//------------------------------// // Revelations // Story: Whatever It Takes, I Love You // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// 4. Revelations As the snow fell, Scootaloo shivered a little, letting out a quiet sneeze. Rainbow glanced over her shoulder at her passenger. "You okay, Squirt?" Scootaloo smiled. "Just fine, sis. Just some snow got on my nose." She wriggled a bit, bundled up in winter clothes made just for her by Rarity, an early Hearth's Warming gift. "So...why are we going to Cloudsdale? I'd think we'd be spending Hearth's Warming with the others?" Rainbow shook her head. "Nah, everypony else is spending it with their families, and so are we." Scoot's eyes widened. "Y-you mean I'm going to get to meet your parents?" Rainbow grinned. "Yep! I always drop in for Hearth's Warming...except that one year when they came to see me in the pageant. I was, of course, awesome!" Scootaloo whooped. "I can't believe I'm gonna meet the ponies that gave birth to the awesomest pegasus EVER!" Rainbow looked forward. "Not exactly, Scoot." "Huh?" Rainbow smiled. "Scoot...I'm adopted." "EH?" Rainbow nodded. "My folks have told me the story whenever I asked, ever since I got my Cutie Mark. They had tried to have a foal of their own, but Morning Dew - that's my Mom - couldn't seem to conceive. My Dad, Sunbreeze, went to every doctor to try and find a way, but nothing worked. Then, just as they were about to give up...Celestia approached them." "Celestia?" Scootaloo's eyes were wide with shock. Rainbow smirked. "She said that she'd heard of their problem, and had a favor to ask of them. She had a young pegasus filly in her care with great potential who needed a loving home. She asked if they'd take me." "And they did." "Yep. They never asked where I came from. To them, I was a god given gift...literally." Rainbow chuckled. "That's how I got two really awesome parents." Scootaloo got quiet. "Is...is that why you got so angry about...the orphanage?" Rainbow nodded. "Yeah...there but for Celestia's grace would I have gone. I...don't know who my birth parents are. Never looked." "Why not?" "...I was afraid of what I'd learn. I mean, how often does the Sun Princess take a personal interest in the fate of an individual filly?" "...maybe it's because she knew you'd be the bearer of loyalty?" Rainbow looked over her shoulder at the little filly. "And how in the hay would she know that?" Scootaloo shrugged. "She's the Sun Princess. She knows a lot of stuff. Maybe you could just, you know, ask her about your folks...if you really want to know." Rainbow smiled. "You know...maybe I will." She settled down for a landing in front of a well appointed cloud cottage. "We're here." Going up to the door, she knocked. A green pegasus stallion with yellow mane answered. He had blue eyes and his Cutie Mark was a flowing wind. "Rainbow!" he said happily, pulling Dash into a tight hug. "You made it!" "Wouldn't miss it, Dad!" she said happily. "So where's Mom?" Sunbreeze sighed. "She's inside. It's...getting harder for her to do most things." Rainbow nodded. "I know. Come on in, Scoot!" Scootaloo followed her sister in. Sitting on a cloud couch was a beautiful white pegasus with a crystal blue mane. Her eyes were silver...but instead of a Cutie Mark there was an unhealthy looking blotch of color on her flank that Rainbow seemed to avoid looking at. "Hello, Dashie," she said quietly, holding out her forelegs to Rainbow. Rainbow quickly embraced Morning Dew. "Hi Mom." They held each other for a while. Morning Dew then glanced at Scootaloo. "And who's this?" As Sunbreeze went to stand with Morning Dew, Rainbow lay her wing over Scootaloo's back. "Mom, Dad...this is Scootaloo...my little sister. I adopted her a few months ago." Scootaloo looked up nervously at the two older pegasi. "...hi..." she said nervously. Morning Dew stood up carefully, walked over to Scootaloo, and wrapped her wings around her. "What a beautiful little sunset," she said quietly, her voice full of love. Scootaloo smiled. "It's good to meet you, Miss Morning Dew-" "Ah ah ah!" Morning Dew interrupted. "That's 'Mom' to you." Scootaloo teared up a little. "Thanks...Mom." She hugged back tightly. Dinner was modest. While all the traditional dishes were present, portions were more reasonable rather than extravagant, although both Morning Dew and Sunbreeze kept pushing extra portions on Scootaloo, telling her she needed to eat more. As the night went on, old photo albums and other family activities were explored, everyone enjoying their time together. Scootaloo couldn't remember being happier. For once, on Hearth's Warming Eve, she had a family. When it came time for bed, Rainbow insisted that Scootaloo wurl up on her old bed with her. Scootaloo was quite happy to do so, curled up against Rainbow's wing with her rainbow tail pulled over her like a blanket. However, before she was able to drift off to sleep, she felt she ahd to ask. "Sis?" "What is it, Scoot?" She swallowed. "W...what happened to Mom's Cutie Mark?" Rainbow closed her eyes, wincing as though the question had caused her pain. Scootaloo flinched. "You don't have to answer, if you d-" "Mom suffers from Malignancy." Scootaloo blinked. "M...Malignancy?" "It's a very rare illness. No one knows what causes it, only the symptoms. First, the Cutie Mark dissapears, being replaced by an unhealthy blotch of color. Then the bodies immune system starts to attack itself, slowly tearing the body apart. Then the pony's natural magic starts to fail. ...there's no known cure, and the illness is magic resistant." Scootaloo teared up. "Wh...what's going to happen to her?" "...there are treatments, medicines that suppress the symptoms. She's on the full course of them. If it weren't known for a fact that it's not contagious, she'd probably be in quarantine at a hospital. As is, even treatment as an out patient is expensive. ...sometimes Malignancy is lethal, sometimes it goes away completely...sometimes it just goes into remission. As long as she lives, though, there's hope for recovery." "She...she will recover, won't she?" "...we can only hope...and pray." Scootaloo nodded, pulling Rainbow's tail tight around her. "Is...is that why you live in Ponyville?" "Not for the reasons you think." Rainbow looked her right in the eye. "As I said, the treatments are very expensive. So I moved out at sixteen, got the job with wheather management and my own place, to show my folks I could take care of myself and they didn't have to worry about me. At first, I sent about half of what I made each year back to help pay for Mom's treatment...until she found out, and told me flat out to stop or else." She chuckled. "Mom and Dad...they'd do anything for me..." She nuzzled Scootaloo softly. "And I'd do anything for my family." Scootaloo smiled. "G'night, sis." "Night, squirt." Rainbow watched as Scootaloo slowly dozed off. She then slowly closed her own eyes, letting her little sister's warmth lull her into peaceful, dreamless slumber.