Sweetie Belle finds herself feeling strangely awkward around her friends, Applebloom and Scootaloo. But when she finds out the truth, she has a hard time believing it, let alone coping with it...
When Sweetie Belle finds out that she has a major crush on somepony, she has a REALLY hard time coping with just that. But in the end no one will believe what happens...
“Ah don’t know about you guys, but Ah’m getting the feelin’ that we are going to get our cutie-marks this time! Ah just know it!” Applebloom exclaimed, jumping around wildly getting pumped up for the next few days.
“Hey, watch it!” Scootaloo said, trying to dodge Applebloom’s flailing legs. “You’re going to knock somepony out bucking around like that!” Applebloom stopped kicking, but started to trot around their little group just as enthusiastically.
“Sorry, Ah’m just really excited that we’re gonna be doing all this stuff with both of our big sisters and Rainbow Dash! Ah mean, we’re gonna be doing cosmetology with Rarity, we’ll be baking pies and making cider with Applejack and Granny Smith, and we’re gonna be taking Karate with Rainbow Dash! There’s just so much to do, I can’t wait!” Applebloom looked over to where Sweetie Belle walked silently alongside them. “What do you think about it all, Sweetie Belle? You’re oddly quiet.” Sweetie Belle jumped at the sound of her name.
“Oh! Umm… I’m really excited too!” Sweetie Belle started to blush as a heat flared up in her chest and shied away from them.
∞
The three fillies arrived at Sweet Apple Acres right on time so that Big Mac was just hauling the last of the apples back to the cider machine. They heard a large crash as soon as they walked through the gate and wondered what it was. Applejack appeared out from behind the barn.
“Hey, y’all! Come over here, if you don’t mind!” The fillies trotted over to where she was standing to find her staring at a pile of rubble that used to be the cider machine.
“Hey, what happened to the cider maker thingy?” Scootaloo asked, dumbfounded at the sight of the massive heap of wood and metal.
“I dunno, but we won’t be making any cider today, girls. I’m sorry…” Applejack said, “But we can still make pies! Come on, everypony!”
They spent the rest of the day eating apples and baking pies, but Sweetie Belle was still confused as to what that feeling in her chest was. She found herself watching the other fillies; the way their mouths moved when they chewed, and the relative complexity of their hooves as they maneuvered the strips of dough to weave the top crust of the pie simply captivated her. She was getting chills just thinking about them. Sweetie Belle caught herself before she did anything too embarrassing and scolded herself for getting caught up in fantasies. She knew better than to think like that...
∞
When Sweetie Belle got home to the boutique, she saw Rarity starting to pack up her latest creation; a beautiful violet dress filled with iridescent jewels that refracted the light into magnificent rainbows across the room. Sweetie walked over to her sister and waited for her to get finished cleaning up to ask her question.
“Rarity, can I ask you something really serious?” Rarity turned around to see her little sister standing there. She could tell that Sweetie Belle had something on her mind that she wanted to get out.
“Of course, you can, dear! You look troubled, I can only guess what’s on your mind,” Rarity said concernedly, “You can tell me anything.” Sweetie Belle looked down at the ground and spoke very softly.
“What does it feel like to be in love?” Rarity was surprised. She never expected that kind of question to come out of a filly Sweetie Belle’s age. “The last time I asked you,” Sweetie Belle continued, “I was very vague and you started to talk to me in that baby talk you speak to the Cake twins with. This time I made sure to ask you straight out.” Rarity had to think for a moment. She was young and in love once, but it didn’t last for very long because the stallion was only in it for the plot, and Rarity wanted a real relationship.
“W-well, I-I’m not sure. It’s different for everypony,” Rarity explained, “For some it’s butterflies in their stomach, and for others it’s feeling faint whenever their significant other is near them. I’ve also had some ponies say that it’s like a burning flame deep down in their chest. Right where their heart is. So I’m not sure how to answer that.”
Sweetie Belle's heart dropped like a stone when she realized what was going on with her. But instead of breaking apart, like any normal pony would do, she just stood there with her head down, completely silent. NO! she thought, No, it can't be them!,Then all of a sudden, her small body couldn't take the stress anymore and she collapsed onto the floor.
∞
When she woke up, she was in a bed at Ponyville Regional Hospital. Rarity, Scootaloo, Applebloom, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack stood around in the room, apparently waiting for her to wake up. Applebloom was the first to notice.
“Hey, look, she’s awake!” All the ponies in the room rushed to the sides of the bed.
“Oh my goodness, I am so glad you’re alright!” Rarity exclaimed, embracing Sweetie Belle in a hug far stronger than she thought was possible for the mare.
“Rarity! Get off! You’re squishing me!” Sweetie Belle cried out; wanting the other ponies get Rarity off of her.
As soon as Rarity let go, Scootaloo and Applebloom jumped on the bed and virtually tackled her. They started to hug her and Sweetie Belle felt the same heat in her chest that is usually there explode into a full on flame. She started to blush profusely and forced the two fillies off of the bed. As soon as they hit the ground, the doctor walked in.
"I'm sorry to interrupt the hug fest," the doctor apologized, "but I have good news! Sweetie Belle is in perfect health! She can be discharged from the hospital when you're ready." The doctor closed the door and everypony directed their attention to back Sweetie Belle.
"So what was that all about?" Scootaloo asked, "All I heard was that you asked Rarity something and then you just collapsed"
"That's all there really was to it," Sweetie Belle replied, "It was like I couldn't move at all. I started to panic and then all of a sudden, I just blacked out."
"Well could you at least tell us what the question was about?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie Belle looked at Rarity and gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. Rarity took the queue.
"Oh, it was some silly thing," she answered for Sweetie Belle, " I can hardly remember what it was myself. The important thing is that she is alright and not hurt! But let's get out of this hospital. I'm beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic." They checked Sweetie Belle out of the hospital and continued on their way home.
On the way home, Sweetie Belle started to think who the pony was who made her feel that way. She thought about Scootaloo being that special somepony, but quickly dismissed it. She and Scootaloo did not get along at ALL. She tried to imagine herself and Applebloom, but she didn't feel the same. She couldn't remember if she felt the same when she thought about Scootaloo, but she didn't want to imagine that happening between them. She walked all the rest of the way home in silence. She did NOT want to think about her little problem at the moment.
That night, Sweetie Belle had a dream. In it, she got her cutie-mark, but it was not like any normal cutie-mark she had ever seen before. This cutie-mark was a big, red "L". She didn't know what it meant, but Scootaloo and Applebloom seemed to be really scared by it. They dashed into the Everfree Forest and were soon lost from sight.
Sweetie Belle ran after them, but couldn't catch up fast enough. She got lost in the forest, but soon came to the edge of a huge cliff on the completely opposite side of the immense forest.. She looked down in time to see two little splashes in an enormous, stormy, churning lake. She couldn't hold herself back from crying. She cursed this strange cutie-mark, she cursed her entire existence, she cursed everything ever created! She curled up into a ball and sobbed for what seemed like hours.
∞
Sweetie Belle woke up with a start. Her pillow was soaked where her head was, and she assumed she cried in her sleep as well as in the dream. She glanced over to the clock. 6:24, she thought, I guess I could get up now. I could use some walking around. She grabbed her bag and left the boutique making sure that she didn't wake Rarity. She would get really mad if somepony interrupted her beauty sleep.
While she was taking a leisurely stroll around Ponyville, she spotted a gypsy cart rolling through town. Sweetie Belle remembered something about gypsies being able to tell futures and interpret dreams, so she trotted toward the old thing.
As she got closer, she could make out an old, faded cloth sign that was draped over the cart. She could make out only a few words, but there was enough light that she could read: "Madame Graciela. Fortunes Told Here!"
"Well that's convenient." Sweetie Belle said aloud, "I wonder if she interprets dreams as well." She checked her satchel and found a few bits inside, so she continued on.
"Um, excuse me sir," she said when she reached the driver of the cart, "are you stopping close to here?"
The driver looked down and had to squint his eyes to see her clearly in the low light of the morning.
"Why yes we are! We are actually stopping right outside town!" he said with a smile. "Would you like a ride over there with us?"
"Yes, thank you." Sweetie Belle climbed up with the aid of the driver and sat down beside him. They continued on for a few minutes and found a spot underneath a large oak tree.
The driver opened a small hatch right behind his seat after he and Sweetie Belle had gotten down and unhitched the stallion who was pulling the cart.
"Mi'lady, we have a customer!" There was rustling and a small crash in reply. He hopped down, opened up the large back door, and went with the stallion to get supplies, food, and drink.
"Come in, dear," the mare said,"have a seat."
Sweetie Belle trotted around the cart and walked into the small room. There was a bed, two bookshelves full of books, most likely on occult practices, a table with two chairs, one occupied by the mare, and a candle in the middle of the table that lit the tiny living space. The mare was not much older than Rarity, much to Sweetie Belle's surprise. She had a light brown coat and a sandy blonde mane, and wore a light red headband that looked similar to the one Aloe wore back at the spa. Sweetie Belle sat down in the chair opposite the young mare.
"Now how may I help you? I can sense that something is troubling you," she said concernedly. She gasped and sat back and gave an embarrassed smile after burying her face in her hooves. "Silly me! I haven't even introduced myself! My name is Madame Graciela, but you can call me Graciela or Grace. It is a pleasure to meet you." She held out her hoof. "And your name is?"
"My name is Sweetie Belle," she said, shaking the mare's hoof. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well! You have no idea how lucky I feel right now."
"I'm sure I don't," Graciela said with a smile. "Now," she continued warmly," what seems to be troubling you? I could sense that something was on your mind as soon as you came in. Now, wait. Before you say anything, let me guess why you're here." The mare closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "Aha! I know just the thing that we need!" She got off the chair and scanned one of the bookshelves. She pulled out a medium sized book and blew the dust off of it.
"My, I haven't used this one in a while!" She set the old book down on the table in front of her seat at the table. "My guess is that you came here about a dream you had." She scrunched her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could.
"The dream was about a certain somepony, no, two certain someponies! You are obviously very troubled by this dream because first off, you don't know what this dream means, and second, those two certain someponies are very close to you. Whether they are friends, family, loved ones, I do not know."
She opened her eyes to find a quite surprised Sweetie Belle. Her mouth was open slightly and her eyes were wide. Graciela smiled contently.
"My powers haven't failed me yet, I see. Now, let's see to that dream. Could you describe the dream to me, was there anything that seemed odd, like certain objects or symbols that struck you as weird or out of place?" Sweetie Belle had to think for a moment.
"Let's see. In the dream, I got my cutie-mark." She hopped down to show Graciela her flank, then climbed back up. "But it wasn't like any cutie-mark I had ever seen before. it was a big red 'L'." Graciela perked up at the mention of 'L'. She opened the book and began to flip through the pages.
"Go on." she said.
"Then my friends Scootaloo and Applebloom, who were with me, ran away into the Everfree Forest. I chased after them, and I got lost, but I continued running." Graciela dog-eared the page she was on, and flipped to a different page, dog-eared it, then looked up, signalling Sweetie Bell to continue.
"All of a sudden, I was on the other side of the forest, and I ran to the edge of a cliff. I looked down and saw two little splashes in a massive lake. It was really stormy so that the water was really choppy and was churning like crazy. I don't think anypony could survive the fall, let alone swim to shore and get there in one piece. Then I just cried for what seemed like hours and when I woke up, my pillow was soaking wet, so I guessed that I had been crying in real life as well." Graciela looked up. Concern, fear, and utter amazement were evident in her eyes.
"Please excuse my language, but you had one hell of a night. Your subconscious was working overtime to try and feed you information about yourself so that your conscious mind can interpret the information and finally figure everything out about what's going on in your head, or shall I say heart."
Sweetie Belle had been afraid that that was what Graciela would say, but she was still confused as to what all the different signs meant.
"Normal dreams only have a few signs in them, and they're vague at that, but yours... Your dream was full of signs! There was a sign in pretty much everything you just told me! The 'L' cutie-mark usually symbolizes being a so-called loser, but having your friends there and sensing what I sense about you, the letter L signifies your fear of the "l-word". You cannot even bring your dreaming mind to express love. That's why I said "heart" when I was explaining what your subconscious was trying to tell you." She flips to the second dog-eared page.
"The bit about the Everfree Forest. There's nothing in here concerning that particular forest, but it does say something about getting lost in a forest. It says "To dream that you are lost in a forest indicates that you are searching through your subconscious for a better understanding of yourself," which is exactly what is happening." She turns to the third dog-eared page.
"It says here that "To dream that you or somepony falls off a cliff suggests that you are going through a difficult time and are afraid of what is ahead for you. You fear that you may not be up for the challenge or that you cannot meet the expectations of others." This is kinda saying that what you feel in your heart might not be accepted by everypony." She flips to the fourth page that she dog-eared.
"The lake is really significant. It says here that "To see a lake in your dream signifies your emotional state of mind. You feel restricted and that you can't express your emotions freely. Alternatively, the lake may provide you with solace, security, and peace of mind. If the lake is clear and calm, then it symbolizes your inner peace. If the lake is disturbed, then you may be going through some emotional turmoil." The lake churning as violently as you described signifies that you are really fighting with yourself. You don't want to find out what is going on in your heart." She turned to the final dog-eared page.
"To dream that you are crying and to wake up crying give me the most information about what is going on. It says here that "To dream that you are crying signifies a release of negative emotions that is more likely caused by some waking situation rather than the events of the dream itself. Your dream is a way to regain some emotional balance and to safely let out your fears and frustrations. In your daily lives, you tend to ignore, deny, or repress your feelings. But in your dream state, your defense mechanisms are no longer on guard and thus allow for the release of those feelings that you have repressed during the day." The other signs are just backing up what this sign is telling you. They are emphasizing it way too much for it to be a minor detail. It also says something about crying in real life during a dream. it says "To wake up crying represents some suppressed hurt or previous trauma that is coming up to the surface. You can no longer suppress these emotions. They need to be dealt with head on." The thing is that you are dealing with a major psychological civil war. Your mind is telling you that you need to, no, it is a necessity that you figure out what is causing you so much pain! You need to face that something, and defeat it." Graciela closed the book slowly and walked over to Sweetie Belle.
"I'm going to stay here in Ponyville for a few more days, maybe even a week. So if you need any help at all, just knock." She gave Sweetie Belle a kiss on the forehead. "Just because you have moved me so much, I am going to tell Sergio that he is never to charge you as long as he works for me."
Sweetie Belle lost all control of herself at that moment. She started to weep quietly at first, but soon after, she was sobbing on Graciela's shoulder. Graciela hugged the little filly that she had only known for all of fifteen minutes, but it seemed that they had known each other forever.
“Ah don’t know about you guys, but Ah’m getting the feelin’ that we are going to get our cutie-marks this time! Ah just know it!” Applebloom exclaimed, jumping around wildly getting pumped up for the next few days.
“Hey, watch it!” Scootaloo said, trying to dodge Applebloom’s flailing legs. “You’re going to knock somepony out bucking around like that!” Applebloom stopped kicking, but started to trot around their little group just as enthusiastically.
“Sorry, Ah’m just really excited that we’re gonna be doing all this stuff with both of our big sisters and Rainbow Dash! Ah mean, we’re gonna be doing cosmetology with Rarity, we’ll be baking pies and making cider with Applejack and Granny Smith, and we’re gonna be taking Karate with Rainbow Dash! There’s just so much to do, I can’t wait!” Applebloom looked over to where Sweetie Belle walked silently alongside them. “What do you think about it all, Sweetie Belle? You’re oddly quiet.” Sweetie Belle jumped at the sound of her name.
"Oh! Umm... I'm really excited too!" Sweetie Belle started to blush and shied away from the group. Scootaloo and Applebloom looked at her confusedly, then got closer together so that they could talk.
"What's her problem? She's been like that for a while, but now it's kinda starting to concern me," Scootaloo said in a low voice.
"Ah dunno, but now that Ah think about it, she has been acting purty strange these past few days," Applebloom replied, "Ah wonder if she's feelin' alright."
∞
The three fillies arrived at Sweet Apple Acres right on time so that Big Mac was just hauling the last of the apples back to the cider machine. They heard a large crash as soon as they walked through the gate and wondered what it was. Applejack appeared out from behind the barn.
“Hey, y’all! Come over here, if you don’t mind!” The fillies trotted over to where she was standing to find her staring at a pile of rubble that used to be the cider machine.
“Hey, what happened to the cider maker thingy?” Scootaloo asked, dumbfounded at the sight of the massive heap of wood and metal.
“I dunno, but we won’t be making any cider today, girls. I’m sorry…” Applejack said, “But we can still make pies! Come on, everypony!”
"All right! PIES!!!" Scootaloo exclaimed enthusiastically, her wings flapping faster than a hummingbird's.
The small group trotted off to the kitchen where Granny Smith was already getting things set up.
∞
Scootaloo balanced an apple on her nose for a few seconds before popping it up into the air and catching it in her mouth.
"Her gers! Derd yer ser thert wern? Er herld ert fer tern sercernds thert term!" She was applauded as she took a bow and ate the rest of the apple in one bite; an impressive feat for a filly her size. She turned to ask Sweetie Belle what she thought, but was met with a dreamy stare. It was one of those cute stares that only Sweetie Belle could pull off.
You know, I always thought Sweetie Belle was pretty cute, she thought while cutting up an apple with a knife placed in a little holder that attached to her hoof, but then again, so does everypony else, so I'm not the only one.
On many a day with nothing to do while Sweetie Belle was helping Rarity with the boutique, Scootaloo and Applebloom spent the day at the clubhouse and chatted about how cute Sweetie Belle could be at times. They were never really serious because everypony has that cute friend that they like to talk about who all has crushes on them and who has a chance with them and who doesn't.
She was quite certain that Applebloom had a crush on Sweetie Belle right from the start. The way she talked about her was evident that affection was there. Whenever they had one of their little talks, Applebloom was absolutely pouring over Sweetie Belle. She was always going on how she really loved Sweetie Belle's coat. It was so soft and fluffy that she just wanted to be next to her forever just to feel her warm body.
Scootaloo smiled at the memory. She looked over to where Applebloom was weaving the pie crusts to see if she was checking Sweetie Belle out, but unfortunately she was too engrossed in her work. She looked over to Sweetie Belle again to see what she was up to. Strangely, she was staring straight at Scootaloo. Her body was trembling ever so slightly, but she could see that she wasn't cold because she had a totally spaced out, extremely dopey grin on her face and it was the middle of spring for Celestia's sake!
Scootaloo made a point to check and see what Sweetie Belle was obviously very pleased about. There were very few things that made Sweetie Belle that happy. The list comprises of ice cream, cake, and small fluffy animals. Scootaloo was pretty sure her flank was not any of those things.
Sweetie Belle seemed to catch herself staring at Scootaloo and shook her head to get back on track, but Scootaloo suddenly felt something deep inside her that made her want Sweetie Belle to keep looking. She wanted to feel that somepony actually had feelings for her...
Sometimes she worried about her own true intentions...
∞
"Applebloom and I are going to the clubhouse, we'll be back in a little while." Scootaloo said as they were leaving. "Hey, Sweetie Belle, you want to come with us too?"
"Uh, no thanks. I have to help Rarity with her new dress." Sweetie Belle replied rather sheepishly. "I have to go now."
Sweetie Belle galloped off towards the general direction of the boutique.
"Ok, maybe next time!" Scootaloo called after her. "Come on, Applebloom, let's go!"
Scootaloo hopped onto her scooter and Applebloom stepped into the red wagon that made up the passenger cart. The duo sped off in the other direction to the clubhouse. She couldn't stop thinking about Sweetie Belle. Something in that moment when she was checking Scootaloo out made her feel like she was wanted. She was actually wanted for once...
"Hey, Applebloom, can I ask you a question?" Scootaloo asked as she climbed up the ramp to the clubhouse, "It's kinda important."
"Sure ya can!" Applebloom replied with a smile, "You can ask me anything!" Scootaloo had to think for a moment.
"Do you get the feeling that Sweetie Belle likes one of us? I saw her staring at me in the kitchen earlier and she acted like she really enjoyedl the view." Scootaloo stopped walking and prepared for an extremely negative answer.
"Well when you put it like that, Ah guess she does. It seems mighty obvious that she likes you." Applebloom sounded a little forlorn in her reply and Scootaloo smiled to herself. Totally called it, she thought.
"Hey, wanna ship ponies together? I have a pretty good one that you might like." Scootaloo smiled maliciously.
"Ah know that smile." Applebloom's face dropped, but began to rise into a smirk. "Ya must have a perty good one if you're smilin' like that."
"Ok, here goes. You and that kid, Shining Star would make a good couple." Her smirk was impossible to miss. Shining Star had the biggest crush on Applebloom ever and Scootaloo very well knew it. She loved to try and help him score with Applebloom, but she failed every time.
"That one's getting old, you know. I have an even better one! Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy!" Applebloom rolled on the floor laughing at the look on Scootaloo's face.
"Applejack and Big Mac. You ship it like Derpy and you know it!" Scootaloo always loved hearing Applebloom suddenly stop laughing and start to fake gag. The two stared at each other for a few moments in absolute silence, then collapsed on the floor, giggling like the little fillies that they were.
After a few hours of shipping, playing games like Maneopoly, and planning what to try next, they decided to call it a day and head home. Scootaloo dropped Applebloom off and zoomed off to her cottage.
On the way home, Scootaloo thought she heard an ambulance cart off in the distance, but she wasn't so sure, so she payed no attention to it. She approached her cottage, and opened the door. The familiar, slightly musty smell washed over her as she walked in. Scootaloo smiled at the picture of her parents hanging on the wall, and set her scooter and helmet right beside the coat rack where she usually put it, and walked to her room.
Wow, 10:40 already? Scootaloo thought, looking at the clock on her bedside table, We must've been out for a while. She quickly hopped onto the bed and got under the covers. Ok, so tomorrow I'm going to ask whether Sweetie Belle likes me or not. Scootaloo smiled. "I wonder what she'll say." she thought out loud. With that, she turned off the light, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
∞
"SWEETIE BELLE IS WHAT?!?!?" Scootaloo's face was frozen in a look of shock. "HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS SOONER?!? WHY DIDN'T SOMEPONY COME AND GET ME?!?"
"I'm sorry, sugarcube, but we only just got the news as well," Applejack said, sauntering over to comfort the orange filly. "We can go in a little while. She needs her rest."
Scootaloo was already strapping on her helmet as Applejack finished her sentence. Applebloom climbed into the wagon attached to the back, and strapped her helmet on as well.
"Ah'm goin' too! Sweetie Belle is our friend and we need to support her!" Applebloom said. They then sped off towards the hospital as fast as they possibly could.
∞
Once they reached the hospital, they explained themselves to the secretary who then showed the fillies to Sweetie Belle's room. Rarity looked up as they walked in and sighed a breath of happiness that Sweetie Belle's friends cared enough to come and visit her.
The hours passed as they sat there in silence waiting for the little filly to wake up. Doctors and nurses came and went, checking clip boards and changing IV bags and doing other medical basics to keep her well in her state of unconsciousness. A little while later the main doctor treating Sweetie Belle came in.
"Your sister," he said to Rarity, "is in an advanced state of syncope which is just a fancy word for saying that she fainted." He flipped through his notes for a second, stopping on the third to last page. "This happened due to quite a bit of stimuli getting to the brain at the same time, therefore her brain made her to lose consciousness to stop the flow so it could regain its bearings, so to speak." The doctor paused for a moment, glancing up at Rarity for a moment before returning to his notes. "Might you have any idea what could have caused this?" he asked, "Problems at school, friends, boyfriend issues, girlfriend issues, etc.?" Scootaloo blushed and moved to where nopony could see her face.
"Um... not that I can think of, no." Rarity said.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," the doctor said, noticing the somewhat flustered look on the white mare's face, "but we are required to be as inclusive as possible." He paused for a moment, letting Rarity calm down. "Anyway, Miss Sweetie Belle should be waking up soon, so if you could just sit tight, she'll be up in a few hours, and I will be back with the report." The doctor shut the door as he left, and there was a soft thump and muffled words were heard from the hallway. It opened again and Applejack and Rainbow Dash entered the room.
"Sorry we're late," Applejack said as she trotted over to the side of the bed, "Ah had to go tell RD the news."
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash replied, "As soon as I heard, I had to get over here as fast as I could." She walked over to Scootaloo and gave her a light punch with her hoof. "Howya holdin' up there, sport?"
"I guess I'm doing alright," Scootaloo confessed, giving a small smile, "I'm just a little worried for Sweetie Belle."
The blue mare sat beside Scootaloo and placed a protective wing around her. Scootaloo leaned in and rested her head against Rainbow Dash's chest and closed her eyes, releasing a shuddering breath as she did so.
She looked at Scootaloo concernedly. "You sure you're ok? Something's up that you aren't telling me."
"Yeah, I'm ok." she gave a reassuring smile and a playful nudge. "Like I said, I'm just worried, that's all-"
"Hey look, she's awake!" Applebloom exclaimed out of nowhere. There was a loud squeak when Rarity flung herself upon Sweetie Belle, hugging her and lauding her well being. Sweetie Belle beckoned for help from the mare's death-grip of a hug, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash helped pry Rarity off of the filly.
However, no sooner had Rarity let go than Applebloom and Scootaloo jumped on the bed and attacked her with hugs of their own. Scootaloo felt a sensation of heat radiating from Sweetie Belle's body and thought she caught a glimpse of a blush, but she dismissed it as the residual heat from the covers.
Sweetie Belle shoved them both off when the doctor walked back in with his report.
"Well I'm sorry to interrupt the hug-fest," he apologized, "but it appears that Miss Sweetie Belle is in perfect health and can be discharged from the hospital when you're ready!" He promptly closed the door and everypony else directed their attention back toward Sweetie Belle.
"So what was that all about?" Scootaloo asked, "All I heard was that you asked Rarity something and then you just collapsed"
"That's all there really was to it," Sweetie Belle replied, "It was like I couldn't move at all. I started to panic and then all of a sudden, I just blacked out."
"Well could you at least tell us what the question was about?" Applebloom asked.
"Oh, it was some silly thing," Rarity interjected, "I can hardly remember what it was. The important thing is that she is alright and not hurt! But let's get out of this hospital. I'm beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic."
Scootaloo found it a bit odd that Rarity answered for Sweetie Belle on that question. Maybe it was just the small space getting to her, she thought, She sounded kind of rushed and anxious to get out of there...
They checked Sweetie Belle out of the hospital and went their separate ways for the night. Scootaloo, however had different plans for the next day...
After ten straight minutes of crying, Sweetie Belle was unable to shed any more tears. All those negative feelings that were pent up inside her tiny body were released into Graciela's shoulder. A part of her mane was thoroughly soaked and there was a large wet spot where Sweetie Belle's head is, but Graciela didn't mind. It had seemed like one of those very good, needed crys that everypony has every once in a while, and that was all that mattered.
"You all better now?" she asked Sweetie Belle, who was still sniffling.
"Uh-huh..." she replied shakily. She tried to wipe away the remnants of the episode, but her efforts were in vain. There were wet streaks where the tears had rolled down her cheek.
"Would you like me to walk you home?" Graciela offered concernedly, "It's light outside, but not very many ponies are out so you probably won't be noticed. You are a bit of a mess after all that, but it's acceptable for what you've just been through."
Sweetie Belle nodded her head and tried to compose herself. It's one thing to walk in the boutique looking a mess with just Rarity to see her, but walking through town where everypony could see her with tear streaks down her face, her mane messed up and not in the usual OCD way she styled her hair every morning, and taking long shaky breaths was a definite no-no.
After a few minutes, she was ready to go. Graciela grabbed her shawl and they exited through the back door. They passed Sergio on their way out and Graciela told him to watch the cart for a little while and that she was going to walk Sweetie Belle home and visit.
∞
They reached the boutique at about 7:20 a.m., and they entered quietly, not sure if Rarity was awake yet or not. They were surprised to find Rarity making breakfast for herself. The white mare looked at the pair and acquired a puzzled look.
"Sweetie Belle, what are you doing up this early, first of all, and secondly, who is this? A customer?" Rarity looked to Graciela and apologized, "I'm very sorry, but we aren't open for another few hours."
"Oh, no, I'm not here for your wares," Graciela smiled, "I was simply walking Miss Sweetie Belle, here, home. She came and gave me a visit this morning while I set up shop." She looked over to where Sweetie Belle stood in the kitchen, trying to gauge how much food Rarity had made and if it was enough to feed the three of them.
"Sweetie Belle," she inquired, "is it alright if I tell Miss Rarity what we talked about, or does she know?"
"Yeah, she already knows the general stuff, I guess..." Sweetie Bell .
Rarity's eyes suddenly grew wide. "Oh my! Have you eaten yet? Would you like to stay and we can talk about it over breakfast?"
"Yes, please." Graciela accepted and cantered over to the breakfast table. She sat down and watched as Rarity made breakfast and Sweetie Belle sat and stared absentmindedly at the wall. Graciela smiled and thought to herself Whatever she's going through, she's going to get through it just fine.
Rarity looked up from her cooking for a moment and glanced at Graciela, catching her eye, then nodding her head at Sweetie Belle, then looking back to Graciela, questioningly. Graciela nodded and mouthed: "She's ok. It's normal." Just then, there was a knock at the door that snapped Sweetie Belle out of her trance. She trotted over and opened it to let an orange pegasus in.
Scootaloo shuffled in and stood timidly on the front mat. "I-i'm sorry to visit this early," she apologized, "but m-may I have a word with Sweetie Belle in private?"
Rarity looked at her, confusedly, but soon consenting. The two fillies trotted up the stairs to Sweetie Belle's room. Scootaloo stopped at the door. She wan't sure how she would go through with her plan. She wasn't sure about many things at that moment. Sweetie Belle jumped on her bed and sat facing the orange filly.
"Hey Scootaloo," she said, "you alright? You can come in, you know."
Scootaloo shuffled in a few feet and shut the door behind her. Sweetie Belle noted that she looked rather unwell, and that she should offer her some soup and crackers.
"So... You wanted to ask me something?" Sweetie Belle asked, concernedly.
Scootaloo took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly, as if preparing to take a hoof to the face.
Sweetie Belle's face grew redder and redder by the second as she stared at the young pegasus. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to form the words that described how she felt.
"I-... I... Yes. Yes. Definitely." Sweetie Belle stuttered, her smile getting wider as tears rolled down her cheek. Scootaloo looked up at her, soon acquiring her own smile. She tackled Sweetie Belle and kissed her passionately. They broke the kiss and remained intertwined for a few minutes before either of them could speak.
"How long have you been waiting to ask me?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I dunno," Scootaloo said, "It's been a while."
"Do you think we should tell them?"
"Yeah, that seems like a good idea."
The couple trotted downstairs to find Graciela and Rarity in a quite compromising position on the couch. The four of them stared at each other for a minute before Graciela cleared her throat and shifted out from under Rarity.
"Find her?" She asked Sweetie Belle, fixing her mane.
"Yeah," Sweetie Belle smirked, "Did you?"
"I guess I could make a permanent settlement beside the boutique if m'lady allows it" Graciela smacked Rarity's flank and elicited a small squeak, and a bout of furious nodding from the mare.
Scootaloo chuckled. "Cool."
Graciela got up from the couch and trotted towards the door. "I'll tell Sergio. Be right back." She winked at Rarity, who in turn made a kissy face in reply.
Scootaloo looked up at the clock. "Oh wow, I need to go," she said, "Rainbow is probably already waiting for me to show up for my flying lesson." She gave Sweetie Belle a quick peck on the cheek before cantering towards the door. "Wanna meet up again tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow it is! I'll be here."
Rarity cleared her throat after Scootaloo shut the door. "Warn us, next time, if you don't mind, dear."
"I'll keep that in mind." Sweetie Belle winked at her and trotted up to her room. She suppressed a giggle as she recounted how wonderfully the past few hours had turned out.
