Scootaloo paused outside her home, the Ponyville orphanage. It was a nice enough place, but sometimes the young filly wished she had a normal home to go to like her friends. Although the last two nights sleepovers had been wonderful, she did not live in either of her friend’s houses and it did feel rude to try for another night out. That left here, the only home she ever really had; Ponyville Orphanage. The rustic, squat brown building blended in with the edge of Ponyville. It was a fairly long building, big enough to house dorms for those who had no other choice but to live there. Just as she was about to enter she spotted a rainbow blur approaching. She sighed, Ponyville Orphanage was never a good place for a chat, especially with her hero.
“Hey, Squirt!”
“Hey, Rainbow Dash. Whatcha doin’?”
“Oh, you know... about to go inside. The girls and I had a fun day at school and all, but they all had real homes to go to.”
“Hey, you got a home.”
“Yeah sorta, I guess.”
“Would you prefer that someone took you home?” Dash asked inquisitively.
“Well yeah, of course.”
“Well, how about my girlfriend and I take you on then? upgrade you from honorary sister to daughter?”
“Really?” Scootaloo could hardly believe what she was hearing, was this for real?!
Then her brain caught up with the rest of what her hero had said. “Wait. Girlfriend? I didn’t know you had a special somepony.”
“Yea, sorry. About that.” Dash paused, a slight blush upon her cheeks. “Fluttershy prefers we keep it quiet for just a little bit longer. She’s also afraid of how some ponies might take the news of a lesbian Wonderbolt.” The short, but well-built pegasus scoffed and muttered something under her breath.
“You and Fluttershy huh?” Scootaloo quirked an eyebrow, “I remember you told everypony you weren't interested in romance.”
“Yea, well. I’m not, but I got Fluttershy and she’s special. And for the record, she asked me soon after we kicked Tirek’s butt.”
Scootaloo looked at Dash like she had suddenly grown a second head. “No way! Wait, that means you’ve been going out for a whole month and not told anypony! No pony else knows?”
“Well, now you know, squirt. Anyway. I really came because I knew it was your birthday soon and as because I didn’t get you anything, I decided to ask you if you were interested in being my foster daughter.”
“Yes! Yes!” Scootaloo threw herself into Rainbow Dash just as Fluttershy alighted next to the polychromatic mare and joined in the hug.
Fluttershy spoke up, a big smile on her face as she withdrew, “I see somepony likes the idea of having a new mom. You know, we have all the paperwork ready. If you want, we can hand it in now.”
“That would be so awesome!” Scootaloo cheered.
“Then let's go.” Dash nudged her two companions forward and led the way inside.
The wooden building carried a colorful interior, built to appeal to foals. The reds, greens, yellows and blues were textured in all sorts of patterns around the four walls of the boxy room the trio stood in. Across from them was a single doorway. Next to it stood a simple wooden reception desk with a green and yellow earth pony behind it.
Sun Lilly looked up at the sound of company and smiled a the sight of the trio. “Hello, Rainbow Dash. How may I help you and Fluttershy today.”
“Hi.” Dash paused and glanced at Fluttershy. “Fluttershy has all the paperwork. I hope you still don’t mind us counting as a family for Scoots here.”
“Not at all, as long as you both are in a committed long-term relationship I see nothing wrong here.” Sun Lilly smiled pleasantly.
Fluttershy pulled the required papers out of the small saddlebags she wore. “Here you go, I do hope everything is in order.”
“Yep. Fluttershy and I might not have been dating for long, but since we’ve been friends since forever, I’m sure it will be fine.” Dash smiled confidently.
Sun Lilly smiled at the response, took the adoption papers and examined them carefully.
Moments passed as she carefully sifted through the papers. A few earth pony foals peeped around the corner. Scootaloo waved at the preschool colts who waved back then quickly withdrew behind cover.
Sun Lilly looked up from the papers, “alright. These all look in order. It is wonderful to at last see Scootaloo off to a good home.”
“Scootaloo gets to go to her forever home?” A tiny voice asked.
Attention fell upon the speaker as the young earth pony filly was thrust out by the two preschool colts behind her.
“That’s right.” Rainbow Dash confirmed with a smile, “and she gets to come home with Flutters and me right now.”
“That’s so cool!” one of the foals called out, excitedly.
Fluttershy smiled brightly, “it’s going to be wonderful, I’m sure.”
That drew the rest of the hidden youngsters and pretty soon all 5 young orphan earth ponies along with the orphanages only unicorn foal were gathered around. They quickly mobbed the new family. Soon hugs were all over and the excited group of foals trailed their caretaker and Scootaloo to the door.
Before Scootaloo knew it, she was on Rainbow Dash’s back and cursing through the skies. Her other new mother, Fluttershy held her scooter as she kept pace.
“This is your new home. ‘Shy and I decided to make her home our permanent home cause you still have problems flying.”
“But your cloud home!” Scootaloo protested.
“Isn’t going anywhere. I’m gonna rent it out. After all, it’s super cool, every pegasus outside of Cloudsdale is gonna want to live there.”
Scootaloo took a few moments to process this information, still blown away that her longtime sister had actually adopted her. She was broken out of her thoughts by her sister-turned-mother.
“Anyway, let’s get you settled in!”
Two pegasi in their late teens entered the dining room. The cosy cloud room had enough space for the small oval table, chairs for the family and some decorations on the walls such as the collection of family photos next to the hallway entrance. At the head of the table sat a rather concerned dark blue stallion with a ruffled light red mane, looked like he had been only just dragged out of bed by his wife, who sat to his right at the small oval table.
“Can somepony please tell me why I was woken by my wife to the sound of sompony being sick? Are you okay my dear?” Tyson leant forward in his chair, concerned for his soon to be daughter-in-law.
“I think I’m fine,” Spitfire answered as she took a seat opposite the half-asleep stallion.
“Was it something you ate?” Asked Tyson.
“I don’t know,” Spitfire replied. She was pretty sure she knew what it meant, but admitting that it might be because she was pregnant would put the both of them in a lot of trouble. She didn’t feel ready to face either Soarin’s parents or her own.
Soarin’s mother, Dawnrush waited a few moments, allowing awkward silence to take hold. Her gaze shifted between both uncomfortable youngsters. “I want to know why I have a feeling that you both are hiding something from me.”
“What?” Soarin had no idea what to say to that. He could not lie to his parents face, but to tell them the truth? They both may as leave home now and find a rogue cloud outside of Cloudsdale to live in together till the wedding was over.
“Son, I’m giving you both one chance, right now. What aren’t we being told?” Dawnrush’s tone made it clear that lying to her was a very, very bad idea.
Silence reigned. From the nervous expressions on the younger ponies faces, it was clear they both felt caught under the older mare’s gaze. Under the table, light blue and sunny yellow touched, each seeking the other’s comfort.
“Okay then. I’ll start guessing.” The lime green mare paused to allow this to sink in. “Spitfire, do you realize you may be pregnant?”
“What? No.” The teenaged mare felt herself fill with dread at what was to come.
“Well, you are a healthy young mare. You’re not sick. You have a tougher stomach than my son and you both always eat out together. It would stand to reason that he would be far worse off than you, my dear. However, I remember when I had Soarin. About eight weeks in I could not hold my breakfast. My husband also became rather overprotective of me after he realized we were going to be parents. I had wondered if it was my imagination playing tricks on me, or if my boy was acting ever so slightly different toward you. Your teachers mentioned it to me recently but I thought nothing of it. But this morning’s incident makes me suspect that Soarin has known for some weeks that you are in fact carrying his foal.”
This statement elicited different responses from each pony in the room. Soarin’s father wore his outrage thinly veiled on his face. Spitfire had traces of panic flash across her muzzle till she schooled her expression. Soarin sighed in defeat, utterly crushed. His mother was right. “Yes mom, Spit is pregnant. It’s why we are getting married so soon. But I’ve loved her for so long it feels like the right thing to do.”
“The right thing?” Soarin’s dad burst, “the right thing was to keep it to yourself and not go getting your filly pregnant! I thought we raised you better than this!”
“You did, but it was a mistake.” Soarin was about to continue when he was cut off.
“Well, it might just have cost you both your careers. I need to tell Tempest. He’s going to want to hear about this.”
“No! Please don’t tell my dad! Not yet...” Spitfire urgently spoke up.
“You both want to live with the consequences? Well, this is it. Come on honey, I don’t care if they are sleeping, our friends need to hear this.” Tyson shoved his chair away and strode away.
As the two older pegasi left the building on a mission, Spitfire found herself in a tight hug. “It’s gonna be okay Sunshine. I’m never going to leave you.”
“Of course your not, but my parents are going to kill us. My dad threatened to throw you into one of his rainbow pools.”
“I know.” Soarin gave his love a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s get this over with.”
Spitfire drew a ragged breath, she was totally not ready. But they no longer had a choice. Their secret was about to be thrust out in the open, despite how hard they had worked to keep the accidental pregnancy quiet. “Let’s catch up to your parents.”
One simmering stallion and his agitated wife touched down in front of the home of their longtime friends. A deep blue hoof slammed on the cloud door. Locked.
“Tempest Wind, Stormy Flare, open up!”
As Soarin and Spitfire touched down behind their angered elders, a deep sunny head with an orange fiery mane poked out. “What's the meaning of this? Why are you disturbing us at the crack of dawn?!?”
“I’m sorry to wake you both, but we really must talk,” Dawnrush spoke up.
Stormy Flare squinted down at the group, her gaze flickered between the agitated adults and nervous children. “Why?”
“Because it can’t wait,” Dawnrush insisted.
“Okay. Give us a minute.” The still groggy Stormy Flare disappeared inside.
The two grown-ups stood in stony silence while Soarin and Spitfire stood awkwardly behind, waiting for the door to open. As much as Soarin wished to give his wingmate a comforting hug, this was a public space and it would not do to be spotted. His wings itched to cover his love and he resolved to do so, as soon as they were inside.
Spitfire snuck closer and closer to her source of comfort as the agonizing wait drew on. It felt like forever since her mother disappeared inside. Did it really take this long to wake her father and head downstairs? Despite the fact that somepony may see them, Spitfire soon found herself pressed up against her source of comfort. The vibrant young pegasus found some measure of peace amidst the overwhelming sense of doom that engulfed her.
Both youngsters sense of dread skyrocketed as the front door finally opened. The half-awake sunny yellow mare greeted them with a concerned, almost confused gaze. She eyed each of the four ponies on her doorstep up before she stepped aside. “Welcome. Care to tell me why my daughter looks like she’s just had her wings clipped?”
Tyson and Dawnrush quietly entered, highly aware that what they had to say would likely lead to two very pissed off pegasi. With a slight nudge from the light blue teen at her side, Spitfire scuttled inside, pinned to her lover’s side. The darker yellow mare kept a close watch on her daughter the whole way. It was clear that she was trying to work out what could be so wrong to cause the normally comfortable couple to act so ... afraid?
Dawnrush took a deep breath, “I hate to tell you both this, but our children have a very serious reason for desiring to marry already. It is something they both have kept from us, until they got caught out this morning.”
“What are you talking about?” Tempest Wind asked, concern filled both his voice and facial features.
Four sets of eyes fell on the young couple. Spitfire’s head disappeared under Soarin’s wing and he gazed back at his wingmate’s parents stoically.
Tyson’s red mane swished as he looked between his soon-be-to-daughter and her parents. “Your daughter is pregnant, and my son is going to become a teenage father.” He shot the nervous teenager a look. “Isn’t that right?”
The accusation stung, but Soarin held his ground.
The room fell dead quiet. Then Tempest Wind exploded, “they’ve done what!?!”
Despite being past his prime, the Burned yellow stallion was on Soarin before anypony else even realised he had moved. He tore the younger pegasus from his daughter and pinned him to the cloud wall of the entrance room.
“Tell me that’s not true!”
“It- it is.” Soarin’s voice nearly failed him at the fearful sight of the enraged stallion in his face.
“That’s it! I’m throwing you in my rainbow pools!”
“Dad!”
“Tempest!”
“Dude!”
“Honey!”
“Please don’t,” begged Soarin as the hot angry breath of his soon-to-be-father in law rippled over his muzzle.
“You thought I was bluffing?” The strong orange stallion slammed his face into the cowering youngster in front of him. He threw Soarin into the floor and towered over him in a rage. He smashed a hoof into the teenaged pony’s side, hammering home his words as he continued, “I-” Smash “Will-” Smash “Make-” Smash “You-”
Spitfire rammed into her father. She was quick to position herself in between him and her love, wings flared fearfully. “Leave him alone!”
“I warned him what would happen if the two of you failed to wait. Now get out of my way!”
“No.” Spitfire stood strong yet also quivered ever so slightly in fear. She could feel the anger in the air, she had called down her father’s wrath.
The powerful stallion thrust his daughter out of the way as he aimed another attack at Soarin. The light blue pegasus rolled out of the way of the incoming hoof and winced in pain as he stood.
Using his wings to propel himself, Tempest threw himself at Soarin. He tackled the young pegasus to the floor and threw head-but and hoof-stomp at the one who had wronged his daughter.
Spitfire tacked her father and received several blows to the face and upper body in the process. She cried out in pain and her father paused to throw her out of the way. He rammed his forehooves down on Soarin once more only to find himself blocked by dark blue. He shoved at his longtime friend, his wings flapped for extra power. Tyson was quick to copy and the two butted heads.
“Get out of my way!” Tempest Wind growled.
“Calm down, dude!” Tyson shoved the angry orange aggressor back.
Tempest Wind kicked and thrashed madly as he tried to reach his target. “No! Let me at the scum! I’m gonna kill him!”
Tyson’s eyes grew wide with the realisation that his soon-to-be-inlaw was seeing red. Nothing else mattered to this stallion right now except exacting revenge upon the youth who had done his daughter wrong. He had never seen the commander of the rainbow factory anywhere near this angry. His grip slipped and he found himself thrown against the wall in an instant.
“Enough!” Stormy Flare bellowed as she rushed into her husband’s way, wings erect in a display of power. “Honey, stop! Your daughter is pregnant and you just hurt her!”
Tyson took the opportunity to place himself in Tempest’s face once more. The two stallions adrenaline filled glares locked with one another and held as they both stood panting, watching for an opening.
“Stormy’s right. Please don’t damage the baby.” Soarin’s mother chimed in as she hurried over to the downed Spitfire, checking the still slim yellow tummy for any marks.
Tempest Wind huffed, rage continued to flow through his system as he glared at the troublesome colt. He shoved at Tyson who pushed right back defending his son who lay on the floor. “She shouldn’t be pregnant in the first place.”
“Well she is and hurting Soarin won’t change that.” Stormy shot back.
“She’s right you know,” Tyson replied, his expression stony as he turned his gaze upon his wounded son. “That’s not to say he doesn’t deserve something for his actions. But I think you have done more than enough, my friend.”
Tempest Wind seethed. He shoved at the dark blue pegasus in front of him but stopped as Dawnrush joined her husband.
“Spitfire. Care to explain how my upstanding daughter is pregnant like some low life teenaged idiot?” Stormy Flare spoke as she too placed herself between her enraged husband and his targets. She faced the teenagers, her gaze hard. “When did this happen? Have you two been having sex during your little cuddle sessions?”
“No! And it happened almost two months ago, Soarin and I made a mistake alright. But this doesn't change the way I feel about him!”
“Really?” Tempest challenged. “I should never have allowed you to be alone with my daughter when we were out!”
“Dad! It didn’t happen here or at Soarin’s place.” Spitfire shot back.
“You expect us to believe that?” Scoffed Tyson as he turned to face his son.
“I’ve seen a lot of teenage parents fail.” Soarin’s mother spoke up, a mixture of disappointment and sadness strong in her voice. “You’re both too young to become parents, how do you know this won’t tear you apart?”
“Because-” the light blue colt picked himself up and staggered over to his wingmate, his wings stuck out oddly as he moved, several feathers were bent well out of shape. “ Because I love Spitfire with all my heart.” Soarin drew his loved one close. “There is nothing I won’t do for her.”
“You idiot, you’ve done more than enough. You might have cost my daughter her career in the Wonderbolts!” Tempest Wind pushed against the pegasus blockade but found himself held in place.
“Can’t they get rid of the pregnancy in Canterlot?” Asked Soarin’s mother, “I heard that there is a recently created spell that can abort a fetus.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of that,” Spitfire admitted with a sigh. She really did not want to go there.
“Then why didn’t you do it?” Stormy Flare asked, “if you were so desperate to hide what you’ve done from us, isn't that the only way?”
Tempest Wind spoke up before either youngsters had a chance to reply, “I demand you both fly to Canterlot right this instant and pay for this spell. I don’t want a foal to ruin my daughter’s life!”
Spitfire stepped forward, “What is growing inside me is the result of my love for Soarin and his love for me. What we did was a mistake, yes. But-” She was cut off by a slightly damaged light blue wing as it curled protectively over her back.
“but we decided to accept our mistake and live with it. I was going to marry Spitty anyway. This just sped things up. We probably won’t keep our foal, but I refuse to let you kill what’s inside my wingmate. It will make it harder to get into the Wonderbolts and we both accept that. But we already discussed this together and we thought it best to take our honeymoon as soon as Spitfire begins to show.“ Soarin was quick to take over the explanation as he stood tall in the face of his wingmate’s angry parents.
Tempest Wind shoved his friend aside but was halted by a bold yellow wing to the muzzle from his wife.
Deadly silence fell over the room. No pony moved a muscle till Spitfire continued, quieter this time, “I know I have disappointed you all, but there is nothing you can do to separate me from Soarin or stop us from bringing this new life into the world. I promise you all, it won’t stop me becoming a wonderbolt and I’m sure my wingmate will be at my side the whole way, just as he always has been.”
“I still want to throw you in my rainbow pools boy,” growled Tempest as he tugged against his wife’s secure embrace. “But seeing as how my daughter seems so attached to you that she would even follow you into that world of pain, I will hold off for her sake.” The frustrated stallion huffed and sat back.
Stormy Flare turned to her husband. “What are we going to do dear? I for one, still support their union,” her muzzle turned to the youngsters, “even if they have gone and done something very stupid.” Both young pegasi’s eyes fell to the floor in shame.
Tempest huffed. “Throw them out on the street is what I want to do.” Soarin’s parents kept their silence, waiting while their soon-to-be in-laws reach a decision.
“My daughter,” Stormy Flare walked up to the couple and cupped her only child’s chin. She slowly raised it till she was looking right into the tearful orange eyes. “I trusted you. I trusted both of you. You have betrayed that trust and lied to both your father and I. As much as I love you, I cannot tolerate deceit in my house. With or without your father’s help I will assist in finding you both a place to stay and then I advise you pack your things and move out. You are soon to be a married mare, Spitfire. I hope you are prepared to live with the colt you so willingly gave yourself to.”
With a hint of tears threatening at the edges, Spitfire softly replied, “I am, mom. After what I’ve done-”
“We,” Soarin interjected as he squeezed his mare tighter in his protective grasp.
Spitfire rolled her eyes, “we have done, you don’t have to help us.”
“Nonsense!” Tempest spoke up angrily, “you’re still my daughter and I told you my wedding gift to you both would be to buy your first home here in Cloudsdale. But your mother is right. You broke our trust and so I must ask you both to leave my house. Now.”
“Really, Tempest?” Soarin’s father spoke up. “They don’t even have their own place to live yet.”
“I don’t care. You do what you see fit with Soarin, but I’m throwing my disgraceful daughter out.”
“Dad!” Spitfire cried, tears threatened to overwhelm her eyes as she fought to keep her distress in check.
“You had months to abort your foal or come clean and tell us you both made a mistake! But no, you got caught! So I’ll see you on your wedding day when I fly your pregnant ass down that aisle!”
With a distressed gasp Spitfire galloped out of the room in tears, Soarin hot on her hooves.
“Rough much?” Dawnrush tugged at her rich sky blue mane as if to try and settled both it and her frayed nerves.
“What? You expected me to give her a hug and forgive her? That we would celebrate this with drinks and partying?” Tempest Wind snorted and stomped an orange hoof into the soft cloud floor.
“No, we did not. I do hope my son’s wings are okay. If he can’t fly properly, school will question why.” Tyson sighed, he wandered to the nearest wall of the entrance and collapsed against it.
Tempest Wind scoffed. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
“Honey, did you even see what you did to that poor colt?” Stormy Flare shot her husband an irritated look. “He was going to call you his second father one day soon and you almost knocked him out!”
A moment passed, three pegasi against one. The orange stallion snorted softly “guess I did, huh?”
Tempest Wind took a dark yellow wing to the face, Stormy Flare swatted him again before she replied, “no kidding. You’ll be lucky if your daughter speaks to you again before the wedding. They might be good at acting like friends in public, but I’m sure you’ve seen how devoted they are to each other.”
“Very much,” Dawnrush agreed.
“Yes, yes. I’m sure everypony in our two families has seen.” Tempest Wind replied, his anger had receded slightly, but he still kicked at the floor again. “But I’m not going to change my mind. Spitfire no longer lives here.”
Dawnrush glanced over to her husband for a few thoughtful moments. “What if we took them both in for a few days?”
“Alright,” Tyson agreed with his wife. “Let us know when you have them a house. I want them both to realise that a foal is life changing.”
“But how are they supposed to pay the ongoing costs of a home in Cloudsdale?” Dawnrush asked. “The job my son has found does not pay him very much.”
Stormy Flare shrugged, “even a cheap place near the outskirts will cost a few bits each month.” She shot her husband a look, “I might have a talk with her and encourage her to try and find a job for now.”
Tempest Wind held his wife’s expectant look but said nothing.
Tyson picked himself up and placed himself beside his wife, “that’s their decision, and one they don’t have a lot of time to make. Doesn’t look like any of us are willing to take them back in if they fail.”
“I’m sure they won’t.” Dawnrush gave her husband a light hug. “They are born champions.”
Tempest Wind sighed, his wings sagged and he closed his eyes to stifle the pain that filled the place of his rage and adrenaline. Suddenly the middle-aged stallion looked as though he had aged years in a few minutes. “I never, not once thought she would do that to us.” Silence reigned for a few moments before the orange stallion continued. “It will bring me some measure of peace to know that you will take them both off our hooves for a few days. It shouldn't be long before my wife and I find someplace quiet they can live.”
“Thank you.” Soarin’s mother spoke up. “I will be sure to keep an eye on your girl till then.”
Stormy Flare hugged her husband to try and continue to calm him some more, “I don’t yet know how to feel about all this, beyond feeling betrayed by my own daughter.”
“Well-” Soarin’s father paused as the young couple re-entered the room.
Soarin’s mother barely suppressed a gasp at the sight of her son. He had a black eye, bruised muzzle and many other painful looking bruises, cuts and hoof marks across his chest and forelegs. His wings were a mess and he carried himself as though he had been kicked out of the Wonderbolts. The mare at his side also bore several marks, including a rather large bruise on the right side of her barrel, dangerously close to where new life was sure to be growing inside.
“I’m ready to go,” Spitfire announced, her eyes were bloodshot and her jaw set firm. “Mom, Dad. I’m sorry.”
The dark yellow mare approached and gave her daughter a hug. “Be careful out there, honey.”
Soarin’s father spoke up, “we have decided to allow you both to live with us for a few days until a house is found for you both to live. I expect you both to be on your best behaviour, or you can live on a rogue cloud.”
“Thank you dad,” Soarin replied. The teenaged colt removed his protective, ruffled up wing from his wingmate as the pair prepared to leave the house.