Spellbound Fireflies (25 page)

She stopped briefly at the faded bullseye of the idea spot.  She looked up and felt the ghost of the headache from when she turned on the lamp with her skull.  Continuing on, she came to the old wheel from their parade float.  She giggled remotely, remembering Apple Bloom thumping onto her rump just months before.

Her circling complete, Scootaloo cantered to her usual spot for when they sat as a group and sighed, sinking to her haunches.  She could hear the phantoms in the walls.  A thousand days.  She closed her eyes and laid down on her belly.

Time slipped away from Scootaloo as she lay prone in heady reminiscence, a pleasant and buzzing lull of memories pinning her in place as she attempted to become unstuck in time.  She barely noticed the thump of hooves on the ramp and only really became aware she was no longer alone when something heavy was set on the floor.

“Hey, AB,” she said, sitting up and shaking the fog of near sleep from her mind, “Thought you’d left for lunch alrea—”  Scootaloo opened her eyes.  Sweetie Belle stood at the door, a hint of pink in her cheeks and her expression tentative and skittish.  “…H-hi…”

Sweetie Belle nervously cleared her throat, looking down.  Scootaloo followed her gaze and saw Sweetie Belle had brought some sort of machine with her.  On top of it sat four cordless microphones.  Sweetie Belle cleared her throat again and half whispered, “Hi Scoots.”

A heavy stillness filled every inch of space in the room as they looked at each other and tried not to look at each other.  At once, they both said, “I’m sor—”

An audible click sounded as their jaws snapped shut in tandem.  Scootaloo shook her head harshly and talked over the silence, her words a rapid staccato.  “I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle, I shouldn’t have kissed you like that, it wasn’t right for me to do it, I didn’t mean to make things weird, I know it’ll be weird for a while, but please don’t hate me, I don’t wanna lose you as a friend—”

“
I’m
sorry, Scoots,” Sweetie Belle interrupted, timidly sitting down and bowing her head.  Scootaloo’s teeth clicked shut again.  “I shouldn’t have run off like that…it was mean to you.  You didn’t deserve that.”

Scootaloo’s throat bobbed silently.

“I, uhh…I wanted to make it up to you…so I asked AB to make this,” she tapped the contraption with her hoof, “Since you couldn’t be there when I got my cutie mark…”

“What—?”

Sweetie Belle gripped a pull chord with her teeth and yanked, sputtering a small generator in the machine to life.  As it evened out, the noise dropped to that of a fan.  The mesh screen facing Scootaloo crackled and buzzed.

Scootaloo’s eyes widened.  “A portable amp?”

Sweetie Belle smiled faintly and lifted one of the microphones in a glow of magic.  She mumbled, “Test,” and her voice sounded out through the speaker.  She lowered the mic from her muzzle and said, “It’s not the stage, but…it’ll almost be like you were there.”

Nodding vaguely, Scootaloo let her posture relax.  Sweetie Belle lifted the other three microphones and suspended them around the small room before sliding the amp back against the wall, just inside the door.  Scootaloo, her heart thumping painfully from a mixture of bewilderment and shapeless hope that...
something
would happen, watched the little unicorn take several deep breaths and clear her throat.

Sweetie turned to the amp and
depressed a button
on the top; a soft lilting of guitar stringing hummed from the speaker as she turned back to Scootaloo and smiled thinly.  She shut her eyes in concentration and the four microphones began to bob up and down in the air in time with the melody, weaving delicately around the room in an inscrutable pattern.

Stepping to the closest, Sweetie Belle gently closed her eyes and began to sing.  
“Can't you see?”

Scootaloo’s heart slowed immediately as her friend’s powerful, sonorous voice filled the room.  The filly’s suspended microphones danced through the air.  As a soft drum beat joined the music, Sweetie began to pace in a circle, dipping her shoulders with the music, her tail weaving side to side with each step.  As one microphone floated out of range a second replaced it, its path alongside her muzzle fluid and natural.  Scootaloo was mesmerized as her friend moved through the space, the exact words lost to her ears, but the strength and conviction striking her core.

Then, a quarter of the way around the room, Sweetie Belle kicked off to the center, sliding to a microphone waiting for her.

“'Cause I wanted to fly—”
she opened her eyes and locked her gaze with Scootaloo, all ambivalence and fear gone, just a look of pure, honest connection,
“—so you gave me your wings.”

Scootaloo’s breath caught in her throat.

“And time held its breath so I could see, yeah,”
her voice dropped, rich and powerful, but gentle.  It felt like it was directed straight at Scootaloo.
“And you set me free.”

Sweetie Belle stood back up, resuming her strutting pace, rolling her shoulders and hips through the verse.  Scootaloo’s heart was a hummingbird trapped in her chest, rattling against her ribcage.  Her hooves trembled and she struggled to breathe evenly.  The spinning cloud of microphones connected as almost a living entity to both the song and Sweetie’s movements.

At the second chorus, Sweetie slid into place at the far end of the clubhouse.  Framed in the doorway and facing away, she looked over her shoulder to catch Scootaloo’s gaze.

“'Cause I wanted to fly, so you gave me your wings.  And time held its breath so I could see, yeah—”
She stood fluidly, slowly turning in place, never breaking eye contact as she sang.  Her voice dropped again.  
“And you set me free.”

The flying microphones slowly drifted to the center of the room, weaving back and forth, forming a tunnel between Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.  She strutted through the tunnel, her steps controlled and in sync, while microphones caught her mouth for every word and darted to the left and right in front and behind her.  On the final chorus, she stopped mere inches in front of Scootaloo.

As her voice grew louder over the lyrics, she slowly closed the gap with the trembling pegasus.  With each repeat, Sweetie’s voice expanded, washing over Scootaloo, consuming her, holding her in place with her jittery pulse, warm and perspiring face, and slackly hanging jaw.

As the music cut out from the speaker, Sweetie Belle was standing almost directly over her, eyes set hard and confident.  The microphones floated to the amp and Sweetie whispered,
”And you set me free.”

Scootaloo had to force herself to swallow several times before her throat worked.  She murmured, “That wasn’t the song you sang for Rarity.”

“No.”  Lifting Scootaloo’s chin with her hoof, Sweetie Belle leaned down and their lips met.

Scootaloo’s eyes fluttered shut.  The filly instantly knew exactly what Twilight meant, exactly what she had
felt
when Rainbow Dash had first kissed her.  Free of the panic at the park, Scootaloo’s mind, so frequently a jumble of letters and numbers that turned to a confusing mess of abstract and meaningless noise, became clear and silent as she held onto every sensation, every moment, every heartbeat.

Sweetie Belle slowly pulled back, sitting on her haunches and cupping Scootaloo’s face with her hoof.  Her face was stained scarlet and a smile that looked as happy as Scootaloo felt pulled at her lips.  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, “I’m sorry I didn’t do that in the park.”

Scootaloo touched the hoof on her face with one of her own, holding it in place and nuzzling into it.  Sweetie Belle was so
soft
.  “
I’m
sorry,” she whispered back, “I should’ve just asked you on a date.  Kissin’ you out of the blue wasn’t fair.”

“I was so scared,” Sweetie murmured, “For a while, I’ve wanted…but I didn’t think you’d want to.  You were so unsure at the sleepover when AB asked about crushes.”

Scootaloo let Sweetie’s limb fall from her face, but held it tightly in her hoof.  “So, even back then?  But you said—”

“Apple Bloom asked about
colts,
” she giggled.  “We’ve always been close, Scoots, but…”  Her eyes traced over Scootaloo’s face, a mix of warmth and trepidation in her gaze.  “Every time I’m around you, I feel…I feel like you’re the only pony who really
knows
me.  You know what it’s like when nopony in your life really has time for you, and you always
make
time.  And you work so hard, Scoots, at everything.  Even when it hurts to do it.  You’re so brave and strong, and when I’m around you I have so much
fun,
an’ you make me better than I am.

“Even before we met AB, you made me climb outta myself.  Remember how quiet I used to be?  I was always so scared…”

“I remember,” Scootaloo murmured, her mind flashing back, past the thousand days in the clubhouse, to the cuteceañera where they had met Apple Bloom.  When Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon set upon the earth filly for being a blank flank, Sweetie Belle had dived under a table to tremble.  Scootaloo climbed under after her friend, soothed away the terror, and somehow Sweetie Belle had found the strength to leap to their future third member’s defense.  “I remember how strong you were underneath how scared you were.”

Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and smiled.  “You’re the only pony who thought I was strong…and I was only strong ‘cause of you.”  Swallowing thickly, Sweetie Belle squeezed Scootaloo’s hoof and whispered, “I feel like I’m a better pony around you.”

Scootaloo’s face felt like it would rip apart from her smile.  She pulled Sweetie Belle close, wrapping her hooves around the filly, feeling warmth spread through her chest from the contact, feeling delicate legs hold her back, smelling vanilla shampoo.  “I feel like I’m a better pony around
you
.  Nopony can
listen
like you.  I never have to be anypony but myself with you.  I don’t have to
fight
so hard when you’re there.”

Sweetie Belle sniffled and let out a long, shaky breath, nuzzling into Scootaloo’s neck.  “I’m sorry I got scared again at the park.  You make me not scared, but I…What will other ponies say?”

“It doesn’t matter.  Nopony we care about will have a problem.  Just look at Rainbow Dash and Twilight.”

“Yeah…”  Sweetie didn’t sound convinced.

“Are…are you too scared?  Do you not want—?”

“
No,
” she pleaded, hugging tighter.  “I’m scared, but I-I don’t—No, this is too big to just forget about.”

“When you’re scared,” Scootaloo whispered, “I’ll be here for you.”

Sweetie Belle hugged tighter, nodding into Scootaloo’s shoulder.  For a while, they sat and held each other, relishing the closeness both wanted, but had been afraid to find.  Eventually, Sweetie Belle broke the comforting silence, asking, “What…what do we do now?”

“Well…” A wry smile spread across Scootaloo’s face as she held Sweetie Belle close.  “We take it slow.  See lots of movies, go on dates.  Just hang out and be like best friends.  We’ll be cool about it.”  She sat back from the embrace to catch Sweetie Belle’s questioning eyes.  “Whatever this is, whatever it could be, we have plenty of time to figure it out.”  Her smile widened.  “Years if we want ‘em.  And if not, we’d have tried.  But I
really
wanna try.”  She touched her hoof to Sweetie’s face, still marveling at how soft the filly was in her powerful limbs.  “Whaddya say?  You wanna figure out what this is with me?”

Sweetie Belle sniffled, pressing into Scootaloo’s hoof.  “I’d love to.”  She leaned up and their lips met for the third time, still as bare and simple, still as
special
as the other times.  She opened her eyes again.  “Right now I wanna watch you fly.”

Scootaloo grinned and they stood, glancing around the little clubhouse.  A thousand days and a thousand memories echoed warmly in the space, dancing, moving aside to make room for thousands more.

They cantered outside and climbed onto Scootaloo’s scooter, taking off towards the park.

Together.

A small crowd was waiting for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle as they arrived at the park.  Twilight, Rainbow, and Apple Bloom waved at their approach.  Scootaloo stopped at the bench and Sweetie Belle hugged tighter to her back, nuzzling into her neck, before stepping off.  Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at Scootaloo, who shrugged and smiled, pink dots coloring her cheeks.

“Alright!” Rainbow exclaimed, raising a hoof towards Twilight.  Twilight clacked her own against it and giggled.

Scootaloo turned to Twilight and nearly fell off her scooter.

Small and bright, Twilight had a blue feather in her mane, braided into place with hair and magic, a permanent and glowing addition to her face.  Scootaloo’s jaw fell open.  She looked quickly back and forth between the two mares and blurted out, “Oh my gosh, congratulations!”

A pleased smile lit up Rainbow’s face and she took Twilight’s hoof in her own.  “Thanks, Scoots.”  She winked and said, “You too,” in a teasing tone.

Apple Bloom glanced back and forth from Scootaloo to the two adults, her expression bewildered.  Sweetie Belle leaned close to her fillyfriend’s ear and murmured, “I’ll tell her.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.  You’re right.  Everypony important’s gonna be fine.”  She cantered to the bench.

Rainbow turned to Twilight’s saddle bag and reached her head inside.  When she turned back, she had a pair of flight goggles in her mouth and she turned towards the hill.  “Time for a show,” she mumbled around the nylon strap.

“Good luck!” Twilight cheered.

Apple Bloom jumped off the bench and tackled Scootaloo in a hug, followed closely by Sweetie Belle.  Scootaloo hugged them both, feeling their faces pressed to either cheek.  Apple Bloom whispered, “You’re gonna be great.  Good luck.”

Sweetie Belle kissed her on the cheek.

Grinning, Scootaloo hugged tighter, and then let them return to the bench.  She beamed at the three before turning and following Rainbow.

At the top of the hill, Rainbow sat down and dropped the goggles into her hoof.  She murmured, “C’mere.”  Scootaloo stepped closer and Rainbow carefully strapped the goggles onto her face, gently brushing her mane out of the way and centering the lenses securely over her eyes.  “There.”  Her voice dropped low, warm and understated.  “These are yours now.”