As her scooter rolled down the snowy streets of Ponyville, Scootaloo thought excitedly to herself. She could not wait for her first flying lesson with Rainbow dash. She was hoping that today was the day that she was going to fly.
As she was reaching the frosty meadow where she was meeting Rainbow Dash, she slowed down her wings so she would skid to a halt. She hopped of her scooter and looked around. Rainbow Dash was no where in sight, but Scootaloo knew that she would not be standing there to long.
After all, Rainbow Dash is the fastest pegasus in Equestria, she thought to herself.
Scootaloo watched her breath billow out in little white clouds while she stood in the meadow, waiting for her teacher to arrive. She soon saw the familiar rainbow colored streak zooming towards her.
Rainbow Dash landed effortlessly on the cold hard ground, making Scootaloo's eyes fill with wonder.
"Ya ready, squirt?" she said.
"Of course I am!" Scootaloo replied, her tiny wings fluttering in excitement.
"Good. I promise I'll have you soaring through the skies with me by winter wrap up. After all, with me as your teacher, how could you not be?"
They got started right away. It started with Rainbow Dash lifting Scootaloo up in the frosty air, so that Scootaloo could feel the air currents moving around her body. They then came back down to the ground so that Scootaloo could do some exercises to strengthen her wings. And Scootaloo loved every minute of it. She felt as though she never wanted to go back to the orphanage, like she could be with Rainbow Dash forever.
Rainbow Dash drilled her again and again, until they took a break for some lunch. They were having daisy and dandelion sandwiches that Rainbow Dash made. They hadn't said much since they sat down so Rainbow decided to break the silence.
"Ya know what kid? I don't know why you didn't come to me sooner, I could of had you up in the air ages ago."
"Really? I never came because I thought you wouldn't want to teach me." Scootaloo said.
Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide and she spit out the bite of sandwich she was chewing.
"Why wouldn't I wan't to teach you! I love ya like a sister." Rainbow Dash said with a smile.
Scootaloo was so happy, she literally felt like heart was going to explode. She felt Rainbow's wing around her in a hug and she smiled even more.
She loves me like a sister, she thought blissfully to herself.
The warm embrace was held for a couple minutes. Rainbow Dash then let go so she could finnish her sandwich. Once both ponies were done, they shook the snow out of their fur. They spread out their wings and quickly got back to training.
It was getting late so Rainbow Dash decided to call it a day and go home.
"Hey kid, I think we've done enough for today."
Scootaloo's face fell. "But I want to stay and train more!"
"I know, but it's getting dark and I don't want you to get hurt."
"But Rainbow Dash!"
"Look, it's not like I don't want you to fly or anything, but I'm trying to keep you safe."
"But-"
"Look, I'm the teacher, and I'm doing what's best for you by ending this practice."
Scootaloo turned away from Rainbow Dash. "Ya know what? If you don't want to teach me then fine, I'll find somepony else to teach me."
Rainbow looked taken aback, but said nothing. Then Scootaloo did something she would soon regret. She started to run away. As she ran, she could feel the tears falling from her face. She knew that Rainbow Dash did still want to teach her and that she was over-reacting, but she felt as though no pony believed that she could ever fly. She could hear Rainbow Dash calling her in the distance, but she did not go back.
When Scootaloo reached the orphanage, she smashed through the front door, not caring that she just ran face first into a huge chunk of wood. She ignored the other kids greetings as she stormed towards the stair case. She bounded two steps at a time up the old wooden frame, trying to make as much noise as possible. When she got to her room, she flung herself onto her cyan blue bedsheets and buried her face in her pillow. Scootaloo could feel the pillowcase becoming wet on her cheeks but she didn't care. She didn't even notice when the head of the orphanage came in to tell her it was lights out. She soon fell asleep to the sounds of her sobs.
When Scootaloo woke up, she felt the dry tears on her face. She groaned.
"Why do I always have to act like such an idiot!" she angrily said to herself.
She quickly washed her face of in the bathroom and went downstairs to the dinning room to get some breakfast. She gulped down her oatmeal and orange juice and cleared her plate before heading out the door. When she opened the door, she smiled happily to herself. It had snowed while she was sleeping, which meant lots of wintery fun for her and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders, Applebloom and Sweetie Selle. She looked around for her scooter and groaned again. She had left it in the field where she and Rainbow dash were training. She hoped it hadn't gotten icy over-night. She started trotting threw Ponyville's bustling market towards the meadow. She was just exiting the market when she heard a familiar voice.
"Hey, Scootaloo, want ta come have a snowball fight with me and Sweetie belle?" called Applebloom.
Scootaloo turned around to see Applebloom running to catch up with her.
"Sure! I was heading over there any way to get my scooter."
Applebloom looked confused.
"Why would ya leave it there?" she asked.
Scootaloo blushed and started to rub the back of her neck.
"Well, ya see, I was training with Rainbow Dash yesterday and it was getting late and she said to stop but I didn't want to stop so I kinda had an outburst at her and I ran home. I guess I wasn't really thinking about my scooter at the time."
"Aw, well we can get it when we're over there. Let's go get Sweetie Belle so we can have a snowball fight!
When Scootaloo and Applebloom reached Carousel Boutique, they didn't bother knocking on the door. They barged in to the shop and yelled for Sweetie belle to come downstairs. However, instead of their fellow Cutie Mark Crusader coming down the steps, Sweetie Belle's older sister Rarity trotted towards them.
"Why hello girls." she greeted. "Are you looking for Sweetie Belle?"
"Yeah!" replied Applebloom. "Is she home?"
"I'm sorry girls, but she's at Sugarcube Corner getting some pastries for lunch. However, you two are welcome to stay in here away from the cold until she comes back."
"Ok!" said the two fillies in unison.
"How about you two sit right here while I go get you some hot chocolate. Would that be good?" Rarity asked.
"Oh that would be awesome!" said Scootaloo.
As Rarity left the room to get some cocoa, Scootaloo and Applebloom's eyes wandered around the room. They saw lots of wool coats and fluffy parkas of every color for the frosty season. There were hats and scarves and fluffy boots too. Something in paticular caught Scootaloo's eye. It was just a rainbow striped scarf, but the thing that Scootaloo loved about it was that the orange stripe was really fat compared to the other colors and also that it was the same color orange as her coat. It also kind of reminded her of Rainbow Dash's mane. Just that made her tear up. She slapped herself.
No, Scootaloo, stop thinking about Rainbow Dash.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Rarity's return with the hot chocolate.
"Here you go girls. Now-," Rarity started but was soon cut of by the sound of a door slamming open.
"Hey Rarity, I was wondering if you had that scarf that I asked for." Rainbow Dash said as she flew threw the door.
"Why of course I have it Rainbow Dash. I always get my orders done on time. Now you go sit by the girls while I get it for you."
Scootaloo's heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach. She did not want to face the shame her idol would bring her. She had to get out of there.
"ThanksforthehotchocolateRaritycomeonApplebloomletsgogetSweetiebellegottagobye!" she said as she bolted out the door, dragging Applebloom in her wake.
Rarity and Rainbow Dash just stood there and blinked. After a few minutes Rarity broke the silence.
"What was that all about?" she asked Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash snapped out of her stupor and thought for a moment.
"I was helping train Scoots yesterday and when I told her that we had to stop she flipped out and ran away. I dunno why though. I think she's afraid to talk to me now cause she thinks I'll be mad or something." she replied. Inside, the sisterly gears in her head were turning.
I hope Scoots comes to talk to me soon. I don't want her to be like this forever, she thought.
When Scootaloo finally let go of Applebloom, they had reached Sugarcube Corner. She took a moment took smell the sweet aroma drifting threw the frosty air. Her moment of bliss was cut short when Applebloom slapped her across her muzzle.
"What in tarnation was that for!" she said angrily.
"Sorry Applebloom, I just had to get away from Rainbow Dash. I don't want her to be mad or anything." Scootaloo replied as they walked into the familiar bakery.
They looked around the room and soon spotted Sweetie Belle paying Pinkie pie at the counter.
"And here is your muffins and your change!" said Pinkie Pie.
"Thank you! This looks delicious!" replied Sweetie Belle.
"Hey! Sweetie Belle! Come over here!"
Sweetie Belle turned around and saw Applebloom and Scootaloo by the door waving at her to come over. She made her way threw the horde of ponies by the counter and stopped when she reached her friends.
"Hey! What are you guys doing here?" she asked them.
"We were lookin' ta find ya and Rarity told us that ya were here!" Applebloom replied.
"We wanted to know if you wanted to have a snowball fight!" said Scootaloo.
"That sounds like so much fun!" Sweetie Belle said, "But can we stop at Carousel Boutique first? I have to give Rarity her breakfast."
"Sure we can!" said Applebloom
Scootaloo's hopes sank. She still wasn't ready to face Rainbow Dash, and because Rarity was Rarity, she knew that any trip to Carousel Boutique takes a long time.
"Okay..." she said with uncertainty.
When the three young fillies got back to the boutique, the sounds of a door opening and two very familiar voices met their ears. When Scootaloo heard this, she jumped into a bush on the side of the road.
"Thanks again for the scarf Rarity, I really needed it." said Rainbow Dash
Scootaloo peered through the thick branches of the bush to see her idol wearing the same scarf that Scootaloo had liked in the boutique.
"Why it was no problem, darling. It does seem like it would get cold when one is flying around in these temperatures" said Rarity
"It's actually not as cold as you would think. Ya see-"
"Hey Rarity! I brought your muffins from Sugarcube Corner! And guess what? They're still warm!" Sweetie Belle called.
Sweetie Belle ran up the path to the entrance of Carousel Boutique and dropped the muffins at Rarity's hooves. She was just turning to leave when Rainbow Dash called to her.
"Hey Sweetie Belle!"
Sweetie Belle stopped and looked back.
"Yeah?"
"Have you seen squirt today? I was looking for her."
Sweetie Belle was about to reply that she had when a pair of orange hooves came out of a bush and made an X, as if they were telling her to say no.
"Uhh...No I haven't, sorry Rainbow Dash." she said confusedly.
Rainbow Dash looked a upset for a moment, before saying a quick "no problem kid" and zooming off.
Sweetie stared at the spot where Rainbow Dash had been, before shrugging and running back to her friends.
The 3 fillies ran until they reached the meadow. The snow was thick on the ground, and up in the sky it looked as though Ponyville would be expecting a blizzard soon. As Scootaloo looked around for her scooter, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle decided the rules of the snowball fight. Each filly would get a part of the field and would have 5 minutes to build a fort and gather ammo. You were out if you got hit. Last pony standing would win.
Scootaloo decided to take the area of the meadow by the lake as her territory. Applebloom took the area by the trees, and Sweetie Belle took the rocky part of the field. They all started building their forts immediately. After 5 minutes, the game begun.
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle shared a glance, then looked at Scootaloo.
"Ready, Aim, Fire!"
Scootaloo was pelted with snowballs from both sides, pushing her back towards the edge of the lake. She turned around and ran out onto the ice.
"Ha! you can't catch me!" she yelled back at them.
Crack
"Scootaloo! Look out!" yelled Applebloom.
Scootaloo felt the ice give way beneath her. She screamed as loud as she possibly could. As she fell into the freezing waters, she looked up just in time to see a rainbow streak pass by.
That feeling was pulsing through Rainbow Dash's veins. It was running through her mind. As she waited for the results, the past hour played like a movie in her head.
Rainbow Dash was in her element. Soaring through the sky at record-breaking speeds. She was on her way to meet her friends at Sugarcube Corner. All was well until she heard that scream that chilled her bones colder than the frosty air she was flying through.
She looked down to see an orange blur disappearing into the depths of the lake, with Sweetie Belle and Applebloom screaming at the edge. She dove down, slicing through the air at the speed of sound, no, faster than that, she flew at the speed of light. She did not slow down as she hit the icy water. She kept her eyes fixated on Scootaloo's sinking body, as she watched the little fillies eyes close. She ignored the icy cold water that was freezing her insides. She swam down deeper, deeper, into the depths of the lake, until she could grab Scootaloo. With a huge flap of her wings, she pushed against the water and shot up like a rocket. When she reached the surface, she took a big gasp for air before nodding at Applebloom and Sweetie Belle to follow her as she took of towards Ponyville hospital.
She flew as fast as she could, ignoring the water starting to freeze on her wings. Within less than thirty seconds, she barged through the hospital doors.
"Somepony! Help! This filly just fell into a lake!
Immediately two nurses came out with a stretcher and gestured for Rainbow Dash to put Scootaloo on it. She did as she was told and then sat down on a chair.
"Miss?" the nurse said, "Your wings are completely coated in ice. Can you please come with me so I can help you?"
Rainbow Dash looked at her wings and only then realized how bad of a condition they were in. They were fully coated in a thick layer of ice and when she tried to flap them, all she got was a numb feeling in her sides. The only thing that was preventing the ice from coating her upper back was the heat from the hospital. She got up slowly, dragging her hooves against the ground as she walked through the stark white corridors. The nurses cleaned her off and bandaged her wings, but the normally confident young pegasus did not complain. She filled out her treatment paperwork with a dull expression on her face before sitting down in the same chair as before.
She had not moved since. All she wanted to hear was what had happened and if Scootaloo was going to be okay. She didn't even care that the nurses said that she couldn't fly for two days. She just sat there, stoically staring at her hooves.
"Um...Rainbow Dash?"
She looked up. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were standing in front of her, both wearing sad expressions on their faces.
"Uh...We wanted ta tell ya tha' we're really sorry that Scootaloo fell in the lake. It...It t'was mah fault tha' it happened." Applebloom said with tears in her eyes, "Ah was the one who said tha' we should have a snowball fight down bah th' meadow." The young filly looked down at her hooves, her teardrops falling on the floor.
Applebloom felt a hoof on her face and she glanced upwards. Rainbow Dash stared deep into her eyes, with a passion like no other.
"Applebloom," said Rainbow Dash, "You are one smart filly, but I don't ever wan't you to blame yourself for an accident you didn't cause. Ya hear me?"
Applebloom nodded with big sorrowful eyes.
"Now, can you tell me what happened?" she asked.
Applebloom took a long deep breath before replying.
"Earlier today Ah saw Scootaloo in th' market and Ah asked her if she wanted ta have a snowball fight. She said yes so we went and got Sweetie Belle and then we went down to th' meadow. Scootaloo got th' area of the meadow bah the lake and when Sweetie and me started ta pelt her wit' snowballs, she backed up onto th' lake. The ice must have been too thin and, well...y'all know the rest." Applebloom looked back down at her hooves.
Rainbow Dash knew how hard this must be for Applebloom, so she swept up her and Sweetie Belle into a warm hug. They sat there for a minute, not moving, just hoping that their friend was alright. Their embrace was interrupted by Nurse Redheart, who was holding a clip board and had a grim expression.
The three quickly untangled themselves and looked at her expectantly.
"I am very sorry to say this," she said sympathetically, "but Scootaloo is in a deep coma. If you wish to see her, she is in room seven on the second floor."
Rainbow Dash's heart split into thousands of tiny shards. She sprinted up the stairs to the second floor. She raced down the hall to room seven. She skidded to a halt outside the door.
How could this happen! she thought angrily to herself. She doesn't deserve this to happen to her! This shouldn't of happened! Agghh! I should have gone after her yesterday in the meadow! This is all my fault
She quietly opened the door, and peeked inside. From where she stood, she could only see a half drawn curtain and the end of a bed. She slowly walked into the room, her eyes shut in fear of what she would see when they were opened. She took a deep breath and let herself look.
The small limp body was placed on the pillows so it looked like Scootaloo was sleeping. Her tiny wings were folded up against her sides, and her mane was in it's usual messy stated. Her forelimbs and chest were covered in monitors and she had a tube going in her nose. Rainbow stood there an blinked, not sure how to react, the only sound being the ever constant beeping coming from the heart monitor. She blinked one last time before falling foreword to bury her face into Scootaloo's mane.
She sobbed into the purple silkiness, creating enough water to fill a well. She sat there and sobbed until after dark, after it was to late to fly back home. She stayed their all night, not caring that she was hungry and tired, just wanting Scootaloo to be okay.
Rainbow Dash came to visit Scootaloo every day after the accident. She would only leave the hospital to go to work or to go home to sleep. One night after a long day of stroking Scootaloo's mane, Rainbow Dash flopped down onto her bed. She was slipping into sleep when a thought occurred to her.
Why have I never seen Scootaloo's parents at the hospital?
The next day when Rainbow Dash went to the hospital, instead of going straight to Scootaloo's room, she stopped at the front desk. She pushed the assistance button and waited until a nurse came.
"Yes?" the nurse asked.
"Uhh...hi. I was wondering if you could tell me who Scootaloo's parents are. I come in here everyday for as much time as I can but I have never seen them. Could you look it up for me?" she replied.
The nurse stepped away from the desk and walked over to a file cabinet. She put her hoof to her chin and thought for a moment before reaching towards the top row. She pulled out a large yellow envelope and walked back over to Rainbow Dash. She sorted through some papers before pulling a few out and clearing her throat.
"Scootaloo Breezeblower. Class, Pegasus. Daughter of Nimbus Breezeblower and Lightshock Breezeblower. Status, Orphan."
If Rainbow Dashes heart hadn't already been broken in half, it would have exploded into dust. She could not believe how lonely Scootaloo must be.
"How long has she been an orphan?" she said with a crackling voice
"Since she was two years old."
"Thank you for your help," she said. She turned away from the desk and walked down the hall to Scootaloo's room. She peered in, took a deep breath, and turned away. She walked back down the hall before asking the mare at the desk one question.
"Where exactly is the Ponyville orphanage?"
Monitor was very excited. It was his first day working at the hospital. He had just gotten out of med school and he was glad he had, because even though he passed his tests, he still didn't think he was ready to treat anything big yet. He was walking down the corridor checking on patients. As he passed each room, he thought of the condition each pony had.
Flying Acciedent. Sprained front hoof and two broken ribs.
Out of control carriage. Concussion and broken back hooves
He looked into the last room in the hall. There was a small orange filly lying in the bed. Monitor felt a pang of sympathy for her. She looked no more than 10 years old.
Fell threw the ice during a snowball fight. He thought to himself. No external damage, but has been in a coma for a little over a month. He turned to go and was closing the door when he thought he noticed something. He gasped. No, it couldn't be! He walked back into the room just to make sure.
Sure enough, one of the fillies hooves had started to twitch.
Scootaloo could only hear muffled sounds. She could not move her hooves, or open her eyes for that matter. She could her rapid thudding and a stallion yelling. She could also hear the constant beeping that came from a heart monitor. But she didn't pay any mind to the sounds. She could only think one thing.
What just happened?
Rainbow Dash was feeling better. She had just made a decision she hadn't thought she would make for a while, a few years at minimum. She was just about to hand her papers to the mare at the desk when a young stallion burst out of the hospital corridors. He looked around franticly for a minute, but when his eyes landed on Rainbow Dash, he pulled himself together and started briskly trotting towards her.
"Excuse me? Are you Miss Dash?"
She nodded, a confused expression on her face.
The stallion smiled. He took a deep breath before stating words that Rainbow Dash would never forget.
"I think I have something you may want to see."
Rainbow Dash followed Monitor at a brisk pace down the halls. When she reached room seven she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. And she pushed open the door.
Rainbow Dash peered inside to see the thing that would be the light and joy for the rest of her life. There, on the bed, wide awake, was Scootaloo.
Rainbow Dash rushed into the room and wrapped her forelegs around Scootaloo's small warm body, tears of joy streaming down her face. She sat there, sobbing into Scootaloo's orange coat, not even noticing when Scootaloo started sobbing as well. They sat there for longer than either of them could remember, just being happy to have each other back. After a long while, Rainbow Dash looked up into Scootaloo's bloodshot lavender eyes.
"I missed you Scoots," she said, her voice quivering.
"I missed you too"
Rainbow Dash spent the next few days telling Scootaloo about all the stuff she missed out on, like how Derpy raided Sugar Cube Corner's entire supply of muffins, or how Rarity had gotten a huge new contract and was constantly working. She just left out one tiny, well, not really that tiny, thing. But, Rainbow Dash couldn't hide her secret from Scootaloo forever. The walls all came crashing down when it was time for Scootaloo to be checked out of the hospital.
"Um, excuse me, Miss Dash?"
Rainbow Dash stopped her animated conversation with Scootaloo and looked towards the door. She saw the young stallion from the other day, Monitor, she thought, standing at the door with a clipboard in his magical aura.
"Yes?" she said.
He looked at his clipboard and flipped through some papers. "I need you to come with me to the front desk to fill out some paperwork. It is time to check Scootaloo out of the hospital."
Rainbow Dash looked back at Scootaloo, as to say 'we will finish this conversation later', before getting up and following Monitor out of the room and down the bleached white corridors.
When she reached the front desk, she saw a mountain of paperwork sitting on the counter.
Please, please, please, don't say that's for me, Rainbow Dash silently begged.
"Rainbow Dash, could you come here and fill all these out for me please?"
She rolled her eyes and sighed before turning to the stack of papers a mile high. Just my luck. This could take a while.
Scootaloo sat in bed, a confused expression on her face. As a nurse came in and started to make sure everything was in order for her to leave, Scootaloo thought to herself.
Why would they ask Rainbow Dash to fill out my release paper work? Wouldn't they ask someone from the orphanage to come pick me up?
The nurse turned to her and nodded, telling Scootaloo that it was alright to get out of the bed and into the wheelchair. With great effort, Scootaloo sat up and swung her stiff hind legs over the side of the bed. She slowly lowered herself down onto the linoleum floor tiles, recoiling at the cool touch. She took a deep breath and slowly lowered herself again so that she could put all of her weight onto her hooves. Once she was fully on the ground she let out her breath. She hobbled over to the wheelchair and plopped herself into it, glad to be off of her hooves. She didn't like the unsteady sensation she was having. The nurse wheeled her down the hall and towards the front desk, where the top of Rainbow Dash's mane could be seen behind a huge pile of paper work.
Yeesh, thought Scootaloo, That is one heck of a lot of paper work.
The nurse wheeled Scootaloo over towards Rainbow Dash. As Scootaloo approached, Rainbow Dash glanced up from her work.
"Oh hey Kiddo! Just give me a minute to finish filling all this stuff out and then I can take ya home." Rainbow said as she returned her gaze to the paper.
Scootaloo's heart almost stopped.
Ohhhhh no no no no no no no. Rainbow Dash can not take me home! Ohhhh this is bad, this is very, very, bad. She can't find out I live in an orphanage. She'll think I'm even less cool than she already does. What am I going to do!!!! Scootaloo frantically thought to herself. She glanced around and started sweating out of nerves. She didn't notice that Rainbow Dash had finally finished her paper work and was now staring at her with mild interest.
"Whatchya freaken' out for Kiddo? I'm just taking you home. Its not like its a big deal or anything…" Rainbow Dash trailed off. Her face contorted into a series of different expressions, as if she was having an internal conversation with herself.
"Oh Nothing nothing…" Scootaloo nervously replied, still sweating like she was in an oven.
"Well come on then! Time is a wasting'!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed before wheeling Scootaloo out the hospital doors and into the bright sunlight.
The sunlight was torture on Scootaloo's eyes as she was wheeled outside by Rainbow Dash. After her eyes adjusted, she took a minute of silence. She took a deep breath.
"Rainbow Dash?"
"Yeah kiddo?"
"I can't let you take me home."
The wheel chair stopped moving.
"Why not? I mean, it may take a little bit of time to get used to but, come on, I'm sure you will like it…" Rainbow Dash trailed of into mutterings that sounded like 'what if she doesn't like' and 'what will I do'. Scootaloo just looked at her with a confused and scared face. She took a deep breath.
"I live in an orphanage, thats why. I don't want you to see what I have had to live like everyday for as long as I can remember. I can get home myself."
What Rainbow Dash did next was probably the most surprising thing Scootaloo had ever seen. She laughed. She didn't look shocked, or show pity, like the few people Scootaloo had told. She laughed. When Rainbow started to calm down, she turned to look at her.
"Thats what you were worried about kiddo? I already knew that! Oh, gosh, I thought you just didn't like my house or something'!" She started cracking up again. Scootaloo's eye's widened in anger and confusion.
"What!" she spluttered, "Why would your house have anything to do with the orphanage? The only way your house would now be mine was if-" She stopped abruptly. She could feel her heart beating in her chest. She could feel her eyes start to water.
"You adopted me?" she asked, her voice weak and quivering. Rainbow nodded.
Scootaloo could not express the joy she was feeling. She felt like if she jumped out of the wheelchair she would never come back down. Her smile was as wide as the ocean of tears she was crying. She hugged Rainbow Dash so tight that Rainbow had to tell her that she was having trouble breathing. When she let go, she looked deep into Rainbow's eyes. Rainbow stared back, until a look of realization and something that looked like sheepishness came onto her face. She pulled out a gift bag from Carousel Boutique and handed it to Scootaloo.
"This is for you," she said, "I meant to give it to you on the day your fell through the ice, but well…I couldn't exactly. It's a little late in the season, but I still thought you would want it. You can open it now if you like."
Scootaloo took the bag and started to unwrap the green tissue paper. When she finished, she could not believe her eyes. Inside the bag was the same scarf that Scootaloo had noticed that day, the one with the fat orange stripe. She looked up at Rainbow Dash.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"Your welcome, squirt. Now, lets take you to your new home." she said.
And with that, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash headed to Rainbow's cloud home, with the last signs of snow trailing in their wake.
