Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Pony; Friendship Is Magic.
Summary: During their late teens, the Cutie Mark Crusaders fled from Ponyville in the middle of the night to escape their problems. Now adults, the trio rebuilt their lives in a deadbeat town, juggling work, their social lives (or lack thereof) and a young filly. The past, however, has a way of creeping back in ways someone least expects it to.
Warnings: Slice of life, small bits of pony cursing later on, etc.
Title: Through The Shadow's Of Boredom The Past Can Emerge
...
The sun was high of Equestria, the bright rays warming everything in sight. Shielding her eyes against the blinding rays, Scootaloo groaned. Pulling the blanket over her head, she fluffed her pillow and rolled over, her back to the door.
The door burst open as Dawn Flyer (aptly named for her habit of waking up too early) - a young, not quite of school age, black-coated Pegasus with a brightly colored mane- ran inside. "Aunt Scoots! It's time to wake up!" Flapping her small wings, she hovered near the older Pegasus's ear.
Scootaloo waved her away with a gentle hoof. "It's too early for this, Sparkles." She yawned. "Go back to bed."
Dawn pouted, heavily flopped onto her hindquarters (currently located on-top of Scootaloo's hip) "But Aunt Scootaloo, it's almost noon!" She whined. Scootaloo grunted.
"Like I said; to early."
Rolling her eyes, the filly easily back flipped off the bed and onto the floor. Grabbing the edge of her blanket, she yanked it off of her, dropping it near the door before speeding down the hallway and down the stairs.
Giving up on the idea of sleep, Scootaloo slowly sat up, watching the young Pegasus shoot down the stairs with a chuckle. "Not even half my age, and the kid can fly better than I ever could."
Trotting down the stairs, she paused in the kitchen doorway. Sweetie Belle read over her music, hardly noticing her awakening, and Applebloom waved.
"Coffee." She grunted, sliding into the seat next to the Applebloom. The earth pony chuckled and handed her a full mug. Breathing in the rich scent, she took a long drink before falling back in her chair with a sigh. "You're a lifesaver."
"Don't mention it. So, you gonna open shop today?"
"Yeah, I got a few orders I need to fill." She sighed. Finishing her coffee, Scootaloot trotted back up the stairs towards her room to get ready for the day.
"Looks like Ah'll be own my own today." Applebloom grunted sourly, refilling her mug.
Taking a sip from her own coffee mug, Sweetie Belle glanced up from her sheets. "You could always come with us to the club."
The earth pony disgustedly waved a hoof. "Ah don't like it; to loud fer my tastes. You know that."
"Then go look for something to fix." The unicorn shrugged. "There's gotta be something."
"Long night?" Applebloom questioned, taking notice of the heavy bags under her eyes. Sweetie Belle nodded, shoving a random sheet of music across the table. Applebloom picked it up and scanned the page.
"Inspiration struck and wouldn't let me sleep. What do you think?"
"It looks like it'll sound nice." She answered, setting the sheet of paper down on the table. "Are you going to sing it?"
"Yup. I'm singing a set at noon. I figured I'd slip it in somewhere and see what the public thinks." She shrugged. The nervous squeak in her voice traveled across the room.
"See what they think about what?" Scootaloo peered into the kitchen. Her mane was brushed into it's original style, her teeth brushed and her face cleaned. A full body suit, the kind a carriage-fixing pony wore, adorned her form, zipped up to chest level and leaving a tad unzipped for the sake of comfort. Seeing the sheet of paper on the table, she interestedly picked it up and looked it over. "Oh. Looks good, Sweetie, can't wait to hear it."
"Thanks." She smiled, her confidence swelling.
"Anyway..." She stretched her wings, showing off a scar along the side of the right one. It was thin, almost unnoticeable, but it's existence didn't go unnoticed. "I gotta get going. Stop by later, I've got a surprise for Dawn."
"Her first scooter?" Applebloom raised an eyebrow. She colored a bit and hushed her.
"Don't let her hear you! It's supposed to be a surprise! She's been asking for one for awhile now, and I'm pretty sure she's old enough now."
"I don't know..." Sweetie Belle muttered uneasily. Scootaloo rolled her eyes.
"Sweetie, relax. I got my scooter when I was her age."
"Yeah, and you had the habit of using it to run around the Everfree Forest." She prodded, smiling.
"I get lost one time, and you just can't let it go, can you?" She ruffled her feathers in slight irritation before smoothing them out. "Besides, the Everfree forest's a couple days away from here. Dawn won't be riding in it anytime soon."
"Or at all." Sweetie Belle sighed. "Alright then, I'll swing by with her later. But if she gets hurt, then she loses her scooter privileges."
"Cool." Scootaloo lopsidedly smiled before finally trotting towards the door. "See you guys later."
"See you!"
"Have a good day at work!"
A snort came from the living room before the door clicked shut behind her. The two mares turned back to breakfast.
"Have you seen Dawn lately?" Sweetie Bell asked, glancing about the room. The coffee mugs had been put in the sink and breakfast had been eaten. Applebloom glanced around before shrugging.
"Nope, not lately. Maybe she's playing hide-n-seek?"
"Maybe..."
"Ah'll go check the backyard." She grunted, sliding out of the seat and heading out the back door.
"You do that. I'll come help in a minute." Sliding out her own chair, she headed up the stairs.
The metal shoes and helmet were extremely large on her, and moving was a hassle, but it was more than worth it.
She ducked into a nearby closest as Sweetie Belle trotted up the stairs. Quiet as a mouse, she listened to the sound of hoofbeats and the opening and shutting of the bathroom door before shifting around and standing up.
Leaving the closest door swinging open behind her, she clumsily trotted into the hallway. Finding her balance, she puffed out her chest and trotted proudly in the direction her hooves took her.
She imagined the sound of hooves marching. Hordes of guards trotting proudly beside her. She, however, stuck out, being the youngest- and fastest- flier in the guard. Adult ponies gawked in wonder as she shot past with graceful wing beats, wearing the armor especially fitted for her...
Her hoof connected with the top step. The boot fell to the side, tripping her out of her daydream and into reality as she reflexively shot her hooves up to protect her face and eyes from receiving any dangerous injuries. Waiting for the imminent crash to come, she soon realized she wasn't going anywhere. Cracking open an eyelid, she quickly recognized the familiar glow of Sweetie Belle's magic.
"What do you think you're doing!?" She winced. Sweetie Belle floated her away from the stairs and onto the floor, levitating the helmet and shoes off her head and legs. "You could have been seriously hurt?"
"Sorry, mom." She mumbled, staring at the floor. The unicorn sighed.
"I don't want 'sorries', Dawn, I want you to be more careful. And don't mess with your Aunt Scootaloo's armor without her permission." Lifting the armor off the floor, the shoes fell side by side each other in the bottom of the closest and the helmet was placed back on it's special hook in the left side of the doorway. The door slammed closed.
"Sorry..." She repeated, flapping her tiny wings a bit before folding them against her sides. "I just wanted to look cool."
"You won't look 'cool' if you're in a hospital bed." She reminded her with a frown. "Besides, that armor doesn't look 'cool.' If anything, it looks like it'd be a pain to wear."
Dawn sighed, ears falling flat against her head. She just didn't get it. The pride, the honor she felt when she wore it. It was unlike anything she'd felt before.
"I found her!" Sweetie Belle shouted out the window before shutting it and returning to her disappointed foal. Sitting down beside her, she put a hoof on her shoulder. "Hey."
"Hey." She replied. Sweetie Belle sighed.
"Sorry if I was a little harsh. I just worry a lot, you know?"
"I know."
"I'm going to sing later, do you want to come with?" Dawn Flyer perked up immediately.
"Yes!" She gave her mother a quick hug before flying down the stairs.
Sweetie Belle shook her head with a fond roll of the eyes, muttering under her breath as she made her way down the stairs. "No in-betweens with that kid..."
Applebloom met her at the bottom of the stairs. "Is she okay?"
"Yeah, I found her trying on Scoot's old armor. I'll have to ask her about moving it somewhere else."
"Hmm..." Applebloom scratched the side of her head. "Ah could build her a chest or somethin' to put it in, if ya want."
"Sounds great." She yawned, taking a brief moment to try and flatten her mane. "Come'on, Dawn's gotta eat."
After feeding the youngest member of the family, the duo split up. Sweetie Belle led Dawn towards her temporary place of business, and Applebloom trotted off towards the nearby hardware store, leaving the house barren and empty of its usual charm.
The club was, despite it's name to the contrary, a children's establishment. It was an old bar reinvented, with childrens games, story time, and an all day (and sometimes call night) day care service, and children's drinks like applejuice served from the well-scrubbed, used taps.
Many adults flocked to the club as well, for live entertainment, a break from work, or to look for work. Sweetie Belle was amongst the last percentage, and sang there often as volunteer work or for a pay check, hoping against all hope that somehow, someday, a talentpony might notice her work and make her into a star.
Dawn, due to her darker coloring, blended in with the crowd and dark lighting as she made her way up the stage, making her glance around to find her. In the front row, she enthusiastically waved a hoof. Her worries placated, she smiled down at her before trotting confidently towards the center of the stage.
Grabbing the microphone with her magic, she floated it away from the stand and hovered it near her mouth. Taking a deep breath, she gave her daughter one more smile.
And then she began to sing.
'Scootaloo's Scooter Shop' didn't have a sign, due to the hurry they had been in whilst building the shabby building, and therefore it didn't have a name amongst the citizens of the small town. It was merely the shop that made scooters and repaired carriages, and she merely the scooter-pony.
Scooter's weren't all that popular in the deadbeat town, so she didn't bother to sell them to the public. Instead, she built them and shipped them off to small toy stores across Equestria. Apparently, while they weren't name-brand, they were highly desired in cities like Canterlot and Manehatten.
Her shop was usually deserted. Other than the delivery-mare and the odd customer hoping to have their carriage fixed, it almost always was. Her profits, while large, heavily depended on shipping, then selling.
Wiping off the handle-bars to give the scooter a better shine, she stepped back to look over her work. The scooter was perfectly made and crafted, with the tiniest hint of sparkles in the cleanly painted wood. That would excite the young filly, she decided. She called her 'Sparkles' for that very reason.
The sinking sun stretched the shadows across the empty garage as she cleaned the floors with a mop in muzzle. Having the ability to make your own hours had it's perks, like opening and closing whenever one felt like it. No on cared if she opened at noon and closed at dinner. She didn't have any customers, so she didn't have any complaints.
"Aunt Scootaloo!" Dawn burst through the door and out of the shadows, successfully pouncing onto her back. The force of the blow easily bowled her over.
"Hey, kid." She wheezed, staring at the Pegasus perched on her chest. "How ya doin'?"
"Dawn Flyer! You get off your Aunt Scootaloo right now!" The unicorn smiled playfully as she helped the older Pegasus up. "She's fragile."
"Ha. Ha." She grunted, shaking and stretched herself out. "You ready to try out your first scooter?"
Dawn bounced up and down, wings flaring in excitement. "Yes!"
"Alright then." She set the scooter down from the counter. "Made it especially for you."
"Cool!" She looked over the toy, turning the handle bars. She grinned wide. "It's sparkly!"
"Yup." Glancing at the snow-white mare next to her, she frowned. "You're rubbing off on her too much, Belle."
"Oh, stop. What little kid doesn't like sparkles?"
"I didn't." She stated proudly, puffing out her chest and thrusting a hoof against it in good measure. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.
"That's because you're part stallion, I swear." She grunted, shaking her head.
"Shut u- Uh, I mean, be quiet." She turned to Dawn, whom watched the argument between the two mares like a cat watched a Ping-Pong match. "Give it a try, kid."
The Pegasus didn't need to be told twice. She flew around the room, quickly and easily dodging her table and tools as she wheeled about. "She's a natural!" Scootaloo cheered.
The sun was just disappearing over the horizon when the store was finally closed and the door locked. The hours had passed by in minutes, watching the Pegasus play and playing with her, and they were both tired and excited. Sweetie Belle had been a hit at the club; Dawn cheerfully hummed under her breath as she wheeled the scooter home, and, for the first time in awhile, Scootaloo got to personally enjoy her craft.
Applebloom, it seemed, had been enjoying her craft as well. Wood was strewn about the living room and kitchen, small, half-finished carvings lying about the floor, and tools as far as the eye could see. At the foot of the stairs lay a well-made chest, ready for use.
She waved as they entered, covered in both sawdust and wood chippings. "Hey! How'd you like yer present?"
"I loved it!" She cheered, flying above the wreckage below. Applebloom tended to get caught up in her personal projects, so it was no surprise to find the floor covered in wood or tools, or to trip over a mostly finished project. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both were masters of dodging splinters and hammers with their hooves, and used their talents to their advantage as they cooked the youngest mare dinner, which she ate quickly.
The days events eventually caught up with her as Dawn yanwed and flopped down on the table, curling up into a half-ball. Chuckling, Applebloom picked her up and set her on her back. "Ah think it's time for someponies to go to bed. Ah'll put her to bed; would one of you mind making dinner?"
"I'll do it." Sweetie Belle offered immediately, raising a hoof. "Since we both know Scootaloo can't cook."
"Hey!" She was quickly shushed. She flushed. "Sorry. But I can so cook!"
"Instant stuff doesn't count." Applebloom giggled. She nudged the pegsus into a half-awake state with a gentle hoof. "Say goodnight, Dawn."
She yawned and wearily waved a hoof. "Night, mom, night Aunt Scoots."
"Night, Dawn." They waved as she carried up the stairs. One she was out of sight, Sweetie Belle went to cook dinner whilst Scootaloo relaxed at the table.
After giving her a quick, warm, bath, Applebloom carried her into her room. Dawn's room was brightly colored- much like the rest of the house- with a large, plush bed and cabinets. The window near the bed perfectly captured the setting sun. Near the doorway a lit candle flickered in the breeze, helping to light the dim room and guided the older mare to the bed as she set the young pegasi down and tucked her in. Dawn pulled her front hooves free from the blanket and set them on-top of the blanket.
"Aunt Applebloom?"
Applebloom blinked, settling down beside the bed, her front hooves resting on the sheets. "Yeah?"
"Why don't you have a job like Mom or Aunt Scoots?"
"You make it sound like I don't go anything around her." Applebloom giggled. Dawn didn't waver. She sighed. "Well... the job Ah was born for isn't around here."
"It isn't?" She raised an eyebrow. Applebloom shook her head.
"Nope. I'm a farm pony at heart, and the farm ah want to work at is a long ways away from here." She smiled sadly before leaning to down kiss the young Pegasus on the head. "Go to sleep. Your Mom and Aunt Scoots'll be up here to say goodnight to you soon enough."
Trotting out the door, she paused to blow out the candle before shutting the door behind her.
Dinner passed by quickly, and before long they all headed off to bed, giving the filly a quick goodnight before curling up in their rooms for the night. Tomorrow was Saturday, a day of rest and odd jobs.
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