couldn’t help but want to comb every inch of her mouth in ways she’d never imagined.

            Feeling the desire to breathe, Applebloom retracted her tongue and separated herself from Scootaloo, looking down on the young girl in a lustful wonder as they took in the brave new world they had just entered.

            “Woah…” Scootaloo said as she looked up at the inverted Applebloom, still feeling her tingle on her lips. “So this is what it feels like to be Spider-Man…”

            Applebloom chuckled, brushing a lock of hair behind Scootaloo’s ear before leaning down and leaving a peck on her forehead. “Ya got that right, Tiger.”

            Scootaloo took Applebloom’s arm and brought her wrist to her lips, lightly pecking at it while she considered her next move. Her initial plan was going well so far; she hadn’t totally messed up and caused some disaster that would make her girlfriends think twice about being with her. She had to pick her next words carefully, saying something thoughtful and romantic that would totally sweep Applebloom off of her feet and move their relationship closer.

            “S-so, uh… w-what do you wanna do next?” Ugh… smooth, Scootaloo. Real smooth. 

            If Scootaloo’s wording was demonstrably awkward, then Applebloom hadn’t noticed. Pulling herself out of the trance that Scootaloo had just put her in, Applebloom placed a thoughtful finger to her chin. “Uh… Ah dunno. Pillow fort?”

            Scootaloo smiled. Confined place? Soft surroundings? Nothing but the three of them to occupy themselves with? She was so in. Terrified beyond belief, to be fair, but still in. “Sounds good to me,” she said with a beaming smile.

            “HEY!” a shrill voice called from down the hall. Leaning up, both Scootaloo and Applebloom gazed to the nearest open doorway, a morose Sweetie Belle glaring daggers at them. “I’ve been hiding in here with my pillow for five minutes! Isn’t anybody gonna come get me?”

            Scootaloo looked at Applebloom, who looked just as bewildered as her.

            “…Oops.”

-o0o-

A few hours had passed, yet the thunderstorm continued to rage through the night. Scootaloo leaned back, straining to hear the maelstrom of rain hammering down on the roof of Applebloom’s house over the loudness of the television. They now found themselves cooped up in a pillow fort forged at the end of Applebloom’s bed, a mishmash of pillows, blankets, chairs, and even more pillows all funneled into a television set up along the opposite wall. Scootaloo had to admit, she was genuinely impressed by Applebloom’s architectural skills. Sure, it was just a pillow fort, but she could see Applebloom’s creative eye at work in stacking pillows to just the right height, making sure blankets were at an adequate tautness, and that it all centered around the focal point of the television they now watched, providing a roomy yet comfortable home away from home that they could all cuddle in. Applebloom’s skills were not only convenient and admirable, but also kinda hot. Both of their ambitions were. Whether it was Applebloom’s desire to constantly work harder and do better, or Sweetie Belle’s talent of micro-management and making sure things were refined to perfection, Scootaloo had to give herself some credit. She had scored some pretty great girlfriends; as potentially volatile their relationship might be at this point. Having no discernable skills or a final goal in life to strive to, Scootaloo had always considered herself a tad un-dateable. She was never the prettiest, or the smartest, or the most talented. Up until recently she had always given that title to a certain… unnamed rainbow-haired individual, but beyond all common sense she found two amazing girls that decided she was good enough for not just one but both of them. Scootaloo’s eyes watered as she glanced to her left and right, a girlfriend under each arm as they watched a movie together, and counted her blessings once more as she marveled at the life she had. There was no way she could give it up now.

            Sweetie Belle sighed as the movie wrapped and the credits began to roll. “Such a good movie. Rarity and I used to watch it all the time when I was a kid.”

            “Y’know,” Applebloom began, shifting herself to allow more comfort amidst the pillows and Scootaloo’s arm, “Ah think the movie would be a lot better if it were named ‘James and the Giant Apple’…”

            “How would that change the story at all?” Sweetie Belle crossed her arms. “It would be exactly the same, except they’d live inside a giant apple.”

            “It wouldn’t be the same!” Applebloom retorted. “It would be like… uh…” She glanced at Scootaloo in search of backup, only to find a bemused expression looking back. “Look, Ah don’t know what it’d be like, Ah ain’t a writer! Ah’m just sayin’ it would be a bit more believable, is all.”

            “B-belie—” Sweetie stammered, unable to process what her girlfriend just said. “How would—”

            “I think we should just give her this one, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo interrupted, not wanting an argument to prop up. “I just think her head is full of apples.”

            Applebloom playfully swatted Scootaloo’s stomach. “Is not! Y’all don’t know nothin’!”

            “What is it filled with then, Applebloom?” inquired Sweetie Belle.

            “Uh, well, I’m thinkin’ a lot about yer butt, if that’s what yer wonderin’.”

            Sweetie Belle giggled. “Yeah, I bet you are, you perv!”

            “Hey, Ah can’t help it! Sittin’ here, cuddlin’ all up on Scoots, havin’ you right there next to her… A mind can’t help but wonder.”

            Applebloom joked, but she was right. Having both of their bodies pressed against her, their intoxicating smells surrounding her at all times… Scootaloo was having a hard time focusing. Her blush had not left her since they configured themselves that way at the start of the movie, and she hoped nobody noticed her constantly shifting leg position trying to prevent her antsy teenage thoughts from getting the better of her. Now that the movie was over, Scootaloo hoped that someone would pick up the conversation.

            Sweetie Belle dug her head into Scootaloo’s neck and closed her eyes, seemingly at peace with the world. “I’m really glad you wanted to be our girlfriend, Scootaloo. Everything has gotten so much better since you showed up.”

            “R-really?” Scootaloo asked.

            “Yeah,” said Applebloom, draping her left arm around Scootaloo’s stomach and wrapping her right arm around her back. “Sweetie Belle and I had been together for a while now, and it was nice n’ all. Like, we loved each other n’ still do, but…”

            “It wasn’t enough,” finished Sweetie Belle.

“Yeah, it wasn’t enough.” She began innocently rubbing Scootaloo’s stomach. Oh gosh, she thought, why are you so cute?

“So…” Scootaloo began, “how long were you two together before you asked me out?”

            Sweetie Belle gazed outwardly, looking as if the answer were floating somewhere in front of her. “Um, I don’t know. About four months?”

            As much as it pained her to admit it, that number hurt Scootaloo. Any number would’ve hurt her, really, as it was time that they had spent together without wanting to tell her about it. And as silly as that seems now, wrapped in the arms of her lovers, she still wished that she could’ve been with them from the start.

            “Yeah,” Applebloom said, “we’d been wantin’ to ask you from the beginnin’, but were just kinda afraid to do so.”

            “Afraid? Why would you be afraid?” Scootaloo asked.

            “Well, ‘afraid’ might not be the right word. We just weren’t sure y’all were… into that, is all.”

            Ohh. Scootaloo understood. Her whole ordeal with Rainbow meant more to them than she’d initially thought. That day she had cried in front of them on her couch not only sparked a desire in them to see her happy, but was also a realization that she was into girls just like they were. It made sense that they weren’t going to just up and tell her about their relationship and risk the awkwardness that followed if she had been purely into guys.

            Her jealousy subsided, if only a little. The idea of the two of them sharing a deep kiss without her involved still flustered her, even though she had only been with them romantically for less than a week now. That feeling, she decided, would eventually subside as she spent more time with them and made up for the months she wasn’t there. A burning question still eluded her, however, one that prompted itself in her mind once again given the position she was in.

            “Uh…” she mumbled, too embarrassed to get the words out. “So… have you two ever… you know…?”

            Applebloom arched an eyebrow. “Uh… ‘you know’ what?” She looked at Sweetie Belle, whose expression also conveyed confusion.

            Scootaloo cleared her throat, realizing she may be afraid of the answer. “You know… have you ever done… it?”

            “It?” A moment of muddled thoughts passed through Applebloom, followed by a crimson wave of realization. “OH!” she said, cheeks red as her hair. “IT!”

            Sweetie Belle choked on spit. “UH… you mean, like… you know…”

            Scootaloo chuckled to herself. She didn’t expect her girlfriends to get so flustered at the question, but had to admit the result was kind of cute. Still, she needed an answer.

            “Um, no… we haven’t.” Applebloom briefly met Scootaloo’s gaze, embarrassed of either the fact that the topic was brought up or rather that she hadn’t fulfilled the criteria. “We’ve kissed a lot. Like… a lot a lot. And we’ve felt each other up once or twice. But never… you know… further down the ranch. So to speak…”

            Did that count as a countryism? giggled Scootaloo.

            “Yeah,” Sweetie Belle added. “It’s kind of a big step, and we’ve only been together for a while. Besides… we’ve kinda been… waiting…”

            “For what?” Scootaloo asked.

            “For a special moment.” She nervously played with the end of her hair. “We talked about it—before we asked you, that is—and kinda hoped that… if we were ever going to do it… um…”

            Applebloom placed her hand on Scootaloo’s. “Well, we were kinda hopin’ that… if we ever decided to take that jump that, uh… you would be there with us, Scootaloo.”

            Blood rushed to Scootaloo’s head. Well, her head and… elsewhere. They were wanting to take the next step in their relationship with her? That was never the answer she thought she would get. She had steeled herself to hear how long ago they had done it, along with how many times since then. She knew the answer would hurt her, but it was something she had to figure out. But this? She was reeling thinking of a way to respond.

            “Uh… I… uh… y-you…” was all that came out.

            Sweetie Belle joined her hand with her girlfriends’, taking note of the seriousness of the situation. “We really love you, Scootaloo. Like, a lot. And ever since we got together, there was never a situation where we ever thought about doing it without you.” She moved her mouth closer to Scootaloo’s, hovering over it for a moment before locking their lips together. She continued to rub Scootaloo’s hand as she rapidly kissed the girl, moving from her lips to her cheek before diving down her neck. Scootaloo shivered, still not used to engagement beyond her lips. As shocking as that feeling was, she certainly wasn’t going to stop her.

            Applebloom soon followed, sealing her lips on Scootaloo’s and wasting no time probing her mouth with an excited tongue. Scootaloo’s body was heating up, unable to fully come to terms with what was happening. Both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle began rubbing her body, gliding their hands from her waist to her shoulders, all in a soft and loving fashion. Scootaloo moaned. That felt good. An itch inside her began to grow, reaching a desire to be scratched. Scootaloo knew what that meant, as her heart began to beat out of her chest. She could tell Applebloom and Sweetie Belle felt it too, the glazed look in their eyes giving credence to the thoughts that swam in their heads. With a free hand, Scootaloo slinked up Applebloom’s waist and cupped her chest, eager to grab at the bounty her friend shared. Sweetie Belle’s pecking soon reached Scootaloo’s shoulder, taking time to pull down her shoulder strap and nibble on her sensitive skin as she trailed her way up and down Scootaloo’s arm. Scootaloo gasped, her goose bump covered skin extra sensitive as her heightened senses fought to take in everything around her.

            Applebloom’s left hand began drifting, making its way to the top button on Scootaloo’s pants. Oh boy… This is it! Scootaloo’s body was acting faster than her mind, and any trepidations she had about the moment were left behind as she arched her back to allow Applebloom easier access. Just as Scootaloo’s excitement reached a peak and Applebloom began to fiddle with Scootaloo’s button, a harsh, vibrating sound pierced the air. Taking a moment to come back to Earth and understand the situation, Scootaloo realized that her phone was vibrating in her pocket.

            “Damn it!” she yelled, knowing that she had to look at it. Blue Aura told her to keep aware of her phone in case something went awry, and she’d become too responsible of a person to be able to ignore it.

            Applebloom giggled at her girlfriend’s outburst. “Is that yer phone buzzin’ in yer pocket, Scootaloo, or are y’all just happy to see me?”

            Scootaloo gave Applebloom a look before twisting her body to pull her phone out of her tight pants pocket. “First off, I have no idea what that would even mean.”

            “Heh, Ah don’t really know either, to be honest.”

            “And secondly… shut up.” Angry that the moment was ruined, Scootaloo unlocked her phone to see a pink social media notification had popped up. “A MyStable message? Who would message me on there?”

            Sweetie Belle blew a lock of hair out of her face. “Who cares? Let’s go back to that thing we were just doing.” At the back of her mind, Scootaloo could tell that she was just as flustered and pent up as herself, but curiosity had gotten the better of her. She didn’t have too many friends that would message her online outside of these two, and she just had to know what was so important to tell her on a stormy night like this.

            “Hold on a sec…” She swiped right on the notification, opening the app and planting her right in her message inbox. It was there that she saw the little message atop of all the others, with bold text indicating that it had gone unread. For a moment, all Scootaloo could hear was the torrent of rain slamming down atop her head. The message was small, and it had been sent to her by Rainbow Dash.

            “R… Rainbow?” she muttered, opening the message. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle frowned. The one who hurt their beloved had not only messaged her, but in the middle of a hot make-out session that was gearing up to be much more. There was no way this would end up well.

            “Hey, Scoots,” she read aloud, her girlfriends’ gaze filled with ire. “Just thought I’d message you on here ‘cause it’s the only way I know to get ahold of you.” Scootaloo huffed. So now she wants to message me? “I was just checking in and seeing how you were doing. You seemed kinda mad at me the other day and I was wondering… Did I mess up or something? Is it because I forgot to message you to hang out? I know we hadn’t really talked for a few weeks there, and I’m sorry for that, but I just wanted to know… Is everything okay?”

            Applebloom chuckled. “A lil’ late to the fair now, RD.”

            “Yeah!” nodded Sweetie Belle, “We have her all to ourselves! Right, Scootaloo?” As they both looked up at their girlfriend, the two girls were startled to see that tears were forming in Scootaloo’s eyes.

            “Stupid…” she mumbled as she locked her phone. “So… stupid…” Scootaloo threw the offending object across their fort, slamming into a pillow and landing face-down on a blanket.

            “Scootaloo…” Applebloom yearned.

            “Why does she have to do this to me now?!” Scootaloo’s hands flew to her face, concealing the streams of tears that fell steadily from it. She thought she was over it. Over her. She had everything she needed. A mother who loved her, and two amazing girlfriends that were as much her entire world as she was theirs. So why was she crying so much?

            “No, don’t cry!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. She wrapped an arm around the back of Scootaloo’s waist. “Hey, come on… it’s okay! Rainbow is old news, remember? You deserve so much better than her!” She glanced at Applebloom, who looked just as confused as she was. Perhaps even hurt.

            Scootaloo hated herself. This was supposed to be a night about them. Showing them that she could be everything they needed her to be. That she could be a good girlfriend. That she was worth something. And now, with a simple message, she was making things about herself.

            “Sugar cube, it’s all right! Please don’t be cryin’ like that” Applebloom pleaded, repeatedly running her hand through Scootaloo’s hair. “Could ya at least tell us why that message is makin’ y’all feel like this?”

            Scootaloo merely shook her head. It was too difficult for her to talk right now. Of all the times in the world, Rainbow had to come and show her face again now? After all this time, days spent with her girlfriends as they brought her up and made her feel like normal again—better than normal!—Rainbow’s intervention felt like it was all being undone just like that.

            “Scootaloo…” Sweetie Belle said quietly, rubbing her girlfriend’s back, “Come on… talk to us.” Scootaloo head remained lowered. “Scootaloo? My dear? My darling? My girl with the cutest and nicest butt in all the land?” Applebloom chuckled at Sweetie Belle’s efforts, and even agreed with her. After a moment of pained silence, Scootaloo raised her head.

            “I… I’m the worst,” she said.

            “W-what?” asked Sweetie Belle.

            “… I’m horrible. I’m the worst girlfriend to ever exist.”

            Applebloom was quick to interject. “Woah, woah! Hey, now! Y’all are not the worst girlfriend to ever exist.”

            “Yeah,” added Sweetie Belle, “you probably wouldn’t even be in the bottom five-hundred!”

            Applebloom deadpanned Sweetie Belle.

            “… What?”

            Turning back to Scootaloo, Applebloom continued. “Now what in the heck are y’all talkin’ ‘bout? O’ course yer not a bad girlfriend! We love you!”

            Scootaloo sniffled before wiping tears from her eyes, a vain effort as they were quickly replaced. “I’m so sorry, girls. I tried my best.” She looked up at Applebloom, tears now rimming in her eyes as well. “No matter what I do, all of our troubles seem to come back to me. I should never have gotten in the way.”

            Applebloom furrowed her brow. “Now just hold on a sec! That’s some pretty stinkin’ thinkin’ there, Scootaloo, and y’all know it. Now what in Sam Hill got in yer head that you were gettin’ in the way? Didn’t we just go on tellin’ y’all about how happy we were ‘bout you showin’ up?”

            Scootaloo turned away from her girlfriends. She could hardly look them in the eye. “It’s just… I’d been trying so hard to be happy with what I have. And I am! But every time that I feel like things are going right for me, or that I might have a real chance with something, I always end up… afraid.”

            “Afraid?” inquired Sweetie Belle. “I don’t really know what you mean, Scoots. Shouldn’t you be glad things are going this way?”

            Scootaloo nodded. “This night was supposed to be about you two. I was trying everything I could to show you that I was worth all the effort you two have shown me, and that I, you know, could be as good a girlfriend as you two are.” She sniffled. “But every time I think of Rainbow Dash, I’m reminded that every time I start loving somebody is when they start pushing me away. Other friends, other foster parents, just… everybody.”

            “Scoots…”

            “It’s not like I love Rainbow anymore. I don’t. But every moment I’ve had with you girls the last few days has made me so, so happy. Like… I really love you two. And I’m afraid that the deeper I go in… the harder it’s gonna be when I lose you.”

            Sweetie Belle and Applebloom both dove into Scootaloo, wrapping her in the warmest and most genuine hug they could muster.

            “Please don’t leave me…” Scootaloo cried, letting in her girlfriends’ love as they, too, began to cry.

            “We’re never, ever, gonna leave ya, sugar cube,” Applebloom calmingly said.

            Sweetie Belle pecked Scootaloo on the cheek. “When we said we’d be best friends forever, we meant it.” Applebloom nodded in agreement. “We love you so much, Scootaloo. I don’t think we could ever love somebody more than we love you. But… if for some weird reason that day ever came, it’s not like we’d just abandon you.”

            Scootaloo opened an eye as Applebloom pet her hair. “Really? I thought—”

            “Scoots,” interjected Applebloom, “she’s right. You meant the world to us long before we started datin’. Ah promise you, on the Apple family, that if our relationship goes south, there’s no world where Sweetie Belle an’ Ah won’t still be yer best friend.”

A warming calm ran over Scootaloo’s heart. She had been so close to that revelation earlier in the night, she just didn’t complete the thought process. They were her best friends first and foremost, no matter what. Unfortunately, it too a lot of making out and crying for her to finally realize that. They were the Crusaders, and for the first time in her life she had found some people, a family, that would be there with her to the end.

“Thank you, girls. I… I love you. I’m sorry I ever doubted you. Doubted us.” Scootaloo pecked each of them on the cheek, her fears finally subsiding. “You were right, I don’t need Rainbow. I’ll try to just forget about her. For now, at least.”

“Ah love you too, Scoots,” Applebloom said, snuggling deeper into the crook of Scootaloo’s neck. “Everythin’s gonna be okay. We promise.”

“Yeah,” agreed Sweetie Belle. “We’ll take care of you.” She quickly sat up, an idea obviously formed in her head. “Applebloom, I think we need to do some cheering up for Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo wiped her eyes clean. “I think I’m gonna be okay, you guys. Thank you.”

Applebloom smirked and gave Scootaloo an unsure look. “Ah don’t know, Ah think Sweetie here is right. Y’all could use a lil’ pep in yer step, Ah reckon.” She giggled, starting to prop herself up onto her feet.

Sweetie Belle booped Scootaloo in the nose, an act which Scootaloo found to be offensively cute. “Tag! You’re it!” Sweetie Belle shouted, as both she and Applebloom crouched out from under the entrance of their pillow fort and ran giggling out into the hallway.

“Girls!” Scootaloo called, a giggle cutting through the tears. “Wait for me!” She quickly lunged forward and crawled her way out of the fort before standing up and taking a brief moment to dust herself off. Her heart raced as she sprinted off to find her friends, eager to see what they had in mind for her. Leave it to them to brighten my day in an instant. Scootaloo could not remove the smile on her face as she checked each room to see if either of the girls were hiding within. She had never known someone to make her heart feel this way -- to turn her feelings completely around and make her realize that she had somebody there for her no matter what. Scootaloo laughed. She was going to be okay.

Curious, however, as to where her mysterious cohorts had scampered off to. A lull in her excitement appeared as she trotted downstairs to find complete darkness and not a noise to be heard.

“Where on earth…” she muttered, checking the downstairs bathroom to see if they had managed to hide themselves in the bathtub together. Now there’s an idea! Finding no such thing, Scootaloo returned to the living room and decided not to follow along in their abrupt game of hide and seek.

“Girls?” called Scootaloo, apparently to nobody. She walked into an adjacent family room, still devoid of any sign of life or electricity. “You’re kinda freaking me out here, heheh… Not to say that I’m… you know… a coward… or anything.” She eyed a decorative set of plates engraved with images of chickens. Moving through the room, a sudden thudding noise caught her by surprise.

“Ahh!” she yelped, bringing her fists up into defensive positions near her chest. “Hello? Applebloom? Sweetie Belle?” She paused. “… A ghost?” Turning her body toward the kitchen, no image—paranormal or otherwise—seemed to appear. She carefully and silently moved towards the doorway, making sure she made no sudden movements. After draping her arm around the corner as she fumbled for the kitchen light switch, Scootaloo quickly flicked what she assumed to be her target while jumping out into the doorway.

“Ah-hah!” she declared triumphantly before realizing nobody was there. “Ah… huh?” She looked around. She looked under the table. She even looked in the fridge. “Where the frick are you guys!?” And what was that noise? As if to answer her question, the thudding noise returned in an even louder turn out. This time, however, she totally wasn’t freaked out by it and totally didn’t almost pee her pants again.

Totally.

What she did do was realize that the noise was, in fact, coming from the kitchen door leading out towards the barn swaying in the heavy winds of the storm. A sigh of relief came from Scootaloo. No Ghost of Apples Past here. Laughing to herself that she even worried at all, Scootaloo peered outside the flailing door and spied the Apple’s barn across the way. So too did she notice that it’s large front doorway was ajar. Got ya.

Scootaloo stepped outside, becoming instantly soaked as a deluge of rain cascaded upon her. Being as dark as it was, her only source of light was the dim glow streaming across the mud laden gap between her and the barn.

Scootaloo sprinted, hoping to minimize the effect of the storm on her hair and clothing. This act was stymied by the fact that every step she took made her feet sink lower and lower into the mud. Each step made her grunt in frustration, praying to whomever was watching that her girlfriends were actually in the barn and she wasn’t just chasing a particularly bright tail-end of a firefly. As each second passed, her clothing became heavier and heavier, and her once cutely coiffed hair had lumped right in front of her eyes. Wiping aside her thick, purple hair, she finally sloshed her way into the barn and collapsed on her hands and knees, thankful to be free from the terrible storm that seemed never ending in nature.

“Ugh!” she called, feeling her clothes drag her down towards the dirt. She hated getting wet, and had lost all her energy attempting to make the trek into the barn. Through the sound of the storm and her heavy breathing, Scootaloo heard the barn door close behind her. Good. That either meant that Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were here, or she was about to get murdered. Either way…

            “Glad y’all finally decided to join us,” came the familiar voice of Applebloom.

            Scootaloo chest still heaved, too exhausted to look up at her comrade. “You know…” she said between breaths, “you girls really… could’ve told me… -heh- that you were leaving the house…”

            “That wouldn’t be nearly as fun,” replied Sweetie Belle, who appeared to be standing right alongside Applebloom.

            As her breath  caught up with her, Scootaloo finally decided to look up. Upon doing so, she had to make a quick double take after disbelieving what she saw. Before her stood Applebloom and Sweetie Belle in front of a small, lit fire pit—no surprise there—but instead of wearing what they had been for the rest of the night, they apparently decided to remove their tops altogether. Standing there in nothing but their bras—albeit with their lower halves still fully clothed—the two girls stared down Scootaloo with devilish smirks on their faces.

            “We got all wet from comin’ out here to the barn,” Applebloom began, “an’ we figured, ‘Who are we hidin’ from?’ so we decided to get a lil’ more… comfortable.”

            “Buhhh…” spilled from Scootaloo’s mouth, her jaw agape and her eyes doing everything but meeting her girlfriends’ gaze. They were… really, really hot! Scootaloo had just ran through the rain for a prolonged amount of time, but she felt like her face was turning that water into steam at an alarming rate.

            Sweetie Belle giggled. “Do you like what you see, Scoots?” They began to move closer to their prisoner.

            “Muhh…” Scootaloo replied. Her eyes darted between the two beautiful forms in front of her. Applebloom wore a simple crimson bra, while Sweetie Belle’s was surprisingly laced and intricate. Not too surprising, to be honest, given her sister’s influence on her attire. The two girls hefted Scootaloo up by each arm and tossed her backwards. Scootaloo closed her eyes, thinking that her girlfriends had decided to toss her backwards onto the floor for some reason. She was relieved, however, when she instantly came in contact with something soft, albeit a bit prickly in places. Looking down around her, she found herself to be laying down upon one of the Apple family’s untied hay bales. She giggled quietly to herself. A literal roll in the hay.

            Applebloom climbed atop Scootaloo and straddled her. Ohhhhhh boy. “Sweetie Belle n’ Ah reckoned y’all needed to take out some of your aggression,” she said, slinking her torso along Scootaloo’s until they were face to face. “’sides… Ah kinda wanted to continue with where we left off.” A sensual smirk left Scootaloo’s heart beating out of its chest.

            Sweetie Belle crouched down alongside them, eyeing Scootaloo with the cutest face she had ever seen. “I remember one time I was really mad at Rarity for something. Which—to be honest—I can’t even remember why anymore.” She giggled. “But that night I ran over to Applebloom’s to cry. Uh, not that I wouldn’t go to you too, Scoots! It’s just… she was closer…”

            Scootaloo nodded.

            “That was the first night Sweetie Bell n’ Ah kissed,” continued Applebloom, still looking down amorously at Scootaloo. “Ah could tell she was so sad, so angry, an’ Ah just… leaned in.”

            A crimson blush met Sweetie Belle’s face. “I’m… really glad you did.” They smiled at one another, warming Scootaloo’s heart. “I was so angry at her, and Applebloom’s love helped me get past it. And, well, look where we are now because of it!” She gestured at the two of them, how far their relationship had grown in such short of time. “The point is, Scootaloo, that sometimes when you’re mad at something… the best way to deal with it is through somebody else.”

            Scootaloo swallowed. They wanted her to use them? To take out all her emotional and sexual frustrations out on them? She never even thought of that as an option. It somewhat scared her. But, if Scootaloo was being honest with herself, it enticed her all the same, and it certainly was all she needed to get her engines revved.

            Applebloom grabbed Scootaloo’s soaking wet shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing a small, purple bra that modestly covered her. She fought the urge to cover up, knowing full well that she didn’t have to in front of them. She gazed up at Applebloom, attempting to withhold the excitement she held inside.

            “I… I want to…” she conceded. And she did, indeed, want to. Her anger at Rainbow, her self-doubt, her confusion regarding her place in life; she needed to get it all out.

            “Good,” replied Applebloom as she leaned down. “So, get mad.”

            “Get angry,” added Sweetie Belle.

            “An’ do whatever it is y’all want to us, ‘cause Ah think that we’re rea—” her voice was cut off by Scootaloo assaulting her mouth with her tongue, eager to pick up where they had left off before Rainbow’s rude interruption. Applebloom’s eyes shot open in surprise as Scootaloo took the offensive, but spent no time worrying about it as she quickly moaned into her girlfriend’s kiss.

            Taking the proverbial reins, Scootaloo spun Applebloom down onto the hay while she, in turn, mounted on top. She began to grope away as Applebloom smirked.

            “Angrier” Applebloom said, her eyes closing as Scootaloo’s fingers traced every inch of her torso. “Come on!”

            Scootaloo huffed. They wanted to see what she really wanted from them? Well then, she’d show it to them. With a quick unlatch and a tug, Scootaloo’s spiked belt that hung from her waist was pulled off, and the button that she had oh-so-much wanted Applebloom to undo previously in the night was swiftly popped open. She turned to Sweetie Belle and cupped her cheek with her hand, bringing their two heads together as well as their soft and tender lips.

            Sweetie Belle squeaked with joy, but she knew she could get some more out of Scootaloo. She broke their kiss, to Scootaloo’s obvious dismay, as Sweetie Belle’s playful side began to seep out. “C’mon. I know you can do better than that.”

            Lustful rage overtook Scootaloo as she swiped her wet and sticky hair back and pounced on Sweetie Belle. Their lips locked, and for the first time Scootaloo penetrated Sweetie’s lips with her tongue. She was sweeter than Applebloom, like she had just eaten some mints before Scootaloo had shown up.

            Sweetie Belle giggled but stalled their kiss. “Surely you’re angrier than that. Come on, Scoots! I bet you don’t even have a war face!”

            Whatever that had meant, it struck a nerve with Scootaloo as she balled a fist in frustration. In one swift motion, Scootaloo bent down and continued to kiss Sweetie Belle while her hands reached around and rapidly removed Sweetie’s bra. Sweetie Belle playfully screamed, crossing her arms over her chest to not allow Scootaloo access. Without parting from Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo reached over and unhooked the clasp between Applebloom’s two cups, revealing her chest as well.

            Applebloom chuckled. “Now that’s more like it. C’mere!” She leaned over and brought down Scootaloo’s loosened pants, revealing her modest panties.

            Purple.

            Scootaloo giggled as Applebloom laid herself down alongside Sweetie Belle, allowing herself to tower over the two with full control. With one hand groping Applebloom and the other running through Sweetie Belle’s hair, Scootaloo removed Applebloom’s bow and tossed it aside. Her heart raced, and a luscious furor rushed through her veins. She had never even gotten close to feeling this way before and, boy, was it addicting. To actually be in control—of everything—intoxicated Scootaloo as the scent of their musk filled the air. Yet a tinge of fear quickly found its way into her stomach. Was something wrong here?

            “Uh… Scoots?” asked Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo shook her head, realizing that she had been frozen in place. The nerves that came with the moment at hand were starting to catch up to her. Push through, Scootaloo, she thought. You wanted this.

            Leaning down, Scootaloo began to unzip Sweetie Belle’s zipper. “Uh, take… take your pants off,” she directed at Applebloom.

            “Well, alright!” shouted Applebloom. With graceful dexterity, Applebloom lifted her torso into the air and shimmied her pants down past her bottom before flicking them off completely. Sweetie Belle moaned in pleasure as Scootaloo kissed her way down Sweetie’s stomach and removed her pants altogether. Okay. One last step. She hesitated, knowing just how important the moment in front of her seemed to be. Scootaloo flinched in surprise as Sweetie Belle sat up and once again enveloped Scootaloo in a deep and loving kiss. Scootaloo’s hands took to Sweetie Belle’s back as she caressed her lover’s smooth and sensual curves.

            “Wow…” she said, “y-your skin is really soft.”

            “Thanks,” batted Sweetie Belle, “Rarity taught me to moisturize.” Scootaloo grinned to herself, knowing that it was obvious she was stalling. Applebloom put on a pouty face as she saw Scootaloo go back to kissing Sweetie Belle.

            “Hey, Ah’m still here, y’know!” As Sweetie Belle parted her lips from Scootaloo, she rejoined them with Applebloom as the two enjoyed swapping spit with one another.

            Scootaloo sat in wonder at the two goddesses before her. Gosh, why is this so HOT?! Her palpitations increased as the realization of just how incredibly sexy her two partners actually were. I don’t think that’s the warmth of the rain water I’m feeling right now.

            Opening one of her eyes to Scootaloo, Applebloom pushed the orange girl back as she slowly rolled her body along the floor of the barn. The two parted in their kiss as Sweetie Belle gently kissed her way up the inside of Scootaloo’s leg. Pangs of pleasure began shooting their way up her body as Sweetie Belle got closer and closer to the point of no return.

            Sweetie Belle ran her delicate fingers along the rim of Scootaloo’s panties. Her legs squirmed as the itch she needed to get scratched grew in intensity. But as Sweetie began to slide her fingers past the hem of those delicious purple panties, Scootaloo’s hand instinctively snatched at Sweetie Belle’s arm and locked it in a firm grasp.

            “What?! What’s wrong?” shouted Sweetie Belle.

            “Sorry!” replied Scootaloo, unsure of her own actions. “I… I’m sorry! I just, uh…” She stalled for time, looking around the room for an excuse. What was wrong with her? In the back of her mind, she knew that this moment was what she had been waiting for all day.

            “I just want to be in a more comfortable position, is all,” she said with a forced giggle. As Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked confusedly at her, Scootaloo stood up and laid herself back down on the hay bale once more. “O-okay… let’s do this.”

            Applebloom took this moment to lay her body atop Scootaloo’s. Scootaloo enjoyed the feeling of her weight pressed along her body; it wasn’t too heavy, just enough so that she felt safe and warm underneath Applebloom. They began to kiss once again, Applebloom’s coarse hands coasting along Scootaloo’s body before removing the small bra that she wore. Now in only their panties, Scootaloo was feeling more and more uncomfortable.

            Licking her lips, Applebloom trailed kisses down Scootaloo’s stomach before winding up once more between the young girl’s legs. With a moment of hesitation, she outreached her hands and grabbed each side of Scootaloo’s panties. She slowly, and what was assumingly supposed to be sexily, began tugging and pulling away as Scootaloo’s legs trembled more and more. Before they were half way down her thighs, Scootaloo grasped once more at the arms pulling at her, crossing her legs as best as she could.

            “Wait!”

            Applebloom removed her hands and sat up. “What now?” she asked, not angry but visibly put off.

            “I… um…” She had no words to say. Come on! This was what she wanted! Everything in her mind was screaming to proceed, yet her heart and her body could do nothing but lock up and say “NO!”

            “You don’t want to do this, do you, Scootaloo?” Sweetie asked, worry crossing her face.

            Scootaloo put her hands in her face. “Girls, I’m so sorry!” She pulled her panties back up as tears filled her eyes once more. “I do want to do it with you two, more than anything, it’s just… it’s wet, and it’s cold, and I just…”

            “Ya want it to be special,” finished Applebloom. She stood up and walked over to Scootaloo, sitting down beside her as Sweetie Belle followed. “Ah get that, ‘n Ah want that too.” She placed her hand on Scootaloo’s. “We thought this was a good idea, havin’ fun out here in the hay n’ all. But… yer right. It is kinda… dank out here.”

            Sweetie Belle giggled. “And we are kinda covered in mud.”

            “We don’t want y’all do do anythin’ yer uncomfortable with.” She stroked Scootaloo’s cheek as a smile formed on her face. “If this ain’t a special enough moment for you, then we completely understand.”

            Scootaloo sniffed. “So… you guys aren’t mad at me?”

            “Of course not!” chided Sweetie Belle. “We love you Scoots! Besides… it’ll happen eventually, right? No need to rush it. Out here. In the muddy, smelly barn that’s filling up with flood water.”

            “Hey!” interjected Applebloom. “That’s my muddy, smelly barn that’s filling up with flood water. And Ah’ll politely ask y’all to respect it!” she said with a chuckle. Scootaloo laughed as well, feeling a bit better knowing that her girlfriends completely understood her. To Scootaloo, this was the final sign she needed. Whether it was her as a person, their relationship to one another, or their own sexual experiences, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were completely accepting of her. She was going into this night expecting to hide what a silly mess she could be a lot of the time. Well… most of the time. It was now abundantly clear that it was that silly mess that they fell in love with to begin with.

            “Wow…” she said, her painful tears being replaced with those of joy, “I really do love you two. With all of my heart.” She turned to them with the most earnest look she could muster. “You know that?”

            Once more, tears began to rise in Applebloom as well. “Sugarcube, of course we do. We love you too.” She wrapped Scootaloo in the tightest, most Apple-family-like hug she had ever given her. Sweetie Belle followed with as tight a hug a dainty girl like her could give.

            “We’re here with you until the end, Scootaloo.” Picking up Scootaloo’s bra, Sweetie handed back the girls’ respective clothing as they began to prepare for the trek back to the house.

            “Hooey!” Applebloom said as she opened the barn doors, a torrent of water flooding in above their toe line. “Sure did rain a lot while we were in here. Guess time flies when you’re… y’know… foolin’ around, heh…”

            Sweetie Belle screeched as water got in through her shoes. “I hate getting wet!”

            Scootaloo raised an accusing eyebrow.

            “I mean from the rain, you perv!”

            Scootaloo giggled as she tapped Sweetie Belle on the butt. “It could be worse. Come on, I’ll race you guys back to the house.” Without any agreement or consent from others, Scootaloo rushed past the open doorway and trudged into the waters beyond.

            “Oh, hell no!” Applebloom called, annoyed of the unfair challenge presented to her. Waving Sweetie Belle out of the barn – screaming as she was forced to wade in the pop-up stream that was the backyard – Applebloom quickly shut the barn doors and began stomping her way across the muddied waters. Without asking, Applebloom stuck her head between the back of Sweetie Belle’s legs and dug her shoulders into the rear of her knees.

            “Applebloom, what in the world are you—WOAH!” Before she knew it, Applebloom had lifted Sweetie Belle onto her shoulders and was carrying her across the stream. “Excuse me?”

            “Wouldn’t want a fine lady like you to get her feet wet, now would we?” called up Applebloom, maneuvering her way back to the house undeterred by the small girl above her.

            “You didn’t seem to be that concerned about it before!” said Sweetie Belle as she waved her arms to and fro in an attempt to gain some balance.

            The duo caught up to and eventually surpassed Scootaloo, who’s shoes had become stuck in the deep, thickening mud they had to cross.

            “Having some second thoughts about challenging us there, Sugarcube?”

            Scootaloo wiped her hair from out of her eyes. “Not a word, Applebloom!” she scolded as she tugged on her leg in an attempt to remove it from the confines of the muddied dirt below her.

            Applebloom shrugged as she adeptly made her way across.

            “Bye, Scoots!” taunted Sweetie Belle.

            Scootaloo shook her head. In the last few hours she may have been touched in the heart more than any other times in her life combined, and the love that grew in her heart swelled into excess. That being said, she was still the competitive, rambunctious kid that she always was, and there was no way she was letting those two beat her. Forgoing what was probably the intelligent choice, Scootaloo slid her feet out of her shoes and stumbled forward, her bare feet smacking the mud as she sprinted her way towards the house. She neared her girlfriends as they came within feet of the door, and with what can only be described as Rainbow-Dash-like speed and dexterity, Scootaloo brushed past them to slam open the door and step inside.

            “BOOYAH!” she called, her fists in the air as she slid her bare feet around the linoleum floor of the kitchen.

            “Oh, what?!” Applebloom disappointedly moaned, letting Sweetie Belle down as they both stepped in and shut the door behind them. “Ah had that!”

            Scootaloo slammed her hands against her crotch in a provocative movement. “Suck it!”

            Sweetie Belle cringed. “Ew… And we both know I wouldn’t if you had one.”

            The three laughed as they all took a moment to catch their breath. “Ah have to say,” Applebloom began, “Ah’m impressed. Ah didn’t think y’all had it in ya.”

            Scootaloo shrugged. “What can I say? I’m fast on my feet. And with my fingers!” She clasped a hand over her mouth, realizing she actually said her dirty joke out loud instead of just adding it on in her head.

            Applebloom raised her eyebrow. “Is that so?” She sauntered her way up to Scootaloo and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Y’all are gonna have to show us that sometime or another, then.”

            Heat once again rose in Scootaloo’s face, turning her complexion a deep crimson. Wanting to move on to another subject, Scootaloo grasped at the first idea that came to mind.

            “Uh… I should text Aura. Let her know that I’m all good.” She fruitlessly felt for her phone in her pocket, only to realize that it was nowhere to be found. A quick scan of her memories gleaned her the memory of throwing it against the wall of the pillow fort in rage against Rainbow Dash.

            “Shoot!” she muttered, turning to the girls. “Be right back!” The two nodded as Scootaloo sprinted up the stairs and back into Applebloom’s bedroom, the pillow fort sitting exactly how it was previously. Crouching down to go through its entryway, Scootaloo found her phone sitting face down near the wall. She picked it up and flipped it over, noticing that three messages had been left by an unknown caller. Well, she thought, that can’t be good.

            She pressed the play button on the first call and held it up to her ear.

-o0o-

            Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were talking casually when Scootaloo ran down the stairs, color drained from her face.

            “I need to go. Now.” She looked around for her things, forgetting that most of them were still in Applebloom’s room.

            The two looked startled. “Uh… Sugarcube? What’s wrong?” Applebloom made her way over to Scootaloo, who only pushed her aside as she made her way towards the front door.

            “Scootaloo!” shouted Sweetie Belle. “What’s wrong?!”

            Scootaloo spun in place, looking at them with an emptiness in her eyes. “Blue Aura got in a car crash. On her way home from work, she… she’s in the emergency room.”

            Sweetie Belle and Applebloom’s hearts collectively sunk. Looking at each other for a brief moment, Applebloom turned back to Scootaloo with nothing to say.

            “Scoots, Ah… Ah’m so…”

            “Applebloom!” Scootaloo interjected, putting on her hoodie. “Get your truck ready. I need you to take me there, now.”

            Applebloom studdered. “S-Scootaloo, Ah… the truck ran outta gas, ‘member? Applejack said she’d fill it back up when she got back home.”

            “Shit…” Scootaloo muttered under her breath. Unsure of what to do, Scootaloo’s shaking hands ran through her hair as tears fell from her face. Turning to the front door, she made her decision.

            “Fine,” she said as she grabbed her scooter propped up against the wall and unlocked the front door, “I’ll go there myself. Sorry I have to leave like this.” She opened the door and ran out into the rain, unfolding her scooter as she did.

            “Wait, Scootaloo!” shouted Applebloom. “Y’all can’t ride there in your scooter! It’s pouring out there! It’s flooded, it’s almost eleven, y-you don’t even have your shoes or socks!”

            “I have to!” Scootaloo screamed, knowing full well that Applebloom didn’t deserve her ire. “She’s my m… my guardian. I have to.” She turned around and began running her way to the main road. “Sorry I ruined our sleepover. I’ll make it up to you sometime.” Without waiting for any other rebuttals, Scootaloo greeted the sidewalk with her scooter and took off as fast as she could in the direction of the hospital.

            Sweetie Belle turned to Applebloom, both covered in rain and without any sense of hope between them. “Wh… what do we do now?”

            Applebloom shook her head, clearly not having the slightest idea.

“Ah don’t know.”