Rainbow Dash soared through the blue skies of Ponyville, reaching the humble farm from which the town had originated in record time. Though the usually beautiful, sprawling orchard was suddenly so bleak and horrific, with trees that once bared the most succulent fruit anypony could ever hope to feast upon, now pulled from their roots and sent crashing into the soil that once fed them nutrients, creating a chaotic pile of brown and green. The thought of such a famously proficient farm in such a desolate and poor state was certainly disorientating for Rainbow, who had been a close friend to the Apple family since she had first moved to the small town. However, the mare felt her heart stop, as she arrived at a field, the same she had visited the prior night, where she had found Scootaloo, so cold, bare and struggling to breathe. For a moment, Rainbow felt faint, the thought of a pony she had come to love so dearly being so weak completely breaking her. She began to fall, her wings forgetting how to fly in fear. Though she quickly reasserted herself, the horrific thought still ever-present in her mind. However, the atrocity of the night prior only seemed to motivate Rainbow further, as she finally reached Sweet apple acres.
She landed just outside the iconic, red barn and began to trot towards it. She was stopped by a familiar, southern accent.
“Howdy, Rainbow Dash. What brings you here?”
“Oh, eh, hey Applejack, didn’t see ya there.”
“Nah, don’t worry ‘bout it, sugar cube… Say, are you alright? Ya look like yar a million miles away.”
“Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, there was somethin’ I was hoping I could get your advice on. But, you look pretty busy right now… I can go.”
“Oh, it’s alright, I’ve always got time for a friend. I was just goin’ out to plant some new trees, and take away the ones the storm nocked down, but the field ain’t goin’ anywhere. And, if ya don’t mind me sayin’, seein’ Rainbow Dash be open with her feelings is a rare sight to behold. I wouldn’t miss this for zap apple jam!”
Rainbow chuckled as Applejack showed an exited glimmer in her eyes.
“Alright, Applejack. It’s just, just…”
Rainbow showed an uncomfortable expression, noticing Apple Bloom, innocently playing with Big Macintosh.
“It’s alright, sugar cube, take your time.”
“Erm, could we maybe go inside, this is kinda embarrassing.”
“Oh, honey, you don’t need to be embarrassed about cha’ feelin’s…”
“No! I, I know. But, we really should go somewhere a bit more private. Trust me… This ain’t exactly somethin’ ya want little fillies hearin’
Applejack stared back at her younger sister, playfully playing around with Big Macintosh as they braved through the colossal mess of the orchard. A serious and concerned glare now occupying the same space that had once showed confidence and relaxation.
“All’, all right. It’s like that. I know you Rainbow Dash, an’ if you say this ain’t foal friendly, it DEFFINATELY ain’t foal friendly! Here, come on in, those two should be out here for quite a while, we ain’t gotta worry ‘bout her comin’ in when your talkin’ about… whatever it is she shouldn’t be hearin’. We’ll talk in the livin’ room. An’ don’t feel like ya have to rush anything. I wanna help you the best I can.”
“Thanks, AJ. It’s nice to know I can rely on you.”
“Always, Sugercube. An’, don’t feel like ya have to thank me. A true, true friend helps a friend in need, remember?”
Applejack winked at Rainbow, who smiled back at her, before escorting her into the family’s living room. It was a small space, much more grounded and gritty when compared to Flutershy’s cottage, but Rainbow couldn’t’ve cared, it was still calm and cosy, appearing to have been lived in, making it feel welcoming.
The two mares sat next to each other on a worn, red sofa.
“So, Rainbow, what’s on your mind?”
“Oh, Celestia, where t’ start!?”
“Okay, Sugercube, jus’ take a deep breath, and start from the beginnin’.”
Rainbow took a large breath, mentally preparing herself for what was enviably about to transport her back to the horrendous happenings of that heinous night.
“Alright, Applejack, I’ll keep this short. So, I found out a couple ‘a weeks ago that Scootaloo might ‘a been havin’ some home troubles.”
“Oh, how so?”
“Well, she agreed to race down that huge mountain just outside ‘a town with this teenage stallion she’d never met before.”
“Wait a minute… So, you’re tellin’ me, that little filly almost got herself KILLED! Jus’ t’ look cool in front ‘a some colt she’d never met before in her life!”
“…Pretty much.”
“My Celestia… Why, I can see why you didn’t want Apple Bloom hearain’ any ‘a that, I’d ‘a been appalled if she’d gone an’ done somethin so dangerous! I hope her parents gave her a right ol’… oh, I think I know where this is goin’.”
“Yeah, don’t worry, I made sure she knew what she did was wrong, an’ I don’t think she’ll be doin’ anythin’ quite so stupid in the future.”
“Well… that’s good t’ here.”
“But, her parents really should ‘a stopped her from doin’ somethin’ like that in the first place, right?”
“Oh, that’s what ya meant, golly I pictured somethin’ much worse.” Applejack thought to herself.
“Eh, yeah. Yeah, they should ‘a done somethin’ about it. We’ve stopped Apple Bloom from doin’ some dumb things plenty ‘a times in the past. It was irresponsible for Scootaloo’s parents to let that happen!”
“I know, right! Anyway, I did some diggin’ into the whole fiasco, and eventually had t’ get my parents involved… As much as I hate to admit it, AJ, I was pretty terrible at the whole subtle thing.”
“Well at least ya can admit it t’ ya self, things’d only ‘a gotten worse if ya hadn’t gone for help… Ya know, ya could ‘a jus come t’ use right, we’d ‘a had the whole shabam dealt with in no time!”
“Thanks AJ, but Scootaloo’s my little sister, so it kinda felt like a family issue.”
“Well that sure makes sense, I’d be lyin’ if we said we didn’t have our fair share ‘a family troubles from time to time.”
“Cool, so anyway, with their help, I finally made a little progress, which is when things really started to click into place. I learned that her parents live really busy life styles, so they can’t be home all the time and so Scootaloo ends up alone.”
“What! But, she’s a filly, she needs to have her parents home t’ take care of her.”
“Does Apple Bloom need you guys home all the time?”
“Well… no, I guess not.”
“Exactly! But that’s not the bad part…”
Rainbow Dash heaved a heavy sigh
“I learned this a while ago now, before I even got my parents involved. But apparently Scootaloo’s folks don’t have to much faith in her.”
“Hu? Wha d’ ya mean, Rainbow Dash?”
“Well, ah Celestia, what did she said exactly? Somethin’ like that she should except the reality that she can’t fly. I really don’t know how a parent can say that to their foal.”
Applejack was silent for a moment, her face solemn and bleak.
“That, that. I’m sorry, but that just ain’t right. Sure, she ain’t quite there yet, but she has great ponies like you in her life, she’s bound to get there some day. But, tellin’ her that she’s gonna be grounded forever, that she’s never gonna get somethin’ she clearly wants so badly. Well… that’s just gonna destroy any self confidence that she may ‘a had. Why, the thought of parents like that gettin’ to keep their foal sickens me!”
Rainbow Dash was motionless, her inner conflict brewing within her as the inevitable topic had finally entered the conversation.
“I, I… me to Applejack. In all fairness, I’ve probably made ‘em seem a little worse than they actually are. But, even so, there’s no way I can let Scootaloo stay with ‘em. I can’t just watch little sister not get what she needs.”
“I here ya, Rainbow Dash, an’ it sounds to me like we’re gonna need to act now … But who do we know that’ll take her in.”
Rainbow took a deep breath. The moment finally having arrived.
“Well, that’s the thing AJ… I was thinkin’… maybe I could take her in.”
In what seemed like a fraction of a second, Applejack’s face went form a stern gaze, to an expression of pure shock.
“YOU! Rainbow Dash… wanna take in a FILLY!”
“I know, it sounds crazy… f, forget I said anything.”
“No, no. It’s nothin’ like that. It’s jus’, you never took me as the type that’d ever wanna have a foal is all. No offense, but ya seem to like free life.”
“I know, I know. I jus’… I see her there, an’ I feel like I wanna give her everythin’ they can’t, to really give her a foalhood ya know, like what my parents gave me.”
“Well, that’s mighty noble of ya, Rainbow Dash.”
“Yeah, well I know it’s what I want t’ do. She’s already family to me, so it jus’ feels… right. But, that’s what I wanted to get your advice on.”
“Go on.”
“Well… do ya really think I’m up to it? I mean, you said it yourself, I’, RAINBOW DASH, the most hot headed, full of herself, arrogant mare in Ponyville.”
“Now, don’t sell yourself short like that.”
“But it’s TRUE! I… I know Scootaloo can’t stay with her parents anymore, it ain’t right. But, am I really the best person to take her in?”
Applejack was silent for a moment, looking down at the floor with a thoughtful stare, before looking back up at her friend, a passionate glow radiating from her.
“Rainbow Dash, if this were any other filly we were talkin’ about, an’ I mean ANY. I’d be beggin’ ya to reconsider. You’re right, ya ca be a little full ‘a yourself sometimes, an’ that ain’t always the best with most foals.”
“Yeah, you’re right, it was a stupid idea!”
“BUT, since this is Scootaloo we’re talkin’ about here... I can’t think of anypony more suited to takin’ that little filly in than you, Rainbow.”
“Really!?”
“Would I lie? Look, ya may be a little rough aroun’ the edges. But you know that little filly better than I know ma way around an apple orchard. She’s already family to ya, so she wouldn’t have to go through that awkward bit ‘a havin’ to readjust to a knew family. An’, the two ‘a you ‘re already learnin’ from each other, like a good family should, so quirks an’ all, I see know reason why you takin’ in Scootaloo would mess her up more than what those two ponies must be doin’ to her tiny little head. Rainbow… you’re more mature than you, I or anypony else gives ya credit for. Ya said earlier that ya told her off when she put herself in danger, so ya obviously care ‘bout her well bein’ an’ know when t’ tell her no, or when to step in. Like a good parent needs to do, in addition to bein’ fun with ‘em. So, I want ya t’ know that you have my full support through this.”
Rainbow Dash was once again motionless, though the emotion rushing through her head were now utterly different. A sudden sense of calm and understanding came to replace to chaos and doubt that had previously plagued her mind. For the first time in what seemed to her like a thousand moons, Rainbow Dash was free of any inner struggle or any possible concern that she wasn’t the perfect pony to adopt Scootaloo. Her iconic confidence had been restored, as her path leading forward was no longer blocked by the horrendous storm clouds of worry that had lingered for so long.
“Um, Sugercube, are… are y’all alright?” Asked a concerned Applejack, as Rainbow appeared to be staring into space, with a confident grin slowly growing.
Rainbow quickly snapped out of her day dream, shaking her head as she adjusted to reality, before turning to Applejack.
“Oh yeah, I’m great AJ. I… I’ve just been so scared over this whole thing, and after hearin’ of you of all ponies say I got what it takes t’ take care ‘a Scootaloo. I, I finally feel like I can do it, ya know. I feel confident that I can actually do this!”
“Now, don’t get me wrong, Sugercube. It’s hard work, an’ you’re bound to make a mistake from time t’ time, but I got no doubt in my mind that you’ll lean form ‘em and you’ll both be better ponies because ‘ve ‘em. And, I stand by my statement that you are the perfect mare to take that little filly in.”
“Thanks, AJ. This… this really does mean a lot.”
“Don’t mention it, Rainbow Dash, and I, an’ ALL of us for that matter ‘ll be here to help ya… Have ya told anypony else yet?”
“Yeah, only my parents and Fluttershy, though. She was the first pony that came to mind when I realised I needed advice on this whole thing.”
“I can see that. You two ’ve been best friends since before I even met ya… But, I bet she said the exact same things as me, right.”
“Pretty much… I jus thought she may ‘a jus’ been sayin’ what I wanted to here though. Ya know how she can get. So, I thought that commin’ to you would really get me the answers I needed.”
“That was mighty responsible of ya, Rainbow. But, as your friend, AND the element of honesty, I can say that you ARE right for this.”
Rainbow chuckled.
“Thanks, AJ.”
“Ya welcome… Now, go on. I’ve got an orchard to deal with an’ you’ve got a filly to adopt.”
“Ha, thanks, AJ. I really do owe ya one.”
“Ah, don’t sweat it, Rainbow Dash. You’re gonna do great an’ I know it. Now, come on, I’ll see ya out, jus’ remember that I’m here if ya need my help at all.”
“Thank you, Applejack, this really does mean a lot.”
Applejack then lead Rainbow back outside, they smiled for a moment at Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh, who were still playfully attending to the fallen down trees. Rainbow smiled at the thought of giving Scootaloo the familial experience she saw Apple Bloom happily revelling in, only a few metres away from her.
Applejack waved her hoof goodbye, as Rainbow burst of into the now bright blue sky. Her thoughts were now as clear as the now completely cloudless sky. Her mind had been made and was now more confident than she had ever been that she had made the right choice. Though, there was little more she could do that day, Scootaloo undauntedly needed time to talk with her parents before she intervened further. Thus, Rainbow charted her course back to her cloud home, finally ready to begin planning out how to properly execute her plan.