Working Towards The Future

by Dasponi

Chapter 35; Who Do You Love?

When the pair made their way downstairs they found Star Shine laid down on the couch and looking off at nothing in particular through the window. He was so caught up in his own little world he didn’t notice Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo as they hugged the walls and made their way across to him. Rainbow Dash was a master of sneaking, and Scootaloo was a master of staying on Rainbow Dash, so they made a formidable team. It was also remarkably easy to sneak on a cloud as it barely made a sound. Rainbow Dash made her way behind Star Shine and, once she reached him, hefted Scootaloo up and dropped her into his back. Star Shine let out a cry of pain as Scootaloo hit him and jumped up into the air. He hovered and tried to look at his own back to see what hit him but all he did was spin around in circles while Rainbow Dash laughed at him. He stopped turning when the laughter rang through his ears and he looked down to see Scootaloo was on the couch and also laughing at him. She had fallen off when he jumped up.

“Well done...you got me...” Star Shine said sardonically as he lowered himself back onto the couch. Rainbow Dash put a foreleg around his neck, still laughing at him.

“Awwww, did we go too far?” Rainbow Dash asked once she’d calmed down and realised Star Shine wasn’t laughing with her. Star Shine was a friend and she didn’t like pranking ponies who were her friends, and wouldn’t see it as a joke. She thought he might appreciate it given his silly sense of humour. Despite how much she was enjoying make him squirm over what the new clothes would be for she did also see it as a lesson for him. If it wasn’t for that she probably would have told him by now. Scootaloo cuddled up to him, worried that she had upset him. She had gained a new appreciation and liking for him over the day and didn’t want him to hate her already. Star Shine sighed but a smile tugged at his lips.

“I’ll be fine. How about you two?” he asked, pulling wrapping a foreleg around each of them.

“What about us?” Rainbow Dash replied, looking between Star Shine and Scootaloo in confusion. Scootaloo gave a shrug to show she had no idea what he meant either.

“I heard you talking. Were you really worried about Scootaloo liking me more than you?” Star Shine asked Rainbow Dash.

“Umm...maybe a little...” Rainbow Dash replied, looking away sheepishly. Scootaloo worked her way out of Star Shine’s foreleg and used him as a platform to jump onto the top of Rainbow Dash’s head. She dropped down onto it, resting her legs over Rainbow Dash’s face, and began nuzzling the top of Rainbow’s head.

“I could never like anypony more than you Dash.” Scootaloo said. Rainbow Dash giggled a little at the feeling of Scootaloo rubbing into the top of her head.

“I could have told you that, you silly filly.” Star Shine said, rubbing Rainbow Dash’s cheek like she was a filly that needed comforting. Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at him, perhaps proving that in some ways she was.

“That’s not your job though. Do you know what your job is?” Rainbow Dash asked him, slipping out of his foreleg himself. She moved carefully so that her Scootaloo hat didn’t fall off.

“To sit here looking awesome?” Star Shine offered, laying back on the couch and trying to look cool.

“That’s Rainbow’s job.” Scootaloo replied, causing Star Shine to sigh and sit up properly.

“Sure is Squirt.” Rainbow replied, giggling and moving a foreleg to pat Scootaloo. “Your job,” she said to Star Shine, “is to get Scoots here to fly. I think it’s about time you did it. She’s been wearing that brace of yours for a while, she’s gotta have 0.1 wingpower now.” Star Shine rubbed his chin, mulling over how much time it had been. He thought about it and was shocked to realise that he had only been in Ponyville four days. A lot had happened in such a short amount of time and it felt a lot longer.

“Well...I originally told Scootaloo it would take about a week to build her wingpower. It’s only been four days, but we can test her again. She’s a strong little filly after all.” Star Shine replied, smiling up at Scootaloo. She smiled back and played with Rainbow Dash’s hair.

“What are we waiting for then? Let’s go!” Rainbow Dash said, turning around and raising a foreleg in the air, preparing to march towards the door. A cough from behind her cut her off. She turned around to face Star Shine. He was looking at her sternly. “What?” she asked sheepishly.

“Have you looked out the window? Or at a clock? It’s Scootaloo’s bedtime. We can do it tomorrow after we pick up the clothes from Rarity. Maybe then you can tell me what we’re doing anyway.” Star Shine said, pointing a hoof out of a window. He had been looking out the window at the brightly lit moon in the distance. He had always been fond of looking up at the moon. It wasn’t just Scootaloo’s bedtime, it was past it. It was coming up on Rainbow Dash’s final shift of the day. She didn’t want to be late twice in one day.

“Awwwwww...” Scootaloo sighed dejectedly. She thought she might have time for a quick flying lesson before bed.

“Shine’s got a point Squirt. It’s past your bedtime and I gotta get to work. Wouldn’t want to be late twice in one day.” Rainbow Dash said, trying her best to wink at something she couldn’t see. Rainbow Dash started walking towards the stairs and looked back at Star Shine when she reached them. He was still sat on the couch and was watching them leave. “You comin’?” Rainbow asked him. Scootaloo peered over at him.

“Not this time.” Star Shine replied, shaking his head. “It’s bad enough I read her a story once already. That’s something special the two of you do, and I don’t want to intrude on that.” Rainbow Dash nodded her understanding. Scootaloo looked slightly confused but after a few seconds she got what he meant and smiled at his thoughtfulness.

“Scoots could you go up first? I’ll be up in a sec.” Rainbow Dash said, peering up at her fringe. She felt Scootaloo hop off of her head and saw her land softly on the stairs below. Scootaloo looked back at Rainbow Dash curiously but did as she was told. She headed up the stairs and into her room. Rainbow Dash walked over to Star Shine on the couch.

“Shouldn’t you go up to her? You don’t have long if you want to read her a story before going to work.” Star Shine said, eyeing Rainbow Dash curiously as she walked towards him.

“Yeah but you’ll be asleep when I get back and I wanted to say thanks.” Rainbow Dash replied, giving Star Shine the briefest of nuzzles before stepping back away from him. Much like Star Shine himself, Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure of her feelings. Four days wasn’t enough time and Star Shine had managed to screw up and upset both her and Scootaloo quite a lot considering the small amount of time he had been there. She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea by being overly affectionate.

“Thank me? For what?” Star Shine asked, confused by both Rainbow Dash’s words and her actions.

“For being a considerate jerk, for once.” Rainbow Dash replied, giggling.

“I’m not a jerk...” Star Shine replied, looking hurt.

“Not a total one. I guess.” Rainbow Dash conceded. “Thanks for thinking about me and Scoots, and staying down here.” she added.

“It’s no problem, really, but you’re going to have to get upstairs quick if you want to read to her before work. She might have fallen asleep already.” Star Shine replied, looking at the clock that told him it was half past nine. Rainbow Dash looked at the clock herself, yelped in surprise, and ran up the stairs. Star Shine laughed a little at the display and settled back into the couch.

When Rainbow Dash made it to Scootaloo’s room she saw that Scootaloo was laid in bed, but wasn’t asleep yet.

“Shine’s still alive right? You didn’t break him?” Scootaloo asked when Rainbow Dash walked in.

“Don’t tell me you think I’m just going to hurt him too...” Rainbow Dash replied as she walked over to Scootaloo’s bed. Scootaloo laughed softly and it turned into a yawn as she curled up in bed.

“Nah I don’t think you’ll hurt him. I think you’ll kiss him. Again. He breaks when you do that.” Scootaloo teased, giggling. She had noticed how Star Shine tended to freeze up whenever Rainbow Dash did anything affectionate.

“I only kissed him so you’d look away. You’re lucky you’re so cute.” Rainbow Dash teased, prodding Scootaloo and eliciting a laugh as she tickled her. Rainbow Dash continued to tickle her for about half a minute or so before stopping and letting Scootaloo catch her breath.

“It’s too late to read me a story isn’t it?” Scootaloo asked, a little sadly. She was aware of the time and as much as she enjoyed being read to, she knew she wasn’t supposed to be up so late and Rainbow Dash had work to go to.

“‘Fraid so Squirt, but at least you have your lessons again tomorrow.” Rainbow Dash replied, ruffling Scootaloo’s mane. Rainbow Dash pulled the bed cover over Scootaloo and kissed her softly on the forehead before making her way out of the room.

“Hey Rainbow?” Scootaloo called before Rainbow Dash could leave.

“Yeah Squirt?” Rainbow Dash answered back, turning around. Scootaloo was stilled curled up in bed though and had her eyes closed. She was just about to fall asleep.

“I love you.” Scootaloo said softly.

“I know. I love you too Scoots.” Rainbow Dash replied before heading out the room. It was the first time either of them had said it since that day at the Gorge. Rainbow Dash didn’t realise it had been that long, and was determined to make sure it wasn’t that long again until she said it once more. She headed downstairs, said a goodbye to Star Shine, and headed out to work.

Author's Note:

The only rewrite this chapter had was Rainbow explaining just why she kissed that handsome devil in the last chapter. I'm beginning to see a lack of rewrites as me actually being happy with a chapter. Which would be nice because to be honest I don't have much to be happy about right now.

Also, I told you way back on chapter 32 (I think it was actually last Friday) that a friend of mine agreed to do a reading of that chapter with me, and today I have for you the result. Remember that we did this for a laugh and in no way actually tried to be totally serious about it. Well we tried to be serious. Tried. We actually only made three major mistakes. Plus I played the role of both Star Shine AND the narrator. Oh and the pony in the video picture is Star Shine.

A small edit: Hmmm, seems I actually can't post videos in an Author's Notes...who knew? Well, probably everyone who's tried. Well anyway the link is there.

Comments

[Frankie2]

I'm glad to see Rainbow and Scootaloo express their feelings. I look forward to Scootaloo being back in school.

[Dasponi]

2826617
You might not like it initially but I think you'll like it over time as things get more obvious. Well, that didn't make sense

[Frankie2]

2826783 Actually, that made perfect sense.

[Dasponi]

2826838
Glad it did I also have some good news for you. I just wrote in who wrote the article in the Foal Free Press. It's coming in chapter 43. I decided to use dramatic irony to reveal it to the reader, but not the cast at large. It was an opportune time to bring it up, so I took it Of course though the best news about that is that I was able to write a brand new chapter for the first time in over a week.

[Cold Spike]

MOAR D'AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[Sparkle Flash]

Scoots is so darn cute!