It was really hard to believe how much I missed them. I had only been apart from the other crusaders for a week now but it felt like months. Rainbow Dash allowed me to play in my room and she played a few games with me herself, but she didn’t let up on her punishment.
I understood what she was doing, really I did, it just sucked. About a week back I got upset and told Sweetie I wished something awful would happen to her and then told her she couldn’t help me when I was upset. That was really mean. Didn’t help that about two minutes after I said that, a cruel irony struck. Rarity was seriously injured when the sign on the front of her shop fell on her. Thank Celestia the doctors said she would recover, but couple what happened with what I said and I was in DEEP trouble. Sweetie even let me know that I was lucky she still considered me a friend at all after that.
Hence now I was grounded from the CMC for two weeks.
I stood in my room bored out of my mind and missing my friends. I tried to grab a book to read, but instead of taking one of the Daring Do stories Rainbow Dash put in my room, saying she was trying to get me into good literature, my hoof fell on a crayon drawing covered notebook with the title “Scootoloo: The Braviest Filly Alive!”.
It was Lightning Strike’s bazaar attempt at writing a story. Lightning and her brother Dusk were the newest members of the CMC and both looked up to me something like how I looked up to Rainbow Dash. The story was chalk full of misspellings, grammar that even I could tell was terrible… even I thought it was cute. And weird really. Lightning Strike could fly and even command electricity almost as well if not better than any unicorn alive, though how on that electricity was a mystery. Why would she look up to me, a flightless ordinary pegasus? We were the same age. I guess her brother looking up to me I understood, he was only six, no powers and an earth pony, but Lightning… I couldn’t figure it out.
I opened the book again to try reading it. I only kept the freaking thing because I didn’t want Lightning to think I didn’t appreciate her birthday present to me.
The story started out pretty good. It stared me and Apple Bloom… well a very girly Apple Bloom so she was in name only. In the story I protected Apple Bloom from an angry minotaur. I fended him off with a large stick and a hard kick to the face.
That part was fun to read. But then came the second chapter. Apple Bloom was being attacked again (yea, I decided letting Apple Bloom read this would not be a good idea) but this time by a gray stallion with huge creepy blue teeth. I fought him bravely in the story and even somehow managed to cut off his head, which was really cool! But that villain somehow didn’t die. The head of the stallion somehow bit me.
Rainbow Dash (in the story known as Rebel Rainbow) stepped in and saved me from the decapitated head but I was seriously injured, Apple Bloom having to swear to protect me for a while now.
Decent twist for an ending I suppose, but that image of the decapitated head biting me sent chills down my spine. She even had a crayon drawing of the event. I would normally have thought it looked cool, but just something about the glowing blue eyes and teeth of that creature, how it just wouldn’t die… I slammed the book shut.
Still, I had an idea. I picked up some paper and crayons. For the next hour or so I spent time trying to make a nice apology card for Sweetie and a get well soon card for Rarity. A couple of them were crap, but eventually I made two good cards. I had visited Rarity in the hospital several times that week already and met Sweetie there. I couldn’t play with her, but Rainbow said we could talk. Sweet Celestia that sucked. Talking wasn’t enough to sufficiently cheer up poor Sweetie Belle.
Often I would rebel against such things like punishments, but I really didn’t want to get on Rainbow Dash’s bad side. Plus, well… I don’t know how punishments work from a parent. Rainbow adopted me not too long ago, but the mom I had before really only visited me on weekends. Yea, she was convicted of child neglect and she’s the reason I was so angry last week. Seeing me so rarely, of course Violet Blaze never punished me, I doubt she really even knew what was happening in my life most of the time.
In a few days was a scheduled visit from my dad, complicated story there too. If I did something else really bad, would Rainbow Dash take that away too? I really wanted to see my dad. I had to be on my best behavior!
“Scoots?” came Rainbow’s voice. “The concert is in an hour, how about we get moving?” she asked, coming to my door.
Rainbow Dash was punishing me, but by some lucky fluke she decided to allow me to attend Lightning Strike’s first concert. Something about how I wasn’t so bad and she felt like not letting me go would be punishing Lightning more than me, but whatever, I was just happy to get out of the house and see one of my friends. I held up the two cards I made in my mouth after saying “Can we take these to the hospital later?”
Rainbow Dash looked at me with her mouth slacked open. “Oh my… that is so sweet!” she said. I cocked my head to the side. “You’re adorable… why am I saying that? Adorable things don’t affect me darn it!... I wanna pinch your cheek.”
I blushed. “Um… Rainbow Dash, you’re weirding me out.”
She shook her head. “I really am turning into a mom aren’t I?” I shrugged. “Well whatever,” she crouched down a little. “Hop on, let’s get going. We’ll hit up the hospital after the show.”
I jumped on Rainbow Dash’s back. “Should I give Sweetie the card at the show?”
“Nah. Wait for the hospital, it’ll probably seem less weird that way.” I nodded and tucked my cards into Rainbow Dash’s saddle bags.
(***)
We really didn’t need an hour to just get to the concert… unless you count Rainbow Dash and my love of flying in general. We took the long way. As in, we circled Ponyville twice.
Then… stuff… happened.
After that, we stole forty cakes from Pinkie while her back was turned, which was terrible. Then we tried to return them before she turned back around. She caught Rainbow Dash returning the 23rd cake and then laughed.
“You’re getting faster Dashie,” she commented.
“Is this a prank or…” I asked.
“Um…” Rainbow Dash tried to answer. “It was when I did it the first time, but I almost got Pinkie fired so I returned them real quick. Now we just kinda race to see how many I can take and return before she turns back around.”
“And it’s so not like I’m turning slowly or anything.” Pinkie said.
“Of course not,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Course not.” Rainbow started to fly away. “Eh em!” We kept flying forward rather quickly. Suddenly Pinkie appeared beside us running backwards on her hind legs. “The rest of my cakes?” Rainbow Dash turned so fast I nearly flew off. She shot into a nearby tree. Rainbow Dash looked around a few times. Suddenly Pinkie appeared in the tree next to us. “How long we gonna do this?”
“Um…-“ ZOOM! Rainbow Dash took off and in a few minutes of me barely holding on we were on a mountain. I had to look around to get my bearings for a while. Rainbow Dash was really fast. I think we were a good twenty miles out of town now. Pinkie again appeared beside us. “How do you do that?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“The laws of physics and I have an agreement. They promise not to apply to me and I give them out of this world cup cakes… speaking of cakes.”
“Um…-“ suddenly I was lifted off of Rainbow Dash’s back as she shot away. I stood in the snow looking at Pinkie.
“So um should I…” I started.
“She’ll be back.” Pinkie said quickly.
Rainbow Dash appeared back in front of me, a flurry of snow covering me. Pinkie lifted me out of the snow and hugged me to her chest. “You take the cakes, I take the Scootaloo!”
“Now you listen here you-“ But Rainbow Dash stopped. “You mean I can have seventeen cakes and all I have to do is give you Scoots?”
“Um… this is not how this is supposed to go…” Pinkie said.
“See ya kid!” Rainbow Dash shot away.
Pinkie set me down and just stared in the direction Rainbow Dash took off in. She blinked a few times. “Um… did I just… I JUST BROKE UP A FAMILY!” she shouted, tears shooting out of her eyes.
Suddenly a snowball hit her in the back of the head. “Sheesh you’re gullible. The cakes are just behind a bush anyway. I’ll put them back,” Rainbow Dash said, circling around us. She was holding another snow ball.
Suddenly Pinkie hit Rainbow mid air with a snow ball launched from her tail.
And thus an air to ground snowball fight ensued. Normally I would have immediately joined in, but my brain was still wrapping itself around the fact that we were now snow ball fighting in the middle of spring on a mountain top… because reasons. Eventually almost on instinct I made a snow ball and tried to chuck it at Rainbow Dash. I missed by a mile but the two mares stopped fighting. “Oh you want to join the fun huh?” asked Rainbow Dash. She shot down next to me and then both she and Pinkie grinned evily at me.
In mere seconds I was buried in snow. It took me no time at all to get out but when I did emerge it was only to get tickled by both mares at the same time.
Finally Rainbow Dash snatched me up, me snuggling up to her, more out of a need to get warm, as I’m not really a snuggling pony. “I think somepony needs to get warmed back up. See you at the concert Pinkie.”
Pinkie giggled. “See you there Momma Dash!” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and we took off again.
(***)
Yes we returned the cakes.
(***)
Once Rainbow Dash and I were finally at the concert, I was quite certain myself, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie were the only ones who had had a snow ball fight. We were all dried off by that point, but still… really it was all part of being Rainbow Dash’s daughter. Rainbow Dash and I went to the beach, played in the snow or dove through piles of leaves any time we wanted. After all, Rainbow was the fastest flying pony alive. Seems some part of Equestria is always experiencing a different season and it only takes Rainbow minutes to get there. I wondered if in a few years trips like that wouldn’t even seem worth mentioning anymore.
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Dusk were all at the concert as well, and they wanted me to sit with them, but Rainbow Dash said “no” to this.
I so wanted to disobey, but… well… mom or not this was still Rainbow Dash. She was my hero! I couldn’t just be a brat to her. Besides, again, much as I wanted to sit with my friends during the show, I wanted to see my dad later even more. Thus I just cooperated. I did apologize to Sweetie again, but she forgave me without any issue so that at least was all good.
Lightning Strike’s concert was important to a number of ponies for a number of reasons. For instance, WAAAAAY more than she idolized me, Lightning looked up to one pony above all others, and officially this was HER comeback concert, Lightning just being and kind of feature. That pony was Lightning's mentor, Vinyl Scratch.
Even before the show started I watched my new friend on stage prancing around at blinding speeds and hugging her idol, shouting in happiness. She was bringing me back to my first few flights with Rainbow Dash. Back then Rainbow Dash carried me through the clouds at a pace actually slower than she did these days, however it was the first time. Nothing would EVER eclipse that first moment of her carrying me into the clouds. Back then she was just my adoptive sister, but that was more than enough. After that flight, that whole day I felt like I was walking on air.
The first song was actually pretty good. I think it was a song originally made by a group called Atomic. Course, one thing they didn’t have, Lightning- or an expert DJ I’m sure. However you would have to admit, my pegasus friend added a special touch.
On the first chorus-BOOM! Lightning sent real lightning out from her hooves and over the crowd. That’ll get your hooves off the ground! Vinyl’s music, awesome as usual, of course was up to expectations. I was dancing in no time! The base boomed and the air was electric… literally. Both literally, there was thunder accompanying the base.
I closed my eyes, starting to move with the music, trying to just let it take over. The base dropped and- everything stopped.
The music, the dancing, even the lights of the stage seemed to freeze. I slowly and hesitantly opened my eyes, not really wanting to lose my trance.
Not sitting too far away from me, Sweetie Belle gasped.
I looked up and froze. Above the crowd hovered a stallion with outstretched wings that didn’t flap. His teeth were like those of a shark and he had blue glowing eyes with no irises, just small pupils. Basically, he was a living color version of the creature in Lightning’s story book.
I started to shake, the image of that decapitated head coming back to me. Rainbow Dash pushed me under herself. A gesture I normally would not have liked, however this time I accepted it. I looked over at the other members of the CMC, Twilight standing over them, wings spread out.
I looked up. “Hello Lightning.” Said the creature.
“YOU!” I heard Lightning scream.
From my vantage point, hidden under Rainbow Dash’s belly, the creature completely disappeared. I tried looking around, but I had a hard time seeing over the other ponies. I was also having a hard time knowing what to listen to. Some of the ponies in the crowd started whispering amongst themselves, some of them comforting their children, but others were trying to figure out what was going on.
I heard as Vinyl crashed through her instruments and ran towards Lightning Strike. I finally noticed the creature was now on stage bearing over my friend. Just a look from that creature made Vinyl stumble back. Vinyl’s horn flared as she got ready to fight. Lightning screamed.
I looked at my friend on stage in absolute horror. Her right wing was hanging like it was stuck on her body by a thumb tack, lifeless and crumpled. She whimpered and cried. I grabbed at the first thing in front of me, Rainbow Dash’s leg, fear surging through me. What just happened to my friend? The monster on stage started to talk, something about Lightning belonging to him and doing something to change Equestria. Wait… Lightning belongs to him?!
‘Rainbow Dash… do something! That’s a fellow crusader up there!’ my mind started to scream. ‘He’s hurting her!’
I watched as Fluttershy shot onto the stage and placed herself between my friend and the creature. ‘Fluttershy? Are you serious? He’s gonna eat her alive… Rainbow Dash get up there!’
Twilight left the other members of the CMC, Derpy, Lyra and Bon Bon stepping over them in her place. The commotion continued on stage as I finally found my voice again.
“What are you doing?!” I shouted at Rainbow Dash. “That’s my friend up there, move!” Rainbow Dash looked down at me with a mixture of worry and guilt. Something in her eyes didn’t look right. Like she cared more about me than Lightning, when I wasn’t even the one being hurt. Finally she pushed me off her leg and flew into the air. I ran over to my other friends, never so scared for them in all my life. I quickly grabbed our youngest member, Dusk, and pulled him to me, spreading out my wings. No one was going to hurt another one of my friends.
I watched the stage, wanting to grab Lightning too, but I would have to trust the grownups surrounding her and the monster. Rarity (apparently back from the hospital), Fluttershy, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack and even Pinkie Pie, all started to surround the creature. Threats were exchanged and neither the creature nor the group seemed to be backing down. In the midst of it all, Lightning was stumbling and whimpering over her wing.
Watching his sister’s condition, Dusk started to struggle out of my grasp. “Lightning!” he shouted. Sweetie and Apple Bloom finally joined me, restraining the colt. Normally he was much weaker than just one of us, but today something was giving him strength. Finally somehow Apple Bloom got behind him and received a kick straight to her face that sent her stumbling back.
Personally I was shocked to see actual violence from the little colt, who was normally quieter than even Fluttershy… who herself was the first on stage… maybe I needed to see a pattern here but I didn’t.
My surprise made me loosen my grip, leaving Sweetie Belle as the only pony trying to hold little Dusk. He dragged her forward into the Derpy and crashed her into one of the mare’s legs. All three of us off of him, Dusk ran forward shouting his sister’s name.
I looked back to the stage with fear. Could I really watch as my youngest friend run straight into danger like that? I was about to run after him when I noticed the creature was no longer on stage. Also the poor colt had to fight several other adults on his journey to the stage. Apparently quite a few ponies did not think it right to just let a six year old run into danger.
Sweetie and AB came over to me. “So ah guess your grounding is off for the moment?” asked Apple Bloom.
“You’re even thinking about that right now?!” I demanded.
“Sorry… ma mind is kinda racin’ right now.”
“Yea mine too. Where did that thing go?” I asked.
“Where did it come from?” Apple Bloom asked back.
Sweetied stumbled back. “I got a question. Just what got into Dusk just there? He’s never been mean before. Now he-“
Apple Bloom put a hoof to her mouth. “Stop right there. That one made sense.” She moved her hoof to point at Lightning Strike, staggering and finally falling over on stage, tears streaming out of her eyes. “Imagine we were holding you back and that was Rarity on stage… hang on… how is Rarity here?”
Sweetie looked at us. “Huh? Girls it’s been a week. She’s not completely healed but she can walk around. She went home like two days ago.”
I turned one of my ears. “I just heard Twilight tell all the parents to collect their kids. Listen, Apple Bloom, you get to Apple Jack-“
“Who made you leader?” asked Sweetie.
“You really want to argue right now?” I asked. Sweetie shook her head. “You get up there to your sister. I’ll get to Rainbow Dash. Everyone just keep an eye on Lightning and Dusk. This might not be over.” We split up.
On stage Rainbow Dash told me to leave, but I shouted back up to her, “Um… momma Dash… I’m pretty sure Twi’s orders were for me to stick with my parent,” Rainbow Dash flew back down next to me. I crawled under her, somehow feeling safer behind her forelegs.
Dusk had finally made it to the stage as well. Lightning tried to hug him protectively, but ended up falling over in pain instead. Again I felt a desire to run to her, but still my fear prevailed and I stayed with Rainbow Dash.
My mind started to shout at me. The creature was gone, exactly WHAT was I still afraid of? My friend was an orphan, her adoptive father not even in Ponyville. She was injured, alone and had a brother to watch over and I was cowering like a scared rabbit! I was starting to hate myself, but I just couldn’t move.
Twilight started giving orders to her adult friends. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were to stay with Lightning and her brother. I was relieved to hear AJ and Rarity were staying behind in case the creature came back. I so did not want Rarity actively pursuing that thing in her condition. AJ and Rarity actually started splitting from the group right away, Rarity’s parents joining them in the midst of the disappearing crowd. Pinkie was to search for the creature. Rainbow objected to Pinkie’s assignment, but Twilight shot her down. I was actually glad of that too, I didn’t want Rainbow Dash to leave me. Course I did have a slight fear for what exactly the pink party pony would really do against a monster like what was on stage a few moments ago.
Twilight also tried to tell Vinyl to leave, but Vinyl refused, reminding everyone that actually she was currently Lightning’s legal guardian.
Fluttershy finally gave her assessment of Lightning’s injury. “She’s not in immediate danger, but I think it would be best if we get her to the clinic. Her wing is broken.” Just hearing that sent a chill down my spine, I started tuning Fluttershy out. I looked back at my own right wing, imagining how much that would hurt.
I looked up at Rainbow Dash. Suddenly her expression changed and she started to glare at my injured friend. I had no idea what that was about, maybe some bad thoughts were going through her own head, but still, I tugged at her leg, letting her realize she was actually scaring Lightning. She stopped, instead looking down at me with a worried expression.
Twilight assigned herself to start looking through the library to see if there were any records of whatever that thing was.
As she said that, a small part of what happened replayed in my head. I remembered Lightning screaming “YOU!” at the monster. She acted like she knew what it was. In fact, she drew it so she had to know what it was.
I was about to speak up. “Li-“ I started, but then I also looked at Lightning’s face. What did I honestly expect she would do, explain the long complex back story of a horrifying creature while fielding questions from everyone present all while nursing her own wing, broken not a few minutes ago? Yea I’m sure I would be soooo talkative at that point. I decided maybe questions could wait.
The group started to split. Apple Bloom, still standing with her sister, looked longingly at our injured friend. She bit her lip as Lightning, still crying and shuddering was put on Fluttershy’s back, her wing was precariously held by Vinyl’s magic. Lightning kept whimpering and Apple Bloom started walking towards us. Finally I put up a hoof trying to tell her it was okay to stand down.
Actually Apple Bloom’s eyes started to tear up and she shot forward to us. I stood in front of her. “Get out of the way Scoots! There has to be somethin’ ah can do!” I looked forward, noticing that really no one was paying attention to us. “She’s hurt so bad.”
“Apple Bloom I-“
“Ah’m the one who got this club started, ah got the tree house, ah kept Sweetie from kicking you out, ah am NOT gonna do nothin’ this time!” She sat down. “What can ah do?”
Not like the same question wasn’t playing in my own head. I sat down. “I don’t know.” I put a hoof on her shoulder.
She glared at me. “You and ah both know it. This isn’t over. Nopony messes with the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” I backed up a little. “Ya with me?” I swallowed hard. What did she really think we could do? “Are you with me?” she asked again, this time with conviction.
“Let’s not chase this thing AB, alright?”
“Fine. If it comes back?”
It was like something took over. The memories of Dusk screaming his sister’s name, Lightning staggering whimpering in pain, the look on Rainbow Dash’s face. “It dies…” Apple Bloom backed away from me, concern on her face.
She walked away hesitantly.
I galloped away and over to Dusk. The colt was currently walking as close as he could to his sister and even trying to brush her hooves with his mane as we all walked. I started walking next to him, reaching out with one of my wings to comfort him. As I did so, a nervous feeling came over me and I actually yanked him to myself. If that creature came back, he wouldn't be able to fight and I don't think he would have the sense to run. Well maybe not the heart to run considering it was HIS sister that had been attacked. Thus I would have to get him out of there.
Dusk looked back at me and I felt a small sympathy pain for him. He looked scared, confused and so worried. I didn't know what to say.
Rainbow rather abruptly stood in front of the group and made an announcement. “Everyone please stop.” We did. “I know Twilight told us to stick together, and I don’t like contradicting her in a case like this, but honestly I think it has to be done. There are too many kids here if that thing tries to attack again. I need to take Dusk and Scootaloo somewhere… Safe. Safer than here."
I looked at Lightning, who's eyes seemed to be traveling between Rainbow Dash and Dusk over and over. Her eyes then went wide. “Dusk stays with me. He’s safe with me.” She tried to get down but then yelped in pain. “You can’t take him away,” she said, starting to cry.
“I’m not…” Rainbow Dash said back. “I just want him to be safe.” She put Dusk on her back, Lightning watching her with big frightened eyes.
I suppose it was fair that Rainbow didn't know too much about my newest friends. They were MY friends, not hers after all. Thus I tried to clue her in to the problem. “She has a phobia, you can't just ignore that." Lightning's fear of being apart from her brother had been brought up before to Rainbow Dash, but she had probably just forgotten. I thought for a minute. “Hold on. Ya know, my therapist and Lightning’s are the same person. He did tell me that Lightning doesn’t worry too much about her brother at home with their dad.”
“Well yea, their dad is a dragon,” Rainbow Dash said.
"Soooo..." I tried to get her to continue.
Rainbow Dash's head shot back and she almost stumbled. You… no! I-“ she gulped. She then hesitantly looked at Lightning. “If I took them to your father, would you be alright with that?” I would! All that horrible stuff that just happened aside, I was actually pretty excited to see a full sized dragon for the first time in my life. Again, all the crappy stuff aside.
Lightning bit her lip. “He’s our daddy… he’ll protect Dusk,” she looked back at her wing. “I can’t move much.” She sighed. “Go… please… protect my brother…” She looked at Rainbow Dash when she said that, but the words reverberated in my own head.
Lightning and Dusk were friends, but not in the same way and Sweetie and Apple Bloom. Sweetie and AB I mostly saw as equals, like the twin sisters I never had. But Lightning and her brother were more like younger siblings. Lightning wasn't very bright and her brother was about the size of Pipsqueak. They looked up to me so much.
Rainbow Dash picked me up and started to fly away, heading for the cave of the dragon Torkuda. We climbed higher and higher and I watched as Lightning on the ground bit her lip, reaching up a hoof, as if to grab her brother back, but slowly putting it back.
A cloud passed between us and those on the ground and that's when I finally heard Dusk sobbing. I just had to make this right somehow.
That stallion was huge, scary, dangerous and it broke the wing of a filly with ease so.... seriously with my threat earlier, did I really think I could hurt, much less kill something like that? But there had to be something I could do.
Dusk sounded so scared and worried up on Rainbow Dash's back. I had to do something... say something. "Dusk..." I started. He sniffled, looked down at me, but then returned to crying almost instantly. "She's gonna be okay, I promise.... please... believe me. I'm gonna help. Believe me." Dusk looked down at me again.
"You're gonna help?" he asked. I nodded. "Okay..." he continued crying, but his sobs got a little quieter. I guess he believed me.
I wasn't sure if I believed myself however.
