//------------------------------//
// The Fire 
// Story: Amareican Noise 
// by Phoenix Nebula 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 1: The Fire


[10:22 am ; 7:37:12 until Fire]


Celestia's morning sun shine brightly through the cloud window. Rainbow Dash slowly opened her eyes as the sun shined on her. She groaned as she shifted to avoid the rays of light. She then looked over to the clock. 10:23. 'Oh buck!' She thought. She shot out of bed and ran to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

After the shower, she quickly ran a brush through her mane and brushed her teeth. Then she quickly flew downstairs and made herself some breakfast. After she finished, she grabbed her saddlebag and ran towards the door. On her way she pet Tank, before she shot out the door and vanished into the distance.






[10:58 am ; 7:01:51 until Fire]


Scootaloo waited excitedly in a large field just outside of Sweet Apple Acres. Today, she would be training with her biggest idol and big sister figure, Rainbow Dash. This isn't the first time they’ve trained, but today she was extra excited because Rainbow said she would do something different this time for training. The filly watched the horizon intently for her mentor. While she wait she continued to wonder what new kind of training she would do. Just then a huge shock wave tore through the air knocking the filly on her back. She quickly got up to see a multiple colored disc spreading out in all directions. The filly watched in awe as a rainbow colored streak zoomed towards her. Rainbow Dash soon touched down in front of the awestruck pegasus filly.

"Hay squirt, hows it going?" The mare asked.

"That was AWESOME!"

"He, he thanks squirt," Dash chuckled at the young Pegasus' excitement. "Are you ready to train today?"

"You bet! What new kind of training are we doing?"

"I'm glad you asked. I decided I wanted to so how fast your reflexives are. "Rainbow set down her bag and reached into it. She then pulled out ten tennis balls and set them on the ground. "You see these. I'm going to attempt to hit you with these while you try to dodge them, deflect them, or what ever. You got that?" Scootaloo looked down at the projectiles then back at her mentor. She gave a determined nod. "Good, now I'll go easy on you at first then I'll begin to bring the heat. You ready?" With one more nod yes the filly ran a few meters back and prepared for the onslaught. Dash grabbed one of the tennis balls and reeled her for leg back. "Here it comes!" She bucked the ball to Scootaloo.






[4:27 pm ; 0:32:42 until Fire]


The two of them trained into the after noon. Scootaloo blew all of Rainbow Dash’s expectations out of the water. Dash was now struggling to land a single hit. She was aiming mainly at her hooves to avoid hurting her, but it was beginning to become evident that didn't really matter any more. She had gone back to get forty more tennis balls to allow her to throw more in a short period without having to retrieve them so often. It didn't matter though the filly was just plain fast.

After a few minutes the orange pegasus began to get very tired. Rainbow saw this as her chance to finally land a hit but what Scootaloo did next shocked the mare into disbelief. When the tennis ball approached the pegasus she reared up on her back hooves and repaired her front hooves. What happened next the mare would never forget. Scootaloo quickly grabbed the ball and forced it into the ground in one swift motion. Dash dropped the ball in her hoof and landed on the ground. Her jaw hung open in awe.

"Well how did I do?" The filly asked, oblivious of her mentors disbelief.

"How did you do? How did you DO!?!?!" Rainbow yelled in absolute pride. Scootaloo looked up at the mare unsure of how to react. "That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen! H...how did you do that?"

"R...really? You thought I did amazing?"

"Well no shoot, I don't think I could even do that." She looked back at the filly. She could feel a sense of pride grow in her chest, but not the pride of a sister. A pride that a mother would feel. The older Pegasus extended her wing out to the younger one and wrapped her in it. "I've never been more proud of you, you really impressed me today"

"Y..you really mean it?" She looked up to the mare hopping she hadn't misunderstood. She nodded her head. The small filly wrapped her fore hooves around the mare" Thanks mo- Dash." She blushed at the mistake hoping Rainbow hadn't noticed. Lucky for her she didn't.

"No problem squirt" She hugged the filly back.






[5:50 pm ; 0:09:07 until Fire]


Rainbow Dash flew high over the ground while Scootaloo happily rode on her back. The mare was deep in her thoughts. Over the years since she took the filly under her wing they gradually grew closer. At first she was fine being just a sister, but as time passed she began to think of her as more than that. She looked at the young pegasus as more of a daughter. Today she had never been more proud of the filly, she reminded her of her so much. Her attitude, her personality, even her loyalty towards her friends. She just wasn't sure about her own emotions.

Rainbow let out a sigh, 'Could I really be a mother?' She thought to herself  . 'Not only that but she is already adopted, and her dad is not really my type...' She let out another sigh. She really did consider Scootaloo as one of her own. There was just too many problems and questions. Dash was wrenched from her thoughts by Scootaloo.

"Hay, Rainbow Dash you okay?" The she asked. Dash always felt better every time she heard Scootaloo's voice.

"Oh, I’m fine, just thinking."

"Okay," She replied happily. Rainbow was thankful she didn't press her for more questions. There was one question that stuck out the most to Dash: what did Scootaloo view her as?

They soon landed outside of the filly's home. Scootaloo jumped off the mare's back and landed on the ground. She ran towards the front door. Just before she opened it she turned around.

"See ya' tomorrow Dash!" She waved good by.

"See ya' squirt." She returned the wave. She then spread her wings and took off as Scootaloo entered her home.






[5:59 pm ; 0:00:30 until Fire]


"Dad I'm home!" Scootaloo called. There was no answer. "Dad?" Still no answer. The filly cautiously walked down the hall. She walked into the living room. The clock on the wall suddenly struck 6 o'clock. There was a sudden explosion, and Scootaloo found her self on the floor. The whole house was set ablaze, she struggled to get up. "DAD!!!" She screamed. She got to her hooves and started running through the house looking for her father. When she entered another room she nearly screamed. There, on the floor burning was her father, dead. A burning, wooden beam fell, crushing the lifeless body of her father.

Scootaloo tried to run, but was blocked off by some burning wood. She was trapped, and there was no escape. This was it she was going to die. No cutie mark, couldn't fly, and no mother. Her thoughts turned to the only one who she thought as a mother, Rainbow Dash.

"MOMMY!!!" She cried out. Smoke filled her lungs, and she coughed." MOMMY!... MOMMA DASH!" She yelled out, just before everything started to go black. As she started to succumb to the smoke, she saw a rainbow streak come into view. Then everything went dark.

To be continued…