//------------------------------// // Chapter 19 // Story: On the Wings of a Pegasus // by Jinzou //------------------------------// "All rise!" The bailiff called out. The judge walked back to his seat. Everyone sat down. "In the case of Rainbow Dash and Princess Twilight Sparkle vs. Thunder Chaser, the court is now in session." Stone Slammer called out, banging the gavel on his desk. "Jury, have you reached a verdict?" Rainbow Dash's heard her heart pounding in her ears as somebody in the front of the jury slowly stood up. It felt like an hour, but the pony finally cleared his throat and spoke. "Yes, Your Honor. We the jury find Thunder Chaser... Guilty on all offenses." We did it. We won! Rainbow Dash wanted to jump up and cheer. She also wanted to throw the fact that they won in Thunder Chaser's face. At the same time, she wanted to scoop up Scootaloo and Twilight in the world's biggest hug and never let them go. With too many choices, she just found herself sharing a shocked, tearful face with Scootaloo. Then as a moment passed, Rainbow found herself with the world's biggest smile, and pulled Twilight and Scootaloo into a big hug. Twilight squeaked in surprise. Scootaloo welcomed it. "Thunder Chaser, being found guilty for all eight crimes charged upon you, I sentence you with 65 years in prison with no chance of parole. Get him out of my sight!" Stone Slammer bellowed. It was too much for the trio, both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo burst into tears, smiling thoroughly while Twilight had a look of intense relief. "Rainbow Dash, we're not done yet!" She whispered. Rainbow wiped her eyes and looked back to the judge. She released the winghug. Oh that's right, we still need to sort out the guardianship position. "Now..." Stone Slammer began slowly. "With Thunder Chaser in prison, and Scootaloo's mother deemed unfit for guardianship at the Battered Mare's Recovery Home, that leaves Scootaloo with no legal guardians at this point. I'm afraid that at your respective ages, and you two not being legally together, Scootaloo will have to be sent to an orphanage." Crap crap crap! We can't just let her waste away in an orphanage for after all this! ...Well, if being together will help keep her with us... "Not to worry Your Honor, Twilight and I totally hooked up!" Rainbow lied, pulling Twilight closer to her with a wing. The courtroom was silent. Twilight blushed crimson and buried her face in her hooves. Scootaloo tried and failed to suppress a giggle. "What my... partner here meant to say, Your Honor, is that we would like to apply to be recognized as in a civil union." Twilight spoke, pushing Rainbow's wing off. "The judge doesn't care whether or not we're dating Rainbow, he was just saying we weren't married!" Twilight hissed to the cyan mare. Rainbow blushed so hard her whole face turned scarlet. "O-oh." "I see." said the judge slowly. "And do you have the required documents and payment?" "N-not on me at this moment Your Honor. But if I could be allowed to travel back to my room I could-" "That won't be necessary, Twilight." Came the voice of Princess Celestia from behind her. The trio snapped their heads back in stereo. In all the stress of the day they had forgotten the Princess was sitting right behind them. "I've brought identification, proof of age, and enough bits to cover the licensing fee with me." Celestia levitated several documents and a small pouch of bits over to the judge. The judge pored over the documents for a moment. "Yes, well this all seems to be in order, Princess. If Princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash would stay there, we can get the necessary documents, and reconvene after the Princess and Rainbow Dash receive their necessary forms." "Not to worry, Your Honor. Those should be in the back of the folder with all the paperwork for the prosecution." The judge gave off a bemused expression as the clerk found the documents Celestia mentioned. "Very good, now if Princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash can stay here to fill out these forms..." Scootaloo couldn't stop smiling and zipping around as the trio left the courthouse. She had finally done it. She had found a loving home. She had loving... parents. All was right in the world. "WOOHOO" She yelled out, zipping around Rainbow Dash. The mare jumped and caught the filly as her wings failed. This didn't bother Scootaloo at all though, she just embraced Rainbow. All of a sudden, a thought occurred to her. "Do I have to call you guys 'mom' now?" Twilight quickly piped up. "Only if you'd like to Scootaloo. Twilight is also fine." The idea of being called "mom" left a weird taste in Rainbow's mouth. She had never considered having foals of her own, deciding it wouldn't fit her. It would cramp her lifestyle. A pony couldn't travel around with the Wonderbolts if she had to worry about a little foal waiting for her. A big sister? Sure. Rainbow would be completely fine with that. She'd even built her relationship with Scootaloo around it. But a parent? She supposed she'd been basically acting as Scootaloo's mother ever since that one fateful weekend regardless. And she really didn't mind living like that. In fact, having such an adorable filly look up her to her and staying with her only warmed her heart. She wouldn't mind taking care of Scootaloo constantly, watching her grow up. I guess legal motherhood wouldn't be the worst thing. "You can call me whatever you want, squirt." Rainbow replied, nuzzling her new... daughter. Scootaloo squeaked happily. "Twilight!" Came a regal voice from behind the trio. Scootaloo jumped out of Rainbow Dash's hooves and Rainbow Dash landed as Celestia came up to the group. "I am so dissapointed, Twilight." For a moment there was silence as Rainbow Dash's breath got caught in her throat. "You got yourself a girlfriend and never even told me? Well, you and Miss Rainbow Dash are rather cute together, I must say." The group let out a collective sigh of relief. "Princess Celestia, Rainbow Dash and I aren't in a relationship. Rainbow is just terrible under pressure." Twilight hissed, turning around to face Rainbow Dash and speaking in a much harsher tone. "While I'm thinking of that, what the hay was that about, Rainbow? Did you listen to nothing I spoke to you about in regards to the adoption process? And do you even know what 'hooking up' even means? Because you just announced it public, in a recorded event, where dozens of ponies were watching!" Rainbow Dash backed up and spoke uncertainly. "Of course I know what it means. It means dating... right?" Twilight fixed her with an angry stare. "No, it doesn't. Hooking up means you find somebody else and you f-" Looking around, Twilight took notice of Scootaloo listening to their conversation. Twilight covered Scootaloo's ears and said something she couldn't hear, then released them a moment later. Whatever Twilight had said had made Rainbow Dash blush big time. Twilight stopped covering Scootaloo's ears and threw a forehoof up in anger. "And you just announced that to everybody. IN A PUBLIC COURTROOM!" Rainbow found herself speechless, mortified by the realization of what she had done. Celestia tittered. "You two have barely been married five minutes, and already a lover's quarrel? How sad. Especially considering the cute little hug Rainbow gave you in the courtroom." Twilight wheeled back around to face Celestia. "Princess, Rainbow Dash and I are not married. We simply engaged in a civil union so we could take care of Scootaloo." Without missing a beat, Celestia responded. "And civil unions were instigated so same-sex couples could be legally together until same-sex marriage was legalized. And you used that. So, you two are essentially married, at least by the public eye. Oh, are you two going to have anymore foals together after Scootaloo? I bet your foals would be just as adorable." Celestia winked to Scootaloo, who beamed back in response. "Princess... I... but..." Twilight sputtered. "Well I should leave so you two can enjoy your honeymoon. If you'd like to celebrate tonight, I can watch over Scootaloo personally. We'll give her the royal treatment, peeled grapes and all." Celestia giggled, enjoying the mortified look on both the mare's faces. "What does she mean by that celebrating it tonight Twilight?" Scootaloo asked innocently, staring up at Twilight with big, round eyes. Twilight brought up her hoof to rub the base of her muzzle in irritation. "I'll tell you when you're older, sweetie." Scootaloo pouted. She hated that answer. "Thank you for your... offer Princess." Twilight said, giving off a rather terrible fake smile. "The three of us will be perfectly happy alone, in our room. With respectable distances between us." Celestia shrugged and winked at Scootaloo once more, who, while extremely confused, had been thoroughly enjoying this little scene. "Very well. I'll leave you two lovebirds and you daughter alone. I must tell the good news to Luna and Cadance! Oh, Cadance will be overjoyed to hear of it!" Twilight just sighed again and facehooved. The only part of that really sunk in to Scootaloo was Celestia calling Scootaloo their daughter. She let out a squee and started dancing around again, wings buzzing in excitement. Scootaloo finally had parents who she was so proud of, and who loved her. Rainbow Dash had recovered from her abject horror in time to see Scootaloo squee and start dancing around. For all the hell I've been through in the last three months, it's been worth it just to see this. I'd go through it all over again just to keep that smile on her face. Celestia left and the trio made their way back to the room to rest, Scootaloo hopping and hovering the entire time. Twilight wearily pushed open the door to her room and instantly froze. When they had left, there had been three individual beds in the room. But now there was two beds. One filly sized, and one more, a four poster queen sized bed, with ribbons adorned with hearts posted all around it. There were rose petals all over the top of the bed. "CELESTIA!"