Uniting a Nation

The darkness was absolute. There was no light. There was no sound. There wasn’t even the cushion beneath her hooves. There was no world at all, and Scootaloo was alone, utterly alone.

And in the darkness, something moved.

“Rainbow!” she shouted, reaching out for the pegasus who’d been standing a few steps away, but if her hooves or her buzzing wings were moving her forwards, there was no sign of it, and her outstretched limbs found nothing to touch. “Please, don’t leave me! Don’t leave me alone!”

Rainbow Dash didn’t answer, but something or somepony did.

There was still no light, no sound, no sense of touch, but Scootaloo could feel a warmth bubbling up from inside her, and grabbed hold of it, somehow, and wrapped it around herself, snuggling into its embrace. She didn’t know how she could tell, but she could feel that this part of it was Sweetie Belle, and that part was Dinky, and between the two of them there was enough to build a barrier against the darkness.

With them beside her, the darkness didn’t seem so threatening. Her racing heart quieted, and her gasping breath slowed. She closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.