//------------------------------// // Families // Story: Whatever It Takes, I Love You // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// 14. Families Scootaloo carefully settled her wings against her flanks, examining the results in her mirror. It still wasn't quite right. She carefully shifted them again, trying to get just the effect she was looking for while still being comfortable and looking natural. ...it wasn't easy. "Scoot?" Rainbow called from her bed. "You're going to be late for school." Scootaloo headed in to see Rainbow. "Don't worry, I'll get there in time." Rainbow Dash stared at her. "...Scoot...why are you trying to hide your Cutie Mark?" Scootaloo blushed. "Umm...well...uhh..." She tried to avoid Rainbow's gaze. Luna tilted her head around Rainbow from the other side of the bed. "Is this about your two small friends?" Scootaloo lowered her head...and nodded. "We were supposed to get our Cutie Marks together..." Rainbow chuckled. "Scoot, do you honestly think they're going to be upset with you because you got your Cutie Mark?" She shifted slightly in her cloud bed. While the doctor's had let her go home, she was still confined to bed rest for two weeks. "Tell me something...does having your Cutie Mark mean you don't want to hang out with them anymore?" "NO!" "Are you gonna stop trying to help them get their Cutie Marks?" "No!" "You gonna stop Crusading?" "No!" Rainbow grinned. "Then why should they see things any different? I'm sure they're still your friends. ...since it's been two weeks since you were in school, I bet they're worried about you." Scootaloo thought about this for a time. "...yeah, you're right. I shouldn't worry so much. I'm turning into Twilight!" They all laughed. "Oh good heavens, no!" Luna said. "Equestria cannot take two such ponies!" Scootaloo smiled, grabbing her saddlebags. "See you later, sis!" Turning, she headed off to school, Rainbow watching with a smile as Luna continued to tend to her. As she approached school, however, she began to get nervous again. While it had all made sense when Rainbow had explained it, the explanation was based on the thought processes of a grown mare. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were fillies, though. Would they think the same way? What if they got jealous? What if they weren't her friends anymore? What if- "SCOOT!" Scootaloo's thought process was interrupted as she was tackled by two incredibly happy fillies. "Where ya been, Scoot? We were so worried about ya, but Applejack wouldn't tell me anything! Ya been gone for two weeks!" Applebloom held onto her with a crushing embrace. "All Rarity would tell me was that we should pray for you and Rainbow, and I should take notes for you!" Sweetie Belle looked very worried and confused. "I took the notes, but why'd we need to pray? Are you alright? Is Rainbow alright?" Smiling hugely, Scootaloo wrapped her forelegs and wings around her friends. "It's a long story, but everything's fine now." The other two crusaders gasped. "Scoot...your wings!" Applebloom managed to squeak out. Sweetie Belle, however, had noticed something else. "Scoot, your flank!" Scootaloo stepped back, furling her wings a bit and turning so they could see. "Yeah...I got my wings...and my Cutie Mark." Applebloom blinked. "D...does this mean ya ain't a Cutie Mark Crusader anymore?" "I don't want it to," Scootaloo said quickly. "I mean, you two still need to find your Cutie Marks, and we said we'd keep crusading until we all had them, right?" Sweetie Belle thought for a bit. "Makes sense to me!" she squeeked happily, hugging Scootaloo again. "Welcome back!" Applebloom grinned. "So how'd ya get yer Cutie Mark? Maybe we could try it?" Scootaloo chuckled nervously. "Well...according to Rainbow, it appeared when I went to fight the pack of timberwolves." There was dead silence for a few moments. "YOU DID WHAT?!?!" "...It's a long story..." "Well hello, blank flanks!" Diamond Tiara said, coming up to them. She paused. "What's that?" she said, pointing to Scootaloo's flank. Scootaloo stared at her. "My Cutie Mark," she said simply. "You?" Diamond Tiara said dismissively. "Get a Cutie Mark? As if. I bet it's drawn on!" She walked forward, reaching out as if to wipe the Mark away. As soon as she touched the mark, however, there was a surge of magic, and Diamond Tiara was flung back several feet, surrounded by crackling crimson energy. When she landed, she looked up. "What the hay?" Scootaloo smiled, shrugged her shoulders, and turned back to Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. "Come on, we need to get to class. Sweetie Belle, think you could explain your notes to me real quick?" The three friends headed into class, leaving one slightly singed and highly confused bully in their wake. ------------------ As Spike finished cleaning up the library, he headed for the door. "Twilight, I'm heading out!" he called, reaching for the doorknob. His grip was stopped as Twilight suddenly glomped onto him. "And where does my baby dragon think he's going so early?" she asked playfully. Spike blushed. "Twilight, I'm not a baby anymore." Twilight tossed her head. "Nonsense, Spike. You'll always be MY baby dragon." Spike blinked. "Twilight, what brought this on?" Twilight smiled somewhat sadly. "Well...with everything that happened with Rainbow and Scootaloo...I realized I've been letting the bond we share slide a bit, and I didn't like it. I should have been more focused on you and what you were up to. I mean, I can't believe I completely missed you and Rarity becoming a real couple!" Spike chuckled. "You know, Twilight? Sometimes you're really strange." Twilight shrugged. "Just the mother in me, I guess." Spike blinked. "You...see me as your son?" he asked, somewhat surprised. "Of course!" Twilight said. "How else should I see you?" Spike smiled happily. "I'm glad to have you as my Mom," he said, blinking away tears. He coughed somewhat uncomfortably. "But...doesn't that make the current situation somewhat awkward?" Twilight tilted ehr ehad, somewhat confused. "Why would it?" "Your son dating one of your best friends?" Twilight shrugged. "Why would that be awkward? Now, don't be too reckless, stay safe, and let me know about any new developments, alright?" Spike blinked. "So you want me to tell you if I do anything more than cuddle and make out with your best friend? And you can't see how that will be awkward?" "Nope, not at all. Why would it?" Spike groaned, head in his claws. --------------- Pinkie bounced around town, super happy that Rainbow Dash was going to be alright and that everything was once more the super happy times they were supposed to be. Applejack, walking beside her, stared up at her in confusion. "Sugarcube, Ah know you're all happy about Rainbow's recovery and all, but...do ya wanna talk about anything?" Pinkie looked at her, tilting her head. "Like what, Applejack?" "Like...what you told us about back with Celestia, with that super rare Pinkie Sense? ...about your folks? Cause, ya know...we're all here for ya if'n ya need us." Pinkie giggled. "Oh silly filly, don't you see? Daddy was right all along!" Applejack blinked. "Ah...beg yer pardon?" "Think about how much laughter and smiles I've spread living here in Ponyville!" Pinkie said happily. "All that laughter and joy so soon after Dashie fell asleep...and she woke up! It worked just like Daddy said it would! I just haven't made enough laughter to wake my family up!" She suddenly gasped. "I must need an amount of laughter quantifiable to the time since they fell asleep in order to wake them! I can't limit myself just to ponies! I need to bring laughter and smiles to every mouth, beack, maw, and nth-dimensional vocal orrifice in existence!" She hops up to the camera. "And I'll start with all of you! You'll laugh for my folks for my sake, won't you?" She flutters her eyelashes cutely. "Er...Pinkie? Who ya talkin' to?" "Oh silly Applejack!" Pinkie said, leaving the fourth wall to repair itself. She patted AJ on her head. "You should know by now not to ask those questions, the answers always give you a headache. Well, except when you're so drunk on cider that they make perfect sense, but of course then I could tell you that the moon was made of cheese and that Celestia had declared every Friday to be national pie fight day and you'd say that made perfect sense, and then the cider gives you the headache in the morning-" Pinkie continued to ramble on - and on and on and on - and Applejack just stared, and then shook her head. Maybe there was something to Pinkie's logic. After all, wasn't there an old saying about being loud enough to wake the dead? And laughter being the best medicine? Maybe she would eventually fill the world with enough laughter and smiles to bring back her family. And even if she didn't, whatever her reasons, there were worse life goals than to put a smile on every face and a laugh in every heart you met. And as for the rest...that was just Pinkie being Pinkie, and Applejack wouldn't change a thing even if she could. ------------------ Celestia sat on her throne, going over some paperwork with the new changes she'd made to certain areas of the government. Recent events had led to several major changes, and she had to file proper approval for all of them, as well as deal with the reprecussions they made...which was why Blueblood stood at her side, to let her know how the nobles were reacting. The first major change had been within the Child Services department. Celestia had been quite infuriated to learn that most of them had ignored the situation with Candy Cane completely, and that the only one who had tried to intervene had received no support. A quick reorganization of the department later, and Celestia had placed Firefly in charge of Cloudsdale Child Services Central Office. She knew Firefly would do a good job there...especially since the only change she'd made as far as her work space was to change the name plate on her office door. She had also retained Admiral Bloodmane and his life mate, Wind Blossom, to take over that orphanage...although they insisted on doing it on a volunteer basis. Bean Counter, the Royal Treasurer, was happy with this, as it made it much easier to balance the budget. Celestia had also had to make a statement regarding Candy Cane - or Slick Shades, as he was also know - regarding his crimes and punishment. So far, the full reaction to that situation had been shock that it had gone on for so long unnoticed, outrage that nothing had been done sooner, and wholehearted approval of the punishment for his crime...although there were quite a few ponies - noble and common - who voiced rather loudly that Celestia had been too lenient. Celestia was yet again reminded that nothing got ponies bloodthirsty quite so effectively as a threat - real or perceived - to the safety of their foals. However, there were other things on Celestia's mind. Luna had actually moved out of Canterlot Castle, only returning each night for her Night Court, and had moved in with Rainbow Dash. While this had made newspapers everywhere, Luna had also made it clear exactly what she would do to any papparazi pony caught snooping around Ponyville after that story. ...unfortunately, this merely led to the papparazi employing ninjas trained by Pinkie Pie. However, mercifully the story had been let go after the first incident with said ninjas, when their training had taken over in the presence of a massive cake Pinkie had baked in preperation for a massive Party for Two to celebrate the new couple. While Celestia was very happy to know that Luna and Rainbow Dash shared such a strong bond - surprised, but happy - she had found the few days since Luna's departure to be...lonely. With Luna living in Ponyville now, Canterlot Castle felt empty to Celestia. She found herself longing to have somepony there for her. Now, she had outgrown the need for romance many centuries ago, and as she did not regenerate the way Luna did she couldn't so easily regain it. However, she found what she really wanted...was a foal. Somepony who would look up to her. Somepony who she could love and care for. Somepony...who would call her Mom. Now, while there were all sorts of political issues regarding a royal adoption, Celestia had decided - privately - that the nobles could go hang, she wanted to be a mother. As such, she had asked Bloodmane and Wind Blossom to bring the foals from their orphanage to Canterlot Castle for a visit, so she could see how well their lives were improving. While she could have easily gone to any orphanage anywhere to find a foal, just the concept of the orphanage - a place where the disabled and unwanted were left to be forgotten, with such a low adoption rate (Rainbow's adoption of Scootaloo from there had been the first in over 20 years) - had tugged at her heartstrings, and she decided to start with there. As Bloodmane and Wind Blossom entered, Celestia couldn't help but smile. Despite the greying hairs of his coat, Bloodmane still looked as young and strong as he had when he'd lectured Celestia - in this very room and in front of the nobles - about how effectively useless she was on the front lines, how much trouble it was to hold a position AND defend a Royal, and to keep her nose out of military affairs and make herself useful by making sure day followed night and leave him to do his job in peace. While the lecture - true in each word - had stung at the time, the faces of the nobles had sent her into a helpless gale of laughter. She could still see it in her minds eye, the favored memory undulled by time. She watched as the orphans came in behind them in a quiet group. They were a rather sorry looking lot, but she could tell that Bloodmane and Wind Blossom had already done excellent work in improving their lot. However, she found her eyes drawn to one particular filly. Her coat was a soft powder blue, reminding Celestia of what Luna looked like in each of her fillyhoods. Her silver mane fell around her face messily, and her large blue eyes blinked slowly as she stared straight ahead. At first, Celestia wasn't sure how this filly was disabled, until she saw Bloodmane address her and she turned her head up to respond to him, looking at him without making eye contact. Although she spoke to each of the fillies and colts as Bloodmane introduced them, asking questions and smiling at the answers, her eyes kept flicking back towards the blue filly. Finally, she was presented. "And this is Water Lily," Bloodmane sent bluntly. Water Lily bowed. "Bloodmane says you're the one that made Candy Cane go away, and brought us good ponies to take care of us?" Celestia smiled. "Well, I certainly am the one who sent Candy Cane away, yes." Water Lily smiled. "I...brought you some of my flowers. To say thank you." Water Lily turned and brought a covered basket up towards the throne. Celestia smiled. "I would be glad to accept your gif-" Her mouth and throat locked as the cover came off. The flowers - one in each color of the rainbow - wound their stalks around each other in their growth, their leaves forming complex patterns between each other as the slight breeze in the throne room caused them to brush against each other releasing slight music notes. What really caught Celestia's eye, however, was when she saw that the flowers were anchored in a small cloud, no dirt anywhere in sight. Celestia managed to make her throat work again. "This is a beautiful gift, my little pony. I shall treasure it always. ...tell me, do you know what happened to your parents?" Water Lily nodded sadly. "I heard Candy Cane talking about it once, when a couple came by thinking to adopt me. My father died in a bad accident shortly before I was born...and my mom died in labor. He told them they should reconsider, since I was bad luck." Celestia did her best to hold back tears as she leaned back on her throne, Water Lily stepping back to besides Wind Blossom, who leaned down to comfort her. Blueblood looked up at his aunt. He recognized that look on her face, the one of determination that meant she was once again going to do something ridiculously absurd and leave him to cover for her...at least that's how he interpreted it. It didn't take a genius to guess what she was about to do. "Celestia," he whispered quietly, "you can't really be thinking of-" "Blueblood, those are cloudflowers." Blueblood blinked. "But those are a myth." "Having seen them myself in ages past, I'd dispute that." Celestia's lips barely moved as she spoke to her nephew. "You know what that means." Blueblood nodded. "Cloudflowers are nearly impossible to grow properly. History says the last to do so successfully was Private Pansy, aide-de-camp to General Hurricane. A cloudflower's nectar - properly harvested - is one of the most potent substances known to ponykind. It can be distilled into the beverage known as 'Nectar of the Gods' - of which you still have the last known bottle held in your personal reserves - or into a potent chemical weapon...or into clouddust, the most addictive and potent illegal drug Equestria has ever seen." He kept his voice to a bare whisper as he spoke with Celestia. "Cloudflowers, as such, are incredibly valuable...and incredibly dangerous in the wrong hooves." "Exactly," Celestia said quietly. "How many nobleponies, if they knew she could do this, would seek to use her for her flowers? How many ponies even less scrupulous then nobleponies would do worse to get hold of her?" Blueblood smiled. "I find it hard to believe, personally, that there could be anypony short of Discord who could be less scrupulous than nobleponies." Celestia's glare bored into him. "Blueblood...her life has been hard enough. I will not tolerate her being used." Blueblood nodded. He had been right. Yet another instance of Celestia making a political mess and leaving him to clean up. It didn't really help that this time he actually agreed with her. "I'll come up with the proper story to give the other nobles, shall I?" He turned to go. Celestia approached the orphans on the other side of the throne room. "Water Lily, could you come with me for a bit?" Water Lily looked up at her. "Okay." She followed Celestia as they walked out of the throne room. Before Celestia could say a word, Water Lily spoke up. "So now you're going to show me around my new home, seeing as how you've decided to adopt me?" Celestia blinked in shock. "How did you-" "I can't see, but I hear gooder than other ponies," she said simply. Celestia lowered her head. "You...heard my discussion with Blueblood?" Water Lily nodded. Celestia sighed. This was hardly off to a good start. "How much was true?" Celestia blinked. "Excuse me?" "How much of what you told Blueblood was true?" Celestia sighed, the two of them having reached Celestia's private quarters. "Sit with me, please?" They entered and lay down on the bed together. "Everything I said to Blueblood...was the entirety of one truth for this situation." "One truth?" Water Lily asked, confused. Celestia nodded. "When it comes to royalty, nobles, and politics, there is always more than one truth. In this case...I would say there are three." "...what are the others?" "Well, the story Blueblood will tell the other nobles will also be a truth. It will probably be along the lines of me wanting to make some gesture to show how sorry I am that I couldn't do more to help you and the other orphans sooner, and that if anypony is qualified to provide the nurturing patience and love a filly with 'special needs' would need, it would be me. And he'll probably smooth over any purely politial objections by saying that no ambassador of any country would be so insensitive as to call a blind filly on a minor faux pas at a diplomatic event." Celestia smiled. "While Blueblood isn't the most sensitive of ponies when it comes to dealing with others, he is unparalleled where it comes to handling other nobles and smoothing over international incidents." She grimaced. "Honestly, it's the only reason I can tolerate him. However, as Bloodmane once told me, true talent is too rare to waste...and when it comes to politics, Blueblood is - unfortunately - truly talented." Water Lily giggled a little. "So...what's the third truth?" Celestia leaned down. "The first was the truth I told Blueblood. The second is the truth Blueblood will tell the other nobles. But the third - and in my opinion, most important - truth is what I will tell you now. It consists of three very simple things. The first is that you look very much like Luna does when she is a filly, which made me want to know more about you from the start. The second is that hearing your story tugged at my heartstrings, and made me want to take care of you. The third...is that I want to be a mother, and being your mother feels right." Lily blinked. "But...couldn't you be a mother the normal way?" Celestia smiled. "Water Lily...do you know how pony reproduction works?" Water Lily shook her head. "Well, there's certain...physical acts involved, but the actual process is based in magic. For a mare to begin foaling, it must be the right time, the conditions must be right...and she must mate with a pony who's magic is greater than or equal to her own." Celestia smiled. "Genetics then determines the nature of the resulting foal...which is why Equestria's mare to stallion ratio is so high. A mare mating with a mare can produce a foal, but only a filly, and stallions can't make foals with other stallions." Water Lily took this all in as best she could at 4 1/2 years old. "But why does that mean you can't have a foal?" Celestia chuckled. "Water Lily...there are only three ponies in Equestria with magic that even approaches, let alone equals mine. All of them are as close to me as family or, in the case of Luna, are actual blood relatives." Water Lily blinked. "Who are the other two?" "My student Twilight Sparkle, who I helped raise, and Princess Cadance, who I DID raise." Water Lily thought for a time. "What about Discord? Isn't he strong enough?" Celestia though for a time. While Water Lily had a point about how strong Discord's magic was..."No, I don't think that would work well. So, if I want to be a mother, it must be through adoption, and..." She gulped. "After a long time feeling so alone, I so desperately wanted to have a little pony who would call me Mom. And when i saw you, my heart knew I wanted that pony to be you...if it's what you want, as well." Water Lily closed her eyes for a time, thinking. After a time, as Celestia held her breath, she opened her eyes. "It'll take some getting used to, and I've obviously got a lot to learn, but..." She wrapped her hooves around Celestia's leg. "It's good to have a Mom." Letting her tears fall, Celestia wrapped her wing around Water Lily and nuzzled her. "Welcome home, my little pony," she said quietly. And, for the first time, this little pegasus really was HER little pony.