//------------------------------// // Family // Story: The Paths We Choose // by discord7 //------------------------------// I was in the field at Ponyville on a picnic with my friends. I'd kept my promise, not to the little kid but to myself, for my friends. After all I was famous now, but they still ment more to me than that. "So can you teach me to fly now Rainbow?" Scootaloo asked for the hundreth time, she was really getting on my nerves. "Sorry kid, I really want to spend this time with my friends right now." Scootaloo seemed disapointed. "Maybe next time I'll spend the day with you and teach you, ok?" That seemed to brightend up her face, she beamed with delight her tiny wings fluttering but not lifting her off the ground. She ran off to find her friends, I really doubted she'd ever be a great flyer, her wings just weren't powerful enough. I turned to continue the picnic, Twilight and the others told me the recent stories they'd had without me, we laughed and talked and ate. It was just like old times only... the stories didn't have a familiar prideful rainbow maned mare bursting in to shuffle up trouble. I grew quiet. "Rainbow," Pinkie asked quietly, the others looked at me, "is everything ok?" I looked up and realized my eyes were actually getting watery. "Ya," I replied wiping them, "ya I'm fine I just got wind of a little dust that's all." I told them. "Dash," Twilight said comfortingly, "if there's anything you need to tell us we'll be glad to listen ok?" I nodded, I looked around at all my friends. They would always be there for me, I gave this life up for the Wonderbolts. Was I wrong? The wind rushed through my mane, the crowd roared for my victory as I crossed the finish line of the final lap. They cheered and chanted my name. "RAINBOW DASH! RAINBOW DASH!" I bowed and followed my team to the locker rooms for a shower. I was entering the tunnel when I heard a familiar voice. One that I hadn't heard in about six months, since my tour had begun. "I have to see her!" it was Scootaloo. I turned around and saw the little orange filly wrestling with a security guard. "Nopony enters the Wonderbolts shower room." The security guard said. I hovered over and placed a hoof on the guards shoulder, he wasn't struggling or anything with her more like gently pushing her back. "It's ok," I said to him, "Scoots, ya can't go any farther than here got that?" I asked. She nodded. "Ok, what do you want?" I asked. "You said you were gunna come to Ponyville and teach me to fly, then after two months I heard that you guys came all the way here to Las Pegasus to start a tour." "Ok, first off how did you get here, where's your mom?" I asked. She shuffled a hoof on the ground, not answering. I bent down to get eye level. "Listen Scoots, I'll teach you to fly one day I promise." I smiled, "But right now I have a responsibility to the Wonderbolts to do this tour." She was silent. "Now your going to stay here with the guard, I'm gunna go wash up and then I'm taking you back to Ponyville, ok?" I asked. "Ok." She sounded down about having to go back home, but it also ment I got to be with her alone for five hours during the train ride there. We boarded the train and found an empty booth to crash in. "Wow this is so cool, I'm on a road trip with my idol." Scootaloo went on, "Ooh, can you teach me some tricks right now, maybe how to hover or the secret to a good takeoff–" "Stop!" I prompted, "Listen, Scootaloo you can't just run off to see my races. Your mom will get worried about you." I told her sternly. "No she won't." she said quietly. I was shocked by her response. "Why not?" I asked. She was silent for a minute. "Scootaloo," I demanded, she looked up her eyes turning red from the tears welling, "I said, why not?" I asked more softly. She turned away and looked out the window, "You'll see when we get there." she said. We made the rest of the trip in silence, which was odd for the usually hyperactive filly. As soon as the train got to the Ponyville station she grabbed her scooter and we got off the train. She put on her helement and started to ride in the direction of wherever she lived. I followed her making sure she got there safely. She seemed to ride slower than usual, as if she didn't want me to see where her house was, come to think of it I'd never been to the little fillies house, nor did I recall any time when the other fillies had spent the night at her house. In fact it seemed Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were always being asked by her to let her stay the night. My mind raced to conclusions but I didn't let them stray too far. I landed after a few blocks of flying above her, trotting at a brisk pace to keep up with her scooter. I was confused when we came to a poorly lit ally way. She turned down it. "Scoots you know this is a dead end right?" I asked following her still. "I know." She lit a match and used it to light a candel. From the resulting stike of the match I saw a flash of light around me. There was a cardboard box, with a few pillows and a blanket and what seemed to be a doormat in front of the box. The doormat read "Home Sweet Home" I actually think that this was the one that was stolen from Sugar Cube Corner a while back. Scootaloo's voice was shaky as she spoke. "This is my bed." She motioned climbing onto the pillows and underneath the blankets. "And this is my pillow!" She put on a wobbly smile, I could see the tears being held behind her purple eyes staring up at me trying to be the brave filly I'd known her to be. "Scootaloo where's your mom?" I asked her worriedly. "Right over there." She pointed a hoof to a picture that looked like her only older, it was nailed with a rusty old nail she had probably found, to the brick wall right next to an old poster for the Sister Hooves Social. The old poster was colored in, the usually gray and white fillies. One had a rainbow colored mane and a cyan colored coat. The other an orange coat with a purple mane. "See, home sweet home. You can go back to the Wonderbolts tour and... I guess I'll see you when you get back and you can teach me how to fly when you get back." "Scoot... how long have you lived like this?" I asked her. "...I don't remember." She replied lowering her head to face the ground, I could see the tears falling from her eyes now. "Your coming with me Scoots c'mon grab your scooter." I told her. "You mean it?" She asked delighted, still tears streaming down her face. "Yup." I told her. "But first I need to mail a letter to the Princess." I told her. "For what?" I asked her. "Well I can't just take you in and say nothing, ponies will wonder where you went. I have to ask the Princess to push through an adoption recomendation." I told her. "You mean?–" she gasped. "Yup," I smiled at her, "your officially gunna be a Dash." I thought she was going to collapse in excitement. "Common you, let's get you into bed ok?" I told her. She followed me to the guest room, I never thought I'd have a daugther. This was going to be a really sudden jump but I had to help her out. I tucked her into bed and began to leave. "Dash?" she called. I turned around, I could hear her voice drifting off to sleep, "Good night." she said, I smiled. "G'nite Scootaloo." I turned off the light and shut the door. I sighed and went downstairs to find some parchment and a quill.