//------------------------------// // Rainbow Dash's Day: Big Sister Duty // Story: Longest Night: Everypony's Day // by Fizzy Orange //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash's Day by Fizzy Orange “Don’t do it boss!” said Cloud Kicker through clenched teeth as she held on to Rainbow Dash's tail. Rainbow Dash’s wings were beating, slowly draging Cloud Kicker through the snow. Luckily for the assistant weather manager, Thunderlane showed up and grabbed hold of Rainbow Dash by wrapping his front hooves around her neck and pushing against her chest. Dash kept struggling despite this added block but she couldn’t move forward anymore. “Let me at her! Let me at her! She banished Princess Luna!” said the multi-hued pegasus, still struggling. “That’s Corona! Do you want to be reduced to ashes?” asked Blossomforth as she leapt on top of Rainbow, pinning her wings down. As the trio of pegasus endeavored to keep Rainbow Dash from charging to the rescue, and to her death, the weather manager became suddenly aware of screams of terror emerging from the crowd. She stopped fighting and looked around, realizing that colts, fillies and adults were being lifted by white telekinesis and sent floating toward the crazed alicorn who had appeared in the town square. “Big brother!” came a familiar voice as the weight around her neck disappeared. “Rumble!” cried Thunderlane, reaching a hoof toward his little brother, only to be pushed away by the brilliant magic force. Rainbow shook off the two mares still clinging to her and flew off toward the form of Rumble. She was vaguely aware of other familiar ponies being lifted from the crowd, including Rarity clutching her little sister, but right now her weather team needed her. An invisible wall repelled her with surprising force, just as she was about to grab the little colt. It sent her flying backward into the trunk of a tree and she slumped in a pile of snow at its base. When Rainbow Dash managed to chase away the Rumbles spinning around her head, she realized that the monster she wanted to assault was gone, and half the crowd as well. Those that remained seemed to be crying in despair. Dash flew up to where Blossomforth was holding a crying Thunderlane. The blue pegasus looked around, nervously hovering above her employee and his date. “Where is she?” she asked. “Gone!” said Thunderlane between sobs. “She took my little brother and a bunch of others and…” Seeing how Thunderlane was being too emotional to continue, Blossomforth finished for him. “She vanished! I think she went to Canterlot!” A despondent Flitter walked up to the trio “It’s all because of that new Representative! She tried to buddy up to Corona. Corona decided to take hostages so we would obey! She took my sister!” she managed to say before she too collapsed into Blossomforth’s hooves. Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth in anger. “That traitor! She’s that jerk who tried to force Fluttershy out of her house! Where is she?” “She fled after Corona disappeared. Boxy Brown gathered everypony he could and went to find her. I think they’re headed for her house,” said Blossomforth, patting Flitter on the back. “I’ll go help ‘em out!” said Dash, flying off in a rainbow-colored blur. “Wait…A little help? Please? Anypony?” squeaked Blossomforth, unable to move because of her two friends holding her. Rainbow Dash flew toward the residency, she quickly over took the small sized mob lead by Boxy Brown. She could see that somepony had already gone through one of the front window of the Residency. She decided to follow through, plunging through the glass. She flew across the house and exited at the back through another window. With a sharp U-turn she smashed through glass once again before emerging out of the living room window onto the front lawn. She continued this pattern with the second floor of the building and didn’t stop until she had destroyed every window, and searched every room. Just in time for the mob to catch up to her and break down the door. Rainbow went to hover by the group. “Hey slowpokes! She’s not in here,” she said, only to be ignored. “Guys? Hello?” Pinkie Pie bounced by past Rainbow in her way into the house “Weee! Party!” “Pinkie Pie, you’re so random!” grumbled Dash. She flew up into the now sunny sky and shot glances all over town, hoping to catch a sight of the blue-coated unicorn mare and her gaudy cape. What she did see were frightened ponies rushing home. Her ears flattened against her head, thinking of how terrified her friend must be. She was about to give up the chase and head for Fluttershy’s place when she spotted something. A familiar orange speck was rushing toward the edge of town. Rushing toward the road to Canterlot. Rainbow Dash wasn’t about to let her number one fan do something foalish. She sped toward the pegasus filly as she was about to pass the scorch mark surrounding the town. She grabbed her around the shoulder, pulling her into the air, and left her scooter to crash into a nearby tree. "HEY! LET ME GO!" Scootaloo yelled, trying to shake loose. Rainbow Dash let the kid down and she turned around with a determined gleam in her eye. That gleam turned to surprise as she realized she was in Dash’s prescence. The familiar spark of excitement and admiration that always appeared in Scootaloo’s eyes while around Rainbow Dash was painfully absent though. Rainbow Dash hovered before the kid and put on her most serious adult face. "Whoa there squirt! Where do you think you're off to in such a hurry? With everything that's just happened you should get home before you folks start worrying." "But that monster took my dad!" Scootaloo yelled, surprising Dash. Rainbow Dash was about to say something about her mother when Scootaloo muttered "...he's all I have left..." Dash swallowed and her ears flattened. She had been this close to putting her hoof in her mouth, but thankfully Scootaloo had managed to defuse the awkward situation before it even came up. She realized that she didn’t know much about her number one fan. Maybe that was something she should fix in the future. "Look, kid, I know you're worried and all, but is rushing to Canterlot really the best idea right now? I mean...you DO know who that monster is, right?" the filly shook her head. "...That was Corona...." "Doesn't matter. I-I'll still go to Canterlot." her voice shook as she spoke. "I need to save him...I can't be alone...Mom wouldn't be afraid...Mom wouldn't be afraid..." Scootaloo's muttering slowly became quiet as she began repeating her mantra to herself. Dash couldn’t help but feel bad for the kid. She was planning on heading to Fluttershy’s place as quickly as possible, but Fluttershy probably didn’t know Corona had escaped the sun. Rainbow Dash figured she could spare some time to help out Scootaloo. She turned to the filly and realized she was still repeating herself softly. She wasn't broken out of it until she felt a hoof gently pat her on top of her head. "Your dad'll be fine squirt. Now come on. Let's get out of the sun,” said the adult softly, giving her a small smile. "...Mom wouldn't be afraid...." Scootaloo muttered weakly one last time, before finally relenting and following Rainbow Dash back towards the town. Rainbow Dash realized she didn’t know where Scootaloo lived, but, without telling her that, she managed to trick her into leading the way. Turned out that Scootaloo’s father was the wagon repair shop owner. Everypony in town had heard what had happened to Heavy Roller’s wife, but somehow Dash had missed any mentions that Nocturne was a mother. She felt even lousier to have been unaware of that dramatic event in the squirt’s life. Now she stood in the small living room above the wagon shop and she couldn’t help but feel like that portrait of Nocturne on the shelf was judging her. Night Guards were creepy. Scootaloo had lain down on the sofa, resting her head on her front hooves and looking downright depressed. A long minute of awkward silence stretched between the two. Rainbow Dash looked at anything in the room but Scootaloo as she scratched the back of her head with her hoof. She had no idea what to do now that the kid was back home. “So…” began Rainbow Dash, catching Scootaloo’s attention. There was another moment of silence before Dash finally continued. “So I’ll come back to check on you later, I need to see how my friend Fluttershy is doing.” “You’re leaving me alone?” Asked Scootaloo with a shaking voice. The look she gave Rainbow Dash seemed to pierce her heart like a hot-white poker. There was no way she could leave the kid behind now! She gave a sigh and hung her head. There was only one solution. As long as she kept Scootaloo away from Fluttershy things shouldn’t be too bad. “Fine, you can come along squirt. I’ll introduce you to Angel, maybe he can teach you some bun fu moves,” finally said Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo lifted her head and gave her idol a confused look. “I thought you were going to see your friend Fluttershy? Who’s this Angel fella?” Rainbow smiled at the question. “Fluttershy doesn’t like meeting new ponies, Angel is…well you’ll see.” “Why do you hang out with her anyway?” asked the orange filly, jumping off the couch. “Fluttershy is the nicest pony in all of Equestria! She doesn’t have a single mean bone in her body. She’s pretty awesome in her own way, and I’m like her big sister so I have to protect her,” explained Dash. “Now you go grab a few things to keep you busy, we’ll probably stay there for a while.” “Allright Rainbow Dash!” While Scootaloo ran off to her room, Dash located a piece of parchment and a pen. She quickly left a message, in the off-chance anypony came looking for Scootaloo, and slid one of its corner under the portrait of Nocturne. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her. I’m used to playing big sister,” she whispered, looking into the eyes of the Night Guard. “I’m ready!” shouted Scootaloo from the bottom of the stairs. Rainbow Dash gave a clumsy salute to the picture before heading toward the stairs. “Let’s jet squirt! I’ll give you a lift!”