Lack of Faith

by Tennis Match Fan

Found Faith

"Yes," Shortstack said, pointedly avoiding Rainbow's gaze. "We gave it some thought... and we're going to continue seeing Dr. Petals to fix our marriage."

"Or attempt to, at least." Angel smiled wryly. "And while we're doing that, Scootaloo should be out of the picture."

"So do you still hate her?" Rainbow asked point-blank.

"Well I figured that we shouldn't have the burden of raising her anymore," Shortstack muttered. "No thanks to you."

"This is wonderful news!" Twilight said, beaming at the group. "Thank you so much, Sunshine Petals. I was secretly worried I'd have brought you to Ponyville for nothing."

"No problem at all, I'm happy to help others," Sunshine said in a sunny voice. "Although I guess I'll be staying here a while longer. I might need to look into some hotels."

"No need. I have plenty of extra rooms in this castle, you can stay here if you'd like." Twilight gestured to the spacious hall they stood in. Sunshine grinned.

"Thanks for your help, Twilight!" Rainbow squealed, hugging Twilight from the air. "I'm off to tell Scoots and my parents. Meet ya at Town Hall?"

"Of course!" Twilight's words were immediately drowned out in the whoosh of the air current created by Rainbow's speedy departure. In three and a half minutes, Rainbow was outside of her parents' cloud house. Without knocking, she threw open the door and barged straight into the kitchen.

"Mom! Dad! Guess what!" Rainbow exclaimed loudly.

A startled Windy and Bow looked up from their game of Cloud Defender II. Between them, Scootaloo was about to roll her dice.

"Scootaloo! I've missed you buddy!"

"Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo finally got the memo and dropped the dice. "What are you doing here?"

"I messed things up, and I'm sorry," Rainbow explained hurriedly. "But the good news is that your parents have agreed to let my parents adopt you! All this" -she swept her hoof across the game board- "can happen everyday! We'd be real sisters!"

"Ooh Rainbow Dash, I'm so glad you could accomplish this!" Windy squealed. "Bow, what first is this? First interference with a marriage? First diplomatic exchange?"

"Photo later! First, what does the squirt think of all this?" Bow looked down at Scootaloo with stars in his eyes.

Scootaloo was staring at the dice on the table. Slowly, she looked up, and a huge smile split across her face, like sunlight breaking through a cloudy sky.

"Of course I want to live with you guys!" she shrieked, throwing her hooves around Bow, and then Windy. "You guys are the parents I've always wanted!"

"And you're like the second daughter we always wanted!" Windy answered in a honey-sweet tone.

Rainbow flew over and joined the hug with a shout: "First official family hug!"

"I'm sorry I was so mad at you, Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo said, her raspy voice muffled by Bow's chest.

"You had a right to be," Rainbow answered as she cuddled into her mom's neck. "But hey, things worked out in the end, right?"

"Right!" chorused the other three ponies.

"Oh yeah, and we have to get down to Town Hall so Mayor Mare can do the legal mumbo jumbo," Rainbow pointed out.

"Then there's not a moment to lose!" Bow declared, breaking away from the hug. "Scootaloo, get the camera! This is a momentous occasion!"

---

Scootaloo shoved her the final book of her collection into the cardboard box in front of her. Procedures had gone smoother than Fluttershy's mane, and she and her family had returned to her house to collect her possessions.

"I'm all done with my books!" Scootaloo said to Rainbow Dash.

With the utmost care, Rainbow placed Fleetfoot and Soarin action figures into a second box, labeled "Wonderbolts" in Rainbow's shaky writing. Rainbow answered, "Awesome, sis!"

Scootaloo rolled her eyes, but a content smile held its ground on her lips. "That's gotta be the fifth time you've called me sis today!"

"True." Rainbow grinned. "Just be lucky I didn't start singing."

"Scootaloo, sweet heart, I'm almost finished with the rest of your toys," Bow said, grinning at his new daughter. "I'm sure Rainbow, Windy, and I can finish up without you. Why don't you get on your scooter and go tell your friends the good news?"

"Oh yeah!" Scootaloo's eyes widened with dismay. "I haven't told Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle! Thanks, Bow- I mean Dad," she added bashfully.

"Bow or Dad is fine by me," Bow replied. "Whatever floats your boat, kiddo."

"Alright, Bow. I'll meet you guy back at the house, alright?" After Bow and Rainbow agreed, Scootaloo dashed out of her room and down the staircase.

She paused next to the kitchen, listening to the elated voices of Shortstack and Angel Pulse.

"Now that Scootaloo's gone, we can finally move back to Cloudsdale!" Angel was saying excitedly.

"That would be nice," Shortstack admitted. "I could spend longer hours at the office."

"But we also have therapy, remember?" A brittle edge entered Angel's tone.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, sure, Angel. Hey, maybe I'll get you a job at the company, huh? I'm sure whatever you're doing now makes less moola than whatever I can scrounge up for you."

"Sure thing, Shorty."

Scootaloo recoiled as soon as she heard the slosh of saliva mixing together.

My parents haven't kissed in forever! she thought, still disgusted. As she got on her scooter, she remarked to herself, "They're still insensitive jerks, but at least we won't have to put up with each other anymore. Who knows? Maybe that therapy of Twilight's will help."

Smiling to herself, Scootaloo pushed off and scootered through the streets of Ponyville until she reached Sweetie's house.

"Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo shouted, popping her head through the entrance of Carousel Boutique. "Sweetie, I need to tell you and Apple Bloom something important!"

"What?" Sweetie appeared from behind a rack of dresses. "Is it about Rainbow Dash?"

Scootaloo let her smile speak for itself. "Meet me and Apple Bloom at the clubhouse! I need to tell you both at the same time!"

---

"And so I'm gonna move in with them today!" Scootaloo summarized.

"Ahh!" Sweetie Belle squealed. "I'm so happy for you!"

"So am I!" Apple Bloom added, her orange eyes sparkling. "Too bad we can't visit, though."

"Twilight probably has a spell to let you guys walk on the clouds," Scootaloo assured them.

"So you're like, officially Rainbow Dash's sister now. That's so great!" Sweetie giggled.

"I'm glad you've forgiven her," Apple Bloom said, adjusting her bow as she spoke.

"Yeah, me too. I know we're gonna get into more fights down the road, but she has her heart in the right place." Scootaloo turned to gaze out the clubhouse window. A bright rainbow streaked across the sky, the result of weather ponies hard at work.

"Can we come meet Bow and Windy?" Sweetie asked, trotting over to stand next to Scootaloo. "You've never properly introduced us."

"Sure thing." Scootaloo grinned. "If we hurry, maybe they'll take us out to ice cream!"

"Then there's no time to lose!" Apple Bloom declared. "First one on your scooter gets a sundae!"

"Woo hoo!" Sweetie Belle chirped as Scootaloo shouted, "It's my scooter!"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders clambered down the clubhouse stairs. The three fillies grabbed their helmets. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle climbed on the back while Scootaloo stood in front. Friends at her side, Scootaloo raced off to meet the rest of her life.

Author's Note:

Conclusions were never my strong suit.

Comments

[Bronycommander]

A true comes true! Enjoy every second of it Scoots!

"And you're like the second daughter we always wanted!" Windy answered in a honey-sweet tone.

Uhh, then why haven't they...you know. Ah, shouldn't think about, should enjoy that Scoots has some real parents!

[Haseo55]

8334271
Maybe they can't?

It was a nice story, heck i would't be surprice if the move to ponyville

[Bronycommander]

8334395
Agreed

[RuinQueenofOblivion]

Nice story all around and I'm glad for a happy ending, Scoots deserves a happy ending, so, yay!

[Blast]

Y'know, there's usually a little red wagon involved in their travels. The one Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom sit in while it's attached to the scooter.

[Tennis Match Fan]

8343804 Oh yeah, forgot about that.

[cornholio4]

8298196
Not sure about that, is there any piece of fiction where brainwash for greater good was a good idea

[Bronycommander]

8414116
Agreed.

[New Fossil Studios]

This story is amazing.

[GameQubb]

Amazing story, I hope there will be a sequel.

[superfun]

I hope there's at least a short sequel where Scootaloo manages to fly, proving her parents wrong.

[Ellington]

9202848
Spitfire kept praising her for her wrongful behavior; Spitfire was the real problem, Lightening Dust was just a symptom.

[Matthais Unidostres]

Here's some fitting music:

https://m.

[Fluttershyisacutegal]

11429944
eh it’s Alright

[Loganberry]

The author is no longer active, but even so I reviewed this recently. I like the cuteness of the Scootaloo/Rainbow sisterhood, and there's the odd bit of appealing world-building (eg "airlevators") but the bits about Scoot's parents feel overdone.