//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Rainbow Crusade // by TheRainbowDashShow //------------------------------// Raven Flame dragged a large rectangular box into the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse. The box was decorated with red and blue striped wrapping paper and a glinting golden bow-tie sealing the paper together. Pushing it into the corner with another stack of boxes she trotted over towards the record player and made sure it was working properly. Now convinced that the music had been taken care of, Raven then returned to setting up decorations. Lacing the walls and ceiling with shining silver streamers. She lifted the net that held down the dozens of balloons, letting them fly free to the roof. With the decorations in place she walked towards the window and positioned the rotating mirror she placed outside. The sunbeams bounced off the mirror and through the open window and caught on the streamers and balloons reflecting the golden light and scattering it throughout the walls in a dazzling display. Raven Flame looked around the room, making sure everything was perfect. She heard the sound of distant chattering coming closer to the tree house. Quickly Raven Flame turned on the record player and trotted outside, waving at the approaching ponies. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle waved back. Sweetie Belle was levitating a closed bakery box just a few inches away from her as they approached. "Where's Scootaloo?" Raven Flame called out. "She'll be here in a few minutes, Rainbow Dash wanted tah talk tah her." Applebloom answered back as she walked up the ramp. "Okay!" Raven Flame hopped back inside excitedly. The two fillies followed her inside and gawked at the display, "You did all of this?" Sweetie Belle stared as she mentally compared the display to the set she had made the day for the talent show. "Geez, usually we just have cake until we can't move." Applebloom blinked. Raven Flame laughed nervously, "I just wanted to make it special." "Well ah'll say." The two fillies trotted over to the corner and sat down in the chairs next to the small table. Sweetie Belle lifted the box of the lid and checked on its contents making sure it hadn't been damaged on the trip over. A gray Pegasus with blonde hair landed clumsily into the tree house crashing into the record player. Clutching an envelope in between her teeth she trotted over and dropped it by Raven Flame. Reading the envelope she quickly halted the retreating pony, "Derpy, this is for Pony Joe!" Derpy looked at the envelope a little confused and then retrieved a stack of envelopes from her mail bag, dropping most of them to the ground. Finally she sorted through them and handed out the proper envelope addressed to Scootaloo. She flew back out the window, knocking her hoof against the mirror as she took off. Raven Flame re-adjusted the mirror and placed the colorful envelope on top of the boxes. The three fillies tilted their ears when they heard the sound of hoof steps approaching. Quickly they all took places by the door. Scootaloo walked in, "Guys, I'm…" she stopped midsentence at the scene. "SURPRISE!" The three fillies shouted, jumping out behind her. Scootaloo jolted around, "You guys did all this for me?" she asked with a bright smile. Applebloom shook her head, "Naw. We just got the cake, Raven did everything else." Scootaloo grinned widely at Raven Flame, making a quiet squeaking noise of excitement, "Thanks guys." Raven Flame hid away her blushes as Applebloom and Sweetie Belle still weren't aware of the relationship she and Scootaloo had. Sweetie Belle hovered over one of the presents from the corner and dropped it near Scootaloo, "Happy birthday Scootaloo!" Scootaloo eyed the bright purple box and tore it open with her teeth, revealing a poorly sewn together pony jacket with only one sleeve. She couldn't help but laugh at Sweetie Belle's creation, "Thanks." She said with a goofy face. Applebloom eyed the box of cake in the corner of the room, "Yah'll sure yah don't want some cake?" she asked, her mouth watering a little. Scootaloo rolled her eyes, "Let's go have some cake then." Applebloom let out a cheer and dashed over towards the box and pushed open the lid. The cake had already been cut into equal slices back at the bakery. She picked up a piece and moved it towards her mouth and bit down at nothing. "Hey!" she cried out, looking at Scootaloo who had taken her slice. Scootaloo grinned and stuffed it into her own mouth, chewing as noisily as she could, "I wanted the first piece." She said her mouth still stuffed with the food. Raven Flame dragged the largest of the boxes with her towards the table and nudged Scootaloo, "Happy birthday." Scootaloo's eyes widened at the large box. Scraping a hoof at the bow she unraveled it and tore off the layer of paper. Beneath the paper, was yet another layer of paper, which she then tore off as well. After another five layers of wrapping paper an unmarked brown cardboard box was revealed. She pried open the flaps of the box and a wave of packing peanuts poured out. There was a loud clattering as a shining silver scooter with orange handle grips fell to the ground. Raven Flame smiled, "I thought you'd want a new one, since you lost yours a few months back." Scootaloo remembered the day where she nearly drowned on her trip Canterlot. The scooter had sunk to the bottom of the pond with everything else and she had no luck finding the place again since. She rubbed her hoof against the cool metal and bounced around joyfully, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squeaked. Raven Flame's began to giggle and her blushes broke through, "You're welcome." Scootaloo stopped jumping and turned to her with an almost ravenous look in her eyes. She charged at the giggling Raven Flame and tackled her to the ground, swarming her with kisses. Wrapping her forelegs around the black filly she paused for a moment to peer into her glinting blue eyes before placing one last deep kiss on her lips. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other awkwardly. Sweetie Belle leaned over to Applebloom, "She must really like that scooter." She whispered. Applebloom responded with a silent nod as she watched. Raven Flame looked over at the two staring fillies and squirmed herself free of Scootaloo's grasp. She let out a nervous laugh as she tried to think of a way to explain what was going on. Scootaloo noticed the stares as well and she knew there was no point in hiding it any longer, "Me and Raven Flame are sort of… marefriends." "Ohhh, that makes much more sense." Applebloom said. "I don't know why you guys didn't just say so." Sweetie Belle said taking a bite of cake. Raven Flame turned to Scootaloo, "Why didn't we just tell them?" she asked. Scootaloo shrugged, "I dunno, I just thought they might think it was weird I guess." "Ah guess yah fergot who mah sister is married too." Applebloom laughed, "Anyway, yah still have more presents!" Scootaloo unwrapped the remaining presents and piled the assortment of gifts next to her. After the last of the boxes were opened she reached for the single envelope and examined it. She tore open the seal and opened it, a single blue card falling out. She picked it up and read silently. "Whose it from?" Raven Flame asked peering over Scootaloo's shoulder. Scootaloo's good mood vanished as she read the card. Though it didn't bare any bad news of any kind, what bothered her was the pony that had sent it. She frowned, closed the card and tossed it into the pile of torn wrapping paper, "It's from my dad." Scootaloo rolled uncomfortably in the straws of hay as a ray of light pierced through the hole in the wooden doors of the barn. The place she could barely have called a house had been torn down. No pony was even aware that she had now been resorting to sleeping inside the barn of Sweet Apple Acres, nor did she want them to know she had stooped to such a level. She sat up and pushed out the hay bale that formed a crude kind of door for the small hut of hay that concealed her whereabouts. She started squirming through the hole, her stomach still felt bloated and heavy from eating too much cake. Taking a few quick glances she pushed herself out of the straw tunnel and unburied her scooter that hid nearby. Nudging open the barn door she rolled herself outside on top of her scooter. Propelling herself forward with her wings she bolted through the orchard. "Well howdy!" a voice called out from behind one of the trees. The noise distracted Scootaloo, she turned her head to see who was talking to her and crashed into one of the trees. Applejack trotted over, "Ah'm sorry sugarcube, yah okay?" she asked offering a hoof to help the filly up. "Yeah…" Scootaloo groaned rubbing her shoulder, "Is Raven awake yet?" Applejack tilted her head, "Yah didn't hear?" "Hear what?" "They re-opened the schools." Applejack looked at the shadows cast by the trees to gauge the time, "Ah reckon if yah hurry yah won't be too late." "Great." Scootaloo grumbled picking up her scooter. "Yer not goin' like that are yah?" Applejack asked, taking a tuft of Scootaloo's straw-filled mane. Scootaloo looked at her mane and a surge of panic shot through her. She quickly scraped out the hay, when finished bits of her mane flung themselves upward into the air. "It's not that bad." She said with a fake grin. Applejack laughed, "Yah look worse than a buckin' branco after a rodeo." She ruffled her hoof through the filly's mane and dropped her brown cowboy hat on Scootaloo's head. "Yah can borrow that, but ah want it back once yah finish with school for the day." "Thanks." Scootaloo muttered, accepting favors always made her feel a little uncomfortable. "Well, I should hurry." She said waving a hoof. "Be careful with mah hat!" Applejack shouted. "I will!" Scootaloo rushed through the dirt road and onto the cobblestone roads of Ponyville. The streets were packed with construction ponies and merchants hoping to sell goods to them. Ever since an unexpected Zap Apple Jam harvest the outside ponies had started to return. When the opportunity of money coming back to the town Diamond Tiara's father Filthy Rich, quickly took advantage of the business opportunity that was presented to him. To get things started, Filthy had personally financed the reconstruction of any buildings that had been ruined. When word that there were jobs back in Ponyville the ponies came flooding back. Soon everything from food to clothes was in high demand and the Fashion Boutique and Sugar Cube Corner reopened shortly after. Weaving through the traffic of ponies Scootaloo finally arrived at the school. It had been layered with a new coat of paint and the roof had been re-shingled. The school bell had also been changed out with a completely new and polished bell. Fluttershy was standing by the school windows, aligning flowers on side of the building. "Oh… Hi Scootaloo." Fluttershy said quietly when she heard the filly approach. "You know school has already started, right?" Scootaloo answered her back with a nod. Fluttershy plotted the flower she held in her hoof and approached Scootaloo, "You go to class, I'll take care of your scooter." Scootaloo smiled and rested her scooter against the wall. She opened the red door and trotted quietly inside, the entire class turned to stare at her. She gulped nervously and took the closest empty seat, the class still staring at her. Miss Cheerilee cleared her throat, "Children, I know Scootaloo has a nice hat on, but let's stay focused." She gave Scootaloo a reassuring wink. The class cast their gazes away from the orange filly and back at the front of the room. Miss Cheerilee trotted up towards Scootaloo's desk and gave her a pink piece of paper. It was the same thing the ponies at the start of every school year, the paper had a picture scribbled on it. The picture on the sheet matched the same picture of a sheet that had been given to some pony else in the class. The goal of the exercise was to make every pony interact with one another by trying to find the pony to which the sheet belonged to. The ponies with the purple sheets stayed at their desk while the ponies with the pink sheets found them and took their new seat by the pony's side. In Scootaloo's mind the activity was rather pointless as there were never any new ponies so they were all quite familiar with one another. "Okay every pony, go find your match." Miss Cheerilee said enthusiastically. Scootaloo looked at her paper, the picture of a feather imprinted on it with black ink. With a heavy sigh she pulled herself off the desk and slowly ducked her way through the ponies. She caught glimpse of the matching picture on some pony's desk. She trotted closer to find Diamond Tiara sitting there impatiently. "Here you go." Scootaloo said disinterestedly, dropping the paper onto the pony's desk. "Again?" Diamond Tiara grumbled this was the second time they had been stuck sitting together, "You know, sometimes I think Miss Cheerilee does this on purpose." Scootaloo took her new seat next to Diamond Tiara, "Not like I like it anymore than you do." "What's that supposed to mean?" Diamond Tiara hissed. "Nothing." Scootaloo answered rubbing her temple with a hoof, "Please kill me…" she whispered beneath her breath. "Well, I guess if we are going to be stuck with each other for another year, I might as well make the best of it." Diamond Tiara adjusted the crown on her mane, "Do you like my new Tiara? My daddy got it for me in Manehatten." Scootaloo groaned and started to bang her head against the desk, she found the painful thumps on her forehead easier to deal with than the filly's grating voice. "It's made out of real silver and real diamonds." Diamond Tiara continued to ramble on proudly. "They always look the exact same!" Scootaloo cried out hoping she would stop talking. Diamond Tiara let out a chuckle to make herself feel and sound superior, "That's because you don't understand anything about jewelry." The noise coming from the light-pink pony's mouth was becoming unbearable, "Maybe you can teach me how to properly wear a tiara so I can get a cutie mark just like yours." Scootaloo said over excitedly to show she was being sarcastic. Diamond Tiara looked at the orange filly's flank, "I see you still haven't gotten your cutie mark yet." she said snidely. Scootaloo just wanted her to shut up, one school year of being near her had been bad enough, let alone a second. The irritation the pink filly was causing her blocked out the filter in her brain, "I see you're still a stupid, annoying, spoiled pony." she remarked back without thinking. Diamond Tiara let out a shocked gasp, she sputtered for a few seconds. She couldn't think of anything to say back at the filly, so she flicked off the hat on top of Scootaloo's mane. She forced out a loud laugh at the sight of the mane, drawing attention to every pony around her. Every pony soon joined in the laughter with the exception of Sweetie Belle, Raven Flame and Applebloom. Diamond Tiara gave Scootaloo an evil grin and held out her hat, "I think you dropped this." She said innocently. Scootaloo snatched the hat out of the pony's hoof and placed it back on her own head. She plopped back into her desk and buried her face in her hooves as the ponies continued laughing. "Now every pony lets settle down!" Miss Cheerilee called out, the ponies still ignoring her. She made several more attempts to calm the classroom before she gave up. She blew into a small metal whistle, the loud ringing quickly silencing the class, "That's better." A few minutes passed and there was yet another loud ringing throughout the classroom. Miss Cheerilee looked up at the class, "Alright, recess." She said waving a hoof. Every pony squeaked excitedly and rushed out the back door of the class. "Scootaloo, can you stay behind for a minute?" Miss Cheerilee shouted through the noise. "I'll meet you outside." Scootaloo said nudging Raven Flame's hoof gently. The black filly trotted outside leaving the two ponies behind. "Are you okay Scootaloo?" Miss Cheerilee asked with concerned eyes. "I'm fine." Scootaloo answered in a casual tone. Miss Cheerilee retrieved a brush off of her desk and picked up the hat off of Scootaloo's mane and brushed vigorously at it, "If you want some pony to talk to, I'm always here for all of my pupils." She said sweetly. The purple mane finally submitted into a somewhat flattened state and she dropped the hat back on the filly's head, "Okay you're excused." "Thanks Miss. C." Scootaloo said trotting away quickly to avoid any further questions the pony might soon have. Looking around the school yard, she found Raven Flame with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle sitting in the shade of a tree near the chain-link fence. "What'd she want?" Sweetie Belle asked as the orange filly approached. Scootaloo shrugged, "Nothing." She said as she sat down next to them. "What happened to yer mane?" Applebloom asked while chewing noisily on an apple she withdrew from her schoolbag. "Nothing." Scootaloo repeated, "Do you ever stop eating Applebloom?" she asked with a laugh trying to keep the topic off of her. "Oh look it's the blank flank squad." Diamond Tiara said mockingly as she and Silver Spoon trotted up towards them. Raven Flame sighed, she hardly even knew the pony but after having seen how she treated Scootaloo she wasn't even going to consider giving the pony a second chance. She stood up off the damp grass and met the two ponies, "You know why you're cutie mark is a Tiara?" "Enlighten me." Diamond Tiara said sounding amused. "I'd be glad to." Raven Flame said with a smile, "Because you don't have a special talent, you are so pathetic that the thing you are best at is wearing a piece of jewelry. Guess you got so used to floating on life through daddy's money that you expect all you'll ever have to do is stand around looking pretty." "Oh please." Diamond Tiara scoffed, "You're just upset because I actually have parents who care about me. Your parents left you in an orphanage and abandoned you." "What?" Raven Flame shouted stamping her hoof angrily into the ground. A small fire was starting to build up in the back of her brain. "How do you even know that?" "I know everything that goes on in this town." Diamond Tiara said with a sneer, "For example, I know that you don't know how to fly. How sad is that?" "Shut up!" Raven Flame shouted, the flame growing even brighter inside the back of her mind. Diamond Tiara let out the same despicable grin she had earlier when she revealed Scootaloo's mane, "And you know what else? The only pony who even wanted you is a pair of filly foolers." she let out a chuckle, "Just like you." Raven Flame felt the anger in her skull nearly about to erupt. She did everything she could to fight the temptation. Diamond Tiara stood in front of her with an irritating smirk. The expression that covered the filly's face made it impossible for her to contain her emotions anymore. The rage exploded outward as a single swipe to Diamond Tiara's face. The filly fell to the ground clutching the purple swelling that was forming on her cheek and began to cry. Raven Flame felt her own tears starting to break free for the regret of what she had just done. She couldn't even bring herself to apologize to the pony for having hurt her. Turning away quickly she ran through the opening in the chain-link fence and away from the schoolyard, her three friends chasing after her. Raven Flame slowed down, stopping at a tree and sat herself on the dirt beneath the shade it provided, hiding her watery eyes behind her forelegs. "Go away!" she screamed at the three ponies approaching her. The three ignored her and came closer, "Are you okay?" Sweetie Belle asked. Applebloom swung a hoof around Raven, "Don't yah worry 'bout Diamond." "I thought that was awesome!" Scootaloo squeaked. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle gave her a disapproving look. "Err, I mean, yeah, are you alright?" "I'm fine…" Raven Flame sniffled, drying her eyes on her foreleg. "Is Diamond Tiara okay?" "Who cares?" Scootaloo grinned. "I care!" Raven Flame shouted, "I just wanted her to leave us alone, not clobbering her in the face…" "Well I'm sure she won't bother you anymore." Scootaloo said nudging Raven playfully. Raven Flame knew Scootaloo was just trying to make her feel better but the comment only made everything worse. It just made her feel like every pony should be afraid of her and shouldn't go anywhere close to her. "Just leave me alone." She said, standing back up and running away from her friends and towards Sweet Apple Acres. "Should we go after her?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Ah think maybe we should just let her be." Applebloom answered turning around back towards the school. Scootaloo stood still glancing at Raven Flame and then back to her friends walking back to the schoolyard. Finally she made her decision, "I'm gonna go with Raven." she said as she ran back to the schoolyard and retrieved her scooter from the rack where she had placed it and followed the pony's trail back to the orchards. Raven Flame reached the farmhouse and galloped inside, slamming the door behind her. The noise awoke the lazy Pegasus napping on the couch from within the living room. "School out early?" Rainbow Dash asked watching the pony storm up the stairs and the house shook with another door being slammed shut. Rainbow Dash stretched and hopped up onto her hooves and trotted up after her. Knocking on the door softly, "You okay in there?" she asked, but there was no answer. She pushed open the door and found Raven Flame crying with her head under the pillow. Rainbow Dash immediately felt uncomfortable as she always did when presented with a situation where she needed to show compassion and act like a parent. She walked over to the bed and sat next to the crying lump, "What's wrong?" "Nothing!" Raven Flame said quickly, she rolled over and looked at the disbelieving Pegasus looming over her, she took a short breath, "I don't want to talk about it." "Kay." Rainbow Dash thought for something she could do to make the filly feel better, "You wanna go practice flying?" she asked softly. Raven Flame perked up her ears, she always enjoyed their practice sessions even though they almost always resulted in her crashing into the trees, "Okay…" she sniffled. "Alright!" Rainbow Dash lifted her up giving a quick hug before plopping her gently on the floor, "Go head downstairs, I just need to get a few things." Raven Flame nodded and galloped down the stairs excitedly. Once out of the room Rainbow Dash trotted into her and Applejack's writing a quick note saying where she was going. When the note was finished she grabbed her saddlebag and coach hat off the floor. Rainbow Dash smiled, she decided she would try a different teaching approach today as her usual method had seemed to have completely halted her progression in the passing weeks. Hopping down the stairs she met Raven Flame at the door, "You ready?" "Sir, yes ma'am!" Raven Flame replied goofily with a salute. "Let's move out!" Rainbow Dash commanded. Raven Flame followed the Pegasus and noticed almost immediately they weren't heading to their usual spot, "Where are we going?" she asked a little confused. "Trying something new and we need more space than this." Rainbow Dash grinned, "Sorry squirt, no flying into trees today." "Aw shucks!" Raven Flame pouted, "But plucking out bits of bark from my feathers is my favorite part." She laughed. The two joked and laughed as they trotted absentmindedly to large grassy field, unaware that Scootaloo was close behind them. Walking up a steep hill once they reached the top Rainbow Dash dropped her saddlebag and opened it pulling out a Frisbee from with inside of it. Raven Flame tilted her head, "We're playing Frisbee?" "Sort of." Rainbow Dash stretched her neck muscles to get ready, "I'm going to throw it and you have to fly and catch it. If you don't catch it then I get to ask you a question and you have to answer it." Raven Flame saw where this was going, "Guess I'll just have to make sure I catch them then." She said confidently even though she had yet to stay airborne for longer than half a minute. "What do I get if I catch it?" Rainbow Dash smiled, "If you catch it five times, next time I'll let you wear the hat." "Deal!" Raven Flame ducked down, narrowed her eyes and extended her wings into the starting position she had seen Rainbow Dash use so many times after both her wings had finished healing. Rainbow Dash bit down on the disc, securing a tight grip on it. She twisted her neck towards her left and jolted back the opposite direction releasing the Frisbee as she did so. Raven Flame launched off the top of the hill after it. A breeze changed the direction of the Frisbee, it swerved around circling behind her. She tried turning, clumsily she dipped herself to far down and lost balance in the air spiraling downwards into the soft grass. She grumbled and shook out the bits of grass that caught in her mane and picked up the disc trotting back to Rainbow Dash. "So, how was school?" Rainbow Dash asked, taking the Frisbee back from her. "Bad." Raven answered back. "What happened?" "Hey, only one question per toss!" Raven cried out, hoping to avoid the topic as long as possible. "Fine!" Rainbow Dash gave the disc another throw and Raven Flame chased after it. Again Raven lost track of the disc and plopped back into the green grass. She trotted back with the Frisbee and rubbed her hoof against her knee. "You okay?" Rainbow Dash asked with concern. "I'm fine." Raven Flame let out a chuckle, "but that counts as a question." Rainbow Dash stared stunned at the filly who had so easily tricked her, "Fine!" she groaned and tossed the Frisbee again. Raven Flame returned yet again after another failure, knowing what she would be asked next she decided to just get it out there, "Diamond Tiara was making fun of me." She said with a frown. Rainbow Dash patted her gently on the head, "Don't let her bother you, that pony wouldn't know the difference between a quill and a chicken." Raven Flame giggled, but her depression quickly came back, "Let's go again." She said trying to take her mind off of it. Rainbow Dash released the Frisbee for the fourth time. Raven Flame flew off again, remembering the words Diamond Tiara spouted making her angrier. She flapped her wings hard and flew above the Frisbee and dived downward at it, catching it with her teeth and pulling back upward landing softly on the ground. Rainbow Dash clapped excitedly and trotted up towards her, "One of five." She said with pride in the filly. She thought a few seconds and tossed the Frisbee aside, "Why don't you just practice flying by my side for a bit." This had been something Raven Flame always wanted to try, but Rainbow Dash had only recently been in well enough health to actually fly again. She let out an excited squeak, "Okay!" she said with a grin. Rainbow Dash tipped off her hat and got into her take-off position and Raven Flame mimicked her. The two took off simultaneously, at first just flying straight forward, the black filly lagging slightly behind. Raven pushed herself harder and matched the blue Pegasus's pace. Rainbow Dash grinned and shifted herself upward, flying higher into the sky, "Try and catch me!" she called out below her. Raven Flame followed slowly starting to fall behind. She took a deep breath and continued flying upward, ignoring Rainbow Dash when she turned and leveled out. Without the hundreds of trees that she had to maneuver between she found flying wasn't nearly as difficult. Raven Flame kept climbing higher into the sky, finally she leveled herself out and dived back down after the unsuspecting Pegasus. With a smile spread across her face she dropped down directly into Rainbow Dash. The two crashed into the grass, Raven Flame giggling loudly, "Caught you!" she said in between breaths. "I knew you'd be a good flier." Rainbow Dash said poking Raven in her stomach before nudging her off, "But next time I won't go so easy on you!" she said with a grin. "She said my real parents abandoned me…" Raven Flame said unexpectedly. "Diamond said that?" Rainbow Dash asked feeling a new loathing for the pink pony. "She also called you and Applejack filly foolers." Raven let out a heavy sigh pushing back her own tears, "And me…" "What?" Rainbow Dash shouted, "What else did she say?" "Nothing." Raven said nervously. Rainbow Dash stared at her suspiciously, "Nothing?" "She didn't have a chance." Raven Flame looked away shamefully, "I hit her in the face…" Rainbow Dash burst out laughing, "Well she had it coming." Raven Flame let out a smile that faded just as quickly as it appeared, "Is this how every pony is going to treat me because of who I like?" she asked sadly. Rainbow Dash frowned and took the filly in her hooves, "Not every pony…" "But a lot of them?" Raven Flame asked bursting into tears again, dropping her head into Rainbow Dash's shoulders. "Yeah…" Rainbow Dash said gently petting Raven's back. A strong breeze blew past followed by the sound of a sneezing pony. Raven Flame heard the noise and trotted towards it. Scootaloo had been sitting there on the opposite side of the hill listening in to everything the two had been talking about. "Hi." Scootaloo said innocently. "I told you to leave me alone, not spy on me!" Raven Flame shouted. Scootaloo stood up and brushed the grass off of her, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay." "Well you could have done that when you were cracking stupid jokes instead of taking me seriously back at school." Raven said harshly. "What was I supposed to say?" Scootaloo cried out defensively. Raven Flame groaned irritably, she had no real answer and she wasn't really mad at Scootaloo, she was upset at Diamond Tiara and afraid of what might happen to them because of what she had done. "Sometimes I wish I didn't know you." She lashed out. Scootaloo frowned and picked up her scooter and pushed herself down the hill. She ignored the almost immediate apologies that chased after her. She propelled herself faster with her wings and bolted inside the barn of Sweet Apple Acres, hiding herself inside her small hut, pulling the block of hay in with her. Raven Flame pushed herself off the ground and flew after the orange filly that vanished out of sight. She stopped at the barn, the door still open and trotted inside. She peered around inside, checking the corners but found no pony in sight. She left the barn, and called out hoping Scootaloo might here her, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it…" The barn door creaked open, "Sugarcube, yah know yah don't have tah sleep in the barn." Applejack called out from the doorway. Scootaloo quieted and slowed her breathing to an almost complete stop. Her mane and tale were a tangled mess with the straw that littered the floor. Her eyes were red and puffy from having been crying. She didn't want to be seen looking like this, let alone found burrowing herself away in stacks of hay every night for a place to sleep. Applejack continued talking, "Ah know yer in here, ah saw yah go in the barn yesterday and this morning yah were covered with hay." Scootaloo still didn't budge. Letting out a heavy sigh she asked, "Can ah at least get mah hat back?" Scootaloo caved in and pushed out the bale and squirmed her way out from beneath hay. She dropped the brown cowboy hat and retreated back inside her hovel. Applejack picked up the hat with her teeth and flipped it into the air and onto her head. She kneeled down and peered inside, "Yah sure yah don't wanna come inside?" "No thanks…" Scootaloo answered quietly. Applejack frowned, "Why not?" "I just don't." "Raven already went tah sleep, so if yah change yer mind me and Rainbow Dash are staying up fer a bit." Applejack stood up and trotted back into the light of the stars outside. Scootaloo continued to lie inside her small hut, the bits of straw jabbing at her uncomfortably. The scratching of the hay irritated her skin and her muscles were cramping from the tight space. A few more minutes passed and she couldn't take it any longer and crawled out. Giving her legs a quick stretch she trotted out of the barn and into the cool night air outside. Pausing at the front door of the farmhouse, she plucked out the bits of straw from her mane and tale before giving them a quick pat down. She held her hoof a few inches against the door but quickly retreated. Walking back and forth on the porch she debated silently whether to take up the offer or not. With a loud grumble she stepped back in front of the door and knocked on it quickly before she could change her mind. Applejack pulled open the door and gestured for the filly to enter. She trotted inside the illuminated kitchen where Rainbow Dash was sitting and sipping from a glass mug filled with a foamy golden liquid. "Yah want some? Applejack asked, her hoof slid through the handle of a third mug. "If you don't want it, I'll always have yours." Rainbow Dash said hopefully. Scootaloo grinned and took a seat giving Applejack a small nod. "Aww…" Rainbow Dash whined as the mug was filled and slid over to the orange Pegasus. Scootaloo took a sip of the cider and set the cup back on the table, "Is Raven okay?" Rainbow Dash waved a hoof, "She's fine." Applejack lightly kicked Rainbow Dash, "She'd been in her room crying all day. She finally tuckered herself out and fell asleep about an hour ago." Scootaloo shifted her glance towards the table, "Oh…" Rainbow Dash giggled, "I still can't believe she hit Diamond Tiara." Applejack gave the blue Pegasus another disapproving glance, "Hush you." She said quickly. A mischievous grin formed on Rainbow Dash's face, "Make me!" she said playfully. Applejack raised an eyebrow, "Maybe ah will!" "I'd like to see you try." Rainbow Dash said sticking her tongue out. She let out a terrified squeak as the orange earth pony hopped out of her seat and tackled her. The two laughing gleefully as they smothered one another with their lips. Scootaloo blinked and waved a hoof at the two but they were far too distracted with one another. She quickly drank the rest of her cider and retreated into the dark living room, "I'm going to sleep on the couch, kay?" she asked but was given no answer. Scootaloo hopped onto the couch and stared blankly at the ceiling. The sound of Applejack and Rainbow Dash giggling while they clambered up the stairs clumsily, followed by the door shutting behind them. Another door opened and closed as well as another set of hoofsteps trotting down the stairs, "Scootaloo?" Raven Flame whispered. Scootaloo sat up and turned towards the staircase, "I thought you were asleep." Raven Flame walked towards the couch clutching a small stuffed pony toy and took a place next to Scootaloo. She kicked her hoof nervously at the wooden floorboards then tossed her forelegs around the orange Pegasus, "I'm sorry." "It's fine." Scootaloo said, not really wanting to talk about earlier. She returned the hug and dropped her head back onto the cushion. Raven Flame embarrassed she was still clinging onto her toy for comfort and had been for the past few hours. She quickly tossed aside her stuffed animal and it landed on a shifting yellow lump from across the room. "Scootaloo?" she asked quietly. "Yeah?" Scootaloo answered holding back a tired yawn. Raven Flame looked down at the orange Pegasus, "Can I stay out here with you?" "Yeah." Scootaloo repeated. Raven Flame lay down next to Scootaloo and wrapped her hooves around her. "Yah know some ponies are trying tah sleep!" Applebloom grumbled from across the room. "Why aren't you in your bed?" Raven Flame asked looking over towards where the voice originated from. "Cause yah locked me out of it, remember?" Raven Flame laughed uncomfortably, "Oh, sorry." "Would yah two keep it down, we've got P.E. tomorrow." Applebloom asked with a yawn as she dropped her head back down on the pillow she was resting on. "Sure." Raven Flame said quietly and turned her attention back to orange Pegasus, "Scootaloo, I've been thinking." she paused. "About?" Scootaloo asked. "Well we haven't actually…" Raven Flame paused again. Scootaloo was starting to grow a little impatient, "Haven't what?" "Do you want to go to Sugar Cube Corner with me tomorrow…" Raven Flame took a deep breath, "on a date…" The question shocked Scootaloo a bit, despite how long the two had been together; they had yet to have actually gone on a date together. She pressed her lips against Raven Flame's cheek and whispered back, "Okay."