//------------------------------// // So Far Away // Story: The Fears of Yesterday // by SolidFire //------------------------------// So Far Away "Sooo, faaaar awayyyy! And I need you to need you to knooow," Sweetie Belle finished as Aerial's casket was lowered into the ground. Iron Pony hadn't had time to write a memorial for her, but Scootaloo desperately wanted to play one. Given the situation there was no way the other members were going to deny her request, and the band already knew it after having covered it multiple times in shows. Scootaloo thought back to the day Aerial died. Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered watching the life slip away from her mother. Soarin had burst in five minutes later. It tore him apart to find out he arrived too late. He fortunately was able to find much comfort with his wife and daughter. He stepped up to the microphone Sweetie Belle was using. "My sister died having made up for a lot of mistakes she had made with her daughter. She lived a life in fear of the monster that put her where she is now, but in her last few days she overcame that fear. She died as the mare I grew up with. The joyful mare I know and love." He didn't have much else to say. Speeches weren't his thing. Those watching the funeral were taken off guard when Scootaloo stepped up to the microphone. She had to say something. She wished she had prepared a eulogy. "I never got to know my mother until the last few days of her life. But I came to find out that she always tried to be there for me however she could when I was growing up, despite how painful it often was for her. My father was not a good stallion. He hurt her very much, but I refused to see it because of what I myself endured from him. When he kicked me out here in Ponyville, my mother refused to do a thing to get me back to them. As much as it pained her that she was going to lose her daughter, she knew Ponyville would be the best place for me to call home." Scootaloo looked at the casket as it finished its descent. "Now it looks like she'll find her place in this small town as well." Scootaloo fought back tears as she finished. "I love you Mom. Like Sweets said earlier, 'When I'm done I'll be on my way'." The small audience gave a sad chuckle at Scootaloo's reference to the song they had played. Scootaloo gave one last look at the casket before walking to her saddle bags and removing a guitar string. She tossed it into her mother's resting place. "There. Now you'll always have something to remember me by." Scootaloo touched the necklace she was wearing. It had belonged to Aerial. When Scootaloo had first opened the locket she had sobbed. Inside was a picture of her and her mother on the day she was born. Lightning wrapped a comforting wing around Scootaloo. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. Scootaloo appreciated the comfort he offered. Lightning had been staying with the Dash family since Aerial's death. Rainbow and Spitfire knew he could comfort Scootaloo like nopony else could, so his presence was welcome. Scootaloo didn't understand exactly why she felt so much remorse for somepony she barely knew. Despite having grown up in their home for the first eleven years of her life, Scootaloo never really got to know her parents as anything other than the monsters that made her life hell. She had always had some minor form of sympathy for her mother when she watched Jade beat her, but other than that she had always hated her. Now that her birth mother was gone, Scootaloo couldn't keep her thoughts straight. Lightning tightened his wing around Scootaloo as he heard her begin to cry. He certainly picked the right time to give in to his feelings, Scootaloo thought with a smile as she buried her face into her coltfriend’s chest. When the Dash family and Lightning arrived back home, Lightning turned to leave. "Where are you going Lightning?" Spitfire asked. "When you sent me for groceries today I saw my parents at the market. They told me they want me to come back home tonight." Scootaloo sighed. She knew the time would come where he would have to go, she just hoped it wouldn't be so soon. "Well you keep your flank here until dinner is over. We're not sending you home on an empty stomach." Rainbow saw that it pained her daughter to see him leave. "I really should be-" "Nonsense Lightning, your parents will be fine with you staying for dinner," Scootaloo spoke up. She knew he'd stay for her sake. Lightning knew he was defeated. His parents could wait. Right now somepony else needed him. "Dinner sounds wonderful." Lightning smiled as he followed Scootaloo and her parents inside. Despite the events of the last few days, Scootaloo found herself greatly enjoying herself at dinner. Being surrounded by three ponies she loved helped her to cheer up after losing one. She had resolved to go and find Steel when he was old enough to take care of himself. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew it would be foolish for her to try and seek him out while he was still under Jade's authority. She would never be able to convince the brainwashed colt that Jade was nothing but a power hungry monster. All she could do now was wait and hope that the Royal Guard would find and arrest Jade. Since she was a legal adult and Steel's last living blood relative other than his father, Scootaloo would become Steel's legal guardian upon Jade's apprehension. She would immediately give part of that responsibility to her parents. She wasn't ready to raise a child and she knew it. More than likely she would have to find somepony else that she could trust to raise him given that he had been raised to hate fillyfoolers and Scootaloo. That wasn't a hatred that would easily be worked out of him. "Scootaloo? Knock knock? Anypony home?" Scootaloo snapped back to reality when Rainbow addressed her. "What about pretty ponies?" Everypony around Scootaloo laughed. Scootaloo realized what happened and chuckled herself. "Aren't you gonna see your coltfriend off?" Spitfire asked. Lightning was standing next to Scootaloo, waiting for her to walk with him out the door. Scootaloo and Lightning stepped outside and moved out of sight of the doorway. "I'm sorry I have to go Scoot. I really don't-" "I understand Lightning. There's no need to apologize." Scootaloo didn't want Lightning to go either, but she didn't blame him for it. Or his parents for that matter. Lightning leaned in to kiss Scootaloo. "I don't think so buddy!" Spitfire's voice was easily heard from inside. Lightning and Scootaloo looked inside to see Spitfire washing dishes with her back turned to the window. "How did you-" "Mom sense," Spitfire replied. "I want this 'mom sense' you have. How come I don't have it?" Rainbow envied Spitfire's power. "Because you're more of a dad Rainbow." Rainbow sighed at Spitfire's response. Scootaloo and Lightning laughed and stepped away from the window. Before Lightning (or Spitfire) had a chance to react, she wrapped a hoof around his neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. Lightning hoped Spitfire wouldn't be able to detect him returning the favor. She did. "Young lady, I do not like that course of action! And Lightning, I already warned you!" The young couple pulled away laughing. As Lightning flew away, curiosity got the better of Scootaloo. She tested the wing theory. She swallowed hard when she discovered it was true. "YOU AVERT YOUR EYES LITTLE FILLY!" Spitfire bolted through the door. Scootaloo yelped in surprise. "I'm sorry, I was curious! I swear it wasn't for dirty purposes!" "Uh huh. Get your flank inside." Scootaloo scurried into the house. "You tested the wing theory didn't you?" Rainbow could tell by the immense blush on Scootaloo's face that she had. Rainbow grinned. "Is it true?" Scootaloo blushed harder as she nodded. Rainbow laughed. "Just as long as you don't give it a test drive." Scootaloo put her head down and sprinted to her room. Her face was hot with embarrassment. When she got in her room she looked at her guitar. Inspiration had struck. She plugged it in and began to play a slow, somber melody. She gradually moved up the fretboard until she was playing something that she felt would accompany a sad recollection of a joyful time. The perfect memorial for her mother. "I cannot believe Scootaloo just did that," Spitfire said as she shakily made her way back to the kitchen. Rainbow laughed. "She's not a filly anymore Spitfire. Like it or not our daughter is a mare now. She's gonna take interest in that part of a colt now." "I just... never expected her to-" "Be just like you and me at her age?" "Yeah. I always hoped she'd be more reserved than that." Rainbow walked over and put a wing around Spitfire. It was around then that they heard Scootaloo's new melody from her room. "How she makes stuff up like that on a whim I will never know," Rainbow said as she listened intently. "It's so... sad." Spitfire leaned against Rainbow. "Her birth mother just died three days ago. If she was playing something upbeat and happy I'd be surprised." "Fair enough." Rainbow and Spitfire simply leaned against each other. Nothing ever brought them more joy than listening to Scootaloo do what she loved. As odd as it was they had even enjoyed watching her play at Aerial's funeral. Neither of them spoke. Words would have ruined the moment. After Scootaloo finished, Rainbow and Spitfire parted with a kiss. As they went back to what they were doing before their daughter's song, they still didn't speak. They had no need to. Spitfire finished the dishes and went to bed. Rainbow followed her wife. As they climbed into bed, neither of them had any of their usual sexual cravings. They were content to just curl up together. It wasn't long before they drifted off to sleep. As Scootaloo finished playing and set her guitar down she thought about the last few days with her birth mother. As much as it pained her to see Aerial's passing, she was happy that she had at least been able to have some time with her before her death. She couldn't imagine having finished her life without ever having gotten to know the mare that gave birth to her. As Scootaloo lay in her bed, joyful thoughts of Aerial entered her head. She even thought she caught a memory of Aerial playing with her as a foal. Scootaloo smiled as she drifted off to sleep. She no longer felt pain from her birth mother's death. That night Scootaloo dreamed of all the ponies she loved that were still with her in the world. She was going to make the most of every second she had with them.