It's not much of a big deal. The smell, the feel of heat and ink and pain on her skin. Light pain. Feels more like some cat is climbing up my back very slowly but you know, I've felt worse things. Picking a fight with Ms. Lilly's rottweiler when he tried to bury my old scooter. Stubbing a toe on my broken ankle when I wasn't supposed to be walking around the house and my cousin wouldn't stop laughing about it. Being stood up on my first and only date with he-who-must-be-named.

I mean, I know that Sweetie Belle was exaggerating when she said that getting a tattoo makes people faint and bleed and you can die. She's just being a party pooper and Apple Bloom has no business agreeing with her. The one time, I don't let them know my personal plans they get all fussy and disapproving. Girls, I know that Applejack would tan Apple Bloom's hide if she ever came back with a permanent smudge and Sweetie Belle is the most whiniest wimp there ever was. Also, the tattoo cost like 300 bucks and I dunno, I didn't want this particular thing to be a Crusader thing.

The things we did when we were younger are different from getting a tattoo together. It's not really a thing to do together and if we are, like way latter, getting tattoos together, I should be the first to be experienced in it. Why? Well, because Apple Bloom is a square and Sweetie Belle needs to get over her fear of anything painful.

Guess what guys, the whole tattooing biz doesn't hurt that much.

But the after effects of getting one is gonna be major.

I don't want to put them through it until you know I can say if it's worth it or not. Better to throw 300 smackroos down the hole than 900. Might as well get a car together if we are fooling around with that kind of money.

People on the street, people at school, people who are good and full of that righteous fury are going to take their time to look down at me from their high pedestals. I mean, think about Zecora. People are still talking about her even though she comes from a whole other country and her tattoos mean something else. She has super important reasons to have her tattoos but everyone won't let it go.

Who knows what they'll say about me on top of the usual, “There goes Rainbow Dash 2.” That would normally be a compliment if Rainbow Dash says it or it's said while Rainbow Dash was around and she totally agreed. It should be good. It should've been good. But they had a personal talk three years ago and Rainbow Dash wants her to be her own person and that when people call me that, it's not a good thing.

Which really hurts because I really wanted to be like Rainbow Dash and I thought it was good. I get what she's saying and I should be my own person. And why not make it official? Why not get a tattoo?

I want a tattoo. I want them to look. I want them to feel me, to notice me. A tattoo is a good start. It should knock the Rainbow Dash out of their mouths for a while. She's been gone forever and people need to get used to speaking about 'Scootaloo'. Eventually, they'll chant it when I as the newly established captain of the girl's volleyball team lead everyone to nationals this year-ish.

You would think that her becoming captain of the volleyball team would have made her different. I mean, Rainbow Dash was into soccer and speed but I don't have that. I can leap, I can glide but I just don't have her speed and long limbs. I'm good but I don't have her Rainbow Dash-ness which is why I went with volleyball and guess what I'm great at it. But since Rainbow Dash was into 'sports' it doesn't even matter.

I'm just a copy cat and screw that.

I want a tattoo because I don't have the wings I should have been born with. I practically fly when I jump and if had the wings for it, the sky would be mine. And I can't have them naturally, I put them where they should have been on my back because why not. I'm just correcting a mistake. I should've had wings and I don't and fuck and shit and why.

Fuck, that needle is really starting to hurt.

Hurry up already.

It feels like I've been here for a while, I mean it has been a w-h-i-l-e. I came in around 3:00 with the money in hand, cash in 10s and 20s, and it's like 5:00 now. 5:00 PM if you can believe. I can't. It still feels like I'm dreaming. It's like any other 5:00 o' clock anywhere except I would be hanging around Apple Bloom's super unnecessary yard/farm/acre with Sweetie Belle, yakking it up about plans for summer vacation. We would have whined for hours and somehow walk away with the feeling of accomplishing something. I'm tired of that. They're probably tired of it too.

Who wants to just be talk? I'm not all talk. I'm doing something.

It's weird how I had all that money and now it's gone. I could have gotten used to smacking people in the face with those wads of cash. Silver Spoon and her crew can choke on their plastic cards.

I feel kinda bad, sorta, maybe I should of gotten a car first and the tattoo later.

But that is only the butterflies in my belly and this wasn't something I came up with off the top of my head because I'm acting out, Apple Bloom! All of the money came from cutting lawns, and having a mail route and dropping off newspapers at the crack of dawn onto of volleyball practice and selling some stupid kiddish things like my old comics. I didn't really like the comics like Apple Bloom says I do. I got them because Rainbow Dash liked them and now that she's gone off to college and is like gone forever until next week when she's coming back from summer break.

I don't want to be that same old kid when she comes back. I'm not her little groupie anymore. I'm my own man! Girl! Whatever! And while I still think Rainbow Dash is the coolest thing ever, I can think that as a responsible and mature grown-up that isn't trying to one-up Rainbow's adventures in college! I mean, did she get a tattoo at this age? I think not. Does she even have one?

Wait and here's the coolest thing about being your own girl: I don't really care if she does!

I've been feeling like this for a while, since I was thinking about getting a tattoo. This wasn't a snap decision, Sweetie Belle! Do you know how much 300 dollars is? Just because your family might be rolling in doesn't mean I have 100 dollar bills hidden under handkerchiefs. And screw you Apple Bloom for just standing there silently! I love y’all but don't just stand there judging me.

Remember what happened to Diamond Tiara? She needed stitches after I punched her in her face for calling me a man. I'm not going to punch y’all but then again, I don't even need to. If y’all really thought this was something we should talk about together or god forbid, do together, where are you? I told you the place and the time and it's been 2 hours and I don't see you.

You're not here, frowning at me. Not flinging those print-outs about infections and sterile needles. You guys didn't even show up.

The hell are we even friends, anymore?

I close my eyes and grip the seat. I don't want to think about that stuff anymore. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom can be like whatever but that doesn't mean we're not friends anymore. It's just a thing and I bet they thought I wouldn't do it.

I can't wait to show them.

“Your tattoo's done.” Pokey Pierce, who would of guessed it, he gets a job everywhere, speaks up and swings the chair around. I yell and tell him to take it easy, my back is sore. I stand up and he tells me to move over to the floor length mirror. Just on my lower back, I can see a pair of white wings outlined by smooth black lines. Looks just like the picture, everyone has that kind of fear of it not being what it said it would be and cause the girls aren't here, I pull Pierce into a hug.

“Scootaloo!” I know those voices anywhere. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom awkwardly stand by the glass doors leading out. I don't know why my eyes are watering. Must be the pain. Who am I kidding, I'm about to cry like a baby but I have to act cool.

“I didn't you guys would come.” And to make my point. “It's too late to stop me if you're still trying to be mad at me. My body, guys.”

Would that be something Rainbow Dash would've said? Nah. That is something Scootaloo says. I need to get used to that.

“We know. We're sorry for making a big deal about it.” Apple Bloom says.

“It's just that we're seniors now except we're not until school starts up again but what are we going to do after that?” Sweetie Belle speaks up.

“Who cares?”

“Scootaloo!” They both shout.

“Okay, I want us-” I drag out the 'us' as long as possible. “To get a car together. And before summer is over, let's take a trip somewhere.”

“Are you serious? How are we going to hustle that much money together that fast?”

“We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I'm sure we'll come up with something.”

Getting a tattoo was kinda a test. Not like a test at school or a test in patience. I fail at those. A tattoo, this tattoo equals 300 dollars. If I can get a tattoo, I can get a car. If I can get a car, I can get a house. And if I can do those things but more importantly do all those things I cause I want to, nobody else saying this or that, I know that my life will be happy.

And these idiots will be in it, too.