Chapter 16 - A Mother's Thoughts and a Pony Where it Counts
The teacup fell from Rainbow’s hand; it landed with a clatter on the table, the contents soaking into the tablecloth, Rainbow’s mind off-balance trying to process the startling revelation.
“B-but, your—your daughter? How can she be her age—at your age?” Rainbow stammered.
Rarity used her magic to put the teacup back on Rainbow’s saucer and then levitated a napkin to try to clean up the spilled tea. “I was thirteen when she was born.”
Rage suddenly filled Rainbow and she grabbed the biggest utensil on the table and held it like a dagger. “Tell me his name and I’ll kill him! Then magic him back to life and kill him again!”
Rarity used magic to gently take the pie server from Rainbow’s hand and she set it back on the table as she levitated the teapot over and refilled Rainbow’s cup. “Calm yourself, Rainbow, darling. I assure you that Sweetie Belle’s conception was, thankfully, not the result of violence or coercion by an older stallion. The father was a colt the same age as I. It was a ‘perfect storm’ as they say, of bad things all going wrong at the same time. Our families were close and we would often go vacationing together. The young gentlecolt and I had quite the crush on each other. It so happened we had both reached that certain age, and we were together at that special time of year when ponies—“
“Dad gave me the 'ponies in spring’ talk when I was younger,” Rainbow recalled with a shudder.
“I shall spare you the details then, but suffice it to say we were never given ‘the talk’ and had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Our respective parents should have known better than to leave us unsupervised that long, especially at that time,” Rarity said with a hint of bitterness.
“Whoa, so they’re actually Sweetie’s grandparents. Does she know?”
“No, she does not. I will have to tell her eventually though, as she is troubled by their frequent absence.”
Rainbow tried to drink the tea but shook her head instead. “Sorry, I’m finding all this a bit hard to wrap my brain around.”
“Indeed. Mother and Father as well as Sweetie's father’s family were obviously quite shocked when they found out. We lived in Canterlot at the time and the colt’s family was very well-to-do. They paid us ‘hush money’ to move out of town. It turns out that this sort of thing happens often enough in Canterlot high society that they have a term for it—‘the four season sojourn.’” Rarity said and her shoulders slumped as she hung her head under the apparent weight of the memories. “The father's family made arrangements for us to live at a resort of sorts, in a secluded area in the west. This resort was accustomed to this sort of thing and if anything existed for the upper crust to treat embarrassing problems. So when the day came, Mother was there with me in the delivery room, holding my hoof as Sweetie Belle came into the world."
Rarity poured a fresh cup of tea for herself, stirring with a hint of agitation. "As I said, the doctors were accustomed to this sort of thing and discretion was their top priority. Without so much as batting an eye, they lied on Sweetie's birth certificate and listed my parents as her parents. I remained there with Mother while Father scouted around to find a new place for us to live. When I was recovered, we moved into our new home in Ponyville. Mother, Father and their two daughters.”
“What did the dad ever have to say about any of this?” Rainbow finally managed to ask.
“I haven’t seen or spoken to him since. We were told to never contact them under any circumstances.”
“Wow, harsh," Rainbow replied, sitting back, still trying to take it all in.
Rarity nodded and sipped her tea. “So you see, Rainbow, my mother and father are wonderful parents. When I got pregnant, they didn’t disown me or throw me out into the street. They gave up everything they had worked for—good jobs, a beautiful home—to spare me and our family from the shame and ridicule, which would have certainly followed us in Canterlot. They didn’t force me to give up my baby but raised her as their own. Now they feel that I’m old enough and mature enough to take up the job on my own and they’re right. It’s just a matter of finding the right way of explaining the truth to Sweetie. It is I... who am the... bad parent.”
Rarity sat quietly for a few moments and slumped to the table, her head resting on her folded forelegs as she began sobbing. Rainbow quickly got up and came around the table and wrapped her arms around her friend. Rarity turned and rested against Rainbow and cried; this was far longer than her normal histrionics and Rainbow knew it was the release of long-sealed emotions. When the tears finally passed, Rarity let go of Rainbow and sat back, picking up her napkin and wiping her eyes.
"I must look a fright," Rarity said apologetically, looking at the makeup smears on the napkin.
Under other circumstances, Rainbow would have found Rarity's current appearance comical, but not today. "Don't worry about it, Rarity. By the look of it, you needed to get that out of your system."
Rarity chuckled a bit. "Rainbow, you're the first pony I've told that, ever. Thank you. I've kept that secret bottled up inside me since I was thirteen."
"You're welcome. That's what friends are for. And don't worry, I won't say anything about it. I'm kinda surprised you could keep something that big a secret for so long," Rainbow said as she returned to her seat.
Rarity managed a small laugh. "I am a bit of a gossip, I know, but there are certain skeletons that ponies always want to keep buried. But getting back to your earlier question..." She produced a mirror and her makeup kit. "As I said before, the key to raising a child and being yourself is balance. You can't have everything your way all the time. You have to compromise to accommodate the child's wants and needs. You're very independent, Rainbow. You have to decide if you are flexible enough to let somepony else have their way at times."
"I don't think that will be the big problem. I guess I worry she'll hold me back."
"Your life is an adrenaline fueled thrill ride, but you can't have it both ways. It can't just be the Rainbow Dash show anymore. You have to make time for her needs. At times you'll have to put off thrills and adventure for things like parent/teacher conferences, days when she's sick, helping her with homework and things of that nature. It's not just you and your biggest fan; it will have to be you and your daughter," Rarity said and in astonishing time had given herself a complete makeover, returning to her normal immaculate self.
"Rarity, I'm home!" Sweetie Belle shouted happily as the door suddenly opened. The little pony galloped over and hugged Rarity. "Oh, hi Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow forced a welcome smile on her face, hoping she wasn't giving anything away. "Hey, Sweetie. How was school?"
"It was good! Oh, tea! Can I have some, Rarity?"
Rarity hugged Sweetie Belle tightly and looked down at her with a tender smile, putting a gentle hoof on the little pony's cheek. "Of course, Sweetie darling, but go wash up first."
They watched as Sweetie Belle ran off.
"Wow, so every day is a little twist of the knife for you," Rainbow said softly.
"Every day, looking her in the eye and lying to her," she replied and sat silent for a few moments. She looked to Rainbow. "Rainbow darling, I hate to be an impolite hostess, but if Sweetie and I could have some time by ourselves, perhaps now having told you the truth maybe I can at last tell her."
Rainbow smiled and got up from her seat. She came around and hugged her friend again. "No problem, Rarity. If you need a shoulder to cry on later, I'll be around."
"Thank you, Rainbow," she replied, returning the hug.
Rainbow walked around town in almost a daze, her mind still reeling from Rarity's revelation. The very word "family" had suddenly gotten very complicated in her mind.
"What is family?" she asked herself as she sat on a bench, watching the ponies go about their daily business. Rainbow saw the Cakes with their children; they managed a very successful business while raising twins and having Pinkie Pie under their roof, which must be a unique challenge all its own. She saw the Apples, Twilight and Spike, Derpy with Dr. Whooves and their daughter Dinky.
"Family are the ponies who love you, the ones who are there for you when you need them. The ones you're there for when they need you," she said with a smile.
“What’s on your mind, Rainbow sugar?” Ma Apple asked from behind her.
Rainbow gave a start of surprise as Ma Apple came around the front of the bench, little Candy Apple in tow. Rainbow scooted over as an invitation for her to sit, which she did.
“Hi, Miss Rainbow!” Candy said happily as she struggled to get onto the bench beside Rainbow. In one motion, Rainbow picked up Candy and put her on her lap.
“Hey Candy,” she said with a smile, hugging the little pony. “Yeah, I guess I got a lot on my mind,” she said and summarized her thoughts about families and her current dilemma.
Ma Apple put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "Rainbow sugar, you're the very Element of Loyalty. What does that say about you? You are dependable and trustworthy and then some." A sadness seemed to come over her and the smile faded from her face. "Rainbow, Twilight showed me that recordin' of your fall. My heart was in my throat as I watched you chasin' after that little filly. No hesitation, no fear. The ground gettin' closer and closer and that didn't matter none to you. You were gonna save her no matter what. I truly believe that you woulda stayed with her to the end and gone right into the ground beside her if you couldn't save her." Ma Apple shuddered and wiped her tears away with a hoof. "Sorry, sugar."
Rainbow smiled and leaned against Ma Apple. "It's okay, Ma. I appreciate that you care. But being the Element of Loyalty’s cool and all for the short runs and rescues, but can I be this awesome to Scootaloo on a daily basis or would I get bored with the regular day to day stuff? That's what worries me. Can I be the perfect mom she needs?"
Ma Apple put a comforting foreleg around Rainbow. "Rainbow, did you expect your pony ma and pa to be perfect?"
"No, I guess not. They had no idea really what it was like, raising a human kid."
"But they did it anyway," Ma Apple said, finishing her thought. "They had love to give and a yearning in their heart to raise a filly. They knew they weren't gonna be perfect and they knew you weren't gonna be perfect, but despite all that y'all made yourselves a family. Rainbow, ya got a really big heart, one overflowin' with love, and now you're wonderin' if there's more than just loyalty you can offer a pony. And I'm sure Scootaloo would love to have you as her momma. She wouldn't care one bit that you ain't a pony. You'd be the most loyal and dependable momma any little pony could hope for and you'd have your great big Ponyville family to help ya too."
Rainbow looked to Candy Apple, who'd sat quietly on her lap, not wanting to interrupt the grown-up talk. "Candy, do you think I'd make a good mom?"
Candy reached up and wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow's neck in a hug. "Yes, Miss Rainbow."
Ma Apple laughed and smiled. "See, ya got the word of a genuine filly. If that ain't dependable, I don't know what is."
Rainbow smiled and looked to Candy. “So, I’d be a good mom even if I don’t look like a pony, with a cute little muzzle,” she said, and booped Candy on the nose with a finger. “Or cute pony ears?” she said, tickling Candy’s ears, causing the little pony to giggle.
“Silly Miss Rainbow, you are a pony!" Candy Apple said with a big smile. "’Cause you’re a pony where it counts," Candy said and put a little hoof over Rainbow’s heart.
"Aww, thanks Candy," Rainbow said with a smile and hugged the little pony again.
Ma Apple laughed. “Candy’s right, sugar. To Ponyville, you’re a brave and fearless, wingless, mostly bald pegasus who walks upright and likes to fall from high places.”
Rainbow smiled down at Candy. “Well, if I’m ever a mom, I hope I’m half as good a mom as your mom.”
Candy smiled up at Rainbow. "Now you just need a stallion to marry! Big Mac really likes y-" Candy said and was cut off by her mother's hoof over her mouth.
"Hush now, Candy. Rainbow has enough on her mind," she said, laughing nervously.
Rainbow was about to respond when something strange happened; her cutie mark began glowing and vibrating.
"What's that, sugar?" Ma Apple asked in surprise.
Rainbow looked down at her brightly glowing mark—bright enough that it could be seen through her jeans. "I don't know, but I got a feeling this is something big. Gotta dash!"