Somepony Who Cares by Ice 
(Rainbow Dash / Scootaloo)

(06/09/2018)

https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/32765410/#q32900490

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>"She did... WHAT?!"
>Rainbow Dash had heard just fine of course, but it was one of those instances where she just needed to defer thought for a moment
>If only for an instant
>Because for all she knew of Scootaloo, this caught her off guard
>"I'm afraid so," responded Cheerilee with a stern note in her voice
>The disappointment her teacher tried to conceal gave Scootaloo a twinge in her stomach, for the first time all afternoon
>But Rainbow's anger, far from encouraging the filly's introspection, only served to remind her of her own indignation
>"Vandalizing the school bathroom?! What in Equestria were you thinking?!"
>Her temper flaring up again, she spit back "Oh like you care! This stupid school had it coming!"
>"SCOOTALOO!"
>This was officially beyond the realm of Rainbow's experience as a caretaker, and she could hardly think straight
>"Go outside and wait by the front door! And don't THINK about moving until I come to get you!"
>While her anger was still simmering within, she also couldn't really remember seeing Rainbow this angry before...
>With a contemptuous look, she slunk out of the classroom and down the hall
>"Don't be too cross with her Rainbow," Cheerilee tried to soothe the blue pegasus after showing her Scootaloo's work
>"TOO cross?! I can't believe this is happening! Where did she even pick up language like that?!"
>Glancing over the vulgarities scrawled on the wall
>"You know how these foals are. It seems like some of the others had been teasing her again this morning..."
>"Teasing... ?" Rainbow sighed. "That still doesn't excuse this kind of behavior"
>Rainbow almost gasped when she heard her own voice
>Heard her own father's voice in it
>"It's not even that serious, really," Cheerilee commented. "It was just one of the markers the foals use for hoofwriting practice. It will wash right off"
>"And Scootaloo will be the one washing it off tomorrow," replied Rainbow
>"I mean, if that works for you..." she added with a glance at her old teacher
>Cheerilee smiled
>"Rainbow Dash, did your own parents rub off on you?"
>Before Rainbow could reply, Cheerilee patted her on the shoulder
>"I think that's a good idea," and then in a more serious tone, "Really Rainbow, Scootaloo has been doing so much better ever since you moved her in with you. Everypony can see how good it has been for her"
>"Sometimes I just don't know," Rainbow opined
>"I never really thought about how much work it is to have a little filly around"
>"I worry I'm not doing it right, or something. And now this happens, like... yeah Rainbow, you really screwed up"
>Cheerilee put an arm around her
>"You're doing just wonderful Rainbow"
>"If I recall, you were something of a hoof-ful yourself, for your parents"
>"But you turned out a lot better than alright"
>Rainbow felt her cheeks burning
>"Aw geez Miss, er... I mean, Cheerilee. Thanks"
>"It's the truth, you know. But perhaps you should tend to your own little one, before she wanders off"
>"If she even THINKS about it...!
>Cheerilee chuckled
>"Don't be too harsh with her"
>If only Cheerilee knew, thought Rainbow
>She wasn't nearly strict enough
>On the way back home, they were both pretty quiet
>Each lost in her own thoughts
>The relatively lighthearted mood Rainbow had briefly enjoyed with her old teacher was quickly eclipsed by her own anger and disappointment
>When they got to the house, Scootaloo immediately made for the stairs
>"Where do you think you're going?" Rainbow focused on keeping her voice measured, while still trying to convey a sense of her newfound authority
>"You are seriously in trouble right now. What were you thinking?"
>"What do you mean trouble? You can't get me in trouble!" the orange filly retorted.
>"Scootaloo, you are living in my house and that means you are living by my rules"
>Her mind was racing
>Thinking back to the countless lectures she had received as a filly
>And to what she had too often received immediately thereafter...
>But there was no way she could do that
>Like, how does one even go about doing that?!
>No, she definitely couldn't do that
>What Rainbow had really wanted to keep to a "civilized and calm discussion" quickly devolved into a fully-fledged argument
>Especially when Scootaloo tried to recount how the other foals had been teasing her
>"Scootaloo doesn't have any family, Scootaloo has to pretend that Rainbow Dash is her sister, nopony cares about Scootaloo!"
>"And THEY'RE RIGHT!"
>"Everypony at school laughs at me!" she exclaimed with mounting distress
>"And YOU DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT ME!"
>Her voice was a veritable shriek, all composure leaving her as she turned suddenly and bolted up the stairs
>Leaving Rainbow rooted to the spot
>And though her words stung her, it was only a superficial pain
>Because she knew what the little pegasus was going through, the turmoil that a headstrong filly felt at her age
>After all, she had been in just that spot herself
>Had said similar things to her own parents
>But by the same token, she knew now what her parents had known then
>That a willful filly - especially when her attitude started to get the better of her - needed a firm hoof
>Her own father had put her over his knee many times when she had strayed out of line
>Okay, now maybe she could actually do that
>Scootaloo slammed the bedroom door behind her
>As she stormed past the bedside table, she flipped on the phonograph sitting there, which promptly launched into her new Appleloosa is the Reason album
>Before finally throwing herself down onto the bed with a ragged sigh of frustration
>All the tension just overflowed in that moment, as her body shuddered and she brought a hoof down dramatically onto the comforter
>Rainbow Dash just didn't understand!
>And yet... she felt her eyes sting with the hot beginnings of tears
>Because while she was sure, okay almost sure, that Rainbow didn't care
>(almost, maybe, probably sure)
>The thing that hurt most in her chest suddenly wasn't her anger, or her resentment, or even the sadness beneath them
>It was the look on Rainbow's face when she had accused her of not caring
>As Rainbow marched up the stairs gravely, she understood finally how her father, how parents all over Equestria, actually did this
>She didn't really feel angry now, just resolute
>And it was simply because - she loved that little filly
>And she knew that she needed this
>So Rainbow had made up her mind, made the decision that this was happening and nothing could change that
>Because she would be failing Scootaloo otherwise
>And just like that, it was out of her hooves - it was just a simple fact of the universe
>The sky is blue
>Apples fall to earth
>Scootaloo was getting a spanking
>"Alright Scootaloo"
>Opening the bedroom door slowly but implacably
>"We need-" but cut herself off in the face of the blaring midwest Equestrian rock
>"Young filly!" switching off the turntable
>Scootaloo jumped up with an indignant "Hey!"
>Rainbow just met her with a stern gaze
>"This isn't going to slide this time. I'm going to do what I should have already done"
>Oh geez, she really did sound like her father
>And, stepping towards the little filly, had some strange vision of herself from a floating, third-pony point of view
>This surely wasn't real...
>No
>The sky is blue...
>It was like being on the race track
>She seemed to sense her own hesitation, in some kind of slow motion precognition, before it actually arrived
>And she put her head down and moved right through it
>Crossing the short distance between them, she scooped up the orange filly in one strong arm and sat down on the bed in one fluid motion
>And just like that, Scootaloo fell deftly (though through no effort of her own) across Rainbow's lap
>And was promptly held down by a gentle but unyielding hoof on her back
>"Wha-?! Rainbow Dash!"
>"Oh yes, young filly. If I had acted the way you have today, my dad would have made sure I didn't sit down for a week!"
>Suddenly Scootaloo's mind was filled with unbidden scenes
>Her friends at school
>Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, showing up to class in the morning
>Sweetie Belle's pure white haunches veritaby glowing pink, or the thin stripes that a switch had left across Applebloom's flank
>And she always stuck up for them when other foals gave them a hard time -duh!
>But that was something that happened to other ponies
>"Rainbow, you can't!" and for the first time her voice took the slightest edge of panic
>"Can and am!"
>And, moving on instinct, Rainbow brought her hoof down sharply
>The sudden, resounding crack surprised them both
>Scootaloo squealed with the shock of it, before her drawn-out appeal of "Rainnnboowwwww!"
>If the blue pegasus had been surprised for one moment, she had to suppress a melancholy chuckle in the next, as she saw herself as a little filly lying there under the strict hoof of authority
>And she wondered how she had doubted that she would know exactly how this went
>As she began Scootaloo's punishment in earnest, the orange filly couldn't help but grip the comforter for dear life, as though she could burrow into it and escape
>This was totally new to her, and the tears sprang to her eyes almost immediately
>As Rainbow spanked her methodically, left-right-left-right, she squealed and shrieked softly with each slap of the strong hoof
>Her back legs rubbing across one another, one hoof atop the other before they switched places
>Gasping "Ow, ow, ow!" as the stinging slaps added up and she felt tears roll down her muzzle
>Rainbow paused now, as the little filly began to cry in earnest under her ministrations
>Remembering the heavy look her father always wore when she had misbehaved
>Like some great burden lay across his powerful shoulders
>Of course, she understood in an intellectual way, as she grew up, how hard it must have been to punish his little filly
>But for the first time now, she realized, she understood it
>Really, actually understood it
>And so understood anew that she had to finish this
>She wasn't going to let this little filly down - not on her watch
>Glancing across the room at the orange pony's dresser, where her hairbrush lay
>A lot like the hairbrush Rainbow used to have
>"Scootaloo," she said, and the little pony started with a gasp between her tears
>"I want you to bring me your hairbrush"
>"R-Rainbow, n-n-no! Please!" she could barely keep her composure to utter the plea
>And in a stern voice, Rainbow warned her "I swear to Celestia, young filly, if I have to get up myself it will be twice as bad for you"
>Okay, she thought, that might have been harsh
>But it seemed to do the trick, as Scootaloo fumbled her way off Rainbow's lap, scurried across the room, and barely hesitated in bringing the brush to her waiting caretaker
>When the orange filly looked like she might protest again, Rainbow spared her the effort, grabbing her once more and pulling her across her knee again
>A barely whispered "Please..." was all that she managed
>Rainbow sighed a heavy sigh
>"Scoots," she began in a softer tone of voice
>"After your behavior today... I have to do this"
>In a small voice, the orange filly responded, "I know it was wrong Rainbow..."
>"And I'm going to make sure that you remember it" came the reply
>"I know it might not make sense right now, but... I understand where you are right now, Scoots"
>"This is for your own good"
>Scootaloo might have repsonded were it not for the lump in her throat
>But Rainbow made it a moot point in any case with the first stinging swat of that big wooden hairbrush
>If getting spanked was something new and unpleasant for Scootaloo, getting spanked with her own hairbrush was a whole different level
>Because, by Celestia, that thing stung horribly each time it touched her flank
>Like some kind of magic wand with a particularly vicious enchantment
>It took scant moments for Scootaloo to lose it completely
>The tears were flowing in earnest, her muzzle was downright soaked, and the bedspread was damp where she tried to burrow into it
>Her hind legs kicked up and down rapidly under the onslaught
>Rainbow steeled herself against the sobs of her young charge
>She needs this
>Just do it right, and get it over with
>Left-right-left-right as the orange pegasus sobbed under her, deep sobs from her chest, punctuated by the thin whine of her inhalations
>Thinking back to how her own spankings typically ended, Rainbow brought the hairbrush down on the lower curves of Scootaloo's haunches, right where she would sit
>On the hard wooden chairs at school... she would be feeling this
>Over and over she spanked the little filly there
>Causing her to shriek out in pain
>And finally, after what felt like scant seconds or a few eternities (Rainbow wasn't sure which), she stopped
>Sitting there on the bed, Rainbow kept one hoof gently on Scootaloo's back as the small pony sobbed her eyes out
>And somehow she felt just as drained as the chastised little filly across her lap
>She waited while the sobs turned to sniffles, rubbing the filly's back softly
>"Hey, Scoots"
>What now?
>Well, if she was anything like Rainbow had been back then...
>The blue pony gingerly put her arm under Scootaloo and lifted her up towards her
>Scootaloo instantly wrapped her arms around Rainbow, buried her face in the larger pony's soft chest
>Moving on instinct
>And Rainbow wrapped her up in an embrace, her powerful wings folding around the little filly
>Scootaloo's muffled voice tried to come through her tears, through her remorse, and through Rainbow's thick fur
>"Rainbow, I'm so sorry... I know... I know that-"
>"Shhhhh," the blue pegasus whispered in her ear. "I know"
>"It's over now, it's all behind us. Everything is forgiven"
>Scootaloo stuttered out, "But... you don't... aren't you-"
>"Scoots," said Rainbow softly, bringing her muzzle down to brush the little pony's own, "We're here because I love you"
>"And nothing can ever change that"
>After a few minutes of silence, Rainbow reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a tissue from the box there
>Holding Scootaloo's head in one hoof, she wiped her face off the best she could
>"I think it's time we got you cleaned up"
>"...and me too," looking down at her chest, "since you decided to use me as a tissue"
>Scootaloo started to blush just a little
>"Well," she stammered, "you kinda asked for it!"
>Rainbow smiled
>"Come on kid, let's go! I'm sure we're both starving!"
>At school the next day, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were glued to her side the moment they saw her
>Applebloom even offered to share her lunch
>Not that she needed it - Rainbow had packed her a lunch, as usual
>But the thought sure was nice
>And besides, she spent most of lunchtime helping Miss Cheerilee clean up the bathroom
>But that was fine
>It was the least she could do after the way she acted yesterday
>How stupid, she thought to herself now that she was in a more clear-headed state of mind, to think that nopony cared about what she did
>Well, she certainly wouldn't forget now - Rainbow sure did!
THE END