//------------------------------// // Carnival // Story: Adolescence // by Scout Feather //------------------------------// The next morning, Sweetie was already awake when Scootaloo opened her eyes. “Morning, Scootaloo! How’d you sleep?” The first response that came to Scootaloo’s mind was that of a quiet kiss on the lips. She figured Sweetie would understand that well enough. She wasn’t mistaken. “How long were you awake?” Scootaloo asked, slowly stretching her limbs and rolling onto her back. Wanting to remain close, Sweetie inched forward and placed her head on Scootaloo’s chest. “Like an hour or something.” Sweetie waved if off as if it was nothing. “Really? Why didn’t you wake me?” Scootaloo wrapped a hoof around her shoulders and held her close. “Because you’re really cute when you sleep.” Scootaloo tried to hide her imminent blush. Had any other pony used such a term to describe anything she did, she would have protested, but Sweetie was different. She let her hoof trail down and rubbed her back in small circles. Sweetie let out a contented sound that was halfway between a groan and a purr. She slowly shifted her head so that she could look up and meet Scootaloo’s eyes. “I’m… really glad you came to see me last night,” Sweetie said, “and I’m glad we’re special someponies.” The words rang through Scootaloo’s head and melted her heart. All she could do was smile and nod. “Same here, Sweetie! You’re really nice… and pretty… and smart…” Scootaloo had started naming off all of Sweetie’s qualities that she knew, when she was suddenly cut off with yet another kiss, silencing her immediately. Sweetie lifted herself up, hovering over her fillyfriend, yet it didn’t last long as Scootaloo’s inner desire to be dominant and tough took over. Soon the proverbial tables turned just as Scootaloo flipped Sweetie onto her back and peppered her with kisses. Sweetie was all too eager to oblige as Scootaloo covered her face with kiss after kiss, erupting into a fit of giggles, but had to pull away and squeal for mercy as she gasped for air. “Scoots...you’re always so good at that…” Sweetie remarked. “No I’m not. You’re the best kisser in the world, Sweetie,” Scootaloo gushed, leaning forward to nuzzle her fillyfriend. Yet, as she did, Sweetie Belle seemed to freeze up, staring past her. Scootaloo was about to question her when a shrill voice from behind caused her to jump off of Sweetie and crashed to the floor below. “Sweetie Belle,” Rarity exclaimed. “Come here. Now.” Sweetie begrudgingly climbed out of bed and complied, following her sister out of the room and around the corner. Scootaloo thought she could hear their hushed voices, but couldn’t understand a word. What if Rarity didn’t approve? What if Sweetie was grounded for life, and it was all Scootaloo’s fault? Minutes seemed to melt into agonizing hours as she waited in turmoil for Sweetie to return. It was worse than the waiting room at the dentist’s office. She began to wonder if Sweetie would ever come back. Maybe she ran away from home to escape being ostracized by her sister? The pristine walls of Sweetie’s bedroom, not unlike the cleanliness of a dentist’s office, seemed to close around Scootaloo: a boxlike confinement that imprisoned her and kept her from knowing what was happening on the other side of the open door. Scootaloo didn’t have the courage to go near, afraid of what she would hear. She squirmed from side to side impatiently. She had never truly been in Sweetie’s room alone before, and with tables and stands lined with dolls and stuffed animals, it felt like a million eyes were watching and judging her, but at the same time she felt alone and deserted. Sweat started to pour down her brow, and she counted seconds like they were hours. But Sweetie did return - in reality, it had only been a few minutes - and she was smiling. Dumbfounded, Scootaloo clambered back up onto the bed, her voice frantic and full of fear. “What happened? Is she punishing you? Are you being kicked out? Did she call my parents? This is all my fault, Sweetie, I didn’t mean to get you in trouble!” Sweetie tilted her head, confused at first, but her expression quickly changed when realization of the source of Scootaloo’s fear set in, and she laughed. Kissing the frazzled Scootaloo in an attempt to calm her, she shook her head. “Oh, Scoots, of course not! My sister doesn’t care that you’re a filly! She cares because I’m her sister and she’s worried about me growing up! She just gave me some dumb talk about birds and bees, what a lady does when she goes on a date, and all that stuff. And yes, she called your parents, but only to let them know you’re here and safe.” Scootaloo was shocked. If Rarity didn’t care, and Sweetie didn’t seem to think anyone cared, then maybe what Lyra had said was true. Maybe ponies were accepting. She recalled the incident with Apple Bloom; how their last meeting had gone. “R-really? She doesn’t… she doesn’t mind? What about Apple Bloom? What happened yesterday?” Her ears splayed back against her head, thinking about how she had run so quickly and left her friends standing at the clubhouse door. “No, silly, Rarity doesn’t mind, and Apple Bloom…” she sighed wearily. “Apple Bloom was really really hurt that we didn’t tell her. She thought it was a little weird at first, but mostly she was just sad that her fellow Crusaders didn’t say anything about it.” Suddenly, her sad expression flipped as a brilliant idea formed, and her positive, upbeat attitude bounced back. “I think we should make her an apology card!” A light seemed to shine in Sweetie’s eyes as the thought of an arts and craft project came to mind, and Scootaloo knew her well enough to know it involved lots of glitter. Scootaloo just nodded, unsure of what to say. With a sigh of relief, Scootaloo collapsed on the pillows and stared at the ceiling, thinking everything over. Sensing her thoughtful state, her beloved fillyfriend took her time in curling up next to her again, attempting to comfort her. “You okay, Scoots?” Sweetie squeaked after a long time. “Yeah, I think so.” She hesitated. “Do you… want to go on a date with me today?” She fumbled over her words, even as she became aware of how preposterous it was that she would still be nervous about such a thing. “I’d love to! Oh, the carnival is in town! I’ve been really wanting to go! Oh, but, I… don’t have any bits left, though…” She hung her head, guilty for spoiling such a great first date idea with bad news. For Scootaloo, it was a golden opportunity. “Pfft, don’t be silly! I’ve got lots of allowance saved up. Besides, it’s a date! I’m supposed to pay! I think...” Scootaloo said, puffing out her chest at the idea that she would pay for her fillyfriend. The idea made her feel important. It had the desired effect on Sweetie, as she hugged her tight. “Oh Scoots, you’re the best! I’ll pay for the next date, I promise!” The bright June afternoon sun bore down on Ponyville’s citizens during its annual Summer Carnival. What was once a tranquil park had become a bustling center of activity and limitless entertainment. Hundreds of ponies, young and old, stuffed their faces with snacks and laughed with delight, filling the air with a contagious atmosphere of joy. After a few hours of engorging themselves with treats and enjoying their fair share of rides, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle maneuvered their way through a particularly giddy crowd that had gathered around a stand with a big banner that read ‘Changeling Battle!’ It was a simple enough game: use the ball they gave you to knock over the moving targets painted like Changelings. What was different about this game, as they quickly learned, were the prizes: adorable stuffed toys of various animals, a water pistol, a Wonderbolts poster, and a few other knick knacks, all of which seemed to be of a much higher quality than most. Sweetie Belle was immediately transfixed on a stuffed puppy, eyes lighting up and voice squeaking as she leaned in close so that Scootaloo could hear. “Aaaaw! Look at that one, Scoots! It’s so cute! I sure wish I could win him.” She gazed at it longingly, and that was enough to set Scootaloo’s mind. “You like it, huh? Don’t worry Sweetie, I’ll win it for you!” Scootaloo puffed out her chest and exclaimed with pride. “Really, Scoots? You don’t have to. This one looks hard.” But Sweetie was immediately swept away as Scootaloo grabbed her hoof, pushing her way forward to get their space in line. A pimple-faced teenage colt sat from his post behind the counter next to a switchboard and a couple levers, egging each new ‘contestant’ on. “Step right up and claim your prize, everypony! The game’s easy! Use your super powered energy ball, shown here as a small ordinary rubber ball, to knock over the targets! Ten points for the minions, and thirty points for the Queen! You only need thirty points to win, and you’ve got three shots. Think you can do it? Come and test your mettle!” It seemed easy enough to Scootaloo. She was sure to win! Yet, as pony after pony tried, they all failed and walked away sadly. The smug-looking colt whisked them all away with meaningless words like ‘Ooh, better luck next time!’ and ‘Oh, bad luck!’. With each failure, Scootaloo’s confidence dwindled, until finally, it was her turn next. “Think you’ve got what it takes?” The colt asked, leaning in to stare down at her with a grin. “Pfft, of course! No problem! I got this!” Scootaloo replied, reflecting his smug grin. The colt didn’t seem convinced, and rolled his eyes. “All right, little girl, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. This one is tough. Five bits!” “Five bits? Wha-” Scootaloo was about to complain, but caught Sweetie’s glance out of the corner of her eye, and quickly shut her mouth and paid up. Whatever the price was, it was worth it for her, she thought. The colt promptly tossed her a ball, pulled a lever to start the contraption, and leaned back to watch. Gears whirred and spun, jolting the entire display to life. Lights danced and five little plastic figurines sprung up and began to move around quickly. Scootaloo kept watching, clutching the ball firmly, until finally her target came into view. The Changeling Queen figure darted out from behind a picture of a tree and moved behind a bush. Then another bush, then back to the tree in a seemingly sporadic pattern. Scootaloo narrowed her eyes, lifted her hoof, and flung the ball. It missed. Off to the side, the colt snorted and chuckled under his breath. Scootaloo shot him an icy glare and grabbed her second ball. A cold sweat was beginning to form on her forehead now, and she watched carefully until once again the Queen darted out and hid itself within seconds. She watched it for a long time, trying to figure out where it was going. Did it even have a rhythm? Was this even winnable? Closing her eyes, Scootaloo took a guess and launched her second ball at the tree. It bounced and rolled away, hitting nothing. The colt laughed. “That’s two! Look, little filly, there’s no shame in giving up now and walking away! I’ll even give one of your bits back because I feel bad. Maybe the teacup ride is more your style?” Scootaloo fumed, grabbed her last ball, and flung it full force at the colt. It hit him directly in the eye, hard enough that she was sure it would bruise, and sent him crashing backwards. Meanwhile, the ball had flown away, rebounding off the back wall, and drove into the Changeling Queen, shattering it into a million pieces. The entire machine exploded into a fit of lights and streamers, with a robotic voice declaring her right as the winner. Scootaloo stood in awe as her ears rang with the echo of the impact. “I... I won? What? Really?” Scootaloo stared blankly at the scoreboard, which had started flashing, announcing that she was the hero of Canterlot and had vanquished the evil Changeling army. The colt grumbled and stood up, stared at the board, and facehoofed. “Just pick your prize and get out of here,” he grumbled. Of course, she already knew what she wanted. Several minutes later, free of the crowd and the overbearing lights, Scootaloo found herself sandwiched between a large stuffed dog and an ecstatic Sweetie Belle, who was thanking her over and over. “Oh Scootaloo! That was amazing! You totally showed him! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Sweetie kissed her cheek for possibly the millionth time, yet Scootaloo didn’t blush any less than she had the first. “Heh, it was nothing, Sweetie! Anything for my special somepony. You deserve it!” Those words seemed to roll off her tongue smoothly. It tasted better than any chocolate in the world. Sweetie seemed intent on continuing. “Still, though! You were so amazing up there. I’m gonna think of you every time I cuddle with this plushie. It’s going to be my new favorite! Think I’ll name him... Jeffrey!” Scootaloo didn’t bother telling her how silly it was to name a dog Jeffrey, or how uncool it seemed that the plushie she would be cuddling with when she thought of such an awesome pegasus had such a lame name. She was too busy being intensely overjoyed and proud of herself to worry about that. The pair soon moved to a shady spot next to a donut stand and slumped against it. Sweetie Belle wrapped her hooves around Scootaloo’s neck, repeating again and again how grateful she was. Eventually, she moved on to talk about other things, like a carnival she had been to in Manehattan, and what rides must be like in the Crystal Empire while Scootaloo laid back and listened, mostly remaining quiet. She gave the occasional nod and ‘mhmm’ to signal she was listening, at least mostly. In reality, Scootaloo was doing a lot of thinking, but listening at the same time. Mostly, she just thought about how lucky she was. It wasn’t exactly like her and Sweetie had never spent time together before, or even been to the carnival, but it still felt special. A few days ago, Scootaloo never would have thought this could happen. A week ago, she would have been ashamed of the way she was sitting now, in plain sight for other ponies to see, cuddling and sharing the occasional smooch with another filly. It didn’t feel wrong to her. Remembering how full of fear she had been just days ago, she almost laughed. It was still a little embarrassing, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to just tell everyone, but it also didn’t feel like such a big deal anymore. When she was with Sweetie Belle, she was happy. It felt right. “Earth to Scootaloo. Are y’all in there?” A cocky-looking Apple Bloom suddenly filled Scootaloo’s vision as she snapped to attention. Sweetie Belle giggled off to the side. “Ah was beginning to think we’d lost yah there, Scoots.” Apple Bloom smiled her usual warm smile. Her presence suddenly clicked, and Scootaloo gulped. “Uh... h-hey Apple Bloom…” she started, avoiding eye contact and staring at the ground. Unseen to the farm filly, Sweetie Belle rubbed Scootaloo’s hoof comfortingly, silently telling her that it was okay, and reminding her she was there. “Hey yourself, yah big lovebird!” Apple Bloom snickered, then her expression softened. “So, uh... ah know ah kinda overreacted back at the clubhouse when ah saw you two the other day. Ah was just surprised is all. Can y’all forgive me?” Scootaloo looked up, bewildered. Apple Bloom was the one asking forgiveness? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? She cleared her throat and stood up, leaving Sweetie’s hoof to awkwardly pull away. She faced Apple Bloom for the first time since that day and tried to force back a wave of emotion. “No, I should say sorry. I ran away because I was afraid and scared. I didn’t know what I was feeling, and I thought that you would make fun of us. I thought that it was wrong because…” She sniffled and wiped away a tear as she faltered, fumbling over her words as she struggled to talk. “Because we’re both fillies, and I thought that everyone, i-including you, would make fun of us. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you more. I’m sorry I didn’t-” She was suddenly interrupted through her tears by an enormously powerful, bone-crushing hug. “Scootaloo, ah love you as my friend, but y’all can be right silly sometimes. Of course ah forgive you for that. As long as my friends are happy, Ah’m happy.” Apple Bloom said quickly, letting up from her hug as Scootaloo sat back down, rubbing the back of her hoof across her eyes. “Yay! The Cutie Mark Crusaders are back together and everything is back to normal!” Sweetie cheered. “Ah just knew we’d make it! We always do! Anyway, ah’ll leave you two to your fancy date. Ah gotta get back to my sis! See you around!” With that, Apple Bloom was gone, waving at her friends as she rounded the corner and returned to her family’s Apple stand. Scootaloo’s wandering thoughts were once again interrupted by the filly next to her, who nuzzled her cheek. “I told you she doesn’t mind, Scoots!” “Yeah, I guess you were right all along. I’ve never been so glad to be wrong.” Scootaloo flashed a toothy grin. Sweetie Belle nodded, her attention suddenly being drawn to the Ferris wheel not too far away. “Hey, that looks neat! Wanna go ride on it?” she asked, bouncing up and down excitedly. How could Scootaloo say no? Afternoon had turned to evening by the time the two ponies made their way to the Ferris wheel. A staple attraction due to the awe and wonder it evoked, both from afar and while sitting at the top of it’s towering height, a Ferris wheel was a signature piece for any worthwhile carnival, and this wheel was no exception. Scootaloo stared straight up at it’s peak, wondering how far it would be to fall. At some point during the day, while the pair had been walking side-by-side, with Scootaloo carrying Sweetie’s prize on her back, the tail of one, which had been swishing back and forth cheerfully, had crossed over the other by accident. The other filly responded by intertwining hers around it, holding it in place. So they had kept that position, earning a few smiles and ‘awws’ from older ponies. Standing in line in front of the large Ferris wheel, their tails were locked. “Ooh, it looks so high!” Sweetie murmured, her nose pointed upwards. Scootaloo chuckled and drew a hoof around her. “Don’t worry, Sweetie! I’m a pegasus! I”ll keep you safe!” She grinned, waiting for Sweetie to point out the fact that she couldn’t actually fly and so the point was moot, but Sweetie said nothing, leaning her head against Scootaloo’s as if putting her trust in her anyway. Scootaloo swelled with pride. It didn’t take long for them to make it to the front of the line, reluctantly pulling apart their tails. The conductor gave them a knowing glance and beckoned them on. He latched on the seatbelt and spoke. “Okay, ponies. No hooves or limbs outside the ride at any time. Do not rock the cart for any reason. If you get scared, just hug your fillyfriend.” He gave Scootaloo a wink, who in turn blushed profusely. The colt leaned out of the car and pulled the lever, waving them off as the ride moved in its upward circle. “He seemed nice,” Sweetie said, immediately wrapping her tail over Scootaloo’s again. “Maybe he heard about what I did to that other colt at the shooting game? I’d be scared too,” Scootaloo shrugged. Sweetie chuckled. As they slowly rose upward, the sunset beyond the distant Sweet Apple Acres came into view. The sun was half-submerged below the sky where it couldn’t be seen, yet it still kissed the sky with its vibrant colours, filling it with a brilliant orange hue. Both gasped. “It’s beautiful,” Sweetie whispered, her head falling onto Scootaloo’s shoulder casually. Scootaloo’s hoof instinctively wrapped around her body. “Yeah. Totally.” * * *