Scootaloo poked her head from the pile of snow and shook her mane and head clear. The door to Sugarcube Corner squeaked open, then closed. A moment later Apple Bloom entered her vision.

“So,” the bow wearing filly said smugly, “Ah take it yer talk with Rumble went okay?”

“Y-yeah,” Scootaloo said before she cleared her throat and climbed from the pile. She fluttered her wings and cracked her neck before looking around.

No pony was paying her any attention so so sighed in relief.

“Yeah, I’m better now. He,” she looked to the closed door of Sugarcube Corner and blushed a little, “he started talking about my eyes and wings… my heart was going to jump outta my chest, Apple Bloom!”

“Heh, so yer-in-love,” Apple Bloom said in a sing-song voice, “Ah can’t believe it, my sis in love, and what a looker he is too.”

“Stop teasing me, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo grumbled as her face grew hotter.

“Okay, okay. Ah left mah muffin, Ah’ll be right back,” Apple Bloom chirped between snickers as she returned to the confection shop.

Scootaloo paced the area, making sure her body was as snow free as she could before she groaned, winced, and looked to the clear blue sky. “I left my coat and boots in there.”

She was ready to excercise her wings and just hop-fly home, but the door opened and Apple Bloom exited…. Followed by Rumble and the new pony.

Scootaloo’s body froze as she noticed her coat in the mouth of Rumble. His breath getting caught in her sleeve; the thought was numbing.

“Scootaloo? Scootaloo?!”

She gasped and blinked at Apple Bloom who was smirking, inches from her own muzzle. “Guh!? What?! I wasn’t thinking anything just now! Really.”

“Yeah, Ah could tell,” Apple Bloom drawled, “Ah got yer boots and,” she winked to Scootaloo, “Rumbles got yer coat there, in his mouth. He gobbled his whole meal just to make sure you got it, right Rumble?”

The colt smiled warmly to Scootaloo and, with a flip of his head, sent the coat to Scootaloo, who let it cover her head as she inhaled deeply, unbeknownst to the others.

“Yeah, it’s cold and I didn’t want your feathers to get hard. I got wet the other day,” Rumble said adjusting his coat, “and my feathers froze, almost. They were so hard and stiff… I swear I could see drops of water falling from the tips of each one as they thawed.”

Apple Bloom pursed her lips and held back a giggle as the coat fell from Scootaloo’s head, showing the shocked face and fully extended wings she had.

“Now, Ah think mah sis needs a bit’a time ta warm up herself; after jumpin’ inta the snow like that. We’ll see y’all later.”

“Oh, can I come? I wanna see the town,” Gallop asked with a grin, food across his chin.

“Why, Ah don’t see why not! Only as long as Rumble tags along, though.”

“I’d love to,” he chirped and fluttered his wings in excitement.

“...” Scootaloo forced a confident grin, “great,” she replied as she fell in line with Apple Bloom leading the way.

“Scootaloo, you walk with Rumble, Ah know the perfect place ta go. Ah wanna talk with Gallop s’more.”

Rumble stopped and waited for Scootaloo to catch up and matched her pace. “So, what’re you doing tomorrow?”

“Uhm, well, I dunno yet. Probably playing at the pond with Apple Bloom and my moms, maybe, probably, Pinkie Pie,” she said nervously.

“Wow, you have a lot planned, can I come? I wanna show Gallop how to make a real snowpony, he says he knows how but I don’t believe it; they don’t keep enough snow in Manehattan.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Scootaloo replied as she looked ahead several paces, Apple Bloom and the new colt were talking on their own. She was alone, essentially, with Rumble. “So, did you go to Manehattan then?”

“Nah, Gallop’s my penpal friend. Don’t let him fool ya, he’s got a city attitude,” Rumble said softer, “he’s not afraid to fight for his friends, like you did with Diamond Tiara.”

Scootaloo looked ahead and blinked. “Did he get into a fight with Diamond?”

Rumble sighed and looked at the snowy gravel just ahead of him. “Yes.”

“And, he’s the one who cut her muzzle?”

“What? No,” he replied incredulously before a trace of a smirk crossed his muzzle, “the ground did when she tripped running from him.”

Scootaloo grinned. “Ha, so she’s all flank hurt over hurting herself?”

“Oh, she got a good hoof to the chest and a buck to the ribs,” he added, “but the first thing she did when she saw us was start teasing us. Gallop doesn’t play with bullies,” he shrugged, “and she’s a bully.”

“Yeah, true that,” Scootaloo chirped as she felt some tension leave her body and mind, “so, how’re you enjoying winter?”

“It’s awesome!” Rumble shouted, garnering a couple amused glances from passersby, “a whole month of snow, fun, hot chocolate, friends, parties… just, it doesn’t end!”

“I know! I’ve been skating, played a dozen games like hockey, snow fights, snow boarding, skiing, some forts-”

“I love snowball fights in forts!”

“Me too!” Scootaloo replied flapping her wings, taking a slight hover. “Wanna come with me? … Tothepond!” She blurted.

“I’d love to! It’s gonna be awesome. We can have teams,” he looked ahead and leaned closer to Scootaloo, who dropped to the ground, “Pegasi versus earth pony, huh?”

Scootaloo looked ahead and furrowed her brows. “Yeah, I can get behind that.”

“I’m behind you, no matter what,” Rumble said with an innocent nod.

Scootaloo felt her throat tighten at his last comment.

…

“So, this here’s Sweet Apple Acres,” Apple Bloom announced proudly, “and we’re goin’ round the side here ta get t’our clubhouse; home of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Ah’m thinkin’ y’all can join up as honorary members,” she finished as she climbed through the fence.

Scootaloo flew over the fence and landed with a pose. “Yeah, that’s how it’s done.”

“That was really cool,” Rumble and Gallop said in unison.

Scrambling through the fence they laughed as they got tripped up and began tossing hoof fulls of snow at each other.

“Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo asked hoarsely, “why’re you in such a rush to get to the clubhouse?”

“Ah’ll make a distraction and get Gallop outside with me, leaving you two alone,” Scootaloo gulped, “don’t worry, sis, Ah’ve got yer back.”

“I… I don’t need to be alone with him,” Scootaloo whispered, “I can’t even talk to him!”

“Well, ya best learn quick,” Apple Bloom giggled.

“Hey! Why’d you leave us alone back there?”

“Cuz, ya need ta toss snow and it don’t involve us.”

“Oh, sorry, Miss Bloom.” The others laughed at Gallop. “What?”

“Mah name’s Apple Bloom, ain’t no ‘Miss’ about me.”

“Well, let’s see about that,” he said jubilantly.

“Huh?! Oomf,” Apple Bloom stumbled to the side as a snowball struck her head. “...Okay, it’s on…” she shook her head and scooped a snowball, packing it tight and threw it at Gallop, who ducked it.

“Ha, there’s a ‘miss’ about you.”

“Oh-ho-ho, now yer gonna get it,” Apple Bloom laughed as she gathered another snowball.

Next Chapter: Caught in the Act Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 51 Minutes