Last Thread
>>42314155

Archived threads:
https://desuarchive.org/mlp/search/subject/%2Fjdb%2F/

>What is this thread about?
A place to talk about humanized/EG fillies

>Why /jdb/?
Based on the very first threads with greens that opened with "Hey anon, just dropped by"

>Some pastas:
https://ponepaste.org/6155 - For Whom the Bell Tolls
https://ponepaste.org/9645 - Love Games
https://ponepaste.org/9646 - Icarian Love
https://ponepaste.org/9647 - I'll think of a title when I'm done writing (Apple Bloom story)
https://ponepaste.org/9648 - Freshmen, Drama, and Prom
https://ponepaste.org/9548 - Silver Spoon Story WIP
https://ponepaste.org/7980 - The Man Who Fell For Sweetie Belle
https://ponepaste.org/575 - Soarin's Silver Lining
https://ponepaste.org/9649 - Of Sweetie Bots and Young Love
https://ponepaste.org/7910 - Anon and Sunny Shimmy
https://ponepaste.org/9650 - Ska Anon x Sweetie Belle
https://ponepaste.org/2308 - Silver Spoon is an Expensive Friend
https://ponepaste.org/9653 - Wind Sprint's Daddy
https://ponepaste.org/9652 - Daddy's Little Scootaloo
https://ponepaste.org/9816 - Raising Scootaloo
https://ponepaste.org/5391 - SS/DT Kidnapping
https://ponepaste.org/10247 - Friday Night Golly (EqG)
https://ponepaste.org/10560 - Time is All We Have (Scootaloo x Anon)
https://ponepaste.org/10839 - Payment (Scoot x Anon)
https://ponepaste.org/11081 - EQG S. Belle and Anon
http://pastebin.com/xWHX3N4e (embed) - Loli Sunset

AI Gallery - https://ponepaste.org/10970

First for cute moon feet

Ah, the pedo thread.

I have no idea why but these threads make me harder than any other ones.

>>42370216
Because you have excellent taste

>>42370209

It's Woona time!

>>42370282
Mating press Woona
https://files.catbox.moe/m2w831.png

>>42370279
Don't encourage talk like that, you're gonna get this thread fucking shut down you retard.
Or worse, you'll encourage ACTUAL pedos to come here.

>>42370672
nobody fucking cares you dolt. a phile is not a molester, the anti philes are

~Little bunny Lulu hopping through the forest~

>>42371051
cute as fuck
the playboy outfit with sneakers is amusingly incongruous

>>42370646
A bit on the hebe side, but nice.

>>42371378
I feel like they add innocence to an otherwise sultry outfit. Also, high heels in the forest bothered me.

>>42371051
Is it rabbit mating season?

>>42372047
it always is https://files.catbox.moe/h1hswb.png

>>42371598
peak fertility
>>42371776
yeah it works! and the loose socks work better than tights too.
>>42372139
>If there's one thing us rabbits know how ta do, it's multiplyin'!

If anybody has a girl they want in a specific outfit/cosplay, I can do them after work tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll just look at my steam library to come up with some ideas.

>>42372935
Loli Postcrush maybe? wearing golden bikini

>>42372935
Juniper Montage

>>42372935
GOD this is cute.. i love how well the AI understands angles.. ways i wish i did

>>42372935
Pinkie Pie with the pink skin color if possible, wearing sling bikini

>>42370030 (OP)
>All alone on a Friday night?
>Golly, you came to the right place! We take VISA and Mastercard.

>>42373306
i don't think they would anymore, those fuckers have cracked down

>YOUR FUN-SIZED COMPANION IS PERFECT FOR ON-THE-GO!
>GREAT FOR THE CAR!
>THE RV!
>THE CUSTOMS BOOTH IN THAILAND!
>MALL FITTING ROOM!
>MALL BATHROOM!
>PLANNED PARENTHOOD VISIT!
>OR EVEN THE BEDROOM, IT DOESN'T MATTER!

>>42373956
why would we go to-
you know what, nevermind. i like the fitting room and bathroom idea.
>Livin' rooms, bet'rooms, dinettes
>You name it, we got it, we got it for your filly.

>>42372935
>Otherwise, I'll just look at my steam library to come up with some ideas
how about Vinyl as Haydee? (both big tittied and flat versions if you can)

>decide to check out mlp to see what the hell actually goes on in here
>it turns out to be the only board carrying the good old 4chan legacy of loli threads

what the fuck I thought you guys were supposed to be cringe

>>42374650
We are

>>42374651
if this is cringe then the rest of this website is beyond saving

>>42374650
Surely /b/ has loli threads? I never leave containment so I have no idea what state the rest of the site is in

>>42374681
Yeah, /b/ has the AI /degen/ threads where loli slop is regularly posted. But it's still /b/, so quality varies.

>>42374312
>Vinyl in high heels and a leotard with robo bits
unf, little slut will rock that outfit

>>42374681
/b/ is just total garbage, I no point going there.

>>42372935
>>42374312
>>42374691
NTA, but I had to gen this for myself.
https://files.catbox.moe/1fa7tu.png

>>42374740
>Jiggle physics off vs on
I like how the big tit one tried to put her cutiemark on her robot shoulder
Her eqg skin makes it a little hard to notice she's wearing a white leotard, especially with her robot bits, but it's still pretty good Anon, thanks

>>42373116
Still NTA, but here you go. Had fun with this one.
https://files.catbox.moe/v9ut3s.png

>>42372958
>>42372971
Unfortunately both of those have no lora for illustrious.

>>42373116
https://files.catbox.moe/cg1ltd.png

>>42374312
https://files.catbox.moe/4kgwtc.png

>>42375643
Oh man, your Vinyl's came out really good

>>42375643
Unf, Haydee Vinyl is great, it really fits her.
I like how the second one has a higher waisted leotard due to her fat tits pulling it up her crotch

>>42375643
>Unfortunately both of those have no lora for illustrious.
Sad

>>42374650
Welcome. Feel free to stay awhile or "just drop by" every now and then.

>>42375646
I had to tweek some stuff because the Haydee lora kept making her look older. Her skin kept rotating between peach, tan, and dark as well.

>>42375718
Good catch. I didn't even notice that.

>>42374884
wtf I love Pinkie now.

>>42375775
>>42374884
cute

>>42375643
That's a real shame

>>42375771
I kinda want to ask for Vinyl cosplaying Cammy White for more leotard action but her as Haydee is too fitting.

https://files.catbox.moe/2z9xpf.png

>>42375843
Give her stirrup socks!

>>42375775
Pinkie is a perfect loli minx. Just like a perfect mix of cute and innocent seeming while also being precocious and lewd.

>>42375771
>We don't have as many tools as we once did, but you're welcome to use whatever you find.
>Even the doll, should it please you.
>>42375771
That is an incredibly cute Apple Emerald Herald.

>>42374263

>>42376068
The position of the pink heart on Sweebles's shirt + the white being so close to her skin tone makes it look like she's wearing a tube top at first glance.

>>42374650
you were lied to. those people 'invading' /co/ was not us, but people trying to get us banned.
we kept to our general

>>42374767
reminds me of that albino chick in Deadman Wonderland who has this red and white suit but she looks naked because she's already white with red eyes

Up

>>42345032
>That look she gives you when you say that, you don’t think she really believes it.
>But, she doesn’t really want to argue against you.
>That’s why she gives you a smile you do think feels forced.
>”Yeah.”
“Just make sure you stick to the plan, right?”
>Oh, that smile is definitely strained, but Scootaloo just nods her head gently as she tries to keep it together.
>That’s when Twist chimes in, with a tap on the table to catch the attention of the both of you.
>You expect her to say something, but she just looks to the entryway.
>It clicks when you realize that Anon’s gonna come back, and you really don’t think this is the right conversation to be caught in the midst of.
>Hand quickly pulled back, you settle into your seat and resume breakfast, although it takes a moment for Twist and Scootaloo to follow suit.
>Things get a bit too quiet, which feels counterproductive.
>Wouldn’t it be *more* weird if Anon comes back and no one’s saying anything?
>No, no, no.
>Stop overthinking it.
>Just shut up and eat.
>And so you keep at your pace, until you’ve cleaned your plate.
>You let the fork fall from your grip and let out a sigh.
>Followed by a small burp.
>Typical, the first sound you make and it had to be that of all things.
“Uh, excuse me.”
>That’s about all you can say through your clear embarrassment.
>Rather than face you with disappointed stares, both of the girls begin to giggle.
>Followed by their own small burps.
>Or a rather big one in Twist’s case.
>The giggles give way to full-on chortling, and at some point you started to join in.
>Now this was the sort of thing Anon should probably come back to.
>Oh heck, speak of the devil.
>”Guess the party got started as soon as I left, huh?”
“Whoa! Don’t sneak up on people, Jesus.”
>Anon seems a bit surprised he actually managed to spook you.
>“Sorry, I didn’t think I was interrupting that much, though I kinda had to.”
>Looking at Anon, he’s very clearly clutching his phone in hand and keeping it in plain view.
>“So, I just got a call from Sunset Shimmer. And also Pinkie Pie, but mostly Sunset.”
>Hearing who just called Anon puts a twinge of concern onto Scootaloo’s face.
>Anon picks up on that as he relaxes himself to seem unbothered.
>“No big deal, but she was adamant about getting her coolers back or something.”
>Coolers?
>Oh no, the coolers.
>In your haste to leave the party, you totally left those behind.
>You explicitly said it was fine to go back for them later, too.
>Probably shouldn’t have forgotten something like that.
>“Yeah, seems I gotta go grab those. And by I, I mean we. Unless you guys are looking to hoof it back home.”

>>42376819
>There’s a moment of consideration on the options that Anon has just given you, and you decide it’s best to go with him.
>Walking’s good for you, but like heck you’re going to trek that far on the little sleep you managed.
>Cooler duty it is.
“Uh, great. That sounds totally doable, party’s probably long since over by this point anyway.”
>“Yeah, you all have fun with that.”
>Twist piped up with what you think is a very straightforward implication of not heading out with the rest of you.
>All your eyes end up on Twist, and she rolls her own as she becomes the center of attention in the room.
>“Not that I don’t like hanging out or anything, but I didn’t leave anything behind. I don’t really have a reathon to go back there, and I kinda have a full day planned already. Gotta make the most of the break while we have it, right?”
>Then, she makes a gesture to the clutter that lies there on the table.
>”Bethide that, I think that I need to leave the houthe a little bit cleaner.”
>Alright, that was a very fair point she just made.
>Anon simply shrugs as he looks at you and Scootaloo.
>“Alright then. You two coming?”
>Scootaloo looks to you for a moment, and then puts her focus on Anon.
>“Yeah, I guess. We probably need to give you directions there again, anyway.”
>Oh.
>That sentence out of Scootaloo makes Anon pause a moment, as he rubs the back of his neck.
>You throw out your own interjection to sidestep that obvious minefield.
“Plus, six hands will probably be quicker to hitch those coolers and head out, right?”
>“...Yeah. Guess I’ll go wash up real quick and then we can head out. Also, you might wanna put your pants on, Wallflower.”
>A couple seconds pass before you live up to your name and uncomfortably chuckle with a sheepish grin.
>With that, Anon’s gone from the room again.
>Leaving you next to Scootaloo, who is starting to fidget in her seat.
>Slowly, you dodge your ways through the busy hands of Twist as she begins to clear the table.
>Scootaloo jumps slightly, having been lost in her own thoughts until you tap her shoulder.
“Hey, remember, things will be fine, right?”
>“...right.”
“It’ll be easy. We go there, we get the coolers, and then we can all put this night behind us.”

>You are Scootaloo, and you are now right back where you started.
>No, really, you’re riding shotgun in Anon’s car again.
>Wallflower insisted on riding in the backseat with her bag, and you didn’t think anything of it at the time.
>Now she’s out cold and using that thing like a pillow.
>That leaves you here, in Anon’s car, all alone.
>So much for that ‘we’ in her speech.

>>42376859
>After a brief wave goodbye to Twist, you embark on the cooler quest.
>It’s been a while, but not that long.
>You know it hasn’t.
>But it feels like forever is going by, and it’s all dead silent.
>Anon hasn’t said a word to you the whole time, and it’s getting to you.
>Desire for something, anything to break that quiet makes you take a plunge.
“Hey, Anon?”
>The first thing Anon’s heard since the car started, jostled him out of some kind of driving stupor.
>It takes a moment, but he gives you a side glance after composing himself again and slowly finding his words.
>“Yyyyyesss, Scootaloo?”
>Oh, crap.
>You didn’t actually have anything to say beyond that.
“Uh, can we...”
>Quick, think of something!
“...listen to some tunes?”
>Smooth…
>Like sandpaper.
>Anon looks to his rearview mirror, probably at the sleeping Wallflower Blush in the back.
“...Okay.”
>Anon reaches a hand off the steering wheel, and just like that you’ve got yourself some music.
>It was left at the last volume setting that you had turned it down to, the first time you were giving Anon directions.
>Wallflower’s nap is going to continue, you suppose.
>“Man, usually I’m jamming along to something by now. Guess I’m still not in the right headspace, huh?”
>Wait, Anon’s actually starting a conversation.
>Without a second thought, you desperately grab at that lifeline you’ve been tossed.
“Yeah, probably all those pancakes and syrup that Twist loaded onto your plate. Sugar crash.”
>“Makes sense. Damned if I wasn’t hungry enough to get through them, though.”
>Anon has a small laugh at the end of that sentence, and you can’t help but follow along.
>You know that it wasn’t that funny, but it was something light and you need that right now.
“At least we got breakfast. Honestly, I’m kinda surprised. Peppermints are Twist’s whole schtick, I never thought she could cook.”
>“Guess she’s full of surprises. We better keep her away from Pinkie Pie.”
“Definitely. That much sugar in one place is a one-way ticket to the hospital.”
>”Mmm, sugar free gumdrops, please…”
>A voice that wasn’t Anon’s and definitely wasn’t yours came from the backseat.
>Even in her dreams, Wallflower was getting involved.

>>42376108
sounds hot, would love to see tube top Sweebles
>>42376886
yay more green

>>42376886
>A real laugh got stifled between you and Anon, because this one was actually kind of funny.
>You’re both also pretty sure if you let that one go, you’re actually going to wake up Wallflower.
>Part of you wants to because she passed out on you, but you’re not that petty.
>It takes a moment for the both of you to eventually settle down.
>And it’s plain on both of your faces you feel better.
>It’s nice to talk normally again.
>This is just what you needed, a bit of time to help you feel comfortable talking, like nothing happened.
>It loosened you up, and got you closer to your old self.
>That’s when a thought comes by, and takes you with it.
“Anon?”
>“Yeah, Scoots?”
>You lean your head on your seatbelt very gently, letting the strap carry the weight of your thoughts for a moment.
>Hesitation overwhelms you for a second, but the words still manage to tumble out.
“Thanks, for y’know...taking me to the party.”
>The air goes silent for a while.
>A feeling of worry makes you turn your head to look at Anon.
>His earlier smile had faded, and some of that earlier glow had dimmed.
“I know that things...didn’t exactly go as planned. But...I’m still happy that you took me...to the party. So, thanks.”
>You can tell very clearly, your words are putting some complicated feelings into Anon’s head.
>Not that you blame him, though.
>If you were in his situation, you’d also probably be having complicated feelings.
>Really, if you were being honest, you know that you *were* the complication.
>Still, the thoughts running through his head, don’t stop him from speaking his mind.
>“Hey, save some thanks for Sunset. She’s the one who set me up to take you in the first place.”
>Sunset?
>Wait.
>Oh, wow.
>Anon’s right, you were actually supposed to go to the party with Sunset.
>Your butt was planted on *her* coolers, the ones you are going to fetch.
>You sat out there waiting for her until Anon showed up and swept you away to his car.
“Right, yeah. I’d almost...forgot.”
>The idea lingers as you stare out at the road in front of you.
>That really was just yesterday.
>You were so ready to go to your first ever high school party with someone.
>It seemed like it was forever ago to you now.
>And you were so excited to trade one of Rainbow Dash’s friends for her boyfriend that...you kinda forgot about it.
>Yeah...Rainbow Dash’s boyfriend.
>The most important person to *your* most important person.

>>42376892
Glad to supply it to you, friend.

>>42376910
>That last bit sticks in your head for a lot longer than it probably should.
>And it brings thoughts with it.
>Ones you wish you didn’t think about.
>Absently, you take hold of the seatbelt that’s keeping you tied down.
>Both of your hands grip it hard, like the climbing rope in gym class.
“Anon...do you remember when we-”
>Wait, no, what are you doing?
“You said we didn’t need to- you know...”
>Why are you trying to do this, and why now?
>Talking out complicated things isn’t what you do, that’s Applebloom’s approach.
“I mean…argh!”
>What was a knuckle-whitening grip turned into an attempt to peel your way through the seatbelt.
>Look at what you’re doing right now.
>Anon’s probably looking at you funny.
>He should be.
>You’re acting weird.
>You’re acting like an idiot.
>You-
>“Hey.”
>A soft hand rests on your shoulder.
>Anon’s hand.
>”Don’t freak out. Just take your time.”
>Feeling Anon there keeps you grounded.
>Just- just calm down and breathe.
>That death grip you’re holding disappears with a long exhale.
“...I betrayed Rainbow Dash.”
>Geez, you finally found some courage in there.
>And by the look on Anon’s face, he found some disappointment.
>“Hey, you didn’t-”
“You don’t have to sugarcoat it, Anon. I screwed everything up.”
>“Scoots, wait-”
“Even if we don’t tell anyone, I’ll still know. You’ll still know, Twist will definitely still know! Heck, even Wallflower knows! Until yesterday, we didn’t even know who she was!”
>“Hold on a-”
“How am I supposed to look her in the eyes during soccer practice after-”
>”Scootaloo!”
>The hand gripping your shoulder clamps down hard, and your whole body tightens after Anon’s outburst, expecting the worst.
>He looks to you for a second, and then back to the road again as he begins to slow down.
>The car comes to a gentle stop, firmly set on the shoulder of the road as you remain sat frozen, staring at Anon.
>“Scoots, I need you to hold your horses for a minute. Can you do that for me, please?”
>Words fail you, and so you make the best effort you can to barely nod.
>His hold on your shoulder relaxes, and he takes his other hand off the wheel to hold his face for a bit.
>You’re not sure what he plans to say next, but people don’t just pull over for no reason.
>“There’s no way you could’ve known, because neither of us said anything. So if anyone at all really knows, it’s probably just Pinkie. My memory’s still fuzzy, but it’s clear I didn’t tell you yet. Guess that’s on me.”
>Huh?
>“Rainbow Dash and me? We’re not a thing, not anymore. We broke up.”
>...What?
“What?”
>“Well, it was more like she broke us up.”
“What?!”
>“One day we’re just chilling and listening to Wonderwall. The next…”
>Those words hang in the air for a bit.
>“I’m not sure why she changed her tune. And I never asked. Thought I was better off not knowing.”
>You’re at a loss.
>What are you even supposed to say to something like that?

>>42376892

>>42376916
Good shit man.

>>42372935
Can you do some tentacle rape?
Maybe with fluttershy or pinkie?

>>42375843
Get pregnant no jutsu

>>42377060
that's a profoundly cute lil sweeb.. love her flatness and tube top under hoodie.

>>42377060
Holy unf she looks amazing

I'm considering publishing the next part of my green in pieces OR as their own separate chapters, since it's so long. I originally wanted to post it in one go, but it's so long that it genuinely might take up 2/3 of the post limit in one thread alone. Honestly wanted to make it a 10 chapter thing, but that might've put pressure on myself lol.

There's enough finished for at least 2 or 3 chapters to be posted so far, because otherwise it would still be a short time before I posted it. I'll figure it out tomorrow since I'll be out of town this starting week.

>>42377339
it's hard, man...
I don't know how people can go out of town

>>42377339
Cool, I'll be waiting to read it.

>>42376038
>Celestia? Please, sister, do not cry. I am happy, truly. I have you, don't I? I wanted to do Gwyndolin, but there's only pony loras
https://files.catbox.moe/fb0ek2.png

>>42377062
I'm generally only into more wholesome stuff so I probably won't do stuff like this in the future
https://files.catbox.moe/kzhqmx.png

>>42377838
Incredibly based hug not fug enjoyer.

>Celestia is putting on some fancy high class ball for the rich and famous
>She invites you as your date
>Bored out of your mind
>You decide to pull her hair to see what will happen

>>42377339
Personally I'd just publish what you've got and not worry about how many chapters you originally wanted. Writing a good story is more important.

https://files.catbox.moe/5l4cum.png

>>42377956
Badass

>>42377838
froggy wally.

yes I have to be in the right mood to want any rapey stuff, and even then, she has to like it. The enemy has to not be the tentacle monster, but the person who tried to teach her it's bad to enjoy things.

>>42377339
I'm kinda forced to post in pieces, but I don't see anything wrong with choosing to do it. People crave their greens, sure it'll be fine either way.

>>42378996
very froggy
https://files.catbox.moe/8hargb.png
https://files.catbox.moe/dmv3lj.png

>>42379227
hnnnggggg this is way cute. I love this a lot. the AI does good work. i wish people drew more stuff like this too.

>>42378833
>>42378892
Nice

>>42377339
I decided to split up Part 5 into several posts. They're separate posts but they'll be a single chapter on Ponepaste when all posted.

I'll upload the next part in a bit.

>>42378486
Would little Princess Celestia wear shoes? That doesn't look like the kind of little princess who would be caught dead wearing shoes.

>>42379630
at least not in the house
probably to dumb fancy events which is why she hates those

Little girls shouldn’t be this horny

>>42379647
I dunno, well adorned bare feet sound much more appropriate for her than any other footwear she could wear to a fancy event.

>>42379680
if they are horny, they're not little girls anymore

>>42379681
oh, yeah totally, they'd let her go in those. but they'd have to be elaborate and visible.

>>42379692
Calls attention to her cute feet, and she gets to feel the ground with her bare soles the whole time. Win win.

>>42379713
hmmmm well it is a style people like, but...
I'd rather if half of them have to be covered, that it's the bottom half. that way her soles have a barrier to avoid damage, but the tops of her feet (the parts we see) are totally visible and bare.. Not sure how you'd pull that off because sandal straps are not great to me, but.. invisible straps and we're good.

>>42379737
That's fair, I like the looks of cute feet too but for me it's all about the soles being uncovered and touching the ground. Specially so if it's in public where they're expected to be wearing proper footwear.

>>42379823
there is something nice about that, for sure

I coomed to this thread multiple times

>>42379856

>>42379856
https://files.catbox.moe/0t2zci.png
https://files.catbox.moe/cbr0x5.png
https://files.catbox.moe/h7qlnj.png

>>42379850
>>42379823
As a princess, she has the privilege of never choosing to wear shoes. However, she does not want to walk around everywhere barefoot and get her feet dirty. So she asks you to carry her around (bridal style) every time you leave the castle.

>>42379921
I will make her bunny suit sparkle

>>42018750
PART 5: On and On

>The first morning of November was quiet.
>Awfully quiet.
>You wake up feeling heavy and drowsier than you've been in a good couple of years.
>You don't remember ever falling asleep.
>The last thing you remember was holding Scootaloo and letting her—
>You stop and sit up.
>You realize you're on the living room couch. The lights are off and a quiet stillness permeates throughout the entire dorm.
>And Scootaloo isn't here.
>You look over to her bedroom door and see that it's shut.
>She must've crept off while you were out.
>You check the time on your watch.
>It's just after nine in the morning. An hour later than your usual wake-up time, but nothing too bad.
>The memories of the night before flood back to you.
>"I WANT MY MOM AND DAD!"
>There's a jolt in your heart and you feel your chest grow heavy, but you sigh and manage to keep a grip.
>You thought about waking up Scootaloo and talking to her about what happened, letting her vent as much as she wanted—or more accurately, -needed-.
>But you held off on that, at least for now. It was best to give her some space and let her wake up on her own.
>So you get up from the couch with a stretch of your limbs and head into the kitchen to grab something to eat for breakfast.
>There was some canned sausage in one cupboard, and already you were morbidly curious.
>Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad. It tasted like your average rich, smoky breakfast sausage all packed into a can—several little bites at a time.
>If only orange juice could be powdered too...
>You still haven't tried the powdered milk yet.
>As you eat your breakfast, you think about what the plan is today, if any. You didn't forget about your plans to visit the camping and prepper shops, but that was a whole day of a trip—and you weren't sure if Scootaloo was willing to venture too far from the college.
>But you didn't want her to stay here.
>Alone.
>You decided to hold off on the trip for now, if only for a few days.
>Scootaloo came first.
>Ten o'clock rolled by. You waited on the couch, falling in and out of sleep despite what must've been ten hours of sleep last night.
>You waited for Scootaloo, but she never came out of her room.
>There -were- times that she slept in... but this time felt different.
>You were worried.
>You get up from the couch and approach Scootaloo's door. Hesitantly, you give it a couple gentle knocks.
"Scootaloo?" you call out.
>No answer.
>You knock again.
>Again, nothing.
"Scoot...?"
>You wait, and wait.
>She never opens the door.
>You press your ear against the wall and list—
>YOU DON'T HEAR HER BREATHING.
>Immediately, you panic and swing the door open.
>There's a large lump on her bed, covered in pillows.
>No snores, no whimpers, no sighs.
>No breathing.
>You're almost hyperventilating as you approach the bed, fearing the worst.
"Nononono... please, no..." you whisper as you get closer.
>You pull the sheets away.
>And it's only just sheets beneath.

>>42379956
>The relief lasts less than a moment.
>Then the panic comes back in full force.
>Scootaloo was gone.
>You look under her bed, and on the other side.
>Not there.
>You quickly run into your own bedroom and your eyes fall onto your bed.
>Empty.
>You look under the bed and on the side closest to the window.
>Not there, either.
>You head out onto the balcony and look down.
>You don't see her.
>You rush back into the dorm.
"Scootaloo?!"
>You shout, hoping she's just hiding, sleeping somewhere you can't see her.
"SCOOT?!"
>Hoping she didn't run away.
>Your heart is racing, and your legs are shaky.
>Instinctively, you make your way to the door and get ready to put on your shoes, ready to go out and look for her.
>Before you even get to your shoes, you see a piece of paper sitting on the kitchen counter top.
>You already know you didn't put it there.
>You grab it and read it.
>"I'm going home"
>That's all it said, and it's all you needed to know.
>You put on your boots, grab your things, and run out the door.
>It takes you half the time it normally does to get your bike and go.
>You push hard on the pedals and zip down the empty streets.
>It's cold, and your hands are freezing, and in less than a minute your abs burn from the sheer force you put on the pedals.
>But you don't care.
>You ignore the pain and you don't stop moving, no matter what.
>You push, reel, push, reel.
>Streets and homes blur together.
>You see your breath pulse in front of you.
>Your chest burns.
>Then suddenly, you stop.
>You almost fling forward as the bike continues its momentum, but you're able to brake it, the tires skidding on the sidewalk pavement.
>You struggle to breathe, sucking in air as quickly as you force it out of you. Every breath is a chore, and you feel like passing out as you rest your head against the handlebars.
"Fuck..." you say as you wipe your forehead.
>In spite of it feeling like it's forty degrees, you're sweating up a storm and your legs are more sore than they've been in ages.
>Thankfully, you're able to slow your breathing and feel your head clear up.
>Once you come fully to your senses, you look off to your left.
>Scootaloo's home stands before you, looming against the shade of the autumn sun. You haven't been back here in almost a month, but the place—at least the outside—doesn't look any different than it did then.
>The only difference you could see was that the front window to your right was cracked, but not broken.
>You look up to Scootaloo's bedroom window.
>The curtains cover it.
>It's quiet.
>You pull the bike up close to the front steps and against the porch, then walk up to the front door.
>You just hope that—
*jiggle jiggle*
>Dammit, she locked it.
>Good for her, not for you.
>You knock on the door.
"Scoot?"
>You wait.
>No answer.
"Scoot, open up! It's me!"
>You knock again and wait a few more moments, hoping to hear her muffled footsteps approach the door.
>Instead, still silence.

>>42379960
>For a moment, you consider busting the doorknob, but hold off on it.
>The last thing you need is her thinking those men are back.
>It was then that you remember back to the first time you entered the house, through the window. You shuffle over to the first window on the right and tried the shimmy maneuver you did the first time.
>No matter how light or hard you shook the window, the latch refused to move. You were only lucky the first time because it was poorly latched.
>Not this time.
"Fuck!" you quietly exclaim as you rest against the window frame, trying to think of a way to get in.
>... Did they ever lock the back door?
>You look off to the sides of the house for any entryway to the backyard, and find a latched wooden door connected to Scootaloo's house.
>As expected, you see a padlock keeping the latch firmly in place.
>Sorry, Scoot...
>You start smashing.
>After a few good hits with your bat and one less padlock to worry about, you enter the backyard through the side. There was a stony pathway beginning at the door that continued all the way to the back, ending at the porch stairs.
>The backyard was a bit more worse for wear than it seemed from the kitchen windows. The grass went up to your knees and even your waist in some spots, and there were weeds everywhere.
>The pool you noticed the first time Scootaloo invited you in was still in good physical condition, its water mossy and green and topped with red and brown leaves.
>You could only imagine how much of a mosquito trap this thing was during the summer.
>Not wasting anymore time, you step onto the back porch and approach the door.
>You twist the knob and push in—and a sigh leaves your lips as it opens with ease.
>Inside, it was quiet—everything was just as it was when you were last here. Blankets still covered the front windows, and the lingering odor of rotting food was in the air.
>The shoe prints from last month's visitors were faint but still visible on the wooden and carpeted floors leading upstairs.
>It was easy to tell which ones belonged to Scootaloo.
>As you approached the stairs, you held your breath and listened carefully.
>It was deathly silent.
>The pit in your stomach only grew with every tip-toe up the stairs as you listened, waiting and hoping to hear something.
>More quiet greeted you.
>Your heart was sinking by the second.
>Scootaloo's bedroom door was in full view now.
>Step, step, step.
>It was hard to keep your breathing steady.
>Your hand was on the knob.
>You didn't want to open the door.
>But you did anyway.
>Slowly, the door creaked open and you looked over to Scootaloo's bed.
>A million thoughts ran through your head as you wondered, feared, imagined, and dreaded.
>And each thought turned out to be wrong, as you were greeted with an empty, messy bed.
>Confusion replaced the dread as you looked around her room for any sign of her. From behind the door, to her closet... even to under her bed.
>There was no sign of her.

>>42379967
>You couldn't imagine she ran away. Where could she go?
>-Why- would she go...?
>Apart from what you brought back to the college, nothing else seemed to be missing.
>Was she still here?
>She had to be. Where else would home be?
>You only had one guess...
>You step back into the hallway and see four other doors—the closest one stood just opposite of you.
>You made an educated guess and slowly open the door.
>Sure enough, it's a master bedroom fit for two people.
>Your eyes fall on their bed.
>Scootaloo's sleeping form is the first thing you see.
>Overwhelming relief washes over you, and the crushing weight on your shoulders disappears. But it does leave you with annoyance in its absence.
>You were gonna have to talk to her about this later... but for now, you were just glad she's okay.
>As you approach the bed, you look down at her as she sleeps and listen. Her breathing is deep but relaxed, and she hardly moves or snores.
>Her gun sits on the nightstand beside her.
>You wonder how long she's been here for, or even how long she's been sleeping.
>But you at least knew -why- she was here.
>You sigh through your nose as you kneel at the bedside and watch her for a minute.
>She looks so peaceful.
>Strands of her hair streak across her face; you reach up and brush them away, locking them behind her ear.
>She only reacts lightly to your touch with just a faint smile.
>It's enough to put one of your own on your face, but it lasts only a moment before another sigh escapes your nostrils.
>You look around the room from where you're kneeling. The bedroom is littered with all kinds of trinkets related to her parents' adventures and accomplishments, from trophies to souvenirs.
>There's even a surfboard in the corner by the door to the hallway.
>A particular fruity scent permeates around the bedroom that you know isn't coming from Scootaloo. It's a fragrance that smells like a blend of strawberry and peach.
>It's faint, but it's there, no matter where you stood or knelt. It was actually pretty pleasing to get a whiff of.
>Comforting, in a way.
>You could see why Scootaloo slept with them.
>With a sigh, you close the bedroom door and sit on the floor against it. Even though you'd locked both the downstairs doors and this one, you didn't want to take any chances.
>If anyone wanted to get in here, they were going through you.
>You put your duffel bag beside you and laid down, using the bag as a makeshift pillow. You didn't know what Scootaloo's plan was past this, but you weren't in a rush to wake her.
>And the ride over here -did- wear you out a bit...
>Within a minute, you were out like a light.

>>42379973

>You jolt upward with a snort.
>At first, you forget where you are or what you're doing.
>It takes a few seconds for it all to flood back to you, and you sit up against the door and sigh.
>You rub your eyes for a few moments and blink a couple times before your focus returns.
>A little sniffle from the bed catches your attention.
>Scootaloo's staring back at you from the bed, hugging her legs against her chest.
>You stretch your arms and yawn.
"Morning," you say to her before looking at your watch.
>It's just after twelve-thirty.
"... Afternoon."
>You sniffle as you stand up, getting another whiff of the aroma in the room.
>"What are you doing here...?" she asks you timidly.
"I was looking for you," you tell her simply. "Gave me a hell of a scare when I woke up."
>"I left a note."
"I saw. And I almost didn't. I was ready to search the whole city for you if I didn't."
>"Why?" she asked you stoically.
>You just look at her befuddledly.
"What do you mean?"
>Scootaloo doesn't answer you.
>You sigh again with a hint of frustration.
"I wanted to see if you were okay. You can't just run off like that, Scoot."
>"... It's none of your business."
>You take a step back. It takes a second for you to say anything.
"I... Of course it's my business. I'm trying to keep you safe—"
>"Yeah, "till my parents get back," but my parents are dead, right?" she snaps back at you.
>Her voice cracks at the end.
>You sigh again through your nose.
"... You don't know tha—"
>"They said they'd only be gone a day! They said they'd come back and they're not! They're dead! Aren't they?"
>Scootaloo doesn't hide it anymore. Fresh tears are flowing gently down her face, and her eyes grow puffy.
>She sits on the bed with her legs to the side, and she's furiously gripping the sheets.
>And she's waiting for you to say something.
>Anything.
>Maybe give her some hope.
>But that would be lying.
"... Probably."
>Scootaloo's lip quivers, and she opens her mouth as if to say something, but all that comes out is a frustrated shudder as hugs her legs again, crying softly into them.
"I don't know what happened... but... I know if they could, they'd have been back long before I found you."
>It doesn't offer much solace, and you know that. But it was better to be honest with her about it, if nothing else.
>Scootaloo sniffles and wipes her tears in a futile effort to compose herself.
>"Yeah, well, they're dead, so you can stop trying to take care of me now, alright?" she suggested bitterly to you while refusing to make eye contact.
>You knew what she was trying to do... or at least, you had an idea.
"It's not like that."
>"Yes, it is," she weakly replied with another sniffle. "You were just gonna leave me when they came back, but they're not coming back, so just leave me alone already."
"Scoot..."
>"Fuck off."
>You know she didn't mean a lick of it. The tone of her voice gave it away.
"Scootaloo."
>No answer. Not even a glance.

>>42379975

>You let out a small huff, then walk over to and glance out the window.
>You see the skid marks.
>Say something, you idiot.
"So what, you think I don't care about you?"
>You turn back to Scootaloo, who continues staring down at her feet.
"If I didn't give a shit about you, I never would've left the dorm. I would've just stayed home and it wouldn't have bothered me one bit."
>You see her lightly reel in place.
"But it -did- bother me. It bothered me A LOT. Do you have any idea how actually fucking terrified I was that you weren't there this morning?"
>You approach the bed, slowly, feeling your frustrations grow, but you needed to say something.
"Do you have any idea how -stupid- what you did was? Running off like that without so much as waking me up, knowing what's going on out there? What if something happened to you? What if those men came back and really were as bad as we thought?"
>Scootaloo tensed up as you mentioned the men.
"If you disappeared, and I never saw you again? I'd never forget it. I'd never forgive myself for not keeping a better eye on you. I'd live with that FOREVER because I didn't do enough to protect you."
>You sit down on the bed just a couple feet away from her. And still, she doesn't look you in the eye.
"So don't go telling me you don't matter to me when I'm RIGHT HERE. I'm right here and I'm not leaving you. Got that? I don't care if I have to stay in this house the rest of my life. I'm not going anywhere unless you're with me."
>You try to be firm, strict even, but you also try your best to affirm the care you hope you're conveying.
>And you sit there, on the bed, trying to read her eyes, her emotions, anything to give you a sign of what she was feeling.
>All that came were more tears.
>Scootaloo shook and wept, covering her face with her hands and sucking in ragged breaths between muffled sobs.
>It broke your heart—even if it was needed.
"Hey, c'mere," you whisper to her as you lean over and reach out for her.
>You pull Scootaloo into a hug and hold her tightly against you. She just presses herself deeper into your grasp.
>She cries into your chest, and all you can do is try to soothe her.
"Shh... it's alright..." you whisper as you gently rub her back in a circular pattern.
>She softens with every touch, but tenses with every sob.
>"I-I hate you..."
"No you don't... you wanna know how I know? You don't hug someone you hate."
>It earns the faintest laugh from the poor kid, but it's replaced almost immediately with more sobs.
>She buries herself deeper into your grasp and weeps.
>"I-I'm sorry... don't leave me alone... don't hate me..."
"Shhhh... it's alright, it's okay... I'm not mad at you... I'm not gonna leave you..."
>You continue to whisper in her ear, hold her close, and rub circles into her back. It did nothing to ease her cries, but her body slowly relaxed, the tension practically melting away.

>>42379977
>You wondered how much she cried before she met you. You wondered how much she's needed this.
>Twenty minutes later, Scootaloo was asleep in your arms. Her breathing was slow and steady.
>You laid her down on the bed and adjusted her pillow, then gently wiped away any remaining fresh tears and tucked any loose locks of hair behind her ear.
>For several moments, you watched her sleep peacefully.
>You wondered what she was dreaming about—who she was dreaming about.
>After a few moments, you got up from the bed and quietly walked over to the window to look outside.
>The stillness of everything wasn't necessarily new to the outbreak, but what always unnerved you was simply the anticipation.
>Always waiting for a car to drive by, or some kid on a bike to pedal up the road, or to see planes coming and going and leaving streaks of white across the sky.
>But the skies were clear today, and nobody ever passed you by.
>Sickly red and brown leaves littered the road, and the trees surrounding the house had started to look increasingly bare. It was only a matter of time before they were stripped for winter.
>And yet, nestled comfortably in the flower bed just outside the window, there was a tiny bird's nest. Despite its size, there were four eggs clumped up in the middle.
>A single bird stood guard, protecting her unborn babies valiantly. She hardly moved an inch, but she kept a close eye on you—even a window pane apart.
>No more than a few moments later, you saw her mate return with a series of twigs and sticks in its beak.
>They chirped happily at each other and cuddled with their eggs, protecting them from the elements.
>It made you wonder how or if animals fared from this. Rabies before was devastating enough.
>Could birds even get Rabies?
>You've only ever seen a few dead animals since September—pets, all of whom died of either starvation or dehydration, either left behind by their owners or trapped with their corpses.
>The smell was just as pungent.
>You decided to leave the birds alone and returned to Scootaloo's side. There were plenty of questions running through your mind, but none of them you had an answer for.
>You wondered how long she'd been harboring these feelings and emotions, and whether or not half of it was even true. Just yesterday, she seemed to happy to be with you, so excited for Halloween.
>The way she...
>...
>Then you put in the last movie of the night and it all changed.
>You know why she came back here, it was no question. If you had the chance to go back to your childhood home in Detrot, you'd do it in a heartbeat—if only to feel like everything was okay for a little while longer.
>Just a whiff of this room alone, coupled with the fragrances and stillness of the air, it was like nothing ever happened.
>Like the world never ended.
>But how long would Scootaloo want that? As much as you understood her grief, you also understood that it wasn't going to last forever.

>>42379980

>Eventually, this house was going to fall apart, and there'd be nothing left to come back to.
>Even the college dorm had a shelf-life, centuries of ingenuity or not.
>Eventually, home was going to disappear.
>You wanted to get her ready for the years to come.
>But not if it meant losing her.
>You wrestled with your thoughts and ideas, even as you tucked Scootaloo's hair back once again.
>With a light huff, you got up from the bed and crept your way out of the bedroom. You decided to check out the other rooms on this floor.
>The first room was a small closet with nothing more than some extra clothes, hats, and boxes containing an assortment of decorations and old lamps. Nothing too out of the ordinary from, say, your parents' closet.
>Looking inside the boxes, you were amazed to find sets of year-round holiday decor—including Halloween.
>... Granted, Mr. Hoover's house was closer.
>But you make a mental note to come back for these boxes.
>After sifting through the closet for a couple minutes, you close the door and move on to the other room by the stairs. This one seemed to be more unique in that the door stood out, seemingly painted—or maybe actually crafted with—oak wood texture.
>You wondered...
>You slowly opened the door.
>Yep, your hunch was right.
>This was the study of the house, undoubtedly belonging to both parents, judging from the two desks and sets of paperwork and trophies in both their names.
>The study contained what looked like damn near every scrap of their achievements that they could take home with them.
>From Mane Allgood's contributions to modern medicine, to Snap Shutter's greatest battles with beasts beyond comprehension.
>... If the crocodile and python trophies didn't give it away, at least.
>Books lined the shelves, ranging from geographical maps to historical records of various regions. One book sat on Snap Shutter's desk, still half opened from the last time he was in here.
>Peeking inside, you notice it's talking about the Aldi Jungle all the way in Servidas. There's a sticky note on the open page that reads:
>"LEAVE BY 7/8, GONE ONE MONTH. SUMMER VACATION???"
>You realize this must've been their next planned trip—and presumably they were going to take Scootaloo with them during her summer break.
>They must've started planning this just before everything started.
>It made you wonder how other countries were faring compared to Equestria... assuming they fared at all.
>If they left months ahead, they'd probably be trapped there.
>At least Scootaloo would've been with them...
>But you'd still be here, alone, and you never would've met her.
>Would they have ever made it home?
>You shake off the bad thoughts for now and keep looking around. Apart from the books and trophies, there wasn't too much to look at.
>Except one thing.
>On Allgood's desk sat a copper trophy modeled after a Gailus plant. Beneath it said:
>"MANE ALLGOOD, FOR THE DISCOVERY OF THE GAILUS CURE, 2014"

>>42379982
>It looked to be the same as the trophy downstairs in the living room, only smaller.
>And right beneath that, a single photo stood out in its frame.
>You picked it up and looked at it.
>Standing in the photo, looking back, were Mane Allgood, Snap Shutter, and Scootaloo right in the middle.
>The photo looked only a couple years old. Scootaloo had to have been no older than eight or nine here.
>She both looked the exact same and yet so different altogether.
>Maybe it was the shorter hair?
>You couldn't help but laugh, but it didn't last long the longer you stared at the picture.
>Allgood and Shutter's hands were placed gently on Scootaloo's head.
>Scootaloo hugged both her parents at the waist and beamed happily at the camera.
>She looked so happy here...
>You gently thumbed the picture and sighed as you sat down in Allgood's desk chair.
>Something happened, you knew that much.
>If they were as survivalist as Scootaloo and the books around you claimed they were, then it couldn't be as simple as them getting lost.
>They were explorers, for sure.
>Useful people.
>But still... they should've been back.
>They should've been back two months ago.
>But now this was all that was left of them.
>You held the picture in your hands and sighed.
>It was quiet.

__________

>Scootaloo's eyes slowly fluttered open again.
>She let out a whimper as she stretched and yawned.
>It took her a moment to remember where she was.
>She was in bed.
>She was in her -parents'- bed.
>And she...
>She looked over towards the bedroom door.
>You were there, sitting against it, sound asleep and using your duffel bag as a pillow again.
>She watched you sleep for a few moments, not knowing what to do or whether to wake you up or leave you alone.
>Before long, she remembered what happened earlier.
>What she said to you.
>She remembered the way you held her in your arms and just let her cry.
>Cry for her Mom and Dad.
>"Fuck off."
>She felt sick all of a sudden.
>Slowly, Scootaloo got out of bed and crept over to you.
>For a moment, she waited for you to suddenly wake up, to startle her, but it never came.
>Instead, she knelt down in front of you and eyed you.
>She reached for you and opened her mouth, as if to shake you awake and tell you something.
>But she stopped herself just inches from your shoulder, and before the words could leave her throat.
>After a few moments of simply sitting there and watching you, Scootaloo chose to curl up to you, pressing her back against your chest.
>Your arm came loose, weakly wrapping around her stomach. She froze for a moment, but she realized you were still asleep.
>Scootaloo nestled herself into your body as deeply as she could get herself.
>Your breathing was enough to put her at ease, and she closed her eyes, trying to go back to sleep.
>She was awake, only long enough, to feel your hand run gently through her hair.
>She slept with a smile on her face.

>>42379985

>It wasn't until closer to six o'clock that you and Scootaloo finally returned to the college.
>She sat tiredly in the wagon while you pedaled in spite of the chilly November air.
>You didn't think to grab your jacket before you left this morning, but it wasn't anything you couldn't handle.
>The bike rolled past the main entrance and up the small hill before ultimately stopping at the front doors of the boys' dorm.
>Scootaloo helped keep the doors open wide while you guided the bike inside to hide behind the stairs.
>Once everything was accounted for, you locked the doors and the two of you went upstairs to the dorm.
>As you shut the door behind you, Scootaloo wandered over to her room, letting out a little stretch and another moan as she did.
"Hey, Scoot," you call out to her.
>She turns around, one eye open before letting out a small yawn.
"You want me to make you anything, or put in a movie or something?"
>Scootaloo scrunched her lips, as if considering the offer, but she simply shook her head and sighed a moment later.
>"... No, I'm okay. I think I'm gonna go in my room for tonight, if that's alright."
>You just smiled understandably.
"Yeah, sure. If you change your mind, I'll be out here, okay?"
>Scootaloo nodded.
>"Okay."
>She turned back towards her bedroom door again.
"Oh, uh... one more thing before you go..."
>You approach her and dig into your duffel bag.
>She turns back towards you just in time to see what you're holding.
>Mane Goodall's and Snap Shutter's trophies in one arm, and a photo of the three of them in the other.
"Grabbed these from their study," you tell her honestly. "I know it's probably not a lot, but... I wanted to make sure you had something to take home."
>Scootaloo looked down at the objects in your hands, then up to you, then back down.
>She took the trophies and looked them over front-to-back, thumbing the copper texture.
>But the photo was what captured her attention the most.
>She stared at it for several seconds in absolute silence.
>When she finally looked back up at you, she had tears in her eyes.
>She then stepped forward and pressed her body against yours in an armless hug.
>"... Thank you."
>You smiled and hugged her back, wrapping one arm around her back, while the other pet her head.
"Anytime, Scoot."

__________

>After that day, things seemed to get back to normal. Well, as normal as things can be these days.
>Scootaloo slowly regained her cheery, cocky, and somewhat bratty attitude as you talked, ate with, and played plenty of Sky Cruisers with her.
>Eventually, you went back to her home and grabbed all the comic books and memorabilia you could get your hands on.
>Comics, instruction manuals, history books...
>Even family photos, whatever ones were hidden in the closet.
>Scootaloo left them in her room by the door, but never once opened them.
>You figured she'd do so when she was ready.
>In the meantime, you made an effort to catch up on the Power Ponies comics.

>>42379987
>They weren't necessarily bad, but it wasn't as engaging to you as it was to Scootaloo.
>But the way Scootaloo's face lit up every time you had something to ask or talk about it...
>You just couldn't stop reading.
>In time, you eventually started to like aspects of it here and there, and eventually you had something new to discuss with the kid.
>It was like your own little private book club.
>When you weren't reading the comics, you were reading instruction manuals and educational textbooks from the Library or from Scootaloo's parents' collection.
>And all the same, you were trying to figure out the second best way to bathe.
>It was now officially too fucking cold to swim and bathe in the river, and the last thing you wanted was either of you catching hypothermia.
>Luckily, there was a book that talked specifically about plumbing. It was a fairly recent edition, 2021.
>And to your absolute surprise... you learned that you could technically still use the toilet and bathtub.
>They didn't rely as much on the power or septic systems as you thought. All it took was adding fresh water to the tanks and they were good to go.
>But that alone was a bit of an issue. While you had enough water to last the two of you a couple years at this point, filling that tank just to go to the bathroom was really going to drain into your water reserves.
>There was always collecting water from the river, but that was still a trip in itself.
>You made the decision to use the toilet only in a real emergency.
>And after accidentally eating a moldy packaged brownie... there were definitely going to be days like that in the future.
>The same issue was had for the bath as well. That was significantly more water needed just for a single bath, assuming one of you washed up and then let the other bathe afterward.
>But that was still a lot of water wasted.
>You managed to get by pretty fine before the river simply by using a bottle to wash your hair and clean the more -important- parts.
>One day, while you were thinking about the options, you remembered the lumber mill where you found the sawdust for the composting toilet.
>You swore you saw sets of plastic bins by the back corner of the warehouse, near its courtyard.
>Bins were easier to carry than a marble bathtub, at least...
>In the early morning hours of the fifth, you and Scootaloo stopped by the mill and took a look around.
>The smell of sawdust was still rich in the air, long after the last wood log was chopped.
>You made your way towards the back of the main warehouse and shone your flashlight wherever the light was weakest.
>Before long, you were able to confirm what you saw: Metal shelves lined with plastic bins for all kinds of purposes, whether they were for tools, sawdust, wood, or even basic junk like some used bins seemed to prove.
>But they were fairly small. A man your size wouldn't be able to fit in one of these, even with your lost weight.

>>42379990
>Even Scootaloo struggled to fit in them, and she was already fairly petite—despite her tendency to scarf down at least four meals a day...
>None of the houses you've scavenged had anything bigger than these, either.
>But it didn't take long to think of a place that -might-.
>Thirty minutes later, you and Scootaloo were back at the Whinny-Mart.
>It'd been a few weeks since you were last here, and nothing's changed. The food shelves were all completely picked clean on account of your last trip, but there were still plenty of things to find.
>Like storage bins in the adequately named "Storage" section.
>You shone your light up and down the short but spacious aisle. There was an entire side dedicated to storage bins of all shapes and sizes.
>Unfortunately, they seemed to be only just slightly bigger than what you found at the lumber mill.
>You grabbed the largest one and set it down on the floor.
"Here," you said to Scootaloo, "give it a try."
>Despite having already tried it before, Scootaloo still gave you a funny look before sitting down.
>She was able to sit down, butt against one end, with her feet only barely touching the other end.
>You fared better sitting down, but you had to slightly bend your knees, which—if the bin was full—would poke out from the water.
>You could at least cross your legs this time, but it was a tad bit uncomfortable if you sat for too long.
>Still, beggars can't be choosers.
>You grabbed two of the biggest bins you could find. They'd work as suitable "portable" bathtubs for the time being until you found something more permanent.
>But before you left, you decided to look for some additional materials—mainly any kind of copper coil and different sets of drills and wrenches.
>If there was any time to start getting creative, it was... two months ago.
>But hey, better late than never.
>With luck, you're able to find what you're looking for near the back section of the Hardware Section.
>In a way, it was funny to see what people prioritized early on, even if it did make sense. The back of the store, at least in the hardware and baths department, were nearly untouched compared to the front. But even then, there were empty spots on most shelves, big and small.
>It did make you wonder how much of this would still be here in a year, let alone ten.
>Once you had everything you needed—for now, at least—you and Scootaloo returned home with the haul.
>While the two of you ate your lunch, you decided to use the second bin as a test of sorts with the heating coil idea.
>The first several tests left the bin with a few extra holes. The drill was either too big or too small, the coil didn't fit right, the screws and bolts didn't keep it in place, the list goes on.
>Thankfully, it didn't take long to find a good balance in what you needed. After about forty minutes of messing around, you were able to get a hole that was just right.

>>42379992
>You ran the copper tube through and, thanks to the fittings you grabbed, managed to secure it nice and tight against the side of the bin.
>After a few good yanks on the tube, it was clear that it wasn't going anywhere.
>It was still a bit flimsy, but it was the best work you've done in a long time.
>Now all you needed to do was test it out.
>After lunch, you grabbed a couple small buckets from the janitor's closet, furnished the other bin, and swung back over to the river.
>Despite it warming up somewhat by the afternoon, you couldn't keep your hand in the water for longer than twenty seconds.
>You knew it'd be cold, but you didn't think it'd be practically freezing this soon. There might be a warm day or two, but for now, it was time to be practical.
>After putting together a brief game plan, you grabbed the bin and set it roughly ten feet from the water.
"Hey, think you can fill the bin up with water?" you ask Scootaloo as you hand her the buckets. "I'm gonna get a fire going."
>"Alright," she says willingly as she takes the buckets from you.
>While she fills them with cold river water, you start grabbing stones and sticks to build a campfire a few feet away.
>Once you had a decent haul of materials, you started putting it together, lining up the stones in a circle and then clumping the sticks and twigs in the middle.
>It reminded you of the few camping trips you took with your dad as a kid. He always managed to make his look so cookie-cutter in the best way that he never failed to get a fire going.
>And the s'mores always came out so perfect...
>You hadn't realized you stopped working.
>After a couple minutes, the campfire was done. You picked up the spiral copper tube and placed it dead center in the fire pit, burying it slightly with the twigs and sticks around it.
>Finally, you took a lighter and gave it a couple flicks before you got a spark.
>You held it over the sticks and waited.
>After a few seconds, you had a fire going. Slow and pitiful at first, before suddenly erupting into a hearty blaze.
>It was a warmth you hadn't felt in a long time. Even several feet away, you could feel the heat—it made you worry about the bin melting because of it.
>However, you weren't planning on turning it into a hot tub, only to get the water warm enough to be comfortable.
>The fire was a bonus after that!
>You did worry about the smoke being visible from far away, but thankfully the wind seemed to keep it down for the most part.
>It didn't take you and Scootaloo much longer to fill the bin to the handle rims, submerging the tube port.
>The water was cold to the touch.
>So you waited.
>"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Scootaloo asked inquisitively. "What if the bin melts?"
>At least she shared your sentiment.
"We can always get more bins," you answer with a shrug. "This is just a test, anyway. If I did it right, it -should- work."
>"Have you ever done this before?"
"Nope," you say, then turn to her. "Your folks?"

>>42379995
>You saw her freeze up for a second.
>You didn't even think.
>Then she relaxed.
>"No... not really. I mean, my dad found this small pond in the jungle one year and tried to do something like that. It kinda worked...?"
>You gave a little smile.
"How small?"
>Scootaloo scrunched her lips and looked at her surroundings before pointing at a stone some twenty feet away, then to the bin right in front of you.
>"Like, from there to here...?"
"And it "kinda" worked?"
>"... It wasn't cold anymore, so yeah."
>That got a laugh out of you... and a little giggle from Scootaloo.
>You dipped your hand in the water again.
>It was no longer cold.
"Try it now," you say to Scootaloo with a grin.
>She looks to you, then to the water before dipping her hand in.
>She looks back up at you with her own adorable grin.
>Then it fades.
>"Oh... wait, I didn't bring any clothes, though..."
"I gotcha."
>You open your duffel bag and show her the fresh pair of clothes you thought to grab.
>Her eyes darted from the clothes to the bin; a blush slowly rose in her cheeks.
>"... So do I just... get naked...?"
>Her voice fell to a whisper.
>Your own face grew warm.
"Unless you wanna bathe in your shirt and pants," you quip.
>"Uh..."
>With a smile, you ruffle her hair.
"Don't worry. I won't look, I promise. I'll be over there."
>You point to the bike.
>With that, you get up and walk over to the bike, leaving behind Scootaloo's fresh clothes along with a bottle of 3-in-1.
>You take out your map and set it down on the bike seat, and decide to spend the time dotting down additional points of interest.
>And as you do, you hear the sound of shuffling behind you.
>You hear the familiar sound of pants falling to the ground. Shirt sliding up over body.
>The little pittering of feet slipping off socks.
>And you knew what taking off underwear sounded like.
>You promised her you wouldn't look.
>Why would you look, anyway?
>Why would you?
>You heard her shiver.
>"Fuck, it's cold..."
>And you peeked.
>It was always habit whenever she spoke up.
>You didn't mean to look back.
>But you did.
>And you were greeted with the sight of a fully nude Scootaloo.
>She had her back turned to you, facing out towards the river.
>From here, you were able to get a good look at her for the first time.
>Her body was such a contrast from the first time you met her, even if she was clothed. She had the faintest of a thigh gap, and her hips—as if betraying her figure and posture—had a bit of -meat- to them.
>They were no love handles, but...
>They definitely could be.
>She stood almost timidly as she hugged her arms, shivering from the cold air.
>Even from far away, you could make out the goosebumps running up and down her body.
>Even her butt.
>You didn't pretend you weren't looking.
>There was still the guilt, the shame of it all.
>The shame of -who- you were looking at.
>You should've looked away.
>But your eyes were drawn to her butt.

>>42379999
>It was small and pert, yet had an odd plumpness for her age.
>You watched her bend over the bin to feel the water again, noting the steam gently rising from it.
>The way her butt poked out at you...
>You could see everything.
>Even the parts you really, -really- shouldn't be looking at.
>It was hard to deny it...
>She had an incredible body.
>It was hard to look away.
>Scootaloo turned to look at you.
>But you'd already turned away.
>Facing away away from her, staring down at your map.
>Like you had been all along.
>Clearly.
>You tended to your map, trying to keep your mind busy.
>Trying to ignore your erection.
>"Hey, Anon?" Scootaloo called out to you.
"Yeah?"
>"The water's getting a little hot, can I put out the fire?"
>You thought about it for a moment, not wanting to risk needing to restart the fire—but you knew there was enough water in the bin that it should stay warm for your turn.
"Yeah, sure," you holler back, "just dump a bucket on it, it'll go out."
>"I know that..." you heard Scootaloo mumble, earning a chuckle from you.
>You heard her pick up one of the buckets and begin walking over to the river.
>You turned around for just a moment.
>Her hips swayed with the few steps she took.
>You almost didn't look away again.
>You returned to your map while Scootaloo put out the fire.
>Soon after, you heard the sound of her getting into the bin and sitting down, the water sloshing around as she did.
>"Woo! Wow! It's so warm!"
>A quiet chuckle left your throat.
>You turned around again, and sure enough, Scootaloo was submerged entirely in the tub save for her head.
"Water feel good, kiddo?"
>"Fuck yeah, it does! I haven't had a bath like this in forever!"
>You smile.
"Well, don't take too long. Gotta save some hot water for me!"
>"I will, promise!"
>You heard splashes as Scootaloo grabbed the 3-in-1 and began lathering her hair and body with it, dunking her head and coming back out with a gasp.
>The entire time, you kept your eyes glued to your map.
>The entire time, you remained hard, pressing against your jeans.
>It was actually getting uncomfortable.
>You considered opening your fly and just letting it -hang out-, if only for a few minutes to let it breathe.
>But you powered through it, no matter what the voices told you.
>As you marked down spots on your map, eventually it went away on its own.
>The image in your head? Not so much.
>After maybe ten minutes of minding your own business, you heard Scootaloo slowly climb out of the bin.
>"Shoot. Do you have a towel?"
"Oh, right."
>You reach into your bag and grab one of the towels.
>Without looking up from the ground, you approached Scootaloo, towel held outward.
>You got close enough for her to reach out and grab it.
>The only thing you saw were her bare legs.
>"Thanks," she said shyly.
>You gave her a playful salute and turned back around towards the bike—giving her the privacy she needed to put on her new clothes.

>>42380001
>A couple minutes later, you heard her approach you from behind.
>"Alright, I'm good," she said from your left.
>She was wearing a pair of baggy jeans and her hoodie.
>Her hair, despite falling past her shoulders now, was especially fluffy.
"Better?"
>"Yep."
"Water still warm?"
>"Still -hot-, are you kidding?"
>You chuckle and ruffle her hair again. She playfully tries to pull away, but ultimately relents and giggles at your touch.
"Alright, I'll be in and out in ten minutes. Here."
>You pull out your Steam Deck and hand it to her.
"Left your save open last night."
>"Oh shit, really?"
>She takes the Deck in her hands and inspects her Stardew Valley save as you head for the bin.
>"Aww, man! All my crops died... fuck..."
>As bad as you felt, you couldn't help but laugh to yourself.
>You set everything down beside the bin, but before you began to undress, you took one last look at Scootaloo.
>She was turned away from you, eyes glued to her game.
>You started to undress.
>Deep down, you felt bad that you stole glances while expecting her not to.
>You weren't going to wait for her to look... but...
>Maybe it was only fair if she did...
>You didn't make a scene of it.
>You simply took off your clothes, stood nakedly against the cold autumn air, and shivered.
>Damn, it really is cold.
>You felt the water with your hand. As Scootaloo promised, it was still pretty hot.
>Not to the touch, but just enough.
>You dipped your foot in and shuddered. Limb after limb, you climbed into the bin and sat down.
>As soon as your body entered the water, it was as if every muscle in your body relaxed at once.
>Like a literal living death, if that made any sense.
>Your knees poked out from underneath the water, but the rest of you was submerged.
>The water was slightly murky, though you chalked that up to being from the river. You and Scootaloo never really got that dirty.
>Grabbing the 3-in-1, you started giving your hair a good lathering before moving down your body.
>You dunked your head and stood up to wash down the rest of your body.
>Some of the water splashed out of the bin in waves every time you moved up and down. You might have lost weight, but you were still bigger than Scootaloo.
>"Yeah... fuck you, Slimes..."
>The sound of Scootaloo's subtle potty mouth filled your ears as you wound down your bath time.
>You washed yourself off and grabbed your towel from your bag before standing up straight to dry yourself down.
>Once you were dry enough, you placed the towel down on the ground and stood on top of it and dried off your feet.
>The entire time, you faced away from Scootaloo, looking out to the river.
>A couple minutes later, you were fully dressed in a fresh set of clothes and a zipped up jacket. You put the dirty towel in your bag and zipped it up.
>Scootaloo was still busy by the wagon, playing her game—and joyfully cursing all the same.
>You almost didn't wanna bother her.
>She was just too precious like this.

>>42380004
>Nevertheless, you approached the young girl and set your bag down in the wagon.
>"How the fuck...?" Scootaloo squeaked to herself, eyes glued to the game.
"So how are things goi—"
>"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY SLIMES?!"
>You laughed.

__________

>Hours later, you're in bed.
>Way past the point you should be asleep.
>The lights are off, and the moon is dim but barely illuminates your bedroom.
>You can't sleep.
>It's a little chilly in your room, but the blankets keep you warm and toasty.
>Normally, you should be able to fall asleep with ease.
>So why can't you?
>Of course, you know why.
>You've known why all day.
>You can't stop thinking about earlier, at the river.
>You can't stop thinking about what you saw.
>You can't stop thinking about Scootaloo.
>Even after she'd gone to bed, and even after you tried to dull your thoughts by watching a movie in the living room, the thoughts would come back as vivid as they were when you were there firsthand.
>You tossed and turned in your bed, a steady ringing in your ears from how quiet it was.
>Eventually, all you did was stare at the ceiling.
>Then you closed your eyes.
>Then Scootaloo's nude body was all you saw, so you opened your eyes and the cycle repeated.
>Your heart beat fast. At first, and only then, it was out of a sense of shame, maybe self-loathing.
>But the more you remembered the dimples on her back, the curves of her ass, the goosebumps that ran up and down her legs, her hips, all the way to her shoulders...
>The harder it was to calm down.
>The harder it was to stay soft.
>Even beneath the covers, your erection was obvious. Alone in your room, you didn't make an effort to hide it.
>It wasn't the first time it's happened, and you knew it wouldn't be the last time. Hell, you even had morning wood the other day!
>But you knew this wasn't the same. Far from it.
>You were hard—thinking about an eleven year old girl.
>It was disgusting. You were disgusting.
>You grew up with the idea that those thoughts were wrong. Thinking about a little girl like that was wrong.
>It was WRONG.
>...
>Right?
>Before the world ended, if anyone knew you were ogling a little girl's bare butt and thinking about it, they'd have had you committed.
>If you acted on it? You'd never see the outside of a prison cell.
>But all the people who could've done that...
>They're gone.
>Everyone who could've shamed you, locked you away, and told you how evil you were for having such -racy- thoughts ... are all gone.
>Were they still bad thoughts?
>Of course they were.
>So why couldn't you stop thinking them?
>The more you tried to block them out, the more they permeated.
>Eventually, you thought back to Halloween night, just five days ago.
>You and Scootaloo were dancing in the living room, enjoying the atmosphere dressed in your best costumes.
>And you remembered how Scootaloo backed up into you, her ass against your crotch.

>>42380009
>You remembered how she started dancing against you, bouncing in place.
>You remembered how even with that thick costume of yours, you could feel her roundness.
>Her curves.
>The way she essentially, yet inadvertently, dry-humped you.
>Did she know?
>Did she want you to do something?
>She's just a kid, but...
>Surely, she's seen something out there in the world, traveling with her parents on her vacations—even at her young age.
>Surely, school had taught her what it meant for her to dance like that.
>What if you did something?
>Why would you do something? It would've been wrong.
>But what if you did?
>What if, in that moment, you acted on those thoughts?
>You could've done it.
>Maybe she would've liked it.
>You could've held her in your arms, met her hips against yours.
>Bounced her against you.
>You could've touched her.
>You could've made her feel good.
>You could've—
>You caved.
>You reached under the covers and unbuttoned your pajamas.
>It took no effort to spring free beneath the blanket.
>It'd been so long.
>You closed your eyes and began to feverishly stroke.
>All you saw was Scootaloo.
>She stood before you, naked.
>She had budding little breasts and the cutest muffin top you'd ever seen.
>She twirled for you, revealing her plump little butt.
>You reached out and grabbed it.
>So soft, with a bit of squish to it.
>You imagined her giggling at the feeling, at your touch.
>You stroked faster, and the thoughts got stronger.
>Now she was bent over one of the couch cushions.
>You felt her ass.
>So soft.
>So inviting.
>And you imagined succumbing to your temptations.
>You imagined fucking Scootaloo.
>You imagined slamming yourself into her little pussy, then pulling out, only to do it again and again and again.
>You imagined holding her by the hips and letting go of your restraint.
>You imagined that sexy little ass of hers bouncing back and forth on you, again and again and again.
>You could hear her cute little whimpering, begging you for more.
>Begging you to fuck her harder.
>Her body drove you wild.
>Her face... it was so cute.
>So pure and innocent in spite of it all.
>What if you came on her face?
>A cute little girl like her, covered in your cum, smiling up at you.
>Begging for more.
>And thanking you for it.
"S-Sc—"
>Your mind went totally blank, as you finally came for the first time in four months.
>You had only enough foresight and warning to grab a tissue.
>It almost didn't matter. Your orgasm hit you with such fury that you nearly cramped.
>You filled the tissue with months' worth of seed. Spurt after spurt, you held it tightly against your tip, and you didn't pull away until it was over—threatening to tear the thin fabric.
>When it was finally done, you were left silently panting, trying desperately not to be loud.
>You were so weak, like you'd ran a marathon and a half, that you almost spilled the tissue into your lap.

>>42380012

>There was enough strength in you to wrap in more tissues, clumping it into a ball and setting it by the bedside.
>You'd throw it away in the morning before Scootaloo got up.
>Scootaloo...
>As you weakly sank into the mattress in a cold sweat, you realized that the thoughts had finally disappeared.
>And all that was left was a single thought:
"YOU ARE A MONSTER."
>You stared at the ceiling.
"YOU ARE A MONSTER."
>You turned to your side, and looked at the tissue filled with your seed.
"YOU ARE A MONSTER."
>You listened to the silence, and the silence spoke back.
"YOU ARE A MONSTER."
>You are a monster.
>What would Scootaloo say?
>What would Twilight say...?
>You fell asleep.
>Deep down, you hoped you wouldn't wake up.

__________

>The next morning, you woke up to birds chirping outside your window.
>At first, you nearly forgot what happened the night before.
>Then you saw the tissue by your bedside.
>You didn't move until the gleaming reflection from downtown shone in your eyes.
>You sat up in bed with an ache in your chest.
>After a minute of silence, you got up and threw the tissue out the window, then turned to the bedroom door.
>Slowly, you approached it.
>Already, you could hear her voice outside.
>You opened the door and walked out.
>Scootaloo was sitting on the couch in a cute set of PJ shorts and shirt, curled up and playing more Stardew Valley.
>If her cursing at the Slimes was any indication...
>She looked up from her game and saw you just as you sat down next to her.
>"About time you woke up," she exclaimed with a cute grin. "Look! I managed to kill all the slimes. You shoulda seen them, dude, there were so fucking many, like they destroyed all my crops and I ran out of wheat then..."
>You just smiled as you listened to her drone on and on about the slimes and the townsfolk and the golems and her crops and...
>And all you did was hug her.
>The gesture caught Scootaloo off guard, and she giggled.
>"Anon, c'mooon, haha, what gives?"
>You run your fingers through her hair.
"Thought you could use a hug."
>Maybe it was a lie.
>"What, did you have a bad dream or something?"
>You paused.
"... Something like that."
>She paused the game and quietly sat in place for a several moments while you held her gently in your arms.
>You stopped raking her hair and froze.
"Do you want me to stop...?"
>...
>"... No. It's cool."
>She leaned her head into your hand, and her body into yours, pressing as close to you as she could.
>Slowly, you continued to comb her hair with your hand.
>"Did I get hurt...?"
>You gave her hip an affectionate squeeze.
"No."
>No.
>Never.
>You'd never hurt her.
>You're not a monster.

>>42380014
ONE WEEK LATER
NOVEMBER 13

::::::::::

>"WOOOOO-HOOOOO!"
>Scootaloo shrieks with joy as your bike flings down the road as fast as you're able to pedal.
>Old newspapers momentarily take flight as you dash by.
>At one point, you approach a sharp corner.
>With hardly any warning, you begin to turn with equal sharpness.
>With that duct tape, the wagon would've come right off.
>But thanks to the new hitch, it turns in time with your bike.
>It briefly hangs off its two left legs, but Scootaloo's weight keeps it from tipping over.
>"WAAAAHAHahaha, holy shit!"
>You installed the hitch yesterday evening and decided today was as good as day as any to test it out.
>With it, even with Scootaloo riding in the back, you were able to go twice as fast now.
>The wind pounded your face, but the sounds of Scootaloo's cheers and bubbly giggles—the look on her face—were so intoxicating to hear that you didn't want to stop.
>So you just didn't, and rode your bike all up and down every road and back road you mapped out since the end of September.
>Despite the faster speed, you were still working up a sweat trying to go uphill and keep your speed steady downhill.
>But it was better than the snail's pace before!
>You spent the early morning hours taking the kid for a joyride around the neighborhood, but you decided to take the opportunity to venture further outward.
>Today, you decided to visit the west side of Canterlot.
>And what better way to do that than by going fast?
>"Oh shit, dude, dude, there, that corner! Turn that corner!
>You saw the corner come up quick, another sharp turn.
>You smirked and gripped the handlebars.
"Alright, hold on tight!"
>You veered from the main road and turned sharply, sending the wagon once again on two wheels.
>"WAAAAHAHAHA! WOOO!"
>And earning another fit of giggles from the little daredevil.
>It was worth every extra minute.

__________

>Half an hour later, you were now cruising down the west side of Canterlot.
>It looked almost no different from the area around the University. The neighborhood, apocalypse aside, seemed up-kept.
>Cars dotted driveways here and there with some parked along the curb. Many of them had deflated tires, so even if they worked, they weren't going anywhere.
>You counted three bikes just sitting in yards on one street alone.
>"Whoa, look at that one...!"
>You stopped the bike and glanced over to where Scootaloo was pointing.
>One home seemed to be boarded up, a first from what you've seen so far. You always figured that most people died so quickly, they didn't have time to barricade themselves in their homes.
>"Kinda reminds me of a haunted house."
>You shrug in agreement.
"Yeah, I can see it."
>"Can we check it out?"
>You darted your eyes between Scootaloo and the house.
"I don't know, Scoot... that place doesn't exactly give me a good vibe."
>Scootaloo, however, was undeterred.
>"What, you chicken?"
>You just deadpanned at her.

>>42380017
"I'm just saying we should be careful where we're going, that's all."
>"C'mooon, just one look? Please...?"
>You wanted to tell her no, if only not to waste the time you had to look for the things you actually needed.
>Then she gave you the puppy eyes.
>Those fucking eyes.
>She didn't do it often, but when she did...
>You looked back to the boarded home.
>Then to the puppy eyes.
>... It was still early in the morning—lunch was still at least three hours away.
"... Fine."
>You didn't even have the kickstand down before she was out of the wagon and practically skipping her way up to the front porch.
"Scoot...!" you shouted, trying to stop her.
>You managed to catch up with her as she stood innocently on the porch with a smile.
>"What? I waited."
>You give her a light glare. Not enough to be taken too seriously... but enough to get the point across.
>Her smile falters.
>"... Sorry."
>You just sigh and ruffle her hair.
"You're lucky you're cute."
>She lets out a huff.
>"I'm not cute...!"
"Uh-huh."
>You boop her on the nose, earning a grumble from the young girl.
>You turn away to peer through the windows.
>There wasn't much you could see through them, as most of it had been covered by a mix of curtains and old wooden planks.
"Why are you so interested in this house anyway?" you ask.
>"Well, duh! Look at it! It's abandoned!"
"... Scoot, the whole -city- is abandoned."
>Scootaloo shook her head and smiled.
>"Noooo, like, abandoned-abandoned! Look!"
>She pointed to something in one of the other windows.
>Upon closer inspection, you realized it was a sign that said:
>WARNING
>THIS BUILDING IS CONDEMNED
>ILLEGAL ENTRY IS PUNISHABLE BY
>$200 FINE
>You just raised an eyebrow at Scootaloo.
>She just smirked.
>"Buh-gaaawk~"

__________

>The front door opened easily after you broke the knob.
>Inside the decrepit little home, there were clearly signs that the place hadn't been maintained in years.
>The wallpaper was peeling off, bits of the ceiling were chipped away, and random patches of mold could be found in corners, along the wall trims, and even along the rims of the windows.
>Despite this, there was furniture everywhere. Couches and chairs, trinkets like clocks and dolls, an old fashioned TV from the nineties with a gaping hole in the screen.
>Boxes of nothings and somethings stood near the fireplace, containing books with mold trailing along the covers and in the pages.
>There was a hole in one section of the ceiling that went all the way up to the roof.
>A constant musty smell lingered no matter where you walked. Just standing in here seemed like a bio-hazard.
>Scootaloo was completely unfazed by it all.
>"Whoa..." she rasped as she gazed at the failing structure around her.
>Like she was used to stuff like this.
"Why did you wanna come in here so bad?" you ask her curiously as you slowly scour the immediate area, bat in hand.

>>42380018
>Scootaloo wandered the living room, sliding her hand along a dusty tabletop and leaving her fingers caked in a thick layer of dust.
>"I dunno," she answered with a cheerful shrug. "Something about old abandoned places was always just so cool, y'know? Like, you're not supposed to be here, so you wanna do it because they told ya not to."
>You give her an understanding nod as you inspect the little dolls above the fireplace.
>They were made of porcelain, and though the paint textures were starting to fade, there was still an explicit amount of detail in every one.
"So, you did stuff like this a lot?"
>"Hmm... sorta. The stupid city kept tearing them down though. So lame..."
>Scootaloo turned to you.
>"This one time, my friends and I found this really cool place near Apple Bloom's house that still looked brand new! It was like a mansion, but nobody ever moved in, though!"
"Really?"
>"Yeah! It was so weird. Like, it was up for sale, then it got sold, then it just stayed empty. Didn't even have a couch. Was kinda weird. But totally cool for a sleepover."
>You chuckle as you walk over to the couch to test its softness.
>With the tip of your bat, of course. There was no way you were sitting on that thing.
"Whatever happened to it?"
>Scootaloo huffed.
>"The stupid city tore it down! It was so dumb, it had running water, lights and everything! Dude, you should've seen the showers in there! They were fucking huge! One of them even had a bench in it!"
>You turn to her.
"Oh, the public showers in the dorms have those too."
>"Seriously?!"
>You nod and grin, earning a sputter from Scootaloo.
>"Dude, why don't ALL showers have something like that?! That's so cool!"
>You give her a hearty laugh.
>But she had a point.
>Why couldn't you sit in the shower?
"Well, if I ever get the water working again in the dorms, I'll let you have first dibs. Deal?"
>Scootaloo grinned ear to ear.
>"Deal."
>You ruffle her hair again. At this point, it was hard not to.
>The moment was short lived, however, when you smelled...
>"Eugh... what's that?"
>Something.
>Something you already knew.
>You hadn't smelt it in weeks, but you recognized it.
>"I think it's coming from in here..."
>You looked over to Scootaloo as she reached for a nearby door.
"Scoot, WAIT—"
>Too late.
>"Wha—AA—"
>Scootaloo nearly slammed into the table behind her, her lungs burning with a deathly scream.
>Her eyes darted up and down at the hanging corpse in front of her.
>Then came the smell.
>The unforgettable smell.

>>42380020
>She sprinted out the front door, and you followed her.
>When you went out onto the porch, you saw Scootaloo hunched over the railing.
>You came out just in time to watch the young girl retch her breakfast onto the bushes below.
>She coughed and cried.
>Then she vomited again.
>You stood by her side and rubbed her back... all while trying to hold back your own urge.
"Shh... it's alright... just breathe..."
>There wasn't much you could do but comfort her.
>This was probably the first dead body she'd ever seen.
>"HUURHHHGHK—"

__________

>Minutes later, you and Scootaloo sit together on the porch stairs, looking out towards the road.
>Scootaloo's leaning against the stair legs and holding her stomach.
>You don't know how much she puked out, but she was far from the sparky little daredevil she was twenty minutes ago.
>Your hand never left her back, rubbing it in little circles.
"Feel better?" you asked.
>"... Not really," she answered feebly.
>You brought your hand up to her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I'm gonna go check it out... just stay here... okay?"
>She closed her eyes and took deep breaths.
>"Mm-hmm..."
>Poor kid...
>Before you got up, you reached over and kissed the top of her head, hoping it'll soothe her if only a little.
>You went back into the house, shutting the door behind you.
>The stench of death was all you could smell.
>And the sight of the hanging corpse was all you could fixate on.
>It was always a chilling sight, but not as terrifying as it was the first time.
>The body in question, a man from the looks of it, was not an old corpse. Nowhere near as dead as Autumn Parsley.
>Everything was recognizable. From the grey hair, to the wrinkles, even the green eyes.
>He looked as if he'd been here for only a few weeks.
>Hesitantly, you approached the body and reached for his pocket.
>The smell up close was unworthy.
>How did you ever manage to get used to it...?
>You pulled out a wallet from his right pocket and looked inside.
>There was twenty dollars in cash, and a driver's license with his name.
>Atom Oaks.
>Born in 1968.
>A picture of him and two kids, dated 2004.
>You grab some duct tape from your bag and tape the ID and pictures to the front of the door before shutting it.
>You make a note to come back here and bury him... if you can.
>When you go back outside, Scootaloo is still sitting on the stairs. Her breathing is much calmer now, and at some point she wiped off the leftover bits of vomit from her lips.
>You pet her head gently.
"Hey... wanna go home?"
>After a few seconds, Scootaloo shakes her head.
>"I'm alright."
"You sure?"
>"Mm-hmm..."

>>42380022
>You rode silently down the road again, to the southwest side of town.
>Scootaloo was out like a light in the wagon.
>She was out before the third street corner.
>With how much she managed to puke out, you couldn't blame her.
>Poor kid... this was probably the first ever time she'd seen a dead body.
>You knew it wasn't gonna be the last, either. No matter how much you wanted that to not happen, eventually she was gonna find another one.
>And another. And another.
>She'd get used to it, sure...
>You just wished she wouldn't have to.
>As you rode down the road, the area opened up from residential homes to some industrial and commercial shops. Some places looked untouched, whereas others seemed to be pillaged with contents scattered around broken windows and busted down doors.
>The west side seemed only slightly more worse for wear than the east side.
>As you passed an intersection, you came across a car wreck a few feet ahead of that.
>It looked like one of them T-boned the other.
>When you got up close to them to look inside as you passed them by...
>You smelled the odor before you saw them.
>You were just glad Scootaloo wasn't awake, and made a note to avoid this road next time.
>A few more minutes later, you pulled up to one of the shops on your map that you had marked down.
>Old Days Antique Living, est. 1999.
>You parked the bike by the front door and peeked through the windows.
>As you guessed, it was a collection of old items and furniture, anywhere from the late 19th Century to as little as thirty years ago.
>As cool as it was, there was only one thing you were looking for—and it was not here.
>Still, couldn't hurt to look around.
>The door wasn't even locked. You just pulled it open and walked on through.
>The place has a light musty smell to it, as well. Nothing like the condemned home, but definitely coming from the old, worn out couches and cupboards that the owners tried to mask with air freshener.
>You could see why your mom loved these kinds of stores so much.
>You made your way to the backroom of the shop and shone your flashlight through the darkness.
>You left the room with a sigh.
>No wood stove. Damn.
>The place on its own was interesting, but aside from the novelty factor, there was nothing really worth taking.
>That was until you passed by the 90s section on your way out.
>Most of it was old TVs and computers, but what especially caught your eye was the photography case.
>Sitting safely in plexiglass cases were vintage Polaroid cameras from 1993, considered the peak year for "photographic memories", according to the display label.
>After unhooking the latch, you picked one of them up and inspected it closely. They each had a full roll of film, about 10 photos worth, and used two Double-As.
>The one you were holding had two already inside.
>You were curious if it even still worked.
*CLICK*
>The camera flashed as you pointed towards the main entrance.
>A moment later, a single photo came out.

>>42380025
>You pulled it out from the eject slot and looked at it.
>You were met with a clear shot of the front entrance. The quality was on par with the photos of its time, but you now knew that the cameras worked.
>Behind the displays were a single large shelf containing numerous spare rolls of film, neatly wrapped to keep the film from being damaged.
>You decided to take every last roll, along with the other cameras.
>If their only other fate was to sit here and rot, the least you could do was have some fun with them and document whatever you came across.
>And who knows... maybe it'd help Scootaloo find something "good" to look back on from all of this.
>You went back outside to the front of the shop and approached the wagon.
>Scootaloo was still sound asleep, curled up into a ball and letting out little squeaks and snores.
>It was the cutest thing you'd seen today.
>...
*CLICK*
>You take a picture of her and nestle the photo in her left sleeve with a smirk on your face.
>You got back on the bike and took off to the next store, Prepped n' Decked.
>It wasn't too far away, but you realized you were starting to teeter towards the outskirts of town. You could even see the Interstate from Cedar Avenue.
>Around this area, it was more commercial and industrial splendor than residential livery. You counted maybe two homes near a Bait-and-Tackle shop, but they more than likely belonged to the owners.
>But in its own way, the place you pedaled through looked exactly like the kind of place people shopping at Prepped 'n Decked would live.
>Speaking of Prepped n' Decked...
>You pulled up to the store front a couple minutes later with a delicate skid of the tires.
>The map seemed to overestimate the size of the store. It wasn't exactly tiny, but it was far from big like the map claimed it to be.
>That was until you saw the sign in the window, stating:
>WE'RE EXPANDING!
>EXPECT A BIGGER, BETTER SURPLUS IN Q4 2023/Q1 2024!
>MORE ROOM, MORE STUFF, MORE TIME TO PREP!
>Another look at your map revealed that it was a map showcasing Canterlot going into the end of the year. Already, you were noticing buildings, both shops and offices, on the east side that you know weren't there—or at the very least unfinished—when you rode down those streets.
>The map you had must've been an edition meant to be available later in the year.
>At least the shop in its current state wasn't too small, but you wondered how much was left.
>A prepper store would definitely be one of the first places hit.
>You peeked through the glass door.
>It was dark as all sin, but you were able to get a decent look at the front.
>Despite the cleanliness of the area, a lot of shelves and displays were empty.
>Not all, but a lot.
>This place was probably picked out just before it got bad.
>If it was anything like Woodchuck's, they probably had more in the backroom, but it was best to take a look out front first.
>"What the fuck...?"
>You hear a meek, tired voice from the wagon.

>>42380028
>You look behind to see Scootaloo sitting up and inspecting the picture you slipped into her sleeve.
"Like it?" you ask with a chuckle.
>She looks up at you.
>"How'd you do that?" she asked tiredly.
>You walk over to her and pull the camera out of your bag.
"Here," you say, handing her the camera. "I grabbed it from that antique shop. Ever use one of them before?"
>She shrugs.
>"Sorta. My dad used one whenever I went on vacation."
"Well, it should work just the same. Point and click."
>She inspected the camera front-to-back.
>Then she pointed it at you.
*CLICK*
>A moment later, the photo came out and she held it in her hand as it developed.
>With a giggle, she showed it to you.
>In the photo, your eyes were closed and you were smiling awkwardly, as if you were in the beginning of a sneeze.
>You took the photo and delicately placed the back of it against her forehead.
>Scootaloo snickered as she took the photo off her face, and hopped out of the wagon.
"So you feel better now?" you ask her as you head back to the front door of the store.
>She approached the front door and hesitated.
>"... Kinda."
>You give her a sympathetic smile.
"Do you wanna stay out here and lay back?"
>Scootaloo shakes her head.
>You put your hand on her shoulder and gently caress it.
"Alright. C'mon."

__________

>You and Scootaloo enter the prepper store and look around.
>Despite the power being off, there's still enough light through the windows to give you a good look at the place.
>At least half of everything was gone, from hunting jackets to fishing gear.
>The one thing missing entirely were the guns.
>Every single rack that could've held a rifle or shotgun were bare.
>Interestingly, none of the leftover surplus was on the floor—as if the employees put everything back and waited for the next shipment.
>But what -was- still leftover was insane!
>Machetes, hatchets, water tablets, duffel bags, and enough canned food to last the two of you a few extra years.
>But what really caught your eye were the MREs.
>Nearly all of them were gone, but there were still enough to last a couple weeks at best.
>There were even a few hot dogs and pizza meals!
>You knew what you two were eating for lunch!
>However, there was still the main focus on hand—the one thing you came here for in the first place.
>And so far, you saw no sign of it.
"Hey," you call to Scootaloo. "Do you think you can load the wagon for me? Food, batteries, whatever you can find. I'm gonna check the back for a stove."
>"Uh huh," Scootaloo replied happily with a nod.
>The eager-to-help girl grabbed two hanging duffel bags and started loading them up with anything and everything she could get her hands on.
>In the meantime, you went into the backroom storage and began looking around for a wood stove.
>If only there was something back here.
>There was nothing. Zilch.
>Everything out there really was all they had left.

>>42380033
>You found the main office directly to the right of the back exit and poked through the boss' desk.
>You found a shipment manifest and read through it. Their next shipment was scheduled for March 20, so your hunch earlier wasn't totally wrong.
>A defeated sigh escaped your lips.
>You still had a couple stores to check out, but your hope for finding a wood stove was waning.
>Maybe you could soak up the generators and use the space heaters, give the place a little ambient heat.
>But when it gets really cold, you just... don't know.
>What if—
>"Anon?" Scootaloo shouted from the main room.
"Yeah?" you shout back.
>"Is this what you're looking for?"
>... What?
>You exit the office and head back into the main room. You look around for Scootaloo and find her in the back corner of the store, by the door to the parking lot.
>It took you a moment to see what she was looking at.
>"Are these the stoves?"
>In front of you stood not one, not two, but ten wood stoves, ranging from small to big, all lined in a thick iron coat.
>And these were just the displays!
>Several boxes stood above and around them, all purporting to be for the various sizes and shapes.
"Oh shit, it is...!" you slowly say in disbelief as you approach the fruit of your labors.
>You feel the flat surface of one of them. Its cold iron sends a shiver down your spine.
>It's almost immediately replace with a grin.
>You turn back to Scootaloo.
"Good eye, Scoot~"
>Scootaloo looks down slightly with a blush.
>"T-Thanks..."
>You chuckle quietly to yourself and inspect the ovens.
>The prices they were selling these things were equally as insane. The most expensive one here was damn near five-thousand bucks.
>The weight, however, seemed to justify it. It was over three-hundred pounds, well out of your scope to lift it, let alone ride it home in your little wagon, of all things.
>The smallest one, the only one of its kind left in the store, was about half the weight of the biggest, and price-wise, was only seven-hundred and fifty bucks.
>And yet, despite its small size, it was capable of warming a small home, according to the box it came in.
>Essentially, it was capable of keeping your entire dorm warm all winter long, as long as you had a steady supply of something to burn.
>Everything you needed to set it up was in the box.
>You'd worry about the install later.
>Wood Stove: Double Check!
>"So... how are we gonna get it upstairs?"
>... Oh yeah.
>You're on the top floor.
"... We'll figure it out."

__________

>You got back to the college around two o'clock and brought the light loot upstairs first before getting to the stove.
>It took you twenty minutes to carry the box upstairs, one step at a time.
>You weren't gonna open it today. That was for tomorrow.
>For now, you'd celebrate with lunch.
>You grabbed two of the MREs and handed one of them to Scootaloo.

>>42380034
>"Oh, sick! I love these things!" Scootaloo exclaimed giddily as she ripped open the bag of MRE hot dogs.
>You never had an MRE before, so you didn't know what to expect.
>But the look on Scootaloo's face when she started chowing down on those packaged wieners told you what you needed to know.
>You had the pizza one.
>Despite its look, despite it not being a fresh-out-the-oven meal, it still tasted like a pizza.
>These little creature comforts made you realize how much you missed pizza and hot dogs and all the rest.
>You chewed and smiled at Scootaloo.
>And in return, she playfully opened her mouth, showing off the mashed chunks of hotdogs.
"Augh, Scoot, gross!" you exclaimed with a recoil.
>Your chuckles betrayed you.
>And it only fueled her giggles.

__________

TWO DAYS LATER
NOVEMBER 11

:::::

>"This is it?"
"Only place close enough in town."
>Two days later, you and Scootaloo stood outside Electric State Dealership, on the west side of Canterlot.
>The place looked fairly spacious on the map—and the real deal definitely didn't disappoint!
>Dozens of brand new cars stood completely abandoned in the mass parking lot. Despite spending the last eight months without any care, they were all in decent condition—flat tires aside.
>Not all of them were flat, but finding one that was in peak condition was going to be a challenge.
"Stay close, okay?" you say to Scootaloo.
>She simply nods and stands firm.
>The two of you begin walking through the field of cars once for sale to the public. Many of them were gas-powered, and some of them were diesel.
>But as the name suggested, the Electric State sold electric vehicles, as well.
>It didn't take long to find them, but like the rest, many of them had flat tires. It was either one, two, or all four.
>They all had little signs pointing an observer to the main office to retrieve the keys in order to "test them out".
>The office building, a small derelict place, was devoid of life, with papers littering the place as if everyone who worked here left in a hurry. The front doors weren't even locked!
>A window in one of the employee offices was shattered.
>The main office was deathly quiet; the big mahogany desk in the back had papers all over it, ranging from purchase details to car insurance... and even divorce letters dated back to February.
"Woof," you mumble to yourself.
>All the keys to the electric cars were placed neatly in one of the drawers, but you grabbed most of them all in one clump and spent several minutes locating whichever car each key belonged to.
>You set your eyes on one particular EV: a large truck with a long bed behind it, nearly sticking out into the parking lot. The tires were somewhat flat, but not so flat that they couldn't get a quick pump.
>When you inserted the key and turned it over...
>The sheer roar on this thing!
>It sounded like it was mostly for show, but it sure didn't feel like it!

>>42380040
>You checked the "fuel" gauge—it had enough juice to drive a little over 230 miles.
>Out of a whopping 550!
>Grabbing a tire pump from your wagon, you hooked it up to the tires and slowly pumped each one, one at a time.
>As you pumped, Scootaloo sat in the front passenger seat and took bites out of a Smackers cookie butter bar.
>Her third one this morning.
"You know I'm gonna make you brush your teeth again when we get home, right?"
>Scootaloo just stuck her tongue out and kept eating.
>You returned the gesture and continued pumping the tires.
>"So... how do these work again?" Scootaloo asks curiously. "I mean, I know HOW, but like... how does it charge? Like a battery?"
>You finish the second tire and move onto the third.
"Basically," you grunt as you start pumping. "It's just like your scooter. We just gotta give it a good charge and we'll be able to go wherever we want."
>"Really...?"
>You give her a firm nod and pump.
>"That's so awesome..." you hear her whisper to herself.
>You chuckle to yourself.
>It doesn't take you too long to pump the remaining tires, but it was enough to tire you out.
>With a sigh of relief, you look up at Scootaloo.
"Thanks for the help," you say jokingly.
>"Oh shit, did you want me to help...?" Scootaloo asks, visibly concerned with a hint of guilt in her eyes.
>She took it a little more seriously than you thought.
>Cute little brat...
>But you simply laugh it off and ruffle her hair.
"I'm messing with ya, Scoot. You're fine."
>Scootaloo grumbles, but ultimately relents and leans into your touch.
>You hop back into the truck and turn the key.
>Like before, it awakens with a loud rumble.
>You roll down your window.
"Hop in!" you holler to Scootaloo.
>She takes a step forward as if to do so, but stops.
>"Wait, what about the bike?"
"We'll grab it in a bit, don't worry!" you say assuredly.
>Scootaloo takes it to heart and hops into the passenger seat of the truck.
>"Whoa," she groaned, "these seats are cushy!"
"I know, right? I said the same thing."
>Scootaloo shut the passenger door and looked out to the dashboard.
>"So, where're we going again?"
"I'm just gonna drive around the parking lot. I wanna get a good feel of everything before we go anywhere with this thing."
>You buckle your seat belt in, giving Scootaloo incentive to do the same. You take a few extra seconds to adjust your mirrors, seat distance from the wheel, and get an idea of each set of controls.
>It was a lot different from your dad's car, but nothing you couldn't figure out with your own two eyes.
"Ready?" you ask Scootaloo.
>She looks up to you with a smile.
>"Uh-huh!"
>You smile back at her and step on the pedal.
>The truck, despite its gnarly startup, was as quiet as a mouse when actually driving. You didn't hear it roar with every step on the gas.
>And yet, it soared through the aisles of the parking lot. You actually had to slow down a couple seconds later, it was that fast.

>>42380046
>It was oddly extremely easy to drive this car. The wheel, the gear shift, the speed and turn, it was all incredibly responsive.
>You remember having to heat up your dad's car last winter for a good twenty minutes before you could go anywhere. That was with a light shave of snow on the ground.
>This thing would probably start up on the first go in the middle of a blizzard.
>You glance at Scootaloo for a moment.
>She's staring out the window, paying you no mind.
>A smirk finds its way on your lips as you pick up speed.
>You're heading for the south corner of the parking lot. A row of cars sit there, a deadly obstacle as you barrel towards them at fifty miles an hour.
>Scootaloo notices them at the last second.
>"Anon–"
>Before she can finish her sentence, you step on the brakes and drift left, passing the corner at an incredibly sharp angle—so sharp that you swear you can feel both left tires lift off the ground only for a moment.
>Scootaloo shrieks in a fit of surprise and what sounded like fear.
>You round the corner and right the car; you catch your bearings before looking back to Scootaloo.
>At first, you think you overdid it, scared her.
>But all you see is her laughing her ass off.
>"Dude, do that again!"
>You laugh with her and do as she asks.
>Anything to make her smile.
>Anything for her.

__________

>Days pass.
>And so far... everything continues to work in your favor!
>Traveling the outer edge of the city has been -SIGNIFICANTLY- easier thanks to the car. It wasn't any different from a traditional gas-powered car.
>Well, except for fuel.
>The generators and solar panels combined were pitiful in charging it. There -was- a charge, but at the rate it was going, it would take days to get a full charge.
>And that was assuming every day was spent recharging the generators and using said generators to recharge the car.
>A week after bringing the car home, thanks to the rain and cloudy skies, you were only able to get little over half a "tank".
>But on the bright side, it was better than nothing. And traveling around Canterlot didn't sink too deep into your mileage.
>You took your time and read the manual, getting a good idea of how exactly an electric car operated and how to maintain it.
>If anything ever happened to force the two of you out of dodge, this baby was gonna be your bug-out bag on wheels!
>The idea alone even incentivized you to do some reorganizing of your stockpile, putting everything into containers and boxes to make packing up easier -if- leaving was necessary.
>But you also spent the past several days collecting what you needed to turn this place into a long-term living space.
>You grabbed the remaining solar panels from Whinny-Mart, along with additional foods and tools from Prepped n' Decked.
>Every major tool and preparedness store outside of downtown, you hit at least once. Your truck bed had gotten so full a couple times, you had to make more than one trip from the stores to back home.

>>42380050
>By the end of your newfound splurge, you were left with over two dozen solar panels and eight total solar generators, each around 1000W, but enough to keep the lights on for a few hours or throughout the night, depending on the lights.
>More than a couple times, you'd peek into Scootaloo's room in the morning to wake her up, and see string lights lined around her walls, dimly lit in a cozy orange.
>That, plus the blackout curtains you found for her, and it was easy to see how she slept so soundly.
>She wasn't having nightmares all that much anymore, and the few she did have were tame enough that she felt confident to not sleep in your bed.
>Of course... it didn't stop her from doing it anyway.
>You weren't planning on stopping her, either.
>It was easier to fall asleep with her, anyway...
>As the days passed, the dorm began to look more and more lived in.
>You and Scootaloo became more and more comfortable with your lifestyle.
>There were so many supplies here at home that you hardly had a reason to go outside anymore.
>That was, of course, until you made the decision to take the two of you out for walks and car rides nearly every morning and afternoon.
>There was no goal, nothing to look for out there, that you didn't need at home.
>It was just nice to go outside once in a while.
>On the days you stayed home, you and Scootaloo would either read comics, play video games, or watch whatever TV shows and movies you could find around town.
>You even ransacked the HoofBuster movie store a couple miles away from the college.
>Enough movies and shows to keep the two of you busy for at least a few good years.
>But there was one night that everything just...
>Clicked.
>It was Thursday, the 23rd of November.
>Thanksgiving Night.
>You and Scootaloo had finished eating Thanksgiving dinner—some canned turkey, canned corn, and cranberry sauce with powdered ice cream.
>It wasn't the dinner you hoped for, but Scootaloo was happy that she still got to celebrate the holiday.
>Afterward, the two of you sat in the living room and watched Thanksgiving specials—or at least the ones you could find.
>Nobody was too old for Charlie Brown!
>Scootaloo leaned against you, and you had your arm wrapped over her shoulder, holding her close as both of you had become enveloped in the engaging tale of the Great Pumpkin.
>Half an hour later, it was over. So you fumbled with the remote and put on the next one.
>You asked Scootaloo if she wanted to watch anything else, but she never gave you an answer.
>When you looked down, you realized she was fast asleep.
>Her head lay in your lap, and you could just barely feel the warmth of her calm, gentle breaths.
>Her arms were loosely wrapped around your waist.
>She treated you like her pillow.
>She trusted you to be her pillow.
>Your heart skipped a beat.

>>42380050
>Anything for her
muh heart

>>42380052
>You remember hesitantly reaching down and wiping the loose strands of hair from her face.
>You remember running your fingers slowly through her hair.
>You remember the way she shivered in her sleep, and only pressing herself closer to you.
>You remember the beating of your heart, how it felt like bursting from your chest at the sight.
>You remember leaning down and kissing Scootaloo's forehead, just above her right eye.
>And you remember the smile on her face.
>You looked up and around the living room.
>From the filled pantries in the kitchen, to the string lights hanging by the window.
>From the posters in your room, to the family photo albums in hers.
>You looked back down at the sleeping girl.
>How she held you close.
>How she smiled.
>How safe she felt...
>Safe with you.
"... I love you."
>And you meant it.
>You'd only known her for two months, and yet it felt like you'd known her for so much longer.
>She was this little bundle of energy that somehow knew her limits.
>The way she smiled at you, the way she trusted you to hold her at night.
>The way she looked to you, held you tight, when she cried, when she had a bad night.
>Sure... you were all she had right now.
>But she wasn't afraid to show the trust she instilled in you.
>You upheld that trust to the best of your ability, did everything you could to show her that she was safe.
>The love you felt for her? It was real.
>It was the love you felt for a sister.
>You always wanted a sister.
>She might not have been by blood, but you loved her all the same.
>But...
>What if it wasn't that kind of love?
>That's what scared you.
>Deep down, the thoughts, the emotions you tried to shake off...
>You coupled it with the trust she felt in you.
>It really scared you.
>Every once in a while, those thoughts came back.
>And as this little girl slept with her head in your lap, they came back stronger.
>Your heart skipped a beat again, and you shamed yourself.
>But it never stopped.
>How?
>How could you?
>How could you fall in love with Scootaloo?
>You're not a monster.

>>42380056
TWO WEEKS LATER
DECEMBER 7

::::::::::

>You woke up early in the morning with a long yawn.
>For you, it started off as another typical morning. A little colder, and a little cloudier.
>You got out of bed and started putting on some ordinary clothes, nothing too outgoing.
>You think today was gonna be a stay-in day for you.
>The sound of the crow caught your attention.
>But it wasn't the crow that caught your eye.
>With a grin, you put on your shirt and tiptoed your way over to Scootaloo's room.
>You gently opened the door, revealing a darkened room lit only by the dim aura of her string lights.
"Scoot," you whisper eagerly.
>No response.
"SCOOT~"
>"Whaaaaaat...???" she whined sleepily into her pillow.
>You snickered.
"Look outside~"
>"Hmmm...???"
>After a few moments of tossing and turning, Scootaloo slowly sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes with a tired groan.
>One foot after the other, she stood up and walked towards the window. Gripping the blackout curtains in her hands, she pulled them open.
>Blinding light flooded the room, and you had to admit even -you- flinched from the suddenness of it.
>But once her eyes adjusted to the morning light, she opened them and looked outside.
>Her eyes widened and she let out a soft gasp.
>Small, white flakes fell gently from the sky.
>The first snow.
>Scootaloo turned to you with the widest grin you'd ever seen her wear.
>That look of childish wonder, intrigue.
>Joy.
>It was hard not to love it.
>A few minutes later, you and Scootaloo stepped outside into the campus courtyard.
>The kid craned her neck back and stared upward into the sky, watching as the snow slowly fell all around her.
>Flakes collected on the sleeves of her hoodie as she reached out, watching them collect on her hand.
>She giggled and stuck out her tongue.
>Before you could ask what she was doing, you watched as a couple flakes land squarely on her tongue, melting away to nothing just a second later.
>You chuckle.
>"You ever catch snow with your tongue before?" Scootaloo asks curiously.
>It takes you a moment to think about it.
"A few years ago, but not a lot."
>"C'mon, try it! Bet I can get twenty before you can!"
"Oh yeah?" you ask her with a smirk.
>She takes the challenge to heart and sticks her tongue back out.
>You do the same and nab three flakes on the spot.
>The two of you spend the next minute twisting in circles, stepping left and right, back and forth, trying to get as many flakes as Mother Nature would spare you.
>And she wasn't willing to share.
>"Hah! I win!"
>You never stood a chance...
>"Hey, so how long is it gonna snow for?" Scootaloo asks you excitedly.
>But you simply shrug your shoulders.
"Dunno," you say honestly. "Probably all day. Why?"
>You knew why, but her growing excitement was contagious.
>"D'you think we can play out here later?"
>So was that smile.
"Whatever you want, Scoot~"
>That damn smile.

>>42380058
Ponepaste: https://ponepaste.org/10560

Will be out of town this week, so I hope to have the next part ready by then!

>>42379921
this thing was trained on glitch techs i see

>>42379932
worth it.

>>42380066
Good shit as always man.

>>42380092
The lora is based on Padoga's style. I don't know if he made Glitch Tech art, but from a quick browse of his baraag he definitely likes /co/ cunny.

>>42379932
As long as she walks by herself around the castle's halls and gardens, that's an acceptable compromise.

>>42379956
man it's weirdly hitting hard in the current day of "yeah cool products exist but haha fuck you, you don't get to have them" like yeah powdered OJ is real, but in a situation like this, you're stuck with what the stores near you had when society fell.
>>42379960
aww she pulled the ol' bedpillow trick.
>>42379975
she doesn't seem surprised at all Anon came for her.. that's good.
>>42379977
awww total dad mode anon.
>>42379985
man these two just keep sleepin in shifts without even trying to.
>>42379990
>>42379992
wait, his plan is to find something to use as a tub, that's large enough to fit in, but small enough to require less water to fill than the existing bathtub? because.. that doesn't make sense to me, I barely fit in a bathtub. There's a reason adults switch to showering.

>>42379995
yeah I was worried about it melting, too. I thought maybe a metal one but then how would you drag it around..
>>42379999
aww hell yeah, quads of seeing scootaloo naked.
>>42380001
I wonder what >>42380000 was
>>42380004
longer hair scootaloo is so hard to picture..
>>42380009
>beating himself up for thoughts about an 11 year old
hmm Anon's in college and it's 2016ish ... so well, I don't think he'd have grown up with the idea that it's 'wrong.' but he'd have surely had it hammered into him in college. god, I feel so sorry for young people today. We need a good apocalypse at this point. aaand we're gonna get it.
>>42380012
F.. first time in four months? There's so many reasons that's not how that works.
>>42380017
hahaha, you and scootaloo got hitched ;D or at least the bike did
>>42380025
man the crows and foxes n stuff are going to have a field day cleaning all this up.
>>42380028
Oh wait so it is roughly today, so a college guy WOULD have grown up with that anti stuff. But.. i thought the award photo was from 2014 and Scoots was just a few years younger.

>>42380040
>the ol' see-food routine
Ahahahaha she's such a scooty cutie.
>electric cars
well they won't be repairable if anything breaks, but.. let's face it, Anon wasn't going to learn how to fix a normal car either.
>>42380046
Forgive my ignorance, but is it actually possible to hand pump car tires? I would think the pressures would become so immense it would be beyond any human to do.
>>42380050
Come to think of it, surely the cold of winter would have completely enfucked the battery, let alone that it'd still have a half charge.. hmm.
>it's hard to charge it with solar panels
now that part is definitely accurate.

>>42380066
ahhh great job dude. this was lovely. Took me forever to read, but still.
>>42380113
huh it doesn't look anything like Padoges's work to me.

Fuck them kids.

>>42380207
It's possible to hand pump car tires but it takes a long ass time. You'll want either an electric pump or a manual foot pump.

>>42380207
>I would think the pressures would become so immense it would be beyond any human to do.
*any average human
I'd be shocked if e.g. 4× World's Strongest Man Brian Shaw couldn't hand-pump a car tire in a reasonable timeframe

>>42380268
like I genuinely don't know, I was asking. Given the PSI at play, and the difficulty I have pumping even bike tires up to 60 as a guy who can lift very heavy things and leg press like 600, it seems reasonable to ask whether that's possible.

>>42380212
You're the boss!

>>42380500
Woah mama

>>42380573
>Haha, Anon calls me 'mama' sometimes cuz he says I got a rack like one!

Today's theme is Pokemon girls

>>42381067
Wow it's so good she actually looks like she's from that franchise and has no connection to mlp at all

>>42381071
That's supposed to be Zecora.

>>42381067

>>42381103

>>42380210
It might be my checkpoint that's changing the way it looks. I know the character loras are affecting it as well.

>>42381067

>>42381738

>>42381779

>>42381103
>Hex Chrissy
Congratulations, prepare to be a new breeding cow.

>>42381738
okay this one is starting to show the padoguery.

>>42382239
Needs more feet to be truly Padoga-like though.

>>42381804
Cute, very cute...Dawn Hikari is my favorite trainers, make the cmcs look like trainers? And I wonder who would make a good Iris?

>>42382914
It's been so long since I've watched anything pokemon related. I think the one with Iris was the last one I saw, and shield was the last one I played because a friend bought it for me. Before that it was pearl. If you want them to match personality wise, I'll have to research a little because Misty is the only one I remember well. Or I can do it by appearance. Either way, I'll get to it tomorrow. I'll throw in Octavia as Gloria if the lora works well

>>42382819
Refreshing Uotapo's Kemono page now.

>>42348596
Sweetie Belle has gotten started on some of the fun activities she's planned!

https://catbox.moe/c/fm068b

>>42383155
Shes such a cutie im so glad shes having fun

>>42382819
>18 pics
this gonna to be a good one

>>42383155
Glad to see pics with her original skin color

Disgusting.

>>42383155
Such a good girl

>>42384221
Yeah this place used to have soul.

Apple Bloom as Hilda

Scoot as Gardenia
https://files.catbox.moe/smymlj.png

Sweetie as Nemona
https://files.catbox.moe/z70q4b.png

Lyra as Lyra
https://files.catbox.moe/kijbfm.png

Tavi as Gloria
https://files.catbox.moe/v2pcj2.png

>>42384634
way cute stuff

>>42383155
Nice

>>42380058
The fact that this story only gets a couple replies to it for the amount of content put out is fucking crazy
Meanwhile AI posts take up 90% of each thread and make us hit bump limit more times than not
Fuck this gay earth and I hope Anon fucks scootaloo

>>42385374
yeah that stuff is getting excessive.
I think maybe it's my fault for commenting on every other post, so it feels like "well that got thoroughly commented on, I have nothing more to add"

>>42381067
Redheart as Joy is obvious

>>42385469
At this point, even if you don't feel like you having nothing to add when you read any green in any thread, you should comment something. Anything, really, even if you think it's a worthless comment, like, "Keep going," or, "Nice green." It's all better than nothing.
(You)s are an acknowledgement that our greens are being read by people, and when we get no (You)s it makes us feel like no one is reading our work, so why bother?
Just anything at all

>>42385374
Pictures are way better than text
That's just a fact

>>42385374
I'd rather see an image than read green as my goon material

>>42385374
Not having any AI pics won't suddenly make people interested in a green.
Most people just don't like to read, that's all.

>>42385523
I mean, they're completely different mediums. I feel like you can't really compare the two. It would be like comparing riding a bike to swimming.

>>42385532
That's fair. I've never jerked it to words before, but they've definitely got me in the mood.

>>42385537
That's sad, but not all that surprising. I've been enjoying both Scootaloo greens and I'm grateful that they took the time to write them.

So why are you worshipping a cartoon made for little girls, pedophile?

>>42385612
Ask to loli grok.

>>42385612
To make you mad, Rajesh.

>>42385507
Fucking PREACH
I wrote a green years ago for Fingerbang, put a lot of effort into it, but maybe one person in the entire thread only ever said anything positive. Nobody else replied, so I eventually just killed the story. No point in writing something nobody's reading lol
These writers have more willpower than I ever could dream of having.

>>42383155
every time I post cropped porn I get banned for three days, but when you guys do nothing happens

>>42385374
They want their instant gratification, leave them to it.

>>42385507
I agree but I think we're in the minority
I get less and less commenting on anything I make online, people just want to hit a button with an up arrow or a thumbs up and -move on- to the next dopamine hit.
Do you think God's pissed that I constantly wish for everyone to die? I mean he's GONNA do it. I just want it to be sooner.

>>42385590
MY but that is a cute AI coco.
>>42385963
i miss the Love is in Bloom threads...

>>42385374
The green is too big for its own good. A post or two, maybe three, is fine, but if it fills up multiple screens' worth of scrolling, it just becomes a wall of text that is too much to read all at once.

If it makes you feel any better, non-slop artists spend hours on pictures that only get seconds of eyeballs.

>>42386030
exactly, it should be in moderation

Why is it called /jdb/?

>>42386102
First post in the general was >>37719708. The name change from "just dropped in" to "just dropped by" was suggested in >>37819862.

>>42386114
what a hero. and so are you, for archiving it.

>>42386102
jorkin, dabbin, and bappin

>>42386102
JUST DILD BEAT
COMMUNICATION
uma ni
utarenagara

>>42386102
Jolly
Dream
Bean

The sweetest candy bean ever.

Up

>>42386102
Pedo general wasn’t as catchy of a title

>>42386935
It would alao be inaccurate

>>42386102
jail da bait

>>42386675
Jelly Drop Bean

>>42386939
>>42370279
Which is it?

I'm going to GOON to this thread later

>>42387041
I hate this generation and their slang.

>>42387107
I'm 32

>>42387108
>Talking like he's in middle school at 32 and unironically using a flag
Die in real life.

>>42387108
...in base 4

>>42387041
Im gonna fap to this later

>>42386967
UOOOHH JELLY MY SLOPPY PRINCESS ToT

>>42387441

>>42387108
32 months old

>>42387107
me too, man.. me too. how the fuck did we let this happen
>>42387108
that's shamefur, my dude.

>>42380058
>>42380066
JUST finished reading. I really enjoy slow paced stories and it's been a welcome surprise each time you post. Keep it up!

>>42388560
Do I get to smack it only once?

>>42388560
Scoot's get's a lot of love here. Usually she's ranked as the lowest of the CMC everywhere else on this board.

>>42388951
i thought most everyone liked her either 1st or 2nd
she is 'the fave' after all

>>42388985
It's usually Sweetie that ranks first. Her voice, her personality, and her character model, all are considered the best.
AB is second due to having her down to earth farm vibe, as well as being cute.
That usually leaves Scoots as the spare.

https://files.catbox.moe/70jvhe.png
https://files.catbox.moe/v1ahuj.png
https://files.catbox.moe/nqnmy5.png

>>42388951
>>42389102
I was a bit surprised for a while at how much love Scoot gets in here. Which is good for me since she's my little daughter wife. I don't dislike Sweetie Belle, but she's firmly at the bottom of the cmc for me.

>>42389246
I've also been surprised at how popular she is here. I'm vanilla: Sweetie > Bloomie > Scootie. But even though I rank Scootaloo lowest among CMCs, she's still a beautiful filly and I like her.

>>42389347
>>42389246
I've said it before, but I believe the reason she's so popular here is because she's the most /jdb/ ifiable member of the CMC.
>No parents (absent until s9)
>Unattentive Aunts
>Not particularly popular outside her friend group
>"Disability"
>Desperate for acceptance and praise
>Latches onto RD hard to achieve this
>Feels out of place compared to the sisterhood SB and AB share with their sisters

It's not hard to see how quickly she can fall into any green or any series of images. Thankfully most of us are more wholesome than society believes, but it's fairly easy to see how bad Scoots life can go if she met the wrong guy.

>>42389102
Sweetie has a lot of fans but they seem kinda .. less.. obsessed. she's just the surface level one people like.
I'm reminded of Love is in Bloom threads, there was.. I wanna say a spinoff.. in which the guy also starts doing stuff with Scoots but admits he just doesn't like Sweetie that same way and they're all cool with that.

also those are some verynice proscooteraloo generated images.

>>42389391
Emergence but it's Scootaloo

>>42389513
Give em a third nuke maybe they'll stop trying to get better at misery porn.

>>42389513
NO.
Unless is Silver Spoon. Is weird, for some reason I feel Spoonie is great for wholesome content, but also like she was made to suffer. Must be because her main stories is usually her coping with the people she surrounds herself

>>42389391
I think most non-/jdb/ers don't understand how important the fantasy of fatherhood is to many of the regulars here. Yes, we're horny, but there's also a lot of love for cute and wholesome, for having a serious relationship, and for protecting and nurturing children. Like >>42389246's "my little daughter wife." It's possessive ("my"), makes her sound vulnerable ("little"), declares he's responsible for defending and raising her ("daughter"), and says he wants a stable long-term relationship ("wife"). And you hear that sort of thing a lot here. This thread may not be clean, but it's cleaner and sweeter than most outsiders realize.

>>42389545
Oh really? NOW we're breaching this? I was always about mini wives but you mfs just wanted to pointless uoohh and such.

>>42389548
We don't like talking about it because it starts to glow in here

>>42389545
all positive feelings are pretty well connected. distinguishing too hard between them is folly. there's a reason we say things like "a baby so cute you kinda just wanna eat it"
like all of those neuron firings are overlapping each other tremendously.

Sorry for the interruption to the Scootaloo discussion, I just had this shitty idea in my head and figured someone might be mildly amused by the low tier doodle. Please continue with talk of the underrated crusader.

https://files.catbox.moe/gl9wsg.png

>>42389565
>a baby so cute you kinda just wanna eat it
I have never heard anyone say this and now I'm wondering if this thread is full of cannibals.

>>42389568
kek, have this

>>42389565
>We say
No one says that here. In the western hemisphere.

>>42389569
Personally, that made me remember a "Simpsons Joke"
>"As we can see, the woman has an appreaciation for californian sandwiches."

>>42389568
Actually thinking about it, we really haven't explored the crossover concept of /jdb/
Imagine an Elder Scrolls green of a Dunmer Scootaloo sucking your dick. Or a fallout green where, oh. Well I guess we do have the post apocalypse green.
Or imagine this, you're a pokemon trainer, out on your adventure, and you get a female follower just like Ash did all those times. Just you and your loli friend. Alone. Out in the woods. For weeks on end...

>>42389600
Leon The Professional

>>42389597
I see some of us are ESL, but for the rest-
>>42389588
you've seriously never heard a woman say that? that or like, so cute you just want to squeeze it til it pops. hang on..

Okay I looked it up, it's called 'cute aggression' or 'gigil.' it is a thing. An oxytocin thing

>>42389568
cute and funny

>>42389638
See? Here's a perfectly innocent segue into meeting young girls.
Just go to one of their dances!
I saw it in a Chinese flipbook one time, too...

>>42389537
>spoiler
Wish granted

>>42389645
Man, if you weren't around for >IT HURTS..
SPOON IS FOR GENTLE LOVING

>>42389642
Japan has these things called mixers where the whole point is to get guys and girls together. Unlike here in America where everything has to be behind a facade of something.

>>42389649
I am legally obligated to praise the story, bias be damned.

>>42389588
>In the western hemisphere
You mean just America...

>>42389650
America (and likely the west in general) would never admit that men are dropping out of society, though. In Nip land don't they basically have commercials with incentives to try and get people to have families? Lmao, here in the jewnited states the nuclear family is seen as 'traditional' (white coded) so it's bad.
Honk honk.

>>42389587
>>42389638
Thanks, glad some people smiled from it.

>>42389600
Do not tempt me, I have too much love for Scootaloo already. I can't cross those beams.

>>42389661
>In Nip land don't they basically have commercials with incentives to try and get people to have families?
Wasn't one of this site's memes a phrase of the Japanese's Prime Minister saying "marry and reproduce"?

>>42389680
Lol, that might've come from the film "They Live", but I wouldn't be surprised.

>>42389650
I mean what do you think bars are
until very recently the idea was 'women go here, take drugs/alcohol so you can claim you didn't REALLY want to have sex, so that you can have the social benefits of casual sex, without the social drawbacks'
I mean it's the same idea now except instead of it being an out for the woman, it's a life-ruiner for the man.
>>42389661
anon I don't know how you think jews fit into it, but it's uh, not that.

>>42389689
It is fucking quaint how the enemy in They Live is just saying CONSUME, PARTICIPATE IN THE ECONOMY, REPRODUCE and the current monster is saying the opposite. be communists, have no children, suckle government teat, die alone.

>>42389696
Well aliens are often thought of as higher life forms/more intelligent for a reason.

>>42389696
Back then fighting the system was cool. But when rebellion becomes part of the system, the cool thing is to try to remain sane in this insane world.

>>42389716
.. but I still think the bad guys were still saying the same thing then that they say now.. and this movie was.. kind of part of that.

>>42389724
I mean, I also get it. Sadly I don't have cool sunglasses to see the aliens, or a double barrel shotgun to start taking names and crack heads.

At least I have bubblegum.

“Welcome home dear, would you like dinner? Would you like a bath? Or would you like me?”

>>42389871
What's for dinner? Hah, kidding, let me get comfortable and you can sit on my face.

>>42389871
>Cozy Glow
This is more likely a trap than a good gesture

>>42389879
pre and post plaped Cozy are almost two different character. I wish I had a lolified version of this image.

>>42389892
>She's glowing right fierce
Anon confirmed for glowie maker?

>>42389600
Funny you say that. I was thinking about Coco being in the Bioshock universe while at work today. I really should learn to write since I make stories in my head all day when I'm there.

>>42389892
>Girls are still at the age where they're sold the Disney-fied (or Equestrian equivalent) idea of romance.
>Play into that with 'old fashioned' chivalry and other displays of manners
>Flowers, simple romantic gestures
Just don't start wearing a fedora or calling her m'lady.

>>42389905
I was thinking something similar but using your old android girl series as the base. Cyberpunk green, with cyborg lolis!

>>42389923
Android girls would be nice. The cyberpunk idea I had was Anon doing small time jobs with Scootaloo as the netrunner. Almost slice of life stuff with Lightning Dust as a cop that Anon and Scoot get the jobs from.

>>42389892
awww i like the idea of fixing her
but I have to think she would not suddenly become the mask she formerly wore
instead she'd become a third thing. maybe a kinda regular girl, a bit mousy, maybe she likes video games.

>>42386967
The true queen of /jdb/

>>42390012
A mix of both sweet and sour is the best. I like her bratty-ness but I also want to cuddle after sex. A tsundere perhaps?

>>42389568
>>42389600
>>42389678
imagine

>>42390012
>>42390189
I see her as kind of a tsundere. She acts all Machiavellian and evil but really she just hates how easy it is to manipulate everyone around her and how nobody ever stops her. What she really wants is someone who will Dad the fuck out of her, make sure she brushes her teeth and goes to bed when she's supposed to, and keep her in line by whatever means necessary. But if you're not up to the task she will walk all over you without mercy.

>>42390336
huh.
that feels more like what i'd want in a son.

>>42390367
Yeah, this isn't a gay thread.

Think of the children!

>>42370030 (OP)

>>42390927
unf spats

https://files.catbox.moe/7ykxsz.mp4

>>42391504
we need more human filly tree hugger

>>42391900
I made three lewd ones right after that one, if that counts https://catbox.moe/c/zle8l2 I can make some more though. Want a particular outfit?

>>42390927
hot

>>42390891
Done!

>>42391912
hmmm no thanks, but very thanks!

>>42391830
Cute

>>42391912
Nice

Apple Bloom as Charlotte from Fire Emblem
https://files.catbox.moe/eob4ac.png

Coco as Sakuya from God Eater
https://files.catbox.moe/gva08s.png
https://files.catbox.moe/nrjm73.png

Scootaloo as an Elf she doesn't like clothes
https://files.catbox.moe/zy9v0h.png
https://files.catbox.moe/02ufc3.png
https://files.catbox.moe/fj1xfa.png

Extra Scoot as a zombie
https://files.catbox.moe/2bx59v.png

>>42393087
The constant neglect finally got her, damn.

>>42393087
Top Coco was the wrong file
https://files.catbox.moe/nfspal.png

>>42393094
Well hopefully she's an immortal type of zombie and not the ones that just rot.

>>42393087
Nice, love sexy slutty armor. Could I get Vinyl cosplaying Charlotte too? Or as Tifa Lockhart?
Oppai appreciated.

>>42393121
Yeah, I'll cook some up. There's probably a good Tifa lora. It'd be weird if there wasn't.

>>42393127
Sweet, thanks buddy. You gen great stuff.