I (All) - Living Alone

Start of September, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

For the first time in her life (that she was willing to admit) Rainbow Dash was nervous. She fidgeted in place in front of a wooden door; she knew that it was the right thing to do, but that didn't make the conversation she was about to have any easier.

It was a plain old door, leading to a single floor cottage on the edge of Ponyville; large front yard and huge backyard with a path leading to the unassuming wooden barrier. It wasn't even about the mare who lived there; the blue-gray pegasus was a bubbly and optimistic mare who was pleasant to be with.

No, it was why Rainbow Dash was there that caused the normally brave pegasus to be nervous and hesitant.

It started when Applejack and Rarity were searching for their younger sisters, earlier that same day.

Dash had been napping in the sky above Ponyville (in order to have first hoof knowledge of weather conditions of course!) when she heard frantic shouts from below her.

“Rainbow Dash! Rainbow! We need yer help!” The cyan pegasus peeked over the edge of her cloud and saw a very odd sight; two ponies who seemed to have nothing in common were standing side by side, with Applejack wrapping a supportive hoof on Rarity's shoulder as she leaned onto the farmer for support.

Rainbow Dash could tell by their stricken faces that it was an actual dire situation and not a drama queen one; what was confusing was that it was early in the morning and everything seemed fine.

The pegasus dived off her temporary bed and pulled up sharply to hover over the two mares.

“What's up?” Applejack opened her mouth to respond but Rarity beat her to it.

“Our sisters are missing!” After a dramatic pause, during which the orange mare shot the unicorn a bland look for the extra theatrics, Applejack continued from where Rarity left off.

“We can't find any of the Cutie Mark Crusaders anywhere! Ah got ah letter from mah cousin Braeburn sayin' he saw them at Apploosa the other day; we tried tah see if they came back but we haven't found them yet. Can ya help search Ponyville before we check Apploosa?” Rainbow Dash was a little slack jawed at what the trio did this time but shook her head clear before giving the two older siblings a salute.

“Leave it to me; I'll check Ponyville in ten seconds flat!” Seeing Rarity's distress, Applejack grabbed a hold of the rainbow tail before the pegasus took off to start her search.

“We don't want ah fast check; we want ah THOROUGH search.” Rainbow rolled her eyes at the stern look before waving a reassuring hoof.

“Yeah, yeah; a fast but thorough search, right.” With another salute, the brash mare flew away at top speeds to start looking for the trio of fillies.

She searched the streets of town, causing a blast of wind that almost knocked over ponies as she flew past; Rainbow Dash gave a quick look through the stores that were likely to be visited by the fillies (the Sporty Pony, Prank Palace, and the Arcade) before continuing on her way.

As the search of the town gave no indication of where the girls could be, Rainbow Dash widened her search to the area around the close knit town. A spot of gray and blonde made her pause in thought before barreling for the mailmare's small cottage.

“Derpy!” At the call, the blue-gray pegasus looked to the sky with a smile.

“Hello Rainbow Dash! How are you doing?” The cyan mare landed swiftly and glanced around the immediate area.

“Have you seen any of the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Applejack and Rarity can't find them...” Dash noticed how the normally upbeat mare now wore a pensive frown at the mention of the girls being missing; her golden-yellow eyes slightly drifted apart in frustration before she concentrated to keep her eyes focused on the cyan mare before her.

“I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, I haven't seen them. I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't the first time they went out of town...” Dash raised an interested brow and leaned closer.

“Oh? And when did they leave before? You have no idea where they may have gone?” Derpy leaned back slightly with a surprised look at the sudden interrogation before feeling bad that she couldn't help more.

“I don't really know Rainbow Dash, sorry. And I can't say when they may have left before, I had promised not to say anything before finding out what they had planned...” Rainbow groaned in annoyance and was about to take off once more when Derpy held out a hoof to gain her attention.

“You are going to find them right, even Scootaloo?”

“Of course! We'll find all three and bring them home for sure!” Without another word, the speedster took off in a flash and searched the rest of the surrounding area, ending at Fluttershy's cottage.

The shy mare was in her backyard feeding the squirrels when the speeding cyan blur came to a stop next to her, startling all the animals and the canary mare into hiding in the nearby bushes.

“Fluttershy, relax; it's just me. No time to waste, have you see the Crusaders recently?” Fluttershy slowly edged out of the bushes and peered at her friend with worry.

“No, I haven't seen them recently. Why, what's wrong? Is someone hurt?” Rainbow shook her head and grabbed at Fluttershy's hoof to bring her along, taking to the skies once more at higher speeds than the timid mare was used to.

“The fillies are missing and Applejack and Rarity are worried sick. Come on, they're going to need us at the library.” Rainbow Dash pulled Fluttershy along as she continued her fast pace to meet with their friends; while she could see the timid mare flinch at the speed, she didn't dare slow down, not when ponies were depending on her.

As they came to the tree house, they saw the older sisters running to the library and their 'unofficial' leader. The two pegasi landed to hopeful faces from the farmer and the fashionista who paused a few feet away from the door when they noticed the fliers.

“Did ya find them RD?”

“I've looked all over Ponyville and some of the fields around it; I didn't see heads or tails of them.” As two mares slumped downhearted where they stood, Fluttershy leaned forward slightly to try and reassure them.

“Uh, maybe Twilight knows a way to find them...?” The others shared determined nods and turned as one to take the last few steps to enter the library.

The unicorn reached the door with her magic first and burst through in her (almost usual) dramatic fashion.

“Twilight! We need your hel-!” The fashionista paused mid-speech as the four friends found the residential bookworm and party pony cuddling and nuzzling one another on a shared cushion with a book laying out in front of them.

Pinkie Pie had a hoof around Twilight's shoulders and her head on the lavender mare's neck, within easy reach of Twilight's muzzle; something Twilight was taking advantage of and was in the midst of kissing the pink cheek when their friends came inside.

Due to the relaxing nature of their relationship, Twilight was slow to respond or even panic though both mares on the cushion turned as one to face their friends who were staring back in shock at the scene before them. The gray-white mare was the first to be able to speak once more.

“Ah, as much as I would love to ask how this came to be, we have an emergency on our hooves.” The four mares finished entering the room as they tried to refocus on the main issue at hoof.

Twilight blinked slowly before both mares stood and walked over to their friends; while both wore blushes, they were going to help their friends before worrying about having been discovered together.

“What's wrong?”

As Applejack and Rarity described their sister issues, Rainbow Dash watched with curiosity at how close Pinkie Pie stayed near the egghead. Since it seemed that nopony was going to say anything about what they saw in order to focus on the issue at hoof, Rainbow Dash tried to not burst into laughter at the thought of such two opposite ponies together.

After explaining the majority of what happened, the rest of the ponies turned to face the cyan mare for a bit more details on how her search went.

“I've looked all over town and the nearby places; they're not in Ponyville. I even checked the stores they often visit.” Rainbow stated flatly even as Rarity and Applejack flinched at the repeated fact. The older sisters looked extremely worried, with Twilight's face slowing joining their state while Pinkie just looked anxious about something.

“You said you got a letter?” Twilight inquired of the orange mare who nodded slowly as she kept an eye on the unicorn beside her.

“Yeah, Ah got ah letter from Braeburn sayin' he saw the girls in Apploosah. Here ya go Twi', we may have tah find the fastest train south...” As Twilight quickly read the letter, Rainbow began to get impatient; the next course of action was obvious, what was talking them so long to get to it?

“Come on! We know they aren't here and that they are probably still in Apploosa! What are we waiting for?” Fluttershy flinched as everyone looked at Rainbow Dash whom she was sitting next to; the cyan mare hadn't bothered to keep her voice down as she crossed her hooves in annoyance at the slowness of the others.

“That would be the next course of action... Let's head to the train station.” As the six friends headed for the door, the librarian paused a moment to call for her assistant.

“SPIIKEEE! Spike, I need you to stay here and watch the library while we're gone, ok?” Spike nodded from the doorway to the kitchen, concerned but pleased to have something he could do to help; he had heard what was wrong, but with the six best friends on the case he knew it wouldn't be an issue for long.

The train ride south was an odd one; they took the express to get there faster but it was still a two hour long trip. At first it was filled with everyone trying to reassure Applejack and Rarity, but soon turned towards the pink and lavender mares' new relationship.

“So darling, have you and Pinkie Pie been going out long?” Pinkie merely looked to the librarian who was nervous about the others' reaction.

“Well, we've been, been dating for two months now...” Twilight rubbed her hooves together as Pinkie gave her a reassuring nuzzle.

“Why darling, that's wonderful!” The others added their congratulations while Rainbow Dash merely rolled eyes; sappy wasn't very cool at all.

“And you're still an egghead? I'd have thought hanging at with Pinkie would have loosened you up.” Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves while sticking a teasing tongue to the lavender mare who had tensed at the short tone of the cyan mare but relaxed at the teasing smirk.

“Silly Dashie! You just gottah find the right spots to make Twilight go all loose; like this!” With that exclamation the pink earth pony thrust forward to nose Twilight's neck, making her melt under the touch all the while blushing.

“Pinkiieee!” Twilight weakly protested while most of the others chuckled at the sight; Rainbow Dash pretended to gag until catching sight of Fluttershy's disapproving look.

Rainbow Dash decided to play it safe and remained silent for the rest of the trip; while she wasn't scared of anything, Fluttershy could give some convincing lectures. Rarity continued to pester the new couple with questions while Applejack watched outside; something the cyan pegasus did as well as she lamented how she would already been at the desert town had she been flying on her own.

She would have said this out loud, but the timid mare beside her was on the watch for anything the brash pony might do. Now that Dash was looking, she found that Fluttershy couldn't decide between being happy or concerned; and if there was one thing Dash did was help her friends.

“What's up Fluttershy?” The cream-yellow mare flinched, having been caught being worried.

“Oh, uhm, nothing...” At the deadpan from the bold pegasus, Fluttershy crouched lower and continued in a softer tone; she decided to go with one of the many things that she was worried about but wouldn't cause as much trouble if she said it out loud.

“... I was... Worried about the girls...” Dash knocked a soft hoof into Fluttershy's shoulder as she smirked.

“Phhhftt, I'm sure they're fine. They did learn 'Awesome Martial Arts' from yours truly after all!” Rainbow put a hoof to her chest as she sat up straighter, confident in her teaching abilities.

Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash's voice carried enough that the others heard and soon the two pegasi were the focus of three furious eyes and one that seemed more curious than anything.

“What did ya say Rainbow Dash?” Applejack demanded slowly as they cyan mare rubbed the back of her head sheepishly; Dash realized she just got herself into trouble, but it was too late to back out now.

“Well...”

By the time they reached town, Rainbow Dash was more than willing to find the Crusaders to get the others to stop being mad at her for teaching them how to fight. They filed out of the train, with dire threats of a proper lecture when they got back home with fillies in tow hanging over a certain brash pegasus, when they found the Crusaders trotting up with another filly.

The four girls weren't paying any attention to their surroundings and Rainbow Dash flinched as she saw the concerned looks harden into furious stares as the two older siblings stepped forward and called out to the girls.

“What in the hay are y'all doin'?”

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

Rainbow felt for the girls, she really did; but felt the unspoken threat of more lectures if she didn't take the 'proper' side.

Finding just the right moment to join in the berating of the girls before them, Dash tried to focus her question in a general fashion while still speaking to Scootaloo only; Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had enough things to worry about without another pony jumping on them.

“Running away is not cool squirt; what would your parents think of that?”

As soon as the question left Rainbow's mouth, the entire atmosphere changed; everypony could feel it and fell silent, waiting for the young pegasus' response. Even the brash pegasus could tell something was wrong, something more than just a light scolding. The young filly's response proved the feeling to be correct.

“I don't know what either one of them would think of that, they've been dead for over five years.” Scootaloo replied flatly, trying to not show just how hard the question hit her; especially considering how it came from her idol. Without giving anyone a chance to figure out a response, the young pegasus ran into town, unwilling to answer what would most likely come next.

Rainbow didn't know what to think nor do; one of the few times her instinct or need for action gave her no guidance. Suddenly, a summer of fun times and freedom seemed to take on a harsher tone concerning the filly; questions bubbled beneath the surface of Rainbow's mind at how the young girl had been getting by, though none broke through into the physical world.

If it weren't for a warm presence next to her and an outside influence, the prismatic mare may have remained in that state for much longer. Fluttershy had a better idea about insecurities and what it was like to live without parents, and knew that being left alone after such a revelation was NOT something that should be done.

“Go after her.”

While normally the timid mare was not one to give commands, seeing her normally full of action friend motionless and stunned, she felt the need to give a guiding hoof. She was pleased to see life return to shocked cerise eyes as Rainbow Dash took to the skies to search for the orange pegasus, and followed at a slower but still hurried rate; while she could tell Rainbow would need to be the one to speak with Scootaloo, Fluttershy knew how hard it was to get the cyan mare to be 'sappy'.

Scootaloo ran as though her life depended on it; she ran from her friends, from older ponies who 'cared', from shocked eyes and from the painful past. She turned corners, dashed around startled ponies and soon found herself hiding behind one of the buildings farther back, on the side of town.

The young filly slumped onto the ground and tried to focus on anything but vague memories of a storm, the sense of falling or the confusing rush the days afterwards; for better or worse, memories of living at the orphanage broke the young pegasus from the day of the accident, and these were much worse to think of.

Scootaloo was so deeply in thought about it that she didn't notice the blur of rainbow that flew overhead to land behind her; Rainbow was fast enough that even though the orange coat blended into the ground she was able to locate her within seconds of the filly running off. While she would have been able to search the whole town within moments, Scootaloo hadn't gone too far; which meant that in relatively no time at all did Rainbow Dash have time to think of what to say.

The dejected form before her and the sudden relation of lack of parents prevented Rainbow from setting forward to speak with the filly that often idolized her. Since she was confident (and often times over-confident), she wasn't used to dealing with the disheartened or sad; if she did, it was usually only with Fluttershy who knew she didn't mean anything mean-spirited by her brash words or actions.

Rainbow hadn't known Scootaloo all that long, and usually just lumped her together with the other Crusaders as annoying but good fans who caused trouble by accident. It wasn't until Derpy asked her to keep an eye on the young pegasus did Rainbow Dash start to notice or take interest in what she was doing.

As Dash contemplated how to approach the small figure, Fluttershy found the cyan mare on her haunches staring at Scootaloo worriedly. The cream-yellow mare slowly walked over to her long time friend, trying not to startle her; she saw a blue ear flick towards her as Rainbow Dash noticed her presence.

“Hey...” Dash muttered to her old friend without looking back; she was half-worried that the timid mare was there to lecture her about not having done anything yet.

“H-hi.. Uhm, were you able to...?” Fluttershy tried to ask her question when she saw rainbow shake her head no; the shy mare had thought as much but wanted to be sure, it wasn't very nice to jump to conclusions after all.

“What would I say to something like that?” Fluttershy nuzzled her friend; finding no reaction to this the shy mare realized just how disturbed Rainbow Dash was. The cyan mare wasn't all that willing to be nuzzled, even from her oldest friend; and to find no reaction, not even an eye roll, showed just how serious she was at the moment.

Fluttershy paused as she tried to think of the best way to phrase her next statement; this topic was one that could actually hurt the normally brash pegasus and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

“You know what it's like, to lose somepony you care about from an early age...” Sensing that Rainbow needed all the support she could get just thinking about the topic, Flutterhsy kept up the nuzzling which Dash still showed no reaction to.

“Yeah, but I never knew my mom; you know that she died giving birth to me Fluttershy. The squirt knew her parents and lost them both....” Dash gave a half wave of her hoof as she tried to impart how much of a bigger deal it was than to lose a parent she had never known.

Scootaloo, on the other hoof, continued to remain unaware of her surroundings as she was lost in memories; not even noticing the two older pegasi talking quietly not that far away who were also trying not to get lost in their own memories.

“Yes but... Your dad died... And you had gotten to know him...” Fluttershy was even more hesitant as she brought up this point; she was sure the cyan mare buried the pain of losing her father deep down so that she wouldn't have to come to terms with it, making it an even more painful topic to discuss. The flinch and shifting afterwards was proof that it was indeed still painful for the brash pegasus.

“Yeah, but Scootaloo is at least nine if not ten years old; much younger than I was but still close enough to remember them. Why don't you talk to her? You lived in an orphanage, you know what it's like...” Rainbow tried to push her friend towards the filly only to find one of the rare moments of strength from the timid mare as she pushed back in order to remain in place.

“No; she wouldn't listen to me about it. She looks up to YOU, Rainbow Dash, not me. You should be the one to talk with her.” At the shy mare's unusually firm stare, Rainbow sighed in defeat before nodding.

It was at this last part that Scootaloo became aware of her surroundings once more; the argument between the two pegasi had gotten loud enough to notice though not enough for the young filly to hear. Upon seeing who it was, Scootaloo was torn between leaving and seeing what they wanted; she remained in place wearily as Rainbow Dash walked up to her with a hesitant smirk on her face.

“Hey squirt...” Seeing no change in Scootaloo's face, the smirk dropped from the older pegasus' face as she pawed the ground lightly.

“Uhhh... I just, wanted to say that... I know what it's like to not have parents and all... And you're doing a good job for yourself!” At the soft hiss of 'Rainbow!' from the mare behind her (which Rainbow Dash felt more than heard since it was so soft), the rainbow maned pegasus backtracked slightly to try and convey that she did care about the youngster.

“Uh, but what I mean is that ah, even if you're doing ok, you can come to any of us for help or if you're in trouble. I know Derpy cares about you...” Rainbow trailed off slightly as she noticed Scootaloo's face turn more pensive and annoyed, and could practically feel Fluttershy's encouragement to keep going on this kind of thought and speech. After scuffing the ground some more with a blue hoof, Dash stomped that same hoof onto the ground as she groaned.

“Ugh! Look squirt, I'm not very good at sappy but you have good friends and ponies who care about you so don't think you're on your own or alone, alright...? Come on, let's get back to the others; your friends are probably worried for you.” Rainbow made no move in order to see what kind of reaction she would get from the filly and sagged in relief when Scootaloo silently got up and headed for the train station.

Rainbow Dash followed the young pegasus and once they reached where Fluttershy timidly waited, the quiet mare joined the parade by the sky-blue mare's side; they then engaged into a quiet 'conversation' while Scootaloo tried her best to ignore them, afraid of what they might be talking about now.

“Rainbow...”

“Look Fluttershy, you know I don't do sappy! And that was getting WAY too sappy for me. I tried, you saw that!” Rainbow was more than willing to take off into the sky at the muted sigh from the mare next to her but could tell that it would be seen as a move worse than she would mean; especially considering how neither of the other pegasi she was walking with could fly much at all.

“Do you think... She's living by herself?” Fluttershy could barely contain her shudder of sympathy if that was the case; having grown up alone and afraid to make friends gave her a good understanding of what it was like. Rainbow continued to stare ahead at the filly as she responded, thinking of the cream-yellow mare's experience in an orphanage.

“I dunno, I thought she was staying with Derpy; she was concerned about Scoot before, so I thought that she was taking care of her or was a relative or something...” Rainbow Dash felt Fluttershy's eyes bore into her with a question that she couldn't speak out loud but felt like it should be asked; thinking about what had just happened, Rainbow could guess at what the timid mare wanted to know.

“Sigh... All right, Fluttershy; I'll ask Derpy about it when we get back...” Fluttershy gave a large smile before turning to face forward once more.

Rainbow rolled her eyes (not that Fluttershy noticed) and continued to follow the young pegasus who lead the way to the others. While Rainbow Dash was trying to not dwell on her attempt at 'sappy', Scootaloo was both embarrassed and happy that her hero had found her and tried to offer some support.

While the orange filly was happy to know that Dash cared, Scootaloo had just as much trouble as the cyan mare with showing emotions, making the display all that more touching; though it was as much if not more unnerving and off-putting at the same time. Aside from her close friends, Scootaloo hadn't known anypony who cared about her; Derpy Hooves was a rare exception among thousands, she cared for everypony equally but especially for little foals.

She tried to keep a blank face as she led the way, trying to not hear the discussion behind her and failing; at the sound of a hushed promise to check in with Derpy, Scootaloo frowned slightly and began to make plans of her own for when they got back to Ponyville.

All three pegasi were silent as they thought to themselves about vastly different things; Rainbow tried to think of how to talk with the normally happy mare about such a deep and serious topic, Fluttershy thought about how the cyan mare hadn't seemed to ever get over the passing of her father and unwillingness to address why she didn't like being 'sappy', while Scootaloo started plans for new hideouts for the last two weeks of summer and perhaps even well into the school year.

The three ponies went back to the train station to find the others; while there may have been a good chance that the others had moved locations, it was a good place to start looking. Fortunately, the rest of the girls hadn't left yet and were waiting for the pegasi's return.

Twilight and Pinkie nodded greeting to the mares as Applejack and Rarity finished berating their younger siblings; they gave the pegasi swift greetings before turning to face the town, intent to find out how much trouble the trio really were in for.

They found Braeburn speaking with Little Strongheart about if any of the buffalo had seen the fillies when they caught sight of the group heading towards them.

As the stallion broke off his conversation to speak with his cousin, Rainbow Dash gave a hoof bump to the young buffalo in greeting before listening to how the girls, to their knowledge, hadn't done anything aside from baking pies and doing some work in the salt mines; something that sounded much like what they normally did to the daring pegasus.

This new knowledge did little to appease the older siblings who turned furious gazes to the fillies, who in turn shrank back in worry. After promising even more stern talks with large consequence, the nine ponies took the next train back to Ponyville.

While the first train ride was awkward, the second was downright tense and stressful. Any time the fillies twitched, at least three pairs of eyes shot towards the movement, freezing whoever had made such a foolish motion; meanwhile Rainbow Dash just stared out of the window, Fluttershy kept half an eye on the cyan mare and the other to the orange filly, while Pinkie Pie just sat next to her marefriend trying to help her relax slightly.

No one spoke, no one walked around on the train and no one looked into one another's eyes, making it seem like a very long trip back. Rainbow Dash was thrilled by the time the express pulled into the familiar station and she stretched happily as the others stood as well; the older siblings kept so close to their sisters that they could have been their shadows in an attempt to keep track of them.

The trio was surrounded by the older mares with the two older siblings leading the way, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash on either side with Twilight and Pinkie leading the rear. As they stepped off onto the platform, Scootaloo glanced at her friends who winked back before the young pegasus charged at the timid mare on the left.

Fluttershy flinched from the shove of the orange filly and the shout of 'outta the way!'. The two older sisters turned furiously to the runaway but before either them or Twilight could make a move they were pushed into by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle who was trying to cover for their friend's escape.

They only had enough hooves to block three of the older mares, Dash was able to take to the skies after the young pegasus. There was a commotion behind her but Rainbow Dash didn't look back as she tried to keep an eye on the small filly; unfortunately it was slowly becoming afternoon and more ponies took to the streets, concealing the smaller filly from the high flying mare.

Scootaloo used her knowledge of the hidden ways and the many ponies outside on the lovely day to hide from searching eyes. Soon she was tucked away behind Sugarcube Corner and some crates; she watched the speeding rainbow blur pass by several times as Rainbow searched the town for the young pegasus.

After spending another ten minutes searching, Rainbow Dash landed in town square with a growl of frustration. As she searched the crowds Fluttershy fluttered down beside her with a question in her eyes.

“I can't find her; I've searched all over...” Rainbow Dash didn't stop looking as she answered the timid mare's silent question.

“Uhm, are you... Still going to visit Derpy?” Fluttershy watched the cyan pegasus nervously as her annoyance peaked before draining away to leave her slumped with her head drooping towards the ground.

“Sigh... Yeah, I'll go visit Derpy... I, I don't know how to ask though... Not that I need... uh, well, I mean, can you...?” Rainbow couldn't look towards the canary mare who stared back in concern before understanding filtered across her face.

“Yes, I can come with you to Derpy's home.” Fluttershy gave the sky-blue mare a quick nuzzle that got little reaction to it before she pulled away to stand once more.

“Thanks...” Rainbow muttered as she started to walk through town; she felt heavier than usual and decided to walk through town instead of flying like usual, the serious conversation already weighing on her mind.

The two friends made their way through the now busy streets, keeping an eye out for a flash of orange and light cerise; before long they left the more populated streets behind and saw their destination not far away. The small one floor cottage was in good repair with the yard well kept; while the mailbox was a little bent, everything else was in good condition.

A small cottage with a solid wood door wouldn't normally seem like such a terrible thing, but to Rainbow Dash it was as though she was performing in the Best Young Fliers Competition again without the ability to do a Sonic Rainboom.

She had promised to find the Crusaders, and while she did find them, she lost Scootaloo just as they got back to town. Derpy had her hopes resting on Rainbow Dash and she failed her; while she would do anything to make it up to the blue-gray pegasus, she wasn't going to lie about it. It was just so hard to take the last few steps.

Fluttershy watched her brave friend pause on the doorway and knew that Rainbow had to be the one to knock on the door and tell the mare living there what happened. The timid mare watched for a few more minutes before realizing it was another moment that the cyan mare needed a push in the right direction.

Fluttershy nudged the speedster who gave a start before flashing a reassuring smirk to her friend before taking the last few steps and knocking on the door. Within moments the wooden door opened quickly to reveal Derpy with an unsure smile at the sight of the sky-blue mare.

“H-hey Rainbow Dash, did you find the girls?” At Rainbow Dash's half rueful smirk, the smile dropped from the mailmare as she looked back in concern with her eyes slowly drifting apart.

“I found them, and we brought them back to Ponyville... It's just, ah... Scootaloo took off as soon as we got onto the platform...” Derpy's frown took on a more pronounced shape as she listened to Dash's explanation.

“I'm sorry Derpy... She was upset about something I said and it's probably why she ran off when we got to town...” Rainbow scratched at her head as she stared at the ground; Fluttershy watched through her pink bangs a few paces behind her friend.

“She ran off when you got to town? She's probably going into hiding then... What was it that you said that made her so upset?” Derpy also focused on the ground between the two pegasi which Dash had found so interesting.

“I had asked what her parents would have thought of her running away...” Derpy flinched to which Rainbow sighed once more.

“Yeah, I heard from her about how she didn't have any parents...” Rainbow Dash looked at the other mare who shook her head before explaining herself.

“That's not all she got hurt by, Rainbow Dash. She ran away from the orphanage that she was put into after she lost her parents; saying it like that was a double blow from her idol.” Rainbow could only stare in shock before sitting down with a thump.

“Aww, pony feathers... Guess I have more to make up to her then...” The two mares fell silent as they thought about the young pegasus when Fluttershy poked at Rainbow Dash once more to remind her of the other reason why they came out this way.

Rainbow shook herself from her thoughts and nodded to the cream-yellow mare before looking at Derpy once more.

“Derpy, we also wanted to know about your relationship with her. I thought she stayed with you? Where is the squirt staying if not with family or you? What orphanage was she staying at before? How long has she been on the run?” With each question, some fire came back to the cyan mare as she straightened up to look towards the pegasus.

“She stays in hideouts around town. I've asked her to stay with me but she won't; she's afraid of the orphanage finding her again... She won't tell me anything about before coming to Ponyville, so I don't know.” Derpy's ears were flipped back in sadness while Rainbow Dash scowled at the new knowledge; before she could say anything though Fluttershy pressured forward with an extremely concerned face.

“Oh dear! Was the orphanage really that bad? Does she get cold at night on her own? How does she get food to eat?” Fluttershy asked of the blue-gray mare who smiled at the concern from the animal caretaker.

“I've asked her the same kinds of things but she said she was going to be fine on her own and didn't want anything from me. I've helped her get a job here in Ponyville and I tried to check on her, but she doesn't want me to be the one who does that.... I was hoping you could keep a closer eye on her; she probably doesn't want much to do with me anymore.” Derpy looked pleadingly towards the bold mare who stared back in thought before nodding resolutely.

“Yeah... Yeah, I can do that. She was doing pretty well for herself but I'll keep an eye out for her, make sure things keep going well for the squirt.” Derpy looked relieved at the strong words and gave Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy a smile.

“I will try as well....” Fluttershy timidly promised to which Derpy merely smiled larger as Dash wrapped a hoof around the canary pegasus' shoulders and giving her a shake.

“Yeah, that's the spirit! We'll make sure she's fine, one way or another; you can count on us.” Dash gave the mailmare a confident smirk before saluting and taking to the sky, intent to try and find the young pegasus to start keeping her promise.

Fluttershy gave a soft farewell to the pegasus before heading back into town as well; to look once more for the orange filly and to gather some more supplies that would be needed in emergencies should something come up from living by oneself.

II (All) - A Touch of Chaos

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Middle of September, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

Discord, spirit of disharmony and lord of Chaos; a being with no concern for others nor dedication to any ideal or society aside from having fun doing whatever he wanted. Having broke out from his original stone prison, he reigned chaotic terror over Equestria for a day (though it seemed a lot longer to many). By using their friendship and Elements of Harmony, the six best friends turned him into stone. Luckily, Celestia was able to keep track of how long it had been so they didn't have to worry about loss of the date, being only a day since he first taken over.

For the next few days, many ponies rejoiced and contemplated what they had learned from Discord's tampering. A lot of them spent the days alone, thinking of their self-discovery about what they did and thought. The ones that were the most affected were the ponies who had been forced to be the opposite of themselves; which was about half of the population while the other half suffered from living nightmares or even just having to deal with all the chaos that Discord brought to the world.

One of the few ponies who felt that she didn't need to worry was Rainbow Dash; she accepted that it would never happen again and moved on. But she knew that there was one mare who wouldn't be as accepting and if Dash didn't check on Fluttershy, the timid mare may never recover properly.

The speedster flew through the quieter town; it was the middle of the day yet most of the citizens were inside with their friends and family. It felt odd, especially since there was no one working any stands in the market place, and only a few stores here or there were actually staffed in case somepony was hungry. Rainbow shook her head at how most were reacting, she didn't have much of a problem with it at all! They beat him and sent him packing, nothing left to worry about, especially since the world had the six most awesome of ponies protecting it!

The small cottage on the edge of town soon came into view and it too was quiet; there weren't even any animals running around outside. Dash hovered for a moment longer before landing in front of the red-brown door, her ears twitching at a soft sound coming from inside. Rainbow sighed as she guessed as to what was making the sound and knocked firmly.

“Fluttershy! Fluttershy, you in here?” There was a scratching of paws and claws inside as the soft sound quieted even further. The door opened by a crack to show Angel Bunny looking suspiciously out; Rainbow frowned at the lack of a certain cream-yellow answering and half-glared at the rabbit in front of her.

“Where's Fluttershy?” Angel crossed his paws and shook his head in denial causing Dash to frown in annoyance and push him out of the way. As she entered the first floor of the cottage, she found the quiet mare resting on her couch in the center of the living room surrounded by her animal friends trying to comfort the sobbing mare.

Rainbow sighed as she walked over to her old friend who turned away as her tears continued to flow.

“Sigh... Fluttershy... What's wrong now?” The cyan mare steeled herself for some sappy and small issue from the timid pegasus who was most likely blowing something out of proportion.

“O-oh, it's, it's nothing Rainbow Dash...” Came the response from behind a waterfall of pink mane, to which Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

“Come on, what's wrong?” Rainbow settled onto her haunches next to the couch, the weeping pegasus' animal friends looked between the two in curiosity while they continued to sooth the distressed mare.

“Sniff... Sniff... Oh, you don't want to, to talk with such a mean pony, Rainbow.... I don't deserve any of my friends!” Fluttershy wailed as she looked at the cyan pegasus with torrents of tears running down her face. Dash was surprised at the emotion and why, though she did expect something like this and it was the reason why she came by.

“Sigh... Fluttershy, you know that's not true. Why are you letting what that miss-mash of parts did get to you? We took care of him proper, there's nothing to worry about!” Dash waved a dismissive hoof as she sat up straighter; Fluttershy looked up from her spot on the couch and just shook her head.

“Maybe we did save the day, but what if what he did was just show us what was inside of us already? What if he just let this mean, horrible Fluttershy out and I-I hurt so many with my meanness!” At the last part the canary mare flung her head back onto her hooves as she continued to sob.

Dash groaned at the renewed sobbing and wiped a hoof across her face, meanwhile the animals resumed their soothing. After glaring back at Angel who stared furiously at the pegasus who wasn't helping his owner at all, Dash edged closer to the crying pegasus.

“You are the kindest mare I know, all the animals love you, and we all were affected by Discord. Nopony meant the things they said.” Dash leaned forward to try and catch Fluttershy's eye, which slowly peered out of a pink barrier to look at her old friend in hope.

“Really?”

“Yes really; would I lie to you about something like that?” The timid mare sat up slightly as the speedster stated her belief firmly.

“No.... You wouldn't.... Sniff... Thank you for coming by Rainbow Dash.... Did, did you want to talk about it too?” Fluttershy wiped at her eyes as she slowly sat up further; Angel led the way to get tissues as other creatures helped comb back pink mane and settled some of the objects that had been knocked over in her distress.

“Talk? What would I want to talk about?” Dash was confused as to how it switched from comforting the shy pony to thinking that the brash pony wanted to talk.

Fluttershy frowned in confusion and concern; the cyan mare still seemed honest and open about her intents, especially her own confusion about ‘the need to talk'.

“Wouldn't, wouldn't it feel better about to talk about how Discord made you act like somepony you're not?” The timid mare sat up to the edge of her couch while Dash merely shrugged.

“Not really; I mean, there's not much to say.”

“But, but he made you act like you didn't care about any of us!”

“So? It's not me, doesn't matter.”

“Yes but, you aren't worried about if you actually don’t care about what happens to Ponyville or to our friends or... or even what happens to me?” Fluttershy frowned thoughtfully to the apathetic mare, who frowned in return at what the normally reserved pegasus was implying.

“Of course I care! That's who I am, why would you think otherwise?” Dash frowned as she sat up straighter while defending herself.

“Then why would you not want to talk about what happened? We... I.... care about you; being forced to be something you're not hurts, and I just want to make sure you're ok!” Fluttershy got up from her seat and stood in front of the brash mare who stared back incredulously.

“I'm fine! I'm always fine! There's nothing to worry about Fluttershy; and there's nothing to talk about!” Rainbow was getting tired of this line of subject, she stood in annoyance and glared at the normally timid mare who stared back firmly. Fluttershy had a feeling that Rainbow Dash was trying to run away from what happened, just she had done before.

“Rainbow Dash, that is not a very nice way to talk to somepony. I wanted to make sure that you were really fine and not ignoring the problem.”

“Problem? What problem? There's no problem at all and I'm not ignoring anything! What has gotten into you? Are you still worried about what Discord did? I'm telling you, it's all fine and I couldn't be better.” Dash begins to hover in the air as her temper started to get the better of her; the topic was starting to really get under her fur and she wasn't sure why.

“It can be better Dashie, and you are ignoring something. You're ignoring your feelings just like you did before.” Rainbow remained silent as Fluttershy flew up to get into her face to get her point across.

“You are ignoring this like when your father died.... It's not good to run from the problem; please, let me help you.” Dash's eyes shrank to pinpricks as she was rushed back in time, finding a rescue pony waiting for her with an official letter. With a sharp shake of her head, the cyan mare glared at her old time friend who shrank back as she realized she went too far.

“There's nothing wrong.” The usually brash pegasus flatly stated before zipping out of the cottage in a blue blur, leaving the small cottage and the once again sobbing pegasus behind.

“I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry Dashie... I am just a big meany...” Fluttershy fell back onto her couch as her sobbing resumed with her animal friends once again trying to assure her that she was not such a mean pegasus that she thought she was.

Rainbow Dash flew fast and hard, blasting over the town and high into the sky. The weather forecast was supposed to be clear for the day so ponies could enjoy the sun and not think about clouds or cotton candy clouds. But since so many on the weather team were traumatized by Discord, there were still many clouds in the skies; perfect targets for an angry pegasus.

Dash soon had the sky cleared in ten seconds flat, using furious speed and bucking to break the offending cumulus to bits. Unfortunately, this meant that she was finished quickly and out of targets for her anger; Rainbow instead crossed her hooves and muttered to herself as she hovered in place.

“I'm not running away from anything! It's just that there’s nothing to run away from.... Stuff happens, and we have to move on, that's all..... I just don't like talking about what happened because it happened already and nothing we do can change it..... Fluttershy doesn't know what she's talking about.” The cyan mare glared towards the ground when she caught sight of an orange with dark cerise mane sitting on a hill surrounded by trees.

Scootaloo seemed to also be suffering from what Discord did; which, from what they heard from the Crusaders and from other ponies, was to live through their worst nightmares instead of being an inverse of themselves. While the other fillies had spoken about what they saw, Scootaloo had remained silent and disappeared once more afterwards.

Now that Rainbow Dash thought about it, this was the perfect opportunity to find out about how Scootaloo had been doing since they got back from Apploosa three weeks ago. She had disappeared into town and Dash wanted to be sure that she was getting by properly; it didn't help that Scootaloo knew Dash was on the lookout and purposely hid from her, getting new hideouts and even working at night instead of during the day in order to avoid the bold pegasus.

Dash dropped down and was going to try and impress the young pegasus with some amazing aerial feats when two other fillies appeared and sat down next to her. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had been just as traumatized, but knew that their friend didn't have someone to turn to about it; at least, not someone she was willing to actually talk to that's an adult.

The older mare pulled up from her dive sharply and landed in the top branches of one of the nearby trees; the girls hadn't noticed much aside from the draft of wind and assumed it was natural. The three friends sat side by side, looking down from the hill to the town that was clearly visible from their vantage point, with Scootaloo in the center.

“Hey guys.... What's up?” The young pegasus asked her friends in an almost monotone manner.

“We were worried about you and if you were doing ok after we tried to fight Discord...” Sweetie Belle stated while Apple Bloom nodded on the other side.

“Yeah, we hadn't seen ya much since then and whenever yer at school, ya seem so, so...” Apple Bloom fumbled for wording, trying to explain why they became so concerned.

“Withdrawn.” Sweetie Belle finished for the young earth pony who smiled briefly in thanks before looking to their friend in the middle.

Scootaloo merely shrugged as she remained silent, she wasn't used to having others care for how she felt and she certainly wasn't used to talking about emotions; it was almost a foreign concept to her, the orphanage that she grew up in didn't allow for such things.

“You know we're here for you...” The young unicorn nudged their silent friend who didn't resist nor show any sign of receiving the nudge.

“Ya don't have tah talk about it, but it helps.” Apple Bloom stated firmly as she tried to catch her friend's eye.

“Nothing to talk about...” The short and flat reply sounded vaguely familiar to the hidden pegasus though she kept hidden from view.

“It helps tah talk about it...”

“Please, don't run away from this too...” Sweetie Belle leaned forward as she also tried to catch Scootaloo's eye; something she succeeded as the pegasus raised a questioning brow to the unicorn.

“Who said I was running away? I don't want to leave Ponyville, it's nice here; even if there are noisy fillies running around.” Scootaloo smirked while her friends looked on in annoyance.

“Stop tryin' tah change the subject Scootaloo; ya know what we mean, yer running from talking about yer feelings.” Sweetie nodded agreement while Scootaloo just frowned at having been caught in her attempt.

“So you want me to just be all emotional and sappy...? It won't help and it won't change anything.”

“Yes it will! We had our own nightmares just like you, we know what we're talking about when we say that it helps to talk about it.” Sweetie Belle stomped a hoof lightly as she tried to convince her friend.

The trio fell silent as they thought about that day that nopony would be able to forget; Scootaloo sighed and shook her head, at least she had friends that were there for her.

“What were your nightmares like then?” The young pegasus tried a different tactic to make her friends stop pestering her about it, which failed utterly with their next words.

“Alright, we'll tell ya about ours an' then you tell us about yers.” Apple Bloom firmly stated to which Scootaloo sighed in aggravation before nodding.

“.... Ah... Ah dreamt that because of hangin' out with y'all an' learnin' so much new stuff, mah family kicked me off the farm.... They, they said Ah wasn't ah part of the family anymore.” Apple Bloom stared forward as the unreal memories came back.

The other two fillies gave the green-yellow earth pony a reassuring hug; Scootaloo was starting to realize that they were hurting just as much as she was and didn't want it to be so.

“You know that's not true Apple Bloom...” Scootaloo whispered to her friend who returned the hugs gratefully.

“Ah know that now and Ah know that it won't ever happen... It doesn't mean it don't hurt though.” Scootaloo tilted her head as she thought about the last part before focusing on Sweetie Belle who was having trouble saying what was wrong; she was already crying and now clung to her friends for relief.

“You, you don't have to tell us Sweetie Belle...” Sweetie shook her head and gave a watery smile to her friends.

“If it helps you with your nightmare, then I'll talk about it... Besides, it does help to talk about it and realize that it's not true.... My whole family was trapped under a pillar and I couldn't get them free. I tried to use magic, but it was no use and soon they weren't responding....” The two others flinched at the brief description and redoubled their hug on the unicorn this time.

“Sweetie Belle, that's awful... Ya know we're here tah help, especially if something like that happened right?” Apple Bloom nuzzled the unicorn who smiled gratefully back as she sniffed back her tears.

“Apple Bloom's right, we'll always be here to help if you need it. Besides, I'm sure you'll learn and be a great magic user; you just need to practice.” Scootaloo tried to cheer up the unicorn and was pleased to see a watery smile in return; suddenly the young pegasus didn't feel so alone in her fears or pain, and realized that her friends would be there for her just as she would be for them.

The orange filly sighed and steeled herself to finally admit aloud what she had seen, now realizing that it would be helpful in the long run.

“... I dreamt about the night my parents died.... I was in the moving cart my parents were flying with, in a storm; I watched as they were struck by lightning. I tried to save them but I couldn't fly; instead I just started to fall and knew that I wasn't going to make it this time....” All three listening ponies gasped lightly at what the young pegasus said; Dash was almost willing to leave her hiding place but the two friends beat her to comforting the young filly who was trying to hold herself together.

As the two friends wrapped their hooves around their friend, Scootaloo flinched at first as they moved towards her; after seeing what they were trying to do, the pegasus allowed them to hug her and even return the sentiment.

“I'm sure you'll be able to fly one day too Scootaloo...” Sweetie Belle gave her slightly shaking friend a nuzzle while Apple Bloom did the same.

“Yeah, an' we'll always be here tah fold ya up and keep ya from fallin'.” Scootaloo allowed herself to shed a few tears at the promise of always having her friends there to help and gave them a squeeze of in thanks.

“... Thanks you guys... I do feel better after telling you, and I'll be there for you guys as well.”

Up in one of the nearby trees, Rainbow Dash wiped at a few tears that had escaped from her usually stoic resolve. She would have dropped down to comfort the young pegasus as well, but she didn't want to intrude on the three best friends; the usually bold mare hadn't realized just how badly the girls had been affected by their encounter with the spirit of disharmony.

As the cyan pony sat on a strong limb, watching the touching scene below her, Dash suddenly remembered another mare, who was just as sensitive if not more so, who was probably at this moment blaming herself for the sky-blue pegasus' abrupt departure. Rainbow took off for the skies rapidly, not wanting to waste a moment; the three girls looked around in surprise at the sudden gust of wind before settling down to enjoy the view before them.

As Rainbow Dash flew towards the cottage on the edge of town, she berated herself for having left her friend behind and in need; she realized with growing horror that maybe Discord was right, and all she did was leave her friends hanging.

Dash didn't even bother knocking and burst through the door to find her friend in the same kind of state that she had first found her in. All the animals and critters looked up at the loud bang while the cyan pegasus honed onto her friend's distressed form.

As Fluttershy glanced up with more tears streaming down her face, she found herself encased by a pair of cyan hooves with a rainbow maned head resting on top of her own.

“I'm sorry Fluttershy... I'm sorry for leaving you like that.”

“I'm sorry Rainbow, I know I'm just a mean old pegasus.....” Fluttershy buried her head into the cyan chest as she sobbed even harder.

“You aren't, you aren't mean.... I'm the mean one; I made you even more upset than before. I'm just, I'm just not ready to talk about my dad....” Rainbow shook her head while the canary mare in her hooves tensed.

“You aren't mean; you're the best friend a pony can have... I'm sorry that I pushed you to talk about your dad; I knew you don't like to talk about him.... That only proves that I'm the mean one.” The speedster sighed wearily and gave her weeping friend a light shake.

“You were just concerned about me, and wanted to help. I forgot about that… A trio of close friends helped me remember about what friends are supposed to do.” Fluttershy peered up to the other mare at the soft tones; she had a hunch of which trio of friends the cyan pony had found and what they were talking about.

“.... I was lonely... Being loyal to no one but myself made me lonely, like when my dad passed.... I didn't want to think about it or remember what it was like.... I was trying to find someone to hang with when I remembered that you would probably be upset at what Discord did to you; so I figured I would be able to both help you and not be so alone at the same time....” Rainbow Dash couldn't bring herself to look at the mare in her hooves though Fluttershy couldn't tear her eyes away from the cyan mare.

“Oh Dashie... You'll never be alone, the girls and I would always be there for you, no matter what; just like you'd be there for us.... Thank you for talking with me...” The timid mare gave the usually brash one a tight hug as her tears slowed.

“Feel better?” Fluttershy sat up further as both mares supported each other, while Rainbow flashed a weary smile to the cream-yellow mare. The animals were standing around the room, watching the two ponies wearily; Angel Bunny in particular had a box of tissues in his paws while he gave a threatening look to the cyan mare holding his owner.

“Yeah... Thanks for listening...” Dash looked away, embarrassed by how sappy she was being.

“... Did, did you want to talk about -?”

“No. Not yet... I can't talk about, about my dad; not right now.” The cyan pegasus closed her eyes tightly as she was racked with painful emotions; the shy mare gave her a squeeze before nodding.

“O-ok... I'm here if you ever do want to talk.” Rainbow nodded acknowledgment and pulled out of the hug.

“Uh, did you want to talk about anything?” Fluttershy smiled at the hesitant manner of the normally bold pegasus as they sat on the couch.

“I'll be ok now that I have my friends with me... Would you want to stay with me for today?” The sky-blue mare smirked and rubbed the back of her head, it would be nice to not be on her own for the day.

“Well, I mean, if you want to me to.” At the timid nod Rainbow smiled once more and nodded as well.

“Let me start making lunch... Is there anything you'd like to have?” Fluttershy got up and started for the kitchen, looking back to the once again bold pegasus who laid out on the couch with her fore-hooves behind her head.

“Nah, I'm good with whatever...” Fluttershy smiled once again at the much more relaxed posture of her friend while the animals followed for a meal of their own; she was glad to have helped the pegasus who normally was the one to help her. The quiet mare started to make an elaborate meal for the two of them, knowing that Rainbow made only simple meals due to living on her own; at least this way she'd know the cyan mare had one good meal on such a trying day.

III (SB/S...FS/RD)- Missing Filly

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Start of October, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

It was an unusually cold day in Ponyville; fall was coming a little early and most could feel it. The school was well insulated and made sure the students stayed warm just for times like this; most of the students were in their classrooms just like always, waiting to begin learning new things.

It was as Cheerilee was calling attendance that something out of the ordinary happened.

“Scootaloo?” Silence reigned in the room, to which Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle perked up.

“Scootaloo? That's odd, she never misses a day of school... Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, have you seen Scootaloo?” At the two shakes of 'no' the older mare sighed worriedly.

“Hopefully she's just late.... Well, let's continue!” The two Crusaders shared worried glances; they knew how much a proper education meant to their pegasus friend and how she wouldn't be absent unless it was important. Hopefully it was just a one time thing and they would be able to meet at school.

They were still severely grounded from their misadventures at Apploosa over a month ago and Scootaloo had gone into hiding since she didn't want to be questioned as to how she was getting along. This meant that school was the only time they could be sure everything was going alright for the young pegasus.

After three days of absences Miss Cheerilee was about to contact Scootaloo's guardian, which according to her paperwork was Derpy Hooves. The Crusaders knew this to be false and would only cause more trouble for the young pegasus, so they volunteered to try and find her instead.

Once school was over, they found both of their sisters waiting just outside the yard to walk them home; the two fillies shared determined glances and took on a pleading and desperate expressions. The sight of two pairs of pleading eyes put the two sisters on the edge and Applejack gave them a curious look.

“Sis', can we go into town and give Scootaloo all the work she's missed?” Apple Bloom asked as beggingly as she could while Sweetie Belle added to it.

“She's been home sick and Miss Cheerilee asked us to do it.” Applejack raised a brow at their claims and turned to nod to the gray-white mare next to her.

“Ah'll follow what Rarity says; yer've lied before an' Ah'm not coverin' for ya this time.” Rarity raised a surprised brow of her own; when it came to their sisters Applejack was usually the one asking her to be lenient.

“Are you sure darling? You have no thoughts about this?” Applejack nodded towards the unicorn in acknowledgment that she did have thoughts about it.

“Well Ah'd say that they've learned their lesson; ah month is ah long time. But Ah think that they would need tah ask us tah visit other places and they'd need somepony with 'em at all times, if'in they did go some place.” Rarity lit up at the suggestion and gave the farmer a quick hug which left a blush on her face.

“Why that sounds like a marvelous idea! And if they do go someplace without supervision, they shall be grounded for a year if it takes that long.” This last part was said with a threatening look to the two fillies who nodded rapidly; this was better than being grounded like they were. Once they found Scootaloo they could figure out a way around the deal if necessary but first they had a pegasus to find.

The two friends tore out of the yard and didn't slow for an instant; their sisters shared an amused glance at their speed before heading into town themselves.

The fillies slowed only slightly as they came to the market place as they tried to think of anything Scootaloo said that would help identify her new hideouts. As they racked their brains, they started searching the town in the off chance that Scootaloo had been busy and couldn't go to school.

“Wait!” Apple Bloom came to a stop at Sweetie Belle's cry and looked at her hopefully.

“I think she said that one of her hideouts was by a bridge!” The two friends took off once more and followed the shallow river that ran through town, checking under each bridge that they found.

Just as they were going to give up on that idea, they heard something shifting further down a drain pipe that was hidden by the bridge over top.

“Scootaloo!” The two fillies shouted together in excitement. The shuffling stopped before coming closer with a weak response.

“Sweetie Belle? Apple Bloom? Cough, cough.... Is that you guys?” As the orange pegasus crawled into view, the other Crusaders gasped in shock at her state.

The orange filly had bags under her bloodshot eyes, parts of her fur was matted into clumps, her small wings had feathers misaligned, her nose covered in snot and a hacking cough could be heard even when she didn't try to speak. Their speechlessness didn't remain for long as they rushed towards their sick friend, splashing among the small trickle of water to reach her.

“Scootaloo! What happened?”

“Yeah, did ya take anythin' for bein' sick? Did ya go to the hospital?”

“Yeah! They can help, let's go!” The two fillies grabbed a hold of an orange hoof and tried to drag her to the emergency care. Scootaloo, however, allowed her weight to slow them and tried to explain why she couldn't go to the hospital.

“Guys...! Wait..!” The weak call didn't slow her friends but the minute long coughing fit afterwards did make them stop, allowing her to lay on the hill and catch her breath.

“I... Can't... Cough cough... Go to... Gasp... The hospital...! They'd ask... Where my family... Is..” The unicorn and earth pony glanced at one another with scrunched faces; they had forgotten in their haste of how nosy hospitals were.

“But … But you have to get medicine! You have to visit someone, you're really sick!” Sweetie Belle tried to stress how it was needed but Scootaloo couldn't focus all that well and the unicorn wasn't sure if she heard properly.

“Ah've never seen anypony as sick as you are, Scootaloo; you've got tah see someone fer it.” The wave of dizziness passed for a moment, allowing the sick filly to hear her friends and their fear for her.

Determined, Scootaloo shook her head softly after getting a headache from trying to give it a rough shake.

“I can't go to the hospital... I just... Need to rest... For a moment...” The pegasus slumped on the hill and fell into a fitful daze; her two friends looked at the shivering form before looking back at one another.

“She needs help!” Sweetie Belle stomped a hoof while Apple Bloom nodded agreement.

“If she won't go tah the hospital, we'll bring someone here.” Apple Bloom suggested to which Sweetie Belle lit up with hope before it faded just as quickly.

“But who would we get to help?” The two fillies tried to think rapidly, the pegasus' failing health weighting on their minds.

Just as they about to give up and get their sisters to help, they saw a yellow butterfly land on Scootaloo's cheek.

“Fluttershy!” At the double shout, Scootaloo shifted in place and groaned lightly. They shushed one another and then grinned ecstatically.

“I'll stay with Scootaloo to make sure she doesn't go anywhere and you get Fluttershy; she takes care of lots of animals, I'm sure she can help!” Apple Bloom nodded and took off to the small cottage on the side of town while Sweetie Belle hunkered down by the shivering filly.

“Please be ok... It won't be same if you're not here, we're the THREE Crusaders...” Sweetie Belle tried to share her warmth with the shivering filly, trying not to imagine what would happen otherwise.

Apple Bloom ran through town, trying to take the shortest route to the timid mare's house. Ponies shouted in alarm as they were pushed aside or knocked into, their cries falling on deaf ears while Apple Bloom continued on.

It was with great relief that the two storied yellow cottage came in to view that had animals flying and running about. Apple Bloom paused only for a moment to catch her breath before knocking rapidly on the door, desperation making her bang rather loudly.

Fluttershy rushed to answer, concerned as to what was wrong; after opening the door she was very surprised to find Apple Bloom panting in front of the doorway, fear showing across her whole being.

“Apple Bloom! What's wrong? What's, what's happened?” Fluttershy crouched towards the filly who was leaning over, trying to catch her breath.

“It's, Scootaloo! She's sick an' we need your help!” Fluttershy's eyes widened at the shout and she drew closer to the young girl.

“What do you mean? Where is she?” Apple Bloom pointed back towards town as she replied.

“She's sick, very sick. We found her by the bridge an' she won't go to the hospital, please come with me an' help!” Fluttershy snapped upright and picked up the filly in her hooves taking to the sky rapidly, heading to town.

“Where is she?” Apple Bloom was surprised at the firm command but didn't pause to question it.

“She's by the north bridge!” Fluttershy nodded firmly and flew a little faster, searching for a bridge and orange filly.

Due to her unusually fast speed, Fluttershy soon saw the orange and gray-white fillies on the hill next to the bridge leading to the park. Dropping dramatically but keeping a firm hold on the earth pony in her hooves, the canary pegasus pulled up to the girls on the ground and quickly started to check Scootaloo's condition.

“What happened?” Sweetie Belle jumped slightly at the firm tone from the usually reserved mare but answered as best she could, fear and cold making her voice waver.

“She, she didn't say. She was hiding in the pipe under the bridge... We hadn't seen her for days and Miss Cheerilee was going to contact her parents but we told her we'd find her instead.” Apple Bloom nodded to the statement as the two girls watched nervously while the older mare checked pulse, eye response, breathing and temperature; within moments Fluttershy stood once more and glanced around to orient herself to where the hospital was.

“Come on girls, we're going to the hospital.” Before the older pegasus could take off, the non-sick Crusaders grabbed hold of a hoof to prevent her from taking off with the sick filly.

“Wait!”

“Ya can't take her there! Ya know they'd ask where her family is!” Fluttershy looked at the two girls in surprise, before she remembered exactly who she had in her hooves.

“But she must get help!” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodded at the cream-yellow mare's statement and looked back to her.

“That's why we got you!” Fluttershy froze and looked in the direction of her cottage, trying to decide if she had the right kind of medicine to help.

“Alright girls, I'll take her to my house. Come along, I'll need your help as well.” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom lit up in gratitude and followed closely behind the older mare who flew quickly but slowly enough that the fillies could keep up. It was a speed that grated on on her nerves as she wanted to help Scootaloo but knew her friends would want to know what was happening.

They reached the two storied cottage and Fluttershy soon had her animal friends set up the house to be ready to care for the sick filly. They gathered clothes, blankets, a basin of warm water, as well as soap and shampoo; all the needed supplies to take care of the sweaty, dirty and very sick foal.

The two friends watched in awed silence as Fluttershy ran around, trying to get the filly into a stable condition. She washed the sweat and snot off, dried her off rapidly, wrapped her in blankets and tried to find out what exactly was wrong.

“Scootaloo... What happened?” Fluttershy rubbed the orange filly's back as she leaned forward, trying to look Scootaloo in the eye as she laid on the couch.

“Where... Am I...?” Scootaloo regained consciousness of her surroundings as she realized she was warm and dry, the shivering slowly turning into a slight tremble.

“Yer in Fluttershy's cottage; we found ya and got Fluttershy tah care for ya... She's gonnah make you better.” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle tried to get into Scootaloo's sight, which she was barely able to turn her head to do. Scootaloo gave her two best friends a weary smile of gratitude.

“Thanks guys...” Fluttershy also smiled at the two girls; they had indeed done the right thing for their friend.

“Yes, they were very brave and smart.... You'll have to stay here for a little while Scootaloo until you get better.” As the filly laying on the couch began to squirm, trying to physically and verbally protest, Fluttershy unleashed the Stare, freezing the filly in place.

“You will need to stay here for now Scootaloo; you'll just get worse if you go out before you're completely better. What happened that made you get so sick?” Fluttershy lessened the stare slightly, allowing the orange pegasus to release her tension and lay back down.

“.... The orphanage almost got me....” Three sets of eyes widened; the two Crusaders suddenly shifted positions and stared at the doors and windows while keeping their back to the sick filly to which earned a surprised brow from Fluttershy.

“Are they comin' after ya still Scootaloo? We'll stop 'em!” Apple Bloom promised as Sweetie Belle agreed, they weren't going to allow their friend to be taken from them.

Fluttershy thought it was a nice sentiment but wasn't sure how effective they would be; she decided to just keep searching for answers in the meantime.

“What happened?” Orange ears flipped down, Scootaloo had hopped that the subject would be dropped quickly.

“... She, Pepper.... Found me hanging.... Around Ponyville.... She cased me around... Town.... And the only way I was able to hide.... By using the river to... Cover tracks...... Found the pipe and stayed there....” Fluttershy frowned more as she listened, concern over the various aspects arising, though she could see how much it cost the filly to talk at the time.

“... I have one last question then I want you to rest, alright?” At the weak nod, Fluttershy continued.

“You didn't dry off at all did you? You stayed in that pipe for days, soaking wet?” At the shifting of purple eyes and the small nod, the usually timid mare sighed softly and nodding in return.

“Alright, now I want you to stay here and stay warm; I'm going to get certain herbs and things and I'll be right back. Girls, I want you to stay with her and help make sure she doesn't need anything... Please don't make a mess and I'll be right back!” Fluttershy quickly trotted out and flew to the forest near her home.

The animal caretaker got her friends to search for the herbs that reduced fever and pneumonia while she went in search of a certain cyan pegasus.

Fluttershy found Rainbow Dash high in the sky of Ponyville having just rounded up some stray clouds that wanted to build into a storm that wasn't on the schedule. After giving her hooves a dusting off, the cyan mare turned to find the timid one flying up to meet her.

“Well hey Fluttershy, wasn't expecting you to be up this high and in this weather; what's up?” Rainbow was a little unnerved by the serious face on her friend but assumed it had to do with one of her animals.

“Have you seen Scootaloo lately?” Blue ears flipped back in embarrassment at the lack of results on her task.

“No...But I haven't stopped looking; I always keep an eye for the squirt. Why, did the Crusaders do something again?” Fluttershy frowned at the response and seemingly nonchalant attitude from the other pegasus.

“No, it's not that they did anything wrong. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle did the right thing this time and got help.... Scootaloo is really badly sick.” Dash started to wonder what happened but upon hearing that the young filly was sick she waved a dismissive hoof.

“Phhff, is that all? I've been sick before too; she's a tough kid, she'll be fine. Have you found where she's been hiding?” Fluttershy's frown deepened at the apathetic attitude and tried to convince the brash mare that it was serious.

“No, Rainbow Dash, it's not like when you were sick; Scootaloo is very badly sick and if she had been hiding in the drain pipe under a bridge any longer she may not have made it.” Rainbow Dash frowned in turn at Fluttershy's tone of voice and almost use of the Stare.

“Oh yeah? Well, she'll be fine; you're taking care of it right?” Fluttershy kept her frown as she reached forward and pulled on Dash's hoof to show her exactly how bad it really was. The canary mare flew at faster than normal speeds which surprised Dash enough that she remained silent during the trip; she was starting to wonder if perhaps it was as bad as Fluttershy thought it was.

When the two friends reached the cottage, Fluttershy didn't pause for a moment as she led the way inside and showing the still slightly shivering filly to the now pensive pegasus. Their entrance was noted with a tightening of muscles from the other two fillies until they saw who it was; after that they had relaxed their fighting stances before the older mares noticed.

“She was much worse when Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom found her; she's stabilizing now but she was in very real danger. If you want to ask her yourself about what happened, speak quietly and don't expect her to answer loudly.” Fluttershy half-whispered to the other mare who nodded solemnly before slowly making her way to the couch.

Scootaloo noticed the approaching presence due to it being bigger than her friends and woke slightly; at the sight of her hero, she tried to sit up and couldn't quite do so, sticking to merely raising her head slightly and giving Rainbow Dash a weary smile.

“He-hey Rainbow Dash... What's up?” The cyan mare smiled sadly back as she took in the condition of the filly before her.

“Hey squirt, I hear you got sick?” Scootaloo wiggled a hoof in a dismissing manner, not having the energy to actually wave it.

“Yeah, but I'll be fine; it's no big deal.” Fluttershy frowned at the similar attitude of filly and mare and leaned forward to whisper in Rainbow Dash's ear.

“She has pneumonia and a high fever; had she not been found for a few hours longer, she would have died.” Dash frowned at this new information and glanced to the caretaker before nodding slightly.

“Say squirt, how'd you get so sick anyways? Is it because you were afraid we'd make you go back to the orphanage? 'Cause if it is, we won't make you do that.” Rainbow Dash leaned towards the filly as she tried to keep her tone soft, something she wasn't really used to doing.

“I was making a... Grand escape! Yeah, some of the orphanage ponies almost caught me so I had to follow the river to hide my tracks... Pretty neat right?” Scootaloo tried to put in some energy as she attempted to impress the cyan mare who grinned slightly back.

“Yeah, good trick... Look, uh, why didn't you go to the hospital or to somepony who could help? Your body needs to stay healthy if you want to do anything cool, and being sick and not doing anything about it is NOT cool.” The athlete tried to stress this point but could tell that the young filly's mind was too fuzzy to completely understand.

Fluttershy gave a rueful smile as she recalled all the times that she had to take care of the speedster who didn't want to go to the hospital or stay grounded for long. She continued watching to make sure that the orange filly wasn't getting worse as the two continued to talk.

After a bit more of light conversation, Scootaloo fell asleep once more with her friends still watching for those in the house and for anything that may try to get in. Rainbow stepped back and sat next to the timid mare who watched the sick filly in concern.

“You were right, she's pretty bad off.... Do you know anything about this orphanage she was talking about?” Fluttershy shook her head no and looked at her friend pleadingly.

“No, it must be really bad to run and stay sick to avoid getting caught.... Do you girls know anything about it?” Fluttershy turned to the two other fillies who weren't surprised that the topic and focus turned in this direction, bringing their own involvement to attention.

The two girls shared a hard look and silently agreed, they couldn't tell the older mares anything. They turned back resolutely and shook their heads in denial. The older ponies felt that they weren't talking on purpose and tried again.

“Guys, it's really important; do you know anything about the orphanage that Scootaloo went to?” Another firm no caused the cyan pegasus to growl slightly in annoyance; before things could escalate, the orange filly shifted as she felt the tension in the room and harsh voices, causing everyone to freeze in place.

Once they were sure that the young pegasus was still sleeping, the older mares turned away from the fillies and conferred with one another.

“Rainbow, you should try to find out about the orphanage; she seemed so scared of it, it must not be a nice place at all.”

“Alright, alright... Maybe Derpy knows something about it... I'll go and check, you let me know if something else happens with Scootaloo.” Fluttershy smiled in relief as the bold mare took charge, within moments the cyan mare was on her way and the cream-yellow one returned to making sure all of her charges were taken care of.

Within moments, the speeding blue blur arrived at a different cottage on the edge of town. Not even a moment after she landed, Rainbow Dash was knocking on the door and growing impatient. Luckily Derpy was at home since it was slowly heading towards evening and answered with a smile.

“Hello Rainbow Dash, I hope this is a pleasant visit and not... one of... trouble about... Scootaloo...” Derpy trailed off and her smile faded as she saw the serious face of the other pegasus; it was with a sinking feeling that she waited for what the cyan pony had to say.

“Scootaloo got badly sick after trying to run from some ponies from the orphanage she escaped from. What do you know of the orphanage?” Derpy frowned in concern which Rainbow correctly interpreted and answered the unasked question.

“Yes, she's fine now; Fluttershy is taking care of her. Her friends found her and took her to Fluttershy's to be helped.” Derpy nodded relieved and turned pensive as she tried to remember what she had found out.

“... A pony came through a while ago... At the start of the summer I think. She was looking for any runaway orphans and had a short list of profiles on each to help identify them. While I recognized Scootaloo's description, I knew that it was not the kind of orphanage I would send her to. I asked about where she came from and she said the Hudson Orphanage, Manehatten.” Rainbow Dash rubbed her chin and thought about what she just learned.

“Manehatten huh?”

“Yes; I've tried to get it investigated and they've scheduled a check up on the orphanage. Hopefully they'll shut that place down.” Derpy frowned as she stared into the distance in thought.

“Was it really bad?” Dash raised a brow in curiosity; the orphanage that Fluttershy went to wasn't all that bad, surely this wasn't that bad either. The blue-gray pegasus focused on the other pegasus with a flat look; she may not have heard much, but knew that it was bad enough.

“Yes, it is that bad. I wasn't able to get much from Scootaloo about it, but the pony I came across told me some of the stories as well; she was hesitant to do so, but I promised to not say who I heard it from.” Dash frowned once more, it may be something she'd have to look further in to later.

“Alright, thanks Derpy. I'll let you know if Scootaloo gets worse.” While Rainbow took off into the skies once more, the blue-gray mare called farewell.

“Goodbye Rainbow Dash, and thanks for watching out for her!” Dash gave a wave before flying back to the quiet mare's cottage on the other side of town.

The two fillies watched as the speeding pegasus barged inside and flew over to the timid mare who had looked up from the kitchen counter at the sudden entrance. While Apple Bloom closed the door to keep the area secure, Sweetie Belle listened to the older ponies' conversation with Apple Bloom soon joining her.

“I went to Derpy's; Scootaloo's from a place called Hudson Orphanage in Manehatten. She says that the place is pretty bad and that she put a complaint in, trying to get it inspected or shut down.” Rainbow Dash quietly reported to which Fluttershy smiled in appreciation at the effort.

“That's good, hopefully it's taken care of soon. I'll keep Scootaloo here to get better...” Fluttershy finished the light supper for most while Scootaloo had some turnip soup to get her hydrated and get her strength back.

Meanwhile, the two friends shared concerned looks; it was because of Derpy that the orphanage was getting inspected and so they were trying to round up all the runaway orphans. They knew Scootaloo wasn't going to be pleased to hear that but they decided to remain silent about it until she got better.

The four ponies stayed for supper at the cottage and tried to relax after such a stressful afternoon. It was with great reluctance that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle went home and left their friend in Fluttershy's care; they knew she would help her get better but they still worried.

The two Crusaders promised to visit every day after school until Scootaloo was better; something that pleased and made Fluttershy nervous, though she knew that there wasn't anything she could do since she would be just as concerned.

Rainbow Dash also promised to check in every so often and to run errands for the quiet mare since she was taking care of the orange filly; something that Fluttershy tried to insist wasn't necessary but Dash wouldn't hear of it.

Scootaloo was so exhausted and sick that she slept through the night and most of the next few days; Rainbow Dash went to the school to explain what happened to Cheerilee and to say that she was the one to go to if there was anything concerning Scootaloo. The teacher was a little surprised but knew of Scootaloo's idolization of the cyan pegasus and allowed it, grateful that the young pegasus would be taken care of while she was sick.

IV (FS/RD)- The perfect night for pranks

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October 30th, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

“Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!”

The shouts of foals going door to door resounded through the air that chilly October night. It was a night when everyone dressed up so that 'Nightmare Moon' wouldn't recognize and 'eat' them.

Rainbow Dash had never been afraid of the legendary figure and having actually fought both Nightmare Moon and Discord meant that she had bragging rights this year. Knowing that she would never really fear this particular night made her feel as though it was her duty to help others get the full experience. And this year she was going all out, with a hoof-stitched costume of a member of the Shadow Bolts, the greatest fliers of the Everfree Forest. It took the impatient pegasus months to finish it and get the size just right, considering how after each set back she gave up for a few weeks before resuming her work.

Dash knew that Rarity or even Fluttershy could have done it faster but she wanted to surprise everyone that she could. It had been a pain in the flank, especially keeping such a good prank a secret, but knew it would make it a Nightmare Night nopony forgot; starting with Fluttershy.

The costume clad pegasus flew to her friend's cottage where she knew the timid mare would stay if she didn't do anything about it. Rainbow hovered up to the door and tried to sound like a little filly after knocking on the door.

“Nightmare night, what a fright. Give me something sweet to bite.” Dash tried to stifle her giggles as she heard shuffling from inside.

She hadn't bothered to land and was waiting with a storm cloud nearby, the perfect accessory for a night like this; it helped that the chilly night was clear, making it so nopony would expect the trick she was going to play.

Just as the cottage door was slowly opening for a timid teal eye to peek out, Dash gave her cloud a resounding hit that caused it to growl and produce a bight flash of light. At the sudden noise, the door slammed faster than Dash could blink with a half-quiet 'eep' of fright.

Rainbow Dash had to land due to her gut busting laughter at the response her prank had from the cream-yellow mare.

“Oh, oh that was awesome! You should have heard yourself Fluttershy! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!” The brash pegasus laughed for another minute but trailed off when she didn't hear anything from the cottage. Rainbow Dash shakily stood as she chuckled a little more while looking towards the door that remained firmly shut.

“Fluttershy? Come on! It's Nightmare Night! I know you have that one costume you've never worn yet.” Dash was slowly losing her glee at the continued silence.

“Fluttershy!” The canary pegasus inside merely cowered on her couch with the covers hiding her completely.

Fluttershy knew what day it was and while she had thought it was sweet of Dash to get her a tree costume, she also knew of the cyan mare's family tradition. Both Dash and her father had always spent the night scaring others without discrimination. Rainbow would scare foals her own age or near enough to her age while her dad went for the slightly older ponies; and while they made sure everypony knew it was all in good fun, it was so scary when ponies scared others.

Ever since the older stallion had passed Rainbow Dash had been keeping the tradition alive; while she had tried to get the timid mare to join in, Fluttershy always avoided going out or doing anything on this night.

Dash pulled her hood off and glared at the doorway as she lost patience.

“Fluttershy! Open up.”

“No! There's no one here, and no candy! No visitors on Nightmare Night!” Rainbow raised a stunned brow at the desperate shout from inside and continued to glare at the doorway.

“Grrr, you're still going to just hide away from everything huh?! Alright, fine, whatever. Who wants to go around with a scaredy-pony anyways? You'd just get scared by the little kids running by with costumes on. Go ahead and meet Nightmare Moon on your own then, I'm going to go and have fun like normal ponies do.” With one last glare at the doorway, Rainbow Dash flew into the air while grabbing her cloud heading towards the town that was slowly starting to become more active for the night.

It was still early in the evening, meaning that she would be able to get more pranks in before too long. Rainbow hovered in the air above the market place, watching the different stalls slowly go up with ponies already in costume. The prankster waited for just the right moment, when everything was the quietest to strike her thunder cloud giving the ten ponies setting up the main activities a large shock.

They all gave shouts of surprise which were soon covered by obnoxious laughter as Dash fell backwards while kicking her four legs in the air.

“Oh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!” The workers glared at the costumed pegasus in the sky who took note of who she got to make sure everypony was properly scared.

The cyan mare grabbed hold of her cloud and flew further into the town; most other ponies were still inside getting ready for the night so she couldn't scare anypony yet. She soon came to Sugarcube Corner to find a large chicken exiting the shop.

“Heh heh heh...” Dash rubbed her hooves in anticipation and waited for just the right moment when the large poultry would least expect it. With a loud bang and flash of light, the large chicken jumped into the air with a loud squawk of fright.

“Baacckkaa!” Rainbow Dash laughed even more at this response, not having expected Pinkie Pie to already be in character for the night.

“Oh ah ha ha ha ha ha! I got you pretty good Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie looked up from her frightened crouch and smiled at the pegasus.

“Gosh Rainbow Dash, you sure did! Are you going to come get candy with me and the others?! It's the best night to get free candy!” Dash raised a brow at what the party pony planned to do with her evening and that she got 'others' to go with her.

“Who’d you convince to go with you? And why would I go around getting candy when I can make sure it's a night nopony forgets with awesome pranks? I may need my pranking buddy to help...” Dash suggested with a smirk to the poultry below who seemed just as confused as Rainbow was about going to get candy.

“Why would I miss out on free candy?! It would be lotsa fun to go pranking with you, but I gotta meet Pipsqueak, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Pina Colada, Noi and the new filly Dinky! We're going to collect all the candy we can and give some to Nightmare Moon!” The cyan pegasus shook her head at the easily amused pink earth pony who was just as happy to go with a bunch of foals as she would to go pranking on the best night ever.

“Riiiighttt... Alright Pinks, I'll see you later then; I've got ponies to scare!” With a mighty flap, Dash flew off once more with her cloud in tow to catch unsuspecting ponies on their way to the center of town.

The pranking pegasus found an older light-green earth pony leading the Cutie Mark Crusaders as they went to meet classmates to go traveling with. Without a pause, Dash set up her cloud just out of sight of the four ponies and prepared for another prank well done.

As a flash of light and crack of thunder ripped through the air, the ponies below all jumped into the air with shouts of fright; the Crusaders drew back to back as they nervously scanned the surrounding area while Granny Smith gave a yowl of fright before trying to lead the stampede away.

“It's ah storm! Run fer safety girls!” The trio glanced worriedly to the older mare before scanning the skies to find the prankster enjoying another fit of laughter.

“Ah ha ha ha ha ha!” Scootaloo brightened even as the other two fillies frowned at the prank.

“Rainbow Dash! Oh, uh ha, you sure got them good!” The Crusaders glared at the pegasus as she pretended to not have been scared while their chaperone (they still weren't completely trusted) had turned back when she noticed that they weren't following to find the girls speaking with the 'Shadow Bolt'.

As the older mare slowly made her way back, Rainbow got a better look at the girls' costumes. The earth pony wore a black and white tall wig with stitches all along her fur, the unicorn wore a black cape with her mane slicked back, and the pegasus was wearing gray fur with wolf's head over her own. Dash nodded in appreciation of their costumes before strutting herself.

“Pretty cool costumes; not as cool as mine though.”

“What are ya supposed tah be?” Rainbow frowned for a moment before taking an obvious tone of voice.

“I'm one of the Shadow Bolts of course; the greatest fliers of the Everfree Forest!” Three pairs of eyes widened in recognition of the coolness of the costume and the girls grinned at the older pegasus before being cut off by their chaperone for the night.

“Girls, we got tah git goin' if'in y'all want tah get candy fer the night.” All four ponies looked to the older earth pony in slight surprise, having almost forgotten about her as they spoke.

“Sorry, we gottah go.”

“It is a nice costume.”

“Yeah, it was totally awesome and you really got us good! We'll see you later right Rainbow Dash?!” Scootaloo gazed hopefully towards her idol who shrugged indifferently.

“Yeah, maybe. But it may be when you least expect it!” Dash waved her fore-hooves in a menacing manner while grinning towards the girls.

The pegasus didn't wait before flying away with her cloud once more, the group of ponies continuing on their way to the main activities to meet with other foals to travel with.

Rainbow Dash had to be careful with how many ponies she scared at once; it was easier to scare ponies in small groups than whole crowds after all. The time while the various stalls were setting up was perfect for it, with not as many ponies gathered as of yet. The prankster also had to time everything just right, using the storm cloud too often near each surprise would make it less of a shock.

The pegasus soon found herself over the Boutique, where Applejack was getting a costume from the fashionista. Dash watched curiously as the two mares argued about the scarecrow design that the farmer wanted to do and while it was amusing to see Applejack become flustered by Rarity's attention it soon grew dull; but the cyan pegasus knew just what would help liven up the atmosphere.

Dash tried to hide her laughter when she saw the result of her prank, recalling how strong and formidable the orange farmer was. The orange mare had jumped so much that she knocked into the shelving and made a huge mess of the Boutique; Rarity had reacted similarly and made her own mess, though much smaller in comparison to the jumpy earth pony.

Rainbow left the area soon after watching the two apologizing with a mad cackle, she wasn't sure why Applejack was so nervous but it was worth it. With one last chuckle, the cyan mare flew off to find her next targets.

Back at a grass covered cottage on the edge of town, under red and white checkered blanket with butterflies on it, hid a canary pegasus from the possible frights of the night. She shivered slightly at the distant sound of thunder, knowing that the weather was supposed to be clear that night and who exactly was to blame for the fear inducing sounds.

The small white rabbit who shared the home with his owner hopped over and reassuringly patted the pile of blankets and pony. Fluttershy stopped shivering for a moment as she picked out of the crack she left just for such situations; upon seeing the rabbit next to her, the animal care-taker poked her head out farther as she gave him a small smile.

“Oh Angel Bunny.... I'll be alright.... You know this is what I do every year on Nightmare Night....” The rabbit deadpanned the mare and pointed to the sky just in time for another crash of thunder to resound through the air, sending the timid pegasus to flinch back with an 'eep' of fright. Angel tapped his foot on the couch they were both on as he crossed his paws over his chest.

“O-o-oh, I know it's just some, some clouds... But, they can be rather startling, which is why she's using them....” Fluttershy frowned as she eyed the rabbit peeking into her blanket cave.

Angel tilted his head at the mention of 'she' and raised an inquisitive brow at his owner; guessing what he may be asking, the cream-yellow mare sighed before looking back at the rabbit.

“... You know her... Rainbow Dash has always liked... pranks.... But she really likes to do them on this holiday.” Angel frowned at the sadden tones of the pegasus and patted her hoof, which earned him a smile. Emboldened by this, the white rabbit started to make gesture to pose his next question; Fluttershy looked carefully at each movement and once he finished she sighed once more.

“Yes, she did come by earlier to ask me to come with her.”

More rapid motions from the rabbit distracted the pegasus from another crack of thunder in town.

“Yes, I do have the tree costume she got me a month ago. I was a little surprised when she remembered how I said I wanted to be a tree....”

Angel frowned at how happy the pegasus was in remembering but seemed so sad when it came to the present night. He posed yet another question, and when Fluttershy wouldn't respond, he hopped in place annoyed before restating it.

“Sigh.... Yes, I'm sad about tonight.... I would have wanted to 'hang out' but she wants to pull jokes on others. I know she wouldn't normally hurt or let others be scared of something, but it's different when it comes to, to pranks... She probably does it as much as she does on Nightmare Night because she misses her father....” At the curious brow of the pet, Fluttershy put her hoof to her mouth before continuing.

“Oh, I haven't told you yet. Her father died when she was fifteen and she was on her own after that. They used to go out on Nightmare Night and prank others together.... But she knows that I don't like it and how nervous I am on this night... She probably thinks I'm useless and won't want to hang out with me again....” Fluttershy's head dropped to her hooves as Angel joined her in the cocoon of blankets and rubbed her back as the timid mare quietly sobbed while flinching at each crack of thunder.

As the evening wore on, Dash had pranked nearly everyone in town before the festivities really got started. She had to slow down in order to make others unsuspecting and tried to think of a fresh way to get others in the mood for frights. The brash pegasus soon found herself over the Library Tree-house and realized with glee that she hadn't gotten Twilight yet, something she was going to correct as soon as possible.

Luckily it didn't take too long before the lavender unicorn walked out wearing a dark blue cape with stars on it along with a large dark-blue pointed hat and long white beard. Rainbow raised a brow at the 'costume' before shaking her head; the town egg-head was still very much an egg-head after all. The joke-loving mare thought it was hilarious how Twilight got upset with Pinkie Pie about what her costume was and made a mental note to do something similar to see the bookworm grow more frustrated.

The sky-bound mare followed Twilight and found the perfect opportunity to scare the lavender unicorn as she checked on the various stalls in the center of town. Spike was showing off his haul of candy as was Pinkie Pie when thunder crashed and bright light flashed through the air.

Rainbow Dash could hardly contain her brawling laughter at both of Spike's and Pinkie's reactions; she would have thought that the pink earth pony was expecting the surprise but it was as though she never had been pranked in the first place. It was even more funny to see her lead the stampede of young children as they ran in terror.

“Ah hahahahahaha!”

“Rainbow! Look what you did to Spike!”

“Calm down old timer!” Dash could hardly contain her smirk at the twitch of the lavender mare's eye at the mistaken identity.

“It's all in good fun. Oh hey look! Another group!” Rainbow spotted a group heading towards the center of town and flew off to give them a taste of Nightmare Night.

The Shadow Bolt soon grew bored since she had pranked everypony around; not even surprising Pinkie Pie for the umpteenth time (she never expected it!) was losing it's fun. Just as she was about to dissipate the cloud and figure out some new way to prank others the sky grew dark and the wind picked up.

“There's no storm scheduled tonight, what the hay is going on?” Rainbow frowned as a black chariot flew rapidly by with dark coated pegasi pulling it.

“What kind of pegasi are those?! Who are they? Who's under the cloak?! They better not mess with my town!” The bold mare took off in high pursuit of the chariot, wanting to be sure of what they may be planning. If it was a good prank she might take part, but nopony messes with her town and gets away with it.

The cyan mare soon found herself in an interesting position. It seems that Princess Luna had decided to come by for a visit and everypony was scared stiff; helped, no doubt, by the flash of light and loud crash of thunder that appeared due to Rainbow's speed as she tried to catch up to the pegasi who had a head start on her.

As the Princess tried to speak with the townsfolk, Dash stayed up in the air as she thought about the possibilities of her prank in correlation with the visiting Princess.

(With everypony already nervous 'cause of Princess Luna visiting, they won't notice me following behind with a storm! It's the perfect prank, all I need to do is follow her around waiting for just the right time. Alright Rainbow Dash, time to be awesome.)

With this thought firmly in mind, the cyan pegasus went in search of the frantic Princess to find her and Twilight talking about being accepted in town while they sat by the statue of Nightmare Moon in the Everfree forest. Dash tried to freak out the lavender unicorn by making a storm appear behind the Princess but could tell that it wouldn't work and gave up shortly after, though it was still funny to watch the egg-head being blown back from Princess Luna's volume.

It was as they went for the small cottage between town and the forest that the prankster got another brilliant idea. She shot off in search of a large chicken leading a small group of foals (Granny Smith slowly trailing behind them); she found the group as they continued to go door to door while being overly cautious of a certain dark coated Princess of the night.

“Hey Pinkie Pie!” At the amused shout, the large poultry gave a curious squawk and looked around.

“Backa?” Dash rolled her eyes (not that anyone could see it behind her gold tinted glasses) and flew further down.

“Pinkie, over here.” Soon she had everyponies' attention and leaned forward in an informative manner. As they all drew closer to hear, Dash tried to hide her smirk at what she had planned.

“What if you went to Fluttershy's to hide from Nightmare Moon? It's just on the way to the statue where you could try to offer candy so she doesn't get you.” Pinkie brighten at the suggestion and turned to the kids behind her.

“What do you think guys? Let's go to Fluttershy's and hide!” The pink mare's words were greeted with shouts of agreement from the kids as they followed the leading earth pony to the cottage outside of town.

Dash was barely able to hold back her laughter until the group was out of sight and fell to the ground in hysterics. Granny Smith shook her head and turned to go back to the farm; it was well past the time when she would be in bed and couldn't keep up with the hyperactive mare and children.

Applejack frowned at the 'Shadow Bolt' busting a gut in the middle of the street and walked up to the pegasus after giving her grandmother a short farewell.

“Rainbow, what are ya doin' in the middle of the street?” Dash was barely able to stand as she turned towards the farmer.

“Ha ha, oh er, heh heh, nothing. I've got some pranking to do, gotta go.” The prankster was about to fly off when her tail was pinned down by a strong orange hoof.

“Whoa nelly.... What pranks?” Rainbow's eyes widened behind her goggles at the threatening tone of the farmer and she recalled how she had pranked Applejack while she was at Rarity's.

“Oh, er, just some pranks.” Dash tried to remain nonchalant but the orange mare had turned her gaze skyward and found the dark gray storm cloud.

“Rainboooww...” In her annoyance, Applejack had slackened her grip on the prismatic tail giving Rainbow Dash a chance to pull away into the sky.

“What's wrong, scare of a little thunder you scarecrow?” Rainbow smirked at the blushing earth pony and flew off before Applejack could collect herself and retort or retaliate.

Rainbow Dash hoped she hadn't missed the chance to see her latest prank and speed to the timid mare's home to see her latest work. She got there just in time to see Pinkie's reaction to Fluttershy's obvious terror and though she couldn't hear most of what was said, she heard the scream loud and clear.

“... stolen her voice so she can't scream as she gobbles HER UP!!!” The foals following their poultry chaperone screamed as well and they all took off back to town.

After Twilight reassured the Princess that they would just try 'plan b' and lead the way back to town, Rainbow Dash dropped to the ground in front of the two storied cottage in hysterical laughter.

“Ah hahahahahahahaha, Pinkie Pie is too much! Oh, this is awesome! The best pranking year ever!” As Rainbow Dash smacked the ground with a hoof the timid mare was slowly coming back to her senses and frowned at the other pegasus.

“Rainbow Dash, that wasn't nice at all.” Dash wiped a few tears from under her goggles as she smirked at the canary mare.

“Oh come on Fluttershy, it's just a harmless prank.” The animal lover didn't let up from her frown however, something that was slowly killing Rainbow Dash's joy of a prank well done.

“What if you hurt Princess Luna's feelings?”

“She's fine, it's all in good fun.” Dash stood firmly as she looked at the other pegasus, trying to dismiss her fears.

“.... It might be fun for you, but not everyone likes to be scared...” Rainbow flicked her ears forward at the quiet retort and frowned in turn.

“Nopony is getting hurt, and sometimes ponies should just get over being afraid.” Fluttershy crouched at the sharper tone but felt that she couldn't let her oldest and bravest friend continue to scare and maybe even hurt others' feelings.

“... Maybe, it's hard to not be afraid..... And they, they might not like that somepony who helps protect them is trying to scare them... Possibly...” Rainbow frowned even deeper as the topic seemed to shift from a general view to a seemingly specific one.

“It's just one night of the year.”

“But maybe, they know you... You always try to, to scare others... During the year.” Fluttershy couldn't help but take a step back as she stared at the ground.

The brash pegasus took off her hood to get a proper look at her friend with a deep frown.

“Yeah, I prank others during the year but I never hurt anypony; it's all in good fun.” Rainbow Dash tried not to contemplate how she had been willing to prank the timid pegasus many times before but had been talked out of it by Pinkie Pie with facts of how Fluttershy would take the prank way too seriously.

“But, but maybe... It's not 'in good fun' for others.” Dash stood in surprise at the sudden almost tearful tone of the cream-yellow mare and could only watch in silence as Fluttershy quickly retreated back into her home.

With a final frown to the small cottage, the pegasus took to the air once more in search of Pinkie Pie to make sure everything was good between the two of them. Rainbow Dash didn't really want to think about who Fluttershy may have been talking about nor why she would feel that way.

The pegasus soon found the pink earth pony with her marefriend and the Princess of Night in a side alley trying to make peace between them.

The urge to prank rose in the playful pegasus and she couldn't help but strike at her cloud just as the two parties were about to shake hooves. With a shriek of 'Nightmare Moon!' the large poultry took off for the exit while Luna watched in concern.

Rainbow was laughing so much that she hardly heard the chiding tone of the lavender unicorn before Twilight went after Pinkie Pie.

“Shesh Twilight, I'm almost as big as she is, how is she going to gobble me up?”

“Then why do you keep running away screaming?” Twilight frowned at the pink mare under her hooves who seemed just as confused as the unicorn about what was going on. Rainbow smirked at the confusion on the unicorn's face as she realized that she and Pinkie shared reasoning when it came to pranks, proven by the earth pony’s next words.

“Sometimes it's just really fun to be scared.” Rainbow folded her hooves across her chest as she smirked while Twilight merely thought about this before turning to Princess Luna with a smile.

The pranking pegasus watched in curiosity as the unicorn came through with yet another plan to try and get the Princess of the Night integrated into the town.

“Alright, Pinkie you go ahead and make sure the kids go back to offer their candy to 'Nightmare Moon'. Princess Luna, if you could come with me. You too Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus jumped to attention and saluted the studious pony.

“Sure thing...! I still get to prank others though right?” Twilight rolled her eyes at the question but nodded all the same.

“Yes, you'll be able to scare others.” Dash frowned at the choice of words but didn't comment as Twilight led the way to the Everfree Forest.

Once they got to the clearing, Twilight moved the statue so that it was hidden in the brush behind it's pedestal and turned to the dark maned Princess.

“Alright Princess Luna, could you please set up and make it appear like you are the statue?”

“... I am not sure of what thy hope to accomplish, but I shall do as you ask Twilight Sparkle.” Rainbow watched in curiosity as the Princess changed her form to look like she did as Nightmare Moon and stood in the same shape as the statue before her.

“Rainbow, I want you gather storm clouds for when the time is right. I know you've had lots of practice and you should be able to tell when is a good time.... Get in position, I think they're coming!” Twilight shooed the 'Shadow Bolt' who flew up and grabbed the needed clouds for the greatest prank of the night.

The cyan mare could hardly contain her glee as she watched the kids lay out their candy and knew it was the moment for a gust of wind to draw attention to the now alive 'statue'. Just as Luna was getting to her dramatic portion of her speech, Dash made the show 20% awesomer with her control of the weather to add to the mystic show.

Rainbow was thrilled at how well it was working and was pleased to see Luna warming up to the spirit of pranking. She tried to continued to follow the lunar Princess as she provided the best opportunities for scaring others, but the Princess turned this attention around and starting to pull pranks on the brash pegasus instead.

The first reversal was when Rainbow Dash tried to prank Twilight as she made her report to Princess Celestia; Princess Luna gave the pegasus a fright of her own when she set off the storm cloud early, catching the unsuspecting mare by surprise sending her retreating through the skies at the unsuspecting sounds. Rainbow soon returned to the town and tried to act as though nothing had happened and continued her mission to show the townsfolk a 'proper' Nightmare Night.

Soon though, no matter what the prankster did Luna was there to reverse it. She couldn't even reach for her storm cloud before the Princess was there setting it off before her and ruining the surprise. Dash became so annoyed by this that decided to call it a night early and dispersed her cloud before going on her way.

Rainbow Dash watched as she flew over town as other ponies enjoyed themselves with the Princess taking par. The pegasus couldn't remain still as she thought about the very first few Nightmare nights she had done with friends until she was big enough to join her father's pranking spree, in particular one of her oldest and kindest friends.

Fluttershy had never liked the holiday, not even once. It was dark, scary, and everypony wore costumes meant to scare making it even harder for the socially-frightened mare to stand being out with crowds around her. Rainbow had always been there, trying to encourage the shy pegasus until she started to play pranks on others with her dad. Fluttershy never went out on Nightmare Night after that and stayed in her home under the covers.

It was as Dash watched the Cutie Mark Crusaders escape their chaperone's detection in order to stay up later than they usually could that she decided to try one lat time to get the timid mare out of her house.

“..... Fluttershy?” The cyan mare had taken off her costume as a way to not frighten her friend and as a sign that she was finished for the night.

Silence rang through the cottage, causing Dash to flip her ears back in worry.

“Fluttershy? The night's pretty much over, and I'm not going try and play a joke on you.” Rainbow knocked on the door a little more before resting her head against it. She had a feeling that Fluttershy was still upset with her and that was the reason for the silence.

“..... Sorry...” The bold mare muttered into the door, unsure if she wanted to be heard or not and whether the quieter mare inside did actually hear her attempt at reconciliation. Just as Rainbow was starting to trot away, the door opened slightly as an invitation for the usually brash pegasus to enter.

Once Rainbow Dash was inside, she found her quarry sitting on the couch in the center of the room while Angel Bunny hopped back to his owner after having opened the door.

“Hey...” Fluttershy couldn't look the cyan mare in the eye as she waited for Dash to say what she wanted; the timid mare was pleased to note that Rainbow took off her costume, having remembered what the original Shadow Bolts tried to do and unhappy that Dash dressed like them for the night.

“Uhmmm, I wanted to, to ask you... If you wanted to go with me next Nightmare Night...” Fluttershy sighed as she looked at the cyan mare.

“You know I don't like this holiday Rainbow Dash.... I don't want to scare others, they might get really scared...” Rainbow frowned slightly as she scuffed a hoof along the ground.

“Well yeah but, it's just not the same doing it by myself.” Fluttershy shook her head slowly at the other pegasus.

“What about the others? Can't they go... 'pranking'... with you instead?” It was Rainbow's turn to shake her head as she replied.

“Pinkie collects candy like crazy on nights like this and no one else really want to go pranking.... What if, I'd just want to, you know... Just hang out in cool costumes?” The canary mare looked in worry to her friend who wouldn't look her in the eye. She had never seen the brash pegasus want to just 'hang out in costumes' since having joined her father in an annual pranking spree.

“What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?” The animal care-taker rushed to her friend's side and rested a hoof on her forehead in concern; Dash jerked away and scowled at the other pegasus.

“I'm fine! I just, wanted to hang out with one of my oldest friends.” Fluttershy backed away quickly and looked at the ground once more.

“O-oh. Okay.” The two mares stood near one another, unsure of the current topic.

“Did you want to hang out or not next year?” Dash scowled at the ground as she posed the question once more, nervous about the more than likely denial considering her behavior on every previous Nightmare Night.

“... Oh, uhm, I, I guess... If we don't do anything too scary...” Fluttershy scrapped a hoof as well, hoping that their friendship was perhaps on the mend to what it used to be before things grew hard after Bifröst died.

“Cool.” Rainbow Dash smiled briefly in response before deciding to truly call it a night.

“Alright, see you later Fluttershy.” The cyan mare lightly bumped the canary mare's shoulder and turned to leave.

“Goodbye... Thank you for coming. Have a nice night Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy timidly waved to the retreating mare who smirked in return before heading home.

The bold pegasus returned to her cloud home satisfied with her day; she showed a lot of ponies the meaning of Nightmare Night, helped the lunar Princess, and even got her best friend's agreement to go out with her next year.

(At least I won't be doing stuff on my own next year.... Maybe I can get Fluttershy to warm up to the holiday and start getting out more, it's not as fun being on my own...)

V (FS/RD)- Trip to Manehatten

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Mid November, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

It was another average day in Ponyville; mostly clear skies, bird chirping and the local animal care-taker was negotiating peace between field mice and the local farmers.

The mice had taken residence in the farm house and Applejack had Fluttershy stop by to talk them into leaving (or at least staying out of the house and other important places). The timid pegasus spent longer than needed to greet the newest residents and described where she lived should they need help. Once she had the mice assure her that they would let her know if something came up, Fluttershy proceeded to find Applejack to explain what had been done. While the farmer wasn't too pleased that the mice would still be on the orchard, it was a relief to know they wouldn't be in the house or barn; the animal care-taker left quickly after that, not wanting to bother the earth ponies further.

Fluttershy traveled down the roads back to town when she came across a family of squirrels who wanted to have an afternoon chat about the weather; the canary pegasus floated up and into the nearby trees to talk quietly with them. She was so quiet that the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't notice her as they went to their clubhouse after the day of school; she was going to say hello to them but their topic gave her pause.

“Is Pepper still givin' ya trouble?” Scootaloo attempted to appear nonchalant as they leisurely trotted on the path, not looking at the olive-yellow filly who peered at the pegasus in concern.

“Yeah, she's still pretty persistent...” Sweetie Belle frowned lightly as worry flashed across her features at the admission and turned to face Scootaloo as well.

“You have better hideouts right? You aren't going to get sick?” Fluttershy leaned forward to catch the response, worry lining every muscle.

“... They're ok; nothing's perfect and I have to keep changing locations as Pepper gets more desperate.”

“I thought they were doing investigations?” Sweetie Belle cried out in surprise at how the orphanage still hadn't given up; Fluttershy could barely keep herself hidden as she too became concerned as to what was going on and followed the trio as they continued on their way, staying up in the air and hiding behind trees.

“I dunno, it's just something I have to deal with.” Scootaloo shrugged her indifference as her friends shared concerned glances.

“Well, ya know ya can stay at the clubhouse as long as ya need.” The young pegasus nodded mutely before trying to change the topic, something Fluttershy felt wasn't the right thing to do; she stepped out of her cover and made her quick way to the trio.

“H-hello girls!” Three pairs of eyes widened at the sudden call and they whipped around to face the older mare with shaky smiles.

“Hi Fluttershy, what are you doing here?” Sweetie Belle tried to keep her voice light and free of worry lest the older pegasus think something was wrong. The other Crusaders took on innocent faces as they let Sweetie Belle do the talking; they were less likely to confuse any 'confession' for anything done if they listened to one talk at a time.

Fluttershy appraised the girls, getting an ominous feeling that they were getting used to hiding facts and tried to give them a chance to come clean.

“What's been going on lately girls?” The Crusaders shared worried looks at the open ended question.

“Oh nothing; we're just coming back from school and were going to hang out in the clubhouse.” Sweetie Belle tried to seem nonchalant while Fluttershy looked at them with close scrutiny.

“Oh? That's nice... Scootaloo, how are you doing? Feeling better? No side- or left over-effects?” The orange filly flipped back her ears as she suddenly got the sense of what the older pegasus might have overheard before shrugging nonchalantly.

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Fluttershy waited to see if the filly would elaborate but was disappointed when all three remained silent.

They remained in awkward silence for a minute longer before Fluttershy decided to take matters into her own hooves.

“Ok then, it was good to see you girls but I'll must be going now. Have a nice night!” Three brows rose as the canary pegasus spoke almost louder and slower than usual as she overly waved goodbye; an action soon copied by the trio of fillies who decided that all conversation was to wait until they were in a secure location.

Fluttershy flew at speeds she would normally shy away from but persisted in order to find the one pony who said she was going to keep an eye out for Scootaloo; Rainbow Dash was hard to track since she could hardly be found on the ground and often napped in hiding places to avoid being caught.

The pegasus flew about the crowds in town but not too high to lose the ability to search in those very crowds as she looked around. She tried above and in Sugarcube Corner, above the town, in the branches of Golden Oaks Library, the nearby lake, over Sweet Apple Acres, and even tried the prismatic mare's cloud home; Fluttershy was actually growing concerned as to what happened to her long time friend and hovered in front of the cloud residence as she tried to think of what Rainbow might be doing.

(What, what if she went out and got hit by a storm and is trapped someplace?! Or, what if she ran into a big ferocious, pony-eating dragon and is now trapped in his lair, about to be eaten!?! Oh no, oh no.... What do I do? Do I go find the others? What if it's too late by then? Oh, Rainbow Dash, I-I never got to tell you -)

“Fluttershy? What's wrong?”

“EEEEeepppp!”

At the sound of somepony calling her name, the timid mare shot forward and tried to hide in the nearest cover; namely, the clouds that made up the floating home.This attempt was only half successful, leaving cream-yellow hindquarters flaring in the air while fore-hooves covered frightened teal-blue eyes.

Rainbow Dash had flown up in surprise, knowing that the timid pegasus rarely flew this high up and had been in the act of fretting herself into knots. At the typical reaction of Fluttershy's however, Dash merely rolled her eyes and began to help the frightened mare out of her cloud hiding place.

“Fluttershy, it's just me...”

“O-oh...”

“Sigh, just hold still for a second, I'll help you out...”

With some wiggling and tugging on both mares' part, Fluttershy was soon unstuck and blushingly hovering as Rainbow re-adjusted the clouds that made up her home.

“Uh, hello Rainbow Dash...” Fluttershy tapped her hooves nervously as Dash stared expectantly back as she hovered next to her old time friend, hooves crossed in aggravation.

“Oh, uhm right! I-I came across Scootaloo and she said that she's still having trouble with the orphanage...” Dash frowned at these words and shrugged, thinking of when she last saw the young pegasus.

“Oh. Well, she's still around right? Then there's no problem.” It was Fluttershy's turn to frown at the dismissive tone as she looked sternly back.

“Yes there is; don't you remember what happened not too long ago? She got very sick trying to hide from them... This is not a very nice orphanage.” Dash looked at the sudden outburst before sighing wearily and rubbing the back of her head.

“Well, what am I supposed to do about it? Go there myself and shut it down?” At the brightening and gasp of delight the cyan pegasus wished she had kept her mouth shut. With another sigh and slump of her shoulders, Rainbow begged her friend to let her off the hook; she was tired from her weather work and just wanted a nap.

“Fluttershy! I wasn't serious; that orphanage is in Manehatten right? That's a long trip from here, even for me! I only just got back from a weather meeting in Cloudsdale and I just want a nap, not to go flying all over Equestria.” The cream-yellow pegasus looked on with a dejected air; even after having known Rainbow Dash for so long, it was saddening to see he brush the matter aside for a nap.

“I-I see... I'll just have to go myself; enjoy your nap.” It was hard to make the animal care-taker mad or upset but Dash could practically see the waves of disappointment coming form the other pegasus as she turned around and started to fly to town.

“.... Wait! Sigh, I'll come with you to find out about the orphanage. Come on, we'll need to take the train; you probably can't fly the entire way there.” Fluttershy smiled in relief as Rainbow led the way towards town.

While Rainbow Dash was notoriously lazy and avoided work, she always kept her word; an aspect Fluttershy had always admired and appreciated. The two pegasi wasted little time finding and boarding the next train east to Manehatten; though the trip wasn't entirely silent.

“Gahhh, can't this thing go any faster? I could be there already!” Dash threw back her head while crossing her hooves as she sat on the pink cushions of the private car Fluttershy had thought to ask for; she had a feeling that the impatient pegasus would get like this and didn't want to be a bother to the other passengers.

“I know... Thank you for coming with me anyways...” The brash mare paused in her huffs of annoyance and glanced at the other pegasus who was hiding behind her mane.

“Yeah, yeah...” Rainbow stared out the window after settling down further, not noticing the single teal-blue eye peeking out to watch her.

The two friends remained silent for the rest of the four hour trip with Rainbow Dash catching that nap she missed and Fluttershy watching curiously. The canary mare wasn't bothered by the occasional snore that the cyan mare let out, even though Dash would claim that she didn't snore; working with the wide range of animals meant that some made very different sounds as they slept, something Fluttershy had long since grown used to.

It was the same when they shared a room at flight camp, and how close they were until....

(No, it's different now... We're friends again and live in the same town and and.... It's going to be better. I'll make sure to help her this time, even if she does want to run away. But first, we have to make sure Scootaloo doesn't get hurt either....)

The train pulled into the city later that evening, with the sun already setting in the late fall season. As it jerked to a stop, Rainbow Dash was jolted awake and gave her mane a scuffing to make sure it hadn't settled while she napped. Fluttershy quietly followed her friend as they stepped off the train and into the big city; the canary mare flinched at the harsh sounds of the city that never sleeps and the crowds that continued on their way regardless of others, knocking into Fluttershy who flinched back and apologized at every touch.

“Oh, sorry... So-sorry...! Uhm, excuse me... Sorry... Pardon.... Ex-excuse me...”

Rainbow noticed this as she hovered in the air and rolled her eyes at the timidness of her friend; she dropped down and grabbed Fluttershy's front to pull her into the air with an annoyed glare, earning a sheepish smile back.

“Come on, let's get this over with.” Dash grumbled to the cream-yellow pegasus who nodded agreement before following the cyan mare further into the city.

Fluttershy tried to keep up with the speedster as she flew down the streets rapidly, going for a rapid search instead of merely asking for directions but soon fell behind; she tried to find the cyan blur with no success sighing at the usual behavior of the prismatic mare and floated towards the sidewalk to ask for directions instead.

“Uh... Excuse me?” A red maned earth pony glanced around at the soft sound which emboldened Fluttershy to try and get her attention again.

“Oh, uhm, pardon me?” The pale pink earth pony finally found the source of the almost whispers and stared at the timid pegasus with a questioning brow.

“Yes?”

“Oh, uh, do you know where the Hudson Side Orphange is?” The earth pony looked to the sky in thought before nodding and pointing up the street.

“Hmm, yes; it's three blocks north and four blocks west.” Fluttershy looked in the direction explained and shyly smiled in thanks.

“Thank you.” The earth pony nodded in response before continuing on her way, leaving the quiet mare to float over the top of the crowd to the orphanage.

She set down in front of the red building just in time for a blur of blue to come to a sudden stop next to her; Rainbow Dash frowned slightly at Fluttershy who crouched slightly at the look.

“Where did you go? I've had to look for you instead of the orphanage!” The timid mare flipped her ears back in worry, she had thought Dash wouldn't have worried about her being left behind.

“Oh, ah, well... You, you were too fast for me to catch up...” Rainbow frowned at these words as guilt assaulted her mind as she had forgotten the slower pegasus when she first started the search; the cyan pegasus huffed in annoyance before turning to the building before them.

“Guess this is the place, let's go in and-”

“I can't believe that you grew up here!” Dash pulled up from her dive to the front door as a pale-gray earth pony and a white unicorn exited.

“Told ya Tavi, the place is pretty bad off and harsh. Still pretty amazed that Scootaloo escaped somehow...” The two pegasi had been watching curiously but at the sound of the young filly's name, the bold mare swooped down to shove her face into the unicorn's with the respective companions gasping in surprise.

“Oh yeah! How bad is bad? And what would it have to do with Scootaloo? Who are you? What do you have to do with her? Or this orphanage? Huh?” The unicorn blinked slightly surprised cerise eyes before appraising the brash pegasus in turn.

“Bad as in real bad. Who are you to ask about Scootaloo?” Dash frowned at the short answer and threw out her chest to appear intimidating.

“I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria! I said I would help Scootaloo and so I will, even if I have to fight off you, your friend and all of the orphanage workers!” Vinyl Scratch raised a surprised brow at the almost threat and rolled her eyes before replying; both Octavia and Fluttershy edged closer to their companions to try and prevent a possible fight.

“Yeah well I'm the greatest DJ in Eqestria, Dj Pon-3 and I-” By this point, Octavia and Fluttershy reached their targets and began to whisper in their ears.

“Vinyl, honey, we're not here to pick fights with random ponies...”

“Rainbow Dash, we shouldn't cause trouble for them...”

“We have other things to worry about...”

“We, we don't know how they know Scootaloo; maybe they can help us...”

“And if you don't behave, you won't get any of the fun I planned for later...”

“Please Rainbow? Maybe, we could, uhm, not pick fights?” The two mares listened to the whispers as they stared appraisingly at the other, not hearing the conversation but getting the feeling that it was pretty much the same; 'don't cause trouble please'.

“Alright Fluttershy...” Rainbow gave a short snort along with a roll of her eyes while Vinyl gave her marefriend a quick nuzzle.

“Alright Tav', I'll be good.” The two bold mares faced one another again though with less hostility than before.

“I'm Vinyl Scratch and this is Octavia Melody. Scootaloo and I both went to this orphanage at one point; after hearing that it was still bad as ever from her, my marefriend and I came to see what we could do to help.” The cyan pegasus raised a curious brow at the coincidence and crossed her fore-hooves in thought.

Fluttershy couldn't help her blush at how the other two mares were in a relationship and waited for the other pegasus' response; something that would either raise or lower her hopes for how her feelings would be received.

“Hmmm... So you came here to help Scootaloo stay out of the place?” Vinyl nodded before realizing they were still in front of the orphanage in question and glancing around conspiratorially.

“Yes, but we may want to talk someplace else; Hannigan already knows me and Tavi are trying to get in trouble. There's a cafe nearby that we can sit at and talk.” The unicorn waved for the pegasi to follow as she and the gray earth pony led the way down the street.

As they went for the cafe, Fluttershy had a moment to reflect on how Rainbow Dash didn't seem to care about the fact that the couple was both mares; which was something that sparked a tiny flicker of hope in the cream-yellow chest.

In moments they found the small cafe that had inside and outside tables for ponies to dine at. The four mares chose a booth that was in a corner away from the sparse clientele and began to talk business.

“So, like I was saying; we did a quick tour of the place as if we were looking for a foal to adopt. She used the same old techniques to hide how bad off the place was as we looked around. Some of the oldest orphans remembered me though, and Hannigan became suspicious of us so we took off soon after that.” Vinyl shrugged as she finished her explanation in time for a unicorn waiter to come by for their orders.

The four ponies ordered simple drinks to satisfy being in the cafe; Dash would have gotten a lot more but Fluttershy reminded her that they didn't have a lot of time to stay. Once the stallion was on his way, they continued with Dash offering a plan of her own.

“We just need to prove that the place is just as bad as you say right? Well, what if we snuck in like totally awesome spies and take pictures of all the bad stuff that goes on?” Octavia raised a curious brow at the energetic tones and suggestion of Rainbow Dash while Fluttershy smiled slightly at her friend and Vinyl merely rubbed her chin as she thought about how well the suggestion would work.

“Yeah... Yeah, that should do it. That and testimony from other orphans that lived there...” The pale-gray mare frowned slightly at 'others' and looked at Vinyl questioningly.

“You kept in contact with other orphans from when you lived there?” Vinyl's ears tipped back as she glanced at Octavia briefly before looking out at the cafe.

“I got reacquainted with some after I got bigger in the music industry.” Tavi frowned at what sounded like leeches who only wanted to say they knew a famous DJ; the white musician looked at the mare next to her and understood what had gone unsaid.

“It's not like that Tav'; they actually apologized and wanted to congratulate me on finding a mare like you.” Even though the explanation was quietly stated, the two pegasi could hear it and watched the couple share a blushing nuzzle.

Dash couldn't stand all the mushy feelings and rolled her eyes in aggravation; she was going to say something but caught sight of Fluttershy slowly frowning in disappointment at the cyan mare. The quieter mare could tell that Rainbow Dash had been growing impatient at the display of affection and wasn't sure if was because of the gender or the display itself (though she had a hunch it was the act not the ponies that Dash was offended by).

With another roll of light cerise eyes and a sigh to go with it, Rainbow sat back and just watched as the waiter came back with a platter of drinks.

“Ok, so you guys are going to sneak around get the pictures right? Then I'll track down the testimonies and we'll bring the whole thing to the guards for them to shut the place down.” Dash and Fluttershy nodded in agreement to the unicorn's statement as they all sipped at their drinks.

“Uhm, but, ah, we-we don't have a camera...” Vinyl's sharp hearing meant that she easily heard the quiet mare, giving her the chance to think about the supplies needed for the 'mission'.

“Yeah, I guess you would need a camera to get pictures...” The DJ cast an inquisitive look to Octavia as she rubbed her chin; the pale-gray mare smirked back as she replied.

“Yes, I'm sure we can find a camera in short order. Let's take care of this and we can search the nearby shops.” With a plan of action in place, the four mares went to pay the bill and head into positions.

The two pegasi waited near the orphanage for a camera which was soon delivered by the white unicorn who tried to be subtle and failed. The pegasi then floated up and looked into a window on each floor, surveying what was going on before starting to take pictures.

The building was large, being five stories tall with a fenced-in ally way that had a mesh wire covering the top that prevented any pegasi orphans that could fly from escaping. Each floor had four windows, giving a view into a much harsher world.

Foals of all ages and sizes were doing chores ranging from mending threadbare blankets and cloths, washing dishes to even scrubbing the floor; it would seem almost normal save for the bruises and almost sickly thin bodies of the children. Older orphans oversaw it and were quick to speak harshly or even smack any slow working foal.

Dash stared on slack-jawed at the poor living and working conditions, surprised to the point that she almost forgot the camera in her hooves. It was as an older pony went to subjugate one of the foals scrubbing the floor that Dash tightened her hooves in an attempt to be ready to fight off the threat when she felt the camera in between two cyan hooves.

With an annoyed growl at being unable to help, the bold mare lifted the view scope to snap a few pictures of the beating before going to each window to find more examples of abuse and malnutrition; the entire time Rainbow did recon, she couldn't help the angry frown at the bad conditions, like the almost non-existent mattresses and small meal portions (she later found a stash of proper food in the care-taker's office, meaning that only one pony in the whole place ate properly).

At each image of horrible living, Fluttershy trembled in fear as the sights before her merged with memories of her past. It hadn't been as bad as this orphanage, but the sight of bullies as well as the dejected and saddened faces of the orphans brought to mind the Cloudsdale Orphange; the pegasi foals that stayed there had more food and better living conditions, but it was one of the older institutions meaning that they didn't have all that much to begin with, barely making it livable and tolerable. As the fear became almost too much for Fluttershy, she went in search for Rainbow Dash only to find her hiding in between windows with a scowl on her face.

“Rain-Rainbow Dash?” The cyan pegasus shushed the already rather muted caller with a hoof to her muzzle to emphasize.

“Shh, the care-taker, Hannigan?, is in the room; she almost saw me but we need pictures that prove that she's behind it all.” Fluttershy nodded silently and floated up to peek inside; there was an older earth pony with orange-red mane and pale-cream coat who was towering over the orphans who cowered in fear. The canary pegasus flinched along with the foals, something the bolder pegasus noticed and nudged her long time friend to get her attention.

“Hey, Fluttershy; you know I'd never let something like that happen to you right? And we're going to protect Scootaloo from this too; we just need those photos!” Fluttershy nodded with a blush at the assurances and clenched her hooves in determination at their mission.

With a gentle tug, the quiet mare pulled the camera out of the other's grip and floated up to the next window over from where the care-taker was berating the children and snuck inside; Dash hissed at the sneaking mare to stay out but was studiously ignored. Fluttershy crept far enough around the doorway to see the older mare in the midst of beating a young unicorn for having tried to cast magic against her; while it was very terrifying for the shy mare, the promises of both protection and the halt of this abuse helped Fluttershy snap a few pictures of the pale-cream earth pony turning her attention to all of the foals before her to ram home the 'lesson'.

The group was so busy that they didn't notice the small flashes of light nor the small clicks; they certainly didn't spot the canary pegasus exiting just as quietly as she entered out the window. Just as Fluttershy closed the window with a soft sigh, she was swept up in cyan hooves as Rainbow Dash grabbed her friend and flew further away from the building before starting to question her.

“What were you thinking? You could have been caught!” Fluttershy curled in on herself as she peered at the other pegasus who looked back in worry and annoyance.

“Oh, uh, well, we needed the pictures and you had almost been seen and-”

“That was amazing! You were great and all sneaky like and they never saw you coming!” Fluttershy had jumped lightly at the sudden outburst and rapid change of emotion, though she was soon shyly smiling at the energetic pegasus.

“W-well, you said that you would protect me and that you would use the pictures to stop her, so it's really thanks to you that I was brave enough to get in by myself.” Dash leaned forward as the cream-yellow mare spoke; by the time Fluttershy finished, Dash rubbed a fore-hoof across her chest as she boasted.

“Yeah, well, I am that awesome; but I didn't go it alone and totally caught that mean mare in the act. Let's go turn over the camera and see if anything else needs to be done.” The two friends flew back to the cafe to find the two musicians back in the booth they had used earlier in the evening; upon seeing the two pegasi Vinyl and Octavia straightened from their spots against one another and waved them over.

“Hey, done already? Get any good shots?” Rainbow rapidly nodded as she hoofed over the camera with a large grin to the white unicorn who started to sort through the images.

“Yeah, you should have seen it! Little ol' Fluttershy here went inside and got the best photos of the lot!” As the prismatic pegasus stated this she wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy's shoulders and gave her a little shake; at the sudden attention the timid mare hid behind her mane once more which drew smiles from the others and eye roll from the bold pegasus.

“I'm sure you two did a great job. We'll take these and get the testimonies within the month; hopefully we can get this finished quickly.” Octavia smiled warmly at the mares across the table before turning and nudging the unicorn who had been looking through the photos. At the encouraging nudge Vinyl looked up and nodded her agreement to what her marefriend had stated.

“Yeah, you guys were a lot of help. We'll let you know how it goes.” After that, the four mares shared contact information which led to another surprise of the evening; they hadn't expected to be living in the same town for almost the same length of time.

Both pairs of friends went to the train station for the long trip home, choosing private booths so that the more brash mares wouldn't bother each other or other passengers. Fluttershy and Dash (barely suppressing eye rolls and annoyed sighs) sat across from one another in the private compartment, both staring out the window at the night view passing by, absorbed in their own thoughts.

(Geez, Fluttershy was amazing tonight! I thought that thing with the dragon was a fluke, she hadn't shown that much courage afterwards... I'll have to keep an eye on her though; that Orphanage was pretty bad and she'll be thinking about her own time at the one in Cloudsdale....)

(… I'm so happy that Rainbow Dash is going to stop that mean care-taker, she must have lost her caring heart a long time ago, to be that mean to little children... It was really nice of Dashie to come with me on the trip, even though she hates train rides... Maybe, maybe we can do more things together... Oh, I hope so...)

Dash flicked an ear over to the canary pegasus at the sound of a muted squee of joy; she was almost tempted to ask what was going on but didn't want to break the comfortable silence that seemed to appear with the quiet mare. She might not like silence all that much, but the kind that Fluttershy offered was warm and soothing (something that the 'cool' pegasus would never tell her friend). Rainbow also didn't want to start talking only to have the conversation turn to 'mushy' stuff like what happened in the past, so the cyan mare remained silent for the trip as she watched the scenery slowly change from city, to rolling hills to grass land of their home.

The train pulled into the small town station as the night sky showed stars usually unavailable to be seen in the big city. The two pegasi disembarked and began to head into town, the animal care-taker heading for home while the bold defender escorted her, flying just above the ground as they headed for the cottage on the outskirts of town.

“Uhm, you, you don't have to come with me Rainbow Dash...” The cyan mare shrugged as she continued to fly next to her old friend.

“Nah, it's fine... Just, you know, uh, making sure you're ok... You were shaking pretty badly before you got real courageous.” Dash couldn't meet curious teal eyes as she explained; Fluttershy smiled softly to herself at the reason and tried to control the blush that tried to make it's way across her muzzle.

“Oh, ok... Thank you...” Rainbow didn't say anything else for the remainder of the trip, dropping off the canary mare at her grass covered cottage and flying off to her home to spend the night awake, thinking of various subtle ways to check on Fluttershy without it seeming like it.

That night, the cream-yellow pegasus spent most of her time with a pillow in her hooves as she relived the attention and care that was shown her from the usually standoffish mare. Her soft squees of joy hardly roused any of the animals that lived there who had gone to bed as soon as they were sure their care-taker was back safe and sound. Fluttershy had high hopes for the next few days, and started on plans to spend more time with the bold pegasus.

VI (FS/RD)- Celebrating Harvest Feast

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End of November, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

It was a beautiful fall day; the Running of the Leaves went better than last year, with Applejack and Rainbow Dash tied for first and Twilight came in fourth, and the majority of the leaves knocked from the trees. It was through this mostly leafless scape that the cyan pegasus now flew, heading for a small cottage on the edge of town.

It was nearing a certain holiday that Dash knew the animal care-taker didn't like to be alone on; it was one thing to be afraid on Nightmare Night, another to be alone on Harvest Feast; after all, it was a holiday dedicated to being with family and friends, and for obvious reasons, every orphan disliked it.

The bold pegasus had made sure to always invite the shier one in past years, though this stopped after...

(Don't think about it Dash, focus on the here and now; I am not going to leave Fluttershy hanging this year.)

With this promise firmly in mind, Dash dropped down squarely in front of the red-brown door and gave it several sharp knocks. In moments the door creaked open, large enough for a teal eye to peer out curiously; upon noticing the prismatic mane, Fluttershy opened the door further with a small smile.

“Oh, hello Rainbow Dash; how are you doing?” The bolder pegasus waved her hoof with a smile while following the timid mare inside.

“Bah, I couldn't be better! It's like I didn't even run that marathon.” The canary mare looked at her friend in worry, reminded at how fast the pegasus had ran and tried to make her comfortable just in case she was still tired from the race (even if Dash said she wasn't).

“Oh, yes, you were great in the Running of the Leaves... Did you want to have a seat? Maybe, maybe stay for lunch?” Rainbow glanced towards the kitchen which Fluttershy quickly made her way to, she had others to feed as well after all.

“Well, if you're already making something then I guess it wouldn't be so bad.” Rainbow Dash wasn't willing to turn down free food and followed her old friend to watch as she made lunch for everyone in the cottage as well as some outside.

While the bold mare had arrived with a different mission firmly in mind, seeing the care that Fluttershy put into making the meals was rather interesting to watch; Dash didn't usually put as much attention into it and just threw basic stuff together that would ensure she had enough energy for her extra workouts and flight routines.

Just as the two friends were sitting down at the table (with Dash posed to begin eating), there was a knock at the door. Fluttershy looked towards it in confusion, not having expected anypony today (though Rainbow was a pleasant surprise); with an apologetic smile to the annoyed mare, the cream-yellow pegasus went to answer it.

“Coming!” The shy pegasus opened the door without her usual hesitation, having the local hero nearby gave her courage; upon seeing the local farmer, Fluttershy paused in confusion.

“Oh, hello Applejack; is something the matter? Are there other animals bothering the farm?” The orange farmer held her hat in one hoof as she peered at the timid mare with her own timidness.

“Uh, no, it's-it's not that Fluttershy; Ah'm goin' around askin' all the girls if y'all like to come tah come to Sweet Apple Acres for Harvest Feast? Also, have ya seen Rainbow around? That filly is harder tah find than a needle in ah haystack.” With a curious tilt of her head, Fluttershy stepped back allowing Rainbow to be in view of the farmer who put her hat back on with a sheepish grin.

“Hey Dash, what'cha doin' here?” The cyan pegasus reluctantly stepped away from the table (and the very delicious smelling food) and stood next to the other pegasus as they looked to the farmer.

“I was just visiting; what's this about Harvest Feast?”

“Ah'm goin' around an' askin' all the girls if they want tah come to Sweet Apple Acres for a big ol' meal with me an' mah family. Would y'all be able to come?” Fluttershy wasn't sure how to respond to the question; while she had usually spent the holiday with Rainbow Dash, after Bifröst died Rainbow had not want to think of the holiday, let alone celebrate it.

Dash, on the other hoof, saw this as a golden opportunity to make it up to the quiet mare and stepped forward excitedly.

“Sure! You'd come right Fluttershy?” At the quiet smile in place of a response, Dash wrapped a hoof around canary shoulders and grinned. “We'll definitely be there AJ!”

The orange mare smiled in relief and nodded once before tipping her hat towards the two pegasi.

“Great, Ah'll see y'all there then. See ya around!” The pegasi waved briefly before going back to the kitchen once the door was shut.

The two friends sat and tried to enjoy the meal the animal care-taker made, but Fluttershy was distracted by thoughts of who would be going to the Harvest Feast at Applejack's. While it was nice to be sharing the holiday with Rainbow once more, her mind wandered to another pegasus that tried to be 'cool' and 'tough'.

The cyan mare hadn't really noticed the wandering attention of the other, having been thinking of how to make the festivities more interesting; so when Fluttershy asked her a question, Dash choked lightly in surprise before managing to focus on the concerned mare in front of her.

“Rainbow, do you think the Cutie Mark Crusaders will be there....? Rainbow Dash!? Are you ok?” After being assured that the brash pegagus was fine, the timid mare tried to inquire again.

“... Do you think the girls will be going too?” Dash raised a brow at the question, unsure of where it was going.

“I guessss..... I mean, Applejack and Rarity will be there, so I guess their sisters would as well....” Fluttershy tapped her hooves while she peeked from under her mane to the cyan mare.

“Well, uhm, do, do you think Scootaloo will be lonely?” Dash froze at the reminder that Fluttershy wasn't the only orphan (who more than likely hated this particular holiday right after Hearth's Warming Eve) that she knew.

“Oh, uh.... We could see if she could come along...?” Seeing the mare across from her brighten at the question, Dash mentally sighed before continuing the train of thought out loud.

“I'll go and find Applejack and see if it's ok then I'll find the squirt to ask her to come; that work for you?” Rainbow ruefully smiled at the pleased expression on the cream-yellow mare's face and looked despairingly at the remains of her lunch before getting up with a soft sigh.

“Alright, I'm off then; see ya later Fluttershy.” The timid mare came back to the situation and realized why the bold mare looked at her plate before getting up.

“Oh! Uhm, I could, make you a proper supper if you want, since our lunch kept getting interrupted... if you want...” Dash smiled at the proposal and nodded, pleased for more free food from one of the best (if unknown) cooks in town.

As the speedster took to the skies, she didn't hear the quiet shout of joy from the cottage of getting the pegasus to come back later for sure and to make sure nopony was left alone on the upcoming holiday. Dash followed the dirt paths to try and catch the orange earth pony before she got too far; this was unsuccessful however, meaning that the prismic mare had to go to Sweet Apple Acres to ask her question.

Rainbow found Applejack heading out to one of the fields to start on some of the few remaining chores before winter set in; with a sudden drop in altitude, the rainbow maned pegasus pulled up sharply in front of the earth pony who stopped at the sudden movement.

“Howdy Dash, what's up? Ah forget somethin' before?” The pegasus waved a hoof to assure her friend before leaning on a nearby tree to appear at ease.

“Nah, I just thought of it after you left; would it be alright if Scootaloo came as well? She'd probably want to hang out with the other Crusaders.” Applejack smiled at the question and nodded her consent.

“Shoot, that'll be fine; one more shouldn't be all that hard. Did ya want me tah see if she's with the girls in their clubhouse?” Dash let out the breath she wasn't aware that she was holding before standing from her place against the apple tree.

“No worries, I'll find the squirt. Thanks AJ!”

“No problem RD, Ah'll see ya in a few days.” The farmer shouted her own farewells as the pegasus sped off before turning away with a smile.

Rainbow wasted no time and started her search with the Crusaders' Clubhouse, finding it by flying through the orchard until she found the treehouse where laughter rang from. With a soft landing on the porch that surrounded the house, the pegasus burst through the door and posed before smiling at the trio sitting in the center of the room; the Crusaders didn't seem surprised at the sudden appearance and Scootaloo sat up further with a bright grin.

“Hey Rainbow Dash!”

“Hey squirt, gotta question for you, got a moment?” While the younger pegasus nodded rapidly, Dash looked to the other Crusaders and tried to decide if she should ask it in front of them or not; with a frown at how uneasy she got when it came to talking about this kind of thing, Dash dipped her head for the orange filly to follow her outside.

Once both pegasi were on the ground, Rainbow leaned against the tree trunk as she tried to appear calm and collected.

“So, uh, Scoot, you have any plans for, uh, for Harvest Feast...? Did you want to come with me and the others for a dinner here at Sweet Apple Acres?” Scootaloo's jaw had dropped open at the mention of the holiday before trying to contain her excitement at being asked by her idol to join her and everyone else; once Dash finished her question, the young pegasus didn't waste anytime from accepting the invitation.

“YES! Uh, I mean, yes, I'm free to come.” Rainbow scuffed Scootaloo's mane at the sight of the large grin as she smiled as well.

“Alright, did you want me to pick you up someplace or meet us somewhere?” The orange pegasus' eyes shrank at the offer of being picked up but she managed to hold back her fear of having her hideouts discovered and tried to appear nonchalant.

“Oh, uh, I'll, I'll just meet you wherever you want Rainbow Dash.” The cyan mare frowned slightly as she realized that she could have found where the young filly was currently living if she hadn't gave the offer of meeting someplace else but shrugged it off as a chance later.

“Sure, meet me at Fluttershy's cottage; we'll pick her up too before coming to the dinner. I'll see you around squirt.” The pegasi shared grins before the older one took off once more with the filly watching in awe before going back inside the clubhouse to share the good news.

Rainbow Dash made sure that the weather was just as it was scheduled before taking an afternoon nap; all the searching with little food meant she was even more tired than usual. She set her mental alarm clock for supper time, she wasn't about to have two meals of the day ruined.

That evening, over supper at the animal care-taker's cottage, Dash explained her success at inviting Scootaloo earning another smile from the canary mare; something the cyan mare wanted to make sure stayed on Fluttershy's face, though she wasn't too sure why.

The next few days saw a massive wave of travelers across Equestria, on their way to family and friends for the holiday; the weather team (those that could) had to make sure the weather was safe for travel of any kind, which took a lot of time and effort since fall weather wanted to be cold and rainy.

The day of Harvest Feast itself shone bright and clear, with only a hint of the now usual chill. After catching a nice nap to make up for lost naps, Rainbow Dash went to the grass covered cottage with a smirk, her plans to make the evening 20% cooler in place and ready. Just as she started to knock on the door, the cyan mare heard her name being called from the roadway.

“He-hey Rainbow Dash! Were you waiting long?” Dash smiled at the canary mare who had just opened the door before turning to face the orange filly who was hurrying up the pathway while calling to her hero.

“Yep! You were way too slow, you gotta keep working on matching my speed.” Scootaloo was worried for a moment but noticed the teasing smirk her idol wore and smiled in return with a snappy salute.

“Sure thing!” Dash nodded sharply in reply before grinning at the other pegasus who watched the interaction with a small smile of her own.

“You guys ready to go? Wouldn't want to miss out on free food!” Scootaloo nodded as she readied her scooter while Fluttershy frowned lightly at the phrase.

“Rainbow, you know it's not just about the food...”

“What? That's most of it, isn't it? Getting everyone together so we can eat a giant meal?” The cyan mare smirked at the nonplussed head shake before taking for the skies once more; Fluttershy was close behind her and tried to get her attention.

“Rainbow Dash? Wait!” The brash pegasus paused in her ascension and looked at her friend with an annoyed frown.

“What is it now Fluttershy?” The timid mare half-hid behind her mane though her voice stayed just as resolute.

“Scootaloo has to follow over land, you, you shouldn't go so fast or far... to be polite.... If you want to, that is...” Light cerise eyes rolled at the return of shyness but dropped down a few feet all the same and made sure that the scooter riding pegasus was in sight.

While the extra time it took to get to Sweet Apple Acres annoyed the brash mare, seeing the welcome banner and fall colored party streamers that decorated the sparse space made Dash smirk amusedly.

(Ah Pinkie Pie, at least we can always tell when you're around the place. Better make sure my own supplies are in place too, heh heh heh.)

Fluttershy was a little worried to see the almost menacing smirk on her friend's muzzle but didn't get the chance to say anything as Rainbow zipped off after greeting the host; Applejack watched in curiosity at the speeding mare before turning back to the two other pegasi, both of whom still watched the blur blue speeding off.

“Howdy, thanks for comin'. The others are inside already, did ya want to come in or do ya need something else?” At the question, two sets of eyes looked to the farmer in sheepishness at having been distracted.

“Oh uhm, we can just go in.” Applejack nodded before looking to Scootaloo specifically.

“The other Crusaders are inside too, they're lookin' forward tah you joinin' us.” The young pegasus smiled before parking her scooter next to the barn and heading inside.

Fluttershy watched for a moment longer before looking at the farmer who seemed to be on edge about the dinner.

“Applejack, is, is everything alright? None of the animals are giving you trouble?” The orange mare smiled at the worry and shook her head, turning on the spot to lead the cream-yellow pegasus inside.

“Nah, none of the critters are givin' us any trouble; Ah just want tah make sure this here Harvest Feast goes well.” Fluttershy smiled at hearing that there wasn't any trouble while making a note to herself to make sure that Rainbow Dash didn't cause trouble that would upset their friend.

“I'm sure it will be fine and that everyone has fun, uh, if they want to...” Applejack smiled at the assurances and nodded before going to check on the food and their other friends, leaving the timid mare to stand near the entrance, gazing at the scene before her.

Even though it wasn't much later than 4pm, everypony was already there helping set up the tables as well as plates and utensils they would need; Pinkie seemed to be confused as to the nature of the event, throwing streamers and placing balloons all around the barn where they were going to use. Fluttershy ducked worriedly as the party pony hopped over to the door to greet the newest arrival.

“Hey Fluttershy! I saw Scootaloo come in already, now we just need Dashie!” Pinkie leaned forward precariously while Fluttershy crouched from the hyperness.

“Oh uh, I think Rainbow Dash is checking on something, she should be here soon....”

Before either could continue the conversation, the doors burst open to reveal the cyan pegasus they were just talking about.

“Everypony can relax, the most awesome of ponies has arrived!” The canary mare relaxed her stance while the pink mare grinned before leaping over.

“Hey Dashie!! Are you ready for the best Harvest Feast ever?!” Rainbow smirked and leaned to whisper into the excited mare's ear.

“Sure it's going to be the best, and I have a few 'insurances' to make sure it is the best.” Blue eyes widened before shifting side to side conspiratorially.

“Oooooh, I see, in that case, I better step up my own game!” With a bright smile to the pegaus, Pinkie hopped back to her marefriend to put a party hat on her before heading to the others and setting them up in style as well.

Fluttershy looked worriedly towards the two mares as they spoke just before the door before making her way over to the cyan mare once Pinkie continued on her way.

“Where, where did you go Rainbow?” Dash glanced towards the roof before looking at the cream-yellow mare with a smirk.

“Oh, uh, nowhere; I'm here now, so it's fine.” Before Fluttershy could comment further, Dash went into the barn to greet the others.

The Crusaders were in the corner discussing topics of grand importance (or so their stances belied), Rarity was standing by the table with a distracted gaze to the doorway while Twilight was trying to keep Pinkie's attention as she wanted to keep bouncing around the barn; at the call of the brash pegasus, everyone focused briefly to return her greetings before being distracted once more.

Applejack came back shortly after with news that it would be a little longer for the food, something that was a source of an annoyed groan from Rainbow.

“Oh come on, can't we at least get something to have for now?” Applejack rolled her eyes at the tone before nodding.

“Alright, alright, Ah'll see about getting somethin' for everypony tah drink; y'all just hang tight.” Rarity frowned at the suddenly retreating figure and stepped forward.

“Perhaps I could help darling?” The farmer blushed while looking towards the door.

“Oh er, sure Rarity; we'll just need tah grab some juice an' maybe a few treats tah tide us over.” The gray-white unicorn smiled and trotted over to the other mare before both went back to the main house, giving Dash plenty of time to begin to set up her pranks of the evening.

The cyan pegasus started with the rafters, since nopony would think to check there and before everyone settled and wondered where she went; once they were properly set, Dash dropped down and edged her way to where the cups and plates were stacked up as well as taking a better and closer look at some of the chairs.

None of the others really noticed the highly suspicious actions of the speedster since Pinkie Pie was trying to get the others to join her in song about the special holiday. Either because of her 'sense' or by pure chance, once Rainbow was finished the hyper earth pony grabbed her around the neck and swung her around as she sang. The pegasus didn't pay close attention since she was trying to see if any of her well laid traps were set off; one never knew when they would happen, all part of the surprise after all.

While Pinkie finished her song, Rarity and Applejack returned to be included in the very end; after sharing an amused smirk at the hyper mare's antics, they set their burdens onto the table in the center of the room. Once the impromptu number was done, they went to grab a drink to sooth dry throats.

As the cups were passed out, Dash held back her chuckles as she watched Twilight use her magic to pour Pinkie and herself some juice; it was to the lavender unicorn's complete surprise and panic that her cup began to leak the apple juice down her front.

Rainbow couldn't hold back her laughter, leaning against Pinkie who also laughed at Twilight's face and shock. The unicorn shot a disbelieving glance to the pair and levitated a napkin over to clean up the new mess while Applejack glared at the cyan pegasus.

“Rainbow, ya best behave...” The pranking mare shrugged before grabbing her own cup and taking a drink, keeping a close eye out of for any other traps that would hopefully be set off.

Once the mess was cleaned up, they settled down around the table which in turn set off the next prank the cyan mare had set up; as Rarity went to sit on the stool that had been provided to the group, one of the legs snapped off and threw the fashionista to the ground and rolling back, sending her into a panic of dirt and ruining her mane.

“Waaa ha ha ha-help!” The farmer threw herself to try and catch the unicorn, managing to stop her momentum only after she rolled a few times.

Once Applejack checked on the gray-white mare, she glared at the laughing pegasus who was banging a hoof on the table at the fashionista's expression when the stool gave out.

“Rainbow! Ya better not have some other pranks planned, it's not ah regular ol' party!”

“Yeah, yeah, relax, it's just harmless fun!” The farmer shook her head at the dismissive mare before making sure the fashionista was going to be alright.

Rainbow could barely contain her amusement at how well the prank went and cast her gaze to the rest of the room, trying to guess who would set off the next one. Fluttershy frowned lightly at the prismatic mare and made sure to keep a close eye on her; knowing Dash for as long as she has, the canary mare knew it wasn't over yet and tried to think of how to stop her.

The next half hour was quiet, especially since the multitudes of food finished and was soon brought out to be put on display, drawing many a drooling muzzle to gaze at the various apple-themed foods; one would think it would grow tiring, but with the help of traditional and old recipes, the food almost tasted different no matter how often apples appeared as the main ingredient.

The whole group sat down, with Granny Smith and Big Macintosh at either ends of the table, Applejack, Rarity, Spike, Twilight and Pinkie Pie on one side while Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy along the other; they had to use two tables to fit everyone but it made it feel much cozier and warm, having everyone be close helped to heat the otherwise chilly barn.

Just as they were about to start the meal, Applejack found a disturbance as she tried to eat with better manners than usual to appease the unicorn on her right; as she tried to shift the fork from her left hoof to right, the farmer found that it was attached firmly. She gave it a few quick jerks but found no change in it's hold on her and was only starting to suspect foul-play when Dash couldn't hold back a burst of giggles.

“Raaaiiinbooow...” The pegasus tried to speak through her laughter as the table ended up focusing on her.

“Heh heh, at least -giggle- you'll be able to, ha ha ha, eat with proper manners -HahaHA- now!” The orange earth pony was growling towards the laughing pegasus when Rarity caught her attention to help remove it; it was at this point, as everyone else turned back to their food, that Fluttershy tried to get her friend to behave.

“Rainbow, please be good....” The cyan mare frowned slightly at the pleading tone and glanced at the quiet mare.

“What? It's not like I'm hurting anypony, I'm just trying to liven up the meal.” Rainbow smirked as she stretched in place, flicking her wings over her shoulders and towards the food before grabbing just a regular apple from the center.

“Rainbow, you know that Applejack wants this night to go well, please don't do more pranks.” Dash frowned further before turning to the rest of the table while Fluttershy sighed quietly to herself.

(Oh, I hope she doesn't do anything else.... Everypony else wants this to go nicely... I want it to go well.... If only you didn't remember your father through pranks Rainbow Dash....)

Once everyone was settled and enjoying the meal, Rainbow smirked before starting a joke with Pinkie Pie.

“Hey, Pinks! Do you like sea-food?” The pink mare tilted her head at the question with a thoughtful frown.

“Not really, I mean, fish is a little fishy and crabs are just too cute and-”

“See! Food!” Rainbow knew to cut the hyper mare off early and merely stuck out her tongue that still had part of the meal she was eating on it; once Pinkie realized what was said she laughed and banged the table with a hoof.

“OooOoh! See-food! Oh oh! I want to try!” Twilight, who was on the party mare's right, rolled her eyes at the sudden enthusiasm and tried to put a stop to it.

“Pinkie, please don't-” She was cut off as the pink pony turned to face her with her tongue already out and a pile of mashed food on it.

“See food!” The lavender unicorn face-hoofed before trying to get her marefriend to focus and behave.

“Piinkkiiee! Please, be good, it's bad enough that Rainbow is encouraging you but-”

“GASP!!! Twilight, Twilight, your tongue is blue, your tongue is blue!” Pinkie finished her seefood and pointed to the lavender mare while shouting, grabbing everyone's attention as Twilight froze in place before sticking the offending appendage out and trying to see for herself.

“Oh darling, it is! What in the world caused it?! It doesn't match your coat at all!” Applejack rolled her eyes at the last sentence before looking closer to what was on the plate that may have caused it.

“Ain't nothing there that would turn yer tongue blue unless-”

“Bwahahahahahaha! You, you guys are hilarious!” The majority of the older ponies rolled their heads and eyes at the laughter, the reason for the color changing tongue becoming clear.

“RAINBOW!” Everyone (aside from the Cutie Mark Crusaders) yelled at the pegasus who smirked proudly with crossed hooves.

“Hey Pinkie, I bet it tastes just like the dark blue berries I used to make it change colors; you'll let us know later right?” Dash smirked at the hyper mare who frowned thoughtfully at the request before realizing how she would be able to taste what the color was and blushed at the suggestion; everyone else who knew of the relationship (that was still trying to be hidden from the town) glared silently at the cyan mare who merely smirked with an indifferent shrug.

Twilight shot one last glare at the pegasus before asking to visit a mirror to see what changes she could make with magic to set it back to normal; while the unicorn was gone the others tried to refocus on their meal but with more caution, having realized that Rainbow Dash wasn't going to stop her pranks anytime soon. To counteract this, the pranking mare behaved for a while, so the others wouldn't suspect it.

Fluttershy was trying to keep an eye on the Crusaders who were trying to fit as many peas into their mouth as possible (she wasn't sure how it was related to cutie marks) when she saw a cyan wing subtly move an air horn towards the fillies. Teal eyes widened as realization sank in and the timid mare took a deep breath before gathering her courage to stop Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy didn't want to disrupt everyone else, so she silently but firmly placed a hoof on the light-blue wing, pushing the horn away; Rainbow hadn't expected it and ended up setting it off by mistake, giving everyone a bit of scare, though none as startled as Fluttershy. At the sudden loud sound, the timid mare let out an eep of fright and swatted away the offending object, sending it soaring through the skies and into the rafters, hitting a well hidden bucket full of water which fell down onto the canary mare, soaking her completely.

The whole table froze in place while Fluttershy stayed still, the water dripping off her ears and mane; next to her, Dash was trying to hold back her laughter at the sight but the feeling died at the stare Fluttershy gave her. The quiet mare, after taking in everything that happened, turned to the pegasus and almost glared at her, disappointment coming off in waves.

“Rainbow Dash, you were asked to be good and not do anymore pranks.” The cyan pegasus noticed the awed look on Scootaloo's face at the awesome pranks and tried to act dismissive of the canary mare's words; a feat that was hard to do in the aftermath of the Stare, but she tried nonetheless.

“Phhfftt, it's just some harmless jokes...”

“No Rainbow, with that air horn you could have made someone choke on their food. Sometimes, pranks are not a good or harmless thing.” Rainbow frowned at the potential danger Fluttershy was referring to.

“Look, I know what I'm doing, everything would have been fine.” The cream-yellow pegasus merely looked at the other before shaking her head in frustration and heading outside, wanting to get away before she said anything mean in front of everyone else.

All of the others watched in concern as the timid mare quietly made her way out of the barn, while Rainbow tried to hide how much she was getting worried about what had just happened. While the rest of the group fell into bickering and stressing about how the evening wasn't going well for anyone (something that added to Dash's guilt, since a lot of the problem stemmed from her pranks), the pegasus merely poking at the food on her plate and not seeing the concerned and determined looks shared by the Crusaders to her left.

Fluttershy walked away from the barn, heading to the nearby orchard to surround herself with nature and some of the animals that lived there. She tried to not let what Rainbow was doing get to her personally, knowing exactly why she acted like that but couldn't help the hurt feelings that came from the annoyed look she received from her old friend.

(I don't think Dash realized what would have happened, she didn't want to seem wrong in front of the others..... But she didn't have to be so short with me, I was just trying to help...)

As she cuddled with various animals who came to check on her, Fluttershy noticed the three fillies sneaking out of the barn to head for the farmhouse. The shy pegasus frowned towards the sight of them before glancing to the barn where she could hear the sounds of arguing and stress, causing Fluttershy to flinch back against the tree.

Meanwhile, just as Rainbow was going to just to give in and find her oldest friend, she noticed the lack of three troublemaking fillies and paused in the middle of standing up.

“Where are the girls?” While it was a simple sentence, it drew absolute silence from the others who looked to the empty seats before taking in the situation.

“Is that... smoke!?!” Rarity put a hoof to her mouth in fright as her head whipped towards the door where the smell came, drawing everyone's attention.

In moments, the others rushed out the door and found smoke rising from the kitchen; everyone ran to the back door and burst in to find the three Crusaders trying to get something from the oven amid smoke and bits of flame that licked the sides.

While Rarity levitated the girls away from the oven in blind panic, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight and Rainbow Dash all used different methods to try and put out the fire simultaneously; while Applejack grabbed the fire extinguisher from under the sink, Pinkie grabbed a pitcher of water (from where, nopony knows), Twilight rapidly thought before turning on the facet and channeling the water to shoot to the oven while Rainbow decided it was too slow and busted the tap off to tunnel the gushing water with rapid hoof and wing work.

Within seconds of the combined methods, the fire was out and Twilight was repairing the sink faucet with a short glare at the now sheepish pegasus. As Granny Smith, Pinkie Pie and Twilight tried to air out the house, the others sat the girls down to find out what exactly happened.

“That was really dangerous! What if ya burnt down the house? Then we wouldn't have a place tah stay, what the hay were y'all tryin' tah cook anyways!?” Applejack grilled the fillies who stood dejectedly before the angry and worried glares.

“We just wanted everyone tah be happy again an' we were goin' tah make a nice cake for everyone.”

“But we wouldn't have enough time to let it cook normally, so we thought that if you turned up the heat it would cook it faster.” Rarity did a very undignified hoof-plant at these words and made a mental note to get Sweetie Belle proper cooking sessions.

“We're sorry, we didn't mean to almost burn down the house.” The girls all bowed their heads apologetically while the older mares looked on; Big Mac stopped glaring at his sister and her friends at the sound of apology and started to help clean up the kitchen.

“Siigh... It's ok to make mistakes, but the next time you guys want to cook, why don't you go and get one of ponies who can actually cook, alright?” Three heads nodded in agreement to this and the mares turned back to find the kitchen had been taken care of and properly cleaned.

As everyone left to return to the barn and the remains of their dinner, they found Fluttershy standing just beyond the doorway, peeking inside to find what had happened; it was silently conveyed to the brash pegasus that she should be the one to explain as well as make up to the timid one by way of glares and nods from the others.

Dash sighed in resignation before lagging behind so she could talk with the other pegasus, something that Fluttershy was weary about but curiosity won in the end.

“Rainbow...? What happened? Are the girls alright?” Rainbow slowly led the way back to the barn, while she glanced at her friend from the corners of her eyes.

“They're fine; they were trying to make a cake to get everyone happy again...”

“O-oh...” The cream-yellow scuffed a nervous hoof along the ground while peeking towards the other pegasus.

“.... I'm sorry about earlier...” The cyan mare paused in her slow trot halfway to the barn and sat suddenly as she tried to make it up to her friend; Fluttershy wasn't sure what to expect since Dash would normally brush off these kinds of things and remained silent as she sat next to her.

“... I was just trying to make the whole thing cooler...”

“But sometimes it doesn't have to be cool... It's ok to be normal or even happy...”

“Phhfff, sappy, who needs to be sappy all the time....” Fluttershy frowned briefly at the return of brushing away the more touching emotions before merely sighing and trying to get through to her anyways.

“It's ok to be happy about being with friends... Or sad when somepony you love goes away forever...” The cyan mare froze in place at the quiet words, staring at the ground as she scrambled to come up with a cover story.

“I know that's why you like doing so many pranks.... And sometimes, maybe it is a little fun, if others don't mind.... But, it's ok to be serious too....” Dash tried to ignore the swelling emotions and shrugged instead of trusting her voice to come out calm and nonchalant; Fluttershy noticed this attempt and placed a soft hoof on a cyan shoulder before giving her friend a way out of the conversation.

“... If you're still not ready to talk about it, that's ok... Just remember that I'm here if you need anything or want to talk...” The usually brash pegasus stayed silent while nodded once to show that she did hear the offer before starting for the barn once again.

The shy pegasus couldn't help but feel depressed that her friend still wasn't willing to talk about what had happened; though the thought that Rainbow might be somewhat closer to talking about it helped to lift her spirits as they rejoined the rest at the table.

Compared to how the first part of the evening went, things were rather calm since both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash tried to behave (they still cracked jokes, which were still kept to a minimum and often on the side). What really brought the night to another pause was when, near the end, Granny Smith felt the need to say the blunt truth about the hidden couple.

“Well Ah gottah say that y'all make fer interestin' dinner companions, an' you two make ah cute couple.” The older mare pointed with a hoof to Twilight and Pinkie Pie who froze at the words; Pinkie wasn't sure what the best reaction would be while Twilight crouched down in worry.

“Oh, uh, what do you-?”

“Oh nonsense! It's as obvious as ah golden delicious in pile o' almata apples, don't know why y'all were tryin' tah hide it.” The whole group (minus the Crusaders and Big Mac) wore sheepish looks while Granny Smith smirked at the couple.

“What do you mean, 'a cute couple'?” Scootaloo broke in with obvious confusion, looking from the two mares at the end to the oldest farmer, bringing even more bashful looks from the mares who knew what was going on.

Twilight glanced at her marefriend who stared back with encouragement in her eyes, willing to follow her lead with whatever she wanted to say.

“... Well, it means that Pinkie and I are dating; we just haven't really told anypony about it yet...”

“That ain't th' best way tah have a relationship! No good comes out of bein' more secretive than a bear in a beehive.” While the lavender mare hunched further at the light scolding, Pinkie sat up with a grin.

“We're just waiting for the right time to throw a 'Twipie Party' but we want it to be a surprise for everypony else, so could you keep it a secret until the party is ready?” Granny Smith raised a brow at the 'excuse' while Rainbow rolled her eyes at the 'party'; after a glance to find herself under scrutiny of the cream-yellow pegasus next to her, Rainbow merely resettled in place and kept the jokes to herself.

Fluttershy was curious to see if the cyan mare would make any kind of comment like she did when they first found out that two of their friends were dating but was mildly surprised and pleased when Rainbow remained silent on the topic.

As the evening was wrapping up, the youngest pegasus was among the first to leave the barn (after being sure to say goodbye to her idol) much to Fluttershy's disappointment; she had hoped they could find out where she was staying most of the time but didn't want to give chase since that would give away what she hoped to accomplished.

Dash didn't notice the hidden plan but realized that she may have to talk with Fluttershy anyways to be sure they were on good terms and offered to fly her home; something that the timid mare was happy to accept, hoping that they were going to perhaps talk about why the cyan mare was so focused on pranks.

While Fluttershy tried to fly with the expert flyer, she couldn't go too high and ended up just floating above the ground with Rainbow Dash flying relatively close by. Both remained silent for the the start of the trip, one unsure if something needed to be said while the other tried to think of how to start the conversation.

“Hey, um, Fluttershy?” Rainbow didn't notice the sudden focus of the canary pegasus as she continued to keep her gaze focused forward.

“We, we are good right? No hard feelings?”

“Oh Dashie, of course I'm not annoyed at you; I'm just worried about how far you are willing to take these 'pranks'...” Rainbow rubbed her right hoof along the left as she glanced to the opposite side while she realized that she wasn't going to be able to get out of the new direction of the conversation.

“... I know when to stop the jokes.” Fluttershy gave her friend a stern look, something that Dash could feel and sighed.

“... Ok, maybe I take them a little too far sometimes but you know I wouldn't want anypony to get hurt!”

“Yes, but you don't have to do pranks all the time... There are other ways to remember Bifröst...” Dash frowned sharply at this and paused in her flight to look sullenly at the other pegasus, causing Fluttershy to tip her ears back in nervousness.

The two pegasi remained mid-air as they stayed silent as both tried to think of what to say to break the awkward turn in conversation.

“Yeah, well, he liked pranks so it is the best way if you must know.” Rainbow crossed her hooves with a glare, being annoyed at having to take part of the conversation she really didn't want to.

“Well, uhm, holidays like today is a good way to do so; it is a holiday that is about family and friends after all.” Dash frowned at a reminder of how she avoided Harvest Feast for the past few years and even left the canary mare alone for the duration of those years.

“.... I know I've avoided taking part of Harvest Feast, and haven't really been around in the past few years but I just needed to get away.”

“It's ok, I'm glad you felt better enough to come back and that we were able to share this holiday with all our friends.” Fluttershy smiled gently to the other mare who smirked back briefly before turning serious once more.

“You know I'm not going to be going anywhere like that again right? Promise.” Dash bumped her hoof gently into a canary shoulder, it's owner smiling back softly at the brief display of emotion before the brash mare returned to normal and continued towards the grass covered cottage.

Fluttershy gave her friend a brief nuzzle once they arrived which earned a blush and dismissive wave before they went their separate ways for the night.

Author's Notes:

My gosh was this a long one! No one is going to see the whole meal (from everyone's sides) unless you read the other stories (you don't have to, it's more of if you want to see why the others were so worked up).

Also, I have no idea why Pinkie is just singing at this meal, I was just writing when she came along and started singing (I don't even know of what yet, I have to make the lyrics myself most likely) . Same with the Crusaders, I was just writing how Dash was looking towards them and I find they're trying to earn food stuffing cutie marks or something

The creation of Harvest Feast is credited to Gwg who made it for one of my earlier stories, Perfect Pitch (since I was just trying to be lazy and he called me out on it, as well as giving a relatively sound holiday for the world of Equestria).

VII (FS/RD)- Trials of the usual kind

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Early December, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

After the almost disastrous Harvest Feast two weeks ago, Rainbow Dash was looking forward to relaxation; being so close to winter, most of the weather was supposed to be cloudy. In fact, those who work in the weather factory had the most work, something that as a field operative, Dash didn't envy in the slightest.

After taking a before noon nap on a cloud near her floating home, the cyan mare was about to head to town when she noticed that she received a letter.

(That's odd, who'd be mailing me? Oh, maybe it's the Wonderbolts finally admitting that I'm awesome and want me to join! Or maybe my acceptance letter for the Wonderbolts Academy!)

With a sudden fever, the pegasus pulled out the mail and opened it without checking who it was from. After she read the first few lines, her excitement drained away into annoyance at the bland tedious work that was promised in the letter. With a huff at how this ruined the day of relaxation, Rainbow took to the skies while holding the letter securely in her mouth, heading towards a grass covered cottage nearby.

Fluttershy was just finishing hoofing out lunch to all the creatures that stopped by her house, most of the meal was heavy on the proteins and fats that would be needed for hibernation for the animals that would be sleeping the winter away. She had just set the last plate down when a knock sounded from her door.

Once she opened the door, it was to her surprise to find an already annoyed cyan pegasus with a letter in hoof; with a slight frown, Dash hoofed over the mail with a roll of her eyes.

“Hey Fluttershy, I got a letter from Vinyl Scratch saying that we'll be needed to help with the trial about that orphanage.” Teal eyes widened at the mention of a trial while Fluttershy opened the letter to see for herself.

Rainbow tried not to fidget as much while her friend read the letter, eyes darting back and forth before looking up at the brash pegasus.

“Oh, uhm, thank you for telling me Rainbow Dash; I'll make sure to set aside time to go...” The canary pegasus trailed off when she saw another eye roll from the other pegasus.

“Ugh, this is going to be so boring... We'll have to take the train again, won't we?” At the timid nod, Dash hung her head with sigh.

“Fine...! I'll make sure that I got time off from work as well, but this better not take too long; it sounds like it's going to be a lot of pointless arguing and talk...” Fluttershy hid behind her mane as she clarified what exactly it was going to be like.

“Well, we have to make sure that everypony gets a fair chance to talk and present their case and then they'll have to decide if it's true...” Her already quiet voice trailed into nothingness at the deadpan from Dash at the exact example she was thinking.

With a last annoyed look at the timid mare, Rainbow stepped back from the doorway and prepared to take to the skies to enjoy what freedom she could before having to go and present their case.

“Alright, I'll see you around. We'll talk about when we'd need to leave later...” Fluttershy nodded as Dash zoomed off, understanding that the free flying mare wanted to feel the wind through her mane before having to deal with harder issues.

(It's not always easy Dashie, but sometimes we have to deal with the hard things in order to enjoy the better ones... Hopefully this can help show you that...)

That winter, the six friends had been invited to perform the traditional Hearth's Warming Eve play at Canterlot Castle, a great honor that went almost flawlessly. Two days after they returned home, the two pegasi found a court summons waiting for them stating that their trial will start the morning of January 22nd, meaning that they will have to stay the night before in order to be there on time since the trial was to take place in the city of Manehatten, a six hour trip from Ponyville.

When it was a few days before the trail, the two pegasi made sure their friends knew they were going to be gone for two days, much to their confusion; they hadn't told anyone what was going on so that Scootaloo didn't catch wind of it and panic. They simply stated that they had to leave town and prepared travel bags for a few nights stay, in case it went longer than they hoped.

The morning that they were to leave, Rainbow came by Fluttershy's cottage in slight annoyance of having to help present their case only to find the animal care-taker fretting over the dozing creatures; Angel was trying to push his owner towards the door only to fail as Fluttershy held a hoof to her muzzle in worry.

At the sound of knocking, the bunny was distracted long enough for the canary mare to rush around the room once more to make sure everyone was comfortable. After rolling his eyes, Angel went to answer the door to reveal Dash who grew even more annoyed at how obsessive the other pegasus was being.

“Fluttershyyy! The sooner we go, the sooner we can get this over with and the sooner you can get back to, uh, whatever it is you're doing. Can we go already?” At the sound of the cyan mare, Fluttershy glanced over and paused in her frantic scrambling to bashfully scuff a hoof along the ground.

“O-oh, hello Dashie... I was just making sure that everyone would be ok while I'm gone, I wouldn't want them to have their sleep disturbed...” Angel resumed his pushing, something that was noticed by the impatient mare as a sign that things were probably fine and Fluttershy was overreacting.

“Well, who are you leaving in charge while we're gone?”

“Oh, well, the girls said they would check on them and Angel Bunny knows where everything is should something happen.. But what if no one is able to come and he can't reach the emergency supplies and then-”

“Fluttershy! Look, I'm sure the others will have everything covered just fine. Can we please just go and get this over with?” Fluttershy crouched in worry at the annoyed tone of the other pegasus and stepped away from the small critters who had sleepily opened an eye to see if there was something wrong before returning to their slumber; the timid mare could easily guess why Rainbow Dash was so annoyed and didn't want to upset her further.

“O-oh, yes, uhm, ok... Be good Angel, I'll be back in a few days ok?” The white bunny nodded and hugged the back hoof he had been pushing against before waving both paws for the pegasi to leave.

As the timid pegasus fetched her saddlebags for the trip, she could hear the impatient tapping that came from near the door and tried to pick up her pace which only resulted in Fluttershy tripping down the stairs. Once she landed, she looked up from the floor to find herself in front of Rainbow who had her eyes covered with a hoof in disbelief at what happened.

“Ugh... Sigh, are you alright?” Dash tried to remain impassive while Fluttershy stood, nodding mutely.

“Alright, let's get going.” The brash pegasus didn't wait before taking to the air and gliding towards the train station, knowing that it would take her slower friend a few moments to lock her home and catch up.

Rainbow had only had to deal with the court system once before and wasn't expecting a better experience this time either; knowing that it meant other foals would be safe and hopefully in better hooves was the only thing this trial had going for it in Dash's eyes.

(I bet Scoot is going to be even more impressed when we get to tell her how she doesn't have to watch for the mean ol' hack any longer... Alright, so here I am at the train station, where the hay is Fluttershy?)

The pegasus landed and glanced around, even scanning the skies for the cream-yellow mare before finding her target trying to politely make her way through the morning commuters.

“Oh, sorry, excuse me, par-pardon me...” Another groan escaped Dash's muzzle as she wiped her face slowly with a hoof before stomping over and creating a pathway through for the shy pegasus.

“Come on... Why didn't you fly over top of them?”

“Oh, uh, I-I uh...”

“Sigh, never mind...” Cream-yellow ears tipped back in nervousness at the obviously annoyed pegasus and wondered briefly what was causing it; Fluttershy tried to ask but couldn't be heard over the din of the other travelers.

She was able to finally get the cyan mare's attention after they had settled into their private compartment, though it was more because of Dash questioning what the squeaks were supposed to be.

“I can't hear you...”

“O-O-Oh, uh, well, I-I was wondering what was wrong? Are, are you sick or need help?” Rainbow frowned at the question and the single eye that peered out of a pink mane.

“Nothing's wrong, I'm fine, everything is fine. What makes you say that?” Fluttershy flinched before gazing even closer at the other pegasus, noticing how she seemed even more on edge and restless.

“Well, you are, uhm, restless? And you, seem to be upset about something?” Flutterhsy watched the cyan mare's reaction, noting how she went from annoyed to shocked only to return to being annoyed and dismissive.

“There's nothing wrong.” The canary mare fell silent as she pondered her friend's sudden unease; it wouldn't be very good if they went to a demanding trial only for Dash to be annoyed and short with the lawyers and judge.

(Oh Rainbow, I know there is something wrong, I can tell... But what would be making you so worried? We haven't been to Manehatten before; well, maybe you have but you've never been this concerned when going someplace new... Maybe the trial? But she wouldn't have any kind of issue with that either, she likes to help others... Was there a time when she had to go to court? No, not really-gasp... There may have been one time that she had to deal with the court system... Oh Rainbow Dash, maybe this time I can get you to talk about it...)

As Fluttershy came to the realization of what may be the cause of the anxiety of the other mare, she briefly crouched lower in worry before standing up and going over to sit next to the cyan mare who looked back dubiously.

“Fluttershy, what's-?”

“You won't be alone in the courts this time Rainbow, I'm here. And it won't be like the last time you went to a courthouse; we'll be making it better for a foal with no family, not worse.” Rainbow stiffened in place as an image of a cold gray room with a sadly frowning pegasus stared who pointed out that there was nopony who could take in a fifteen year old pegasus.

Fluttershy could guess what caused the forlorn and dark gaze of the usually bold pegasus and leaned into her side with an additional nuzzle to try and help her friend.

“It's going to be ok Dashie... I understand it was a lot to take in at the time and that's why you had to leave, but we have to make sure Scootaloo doesn't have to go back to a worse situation than she's already in...” Dash frowned at the pain she heard from her old time friend and noticed that it was now the cream-yellow mare's turn to be lost in memories, most likely of a time that lacked a rainbow maned pegasus as she looked to the other side of the compartment with glazed eyes.

The brash mare felt the opening to have the topic remain on the filly they were traveling for, but felt that she had to try and explain herself to relive some of the guilt at leaving her best friend behind.

“..... It would have hurt more to stay...” Fluttershy wasn't sure if she should be happy at the chance to discuss the past or sad that her consolation and comfort mattered so little when it first happened; she opted to try and remain neutral to see if she could get more from her old friend about it.

“I would have helped...” A stab of pain ran through Rainbow as she twitched slightly to the statement before subconsciously leaning to the other mare slightly in return.

“I know you would have 'Shy, but you already had so little, I didn't want to make it worse by having to deal with my problems too.”

“That's what best friends do though; if something were to happen to one of the girls, like.... Applejack; if Applejack ran away from home because she had some kind of problem, would you let them?”

“Of course not! I'd want them to let us help and we'd get over the problem together just like we have before!” Fluttershy leaned forward at these words (words she knew Dash would respond with) and stared at her with an iron gaze, wanting to get the stubborn mare to realize how she was being hypocritical.

“And I want you to let me help you get over the problem like we used to do, together!” Rainbow leaned back from the sudden fierceness of the usually timid mare, realizing the trap that was laid and how she wasn't being fair to either one of them.

“I couldn't! I-I felt so trapped and weighed down with everything that I just had to leave! If I had gone to you about it, I may have had to live there too! Sure, it wasn't a bad orphanage, and you made it sound great, but it wasn't for me... None of that was; I was meant to fly free and to be the best flier of Equestria!” Dash tried to keep her voice from wavering as she felt the pressure of a different kind of stare that Fluttershy was able to do; one that had always made her try and behave during the boring and dull hours of school as well as not fighting with the colts that tried to make their lives difficult.

“... But Rainbow, having to stay with somepony else that wasn't family wouldn't have changed that....” Dash felt another pang of guilt as she was compelled to continue on by the dejected gaze of the other mare.

“Yes it would have...”

“You don't know-”

“Yes, I do know and it would have!” Rainbow Dash became almost frantic as she recalled how soft and compliant she had been while being close friends with Fluttershy; knowing that it was because of the animal-loving mare and that if she had gone to her in such a time of need, she would have become a drastically different mare than she had been to that point and wanted to be.

Fluttershy felt this sudden panic and worriedly watched the prismatic mare gazing back with wide fearful eyes at what could have happened had she went to her friend for help with the passing of her father; the quieter mare wasn't sure what brought this anxiety and frowned sadly as Dash remained silent.

After a few more moments of the two looking back at one another in sadness, the cyan mare decided to break the sudden tension with a hopeful tone.

“Besides, I'm sure you were fine while I was gone...” Rainbow trailed off at the almost deadpan from the other pegasus who then sighed in resignation.

“Dumb-bell, Hoops, and Score didn't leave even if you did Rainbow... You know how I am with bullies, especially those three...”

“Oh come on, surely you made some new friends...?” Fluttershy was slowly growing annoyed at how very oblivious Dash was trying to act like, especially since they had been extremely close friends and the rainbow maned pegasus knew how much worse her timidness was when she was younger.

“No Rainbow Dash, you know why I had so much trouble making new friends... High School was very hard to do by myself, especially since nopony else moved away and they knew that I was on my own... My animal studies was the one thing that kept me going when it should have and would have been you...” Fluttershy saw the hurt in cerise eyes as her own teal ones widened in shock before trying to make the pain the usually bolder mare was in go away.

“O-oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I mean, uhm, I-I... I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, please, don't be mad at me...” The canary pegasus curled up on her seat while the blue one tried to steady herself once more before trying to fix this thing that caused their friendship to be strained.

“It's-it's ok Fluttershy... I, I shouldn't have just left like that, and I'm not going to do something like that again... I'm also going to make sure this time, the squirt doesn't have to worry about what the courts decide.” Fluttershy slowly removed her hooves from covering her face and gazed in worry to the other pegasus who stared determinedly out the window before briefly smirking to the crouching mare; something that got a small smile in return as well as a quick nuzzle of thanks.

The rest of the six hour trip went by in silence, both mares content to ponder the past and possible future. Rainbow Dash usually only liked the silence that came with napping but Fluttershy seemed to give off a special kind of quiet, one that seemed peaceful and relaxing.

In what seemed like very little time, the two friends arrived at the city by the sea; the two musicians had already set up the hotel that they would stay at in order to make it easier on the two pegasi. It was in one of the average types (if there was such a thing in the high end city), and they were quickly shown to their shared room on the fourth floor.

While there was two beds in the center of the dark red themed room, Fluttershy grew concerned even at this height and was quietly relieved when Rainbow gave her the bed closest to the door (and far away from the big windows on the far wall). The two friends had shared a room while at Flight Camp, doing so again wasn't troubling in the least for the duo.

The trials would start early in the morning but since they got there just after noon, the two mares had plenty time to adjust after having traveled so far and to share a meal with the two musicians before they were to meet the lawyer Vinyl had gotten to help their case. After relaxing the afternoon away, the two pegasi went to the cafe to meet the others which was conveniently close to their hotel.

The supper was a simple affair in a rustic oldies cafe and while Dash was at ease in most situations and locations, Fluttershy crouched nervously with her back to the wall. She smiled timidly whenever the brash mare glanced over but resumed trying to remain inconspicuous during the meal; it helped that the two louder mares had taken to a 'better than you' contest, leaving the quieter and less volatile mares in a zone of quiet.

“How have you two been doing?” Octavia peered over to the canary mare who flinched slightly before trying to respond.

“Oh, uhm, we've, we've been doing well... Have-have you as well?” The light-gray mare smiled and glanced over towards her marefriend who was currently arguing almost too loudly about the craziest stunt they had ever done before.

“Yes, we've been doing ok as well... Dealing with this orphanage has troubled Vinyl at times, but we'll make it through just fine. How was your winter? I assume that being pegasi, this kind of weather is easier to take care of?” Fluttershy glanced towards the others before returning her gaze to the classical musician with a worried frown.

“O-oh, uhm, no, well, I mean, yes, but I-I help take care of animals... Rainbow is the captain of the weather team, she does more with the weather than I do.”

“Sure do! I'm the awesomest captain in Equestria and this time of year is the best; most days are cloudy, we just have to be sure it doesn't get too cold too soon... But don't let Fluttershy down play what she does, she takes care of lots of animals and, uh, stuff...” Rainbow trailed off as her mind came up blank as she thought of what she's seen her friend do; while bragging about her abilities as a weather mare was easy, she remembered how Fluttershy was nervous about having a job (and talent) that wasn't very usual for a pegasus. The quiet mare had gotten better in recent years about this fear, but old habits were hard to break for Dash, especially considering the topic they spoke of earlier in the day.

Octavia watched the cream-yellow mare curiously as she blushed at the 'rescue' while Vinyl poked fun at Rainbow's attempt at covering for her friend; a light-gray brow rose with interest as she saw the hidden and guarded gaze of the pegasus who watched her friend with a small smile at the usual excited behavior from Dash.

As the young DJ taunted the brash pegasus further, the earth pony drew Fluttershy's attention with a soft phrase and small smile.

“I see... And does she also not know of how you feel?” Fluttershy stiffened while her mind went blank at the subtle question that, out of context and if one was oblivious, would seem simple and unoffensive.

“What do-oh uh, I don't- we aren't-it's, it's not-” Octavia felt bad for the other mare as she stuttered, something that almost drew Dash's attention (and worry) before she communicated with her marefriend silently, asking for a distraction so Fluttershy could recover. Vinyl had long since learned silent communication and nodded subtly before laughing sharply at the prismatic mare.

“Ha! I bet that Cloud Kicker gives you a headache anytime on duty huh? She's too much for you to handle right?” Vinyl smirked at the surprised face of Dash before it settled into annoyance.

“Bah, Cloud is fine if she can focus; luckily she has her marefriend to keep her on track.”

The two others waited for the brasher mares to become wrapped up in their own conversation before starting to speak once again.

“I'm sorry if I surprised you, I was merely curious if you were a couple as well. Please, excuse my words and thoughtlessness.” Fluttershy peered out from behind her pink bang, trying not to look at the pegasus beside her least she give more away than she already has.

“O-oh, no, it's-it's ok... Uhm, if you don't mind, please don't say anything; she doesn't know and I-I'm not ready to say anything...” Octavia nodded slowly before shifting her gaze to the white unicorn next to her.

“I waited to say how I felt and it almost made everything worse; luckily we were able to talk about how we felt for one another before drastic measures were taken. I hope you do not have something similar happen to you two.” The animal-loving pegasus smiled sadly as she also looked to the others before gazing to the light-gray mare briefly.

“...I've hidden these feelings since the day we met... It was hard sometimes, but I wouldn't want to trouble her...” Before Octavia could refute or comfort, Rainbow had gotten tired of not knowing why Fluttershy was sad and nervous and turned to her with a sharp tone.

“Seriously, is something wrong? Is this other mare bothering you? Vinyl, get your marefriend to behave, Fluttershy has enough things to be scared of and she's bugging her.” The unicorn raised a single brow before laughing briefly with a shake of her head.

“Sorry, can't control her and wouldn't want to try; threatens our fun nights if you get my meaning.” Octavia face-hoofed while Fluttershy blushed at the implied activities; Rainbow looked on in confusion before shrugging.

“Fine, whatever. We going to meet with that lawyer soon or what?” The others stared curiously at the sudden change of topic but nodded all the same, paying for the simple meal before heading out and traveling down the street to a business skyscraper; the lawyer they sought had a whole floor level to himself and his business, meaning the four ponies only had to reach the fifth floor to find it.

Once they entered the large light blue offices, they went over the plan for the next few days. While they used the fact that the two pegasi were bearers of the Elements of Harmony to get a faster court date, the role they played was small considering the amount of testimonials they were getting from orphans who had lived in that particular orphanage, making it relatively simple for what was needed to be done.

What irked Dash was that they would most likely have to stay for the whole thing to be sure nothing went wrong. After speaking with the lawyer and the meeting was adjourned, Rainbow felt the urge to fly, having spent most of her time inside; she needed to feel the wind in her mane and away from everything that was trying to weigh her down.

Fluttershy was surprised and proud that the speedster had been so quiet about this need and made her peaceful way back to their hotel while the cyan mare took to the world above the ground; Rainbow Dash didn't wait to say goodbye to anyone as she took off, soaring rapidly through the skies and weaving in between the tall buildings.

For well over ten minutes, the pegasus didn't think of anything, flying on instinct alone to relieve the claustrophobic feeling of being inside all day. Before long the pure flying allowed for her mind to wander to the conversation she had with the DJ moments ago, disrupting her almost peacefully settled mind.

(“You two sure seem close” my flank! We're best friends, why wouldn't we be? I mean, we've known each other for years.....!

“... Keeping a close eye on her”?!? She's too timid for her own good, of course I'd be keeping a close eye for her! Best friends watch out for one another!

Who does that DJ think she is?! Why did she keep mentioning keeping an eye out for someone wanting to 'take her'...? Why am I even thinking or worrying about this?! Grrr, forget it! And the best way to forget it is to go as fast as I can!)

With a muted growl at how the white mare's teasing words riled her, Dash sped up as she added more aerial tricks to her flight, trying to tire herself out to prevent such thoughts. Once thoroughly exhausted, Rainbow started back for the hotel they were staying at, taking only a moment to find it and landing softly before heading inside to go upstairs to their shared room.

After knocking softly (so she didn't surprise Fluttershy too badly), Rainbow entered once Fluttershy opened the door and went for the shower after having worked up a sweat while the canary mare returned to her bed, staring at the moon that was slowly crossing the sky out their window. Fluttershy could tell that Dash was still annoyed about something but stayed silent to give the cyan mare her space, something that Rainbow appreciated as she wanted nothing more than to sleep off the teasing that rang in her ears.

The next morning was bright and sunny for a winter morning, something that drew ire from the weather mare as she realized it would be a great day to fly and she was stuck inside a stuffy courthouse. The two friends made their way through the city towards the center where all the official buildings were and found the musicians as well as many others waiting at the foot of the stairs leading to a two storied building with pillars along the front and the main doors in the center that had guards on either side to keep the peace should any of the disputes grow too wild.

Considering how many had came to testify against Hannigan and the orphanage, the group got the second largest court room, with over ten rows of hard wooden seats and a place for twelve jurors to sit as they listened to testimonials; the judge's seat was a pony's height above everyone, allowing him to stare firmly down at the two sides. While everyone took their places, the two pegasi noticed that Hannigan had found a wimpy looking pale-olive green unicorn who wore square glasses and a black tie that wasn't sitting properly to represent her; the defense lawyer looked even worse when compared with the lawyer Vinyl Scratch had gotten, a dignified dark blue-gray unicorn who wore a white collar and small black tie.

Once the dark-purple earth pony judge sat down, he looked to his assistant, a pale-mulberry pegasus, who sat at a typewriter ready to take record of the following events. Once she nodded back that she was set up, the judge looked at the two sides as equally as possible.

“Honorable Judge Justice residing, with typist Proper Notes taking record of the proceeding. Is the jury in place and ready to start?” At the nod of the leader, the judge nodded as well before looking to the prosecution, where Vinyl, Octavia and their lawyer sat; the two pegasi sat with the other testimonials in the seats behind the wooden fence that separated the main focus from the rest of the crowd.

“If the prosecution is ready to give their opening statement?”

“We're ready your honor! We gather everypony here today about the appalling conditions and standards of Hudson Side Orphanage, under the jurisdiction of Hannigan Heartsoother....” Rainbow groaned softly as it continued much like she expected: slow and boring.

The prosecution built their case from the earliest years possible to recent times, with the two pegasi among the last to be examined as the most recent 'standards' of the orphanage. Rainbow allowed her mind to wonder, staring at nothing in particular and everything at once before focusing on the pegasus on her right who was crouching ever lower as she was trapped in her own mind of fright and terror.

(Oh, everypony is counting on us to be the last ones speaking and our testimonies would prove that nothing changed but what if no one hears me? There's too many eyes, too many ponies watching, waiting, judging what we say..... They'll never hear me, and then it would look bad on Mr. Wright who was so kind to help us and they might decide that things did change because they can't hear me and there's too many eyes and then poor Scootaloo may have to hide for the rest of her life and everyone is watching and-)

“Hey, Fluttershy, snap out of it.” At the soft reprimand, the canary pegasus glanced from behind her mane to find Rainbow frowning at her as she crouched lower to be heard as she tried to be quieter than usual.

“Come on, I know that it's boring and all, but you have to get a grip.” Fluttershy merely shivered in place as a single watery teal eye looked at the prismatic mare.

“Sigh, look, if you want, I can go up with you and help, ok?”

“I-I don't think they would let you come up with me when it's my turn to talk...”

“Phsstt, it'll be fine. Now relax, my turn's coming up soon and then we can get your turn out of the way and everything will be over.” Fluttershy nodded slowly and sat up once more, focusing on the defense attorney who seemed aggravated at having to try and get a positive or any kind of answer that would work in Hannigan's favor.

Moments later, it was time for the second to last testimony to step up and Fluttershy felt the emptiness of the seat next to her as Dash sat on the witness stand. In her hazy terror-filled mind, the timid mare couldn't focus on what Dash was saying even though she knew what happened since she was there with the cyan mare when it took place.

With a pleased smirk at how badly it was going for the defense, Dash hopped off the stand and glanced over to see her oldest friend crouching once more in fear.

“Sigh, oh Fluttershy... What are we going to do with you...?” Dash mutely muttered to herself before stepping over to nudge the other mare out of her daze and nodded towards the stand where she was being called to.

As Fluttershy made her hesitant way to the front, the cyan pegasus followed closely to the confusion to everyone present; once they had taken a seat on the witness stand together, the judge was frowning at the display while the defense attorney was trying to make a case of dismissing the witnesses based on it.

“Objection! Your honor, there cannot be two witnesses! I move that we strike their statements from the record due to inappropriate behavior in court!” The judge and prosecution glared at the meek unicorn who tried to seem firm on this one stance.

“Overruled and your motion denied.” The defense attorney seemed to wilt at the annoyed look of the judge who then turned this face to the two mares on his left.

“Now what in sam's hill are you two think you're doing? There can only be one witness at a time.” Fluttershy crouched in fear at the stern gaze while Dash merely stared back in determination.

“I'm just sitting, you got a problem with that?” This brash statement drew a shocked gasp from everyone aside from the judge while Fluttershy sat up to gently scold her friend.

“Rainbow, you shouldn't say it that way.” Nopony heard this aside from the prismatic mare who shrugged and offered no apologies for her behavior, while the judge watched curiously.

“... So long as you continue to 'just sit there', then I shall overlook this one instance only in respect for what you two have done for this country. Continue with the proceeding.” Dash relaxed slightly as her bravo paid off and allowed her to sit with the timid mare as they both watched the prosecution step forward to ask them questions.

“Would you please state your name, occupation and where you live for the court records?”

“I'm Fluttershy... I take care of animals and live in Ponyville...” Rainbow rolled her eyes while everyone leaned forward, trying to hear what the quiet mare was saying; with a mental sigh at the lengths she was willing to help her friend with her fright, the cyan mare spoke for her instead of waiting for a repeat of the quiet answer.

“Her name is Fluttershy and she takes care of animals while living in Ponyville.” The judge raised a disbelieving brow at how the brash pegasus answered in her friend's stead while the defense lawyer's eyes shrank as he tried to think of a way to turn it around.

“And how did you become involved in this situation?”

“I-I know one of the fillies that went to the orphanage and wanted-wanted to see what I could do for her...”

“'I know one of the fillies that went there and wanted to help'.” Dash 'translated' with a bored voice, wishing that Fluttershy would speak louder but couldn't try to encourage her in the middle of a courtroom; the fact that the timid mare was speaking too quietly and had the brash pegasus speak in her stead brought more frowns from the crowd, though the defense now had a smile at a possible way to stop the witness.

“... I see, and were you on the 10th of November, year 1002 AD around 6pm?”

“I was in Manehatten, trying to see what-what kind of orphanage it was and-and took pictures of it...”

“'I was in Manehatten trying to find out what kind of orphanage it was and took pictures of how bad it was'-”

“Objection! Your honor, how do we know that Ms. Rainbow Dash isn't influencing or even changing what Ms. Fluttershy is saying?!” The judge nodded slowly as he glared down at the duo who looked back, one in a daring manner while the other did so frighteningly.

“The defense is correct; we need to hear Ms. Fluttershy speak, not you Ms. Dash. You are to go back to your seat if we are to continue this trial.” Rainbow frowned but knew that if she pushed the matter it may end up worsening their cause; as she stood up, she leaned over quickly to try and give one last encouragement to the nervous mare, though she kept her voice loud enough that everyone could hear so they wouldn't be able to claim that she was tampering with the testimony.

“You have to speak up; remember, it's for Scoot's sake. I'll be right over there, and I won't let anypony hurt you, ok? You just have to speak louder.” With one last encouraging and an iron glance at her friend, Rainbow went to sit down and gave her friend an encouraging wing flap to motion her to continue with the testimony.

As the cyan mare left the stand, Fluttershy took a deep breath and imagined that the room was empty of all except for herself, Rainbow, and the lawyer talking at the time, trying to gather her courage in the lessening of watchful stares and stress of impressing ponies who would judge the situation. It also helped that her usual protector had promised to keep her safe, like she had done for many years before.

The weathermare watched proudly as the usually timid mare sat up and looked only at the lawyer who posed his questions, stating the fact that proved that nothing had changed in the conditions of the orphanage. While Fluttershy was still unable to bring her volume up to an average pony's, she was able to be heard by those in the immediate area which was all that mattered.

Once all the testimonials were finished and the closing statements given, the jury went into a separate room to deliberate. The judge remained at his seat, watching the two pegasi 'talk', curious at having met the actual heroes of the return of Nightmare Moon and Discord's return fame and finding their personalities much different than expected. The two friends paid little attention to the extra attention while Rainbow Dash tried to assure Fluttershy that she did really well and didn't make everything worse.

The sound of an opening door caused the entire room to fall into silence almost drastically as everyone looked to the jurors who's leader stood and faced the judge with their decision.

“We have discussed the facts presented and find the plaintiff guilty of all charges.” The pale-gray judge nodded his agreement and banged his gavel on his desk.

“Then the sentence is set to seven years in a correctional facility where she is to either be rehabilitated or to learn a new trade where she will be monitored in case of relapse while the orphanage in question is to be closed, with all its residences to be placed in foster care, adopted or relocated to a better facility that passes an inspection. Any and all runaways will be found and taken to the new facility, unless they are spoken for and placed in the guardianship of a pony in their current location. And should Hannigan Hearthsoother ever reappear in these courts for abuse of foals, I will personally see to it that she will get a life-time sentence; the kind of abuse that these foals went through is unacceptable and should never be underestimated of the everlasting harm they suffer because of it. Court is now adjourned.”

The prosecution and all the witnesses brought to testify smiled as they stood, glad that their nightmares and the nightmares of the orphans currently in Hagginan's care was over. Rainbow in particular was pleased that she was able to help keep the young pegasus out of her abuser's grip and wore a proud smirk while Fluttershy frowned in thought beside her.

“Alright! We did it, now the squirt won't have to worry about that old hack and we can go back home... I can't believe that it took all day just to get through the testimonies! Sheesh, I'll need to fly for hours before stepping back inside someplace.... Fluttershy?” Rainbow realized that she didn't have a cream-yellow shadow and turned to find her standing near where Mr. Wright was talking with Octavia and Vinyl about what they would have to do now.

The cyan mare frowned briefly before stepping closer to the other pegasus who looked back in worry.

“Rainbow... What about Scootaloo?”

“What about her? She doesn't have to worry about being caught and brought back to that totally uncool place anymore.”

“Yes, but they said that they would have to find all the runaways and take them to a new orphanage...” Dash frowned deeply at the quiet reminder and went over the exact ruling in her mind, soon realizing that the timid mare was right and the only thing that had changed was where Scootaloo would end up once caught.

The cyan mare slumped in place with a sigh before trudging back towards where the lawyer was, flicking an ear towards the animal care-taker in passing.

“Alright, alright, fine. Let's see what else we need to do then...” Fluttershy smiled before trotting along with a slight skip in her step, pleased at how she hadn't needed to argue with the brash mare for long in order to get her to focus on finishing what was started with helping in this case.

The two pegasi waited for the first conversation to finish before questioning the lawyer, with the two musicians curiously waiting nearby.

“Hey, look, we know one of the runaways and she wants to stay where she is and not go back to an orphanage. What would it take to let her stay out of those places?” The dark blue-gray unicorn raised a single brow at the question, wondering if the rainbow maned pegasus actually didn't know the only options available.

“The only fail-safe way to have this 'runaway' stay where she is is to adopt her or take her into custody by becoming her guardian; if the foal is over ten years in age, they must give consent to the proposition either way.” Rainbow slumped a little further while considering how this meant more forms and dealing with officials before it was all behind her; with another weary sigh, she held out a hoof to the lawyer who stared back curiously.

“Alright, do you have any of those 'guardianship' forms on hoof? When would I need to submit them?” The three watchers smiled, knowing that Scootaloo would be pleased to hear that she wouldn't have to go back to an orphanage while the lawyer smiled at the great reluctance shown and levitated the forms needed from a stack nearby.

“Are you sure? It's a big responsibility, you would have to make sure that she is well care for and maintain a proper standard of living and education.”

“Yeah, yeah, just hoof them over and I'll take care of the rest... Come on Fluttershy, I guess we don't have much else to do here now...” The canary pegasus grinned at the other before following to exit the courthouse to pick up their bags from the hotel.

Dash was tempted to take to the air once again but held off since she had a stack of papers in wing and didn't want to spend more time gathering them all up. Once they had their saddlebags and checked out of the hotel, they made their way to the train station, both deep in thought about the things that would need to be done when they got home.

Rainbow Dash was trying to think of anyone else who would be able to take legal guardianship of the young pegasus but knew that Scootaloo didn't want to have some unknown or even most known ponies trying to care for her; the argument with Derpy that happened last August came to mind, when the orange filly panicked at the concern and caring shown when it came to her well being only to lash out before running away, to be brought back by the speedster to apologize to the mailmare.

(Well, I know the squirt fancies me as a hero, maybe she wouldn't mind if I did became her 'legal guardian'? I mean, I'm already trying to watch out for her and Cheerilee reports any school issues to me now... But what do I know about making sure she's getting what she needs? I don't have a kid of my own, heck, I ran away from my own problems as a kid...! I'm not the right pony for this, what do I know about taking care of others in that way? Saving them is one thing that I can do, but this is something else and-)

“I'm really proud of you Dashie, offering to make sure Scootaloo is taken care of.” The cyan mare glanced up from her stack of forms to find the animal care-taker staring back reassuringly.

“I know it may seem like a lot of work, but I can help if you want... I do take care of other creatures afterall...” Rainbow slumped in relief at the offer and nodded quickly before giving her friend a thankful nudge.

“Yeah, sure you can help; you'd probably be better than me at it but that's because I can't be perfect, I would be too awesome to be around, you know? We probably should check with Derpy then find the squirt to get this all settled.” Fluttershy smirked softly at the return of the Dash's usual bravo, which was something that drew her attention and concern, leading her to make the offer in the first place; she nodded in consent of the plan and settled onto her bunk, wanting to get comfortable for the overnight ride home.

Rainbow watched briefly, noting how she seemed to have made the other pegasus extremely happy at how she was acting about this situation before turning to the papers before her that swarm in her exhausted vision.

“I'll just get to these in the morning, way too bored and tired to do it now... Good night Fluttershy.” The canary mare smiled softly in her dreamy state and responded to the call just as quietly.

“Goodnight Rainbow…”

Author's Notes:

Ok, a few things to talk about.

One: I'm sure you may have noticed that I took a LOT longer to post this, there's a couple of reasons for that. 1) I work with Girl Scouts (like, really really work with them) and it's cookie season. Even if I'm not doing everything, it's still rather big and hard to deal with extra stuff on top of it. 2) The time frame was constricting my creativeness by setting a time limit and constantly meant I had to do certain chapters by certain times or else And that wasn't helping at all. 3).... Did you know that video games are addicting? They are, very much so. Like... Legend of Zelda, Wind Waker... very addicting....

Anyways!

Two: This chapter is HUGE; hopefully that makes it up for some of you guys for the wait. I can no longer tell/guarantee when things are sad-ish, so I'll not guess and leave it to you guys to let me know. For the most part it's a sad story considering what happened/happens to these pegasi, but I'm not going to guess if a particular chapter is sad or not anymore.

Three: What does the "A.D." stand for? It stands for "After Discord", to help them reference a time frame. I imagined that Discord messed with time so much that they couldn't know what the date was anymore and had to start over.

Four: I've never been in/seen/taken part of a court that needed jurors. I've had a speeding ticket (just one, promise!) but no large court thing, so I was just bluffing through most of that (which is why it's so vague). If I got some terms wrong, please let me know, 'cause I don't know for sure if I got it all right (Gwg has checked this chapter, but sometimes we miss stuff).

Five: I'm going back to when I randomly (but relatively quickly) update (after cookie season is over). I'll just update the stories in the same order, but when I do get them done, not in a schedule. This may help me get them started and going faster than before, so hopefully it's not too long of a wait for more chapters.

I think that's all. Again, sorry for the wait and hope you enjoyed the chapter (comments about it are welcomed!).

VIII (All)- Home again

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End of January, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

The next day found the two friends reveling in the scents and sounds of their adopted hometown; birds chirping, crowds of ponies calling greetings to each other, wind blowing through the many trees in the area, the smells of fresh foods made on a daily base and so much more that made it a small and cozy town. As they stepped off the platform of the train station, they started to look about themselves in an effort to find a young filly with whom they needed to speak with. The only problem was actually finding the young pegasus; she had been hiding out and working at not being found for so long that she was kind of an expert.

To help the search go faster, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy split up while agreeing to meet at Fluttershy's cottage at noon if they didn't find her before hoof. Each pegasus took one of the two locations that would make the most sense to potentially find the filly; Dash would head over to Sweet Apple Acres to check their clubhouse while Fluttershy would check with Derpy Hooves to see if the girls had been spotted around town.

Since it was still early in the morning, the timid mare hoped Derpy hadn't left for work yet and landed softly on the doorstep of the single floored house, shifting in place before tentatively knocking on the door. The shy mare fought against her nerves at being in such an open area with who knows watching and wondering why she needed the local mailmare by reminding herself that it was for Scootaloo's sake.

As she took a few calming breaths, Fluttershy heard the sounds of a filly shouting through the house, drawing her attention back to the door.

“Mom! I think somepony is at the door!” The confused reply was muffled before the sounds of hoofsteps started to become clearer as someone went to answer the door. Just as Fluttershy was starting to doubt if she got the right house, never having heard about Derpy having a daughter before, the red-brown door opened to reveal the blue-gray pegasus she was searching for.

“Oh, hello Fluttershy; was there something you needed?” Fluttershy crouched down slightly as she found her gaze drawn to the floor as she tried to phrase her question; she found instead a blue-gray unicorn with yellow mane that looked like an exact copy of the pegasus gazing back curiously.

“Oh, uhm, I didn't realize you had a daughter; congratulations...” Derpy smiled with a blush as she laid her left wing over the filly who was trying to find out who was at the door without being intrusive.

“Well, I adopted little Dinky here last October...”

“O-oh, ok... Uhm, I'm sorry to bother you while you're with your daughter but did-did you happen to know where Scootaloo is?” At the mention of the young pegasus, Derpy's face fell which spurred Dinky to hug a blue-gray leg in support while Fluttershy laid back her ears in worry.

“No, the Cutie Mark Crusaders have been avoiding me lately. Is there something wrong?” Fluttershy had crouched lower at having made the other pegasus sad but straightened at the question while waving a timidly reassuring hoof.

“Oh, no, it's good news actually. Rainbow Dash and I just got back from a trial in Manehatten where it was decided that the Hudson side orphanage will close down. Rainbow has papers that would allow Scootaloo to remain in Ponyville so long as someone takes guardianship.” At news that was actually something good concerning the orange pegasus, Derpy straightened once more with a grin while Fluttershy realized that Derpy had known about Scootaloo's situation longer and may want to help, but wasn't sure if she should ask.

“Umm, would, would you want to be her, her guardian?” Derpy blinked in surprise and thought about it before sighing in resignation, knowing Scootaloo wouldn't want it.

“No... I do want to help but I don't think she wants me to be the one to check on her.” Teal eyes found the ground once more as Fluttershy thought very similarly; the mailmare glanced downwards as well and noticed the young unicorn's attempt at being nonchalant about the topic.

“Don't worry my little muffin, I'm not going to forget or leave you behind.” Dinky gave another smile and re-hugged the hoof while proudly exclaiming why she wasn't worried.

“I know because my mom is the nicest mom ever that cares about everyone!” The two older mares smiled at the simple but adorable statement before Derpy gave into her need to hug the filly; Fluttershy watched with a warm smile, touched to see that Derpy now had a family.

While she didn't want to disturb them, the cream-yellow mare could feel the urgency of finding the young pegasus before anything happened to her or the papers.

“Uhm... I'm sorry, but uh, I-I have to try and find Scootaloo... Ha-have a nice day!” Fluttershy started to back up from the doorway while Derpy stood once more as she placed her adopted-daughter on her back with a grin.

“Thanks for stopping by! I hope everything goes well, please let me know what happens.” The blue-gray mare waved a hoof as the young unicorn waved from her mother's back.

“Thanks for visiting, have a nice day!” The canary pegasus smiled at the higher pitched call and waved back before flying into the air and back to town to try and find the orange filly.

Meanwhile, a few hills over where the local apple farmers live, a rainbow blur sped through the orchard on its way to the secret not-so-secret clubhouse. She arrived with a skid on the porch in front of the doorway, shortening the trip by ignoring the stairs and busting inside with a shout.

“Scootaloo! Hey squirt, you here!?” Dash glanced around the room, finding it empty of any fillies but a list predominated the room with the majority of its contents checked off.

The rainbow maned pegasus glanced around with a frown once more before focusing on the paper once more and stepped forward to get a better look.

(Kite flying? Badminton? What kind of things are these to try and earn cutie marks for? Kind of boring, but maybe they've already worked through the cooler ones... Let's see, last one before checking off... is... scooter racing? Why would they try that one, doesn't Scoots have that scooter all the time anyways? Where would they try to do that anyways...? I guess that means I gotta go back to town...)

Rainbow rolled her eyes at having to travel back to the town but started to leave nonetheless; as she sped back through the trees, she came across the orange farm mare walking the fields, checking on the trees as they hibernated in the winter.

“AJ! Hey, AJ!” The farmer paused in her travels as she looked to the sky, watching the cyan pegasus shoot down from above and land in a rush.

“Well hey there RD, what's up?” Applejack tipped back her hat to watch curiously as Rainbow glanced around the immediate area.

“You know where the kids are? I have to find Scootaloo.” The orange mare frowned in wonder at the urgency in Dash's voice and cut right to the chase.

“Ya just missed them; they just checked in with me before headin' out for more crusadin'. What did ya need them for?” Rainbow scrunched her nose in annoyance before looking in the direction of town, already planning out her flight to search the area.

“I just have to find her before I can say whether it's good news or not. Though, you should let me know if there's any problem with Scoot, ok?” Applejack tilted her head intrigued, though before she could get another word out the speedster took off once more without looking back. The orange farmer rubbed her head in curiosity before resettling her hat and continuing her trek, putting it down to more of Rainbow Dash’s weird antics.

The three fillies were just getting back from trying to race each other through town square, heading for the clubhouse in order to put their supplies away. They walked the scooters back instead of trying to ride, the threatening eyes of the ponies that had almost been run over still burning on their backs. Even as adrenaline continued to course through their veins, the girls tried to calm down from their frantic race.

“You guys did pretty well for first time racers! We only crashed twice and the scooters aren't too messed up at all.” Scootaloo tried to encourage her two best friends with a large grin, still feeling elated by the mad race they had.

“Ah don't think we're meant tah be racers, Scoot; maybe you are, but it's not fer us.” Apple Bloom shook her head while Sweetie Belle was giving all three of them a glance over to find any injuries, though she seemed to find herself staring longer at the pegasus than others.

“You ok there, Sweetie Belle?” The young unicorn gave a small start as she glanced to find the others watched curiously and gave them a small smile.

“Oh, yes, I was just making sure no one has any injuries... Well, at least ones that need to be treated.” The other two friends gave each other a once over and concluded that only minor scrapes were gained from their little misadventure before starting to walk once more.

“What are we going to do next then?” Scootaloo looked between her two friends who were about to suggest various ideas when a blast of wind overtook them, revealing a cyan pegasus who couldn't help but strike a pose before stepping closer to the trio.

“Hey Rainbow Dash, what's up?” The other fillies rolled their eyes with small smirks at the sudden excitement of the orange filly which soon turned into pensive frowns at how the usually bold pegasus was acting slightly nervous.

“Hey squirt, glad I found you.” Scootaloo tried to contain her joy at her hero looking for her while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle came closer to hear what was going on.

“Yeah, you, you remember about that orphanage? The Hudson Side Orphanage?” Three pairs of eyes shrank in fright and the trio tensed, something Dash didn't notice in her own nervousness about what she was about to ask the younger pegasus.

“Well, I went to Manehatten and found the orphanage with it's totally uncool caretaker and-” Sweetie Belle couldn't take the suspense as her eyes shrank even further while her mind supplied the rest of the sentence with the worst scenario possible.

(They're coming to take Scootaloo away! I don't want her to go! She can't go! We have to get her out of here!)

“-And they're coming for you! Scootaloo, run! We'll hold them off!” At the sharp frightened shout of the unicorn's, the young pegasus felt her barely restrained fear snap in moments and hopped onto her blue scooter, taking off further in town while weaving through the crowds.

Apple Bloom, who had also been tense at what was being said, snapped to action at Sweetie Belle's shout and tackled the cyan mare before them with the unicorn's help.

“Wha? Huh? Bu-no, wait Scoot! Guys, let me go!” Rainbow held out a pleading hoof but couldn't do much as the earth pony grabbed her hind legs while the gray-white filly jumped and tried to prevent blue wings from being able to lift their owner into the air.

“Yer not takin' Scootaloo from us!”

“Yeah! She's-she's staying with us! We won't let anyone take her!” Dash frowned at the shouts and looked at the fillies holding her back in annoyance.

“Duh! I just went and made sure that that crazy mare Hannigan can't do anything to her! I was going to tell her that but you guys just went nuts on me.” The duo paused in their struggle and shared a nervous glance, worried about having made things worse.

“Wha-what do ya mean?” The cyan mare sighed and started to try and shake the fillies off her while answering, an easier feat since she had their full attention this time.

“I meeeaan, I went and help make sure the orphanage closed down; she just needs to fill out some papers and then she could stay in Ponyville. Now I have to try and find her again, just great.” With a roll of cerise eyes, the cyan pegasus leaped into the air once more and took off in the direction she saw Scootaloo go before disappearing from sight.

The ramifications of what they may have done sunk in during the wake of wind from Rainbow's take off; Sweetie Belle especially felt guilty since all of it started with her shout and looked despairingly to the olive-yellow filly.

“What do we do? If-if something happens, it will be all my fault...” Apple Bloom rested a hoof on a gray-white shoulder and paused only for a moment to think.

“We'll go an' find Scootaloo an' tell her we got it wrong. Everything'll be fine, you'll see. Come on, we gottah get tah her before she hides so well that no one can find her.” After a shaky breath, Sweetie Belle nodded determinedly and followed the earth pony as they also ran into town.

Luckily Scootaloo had described some of her first stage hiding places to her friends; these were locations that the young pegasus used to lose her pursuers before moving on to the places that would hide her for a longer time. The two crusaders were just able to spot the orange blur zip behind the stacks of crates that held dry goods for Sugarcube Corner and picked up their pace while trying to get her attention.

“Scootaloo! W-wait up!”

“Hold up, we need tah talk with ya!” An orange head popped out and frowned in worry at the sight of the others panting as they stood in front of the brown crates.

“What are you doing here? You're going to blow my cover!” Scootaloo hissed while scanning the area for anyone chasing them.

“We-huff-got-huu-it-puff-wrong!” Sweetie Belle collapsed at the pegasus' hooves as Apple Bloom was about to go further into detail when there came a call from the sky as a much bigger pony landed by the fillies.

“Scootaloo! Wait up!” The orange filly tried to bolt but was picked up by strong blue hooves that held fast to the squirming girl.

“Whoa! Hang on kid!”

“Let me go! I'm not going back!” The other crusaders were still trying to catch their breath and couldn't help solve the confusion, watching with soft pants as Dash kept Scootaloo in the air to prevent her from getting away.

“Look, I was trying to tell you that the orphanage is closed!” Scootaloo started to slow in her attempt to flee as Rainbow continued as she took it as a good sign that the filly was listening.

“Fluttershy and I personally went and helped shut the place down!” As the older mare explained, the filly went still as she stared at her hero in awe; once Dash saw that the girl wasn't going to try and run, she set her down once more and continued, unaware that Fluttershy had seen her flying earlier and landed nearby to listen.

“That's what I was trying to say before! Sheesh.” As Dash rolled her eyes, the trio stared back with hope growing in their own eyes.

“Does that mean I can stay here?” Dash rubbed the back of her head at the question and tried to appear nonchalant about where the topic was headed.

“Well, to stay in Ponyville you have to someone watching out for you.” Seeing the guarding edge return to purple eyes and stance, Rainbow rushed on with the proposition.

“You don't have to stay with anypony or be adopted or anything unless you want to. I mean, if you want, I could be the one to watch out for you and I'll just, be cool with whatever you want or, or whatever...” Scootaloo froze in surprise at what Dash was suggesting and looked to her unsure.

“What, what do you mean?” The older pegasus flipped her ears back as she glanced around herself for inspiration, catching sight of a proud Fluttershy which helped Dash take a deep breath and try again.

“Like, if you want to, I could be the one everyone comes to when it concerns you, like in trouble or how you're doing and we could meet every so often, to make sure you're doing ok and, uh, and stuff. And you'd be able to stay in Ponyville... Un-unless you want somepony else to fill out these papers?” Rainbow Dash tried to make it seem less like she had to constantly watch for the young pegasus as she remembered how Scootaloo had reacted to Derpy worrying about her as well as giving her a chance to choose who she wanted to watch over her; something that wasn't necessary as Scootaloo was thrilled at the offer and threw herself at the older pony for a hug.

“Yes please I would-oh, uh, cough, yeah, that'd-that'd be cool.” Scoot broke out of her hug to try and remain cool in her idol's eyes, unaware that Dash had been caught by surprise and was about to return the gesture when the filly remembered to act 'cool', spurring the cyan mare to do the same; much to the bemusement of those watching who had seen the true happiness of the two pegasi before they remembered their 'image'.

“Cough, uh-hem, uhmh, right, so we're cool then?” Scoot started to rapidly nod before suddenly trying to appear 'cool' once more.

“Alright, so, uh, let's get these dumb papers out of the way and then you guys can continue to have fun.” The three bystanders watched with great pride and joy as the two pegasi went over the papers and signed with their best mouth writing.

Once it was complete, Dash folded them back up and scuffed Scootaloo's mane briefly before preparing to fly to the post office when she was suddenly surprised into the air by a large explosion of multicolored confetti with corresponding bang.

“That's so awesome! We gotta celebrate!” As they looked to the source of noise and explosion, they saw Pinkie with both fore-hooves sticking out of a back window, grinning down at them.

“Oh, well I have to go and send this off so maybe later Pinkie. See ya around squirt.” Without a moment's pause, Dash took off before she could be pulled into a potentially very embarrassing party considering the party subject; Fluttershy also tried to back away without being noticed but froze when big blue eyes landed on her with joy radiating from them.

“Oh, uhm, well, I have to go and check on my animal friends... And parties are usually... loud...” Pinkie sighed briefly before nodding to the timid mare's words while Scootaloo grew embarrassed as she realized how many saw the interaction, something that grew even further when her best friends gave her a tight hug.

The young pegasus allowed the hug for a moment but remembered how Dash would be checking on her and gently pushed her two friends off before turning to the pink party hanging from the window.

“It's ok, we don't need a party...” Apple Bloom stepped forward with a grin as she addressed the hanging baker, pushing Scootaloo aside with a gentle shoulder bump.

“But we'll take it tah go an' have ah big ol' party at the clubhouse.” Scootaloo tried to protest but Apple Bloom wouldn't hear a word against it as they started to walk to the front of the store before noticing how they didn't have a certain gray-white shadow.

They turned to find Sweetie Belle still sitting where she had been pushed to, rubbing the spot on her fur where Scootaloo had pushed from; unbeknown to either of the other fillies, the spot where Scootaloo had touched had felt warm and tingling afterwards to Sweetie Belle’s incomprehension, which is what caused her to remain in place trying to understand it.

“Hey Sweetie Belle , you coming?” The call from the orange pegasus jolted the young unicorn to her surroundings and she ran to catch up to her friends.

“Ya think we should celebrate Scoot bein' free of the orphanage, right?” Sweetie Belle perked up and nodded quickly to the proposed plan with a small grin, opting to remain silent as she pondered what happened moments ago.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and remained silent, just as happy as her friends but unwilling to show it, least they get sappy again. As they stepped inside the bakery, they found the party mare waiting eagerly with a cart full of supplies, bouncing in place excitedly.

“There's enough supplies for a totally cool sleepover and cake and cupcakes and punch and everything!” The girls smirked at the over excitement and gave their thanks before hooking up the blue scooter to the cart and heading to their clubhouse, asking permission for a sleepover along the way.

Since they had been doing so well, lately, both older sisters gave permission right away, much to the trio's great happiness. They were soon on their way to their trusty old tree house where they opened the bags they were given and it exploded with confetti and streamers (which was almost not a surprise for the trio) and with eye rolls all around, the girls pulled out the various supplies to set up. Once everything was in place, they sent a quick message to Eripio about the big news and while the green unicorn gave her congratulations, they couldn't talk for long in case someone checked on them.

After that, the girls decided to party loudly and merely have fun instead of worrying about anything, playing games, enjoying the snacks and punch provided well into the night. Each filly was slightly distracted that evening, so lost in their own thoughts that they didn’t notice that the others were as well as they tried to have fun and relax after such a tiring day.

(Rainbow Dash said that it was closed, it has to be closed... I-I signed those papers, it means they can’t come and try to force me to go back... I’m not going back, no matter what… I’m never going back to that place... Never…)

(Ah ain’t gonnah to lose mah best friend, I bet Sweetie Belle is happy ‘bout that! But Ah better make sure nothing else happens, they aren’t as tough as us earth ponies. Ah’m gonnah make sure they have the best time ever an’ that they never feel sad like Scoots did before; better get more games out tah make this the best sleepover party ever!)

(...Why? Why did I shout like that? I could have ruined everything…! At least she can stay now, she must be happy about that...I hope she is at least… Why am I blushing so much? And I keep staring! It’s rude, I should stop… Was that a frown? Why would she be sad…? Why does my chest hurt when I think about Scootaloo being sad…?)

A blur of cyan with a rainbow trail flashed over the town, heading towards the single floored gray building with blue roof. The Equestrian Postal Service prided itself on being the fastest around and employed the fastest and friendliest they could; meaning that Dash didn't have to wait for long to mail out the forms and finding with mild surprise that it was Derpy who was on duty for the delivery.

Recalling what Fluttershy had said earlier, the blue-gray postal worker couldn't help but ask how it went as she helped prepare the package.

“Hello Rainbow Dash, I heard from Fluttershy that you guys were looking into having someone to take care of Scootaloo?” Dash glanced about briefly as Derpy placed the needed stamps on envelope.

“Yeah, she's, well I'm applying to be her legal guardian; that's what I'm mailing today actually.” Derpy smiled at the news and finished the preparations with a flourish.

“In that case, this will be my happiest delivery, topped by the good news this would hopefully bring.” Dash smiled briefly before heading out while Derpy did the same with a full pack of mail.

Rainbow then went and found a cloud high about town and sat, gazing towards the ground as she thought about what this meant for her life.

(I guess this means I have to shape up a little, Scootaloo could need my help at anytime after all... But what do I know of taking care of somepony else? I mean, when I got sick (not that I'd admit it), 'Shy was the one who helped me get better... Heck, when Scoots got sick it was Fluttershy who helped her... I guess I could just get Fluttershy to help too, but that wouldn't be fair since she has to take care of all those animals too... I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on Scootaloo and hope it never comes to that. Where did she go anyways?)

The speedster glanced about herself and noticed with surprise how the sun had made its way across most of the sky.

(Jeez, when did that happen? Alright, let's see, where would the squirt be at this time?) Rainbow dived off her cloud and plummeted at an angle for Sweet Apple Acres to check the clubhouse.

In order to keep her visit a secret, Dash pulled out of the dive early and glided the rest of the way to find that the trio were indeed at the clubhouse and having a celebratory party. She watched for a while to be sure they would be ok before heading on her way to check that Fluttershy was settling after their trip; something that was a pleasant surprise for the quieter mare who then asked if Rainbow would want to stay for supper (much to the speedster’s pleasure, since she hadn’t eaten much all day).

The two friends shared a very fulfilling meal, made especially to replenish lost strength since Dash hadn’t eaten very much. Eating like that was a usual condition for the shy mare, but an interesting and new experience for the bolder since she usually ate alone and less healthily.

IX (All)- Trusting others

View Online

Start of February, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

In the midst of winter and an almost monotone of weather duties which consisted of making sure there was cloud cover for the next few days with enough power for more snow, Rainbow Dash was relaxing in her cloud home above Ponyville, enjoying the lessened amount of work expected of her.

As she rested in her living room on the first floor, a knock at her door rang through the silence. Dash sat up with a raised brow from her sofa, knowing that it could only be pegasi (unless Twilight broke out that cloud walking spell again) and briefly wondered who it was before leaning back once more, assuming they would leave if they got no response.

Another knock sounded through the house, causing Dash to get up with a light groan, having hoped to not be bothered for the day.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!” With a swift tug, the cyan mare jerked open the door to find Derpy Hooves waiting for her with a smile.

“Hello Rainbow Dash! I've got an express letter for you! Is it the good news?” Rainbow smirked at the joyful hope in golden-yellow eyes and tore open the envelope.

“Well, let's see... Miss Rainbow Dash, due to the form you've submitted not being completed properly... blah blah blah... You're application has been denied?!” Derpy's face fell at these words while Dash's filled with anger, taking to the sky with a single flap of her wings.

“Rainbow Dash, if you want I can-”

“I'll be back later, see ya!”

“-help...” The blue-gray pegasus tried to focus her eyes that had started to invert due to worry as she closed the door that the impatient pegasus hadn't bothered with. With a weary sigh, the mailmare returned back to town, her day seemingly less hopeful than before.

Rainbow didn't pause a moment as she flew through the chilly winter air, not feeling the cold due to pegasi's enhanced endurance and her own personal training. In seconds, her target appeared, a snow covered cottage that seemed quieter in the winter time since most of it's occupants hibernated during the cold season.

Dropping down with little effort, the brash pegasus proceeded to loudly knock on her best friend's door.

“Fluttershy! Fluttershy! That dumb lawyer messed up, open up would you?!” The canary pegasus, who had been reading to pass the time, tentatively opened the red-brown door, anxious at the annoyance in Dash's voice.

“Wha-what's wrong?” Dash stepped inside the warm cottage, brushing off some freshly fallen snow from her coat along the way. Waiting right outside the door and knocking so soundly had caused some of the fresh power to fall onto her.

“That dumb lawyer gave us the wrong dumb papers or, or something!” Rainbow angrily flung the letter to the ground in between the two friends while Fluttershy flinched as though it had been thrown directly at her.

Timidly, the quieter mare picked up the letter and found the form had been returned as well, reading through the paperwork as Dash fumed.

“What am I gonna tell the kid? It was hard just getting her to talk about and agree to it..” Fluttershy glanced up from her quick scan of the letter, surprised to hear that Dash was worried about such a thing and wanting to try and help anyway she could.

“Uhm, Rainbow? They gave back the papers and-”

“I know they did!” Fluttershy flinched at the sharp tone but continued on anyways.

“-and, uhm, they, they highlighted the parts you would need to finish. We could just find the needed information and send it back in...” Dash plopped down as she ran a hoof over her head, her stress and unease at having failing fading at the quiet words as she sighed her resignation to the task.

“What do I have to do then?” The cream-yellow mare sat up at the neutral tones and showed the needed parts as she sat next to the speedster.

“We just need place of birth, birth date, previous family relations, making sure her health is in good condition...” Fluttershy trailed off at the deadpan from the other pegasus as the list kept growing, hiding behind her mane due to the gaze. After a moment of silence, she tapped her fore-hooves together while she peeked at her friend from behind her pink bangs.

“You... you did look and fill out the whole thing, right?” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and waved a hoof to the form that had been set to the ground once more.

“Well yeah, the important stuff; that she's staying here and I'll check on her.” The animal care-taker sighed and shook her head softly, having guessed that was how Rainbow saw it.

“There's more than that when it comes to caring for someone else...” The brash pegasus rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as she gave a short smirk to the mare next to her.

“Well, I mean, I know there's more, just not how much more...” Fluttershy shook her head again with a small smile as she went to the shelves and found scrap paper and a pencil, sitting back across form the cyan flier.

Dash watched curiously as the cream-yellow mare checked the form and then wrote on the very quickly growing list. Once she was finished, Fluttershy gave it one last check before nodding securely and firmly gazing at the brash mare once more.

“You'll need to go to where Scootaloo was born and find all the information on this list. They would probably be in the city or town hall.” Fluttershy emphasized her point by tapping the list with a hoof, trying not to be swayed by Dash's downtrodden gaze and tipped back ears.

“This list is huge! It'll take forever to find out! I don't even know where she was born...!” Rainbow sat back on her haunches as she threw back her head to bemoan of the latest task she had to do; something that was a common sight to the old friend and which didn't sway her mind.

“Scootaloo is a pegasus, and most pegasi are born in Cloudsdale; you should try there first.” Dash rubbed at her face in frustration at the already day long errand before remembering the canary mare's previous offer.

“Alright, I'll go and get all this stuff but, ah, could you help with all this egghead stuff? All this legal blah blah blah isn't easy to understand, not that I don't get it, but I'm, uh, too cool for it.” Fluttershy wore a light blush at the request but smiled all the same with a demur nod.

“Alright... Rainbow, why did you come to me for help? Twilight knows a lot of things, I'm sure she could have helped with the legal paperwork... Oh! Not that I mind helping, I want to help; I was just wondering, that is, if you don't mind...” As Fluttershy drew into herself, suddenly concerned that she might have pushed too far, Dash reeled back in surprise with a blush that she tried to dispel with a cough while holding up a hoof.

“Oh, uh, well, you were the one to go with me to the trial so I figured you'd-you'd know something at least.... Besides who I go to for help, uh, not that I'd need it normally, is my business.” The two friends sat facing one another in silence after that statement, a light dusting of red on their muzzles when Dash remembered how she now had a large task to complete that day.

“Well, I gotta dash. I'll, I'll see you later.” Fluttershy managed to let out a soft 'bye' with accompanying wave before the speedster rocketed out of the cottage, leaving her typical rainbow trail as evidence she had in fact been there.

Soft pats on her hoof drew teal eyes down towards the ground to find the white bunny with a proud smile.

“Yes, she came to me for help but like she said, it may just be because I was with her at the trial...” Angel Bunny slapped a paw over his face while his owner merely walked back to her couch to continue reading; or at least appear to be doing so as she thought about how closely they had sat and how the brash pegasus had came to her for help this time.

Further in town, paths had been made for ponies to travel the deep snow that built up as the winter wore on; one such well used path led to the school building on the edge of town, where classes ran longer in the off-season, with a long morning session then an hour and a half break in the middle and another long session of class in the afternoon. Having been cooped up for the majority of the time, the kids often took full advantage of the mostly full snow covered yard during the recess with full fledged snow wars.

What had started that day as a large fight versus many two or three grouped foals eventually turned into everyone against the Cutie Mark Crusaders (through Diamond Tiara's great urging). Try as they might, the trio of friends couldn't overcome the sheer numbers and soon succumbed to the piles of snowballs.

The trio fought valiantly, but they felt as though everyone was against them, not being able to see that this wasn't the case as there were a few foals who were on the side lines making snowponies among other things. If they did take a moment to look, they would have seen one of the newest town residents was firmly trying to ignore the fight, blue-gray ears tipping back as shouts rang sharply in her ears.

Towards the end, after it turned into everyone against the Crusaders, the unicorn filly watched the trio's teamwork, impressed by how long they lasted against the determined opposition while trying to make a decision about how to approach them with her latest idea.

As everyone returned to class, soaked and exhausted, it was hard for any of them to focus on the lesson which was why Cheerilee always tried to have fun projects for the afternoon session. The class had divided into groups of four, with the Cutie Mark Crusaders resigned to getting a partner who would either ignore them or constantly tease them when it was to their great surprise that Dinky stepped forward and shyly asked to join them.

“H-hello... Can I be in your group? I'll-I'll do my part, honest.” The trio shared a glance before nodding in tandem to the request; with a small grin at the acceptance, Dinky stepped forward, revealing a shocked Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon standing nearby.

“You actually want to work with those losers?” Diamond Tiara asked with wide eyes, pointing with a hoof towards the trio.

Before any of the fillies could retort, Dinky spoke loud enough to be heard but not over top of the general hubbub of the class.

“Why wouldn't I? It's my choice, if you don't want to that's fine.” The pink filly wasn't used to others trying to stand up to her and turned away fuming.

The blue-gray unicorn seemed unconcerned as she went to sit at the four desks pressed together just in time for the dark-cerise teacher to give them the supplies they would need. They were to use their materials to recreate the water cycle they had learned about in the morning session a few days prior; the group could also earn a bonus if they could say how water has been used throughout the years.

The four girls stared at one another blankly before Apple Bloom decided to break the awkward air.

“Do ya know how tah build anythin' Dinky?” Dinky's ears tipped back in embarrassment as she stared at the earth pony.

“N-no, is that something a lot of ponies can do around here?” The trio shook their heads as they wondered why the unicorn wouldn't know something like that.

“Do you know anything about the water cycle or the past?” Sweetie Belle inquired as the others watched, unsure of how helpful the new filly would be. Dinky placed a hoof to her muzzle as she thought briefly.

“I know the cycle but I'm really good at history.” The tiro lightened, pleased to find they wouldn't have to do everything themselves.

“Good; then you write about the use of the water cycle in the past and we'll make it.” Scootaloo said with a firm nod before pulling the supplies over while hoofing over the writing materials.

The four fillies worked in mostly silence, with whispered instructions from Apple Bloom about how to use the tools available breaking it briefly. After a minute of peeking towards the orange pegasus, Dinky flinched as Scoot finally had enough of the staring and lashed out quietly.

“What? Did you want to say something?” The rest of the group stopped at the sharp tone, looking back and forth between the two.

“I-I was wondering if, if you know Derpy Hooves?” The trio blinked before Scootaloo took on a guarded edge.

“Yeah...? And?” The other Crusaders watched the third in unease, not sure where the sudden tension came from.

“I, well, she's my mom and she's been worrying about-”

“Girls, are you focusing on your work?” The four girls gave small starts of surprise, not having heard or noticed their teacher walk to check on their work. As Cheerilee looked over what they had done, soft giggling came from behind her as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon pointed with mirth at their misfortune.

“You only have another ten minutes girls, please get back to work.” Four heads nodded silently before returning to their tasks with a fever.

Once the older pony walked away, Dinky hissed her request to the trio.

“Can you meet me after school? We can talk more then.” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom glanced towards the pegasus since it seemed to concern her the most.

Scootaloo stared deeply into golden-yellow eyes trying to find any deceit and finding only pleading sincerity. With a slight nod to indicate she was willing to talk, the four continued their work, being the only ones to give a lengthy and detailed bonus answer that Cheerilee was very impressed with, earning an extra five points on their overall score.

After the last group presented their work, the kids were released and rushed out to play in the snow once more. The Crusaders and Dinky were slower to leave, tension of the unknown weighing their hooves.

Choosing a tree that wasn't too close to the new snow fight in the school yard, the four fillies sat in a rough circle with Dinky and Scootaloo facing one another. Scoot was the first to break the silence that had settled between them with a short question.

“So what's going on?” Dinky took a deep breath before opening her eyes to stare at the pegsus across the way.

“My mom has been worried about you and the other Crusaders for a while now.” The trio frowned at the statement, though Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom allowed Scootaloo to ask the questions.

“Miss Derpy doesn't have a daughter.” The blue-gray filly flinched at this, a shadow of pain crossing her eyes before she took another calming breath.

“Yes, but Miss Derpy adopted me when my parents died. I lived somewhere far away and moved here to stay with my new mom.” While the other Crusaders were accepting of this explanation, Scootaloo remained on guard; causing her friends to be worried, not about the topic, but why Scootaloo was acting like that.

“Oh, so Miss Derpy is worried about us, so what?” Dinky blinked, not expecting such a cold response.

“Well, I was hoping you could, come by and talk with her?” The tense air thickened and Sweetie Belle felt her heart lurch at the sight of the highly suspicious filly.

Brisk wind blew some of the powdery snow into the air, causing the fillies to shiver briefly though Scootaloo seemed to not notice the cold. Another silent moment went by, with Dinky slowly crouching in worry when Scootaloo released a large breath and quietly consented.

“Alright, are we going now?” The yellow-maned unicorn sighed in relief and gently shook her head.

“Sorry but my mom won't be back until really late tonight. Can you come by tomorrow? Everyone can come, we're making muffins!” The Crusaders gave tense smiles at the other filly's joy and agreed to be there.

The sounds of battle rang through the suddenly clear air, bringing their attention to it once more. With a side glance to the edgy pegasus, Apple Bloom turned to Dinky with a small smile.

“Do ya want tah come an' join us in the snowball fight? Ah'm sure with four sets of hooves, we'll win for sure!” Dinky whirled to face Apple Bloom with fear flashing briefly in her eyes.

“No! Fighting is bad! Why do ponies always want to fight?” The distressed unicorn quickly ran off, not allowing anyone to respond to her exclamation. The three friends shared surprised looks before shrugging.

“Ah wonder what was up with her... Ya want tah get out catapult an' we show 'em what ah real snow war is like Scoot?” The earth pony tried to bring the pegasus back from where her anxious mind took her, only to have the orange filly shake her head with weary eyes watching the retreating unicorn.

“No, I-I have something I have to go do...” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle wilted in place before the gray-white unicorn perked up with a suggestion.

“What about later? Will you be at your hideout in the train depot?” Scootaloo shook her head once more without looking to her friends who grew wide-eyed at what it may mean.

“Nah, I'm going to rotate with some of my more remote ones this time.” Sweetie Belle's heart clenched in fear, and attempted to keep her voice from shaking as she tried to reason with the cautious filly.

“But! But the orphanage is closed right? Why would you need more than one hideout?!”

“Just because, ok? You never know when you need one.” Scootaloo finally looked towards her friends only to find anxious and concerned faces in return while the light-gray filly started to shiver in place.

“But what if you get sick? It's really cold and hideouts don't have heat all the time.” Apple Bloom stepped forward, trying to exude a calming air as she saw a spring of tension coil in purple eyes as they shrank in some unnamed emotion.

“Yeah, why don't ya stay with one of us for most of the winter? Or at least stay in the clubhouse, we got lots of heatin' an' blankets an' things in there.” Scootaloo flinched before shouting at her friends, apprehension of the meeting the next day causing her to lash out.

“I'll be fine, I am fine! I don't need everypony worrying about me! So just leave me alone!” After the last shout, Scoot ran towards town, leaving the two other Crusaders stunned underneath the tree.

As what had just happened sunk in, the unicorn felt a hole open in her chest and crouched towards the ground while tears began to roll down her cheeks. Apple Bloom, on the other hoof, felt dread fill her center, the mental promise she made already having been broken as she failed to help her friends and protect them from pain. She watched in shock at Sweetie Belle crying until she jolted back to her senses, getting the unicorn to stand once more and leading her home.

"Sorry that this happened Sweetie Belle, but don’t ya worry none. Ah'm gonnah fix this somehow... Mah sister might know what tah do to, Ah'll see if she has any suggestions.” Sweetie Belle's tears slowed at her friend's assurances and she nodded to the latest plan with a few sniffles, allowing Apple Bloom to keep her upright as they walked through town.

Once the distressed unicorn was back home, in bed to warm up and calm down, Apple Bloom set out to find her sister to try and find some kind of solution. The other farmer listened with growing worry as the olive-yellow filly described what happened.

After Applejack got the fully story, she thanked her sister for telling her and set out to find Rainbow Dash, since this sort of thing fell under 'trouble with Scootaloo'.

Meanwhile, the young earth pony started to make plans of her own to force what was going on out of the nervous pegasus, not wanting to be left in the dark about her friend's problems.

In a two storied house further in town, Sweetie Belle tossed and turned in place on her bed, unable to get more than fitful rest as images of Scootaloo drastically sick while covered in snow circled her mind. The sight of orange fur matted in dirty clumps with weak attempts at standing that only turned into hacking coughs leaving the pegasus with little strength and causing her to fall back into snow that continued to pile higher by the second, made Sweetie Belle often jerk awake with fresh tears in her eyes before settling down to try and get back asleep.

What only added to the filly's confusion was the sense of crushing dread and fear at the thought of such a thing happening, making it a long and stressful night for the unicorn. The only bright spot was the hope of seeing Scootaloo perfectly fine in the morning.

“Howdy Fluttershy, sorry tah bother ya but Ah can't find Rainbow Dash; Ah'm guessin' she's up in the clouds.” The two mares stood in the doorway to the grass and snow covered cottage as Applejack looked to the sky towards the end of her sentence; though she looked back as she continued.

“Do ya think you can get her or give her ah message?” Fluttershy peered curiously at the farmer, noticing how she seemed on edge and tried to figure out why.

“Is something the matter? Is there something I could do?” Applejack sighed but decided that it wouldn't hurt to say what the topic was about.

“Somethin' happened with Scootaloo an' Dash said I should go tah her if there was trouble.” The canary mare gasped softly before leaning forward with flipped back ears, all other worries disappearing in an instant as new ones about the young pegasus filled her mind.

“Oh, please tell me everything! I'll tell Dashie right away!” The orange farmer resettled her hat as she took in the appearance of the worried mare, deciding that it would be faster to just pass along the message of what happened then to have Fluttershy bring the cyan mare back to her to describe what happened.

In a snowbank across from a single floored cottage, laid a pegasus who used her knowledge of the town to get there before it's occupants did. While it was near the whitetail forest, it was also near the school which meant it wasn't too long before a blue-gray unicorn slowly made her way up the street and inside the watched home; had she even tried to look about herself, Dinky wouldn't have noticed Scootaloo hiding nearby since she allowed snow to cover her mane and fur, blending her into surroundings.

The hidden filly watched with shrewd eyes as the other filly entered and how, not even half a minute later, an older pegasus entered as well. Even from across the street, Scootaloo could hear the joyful greeting and laughter, making it obvious that while Derpy was tired it was the normal tired that came with a normal day of work; certainly nothing to postpone a meeting for.

Scootaloo watched suspiciously for a while longer before starting her rotation of hiding places; taking short naps in between that were broken by any and all noises in the night, as thoughts of orphanage ponies chasing after her rushed through her mind.

Fluttershy had been waiting almost impatiently for the prismatic mare to return from her errand after Applejack stopped by. As the evening wore on, with dinner time coming closer still, the anxious pegasus hadn't started on any kind of meal (much to the residential bunny's annoyance) and was about to fly into the sky to find Rainbow Dash instead of waiting for her. Before Fluttershy could take to the air however, a blur of cyan landed next to her as she stood right outside her house.

Rainbow swept back her mane as she panted lightly from her sprinting, having sped to the various government buildings in search of copies of all of Scootaloo's records (what little there were).

“'Sup Fluttershy, I got all the boring papers; you're still going to help right?” Dash peered at her friend intently, widening one eye while half closing the other.

“O-oh, yes, that's right... Uhm, I have the form in the living room, if you want to...?” The cyan mare flashed the canary one a quick smirk before heading inside and dropping the saddle bags she wore that held all the the papers she had found.

“Uhm, Rainbow, there's something-”

“Alright, so here's everything I could get. I'm going to head out and get something to eat, I'm starving.” Fluttershy snapped out her attempt to discuss what happened earlier as she remembered how she hadn't prepared anything for herself.

“Oh my! I haven't started dinner yet...! Would, would you want to stay and have supper with me? You don't have to if you don't want to, though it wouldn't be that hard, not that cooking is hard...!” Fluttershy trailed in nervousness while Dash waved an assuring hoof.

“Sure, I'll totally make the meal awesomer by staying and having a bite.” The timid mare smiled as she went into the kitchen prepare something with the bolder pegasus following uncertainly; the brash mare wasn't used to the silence and was unsure if she should break it or not, deciding in the end to speak.

“So, uh, how was your day? 'Cause mine was really boring.” Fluttershy frowned briefly and paused for a moment as she reached for the noodles; this pause would normally have gone unnoticed save for the fact that Dash didn't find anything else to look at and leap at the possible cause.

“What? What's wrong? There somepony bothering you?” The quieter pegasus shook her head before sighing at how she had to put the meal on hold once more.

“Applejack came by to look for you -”

“What?! Wh-why would she come here? I'm not always over here!” As Dash quickly glanced about, looking for teasing hoof pointing, Fluttershy shrank back, the almost annoyed sentence that her friend didn't visit all that often (though it was slowly changing) causing her to cringe in loneliness and pain.

“She-she just couldn't find you and came to me so I could fly up and find you instead.” While Rainbow calmed down, she noticed the hurt in her friend's eyes as she continued to explain how the meeting was one of convenience and not because they expected her to be there.

The brash flier almost wanted to face-hoof as the answer arrived moments later as the almost too quiet continued to reign in the two storied cottage (Fluttershy having trailed off into muttering).

(Of course! Most of her animal friends are asleep or away, and she probably doesn't get too many visitors during the winter... I guess stopping by more often wouldn’t hurt... She cooks pretty well at least.)

As the speedster came back to the world around herself, Dash found the other pegasus had trailed off even further, remaining silent as she stared worriedly to the brasher one. Rainbow blinked a few times as she rapidly wondered how long she had zoned out before starting the conversation once more.

“Ok, yeah, so AJ was looking for me. What did she want?”

"Um, well, Scootaloo had a kind of fight with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom about... hideouts.” The last word came out almost as a squeak, the mere thought of best friends fighting causing her to shiver in unease.

“Hideous? Why would they fight about those?”

“It seems as though Scootaloo still has multiple and not very warm locations to hide in, which the others asked her about and she, she snapped at them. Apple Bloom said that Sweetie Belle took the fighting pretty hard...” Dash frowned at these words, and tried to reason out why the pegasus would still have lots of different places to hide; Fluttershy noticed this and hesitantly offered a possible reason.

“Maybe, she is still worried about the orphanage?” Dash frowned even deeper at this as her pride and confidence took a hit because since if those that depended on her word and abilities didn't trust her, then what good was she?

Fluttershy was about to lay a comforting hoof onto a blue shoulder at the frowning worry when Dash looked up with determination burning in her eyes.

“Let's get this paperwork taken care of and I'll find Scootaloo to talk with her about the hideouts.” A low growl erupted that caused Dash to blush while Fluttershy looked to the source in surprise before smiling warmly.

“Maybe, after dinner?” The starving pegasus nodded with a bashful grin before noticing how it grew even darker outside and gave a annoyed sigh.

“I may have to wait for tomorrow to talk with the squirt; it's pretty late and dark out.” The animal care-taker nodded and set about making dinner once more, shaking her head at the actions of her pet who had lain back on the counter with a small flower in paw along with a tiny sign at his head, describing his cause of death: starvation.

Dash glanced to see what caused Fluttershy's amusement and snorted at the sight which earned an annoyed glare from the rabbit in return.

The two friends had a relaxed and almost tranquil meal that evening; Rainbow, not being used to such a peaceful time, eagerly accepted the fight Angel challenged as a repercussion to making his last meal of the day late. Fluttershy bemusedly stopped the two food fighters and soon distracted the almost restless mare with paperwork, making her call out what part was needed on the form while the calmer pegasus searched through the collected papers.

Together they made quick work of the form and Dash left quickly to mail the forms once more. The post office was open at all times in order to compete with other new technologies and magic, giving the impatient pegasus the chance to send it right away.

That night, Rainbow Dash stayed up as she went through the new paperwork on Scootaloo and was interested to find out who her parents were, details of the accident as well as other mundane things.

(Bet the kid would want to know this! I'll find her right after school... But first, better get enough sleep to make up for all this running around.)

Sweetie Belle jerked awake once more to find that the sun was starting to barely rise above the light-gray clouds. With a shaky breath, the young unicorn got up from her bed and started her morning routine of cleaning up and having breakfast. The older couple watched anxiously as their daughter was overly silent during the morning meal and wished her good luck with school that day.

She trudged through the snow, dragging her hooves along the ground as she tried to get the image of a drastically sick Scootaloo out of her mind. The distracted unicorn met with the determined earth pony at the gateway to the school and paused as Apple Bloom gave her a chipper greeting.

“Hey Sweetie Belle, Ah got ah plan for what's goin' on with Scoot.” Sweetie Belle glanced up at the firm tone and gave the other filly a shaky smile.

“O-ok...” Apple Bloom frowned at the sight of her friend tired and nervous but plastered on a smile nonetheless as they turned to head inside.

“Come on, we'll be jus' fine.” As the two friends took their seats, their classmates slowly made their way inside as well. Two pairs of sharp, nervous eyes scanned the crowd, searching for the distinct purple on orange coloring of the last Crusader.

When they did find their target, they both lurched with worry though Sweetie Belle crouched lower as she held her chest, fear striking her strongly in the center. Scootaloo tiredly made her way over with a brief smile, not noticing the two wide eyed stares she was getting due to the bags under her eyes or how she seemed to droop in place.

“Hey guys, how's it going?” Scootaloo asked as she sat beside Apple Bloom, looking past her at the same time to check on Sweetie Belle who was shivering in place before she rounded on the orange filly with a hiss.

"You said you'd be fine! You-you look awful and sick and we have to get you to a hospital or Fluttershy's or something or else you'll get worse and then-” Apple Bloom could see how the gray-white unicorn's state grew worse with each word and shushed her while placing a reassuring hoof to her shoulder.

“It'll be ok Sweetie Belle, take ah few breaths, alright? Scoot, are ya alright? Ya look pretty bad off...” The orange pegasus waved a dismissive hoof with a weak smile.

“Bah, I'm fine, just a little tired. What's up with Sweetie Belle? Why'd she freak out?” They both looked to the left and found the filly in question with her face in her hooves as she rested against the desk, shivering in place.

“She's, she's worried about ya an' so am Ah.” Apple Bloom turned her soft gaze from Sweetie Belle to Scootaloo as her eyes hardened as she posed her next question.

“What was up with ya yesterday? You were actin' mighty odd an' yelled at us for no good reason! We were worried sick about ya!” Scootaloo looked away from the hard stare and tipped back her ears apologetically.

“Yeah well, I had to check on something and... I was thinking about something. I'm fine now, right? So it's fine.” Apple Bloom raised a disbelieving brow but couldn't comment further as Cheerilee called the class to order for the day.

For the four fillies who were anxiously waiting for the afternoon, the school day passed in a blur and none took part in the snow battle that occurred during recess; something that Diamond Tiara tired to tease them about but was miffed to find that the trio of friends weren't paying her any attention and stormed off.

Once the final bell rang through the air, the Crusaders demurely followed after Dinky who led the way to her home, flicking a single ear back at the total silence of the three friends behind her. Before she could make a comment on their sudden tenseness, a draft of wind blew by and a cyan pegasus dropped down from the skies to land in front of the four girls.

“Hey squirt, check this out; did you know-” Scootaloo, who had been pleased and embarrassed to see her idol, noticed a stack of papers in her grip and her anxiety about whether the orphanage was indeed shut down or not snapped, causing her to take off quickly with no warning.

The four ponies left behind blinked for a moment before Apple Bloom ran off after her with a short growl of 'not this time!' much to Rainbow's confusion. As Sweetie Belle (who had started to shake once more) was about to go after the young pegasus as well, Dash stopped her with a single hoof and confused frown.

“Oy, what's going on?!” Dinky and Rainbow watched in worry as Sweetie Belle held back tears and tried to answer through her fearful stammers.

“Sh-she isn't doing well and didn't-didn't sleep last night... We, w-we don't know what's wrong and she won't tell us!” The unicorn shook off the hoof as the older pegasus stared on in shock and ran towards town, allowing her hooves and heart to guide her to where the orange filly would hide.

Dash stared slack-jawed at the knowledge that things had indeed gone wrong and she hadn't done anything before that point about it. With a sudden muted growl of determination and digging her hoof back into the ground, she turned to the blue-gray filly that remained and demanded to know what they had been planning to do.

“My, my mom has been worried about Scootaloo and her friends for a while now and I wanted them to talk about it... But I never wanted this to happen... I'm sorry...” The older mare sighed wearily and took a few calming breaths before continuing her interrogation.

"Who's your mom?”

"Derpy Hooves...” Rainbow tilted her head at the name but decided that it was of no consequence to her in comparison of what happened. With another shake to clear her mind, the determined pegasus gave one last comment before flying off to fix the issue.

“Alright kid, you go back to your mom and tell her to expect me and the squirts in a bit. Maybe make some nice relaxing tea and muffins, I dunno. I'll find them and we'll get this all sorted out.” Dinky nodded before running home, trying to hold back tears of her own at having upset the other fillies.

An alabaster filly slid around the corner of the shopping district, heading into the well-used back alley where supplies were delivered without blocking normal shoppers travel. Knowing that the hidden filly she searched for often used back ways and less traveled paths as a means to hide her trail, the searching unicorn checked behind any and all crates and boxes, tempted to call out her friend's name but didn't want to spook or cause the pegasus she searched for to run once more.

It was as she neared the end of the line of shops, by the flower shop that was closed for winter, that Sweetie heard the sounds of hyperventilation and slowly walked behind a stack of crates holding vases and baskets to find her quarry curled in a ball, shaking in place. Without a sound or comment, the unicorn sat beside her friend and nuzzled her side as tears slowly trailed down her cheeks.

Scootaloo, mind and emotion shattering under the fear and stress, hadn't noticed the searching filly until she stepped closer, giving a small start before managing to smell who it was in the bitter cold. As the scent of lilies and roses came closer (a scent that was due to the unicorn's older sister often purchasing the cleaning products for her family), the pegasus felt the momentary warmth along her side, signally that Sweetie Belle had settled next to her, before feeling as though her entire body was frozen through.

While Scootaloo would have remained silent or even tried to move away from the source of warmth, the wetness along her side gave her pause.

“Scootaloo, please, we just want to help... Can't you tell us what's wrong?” Scootaloo covered her face with her tail as much as she could while turning slightly from the ever nuzzling filly.

“Pl-please Scootaloo, it's ok to be scared... That, that's what friends are there for, to help you when you get scared...” Sweetie tried to prevent the other from hiding away, brushing the tail away to reveal wide terrified eyes that seemed to gaze into nothing.

“I-I'm not afraid...” Scootaloo flinched as she saw hooves coming towards her from the corner of her eyes only to relax slightly when they wrapped around her barrel as Sweetie Belle buried her head into the orange fur.

“...... I can't, I just can't....”

“Why can't you?”

“.... We got... hurt... if we sho-showed any emotion....” Gray-white hooves tightened as another wave of shivers flowed over the orange filly as a quiet question came from the unicorn.

“Any emotion...? Any at all...?” As more shivers crossed orange fur, Sweetie Belle could feel the nod of agreement and a fresh wave of tears burst from her eyes.

“Please, don't hide that anymore either... It's ok to show emotions and-and me and Apple Bloom will stop anyone from hurting you ever again... Please, don't do this to yourself, it's... it's not good to hold it all in...” Scootaloo could feel her frame shake more with each passing word and assurance from her best friend, culminating in tears beginning to sting at the corners of her eyes.

While this went unnoticed by the hugging unicorn, it was seen by the silent audience of Apple Bloom and Rainbow Dash who couldn't even start to form any kind of assurances of their own, immobile at the opening of the alley as they stared on. They had found the two friends quickly, but stopped at the confession, remaining silent since that moment.

Sweetie continued to hug the other filly, though she paused for a moment when Scootaloo turned suddenly and grabbed the other in a hug, burying her head into the light-gray chest as tears broke free of her restraint and orange hooves also wrapped around the other's barrel.

“... I, I am scared....” Sweetie Belle stroked the purple mane as the whispered confession came.

“... I'm-I'm on paperwork now, they can come and take me away now that they know where I am...” The unicorn tightened her hold as she glanced up, locking eyes with the olive-yellow filly who nodded firmly back.

“We won't let them...” Dash slowly stepped forward before crouching down on the other side of the younger pegasus, startling her briefly.

“Neither am I... Scootaloo, I said I would help you stay in Ponyville, and I meant it.” Scootaloo broke free of the gray-white unicorn and faced her hero with a small blush as she tried to scrape away the tear tracks that continued to be made as her emotions ran wild after having been restrained for so long.

“Ra-rainbow Dash... Uh, I-I -”

“Kid, it's ok to feel things like emotions. It's perfectly cool to show how much you like or dislike something... It's not cool to hold it all back so much that you hurt yourself and others by not saying what's the matter.” Scootaloo stared at the ground, aware of the two fillies who now stood by her back as they all sat facing towards the older pony.

Dash crouched even lower, catching purple eyes that still streamed tears as Scootaloo bit her lip to stop them from trembling.

“Scootaloo, it's alright to be upset or afraid, so long as you still keep going. Winners never quit or run away, right?” The orange pegasus nodded demurely, not completely trusting her voice to respond.

“Right?” A short smile flashed across tear stained muzzle as the purple maned filly nodded in a larger motion.

“Right?!?” A larger, though still timid, smile broke out on Scootaloo's face as she opted to try and verbally respond.

“Right...” Dash smirked at this and prompted the filly further.

“I can't hear you!” The watchers all wore smiles as Scootaloo's grew and she shouted as strong as she could, knowing what the bolder mare wanted to hear.

“RIGHT!” Dash smiled at the shout that cracked in places due to her age and the effect of tears on one's vocal ability and mussed Scootaloo's mane while giving her a quick hug.

“Right, so I hear there was a plan to go and talk with Derpy?” Scootaloo's face fell momentarily before hardening in determination to not run or make her friends worry any longer.

“Yeah... But I have to do something real quick first...” The cyan pegasus watched with a curious brow as the younger pegasus turned around in place to face her friends who were still focused on her.

“Sorry I made you worried guys... I'm, I'm not used to showing emotions, but I promise I won't just hide everything away and talk with you about it.” Both of the others' smiles grew as they all went for a group hug, after which Sweetie Belle attempted to wipe away her tears as Apple Bloom tried to show how willing they were to help.

“Yer not getting' out of that promise ever, ya hear? We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders, an' we solve everythin' together.” Scootaloo nodded with a tiny smile before turning to the older mare who smiled at them once more before leading the way out of the alleyway and towards the mailmare's cottage.

Just as the four ponies arrived on the doorstep of the small house, the snow began to fall once more, giving them a light dusting as they waited briefly on the step. After the first knocks of the cyan mare, Derpy opened the door with wide worried eyes.

“He-hello! Please, come in! How are you guys doing?” While Derpy made the question a general one, her concerned gaze rested on the trio and how two sported tear tracks on their muzzles.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle knew that Derpy cared for all of them, but knew it was up to Scootaloo for what she wanted the blue-gray pegasus to know. They showed their support by pressing in on either side, even though the gray-white unicorn's heart sped up at the contact. Scootaloo returned with a lean to each before standing straight once more and looking at the pegasus who shifted in place.

“We're doing better.” Derpy smiled hesitantly as Dinky stepped up and leaned into the older mare's side with a smile of her own.

“We-I... was scared that... The orphanage was still going to come after me anyways; but they're not, right?” At the uncertain words, Scootaloo glanced towards the rainbow maned flier who smirked and mussed her mane once more.

“No way kid, not if we have anything to say about it.” The orange filly nodded to these words and looked back to the other grown pegasus who held onto her timid smile.

“...I, I'm not used to, to uh, showing emotions; but I promised my two best friends that I wouldn't hide them anymore.” Hesitant smiles grew larger all around as the still emotionally wracked pegasus continued in a firmer tone.

“So, I guess it would only be right to, uh, say thanks... Thanks for, helping me when I first got here and worrying about us when we got up to some of our more dangerous adventures...” Dash tilted her head, curious as to what they had been doing out of sight, but didn't interrupt as Scootaloo continued to speak as she slowly stepped forward.

“I'm, I'm also not used to having somepony care about what I did and... I'm sorry about snapping like I did before about it.” Derpy glanced down as she noticed that Dinky had stepped away only to feel herself being pushed forward from behind. A quick look revealed it was the blonde unicorn's work and she smiled at her adopted daughter before stepping forward on her own.

Scootaloo closed the distance between them and hugged the older pegasus around her middle.

“Thanks...” The blonde pegasus smiled tightly as happy tears stung her eyes and wrapped a hoof around the younger pegasus.

“I'm glad things are going better for you and that you guys came by to tell me.... Would you want to stay for muffins?” The trio of friends smiled as they nodded rapidly, all the stress, running around and emotional turmoil of the past half hour having sapped their strength; Rainbow Dash smirked at this and was about to leave them when Derpy pulled her into a tight hug while Dinky lead the Crusaders into the kitchen where the delicious aroma came from.

“Thank you so much Rainbow Dash...”

“Eh heh, no problem...” Dash rubbed her head sheepishly as Derpy pulled back to look at the cyan mare.

“But from the sound of it, you have little Dinky there to thank; she went to the Crusaders and set it all up.” The mailmare looked over to her daughter with a pleased smile and happiness shining in her eyes.

“Yes, my little muffin is very special to me and I'm happy that she's here... Anyways, would you like some muffins Rainbow Dash?” The speedster was about to say no when she caught sight of Scootaloo looking back with a brief wondering frown on her face making her give in with a small sigh and smirk.

“Alright, I guess one couldn't hurt.” The postal worker smiled as she lead the way to the kitchen where Dinky was telling the trio of friends how to make muffins come out properly.

As they helped to pull out the latest batch, Derpy pulled Scootaloo aside briefly, something that was a source of confusion to the younger pegasus though Derpy's reassuring smile help set her at ease.

“Scootaloo, I just wanted to make sure you didn't feel like I wasn't willing to help you by adopting you as well as Dinky, because if you want to I would adopt you as well...” The orange filly frowned briefly at what the older mare thought as she glanced at the other filly in question for a moment.

“I don't think that; I, I had a problem with how much you really did care... Not being used to it and all... But yeah, it's fine that you have Dinky instead; she really cares about you... But it probably wouldn't have worked anyways...” Derpy smiled as Scootaloo spoke, noticing the small glance towards a certain flying ace from the younger pegasus and sighed, giving Scootaloo one last hug.

“Yes, I understand. But I want you to know that I won't stop caring or worry about you three either just because I have a filly of my own now.” Scootaloo wasn't accustomed to getting so many hugs in a day and gently pushed the blue-gray mare away.

“Yeah yeah, I know.” Derpy didn't say a word as they both turned to find themselves the center of four curious sets of eyes; with another smile on her face, the mailmare gave her daughter a hug while Scootaloo returned to her friends' side.

Apple Bloom, sensing that any misunderstandings and hostilities had been set aside, tried to see if she could lighten the air with a chance at having fun and turned to the other unicorn with a shy smile.

“Ah know ya said that ya don't like fights an' all, but we could always use ah fort builder...” Dinky ducked her head a little with a small blush before being pushed forward by a blue-tinted gray wing.

“I'm sorry for having snapped like that before, I just don't like fighting...” Three sets of ears drooped at this, before perking up once more as Dinky hesitantly smiled at them and continued.

“But building could be fun... Can, can Pipsqueek come help too? He doesn't know that many foals yet and I wouldn't want to leave him out...” The trio grinned back as Apple Bloom spoke on their behalf.

“Sure, the more th' merrier!” The four kids smiled at one another with the adults looking on for a moment before Rainbow Dash decided she had to get going.

“Alright you guys, as much as I'd like to hang out, I uh, gotta go make sure the clouds are in the right place for the snow tonight. I'll see you later ok squirt?” Scootaloo nodded rapidly and they waved goodbye briefly before Sweetie Belle turned to the orange filly with laid back ears and worry in her eyes.

“Scootaloo, did, did you want to have a a sleepover?” The young pegasus could guess why the question was phrased like that and was about to answer in an unsure manner when Apple Bloom took things into her own hooves, slinging a hoof over each of the others' shoulders.

“Sure she is gonnah have one! Why, Ah forgot tah say that Applejack said y'all can stay for ah few nights in all this commotion.” Scootaloo, seeing no way to deter the stubborn earth pony and getting a feeling of why they want her to stay with them in a house, nodded with a smile. Apple Bloom relaxed in place at the movement before realizing they were in the process of making another friend and turned to Dinky with a small smile as she stood on all four once again.

“Uh, y-ya can come if ya want too Dinky; Ah'm sure mah sis' won't mind.” Dinky smiled at the offer as she leaned into her mom once more while shaking her head no.

“Thanks but that's ok, you guys have fun. Maybe next time?” The trio gave large grins to the suggestion as they nodded their agreement to the idea.

Afterwards, the four fillies enjoyed some hot chocolate and various muffin treats before setting out for Sweet Apple Acres. They went together as a group in order to keep an eye on the pegasus and luckily Applejack didn't mind the sudden sleepover that much considering the weather, stating that she would have to go and tell Sweetie Belle's parents to be sure. They were curious as to why the older earth pony wore a blush at the mention of Sweetie Belle's relatives but soon dismissed it as they went to Apple Bloom's room to have the sleepover.

That night, as they laid in bed with the orange pegasus in between her two friends, Sweetie Belle found that she couldn't fall asleep even though she knew nothing was wrong. She was, in fact, more distracted than before, feeling her side heat up as it lay next to Scootaloo's, her heart beating rapidly at all that had transpired that day and how close they were laying while her eyes seemed unable to glance away from the orange filly, soaking in how she was in good health and resting next to her.

(What's wrong with me? Why-why did I get so upset today? I probably caused Scootaloo more trouble by acting like that... But it was for her own good! She was hurting! I-we, can't let a friend be in pain like that...) The unicorn frowned in pain at the thought of friendship, drawing a deeper frown at herself being upset with terminology.

(Why am I so worried about Scootaloo? I don't worry this much about Apple Bloom, and she's my friend... Sure, Sccootaloo did get really sick before, but we've done lots of dangerous stuff before... Maybe, I just like her as a better friend than Apple Bloom, but does that make me a bad friend? That I like one more than the other? That... That I want to hug Scootaloo much more than Apple Bloom?) As she thought this action, her body drew her closer in order to fulfill it. While Scootaloo only shifted a little at the hug, Sweetie Belle almost pulled away as her body warmed even further as a blush spread across her muzzle.

(…... Is this what a friend normally feels for another friend...?)

On a cloud that had been pulled from it's brethren curled a thoughtful and dejected sky-blue mare, who's thoughts rested on a trio of fillies and what they went through that day.

“Dashie?” Rainbow sat up quickly with a mild shout of surprise before noticing the canary pegasus flying next to her cloud.

“Fluttershy? What are you doing up here?” The normally timid flier frowned at these words, searching for facial signs that there was something extra wrong with the speedster.

“Uhm, well, you are kind of floating over my home and... well, are kind of maybe a little, close to the ground.” Dash frowned at this and looked over the edge of her cloud, finding that Fluttershy's cottage was indeed not even a story below her.

“Oh, uh, well, I was just thinking, that's all. Trying to find a good nap location and uh, stuff.” A single yellow brow rose as Fluttershy stared at the flustered mare, who was trying to figure out why she had came there as well as what was causing the sudden nervous behavior.

After another moment of silence, Dash sighed gustily and slumped in place while Fluttershy merely sat down next to her.

“Alright, well, I'm just thinking about what happened and how maybe I'm not doing such a good job as I thought.”

“... What do you mean?”

“Like, Scootaloo was afraid of the orphanage still! You were right, she was so worried about it she freaked out at the sight of me with a couple of papers and ran for it! We found her and fixed everything, but what kind of job am I doing if she's still worried about it?” The canary mare leaned into her long time friend who didn't move in response (always a bad sign in the timid mare's book).

“You said you helped fix it though right?” Seeing the rainbow headed nod, Fluttershy continued on. “Then you still did a good job; now you just need to make sure that nothing else goes wrong and keep an eye on Scootaloo like you said you would.”

As Dash hunkered down on the cloud, pondering the fear and inability to show emotions the young pegasus had shown, Fluttershy continued to lean into the cyan mare and reassure her.

“It will be ok, I'm sure of it.... You've never let down a friend yet.” Rainbow frowned at these words as her heart flinched, providing to her mind's eye an image of a teenage Fluttershy saddened by the disappearance of her oldest and closest friend.

“Yes I have, but I'm not going to ever again....” The animal care-taker frowned at these words, but gave the other pegasus a nuzzle nonetheless, which earned her a blush and nudge from a cyan shoulder in return instead of the usual 'I don't do sappy' spiel, much to her incomprehension.

The two friends stayed on the cloud for a little longer before heading into the cozy cottage below as snow started to pile further around and on top of them. While Fluttershy knew Rainbow could handle being in the cold and living high in the atmosphere even in the toughest of weather, she insisted that the brash mare stay with her the night and found little resistance of her offer, much to her confusion. The canary mare didn't probe into it though, knowing how Rainbow Dash liked to act aloof from most things, and merely made sure her guest was settled properly before heading to bed herself.

The next day saw an emergence of a strong team of snowball fighters; with Dinky and Pipsqueek's help, the trio were able to focus on offense while the fort to dive for cover under stayed in top condition. They were able to not only battle their way through the entire recess, but were even causing the other team (once more almost the entire class) to start feeling the pressure of potentially losing.

They weren't able to finish the battle however, as they only had so much time to play in the snow before returning to class. Afterwards, instead of accepting the challenge of Rumble and other colts for a rematch, the five foals decided to relax and build other structures with the snow instead and having a fun time with new friends.

X (All)- A New Home

View Online

March 5th, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

A trio of fillies exited a two story house, stretching sleepy limbs and blinking in the early morning light. Winter Wrap-Up occurred only a few days before, leaving a crisp feel to the morning air. Their fur rose slightly in the softly blowing wind as they began to walk aimlessly in the friendly town.

The foals of the town were on spring break, giving them a chance to enjoy the warm weather and all the new greenery on the local plant life. This left the three of friends running out of other things to do, still confined to the town and knowing they couldn't do anything too adventurous least they get into trouble once more.

As Sweetie Belle rubbed at her tired eyes, Scootaloo stared disinterestedly at the ground, scuffing a hoof every so often. Apple Bloom glanced between the two before trying to sound chipper and upbeat, catching their attention once more.

“That was ah great sleepover! Y'all want tah come tah the clubhouse for the next one?” Apple Bloom tried to smile enticingly only for it to fade slightly at the roll of purple eyes and a groan from the other filly.

“I don't know Apple Bloom, I'm not sure how much more, uhm, 'fun', I can handle...” Sweetie Belle slumped as she walked, weariness weighing at her hooves. While it was true that the young earth pony tried to cram as much fun and games into each sleepover, the young unicorn was worn out from constantly being on edge. Every touch, movement and even sound from the orange pegasus constantly commanded Sweetie Belle’s attention; any actual touch they shared gave the gray-white filly a shock that turned into a warm imprint afterwards, leaving her dazed and unfocused. It happened at every sleepover and every moment they hung out together, leaving her little time to rest and recover from it.

“Yeah, I know you guys wanted me to stay out of the cold and all, but it's spring time now. You don't have to have sleepovers all the time.” Scootaloo snorted briefly as she continued to sweep the surroundings with watchful eyes; old habits were hard to break after all.

“Yeah right, ya got pretty bad hidin' places Scootaloo. If we didn't check on ya, you'd be sleepin' under bridges again.” The olive-yellow filly dropped all pretenses and stared intently at the pegasus who stopped in her tracks at the accusation.

“I don't stay under bridges! Those were emergency hiding places only; besides, I learned from last time. I won't be hiding in wet places if I can help it.” The orange filly watched the bow-topped filly stare back in stubbornness, not noticing how Sweetie Belle flinched at the reminder and ground her right hoof into the ground before straightening with determination.

“Well then, show us!” Both of the more stubborn fillies looked to the pale-gray filly in surprise, not used to hearing such a strong and iron tone from her.

“Show you?” Scootaloo raised surprised brows, unease rippling through her at the suggestion. The more ponies who knew the various locations, the more likely she would be tracked down.

“Yes. If these hideouts are so good, then show us.” Sweetie Belle stepped around Apple Bloom who looked appreciative of the suggestion to stand before the pegasus. Scootaloo glanced between her two friends and saw determination in both sets of eyes; giving a small resigned sigh, the young speedster rolled her whole head along with her eyes as she agreed.

“Alright, alright. Come on, they're a bit of a walk.” Scootaloo waved her friends forward and led the way through town, weaving through the slowly filling streets.

The three friends seemed to meander around, doubling back and forth before finding themselves among the few small warehouses on the edge of town. The train would place cargo needed for delivery in the spaces provided before continuing on its way. The two fillies hadn't visited this area very much since they had little to do with this part of town. They rounded the corner and found a large tree growing next to one of the single floored buildings. A hole among it's roots revealed a stash consisting of a single thin blanket as well as a bundle of food, waiting for use.

Sensing the growing tension, Scootaloo waved away their concerns as she tried to assure them that it wasn't as bad as they thought.

“Guys, relax. It's small because I have more of the stuff at one of the other hideouts and I've been lugging around my best blanket for the sleepovers, remember?” The orange filly tried to smirk at the other Crusaders only to be met with wide eyes of the earth pony and a concerned wince from the unicorn.

“Ya mean that raggedy ol’ sheet that Ah’ve seen ya shiverin’ under? That’s yer best blanket?” Apple Bloom stared disbelievingly to the young pegasus as the image of the matted and torn felt blanket flashed in their minds. Sweetie Belle shut her eyes against the image, despair rushing through her as she thought back to how both Apple Bloom and herself had much warmer ones that they tried to share. Scootaloo wouldn’t accept it however, stating that she was fine with what she had.

Apple Bloom's mind, however, had stopped at the thought that the worn out blanket was the best Scootaloo had to keep her warm and only just started to buzz with frantic and ever growing far fetched ideas. The promise she made herself to keep her friends safe rang once more through her mind, prompting her to step forward and question the now slightly nervous pegasus.

“Where are yer other hideouts Scoots? Do ya sleep in this here tree?” The olive-yellow filly frowned as she nodded towards the large oak only to glance back and find Scootaloo shaking her head.

“No, I usually sneak inside this warehouse just at the day's end and find a new place to sleep considering what's inside... Can't we just go and do something else? I showed you one of my hideouts...” Orange ears tipped back in anxiety, knowing that if she showed any of the other locations her friends would never let her go back. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle picked up on this anxiety and leaned forward with determined frowns.

“Show us the others please.” Sweetie Belle didn't raise her voice as she made her firm request, heart clenching at the suddenly drooping filly.

“Alright...” Scootaloo ran her mind over some of the remaining locations and chose the nearest one, a place in the forest nearby.

Whitetail Woods had spread to cover most of the western part of Ponyville's edge, giving ample hiding places for fillies on the run. The trio exited the warehouse area and trotted along the edge of town, keeping a watchful eye out for anypony who would question their intent.

The Crusaders were heading into the forest with Scootaloo leading the way, glancing around each tree and not seeing the uneasy glances shared by the others behind her.

“...Scootaloo, do ya live in the forest too?” As Apple Bloom broke the silence, a single orange ear flicking back at the question while they continued to walk.

“It's not that bad... Here, see?” Scootaloo stepped out into a small clearing where the trees were slightly more apart with two large boulders making a small cave-like structure. The maple tree closest to it also had a hole dug in between its roots, where more food and blankets awaited. “It's not so bad, lots of protection from wind and rain and stuff...” The orange pegasus trailed off at the unimpressed gazes of her two friends and sat in a huff, knowing that the display didn't assure any of their fears.

Apple Bloom frowned and stepped forward with a wave of her hoof to the cave.

“Scootaloo, this ain't good! Ya don't need these kinds of hideouts!” The farm earth pony was hurt that Scootaloo still felt the need for these kinds of rough hideouts and tried to make her see reason.

Sweetie Belle, however, watched the pegasus in a slight daze as the sun drifted down and shined on her. The image of the orange pegasus was starting to be overridden by another sight, one that stole her breath as it formed in her mind's eye.

“Well, I just want to make sure I've got places to go just in case one or two of them are found.”

The boulder in the center of the clearing was covered with snow, the wind whipping the excess rapidly through the air.

“Ya know ya can stay at the clubhouse!”

The ground was slowly piling high with the white flakes, the skies dark with clouds heavy with precipitation. The trees bare of their leaves and covered with snow as it continued non-stop, coming down in large heavy flakes.

“But I don't want to keep bothering you and your family.”

Barely covered by the large boulder lay a filly who couldn't seem to keep warm, the threadbare blanket covering her doing little to help as she shivered in the storm. The orange coat stood out against the white, though it didn't seem to matter as the snow continued to climb, covering her.

“Ah could have made ya ah place tah stay!”

The small filly shivered further before a strong hacking cough racked her frame, leaving her out of breath and weaken, slumping further into the ground to disappear from sight. This latest image jerked the light-gray filly from her vision to the actual scene before her, where the two other fillies stood snout to snout as they 'discussed'.

“You wouldn't be able just make a house Apple Bloom, that takes a lot of bits and time and stuff! Look, I'll be fine with what I have, I've made due before and I can do it again!” Scootaloo stomped a hoof as she tried to make her stubborn friend understand, houses and proper homes were not easy to get or make.

This phrase was the last straw for the young unicorn who took a shuddering breath, her inner turmoil having gone unnoticed as the two more stubborn fillies butted heads. With one last wince at how her chest constricted at the thought of the pegasus enduring more harsh weather, Sweetie Belle turned from the clearing and ran back to town with her head hung low.

The sudden departure drew the attention of the two more aggressive fillies, drawing a concerned frown from the pink bowed filly while the scooter rider felt a small pinch in her chest at the dejected form fleeing back to town. The young farmer half-growled at how she was once again losing the ability to keep her friends from being hurt and turned back to Scootaloo to point with a sharp hoof towards the makeshift home.

“Yer gettin' all yer stuff an' goin' to the clubhouse. Ah'll make ya ah place tah stay if Ah need to, but one of mah best friends is NOT goin' to stay in places like this. All it does is make me an' Sweetie worry for ya, an' it's gonnah stop. Ah'll see ya in two hours, right?” Apple Bloom gave one last firm glance to the pegasus before chasing after the young unicorn. Scootaloo sighed before starting to comply with the demand, not willing to hurt her friends anymore even if it meant accepting charity for a short time at least.

A blue-gray pegasus soared the skies, almost done with her mail route for the day. Derpy Hooves was enjoying the spring air as she flew, taking deep breaths as she headed for her next stop, a small cottage on the edge of town near the Everfree Forest. As she dipped downward, it was to her surprise to find that she wasn't the only visitor Fluttershy had over so early in the morning; her and Rainbow Dash were traveling around the outside of the cottage, welcoming back all the animals who returned after Winter Wrap-Up.

Rainbow was hovering over the timid mare, laying on her back as she bemoaned of how it didn't make sense to go and check with every animal just after they got back. Every so often she would look over and give a challenging glare to the white rabbit that followed his owner around, something that went unnoticed by the animal care-taker.

“I'm sorry Rainbow... I know you wanted to show me some more tricks, but I have to be sure everyone has a nice home to come back to...” Fluttershy glanced over to the cyan mare only to find her rolling her eyes as she waved a dismissive hoof.

“Yeah, yeah...”

“I am grateful that you visited me so much during the winter... It was pretty lonely without all my animal friends there.” The canary mare wore a light blush as she thanked her best friend, not seeing the shrug and shifting of the other mare at these words.

“Yeah, well, I was just doing my rounds and all that...” Rainbow shifted further as she hovered and prepared to take off, not entirely comfortable with where the topic was going. She didn't want to think of why she was so pleased to hear that Fluttershy was happy about her visits and was about to go when a small cough redirected both of the pegasi's attention to the mailmare waiting by the mailbox.

“Hello! I was just about to head over to your place Rainbow Dash to deliver a letter, if you don't mind me just hoofing it over now?” Derpy stepped forward with a small smile that was met with a timid one and a more shaky smirk. Rainbow wasn't sure if the blue-gray mare had heard them or not and was prepared to deny any and all accusations, being slightly on guard as she accepted the large envelop as Fluttershy received a smaller one.

While Derpy was not normally a nosy mare when it came to other ponies' mail, she recognized the type of seal that resided on Dash's letter and wanted to know if it was good or bad news this time. Both pegasi opened their letters, with Fluttershy quickly checking over the items sent by the Mayor and tucking it in her wing out of the way and turning towards the cyan pegasus who continued to read.

“Rainbow...?” Fluttershy took a hesitant step closer to the other pegasus who snorted angrily and put down the letter, annoyed eyes drifting across Derpy to rest instead on the canary mare at her side.

“Those courts in Manehatten are getting annoying, they just keep wanting more and more! Ugh. Now they are sending someone to check on where Scootaloo is living to 'make sure everything is up to standards'. It's hard to leave the squirt alone to live how she wants when I keep getting these letters that make me have to bug her!” Dash frowned down at the letter, not seeing the bewildered glances shared by the others before they focused once more on the brash pegasus.

“Rainbow... Part of taking care of others is being sure they have a nice place to stay...”

“Yeah, when I adopted Dinky they sent someone over to be sure I could provide the best living environment for her. I'm surprised they waited a few weeks to do this actually.” Derpy tried to keep her voice neutral, knowing that the rainbow maned pegasus wasn't used to having to care for a filly and didn't want to sound reprimanding.

“Urggghh... Fine, let's say I go and bug Scoot one last time about all this paperwork shmaperwork. She's still using hideouts last I heard, none of those would pass this stupid rule thing.” Rainbow waved a hoof in the general direction of Ponyville, unsure of where exactly the hideouts were. Fluttershy shook her head no, causing her mane to cover her face partially as she suggested a possible solution.

“Could...could she live with you?” A rainbow mane flopped back and forth as the brash pegasus shook her head at the question.

“I don't know... The kid's a pegasus, but she's still a weak flier; she'd have trouble getting to my place all the time...” The cyan pegasus became distracted at this latest thought, mind drifting to how the young pegasus would need a personal trainer at this rate to be able to fly properly. With a sudden jerk of her head, Rainbow came back to her surroundings in time to hear Derpy's suggestion.

“Then you may want to look for a place on the ground... I've seen a nice little house near here that's been empty for a while now; perhaps that would work?” A blue-gray wing pointed down the road, drawing the timid mare's curiosity while gaining the other's ire.

“Sure, but I can't really afford to have two places!” Dash frowned thoughtfully in the direction of town, while Fluttershy quietly spoke up.

“Uhm, I could help pay if-if you need it...” The two other pegasi quickly looked to the shier one, causing her to flinch back slightly before trying to speak up once more.

“I'm paid by the town to help with the local animals, and I've actually saved up bits just in case of emergencies... I could help pay for a place on the ground for Scootaloo to live in...” As Dash was about to respond to the offer, Derpy also stepped forth with a thoughtful frown of her own.

“I could help as well; it may not be much, but if it means that Scootaloo wouldn't have to move away then it's worth it.” The blue-gray mailmare stood firm in her offer even as her mind began to whirl with calculations of how she could afford to help and still take care of her own family. Rainbow noticed the swirl of thought in gold-yellow eyes and waved a hoof, drawing everyone's attention back to her once again.

“Look, why don't we go and take a look at this place before you guys give up your life savings okay? Could you show us this place you saw Derpy?” Rainbow waved her hooves to stop the others from offering more than they were, starting to head down the path before the postal worker took the lead.

The three pegasi walked down the road silently, contemplating how to overcome the latest obstacle. Rainbow was annoyed at how things weren't easy and how yet again, she had to bother the orange filly once more. Every so often, the irked pegasus would grind her hoof into the ground as she reflected on how she and Scootaloo shared a common goal of wanting to live on their own terms, something that was growing increasingly hard to do with the court breathing down their necks. Fluttershy kept glancing towards the brash mare, anxious about whether or not Rainbow would be able to overcome this latest issue as she saw how aggravated the cyan mare was. Dash barely maintained a healthy lifestyle, the quieter mare wasn’t sure if she could provide the right kind of support for a growing filly on her own.

Before anypony could ponder on the trouble any longer, they found the single storied house with a sign in the yard proclaiming it for sale. Below the large lettering was a list of features the house had to offer; it had two small bedrooms, a kitchen, full bathroom and small living room making it ideal for a single or two ponies but not enough for a large family.

Since there wasn't anyone there to give the three mares a tour, they had to peer through the windows instead. Both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were impressed with the location, not only for its small and easy maintainability but for it's location near the animal care-taker's cottage. It was only two blocks away, making it easy for either mare to check on the young pegasus if they needed.

Rainbow nodded her head once, pleased that this should satisfy the court's needs and give her more reason to hang out in this area of town, before turning to locate the seller. She was quick to notice that she had two other pegasi following her and frowned, seeing blue-gray wings twitch over saddlebags that still held other parcels to deliver.

“Derpy, don't you have more work to do? We got this, don't worry. If we need anything we'll let you know.” Rainbow kept her voice as neutral as possible while still being clipped at the same time, making sure that it would send the postal work on her way. She didn't bother to glance back to see how her words were received and stepped up the pace slightly. Derpy flicked back her ears briefly in worry before seeing that Dash didn't speak in anger and smiled with a nod.

“Alright, I'll see you guys later.” The mailmare took to the skies once more and began to make mental plans on how to still help without giving Rainbow or Scootaloo a chance to decline it. Fluttershy watched the yellow maned pegasus leave before turning back to her long time friend, finding that she still stared on ahead while keeping her brash swagger.

The timid mare wasn’t sure if she was going to be sent away as well and remained silent, watching with fear-tinted eyes. The speedster raked her gaze over the nervous form before turning and picking up her pace slightly without a word to the last pegasus. Fluttershy paused only for a moment before picking up her own pace, deciding that until Rainbow Dash shouted at her to leave, she wasn’t going to stop trying to help anyway she could.

Before the pair traveled more than a few blocks, Dash suddenly entered a building on their right that had a large vault sign hanging over the door. The timid mare was startled at the sudden destination and but realized that it was a good idea to withdraw her bits that she had saved away. Fluttershy hesitantly entered and saw the brash mare waiting impatiently at the end of a short line to withdraw, heading to stand just behind her. Another mare enters after her and just as the canary mare was finishing her last step, the blue earth pony cut in front of her, drawing a small gasp of shock. Rainbow Dash, her attention already wandering as she stood bored, heard the noise and looked back in time to see Fluttershy try to say how she was ahead of the other mare only to be cut off with a snarky remark.

“Uh-uhm, excuse me? I was here first if you could-”

“Didn’t see you, wait in line properly.” The snide tone coupled with the frightened eep caused Dash to lash out, the act plucking her final nerve.

“Oy! She was ahead of you, so don’t cut in line!” The protective pegasus wasted no time getting into the offending mare’s space with a snarl on her muzzle, making the blue earth pony flinch and timidly nod consent.

With a relieved sigh Fluttershy trotted back into place and smiled briefly at Dash who only nodded back before turning to face forward once more. The timid pegasus sighed once more, reflecting on how she was always being helped by the bold mare and was still unable to properly give her thanks.

(She’s always been there for me and I never seem to able to properly thank her… I’m just too shy and quiet to be heard… Reduced to nuzzles that only seem to annoy Dashie… Oh Fluttershy, you’re such a pushover...)

Fluttershy just stood up squarely only to be in time for the pony at the desk to call out ‘next!’, causing her to shrink back just as quickly since she was next in line. Noticing cerise eyes roll at her reaction, the shy pegasus took tentative steps up to the counter and requested her entire account, unsure of how much she would need to help.

Once she also had a bag in hoof, Fluttershy tried to hurry over to where Rainbow was waiting impatiently and tried not to stare inappropriately at the smaller sized bag the cyan pegasus held onto.

“You done Fluttershy?” Rainbow barely waited for the agreeing nod before exiting just as quickly as she entered, wanting to get the ordeal over with before it consumed her entire day.

The two friends remained silent for the rest of the short trip, one not wanting to upset the other and the other uneasy about how much trouble getting the house would be in the end. Luckily they found their target, a stallion named Reel Estate, rather quickly and were soon able to get down to business. It was a tricky operation, one that required cunning and wit as well as a savvy knowledge of real estate; while Fluttershy was a pushover, she had the most brash mare in Ponyville with her who was more than able to strike a bargain.

The two argued for five minutes about the condition and quality of the location in correlation of the price, something Dash didn't mind doing since it gave her the chance to take her frustration out on something other than clouds. All this walking and talking with others wasn't in the brash mare's nature, and fighting about something as normal as a house helped her more than she thought. By the time they came to a compromise of 15,000 bits, it was about noon and both parties were growing hungry.

As Reel Estate drew up the papers, Rainbow signaled for Fluttershy to step back with her. The canary mare complied with slight bewilderment, not sure why they were suddenly leaning close together and whispering but was willing to do anything to help.

“Fluttershy, I don't actually have 15,000 bits...” Dash rubbed the back of her head, uneasy at having to ask her friend for bits; in the past Rainbow was usually the one helping Fluttershy pay for things, taking over and paying for things even without Fluttershy knowing or able to decline the offer. It didn't feel right to ask the animal care-taker that kind of favor, but the shy pegasus was more than happy to help in such a way. She saw it as both a chance to show her thanks for all that occurred in the past and as a way to help give Scootaloo a future.

“That's ok Dashie, I did say I was willing to help pay. How much do you have? Then I'll pay the rest.” The cream-yellow pegasus smiled softly at the brash mare who sighed at the question before pulling forth her bit bag.

“...I have about 5,000... Sorry about this Fluttershy.” The prismatic mare slouched in place before she jerked up at the feel of a comforting nuzzle from the mare beside her, causing her feathers to ruffle and to suddenly feel unsure about what was going on. Fluttershy expected this kind of reaction and didn't allow it to hurt her too much as Rainbow backed up a few paces, instead nodding as though nothing happened.

“It's ok; let's get this all settled and I'll make you lunch. We'll have to find a way to get furniture soon too; when did that letter say they were going to send someone to check on the living conditions?” The shy pegasus lead the way back to the desk where the papers awaited them as Rainbow checked the letter once more. As Fluttershy signed as the principal owner (since she was paying over two thirds of the cost), Dash read the date aloud.

“According to this, they're coming by in three days. So we have to get this paperwork done, find Scoot and tell her, find stuff to put in it and make it look nice for these guys in three days.... Urggghhh...” Rainbow allowed her head to drop as she moaned, her nap plans already being set aside in order to be a proper guardian. At the timid nudge, she looked up to find that they were now just waiting for her signature and portion of the payment. With a gusty sigh at the loss of bits, Rainbow pushed the sack over with a wing while signing with her mouth.

Once it was complete, they all shook hooves before Reel hoofed over the keys to the small house and offered them luck with the new residence. Seeing how annoyed the impatient pegasus was at all the talking and dealings, Fluttershy then escorted Rainbow back to her cottage for a proper lunch. Angel and Dash had soon learned not to fight in view of the quiet mare and tried to act properly any time she looked over, before switching back to furious battles of wills that they both enjoyed for the fact that there wasn't as many others who could and would do those kinds of almost foalish fights.

After all the animals had been fed and the brash mare wasn't as grumpy, they went in search of the orange filly for whom it was all being done for. Knowing that it was spring break for the kids of the town, they decided to start their search by the clubhouse, hoping to catch them before they started any crusading for the day.

Sweetie Belle was on the verge of hyperventilation with pale-gray hooves striking the earth rapidly as she ran through the woods. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes, a result of both the fear and of frustration, not knowing why it hurt so much compared to all their other adventures when something could have happened to any of them. She didn't pay close attention to her surroundings, only to swerve away from trees and get further away from the hideout they had been shown. For a while, the only sounds she heard was that of her own hoofsteps as she raced across the land and the wind blowing through the trees as she whizzed past.

Soon though, a different sound began to draw her attention; another set of hooves were coming up from behind her quickly and due to the lack of a certain buzz of tiny wings, Sweetie Belle could guess as to who it was. Holding back the wince at knowing that it wasn't a certain dark-cerise maned pegasus, the unicorn glanced to the side and saw her friend also out of breath.

“Hey Sweetie Belle! Ah told Scootaloo tah get her stuff an' meet us at the clubhouse; we ain't leaving her in those kinds of places!” Apple Bloom panted as her brows were furrowed in thought, plans on how to make the pegasus a place to stay running through her mind.

Sweetie Belle remained silent, the pain in her chest preventing most speech while they ran. The earth pony took this as a sign to elaborate and scrunched her muzzle as she confessed to having very little plans currently.

“Well, Ah don't really know how or where we'd get all the stuff tah make ah proper home for her, but we'll figure somethin' out... Let's head tah the clubhouse, maybe there's somethin' in the attic we can use.” The olive-yellow filly took the lead, showing off her stronger endurance as they continued to run.

They remained quiet as they traveled, each lost in her own thoughts. Sweetie Belle took this chance to observe the other Crusader, finding evidence of concern for their mutual friend but no signs of any racking or debilitating pain that she herself felt. Though that may have been because of the earth pony's natural strength, masking or even lessening the pain.

As they rounded the last bend before the farm, they noticed two spots of flying colors that seemed to be heading in the same direction. The girls didn't slow nor pause in their running, having no extra breath to shout for attention. As they ran to their tree house, the specks of color slowly grew in size to reveal two well known pegasi winging their way over the orchard. Unsure of why Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were in the area, the girls continued on their path unless either pegasi showed a need to talk with them. This was proven to be a correct assumption as the two pegasi flew in the direction of the clubhouse until the canary mare heard the sounds of hooffalls and glanced back.

Seeing the two Crusaders, Fluttershy called gently for Rainbow's attention and both mares dropped down to land just in front of the girls who slid to a halt, making a small dust cloud rise in their wake.

“Hey Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash... Are ya lookin' for mah sister? I think she's in the fields, workin'.” Apple Bloom stated between pants as she stood next to Sweetie Belle who rubbed a hoof on her chest as she panted for breath as well.

“Nah, we're looking for you guys. Where's Scootaloo?” Rainbow glanced behind the two friends, wondering if she was trailing behind them only to find a dark suspicious glare cast her way from the olive-yellow filly while the light-gray one found herself crouching slightly with a cringe.

It seemed that Dash only ever had bad news for the young pegasus and Apple Bloom wasn't sure if she should tell the older ponies about what was going on. Sweetie Belle, however, found that the tight feeling in her chest didn't go away even after getting her breath back and found herself growing sick with worry and mind growing fuzzy at the potential bad news.

“We wanted to talk with her about maybe getting a place for her to live...” Fluttershy had seen the sudden changes in the fillies in front of them and tried to reassure them that it was nothing bad.

Apple Bloom didn't know how helpful the two mares would be, finding a house would take a while and cost a lot of bits; she had already started to make plans to build another clubhouse-like building near the edge of the orchard for Scootaloo. The unicorn had tensed at the mention of a proper place to stay and trembled for a moment before finding herself rapidly explaining what they had discovered.

“Scootaloo's been living in forests and other bad and cold places and won't accept our help but she could get hurt again! You've got to help!” The older mares could barely understand what was said as Sweetie Belle hadn't taken a breath during her explanation and when she finished they found they weren't all that surprised at how things had gotten once more. The earth pony however, watched the gray-white filly worriedly, recognizing her behavior of panic and fear that left trembling in place.

Rainbow Dash groaned as she face-hoofed, realizing that she was now faced with a growing problem that required her immediate attention. She shook her head briefly before lowering herself to prepare for take-off.

“Alright, we'll make sure things are better. Where's Scoot now?” Dash glanced towards the fillies for a moment, already plotting the fastest route to where the orange pegasus might have been.

“... She's gonnah come with all her stuff to the clubhouse in ah couple of hours.” Apple Bloom watched Sweetie Belle out of the corner of her eye as she answered the prismatic mare before focusing solely on Dash as she relaxed her stance briefly before nodding with a smirk.

“That works, thanks girls. I’ll come back later and I want you three to be ready to leave when I do, ok? Gotta dash!” With a half-shout and thrust of blue wings, Rainbow shot into the air and flew towards town. Fluttershy gave the two bewildered fillies a small smile before flying up to follow Dash, leaving the two Crusaders to wonder what was going on.

The earth pony gazed at her friend in concern, hoof rubbing the alabaster back as she sat closer. Sweetie Belle found that she couldn't really hold back her tremors and sat facing the ground, trying to find why she couldn't remain calm in all of this; something that Apple Bloom also wondered since she wasn't half as anxious as the unicorn filly.

“Sweetie Belle, what's wrong with ya? Are ya sick? Tired? Want tah go to the clubhouse an' rest for ah bit?” The olive-yellow earth pony tried to stare into green eyes only to find they avoided her attempts, rooting themselves firmly onto the ground.

Deciding that she wouldn't be able to trace the nervousness to its roots, Sweetie Belle instead focused on how the other filly was acting. Not finding trace of tremors, possible aches or flinches of sharp stabbing pains in the other's chest made the unicorn frown thoughtfully and check verbally to see if the signs were true.

“Aren't... Aren't you worried about what's going to happen now?” The light-gray unicorn stared intently at her friend, finding only a pensive look instead of a painful one like she could feel on her own muzzle.

“Sure Ah am, but Ah ain't gonnah get all worked up about it. We'll make sure it ain't gonnah happen again, that's all. Nothing tah cry about.” Apple Bloom finished her statement with a gentle hoof around the shivering shoulders as Sweetie Belle stared cross eyed in shock of finding her tears did indeed escape.

(Wh-why am I crying again?! And why is it that Apple Bloom seems so calm about what we found out?!? Doesn't she care about what happens to Scootaloo...?!) The gray-white unicorn took in a shuddering breath as she realized what she had implied, glancing to the side where a concerned face gazed back intently, orange eyes filled with worry and frustration at her inability to help. (How can I even say that!? Of course she cares for what happens to us! She was right there with me when we found out and feels the same about how it's not right... But why? Why do I constantly feel this pain?!)

Apple Bloom didn't notice any of this thought, only seeing the intense frustration of the other filly. As Sweetie Belle stomped a hoof in annoyance of her actions, the young farmer frowned further as she continued to rub soothingly.

(Why can't Ah help mah friends!? Ah don't even know why Sweetie Belle is this upset... Ah better do somethin' quick!)

“Sweetie Belle, could ya please tell me what's wrong? Are ya not feeling well?” Orange eyes stared, closely watching for any signs of this reaction getting worse or better. She was pleased to note that the shivering unicorn pulled herself together slightly with a deep breath.

“I'll-I'll be ok... Let's, uh, get back to the clubhouse...” Sweetie Belle tried to contain her nerves and began to trot back to the tree-house, trying to keep her head and tail from dragging along the ground in despair and fear.

They reached the tree-house easily and sat squarely in the center of the room, lost in their own thoughts of the day and what the older mares might be doing at this time. Even as Apple Bloom's eyes flicked around the room as various plans ran through her mind, resting every so often on the filly beside her who had once again become lost in her own mind as she found more images of the young pegasus in physical danger. Sweetie wasn't sure which was worse, waiting for Scootaloo to come back or the images her mind seemed more than willing to create that only served to confuse and scare her further. She only hoped that she would be able to figure out what was going on soon.

Rainbow didn't slow down this time for Fluttershy to keep up, soaring to her house to find any bits she may have tucked away or lost in her cloud home and subsequent mess that usually spread across the floor. She breezed over the piles of trash and objects, searching around the shelves and in her sparse closet, under her bed and even in the blankets thrown haphazardly around the room.

Fluttershy slowly crept through the wide open door, crouching low to the floor in nerves as the sound of rapid shuffling and throwing met her ears. She glanced to the ceiling as an annoyed moan rang through the house, leading her to step quietly up the stairs to locate the rainbow maned pegasus.

“Rainbow...?” Another groan sounded out and soon Fluttershy found her target glaring at her calendar on the wall; it was a Wonderbolt's edition that the timid mare had gotten her friend for their last birthday.

“Is...Is everything alright?” A cyan ear flicked back at the question as the shy mare slowly made her delicate way over the recently thrown objects.

“I don't have anything left! I don't get paid until five days from now, but that won't help; the squirt needs a place now and it has to be the right kind of cool.” A single hoof dug into the floor in irritation as cerise eyes tore themselves away from the calendar to stare at the ground. “Cloud furniture won't work, it'd make a regular house moldy...”

Fluttershy relaxed her worried stance at the reason for the anguish and was about to place a hoof onto a sky-blue shoulder when Dash straightened suddenly with a shout.

“Ah-ha! There it is!!” She dove for a far corner under her bed, having finally located the secret-emergency stash of bits. It had been partially buried in the clouds around it that helped prevent any unwanted visitors from finding the location, a measure she had learned the hard way when she was younger. The other pegasus watched from her place a few paces away, having been startled into leaping back at the sudden shout.

“Five... Seven... Ten... Thirteen... Seventeen. Not much, but I should be able to get a bed or something... Maybe a nice sofa.” Dash stood with determination burning in her eyes. While this meant that she would have to live on grass and maybe some wild flowers, Rainbow knew it was for a good cause and raced back down the stairs.

Fluttershy gave a start at this sudden movement and tried to hurry after her, floating down the stairs when she started to trip. She drew to a stop when she noticed a shifting Rainbow Dash at the doorway, hopping from right to left and back as she stared intently towards the staircase.

“Come on! We have to get to the bed store before they sell out of the good ones!” Rainbow didn't bother to hide her impatience as the other mare resumed her rushed flying.

“Uhm, I don't think we have to worry about that...” The cream-yellow mare barely got the words out before being swept up by strong blue hooves propelling her forward and out the door.

“No time to waste, let's go!” With a small meep at the force being used to propel them forward, the two mares shot down to the town below them and soon found themselves in front of the only store selling beds and parchment.

It was to the brash mare's great annoyance that there were no beds for sale under twenty-five bits and that one was ridiculously small and cramped. Rainbow stomped her way back out in short order with a mutter of how she was never going back to that place again and stood in the middle of the street, gaze unfocused. Fluttershy, having expected something like this, shyly stepped forward and sat near her friend.

“Uhmm, do-do you want to see what is in the new house before we try to fill it with furniture? May-maybe there's something there already...” The canary pegasus was tempted to nuzzle her long time friend but held back, knowing her reaction to such an act done in the middle of town would not be good. Instead she tried to peer into the cerise orbs that slowly focused on teal ones once more as their owner gave a half-hearted shrug.

“Yeah, I guess. Let's get going then.” Rainbow picked herself up from the middle of the street and decided to walk to the house, having been annoyed by the results of her efforts. It also felt good to stomp every other hoofstep as they went, a feat that is impossible to do in the sky.

Rainbow wasn't paying the closest attention to where she was going and was slightly surprised to find herself in front of the dark-blue door already. With nimble wings, she reached for the new key and opened the way for them to head inside. The two friends found that it was as impressive as they imagined considering it's size.

There was a living room that had half a wall dividing the kitchen from it, and two doors led from the main room, each being bedrooms that had no furnishings in them aside from a light attached to the ceiling. Finding the first three rooms they looked at empty of their contents, the two pegasi entered the kitchen next and found a third doorway that led to the bathroom. Both were furnished with the right appliances for both, though all were smaller in order to fit in the tinier home. The overall color theme ranged from pale-green to green-tinted cream colors. There was a window in every room with two in the living room and the kitchen hosted four small cabinets that hung from the walls and along the floor.

As the two pegasi walked through each room, Fluttershy tried to put a positive light on the situation, recognizing the dejected slump in blue shoulders.

“The-the kitchen has a very nice fridge, and plenty of space for dry goods and plates and-and things... O-oh, look! The bathroom has a little flower light and the bathtub has a shower attached, that is good... Uhm, it's not that bad...?” The quiet mare timidly glanced to her friend who rolled her head at Fluttershy’s attempts before standing straight once more. She had already started to come to terms that this guardianship stuff was harder than keeping some mean care-taker away, it was about time to get serious.

“Alright, so we know what's in here now. I'm going to head out, see if I can get some bits from somewhere. You head back and tell Scoots that, uh, we have a surprise for her and she should totally-” A sudden knock at the door prevented the bold mare from saying anymore, drawing both mare's attention at the sound. As a second set of knocking took place, Rainbow took a few curious steps closer to answer the door, finding herself take a surprised step back at the sight of a blue-gray pegasus with a clipboard in hoof.

“Oh good, you are here. I just need you to sign this please Rainbow Dash.” Derpy held out the board with several sheets of paper on it, listing what was being delivered. Dash however didn't immediately sign and instead started to scan the contents, growing more confused and agitated.

“Couch, chair, chair, bed, shelf-Derpy! What the hay is all this?! Where did you get it? Who the hay sent it?!” The cyan mare looked up with an angry frown, even as movers started to bring the various pieces of furniture into the structure. The other pegasus merely stayed neutral even as her heart rate spiked briefly.

“Oh, well, I-er, these were unneeded pieces of furniture and given to a good cause. Shipment was taken care of by a... a local charity. It's all, uh, rather complicated and-”

“Derpy, it says right here that you bought it and ordered it to be shipped...” Dash deadpanned the gold-yellow eyed mare who shrank slightly at having been caught in her attempt to help. Fluttershy decided to step outside as more stallions brought in the furniture and glanced curiously between the two as they continued to talk.

“I was able to find furniture that was used and unneeded and asked if I could take it for a good cause. I didn't say what it was for specifically but just that it was to help a filly who was getting a home for the first time...I just wanted to help...” The mailmare glanced to the side with flattened ears, knowing that Dash had said not to worry but unable to stop herself from trying anyways. The prismatic mare sighed heavily, the knowledge of a single mom helping out not sitting properly with her but it was too late to fight it since it had been done already.

“...Fine, but not a word when I pay you back. Scootaloo is my responsibility now, I have to mare up and try to do my part.” Rainbow watched shrewdly for a moment until seeing the nod of consent from the postal worker and looking to the ever shortening pile of furniture being brought in.

Once the last piece, a coffee table, was brought in, Rainbow Dash signed on the paperwork and waved goodbye to the postal workers who were quickly on their way. The two friends re-entered to find that the helpful stallions had placed the proper furniture in the corresponding rooms, though it had to be rearranged to fit. They spent the next half hour getting the house to look just right, with Dash doing most of the lifting.

As the last piece was shifted into place, the two pegasi took a step back to look at the results and found no issues with the layout. Derpy had managed to find two beds, two small shelves and a long shelf for the living room, a couch and sofa, a table small enough for the kitchen that could fit three around the circular sides and three mix-matched chairs to surround it. Dash glanced around momentarily before zipping out the front door, leaving the usual rainbow trail behind her as well as confused animal care-taker who had jumped slightly at the silent and sudden departure.

Before she could take a single step or utter a confused question, another flash of rainbow zoomed through the air into the room closest to the kitchen. Fluttershy raised a single brow at this mysterious behavior and trotted over to investigate what had Rainbow speeding all over the place.

Peeking inside the room, she found the usually brash mare setting up a couple of posters, depicting the wonders of the Wonderbolts and other amazing fliers. The canary mare recognized them as ones that usually hung inside a cloud home that hovered above Ponyville.

“Rainbow...? I thought that-”

“Well, the room needed some more awesome and what better way than having the Wonderbolts? Aside from me of course.” The cyan pegasus couldn't meet teal eyes as she tapped her fore-hooves together before standing properly once more and swiped at her mane, setting the bangs back into place after the rapid trip.

“Come on, we should go get the Crusaders and show them, the kid's going to be so surprised!” Dash smirked before taking wing, flying above the ground briefly before rising higher as she went towards Sweet Apple Acres with a slightly nervous cream-yellow pegasus trying to keep up behind her.

Back in the clubhouse, the trio of friends sat awkwardly in the center of their 'secret' base, no one meeting the others' eyes. Scootaloo had taken a while to gather all her things, and she still left some of her more remote locations stocked, just in case. This wasn't something her friends knew about and after considering Apple Bloom's recent behavior about it, Scootaloo wasn’t planning on telling them any time soon.

The orange pegasus had arrived to find an anxious pair waiting for her. She had thought that it was merely about her hideouts, but was soon informed that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had been looking for her a few hours ago and that they were to wait in the clubhouse for their return. This caused the young pegasus to be conflicted; she was hopeful that it was nothing bad, but didn't trust life to take it easy on her anytime soon and didn't want to get her hopes up.

In the end, the three friends merely sat in uncomfortable silence, unease and worry lacing the air. After what felt like an eternity, there was a sudden thump on the porch of the clubhouse while a gruff voice called out.

“Hey, squirts! You in there?” Scootaloo recognized the voice of her idol any day and felt her heart lurch as she realized she wasn't sure if this visit was a good or bad thing.

“We-we're here Rainbow Dash!” The orange pegasus stood from her position on the floor as her friends did and faced the door where the cyan mare stood with Fluttershy looking over her shoulder.

“Hey guys, I got something really cool to show you. Do you have all your stuff Scootaloo?” Rainbow glanced behind the filly and was pleased to see the three saddlebags loaded down with objects. She stepped inside as Scootaloo nodded slowly and went to pick up the bags.

“Cool. Look, I'll carry the stuff and you three follow us, we have something to show you.” The three friends shared bewildered glances before trotting behind the older mares with quick steps. While Rainbow wanted to get there fast, she knew that the younger fillies would have a hard time keeping up and floated overhead instead with Fluttershy as they traveled back to town.

Scootaloo didn't like knowing that somepony else held onto her bags, making her twitchy and on edge. It made it harder for a runaway to make a quick getaway but the orange filly didn’t want to insult the mare she looked up to. Apple Bloom noticed this behavior and tried to help her buck up with a friendly smile and a small nudge that received an annoyed frown in return. The earth pony was surprised at the reaction but didn't bring it to attention, not wanting to involve the older mares into whatever was going on this time.

Sweetie Belle however, stood on the other side of Apple Bloom, trying to distance herself from the young pegasus least she finds her body betray her and give the edgy filly a hug or nuzzle. While she knew that Scootaloo was now more accepting of hugs and signs of feelings, the gray-white filly could tell that what she felt like doing (and for how long) was not something the tomcolt filly was willing to put up with. It wouldn't have been so bad if she felt the same way towards the earth pony that stood between them, but Sweetie Belle just didn't feel the same need to cuddle the young farmer. Something that only added to her confused state, making it so she remained silent for the trip and almost in a daze as they walked.

After traveling for fifteen tense minutes (not that the older pegasi noticed), the group reached their destination. As part of the surprise, Dash demand the fillies close their eyes and led them inside. Once they were in position, she gave the order for them to open their eyes with a smirk, sure that they would be amazed and excited. The girls, not fully understanding what they were seeing, glanced about the room in silent wonder much to the amusement of the older mares. Rainbow and Fluttershy watched with gleeful smiles that faded slightly at the continued silence from the trio. The brash mare stepped forward and leaned to closer to the girls, drawing their attention back from the room around them.

“You do realize what this is right Scoots?” Three brows rose at this, unsure of the vague question. Rainbow watched for a moment longer until she found three confused head shakes, causing her to sigh and walk over to the room she had started to set up as Scootaloo's. The Crusaders followed quietly, bewilderment showing in their every step only to fade slightly when they stepped into the room behind the older pegasus.

“Fluttershy and I got this house so you wouldn't have to live in hideouts anymore squirt. This is your room, uh, unless you want the other one?” Dash suddenly realized how very commanding she sounded and tried to make it seem more like a choice, though she was willing to enforce the issue if she had to. Aside from getting a letter from the courts in Manehatten, she would have wanted to be sure the young pegasus was staying someplace that was safe and warm anyways.

Scootaloo frowned at this, not liking how everyone seemed to want to get into her business about where she was staying at night. Apple Bloom, on the other hoof, was ecstatic and cheered up immensely, turning to smile at the orange filly only to frown when she noticed the drawn face.

“Why does everypony want to know where I'm staying?! I don't need charity, I was doing fine with finding places to stay on my own.” Scootaloo huffed as she crossed her hooves, noticing the amused smirk on her hero's face and wondered if she should take further offense to it. Rainbow scuffed her dark-cerise mane with a chuckle, having already guessed that that was going to be her response; just like how Dash would have said back when she was a filly.

“We just want to make sure you have a good place to stay. If it makes you feel any better, this place didn't come cheap and you'll need to help pay for it.” An orange hoof waved off the blue one from it's actions while Scootaloo frowned wonderingly at the words.

As Rainbow smirked at the slight curiosity she had aroused in the young filly, she noticed the worried frown of the timid mare from the doorway at the mention of Scootaloo needing to pay for it. Interpreting the look correctly, Dash waved a reassuring hoof and smirked a little wider before answering both pegasi’s curiosity.

“Now, I'm not expecting you to hoof over 15,000 bits but we will need you to work off the cost. You'd have to do the chores around the house for one; Fluttershy would need help taking care of her animals too, since she helped the most.” Rainbow tried to pose the statement in a half-question to the other mare who smiled back with a gentle nod of agreement to the plan.

“Right, so you have to help Fluttershy at her cottage a couple a days a week and do all the work around here too. Did, uh, did you want somepony to stay here with you? I mean, there is a second bedroom and all that...” The usually bold mare found herself scuffing a hoof along the ground as she tried to appear nonchalant about the topic. She didn't want to appear overbearing but could feel the hard teal eyes resting on her, almost demanding that she offer to stay with the young filly.

Scootaloo flushed at the offer and shook her head rapidly in embarrassment. She hadn't expected Dash to offer such a thing and wasn't sure what to say, never had so many trying to help.

“Oh, uh, no, no I-I should be fine on my own. I guess that I should be able to do that kind thing to pay for the house...” Scootaloo couldn't bring herself to look Rainbow in the eye and stared at the floor. The cyan mare gave the orange filly another mane-mussing before stepping around the trio of friends to stand next to the other older pegasus.

“Come on, let's get out of here; they'll be ok. I have to get to work.” Dash nodded towards the door to which earned a confused frown from the canary mare.

“O-oh? I thought you were done with work today... Should we buy groceries for Scootaloo?” Fluttershy glanced back and found the three friends remained in the bedroom while the older pegasi started to exit the home.

“Hey Scoots?! The keys to the house are going to be here on the table alright?” Seeing the acknowledging nod, Rainbow turned her attention back to the mare next to her. “I'm going to pick up more shifts at the weather factory, so uh...” A blue hoof ran through the multi-hued mane as Dash stared off the side, much to Fluttershy's worry and concern. Teal eyes took in the form beside her and pondered about what she may have said that would cause such a distracted gaze; realization struck and Fluttershy gave a small understanding smile.

“I can get the food for Scootaloo while you’re gone... Are you going to be ok?” The canary pegasus checked her friend's embarrassed face which had a light blush across it. Rainbow nodded mutely before looking guiltily to the other mare.

“I'll pay ya back 'Shy, promise. I just, wasn't expecting to have to pay so much at once...” Rainbow felt bad for having to rely on her closest friend for all this financial issue. Fluttershy smiled to try reassure the guilt ridden mare and gave her a brief nuzzle along her neck. The brash pegasus jerked back slightly at the touch and blushed heavily as she glanced around the street, worried that someone may have seen the sappy moment. The shyer mare noticed this action and laid her ears flat against her skull, recognizing that she may be pushing it with the nuzzles even as she hoped that Rainbow would eventually overcome her distaste of ‘sappy’ moments.

“It's ok Dashie, I know you will. I don't mind helping at all. If you have time, I'll make sure to cook something for you and Scootaloo if you can stop by before going to bed.” Fluttershy gently smiled, which grew at the tiny nod from the brash mare before they went their separate ways. As Rainbow took to the skies once more, the timid mare found that she didn't want to just suddenly leave the orange filly not knowing what was going on and returned inside only to find the three friends still in the same place as before, silent and tense.

“Uhm, Scootaloo? I'm going to stop by the marketplace to help stock the fridge, would you like anything in particular for supper?” Fluttershy frowned worriedly at the trio only to smile instead at the flustered face of the young pegasus who was dumbfounded by the offer. Scootaloo tore her gaze from the ground and rubbed the back of her head as she answered.

“Uh, no, it's fine. I mean, uh, you-you don't have to do that! I have some bits saved up, I could go and get my own stuff and uh-”

“No no, it's ok. You've had a long and tiring day I'm sure, you should get settled before starting on uhm, your chores. You girls should have fun since it's the first day here and everything...” The canary pegasus smiled gently at the trio before leaving once more, deftly running through the numbers and calculating how much she had left to use for the supplies.

As the older mare finally left, Scootaloo turned to her friends who hadn't moved from their place with a slight frown. It hadn't sunk in yet and the orange filly was in a daze, having her own home didn't feel real to her yet. Before she could contemplate on it further, Apple Bloom spoke up with a small grin.

“Well! At least now ya got a place tah stay! An' it's ah mighty fine one too, big rooms, lots of sunshine, bed looks mighty comfy.” The earth pony stood to give the bed a testing shove and turned back to her friend with a growing smile. “Now ya won't have tah stay in them hidin' places!”

Scootaloo had jerked back to her surroundings as Apple Bloom spoke and found herself irritated with the olive-yellow filly. She considered shrugging it off and not stating her irritation but flashed on the last incident where she promised not to keep things bottled up any more. Both of the other Crusaders noticed this annoyance and took shallow breaths, unsure of what the problem was this time.

“You want me to say what I feel Apple Bloom?” The orange filly frowned towards the earth pony who nodded slowly as she responded.

“We both do, it ain't good tah keep it all inside...”

“Fine, I'll tell you how I feel. I'm grateful you guys want to help but I had been doing fine for a while now. And I really don't like having somepony come and just start telling me what to do, even if you were trying to help.” Scootaloo kept her voice as neutral as possible, not wanting to lash out when she knew her friends were just trying to help. Apple Bloom frowned and took a single step closer, only to freeze at the slightly harsher tones.

“Just, leave me alone. Please.” Three sets of ears tipped back at the clipped tone and the young farmer didn't try to argue otherwise. She only paused when she was even with the pegasus who stared firmly at the ground and gave her a swift hug.

“Sorry Scoots. Ah... Ah was just tryin' tah help.” Apple Bloom didn't wait for a response and continued on her way out. Sweetie Belle hadn't moved during this and it was only after hearing the muttered phrase did she move, stepping up to be next to the pegasus and gave her a brief hug as well.

“I-I'm glad you have a nice home now Scootaloo... I-we'll see you later.” Sweetie Belle was going to leave just as abruptly as the first Crusader but went still as she felt a single hoof sneak around to wrap her barrel with a light hug as well.

“It's just... a lot to take in. Tell Apple Bloom I'm not that mad, ok? I'll see you guys later.” Scootaloo stated this with her eyes closed, mind swirling with this latest development. Being distracted and disoriented, she didn't notice the fierce blush on the other filly's muzzle nor felt the brisk pace of her heart considering the orange filly's own heart was doing leaps and marathons as the latest change started to settle in her mind.

Sweetie Belle couldn't bring herself to speak and merely nodded a few times before pausing, realizing that she didn't want to let the other filly go. It was only as Scootaloo removed her hoof that the unicorn was able to force her body to back up, cracking a weak smile before rushing out of the room. As the light-gray filly tried to prevent herself from returning to embrace the pegasus, she found the last Crusader sitting outside of the single storied house with slumped shoulders and low hanging head as she berated herself for being so forceful with friends.

The unicorn stepped up quickly and gave her friend a hug, trying to help even as she felt deep down that it wasn't the same as hugging the pegasus. Forcing aside the thoughts of feeling the feathery appendages while hugging a certain filly, Sweetie Belle tried to focus on what she was currently doing and gave the earth pony a squeeze before stepping back.

“Scoot-Scootaloo said that she wasn't really mad and that... that she'll see us later.” The unicorn watched with a shaky smile as Apple Bloom stood a little straighter and nodded back.

“Alright. Ah guess Ah was pressin’ too much...”

“We both were worried about her...” Sweetie Belle nudged her friend with a sad smile that slowly dropped as she was soon the target of a concerned gaze and a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

“We were, but are ya goin' tah be ok? You were takin' this worse than me.” Apple Bloom watched with furrowed brows as Sweetie Belle frowned as she focused inward, wondering if they were indeed worrying at different levels for the orphan.

“What-what do you mean?” The pale-gray filly tried to keep her voice from cracking or wavering, something she wasn't sure she successful at.

“Sweetie Belle, yer were so nervous Ah thought Ah'd have tah make sure you got home alright.”

“Well, didn't-weren't you worried about Scootaloo too?”

“Sure Ah was, but ya were actin' like that time she shouted at us... Are ya sure-... Ya know what? Ah learned mah lesson; Ah ain't gonnah push mah friends tah find out what's wrong. Ya gonnah get home alright Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom stepped back from the nervous filly and tried to smile reassuringly, which was grudgingly returned.

“Yes, I'll be fine. I'll see you later Apple Bloom.” Sweetie Belle quickly turned in place and trotted with haste back to her own home, her mind racing with different thoughts and feelings. She tried to appear calm on the outside even as a storm swirled in her chest as she traveled.

(I guess that friends aren't supposed to feel this way at all... Apple Bloom wasn't so worried for Scootaloo that she almost freaked out. I can't even hug them the same, this isn't what a friend feels at all, I'm nearly sure now..... What am I going to do? Am I sick? Should-should I find somepony to help...? Why can't I stop thinking about Scootaloo all alone in that big house!?) At this last thought, the gray-white filly broke into a run, entering and climbing the stairs speedily before throwing herself on the bed. With her head under the pillow, the young unicorn gave to a small nod to her latest plan of action.

(I'll just act like nothing's different and-and maybe it will go away... Like a sickness; I just have to rest and keep going and it will go away on it's own...)

On the other side of town, an orange pegasus looked around her new abode in a stupor, still not quite believing that this was all true. She momentarily considered actually unpacking her things but wasn't sure she should. In the end, Scootaloo decide to unpack a portion of her things, some of the food she always carried around, a few blankets that were comfier than the others and a picture she had of her and her two best friends. It made the room feel more like it was hers but the nervous filly wasn't sure if she should unpack so much, knowing it would slow her down should she ever need to suddenly leave.

As the filly put away the dry goods she kept with her, a sudden knock on the door set her on edge and she glanced anxiously towards the door as she peered around the half-wall.

“Scootaloo...? It's me, Fluttershy; may I come in?” The quiet voice floated through the solid wood, assuring the young filly enough that she slowly stepped around the corner.

“O-oh, uhm, yeah, sure Fluttershy...” Once Scootaloo answered, the canary mare opened the door with a short glance at the lock that hadn't been closed before smiling at the timidly edging forward youth.

“Hello, have you unpacked your things?” The older mare trotted towards the kitchen and didn't notice the flinch that occurred at the mention of unpacking.

“Ye-yeah, I unpacked...” Scootaloo followed the older pegasus with heavy steps, worry still weighing her small frame.

Fluttershy opened the various cabinets and was disheartened to see the small amount of dry foods that had been put away. Nothing was in the upper cabinets and the older mare realized that due to her height, Scootaloo wouldn't be able to reach anything there. With this in mind, the animal care-taker placed the majority of the supplies in the lower drawers, pleased to have thought to bring some pots and pans to help with any cooking.

The cream-yellow mare noticed the heavy silence and glanced to the filly who watched with trepidation at the work. With a small frown, Fluttershy looked beyond the youngster and saw with a larger frown that there wasn't much in her new room. Once the last bit of food was put away, the older pegasus stepped around the younger one and glanced around the pale-green bedroom. Scootaloo could feel the worry ebbing from the other pony and flicked back her ears in unease.

“Uhm, do-do you have any other things Scootaloo? Is this all?” Fluttershy looked to the younger girl who shifted in place.

“Kind of, I travel light...” The orange filly could feel the probing eyes resting on her and felt compelled to go further. “I have more stuff at the clubhouse.”

“Oh, did you want help bringing it here?” The older pony tried to smile reassuringly only to falter slightly at the shake of a dark-cerise mane.

“Nah, I'll uh just leave them there.” Scootaloo couldn't meet teal eyes and started back towards the living room.

“Ok, if you say so. I think that Rainbow Dash will be stopping by for dinner tonight, would that be ok?” Fluttershy peered curiously at the young pegasus who perked up at the news that the bold mare would be coming back that evening. Scootaloo nodded timidly and sat in the center of the main room as she gazed around the room, trying to take in this latest development.

The rest of the evening was quiet as Fluttershy tried to set up the kitchen for the filly that would be staying there, leaving everything in easy reach while keeping it neat and organized. She was slowly becoming concerned as to whether or not Rainbow would be able to make it back for supper but as the clock (brought from her own home) struck seven, an uneven knock sounded at the door. Scootaloo perked up from her seat at the table where she had watched the graceful mare cook to rush towards the door, a gut feeling letting her know who was there.

“Hey Rainbow Dash!” A bright smile greeted the worn out flier who scuffed her mane while stepping forward.

“Hey Squirt, you all settled in?” Rainbow watched with tired eyes as the filly hesitated a moment before nodding, scuffing a hoof along the ground.

“Ye-yeah. It's, uh, a pretty nice place...” Scootaloo led the way to the kitchen where Fluttershy had gone back to cooking at the sound of who was at the door.

“Yep, and it's all yours... Though, we do have to discuss some things if, if you don't mind.” Dash winced at the stiffening form before trying to grin reassuringly. “Don't worry kid, it's nothing bad. I just want to be sure where we stand on this whole house thing.” The two pegasi sat at the table while the canary mare began to place various dishes in the middle.

“The courts want to make sure you have a nice place to live; it's why we got you this place. Uhm, you do like it, right?” Dash tore her gaze from the delicious food before them to look at the unsettled filly.

“Yeah! It-it is nice and all. I'm, uh, not used to living in my own place, that's all.” Rainbow relaxed her stance at the assurances before returning her gaze back to the center of the table, knowing that Fluttershy was paying close attention to the conversation and hoping she didn't goof it.

“Good. Uh, the court ponies are sending someone over to make sure though, in a couple of days actually. They would probably want to see you as well, to know that you're doing ok and like the place... If you could hang around on Friday afternoon?” Dash nervously watched the younger pegasus who had froze at the mention that someone would actually be coming to find her, even if it was for good reasons. Even as a trickle of nervous sweat tracked down her back, Scootaloo agreed to be there.

“You'd be there too right Rainbow Dash?”

“Sure thing Squirt, I wouldn't miss it. It'll be fine, you'll see.” The two pegasi shared a small grin before looking to the cream-yellow mare who took a seat as the final dish was placed. Two hearty thanks were given to the cook before they all settled into the meal.

After taking a large bite, Rainbow chewed quickly to pose her next question, realizing that just as she would be there for when the inquiry would happen, it was probably expected that she stay with the young filly.

“Hey, uh, Scoot? That pony who's going to stop by, he's probably going to see if I'm living here too.” Seeing the still figure across the table, Rainbow rushed on with a waving hoof. “I don't want to bug you too much kid, if you want to stay here on your own that's fine. We'd just have to convince the pony coming that I'm keeping a close watch on you and all that. I understand wanting to do your own thing, it's what I did as a filly too.”

Scootaloo lightly blushed, happy to hear that Rainbow understood and was willing to let her make her own way in the world. All the attention recently had been making her feel smothered and squished, hearing that she would be able to live and take care of herself once the inspection was over helped to relieve some of the new pressure.She found herself smiling back with a short nod, pleased with the offer.

“Alright Rainbow Dash, we'll make that pony think that you stay here all the time and I'll start to pay you guys back starting tomorrow.” The older mares grinned at the enthusiasm that was in the younger filly's voice once more before they all turned back to the meal before them.

While the two similar tomcolt pegasi tore through their meal, Fluttershy couldn’t help but watch with a small grin, pleased at what they had accomplished that day. She ate in her usual slow and graceful manner, unhurried since she didn’t actually eat as much as the speedsters.

(I’m so proud of you Dashie, you’ve helped Scootaloo so much today… I wish I knew some other way to show you how happy I am for the two of you, but… I can only try to show through my actions since my words are too quiet…)

Rainbow noticed the small grin and blushed briefly at the focused gaze before smiling briefly back. She assumed it was for how well she handled the situation, which was in part some of the reason of Fluttershy’s joy, though she didn’t want to appear sappy in front of the filly sharing the table with them.

Afterwards, the prismatic pegasus made the second bedroom seem more lived in; placing posters of the Wonderbolts on the walls as well as putting some of her lesser awards on the shelf that was in the room. They also placed more nicknacks in the living room to give it a homey feel and not so freshly bought. Once that was complete, the older pegasi bid the younger one goodnight and left for the evening, promising to check in every so often.

That night found the newest resident stuck awake, unused to the soft sheets or slightly bouncy frame beneath her. After tossing back and forth, the orange filly grabbed all the blankets and two pillows to use on the floor instead, making a burrow like structure to counteract the softness of the bed. It didn't help she was nervous at being in a new environment and rested under the bed for security and hide-ability.

When that Friday arrived, Scootaloo made sure to arrive back to her new home quickly and checked that things looked ok for the visit. She made sure the bed was done properly (having finally gotten used to sleeping in it the night before) and jerked up at the knock before the door swung open to show Rainbow glancing about.

“Looking good squirt, seems like you're getting the hang of having a place to yourself.” Dash smiled at the filly who blushed at the praise before checking that her own room was still in order.

Not even minutes afterwards came yet another knock on the door, prompting Rainbow to head over to answer it. With a nervous smile in place, she opened the dark-blue frame to find a middle aged unicorn stallion with a clipboard hovering nearby and small glasses resting on his muzzle.

“Hey, eh heh, how are you doing today?” The usually brash mare tried to sound friendly as she half-smiled at the unicorn who raised a single brow at the statement.

“Fine, but that may not be the case for you today. I assume you are Rainbow Dash, guardian of Scootaloo?” At the tense nod, the stallion cleared his throat before continuing. “I am Close Inspection and let us get this inquiry underway.”

Dash stepped backwards with little of her usual bravado and began the tour, showing each of the features with shaky smiles while the indochine coated unicorn merely wrote on his paperwork with a neutral expression. After viewing the last room, he turned to the filly that had been following anxiously behind them and wore a gentle smirk.

“Now I have a few questions for you, young Miss. Would you like to come with me so we can talk privately?” Before the orange filly could respond, Dash stepped forward with a wavering smile.

“I could, uh, step out if you need instead? I don't mind-”

“Could Rainbow Dash please stay?” The older ponies paused and looked down at the filly who crouched slightly but stared pleadingly to the inspector. After glancing between the two pegasi and seeing the mildly surprised face of the older one, contesting to how she was not in fact orchestrating the conversation, he nodded and led them back to the living room.

The indochine stallion made sure the older mare sat on the sofa while he and Scootaloo sat on the couch, wanting to be sure her answers were not a result of being forced to make the situation more positive than it was.

“I'm going to ask you a few questions ok? I'm going to need you to answer them all honestly.” Close Inspection waited for the agreeing nod before posing the questions. “Are you doing ok in school? Eating properly...? Is Rainbow Dash taking proper care of you and staying here as well?” He watched for any twitches or signs of falsehood but found none, only a slightly worried filly who quietly answered his questions.

“Yeah, I’m doing ok in school. I make sure to have three meals a day, since that’s the best way to build up strength to fly someday… Rainbow Dash makes sure I’m doing fine and she stays with me in this house she got especially for me; it’s pretty cool to have a pony as awesome as her staying nearby.” Scootaloo tapped her fore-hooves, truthful in how grateful and appreciative she was of the heroic mare’s attention. Dash was also flattered to hear that and blushed lightly from where she sat, a hoof scuffing her mane as she stared at the ground with a smirk.

Close Inspection jotted a few more notes on his board before turning back towards the older mare with his expression neutral once more.

“It seems everything is in order here Ms. Dash. There will be a mandatory check up in three months to be sure everything is still doing as well as it currently is. Have a nice day.” Taken aback at the rather abrupt exit and dismissal, the two pegasi could only watch as the unicorn left quickly and closed the door behind him.

After several minutes to collect their thoughts, the two stood as well and met in the middle in an embrace. Scootaloo gave her hero a hug around one fore-leg, happy to know that no one would be bothering them for a while and that she was now free of the orphanage. Rainbow wrapped the other hoof around the orange barrel before smirking once more.

“See Scoot? Told ya everything would be fine. Now you can do your own thing without worrying about that dumb orphanage anymore.” Dash watched proudly as Scootaloo backed up from her hug and nodded with a bright smile.

“Right! Thanks Rainbow Dash, you're the best!” The orange filly couldn't hold back her grin at the success and was buzzing with excitement.

“I know I am. Go ahead and find those friends of yours, I'm sure they'd love to hear how the check up went.” Rainbow looked on amused as Scootaloo nodded rapidly before taking off to find her fellow Crusaders, her happiness lending speed to her already buzzing wings as she raced on her scooter to the clubhouse. Dash made sure to lock up before taking to the skies for her extra shift of work, a wide grin across her muzzle at the joy she was able to give the unfortunate pegasus; a fact that she was more than willing to try and change, to give the kid a break from her hardships.

(I guess doing all this extra stuff isn't so bad... I'll just need to take a few more naps to make up for it...)

Author's Notes:

Ok, so a couple of things. First, huge thanks to Gwg and Bronco for editing this extremely long chapter! It's due to their input and help that I bring better chapters for you to read every time.

Second thing, you may notice that the spacing is different. I hadn't realized how troubling it was concerning the spacing. I thought it was more like pauses in the story and appearantly annoyed Bronco a little/lot and Gwg agreed that it was odd. So now I'll try to keep it simpler and the same.

Third thing, I'm trying to be fluffy detailed. You probably noticed this right away, I've added a lot of detail and a lot more is going on. This in fact marks the start of longer chapters, for Taming the Storm specifically at least. A lot is going to be happening, and picking up speed too. It's going to be a long ride, so fasten your seat belts!

Also, last thing, promise. I love to read comments. It can be bad/negative/you did this wrong kinds too. Helps me know where I stand with some of the readers or what readers think at least.

XI (SB/S... /FS)- Coming to terms

View Online

Mid March, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

“You're sure that it was Rarity competing with you? Not some look-a-like or some kind of copy? Maybe another unicorn that looks exactly her?” Scootaloo questioned from her seat in the clubhouse with crossed hooves and thoughtful frown. She was facing the other two Crusaders who wore amused smirks as they recounted what happened at the Sisterhoof Social the day before.

Sweetie Belle smirked even wider as she shook her head. She sat between Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, even as she leaned towards the orange pegasus. She slumped tiredly, still thrilled about the day she spent with her sister but exhausted from all the things they did together.

“I'm sure, it was Rarity. She talked with Applejack the day before and they came up with the whole plan! It was pretty fun...” The light-gray filly smiled wistfully as she stared to the open side of the room, mind turning to what else she had learned while spending the day with Rarity.

(...And I learned something about these feelings of mine...But maybe it won’t come to that! Maybe it was… Because Scootaloo was in danger of getting sick… Oh, please let it be that simple...)

Scootaloo noticed this faraway gaze and leaned forward as she waved a hoof in front of the unicorn's face. Apple Bloom tilted her head as she also wondered what the unicorn filly was thinking of. Sweetie Belle blinked when she noticed this sudden curiosity and smiled at her friends.

“So it was actually Rarity and you guys spent the day doing girly stuff...” The orange filly stuck her tongue out briefly before smirking to the center filly who shook her head at the reaction.

“We didn't just do girly stuff, we played in mud and stuff too!” Sweetie Belle nudged the tomcolt filly before blushing and shifting in her seat. The others rolled their eyes at the defending of the prissy mare and chuckled briefly.

“Sure thin' Sweetie Belle; Ah haven't seen Applejack have so much fun before than when she was makin' those plans with Rarity.” The trio smirked at the news how how well the two vastly different mares seemed to get along at times and yet seemed to fight so much any other time.

“Well, I know you guys hung out yesterday, but did you want to do stuff with just the three of us?” The pegasus scuffed her hoof along the floor as she kept her gaze downward, unable to meet anyone else's eyes as they stared back curiously at the question. With a shared grin the other Crusaders nodded eagerly to the suggestion.

“What did ya have in mind Scoots?” Apple Bloom glanced at pegasus who sat up straighter and proudly smirked.

“Well, I've been able to save some bits from working at the newspaper so we can go and do stuff together; you guys wouldn’t have to worry about me not having any bits this time.”

“I'm glad for you Scootaloo, that's nice to hear. What did you want to do?” Sweetie Belle smiled warmly as the two friends focused on the third. Scootaloo rubbed a hoof on her chin in thought, unused to having the ability to go and do things that usually cost bits, and torn between the various options.

“Why don't we do some of everything?” At the two confused tilting heads, the pegasus smiled once again and explained further. “Like, we could try and play some of the arcade games again then go for a movie and stuff.”

“Oh!” The others shared mutual exclamations of understanding as they smiled once more and agreed to the proposed plan.

"That sounds like ah great idea Scootaloo! We should check with the movie place before we can go tah the arcade though; we don't know when the next showin' is afterall.” Apple Bloom hopped up happily as she looked to the pegasus who nodded in agreement. She was pleased to hear that Scootaloo could now afford to treat herself and smirked thoughtfully as she led the way outside.

The two others followed along with grins of their own, accepting this new plan readily and followed the earth pony down the ramp with a skip in their steps. Scootaloo couldn't hold back her pleased strut as she hopped onto her scooter to head home for the bits hidden there. Sweetie Belle watched the pegasus ride off before nodding once to the olive-yellow filly and heading out of the orchard as well. She walked in silence as she stared after the scooter rider only to find herself in a slight daze when Scootaloo pulled up in front of her.

“I forgot you were heading into town, did you want a ride Sweetie Belle?” The pegasus had one hoof against the ground to keep her upright as she stood in place facing the other filly. Her head was tilted as she stared at Sweetie Belle who stood with a goofy smile and light blush at seeing the pegasus waiting for her.

“Yes please!” Sweetie Belle jumped up to stand behind the driver and wrapped both hooves gently around the orange barrel. She was very tempted to take a deep breath of the pegasus’ scent but knew it would be noticed because of how close they were standing. Instead she settled for a gentle nuzzle masked as an attempt to get settled properly on the blue scooter.

“Ready?” Scootaloo smiled at the enthusiastic unicorn and waited for the nod that was more felt in her back than actually seen. Pushing off with the hoof that held them up, she used her wings to help them move onward as they traveled out of the farm. It was a difficult task since the gray-white unicorn held just below her wings and Scootaloo didn't want to knock into the filly as they raced down the dirt paths. This meant that the driving filly couldn’t spare a glance behind her as they traveled and merely leaned forward as she drove onwards.

Together, the two friends rapidly traveled into town as they left a trail of dust in their wake. Scootaloo made a quick stop for the unicorn to get her bits before heading to her own home. Once they arrived, she quickly hopped off and rushed inside leaving Sweetie Belle to wobble in place before getting off as well. Scootaloo dived under the bed to find her stash of bits and reemerged with a triumphant shout. Sweetie Belle followed sedately to stand in the doorway, a wide grin on her face at the pleased pegasus and her sack of bits.

“Ready to go?” The light-gray filly didn't bother to hide the happy smile as she watched her friend scoot out from under the bed. Green eyes widened slightly as Sweetie Belle realized she may have been staring too long and scanned the room instead. It looked more lived in now compared to when they first settled in; posters of the Wonderbolts and of Rainbow Dash (hoof drawn) hanging on every available inch and small trinkets she picked up over time resting on the shelves across from her unmade bed.

“Yep! We better get going, wouldn't want Apple Bloom to have to wait too long.” Scootaloo brushed past the other filly as they headed for the exit. As they walked back through the living room, Sweetie Belle found her sight drawn to the other bedroom door that was firmly shut and slightly dusty. With a small frown forming on her face at what it could mean, she turned to the pegasus with a soft gaze and question on her lips.

“Scootaloo, do you stay here by yourself?” The unicorn meekly followed the pegasus back onto the scooter as she continued to thoughtfully frown. Scootaloo wasn't expecting the question and paused for a moment before shaking her head as she waved a hoof.

“Yeah, Dash knows I can take care of myself. I told you guys I was fine; and now with a house to myself, there isn't much I need to worry about... Hold on tight!” The orange filly leaned forward on the handles and quickly drove forward with a mad grin. The sudden motion and brief warning caused Sweetie Belle to gasp as she wrapped her hooves around the barrel before her once again. With her head back into a purple mane and orange fur, the young unicorn mused on how much better the orphan was already since she got a new place to live.

(Guess my worrying days are over; Scootaloo can certainly take care of herself... Now if only my heart would stop going crazy anytime we're near one another...)

In wind buffered moments, the two riding fillies arrived before the latest building in Ponyville: Cinemare Theater. The building was two stories high and had a large projector reel on the front wall, the doorway being one of the empty spokes in the wheel. Sitting out front of this large gray sign was Apple Bloom who hopped up when she noticed the blue scooter heading her way.

“Hey guys! Ah didn't want tah head in without ya, but we better hurry! It's been gettin' fuller by the minute! Come on!” At the urgent tone of the earth pony, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle jumped off of the scooter and rushed towards the door. Apple Bloom had started to enter as she spoke and the young pegasus barely paused to rest her faithful ride against the wall before she rushed in after the others.

Once the final Crusader came inside, the trio stumbled forward as Scootaloo crashed into them as they had stopped at the sight that lay before them. From midst the ponypile they had inadvertently made the three friends stared at the grand lobby that had carpeted flooring and large ceilings which were painted black to hide it's actual height. The walls were a soothing dark blue fuzz with a concession stand at the front of the room while the ticket booth was at the far end, right next to the doors that led to the two theater screens.

The three friends rushed toward the dark brown podium where a teenager stood with a plastic grin, wings tucked in against yellow fur. The three fillies stepped up with large smiles as they glanced upward at the listing of movies showing.

“Hi, uh, what's Superfast and when's the next showin'?” Apple Bloom stared curiously up at the stallion who seemed to take a steadying breath before answering.

“Superfast is about a snail that ends up gaining super speed and the pony that takes him to the races to run against other ponies of the Equestriapolis 300. The next show starts in an hour, but it's been really popular so it fills up quickly.” The stallion watched the fillies who all put a hoof to their chin and sighed. “There is an arcade if you want to go play while you wait...” As the Crusaders' lit up in excitement, the ticket pony rolled his eyes before slapping on the plastic grin once more as the three friends left and another pony took their place.

“How about that Scootaloo? We get tah play games an' then watch a movie!” Apple Bloom smirked at the pegasus playfully as she raced ahead of the others. She was the first to enter the side room and paused in the doorway in awe along with her friends.

The walls changed from blue fuzz to black as the various neon lights faded into the darkness. The floor was crowded with the tall machines that beeped and flashed as they enticed young foals to go and test them out. Sounds suddenly rushed into focus as the different noises tried to override one another as other kids played on the different games.

“Wow!” The three friends stared on in amazement, Apple Bloom gained a competitive glint in her eye as she spotted a two player machine bearing a white field on its top.

“Ah don't know what it does, but that one looks pretty good. Whaddya say we give it ah try Scoots?” The earth pony smiled only for a moment more before the two friends rushed to the hockey board. They spent a moment reading the instructions on the side right next to a slot where the needed two bits would be placed in order to play.

“So we just gottah put in the bits and use these little circle paddles tah knock the disk? What disk?” Orange eyes turned from the machine before her and stared at the others who shrugged in reply.

“Maybe we have to put the bits in and it shows up?” Scootaloo tauntingly smirked at the olive-yellow filly and held a single bit in her hoof. “Unless you're worried I'd beat you too badly?”

Apple Bloom smirked back and reached for her own bit and inserting it into the machine which echoed the sound until it received the correct amount. With a soft hiss of escaping air, the field made the paddles float in place as a small red disk appeared from the sidelines. The two fillies grabbed a paddle each and began to battle one another furiously. Sweetie Belle watched from the side with a smile as she cheered, not really wanting to compete herself but was happy to see the others enjoying themselves.

“Yay! Go Scootaloo, watch out Apple Bloom is sending a fast one! Oooh, good one!” Sweetie stood on her hind legs to see the board better as the two knocked the disk back and forth. Scootaloo's wings buzzed from the encouragement and her smirk grew as she retaliated. She started to put more strength behind each strike as the disk whizzed back and forth.

“Hey! Why don't Ah get any encouragement?!” Apple Bloom took her eyes off the board for a second, teasingly glaring at the bystander only to look back with an annoyed frown as the disk scraped past her guard and a light beep sounded off.

“Ha ha! Because she knows who's going to win and doesn't want to cheer for the losing side!” Scootaloo stuck her tongue out teasingly briefly before crouching lower in front of the board. Her eyes were trained on little red disk that was shuffled back and forth by a strong earth pony hoof as Apple Bloom debated her next move.

After another five minutes of intense smacking and taunts the winner stood victorious, wings a buzz as she held both hooves over her head.

“YEAH! Woohoo! I won, take that Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo danced in place while waving her hooves around and shifting from side to side as she pumped her hooves with the motion. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and nodded towards another set of games that had a screen showing foals riding scooters through different lands and using their surroundings as a means to stop the other racers.

“Ya were only lucky because ya had somepony tah cheer for ya and distract me while we were playin'. Why don't we try somethin' else instead?” The young farmer gave the unicorn a friendly glare as they strode over to the dual machines. Sweetie Belle gave her a sheepish grin before glancing towards the pegasus who strut confidently towards the racing game. Seeing the more athletic filly enjoying herself caused the young unicorn to blush as she followed behind.

“Well, maybe I could try to cheer for both of you...?” The pale-gray filly shrank in place as she realized that her cheers were biased and that Apple Bloom noticed. She started to worry that the fluttering of her heart and extra warmth would be discovered before she got the chance to understand them herself.

Apple Bloom gave a satisfied nod and picked up her pace to sit into the overly large cushion seat and grab at the handles presented. Scootaloo took the other seat and glanced towards the bit slot with a frown.

“Geeze Apple Bloom, this thing costs five bits! Per player! Take all my money why don't you?” The pegasus huffed briefly before loading the needed payment in and starting to select her scooter. The other two Crusaders shared a worried frown before looking back at the orange filly.

“Scootaloo, if ya need bits we can-”

“Guys, I was just joking. Come on, we going to race or what?” Scootaloo smirked at how well the joke worked and rolled her eyes briefly before turning back to the game. Apple Bloom relaxed her stance and smiled as she also placed the needed bits into the machine. Once the rides were chosen and the map set to medium difficulty, the fillies were drawn into the race much like their game of air hockey, taunting each other while they played.

The gray-white filly sat in between the two seats and tried to encourage both equally. She couldn't help but feel as though she was the one doing well as Scootaloo raced, proud when the pegasus remained in first place for most of the game. She tried to hide this happiness as she cheered both racers though this slowly started to slip as the race continued on.

“Yay, woo! Go guys, you can do it...! Ooh, watch out Apple Bloom! Oh, so close. Look out Scootaloo, Apple Bloom has-! Ouch... That's ok, you can do it! Come on, you've almost got it Scootaloo...!” Sweetie Belle leaned forward as the pegasus did, edging her onward while Apple Bloom frowned in concentration as she attempted to keep the lead. The three fillies all leaned forward as the last few moments of the race came up as they held their breaths for the close finish. In moments there was a howl of delight and a groan of dissatisfaction as Scootaloo jumped up to stand in her seat with hooves in the air and Apple Bloom sat back in her own seat.

“Ha ha! There was no way you could beat me at racing Apple Bloom, you should just give it up now.” The orange pegasus crossed her fore-hooves while the earth pony rolled her eyes at the boasting.

“Alright, whatever ya say... But Sweetie Belle hasn't gotten tah play anthin' yet, did ya want a turn?” The two racers turned to the filly in the center who blushed as she glanced back and forth between them.

“Oh! Uhm, no, it's ok. I don't like fighting or competing as much...” The two friends tilted their heads in bewilderment at the declination.

“But didn't ya compete with Rarity just the other day?” The young farmer stared curiously as Sweetie Belle bit her lip before backing up slightly.

“Well, yes but that was different. You guys keep playing, I'll see what else they have here.” The unicorn didn't wait for a response and went deeper into the arcade. She could barely make out the challenge of yet another race and shook her head amused. As the young unicorn stepped further into the dark room, she came to a large glass case on top of dark gray machine. Inside the glass was a bunch of stuffed animals laying on top of each other. Green eyes widened in awe as she noticed a large dark-orange dog sitting on the very top of the pile.

(Maybe if I got a stuffed animal, I wouldn't feel the need to snuggle Scootaloo as much! This is perfect!)

Sweetie Belle beamed as she rushed over and started to put in bits to try her luck. She grabbed the joystick and began to twist it to the side, trying to get it in the right place to capture the stuffed toy. Her tongue stuck out and eyes were narrowed in concentration as the unicorn tried to position the crane just so. The mechanical arm slowly slid to the side and back, soft clicks echoing from the box before the crane slowly lowered onto the target. The filly held her breath as the three spindly fingers lightly gripped the toy only for gravity to pull it back down as the crane returned to the start position.

“NO! No no no no no! Dumb machine!” Sweetie Belle pouted at the game as she stared longingly to the toy that sat smugly on top of the pile.

“Having trouble Sweetie Belle?” The cool and collected tones of a certain pegasus filly broke Sweetie Belle out of her pouting daze. Heart fluttering with a sheepish grin in place, the light-gray filly turned away from the game to face Scootaloo who stood next to her with a smile of her own.

“Oh, uh, hi Scootaloo... Uhm, yeah, I couldn't get-well, uhm, yes, I didn't get anything.” The unicorn scuffed her hoof along the ground as Scootaloo chuckled. She had seen how much Sweetie Belle had focused on the game and shook her head at the attempted nonchalance.

“Come on, you've only played one game. Why don't we go play one together? Apple Bloom is tired of games right now.” Scootaloo waved for the unicorn to follow after her and went towards the center of the room. A large red machine had caught her attention with it's flashing arrows and metal platform in front with large buttons in the shape of arrows.

The two friends watched the demo play out and glanced between the flashing arrows and the corresponding steps. Seeing that it only cost each player three bits to play, the Crusaders stepped up and payed. With a rapid change of sound, the machine proclaimed itself to be Dance Dance Locomotion and divided the screen for the two players. They didn't know any of the song choices and merely settled for a random one that didn’t seem too hard. With a sharp beep at having selected a song, a deep voice announced that they were ready to start.

Both fillies hunched slightly on the center metal plate, ready and waiting for the lights to scroll upwards on the screen so they could start. Scootaloo gave a teasing growl to her opponent as she glanced to the side for a quick second to take in the sight of the gray-white unicorn who scrunched her nose in preparation.

“Are you ready?” Scootaloo gave a small start as she realized that both her and the machine stated this and looked back in surprise. Sweetie Belle laughed with a wide grin though she didn't look away since the game was starting.

Even as the song continued on about how mares just want to have fun, the two friends had fun as they danced with loud laughter at some of the lyrics. The more song-inclined filly couldn't help but get the music stuck in her mind and began to enhance it as she danced. While she was humming the counterpart she made up, she continued to lightly tread on the proper buttons to the pegasus' amazement. Scootaloo had no issue with the game that required balance and maneuverability and easily played on a harder setting. What she didn't expect was to hear the soft humming to her right and stared in surprise even as she continued to play well. Sweetie Belle noticed this attention and blushed at the surprised stare, tripping briefly before regaining her rhythm.

(Oh gosh, she's staring at me! What do I do, what do I do what do I do...?)

(I knew Sweetie Belle could sing but I didn't realize it was that good, that's pretty neat! I better step up my own game!) Scootaloo refocused on the game as she wanted to show off how cool she could be with her moves. The young unicorn noticed the attempt with another blush and smile even as she tried and failed to focus on the game.

The game soon wound down and the deep voice proclaimed that they were pretty good. The duo panted lightly at the sudden exercise and shared a pleased smile. The machine returned to the song list and randomly had one selected while it waited. The faster beats with high pitched plucking sound rang through the air, inviting them to try again with the different song. Scootaloo looked between the game and her dancing partner with a challenging gleam in her eyes and a half smirk on her muzzle.

“Wanna try again Sweetie Belle? You weren't doing too bad afterall.” Seeing the small nod of agreement, Scootaloo paid for the next round before the other filly could comment otherwise and picked the song that was tempting them to go another round. Both fillies resettled in place with teasing grins for the other as they waited for the go signal.

After stating 'are you ready?', the screen came alive with much faster arrows that shot to the top. The song proved to be much faster and harder than the one before it and both fillies worked at keeping up. The music in the background inspired the unicorn once again but she couldn't focus on it as they danced their way through the difficult level. As they became lost in their own little world, they didn't see the olive-yellow filly walk up with a grin at how well they were doing. Once the song finished the dancers stood in place with tired smiles and slumped forms as they allowed their bodies to come to a halt. They were pleased with their attempt and lightly panted as they waited for the results. The more acrobatic filly had achieved 'SS' while the unicorn earned an 'A'; just as Scootaloo nudged her friend at the score, they heard a southern accent giving their efforts praise.

"Y'all are pretty good but we should get goin' if we want tah catch the movie.” Apple Bloom smiled at the two panting fillies before leading the way outside.

Sweetie Belle couldn't stop the reddening of her cheeks as her mind replayed the moves the pegasus started to do as they danced. The others noticed this but assumed that it came from the sudden exertion they just went through. It was as the gray-white filly was in a daze that the others started to argue about who would pay for the snacks and tickets.

“I told you I can pay for my own stuff Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo frowned to the earth pony as they picked up their pace while heading for the concession stand in the front of the main room.

“Yeah, but Ah want tah treat everyone today.” Apple Bloom continued to pick up the pace as she raised a single brow at the pegasus.

“Well, maybe I want to treat you guys.” The orange filly raised both brows as she started to run and gained on the earth pony. This move was met with a smirk as Apple Bloom also started to run towards the front.

“Well, not if Ah get there first!” With the challenge thrown out, both fillies left their third companion as they raced to the sales counter. The earth pony managed to reach it seconds before the pegasus and threw her bits onto the counter.

“Can Ah have three large popcorns please?!” The sales clerk gave a small start at the demand but rang up the sale before anything else could be said.

“And I'd like three large drinks please!” Scootaloo drew out her own bits as she stared at the slightly surprised stallion who signed to the worker behind him to get the popcorn. He raised a brow and pointed towards the drink machine beside the register.

“What flavor?” The stallion tried not to roll his eyes as the pegasus' own eyes widened at the sudden choices.

“Oh uhm.... Sasperilla?” The orange filly checked that her friends didn't mind the decision and relaxed at the agreeing nods. Sweetie Belle had only barely noticed when her two best friends took off running and was panting again as she stood between them.

“Uhm what should I get?” Sweetie Belle saw the drinks and popcorn making their way to the trio of friends and tilted her head in curiosity. She wanted to help pay as well, knowing that they hadn't been able to go out like this for a while if ever.

The two others shared shrugs before turning back to the unicorn. Scootaloo glanced about the room and found the ticket pony with a short line in front of her. With a thoughtful nod, she looked back to the wide eyed filly with a small grin.

“Why don't you get the tickets?” Scootaloo suggested with a tip of her head to the podium. Sweetie Belle brightened at the suggestion and nodded rapidly before leading the way with her snack and drink on her back.

The three friends waited in line with their stuff on their backs and excited smiles on their muzzles. In moments they were in front of the podium and grinned up at the ticket mare.

“Hi! We'd like three tickets to Superfast please!” Sweetie Belle stood proudly with a wide grin as she stared at the ticket pony. The pegasus nodded and pulled three stubs from her desk and hoofed them over with another plastic grin.

“Sure, thank you for coming to Cinamare Theaters. Enjoy the show!” As the older stallion started to look behind the Crusaders, the girls stayed rooted to the spot with confused frowns.

“But-but how much do we owe for the tickets?” Sweetie Belle questioned as she pulled the small bag of bits forward. The offer was waved off by the older pegasus who frowned briefly before managing to get his plastic grin back.

“Today foals get in for free. If you could please head inside? I have to help the other customers.” The three friends frowned at the dismissal but trotted out of the way.

While they traveled to the doorway with the title on a small black sign over it, Sweetie Belle started to slow down as the snacks seemed to grow heavier as she walked. The light-gray filly frowned towards the ground and pulled to a stop just before the doorway. The other Crusaders noticed this and turned to stare curiously at the upset filly.

“What's wrong Sweetie Belle? Didn't you want to watch this one?” Scootaloo took a single step closer as she and Apple Bloom watched the filly slowly become more dejected as she thought about what happened.

“Yes, but you guys paid for things and I wasn't able to pay for something for us...” Sweetie Belle didn't look at the others as she scuffed a hoof. She wanted to help but it wasn't likely that they would accept any bits of repayment. The other two Crusaders rolled their eyes with small smirks at the unicorn filly's desire to help. Scootaloo stepped up closer to the dejected filly and placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder.

“It'll be fine Sweetie Belle, we were totally willing to let you pay for it but this way works just as well. Think of it this way: you've been worrying so much lately, this is just as a way to make it up to you.” The pegasus smiled gently to the distressed filly who blushed once more at the touch. Fizzing tingles raced through the unicorn as she sheepishly smiled back. Her mind went blank at the words and concern even as her face lit up in red.

The other two Crusaders weren't sure why the gray-white filly was red-faced but assumed it was because of playing the dancing game moments before as well as the sudden run to the concession stand. They waited for a moment longer but saw the oncoming crowd and prompted her for a response.

“Sweetie Belle?” At the sound of the pegasus calling her name, Sweetie Belle came back to her senses which were still on overdrive from being near the pegasus and took a shaky breath before answering.

“Oh, uhm, yes, ok. If you guys say so.” She started forward once more and was soon in the dark theater as the seats slowly filled with foals of all ages and their families.

In moments, the Crusaders decided to try for a higher level seat and climbed along the right side of the room. After passing seven rows of mostly filled seats, they came across one that had three seats in a row and quickly tried to claim them for themselves. Apple Bloom led the way to the chairs while waving for the others to hurry. Scootaloo waved for the unicorn to go first and fell into step behind her. Once they sat down, the three friends adjusted the drinks and popcorn for easy reach while being sure that they could see the screen properly.

Seconds after sitting Apple Bloom and Scootaloo started to argue what the movie would be like and how much action it would have, talking over the frozen filly between them as the theater continued to fill. Sweetie Belle found that sitting in a dark room with the orange filly to her left was not helping her state of mind. Being in a small space with her made her scent of wind, fresh grass and sweat from the workout from early started to overpower the unicorn's senses. She didn't even realize when the two friends stopped arguing as the room grew dark. All she could feel was being hyper aware of the heat next to her even as a mother of two sat right in front of nervous unicorn.

“Psst...! Pssst, Sweetie Belle!” The hissed call made the light-gray filly jump in place and turn to face the pegasus quickly with wide eyes that tried to adjust to the darkness.

“Wh-what is it?” Sweetie Belle whispered to her neighbor as she started to become aware of her surroundings and finding herself slightly shocked to see that it was a full theater.

“Can you see ok?” Scootaloo leaned closer to the light-gray Crusader as she asked her question. Unlike Sweetie Belle, she had seen the larger mare sit in front of her and didn't want her friend to miss out on what promised to be an interesting movie. With a bewildered glance to the pegasus, Sweetie Belle looked forward to find that her vision was blocked by the pegasus mother.

“Oh, uhm, I'll be ok... Maybe...” Scootaloo rolled her eyes at the timid response and motioned for the unicorn to lean towards her.

“Why don't you lean this way and watch from the side?” The pegasus lifted the arm rest that blocked the two seats from one another and scooted over as much as possible. Sweetie Belle stared back shocked but couldn't stop herself from shifting closer and tilting her head to the left. She was able to look beyond the mother that way but could already feel the crick that was developing in her neck.

“I don't think it would work Scootaloo, it hurts my neck to keep it tilted that way...” Sweetie Belle shook her head as she sat up properly and tried not to stare at the filly beside her.

Scootaloo tilted her own head briefly as she thought before sitting up with a pleased grin. She sat as far as possible on her seat and patting the area right next to her invitingly.

“Here, why don't you just sit with me and we'd be able to watch it that way?” The pegasus watched to be sure her suggestion was being followed before turning back to the screen as the main snail came into focus.

“O-oh, ok...” Sweetie Belle couldn't stop the heat that spread across her muzzle as she sat up next to the pegasus. The seat wasn't meant for two but the fillies were still smaller than the average pony, making it not uncomfortable but extremely close.

Settling in place, they didn't notice how the last Crusader glanced over to the empty place next to her in surprise. She was about to ask Scootaloo about it when she found her answer.

“Guys, why are ya sittin' in the same seat?” Apple Bloom watched curiously as Sweetie Belle jumped slightly at the voice and fell over the filly beside her. Scootaloo chuckled at the jumpy unicorn and helped to set her back upright. Sweetie Belle's face was bright enough that it was still visible in the dim lighting as she tried to laugh as though it was just a little thing. Clearing her throat that found her heart lodged in it, she turned to the earth pony two seats over with a wavering smile.

“I can't really see and Scootaloo offered me part of her seat.” Seeing that her explanation got the curious eyes off her and back to the screen, Sweetie Belle softly sighed and focused inwards. Sitting near her crush was bad enough but now her entire side was full of warmth at the touch. It was a tough battle to prevent herself from leaning against the pegasus once more but she came through, lasting until the end credits and standing up with the crowd to exit the theater.

“That was pretty cool!” Scootaloo hopped in place as they awaited enough room to leave as she gushed about the film they just saw. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes as she stood behind Sweetie Belle who stared at the excited pegasus.

“Yeah right, that was just weird an' kind of borin'. Ah don't see what ya think is so great about it Scootaloo.” The olive-yellow soon found herself the target of an annoyed glare even as they slowly edged their way out.

“It was not. It was the best kind of movie, one about racing and going fast!” Scootaloo fluttered her wings in excitement, lifting her briefly before she landed with a grin to the filly in between the two arguing fillies. “You agree with me right, Sweetie Belle?”

The unicorn filly jerked once more to awareness and blushed as she shrugged. She hadn't actually seen much of the movie, too distracted by the warmth next to her to know what it was like.

“Uhm, it was ok...?” Sweetie Belle tried to smile in a neutral manner but it faltered at the deadpan from the pegasus.

“So what did ya want tah do now guys?” Apple Bloom wasn't sure why the young unicorn was constantly blushing but she wasn't going to question it when they were having a good time. Now the real trick was to make sure they kept having a good time and that Sweetie Belle was doing ok as well as being sure Scootaloo was fine.

The pegasus glanced around them as they exited the darker room to the soft lights of the main one. A single large digital clock rested above the listing of films that proclaimed in red numbers the time of two in the afternoon. Her eyes went wide as she remembered another thing she was supposed to do that day.

“Awww.... Sorry you guys, I forgot I have to head over to Fluttershy's to help this afternoon. Guess we have to cut it short today.” Scootaloo glanced apologetically to the others who stared back in confusion. They hadn't heard of this before and the thrill riding pegasus hadn't shown any inclination to help with animals before then. Sweetie Belle was the first to speak after the proclamation and timidly stepped forward as her heart lurched at the thought of leaving the orange filly's side.

“Well, you don't have to go alone do you? Could we come as well?” The gray-white filly tried to appear nonchalant about the question even as her heart sped up. Apple bloom nodded from her side as they looked questioningly to the pegasus.

Scootaloo was surprised at the request but didn't see any issue with it. Giving a single shrug and nodding, she turned in place and led the way to the small cottage on the edge of town.

“Sure, Fluttershy probably wouldn't mind. I haven't really helped before, so I'm not sure what we'll have to do.” The orange pegasus checked her friends to find they weren't phased by this news and smirked in happiness. She hadn't wanted to call their day short either and the work was sure to go faster with the three of them. The picked up their pace as the pegasus realized they were running late and rushed to help the animal helper.

Fluttershy floated through her living room as she checked on each of the animals staying there. She had spent most of her morning preparing for when Scootaloo came over to help and was growing concerned as the afternoon continued ever onward. Even though she wanted there to be enough for the young pegasus to feel that she helped out for the day, animals and their needs didn't wait for anypony, making the kindhearted care-taker start her rounds early. Her closest animal friend and pet followed behind her along the ground as she flew. They had been having another talk about a certain rainbow maned pegasus and he was not pleased with his owner's decision.

While the canary mare checked with the mice that lived in her wall, the white rabbit hopped into view and started to 'talk' as soon as he could; he knew that he would be dismissed if he waited even a second and jumped right into it. Moments after he started to lecture the pegasus sighed and shook her head at him as she stood up.

“I know Rainbow has been coming by more often in the winter time, but I don't think it means anything.” Furious paw waving met this statement as Angel jumped onto the couch to be seen.

“I know I said that she used to visit all the time when we were kids but... but things are different now.” Fluttershy glanced towards the ground for a moment as she thought about just how different things were. It used to be they were inseparable, hanging out and facing the difficulties of life together.

The animal care-taker turned away from the birdhouse and saw the disbelieving frown on the rabbit's face. The pegasus sighed and crouched lower to look Angel in the eye.

“Angel Bunny, I know that she has been visiting more but it's not like it was before. I'm not sure why she was checking on us but I don't think she's going to do that for much longer... No matter how much I'm going to miss her...” Angel frowned in concern at the shaky voice and was about to give the pegasus a reassuring hug when there came a trio of knocks at the door. Fluttershy took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she stood. Once she was sure her voice wouldn't waver, she called out as loudly as she could.

“Wh-who is it?”

“Hi Fluttershy, it's me, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. We're here to help you?” Fluttershy perked up at the knowledge that Scootaloo did come by to help and trotted without hesitation to the door. With a small grin to three friends, Fluttershy waved them in and shut the door behind them.

“I'm glad you girls came, are you sure you all want to help today?” The older mare stared curiously to the fillies who all nodded affirmative.

“Yep! We want to help out!” Sweetie Belle hopped in place and tried to focus only on the older pegasus as she stood in between the other Crusaders. Fluttershy smiled warmly and nodded once before starting the tour of the house and work expected.

“If you could make sure everyone has food and water, has a nice clean house and help me refill the containers of food? There's the bird houses inside and in the trees outside... The lovely family of mice that live downstairs and you remember the chickens outside.” Fluttershy couldn't help but smile at the guilty grins at the reminder of chickens and the last time they tried to help with them. “There's a lovely family of rabbits that live by the creek, chipmunks and squirrels that live in some of the nearby trees. I think the ducks are back from visiting their home in the southern parts of Equestria... Oh and there's some fish in the river too... It's not too much is it? If you can't get to anything or it seems too much, just let me know.”

The Crusaders stood wide-eyed at the list of animals Fluttershy took care of and only just came out of their daze at the suggestion that they could get help. With soft shakes of their head, they were quick to try and assure the older mare that they could do any task given to them.

“That's ok Fluttershy, we can get it!” Scootaloo took the lead since it was supposed to be her chore and led the way around the house to check the animals there.

Fluttershy watched worriedly as the girls checked the birdhouses by standing on one another's shoulders; she was about to suggest they find some other way when Scootaloo barely checked the birdhouse before she tipping forward and banging into the dresser in front of them. Before the older pegasus could take a single step, the other fillies rushed forward to check on the injured pegasus. Fluttershy watched with a concerned frown that turned into a small smile as Sweetie Belle nuzzled the orange filly's side only to be waved away with a blush.

(She's like how Dashie was when she came back... Rainbow brushes off all 'sappy' things but she used to not mind too much at all... Especially after a rough day at school, we would sit together and cuddle even if she said it was too sappy for her...)

“Oh, come on 'Shy, you know I don't do sappy...” Dash waved a half-hearted hoof as the two laid on a cloud high in the sky together. Her other hoof belied her words as it wrapped around the canary mare who had grabbed Rainbow in a hug and nuzzled her side. Fluttershy glanced up from where she was nuzzling the cyan chest to meet peaceful cerise eyes.

“Please don't get too upset at them Dashie... I don't want you to get into trouble again because of bullies...” The quieter mare gripped the other pegasus for a moment before returning to nuzzling her side.

“Yeah well if they just grew up and quit acting like a bunch of foals, then I wouldn't get so mad!” Rainbow frowned for a second before allowing her face to return to a neutral expression, unwilling to upset the nervous mare beside her

“... Thanks for defending me Dashie...” Fluttershy murmured her thanks as she rested her head on the strong chest while the second cyan hoof snaked around to pull her into a hug.

“No problem Fluttershy, it's what best friends do...”

“...It's what best friends do Scootaloo, we're just makin' sure yer ok.” Fluttershy shook her head briefly as she found the three friends talking about the spill from earlier. Scootaloo was trying to continue with the job given them but the others had made her stop to be sure she was ok.

“I'll be ok guys, honest. Let's keep going, we have a lot to do.” The pegasus walked away leaving her friends no choice but to follow along and try to help. Sweetie Belle continued to wear the bright red blush on her muzzle but tried to appear normal as they went about their tasks. The brushing off and avoidance of anything coming across as too sappy very much like her prismatic idol.

Fluttershy flinched as a more recent memory rushed through her mind. Angel Bunny noticed and placed a soft paw on a cream-yellow fore-hoof only to earn a sad smile as the animal care-taker remembered when Rainbow Dash first came back.

“Dashie! I didn't expect to see you here!” Fluttershy trotted over from her door to the cyan mare who hovered over the road. Cerise eyes glanced around the area before settling briefly on the canary mare on the ground.

“Oh, hey Fluttershy... Didn't realize you were living here...” Dash stayed floating in the air and rubbed the back of her head. She could see the expectant smile from the quieter mare and knew that she expected the brash mare to land next to her.

“It's been so long Dashie, where did you go...? Why did you go...?” Fluttershy started to lose her smile when she noticed that Rainbow showed no sign of setting down nor going for a hug. A spike of fear shot through the timid mare as she continued to watch the cyan pegasus who remained impassive.

“Just around. You live here now?” Dash seemed to not care about the growing frown on the other pegasus and looked beyond her to the grass covered cottage. Fluttershy bit her lower lip and started to crouch in place as she started to worry about the almost completely different mare before her.

“Uhm, yes... I-I work with the animals here for anyone in Ponyville... Did-were you going to stay nearby?” The canary pegasus stood a little straighter at the chance to be with her best friend once more.

“Yeah, it doesn't seem like all that bad of a place, I guess I could make this place cooler with my awesomeness... I'll see you around.” Dash nodded goodbye and took off for the open sky. Fluttershy stood in front of her doorway with wide shocked eyes; it had been well over four years since they last met and it was not at all like she expected. Heart broken and drooping in place, the cream-yellow mare searched the skies in hopes that Rainbow Dash would come back, acting like she had before.

Seeing the skies remaining empty and no sign of the prismatic mare, Fluttershy gave a dejected sigh and continued to her cottage where some animals were waiting for her attention.

“Fluttershy...?”

“Fluttershy, are ya ok?”

“Fluttershy?” The canary mare shook her head as she focused on four sets of concerned eyes watching her. The Crusaders and Angel Bunny were standing in front of her and stared up at the older mare with small frowns. Fluttershy blinked a few times before trying to smile reassuring to her audience.

“Oh, uhm, yes?” The older mare looked beyond the four beings in front of her and saw that the work was completed. It was with mild surprise that she noticed the work was done relatively well considering the Crusaders' track record.

The three Crusaders had managed to do the chores with Angel running behind them and fixing it. He had gotten tired of working after them and stopped them from going further. After giving them extra instructions that went misunderstood, he made them follow his example closely. The result was work finished properly; but when they went to get more instructions, they found the older mare staring blankly at them instead.

“Are you ok Fluttershy? You were kind of in a daze...” Scootaloo tilted her head curiously as the older pegasus took a steadying breath and grinned at the fillies.

“Oh, yes, I'll be ok. You girls did a wonderful job! Oh, and Angel helped?” Fluttershy crouched down as the white rabbit started to signal his assistance. “What a good little helper you are. I think that means you should have a nice yummy salad for your work. Oh!”

The older pegasus stood rapidly as her eyes searched for the small bird clock and what the time was. Seeing that it was well past supper time, Fluttershy held a hoof to her mouth in surprise and leaned back towards the fillies who watched mutely.

“I'm sorry girls, I didn't realize what time it was. Would you like to have some supper with us?” The older pegasus smiled to the three friends who turned in place to confer amongst themselves.

“What do you think?” Scootaloo wasn't sure she wanted to accept the offer and looked to her friends with a neutral expression. She had gotten to like making her own food even if it didn't always turn out so well; accepting the offer felt like she was relying too much on the kind-hearted mare.

“Ah say we should; after workin' all afternoon, Ah'm mighty hungry.” Apple Bloom made sure to have a bit of a whine in her voice to help her case; glancing from the corner of her vision she noticed that the orange pegasus wasn't completely convinced and turned to the last Crusader with a hopeful grin.

“What do ya say Sweetie Belle?” The young unicorn gave a small start as she was addressed and looked guiltily between the others. She had dazed off once more as she noticed Scootaloo's scent in the small huddle and hoped they didn't see where her gaze had focused.

“Uh, erhm... We could learn to cook salads...?” Sweetie Belle smiled shakily with a half-shrug at her suggestion. The orange pegasus deadpanned the gray-white filly while the earth pony grinned brightly.

“Alright! Then we're gonnah learn how tah cook with Fluttershy!” The young farmer strode happily forward and came to a sharp stop in front of the animal care-taker. Fluttershy had watched amused at the conference but began to frown at the loud exclamation of cooking.

“Could we help ya make them salads Fluttershy?” Apple Bloom tried to sound as pleading as possible as she stared up at the older pegasus with large hopeful eyes. Fluttershy bit her lip for a second before nodding agreement to the plan.

“Uhm, yes, ok. If you could come with me? I'll show you how to make a salad.” Fluttershy smiled at the three friends who hopped up from where they sat and rushed after the animal care-taker.

The four ponies and single rabbit traveled to the cozy kitchen as dinner preparations became underway. The oldest mare tried to slowly walk them through the process while Angel sat on the counter nearby with crossed paws; he had seen their ability to work on 'normal' tasks and didn't feel all that confident that this would go any better. Fluttershy had them slowly work with the knives for the vegetables and only had to remind them twice about washing the produce off before trying to sliced them. It was when Sweetie Belle tried to make it go faster by putting it in the oven (set on high of course) that the canary mare started to wonder if this was a good idea. Her patience was further tested as Scootaloo stated that it wasn't interesting enough and suggested frying it instead.

Once she was able to convince the Crusaders that salads were supposed to be cold (and not frozen in the freezer), it was soon nearing completion and Fluttershy sent the girls to set the table for four. The girls didn't have as much issue with this task and soon they were ready to start the meal. Angel Bunny had his own bowl set on the side, away from the disastrous fillies, for which he was grateful.

Apple Bloom had made sure that Scootaloo was situated between herself and Sweetie Belle who was once again blushing at the proximity while Fluttershy sat across from the younger pegasus. She had hoped that it they had Scootaloo between them, she wouldn't try to run off or not eat parts of her salad under the guise of an eating contest. What did give the earth pony pause was how the unicorn on the other side was once again blushing and shuffling in place.

(Do I have tah always watch for both of them? At this rate if it ain't one it's the other!) Apple Bloom frowned at the latest actions of her friends before taking on a more friendly grin.

“It's ah shame we didn't get cutie marks for makin' such a yummy salad.” The other Crusaders looked to her in muted bewilderment as the older mare smiled at the statement.

“Yes, it is a nice salad, you girls did a wonderful job.” Fluttershy continued to smile warmly at the trio who sat up straighter under the watchful eye.

“Eeyup. Real shame we can't hang out more though...” Apple Bloom dejectedly frowned at her bowl while peeking from under her bangs towards her friends who had mixed reactions. Sweetie Belle was now focused on the olive-yellow filly as she wondered what she was trying to say, her meal untouched as her thoughts preoccupied her mind. Scootaloo, however, wore a pensive frown at how she was having a lot of fun and didn't want it to end. It had been a while since the three of them hung out all day and it didn't feel right to stop at this point.

“... Well, we could... have a sleepover at my place... I mean, I have a place now, and we haven't had a sleepover yet there...” Scootaloo tapped her hooves in nervousness as she glanced up from her bowl to pleased smiles. Seeing that the idea was met with approval, the young pegasus decided to get a head start and finish the meal quickly.

“Ok, so it's a sleepover at my place! What are we waiting for then?!” The other two Crusaders nodded to the statement and wolfed down their salads much to the dismay of the cream-yellow mare at the head of the table.

“Oh! Uhm, please, be careful! You don't want to get sick or stuffed or ch-choke! And you should ask permission before going for another sleepover...!” Fluttershy held out a cautionary hoof as the three girls shot up from the table even as their forks clattered in the bowls.

“We will, don't worry! See you later Fluttershy!” Scootaloo led the way as they ran out of the kitchen without a backward glance. As they reached the door, the fillies didn't pause for a moment as they threw it open only to stop from their mad dash as they found it filled with a cyan mare. Rainbow Dash had been about to knock when the door swung away from her suddenly. She looked down in surprise to find the Crusaders staring back on in shock before smiling once more as they quickly gave their greetings and farewells.

“Hey Rainbow Dash! See ya later!”

“Howdy Rainbow Dash, we'll be seein' ya!”

“Hello! We have to go, bye!”

Dash stared on with a single brow raised as three dust clouds raced towards town before looking to where a small giggle came from. Fluttershy held a hoof to her muzzle as she laughed before smiling to the bold pegasus who entered the two storied home.

“Glad to see those guys are having fun. Did Scoots come by to do her chores?” Rainbow trotted into the kitchen as the canary mare started to put away the dirtied dishes. Fluttershy gave her best friend a soft grin as she nodded before turning to check on her pet.

“Yes, they did an amazing job and Angel helped out too.”

“Oh? So the fuzz ball actually did something? I would have paid to see that!” Dash chuckled even as the white bunny glared before hopping into the living room. The two mares stood in silence while the canary pegasus scuffed a hoof along the ground.

“Was there some-something I could do for you Rainbow...?” Fluttershy tried to keep her voice from getting too excited as she glanced at the other mare from behind pink locks. She wasn't expecting to see the brash pegasus so soon and tried to refrain from giving her a hug. She didn't want to upset or annoy her to the point of leaving so soon afterall.

“Oh, yeah. I was just stopping by and checking on things... Boy, that salad looks good! Did you make it Fluttershy?” Rainbow tried not to drool as she looked at the fresh veggies on the center of the table. She had been working a lot more in the past few days and it often left her too tired to make proper meals at home.

“Actually, the girls helped me make it... Would you like some?” Fluttershy tried to remain as still as possible while holding a hoof out to the meal that still was on the table. They had made a lot in their enthusiasm and the quieter mare hadn't had a chance to put it away yet.

“Really? They did? Not bad; but what could one expect from such an amazing cook and teacher?” Rainbow smirked as she gave the canary mare a quick nudge on her shoulder with a single hoof. “Sure, I'll stay for a bit. I am kind of hungry and it takes an amazing meal to fill this awesome flier!”

Fluttershy couldn't hold back her squeal of happiness and rushed towards the cyan mare with a large smile. In moments she had the brash mare in a hug and started to nuzzle when the situation came back to mind, freezing her in place. With trepidation, she glanced up only to find an amused smirk and small shake of a rainbow maned head at her actions.

“Geeze, what'd I say? I don't do sappy...” Dash gently pushed the other mare off her and sat at the table instead as she started to load up an extra bowl. She paused however when she noticed that Fluttershy hadn't moved and realized that maybe digging right in wasn't the best thing to do.

“What?”

“Oh, uhm, noth-nothing... Please, help yourself. The girls were so happy to have made it that they may have gone just a little overboard.” Fluttershy broke from her trance at how long she was able to hug the usually unphysical (in the sappy sense) mare and stepped lightly to the table. She sat across from the cyan pegasus who began to wolf down the meal just as quickly as a trio of fillies. Rainbow noticed how she wasn't joining in the meal and paused with her face inches from the bowl.

“Aren't you going to eat some too?” Dash sat up straighter as she noticed the amused smile of the other and tilted her head curiously.

“Hmm? Oh, no thank you. I've already had some and I know you can get really busy lately. Don't worry about me.” Fluttershy couldn't hold back her grin at the other's interest and continued to sit with her hooves crossed on the table as she watched the energetic mare return to eating. Dash gave a small shrug and dove back into the bowl, finishing in moments in order to sit back with a pleased sigh.

“That was pretty good. You're a good teacher Fluttershy.” The speedster rubbed her stomach as she leaned back. She wasn't sure why she waited for the other pegasus to say anything but didn't really feel like moving anyways. Fluttershy saw this lethargic moment and sat up from her watch of the brash mare.

“Uhm, did you have to go Rainbow...? Maybe... we could... uhmm, hang out...?” The canary mare tapped her hooves together as she peeked at the other mare while she offered for the brash mare to stay. Dash perked up and went for a nonchalant approach as she continued to lean in the chair.

“Well, I was going to take a short nap before the night shift started.” Rainbow was barely able to say this before being cut off by a suddenly forward Fluttershy.

“You could have a rest on my couch, if you want that is... It is comfy...”

“Uh, sure. I'll just take a short nap then I'll get out of your mane.” The speedy pegasus raised a curious brow at the sudden offer but hopped over to the red couch nonetheless. She knew that the kindhearted mare would offer the couch and wasn't sure why she was blushing at the prospect of staying for a short nap. With a mental and physical shrug, the impatient mare gave a small jump to land on her back and fell asleep within moments.

Fluttershy tried to be extra quiet since she had a sleeping guest over but couldn't help the excitement racing through her; Rainbow Dash had not only stopped by but was actually staying for a short while!

(Oh, I hope this means we're becoming close friends again but, it's not nice to just assume things... I better make sure not to annoy her... Ooooh, I'm so excited!)

Further down the street three fillies were running up to a single story home with bundles of sleeping gear on their backs. The Crusaders had been quick to get permission for another sleepover and didn't waste a moment of gathering the supplies. They had all the games from the clubhouse, extra blankets and pillows as well as some snacks to be sure it was one of the better sleepovers.

As Scootaloo burst through the door with a giant stack of supplies on her back, the other fillies were surprised to see that it was a lot messier than when they first visited. Streamers hung from the walls and ceiling while a giant banner hung over the half-wall proclaiming 'it's your new house house-warming party!' in bright purple letters. Noticing the confetti littering the ground and well stocked fridge of cupcakes, cake and punch, there was only one answer to what had happened.

“Pinkie Pie,” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle droned together as they finished entering the home. Scootaloo rolled her eyes before nodding and waving with a hoof to the banner.

“Yeah, I got home the day after the inspection pony came by and this was waiting for me. Haven't gotten around to cleaning just yet.” Scootaloo dropped the bundle in the middle of the living room while Apple Bloom rolled her own eyes at how independent and yet lazy her friend could be.

“Well, if we want tah have the best sleepover we gottah have a clean place tah mess up. Let's get this all cleaned up.” The olive-yellow filly led the way as she picked up a black garbage bag from under the sink and started to collect the streamers from the walls. Sweetie Belle started to pick up the bits of confetti before glancing up to watch Scootaloo go after the large banner.

With the three of them hard at work, it wasn't long before the house was back to its neat state and the girls unpacked their own party supplies. The games were placed along one side of the living room while sleeping gear stashed in a corner out of sight and mind. Since they just had supper, the snacks weren't needed until much later in the evening when the games they've been playing for months grew boring. It was as they enjoyed a few cupcakes that they discovered a new issue.

“Alright, so what are we going to do now?” Scootaloo chomped on the blue cupcake in her hooves as she gazed to her friends. “Wanna play some more Trouble? Or how about another round of Spy and Spy?”

Apple Bloom thought as she munched on her own cupcake and stole a glance towards the unicorn in the middle. Sweetie Belle had once again become dazed as her mind wandered from the topic at hoof to thinking of how happy Scootaloo was lately and the full filling in her own heart at the thought. The earth pony noticed this spacing out and took it as a sign that it was getting late.

“Ah don't think Ah could play much more Scootaloo... We've been playin' these games for ah while now, maybe it's time tah just call it ah night.” The olive-yellow filly noticed how Sweetie Belle seemed to not hear this and was about to check on her when Scootaloo realized she only had one bed.

“Uh guys? Where would we set up? There's only one bed in my room and it doesn't really fit three.” This statement was the thing that brought the light-gray unicorn from her daze as her mind raced with ideas of where she and a certain orange furred pony could sleep. She tried to keep her mind from picturing what it would be like to hold the tough and rumble filly in her hooves while Apple Bloom started to discuss possible solutions.

"Why don't we use the two beds tah sleep?”

“It's really heavy and be hard to move.”

“Well, what about all of us sleepin' on the floor in yer room?”

“It's not that big of a room Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo deadpanned the other filly who huffed in annoyance at how unhelpful the pegasus was being.

“Well then, why don't we just use the livin' room tah sleep next tah one another? Then we could stay together.” Apple Bloom smiled at the grudgingly given agreement before finding that Sweetie Belle was staring between them with wide eyes and a light blush on her muzzle. Before she could ask about it, Scootaloo came back with the sleeping backs and started to fling them over the others with a snicker.

“Hey!”

“Well, you were sitting in the middle of the space. You take up too much room Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo smugly looked to the earth pony who laughed back and grabbed her pillow to swing towards the pegasus. This action was soon retaliated and pillows began to cloud the air with feathers flying out every so often.

The three friends called a truce once they had been properly worn out and laid where they had landed; Apple Bloom on one side, Scootaloo on the other and Sweetie Belle yet again in the center. After panting a few more times, the earth pony rolled over to her side and grinned at her best friends.

“Alright, we better get some sleep. We got school tomorrow an' we'd get in trouble if we missed it or was late.” Apple Bloom then began to dig out her blanket with little regard to who was laying on it, unintentionally sending Sweetie Belle to land on the orange filly.

“Oh! Sorry Scootaloo!” The unicorn scrambled to get up and combat the bright blaze on her face at the contact. The pegasus waved a reassuring hoof as she also got up and set out her blanket.

“It's fine, I'm pretty tough after all... Good night guys!” Scootaloo wasted no time in wrapping herself up and laying on her side facing away from the others. Sweetie Belle stared for a moment longer before remembering where she was and curling into her own blanket.

“Good night y'all!” Apple Bloom turned and faced away from the others as well, her bow removed and blanket pulled up to her nose.

“... Good night...” Sweetie Belle murmured as she watched the pile of blankets rise and fall with each breath the orange pegasus took. She tried to pull the blankets up and close her eyes but every sense seemed to want to focus on the filly beside her.

(… I suppose I'm not really sick and it’s not going to go away. I just think of Scootaloo as being more special to me than Apple Bloom... And this isn't just because of her being in danger, it's all the time... Rarity did say that some mares liked other mares, but do I really really like Scootaloo like that...?) Sweetie Belle glanced over to the scooter rider and sighed, feeling the answer in her every rapid heart beat.

(Yes, yes I do... But what should I do? Rarity might have said it was fine but.... Wait! Rarity! I bet she can help! I'll do that! I'll just... go to her and say... that I really really like.... Scoot-another filly... Urghh, this is going to be hard...) The pale-gray filly squirmed in place as butterflies ravaged her stomach, prompted by the thought that she would tell anyone about what she was feeling. Before she could make any decision on how to make it go away Scootaloo turned and curled in place. Sweetie Belle froze at the new view offered to her and every other thought evaporated from her mind except for the one that mattered most.

(I really do like her… Like, ‘like’ like her...)

Author's Notes:

Ok, first things first. Thanks to Gwg and Bronco for helping make this story better and better each time I sit down to write.

Next thing, and I'm going to be really really frank guys (SPOILER ALERT), we have planned out the rest of the story and it is going to be at least a hundred chapters. Not kidding, no jokes here and not a drunken pretend confession. 100 chapters. A lot of which are going to be long (well into 10,000 words each, perhaps even more). But due to views going down and the story not really getting much views/rates, we are starting to wonder if this is what people want to read. A long slice of life (sort of) of two budding romances and their issues after getting together (for most of that 100 is after Flutterdash gets together (yes, I said it. Flutterdash will eventually happen)). But is that going to keep you guys satisfied? Would you like to see how some of these points I'm bringing up in my story get resolved and how the ponies march beyond it? Or would you want smaller chunks that are broken into different stories (it would mean a lot of the stuff planned would change but...).

Please please please comment on this. As much as I want to write this story out, I would like to know that someone out there (hopefully more than three (me, Gwg and Bronco)) want this and the full story we have planned. It would be a nice, full story, but it may not be worth it if no one actually reads it. Are you actually interested in what I have so far and want to keep reading this or do you just want to get to the shipping? Your thoughts and concern will be heard and considered. I'll also be posting a blog about it to see if I get more comments or notice of this matter.

XII (FS/RD)- It's not like the last time...

View Online

End of March, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

It was yet another average day in the little town of Ponyville; the sun shone brightly as the clouds lazily crawled across the sky. The local animals were patiently waiting for their breakfast as their friend and care-taker made her way towards them. With a gentle smile to each animal that waited patiently by the empty bowls, Fluttershy floated over them carrying the large tan bag. Soft tinks came each time a bowl was filled to the brim before being devoured by the critters.

The quieter mare watched for a moment to be sure that there was no one eating so quickly they would choke. Pleased that there would be no accidents this morning, she moved to put it away. Seconds after placing the sack on its shelf, loud knocks rang from the solid wood frame startling everypony inside. Fluttershy rose slightly from her shocked crouch to cautiously make her way to answer it.

“Fluttershy! I know you're in there, probably feeding your animals again...” At the sound of the bolder pegasus' voice, the canary mare stood up higher and trotted with a slowly growing smile. She opened the door slowly to be sure of who was on the other side and was awarded by the sight of the prismatic maned pegasus who rolled her eyes briefly at the hesitant mare.

“He-hello Rainbow Dash... Was there something I could help you with?” Fluttershy opened the door the rest of the way while waving a hoof to invite the mare inside. She was trying not to show any of her inner delight of seeing the mare once again so soon after the last visit. Rainbow raised a single brow in curiosity at the question and stared at the other pegasus with confusion.

“You do know what today is right?” The cyan mare barely held her annoyed eye roll as she followed her friend inside. The cream-yellow mare bit her lip in worry as her mind started to swirl with what she may have forgotten.

(Ooooh, Fluttershy you forgetful pony... I bet it's something really important to Rainbow Dash too... She wouldn't mention it unless she thinks it's really important...)

“Oh, I'm-I'm so sorry Rainbow... W-was it a Wonderbolt comic book release? Or-or perhaps a... 'cool'... movie coming out...?” Fluttershy trailed off as she cringed at the continued deadpan from the other pegasus. Dash groaned after the canary mare fell quiet and held a hoof to her temple with a pain strickened face.

“Ugghh, no no no! Remember, Applejack is coming home today from her big rodeo competition and we have to help set up the 'welcome-home' party. And besides, the Wonderbolts don’t have a comic book; if they did it would be totally awesome but only eggheads would read that stuff. Not that it wouldn’t a really cool collector’s item.” Rainbow tried to seem dismissive of how cool a comic would be if it was based on the fliers while mentally reminding herself to see if they did have one. The shier pegasus glanced to the ground with flattened ears, worried not only about the excited tone of Dash’s when it came to the earth pony but that she may have annoyed the brash mare with her guessing.

“Oh...”

“Yeah, it's been a whole week since she's been gone! I haven't had any proper competition since she left and I can't wait to see how she did.” Dash threw out her chest before deflating in bewilderment at the sight of the dejected form in front of her. Fluttershy had lowered even further to the ground with each word from the competitive mare while glancing off to the side.

(...Of course she'd want somepony to compete with... She'd want someone to keep up with her... No way she'd want some slowpoke like me...)

“Hey, you alright?” Rainbow leaned closer slightly to the other mare who didn't seem to hear the question.

(… She's probably happier when she's with Applejack... It would be better if I don't hold her back...)

“Hey, Fluttershy. Are you ok?” Teal eyes blinked at the sharp concerned tones and glanced up from the ground. Fluttershy was shocked to find she was curled on the floor with her mane covering her flustered face, muzzle turned away from the brash mare. Rainbow watched her friend closely and wasn't very reassured when the canary mare stood hesitantly.

“O-oh, yes, I'm sorry... I was just... thinking…” Dash gazed questioningly to the other mare before shrugging dismissively. Reaching out for the canary hoof, Rainbow began to pull her outside.

“Alright, if you say so. But come on, we have to get going!” As the two pegasi launched into the air, Fluttershy watched the bolder mare with morose eyes. The two friends stayed silent as they flew, both lost deep in their thoughts of the other.

(… I'm not sure why I even try to keep hoping things would get better or we'd grow closer... She'd never want a pony like me...)

(Fluttershy isn't acting right, maybe she's not feeling well? Better keep an eye out, no way am I letting anypony be sick or hurt again!)

The two best friends flew over the multiple fields of apples with quick flaps of their wings. Dash had long since stopped pulling on a canary hoof as they traveled and merely led the way. They were silent while they traveled, both fixated on the red barn slowly coming into view. The two pegasi landed down without a sound and opened the double doors only to freeze in place at a sudden bang. The air was rapidly filled with colorful streamers while an excited shout rang through the air.

“Surprise!” At the hyperactive cry, Fluttershy shrank against the ground while Rainbow rolled her eyes at the action. Pinkie grinned brightly at the two pegasi with her neck stretched out abnormally to stare at them. Rainbow shook her head at the action before stepping around the party mare with the timid mare following anxiously behind.

“Did I surprise you guys? I've been working on it!”The pink earth pony turned sharply and hop-stepped away with a wide grin as she asked her friends. Fluttershy nodded mutely with laid back ears of anxiety while Dash rolled her eyes with a half-smirk.

“Sure, you got us Pinkie. Looks like you only got about half the work done; what happened to that cannon of yours?” Rainbow floated over to the box of streamers and pulled a few out to hang on the rafters while other ponies worked on blowing up balloons. The party pony sheepishly grinned towards her marefriend before shrugging.

“Well, Twilight said that the design may need more work so I have to do it all the old fashion way.” Pinkie waved her two front-hooves to show the half-finished work before rushing to the box of decorations. Grabbing a hoofful of streamers, she began to toss them almost sporadically through the room.

Rainbow shrugged before reaching for a banner with their orange earth pony friend in the center, giving a glance towards Fluttershy who flinched at the sudden focus. The prismatic mare raised a brow to the pink maned pegasus before jerking her head for the shy mare to help her. Fluttershy smiled softly at being able to assist her long time friend and grabbed the other end of the wide banner. Moments after sticking it on the rafters, Rainbow dropped down to grab some more streamers while Fluttershy stayed in the air.

“Oh, I hope Applejack is surprised by the surprise party.” Fluttershy decided to make the best of the party, knowing that she would never be the receiving end of such an occasion, and tried to sound extremely happy for her friend. The cyan pegasus quickly returned to the air with a red-damask ribbon in her hooves.

“Well, that is the point.” Dash was too enthusiastic to notice this odd occurrence of actual loud speaking from her usually shy and muted friend. She gave the ribbon a quick jerk that caused it to flip in the air, landing lightly in cream-yellow hooves. Even as the two fliers continued to place more decorations in the rafters of the red barn, ponies trotted back and forth to brighten up the ground level.

“I know but I hope she isn't so surprised she's startled because while being surprised can be nice, being startled can be... Very startling.” Fluttershy landed softly as she trotted over for more supplies. Her eyes shrank at the memory of some of the more 'startling' moments in her life (usually led by a cyan mare and her father) and watched the brash mare from the corner of her eye.

“SURPRISE!” Confetti and streamers flew in a continuous stream as the original party pony tried out her technique. With only a soft gasp showing her true internal panic, Fluttershy fell over with a thud. Bringing both hooves to curl over her chest and trying to control her racing heart, the timid mare tried to respond without annoying her friend.

“Oh! Pinkie... You startled me.” The canary mare couldn't meet the excited eyes while Pinkie smiled widely. Rainbow had noticed the fallen pegasus and held back a resigned sigh at the sight.

“Oh, sorry, I was just practicing my 'surprise' for surprising Applejack for becoming champeen of Equestria! SURPRISE!” The pink earth pony tried one more time and grinned at how successful she was. While Pinkie pridefully high-stepped over to her marefriend's side, Rainbow floated to the canary mare on the ground and helped her up. Before Rainbow or Pinkie could say anything, the room was shushed by an excited lavender unicorn.

“Quiet Pinkie, I think Applejack's coming!” At Twilight's warning the pink mare leaped high into the air and back flipped into a wooden trough next to Apple Bloom and her two best friends who already were ducking down in excitement.

“Don't worry Twilight, got my lips all limbered up!” Pinkie Pie began her rigorous routine to be sure she was ready for the part. The three fillies looked on with mild surprise and bemusement, along with most of the other ponies in the room. Twilight stared intently to the door while fighting the burning blush threatening to cover her muzzle.

They all rapidly went for their hiding places, ducking behind hay bales, tables, and even in the rafters. Fluttershy felt the sudden panic of hiding for a surprise and shot to the rafters as the lights went out. She ducked below some of the piles of hay, placing hooves over her muzzle to help her hiding, when she felt a presence lay next to her. Peeking through squinted eyes found that her left side was filled with cyan fur and feathers. Rainbow tried to contain her nervous energy as she grinned towards the other pegasus who smiled back. Fluttershy tried to keep her distance from the brash mare least she starts to snuggle in front of everyone; that kind of action would definitely be a big 'no-no' for the tough mare.

The barn door slowly opened which was the signal for everyone to jump out with a bright shout.

“Surprise!” Everyone paused as they took in the pony at the door; noticing the lanky pale-brown form with blue postal service cap that gazed back surprised. A few seconds later the pink mare shot up with both hooves in the air.

“..Surprise...! Shoot!” The group hardly noticed this as they continued to stare at the postpony who began to slowly smile as he took in the view before him.

“Wow! This is the best surprise ever! How did you know it was my birthday?!” Even as Post Haste smiled at the party, the group slumped in place with disappointment. Twilight stomped over and glared at the stallion before slamming the door shut after grabbing the single letter wither her magic.

The lavender mare turned around only to find herself face to face with a squinty eyed party mare. Pinkie tutted lightly with a gentle shake of her head before walking around the librarian and opening the door once more. After pulling a slice of cake for the birthday stallion of the day, Pinkie shook her head once again while returning to stand beside her marefriend who checked the cake confusedly, looking for where the piece was cut from.

After being assured by both Pinkie and Rainbow Dash to not question the odd mare's abilities, Twilight rolled her eyes and checked over the letter they had received. The rest of the party members got up from their hiding places in curiosity and gathered around the lavender unicorn.

“Who's it from Twilight? What's it say?”Apple Bloom pushed her way to the forefront of the group as she stared curiously to the unicorn. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle shared confused glances as they waited out of sight, not wanting to butt in on the family of Apples.

“It's from Applejack! Family and friends, not coming back to Ponyville. Don't worry, will send money soon... That's all there is...” Twilight twisted the paper back and forth in hopes of finding any hidden postscript only to be met with failure. She glanced up to find the entire gathering silent as her words echoed in their minds even after the shocked gasp.

“Applejack's... Not comin' back?” Apple Bloom's wavering voice sounded loud in the stillness following Twilight's statement. The other Crusaders started to try and get closer to their distressed comrade only to find their way blocked by panicking ponies. Both airborne pegasi froze as the entire group watched the lavender mare in shock.

('...if something were to happen to one of the girls, like.... Applejack. If Applejack ran away from home because she had some kind of problem, would you let them?') With the echo of the usually timid mare's words in her mind, Rainbow held her hooves to both temples as possibilities raced through her mind.

“What do you mean Applejack's not coming back...?! She loves Ponyville...” Rainbow Dash's voice was laden with bewilderment and concern. She flung both hooves forward to help emphasize her point how this current situation made little sense, not that many paid her any mind. The timid pegasus hovering just below the speedster held both hooves to her chest to combat the pinch she felt there. Her mind was spirited away to a time when another good friend left without word and didn't properly hear the others as they started to discuss the letter.

A two story cloud-house floated on the edge of the city in the sky. It was a little large for the two member family, but it was lovingly taken care of. The young canary pegasus stepped up timidly to the front door that wasn't entirely closed.

“An' she loves Sweet Apple Acres...!” Granny Smith tried to be strong for her grandkids who were starting to tear up as the news sank in. It had been a long time since she had to worry for any of her kin and wasn't sure what should be done about it; out of all of the grandchildren she had, Applejack was the one she hadn't worried about for a long time.

The house was oddly dark as Fluttershy entered and she crouched lower as she peered at the surroundings. She would have been greeted or pranked by this time and the silence was unnerving her.

“An' she loves her family!” Apple Bloom couldn't hold back a watery pout as she glanced up to the older ponies gathered around. Her two best friends shared a pained glance once more as they heard the distress and sadness in the usually chipper filly before trying to once more push through the crowd.

The young mare made her way through the empty house with flattened ears. Her body was tense as she tried to brace for a sudden surprise. Teal eyes searched the rooms to rest on table in the middle of the kitchen where a single roll of parchment lay. With a trembling hoof, Fluttershy unfurled the letter to find a single phrase waiting for her.

“Oooohhh, something just dreadful must have happened to Applejack to make her not return!” Rarity couldn't help but throw a hoof to her temple as she started to think about what would stop the dependable mare from returning. Sweetie Belle paused in her efforts to glance in worry to her older sister, recalling a previous dramatic flair up and how anxious the usually confident unicorn was at that time.

“Sorry, but I can't stay.”

Fluttershy flinched subtly at the memory before snapping out of her daze to blink at the dramatic pose of her friend. Recalling some of the wildness of the land and the many dangers she had read about, the shy mare held both hooves to her mouth as she glanced to the cyan pegasus next to her.

“Oh, maybe she's hurt, or sad, or scared...!” The canary mare tried to not panic but the fright was still noticed by the bolder pegasus. Seeing a darker flash of pain in teal-blue eyes reminded Dash of what she had promised should such an event ever happen.

('Of course not! I'd want them to let us help and we'd get over the problem together just like we have before!' I said I'd help and now I'm going to prove it!)

“So what are we waiting for?! Let's go find her!” Rainbow took off with usual speed to get the new task underway. She wasn't completely sure why Fluttershy seemed so hurt and afraid but if finding their wayward friend fixed the issue, then so be it. The others soon followed the two pegasi out the barn as Twilight tried to reassure the Apple family remaining behind.

“Don't worry, we'll search all of Equestria if we have to. We'll bring her back!” The lavender mare paused only for a moment to make sure the other ponies would be alright while they're gone. This pause was enough to allow the other two Crusaders to finally break through the worried ring of adults and stand next to their depressed friend.

“Y'all are the best!”Apple Bloom shouted to the leaving ponies. Noticing the fillies on either side of her, she led the way as they started to race after the group. This went unnoticed by the older ponies as they stood tearfully in the center of the room. The trio of friends paused only for a second to grab the scooter and cart that rested against the barn wall to help catch up to the faster mares.

“Thank you girls...!” Granny Smith's voice shook as she stared at the determined friends. Twilight heard this thanks and saluted the older mare before turning back with a determined face as they ran back to town.

Both pegasi made sure to fly over top of their friends in order to hear the plan. Fluttershy wobbled in the air as she fought the crushing fear of losing a friend for any period of time. Even as she stared onward to the town, her eyes filled with tears as she remembered when Rainbow Dash had left her behind and the many years of worry before finding her once more. Dash saw this slightly uneven flying and was about to question the timid mare when a call below her stopped the whole group.

“Rainbow Dash! Hey, Rainbow Dash! What are you guys going to do now?!” Scootaloo rode her scooter with the blue cart attached and the other Crusaders riding in the cart. When they saw who was calling to the more heroic mare, the rescue party stopped and watched Rainbow float down to talk with the fillies.

“Hey squirt. Look, it will be fine, don't worry. I'm on the case and there's no way I'm going to stop until I find out what happened.” The cyan mare thrust out her chest as she reassured the fillies only to find that she was missing a filly; Sweetie Belle had gone to check with her older sister while the brash mare spoke.

“... Rarity...? Rarity, are you ok...?” The young unicorn gently rubbed her hoof along her sister's fore-leg while Rarity looked on in a daze. The fashion unicorn blinked before smiling shakily at her sister.

“O-oh, u-uhm, yes darling, I-I'll be fine and-and everything... will be... fine...” Rarity's right eye twitched as the smile melted into a short frown before turning into a thin smile. Sweetie Belle frowned at this action before stepping back to her best friends' side.

Fluttershy also noticed this odd behavior and shifted to stand beside Rarity without drawing attention to herself; this attempt failed as anxious cerise eyes followed the canary mare and shrank at how the two friends were murmuring among themselves. Focusing back on the fillies before her, Rainbow found three pairs of uncertain eyes watching her.

“Seriously guys, I totally promise that everything is going to be back to normal as soon as the next rainfall.” Dash scuffed Scootaloo's mane before turning to the group who was anxious to continue on.

As the older mares started to run back to town once again, Fluttershy stayed on the ground next to the frazzled fashionista. The two having a quiet conversation drew Rainbow's attention as she flew above the group, ears and eyes trained curiously on them. While she was interested to know what would cause both mares to wear light blushes, the cyan mare was deep in her own musings as they returned to town and couldn't really make out what was said.

(… Fluttershy seems to be acting odd about this whole thing... But why would it matter so much...? We all said that we'd get AJ back no matter what. She knows we can do anything when we do it together...! Even if Applejack did say she was leaving and not coming home... Coming home... It can't be...) Dash frowned at what her mind was suggesting and glanced back down only to find that they arrived to the small town. The group split up to get some basic supplies for the trip, leaving the cyan mare disoriented for a moment before flying off to a small cottage on the edge of town.

Dropping down with a light thud, the bold mare moved forward to knock when the door merely folded inwards at the lightest touch. Fluttershy had slowly grew more tense as she flew home and didn't close the door properly behind her when she had went inside. This did not settle Dash's worry since the shy mare always shut the door and entered with apprehension weighing her every hoofstep. The shy mare was hunched over in the center of the room with tiny shivers crawling over her fur while sitting with her back to the door. This sight caused Rainbow to rush forward with alarm etched on her face.

“Fluttershy?! Fluttershy, what's wrong!?” The cyan mare reached out a worried hoof to the cream-yellow shoulder while taking a seat next to the quivering mare. Glancing downward, cerise eyes widened at the sight of a wrinkled and worn out scrap of paper laying in front of the tearful pegasus. Fluttershy gave a small start as she hiccuped and started to back away with fearful eyes.

“O-o-oh, I-I'm sorry, I was-I was starting to get the first aid kit and, uhm, and found-well I mean, I was just looking and found... I-I'm sorry...” The cream-yellow pegasus tried to cover the old note but a swift blue hoof snatched it out of her hooves. Rainbow frowned as she read the brief note before looking to the mare next to her with morose eyes.

“You... you kept it?” Dash didn't raise her voice above a whisper as she glanced to the whimpering mare beside her. At the continued silence from the shivering pegasus, the usually brash mare slumped in place as everything became clear.

“It's not the same as before... It won't be the same as before...” The pink mane swayed as Fluttershy shook her head at the 'assurances'.

“You-you don't know if that's true...” The trembling mare tried to stem the flow of tears but wasn't successful as she turned her muzzle away in dismay.

“Fluttershy, I may not know why Applejack didn't come home but I won't let her just run from her problems...” Rainbow tried to catch sorrowful teal eyes only to freeze when they turned to stare steely back.

“Dashie... You're still running from yours....” Fluttershy winced at the pain her quiet words causing the other pegasus to rear back with a painful grimace.

“I... I'm not.” Disbelieving teal eyes stared at the prismatic mare who flinched before sitting up straighter. “Well, I'm not running at least. I'm working on it ok? And I won't leave like I did before, I promise.”

The shy mare didn't respond. Her heart clenched in her chest at the almost hollow sounding pledge. She didn't want to offend her old friend but the pain of the four years alone couldn't be so easily dismissed. Rainbow seemed to pick up on this and leaned into the trembling side. Feeling that this didn't help, she gave the distressed mare a timid nuzzle, not used to starting it on her own and unsure if she was doing it right.

“I Pinkie Promise to not leave you or any of you guys like I did before. AND that I'll find and bring back Applejack too. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Dash tried to keep her voice upbeat as she gave the solemn oath. Her smirk slowly faded at the how unresponsive the other pegasus was. Fluttershy could feel the anxious gaze of her best friend and sighed softly as she returned the unsure nuzzle, eyes tightly closed as she tried to show her appreciation for the effort.

The two friends stayed like that for a moment longer before Rainbow shifted in place with a small blush crossing her muzzle at the contact. Pulling away with a light cough, she glanced to the clock with a surprised start.

“We-we have to get going Fluttershy, the others are probably waiting for us now. Come on, was there anything else you wanted to get before we head out?” Once the cyan mare gently stood from the leaning embrace, the canary mare took a steadying breath before nodding softly.

Rainbow remained in place while the animal care-taker reached for the first aid kit. Fluttershy placed it delicately in her saddlebags and turned to head mutely to the door. Teal eyes glanced over to find that Rainbow crushed the note she had written so long ago; wearing a dark frown at the pain it had caused, Dash tossed it into the waste basket in the kitchen on her way out. The cyan mare silently made her way after the canary pegasus while they made their way to the train station and their waiting friends.

Nodding to one another as they waited for the train, the five friends stood close to one another on the platform. Fluttershy had edged her way to Rarity's side once more and tried to comfort the frazzled mare who seemed unable to sit still as she looked around. While the canary mare gave the unicorn a comforting hug, Rainbow tried not to frown too much at the show of affection that Fluttershy often gave to others. With a short glare to the ground at how it shouldn't matter, the cyan mare shook her head briefly before deciding on how she was going to find the missing mare.

The train arrived with a hiss of steam and a jarring halt; the doors popped open with little effort and a few ponies departed before All Aboard called for the new arrivals.

“All aboard who's coming aboard!” The words were barely out of his mouth before the pale-gray unicorn shot forward and almost ran him over in her haste. He stared on in shock only for the other friends to give him apologetic smiles as they entered in after her.

The three Crusaders slowly made their way into town, not sure what they should do now that their plans were pretty much useless. Each filly's thoughts centered on their older sister (or guardian in Scootaloo's case) weighing down their steps. Sweetie Belle was the last in line as she reflected on her older sister's behavior; remembering the last time they spoke concerning the orange earth pony, the young unicorn frowned towards the ground. Noticing how Sweetie Belle hung further and further back from the group, they started to slow as well and glanced back with mild concern.

“Are ya alright back there?” Apple Bloom stared curiously to the unicorn, barely lifting her head to gaze at the other filly as her worries weighed her down. The gray-white filly shrugged before scuffing the ground with a single hoof. This non-response drew concerned glances from the other two before they drew closer to the filly.

“What's wrong Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo frowned when Sweetie Belle remained silent. The unicorn shrank against the ground with a blush at the closer presence of the orange filly.

“Uhm, well, there's nothing really wrong but...” Sweetie Belle shrugged again when she suddenly found herself faced with two concerned friends.

“But what?” The orange pegasus scowled at the almost drawn out drama, something that she was starting to think was hereditary when she understood. With a soft sigh, Scootaloo slumped briefly in place before looking to the worried unicorn once more.

“It's about Rarity isn't it?” The pegasus felt her heart sink at Sweetie Belle's gentle nod. Scootaloo rolled her eyes while she shook her head.

“What makes you think that there's something wrong with Rarity? Isn't she normally very dramatic anyways?” The unicorn shifted with a light blush under curious purple eyes at the question.

“Wellll... She can be very dramatic but this time it's different.” Seeing two sets of disbelieving eyes, Sweetie Belle continued on with a small sigh. “I promised not to tell... But she's really concerned about Applejack and... and I'm worried that she'll do something really really drastic...”

Apple Bloom tilted her head in confusion, recalling how her older sister had been acting odd when it came to the fashionista while Scoootaloo frowned as her chest lurched, not wanting to see the usually chipper filly upset. Sweetie Belle could see the effect of her words on her friends and slumped in place. It hurt to see her crush bewildered and uncertain. Feeling a hesitant hoof on her shoulder, Sweetie Belle glanced up to find the orange pegasus drawing her into a hug. Heat rushed from the area where the two unsure hooves wrapped around pale-gray barrel while a darker blush spread over the receiving filly’s muzzle. Soon the last filly joined in the hug and set Sweetie Belle to a tearful chuckle.

“Thanks guys... We may not be living in the same house but we're still sisters... Just like we'll always be best friends!” The unicorn returned the hug her friends offered with enthusiasm. She tried to ignore the hypersensitive feeling she got from being so close to Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle's heart seemed to beat all the stronger with the knowledge that the usually impassive filly was the one to start the hug.

The three friends pulled out of the hug with soft smirks and chuckles. The two friends assumed the young unicorn's blush was from the show of affection and solidarity. Apple Bloom tilted her head as she glanced to the eastern part of town.

“We outtah hang out while we wait for them tah come back. Did ya want tah head back tah the Clubhouse?” The other Crusaders thought about the suggestion before Scootaloo glanced towards her own home, just south of where the apple farm was.

“Did you guys want to hang out in my place instead...? It's a bit closer and stuff.” The orange pegasus couldn't bring herself to look to the unicorn beside her. While her mind swirled with different ways to help Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo didn't notice the hopeful bewildered gaze of the gray-white filly. Apple Bloom tapped her chin briefly for a moment before nodding with a small grin.

“Sure thin'; let's get goin'.” The olive-yellow filly led the way through town with pleased high-steps, glad to have some kind of direction and a chance to get everyone's mind off the current incident. The others mutely followed along without looking at each other.

The five friends sat in quiet worry on the train car, racing northward. While Pinkie and Twilight shared a seat, Fluttershy had chosen to sit next to the distressed fashionista while Rainbow sat behind them within easy listening distance.

The two friends had been holding a quiet conversation about the current situation. Rarity was more subdued than normal, her usual flair of drama internal while Fluttershy tried to reassure her. Rainbow tried to act nonchalant but winced at every phrase the shy mare stated. Her mind drifted each time Fluttershy revealed how much she could emphasize with missing good friends, often to the point where the cyan mare couldn't hear the fashion designer's response.

“I understand... It's-it's hard when a close friend leaves...” Fluttershy placed a hesitant hoof on the pale-gray mare's shoulder while trying to catch Rarity's eye. Rainbow flinched at the reminder of the pain the canary mare had gone through and wondered what it meant.

(Hard? How hard? It can't have been that hard... I had... things I had to deal with... I couldn't stay forever, stuck in some home with court officials breathing down my neck... She was able to keep going, it couldn't have been that bad...)

“It's hard to keep going without your good friend...” The canary mare stared towards the ground while Rainbow frowned as she hunched forward in the seat behind the two dejected mares.

(… Why didn't she say anything before...? If it was so hard, she should have just told me when I visited her after coming back! She could have told me...! Why wouldn't she have told me...?) The cyan mare ran a single hoof through her mane. Cerise eyes scrambled to stare at the plain train car as she tried frantically understand what Fluttershy meant.

“Yes... A long time ago. Rai-... A very old friend left without saying anything and... It wasn't the same afterwards.” The timid pegasus hunched over and was soon the target of Rarity's comforting hoof. The two friends leaned against one another for moral support while Rainbow dipped forward in her seat, a single hoof to her forehead as a new thought came forward.

(… Did she not trust me after I came back? Did... did we grow apart from being best friends and she didn't feel like she could tell me about how it was like when I was gone? How hard was it? What did Hoops, Dumb-bell and Score do while I was gone!?! I'm going to give them an extra pounding the next time I see them...! I've got to make it up to her... Prove that I'm trying to make it up to her and that I'm not running away... And no one else will be able to either on my watch!)

The bold mare clenched a hoof and sat up straighter, ears flipped around to focus on the lavender unicorn who was starting to give out instructions.

“Ok, so we need some way to try and ask ponies if they had seen Applejack.” Twilight looked between the group of mares with a determined gleam in her eye. Pinkie waved her hoof in the air wildly from her place next to the unicorn.

“Ooh, ooh, me, me! Pick me!” Twilight rolled her eyes at the hyper mare beside her before smirking lovingly at her actions.

“Yes, Pinkie Pie?”

“We can totally make lots and lots of copies of this picture I drew of Applejack just in case somepony forgot what she looked like!” With a flourish, Pinkie whipped out a crayon made picture of the orange farmer proudly. The others stared blankly at the hyperactive mare before rolling their eyes. Rarity stared quizzically at the almost foal-like image before tapping a hoof on her chin.

“Would, perhaps, a photograph work for our needs?” Everyone focused on the dress maker in curiosity while the pale-gray unicorn had a light blush at her suggestion. “What? I needed one to show off some of my latest designs and have an example of the image before fabulosity! Purely business of course!”

Everyone else on the train stared at the unicorn with bewildered gazes before accepting the suggestion with a shrug. Rarity levitated the photo from her bags and to the lavender unicorn.

Twilight quickly cast a duplication spell onto the multiple copies Pinkie Pie seemed to have on her, changing the crayon style for one of an actual photograph and gave each friend a copy to show others. While the librarian gave out instructions on how they would search for their missing friend, Rainbow tuned out the boring details and stuck her head out the window; she wanted to get the search underway and quickly, but there was only certain speeds the train could get to.

Fluttershy glanced from the dejected mare beside her to the determined form hanging from the window. Dash had been quiet for most of the trip and it was making the shy mare anxious. After reassuring the frazzled Rarity, the canary mare felt the weight of sad memories holding her down. Just as the train jerked slightly as it came to a stop in the Canterlot station, Rarity and Rainbow Dash raced off to start the search. Twilight had to rush after them to gain their attention with frantic shouts and hoof waving with Pinkie hopping with a grin after her marefriend. Fluttershy brought up the rear of the party and tried to keep her face neutral. Seeing the cyan mare so eager to start the search hurt even while the timid mare knew it was only proper.

“We should save our energy you guys! I know the Rodeo only stays for so long, but we can't find her if we're tired from running to there.” Twilight panted lightly as she stood in the center of the group. She was impressed with Rarity's speed considering how the prim and proper mare often did things sedately to preserve her image. The bold pegasus grumbled from the sky as she crossed her hooves. She wanted to get this mission over with so she could finish talking with a life-long friend who seemed to still need reassuring.

Once the organized unicorn sorted out the search patterns, they continued on to the large arena set up on the south side of Canterlot. Fluttershy kept an eye on the speedster and noticed her irritation with all the pausing. Wanting to help get it settled, the usually slow flier picked up her pace, keeping in time with the speeding pegasus.

The five friends soon split up when they reached the three story tall arena and brought forth the picture they had of their missing friend. They circled the area for what felt like hours, endlessly asking the same question to any and everyone they met along the way. The quiet mare managed to speak up enough to actually be heard though it did little good. Fluttershy stole a peek over to the prismatic pegasus to find her growing more frustrated with every denial.

After the entire production was packed away, the group sat dejected along the ground level. Dash had laid down with a groan and rested her muzzle flat against the seat. Disbelief and frustration came off in waves as she lay; she had never failed so badly at finding anypony before and she didn't like it. Not at all. Meanwhile, the canary pegasus sat just beyond the others, her mind swirling with conflicting thoughts. It hurt to know that Rainbow was going to such lengths for another mare that wasn't Fluttershy and made her wonder if she would get the same kind of effort had something happen to her.

“Hey, I've seen that mare!” At the soft call, everyone sat up with intense focus. An earth pony mare with dark-orange fur and dark-cream color mane stood in front of the table where Twilight had placed one of the photos.

“Where did she go?!” Rainbow demanded from the air as they all leaned closer to the other mare. With a small grin to the search party, the stetson wearing mare turned in place to point south to a sandy desert.

“She went to Dodge Junction with some other mare.” At the naming of where the blonde farmer went to and the comment that she hadn't gone alone brought a gasp from all. Dash ground her teeth in annoyance at how far Applejack was willing to go as she stared on with a determined glint in her eyes. The timid mare standing on the ground below her couldn't help but feel yet another spike of fear. The small desert town was still rather far out in the country and only reminded Fluttershy of when she didn't know where Rainbow was.

(Why am I constantly thinking about it...? I-she... Rainbow already said she wasn't going to leave again... And we're going to try and find Applejack... Who would make a much better match for Dashie... Oh Fluttershy, you've got to stop thinking about it; it's not like you had much of a chance anyways...)

The five anxious mares re-entered the train station to board the next available train south. Rainbow wasn't paying close attention to her seat and barely noticed when Rarity sat down in a daze. Fluttershy flinched at the lost chance to sit next to the speedster and sat across from the distressed fashion mare, next to Twilight who watched the passing scenery outside. The group settled for the five hour trip with resigned sighs. The mission seemed to get only more complex the longer they searched; a fact that was not missed by anyone.

Scootaloo sat in the middle of the living room, ears twitching rapidly as she focused on the game board in front of her. She had pulled out all the games she had available to distract the worried fillies, though she seemed to focus on the anxious unicorn. She wasn't too sure how successful she was however, since Sweetie Belle had stayed silent after they entered the small home. Apple Bloom also tried to help cheer them up but could tell that the light-gray filly was distracted; she tried to move past her own unease to help her friends instead but wasn't completely successful. The pegasus tried to still her anxiously tapping hoof, a fidget that was assumed to be of nerves while playing the game by the others.

“Uhm... It's your turn Scootaloo.” Sweetie Belle tried not to stare too long at the orange filly. She focused on the cards before her instead of looking to the still empty house; she had thought the home would feel more lived in after several weeks. Instead it seemed too half-furnished, with only a few pictures on the nearby shelf.

“Oh, yeah, uh, you got any fives Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo shifted in her seat while giving the olive-yellow filly a brief glance.

“Eenope! Gottah go diggin'!” The earth pony stared intently to the two Crusaders, knowing something wasn't right but couldn't put her hoof on it. The pegasus stayed silent as she reached for the center pile of cards; an act that drew two confused and concerned eyes since the competitive filly didn't usually comply quietly.

The three friends stayed mostly silent as they continued to play. Each filly watched the others carefully, unsure what was weighing down the atmosphere. Scootaloo twitched even more as she felt the weight of the worry before throwing down her cards and standing in front of the unicorn.

“Look, are you ok? What-what do you want to do?! Honest, Rainbow Dash said she and the others were going to fix this and you trust us right? And we trust them!” The pegasus stared deeply into shocked green eyes that widened at the close proximity of her crush. Sweetie Belle leaned back slightly while she tried to think of a reply.

“Oh, uhm, yes? I was just... thinking...” The unicorn tried to hold back her blush as she glanced to the side. Scootaloo followed her gaze and didn't see anything of interest and looked back at the filly.

“What's on your mind then?” While the orange filly questioned the distracted unicorn, Apple Bloom stared silently, unsure of where Scootaloo was going with her interrogation.

“Uhm... Well, yo-your house! Uh, yeah, I was just looking at some of the stuff you have in your house... Did you get some new things?” Sweetie Belle waved a shaky hoof to the shelf only to drop it when the pegasus frowned thoughtfully.

“No, I've been saving my bits so I've just left things as they are. It's only been a couple of weeks since I first moved in, I haven't really done much.” Scootaloo waved a dismissive hoof as she kept a close eye on the filly in front of her. Sweetie Belle flinched at hearing that the orphan still had to watch her every purchase and tried to keep her face neutral as her mind raced with new kinds of concerns.

(I thought she would have settled in by now! Or maybe have someone else join her here, or at least not have to worry about buying things! Maybe, maybe we could help her...? Like get her gifts for... her... birthday... We don't know when her birthday is!! What kind of friends are we when we don't know her birthday...?! Some friend I am... I'm even supposed to be the one that 'like' likes her too...)

Seeing the sudden despair on the light-gray filly's face, Scootaloo shifted in place rapidly while her eyes sped around the room looking for inspiration on how to help. Sweetie Belle slumped in place with flat ears as she realized how hard the orange filly had it only to stiffen in surprise when she was on the receiving end of another hug. Opening her eyes in disbelief, she glanced down to find that Scootaloo had her own eyes closed as she tightened the hug. The tomcolt wasn't sure what pressed her to grab the filly in a tight embrace and found herself frozen with uncertainty. The two friends stayed in place, each lost in their confusion at the situation.

Apple Bloom watched with wide eyes at the sudden embrace before squinting in wonder. Giving a short mental shrug, she joined the group hug. Even if she still didn't understand what was distressing her friends, she could tell that one thing that would always help was a great big hug.

“Like Scootaloo said, everthing's gonnah be fine Sweetie Belle. Maybe we don't...don't know why Applejack didn't come back, but the others are on the case! Maybe we should have another sleepover tah make sure we'll all be ok for the night...” Apple Bloom checked on her two best friends to find both wore light blushes and nodded their agreement. After another moment of close embrace, the three friends pulled back and put away their deck of cards.

They then went to get sleeping supplies and made their slow way to their clubhouse. It was close to the farm and gave them the chance to know exactly when the older mares got back. During the entire trip Sweetie Belle walked in a daze, her eyes focused on the pegasus in the middle of their line. Scootaloo wasn't a filly who liked comforting contact and yet she hugged the unicorn twice in one day! The bewildering part of it was that it seemed to be only a result of being a good friend; Apple Bloom was often seconds behind the pegasus to offer her own comfort.

While the three Crusaders unrolled their sleeping bags on the floor of the tree house, Sweetie Belle remained quiet as her thoughts drifted from excited and dejected. To save herself from further torment, the young unicorn put the pegasus' actions under an attempt at being a good friend. The others assumed this despondent silence was due to more worry and tried to distract her from her thoughts; this was only half-successful as whenever Scootaloo said or did anything Sweetie Belle was drawn into another internal debate with herself.

By the time they all retired for the night, they were exhausted from nerves and trying to cheer one another back up from sombre thoughts. Each filly stayed awake as they laid on the ground, staring to the ceiling while their minds swirled in confusion.

(… Ah guess Ah'm never gonnah get ah break, watchin' out for these two... Ah guess if it isn't one it IS the other... There's gottah be a way tah get them both doin' ok... But how...? Wonder if this is how Applejack feels all the time, watchin' out for everyone else... Maybe that's why she had tah leave... Ah'd sure like tah ask how she does it... Ah miss her...) The olive-yellow filly tried not to sniff too loudly as her heart sank at the thought of her missing relative. Pulling an apple themed quilt to her chin, Apple Bloom didn’t see the others being just as distracted as she tightly shut her eyes, trying to vainly go to bed.

(Scootaloo doesn't see me as anything but a friend and I have to accept that... Maybe I can just act normal and pretend I don't have these feelings for her... Maybe it won't hurt so much when she acts like a 'normal' friend would... What would Rarity do...? She must have the same kind of problem...) Sweetie Belle bit her lip at the reminder of her sister, her memory serving up an image of the frazzled unicorn to rest before her mind’s eye. She shifted in the center of the line up, trying to stay put and not disturb the others but not noticing how they were lost in their own thoughts.

(… Why did I act like that today? I mean, sure Sweetie Belle was the one to first tell me about how it was ok to show emotion, but hugging? I'm getting sappy... I hope Rainbow Dash wouldn't mind but she was really sad! I haven't seen Sweetie Belle that sad ever... It's not suppose to be that way at all...) The orange pegasus tried to keep as much distance between her and the unicorn to her left while still staying nearby like she usually would. She crossed both hooves around her barrel as she reminisced of the day’s events, trying to figure out if any action was too much for the situation. Having no prior experience for it, Scootaloo huffed silently and shut her eyes with a frown, unwilling to lose more sleep over-thinking how much sappy was ‘too’ sappy.

It was close to midnight when the three friends were finally able to ignore the questions buzzing in their minds and fall asleep, their dreams hazy with indistinct figures and uneasy feelings.

Once the large locomotive came to a not so gentle stop in the desert town, the group rushed off with Pinkie in the lead. She had been whining about needing a potty break and shifted restlessly in her seat the majority of the ride, and didn't want to wait a moment longer.

Trotting down the ramp, the group found themselves in a desert land with a couple of mountains viewable from the distance. The buildings that were set apart from the basic train station were only single and double stories, arranged along the main road. Further behind them was the rest of the town that had sprawled out from the main area as time went on. The residents of the town often wore large hats and stetsons to ward off the harsh sunlight. The friends merely glanced at their surroundings before looking to the lavender unicorn for direction.

“Let's fan out and try to find her!” The command was barely spoken when a pink blur shot past the group to the nearest restroom. Twilight didn't seem all that surprised at the rapid exit and merely turned to the remaining mares.

“Don't mind her, too much sarsaparilla I think. Come on, let's start our search!” The lavender mare tried to keep calm even as her marefriend acted up like usual and lead the way to two mares standing on the train platform.

Rainbow was tempted to start flying over the town but saw how anxious the others were and decided to stick nearby. It would be easier to have a large sweep of a street with everyone asking those in sight at once. Moments after Twilight pulled out the photograph and started to question the natives, Pinkie bounced around them with a pleased smirk as she chanted.

“I found her I found her I found her I found her I found her I found her!” Guessing at what the hyper mare was talking about, the group rushed after her with hopeful smiles, not spending more than a second to give the ponies they were talking to a brief farewell.

Turning around a sharp corner, they came to a grinding halt when they saw their target trotting sedately through the center of town. They all felt a moment of relief at seeing the blonde earth pony and shared pleased smirks before they rushed over to the mare.

“Oh Applejack, thank heavens!” Rarity called with a smile at seeing earth pony once again. Her attitude seemed to change drastically from the nervous wreck to attempted suave. The sudden change was obvious to everyone else but they didn't call her out on it, wanting to question Applejack first instead.

“We're so glad you're safe!” Fluttershy tried to keep her voice upbeat while she tried to hold back her dejection when noticing how much Rainbow grew excited at finding Applejack. The cyan mare hovered in the air with an intense gaze to be sure the runaway made no such other attempts.

“I found her I found her I found her I found her...! Be right back!” Pinkie continued to bounce before remembering her urgent mission from before and zipping off once more. The others didn't bother to acknowledge her odd ways, instead stepping up to encircle the farmer.

“Uh, hey everypony... Uhhh, what's up?” Applejack glanced around as she shifted nervously in place, obviously not expecting to see the other mares. Rainbow frowned at the suspicious behavior and rushed forward to question the farmer.

“Why didn't you come back to Ponyville?” Dash flung her hooves out to help prove her point, listening and watching intently to try and figure out what was the reason. Fluttershy flinched at the directness of the brash mare and worried that it might push things too far.

“Yes, why are you here?” Rarity couldn't understand why the apple farmer came to a desert landscape and waved a hoof to illustrate her point. She sounded calmer than she had been but the others could tell that she was putting on a calm act for the blonde mare's benefit.

“Are you ok?” The timid pegasus stepped forward as she tried to search the earth pony for injuries. She knew how much family, friends and Ponyville meant to the farmer and didn't know why she would leave unless drastically injured. While she stared at the nervous farmer, Fluttershy amended her thoughts with a small wince.

(Well, I did think that Rainbow Dash would never leave her home town or-or... me... I suppose it could be something else that make Applejack stay away...) While the shy mare pondered on this new reasoning, the pink mare stuck her head into Applejack's view with curious eyes.

“Do you have any snacks?”

“Tell us what happened Applejack!” Twilight could tell that her marefriend and the others were slowly getting off track and decided to ask for clarification flat out. Before anyone could say a single word however, a new lightly southern voice called from the direction of town, sparing Applejack from having to answer right away.

“Applejack? Are these some of your Ponyville friends?” A pale-cream earth pony stood on top of a nearby set of stairs, her red mane streaked with dark red and a pair of cherries resting on her flank for a cutie mark. Twilight and Rarity tried to wear polite smiles as they walked over to talk with this new mare while the others stayed a few paces away, watching the runaway mare closely.

Fluttershy glanced over to the cyan mare floating in the air with her fore-hooves hanging below her in shock. Dash seemed to have eyes only for the blonde farmer ahead of them with a half-glare to the older mare talking with the two unicorns. Seeing no change in the brash mare's behavior, the shier mare tried not to crouch in place as darker thoughts tried to overrun her mind.

(I... guess that this just shows how much Applejack means to her...)

“Don't you guys worry, I'm on the case. There's no way she's getting away and then things will back to normal in no time.” The cyan mare's words were quiet as she tried to hear what the red maned mare was saying. Pinkie glanced between the pegasus and their target with a bewildered frown while Fluttershy gave a small jump at the words. Glancing up with confused eyes, the canary mare tried to understand what Dash meant only to find determined ones looking down.

“We won't let anything happen to break up what we have going on back home. Once we get everything under control, we'll be back home before you know it and everything will go back to how it is supposed to be.” Rainbow nodded sharply twice before focusing on the group coming closer. Fluttershy frowned to herself and wondered why the brash mare was so focused on normalcy.

(Does... Does Rainbow think that by keeping everyone together things will stay that way? But... But ponies move out and leave all the time... Just like she did before... While we are worried for Applejack, that doesn't mean that everything will be back to... 'normal'...) The canary mare blinked rapidly before focusing on the pale-cream earth pony who walked over to where Applejack stood sheepishly.

“Never saw anypony win so many ribbons in all my life!” Cherry Jubilee stepped closer to the orange farmer with a smirk. Applejack smiled uncomfortably as the others watched with shrewd eyes.

“Aww shucks Miss Jubilee, ya don't have tah go intah all that...” The orange mare couldn't move as the older cherry farmer stepped closer and placed a single hoof under her chin. The others watched with tight suspicious eyes, finding that the farm pony made no effort to jerk her chin away from the touch.

“Aw, she's so modest! Anyways, I could always use a pony with quick hooves and a strong back. So when I heard Applejack was looking for a change of scenery I snapped her up quick as I could and brought her to Dodge Junction. Well, I'll let ya catch up with your friends; see ya back at the ranch!” Cherry Jubilee smiled and turned back to pass through the town to her farm on the other side.

“Change of scenery?! What's that's supposed to mean!?”Dash flew in closely with tightly crossed hooves, cerise eyes glaring down at the blonde earth pony. The cyan mare didn't like how closely the excuse sounded to what she had used so very long ago when she left her best friend behind; the reminder and current situation stressed the brash mare into flinging her hooves out briefly before crossing them once again after her questions.

“It's no big deal guys. Ah thought cherries would be a nice change from apples, so Ah took the job an' came here. That's it. End of story.” The orange earth pony tried to appear nonchalant and calm as she walked away from her friends. The five mares could only stare in disbelief and shock; apples were the farmer's life and very means of living! Saying that she didn't want to deal in apples felt wrong on every level and shook the proverbial ground from under the search party's hooves.

“That's it? That's a terrible story.” Pinkie frowned briefly as she thought of how the story was suppose to end: all her best friends back home and enjoying cake. The others watched in sadness and suspicion while the farmer tried to head back into town.

“Sorry but that's all there is tah tell. Thanks for checkin' up on me but y'all can go home now. Tell mah family hi an' that Ah'm doin' a-ok.” Applejack tried to sound firm and dismissive but was held up by Dash who flew overhead to stand in front of the mare.

“Excuse me AJ but we didn't travel all over Equestria searching for you to come home without you!” The brash pegasus wasn't going to let her friend off the hook that easily and kept walking forward only to find the usually competitive mare gave in by backing up with an uneasy set of her face.

“Well Ah didn't ask you tah come lookin' for me. There is nothing tah tell an' Ah'm not going back to Ponyville.” The blonde mare decided to end this back and forth banter that only served to hurt her and her friends and left quickly, not wanting to give them a chance to continue their interrogation.

“I don't care what she says; Applejack's not telling us something!” Twilight squinted after the retreating earth pony while the others shifted nervously behind their leader. Fluttershy flinched back at the thought of having to continue confronting the orange mare but stayed silent, knowing how much the orange earth pony meant to everyone. Being at the back of the group, the motion went unnoticed since everyone stared after the retreating mare.

“Twilight's right! We gotta get her to spill the beans!” Rainbow glared in the direction of town as she agreed with the lavender mare only to be shocked out of her annoyance by a pink face pressed almost comically against her own.

“What?!? She had beans?! Ughh, I told her I was snacky!” Pinkie somehow stretched her neck to reach the flier while complaining of her hunger. The others watched for a moment before shaking their heads in resignation as Pinkie returned to her normal form with a dejected frown, slumping in her seat as she pondered what had just happened.

Twilight realized how Pinkie was just trying to lighten the air and sat next to her with a hoof on the pink shoulder. Dash noticed the two marefriends trying to support one another and felt compelled to glance towards the canary mare who stared at the ground while biting her lower lip. Flinching at how she had focused solely on the runaway farmer, the speedster floated over to sit beside her best friend with a soft clearing of her throat.

“H-hey Fluttershy...” The cyan mare stared ahead uneasily. Her eyes were unfocused while the rest of her senses were tuned to the mare beside her. Fluttershy glanced towards the others surreptitiously before scuffing a hoof on the ground.

“H-hi Rainbow Dash...” They sat next to one another for a moment longer before seeing the others start to head into town. Getting up with only mild hesitation, Dash continued to try and talk with the shy mare.

“So, uh, we found her! I totally said we would and we did.” The bolder mare smirked proudly only for it to fade at noticing how the canary mare stayed quiet. Glancing nervously at the other mare, Dash coughed briefly once more and stared at the sky as she walked.

“This should be wrapped up real quick and... and then we can go back home. Like it never happened.” Fluttershy stopped at these words as a piercing pain shot through her frame and she glanced away as her face scrunched. Rainbow froze as she felt the sudden stop and tried to rapidly think of what caused the sudden pain. Thinking of how she had found the shy pegasus earlier that day, Dash realized how her last few words sounded and implied.

“Fluttershy, I-I didn't mean it like that! I meant that we could get over this-this uh, trouble and keep going. Honest!” The cyan mare turned rapidly as she pleaded with her friend. The animal care-taker shook as she tried to force back darker thoughts of a darker time. Unable to speak, Fluttershy merely shook her head confusedly before trying to move forward. Dash watched opened mouth with flattened ears, raising a single shaky hoof to the retreating figure. With an audible snap of her jaw closing again, she clenched her eyes shut for a moment before flying after her friends.

By the time they had arrived at Dodge Junction, it was edging towards late afternoon and with this latest development of stubbornness, it didn't seem like they would be able to head home just yet. So they had gone in search of the local motel and found that Cherry Jubilee owned a few of the local businesses; including the local motel. They walked up to the large red building and stepped inside to find it had pale-cream themed walls with bright red-brown furniture. It was simple in the way that only orchard-folk could make it yet had its own style of elegance. The five friends silently walked up to the counter where a young mare with a bright green mane and pale-brown fur sat with a smile.

“Hello! Welcome to Cherry Motel, how can I help you today?” Twilight didn't waste a moment and answered the secretary's question quickly.

“Yes, we'd like to rent some rooms please?” The lavender mare tried to sound certain but faltered at the secretary's next question.

“Certainly! How many would you need and how long will you be staying with us?” The mare flashed another warm smile to the group who had turned to look at one another with confusion. They weren't sure how long they would need to stay, though hopefully it would only take a day.

“Uhm, we'll only stay for one night right now; hopefully we can get things settled quickly... As for rooms...” Twilight trailed off with a raised brow towards her friends. The mare behind the counter smiled as she leaned forward.

“We have doubles and singles for beds; three double rooms currently and there's two singles open. Which would you like?” The group glanced between themselves before Twilight rubbed the back of her head with a blush after checking with her marefriend.

“I guess we'll need a double, if you want Pinkie?” The librarian was quickly pulled into a tight hug from the pink mare who beamed her appreciation of the arrangement.

“Then I guess I shall take a si-”

“Uhm, Rarity? Could I... Could I stay with you?” The timid request was barely heard by the fashion mare who politely paused to listen to her friend. Rarity glanced between Fluttershy and the shocked cyan pegasus behind her for a moment before nodding slowly.

“Of course darling. We will be sharing a room as well. And you Rainbow Dash?” The group turned to the last pegasus who peeked briefly at the canary mare who in turn avoided the gaze. With a light sigh, Dash shook her head and opened her wings with a single flap.

“Nah, I'll just find a nice cloud and sleep in the sky when it comes down to it.” The brash mare tried to sound nonchalant about it but couldn't help gazing sadly towards the timid mare who leaned into the fashionista. Rarity spared another glance between the two pegasi but could tell that it wasn't something to question in public. She allowed the shy mare to remain next to her while they went to their newly acquired rooms to place their saddlebags before reconvening in the librarian's room.

“Alright girls, we have got to try and pressure Applejack to talk but slowly, so she doesn't just try to run away.” Twilight glanced between the others who shared determined nods.

“We have to get her when she can't just leave!” Dash pounded her two hooves together as she looked around for inspiration.

“Ooh ooh! Like when she's busy working and totally can't leave because it's her job!” Pinkie hopped in place with a frantic hoof waving in the air. Twilight shook her head at the actions with a small smirk.

“That sounds like a good idea Pinkie. Let's go and find out where she's working right now and, uh, 'help out'.” With one last grin to her marefriend, Twilight led the way out of the room with the others wearing smug grins as well at the proposed plan.

“Uhhhgg, that took FOREVER to clean up!” Rainbow slumped in the middle of the motel floor. She landed face first with wings falling to lay flat out on either side of her body. The others were just as tired but chose to sit on the floor instead of sprawled out like the cyan mare. Fluttershy glanced uneasily to the still pegasus but couldn't watch for long, Dash's statement of how easy it was to pretend nothing happened causing her heart to pinch with loneliness.

The group had only just returned from trying to work in the cherry sorting factory and the disastrous attempt of getting Applejack to talk. It had worked at first but had slowly gotten out of hoof to the point of causing a large cherry mess that they had to clean up. Now, hours later, they had finally finished and returned to their motel room to recuperate.

“That wasn't too bad! Tasted rather good actually! Makes me think of the cherry-chonga I once tried to make... Though I wasn't sure about that name...” Pinkie tapped her chin as she stared towards the roof. The other mares shook their heads in bemusement before looking back to the cyan mare on the floor.

“You were saying something about 'the big guns' darling?” Rarity raised a single brow in curiosity while Dash sat up with a groan.

“Yeah, I say we give Pinkie Pie a ton of candy and set her loose!” The other mares stared in disbelief while Pinkie tilted her head at the suggestion.

“That sounds dreadful!”

“I-I don't think that's such a good idea...”

“How would that help at all!?”

“Sounds good to me! Sign me up!” It was the pink mare's turn to have everyone (aside from the cyan pegasus) to stare incredulously at her for her acceptance. “Whaaaat? It sounds yummy!”

Twilight's hoof found its place on her muzzle (a location almost long forgotten by that point) before she glanced back to the brash mare. “Where would we 'set her loose' anyways?”

“Duh! AJ probably has to work the fields just like she did at home, so we get Pinkie hopped up on sugar and send her over. Then we'll lie in wait and when Applejack gives up, we'll be there to get the truth!” Dash smirked at her plan as the lavender mare stared at the ground in thought.

“I guess that might work...” Hearing the purple unicorn's reluctant acceptance, Pinkie rushed over to give her a brief hug. Rarity's jaw dropped slightly at this concurrence and glanced momentarily to the pegasus beside her who was also unsure about the plan.

“Aren't you worried that something might go wrong?” The besotted unicorn looked up from her hug to the pale-gray mare with a shrug.

“It's just candy, it can't be all that bad...”

“AND! I always brush my teeth after every meal and snack! Can't have pearly whites to chomp on candy with if you don't take care of them! Why are they called pearls when they're teeth? They don't look like circles and they don't shine unless you get in the right light and then you have to-”

“I think they got it Sweetheart...” Twilight whispered into a pink ear but was still heard by most in the room. Rainbow gagged briefly at the pet name before shaking her head while the others thought it was cute.

“Pinkie Pie, you are so random.” Dash stood and stretched her wings before turning around to exit the small room. “Alright, so we'll meet in the morning for phase Big Guns?” A quick peek behind her showed four nodding heads, leading the cyan pegasus to nod as well. “Alright, well, I'll be up in the sky if you guys need me.”

They watched curiously as Rainbow left slowly, a change from her usual exits. The remaining pegasus watched with sad eyes and slumped form. Rarity seemed to notice this and rested a hoof on her shoulder with a small smile.

“Come along darling, some rest shall do the both of us well.” The fashion mare nudged the shy pegasus into standing and led the way out of the room. As the two mares stepped outside, they were surprised to find Rainbow leaning against the wall. They came to a jarring halt at this sight, allowing the cyan mare to stand up once more and walk over to the cream-yellow mare.

Fluttershy tried not to tremble in anxiety as Dash came closer. She hadn't been able to talk to the cyan mare for the rest of the day and was nervous about what she wanted. Rarity noticed this anxiety and looked between the two pegasi with a thoughtful frown.

“I just wanted to say that I am sorry Fluttershy... I didn't mean it that way...” Rainbow didn't wait for the response and flew off to find a comfortable cloud for the night. Fluttershy blushed at the quiet apology and stared intently at the ground while her friend left.

The gray-white unicorn tapped the shy mare's shoulder briefly. Watching her give a small jump of surprise, the dress maker shook her head briefly at her nervousness before waving towards the door further down the hallway. They made their silent way to the door and once both were inside, Rarity magicked the door shut and turned to the nervous mare beside her.

“Darling... Is... everything alright?” The unicorn watched curiously while the pegasus shifted in place. “You and Rainbow Dash seem to be acting rather odd... Not that any of us seem to be acting normal considering the situation at hoof...” Rarity tapped her chin while staring at the ceiling. Fluttershy tried to hide behind her mane as she contemplated how to respond.

“Uhm, we... we're just worried about what's happening.” The timid mare peeked at the other mare to find Rarity unsure of the excuse. The unicorn could tell that Fluttershy wasn't comfortable with the topic and considered pushing it anyways. Finding that with the continued silence, the shy pegasus trembled even harder as the seconds went on, she decided not to press the matter.

“If you say so darling... I would hate to have more friends being upset with one another. I would be willing to help with whatever I could of course, you only need to ask.” Rarity smiled gently to the other mare who sheepishly grinned back before heading to one of the beds.

“O-oh, yes, of course...” Fluttershy laid down and proceeded to hide her face from the world with blankets and mane, embarrassed at how easily her friend found out about her unease. The prim unicorn bit her lip for a moment before starting her own bedtime routine. While the unicorn was busy, the pegasus tried to keep her worries to herself.

(Rain-rainbow may have acted like it never happened... And never spoke about why or where she went... But-but she said she was sorry about it... And that she's trying to move on and work on the issue... I-I just have to stop thinking of the time when I got to find out what it would be like to live without friends or family to help with the bullies...)

The sun rose bright and early the next morning, waking the usually late sleeper pegasus who rested high in the sky. After having found a large enough cloud for her purpose the night before, Rainbow drew it closer to the motel and out of the normal wind drafts, making it stable and unable to float away. With the bright rays of the sun piercing her eye lids, the cyan mare gave up on her rest and checked her surroundings before stretching like a feline with warming flaps of her wings. Glancing down towards the red-roofed motel below her, the pegasus dived off her cloud with both hooves in front of her. Dash pulled up from her sudden dive quickly and landed the gentlest she had ever done before. Barely nodding a greeting to the different secretary (a dark blue coated stallion), the cyan flier trotted quickly through the hallway to try and find her friends.

Giving a swift knock to the lavender mare's door, Dash glanced down the hall where the fashion mare and the animal care-taker had gone the night before. A dark-cerise hue covered the doorway to open it for the cyan mare who entered without a second thought. Glancing around the room, Dash found that everyone was already there and waiting for the speedster. Rainbow looked over the barely awake librarian as she sat near the nervous pegasus. Fluttershy shifted her wings as the cyan mare sat and peeked at her for a second before looking to the already hyper earth pony. Pinkie seemed already extremely excited for the plan and hopped in place beside her marefriend who looked unsure to the cyan pegasus.

“Are you sure this is a good idea Rainbow Dash?” A lavender ear flicked to the bouncing mare beside her while Dash shrugged with both hooves in the air.

“We all know how random Pinkie can be. If we get her all hopped up on sugar and sick her loose on AJ, she'll give in in no time!” Rainbow nodded sagely before standing and waving a hoof to the canary mare beside her.

“Come on Fluttershy, we gotta get the candy.” Before either could take a step towards the door, she was interrupted by the confused librarian who tilted her head while questioning who was to fetch the sugary treats.

“Hang on, why are you two going? Where would you get it anyways?” Twilight stared bewildered at the brash mare who merely rolled her eyes.

“Uh, the candy store, duh. We're going because if you sent Pinkie Pie, she'd eat all the candy before getting in place and then she'd probably go off on some poor random pony and not AJ. We'll get the candy and meet you by the orchard when everyone is in place.” The others couldn't argue the sound reasoning and stayed behind while the two pegasi left.

Fluttershy was nervous about being on her own with the brash mare but couldn't find a reason to stay behind. She tried to keep up with the swift pace of the other mare who also remained silent while they left the motel. They hardly gave the stallion at the desk a greeting before taking to the sky once they left the door. Dash didn't look at the mare behind her as they flew, searching the town quickly for a store with candy (or at least enough to serve their purposes).

With a muted hoof point, the two pegasi dropped down to land in front of a single level store. A sign hanging from the center of the overhang showed a stack of random objects, showing that it was a general store. The canary mare bit her lip minutely as her nerves continued to fray under the unusual silence while Dash bought large bags of every kind of candy available. The brash mare looked over for a second and frowned at the nervousness of the other pegasus. Giving a mental sigh, the cyan mare paid for the bags and turned to find Fluttershy was hiding behind her mane once more.

“Alright Fluttershy, we got all the candy we need. Shoot! We need to get some ear plugs too! That chatter is going to drive us crazy too if we're not careful. Can you carry this for a moment while I get them?” Rainbow hoofed over the large sacks at the silent nod and trotted over to where there was a couple of bottle corks. With a smile at how successful it was sure to be, the cyan mare purchased them as well. Returning to the quiet mare's side, they changed bags so that Dash had the heavier supplies.

“Did you need anything while we're here Fluttershy?” Dash glanced nervously to the other pegasus who shook her head stiffly. It was the brash mare's turn to bite her lip but held off from questioning the shy mare in public.

The two friends made their rapid way back to where the others were now hiding among the cherry orchards. While the two pegasi had bought their supplies, Twilight had gone to Cherry Jubilee and asked permission to visit with Applejack briefly. The older mare had no qualms with the visitation and asked to be informed if they wanted to help some more. The two fliers dropped down a field away from where the usually-apple farmer worked and crouched as they snuck over to where the others waited.

“Do you.. have the stuff?” Pinkie glanced side to side as she saddled up to the cyan mare, whispering from the side of her muzzle as she leaned towards the pegasus. Dash rolled her eyes briefly before nodding and using a wing to drop the bag of treats before the party mare. With a large bright grin, Pinkie licked her lips and dove right in.

Twilight rolled her eyes at the extreme reaction and turned to the cyan mare who held out her hoof with earplugs on it. No one looked to the eating earth pony lest they get splatters of candy in their fur.

“What are these for?”

“If WE listen to Pinkie Pie, we'd go just as crazy as Applejack; this would help us with that.” Rainbow grinned proudly only to slowly frown as no one went for the plugs.

“Uhm, they're lovely darling but I don't think it would come to that...” Rarity tried to smile in appreciation only to slightly falter as Dash frowned annoyedly before trying to appear nonchalant about the reaction.

“Yeah, alright, whatever...” With a brief check on the sugar-buzzed mare, the others began to hide in the nearby bushes. Pinkie, finding herself alone, grabbed the bags and crouched close to the ground before jumping up with a distant sound of an unleashed spring accompanying her. Without disturbing the cherry tree in any way as she landed, the pink mare continued to munch on her snack, feeling the sugar course through her veins as she vibrated with every bite.

The four friends hiding in the bushes on the ground searched for the orange mare while keeping an eye on the tree that held the hyper pony. While they did use multiple bushes to hide, Dash made sure to stay close to where the animal care-taker was hiding in order to try and talk with Fluttershy once again.

“Pssst! Fluttershy!” The canary mare flinched at the hiss from the other pegasus and looked over with a confused tilt of her head.

“Are. You. Doing. O.K?” Dash tried to be quiet as she posed her question, slowing her words in an attempt to keep the volume down. Fluttershy frowned in bewilderment before nodding while looking away.

“See? With this fool-proof plan, we'll get this whole thing wrapped up in no time. Then we can get back home and back to how things were before!” The cyan mare beamed at her old friend who stared back with eyes clouded by incomprehension.

“... Uhm, why are you so sure things will go back to how they were before?” Fluttershy tried to question the other mare's fixation on 'how things were' but soon found with another sad frown that Dash forgot that she was wearing earplugs, making hearing the quiet question nigh impossible.

“Uh, ok, whatever you said. But did I deliver or did I deliver? I said I'd fix this and this will do the trick for sure!” The brash mare shined a hoof on her chest before trying to smile at the canary mare again. Seeing the frown deepen, Dash frowned as well and leaned forward to try and hear the other pegasus.

“Rainbow, sometimes things can’t go back to how they were...” Fluttershy tried to keep back the pain of how true the words were and managed to keep her voice wavering to a minimum. However this didn't stop Dash from realizing something was wrong and crawled closer to the canary mare.

“You're speaking too quietly, I can't hear-” The cyan mare frowned as she spoke only to stop when a cream-yellow hoof came up to remove one of the ear plugs. With the rambling of 'funny words' in the background, Dash was able to hear completely the simple statement of the other pegasus.

“Rainbow Dash, sometimes things can't go back to how they were before... No matter how much I-we-uhm... No matter how much one might want it to... Some things are harder to fix...” Fluttershy couldn't look at the dejected face of her best friend as she spoke and hid behind her mane once more. Rainbow could only stare on in shock but before she could think about these words she heard exactly what she had hoped to from the working farmer.

“Noooooo!! Make it stop, make it stop!”

With a pleased grin, the cyan mare burst from her hiding place while making sure both earplugs were back in place. Shooting forward, she wrapped a single hoof around the pink chattering muzzle while the other held Pinkie back from her target.

“The only way to make it stop is to spill the beans!” Dash smirked as she stared at the earth pony on the ground who tried to cover her ears in a vain attempt at blocking the endless rambling.

“NEVER!” Applejack could feel the pressure of her reasons and tried to remain firm. This didn't last long as Dash removed the hoof stemming the flow of words and allowed Pinkie to propel forward; giving the rambling mare a frightened glance, the farmer tried to back away only to find a tree prevented her escape.

“Speakin' of beans! Did you ever realize how many words rhymed with beans? Lean, mean, spleen, unclean, keen, purien...” The blonde mare realized that Dash wasn't about to give up nor was she effected by the rambling, meaning that the only way to get it to stop was by submitting.

“Alright, alright! Ah'll tell everypony what's goin' on! Just pleeeaaase stop talkin'!!” The others stepped out of their hiding places with amused smiles; they hadn't thought the plan would work this well and so quickly. Surrounding the apple farmer, they watched for any funny business while Applejack continued to talk.

“But, can it wait till tomorrow at breakfast? Ah'm plum tuckered out...” The blonde mare tried to appear tired as she leaned against the tree. Tiny beads of sweat dripped down her face as Dash squinted suspiciously towards her.

“Tomorrow huh? I don't know...” The speedster kept her focus on the earth pony before them while her mind tried to understand what Fluttershy had said. Another reason why she couldn’t look away was her worry of finding teal eyes full of hurt and tears. While the cream-yellow mare may not have started to cry, she couldn't focus on the circumstances before her as she stared at the back of the prismatic head. She knew that Dash sometimes didn't understand or perceive emotions of the subtle kind very well, but the animal care-taker was starting to think that Rainbow was avoiding thinking about it altogether.

“Do ya Pinkie Promise?” Pinkie Pie noticed this unsure moment of the rainbow maned pegasus and leaned forward while demonstrating the motions of the infamous promise. The earth pony sitting on the ground placed a hoof over her eye as she promised.

“Ah will tell ya the whole truth AT breakfast. Pinkie Promise.” The group of friends shared triumphant smirks before giving the working mare brief farewells.

Making a quick return to town, the five friends tried to use the rest of their afternoon wisely. The plan had only taken up a couple of hours and they had the rest of the afternoon and evening before evening thinking of winding down for the night. The couple explored the town (or rather Pinkie gave a very brief yet thorough tour) while the others went for lunch. All three mares stayed quiet as they focused on the various events that occurred that day and what they learned. None of the remaining mares noticed the distractedness of the others due to their own thoughts and returned to the motel soon after. Rarity and Fluttershy went to lay on their beds while Dash watched morosely before exiting to find a cloud to use. She rested her head on her hooves with a quiet sigh.

(...What's the point of getting one friend back when I can't even help my oldest and closest friend? It was hard enough to just come back and act like I didn't force myself to stay away... To find a place to stay near her in case but giving space to-to be her own mare... Maybe... It didn't help at all...)

The next morning found three of the five search party exhausted and weary; the couple was refreshed, after having a nice pre-celebratory date while the others had found themselves laying in bed with minds abuzz with questions and concerns. They gathered briefly in the hallway of the motel before heading towards the cherry farm just south of the town, pleased to finally get the adventure over with and finished.

Mind wracked with questions and concerns, Dash couldn't help voice some of her doubts to the group, if only to relieve some of her mental burden. Fluttershy noticed this unusual fatigue and watched the usually bold mare carefully, concern tinting her gaze.

“Don't worry Rainbow, she's gotta fess up after making a Pinkie Promise.” The group made their sedate way through the motel they were all staying at. They were relaxed as they went down the hallway, pleased to finally put this latest adventure behind them. Twilight led the way to the last door of the cherry themed barn house and knocked soundly on the door before pushing it open. Pinkie couldn't wait to greet the orange farmer that she pulled forward to brightly give her greetings.

“Good morning Applejack, you ready for break-” The hyper mare froze in her greeting at the sight of an empty room and slowly grew an intense frown. The others noticed this sudden agitation and backed away with anxious glances. The pink mare shrank down in fury, her face burning as she barely held in her anger. With an almost audible snap, the usually friendly mare began to shout in a dark and threatening manner as steam poured out of her ears.

“OOOOOOHHHH! Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise!” Everyone couldn't move while the furious earth pony floated from the ground and rapidly ran off. No one had seen what happened when someone actually broke a Pinkie Promise and the drastic reaction of Pinkie's wasn't assuring them of a positive kind of party. Quickly chasing the raging mare, the group couldn't help but think of how serious the promise actually was.

Rainbow could feel the pressure of keeping her promises as they followed the furious pink mare. She tried not to stare at Fluttershy who ran below her as she thought to her promise made several days previously.

(Even without this Pinkie freakout, I'd still try to get Applejack back and make sure no one leaves just to run away... And no way am I leaving. It was nearly impossible the first time, now there's no way I can imagine leaving... Time to get our game on! AJ, you're not getting away!)

“APPLEJACK! YOU PINKIE PROMISED!” The four mares tried not to flinch while the raging party mare shouted at the blonde mare who waited at the train station. The usually-apple farmer panicked and dashed to a nearby stagecoach.

“Applejack, come back here!” Pinkie pulled ahead of the others as they chased after the runaway mare. They didn't want to lose any other friends while they ran so Twilight had insisted that they stay together. The angry baker barely kept the request in mind as she ran, only staying slightly ahead of the others. Finding that Applejack had gotten a ride by stronger and faster stallions, Dash started to pull ahead in the air with grit teeth, unwilling to let it happen.

“She's gonna get away!” The usually chipper mare whined to her marefriend as they ran, dust flying from their hooves as they sped onward. Noticing how the group came to a stop, Rainbow turned in the air to find Twilight proposing a new way to travel.

“Oh no she won't, look girls!” Finding that it would help everyone catch up to Applejack together, Dash wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy's barrel and pulled her to the double rigged cart. The timid mare was stunned at the touch and couldn't think of any objections in time to suggest somepony else to pull before being completely hooked up to the cart.

“Come on Fluttershy, time for me to keep my promise! And I'm going to need YOUR help, ok?” The speedster whispered to her friend while they rapidly hooked up to the wooden car. The canary mare spared a single glance to the others who hopped inside the wooden cart before tremblingly agreed.

“O-oh alright...” Once Dash heard the quiet consent, she led the way with a burst of speed and determined smirk.

“Follow that stage coach!” Pinkie sat in the front of the cart and pointed dramatically towards Applejack, as though anypony needed a reminder of who they were chasing or where they should head.

The two pegasi began to race down the main road, eyes squinted towards their target. Fluttershy tried to pour as much speed as she could into her legs, pumping them as fast as she had ever done so before. While it seemed like Dash took no notice of this attempt at speed, she grinned internally while knowing that her best friend was trying. Her vision however started to tunnel the longer it took to reach the stagecoach and she began to pick up the pace further. With a smug grin at how they were finally catching up, Dash stared at the target sitting on top of the coach. Fluttershy however, couldn't help but watch the road, leaving the direction and speed to the cyan mare next to her. She knew the bolder mare would think of their mission but sometimes didn't notice the little things.

(Like when something she said might hurt somepony else... Or when she gets hurt herself... or when there's a cute little bunny in the road... A cute little bunny in the road?!?) Fluttershy snapped out of her musings at the sight of a dark-gray rabbit in the center of the road. With wide eyes, the canary mare dug her hooves into the ground. Dash's eyes widened in shock at the sudden stop and she glanced to the mare at her side. Finding that the animal care-taker continued to desperately try to stop the vehicle, as well as the cart swinging around due to this attempt, the cyan mare also tried to halt the cart.

With adrenaline rushing through their veins, Dash glanced to the other pegasus who only responded with a sheepish smile. Shaking her head with a frown, the speedster started to run once again without acknowledging Fluttershy who sadly frowned to the ground as she ran. The timid mare could feel the cyan pegasus' annoyance with her and tried to pick up her speed to help catch up on lost ground. Knowing they would only encounter more obstacles in town, Dash led them around the side in a tight arc, crossing paths with the runaway apple farmer further outside of the little town.

“Pull over!” Rainbow pushed into the canary mare to cause the cart to knock the coach. Fluttershy flinched at being forced to be more forceful but could tell that this whole endeavor was taking a toll on the group and glared up to the earth pony. Dash's view became very tunnel like and glared to the running mare, forgetting about the pegasus beside her for a moment as her self-appointed mission objective came close to being completed.

“Hey, cut that out!” Applejack saw this glare and returned it with one of her own as she reprimanded them. Seeing no change in the two pegasi's speed, the blonde turned to the four stallions pulling the coach.

“Ah’ll pay ya double to outrun them!”At the farmer's words, Dash scowled and kept up the pace, unwilling to let them get away. Fluttershy remained silent as she focused on keeping up with the super fast pegasus; scrunching her eyes in concentration, she tried to fight down the pinch of jealousy she had towards the attention Applejack was receiving from Rainbow.

“We'll pay you triple to slow down!” Knowing that their pegasi friends couldn't keep up speed, Twilight tried to get the running stallions to slow down. This worked to an extent and the chasing mares shared pleased smirks that turned rapidly to frowns at the farm pony's next words.

“Ah'll pay ya quadruple to leave them in the dust!” The southern accent rang out as the apple farmer frantically tried to outrun her friends. None of the chasers were pleased with this surge of speed and the pink earth pony shouted more encouragement.

“Get them, get them!” Hearing Pinkie's annoyed shout brought a small smirk of amusement to Dash; she hadn't seen the chipper mare that annoyed before and she couldn't help but grin at the sharp command. Glancing to the mare beside her, Rainbow shouted her own encouragements, hoping to get her to keep up for just a little longer.

“Come on Fluttershy!” The canary mare was unsure about the speeds they were reaching but didn't want to let down anyone with her weak performance, desperately trying to pick up her pace to help make the rig go faster.

With Fluttershy going as fast as she could, Dash was able to use more of her own power to pick up the pace and draw even with the runaway coach once more. After staying alongside the larger rig for a few seconds, Pinkie stuck out her tongue and lept before anyone could say otherwise.

“Applejack, you broke your Pinkie Promise! Apologize.” The orange mare gave a start to see the pink one so close and upset but wouldn't allow Pinkie to dominate the conversation and guilt her into explaining. It was hard for the chasing group to hear clearly but the half-shouted words were barely heard.

“Pinkie, Ah did NOT break my promise!” Applejack pushed back the annoyed baker while trying to explain how she didn't do anything wrong and certainly not worth all the trouble they were going through. The firm denial surprised everyone and caused the pink baker to lean back unsure.

“Wha-?”

“If y'all recon back, Ah told ya that Ah'd tell ya everythin' AT breakfast. But Ah didn't come to breakfast; Ah couldn't come to breakfast. Not if it meant telling y'all what happened.” The others frowned in wonder while they stayed close to the large coach.

While Applejack had found a loophole in her promise, it didn't sit right with any of them since she usually acted with straight integrity. Dash grounded her teeth at how evasive the farm mare was acting considering how in every competition they had, it was Applejack who would frown and scold any kind of loophole. Knowing this fact further aggravated Dash to the point of no return; she was going to get the answers, one way or another.

“Well, I- I'd-I'd...” The hyper baker was flustered as she rode the large coach, eyes searching to find some kind of reasonable comment. No one had tried to get around a promise before and she wasn't sure how to respond.

“Ah'm sorry Pinkie but Ah can't tell y'all the truth; Ah just can't!” Applejack felt horrible for doing this to her friends and seeing the devastation on the party mare's face at how she got out of the Pinkie Promise, but couldn't bring herself to tell the truth. Pinkie frowned thoughtfully before decided on the next best course of action.

“I heard a sorry in there, so that'll have to do for now. I'll get a real apology later. Rarity catch me!” The pink earth pony dropped from the coach and aimed specifically for the gray-white unicorn. Twilight watched with wide eyes before turning to the pegasi leading the cart.

“Rainbow, go back!” A single cyan ear flicked back to the shout of the unicorn. Dash shook her head while she pressed on; she could feel the curious eyes of the pegasus beside her which only served to harden the already steel resolve.

“No time! They knew what they were getting into!” At the brash retort, the canary mare gulped quietly to herself as she saw a side of Rainbow that rarely came out around the shy mare. The bold and determined pegasus was seen only a few times and each time heralded a dangerous incident.

Fluttershy tried to keep up the pace but could feel her limbs grow weary as the chase went on. With less ponies in the cart, it was a little easier to try and keep up but they were soon coming to the train tracks. Dash squinted when she saw the determined flick of Applejack's eyes only to widen her own when the four pony stagecoach tried to outrun the upcoming locomotive.

The three mares watched in surprise as the four stallions barely inched by the speeding train to the other side. With a half growl and frown at the chance of the orange mare possibly getting away, Dash glanced over to the pegasus next to her. Seeing that there was a way to pull their wings out from under the harness, the cyan mare jerked into a moment of stop only to pull forward once more. This jerking action made the harness strapped to each mare slip over the rest of their wings. Fluttershy glanced to Dash in shock, feeling her wings freed and confused as to what caused the jarring motion. Finding the speedster jerk her chin to the sky above the train, teal eyes shrank in fear and trepidation.

“Come on! We can't let them get away!” Rainbow barely stated this before flapping her wings desperately. Feeling the cart lean up into the sky, Fluttershy also started to try and fly, righting the vehicle once more. Twilight, not expecting sudden flight, gripped the sides tightly as she watched with wide eyes.

As the chasing mares soared gently over the train (Fluttershy's speed and exhaustion wouldn't allow for much faster), they found that Applejack had paused a moment to stare pridefully to her mad dash. Finding the four stallions had ditched the orange earth pony, the three mares took a second to regain their breath, assuming that the chase was finished. Dash couldn't hold back her furious frown when the blonde farmer tried to run and slipped easily out of her harness to tackle the target to the ground.

While Twilight and Dash went to interrogate the runaway, Fluttershy tried to remain upright as she panted for breath. The whole run had been faster and harder than anything she had did ever and it took a heavy toll on her.

(At least we caught her... Now we don't have to run and do scary things like jump over trains... And no one got hurt.) With this slightly more positive view in mind, the canary mare straightened and calmly walked over to where the other three were talking.

“But the telegram said you were going to SEND money.” Rainbow stepped over to the dejected earth pony and pointed with a confused frown. This whole thing wasn't making much sense to the brash mare and she was the one often obsessed with winning competitions.

“That's why Ah came here; Ah wanted tah earn some money. After that big ol' send off Ponyville gave me, Ah just didn't have the nerve tah come home empty hoofed. Ah couldn't come home a failure.” Applejack had walked away from the prismatic mare as she offered further explanation before dipping her head in shame.

“Applejack, you're not a failure...” Twilight glanced to the animal care-taker next to her with a small grin, pleased to finally know what was wrong and given the chance to fix it.

“And we're your friends. We don't care if you came in fiftieth place; you’re still number one in our books.” Rainbow felt her hooves leave the ground as it all became clear and rushed forward into the farm pony's line of vision. Giving a proud smirk at having successfully gotten things turned around, she floated in the air with both hooves on her waist.

“So... Yer not upset or disappointed?” The stetson wearing mare glanced back to find three shaking heads in response to her question. Remembering about the rest of the town, Applejack rushed forward to question about her other promises.

“But what about the mayor. Ah don't think Ah could face her an' tell her Ah didn't get the money tah fix the broken roof...” While the farmer felt more responsibility fall onto her shoulders, weighing her back down, the cream-yellow mare softly reprimanded her as she stepped closer. Her heart went out to the worried mare, feeling unable to keep promises and bring back proof of her showmareship were good reasons, but not enough to have caused so much worry to everyone else in the small town.

“Applejack... We can always find a way to fix the hole in the roof. But if you never come back, we'll never find a way to fix the hole in our hearts.” Fluttershy began the nuzzle Applejack with Twilight soon joining in from the other side, reassuring the farmer that running away was not the answer. The soft words were meant to confirm and reinforce the idea of not running away from one's problems and it resonated loudly with the usually brash mare in the sky.

(Yeah Fluttershy, I get it... A good friend leaving hurts badly... I can only hope to help get that hurt healed. I... I'm never going to do anything like that to you again 'Shy... I can only hope you forgive me for ever going in the first place...And I'll make sure that none of our friends tries to do something like that to us...)

“Darn it, now you got me acting all sappy!” Rainbow sniffed, finding that she teared up as she thought and tried to pass it off as further reaction to finding and helping the farm mare. Crossing her hooves in attempt to be annoyed at being so sappy, the cyan mare slowly dropped down to join in the group hug.

Seconds after the hug, the group broke apart and smiled sheepishly to one another. Applejack scuffed a hoof along the desert sand and turned to find the cart nearby. With a small sniff to stem the flow from her nose, the farmer jerked her head to point at the wooden vehicle.

“Why don't y'all hop in an' Ah take us home?” The three other mares shared unsure glances before turning back to the earth pony.

“All the way back to Ponyville? Isn't that really far? Why don't we head back to Doge Junction and catch the next train instead?” Twilight pointed a hoof to where the small rural town was, following where the tracks were leading. Applejack scratched the back of her head with a small smirk and shrugged her agreement.

“Ah guess that works too. Hop in!” The orange mare didn't wait for any further comment and hooked herself to the harness. Twilight and Fluttershy both stepped into the wooden cart while Dash floated overhead. The three ponies on the ground looked to the cyan mare in curiosity.

“What? I had enough running and staying on the ground, I need to stretch my wings properly. I'll follow along easily.” Rainbow gazed to the side as she shrugged. It was true that she wanted to stretch her wings, but another hidden reason was how she wouldn't be able to sit next to the canary mare without doing something even sappier than tearing up. Used to her insistence of flying no matter what, Applejack merely nodded once before starting to pull the cart back to town.

Once they arrived, the group wasted no time in getting a train ticket back home; now that everything was resolved, Applejack felt the pinch of homesickness. The others said nothing and merely smiled as the apple farmer stuck her head out of the train to watch the scenery change from yellow of sand to the green of growing grass. Fluttershy watched the happy mare before remembering one of the ponies who wanted to find her the most. Gasping softly with a hoof to her mouth, the canary mare glanced to Twilight who frowned in thought as she stared at the town they were rapidly leaving behind.

“Twilight, what about Rarity and Pinkie Pie?” Two sets of ears flicked forward at the question while the cyan pegasus continued to be lost in her own mind of plausible actions. The orange mare frowned briefly as she looked to the shier pegasus. Twilight sighed before tearing her gaze from the small desert town.

“I'm sure they'll be fine. They were close to the train tracks and we hadn't gotten too far from the town... And Pinkie does have her ways, they will manage to get back just fine...” The others could hear the unease in the unicorn's voice and nodded rapidly to help assure her. Dash came back to her surroundings as the three other mares shared in another hug. Sitting up and reaching over timidly, the cyan mare gave a few soft pats to Twilight's back; an action that did not go unnoticed by the cream-yellow pegasus.

The rest of the trip went by quickly as each became lost in their own minds. Fluttershy was one of the few who tried to relax in her seat without thinking of the similarities and differences between the present and four years ago. Something that helped to distract her was the almost constant shifting of the prismatic mare. Dash couldn't sit still with each option that popped into her mind. She tried to find the best way to show the canary mare how she was trying and things were going to be better.

By the time that they reached Ponyville, Rainbow sighed softly to herself and tried to steel herself for what she was about to do. Applejack was the first one off the train and was soon surrounded by family and friends who waited for them. Twilight had managed to get a letter sent back home to let them know of their arrival, leading the welcome party to be moved to the train station instead.

While the blonde farmer was being covered in hugs and tearful embraces, Dash floated above the scene for a moment before dropping down to stand next to the shy mare. Fluttershy tried to show no reaction to this proximity as she watched with a soft smile to the heartwarming scene before her.

“Fluttershy, I... I'm so sorry that I ever left...” The canary mare stiffened at the hushed tones of the usually brash pegasus beside her; flicking only a single ear back, the animal care-taker remained completely still while they stood outside of the happy circle. “I-it... It was hard to leave you behind and I never stopped thinking about you...”

“Then why-?” Fluttershy couldn't hold back a small sob as she questioned the cyan mare, turning to gaze at her with watery eyes. Dash grimaced and shut her eyes before leaning forward to rest her head on top of the pink mane. The cream-yellow mare couldn't hold back her anxious tremble that stilled only when she felt the sky-blue muzzle rub hesitantly over her head.

“I couldn't handle the pain and -”

“Rainbow Dash! Hey, Rainbow Dash!” The sound of an excited filly cut through the two mares who jumped back from each other with light blushes on their muzzles. Scootaloo had noticed her hero and rushed over from where she stood with Sweetie Belle to stand expectantly in front of the cyan mare.

“O-oh hey there squirt. You doing ok?” Dash rubbed the back of her head as she stared at the filly looking up to her.

Cerise eyes couldn't hold the excited ones and looked over to find Applejack giving her younger sister a tight hug. Glancing back down to the young pegasus before her, Rainbow could feel the sappy atmosphere and continued to rub her head. Fluttershy watched curiously to see what the brash mare was going to do next.

“You bet! You guys got Applejack back and everything! I bet you were awesome!” Scootaloo buzzed her wings, lifting off the ground for a second before landing once more. Dash smirked and reached out a hoof to the youth. It twitched in its travel, going from a course that would have wrapped around the child's barrel to her head, mussing her dark-cerise mane timidly.

The young pegasus didn't notice this sudden change in decision and merely blushed at the contact. Fluttershy, however, saw this change in trajectory and tilted her head with bewilderment. She didn't get a chance to ask or mention this for a moment later a quiet voice rang through the air.

“Where's Rarity? And where's Pinkie Pie?” Scootaloo pulled away with a worried frown to look at the gray-white unicorn who stared at the returned Applejack. The returning party glanced between one another before gazing back to Sweetie Belle. Applejack was the one to step forward and placed a single hoof on her shoulder.

“Rarity and Pinkie got separated when they were... followin' after me. They're comin' too, but it'll just be ah bit longer. Don't ya worry none, Ah'm gonnah be right here waitin' fer them. Did-did ya want tah wait with me?” The young unicorn smiled sadly as she nodded to the earth pony's . Applejack patted her back before turning in place to watch the railroad tracks. The other Crusaders trotted over to their pale-gray friend and sat with her, their silence and closeness showing how they'd always be there for one another.

The two pegasi watched this with small grins, reminded of a time when they were just as close, many years back. Peeking to the canary mare beside her, Dash gave her a light nudge and whispered into her ear.

“This isn't the best time or place for us to talk about what happened... But we WILL talk about it Fluttershy. Promise.” After quietly murmuring into the canary ear, Dash stood and walked over to the waiting ponies. Giving each a silent nod, she sat close by to keep vigilance with the waiting group. Fluttershy found herself once again frozen in place, a muted blush burning on her muzzle with ears tipped forward in wonder.

(What... What has gotten into Rainbow these past few days?! Hugging, nuzzling, talking about never leaving again... Did-was it really that hard for her to leave? Did she... Did she really think about me while she was gone...? Maybe things are getting better and... and maybe she would have done the same thing for me... Maybe she would have been even more concerned...) Fluttershy couldn't help the hopeful smile as she timidly walked over to sit beside her best friend, joining the silent group as they waited for the missing mares. Dash glanced over to the sudden presence and smirked at finding the shy pegasus sitting there.

Together the group smiled at how things turned out before settling comfortably to wait for the two mares. It was only another hour before the two mares returned and they were met with a welcome party of their own (though Rarity wasn't as appreciative considering how she wasn't properly attired for it). The two pegasi watched with warm smiles as Sweetie Belle gripped her own sister in a hug similar to what Applejack had gotten while Pinkie leaped over to hug her marefriend. The group soon turned with laughter and smiles to Sugarcube Corner, where the 'welcome back' party was soon in full swing for everyone.

XIII (Scoot/SB) - Losing the way

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Quick note concerning this chapter. This particular update some darker tones but not enough to add a 'dark' tag. This will not change how the story goes, it is just a normal progression that came from previous events. Enjoy the chapter.

End of March, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

A blurry eye crept open, the lavender orb cloudy, circling the empty and chilled room. Spring had arrived but the nights still had some nip to them. An orange hoof tugged free of the blanket, coming up to cover weary eyes. Scootaloo groaned lightly, rubbing at her muzzle. Wiping her mouth, keeping the limbs there as she yawned, the filly gazed at the silent room. She contemplated staying home for the day until she shifted her glance to look at the nearby calendar, noting the day.

Ugh, school today… Can’t wait for summer time… I’ll just have to wait for when I don’t have to go everyday…

Standing up on weak legs, the young pegasus morosely slumped out of bed, blankets entangling her form. Sighing at her predicament, she pulled at her limbs. Once her front hooves were free, she shrugged out of the warmth. Tiny wings gave a brief flicker when they came free. The buzz they made drew her attention, tired eyes scrunching at the appendages. Exhaling once more, Scootaloo trotted out of her room, hoofsteps heavy.

Her eyes breezed over the quiet room. Barely giving the empty shelves and empty wall space a look, she continued through the living room to the kitchen beyond it. Passing through the pale navy rooms, she went straight to the fridge. Opening it with a single hoof, she searched it’s empty structure for something to eat. Finding nothing inside, the filly groaned, leaning her head against the white door.

“That’s right, I haven’t gone shopping the past week… Oh well. I should grab something to eat… Maybe there’s some food in the cupboards… Not as if it’s easy for me to get up there anyways…” Scootaloo scowled at the height, made all the more obvious to her small figure and weak wings.

After having pushed a chair, cushions and a few school books into a shabby semblance of a ladder, the girl wobbled upwards, reaching the shelves on the tips of her hooves. Flinging the door open, she gazed inside. Row after row was devoid of food. A few boxes, resting near the bottom, were the only occupants. Pulling one out, she found it to be oatmeal. Snorting at the bland start to a bland day, Scootaloo made her cautious way to the stove.

Finished with her plain breakfast, the filly put away the few dishes she used and exited the one floor house. Craning her head to stare at the sky, she rolled her eyes at the clouds that rested there, covering most of the light blue horizon.

Trudging to where she parked her trusty scooter, she hopped aboard and buzzed down the street, barely going faster than the average walker. The orange form hunched over the handlebar, eyes glazed over as they stared straight ahead. She did lazy turns around the few ponies out that early in the morning. The crowd paid little heed to the filly, used to her driving and knowing the extent of her skills.

Blinking out of her daze, Scootaloo glanced upward at the red school building that loomed in front of her. Classmates were trotting up in pairs or by themselves. She tugged the handles to the left, coming to a stop by the fencing in front of the building. Sighing briefly, she stepped off the scooter and walked it to the side of the school, out of plain view behind some bushes. Old habits and old worries made her stash the vehicle away.

Leaving the cool safety of the bush, Scootaloo half-heartedly brushed the dislodged leaves from her mane, eyes focused on the ground before her.

“I wouldn’t bother, the leaves make you look better.” A sneering voice came from the pegasus’ left. Tilting her head in that direction, still brushing the leaves out of her fur, Scootaloo found the owner of the comment. Diamond Tiara smirked in her direction, a hoof going to her own mane and brushing it back.

“Yeah, it helps show the difference between us and you.” Silver Spoon appeared from behind Diamond Tiara, pushing up her blue glasses with a hoof. The duo snickered to themselves before focusing back on the young pegasus.

“Were you trying to find a new place to live? I’m sure the bush would be more comfortable than what you’re used to.” The light pink filly grinned, staring at the pegasus who began to crouch down with flat ears.

“Leave me alone.” Scootaloo jerked her head to the right, glaring at nothing, as she tried to step around the bullies.

“Awwww, what’s the matter? Wake up on the wrong side of the dirt?” The tiara wearing filly continued her harassment, following her victim as she tried to walk away.

“I just want to be left alone. Go away.” Scootaloo tried to put some energy into her retort, but found it was missing that morning. Frowning at the dirt in front of her, she slumped with a sigh, unable to bring forth any motion from her hooves.

“That should be pretty easy since we haven’t seen you with anypony who would care about you.” Silver Spoon commented from her place beside Diamond Tiara. The gray filly’s smirk widened when her friend picked up on the new topic.

“Yeah, I bet they dumped you a long time ago. Who’d want such a useless daughter anyways?”

Useless…. maybe I am useless…

It took Scootaloo a moment to try and think past the echo in her mind. Inhaling a shuddering breath, she blew it out with a frown towards the duo.

“That’s not true. They cared about me…”

“Maybe that’s why she likes bushes so much, they left her in one.” Silver Spoon ignored the subdued retort and glanced to the crown wearing filly. Diamond Tiara beamed at the jab, leaning towards the dejected target.

“Hah! I think so too! Who’d want to lug around a pegasus who can’t fly or do anything but hide anyways? Weak and pathetic! Honestly, I don’t even know why you try to come to school. You should just go back and live in the forests, stuck on the ground forever.”

Each word felt like a blow to the orange barrel. Every negative term struck at her limp wings, smacking her head downward, and rocking her frame. When the command to be stuck on the ground finished arriving, Scootaloo found the breath taken from her lungs, weakening her legs and driving her to drop a few inches. Shaking her head in denial, the orange filly tried to bring to mind anything she managed to do on her own. Looking up in surprise, she found she couldn’t think of any, and trembled in place as the two bullies continued to pile on degrading terms.

Wh-why can’t I think of anything…? Am I really that-that weak? Useless…?

“Come on Silver Spoon, we wouldn’t want to catch loser cooties or else we might end up just like-”

“HEY! Y’all leave her alone!” The southern tinted accent rang through the air, cutting off the next and final phrase of the bullies. The duo turned in place, finding that they had traveled a few paces from the front of the school, and that two other fillies had caught sight of what they were doing.

“Yeah! Scootaloo isn’t a loser! You-you take that back!” Sweetie Belle stood next to Apple Bloom, watching the school bullies closely. Both fillies took on wide stances, prepared for any kind of confrontation.

“Pfftt, as if! Like you guys are ones to talk! You can’t even find what your ‘special’ talent is.” Diamond Tiara scrunched her nose in the others’ direction, her eyes filled with a mean glint.

“Yeah! You will probably get a special talent in messing things up!” Silver Spoon declared, stepping closer to her friend as she watched the two Crusaders warily. Her voice took on a tone of slight desperation, not liking the odds if all three charged the bullies.

“No way! We just haven’t found ‘em yet! And Ah bet it’ll be much cooler than yours!” Apple Bloom took a solid step forward, glancing towards the last Crusader briefly in worry.

Scootaloo showed no signs of having heard the arrival of her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders. Remaining hunched on the ground, ears flat against her head, she tried to think beyond the echoes that filled her mind.

I’m not… I’m not pathetic….

“...who can’t fly …!”

I’m just… weaker than-than others… right now….

“...stuck on the ground forever!”

… I can go anywhere… I-I can…

“...just go back and live in the forests...”

… Maybe I should go-

“Scootaloo can be wherever she wants to! And we like her right here!” The higher pitch of the unicorn broke through the somber thoughts the pegasus found herself trapped in. Slowly, tiredly raising her head, Scootaloo saw that Sweetie Belle stood close to Diamond Tiara, tiny droplets of tears in her eyes.

Swe-Sweetie Belle…?

The orange filly began to struggle upwards, placing one hoof after another under her heavy frame. Purple eyes were locked on the two girls who were trying to stare down each other.

“Sure you do! Because having her nearby hides just how useless you are. In fact, I bet your own sister would be happier to not have someone so lame bugging her all the time.” Diamond Tiara’s words were barely out of her mouth when Sweetie Belle flinched back, tears breaking free to drip down her face.

“You guys all hang out because no one else wants you-!” Silver Spoon tried to help reinforce Diamond Tiara’s taunt only to stop suddenly when an orange blur passed before her eyes.

“You shut up!” Scootaloo surged to all four limbs in a fraction of a second, anger fueling her body. Having lunged towards the tiara wearing earth pony, the pegasus didn’t pause in her tackle, knocking Diamond Tiara to the ground and swinging wildly with her hooves.

The other two Crusaders watched wide eyed while Silver Spoon had leaped backwards with mouth wide open. Recovering briefly, the gray earth pony rushed forward, trying to push off the attacker. This broke the shock the other fillies were in, though before they could try to help Scootaloo turned to this new opponent and swung a hard left, sending Silver Spoon sprawling backwards. Sharing a determined nod, the Crusaders rushed to the pegasus’ side, trying to pull her off the struggling bully.

“That is enough! Girls, stop that this instant!”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had only just started to tug on Scootaloo’s front legs. Feeling the pressure slowing her progress of teaching the brat of an earth pony a lesson, Scootaloo glanced back only to have her gaze focus on the adult mare standing in the doorway. Meeting the frosty glare for a blink of surprised eyes, Scootaloo allowed herself to be moved off Diamond Tiara and stood between her two friends as they faced their teacher. The weight returned to her hooves and neck, forcing the filly to buckle slightly as she waited. Behind the trio, Silver Spoon lent a hoof to the fallen filly, only for it to be swatted away with a snarl.

“Ms. Cheerilee! They totally just hit me for no good reason! They have to get detention or something!” Diamond Tiara’s words caused Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to twirl around. Scowling at the bully, the duo tried to refute her words.

“No way! She was picking on us and -”

“She’s ah liar! She wouldn’t stop makin’ fun of us and -”

“GIRLS. Who started the fight?” Cheerilee cast her gaze over the five fillies, noting that Diamond Tiara was the most injured while Silver Spoon was sporting a bruise on her cheek and dust on her coat. The Crusaders didn’t appear nearly as bad, though Scootaloo had bits of leaves and dirt on her coat and mane.

Not wanting to give up their friend, the others tried to remain silent and stared straight ahead. Scootaloo sighed, shaking her head at their actions.

“I-”

“They started it!” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both exclaimed over top of Scootaloo’s attempted confession. Raising a single brow, their teacher deadpanned the girls, flicking her gaze to the two girls who held most of the injuries to the trio who were in mostly pristine condition.

“And who let it become a physical fight?”

“But-but Ms. Cheerilee-!” Sweetie Belle stared upwards in hurt, eyes wide at the obvious direction the talk was going.

“It don’t matter -” Apple Bloom tried to dissuade the teacher from focusing on that manner with a frown.

“Yes it does matter Apple Bloom. You should never let a disagreement or argument come to physical blows, no matter what the pony says. Who started the fight?” The two bullies wore smug grins, knowing there was no way out of it for the trio.

“I did…” Scootaloo couldn’t raise her head up as she spoke. The words fell like stones, each one dropping onto the pegasus’ back and stinging her form. The two other fillies’ smug grins widened at the confession and defeated tone, only to disappear at their teacher’s next words.

“I see. Don’t think you all aren’t in trouble. You shouldn’t be mean to others. But fighting is never the answer. I want each one of you to stay after school while I talk with your parents or guardians. You are all in big trouble.” Cheerilee frowned, disappointment clear in her eyes, leaving the doorway to let the other students in.

The others, who had been watching the fight anxiously, flowed past the trio. The Crusaders had slowly continued in, heading for their seats at the back of the room. They didn’t want to draw attention from the bullies and hid where they would be least noticed. The three fillies sat in a row, Apple Bloom on the far left, Sweetie Belle on the right and Scootaloo hunched down in the center.

“Pssst, don’t ya worry Scoot, we’ll make sure they know it wasn’t just ya fighting.” Apple Bloom leaned over, covering her muzzle with a hoof to block anypony from seeing her whisper.

Scootaloo didn’t respond, resting her head on forehooves. Her eyes were glazed while her thoughts retreated inwards.

Can’t even help my friends… Only good to get in trouble…

“Thanks Scootaloo for stopping them… They were being extra mean today…” Sweetie Belle also leaned closer to the pegasus, a grateful smile on her face.

Receiving only a meh and shrug of her shoulders as a response, the unicorn glanced up to the other filly in bewilderment. Apple Bloom returned the befuddled glance, shrugging her own ignorance of the response.

Scootaloo didn’t notice the thanks nor shared glance, her mind going further in circles. Exhaling gustily, she flattened her ears, a scowl growing on her features.

I am pathetic…

Sweetie Belle shifted in her seat. Today’s lesson wasn’t boring in any way, learning about the habits of trees and animals was an interesting change of pace, but something else held her focus. Feeling the warmth of the sunlight on her back, she turned her hearing from the birds to the still figure on her left. Moving only her eyes, the young unicorn glanced to her pegasus friend, unease bubbling up sluggishly..

A beam of sunlight came out from behind a solitary cloud, lighting up the orange filly’s form. Her mane seemed to light up, though her eyes and most of her face was hidden by forehooves and mane. Scootaloo hadn’t moved from her place at the desk, showing no sign of being concerned with the future punishment.

This lack of energy only made the pale-gray filly more worried. Glancing beyond the pegasus, she locked eyes with the young earth pony two seats away. Apple Bloom shrugged, frowning at the still form before turning forward once again, taking notes while she can.

This task was not as easy for the young unicorn. She spent the majority of the morning watching her neighbor, eyes drinking in every detail. Her hearing became unfocused as the voices around them faded into a light background that mixed with the sounds of nature outside. It was only when everypony stood at once and trotted out the door that Sweetie Belle came back to her senses, finding her head resting on her left hoof and eyes glued to the moderate cerise mane of the pegasus beside her. Standing up, the unicorn looked around, eyes wide at the change in time. She glanced to the pegasus sitting beside her, finding that Apple Bloom was already nudging the still pegasus into motion. Sweetie Belle joined the earth pony, prodding with a hoof to get the hunched figure moving.

Together, they were the last to exit the school house, keeping away from the majority of the other students. They didn’t want to bring attention to themselves. One instance of fighting and resulting detention was enough for the trio. The warm breeze carried the joyful sounds of the rest of the foals playing, ruffling the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ fur as they walked to the tree near the building.

The trio spent the brief recess in the corner, away from the crowds, until it was time to head back inside. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hadn’t been able to get Scootaloo moving or active during that time. Not that they did much either. The knowledge that they would soon be getting a visit from their older siblings had weighed on their minds. Something that lifted only when they were back at their seats, papers ready for note taking.

Sweetie Belle resumed her previous posture, right hoof holding up her head, as she tried to focus on their teacher. The buzz of spring time bees grew in the background. Sunlight and a soft breeze helped to lull the unicorn into a pleasant stupor, eyes focusing on the pony who would help make it even nicer. Green orbs absorbing the orange and cerise hues, Sweetie Belle sighed, a smile tugging on her lips.

Scootaloo lifted her head from its place on her hooves. Purple eyes shifted focus from the blackboard in front to the filly on her right. Eyes crinkled as she smirked to the pale-gray filly. The pegasus leaning towards her friend, eyes full of warmth.

“Hey Sweetie Belle. You getting any of this? I’m not.” Scootaloo chuckled. The unicorn giggled as well, hoof going to cover the noise. Smirk growing wider at the sound, the orange filly half rose from her seat. “Let’s ditch this place! If we sneak out using the skills we’ve learned, I bet they won’t notice us going.”

Sweetie Belle tapped a hoof to her chin, eyes drawing upwards in thought. Twitching her ears toward their teacher, she found no change in the lecture, and that no one was watching the very last row of seats.

“I don’t know…”

“Come on, just you and me. For a short walk? Maybe even go to that new cafe they opened downtown.” Scootaloo leaned further across the distance to nudge the other filly, winking once as she spoke.

Sweetie Belle blushed at the contact, the rest of her surroundings fading away at the sight of laughter in her crush’s eyes. Unable to speak, her mouth going dry at the energetic persuasion, the unicorn nodded to the plan. She mutely set her pencil down and pushed her chair backwards, glancing to find Scootaloo was two steps ahead of her.

They waited for when Cheerilee was staring at the blackboard to step away from their desks. Hoofsteps ghosting along the ground, the two fillies snuck out of the room, keeping low to the ground. Luckily, the exit was only an archway, the only door being the one at the very entrance which was out of easy sight of their teacher. Scootaloo lead the way, gently tugging open the main door, before glancing back with a half smirk and another wink. Sweetie Belle’s heart rate sped up at the look, her own gaze softening while she tried to keep close to the pegasus.

When they both stepped outside, a warm breeze floated by, causing the orange filly’s scent to be brought to the pale gray one’s attention. Sweetie inhaled deeply, smile growing at the aroma of fresh rain and sweat that Scootaloo often had due to her pegasi heritage. The athletic filly noticed her companion's pause, and checked on her with a minute frown. Finding only warm smiles on the unicorn, the pegasus trotted down the steps, pulling her scooter from it’s hidden location. Hopping on the red vehicle, she stepped closer to the handles, trying to make room behind her for an extra passenger.

“Coming?” A bright grin flashed towards the filly still on the steps. Blushing at the tease and how closely they would be sitting, Sweetie Belle rushed down the remaining steps and hopped aboard the scooter.

The unicorn tried to hold back her blush as she stood on her hind legs, forehooves reaching to encircle the pegasus in front. She placed her head against the moderately cerise mane, eyes closing on their own accord.

“You holding on tight? Wouldn’t want somepony to fall off at my amazing speeds.” The teasing was rife with laughter, even as Scootaloo tilted her head back to try and check on her passenger.

Sweetie Belle squeezed the orange barrel, nodding in the other’s mane with a wide smile. Once the affirmation was given, the duo sped down the street, heading towards town. The unicorn had to hold back her giggles as they rode; orange wings fluttered on her sides as the appendages tried to help their speed. The result was the young unicorn was being tickled mercilessly while they couldn’t manage to go faster than an adult’s trotting.

Hearing the giggling coming from behind her, Scootaloo laughed and shifted, stopping her wing’s movement to instead pedal with a hoof.

“Ah ha ha ha, guess I’m not used to having somepony else with me on my scooter. Something I’ll have to remember in the future huh?” There was no verbal acknowledgement of this statement, but the heart rate increase and pleased squeeze was more than enough of an answer. “At least this way we get a nice calming trip before having to stay away from all the adults.”

The two girls allowed their gaze to pass over the trees and fields that separated the school from town. The soft breeze rustled their fur while both were warmed by the sunlight and each other. Birds flew over their heads, bits of straw and twigs held firmly in their beaks. The bees hopped from flower to flower, drawing both sets of eyes to the flora that was beginning to bloom.

When the small town came into sight, the two fillies began to swerve gently towards the back alleys. Giving her passenger a playful shushing, Scootaloo expertly navigated the side streets, destination unknown to the pale-gray unicorn who held on.

After traveling a few minutes, the pegasus turned and entered the main streets once more, pulling up to a colorful cafe. Sweetie Belle couldn’t hold back her gasp when she saw the bright summer colors of De L'Été, the newest cafe to open for the warmer seasons.

The majority of the front wall was made of clear glass, showcasing the interior. In front were outdoor tables, covered by a large porch that came from the second floor, allowing two levels of outside seats. The porch also had a retractable roof, allowing the seats to be safe from the weather or to fully embrace the elements. The rest of the seating and features were inside, the colorization consisting of mostly light orange, yellow and greens to remind everpony of summer time. Large sunflowers rested in pots, placed strategically on the inside. Tables and seats had cloths of white and light pink covering their surfaces.

There were already other ponies enjoying a light lunch with their special somepony. When the two fillies entered, they weren’t given a second glance. An earth pony with two tone orange mane trotted up, beaming at the newest guests.

“Welcome to De L'Été, I’m the owner and hostess for today, Junebug. Will it be a table for two?” The dark chartreuse furred mare kept her tone polite and waved inside where multiple tables were open.

“Can we get a place up top in the sunlight? That’d be really cool.” Scootaloo took charge, stepping in front of the suddenly shy unicorn. Sweetie Belle dipped her head down, hiding her eyes in the orange fur.

“Of course! Right this way please!” Junebug grabbed two yellow menus on her way up the staircase. The girls followed dutifully, eyes wide as they glanced about at the bright interior.

“Isn’t this pretty neat?” The pegasus twisted her head back briefly, eyes shining, before turning forward once more and striding towards their table.

Junebug chuckled to herself when Scootaloo pulled out the chair for her friend, waiting for her to be seated before rushing to the other side and sitting down herself. Placing the two menus before the fillies, the older mare promised a server would be back to get their drink orders.

Sweetie Belle wasn’t able to really look at her menu, green gaze returning to the grinning filly sitting across the way. Within moments, or so it felt, their server arrived, a notebook held in a magical hue. Seeing that the unicorn was at a loss, Scootaloo once more took over, putting down her own menu.

“We’ll take a large vanilla shake. And we’d like two plates of hay fries and oat burgers. Thanks!” The pegasus saw the confused gaze of the filly on the other side of the table and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. Once the server left to place their order, she quietly explained. “Sorry, I was thinking we could share a shake and you seemed so unsure about what to order.”

Sweetie Belle relaxed in her seat, smile growing once more. Nodding once, she murmured her appreciation, sitting back to watch the girl on the other side. Something that Scootaloo also did, happiness shining in her eyes. When the shake was placed before them, both girls leaned forward, reaching for one of two straws placed there for their convenience. Sipping quietly, the two pairs of eyes were unable to break the contact.

After a long gulp of the cool drink, they remained still, hovering over the shared drink. Scootaloo’s gaze melted, eyelids dropping down half way. Sweetie Belle couldn’t prevent her face from growing red, a shy grin shakily forming on her muzzle.

“Sweetie Belle… I just… want to... say…” With each soft word, Scootaloo leaned closer over their drink, eyes dropping down from Sweetie Belle’s gaze and focusing on something a little further down. The unicorn found herself also shifting forward, face burning while her own eyes drooped. The two grew closer, standing on their chairs to make up for their shorter stature, while forehooves were firmly on the table.

Closing her eyes, Sweetie Belle felt her heart rate rise, almost breaking free of her chest which heaved with excited breath. Seconds away from connecting with the pegasus, a sharp chime surrounded them, causing the unicorn’s eyes to fly open. Jerking upright, she glanced around from her seat, eyes wide while both ears flattened against her head.

After the bright light faded, the pale gray filly found her fellow classmates beginning to rise, mouths opening wide as they spoke. Their voices didn’t reach her shocked ears at first, though the stern voice of Cheerilee did cut through the noise.

“Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, stay behind please. Your families will be here soon.” The girls called for stayed in their seats, slowly putting their supplies away. Cheerilee stayed up front by her desk, putting away her chalk and teaching points.

Oh come on!

Sweetie Belle mentally shouted to herself, annoyed at the realization of what just happened. Finally managing to break away from her daydream, she gave her head a firm shake with a hoof to her temple. Her hearing came back to discern the different voices only to find Apple Bloom questioning her at that moment.

“Sweetie Belle…? Are ya ok?” The earth pony’s question drew the pegasus’ attention as well. Raising her head, Scootaloo joined Apple Bloom in regarding the last member of their club.

Sweetie Belle tried to smile but froze when she met the purple gaze of her crush. Face lighting up in a fierce blush, she nodded silently, hoping to collect herself from the intense dream before talking with Scootaloo. Together, the trio sat along the right wall, waiting for their guardians to arrive. Still unable to look at the pegasus, Sweetie Belle watched the world outside, trying and failing to prevent specific moments from her daydream to come back into her mind’s focus.

Apple Bloom glanced to her two friends, a concerned frown taking place at their distracted gazes. She waved a hoof, trying to gain their attention only to find they were lost in their thoughts. Sighing briefly, she turned her gaze to the doorway, waiting for her older sister to arrive with a heavy heart.

The wind whipped through the multicolored mane, its owner smiling at the feeling of freedom. That same smile turned to a frown when she reached the edge of town, her destination in sight. Dipping downwards, she curved in a spiral, wanting to get one last rush before resigning herself to being indoors, in an institution that she had once ran from.

Urgh… School. Really, I get why they’d have the basic stuff, but does anypony really need all that fancy work? No. But it’s for the kid, and Cheerilee said she needed to see me. Can’t be all that bad.

Rainbow Dash took note of all the foals exiting the red school house and flew over their heads. Landing right in front of the doorway, a shout came from behind her, causing the pegasus to glance backwards.

“Howdy there Rainbow! What are ya doin’ here?” The sight of a brown stetson wearing mare standing beside a prim and prissy unicorn was a little surprising. Especially the soft smiles they both wore as they walked closely towards the school.

“Hey AJ, hi Rarity, what are you guys doing over here?” Dash stayed just outside the doorway, wanting to prolong having to enter. Causing the delay with a pleased smirk, she tried not to get lost in the feel of wind rushing through her feathers.

“Well, we were asked tah come by Ms. Cheerilee. Ah was just at mah apple cart when Ah got two visitors Ah wasn’t expectin’.” Applejack chuckled with a light red hue to her checks. Her left hoof rose to scratch at her head. Rarity, beside the farmer, wore a darker blush, eyes scrunching up briefly.

“Oh yes, well, I was merely traversing the market when I found myself beside a certain apple stand and the target of two greetings. I’m rather amazed how quickly the postal service is around here, eh heh heh, heh heh…” The two mares fell silent after this point, both glancing to the ground every so often as they continued forward, keeping the same pace the entire way.

Dash raised a single brow at the trailing explanation. Tilting her head to the side, she tried to examine her two friends only to be thrown for a loop when a different voice sounded from behind her.

“Thank you for coming, if you all could come this way please?” Cheerilee waved a single hoof towards the school. She kept her face neutral, not wanting to set the tone too early.

The three mares followed the teacher inside, traveling the short distance to the fourth grade classroom where three fillies were sitting. The other two fillies had been sent home for the day, since they had gotten the worst of the fighting, though they had been scolded for their teasing. Cheerilee was planning to talk with their parents the next day, once the Crusaders had been dealt with. Waving to the space right before her desk, Cheerilee turned to the fillies along the right wall. The three guardians also turned to look at the girls, brows raised in question.

“I found Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle fighting two of their classmates this morning. I’m not sure how long they had been fighting, but Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon now have multitudes of injuries.” The teacher flatly stated this fact as she stared at the other mares. Before she was able to continue, Apple Bloom stood up and stared desperately at their teacher, drawing everyone’s attention.

“But- they were pickin’ on Scootaloo somethin’ fierce!”

“Yeah, they wouldn’t stop!” Sweetie Belle joined in the protest, glancing pleadingly towards her sister.

Scootaloo remained silent, staring at the ground hunched over. The silence was odd considering her previous behavior. Dash started to frown at the pegasus only to be distracted when she noticed sharp blue orbs searching the open and blank face of the farmer. Leaning back, Rainbow also found the two sat rather close, even when taking into account how they were all sitting in front of the teacher’s desk.

“You should have come to me instead of using physical force.” The mulberry furred earth pony addressed the girls before turning back to the guardians. “I’m not sure if this kind of thing is approved of at home, but we don’t use those methods here.”

“Whelp, we over at Sweet Apple Arces don’t use hooves tah answer our problems either. Ah’m not sure why they thought it was ah good idea, but it won’t happen again. Right Lil’ Bloom?” Applejack glanced to her sister, raising a challenging brow. Pleased to see her little sister dip her head in acknowledgement, she turned to check with the fashionista only to find a curious stare awaiting her. “Rare? Ya ok?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes. I’m sure this shan’t happen again.” Rarity turned a stern glare towards her sister only to switch back to the blonde farmer beside her, gaze softening as she searched the watchful green eyes.

Rainbow frowned slightly at the emotion she couldn’t understand in their shared glance. Pulling back once more, she found they also seemed to lean closer to each other. The prismic mare was lost in her thoughts, trying to comprehend what was going on, only to be tugged away from her musings by a exasperated call.

“Rainbow Dash? Your thoughts?” Cheerilee rested her forehooves together, watching the well known brash mare.

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. What they said. Eh heh heh…” Rainbow rubbed the back of her head with a bashful smirk, having been caught not paying attention. It took a lot of willpower to not automatically respond as though she was the one in trouble.

The elementary school teacher didn’t seem too acceptant of this answer but allowed it to drop anyways. Shifting to watch the three mares at once, she concluded the meeting in a firm voice.

“I see… Well, the girls are suspended for a day. I hope the girls learn that violence isn’t always the answer. If they don’t, it will start to affect their future. Thank you for coming. Hopefully this won’t be a common occurrence.” At the dismissal from the teacher, the three mares stood and started to collect their little sister or charge. When they were all about to leave, the prissy and hardworking mares walking side by side, Cheerilee spoke up once again. “Rainbow Dash, if you and Scotoaloo could stay for a moment longer?”

Dash twitched, trying to keep both of the peculiarly behaving mares in view only to have to sit back down, sighing when her chance to watch the odd behavior of her friends left with the request. Scootaloo slumped back on the ground. She still hadn’t said anything and it drew two concerned glances from her best friends as they were lead away. The two pegasi looked warily to the teacher. Dash had to suppress the urge to shift as memories once again popped up from her own school time.

“Rainbow Dash, I understand that this is a different and unusual situation. While I know you’ve done a lot already in your life, there’s more to worry about than a one time performance this time. Is everything ok at home?” Hearing the note of uncertainty and doubt in Cheerilee’s words, Dash sat up further, confused frown growing on her muzzle.

“Are you trying to say I can’t take care of Scootaloo properly?” Rainbow’s words shocked the pegasus beside her. Scootaloo stiffened, ears straight up before dropping flat against her head once more.

“As part of the educational system, I have to report any kind of issue with foals to the government. Teachers have to watch for abuse, mistreatment, abandonment or even mental instability. I don’t want to take Scootaloo away from the friends and home she’s made here, but if the government thinks that there is something wrong, they will be forced to take some kind of action. Starting fights at school and failing all of her classes is a large red flag in their eyes.” Cheerilee knew beating around the bush wouldn’t work with the brash mare. Flatly stating the situation, she leaned forward, staring deeply into shocked cerise eyes.

“So I’ll ask again. Is there anything going on at home? Any reason to why Scootaloo is slipping in both behavior and grades at school?” The teacher tried to keep her voice calm, wanting to project how she wanted to help while giving the cyan mare a chance to shape up slightly.

“Well, I thought things were going well. Scoots?” Dash turned to the filly beside her. Scootaloo turned to her idol and tried to focus on the question.

“Uh, I guess things are ok…”

The droned response didn’t reassure either adult. The older pegasus scrunched her face, with eyes focusing on the hunched form. The three ponies remained silent after that point, unsure of what to say. Cheerilee tried to think of a way to politely say that she was there should anything happen while Dash started to panic at the tension in the air.

“Uhm, was there anything else you wanted to talk about? We have to get going; I should, uh, get supper started soon.” The cyan pegasus tried to get an opening to leave the school house. It seemed she still had a lot to think and worry about, and being in a classroom never helped her with that.

Finding no reason to keep either there, Cheerilee nodded, sitting back and wearing a small frown at the similar pair. The two pegasi got up and trotted outside, their pace slow and out of character considering the speedsters.

Rainbow glanced down at her follower and furrowed her brow. Scootaloo was walking her scooter along, not bothering to ride it and continued to stare at the ground. Glancing upwards, Dash tried to think of what to say, wanting to find out if there was indeed something wrong. She grumbled to herself, never having been very good with subtle ways to talk. She gave her head a swift shake and took a deep breath.

“So, what was the fight about? Did you three really gang up on two others…? Hard to see Sweetie Belle actually fighting, I thought the frou-frou gene was strong in their family.” The cyan mare tried to lighten her question with a joke only to jerk back at the sudden response.

“No! She-they… Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle didn’t join the fight. I did. I’m the one who started it…” Scootaloo’s voice grew softer as she spoke, shoulders sagging as she admitted to having started the fight. She closed her eyes briefly, expecting a harsh comment, only to be surprised when Dash laughed.

“Ha! I thought so. No worries kid, fights are normal. I got into a lot of them myself when I went to school. Uh, not that that’s a good thing! Uhm, well, it’s normal but not good to constantly fight…? Unless you need to. Or it’s for your friends… Uh, not that you should use hooves to solve things, even if it does work the best sometimes… Well, I mean… Uhhhh…” Rainbow trailed off, hoof scruffing her mane as she tried to find the right words. A tiny demure voice in the back of her head was scolding her brasher statements and she couldn’t figure out a way to please both the voice and the little filly beside her.

The two pegasi went back into silence as they entered the town, walking away from the majority of the crowds. Together, they entered the single story house, heading towards the kitchen to start the evening meal. Dash shifted once more, opening the fridge to remove some of the fresh groceries, while her mind raced. Glancing what she had purchased merely hours ago, she racked her brain for an answer to her dilemma.

Come on Dash, you gotta think of something! Is there something wrong? Wouldn’t she tell me?

“Hey, uh, squirt. You would tell me if there was something wrong, right?” Cerise eyes watched the filly who sat at the table, noting the tiny nod that was the sole response.

Exhaling briefly, Dash brought over the simple sandwiches she made, the extent of her cooking skills, and sat across from the young pegasus. While they slowly ate, the usually brash mare continued to search her mind about who to ask for advice, not that she’d want to admit to needing it.

Somepony who can help with fights… Somepony who can help stop fights… Stop fights… Fluttershy. Fluttershy was able to help with that kind of thing before! I’ll go and ask her.

“Hey Scoot?”

“Yeah…?”

“I’m going to head over to Fluttershy’s after this, ok? I’ll be back to make sure everything is still good later tonight, alright?” The speedster glanced to the window over the kitchen sink, plotting out her route, and didn’t see the drooping ears or muzzle that the younger girl couldn’t hold back.

“Yeah, ok… I’ll just, try to get some homework or something done… I’m grounded tomorrow right?” Scootaloo jumped off her seat, half eaten sandwich still remaining on her plate. Glancing up at the older pegasus, she paused in the living room, wanting to check before she went to lay down in her room.

“Huh? Oh, uh, you’re not grounded. Fights are normal, besides, I’m sure grounding wouldn’t stop you from doing something anyways right kid?” Dash smirked towards the orange filly only to find a shrug waiting for her. Concerned cerise eyes watched the slow progress before Scootaloo disappeared entirely in her room.

I better go quickly...Maybe then I’ll find out what to do about all this…

...Stuck on the ground forever…!

Bushes rushed past as the sound of a young filly’s panting filled the air. Scootaloo pushed through the branches that were in her way, running as fast she could while her wings buzzed weakly.

… Can’t even fly…!

The orange filly tried to lift herself off the ground inspite of the harsh words that floated across her ears. She managed to get an inch off the earth before finding a tree branch that was hanging low enough to swat her out of the air. Going for a tumble, she searched the area, eyes wide with panic.

...take Scootaloo away from friends and her home…

The voice, gruff and deep, sounded distorted, coming from all directions and yet from a specific point behind the filly. The pegasus jerked her head backwards, trying to spot the owner of the voice while she scrambled back to her feet to escape. A larger form trampled through the foliage, not caring and not impeded by the dense forest. Thunder almost drowned out the noise, lightning flashing across the dark sky that was nearly impossible to see due to the dense brush. The filly flinched, ears flattening, as she tried to weave through the trees.

No one cares for her!

Are you trying to say I can’t take care of Scootaloo properly?

Scootaloo’s ears perked up when they heard the husky yet feminine tone of a specific rainbow pegasus. She tried to glance around, hoping that Rainbow Dash would rescue her from this chase. This hope died quickly when the next words sounded out.

Who’d want such a useless daughter...?

She should just go back and live in the forests… They left her in one anyways!

The two voices were strong, a sneer practically heard from the venomous tones. Holding back a cry, Scootaloo kept running, trying not to panic when Rainbow’s voice didn’t come back to refute the fact.

Eyes closed against the tears and rain that started to fall, she ran blindly forward. When she felt the loss of resistance, she opened her eyes to find she burst out from a dense forest onto a cliff. Skidding desperately, she tried to stop before she tipped over the side. But her momentum was too much and the damp grass gave no purchase. The ground crumbled under her, dropping her into the air as another bolt of lightning flashed through the air.

Twisting and flaring midair, Scootaloo tried to get her tiny wings to do anything, trying to slow her fall. Just when she thought it was working, a piece of wood smacked into her back, causing her wings and spine to spasm in pain. Purple eyes turned to find what hit her only to discover the air near her was full of shattered remains of a cart. Two large figures, one male and the other female, tumbled limply through the sky as well, eyes closed and seared flesh evident when the next flash of lightning lit the sky.

“No…! No, not again-!”

Another flash brightened the skyway, showing different figures instead of ones blurred and half-forgotten with age. The falling bodies were smaller, their limbs and heads not those of adults but of fillies, young and just before their pre-teen years.

A red bow hung loosely from the earth pony’s head, torn and burnt, while its owner had her eyes closed, scorch marks on her back. The other seemed more fragile, her unicorn lineage making her frame lighter than the other kinds, and appeared even more injured than the earth pony. Hair mussed from the wind and singed, she fell backwards with all four limbs raised. It was when the pale-gray filly slowly rotated that the burn mark in the center of her stomach and back became visible.

It was this sight, more than anything, that caused the tears to freely flow from Scootaloo’s eyes as she reached out to her friends, knowing deep down in her core that she must have been to blame for their predicament.

“N-no, noooooooooooooo....!”

-TTS-

“NOOOOOOOO!” Scootaloo wildly swung her limbs, trying to escape the blanket that covered her form. Spilling over the side, she felt a moment of weightlessness similar to her dream, and panicked. A high pitched scream ripped through the early morning, scattering sleepy birds and causing a few of the neighbors to peer nervously about.

The young filly flopped around on the ground, getting up to unsteady hooves with frantic glances around the room. She panted as her search slowed, legs threatening to give out with each quiver. The blanket slowly drooped off her small frame.

When Scootaloo was able to focus beyond her primary sense of gravity, which was still wavering, she started to recognize the room she was in. Standing up, she shrugged off the blanket, only to sag on her hooves once they were free.

Of course it’s my fault… It’s my fault they’re in trouble at school and in that dream too… Maybe it would have been better if I did fal-

The sound of excited knocking distracted the orange filly from her dour thoughts. Lifting her head from its place on the ground, body uncurling from its crouched position, Scootaloo frowned pensively towards the living room. Anyone who might want to stop by either had keys to the house or were presumably grounded. When the knocking continued, she decided to try and see who it was. Her hooves felt like they moved through water, slow and unresponsive. Before a third round of pounding could take place, the pegasus managed to open the door and greet whoever was on the other side.

“H-hello?” The door hadn’t completely open nor was the young filly able to get much more than a brief word out when two much louder voices rang through the air.

“HEY SCOOTALOO!” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle beamed while they stood outside the single floor home. Catching sight of the paler and slightly trembling pegasus, their grins dropped down into pensive frowns.

Sweetie Belle was the first to act, a pinch in the center of her chest urging to move faster than the earth pony beside her. She took a step forward, eyes sweeping across the room, voice timid with fear of what may be wrong.

“Scootaloo…? Are-are you alright?”

For a single moment, Sweetie Belle felt a shiver of fear. Scootaloo, energetic, active, always on the move Scootaloo, seemed to cave in on herself before answering. Even if she did try to sound like usual.

“Yeah. But what are you guys doing here? I thought you were in trouble because of my stupid move…”

“Nah, them bullies had it coming. There ain’t no way we were gonna let you take all the blame Scoots. But my sis’ figured it out an’ said that fights between kids was normal, and Rarity went all weird for a moment, but then we got out of trouble! Can ya believe it? Ah whole day to ourselves!” Apple Bloom also stepped forward, excited words spilling out rapidly, though she took the opportunity given by her rapid speech to check on the final Crusader.

“What do you mean, acted odd? Doesn’t she always act odd?” Not that I can talk… Bet I’m just useless and can’t even do the things I used to anymore…I’m probably more odd than Sweetie Belle’s frou-frou sister… Scootaloo frowned as she spoke, her mental sentence not helping her current mood, as she glanced between the other fillies.

The others shared an unsure glance with a shrug.

-TTS-

“I cannot believe you were part of such an act Sweetie Belle! I had thought our parents taught you better than this! And surely fighting three on two utterly unfair and not a very proper course of action at all. Why did you think fighting ever solved anything-”

“Well Rarity, Ah’ve always thought it was normal for kids tah fight. Helps ‘em sort their differences and standing up fer themselves. Ah had tah do it myself a time or two.”

“-and I completely respect your need to stand up in defence of your friend. After all, being loyal to your friends and what you believe in is a very good reason to have to resort to, erhm, extremes. I’m sure many others have had to… do the same… For good causes… I’m sure...” Rarity trailed off, blush staining her cheeks, while she turned her gaze to the sky. The older mare wore a bemused smirk while the two fillies had confusion written all over theirs.

“Oh yeah? An’ did you ever have tah resort to ‘extremes’ before? Could have sworn ya were talkin’ about how it wasn’t so good…” Applejack’s eyes held a glint of teasing as she smiled to the pale-gray mare. Something that grew when she saw the red hue expand over the unicorn’s face.

“Oh well, I merely wished to concur that you’re input is appreciated and potentially correct. And, uhm, what would you suggest for our two sisters? As a result of their actions today?” The prissy mare tilted her head to the left, away from the farmer, while blue eyes watched the other mare closely.

The blonde earth pony scrunched her muzzle to the side in thought. Green eyes dropped their vigilance to instead search the skies.

“Ah’d say… They’d be free tah go. Maybe ah bit o’ talkin’ to about using hooves before other options.” Applejack brought her gaze back to the unicorn to find blue orbs watching her closely.

The four ponies had paused in their walk as their talk continued. The two fillies remained silent and still as gravestones, unwilling to ruin their chance to remain ungrounded. Though their sisters behavior was starting to make them think it wasn’t their sisters. Seconds before they could start questioning the older mares (and identify if they were imposters), Rarity shook her head, snapping free of the unwitting staring contest.

“Uhm, yes. Girls, you must always try to find some other solution to your problem before using hooves to solve it. And, uh, if you must use extreme measures, try to be careful…?” The last statement trailed off as the unicorn checked on the other mare, blush in full control of her visage while blue eyes sought out green. Applejack laughed at Rarity’s change of attitude and subsequent ‘scolding’.

“Yep, sounds about right. Y’all go on home now, just ‘cause ya don’t have school tomorrow don’t mean homework can be forgotten.”

The two Crusaders ran, not wanting to give their sisters a chance to change their minds. They raced back into town, turning to look back only once, and almost crashing because of it. Standing where they left them, their sisters had gone back to having a staring contest, talking too quietly for either filly to hear.

Not wanting to waste a moment on the mysteries of adults, they kept going, making plans about cheering up their third member the next day.

-TTS-

Scootaloo shook her head. She hadn’t thought the two mares could actually be really odd, but they surprised all three fillies this time. When she lifted her head, the pegasus found she had drawn closer to the ground again without realizing, causing the two girls on her front step to cast anxious looks her way.

“Ok, alright, so, uh, what… Did you want to do then…? Rainbow Dash said I wasn’t grounded either.” Even as Scootaloo said she was free to roam, her body protested, losing its ability to defy gravity for a moment.

“Well, did ya eat yet? We could go fer some breakfast if ya want.” Apple Bloom smiled, trying to think of time specific things they could do. Sweetie Belle nodded rapidly beside the earth pony, grin wide as she spoke up.

“Oh oh oh! We can go to Cafe De L'Été!” Sweetie Belle spoke slowly, trying to get the pronunciation correct, only to find two sets of bewildered faces looking back at her.

“Caff-e Delete? What kind of shop is that? Who’d want tah delete their own business?” The young earth pony questioned the unicorn, the unfamiliar words sounding worse when she spoke.

“It’s not delete! It’s DE L 'Été! At least, that’s how Rarity pronounced it. She said it was Prench. But I hear they have some good food and tea!” The excitable filly turned from the olive-yellow girl only to stop any other persuasion when her gaze fell on the pegasus.

Scootaloo, unnoticed by the two arguing Crusaders, had sunk in on herself again, unable to fight the weight on her back and head. She had soon lost track of what her best friends were talking about, her mind pulled inward. The feel of two hooves on either shoulder drew her sight upwards, finding two concerned sets of eyes on her level.

“Scootaloo, are ya ok?”

“Sco-Scootaloo…? Are you alright…?”

The two anxiety ridden voices rang through a tunnel, echoing from far away. The disconnected pegasus shook her head, trying to come back to the surface. She tried to smile reassuringly but it felt odd on her muzzle, almost like she forgot how to.

“I’m… alright… Didn’t sleep too well.” Scootaloo tried to lift a hoof up to her face but found it was too heavy. She settled instead for a faltering grin. Something that didn’t assure her best friends at all.

Sweetie Belle bit her lip, eyes trying to find any reason for the listlessness of the pegasus only to find no outward reason. She peeked at the earth pony beside her. Apple Bloom wore a large frown before she stood up once more.

“Alright. Well, maybe we’re all ah little hungry an’ that’s why we can’t seem tah get anything done. Let’s go to Sugarcube Corner. We’re still not the best at cookin’ after all.” Apple Bloom turned resolutely to walk down the street only to pause a hoofstep away. Shifting her gaze back at the panicking unicorn and forlorn pegasus, she sighed and turned back, leaning up against the orange filly and pushing her forward.

The pale-gray filly brightened at this action and joined in on the other side. Together, they made sure the distraught girl closed her door and walked down the street. Scootaloo tried to make weak protests but found she was too tired even for that. Instead, she sighed, coming to terms with her inability to do anything lately. This acceptance only served to pull at her very bones, urging her to lay down and give it all up. The others noticed this sudden weight and picked up their pace, unsure of the cause but wanting to get to a safe location.

The trio burst into the bakery, two pairs of eyes scanning for an open table while the last one was still glued to the ground. By the time they had arrived, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had to use their hooves to hold up the despondent filly. A fact that only drove them to run towards a food location. Waving down a pink furred server, the duo placed Scootaloo gently into a seat, grabbing their own while waiting for the chance to order. Pinkie Pie hopped over, a wide smile on her face that slowly fell when she noticed the third Crusader.

“Hey girls, what can I do for you today?” The pink mare’s thoughts ran a mile a second as she checked with the kids. Blue eyes flowed over the other girls before coming back to Scootaloo.

“We need some wake up food quick! Scoot-uh, we need a good start to our day!” Sweetie Belle stood on her chair, hooves resting against the table before her, as she implored the older mare. Apple Bloom nodded along with the demand.

“Yeah, an’ don’t ya worry about the cost, we got it covered.”

Pinkie Pie dipped her head at the command, zipping into the back without a word. Seconds later, she rushed back out, a tray balanced on her back and head. She bucked the trays into the air, arched to land safely on the table, while her mane seemed to catch the two trays and store them on her back. Three drinks and bowls were placed directly in front of each girl, slightly different from one another while still being the same kind of food. Sweetie Belle had a cup of hot chocolate with sprinkles and whipped cream and a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins coating the top. Apple Bloom had a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on top along with a bowl of oatmeal that had apple slices, cut into fine pieces, on top. Scootaloo had a cup of hot chocolate as well, though hers had cinnamon coating the top with her bowl of oatmeal being covered in cinnamon, ginger and tiny flakes of barley.

“There you go! Three wake up calls and good food to start your day! If I don’t see smiles in a minute, I’ll come back with the happiness special!” The hyper pony stared closely at the pegasus who managed to hear the veiled warning.

Scootaloo smiled wanly at the older mare before sipping her drink. When she felt the rush of warmth spread to her hooves from the center of her body, she was able to smile a bit more naturally, something that satisfied the party pony. Some of the lead left her system and Scootaloo found she was able to actually swallow the meal, which only helped her even more. Though she wasn’t up to usual standards, a fact that was duly noted by her two best friends.

“What do we do Apple Bloom?! She-she isn’t doing so well!” Sweetie Belle whispered to the earth pony next to her, mouth barely moving to form the words, eyes staring at the pegasus across the way.

“... Maybe… Maybe we should try an’ do some Crusadin’, see if that gets her spirit back up.” Apple Bloom answered just as quietly, glancing around the room to find some kind of activity they could do to earn cutie marks. Finding nothing inside, the filly turned her gaze outside, eyes thoughtful. She tried to imagine something, anything, they could do on such short notice only to pull up short when she thought about who it was they were trying to cheer up.

“Ah know! Let’s race!” The exclamation was loud enough to draw Scootaloo’s attention. Two pairs of bewildered eyes watched the bow-wearing filly as she sheepishly rubbed her head before continuing. “We’ll try and get our racin’ cutie marks. How’s-how’s that for somethin’ to do today?”

Sweetie Belle perked up in her seat, head nodding quickly with a wide grin. When she saw the uncertainty in the usually bold pegasus however, her zealous nodding slowed to a crawl.

“I don’t know guys. I don’t think I’m up for much right now…” Scootaloo turned her face aside, unwilling to meet disappointed eyes, as she used her spoon to poke at the mush in the bowl.

The anxious unicorn glanced between her two friends. Seeing that the usually stable and firm filly was unable to think of a comeback at this time, she took matters into her own hooves. She jumped down from her place and rushed to the pegasus’ side, pushing and prodding with desperate hooves. Scootaloo, still rather weak and caught surprised, was soon pushed over onto the floor. Ushered to her hooves with a nose that made goosebumps raise up on her fur, the girl found a moment when she wanted to laugh at her friend’s insistence. This moment was quickly doused by the fact that the only reason Sweetie Belle was acting like this was because she herself was not acting normal.

Apple Bloom leaned back at the sudden movement. Able only to sit back and watch the two friends head outside before her mind reminded her why the unicorn was acting like that. Checking the table for anything left behind, she received a jolt when she found that Scootaloo’s meal was barely touched, three sips and two spoonfuls having been consumed. When the filly looked up, the two friends had managed to leave her sight, causing a bolt of fear. Apple Bloom thundered out, not waiting for their check.

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle got Scootaloo to the street and in starting position. She insisted that they warm up before going to race for real with carts. Scootaloo tried to get out of it, only to be ponyhandled into place.

“Please Scootaloo, please? We’ll run to the sports shop and then you don’t have to run again. We’d just race with carts afterwards. But we have to be, uhm, limber! Yeah, we have to be limber to be good racers.”

“Sweetie Belle, I’m not really -”

“Pleeeeasssseeeeee….?” Green eyes pleaded with purple, shimmering with equals part of hope and desperation.

Scootaloo couldn’t hold back her sigh and crouched down. Shaking her head in resignation, she tried to focus on the street ahead of her. Barely hearing the shout of ‘go’, she noticed the alabaster filly running ahead, turning her head to see if the pegasus was following. Noticing the concerned expression, Scootaloo forced her legs into motion, unwilling to let her friends down.

Apple Bloom exited the door to find her other friends running down the street. Sweetie Belle seemed to be ahead but she slowed so that she could keep pace with Scootaloo. Gritting her teeth, the earth filly rushed after her friends, too far back to try and call out to them.

The more athletic filly noticed how she couldn’t seem to pull ahead, her breath uneven and short, as her hooves grew sore with each cycle. Her gaze shifted from watching the road ahead to check on the filly giving her a run for her bits. Catching sight of a pleased grin, Scootaloo was about to try and up her efforts when the smile transformed into a unfinished shout of warning.

“Scootaloo, wat-”

The words once again echoed from a distance as the world spun. Everyday noises were gone, and gravity seemed to have lost it’s hold on the young pegasus. Blackness crept on the edge of her vision before she had to shut her eyes. A voice shouted in the far distance, making a sharp pang dash through her chest to go along with the sudden sting coming from her entire left side. The voice sang out again, its shrill tones piercing the blackness that started to envelope the downed pegasus.

“Scootaloo! Oh my gosh, Scootaloo! Wake up, you have to wake up! Please be ok! I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have made you run and-”

“Yeah, because it’s so obviously your fault that I messed up… Again.” Scootaloo blearily opened her eyes as she muttered a response. The unicorn, pleased at first to hear her voice, stiffened when the words sank in.

“What… what do you mean?” Sweetie Belle’s voice dropped in volume while she stared wide eyed at the injured filly. The pegasus stood up from where she crashed, favoring her left forehoof that started to produce tiny droplets of red.

“Nothing… It’s not your fault. It’s mine. Always lame-o me…” Can’t fly, can’t run… Can’t do anything… I am a waste of space. Shouldn’t even bother the others. Obviously I’m just going to make it worse.

“Scootaloo… W-wait!” Sweetie Belle held out a hoof, trying to gain the dejected filly’s attention only to find she was once again lost in her own little world.

The somber tone had frozen the unicorn into place, breath starting to become unstable and form shivering in anxiety. When she felt a hesitant hoof on her shoulder, Sweetie glanced to her left, finding Apple Bloom gazing in the direction of the pegasus. Orange eyes turned to find watery green ones staring back in sorrow.

“Wha-what do we do now…?”

“We find out what is goin’ on here. Something’s wrong with Scootaloo an’ it’s up to us to find out. Come on, we’re gonna look up a few things.” Apple Bloom’s voice didn’t waver as she turned around, facing the street that would lead them to the local library. Jerking her head forward, she lead the way to where they would hopefully find out what those weird symptoms of Scootaloo’s meant.

-TTS-

The two girls soon found themselves in front of the tree library. Its large branches reached towards the sky while the red door stood out brightly against the light tan grain. Knocking curtly, Apple Bloom was relieved when the door was opened immediately. Spike, the residential dragon and assistant, held onto the frame with one claw while the other was on his side as he stared questioningly to the two girls.

“What did you want? If you need Twilight, she’s a little busy at the moment.” The drake’s tone was gruff; nopony ever wanted to talk with him specifically.

The two fillies shared unsure glances before shrugging to the lad.

“It don’t matter. We need tah look at some books about bein’ sick; y’all got some right?” Apple Bloom stood on her hooftips to crane her neck, trying to see past the lad to the books behind him. Spike rolled his eyes and shuffled backwards. Waving a claw, he invited the girls inside.

“Alright, alright. Just don’t make a mess, I just got the place cleaned up.”

The fillies wasted no time in accepting the invitation. They rushed to the center of the room, spinning slowly, while they tried to figure out where the medical section was. Spike, seeing their confusion, rolled his eyes again. After shutting the door, he stepped up beside them and pointed towards the left wall.

“Over there…”

Nodding their appreciation, they ran over, eyes scanning the various titles in hopes of something that stood out. They started on separate ends, tugging on different books and setting them in a pile between them. Once they had well over fifteen books assembled, they started to flip through the pages, briefly checking their contents without truly knowing what they searched for.

Fifteen, twenty, thirty minutes past with no successful discoveries. The fillies were growing more desperate with each passing second. The purple dragon didn’t pay them much attention until the pale-gray unicorn shouted aloud.

“OH COME ON! We’ve been looking and while some of this stuff is really neat it’s not what’s wrong with Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle huffed with both hooves crossed over her chest. Her heart felt a stab of pain, remembering the despairing glint in purple eyes.

“Hey, watch it. We’re in a library. But, uh, what’s wrong with Scootaloo?” Spike glanced over, frowning at the shout, though the mention of the pegasus distracted his train of thought.

“We ain’t sure… We was hopin’ to find the answer here.” Apple Bloom waved her left hoof, eyes trailing after it, to come to a stop when a large brown book dropped off the shelf without anyone touching it. There was a small flash of pink, gone by too quickly to be identified, that appeared behind the book.

The sound of a tome falling down drew three sets of eyes. Spike’s were wide with fright. He knew what happened when books were mistreated. The others rushed to look at the book, curious as to what made it fall. While Apple Bloom looked up to the shelf, not seeing any place for someone to tip it over, Sweetie Belle read the cover aloud.

“Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Equestrian Psychiatric Association… A book about mental things? Hmmm…” The unicorn opened the book with her hoof, searching the lists of symptoms for ones similar to their missing friend’s. Meanwhile, an annoyed voice floated from down below, its irritable tone evident even several stories up.

“Spike…?! What was that noise? Did something fall over?”

The dragon jumped up, fists clenching while he glanced to the basement, voice trembling as he answered.

“Oh, uh, nothing’s wrong Twilight! Just, uhm, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle… They’re looking for a book.” The conversation between librarian and assistant faded from the girls’ ears when the unicorn called her fellow Crusader over.

“Apple Bloom! Apple Bloom! Look, I think I found it!” The olive-yellow earth pony read over Sweetie Belle’s shoulder, trying to understand some of the larger words.

“Deepressin’? What’s that? Those symptoms are the same as how she was actin’ though… Moody, tired, sad, didn’t want tah talk, not very hungry…” Apple Bloom listed what she’d seen with a hoof on her chin. Eyes floated upwards as she thought.

The other Crusader’s eyes widened when she read further ahead. Before she could comment on what else she found, an older, though just as anxious, voice came from above their heads.

“Depression? You think Scootaloo is depressed?” Twilight looked down wide-eyed at the two girls. They turned in place from the ground, staring at the adult with a mixture of surprise and worry.

The girls exchanged uneasy gazes, deciding mutely on what to do with an adult in their midst. The earth pony nodded encouragingly to the young unicorn to explain what they found. Sweetie Belle took a deep breath, pushing aside her fears about what the discovery could mean, and stood up.

“Well, we… We think there’s something wrong with Scootaloo. Like she isn’t feeling well. And we were trying to find out what it was when this book fell off the shelf! But then we were looking at it and we were starting to think that maybe, she could possibly be… depressed.” The young unicorn shifted on her hooves, eyes trailing downward in uncertainty only to straighten up with bewilderment. “But-but I don’t understand why! She has a good home now, we’re here for her, there’s nothing to be sad about!”

Twilight frowned thoughtfully, eyes becoming distant as she reflected on what little she knew of the pegasus’ past. Hearing the confusion about how it could be possible though brought her back from her thoughts. She raised a single eyebrow at the statement.

“Sometimes it doesn’t matter what they do have; ponies with depression can have everything in the world and still be very sad and feel very lonely. If Scootaloo is depressed, then we may need to try and get her help as soon as possible.” The lavender unicorn took a single step away, gaze focused on the distance where her rainbow maned friend usually hung around.

In her moment of distraction however, she didn’t see the bright flame of hope that appeared in the younger filly’s eyes. Though she was able to catch the tail end of what she said while running out the door.

“That’s it! We’ll just show her she isn’t alone and we’ll find some way to have a lot of fun, that’s sure to help!” Sweetie Belle rushed out of the tree house. She didn’t look back at any of those she left behind, even when Apple Bloom called out for her to wait.

“Sweetie Belle, wait! Ah don’t think that’s what she meant!”

Twilight stood in the middle of the room, blinking slowly. Jerkily, she looked down at the lad beside her, puzzlement written over her entire face. Spike shrugged, lifting both sets of claws into the air.

“I don’t know anything.”

The studious mare shook her head, turning in place and heading towards the door. With a flash of her magic, she levitated a broom and dustpan to the drake. The lad sighed as he accepted the cleaning supplies.

“Could you clean up Spike? I have to find Rainbow Dash.” The lavender mare then floated the medical book the girls were looking at and trotted out the door with it by her side.

Spike sagged, resigned to always cleaning up after others. With little fuss, he started to pick up the books and reshelving them.

The alabaster filly ran down the crowded streets, ducking between the legs in her way, the only sounds being loud pants as she drove her body to even faster speeds. The warning at the bottom of the book floating before her eyes.

[... ponies with depression often think they don’t deserve to live… If a patient shows signs of depression, keep a close eye on them in order to prevent potential suicide.]

I have to show her she’s not alone! I have to show her she’s not alone! She’s not, she’s not, she’s not… I won’t ever leave her…! Please don’t leave me!

The room was silent, nothing moved, while the sole resident laid down on her right side, unwilling to rest on scrapes. Her left forehoof was pulled up to be easily seen. Orange fur started to matte, bright red blood giving it a shiny appearance from her elbow down. Dirt was still on the injury from the gravel the pegasus had landed in but Scootaloo had lost the energy and will to try and wash it off.

After she had arrived home, she found that she didn’t want to bother heading into her room to go back to sleep. Instead she opted to rest in the middle of the living room. Her numb limbs couldn’t make the climb up any of the furniture, so she laid on the floor, staring at the red stain that grew slowly before crawling to a stop. While it wasn’t bleeding heavily, it still stung, the soil and bits of rock aggravating the cut.

I’ve had worse… Especially at Hannigan’s… Wonder why it seems so odd now…?... Oh… I actually managed not to be so useless in the past half a year... Haven’t had a big scrape in a long time… Bet I’m too useless to actually give it proper medical attention…

An insistent pounding resounded through the still house. Barely lifting her head from the ground, Scootaloo glanced towards the front door. Sighing, she was about to go back to watching her leg when the sound came back, even more forceful than before.

“SCOOTALOO! You in there? I’m coming in!” The light, almost panicking voice, broke through the pegasus’ daze.

By the time the door opened, Scootaloo was able to half sit up, slightly dizzy in the new position. The light drifting inside blinded her for a moment, but she recognized the gasp that came as she turned to greet the visitor.

“Wh-what happened?! Was-is that… from the fall? I’m-I’m here to help!” Sweetie Belle flew inside, trying to help the pegasus but stayed back, terrified of making it worse. She checked the floor and found only a tiny stain on the ground, a sign it hadn’t been too long nor was it that bad.

“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch. I had worse. Just goes to show how useless I am... “ Scootaloo turned further, removing the injury from prying green eyes, though she couldn’t meet the caring gaze for long.

The unicorn shifted in place, biting her lip, her thoughts going to the bathroom to where hopefully a medical kit rested. Putting a hoof on the orange shoulder, she gently nudged her friend.

“Uhm, why-why don’t we go and clean that up and we can go and do some Crusading…? We can have lots of fun with our day off…!” Sweetie Belle remembered her original mission and tried to subtly get the pegasus moving.

Scootaloo tipped dangerously at the gentle shove and swatted at the offending hoof with her own right one. She frowned at the insistent filly briefly before shifting her gaze downwards once more.

“I’ll clean it up when I feel like it… Besides, I’m probably the one holding all of you back, you should just go Crusading without me. It’s my fault we all don’t have school anyways.”

“What? No way! You’re-you’re not holding us back at all Scootaloo! We’re a team! We… We work together and help one another!” Sweetie Belle’s voice trembled, hooves moving back up to push against the pegasus.

“Yeah well, there’s no one who can help me. Trying is just a waste of time… I’m hopeless...” Scootaloo crouched down, eyes scrunched shut at admitting her thoughts.

Feeling the hooves on her back slacken for a moment, she exhaled tiredly, guilt filling her core at pushing away one of two friends she ever had. Purple orbs shot open however, when those gentle hooves pushed back, shaking so much that the pegasus’ frame also shivered in time. Twisting her head back, Scootaloo frowned at the unicorn who stared back with steely eyes, a frown of her own on her muzzle.

“No! You’re not a waste of time or space or or anything! Let’s get this cleaned up and then I’ll…! I’ll-I’ll prove it!” The unicorn shifted her hooves from the hunched back to the bleeding limb, grabbing it from the shoulder and tugging on it.

A sudden shout of pain and full body push caused Sweetie Belle to not only let go, but be forced back, away from the trembling pegasus. Scootaloo held her left leg with her right, glaring with watery eyes to the offender.

“Just leave me alone! You’re not helping at all! Just-just… Just go away!”

The quivering shout shot through the pale-gray unicorn’s chest. Gasping, eyes watering, Sweetie Belle turned and ran towards the door. Seeing a yellow blur in the doorway, she shot through the taller pony’s legs, ears flat against her skull.

Scootaloo watched the departure with wide eyes, mouth dropping open at the crushed expression on the other girl’s face. She raised a shaky hoof in opposition to the departure only to drop it back down onto her injured leg when Sweetie Belle turned down the street.

“Oh my! Scootaloo! What happened? Oh dear, oh no! I’ll get the first aid kit -!” Fluttershy’s high pitched voice was cut off by one of a younger filly, scolding the pegasus for her actions.

“Scootaloo! Why’d ya do that?! Sweetie Belle has always been tryin’ tah help ya! Why would ya say that? When Ah come back with her, ya better apologize!” Apple Bloom pointed with her hoof to the filly in the living room before stomping it onto the ground. “Honestly, if it’s not one of ‘em, it’s the other.” She muttered to herself as she turned, running in the same direction as the distressed unicorn.

Fluttershy furrowed her brows at the last sentence while she pulled out a cleaning wipe. Turning her focus back to the slumped filly in front of her, she started to clean the cut. When Scootaloo pulled back with a cry of pain and tried to glare the caretaker away, she was met with a stern one in return. Flickering briefly, the young pegasus gave in and looked down.

“Scootaloo, what happened?” The unusually firm tone brokered no other choice but to explain.

“I-... I don’t know… I haven’t been feeling very good lately and the other Crusaders were trying to cheer me up… I fell during a race with Sweetie Belle and then, then she just showed up, trying to help… I… She pulled on my cut and I-... I yelled…” Scootaloo flinched as the older mare tightened the pristine linen holding the bandage in place.

“You realize what you did hurt others, right?” Fluttershy stared the filly straight in the eye, checking that the girl knew what happened. When Scootaloo nodded, the yellow pegasus smiled, pleased with the answer. “Good. Then you know what you should do…?”

“Yes… I should apologize…”

“And explain…?”

“Explain about how I haven’t been feeling good and that it wasn’t their fault…” Scootaloo watched the ground, unable to raise her head as she spoke. Feeling a sudden weight on top of her head, she glanced upwards to find Fluttershy was nuzzling her cerise mane.

“Good. I’m sure they’ll forgive you. All good friends do. And they can help you when you don’t feel very well.” The animal care-taker smiled softly as she gave the filly a hug with both wings, pulling her closer before taking a step back. “I’m going to tell Rainbow Dash about what happened, ok? I’ll be back in an hour to hear about how the apology went.”

Scootaloo nodded, remaining in place while the older mare exited the single floored house. The sadness and black pit was still there, in the back of her mind, but she wouldn’t acknowledge it, wouldn’t allow it to come forward. Instead she stared at the entrance, replaying the sight of a crying gray unicorn running away while she tried to think of someway, anyway to make it up to her best friends.

Apple Bloom desperately searched the nearby streets, eyes wide and moving constantly. She tried to listen for the sound of crying, but couldn’t hear anything. Turning around, she went for the edge of town instead, hoping that the unicorn merely tried to avoid the crowds and used back alleyways.

When she came to the bridge where they once found a sick Scootaloo, the earth pony finally managed to hear her friend. Picking up her pace once more, Apple Bloom skidded down the banks to find Sweetie Belle next to the stream, head on her hooves while she stared at her reflection.

The earth pony sat down beside the pale-gray filly. Looking towards the water, she leaned into her friend. Sweetie Belle sniffled, wiping her nose with a hoof. At the motion, Apple Bloom noticed a bright stain that shown very clearly against her lighter fur. Standing up and pulling the distressed filly with her, Apple Bloom check her friend’s barrel, worried about the red on it.

“Wha-? What happened!?!”

Hearing this sudden panic, Sweetie Belle looked down and sighed, eyes pulled back up to continue their forlorn watch of the water.

“Oh… Scootaloo was bleeding and pushed me away… Some of it got on me…” The unicorn exhaled once again, slumping forward.

Apple Bloom gave a huff of disbelief and tugged on the pale-gray hoof. Once they were right beside the water, the earth pony splashed the fresh and slightly chilled water to wash away the blood. After that task was done, they sat watching the water flow slowly by.

“Wanna talk about it?” The bow-wearing filly peeked at her neighbor. She found only a shrug for an answer.

“How ‘bout an apology?” At this question, Sweetie Belle glanced over perplexed.

“What do you mean…?” The unicorn’s soft words caused another frown of concern to appear on the olive-yellow girl.

“Ah told Scoots that we’d be back an’ she’s supposed tah apologize to you.” Apple Bloom snorted, tilting her head back the way she came for a second as she thought about the pegasus. “Did ya want to go now or wait ah bit first?”

“Can… Can we just sit here for a little bit…?” The request was punctured by sniffling as the heartbroken filly started to tear up once again. The earth pony sighed, hunkering down beside her friend, staring straight ahead as Sweetie Belle dipped her head into the olive-yellow shoulder.

Why… Why have these two been actin’ so odd with one another? Sure, we might fight ah bit, but… but this isn’t like before… Gotta step up my game. Protect my family, like sis’ does.

Apple Bloom slung a comforting leg around shaking shoulders, pulling the crying filly closer to her. Sighing softly again, she tried to reassure the unicorn.

“It’s gonna be ok… Ah think Scoot ain’t feelin’ so well, and once we get all this settled, we’d be able to try an’ help. Just gotta stand firm… It’ll be ok Sweetie Belle, it’ll be ok…”

A blur of yellow flew over the early morning crowd. The pegasus was high enough that she avoided running into anypony, while she frantically searched the skies. When she spotted some clouds about to be busted by a rainbow trail, Fluttershy sped up, eyes trained on the assortment of colors. Before Rainbow Dash could finish her twist and zoom off, she paused, wings flapping evenly to keep her aloft. The animal care-taker frowned at the sight. In seconds she realized that Rainbow was talking with someone on the ground and pushed her wings to their limit.

While attempting to be fast, the shy mare closed her eyes, forehooves stretched forward as she flew. Panting filled her ears until two hooves grasped her shoulders and a bemused chuckle sounded out.

“Heh heh, what’s the big rush? Seems everypony is running around today.” Opening teal eyes slowly, Fluttershy found Dash smirking towards her, hooves out to stop the near-collision.

“O-oh, uhm… Uh, I was-trying to find you… Something happened with… Scootaloo…” The canary colored mare panted as she tried to explain herself.

The prismatic pegasus squinted at her words however. She glanced towards the ground, where a horrified lavender mare was waiting.

“Something did happen with Scootaloo! Oooh, I came too late! It was all because I stopped to grab the book and-” Twilight’s rambling was cut short by an impatient blue hoof.

“Woah woah woah. One pony at a time. What happened to Scootaloo, Fluttershy?”

Having two expectant eyes focused on her suddenly made the timid mare shrink back. She then remembered the sagging figure that may still be in the empty house and took a large breath.

“Scootaloo fell today and got a cut on her leg. It’s not that bad, but she seems to be very upset… There is something wrong and we should talk to her about it.” Fluttershy looked firmly to her oldest friend, not willing for this event to be swept under the rug like so many others. Dash rubbed the back of her head with a half smirk, guessing as to what brought on that gaze.

“Well, that’s what I was trying to find you about too. The other members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders stopped by the library just minutes ago and were trying to find what kind of ‘sickness’ Scootaloo is suffering from. Then they found this book.” The unicorn lifted up the blue tome with her magic before continuing, guessing that neither pegasi knew what it was. “This is a book about mental illnesses. They say that Scootaloo fits the description of one of these… In particular, they believe, as I’m starting to, that Scootaloo has a bad case of depression.”

The two fliers shared wide-eyed stares. Fluttershy raised both hooves to her mouth as she gasped while Dash turned back to the lavender mare below them.

“What?”

This time Sweetie Belle found herself in front of Scootaloo’s house with backup. She took comfort in that Apple Bloom seemed to appoint herself the leader in these oddly trying times. They both took a deep breath before the unicorn reached out, tapping lightly against the frame before flinching back.

The door opened immediately after the brief knocking, just in time for the orange filly inside to see the flinch. Scootaloo scrunched her muzzle, unable to meet either fillies’ eyes. Taking a deep breath, the pegasus built up what little courage she could and didn’t wait for either of the others to start.

“H-hey guys… I’m really sorry. I’m really really sorry… I didn’t mean to say that to you Sweetie Belle. You and Apple Bloom have helped me, a lot. I-I trust you guys… I do… I just, haven’t been feeling very well lately. Like, worse than usual. And when you tried to get me doing stuff again, I didn’t want to, even if I should have. So, I’m sorry… Can… Can you forgive me?” Scootaloo began to raise her gaze only to find herself tackled by the other girls, forehooves wrapping around her to gently squeeze her barrel.

“Of course I do Scootaloo! I just wanted to help but didn’t even consider what you were feeling… I’m sorry too. Can you forgive me?” Sweetie Belle pulled back enough to look into purple eyes, trying to read the emotions that swirled inside. From their murky depths, she saw a tiny sliver of warmth. Lunging forward again, the unicorn smiled into the orange fur while Scootaloo spoke from just above her ear.

“Of course I forgive you. I wasn’t really explaining myself too much either, so you couldn’t really know what was going on…”

“Ah wanted tah apologize too. Ah didn’t mean to come across so rough with ya Scoots about apologizing. Ah’m just worried for the both of ya… Yer-yer like my family. Ah… Ah think of you like kin, an’ it sure hurts havin’ family fightin’...” Apple Bloom couldn’t look at either friend as she spoke up. When she felt the direction of the hug change to focus on her though, she smiled as well and reaffirmed her grip.

“That’s ok Apple Bloom… I… I never really had much of a family before… But having you guys as sisters could be pretty nice… Cutie Mark Crusader Family Forever.” Scootaloo murmured loud enough for the others to hear amidst their group embrace. A half beat later and they all chimed in at the end, synchronized just like always, even if their trademark shout was nothing more than a soft whisper.

“Yay!”

The trio stayed in the hug for a while longer, not caring that they were outside. Sweetie Belle in particular made sure not to bump the injury, resting her left foreleg under it. She had barely kept back her wince at being called a sister by her crush and was trying to keep her actions in line with Apple Bloom’s, not wanting to seem out of place.

I don’t mind thinking of Apple Bloom as a sister, but-but… I don’t want to be Scootaloo’s sister! Sisters don’t want to-to… cuddle with each other… give each other a… a kiss… I don’t think of her like a sister… But maybe she sees me as one… Maybe I should just give up-... No. If she can try to fight depression and a bunch of sadness, I can try and fight for…

Does she really just think of me as a sister?

Soon, the embrace broke, each party pulling back at the same time. Smiling timidly, the pegasus walked backwards until she reached the door. She held it open even further, gesturing with her left hoof for the others to enter. Smiling just as timidly, the other Crusaders entered, unsure of what they could do to help but willing to go to anything lengths for their family.

XIV (FS/RD)- Mixed messages

View Online

Start of April, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

The sound of the crowd faded as the canary mare focused on her studious friend. Twilight’s body was tense as she stood before the two pegasi. At the sight of the anxious unicorn, Rainbow Dash landed from her place in the sky to stand beside the other pegasus.

“What do you mean, ‘depressed’?” Rainbow frowned, causing a flicker of fear in the other pegasus for a second.

Fluttershy had long ago associated that frown with yelling and stubborn denial. Twilight, not reading or knowing all the signs, lowered her voice further as she continued to speak.

“Well, I’m not a hundred percent sure, we would have to test for it, but the other Cutie Mark Crusaders stopped by the library earlier today and were checking medicine books. Scootaloo hadn’t been acting like herself for a while and they wanted to see if it was an illness.” Twilight’s tone grew stiff and lecturing like when she spoke of science and learning. She tried to watch both of her friends at the same time but most of her focused gaze was on Rainbow Dash. “When they compared the symptoms with that of depression, it seemed like the correct hypothesis. I know you’ve been helping care for her, which is why I wanted to check with you first Rainbow…”

The unicorn took an unsure step forward. The prismatic mare frowned deeper and shook her head. “But… but she doesn’t seem… -”

“Sometimes… cheerfulness is… a mask…” Fluttershy’s quiet voice cut off her old time friend, causing the others to stare worryingly at her. Rainbow Dash slowly frowned while Twilight shifted uneasily.

“Uhm, would you want any assistance? I have some great reference books…” The unicorn shifted at the blank stares she got in return. “Uh, well, you know I’m here if you ever need a friend…”

Rainbow waved breezily before turning back to focus on her old friend.

“Yeah, I’ll keep it in mind, but me and Fluttershy got this. Thanks Twi’, we’ll see you around.” The sky blue pegasus zeroed in on the other pegasus with sharp concerned eyes. “Was there… Something you wanna talk about Fluttershy?”

The pink haired animal caretaker whimpered, letting her mane break the staring contest. This didn’t stop the cerise eyes from focusing solely on the mare in front of them.

“Fluttershy…”

“You were gone…” The muted response was almost lost in the crowd but since sharp blue ears were trained on the quieter mare, it wasn’t missed.

“Wha-what do you mean?” Rainbow’s ears flicked back as anxiety began to fill her mind.

“You were gone!” Fluttershy closed her eyes as the words were expelled in a rush of air. “You were gone and I had to pretend it didn’t matter.”

Dash’s eyebrows clenched down for a second at the topic before schooling into a neutral manner once more. Glancing around, her muzzle scrunched at the crowd that began to peer curiously towards the two pegasi.

“Alright. I guess… we need to talk. But maybe not in the middle of the street?” A blue hoof waved to show her meaning. A gasp later and Dash found herself standing over the cowering pale-yellow mare who had only just remembered where they stood. Sighing briefly with a roll of her eyes, Rainbow nudged her best friend with a hoof. “Come on, let’s go to my place to talk.”

“O-ok… Oh! Wait, I told Scootaloo I would go and check on how she was doing!” Fluttershy almost immediately lost her frightened stance as the reminder of her promise ran through her mind.

Rainbow scowled briefly as she glanced to the side. She exhaled gustily, closing her eyes for a second, before turning to face the shy pegasus. Continuing to tug on Fluttershy’s hoof, she walked instead of flying, heading towards the small house on the western side of town.

“Alright. We’ll talk there after talking with Scootaloo.” Dash glanced around and noticed the medical tome left behind by the studious unicorn. Fluttershy smiled hesitantly before dropping lower and cautiously following her old time friend and crush.

The two mares drew a few curious gazes as they traveled through town. Though it was mostly the sight of the infamous Rainbow Dash walking anyway that gave most ponies pause. They didn’t notice the stares however, as each mare was lost in her thoughts about the event that took place over six years ago.

I… I finally get to hear what caused her to leave… But am I ready to learn about it…? But it was my selfish desire to know… Fluttershy anxiously nibbled on her lip as she demurely followed her friend. Even as worry weighed her every step, she couldn't help but have a tiny flicker of hope that she might finally get some kind of resolution.

Soon, both mares arrived at the doorstep of the single floored home. Giving a swift knock and shout of ‘It’s Rainbow Dash, kiddo’ to warn the occupant, the blue mare entered and glanced about for the young filly. Fluttershy followed closely behind her, making sure to shut the door behind them.

The sound of three sets of hooves on the floor drew their attention to the bedroom. The Crusaders exited with sheepish smiles, though Scootaloo, who stood in the middle, still hunched closer to the ground. The sight of other fillies made Rainbow pause in her advancement, eyebrows twitching down in confusion before going back into a neutral face. Fluttershy however, stepped forward with a gentle smile.

“Hello girls. Did everything turn out ok?”

“Yeah, we apologized to one another.” Scootaloo spoke up once she saw her friends were waiting for her to answer. “We were just playing some Gone Fishing.” The other fillies nodded agreement, tiny smiles on their muzzles.

For a moment, everypony fell silent, unsure of what to say next while the issue at hoof remained unaddressed. The trio of fillies shuffled on their hooves, gaze dropping down every so often as the adults thought about what to do next. The chime of the town clock broke the stillness, causing both adults to look in the direction of the clocktower.

“Oh my, it’s already noon! Have you girls eaten anything yet? Perhaps Rainbow Dash and I can start on a meal for everypony…?” Fluttershy, realizing Dash may not know what to do still, took the lead with a small smile. Though her grin flickered for a second when the prismatic mare didn’t make any comment and nodded silently. Fluttershy checked on the fillies before them and also found agreement to her suggestion. Nodding to herself, she nudged her old time friend with her shoulder, pushing the cobalt pegasus towards the kitchen.

The two mares left the girls in the living room and began to prep for a quick lunch. While Rainbow grabbed plates, cups and utensils, Fluttershy checked the fridge and shelves for what was available. Finding only basic foods that made simple imbalanced meals, she glanced to the other pegasus, confusion evident in her eyes along with the unspoken question.

“What? I went and bought food that the squirt and I could cook.” Dash was quick to understand the glance and shrugged defensively. “We don’t all have your cooking skills.” The brash mare tried to temper her words with a teasing smirk, though it only served to exasperate the mare.

“Yes Rainbow, but instant-oats is not very good for a growing filly.” Fluttershy grabbed the few vegetables and began to make a simple salad. “I’ll help get some groceries tomorrow. If you could, stop by and look at what I buy? So you know some of the proper diet for a growing pegasus?”

The shy mare couldn’t face her friend as she asked for more of the speedster’s time. The sigh and eye roll, even though it went unseen, that answered her request caused Fluttershy flinch in worry. Rainbow, watching from the table in the middle of the kitchen, noticed and expanded on her answer.

“Alright, alright… I’ll see what kinds of food to get from now on.” The pegasus checked that the girls were still in the living room, not listening to the adults talk, and leaned closer to the animal caretaker. “After lunch, if the kids are still playing, let’s find a cloud and have that talk you wanted, ok? Then we can come back and talk some more with Scoots.”

Fluttershy blushed as she nodded her agreement. She couldn’t turn from the counter where she was chopping the ingredients, so she made sure the head shake was pronounced for the other mare’s benefit. Biting her lip gently, the canary mare focused on the veggies, trying to silence her inner voice that was squeeing at how the rendezvous sounded.

In moments, the two adults had the meal ready to go and called for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to join them at the table. They didn’t really have enough chairs for everypony, so Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stood while Scootaloo sat in one of the smaller armchairs they had to bring over. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both had the regular wooden chairs, having argued that the hurt pegasus should have the most comfortable seating.

“You guys going to hang out here for most of the day?” Rainbow smirked to the trio, though she kept her main gaze on the orange filly.

Scootaloo looked up from her barely touched food and slowly turned to her friends. Seeing the cheerful expressions that obviously held back from demanding anything from the young pegasus, Scootaloo shrugged.

“Uh, guess so. If, that’s uh, ok?” The pegasus could barely return the curious gaze of the sky blue mare.

“No worries kid, you guys can all chill here. Me and Fluttershy are going to talk and get some more food, more than what I’ve already got.” Rainbow playfully rolled her eyes. Seeing that this got a tiny chuckle from the exhausted filly, the blue mare chuckled herself. “Look kid, you may be tired, but you should still try to do things. Even if they are just boring stuff or stuff you don’t think you should bother with.”

Scootaloo smiled briefly before returning to her plate and poking at her meal. The others ate their meal just as slowly, keeping a wary eye on the orange filly. Scoot didn’t notice this attention, focusing on her food in front of her. Fluttershy frowned at how much she was actually eating and tried to gain the older speedster’s attention. When Dash finally did glance towards the quieter mare, Flutters jerked her head minutely towards the door. Rainbow scowled in thought before remembering her other mission. She nodded discreetly back and took a step back from the table. Ruffling the orange filly’s mane, Dash led the way out. Fluttershy smiling goodbye to the girls as she followed along.

Once the two mares were outside, Rainbow made sure the door was firmly shut before taking flight. She kept her speed slow however, in order to make sure Fluttershy was able to keep up. Hearing the sound of another set of wingbeats behind her, Dash glanced about for a cloud she could move into place. Using a breath’s worth of time, Rainbow grabbed the cloud and pulled it to hover over the small house. Fluttershy bit her lip once more at the gesture and flew up to join the other pegasus on the cloud.

“Alright Fluttershy… We should be good to talk about anything at this point.” Rainbow sat beside the shy pegasus, ears tipped back and cerise eyes unable to make full contact.

Fluttershy noticed this hesitance and hunched down, hooves in front of her and eyes downcast. Rainbow noticed this and sighed, sagging for a second before going to lay down beside her best friend. Tipping over to nudge the flustered animal caretaker, Dash peered curiously to her old friend.

“Did you still want to hear what happened?” Rainbow waited for the twitch of a nod to continue. The pink mane was between the two friends, breaking eye contact and providing a wall for the timid mare to hide behind.

“... I was scared.”

The soft statement shook Fluttershy from her anxiety. Tilting her head back to create an opening in her hair, the timid mare peeked at her neighbor in surprise. Rainbow noticed this and smirked sadly.

“Yeah, I know. ‘Rainbow Dash, afraid? What was she afraid of?’” Dash leaned forward, resting her head onto her hooves. “But I was afraid. I was afraid of losing my edge. My willingness to push the boundaries and go to the extreme... I was afraid of losing what made me ‘me’.”

“What… Who would you have become? Why would you lose yourself?” Fluttershy inched closer. Hesitantly, she put a hoof onto one of the blue ones, trying to reassure the speeding pegasus. Rainbow smiled ruefully, before focusing back towards the ground.

“I would have become a mare who would be very different than I am now. I’m all about speed and awesomeness right now, but had I stayed, I-I wouldn’t have been.” The prismatic head lifted, troubled gaze looking to the horizon. “With my-... with my dad gone, there was nopony else who would push me to the extreme. Nopony who would help me be even awesomer. I… I would have gone soft.”

Fluttershy winced and pulled away, teal eyes filling with sadness. “So… because if you had stayed with me, you would become a different mare that you don’t like? Somepony who is… ‘lame’?”

Rainbow’s head jerked up and to the side where the timid mare lay. Her wings shot out in surprise as her eyes went wide.

“What?! Wait- no, well, maybe that was true at the time, but it’s different now!” Cerise eyes sought out and found watery teal ones.

“W-what do you mean?”

“I… Well, maybe I don’t want to slow down or lose all the awesomeness that I’ve built up. But it wasn’t-... It wasn’t very fun being on my own... I missed my best friend…” Rainbow closed the gap once more and leaned into the canary mare. Fluttershy was surprised and didn’t respond at first. But then she melted into the lean and smiled sadly, accepting one of the few times Dash was willing to be mushy.

“I can’t leave… I won’t leave… It’s too hard to be without my best friend. I may have been afraid to lose myself before, but now there’s no way I can be without you again… Not for a long time at least...” Rainbow titled her head away as a blush covered her muzzle. Though she made sure to continue leaning against Fluttershy.

“I… I couldn’t take that you had left.” Fluttershy didn’t move from her spot, her hooves resting over top of the blue ones. “I… I already said that Hoops, Dumb-Bell and Score didn’t leave me alone while you were gone… But I couldn’t live with myself with you gone.”

Rainbow opened her mouth, about to try and say something, anything, that she could. Fluttershy forestalled this by tightening her hooves over top of Rainbow’s.

“You were-are… my best friend. My only friend. The one that brightened my day… Without, things went dark.” Fluttershy winced and dug her head closer to Dash’s chest. Rainbow frowned worriedly and lifted her hoof to enwrap the yellow head and bring her closer.

“What do you mean…?” The blue mare whispered, not quite understanding and almost unwilling to.

“... I became depressed. I didn’t know why I should keep going when my best friend couldn’t and wouldn’t stay…” The quiet mare scrunched her muzzle as she tried to keep back tears from the old pain. “I had to pretend all was well for many years in the orphanage. There were times when it was hard to pretend, but I didn’t want to cause anypony else trouble…”

Rainbow’s heart sunk faster than a rock in water. She felt it jam next to her stomach, which put up a fuss only to scrunch up in fear. Closing her eyes, Dash inhaled, trying to calm her mind and not freak out.

“Are… Are you doing better now? Or… uh?” The speedster trailed off, not sure what the proper response is. She felt the shy mare chuckle lightly and relaxed from her worried stiffness.

“Yes Dashie, I’ve managed to recover… For the most part. It never really goes away, but if you focus on what you can do, you can start to live as normally as you could, considering.” Fluttershy sighed. She turned to look out across the town, though she stayed under the cobalt pegasus’ head. “If we want to help Scootaloo, we are going to need to try and show her what she can do. It is going to be hard and I can’t always be the one doing all the work…”

“Yeah, I know… I’ll try to step up my game…” Rainbow sighed and shrugged her shoulders as much as she could while holding Fluttershy close.

“Rainbow. It’s not a game.” The stern tone surprised the brash pegasus.

“I know, I know...Just how I talk, you know that.” Rainbow tried to keep her voice neutral even as she rolled her eyes.

“Yes. But I wanted to make sure you remember that.” Fluttershy pressed into the blue mare’s chest before pushing away and sitting upright once more. “We better head back and talk with Scootaloo about the future.”

Together, the two mares floated down, with Dash throwing a kick to the cloud to break it apart. They opened the door quickly and found the girls were back in the living room with the cards. Rainbow took a quick peek and found that the girls had already taken care of the dishes and nodded once sharply. Stepping back out, she found Fluttershy was checking on Scootaloo’s leg. Rainbow sat on the edge of the room, furrowing her brow in thought.

Now what did Cheerilee say about what was going on with the kid…? Fighting in school, lack of attention… ah, right, failing. Homework and tests I think… Pony, am I the wrong mare for that job… I was barely keeping ahead when ‘Shy was helping me… Dash peeked at the pink maned mare only to find Fluttershy was looking back curiously. Grinning sheepishly, the speedster waved a wing to silently call over the other grownup. Maybe she has some ideas…?

“Hey Fluttershy? Cheerilee said Scootaloo was falling behind on her schoolwork. But you know me, I’m horrible at homework. Any, uh, suggestions…?” Rainbow asked quietly, keeping a cautious eye on the other mare.

Fluttershy tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. Checking on the other pegasus, she found Dash waiting patiently and quietly, on edge for any issue that may suddenly come up. Smiling gently, the caretaker also kept her voice low as she responded, though it wasn’t as difficult for the naturally quiet mare.

“Well, I know you always had issues with school work… But Scootaloo had been doing ok before. It may have been the depression that started causing her problems.” Teal eyes swiveled to the young filly sitting between her two best friends. “Maybe if you showed her that she could do it herself, then things will get back on track? Possibly?”

“What do you mean?” Rainbow tilted her head in curiosity as she also looked to the orange filly.

“Well… uhm, if you asked her to help explain it to you, then maybe she’ll, uh, find she can… do it… herself… eeep…!” Fluttershy ducked behind her mane as disbelieving cerise orbs turned rapidly in her direction.

Dash rolled her eyes with a sigh at the sudden fear of rebuttal. Even she knew that she had never been good with school work nor interested in the past. Actually admitting it to one of her greatest fans was a little embarrassing though. If it means helping the kid, then I guess it’s worth it.

Ducking her head with another sigh, the sky blue pegasus spoke just loud enough for the mare beside her to hear. “Alright, so maybe that might work. Don’t really like the idea, but I’ll give it a try.”

Fluttershy perked up, shifting her mane out of the way to gaze hopefully to the other mare. Seeing the tiny grin on Dash’s face, one also grow on the yellow pegasus. Receiving a bump of appreciation and thanks, Fluttershy watched with tiny smile in place as Rainbow walked over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and gave Scootaloo a nuggie.

“Alright fillies, Scoots and I have some work to get to tonight, so it’s time to head out. She can play tomorrow after school.” Rainbow stayed beside the orange filly who looked up in confusion. When she saw the reassuring smirk, the young pegasus settled down, happy to know she wasn’t in trouble.

“Alright, we’ll see ya later Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom gave her friend a swift hug before waiting for the unicorn.

“Please don’t feel like you’re alone…” Sweetie Belle’s embrace lasted long enough for both fillies to gain a red hue over their muzzles, though for different reasons.

“Thanks you guys. I’ll see you tomorrow…” Scootaloo smiled tiredly, embarrassed at the hugs, though grateful all the same.

“I’d better check on my animals too.” Fluttershy gave both of the other pegasi a quick nuzzle, laughing in her mind at the stunned and bashful faces they both made. “I’ll come back later and see how things are going, ok?”

The last line was directed more towards the rainbow maned pegasus who rolled her eyes playfully before smirking. The two remaining pegasi watched Fluttershy leave before turning to look at one another.

“Heh heh, so, I thought we could work on some, uh, homework.” Rainbow tried to sound casual about the topic. It didn’t work. Scootaloo gave the older mare a confused frown. Dash’s only reaction to the disbelief was to scratch her head sheepishly.

“What’s going on…?” Scootaloo could barely get any energy to question her idol, though her curiosity was helping her feel a little more active.

Dash sighed and sank in her place, dropping her hoof from her ruffled mane. “Alright, so maybe not very subtle…”

Scootaloo raised a teasing brow as she remained silent. Dash sighed once more before sitting upright. She turned in place to face the filly full on with a more serious gaze.

“So Cheerilee said you were having a hard time with schoolwork. It might be kind of lame right now, but school does help in the long run.” Rainbow nudged the girl who stared back unsure. “Why don’t you go ahead and get that homework and we’ll see what we can do about it.”

Scootaloo shrugged with a drooping muzzle, not seeing the point of trying when she hasn’t been able to manage for a while now. Not wanting to question her hero, she obliged and grabbed the recent homework. Without any energy, she plopped down and rested her head on her hoof. Rainbow raised a brow at the action but didn’t press it. She took a look at the homework, which started with math problems.

“Alright kid, so what do we got?” Dash leaned forward and spread the papers out.

“Well, we learned some new kinds of math this week, and been having a lot of homework about it.” Scootaloo waved a heavy hoof to the sheets. The older pegasus frowned at the paper and picked it up with a wing, bringing it closer to read the work there.

“‘Silly Sports has to buy new equipment. She spends thirty bits and now has fifteen baseballs. How much did each ball cost?’ Wait, why did she buy so many anyways?” Rainbow glanced up the other pegasus. “Who’s this Silly Sports anyways?”

“That’s the pony Ms. Cheerilee uses for her examples. We’re supposed to find out how much each ball costs by dividing thirty by fifteen.” Scootaloo shrugged before twiddling a pen in her hooves.

“Oh. Ok. So how much would that be?” Dash continued to frown at the paper, even as Scootaloo pulled it from her hooves and began to show the older mare the equation. “Oh. Heh, not bad kid. So there would be two bits per ball huh? Hang on, she’s getting a rotten deal. Does she hang out with Fluttershy? They both have the worse time in the market place.”

Both pegasi laughed lightly at the mental image. When Dash saw a bit more energy in purple orbs, she nudged the orange shoulder and tapped the next part of the homework sheet.

“Alright kid, what about this next one?”

“Oh, oh no…”

Fur, bright and vastly different from one another flashed rapidly by.

"Uhm, oh, uh, s-sorry-”

Hooves clicked and clopped on dirt roads, kicking up dust and dirt. Voices, trying to be heard over the others, rang out.

“Oh, um, please, excuse me…”

The multitudes of ponies horded together, traveling almost randomly as they each went their own way, against the grain and flow of traffic. Brushing against one another, they merely shared pleasant smiles and smirks as they continued on their way.

“Oh my! Eeep~”

The timid canary pegasus was lost in the sea of bodies, tossed from side to side, face scrunched up in anxiety. She crouched closer to the ground, eyes searching the area, as she tried to press forward.

Oh Angel, why do you have to have that cherry? It’s always the farthest from home… Ooh, I bet I won’t make it today either… Oh Fluttershy, you’re so pa-

“Fluttershy?” The sophisticated voice surprised the pegasus from her musings. Giving a start with a ‘meep’ of fright, the animal caretaker landed with a shiver, searching her surroundings for whomever called out.

“I’m sorry, I hadn’t meant to startle you. Out shopping today?” The light gray earth pony stepped into view with a raised eyebrow. By standing directly in front of the cowering mare, Octavia was making the flowing mass around them part as they stood in the center of the road.

Fluttershy noticed this increased space with a relieved smile. She stood up slowly as she tried to speak louder to be heard.

“Well, Angel Bunny can be so picky about what he likes to eat.” The pink maned pegasus smiled at the thought of her pet before focusing back on the musician before her. “What are you doing here, oh, uhm, if you don’t mind me asking…?”

Octavia frowned in concentration to hear the soft voice. Living with a Dj who had extreme hearing had given her plenty of practice to hear fainter noises and understand their meaning. Smiling once more after Fluttershy was finished, she nodded towards the food stands to the north.

“I don’t mind at all. I was also purchasing food for this week.”

“Oh, uhm, well, I-uh, I meant about being here in Ponyville…? Weren’t you, uhm, staying in Manehatten?” The shy pegasus stayed close to the ground, biting her lip in worry that she offended her acquaintance. The ash gray earth pony paused in thought before smiling once more.

“Oh, I suppose I can see how you would think that. Vinyl and I live here in Ponyville, actually. We moved here after college.” Octavia smiled at the memories before refocusing on the nervous mare in front of her. “You seemed to be having trouble making your way through today’s crowd, would you like some assistance?” The gray earth pony tried to smile gently, hoping to set the easily frightened mare at ease.

Seeing the flinch at the mention of assistance, Octavia’s face fell into a more neutral one. Fluttershy grimaced again, remaining on the ground while her gaze clouded over as it looked at nothing, not noticing the carefully blank look of the other mare.

Assistance… I always seem to need assistance. Twilight even wanted to give us assistance…

“Fluttershy…? Is everything ok Miss Fluttershy?” Teal blue eyes blinked dazedly in the afternoon light. In place of the cobalt mare was one of light ash, lacking a pair of wings and distinct mane of rainbow. Octavia’s face was directly in front of the shy pegasus, full of anxiety.

“Oh…! Uhm, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to… uh… became distracted…” Fluttershy tried to stand upright but couldn’t meet the worried purple eyes.

“Yes. Perhaps, if it is so distracting, you would like to talk about it?” Octavia rested a comforting hoof on a yellow shoulder. When it wasn’t flinched away from, the earth pony nuded the pegasus along to quieter routes. Fluttershy flashed a grateful smile to the other mare.

“Perhaps, it has something to do with Scootaloo?” When Octavia lightly asked about the young pegasus, Fluttershy winced and dropped her gaze once more. “Or maybe Rainbow Dash…?” Pink mane dropped to hide the bashful and embarrassed gaze. Octavia smiled and continued to lead the way to a quieter location for the frazzled pegasus.

“Oh, I-I don’t mean to trouble… to trouble you…” Fluttershy murmured as she followed the earth pony. Octavia glanced back with a soft grin.

“It’s ok. While we may have only met in Manehatten, that doesn’t mean we have to be strangers.” The pale gray mare waved to a seat in front of a tucked away cafe. “Is… something the matter? With Scootaloo or Rainbow Dash?”

Fluttershy tapped her hooves together as she looked at the new location. It was a small, one story building, squeezed between two other supply stores. The roof was thatched like its neighbors and had two tables set in front of large windows. The sets were solid wood, made with little change from the stump and limbs they were carved from.

“I don’t think… I should talk about Scootaloo… Rainbow would be the one to talk about it…” Fluttershy blushed as she thought about the sky blue mare. Octavia frowned briefly before her curious gaze took note of the red hue. When she looked upwards, beyond her talking companion, the earth pony found a pale cream pegasus waiter arriving to take their order.

“Oh, hello, can we have… two teas?” Searching purple eyes found agreement in teal and turned back to the waiter. “Yes, and then we should be good. Thank you.” The musician waited until they were alone once more before continuing. “Perhaps we should talk about a lighter note? How are things between you and Rainbow?”

“Oh, um, well, we’re doing, uh, fine. She’s trying to be more responsible but she still asks for my help.” Fluttershy couldn’t meet the other mare’s curious gaze as she spoke.

“No noticing how you feel huh?”

“Oh, well, I mean, no…. not-not really. But I’ve had these feelings for a long time, she probably doesn’t think anything of it. Be-besides, she’s never really, um, wanted to get emotionally or physically close in the past.” The animal caretaker shifted in her seat, turning her gaze to her hooves. “I don’t think she will really want to in the future either.”

“Hmmm… reminds me of Vinyl when we first met. She had a rough childhood and wasn’t very good at connecting with others because of it.” Octavia rested her head on her hoof as she stared off into the distance with a gentle grin. “I almost gave up on trying to start a relationship with her, but luckily we were able to get through the fight that almost ruined everything for the two of us.”

Fluttershy perked up at the confession. She was curious about the couple that seemed so in love with one another in the short moments she had seen them. Leaning forward, she tried to stay polite as she sought to learn more.

“If, uhm, you don’t mind, could I ask what you mean by that…?” The two mares glanced up to find their tea had arrived and paused for a moment as they thanked their waiter.

“Hmm? Sure, I don’t mind.” Octavia smiled wider at the interest. “Well, we both went to the same college and started out as roommates. As you know, Vinyl went to that same orphanage as Scootaloo. There, she was heavily bullied.” Gray forehooves shifted in agitation before settling on top of one another. “When she came to college, she didn’t think it was possible to be loved or love another. But she still cared for me anyways.”

Fluttershy smiled demurely as she watched the far away yet caring gaze of the earth pony. She took a sip of the newly arrived drinks and continued to listen.

“Well, I soon cared for her especially but couldn’t gather my courage to tell her. Then there was a fight. Because of a large misunderstanding, she began to avoid everyone. I eventually managed to talk with her and convince her otherwise. And convince her that my feelings are real.” Octavia sighed dreamily, turning her eyes to the table. “We began dating soon after and have been together ever since. Just goes to show how perseverance and courage can make the difference.”

Fluttershy giggled breezily along with Octavia. They enjoyed their tea in silence for a moment before the ash-gray pony set her cup down and leaned towards the other mare.

“And you? When did you realize you cared for Rainbow Dash, more than just a friend?”

At the question, Fluttershy blushed heavily and stammered. “S-since… the… the uhm, since the beg-beginning. She, she was so brave… Always so…. brave… Much more than me…”

Octavia’s grinned at the flustered pegasus and tapped reassuringly on her hoof. “I’m sure, when the time is right, you will find yourself just as brave.” When she glanced up, the musician gave a start when she discovered how much time had passed. “Oh! I’m sorry, it seems we’ve been sitting here for a while. Why don’t we get started on that shopping?”

“O-oh, yes, I’m sorry.” The yellow mare stood as well, and fumbled for her change purse.

“No need for that Fluttershy, I’ll pay for our drinks. I had suggested it after all.” Octavia quickly dug out the needed bits and placed them onto the table. Waving her hoof towards the street, the earth pony lead the way back to the market place.

Together, the two mares enjoyed small talk as they walked towards the different stalls. With another friend next to her, Fluttershy didn’t have nearly as much trouble getting her shopping done.

Above the thatched rooftops, far in the sky, the weather patrol was clearing the last remaining clouds to top off another order of ‘clear open skies’. With their top worker on the case, it was not a tall order to clear off the clouds. Rainbow Dash flew in straight lines, zipping back and forth rapidly leaving straight lines of her namesake.

A pony would think she was trying to beat a record, except for the moments when the prismatic mare would stop and float in place for a few seconds, eyes unfocused towards the ground. The other team members didn’t really notice the odd behavior until the end of the shift. Once most of the clouds were gone, they couldn’t help but see the odd pauses. They silently argued among themselves, trying to decide who would approach the strong willed mare. In the end, Cloud Kicker, one of the older members of the team, was designated.

Wings flapping wearily, the pale lavender pegasus drew up to the cobalt mare. Her hooves hung limply while the older mare tried to gather her nerves. It was unsettling the whole crew how anxious and distracted their team leader was.

“Hey Boss, you doing ok?” Cloud Kicker tried to smile disarmingly. Rainbow jerked in place, pulling her sights up from the ground and town below.

“Huh? Oh, hey, everything good on your end?” The sky blue mare gave a short smile, eyes barely making contact before turning to the few clouds left.

“I’m doing just fine. But I’m wondering about you now. You doing ok?” Cloud Kicker drew closer, trying to find anything physically wrong. Seeing only more shifting and twitching than usual, the blond mare floated over the rest of the way and rested a comforting hoof on the twitching shoulder.

Rainbow zeroed in on the hoof and frowned. She gently pushed the hoof away, glancing to the ground before sighing. “I… might be getting sick.”

“What do you mean, ‘sick’?” The blonde frowned in confusion, never having heard the team leader to fall ill. Not in the entire time they had known one another at least.

“Well, I don’t really know what it’d be otherwise.” Dash ran both hooves through her mane.

“What’s the symptoms?” Cloud asked softly.

“Can’t think about much aside from uh, certain ponies. Chest gets really tight sometimes, and I can’t think straight when this happens…” Rainbow waved to her barrel before crossing her hooves in front of herself. “I’ve been.. I’ve been even more mushy than what someone so awesome should be.”

Cloud Kicker deadpanned the pegasus for the boastful ending. Though she kept silent, waiting to see if Dash would add anything else.

“... I don’t know what it could be aside from becoming sick…”

The pale-lavender pegasus fought against a bemused smirk. She lifted a hoof to her muzzle, having quickly lost the fight.

“Does it all happen when you think about these ponies?” Kicker watched with an open smile now as Rainbow nodded slowly, the red spreading even further across her face.“I see. It is a kind of sickness. But I would have thought you already caught this kind of sickness. Was there anypony else that made you feel ‘sick’ like this before?”

Rainbow Dash sight, her wings drooping while hovering in place. “Y-yeah…. around the same pony…”

Cloud Kicker’s brows rose at this news though her gleeful smile remained the same. “Really? That’s a good sign.”

“Wha-?” Rainbow snapped around to face the other mare full on at the short statement.

“Yep. Means you’ve got it baaaad.” Cloud barely held back a chuckle at the open mouthed shock the blue mare had on. “How long have you felt this way?”

“Well, uh, for a while but I left… But… but that didn’t help any…” Ashamed cerise orbs dropped away before shooting back up again. “How long do I have?!”

“I’m surprised you lasted this long actually. I was sick like this before too. Didn’t last nearly as long.” It was Cloud’s turn to be sheepish. Her hoof went to her long mane and scuffed it lightly.

“Wait, what? If, if you were sick like me before, how are you still ok? Is there a chance I’ll make it too?” Dash lunged forward and grabbed Kicker’s shoulders. She stared imploringly at the other pegasus.

“Heh heh, got it pretty bad Dash. There’s two possible cures. One’s pretty chancy. The other? Really painful and might not work anyways.” The blonde mare took off the desperate hooves and patted the blue shoulder gruffly.

“What are- what are the cures?” Rainbow rung hooves, watching the lavender mare closerly.

“Well, you can hold it in, hide it, pretend it isn’t there. This could work, but it would hurt and it might not fix this anyways. Might make it worse actually.” The lavender pegasus shrugged and grimaced at the thought of the pain. Checking on the prismatic mare, Cloud found Dash still hanging on her every word. Chuckling, she continued her proposed cures. “The other one, that one takes a lot of courage. And it might not work. But if it does work, it will help your symptoms greatly.”

Rainbow leaned forward, hope shining finally in her eyes once more. “What? What is it?”

“Tell that pony about it. Confess.” Cloud Kicker smirked at the confused expression on the other mare’s face. When there was no further reaction, only a blank stare, Cloud frown briefly. “You know, find that special pony, the one you’re always thinking about? And tell them about how you have been feeling.”

Rainbow’s brow furrowed slowly before turning into a stern glare to the other pegasus.

“Confess? You mean, like when you’re in ‘love’ with somepony?” Tense hooves crossed over a suddenly warm blue barrel. Rainbow scrunched her muzzle in annoyance and embarrassment, unsure how this related to her. Cloud rolled her eyes at the short tone.

“You know, caring about somepony else in a romantic manner can be a good thing.”

“Mushy stuff! No way, I’m still in my prime!” Dash swept a hoof to the horizon, a light pink hue still on her muzzle. “Still miles to go before I start even thinking about finding a special somepony.” The sky blue mare placed both forehooves onto her waist and tried to appear like her usual boastful self.

There was a few seconds of complete silence as Kicker deadpanned the other mare. As the silence continued, Rainbow Dash slowly lost more of her boastful pose to one of uncertainty. Her muzzle scrunched as her hooves gradually came up from her hips to cross back over her chest. Cloud’s deadpan had grown into a self-assured smirk. It was a smirk of confidence. Of knowledge. Of victory.

“Alright Boss. Well, glad you’re so awesome you don’t care about special ponies.” Cloud Kicker shrugged, tossing her head side to side as she started to turn in place. “Sure hope they haven’t been ‘sick’ for you in the meantime. Seems they have a long wait ahead of them.”

The pale lavender pegasus finished her turning and flew off. She was happy to learn their captain wasn’t seriously ill, though how dense she truly was was another matter. Dash stayed where she was for a moment before flying up and grabbing the last cloud in the sky. Pulling it off to the side, the blue mare landed down on top, her now weighty head resting on listless hooves.

Long wait huh…? Yeah, I’ve made her wait a long time anyways… Guess I should start making up for it. Best way to start would be just hanging out with good ol’ Shy more often… Even if I do get more mushy in the meantime… Rainbow sighed as she stood back up, firm gaze focused on the market place below her. “The things I do for these guys.”

Bouncing on her cloud surface, she dove off the side with a kick to the cloud to disperse it. She dove neatly, keeping her slim body in a straight line to reduce air drag. When she deemed it close enough to be impressive, she pulled up sharply from her dive and landed with a single flap of her wings in front of Fluttershy. The sudden appearance of the rainbow maned pegasus had given her a large shock and caused the timid mare to cower in place.

“Hey Fluttershy, how’s the shopping going?” Dash stayed in place, waiting for the yellow mare to recover from her surprise.

“Hmm, I suppose you now have another escort. Perhaps I’ll see you later Fluttershy.” Octavia smiled to the shy pegasus, nudging her upright with a hoof before dipping her head towards the latest arrival. “Good day Rainbow Dash.”

“Oh, uhm, thank you Octavia for the, uh, talk and tea, and help. G-good-bye!” Fluttershy stood up with the encouragement. Giving the pale-gray earth pony a tiny wave, she turned to the sky blue mare. “H-hello Rainbow… Uhm, were you here for, uhm, something in particular?”

“Well, I did say I’d learn the proper food kinds for growing girls.” Dash smirked half teasingly as she checked what the animal caretaker had in her bags.

“Oh, yes, that’s right! If you’d like to follow me, I can explain as we buy the rest of the groceries.” Fluttershy picked up her pace with a smile as the two set out. With the bolder pegasus there, the pale-yellow mare was able to have more luck in buying the supplies. Once she had finished explaining the majority of dietary needs of growing ponies, Fluttershy found that Rainbow still had some questions.

“Alright, so I’ll need all that in a note, uh, just in case I’m so awesome that I can’t remember it all, but why were you hanging out with that Octavia mare? Thought she and that DJ were from Manehatten.” The brash pegasus peeked at the mare beside her before focusing on the crowd around them once again.

“Oh, well, they actually live here in Ponyville. They just happened to be visiting Manehatten at the same time we were.” Fluttershy answered the question without looking at the pegasus. She continued to shop, finally able to do so normally with encouraging presence of the bolder mare beside her.

“Huh. Small world. Anyways, you’re coming over when Scootaloo gets off right? I don’t really know how to cook much more than sandwiches. Too, uh, awesome, for it.” Rainbow turned her gaze to the skies briefly, worried about admitting that she couldn’t do something.

“Of course.” Fluttershy replied with a laughing tilt. “I’ll leave a book about ingredients and recipes for you and Scootaloo to use when I can’t.”

“Thanks Fluttershy, you’re the best.” The blue mare smiled with relief, nudging the other and taking the lead once more. Together, they returned to the small house on the edge of town and prepared for when the orange pegasus would come home from school.

Rainbow found she was able and willing to stand nearby as Fluttershy made an after school snack. Letting the caramel and apple treat cool in the fridge, Fluttershy began to work on a recipe book for the other pegasi to use. She kept the directions as simple as she could, knowing the two ‘awesome’ mares had little skill or patience for the art. The timid mare was uncertain about the silence, but they did learn a lot about one another the previous day as well as things about the young filly in their charge.

Minutes later, Scootaloo arrived to find both mares waiting for her. Pausing in the doorway, the girl tried to relax her anxious stance.

“H-hey Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy… What are you doing…?” The moderate-cerise maned filly slowly walked forward, eyes searching the room before looking back to the adults.

“Nothing kid, just checking up on you. Do you have more work you’ve got to do?” Rainbow walked over and ruffled the windblown moderate-cerise mane.

“Oh, well, yeah. I mean, we do have work everyday, but… well, you sure you can help?” Scootaloo went to the couch and pulled her homework from her saddlebags.

“Er- what do you mean?” Dash paused midway to the seating, blue ears tipping backwards to the soft giggle that came from the kitchen.

“Well, uh, you just seem too awesome for homework…” Purple eyes avoided meeting curious cerise ones.

“Oh, well, that doesn’t mean that they should be ignored. Still have to be done. Come on, let’s uh, get started.” Rainbow tried to sound enthusiastic while fighting a yawn from the mere thought of doing school work.

Fluttershy smiled from her place in the kitchen doorway as she watched the two similar pegasi trying to work on the various problems. Dash often had to question every step of the way and Scootaloo showed her ability by slowly working her way through the homework. Fluttershy giggled to herself while covering her muzzle with a hoof as she observed the two working pegasi.

Perhaps Dashie might even learn some actual schoolwork. I better cut in and offer some refreshments before she loses all patience.

Fluttershy walked out with the tray of snacks on her back. Calling out, she joined the others on the couch as they took a moment to recover their strength before getting back to the grindstone of homework. The canary pegasus gave both a nuzzle before exiting for her own home.

I think it would be ok to leave them for now. Oh, I hope Angel isn’t too upset that I was gone all day. I have so much to tell him though!

XV (FS/RD) - After The Best Pet Won

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End of April, 1005 A.D.

So the awesome and amazing Rainbow Dash had just averted another crisis, saving all of Ponyville with a beat of her incredible wings. It had taken 110- no! 120% of her power and now she had to recover in ancient pegasi tradition. Finding the right balance of security and danger, the super Rainbow Dash laid out on a precarious limb and felt the wind blow through the land. She closed her super amazing eyes to help feel the flow of the wind currents and temperatures when suddenly! The incredibly amazing Rainbow Dash recieved a premonition!

“Wait! What’s a premonition?” Curious purple orbs blinked up to their idol.

“Uh, it’s a thing that lets you know the future.” Multicolored mane shifted with the brush of an uncertain hoof.

“Oh. How does it tell you?”

“Through dreams.” A frown formed on the other mare’s muzzle at the uncertain face of the filly in front of her.

“Except it’s all truuuuuueee…” Blue hooves wiggled in the air as the last word was drawn out. Seeing awe and curiosity back in the little girl’s gaze, the older pegasus continued. “Where was I? Oh yeah, my totally true dream about the future~...

The vision started just like her amazing last adventure, soaring through the skies. A beast, uh, really fierce and huge, drew closer to the Dash but she was too fast! Taking the lead, the totally radical Rainbow Dash checked on her opponent but found he changed shape! He tried to get a tougher, stronger body to fight and beat the amazing Wonderbolt recruit but he couldn’t find any one body part that worked.

Soon he had the wings of a large ferocious flying owl, the head of a large terrifying mammal with tall ears to hear my every move, the body of the world’s largest reptile, scaly hide as thick as boulders! And to top it off, he changed his tongue and mouth to be full of claws and spikes!

“Woow…”

Yep! It was at that moment that the amazing Rainbow Danger Dash knew she had to find the awesomest animal companion that could save the day and fight crime with the super speedster. And the best source for these kinds of pet -no, these kinds of super powered creatures, was at Lady Fluttershy’s.

“So, you got a pet at Fluttershy’s?” The young voice broke in once more.

“Who’s telling this story kid?” Hearing no comment, the adventurous mare continued.

Traveling to the edge of the huge monstrous forest of Everfree, a feat that often took all of Lady Shy’s courage to live next to, the fastest pegasus of Equestria boldly went up and asked for the best wild beast Lady Shy had. But she had captured and tamed so many amazing and radical pe- creatures that there was only one way to know who was the best. A competition! But not just any lame competition. No, this was an extreme competition! A bunch of tests and obstacles, designed to measure the various parts needed to keep up with an awesomely heroic mare! All ending a death defying race through Ghastly Gorge! Dun dun duuun!

“And the turtle beat them all?”

“...”

“Oh, uh, sorry…”

Through Ghastly Gorge! Yes, that horrific gorge that none dared to fly through. The testing phase was super scientific and tough, demanding only the best of the best of the few proud best qualities to be Rainbow Dash’s p- crime fighting companion. After hours and hours of testing, only five creatures made it past to attempt the gorge at the end.

But there was a twist, an extra challenge to the already extremely race! They had to keep up and cross the finish line with the extremely amazing and fast Rainbow Dash! The opponents? A large, vampire evil-doer eater bat who has a wingspan twice long as the amazing Dash! Then there was a huge camouflaged owl, it’s stare second only to Lady Fluttershy’s! A ginormous eagle, proud and ferocious, boasting of many other adventures with battle scars showing from beneath his feathers. The next was a super hawk, his wings trimmed by himself to be even faster, claws sharpened to a fine point. The last was a powerful, confident contender. A tortoise who wasn’t about to give up.

“Wait, I thought this was a flying race?”

“Scooooootssss…”

“Sorry Rainbow Dash…”

Wind gently swayed the grass around the two pegasi. Its soft whisper nearly overshadowed the resigned sigh that came from the older mare. A sky blue hoof reached out and ruffled the magenta mane of the filly.

“It’s alright Scootaloo, just… Hold all questions until the very end ok?”

“Ok…”

This tortoise was still in the running, never giving up despite his disadvantages. Soon, the race was ready to begin. The testers lined up and set to go. The course was deadly. Howling winds. Sharp turns, stalagmites and stalactites, archways and cliffsides. A portion was filled with nasty vines and plant life, with HUGE ripping thorns on them, waiting to tear a mare limb from limb. Further along the way were the Quarray Eels, ginormous eels that live along the cliff side in large caves, waiting for their meals to fly or drop by. Their teeth the size of little fillies, their breath smelling of meat and death. Then there was an unstable part of the race, where avalanches occurred often. A true race track of dangerous levels.

Pause for dramatic effect…

Soon it was time. The racers were off, soaring through the air and determinedly racing across the ground. The amazing and super Rainbow Dash was of course in the lead. She had no trouble staying ahead of them all, taunting and challenging the other racers. The wind posed no problem to the super pegasus, and she was more than agile enough to pass through the maze of plants that came alive and reached for her! They tried to snag the incredible pegasus from the air, their thorns sharp and deadly, but she was too quick! The other contestants were showing their true limits, barely passing through the challenges.

When the super awesome Rainbow Danger Dash got to the Eels, she had a fight on her hooves. They were hungry- starved, and more than willing to snap up a pony for a meal. They were fast too; fast enough to keep up with the supersonic speeds of Rainbow Dash! There she was, battling these eels hoof and nail. They tried to surround her, but the amazingly fast mare dropped down and totally avoided their frontal attack. But then they tried to catch her from behind, not that that worked either. It was a close call, but nothing Rainbow Adventure Dash hadn’t had before. Rushing out of their territory, the super and incredible Rainbow Extreme Dash used every bit of her wing power to escape their grasp. She quickly left behind the eels since they didn’t want to risk the other dangers of the Gorge. But it was too late, for their fighting had set off an avalanche!

Boulders, larger than three ponies put together, fell from the sides, blocking the trail and adding even more things for the bold and brave Rainbow Dash to watch out for. She dodge then ducked, diving down then shooting right up, barely keeping ahead of the random and totally unpredictable falling debris. But soon it was too much for the mighty Rainbow Dash! She used too much of her energy fighting the eels and soon fell prey a ginormous boulder, the size of-of-.. of a five pony house! As much as she tried, her wing got caught beneath the rock, while her hooves were soon hit with other rocks and boulders. The awesomely dependable Rainbow Dash was trapped!

I’m trapped! Doomed! Stuck in Ghastly Gorge - forever! I’ve got so much I wanted to do! Things I have to do! Things only I can do!

Rainbow Dash searched the cliff walls. Eyes desperate and dilated. Her heart beat rapidly. Tears began to fill her gaze as her friends flashed by. The last pony to flicker before magenta orbs was a canary-yellow pegasus. While Dash stared at the mare, she felt her heart squeeze briefly. She flinched at the pain but that only seemed to cause it to double.

Fluttershy… Guess there’s going to be a lot I’m not going to get to do. Things I wanted to say. Ways to help her. All gone, because I was being really reckless. Now who’s going to take care of her? Her and Scootaloo… I’m going to die here. All alone…

“Rainbow Dash...? Rainbow Dash? Are you ok?”

Troubled magenta eyes blinked in the warm sunlight. They floated down from where they stared at the sky, zeroing on the purple orbs looking up with concern filling them.

“Oh, yeah… I’ll be ok. Alright, so story time.”

So there she was, stuck beneath the boulders caused by her fight with the giant eels. The other contestants had barely made it through and were heading on. The air had been too clouded and full of boulders for them to see the trapped heroic mare. And they were solitary beasts. Trained to fight on their own, they hadn’t thought to look for the amazing pegasus, trapped beneath the rubble. All except for one. One who was dependable, understandable, capable, of saving others. One who was willing to go the extra mile to help those in need. One whose determination and tenacity would allow him to never give up, never surrender! The large tortoise was trailing from behind to make sure none were lost or injured in the race. One who always put others first… Even if that meant coming in last…

… So willing to help others that she herself gets called a doormat…

“Rainbow Dash…?”

Err, right, so this super extraordinary guy found the exhausted and injured Rainbow Dash. Using only his strength and determination, he began to di- crush the boulders holding the Dash down. His strength, something he only used in emergencies, was more than enough to free the super Rainbow Dash. She was so impressed with how he knew exactly when to be awesome and when it wasn’t needed, she decided that he was the truly worthy beast to ride the skyways with her. She used connections she made while being extra amazing to help her new traveling companion Tank to be able to fly with her. Science Nerd Twilight used magic and science-y stuff to make this possible, a method too lame and unawesome for Rainbow Danger Dash, though it was still pretty awesome of Twilight to help make Tank fly. She even helped make her own cloud home solid enough for Tank to walk around on it without needing his flying apa-appap-... flying machine!

“And that’s why I have Tank here as my companion.” Rainbow threw out a hoof to bring the shelled creature closer to her side. Scootaloo looked between the two in front of her with a tilt of her head.

“So even though Tank isn’t as fast as any of the other contestants, he’s the best choice?” The filly wasn’t as excited as she was during the tale. The few ponies who were enjoying the shade and park benches were almost loud enough to cover the pegasi’s conversation.

“Sometimes, you need to go slower to have sure hoofsteps to head to a brighter future.” Rainbow looked to the east, where she knew a tiny cottage waited. “Sure, going fast is great, but sometimes it’s ok to need to take your time.”

She looked back at the girl in front of her who seemed both at ease and yet still confused at her idol’s words. Dash reached out and scuffed the magenta mane with a half smirk.

“Like feeling better. You don’t have to feel better all at once, you can go as slow as you need. We’ll be there to help. Any other questions kid?” The sky blue mare smiled at the younger pegasus who looked back with a timid grin of her own.

“No, that was a pretty cool story. Thanks Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo set her scooter upright once more and took a step back. “I have to catch up to the other Crusaders. Will I see you later…?”

Rainbow waved her free hoof and smirked assuredly. “You bet kid, I’ll see ya around. And remember, if you ever need help, the best most awesome duo in the skies will be there to help.”

Scootaloo gave her hero one last smile before zipping away on her trusty wheels. Rainbow and Tank stayed by the tree she had first taken a nap in a week ago. Tank watched his owner, his very pleased smile never wavering, while Dash looked out to the skies. She was trying to think through her concerns before her friends arrived for their weekly Pet Play Date in the park. When the blue pegasus felt the gentle nudge from her side, she reached out without looking and rubbed the top of Tank’s shell.

Silence. There was no sound, except for a muted buzzing in yellow furry ears. Teal eyes stared widely towards the dangerous gorge. Trying to pinpoint any streak of bright rainbow hues. She barely spared the other animals a look to check how they were doing, focusing entirely on the obvious lack of a sky blue pegasus.

Fluttershy’s brows twitched into a frown for a nanosecond. Her wings, held tight to each side, shivered in anxiety. Slowly, a new sound broke through her vigilance. A low thud, rhythmic and slowly getting faster. The mare slowly tore her wide eyed gaze to look to her left. Seeing nothing at first, she inched her gaze downward to find a spot of white with long tall ears…

Angel Bunny looked up to his owner with both forearms crossed in front of his chest. A single brow was raised at her distant gaze. Fluttershy, finally able to identify and focus on the creature beside her, lifted a paw in a soft gasp.

“Oh, I’m sorry Angel Bunny. Did you need something?”

The bunny nodded and played faint, raising a paw to his forehead and leaned backwards. Teal orbs looked around the small cottage, finding other animals waiting and watching as well. They stood by their empty bowls, silent but staring.

“O-oh my! I’m so sorry everyone. Wait just one moment, I’ll get everyone their food.” Fluttershy quickly stood from her watch by the front window and went to the kitchen. No sooner had she entered then there was a knock from the front door. “Angel Bunny, could you get the door?”

The rabbit rolled his eyes at the request but didn’t dare upset the mare who was getting his next meal ready. He hopped over to the wooden frame. Giving a large bound upwards, he grabbed the doorknob and twisted his whole body to turn it. Once it started opening, he dropped down, and stared angrily to the pony waiting on the other side.

Rainbow looked down and raised a brow at the bunny standing before her. Sweeping out a hoof, she pushed him aside and strode forward.

“Fluttershy? You here?”

The canary mare pauses in the kitchen, halfway standing up from the fridge where she was gathering the animals’ meal. Her ears stood up and tilted towards the door. Her tiny gasp of surprise was overshadowed by the natural sounds of the other animals in the house. Her body started to shake, though her eyes stayed wide in wonder. The care-taker swallowed slowly and turned to look towards the living room.

“I-I’m right back here Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy’s shout barely registered for normal pony levels but the sky blue pegasus was expecting something like that. The yellow mare waited with baited breath, gaze focused on the doorway where her crush soon stood.

Is-is she ok? Why did she come to visit…? O-oh dear…

“Is… something the matter Rainbow Dash?” She inched her way back towards the living room where the other animals waited. Though when Rainbow thrust Tank forward, the yellow pegasus paused once more.

“Y-yeah. I think Tank might be a little lonely. Misses his friends… you know?” Sharp magenta orbs stared into nervous teal ones.

“O-oh? Well, you can both stay for a little while if you’d like.” Fluttershy dropped her gaze, allowing her mane cover most of her face. “I was just about to get everyone lunch. Would… Would you like some as well?”

The teal orb watched with surprise as the normally impatient and louder mare slowly nodded. While Rainbow walked back into the living room, Fluttershy stood up straighter from her hunched spot and stared at the figure with concern growing in her eyes.

… Something isn’t right… Tank was so happy to go with her… Would he really miss everyone so much already...? Why is she being so quiet…?

Fluttershy quickly filled everyone’s bowls with a crunchy munchy lunch. At each pleased noise, her face grew into a larger and larger smile. She gave her bunny a gentle rub on his head before focusing on the tortoise who was currently looking towards the rainbow maned mare. Who, the shier pegasus was surprised to find, was watching her every move with a distracted stare. Fluttershy’s brows twitched in thought. She moved slowly, not wanting to surprise either mare or pet.

“Um, if you two would be so kind as to wait a moment? I’ll get your meal ready right now.”

“Wait, uh, well, don’t forget your own lunch.” Rainbow blinked awake and reached out a hoof, stopping midway as she spoke. Fluttershy blinked back in interest. She broke out in a small grin at the concern she heard.

“Of course.”

The yellow pegasus tried to keep her pace even even as happiness coursed through her hooves. Rainbow Dash normally wouldn’t even think to make sure everyone else was getting their lunch, that she made a specific comment about HER lunch brought joy with a tiny tint of worry to Fluttershy’s heart. An anxious thought was that something was wrong, something was different and should be looked at more closely. Fluttershy bit her lip as the dark thought began to grow and cloud her mind. She quickly made a simple salad for the three of them and returned to the living room. Once they were ready, they ate mostly in silence, though Fluttershy tried to speak with Tank to see if something was the matter or not.

“Tank, how have you been doing?”

A slow blink and tiny microscopic dip of his scaly head was the response.

“Oh really? That’s nice to hear. And how do you like your new home?”

Magenta orbs focused on the pink maned mare while this question was asked, though Fluttershy didn’t notice as she waited for Tank’s answer. He dipped his head up and down with a wide grin, the entire action taking well over fifteen seconds to complete.

“Really…? That’s good.” Fluttershy peeked towards the other pegasus through her mane and stopped when she saw the focused gaze. “...Rainbow…? Uhm, is everything ok?”

The sky blue mare gave a start at being addressed and smirked.

“Oh, well, yeah. Totally. Just, busy week you know? That competition, getting trapped, getting Tank…” Dash reached out and rubbed the top of the tortoise's shell playfully. “... Scootaloo was asking about how I got Tank and I just got to thinking about what happened… at the end… you know… Wing is working great now though.”

Rainbow perked up as she got towards the end of her sentence. She gave her wings a demonstrative beat and shakily grinned to the other mare. The yellow mare gasped and put a hoof to her mouth in shock. She then rushed forward and embraced the brasher mare.

“I understand… If you ever need to talk, please consider talking to me.” Fluttershy tried not to think about the feel of soft blue fur against her own and instead put as much care as she could into the hug. Rainbow flushed and patted the other mare’s back.

“Uh, yeah, sure will… Thanks ‘Shy.” The two mares held the embrace before the speedster coughed lightly, putting a hoof to her muzzle while trying to break the hold. “Thanks again… But uh, you may want to make sure Tank isn’t getting too cold up in my cloud home.”

Fluttershy paused with a tiny frown before leaning back down towards the tortoise. She peered into his eyes and smiled at his response. They both reached out and touched noses for a moment, tiny smiles in place at his answer.

“He says it’s a very warm house, full of love and care that you put into it when he moved in.” The canary mare couldn’t help but watch with a warm grin at the blush that came over the other mare. Rainbow scratched at her head and smirked bashfully. “Anything else Rainbow Dash?”

“Oh, uh, no. Guess not. I’ll- I’ll see you later. I’ll just go and check on Scootaloo.” While the sky blue mare stood and started for the door, the questioning croak from the green tortoise made Fluttershy glance back at him. Rainbow also looked at him with a smile, though her gaze was anxious.

“Come on buddy, we could use a bit of flying practice on the way anyways.” Tank didn’t make any further sound and willed his flying contraption to life. He buzzed after his owner while the animal care-taker watched with her brows furrowed.

What does he mean by ‘we just saw Scootaloo’? Is… Is Rainbow Dash lying about why she has to go? Why would she need to do that…? Oooh, I hope everything is alright…

After that first check up, azure blue fur was often found at the cottage during school hours. Every morning, after the weather was set for the day and the children were in school, there was a soft knock at Fluttershy’s doorway. Each time was for a different reason involving the new pet. When the animal care-taker checked on the tortoise to see if the reason was valid, Tank would only have one concern. Lately, there was a quiet pensive time before Rainbow Dash fell asleep at night. He tried to get her to talk about it but to no avail. Fluttershy would ask Rainbow if there was something wrong but brushed off.

By the time two weeks went by, the excuses merged into one generic statement. Tank was ‘lonely’. Fluttershy didn’t quite believe this reasoning and asked Tank for a way to resolve the issue. When he was pressed for a way to help them both, Tank asked the kind hearted mare for Rainbow Dash props. He wanted to boost the bold mare anyway he could, and wearing encouraging clothing and flags were what came to mind. Fluttershy thought the idea was positively adorable and quickly agreed. They both knew by this point how Dash was likely to react to the clothing and kept it a secret between them.

When it was finished, Fluttershy wrapped the first set in a pleasant dark-green and pale sea-green wrapping. The second pile of Rainbow Dash themed slippers and robe (pony-sized) went into a closet hidden away from prying eyes. They were modeled to fit the yellow-pegasus, and made because it was just too cute of an idea. Fluttershy couldn’t prevent or remove the heavy blush that burned across her muzzle at the thought of wearing them when nopony was looking.

Oh… Maybe I shouldn’t have made that extra one… but it’s so cute and I feel better just thinking about it being closer to me… I better get Tank his set quickly, he may need the support as well… The sweet natured mare reached for the package and started to trot to the door only to stop with ears laid flat against her head. Oh dear, what if Rainbow sees and gets upset at us…? Ooh, I just don’t know… Fluttershy tapped her forehooves together slowly. She bit her lip, gnawing at it as she thought. Her gaze shifted around the cottage until it came to a group of animals chatting together, bringing to mind a certain tortoise sitting among them not too long ago. But I made a promise. And poor Tank is so looking forward to getting his own tortoise sized Rainbow Dash things. I better get going.

Fluttershy couldn’t help twitching her wings anxiously as she placed the package on her back and set out. Recently, Rainbow had been working with Scootaloo on a hill outside of Ponyville. They were trying to do more physical activities to help the young filly’s depression. It was suggested by a book on the subject from Golden Oaks Library.

The two pegasi were standing side by side on top of the hill, outlining the plan for the day, while Tank watched from the sidelines. He looked on with rapt attention to the advice being given until he noticed the yellow figure coming up the side. Fluttershy tried not to startle the others (it would be startling to do so) but they fell silent anyways. Once the more timid mare was in speaking range, Dash tried to keep her voice neutral while her wings flicked briefly.

“Hey Fluttershy. What’s with the package? Who- Who’s it for?”

The quieter mare froze next to Tank, hoof halfway to the gift. “Oh, um, Tank wanted to help cheer you on…”

Rainbow Dash lifted a brow in question. Fluttershy gently grimaced at the attention but continued to give the tortoise his requested clothing. All three ponies watched him slowly tear open the wrapping, everyone wearing a happy grin except the young filly who frowned confusedly. Scootaloo looked between the older mares and the pet a few times before shaking her head and settling into place on the ground.

When blue colors with specific rainbow hues over top began to show through, it was Fluttershy’s turn to pull away while the other pegasi leaned forward with interest shining in their eyes. Tank gave a happy gurgle as he started to pull out individual slippers and cap, along with flags and foam boards proclaiming that Rainbow Dash was number one. The tortoise started to slowly put on his new clothing, to the deep embarrassment of Rainbow who scratched at her mane with a heavy blush. Fluttershy reached forward and helped the reptile to put on his apparel. Scootaloo took that moment to help pull out and look at each of the items in the package. Once everything was in a straight line, she looked towards the animal care-taker with wonder in her purple orbs.

“Did you make all this stuff Fluttershy?”

“Oh, um, yes… Hoofmade to fit Tank here.” Fluttershy reached out to lightly rub Tank’s shell before focusing on the filly. “Why? Would you like some as well?”

Scootaloo peeked at Rainbow Dash who was staring at the clouds with a wide smirk, checking that she wasn’t focusing on them before nodding rapidly to the other mare’s question. Fluttershy grinned warmly at her before looking to Dash who was giving Tank a noogie. She paused mid-scuff and looked back to the yellow pony.

“This is pretty neat Fluttershy. Thanks… Do you think… that you could make me some that look like Tank?” Rainbow couldn’t meet wide purple eyes that stared up at their idol in shock at the request, focusing instead on the canary mare in front of them.

Fluttershy merely nodded with a tiny blush of her own. She then stood up and gave Tank her own stroke of affection, Scootaloo a brief full body hug and hesitated only a second before nuzzling Rainbow Dash while giving her a brief hug as well. The other pegasi were stupefied and could only watch with wide eyes as the kind-hearted mare started back home to get working on her latest project. Scootaloo looked down with a blush and scrunch of her muzzle, unsure about the physical contact. Rainbow however couldn’t look away from the retreating pink tail, following the slight bounce as the pegasus walked home. Her own muzzle burned with a red hue. Her mind was silent, only able to revisit how it felt to have Fluttershy’s fur and muzzle so close.

Tank frowned at the utterly dumbfounded pegasus and nudged her left fore-leg with his head. Dash blinked before checking on the tortoise, shutting her mouth with a soft snap and taking a deep breath. She reached out and gave the pet a pat. Once that was taken care of, she looked towards the small pegasus with a warm smirk.

“Alright squirt, time to get back to work.”

-TTS-

Blue hooves wrapped slowly around the green shell covered by a blue coat with a rainbow colored bolt cutie mark on its back. Green legs, ends covered by cloud slippers, reached out much slower and began to warp around the sky blue barrel.

“Tank… I kept thinking and thinking about it… But I guess…. Cloud Kicker was right…” The hoarse whisper floated in the still air of the floating home. “I figure it was because she helped me find you, and is just nice, so that was why… but then, I-I-… I couldn’t help but imagine what she’d look like in a Rainbow Dash themed pajamas and…!”

The rainbow mane dropped lower to cover the top of Tank’s shell. The night was a little chilly though it held no effect to the two friends in their mutual hug. Rainbow especially felt her face warm at her thoughts. With the two heads so close together, it was no issue for the tortoise to hear the soft murmur.

“I think I do like ‘Shy like that… As a special somepony…” Dash flung herself backwards, pulling her pet along with her. She lifted one of her hooves to cover her eyes. “That’s what I felt so long ago. Why I had to… leave her back then. Because that would have changed everything. And I was too lame to accept it.”

She let go of the tortoise to ground both hooves into her eyes, her muscles taut while her mouth turned into a deep scowl. Tank was left on her chest and stared at the pained figure with a tiny frown of his own. He started his slow journey to her fore-hooves. When he reached them, he gently pushed them aside, reminiscent to how he had brushed aside enough rocks to rescue his owner in a dangerous race. Rainbow felt the light touch and didn’t fight it, though she didn’t try to help either. Once both hooves were removed from their position, Tank reached over to stare into the cerise eyes.

“... Hey buddy… You take all the time you need to huh? Yeah… Guess I took a lot of time too… But now I’ve reached the starting line. Let’s see if I can go the distance.” Dash’s voice started soft and strained, growing stronger with each sentence and moment of thought. At the end, she reached both hooves around and hugged the turtle once more with a half smirk. “Thanks little guy. Talking with you helped. Guess it’s not such a bad thing to talk to someone after all.”

The pegasus sat up from her cloud bed and turned her attention to the bed covers under her flank. Holding Tank with one hoof, she reached out and pulled open the blanket, maneuvering just right to be able to cover them both for the night.

“G’night Tank.” The only response was a soft, slow nuzzle from a scaly head. The motion brought forth a happy smile from the pony who clutched her friend closer.

Author's Notes:

First, thanks goes to my two editors/reviewers Gwg and Shutup868. They help me have correct grammar and makes it easier for you guys to read my stories.

Secondly, thanks goes to my patrons who are willing to help pay for some of my chapters about ponies. If you'd like to help me afford more time devoted to writing about ponies, please consider becoming a patreon for my account, Wolfie_03. The more I earn, the more I will be focusing on writing these stories.

Comments, concerns, thoughts? I love seeing reactions and knowing/reading what the readers think of what is going on. This chapter actually happens over the course of two weeks, so the next two chapters for TTS will happen in between Dash constantly visiting Fluttershy. This is also similar to my very first story, Tank the Tenacious Tortoise's monologue. It's very old though, and is not edited/reviewed for grammatical purposes. I may one day go back and update it. Have a nice day you guys!

XVI (FS/RD & S) - Camping results leading to a new training

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Beginning of May, 1005 A.D.

Stars illuminated the forest. Fireflies made their slow and steady way to nowhere in particular. A gentle breeze gave the trees a shake, making a soft rustle as their leaves moved in the wind.

An owl, silently coasting along the currents, swiveled to look in the direction of a loud sound breaking the peaceful night. At the bright multicolored hues barreling his way, the bird of prey hooted in alarm and shot to the closest tree, holding tightly as the pegasus bolted by. She had both hooves in front of her, making her body streamlined and guiding the air flow. Dark-cerise orbs scoured the area.

“Where the hey is that squirt?”

A different breeze cut through the air, it’s haunting whisper sounding almost like words. “The river, Rainbow Dash, thou must head towards the river…!” The command was soft but firm, sounding like the night sky, shining stars and moonlight.

The brash flyer pulled up, hovering in place. “Wha-?” Dash paused mid-air, trying to pinpoint the source. When none became apparent, she shrugged. “Whatever, just another place to look.” Dash followed her nose as it picked out the water from the rest of nature. The sound of rushing water began to stand out, with a shrill shout drifting up above it.

“Heeellllp…!”

“Squirt…?” Rainbow squinted, trying to spot dark orange as she came closer.

“Aaaaaaaaaa…!”

“Scootaloo?!” The shouting, frantic and fearful, gave the pegasus the boost she needed to speed up.

Coming around towards the river, the flyer found she had made too large an arc, arriving from below and connecting with the waterfall that intersected it. A splash of orange was in free fall. Rainbow felt her heart stop even as she dived towards it. Once she felt the bundle of warmth in her grasp, she pulled up, landing several fields away from the danger.

Night life took several seconds to return to normal. The pegasi kept their voices low, not wanting to disturb the world around them and to keep their words between the two of them. With every passing exchange, Rainbow felt her stomach fill with guilt. By the end, she wrapped her right wing around the filly, pulling her closer. Her smile dropped as her mind brought back what they had previously spoke about.

“Squirt, I didn’t want to be a hovering annoyance to you. I mean, I’m your guardian right?” Dash leaned down, looking straight in the younger filly’s eyes. “I figured that means you could come to me with anything, even if was to just hang out.”

Scootaloo shook her head, face scrunching in embarrassment. “A guardian is someone who other adults go to if there’s a problem. Someone that shows up if there is a problem. It… It might be nice to have a… a kind of sister to hang out with.”

The blue pegasus nodded slowly, face thoughtful. “Sure thing kid, sure thing. But… Scootaloo, the stories weren’t supposed to make you feel like you couldn’t measure up.” The older mare bent even closer, her voice low. “They were supposed to be funny. An old tradition of camp.”

The filly couldn’t meet the reassuring gaze. “Haven’t gone camping like this before. Not that… Not that I could remember.”

“Well, we’re camping now aren’t we?” Dash smiled, getting a light chuckle back. “We’ll make up for it…” The two shared another hug, started by the older. “... I’ll make up for not always being there. I didn’t want to cramp your style.”

Scootaloo drew back, brows furrowed. “What? There’s no way you can cramp anypony’s style! You, uh, you make it awesomer!”

Rainbow laughed at the exclamation and gave the filly a gentle shake. After their laughter died down, the sky blue mare felt her attention shift towards where the camp rested. With a sigh, she stood up and nudged the filly beside her.

“Come on squirt, we should get back.” Noticing the glint of worry in purple eyes, Dash smirked. “Don’t worry, we’ll keep the why between us.”

The orange filly exhaled, the tension leaving her body. She smiled up to her hero and trotted alongside her as they returned to the campsite. The duo went at a steady pace, allowing for the younger pegasus’ shorter limbs. There was an itch in the back of the brash flyer’s mind, tugging away from her focus on returning to camp. Not used to the feel of guilt and annoyance filling her core, the older mare glanced about the forest. There was a buzz that soon filled her attention. When she realized the noise came from beside her, Dash looked towards the source and found a tiny pair of wings twitching excitedly.

“What are you thinking there Scoots?”

Hearing her hero asking a question, the younger pegasus looked up with a wide smile. “Well, I get to hang out with you!” Scootaloo gave a little jump, flapping her wings faster for a second before landing once more. “Even if it is only when you’re not flying around…”

Rainbow raised a single brow at the statement before glancing towards the sky. Feeling stress building from the lass beside her, the sky blue mare placed a gentle hoof on the smaller back.

“You know, I wasn’t always the best flyer growing up either. Though if you tell anypony, I’ll totally deny it.” Rainbow Dash smirked towards the younger, nudging playfully.

“You… You weren’t?” Scootaloo frowned, bewildered and almost disbelieving.

“Nope! I had to take special training with my dad before I really improved.” Dash’s gaze drifted unfocused, thinking of better times.

“Your dad…?”

The older mare flinched as her chest constricted, memories souring. She looked down with a pained smirk. “Yeah. One of the last few big things we did together.” She took a deep breath, corralling the flood of painful recounts. “Anyways, if you’re up for it, we could try working on your flying too…”

The Crusader felt her excited shout gather in the back of her throat as she inhaled deeply. Her eyes widened along with her smile. Before she released the exclamation, the filly dumped out the air in one flat go. “That’d be-that’d be cool.” Scootaloo coughed as the air hitched briefly, trying to keep her cool.

Dash laughed at the sight. She gave the girl a teasing noogie before placing her hoof along the orange neck, leading the way once more. Together, they walked through the barrier of foliage around the site. On the other side, they found Rarity, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom waiting around a renewed roaring fire.

“Alright, so me and the kid worked things out, and we’re going to have a blast.” Rainbow smirked as she gave the slimmer shoulders a shake. She then looked back to the camp, doing a rapid headcount and noting a distinct lack of orange and blonde. “Hey, where’s AJ?”

“I’m afraid she hasn’t arrived yet.” The posh words held a undercurrent of worry; a layer that went unnoticed by the young mares but the older one did manage to catch it. The unicorn fiddled with the snacks roasting by the fire. “It would mean so much to me if you would go and circle around the sky to find her; that would be just wonderful darling.”

The bold flier leaned back, ears flat at the steel hidden in the friendly sounding request. Cerise orbs wide, she looked to the girls to find they were also surprised to hear the fashionista ask in such a firm manner. Dash could feel the stare weigh down her wings and gulped back her nerves. Flinging a hoof up in salute, the pegasus blasted off for the skies, twirling midair to start circling the area. She scanned the forest, eyes scrunching as she kept going.

From among the dark greens and browns there was a flash of yellow, standing out from the ground. Swooping down, her mane pushed back, Rainbow righted at the last second, using the thrill to blow away the chill from seeing steel deep inside blue eyes.

“Hey, found the squirt.” Dash kept her words short as she jerked her head back towards the camp. Applejack sighed, relaxing in place.

“That’s good. Ah thought you were supposed tah be watchin’ her.” The farmer frowned as she turned around. While the two mares trotted back, the pegasus rubbed the back of her head.

“Well, I’ve been trying. I just don’t have the years of experience like you, family-mare.” Rainbow nudged her friend, only to taper off at the deadpan she received. “What…?”

“Ya don’t learn it all at once, ya doof. It takes time. Time ya almost didn’t get because she got lost.” Applejack reached up for her hat only to pause when it met empty air. She frowned at the ground. “Oh yeah… Anyways, what happened? Why’d she run off?”

Rainbow in turn looked towards the sky, eyes unfocused. “Can’t tell you, promised the kid it was between us. Don’t worry, I’ll step up my game.” Seeing the disapproving green orbs flash with inner iron, Rainbow rolled her eyes as she cut her companion off. “Yeah, yeah, it’s not a game. I know that too. It’s just a figure of speech, sheesh.”

The two glared for a half second before breaking out in laughter. They finished the trot back and found the rest of the group still sitting where they had been left. Dash smirked bemused while Applejack was given a tackle hug by her little sister. The smirk turned more genuine when she found herself the target of an unsure grin from the small pegasus. Rainbow gave the filly a noogie and pulled her along to sit next to her as they sat by fire. The group were starting to relax, enjoying the treats prepared by the waiting ponies.

The gentle atmosphere shook when the young farmer turned to her friend with an anxious frown. “So Scootaloo, what made ya run off in the first place…?”

The orange filly glanced up to the older one, seeking help. The usually brash mare shrugged silently. When the quiet stretched out longer, the sky blue pegasus shifted in place with a roll of her eyes.

“We totally got it covered! Between the two of us, there’s nothing to worry about!” Dash slung a limb around the slimmer shoulders and gave the girl a tiny shake. They shared a grin before looking back to the rest of the party.

“Yeah! Everything’s fine!” Scootaloo’s voice cracked slightly in her excitement.

The other crusaders shared unsure glances but kept silent while the other adults sighed at the exuberant response.The group finished the late night snack and retired for the night. The fillies, exhausted by the day’s event, fell asleep first. The adults still felt residual adrenaline pumping through their veins, remaining awake for much longer.

Rainbow stayed awake, mind replaying how she had found the filly, as she remained closest to the opening. Her ears twitched at each little noise. Hooves behind her head, she continued looking at the ceiling, her own memories of flight battling with what could have happened that evening. A tiny, demur voice scolded her in the far back corner of her mind.

Unable to withstand the torment, the brash mare sat up and trotted over to the cave entrance. Taking one last look behind her, she found the apple farmer was also awake, staring at the top of the cave. They shared a glance, green orbs assuring cerise. Dash nodded once before looking back to the outside.

The night swept by slowly, clouds coming and going, blocking the sinking moon briefly. The pegasus dozed off in place even as she maintained vigil. It was as the other campers started to rouse that Rainbow jerked back into awareness. She turned in place, smiling as she received a tiny hug that was quickly let go. Orange fur showed who had given the brief embrace. Dash reached out at the last second and scuffed up the moderate-cerise mane as it passed by.

The party was more subdued as they finished their hike. The adults were mostly silent while the kids demonstrated the residential exhaustion from the night before. Rainbow watched the younger pegasus especially, starting to plan the training Scootaloo would need to fly. But her mind stayed mostly blank. How… How are pegasi trained…? There’s dad’s method, but he only did that after I could fly… She rubbed both hooves against her temples as she floated along with the group. Ugghh… I don’t remember the short training they gave in flight camp. Stupid, dumb teachers… Dumb rules… Maybe Fluttershy knows…

“Yes, I do remember early flight training… You… uh, you don’t?”

Rainbow Dash shifted in her seat, taking another sip. “Well, err, I’m just too awesome to…” Cerise orbs checked on the other. Finding no hint of amusement, the brasher mare gave up the statement and confessed. “No, I don’t. I was always on my wings, and took the test to get to the higher classes.”

“O-oh, right. Well, I could provide some advice but Twilight may have some books about the subject.” Fluttershy ducked her head, tapping her hooves together anxiously. She noticed the slight annoyance on the other’s face and cringed. “O-oh, uhm, but if you’d rather I watch and help, I could, I suppose…”

Dash sat up, ears at attention before she forced herself to calm down. Sending her gaze away from the shy mare, Rainbow instead saw the pleased gaze of her tortoise watching the two. She used her free hoof to scratch at her ears that burned at the focus she was getting from those she loved.

“I-I would really appreciate it ‘Shy. The squirt would probably like the extra support too.” The cobalt mare froze in place, eyes dilating for a second. When she saw that the other was staring into her tea, she relaxed once more.

“So you’re going to teach Scootaloo to fly? W-when were you thinking of starting the training…? Just the basics right…?” Fluttershy tried to slow her rapid heartbeat. Her mind had turned to fluff knowing that Rainbow wanted her around.

The bold mare leaned back, setting her cup on the table. She shrugged her shoulders, head tilted up to the ceiling. “Heck, the kid seems like she’s the kind to go all the way. If she could make it, maybe I could try to teach her the Bifrost method…?”

“NO!” The canary pegasus ‘slammed’ her hooves onto the table, leaning forward to the other mare. The soft thud stopped all noise in the cottage from the various animals eating. “That method is -! She’s too young! It could kill her!”

Dash blinked in surprise. Straightening up, she ignored the pinch in her chest that was followed by it plummeting towards her back hooves. “Hey, my dad taught me that. And I was even younger than Scoots. It helped me prep for my Sonic Rainboom!”

Fluttershy flinched. Timidly, she sat back down, reaching with a shaky hoof for her tea. “But you could already fly very well by that point. Scootaloo cannot. It may be a while longer for her to try that method.”

Rainbow shrugged, hooves going to hold her own cup. Tank made his steady way to his owner and rubbed the closest blue side. They sat in silence for a few minutes longer. Both mares’ faces grew warm with heavy blushes. Dash felt her hooves grow unstable while her heart and mind started to fill with anxiety. Peeking from under her bangs, Rainbow spoke softly to avoid startling the other.

“Fluttershy… Did you really have that hard of a time watching me take that training…?” The bolder mare felt timid and looked to the front door. “I thought you liked watching me train and performing…”

“I do! It’s just… that training was particularly hard to watch you go through.” Fluttershy leaned forward only to straight up with determination in her eyes. “But if… if Scootaloo makes it that far, I want to be there for you both.”

Rainbow relaxed in place with a gusty exhale. She smiled happily as she leaned back on her forehooves. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” Cerise eyes couldn’t stay still and floated over the room and canary coated mare before her. “Uh, well, I better go talk with the squirt about setting up a time to start training.”

The two mares stood up. Fluttershy tried to decide between cleaning and showing her guest out, ending up flustered and indecisive. Rainbow noticed the motion and smirked.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it’s a day that you’re free to help. I- uh, I’ll come by later to talk about how to start the training…” The brash mare stared straight ahead, blush heavy on her cheeks. “See you later Fluttershy.”

The blue pegasus rushed out the door, wing draped down to cover Tank who nudged his owner encouragingly. Seconds out of the cottage, they both took off for the air, leaving the canary mare to stare up after the duo.

Scootaloo was sitting at the dining table, hoof propping up her head as she stared at the homework before her. She made small abstract doodles on the edges as she frowned. Very little of the assigned work was finished.

The brief knock at the door and mare entering inside elicited little reaction from the filly. Rainbow Dash noticed the homework and settled down beside the younger pegasus.

“Hey Scoots, whatcha got there?”

A small shrug was the sole reply.

“Is it… going ok…?”

“Meh…”

“Uhh, do you need help with it…?”

Cerise eyes watched the child who stayed silent, noting the eye roll Dash’s question received. The older mare squinted at the action and glanced to the paper. She reached out and nudged the filly. “Come on, tell me about this stuff. What is it?”

Scootaloo sighed, letting her pencil fall. “It’s just some Equestrian grammar stuff.”

“Oh.” Rainbow winced. “Well, learning proper Equestrian helps you get farther in life…”

Disbelieving purple orbs stared up at the brash pegasus.

“Look kid, even I have problems with being taken seriously because of how I speak. But they are usually too lame to matter in the long run.” Dash waved a hoof, eyes unfocused. “Except that no pony follows the exact same road as another. You might find you need to know proper Equestrian later.”

Scootaloo looked to her idol in surprise, brows raised. The two pegasi sat like that for a few more moments before Rainbow shook her head.

“Err, you know, kind of like how knowing how to fly can open a lot of doorways for a pegasus.” Dash paused briefly, checking for the reaction. Finding the filly curling up into herself with a scrunched face, the cobalt mare rushed on. “So we’re going to fix that too. Flight training starts, uh, in a week from today. If you can catch up on some of your homework that is.”

“What?!” Scootaloo sat up with forehooves pressed against the table. Seconds later, she slumped back down, tears of frustration welling her in eyes. “Then I’ll never get to fly… Too stupid to even get this homework done right…”

Rainbow sat purposely down beside the filly and pulled over the sheets. She tapped the papers in front of them.

“You won’t be able to do it unless you take the first steps. Come on, let’s start with this first one…”

It was hard, but eventually the two pegasi finished the homework. They ended up staying awake most of the night trying to get it done, and once it was, they were too exhausted to be worried about the quality. Giggling deliriously to one another, they crashed where they sat to sleep for the few hours they had left before the sun rose and woke the civilized world.

The next morning, the filly found herself wrapped up in a winged embrace as Dash snored loudly. Giving in to the temptation, Scootaloo stayed in the hug until she heard the alarm go off in her room. Dashing out of the hold, she shut off the clock to find Rainbow Dash slowly getting up with a large yawn.

“Hey kid. Hope you didn’t mind me staying the night. Guess we worked ourselves to the bone huh?” Dash smirked. “I have to get to work, but good luck today, ok?”

Scootaloo nodded and watched her hero leave before getting some breakfast for herself. She remained mostly silent during her walk to school, though her gaze was more alert than it had been for a long time. The other Crusaders noticed this awakeness and smiled warmly.

The orange pegasus was uncertain when she turned in the homework that morning. Cheerilee smiled gently at the girl and set the class to their first few assignments once they were all seated. At the end of the day, she gave back all the work the children had turned in. When she reached Scootaloo, she gave a tiny smile. Setting the paper down, she patted Scootaloo’s shoulder briefly.

“Not bad. A little more practice and you’ll have it.”

The filly flinched at the touch. She looked at the sheet and blinked in surprise. A large smiley was on the front with 13 out of 20 written just below. Scootaloo leaned back, startled. It was the best grade she had gotten in over two months. Feeling even more positive for the day, the filly left with her friends for more Crusading. She didn’t want to share the news of flight training just yet. There was a nagging feeling that it wouldn’t come true. That she was going to be let down yet again.

The week leading up to the day was full of anxiety and a tiny glimmer of hope. More homework was done, the small house lit up with more life, and the filly saw more of her idol than she usually did. Not that Rainbow avoided seeing the kid, but that she made sure to spend more direct time with the younger pegasus.

When the day of the training came, Scootaloo dreaded that afternoon. Rainbow was at their house when the filly came home. Seeing her immediately shocked the kid. Stuttering to a halt, Scootaloo felt her heart plummet for a brief second, her mind’s voices shouting how something is going to go wrong.

“Hey kid, you ready for today?” Dash said excitedly.

Scootaloo nodded, allowing her saddlebags to drop by the doorway.

“Good. You won’t need anything, I’ve got the few things we will need.” Dash held up a whistle with a stopwatch attached to it. “Let’s head out.”

The filly nodded again, not trusting to speak. She trailed after her idol as they trotted further out of town to a hill halfway between their location and Fluttershy’s cottage. At the top of the grassy hill was a blot of yellow. When the two pegasi came closer, they could identify the color as the animal care-taker herself.

“Hey Fluttershy! Thanks for coming…” Dash stood beside the other mare, pulling the whistle and stopwatch around her neck.

The canary mare ducked her head with a bashful grin. Scootaloo glanced between the two older mares, ears flicking uncertainly.

“Ok squirt, here’s the rundown.” Rainbow leaned down so she was even with the wide purple eyes. “To be able to fly really well, like me, you need your body as strong as your wings and mind.”

Spotting the confusion in the younger mare, Dash nodded slowly with a single brow raised. “Yes, that’s right. Your mind. You need to be able to think about everything that goes into flying and where you’re flying. If you fly over Manehatten, you need to know their air traffic laws with the large skyscrapers. Fly over Canterlot, and they have a whole different set of rules since the princesses live there.”

Fluttershy smiled proudly at the speech, happy to see the awe and amazement in the younger girl’s gaze. Scootaloo leaned closer, mouth falling open as a warm feeling coursed through her body. Her mind filled with wonder as she felt better about learning various subjects in school.

“So long as you keep working at your homework, we’ll start working on your physical strength. Fluttershy is my longest fan and cheer squad, she’ll be helping with training and keeping us pumped up.”

The two more athletic pegasi glanced over to the last one who waved timidly. They waved back almost as shyly before Dash covered the younger mare with her wing and pulled her further along.

“Alright, so first we’re going to work on your legs and center. You need those for take offs and landings.” She adjusted the filly’s stance into one ready for push ups. “But we, as pegasi, need to keep our bodies slim and-and uh, air-o…-”

“...Aerodynamic…”

“Thanks.” Rainbow flashed a grateful smile to the yellow pegasus. “And aerodynamic. So after these push ups to help start building that muscle, we’ll do some Pilates moves to help build your muscle control and balance. Fluttershy will be doing those with us.”

“Us?” Scootaloo glanced to the bold mare, ears fully at attention.

“Well yeah, you never stop keeping in shape. And I learned to fly differently, so I don’t know these moves.” The blue pegasus smirked. “Yeah, there are even things I don’t know. Just don’t let that knowledge get out, ok? Got a reputation to uphold.” The last two sentences were whispered to the filly with a teasing wink to accompany them.

Together, the three pegasi set out to work, doing exercises for the rest of the afternoon. While the older mares showed little strain of the poses and exercise, the filly found her muscles aching in whole new ways. Once they were done for the day, Scootaloo collapsed on the ground, exhaling in a heavy puff.

“Guess I’m not as fit as I thought…” She muttered quietly to herself.

Rainbow Dash heard however, and smirked bemused. “Kid, no one is as fit as they first thought. Besides, it takes work. And patience.”

The filly nodded as she panted heavily. Fluttershy helped the child up and together, they went to the shared cottage for the evening meal. Both of the older mares left afterwards for their own homes.

Almost seconds later, there was solid knocks on the front door. Knowing that the older mares already left and wouldn’t have knocked, Scootaloo cautiously opened the door. The sight of light-gray and olive-yellow coats outside relieved the pegasus.

“Hey guys, what’s up?” The orange mare backed up, allowing space for the other girls to enter.

“We were checking on ya.” Apple Bloom stepped forward, gaze drifting over the filly and then the room beyond. “Ya’ll been doing pretty good. Making sure it’s still going well.”

“Yeah! We-we were worried for a, a long time and we don’t want… uh…” Sweetie Belle trailed off awkwardly. She couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. “How-how are you doing…?”

Scootaloo rubbed the back of her head, muzzle covered by a blush. “I’m… I’m doing ok. A little sore from this new training I’m doing with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.” She looked up to the ceiling, blush growing as her friends stared in surprise.

“Trainin’?”

“What training…?”

“Well, I’ve- Rainbow Dash is training me so I can start to fly.” Scootaloo paused, waiting for what her friends’ responses would be, when she was tackled by two sets of hooves.

“Th-that’s great!” Sweetie Belle’s face took up most of the space for a moment before being brushed aside by Apple Bloom’s.

“That’s really good Scootaloo!”

“T-thanks guys..” Scootaloo remained contentedly on the ground beneath her friends. “Uhm… You know, Fluttershy goes not only to help with the training, but Rainbow Dash said she helps, uh, encourage her during training…”

The other fillies leaned back, allowing their friend to sit up properly. Sweetie Belle stared wide eyed with red on her face while Apple Bloom remained slightly bewildered.

“So?” The young farmer tilted her head. The unicorn beside her started to draw little circles on the ground with her hoof as Scootaloo blushed harder, scratching her mane.

“Well, uh, did-did you guys want to watch next time…?”

“YES!” Sweetie Belle exploded only to shove both hooves onto her muzzle. Apple Bloom gave the filly a confused frown while Scootaloo continued blushing.

“Sure thing Scootaloo, Ah’ll be there too. Ya’ll let us know when it is…?”

“You bet!” Scootaloo managed to reign in her embarrassment to salute with a smirk. “Did you want to plan some more Crusading ideas while you’re here…?”

The other fillies perked up further and nodded rapidly. The three friends pushed the limits of their curfews to hang out but eventually had to go home for bed.

Scootaloo laid in her own bed, face turned to the ceiling, as she reflected on the warmth she felt from a full day of accomplishment. Maybe… I’m not so useless....

XVII (RD/FS & S) - Bad Previous Experiences Biting Back

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Beginning of May, 1005 A.D.

There was barely a breath of wind as the medium sized group sat on the hill top. All three Crusaders were there, plus the pegasi of the element wielders. The blue pegasus and the just as orange filly worked hard, sweat pouring from their sides, as they contorted their bodies into various poses. The group was silent except for Fluttershy who counted softly.

“Eight… Nine… Ten… Now the trotting dog… One… Two… Three…” The canary mare murmured softly, eyes watchful.

It had only been a week and a half since they started the training, with only two other sessions before hoof. The other fillies watched with curiosity at the moves, never having seen them before. The veterinarian continued until reaching the end, shouting loud enough to be heard on a normal level.

“Ten! G-Good work you guys!”

Scootaloo dropped to the ground, mouth dropping open and panting. Rainbow managed to keep standing, her nose flaring. She reached out with a loose hoof, scuffing the filly’s mane, and looked to the other pegasus. Dash shared a smile with Fluttershy.

“Good work kid. And that’s another day’s training done.” The brash mare sat down, wings expanded to catch the tiny breeze. “So let’s figure out the next few ones. Best if we do two per week, seems to be a good number for you for now. We don’t want to overdo it.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. Her tiny smile grew as Rainbow Dash showed an unusual amount of maturity. “You should still do the stretches however, and some of the poses that uses all the muscles.” The quieter mare drew their attention, stressing continued practice.

“Right, right. Exactly Fluttershy.” Dash pointed a hoof to the other mare in agreement. “Ok, so today is Friday. Uh, can’t do it Tuesday or Wednesday… Probably shouldn’t do it right next to one another, soo… uh Sunday and Fri- Thursday…?”

The blue pegasus changed her suggested days at the tiniest shake from the other adult. The girls noticed this slip up and perked their ears.

“Why can’t you guys work on those days?” Sweetie Belle stepped forward, hoof holding a bottle of water. She gave it to the orange filly while looking at the older mares.

Rainbow blushed and looked away, scuffing her mane. Fluttershy withdrew into herself, eyes glued to the ground as her body curled up.

“Uhh, well, Tuesday is Fluttershy’s birthday and uh, Wednesday is mine…” Seeing the wide gazes of the Crusaders, Dash continued. “She’s a year older than me. It was a funny coincidence that our birthdays are so close.”

The brash pegasus chuckled uncomfortably. Her mind flashed to previous birthday attempts for the drastically shier pegasus. She flinched, and peeked over to the butter yellow mare. Fluttershy’s ears were tipped back, neck and body tense. Rainbow Dash sighed. Leaning forward, she nudged the filly with a half smile.

“Don’t worry about it squirt. We’ll make sure to have plenty of time to train, and if you want, you can come to the party. That work for you?”

Scootaloo nodded slowly, her brows furrowed. “Thanks Rainbow Dash… I’ll be going… Come on guys…”

Rainbow waited for the three kids to leave. She sat beside the other pegasus, wings twitching, wanting to stretch out and help the stunned mare. She held back, barely. Once they were alone, Dash turned to nuzzle the tensed mare.

Fluttershy inhaled sharply, head pulling back with wide eyes. When she caught wind of the light smell of rain, sweat and leaves, she blinked rapidly to focus on the mare nudging her shoulder. The echos of painful memories started to fade, allowing the soft concern to reach her ears.

“Fluttershy… Are you alright…?” Rainbow watched carefully, pausing her nuzzling to instead place both hooves on either shoulder of the canary mare. “I know birthdays are hard for you…”

“Birthdays are hard for everypony who grew up in an orphanage.” Fluttershy murmured back, as she leaned forward to rest her head on the blue chest. Her heart swelled when Dash made no move to shift away.

“Yeah… Yeah…” The brash mare looked over the yellow shoulder to where a trio of fillies ran off. “Do you think… Scootaloo…?”

The animal care-taker sat up, gaze wide. She bit her lip as she looked to where the girls had gone. “Y-you’re right…! O-oh no… I-I better go talk with her!”

“Huh?! Wha- why?” Rainbow sat up straighter, fluffing her wings. But faster than she had expected, the older pegasus was gone, chasing after the filly and her friends. Dash slumped back in place.

Birthday time again… She never liked this time of the year… Not for a long time… The pegasus lightly dug into the ground at her feet, brows coming down as her mind continued the train of thought. Probably was even worse when I was gone. Shoot! Did I ever make that up to her?! I-I-I don’t think so!

Rainbow Dash stood up, ears at the ready. Her breath caught in her chest as pain filled her heart. Searching her mind for a solution, the reckless mare paused when she felt a gentle nudge against her back right hoof. Looking down, she found a pair of warm eyes staring up.

Tank slowly moved his foot to rest against his owner’s leg, croaking a question. He wore his usual fan gear for his owner, though there was also a sign for Scootaloo. Dash smiled, reaching out and scuffing the top of his shell.

“Uh, don’t worry buddy. I’m going to make it all up with Fluttershy with uh, the best birthday ever!” Dash improvised as she spoke until her eyes lit up with inspiration. “I bet Pinkie Pie has some great tips for even greater birthdays. And I could totally get her some awesome gifts too!”

Together, the two friends took to the air, flying towards the small village. The tortoise seemed unsure about the idea but followed along anyways, unable to voice anything at a reasonable speed to deter the speedster.

-TTS-

Fluttershy dropped down beside the trio of fillies as they walked along the road towards town, startling the unicorn and earth pony. Scootaloo swiveled around to face her in a flash, stance lowering instinctively. The three girls were tense and silent, even as they realized who was there.

“O-oh, uhm. I was hoping to talk to Scootaloo, if you don’t mind.” The older pegasus leaned closer, trying to wear a reassuring smile.

The other Crusaders looked to the orange filly, gazes uncertain. The girl in turn searched their eyes, seeking an answer.

“Ya know we’ll be here if ya want Scootaloo.”

“Yeah! And if you want to be alone instead, we can wait a little further away.”

The orange pegasus nodded slowly. She smiled to her friends. “If it’s ok, uh, what were you going to talk about? Is it ok if they stay instead?”

The older mare flicked her ears back. She looked between the fillies. “Oh, well, it’s about birthdays…”

Scootaloo’s ears dropped at this, as did her smile. Feeling the weight of her friends’ eyes on her back, the pegasus nodded once more. “O-oh… Sure… What did you want say about birthdays…?”

“Well, I know that.. growing up in orphanages means it’s hard when birthday time comes around… Would you like to talk about it or uhm, anything…?” Fluttershy watched the filly carefully, looking for any signs of trauma.

The orange pony exhaled gustily, squinting her eyes to the right. The other Crusaders held their breath, watching and waiting, ready for any sort of response. The older mare waited anxiously for a response.

“Yeah, sure, we didn’t have birthdays in the Hudsonside orphanage, and I don’t remember when mine is… It’s fine Fluttershy…” Scootaloo didn’t keep eye contact and instead started to turn away. “Is it ok to go to your birthday parties like Rainbow Dash says…?”

Three sets of eyes stared hopeful at the older pegasus. Fluttershy smiled softly at the question and temptation they felt. She nodded, wings twitching briefly.

“Of course you can. All three of you. I’m sure it’s going to be a lovely party.” The animal care-taker leaned closer to the other pegasus. “If you ever want to talk about it, please feel free to stop by. I do know what it’s like, even if you don’t think so.”

The three fillies stared at the mare, uncertain. Sweetie Belle was the most confused, Scootaloo being the next and Apple Bloom slowly going from confused to concerned. The pegasus tilted her head, curiosity building.

“Why… do you say that?”

Fluttershy grew shier, scuffing the ground with her hoof with an embarrassed blush on her face. “I grew up in an orphanage too…”

“Oh.” Scootaloo couldn’t think of a response to the statement, shocked. The other fillies were just as stunned, watching with wide eyes. Feeling a compulsion to reassure the older mare, the more athletic filly reached out and patted the pale-yellow foreleg. Fluttershy smiled at the touch and returned the attempt with a nuzzle of her own. After the brief attempt at mutual assurance, the group sat silently, unsure of the next move. The older mare glanced up to the town, sight growing large when she remembered how she had interrupted the trio.

“I didn’t mean to stop you from adventuring… Be safe girls.”

The girls relaxed with large grins. “We will!” The trio shouted as they took off for town, running at full speed. The pegasus was in the lead, even after her difficult training.

The canary yellow mare watched with pride at how far they were all coming along. Taking a quick look to the hill where they were not even minutes ago, she found that the brash pegasus was also gone. She trotted sedately back home, plans for how to spend her birthday quietly in the cottage already forming. I wonder if Harry would like to come to have tea on that day… I’m sure Angel Bunny will have all sorts of nice surprises planned. Pleased smile growing, she continued home.

“Are you suuuuure Fluttershy wants a big ol’ birthday party?” Pinkie Pie stressed the word, leaning closer to her blue furred friend. She pulled a list out, shoving it into the bemused cobalt mare’s face. “She’s always asked to be given a nice quiet tea party with her animal friends, with any and all gifts deposited into her mailbox with ‘no surprises or startling. If it’s possible to avoid.’ See? It even says so right here on her note!”

The earth pony read the paper, eyes squinted, as she pointed to the hoofwritten note. The pegasus shuffled in place, limb going to scuff her mane, as she eyed the pink mare’s bedroom. The bright candy colors hurt her gaze as it flashed in the light. Suddenly she was the focus of sharp blue eyes once more, startling the brash flier.

“I dunno Rainbow Dash, I’m pretty sure Fluttershy just wants a quiet party…”

“Maybe, but maybe that’s because she hasn’t had one of YOUR kinds of party. Look, I just… I missed a lot of her birthdays a while back and I haven’t made it up to her yet.” Rainbow couldn’t face the party pony. Pink hooves latched on to either side of her muzzle and pulled her around to face the other mare.

“You. Missed. Parties?! For your bestest best friend ever!?” Pinkie frowned deeply even as her eyes shrank to pinpricks.

Dash froze at the wild gaze. Nervous, she spoke slowly, trying to avoid a blow up. “I was traveling around Equestria, ok? I’m trying to make up for it now!”

“Allllllllriiiight….” The earth mare backed up cautiously. In a second, she was back to her normal high-energy. “Okie dokie lokie! One super cool non-surprise party coming up! It’ll be a rush job, but what kind of things were you thinking of having?”

“Well, it would probably be easier for everypony to have both birthdays at the same time. That and any party for me is usually pretty awesome anyways, so that would help.” Dash rubbed a hoof against her chest as she sat down. “Otherwise, maybe some more nature stuff. I guess some tea stuff too, to go with the cake stuff?”

Pinkie hummed thoughtfully, jotting notes on a paper she had pulled out. She nodded every so often, face solemn. Rainbow trailed off, uncertain.

“Aaannndd……?”

“And?”

“And what else? Games? Prizes? Cakes? Location? Invites?” With each question, the party planner leaned back towards the pegasus, neck stretching.

“OH! Well, all the usual games and certainly the really cool ones. We don’t really need prizes, but that’d be pretty awesome too.” Rainbow tapped her chin in thought. “Cakes…? Uh, well, I’ve always liked the chocolate flavor. But I think Fluttershy likes strawberry, or uh, vanilla. Or both…?”

The pink mare looked up from her list, brows furrowed deeply. Dash shifted in place, face flushing bright red. “I uh, may never have managed to visit for her tea birthday parties.”

Pinkie Pie tsked. Shaking her head sadly, she slung a hoof around the blue shoulders.

“We’re going to fix that for sure, don’t you worry your little rainbow maned head.” The earth pony tapped rapidly on the pegasus’ head, causing her to have to lean over.

“Uh, thanks Pinks.” Rainbow stood up and pushed away the reassuring hooves. Fluffing her wings, she smirked to the party mare. “I’ll see you later, ok? Just have the party in some nice open place, that should help Fluttershy feel better about it all. Bye Pinkie Pie.”

Dash zipped up into the air and out the conveniently open window for flying pegasi. She gave one last wave, seeing the pink dot continue waving until they were too far apart to see properly. Feeling better about the setup, the cobalt pegasus did a few lazy loops on the way to home. She arrived with a flourish, smirking at the proud smile on the waiting tortoise's face.

“Hey buddy! I’ve got the party set up,” the pegasus continued inside, talking over her shoulder, “now I just need find the best gifts to get her.”

Tank followed through the air, croaking a suggestion. The blue mare paused, ears twitching to the sound. She tilted her head, confused.

“Uhh, not sure what you said, but I’m sure it’s a great suggestion.” Rainbow gave the pet a nuzzle after checking to be sure they were indeed alone. “But I’ve got to think.” The mare tapped her forehead firmly, eyes shut in thought. “Gotta think… gotta think… gotta think…”

The bold pegasus floated through her cloud house, aiming for the bed. Flopping down, she continued to rub her temples, chest tightening as no solution came to mind. A tiny weight on her chest caused her eyes to pop open. Seeing the blur of green, the mare smiled, heart lightening up.

“I bet you said to decide with your heart, huh buddy?” Dash asked, smile growing when the tortoise nodded slowly. He then dipped forward, resting his nose against the spot where the pegasus’ heart lay. “Yeah… I have to think with my heart and not my head.”

The mare wrapped her hooves around the pet and lifted out of bed, going a sedate pace out the door and towards the marketplace. Together they went to the various shops, looking for the perfect gift. Trinket stores, hobby shops, craft supplies, they searched through them all. Dash would pick up something and show it to Tank who in turn would either nod or shake his head. He didn’t think Fluttershy would like a trophy case, best friend trophy, full set of sports mini trophies, train sets, rocket ships, horse-drawn carriages, sail ships, nor a book on the land’s craziest pranks. Rainbow Dash was hesitant to head into the craft store, but Tank was insistent, nudging her hind leg with his head.

As soon as she entered, the brash mare became lost among the brightly colored supplies and tools. Salesponies came up to the duo with large grins but Dash just smiled back and continued forward, her grin becoming more plastic by the second. She traveled up and down each row, gaze becoming unfocused as she followed the tortoise around the store. The sound of a hopeful croak broke through the blank whiteness filling her mind.

“What’s that Tank…?” Rainbow blinked several times, trying to wake back up. Finally looking about, she found they were in the knitting section with large needles and hundreds of balls of yarn. “You think she’d like stuff from here? I don’t know Tank…”

The tortoise wouldn’t give up, nudging his owner once more towards the large wall of supplies. The pegasus took a brief look at prices before reaching out a leg and sweeping one of most colors into her basket. She looked at the needles, brows down in confusion, and grabbed a small, medium and large pair of the tools. Going further down the aisle, she found all sorts of patterns in booklets. The mare scratched her mane.

“Tank, I have no idea which one to get her. If she likes knitting so much, wouldn’t she already have these books?” Rainbow glanced to the green shell. Another voice spoke up, startling the pegasus into the air.

“Hello! I’m Color Wheel, are you looking for something in particular?” A unicorn with light lavender with pale blue striped mane and light tan fur smiled, giggling to herself at the jumpy reaction. “Is the pony you’re getting these for a regular customer here? We may be able to help identify what they do not yet have.”

Dash tried to appear nonchalant, blatantly ignoring her sudden flight. “Huh? Oh, uh, sure. Just, uh, keep it to yourself ok? I’m looking for a birthday gift for Fluttershy; you know her?”

The salesmare smiled warmly, “Of course we know Ms. Fluttershy! She’s a regular customer. She’s even done some of the knitting displays for the more advanced patterns and dolls.” She waved to the critter and pony figures that adorned the shelves. Color Wheel trotted down the shelving, coming to a stop at a very complex Nollag Seal Hearthwarming Day Cape. “I believe she has been looking at this particular piece for a while now. If you’d like to purchase it, we can find ways to prevent her from getting it herself. When is her birthday?”

“Really? Sweet! Thanks, that’d be awesome. Her birthday is the 15th.” Dash didn’t look at the other mare as she reached forward and grabbed the large set.

“Truly?! Marvelous! We always love to surprise our customers with things on their birthday, but Ms. Fluttershy has always declined sharing that particular information.” Color Wheel turned about, excitement in her step. “Would that be all miss? If you would please follow me to the counter if it is.”

The cobalt pegasus nodded dimly, flying after the salesmare. She didn’t notice Tank’s look of worry nor did much of the other mare’s words sink in. Dash paid for the items and for wrapping paper. She then spent the rest of the day packaging and wrapping all of the items into various sets, each wrapping paper critter and nature themed. She had three by the time she was finished. Two were labeled as from her and the tortoise, with the last and largest being from just her. Tank signalled he didn’t mind, grinning encouragingly at his owner.

“Tank, this is going to be great! Thanks for the help buddy.” She gave the pet another gentle nuzzle with barely a blush on her muzzle at the action.

-TTS-

Fluttershy timidly trotted through the streets. She ran through the mental list of supplies she needed that weren’t food stuff. When she saw Relaxing Hobbies, the mare perked up, thinking of knitting supplies she needed. It was one of the few things she allowed herself on special weeks like this. Stepping inside, she came across Color Wheel who smiled widely when she noticed the canary yellow mare.

“Welcome Ms. Fluttershy! What can we help you with today?” The salesmare asked softly. All the Relaxing Hobbies staff knew to speak quietly around the shier pegasus. It was a feature that the timid pony appreciated.

“Oh, yes. Well, maybe, if you could. And if it wasn’t too much trouble, or, or anything…” Fluttershy trailed off, eyes downcast.

The salespony continued to grin. “It’s no problem at all Ms. Fluttershy. What were you thinking of today?”

The animal care taker trotted to the knitting section, lit up with excitement. “Oh, uhm, I was wondering if Nollag Seal kit was still available? I also need, um, some more yarn... If it’s not too much trouble…”

The other mare paused, mind scrambling for a second. “Oh, I do apologize. Somepony had came by and already purchased it. We should be getting another set in two weeks with our next shipment.” She watched the dejected pegasus carefully, worried about having hurt the mare. “Was there something else I could help with? We can offer a wonderful discount for your birthday!”

Color Wheel flashed the pegasus a pleased smile, hoping to cheer her up. Instead, Fluttershy shrank in place, ears folding immediately. She looked over her shoulder, gaze worried.

“Uhm, wha-h-how do you know my birthday is soon…?”

“Oh!” The salespony’s eyes flew around the room. “We had heard from somepony else. Is your birthday not this 15th?”

Fluttershy shuddered, form unable to stop trembling. “W-well, yes, it is. I just uhm- haven’t told many ponies.”

“I’m sorry; if you’d like, we could erase it from our records.”The unicorn held out a hoof, smile still reassuring.

“If… If you don’t mind and it’s not that much trouble that is…” The pegasus crouched lower to the ground, avoiding the hoof. She began to inch backwards towards the exit.

“No problem at all. Can we help with anything else…?” The salespony slowly followed.

The animal care-taker shook her head. “N-no, it’s ok. I’ll just… come back later.”

The canary mare couldn’t stop the shakes as she left the market in a rush (for her anyways). Oh, oh, oh… Wh-who could have told them about my birthday…? Oh, so embarrassing! I think I’ll just stay home for the day instead…

The party was everything a Pinkie Pie Party could hope to be. An amazing, awesome and very cool set up. Located out in the town park, it was the creme de la creme of gatherings. Banners, flags and lighted strings hung from tree to tree. Long tables overflowing with cakes, cookies, krumpets, sugary drinks and kettles of tea. A soft rock ballad played in the background, the disc being an eclectic collection of music for the party.

The multitudes of guests milled about, holding cups of tea or fruit punch. There was a larger cluster of ponies around one of the main stars of the day, her rainbow mane the only thing distinguishable. The other mare of the day was sitting much further away, at the edge of the farthest table.

Fluttershy would peek out from under pink bangs to see if any of her critter friends made it every few minutes. When it was apparent they had not, she retreated once more, playing with the tea cup at her hooves. Blue orbs zeroed in on the display. The party planner zipped up, hoof reaching for canary yellow shoulders.

“What are you doing all by yourself Fluttershy?” Pinkie gently tugged the slightly older pegasus forward. “This party is for you and Rainbow Dash! Don’t you like it?”

Fluttershy wilted at the saddened gaze. “Well, it is a nice, uhm, quieter party… for what you usually do… But this isn’t like the last few years you’ve set up a party for me on my birthday…”

“Oh, well Rainbow Dash said to combine them and make it this way,” the earth pony released the birthday mare, looking deep into her eyes. “Are you sure this is OK?”

The pegasus blushed, gaze shifting from piercing blue to the mop of multi-hues. She nodded, allowing her mane to hide her from view.

“Okie dokie lokie!” The hyper pony bounced away, grinning.

The yellow pegasus hunched down in place, table at her back. She was much closer to the center and had caught some of the guests’ attention. A couple, their white and pale-gray coats contrasting each other brightly, walked up with gentle grins.

“Hey birthday girl, how’s it hanging?”

“Hello Fluttershy, how are you doing?”

The canar pegasus perked up at the lower volumned speech. Vinyl Scratch and Octavia stood side by side, wearing their trademark clothing. They waited patiently for the shier mare to respond.

“O-oh, hello… Thank you for, uhm, coming today.” Fluttershy tried to stand tall, only to tremble as the music dropped the bass. “Was-was there anything I could do for you…?”

The two musicians laughed. Octavia gave the mare a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “It is your birthday, you don’t have to do anything for us.”

The pegasus smiled hesitantly. The three ponies stood in silence briefly before somepony shouted for Vinyl’s help.

“Sorry Fluttershy, got to go. I’ll swing back around in a bit.” The duo left the pegasus, laughing merrily.

The absence of their warmth was severely noticed and missed. More guests stepped up and continued by, giving their well wishes. The shy mare shrank back at the greetings, ears folded, as her heartbeat pounded through her skull. The world grew dimmer, clouds blowing in on a chilly wind that whistled through the park. The others’ voices droned into a dull monotone, turning into a higher and higher pitch that eventually changed to shrill laughter. Fluttershy closed her eyes, shrinking into a ball, whimpering. The figures surrounded her, growing taller as their coat colors darkened to black silhouettes.

The pegasus’ tormentors began to laugh in tandem, slowly changing to a chant of her name.

“Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can hardly fly!”

The subtle change wasn’t lost on the mare. She flinched in her curled position, wings timidly reaching out to cover her head.

“Fluttershy! Fluttershy! No one loves her, she should die!”

“FLUTTERSHY!” A husky voice rang out, cutting through the internal chanting. Rough blue hooves latched onto the shaking shoulders. “Fluttershy! What’s wrong!?”

The canary mare shook her head, shrinking into herself, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. She tried to back up but bumped into the table behind her. Tinkling sounds rang out, sending a spike of fear into the yellow pegasus’ heart. The black hooves reached out sinisterly towards her slowly, their intent obvious by the menacing grins the shadowy figures wore. When a set of hooves did touch her, Fluttershy yelped loudly, eyes shooting open as she flung her own hooves out in defense.

Rainbow Dash looked at her old time friend from where she had been pushed, her forelegs helping hold her up as she leaned backwards. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

Fluttershy froze, her breath hitching, as she registered that she was the one who pushed her friend and crush to the ground. Tears streaming down her face, the frightened mare ran off, vaguely seeing the crowd around her as she searched for the brown and green safety. She made it to the forest on the edge of the park and dashed in, hiding behind one of the larger trees as she sobbed loudly, flinging herself to the ground and laying down flat. She placed both hooves over her face to hide the world away as her internal world crashed down around her.

Local critters timidly came out of their homes, noses and ears twitching curiously at the mare in their home territory. Slowly, they made their way over and recognized the pony, chattering between themselves as they inched forward.

The animal care taker looked up at the soft touch of tiny paws, barely focusing beyond the veil of water in her gaze. A squirrel stood right against her muzzle, paws on the feature to help him view into teal eyes. He squeaked softly while the other animals waited for the answer.

“O-oh, thank you for asking… but no, I’m not ok…”

The mare curled around in a half circle on the ground, using her wing to hide her crying. The critters chirped and squeaked to one another anxiously, unsure of how to help, when a rush of wind almost knocked them over. Setting back up, they found another pegasus standing nearby, wings flared, while she looked on in horrified silence. The small animals started to warn the rainbow maned pony away when Fluttershy looked up at their talk, eyes rimmed in red and hooves curled towards her body.

When the two mares made eye contact, Rainbow took a shaky step forward, afraid of going too fast and startling the other into running.

“F-Fluttershy…? What’s wrong…?” She took another step closer, folding her wings to temper the intimidating figure she posed. “Can… can we talk about it…?”

The unusual request, put so gently and quietly, shocked the sobbing mare, preventing her from trying to run away. Instead she stayed in place, body trembling. Her tongue tried to form the needed words but her muzzle seemed to be glued closed.

The blue coated mare finished her cautious trip and sat beside her best friend. She lifted up her wings, inching them forward and around the canary pegasus. Fluttershy flinched at the touch, but when Dash didn’t retreat and instead moved even closer, the sobbing mare leaned forward, resting her head on cobalt fur.

“What happened back there? Last I saw, Pinkie was walking you closer to the cake…” Rainbow kept her voice low as she hugged her crush.

“There was… It-it was…” Fluttershy tried to explain but hiccuped between the words, growing more hysteric with each. “I-I-I couldn’t-!”

“Shhhh… Shhh….” The brash mare tried to make soothing sounds, but glanced around wildly in panic. Her mind started to fill with a panicked emptiness when she felt a gentle nudge from behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Tank rubbing his nose against her fur with a tiny smile, going his usual speed. Dash gulped and reached up with her hooves, rubbing the shy mare’s back just as slowly.

The backrub was the breaking point for the butter yellow mare. She lunged out with her own hooves and forced the words beyond her body-wracking sobs. The other mare froze in place at the sudden motion before jerkily starting to rub the trembling back again.

“I-I-I- w-was s-so scaared…!” Fluttershy howled into blue fur. “M-m-most of us didn’t-didn’t have birth-birth-birthdays recorded…! And-and- it never felt riiiight…! W-when they p-PICKED one for you!”

Dash flinched. The shrillness hurt her ears while the words themselves shot like lightning to her heart, burning it in pain. She rested her head against the pink mane, tilted so she could still speak clearly. “And the kids picked on you… Didn’t they…”

Fluttershy couldn’t speak once again, and instead nodded tensely, shivering.

The blue pegasus exhaled gustily, eyes rolling up to the sky. “And that’s why you don’t like having an actual party. It may not even be the right day… Why did you never pick a new one?” Dash looked back to the pink mane, taking the chance to breath in the scents found there.

“... Because…” The shy mare expelled the words, eyes scrunching even tighter as a blush covered her muzzle. “It was near yours…”

Dash groaned lightly, pulling her head back as her face erupted into flame. Fluttershy felt the motion and stiffened, ears flattening painfully against her skull. Rainbow felt the change and sighed again, squeezing her friend tightly for a second before loosening the grip.

“Fluttershy…” The cobalt mare thought carefully about her words, acknowledging briefly how odd the situation was that she had to think so cautiously. “I’m… sorry I hadn’t realized it and that I… asked Pinkie Pie to make a bigger party than you wanted.”

Fluttershy straightened, mouth dropping open to deny something, anything, that made it her crush’s fault. The sombre glint in cerise orbs stopped her from speaking. Dash looked back, face under control, as she fought various impulses while staring back at the disheveled mare. Swallowing through a dry throat, the faster flier kept her hooves moving reassuringly on her friend’s back.

“W-why don’t you head back to your cottage…?” Rainbow smiled hesitantly, unsure how to physically show more caring than a simple back rub. “Get, uh, get all your animal friends and get that tea party you’re really hoping for. I’ll come by with Scoots, if you don’t mind. She… She probably didn’t have much fun at this party either…”

“Y-yes... Al-alright…” Fluttershy spoke just as quietly as the other mare, gaze wide and mouth hanging open slightly as she looked at the commanding mare holding her. Her heart swelled at the thought of the heroic pegasus looking out not just for her but for the filly in her care.

“Alright. You going to be ok getting there?” The pegasus pulled away slowly, using the spare seconds to feel the warmth they shared before standing up. She waited for the timid head nod before glancing back in the direction of the party.

“I’ll go and explain that the party is going to have to change up a little.” Noticing the startled and almost frantic gaze, Dash smirked assuringly. “Don’t worry, they won’t be going to that tea party. See you later.” Zipping upwards, leaving a rainbow trail behind her, the speeding flier took to the skies, leaving the other in the forest.

The animal care-taker sat by the tree for a few minutes longer, fighting to control the heavy blush staining her muzzle. The forest critters came back, chattering uneasily, wanting to be sure everything was indeed better.

“O-oh, uhm, yes… N-now I’m doing better… Thank you…” Fluttershy shared nuzzles with each animal that wanted one, smiling timidly. She tried vainly to avoid wishing of somepony else she would rather nuzzle.

-TTS-

Rainbow Dash was less able to hide her blush, zooming through the air with both hooves covering her muzzle. She used the speed to avoid anypony seeing her in a ‘mushy’ state. To gain extra recovering time, she flew around the park several times, though she avoided flying over the party to prevent suspicion.

Wh-what was that?! I was so - mushy! What’s gotten into me? This is worse than before! Dash slowed down even as her heart rate sped up. I’ve got it baaad this time. But I’ve screwed up, because I don’t know what she’s gone through. Well, I can’t make the same mistake with her, or the kid. The pegasus smacked her hooves together, determination written all over her face. “Time to get the show on the road.”

The rainbow maned mare flew back to the party, scanning the crowd for a spot of orange and a different spot of pink. Finding both still there, the mare sighed in relief, and touched down beside the filly first. The three Crusaders paused at the sound of rushing wind.

Scootaloo perked up at the arrival and turned away from her friends to face the older pegasus. She tried for a balance of neutrality and of excitement. It was obvious though that she hadn’t been having the best of times by the faces of the other fillies who still glanced cautiously to her.

“R-Rainbow Dash! Hi! Uhm, how are you doing?” The orange filly checked the coast for a canary yellow coat. “Is, uh… Is Fluttershy ok…?”

Dash flinched at the reminder of their abrupt exit. “Yeah. She’ll be ok. I checked on her, and now I’m checking on you.” She reached out, tapping the filly’s chest with a gentle hoof. “You holding up ok? I don’t know how bad things were about birthdays for you- either of you. So I’m trying… to make up for it.”

The three fillies stared surprised at the level of maturity and humility the older mare demonstrated. Rainbow scratched at the back of her head. She reached down with that hoof to nudge the smaller pegasus with her elbow.

“Look, I don’t mind if this is too big of a party for you. One party size doesn’t fit all, you know?” The bold pegasus leaned down, keeping her voice low as she nervously scanned for any sign of hyperactive pink.

“OF COURSE NOT!” The excited shout caused everypony within a half-mile to jump. Bright blue eyes stared deeply into the shocked four. “That’s why I always make individual parties meeting the exact needs of the party-ee.”

Rainbow Dash took a shuddering breath, trying to recover from the surprise and appear nonchalant. She smacked her chest solidly with a miniature cough. “H-hey Pinkie Pie. Yeah, that’s what I was about to say. So, uh, we’re going to need to move this party to later. Would that be ok Pinks?” The pegasus peered closer to her friend and found approval in the jolly gaze.

“You betcha! Did you want to pick out anything from the pile of gifts to carry yourself?” Pinkie nudged the mare with a playful wink. “ALRIGHT EVERYPONY! LET’S MOVE THIS TO TOMORROW AT SUGAR CUBE CORNER!”

The Crusaders and blue pegasus winced at the sudden shout. They watched, stunned and bewildered, as the party pony raced around, collecting the supplies and packing them away while passing out the gifts the ponies had brought to the original owners. The guests chuckled at the behavior and stopped by the bold flier to promise their arrival the next day, along with well wishes for the missing party mare. Rainbow barely nodded her head at their words, staring wide eyed at her friend who was still in motion.

In the end, the three girls and one grown up had their gifts they had brought set in front of them in an empty clearing. The earth pony stopped in front of the group with a heartfelt salute.

“Party for one Rainbow Dash officially moved to tomorrow, only birthday mare being the super speedster Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie rattled off in a singsong voice. “I’ll have all the tea supplies ready at Fluttershy’s in a dash!”

With a final wink, the earth pony skipped off, humming gleefully. Dash watched dumbfounded, along with the Crusaders. Though the speedster was faster at recovering.

“Uhhh, right! So, me and the squirt are going to Fluttershy’s.” Rainbow hooked a hoof around the filly’s shoulders and gave her a friendly shake. “I’m not sure how many ponies Fluttershy would want to stop by at one time, but I’m sure if you guys want we can all go.”

The three friends exchanged a silent conversation. Or tried to. The young unicorn stared blankly at the nodding and head shaking the earth pony and pegasus were doing as well as the shrugs that seemed to multiply. Apple Bloom held out a hoof, face scrunched in pain.

“Can’t understand ya Scoots, yer talkin’ too fast.”

The orange pegasus groaned and left the half hug to trot over to the others. “Fine. Let’s talk then. Huddle up!”

The two others snapped into a playful salute and opened their hooves to hold onto one another’s shoulders. They put their heads down and whispered amongst themselves.

“Alright, now Ah know we had gotten Ms. Fluttershy a nice gift and all, but she seemed real upset about the party…” Apple Bloom watched the pegasus mainly, knowing that she probably had some sort of experience with bad birthdays.

Sweetie Belle nodded, ears tipping back. “Yeah. I suppose we could wait to give it or maybe just take turns going…?”

Scootaloo shuffled in place, shrugging even with the two other hooves on her shoulders. “We could all go on some other day… And show off our gift then.” She ducked her head, hiding the shining hope that built in her eyes. “I could go with Rainbow Dash and see how she’s doing right now…”

The others shared a bemused grin.

“Suuure. Ain’t nothin’ to do with bein’ with yer hero on the day before her birthday.” The olive-yellow filly smirked. “But Ah don’t see what would be wrong with that.”

“Yeah! You go have fun and feel better.” The unicorn blushed lightly with a gentle smile. “I… I know you were feeling a little down too…”

“Y-yeah…” The pegasus couldn’t meet her friends’ eyes. She enjoyed the warmth that came from her friends even as she started to pull away. “I’ll see you guys later, for sure.”

“Sure thing! We can, uh, talk more then right?” Sweetie Belle looked hopefully towards the orange filly as she regretfully lowered her limbs. Apple Bloom kept a close eye on the two, staying silent, weary smile in place.

The young pegasus hesitated, her heart clenching at the memories and doubly so at the worry she noticed in her friends’ eyes. She nodded jerkily. “I’ll see you guys at the clubhouse later, ok?”

The other girls relaxed in place with warm smiles and agreed. They didn’t wait much longer, giving the bemused adult a happy wave. Rainbow had waited patiently for the trio to finish; any time she grew annoyed, the brash mare reminded herself of what had just happened minutes earlier. When the trio broke out of the huddle, they faced the older pony with bashful grins.

“So have you girls decided…?” Dash kept her voice calm and unassuming.

“Yep! It’ll be just me going with you today and we’ll go as the Crusaders later.” Scootaloo puffed up her chest as she stepped forward. The other pegasus smirked and fluffed the dark cerise mane.

“Alright. We’ll see you girls later. Come on squirt, let’s have a much quieter time.” Rainbow picked up the few gifts by her and made sure the remaining Crusaders had a solid grip on their shared gift as they left for town. The two pegasi trotted the short distance to the cottage where a tea party was being set up.

Around the small table was various local animals, each with a tea cup in paw. Fluttershy walked around with a plate of biscuits on her back. She was wearing a large smile at the peaceful atmosphere. Rainbow’s heart swelled at the sight. She gave a loud warning knock to the white picket fence along with a call.

“Hey Fluttershy! We’re here for tea.”

The canary mare glanced up, eyes and heart filling with joy. A proud smile grew on the shier mare’s face when she noticed the spot of orange beside her. She passed off the tray of snacks to Harry the bear who duly passed the rest out. Free of the burden, the older mare trotted up to the new guests, giving both a warm nuzzle before backing up embarrassed.

“Oh, uhm, sorry…” She pawed the ground, eyes downcast. “I was too excited that you both came…”

The other pegasi wore blushes at the exuberant greeting. Dash barely stopped a whine at the removal of the warmth as her wings and fur fluffed up. “It’s fine. So I hear you have tea?” She smirked playfully.

Fluttershy perked up and waved them inside the fenced backyard. She set them at the main table and quickly made them places. The flustered mare continued to rush, setting out more supplies for her guests. Scootaloo sipped slowly at her tea, gaze worried as she felt the tension in the air growing. Dash also felt the growing panic of the other as she subtly set the few packed gifts on the ground, not bringing attention to it as she followed the other mare’s movements. She waited another minute for the canary mare to join them but found she would not. The bold pony sighed, standing up resignedly and plopping herself right in the way of the stressed mare.

The butter yellow pegasus barely looked the cobalt mare in the eye, hooves full of hors d’oeuvres. She giggled breathlessly as she tried to duck around the roadblock. Her wings fluttered weakly against her sides.

Rainbow’s brows twitched down at the motion before focusing on the pinpricks of teal, making sure to stand in the way. When the animal care-taker grew more frantic, the critters grew just as anxious; everyone went still as their attention was focused on the yellow mare. A blue hoof reached out, wrapping around the tense shoulders and pulling her close. Dash stayed firm, keeping the other mare’s face against her chest. She took control of the tray and set it off to the side.

“You don’t have to do this… You don’t have to put on a show.” Rainbow kept her voice low. Looking up she met the youngster’s gaze squarely. “Neither one of you should force yourselves. Not around me at least.”

The young filly dropped her sight and cup, pushing it all back to make room on the table for her to rest her head on both hooves. Dash felt wetness staining her front. Fluttershy’s movements had turned to sobbing once more. Exhaling slowly, the usually brash mare sat her friend at the table, leaving a full cup of tea within hoof’s reach. Rainbow didn’t speak, waiting for either of the others to make the next move. She wasn’t surprised when it was the crying pegasus who spoke up first.

“They… they assigned anypony who didn’t have official records a day close to the ones who did.” Fluttershy spoke slowly to avoid her sobs from breaking up her speech. “It was so they could arrange one large party… So the ones who did know about where they came from or any previous knowledge hated sharing the days.”

Two sets of pony eyes watched the shuddering mare carefully. Fluttershy stopped, taking a moment to breathe while wrapping her hooves around the lithe blue barrel beside her.

“They… they didn’t like how ‘mine’ was so close to yours and other ponies who were… more liked.” The yellow mare whimpered as old memories resurfaced. Within seconds the blue hooves squeezed back.

Dash growled, eyes squinting. “You are definitely-!”

“We didn’t get anything. Ever.” Scootaloo cut in from the other side of the table. She didn’t move her head from its resting place. All ears were on the young girl. “We never learned when our birthdays were. Our ‘gifts’ were b-... beatings… and more chores.”

Rainbow stiffened, her gaze widening with indignation. “Wh-wha-!”

“The teachers… never beat us. But they didn’t notice when the other, older orphans, tried to ‘teach us a lesson’ for having taken their special days.” Fluttershy peeked out from behind blue wings to smile sadly at the filly. “They… they didn’t hurt us too much, because it would be noticed by the adults. But words can be just as hurtful.”

Scootaloo seemed more attentive to the older pegasus, though she kept her head on her hooves. “We got both kinds, from the grownup herself… Haven’t been to a party… ever… Not for a birthday at least.” The filly turned away, gaze filling with water.

The cobalt pegasus groaned, giving one last embrace to the mare in her hooves, and stood up, wings flaring wide. “You-! Neither of you should have had to deal with that! I’m going to- I’m gonna-!” She felt fire surge through her veins as righteous anger pumped throughout. She released the canary yellow pegasus and braced for launch as her mind screamed that something had to be done. “I’ll find those pricks and-and make them sorry they messed with the wrong ponies!”

The two orphaned ponies stared in shock at the display. Their minds blank, they watched the loyalest mare around growl out threats to those who had hurt them. It was when Dash’s wings started to lift her into the sky that Fluttershy regained enough sense to reach out and latch on to the blue limbs.

“No! Wait!” The shout was at normal volume though the grip was iron. “D-Dashie, it was a long time ago! They-they’re gone and if you leave again-!” Fluttershy closed her eyes as her chest crushed under the thought of losing her best friend again.

Rainbow stopped, nose flaring, as she flexed her forehooves. She cast her sights around the yard, noting the statue-like animals watching and the suddenly frightful gaze of the young filly. She came to a halt at the pain she found in the yellow coated mare. Exhaling gustily, she allowed herself to float down to the ground, making no move to prevent the yellow hooves from wrapping around her body.

“I won’t be leaving like I did before. I said I wouldn’t and I’ll prove it, every day.” Dash locked eyes with the frantic pegasus, assuring silently that she had nothing to worry about. Without breaking out of the grip, the bold pegasus grabbed a hold of the filly across the table and pulled her into the embrace as well. “No pony is going to mess with either of you two. Not on my watch.”

Fluttershy looked adoringly to the heroic mare as she shifted to include the youth in the hug. For a second, all three pegasi stayed in the embrace before starting at the local critters joining in. The animal care-taker was the first to laugh at the moment, the others following a few moments later. The large group of huggers held the moment for a half-minute before the two less-physical pegasi wiggled in the embrace, cheeks stained with a burning red.

Dash held a hoof to her mouth, coughing roughly to clear the last of the fire in her veins, as she backed up from the group. Scootaloo also used the moment to back away, eyes locked to the ground.

“Alright, we still need to get this tea, uh, tea day? Underway.” The blue pony slowly reset the table, her focus on the older mare. “You guys can, uh, talk about anything you want. I… I won’t leave or get upset.”

The yellow mare smiled warmly at the effort. “Yes, tea is very helpful to calm down with.” She turned to head inside for more supplies when she saw that Angel already had that taken care of it along with Tank, who had a tray on his shell. “Oh, thank you! That’s very sweet of you!”

Fluttershy reached down and gave both pets a nose nuzzle, eyes closed with a wide grin. Rainbow tried to bury the jealousy she felt towards her pet and checked on the youngest pegasus. Scootaloo was also resetting the table, looking up with a bashful grin when she saw the bold mare glancing her way. They, along with the local animals, stayed the whole afternoon, talking about the past and some of the more horrible birthday parties, using laughter to help the healing. The birthday mare even got a chance to open the gifts that Rainbow had brought.

Teary eyed, Fluttershy hugged the multi-hued mare, muttering her thanks several times. Scootaloo assured the mare that the Crusaders also had one to give that they would be coming by some other day to drop it off. The pink maned mare laughed lightly and gave the filly a hug of thanks as well. The rough and tumble pegasi waved off the embraces and thanks, their faces painted bright red.

When the sun was mostly gone over the skyline, the various guests began to return home. The ponies were among the last to leave, waving goodbye before leaving via flight and a scooter respectively.

Dash stayed up in the air, grabbing a cloud and secretly watching over the two pegasi from afar. Beside her, radiating pride and love, floated Tank, who croaked his congratulations.

“Yeah, I recovered today buddy, but I can’t fix the past.” Rainbow pet his shell as she focused on the grounds below. “I just have to make sure the future is better for them. Both of them.”

XVIII (RD/FS & S) - After the hospital visit

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Start of June, 1005 A.D.

The doctor held up his clipboard, scanning the data there. He looked up from above half-rim glasses, brows raised in challenge.

“Well Ms. Dash, it seems, desperate as you were to stay in the hospital, your wish has been granted.” He trotted closer to the bed where the pegasus in question laid with her wing outstretched and wrapped tightly with pristine white bandages. “You’ve done much more harm to your wing than last time, and will need to remain on the ground. No flying for at least another two weeks.”

There was a soft gasp from the far corner of the room. While Rainbow Dash rested on the bed in the center, her best friends and a trio of fillies surrounded her. Against the wall was the latest x-ray scans, lit up from behind by the panel holding them there. In the brash pegasus’ hooves was the second book in the Daring Do series about the Wish Fulfilling Jewel. The five other adults were in various states of shock and worry; from Twilight’s unsurprised concern to Fluttershy’s open fright and worry. Rainbow wore a bright blush as she stared off to her left, unable to bring herself to look at the canary mare.

“Due to the multiple violations of our rules and regulations, we can’t have you resting here unless absolutely necessary.” The brown stallion looked between the group, pushing his glasses up his muzzle. “Is there anywhere you can stay that doesn’t require you to fly Ms. Dash?”

The mare in question scratched her head, flinching at the motion that jolted her wing. Fluttershy winced in sympathy and crossed her forehooves around her barrel. The other adults broke out in chatter, offering suggestions and help, while the trio of girls watched with wide eyes. Teal orbs caught on the orange filly who seemed especially weary of the hospital and Dash’s condition.

O-oh! That’s it! There’s still room at the cottage, Dashie can stay there! Fluttershy inched over to the mare in bed, leaning closer to the twitching blue ears. “D-Dashie, how about staying in the cottage with Scootaloo…?”

Rainbow stiffened at the soft sound tickling her ear. Muzzle slowly encasing in red, she peeked out of the side of her eyes to the pleading teal. “Y-yeah…? You think so…?”

“O-oh yes, that- uhm, that way you can be close by if you need anything while making sure Scootaloo is ok and-and getting better yourself and mmm- eep…!” Fluttershy trailed off as the other mare focused more on her with each word. She ducked down, hiding behind the edge of the bed and pink bangs. Gentle laughter brought the shy pegasus out from her cover.

“Alright, alright ‘Shy, I get it.” Dash raised her voice, throwing it to reach the fillies sitting on the farthest point of the group. “Hey squirt, would you mind if I used that room in the cottage? Promise I won’t cramp your style.” Rainbow smirked with a teasing wink.

The orange filly perked up at being addressed, her face and ears turning red at the question. “You-you sure?! Th-that’s fine!” The girl fluttered her wings briefly before settling down.

The adults smiled at the excitement the young pegasus showed before focusing back on the doctor who coughed politely.

“If you have decided, please fill out these forms and sign below for the release. Is anypony going to be checking on you periodically?” The stallion looked towards the other adults as he held out the clipboard with his magic to the mare on the bed.

The friends glanced between one another, about to respond, when the shy pegasus pushed her way to the front. She kept lower to the ground, squeezing through the two couples.

“I’ll check on them, if that’s ok…” Fluttershy smiled to the blue mare in bed only to frown in confusion at the blush and lack of eye contact waiting there.

Dash coughed into a hoof, eyes flicking towards the ceiling. “Y-yeah, that’d be fine. Thanks Fluttershy.”

The others smiled gratefully and gave the canary mare thankful pats on the back. The doctor took the clipboard back from the bed-ridden mare and checked over it one last time. He gave a nod, and a nurse stepped inside, pushing a wheelchair.

Fluttershy twitched anxiously as she and the others held back while the doctor and nurse helped Dash to the chair. The timid pegasus hung to the back as the group made their way to the exit. She tried to keep an eye on both of the other pegasi but found her gaze sticking more on the cobalt mare. Dash would look over the group, each moment regaining some of her energy; a sight that helped to lift Fluttershy’s heart. Her chest froze when cerise orbs locked with hers and Dash seemed to withdraw with a red blush, the normally bold gaze dropping to the ground bashfully.

W-what’s wrong?! Why did- was there…?! The animal caretaker watched the injured pegasus closely, brows drawn tight. I… I better check on her quickly when we get out! What could have… caused a reaction like that…? She peeked at the wrapped up wing, running through what medicines were given to the mare. Nothing that would cause a dip in emotions. So maybe something that happened before the accident? She did have that uhm, adventure, last night… But she seemed so happy to read that book… Fluttershy peered at the novel in blue hooves thoughtfully.

By this time the group had reached the entrance and Rainbow was getting off the chair. There was a moment of awkwardness when Dash wouldn’t let go of the book as she got down. Fluttershy felt another moment of uncertainty before relaxing when the agile pegasus managed to hold it while trotting on three hooves. She stayed silent as the blue pegasus convinced the others that they didn’t need the whole group to go to the cottage. The others dropped away in pairs, each destined for a different corner of Ponyville; Applejack and Rarity for the apple farm on the west, Twilight and Pinkie Pie for the library in the middle of town and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom went to a different section of the farm.

Rainbow stood still as each pair left, glancing with a smirk to the filly on her right. Fluttershy trotted up beside the other, peering out from behind pink strands. Dash’s smirk wavered into a bashful grin as her gaze dropped. Without a word, the three pegasi continued down the road to the small one story house.

Scootaloo couldn’t stop looking at the book her hero held tightly. She peered at the title and read it out loud. “Daring Do and the Wish Fulfilling Jewel...? What’s that? Who’s Daring Do?”

The two pegasi were surprised to see Rainbow light up with excitement. As she hopped along, her animated facial expressions were almost enough to make up for the lack of limb movement.

“Only the most adventurous pony other than myself! She goes on daring adventures to find these really cool super power objects and fights off these totally dumb bad ponies.” Dash went on to explain, her voice of a long term fan despite her newness to the series.

Fluttershy relaxed with a soft laugh. Her heart swelled, pleased that even now her crush was expanding her world and growing up just a little more. It turned to ice when Rainbow’s laughter and excitement slowed when she glanced towards the yellow mare. The timid pegasus’ smile dropped when the cerise gaze moved back to the filly on the other side. Wh-what was that? Is… Is there still something wrong?! O-oh no! I have to find out what’s wrong!

The mare remained anxious for the last few blocks, slowing her steps with each five they took. It was a block down the road that she realized that Rainbow kept perfect step with her, even as the blue mare continued to talk with the young filly who started to trot backwards in front of the two adults.

When they reached the cottage, Scootaloo raced ahead to open the doorway, hopping inside with a half-shout of “Hang on! Gotta clean!”. Dash chuckled and sat down, the book held tightly against her chest. Fluttershy hesitantly sat as well, eyes on the door while her head dipped down slowly.

“Everything ok…?” Dash’s soft question startled the other adult, making her start with a tiny ‘eep’.

“O-oh, uhm, well, uh, y-yes…? A-are you ok…?” Fluttershy tried to control her stuttering as she peered at the other. “You… you uhm seem quiet…”

Rainbow laughed again, nudging the canary pegasus with a shoulder. “You would know…” The laughter trailed away as the bold mare looked to the right. “I’m fine ‘Shy, honest.”

Fluttershy winced. “You… Are you s-sure…? If-if you’re worried about something you can tell me…!” She closed her eyes, trying to speak loud and clear enough despite the anxiety that built up in her core.

“Fluttershy…” Cerise orbs waited until they found and connected with teal before their owner continued. Blue hooves reached up to hold the yellow shoulders. “I’m not… There’s… nothing to be worried about. I just didn’t want you to stress out by me getting hurt…” Rainbow broke the stare with a frown and blush, half-wincing at the wide eye gaze of the other mare.

The animal caretaker reached out and placed her left hoof on the lithe blue chest, leaning closer. “Oh Dashie, y-you got hurt! Of… Of course I would be worried!” She closed her eyes, voice quieting to a whisper. “I wasn’t there for your practice even though I always watched before…”

Rainbow pulled back, making the other mare look up sadly, before shaking her shoulders gently. “Come on ‘Shy! This is why I was worried, I knew you would overthink it. I didn’t get hurt because you weren’t there, I got hurt because I overdid it.” The brash mare wore a heavy blush and checked on the cottage to find it still wasn’t ready. “I knew you were busy. There’s going to be times when you are too busy to watch. Nothing can help it.”

Fluttershy watched as the cerise gaze turned distant with dread filling her chest. She wanted to keep the strong blue hooves where they were but Dash withdrew her limbs as a spot of orange appeared in the doorway. She reached out her own hoof, holding the cobalt mare back.

“Yes… Luckily you were practicing close my cottage.”

Rainbow peeked at the other with a half-smirk. “Heh heh, yeah… Lucky me…”

The canary pegasus frowned at the unstable tone. She monitored the other adult who trotted inside on the three limbs. Dash was focused solely on the cottage, while her ear tips had bright red on them. Fluttershy trailed behind her crush only to perk up and out of her thoughts when the brash pegasus agreed that they needed a nice big brunch.

“O-oh wait, please!” Fluttershy raced forward, hoof outstretched. “I-I’m not sure brunch is something we should be making right now!”

“No way, all that walking made us famished, right kid?” Rainbow shared a big grin with the filly who beamed back.

“Right!”

“Right! And I’ll make it!” Dash stood in the middle of the kitchen, eyes shining with determination.

“You will not!”

The two speedsters froze at the stern tone. They sheepishly looked at the frayed mare standing in the doorway, teal gaze shrunk to pinpricks as she glared at the blue mare.

“Rainbow Dash you are to rest! And trying to cook is not going to help your wing. You and Scootaloo should go to the living room and organize how things are going to be for the next few weeks.” Fluttershy pointed with a hoof to the main room, stern look in place. At the bemused expression on the other adult’s face, the sternness melted into half-teasing.

“Yes ma’am!” Dash smirked with a tilt of her head. She trotted by, moving close enough to lightly brush against the yellow fur, with her gaze half closed. The filly walked on the opposite side of the brash mare, and was the focus of the older blue pegasus.

Fluttershy froze at the touch, tempted to lean into the feeling but conscious of the extra pair of eyes on the grownups. Did she… was-was that…? No, no, just… just get them some food. They need all the energy they can get if they are to recover and move Dashie’s things. The mare shook her head clear of the warmth that had started to build up and went further inside the kitchen, options of what to cook running through her mind. Oooh my gosh…!

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo sat in the middle of the living room, the coffee table between the two. The latest Daring Do book was delicately set on the furniture. The filly stared at the book, uncertain, only to snap her gaze up when her idol spoke.

“I meant what I said before though kid, I don’t want to cramp your style.” Dash didn’t meet the confused gaze, focusing on the wall closest to the kitchen. “What kind of things do you get up to? I won’t tell Fluttershy if they are a bit more on the iffy side.” The pegasus leaned to the young girl, winking conspiratorially.

Scootaloo laughed and shook her head. “Nah, I just sometimes stay up really late. Can’t sleep.”

The girl was surprised to find herself the sole focus after saying that. She tried to keep the eye contact going but became unsure as it continued.

“Any particular reason why squirt?” Dash took on a teasing look. “Noisy neighbors?”

The orange pegasus shrugged, rubbing her forelimbs. “Dunno, just can’t sometimes.”

Dash shrugged as well, moving back to a neutral position. “Alright. We’ll see if I should change up that practice, make it easier to fall asleep.” She stuck out her tongue playfully before taking on a thoughtful look. “Ok. So what do I need to bring from home…?”

The two pegasi sat silently thinking. The blue mare tapped her chin, gaze casting over the furniture. “Uh, well, I don’t usually wear clothes… And I don’t really need any furniture from there…”

Scootaloo peeked into her room, then compared the normally empty one to it. “Well, there’s all that bed stuff. Seems like they aren’t really needed, but you guys put it on my bed…” The orphan shrugged again and looked to the adult. She found understanding and sadness in the cerise orbs. Not sure what to say to the compassion there, the filly focused back on the book.

“Guess you’re right kid.” Dash stood up, head turned back to kitchen where the other pegasus worked. She reached out and scuffed the moderate cerise mane. “Guess what though? Sometimes, you have to add the extra little things to make life that much more enjoyable.”

The orange pony watched her hero closely, unsure what the sentence was about. She stayed in place as Dash spoke to the other mare. She was a little surprised when the brash pegasus came back and opened up the book.

“Why don’t I show you what kinds of things Daring Do gets up to?” Rainbow smiled with excitement shining in her eyes.

The younger pegasus couldn’t say no, even as a tiny voice in the back of her mind moaned about story books being a waste of time. Shrugging once more, she leaned on the table, resting her head on her hooves as she looked at the blue mare. Dash switched sides so she and the filly were sitting beside one another, and opened to the start.

“The summer sun beat down on the tropical beach where I sat by a table, enjoying a sweet drink after the last fiasco with Dr. Caballeron and the treasure of Trottingham....”

Fluttershy smiled as she peeked around the doorframe. Stepping out while the others were quickly engrossed in the daring pony’s adventures, she left plates of salads for the duo and exited. The canary mare glanced over her shoulder and found two sets of eyes watching her leave. The focused gazes froze her in place. The orange set was curious but it was the cerise that sent a shock through her core. Instead of dazed, confident or slightly indifferent, there was warmth and another that caused a corresponding heat blossom in her chest.

The animal care-taker ducked her head, muzzle blazing red. O-oh what is going on…!? Why is Rainbow Dash acting like this…? Is it from the accident? Or from… from before…? The pegasus flew into the sky, aiming for the local cloud home. She tried to go at faster speeds to help the injured mare get the supplies she needed for a comfortable living on the ground.

She felt a moment of uncertainty when she came across the front door. Habit made her knock on the door before entering. A green shell peeked around the corner, croaking an enquiry.

“Oh! Hello Tank!” Fluttershy was emboldened to enter by the sight of the friendly face. “Hmm? Oh, Rainbow Dash cannot be flying for a few weeks, so she’ll be staying with Scootaloo.”

The tortoise followed the mare, brow raised as he floated through the air, flying machine propellers blurring softly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be checking on her to be sure she isn’t straining her wing.” The pegasus continued to the bedroom, glancing about. “But I’m here to help get the few things she does need and to ask if you would like to come stay with me or Dashie while she stays elsewhere?”

Fluttershy smiled gently to the pet as she folded up the bedsheets. She set them aside as she listened to the flying reptile, and grabbed a set of pjs from the dresser. When she reached for the tortoise supplies, the pegasus paused when Tank mentioned how Dash would enjoy seeing the care-taker more.

“What… what do you mean…? Like when she practices?” Fluttershy bent closer to the pet, listening to each of his minute signs closely. “All the time…? Is… Is she lonely…? Or…?”

Tank shook his head and restated his view of the situation.

“Oh, uhm, ok… So she likes when I visit. Or… or when she visits me…” Muzzle covered in red, the mare gave a comforting pat to the tortoise and finished grabbing the extra supplies. She couldn’t bring herself to comment further, and focused on getting the requested items back to the blue pegasus.

When she entered the small house, she found both of the adventurous ponies glued to the novel in front of them. She giggled at the sight. The sound caused blue ears to twitch. Cerise orbs slowly swiveled to the front as the blue muzzle flushed red.

“H-hey Fluttershy…!” Dash coughed out a greeting.

Scootaloo was slower to look over, though the oddly higher tone and uncertainty in her idol’s voice caused her brows to drop down. She saw the two adults bashfully talking about the bed sheets and pjs the yellow mare had retrieved. Spotting a blob of green, the filly waved a greeting to Tank who slowly waved back. Scootaloo looked back to the other pegasi to find they were parting ways already. She stayed still as the adventurous pegasus trotted back.

“Ok squirt, where were we?” Dash smiled encouragingly, sitting back at the table while setting her new supplies beside her.

The filly sat up straighter, excitement filling her center. “We were just at the part where Daring Do was waiting for the right time to fetch a clue to the location of the Wish Fulfilling Jewel from where it was being hidden away.”

“Aaah yes!” Rainbow rubbed her hooves together before picking up the book once more. “Daring Do sat in the low key motel, waiting for the destined time to go with her fellow archaeologists when there was a knock on her door.…”

-TTS-

Scootaloo roused when she felt herself being lifted into the air. Her first instinct shouted that she was falling and the girl flared her hooves. A low rumble of laughter woke her up further.

“Hey relax…!” Investigation proved that the lithe adult had moved the girl. “You had fallen asleep after our entire day of reading. Figured I should help you to an actual bed.”

The orange pegasus checked where they were and found she was held by a single blue hoof. She blushed at being so easily lifted and stopped struggling. She couldn’t stop the warmth that spread up from where the strong blue hoof rested. She could feel her mane press against the solid barrel of the adult. Huh… Feels weird… but kind of nice I guess…

The filly remained silent the rest of the trip to her bedroom. Dash plopped her down in the center and gave one last hair ruffle before leaving with a ‘goodnight’. Scootaloo murmured a response and curled up in her blankets, feeling out of sorts at the unusual interaction. It was like an itch she couldn’t scratch, ruffling her fur and distracting her mind. She found it was much harder to go to bed that night, especially conscious of the extra being in the house a room away. Her dreams that night were filled with a warm presence that helped to soothe her troubled mind.

The next morning, Scootaloo dashed through the house, grabbing a few pieces of toast and her saddlebags. She was only able to take a few more steps before a confused shout halted her progress.

“Hey, whoa, hold up!” Rainbow stepped out of the kitchen, a single hoof held up in warning. “That’s it for breakfast? If you want to get a hay of a lot stronger you’re going to need to eat more than some toast.”

The orange filly tilted her head, toast hanging down from her mouth. Settling her bag into place, she slowly turned about, going back to the kitchen. She finished the piece with a few more bites. “We wanted to get more time for Crusading today, so I was just going to eat this on the run since we are going to meet at the town square.”

“Uh-huh… And are you guys going to get more to eat?” Dash remained unconvinced and crossed her forehooves.

Scootaloo shuffled before shrugging to the older mare. “I don’t know, probably? We’re going to be super busy. Lots… Lots to do, you know?” She looked hopefully to the adult, willing her to understand and drop the subject.

Dash still seemed unconvinced but mused lightly in her favor. “Alright… Just remember that you have to take care of both body and mind if you want to get stronger.”

Scootaloo watched from the corner of her eye as she nodded in agreement. She turned back and began to leave once more, shoving the last piece into her mouth to eat on the way. It struck her as odd that the rainbow maned pegasus stayed by the counter, staring after the filly with both hooves crossed on the surface.

Moments later the orange pony swerved to a stop beside the fountain in the middle of town square. She had once again skillfully avoided hitting anyone on the path way there and felt a jolt of adrenaline in her system. Almost like the adventurous pony she and her personal hero had just read about. She scanned the area, looking for a spot of light-gray or olive-yellow.

“Hi Scootaloo!” The cheerful shout drew the young pegasus’ attention. Sweetie Belle ran up to the filly and shifted in place, cheeks stained with a pale red. “How has staying with Rainbow Dash been?”

“Yeah! Ah was wondering that too.” Apple Bloom trotted up, grin wide. “Was it everthin’ you was hopin’ for…? You were able to hide all our, uh, Crusadin’ stuff, right?”

“Yeah, I hid everything.” The pegasus rolled her eyes before shrugging with a hoof going to her head, scratching it bashfully. “Well, it’s not so bad I guess, having Rainbow Dash there. We read that Daring Do book she has, it was pretty cool.”

The two friends smiled happily at the positive response. Before any of them could say anything else, somepony else cut into the conversation.

“Oooh, so you’re a nerd now too? How much more of a loser can you get?” A snooty voice drifted over from the nearby crowd, setting the trio immediately on edge. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon strut over to the Crusaders.

The three friends rolled their eyes in tandem.

“Well, you don’t have to be a nerd to like books. Especially if they’re great adventure books.” Scootaloo walked away from the two bullies. She tried to keep up a facade of confidence, only to have it shaken at the next statement from the two mean fillies.

“I heard that Rainbow Dash got hurt trying to read the book.” Silver Spoon put a hoof to her mouth as she giggled. “Guess she was just so weak that even a book beat her.”

Diamond Tiara laughed, rolling her head back. “Ha ha! If she keeps that up, it won’t be long before she has an even larger accident. Especially if it’s over as something as dumb as a book. Or a nerd who likes those books.”

Sweetie Belle walked over to the still pegasus and peered worriedly into her pale face. She bit her lower lip when she saw the wide frightened eyes and scrunched brows that twitched every few moments. The unicorn looked to the pair of bullies, eyes blazing in anger.

Apple Bloom stood between the two sets of ponies, glaring. “Now y’all know that ain’t exactly what happened. Rainbow Dash got hurt doing amazing tricks and performances that y’all ain’t never gonna do even in yer dreams.” She looked to the duo behind her, finding the pegasus slowly turn back around while the unicorn stood boldly beside her. “And Ah bet she’ll become stronger than ever after that, a’cause she knows how to pick herself back up from fallin’!”

Scootaloo perked up at her friend’s words, happiness filling her core. She was pleased to see her friends standing in front of the class bullies. It was a little easier as they were out of school and away from overbearing teachers.

“And, from what Ah heard, she was doin’ some amazin’ ninja stealth moves to get this amazin’ book. And if somepony as cool and-and-”

“Awesome!” The pegasus cut in, stepping up to face the bullies with her friends on either side of her.

“-And awesome as Rainbow Dash, the wielder of the element of Loyalty, wants to read a book, then that book must be pretty darn amazin’!” Apple Bloom finished with a hoof stomp.

As one, the trio of friends left the square, noses in the air, leaving the dumbstruck duo behind. The bullies fumed but left in the opposite way. The three friends felt a thrill of pleasure surge through them as they walked into town.

While they moved along, Scootaloo felt the happiness dissipate as her mind continued to play out the scenario. The uncertainty came back, fueled by the bullies’ words and a fear of loss. She began to slow down, growing more pensive with each passing second. This behavior was soon noticed by the other Crusaders.

“Don’t believe what they said Scootaloo. You can read whatever you’d like!” Sweetie Belle reached out and lightly touched the orange limb.

Scootaloo shifted away from the touch as she half shrugged. “Yeah… Sure…”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shared a look before focusing on the pegasus between them.

“And ya know ya don’t have to worry about Rainbow Dash. Ah bet she’s gotten through a lot worse than this.” The olive-yellow filly nodded once, confidently. The statement got no reply as the girl pushed her scooter, giving a single shoulder shrug.

“Come on, I bet we can get a lot done this summer!” the unicorn tried again to rest a hoof on the orange shoulder, hopeful smile blossoming. “Please cheer up…?”

The orange pegasus sighed and nodded. Straightening up, she continued to push her scooter, trying to distract her mind by talking with the others about their missions for the day.

Scootaloo wasn’t sure what she’d find when she returned home that day. Going quietly, she nudged the door open, peering around the edge to scope out the room first. Rainbow Dash was sitting on the couch in the living room, reading another Daring Do book. She alternated between reading out loud some of the more action based parts and commenting on each decision the cast made. Scootaloo was able to sneak up and look over the grownup’s shoulder, switching to look between the book and the older mare a few times before coughing lightly to announce her presence. The blue mare started in surprise, jerking her gaze away from the novel.

“Oh hey squirt.” She set the book down, turning in place to look at the filly on the headrest of the furniture. “I went to Twilight’s for the next book in the series and just couldn’t put it down. If you want, we could read this one together later tonight.”

“Later? What’s happening now?” Scootaloo squirmed in place, undoing her bag with the motion and allowing it to drop to the ground.

“Well, I know we ended up missing your last training session because of me going to the hospital, so I talked with Fluttershy and she said she’d be willing to switch it to today instead.” Rainbow stood up, walking around the fixture and nudging the bag. “But before we get to that, did you eat? It’s pretty late in the evening squirt.” The adult tapped lightly on the orange filly’s head, pausing when the girl frowned.

“Yeah, we got food while, uh, we were out.” Scootaloo let go of the headrest, dropping to the ground beside the other pegasus.

“That’s good.” Dash looked to the doorway, gaze growing distant. “Well, can’t keep ‘Shy waiting. Ready to go Scootaloo?”

The filly nodded and followed her idol back outside. Together, they went to the hill that had been used many times as a training location. Fluttershy was already there waiting for the duo along with Tank who waved his two flags of the training ponies happily. Scootaloo chuckled at the sight. When Dash slowed down, hoof going to her mane and scuffing it, it drew the filly’s attention. She hung back, watching the grownups curiously.

Fluttershy sternly spoke to the cobalt mare while Rainbow chuckled bemused, nodding along.

“Please remember Rainbow Dash, you are NOT going to take part in the training.”

“Yeah yeah…”

“You HAVE to keep your wing stationary… You… you are, right?” The canary mare leaned closer to the usually brash mare, trying to spot any stress to the bandages. Dash blushed and waved a hoof reassuringly.

“Yes, I haven’t been moving it at all. Right kid?” Rainbow turned to the filly, bringing her into the conversation.

Scootaloo was surprised by the sudden inclusion and paused briefly, trying to understand what was requested. Fluttershy took the pause to mean more and turned back to the other pegasus with a stern frown in place.

“Rainbow Dash…!”

“Wha-?” Dash looked between the two rapidly, shock and worry on her face. The orange filly yelled out her answer, anxious about the situation.

“Wait! She-she hasn’t! I wasn’t - I’m not used to, uh, grown ups asking me for help so I-I wasn’t sure how to respond!” Scootaloo glanced between the two mares, eyes wide, as she speedily explained. “She hasn’t been flying, honest!”

The animal care-taker felt her chest pinch at a common occurrence for young ponies. She was about to reach out a hoof to reassure the filly when the other pegasus beat her to the motion. Fluttershy watched, interested, at how the usually reckless mare would comment.

“Thanks kid for sticking up for me. Appreciate it.” Rainbow slung a hoof around the young mare, smile large and sincere. “See ‘Shy? Told you I was resting it.”

Fluttershy tilted her head with a warm grin. She nodded once, rather sharply considering her personality. “Yes.”

Rainbow blushed further and scuffed her already messy mane. She shifted in place to face the filly head on with a smirk.

“Alright, let’s get started!”

Together, the three pegasi worked at the next, more advanced set of poses. Both Fluttershy and Scootaloo watched anxiously as the blue wings twitched with desire to join in. Rainbow successfully prevented this temptation however. Once they were done, they went to the small cottage for a shared supper. Fluttershy had to leave immediately afterwards to care for the animals at her own home.

Scootaloo was once again tucked in to bed. She watched the blue mare leave her room, blanket pulled to her chin. Her heart beat rapidly, trying to convince its owner that there was a trick or hidden danger still there. It was only several minutes after the lights went out that she fell asleep, accepting that Rainbow was merely trying to help. A tiny voice tried to suggest what she felt, connected with old mostly forgotten feelings, but she ignored it, understanding without thinking that it could prove to be just as hurtful as physical abuse.

-TTS-

“Scootaloo. Hey Scootaloo, wake up!”

Gentle nudging pushed against orange fur. The filly being woken up felt a moment of panic spike through her chest that dissolved at the voice’s soft and calm tones. She groggily opened her eyes, forcing the gunk away.

“Wha…?”

“Come on squirt! Up and at'em!” Rainbow Dash continued to pester the girl, shaking her until the younger pegasus sat up in her bed. “Time to get ready for the day!”

“Huh…? What time is it?” Scootaloo rubbed a hoof against her eyes as she looked for the clock beside her bed. Finding it an hour earlier than her usual wake up time, she looked back to the other mare with an annoyed frown. “There’s still lots of time left before I have to go meet the other Crusaders.”

“Exactly. This way, you can have an actual meal and properly ready before you head out.” Dash stayed in the middle of the girl’s room, watching to be sure the filly actually got up. Once Scootaloo was out of the bed, the older pegasus left with a call over her shoulder. “Come on out and we’ll have breakfast.”

Scootaloo hung her head and slogged her way out to the kitchen with her saddlebags dragging behind her. Waiting on the table were two plates of toast, scrambled eggs and an apple. The blue mare sat on one chair and gestured to the other for the filly to use. She dropped the bag beside the counter and sat down, looking over the spread.

The edges of the cooked objects were more black than brown but the gesture was undeniable. The filly took small bites of each, stacking them all together but found her mouth slowly wouldn’t finish the foodstuff, turning the taste to sawdust. She glanced up and found that Rainbow Dash was piling it away, barely using the fork to shove the food into her mouth. Cerise orbs glanced up, curious.

“Huh? What’s up?” Dash checked on the burnt edges. “Is it, uh, too burnt or…?”

The young filly shifted her gaze to the plate with a shrug and shake of her head. “N-no, uh, just not really hungry.”

The older mare squinted. “Uh-huh… Well, you should try, it helps provide energy to become the best you can be.” Seeing the filly continued to push the eggs around her plate, Dash leaned forward. “Alright, so what do you usually eat then?”

“Uhh… Toast… A fruit here or there…” Scootaloo half-turned away, ears drooping down. “Just, small stuff.”

Rainbow moved back, brows raised. “Oh. So small meals or small sizes?”

“Small… everything…”

The two pegasi sat in silence for a few moments, each weighing what was said and what could be said. Scootaloo slowly reached out for the apple and set it into her bag. “If that’s all…”

“Scootaloo, why are you only eating only small amounts of small stuff?” Dash tried to a calm but stern tone. It didn’t exactly work as the filly stiffened with a frightened scrunch of her muzzle.

“Cause I’m not used to eating full big meals…?” Scootaloo peeked out of one eye while keeping the other shut in worry.

Rainbow huffed, sitting back with forehooves crossed. She frowned thoughtfully, eyes on the table. “Right… Right… Alright kid, don’t worry about it. Just try to eat a little more with each meal, ok? Maybe you can get to a normal rate with time.”

The filly remained silent to the request, focused on getting out of the awkward situation. Once she was closer to the door, she looked back and found the blue mare tapping rapidly on the table, her left wing twitching. Suddenly Dash leaned the chair she sat on back, hooking a hoof under the edge of the counter to help keep balance. Scootaloo flinched and rushed towards the door, throwing it open only to pause when she found a yellow hoof raised mid-air while their owner cringed anxiously.

“Wah! Oh, uh, morning Fluttershy.” The filly tried to edge around the other adult but found that the caretaker wouldn’t move out of the way. “What’s up?”

“Hello Scootaloo! I, uhm, I was going to check on Rainbow Dash before starting my day.” The butter yellow pegasus ducked her head. “And you as well… How are things going?”

The girl paused, tilting her head in thought. “Uh, ok I guess? Rainbow Dash seems to be kind of… well, uh, anyways, I have to get going. Bye!”

Fluttershy watched with concern as the orange filly raced off. Turning to look inside the small house, she found Rainbow trotting around, trying to clean up the place. She also noticed that the two blue wings twitched as the mare moved about. It was as the two wings moved more in excitement that caused the canary mare to snap out of her surprise.

“Rainbow Dash! What are you doing?!”

The pegasus jumped into the air, instinctively flapping her wings to stay aloft, and flinching in pain. She set down the series of books guiltily. The animal care-taker rushed forward, the scolding words dying on her tongue.

“Oh my goodness! Are you ok?” Fluttershy reached out, trying to discern with a quick glance if any further damage had been done.

Dash winced with a rough laugh. “Uh-hah-ha… Yeah, I’m ok. Just, uhm, putting away these other books…”

Fluttershy chuckled when she noticed the various titles of Daring Do books. “Oh, I didn’t realize you needed all the other books right this moment. But you really shouldn’t move your wings so much.”

The canary mare helped prop up the novels, using the chance to peek at the rainbow maned mare beside her. She seemed to be full of nervous energy. Fluttershy bit her lip, trying to find the right words to use. “Is… Is everything ok…?”

Rainbow slumped down in place, neck and wings drooping. “I’m not sure…”

The timid mare gasped with a hoof covering her mouth. Reaching out, she lightly pushed the blue mare towards the couch, taking a spot beside the distracted speedster. She didn’t have to wait long for the pegasus to become animated as she continued talking.

“I mean! The kid’s not eating full meals! Not a full meal Fluttershy!” Dash, eyes wide and shocked, grabbed the yellow shoulder with both hooves and shook them. “She had a few pieces of toast the other day for breakfast and that was it! I don’t know what I’d do without after breakfast snack, before lunch brunch, afternoon bits, and evening half meal!”

The yellow mare watched bemused as the other pegasus flung a hoof to her head, pushing back her bangs. “Oh no, you’re quite right…!” Fluttershy murmured teasingly. “Because eating a LOT of little things all day with mostly full ‘meals’ is a much healthier diet.”

Dash flung her hooves out straight, facing straight out. “EXACTLY! We need to eat light to stay light.”

“No Dashie, you don’t need to ‘eat light to stay light’… But I can understand your worry.” Fluttershy pat her crush soothingly. “That is sad to hear that Scootaloo isn’t eating properly. I suppose she will need to be watched more at meal times…” She peeked cautiously to the cobalt mare. “... How did you find out…? Just recently?”

“Yeah… Just the other morning…” Rainbow blushed, rubbing her forehoof with the other.

Fluttershy reached out, stilling the motion. “And not before…?”

“I… I work early mornings ‘Shy… Or the squirt is already gone by the time I get up on days off…” The brash mare leaned over and rested against the other.

Fluttershy held back an ‘eep’ of surprise, and focused on how the injured pony was acting. She reached out slowly with her right wing, encircling the blue pegasus. “At… at least you noticed this time…”

“Yeah, but what if I hadn’t…?” Rainbow fidgeted further in place, settling down after a few seconds. “And it feels like I’m going to go crazy in here!”

The half-shout shocked the shy mare into pulling back, eyes shut cautiously. She paused at what sounded like a whimper and peered at the other mare. Dash fluffed up her mane and crossed both hooves, half-glaring to the far right. Fluttershy inched closer, watching the red on the blue muzzle grow ever darker.

“Going crazy…? Because you have to stay on the ground? Or because I’m here…?” The soft question caused the reckless mare to swiftly turn.

“WHAT?! NO! Never!” Rainbow’s hooves shot out to reach for the canary mare who shrunk back at the yell but stopped, uncertain. She instead pushed her right hoof firmly against the yellow chest, poking with each word. “You are NEVER the reason for anything bad, got it?” The blue pegasus waited for the corresponding nod before going on. “It’s more like, I want to fly but I can’t. And I’m worried I might be going overboard with things with the kid because of it, you know?”

Fluttershy tilted her head, missing the presence of the blue hoof even as it was only for emphasis. She reached out, gently resting her hoof on one of blue ones that were sitting on the back hooves of the speedster. “What do you mean…? Going overboard?”

“Well, I mean, you know…” Dash used her free hoof to scratch at her side, curling her other one around the yellow one. “Cooking for her, making sure she’s in bed ok, checking on her, helping with homework during the school year, that kind of stuff… Is that… normal for sister-like figures?”

The butter yellow pegasus frowned before smiling with warmth. She shook her head with a laugh. “Oh Rainbow Dash, that is very normal for somepony who is helping to take care of somepony or someone else.”

“Really?” The brash mare dipped her head down with a bashful grin. “Well, neither one of us had sisters growing up, so I wasn’t sure if that is what they do or not…”

“Oh Dashie, that is something both sisters and mothers do.” Fluttershy held a hoof to her mouth, eyes crinkling in merriment.

Rainbow stiffened with a bright hue across her muzzle. “O-oh…”

Fluttershy laughed louder and wrapped a hoof around her crush, nuzzling her side. “It’s ok, it’s a good way to help others and make them feel at ease. I’m sure Scootaloo appreciates it, even if it doesn’t seem like it.”

The blue mare continued to blush and allowed herself to return the embrace. “Thanks Fluttershy… It’s nice to talk about this kind of stuff. I usually talk with Tank but it’s nice to talk with you too.”

“Ahh, so that’s what Tank meant.” The animal care-taker teased, with one eye closed as she looked at the other mare.

The blue pegasus sputtered. “Wh-wha-what do ya mean?! I-I-I didn’t- uhm!”

Fluttershy laughed outright, heat flushing her core. “Don’t worry Dashie, he just said that you two talk often.” She gave one last nuzzle before sitting back, a blush staining her own cheeks. She watched with interest as the rainbow maned mare sighed gustily, relief over her entire face.

The duo sat on the couch, silently, as they held one another with a single hoof. While the canary mare enjoyed the embrace and quiet, she could tell the other was growing more and more embarrassed. With great reluctance, Fluttershy pulled back, trying to hide her disappointment at having to do so. I know she doesn’t normally like to cuddle… Even if we haven’t since we were teenagers… The shy mare tensed for a second when Dash tugged her close instead, grumbling quietly before wrapping both hooves around the other pegasus.

“Can… can you hang out more Fluttershy…?” Rainbow spoke quietly, head resting on the pink mane. “Just… don’t feel like myself, being stuck on the ground and unable to do half of what I usually can…”

The animal care-taker blushed. Nodding, the yellow mare leaned forward, allowing the other to help direct how they laid against one another on the furniture. Dash was between the yellow pegasus and the back of the couch. She was sitting half on top of the slightly older pegasus, giving plenty of room for her injured wing to stretch out.

The two friends rested, enjoying the moment. Fluttershy fought between melting into the embrace and her racing her heart. It almost felt like Rainbow’s pulse was going just as fast. The warmth they generated made the two ponies sleepy, leaving them to fall into dreamland in the middle of their cuddles.

-TTS-

Hours later, there was a rapid tapping to the front door of the little cottage. It startled the pair, causing them to jerk in place before settling back down. Fluttershy blearily lifted her head up, trying to peer around the furniture, only to be pulled back by a pair of blue hooves.

“Hgnnnooo…” Dash murmured sleepily, trying to stay in place.

The other pegasus chuckled, rubbing her head under the blue chin. “But it might be important…”

“Fiiiiiinnnneee...” The brash pony moaned. She slithered across the timid mare, causing the one being traveled over to shiver at the touch making a corresponding tremble appear for the top one.

Fluttershy sat up, watching from the over top of the couch. The brash pegasus looked very ruffled, fur and a few feathers sticking up against the flow. Her eyes were scrunched with sleep gunk. Flinging open the door, Dash growled out a welcome.

“Yeah hi, what do you want?”

The doorway was empty. Both mares straightened up in surprise, minds clearing at the mystery. Movement on the door drew the animal care-taker’s eye and she gasped at the familiar red and black creature that hung on the frame.

“Oh! It’s Red Feather. What’s wrong Mr. Feather?” Fluttershy stepped over the couch, trotting up to the woodpecker.

The bird left his perch and flew to the yellow pegasus, landing on her outstretched hoof and chirped away. The mare listened patiently, nodding along. At the end, she gasped and looked to the blue pony with an apologetic gaze.

“I’m so sorry Rainbow Dash, Mr. Feather reminded me that I haven’t finished caring for the animals at my cottage.” Fluttershy inched closer to the door. Her chest tightened with each step as she watched her crush’s face droop into disappointment. “I-I-I can come back later if you’d like...”

“No no, it’s… it’s fine Fluttershy.” Dash tried to smile gallantly, tilting her head back with eyes shut tight. “I know you’ve got things you have to do too.” The brash mare stepped aside as the yellow pony stepped outside. “I mean, it’d be nice if you could visit. Just, when you can, ok? Not because you have to. You never have to do anything...”

“Oh, uhm, ok… You… You can visit my house if you’d like too.” Fluttershy scuffed the ground bashful. “I mean, you do anyways already, and there’s nothing that’s stopping you this time, not that that’s a bad thing… You could just walk instead or… or something…”

Rainbow Dash laughed, tilting her head almost playfully. “Guess that’s true. So I guess, one way or another, we’ll see each other again soon.” The usually confident mare dropped her gaze, ears flat as her smirk dimmed. “So even if I can’t fly, there’s at least one thing I can do…”

“Oh!” The soft exclamation made the blue mare look up hopefully. Fluttershy rushed close, eyes pleading. “Uhm, Applejack does a lot of things without needing wings. I’m sure there’s lots of things you can do while, ah, you stay here…Please don’t think you can’t do anything..!”

Rainbow perked up slowly, hoof to her chin. “Huh… That’s true. That pony sure does have a lot of chores at the farm too; she’s almost as amazing as me!” She smirked, laughter tinting her words. “Gotta say, I never would have imagine that her and fru-fru Rarity are dating now.”

Fluttershy dipped her head with a large smile. “Oh, I just think it’s lovely. It’s so nice to see them happy together… I suppose it’s true, that opposites do attract.” The canary mare blushed, eyes glanced off to the side.

“Huh… So you don’t mind, two mares being together…?” Dash rubbed her left hoof against her right, eyes turned to her left.

“Of course not!” Fluttershy’s firm response made Rainbow glance back quickly, surprised. “Love is love, no matter who it is with! They-they are really lucky to find something so precious in… in someone else…”

The two pegasi went quiet, musing about the statement. Dash slowly nodded, looking up from the ground to the other mare who peeked out from behind her mane.

“Sounds about right. I… I think so too.” They shared a quick grin, muzzles covered in red. Rainbow shuffled in place, murmuring a goodbye as she noted the woodpecker trying to regain the other mare’s attention.. “See you later ‘Shy.”

“Have a nice day… Dashie...” Fluttershy watched the slightly tempered farewell as the light brown door shut but refocused on the outer world by a quick chirp from the bird on her shoulder. “Hm? Oh, yes, Rainbow Dash has gotten hurt and I was checking on her this morning. I’m so sorry I forgot about the appointments I had with the other animals.”

The caretaker took to the air to avoid the midday traffic. It may have also been to help her wobbly limbs regain any semblance of a solid state as molten heat ran through her veins. What in Equestria was that about? Is… Is Dashie really ok? She wouldn’t normally allow for such a long time of cuddling… Maybe I’ll ask Tank when I get home while I see the other animals for the day… Oh! I hope everything is alright!

Arriving at the small grass covered cottage, she found most of the sick patients waiting on the living room couch, favoring whatever injury they had acquired. The white bunny raced around the home, trying to sort out food for the hungry as it neared lunch time. When he spotted the canary mare in the doorway, he halted, chittering angrily.

“O-oh, yes, Angel, I know I’m late; I’m so sorry everyone!” Fluttershy addressed the room as a whole, stepping further in. “Please wait a moment while I check who was to be helped first, unless your injury has gotten worse… Uhm, please let me know if it got worse…” She ducked her head, pleading with a stern gaze.

The animals all agreed and shifted in place, waiting with understanding gazes. Each one the pegasus helped clung to her, whimpering and almost tearful in their pain. With every animal she treated, the timid mare couldn’t help comparing their actions with that of the blue mare.

She… She was acting oddly, but she has been badly injured. Maybe-maybe for the first time? Or- no, I-I’m sure she has gotten hurt before… Fluttershy shared a nose nuzzle with a squirrel and their husband as they thanked the healer for the help. Maybe… Maybe I’m assuming too much…

The white bunny hopped close, offering a cooling drink to the mare. He tilted his head curiously, silently asking what was wrong.

“Oh, no, it’s… it’s nothing Angel Bunny. I… I’m probably overthinking about Rainbow Dash’s injury and- it’s nothing…” Teal eyes looked to the window, thoughts far beyond to another house with a different pegasus who was stuck walking on the ground. “Let’s… let’s keep going, hmm?”

“So, what has it been like, living with Rainbow Dash?” Sweetie Belle asked as she walked alongside the orange pegasus.

The trio were trotting down the street, coming back from their clubhouse on the farm. The day was only partially cloudy and warm for the middle of June, with the sun coming close to the western edge. The three friends were free of any encumbrance, walking side by side.

“Kind of weird… But I guess in a good way.” Scootaloo shook her shoulders, face and voice neutral.

“What do ya mean Scoots?” Apple Bloom inquired from the other side.

“Well, like, she tries to make food.” The pegasus chuckled, peeking to the unicorn with a teasing smirk. “She’s only a little better at it than you are Sweetie Belle.”

The pale-gray fur turned red at the smile. “H-hey! I’ve-we’ve gotten way better at cooking! I haven’t made burnt toast in a long time!”

The other Crusaders laughed, with the unicorn joining in after a few moments of pouting. The earth pony shook her head, smile still firmly in place.

“Don’t think Ah didn’t notice ya didn’t finish answering.” Apple Bloom nudged the pegasus playfully. “Aside from makin’ food, does she drive ya up the wall? Or are you the one makin’ her go crazy?”

“No way!” Scootaloo shook her head, pushing the olive-yellow mare back. “She… Well, she wakes me up sometimes, especially if there’s plans for the day. We read Daring Do. It’s a pretty neat book.” The pegasus looked up to the sky, blush staining her cheeks. “She… she makes sure I get to bed at a reasonable time, I guess…”

“Awww! That’s so sweet!” Sweetie Belle cooed. “Just like what a mom would!”

The orange filly stumbled to a stop, tripping over her own hooves. Her face burned heavily as she stared at the ground. The others tilted their heads at the curious behavior and turned to face the pegasus head on.

“S-Scootaloo…?”

“Ya ok there…?”

Scootaloo jerked back into the world around her. “Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, I’m ok. Just, uh, hadn’t thought of it like that before…” She blushed even harder. “It’s.. it’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone do that kind of stuff for me…”

The other Crusaders stayed quiet, uncertainty floating off them in waves. The pegasus noticed their worry and shook her head. “Look guys, it’s fine. It’s just, different. Anyways, I probably have to get back.” She scratched her head, bashful. “Rainbow Dash was uh, going to make supper and Fluttershy is coming over for it.”

The others smiled warmly at the explanation. Sweetie Belle held her hooves under her chin, taking in a deep breath. Apple Bloom saw it before the action could be completed and shoved a hoof over the light-gray muzzle, stopping the filly from exclaiming in awe. She shook her head, bow holding tight to the red mane, and smirked teasingly.

“Alright, well, ya take care then, Scootaloo. We’re both glad ya have someone to go home to and lookin’ after ya.”

Scootaloo gave each a solid knock with her hoof on their shoulders and trotted on by herself, picking up pace hopping on her scooter and driving off. When she got to the home, she ran inside, checking that nopony else had gotten there yet. She set the scooter aside and raced to her room, jumping into bed and hugging her only pillow.

I… can’t believe I didn’t realize that’s what having a … a mom is like…! Is it really what they are like…? I can’t remember mine… Is… Is Rainbow Dash doing it on purpose? Is she trying to be like… a mom… to me…?

Unable to keep thinking about the possibility, the filly tried to keep her mind clear and hugged the fluffy fixture. She stayed in bed until she heard the front door open. Sitting up, she let go of the pillow and trotted as normally as she could to the living room. Rainbow Dash trotted in, one hoof holding a stack of letters while the saddlebags on her sides were stuffed with more Daring Do books.

“H-hey Rainbow Dash… What’s with the mail?” Scootaloo walked up to her idol, face carefully neutral as she coughed out a greeting.

“Hey Scootaloo… Seems the mail got backed up.” Rainbow used one wing to quickly flip through the addressed notes, identifying which came from where and their importance. “I guess that some of their staff hasn’t been to work in a while? And so now they have a bunch of Ponyville’s letters delayed. Yeesh, there’s one from those foal services.”

“Wha-?” The filly followed the other pegasus to the kitchen where the extra letters were set down while the official large letter was opened.

“Uhh, well, guess we’re having a visitor tomorrow.” The cobalt mare scanned the paper, eyes scrunching in concentration. The filly tried to read the letter as well, and couldn’t, deciding to instead focus on the older pony.

“Visitor?”

“Yeah, another check up.”

“But… I thought they had to give advanced notice or something…?” Scootaloo frowned, mind running through what the next day would bring.

The rainbow maned pony lightly coughed. “They, uh, they did. This is just a reminder…”

“Huh? Well, did, did you write it down or…?” The filly stared at the bashful adult who scratched at her mane.

“I, uh, did… in my calendar…” Rainbow peeked apologetically to the younger girl. “Up in my cloud home…?”

Scootaloo groaned, throwing her head back as Dash chuckled. She didn’t move away when the older mare reached out and scuffed up her mane.

“Sorry squirt. Hope it won’t mess with any plans you had.” The pegasus looked over the letter once more. “Says the inspector should be by around 4 pm, ok?”

“Yeah, alright.” The filly didn’t move as the adult continued to give her a noogie. She looked up at the gentle nudge however.

“Alright. Go ahead and put away your stuff; Fluttershy should be here soon and we both need the cooking lessons.” Rainbow smiled widely with a teasing glint to her gaze. The filly gave her idol a rapid hug and raced to her room, cleaning up the little bit of mess and getting ready for dinner.

The beige stallion held up his clipboard with barely a thought of magic. He ticked off various portions of the paper as he looked around the house pleased. The two pegasi sat on the couch beside one another, facing the unicorn in the armchair.

“Yes, yes indeed. Things seem to be going very well indeed.” The inspector smiled at the two mares, signing at the bottom of his paper. “Final grades are looking better, living conditions are optimal, and the overwhelmingly positive atmosphere is great to see.”

Dash blushed, scuffing her mane up before going to noogie the filly beside her. “We try.”

“And succeeded.” The stallion continued to smirk. “I believe this will conclude our mandatory inspections. So, unless there is a complaint or something comes to our attention, there won’t be any visits from us except in a year’s time to be sure things are still on track.”

“Great! Thanks for stopping by.” Rainbow Stood up, reaching out to shake the inspector’s hoof.

Once they shook, the stallion didn’t waste any time, heading for the door. “Hopefully your wing gets better soon Rainbow Dash.”

“Yep! I’m sure it’ll work out in no time.” Dash waved a hoof happily, escorting the unicorn out.

Door shut, the two pegasi sighed in relief. Scootaloo leaned against the bookshelf, stance relaxing as the official was out of the house. The usually brash mare sank in place by the door, grin wide, as she brushed her bangs back.

“Heh heh, guess we did it squirt. Good work.”

Before the filly could respond, there was a loud crack. Both sets of ears perked up, trying to pinpoint its source. Cerise orbs were the first to find the problem, looking to just above the orange pegasus where a large crack was forming in the wood.

Instinct took over for both ponies. The filly crouched down, wings flaring open, as she began to notice the source of the troubling sound. The grown mare however, shot forward, wings expanding to add to her speed. Her large blue hooves encircled the small girl, tucking her under the lithe body as they both continued past the danger zone.

The shelf crashed down under the weight of Daring Do books. The novels bent and landed upside down, their pages folded wrong. Neither pegasi cared nor noticed. The orange filly was tucked under the blue body which was wrapped around the precious cargo. Dash’s wings were flared, the bandages falling down from having used it fully. Both panted heavily from the sudden adventure.

“You… You ok kid?” Rainbow didn’t move, eyes wide while every fiber of her being was alert.

“Yeah…Yeah, I’m ok.” Scootaloo looked up from behind the two blue hooves. She glanced behind them to find the shelf in ruins. “Heh… Heh heh… Guess it was just too much Daring Do.”

“Ha ha…!” Dash started to stand up, one hoof holding the filly in place while the other three helped the movement. “Guess it was a Daring ‘Don’t’!”

The two broke out laughing at the horrible joke, feeling the tension expel with each sound. They uncurled from their tensed positions. With happy excitement, Dash flapped both wings, feeling the muscles flex without pain. Two sets of eyes slowly moved to look at the appendage.

“Heh… Guess it’s… better now.” The brash pegasus tried to smile but wavered at the almost disappointment on the filly’s face. “I mean, I’ll have to get it checked over again to be sure, but I guess… it’s about time I head back to my home in the skies.”

Scootaloo backed away, alternating between frowning and keeping her face neutral. “Yeah… Yeah. At least… At least now you get to, uh, fly again. Bet it’d be cool to be back up in the sky again…” The filly looked towards the ceiling, imagining the flight and sights.

“Hey… Hey…!” Dash stepped in front of the girl, tipping her chin up. “We’ll get you up there soon enough.” She stepped back, rubbing left hoof with right. “I better get my stuff…”

The orange pegasus flattened her ears as the room seemed to enlarge around her, the edges growing darker. She nodded, trying to ignore the pit forming in her center.

“Nah…” The adult’s words cut through the silence. “I’ll keep it here, so it’s here if you’re willing to put up with me for a night or so.”

Scootaloo peered up to the adult who wouldn’t meet her eyes. Dash shuffled from side to side, trying to decide. She nodded firmly, tapping the filly’s shoulder softly.

“I’ll… I’ll try not to get in your way, huh? I’m going to… go to the hospital I guess...”

The young pegasus nodded just as slowly as the older mare spoke. She watched the brasher pony trot out, bandages drooping off her wing. Soon the lass was alone in the house once more. The edges were not as black, but she could still feel the emptiness weigh on her mind. Unnerved, she also exited the building, standing still in the sunlight with both eyes closed.

This is a good thing… It is a good thing… Right…?

A shout broke into the pegasus’ attempt at relaxing.

“Hey Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle rushed up, almost tripping over her hooves. “Did… Did it go well?! Is everything ok now?”

The orange filly shook herself from her thoughts and tried to smile. “Uh, yeah, it’s all fine. It went great.”

“Now that’s really nice to hear Scoots.” Apple Bloom came up at a more even pace. Seeing the unicorn grow concerned and pegasus staying distracted caused the earth pony to sigh. “Alright, what’s wrong now…?”

“Huh? Uh, nothing.” Scootaloo shifted her shoulders up then down. “... Rainbow Dash’s wings are all better. So she’s… going to move out.”

Sweetie Belle’s ears drooped while she gasped. “Oh no!”

The two others looked at her in surprise, confusion painted all over their faces. The unicorn bashfully kicked at the ground.

“Well, now she’s not staying with Scootaloo anymore…” The light-gray filly peered worriedly to the pegasus. “Are you going to be ok…?”

Scootaloo stiffened. She tried to relax her stance and waved dismissively. “I’ll… I’ll be ok. Had to be on my own before, and I can do it again.”

The other Crusaders scrunched their faces uncertaintly. Turning together, the three friends went to town for another day’s work of Crusading.

XIX (RD/FS) - Is there something you want to tell me...?

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Mid-June, 1005 A.D.

The morning sunlight seemed to cast an angelic sheen to the pink mane and yellow fur of the pony sitting in the expansive garden. The sun was barely awake, though this didn’t deter the early rising animals of the royal menagerie from greeting their new friend. The normally shy pegasus sat, back straight and face fully uncovered, and spoke with each creature that came her way with a large smile. There was very little noise as the rest of the large castle was only barely waking up.

The blue mare watching didn’t make a sound. Her ears twitched as they processed the little bits that rang through the air, and flattened every so often as their owner confronted the warm fuzzies tickling her chest. Anxious blue wings twitched even as they held onto several tickets and a small notation for a local restaurant.

“Oh, thank you, this is lovely.” Fluttershy spoke clearly to the squirrel that held up two acorns for the mare. Gently, she took the offering. “Yes, this would be a nice breakfast, that’s very thoughtful of you.”

As she spoke, more of the animals chattered at her about their own meals, ones both found and brought especially for them. They made motions of offering but were waved off by a loving hoof.

“No, no, I couldn’t take from your meals. They were for you, and you’ll need all the strength you can get from them.”

Come on Dash, you can do this. This is the perfect moment to walk up and ask about- about breakfast. Just, take it slow. Like Tank said. Swallowing the nervous lump, the cyan pegasus trotted up, trying to keep a steady pace as her heart raced. She moved slowly to not startle any of the other beings in the clearing. “H-hey Fluttershy.”

This caution was wasted as the butter yellow pony startled while her new friends scattered for cover. Rainbow’s ears flicked back as she grimaced.

“Sorry ‘Shy.”

A single teal orb peered back from behind the pink locks. Bright and clear, they showed the glint of fear at being startled. Realizing who it was, she straightened up with a bashful grin. The pegasus allowed her mane to cover the majority of her face once more.

“O-oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there… W-were you waiting for me?” Fluttershy hunched inwards. “Am I in the way…?”

Dash flinched. Stepping closer, she reached out hesitantly. “No way Fluttershy, you aren’t in the way at all.” The usually brash mare remained steady, staying in place without any unnecessary movement. “I was just curious if you had eaten yet. And if you wanted to catch some-some breakfast…” The cobalt pegasus removed the hoof, her own smirk turning shy. “And, uh, catch a play with me later? Maybe check out the local shops…?”

Both mares blushed, gazes dashing away as their cheeks became covered in red. The yellow mare spoke hesitantly, her heart fluttering.

“O-oh…? Uhm… If.. If you want, that’s fine. A-are you sure you want to invite… me?” Fluttershy couldn’t watch the other’s reaction and began to turn her gaze to the left. She was prevented from turning away completely by a gentle blue hoof that knocked into her shoulder.

“As if I would want to hang out with anypony else.” Rainbow leaned into the shyer mare, lowering her voice. “If, uh, you don’t want to, that’s fine too.”

“No no, it’s fine. I would love to ‘hang out’ with you today…”

The two shared warm grins. Rainbow Dash winced when her stomach finally complained at the lack of substance. Fluttershy giggled, covering her muzzle with a hoof. The speedster chuckled embarrassed.

“Uh, let’s go ahead and get that breakfast, huh?” The cyan pony stood up slowly. She lead the way back inside, checking each time that the other mare was still close by, and went at a very moderate pace. Her ears twitched at each of the other’s hoofsteps.

Fluttershy noticed this lack of speed and frowned thoughtfully. She watched the leading mare carefully but got lost in the smooth movements of the lithe flyer. She blinked bewildered when a brown object moved from the corner of her vision. Focusing once more, she found the brash mare holding a chair for the animal caretaker to sit in.

“Oh! Thank you Dashie…”

“You’re welcome ‘Shy.” Rainbow flashed a smirk to her old time friend and took a seat across the way.

Once in place, servers came forward and offered various options. Rainbow ordered for the both of them; her choices were appreciated by her companion who blushed happily at the lighter breakfast salad chosen. The meal went by quietly as neither spoke.

After they were finished, Dash was the first to stand up, except she then paused by her chair, one hoof on the back while she stared unfocused towards the table. The stillness drew Fluttershy’s attention immediately. She also stood up, hooves resting against the table as she watched her friend cautiously.

“Rainbow…? Is everything ok?” Fluttershy queeried. She inched slowly over. “...Dashie?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s nothing.” The cyan straightened up with a half smile. “Ready? We can probably hit those shops before going to that play.”

“Uhm, ok. Wh-what play is it…?” The animal caretaker followed after the speedster but found she didn’t need to move nearly the pace she usually did when trailing the blue pegasus. In fact, she was surprised to find she was almost even with the other mare. She normally was several ponylengths behind but was shocked to see the corner of the cerise orbs. A pair of eyes that seemed to look back to the mare following more often than not.

“It’s… It’s that one play, ‘Into the Forest’.” Dash explained. She kept a sweeping guard on the area as they passed through the castle; though her attention did remain on the yellow mare at her right the most. Her ears flicked back anxiously. “You… You like that one, right?”

“Oooh, yes, I’ve heard about that one! It’s a lovely play based on old ponytales that have been passed down the ages.” Fluttershy perked up as she thought to what she knew of the production. She stopped when she compared it to what the brasher mare watched. “Are… Are you sure you want to watch it…? It’s a little, uhm… well, it might, uh, not be… what you… like…?”

Rainbow waved her hoof dismissively. “Nah, don’t worry Fluttershy. I know.”

The timid mare settled down, fluffing her wings. She ducked her head slightly while her hooves moved even more sluggishly. A featherlight touch along her shoulder blades startled her into focusing on her surroundings. Glancing over, she noticed a light blue wing floating over her form as sharp cerise orbs looked back firmly.

“Hey, don’t be getting down on me. I want you to enjoy what we do too. If you don’t like something, just tell me. It’s fine, honest.”

“Well I don’t think you would find anything that would suit your plebeian tastes.” A naizel voice came from the right. The owner was a grey stallion with short charcoal mane and tail. Beside him was a pale olive mare with purple and white mane.

“I’m amazed they can even afford anything here. What are they even here for?” The equally snobby mare raised her head into the air, nose well posed for maximum effect.

The shy mare crouched towards the ground with each harsh word. Ears flat, she felt her center fill with lead as extra voices seemed to fill the air as judging eyes glared at her. A husky voice broke through the clouds, delivering a chance out of the darkness.

“Hey, back off. It’s a free city, anypony can be here.” Dash half flared her wings as she stood tall. “And if you must know, we have even more reason to be here than you do! Fluttershy here used to be a high-end model.”

“Oh? And why is she not now then? Couldn’t handle it?” Jet Set stared at the yellow pegasus with half-lidded eyes. His wife chuckled to herself.

“Nah, it’s more like the world wasn’t able to keep up with her. She decided that you snobs weren’t able to appreciate her abilities or her efforts.” The cyan pegasus half-smirked, laying a wing over top of the yellow back confidently. “AND, if you guys still think that the most desired model has no reason to be in Canterlot, then maybe we’ll think about that the next time we go saving Equestria.”

The couple shared bewilder glances. The bejeweled mare started to lose her stern appearance. “What… do you mean…?”

“Well, we are two of the holders of the elements of harmony. You know, those things that keep horrible chaos monsters from devouring the world? So you know, you’re welcome.” Rainbow kept close to the other mare, eyes half closed as she delivered the last line.

With each complimentary word from her old time friend and crush, Fluttershy stood taller, feeling the light pressure of the other’s wing on her trim form. The warmth helped boost up the needed confidence to add her own to the conversation.

“Rainbow Dash, honestly. That wasn’t necessary. If they want to use their afternoon to say very rude things to everypony else, then that’s what they can do.” Fluttershy sternly glared at the duo. Turning to the mare on her left, she smiled sweetly. “But we have a lovely day planned which will be much more enjoyable and pleasant. Unlike how other ponies’ may end up if they keep trying to act rudely to everypony they meet.”

Dash threw back her head and laughed loudly. She twitched her wingtips down to enwrap the butter yellow barrel and tugging her along. Fluttershy grinned bashfully at the reaction, dipping her head at the apparent pleasure of the other pegasus. When they were several paces away from the stunned unicorns, the speedster gave the mare in her grip a gentle shake.

“Don’t even dare to think you were too hard on them ‘Shy. That was great!”

“I don’t know Dashie… Ever if they were VERY rude and trying to be hurtful.” The gentle pegasus scowled before shaking her head clear of the negative thoughts. “It’s not very nice to be rude back.” Noticing her crush opening her mouth to defend the action, the yellow pony shook her head. “Not even if they were rude first.”

Rainbow stuck out her tongue playfully as she bumped the mare. “Bleh. They seemed mean last night too anyways. They just want to make everypony suffer.”

“Oh- oh no! I can’t believe I didn’t recognize them!” Fluttershy jerked back, trying to pinpoint the two upper crust nobles. “What if they don’t like Rarity’s designs because of what we said? What if her entire business becomes ruined because of what we just did?! O-oh no!”

Strong blue hooves stopped the now almost frantic animal caretaker from moving away. “Woah woah woah! There’s no way two snobs like them can ‘ruin’ Rarity’s work. She’s waaaay cooler than them.” Dash rolled her eyes. “And you’re even better. So if they can’t deal with either of our awesomeness, then that’s on them.”

The trim pegasus giggled as she blushed heavily from the gentle restraint. The brasher pony usually didn’t touch others for long, and the two locations where the cyan hooves rested were tingling pleasantly. Rainbow’s cheeks flushed as well as she shifted to instead sling one hoof around the slim shoulders.

“Come on, let’s get going. We won’t have much time to visit the shops before the play the way things are going.” Rainbow Dash lead the way to the largest craft stores of the district.

The building was a mix between a classy restaurant and a proper supply store. The walls were mostly glass, on all three levels, while the shelves were slightly shorter than a pony’s heights, making it necessary to have long lines of them to show all of their wares. The shopkeepers kept tabs on everyone walking about, but became less interested when they realized the two pegasi weren’t planning to buy anything just yet.

Dash kept behind the other mare, watching for what caught the animal care-taker’s interest. Fluttershy beelined for the knitting section and cooed over the expansive amounts of colors. She glanced at the price tags and flinched back, though her gaze lingered on some of the more exotic hues. Rainbow kept track of the ones that seemed the most interesting and checked on the clock. She winced at the time. Nudging the other pegasus, she dipped her head towards the clock then the door. The yellow pony nodded in acceptance and turned to follow her long time crush.

Knowing they only had so much time before the play started, Rainbow lead the way to the large theater. As they got closer to the location, more of the ponies heading inside wore specialized clothing for the occasion, from decorative hats to full suits that matched and yet stood out from the crowd. The pegasi were among the most noticeable as they lacked any sort of clothing. Something that the surrounding crowd seemed to pick up on and began to mutter among themselves.

Fluttershy, sensitive to the ponies around her, noticed immediately and began to shrink in fear and embarrassment. A nose poking her side caused her head to jerk upwards as she quietly eeped.

“Don’t start thinking that stuff ‘Shy. You’re-” Rainbow looked away, eyes fierce while her cheeks burned bright. “-you’re way more beautiful than any of them.”

“You… really think so…?” The timid mare spoke softly as she watched the other cautious.

“Sure. Why do you think I said any of that before…?” Dash didn’t wait for a response as her throat closed up. Coughing a few times didn’t help the large apple that seemed to be stuck there.

Instead, she took lead once more, and went for the ticket booth. Showing the reservation stub, she stood proudly as the stallion on the other side lost his snide grin and humbly offered the tickets. She held no patience for anypony’s sass as they went to show their tickets and find their seats. Any time she felt the yellow pony beside her flinch or crouch lower, she stepped closer, letting their fur touch and her confidence to flow into the other. Once they found their seats, top box with other high end ponies, the duo settled in place.

Slowly, the theater quieted. Billowy curtains rose into the air as narration started for the play. Rainbow Dash barely hid her eye roll at the immediate song and leaned back, hooves resting on the hoofrests to prevent them from crossing in front of her.

Geez, that one mare has as much backbone as Fluttershy does. Hay, Fluttershy has more! What if that was her in the play? That’d be funny. She does talk to birds as it is. Who would be the boy…? Probably Spike. He’s the youngest of us and male. Hmm, this is amusing. Maybe I won’t fall asleep if I pretend they are all of the others, and me of course! Who would be the baker and ‘his’ wife? Well, it doesn’t quite fit, since both Pinkie and AJ are dating other ponies, but they are bakers… The brash pegasus shrugged to herself minutely. I probably would be this ‘prince’ Fluttershy’s character wants to meet so much.

Feeling a concerned gaze on her lithe form, Dash checked on the mare to her left and found Fluttershy watching anxiously. Quickly, she gave a reassuring grin and turned back to the play. Letting her mind wander in this manner, replacing the main characters with her friends and herself, the theatrical production finished without the impatient mare falling asleep. While Rainbow had imagined replacement actors, she checked periodically on Fluttershy and found she was enraptured by the story. Flinching whenever a ‘bad pony’ came forward, the butter-yellow pony had both hooves to her mouth as she watched.

Heh, watching a play was a total success… Except that prince was a total waste of space! I can’t believe he ditched the mare he had been wanting that whole ball. Dash scrunched her muzzle, annoyed. Her heart pinched at the thought of the past. Even-even if I did leave ‘Shy behind before, I’m not doing that ever again! The blue pony came back to her surroundings as the sounds of polite hoofclaps echoed through the room. She peered at her best friend and saw the pleasure written all over her face. The brash mare in turn grinned gently.

As the audience around them applauded, Fluttershy joined them, coming back to her surroundings languishly. The sight of rainbow hair next to her seat made the mare’s heart race in shock and pleasure. Dashie is still awake! Oh, I hope she wasn’t bored, it was such a nice play… The timid pegasus peered cautiously from behind her bangs. The other mare still wore a smile though it was from her normal ones, softer, with a sombre touch. Seeing such a different facial expression, Fluttershy didn’t notice the mass of ponies exiting all at once.

Snobbish voices drifted over as the nobles pushed their way to the front. Startled, the animal caretaker paused anxiously, ducking her head. With each timid eep and meep, she backed up, out of the way, until she hit a force that would never falter.

Soft feathers brushed along the canary yellow back. Inhaling sharply, Fluttershy glanced to her right. There, squeezing in between the set of chairs in front of them and the yellow mare herself was Rainbow Dash. Her left wing settled protectively over the shy pony while she critically eyed the crowd.

“Come on ‘Shy, these reservations won’t last forever.” Dash murmured before raising her voice. “Oy! Do you mind? Wait your turn.” With a firm hoof to the next to cross pony’s chest, she propelled the other pegasus forward with her wing, using her own shoulder to make room when needed.

Feeling two teal orbs resting on her, the usually brash mare added a few uncommon phrases as she walked through the masses. “Pardon us. Excuse us. Coming through. Watch out, uh, please…” Rainbow pushed down the awkward feeling she got from trying the ‘new’ phrases and focused on getting the two of them out. Her fur stood on end before shivering in waves when she felt the canary mare lean into her.

“Rainbow?” The whisper was just close enough to a twitchy blue ear that it was heard clearly. “Are you alright…?”

“Wha-? Sure I am! Just, uh, don’t want to miss the meal.” Dash checked that she still had the paper and sighed relieved. Only to stiffen when she noticed the pale-yellow muzzle closer to her own.

Fluttershy, free of the large crowd of the theater, tried to peak at the paper, brow lightly furrowed. “Where is it for…?” She glanced to the other mare and realized how close the two were at the moment. Muzzle flushing red, she jerked back to hide behind her bangs. “Oh.. It’s uh, at… Les Plus Grands Gourmandises.”

“Yeah, I heard it was a good place to go. Unless… you don’t want to?” Rainbow stopped and faced the other pony. “You can tell me if there’s something wrong.”

“Well, it’s a… very popular place…”

“Yeah and…?”

“... and there will be a lot of ponies there…” Fluttershy hunched down as she explained.

“Sure. Probably.” Dash still didn’t understand the issue and continued to wait for the more timid pegasus to respond.

“Well, they’ll-they’ll probably be watching everything… and everypony around them…”

“Well, I don’t know about EVERYthing around them…”

“And… uhm… I’m just… not sure… if I can handle… all those watching eyes…” The canary pegasus shut her own gaze, tears pricking the corners. Hearing an exhausted sigh, Fluttershy flinched. “I’m-I’m sorry Dashie!” About to leave in shame, the crying mare stopped when she felt two hooves and wings wrap around her.

Muffled by the mass of pink strands, Rainbow’s voice came out softly. “Please don’t cry…. I’m the one that’s sorry. I didn’t think that all these snobs would bother you so much…” The athletic mare pulled back slightly to stare into watery teal eyes. “Trust me, you are a thousand times cooler and nicer than them. But we don’t have to go there if it’s really going to hurt you.”

Dash put her muzzle back on top of the pink mane, waiting for a sign from the other. “I just want you to have a good time.”

Fluttershy wiped at her muzzle, moving carefully lest she disrupt the protective hug she was in. Her mind wheeled, confused by the brash mare’s word choices.

“Why… Why do you want to do any of these things? I do enjoy a play and lovely tea parties every so often, but you don’t usually want to…” Emboldened by the embrace and unable to look into anxious cerise orbs, the butter yellow pony continued. “I want you to enjoy things too… And I… I didn’t think you liked these sorts of things….”

She trailed off, face flushed, as she realized how much she had said out loud. Nervous, she leaned over, drawing closer to the blue chest. Dashie’s heart is going really fast… Is she ok? Fluttershy tilted her head up to check on the other but paused with a start. The two encircling hooves had started to rub the tense yellow spine reassuringly. Slowly, teal eyes finished their travels upward to see the blue face turned red.

“Well, I wanted to show you that I like- er, well, I can do these sorts of things too. ‘Cause I know you like ‘em and… and I would to show that I’m more than a show off-y mare who’s cooler than cool and hotter than hot, you know?” Unable to hold back the swell of embarrassment, Rainbow released the other mare and sat stiffly facing the left.

“Rainbow Dash!” Shocked, Fluttershy leaped to defend her crush from herself, moving to try and catch the embarrassed eye.“I already know that! You are much more than a very good flyer! You don’t have to prove that to anyone, especially not to me!” The animal caretaker put a hoof on the slumped cobalt shoulder.

You’re great ‘Shy… I don’t know why I never saw it before. Rainbow half turned to her oldest friend with a gentle smirk, eyes half-lidded with warmth shining out. “Thanks ‘Shy.” Unthinkingly, she stretched out with her neck and brushed her muzzle alongside the yellow one, eyes closing at the feeling.

Fluttershy’s limbs went rigid as her fur tingled pleasantly at the touch. Face, ears, and neck covered in a bright red hue, the yellow pegasus gaze was wide open with her mouth dropping down slightly. Just as her mind recovered enough to start reciprocating, Dash moved back, her own visage fire-truck red.

“Alright. We still need to eat right? Let’s just… head back to the castle. We’ll get a simple lunch and have a picnic in the garden.” The lithe mare waited for an agreeing nod before leading the way back.

The closeness they walked at didn’t seem as distracting this time; both ponies merely enjoyed the sensation instead of worrying. When they arrived, Rainbow signalled for the other pegasus to wait while she spoke with a guard. She hoofed over her old reservations and made a few basic selections from the castle’s chefs instead.

Once that was done, she turned to find her crush enjoying the sun on her face, head leaned back and waves of pink hair flowing down the sides. Breathless, the usually bold mare took cautious steps closer.

“Ready? We’ll eat in the garden.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Oh, that’s so nice. All the animals seemed so friendly as well, it’ll be nice to chat with them more and-” Fluttershy cut herself off as she grew suspicious. “You really don’t mind, sitting with me as I talk with all the animals? I know it’s not the coolest thing…”

“Already told you…” Dash lightly bumped the other with her shoulder, smile in place. “... you are definitely cool, and I like hanging out with you. And don’t you forget it.” The impatient mare trotted on with a grin.

The pegasus trailing behind gave a tiny squeal and took to the sky, floating over the ground in a rare moment of pure happiness. Upon entering the gardens, Fluttershy was immediately greeted by the animals who regaled her with stories of breakfast, lunch, and sights to see around the large castle grounds. One in particular caught her ear, causing the shyer mare to go still.

Rainbow Dash, having been watching with a dotting expression on her face, straightened. “What is it? Something up?”

“Oh, uhm, some of the animals… thought we might want to see the… the small maze in the middle of the courtyard.”

“A maze?” The blue mare looked into the distance, memories surging. Her ears went flat while her gaze narrowed. “Haven’t been in one since that time we fought Discord.” Blue ears picked up as she checked on the other pegasus anxiously. “You going to be ok?”

Fluttershy perked up with a smile. “Oh yes. It was a lovely maze, though a little scary not knowing what things try to startle a pony. But once I knew where Discord was, I was fine.” The mare wilted slightly as her thoughts continued. “Except for forcibly being turned mean.”

“Wait, so he didn’t try to mess with you or anything? You were fine until we all went a little crazy?” Dash relaxed, letting the tension go from her wings as flying to Discord’s new location to break the statue into tiny rumble was no longer needed.

“Oh yes. I’m sure this maze will be pleasant as well; uhm, so long as there’s nothing startling there.” Fluttershy nodded reassuringly. Another wave of shock went through her as the cobalt mare covered her with a wing.

“Don’t you worry, I’ll be there to keep you safe. Looks like the food’s done too, why don’t we take it to the center?” Rainbow dipped her head in thanks to the servant who brought the basket to them.

Meal in hoof, the speedster lead the way into the tall hedging. She kept a wing on the shyer mare and stayed close enough to enjoy the way their fur brushed against each other. Knowing how much Fluttershy liked cuddling when they were younger, Rainbow was sure the proximity was fine.

Together, the duo figured out the simple puzzle and found the middle. The clearing had a single tree placed in the middle with a low, long oak bench with intricate vines carved into the back and sides. The birds and small critters, hearing the approach of their new friend, rushed to greet the ponies. Fluttershy began to interact with the animals and slowed her walk to the goal.

Dash, another heated smirk in place, floated to the seating and settled down to watch, basket secured underneath. She was pleasantly surprised when the yellow pony politely broke off the other conversations and sat right against the blue form.

Fluttershy gazed at their surroundings with a smile. “This is so lovely… So peaceful and quiet!” The tranquility of the air gave the timid mare the willingness to push past her normal limits. Gently, ready to accept the potential negative outcome, she kissed the left cheek of the bolder pegasus. “Thank you…”

Rainbow Dash froze at the tingles that raced under her fur. Vainly trying to wet her suddenly dry mouth, she coughed lightly before responding. “It’s - uh, it was my pleasure.” Dash watched wide-eyed, as the other pegasus beamed at the answer and leaned into the sky-blue chest.

Once Fluttershy found the perfect niche on the two hooves to rest on, Rainbow cautiously lowered her own head to the pink mane covered neck and shoulders, growing just as comfortable. Neither cared about their surroundings or the food still waiting for consumption. Drifting in and out of a doze, Fluttershy thought of the last time they rested like this.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve done something like this… It’s kind of nice…” The butter yellow pony scooted closer, enjoying the warmth and sense of protection the other gave off.

“Hmm? Yeah, guess it has. I acted pretty dumb before…” Dash murmured as she looked sleepily to the sky. “I’ll make it up to you…” She began to slip back into a peaceful rest, most of her thoughts growing muddy.

Fluttershy smiled lazily, sensing how close her crush was to falling asleep properly. “Night Dashie…”

“Night ‘Shy… Love you…” The lithe mare whispered softly with a grin.

Two teal orbs snapped open. Breath seizing in her chest, Fluttershy stayed perfectly still, ears tensely waiting for any other words. She waited, heart racing, but there was no other sleepy comment. Nervous, she turned in place, burying her nose into the blue fur and tried to take a few calming breaths.

Did she just….?!?

-TTS-

The duo stayed out in the middle of the maze for another half hour before waking enough to eat lunch. They stayed mostly quiet as they ate, both showing the proper etiquette by not talking with their muzzles full. During which Dash found she was the target of curious eyes.

While it wasn’t unusual for the timid pony to look at someone else, it was odd to see her not flinch back when the opposing pair connected gazes. Rainbow tried to ignore it only to fail within moments.

“What’s… What’s up ‘Shy? Something on my face?” The cobalt pony tried to focus on her nose but merely crossed her eyes dizzily.

“No no, I’m just wondering… if there was anything you… wanted to say…” The yellow pegasus blinked slowly, watching carefully.

Dash scrunched up her nose as she stared into the sky, thinking. She tapped her chin as her mind raced. “Uhhh, noooo…?” Aside from the very first and main reason of why we went around these snooty places and ponies…

“Oh, uhm, ok…” Fluttershy backed away self-consciously

Rainbow sighed, sensing the withdraw had something to do with what she said. She closed the distance, leaning up against the hunched shoulder. “Hey… Hey… Come on Fluttershy, there’s no need for long faces. What’s wrong?” She tried to peer into the mane covered face but could only barely make out the small nose.

“N-nothing… It’s ok.”

“You sure?”

Fluttershy took a deep breath and sat up straight, giving a brief smile. “Yes. I will be ok.”

“Well I hope so.” Dash peered closely before breaking out into a smug smirk. “I need a happy pillow for a great nap after all.”

The tension broke. The two mares laughed, with the quieter one putting both hooves to her mouth in shock at her reaction. Seeing that Dash still laughed, Fluttershy allowed herself to continue her enjoyment of the moment.

“Oh yes, of course! I’m sure it would be a much bumpier pillow than one that had such a nice day with her best friend.” The animal-caretaker beamed and nuzzled the cobalt mare. “It was a sweet and lovely thing to do.”

Rainbow couldn’t think of a response. Cheeks burning, she waited for her crush to get comfortable once more before settling herself, ignoring the part of her mind suggesting to work off the meal with flight. No way am I giving up this chance…

-TTS-

The train ride back for the group of friends was much quieter. Twilight and Pinkie Pie had taken a secluded car, which meant that Pinkie was preoccupied enough that the others could be on their own without worry. When they first trotted off, happily stuck close to one another, Applejack tipped her hat back with a hoof.

“Well shucks, Ah’d have thought you’d make some comment about them Rainbow.” The farmer smirked, peeking at her own marefriend. “Guess ya ain’t gonna complain now that y’all are cuddling?”

“Darlin’!” Rarity swatted the orange hoof she held on to. Then she glance towards Fluttershy with a small grin. “Though it did look adorable.”

Fluttershy eeped with a blush but didn’t hide like she wanted to. Instead, she focused on the brasher mare, waiting to see the reaction.

Rainbow swished her tail as she thought, two sides warring in her mind. One look into calm and caring teal orbs cooled her anger at the teasing jab.

“Well, takes a brave kind of pony to admit they like those sorts of things.” Dash leaned forward, condescending smirk in place. “Maybe you need to work on your own honesty if you’re looking for someone else to complain about it.” She turned, ignoring the confused stares. “Come on ‘Shy. Rarity probably wants to check that her marefriend does like all that cuddling they do.”

Together, the two pegasi left their confused friends behind. The blonde scratched her head.

“What the hay…?”

“I told you something is going on!” Rarity frantically whispered as she tugged on the hoof in her grasp.

“Eeyup! Ah ain’t arguin’ with ya…” Applejack agreed, leading the way to an empty compartment.

Down the hall, Dash opened a door for her crush, dipping her head playfully. Seeing the glint of amusement, Fluttershy giggled with a hoof over her mouth and entered. Once they were settled side by side, she stared at the prismatic pony.

“Are you… ok with cuddling…?”

“Hm? ‘Course I am. Always have been.” Rainbow scrunched her eyes as she remembered the past. “I was just acting foalish when we were younger. Thought it wasn’t cool enough for me.”

“Oh…” Fluttershy wilted. The cobalt mare noticed and encased her in a wing hug.

“Hey. It is very cool, especially since I’m doing it with the coolest mare around.”

“Really…?”

“Really.”

“O-oh…” Fluttershy couldn’t keep up the neutral expression and succumbed to the raging blush across her face.

Slowly, she laid down and settled against the blue fur. Rainbow smiled and found her own comfy location amidst the pink mane. She was about to take another nap when a soft question floated up from the mare under her.

“Was there… anything you wanted to say…?” Fluttershy’s ears were at attention as she waited for the response.

“Nah… I don’t think… there’s much left to say… about… cuddles…” Dash couldn’t prevent her mind from drifting away, slurring her words at the end and falling asleep as she spoke to her long time friend and crush.

The canary mare exhaled, heart sinking slightly. The blue hooves encircled lovingly around the slim barrel, a motion that was returned just as carefully by the other pegasus.

-TTS-

“I know Tank, I know.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I shouldn’t keep using you as an excuse to see her. But-! But she has been a little ‘off’ lately.” The pegasus shrugged. She glanced over to where her pet tortoise was flying gently next to her. She waited patiently for his croak and eye motion to be finished. “I don’t know, just watching more or something.”

The duo fell silent as they completed the rest of the way to the grass covered cottage on the edge of town. Most of the day was gone, used up with chores that were put aside for the trip to Canterlot. It was at sunset that Dash finally managed to get away to check on the animal caretaker.

Except that Fluttershy wasn’t in her cottage but on the hill beside it. Her mane and coat colors stood out from the grass. The setting sun highlighted the contrasting colors, stunning the brash mare mid-flight. Left only with coasting, Dash landed near the timid mare and waited for her to get over her shock.

Fluttershy stiffened at the silent approach until she saw the stock of rainbow locks. Settling back in place, she shifted from watching the sunset to watching the other pony, checking the addition with a half smile.

“Oh my. What is it? Is there something you want to tell me…?” Content from the previous view and amused by the now extremely overused excuse, Fluttershy felt a little braver than usual. Eyelids dropping halfway teasingly, she tilted her head to the right, waiting to see Rainbow’s reaction.

The results were immediate. Blue fur flushed to bright red. Ceries orbs widened before taking one long blink. After a shuddering breath, Dash’s hooves went to her mane and scrambled them as she groaned, throwing her head back. She snapped forward, gaze determined. Much gentler than when she roughed up her mane, she took hold of the butter yellow shoulders and pulled Fluttershy close. She barely let out a surprised gasp at their proximity before shutting her eyes to embrace what was about to happen.

In the blink of a slow watchful eye, the two were kissing. As their mouths connected, both mares melted at the sensation, leaning into the touch. Rainbow moved her hooves to the other’s head and rubbed them through the pink locks, sending her hooves into warm tingles just like how the rest of her face felt. Once her body briefly stopped craving the embrace, she shifted back, breathing heavily. Languishly, she opened her eyes to watch the other pegasus.

Fluttershy was slower to wake from the her haze of emotion. Teal orbs flickered before staying open, focusing on the bold mare with a soft ‘oh my’. Dash moved her hooves to the yellow shoulders once more and took a steadying breath.

“Fluttershy, I really really like you. I-I only realized how much recently, but I know I’ve felt this for a long time.” The blue pony broke eye contact. “I was just too- too chicken to figure it out.” Like magnets, cerise and teal eyes locked once more.

“I wanted to show you how I can do more, uh, ‘fancy’ stuff. And make this really romantic and stuff. But you’re just too awesome.” Subconsciously, she allowed her hooves to roam. They went from rubbing the trembling shoulders to one hoof caressing the canary yellow muzzle as the other traveled down the foreleg to hold the other’s hoof. “... And really beautiful…”

Fluttershy nibbled on her lower lip, the memory of the kiss fresh in her mind, and leaned into the hoof on her muzzle. “Oh Dashie… I… I wanted to hear you say that for… a long time.” She moved her own hooves to reciprocate the embraces, curling one around the one on the side of her head and one completing the hoof holding. “I’ve always cared deeply about you. You are wonderful, beautiful, and truly amazing…”

With each compliment, she inched closer, bridging the gap between their faces. “I couldn’t dare to hope you would ever like me as much back…”

Rainbow spoke quieter, gaze fixated on the soft lips that grew ever nearer. “You are one of the bravest mares I have ever known…” Her words trailed off as their muzzles reconnected.

The warmth of the setting sun couldn’t compare to the heat they felt as they finally got to embrace as they had longed to. The two pets sitting nearby snuck away after a half minute of watching. Angel was urged by Tank to leave, though it was at a much slower pace. The tortoise had a large grin while the bunny was rather grumpier. The two pegasi stayed on the hilltop well after the sun went down, moving closer to conserve body heat, and kept the wonderous feeling going.

Flutershy could barely feel her hooftips as her chest filled with extreme joy. Her mind was abuzz, white and peaceful. She wasn’t sure, but she had a half-thought of putting her hooves on the trim blue shoulders and didn’t realize when her limbs followed through with the idea. She could feel the soft touch of the other’s hooves against her head as she tilted to fix more snugly against the other..

Rainbow felt a rush unlike anything she felt before. Making a Sonic Rainboom might be cool, but their kiss, their touch, was by far warmer and more enticing. It blew every dreamed and imagined scenario out of the sky.

By the time her wings went entirely loose and hung limply on her sides, the bold mare finally pulled back, panting. Her muzzle buzzed pleasantly. It was so tempting to just continue as they had been. She took a few large gulps of air, though it didn’t help settle her racing heart. The love she found in teal pools cleared up the last of the haze in her mind at least.

“I’ve been such an idiot Fluttershy… I-we could have had this much…” Dash leaned close, kissing the yellow brow, “... much sooner… I was just too scared of the change that would come after.”

“After?” Fluttershy murmured, moving her limbs down to rest on the lith mare’s hips, marveling at the ability to hold her crush that way.

Rainbow stretched her neck up with a warm grin, eyes shut in pleasure. “Hmmmmmm…” She shifted back to the other, booping their noses together. “Hay, if me being honest about how much I like the physical contact stuff gets this kind of-of feeling, then it’s pretty good to me.” She gazed serenely to her crush. “Fluttershy, will you be my marefriend?”

“Yes…! I would love to.” The animal care-taker couldn’t hold back her happiness and kissed her new marefriend.

Dash’s mouth couldn’t stop forming a happy smile even as they continued to kiss. It was only as a cloud passed over the newly raised moon that the duo thought about their location as they were left in darkness. The blue pony glared at the sky.

“Dumb night time…”

“Princess Luna works really hard for the night sky to look rather nice.” Fluttershy beamed at the skyline. She peeked teasingly at the blue pony. “It is cold outside. Would you like to stay over?”

All the muscles in the cobalt pegasus’ limbs went from a fluid state to a more tense one. “You… You mean it?” Dash watched and got an agreeing nod. “Yeah! Yeah, sure! Let’s-let’s go!”

Fluttershy smiled at the reaction. Leading the way into her home, she checked on all the other critters inside before going to her room. Rainbow Dash wore another bright blush but followed along. Together, they finished their cuddling session in the comforts of twin sized bed until morning. bed until morning.