Warmth

Chapter 1: Rain without End

…Grey skies…Cold drops of water falling from above…This was the fate that befell Scootaloo. For as long as she could remember, this had been her life. There was no hope for her heart to cling to; no home, no family; nothing. Now, here she was, tucked away in alley, ready for the mercy of sleep to wash away her sorrows. It wouldn't be long now…

A dark stallion was taking a stroll through town. With no one to bother him, now was the perfect time to engage in a leisurely activity outside his home. Unlike most ponies, the rain never bothered him. He found solace in it; looked upon it as a tool for healing. After some time had passed, he stumbled across an alleyway. That's when he noticed something peculiar. Though his mane hid his eyes, he could clearly see an orange figure in the distance. He moved closer to examine it, only to discover that it wasn't an object at all, but a child sleeping upon the earth. The stallion placed a hoof on her small body. She was still alive, but she needed shelter. Carefully scooping her up so as to not stir her from her slumber, he placed the young filly upon his back, and galloped off.

Scootaloo awoke several hours later. Her senses were still slightly dull from the rest, but it didn't take long for her to realize she was no longer where she had been prior to her awakening.

"What's going on…?"

"You're awake."

The orange filly quickly veered her head in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. What greeted her vision was the sight of a large, dark stallion sitting across a table in the middle of the room. He seemed to be fairly young, but there was a strange feeling emanating from him; a feeling of wisdom one his age would not normally possess.

"That's good. I was beginning to worry I didn't reach you in time."

At first, Scootaloo was unable to muster any sound, but once the initial shock wore off, she managed to muster a groggy sentence.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Harmonic Thrash."

"Where am I?"

"This is my home. I know it's not very spacious, but there should be enough room for you to move around in."

Scootaloo went quiet. She couldn't find the words to say. After a while, Harmonic spoke. His voice was deep, but calm and comforting.

"Are you hungry?"

Now that Scootaloo thought about it, she was starving.

"Yeah."

"I'll fix us up something."

Harmonic went to the refrigerator and pulled out some ingredients.

"Can you tell me why you were all alone out there?"

"…"

"I know it's tough, but if you open up, I might be able to help you."

"I've always been by myself."

"You're an orphan?"

"I guess? I don't really know."

That one response was all Harmonic needed to hear.

"I'm sorry. None of this could've been easy. I won't ask any more questions. Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm Scootaloo."

"That's a nice name."

"Thanks."

"I know this place isn't much, but you're welcome to stay until we find somewhere for you to go."

"No, that's alright. I'm just a burden to everypony anyway."

Harmonic stopped preparing the food and went over to Scootaloo. Out of nowhere, he hugged her tightly. The cloth of his black jacket was warm.

"I don't ever want you to talk like that again."

Silence hung in the air as the rain poured outside.

"Your life is worth more than you think. It took me a long time to find that out."

Tears began to well up in Scootaloo's eyes. They were soon followed by sobs.

"Everything's going to be okay now."

After the pair finished eating, Scootaloo returned to the solace of sleep. The tears and sobs had drained all the energy she had left. Harmonic was soon to follow, the sound of falling water slowly lulling him to sleep. As he drifted off, his own grey clouds began to form in his head.

"Misery is the gift that keeps on giving…"