“The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.” -Mother Teresa
“Somewhere there is someone that dreams of your smile, and finds in your presence that life is worthwhile, so when you are lonely remember it’s true, someone somewhere is thinking of you.” -Unknown
Night had fallen in the village of Ponyville. The streets were empty, and most of the pony citizens were ready for bed. The stars shone in the sky, scattered across Luna's splendid tapestry that was the night sky.
However, not all of the equine denizens were asleep. For outside, in this darkest of all nights, laid a pony, alone in the shadows. It was a tiny figure, wrapped in a ragged blanket and huddled underneath the heater of the local bakery.
The figure was Scootaloo, who sat there wide awake, staring out into the barren streets. She watched house lights flicker off one by one, leaving only a dim lightbulb and the moon to light the dark pavement. The warm air exuding from the heater comforted the little filly, who whispered angrily, "Stupid winter!"
Unfortunately for her, the metal heater soon hummed to a stop, and the hot air dissipated, leaving Scootaloo surrounded by the harsh winter wind. The young pony pulled the blanket tighter around herself, watching her breath condense in front of her snout. It was going to be another long, cold night.
It was a miracle that Scootaloo had managed to survive numerous winters with nothing but a raggedy blanket to keep her company. Countless cold nights had passed the filly by, all the time enduring it with admirable resolve. All time managing to keep her secret life away from her friends. But tonight was going to be no ordinary night.
Suddenly, the sound of a toppling trash can echoed through the streets. Surprised, the filly pricked up her ears, saying , "Hello?"
There was no answer, and yet Scootaloo could faintly make out a lean figure standing in the shadows of an adjacent alleyway.
"I know somepony's out there. Show yourself!" the filly exclaimed, trying her best to sound brave.
A raspy chuckle emanated from the shadowy figure, and it slowly crept out of the shadows. It was a wide eyed stallion. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked as though he hadn't had a good meal in months. The unknown pony's hooves rattled about, seemingly unable to stay still, and one of his ears were sliced into ribbons. The only clothing he had was an old, dirty cap slumped on his head. But, despite his health, he was giving off a sly smile, one that was missing a few teeth.
"Well you're a smart little filly, ain't you? You go to school, little one?" the homeless stallion wheezed.
The way the stallion had spoken sent chills down the young mare's spine. She was scared alright, and she knew something wasn't right about the stranger. Maybe it was the evil, toothless grin, or his twitching hooves that constantly tapped on the cold ground, but one thing was sure, he was not a good pony.
Trying to muster up all the bravery she could, Scootaloo replied, "Yeah, what's it to ya?"
"Oh, I was just wondering how a smart pony like yourself was wandering around the town without your parents. Where are they, huh?" the stranger asked, starting to tap his chin in mock contemplation. Then he reverted back to his creepy grin and continued sinisterly, "Oh, wait, you don't got parents, do you? Yeah, you're just a street bum…like me." His bloodshot eyes locked on the filly, causing Scootaloo to back away, scared. No, something definitely wasn't good about this stallion; she could see it in his ragged face.
Suddenly, the stallion lashed out at the young filly, attempting to grab her. Scootaloo was quick, however, and she bit the stranger hard on his legs, causing him to recoil in pain. But the attack had only made the stranger angrier, and he lashed out once again, this time grabbing Scootaloo by her mane.
Being ever the fighter, the young filly writhed around trying to break free, screaming, "Get away from me you creep! I'll scream."
The comment only made the homeless pony laugh maniacally, and he uttered, "No one's gonna help, you foal. No one is going care about one, lost, orphaned soul!"
Finally, fear took over Scootaloo's mind, and she began to shake even harder. Tears of fear began to drip down her face, and she yelled, "No! Get away from me! HELP! Somepony!"
"Keep screaming little girl. No one's coming to help!"
The two continued to struggle about, all the while journeying further away from the alley. Scootaloo was beginning to tire, beads of sweat forming on her face, but she would not quit. However, the stallion's grip kept getting tighter and tighter, and Scootaloo's hope just kept getting dimmer and dimmer.
With every squirm came a painful tug, and with every squeal came a sharp jerk of her mane until finally, Scootaloo's body went limp from exhaustion. I'm going to die, the young filly thought as the stranger began to drag her away from the alleyway, out into the surrounding forests.
Just when hope had seemed lost, a voice boomed out across Ponyville, directed towards the two dark figures.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!"
Suddenly a blur of blue came out of nowhere, rushing towards the duo and slamming into the skinny stallion. The stranger was sent sprawling across the ground, cursing and spitting out the last of his teeth.
Scootaloo, who had fallen during the charge, found herself shielded behind the strong body of her protector. At first, she wasn't sure who it was due to the darkness that surrounded them. But then she caught a glimpse of the mare's maroon eyes that beamed with the fires of loyalty, the tail and mane that was streaked with the colors of the rainbow. Scootaloo had never been more relieved to see her idol.
With a snarl, Rainbow Dash called out the homeless attacker, growling,"You think you can prey on innocent fillies, punk? Not while I'm around, you hear me?"
Seething with anger, the stallion answered, "And what do you plan on doing about it, you rainbow maned freak?"
Then he shot towards the cyan pegasus, attempting to land a punch. Scootaloo closed her eyes in fear, waiting for the stranger to finish his blow. But instead, the rainbow-maned pony easily blocked the blow and delivered a swift kick to the attacker's face. The resounding crack of the stranger's nose filled the air, and the sound made Scootaloo sick to her stomach.
From behind, the filly could see Dash's eyes, which were now blood red with rage. Her idol stamped her hooves on the ground and snarled viciously, "You lay one more hoof on her and I swear I will kill you!"
The murderous stare worked, as the stranger was frozen in his tracks. Then he proceeded to trot away, rubbing his broken snout, blood dripping from his mouth and nostrils. Before he sank into the shadows, he looked back, his eyes showing pure hatred. But Dash returned it with an evil glare of her own, scaring the attacker away.
Once the stranger was gone, the battered and bruised filly choked out, "R-rainbow?"
The cyan pegasus wrapped her wings around the filly, protecting her from the cold air. "It's okay, Scootaloo, I'm here. You'll be okay. That mule will never hurt you again, I promise," the pegasus said reassuringly.
Then she stared into Scootaloo's tear-stained eyes and asked quietly, "Why aren't you at home, with your parents. Why…"
Before she finished her sentence, Dash saw Scoot's eyes tear away from hers at the mention of the filly's parents. Then she noticed the raggedy blanket wrapped around the filly's body, and at that moment Dash knew what was wrong.
The loyal mare paused for a moment, not sure of what to do. But then she looked back down at the beaten, bruised, and cold youngster that was huddled tightly in her wings, and she knew what she had to say.
"Scoots, do you...wanna come home with me?" the pegasus asked lovingly. The filly, not knowing what else to do, slowly nodded. With a small smile, Dash put the filly safely on her back, telling her to hold on tight. Then, with a flourish of her wings, the rainbow-maned pony took off, speeding towards the safety of the clouds.
XXXX
Scootaloo was tucked into Dash's bed, attempting to get some sleep. Meanwhile outside in the living room of Dash's cloud home, two pegasi, a stallion and a mare, were conversing.
The Veneighzuelan stallion's lightning bolt shaped tail shone in the dim light, his head slowly nodding as he listened intently to his cousin's story. When Rainbow Dash finished, he exhaled slowly and looked at the closed doorway of Scootaloo's make-shift room.
The two pegasi stood in silence for a minute. Outside, it had actually begun to drizzle, piercing the silence with its light tapping. The stallion, Lightning Flash, stood absolutely still, biting his lip in thought, his eyes now trained on the moon outside. Rainbow, on the other hand, was pacing back and forth, her mind racing.
Finally, she gave out a long, frustrated shout, stomping the ground in anger. Then she faced her cousin, and said to him through gritted teeth, "I should have known, Lightning! I never bothered to ask her what she did after school, where she went. I've always been trying to show off in front of her, that I never even thought about what her life was like. I'm supposed to be her idol, and I can't even do that right."
Biting his lip, the steel-colored stallion could only answer, "C'mon now Arco, you know that's not true."
But the cyan pegasus wasn't listening, and she continued to rant, "I was lucky to find her in time. She could've gotten hurt, Lightning! She could have died! And it would have been my fault for not helping her before."
This time, Lightning raised his voice, countering solidly, "But she didn't get hurt, Dash. She's fine, all because of you! You're the element of loyalty, Arco. And now Scootaloo needs you more than ever!"
The duo paused again, giving the other time to cool down. Dash's mind was still racing, however, racked with the thoughts of what would happen next. What would the possibilities be, what was to lie in the unknown? The pegasus was unsure, a rare occurrence for a confident pony such as herself. For once, Dash could say that she was honestly scared.
With her eyes directed at the ground, Rainbow Dash said softly, "I'm no parental figure, Lightning. I don't know…if I can take care of her. I mean…it's a lot of responsibility, and…and I don't know if I can do it." Sucking in a quick breath, the pegasus added, "I don't know…if I want to."
When Lightning heard these last few words, a surprised gasp escaped his mouth. That surprised look quickly turned into anger, and the stallion rode up to his cousin. In his eyes, Dash could see one other thing, something that was probably worse than his anger itself. Disappointment.
"How could you even say that, Dash?" Lightning scolded. "There's a young niña in there who has seen things no pony should ever have to! And you're saying that you don't want the responsibility of helping her?
Not wanting to hear her cousin's disappointment, Dash quickly countered, "You can't expect me to become some sort of parent overnight, Lightning! I've got no idea how to do this! It's a lot to bear for one pony.
"Not as much as what Scoot has been bearing her whole life," Lightning replied solemnly. Then, once again, the room sank back into silence. Lightning continued to stare as his cousin, hoping what he had said had sunk in. Guilt flashed through Dash's mind, and she thought back to the sight of Scootaloo, bleeding, battered, and crying.
"Taking care of a filly…that's a lot of responsibility and-and work-,"
Lightning gave surprised snort and uttered, "Work? You're worried about the work? I'm sorry, prima, but I think…I think you need to grow up." The words were like a knife in Dash's chest. They had hit home, almost as if she had been bucked in the gut. Grow up? Yeah, I know that Scootaloo needs me to be there for her. But…but…
"But what if I screw up?" Dash blurted. "What-what if I do something that only makes her feel worse? Hell, I've already messed up once, what makes you think I won't do it again?"
The pegasus collapsed to the ground, her head buried in her front hooves. She would have lain there forever, of not for her cousin slowly crouching next her. The stallion took his cousin's chin, sliding his front hoof underneath, gently guiding the mare's face toward his. Dash was not crying, she was too proud for that. But it took no genius to see the worry printed across her features.
The cousins locked eyes, and for a brief second, they were frozen. Then Lightning gave his signature warming smile, rubbed his cousin's rainbow mane, and with a nod he answered softly, "Because, prima, I know you. I know that you'll do all that you can to help her. I know that you'll try. And sometimes, that's all somepony needs."
The rainbow pegasus wasn't sure what to say. But she did know what she had to do. With a heavy sigh, she slowly began to head towards the filly's room. Although she was nervous and unsure of what to say, her cousin was right. She had to try.
Dash peeked her head around the door frame to see Scootaloo still awake, which didn't surprise her one bit. "Hey, kiddo. How're you, uh, feeling?" she whispered, trying to give her friendliest smile.
"I'm…okay Rainbow. Thanks," the orange filly said softly. Rainbow Dash crept her way over to the young filly, taking a seat on the bed. They sat there in silence while Dash attempted to think of what to say. But the confident pegasus was drawing a blank, so she continued to sit there awkwardly, biting her lip.
Finally, Scootaloo said, "So, are you gonna pity me or what?"
The hostile tone took the mare off guard, and Dash stuttered, "No Scootaloo, it's just…"
"Because I don't need that. Not now."
The filly put on a defiant sneer, trying to be brave like her idol. The thought made Dash cringe on the inside, and she wished she could be the confident pony Scoots looked up to. But for now, all she could say was, "I'm not here to ask about your parents. I just…I just wanna ask some questions."
The filly gave a small nod, so Dash continued, "Y'know, you really had us worried for a while there. Scoots, why didn't you tell us you were living out on the streets? I mean, it's dangerous at night, y'know?"
The filly broke her strong glare and looked away from her idol, replying quietly, "Well, I guess…I didn't want you guys to worry about me."
"Heh, well obviously, after tonight, you weren't doin' a very good job," the cyan pegasus replied with a chuckle, attempting to make a joke. But the statement only made the filly writhe with more guilt, receding deeper into her pillow. Dash, seeing this, thought to herself, Stupid, stupid!
Attempting to cheer Scoots up, Dash quickly said, "Ummm...sorry, kid. Bad joke. But still Scoots, you shouldn't have been afraid to tell us what's wrong." Another guilty expression, and another mental scolding.
"I-I don't mean it like that Scoots. It's just that… we love you, kiddo, and if you needed anything, we would have backed you up 100 percent." The statement seemed to make the filly feel a little better, but Dash knew that something was still on Scoot's mind. The tiny glare of a teardrop began to form on the filly's cheek, and the sight almost made Rainbow Dash want to cry herself. Frankly, seeing Scootaloo hurt like this made Dash hurt too.
But the cyan pegasus had to remain strong, so she took in a deep breath and began to stroke Scoot's mane, saying, "Listen, I guess I've been a bit…selfish. I've been trying so hard to impress you that I never even bothered to ask you if anything's wrong."
"No Rainbow Dash-" Scootaloo attempted to argue. But the pegasus placed her hoof gently on Scootaloo's mouth, shaking her head.
"Save it kid. It's true, I know it. But now…now it's different. After what happened, what could have happened…well, I can't let anything like that happen to you ever again.
"Listen, I'm not exactly the best at this kind of stuff, y'know. And I guess I'm not sure how to be, y'know, a real mentor," Rainbow Dash admitted. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try, because I know that I have to, for you."
She continued solemnly, "If I have the chance to help someone, well, I've gotta try, right?" The cyan pegasus glanced at the living room to see her electric cousin giving a gentle smile.
Just like Lightning, Dash smiled gently at the young filly, who was now sitting upright in Dash's arms, and said, "Now I promise not to just be an idol, but a friend. Someone who you can always look up to and who can take care of you. Sure, I guess I can be stubborn sometimes, but… I still love you, Scoots. We all do, and don't you ever forget that."
The words sank into the young pony's mind. Love? The one thing her parents had never given her. Love, the one thing that she had longed for ever since she was dropped off in that cardboard box at the side of the street. Love, the one thing that she had been missing her whole life. And here it was, sitting right in front of her in the shape of a rainbow-maned pegasus.
Watching the confident maroon eyes of her guardian, Scootaloo asked, "Does this mean I'm not going back to the orphan's home?"
"Oh, Scoots," Dash began with a chuckle. Without a hint of doubt in her voice, she finished, "You are home. Welcome to the family." Then the rainbow-maned flier took the little filly in a gentle, warm embrace. The two ponies held each other close, their hearts beating as one. A single tear dripped down the younger pony's face; one of happiness, not fear.
Too many cold nights had passed her by, too many days where she had questioned her reason to live. Too many days of not having a warm home and loving parents to come back to. It seemed almost too good to be true.
Scootaloo stared into her idol's eyes and saw the toughness and passion, as well as the softness and gentleness that came hand in hand. At that moment, she knew that she found the place where she belonged. She felt the love emenating from her idol-turned-guardian. And the best part? She knew it was real.
With her eyes closed and her head still buried in her idol's comforting chest, Scootaloo whispered, "Love you mom."
Dash's eyes lit up in surprise in response to the filly's loving message. It was soon replaced with an affectionate grin however, and she replied tenderly, "Love ya too, kiddo. Sweet dreams." Then she tucked the young pegasus into bed, and planted a small kiss on Scootaloo's forehead.
Mom. The word echoed in her head; it was like a small package containing uncertainty, and yet at the same time, warmth and love. It was going to be a long and difficult journey, tougher than any race the pegasus had flown before. Rainbow knew that. But now, she felt ready, ready for whatever obstacles lay up ahead. Never before had she felt so determined to succeed, to win a challenge that went further than just trophies and medals. She had to be, not just for her, but for the orange filly placed under her watch.
As she turned around, Dash wiped a teardrop from her cheek, not wanting the filly to see her cry. Not yet anyway.
The cyan pegasus then strode out the door, but not before taking one last glance to make sure the little filly was nice and warm. But she didn't need to check, for Scootaloo would never sleep cold ever again.