Follow The Rainbow

by UnlicensedBrony

Not Alone [Slice Of Life]

Episode Fifteen: Not Alone – [Slice Of Life]

Scootaloo dived into a mound of snow behind the nearest tree, just as a pair of snowballs whistled past her ears. She kept low and peered around her cover, looking for her attackers. Having obviously lost sight of Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle – both clad in thick scarves and winter boots – had turned on each other and begun racing to pile up huge snowballs.

Seeing a perfect opportunity present itself, Scootaloo scooped up a hoof-full of snow, pressed it together and took careful aim. After judging the distance, she threw the snowball with all her might, watching it arc through the air and strike Sweetie Belle square on the flank.

Sweetie squealed loudly and jumped into the air. “Cold! Cold!” she squeaked, as Applebloom and Scootaloo both burst into giggles at the sight.

Winter hadn't been due for another few days yet, and nopony was really ready for its early arrival. Including the school, which meant that the remainder of the week's lessons had been cancelled. And thanks to that, the Crusaders had a few extra days of winter before their cutie mark crusading plans began.

Which, of course, meant that they had time to play around in the snow with everypony else.

“Hey, I've got an idea!” said Applebloom, abandoning her snowball pile to trot over to Scootaloo. “Let's slide down the hill and surprise Applejack and Rarity!”

Sweetie Belle, once she'd managed to shake the rest of the snow from her coat, brightened with a mischievous grin. “Excellent idea! Rarity loves surprises!”

“You in, Scoots?” said Applebloom.

Scootaloo bounced in place. “You bet I am!”

The three of them – giggling to themselves – trotted through the trees and up to the edge of the hill that led down towards the frozen lake. They crouched at the very edge and peered down the steep slope. Applejack and Rarity were holed up in a little snow-fort, using the hill as the back wall, while the rest of their friends pummelled it with snowballs. Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie and--

Rainbow Dash wasn't there.

Frowning in confusion, Scootaloo glanced around, whilst Applebloom and Sweetie talked ambush tactics. It wasn't like Rainbow Dash to miss out on any kind of fight, much less one that involved snow.

Scootaloo scanned the whole treeline – or at least the parts she could make out from here – for any sign of her. Her frown grew more and more concerned, until finally she caught sight of a blue blob sitting against a tree not too far away.

“--and then we roll it down the hill and slide down after it--”

“Hey, look over there,” Scootaloo interrupted, pointing. “Is that Rainbow Dash?”

Applebloom broke off and squinted. “I think so. Why?”

Scootaloo had already stood up and started walking that way. “I'm just gonna go see what she's doing. Be right back.”

“But we've got the perfect ambush, here!” Applebloom pleaded.

“Forget it, Applebloom,” said Sweetie Belle. “When it comes to Rainbow Dash, her attention span is--”

Scootaloo stopped paying attention and picked up the pace, trotting through the sparse woods until she came into the small clearing where she'd seen Rainbow. Sure enough, Rainbow Dash was sat – all wrapped up in winter gear – against a tree. There was a Daring Do book in her lap. It was closed, and her head was leant back, resting against the tree. She looked like she might've been napping.

A twig cracked beneath Scootaloo's hoof, and Rainbow's eyes opened. “Oh,” she said. “Hey, squirt.”

“Hi,” said Scootaloo, with a toothy grin. “Whatcha doing? Everyone's having a snowball fight just over that ridge.”

Rainbow smiled back briefly, then leant back against the bark. “I know. I'm just... hanging out with Tank.” She patted the ground beside her.

“Uh...” said Scootaloo intelligently.

“He's... hibernating,” Rainbow explained, with some effort. “Just under the snow, there.”

“Ohhh.” Scootaloo smiled and approached. “Cool. Reading a bedtime story, huh?”

Rainbow's cheeks flushed a little, but she didn't flinch. “Yeah, kinda.”

Finding a reasonably snowless patch of dirt, Scootaloo sat down by the tree, opposite the mound which was apparently Tank the Tortoise's bed. She noticed the solemn look on Rainbow's face right away. “Um, are you alright? You look sad.”

Rainbow closed her eyes and shook her head slowly, mouth part open. “Just wasn't expecting him to... you know. Hibernate.” She grit her teeth at the word.

“Oh, right,” said Scootaloo, nodding to herself. “I know the feeling. It was really weird the first time my snake hibernated.”

“You've got a snake?” said Rainbow, glancing sidelong at her.

“Yeah, Fluttershy gave him to me a couple of years ago.” Scootaloo looked up at the barren branches of the tree as she thought back. “I was really worried about him, 'cause he stopped eating all of a sudden. And he got really slow. I thought he was sick.”

Rainbow's interest seemed to be perked. She shifted in place, turning more towards Scootaloo. “What's his name?” she asked.

“Snake.”

“...Just 'Snake'?”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah.”

Rainbow blinked. “Cool.”

With a smile, Scootaloo continued. “He was like that for months, but when Winter Wrap Up came around, he was suddenly back to normal. Just like Fluttershy said he would be.”

“Huh,” said Rainbow. “So, I guess he's hibernating again now, huh?”

“Yeah, he started slowing down a few days ago.” Scootaloo shrugged. “I guess he'll probably be like that all winter again. Kinda boring, I don't think I could do that.”

Rainbow turned fully towards Scootaloo now. “Aren't you kinda sad that he won't be around? You know, to talk to?”

Scootaloo blinked at that, and tilted her head in question.

“Uh, you know,” said Rainbow, shrugging a hoof 'casually'. “I mean, I wouldn't know, but I hear that ponies like to... talk to their pets sometimes. About stuff they don't talk to other ponies about, and--” She paused and glanced away. “--and stuff,” she finished lamely. “I mean, not that I do that.”

After a short silence, Scootaloo frowned. “No, I know what you mean. It's easier to talk to Snake about stuff, 'cause he doesn't interrupt or ask questions or make fun of me.”

Seeming to relax a little bit, Rainbow sighed and nodded. “...Or think you're uncool.”

Scootaloo gave a lop-sided smile. “Yeah.”

Somehow, that seemed to cheer Rainbow up a little – prompting a little smile. “Yeah, Tank's kind of the same. Now that he's... you know... I guess I'm just kinda bummed that he won't be there to talk to.”

“Yeah,” said Scootaloo again. Then she registered the statement and blinked in confusion. “Wait, why won't he be there?”

“Well, he's hibernating,” said Rainbow with a shrug, as if the answer was obvious. “I don't even know if he can hear me.”

“Oh,” said Scootaloo. She frowned at the book in Rainbow's lap. “But you still read him a bedtime story?”

Something changed in Rainbow all of a sudden, as she licked her lips and looked to one side. She must've started feeling the cold, because – after a long pause – she let her breath out in a shivering sigh. “Yeah.”

A silence fell over the clearing. The sounds of ponies playing in the distance were faint and muffled. It was odd for Rainbow Dash to suddenly go so quiet. And as Scootaloo stared at her, slowly trying to figure out how she was feeling, she thought she saw moisture forming in Rainbow's eyes.

Scootaloo bit her lip and glanced around, as if she would find something to say on the ground beside her. A moment later, her eyes settled on the mound that held Tank, and something clicked.

Pursing her lips, she leant in experimentally towards the mound. She turned her head so that her ear was towards it, as if listening.

“...What's that, Tank?”

Rainbow's ear twitched. She half-turned towards Scootaloo.

Finding her nerve, Scootaloo nodded to herself a couple of times. “Uh huh. Yup... Okay.” She looked up at Rainbow again. “Tank says to tell you 'Thanks for the story'. And that he'd like another one tomorrow, if you're not busy.”

Rainbow's mouth inched open a little. “What?” she breathed.

Scootaloo gulped and leaned in again. “He's saying something else. Hold on, he's a little slow...” She waited for a good five count, then nodded again. “He wants you to know that he hasn't gone anywhere. He's still listening, and--” She paused again. “--and so you're not alone.”

Rainbow was staring at her now, completely silent. Though her expression was nearly unreadable, Scootaloo managed to meet her eyes with a smile.

And slowly, Rainbow began to smile too. “When did you learn to speak tortoise?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “I have a snake. They're basically the same family.”

“...He really say all that?”

“Yeah,” said Scootaloo. She mimed hearing something else from the mound, and leaned down one last time. Rainbow watched as Scootaloo nodded a couple more times. “He also says that he's gonna take a nap now, so you can go and play with your friends if you want.”

Rainbow looked down and bit her bottom lip. For a moment, she looked as if she was going to get sad again. But then a wider smile spread across her face.

“That does sound like something he'd say.”

A moment later, Rainbow was on her hooves, standing tall. She slung the book into her saddlebag, shook the snow from her coat and smiled at Scootaloo. “Alright, go find the others and call sister teams. I'll be right there.”

Scootaloo's face brightened with a toothy grin. “Haha! Yeah!” Sudden excitement taking over, she darted off towards the ridge and jumped over it, sliding down on her belly.

...Leaving Rainbow to pat the ground at the base of the tree stump.

Once she was sure that Scootaloo was out of earshot, Rainbow leant down and listened at the mound experimentally. “What's that, buddy?” she said. She listened, then smiled. “Yeah, she is kinda smart, isn't she?”

She rose up once more and started after Scootaloo, sparing one last look for Tank. “You're the best, pal. I'll see you soon.”

~FIN

Author's Note:

Ahaa! Finally, an update

You can thank the latest episode for inspiring this little scene. I also took some inspiration from the old tv series, Smallville (if you've seen it, I'm sure you'll know which scene I mean).

It's been over a year since I last updated... wow. I guess time is relative? Ah, anyways, sorry it took so long. I hope you all enjoy this little update as much as I enjoyed writing it!