//------------------------------// // Hurry - Formerly Committed // Story: TwiDash Prompt Collab // by TwiDashCollabs //------------------------------// “Come on, Scoots! We gotta hurry!” Rainbow Dash glanced back at a struggling Scootaloo. Rainbow could tell she was on her last legs. She was proud that Scootaloo even made it this far. Flying from Ponyville to Canterlot and then back was no easy feat, even for Rainbow. “I know. I’m--I’m going as fas--as I can,” Scootaloo shouted back between pants. Come on Scootaloo, focus on breathing. In. And out. Just like Rainbow taught you. She pushed through the pain, ignoring the screams from her exhausted wings. Her still being airborne was a true statement to her determination. Whether it was her refusal to give up, or her not wanting to get in trouble was completely different matter. No more than a few hours ago they had been back at the library sitting quietly, reading. Or so they would claim. Maybe they shouldn’t have been building towers with books. Maybe they shouldn’t have had a ginormous pillow fight in the middle of the library. Or maybe they crossed the line with pegasus-limbo. Regardless, tables were bumped and unicorn statues were broken. So while Spike stayed behind and cleaned up feathers, Rainbow and Scootaloo took off to the only store that still had said statue. All before Twilight got back from her trip seeing the Princess. Who was due back on the next train into Ponyville, which they had yet to pass on their return journey. “Rain--Rainbow!” Scootaloo called out. She could feel herself slowly losing altitude. She tried futilely to stop her descent, but she was destined to go down.This was it. She wasn’t gonna make it. Twilight was going to get home, see the broken statue, and ground her--and possibly Rainbow, until she moved out. She felt a pair of hooves wrap around her barrell. “Don’t worry, squirt. I gotcha. We’re in the home-stretch and I can see the train pullin’ in.” Scootaloo closed her eyes, and let her body fall limp in Rainbow’s embrace giving her muscles the rest they demanded. Cracking an eye open, she tempted a glance towards Ponyville and true to Rainbow’s word she could see the last puffs of smoke coming from the train as it slowed in its approach into the station. Scootaloo either dozed off or passed out from exhaustion, because the next thing she knew she was being set down right in front of the library. Luckily it was only her wings that were pushed to exhaustion and she charged through the door just a few steps in front of Rainbow. Spike who had been pacing back and forth for the past hour jumped at the sudden slamming of the door. “Thank Celestia, you guys are back! I thought I heard the train come in,” he said sighing in relief. “You did. Twi’s probably right behind us!” Rainbow Dash flipped open her saddlebag and using two hooves and both wings to steady it, lifted the statue up and onto the table. In a flash of blue she flew upstairs, threw her bags down and zipped back down. Side-by-side they stared at the door and waited. Forty-five seconds later a somewhat confused Twilight walked in. “Why did somepony leave the door--” She stopped and looked suspiciously at Rainbow Dash, flanked on both sides by Scootaloo and Spike. All wearing a huge grin. She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Aww, you guys didn’t have to greet me at the door. I was only gone for the day.” “Well we missed you. Right, guys?” exclaimed Rainbow through her forced smile. The other two nodded quickly, their smiles never wavering. Twilight stared at each of them in turn. They would swear she was looking into their very souls. Twilight knew something was off. She just didn’t know what. She slowly moved toward the guilty trio, her gaze never leaving them. And then she saw it. She knew what they were hiding. In a blur of purple, Twilight ran over to Scootaloo and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. “Rainbow! How many times have I told you...Stop pushing Scootaloo so hard when you two practice. She looks exhausted,” she said glaring daggers at Rainbow. It took Rainbow Dash a whole second to realize what had just happened. “Oh--OH! Yeah...sorry. You know us. We just...love flying. Right, Scoots?” Rainbow’s smile never left her. “Yeah! Sorry, I uh...yeah. Sorry.” Scootaloo hugged Twilight back. Did they just really get away, scot free? She almost felt bad for how easy it had been. Almost. “Well, I hope you aren’t too tired Rainbow. I was hoping you would massage my back. You would not believe how rough it is to travel all the way to Canterlot and back in one day.” “...Nope.” “Not a clue.” “But, first things first.,” she said as she lifted her saddlebag off her back with her magic. However, Twilight who was still hugging Scootaloo wasn’t paying attention. Her bag bumped the table. Time move slow. (I had to, and I’m not sorry) Three pairs of eyes looked on in horror, as the unicorn statue wibbled and wobbled, hoping it wouldn’t fall down. Their luck had run out. They watched as the statue lost its balance an tipped over. They looked on in shock, Rainbow holding out a hoof in a futile attempt to stop it, as it bounced half-way off the table sending it spinning on its collision course with the floor. A single tear fell away from Scootaloo’s eye as the unicorn statue, that had just cost her a month’s allowance, shattered into what seemed to be millions of pieces. No one moved. Three sets of eyes all turned towards Twilight, waiting for they fury to come. The first to notice something wrong was Scootaloo. She was still being held on to by the unicorn and could feel her body shaking. At first, she thought she was having some sort of seizure. A mental breakdown after the lose of her beloved statue. But then...she heard it. Laughter. Twilight threw her head back and laughed. The other three thought she had just lost her mind. Poor Scootaloo. Already in the mares clutches, she was obviously going to be the first sacrificed. But then a miracle happened. She released her hostage and continued her laughter. No one dared to move yet, and they stayed completely still until Twilight finally had control of her faculties. “Oops,” she smiled sheepishly wiping a tear from her eye. “Sorry, I’ll clean that up in a minute.” The three looked at each other, blinked, and looked back at Twilight as she made her way up the stairs. “Honestly, that thing was kind of hideous.”