Rainbow Dash arrived at the orphanage early in the afternoon. A different attendant let her in, smiling in greeting.
“Where’s Foggy?” Rainbow questioned.
“She and Scootaloo are in the main study area,” the young mare answered.
“Cool, thanks,” Rainbow smiled half-heartedly. She trotted off in the direction she knew by heart, mentally shoving aside everything that had happened yesterday, solely focusing on having a good day with Scootaloo.
She knocked on the classroom door before she opened it. Foggy greeted her with a smile every bit as strained and exhausted as Rainbow’s, Scootaloo obliviously reading her worksheet.
“Has he come by yet?” Rainbow questioned.
“No,” Foggy replied, glancing at the clock. “He should be here any minute now.” Scootaloo gave a hum, grabbing her shadow’s attention and tapping out her answer, Foggy smiling to herself as the filly answered correctly.
“How is she?”
Foggy let out a sigh through her nose. “Better. She wouldn’t tell me anything, either. She just kept apologizing for what happened yesterday. She’s not one hundred percent right now, but she’s at least a bit more subdued. Whatever’s going on in her head is big, and it’s going to take more than one night for everything to clear up.”
Rainbow nodded in agreement, letting the shadow do what she did best as she began busying herself by picking up the plan for the next lesson, reading over the month-long curriculum page broken down week by week.
“Is there a place I need to go to get these, or do I just…make it up?”
A low chuckle rose from Foggy. “The agency communicates with the school board in Baltimare to put together the curriculum. All you have to do is give them your address, and you’ll receive packets with everything you need for the month.” Her eyes trailed to Scootaloo, face falling as she added, “This is done once adoptions are finalized, so…”
Rainbow Dash felt a pang in her heart, putting the paper back down.
A brisk knock on the door startled the mares. Glancing at each other, a heavy weight suddenly filled the air as Foggy Day rose to answer the door.
“Hey,” she greeted breathlessly, stepping aside and allowing the stallion in.
The evaluator stepped through the door, nodding his greeting to Foggy before his eyes found Rainbow Dash.
“Ah, good, you’re here,” he said indifferently, brown envelope shifting in his foreleg as he moved to Rainbow Dash.
“I wanted to deliver the news myself,” the stallion stated professionally. He offered a hoof to Rainbow Dash. “I never properly introduced myself, did I?”
“No,” Rainbow Dash shook her head, returning the hoofshake.
“My name is Sage Note,” the stallion said, giving Rainbow Dash a calming smile. “I would also like to apologize for my, er…demeanor yesterday. There’s nothing I take more seriously than the safety of adopted foals—especially disabled ones.”
Rainbow Dash huffed a contented sigh, “That’s fine. At least I know we agree on something.”
Sage Note nodded, lips pressing together in something like a smile before he reached into his saddlebag and pulled out an envelope. “If you wouldn’t mind,” he began, “I would like to read this myself.”
Rainbow’s face fell. “Uh…yeah, sure.” She took a seat, Sage Note moving to another desk. Foggy glanced up with worry, Scootaloo humming as she tapped, pulling the shadow’s attention back to her.
The stallion opened the envelope, straightened the paper, cleared his throat, and began:
“‘The evaluation conducted on the fifth of Augustus in the 1106th year of Celestia consisted of less than ten minutes of observation, as a decision was made quicker than what is normally expected.’
“‘During this time, Scenario Nine was observed in a real setting. The potential guardian was not deterred, however, and stepped into the situation with determination and an open mind. Upon becoming aware of her presence, the foal openly attacked her. The potential guardian, in seconds, was able to subdue the foal with barely a touch. Though Scenario Nine was still in full effect, the potential guardian stayed with the foal and continued to offer comfort in any possible way.’
“‘The foal in question, after mere moments, expressed full trust in the potential guardian by placing herself upon the back of the potential guardian. She and the potential guardian then showed great connectivity, understanding, and communication, as the potential guardian was at once able to discern what the foal was in need of.’
“‘Though the rest of the potential guardian’s time with the foal could not be observed, it is clear to the evaluator that the potential guardian was able to successfully navigate Scenario Nine. Thus, it is concluded by this evaluator that the potential guardian, one Miss Rainbow Dash, shall move on to the interview process; and after such, should be granted the right to adopt the foal of her choosing, one Miss Scootaloo.’”
The stallion placed the evaluation letter back down, eyes rising to find Rainbow Dash with her hooves covering her mouth, tears freely falling from her watery eyes.
“Are you serious?” she squeaked.
The stallion smiled kindly, folding his hooves on the table. “Allow me to offer a quick explanation: Our agency understands that because the foals have no awareness of when observation will occur, several types of scenarios may arise. This is not only expected, but hoped for, as we wish to see as organic an interaction as possible between the foal and the potential guardian.
“Scenario Nine is a situation where the foal is, for whatever reason, inconsolable by those within their inner circle and by those trained to handle the situation. This is by far the hardest scenario to pass in observation—for obvious reasons. Therefore, we at the agency have a silent agreement that whomever may successfully navigate Scenario Nine—however long it takes, and within means not harmful to the foal—will automatically receive a pass on their observation, as we believe one can only do so if the foal truly, wholly, and willingly trusts the pony who can successfully navigate the Scenario.
“You, Miss Rainbow Dash, not only passed Scenario Nine; but you did so admirably, in a way I have never seen before. And I am not just any agent, Miss Rainbow Dash.”
At the mare’s confusion, he continued, “I’m Scootaloo’s agent. I have represented her legally since the moment she was born.” He paused to allow the information to sink in, Rainbow Dash staring back at him with a slackened jaw.
“Out of twenty-three Potentials—yourself included—you are the first one to actually make it to Observation. And during that time, you did something, Miss Rainbow Dash, that few others have done before,” he leaned back, hooves resting on his stomach. “You impressed me, so much so that if it were not for your upcoming interview, I would have brought you the finalized papers instead of a report today.” He offered her a kind smile, an expression so vastly different to the stallion he was yesterday, Rainbow Dash almost thought she was looking at a completely different pony.
The pegasus could hardly believe her ears. “I don’t…I don’t know what to say…” she tearfully grinned. “Thank you so much!” The stallion smiled and reached out a hoof to offer her to shake, but Rainbow Dash bypassed the gesture entirely and threw her forelegs around the stallion.
He gave a good-natured chuckle, professionally returning the gesture as Rainbow Dash tried to compose herself before she pulled away from the tight embrace.
Sage Note looked up at Foggy Day, offering the gawking shadow a warm smile. “I expect you’ll be helping her with the interview as much as you are legally able?”
Foggy had to physically shake herself from her daze. “Uh, yes—yes, sir.”
“Excellent.” Giving Rainbow Dash a parting nod, he added, “Your interview is in four days. Take your time in preparing, and I wish you luck.”
“Thank you!” Rainbow beamed as the stallion gave a curt nod to Foggy, letting his eyes rest a moment on Scootaloo before he made his way out of the classroom.
Silence covered the space between the mares, whose eyes found each other’s, gaping at one another. At the same time, they broke out in smiles, airy chuckles of relief wheezing from their lungs.
“So, when do we—“
“Tonight,” Foggy interrupted, looking to the side as her magic flared and she levitated a sheet of paper over to Rainbow Dash. “This is a list of commonly-asked questions during interviews. Read over it while I’m finishing with Scootaloo, and I’ll conduct a mock interview with you before you leave today.”
“O-okay,” Rainbow replied breathlessly, not even giving herself time to process what was happening before she gave the page her full attention, sitting down as her eyes scanned over it and she mentally prepared her answers.
“Okay, Miss Rainbow Dash,” Foggy Day smirked as she sat down in front of the pegasus. “How long have you known Miss Scootaloo?”
“Is that supposed to be Sage Note?” Rainbow Dash snickered.
Foggy grinned, dropping the impression immediately as she admitted, “Yes,” before the mares burst into laughter. “Sorry, sorry, couldn’t help myself.”
“It’s fine,” Rainbow chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye. “That was pretty good, actually.”
Chuckling, Foggy relented, “I really shouldn’t do that, he is my supervisor.”
“Eh, I won’t tell if you don’t.”
The two mares giggled like school fillies, finally composing themselves after a moment of carefree mirth.
“Alright, alright,” Foggy finally reeled in, coming back to the original question. “How long have you known Scootaloo?”
Rainbow smiled, “About a month and a half now. I met her at a party I was throwing with my friend.”
Foggy nodded, clearing her throat, “What is a typical day of your life like?”
“Well, before I met Scoots, I would wake up after sleeping in, work on the weather in Ponyville, spend most of the day practicing aerial tricks, send reports to the weather factory in Cloudsdale, sleep a little more, then go back home.” At Foggy’s cocked eyebrow, she added, “Basically too much sleep and not enough challenge. Now, I’ve been spending every free moment here, learning about Scootaloo and how to take care of her.”
Small smile adorning her face, Foggy asked, “What are your long-term plans?”
“In a few years, I’m hoping to join the Wonderbolts, which is why I train so much. From there, I want to try and climb the ranks, and hopefully be captain one day.”
Foggy Day gazed at Rainbow Dash. “How do you plan on balancing that kind of work life with Scootaloo?”
Rainbow Dash hesitated. “That…wasn’t on the sheet.”
“Answer the question,” Foggy insisted.
The pegasus chewed her lip. “Uh…well…my friends can help take care of her. They’ve been really supportive through the whole process, and they keep letting me know over and over that they’d be happy to help no matter what, so…”
The sheet Foggy held in her magic lowered. The unicorn hesitated, her eyes searching Rainbow’s own before she asked, “Are you willing to change your plans for Scootaloo? Even if it means you never become a Wonderbolt?”
Rainbow Dash froze, eyes widening. She hadn’t even considered such a thing a possibility. For as long as she could remember, becoming a Wonderbolt had been her drive, the very thing that kept her flying, kept her trying. The idea that that may no longer be an option…
Her mind flashed to Scootaloo, the little filly’s smiling face filling her mind. With a start, she realized that every time she was with the little pegasus, not a single thought of the Wonderbolts even crossed her mind. The only thing that mattered—the only thing that ever mattered…was her. Sure, it would still be nice to achieve her dream, but…
Her dream had kinda…changed.
“Yeah,” Rainbow finally answered, a goofy smile on her face. “She kinda wrecked them, anyway,” she added with a giggle.
Foggy smiled softly. “Don’t include that last part,” she coached. “Don’t give them anything they could translate as negative.”
“Got it,” Rainbow nodded.
The unicorn looked at the next question. “What kind of parenting style are you planning on enforcing?”
“I didn’t understand that one,” Rainbow admitted. “Don’t I just…raise her?”
Foggy smiled patiently. “There are five different styles of parenting. I have a pamphlet to help with that one. Read over it, and have an answer tomorrow.” At the pegasus’s nod, she glanced down. “You mentioned your friends have been your support system. Who’s been the most supportive, and who’s been the least supportive, and why?”
Rainbow Dash frowned. “I don’t like that question. All of my friends have been supportive equally, in their own ways. I can’t really say who will be more supportive and who will be less supportive, because they all have their own lives. Twilight’s studying friendship for Princess Celestia, Pinkie’s kinda…getting ready to take over the bakery one day, Fluttershy takes care of most of all the animals in Ponyville, and then some. Rarity’s got her own business, Applejack takes care of her family’s farm with her family—and both of them are raising their little sisters at the same time!” She glanced up at Foggy, the unicorn meeting the look with wide eyes.
“Sorry,” Rainbow Dash shrank in her seat. “I didn’t mean to go on a tangent like that, I…all of my friends support me, and they’re all more than happy to support Scoots, so…I can’t single any of them out one way or the other, because there will be times where one can support more than the others, and I’m perfectly okay with that.”
Foggy smiled warmly at Rainbow Dash. “Well…I can’t exactly fault you for that,” she relented, glancing back down at the sheet.
“Why do you want to adopt Scootaloo?”
Rainbow grinned, “‘Cause she’s an awesome filly!”
The unicorn’s ear twitched, swearing she could hear crickets in the walls. She glanced up at Rainbow Dash. “And…?”
The pegasus’s smile faltered. “And…I’ve loved the time I’ve spent with her…and I want to bring her home.”
Foggy blinked. “Anything else…?” she encouraged, sensing confusion clouding Rainbow’s thoughts.
“Uh…” Rainbow Dash droned, racking her brain. “I…I don’t…” Her voice faltered into silence, her brain blanking.
“Okay,” Foggy began, holding back a sigh as she thought for a moment. “Why don’t you go home and think about it? Get a little fresh air, read over the other questions, and just…think about it, okay?” She gave an encouraging smile.
“Is…there something I’m supposed to say?” Rainbow asked.
Foggy Day bit her lip. “I’m not…I can’t tell you what to say, it’s…actually illegal. Just…take some time, read the pamphlet, prep your other answers. It may help to write them down.” Foggy’s horn lit up, a small tri-folded pamphlet hovering over to Rainbow Dash. She took it, brow furrowing as she was still mentally stuck on the last question she’d been asked.
Why did she want to adopt Scootaloo?
To her, it just…made sense. She just…wanted to.
Was that…not enough?
“Rainbow?”
The pegasus shook herself out of her thoughts, finding herself on the steps of the orphanage. “Sorry. So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Foggy Day gave her a small, encouraging smile. “Yes. See you then.”
Rainbow Dash hovered around her living room, reading over the pamphlet. “Geez, this thing is packed.”
Despite being no bigger than a full sheet of paper completely unfolded, the pamphlet had almost an entire book’s worth of knowledge in it—at least, from her perspective. She’d had to resort to flying to make herself focus on what was written.
The fact that so much went into parenting made her head spin. As she read over the different styles and compared each one with the chart, she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when she got to the “Overbearing” style.
“Lacking in flexibility when it comes to child’s needs and/or wants? Check. Wanting to control child’s future? Eh, not really. Large involvement in child’s life/attachment to child? Big check.”
As pieces clicked into place, she slowly lowered the pamphlet. “That makes…so much sense now.”
She took a moment to let the realization sink in, then looked back down to the pamphlet. “I don’t want to be…completely…like them, but…I’m gonna have to have a lot of involvement. But…she’s gonna need me to be flexible, too…And all of these are super situational, especially the Strict and Permissive styles. Honestly, kinda looks like Balanced is what I was planning on anyway. Give myself some wiggle room, especially for when she gets older.”
Having decided, she landed, scribbling down a couple bullet points outlining her full answer. She smiled to herself, scanning the sheet and congratulating herself for every answered question, her mind screeching to a halt at the one blank still there.
Why do you want to adopt [insert foal’s name here]?
Staring at the sheet, her mind flatlined. Over the weeks of getting to know Scootaloo, all she’d really known is her want, her need to adopt her. But…she had a feeling that wasn’t a good enough answer. Even then, Scootaloo deserved better than a “good enough” reason to adopt her.
So then…why couldn’t she say why?
Did she…not have a good reason, after all?
It was just…right. The thing that made her who she was was the same thing telling her to adopt Scootaloo. It was how she felt every time she looked at her, it was how her entire world seemed to shift just by having her near.
So…why couldn’t she put that into words?
Finally, she shook her head, clearing it of her negative thoughts. Heading toward her door, intending to take a walk, she spied her clock:
11:28
She stopped dead in her tracks, suddenly realizing how pitch black it was outside. Her eyes drooped, all at once acutely aware of the mental exhaustion creeping into her head and making every muscle feel far heavier than they were supposed to be.
Stifling a yawn, she trudged up the stairs, forcing her predicament onto the back burner of her mind in the hopes of finding some semblance of peace for the time being.
After tossing and turning for over an hour, she finally fell into a shallow sleep.
Rainbow Dash arrived at the orphanage late for the first time ever. She mentally chastised herself as she reached for the door and pulled it open.
Her eyes met a pacing Foggy Day, the sound of bits clinking from her Bit purse with every step. “Sorry I’m late,” Rainbow apologized.
Foggy gave the pegasus a quiet smile. “It’s alright. I was just about to head out.”
“Oh, free day today?” Rainbow Dash questioned.
“Yes,” Foggy smiled as she adjusted the Bit purse around her fetlock. “You know the drill, I’ll be back in a couple hours, Scootaloo’s in the playroom…yes, that should be all.”
“Okay,” Rainbow gave a small smile, noticing the strain on Foggy’s face. “Is…everything alright?”
“Yes,” Foggy replied simply, smiling warmly. “I just had a bit of trouble sleeping last night.”
Rainbow’s brow furrowed. “Oh, are you okay?”
“Yes,” Foggy said for the third time, smile widening. “I just have a lot on my mind, is all. I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Okay,” Rainbow Dash offered, trying to give the unicorn an easygoing grin. Foggy’s eyes squinted a bit with her own smile, before she gently nudged open the door, stepping outside.
‘She seemed kinda…tense,’ Rainbow mused to herself. ‘Wonder what’s goin’ on.’
She shrugged it off for the time being, trotting off down the hall to the main playroom.
Scootaloo sat quietly, stretching out and dividing little bits of play-dough. She never really liked the way temporary clay felt, it was too rubbery for her liking—nevermind how it felt when it got too dry. But, it let her make things that didn’t need to be put in the oven immediately, so she put up with it.
The leftover pains of a couple days ago still plagued her chest, though they were nowhere near overwhelming her like they had. Still, thinking of Rainbow Dash made the pain completely disappear, and thinking of her leaving made it come back.
But…no matter how much it hurt, no matter how badly she wanted to…she couldn’t stop her from…leaving. But…did that mean she should keep letting herself mope about it?
She paused in her pressing, a little ball of faux clay squished between her hooves. The time she had spent with Rainbow Dash had been some of the best days she’d ever had. Yeah, she’d be sad when they were over, but…it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
She’d still have Foggy. The mare who never left her side no matter what. The unicorn who had raised her…taught her everything—walking and navigating; communicating; her schooling; how to handle her emotions and talk about what she was feeling.
She felt a blush of embarrassment creep up her neck at that last one. She hadn’t exactly done a good job with that recently. But she just…couldn’t say it. She didn’t want to put any pressure on anypony. But…lately…despite what had happened, the two mares that had been beside her hadn’t caved, even if she had.
She felt a small push inside her chest, the leftover heaviness being shoved away to make room for something…lighter.
If all else failed…she’d have Foggy. She’d always have Foggy…right?
She felt a little smile tug at her mouth, a decision lifting her mood out of the pit her own self-doubt had formed.
If, or…when Rainbow Dash left for good, she’d ask Foggy…if she could…
She giggled to herself at her internal shyness, her mental hoof hesitating again. She’d be okay if Rainbow left, even if she’d enjoyed her time with her. If nothing came of it, and she left…then she’d move on with her life, too.
So…she’d enjoy her time with her…however long it lasted.
Scootaloo felt a little breeze that didn’t belong inside the orphanage ruffle her mane. She paused, a grin creeping up her face as her ears rotated to locate where it had come from. A second one grazed her right shoulder.
Her throat moved as she gave a giggly shout in that direction, reaching for the mare she knew was there.
Finally, Rainbow’s hooves met hers, and she felt a nose touch her own. She grabbed Rainbow’s face, feeling the mare’s huffed sigh of surprise against her chin.
“I thought you knew all my tricks,” she teased.
Rainbow’s forehead met hers. “Looks like I still have some things to learn.”
She giggled. “Can we go flying?”
Rainbow Dash eased her head out of her grip, and Scootaloo felt the mare’s forelegs embrace her as she was picked up. “Sure thing, kiddo!”
Rainbow Dash’s heart soared as high as her body, the wind whipping through her mane and gliding perfectly across her feathers. Her ear twitched at the giggle of the filly who seemed to be in much higher spirits today, Scootaloo’s bright smile signaling she seemed to be feeling back to normal again, which made Rainbow Dash feel even better.
She straightened out from the dive, slipping into a lazy corkscrew in time with Scootaloo’s squeal and tightened grip. The second she leveled out, Scootaloo giggled through her panting and traced another shape. Her hoof rose up Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, pausing at its apex before it came back down.
The older pegasus smirked, taking Scootaloo’s hoof and giving a hard downstroke of her wings, sending the duo into the waiting sky.
As she rose, she tapped Scootaloo’s hooves, signaling for the filly to loosen her grip. She relented, and in one swift motion, Rainbow twisted around, taking the filly by her barrel and hugging her to her chest, letting her hooves dangle.
Rainbow arched her body, rotating herself and Scootaloo upside-down, the filly screaming in delight. Eyes narrowing, grin growing, Rainbow turned herself straight for the ground, shooting out of the suspension.
She shielded Scootaloo’s eyes as she went, keeping a careful gauge on the way she cut the wind, letting her instincts kick in to detect any potential wind gusts that could knock her off her path. Feeling none, she jerked their trajectory back to parallel with the ground.
Speeding over blurs upon blurs of color, she couldn’t help her chortle as colors blended together almost nonsensically. Pinks, blues, yellows and browns, reds and purples, teal and charcoal—
Teal and charcoal.
Wings feeling like they were being ripped from their sockets, she halted, jerking Scootaloo as she did so. The filly gasped, the sudden loss of movement startling her as Rainbow scanned the ground.
There!
She winced at the dying strain in her wings, hovering over the mare that had grabbed her attention so suddenly.
“Are you okay?” Scootaloo asked, completely unaware that they were directly above her shadow.
“Yeah, fine,” Rainbow replied as Foggy Day slipped under a flower stall. “Just give me a minute.”
Scootaloo nodded, giving a little hum as Rainbow Dash peered down at the spot where Foggy had disappeared. Not two minutes later, she reappeared from under the awning, continuing her light trek through the thin traffic of ponies.
Rainbow Dash peered down at the unicorn as she walked away from the flower stall, gingerly holding two roses—one white, one so deep red it appeared black—in her magic. She hovered away a bit to get a better angle, brow furrowing as she saw the small smile on the mare whose azure eyes carried a weight of sadness under the surface.
Curiosity snagged Rainbow by the neck, yanking her toward the mare she was unintentionally spying on. She stopped herself, Scootaloo’s hoof-taps flitting through her mind:
“She says it’s something important that she does…”
“It’s the only time she’s not with me during the week, and it’s private, so…”
She squeezed her eyes shut, turning away and shooting up into the atmosphere. “Sorry about that, kiddo.”
“It’s fine,” Scootaloo answered against her fetlock. “What happened?”
Rainbow Dash gulped, her mouth pressing in a thin line as she helped Scootaloo back onto her back. “Nothing. Thought I saw something. What other tricks did you want to do?”
She let out a little breath of relief when her distraction worked, Scootaloo giggling as she traced out another shape on Rainbow’s shoulder.
Rainbow Dash glanced up at Foggy, the unicorn smiling to herself as she nodded along with Rainbow’s spoken answer. The older mare appeared far more relaxed than she had when Rainbow had first seen her that morning. Foggy hadn’t mentioned seeing or hearing Rainbow Dash flying around, so Rainbow didn’t mention seeing Foggy Day with the two roses.
She snapped out of her absent-minded thoughts when Foggy’s attention turned to her. Smile widening, Foggy praised, “Good job.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Rainbow Dash relaxed a bit in her chair, the stamp of approval from Foggy greenlighting her for every single question on the sheet.
All except one.
Taking a small breath, Foggy picked up, “Okay…why do you want to adopt Scootaloo?”
And just like that, Rainbow’s relief vanished. Her eyes rose to a spot above Foggy’s head as she tried to think, her mind blanking once again.
The same thoughts as before cranked through her head. Her heart told her she needed to, so…
“I…I need to,” Rainbow Dash answered shakily. “I can’t…explain it, I just…need her.”
Foggy frowned, eyes sparking in sympathy. “I understand, Rainbow Dash, I do. But…they aren’t going to accept that as an answer.”
Dread rushed through Rainbow Dash, her pulse quickening. Forcing down her growing panic, she asked, “Well, what would you say?”
Something within Foggy’s eyes ignited, sparks lighting up somewhere deep inside her soul before she snuffed them out, regaining control of her emotions. “I can’t tell you,” she responded. “This is your interview, so it has to be your answers. I can’t influence them in any way other than coaching you in what would be acceptable or not. Further feedback is outside of my legal reach.”
Rainbow groaned, burying her face in her hooves. “What am I supposed to do, then? Why can’t I get this right?”
Foggy took a breath. “Maybe…you’re thinking too hard about it. You’re a bit more impulsive by nature, right?”
“Yeah?” Rainbow Dash peaked out from behind her hooves.
“Well…how about this,” Foggy offered, “tomorrow, I’ll ask you at a random point in time, and you give me the first answer that comes to mind, no matter how strange it seems. How does that sound?”
The pegasus hesitated, thinking it over. Slowly, she nodded, lowering her hooves to reveal a shy, nervous smile that felt out of place on the usually-confident mare’s face.
“Okay,” Rainbow Dash breathed.
It happened at the end of the following day, as Foggy was escorting Rainbow Dash to the office, clipboard in her aura as she walked the prospective guardian through what to expect at the interview. It was in the smack middle of a sentence, the unicorn catching the pegasus so completely off-guard, she had no choice but to say the one thing at the forefront of her mind.
“Why not?”
Foggy Day froze in her place. Rainbow Dash looked back at her, having taken a couple steps forward before realizing she had stopped.
She stared at the shocked expression on Foggy’s face, the answer having completely silenced her.
“Was…that not good, either?” Rainbow Dash questioned nervously.
Foggy reeled back her expression the best she could, rubbing her eyes. “Worse, actually.”
Rainbow’s face fell as Foggy picked up, “Rainbow Dash, your interview is in two days, and you won’t even be here tomorrow for me to help you.”
“You think I don’t know that?” she quipped back, desperately. “I just…inside, it makes sense. But, for some reason, I just…can’t…get it out. You know?”
She threw a helpless look at Foggy, emotions roiling and heart thundering. Out of all the things she had had to face since beginning the adoption process, this was by far the hardest.
At least with Observation, she could do something. But if she couldn’t give a valid reason to adopt Scootaloo, then…what?
Foggy Day could sense the hopelessness rising in Rainbow Dash, her desperation clouding her mind and blocking out the very thing that would give her the answer she needed. She gazed at the pegasus, her eyes narrowing slightly in thought. The clipboard rose in her azure aura, placing itself in a wall holder. “Come with me.”
Confused, Rainbow Dash complied, following Foggy Day down the hall to Scootaloo’s room. Foggy opened the door, reaching out with her magic and flicking on the lamp on the bedside table, bathing Scootaloo’s sleeping face in a warm glow.
“You’re not gonna wake her up, are you?” Rainbow questioned.
“Of course not,” Foggy answered, a strange tone coating her voice. She sat by the table, and pointed at a spot a few steps away from her, near the foot of the bed. “Sit there.”
Rainbow Dash sat, looking at Foggy Day, puzzled.
Foggy Day sat up straight, jaw set with determination. “I want you to look at her.”
Rainbow hesitated, doing what she said. Scootaloo lay facing the two mares, eyes closed and mouth open as she breathed evenly and peacefully.
Foggy kept her eyes trained on Rainbow Dash, waiting for the shift she knew was coming. “Really, really look at her,” she encouraged. “Don’t focus on anything else.”
Rainbow Dash peered at the little sleeping filly. As she did, Scootaloo squirmed a bit in her sleep, brow furrowing briefly before she buried her muzzle in the stuffed bear she hugged to her chest.
Foggy watched Rainbow’s gaze soften, the small smile tug at her lips. Her own smile graced her features as she recognized the love she could sense from Rainbow. She let her wade in her emotions for a moment, before asking:
“Why do you want to adopt her?”
Rainbow Dash felt tears spring to her eyes at the question, her soul pulsing with the pure joy and love that seemed inches away from physically spearing her heart. She let go of all previous answers she’d had, and gave herself over to her rawest emotions.
At last, she had an answer.
“I don’t know,” she breathed. “I’d never thought about adopting before I met her. Heck, I didn’t even meet her intending to adopt her.
“All I know…is that she changed me. She changed the way I think. She changed the way I see things. It’s like…my entire world opened up the first time she held my hoof. And now…” She paused, rubbing away her tears. “And now…I love her so much it hurts. Now, all I want to do is watch her grow up. I want to see who she becomes, and I want to be there for her. I want to be everything she would possibly need me to be, and I never want to leave her side for the rest of my life.”
Rainbow Dash beamed through her tears, eyes finding Foggy’s. “Isn’t that weird?”
Foggy looked back at Rainbow with tears of her own, smiling softly. “Not at all.”
Rainbow Dash paced the floor in front of the door, glancing up at the clock once more.
Thirty minutes had passed since the interview, and her heart had been racing the entire time. Unable to do anything about her excess energy, she had resorted to pacing as she tried to control her breathing and calm herself down.
Sage Note had been in there, and whatever had made the mare terrified of him before was turned on again. Throughout the entire interview, she found herself wishing she could shrink away and hide from the stallion’s piercing gaze. But, as question after question passed, she forced herself to look into his eyes, using Scootaloo herself as her motivation to swallow the nausea of her nerves.
The moment she left the room, it was like something had relinquished her lungs, and she could suddenly breathe again. With the disappearance of the suffocating force came the anticipatory hope and self-made worry. As she moved, helping herself think more clearly, she gave herself assurance after assurance that no matter what happened, no matter what the verdict would be, she had done her best.
And her best would always be enough.
Her heart skipped a beat as the door suddenly clacked open, one of the mare’s interviewing her alongside Sage Note poking her head out. “He’s ready to see you.”
Rainbow Dash gulped, her halted movement causing her legs to tremble. She pushed herself forward, offering the best smile she could to the mare as she walked past, the earth pony letting herself out and shutting the door behind her, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with Sage Note.
“Please, sit down, Miss Rainbow Dash,” his gently authoritative voice commanded.
She obeyed, holding her head high as she faced the one pony standing between her and a lifetime with Scootaloo.
“First of all,” Sage Note said, eyes softening. “I would like to apologize for my front again.”
“It’s fine,” Rainbow waved off. “I get it, really.”
Sage Note smiled at her understanding. “My special talent, for better or for worse, is the ability to make ponies afraid of me. I use this—what I like to call “Intimidation”—to weed out individuals that bolt at the first sign of fear. I tend to find those who are able to outlast my Intimidation are able to stand strong against actual, real-world dangers, and are more capable of keeping level heads during times of stress involving their foals.”
Rainbow Dash gave an impressed frown. “So…how would I do?”
The stallion raised a good-natured eyebrow. “You got through my Intimidation twice.” He half-smiled, adding, “I think you’ll do fine.”
With a small smile from Rainbow Dash, Sage Note straightened the evaluation paper. “That being said, Miss Rainbow Dash.” He leveled a cool gaze at the mare, whose smile gave way to a look of serious nervousness.
“Not every interview is the same, no two guardians or guardian pairs are alike. Some questions are answered with perfect certainty; others, with a bit of confidence left to be desired. Sometimes, questions may not even have complete answers during this time.” His lips curled into a pleasant smile. “But parenting would hardly be an adventure if each guardian was certain of everything immediately.
“Still, we look for willingness in a guardian’s flexibility, and their ability to care for the foal. I, personally, search for a guardian’s resilience, and their ability to adjust when things are not the best of times. This brings me to you, Miss Rainbow Dash.”
Heart thundering in her ears, the pegasus in question did everything she could to not squirm in her seat as Sage Note propped an elbow on the table.
“From what I have seen, and from what I have heard from Miss Foggy Day, you have been nothing but kind, gentle, loving, and loyal to Miss Scootaloo. You have provided your absolute best for her, even when you weren’t sure it would be enough. And from what you have told me today, you plan to continue to do as such for as long as you are able, and you are even willing to put your own desires on hold for her sake. All of this put together, Miss Rainbow Dash, has convinced me that you are not only the best candidate to date, but potentially the best candidate we could ever hope to find to adopt Miss Scootaloo.”
Rainbow Dash swore she stopped breathing, her mind blanking in the best possible way as joy and shock flooded every part of her.
Smiling softly, Sage Note concluded, “I will be putting the final paperwork together for the rest of the day today, and I will meet you at the courthouse at eight o’clock tomorrow. The date has already been set.”
Tears sprang unbidden in Rainbow Dash’s eyes, a sudden rush of emotions simultaneously immobilizing her and making her feel as if she could run a marathon. Her breath caught in her throat, unsure if she wanted to break down crying or shout for joy.
“T…tomorrow?” she squeaked, finally able to gain some kind of control.
Sage Note’s smile deepened. “Tomorrow, eight o’clock.” As he gathered up the papers, he added, “If you wouldn’t mind, please stop by and inform Miss Foggy Day so she can begin packing Miss Scootaloo’s things. Don’t worry, she won’t tell Miss Scootaloo anything.”
“Okay…” Rainbow breathed, forcing herself to stand. Sage Note came around the table, offering her a hoof. She couldn’t help but stare at it for a moment before her mind finally kicked in and she shook it. “Thank you so much,” she smiled.
The stallion returned the smile, nodding to her. “Congratulations, Miss Rainbow Dash. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Rainbow Dash hummed a nod, shakily exiting the room and managing to find her way out of the building.
She didn’t remember taking flight, her instincts taking her through the streets of Baltimare to its orphanage. She didn’t remember knocking on the door, an attendant letting her in. She briefly recalled being directed to the classroom, her consciousness finally resurfacing as she approached the all-too-familiar classroom.
Foggy’s face lit up, Rainbow managing a smile as the unicorn let her in. “How’d it go?”
Rainbow Dash almost couldn’t answer, her eyes landing on Scootaloo, the sight of the little filly almost sending her to her knees. “I passed,” she whispered.
“Hm?”
“I passed,” Rainbow repeated, swallowing as she tore her eyes away to look at Foggy. “I sign the papers tomorrow.”
So caught up was she in her own joy, that she didn’t notice something vanish from Foggy’s eyes. The unicorn pulled on a smile that didn’t meet or match her eyes. “That’s amazing!” she praised. “Did you want to swing by to tell her?”
“No, I…” Rainbow cleared her throat. “Sage Note told me to come by to tell you, actually. I don’t wanna tell Scoots until I have the papers.”
“Okay,” Foggy’s smile deepened. “Did you want to at least say hello to her today?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow breathed. “I’ve got plans with my friends today, but since I’m here…” she trailed off as her eyes landed on Scootaloo once again. “Is she in the middle of something right now?”
Just reading over something for Equestrian,” Foggy explained. “You’re not interrupting too much.”
“Okay.”
Rainbow Dash trotted over to the filly, unaware her hooves were even touching the ground. Before she could even think to tease the filly with a breeze, her hoof traced out her name-sign on Scootaloo’s shoulder.
Foggy watched as the little pegasus perked up at once, like she did every single time. Rainbow Dash ran a hoof through Scootaloo’s mane, her other beginning to tap on the filly’s fetlock.
Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of the filly’s giggle, the single sound carrying like the most glorious of symphonies to her ears. Her smile slipped, a concept that suddenly felt impossible settling onto her heart.
She’d known for years this day would come, and she’d been waiting for it with bated breath ever since she assigned herself to Scootaloo’s case. And now…it was happening.
Sweet Celestia, it was happening.
Two emotions collided within her, startling her with their intensity. One wave rose in tandem with Scootaloo’s excited squeal, while the other beat it down with Rainbow’s laughter. She forced them into a cease-fire, burying both as she covered the steadily-piling mess with a smile of decades-long practiced neutrality.
Foggy watched as Rainbow Dash nuzzled Scootaloo, tapping out her goodbye, the filly returning it with a grin. A pulse of emotion, followed by her own shove, and the smile adorned her face once again in time for Rainbow to look up at her as she stood.
“I’ll, uh…I’ll see you tomorrow,” Rainbow Dash breathed, still in a daze.
“Mm-hmm,” Foggy hummed happily.
She watched Rainbow Dash leave, disappearing down the hall. An empty dread crept its way up her throat, and she beat it down, forcing her gaze to her charge.
She watched Scootaloo, humming happily to herself as she ran a hoof along a line of Braille, completely unaware that these were her last hours as an orphan.
Foggy couldn’t stop the welling tears, the last of her resolve offering her a little bit of strength.
For these last hours, she would watch her. And she would keep watching until she couldn’t watch anymore.
The filly’s face pinched in confusion, and she hummed, reaching up where she thought Foggy was.
She pulled on her smile, moving over to the filly to continue along with her job, and the last hours of this case.
“Hey, girls?” Rainbow Dash asked shakily.
“Yes?” they collectively returned, enraptured at the face she was making.
“Are any of you free tomorrow?”
Her five friends looked between each other. “I’m working at Sugarcube Corner all day,” Pinkie answered.
Rainbow nodded thoughtfully. “That’s fine. What about the rest of you?”
Fluttershy answered. “Other than my usual time with the animals, I should be free.”
“Me an’ Big Mac an’ Apple Bloom ain’t got a lot a’ chores tomorra’. Ah can meet ya somewhere,” Applejack offered.
“I have some reports I need to write,” Twilight piped up, “but I should be free for most of the afternoon.”
Rarity finished, “I have quite a few modifications I need to complete, but I’d be able to take about an hour’s break sometime in the evening.”
“Why ya askin’?” Applejack asked for the group.
Rainbow Dash chewed her lip, thinking. “Would it be alright if we all met at Sugarcube Corner at, like, four?”
Again, her friends looked between each other before giving her nods and affirmative murmurs. “Why?” Fluttershy asked.
A grin found itself on Rainbow’s face. “I wanna introduce you all to Scootaloo.”
At once, her friends’ jaws dropped, collectively taking in excited gasps. “You mean…?!” Twilight beamed.
Rainbow nodded. “I’m signing the papers tomorrow.”
Passing ponies would have thought something to be wrong at the sudden shouts that erupted from the table. Looking over, they would change their minds at the bright smiles on the faces of the six well-known mares–they would even chuckle to themselves when they saw Pinkie Pie had tackled Rainbow Dash in a tight embrace. None would ask what had gotten the mares so excited, all would have just been happy to see them so ecstatic.
Pinkie Pie squealed in elation. “OOOOOHHHH! You have to let me decorate Sugarcube Corner. This calls for a PARTY!!”
Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously, patting her friend’s withers. “Okay, okay. Just nothing too crazy, alright? I don’t want to overwhelm her.”
Pinkie suddenly pushed back from Rainbow Dash, pulling in a dramatic gasp. “I’ll use my crimped streamers! AAHH! I’ve been waiting so long for a chance to use those, and now I will!” She pressed her nose to Rainbow’s. “You just wait Rainbow Dash: this will be–beyond the shadow of a doubt–the absolute best adoption party you’ve ever seen in your LIFE!!”
“Okay, I believe you,” Rainbow chuckled nervously, lightly pushing her friend away and standing up again. “I’m gonna go to get her in the morning, and we’ll hopefully be back in Ponyville around noon. I want to give her a few hours to get used to the house before I bring her around to meet you guys.”
“Oh, that’s quite alright, darling,” Rarity grinned. “I, for one, am thrilled to meet the little dear.”
“Do ya want us to bring Apple Bloom an’ Sweetie Belle, too?” Applejack inquired.
“Nah, not yet,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I do want her to meet them, but maybe in a couple days, so you two can meet her first. And, uh…maybe you two could talk to them, I guess…?”
“Oh, absolutely, darling!” Rarity smiled.
“We’ll make sure they’re ready to meet ‘er,” Applejack assured with a half-smile.
“Thanks!” Rainbow grinned. “I’m so excited for you all to meet her, she’ll love you guys!”
“I’m excited, too!” Twilight chirped, prancing in place. “Tomorrow’s going to be amazing!”
Fluttershy gave a light squeal. “I’m so excited, I could scream,” she murmured, beaming before she raised her head to the sky. “Yay!”
The tiny sound from her longest friend sent a snort through Rainbow Dash as she gathered her friends in a tight embrace. “Tomorrow’s gonna be so AWESOME!” She suddenly gasped, relinquishing her grip. “I need to make sure the house is ready.”
“Haven’t you already done that?” Twilight chuckled.
“Yeah, but…I need to make sure it’s spotless!” The pegasus began pacing. “I need to make sure everything’s clean, there’s nothing in the way for when she gets there, I need to make sure her room’s perfect.” She gnawed her lip, legs almost trembling. “I gotta go!”
As she rose to a hover, Rarity called out, “Make sure you get some rest, darling! You won’t be able to enjoy tomorrow nearly as much without any beauty sleep.”
“I will,” Rainbow called back nonchalantly. “See you tomorrow!”
She rushed away from her friends, a chorus of goodbyes perfectly mixing their voices together as they—
An electronic squeal was the only warning they had.
“CONGRATULATIONS, DASHIE!!!”
The world warped from the intensity of Pinkie Pie’s voice slicing through the megaphone, leaving five pairs of ears ringing. While those on the ground nursed their aching ears, Rainbow Dash herself teetered a bit as she threw herself at the entrance of the Cloudominium, a sudden wave of dizziness almost making her collapse.
As she rubbed her ears, she couldn’t help her grimace at the mare’s overexcitement, no matter how much she appreciated the gesture. “Pinkie…” she grumbled, finally pulling herself up and trotting into her house, her own internal list running a hundred miles an hour in her head.
Foggy Day sat in front of Scootaloo, staring down at the peacefully-sleeping pegasus. With the filly asleep, she had let her cover fall away, and now the mare felt an odd numbness curling and twisting inside her chest, battling with other emotions that were trying to drown her. Her heavy eyes gazed down at the filly, the last night she’d ever be with her.
She had to get everything off her chest.
She had to let go.
She had to move on.
With a smile, she murmured, “You’re gonna go home tomorrow. You’re starting your new life.” The little face poking out from the blanket didn't respond, and she continued:
“You’re gonna start a brand-new adventure, and every day…every day…is going to be filled with so much love you won’t know what to do with it.” The unicorn ignored her blurring vision as her eyes welled with tears.
Foggy swallowed them the best she could through her constricting throat. “You’ll be alright. I know you.” She sniffed, chuckling to no pony. “Seven years is a long time to get to know a pony, huh? I can’t come with you, but I won’t be forgetting you anytime soon. And I know you won’t be forgetting me, either.”
A little laugh escaped Foggy’s throat, her tears overflowing as she felt time marching onward. Clenching her jaw, she felt an old pain well in her heart. A small pulse throbbed behind her eyes, and an aching emptiness caused her to press a hoof to her stomach.
Foggy looked down where her hoof met her skin, her tears dripping down her cheeks before her gaze rose to the filly in the bed, eyes searching.
For what, she didn’t know.
Croaking through her tears, Foggy cried, “You will never know the gift you gave me just by being born.”
The confession sent a spark of pain through her soul, and she bit off a sob. “You will never know how much you mean to me.”
Foggy rubbed her eyes against the tears that streaked down her face. “I was never supposed to get attached to you,” she sobbed, “but I—“
She bit her tongue, squeezing her eyes shut. She leaned against the bed, bringing her face down with Scootaloo’s, staring at the filly’s peacefully-closed eyes. With a shaky breath, she finally spoke the one thing she was never allowed to say, this night—this moment—being her last chance to do so.
“I love you so much, sweetheart.”
A hoof snaked to Scootaloo’s mane, and she pushed it back, revealing more of the filly’s face. Gently, Foggy pressed a kiss at the bridge of Scootaloo’s muzzle.
Breathing a trembling sigh, Foggy lay her head in front of Scootaloo’s, allowing her tears to flow as she let her heart say goodbye to the little filly she had raised for over seven years.
Scootaloo’s face scrunched in her sleep, the filly squirming a bit and stretching out a hoof. Unable and unwilling to stop herself, Foggy gave Scootaloo her hoof.
Still sleeping, the filly tugged Foggy’s hoof to her chest, burying her face in the mare’s fetlock.
Heart wrenching at the gesture, Foggy’s eyes flicked to Scootaloo’s face. The filly fell still once more with a hum, holding Foggy’s hoof tight.
Tears blurred her vision; and as she blinked, the world she saw warped, fueled by memories that felt far too fresh tonight.
Right before her eyes, Scootaloo seemed to shrink to nearly a fourth her size, the miniscule filly holding her hoof just like she had that night. Foggy’s tears left her unable to clearly see the filly…just like that night.
The night that would mark the turning point for the next seven years of her life.
The night she met the tiniest of fillies fighting for her life in the protection of an incubator, eyes covered with bandages stained with tears and blood.
A ripping, tearing pain flared up behind her eyes, and she gasped, her unoccupied hoof flying to her eyes.
For the smallest of moments, she was there. A filly’s tortured scream cut through her mind, her own spilling out as she collapsed from a pain that wasn’t even hers. Shouting, pleading. Layering, rising voices.
Stillness.
Exhausted tears trickling down her face, her gloved hoof trying to comfort a filly that couldn’t see her. Her breath catching as she tried to hiccup her way through a lullaby, unaware that it was falling on deaf ears.
Foggy Day came back to the present with a gasp. Head swimming, she tried to slow her heaving chest, taking in deep breaths as her eyes once again landed on Scootaloo. That night, and the following days, she had refused to leave the newborn filly’s side, hardly sleeping as she kept a close eye on the tiny fighter.
Tonight, for one final time, she would do the same.
She glanced to the side, the light under the door off, signaling the other tenants and agents had turned in for the night—save for the night shift clerk, of course.
Her last reservations dissolved. This was her last night with Scootaloo, and darn it if she wasn’t going to spend every single moment with her.
Lightly surrounding the filly in her magic, Foggy slid the foal over, carefully keeping her hoof in her grip. Shifting as slowly as possible, she pulled herself into the filly’s bed, curling close to her.
She pressed her forehead to Scootaloo’s, taking in every detail of her face. Emotions roiling within her, she spoke:
“I really hope we meet again one day. You can tell me all about your adventures, and I’ll get to see the pony you’ve become.” Foggy Day sniffed. “Whoever she is, she’ll be the luckiest mare in the world, with a wonderful family and too many friends to count, and a life full of ponies who love her to death.” Breath hitching in her throat, she softly cried, “No pony will ever turn away from her, and she will never be alone again for the rest of her life.”
Foggy smiled. “The best parts of your life are just beginning. And I know…I know they’ll be better than you could have ever imagined.”
The unicorn pressed one last kiss to the filly’s forehead, nuzzling her muzzle in the purple mane.
“Goodnight, baby…”