//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9: Bad Dreams 
// Story: Just Another Day 
// by Friendship is Magic 
//------------------------------//

Scootaloo was galloping for her life, she was being chased though the Everfree forest by a pack of hungry timberwolf's. Their teeth just out of reach of her hind legs as she bolted though the Everfree. Scootaloo wished more than ever now that her wings would work properly so she could just fly away. She tried once more to flap her wings as hard as she could, to no avail. She only resulted in tiring herself out even more. She ducked to the left as a timberwolf pounced towards her. She managed to dodge and keep galloping, but received a deep, long scratch along her side where the timberwolf's claws had swiped her. The cut didn't even register in Scootaloo's mind as she had so much adrenaline pumping though her. She quickly ducked a low branch without breaking stride. 

"Why did I try to go back to my house to get my scooter?" Thought Scootaloo to herself. She had been traveling back to the orphanage to retrieve her scooter, but walked to close too the Everfree forest and got attacked.

Scootaloo was so dehydrated and exhausted that she had stopped sweating five minutes ago. As Scootaloo jumped over some roots she started to dry retch again. She had thrown up after about seven or eight minutes of galloping flat-out though the Everfree, ever since then though she had been dry retching every minute or so, she had long since run of food in her stomach to throw up, all that remained was her stomach acids and they burned her throat every time she dry retched. Scootaloo stumbled on some more roots but managed to keep going. She was well aware that she was forever galloping away from Ponyville and further into the Everfree. She had tried to swing wide to come back around a few times, but that had only resulted in almost getting mauled and eaten by the timberwolves that seemed to come out of nowhere. 

A timberwolf jumped at Scootaloo from the side, she dived forward hoping it would fly over the top of her. When she stood back up she saw that she was surrounded The timberwolves were slowly circling her, taking their time now that their prey had been cornered and that it couldn't escape. Scootaloo fell to the ground exhausted, and started dry retching again. When she finished she took all of her remaining strength to look up just to see a timberwolf lunge straight towards her. When it's teeth we're just about to sink into her neck, she jolted awake screaming, sweaty, breathless, confused and in a lot of pain.

Rainbow was at her side in a instant. She jumped out of bed and quickly looked around the room to make sure that there was no threat. After a quick check she declared the area 'safe' and jumped over besides Scootaloo's bed. She was trying to calm down the young filly, making gentle shushing noises. Scootaloo was still screaming and trying to run away, causing her more pain because of her injure's.

"Shhhusshh. Hey it going to be okay, it was just a dream. Shhhusshh. Calm down. Shhhusshh." Rainbow spoke softly and calmly hoping that if her words wouldn't work then her calm attitude would.

Scootaloo slowly calmed down. She looked at Rainbow and realised who it was, and started to cry. Big heavy sobs that racked her hole body. She brought her sister into a tight hug. Rainbow hugged her sister back tightly. "Rainbow, they almost had me. They were going to kill me. I couldn't keep running, I just couldn't. I was just too tired."

Rainbow kept making comforting sounds while she talked. "It was only a dream. Shhhusshh. You're okay. It was just a dream. Shhhusshh."

Scootaloo kept crying into Rainbows shoulder for about a half hour before she started to calm down. Rainbow looked at her sisters face. "Are you okay?" 

Scootaloo managed a smile, even if it was only for her sisters sake. "I'm fine, just my leg hurts a bit though. That's where I got scratched by the timberwolf."

Rainbow smiled back her sister and said. "Don't mind if I take a look then do you?" 

"Not at all."

Rainbow looked down at her sisters hind leg. She caught her breath when she saw what happened. A couple of the stitches that where holding her leg together had broken off when Scootaloo had thrashed around, and it was leaking a dark red blood.

"Let's get you back to the hospital." Said Rainbow to Scootaloo.

Scootaloo got a very worried look on her face, thinking for a moment that it hadn't been a dream after all. "It's nothing too bad. Just a couple of your stitch's broke off when you were thrashing around. Won't take but a minute for the doc to fix it."

Scootaloo relaxed a bit when she realised that it was a dream once again. "Do we have to go now?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yes I'm afraid so, I don't want to risk it getting any worse." Rainbow answered before gently picking her sister up, and cradling her like a newborn filly. She flew Scootaloo to the hospital like that because the wheelchair would of been too slow. 

When they arrived the receptionist smiled at the visitors. She then saw that Rainbows normally blue coat was a darkish red. It didn't take the receptionist long to figure out something was wrong. Rainbow quickly explained what had happened and the mare quickly ushered them into a room, and she began to remove the broken stitch's straight away. She then proceeded to replace them with new ones. Once she had finished, she urged them to stay the night in the hospital, in case anything else happened. Rainbow and Scootaloo agreed, only on the condition that they could leave first thing in the morning.

After the mare had left Rainbow turned to Scootaloo. "Are you okay now?" 

Scootaloo nodded. "I'm sorry that I ruined your first chance to get a good nights sleep in over five months," 

Rainbiw smiled. "That's okay kid. I don't mind so long as I'm with you." This made Scootaloo smile as well. "Now, do you want to tell me what happened in your dream sis?"

Scootaloo looked at her sister, her eye's showing slight traces of fear. She took a deep breath and replayed the whole story to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow waited patiently until she had finished before she asked some questions. 

Talking about what happened made Scootaloo feel a lot better she realised. "I guess I never really had anyone to talk to before." Thought Scootaloo to herself. After they talked about what happened Rainbow wished Scootaloo goodnight.

"Good night Scoots." Rainbow said.

"Night sis" replied Scootaloo.

They slept without any further disturbances that night. And Rainbow finally got a well earned rest.