"You promise to take good care of him?" Rainbow Dash faced her 'little sister' Scootaloo, intense look on her face as she peered through her Wonderbolt training goggles.
"Mm-hm! I'll make sure that he's the most pampered turtle in Equestria!" Scoots replied with enthusiasm, excited to be doing such a big favor for her big sis. Tank rolled his eyes-- the foal's voice was annoying.
The two of them were standing underneath Rainbow's cloud palace, seeing her off as she went to yet another week of Wonderbolt Training. Dash was prepared to take off and join the Ponyville recruits as soon as they came in to view. After finding out about Spike's abandonment of Tank-- courtesy of the Cutie Mark Crusaders-- Rainbow decided it would be best to leave Tank to Scootaloo while she was away.
"I'll hold you to it, Scoots. He's special, okay?" Tank, having experienced the CMC before, sighed, assuming that-- without a doubt-- Scootaloo's brain would interpret the term of affection as something else entirely. Reluctantly, he lifted off the ground to initiate their good-bye routine-- Dash met his nose with hers unabashedly, face cheerful as she affirmed her love for her pet.
Dash couldn't say that she wasn't worried-- Scootaloo and co. had a growing record for mishap and tree sap-- but Tank simply couldn't be entrusted to anyone else at the moment, besides the fact that Scoots was so eager to please. "Make sure you polish his shell every other day, and clean his toes before bath time on Friday, or you won't get everything, and don't give him lettuce that's two days old-"
"YEAAH!" The unmistakable cry of Snowflake echoed across the sky, snatching the three's attention. Rainbow sighed.
"I'll be back in a week or so, squirt, so keep yourself and Tank out of trouble, alright?"
"You can count on me, Rainbow Dash!" Scoots and Tank watched her soar into the sky, joining other pegasi in their journey to camp. When he couldn't see her on the horizon anymore, Tank sighed again, not looking forward the next week at all. Scootaloo picked him up and placed him the wagon attached to her scooter-- a wagon currently filled with all the necessary equipment for the tortoise's care and comfort. Tank looked at her, indignant. Not recognizing the facial expression for what it was, Scoots beamed.
"Looks like it's just you and me, Tank! We're gonna have the best time together!" She hopped on her scooter, smacked her helmet on her noggin, and buzzed away towards Ponyville, excited. "Maybe I'll get my cutie mark in turtle sitting!"
I'm a tortoise
"I'm sure Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle won't mind if I get one while we're not crusading-- Apple Bloom got grounded for messing around with the farm equipment, and Sweetie has to--aah!" Scootaloo was jolted off her ride and onto the grassy ground. Tank's weight kept him firmly in the wagon, and he smiled as he witnessed Scootaloo's eyes roll around for a second or two. "Ow-- Hey, what's this?"
Her question brought Tank's eyes to a shiny item underneath the pegasus' scooter, and as she picked it up, it elicted a gasp from both of them. Well, a gasp from Scoots and a breathy gape from Tank. Scootaloo obeyed Rainbow's advice to be patient with him, and waited 'till the tortoise was done to exclaim:
"Rainbow's Lead Pony Badge!" It gleamed in the afternoon sunlight as Scoots held it up.
She needs that!
"Doesn't she need this?!"
That's what I said. It must've dropped out of her saddle bags when she flew off.
"It must've dropped out her bag when she was flying!"
That's what I said. We need to get it back to her.
"We gotta get this back to her. But how are we going to get there?" Scootaloo plopped down and thought for a bit, trying to come up with a plan. When a suitable one didn't come, she promptly decided that this was the wrong spot for thinking up good plans. Determined, she hopped back upon her scooter and changed course towards Sweet Apple Acres. "Don't worry Tank, I know a place were we can think of somethin' to get this back to Rainbow!" Her high pitched exclaimations carried over the wind of the ride and molested Tank's eardrums.
It was then and there that Tank decided that orange had got to be the most annoying color on the face of the earth.