NEVER LEAVE YOU HANGING
By Knightcommander
Baked apples and cinnamon. That's the scent that she smelled as she walked up to a building seemingly built out of baked goods and confectionary itself. The smell sent her lips curling into a smile. That smell could only mean one thing. It was something she had been waiting for ever since the air had begun to grow colder and the fall fast approached.
It meant that Sugarcube Corner was preparing for the advent of fall by cooking up their autumn themed line of baked goods and treats, including her absolute favorite. What was that? None other than the Cake's famous apple cinnamon pie, of course. The very thought of sampling it sent her mind into fantasies of holiday dinner tables set with sumptuous feasts. It made her mouth water just thinking about it for two seconds.
But Rarity could not allow herself to be caught drooling in front of the proprietors of Sugarcube Corner. No, a lady was expected to behave in a much more civilized manner than drooling and fantasizing about one's favorite pie. She must maintain her grace and poise at all times. Though, it didn't hurt to cut loose and have fun, as well. Being friends with Ponyville's resident star athletes and pranksters had taught her that lesson well.
She knocked on the door of the shop, the sharp rapping seeming to her to echo in the still night air. The shop itself was closed for the night, but the Cakes were always willing to take visitors even at this late an hour. It was something that made their shop so popular. It also didn't hurt that it was their home as well as their place of business. In short order, her knock was answered, but not by either Cup Cake or Carrot Cake, but by a familiar looking pink Earth Pony mare who beamed when she saw Rarity standing there.
"Rarity! You came!" Pinkie Pie cheered, hopping up and down and causing her poofy pink mane to bounce. Rarity found herself smiling at her friend.
"Of course I did, Pinkie." She said. "I couldn't refuse an invitation to visit a friend. Say, is that apple cinnamon pie I smell?" She asked. Pinkie nodded vigorously.
"Yes indeedy." Pinkie chirped. "We've also got cookies, and muffins and cupcakes, oh my! And they're all fall themed." She smiled so wide Rarity was sure that her face would split in half if it got any bigger.
"Sounds delightful." Rarity grinned. Pinkie Stepped aside to let her in. To her surprise, Applejack was there as well, sampling a slice of the aforementioned pie.
"Howdy, Rarity!" The orange earth pony greeted her. Rarity smiled while Pinkie Pie fetched her a slice. "You get called over too?" She asked.
"Yes." Rarity replied, taking a bite of the offered slice and savoring it. It was just as she always enjoyed it. The warm taste of the cinnamon perfectly complimented the sugar coated pie crust and the fresh granny smith apples direct from Sweet Apple Acres. All it needed was a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and it would be perfect, she thought.
"Ooh, that's right! I almost forgot why I called you guys over." Pinkie said, a light bulb going off in her head. "You guys know how Nightmare Night is coming up?
"Yes." Rarity recalled. "I know because I've gotten so many orders for costumes I'll be surprised if I can finish them all before the thirty-first." Pinkie smiled.
"Well, this year, the Cakes are turning the bakery into a haunted house!" She yipped. "And guess what? They let me do all the planning! Oooh, and I had the most awesome idea. Follow me!" She motioned for them to follow her into the basement. Rarity and Applejack looked at each other and decided to humor her, following her lead into the basement.
When they reached the basement, the first thing they noticed was some kind of table with clamps attached to it like shackles. A single light hung above them, set up to make it look that much more like some secret prison. Various boxes laden with decorations and other props were stacked in odd positions around the basement. A small tray located near the table contained a collection of wicked-looking prop knives and medical tools stained with fake blood. Rarity winced at the sight.
"Um, what exactly are you planning?" She asked Pinkie. Pinkie who had been rummaging through some boxes, bounded back into view, wearing a bizarre costume. It appeared to meant to look like it was made from the cutie marks of ponies, along with severed pegasi wings and a necklace made from prop unicorn horns. Pinkie beamed at her friends.
"Isn't this awesome!" She chirped. "You see, I had the idea that I would be this crazy insane baker, and she kidnaps ponies and cuts them up so she can bake them into her cupcakes." Rarity went wide-eyed.
"And the Cakes approved of this?" She asked, incredulous. She didn't think that the Cakes would allow something so morbid to be done for Nightmare Night. Pinkie Pie just nodded.
"Who's doing this with you?" Applejack asked, taking a look in some of the boxes and looking at her props. "I hear that Roseluck and Daisy are always big on these kinds of things. Ironic, I know." Pinkie Pie shook her head.
"That's the fun part. When I showed this to Rainbow Dash, she thought it was so cool that she volunteered on the spot to help me out." Pinkie bounced up and down in excitement. Clearly she was positively bursting with being given the chance to pull this off for the celebration. Applejack laughed.
"That's Rainbow alright." She chuckled. Rarity smiled sheepishly. She still thought the idea was far too morbid. But, she wasn't about to deny her friend her happiness. Besides, Pinkie knew better than to subject foals to something so scary.
No young one should have to be so frightened.
***
"Thank you very much for the pies, Pinkie." Rarity said to Pinkie as they walked together back to Carousel Boutique. "The girls will very much appreciate it." Pinkie was curious.
"The girls?" She wondered.
"Apple Bloom and her friends are having a sleepover at Rarity's." Applejack answered for her. "How are they?"
"Surprisingly quiet." Rarity smiled. "Which is a miracle, if you ask me. They're delightful little darlings, but they can be such a handful at times."
"T'aint that the truth." Applejack replied as they approached the front door to the boutique. Rarity was surprised to see that the kitchen light was on. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had been tired from a long day of playing and trying to ear their cutie marks, and had taken an early bedtime for a Saturday night. Curious, she unlocked the door with her magic and entered the kitchen. Her friends followed her, where they saw Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle standing shoulder to shoulder, trying to reach a pitcher of ice water in the fridge. Sweetie Belle was struggling to hold the earth pony filly up.
"Girls?" They heard Rarity say. Apple Bloom turned to face her.
"Oh, sorry." She said apologetically. "We were just thirsty." She explained. Rarity noticed three glasses already set aside on the counter near the fridge. Sweetie Belle continued to focus on trying to keep Apple Bloom up, which was becoming harder. Applejack walked over and helped her down, to Sweetie's relief.
"Whew! No offense Apple Bloom, but you're heavy." She wheezed. Rarity got the pitcher with her magic and poured them some water. She handed them each a glass.
"I'll take this one up to Scootaloo." She said. "Is she still asleep?"
"I think so." Sweetie answered. "We were going to ask her if she wanted one when we..."
"Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!! Noooooooo!!!!!" Came a sudden, bloodcurdling scream that caused the other two fillies to jump. This was followed by a loud thump from upstairs.
"That was Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom cried, suddenly scared for her friend.
"Stay here." Applejack ordered. The girls did as they were told, while the adults raced upstairs to the guest bedroom where Scootaloo was sleeping. Rarity wrenched the door open with her magic, nearly tearing it off its hinges, and rushed into the room. She was greeted by the sight of Scootaloo lying on the floor and rubbing her head. She had apparently fallen out of bed and hit herself on the nightstand. Rarity rushed over and laid down beside the pegasus filly and wrapped her forelegs around her, trying to get her to calm down.
"Scootaloo? It's me, Rarity." She said. "Are you alright?" She asked. Scootaloo looked up at her with eyes that were streaming with tears. Her mane was an absolute mess, and even the feathers on her wings were crumpled. She returned Rarity's hug, her body shaking and shuddering as she was wracked with sobbing. Rarity instinctively held her closer as she cried. Applejack and Pinkie Pie gave her a look as if to say "what happened?" Rarity shook her head, and tried to comfort Scootaloo as best she could.
"Shhhhhh, shh shh shh. It's alright, darling." Rarity soothed. Scootaloo buried her face in Rarity's chest. Rarity rubbed her back and nuzzled her in a further attempt to calm her down. After a minute or so, her sobs began to lessen. Rarity looked at Applejack. "Could you help me get her downstairs?" Applejack nodded, and crouched down so the filly could climb onto her back. Scootaloo shakily got to her hooves and clambered on.
"There ya go, sugarcube." Applejack said softly. "I got ya now." She gave Scootaloo a nuzzle before they escorted her back downstairs, Scootaloo drying her eyes with the brim of Applejack's hat. The other two Crusaders waited for them at the bottom of the stairs, looks of deep concern etched on their faces.
"Rarity, what happened?" Sweetie Belle begged.
"Why is Scootaloo crying?" Apple Bloom followed up. The two of them began to hound the adults as they came down the stairs.
"Girls, please, give her some space." Applejack said, setting the young filly down on a nearby sofa and taking a seat with her while Rarity and Pinkie Pie fetched her water and a cookie, respectively. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle walked over and gave their friend a comforting hug, which the pegasus returned gratefully. She downed the water and the cookie in seemingly one motion. After a few more minutes, she finally stopped crying, her sobbing now reduced to an occasional sniffle.
"Is she alright now?" Pinkie questioned.
"I think so." Applejack said. "Her heart's still beating like a rabbit, though."
"I'm s-sorry for s-scaring you guys." Scootaloo said weakly, giving them an apologetic look. Her friends nuzzled her.
"Nah, it's OK." Apple Bloom soothed. "But what happened to ya, Scoots?"
"Did you have a bad dream?" Sweetie Belle asked. Scootaloo looked at her for a moment and then nodded, sniffling. Applejack snuggled her closer, her maternal instincts taking over. Rarity took a seat next to her sister, running her hoof through the filly's mane.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. Scootaloo shivered.
"It was the *sniff* worst dream I've ever *sniff* had." She cried.
"Talkin' about it might help ya feel better." Apple Bloom said. "You can tell us anything, we're your friends." Scootaloo looked at them through tearstained eyes, then to Rarity and Pinkie, and finally at Applejack. She nodded.
"OK." She said weakly. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and focus. She told them about how she was in Cloudsdale, for a big flight exam. She was there with a bunch of other fillies and colts. She remembered two in particular because one broke her wings during her turn at the exam, and the other had befriended her. When it came time for her turn, she ended up bombing the exam on a failed landing. And that's where it took a turn for the horrible, she explained.
"We were all snatched up and put in this guarded carriage, like the ones the police use to haul criminals away." She said. "We were taken to this secret place at the weather factory, one that no-one else in the city ever got to see." Her voice began to crack as she recalled the horrible details that followed. "It was d-dark, and c-c-crowded, and they kept poking us with these sticks that hurt really bad."
"Oh dear." Rarity said. She knew it wasn't going to end well, but this description was going beyond anything she had imagined. But what came next would send shock waves through them all.
"And then we were taken into this huge room. It smelled really nasty and it was hot. There were a bunch of other fillies and colts there with me." She began to shake as fear and dread filled her up. "There was this big machine in the room with these chains attached to it and these huge spiked gears. This masked pony came into the room and told us that since we had failed to live up to Cloudsdale's expectations, we were now useless dregs that would only serve to drag society down."
"That's horrible!" Sweetie Belle cried. Scootaloo nodded before continuing. Fresh tears began to stream down her face as she described the horrible details that followed.
"The masked pony told them to grab me, and they tied me into the chains." She said. "They told me the machine was going to," she paused and clutched her stomach, as though the thought made her sick, "going to *sob* crunch me up and then turn me into the stuff they make rainbows out of." Rarity gasped and put a hoof to her mouth. Pinkie Pie's mane partially deflated. Even the stoic Applejack felt misty eyed at hearing the horror show that had played out in Scootaloo's head. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle clambered up and wrapped her in a hug.
"And then, I saw someone standing high above us. I realized it was Rainbow Dash, just standing there, watching the whole thing." Scootaloo said, beginning to weep again. "I cried to her, begged her, pleaded with her to come and help me. 'Don't let them hurt me' I said." She began to sob so hard her whole body shook. "She just gave this evil smile and watched them as they lowered me into this machine. I could hear it clanking, I could feel the gears start to pull on my tail. And that's when I woke up." She buried her face in her hooves, overwhelmed. Applejack held her as closely and tightly as possible, trying to make her feel more secure. Rarity felt her heart break at seeing the little filly in so much distress. It was one thing for her to have a nightmare about something like a monster under the bed or a boogeystallion in the closet. It was another to have one about someone you trusted and cared for watching as you were violently murdered in a hideous fashion. She felt her own eyes begin to tear up as she gave Scootaloo a motherly nuzzle. Pinkie Pie ran off, presumably to get more cookies for her. For the longest time, they sat there, just being as supportive as they could. Finally, Scootaloo once again stopped crying. Her cheeks were now thoroughly soaked and stained with tears, and her mane was in an even bigger mess than before. Applejack even noticed a particular scent that she had failed to notice before, for obvious reasons. She recognized it immediately.
"Um," she started, trying to be as tactful as possible, "did you..." She whispered, so the others couldn't hear. Scootaloo blushed and nodded.
"I... had an... accident." She sniffled. She looked down, as though ashamed at what she had just admitted to. Applejack and Rarity looked at her with only sympathetic eyes.
"It's quite alright, little one." Rarity said. "I cannot blame you." She gently picked the filly up with her magic and placed her on her back. "I'll draw you a warm bath so you can clean up." Scootaloo wrapped her hooves around her neck. "Then, we can talk more, if you wish." Scootaloo simply sniffed and nodded. Rarity carried her up the stairs to the bathroom and turned on the water, making sure that it was not too hot or too cold. She also added some scented bath salts to help relax Scootaloo. Scootaloo fetched herself a towel from a nearby towel rack and waited until the tub was full before gingerly climbing in. Rarity took the towel and held on to it while Scootaloo washed up. She was quiet the whole time, and Rarity wasn't sure how to begin any sort of discussion about her dream. She wouldn't need to, as soon Scootaloo was finished and drying off before heading back downstairs, Rarity following her. The other two Crusaders hugged her as she came back into the living room. Scootaloo gratefully returned the gesture before taking her seat next to Applejack.
"Feel up to talking still?" Applejack asked her. Scootaloo looked up at her and nodded. The Crusaders snuggled up to her.
"Rainbow Dash must hate me." Scootaloo said, sniffling a bit. The others were taken aback by such a comment.
"That is most certainly not true." Rarity interjected. "Rainbow Dash does not hate you in the slightest."
"But, that nightmare...what if there's some kind of terrible side of her that's going to come out someday for no reason at all." Scootaloo said, terror forming in her features. Pinkie Pie came over and gave her a nuzzle.
"But that was only a dream." Pinkie said. "It doesn't mean anything at all." Scootaloo looked around at them.
"But it was so real..." Sweetie hugged her tightly.
"I know it seemed so real, and I can't even begin to imagine how scary it must have been to have a dream like that." She said. "But as real as it seemed, it wasn't real. It was only a dream, and as scary as it was, nothing can change that fact that it's not real."
"Yeah." Apple Bloom began. "Rainbow Dash wouldn't do anything to hurt ya. I mean, the very idea...it's unthinkable."
"She's right, sugarcube." Applejack added. "She's not the Element of Loyalty for nothin'. She'd never betray one of her friends, not matter what the cost. We all learned that when we were facing Night Mare Moon. She was wiling to throw away her greatest dream just to help us. Tain't no way she would let something like a failed test get in the way of your friendship."
"And if anyone even had the slightest inkling of harming you," Rarity interjected, running her hoof through Scootaloo's mane, "she would stop at nothing to protect you. You're her friend, and you mean that much to her, just as we all do." Scootaloo felt a smile creep across her face.
"You guys mean that?" She asked.
"Why of course we do." Rarity said with a chuckle. "Why, just the other day she was telling me all about how much she appreciates you taking the time to watch her practice her stunts. Most of us are far too busy during the week, what with our schedules. In fact, she told me about how she repaid the favor one day and came to watch you ride around on your scooter."
"She did?" Scootaloo asked, her eyes widened and her grin growing bigger. Rarity nodded.
"She was so busy talking, she completely forgot about her pound cake." She said. Pinkie giggled.
"I remember that day." She remarked. "You guys were the first in for the lunch rush." She cleared her throat. "'You should have seen her slick moves out there! What an athlete! Hay, I bet if she took a moment to really slam it down on that scooter, she'd have her cutie mark in ten seconds flat!'" She added, trying to imitate Rainbow's scratchy voice. The attempt got a hearty laugh, Scootaloo included. She felt her heart soar at hearing those words, knowing just how much Rainbow was impressed by her.
"She really said all that?" Pinkie Pie nodded.
"And meant every word of it!" She chirped. Scootaloo smiled. The terrible events of her dream were now nearly forgotten. In their place, there were only memories of all the times Rainbow had spent time with her. They were right. It wasn't for no reason that she was the Element of Loyalty, and no dream was going to change that. She smiled at all of them, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness at being blessed with such wonderful friends.
"Thanks you guys." She said, smiling at her friends. "I... I don't know what I'd do without you." Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom enveloped her in the tightest hug they could muster, and each of the adults gave her a nuzzle. Rarity even added a motherly kiss on the forehead. After a few moments, Scootaloo yawned.
"And there's the cue to get you three fillies back to bed." Applejack said with a grin. The other two yawned as well, as though in agreement. Rarity smiled and brought a couple more glasses of water, each of the fillies drinking it down before being led upstairs to the guest bedroom. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom climbed into the bed that Apple Bloom herself had been using on either side of Scootaloo, providing a comforting presence for her. She smiled and hunkered down, getting herself cozy. Rarity tucked them in with her magic while Applejack stripped the stained bedding from Scootaloo's bed, giving each of them a kiss goodnight. Applejack and even Pinkie Pie followed suit.
"Good night, darlings." Rarity whispered. "I hope only sweet dreams follow you."
"Thanks Rarity." Scootaloo said. The adults left the room and closed the door. Both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were asleep almost as soon as their heads hit their pillows. Scootaloo took a moment to look out the window. In the distance, she could just make out Rainbow's cloud house in the pale light of Luna's moon. The unending Rainbow falls cascading off the base seemingly glowed in the moonlight. She smiled.
"Good night, Rainbow Dash." She said to herself, before closing her eyes and allowing the sweet embrace of sleep to take her.
***
Scootaloo awoke the next morning to the scent of breakfast cooking downstairs in Rarity's kitchen. She opened her eyes to see that both Sweetie and Apple Bloom were gone. They must have woken up before her and went downstairs for breakfast. She took a look at the clock on the nightstand. It read 10:45 AM. She must have slept really hard for it to be so late in the morning. Rarity must have gotten the others up quietly so she could get some extra sleep. She would have to thank her for that when she got downstairs. She slowly raised herself out of bed and stretched.
"I was wondering when you were gonna wake up." A familiar voice sounded. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleeping Beauty." Her eyes went wide.
"Rainbow Dash?" She exclaimed. Sure enough, the cyan pegasus was sitting on her haunches near the foot of the bed. Her mane was a bit messy, as though she had just woken up herself. Despite the bed-headed, just-woke-up look, her eyes were bright and full of energy like they seemingly always were. She had one forehoof hooked around a mug of what Scootaloo guessed was coffee, which she took a swig from.
"You were expecting the Wonderbolts?" Rainbow Dash joked. Scootaloo snickered a bit before sitting upright in bed.
"Uh, what brings you over here?" She asked. Rainbow polished off the rest of her coffee before walking over to side of the bed.
"Well, I was dead to the world until about nine this morning, when who should call but Rarity." She explained. "She tells me that you had a rough time last night and thought I should stop over to see how you were doing. No way the most awesome friend in the history of Equestria is going to say no to that." She ruffled the filly's mane affectionately. "So, how are you doing?"
"Good, now that I got a decent night's sleep." She answered. Then she suddenly felt self-conscious. "Uh, did Rarity tell you what happened?" She asked, suddenly nervous.
"Just that you had some kind of gnarly nightmare that scared the feathers out of you, and it apparently involved me." She said. "Naturally that piqued my curiosity, so I hung out here until you woke up. So, do you wanna talk to me about it?" Scootaloo gulped a bit. She feared how Rainbow Dash would react when she got the full story, but she didn't feel right keeping it secret either. So, she took a deep breath and told Rainbow the whole story. To her surprise, Rainbow only looked at her with a sympathetic gaze.
"So that's what happened." She said, wrapping up the story with how Rarity and the others came in and comforted her.
"Wow, that is gnarly." Rainbow remarked. Scootaloo sighed.
"I was afraid that you'd be mad at me, or not like me anymore." She explained. Rainbow shook her head.
"Over a dream?" She asked. "Hay no! A dream is just that, and it's gonna take more than a dream to change the way I look at you, kiddo." Scootaloo smiled.
"Yeah, Rarity told me that much." She said. Rainbow got a mischievous grin on her face.
"And besides, can you really see me acting like that?" She asked. "Hi, I'm Rainbow Dash. I make rainbows out of your children." She then blinked and started rolling her eyes in a crazy manner, while building up a classic over-the-top "psychotic villain" cackle. She even made her eye twitch like the goofy characters in cartoons often did. Scootaloo was confused at first, but then it occurred to her what Rainbow was trying to do.
It started as snicker, then it became a giggle. Finally, she burst out into full on belly laughter at the utterly ridiculous display Rainbow Dash was putting on. The very thought of Dash acting like she did in her dream now just seemed silly. She felt herself being lifted up by Rainbow, still in "crazy cartoon psychopath" mode.
"It's rainbow time!" She said in the most over-the-top crazy voice she could muster. Scootaloo gasped in mock horror.
"Oh no! Have mercy on me!" She said in the most goofy manner possible. Rainbow Dash plopped her down on a pillow, making grinding noises until both of them were in stitches. They just rolled around laughing until finally they had to stop due to the pain in their sides.
"You're right." Scootaloo said in between leftover giggles. "It is pretty silly, isn't it?" Rainbow wiped some tears from her eyes before continuing.
"But seriously, I'd sooner chew my own wings off and eat them then do anything to hurt you, squirt." She said. "And that's a promise." She smiled at Scootaloo. Scootaloo smiled back, and then leapt forward and hugged her.
"I know." Scootaoo replied. Rainbow Dash hugged her little friend close.
"And if anyone got the idea to try and hurt you, they'd have to get through me." She said with a determined grin. She let go of Scootaloo and then began making boxing gestures in the air. "Come at me, jerks! I dare ya!" Scootaloo giggled at this, and embraced her friend again.
"Thanks, Rainbow Dash." She said. "You're the most awesome friend I could ever hope for." Rainbow Dash smiled at the compliment.
"Aww, you're pretty awesome yourself kiddo." She replied, hugging her back. "Now, whaddya say we get some breakfast. Rarity's making blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes, and Pinkie Pie brought over some strawberry muffins. Better eat those before Derpy finds out." She joked. They shared another chuckle before Scootaloo climbed out of bed and trotted downstairs with Rainbow, her spirits buoyed.
For a night that had started so horribly, this was the perfect way to end the story.