Every Storm Runs Out Of Rain

by TheKing2001

Chapter One Raindrops

I flapped my wings half heartedly. It was a long day of cloudbusting, I pulled a fourteen hour shift because one of the part time weather team pegasi called in. I was exhausted. Rainbow Dash is a pretty intense boss. I lazily looked down as I flew to my house when I had to fly back around after seeing what I thought was a filly sleeping under a cardboard shelter. After doing my loop back around, I gently landed on the ground and looked around.

Sure enough, there was an orange pegasus with a matted mane and dirty fur wrapped up in a news paper under a badly built cardboard shelter. I was sure she was asleep till her eyes shot opened at the sound of me approaching cautiously.

"Hey kid."

She instantly shot up shaking and backed against the wall of the restaurant her "shelter" was next to.

"Stay back", she stammered. "I'll fight you if you try to ponynap me."

I sat down on my haunches. "Why would I try to ponynap you? That wouldn't be epic of me, now would it?" I wasn't that great at keeping up with the lingo fillies and colts used these days, but if it calmed her down then that's a win in my book.

"Because you're a stranger and strangers ponynap fillies all the time."

Wow, this kid was raised right I thought to myself. Strangers could be pretty dangerous at times.

"And you'll probably take me to the Rainbow Factory to have me killed or turned into glue or something evil", she continued.

I gave a laugh at that and she looked confused at me.

"The Rainbow Factory, huh? They still using that myth to keep fillies and colts behaving well?" The Rainbow Factory was a story they had used at flight school when I was a filly to keep us in line.

"Uh, I'm not sure", she admitted. "I heard two ponies talking about it a few weeks ago". She still was leaning against the wall but her shaking had almost entirely stopped.

Think Raindrops, I told myself, how else to I get her to calm down?

I touched my chest with a hoof. "I'm Raindrops, what's your name?"

She warily made eye contact with me again.

"I'm Scootaloo."

Why did that name sound familiar? I racked my brain till I remembered the boss mentioning her one night at work.

"I know you. You're the bosses sister or something right? Why you out here and not with her?"

She maintained eye contact.

"Who's your boss? Is it some mafia pony leading a prostitution ring?"

My eyes got slightly wide. Who in Equestria gave kids these wild imaginations?

I shook my head quickly.

"No, my boss is Rainbow Da-"

I barely could finish my sentence before she moved in a blurr and I was on my back with her standing on my chest excitedly. Where the hay did this energy come from?

"Oh my gosh! You know Rainbow Dash!" She practically screamed in my face.

I nodded. "We went to flight school together".

That was the wrong thing to say because that only served to make her more energetic.

Nice going Raindrops, I thought dryly to myself, you're getting attacked by a filly that has probably had too much pop and candy. I did get her to come out of her shell though like I wanted so I shouldn't be complaining.

She then started to pepper me with questions like did I have any pictures of young Rainbow Dash, what was it like being in the same school as her. I honestly couldn't make out the rest with how fast she popped them questions out.

She instantly stopped and hopped off me and started nervously pacing.

"Oh my heavens, what if she finds out about me? She'll never think I'm awesome anymore?" She started panicking.

I stood up and looked down at her and she instantly shrank down in fear. I realized my standing position could be a bit intimidating so I stepped back.

"She doesn't know?" That surprised me, I thought the boss knew everything about her sister. Kinda complicated my opinion of Rainbow, a good sister wouldn't have let her family survive on the streets.

"She doesn't. Please don't tell her, she'll think I'm a loser", Scootaloo started to beg.

I raised a hoof and she shrank back in fear. I quickly lowered it.

Something really bad must have happened to this filly for her to get afraid at me just standing over her, I decided.

I gave her the warmest smile my tired mind could muster.

"Come with me", I instructed.

She warily looked at me.

"Where to? Oh Luna, you're gonna use me as a drug mule, aren't you?"

My Celestia, I groaned to myself internally. This filly and her wildly overactive imagination.

I shook my head.

"No of course not. I don't even know where somepony would start a business like that. It's cold outside, my house is warm and has actual food instead of whatever you eat out here. What do you say?"

Scootaloo looked back at her "shelter" and back at me.

"I don't want to be a bother", she said while looking down at her hooves. I kneeled down and put a hoof under her chin, forcing her to make eye contact.

"I offered. You aren't being a bother because I extended the invitation. Don't think you are one". I started to walk away and threw a glance over my shoulder and saw her watching me. "I have a bunch of ice cream I was gonna share, but since you wanna stay here, I guess more for me".

I faced forward and slowly started to walk before I heard hooves running up to me and I glanced down smiling. She was gazing up at me. I knew the ice cream trick would work, it always did on my younger sister.

She gave a big yawn and started teetering over. I quickly shot out a wing and helped her stay up straight. I couldn't help but give a giggle.

"Somepony looks pretty tired", I teased lightly. I lifted her up carefully with my wing and gently set her on my back. I took off into the sky. After ten minutes, I felt something snuggling into me and heard a light snoring. I spared a quick glance back at my passenger and saw her sleeping on my back, face shoved into my mane.

She does look pretty cute when sleeping, I decided. I forgot how cute fillies were after my sister grew up. I quickly landed on my cloud houses front steps and wiped my hooves off on the mat. I pushed the door open and walked in. I laid her down in my bed and joined her, wrapping a wing around her. Soon enough I was passed out alongside her.

A few hours later I woke up and the sunlight was shining through the window. Snuggled against me still was Scootaloo. I gave a sleepy smile and got up from the bed and stretched my wings.

I knew enough about fillies that breakfast was the most important part of the day, especially for one as hyperactive as Scootaloo. I'd heard the rumors about what her and her friends could get into. They almost burnt down Roselucks, Daisy's and Lily's flower stand by some crazy circumstance. Nopony really knew how they managed that but CMC insurance became a thing in Ponyville pretty quickly after that fiasco.

Working my way to the cupboard, I started nosing around till I found the pancake and batter mix. It was just me and Scootaloo, my wife was out on assistant manager weather team business in Cloudsdale and wouldn't be back till a few days from now.

I completely forgot about Cloudkicker. I should probably explain why I have a filly sharing our bed when she gets home. I also forgot she didn't want a foal or filly or anything like that. I don't really know how I can forgot something like this to be honest.

Oh well, she'll understand and come around I thought to myself as I set out on making the pancakes for me and my little guest. A few moments later, i heard a tiny yawn accompanied by hoofsteps. I glanced behind me and Scootaloo was standing behind me, rubbing her eyes.

I gave a big smile her direction.

"Good morning sleepyhead. You want pancakes?"

She gave a eager nod.

"Can I help?" She asked eagerly.

I put a hoof on my chin in thought and grinned.

"You can get the syrup out of the cupboard. Top of the cupboard". I pointed with a hoof.

I turned back to my cooking when I heard a falling sound. I turned around and saw Scootaloo tumbling to the ground with the syrup in her mouth from the top cupboard. How she got up there by climbing alone I'll never know.

I picked her up and the bottle with a wing and dusted her off smirking.

"Why in Equestria did you climb up there silly? Why not just fly up there?"

She looked down sadly and I immediately felt bad like I said something wrong. I turned the stove off, we had enough pancakes cooked for more than enough of us. I knelt down and tucked my legs under me and looked her in the eyes.

"What's wrong, kiddo?"

"I can't fly. My wings are damaged and will never heal properly", she told me.

I instantly felt bad. Being a Pegasus and being grounded was a curse to us. Our wings gave us a certain freedom unicorns and earth ponies didn't have. More importantly, I felt stupid bringing her to a cloudhouse when she couldn't get up or down.

"Well, I'll help you. When me or Cloudy aren't here, I'll talk to Cherry Berry about taking you up here in her balloon". I ruffled her mane and smiled. "We will sort something out".

She finally gave a small smile.

"Okay".

"After we eat though, you need a bath. Your mane and coat is messy as heck". I smiled.

Scootaloo sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeah I haven't had a shower in a while. Last time was five weeks ago when I slept over at Raritys with Sweetie Belle and Applebloom".

To say I was surprised would be the understatement of the century. How did none of her friends parents or sister notice something going on? I wondered idly to myself as I started putting Scootaloos pancakes together. I slide the plate to her on the table and got her a glass of milk and passed it to her.

I finally got my plate and drink and by the time I sat down, she had gotten over halfway done with her food.

"Wow kid, you're hungry", I teased her playfully.

She stopped eating and swallowed and looked down.

"I'm sorry Miss Raindrops".

I waved a hoof in the air. "Don't worry, I was just teasing you. And you don't gotta call me Miss Raindrops. Makes me feel old".

The filly across me nodded slowly and went back to eating.

I placed my hooves on the table.

"So, do you got school today?"

"Yeah. It's boring though i don't like it".

I gave a laugh. "I didn't either. I only really liked history and science class. We should get your shower so we can get you to school".

Ten minutes later, I was sitting on the couch while Scootaloo showered. She was pretty much a typical filly other than being homeless of course. She may not show it, but she certainly cared about her mane and coat.

I trotted up to the door and knocked on it.

"Scootaloo, it's time to get you to school. I know the shower is nice but it'll be here after school".

I heard a grumble from the other side of the door. I softly snickered at that as the door opened.

"I'm ready".

I knelt down and smiled.

"Hop on and I'll fly us there".

Scootaloo quickly clambered on and I stood up walking out the door and quickly flew to her school.

"Can you not tell Miss Cheerilee about finding me? I want it to be a secret".

I gave a quick nod.

"It's our secret for now. When Cloudy gets here, I'll have to tell her though since you're staying here".

She nodded as we landed down in front of the school.

"Hey Scootaloo", I heard a filly yell as Scootaloo slid off my back. Apple Bloom came into our view pretty quick and she eyed me.

"Are you her mom or sumthing?"

I noticed Scootaloo tense up and I wrapped a wing around her.

"I'm a friend of hers. Just dropping her off for school".

Applebloom nodded after continuing to stare at me.

"Okay", she shrugged and turned back to Scootaloo.

"Sweetie is gonna meet us in the class room". Scootaloo gave a quick nod and the two walked into their class.

I had to get to work so I immediately took off to go do my work. It was gonna be a busy day, we were due for a massive week long storm for the farms. I was really loving spending time with Scootaloo so work was gonna be a pain in the ass to deal with. It was worth it though to attempt to give Scootaloo a good day.

Comments

[Bronycommander]

Interesting idea you got here

[TheKing2001]

11526605
Thanks