//------------------------------// // Chapter 75; Buck I'm Ill // Story: Working Towards The Future // by Dasponi //------------------------------// The three Pegasi headed back home to Rainbow Dash's manor. They were left demoralised by their visit to Twilight Sparkle and their mood was not helped by the looks that Scootaloo got as they passed through the town. Rainbow Dash got sick of it after a few minutes and took off into the air with Scootaloo on her back, away from the prying eyes and judgmental stares of the ponies on the ground. Star Shine rushed to keep up with her but it was no use. She was getting emotional and cared only about getting Scootaloo back home and away from it all. She was also keen to get away from it herself. Rainbow Dash pulled ahead of Star Shine and left him behind. She got to the house, dropped Scootaloo on the floor, and slumped onto the couch, utterly deflated by the day's events and fully aware of just how little of the day had passed. It wasn't even noon yet and already her day had seemed to have gone so wrong. At least Rarity was convinced that Scootaloo wasn't a threat to anypony and Twilight was also convinced and, even better, trying to help them stop everything before it got too out of control. Not that that meant much to Rainbow Dash. She couldn't see how things could possibly get worse. Scootaloo hopped up onto Rainbow Dash's back and began gently playing with her mane, hoping to help make her feel a little better. Or at least get her to not look so down. "Hey Dashie, are you gonna sleep on my bed now I've slept on yours?" Star Shine teased as he entered the house and saw Rainbow Dash laid on the couch. She needed some serious cheering up. Cheering up he would be happy to provide if he could. He walked over to Rainbow Dash after not getting any reaction at all. "Awww, why so glum?" he asked, joining Scootaloo in gently patting Rainbow Dash. "Why do you think?" Rainbow Dash asked, her voice slightly muffled by the copious amounts of couch against it. "Everypony in town is either afraid of, or hates, Scoots and there's no telling what that damn little girl is going to do next." Rainbow Dash added. "That damn little girl" being none other than Diamond Tiara of course. "I don't care if the whole town hates me as long as you love me and you're happy..." Scootaloo said. She felt herself being hoisted into the air as Rainbow Dash flicked her up with a wing. Rainbow Dash then turned around on the couch so that Scootaloo would fall onto her chest and held Scootaloo close after she landed. "That's sweet and all Squirt, and I do love you, but all of this is my fault." Rainbow Dash said, confessing her inner fears. It was something she hadn't quite realised until Twilight had them explain everything, including where it all began. "What do you mean it's your fault?" Star Shine asked, sitting down in the space between the table and the couch. It was pretty narrow so he did have to push the table back a little in order to sit down. "All of this really started because Diamond Tiara got suspended because of me, and it was my stupid idea to steal the tiara too." Rainbow Dash said. "Scoots didn't even want to do it. She was worried about what might happen. I really should have listened to you." she added, holding Scootaloo close. "It's okay, I had fun doing all of that." Scootaloo reassured her. "'sides, if it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't even be here for her to tease." Scootaloo added. "She does have a point." Star Shine concurred. If Rainbow Dash had never even been there in the clubhouse on that day then Scootaloo's life could have ended a lot sooner than anypony ever intended. "I know, I know. I just can't help but feel this is all my fault." Rainbow Dash admitted, sighing. This was a sight Scootaloo was not used to seeing. Rainbow Dash had always been brash, arrogant and unwavering in her self confidence and self belief. She still was, she was just believing things that weren't true. "It's not your fault." Scootaloo reassured her. "She's right, it's not." Star Shine added, nuzzling up against Rainbow Dash briefly. "If Diamond Tiara is behind everything then she is cold, calculating, cunning and most of all, deranged. You didn't make her any of that. You might have gone a little beyond a harmless prank by stealing her stuff, but no sane pony would respond to things like that like this. It takes a special kind of crazy to hold a grudge so strong and for so long." Star Shine explained. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash giggled a little at him calling Diamond Tiara crazy. If she really was behind everything then she truly was crazy. Rainbow Dash might have pushed her over the edge a little bit but she was hardly to blame for Diamond Tiara being crazy in the first place. Rainbow Dash smiled up at him. "Yeah, I guess you're right." she said, allowing his words to sink in and banish her thoughts a little. She shouldn't blame herself for the actions of somepony else. Actions that she was in no position to prevent. The only one's to blame for them were Diamond Tiara and, at a stretch, whoever had allowed her to do them or wasn't keeping a close enough eye on her. Diamond Tiara wasn't Rainbow Dash's responsibility; Scootaloo was. Right now Scootaloo needed Rainbow Dash to be happy and how she always was. Thanks to the combined efforts of Star Shine and Scootaloo, she was already feeling it too. "Although," Star Shine began, interrupting Rainbow Dash's series of happy thoughts. Nothing good started with "Although". "Speaking of you taking her tiara, care to tell me about that?" Star Shine asked, looking fairly disapproving before he'd even heard the story. Rainbow Dash laughed nervously and Scootaloo tried to slide as far as she could into the gap between Rainbow Dash and the couch in a vain and rather unsuccessful attempt to hide herself. "It was after Diamond Tiara was teasing Scootaloo in the playground. I pulled her out of school and we went into town together to have some fun. We stayed a while and heard DT with her dad so I thought I'd let Scootaloo get some revenge on her. I wanted Scoots to be able to remember a time when she got one up on Diamond Tiara is all. I didn't want any of this to happen and didn't think it would." Rainbow Dash explained. "Well I can understand wanting to cheer her up." Star Shine conceded, nuzzling Scootaloo. "You probably could have gone about it a better way though." he added. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash looked a little down. Star Shine tried to keep a straight face but after a few seconds he started laughing. "Huh? What's so funny?" Rainbow Dash asked him, confused. Star Shine calmed down and pulled himself together. "It sounds like it was actually pretty fun." Star Shine admitted. "Geez, I'm not some kind of grumpy old man just yet. I can appreciate a good laugh." he explained, rolling his eyes. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo giggled at him and Rainbow Dash let out a happy sigh. "Yeah it was pretty fun." she had to admit. Scootaloo nodded, laughing at the memory of how Diamond Tiara had looked after she had been shocked, both literally and figuratively. "I still think maybe you should have done something else. Well anyway, there's no need to worry so much about what Diamond Tiara might be up to. What else could she do at this point? We need to focus on improving Scootaloo's reputation and making sure ponies know the truth." Star Shine said. Even if there might be something else Diamond Tiara might do, Scootaloo's reputation and happiness should have always come first anyway. "Yeah, you got any ideas on that one?" Rainbow Dash asked him. Star Shine shook his head. "I'm afraid not, but I'll think it over." he replied. "I'm just gonna go make some lunch for now though." he added, taking note of the time. "At the very least I guess we could just talk to every pony in town if we have to." Star Shine said as he stood in the doorway to the kitchen. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo weren't sure if he was serious or not. "I think I'd do that if I had to." Rainbow Dash said to Scootaloo. "It'd be nice if we didn't have to though, that'd take forever." Scootaloo replied. Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I don't think we'd have to tell absolutely everypony. We just need to get ponies talking, like Diamond Tiara has. Rarity might even be telling ponies how awesome you are right now. That'll help." Rainbow Dash explained. "Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle'll probably be like that too." Scootaloo said, stretching and snuggling into Rainbow Dash's chest. "Yep, this won't be hard at all." Rainbow Dash said reassuringly, stroking Scootaloo's mane. Scootaloo smiled and settled down, enjoying the feeling of Rainbow Dash stroking her. They could get through anything. They had eachother.