//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven; Not Chapter Six // Story: Working Towards The Future // by Dasponi //------------------------------// Much to Scootaloo’s pleasure the class was quiet after the incident first thing in the morning. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had stayed quiet and everypony else had been too busy doing their work to talk to her. It went a lot better than she expected, all things considered. She was worried she would have been bombarded with questions but this wasn’t to be the case. The work Cheerilee had set the class had kept her busy and distracted too. To the little filly in question, the lessons that she was so worried about turned out to be bliss. Bliss can only last so long however. Much like the silence of a filly. “So, where have ya been?” Apple Bloom asked. Her and the other two Crusaders were sat outside the school building. It was break time for the children at the school, their first two lessons over and done with. Scootaloo sighed at the question. She was hoping she could just avoid it long enough and last through just two more lessons before Rainbow Dash would come pick her up. The day hadn’t gone as bad as Scootaloo had feared but she was still sure she would be going home as soon as she was offered the chance to. “I’d rather not talk about it.” Scootaloo replied, looking down at the ground. A part of her considered telling her friends and shoving it in their faces that they were partly responsible, to make them feel bad and suffer for what they had done. The rational part of her mind, for it still existed, cautioned her against such a path of action. Regardless of their actions, the two were still her friends and she needed friends now more than ever. “Are ya sure?” Apple Bloom asked. Scootaloo nodded, still not looking up. She looked up when she felt something pressed against her face though. It was Apple Bloom, giving her a small but affectionate nuzzle. “Don’t worry ‘bout it then. I won’t press ya or make ya talk.” she said reassuringly. “You mean it?” Scootaloo asked, looking at Apple Bloom and then looking up at her other friend Sweetie Belle. Both of them nodded and smiled in return, and Sweetie Belle joined in on the nuzzle. The three shared a small group hug as Scootaloo’s cheeks tinted a light shade of red. She knew she was right to trust her friends. They wouldn’t have hurt her if they knew what they were doing. She believed it for that moment at least. “I’ve uhhh...been on holiday. Yeah, that’s it. I’ve been on holiday. I got sick though and Rainbow Dash came to pick me up. I’m staying with her until my parents come back. I didn’t want to ruin their holiday so I came back early.” Scootaloo lied. Her friends had been so understanding she felt they deserved some explanation, even if it wasn’t the right one. The lie sounded good to her. “Aww, well why didn’t you just say that?” Apple Bloom asked. “You know me, I don’t like admitting things like that.” Scootaloo said, giggling weakly. To her relief her friends bought it and laughed a little themselves. “Hey blank flank!” came a cry from across the schoolyard. The three Crusaders sighed in unison and looked up to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon approaching them, checking for signs of Cheerilee. No bully worth their salt was stupid enough to do something in front of a teacher, and Diamond Tiara was worth her weight in salt. When you took into account her father’s empire she was worth considerably more than that. Salt wasn’t exactly expensive. “Miss Cheerilee said not to say that.” Sweetie Belle said as she stood up, trying to look intimidating. Scootaloo curled up tighter into herself and started shaking again. Apple Bloom started patting her mane as she had seen Rainbow Dash do earlier in the day. It didn’t calm Scootaloo down totally, but she was shaking a little less. “Like I care what she thinks. What the hay was about earlier? What did you do? Jump off a cli-” Diamond Tiara began before being interrupted. “LEAVE HER ALONE!” shouted a voice from the sky. It took Diamond Tiara a second or two to realise where the voice had come from and she mistakenly looked around for signs of Cheerilee. Scootaloo recognised the voice though, she would have recognised it anywhere. Scootaloo looked up and smiled at the mare she saw floating in the air, a look more deadly than the combined stare’s of Cheerilee and Fluttershy combined on her face. “I said; Leave. Her. Alone.” Rainbow Dash said, landing hard on the ground and stamping her hoof down with each word, emphasising her point. “I-I-I-I-I-I” Diamond Tiara began before turning back and running for her life when Rainbow Dash snorted at her angrily. Silver Spoon ran off shortly afterwards. She hadn’t actually said anything to Scootaloo, but she felt that it would be a mistake to point that out at that particular moment. Rainbow Dash was probably angry enough as it was and neither her nor Diamond Tiara wanted to see what the fastest flier in Equestria, and joint strongest mare in Ponyville (a position she shared with Applejack) would do when she was angry. Especially when she was standing up for somepony she cared about. When the bullies ran off, Rainbow Dash turned around to face the Crusaders. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were a little scared themselves but Scootaloo was staring at her with wonder and awe in her eyes. Rainbow Dash smiled at the three, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle let out a collective sigh of relief they weren’t aware they were holding in. Rainbow Dash walked over to the three, scooped Scootaloo up, and dropped her onto her back where she proceeded to nuzzle into Rainbow’s mane, partly for comfort and partly for protection. She felt safe whenever Rainbow Dash was around. “Thanks for sticking up for her girls. I’ll take her from here.” Rainbow Dash said, patting the other two Crusaders on the head. She took off into the air and started flying away from the school, Scootaloo clinging to her neck so she didn’t fall off. “Oh, and tell Cheerilee what happened!” Rainbow Dash called down to the two fillies on the ground. She felt it was best for Cheerilee to know where Scootaloo was and what had happened with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. The two fillies waved up at her to show they received and understood the message and Rainbow Dash picked up the pace, heading for home. “I’m sorry about that.” Rainbow Dash said so softly Scootaloo might have missed it if she weren’t holding on so tight. “It’ll be okay. Besides you were there to save me. Again. That was awesome.” Scootaloo said, tightening her grip on Rainbow Dash affectionately. “You’re right, I am pretty awesome.” Rainbow Dash said proudly. Her face fell shortly after. “Still, I should have thought of something better. Maybe Cheerilee would let me stay with you in school or something.” “Maybe I should just stay out of school.” Scootaloo replied with a touch of hope in her voice. There was always the chance Rainbow Dash would agree. “That’s not very fair Scoots. I don’t see why you’d have to lose out on going to school just because of a couple of jerks.” Rainbow replied, dashing the filly’s hope. “These aren’t just any jerks though. These are rich and powerful jerks.” Scootaloo said. She sighed, but then let out a little giggle at her joke. “That shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll have to talk to Cheerilee again I guess.” “It wasn’t her fault, she wasn’t there or she would have-” “I know Squirt, I know. I’ll be nice. It was hardly her fault she wasn’t there.” “Say...why were you there anyway?” Scootaloo asked. She was glad Rainbow Dash had appeared when she did, but she was a little confused as to how and why. Rainbow was supposed to be at work, and wouldn’t have been at the school until it was lunch time for the both of them. “I...kinda lied earlier.” Rainbow Dash admitted, fumbling with her mane sheepishly. “What do you mean?” Scootaloo asked, moving out of the way of Rainbow’s mane-probing hoof. She moved carefully so she didn’t fall off. She didn’t need to experience falling like that again. “I never went to work earlier...” Rainbow Dash admitted. “When I left the school I just flew up into the sky and stayed there. I was feeling a little silly for worrying about you like that but I guess I was right to. Something happened after all.” “You were really worried about me?” Scootaloo asked, a tone of shock in her voice. “Of course I was Scoots. You were so scared and I care about you. I had to make sure you were safe.” “You really ARE awesome.” Scootaloo squeaked, burying herself in Rainbow Dash’s mane again. “I know Squirt. I know” Rainbow Dash said, rubbing her chest proudly with a hoof. “But let’s get you home for now okay?” “Kay.” came the soft reply from Rainbow Dash’s back. With that, Rainbow Dash picked up the pace once more, and Scootaloo smiled all the way through the journey. Her mind was awash of scenarios of Rainbow Dash always being there for her. No matter what happened she would be safe with Rainbow Dash by her side. “Or, for that matter, underneath me.” Scootaloo thought to herself with a giggle.