Life Goes On
Not Everypony Grows up to be a Pegasus
“Life Goes On”
Written by: Thunderchaser23
Edited by: Secret_Shadows, Avorin, TheConflictedWriter
Pre-readers: Midnight Shadows, Avorin, Coldspike
Scootaloo sat in the hospital waiting room, idly looking at her small orange hooves. She sighed in impatience, catching the attention of Rainbow Dash.
“Kid...” Rainbow Dash said softly sitting down beside the downcast looking filly. Scootaloo stared at the floor of the hospital room, the blank expression on her face had Dash worried. “Scootaloo,” she said a little louder this time, trying to pull the filly from her thoughts.
Scootaloo sniffled once, and buried her muzzle into Rainbow Dash’s side. Tears silently leaking from her violet irises as she continued to play the events of previous days, over in her mind. “Don’t let them hurt me anymore... Please don’t let them hurt me!” She cried into the mare’s side, her mind was stuck in a loop. The abuse she endured was finally starting to affect her both mentally and physically.
“Scootaloo...” Rainbow Dash trailed off, wrapping a comforting wing around the shaking and sobbing filly. “No one will hurt you like that ever again, AppleJack promised you that.” She said comforting the little filly. “I..Just why didn’t you tell anypony Scoots? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t tell you because I’m weak...” Scootaloo sobbed into Rainbow’s side. “I wanted to be more like you when I was crusading with Sweetie Belle and AppleBloom, or when I was watching you. I just wanted to be like everypony else. I tried to be strong, I did Rainbow but I’m just a stupid foal who can’t even fly!” She nearly shouted pounding her small hooves into Dash’s side, she broke down again this time hugging Rainbow as hard as she could. “Please don’t leave me, I don’t want to be alone.”
It took every ounce of resolve in Rainbow’s body to not start crying herself. “Scootaloo.” She said firmly. “I’m not going to leave you alone ever. How long has this been going on, Scootaloo?” Rainbow asked softly, stroking the sobbing filly’s mane gently with her hooves.
“*Sniff hic* S-Since I turned seven. B-Before that, Mom, was the nicest mare, she always got me what I wanted for hearthswarming.” Scootaloo spat the word Mom out as if it were an insult. She took her face out of Rainbow’s side then wiped her eyes.
Rainbow Dash was no Applejack but she knew when somepony was lying to her. “Scoot, you can trust me.” she said reassuringly, pulling the filly close to her again. “I don’t want to force you to talk about it, but please Scoots, tell me the whole truth.” Rainbow said quietly.
Scootaloo sniffled once more and sighed. “I-It’s been happening for a l-long time. Remember all those bruises I used to have? W-Well they weren’t all from crashing into things with my scooter. It was bearable until a few nights ago. . .” She trailed off, not sure how to continue, in truth Scootaloo didn’t want to continue. She just wanted to go home and sleep in her new bed.
Rainbow picked up Scootaloo, much to the filly’s protests and snuggled her close to her chest. “C’mon, squirt, don’t fight it. Just go to sleep, you’ll be fine. I’ll take care of you okay?” She stated letting Scootaloo get comfortable on her lap.
“B-But. . .” The orange filly yawned widely. I’m n-not t-tir-” Scootaloo stopped talking as her eyes slowly drifted closed and her breathing slowed showing she had entered dreamland while resting in Rainbow Dash’s hooves.
Rainbow sat with Scootaloo resting in her hooves, not wanting to get up and disturb the sleeping filly. She’s been through so much... I wish I could have helped sooner... She thought as she continued to hug the battered filly. Her mind drifted back to the night she found out about Scootaloo’s abuse.
~~~
It had been an average day for Scootaloo, she eagerly grabbed her scooter from it’s cubby in the classroom. She said bye to her friends Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom before riding home. Or so she thought. When Scootaloo arrived home it was already too late, “Dammit! She’s your kid, you bucking feed her!” shouted a stallion in a drunken slur.
“She’s just as much yours as mine, Celestia help me if you could stop drinking for one bucking night!” The mare turned her head seeing the orange coated filly standing in the doorway her eyes downcast. “You’re bucking late, young lady,” she spat.
Scootaloo didn’t respond. She continued to stare at the floor sullenly, the larger blue coated mare trotted to her. “I said you’re bucking late!” She screamed striking the filly on the side with her hoof. “What-” Smack! Her hooves struck Scootaloo again causing the young filly to wince. “Have I told you about being late?!” She screamed again her hoof stopping mere inches from Scootaloo’s now tear stained face.
“I..*Hic*..*Sniff*...I’m s-sorry! I tried to get home as fast as I could,” Scootaloo sobbed, tears leaking from her violet irises. “I h-had to say bye to the girls, so they wouldn’t-”
Scootaloo didn’t have time to finish her sentence. A hoof collided with her soft belly knocking the wind out of her. “I don’t know why I even keep you around, you’re such a foal! Crying over a little bruise. Suck! It! Up!” Scootaloo’s Mother roared her left forehoof preparing to strike her defenseless filly again.
This was it, thought Scootaloo the moment I’ve desired for a long time. She waited for the crushing pain to start but it never came. Scootaloo opened one violet eye, tears silently leaking from the other. She could make out a bright flash of light through her tears, she wiped her eyes and blinked. Seeing a familiar yellow coated shy pegasus. “F-Fluttershy?” she choked out through the tears. “How did you get in here?”
“Oh, Scootaloo, I’m so sorry, come on I’m getting you out of here,” the yellow pegasus said,smiling down at the orange filly. “Is there anything you want to take from your room?” Fluttershy asked meekly still not answering the fillies question. She steered the filly away from the violent scene in the living room.
“Who the buck are you?!” screamed Scootaloo’s Mother from across the room, her large denim blue body leapt across the room, her wings unfurling in preparation to strike the yellow coated mare. “You! Who the BUCK do you think you are?! Get the hell out of my house!” she roared her hoof stopping an inch away from Fluttershy’s side. She looked down at her hoof to see it surrounded by a violet aura. “Wha?” was all she managed in her stupor.
“I would strongly suggest stepping away from my friend,” replied Twilight Sparkle, walking calmly into the room her wings spread to their full extent, her eyes had a cold distant look to them. “Under order of the Royal Sisters, and myself, Princess Twilight, you are under arrest.” Her voice boomed out, horn flaring to life conjuring shackles out of raw energy. She turned to face the kitchen and made a strange gesture to a hidden stranger.
Rainbow Dash took this as her cue, she walked into the room seeing her young friends bruised and beaten body being led away by Fluttershy. “You...” she spat her nostrils flared in both anger and horror. “How could you?” she hissed, her attempt to hold her rage back making her nearly silent. “You’re supposed to protect your foals not beat them!” She screamed into the face of the filly, her right forehoof rising to strike at the other pony.
“Why should I care? She’s not a filly, she’s a parasite. Leeching off my well being and my bits, and you think I’m the monster?” The blue coated mare screeched at Rainbow Dash, her voice cracking.
“Ah’ve seen some pretty depraved ponies in mah life, but you you’re the worst ah’ve ever seen,” AppleJack said strutting into the living room, her hat casting a shadow over her muzzle. “Granny, always said sometimes it’s okay to give a filly a spanking, or two when they misbehave. But you ma’am are a disgrace to anypony who calls herself, a Mom. Ah have half the mind to kick your flank all the way from here to Manehattan!” She dropped her voice down to a whisper, stepping toward the restrained mare. “And Ah wouldn’t stop until ah knew you’d felt what little, Scootaloo, was feeling.”
Scarlett Breeze shook her head, clearly not understanding her dire situation. “So it has come to this? Idle threats from some Hick Farm Pony? I never mistook a Princess for a coward.” She taunted her captors out of sheer spite, not caring about the repercussions of her actions and taunts.
“That’s enough! If you can’t understand why you’re being detained then perhaps I should have Princess Celestia deal with you personally. “ Twilight stated, struggling to keep her tone neutral. She shackled Scarlett Breeze’s hooves together.
“Your little friends are just as bad as the vulture I raised. No they’re worse, that farm pony is a hick, the yellow one,” Scarlett pointed in the direction where Fluttershy had gone, “Is a bucking co-”
Twilight’s will to remain calm crumbled to dust. She cut the mare off mid sentence.“I can accept any personal insults you have for me. But Nopony insults my friends like that!” she shouted her horn emitting a violent lavender light. The rooms air crackled with magical energy as Twilight weaved a powerful spell. She pulled Scarlett close to her body, before they disappeared in a flash of lavender.
***
“Excuse me Miss Rainbow Dash?” asked a white coated earth pony, holding a clipboard in one hoof. She tapped it lightly with a forehoof in a slight gesture of impatience as she waited for the chromatic maned pegasus to respond.
Rainbow opened one eye and shifted a little in her seat, being careful to not disturb the sleeping filly on her lap. “Yeah that’s me.” she responded softly, stroking Scootaloo’s mane with her hoof. “Is there something I can help you with...” she glanced at the ponies name tag pinned to her shirt, “Nurse Redheart?”
“Yes. I would like to see Scootaloo now.” Nurse Redheart answered, smiling at Rainbow Dash. Although this hadn’t been the first time she had met Rainbow Dash, she had always figured her too young to have foals.
Rainbow Dash gently nudged Scootaloo with her snout until the little orange filly woke up a with a yawn, she smiled a little rubbing her eyes. “I w-wasn’t sleeping!” Scootaloo declared defensively looking at the nurse. She jumped off Rainbow’s lap and stretched before the nurse led them down the hall.
Nurse Redheart led the duo to a small out of the way examination room. The rooms walls had been painted in a foalish manner. Blocks and other such foalish things adorning the walls. Redheart sighed knowing most foals detested this room. She smiled and then spoke “Hi Scootaloo, I’m nurse Redheart. I’m just going to do a little check up okay?” She asked bending down the little fillies level.
Scootaloo smiled at nurse Redheart, she eagerly climbed onto the exam table with some assistance from Rainbow Dash’s hooves. “Okay. I don’t have to get any s-s-shots do I?” She asked slightly panicking as he gazed about the room. She saw the foalish patterns on the walls and frowned. “Miss Redheart, I’m not a foal, how come I’m in the foal doctors office?” Scootaloo inquired tilting her head to the side.
Nurse Redheart giggled as she gently prodded Scootaloo’s ribs with her hoof, causing the filly to take a sharp breath. She frowned. “Does that hurt?” She asked poking Scootaloo’s ribs again with her hoof.
“Yeah a little bit.” Scootaloo responded sounding upset. “I just want to go home, Miss Redheart, and spend the rest of the day in bed.”
“Heh, squirt, we’re here to see if you’re doing okay. I promise I’ll tuck you in and read you a bedtime story when we get home.” Rainbow Dash comforted the nervous filly.
Scootaloo blushed bright red but didn’t speak. What could she say? It was the honest truth, Rainbow Dash had been tucking her in and reading her a story every night. “Th-Thanks, Dash.” She said finally relaxing a little to let the nurse do her job.
Redheart moved on with the examination, she quickly assessed that Scootaloo was a little underweight and small for her age. “Okay Scootaloo, I’m going to need to take a look at those little wings of yours. Could you spread them out for me?” She asked smiling at the filly.
“Miss Redheart?” Scootaloo asked the nurse, her large purple irises quivering threatening to leak tears at any moment. She slowly extended her small wings and sighed.
“Yes Scootaloo?” Nurse Redheart asked, running a hoof over the fillies left wing. After a few moments of examining the young pegasus’s wings she came to a sad conclusion. They were severely under developed and their growth stunted. It never got any easier to tell a foal they might never fly.
“I-Is there something wrong with my wings?” Scootaloo inquired, shivering at the mare’s touch on her wings. She hadn’t even let Dash clean her wings in one of her now nightly baths.
Nurse Redheart sighed unhappily. “There’s no easy way to tell you this Scootaloo, so I’m just going to say it. Scootaloo, your wings are severely underdeveloped, I fear their growth might be stunted.” She said trying to break the news gently to the filly.
Scootaloo’s world shattered around her. Her wings stunted? She knew they were always a little small but if they were stunted she may not fly ever. “Are you saying I’m n-never going to f-fly?” She inquired tears starting to leak from her eyes, Rainbow Dash quickly flew to her side and held her. “B-But I’m a pegasus!” She screamed at the nurse breaking into sobs as her big sister held her.
“I’m sorry but not everypony grows up to be a pegasus. There is a slim chance you may fly but please don’t hold out hope.” Nurse Redheart said softly. She quickly gave the sobbing filly another once over for good measure. “Miss Rainbow Dash. Your daughter has a few cracked ribs but is otherwise fine. Although she could use a good nights rest, it’s not easy being told you have a disability.”
Both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo looked at each other with unsure expressions on their face. Scootaloo, still crying was now silent; Rainbow Dash the same.
“D-daughter?” Scootaloo repeated quietly. . . She looked up at Rainbow Dash and smiled for one of the first times in a long time. “M-mom...” She said hugging Dash tightly, continuing to cry.
Rainbow Dash sat there being hugged by the orange filly, unsure of what to do, she simply returned the hug. “Shh just rest for a bit, Scootaloo...”
Scootaloo sniffled once more, as she felt herself being lifted off the table and onto Rainbow’s back. Together the two left the examination room, stopping at the front desk to get Scootaloo’s medical files in order. After pressing her hoof print onto a few sheets of paper the mare and filly left the hospital. “Rainbow?” she asked quietly.
“Don’t you listen to what that nurse told you squirt, I’ll have you flying by your next birthday.” Rainbow Dash comforted Scootaloo as she took to the skies, heading toward their cloud home.
Scootaloo tightened her vice like grip on Rainbow’s neck as she banked to the left. “T-The nurse said I probably wouldn’t fly though!” she exclaimed sniffling and burying her face into Dash’s neck.
“Scootaloo!” Rainbow Dash said sharply, before landing outside her front door. She lowered herself so the filly could hop down. “Don’t ever let anypony tell you what you can and can’t do! Understand? If you always let other ponies tell you what’s good for you, you’ll never find the things that truly matter in life.” she said opening her front door and trotting inside with Scootaloo.
“You really think I can fly, Rainbow?” Scootaloo inquired jumping onto the sofa in Rainbow’s living room and sitting down. Rainbow Dash nodded joining her on the sofa, sitting down beside her.
“Hey, Scoot?” Rainbow Dash asked ruffling her mane, and giving her a nuzzle on the cheek causing her to blush bright red.
“W-What, Rainbow? Am I in trouble?” Scootaloo asked, fidgeting with her small hooves and yawning as she curled up in a small ball. A large tortoise with a propeller strapped to it’s shell grinned up at Scootaloo, she smiled and picked up the reptile placing him on the space between her and Rainbow Dash. She wrapped her small purple tail around herself and looked over at her guardian.
Rainbow Dash chuckled and scooped the filly up in her hooves. “You’re not in trouble, kiddo, I just wanted to tell you something.” She said hugging Scootaloo close to her chest. “I know you’ve been through alot, and that you’ve never really had, a Mom.”
“What are you trying to say Ra-” Scootaloo was cut off by a blue hoof gently pressing into her mouth. She struggled for a moment then relaxed, allowing her friend to continue speaking.
“Well you know how the nurse thought I was your Mom right?” Rainbow Dash asked Scootaloo, releasing her hoof from the filly’s mouth. Scootaloo nodded her head in response before Dash continued. “How about we make that official?From now on I’ll be your Mom.”
Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow’s magenta eyes, her own now leaking tears. “Y-You’d do that for m-me?” she whispered as she threw her hooves around her guardian’s chest, sobbing happily into it. “You’re the bestest Mom a filly could ever want.” she said through her sobs, clinging to Rainbow for comfort.
Rainbow Dash smiled down at her little filly. “Course I’d do that for you squirt! I’ll make your life twenty percent cooler, but first let’s get something to eat. Anything particular I can make for you?” She asked Scootaloo, releasing the filly from her hug and ruffling her mane a little.
“Just a daisy sandwich with the crusts cut off please, Dash.” Scootaloo asked her voice still shaky from the fit of crying. “And m-maybe some mushroom soup too?”
“Sure thing, kiddo, just get me a soup pot. First cupboard on your left.” Rainbow Dash said drifting lazily over to her cloud powered refrigerator. She dug through the mess of sports drinks and soda before finally finding the daisies, She carried them over to the counter and began chopping them into small even pieces. After that she kept a close eye on Scootaloo who had managed to get herself stuck inside the cupboard.
“Hey, Rainbow?”
“Yeah what’s up, Scoots?”
“I uhm. . .I’m stuck.”
Rainbow Dash tried to suppress a laugh with little success. “Y-You’re stuck? Hahaha!” She guffawed falling to the floor and rolling about with mirth. After the fit of laughter had passed she stood back up and moved some of the pots and pans that were trapping the orange filly. “Here let me help you out, squirt.” She said smiling warmly as she pulled the filly from the cupboard by her hindlegs.
“Stop laughing, Rainbow Dash, It’s not funny.” Scootaloo said huffing, her orange coat and feathers fluffing out. Making her appear far less intimidating than she thought she was looking.
“Aww come on, Scootaloo, don’t get in a fluff. I was just teasing you.” Rainbow Dash said before cracking up again. This only caused further embarrassment for Scootaloo, who was now bright pink.
“Yeah well. . .” Scootaloo trailed off thinking of a word to call her guardian. “You have clouds for brains!”
“Clouds for brains?! That’s a good one, squirt.” Rainbow replied unable to contain her mirth any longer. She fell to the floor of the kitchen, the soft white clouds cushioning her fall. Rainbow couldn’t help it, she just found the idea of having clouds between her ears hilarious.
“Stop laughing!” Scootaloo shouted at her guardian. “It’s not funny.” She said quietly her voice shaking as she galloped off to her bedroom. “I HATE YOU!” She screamed once inside slamming the door shut, and leaping onto her sky blue wonderbolt themed sheets. Her walls had a few pictures of Rainbow Dash and her at the last Sisterhooves Social. “Stupid dolls!” Scootaloo roared, hurling her favorite doll across the room in a fit of rage.
***
Rainbow Dash continued to laugh, her eyes flew open and her mouth shut at the sound of the door slamming shut piercing her ears like a boom of thunder. She stood up, no longer laughing as she heard Scootaloo yelling a phrase that shook her entire body before a silence that seemed to create a thickening tension as Dash stood there unsure of how to proceed. She flinched when there was a flash and a loud boom before she could hear the small ‘tink, tap, tink’ of raindrops starting to hit the windows before a lower, less intense roar of thunder resonated through the house.
Scootaloo buried her face in the pillows on the bed, her eyes leaking a steady stream of silent tears. What if she hates me now? She thought regretting the hurtful phrase that had left her mouth. Rainbow always said it was cool how much more mature I am than other fillies. Way to go Scootaloo now she thinks you’re an immature brat! She silently berated herself for her previous actions, the storm drowning out her cries.
Rainbow Dash continued to stand in the kitchen regretting her actions. She really does hate me now... doesn’t she? She asked herself, feeling as if her heart had been torn out and stomped on by a thousand buffalo with only the power of one small filly.
Scootaloo sniffled loudly, taking her face out of the pillows and wiping her nose on the tip of her hoof. She squeaked as a brilliant flash of white illuminated the room, causing her to jump a few feet in the air. Her entire messy purple mane standing on end as she dove for under the bed, leaving only a small purple tail sticking out. A boom of thunder followed the flash of lightning, scaring the filly worse than before. Her body began to shake in fear and from the emotional stress. She hadn’t cried so much since she was just a little filly, smaller than she was now.
Some Element of Loyalty I am. . . I can’t even bring myself to say sorry. Rainbow shook her head from side to side, trying to dislodge the thoughts that were plaguing her mind. She slowly left the kitchen, walking on her tip hooves as her destination came into her field of view. A large white door, taped to the outside of it was a childs drawing of two ponies flying happily over what appeared to be rainbow coloured falls. This was all it took for Rainbow Dash, she couldn’t take it anymore. Her sobs rang through the halls of their home, a crack of thunder swallowing them with a boom. “Scootaloo. . .” Dash said loudly barely bringing her tone under control.
“J-Just go away!” Scootaloo shouted immediately followed by a crack of thunder shaking the entire house causing her to flinch in fear.
Rainbow Dash stepped closer to Scootaloo, still unable to control her own emotions. She crouched down next to the bed that the cowering filly was hiding under and gently reached a hoof under the bed rubbing Scootaloo’s back. “H-hey... it’s j-just a storm. I-it’s fine, come on now...”
Scootaloo’s body shook as another thunderous boom exploded through the house. She let out an audible yelp.
“Scootaloo... I...” Rainbow paused remaining silent for a few moments not wanting to admit she was wrong. “I uhm...”
“J-Just go away, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo shouted hurling another one of her prized dolls at the prismatic maned mare. “You’re not my Mommy!” she sobbed crawling further under the bed. Her small violet tail curling around herself in a defensive manner. “Just leave me alone!” she cried in frustration, not facing her guardian.
Rainbow frowned at the display of emotion from Scootaloo. “Okay...” She said, unable to think of anything else to say, she stood up, a few tears running down her face. “It’s okay if you hate me now then... I... I’m s-” She paused, frowning and turning to leave the room, peering back out of the corner of her eye’s at the sobbing filly, regretting everything.
Finally the realization dawned upon Scootaloo, that she had hurt the pony she loved the most. She crawled out from under the bed and galloped after Rainbow Dash, a few feet from her mentor, friend, and Mom she jumped into the air. Tiny wings buzzing in frustration as she managed to fly, closing the distance between mare and filly. “I’m so so sorry Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo yelled pressing herself into Rainbow’s hindlegs.
Rainbow Dash made an ‘omph’ noise as she was unexpectedly hugged by Scootaloo, she gave a small smile turning around to look down at Scootaloo. “Scoots, it’s fine... I... I’m s-sorry...” She said in a near defeated but relieved tone. She reached down and hugged Scootaloo. “I didn’t mean to make you upset...” She let a few tears leak out of her eyes. “B-b-b-but d-d-d-don’t t-tell anypony I s-s-said s-sorry!” She said trying to piece together some of her ‘cool’ dignity.
Scootaloo sniffled then smiled up at Rainbow Dash. “O-Okay but don’t tell, AppleBloom and Sweetie Belle, that I play with dolls! Sweetie, tries to get me to play dress up enough already.” she said managing to giggle like the school filly she was.
“Aw come on, Scoot, I’m sure you’d look really nice wearing a frilly pink dress!” Rainbow Dash teased Scootaloo, ruffling her mane before they continued to the kitchen. With Scootaloo's help she began to finely chop up carrots, celery stalks, and mushrooms. She tossed them into the soup pot Scoots had gotten earlier, and filled the pot with water.
“W-Well d-don’t tell anypony b-b-but I do like really frilly things! Especially if they’re purple like my mane.” Scootaloo explained as Rainbow Dash held her up to the counter, with the older mares help she added some finely chopped daisies to the soup stock.
“That’s okay Scootaloo. I like frilly things too sometimes... So as long as you keep my little secret, I’ll keep yours.” Rainbow said smiling. With Scootaloo’s help she began to set the table, instructing the filly to go wash up. “Go wash up, Scoots, your hooves are awfully dirty.”
Scootaloo blushed and lifted one hoof up to look at it. She giggled at the amount of dirt covering her tiny hooves then galloped down the hall to the bathroom. She quickly washed off her hooves, although she had been with Dash for over a week now she had yet to take a bath or anything. She explored her surroundings for a few minutes taking note of all the mane and coat care products her guardian had.
“Scoot! Hurry it up, your soups getting cold.” Rainbow Dash called from down the hall.
“Okay!” Scootaloo called in return, she washed her hooves again for good measure then galloped to the kitchen. When she arrived back in the kitchen a veritable feast awaited her, she found her mouth watering at the intense smell of mushroom soup that permeated the room. “Ohmygoshthissmellsogood!” she managed to say all in one breath, causing Rainbow Dash to laugh.
“Haha it does, doesn’t it?” Rainbow asked her in turn with a gentle smile. They eagerly dug into their bowls of soup, Scootaloo slurping it down greedily. “Scootaloo, table manners remember?”
The orange filly blushed pink, her muzzle white from the soup stock. She spoke quietly. “Oh uhm... Y-Yeah table manners...”
“You know what those are right, Scoot? Not putting your hooves on the table, don’t talk with your mouth full, always say excuse me after belching, and remember to say please and thank you.”
“Oh. That doesn’t sound very cool, Rainbow Dash, how come we have to say those things?” Scootaloo inquired her muzzle pink from embarrassment.
“Because it’s just the rules, squirt, now eat up. You’re a little filly and little fillies need to eat lots.” Rainbow replied in an almost motherly tone, she gave the orange filly a comforting smile.
“Hay! I’m not a little filly, Rainbow Dash, I’m just still growing.” The filly huffed in response, a small ‘hmph’ escaping her muzzle. “A-And even if I was a little filly, you’d still take care of me right?”
“Finish your soup, Scoot, you don’t need to worry. No matter what happens I’ll always be here for you, got it? If you ever need to talk to anypony, I want you to know you can talk to me. “ The prismatic maned mare responded with a slight grin, she reached a hoof over and gave Scootaloo a noogie. “Enough talking, kiddo, eat up.”
The little orange filly downed her mushroom soup with several loud slurps. By the time she was finished her once orange coat was stained white. Scootaloo blushed in embarrassment, having forgotten she was such a messy eater. “S-Sorry, R-Rainbow, I didn’t mean to m-make a m-mess...” She trailed off worried her guardian and mentor would be upset over the mess she had made. She braced herself inwardly, expecting harsh words as she shut her eyes tightly. Instead of harsh words Rainbow sighed softly and pulled the filly into a hug.
“I won’t ever hurt you, Scootaloo, ever.” Rainbow Dash comforted the emotional filly who let out a few deep sobs before fully breaking down in Rainbow’s hooves.
“I k-know, R-R-Rainbow,” Scootaloo cried softly into the mare’s chest. Her breathing heavy and laboured, the light of the room bouncing from her tear filled eyes. “B-But I th-thought, you w-wouldn’t like m-m-me anymore b-because I’m s-s-such a m-m-m-messy eater.” She sobbed her hooves clutching Rainbow’s waist.
Unsure of what else to do Rainbow held the filly in her hooves, hugging her tightly and lightly drawing a hoof through her purple mane. “Shh, shh, Dash is here. Just let it all out, Scootaloo,” She did her best to comfort the crying filly. If there was one thing Rainbow couldn’t stand, it was seeing foals cry. She picked up little Scootaloo in her hooves, carrying her down the hall to her bedroom. “You’ve had a tough day, Scootaloo, why don’t I read you a story and you can get some rest?” Rainbow asked Scootaloo softly, her response was several sniffles and hiccups.
“O-Ok-Okay” Scootaloo managed to stutter out with a loud sniffle. She snuggled closer to Rainbow Dash’s chest and smiled weakly. “Th-Thanks M-M-Mommy...” Scootaloo let out a quiet sigh as her eyes closed. Her breathing slowed, as an adorable yawn escaped her.