“Scootaloo, help!”
Rainbow’s cries permeated the Everfree, ricocheting off trees and startling birds. Scootaloo doubled her efforts, her hind legs beginning to cramp as she galloped at full speed down the twig-laden path. As she neared a clearing, Rainbow’s voice seemed to be getting louder, becoming more and more audible against the thundering of Scootaloo’s hooves on the ground.
She shot through a few loose vines into the clearing, looking left and right, but Rainbow was nowhere to be seen. Scootaloo wiped the sweat from her brow and broke out into a gallop for a second time, now noticeably slower. She ran through some more damp vines into another path out of the clearing, from which Rainbow’s voice seemed to be emanating.
“Scoota… plea…” Rainbow’s voice broke through in a garbled mess, getting quieter and quieter. Scootaloo yelled out in pain as she burst through a thick layer of sharp brambles, her body covered in small but numerous scratches, many of which drew blood. Her eyes began to defocus, and she stumbled, but just as she was about to pass out she caught a glimpse of bright cyan fur at the end of the track.
“I’m coming Rainbow!” Scootaloo yelled, more than a little unsure as she shook her head, steeled herself and focused on the clearing, ignoring the burning in all over her body as her muscles ran on vapor.
“mmm… Rainbow…”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes immediately opened, as she sat up on her cloud bed groggily.
“Scootaloo? You okay?” Rainbow half sighed half whispered, hoping the kid would just go back to sleep and leave Rainbow in peace. She heard no reply for a few seconds, but then the rustling of sheets and further mumbling of her name met her ears. Rainbow blinked, still only half awake, but then as realisation hit her she scrambled to her hooves and jumped off her bed.
She landed softly right next to a quivering sleeping bag, the silky clouds meeting her feet in complete silence. As she peeled away the damp mane plastered to Scootaloo’s face, she gasped in shock. Rainbow hated seeing anybody, especially her friends upset. But her sister was there, right in front of her, tears rolling down her face as she writhed about in a cold sweat begging for her help. And there was nothing she could do.
“Don’t worry ‘sis, I’m here for you,” Rainbow whispered with a voice softer than Fluttershy’s, as she gently stroked Scootaloo’s mane and tried to dry off some of the sweat covering her face. But it did nothing, nothing at all to calm Scootaloo, whose eyes were still racing under their lids and legs were still twitching erratically under the covers.
Scootaloo’s wings were buzzing at an almost ultrasonic frequency; anything to help her move just a hair faster, anything to get her to Rainbow quicker. Her muscles screamed for her to stop, her legs threatening with seizing up, but she ignored it: she had to get there in time.
Scootaloo barrelled into the next clearing, and froze; Rainbow’s slashed and disfigured body lay lifeless infront of her. Her eyes lay open, glazed over, her stomach had three deep gashes across it, and her rump was marred with blood.
An evil, lupine collection of sticks, branches and logs stood over Rainbow’s body, sinking its sharp, jagged teeth into Rainbow’s cutie mark. Scootaloo, trembling, screamed at the top of her lungs, but no noise came out. She turned on the spot and bolted in the other direction, tripping hard on a thick tree root.
Scootaloo tumbled to the ground, clutching her painful kind leg. Immediately the timberwolf’s head snapped up, accompanied with the sound of a tree branch being broken as its sickly green eyes boring into her soul. She tried to get up, but her legs seized up underneath her as she fell to the ground for a second time.
With the timberwolf slowly stalking towards her, audible cracks getting louder and louder with each step, its teeth bared, Scootaloo closed her eyes tight, shrinking into a ball as she hugged herself tightly with her front legs.
The cracking stopped, and Scootaloo dared to crack open her eyes and take a peek, gasping in terror. The timberwolf stood directly in front of her, the condensation of its breath visible along with every single crack along its body. It leant back, smiling for a brief moment as it enjoyed the terrified expression of its victim, until it lunged forwards, mouth open.
Scootaloo jolted awake, gasping for breath. Rainbow took one look at her dilated pupils and swept her up into a tight embrace, holding her above the ground.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that Squirt, but I’m here for you,” Rainbow spoke quietly into Scootaloo’s neck as she softly stroked her back, her voice slightly muffled by Scootaloo’s mane. Scootaloo pulled back, her brow furrowed as she looked back into Rainbow’s concerned eyes with a mixture of shock and confusion.
Rainbow’s expression lightened, at the glimpse of hope that maybe Scootaloo had forgotten the nightmare. She looked away, but Scootaloo soon began to recall parts of her nightmare. At first, a few stray tears rolled down her face, matting her orange fur in ugly streaks, until eventually she remembered the worst part, that image of Rainbow’s bloodied lifeless body.
Scootaloo’s gaze returned to Rainbow’s big magenta eyes, and she began to sob softly, diving back into Rainbow’s embrace and wrapping her forelegs tightly around Rainbow’s neck. Rainbow felt her pain, and hugged Scootaloo back as tightly as she could without hurting her.
“Oh Scoots…” Rainbow choked up, trying her best to stay strong for Scootaloo. But how could she, seeing a filly who was always so bright and energetic, so happy, reduced to mere sobs in her arms.
“It was so awful!” Scootaloo bawled into Rainbow’s chest between sobs. Rainbow melted, doing everything she could to stop her own tears.
“I know Scoots, I know,” Rainbow replied as softly as she could. She broke the hug and placed Scootaloo back on her cloud-patterned sleeping bag.
“Do you wanna talk about it? It’ll make you feel better,” Rainbow said gently, still affectionately stroking Scootaloo’s mane. Scootaloo shook her head violently in response. “Well, do you wanna go back to sleep?” Rainbow asked, already knowing the answer. Scootaloo shook her head even more violently in response.
“So what do you wanna do then Scoots, I’m out of options here,” Rainbow chuckled softly. Scootaloo, still whimpering, began to finally speak up.
“I t-think I’ll just n-n-need s-some air” she managed to get out, putting her on bravest face for her sister. “If that’s cool,” she added quickly, desperately trying to stem her tears. Rainbow noticed right away, sighing.
“Scoots, why are you trying to act so tough for me? You had a nightmare! A really bad one! Just let yourself go, you’ll feel better!” Rainbow exclaimed, waving about her arms for effect. Scootaloo pouted back, struggling to meet her sister’s gaze, and sighed.
“I bet you never have nightmares…” Scootaloo grumbled, looking hopefully up at Rainbow. Rainbow facehoofed and chuckled slightly.
“Scootaloo,” she started, taking a more serious tone. “Everypony has nightmares. Everypony” she said matter-of-factly, but Scootaloo still didn’t seem to care. “Squirt, I have nightmares too.” Scootaloo’s eyes went wider, a slight smile forming on her face. “And I cry after some of them too,” Rainbow quickly added. Scootaloo chuckled in response, her smile growing a bit wider, and her tears all but gone.
“So, do you wanna sit on the cloud outside then?” Scootaloo nodded. “I’ll meet you outside with some cocoa?” Rainbow added, a loving smile on her face. Scootaloo paused.
“Actually Rainbow, would you mind if I stay with you while you make the cocoa?” She got out, her voice hoarse and raspy. Rainbow threw her a confused look.
“What kid, don’t you know how to make cocoa?” Rainbow chuckled, but Scootaloo winced.
“I just don’t really want to be alone…” Scootaloo replied, her voice almost a whisper. Rainbow facehoofed and kicked herself. Her expression softened as she looked back down at Scootaloo.
“Sure Scoots,” she said passionately. Scootaloo’s wince vanished, an ear-to-ear smile replacing it.
The two pegasi lay together on Rainbow’s cloud, both with grasping hot mugs of cocoa, stacked high with multicoloured marshmallows and whipped cream. Scootaloo sighed contently as she sipped her drink.
“Jeez Rainbow, you gotta show me how to make it this good!” she chuckled, her voice still slightly hoarse. Rainbow tapped her snout and smiled.
“Now that, squirt, is a Dash family secret!” she laughed back as she took a sip. Scootaloo’s gaze fell slightly, and Rainbow nudged her. Scootaloo looked up to see Rainbow grinning down at her. “But you’re a part of the Dash family Scootaloo, don’t ever forget it.” She cooed, leaning down to nuzzle Scootaloo affectionately.
A cold breeze buffeted both pegasi, and Scootaloo shuddered, whimpering slightly.
“Its too cold up here…” she muttered through gritted teeth, her breath condensing into a haze in front of her. Rainbow raised up a wing, and used it to beckon Scootaloo to her side.
“Come on squirt, you know the drill.”
Scootaloo beamed, and scampered underneath Rainbow’s wing, snuggling into her fluffy wing-pits. Rainbow smiled, and closed her wing around Scootaloo firmly. The two sat in silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence. “It’s a beautiful night isn’t it?” Rainbow finally spoke, and their four eyes fell to the stars.
“Twilight would probably be yamming on about all the constellations, what a dork.” Rainbow shifted uncomfortably; that last sentence didn’t quite sit right with her. “My dork,” she adjusted, a satisfied smile on her face.
“Ugh! Sappy.” Scootaloo feigned vomiting, gently punching Rainbow in the side. Rainbow snuggled into her, and her brow knitted. She waved an azure hoof about the sky, following it with a squinty-eyed gaze until she settled on a location.
“There!” she exclaimed, pointing to a group of bright blue stars. “I think that one’s called Lyra. Heh, I wonder how many times Twilight has pointed that out to her,” she snickered. Scootaloo shrugged her shoulders.
“I always thought that one looked more like a checkerboard.” She pointed out calmly, tilting her head. Rainbow mimicked Scootaloo, squinting her eyes.
“Yeah, I can sort of see where you’re coming from squirt,” Rainbow agreed as she lay back down on the soft cloud.
“Mmm… I love cloud…” Scootaloo murmured in bliss, her eyes drifting shut as she struggled to cope with all the warmth around her. In her mind's eye she saw herself and Rainbow snuggling together on a cloud, and she hummed contently. Scootaloo’s brow knitted, as suddenly a timberwolf tore through the cloud and ripped Rainbow away from her.
“No!” she almost shouted, jolting back awake. Rainbow looked over at her, a puzzled look on her face. “Sorry, I just saw my nightmare again…,” she said apologetically, choking up slightly.
Rainbow pulled her even closer with her wing, until there was absolutely no void between the orange and cyan fur.
“You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for Scoots. Don’t forget that,” Rainbow cooed, gently rubbing her side. There was a moments silence as neither pony quite knew what to say. “So…” Rainbow started softly, still stroking Scootaloo affectionately. “Are you ready to talk about it?” she looked down at Scootaloo hopefully.
“I’m gonna have to, aren’t I” Scootaloo sighed, shifting uncomfortably
.
“Not if you don’t want to, but it will help, I promise.” Scootaloo looked uncertain. “Dashie can’t fight the monsters away if she doesn’t know what they are squirt!” Rainbow added with a wink, but to her dismay a few tears began to roll down Scootaloo’s face. Scootaloo opened her mouth to shout but stopped herself.
“Th-that’s the th-thing...” she shuddered, partly from the crying but mostly from her fear. “I was running through the Everfree forest, and I kept hearing you call my name, saying that you needed help.” Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow, expecting to find her stifling a giggle, but all she saw was a face full of concern and shock. Scootaloo looked back down and steeled herself.
“I tried to follow your voice, but it kept moving” she continued, teeth gritted. “I ended up getting scratched pretty bad by the branches, and it hurt a lot, but I didn’t wake up. Eventually I found the clearing you were in, but I was t-too l-late.” Scootaloo began to sob into her own forelegs, her soft fur soaking up all the tears.
“Scoots, you don’t-” Rainbow started, horrified, but she was interrupted.
“You were in a pile of your own blood, you had terrible gashes from their claws, and one of them…” she choked up again, struggling to finish the story. “One of them was eating you!” she shouted, burying her head into Rainbow’s side as she sobbed loudly. “I couldn’t lose you Rainbow, you’re the only one who understands me! The only one who really cares!”
She felt a few warm drops of water land on her back.
“Oh great now its rain-” she grumbled, stopping as she looked up at Rainbow. A pair of bloodshot, tear-filled, loving eyes looked down upon her accompanied by an open, trembling mouth. Rainbow turned to face Scootaloo and wrapped tightly her in both arms and both wings.
“I’m s-so s-sorry you had to go through that Scoots” she whispered into Scootaloo’s neck. “No filly should ever, ever have to see anything like that, and I can personally guarantee you that Princess Luna is not gonna get off this lightly.” She paused, and pulled her face away from Scootaloo so they could look eye to eye.
“But I promise you Scootaloo, I will always be there for you.”
