So I think I like this one a little bit better than Scootabloom. But I'm proud of them both! Decide for yourself which you like better by reading this one now. The Cutie Mark Crusaders seem to be adorable no matter how bad or good they are written!
ScootaBelle
Scootaloo cringed as the ice-cold water plunged into the deep cut. The clear water turned red as it mixed with the blood, and then ran down her front leg into the sink and went whirling down the drain. After a few seconds, Sweetie Belle turned off the faucet and gently wiped the wound dry with the towl. Scootaloo grunted and fought back the tears threatening to emerge from her eyes.
"Ugh, thanks, Sweetie! I guess a wood carving cutie mark was a bad idea after all," she murmured as Sweetie Belle rinsed the bloodied towl and reached for the bandages in the cabinet overhead.
The door creaked open, and both fillies froze, afraid that Rarity had heard their shouting and come upstairs, but it was only Applebloom. She threw three disinfectant wipes into the trash can, which were also red with Scootaloo's blood.
"Ah got most o' the blood out o' the carpet, but there's a dark stain on the wallpaper ah just can't seem wipe away!" she explained as she leaned over Sweetie Belle's shoulder to see her progression. "Is it that deep?"
"Yes, but I put some ointment on it, so it should be clean enough for now. You'll have to redress those bandages this evening," Sweetie Belle calmly instructed, just as a doctor would. Her eyes did not stray from the bandages, and she slowly wound the last strip around and secured it tightly. Without thinking, she planted a light kiss right on the band-aid.
Scootaloo didn't know what to think of the action. She just blushed and stood up, putting all her weight on her left hoof. "Er, thanks again. It feels much better."
Sweetie Belle smiled at her casually, her face nuetral, as if nothing had happened. "No problem. I don't know how you're going to explain that cut to your parents, though," she neighed, biting her lip. "I'm sure them and Rarity would be mad if they found out we were using the kitchen knives."
Scootaloo shrugged, still blushing. "I don't know. I guess I'll just fib and tell them I scraped my leg while riding my scooter. I always come home with bumps and bruises."
Sweetie Belle giggled. "Wow, you're really tough! I always cry when I get hurt, even if its just a paper cut. But you were so brave! You didn't even shed a tear!" Scootaloo's orange complexion was the color of a ripe tomato now.
Applebloom cut into their exchange, snapping Scootaloo back into reality. "It's almost time fer me n' Scoots tah head on home! We better finish cleanin' up er we'll be in big trouble!" she said anxiously, rapidly wiping up a few of the splattered drops of blood on the tile floor.
Right on cue, the doorbell rang downstairs. They heard the faint murmurings of Rarity's civil, high-pitched accent and Applejack's laid-back southern slur.
Scootaloo gulped. "Uh oh!"
Sweetie Belle grabbed the rag from Applebloom and shooed her out the door. "You go down and go with Applejack, or they'll be suspicious. Me and Scootaloo will finish up here, but just go down now, hurry, hurry!" she whinnied, pushing Applebloom out of the door before she had the chance to protest.
Sweetie laughed, and Scootaloo laughed as well. Sweetie Belle had the most beautiful laugh. It was high-pitched and melodious and genuine. Scootaloo thought it sounded like music. And it made her happy when Sweetie laughed. It made her insides squirm and her face feel warm.
Sweetie Belle set to work, picking up wet wipes that had gone astray and various cleaning appliances. Her delicate muscles moved rapidly beneath cotton-soft fur, the color of the first snow of winter. And she always hummed when she was working. Scootaloo took notice of these things, as well as the fact that she had a dimple in her left cheek when she smiled, and that when she was nervous she would bite her lower lip and start toying with her purple and pink curls.
Scootaloo had been staring at Sweetie Belle for a while now, and the young white unicorn irritably reminded her, "Well? Aren't you going to help me?"
Scootaloo shook her head, embarrassed. "Uh, yeah, sorry, I got... lost in thought," she fibbed, and began using her good leg to pick up the rags and a few torn bandages.
"I'm going to go hide our carvings in my closet. Later tonight I'll go out and put them in the backyard. Can you try and sweep up the wood shavings? I know your leg hurts, and I would use a vacuum, but we need to finish this as soon as possible, and vacuums make too much noise," Sweetie Belle said, shutting the cabinet door. Scootaloo had only heard half of what she had said, lost in those glittering emerald eyes.
"Er, yeah, wood shavings, got it," she stammered, looking down at the floor and wondering if her eyes were as sparkly. Sweetie nodded and turned away to leave the bathroom, giving Scootaloo a full few of her backside.
Scootaloo tried as hard as she could, but she could not refuse the urge to look at Sweetie Belle's flank. It was as blank as ever, but Scootaloo had never noticed how perfect it was. She wondered if it was a bad thing that Sweetie's flank wasn't blemished with a cutie mark. Could it become more beautiful than it already was, so curved and plush...?
A deeply blushing Scootaloo followed Sweetie Belle through the door out into the living room, unable to tear her eyes away from those flawless hindquarters.
Sweetie grabbed a broom from the attic and gave it to Scootaloo, who really did try to focus on sweeping. But she kept thinking about how it had felt as Sweetie Belle had lovingly placed the band-aid on the cut, and then gently kissed it. Somepony who was just a plain old friend wouldn't do that.
Right?!
She had still hardly touched the sawdust-strewn carpet when Rarity called from the stairwell, "Sweetie, Scootaloo's mother just called. It's time for her to go home for dinner!"
"Sorry I didn't get much done, I... couldn't concentrate..." Scootaloo awkwardly trailed off, but Sweetie of course remained oblivious to her lack of wits.
"No, no, that's okay! I'll finish up here, you can go on home," Sweetie Belle told her, taking the broom and began herding the wood chips into the dustpan, her rate of productivity ten times the amount that Scootaloo's had been.
Scootaloo turned to go, but then paused in the doorway, her heart racing. "Uh, Sweetie?" she asked, turning slightly, just enough to avoid Sweetie's penetrative gaze.
"Hmm?" Sweetie hummed, preoccupied by her task.
Scootaloo studied a spot on the carpet that looked it had a splash of hoof polish on it. "We're... we're more than just friends... right?" She knew that Sweetie Belle was looking at her now, but she couldn't bare to meet her eyes.
"Of course, Scoots!" Sweetie exclaimed cheerfully, and then returned her attention back to sweeping.
Scootaloo coughed, and then turned and raced down the stairs as fast as her stubby legs could carry her, ignoring the pain that shot through her injured leg. Ignoring Rarity's farewell, she shot out the door and sprinted all the way home, not noticing that she had forgotten her scooter until she arrived on the front porch of her house.
She fed her parents the explanation she had mentioned her Sweetie; that she had fallen and cut her leg on the pavement. Her parents seemed to buy it. When she said that she had forgotten her scooter, they told her that she could stop by the Carousel Boutique tomorrow on the way to school and pick it up.
Even though her mother served her favorite avacado salad and corn on the cob for supper, she hardly ate a bite. For some reason, her brain had errupted and she had lost the ability to think. That night, she tossed and turned restlessly, unable to get Sweetie Belle's face out of her mind.
Scootaloo awoke from a light slumber at five o'clock in the morning and couldn't fall back to sleep. She rose, dressed, wolfed down a bowl of Oatie-O's, brushed her teeth, and strapped on her helmet all in a matter of minutes. Her father was just coming into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee as she was leaving, briefly explaining that she was going to fetch her scooter.
Knowing well that school did not start for several hours, she ventured into the half-light of dawn. She stiffly walked through the awaking village, unsure whether to move quickly or slowly.
An extremely annoyed Rarity opened the door of the Boutique at 5:28 A.M, prepared to chew somepony out for interrupting her very limited morning preparation time. A sophisticated pony of beauty as she was, it was important to reserve a specific portion of day to beautify one's self. It was her "me time" of the day, and of course she was angered when the few minutes she had were shortened by an unexpected visit. But as the door slammed open, she found herself staring into empty space, and had to look downwards to see that it was a blushing Scootaloo who had rang the doorbell.
"Oh! Hello, Scootaloo. What brings you here so early?" she greeted cordially, filing the colorfully worded speech she had been about to give in the back of her mind.
Scootaloo fidgeted, her boldness spent. "Um... er, can I talk to Swe-Sweetie Belle?" she requested, tensing.
Rarity nodded, still confused, and hid from Scootaloo's view as she called her younger sister down. Sure enough, the unicorn filly herself appeared, eyes half-lidded and mouth gaping with a yawn. She seemed even prettier now in the dim light, her hair frizzing around her face like a lion's mane and wrinkled pajamas loosely hugging her slender frame.
Scootaloo took a deep breath, all her focus set on this one momentous action. "Did you mean what you said yesterday? About us being more than friends?"
Sweetie Belle nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why?" Scootaloo coughed self-consiously.
"Willyoubemyspecialsomepony?"
Sweetie cocked her head. "Come again?" Scootaloo tried again.
"Will... you... bemyspecialsomepony?" And failed.
Sweetie leaned closer and cupped her hoof around her ear to hear better. "I'm sorry, Scoots, what did you say?" Scootaloo clenched her teeth and forced her words to come out clearly.
"Will. You. Be. My. Special. Somepony?"
Sweetie tentative face froze, her mouth forming a small "o". She looked like she just seen a ghost. Scootaloo's heart sank, and she looked down, fighting back tears. But she didn't see the grin that spread across Sweetie Belle's face.
"Yes."
Scootaloo looked up in surprise, and then grinned back, suddenly feeling lighter than a cloud. She started to say something else, but she didn't have the chance to finish before Sweetie Belle pressed her lips to hers.
Liked it? Then review for more! I still haven't decided which shipping to write next. But I guess you'll find out when I update, which will be soon! Please keep up the requests!
-Jez D. W.
