//------------------------------// // Part 1: Shelter From the Storm (The Bricklayer) // Story: Poison Whiskey // by The Bricklayer //------------------------------// "Not a word was spoke between us, there was little risk involved Everything up to that point had been left unresolved Try imagining a place where it's always safe and warm "Come in," she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm" Shelter from the Storm: Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks: 1975 Fluttershy's Cottage: A half hour earlier... Thunder rumbled as the rain pounded on the windows of the tree-home that comprised the cottage of the demure butter yellow pegasus mare known as Fluttershy. Actually, her full name, when being addressed via her married name was Fluttershy Breeze-Dash, or FlutterDash as the young drake known as Spike had snarkily remarked. Despite the really rather frightening weather which sent all of her animals flying to their homes for shelter, like the bunnies scurrying to their rabbit holes, or the birds to their nests, or the gophers to their holes, or the... Well, you get the idea. The only other animals inside the home, besides the two obvious ones of course, was Rainbow's pet tortoise, Tank, and Fluttershy's personal pet, Angel Bunny. Although, personally, Rainbow thought that bunny was anything BUT angelic. He looked sweet alright... On a plate in Rainbow's mind, not that she ever said this aloud of course. Now before you get confused, remember, pegasi are part bird, most likely of the falcon or eagle family trees so unlike most ponies they could have meat in their diet if they so chose to do so. Anyways, Angel had chosen to stay out of Rainbow and his guardian's way, as even he knew they deserved a night off to themselves. He'd even temporarily put off his long running feud with Tank, (Long story, basically it involved him beating the rabbit in a race. To this day, Angel still hadn't figured out how that had happened! He was faster then some dumb tortoise!) and frankly a rather one sided one at that as Tank couldn't care less about what the rabbit thought of him, just so neither pony would be angry with him or, quite possibly, get even subjected to Fluttershy's infamous Stare. Currently, very loud rock music centered on a certain Wonderbolts Captain was blaring from a radio to drown out the noise generated by the storm. Personally, it was certainly not to Fluttershy's tastes AT ALL but as for a certain rainbow maned pegasus on the other hoof... "Hot, hot, hotter then Hell!" Rainbow sang as she danced around the room with the radio in one of her hooves, Fluttershy having her ears covered by her hooves trying to drown out the noise. Personally, she didn't know which was worse. Rainbow's singing at the top of her lungs, or the thunder. "You know she'll leave you well done! Hot, hot, hotter then Hell!" Rainbow laughed before exclaiming loudly "Burning like the midday sun!" "Yep, I prefer the thunder better." Fluttershy mused to herself. she was not jealous about Rainbow singing a song dedicated to Spitfire, not one bit! As Rarity had taught her, a lady never gets jealous... Even if Fluttershy privately admitted to herself that Spitfire WAS an attractive looking mare. Just as the guitar solo started, Fluttershy's cheeks were flushing red either due to jealousy or the song's lyrics, Rainbow had put down the radio to mime playing a guitar and Angel ran into the room and pressed the off button on the radio.. "Thank you Angel Bunny, that's a good rabbit." Fluttershy beamed, and patted him on the head and fed him a carrot with Angel hopping off with a smirk on his face. Anything to keep the marriage alive and well, even if he didn't particularly care for the wife and to keep Fluttershy from becoming a miserable wreck and becoming a crazy old cat lady. He'd heard it could happen after a divorce. It was true... Or at least that's what Discord said, although now that Angel thought of it, anything that chimera said should be taken with a grain of salt. Quite a few grains, really. "Really, rabbit!?! I was enjoying myself!" Rainbow snapped as soon as that smug little meal-to-be hopped off before she noticed Fluttershy's expression, front two forelegs crossed and a rather red tinge to her cheeks. Rainbow chuckled, but Fluttershy failed to see the humor. "Aww, is my little Shy a bit jealous?" Rainbow asked teasingly before she gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "You know you're the only mare for me. Always have been, always will." Then, an idea struck Rainbow. "Hey, how 'bout a different song, something we can both dance to?" Rainbow suggested, and Fluttershy nodded. "Okay, but this time I'm choosing the song." She said firmly and switched the radio station over to another one and a softer, more slow sounding jazzy tune began to play as a female singer, Applejack's old friend Coloratura or Rara as she preferred to be known, began to croon out a tune. "Tonight, I'm going to have myself a good time, I feel alive and the world turning inside out, yeah, I'm floating around in ecstasy... So, don't stop me now." The singer and Fluttershy sung as she held out a hoof to Rainbow and they began to dance the gavotte, a dance which had taken quite a long time and some definite help from both Rarity and Ponyville's local dance teacher, Hoofer Steps, for Rainbow to master. She was just glad nopony besides those two and her wife knew that she knew how to dance classically. It would be the end of her reputation as she knew it! Soon, the song began to pick up and the singer became less soft in tone and more upbeat. "I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky like a tiger, defying the laws of gravity... I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva. I'm gonna go, go, go, there's no stopping me." The singer sung as Rainbow twirled Fluttershy around even as the thunder rumbled on and lightning flashed, but the two mares were lost in themselves as they pulled each other into a kiss and stumbled into the bedroom, still sucking on each other's lips as the song continued... "I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah Two hundred degrees, That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit, I'm trav'ling at the speed of light, I wanna make a supersonic man out of you!" Now... Rainbow blinked at the young pegasus filly she considered to be like a little sister to her standing at her wife's doorstep. She blinked again, just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Nope, still there. "R-Rainbow? What are you doing here?" Scootaloo asked in confusion before she facehoofed. "Oh, right, stupid you! She's married to Fluttershy! I'm such an idiot..." "Scootaloo, what the Tartarus are you doing out there in the cold rain?" Rainbow demanded, before she noticed Scootaloo flinch at the sheer volume of her voice. Rainbow was suddenly sent into a flashback. "WORTHLESS MARE! I don't know why I married you!" Rainbow shook away the memories before she took on a softer tone of voice. "Scootaloo, what's wrong? You should be with your parents, especially on a night like this." Scootaloo backed away in fright and whimpered out "No, no... Please Rainbow, I beg you, don't send me back there! I don't want to go back to them!" Rainbow noted Scootaloo's fear, why was she so afraid of her parents? The only possible reason that could be would... No, that just couldn't be. It just couldn't! She made sure Scootaloo was well kept for, and she always seemed so happy, the only time she ever showed this level of outright terror was during Nightmare Moon's return and their trip to Winsome Falls where Rainbow accidently scared her with the stories of the Headless Horse and the Olden Pony. "Come in Scoots, best you come in. That storm's raging." Rainbow said kindly as she let Scootaloo inside and put a towel around her to dry her fur and wings off as best as she could. "I... I know... A tornado nearly got me (Here she swallowed) k-killed by sending a tree through the Clubhouse windows!" Scootaloo whimpered out, still quite afraid of Rainbow and what she thought she might do. That very statement sent Rainbow's eyes as wide as saucers before she cursed and swore at the air, not caring if Scootaloo heard what she was saying, nor noticing how afraid Scootaloo was at the sheer volume of her voice. "Ponyfeathers, Cloud Kicker! I damn well told you not to make this storm too strong! And that definitely includes twisters on the do not create list! Tomorrow, I swear you'll be getting a good solid ass kicking from me that'll send you all the way to Detrot and being kicked off the weather team for a good solid month!" Rainbow roared in rage and fury, and by this time all the shouting had attracted Fluttershy's attention. "What's going on?" Fluttershy asked as she entered the room and Rainbow whirled around to face her, fury that Fluttershy had never before seen etched into her every feature. "I'll tell you what's damn wrong!" Rainbow roared, making Fluttershy take a step back. "Did you know Cloud Kicker made this storm strong enough for a damn tornado to start tearing up Sweet Apple Acres and nearly get my daug-little sister killed by sending a tree through her... clubhouse... window..." and Rainbow's fury subsided and her voice took on a slower tone as what she had just said slowly set into her mind, dearly hoping to Celestia Scootaloo hadn't noticed her little slip-up, and she turned to face Scootaloo, lowering herself down to her level and taking on a soft and caring tone of voice to the filly, who was still shivering in fright. "Scoots, why were you in the Clubhouse to begin with? What's wrong? We both promised we'd never keep any secrets from each other. Sisters don't do that." Rainbow asked softly, and inwardly she was cursing herself, as she was breaking her promise right now by keeping a very big secret from Scootaloo, who was definitely more than just a little sister to her. Scootaloo sniffled and then tears began to slowly stream down her face before the dam finally broke. "My... my parents... They hate me! THEY HATE ME!" Scootaloo wailed before she ran into Rainbow's chest and began sobbing heavily into it and Rainbow wrapped her wings around her in a comforting fashion. Finally the sobbing stopped and Scootaloo, her energy spent from sheer exhaustion and just from how her day had gone, collapsed on the floor. Fluttershy picked her up with her two front forelegs and placed the distraught filly onto Rainbow's back before they walked up the stairs to Fluttershy's spare bedroom. Rainbow, still in shock from what she had just learned, placed Scootaloo onto the bed and covered her up with the blankets. "What... What do we now?" Fluttershy asked in concern. Rainbow let out a snarl as she climbed into bed besides her "Little Sister" and snuggled up to her, knowing that the little filly needed the warmth and comfort of a REAL parent. "First, I'm going to protect Scootaloo for tonight and then, tomorrow I'm going over to her parent's home and give them both the ass kicking of their lives." Rainbow growled out before wrapping her forelegs protectively around Scootaloo, who unconsciously snuggled up to Rainbow's neck and whispered "Mama Dash..." Fluttershy let a tear slip from her eye and shut out the lights before closing the door with a soft click. Scootaloo needed her mother's comfort right now. Her REAL mother's comfort.