It was a wonderful day out as Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle went running around town, trying to find different ways that they could earn their cutie marks. They had just come out of Pinkie's shop at Sugarcube Corner, where they had gotten into another batch of baking, this time muffins for Ditsy, or as they liked to call her "Derpy." They had turned out pretty well considering the pieces of egg shell in them and the dough not rising as it should have, but that was beside the point, they hadn't gotten their cutie marks.
They finally took a rest in the square, watching the sun go down sadly. Another day and no cutie marks. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle decided to go back to their respective houses. Scootaloo said that she would as well, but that was a downright lie. She had no place to go except find a dark alley or tree and cuddle up with her sorry excuses for a blanket and a pillow.
Finally setting off with her scooter in tow, making lines in the dirt behind her, she began to weep silently, wishing that someone, any pony, could make her actually feel loved.
As she was looking down at the ground in front of her hooves with teary eyes, she bumped into the back of a sky blue pony and fell down on her flank. The other pony immediately turned and around and scolded at Scoot even before she had a chance to see who it was. "Hey watch wh-"
The sentence was cut short as she looked at Scootaloo in her sorry state. "Oh... uhm, sorry to get in your way." The sky blue pony helped Scoot up and brushed her off. As Scoot looked up to see who it was, she didn't even have to take in the rainbow coloured mane and tail for a half a second before she immediately perked up. "Rainbow Dash!"
"Heh, yea, that's me!"
"H-hey... I know it's weird and all b-but... can I stay at your place tonight?" Scoot asked nervously, some thing in her heart told her that it would work, but her brain told her that it was useless and senseless.
"Uhm..." Dash looked around to see if anypony would see her taking the small filly in her arms and whisking her up into the sky, she didn't want somepony to think she was foalnapping. After confirming nopony was, she responded happily with "Sure! Why not? It's great to actually have a fan, I'd love to reward you somehow."
Scootaloo's eyes widened, not expecting the answer. "Y-you're serious?"
"Hay, why don't you spend the entire weekend as well?" Dash replied cooly as ever, staying true to her personaility. Scoot was simply awestruck at this. Her idol, the one she dreamt about teaching her to fly, the one she knew would get a spot in the Wonderbolts soon, was actually inviting her to stay in her house, and not for just one night, but three!
Quite shakily, still overcome with the shock she agreed. "Th- that uh... sounds great!" She nodded quickly to try and hide the nervousness she felt. What if she knocked over a table or vase... or worse yet... found a way to somehow break her best young flier crown? She looked up at Dash expectantly "S-so... you can take me there right? I..." she looked down again and tears started to fall a bit more. "I don't know how to fly yet."
Dash nodded sadly as she looked at the small filly. "Yea, I can take you up to my place." Scoot dropped everything but her scooter, refusing to let go of it, it had been with her ever since the incident a few months back, and it was her only tie to her real parents. If there was anything she lost, it certainly would not be this. "Sweet! You can take my scooter too, right?"
"Sure thing, kid! Just hold on tight!"
Dash picked the small filly up and after making sure that she had a tight grip on the scooter which she loved so much, she took off into the sky, flying as fast as safely possible considering the load in which she carried in her two front hooves.
Scoot watched everything fly by with awe, she had never gone so fast in all of her life. She squeed a little bit at being carried by the rainbow maned mare in this manner. It almost felt like this mare was saving her from a lifetime of pain, misery, and sorrow and it would all be better now.
As they arrived at the cloud home high up in the sky, Dash set Scoot down gently on the front porch, which dropped off at the edge with not a single sign or anything to remind the pony that was coming out to watch their step or anything, though, for ponies that could fly, that wasn't a problem. Scoot gulped at being so high up, but knew that with a pony as fast as Rainbow Dash, even if she did fall, she would be fine. Nonetheless, Scoot opened the door and walked inside quickly, not wanting to look down the many feet that stood between her and the ground any longer.
When Scoot was inside, she took in everything around her. It was a simple place, nice and open. A bedroom merged with the living room, the only thing separating the two spaces was a step. Above the headboard, Dashs best young flier crown was mounted to the wall. The kitchen was off to the side of the living room, a bar table between the two places, which defined where one ended and the other began. It seemed the only three doors in the entire house were to the outside, a closet filled with endless odds and ends, a notable item inside being the multi-coloured dress that Dash wore to formal gatherings, and one that led to a plain, white bathroom.
Dash walked into the kitchen area as Scoot leaned her scooter on the wall.
"Need anything to eat or drink?" Dash asked, looking out to Scoot.
"Just a water will do, thanks." Scoot replied as she sat down on the couch, testing out how comfortable it was compared to the hard park benches and ground that she usually slept on.
Dash took a seat beside Scoot and handed a tall glass of water to her. "Here you go sport!" Scoot looked at the glass in awe as she took it in both hooves, not used to seeing such a delicious looking refreshment. Quickly, she swallowed almost all of it and looked up at Dash, blushing and smiling nervously, worried that she might offend her with her quick consumption.
Dash simply laughed, taking the glass from the small filly. "Boy! You're really thirsty! Let me get you some more." She went to the kitchen, poured more in from the tap, and brought the refilled glass back over along with one for herself. "Bottoms up!" Dash said enthusiastically, and together both the orange filly and the multi-coloured pony tried to drink all of their water before the other.
Amazingly, Scoot overcame Dash by a landslide. Then it hit her. "Dash... I-I need to use your bathroom... please?" Her eyes looked to the two doors she knew led somewhere, but she didn't know which led to the right place. Giggling, Dash pointed out the correct one. "That one!" Scoot rushed through the door, slamming it shut behind her. After she was done her business, she came back out, clearly relieved.
Scoot walked slowly over to the couch, wanting to spend more time with her idol before she went to sleep, but the couch was so comfy, it made her want to sleep for weeks. "D-dash... c-can you get some blankets?" She yawned loud and wide in addition. "I'm tired..."
"Sorry kid, no blankets or pillows besides what's on the bed..."
Scoot clearly looked like she had been hit with a brick, she invited her in, and then wouldn't even give her a nice place to sleep? Well, beggars couldnt be . But then, Dash suddenly added "You're sleeping with me in the bed!" Scootaloo immediately brightened up.
"Really! Oh thank you! Thanks a bunch!"
Dash smiled and came back with a kind smile. "No problem."
Dash and Scoot hopped into the bed at the same time. Scoot was hit with how comfy the bed was. It felt like the comfort of a million clouds just wrapping themselves around you gently. Dash had barely pulled the covers over the two before Scoot was asleep. Giggling silently to herself, Dash turned off the light on the nightstand and laid her head down on the pillow. "Night Scoots..."
Sleepily, the unconscious Scootaloo replied "I love you, Dash..."
Dash blushed deep as she put a hoof around the small filly. "I-I love you too, Scoots."