• Published 1st Jul 2012
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The Rainbow Arc - TheRainbowDashShow

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Chapter 2

"I am not obsessed with Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo grumbled to herself as she placed her scooter against the wall of a worn down shack near the edge of Everfree forest. She reached for the knob and stopped for a few minutes to prepare herself. Reluctantly, she turned open the knob as quietly as possible and pushed open the door.

A fat orange stallion Pegasus lay snoring on the tattered couch placed against the wall. A small trail of drool dripped from his mouth and with each snort of his breath the pony made the putrid scent of alcohol waft towards Scootaloo stinging her nose. She padded away from the snoring pony and headed through the open door of her bedroom, closing the door just as quietly as she walked.

Scootaloo looked around her room to find her belongings had strewn about the floor whilst she was gone. The posters nailed to her walls room's walls had been torn down and shredded littering the floor. She walked sadly to a nail that had been hammered into the wall, the base of a poster still intact. In black letters, "SPITFI-" had been written on it, the torn page cutting off the rest of the letters.

Scootaloo flooded with anger and slammed her hoof into the light wooden wall. The knocking echoed through the tiny shack and the snoring ceased shortly after. There was a loud irritated grunt and then the sound of heavy hoofsteps approaching her door.

"SCOOTALOO!" A voice screamed from outside her room.

Scootaloo spun around and ran towards the door. In a panic, she pressed down the knob's lock and began to slide her dresser in front of the door. There was a rattling on the knob followed by a fierce pounding that caused the door to shake.

"OPEN THIS DOOR NOW!"

Scootaloo sat herself against the dresser, "I'm s-s-sorry dad, I d-didn't m-mean to wake you." she whimpered.

"YOU'RE ONLY MAKING THINGS WORSE, OPEN THE DOOR NOW!" The voice commanded.

"Please…" Scootaloo begged as her eyes filled with fearful tears.

The shaking of the door intensified, the dresser bouncing slightly. As each powerful thump hit the wood behind it, the hinges of the door began to creak and dust from the wood began to float off the wall. Scootaloo looked up anxiously at the hinges and silently prayed her father would give out before they did.

After one last deafening crash the noises stopped and the hoofsteps retreated back away from the battered door. Scootaloo continued quivering on the floor repeating comforting words inside her head as her body stayed completely paralyzed with fear.

Hours slowly passed and the sound of enraged curses faded into snores that reverberated around the wooden walls of the shack once more. The snoring removed the paralysis that froze Scootaloo, shakily she pulled herself off the floor and peeked through the small hole in the wall to find the sun no longer present. "Looks like I missed the race…" she thought to herself as she crawled into her bed.

Scootaloo desperately wanted to leave and stay at any pony's house so long as it wasn't here. Unfortunately she feared that moving the dresser would make too much noise and awaken her father for a second time. She stared at her bedroom door for hours, scarcely even blinking, hoping the rest of the night would be uneventful.

Scootaloo held her breath as the snoring stopped for the second time. Her heart pounded as the doorknob jingled for a few seconds then stopped. The sound of the front door squeaking open and slamming shut calmed her. After waiting for a few minutes she pushed her dresser back to its original spot and poked her head out the door to find the couch empty.

Scootaloo ran towards the door but she hesitated when feelings of doubt that she was safe coursed through her. She backed away and turned towards the single window of the building, pushed it open and climbed through it. She scouted carefully around the shack's corners finding only a trail of stubby hoofprints that lead away.

Relief washed over Scootaloo, she grabbed her scooter from its resting place against the wall. She pushed herself off with one hoof and started flapping her wings rapidly to help propel her forwards. The rush of adrenaline slowed as she moved further and further away from the Everfree Forest.

Scootaloo heart's beat returned to its normal pace once she reached the cobblestone streets of Ponyville. She took a sharp turn onto the dirt road towards Sweet Apple Acres. She wondered where she was supposed to start with tutoring, and her stomach fluttered a little and her mind blanked itself as she thought of Raven Flame.

Yesterday she had felt like a complete idiot, she had only managed to muster a few words. Normally it wouldn't have bothered her that her friends were teasing her about her so called obsession with Rainbow Dash, but with Raven Flame present it made her feel silly and it just embarrassed her.

Scootaloo suddenly remembered the race she had missed due to being locked up in her room. Now she was curious as to how the race turned out. She imagined Rainbow Dash standing triumphantly atop the first place podium holding a shining golden trophy.

Scootaloo was glad she would be tutoring Raven Flame. She did want to see the filly again even though she didn't know why, but it also gave her an excuse to find out about the race. Slamming her hoof into the dirt road beneath her she halted herself just a few yards in front of the open gates of the Apple Orchards.


Raven Flame, terrified, leaped out of her bed when the ringing of a whistle pierced her ears. Grumbling tiredly she climbed back into her bed and pulled the sheets back over herself which were removed shortly afterwards. She turned to search for her blanket and instead found Rainbow Dash standing at the bedside wearing a black and white striped coach hat.

"What time is it?" Raven Flame yawned.

"Time for you to get your flank out of bed and march down those stairs! That's what time it is!" Rainbow Dash grinned, she began to think she was more excited to teach the filly to fly then the filly was to learn. Raven Flame sat there stretching her limbs as slowly as she could just to irritate the Pegasus.

"Come on!" Rainbow Dash whined and began to tap her hooves floor impatiently.

"Okay, okay!" Raven Flame started to move her hooves towards the wooden floor but the pace was to slow for Rainbow Dash. Within the blink of an eye she found herself on top of the blue Pegasus's back and they were bouncing down the stairs. "Can I at least have something to eat first?"

"Ugh! Fine!" Rainbow Dash began pouting childishly, "But hurry it up, I want to get started!"

Raven Flame hopped off Rainbow Dash and ran into the kitchen, two things capturing her eye. The first was the pile of shining red apples which decreased in size drastically as she stocked up for whatever Rainbow Dash had in store for her. The second was a glinting golden locket that lay next to the large stack of torn envelopes and papers. She scooped up the piece of jewelry and trotted back into the main room.

"What's this?" Raven Flame held out the pendant, dangling it from its golden chain.

"It's a necklace." Rainbow Dash pointed out quite bluntly.

"Well I can see that." Raven Flame covered her face with a hoof, "The housemare at the orphanage, I saw her take it out of a locked drawer and give it to you."

"It was my mom's. I guess the pony who found me and brought me to the orphanage came back to give it to me." Rainbow Dash studied it for a moment then took it from Raven and slid it around her neck, "I think it looks good on you. You should wear it."

"R-really?" Raven Flame asked in disbelief, staring down at the glittering jewelry that now weighted down on her neck.

"Mm-hmm!"

"Thank you!" Raven Flame leapt up wrapping her hooves around Rainbow Dash whose cheeks turned bright red.

"Alright, alright!" Rainbow gently shook off the clinging filly. "Now can we please get started?" she asked as she started jogging in place. Raven nodded and bounced joyfully outside the farmhouse just behind Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash turned her hat sideways and began to pace back and forth, "The next couple of weeks are going to be rough! There's going to be cuts and bruises. You may even die several times, but that will not stop me from teaching you to fly. DO YOU GET ME?" she boomed at the wide-eyed filly.

"Sir, yes, ma- wait what?"

Rainbow ignored her still pacing back and forth, "Some of you are going to think that you won't fly, others that you can't. They all say that until they're out there."

Raven Flame raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about? Out where? And who is they?"

Rainbow Dash sighed, "Your killing me here Raven, I'm just trying to have some fun! Can't you just go with it?"

"I guess?"

"Good!" Rainbow Dash resumed her pacing but didn't say anything, "Aw horse radishes, now I can't remember where I was at!" Raven Flame tried to suppress a giggle which Rainbow heard, "You think that's funny, soldier?"

"N-no, s-sir…" Raven Flame said as she tried to keep a straight face which she couldn't maintain and she burst out into laughter, "I'm sorry, it really isn't funny." She said in between laughs. Her laughing slowed and then stopped altogether, "Okay. Continue."

"Oh forget it, let's just cut to the chase!" Rainbow Dash thought for a moment, "Okay we'll start off with the basics, hovering. Why don't you give it a shot to see where you're at."

Raven Flame kicked her hoof against the ground nervously after several minutes she finally extended her wings and flapped weakly. The feeble flaps were barely strong enough to create gusts of wind strong enough to make a small cloud of dust from the dirt.

Rainbow Dash examined her for a moment, "Stop, stop, stop." She said finally, "You'll never get enough lift off the ground with that. You have to put more strength into it, or as Applejack would say…" Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, "Y'all gotta beat those wings like an apple on a turnip farm." She said with a near perfect imitation of Applejack.

Raven Flame was confused again, "That doesn't really make sense."

Rainbow Dash chuckled, "Okay so she probably wouldn't say that, but it doesn't change anything. You need to flap your wings harder and faster or you'll never get off the ground."

The two ponies stood in the field for hours as they stretched their wings out with various exercises. Every so often they would take a break but they were determined and kept at it. As they worked an orange filly rolled herself up towards them.

"H-Hey, whatcha guys doing?" The filly called out hoping they couldn't detect her shaky voice.

Raven Flame's heart skipped a beat when she Scootaloo's voice. She was so busy trying to think of an explanation for what they were doing that she paid no attention to her still beating wings that slowly lifted her off the ground. "Rainbow Dash asked me if I wanted to train with her!" She lied.

"Um, Raven" Rainbow Dash said.

"Yeah, she is uh, training, for uh, the next race." Raven Flame started to babble. She tried to shut herself up but she just couldn't seem to get a hold of herself.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "Raven, you're flying." She said pointing at the dark hooves that hovered inches off the ground.

Raven Flame looked down her wings locked in place at the realization and she fell back to the ground. She began to skip in circles excitedly, "I flew!" she squeaked with each bounce. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash both let out quiet laughter at the display. Raven Flame again realized what she was doing and fell back to the ground as she averted her eyes in embarrassment.

Rainbow Dash decided it best to give Raven a minute to collect herself, "So what are you doing here Scootaloo?" she asked.

"I uh, err. I came to ask how the race went last night. I was kind of stuck at home." Scootaloo said with a frown.

The question stabbed at Rainbow Dash, "I don't want to talk about it…" she said glumly as a depression began to cast over her.

Raven finally recovered from her excitement and she could tell Rainbow Dash would need some time alone, "Scootaloo promised she'd tutor me. So, we're gonna go inside now, kay?"

"Okay." Rainbow Dash said dejectedly.

Raven Flame started running towards the farmhouse porch; she waved her hoof at Scootaloo silently telling her to follow. As the door shut behind the two fillies Rainbow Dash plopped herself onto the ground and sat there in deep though, repeating the race inside her head again and again, wondering what she could have done different.

Applejack revealed herself from behind a tree, "Yer beatin' yerself up again."

Rainbow Dash bounced, "How long have you been there?"

"Shucks, ah've been out here all day watchin' you two. Just 'cause I ain't got no wings tah fly with doesn't mean ah can't watch." Applejack chuckled, "'Beat those wings like an apple on a turnip farm', now what in the hay does that even mean?"

Rainbow Dash's cheeks turned bright red, "I was just trying to be all charismatic and inspiring or whatever…"

Applejack laughed again and trotted closer their faces only inches apart, "You missy, were being a goof" she said with a grin and pressed her lips against Rainbow's before she was able to get a word out.

Once Applejack was sure the two fillies were inside and not listening in, she allowed herself to speak her mind, "Actually, Rainbow ah've been wanting tah talk tah yah 'bout something…"

"Okay..."

"Well, that Canterlot Rodeo starts tomorrow and ah want tah go." Applejack said bracing herself.

"What? No!" Rainbow Dash protested taking a step away.

Applejack grumbled, "Ah knew yah'd react this way."

Rainbow looked as if she were on the verge of hysteria, "Of course this is how I'm going to react! You CAN'T Applejack!"

Applejack lit up with anger, "Don'tcha dare tell me what ah can and can't do." She hissed.

The sudden hostility frightened Rainbow Dash, "Th-that's not what I meant. The doctor said if you-"

"I know what the doctor said, if yah didn't notice, ah was in the room when he said it."

Rainbow Dash choked a little, "But what if-"

"Ah can't spend the rest of mah life cooped up because of something some pony said. Of all ponies, ah thought yah'd understand that."

Rainbow looked at the ground trying to hide the fear in her eyes, "But…"

Applejack trotted over and nudged Rainbow Dash's chin up, "Look, ah know yer scared and yah just want me safe, but ah have tah do this, or else ah'll spend the rest of mah days afraid of what could happen."

Rainbow's eyes swelled, "What if something does happen?"

Applejack reassured her with a small kiss on the cheek, "Ah'll be fine."

"But what if-"

"Nothing is gonna happen!" Applejack interrupted. "Ah need this. WE need this, even if ah don't place first there is still some good prize money and we're hurtin' for the money badly."

"Applejack… I'm scared."

"Ah know yah are, but it'll be fine." Applejack pulled the Pegasus in, stroking her rainbow mane comfortingly.

"We've never really been apart…" Rainbow Dash said with a quiver in her voice, a gentle stream of tears running down her cheeks.

"Ah know, but it'll give yah plenty of time tah get tah know Raven, and lord knows that filly probably needs it given where she came from."

"Do you really think leaving for a few days after she just moved in is the best idea?" Rainbow Dash asked hoping it would change her mind.

"Ah'm not just going tah leave without saying good-bye. Ah'm gonna spend some time with her before ah go." Applejack smiled, "And the two of yah so much in common, and yah've already bonded so much. Yah can relate with her in ways ah never will, so she'll be fine."

"We could always come with you…" Rainbow suggested weakly.

Applejack smiled, "Ah'd love that, but ah think Raven should stay here, moving around so much won't necessarily be good fer her, and she'll need someone tah look after her."

"I guess…" Rainbow Dash nuzzled her face against Applejack's, "So just for a few days?"

Applejack nodded, "Just fer a few days."

Rainbow Dash squeezed her tightly, "You promise you'll be okay?"

Applejack whispered in her soothing and caring voice she had used dozens of times after the incident in the forest, "Ah promise, sugar cube." She dried off the tears from Rainbow's face, "Now why don't we go inside and see what those two fillies are up to?"

"Okay."

Applejack took off running towards the farm house, "Race yah!" She called out.

"Hey! No fair!" Rainbow Dash picked herself up off the earth and zoomed past the running pony. Applejack quickly bit at the multi-colored tail and pulled the Pegasus back and tackled her to the ground. The two continued wrestling for the lead. They slowly made their way up towards the front door of the house which they finally reached after several minutes.

Rainbow Dash struggled to reach for the door knob from beneath Applejack who grabbed it just seconds before her. "Ah won!" Applejack grinned.

Rainbow Dash folded her hooves, "Only because you cheated!" she said childishly.

Applejack chuckled, "In yer dreams."

"You did to!"

"Oh stop yer fussin'" Applejack leaned down and kissed the pinned pony.

Rainbow Dash rolled over trading places with Applejack, "I like being on top." She giggled.

Applejack rolled her eyes, "Lord, ah bet yah do." She said and nudged Rainbow Dash off of her.

"Oh come on!" Rainbow Dash whined, "You'll be gone for like… three days!"

"Geez, Rainbow Dash, yah could at least try to be subtle!" Applejack paused for a second, "Ah'll think about it." She said with a sly wink as she stood outside the front door.



Scootaloo peaked through the farmhouse curtain and watched as Rainbow Dash and Applejack held each other lovingly in one another's hooves. Though she would never admit it, she was envious of the two. She wished she had some pony she could go to when she was scared or upset, some pony she could trust.

"So, what happened at the race?" Scootaloo finally asked, breaking away from the window.

Raven Flame shrugged, "I'm not really sure, she was just taking the lead when she just sort of crashed." She trotted over to the window and poked Scootaloo in the stomach, "Why are we talking about Rainbow Dash? Aren't you supposed to be helping me with math?"

Scootaloo bounced up a little as a reflex from the prod. She looked around till she spotted the writing desk in the corner of the living room and moved toward it. She hummed to herself in thought for a moment, "I'm not really sure where to start so… what part are you having trouble with?"

"All of it?" Raven Flame said slowly.

"Right…" Scootaloo pulled off the top sheet of paper from a stack and dipped the quill into the jar of open ink and scribbled on some basic multiplication problems and laughed, "Guess we should start off with teaching you how to count."

"Har-har. You're hilarious." Raven Flame replied sarcastically, but she couldn't help but grin a little.

"Anyway, it's really not that difficult. All multiplying really is…" Scootaloo thought for a moment, "It's just adding sets of something I guess. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Raven Flame laughed, "Not really."

"Okay…" Scootaloo tried to think of another way of explaining it, "Got it! Okay let's take as an example, one times three. Each of our hooves represents one set of one, and we have three of them so you add them together." She waved her two hooves in the air, "So that's one, and two." Without thinking she grabbed at Raven's hoof.

A faint pink filled Raven Flame's cheeks at Scootaloo's touch, her eyes locking with the twinkling lavender eyes for a few brief seconds "Three…" she finished.

The two broke away from the gaze and a silence filled the room as the two sat there awkwardly. Scootaloo cleared her throat, "So, anyway… Division is basically the same thing, just instead of finding out much it makes, you are finding how many sets it takes to make that number."

Raven Flame nodded, "So, twelve divided by two would be six then?"

"Pretty much, I mean it gets a little harder with the bigger numbers, but nothing really changes and we haven't gotten into long division yet so I think you'll be fine."

Raven Flame batted her pendant back and forth. She didn't want to sound rude but curiosity finally got the best of her, "Why are you always so interested in Rainbow Dash?"

"I am not always interested in Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo argued.

"We've had like three conversations and they have all ended up talking about her at one point or another." Raven Flame giggled, "Do you like her?"

"What? No!" Scootaloo's cheeks brightened, "I don't like her, it's just... never mind it's stupid."

"Oh it's stupid? Now I really want to know!" Raven grinned.

"I don't think you'd understand."

"Pfft, I just learned both multiplication and division in five minutes!" Raven said sarcastically.

Scootaloo let out a frustrated sigh, "Fine." She said but didn't continue.

Raven Flame tilted her head, "Well?"

"I wish I could be her…" Scootaloo said shamefully.

Raven Flame laughed a little, "Why?"

Scootaloo hopped off the writing desk's chair, she wasn't even sure why she was saying this in the first place, "She's so much stronger than other ponies, and I don't mean athletically. With everything she's gone through, I think most ponies would have given up. But not her, she keeps on fighting."

She began to pace towards the fireplace, staring at the dozens of pictures placed on the mantle, "She's loyal and she puts everyone before herself. Not many ponies realize the sacrifices she makes, or just how far she is willing to go for a friend."

She moved away from the fireplace and sat on the soft cushiony couch, "She is so brave. She isn't afraid of anything. Most ponies would cry and run away screaming like hysterical ninnies, but not Rainbow Dash, she has the courage to face it. I wish I could be as strong, or as brave as she is."

Scootaloo turned towards Raven Flame and put up an unconvincing fake laugh, "Stupid, huh?"

Raven Flame shook her head, "Not at all, I thought it was kind of sweet, and I do understand." She sat down next to the orange filly on the couch, she could tell there was something else she wasn't saying, "But why would you ever need to be that strong?"

Scootaloo froze at the question, silently debating whether to tell the truth, only fear holding her back and eventually the fear won over, "No real reason I guess."

Raven Flame eyed the Pegasus suspiciously who was wearing an awful poker face, "Okay..."

"Hey where's Applebloom, I haven't seen her around." Scootaloo asked, hoping to change the subject.

Raven Flame shrugged, "She went to Sweetiebelle's last night. Said something about about a croquet mallet and a pair of skis."

Scootaloo blinked, "I'm not sure I want to know..."

Raven Flame nodded in agreement.

Another silence filled the room. Scootaloo relaxed a little and thought to herself that maybe she did have some pony she could trust. She stared into Raven Flame's large sapphire eyes and for the first time in her life she felt safe, "Thank you."

Raven Flame raised her eyebrow, "For what?"

"No pony has ever actually bothered asking me… well anything really. It's nice to talk to some pony, so… thank you." Without warning Scootaloo grabbed Raven Flame and hugged her.

The hug caught Raven Flame off guard; she sat there paralyzed for a moment before slowly hugging back, "Your welcome."


Rainbow grinned widely and the two finally went inside, spotting two fillies on the couch hugging one another tightly. "What're you two up to?" she said obnoxiously loud.

The fillies pulled apart, "We were just talking." Raven said quickly, her cheeks still bright red. Scootaloo nodded in agreement.

"'Kay." Applejack walked towards Scootaloo, "Ah know yah haven't been here long. Ah mean no disrespect or nothin' but would yah mind coming back some other time?"

"Sure." Scootaloo hopped off the couch, "I'll see you later Raven!" she shouted as she rushed out the door.

"Raven, can ah talk with yah upstairs?"

"Okay…" Raven Flame said nervously, the sudden feeling that she had done something wrong filling her mind. The two walked silently up the stairs, Applejack closing the door behind her when they reached the bedroom, "Did I do something wrong?" Raven Flame asked innocently.

Applejack chuckled, "No, not at all. Ah just wanted tah talk with yah in private."

"About?"

Applejack placed her hoof on Raven's shoulder, "Well ah wanted to tell yah that ah'm going out of town fer a few days."

"But you're coming back, right?" Raven Flame asked sounding anxious.

"Of course ah'm going tah come back sweetie." Applejack noticed the golden necklace hanging from the filly's neck, "Hey isn't that Rainbow's?"

Raven smiled, "She said it looked good on me, and that I should keep it." She explained.

"Well that was mighty nice of her. Anyway, yah have mah full attention fer the evening, is there anything yah wanted tah do?"

Raven Flame hopped onto her bed, "Can we just talk?"

"Course we can talk." Applejack joined her on the bed, "What do yah want tah talk about?"

Raven thought for a topic, finding almost everything she wanted to talk about seemed to involve Scootaloo. Eventually she thought up a question about Applejack and Rainbow Dash, "When did you first realize you liked Rainbow?"

The question surprised Applejack a little. Of everything they could have been talking about, she hadn't expected it would be about her, "Uh, well, ah reckon ah always liked her. It took me almost mah whole life tah realize it though."

"What happened?"

Applejack blushed, "Ah thought she was seeing some pony. Of course she wasn't, but that didn't stop me from makin' a whole mess of things first."

"And then?"

"Well, she saved my life. While she was recovering in the hospital, she finally fessed up her feelings fer me." Applejack smiled at the memory.

Raven Flame had dozens more questions, but one was clawing at her to be asked, "How… How do you feel around Rainbow Dash?"

Again it was another question Applejack had not expected to hear. She thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to describe it, "Well, mah heart starts to race, and there is a fluttering in mah chest. Nothin else really seems tah matter when ah'm with her." Applejack laughed feeling embarrassed with herself, "Something like that anyway. Why are yah asking all these questions about us?"

"I was just curious." Raven answered softy, turning away from the orange pony.

Applejack stared at Raven Flame suspiciously, "An' why is that?"

"Because…" Raven's voice now barely an audible whisper.

"Because why?"

Raven Flame took a deep breath, "I know it's barely even been two days but… that's how I feel whenever I'm around…"

"When yer around who?"

Raven Flame plopped her head onto Applejack's leg, "Whenever I'm around Scootaloo…" she squeaked.

Applejack ran her hoof through the smoky mane, "And ah take it yer worried she doesn't feel the same way." The filly nodded. "Well ah reckon yah could find out pretty easily."

Raven looked up at her, "How?"

Applejack reflected back on some of the signs Rainbow Dash had presented, that she had just been to blind to see, "Well, there are some obvious signs that some ponies aren't so good at hiding. Does Scootaloo get quiet around you?"

Raven thought for a moment, "Not really. I mean when we first met and the first time we talked after school, but I guess she was just shy."

Applejack let out a chuckle, "Sweetie, Scootaloo is 'bout as shy as much as a pig should be in a chicken coop. And when me n Rainbow found yah two hugging on the couch, did you hug her or was she the one who hugged yah?"

Raven Flame blushed, "Um well she was."

"Mmhmm" Applejack mused aloud, "Scootaloo doesn't hug any pony. Most of the time she is trying tah avoid getting one, let alone give one."

The filly let out a tired yawn, "So, should I tell her?"

Applejack laughed, "Well ah sure as sugar would. Me n' Rainbow didn't and it almost got us killed… literally." She scooted out from underneath the filly's head, "But not right now." She kissed Raven's forehead, "Right now ah think yah should get some sleep."

"Okay." Raven Flame wrapped herself with the bed covers, "Good night mom." She said, feeling a little more comfortable using the word then she had the previous time.