//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Taboo // by Hooves Like Jagger //------------------------------// 2 Princess Luna looking dreary during the daytime was not uncommon, but during the nighttime it was rare to see even a hint of fatigue on her face. The Princess of the Night's odd nighttime habits were a particularly hot topic among both the night and day guards. The only thing she asked for more than coffee was books and scrolls. Guards and servants would bring these items to her room and then she would wordlessly wave them away with a silver-clad hoof. When she wasn't raising the moon or sleeping, she would while away her time just studying and struggling to stay awake. The guards began to wonder exactly what she was researching so passionately. After compiling a list of all the books she asked for, they came to the conclusion that whatever it was had something to do with Pony Anatomy and Ancient History. Some guards even made a list of books they predicted she might ask for next, a list that turned out to be accurate. The list, however, was close to having everything crossed off of it. The guards wondered if Luna's mission was simply to read all these books and learn whatever she could or if she was looking for a bit of information in particular. If the latter was the case, it was evident she hadn't found what she was looking for. As the time for the night to begin approached, Princess Celestia cracked open the door to her sister's room. As was normal for this past month, she saw her sister's image hunched over another heavy tome. Every time Celestia entered into her sister's quarters, she wished for good news; however, she knew that if Luna ever found anything noteworthy, she would rush out of her room while shouting it to the heavens. "Luna," the white alicorn called out to her sister. Luna shook herself and looked up towards the door as Celestia entered all the way into her dark quarters. "I beg your pardon, sister. I did not hear you enter in," Luna said, pushing away from her desk to properly greet her sister. Celestia raised a hoof, signifying that while the formality was appreciated she should simply forgo it tonight. "I see that it is nearly time for me to raise the moon. Do not fret, for I will complete my duties." "I don't doubt that, little sister," Celestia said. "I've just come to suggest you take a break after you've raised the moon. It won't do anypony any good if we just run ourselves ragged over this." "I know... it's just... what if we are running in the wrong direction, sister?" Luna asked. She used her magic to slam the books on her desks shut with a mighty thump. "We're not getting anywhere. I don't know about your end of the search concerning her parents, but perhaps I need to reevaluate my approaching to finding out exactly what she is." "You're right, sister," Celestia said. She extended a wing and wrapped it around Luna, bringing her close until their sides were touching. "It is hard for me to believe that our efforts have turned up nothing. While I fear her parents might be purposefully eluding us, there is a clue that might help you in your search." "Yes, I know," Luna said with a nod. "The transformation spell for my guards. I know I dug it out of a tome or scroll somewhere. Perhaps that could shed some light on what we're dealing with." Luna yawned involuntarily and quickly covered her mouth with her hoof. "I think a little sleep would do you some good as well," Celestia said with a giggle. "After you raise the moon, of course." "Sleeping during the night? Oh, what have my study habits done?" Luna said, feigning a complaint. "I do hope somepony will be out there enjoying the night in my stead." When Pinkie Pie says she is going to throw a party, the proper response is to throw up your hooves and yell "Of course!" Big Macintosh and Applebloom offered up the Apple Family barn for the venue, and everything after that was history. For a Pinkie Pie Party, the event was a little subdued. It was more like a Pinkie Pie Get Together, which didn't quite have the same ring to it. As Rainbow Dash predicted, not many ponies showed up. Tonight it was just the usual suspects along with Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, Big Macintosh, and Roseluck. "Ah still don't get it Rainbow Dash. Why is everypony so afraid of that little filly?" Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash shrugged as she watched Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and the two Cutie Mark Crusaders play with Taboo on the dancefloor. The other ponies shared some idle conversation on the other side of the room near the refreshments. "Maybe it's just something instinctual. They see the bat wings, the dragon eyes and just think 'danger', you know?" Rainbow Dash said. Both mares felt a bit odd talking about the subject. It wasn't because it was complicated or some big mystery, but because the answer was quite simple: Taboo is different. "It's gonna be hard on her growin' up if we can't smooth things out now." Applejack leaned back on a bale of hay and pushed her hat up. "On top of havin' no parents, she's gonna have it rough." "Yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Rainbow Dash said. "'Bout what?" Applejack asked, watching as Pinkie Pie tossed Taboo up and down. Fluttershy looked like she was going to have a heart attack while Taboo giggled merrily. "I think I'll be able to help Taboo if I knew a little more about what she'll have to go through," Rainbow Dash said, looking over at Applejack. The farmpony just nodded. "Makes sense to me." Rainbow Dash expected her to say more, but Applejack remained silent. She looked over at Rainbow Dash after the lull in the conversation got too long, wondering exactly why her friend was so quiet all of a sudden. "Applejack... I'm asking you to help me out here," Rainbow Dash said a little more clearly. Applejack still didn't look like she understood at all. "You know... because your parents are..." "Mah parents are what?" Applejack asked, raising her eyebrows. Now it was Rainbow Dash who was confused. "Aren't your parents dead?" she finally asked straight out. "You think mah parents are dead?!" Applejack shouted. The room went silent as the record scratched. "So... I take it they aren't?" Applejack just gave Rainbow Dash a death glare. "How about I get us some cider?" Rainbow Dash dismissed herself from Applejack's company while Pinkie Pie put another record on. The casual atmosphere returned as everypony pushed Applejack's outburst out of their minds. Rainbow Dash returned with the drinks in short order. "So if they aren't dead, why aren't they around?" Rainbow Dash asked as she handed a wooden flagon over to Applejack. The farm mare took a deep swig, downing half the drink in one go. She let out a satisfied sigh as the drink parted from her lips. "Mah folks are an odd bunch. When they do stop by, it's usually very brief and very late at night," she said. "I don't think I've ever met them during my time in Ponyville," Rainbow Dash said after a draught of her own drink. "Were they around more when you were younger?" "Not really. The longest time they stayed at home was when Ma was pregnant with Applebloom. When Applebloom turned four, they were back to being gone all the time," Applejack explained. She took another gracious gulp from her cider, licking the foam from her upper lip once she was done. "Come to think of it, maybe I can sorta sympathize with Taboo. At least I know my parents." "What keeps them away so often?" Rainbow Dash asked, curious about this new Apple Family dynamic she'd never known before. When Applejack let out a strained sigh, Rainbow Dash knew she was in for a ride. "Well first off, y'all gotta understand that mah Pa is Granny Smith's son. He's an Apple through and through. Mah Ma she... she was grown on a different tree, you know what I mean?" Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash nodded, pretending she understood exactly what Applejack meant. Luckily, she went on to explain. "My Ma really likes wagon racing; she always has. Before she met my Pa, she used to go around Equestria with a whole team of beaus and 'tear it up' as she liked to say. She would drive and steer while the stallions pulled, but after a while they got tired of it. They were the ones doing all the runnin' 'n pullin' 'n travelin' about while Ma just sat back and gave orders. "They finally up 'n ditched her before a big race 'round the Everfree Forest. Now mah Ma wasn't about to lose the race by default, so she went into Ponyville to find herself a new team. She looked all around Ponyville, but she didn't see anypony who fit the bill to pull her wagon. Her last stop in her attempt to find somepony was Sweet Apple Acres and that's when she found mah Pa. "Now Pa was and still is a simple feller. He don't say much 'n just puts in an honest day's work, by mah Ma didn't see those things: she just saw how strong he looked. Mah Ma 'n mah Pa gave me different accounts of how their first meeting went, but Granny Smith saw the whole thing and I think her version is the most accurate. "Now accordin' to Granny Smith, Pa got real nervous around mares and all the mares down in Ponyville just let him alone since he never said nothin' to 'em. When a strange, pretty mare comes up to him all of a sudden 'n starts askin' him to do her a favor, he was too spooked to do anythin' other than agree." "What are your Mom and Dad's versions like?" Rainbow Dash asked. Applejack rolled her eyes, killing her drink before continuing. "Ma just claims that Pa was entranced by her beauty on first sight while Pa claims he needed convincin'. The important thing as that Pa agreed to hitch himself to her wagon and pull her to victory. Now Pa had never pulled a wagon for speed before, but he'd had plenty of practice pulling carts full of apples all around the orchards. One wagon with just mah Ma in it was no trouble for him, so they ended up taking first place easily. "Ma was real happy that she'd won, and she showed her thanks by givin' mah Pa an innocent peck on the cheek. Pa got so excited about it, he threw her on his back 'n carried her all the way back to the barn. 'Bout ten months later, Big Macintosh was born." Rainbow Dash spat out a mouthful of cider. "What?" she said after a couple of choking coughs. "That happened pretty quickly." "Ah reckon so," Applejack said, already having accepted the reality of the situation. "Ma stuck around the farm 'n Ponyville when she was pregnant and when we were real little, but she never lost her desire to go racin'. She 'n Pa keep goin' around Equestria racin' while Granny Smith keeps an eye on us." "Wow." Rainbow Dash couldn't think of anything else to say. She hadn't expected the story to hit such a chord with her. Applejack's mother had been in a similar situation that Rainbow Dash found herself in now. One day she was just cruising forward without worrying too much about anypony else, but all of a sudden she found herself charged with the care of somepony else. In the end, Applejack's mother still pursued her dreams and did what she loved, even though it took her away from her family. Rainbow Dash's folks never had to make a decision like that. Their hobbies and jobs never took them away from home for extended periods of time, so they were always around. Aside from being foalsat some evenings, her parents were her primary caretakers, teachers, and sources of affection. It was easy for Rainbow Dash to love her parents, but Applejack's story left her with a burning question. "Do ever wish they were around more?" she asked. Applejack didn't look like the question even phased her, which surprised Rainbow Dash. "Of course I do," Applejack said. "But that's because they're mah parents 'n I love them. They weren't always around to be good parents, but they were always good parents when they were around. Mah Ma is part of the whole reason I ran away to Manehattan when I was a filly. I thought I took after her and I was meant to roam around 'n live apart from the farm. "They came back a few days after I returned home mahself, and I told them all about how I got real homesick. I asked them if they ever got homesick, 'n now it's not surprise that they answered 'yes'." Applejack stopped herself, realizing she'd done more than just answer Rainbow Dash's question. "Sorry 'bout runnin' mah mouth. I guess I didn't need to explain so much." "No, it's fine, really," Rainbow Dash said. "Everything I know about parenting comes from my own folks, so it's nice to get a different perspective. I'm not sure how I'll manage chasing my dream and taking care of Taboo. I mean... I've never even heard of a Wonderbolt having kids." "Can't say I have neither," Applejack said. She put a hoof around Rainbow Dash and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Ah ain't gonna discourage you from going after yer dream. If'n there's a way to make it all work, y'all will figure it out." "'If there's a way'?" Applejack poked Rainbow Dash in the chest with her free hoof. "There is a way, and you will find it," Applejack said, reasserting her position. "Here's to hopin' the Wonderbolts don't hold Taboo against you like the Weather Team did." At the mention of her old job, Rainbow Dash furrowed her brow. "They'll regret letting me go; I was the best they had!" Rainbow Dash said. She brought her drink to her mouth and chugged the rest of it down. "That's what I don't get," Applejack said while her friend was busy drowning her sorrows. "Y'all could clear a sky in no time at all and they always picked you fer team leader during Winter Wrap Up. They really just let you go all because of Taboo?" Rainbow Dash finished off her drink. She tipped it over and inspected the bottom for any drops that might remain. "They really did. I just showed up and they told me I was fired; they didn't even explain themselves. I can't even guess what the Weather Chief has going through his head," Rainbow Dash said. "Ah can't wrap my head around what anypony is thinkin' anymore," Applejack said. "Ah mean, Ponyville hasn't exactly been receptive of odd folks in the past, but they're usually just afraid. What's got them so hostile all of a sudden?" Rainbow Dash stole a glance over to where Roseluck was talking with Big Macintosh. She thought back onto all the things she'd said and apologized for. "Maybe they don't know either. One or two ponies didn't like Taboo, so everypony else just fell into line," Rainbow Dash said. "I dunno if I buy that," Applejack said. "Ah can see few ponies bein' that way, but most of 'em? Ah think we need to ask around town 'n get some answers." "Now wait a second there, Applejack." Rainbow Dash felt a little odd telling Applejack to slow down. Normally, it was the other way around. "I don't want anypony else getting flak over this. I'm afraid everypony will turn on you guys too if you stick your necks out too far." Applejack rolled her eyes and gave Rainbow Dash a few more assertive pokes in the chest with a hoof. There was a good chance Rainbow Dash was about to get a good talking to from the Element of Honesty herself. "We're yer friends Rainbow Dash, 'n we wanna help you out. Don't bother tryin' to stop us because you know we're gonna do it one way or another," Applejack reminded her, giving her one final poke before letting Rainbow Dash go. She turned about and headed over to the center of the room. "Alright everypony, that's enough for tonight. It's gettin' late 'n the little ones need to git to bed." "Aww! But I ain't even tired!" Applebloom said in protest, but she allowed a yawn to escape despite her resolve. Sweetie Belle didn't even try to hide how tired she was. She just nodded her head with half-lidded eyes and wandered over to Rarity after saying a few parting words to Applebloom. Rainbow Dash took a quickly fading Taboo from Pinkie Pie. The little foal curled up to her breast and closed her eyes. Rainbow Dash could watched her little chest rise and fall as she rocked her gently. "Big Macintosh, be a gentlecolt and see everypony back to town, would you?" "Eeyup," Big Macintosh replied as he always did while everypony began filing out of the barn. Rainbow Dash was the last one out, being careful not to wake Taboo as she walked. She was so focused on the little bundle in her hooves that she didn't notice the large figure coming up behind her from the side of the barn door. She turned her head slightly to acknowledge a movement next to her. "Yipes!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, but in a whisper as not to disturb Taboo. Instinctively, she cradled the foal away from the shadow beside her and hid the fact she was holding anything by spreading her wings. It took her a long time to realize the pony standing next to her wasn't a threat. She had to look beyond the dark armor, the leathery wings, and the reptilian eyes before she realized she was finally face to face with her night guard. "Oh, sorry... you startled me." The guard didn't say anything. Rainbow Dash put her guard down and let herself relax. She checked to make sure that Taboo remained undisturbed before she took another look back at the guard. His eyes had switched from her to Taboo. The guard watched the foal while Rainbow Dash watched him. She wondered what he could be thinking. "Well, we'd better get going." Rainbow Dash pulled Taboo closer as she took off into the night sky. She heard another set of wingbeats, indicating that the night guard was flying close by. The light of the moon went away as the guard positioned himself directly overhead. Rainbow Dash anticipated a quiet flight. When they got over Ponyville, they noticed a group of pegasi flying a ways away. Rainbow Dash didn't think she needed to be wary of them, but she got felt a dark foreboding as they seemed to get closer. The group adjusted their path little by little until they were flying right towards Rainbow Dash. The approach did no go unnoticed by the guard, who flew down to put himself in between her and the possible threat. "Maybe we should land for a bit," Rainbow Dash said, but not as a suggestion. She swooped down into the empty streets with the guard trailing right behind her. Once she was on the ground, she looked behind her to confirm exactly what she was afraid of: the pegasi were still following her. They landed on the street and started trotting after her, but Rainbow Dash just kept her head forward and ignored them. Even when they started calling after her, she didn't so much as perk up an ear to acknowledge them. "Hey, we're talking to you!" a male pegasi shouted. He was joined by two more pegasi mares, but Rainbow Dash didn't recognize any of them. Rainbow Dash just picked up the pace a little, but even the guard's presence right behind her didn't give her any comfort. She could hear them getting closer, and closer. "Don't ignore us!" one of the mares called. They were much too close for comfort now. The guard turned about and confronted the group, seeing as ignoring them wasn't doing enough to discourage them. The group halted before the guard. The four of them stood around in silence until the intruding group realize the guard wasn't going to say anything. "You can stand down, buddy. We just wanna talk to her," the stallion said, but his tone of voice wasn't convincing. The guard just held his ground, still refusing to say anything. He could make it perfectly clear what he wanted the group to do without saying a word. "Just ignore him, he can't do anything," one of the mares said. She started to move around him, but the guard spread his wings and blocked her. The action was enough to make the mare jump back a bit, but her curiosity made her lean back in to examine the wing spread before her. "Look at that! He's got wings like that little freak!" The other two pegasi took a look at his long, dark wings to confirm what their friend had told them. Devious gears started spinning in their heads. "Oh, so this is the guy who sired that thing," the stallion said with a sneer. He pulled himself up to his full height and got up in the guard's face, but the guard still stood taller than him and his face remained impassive. "I always thought that mare just slept with a manticore or something," one of the mares said. "Or a dragon," the other added, giggling with her cohort. "I gotta admit that mare is a nice piece of work," the stallion said. "Who knew she had such a disgusting fetish?" His last comment sent the mares with him into side-splitting laughter. The guard glanced over his shoulder momentarily to see what Rainbow Dash was doing. Much to his dismay, she was stopped at the end of the block. She wasn't taking advantage of the situation and heading home, but instead she watched in silence from a distance. He only looked away for a moment, but it didn't go unnoticed by the pegasi before him. "What? You worried about that harlot and your freaky kid?" the stallion asked, switching to a more openly aggressive tone. "If you're so worried, why not just get out of town?" "Yeah, nopony wants you here," a mare said. The jeers just kept coming. The guard couldn't tell where one pony's insult began and the other's threat was ending, but it didn't matter to him. He held his ground without a word in rebuke, but unless Rainbow Dash removed herself from the area it was a pointless endeavor. "Excuse me, Mr. Guard?" Everypony looked up to see a white unicorn coming down the lane towards them. She pranced right right up to the guard, shouldering past the pegasi in front of him. "Thank goodness I found you, darling. Now, I need you to come with me." Rarity moved past the guard and gestured for him to follow her down the lane to where Rainbow Dash was. He didn't budge at first, not knowing what was going on. "Hey, he's talkin to-" the first stallion tried to say, but Rarity spun around and leered directly at him. "Do you mind? I'm trying to get some help here," Rarity said with the utmost indignation. "The nerve of some ponies. Don't interrupt me, okay?" The stallion wasn't sure what he had done to deserve the entirety of the unicorn's ire, which left him stammering for the right response. Seeing her opponent was disarmed, Rarity smiled and turned back to the guard. "This way, darling." She trotted down the street with the guard in tow, leaving the group of pegasi to wonder about what had just happened to them. Disheartened from the hunt and tired, they just shrugged it off and flew back into the night. Rainbow Dash had never been so happy to see Rarity, but as the unicorn got closer she could tell the feeling wasn't mutual. "What are you just standing there for? You should be back home in bed by now!" Rarity said through gritted teeth. It was all she could do to keep from yelling, a courtesy she extended only because she didn't want to wake Taboo. "S-sorry, I just didn't want to leave him behind," Rainbow Dash said. She realized the flaw in her reasoning right away, and she braced herself to be scolded by Rarity for it. "You're supposed to leave him behind! That's his job! Right?" Rarity turned back to the guard. The cross look on her face made him lean back as he nodded his head. Her expression suddenly softened. "And you were doing an excellent job, from what I saw." She resumed being cross as she turned back to Rainbow Dash. "So, you don't have to apologize to me. Apologize to..." Rarity stopped mid-sentence to turn back to the guard. "Do you have a name?" she asked the guard. He just blinked down at her for a few seconds, but as her brow slowly began to furrow he decided he should give the mare what she wanted. "Thunderhead." Rarity smiled up at him before turning on Rainbow Dash again. "Apologize to Mr. Thunderhead," she demanded. Rainbow Dash looked up at Thunderhead. He didn't look like he was enjoying this any more than Rainbow Dash, but he gave her a little nod, telling her to just say it and get it over with. "Sorry for freezing up." Rainbow Dash scratched her head with a free hoof while Rarity smiled triumphantly. "Very good. Now, let us get back to your home before anypony else shows up," Rarity said. "Umm... 'us'?" Rainbow Dash inquired. "Yes, I'm coming too, darling. Big Macintosh is making sure Sweetie Belle gets all the way home and I had Twilight cast that spell on me that lets ponies walk on clouds. Everything is taken care of," Rarity explained. "You had Twilight cast that spell?" Rainbow Dash asked, getting a proud nod from Rarity. "So... you're coming in too?" "Why of course," Rarity said. "When I saw that group of pegasi trailing after you, I got concerned. I wanted to be with you as long as you needed me." "Well, I don't really need you; I'm okay. You should just go home." Rainbow Dash's words didn't do anything to convince Rarity to abandon her. "We have much to discuss, darling. I promise I won't be long, alright?" Rarity didn't leave room for more argument from Rainbow Dash. She turned back to Thunderhead and extended her hooves. "Carry me." Thunderhead just stared at Rarity, hoping she wasn't serious. He glanced over at Rainbow Dash, but her expression told him that he can avoid trouble by just doing what he's told. "Alright Rarity, what did you want to talk about?" Rainbow Dash had put Taboo down to sleep in her a crib a while ago. Now she sat in her chair across from Rarity, who sat upon her couch. The unicorn was still busy taking in the room's decor. While she'd claimed it wouldn't take long, she'd spent the last ten minutes asking about what living in a cloud was like. She was disappointed to find out there were no large differences. "Nothing in particular, really. It was more of an excuse to come in," Rarity admitted. Rainbow Dash scowled at her, but Rarity didn't seem to mind. "Since you were around for it, did you happen to catch what those ponies were heckling the guard over?" Rainbow Dash averted her gaze. She'd heard all of it, but she didn't want to recount any of it. She felt like she owed Rarity for helping out tonight and in general, so she swallowed her doubt and told her everything she'd heard. Rarity remained silent through the whole tale, without a single emotion on her face. Her only reaction was a small sigh at the end of the tale. "To be honest, I was afraid ponies might assume something like that," Rarity admitted. "I almost asked Twilight to write Celestia in order to replace the Lunar Guard with a Solar Guard. I don't think anypony outside of Canterlot is used to seeing them or even knows what they are exactly." Rainbow Dash thought back on how Thunderhead just took everything those pegasi had said. He didn't utter one demand to them or resort to using force. Just like any good guard, he played the role of a shield very well. "Well, we can't just switch them out now," Rainbow Dash said. "How do we stop those pegasi from spreading a rumor or something?" "We can't," Rarity answered. Rainbow Dash hadn't expected such a frank answer, let alone a negative answer. "There are plenty of rumors running around, darling. One more won't hurt you if you don't let it, and it won't hurt Taboo at all. Well... it won't hurt her yet." "What do you mean, 'not yet'?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Well, when she gets older you won't be able to protect her from hearing those things. She'll have to deal with them on her own," Rarity reminded her. Rainbow Dash's heart sank when she realized her friend was right. Taboo's ignorance really was her bliss. "W-what do I do? Those ponies would stop at nothing to tear her down if she could understand them! How do I-" "Calm down," Rarity ordered in an even tone, exuding calmness herself. "You just have to show her that she shouldn't be bothered by the nasty things ponies say. It's called leading by example, darling." "Yeah, I know what it is... but, do you think it'll work?" For whatever reason, Rarity deadpanned and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Rainbow Dash, my mother tends to burst into tears or get very angry when things go awry . I, admittedly, tend react strongly to smallest thing. Sweetie Belle is pretty much the same way, so believe me I'm almost certain it'll work. I mean, what is your mother like?" Rarity asked. "If I had to guess, I'd say she has a very strong self-image of herself and likes to let it show." Rainbow Dash thought about it for a moment. She recalled, in particular, that her mother would always call whatever she was painting at the time "her biggest masterpiece". When she thought more about it, her father was always rushing ahead with his work and convinced each little find was a breakthrough. In Rainbow Dash's childhood household, it wasn't uncommon to see a parent with a dark cloud of disappointment hanging over their head. True achievement wasn't something easily attained, but it was always celebrated. "That... sounds close enough," Rainbow Dash admitted. "Of course it is. I'm an excellent judge of character!" Rarity claimed. "And remember, darling, when leading by example wears you down you're always welcome at Carousel Boutique... even if it isn't your favorite place." "Thanks, Rarity." Rainbow Dash gave her friend an earnest smile, which was returned in full. "By the way, you're not losing any customers because I hang around so much, do you?" "Not at all dear," Rarity said, her smile morphing into a look of confidence. "Most of my orders are from ponies in Canterlot anyway. In fact, business is looking very, very up. My line of Summer clothes is going to be in high demand!" "Wow. Your stuff is that good?" Rainbow Dash asked. Rarity's eyes darted away for a moment, which prompted Rainbow Dash to be suspicious. "Well... one of my closest competitors might have burned down in a Hearth's Warming Eve Tree accident, but it's not like I'm totally unopposed!" Rarity said. Rainbow Dash didn't claim to know exactly how the fashion market worked, burned down competitors or not, so she let the issue slide. "The extra workload took me by surprise, so I'm actually looking to hire on an extra set of hooves. I just need to find somepony who's okay with having Taboo around." Rarity's final comment brought Rainbow Dash's spirits down a bit, which Rarity caught on to. "But I'm sure whoever I find will be much better and far more worthy than the other ponies I've interviewed." Rainbow Dash cracked a smile at her friend's attempt to cheer her up. "Thanks... for everything... again," she said. "Think nothing of it, darling. It's getting late and I must be getting back... but before I go..." Rarity squirmed a bit in her seat. "Can I use your restroom?" Rainbow Dash pointed to the stairs. Rarity thanked her and trotted off. Rainbow Dash was left alone to process a lot of information. She figured she had about a year before Taboo would be able to understand what ponies were saying about her, but then again it could be even less. She held on fast to her belief that everything would be alright. Part of her wanted Princess Celestia to locate Taboo's real parents, but at the same time she wanted Taboo to stick around. Maybe it was selfish, but Rainbow Dash wanted to prove she was capable of bringing her up right. Failure was her greatest fear. If Taboo grew to fear, avoid, or even hate the world around her, Rainbow Dash would be a failure as a parent. She hadn't even cared about being any kind of parent a month ago. She was surprised, but she wondered why. She was just doing what was right, and now that meant being a good parent. Any further thoughts were interrupted by a scream from Rarity upstairs. The shrill noise was immediately followed by Taboo crying from having been awoken, but Rainbow Dash flew off to the bathroom first. Her fear was that Twilight's spell had worn off sooner than Rarity anticipated. When she arrived at the bathroom, she found Rarity still standing on cloud like a pegasus would; however, Rarity's mane was drenched. It didn't take long for Rainbow Dash to riddle out what had happened. "You were leaning over the toilet when you flushed, weren't you?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Rarity just looked at her at wide eyed horror. "Why did the water come down from the ceiling?" Rarity asked, looking up at the little cloud suspended over the toilet. "Why would that happen? What possible reason?" "Because all my water is stored in a cloud in the top of my house and water likes to go down," Rainbow Dash explained. "Then where does... you know... it all go?" Rarity questioned while she shook in the cold air. "Septic Cloud." Rainbow Dash's explanation almost sounded made up to Rarity. "Cloud plumbing is a lot different that normal plumbing." "I'll say!" Rarity shouted as she shivered. Rainbow Dash shook her head and threw her friend a towel. "Dry yourself off and stop making such a racket. You woke up-" Rainbow Dash stopped herself. Taboo wasn't crying anymore. Scared out of her wits for what was probably the third time that night, she flew off to her bedroom. She immediately went to Taboo's crib. Rainbow Dash couldn't remember feeling so relieved when she saw Taboo was still there. The little filly was standing up against the bars and looking out the open window. She forgot all about the window when Rainbow Dash appeared, quickly scampering over to stand against the bars and face her. "Mommy!" she said with a pair of pleading hooves raised. Rainbow Dash complied, lifting Taboo out of the crib to cradle the filly close. She could have sworn she heard Taboo crying, but there was no trace of that fact on her face as she giggled in blissful innocence. "Is everything okay?" Rarity asked as she stuck her head into the room. Rainbow Dash turned so Rarity could see that everything was just fine. As she turned, though, Taboo shifted in her foreleg. Rainbow Dash looked down to see Taboo's staring intently at the window, like she had been before. "Everything seems okay," Rainbow Dash said as she walked over to the window. She stuck her head out and looked around, but she couldn't see anything that might capture the foal's attention. She shrugged it off as nothing, shut the window, and drew the blinds. "Do you need any help getting down?" "I'll just ask Thunderhead. You have a good night and I'll see you tomorrow," Rarity said. The mares waved good bye to one another before Rarity slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Rainbow Dash turned back to the crib and started putting Taboo back in, but a whimper of protest stopped her. "Nhn, Mommy..." Rainbow Dash just stared down at Taboo, who gazed back up at her with puppy dog eyes. Taboo kept up her pitiful expression only briefly as sleep started to take her again, but that only made her look more pitiful. Rainbow Dash considered waiting until Taboo nodded off to place her in the crib, but all of a sudden the idea struck her as betrayal. Instead, she thought of a much better idea. With Taboo in hoof, Rainbow Dash got into her own bed. She laid down, her hooves still wrapped around Taboo like a filly might hold a teddy bear. Taboo put her tiny hooves against Rainbow Dash's chest and snuggled in close. Rainbow Dash could feel the rise and fall of her tiny chest along with each warm exhale. She didn't dare twitch a single muscle in her legs, fearing she might disturb Taboo's peaceful sleep. "Who thought a crib was a good idea?" she whispered to herself. She leaned down and gave Taboo a peck on her forhead and then watched as a tiny smile spread across her sleeping face. "I could get used to this."