The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Scootadad!

by Adorned ungulate

Chapter 13: An Unforeseen Adoption

Scootaloo was perfectly safe during Trixie's brief reign. She fled to her mother and spent the majority of the time trying to design tattoos which turns out is harder than a filly first expects. As far as tattoos go Needles explained a dozen times that she was too young for one and it wouldn't really count as a cutie mark in any case, for which I was grateful. She was rather perplexed that I was so concerned for her safety and deflected by asking permission to go camping the following weekend with her fellow Crusaders, their sisters and a friend.

"Want me to go along too?"

She looked terrified. "No!"

"Oh. I didn't know I embarrassed you so."

"Uh it's not that dad. It's just that it'd be a bunch of mares and one old guy and that'd be weird." She gave me a grimace that just made me more suspicious. What was her gambit?

"Alright, you can go."

"YES!"

"Just be safe. Let me find my old Colt Scouts manual."

"Daad."

A weekend to myself with no ex-spouse or child? The mind reels. The worm has turned. I couldn't let this pass. My apartment spit me out and I found myself floating over to the Spider.

Thunderlane clapped me on the shoulder when I explained the situation to him. "Nice! So what we gonna do? I'll get Cloudchaser, we can go up to Canterlot and catch a Vinyl Scratch show?"

"Maybe. I'm out of practice and don't know what to do with myself." As I sipped my mug I glanced over at the stage where Lyra was strumming and for the fourth time nervously scanned the audience for her companion.

"I'll see if her sister is free."

"I'd love the extra company my friend but Flitter's not my type."

"Blossomforth."

"No, thank you."

"Dizzy Twister."

"No."

"Raindrops?"

"No."

"Wind Whistler?"

"No."

"Medley?"

"No!"

"You've already got your eye on somepony haven't you?"

"Yes. But I don't want to wander around the Crystal Empire like a little lost lamb this weekend."

"Horn chaser."

"Feather brain."

We laughed and clapped each other on the back for a while.

He gave me that bright grin of his. "Let's drink lots of cheap cider and sing weather team work songs until they throw us out or we close this place down."

"You're on."

Scootaloo behaved strangely after her return from the camping trip. Which is to say she behaved. She did her chores without complaint, cleaned her dinner plate like it was her job, and spent a lot of time looking out her bedroom window. I suspected something was up but she would only tell me it was "really cool" and "super awesome" and went into great detail describing rainbow waterfalls and ghost stories. Something was going on without my knowledge.

Then one night I fell asleep after story time. This happened every now and then. After so many months sharing a room she got used to the comfort of company and ask me to just wait until she fell asleep. I was so tired after work and chores I drifted off, awakened due the cold with lack of covers. I slid off the bed, careful not to wake her and was tip-hoofing to the door when she sighed, smacked her lips, and spoke.

"Hmm. Yes, faced my frearr. I asked her... Gonna be my... big sister..."

I stopped in my tracks. She could only be talking about one particular pony. I thought this over. I looked at my sleeping daughter. Couldn't sleep now with this jumble of emotions to sort out. So I did the dishes. I paced from room to room. Finally I retired to my bedroom to listen to records and await Celestia's sun. Very soon I would have to have a talk with this trash talking showboating egotistic boastful spectrum-hued maned amazing mare.

My chance came a few days later in the weekduring a regular delivery to Golden Oaks. A sleepy-eyed Spike answered the door. He scratched his chin and called out behind him. "Twilight, book order's here... Come on in, Martin."

She was bent over a desk full of open books as usual. "Good morning."

"Here you are, 'The Chemical Reactions of Bismuth' and 'Lifecycle of the Appaloosan Groundhog'." I tried not to speculate if she was planning on using them in tandem.

"Thank you, Martin." She signed my clipboard receipt. "I'll have Spike get you the outgoing books."

I heard... the sound of snoring? "Is that our weather captain asleep on your couch?"

She gave me a knowing smile. "Yes. She's been practicing pretty hard in case she's accepted at Wonderbolts Academy. She was up all night trying out something called a sonic moonbow."

"Isn't she supposed to be on duty?"

"She wasn't in any condition to be when I found her in the branches outside so I had Spike let them know she was taking a sick day."

"Would you mind if I spoke with her briefly?" The librarian gave me a shrug and got down to researching rodents or something.

Once by the couch I tapped on the floor and sure enough she stirred in her sleep. "Rainbow Dash. I need to talk with you."

"Hungh, what?" She looked blearily up at me.

"Do you remember who I am?" She blinked. "Martin... I'm Scootaloo's father."

"Oh, uh yeah. Hey."

"I hear you are her unofficial big sister now."

"Yeah, something like that." She seemed confused and flat-hoofed.

"You and Scootaloo didn't feel like informing me to see how I felt about this?"

Her magenta eyes were wide now. "Oh, heh. I guess not."

"I don't really know you."

"Guess not."

I let that hang for a few beats before continuing. "She's been looking up at you from in your shadow for three years, Rainbow Dash. Do you know what's happening in a few months?"

"Whaat?" She shifted on the couch.

"She'll be graduating. The elder students are expected to demonstrate their special talents at the ceremony. If she can't fly or doesn't have her cutie mark by then it will be crushing. She's got a big, sensitive heart."

"I guess."

"I don't know if you've ever had siblings before but Scootaloo has never had a positive stable female role model present in her life. She's had the just idea of you."

Her left ear fell back and she stared at me.

I put a bit of pleading in my tone. "I need your help. She needs your help. I've been afraid to teach Scootaloo to fly, afraid she wouldn't listen to anypony but you. I've been afraid that I would fail. She can't have you moving off to Cloudsdale to become a Wonderbolt, a place she cannot presently safely visit, and not keep in touch."

"Now I wouldn't-"

"I'm so worried that she'll start galloping downhill, throwing herself down hills, and then bluffs, then jumping off a cliff and if I or you are not there to catch her, Element of Loyalty..."

She nodded and thought about this. "I'll be there for her."

I smiled. "Good. I hope we understand each other. You're welcome in my home anytime. You might want to get your friend Twilight to help you research training regimens," There was an excited squeal from across the room and the sound of clopping hooves as the librarian hurried to the stacks, "because Scootaloo is no doubt expecting some flying lessons from the two of us. We need to be on the same page." Dash looked over at Twilight, rolled her eyes, and facehoofed. "Now I've got to get back to work..." I turned to the door but gave her a savage smile. "Welcome to the family. See you soon!"

Rainbow groaned and laid back down on the couch.

Mission accomplished.

Author's Note:

This chapter is dedicated to the fans who compile lists of background ponies.

Scoots talking in her sleep was the result of a follow up visit from the princess.

If my child wanted Dash as a big sister and I didn't know her I'd probably react that way too.

I'm just gonna post this here and let the TwiDash shippers draw whatever conclusions they want.