The two fillies stepped away from one another when they heard the sound of giggling from above them. They looked up to find a blue Pegasus's face pushed through a cloud peering down at them. Rainbow Dash quickly retreated herself behind the cloud in a vain attempt to conceal herself when she noticed the two looking back.
"Dashie, have you been listening this whole time?" Raven Flame shouted both angry and embarrassed.
Rainbow Dash removed herself from the cover of the clouds and landed back down on the earth next to the two fillies. She thought for a moment then answered with a simple "Nope!"
Raven continued to stare irritably at the blue Pegasus, not believing the answer even for one second, "Then what were you doing up in that cloud and why were you laughing?"
"Hey, I said I wasn't LISTENING. That would have meant I could hear you." Rainbow Dash let out chuckle, "I didn't say I wasn't watching the whole time though."
"You said you were going to give us some space!" Raven cried out.
Rainbow Dash mused to herself as she looked up towards the cloud, "I did give you some space, about sixty feet of it."
"You knew what I meant!"
Rainbow smiled slyly, "How could I know what YOU meant, I was the one who offered. I think that means YOU just misinterpreted what I said."
Raven Flame blubbered for a moment as she tried to think of an argument. Unable to, she let out a frustrated groan, "Whatever."
Rainbow Dash let out another chuckle and prodded Scootaloo, "Personally, I think you have some pretty smooth moves."
Scootaloo couldn't help but look up and smile at the compliment, "Thanks."
Raven Flame gawked at the orange filly and clenched her teeth as she tried to hold back her growing anger, "Are you on her side?"
Scootaloo extended out her wing and lowered it over Raven bringing her next to her side, "I don't see much point in getting upset about it. It's not like we can do anything about it now."
"Yeah, but-" Raven Flame found herself interrupted by her mind as it went blank from a quick kiss on her cheek.
Rainbow Dash giggled, "I think you two are adorable!"
Scootaloo's face was covered with a wide grin, however Raven Flame frowned not looking amused in the slightest.
"Hey, what happened to your face?" Rainbow Dash asked when she noticed the bruise behind the orange filly's mane.
Scootaloo looked down at the ground; she felt a nudge on her stomach and turned to see Raven nodding at her. "My dad hit me…" she said softly finding it easier to reveal the secret then it had been before.
Rainbow Dash's joyful and joking mood disappeared from her face, "Have you told the police?" she asked in complete seriousness.
"No." Scootaloo responded shakily.
Rainbow Dash picked up the two fillies with her teeth and threw them onto her back, "Well you're going to." She said as she launched off into the sky.
"What? No!" Scootaloo shouted, tears of fright running down from her eyes.
Rainbow Dash ignored the protests and landed next to the Police Station's front doors, "Well would you look at that, we're already here!"
The two ponies hopped off Rainbow Dash's back. The orange filly turned around and made an attempt to run away. Soon she was stopped by teeth locked tightly onto her tail. "Let me go!" Scootaloo cried as she struggled to pull herself away.
"You… have to… tell them!" Rainbow Dash said through clenched teeth as she slowly dragged the hysterical filly into the station.
Raven Flame trotted close to Scootaloo, "This is your chance to be brave like Rainbow Dash. Please, you have to do this. You can't let him keep doing this to you."
Scootaloo gulped, "O-okay." She let out a quiet whimper and forced herself to walk inside. She looked back to the two Pegasus who nodded in approval as she approached a uniformed pony. The pony gestured for the filly to follow him and they were soon out of sight.
"You think she'll be okay?" Raven asked as she plopped herself down onto a waiting chair.
Rainbow Dash reassured her, "If I didn't think this was for the best, I wouldn't have brought her here."
The two sat quietly as hours passed. Rainbow Dash occasionally started to drum on her legs to entertain herself, but stopped soon after when Raven kept giving her disapproving looks. Just as Rainbow thought she would go crazy from boredom, the teary eyed orange filly stepped back into sight.
"Well?"
"They're out looking for him now." Scootaloo said sounding both sad and scared.
"That's great! I say we go celebrate!" Rainbow Dash cheered then laughed almost maniacally, "I know where Applejack keeps her stash of Apple Cider."
"Dashie!" Raven Flame gave the blue Pegasus a frown.
Scootaloo put up a small smile, "Actually that sounds nice."
"See Raven!" Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at the filly. "Now let's go, this place creeps me out."
The fillies climbed back atop Rainbow's back and were soon back in the sky. They returned to the farm in record time, mostly because Rainbow Dash pushed herself wanting to get her hooves on a glass of cider.
Rainbow Dash grinned and trotted off towards the barn. "You two wait in the kitchen, I'll go get the cider!" she called out to them.
Rainbow Dash had seen Applejack sneaking in here quite loudly once. The noise had woken her from a nap and she watched as the orange pony vanished. Applejack had scolded her for hours about spying on her, making her promise she wouldn't go in there without permission.
But Applejack wasn't here right now and it was a special occasion. Looking around to make sure no one was around; Rainbow Dash scraped a cluster of hay away from the floor revealing a hidden cellar door. She pulled on the latch and crept down into the dark room and soon returned with a large barrel. She placed it on the ground, covered the door again and rolled it towards the farmhouse.
Rainbow Dash heaved the barrel of cider onto the kitchen table and placed out three large mugs beneath its spout, filling them to the brim. She slid each of the fillies a mug, lifted her own, "Cheers!" she grinned as she gulped hers down in a matter of seconds.
When Rainbow Dash separated the mug from her mouth she let out a sigh of contentment, "You two better not ever tell Applejack about this."
Author's Notes
Just a few more chapters to go!