Feather Flu
Sickness is obviously common during flu season. Illness even reaches the most adventurous of ponies. Rainbow Dash, the most cool-tastic pony in all of Equestria, is no exception. Earlier this afternoon, me, Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were trotting around town when we heard these two pegasi gossiping. We were interested, so we scooted behind a flower pot and pricked our ears up. The two were talking about how the feather flu was going around Cloudsdale and how Rainbow Dash looked like she was starting to catch it. This frightened me, because if somepony doesn't get the feather flu treated correctly, they could be disabled of flight forever! How can Rainbow Dash teach me how to fly if she can't even fly herself? Anyways, the two ponies flew away and I told my fellow Crusaders that I wanted to investigate. We galloped around town in search for Rainbow Dash, they wanted to know if Rainbow was sick or not too. Somepony told us that she went over to Fluttershy's cottage near the Everfree Forest. So, that's why the three of us are banging on Fluttershy's front door.
"Why is she taking so long? Rainbow Dash isn't that sick is she?" I lingered at the thought of Rainbow Dash loosing her ability of flight. Horrible sickness.
"Probably not? Fluttershy is a caretaker, if Rainbow Dash is sick then she'll take care of her." Sweetie Belle reassured me. The two really were good friends, they understood my admiration of Rainbow Dash. My short attention span turned to the sudden creek of the door.
"Hello?" a voice squeaked,
"Hiya Fluttershy! Is Rainbow Dash here?" Applebloom bursts.
"Oh. Yes she is, now you girls go home. I don't want you fillies getting sick..." Fluttershy began to close the door but Sweetie Belle stopped her with her hoof.
"But, me and Applebloom aren't pegasi. Scootaloo can just stay a safe distance. Can we help? Plleeeaassseee?" she whined. Fluttershy definitely won't say no to that.
"I'm sorry girls but it's pretty bad. Go home... if that's alright with you I guess." Fluttershy cowardly replied.
Crap
"But! But! Pleeeaaassssee!!!???" Sweetie Belle cried she brought out her huge puppy eyes, no way is she going to say no now.
"Oh, fine. Come in." Fluttershy winced. I understand why she wouldn't want us in her house, last time we were over her we turned Twilight into stone and broke her table. She opened up the door wider so all three of us could fit inside. The interior was still the same as last time, bundles of cages and bird houses, squirrels and chipmunks running around the carpet, Rainbow Dash must be in the guest room because the living room is way too crowded and busy. I make my way to the hallway and look through each door. I hear so coughing in Fluttershy's room so I go for the door handle, but Fluttershy beats me to it.
"Now be quiet, she might have a headache." she whispered to me. The door slid open almost silently. Fluttershy tends to be like that, silent. I don't think that I'll ever understand how she can stay so incredibly timid all the time. I don't think I would be able to live if nopony was listening to me because of how quiet and cowardly I am.. Anyways, the door finally opened up completely and revealed a extremely grumpy and sniffy Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow Dash! Are you okay!? Are you gonna die?" I cried and then ran to the side of the bed.
"What? No!" She rolls her eyes. She really was grumpy today.
"Oh. Okay! We're here to help you." I grew a happy smile on my face.
"Oh! Umm... that won't be necessary..." Rainbow began but, I interpreted her objection.
"Ah have an idea!" Applebloom called, "We can try to get our cutiemarks as nurses!"
"Oh sweet Celestia-" Rainbow muttered.
Me and Sweetie Belle nodded our head to Applebloom's idea. We raised our hooves and yelled,
"CUTIEMARK CRUSADERS NURSES!!!! YAY!"
"-please help..." Dash finished. We grabbed some nurses outfits out of Sweetie Belle's pocket. Yes, ponies have pockets and Sweetie Belle just happened to have nurse outfits inside. Call it... a hammer space?
"Now. What do nurses do first when their patients are sick?" Applebloom asked us. I bit my lip, from all of the TV shows I've watched they always made them soup or something like that.
"How about some soup?" I suggest.
"No! I mean... I don't want soup." Rainbow objected again.
"But, you'll like it. And soup is the best medicine." Sweetie Belle shook her head.
"I thought laughter was the best medicine?" Applebloom turned her head.
"Oh. Well, that too. Wanna hear a joke?" Sweetie Belle smiled. Fluttershy gently pushed us out of the room and said,
"How about later? You go make your yummy soup okay?" The three of us ran into the kitchen giggling.
I was surprised that Fluttershy would trust us with the stove, except everything in her house was vegetables and healthy snacks. No broth for soup just vegetables mostly. Applebloom grabbed a huge pot and poured cups of water inside. Me and Sweetie Belle looked through the fridge.
"This would go good inside! Oh and grab that and that too." she instructed. I nodded in agreement and grabbed the honey, mustard and hay fries. I dumped the hay fries into the pot of water and squeezed out all of the mustard. Applebloom scraped the honey inside also. It was a yellowish color, so Applebloom put some broccoli and celery in there.
"Hmm... doesn't look quite done yet..." I looked at the greenish fluid. I thoght about what would make it taste the best. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle was dumping random spices into the mixture. I gestured Applebloom outside. We went to the chicken coop and grabbed six eggs.
"We got some eggs!" Applebloom grinned.
"How do we cook them?" I wonder. Do we even need to cook eggs? I never even had eggs before anyways, so I just smashed the eggs up and threw them into the substance, shell and all. Applebloom did the same.
"It looks...awesome! She'll love it!" Sweetie Belle cheered as she mixed a spoon into the pot. I grabbed a little bowl and poured the soup into it. Together side by side we went back into Fluttershy's room.
"We finished it! I hope ya like it!" Applebloom took the bowl from me and handed it to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash,my awesome idol, sniffed it and then looked at us. We smiled greatly at her with anticipation. She took a tiny gulp of it and had a sickaning look on her face. It wasn't that bad was it? It was. She had to spew it back into the little bowl.
"Are those..." She began and then let out a big cough, "...Egg shells?!" We nodded, maybe egg shells were edible?
"Do you like it?" I ask. I knew she didn't but I just wanted my thought to be proven true. Rainbow Dash looked around nervously. She just said, "Umm, I'm not hungry. I'll have it later okay?"
We began to think again. Soup was out, so what was next?
"Maybe some jokes now?" Sweetie Belle commented.
"Nah..." Me and Applebloom said at the same time.
"Oh! Oh! I know! Let's take her temperature with one of those watcha-mah-call-its!" Applebloom gleamed.
"A thermometer? I thought you were the dictionary not me." I sneered.
"At least I'm not a chicken!" Applebloom snapped.
"Well! Well. It's better then being a hippo!" I hiss. That really offended Applebloom.
"Hurmph!" she barked under her breath. We stayed silent for a few minutes as Sweetie Belle took Rainbow Dash's temperature with a thermometer that she found. It was 97°, which meant that her feather flu was getting better.
"Do you see anything on my flank?" Sweetie asked. I looked real fast and said,
"Nope. Your flank is blank." I stood up and looked out the window tirley, I felt a little headache coming on. The sky was starting to grow a mix of orange and purple hues. I want to stay with Rainbow Dash all night, so I ask if we could sleepover.
"Sorry Scoots, but I gotta go! Applejack won't just be buckin apples if I don't get home before curfew!" Applebloom grabbed her things, waved goodbye and trotted out.
"Yeah me too. I need to get back to Rairty's. My parents are out of town so... bye bye!" Sweetie called to me as sweetly as she could when she scooted out the door. I waved bye to them and looked back at Rainbow Dash, some day of Crusading. I was tired. Really tired. I lied down on the floor and started to doze off.
"Scootaloo... do you want any dinner?" Fluttershy shifted my drowsy body.
"No...I'm...alri-" then I was out like a light again. Fluttershy laughed lightly and grabbed me by my scruff.
The next morning, I woke up on the couch in the living room. My whole body ached, especially my wings. I went into the dining room to see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy eating pancakes. I tried to smell the scent but, my nose was stuffed so badly that it was impossible.
"Thanks Fluttershy! I feel great today, I'll go over to the hospital later and see if I'm a-oka-" Rainbow Dash was gleefully stretching and exclaiming, she then noticed that I walked into the room, "Hey squirt hows it going?"
I didn't answer, because I knew that Fluttershy could tell just how horrible I feel.
Sickness. Holy Celestia, I hate sickness.
