Orange is an Annoying Color
"You promise to take good care of him?" Rainbow Dash faced her 'little sister' Scootaloo, intense look on her face as she peered through her Wonderbolt training goggles.
"Mm-hm! I'll make sure that he's the most pampered turtle in Equestria!" Scoots replied with enthusiasm, excited to be doing such a big favor for her big sis. Tank rolled his eyes-- the foal's voice was annoying.
The two of them were standing underneath Rainbow's cloud palace, seeing her off as she went to yet another week of Wonderbolt Training. Dash was prepared to take off and join the Ponyville recruits as soon as they came in to view. After finding out about Spike's abandonment of Tank-- courtesy of the Cutie Mark Crusaders-- Rainbow decided it would be best to leave Tank to Scootaloo while she was away.
"I'll hold you to it, Scoots. He's special, okay?" Tank, having experienced the CMC before, sighed, assuming that-- without a doubt-- Scootaloo's brain would interpret the term of affection as something else entirely. Reluctantly, he lifted off the ground to initiate their good-bye routine-- Dash met his nose with hers unabashedly, face cheerful as she affirmed her love for her pet.
Dash couldn't say that she wasn't worried-- Scootaloo and co. had a growing record for mishap and tree sap-- but Tank simply couldn't be entrusted to anyone else at the moment, besides the fact that Scoots was so eager to please. "Make sure you polish his shell every other day, and clean his toes before bath time on Friday, or you won't get everything, and don't give him lettuce that's two days old-"
"YEAAH!" The unmistakable cry of Snowflake echoed across the sky, snatching the three's attention. Rainbow sighed.
"I'll be back in a week or so, squirt, so keep yourself and Tank out of trouble, alright?"
"You can count on me, Rainbow Dash!" Scoots and Tank watched her soar into the sky, joining other pegasi in their journey to camp. When he couldn't see her on the horizon anymore, Tank sighed again, not looking forward the next week at all. Scootaloo picked him up and placed him the wagon attached to her scooter-- a wagon currently filled with all the necessary equipment for the tortoise's care and comfort. Tank looked at her, indignant. Not recognizing the facial expression for what it was, Scoots beamed.
"Looks like it's just you and me, Tank! We're gonna have the best time together!" She hopped on her scooter, smacked her helmet on her noggin, and buzzed away towards Ponyville, excited. "Maybe I'll get my cutie mark in turtle sitting!"
I'm a tortoise
"I'm sure Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle won't mind if I get one while we're not crusading-- Apple Bloom got grounded for messing around with the farm equipment, and Sweetie has to--aah!" Scootaloo was jolted off her ride and onto the grassy ground. Tank's weight kept him firmly in the wagon, and he smiled as he witnessed Scootaloo's eyes roll around for a second or two. "Ow-- Hey, what's this?"
Her question brought Tank's eyes to a shiny item underneath the pegasus' scooter, and as she picked it up, it elicted a gasp from both of them. Well, a gasp from Scoots and a breathy gape from Tank. Scootaloo obeyed Rainbow's advice to be patient with him, and waited 'till the tortoise was done to exclaim:
"Rainbow's Lead Pony Badge!" It gleamed in the afternoon sunlight as Scoots held it up.
She needs that!
"Doesn't she need this?!"
That's what I said. It must've dropped out of her saddle bags when she flew off.
"It must've dropped out her bag when she was flying!"
That's what I said. We need to get it back to her.
"We gotta get this back to her. But how are we going to get there?" Scootaloo plopped down and thought for a bit, trying to come up with a plan. When a suitable one didn't come, she promptly decided that this was the wrong spot for thinking up good plans. Determined, she hopped back upon her scooter and changed course towards Sweet Apple Acres. "Don't worry Tank, I know a place were we can think of somethin' to get this back to Rainbow!" Her high pitched exclaimations carried over the wind of the ride and molested Tank's eardrums.
It was then and there that Tank decided that orange had got to be the most annoying color on the face of the earth.
Author's Note
Well, I know that originally I wanted to do another story of a different nature, as evidenced on my blog, but this thought of Scoots and Tank teaming up to help the one awesome pony they loved with all their hearts popped into my mind, I couldn't resist. The other stories that I'm planning to do require a first draft on paper, so I took the opportunity to use this fic as practice with typing a good fluffy story on the computer, straight. (For evidence on how horrible I am at this, take a look at the fic I contributed to the Discord/Celestia group collaboration....)
Now as for why Tank is mildly to severely annoyed with Scootaloo (who is one of my top ten ponies by the way) is an idk..... it just sort of popped up while I was writing. But I think it fits him.
This was originally going to be a very long one shot, but it turned into a multi-parter, so enjoy and come back sometime later!
Tank grunted as the dirt path to Sweet Apple Acres jolted his body, results of Scootaloo going a bit too fast to be safe. As the filly took a sharp turn into the orchard where the clubhouse lay, the momentum sent him careening out of the wagon. Acting fast, Tank caught some elevation, his enchanted harness put-put-putting towards the direction the little girl sped off too.
Why. He complained as he went along. Why Scootaloo? Why a filly? Why not Fluttershy? At least she's nice and quiet. Or Twilight-- I wouldn't mind getting to chat with Owowlicious again. Fillies are dangerous. The tortoise's head hung low as he slowly avoided a tree, remembering what caused Scootaloo distress in the first place. How am I to get Rainbow's Badge back to her if I have to stay with a flightless filly?
***
Meanwhile, Scoots pulled up the Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse, relishing the ride taken to get to her destination. "I bet Rainbow Dash gives you faster rides than that, huh Tank?" Waiting for a reply, Scootaloo realized that the silence behind her was the wrong silence for a turtle. Whipping her head about, she yelled when she saw that Tank was indeed not in her wagon.
"Tank? Tank!!" Prancing nervously, Scootaloo proceeded to give herself whiplash as she looked around her. "Tank!!! This is terrible! What will Dash think if I lost her turtle? I made promise!" Boosting herself frantically, she searched the area. "Tank!? Tank where are you?!"
It was a good thing that she was still wearing a helmet when she got an answer. Careening back and forth after clipping a tree, Tank collided with Scootaloo and sent them both to the ground. Blinking, Scootaloo cracked a grin.
"Geez, Tank, you scared me. I'm sure Rainbow would be worried sick if she knew that you were lost." She grabbed him with her forelegs before he could take off again. "You shouldn't do that. I was worried sick." Placing him on the ground, she grabbed his necessities out of her wagon and cantered up into the Clubhouse. Reluctantly, Tank followed her. Why?
Because she had his food.
***
Tank munched on his juicy lettuce leaves, bought by Rainbow earlier that morning, as Scootaloo preformed the strange ritual of pacing underneath a hanging lamp. The Lead Pony Badge lay safely out of the way, beside him, gleaming like nothing was wrong. Tank forced himself to eat more lettuce than he usually did-- he had to fuel up in order to find the Wonderbolt camp, and he had to leave soon. Otherwise, he might not get the chance.
The annoying orange filly seemed to be entranced by her pacing ritual to the point of obliviousness. He could snatch the Badge, go, and perhaps get back before she organized a neighborhood search. The hard part would be getting Rainbow her badge, yet not being seen. As grating as Scootaloo was, Tank didn't think that her natural annoyingness granted her getting in trouble with Rainbow Dash for something he did.
Finally at his limit, the tortoise gripped the Badge in his beak and willed himself to go sputtering towards the window. He was almost made it out into the open air when, suddenly Scoots shouted in elation.
"That's it, Tank! We have to rent a hot air balloon!" She flapped excitedly, jumping up and gently knocking the lantern above her head. The light blazed to life, as if on cue. "This spot is awesome for thinking up ideas!"
Drat.
Author's Note
Turtle. Turtle. Turtle.
.....It's a tortoise.
P.S. I forgot to mention: constructive criticism would be highly appreciated!