Rainbows, Chickens and Clouds

by Bunnybooze79

Chapter 3

Applejack and Twilight had seen the attempt at flight from the little pagasus. They also saw how she crashed into an empty stall. “Oh, what’s she done now!”

Within a couple of heartbeats Applejack arrived at the scene of the crash, with Twilight a few steps behind her. Other ponies that were near enough to have heard or seen the crash hurried by. To Applejacks relief she saw the little filly trying to free herself from the smashed remnants of the stall. “Are ya hurt, Scootaloo?”

The orange Pegasus only shook her head. She didn’t seem to be hurt at first glance, but seemed to be sad. Thanks to adrenaline her voice was steady as she spoke up.

“I’m ok. Really sorry about the stall. I promise to help fix it back up, when the owner comes back. I… argh!” Her cry of pain was caused by trying to stand up.

“What’s the matter?” both Twilight and Applejack asked at the same time.
Carefully Scootaloo put pressure on her right foreleg and as she did so an intense pain shot through her body. “Ack! My leg!”

Before she could say or do anything else a purple field of magic surrounded her and lifted her up.
“I’ll take her to hospital. You stay here AJ, in case the owner comes back.”

Thankfully the hospital was only a few blocks away. The sight of her running through the streets while levitating a filly with her magic, caused a few heads to turn in surprise. One of which was a white unicorn with an expertly styled purple mane and tail. “Eh? Twilight?!”
She ran alongside the lavender unicorn. “Oh dear, what happened?”

“Can’t explain now Rarity! Need to get to hospital first!”
Twilight was no athlete. The running and trying to keep up her magic at the same time was difficult enough, without having to explain the situation on top of it. She didn’t like to be short with Rarity, but needed to save her strength. The fashionista didn’t press any further and silently galloped alongside her friend.

Scootaloo pressed her foreleg against her chest. Now it burned like wildfire even when she didn’t put pressure on it. The pain blocked out any other emotions, for which she was thankful.

“What happened!?” a familiar squeaking voice asked. Scootaloo looked around and very soon found the source of the question. Sweetie Belle had joined the running ponies together with Apple Bloom at her side.

“We need to get to hospital first, before we get any answers.” Rarity answered instead of Twilight or Scootaloo. With worried faces the little fillies did their best to keep up with the larger ponies.

They reached the hospital in record time. Nurse Redheart and a doctor listened to the stammered explanation of Twilight before they took Scootaloo off into an examination room. Twilight sat down trying to regain her breath. While breathing heavily she did her best to explain what had happened to her worried companions.

“Do you girls know why she would do something like that?” she finally asked after finishing her story.
The two fillies looked at each other searching for an explanation.

“Well she did seem a little sad when she left Sugarcube Corner.”

“What made her sad, Sweetie Belle? And why didn’t you leave together? Did you have a fight?” Rarity asked while resting a hoof on her sisters back.

“She said she wanted a breath of fresh air and left.”

“We tried lookin’ for her, but couldn’t find her anywhere.” Apple Bloom was interrupted as the doors to the waiting room opened and Applejack came through. Unlike the others before, she wasn’t breathing heavily. For an athlete like her the small sprint was more of a warm up.

“Sis? Do ya know why lil’ Scootaloo would do something like that?”

“No, Ah don’t. Like Ah was just saying, we were looking for her after she left Sugarcube Corner.”
The doors opened again and Rainbow Dash came inside the waiting room.

“What’s going on? I saw AJ run here and followed her.”

Before anypony had the chance to reply the second set of doors leading to the examination rooms opened and the doctor entered followed by a limping Scootaloo.
Immediately she found herself in a hug by her two best friends.

“Ah, careful my leg.” She said and nodded to the mentioned limb that was now bandaged up and hanging in a sling.

“How are you?” Twilight asked the little filly, but before she could answer the doctor spoke up.

“No need to worry, she is fine. She merely sprained her leg and needs to rest for a couple of days. The magic in the bandage will help the healing process.” He gave a smile to the waiting ponies and turned to Scootaloo.
“Now remember not to take it off, otherwise it will take longer to heal.”

“Thanks Doc.”

With that he left and turned his attention back towards the other patients in the hospital. Relieved to hear that nothing bad had happened, Applejack let out a sigh before turning towards Scootaloo.
“Now do ya mind tellin’ us what made ya do that crazy thing?”

“What crazy thing? What did the squirt do?”

“Remember the stunt from this mornin’? She did same thing again, thankfully this time without endangerin’ her friends at the same time! Smashed herself into an empty stall! The owner showed up a lil while later and you can be lucky that he said it didn’t matter an’ that he would have taken it down tomorrow himself before leavin’ on vacation.” Applejack looked really angry, Scootaloo noticed.

“Whoa! I bet without the extra weight you really must have flown far!”

“What tha’? Have ya lost yer mind RD? Don’t praise her!”

“Oh come on AJ. Nothing bad happened. You said the owner would have taken down the stall himself. So how far do you think you flew this time, Squirt?”

“Rainbow! Something bad did happen! She sprained her leg in that crash.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at the outburst from Twilight and nudged Scootaloo in the side.
“So what are a few scrapes? I have broken and sprained plenty of things, including my wings. I just came back from it stronger than before. I am the kid’s big sister, so of course she will try to follow in my hoofsteps. Small price to pay if you want to be as awesome as me sometime, right kid?”

“Oh, for crying out loud!”

“No point in arguin’ with that one, Twilight. Ah think the ones we should be speakin’ to are her parents.”

“No, no, no. That’s quite alright. I really learned my lesson this time.”
Applejack gave the little Pegasus a doubtful look.

“I really should head home and tell them what happened.”

Applejack let out a sigh. “Yes, ya really should tell them. Mind if Ah tag along and make sure you do that?”

“That won’t be necessary big sis. We’ll take her over and make sure she tells them, right Sweetie Belle?”

“Of course we will!”

“Ah don’t know if ya’ll will tell them everythin’.”

“Oh, come now Applejack. Give them the benefit of the doubt. After all, nopony likes to see their friends get hurt so I am sure that they will tell them the truth, so that it won’t happen again” The fashionista said while observing the three fillies.

“Ah guess yer right Rarity. Ok off yer go. I brought ya scooter along as well, it’s just outside.”

With mixed feelings Applejack watched the three fillies leave the room then she turned her attention back to the smiling Rainbow Dash.
“Jus’ what do you think yer doin’?”

“I.. huh? What do you mean?”

“Well as her big sister, shouldn’t ya be makin’ sure that she doesn’t get into trouble?”

“Heh, that’s what her parents are for. I am just the inspiration for her to be awesome and cool.”

“So what? Big sister is just a title to you?” Twilight asked with astonishment.

“No, no. I said I would take her under my wing and teach her what I know. Well she can’t fly yet so there isn’t that much I can teach her right now, right?”

“There is more to being a big sister than just teaching her your flying tricks.”

“Like I said, Twilight. That’s what her parents are for. Now if you will excuse me, I gotta train some more before the last sunlight goes away.”

With those words she left her three friends standing in the waiting room.
“That pony can really…. Urgh!” Twilight stomped the floor with a hoof in building frustration.

“Ah know, Twilight. She can be a tad too much self-centered.”

“A tad? She really needs to have her head brought down from the clouds.”

“While I agree with that, I do think there is a more pressing issue at hoof.” Rarity interjected.

“Scootaloo…. What was she thinking? And you said that it was the second time she did something like that today?”

Applejack simply nodded and was still thinking about the best course of action. Rarity spoke up.
“As much as I trust my little sister to convey to Scootaloo’s parents what happened today, I do feel that we maybe should also have a talk with them.”

“I agree. It’s best if one of you two do that. You are after all the sisters of her best friends. I think it will have more weight behind it if you talk to them.”

“Does either of ya know where she lives? Or who her parents are?” Applejack voiced that what she was thinking about.

“Err… quite frankly no. I do not recall ever to have asked Sweetie Belle about it. When it comes to school visits she goes there with mother and father of course. I thought you might know them.”

“Ah’ll take care of it. When Apple Bloom comes back this evenin’, Ah’ll ask her where that Scootaloo lives. Next thing tomorrow mornin’ Ah’ll pay them a visit.”
With the course of action decided the three friends departed from the hospital again and went on with their business.

_______________________________________________________________

It was dinner time at Sweet Apple Acres when Apple Bloom came back. Applejack decided she would wait until after dinner before confronting her little sister alone. As soon as the dishes were washed she made her way up to the filly’s room. Apple Bloom sat hunched over a book und looked up to see her big sister enter.
“Hey. Ah just wanted to know if ya’ll told Scootaloo’s parents what happened today and what they said.”

“We told them and they were worried and happy that nothin’ bad happened.”
The fact that Apple Bloom didn’t look her sister in the eye while telling her that, told Applejack that she wasn’t telling the entire truth.

“We all were worried, sugarcube. An’ that’s why Ah think Ah should have a talk with them as well.”
The filly froze for an instant.

“No, there is no need for that. Like Ah said we told them.”
Applejack came closer to where she was sitting.

“Ya know that ya can’t lie to yer big sister, right?” The filly now squirmed uncomfortably.
“Apple Bloom you wouldn’t want anythin’ bad to happen to yer friend, right?”

“No.”

“Then Ah need to talk to her parents.”

“Ya can’t.” Applejack raised an eyebrow in surprise at that response.

“Why not?”

“Ya just can’t.”

“Apple Bloom…. Ah am now gettin’ a might worried. If there is somethin’ Ah should know ya have ta tell me.”

“We promised her not ta tell anyone!”

“Listen here lil’ sis. What yer friend did today was really dangerous. Ah don’t want her ta get hurt anymore, so Ah have ta make sure that she is taken care of properly. Ah just wan’t to help her.”

She could see the inner struggle of the little filly and felt bad having to put so much pressure on her.

“Ya promise not to tell anyone?”

“Ah promise to help her anyway Ah can.”

Apple Bloom sighed.
“She lives…. She lives in the orphanage in town.”

Applejack let her head hang in sadness at the piece of information that she hadn’t reckoned with.

Comments

[Marauder15]

oh dear.

[Fluttershyisacutegal]

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