"I'm here Ms. Cheerilee!" Scootaloo shouts as she gallops through the open threshold of the door, panting like she just ran a marathon. She quickly collapses on the ground from pure exhaustion, causing the purple earth pony to look up from whatever she is looking at her desk. The mare shows little remorse for the filly on the ground, instead letting out a sigh and getting out from behind her desk.
She quietly glances down at her, Scootaloo's breathing still not settling down. The orange filly looks up at her teacher, trying to control herself.
"Scootaloo, you've been late to my class before little filly. But those times it was only by a couple of seconds, "the teacher says, holding out a hoof to help up the heaving filly, who took the hoof with much thanks, "but this time you've already missed 12 minutes of my class. I don't want to hear any excuses from you this time young lady, I want to know why you're not coming to school on time, and I want to know now."
The purple mare looks up one more time, finding the rest of us watching her through the door. The room is completely empty of children, all of them must be outside in the recess yard. Her eyes scan over the group of us, especially me. I couldn't blame the teacher, I wasn't handsome in any sense of the word.
"Hello Rainbow Dash, "the teacher says, quickly recognizing the pony behind us, "what are you doing here?"
The rainbow haired mare behind us never looks at Cheerilee, instead giving a slight whisper, "I'll be outside with the others, making sure Applebloom and Sweetie Belle are alright."
I only nod my head, knowing that the teacher couldn't have heard our tiny exchange. The Pegasus quickly trots out the door, leaving the confused teacher alone with the two of us.
Raven is the first to speak up.
"Hello Ms. Cheerilee, my name i-" Raven starts to say, before Cheerilee interrupts her, a smile growing onto her face.
"Raven. And you must be Soundwave." Cheerilee says, watching the orange filly take in deep breaths and finally coming to short, controlled breaths. Raven slowly looks over at me, giving me that look that says 'does she know us from somewhere'?
The teacher looks at our confused faces, and starts to laugh, "Sorry about that, Scootaloo has told me a-lot about you two. Especially you, " she says, pointing a hoof at me.
Me and Raven simultaneously look down at Scootaloo, finding a tiny smile on her face, even a little blush across her cheeks. I trot forward and slowly ruffle the orange fillies mane, getting a loud giggle in response as she moves her head into my hoof, asking for me to continue.
"Well then, "Raven says, trotting up to the teacher and holding out a hoof, "it's very nice to meet you."
"Ditto." Cheerilee says, shaking Raven's hoof.
Scootaloo trembles under my hoof, gasping a little when my hoof slowly moves down her neck and to her left-wing, brushing it through her tiny feathers. She looks up at my face, her smile growing to enormous proportions, snuggling into my body.
"You two are adorable together," Cheerilee says, chuckling at the sight before her, "But let's stop ignoring the question here. Why are you two here? I never thought you two would come out for a family day."
That got my gears turning. Me and Raven quickly turn towards Scootaloo, who is now cowering under our combined glares.
"I want to spend some time with the both of you. Either Wavey's out collecting stuff in the forest, or Raven's too wrapped up with everypony else. I never get to see the two of you anymore and it bugs me to know end." The filly says, continuing to cower from us.
I nod in acceptance, she wasn't wrong. Me and Raven barely had anytime for the two of us, being with all the fillies and colts. That being said,the two of us hanging out with Scootaloo herself seems near to impossible.
But this isn't a happy matter.
I turn to look at Raven, who is now staring into space, her eyes really wide as if her brain just exploded.
"Scootaloo, listen, "I say to her, taking the filly across the room for a bit, whispering into her ear so that no one else can hear us, "I know you want to spend time with us, and I'm really happy you brought me along, but you knew for a fact Raven hates being around ponies she doesn't know." I tell her, locking her in place with my hooves, my face actually growing very serious.
"But da-"
"No. Buts. You saw what happened last time she was in a group of strangers, remember? A group of only 3 ponies tried to start a conversation with her and she pissed herself on the spot, sprinting back home and crying for the rest of the day. Now I know how much this means to you, but if Raven doesn't want to stay then she doesn't have to. Understand?"
Scootaloo tries to reason with me through her cute faces, the ones that any other time would get me to do whatever she wanted. But not this time, this is serious shit. My blank stare turns into a soul-crushing glare, causing her to instantly cower once more, a scared expression on her face.
I turn back towards Raven, who is still staring into space, her legs quivering. Cheerilee is now concerned for not just her, but the hiding filly I just had a nice chat with. I quickly wrap my hooves around her waist, pulling her into a hug and kissing her forehead, trying to snap her out of it.
It works.
"O- o- other po- ponies." She slowly says to me, causing me to squeeze even tighter. I can hear her heart on overdrive, thumping so fast and loud I think Scootaloo could hear it from the other side of the room.
"Raven, listen to me, "I tell her, my hooves moving from hugging her to keeping her head locked in place, her eyes darting around frantically, "are you listening to me honey?"
Her eyes stop for a moment and lock with mine, pure fear and terror clearly present.
"You don't have to stay. You want to go back home, go right ahead. What Scootaloo tricked you into must be unfathomable for you, and I completely understand. I'll stay here with her, maybe knock some sense into that thick skull of hers."
I say the last part out loud, once again turning back towards Scootaloo and giving a massive glare. She continues to cower.
I turn back towards Raven, looking back into her eyes, "Please, I don't want to see you suffer. You need to leave, go right ahead. I'll see you later, alright?" I tell her, finishing with a small peck on the lips.
She looks at me one more time, before quickly barreling out the open door and down the street.
I quickly sigh to myself, looking back at Scootaloo and trotting towards the shaking filly. I help her up onto her hooves again, watching her stare at me in an entirely different light.
Cheerilee looks out the door, before turning back to me. Instead of the piercing gaze I expected to get from her for terrorizing the filly in front of me, she looks at me with a comforting gaze.
Silence enters the room for what seems like forever. No pony dare make a sound.
Until Cheerilee broke it.
"Is she alright, "She asked, once again looking out the door to see if she can see Raven, "She looked like she was about to suffer a stroke."
I never turn my head towards her. I only embrace the filly in front of me, who's confused gaze breezes right past me as I tighten my grip on her.
"She doesn't like strangers." I said flatly, letting go of Scootaloo after what seemed like forever. Cheerilee never questions my answer, only nodding slowly before going outside herself.
"I think you've been through enough today, "I tell her, watching her eyes finally look back at me, "I'm not going to yell at you anymore. I understand why you did it, and I forgive you. You just have to realize that Raven isn't shy around other people, she isn't uncomfortable either, she's completely terrified. I need you to understand this Scoots, you're a smart filly, we both know it."
The orange mare slowly nods her head, a deadpanned look spreading through her face like a virus.
"I... I di- didn't mean," She begins to say, before I swiftly pull her back into a hug, stroking her mane and making noises to calm her down.
"I know you didn't mean for this to happen, none of us did. Just make sure that you apologize greatly to her next time you see her, she'll really appreciate it."
Scootaloo slowly looks up at me, her smile starting to come back. I laugh, once again rubbing the fillies mane.
The two of us stand up quickly, brushing the event off until a later time, "Now how about you finally introduce me to your 'Cutie Mare Crusaders'?"
She nods happily, galloping out the door, me following close behind her.