Episode Fourteen: Still Awesome – [Cuteness]
The midnight blue roof of the train car was wholly uninteresting, just as it had been the past five times that Scootaloo had opened her eyes that night. As worn out as she knew she was from the wedding, she just couldn't get to sleep. It wasn't because of the clattering of the train's wheels against the track – that was actually kind of a relaxing sound. And it wasn't because of the dreamy, accented mutterings of her fellow crusader – even if that wasn't such a relaxing sound...
Normally, falling to sleep beside her two best friends wasn't something she had to think about, it just happened. Not tonight, it seemed...
Scootaloo lazily rolled her head out of the bed compartment and let her eyes roam about the rest of the cabin, not really looking for anything in particular... maybe something to drink. Her gaze was naturally drawn towards the compartment opposite, wherein she expected to see the same multi-hued mane that had helped her close her eyes again the past few times. This time though, it was missing.
Squinting and leaning closer, Scootaloo saw that the sheets were thrown back and the compartment was otherwise empty. The bunk below – in which Fluttershy had been sleeping – was also empty, but a quick glance revealed that all the other grown-ups were still sleeping soundly in their own compartments. All except for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy...
Scootaloo turned her head to look up and down the corridor, but there was no sign of either of them.
Curiosity getting the better of her, as it tended to do, she shifted towards the edge of the bunk and disentangled herself from Sweetie Belle's cuddling hooves. Scootaloo clambered over the side and dropped down to the floor with a quiet thud as her friend grunted out a muffled, sleepy pout.
Scootaloo's right ear perked up as it caught a faint breeze, and drew her attention to the door at one end of the cabin. She started hesitantly towards it and, as she drew nearer, the sound of whistling wind became clear. Somepony had left the door open a crack...
As she drew nearer still, another sound reached her ears, though this one was so quiet that it was almost lost amidst the wind. It was a slow, gentle voice – like someone was singing to themselves in a whisper, and didn't want anypony else to hear.
“Fluttershy?” Scootaloo whispered.
Her nose twitched as she poked it through the door's gap and out into the chill, night air. There was no doubt that whoever was singing was just outside. So, after a moment's hesitation, she slid the door open just another inch, and peered outside.
The door led onto a small, rounded platform at the very back of the train, out under the starry night sky. The pale moonlight lit up the figure of Rainbow Dash, sitting upright and staring out at the sky. She had her wing draped over another figure – Fluttershy, who was slumped with her head against Rainbow's chest.
Clearly, neither of them had noticed Scootaloo, so she was careful to not make a sound as she lowered her head and listened.
“...Lay still now, and rest your weary eyes--”
Scootaloo's jaw inched open. It wasn't Fluttershy who was singing...
“The day has passed – it's time for dreams,
Reach out and touch the land of butterflies.
They'll carry you through memories,
and stars and things you've never seen,
and I will be right there with you,
to watch that smile unfold upon your face...
You're drifting now, but sweetheart, there's
no need for you to fear.
'Cause come the morning, when you wake,
I'll still be lying here...
'Cause come the morning, when you wake,
I'll still be lying here.”
Rainbow Dash drew out the last soothing note for barely more than a second before falling into silence. In the wake of the song, the world seemed strangely quiet. The only sounds were that of the train's clattering wheels, the gently whistling wind and Scootaloo's own breathing.
She wasn't quite sure what to do. She had her answer as to where Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had gone, but after seeing that...
Rainbow's ear perked up, as if she'd just heard something. “...Been there long?” she said suddenly. “You know, it's not cool to spy on your friends.”
Caught off guard, Scootaloo stammered. “Uh... I... wasn't spying, I was just, um--”
“...Scoot?” said Rainbow. “Is that you?”
“Uh, no, it's Sweetie Belle,” she lied. “Just... looking for the bathroom.”
Rainbow scoffed. “Yeah, give me some credit, squirt. Besides, that was a lousy impression. Let me guess – you can't sleep either?”
Scootaloo opened her mouth, closed it, then huffed through her nose. “Right.”
Rainbow sighed and nodded. “Well, come join the club. And shut that door behind you. You don't want Rarity waking up in the cold, trust me.”
“O-okay,” said Scootaloo. Rainbow obviously wasn't mad, and Scootaloo would never say no to a chance to hang out with her, so she was all too happy to do as she was asked. She made sure that the door clicked shut completely before turning to stride up beside Rainbow and Fluttershy.
As she looked across at them, she saw that Fluttershy's eyes were closed, and her mouth was part open as she breathed, quietly, into Rainbow's coat. She was fast asleep.
“Did you hear all of that?” said Rainbow, noticing the look on Scootaloo's face.
“I heard you singing,” said Scootaloo with a nod. “...I didn't know you did lullabies.”
“I don't,” said Rainbow. “So don't get any ideas about telling everypony 'bout this. It was just a... a one-off – since Fluttershy couldn't sleep, and I owed her one.”
“I won't say anything,” Scootaloo assured her. “I promise.”
Rainbow smiled at that, and turned to look out at the sky again. “...Thanks.”
Scootaloo shuffled her hooves around on the hard metal beneath her, then sat back on her haunches like Rainbow. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was a relaxing sort of atmosphere. It made sense that Rainbow and Fluttershy chose to come out here.
“Why did you owe her one?” Scootaloo found herself asking, not that it was any of her business.
Rainbow rolled her head. “Ah, it's from a long time ago, back when we first came to live down here on the ground.”
“On the ground?” said Scootaloo.
“You know, when we moved out of Cloudsdale,” Rainbow clarified. “I couldn't get used to sleeping on a bed that didn't... you know, float. So, she... sang that song to me.”
Rainbow shrugged dismissively, as to make it seem unimportant. All the same, Scootaloo couldn't help but smile.
“I was a kid,” said Rainbow, catching her look. “I don't need it anymore. And neither does she, really. I just thought she'd like it if I... paid her back.” She paused to look down at Fluttershy's sleeping face. “And, obviously, she did...”
“That makes sense,” said Scootaloo.
Rainbow cleared her throat and looked up again. “Yeah, so, that totally doesn't make me a softie or anything... Right?”
Scootaloo pursed her lips.
There was a long pause, before Rainbow let out another sigh. “Great. There goes my image again.”
“...I won't tell anypony,” Scootaloo repeated. She frowned for a moment, then added “But, being soft isn't really a bad thing anyway.”
Rainbow cast her a sidelong look.
“I-I mean, my mom used to sing me lullabies too,” Scootaloo went on. “And she's still really cool.”
Rainbow shook her head. “Yeah, but that's different. Moms are cool by definition – that's basically their job.”
“But you're kinda like that too,” said Scootaloo, looking down at her hooves. “When nopony's around.”
Rainbow blinked. “I'm like a mom?”
Scootaloo traced her hoof in a slow circle. “Not really... but you are like a big sister,” she said. “And not just to me.” She looked meaningfully up at Fluttershy, sleeping there under the blanket of Rainbow's wing.
Rainbow followed her eyes, and a pensive frown crossed her face. “I am, huh?”
“Yeah,” said Scootaloo. “And big sisters are awesome too--” She stifled a yawn. “--even if they are kind of soft sometimes.” She leant her head up against Rainbow's fetlock for comfort, and smiled as her eyes drooped half-way.
Another long moment of silence followed.
“...Yeah,” said Rainbow finally. “Yeah, I guess they are. Thanks, squirt.”
Scootaloo shrugged, though inside she was filled with pride. “Just doing what you'd do.”
“Good policy,” said Rainbow. “Sure fire way to be awesome, right?”
Scootaloo gave a little chuckle at that, and looked out over the tracks with Rainbow.
“...It's a really nice song,” Scootaloo muttered.
“Yeah, it is.”
She shuffled her haunches a little. “You know, I can't sleep either... Do you think, maybe--”
“I meant it when I said it was a one-off, squirt,” said Rainbow, with finality.
“Oh...” Scootaloo frowned. “Okay.”
There was a long, slightly awkward pause. And then Scootaloo felt a warmth on her back as a blue wing was draped around her, squeezing gently.
“This oughta help though,” Rainbow said smoothly.
Scootaloo glanced up at her in surprise. Rainbow just winked and flashed a warm smile.
After a moment spent blinking up at her, Scootaloo returned the smile. She pressed herself closer and nestled her snout into Rainbow's fluffy chest, careful not to jostle Fluttershy. She closed her eyes as the chill of the wind and the rattling of the train tracks seemed to melt away.
“Yeah,” she muttered. “That'll do it.”
The sound of Rainbow's scratchy chuckle was the last thing she heard before drifting off into sleep.
~FIN