Chapter Seven

Try: Part Two

Sweetie Belle had opted out of etiquette lessons with Pinup. As interesting as the lecture the day before had been there was something extraordinarily uncomfortable with ideas and stereotypes they seemed to be perpetuating. She wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was just that Pinups beliefs were so old fashioned. Sweetie Belle had always thought that the way her sister treated colts was insulting. Rarity treated colts like they her personal servants, but the way Pinup thought of and treated them was insulting in its own way. Shade hadn't seemed unhappy with the role Pinup had demanded he play, but Sweetie Belle couldn't help but think Pinup was treating him like a filly.

It had been a relief to meet Mark's son. Even if he wasn't very nice. The colt was dismissive and rude, but he wasn't sickenly submissive and un-opinionated. Actually, that had been annoying. Maybe that's why Sweetie Belle had always liked being friends with ponies like Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara over ponies like Twist and Bright. Not that she wanted to be friends with the two stuck ups, but better them then Twist and Bright who didn't do or say anything when other ponies were teasing or bullying them. Sweetie Belle never liked when ponies simply agreed with her, especially when it was clear that they didn't really. It always made her feel… well, wrong.

It used to drive her insane when she first became friends with Apple Bloom. For the most part, the apple family was compromised of some of the best ponies she knew. But they had their faults, like when in the beginning Apple Bloom could be a bit too quick to agree with anything Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo said. Now she fought over every little thing these days. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom actually seemed to enjoy fighting just for the sake of fighting. Sweetie Belle joined in sometimes, but she was glad that Apple Bloom had gotten over her initial need to please her new friends and had started showing her true personality.

As Sweetie Belle went further into the forest, she found herself thinking that the trees seemed never ending. Sweetie Belle looked over her shoulder, she had to keep an eye on the village. If she lost sight of it was sure the unicorn would be lost. Still, it wasn't just Pinup that drove Sweetie Belle from the village. The place was starting to grate on her nerves and her sensibilities, and she didn't understand it, she didn't know why she felt this way. There was something wrong with the town. Sweetie Belle didn't know what it was yet, but it made her coat crawl.

Sweetie Belle huffed as she found an appropriate stick and set to making a new slingshot. She had lost hers along with everything else in her pack. Thinking about her old slingshot made her think of her father. Did their families miss them? Had anypony noticed the Cutie Mark Crusaders were gone? It felt like ages since she had left her home town. By now her parents would be home, and they would have been told what happened. Right now they should be yelling at Rarity and setting up search parties to look for them. Did Ponyville regret what they had done to Sweetie Belle and her friends? Or, had the ponies of Ponyville poisoned her parents' minds against her? Would her parents believe Ponyville was better off without the Cutie Mark Crusaders and forget they had two daughters ? Sweetie Belle had always known she was a surprise to her parents. They had assured her that she had been a happy surprise, but that didn't stop them from traveling and leaving her in the hooves of her sister most of the time.

Sweetie Belle sniffled and then shook her head as she finished putting together her new slingshot. She couldn't cry. They weren't worth crying over. They had abandoned her and her friends. They'd gone too far and Sweetie Belle and her friends had proven that they could survive on their own. They were grownup now even if they still have their cutie marks. They didn't need anyone but themselves, and Sweetie Belle needed to find some suitable rocks. She was sure that living in the Everfree Forest meant trouble and it something would attack this town.

"Oh my, there you are!" Sweetie Belle jumped at Pinup's voice and hardly braced herself in time for the mare to practically bowl her over. "I was so worried, and Shade knew you weren't going to make it for breakfast, but you should have told us that you weren't coming until after lunch, he was devastated when you didn't show. He was sure something horrible had happened."

"Oh, you wanted me to come back?" asked Sweetie Belle and Pinup eyes softened.

"I'm so sorry dear. I supposed Shade was right, and I did overwhelm you with those lessons yesterday. I can get a little overzealous about when it comes to tradition," Pinup admitted with a small smile. "I guess I am just an old fashioned pony like Mark says. Please, we want you to stay with us. We understand that you want to stay with your friends at Mark's, but we would like you stay with us as often as possible."

"Why?" asked Sweetie Belle. Pinup chuckled and nuzzled Sweetie Belle softly like Rarity did.

"We haven't been able to have a filly yet. We say we're waiting but-" Pinup snorted and pawed at the ground. "Shade blames himself for not being able to give me one but I believe he is the one who would benefit the most to have a filly in the house."

"I'm not that young," said Sweetie Belle rebelliously. "And I thought that you switched daughters with your friend."

"You're too young to understand," said Pinup, glancing at her blank flank. Sweetie Belle blushed. "It's one of those social things we must follow. Unless you find the idea of being our daughter offensive?"

"No," said Sweetie Belle, surprising herself.

"You're life sounded so lonely when you told us about your family. Left to yourself for most of it with your parents gone and your sister busy. We would be honored if, for a little while, you would let us be the doting parents you real ones could not be," Pinup said. Sweetie Belle looked up at her and tried to choke back a sob. Pinup looked surprised, and then almost looked like she was ready to take back what she said.

"Okay," Sweetie Belle said in a whisper. Pinup nuzzled her and stood.

"Good, we'll stay home tomorrow. Maybe show you a little more of the city and introduce you to our friends. How long did your teacher say you would stay here?" asked Pinup. Sweetie Belle stood and then looked back at her slingshot. She concentrated on it, trying to make it levitate. It jumped a little and Sweetie Belle sighed.

"A month I think, and then we're supposed to go meet our family in the city," said Sweetie Belle. She hoped her friends wouldn't make something else up. "But I wasn't really paying attention when they explained it."

"Sounds about right. We'll know for sure when the message gets through," said Pinup dismissively. Sweetie Belle picked up her slingshot in her mouth. If the filly had to, she could use something last minute to fling. Pinup glanced back at her and then smiled and bit her lip like Pinkie Pie did sometimes before she started to laugh. "What are you doing? Can't you levitate?"

Sweetie Belle only shook her head. Pinup chuckled.

"Well, we'll work on that today a bit. But I'll bring you to some of our best magic teachers tomorrow. It's our day off. Well, most of our day is off, at least for the researchers," said Pinup, the slingshot lit up and Sweetie Belle let go. The slingshot suspended by Pinup's magic not far from her head. "I found it much easier to learn the standard spells after I learned ones for preservation and creating nets. So, I think we'll visit Spira first thing tomorrow. She's the best with battle magic."

"Actually, ponies tell me I'm better at singing," said Sweetie Belle, not even sure what she would do if it turned out her talent was to be a guard. She hated confrontations and was always the one to suggest the safer, softer talents when the cutie mark crusaders made a try for those cutie marks.

"Very well, we can also meet with Melly. She only works at night," said Pinup agreeable. "I hope you're hungry. We still have time for afternoon tea, and Shade had so much he wanted to talk to you about after I basically monopolized your time yesterday. I think you'll really be good for him. He's so nervous around mares, but he's good with fillies. I think it will be easier to accept you when he's known you through the process of you finding talent.

"Really, sometimes I think that Mark's boy got all the fire and independence that my Shade was supposed to have. Not that I'm complaining. I wouldn't change Shade for all the bits in Equestria. But some ponies wonder about things that are not any of their business," said Pinup with a sigh. She smiled down at Sweetie Belle as the white unicorn came to trot next to the mare.

"Is Melly a good singer?" she asked.

"One of the best," said Pinup, then her gaze became withdrawn. "But don't be disappointed if singing isn't your talent, and don't expect something to click right away. I studied insects for years before I realized what my talent was."

"When did you find your talent?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Oh, I was about twelve," said the mare. Sweetie Belle looked at her in shock and Pinup laughed. "Yes, I know. My parents had started to worry by then too. But it's not as uncommon as you think. I've known some fillies who were in their teens before they found their talent. Longer for some of the colts. I know it might seem like you're taking too long to earn you're cutie mark, but next to me, it's really been no time at all."

"I guess not. I'm ten and I thought I was old," Sweetie Belle said in a hushed voice. Pinup laughed.

"My advice is to not push yourself. Let yourself enjoy doing something while you explore, the most inane tick or hobby you have could end up being your talent in the end," said Pinup.

"All adults say that," groaned Sweetie Belle, letting her head fall. Pinup nodded.

"Good, that's what they should tell you," she said. Sweetie Belle snorted and Pinup bumped her flank playfully. Sweetie Belle smiled shyly and bumped her back.

"Wait here for a moment Sweetie Belle. I'll see if I can catch Melly and see if we can't squeeze in that lesson tomorrow," said Pinup, disappearing into one of the houses before Sweetie Belle could reply. The white filly sat down hard with a roll of her eyes as she caught her slingshot as Pinup pranced too far away to keep the spell up. Rarity did this too. Still, Pinup's airheaded nature and self interested attitude seemed different than her sister's. There was something there that seemed more like a mother than her sister had ever been able to pull off when Sweetie Belle had been staying with her.

Sweetie Belle shook her head. They weren't staying in this village indefinitely. Eventually the cutie mark crusaders had to return to Ponyville and their families. Sweetie Belle had a family. Sure her sister was too self absorbed to pay her the attention a young filly needed and her mother and father were on the road so much that she spent more time in her sister's care, but they were still family. They were imperfect and a little broken, but they were family, and Pinup and Shade weren't going to replace them. It wouldn't be fair to Sweetie Bell's family, and it wouldn't be fair to Pinup or Shade when Sweetie Belle eventually had to leave.

Still, maybe she could pretend just for a little bit. It was nice to be wanted. Sweetie Belle wasn't like Apple Bloom who was devastated by rejection, but the neglect had started to bother her the last year or so. Sweetie Belle had told herself she had left the village for her friends, but if she was honest, she probably did it for herself too. So, it was only right for the unicorn to pretend to have a nice, caring, helpful family for a while. She needed to just let the hurt and frustration melt away and be doted on. That was what Apple Bloom was doing after all, using Mark as a substitute mother as well as a teacher. So Sweetie Belle should be allowed to do the same with Pinup and Shade.

"Alright Sweetie Belle let's get going. Melly's helping out at the nursery today but she'll be able to give you lessons right before she's needed to sing at Lark's bar tonight. You should see if you can't get your friends and even Mark and her boy to come hangout with us. I've got some of my friends coming already, but I worry about those two. They usually join the festivities on Saturday, but they spend most of the time locked in that house of theirs as if they think we're going to lynch the colt for being rebellious. Really, if that colt just showed up to something, let his mane down and enjoyed himself in a social setting, I know plenty of kind, very secure mares who would be happy to court him."

Sweetie Belle had to wonder if Mark's colt wanted to be courted. But then again, most ponies Sweetie Belle met that were married thought the only way to be happy was to have a special pony. Not that Sweetie Belle didn't agree to a certain degree. She herself looked forward to when she was old enough to start looking for a special pony. All the colts in her class were too immature for her to date, and she wasn't really interested in them. She looked forward to when they were more like the colts she read about in some of Rarity's books. But everypony, (well, except Miss Cheerilee, Apple Bloom's brother, and apparently Mark's colt) seemed interested in finding their special pony.

"Shade we're home!" shouted Pinup as they entered her house. Then she winked at Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle looked up at the mare in confusion. "She's going to sing for us after we have tea."

-S-C-O-O-T-A-L-O-O-

Scootaloo stretched slowly as she looked back at her bandaged wings. She wanted to flap them a bit, but she knew that Wings wanted her to keep them still for at least two days. Then she would unwrap them and start tests. Wings said a lot of the tests would help to start strengthening her wings and it would probably be a week so before somepony could come and take her up to Cloudsdale to start her training. Scootaloo was excited and sad at the same time. She really wanted to learn how to fly, to stretch her wings and touch the sky, but she would have to say goodbye to her friends when that happened. With her up in the clouds they would no longer be an unbreakable trio of friends. If only they had been Pegasus.

Scootaloo sighed and allowed her head to fall back on the table as she looked up to the bookcase. Her head still felt a little cottony from being put under all day. Really, she had come in this morning and Wings had everything all set with a couple of other unicorns milling around the operation room. They had all gone home now, and it was obviously a good deal past noon. Scootaloo would have to head towards Mark's soon if she wanted dinner. And when she got there she would have to tell her friends she was leaving in a week.

Well, maybe she could wait. After all, she didn't know if the operation actually worked until they started the tests. It would be horrible to tell her friends that she leaving them, that she could finally fly, when it turned out to only be a dream. Still, Scootaloo looked out of the window and then closed her eyes and imagined just what it would be like to fly up in the clouds, to pull off all the cool moves that Rainbow Dash did. Scootaloo was sure that someday she could pull off a sonic rainboom. That would show everyone in Ponyville. That would show her father.

Scootaloo stretched again. She really should start getting ready to go. Wings had said something about meeting her friends at a bar. Scootaloo had never been to a proper bar before. The closest Ponyville got to that was Sugarcube Corner, or the Chocolate Fountain but that place was creepy. They were a little sweet and lacked the kind of atmosphere Scootaloo had imagined when her father had told her about his own wandering days and the places and ponies he'd meet.

Scootaloo sighed and shakily got on her hoofs. She glanced around her when a Book of All Things caught her eyes. It was green with what looked like vines drawn onto its binding. She slipped it off the shelf, sure that it would turn out to be some book on medicine or something, but it was like Sweetie Belle's book, the one they lost because of her. What were the odds? Scootaloo glanced at her pack. She already had slipped a blanket and a kitchen knife in there. The forest was dangerous, and even if she was only going to be in it another week, she needed supplies in case she got lost. She was planning on taking some medicine, or at least bandages, but the book would be invaluable if she got lost again.

Still, it felt wrong to take the book. Wings was doing so much for her already. Most ponies would have made her pay through the nose to get the surgery she got, and they never would have sponsored her to go to Cloudsdale. But she had to think of her own safety too. These crazy ponies not only lived inside the Everfree Forest, they lived somewhere they thought Discord was still active in. Scootaloo didn't know if that was the truth, that even in stone Discord still had influence on part of their world. But she could admit that if there was ever a place in Equestria that he did influence then the Everfree Forest was it.

"You into plants?" asked Wings close to Scootaloo. Scootaloo tensed and looked behind her to see Wings looking at the book over Scootaloo's shoulder. Scootaloo stopped herself from bringing the book up to her chest guiltily.

"Not really. It's just, we got lost after our teacher disappeared, and this would have really helped," Scootaloo said.

"We're hardly more than a mile into the forest," said Wings. Scootaloo blushed and pushed the book toward the unicorn.

"Well, it's the Everfree Forest," said Scootaloo with a shrug. Wings gave Scootaloo a long look before nodding. Then she smiled and pushed the book back toward Scootaloo.

"I can get this replaced easy. You have it," said Wings. Scootaloo looked at the pony with wide eyes.

"But, you've already done so much for me. I couldn't," said Scootaloo, not pushing the book back. Wings just shook her head.

"Don't look a gift pony in the mouth," said Wings with a shake of her. "And hurry up. It's time to leave. You're friends are probably going to want to see how your operation went."

Scootaloo nodded, not sure how to tell Wings that she hadn't actually told her friends that it was happening so soon, or that what she was doing was an operation.

"Now, the meds should be wearing off by now. I got you the pills, but if you start feeling any pain than tell me and we'll see what we can do. I'd keep away from salt for the night. There are plenty of sweets at the bar so you should be fine. Anything you get is already paid for, so don't worry about the bits, and don't ask me who's fronting the bill, just let us be adults and take care of you," said Wings, starting to nudge Scootaloo to get her pack. Scootaloo pushed the book in and followed the medical unicorn. Walking with her wings bandaged was odd. Her wings might not be very strong, but she was used to them almost always fluttering against her back, moving against her flanks and twitching. It wasn't even something she did consciously, just something she noticed now because she was accustomed to her wings constant movement.

The bar was filled with laughing and happy ponies, all of them unicorns. Floating above their heads were various drinks and plates full of everything from appetizers to desserts were on the trays. It didn't take long to find her friends. They were all in a table with Mark and her son. Mark's son was talked with Apple Bloom with Mark looking on disapprovingly. Sweetie Belle looked depressed, and a mare from before was comforting her.

"Hey guys," she said, sitting at the table. Apple Bloom turned to her and her eyes narrowed in anger.

"You didn't tell us that you were getting an operation," she said angrily. All eyes turned on Scootaloo who wished Wings had stuck around with her. "We had to learn from this joker."

Scootaloo glanced at Mark's colt who just rolled his eyes.

"She's going to be my wife," he informed Scootaloo as he gave Apple Bloom a little squeeze.

"What?" asked Scootaloo. Apple Bloom huffed and let her head fall to her hoofs.

"I gave him a massage, and even though it's over five years until I'm legal, this joker has decided I'm going to court him," said Apple Bloom with a roll of her eyes.

"I've decided that I like how Earth ponies court. They let the colt decide in the end if he wants to marry her or not," said Mark's son jovially. Pinup glared at the colt but finally just shook her head and went back to patting Sweetie Belle on the back.

"Whatever," said Scootaloo. She didn't really understand what was going on, but she decided that she really didn't care one way or the other. Mark's son was apparently just a creeper. "Anyway, the operation wasn't a big deal. It's over now, and I'll be able to start seeing if I can fly in a couple of days. That's when it'll actually matter. It wasn't worth telling you guys about it."

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say because it just made Apple Bloom glare at her harder. So Scootaloo shifted gears to Sweetie Belle.

"What about you, Sweetie Belle? Did you spend all your time with Pinup and her husband?" she asked, glancing up at Pinup for a second, not sure what to make of the unicorn being there when Sweetie Belle had seemed too irritated with her the day before.

"She's helping me find my talent, it's not singing," said Sweetie Belle sadly.

"I'm helping her find what magic she's good at and that should help her find her talent," Pinup clarified soothingly. "And just because the music magic Melly knows wasn't your bail of hay doesn't mean anything. I already told you that."

"Yeah, yeah," said Sweetie Belle with a sigh.

"Actually," said Mark, interrupting the feel sorry for yourself atmosphere. "I'd like to hear about this Ponyville you come from. It sounds like a delightfully diverse little social experiment."

Scootaloo wasn't sure what Mark meant by 'social experiment' but talking about Ponyville sounded like the safest topic so far.

"It started out as an earth pony village," said Sweetie Belle with a shrug.

"Maybe that's where you're sister got some of her queer ideas about courting," said Pinup, nudging Sweetie Belle teasingly. Mark's son looked disinterested, dismissing Pinup even as she tried to give him a meaningful look. The three fillies shared a look, and Apple Bloom started by describing her family and Apple Acres. Scootaloo couldn't wait for her turn when she'd tell the pair all about Rainbow Dash.