Your Secret Admirer

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“This had better be worth me staying after school,” Scootaloo grumbled, eying her breath as it floated skyward. She tugged her scarf tighter and stomped her hooves, doing anything she could to keep warm. “Here I am, standing in the snow to wait on some filly while the girls and Apple Bloom’s little tagalong boyfriend get all warm and cosy in Sugarcube Corner!”

Flicking her tail, she reached into her saddlebag and rummaged around in search of the note she’d found tucked between the pages of her math book after lunch period.

Her hoof brushed against one of the crumpled edges. She snatched it out of her bag and leaned up against the side of the old swing set. The cold, rusted metal pressed against her shoulder as she unfolded the paper and let her eyes skim over the familiar cursive writing. The scent of vanilla and lilac wafted to her nose—a filly’s perfume.

Dear Scootaloo,
There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for quite some time. I just haven’t been able to pluck up the courage to come to you, especially when I see you surrounded by your friends. I can’t put it off any longer. I have to tell you, if only so you know how I’ve felt about you for so long.
Please meet me by the old swing set after Miss Cheerilee lets us out of class today. I promise, it’ll just be the two of us. No tricks like when we were younger.
I hope to see you there, Scootaloo. If not, well, I understand.
Sincerely,
Your Secret Admirer

Scootaloo rolled her eyes as she stuffed the note in her saddlebag. “‘Secret admirer,’ my cutie mark,” she muttered. The mouthwriting and perfume were dead giveaways, but the little bit about tricks sealed it.

If Silver Spoon didn’t walk out that door, sunlight gleaming off her coat as she walked and swished her silvery tail, Scootaloo would eat her scooter whole.

She flicked her tail, glancing toward the schoolhouse with a small frown. What in Equestria was that filly playing at?

No sight of her yet. Scootaloo sighed and gave her wings a little rustle. “You’ve got about five minutes to get your little gray backside out here,” she said, more to herself than the absent filly. “And then I’m bailing to get ice cream with the girls and Pip.”

At the mention of Pip’s name, she wrinkled her snout. Bailing meant she had to watch Apple Bloom sit on the same stool with him, all cuddled up while they shared a milkshake, stealing cutesy little kisses when they thought Sweetie and Scootaloo weren’t looking. Not that she wasn’t happy for her friend, but still. Ew.

Maybe ten minutes. Or fifteen.

Waiting twenty minutes wouldn’t seem like she was desperate for an excuse, right?

All she had to do was convince Sweetie Belle. Easy enough, she’d just have to distract her. Somehow.

The schoolhouse’s back door pushed open, and Scootaloo’s ears perked up. “Freaking finally,” she muttered, pushing off the metal post. The instant she caught sight of a gray hoof stepping out onto the porch and the glint of sunlight off those blue-rimmed glasses, she couldn’t help but smirk. I knew it.

Silver Spoon stopped in the middle of the porch, her eyes flitting left and right as if making sure her approach wouldn’t be seen. Once she was satisfied, she gave a little sigh of relief and made to begin her trot, turning her gaze to Scootaloo.

Their eyes met across the field. Silver Spoon froze in mid step, her ears splayed back to lay flat against her scalp.

A small smirk played upon Scootaloo’s lips. After years of ducking her head as Silver Spoon sauntered by with her head high and a quip on the tip of her tongue, it felt rather nice to see the horseshoe on the other hoof.

She watched Silver Spoon close her eyes and take a deep breath, then mutter something to herself before she finally took that first step forward. The confident little filly who stood by Diamond Tiara’s side and teased and tormented her for so long, then joined up with the Crusaders after they earned their marks, was nowhere to be found today.

I should feel like a jerk, but this is just too rich. Scootaloo swished her tail and leaned up against the swing set again, crossing one foreleg in front of the other. Idly, she let her eyes wander over Silver Spoon as she approached. As per usual, her coat was brushed to perfection so sunlight gleamed off it like her namesake, her two-toned silvery-gray braid bobbed along with each step.

Scootaloo raised her brow. Silver Spoon had always had a bit of a cutesy look to her; matching blue scarf and glasses, and a color scheme that even she, with only a passive appreciation gained from hanging out with Sweetie Belle, could appreciate.

There was something a bit different about her today, though. The way she walked, with a bit of hesitation in each step and a sort of half quiver, half sway in her hips was just …

Atypical of the filly she’d known for so long.

Silver Spoon came to a stop just out of hoof’s reach. She gave a shy smile, shifting her weight from one side to the other. “H-Hi, Scootaloo,” she stammered, her gaze flitting to the ground. Chewing on her lip, she scuffed a hoof at the dirt and gave an anxious flick of her tail. “I, uh, wasn’t sure if you got my note or not.”

“You put it in my math book right before math class,” Scootaloo retorted, offering a teasing grin in reply. “Kinda hard not to notice.”

“Yeah, right.” Silver Spoon gave a weak chuckle and ducked her head. “So, about that thing I, uh, wanted to ask you.”

“I saw in the note. What’s up, Silver Spoon?”

Ducking her head, Silver Spoon let her gaze drop to the ground again as her tail tucked between her legs. She mumbled something incomprehensible under her breath.

A silence fell over the pair.

Scootaloo flicked her ear at the sound of birds singing in the forest, her feathers ruffled irritably. She tapped a hoof against the rusted metal, her mouth set into a thin line. “Well?” she pressed. “C’mon, Silver, you didn’t seriously bring me out here to stammer while we listen to birds, did you?” With a sly grin, she gave a playful waggle of her ears. “I mean, if you really wanted, we could’ve set up a picnic or something.”

Silver Spoon’s head snapped up, her eyes lit up and tail swishing merrily. “Really?”

She nodded and glanced off toward the edge of the forest. “Yeah. I mean, it’s not my normal bag, but if Rainbow Dash can have fun with her friends at picnics, I can do it too. We could get the girls.” Wrinkling her snout, she added, “And Pip, I guess, ‘cause Apple Bloom’ll want to get all mushy and stuff with him.”

There was a moment’s pause before Silver Spoon spoke again, her voice quiet and tinged with disappointment. “Oh,” she said simply. “I thought—no, never mind.”

Confused, Scootaloo flicked her ear toward Silver Spoon, then turned to face her again, a quip fresh on the tip of her tongue. She stopped short. Her smile fell as she took in the crestfallen look that crossed the filly’s face.

Uh oh. She pushed off the swing set and stepped in close. “Hey, I was just kidding,” she said, placing a comforting hoof on Silver Spoon’s shoulder. “Wasn’t trying to be a jerk or anything.”

“Y-Yeah,” Silver Spoon said, her voice strained and caught in her throat. She rubbed a hoof against her shin, her gaze flitted to the ground again. “I, uh, guess I deserve a bit of teasing after all that time, don’t I?”

Scootaloo fought down the urge to kick herself. “C’mon, I thought we got past all that. We’re about to graduate and move on from this place, you don’t really think I’d hold an old filly grudge against you this long, do you?”

Shifting again, Silver Spoon offered a pained smile.

She did.

Oh, pluck my feathers.

A tiny frown crossed Scootaloo’s muzzle. She gave Silver Spoon’s shoulder a little squeeze and said, “I’m sorry, alright? That was a line I shouldn’t have crossed, and I did. That’s on me.” Loosening her grip a little, she maneuvered herself so she could stand at Silver Spoon’s side and throw a hoof over her withers. “So, spill. Tell me what’s going on in that silvery head of yours!”

Silver Spoon let out a squeak, her cheeks flushed pink. “Ah! M-My coat is gray, not silver!”

“Same diff!” Scootaloo scoffed and gave a dismissive wave of her hoof, then poked Silver Spoon in the chest. “Don’t be a dictionary, that’s Sweetie’s thing. And don’t you try to change the subject on me either! You have baggage to spill!”

“R-Right.” Another uncomfortable shift, Silver Spoon’s ears pinned back. “I, um—well, you know about the, uh, Hearts and Hooves Day Dance Miss Cheerilee and Twilight put together for next week?”

Scootaloo laughed. “Yeah! Rainbow’s been trying her darnedest to come up with a reason she can’t help chaperone! She even offered me flight lessons that night if I ‘asked’ in front of Twilight!” Blinking, she fixed Silver Spoon with a quizzical look. “What about it?”

The filly chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes flitted from Scootaloo to the ground and back again. “I was hoping to ask you if you wanted to go,” she said. “But if you already have plans …”

Stunned, Scootaloo withdrew her hoof from Silver Spoon’s shoulders and took a couple steps away, rearing back as if she smelled like rotting fruit. “You wanna what?” she asked, wiggling a hoof into her ear. There was just no way she heard that right.

“I-It’s nothing, really!” Silver Spoon squeaked out. She gave a pained smile as if to try and play off the disappointment evident in the way her shoulders slumped. “I know how important flight lessons with Rainbow Dash are to you, and I don’t want to get in the way of that if you’ve already got everything arranged—really, it’s my fault for waiting until the last—”

Scootaloo reached up and covered her mouth with a hoof. “Shut up,” she said. Her brows knitted together in confusion. “You’re babbling. Are you asking me if I want to go to the dance, or if I want to go with somepony?” she pressed, trying to pull it out of the filly before her.

After a beat, she realized she was still covering Silver Spoon’s mouth. With a sheepish grin, she pulled her hoof away. “Sorry. Now talk.”

Silver Spoon hunched her shoulders. “The second one,” she replied. “I wanted to know if you’d like to go with, uh—” she looked away, her cheeks tinged a rosy pink “—with me.”

Blinking, Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak. Nothing came out at first.

Well, I did want to know what she wanted.

She shook herself out of her stupor. “You,” she began, pointing a hoof at Silver Spoon, “want to go to the Hearts and Hooves Day Dance with me.” She tapped her hoof against her chest. “Like, together? Or together?”

“Um …” Silver Spoon cocked her head to one side. “The second one. I like you. A lot, really, so I just wanted to see if you might like to go to the dance with me.” The blush in her cheeks seemed to burn brighter, turning a shade almost as red as Big Mac’s coat. “I-If you want to, that is.”

Secret admirer was a dead give away, but this was a turn she hadn’t quite expected. Saying “I like you a lot” was different than “Let’s go to a dance that is specifically meant for couples to be lovey-dovey together.”

She let her eyes wander over Silver Spoon: sleek gray coat brushed to perfection, sunlight glinted off her body and accentuated each and every curve of her form. As prissy and prim as she might seem, the natural beauty of her earth pony heritage shone through in every muscle, from her thighs to her flanks.

A little flutter ran through her feathers. Silver Spoon had always been a bit cutesy, but puberty had gone and turned that into something very different.

Her eyes flitted up to Silver Spoon’s face, right to her bow shaped lips.

Pretty.

Scootaloo blinked and tried to pull herself back into the real world. Something else. Apple Bloom and Pip necking. No, still cute. Sweetie Belle with too much makeup. No, that’s cute in a funny way. Big Mac in drag. Cute in a kinda weird way. Got it! Big Mac in drag, making out with Bulk Biceps …

Her eyes went wide, the taste of bile burnt the back of her throat. Okay, that worked. Also, never telling them that in case they decide to try it. Stumbling upon the pair laying together in the midday sun was surprising enough the first time.

Turning her attention to Silver Spoon again, she ground a hoof into the dirt as she tried to think of an answer. The filly was pretty darn cute, it was all she could do not to let her eyes wander away from those pink lips. Why didn’t I notice she was wearing lipstick before? With a quick shake of her head, she met Silver Spoon’s eyes.

Her breath caught in her throat at the hope shining in those silver eyes.

“So, um, what do you say?” Silver Spoon asked, her voice faltering a bit. “I-I mean, if you’re not too set on practice with Rainbow Dash.” Her ears drooped. “Don’t wanna ruin that for you.”

Scootaloo licked her dried lips. She felt as though Rainbow had just run her through a full scale Wonderbolt Reserve workout, then told her warm ups were over.

Cute, and she has been nicer over the years. Still, a small part of her blanched at the idea of dressing up for a dance. Does it really have to be a thing for everypony to see?

Her ears perked up as a thought came to her. The answer was right there for her to use, she’d already mentioned it to Silver Spoon.

All she had to do was tweak it a little.

With a crooked smile, she made her choice.

Scootaloo never could understand how Pinkie Pie managed to make her milkshakes taste so darn good, but she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to find out. Discovery could ruin the mystique behind whatever crazy sorcery went into them.

Sipping through the straw, she let a smile spread across her muzzle, and propped herself up on one of Sugarcube Corner’s outdoor tables. Her ears flicked at the distinct lack of sickeningly sweet cuteness or excited Sweetie babble at her news. She peered through a half open eyelid at her gaping friends, plus one colt.

Geez. You’d think I told them I was a changeling or something.

“You. Did. What?” Sweetie shrieked, her own milkshake fumbling from her magic. Catching it just in the nick of time, she gripped it in her hooves, then looked up to fix Scootaloo with a horrified stare. “You didn’t?!”

She shrugged. “What? All I said was I’d think about it and that I’d have to make sure I could cancel with Rainbow.” Wrinkling her snout, she set her cup down on the table and gave Sweetie a quizzical look. “It’s not that big a deal, right? I mean, it’s not a ‘no’. It’s just a ‘you hit me with this out of nowhere, let me wrap my head around it and get back to you.’”

Sweetie sucked in a breath, her nostrils flared. Setting her jaw, she made as though to set her cup down, her left hoof twitching as though she were ready to lash out and grab Scootaloo by the shoulders.

It had happened often enough. Scootaloo knew that particular twitch, and it was definitely the “shake Scoots like a maraca” twitch.

To her amusement, Sweetie simply sighed and put her cup down, then brought her hooves up to massage her temples. “And what did she say after that?”

Wrinkling her snout, Scootaloo tilted her head to the side. “What’s the got to do with anything?”

“Humor me.”

With a shrug, she thought back to her talk with Silver Spoon. “Well, she kinda hung her head for a minute, until I told her I just needed a little to take it in and figure things out. Then she kinda smiled like she wasn’t sure if she should be happy or not, and said she could wait until tomorrow.”

“And then?” Sweetie pressed.

“And then we left the schoolhouse, I came in here, and she’s sitting outside with Diamond Tiara.” Scootaloo held her hooves up. “Business as usual.”

There was a heavy thud as Sweetie brought her head down on the table. “You two,” she said, her voice thick with frustration. “Educate her. Before I have to. With the backside of my hoof if I must.”

Scootaloo smirked and waggled her ears. She just couldn’t resist the chance to poke her friend a little. “Oh, no!” She feigned a gasp. “Have I awoken the sleeping romantic?”

Sweetie raised a hoof in warning. “One more word, Scoots. One more.”

Her work done, Scootaloo reclined in her seat and glanced over to Apple Bloom. Best not to poke the dictionary too much. “So? What’d I do?”

“You’re kiddin’, right?” Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow at her, frowning sternly.

“Do I look like I’m joking? I don’t see the problem.”

Sighing, Apple Bloom gave Pip a little nudge, his cue to scoot away a bit to give her space to lecture. She placed her hooves on the table, very much like her sister when doing business with Filthy Rich, and began, “Scoots, think of it like this: you really like trainin’ with Rainbow Dash, right?”

Scootaloo snorted. “Is water wet?”

“More like ‘am I about to get a double smack upside the ‘ead’!” Pip quipped. He grinned and nodded toward Sweetie, who had just raised her head to glare at Scootaloo. “Don’t let me stop you though, luv.”

“Some proper Trottinghamer you are!” she shot back.

He gave a smug smirk, leaning forward to sip at his drink. Like he was taking in a show.

Apple Bloom cleared her throat, drawing her attention once more. “As I was sayin’, ya like trainin’ with Rainbow. Now, picture this: y’know she’s free one afternoon, no dates with Twilight, no Wonderbolts practice, and it’s her offseason, so no shows.”

“Okay.” Scootaloo nodded. “Got it.”

“‘Kay, so, ya go up an’ ask her if she’d mind givin’ ya a bit of a workout, knowin’ she’s got nothin’ better to do. She looks ya in the eye an’ tells ya that she’ll think about it.” She paused and jabbed a hoof at Scootaloo. “Right now, how d’ya feel?”

Scootaloo looked down at the table, her ears drooped. She grimaced, a sour taste made its way into her mouth. “Pretty bad,” she admitted. “It kinda feels like she’s looking for things that she’d rather do.”

“Exactly,” Apple Bloom said. “Now, thinkin’ like that, how d’ya think your lil’ thing with Silver Spoon made her feel?”

Her heart sank. Scootaloo let out a low whine. “I was just trying to get a little time to figure things out!”

“Ya know that don’t matter one bit, Scoots. The filly pulled ya aside to ask, and ya gave a bad answer.” She shrugged and picked up her milkshake, bringing her mouth to the straw. “Not tryin’ to be mean, but ya really made a mess of this one.”

Blanching, she held her hooves out wide. “But she didn’t get upset or anything!”

The trio before her simply met her with flat stares and raised eyebrows, silently waiting for her to figure it out herself.

Slowly, the gears in her head began to turn. If Rainbow said the same thing to her about training, Scootaloo would do everything she could to hide how much it hurt until she was out of sight, even if it meant forcing a smile and feigning hope.

Oh, horseapples, I’m dumb. With a frustrated groan, she ran her hooves through her mane. “Well, this is great. Anything else I can mess up with this whole thing?” Before they could answer, she pushed her seat out and stood up, snatching her cup off the table. “I’m getting another.”

“Two milkshakes?” Apple Bloom snorted in amusement. “Won’t Rainbow get all prickly about your diet routine?”

Rolling her eyes, Scootaloo flicked her tail across her Apple Bloom’s nose as she walked passed. “She’ll understand. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m getting more, and then I’m taking a moment or three to myself so I can figure out the mess you’ve so lovingly pointed out for me.” With a rustle of her wings, she made her way toward the counter, turning to call back to them. “Don’t wait up.”

The trio called back in turn, but their voices were lost on her. Scootaloo moved to stand in line behind Roseluck and Lily, tuning out their gossip as best she could. Really, did anypony care that Daisy put a new band in her tail, and that she’d finally catch what’s-his-face’s attention with her newest accessory?

Oh, please. Scootaloo rolled her eyes. If he didn’t notice your prissy little self before, why would putting a little tie in your tail to give it a bit of extra fluff near your rump—oh, never mind. I’d probably notice that too.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she refocused her thoughts. “How in the hay am I supposed to fix this mess?” she muttered to herself. Her gaze flitted to the cup in her hoof, eying the melted remnants of her chocolate shake. “Why in the heck can’t this stuff be simple? Or just have a nice little guidebook I can whip out for all this emotional baggage stuff?”

“Oooh! Ooooh! I know! Pick me!” Pinkie chirped from right beside her.

Scootaloo yelped, leaping into the air and flaring her wings out wide. “Dang it, Pinkie! Don’t do that!”

Giggling, the mare leaned against her counter. “Sorry, Scootsy, couldn’t resist!” The bright grin on her muzzle and the merry gleam in her eye left no doubt that she was anything but sorry.

But that was just Pinkie. Living in Ponyville for any length of time made things like this all too commonplace with her.

“You’re up, silly filly!” Pinkie’s voice jarred her out of her thoughts. “Another shake already? Golly! You went through that one almost as fast as I go through mine!”

I seriously doubt that. Scootaloo snorted and hoofed over the cup. “Yeah, I’ll take another if you don’t mind. In a to-go cup.”

“Right-o!” With a happy hum, Pinkie took the cup and hopped zipped around the counter to work whatever black sorcery she worked to make her milkshakes. “So,” she began, her eyes never leaving Scootaloo as she scooped out a couple scoops full of chocolate ice cream into a plastic cup, then added milk. “My ears were getting a little twitch-a-twitch when you girls and Pip were over there all huddled together talking.”

Scootaloo did her best to hold a nonchalant expression. “Yeah, what about it?” she asked, leaning against the counter.

“Well, unless my Pinkie Sense is lying to me …”

Oh, shoot not the Pinkie Sense.

Pinkie stopped making the milkshake long enough to rear up and point a hoof at her, just inches in front of her snout. “Somepony’s talking about matters of—” she clasped her hooves over her chest “—the heart!” Stopping a moment, she tilted her head. “Y’know, this is normally a Rarity thing, but she’s not here so too bad for her! I can help! So!” She leaned forward, almost looming over Scootaloo. “Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiill!”

Scootaloo reared back and held her hooves up as if to ward her away. “N-Nothing! It’s nothing!” Backpedaling, she unfurled her wings and gave a couple quick flaps for balance. “Just a little schoolfilly gossip! You know how it is!”

Quick as a flash, Pinkie was around the counter again, with Scootaloo’s milkshake in a plastic to-go cup and straw already in the top in one hoof, while the other wrapped around her withers. “Now, now! Don’t try to hide things from your Auntie Pinkie!” she scolded. “Who’s the lucky filly?”

Sensing a chance to deflect, Scootaloo snorted and grabbed the offered milkshake. “Who says it’s not a colt?”

A raised eyebrow greeted her reply. Pinkie released her embrace and flounced around the counter, giving her a stern flick of her tail across the nose. “If you want to try and play coy and lie to your Auntie Pinkie Pie, you go right ahead, Scootsy-wootsy!” As she stepped behind the register, she stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry. “But the Pinkie Sense knows! Oh, and that’s three bits, by the way.”

Scootaloo was all too happy to slap three bits on the counter and moved away as quickly as she could, pinning her ears back to block out the sound of Pinkie’s knowing laughter.

Just ignore her. I need solutions, I don’t have time for kooky antics and stuff. Turning away from the counter, she took a sip of her milkshake through the straw. The sweet taste of Pinkie’s near-magical chocolate shakes brought the smile back to her muzzle. “Mare knows her treats,” she muttered, flicking an ear to make sure Pinkie wasn’t about to sneak up on her again. Not that it would do her much good, but still.

She glanced out the window, searching the outside tables for a glimpse of silvery mane and gray coat.

At the table farthest from the door, she caught sight of sunlight shining bright off Silver Spoon’s mane. The poor filly sat hunched over a cup of steaming cocoa, her back facing Scootaloo as she sat across from Diamond Tiara. The latter had her hoof laid atop one of Silver Spoon’s, giving her a comforting pat every now and then as she talked. Her eyes were wide and alight, she tapped her free hoof on the table to emphasize each word.

She was giving Silver Spoon a pep talk.

A sharp pang of guilt stabbed into her heart. Apple Bloom’s words nagged at the back of her mind, her friend’s country twang still fresh in her ears.

How would I really feel if Rainbow Dash looked at me and said she’d think about training me on her day off?

The chocolate shake seemed to lose all taste on her tongue as she noted Silver Spoon’s posture: ears laid flat against her head, her shoulders hunched, and her tail hanging limp.

Hardly even recognizable as the cute little filly from earlier, who looked like she’d gone and dolled herself up just for her.

Scootaloo winced. Celestia, I’m a jerk.

How to fix it, though? Maybe she could do something nice, like walk her home or offer to carry her saddlebags while they talked or something.

Wait, no. Those are couple things. Or cutesy crush things. That’ll just make it worse if I say no.

She let out a frustrated groan and stomped a hoof. The sharp crack of hoof on wood served as a brief catharsis, but her problem remained.

“I need to talk to her. Somehow.” Scootaloo looked down at the plastic cup, frowning at the chocolate treat within.

Setting her jaw, Scootaloo closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. As much as she hated to admit it, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were right about this.

She had to set things right, whether her answer was yes or no. Silver Spoon deserved a straight answer.

Her mind made up, Scootaloo trotted toward the door, raising a hoof to pull it open. But before she could reach it, the latch clicked and the door pushed toward her. She stepped to the side so the new customer could make their way inside.

To her surprise, she came muzzle-to-muzzle with Diamond Tiara, who fixed her with a withering stare.

“Oh, good,” Diamond Tiara said, her voice thick with barely restrained anger. “Just the filly I was looking for.”

Almost instinctively, Scootaloo let her ears lay flat. “H-Hi,” she replied, offering a half-hearted, crooked smile. “How’s it going, Diamond—”

“Cut the horseapples, Scootaloo. You know exactly how it’s going.” Scootaloo couldn’t help but wince at her tone: clipped, no nonsense, almost as though she were channeling her father’s demeanor in business negotiations. Diamond Tiara stepped inside, letting the door close with a click, then gestured to an empty two-seater along the back wall. “Step over there. We need to talk.”

Scootaloo bit back a curse as she followed her longtime bully over to the table, wrinkling her snout as she quickened her pace to avoid being flicked across the face by a tail for a second time. As per usual, Diamond Tiara swept into her seat with practiced ease and nodded to the one opposite.

Very much like daddy Rich. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and hopped into the open seat, reclining back as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

Diamond Tiara’s brows furrowed. She folded her hooves one atop the other as she looked down her muzzle at Scootaloo. “So,” she began, “I have it on good authority that you met with Silver Spoon after school, as she asked in her note.”

With a roll of her eyes, Scootaloo played along. “Yes, I did. And she asked me to the Hearts and Hooves Day dance next week. Guess you pulling me aside means you’re not happy with my answer either.”

“Nothing gets by you,” Diamond Tiara shot back, her eyes narrowed. “I hope that ‘either’ isn’t a shot at Silver Spoon, or I’m going to be rather annoyed.”

Snorting, Scootaloo took a sip of her shake before giving her reply, “What are you, her enforcer? And for the record, no. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were just telling me that I made a great, big mess of things a little bit ago.”

Diamond Tiara gave a single nod. “Yes. And I’ve been trying to help Silver Spoon balance between angst and optimism, which is not how I wanted this to go.”

“Hold on a minute.” Scootaloo’s ears perked up. “How you wanted this to go? And why the hay are your acting like we’re back to popular girl and ‘blank flank’ again? I thought we were friends!”

“We are, but Silver Spoon was my first friend.” Tossing her mane, she fixed Scootaloo with a critical look. “I have a vested interest in her happiness. Your little bout of indecisiveness has complicated things, so I’m here to tell you to uncomplicate them.”

Scootaloo frowned. Slowly, she put her milkshake down on the table and folded her forelegs across her chest. “I thought we were over the peer pressure routine by now,” she ground through gritted teeth. She flared out her wings and gave them a challenging flex. They weren’t for show anymore. “I’m not that little filly you pushed around a few years ago, and I’m not about to be her again because you want to score Silver Spoon a date.”

To her surprise, Diamond Tiara didn’t rise. She simply sighed and shook her head. “Really, I hoped by now you’d realized that I’m not that petty, but I suppose I can’t fault you for it given my old habits.” Reaching up to brush a stray strand of her mane back into place, she fixed Scootaloo with a meaningful look. “I simply want you to make a decision and give her an answer. Preferably, right now.”

Orange wings folded against her sides so hard that her joints popped. Scootaloo leaned forward to survey Diamond Tiara through narrowed eyes, checking to see for any signs of falsehood.

There were none. No ears flicking, her gaze was steady, she didn’t so much as crack a smile.

Save for a slight inclining of her eyebrows, there was nothing but an impassive stare.

“Right now?”

Diamond Tiara nodded once. “Right now. I want you to trot yourself out that door and give her an answer.”

Blinking, Scootaloo lowered her gaze to her milkshake, wondering if Pinkie slipped some extra sugar or crazy snack stuff into it. Doubtful. Tampering with sweets was sacrilege to her.

“What if my answer’s no?” she asked.

“Then your answer is no, and I’ll accept that and go comfort my friend. Simple as that.”

“You’re being rather nice about this.”

Diamond Tiara shrugged. “I stopped bullying you years ago, and I don’t feel like starting again just because Silver’s got a crush the size of Manehattan on you. If you want to give it a try, go ahead. If you don’t, I’m not going to make you because that’ll just hurt her more and then I’ll have to deal with an even bigger mess.” Wrinkling her snout, she shook her head. “Adding to that isn’t worth the short-term game. Believe it or not, you being honest about what you want is best for her in the long-term.”

“I see.” Scootaloo drummed her hooves on the tabletop, her eyes flitting to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, then to the window. The memory of how hurt Silver Spoon looked when she joked about the picnic flashed through her mind, she winced. “I don’t want to upset her,” she admitted.

“If you’re going to let her down, just do it gently. I’ll help her cope and she’ll come out right as rain.” Scootaloo turned to face her so fast she felt her neck muscles strain.

Diamond Tiara’s level gaze remained. “I can deal with her being excited that you said yes or upset that you said no easily enough.” As she finished, her eyes hardened. “What I’m not going to deal with is her going through a roller coaster of emotions because you’re jerking her around until it’s convenient for you.”

Another wince. Scootaloo slumped in her seat, rubbing a hoof against her leg. “Well, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Doesn’t matter, came off that way.” With her piece said, Diamond Tiara pointed toward the door. “Now get out there and fix it.”

Ears drooping low, Scootaloo slid out of her seat. She mumbled something incomprehensible under her breath and stood. She turned to trot toward the door, leaving her unfinished milkshake on the table.

Twist my wing a little more, why don’t you? Are all of my friends half a step from slapping me upside the head today?

Scootaloo pushed the door open and stepped out into the sunlight. Turning to her left, she looked past the the other tables, right at Silver Spoon.

Gosh, why did she have to brush her mane like that? Swallowing a lump in her throat, she made her way over to Silver Spoon’s side. “Uh, hey,” she said.

Silver Spoon squeaked in surprise, nearly falling out of her seat in her haste to turn toward her. “Oh, hello again, Scootaloo!” she replied, her voice cracking as she gave a shy smile. “I thought you were having milkshakes with the other Crusaders.” She wrinkled her snout, muttering something along the lines of “how in Equestria any sane pony can drink milkshakes when it’s so cold out.”

Scootaloo bit back a retort. “Yeah, I was, but they gave me a little motivation to fix something I’d messed up.” Her eyes flitted to the window again, just in time for her to catch Diamond Tiara sliding into the empty seat alongside Sweetie Belle and look right back at her along with the others.

Oh, good. An audience. She flicked her tail in irritation. That was just about the last thing she wanted. Well, fine. If they wanted to snoop, she had ways around that.

Offering a smile, Scootaloo tossed her head toward town square. “Wanna walk and talk? Got a couple things I wanted to run by you.”

Silver Spoon’s face lit up, Scootaloo felt her heart skip a beat and her feathers fluff. “Yeah! I mean, yes!” the filly corrected herself, fighting down her excitement as she scrambled out of her seat and stood at her side.

Perfect. As they started walking, Scootaloo stole a quick look over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at the girls, turning back before they could do anything in reply.

She led Silver Spoon through town square, each smiling and waving to ponies as they passed by, though she spared an extra hug for Applejack and Rarity when they approached the two mares chatting at the apple cart. Once she was sure their talk wouldn’t be overheard, she began. “So, about the dance.”

Silver Spoon ducked her head low. “You don’t have to go with me if you don’t want,” she muttered. “Or if you don’t like fillies like I—”

“I do,” Scootaloo cut in. With a playful smile, she nudged her shoulder against Silver Spoon’s. “First thing I noticed when you came out of the schoolhouse was how pretty you looked. You spent extra time brushing.”

“You noticed?” Silver Spoon stood up straight, her tail swished merrily.

Scootaloo nodded once. “‘Course I did. I’ve known you long enough to tell, and anypony who hangs around Sweetie and her sister is bound to pick up a few things.” After a beat, she added, “The sun kinda shone offa you. Living up to the name, eh?”

Cheeks flushing pink, Silver Spoon bit her lip, trying to hide a smile.

“Thought so,” Scootaloo said with a grin. Then, she tilted her head to the side, her brows knitted together. “You took me off guard, y’know. The secret admirer thing made me think you were just gonna tell me how you felt, not ask me to the dance right off the starting line.”

“Did I move to fast?” Gray-coated ears drooped, the bubbly smile ran away from her face. “I didn’t think you—”

Scootaloo held up a hoof to quiet her. “Never said that, just that I didn’t expect it.” She stopped walking, awkwardly shifting her weight from one side to the other as she tried to think things through. Silver Spoon was pretty, and she’d made quite a turnaround in attitude over the years. Not to mention that her dance card wasn’t exactly full, even if she was totally awesome enough to have fillies lining up to date her.

I could take a night off training and give it a shot. She stole a quick glance at Silver Spoon, allowing herself a tiny smirk as her eyes wandered over the filly’s form. Especially if she’s gonna be all dolled up again.

Like her mother always said, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

“I shouldn’t have told you that I needed to think about it,” Scootaloo said, turning to face her fully. “But I did give it a little thought, and I’d like to give it a shot.” With a nervous grin, she reached up and scratched the back of her head. “So, er, what exactly do I need to wear?”

Silence fell over them. Slowly, she watched as Silver Spoon’s eyes went wide and mouth fell open. Then, a bright grin spread across her muzzle, her silver eyes lit up with glee. “You really mean it?” she asked. “You really want to go with me?”

Giving a waggle of her ears, she nodded. “Sure, I wouldn’t mind giving it a try.” Feeling a little bold, she leaned in close, pressing her cheek against Silver Spoon’s. A smirk played upon her lips as she noticed how the filly’s cheeks burned at the contact. Cute and extra warm when she blushes. Sweet Celestia, this is like a mushy book. Bringing her mouth closer to Silver Spoon’s ear, she whispered, “Who am I to pass up a date with a pretty filly like you.”

Another squeak escaped Silver Spoon’s lips. She ducked her head between her shoulders, fidgeting and doing her best to hide from the teasing grin. Chancing another look back, just in time for Scootaloo to give a playful waggle of her eyebrows, she squeaked again and all but leapt away as if hit by a rogue thunderhead. “I-I’d better go tell Diamond!” she stammered, her tail swishing like a happy puppy’s. “I, um, should I pick you up at your house, or do you want to meet there, or—”

“We’ll figure that out later,” Scootaloo interrupted again, fighting back laughter as best she could. “Probably wanna get dinner beforehoof, though. Y’know, so we can hang out and dance the full time instead of leaving early.”

Those silver eyes seemed to gleam like the full moon. “Good idea! I know the perfect place! Oh! Diamond knows the owner!” Before Scootaloo could ask what she had in mind, Silver Spoon galloped back toward Sugarcube Corner, calling over her shoulder, “See you at school tomorrow, Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo cringed at the dust kicked up in her wake, waving a hoof to clear the air. By the time she could look up again, Silver Spoon was nothing but a flash of gray coat and silvery mane in a sea of ponies.

“Well … looks like I’ll have to ask Sweetie what to wear. Oh, boy.” With a weak chuckle, she shook her head and trotted in the opposite direction, scanning the sky with her keen eyes for any sign of Rainbow Dash. “Now, how do I explain that I can’t be her excuse not to chaperone the dance?”

The Dance

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“Oh! This is so exciting! My little filly finally going to a dance! Too bad your father drew the night shift, he’d be so thrilled!”

Just out of sight of her mother, Scootaloo rolled her eyes and looked toward the ceiling, mouthing “Why me” to herself.

I just had to tell mom where I was going tonight. Worse, I had to tell her that I had a date to the dance. Flicking her tail, Scootaloo cursed her lack of foresight. Couldn’t say I was going stag. Then again, the way Rarity and Sweetie have been going on about things, there’s no way that’d fly.

If there was a single pony in town who didn’t know about her date with Silver Spoon, Scootaloo would love to meet them. Pinkie Pie had been almost unbearably bouncy, Fluttershy would coo and giggle as she passed her by, Applejack would tip her hat and give a knowing smile that brought a blush to her cheeks every time, and Rainbow …

Well, Rainbow had done an interesting go-between of pride and horror when she realized there was nothing stopping Twilight from dragging her along as a chaperone.

An amused smirk made its way across her muzzle. At least I’m not the only one going through this. Still, she had to find a way to get Silver Spoon moving before her mother got started; she definitely saw her reaching for the camera earlier.

“Sorry mom, not happening in this lifetime,” she muttered as she crept toward the door. If she could just grab Silver and hurry her along down the pathway, they’d be home free.

As her mother turned, Scootaloo froze in place and pasted an innocent smile across her muzzle. “Yes?”

“What time did you say your little friend was coming to pick you up, Scootaboo?” her mother asked, giving a little rustle of her wings.

Pinning her ears back, Scootaloo ducked her head low. “Mom!” she whined. “Would you stop calling me that?”

With a huff, her mother narrowed her ruby red eyes. “Don’t you take that tone with me, young filly! I’m your mother, and I can call you my darling little Scootaboo until the day I’m dead and buried! Now, when is Silver Spoon coming by?”

I bet if I distract her, I could beat her to the door and grab Silver Spoon before mom gets a chance to start being all … momish. A chill ran down her spine. Of all the terrible things that could happen, letting her mother get a chance to impart Silver Spoon with all those embarrassing stories was at the top of the list.

Well, somewhere near the top. A swarm of monsters from the Everfree Forest and Discord being Discord took the top two spots.

At the sound of her mother clearing her throat, Scootaloo jolted out of her thoughts. “Oh, uh, any minute, now!” she said, giving an uneasy smile. “She’s probably fretting over every little wrinkle in her dress or something like that.”

Chuckling, her mother shook her head. “Says the little filly who squirmed and grumbled while Miss Rarity got you fitted for that nice purple number you’re wearing.”

Scootaloo glanced at her dress, allowing herself a small smile as she eyed the sleek design. When she mentioned a date to the dance, Rarity had put together a rather nice dress. Especially with such little notice. That said, she had to correct her. “Magenta, mom. Rarity would have a fit if you called it purple.”

“Oh, of course! Silly me!” Mother and daughter rolled their eyes in stereo, memories of similar conversations all too fresh in their minds.

Perfect. Now, to make my cunning—

Three soft knocks against the door, almost hesitant, derailed her thoughts. Silver Spoon was here.

Slowly, she turned to look at her mother. Magenta eyes met ruby.

Dang it, Silver! The one time I want a pony to be late!

Scootaloo threw caution to the wind, and with a flap of her wings, she bounded for the door. “I’ll get it!”

But her mother was wise to her scheme. “Oh, no you don’t!” While she wasn’t as fast, she was already nearest to the door. With a triumphant grin, she gripped the handle and pulled it open, flaring open a wing to cut off Scootaloo’s escape attempt. “Well, hello, dear!” she crooned, her eyes lit up. “My! Don’t you look lovely tonight!”

“U-Um, thank you, Missus Sunshower.” Scootaloo’s ears perked up, a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Still so adorably nervous.

With a bit of an extra push, she managed to duck beneath her mother’s wing and slip through the doorway. As she stood to her full height and looked up, she froze in place. Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes went wide as if to take in the sight all at once.

Pretty isn’t the word.

Silver Spoon wore a sky blue dress with frills at the hem and an imprint of her cutie mark on either flank, and a gray sash wrapped around her midsection and tied into a bow on her back. As per usual, her pearl necklace was on proud display, seemingly polished to a shine.

But Scootaloo’s attention was drawn to something that wasn’t there, her eyes transfixed on Silver Spoon’s. “You’re not wearing glasses,” she said dumbly.

Ducking her head, Silver Spoon looked down at her hooves. “I thought I’d wear contacts for this,” she muttered. She glanced up, a shy smile crossed her muzzle. “What do you think?”

Scootaloo grinned. “You look great! Like, the glasses are cute and they go with the necklace, but this—” she waved a hoof at Silver Spoon’s face “—helps me get a clear look at your eyes. They’re pretty.”

The deep blush and merry swish of that silvery tail brought a flood of warmth into her chest. Her grin shifted to a cocky smirk as a good one-liner came to mind, she made to speak, tilting her head to one side and fluffing her wings for added effect.

Then there was a bright flash.

Her façade dropped. Scootaloo whirled around to fix her mother with an angry glare. “Moooom!” she whined.

“What did I just say about that tone, young mare?” Tutting, she sighed and shook her head. “Honestly, I just want a few pictures for the album!”

Scootaloo blanched and drew back, ready to turn tail and gallop. But the gentle touch of Silver Spoon’s hoof upon her back made her stop in place. She looked over her shoulder and found herself met with a nervous smile.

“I wouldn’t mind a few pictures,” Silver Spoon said. “And I think my mom wanted a couple too.”

Caught between her mother and her date. What a way to go.

With a heavy sigh, Scootaloo hung her head. “Just a couple,” she said, glaring up at her mother.

The wicked gleam in those ruby red eyes made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. “Oh, don’t worry, my little Scootaboo—”

She winced. “Mom! Stop that!”

“—Hush, dear.” The tiniest of smirks played upon her lips. “Let me have this.”

Her ears burned at the sound of Silver Spoon giggling, a blush crept into her cheeks as the filly leaned in close to whisper, “Scootaboo?”

“Shut up,” she hissed, gritting her teeth. “It’s a baby name.”

Another bout of giggles, Silver Spoon nosed against her cheek before adding, “I think it’s adorable.”

Scootaloo would later swear she did it on purpose, for just as her eyes went wide and her ears stood up straight, and with Silver Spoon’s snout still touching her cheek, there was a bright flash.

Her mother had timed it perfectly.

It had been a bloody battle, but Scootaloo managed to survive.

“So many pictures,” she moaned, slumping in her seat. At the sound of poorly restrained giggling, she flicked an ear in Silver Spoon’s direction. Slowly, she raised her head to level a narrow-eyed stare at her date. “You never said my mom was gonna go on uncool about this whole thing on me.”

Silver Spoon brought her hooves to her mouth to hide a grin. “Sorry!” she said. Then she paused, looking up to the ceiling as if thinking for a moment, and shook her head. “No I’m not. That was fun. And it’s nice that your mom is going to have a few extra copies made for my parents.” A mischievous smile played upon her lips. “Besides, I got to learn about that adorable nickname of yours.”

Narrowing her eyes, she fixed Silver Spoon with a glare. “Don’t. You. Dare.”

“‘Don’t you dare’ what?” she asked, feigning innocence.

“You know darn well what, Silver. I know that look, I know that stupidly fake tone. Don’t you even think about calling me—”

“Scootaboo?”

She sucked in a breath through her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, trying in vain to fight down the blush that colored her cheeks. Slowly, she released it. “Okay,” she said. “Okay. I’ll let that one slide. Just this once.”

Silver Spoon grinned and waggled her ears. “Just once?”

“Just once,” she repeated firmly. She let her scowl fall, the corners of her mouth tugged into a small smile. So it was a bit annoying and it took up way more time than it should’ve, but it made Silver Spoon happy. Besides, if Rainbow could be all cutesy and bring Twilight chocolates and read with her on Hearts and Hooves Day, Scootaloo could deal with her mother taking a few extra pictures.

Need to remember to snag a couple of those for myself. Maybe one with our muzzles almost touching.

Thoughts for later, of course. There was still the whole dinner and dance routine she had to survive.

She let her eyes wander over the restaurant, rustling her feathers with each fancy painting and custom light fixture she came across. Good gravy, I know this place is supposed to be all fancy, but for Ponyville it’s a little much. Wrinkling her snout, she took the menu in hoof, and snorted in amusement at how they managed to write L’Étoiles with so many curls. “Who the hay even eats here anyway? The princesses?”

“Actually,” Silver Spoon began, “they have a couple times.”

Scootaloo sat up straight. “Really? Like, just Twilight? Or—”

“All four princesses have eaten here several times, though, mostly when they come to visit her, yes.” Silver Spoon squirmed in her seat. “Mostly, Mister Rich brings important clients here, or Miss Rarity has dinner with Mister Fancy Pants and that pretty mare who’s always hanging off him.”

“Fleur de Lis,” Scootaloo corrected automatically. “She’s his wife—well, they’re ‘exclusive.’” She rolled her eyes as she made air quotes with her hooves. “They’re all weird about marriage being an institution and how it’s more important that they just give all their love to one another.” Seeing Silver Spoon look at her with a raised brow, she tilted her head. “What? Not my fault Apple Bloom and Sweetie’s gossip gets through the pillow I put over my head.”

“I see.” Eyes shining with mirth, Silver Spoon skimmed over her menu. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever eaten Prench food, then?”

“‘Fraid not. Guess I’ll have to trust your judgement then.”

A smile played upon her lips. “Looks like it.” Silver Spoon looked up just as a stallion in a black suit jacket trotted up to their table. Her eyes lit up in recognition. “Bon soir, Monsieur de Terre. Ça va?”

The stallion bowed his head and replied in kind. “Ça va bien, mademoiselle. Et toi?”

“Bien, merci.”

“Trés bien.”

As they chatted, Scootaloo looked back and forth between the pair like she was watching a tennis match. “Uh … hi?”

Ear flicking toward her, the stallion turned to face her. “Ah, désolé, mademoiselle,” he said, a hint of an accent tinging his voice. “I was distracted, the young lady has not dined here in quite some time and I could not resist catching up with her. Might I have the pleasure of knowing your name?”

Her cheeks heated up. Scootaloo glanced uncertainly to Silver Spoon, then back to him, her mouth worked wordlessly.

Clearing her throat, Silver Spoon gestured toward her with a hoof. “Pomme de Terre, this is Scootaloo. We’re going to the Hearts and Hooves Day dance together tonight.”

“Ah!” His eyes lit up. “Then this is the young filly you’ve been so—”

“Yes!” she cut him off. “Yes, she is.”

Scootaloo glanced between them, blinking in confusion. “Uh … I feel like I’m missing something here.”

“Just Pomme being silly,” Silver said hastily. She hid her face behind her menu, but not before Scootaloo caught sight of the blush returning in full force.

Celestia, she’s adorable when she’s flustered. A quick glance to Pomme de Terre, just in time to catch the smallest of smiles flash across his muzzle before he righted his expression, made her grin. This guy knows what’s up.

Taking up her menu, she opened it up and looked it over. Slowly, her smile fell into a small frown. Everything was in Prench, even the meal descriptions.

But it didn’t take a linguist to tell the little number to the right of each meal was the price. The blood in her veins ran cold. With an uneasy flutter in her wings, she reached for her bit pouch, wincing at how empty it felt.

There goes about two weeks of my allowance. “Uh, Silver?”

Silver Spoon waved her off. “Don’t worry about the price, I have enough to cover it.” Winking playfully, she closed her menu and smiled up at Pomme de Terre. “We’ll both have the flamiche . And water to drink.”

With a bow of his head, Pomme de Terre took both menus and walked away, leaving the pair to themselves.

Wrinkling her snout, Scootaloo drew back. “What the hay’s a flamiche?”

“It’s a leek and onion dish. They bake both into some dough, and it comes out looking almost like a quiche.”

“Oh. Well, why didn’t you just call it a quiche?” Scootaloo relaxed in her seat. “I thought you’d ordered some crazy thing you were gonna watch me make faces at while I tried to eat it.”

Snorting in amusement, Silver Spoon grinned. “I could’ve just kept talking to Pomme in Prench if I wanted to watch you squirm all night. I’d forgotten how cute you look when you’re confused.”

Again, Scootaloo drew back, sucking in a deep breath through her nose. “Okay! H-How about we not go there?”

“If you insist. What do you want to talk about then?”

Scootaloo hummed to herself. “I’m a little curious, I guess.”

“About what?” Silver Spoon tilted her head to the side.

“What exactly made you ask me out?” Seeing Silver Spoon pull back, she pressed on. Time to see what’s going on in that silvery head of yours. “We’ve been in school together for years, and we see each other in town all the time. So, why now?”

For a moment, she stayed silent, looking down at her silverware. She chewed on her bottom lip, fidgeting in her seat. “Well … it has a lot to do with what you said when I asked.”

“Which part? I said a few things.” Her ears stood up. “Oh! Was it the thing about the picnic?”

“No,” Silver said. “Do you remember when you mentioned holding a grudge for all the things Diamond Tiara and I did to you and your friends back when we were younger? Before you had your cutie marks?”

Oh. Scootaloo rubbed a hoof against her shoulder, brushing against the soft fabric of her dress. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I was trying to lighten the mood.”

Shaking her head, Silver Spoon smiled. “It’s alright. I meant the, um—” she reached up to touch her necklace, turning the pearls as if to comfort herself with their presence “—the part about moving on in our lives. We’re almost done with school, which means …” she trailed off at the end.

“We move on and do adult things,” Scootaloo finished for her.

“Yes. Adult things. So, no more just playing around and all.” After a beat, she asked, “Have you figured out what you’re going to do after school?”

Scootaloo sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Well, a couple things. The girls and I are gonna try to talk with Twilight about how we can make the Cutie Mark Crusaders more of an organized thing for late blooming foals. I’m not really sure how we could make that a thing, so the plan is to have her help us brainstorm ideas. In the meantime, I had a talk with Cloud Kicker about doing some work with the weather team, though. She said they could always use the extra help, what with Rainbow off with the Wonderbolts now.” Smirking, she continued, “They only just realized what it’s like without Rainbow when she made the main roster.”

“I don’t think anypony really did,” Silver said. “She worked so fast and took so many naps, we just thought she got to sleep all day.”

Chuckling, she let her tail swish. Rainbow did seem to take more naps than most foals, even she thought the mare was just incredibly laid back.

Right up until she asked exactly what it was Rainbow did on an average work day.

A shudder ran down her back. “Bust all the clouds, do a quick circuit over Ponyville, pester friends, nap, move new clouds into place, acrobatics, nap, pranking with Pinkie, make sure weather is in place for night shift, speed run, try to steal AJ’s hat, nap, and then go bug Twilight,” she recited. Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head. “I don’t know how she fits all that into an eight to five shift, but she does.”

“I’m not going to lie, I suspect it’s something to do with all the liquid rainbow she must drink to get her mane like that.”

“Aw, c’mon, you’re not still going with that old rumor are you?”

“Until you can prove otherwise, I choose to believe it so.” Silver Spoon stuck her tongue out and waggled her ears.

“Yeah, yeah.” Rolling her eyes, Scootaloo gave a playful huff. “Still not as bad as the thing we put in that newspaper years back, so it’s all good, I guess.”

Silver eyes shone with amusement. “I remember that. Diamond Tiara got in so much trouble afterward.”

The pair shared a laugh. Scootaloo gave an internal sigh of relief, feeling a bit of the weight lift off her shoulders. So far, so good. She made to speak, but Silver Spoon beat her to the punch.

“Why all the flight practice if you’re going into weather team work and helping foals? Seems a bit unnecessary.”

Another shrug. “I want to see if I can make the Wonderbolts. It’s an old dream, but can’t hurt to give it a shot, right?”

“I suppose not.” Silver Spoon furrowed her brows. “But wouldn’t that make the Crusader business moot?”

Scootaloo grinned. “That’s the best part. Think about it, I was pretty late getting my mark, and I’d be a Wonderbolt! I could show foals all over Equestria that it’s all about finding your mark and working hard, not how young they can get it!” Fluffing her feathers, she buffed a hoof against her chest. “Not bad for a filly who couldn’t do more than hover a few years ago, eh?”

“Not bad for anypony to make the Wonderbolts.”

“Fair point. So what about you, then?”

“Jewelry appraisal,” came the reply, without a second’s hesitation. She reached up as if to adjust her glasses, but stopped short, her eyes going a tad wider as realization hit her. With an awkward cough, she added, “I’ve always had an eye for it, so dad’s been letting me have some hours at his in-town store. He won’t let me go to one of his other ones until I do a year or two full-time, though.”

“Makes sense.” She flashed a smile. “I’m starting out at the lowest level too. But, hey, that means we’ll both be in town for a while longer. So it’s not like we’re gonna just up, leave, and never see each other or our friends again.”

Silver Spoon gave a smile in return. “True enough. I guess I just wanted to take a chance instead of putting it off too long.” She reached up to touch her silverware, poking the fork forward until it touched the point of the napkin. She opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped short and shook her head.

Quiet again. Scootaloo tapped a hoof against her thigh and cast a quick glance toward the kitchen door for any sign of Pomme de Terre or their food.

As if on cue, the stallion pushed through the door with a tray, bearing two glasses of water. A younger mare followed in his wake, carrying two plates of steaming hot food.

“Ladies,” he greeted as he approached the table. “I apologize for the wait on your drinks, there was a bit of an incident in the kitchen that required my attention.” Deftly, he deposited their drinks on the table, then traded trays with the mare, who bowed her head and took the empty tray back to the kitchen. “A flamiche for each of you,” he said, taking a plate and moving to place it before Scootaloo, adding, “Please be careful, it’s a bit hot.”

Scootaloo nodded and shifted back to give him space. She looked down at her plate, tilting her head at the food before her. With a shrug, she placed her napkin in her lap and scrutinized the dish before her. It looks kinda like a pizza. Smirking, she let her gaze flit up to the filly across from her, an idea began to take root in her mind.

Across the table, Silver Spoon beamed up at Pomme de Terre. “Merci!” she chirped in Prench as she set herself up.

“Je vous en prie,” he replied. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

“No, thank you,” Silver Spoon said.

With another bow, he turned and trotted off to another table, leaving the pair to their meals.

Scootaloo made her move. Completely ignoring her silverware, she placed both hooves on the table and leaned over her plate as though to bury her muzzle in the flamiche, all the while counting backward in her head. Three … two … one …

“What in Equestria are you doing?” Silver Spoon asked, her jaw hung open in a mixture of shock and amusement.

Giving her most innocent smile, the same one she used whenever she and the other Crusaders got in trouble, Scootaloo looked back at her and replied, “Eating flamiche. What’re you doing?”

“I’m not sure if I’m about to burst out laughing, or just keep staring.” Shaking herself, she took in a deep breath. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to just dive in like it’s an apple pie or pizza.”

Her smile turned into a mischievous grin. “Okay. I won’t tell you.”

There was a beat of silence. Silver Spoon closed her eyes and sucked in her lips to hide a smile; her shoulders shook in poorly restrained laughter.

Scootaloo had to poke the hive. “Say, you think Pommy’ll mind if I ask for extra napkins? Thing might make a mess here.”

The dam broke. A single snort of laughter escaped Silver Spoon’s lips before she managed to clap her hooves over her mouth. Her eyes clenched shut, her silver-coated face turned red as she struggled to hold back her mirth as best she could.

Little bit more. She waited until Silver Spoon dared to open an eye, then waggled her ears and leaned in closer, opening her mouth as if ready to take a big bite.

“Don’t you dare!” A silvery hoof jabbed in her direction, its owner still refusing to meet her eyes.

“Well, then how do you eat it?”

Silver Spoon looked up and tried to fix her with a stern glare, the effect ruined by the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Cut it with a fork and knife!” she hissed, her voice strained with mirth. Casting a quick look around, she ducked low and leaned forward. “Everypony’s going to see!”

Slowly, Scootaloo sat up, raising her eyebrow. She turned left, then right, as if looking for somepony important. “Hmm, no princesses, no parents, no Rainbow, no Wonderbolts, no business partners. So, nyeh!” She punctuated her statement by sticking out her tongue. “Seriously, though, can I eat it like a pizza? ‘Cause it looks an awful lot like a pizza.”

“No, it’s not a pizza—” she stopped, thinking a second then added, “Well, it’s sort of like pizza, but—”

“I knew it!”

“But the breading isn’t as thin. And the stuff is on the inside instead of on top.” Taking her own silverware in hoof, Silver Spoon cut a narrow wedge of flamiche off and picked it up with her hooves, bringing it to her lips. She took a small bite, barely big enough for Scootaloo to call a nibble. “No folding it or mashing half of it into your mouth.” There was a beat. “Or burying your face in it!”

With a triumphant grin, Scootaloo cut out a wedge of flamiche. “So, exactly like pizza! Knew it!”

Silver Spoon just rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat. “Just eat it and tell me how you like it,” she said, smiling in amusement.

“Aye, aye!” Scootaloo said before taking a rather sizable bite of her not-quite-pizza. Humming, she nodded in approval. “Hey, this thing isn’t half bad! Leek and onion, you said?”

Nodding, she replied, “Yes. And I’m glad you like it.” Her eyes flashed with a mischievous light, one very much familiar. “Now eat your dinner or I won’t let you have dessert.”

Scoffing, Scootaloo shook her head. Nonetheless, she obeyed.

Far be it from her to pass up a free meal paid for by a pretty filly, especially one that tasted so good.

Prench food was quite good but way too expensive for Scootaloo’s taste. Or her bit purse for that matter.

The flamiche had been great, and the chocolate pudding thing Silver Spoon ordered for dessert had been just as good as any of Sugarcube Corner’s creations (she made sure to double check Pinkie wasn’t about to leap out from behind something in outrage upon voicing that thought, much to Silver Spoon’s amusement). But when the bill came, she caught sight of the total at the bottom; her heart leapt into her throat.

Silver Spoon, on the other hoof, paid it with barely a passing glance and nudged her out of her seat, then guided her toward the door so they could make their way to the dance at Town Hall.

“I can’t believe you just paid that much for what we ate,” Scootaloo said for what must’ve been the twentieth time in their short walk.

With a roll of her eyes, Silver Spoon shook her head. “My parents leant me a little money when they heard I had a date, and I have a lot saved up from when I get hours at the shop anyway. It’s not an issue.”

Not for her, perhaps, but Scootaloo was still trying to get her heart rate under control. She stole a quick glance out of the corner of her left eye, observing her date as they trotted along Ponyville’s dirt road. A smile played upon her lips as she took in the look of excitement on Silver Spoon’s face.

Looks like I’ll have to make sure her dance card is plenty full tonight, she thought as she caught sight of Town Hall in the distance, with multicolored lights flashing through the windows and the shadows of dancing classmates milling about within.

Her ears flicked at the sound of pulsing base and turntable scratching, she gave her tail a swish. “Sounds like Vinyl’s going full steam on the table tonight.”

“Does she ever not?” Silver asked, grinning as they came closer. Sidling up to Scootaloo, she flirted her tail against her side. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to ask her to put on a slow song or two?”

A shiver ran down her spine. Her warmth, her touch, the way her eyes lit up as their gazes met, everything about her just made Scootaloo’s heart skip a beat. Especially that scent …

Vanilla and lilac. Just like always. It seemed to tickle her snout, drawing her closer, ready to bury her muzzle in the crook of Silver Spoon’s neck and hold her close.

It took all her self-control not to let her wings fluff and unfurl. “S-Sure!” she stammered, trying her best to ignore the burning in her cheeks. “She’s usually pretty cool about those at parties anyway.”

With each step, the pulsing grew louder, until the very air around them seemed to vibrate with the beat. Scootaloo found her steps coming in almost perfect time as she climbed the wooden stairs and pushed open the door.

They were hit by a wave of sound: music booming over the speakers and their classmates dancing and stomping against the floor, rearing up to wave their hooves at the mare working her magic up at the DJ booth.

“Haha! That’s what I like to see!” Vinyl’s voice boomed, bringing the music to a halt with a squeal of the record. “And we’re only just gettin’ started! How you kids doing tonight?”

In one voice, they shouted their approval back to her, making her grin and adjust her shades. “Not bad, not bad!” She paused for effect, then made a show of scoffing and waving a hoof. “For a bunch of pansies! C’mon! You young’uns are supposed to be full of energy! I wanna see you shake the dust off these old rafters! Now lemme hear it, again. How you doing tonight?”

The crowd hollered back and stomped their hooves like a raging herd, with Scootaloo and Silver Spoon joining the cacophony in earnest.

“That’s more like it! Now, let’s kick it!” There was a flash of blue magic, the pulsing bass and whirring noise of her ‘wubs’ filled the hall again.

Sharing excited grins, Scootaloo and Silver Spoon trotted forward, pushing through the crowd of dancing and whooping classmates as best they could.

Scootaloo laughed as she watched Rumble and Featherweight try to outdo each other on the dance floor, adding in flips or jumping spins to whatever dance the beat drove them to, much to their respective dates’ amusement.

She checked the crowd for any sign of their friends. She caught sight of a flash of red mane and matching dress—Apple Bloom was bouncing in place with Pip attached at her hip, as always—but no sign of Sweetie Belle.

With a shrug, she resolved to find her later and continued her surveying of the room. The snacks and drinks were over by the back wall, where she noticed Rarity chattering to a patiently smiling Applejack.

Then it clicked. Rainbow was supposed to be here.

She held a hoof up to hide a bout of laughter. “Keep an eye out for Rainbow Dash. She’s probably gonna come over and grumble about being here as a ‘responsible adult.’”

“Funny you should mention that,” Silver Spoon said. She pointed off to the side of the room, where a familiar pegasus stood leaning against the wall with a look of utter boredom upon her face, with a rather excited Twilight Sparkle at her side. “Looks like your big hero’s about to take a nap!”

Rainbow looked up just at that moment, her eyes locked with Scootaloo. She raised an eyebrow, then gave a meaningful look from Twilight back to her as if to say “I blame you for this, we could’ve been flying”.

Scootaloo shrugged and ducked her head, giving a look to Silver Spoon, then back to Rainbow. She mouthed, “Sorry!”

Snorting in amusement, Rainbow glanced at Twilight with a fond smile, then nodded to concede the point. She cast a wicked smirk back at Scootaloo. Whether or not she agreed, Rainbow would get her back for ditching practice.

A shiver ran down her back. With a plastic smile, she nudged Silver Spoon with her shoulder, pushing her back into the crowd in search of an open spot. The hairs on the back of her neck raised, she could still feel Rainbow’s eyes on her as she went.

As they came to a small space of open floor, she turned in place to face Silver Spoon, trotting backwards to lead her along. “Couple party dances first, then a slow one?” she asked, her hoof tapping to the beat.

“Seems fair,” Silver Spoon nodded. She started to bounce on her hooves and shuffled in time to the beat, glancing down every so often to make sure she wasn’t about to trip.

Simple and rather plain for a party. She was feeling a bit shy.

Nothing wrong with that, of course. There were always ways to coax a partner out of her shell with a little bit of time.

Scootaloo started a little side-stepping move, swishing her tail and timing her steps to match with the pulsing bass. All she had to do was wait until Silver got comfortable, then they could make things a bit more fun.

But not too comfortable. This was a first date, so they had to be a bit closer. If only so she could watch the filly squirm and blush.

When Silver Spoon glanced down again, she made her move. A simple slide forward, and she was there, muzzle to muzzle with Silver Spoon when she looked up again. The little squeak of surprise she let out made Scootaloo grin and raise her brows. “Hey, there!” she greeted.

Silver Spoon worked her mouth wordlessly, her eyes flitted down to her hooves again, desperate for an escape.

Scootaloo wasn’t having it. Without breaking her step, she brought a hoof to Silver Spoon’s chin and gently forced her to look up. “My eyes are up here,” she teased. “And I kinda think yours look awful pretty. So maybe we don’t look down, ‘kay?”

Before she could reply, Scootaloo leaned forward just enough to nuzzle against her snout. The scent of vanilla and lilac filled her senses, bringing forth a contented sigh. I could stay like this awhile.

A grin made its way across her muzzle as Silver Spoon went rigid, another squeak escaped her lips as she missed a couple steps. Her cheeks burned a bright red.

“You!” she hissed, a smile tugging at her lips as she tried to find the beat again.

Chuckling, Scootaloo stole another nuzzle before pulling back and resuming her dance. The alluring scent wafted through the air, tempting her to come closer again.

Later, she told herself. Slow dances are perfect for that sort of thing.

Ponyville’s Town Hall was a nice enough building, but it wasn’t originally designed with dances in mind. Especially not the more fast-paced dancing that came with school parties or anything Vinyl got involved in with her turntables. Made entirely of wood in the old earth pony fashion, it trapped heat no matter how many windows or doors were left open.

It was a design flaw that Scootaloo was growing quite familiar with as the dance went on, as were the rest of her classmates.

A droplet of sweat rolled down Scootaloo’s cheek before she wiped it away with the back of her hoof. Her legs ached in ways so different from her workout runs with Rainbow Dash, but she kept going, spurred on by her own excitement and the bright smile on Silver Spoon’s face.

At some point, they’d managed to lose track of just how many party songs they were dancing to before Scootaloo was supposed to go up and request a slow song. Not that either complained.

They laughed and bounced along with their fellow classmates, their sides pressed together close enough that their tails flicked and brushed against their flanks.

Butterflies fluttered in Scootaloo’s stomach each time she felt the soft, silvery strands against her coat. Somehow, she was certain Silver Spoon was doing it on purpose as payback for her earlier teasing. A quick glance out of the corner of her eye, just in time to catch a coy smile and half-lidded stare, confirmed it.

She bit down on her lip to hide a nervous grin. No way was she going to give Silver Spoon the satisfaction, not after all the teasing she’d done. Swallowing the lump that had made its way into her throat, she bumped her hip against Silver Spoon’s to give herself a little space. “S-So, having fun?” she asked, biting back a curse at her stammer.

“Mhmm.” Silver Spoon nodded, her eyes gleamed with mirth as a knowing smirk played upon her lips. Again, her tail flicked, brushing its ends against Scootaloo’s flank.

Scootaloo fought back a whine, her wings rustled, betraying her embarrassment. She’d been caught. “You suck,” she muttered.

“Maybe so,” Silver Spoon tittered, returning her earlier hip bump. “But you still owe me a slow dance.”

Her ears perked up. That’s right, I do. Scootaloo broke away from her and gave a nod. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.” Her jaw set, her usual smirk made its way across her muzzle. “Maybe a few, since we’ve been doing this for a bit.”

Beaming, Silver Spoon stepped forward and nuzzled her cheek, her warm muzzle rubbed against Scootaloo’s matted coat. “I’d like that.” She paused, smiling and giggling. “It’d give us all a nice break from this heat!”

With a bit of reluctance, Scootaloo broke away and pushed through the throng of ponies. A shoulder bumped against hers, she looked to the side to find Rumble staggering to his hooves after a botched flip, offering a sheepish grin as he muttered an apology.

She waved him off and spared a chuckle as he slowly made his way over to his friends. What a dork. Shaking her head, she resumed her trot. And all the fillies used to just swoon over him.

Scootaloo stopped just before Vinyl’s turntables, waving to get her attention. “Hey, Vinyl!”

The mare grinned and nodded as she brushed her headphones back so she could hear. “What’s up, Scooter? Enjoying the dance?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool!” She cast a quick glance over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of Silver Spoon, still dancing in place, a bright smile gracing her pretty face.

“Having fun with that filly you walked in with, eh?” She turned to find herself met with a knowing smirk. Vinyl tugged her shades down to the bridge of her snout, staring at her through magenta eyes. “Don’t try hiding it; I know that look. I’ve seen it enough at my club gigs.”

Scoffing, Scootaloo tossed her mane. “Who’s hiding? I was gonna ask if you could take a break and put on a couple slow songs for us.”

“‘Atta girl! I got a few I always keep saved for this sort of thing.” Her horn lit up a brilliant blue, a box labeled ‘for the lovebirds’ floated up from behind her turntables. “Any requests?”

“I don’t know enough slow songs, so whatever you think fits,” Scootaloo replied. Turning to look across the dance floor, her feathers fluffed. The butterflies in her stomach took flight once again. “Think you could take a break and let a few play?”

After a beat, Vinyl chuckled. “Sure, kid. Go have fun, I’m sure there’s a cup of punch with my name on it anyway. It’ll be next song up, ‘kay?”

Scootaloo nodded and made to walk away, but a hoof fell upon her shoulder and pulled her in close, a cyan wing wrapped tight around her withers.

“So?” Rainbow asked. “How’d the first date going?”

Grinning, Scootaloo pressed into her side. “Pretty good so far! Dinner was good, but way pricey.” She wrinkled her snout and shook her head. “Really hope she doesn’t expect that all the time, or I’m never gonna have money.”

Rainbow snorted. “I thought the same way when I started seeing Twilight. Trust me, if she’s worth it, she knows the expensive stuff is for special occasions, everything else is about time together.” Pausing a moment, she leaned in. “You paid, right?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “She said she had this one.”

“Then if there’s a second date, you get the tab. It’s only fair.” At Scootaloo’s nod, she smiled. “Good girl. I’ll leave you to it, then. Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do! I’m too young to be an aunt, young filly!”

Laughing, Scootaloo slipped out of her embrace and nudged her with an elbow. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be good! Just do me a favor and keep Twilight busy when we start coming up with names, old mare!” She ducked a swipe of Rainbow’s wing and gave a cheeky grin before beginning her trek toward Silver Spoon.

She weaved her way through the crowd until she was at Silver Spoon’s side again. “Next song will be a slow one,” she said. “Hope you don’t mind a basic thing, ‘cause I don’t know any fancy waltzes or whatever.”

“I don’t mind that at all.” Silver Spoon looked around and wrinkled her snout. “It’s too crowded for those dances, anyway.”

There was a scratch and whir as the club music came to a halt. Then, after a few seconds delay, static over the speakers preceded a slow, smooth piano melody. The crowd around them turned to their partners, each rearing up to take one another in their hooves and slowly sway to the beat.

Scootaloo and Silver Spoon stayed still a moment, each gazing into each other’s eyes. Without a word of prompting, Silver Spoon reached out to take her hooves, then reared up to pull her close.

A shaky chuckle escaped Sootaloo’s lips. She wrapped one hoof around Silver Spoon’s waist, the other settled on her shoulder. Standing on two hooves each, they let the weight settle between them for balance, then began to sway from side to side and take small steps with the beat.

Out of the corner of her eye, Scootaloo noticed a flash of white coat and lavender and purple mane. She stole a glance, her jaw hung open as she watched Sweetie Belle rear up and wrap her hooves around Diamond Tiara’s neck, the other filly wrapping hers around her waist, and began to dance with her.

Scootaloo leaned in close to whisper in her ear, “Did you know Sweetie and Diamond were together?”

Silver Spoon shook her head. “No. Can I be honest with you about something?”

“Sure, shoot.”

“I really don’t care about either of them right now.” Her snout pressed against Scootaloo’s cheek, nuzzling a small circle just beneath her ear. “Can we pester them later?”

Chuckling, Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah. I’m good with that.”

The scent of lilac and vanilla hit her again. Her nostrils flared, Scootaloo let her eyes flutter shut and a smile spread across her muzzle.

Again, the urge to move in closer hit. She didn’t resist. She leaned in, nosing against Silver Spoon’s cheek to take a deep breath through her nose, and held it to savor the sweet scent that had taunted and teased her throughout the night. “You smell so nice,” she whispered. “And you look even better.”

“Th-Thanks,” Silver Spoon squeaked in reply. “You look really pretty, too. Your dress really compliments your mane. And your eyes.”

Scootaloo hummed, but kept quiet, instead content to simply enjoy her date’s warmth as they danced. She cracked open an eye to catch sight of the silvery tail swishing merrily back and forth, almost hypnotic in how the light shone off it.

So pretty.

She closed her eyes again, maneuvering snout out of the crook of Silver Spoon’s neck, up to her cheek. Then, with a bit of courage flooding her chest, she pressed her lips against her warm, dampened cheek.

Silver Spoon stopped in place. A shuddering gasp escaped her lips, she tilted her head in to let Scootaloo’s lips press closer and gave a happy sigh as she resumed dancing. Her hoof snaked around Scootaloo’s neck and held her close.

The crowd around them seemed to fade into the background; they had been lost to the music and the warmth of their embrace.

“Alright, kids, I hate to say it’s time to go, but it’s about that time,” Vinyl called, pausing to allow a chorus of groans and pleas for one last song. She grinned. “Aw, who could say no to you guys? One last song! This one’s for all you lovebirds still on your hooves!”

Scootaloo stood with all four hooves planted firmly on the ground, her hind legs still ached from all the slow dances before. Fortunately, she wasn’t alone in that regard. Silver Spoon had worn herself out some time ago and dropped her hooves in favor of leaning cheek-to-cheek against Scootaloo, a tired smile gracing her muzzle as they swayed to music only they could hear.

“This has been a lot of fun.” Scootaloo flicked her ear at the sound of Silver Spoon’s soft whisper. “You dance well.”

Forgoing her usual snort and scoffing denial, Scootaloo hummed and rubbed their cheeks together. “Thanks. Glad you’re having a good time.” Thinking on it a moment, she turned her head to nuzzle beneath Silver Spoon’s ear and added in a whisper, “Thanks for asking me.”

With a breathy giggle, Silver Spoon tilted her head to allow her free access. “Thanks for saying yes.”

The scent was still there, even hours later, though her coat was dampened with sweat, Scootaloo could smell it. What I’d do to sit with her just like this.

She cracked open an eyelid, glancing about the hall. Plenty of empty chairs, a few tables open, but way too many ponies around for her taste. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Applejack and Rarity starting to clean up the trash, their backs toward Scootaloo. A quick glance to her left showed Twilight and Rainbow leaning against each other, with Rainbow’s wings wrapped around Twilight’s neck and shoulders as they shared a dance together.

Not a one of them actually watching.

I thought chaperones were supposed to be all boring and smothering for the fun stuff. An amused smirk made its way across her muzzle. She looked to her right, toward the hallway leading to the second floor balcony stairway to find nothing blocking it off save for a makeshift black curtain. Slowly, her smirk grew into a grin as an idea began to form. No time like the present.

She ducked her head under Silver Spoon’s chin, and maneuvered herself around to nudge her toward the hallway. “Wanna slip out to the balcony and hang out for a bit?” she asked in a whisper. “None of the adults are watching.”

She watched as Silver Spoon checked to be sure, a matching smile spread across her muzzle. “Yeah. Let’s go before Applejack or Rarity see us.” Turning toward the hallway, she ducked low and began trotting forward. “Looks like the other two are occupied.”

With a waggle of her brows, Scootaloo followed, pausing just as she reached the curtain to steal a glance out of the corner of her eye to make sure they hadn’t been spotted.

Nothing. Applejack and Rarity were still cleaning, and Rainbow had only moved to nuzzle Twilight’s cheek.

Perfect. She ducked through the curtain to come face to face with a smiling Silver Spoon, who leaned in for a nuzzle.

Scootaloo happily reciprocated, drinking in the warmth and alluring scent. “After you,” she said.

“What a gentlemare,” Silver Spoon whispered as she gave another nuzzle, then began to climb the stairs, trailing her tail along Scootaloo’s side, all the way up to her chin before flicking her across the nose. She glanced over her shoulder, fixing her with a half-lidded look as she climbed the last stair and disappeared onto the second floor.

Dear Celestia. Scootaloo felt her breath hitch in her throat, she took an extra second to shake herself out of her stupor before she hurried after her date. This filly is gonna destroy my rep. Might as well just turn my cool card into Rainbow on my way out.

She made it to the top just in time to see Silver Spoon waiting for her at the balcony entrance, with that same half-lidded look and a tiny smirk gracing her muzzle. One eerily familiar to their schoolyard days, but more …

Welcoming? Heartfelt?

Either way, who was she to refuse such an invitation?

Scootaloo bounded forward to stand beside her, giving a crooked smile as they both walked out to the balcony together and came to a stop by the wooden railing.

They sat down on their haunches, leaning against one another as they had on the dance floor. Scootaloo laid her head atop Silver Spoon’s, nuzzling a small circle into her soft mane as she drank in that delicious scent.

The chill of the night air brought forth a shiver from the pair, both having grown accustomed to the heat in the cramped dance hall. Scootaloo unfurled one of her wings and wrapped it around Silver Spoon. “Here,” she muttered, her eyes flitted down. “It’ll keep you warm.”

“Thank you.” Silver Spoon pressed up against her, giving a happy hum as she turned and trailed her snout up Scootaloo’s neck to her chin, then planted a kiss on her cheek.

She had to fight back a broad grin. “So,” she drawled. “Does this make us … y’know? A thing?”

“Would you like that?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, yes.” Silver Spoon sighed in content and scooted in close. “It does.”

Score one for Scoots! “Cool. So, figure out next date now or later?”

There was a moment of silence between them, then Silver Spoon shrugged. “Later. Tomorrow, I guess. Just let me enjoy this a little longer.”

“You got it.” Scootaloo wrapped her hooves around Silver Spoon’s chest and pulled her in, giving her free reign to tighten her wing’s grip.

Not a bad ending to the night at all. The only thing left to do was wait for the opportune moment and make her move.

With the stars shining bright in the night sky and their bodies the only source of warmth as they listened to the last song of the dance fade away, the fillies sat together in silence.

One of Silver Spoon’s hooves snaked its way around her waist, then began a slow trail up to her shoulder. Inch by inch it climbed, she could feel Silver Spoon nuzzling against her cheek, right above her jawline.

She was thinking along the same lines.

Scootaloo allowed herself a smirk. Don’t think so, you already made the first move once. She threw caution to the wind and turned her head to meet Silver Spoon in mid nuzzle, nosing against her snout before capturing her lips in a soft kiss.

My turn this time.

They parted, each gasping for breath they hadn’t realize they’d been holding. Scootaloo blinked owlishly as she ran her tongue over her lips, savoring the taste of the kiss. “Whoa,” she said breathily. “That was … something. I don’t even know.”

Silver Spoon made to reply, her mouth worked wordlessly a moment before she gave up and just nodded in assent.

“Want another?” Scootaloo asked. Her wings fluffed and rustled. How in Equestria was she so hot when the air felt so cold?

Smiling brightly, Silver Spoon nodded again. Then, she giggled. “You’ve got my lipstick smudged on your lips.”

Scootaloo ran her tongue over her lips again, furrowing her brows as she felt something smooth on the surface. Snorting, she shrugged. “Seems so. Guess I’ll have to give it back somehow, eh?”

With a happy hum, Silver Spoon nodded. A sly smirk played upon her lips. “How do you plan on doing that, Scootaboo?”

Scowling, she leaned in close, touching their noses together. “I thought I told you I was only giving you the one pass on that.”

“You did,” Silver Spoon said, nuzzling her playfully. “I don’t see any reason not to, though. It’s adorable.”

“You better knock if off.”

“Or what?”

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes. “I’ll make you, and I’ll wipe that smirk right off your face.”

Humming, Silver Spoon moved her snout in a circle around Scootaloo’s. “You’re welcome to try, Scootaboo.”

Her nostrils flared. Oh, that did it! She reached up to cup Silver Spoon’s cheek with her hoof, turning her head to face her fully.

Silver Spoon tilted her head to the side and leaned in, her eyes closing slowly as she waited for Scootaloo to meet her halfway.

A move Scootaloo was happy to reciprocate. She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose, taking in the full scent of lilac and vanilla as she parted her lips, eager for her second kiss.

A sudden click and a bright flash, followed by familiar laughter made them jolt back in surprise. Scootaloo’s ears flicked. She turned toward the entrance, staring in muted horror at the sight of two familiar mares.

Rainbow stood, leaned up against Twilight with a camera in hoof and a wicked grin playing upon her lips.

Scootaloo’s ears drooped. “Oh no …”

“Oh, yes!” Rainbow crowed, waggling her ears. “This’ll be perfect for our Hearth’s Warming cards this year, eh, Twi?”

Twilight snorted and shook her head. “You leave me out of this,” she said, her voice betraying her amusement as she playfully shoved Rainbow away. “I think that was a cute moment. Though, you girls might want to get inside. You’ll freeze half to death out here in those dresses!”

“Aw, they’ll be fine a little longer! Besides, this is gold, Twi!” Something about her tone, the way her eyes never left Scootaloo’s sent alarm bells ringing in the poor filly’s ears. “A regular Haymark moment, really! I think I might just cry!”

Scootaloo heard a tiny whimper, she turned to find Silver Spoon covering her face with both hooves, doing her very best to try and duck beneath her wing. “M-Miss Dash, please don’t send out that picture!”

Scoffing, Rainbow waved a hoof. “Aw, c’mon! I’m not that mean! I can think of way better things than postcards! For instance, I can think of two mothers who’ll pay well to have copies of it in their scrapbooks!”

“I have money!” Silver Spoon yelped.

“Oooh, sorry, sweetie, but this is a special ‘pseudo-big sister to parents deal’, no mares under eighteen allowed!” She cackled, turning to share a hoof bump with Twilight. Her laughter died in her throat when she noticed the stern glare and single raised eyebrow. With a groan and a roll of her eyes, she sighed. “Okay, fine! I’m not actually gonna make them pay for the pictures! Happy?”

Twilight gave a nod and a small smile. “Very.”

“Killjoy.”

An angry snarl crossed Scootaloo’s muzzle. She removed her wing from Silver Spoon’s shoulders and stood to face Rainbow. With a challenging flex of her wings, she pawed at the ground. “Rainbow,” she said slowly, “give me that camera. Now.”

Rainbow smirked and held up the camera. “You mean this camera? This one here? Well, gee, Scoots, let me just think about that a moment—haha, no.” She blew a raspberry in her direction, then turned to face the other side of the balcony . “You want this bad boy, you’re gonna have to work for it! So how’s about a little wager between pegasi?”

Growling, Scootaloo bent her knees, readying to spring forward. “Not in the mood, Rainbow. Gimme the camera!”

With a small frown, Rainbow shrugged. “Well, I wanna use my big sister privileges to embarrass my favorite filly, so I guess we’re stuck. I was gonna give you a chance to race me for it, but now? I think I’m just gonna take this to Pinkie and let her make copies. Later!” Before either could move, she darted forward to peck Twilight on the cheek and whisper “See you at home, Twi”, then took off at a dead sprint. “Catch me if you can, girls!” she called over her shoulder as she leapt over the railing and took flight.

“Rainbow Dash! You get back here!” Scootaloo flared her wings, but stopped short, cursing under her breath. With an annoyed sigh, she turned to Silver Spoon, only to find the filly on her hooves, glaring angrily at Rainbow’s receding form.

Their eyes met.

“Think you can catch her?” Silver Spoon asked.

Grinning, Scootaloo nodded. “You bet I can!” she said. “Meet you at Sugarcube Corner for cocoa after I smash that stupid thing?”

Silver Spoon smiled and stole a quick kiss. “Cocoa and third kiss at Sugarcube Corner. Now, get moving!”

Scootaloo sprinted toward the railing and leapt into the air, flapping her wings for all she was worth.

She had a camera to destroy and a kiss to collect. Maybe three.

Several more, if she was quick enough.

“Rainbow! Get your sorry butt back here!”

Dancing With Silver

by Carapace

Your Secret Admirer

The Dance