Author's Note
This story is based in my head canon, where Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy have no known family, and all live alone in their own respective houses.
A Rainbow in Winter
Rainbow Dash walked through the streets of Ponyville, slowly making her way to a small house on the edge of the main town. The sun was just starting to set, the sky hinting the time with a light layer of colors that could only be found at the rising and setting of each day. As she approached the door, she heard a sneeze from an open window on the second story. She felt a frown tug at her lips. She pushed the door open and set her saddle bags on the counter in the kitchen before walking upstairs. She stopped before the door at the far end of the hall, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open, walking inside with a small smile. To her right was a wooden bed frame, two pillows that were curiously unoccupied, and a purple and yellow checkered blanket. She saw a little tuft of magenta sticking out from under a blanket.
"Hey squirt."
The little filly beneath pulled the blanket down, looking at her visitor. Her mane looked unbrushed, her eyes had bags under them, her ears were drooping and she was laying underneath a thick quilt in the middle of a hot summer's day. But as soon as she saw her hero, she perked up instantly.
"Hi Rainbow Dash! Wh-what are you doing here?"
Rainbow looked around the room. The wall above her head was covered in photos of Scootaloo with her friends, with Rainbow Dash, a paper cutout of Rainbow's cutie mark, and even two photos of Princess Luna. She had a bedside dresser on her left hoof side, with a lamp and a box of tissues. On her right side was a larger dresser covered with various pictures and drawings, as well as a few toys and comic books, and a wall mounted bookshelf above the dresser, with school books, story books and more comic books.
Rainbow Dash walked over to the dresser, "A certain two fillies mentioned their friend was sick today. Since I was done with work, I thought I might go check on this friend and see if she needed cheering up." She said innocently.
Scootaloo looked as though she wanted to jump up and down on the bed. "Really?"
Rainbow pulled one of the comics on the dresser closer. Then held it up to Scootaloo. "The Immortal Steel Hoof?" She asked, a questioning smirk almost forming on her face.
Scootaloo shrugged, a small smile forming.
Rainbow smiled, "So, I brought some of my favorite Daring Do books, and a lot of jars of soup from Fluttershy's. She said it will help you get over your flu in no time flat. And some tea from Twilight. She said it's good for your throat and will clear your sinuses." Rainbow said as she sat on the end of the bed.
"So what do ya say squirt? You up to spending a whole evening with yours truly?"
Scootaloo's eyes got so wide, Rainbow thought they might pop out.
"Absolutely! Ye-!" Scootaloo broke down coughing.
Rainbow waited, poised to help out should she not be able to stop.
She was able to stop, and once she finished coughing, Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow, tears in her eyes. "Maybe I shouldn't shout." she said with a small smile.
Rainbow chuckled, "Alright squirt. Let me warm up some of that soup for you. Did you want the tea?"
Scootaloo shook her head, still smiling, though a little wider than before. "No thanks."
Rainbow shrugged, "Alright then. I'll be right back." Rainbow walked out of the room and and straight down to the kitchen.
Scootaloo meanwhile, tried making herself look a little better. She didn't want to look so weak in front of Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow pulled the jars of soup out of her saddlebags and looked in the various cabinets until she found a good sized pot. Once the soup was warming up, she went back upstairs to check on Scootaloo, bringing with her the Daring Do books she had brought over. She paused, wondering if she should bring her surprise up too, but decided to wait until later. She knocked on the door, just in case.
"Come in!" Scootaloo called, loud enough to be heard but soft enough that she wouldn't over strain her throat again.
Rainbow entered, and noticed Scootaloo wearing a green pajama top, with little lightning bolt patterns all over it. She couldn't see it before, due to Scootaloo being covered in the quilt. But now she was sitting up and smiling expectantly.
"The soup is warming up. Do you have a tray or something I can bring it up on?" Rainbow asked.
Scootaloo nodded, "There's a bed tray in the cabinet beside the sink."
Rainbow nodded, placing her Daring Do books on the bedside dresser. She turned to Scootaloo, "Did you want something to read while you wait for the soup? It might take a while."
Scootaloo pondered the question for nearly a whole minute before answering, "Sure."
Rainbow cocked an eyebrow, "Is there anything specific you wanted to read?" she asked.
Scootaloo shook her head, "No. I've already read them all. A lot."
Rainbow nodded, "I can understand that. Here you go then," she said, grabbing three random comics off the shelf and handing them to Scootaloo.
It was the Uncanny X-Ponies, Atom Hoof and The Incredible Bulk. Scootaloo picked up the X-Ponies and flipped it open to the first page.
"I'll be up with some of the soup soon." Rainbow said, walking towards the door.
Scootaloo looked up, "Ok. I don't mind waiting."
Rainbow nodded, and went back downstairs. She stood by the stove, constantly stirring the soup as it warmed up. Almost twenty minutes later, when it was getting dark enough to turn on the lights, Rainbow deemed the soup warm enough, and turned the stove off. Then remembered she forgot to ask Scootaloo where the bowls were. She browsed the cabinets once again, finding the bowls on the third try. She grabbed the bed tray and set it on the table. She poured a small amount of soup in the bowl, not sure how much Scootaloo would be able to stomach since she was sick. She had never really dealt with a sick little filly before. She put the bowl of soup, and a spoon that she had felt lucky finding before hoof, and headed back upstairs. She was glad she had left the door cracked, this would have been a lot harder otherwise. She pushed the door open with her flank and walked backwards into the room.
She noticed Scootaloo had turned on the bedside lamp. It cast a warm glow on her room. "Her ya gah." She said, the bed tray in her mouth deforming her words.
Scootaloo pushed herself up against the pillows as Rainbow put the tray in front of her. Rainbow stood up, proud of herself for being able to take care of Scootaloo so sufficiently. Scootaloo sniffed at the soup, before taking a tentative bite. She seemed to mix it around her mouth, before swallowing.
"Is it any good?" Rainbow asked, afraid she may have ruined it in someway.
Scootaloo smiled widely, then nodded fervently. Though she didn't say anything, as she started to devour the soup as if she hadn't eaten all day. Which, wasn't impossible if she had been stuck in her bed all day. She finished the bowl in under two minutes, and then held it out to Rainbow, "Is there any more?"
Rainbow nearly laughed, and tried to hold it back, just as it slipped out. So it came out sounding like she was choking on something.
Scootaloo looked at Rainbow Dash in confusion, "Are you all right Rainbow Dash?"
Rainbow blushed slightly, but recovered smoothly. "Uh, yup. I'll go get you more soup.
She picked up the tray when Scootaloo asked, "Do you mind bringing up some juice?"
Rainbow smiled, and nodded. She just left the door open.
She quickly filled the bowl with another helping of soup, this one a little bigger, and found some room temperature juice under her table. She went over to her saddle bags and pulled out her Daring Do outfit that she had brought along. She struggled a little with the buttons, but got it on in the end. She moved around a little, testing the fit. It was a little tight, but hardly noticeable. She stretched her wings, and found that the shirt had been bunched up around her wings. It was now less snug on her, and rather comfortable. She put on the hat and went to get the juice. She poured it into a tall clear glass and set it, and the bowl of soup onto the tray and went back upstairs.
Scootaloo gasped and laughed when she saw Rainbow dressed up like Daring Do.
Rainbow set the tray down and picked up Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone. "What do you say I read to you while you eat?"
Scootaloo nodded, fast enough that she got dizzy and had to hold her head still for a few seconds when she finished nodding.
Rainbow Dash almost laughed again, but bit her tongue.
Scootaloo sneezed, and Rainbow moved the tissue box over to Scootaloo.
"Thanks." Scootaloo said as she took the box from Rainbow and set it beside her, pulling a tissue out and wiping her nose.
Rainbow grabbed a stool from the other side of the room and brought it over to Scootaloo's bed, on the side of the lamp so she had enough light to read by. While she was up, she closed the window more, not wanting it wide open. She walked back over to the bed, settled back into her chair and started reading. Once she got going, she became fully immersed in the story. All else ceased to exist.
Scootaloo found herself in an ecstatic trance, listening to Rainbow read. So enchanted was she, that she hadn't touched her soup or juice. Out of the window could be heard Rainbow Dash's voice and Scootaloo's gasps and other sounds of wonderment. They continued on like that until the story was done.
Once the story was over, Rainbow closed the book with a snap, bringing both ponies back to reality. Then Rainbow noticed that Scootaloo had neglected her meal. "Aren't you going to eat, squirt?"
Scootaloo looked down at the food in surprise, as though she had not known it was there before. "Oops, I guess I got so caught up in your reading, I had completely forgotten about it."
She took a small spoon full, before diving in. "It's still good." She said, in between bites.
Rainbow Dash lost it. She started laughing and shaking her head. Scootaloo was too focused on the food to care right now. She was hungry. Once she had finished the juice and the soup, she felt full, and a little tired. Rainbow could see her eyes start to droop.
"Well, I guess I'll let you sleep." She said as she stood and started taking the comics off the bed.
Scootaloo grabbed her arm, "Wait!"
Rainbow paused and looked at Scootaloo.
Scootaloo removed her arm and looked away, blushing.
"Um, w-would you mind staying here tonight? And reading me another story? I have a guest bedroom you can stay in, in case you don't feel like flying home after."
Rainbow mulled it over in her head. She didn't really have anything to do tomorrow. So she nodded, "Alright. I don't see anything wrong with another story."
She sat back in her chair and started reading Daring Do and the Griffin's Goblet. She continued to read until Scootaloo fell asleep. She took the tray off the bed, put the comic books on the dresser, and moved her tissue box to her bedside, before gently moving Scootaloo down in her bed, adjusting her pillows and blanket. She paused, looking down at her, before gently running her hoof though the magenta mane. Scootaloo shuffled a little in her sleep, and smiled. Rainbow Dash felt her heart melt into a puddle of mushy goo. She put her Daring Do books on the tray, turned off the light and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. It had been a good day. She put the dishes into the sink downstairs and left the tray and books on the table. She stripped out of her costume, and went to Scootaloo's guest bedroom. She wasn't up for the flight back home. She flopped onto the bed and promptly fell into a deep sleep, with pleasant dreams of her evening.
