When Rainbow Dash finished drawing and running the bath she called Scootaloo up to the bathroom. Rainbow Dash thought Scootaloo arrived in a rather prompt and efficient manner considering her day until she remembered only her wings were sore and that the filly’s hooves were probably feeling fine. To get back at Scootaloo for her sass at the dinner table Rainbow Dash scooped her up and dropped her without a trace of elegance or flair in to the tub, causing a loud splashing sound as filly met water.Despite her unceremonious entrance into the tub Scootaloo gave out a long and contended sigh as the warm water washed over her wings, releasing a troubled day’s worth of stress and relieving a hard days work worth of soreness. Scootaloo played contentedly with the bubbles for a few minutes while Rainbow dash watched and smiled at the display of such childishness and memories of her acting in much the same way in the days of her youth. She let out a laugh as she remembered she still behaved like that.
“What’s so funny?” Scootaloo asked, her play interrupted.
“Nothing, nothing. Here let me help you out.” Rainbow Dash replied. She splashed some water on to Scootaloo’s back and began gently massaging her wings. Scootaloo was ready to complain that she was big enough to bathe herself but her complaints were lost to sighs of relief as Rainbow Dash worked her hooves.
“Say, do you take care of your wings much?” Rainbow Dash asked. Scootaloo shook her head. “It shows. This could take a little longer than I thought.” Rainbow Dash added and quickly set to work preening Scootaloo’s wings and applying care to them that should have been done quite some time ago. Pegasus wings required occasional care and attention and from the looks of it Scootaloo’s hadn’t received any in years.
“They would do it for me at the....uhhhh....” Scootaloo began before the harsh memories silenced her. She was about to reference her days at the orphanage and she didn’t want to remember that time. Especially now she was trying to be happy and she was actually living with Rainbow Dash. She didn’t want to spoil the mood. Thankfully for her Rainbow Dash got the message.
“Didn’t you learn how to do it yourself?” Rainbow asked. Scootaloo shook her head and Rainbow Dash patted the top of it, ruffling her mane a little. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll show you how to do it and until you get it, I’m here to do it for you. Now wipe that water away from your eyes, this water’s soapy and I don’t want it getting in to your eyes.” Rainbow added. Scootaloo nodded and quickly wiped away the tears that had formed on her face at the bad memories. She wasn’t sure if Rainbow Dash had noticed they were tears, or if she really thought it was water from the bath, but she was thankful Rainbow hadn’t drawn attention to the fact she was crying.
The bath passed in relative silence. Occasionally Rainbow would make a sound as she worked on taking care of Scootaloo’s wings, and occasionally Scootaloo would let out a sigh or a squeak, but that was it. When Rainbow Dash had finished taking care of Scootaloo’s wings, the filly had wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow’s neck in a hug. As Rainbow tried to awkwardly shoo the filly away and loosen the grip she accidentally slipped and fell in to the bath herself. Rainbow Dash blew bubbles away from her face as Scootaloo started laughing at her. Scootaloo’s laughs were soon cut off as Rainbow Dash ran a hoof through the water and brought it up to splash Scootaloo’s face, soaking her wet.
“Well you needed to wash your mane too anyway.” Rainbow Dash said in response to the look of shock that Scootaloo gave her. Scootaloo responded by splashing Rainbow Dash herself.
“I think you needed your mane washing too.” Scootaloo said. The pair began splashing each other back and forth, their laughter ringing throughout the air. They played together in the water for about fifteen minutes or so until Rainbow Dash told Scootaloo it was time to get out the bath. Scootaloo wanted to play some more but she got serious when Rainbow explained that it was time to see how the day’s training had paid off. Scootaloo gave another salute, hopped out of the bath, and shook herself dry. She turned back towards the bath to see a newly soaked Rainbow Dash glaring at her.
“Uhh...sorry about that...” Scootaloo said, grinning sheepishly and rubbing the back of her head. Rainbow Dash smiled at her and hopped out of the bath herself.
“Don’t worry about it kid. Let’s just get outside and see how you do.” Rainbow said. Scootaloo nodded and the pair headed outside. The sun was beginning to set but there was more than enough light to see. Rainbow Dash flapped her wings slowly again so that Scootaloo could see how to do it once more. Scootaloo started flapping her wings like Rainbow Dash had done and she could feel a difference. She could feel that her wings felt a little stronger thanks to the training and they felt a lot softer too because of the care that Rainbow Dash had shown them in the bath. There was more power in her wings, and more air was generated by them, but unfortunately for Scootaloo the result stayed the same. No matter how hard she tried, how hard she flapped her wings, she couldn’t get any higher than the tiny amount she had once gotten when she buzzed around telling her friends about Rainbow Dash. It was disheartening to say the least.
“I just can’t do it...” Scootaloo said after another failed attempt. She was starting to cry again too, the weight of her failure crushing her small spirit. Rainbow Dash walked over to her and wrapped her into a hug as tight as the one she had given her just over a week ago.
“Shhh Scootaloo, it’s going to be fine.” Rainbow Dash said in an attempt to comfort and silence Scootaloo.
“It’s not going to be fine! I won’t ever fly!” Scootaloo squealed. The attempt by Rainbow Dash to comfort her clearly failed.
“It will be fine Scootaloo. I promise you, as the element of Loyalty, that I’ll do whatever it takes. You can count on me kid.” Rainbow Dash said, nuzzling Scootaloo. Scootaloo calmed down a little and wiped away her tears.
“You promise?” Scootaloo asked quietly. Rainbow Dash nodded and continued nuzzling Scootaloo until her sobs and tears resided. The two stayed like that for a few minutes until Rainbow Dash perked up suddenly as an idea occurred to her.
“I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before...it might work....it really might...I wonder if he’d be able to do it though...” Rainbow Dash said trailing off and staring into space.
“What might work? Who’s “he”? What are you talking about?” Scootaloo asked, confused by Rainbow’s antics. Rainbow Dash snapped back to reality and practically beamed down towards the little filly cuddled up to her.
“I don’t know if I can teach you to fly.” Rainbow Dash said, causing Scootaloo to look dejected. “But I think I know somepony who can!” she added, bringing light and laughter back into the face of the filly.
“Really? You really think you know somepony who could do that?” Scootaloo asked, beaming herself.
“Yeah he’s an old friend of mine and I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. He works with a lot of small fillies who have trouble flying. I’m sure he could do it!” Rainbow said, celebrating by throwing the filly in to the air and catching her. Scootaloo let out squeals of delight, both from the prospect of flying and from being thrown as she was. “Oh wait there’s a small problem.” Rainbow Dash said as her brain clicked again and she realised something. She stopped throwing Scootaloo in to the air and instead held her close again.
“What is it?” Scootaloo asked, worried that her flying lessons would be hampered before they even had a chance to begin.
“Don’t worry it’s nothing too bad.” Rainbow Dash said quickly to assuage Scootaloo’s fears. It worked and Scootaloo started smiling again. “It’s just that he lives in Trottingham so it’ll take a few days for a letter to reach him, and then another few days for him to get here.” Rainbow Dash explained.
“Can’t you get Spike to send it?” Scootaloo asked.
“I would do but Spike has to know the pony to send a letter. Besides, it would still take a few days for him to get here and this falls into my other plans anyway.” Rainbow Dash replied.
“Other plans? What other plans?” Scootaloo asked, although she had an idea what Rainbow Dash was talking about.
“The plan that you’ll go to school tomorrow. You haven’t forgotten that half of our deal have you?” Rainbow Dash replied.
“No, I was just hoping that you had.” Scootaloo chuckled. Her heart wasn’t really in to it though and her laughter rang hollow. “Does it really count if some stallion is going to give me lessons and not you?” Scootaloo asked, slightly hopeful she had found a loophole in “The Plan”. Rainbow dash giggled and shook her head.
“‘Fraid not Squirt. You’re still going to have to go. Remember though I’ll take you there and I’ll be picking you up too.”
“I know...”
“Tell you what Scoots, I’ll make another deal with you.” Rainbow Dash said. Scootaloo looked up at her questioningly. “Well you’re worried about how the other ponies are going to treat you right?” Rainbow Dash asked. Scootaloo nodded. “Well I’ll come back to the school at lunch time too and if you want to, we can go home then. You don’t have to stay the full day. Does that sound good to you?” Scootaloo nodded excitedly. That sounded very nice to her indeed and she was already sure that she would only be at school half a day the next day. “Good. Now let’s get you to bed. It’s getting late and we’ve had a really exhausting day.” Rainbow Dash said. Scootaloo opened her mouth to object but all that escaped it was a very tired yawn. She relinquished her argument before it could begin and followed Rainbow Dash back inside the house, and up to her bedroom.