I'm Still Here

by Ribe_FireRain

Sunrise - Part Three

Rainbow Dash's eyes fluttered and her lips curled up into a smile as a pleasant and warm heat kissed her cheek, gently coaxing her awake from her deep slumber. Her ear gave an absent-minded twitch and she lightly outstretched her rear hooves on top of the bed as she pulled the sleepiness out of them.

''Mmm, c'mon, Fluttershy, it's not even saturday,'' She mumbled tiredly, smiling at the heat touching her left cheek.

''Rainbow!'' A voice called, seemingly distant yet so close. ''Rainbow Dash!''

''Fluttershy? Do you have a cold or something? You sound just like...''

''Rainbow!''

''AH! What?!'' Dash suddenly jump-started awake as if a bolt of lightning had struck her, and she hurled off of the bedspread like a scared cat, arching her back and becoming as stiff as a board. ''I'm awake!'' She quickly said, hyper-alert, her startled eyes glancing back and forth before they focused downwards at the foot of the bed, finding the source of the voice.

Scootaloo was standing in front of her with a startled but amused expression of her own. The young orange filly giggled and smiled at the alarmed reaction the cyan pegasus gave, and Dash calmed down when she noticed her.

''Oh,'' She said, catching her breath and recomposing herself. ''It's just you, kid,'' Rainbow Dash said, sighing and climbing down from the bed. Confused at the absence of Fluttershy, Dash glanced around to see where she was, suddenly remembering that they had slept together on the bed after leaving Applejack's homestead. ''Hey, Scoots, where's Fluttershy?''

''Downstairs,'' Scootaloo said. ''Come on, we've been waiting for you to wake up! We can't start breakfast without you!'' She said, impatiently trotting on the spot and waiting for Dash to get a move on. Rainbow only chuckled at the sight.

''Yeah, alright, Scoots,'' She said, ruffling her little sister's scruff of purple mane. ''Breakfast sounds pretty good to me right now.''

Scootaloo bolted out of the room in an instant and she darted back towards the stairs, Dash following after her as they both headed into Fluttershy's kitchen.

Man, for a filly, she can move pretty fast when she wants to, Rainbow Dash thought, impressed. Just like her big sister.

Adjourning to the kitchen area, Rainbow Dash entered through the open archway to find Fluttershy standing in the front of her stove, stirring a pot of what smelled like alfalfa and daffodil soup with a wooden spoon held between her teeth. Rainbow Dash watched her gently stir the pot, taking the moment to savour the sweet, floral aroma wafting over from the stove, very floral and very aromatic, but not overwhelming. It might not be a known fact to most ponies, but, in the kitchen, Fluttershy was a pretty decent cook.

Suddenly getting an idea, a lightbulb flickering to life in her head, Rainbow Dash grinned mischievously and she turned to face Scootaloo, now seated at the dining table to the right of the kitchen, seated on one of the three chairs set out. She motioned with a hoof to her lips in a shushing gesture and then she pointed towards Fluttershy, still oblivious to her presence.

Ever so quietly, Rainbow Dash licked her lips and she began to slowly and carefully sneak behind Fluttershy while she worked at the stove. Reaching her, Rainbow slowly raised herself up and she stood on her hind legs as she brought her hooves up and directed them just next to Fluttershy's hips. Stifling a giggle, she poked both hooves into her sides and Fluttershy let out a surprised gasp.

The butter mare, feeling a sensation similar to getting shocked by electrostatic energy, gave a surprised yelp that sounded like a little puppy and she dropped the wooden spoon into the soup pot before practically jumping around on the spot, facing a now-giggling Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo was also laughing along with her, but Fluttershy only glared softly at Rainbow Dash, bemused by the action.

''Morning, Fluttershy!'' Dash said, wiping a tear away from her eye as she continued to laugh, and the reaction that Fluttershy gave only deepened her satisfaction, but her expression was priceless! She looked like she had just been struck by a bolt of lightning at her hindquarters, her eyes startled and wide.

''T-That's not funny!'' Fluttershy gasped, but she soon settled down and caught her breath again.

''Aw, come on, Flutters, it was pretty funny,'' Dash said, knocking her shoulder lightly with a hoof. ''It was only a joke.''

''Well, it's nice to see that you're looking better than yesterday, at least,'' Fluttershy admitted, noticing that some of the vibrancy that had been missing in her friend had returned and made her look healthier. Her coat was much more colourful and her eyes were no longer dim, even if some traces of sadness remained. Fluttershy was just happy to know that she was feeling well and healthy enough to joke around like she used to always do.

''How long have I been asleep, anyway?'' Rainbow Dash asked now that she was finally out of bed, glancing up at the wall behind her to see a clock that read out 10:27 AM.

''About ten hours,'' Fluttershy said. ''You haven't rested properly in over a couple days, so I didn't want to disturb you. I sent Scootaloo upstairs to see if you were awake to join us for breakfast.''

Rainbow Dash stretched her back and felt her muscles pop and her bones click as they relaxed themselves, automatically smoothening out any creases. She felt much more limber and collected after the previous night, and, recalling the intimacy of the event between herself and Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash blushed as she remembered how much she had enjoyed being given a massage. She felt a little bit ashamed for how much she enjoyed it, but she didn't regret a single thing, and, as Fluttershy said, 'if it feels good, it feels good.'

Rainbow Dash gave a silent yawn, her lips curling into an 'O' shape, and she spread out her wings, giving each of them a little flex in the middle. He left wing was no longer sore, but she did feel a strained pull, but not enough to elicit a pained reaction. That freaky healing cream that Fluttershy had bought from Zecora was some powerful stuff, and it worked absolute wonders! Rainbow Dash had to remember to see if she could buy some for when she gets involved in failed stunts in the future so she can tend to her own wounds.

''Take a seat, Rainbow, the soup's just about ready,'' Fluttershy said, and Rainbow caught her eyes discreetly track towards her rump area as she pulled her wings back to her sides, but she wisely chose to say nothing.

Doing as she was told, Rainbow Dash headed over to the table where Scootaloo was sat to take a seat next to her. The table itself was light green in colour, very faintly coloured, but it didn't appear to be coloured with paint, but rather a natural patina. In front of them, a bowl and a soup spoon each were already set, and there was another bowl and spoon across from them for Fluttershy.

Fluttershy brought the small soup pot from the stove and she proceeded to ladle generous helpings of the reddish-yellow-coloured soup into the individual bowls before she returned the pot to the stove. Taking a seat herself after releasing the pot, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo all ate silently together, slurping away.

Rainbow Dash didn't actually realise how hungry she was, and she found herself to be practically drinking the soup down rather than slurping it. Fluttershy's homemade soups were always the best, and the heart and passion that she put into her own recipes really shined through clearly, and it only emphasized the fact that she was a whiz in the kitchen.

The last soup that Dash had that was fresh from Fluttershy's hob was during a winter get-together, a tradition that they had formed between old, close friends. If she remembered correctly, it was a spiced apple-based soup, using apples sourced from Sweet Apple Acres, a very fitting time for the season to get creative with the spices and warming undertones, and, aside from the apple, Dash distinctly remembered the bite of cinnamon in the soup. It was one of the best soups she has ever had in her entire life.

Beside her, Scootaloo was also digging into her own soup, almost sticking her nose entirely into the bowl for the sake of getting a bigger mouthful of the delectable soup. Scootaloo raised up her head, a small spot or two of the soup on her snout as she faced Fluttershy with an amazed grin.

''Fluttershy, this soup's delicious!'' She complimented. ''It's the best soup that I've ever had, aside from Granny Smith's vegetable soup!'' She said, right before she jammed her face back into the bowl, and Fluttershy giggled by how enthusiastic she was about her soup.

''Why, thank you, Scootaloo. It's actually my mother's recipe. She used to make it all the time when me and Rainbow Dash were fillies,'' Fluttershy said, and Scootaloo once again emerged from her bowl with an impressed expression.

''You kiddin'? Wow, your family must be really good in the kitchen! You should totally sell this soup in restaurants around Canterlot and Ponyville! I bet ponies'll pay top bit for this stuff!'' She said, and Fluttershy blushed. Rainbow Dash chuckled lightly beside her before touching Scootaloo's shoulder.

''Easy there, squirt, don't push the bar too far. You'll be giving Shyster ideas!'' She said jokingly, and both of them shared a hearty giggle. ''Anywho, what'd you and your partners in crime get up to yesterday?'' Dash asked, and Scootaloo's face brightened.

''It was awesome! We went out and tried to get our cutie marks in ziplining through the trees in the apple orchard again!'' Her ears suddenly drooped. ''And we failed. And we all got covered in tree sap. Again.''

''Hey, cheer up, Scoots,'' Rainbow Dash gave her a confident look and nudged her shoulder. ''If you keep on trying and you don't give in, then you're bound to find your purpose in life,'' She said, motioning down to her own rainbow-coloured thunderbolt cutie mark. ''And then you'll have full reign over life and you can be just like your big sister. How's that sound, kid?''

''That sounds awesome!'' Scootaloo said, her spirits lifted and her eyes burning with optimistic energy. ''So, uh, what exactly are we going to do today? Got any plans in mind?'' She asked, glancing between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, whom both shared a look.

''Well, actually, kid, I was wondering if there's anything that you wanted to do today,'' Dash said, smiling. Scootaloo's eyes brightened.

''Really? You mean it?''

''Take your pick,'' Dash clarified, remembering that talk she had with Fluttershy yesterday. It was high time that the little filly managed to catch a break from all of the hardships that had been bestowed upon her shoulders in the past years, and rather than fighting for her life and trying to get by on scraps just to make it through another day, Scootaloo deserved the chance to put that all behind her and just enjoy being a kid while she still had the opportunity.

''How about we go bowling together?'' Scootaloo suggested. Dash knew that bowling was her second-most favourite thing in the whole world aside from riding around on her scooter, and it was something she enjoyed partaking in with her friends during the weekend. If she wasn't scootering around town, she'd be down at the Ponyville King Pin Lanes knocking down the pins almost as fast as they were positioned.

''If that's what you'd like to do,'' Dash said, looking over towards Fluttershy. ''How about it, Flutters? You up for a game of bowling?''

''That sounds wonderful,'' Fluttershy said after finishing up her last spoonful of soup.

Fluttershy may appear to be timid and meek to most ponies at first glance, and it was true to a certain extent, but Rainbow Dash knew that she had some seriously strong hooves on her. Fluttershy sometimes wrestled bears, for Celestia's sake, and bears are over four times the size of your average pony! If she can haul that kind of weight around, then she'll have absolutely no issue with rolling a heavy wooden ball down a lane.

Fluttershy always amazed Rainbow in ways she couldn't imagine, and it was one of the qualities of her being that made her so charismatic and adorable. Fluttershy always ends up finding ways to do things she had no idea she could do, and all it takes at times is a little friendly motivation. In Rainbow's eyes, it made her really attract---oh! Nearly walked right into that one!

Easy there, Rainbow Dash, easy! Take it down a notch, girl, you're getting way too caught up in a storm here! Lay down your arms and back away from this fight!

Rainbow Dash quickly shook the thought away, thankfully going unnoticed, and once they were finished, all three of them started for their front door, on their way to start with letting Scootaloo know just how much they appreciate her. From now on, allowing Scootaloo to pick the day's activities seemed like the best step to take in getting her to come further out of her shell and open up a little, and both Rainbow and Fluttershy would have to be careful not to press too hard on her.

Like they both agreed, they didn't know exactly how long they were going to be taking care of the little pegasus, but they were going to do everything in their power to make her feel comfortable, accepted and happy. She deserved that much at the very least after what she has been put through. It was hard to begin to understand what it must be like to live all alone, constantly scared and weary of your surroundings, and the very thought of her little sister cowering and fearing in a dark, wet room during the middle of a thunderstorm saddened Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash was the only family that Scootaloo had, and Fluttershy was next to her on that one. She also considered Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom her family, considering how close they all are to each other and how tightly bonded they had become in such little time. Rainbow Dash didn't know exactly what transpired through the years in which Scootaloo had lived alone, squatting the the clubhouse on the farm, but she knew that if she wanted an answer, she was going to have to be patient, whether she liked it or not.

Until that time comes, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were going to do all that they can do give her the life that she so desperately needed and what she had missed out on - having a true and honest family. Rainbow had the necessary supplies and finances to support more than herself, and there was an idea burning in the back of her mind that's been rattling around in her brain for a while.

Maybe, just maybe, when the time is right, Rainbow Dash might have a little chat with Fluttershy to make the correct arrangements for it to take place. She knew she could afford it, but she couldn't do it alone, and if it meant seeing that beaming smile on Scootaloo's lips, then it was worth every last bit to make the dream come true.

Right now, though, all that Rainbow Dash was focused on was being a good, responsible sister to Scootaloo, through both good and bad.

Comments

[superfun]

I honestly thought this fic was dead

[Ribe_FireRain]

9839460

Not anymore it isn't! It just had a very dreadfully long hiatus due to multiple, stock-piling setbacks. But it's all finished with now and it's only a matter of releasing new chapters!