Summer of Endless Rainfall

It was surprisingly chilly for summer in the little town of Ponyville. Cold rain had begun pouring several days earlier, around the transition of the season. There was an intense atmosphere of gloom, and it was made worse by the fact that one of the residents was living on the streets without a single soul knowing. To add insult to injury, she was just a child.

...Her name...Was Scootaloo...

Scootaloo, the usually cheery and confident member of the town's mischievous adventurers, the cutie mark crusaders, had been alone her entire life. Sure, she had her friends to keep her company most of the time, but there was no family; no home for her to return to. She didn't know her mother or father, let alone if they were even alive at this point. Now, with the rain pouring ever so viciously, there was no one but herself, tucked away in an alley somewhere in town. All she could do was pray for the release of sleep. Curling into a ball, she relaxed her muscles. After between fifteen and thirty minutes, she finally drifted off, temporarily released from the pain and loneliness until the next time her eyes opened...

A black stallion with a long, blonde mane and a black streak was taking a leisurely stroll through the rain. He was young, somewhere in his early to mid-20s. Unlike most residents around the area, rain never bothered him. In fact, it was soothing. After a while, he stumbled upon an alleyway. He noticed something between the walls. At first, it looked liked an orange or a large, inexplicably discarded stack of Cheetos. However, upon closer inspection, he realized it was something far less humorous; a sleeping child.

"She's just a little girl...Why is she here...?"

When he got a better look at her face, he could see she was crying in her sleep.

"A nightmare...? No...something is definitely wrong here..."

The stallion looked around. Searching for help would be pointless right now. There was only one thing he could do. Without hesitating, he placed the sleeping child on his back and galloped off.

"Don't worry...I won't let you suffer anymore..."