//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Lost // Story: Runaway // by RedScootaloo //------------------------------// Bash stretched her legs and yawned. Her sleep had been peaceful and resting. She hadn't had any nightmares for the first time in what it seemed forever. In fact, tonight she didn't dream at all and woke up full of energy and ready for the new day. She hadn't woken a single time in the night. She erected from her lying position in the bed and sat up. Again yawning she wondered whether Scootaloo was up yet. She looked out of her window and decided to wait a little longer. The sun had barely risen and she was afraid to wake her or Rusty up and lay back down, daydreaming about what might or might not happen. Time passed and the sun slowly rose, until it was late enough to lower the chance to wake anypony up. Strangely enough she hadn't heard any movements in the house though. She usually could hear everything that was going on in here. Maybe they still were lying in their beds daydreaming, too. She rose again, this time she left her bed. She looked in the small mirror, one of the few decorations in her room, and a filly with a adventurous mane looked back. It stuck out in any possible or impossible direction. She sighed. Her mane never had been easy to handle, but it had never been this bad before. She dug her hooves in her mane and tried to fix it somehow. After a while she gave up and shuffled out of her room towards the living room, where Scoots had been sleeping on the couch. Surprisingly she found the blanket on the couch, but Scootaloo was nowhere in sight. 'Maybe she's having breakfast with Rusty already' she thought and continued on to the bar room. Empty. Bash felt a strange feeling rising up in her stomach. She tried to calm herself down. Maybe they had gone for a walk. She should check Rusty's room if he was there. So she did. Rusty lay in his bed, snoring quietly. She remembered how bad his snoring had been when she had been just a little foal. Had it gone quieter or was she just imagining it? She shook her head. This was not important right now. What really did matter was where Scootaloo had gone. She wouldn't just go for a walk alone and without leaving a message behind, would she? A terrible thought entered her mind. What if she had, and now was being mugged again? This time she wouldn't be around to save her. What if... What if somepony else saved Scootaloo this time and she fell in love with her or him? That wouldn't happen, would it? The chances that she was being mugged again were small, and what connected them was more then just her saving Scoots... right? She stared at the sleeping Rusty as if he could answer all of her questions. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't so sure about it anymore. She felt a warm feeling in her stomach, the 'butterflies' in it that had been described to her so often. But did Scoots? Maybe Scoots had just been tricked by the savior and was doing this out of pure thank and didn't even know that... She shook her head again. Anyways, they were at least friends. And as a friend she couldn't let her down. Scoots would do the same for her. In a spontaneous feeling of being some kind of superhero that could save Scoots from everything, Bash kicked the door open and went out. Only to come back a few seconds later to leave a note for Rusty. She wouldn't do the same mistake as Scoots. Now again outside the door, she stood in front of her first challenge. Which direction did Scootaloo choose? She could've gone everywhere. Most probably she hadn't gone to the direction she already knew, so she must've gone right. So she started walking. She hoped the quickly scribbled “Headed out with Scoots” would keep Rusty from being worried. After a while of walking, she came up to the second one: The road split. She had feared this would happen. Scootaloo could've gone left or right, but how should she know? She knew her way out here, but how should Scoots? She thought harder and harder. Scoots was probably deep in thoughts and didn't know where she was going. She was able to go left or right. Perhaps she hadn't crossed the street and stayed on the sidewalk. So if she left the bar to the right, she would have gone right here, too. Without thinking through her theory again she followed it and used it on the following streets, too. Until suddenly... The street ended. Oh buck. Buck, buck buck buck buckbuckbuck. I must have bucked this up somewhere... “Scootaloo?” she shouted as loud as she could. Somewhere, not too far away a little orange pegasusfilly looked up as a familiar voice shouted. Hope grew in her again and the tears stopped. She had been sitting here for a while now, but now she finally stood up. How could Bash have come so close? She wandered towards the voice and replied “Bash?”. After waiting a few seconds, her answer came: “Scootaloo! Where are you?" How should she answer that question? She didn't knew it herself. “Just name a street or something!” Bash must've had the same thought. Name a street, name a street. Where could the next street sign be? At the next crossroad, most probably. So she walked. And walked. Towards the voice, hoping for a sign. “Scootaloo?” came the sceptical voice from somewhere close to her. “I can't find any!” she replied. Bash started walking by herself now, towards Scootaloo. “We'll find a way, I'm sure.” After half an hour or so of walking, they had finally found each other. Scoots hugged Bash in relief. “I'm so glad to see you again! I was scared I'd be out here forever! How'd you find me?” Bash was kind of overwhelmed by her thanks. “Woah there. I just thought you'd be deep in thoughts and tried to find your steps. Wasn't that easy, but I'd do anything for ya.” She kissed her on the cheek, earning a nervous glare from Scoots. “Ya look strange, sis. What's up?” she remarked, now growing nervous herself. She couldn't tell what the glare meant, but it sure didn't mean anything good. “Nothing, I guess. I... I just don't know what's going on, really. I don't really wanna talk about it right now...” Bash sighed and started walking. This would get complicated pretty soon. Scoots followed her, deep in thoughts again. But thinking wasn't what happened in her brain now. Dreaming about a filly that was really special for her. Dreaming about... Sweetie Bell.