//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: On the Wings of a Pegasus // by Jinzou //------------------------------// "Vanilla." Scootaloo playfully rolled her eyes, feeling much better after being treated to the confectionery gift. "Thirty-two possible flavours, as many scoops as your little heart desires, and you get three straight scoops of vanilla?" Rainbow pretended to sigh in exasperation. "How boring." "Oh yeah?" Scootaloo challenged. "Thirty two possible flavours, as many scoops as you want, and you got nothing. Now who's boring?" Rainbow Dash responded with a laugh. "Good one Scoots. I believe that makes it: Scootaloo 1, Rainbow Dash 0. But I'll let you know, I won't lose without a fight!" She started tickling Scootaloo, sending her into an uncontrollable laughing fit as she wildly squirmed. "Alright alright, I give up. We're even." Scootaloo finally managed, out of breath from the ferocious attack of the tickle monster. Out of her peripherals, Scootaloo saw a flash of yellow and a flash of white. She gasped and jumped down off the table, running straight for her friends. "Scootaloo!" They chorused. "Applebloom! Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo yelled, throwing both of her friends into a hug. "Scootaloo where have you been all weekend?" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "We've been looking for you everywhere!" "Heh, yeah. Sorry about that girls." Scootaloo rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "This weekend so far has been..." she trailed off, looking to Rainbow Dash for help. "I've been running her ragged with flight training." Rainbow jumped in to save the filly. "Future Wonderbolts got to put in a lot of hours of training before qualifying." "Cool!" The other two Crusaders chorused. Scootaloo mouthed a quick "thank you" to Rainbow Dash, who responded with a wink. "Are you free to play now? I've got a bunch of new ideas for how we can get our marks!" Said Applebloom excitedly. The thought of going off alone without her protector still scared Scootaloo. She was about to refuse when Rainbow Dash came to her rescue again. "I think you're done with training for the weekend, Scoots. Why don't you go play with your friends, and if you need me, I'll be around." Remembering her promise to keep watch over Scootaloo even when Crusading, Scootaloo felt a lot better. Pretending to fly off, Rainbow hooked around and sat on a cloud, out of sight of the Crusaders. As they ran off, she thought she heard something about "Cutie Mark Crusaders: Manticore Tamers". Letting off a small laugh, Rainbow Dash flopped onto her back and enjoyed the cool breeze blowing through her mane. Those kids are gonna end up doing something stupid and hurting themselves. Or somebody else. Probably a good thing I'll be nearby from now on, even if I'm probably the worst one out of my group of friends to do it. "Well that was a bust." sighed Scootaloo dejectedly. "We've searched forever now, and haven't found even one manticore! Ah guess that's another X for the chart." Applebloom sighed. "We've found a ton of tree sap though." Sweetie Belle chirped, trying to pry some of the sap off her shoulder. "You think we can use this as a building material? We've found enough to stick us together plenty of times after all." "Ah've already asked mah sister about that." Applebloom piped up. "She said it wasn't strong enough and wouldn't last." "Oh poo." Sweetie Belle sighed, blowing a raspberry. "So Scoots, what was it like staying over at Rainbow Dash's place?" "Oh it's the coolest place ever!" Scootaloo jumped in the air, excitedly hovering. "It's way up in the sky, and it's got like, cloud furniture, which is actually really awesome. And she's got like... Well I'm not sure what they really are but they look like fountains of rainbows pouring down and then they just kinda fade. It's so awesome!" "Featherweight says he caught Rainbow Dash dying her mane in a rainbow once. He said it's naturally just one color. He also said it tasted like candy." Sweetie Belle gossiped. Scootaloo couldn't help but laugh. "She definitely doesn't dye her mane in rainbows. And I'm pretty sure her mane just tastes like hair." "But do you know that for sure?' Sweetie Belle squeaked on the last word. "Tell ya what, I'll ask her tonight. Pretty sure I know the answer though." "Oh, you're sleeping at her house again tonight?" Applebloom asked innocently. "Ah kinda thought your parents would be back by now." Scootaloo felt a shiver run up her spine at the mention of her parents. "Uh yeah, yeah. I'm staying with Rainbow tonight too. In fact, I may be having to stay a little longer." Scootaloo lied nervously. "I got a letter from my mom saying there were some problems with transportation." "So Rainbow Dash is going to bring you to school tomorrow?" Sweetie Belle continued, oblivious to her friend's reaction. "That will be awesome! I know you weren't there for it, but when Rainbow Dash did that Sonic Rainboom on Friday and flew off with you, Diamond Tiara was furious! Kept muttering things we couldn't hear." "Ah bet seeing Rainbow Dash drop you off would sour her mood even more!" Applebloom giggled happily. "Hey girls, did y'all hear Princess Twilight set somebody in this town on house arrest yesterday? What'dya reckon he did?" Scootaloo's blood ran cold at the mention of her father being put under house arrest. "Uh, I just remembered girls, I left my scooter at the schoolhouse. I should go get it before I lose it or somebody else takes it" Scootaloo said, interrupting Applebloom mid sentence as she started trotting off. "But I'll see you girls tomorrow!" "Scootaloo, wait!" Sweetie Belle called after her friend. As Scootaloo vanished from sight, she turned to Applebloom with a confused expression. "But her scooter will just fall right through the clouds, right? "Ah have no idea." "Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo called out to the sky. The sun was starting to set, and as a moment passed, Scootaloo wondered if Rainbow Dash simply wasn't there. Or had fallen asleep. "Right here, squirt." Came a voice from Scootaloo's left as Rainbow swooped down to the ground. "All set to head home?" Home. Rainbow Dash was referring to her house as my home. Scootaloo smiled and nodded. Clambering onto Rainbow Dash's back, she settled in as Rainbow Dash took to the skies. Scootaloo bit her lip. She had a burning question on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't want to ask for too much and make Rainbow mad. Or maybe look too weak, and then Rainbow would hate her. Deciding to bite the bullet, she build up her courage to ask. "H-hey Rainbow Dash?" She began hesitantly. "Yeah? What's up Squirt?" Rainbow replied nonchalantly. "I was wondering... if it isn't too much to ask, can you read to me again tonight?" Scootaloo replied slowly. "Yeah, sure." Scootaloo blinked in confusion. "A-and... can I sleep with you again tonight?" Scootaloo asked, almost sure Rainbow would say no. "Sure." "A-and uh... if you don't mind... tonight can you do that winghug thing again?" Scootaloo held her breath, half convinced Rainbow was about to buck her off for even asking. "If you'd like me to, then of course." That... that couldn't be right. If she asked the same thing of her father she'd be sent to bed alone. Or spanked. Or something terrible. "Are you sure that's okay?" Scootaloo finally asked, awash with fear. Rainbow Dash sighed, landing on her front porch. "Listen Scootaloo." She began slowly, doing her best to choose the right words. "You got pretty terrible treatment at home. But not all adults are like that. If cuddling up to me and having me read to you would make you happy, then I'll do it every night for the rest of my life. After the stuff you've had to endure, I want nothing more than to make you the happiest filly in Equestria. So no more... being afraid to ask to be comfortable, okay?" Scootaloo wiped a happy tear away and nodded. "Now come on." Rainbow said, opening the door to her room and watching Scootaloo get all comfy as Rainbow pulled her to her side with a winghug. "We were just getting to the good part!"