//------------------------------// // The Help of a Friend (Cyan Guardian 6) // Story: Guardians of Many Hues // by TadStone //------------------------------// The Help of a Friend (Cyan Guardian 6) The night air was cool and unpleasant, even for a seasoned pegasus, inducing a numb, tingling sensation on face and hooves alike. Autumn was clearly in its last breath. The first snowfall was scheduled to be in a week from now. Hidden beneath thick layers of clouds Dash had personally placed there a few hours ago, Luna’s moon was waiting for nightly visitors like it did every night, the already few bright rays blocked out in the sky, leaving not much more than darkness for navigation... Of course that was not a problem for a pony as awesome as Dash. She could fly with her eyes closed in the sky above Ponyville. She had proven that to herself one time and it had only taken a week to repair the library. Crashing wasn’t a good idea with a flightless filly on your back, though, so she kept her eyes wide open, scanning their path for potential obstacles at a lazy pace. It would take them a few minutes to reach the clubhouse this way, but it was for the best for Scootaloo and they could as well use the time to quench a few more of the many questions rumouring in Dash’s skull. “What did you eat during the last year, Scoots? Did you have to steal?” She had to shout against the strong nightly winds. “No one would think badly of you if you did,” she hastily added. “I had the free school lunch every day. Sometimes I worked to get some bits. No stealing. School holidays where rough, though.” Dash thought about it for a few seconds, before she retorted. “But I’ve seen you countless times at Sugarcube Corner. Did you work that much or is Pinkie ruining the Cakes?” “No...” Scootaloo answered a little hesitantly. “I kinda borrowed the money from Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.” “How much pocket money do they get?” “About five Bits a week.” “And how much do you owe them?” She reared her wings back to slow their descent next to the wooden shack the girls used as their crusading base. “Forty-eight each...” answered a meagre voice while cyan hooves touched the ground. Rainbow couldn’t help but laugh at that number. “You know Squirt, you got the best friends in the world,” Dash said after Scootaloo had hopped down beside her. Rainbow raised her hoof to arrange the mess that was her ward’s mane back to its usual less messy state, but it never reached its target. The filly had already taken a step backwards and nearly screamed at the older mare. “I am NOT a BAD friend!” Much quieter she continued, probably more to convince herself than Dash. “I will pay them back eventually.” She knew it wasn’t true. There was no way she could work up that much. Not with her still needing more credit every week. Her friends would never admit to her, but they had already written up the money. She had overheard them saying so on more than one occasion, when they thought she was not listening. She felt bad for every time she took new money from them, but the temptation of a cupcake or a milkshake was greater than her guilt. As to why her friends still gave her bits anyway, she didn’t know. Friendship makes ponies irrational... “Scoots?” She was brought back to reality with a small brown purse held in front of her face. “I know you're a good friend. And I know you will pay them back. Here is your allowance for the last year. 100 Bits should be enough.” The filly took a step to the side to look into her patron’s large rose eyes instead of staring at the fabric. “Don’t you need your money for something more important than my milkshakes?” “Celestia pays well for saving Equestria, so don’t worry about my money,” Rainbow replied while now fixing up the filly’s coiffure like she had intended a moment ago. “Your friends deserve their cupcakes as well as you do.” The purse moved over to the orange pegasus once more, where Scootaloo silently accepted it and stored it in her own saddlebag. Rainbow smiled and then went on. “Does five Bits a week sound fair to you? Cause that is what you'll get. Now please get the record. I'll wait here for you.” Scootaloo saluted before she went up the squeaky planks. A few loud rumbling noises later, a coughing filly returned, handing over a dusty stack of paper. Dash mentally groaned at how thick it was, but more work also meant more information. So in the end this would be a good thing and she had planned to include Twilight anyway. Now it was time to get her friends. After the files were secured in her own saddlebags, the two went off again, heading to the farm at mediocre speeds. Applejack’s home was dark and silent, much like to be expected at this hour of day. At times like this, doors weren’t the best option to enter a house, as it meant waking everypony, usually leaving the unnecessarily awoken inhabitants sleepy and hostile. Not a problem for Rainbow; she didn’t believe in doors anyway. Her friend's bedroom was located on the second floor, the third window to the right. Applejack was sleeping soundly, lightly snoring and cuddled up in a big green blanket with red apple prints all over it. It was a very peaceful sight, although Dash felt a little creepy watching her friend sleeping through a window. A hard knock onto the glass pane ended the weird idyll abruptly, leaving behind the two pegasi still hovering outside, but waking up the snoring pony, who cast her blanket to the side with a soft rustle. The Stetson hat that was her trademark was moved to her head even before she sat up in an automatic sleepy motion. Scootaloo, like most ponies, had believed that Applejack wore it even in her sleep or while taking a shower. The camping trip not too long ago had disproved her assumption, disappointing the filly a little, although not for very long, since she had had to face other problems that night. Another sharp knock brought Applejack’s attention to the window, ending the slow searching motion of her head in her sleepy attempt to find the source of the disturbance through squinted eyes. “What in the hay” was all that Rainbow could make out of the mumbling noises her friend produced while slowly trotting over the window, which was promptly opened. A warm stream of air washed over the visitors. “What in tarnation are ya two doing here? Y’all know what time it is?” Applejack began, interrupting her yawns to speak. “No. The sun is so bright I can’t see a thing on my watch.” Rainbow made a show by dramatically looking at her front hoof, fake-reading her non-existent watch, before she realised Applejack was not much into sarcasm that soon after getting up and went on in a steady, unperturbed voice instead. “I do know it’s late, but it’s very important. Just let us in.” Applejack only nodded and stepped to the side. While she was still tired, even despite the cold night air ruffling up her mane, now she was worried. At least Scootaloo was in plain sight, ruling out the possibility something happened to her. But what else could it be? The two pegasi swooped inside. Scootaloo hopped down and turned to Dash: “Can I go surprise Apple Bloom?” Rainbow had planned on that anyway, so the answer came easy: “Sure. Just don’t wake anypony else.” Applejack drew in a breath, ready to hinder the orange bouncing ball to leave the room, but the words never left her mouth. Rainbow’s piercing gaze made sure of that. Once she was clear to speak, she confronted the intruder of the peace: “Now please explain why not only Ah am not allowed to sleep but also my underage sister and Scootaloo, who should both be sound a-snorin’.” Although she tried, she couldn’t keep up the upset edge she had intended to use. Instead, her words were monotone and showed off her sleep-deprived state. “Look,” Rainbow went over to her friend and apologetically bounced her flank against her friend’s. “I'm really sorry. But Scoots just told me about her past. She was severely abused and I guess she is wanted by the police. I think it could be happening other foals as well, even right now. I can explain it in detail once I get Twilight here. Can you make some coffee? This is gonna be a long night.” With that, Applejack was left alone again, Rainbow already headed back into the night, by now no more than a cyan speck dissolving into darkness. Severely abused. Wanted by police. She recounted those words, while she absentmindedly closed her window. She probably wouldn’t need the suggested hot beverage anymore, but she would make some nevertheless. Just after checking on the fillies.