Equestria No More - Part I
"Rainbow! Where are you?!" Scootaloo yelled, tears flowing down her face. She looked around, hoping to see her friend. "Rainbow Dash, if this is a joke, it's not funny!" The filly cried. "R-RAINBOW DASH!" She screamed.
Scootaloo's eyes flew open. 'Thank Celestia... It was just a dream...' She sighed. She turned her head and saw Rainbow Dash asleep on the bed across the room.
The young pony thought about what had happened in the past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago, Rainbow Dash had been flight training with Scootaloo. The two of them were having so much fun. If Scootaloo made a mistake, she and Rainbow would laugh it off. Just as Rainbow was about to demonstrate a Sonic Rainboom, a deafening sound could be heard everywhere in Equestria. As the debris, chunks of earth, and a powerful force sped towards them, as well as everypony else, Rainbow Dash grabbed her trainee and flew at full speed deep into a nearby cave, praying they wouldn't be trapped or crushed by falling rocks. Fortunately, they were able to safely leave the cave.
What the two Pegasi saw was horrible. Ponyville, once a beautiful and happy place, was gone. Sugarcube Corner, Carousel Boutique, Sweet Apple Acres, the school, and every other building that once held cheery ponies were completely destroyed. The bodies of many dead ponies were scattered all over the ground, some killed by the explosion, others by fallen debris.
There was only thing that could possibly make anypony smile after what had just occurred: finding your best friends. The ponies were so happy to see each other alive. Sadly, each of them had to go their seperate ways. Pinkie Pie had to go see if her parents and sisters weren't killed by the blast, Applejack had to go check other towns for her relatives. Twilight Sparkle and Spike were heading towards Canterlot. Rarity and Sweetie Belle had to locate their parents, who were on vaction in Manehattan. Fluttershy had to tend to injured animals, and say a few words to the deceased ones. A Pegasus returning from Cloudsdale had told them that there weren't many survivors in the floating city. Grief-stricken, but searching for hope deep within, Rainbow Dash was determined to find as many survivors as she possibly could all over Equestria. Together, everypony could try to rebuild their beloved land. Feeling bad for the filly, Rainbow asked Scootaloo to join her. Happily, she said yes.
She thought about how quickly and intensely their lives changed. One day they were laughing and having a great time in Ponyville, and are sleeping in the remains of an underground shelter in the Ruins east of their previously beloved town.
Scootaloo's thoughts were halted when she heard the sound of Rainbow Dash's voice.
"Did you sleep well?" Rainbow Dash said, sitting up and letting out a big yawn.
"Yeah." Scootaloo finally sat up and stretched her wings.
"Good. We're going to need energy for the trip to Fillydelphia." The cyan mare got out of bed and walked over to the old table near her bed. Rainbow took a couple of canned fruits out of her bag. Using a can opener with her mouth, she got the two cans open in about a minute, savoring the bit of juice that squeezed out from the top. "Eat up, Scoots." Rainbow Dash had already begun eating her can of fruit. Scootaloo thanked her and quickly began eating.
As she enjoyed the juicy fruit, Scootaloo wondered what they would eat after they ran out of the food supplies they had found in fallen shops in Ponyville and in a box in the underground shelter they were currently inhabiting. What if they couldn't find any other food? What if they couldn't find another shelter, or at least a safe cave? The worry the filly was feeling must have been obvious, because Rainbow Dash said, "We're gonna do great. We're going to find other survivors and rebuild Equestria. We can face any challenge ahead of us!"
I hope you're right... Scootaloo thought. Don't be so negative, Scootaloo. Positivity got you this far, and it'll get you even farther. You and Rainbow are gonna find everypony else and rebuild Equestria. Yeah! C'mon, Scoots, be happy! She told herself.
Rainbow Dash grabbed her bag and asked Scootaloo to get hers. "C'mon, let's go. Got everything?" She stood at the door of the shelter, looking at her young friend. Grabbing her bag and checking to make sure they didn't forget anything, Scootaloo headed out the door with her mentor.
"How long do you think it might take to get from Fillydelphia from here?" Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow Dash.
"If we still had a train station, we would've been there by now, but the train station was demolished by the explosion. Walking might take over a day or two, but flying might be a few hours less than that. Do you want to walk or fly? I'm fine with either."
"I guess we could fly. The sooner we restore our home, the better." Scootaloo said.
"How much longer? We've been flying for hours." Scootaloo said, trying not to whine.
"It shouldn't be too long," Rainbow Dash said. "Maybe another hour or two if we keep going at this rate."
Before Scootaloo could let out a sigh of relief, she heard a loud, piercing cry. "What was that?" Rainbow looked around in the direction of the cry.
"O-over there!" Scootaloo yelled and pointed her hoof at an enormous crab-like creature.
"Try to fly away from it." Rainbow Dash told her companion and slowly ascended. Scootaloo obeyed and flew up and forward. The creature snapped it's car-sized claws at the ponies. After trying several times to catch the pegasi with it's claws, it gave up. They flew out of its reach and it sped away, claws snapping in frustration.
"That was close." Scootaloo said.
"Too close." Rainbow Dash sighed.
"I hope we don't come across anymore of--" Scootaloo was stopped by her older friend. "Shh... I hear something..." She said quietly.
"St-stampede!" Scootaloo screamed.
"What are these things?!" Scootaloo yelled, dodging the gigantic claws snapping beneath her small flying body.
"Griffeclaws. I've heard of them before, but no one has ever seen one. Well, not until now." Rainbow Dash said, flying closer to Scootaloo. The largest creature, assumed to be the leader of the mob, snapped it's monstrous claw just a few feet away from Scootaloo's wing. Taking advantage of the filly's caution, a Griffeclaw behind Scootaloo snapped extremely close to her belly.
"They're acting like this is a game! They're trying to get rid of our energy so we descend lower and lower until they can reach us!" Rainbow yelled.
"I see a canyon up ahead! Should we fly over it? These things don't look like they could make it!" Scootaloo observed.
"Good idea! Come on!" Rainbow Dash sped up a bit more.
"Just a little more!" Scootaloo thought and smiled. "We're gonna make it!" The filly yelled.
"Keep going, we're almost there, Scoots!" Rainbow replied.
Scootaloo looked down at the enormous creatures below her. "Bye bye, you stupid Griffeclaws! Good luck finding your next--" She was cut off by a scream. The filly looked over to her companion, but she was gone. "R-RAINBOW DASH?!" Scootaloo looked around below her trying to find her friend. "There!" She descended closer to the Griffeclaws and swiftly avoided the snapping claws around her. Breathing heavily, Scootaloo dived and grabbed Rainbow Dash's unconscious body.
Scootaloo carried Rainbow's heavy body over the canyon. "C-come on, R-Rainbow! W-we made it! Just h-hold on..." She cried.
Rainbow Dash woke up with an unbearable stinging pain in her right wing. "W-what happened?" She fought back tears and looked at her bandaged wing and then at the small shelter Scootaloo had found past the canyon.
"One of the Griffeclaws got you..But you should be fine! I dug some disinfectant spray and bandages out of my pack. You will get b-better in no time!" Scootaloo forced a slight smile.
"Of c-course I'll get better! I am the b-best flyer in Equestria... At least I used to be, before the... yeah." Rainbow sighed.
"Need anything?" Scootaloo walked over to a small cupboard. "There's food and medicine. And look at this!" She held up a small knife. "It isn't much, but at least it's something!" The filly smiled and made stabbing motions at the air.
Rainbow smiled at the filly's enthusiasm. "Maybe we'll find more soon."
"We aren't going anywhere until your wing heals at least a little." Scootaloo said, her enthusiasm subsiding.
"Then it looks like we're going to be here a while." The cyan mare sighed.
Rainbow Dash awoke with a start, a loud clattering noise interupting her well-needed slumber.
"Sorry Rainbow!" Scootloo sat on the small bed on the other side of the small shelter, fiddling with discarded pieces of wood.
"What are you doing, Scootaloo?" Rainbow tilted her head to see what the filly was doing.
"N-nothing! I didn't mean to wake you up." She said, putting the smaller pieces of wood in her pack.
"It's alright.. Just be quiet. I need some rest. You should sleep too, Scoots. It's getting late." The mare yawned.
"I will in a sec. G'night, Dash." Scootaloo said.
"Good night, Scoots." Rainbow turned off her lantern and covered up with a tattered blanket.
Scootaloo hid under her equally as tattered blanket with her lantern, a piece of wood, and her small knife. "That was close.." She sighed. "This is supposed to be a surprise." She thought. "I can probably finish this tonight.." The orange filly whispered and carefully carved the wood by the light of her lantern.
Scootaloo yawned and adjusted her eyes to the bright light of a new day.
"Sleep well? I know I did." Rainbow stretched, careful not to stretch her right wing too much.
"Um.. yeah." The young mare thought about her long night of carving, only finishing with enough time for two hours of rest.
Rainbow grabbed an apple from the small cupboard and took a bite. "Boy am I glad we found this. I've been craving apples for a while..." She suddenly thought of Apple Jack and remembered the situation everypony was in. "I w-wonder how everyone's doing.. I bet they're alright, We've saved Equestria several times before, how can this be too different?"
The thought of the Cute Mark Crusaders took over Scootaloo's mind. She wondered if Sweetie Bell or Apple Bloom had found their special talent, even in the chaos everypony faced. She wondered if she would ever get her own cutie mark. She wondered if she would ever see her best friends again.
"You okay, Scootaloo?" Rainbow looked at her companion, concerned.
"Oh.. yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking about Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom..." The purple-maned pony sighed.
"We'll find our friends after we check the other towns for survivors. Alright?" Dash put her hoove around Scootaloo and smiled. The filly returned the smile and nodded.
"Oh! I made you this.." Scootaloo handed Rainbow a little wooden carving of the older pony's cutie mark. The mare grinned. "This is awesome, Scoots. Thanks." She said.
"Think we should go on?" Rainbow asked her companion. "I don't know. Your wing hasn't healed yet." Scootaloo frowned.
"I don't um.. have to fly.." Rainbow sighed. She disliked having to rest her wings.
"Then I guess we'll head out later." Scootaloo began to pack her few belongings, putting her knife in the side pocket of her pack.
Author's Note
Thank you for reading! This is my first MLP story, and I would appreciate comments and suggestions for the story. I originally wrote this on Wattpad, but thought that people on here might like this, too.
