//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Decision of Life // Story: Unseen, Unheard // by Nocturnal Reverie //------------------------------// Foggy Day paced the office, glancing down at the file every time she passed the table. She stopped, staring at the phone as if it would offer the answer to her predicament, then groaned to herself and began her pacing again. She glanced at the clock. It was almost time to wake Scootaloo up. If she didn’t do this now, she’d only think about it all day long. Now or never. With a frustrated push of air, she yanked the phone up in her magic, dialing the number she knew by heart. After three drones, the line clicked. “Hello?” asked a sleepy voice on the other end. “Hello,” Foggy returned, tapping her hoof to keep herself from pacing. “This is Foggy Day, I’m a shadow at the Baltimare Orphanage for Scootaloo.” Foggy heard the shuffling of papers as the young stallion on the other end looked up Scootaloo’s file. “Alright,” he said after a moment. “Let me direct you to her agent.” “Thank you,” Foggy replied, before the line clicked again and soft idling music filled the phone line. It was less than a minute before the line clicked once more. “Sage Note speaking.” “Hey, Sage,” Foggy greeted. “It’s Foggy.” “What can I help you with, Foggy?” “I, uh…” Foggy Day cleared her throat. “I may have found a potential guardian for Scootaloo.” Sage Note paused. “Are they well-known with the agency?” “No,” Foggy Day responded. “Her name is Rainbow Dash. She first met Scootaloo almost three weeks ago, and she’s shown great interest in spending time with her. She’s accumulated a great number of hours with her, and–” “Foggy…” Sage Note drew, interrupting her. “Y-yes?” “Has she distinctly expressed interest in adopting her?” Foggy Day swallowed. “Uh…n-no, sir. Not yet. But, I think she–” “If she does in the near future,” Sage interrupted once more, “I want you to tell her everything.” The unicorn’s heart skipped a beat. “E…Everything, sir?” Sage Note sighed. “I understand your reservations with sharing more specific information, but I want you to tell her about the previous Potentials, and at least make sure she knows exactly what she’s getting into should she express her interest.” Foggy breathed a bit easier as she was given a bit of leeway. “I understand,” she nodded. “Thank you, sir.” “I will look into Rainbow Dash’s history, so we can make this process as quick as possible should anything come of it. And if anything does, do not clue Miss Scootaloo in. I know you more than anypony do not wish to see her experience any more heartbreak.” “Yes, of course,” Foggy sighed. “I’ll let you know the moment Rainbow Dash says anything.” “If she says anything,” Sage Note reiterated. “She will,” Foggy Day insisted. “She’s different, I can feel it.” Sage Note paused. “I’m sure you can, Foggy.” “I know she’ll ask…sooner or later.” Foggy gulped, feeling the panic of uncertainty rising in her chest. “Goodbye, Foggy.” “She will,” she repeated, trying to convince herself more than anything. The line clicked, the end tone droning in her ear. Numbly, she let her foreleg sink, pulling the phone away from her head. “She will…” “Hello-ooo? Dashie?” “Huh?” Rainbow Dash snapped back to reality, her thoughts returning from the clouds to land back in her place amongst her friends as they sat around her, the six mares trying to enjoy their brunch. Pinkie Pie questioned, “Where’d you go?” “Uh…nowhere,” Rainbow Dash answered cooly with a shrug, offering her friends a wry grin. She moved the pieces of her pancake around, another blissful smile creeping its way up her face. “You’ve been goin’ ‘nowhere’ quite a bit lately,” Applejack quipped. Rainbow Dash barely held back her flinch as she caught Applejack’s stern gaze, ducking her head back down. “Yeah…and?” Applejack didn’t respond, and Rarity picked up, “Darling, are you alright? You’ve barely touched your breakfast.” A twinge of panic running through her chest, Rainbow Dash looked down at her and her friends’ plates, finding her plate still piled with pancakes while her friends’ were nearly finished. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she forced a smile, shoveling a huge bite into her mouth. Even as she swallowed the delicious pancake, her stomach churned unhappily. Still, she smiled for her friends, hoping to deflect whatever other prying questions they may try to ask. She heard Twilight give a slight grunt. “Alright. I was going to wait a little later to bring this up.” “Bring up what?” Rainbow Dash asked, feigning ignorance. Twilight raised an eyebrow at the pegasus. “Don’t act like everything’s fine, Rainbow Dash. We’ve all seen you acting differently these past couple weeks, and we’re worried about you. Please tell us what’s going on.” Rainbow Dash gulped. “N-nothing’s ‘going on’. What…what are you even talking about?” “Leaving Ponyville almost every day, not flying around as much as usual. You haven’t even been seen napping on a cloud like you normally are because you’re not even here!” Twilight caught herself before she started shouting, taking a breath.  “Look, we just…Rarity saw you in the furniture store the other day, and Pinkie saw you and a couple stallions unloading the delivery before you spent a while in your house. Fluttershy’s been seeing you leave on all your off-days, and you don’t come back ‘til it’s already dark. We’re all just worried about you, Rainbow Dash.” SIlence fell between the friends, Rainbow Dash trying her best to avoid her friends’ gazes. Applejack blew a breath through her nose. “How ‘bout Ah ask a simpler question to start.” She straightened, leveling a practiced look at Rainbow Dash. “Have you been gettin’ enough sleep, sugarcube? Ah noticed you looked tired the other day.” The pegasus in question held her lip in her teeth. Her friends wanted answers, she couldn’t blame them for that. You’d have to be bli—stupid to not see she was acting differently. That, she could readily admit. And her friends were far from stupid. “Okay, fine,” Rainbow Dash huffed, relenting. “Yes, I’ve been having trouble sleeping.” Her friends responded immediately with concern. “Oh no,” Fluttershy softly lamented. “What else has been going on?” Rainbow Dash hummed an ‘I don’t know’ and gave a shrug. “I…I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. I haven’t felt like flying around town lately. I can’t stop thinking about…” she trailed off, her eyes rising to the sky again. The five other friends looked amongst each other as, once again, a tired smile found its way onto Rainbow’s face. Her friends stilled at the face she was making. Applejack looked the pegasus up and down, her concern turning into something far more…mischievous. With a low chuckle, Applejack piped up. “Oh…Ah get it.” “Y…you do?” Twilight asked. “Yup,” Applejack nodded in understanding, leaning onto the table as Rainbow Dash seemed to snap herself out of her…lovestruck state. “So,” she said, catching Rainbow’s attention. “Who’s the lucky stallion?” Instantly, Rainbow’s face erupted in a blush of confusion. Unfortunately her friends took this as an affirmative answer, and at once began gushing over her response. “Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! What’s his name?” “Darling, this calls for a celebratory makeover!” “Did you meet him while you were training?” “AAAHHH! You have to let me plan your wedding!” “Guys, stop!” Rainbow Dash nearly begged. “It’s not a stallion!” Her friends quieted down in confusion. Rainbow Dash huffed a sigh, knowing it was time to come clean before something weirder was suggested. “It’s a filly,” she admitted. A moment passed as the admission sank into her friends. “Well, uh…” Applejack piped up, her eyes wide. “Ah gotta say Ah’m surprised. Ah didn’t know you swing that way–” “Oh my gosh, that’s not what I meant,” Rainbow Dash blushed furiously again, plopping her forehead on the table. She groaned, “Remember that orphanage we went to a couple weeks ago, Pinks?” Pinkie Pie giggled. “Uh, duh! Those foals loved yo…oooo-OOOO-ooooo!” “Wait,” Fluttershy pieced together. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Rainbow gave a hesitant sigh, lifting her head and giving her friends a nervous smile. Twilight gasped. “Rainbow Dash, are you serious?! You really want to adopt a foal?” The very word sent a pang of joy through her chest so sharp it almost hurt. “Uh…yeah,” she breathed. Rarity gave an excited shout. “Oh, darling, that’s wonderful! Who’s the lucky little pony?” Rainbow Dash chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Her name is Scootaloo. She’s a pegasus. She’s seven years old. She’s smart, and really curious about the world, and loves flying around with me. She makes these really cool little clay figures, and, uh…” She stopped herself, realizing she was about to go on a tangent. Luckily, her friends didn’t mind in the slightest, and actually grinned at her excitement. “Oh, well she sounds just precious!” Fluttershy gushed. “Hey, she’s the same age as Apple Bloom,” Applejack piped up. “And Sweetie Belle!” Rarity added. Pinkie Pie frowned in thought. “Wait a second, I remember her.” She looked back up to Rainbow Dash in concern. “Dashie, are you super duper sure about this?” Rainbow Dash paused, nodding. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking for a really long time, and I’ve started thinking about making changes to my house’s walls. I’ve actually been to see her a bunch of times now, so I’ve been able to get to know her really well–” “Wait a second, wait a second,” Twilight waved. “Why would you need to change your walls for a foal?” Rainbow paused. “Oh…did I not mention it?” Her friends–all except Pinkie Pie–shook their heads. The pegasus bit her lip, glancing at her party pony friend, who gave her a small nod of encouragement. With a breath to steel herself, she said: “Scootaloo’s blind…and deaf.” She watched her friends’ faces turn from shock, to secondhand heartbreak, to concern. She knew what was coming, and sighed as she chose to say something about it first. “I know what you’re gonna say, and believe me: I’ve asked myself the same thing over and over and over again. But…I’ve learned how to talk to her, and I’ve gotten to know her really well, and I just…” she chewed her lip, hesitant to admit, “I feel a connection to her I’ve never felt before–not even with you guys. So…yeah…” Her heart fluttered as she faced her friends, nervous joy pulsing through every fiber of her being. “Yeah..I want to adopt her.” Tears sprang to her eyes as she finally said aloud the very thing she was unable to admit to herself. She let herself come down from the high of confession, and looked at each of her friends in turn. Rainbow Dash frowned to herself, observing the fond smiles her friends were giving her. “What?” Her friends looked between themselves, a spark lighting behind their eyes that she couldn’t read. Applejack gave a chuckle. “Sounds like ya’ve got it all figured out, Dash.” The other four friends nodded. A blush crept up Rainbow’s face, and she gave a sheepish smile in return. “Well, not all of it…I haven’t even told her shadow yet.” “Is there anything you need help with?” Fluttershy offered. Rainbow Dash hesitated. “Uh…yeah, actually. I haven’t picked out a bed, yet; and I’ve been thinking about getting some kind of chest bench, or something.” “Well, that settles it, then,” Twilight declared, standing. “Uh…settles what?” “Why, we’re going to help you finish your preparations, darling!” Rarity scoffed good-naturedly. Rainbow’s gaze flicked amongst her friends. “Wait, what? “You heard her,” Applejack shot back with a wry grin. “Let’s get goin’.” Again, the pegasus looked at each friend in turn. “A…seriously?” Pinkie Pie erupted in a heart-filled giggle. “Come on, Dashie! Of course we want to help you!” “We wouldn’t dream of letting you do this all on your own,” Fluttershy added. Rainbow Dash grinned, her excitement springing to life with a gleam in her eye. “Aw, you guys are just the best!” She threw herself to her friends, gathering them in as tight a hug as she could manage. Rarity did her best to chuckle against the pressure on her neck. “Anytime, dear,” she almost choked. “Please let us go now.” The mare in question blinked, letting her friends go at once with a sheepish chuckle. “Sorry.” With a group-wide giggle, the mares paid off their meal and trotted into town, excitedly asking Rainbow Dash about the little filly that had stolen her heart. With the biggest smile they had ever seen on their daredevil friend, she told them story after story about her times with Scootaloo. “And this one time, a couple days ago,” Rainbow Dash picked up as they entered the furniture store, “Foggy was tapping the floor in the hallway to guide Scootaloo without actually touching her. It was supposed to be an exercise, but Scoots was laughing so much it looked more like a game.” Twilight cooed a laugh, “Aw…does she do that often?” “Foggy said she has a bunch of different ways to practice things with Scootaloo. The floor tapping thing is to help Scoots learn how to use vibrations to guide her. She has others, too…like this one where Scoots has to read these cards–oh, that reminds me: Twilight?” “Uh, yes?” Twilight blinked suddenly, taken aback by the sudden switch in directions. “Do you know where I can order Braille books?” Rainbow Dash questioned as Rarity led the group to the rows and rows of beds. The unicorn smiled. “I know a company in Canterlot that specializes in them. If you give me a list, I can talk to the owner for you.” “Thanks,” Rainbow beamed, Twilight nodding in response. Rarity interjected, “Okay, darling, here we are! What were you thinking about?” Rainbow glanced around the room, thinking. “Um…I guess…” she frowned to herself. “I, uh…don’t really know.” “Well, let’s take a look around,” Rarity offered. “Let us know what strikes your fancy.” “Uh, okay…” Rainbow Dash trailed, letting her friends lead her down the aisle. Not even a moment passed before her friends began speaking up. “How about this one?” Twilight offered. “It’s fairly simple.” Rainbow glanced over the flat wood frame and headboard, grimacing. “Nah…it’s too…plain. She’s totally blind, so…I want to get her something that’s fun to feel.” Her attention was grabbed by Pinkie. “How about this one, then!” Her eyes found a…well, this bed looked more like an art project than a bed. A four-poster with a headboard, this bed held all the colors of the rainbow in twirls and swirls of differently-shaped candies and cupcakes. The bulbous, blobby posts looked like piled-up ice cream, colored and textured to match. “Eh…” Rainbow Dash tilted her head. “That’s a bit…too much. Yeah, it’d be fun to feel, but…you kinda have to see that one, too, to really appreciate it. Plus…she’d probably be too distracted with feeling everything to go to sleep.” She gave a soft chuckle, imagining Scootaloo’s reaction to the overwhelming tactile effects of the bed. “Maybe this’n?” Applejack offered. She stood beside a classic carved four-poster bed with curved shapes and knobs making up the posts and a simple carving taking up the center of the headboard. Her mouth twinged to the side as she pondered. “Uh…it’s nice, but…I don’t think that’s her style, plus…” she trailed off as she looked at the space underneath the bed. “I think I want to get her a bed that doesn’t have any space under it. That way, she won’t lose something under it and try to go looking and hit her head or anything.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been thinkin’ for a while ‘bout this, huh?” Rainbow Dash gave a chuckle, moving on to the next— Her eyes landed on a headboard. A little further down the aisle, she could just make out the white curves and swirls of a cloud shape. Her friends caught her gaze, following her with their eyes as she trotted over. The billowing, cloud-shaped piece of carved wood tumbled down to the head of the bed, where the body sat astutely on the floor. The rounded, oval bed was lined with soft, smooth gray fabric that wrapped around the frame. She ran her hoof along the face of the frame, hard and tactiley different enough to provide an obvious difference, but soft enough that she wouldn’t get hurt should she bump into it. Her eyes rose to the headboard itself. She pressed a hoof against the rounded wood, following a swirl to its center. She closed her eyes, exploring the carved pattern with nothing but her hoof, easily feeling the dips and curves and soft edges of the wooden cloud. She looked down at the spread, the bed sizable enough to allow many years of growth, just small enough that a full-grown pony would find the space uncomfortably small. Rainbow Dash stepped back, taking in the full picture just a moment longer. With a small, excited smile, she nodded to herself. “This one…This one’s perfect.” She looked back at her friends, each giving her an excited grin. “I’ll go get the clerk,” Rarity offered, trotting off. “Why don’t you find that chest you were talking about?” “I saw those this way!” Fluttershy piped up, gently floating over to the other side of the store. Rainbow Dash chuckled. “At least I’ve got a better idea here.” “Well that’s good,” Applejack nudged her friend jokingly. “Whatcha got in mind?” “I was thinking something simple…maybe cubby holes instead of a lid? So she can put things down on top while she takes things out.” “Well, it looks like they have several of those,” Twilight offered, bobbing her head to indicate the selection. Rainbow nodded as she looked about, Pinkie trotting up to one of the storage ottomans and pulling open the drawer. “Oooo-OOOOO-oooooo, spacious!” Without any further warning, the party pony crawled into the drawer, which promptly shut behind her. The four remaining friends looked between each other in half-surprise. A bump came from a different bench, and their eyes whipped to find a toy chest halfway down the aisle jumping by itself before the top finally opened, Pinkie Pie dragging herself out as if from the grave, panting heavily. “Whew,” she wheezed, “you do not want to go in there!” She shook herself off, and shut the lid as if to seal Pandora’s box itself. With a grimace, she shook her head before finding her friends once again and giving them a bright smile. Her friends returned it nervously, all collectively trying to either ignore or forget what they’d just seen. Rainbow Dash forced herself to think about her current mission to avoid the headache forming behind her eyes. She let her eyes trail around, taking in the styles presented to her before she spied a deep, backless white bench with three cubby holes underneath, all of which held a teal-and-cyan striped, soft, square bin. “Huh,” Rainbow thought aloud, walking around the piece of furniture. “This…actually works,” she chuckled to herself, her imagination taking over as she mentally watched Scootaloo rummaging through the bins, reading on the bench, laughing up at her as she sat. “Uh…Dash?” Rainbow Dash blinked, Applejack snapping her out of her reverie. “Sorry,” she rubbed the back of her head. “Let’s, uh…let’s go get the employee.” “Rainbow Daaash!” Rarity trilled as she trotted back over. “You’re in luck! The bed you’ve chosen is no longer being manufactured, so the one in the store is the last of its kind. You can take it home today!” “Wait, really?” The mare in question asked, surprised. She looked to the clerk for confirmation, and the stallion nodded. “Is it a cloud mattress?” “Yes,” the stallion nodded politely. “It just so happens the one we have here is intended for pegasi.” “Sweet!” Rainbow beamed. “What about this?” she pointed to the cubby bench. “We have several of those boxed and ready for set-up in the back. You won’t have to wait for any deliveries today, miss.” “Sweet!” Rainbow Dash grinned at her friends. “Her room’s done!” At their joyous laughter, the same declaration turned around and speared itself directly into Rainbow’s heart. “Her…her room’s done…” She gave a strained chuckle as her grin vanished, shock beginning to fill her eyes. “Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked, picking up the look in her eyes. “What’s wrong?” “I…” Rainbow swallowed against her dry throat. “Scootaloo’s room is done…There’s…there’s nothing stopping me from asking Foggy.” Her friends watched as a hoof rose to the base of her neck. “I can actually…can I? This is all…can I really do this?” The five friends gave the pegasus sympathetic smiles, recognizing the spiral of self-doubt. They surrounded their friend, pulling her close in a group hug. “You’ve got this, Dash,” Applejack encouraged. “You’ll be a great guardian,” Pinkie Pie added. Twilight picked up, “If you ever need us, we’ll be right here.” “No matter what,” Fluttershy breathed, “we’ll be happy to help.” Rarity finished, “You’re far better than you’re letting yourself think. You’ll be able to give the little darling the best home you can, and that will be enough.” Rainbow Dash relaxed in her friends’ hold, returning their embrace the best she could. “What did I do to deserve friends like you?” Several hours later, six mares stood at the entrance to a bedroom. Twilight’s horn lit up briefly as she mentally checked how much more time was left on the hour-long cloud-walking spell she had cast on herself and three of her friends. The room, now fully furnished, patiently awaited the fulfillment of a resident that would make it their own. The shelf and dresser took up the right and left corner of the room, respectively, with the cubby taking up a bit of space between the two under a curtained window. The bed’s headboard rested against the wall adjacent to the shelves, the body sticking out in a curve as it reached into the center of the room. The bedside table stood erect on the opposite side closest to the door, a lamp Rainbow had found in yet another box ready and waiting for use on top of it. The mares sighed contently at the finished room. “It’s lovely, darling!” Rarity complimented. Rainbow Dash gave an airy chuckle. “It’s…it’s so much better than I was picturing.” “So, what’s next?” Twilight perked up. Rainbow bit her lip. “I guess…now, I just hafta…tell her shadow…” “Oooooo!” Pinkie Pie jittered with excitement. “Can we come? Please? I wanna meet her sssoooo bad!” “Uh,” Rainbow chuckled, “maybe not yet. I don’t want to confuse her, so, maybe…right after everything’s done?” “Meaning…?” Fluttershy egged on. “Meaning…” Rainbow Dash’s eyes panned around the room again. “I’ll introduce you all the same day I…bring her home.” She bit her lip as another wave of joy sent tears to her eyes, and she looked back at her friends. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am you guys helped me out today. I just…I’m so stoked you didn’t try to talk me out of it.” “Hey, Ah’m right tickled you actually let us help ya with it,” Applejack replied. Rarity added, “And please, dear, do not hesitate if you need anything else.” “Yeah,” Twilight picked up, “raising a foal’s gonna be hard, but we know you’ve got this. And we’ll be here if you need a little extra help.” Rainbow Dash could hardly contain herself any longer. She threw her forelegs around her friends, gathering them up in as best a hug as she could. “Thank you so much!” Foggy Day opened the door, finding Rainbow Dash with her hoof raised to knock. “Right on time, as usual,” she grinned. Rainbow Dash gave a chuckle as she trotted inside, asking, “What’re you and Scoots up to today?” “It’s a free day, actually,” Foggy answered. “I have something I need to do today, so Scootaloo will be hanging out with another attendant for a couple hours while I’m away.” She raised a teasing eyebrow at Rainbow Dash. “Think you can handle her while I’m gone?” “Pssh, ‘course I can,” Rainbow Dash replied smoothly, heart thundering in her ears. Foggy chuckled as if sensing the nervousness hiding under Rainbow’s bravado. “Well, if you need any help, the other attendant should be able to assist you, just call him over.” Rainbow Dash nodded as Foggy led her into the play room. The unicorn could almost see the mare’s heart leap the second her eyes landed on Scootaloo. She and Foggy exchanged a nodded goodbye, Rainbow Dash trotting over to the filly stacking differently-shaped foam blocks on top of each other. She extended a wing, sending a little breeze Scootaloo’s way. The filly stopped in her building, snapping out of whatever daydream she was having. Her eyes jittered about as she looked towards where the breeze had come from, ears rotating as if to reach for another. So, that’s what Rainbow Dash gave her. Snickering to herself, she moved to the filly’s other side, her wing creating a breeze that ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. The filly’s ears snapped in her direction, followed by her head, which tilted at the odd wind that didn’t seem to want to follow any form of logic. Rainbow Dash crept up to Scootaloo, the filly’s eyes flicking all around her face, but never landing. She reached a wing forward, lightly brushing a feather tip over the filly’s nose. At once, Scootaloo’s face scrunched, and she gave a confused grunt as she jerked back, shaking her head. Finally, something seemed to click, and her face lit up before she hummed as she rubbed the leftover tickle on her nose. Rainbow Dash laughed as she traced her name-sign on Scootaloo’s shoulder. The filly giggled, grabbing her hoof and hugging it. Rainbow tapped out, “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” “It’s fine,” Scootaloo beamed. “Now I know strange breezes equal Rainbow Dash!” The older pegasus couldn’t help her bark of laughter. “Nothing gets past you very long, does it?” “Nope!” Scootaloo hummed a laugh. “I can see everything…” She held both hooves forward, moving them as if feeling the very air itself, giving a wordless noise that reminded Rainbow Dash of a ghostly moan. The mare snorted, realizing the filly was trying to sound spooky, only to succeed in appearing more adorable. Rainbow Dash tussled Scootaloo’s mane, nuzzling her forehead with her own. “Yeah, you’re real mysterious, squirt,” she tapped, hoping Scootaloo could pick up her sarcasm. It seemed so, as Scootaloo scrunched up her face and stuck her tongue out. Rainbow Dash automatically responded with a playful mirror of the expression, only to realize a second later that Scootaloo couldn’t see it. Before she could acknowledge the pang in her heart at the realization, Scootaloo broke out in a giggle again. She took Rainbow’s hoof. “Foggy’s gonna be gone for a couple hours,” she informed. “Yeah, she told me,” Rainbow Dash answered. “Do you know where she went?” Scootaloo shook her head. “She never wants to tell me, but she says it’s something important that she does, so I don’t ask.” She hummed to herself before she added, “It’s the only time she’s not with me during the week, and it’s private, so…” “Yeah, I understand,” Rainbow Dash sympathized. “I won’t ask, either,” she promised. Scootaloo grinned up at her the best she could. “Cool.” The little filly paused for a moment, a small smile slowly climbing up her face. “There’s something I’ve been working on. Can we try it?” “Sure! Whatcha got?” Scootaloo hummed her little chuckle, then pulled on Rainbow Dash’s hoof. The mare pitched forward a bit, too surprised to stop herself at first as Scootaloo pulled herself to standing. Before Rainbow Dash could blink, the filly brought her hoof up, booping the older pegasus on the snout. “Gotcha!” she spelt on Rainbow’s nose as she hummed a laugh, bringing her face closer to Rainbow Dash’s. The mare’s shock wore off at once, and she grinned against the hoof before ducking her head and nudging it against Scootaloo’s chest. The foal was knocked off-balance, and she squealed as she tipped backwards, landing softly on her back with a barely-audible thud. Scootaloo giggled, her hooves curling into her stomach. They couldn’t stop Rainbow Dash, however, and the mare moved her hoof back and forth against the filly’s fetlocks. Scootaloo laughed, pressing both of her hooves flush against Rainbow Dash’s. Rainbow grinned, moving Scootaloo’s hooves every which way with her own. Bringing them up, she exposed the filly’s belly, and used her other hoof to tickle Scootaloo while she was distracted. Scootaloo squealed, moving her hooves to the one tickling her and trying to push it off of her as her giggles multiplied. Rainbow couldn’t help her chuckle, the filly’s adorable laughter bringing her own to the surface. She leaned over her, rubbing Scootaloo’s nose with her own. The filly felt her chance, and took it. At once, she threw her forelegs around the mare’s head. Her chest shook with her laughter, pulling Rainbow’s muzzle under her chin and holding on with all her might. She felt Rainbow’s grin against her neck, and she rubbed her nose between the bigger pony’s eyes. Her back left the ground, her body lifting and back hooves leaving the carpet. Gravity bobbed, Rainbow Dash moving her head to try and lightly shake her off; but she refused to give in. She held on tight, giggling harder the more Rainbow tried. Rainbow’s brow rose in an idea. She blew a breath through her nose, tickling the filly’s neck. Scootaloo’s shoulders rose, and she shivered as she gave a surprised little squeak of a giggle. Rainbow sat back, laughing, her breath brushing Scootaloo’s neck and loosening the filly’s grip enough for her to let go. Rainbow caught her, pulling her into a tight hug as the two shared a peel of laughter. Foggy Day stifled her own giggle from the doorway. The unicorn had forgotten her bit purse, and had decided to check on Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo on her way back out, coming back in time to see Rainbow Dash playing with the filly’s hooves. She watched the two share a hug, unable to stop herself from thinking how right the two felt together. She could feel the joy Scootaloo felt every time Rainbow Dash came around, and she could feel the love Rainbow Dash felt every time she saw Scootaloo. She sighed to herself as she trotted away to her weekly errand, knowing it was only a matter of time. Two mares stood outside a little room, staring at each other. One held a nervous, anticipatory hope; the other, blank surprise. Rainbow Dash rubbed her leg. “Uh…Foggy?” Foggy Day drew in a shallow breath. “I, um…sorry, I…” a tiny chuckle sent a twitch into the corner of her mouth. “I just, uh…I wasn’t expecting this to happen so soon.” Foggy had come back from her errand to find Scootaloo still playing with Rainbow Dash, the pair building walls and small structures with the foam blocks, only for Scootaloo to jump through them, Rainbow Dash ready to catch her on the other side. After a few hours of play with her favorite visitor, Scootaloo began to grow tired from all the activity. As evening nearly crept into night, Foggy had brought her up to bed; and the two mares now stood outside her door, where Rainbow Dash had stopped Foggy before she could walk her to the door. It was here that Rainbow Dash had steeled herself, and told Foggy: “I’ve been thinking about adopting Scootaloo.” The words bounced around Foggy’s head, echoing back and forth as she tried to keep up with her racing thoughts. Sage Note’s words replayed through her mind, and she gulped, taking a breath to steel herself. “Now,” Foggy began, “are you absolutely sure you want to do this? Taking care of a foal is a big enough job as is. Raising a deaf-blind filly will be even harder.” “I know,” Rainbow gave a small smile. “I just…” she chuckled to herself. “I’ll do whatever safety inspection you want me to do—heck, I’ll do it twice. I’ve just…I’ve been thinking for a really long time about this, and I actually just finished furnishing her room—“ her eyes widened as she caught herself. “Uh, I mean…I finished…putting together a room…that, uh, could…be hers…?” She couldn’t help the outward cringe at her own awkwardness, glancing back up at the unicorn to find her looking at her with wide eyes. A spark shone somewhere deep inside them, before it flickered away as she seemed to remember something. Foggy sighed. “Before we go any further, I need to tell you something.” Rainbow Dash gave a nervous chuckle. “Okay…what is it?” The unicorn bit her lip, before she confessed, “Scootaloo has three disabilities.” Rainbow blinked. “Okay…what, so…” she pulled on a cool half-smile, “deaf, blind, and mute?” “No,” Foggy couldn’t help but chuckle. “She’s nonverbal, not mute. Her voice works properly—and she uses it to communicate to a certain extent—but she doesn’t understand speech enough to properly form her own words.” “Oh…” Rainbow’s head tilted, “then…what’s the third?” Foggy Day chewed her lip. “How well-versed are you with developmental biology?” Rainbow Dash grimaced. “I’m, uh…I’m not very good at all that science stuff. Twilight, on the other hoof…” The shadow chuckled. “That’s fine. I’ll try and explain it as best I can.” She paused for a moment in thought. “Before a pony is born, they have to develop both physically and magically. The type of development they have to undergo is based on the kind of magic specific to that pony in particular. When it works in tandem with their genetics, it determines what race of pony they are…did I lose you?” Rainbow Dash snapped up with a blink. “No, no. I was just thinking. It’s making sense so far, go ahead.” With a small smile, Foggy continued, “For earth ponies, the magic develops more closely to their physical status, as their magic is based around their entire body, with a leaning toward their hooves. So, their magical development begins almost the moment they are conceived.  “For unicorns, it’s much different. Our magic is tied directly to a singular part of our bodies, so our magic development cannot begin until our horns are strong enough to hold our magic. At that point, the development of both the horn and the magic it contains must work together to allow the horn to grow. “For pegasi, it’s a combination of both. Instead of having magic evenly spread throughout your body, or concentrated to a single point, your magic is more localized to two areas of your body: your hooves and your wings. “Just like with earth ponies, the magical development in your hooves begins the moment you begin physically developing. But pegasi magic development also has to wait for the wings to be strong enough and physically ready enough to begin tying the magic to the physical features. Then, just like with unicorns, the magic must work with the physiology of the pony to allow the wings to grow properly.” Foggy Day paused, keeping an eye on Rainbow Dash. She could almost see the headache forming behind the pegasus’s eyes. Rainbow Dash blinked a bit as she processed the information. “Okay, uh…that all makes sense,” she offered to Foggy with a sheepish smile. Chuckling softly, but appreciating Rainbow’s determination to learn, Foggy resumed: “Now, the process of a pony’s development–as complicated as it is–goes wrong every once in a while. Usually, bad genetics or a miscommunication between the physical and magical parts of a pony’s development are to blame. This could lead, for example, to an earth pony that is less in-tune with the earth and more in-tune with the atmosphere. Or, for a unicorn, it may lead to their horn having an incorrect swirl pattern, or be abnormally-shaped. For a pegasus, this could potentially lead to wings that function perfectly fine in the magical sense, but not so much in the physical sense.” “How do you mean?” Rainbow Dash asked, confused. “They may be able to fly, but their wings are either too big or too small. The magic concentration in their wings is off, but since it’s fully there, they are still able to achieve flight. For each example I gave, the pony is still able to function with some sense of normalcy, they just have to work a little harder to understand their own magic.” Rainbow nodded as she let the information sink in. “Heh, I actually think I know a stallion like that.” “Oh, really?” Foggy asked. “Yeah, he’s this pegasus in Ponyville named Bulk Biceps. He’s huge, but his wings are just…they look more like a little cluster of feathers than they do wings–I don’t even think I’ve ever seen the guy fold them. But even with all that, he can still fly. He doesn’t do it very often, it actually kinda looks like it hurts a little bit, but he still can if he needs to.” Foggy paused, intrigued by the mental image. “Yes, that’s a classic example of magi-physical miscommunication.” “So, is that kinda what Scoots has?” Rainbow questioned. Silence reigned from Foggy Day as she let out a sigh through her nose. “Not exactly,” she breathed. She hesitated, choosing her next words carefully, before continuing: “Scootaloo’s magic was stinted as she developed. Communication and her own genetics were fine, but…her magic didn’t completely fill her wings. They grew strong enough to receive the magic, and her magic tried to tie itself to her wings, but it…it was unable to do so.” Rainbow stared at Foggy in concern. “So…what does that mean for her?” Foggy took a small breath. “As you saw when you first met, she can interact with clouds just fine. But…because there’s not enough magic in her wings, they’ll never grow…and she’ll never be able to fly.” Rainbow’s jaw slackened, a heavy weight settling on her heart. “But…that…that can’t…are you sure?” A sympathetic smile pressed Foggy’s lips. “It…wasn’t a good day for either of us when we found out.” Eyes heavy with the memories, she sat quietly for a moment, before a spark shimmered in her eyes. “After the initial heartbreak, Scootaloo was silent for a day or two–I suppose she was just processing everything.” Foggy’s eyes found Rainbow’s a tearful smile on her face. “But you know what she told me after that?” Rainbow just shook her head, enraptured with the story. “She told me she didn’t mind never being able to fly since she wouldn’t be able to see where she was going, anyway. And she told me she didn’t want to leave the ground, anyway, since that’s where I am.” The pegasus couldn’t help but feel her heart melt. “Of course she would say that,” she breathed. Foggy hummed a chuckle, her smile faltering. “So, now that you know all of this,” she asked, “does it change your mind?” Rainbow Dash paused, taken aback by the question. “What? No, of course not! Why would it?” The shadow hesitated, then gave a sigh as she decided something internal. “Come with me.” Suddenly nervous, Rainbow Dash complied, following Foggy back downstairs and past the entrance, entering the third door on the right. Foggy Day’s magic reached out, flipping on a light as she trotted over to a filing cabinet. Her blue aura flipped through the files before plucking one out and shutting the drawer a little too hard. Rainbow Dash observed Foggy Day’s face, mouth pressed in a thin line out of frustration as she opened the folder. Nearly two dozen sheets, all surrounded by her aura, lifted out of the file and arranged themselves on an empty table. Foggy glared at the sheets, before her gaze softened to something akin to saddened disappointment. “Take a look at these,” she politely commanded Rainbow Dash. The pegasus obeyed, stepping to the table to find twenty-two nearly identical sheets, their only differences being what was actually written on them. She waited for Foggy to explain as she briefly took in the dates and numbers written down the pages. She noticed the first page began seven years ago, the next few happening mere months apart from each other, five sheets spanning two years. The rest of the sheets seemed almost as uniform. Sometimes weeks, sometimes months, passed between where one page ended and another began, with the last one’s ending date marking over six months ago. “What…what are these?” Rainbow Dash questioned, almost afraid to ask. Foggy Day sighed. “These twenty-two sheets are all ponies or couples that, at one point, looked into adopting Scootaloo. All twenty-two would later change their minds, and decide caring for her would be too big of a job.” Rainbow’s heart hit the floor. Numbly, she looked to Foggy, tears welling in both mare’s eyes. “Some were trained and experienced,” she continued, “some were in the process of getting their certifications, some were even recommended by the agency itself. All of them turned away from her.” She swallowed thickly. “They all had valid reasons: several experienced couples were getting to the point in their lives where caring for her would simply be too physically taxing for them. A couple inexperienced Potentials simply couldn’t rise to the challenge, be it their workload or other personal reasons.” Rainbow’s eyes slid back to the sheets, moving to take in each and every name. Foggy felt something shift inside Rainbow, and closed her eyes against her tears as she asked, “Does this change your mind? Knowing that…even those trained to handle foals like her turned her away?” Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink. “Yeah,” she breathed, “it does…” Foggy clenched her jaw to keep it from trembling, and pulled on a smile, opening her teary eyes. “I understand. Please don’t feel—“ “Now I know for sure,” Rainbow Dash interjected. The sudden response made Foggy stop, and she blinked, inquiring, “What?” “Now I know for sure,” Rainbow repeated, brow furrowing. “A hundred percent—a hundred and twenty percent.” She looked at Foggy, face pinched in determination and eyes filling with tears. Throat thick with her rising courage, Rainbow Dash raised her head and declared: “I don’t care what I have to do, or how long it takes me to do it. I’m going to bring Scootaloo home with me.” Foggy Day’s breath nearly stopped. “What…?” Something slowly sank into her brain, and a smile lit up her face. “Are…are you sure?” Rainbow Dash gave a singular nod, looking down at the papers lining the table. “I can’t believe…how can a filly like her have had this many ponies leave her behind?” Her teeth clenched. “She’s too awesome for this to be her story.” Tears of a much happier sort welled in Foggy Day’s eyes. Letting out a tearful, joyful laugh, she threw her hooves around Rainbow Dash. “We’ve been waiting seven years for a pony like you,” she cried. Smiling through her own tears, Rainbow returned the hug. “Believe me, I would’ve gotten here a whole lot sooner if I knew she was waiting for me.” The mares held each other tight only a moment longer. “Okay,” Rainbow Dash piped up excitedly, “what’s next?” “Right, right,” Foggy Day chuckled in elation, wiping her tears as she pulled away from Rainbow Dash. “First thing’s first: house inspection. You said you had a room prepared for Scootaloo?” “Yeah,” Rainbow nodded. “It’s…pretty cool, if I say so myself.” The response sent another chuckle through the unicorn. “Well I’ll be the judge of that.” “Huh?” “In a couple days,” Foggy picked up, “I’ll come by your house and inspect it myself to give you some pointers. Is it cloud, or on the ground?” “Uh…” Rainbow trailed, taken off-guard by the confident declaration. “Cloud.” Foggy nodded to herself. “Does it have a big yard?” “Uh, no…should I look into an extension?” “No,” Foggy said, “it’s actually safer if there isn’t, so Scootaloo won’t try to run around on it. Plus, it’s safer for her to play inside when she’s on a cloud, anyway.” Rainbow Dash nodded in thought. “Okay, uh…I was also thinking about putting lines in the walls so she can get around by herself.” “We can look at that when I come over,” Foggy smiled. Nearly half an hour went by as the mares talked, Foggy Day giving pointers on what to expect for a real inspection, Rainbow Dash taking down every mental note she could, each second that passed sending more and more excitement through her as it finally began to settle in her chest what was happening. Foggy finished, “I’ll tell Scootaloo you’re busy tomorrow so you can get everything ready. Then I’ll come by the next day, and we can go from there.” “Sweet!” Rainbow beamed. “I…thank you so much!” The unicorn smiled right back. “Thank you.” She glanced at the clock, gawking, “Oh, wow! You need to go.” Rainbow Dash read the time, her jaw dropping. 9:37 “What the—? When did it get so late?” Foggy Day chuckled. “Give me your address, then go home and get some rest. I’ll be at your house the morning after tomorrow.” The pegasus gave an excited, nervous chuckle. “Okay!” Scootaloo pressed her face deeper into her pillow, trying her hardest to get comfortable. She’d counted to one hundred, then again, even tried moving her hooves through her mane—a tactic Foggy used to calm her down when she was younger. Nothing was working. And why did she feel…so wrong? She ran through the mental checklist Foggy asked her to whenever she was sick…and found nothing. She didn’t feel too hot, or too cold; her nose wasn’t stuffy or runny; she didn’t have a headache… So…what? Frustrated, she kicked off her covers and felt for the edge of her bed. ‘Guess tonight’s a walking night,’ her mental hoof tapped out. Her chest heaved in a sigh as she slid to the floor, grazing her toes forward as she began the familiar pacing, orienting herself with her dresser. ‘I need to go to sleep,’ her brain’s hoof demanded. ‘I wanna keep up with Rainbow Dash!’ As the mare’s name-sign traced itself through her mind, she felt her heart skip a beat, before she felt a deep ache in her chest. Her throat moved nervously. Was this a symptom? She stopped pacing, giving her full attention to her chest. Cold or flu? She took a deep breath. No, she could breathe fine. Heartburn? No, there was no burning sensation. This felt…deep in a way she couldn’t describe. And… it was the thought of Rainbow Dash that brought it on, but… She imagined Rainbow Dash was hugging her, and felt her throat rise in a laugh, the feeling in her chest leaving only for a moment before coming back again. Her shoulders slumped. ‘What is happening?’ her brain-hoof asked. She sighed to herself, realizing that now all she wanted was to give Rainbow Dash a hug. But…she wasn’t here right now. Beginning to feel her head grow heavy with her fatigue, she shuffled to her dresser, finding her Rubit’s cube before beelining for the Rainbow Dash figure she’d made. She smiled once she confirmed it was her, snatching up the hardened clay figure and moving back to her bed. Careful not to drop the semi-fragile figure, she climbed back into bed, pulled her covers back over her, and curled up around the little Rainbow Dash. She let herself imagine the real mare’s forelegs wrapping around her, her fur as warm as her blankets, her strong hooves as gentle as the breeze. Finally, blissfully, Scootaloo drifted off to sleep. Two days later, Rainbow Dash perked up at the knock on her door. She sped for the entrance, smiling nervously at the unicorn that greeted her on the other side. “Can I just say,” Foggy Day began with surprise, “your house is huge!” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Yeah. I used to have this little one-story cumulus, but then I was promoted to head of the weather team here in Ponyville, so… I was able to buy a bigger place.” Foggy snorted. “Yes, I can see that.” The pegasus let the mare in, and Foggy’s jaw slackened at the space she stepped into. “This is your foyer?” “Yeah,” Rainbow smiled sheepishly. “I was thinking yesterday that this would be a good place to try her walking exercises.” The unicorn nodded in agreement. “And where would her studies happen?” “I was thinking the living room,” Rainbow replied, leading Foggy to the left of the massive staircase and into a modest room with a couple couches and a coffee table in the center. A coat closet in the corner was cracked open to reveal a winter vest with matching hat and boots. “I've got a little extra space in here, and I was thinking about getting a desk we could keep in the corner, or just use the coffee table.” Foggy nodded thoughtfully. “She’s used to working at a desk, but if it would be too much of a hassle, I think the coffee table should work just fine. It will give her more room to spread out, and give you more room to teach her.” Rainbow nodded, realizing: “Oh! Do I need to learn how to teach her?” “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Foggy chuckled patiently. “Right now, let’s just focus on the inspection.” The cyan mare chuckled. “Right, so…the kitchen’s this way.” She led Foggy through the living room to the kitchen. Slightly smaller than the living room, it had only what was essential to make it functional. Foggy looked around. “No knife block?” “Uh…” Rainbow trailed. “No, I…” she suddenly looked a little embarrassed. “I keep them all here.” She trotted over to a drawer beside the sink, pulling it open to reveal a disorderly assortment of cutlery. “I’m working on getting them all organized, but the eating utensils are here.” The pegasus pulled open the drawer above the knives to reveal silverware cleaned and packed neatly in an organizer. Foggy nodded. “Okay. Definitely make sure to either get those organized, or put a lock on the drawer.” “Yeah,” Rainbow smiled sheepishly. “So…you wanna go upstairs?” Foggy Day ran her eyes around the room one more time, much slower. “One sec,” she said thoughtfully, taking a lap around the kitchen before moving into the dining area. The unicorn looked back and forth between the space, taking in heights and edges and eyeballing distances. With a final nod, she offered a smile to Rainbow. “Sorry, just wanted to give this a good once-over,” she explained. “You’d be surprised how dangerous kitchens can be.” “Yeah,” Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously. “So…how’s this one?” “I’ll bring it up on my full evaluation,” she replied cooly. Rainbow Dash blinked at the change in the mare’s demeanor. Hoping she was just pulling on a professional guise, she led Foggy back to the foyer and up the stairs. The mare trotted down the small hallway into the room meant to be Scootaloo’s, and opened the door to let her in. Foggy’s heart jumped to her throat. This room was nearly twice the size as Scootaloo’s current room, and gave her plenty of space to do whatever she liked. The uniquely-shaped bed and detailed dresser gave enough tactile differentiation to keep the filly oriented with the room, as well as give her something she could see when she was here. The unicorn couldn’t stop looking around, spying shelves and plenty of storage for the filly the space was intended for. “Foggy? You okay?” Foggy Day blinked, feeling tears dripping down her cheeks. At once, she cleared her throat, swiping them away. “Sorry,” she said, clearing her throat. Nodding toward the room, she asked, “May I?” Rainbow Dash gave a sideways nod and a smile, pretending she didn’t see the slack-jawed look on the mare’s face. Foggy trotted in, pausing briefly by the bed as she marveled at the space for only a moment. She moved to the shelves, giving them a sturdy shake, nodding to herself when they didn’t move. “Good thinking on the top shelves,” she complemented indifferently, moving to the dresser and pulling out each drawer in turn, running a hoof along the smoothened wood inside. With a final look and a nod, Foggy asked, “Would she have her own bathroom?” “Yeah, right across the hall,” Rainbow Dash informed before leading her that way. Foggy briefly took in the small space, already noticing: “The inspector is going to look for preparation here, too.” She trotted over to the tub. “Make sure you have a non-slip mat, and go ahead and get some accessories and toiletries.” Rainbow Dash made the mental note, highlighting it. “Any specific style, or, uh…” A small chuckle rose from Foggy. “If you go with whatever made you choose the things for her room, you should be fine.” “Okay, cool,” Rainbow laughed. “The third floor is my room.” The two mares trotted up to the third floor, and Foggy inspected the spaces in the same way she had the lower level. Once she had finished, she nodded to herself, and headed for the stairs. She felt her hooves sink a little bit, and renewed the cloud-walking spell as she came back to the foyer, Rainbow Dash hot on her heels. Her brow furrowed as she put together the final pieces of her mental report. She looked up at Rainbow Dash, and could have laughed at the bead of sweat she saw forming on the mare’s forehead. “Well?” Rainbow Dash asked nervously, shuffling on her hooves. Foggy leveled a no-nonsense look at Rainbow Dash, before she finally let her fun break with a smile. “I’m impressed,” she relented. Rainbow’s eyes lit up at once. “Really?” “Really,” Foggy nodded. “I can tell you’ve put a lot of care into this so far. The things that need improvement are simple, rookie mistakes that the agency won’t hesitate to exploit.” Rainbow Dash nodded in understanding. “The knives?” “Especially the knives,” Foggy teased with a raised eyebrow. “And the bathroom things, as well. Other than that and basic childproofing, I think you’ll pass inspection with flying colors.” She giggled to herself. “If you’ll pardon the pun.” After sharing in the joke, Rainbow inquired, “So, what were you gonna suggest about the walls?” “Ah, yes, I almost forgot.” Foggy Day walked Rainbow Dash through the Cloudominium once more, tracing a line on the walls as she gave her suggestions and explanations, giving Rainbow Dash several options that she could try out over the next several days as she prepared for the eventual inspection. Finally, they made their way back to the foyer, Foggy needing to leave to begin the day with Scootaloo. “So, you work on all that in the next couple days, and I’ll let Scootaloo’s agent know you’re ready to begin inspection.” “Sweet!” Rainbow Dash beamed. “I’ll go ahead and get started on some things, and I’ll see you a little later today.” “Excellent,” Foggy smiled. “Scootaloo missed you yesterday.” Rainbow Dash’s heart skipped a beat. “She…she did?” “Yes,” Foggy smiled kindly. Eyes searching the floor a moment, she decided something internal, and looked up at Rainbow Dash with teary eyes. “I’ve shadowed many foals over my career. Some blind, some deaf, some mentally or physically handicapped. I’ve never been with a foal as long as I’ve been with Scootaloo, and I was beginning to think she’d never get adopted until you came along. She’s opened up to you far faster than any other Potential that’s come her way. I think…she wants you every bit as much as you want her.” Rainbow’s heart nearly stopped, tears springing to her eyes. She looked back at Foggy Day with blurring vision, the unicorn effectively leaving her speechless. A moment passed as she grappled for a response before she finally offered, “Guess I better not mess this up, then.” Foggy smiled at the pegasus’s determination. “I’ll see you in a few hours.” Her horn flared, the azure light surrounding her body before she flashed away with a crackle, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with her thoughts.