Dear diary,

Long time, no write! It's been a really busy last couple of weeks for me. Ever since we got our cutie marks, me and the other Crusaders have been spending all of our free time after school trying to help ponies with their cutie marks! But... it hasn't been going that well. Turns out that most ponies are pretty certain about what their cutie marks really mean. Scootaloo jokingly suggested taking a leaf out of Princess Twilight's book and "making a cutie mark problem" if we couldn't find one... I love that pony, but sometimes she thinks before she speaks!
It's probably for the best though–when we aren't "crusading," for lack of a better word, we're all busy doing homework! Miss Cheerilee has been just piling it on, to "prepare us for high school next year." At least me and the girls can work together on it, so it's less miserable for us.

Surprisingly, Apple Bloom is really good at math, something that Scootaloo and I both struggle with. I bet she'd make a great business pony for Sweet Apple Acres someday. At least she has an idea of what she'll be able to do after school. I still don't know yet —is it weird that I worry about that stuff? Scootaloo seems really carefree about it, but I'm pretty sure that she's just being Scootaloo. You know, "show no fear!" and all that, just like Rainbow Dash.

Speaking of Scootaloo, again, we're going to be having a sleepover tonight! Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are gonna be over in a little bit. My parents haven't quite made up their mind if they can stay the night, but I don't know why they would really say no. We get into a lot less trouble now that we have our cutie marks. I'm still wondering what exactly we're gonna do, but I'm sure we'll figure something out!

I'll let you know how it—

"So, now what?"

The question that Sweetie Belle posed to her friends had become all too common, and their time spent together lacked the single minded focus on discovering their special talents that it used to. Nowadays, instead of doing a million different things with the expectation of a life changing revelation, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were adjusting to the mundane simplicity of "just having fun" with vary degrees of success. Tonight's sleepover was no exception.

"I dunno," Scootaloo grumbled in frustration from her perch on the foot of Apple Bloom's bed. The pegasus was laying on her back, her right foreleg dangling down along the edge of the mattress absentmindedly. Every couple of seconds, her hoof would gently graze against Sweetie Belle's ear below, which would invariably twitch at the stimulus. Sweetie Belle could have very easily moved, simply scooched a bit to the left along the wooden bed frame she was sitting against, but she didn't.

Dear Diary,
So, a funny thing happened today. The Crusaders and I were trying to find our special talents... again. Broken record, I know. Anyways, while we went to Rarity's to drop off my school stuff, we saw her working on (of all ponies!) Applejack's mane! Applejack insisted that it was for the Gala next week (I still can't believe we get to go!) to make sure it went with her dress. Inspired, we decided to try and style each other's manes.

It's a good thing we weren't allowed to use scissors, because we didn't get our cutie marks. I worked on Apple Bloom, but since she didn't want to take off her bow, I couldn't really do too much with it. All I could really do was make the end of her mane all spiky... just like that time we sang in the talent show. Well, now I know for sure that I'm not cut out to be a stylist —I hope Rarity doesn't mind.

But the weird part—Scootaloo worked on my mane. I was amazed she went along with it at all, consider how "lame" she says it is. But it was awesome. She was perfect—firm, but gentle, and even when she grazed my sensitive ears, it felt sooooo nice! She didn't really do much besides brush it, saying that there was nothing wrong with my mane anyway. I know I'm probably reading way too deep into it, but that she did it at all means the world to me, and when she said she likes my mane as is...

Yeah, reading too deep.

Apple Bloom managed to tame the unkempt parts of Scootaloo's mane, and she looked adorable, as always.

Rarity just finished dinner, so I gotta go. One week to the gala!

"There's just nothing to do," Scootaloo continued her lament of boredom, likely all but oblivious to the mane-styling memory swarming around in Sweetie Belle's head below.

Apple Bloom spat out the yellow crayon she was using to draw a picture of, what seemed to be, herself under an apple tree. "There's plenty of stuff to do, what're you talkin' about?" She pushed a small notebook towards the bed, with a noticeable bulge from the crayons and pencils stuffed within it's pages. "Here, try drawin' or writin' something. Maybe write a sequel to that Scootaloo The Great story you wrote for school?"

"I'm not in the mood to do any writing," Scootaloo groaned, lifting herself off of her back and standing up on the bed, much to Sweetie Belle's disappointment. "But a sequel's not a bad idea. I just need to come up with more awesome stuff."

Sweetie Belle noted, desperately hoping that the blush creeping across her face wasn't as apparent as it felt, that writing about Scootaloo wasn't hard to do at all, even in a non-fictional capacity. Sweetie Belle’s diary had a disproportionate amount of material as of late that was spent musing about the orange pegasus that had rapidly gained a hold of Sweetie Belle's affections. Scootaloo was as energetic as she was spirited, and she certainly had an abundance of spirit. She was always raring to go, to try some crazy new adventure, even in a setting as mundane as Apple Bloom's bedroom during a sleepover. And though Sweetie Belle knew she wasn't quite on the same athletic level as Scootaloo was, but Scootaloo had always been supportive even if Sweetie Belle happened to fall behind during some of their escapades.

On the topic of athletics, Scootaloo was most definitely in shape. She was incredibly agile, and her daring feats and tricks on her scooter often evinced that. She had lean muscle that was accentuated just enough underneath her orange fur, which was coarse, yet so invitingly soft.

And then, there was that purple mane, a deliberate disaster that portrayed the tomboyish nature of a filly that didn't seem to care about keeping a perfectly styled mane. And below that head of hair were two beautiful eyes, full of wonder in a brilliant amber hue—

But wait. Scootaloo's eyes weren't amber. They were a deep shade of violet.

Sweetie Belle blinked, her Scootaloo fueled trance all but broken. Scootaloo's cute face had vanished from her mind's eye, and Sweetie Belle found herself staring instead at Apple Bloom's face, complete with amber colored eyes under a quizzically raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"You alright, Sweetie Belle? You're lookin' awfully flushed."

“What?” Sweetie Belle shook her head frantically, glancing up to notice Scootaloo’s (purple) eyes looking down upon her with curiosity, her face growing even warmer as a result. “I’m fine, I was just... thinking?” She paused before answering, still unsure how exactly to answer even as she did.

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow, but Scootaloo, thankfully, didn’t seem to notice. Instead, she asked “About what?”

You. Don’t say that.

“I was thinking about… nothing,” Sweetie Belle answered lamely.

“That sounds like this sleepover, alright,” Scootaloo agreed as she hopped down to the floor. “A whole bunch of nothing! I still don’t know why we couldn’t stay at your place, Sweetie. Then we could play some of your fancy new games.”

Grateful for the distraction, Sweetie Belle turned away from the still-quizzical-looking Apple Bloom to shrug. “Not sure. Maybe they just didn’t want a lot of noise?”

“But we’re not loud!” Scootaloo cried, Sweetie Belle’s ear folding in disagreement. “I mean, not really.”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Hardly. Excuse me if we don’t have any fancy video games. We prefer the games where you actually do stuff with each other, instead of starin’ at a screen.”

“Sounds like you didn’t like losing to me,” Scootaloo argued. “Maybe if you practiced a little bit more, you’d get why they’re so awesome.”

“Practicin’ tappin’ buttons? That’s just silly.”

“Scoring a bunch of of points and doing tricks Pony Hawk’s Pro Scooter isn’t silly, it’s awesome! I think you’re just being a sore loser about it.”

“Winnin’ and losin’ has nothin’ to do with it,” Apple Bloom insisted, but her soured facial expression seemed to indicate otherwise.

Tired of hearing her friends squabbling, Sweetie Belle opted to change the subject. “How about instead of arguing, we find something to do? Maybe not video games,” she mused, “but how about board games instead?”

“Like Monopony!” Apple Bloom cheered, jumping to her hooves and scrambling to the closet where her board games were stowed.

“No way,” Scootaloo shook her head. “You always win at that one!”

“Sounds like you’re just bein’ a sore loser about it.”

“What else do you have?”

“Let’s see… Scorewords?” Apple Bloom’s suggestion was accompanied by the telltale clatter of plastic tiles bouncing against each other in a cardboard case.

Sweetie Belle’s eyes lit up at the sight of the word-making game being pulled from the closet, but they faltered at Scootaloo’s sigh of discontent.

“No thanks,” Scootaloo muttered again, turning her attention to Sweetie Belle. “Sweetie always wins at that one.”

“Well, then what do you want to do?” Apple Bloom asked with a sulk, shoving the board back atop Monopony’s box with a clatter as the letter tiles within shuffled about.

Scootaloo groaned again in frustration. “I don’t know. Now that we’ve got our cutie marks...” she trailed off, but Sweetie Belle knew exactly what she would have said.

The trio exchanged glances with one another for several moments, accompanied by dissatisfied sighs as the hollow answer to the question “we’ve got our cutie marks, now what?” sounded between them with silence.

“Well, we should still try and find somethin’ to do before dinner,” Apple Bloom insisted to break the quiet and lift the temporarily dampened spirits that had settled in the room. “And if Scootaloo doesn’t want to do any games that involve thinkin’...’”

“Hey!”

“Then why don’t we play…” Apple Bloom scratched her chin, looking between her two friends as she pondered. Her eyes settled on Sweetie Belle for a second, and then lit up for an instant when she finally decided on something.

“Truth or dare?”

Scootaloo clapped her hooves together excitedly as a mischievous smile formed on her face. “Alright! I’ve come up with some totally awesome stuff to dare you two to do since last time!”

“Um, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Sweetie Belle asked timidly. “After what happened last time?”

“Oh don’t be silly, we aren’t even near anythin’ flammable this time!”

“Aw, come on, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo pouted with her bottom lip curling ever so slightly. As much as she tried to, Sweetie Belle could hardly resist.

“You promise it won’t be like last time?” Sweetie Belle clarified, looking back nervously at the eager faces of her friends who were all too quick to nod their heads enthusiastically.

“Promise! Pinkie promise, even!” Apple Bloom exclaimed with several waving motions of her hooves, followed with a gesture with her right hoof to her eye.

Dear Diary,

Stupid, stupid, stupid! I got grounded today, for some silly little accident! So today, the girls and I were playing a game of truth or dare. And Scootaloo dared Apple Bloom to do some crazy spin trick on her scooter, which Apple Bloom tried to do but she lost control of it. The scooter flew into one of the lanterns along the park, and then a tree got set on fire and… yeah. It was a complete accident, but the fire department told our parents anyways, and they weren’t very happy about it. I didn’t even have anything to do with it, but they grounded me anyways! At least it’s just a week for me - Apple Bloom got extra chores for a whole three weeks. If they hadn’t kept trying to show up each other with their dares…

I guess we won’t be playing Truth or Dare again anytime soon.

“Alright then, Truth or Dare it is!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, much to the approval of her friends, who both pumped their hooves in the air. “So, how should we start?”

“Me!” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo cried at the same time, both of them wearing a confused expression as they vied for first pick of the game.

“This is my house, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom explained with a grin, “so I get to go first.”

“But we’re your guests, and we should be allowed to go first,” Scootaloo argued, turning to Sweetie Belle for help. “Isn’t that the rule?”

“Um…”

“But nothin’! It was my idea to play the game in the first place, so I should be allowed to go first,” Apple Bloom said defensively, since her first reason had been shot down so abruptly.

“Yeah, but…” Scootaloo frowned, and she tilted her head back with a frustrated groan. “Fine! Since I’m such a good friend, I’ll let you go first.”

“Thanks,” Apple Bloom said with an exaggerated smile. “Alright, Scootaloo… Truth or dare?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Scootaloo boasted. “Dare, duh!”

As was typical of her, Sweetie Belle thought. Not one to back down from a challenge, Scootaloo almost invariably opted to “dare” instead of tell the truth about some embarrassing question.

“Perfect,” Apple Bloom grinned. “I dare you to…” She looked around the room, searching for some sort of inspiration by which to embarrass her friend. Her eyes settled on a pale pink dress hanging in the open closet, one that she had worn months ago as a flower filly for Princess Cadance’s wedding, and her grin grew even wider.

“Oh come on!” Scootaloo groaned again, following Apple Bloom’s gaze to the garment. Sweetie Belle imagined Scootaloo wearing that flower filly dress again, and though she didn’t think it silly, she giggled anyways. It didn’t help the situation.

“We haven’t even started yet, and you’re already callin’ it quits?” Apple Bloom taunted with a laugh.

“If that’s the best you’ve got, I have so got this!” Scootaloo trotted with indignation towards the dress, as if she actually welcomed the humiliation.

After several minutes of wrestling with correctly navigating the various gaps in the fabric, Scootaloo emerged in her pink dress, frills and all. The tone of the clothing matched the color of her cheeks, but she wore a stubborn smile regardless, to show that it didn’t bother her.

Just adorable, Sweetie Belle thought.

“My turn,” Scootaloo said with relish, turning to face Apple Bloom, who didn’t look at all perturbed.

“Nu uh,” Apple Bloom shook her head. “Sweetie Belle gets to go next.”

“WHAT?” Scootaloo balked, her hooves punching down on her dress in frustration. “That’s not fair! You dared me, so I get to go next!”

“My house, my rules,” Apple Bloom beamed. “And I say Sweetie goes next.”

“Can I take this off at least?” Scootaloo scratched at a troublesome bit of lace.

“Only if you want to back out of the dare,” Apple Bloom replied with satisfaction.

Scootaloo’s eye twitched. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea.”

Games of truth or dare almost always went this way when the Crusaders played. Sweetie Belle was mostly concerned with finding out more about her friends, or getting to know them better. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, meanwhile, just enjoyed tormenting one another. Sweetie Belle had learned to keep her dares or questions fairly mild, lest they come up with some creative retaliation. And now, Sweetie Belle was trying to come up with something that wouldn’t upset either of her friends… yet, she didn’t want to disappoint them either.

“Okay then,” Sweetie Belle’s face screwed up as she looked back and forth between her two friends, deciding which one to inflict the next round upon. Scootaloo’s violet eyes kept glancing sideways at Apple Bloom, and the pegasus was mouthing silently to Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle could hardly say no.

“Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle raised a white hoof at her friend, whose smug appearance had already begun to falter at the exclamation. “Truth? Or Dare?”

Apple Bloom stared, unblinkingly, at Scootaloo as she answered. “Dare.”

“Get her good, Sweetie Belle! Avenge me, for this dress!” Scootaloo clapped her hooves in anticipation.

Sweetie Belle’s mind raced with the various options at her disposal. It wasn’t just about a simple game of truth or dare - she had to defend Scootaloo’s… something. It wasn’t quite “honor”, more like her “dignity.” But since it was Scootaloo who was asking, it was even more important that she get it right.

“I dare you to…” Sweetie Belle spoke slowly, realizing that she had been concentrating too much about Scootaloo, and less about the dare before she had begun her sentence, and still didn’t actually have anything in mind.

What would Scootaloo do? In that case, what would Rainbow Dash do?

“I dare you to impersonate Rainbow Dash!” Sweetie Belle announced to decidedly mixed reactions. Apple Bloom guffawed, and Scootaloo grimaced.

“Really, Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo shook her head. “Impersonating Rainbow Dash isn’t embarrassing!”

Sweetie Belle frowned, and bit her lip. She thought for sure that seeing Apple Bloom make a mockery of her idol would be satisfying enough for Scootaloo.

“Sorry! I thought it’d be really funny. Truth or Dare isn’t always just about embarrassing each other, is it?” Sweetie Belle asked as she scratched at her foreleg.

“Isn’t she just the cutest, Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom laughed.

Sweetie Belle blushed at the notion of Scootaloo looking at her as “cute.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Scootaloo replied shortly. “Make with the Rainbow Dash, and you’d better do her justice.” Scootaloo’s threat would have almost had menace were she not wearing that adorable pink dress.

Apple Bloom cleared her throat, and then paused. “I’m Rainbow Dash!” She shouted suddenly, her southern drawl given a horribly unappealing rasp. “I’m the best pony ever!” Apple Bloom leapt up from the floor to her bed, paying no mind to the two ponies that were rolling on the floor in laughter.

“I’m the fastest pony ever, except for Applejack, I need to cheat to beat her in a race.”

Scootaloo’s expression began to sour.

“My job isn’t taming critters, or buckin’ apples, but kicking clouds! Clouds!” Apple Bloom repeated. “They’re soft and fluffy, everything I’m not. Because I’m Rainbow Dash, remember?”

Scootaloo’s forelegs folded across her chest, and she clicked her tongue.

“How could you possibly forget that I’m Rainbow Dash? I leave rainbow trails everywhere I go, rainbow butt trails—”

“Alright, just stop!” Scootaloo shouted crossly. “Rainbow Dash doesn’t… I mean, she does, but—”

“Butt trails,” Apple Bloom finished slyly, her voice dropping the rasp. Scootaloo’s voice was likely to get a rasp, given how much she had been groaning this evening.

“I’m sorry about that, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle rubbed Scootaloo’s shoulder, her hoof catching on a pink strap. “I should have picked something else.”

“No,” Scootaloo shook her head again. “She’s the one who should be sorry.”

“Oh, lighten up, will ya?” Apple Bloom laughed as she hopped down from the bed. “It’s not like y’all two are married, or somethin’. Though, the way you carry on sometimes, it makes me wonder…”

“Wonder all you want, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo blushed furiously. “My turn now, and I dare you to—”

“Truth. I pick truth,” Apple Bloom said casually, brushing her shoulders.

“Oh come on!” Scootaloo cried once more, eliciting a thumping noise from downstairs.

“Y’all wanna keep it down?” Applejack’s voice filtered up through the floorboards. “It’s no wonder Sweetie Belle’s folks said you were too loud!”

“Oh come on!” Scootaloo hissed. “You can’t do that!”

“It’s called Truth or Dare, not just dare,” Apple Bloom explained. “Just because you always pick dare, doesn’t mean I have to.”

“You think you’re so clever,” Scootaloo whispered with narrowed eyes, before turning to look at Sweetie Belle. “Sweetie, I need your help.”

“My help?” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “With what?”

“She needs to be thoroughly embarrassed to make up for that Rainbow Dash… attack,” Scootaloo spat as though she couldn’t describe the atrocity strongly enough. “And you were always good with the personal touchy-feely things.”

Sweetie Belle’s face flushed ever so slightly. “Um, thanks?”

“So,” Scootaloo continued, “what’s the most embarrassing question ever? Like, something that you would just die if anyone found the truth about?”

“Um,” Apple Bloom muttered. “Did I say I was sorry about what I said about Rainbow? Because I’m sorry.”

“Too late for that now, Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo announced with a tangible sense of satisfaction. “So, what’ve you got, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie Belle froze, lost in thought. One of the reasons she didn’t really care for truth or dare all that much, apart from its immediate (and flammable) dangers, was how easily she was embarrassed. So, there weren’t any shortage of embarrassing or humiliating questions on offer for her. But for Sweetie, which one would be the worst?

“That’s easy, who do I — you, you have a crush on?” Sweetie Belle finished her thought out loud, making sure to correct it. Just like when she had suggested the Rainbow Dash impersonation, her friends’ reactions were worlds apart. Horror, and elation.

“Oh my,” Apple Bloom blushed furiously, covering her mouth and cheeks with her hooves as Scootaloo cheered.

“Awesome, Sweetie! And how sweet it is, Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo jeered to the dagger-like stare of Apple Bloom. “So, let’s hear it, AB. Who do you wish was your very special somepony?”

Gone was the self-assured, almost arrogant, filly from before. Instead, Apple Bloom shuffled nervously, mumbling under her breath.

“What was that, Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo asked. “I couldn’t quite hear you. Maybe you could wear this dress, it might give you some confidence—”

“—Rainbow Dash!” Apple Bloom burst out. “She’s so fast and awesome, and how could I not have a crush on her?”

“Very funny,” Scootaloo’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “You know the rules, you have to tell the truth if you pick truth.”

“I know… I—I don’t have a crush on anypony,” Apple Bloom answered, her shifty gaze not at all convincing to either Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle.

“What do you think, Sweetie?” Scootaloo glanced sideways at the unicorn. “Does that look like she doesn’t have a crush?”

Sweetie Belle put herself in Apple Bloom’s (horse)shoes, and was quite easily able to relate to her friend’s discomfort.

“If she doesn’t want to answer, Scootaloo, then she—”

“—She shouldn’t have chickened out and picked truth instead of dare,” Scootaloo interrupted. “So, come on then, out with it! Who is it? WHO IS IT?”

“It’s Spike, alright?” Apple Bloom relented, her cheeks aflame.

“WHO — wait, Spike?” Scootaloo stopped in her rant. “Like, Spike? Our Spike, like the dragon?”

‘I don’t have a crush on anypony’, Sweetie Belle recalled. Not as untruthful as it seemed.

“Yeah, that Spike, and don’t you dare say anything to him about it,” Apple Bloom demanded, her eyes burning as she glared at Scootaloo.

“Come on, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo’s voice softened for the first time since the exchanges had begun. “I’m not that mean. I — we — wouldn’t do that to you. Right, Sweetie?”

“Right!” Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.

“I’m serious,” Apple Bloom said warily, evidently not too convinced. “Not. A. Word.”

“Promise,” Scootaloo smiled. “Pinkie promise, even,” she waved her arms about, ending the gesture with her right hoof inches away from her eye.

“Thanks,” Apple Bloom replied earnestly.

“So… Spike, huh?” Scootaloo asked casually. “I guess he’s pretty cute, for a dragon—”

“—Okay, you know you’re just asking for it now,” Apple Bloom’s mood shifted from humiliated to vindicated, and she found herself back on the offensive. “Both of you,” she added.

“Me?” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “What did I do?”

“You came up with that question, so you’re just as responsible,” Apple Bloom replied. “And now… Truth? Or Dare? Which one, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes grew wide at the question. Almost invariably, Sweetie Belle picked truth when she played. Her friend’s didn’t really press her too much for embarrassing questions, for one, and for two, a game of escalating dares between just two ponies was often bad enough. Sweetie Belle was content to answer some questions and sit back whilst her two friends worked tirelessly to torture each other.

But now that Apple Bloom knew exactly what Sweetie Belle’s most dreaded question ever (to paraphrase Scootaloo) was, Sweetie Belle hesitated with her choice. Telling even your closest friends about the object of your affections clearly wasn’t easy, judging from Apple Bloom’s reaction, and it could only be made worse when her crush was actually in the room with her.

With revenge for her “truth” on Apple Bloom’s mind, Sweetie Belle’s decision was practically made for her.

“Dare!” Sweetie Belle announced, once again gaining two opposite reactions from her friends. Scootaloo cheered, while Apple Bloom’s lips pursed.

“Way to go, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo tousled Sweetie’s mane playfully. “There’s no way she’ll be able to beat that question for sheer embarrassment!”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Apple Bloom broke into a mischievous grin. “Not for either of you. Sweetie Belle, I dare you to kiss Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo’s laughter stopped immediately. She looked back and forth at the red-faced Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom in a panic.

“What?” Scootaloo squeaked uncontrollably.

“I dare you,” Apple Bloom pointed at a shell-shocked Sweetie Belle, then to Scootaloo. “To kiss you.”

Flummoxed, Scootaloo tried to articulate a proper response. “I… uh… you wouldn’t. You wouldn’t!”

“I would,” Apple Bloom’s grin grew ever wider. “And not some weak little kiss, neither. On the lips!”

“Maybe we should stop,” Scootaloo uncharacteristically squeaked again. “You win, Apple Bloom.”

“I’m hearing a whole lotta talkin’, but no smoochin’, you two,” Apple Bloom drawled. “You should probably get on that.”

“You’re evil, you know that? Evil!” Scootaloo cried again.

“Aw, come on. It’s just a little kiss, is all,” Apple Bloom waved her hoof. “You got a problem with kissin’ Sweetie Belle?”

“No — I mean — I don’t know!” Scootaloo’s hooves flailed about.

“Do you think she’s ugly?”

“No, she’s not —” Scootaloo turned to look at Sweetie Belle “—you’re not ugly, Sweetie Belle.”

“Does she have bad breath?” Apple Bloom asked.

“No!”

“So then, you know how her breath smells, but you’re nervous about kissin’ her?”

“Oh my gosh…” Scootaloo looked down at her hooves, mortified.

“Well, it sounds like you’re the only one complainin’ about it,” Apple Bloom poked at her friend. “I ain’t heard a word from Sweetie Belle in protest.”

Suddenly, Sweetie Belle felt the stares of both of her friends piercing her. Scootaloo’s violet eyes were wide, pleading for an answer to help save her from embarrassment. Apple Bloom’s, however, were simply watching her with curiosity.

“I um…” Sweetie Belle started, her mouth going dry. “I don’t know what to say,” she said truthfully.

“She’s shocked you would go this low, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo said with desperation. “I’m sorry you got grounded last time, but come on!”

“Nope!” Apple Bloom shook her head. “All’s fair in love and war, so pucker up!”

“This is so unfa—” Scootaloo’s protest was cut off at the mouth, as Sweetie Belle planted her lips on hers.

It probably only lasted for a second, maybe two, but if you’d have asked Sweetie Belle, it felt like it lasted alot longer. Maybe a minute, maybe two. And in that minute, Sweetie Belle was incredibly grateful to Apple Bloom for instigating such a ridiculous game of truth or dare that enabled Sweetie Belle to finally make good on her wish to show Scootaloo how she felt. In that minute, Sweetie Belle could swear she felt the protest leave Scootaloo’s lips, replaced instead by an affection of their own. She wasn’t quite sure on that point, she would need more time. A second, minute, whatever, it wasn’t quite enough.

“There,” Sweetie Belle mumbled as she withdrew from Scootaloo’s shell-shocked face, the pegasus’ lips still puckered.

Then came the awkward silence. Sweetie Belle would have welcomed Apple Bloom’s gloating, or Scootaloo scraping at her own tongue, or something, but the three of them just sat there. Sweetie Belle had enjoyed the kiss, secretly of course, but evidently she must have done something horribly, terribly wrong.

“That was…” Scootaloo said at long last, raising her hoof to her lips. “That was…”

“That wasn’t nearly as much fun as I thought it’d be,” Apple Bloom commented. “That was the most boring kiss I think I’ve ever seen.”

“Boring?” Sweetie Belle raised her voice defensively. “What do you mean it was boring?”

“Yeah?” Scootaloo joined in. “And how exactly were you expecting to be entertained? She didn’t kiss you!”

“I dunno,” Apple Bloom shrugged her shoulders. “It was like watchin’ one of those Haymark Original movies. Flat, but it had potential. Maybe you two need to practice?”

“Practice?” Scootaloo cried. “We’re not going to practice kissing for your entertainment!”

“But you’ll kiss once for it,” Apple Bloom said dismissively. “You know, you two don’t need to use me as an excuse…”

“Oh, that’s it!” Scootaloo lunged towards Apple Bloom, her back hoof catching on the edge of her dress, sending the filly crashing to the floor.

“Enough with the roughhousing, already!” Applejack’s voice came calling again. “Dinner’s ready if y’all can make it down without wreckin’ the place!”

“Well, y’all heard her! Game’s over, let’s go eat!” With surprising speed, Apple Bloom had opened the door to her bedroom, and the clopping of her hooves growing quieter as the filly hastily trotted down the hall, then down the stairs.. She left a dumbfounded Sweetie Belle, and a disheveled Scootaloo alone in her room, exchanging looks with each other.

“What just happened?” Scootaloo asked as she removed the dress at long last, draping it over the foot of Apple Bloom’s bed.

Sweetie Belle did her best to contain a smile as she merely shrugged her shoulders. They followed their friend out the door, Sweetie Belle hitting the light switch on the way out and shrouding the room in darkness.

Author's Notes:

Pre-read and edited by the great RaylanKrios!