Chapter 4
Discoveries
Rainbow Dash unfurled her wings. “Ready to go, Scoots?”
The filly nodded, dropping down to her belly and extending one wing to the ground. “One-winged, right?”
“Yep! Three sets of ten this time.” The older mare counted off as Scootaloo raised and lowered her upper body, teeth clenched tight. Scootaloo woke up feeling close to normal and after a relaxing morning and filling lunch, she arrived at the park ready to work. “Alright, one set done, left wing now.” As Scootaloo switched limbs, she turned and faced Twilight quietly reading at the bench. A contemplative frown spread across her muzzle as she pumped through the set. “Alright, thirty second rest.”
“Hey, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said quietly, her belly pressed to the grass and small wings fluttering to shake out the strain, “I’m glad she’s here, but…why is Twilight here exactly?”
“Hmn?” Rainbow glanced at the stop-watch. “Next set, right wing again.” She continued to talk, counting out reps as she spoke. “Twi’ wanted you to have a cheering section and keep us company. Alright, next set on the left.”
Scootaloo pushed herself hard, moving past the strain, working to conquer the discomfort and render it a victory instead of a fear. Her frequent breaks were punctuated by breathless panting and massive consumption of water. Half the time, instead of talking with the filly on her breaks, Twilight thought Scootaloo would just pass out on the bench. Yet every time Rainbow Dash called her back, Scootaloo bolted up and charged in grinning.
An hour into the regimen, Twilight had stopped reading entirely. She marveled at Scootaloo’s perseverance; sympathetic winces crinkling her muzzle at the sheer amount of sweat and effort evident on the small pegasus’ face and body. Book forgotten in her lap, Twilight silently cheered the filly on through her strenuous undertaking. The breaks during the second hour were filled with Twilight praising Scootaloo’s work ethic.
“Alright!” Rainbow called, “That’s it for the day. How ya feel?”
“Like I got run over by an apple cart.”
“Perfect! Just lay there for a minute. I’m gonna go talk to Twilight. After that, time for stretches.”
The mare cantered off across the sidewalk and sat in front of Twilight. Scootaloo watched the two talk quietly from the ground. She couldn’t make out the words, but the bright grins they exchanged would have been clear to read at a hundred paces. Twilight’s body shook with laughter and she struck Rainbow Dash in the shoulder before the pegasus turned around. She swept her tail sharply as she turned, the colorful hairs raking across Twilight’s face. The unicorn bit down on the mare’s tail and tugged sharply. Stumbling backwards, Rainbow Dash planted her hooves and tugged back, almost dragging Twilight off the bench. Their laughter rang across the park as Rainbow trotted back towards Scootaloo.
Getting to her hooves, Scootaloo smiled warmly towards Twilight; the unicorn was beaming brightly, hindlegs swinging back and forth off the edge of the bench. “You and Twilight are pretty close, huh?”
“Well yeah,” the older mare chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Kinda goes with the territory.”
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “Whaddya mean?”
“Scoots,” Rainbow deadpanned, “Twi’s my special somepony, of course we’re close.”
Eyes wide and wings flaring out of the stretch routine in surprise, Scootaloo gaped. “W-what?”
“You mean…you didn’t know?” Numbly, the filly shook her head. “Huh. I thought everypony knew by now. Err…sorry for not tellin’ ya sooner, squirt.” The daredevil shifted uncomfortably on her hooves.
“But…you’re both mares.”
Rainbow Dash inhaled sharply. She searched the younger pegasus’ face carefully. There was no revulsion or judgement etched into her features, only confusion, and Rainbow breathed a steady exhalation of relief. It was clear as day in her expression; Scootaloo had never heard of such a thing. The blue mare twitched her wings awkwardly. ‘This isn’t my job. I shouldn’t be the one talking to her about this,’ she thought. Her mouth opened and her throat worked, but she snapped her jaw shut again. ‘Whose job is it then?’
Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “Scootaloo, do you know what ‘gay’ means?” she asked quietly, stiltedly picking over her words. At the filly’s slow shake of her head, she continued, “A gay pony is a mare who likes other mares, or a stallion who likes other stallions.” She sat down slowly scratching the back of her mane with a hoof. “And I mean like-like, not just as friends. There aren’t as many gay ponies as there are straight ones…Which, uh, that’s the name for, like, stallions who like mares. Anyway, it’s not as common…I think Twilight told me once that, like, one out of every four mares is gay. Stallions are different…she said it had somethin’ to do with how many mares there are compared to stallions, I dunno.” Rainbow Dash blinked and mentally admonished herself for rambling.
She shook her head quickly and refocused on Scootaloo. The filly’s eyes were still wide, but had filled with dawning comprehension. Despite the waver in her voice and sweat on her brow, she breathed in and steeled her resolve. “That’s what being gay is, and that’s all that it means. Some ponies have silly ideas about it and think being gay makes a mare more likely to play sports or a stallion like to play with dolls, but that’s wrong. It’s just about who a pony can fall in love with and it’s completely normal. Do, uh…” she coughed nervously, wanting the conversation to be over and hoping she hadn’t said the wrong thing, “Do ya have any questions?”
Scootaloo slowly sank to her haunches, her eyes distant and mouth slack. Her brow knit together as she vacantly said, “…That makes…so much sense.” She lifted her head, her bewildered gaze focused in on Rainbow Dash. “I’ve seen Lyra and Bon Bon sharing a milkshake together. I feel like an idiot!”
Rainbow Dash let out a breathless chuckle, the rigid muscles in her shoulders unclenching in a crashing wave. “Don’t worry about it, squirt. Just not somethin’ anypony talked to ya about yet.” She rested a hoof on the filly’s shoulder and they exchanged a silent smile. As she locked her gaze with Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo felt a squirming flutter in the pit of her stomach. The connection she felt with Rainbow was foreign and unfamiliar, but she cherished it, grasping at the feeling in her mind. She half-wished for the moment to last forever. Rainbow Dash ruffled her mane and said, “Now about those stretches…”
Scootaloo clambered back to her hooves and got to work, finishing up her stretches. She waved lightly to the two mares and took off on her scooter, wincing when her wings unfurled and opting to push it with a hindleg instead. Grinning, Twilight leapt onto Rainbow’s back and the two took to the air.
Flying into Twilight’s bedroom, Rainbow Dash clattered her hooves down on the wooden floorboards. Twilight hopped off her lightly and the pegasus turned around and buried her face in the unicorn’s chest, groaning miserably. “That was awful,” she whined.
Twilight stared wide-eyed at the pegasus currently tunneling face-first into her soft coat. “What’s wrong? I thought Scootaloo did terrifically today.”
Rainbow moaned loudly, hugging the unicorn close with her wings. “Twilight…I just had to explain gayness to Scoots.”
“Ooh, ouch.” She wrapped her hooves around Rainbow’s neck, gently petting her windswept mane. “How’d that go?”
“Okay, I guess. Don’t think I messed up too badly.” She smiled vaguely up at Twilight, her cheek pressed firmly into the unicorn’s chest. “I mean, she didn’t become a Cutie Mark Holy-War Crusader and try ta burn us with torches, so that’s a bonus.”
Twilight grinned and planted a soft kiss on the mare’s forehead. “I’m sure you did wonderfully. You’re really good with her. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
“You’re good with her, too. She really likes havin’ you there,” she said, sitting up and smiling fondly at her marefriend. Rainbow leaned in slowly and their muzzles met, Twilight’s grip around her neck tightening and her wings around Twilight’s back pulling them close. She nuzzled the side of Twilight’s face and whispered, “I like havin’ you there, too.”
“Mm,” Twilight tousled the back of her marefriend’s mane, “I like being there. I thought I might be bored, but I didn’t even get two sentences read. You’re right about her; she’s a good kid. A great kid.” Twilight smirked, pressing her face strongly into Rainbow Dash’s nuzzles. “And ‘gayness,’ Rainbow? Hasn’t your vocabulary expanded even a little after all that reading you’ve done?”
“Now, Twilight, be fair. Most of the time I’m readin’ around you I’m actually staring at your ass.”
Twilight’s chuckle slowly faded to a frown. “…You know…I don’t understand why Scootaloo’s caretakers hadn’t given her ‘the gay talk’ yet.”
Kissing the base of the bookworm’s jaw, Rainbow stood and stretched out her legs, wings folding back at her sides. She cantered to the glass doorway leading out to the balcony and sat on her haunches, staring out into the blue afternoon sky. “Doesn’t surprise me. I know the type.”
“Oh?” Twilight levitated the saddlebag off her neck and dropped it on her desk, cantering over to her vanity and grabbing a hairbrush. “What type?”
“They’re there, but not really.” She frowned, tapping her chin. “Scoots has food and a bed and somepony to tell her to do homework and brush her teeth and all that junk, but they’re not there if that makes sense. They’re foster parents, y’know? Takin’ care of Scoots is their job. They’ll take her to the doctor if she gets sick, make sure she’s doin’ okay in school, all that sorta stuff, but for the rest of it Scoots is on her own.”
Twilight frowned into the mirror, straightening the flight from the park out of her mane. From her vantage point, she didn’t see the shadow cross over Rainbow Dash’s face. “Well…Scootaloo’s lucky then.”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes refocused and she turned a raised eyebrow towards the unicorn. “Lucky?”
“She’s got you looking out for her.”
Rainbow Dash smiled affectionately and cantered over to the vanity. She extended her wing, holding up two of her primaries to give Twilight’s reflection a pair of sky blue bunny ears. “So what’ve you got goin’ on the rest of the day?”
“Go on; I saw your wings fidgeting all through that training. Go practice your stunts. I’ll be fine; I got an experiment to run in the basement.”
Rainbow caught the side of Twilight’s muzzle with a peck. “Love ya, babe. I’ll catch ya for dinner.” Twilight caught her quickly retreating chin with a hoof and gave Rainbow a proper kiss. Grinning, the pegasus flapped her wings and flashed out of the tree through her window. Twilight dropped her brush and cantered down the stairs.
Halfway to the main room she called out, “Spike!”
She heard a brief scrambling before Spike stuck his head out of the door to his bedroom. “What’s up, Twilight?”
Twilight grinned brightly. “To the basement, Spike! It’s time for science!”
“Alright, class,” Cheerilee chimed, setting her piece of chalk on the desk, “Time for recess!”
A rush of noise filled the small classroom as the foals rushed out through the door. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stopped midway to the door and turned expectantly towards Scootaloo. The pegasus filly blinked herself out of her thoughts and shook her head, leaping from her desk and bolting to join her friends, a sheepish smile on her face.
Apple Bloom frowned, holding the door open for the trio. “Everythin’ alright there, Scoots? You been awful distracted all day.”
Scootaloo zoomed past the pair and tackled a spare rubber ball before it could be snagged by any other foal. Smirking triumphantly, she cocked an eyebrow at Apple Bloom. “What was that?”
Smiling and shaking her head, Apple Bloom followed her friends over to the painted grid of a four-square court. Scootaloo took the serving square, Apple Bloom the second, and Sweetie Belle the third. Before Scootaloo could serve, she heard the sound of somepony clearing their throat.
Rumble stood just out of the court, a tentative smile on his face. “You mind if I join?”
Scootaloo glanced sideways, trying not to smirk at the pink dotting Apple Bloom’s cheeks. “Sure, the more the merrier!” Wings fluttering with excitement, Rumble hopped into the last square. “Alright, let’s get started!”
Scootaloo served the ball to Apple Bloom and the game started with little competition. Easy serves bounced merrily between the four, with a simple bump of a hoof or muzzle sending it onto the next pony. After a dozen passes the pace picked up, with harder hits sending the ball faster and at more difficult to return angles. A sharp smack from Rumble flew straight through Sweetie Belle’s hooves and the two switched places.
Dribbling the retrieved ball, Scootaloo grinned and said, “Okay, this round we’re playin’ Around-Equestria.” She served once again to Apple Bloom and the ball went around the grid in a clockwise pattern. Several serves in, Apple Bloom started giggling as she passed to Rumble. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and focused on the ball, intercepting Sweetie Belle’s serves to send them towards her goofy friend.
Scootaloo wasn’t certain, but she thought Rumble might have started picking up on Apple Bloom’s demeanor. He fumbled awkwardly and nearly missed a few easy passes, nervously darting his eyes to and from the earth filly. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo exchanged an amused grin, silently agreeing to give the two as much privacy as a four-square court would allow.
Rumble’s distraction caught up with him and he overshot a hit out of bounds. A line of foals waiting turns had formed and Rumble retreated to the back of the line. Shortly into the third round, Apple Bloom missed an easy pass and joined him at the back of the queue, leaving Sweetie Belle in the second spot and two colts making up the other end.
“Okay,” Scootaloo said with a smirk, “Double-taps.” Competition picked up with the new colts, despite the limitation of return serves bouncing in a player’s own square first. One of the colts overshot and rounds began to go rapid-fire, rotating the line and players at an exhilarating pace.
Two days fresh from a work-out and several days in a row of a stretch regimen, Scootaloo was a force to be reckoned with. Returning difficult serves and knocking other players out of the game without breaking a sweat, the filly held onto her serving position round after round. She noted with amusement that Apple Bloom once again missed immediately after Rumble, but kept her focus on the game. Sweetie Belle lost her place and made a complete circuit in the queue, playing and losing a turn again, before Scootaloo finally gave up her position.
Seeing her friend finally waiting in the line, Sweetie Belle let a few foals cut in front of her to stand next to Scootaloo. “You’re on fire, today.”
Grinning, the pegasus cleaned the back of her hoof on her chest. “I am pretty awesome like that.”
Sweetie smiled and struck Scootaloo in the shoulder. “And as modest as Rainbow Dash.”
“Well, duh,” she agreed with a wink. “Havin’ fun?”
“Sure.” She scanned ahead in line, catching sight of Apple Bloom laughing at something Rumble had said. She turned back to Scootaloo and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Think Apple Bloom’s gonna ask Rumble out?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “Dunno.” She craned her neck around the line and watched the two with a contemplative frown. “She should. It looks like Rumble’d say yes.” The gray colt’s cheeks were pretty far away, but Scootaloo thought she might be able to detect some color even at her current distance. “Think we should gang up on her an’ make her ask?”
Sweetie Belle tapped her chin, peering around the crowd. “I don’t think she’d be keen on that. Maybe we should leave it alone.”
“But Rumble’s totally into her!” she ribbed the unicorn with a knee, “We at least gotta tell her he looks interested. Maybe she’ll get the guts to ask then.”
“Yeah, alright.” Sweetie frowned. “Let’s just not go all Cheerilee and Big Mac on them, yeah?”
A shiver ran down Scootaloo’s spine. “Yeah, definitely.” The two shared a small giggle as the line slowly advanced. As she watched Apple Bloom from the distance, her expression grew contemplative and a frown creased her muzzle.
Eyeing her friend, Sweetie Belle jabbed Scootaloo in the shoulder. “That’s the same look you had earlier. What’s up, Scoots?”
“Hmn?” Scootaloo shook her head. “Just thinkin’ about stuff.”
“What stuff?”
She huffed. “Just about the sleepover…” a nervousness stole over the filly, but as she looked at Sweetie Belle it eased away without a fight. She cleared her throat, speaking quietly, but with no hesitation. “Maybe it’s silly, but I kinda feel like a baby for not thinkin’ about special someponies yet.” Her frown deepened. “I mean, it’s bad enough I haven’t gotten my cutie mark yet. We started crusadin’ three years ago, Sweetie! Everypony else got their marks when they were nine! And now AB’s interested in colts…”
“Hey,” she set a hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder, offering an understanding smile. “You’re not a baby, Scoots, and nopony thinks you are. None of us three have our marks yet, but we’ll get ‘em. And so you haven’t got a crush on anypony. Big deal. You’re learning how to fly from Rainbow Dash! That’s not something that babies get to do.”
Scootaloo smiled wanly, her eyes trained on Apple Bloom and Rumble, both playing in the four-square game. “I just don’t get it, Sweetie. I mean…Rumble’s a cool guy. But why? What’s she see? How’d she know?” She glanced around at the other foals across the playground, from colt to colt, confusion chiseled into her features. “How’d she pick him out of anypony else?”
The line parted in front of them, Sweetie Belle next in the game and Scootaloo directly behind her. The unicorn leaned in conspiratorially, her voice low. “She just did. When she looks at Rumble or thinks about him, she feels kinda fluttery and weird and she can’t help smiling. She couldn’t help it.”
The melancholy on Sweetie’s voice filled her with confusion. Brow furrowed, Scootaloo opened her mouth as one of the fillies in the game missed a pass. Sweetie Belle hopped into the court and Scootaloo closed her jaw again. The introspective shadow didn’t leave her face for the remainder of the free period and she never got back into the game enough to reclaim her serving position. She followed the rest of the class back inside with a frown on her face.
Rainbow Dash eyed her stopwatch as Scootaloo finished her fast warm-up. “Ready for the speed test?”
The filly shook out her fuzzy head, a little out of breath from racing through the exercises. “Why’re we doin’ this again?”
She fiddled with the watch. “Because. We spent a couple’a days training ta get you loosened up and your muscles in the habit of working hard. Now we’re gonna see your base level so we know where you’re at and where you need to get to.”
“Uh-huh,” Scootaloo nodded weakly, lowering down on shaky hooves.
Rainbow smirked. “Alright, go!” Her hoof clapped down on the stopwatch. The filly grunted, pushing through the discomfort, racing through the wing push-ups. Teeth grit and sweat pouring from her brow, she bobbed up and down at a rapid pace. Rainbow Dash’s eyes darted back and forth between her and the stop-watch. “That’s thirty, Scoots, keep goin’!”
“Ugh.” She pumped her wings, willing the tremors away, daring to keep her chest from getting any closer than a hair’s breadth from the tops of the blades of grass.
“Aaand time!” she called, switching off the watch. Scootaloo flopped onto the sod, moaning. “Fifty five wing-ups in a minute, Scoots! That was awesome!”
The little pegasus rolled onto her back, wiping at her forehead with a hoof. “That was awful…”
Rainbow snorted and shook her head. “No pain, no gain, right Squirt?” Scootaloo moaned in response. “We’re aiming for over eighty in a minute. Ya get up to that and you should be strong enough for some long-distance hovering.” She grinned, looming over the panting filly. “You keep working like this and we’ll have you up in the air in no time.”
Smiling faintly, Scootaloo struggled up to her haunches, facing the older mare as she puzzled over the timer. “You really think so?”
“Hard worker like you? No sweat!”
Scootaloo’s heart pounded and her eyes wavered. She looked down quickly, willing herself even keel. She fought to keep her voice even. “…Thanks, Rainbow Dash. It…I…I’m glad you think I can do it.”
Rainbow clapped her on the back, most of her attention diverted towards fiddling with the stopwatch. “Course you can do it.” She muttered under her breath at the contraption, flipping it around in the grip of both forelegs and a wing. She turned towards the bench, raising her voice to an irritated yell. “Twilight, how do you reset this stupid thing?”
“Third button on the side!” she called back.
Rainbow grumbled, “I knew that,” under her breath and tossed the timer, now reset, to the grass. She pushed the edge mostly out of her voice, shouting an almost pleasant, “Thank you, Twi’!” to the unicorn.
“You’re welcome, Fluff-head!”
Rainbow shot her a nasty look. Scootaloo started giggling and got the mare’s ire directed at herself. “Alright, squirt, back to work.”
Still snickering, Scootaloo followed along through an hour of exercising. Wings already complaining from the speed test, she set her jaw and fought through the routines. Taking the usual breaks with Twilight at the bench, she chugged water and pictured yellow eyes watching her to keep from trying to throw in the towel. The filly thought Rainbow was perhaps being malicious that day, slamming her through even more strenuous exercise than the previous sessions. When cartwheels got added, she was sure of it. Midway through relay sprinting, the clacking of hooves on cobbled sidewalk drew the group’s attention.
Mrs. Taker cantered briskly into the park, her muzzle pressed into a thin line. Scootaloo shrunk back from the look, swallowing heavily. She quickly trotted to meet her foster parent.
“Scootaloo,” she started, her tone flat and disapproving, “Ms. Cheerilee stopped by today. She said your math work was not completed last week.”
Scootaloo winced, recalling the haze of fatigue she struggled through the previous Thursday. “I, uh—”
“No excuses. Incomplete homework is unacceptable.” Rainbow Dash cantered over to the sidewalk, one brow firmly raised. Mrs. Taker turned her attention to the daredevil and offered a beleaguered smile. “Ms. Rainbow Dash. I appreciate that you’re taking an interest in Scootaloo learning to fly, but if this is going to interfere with her schoolwork, I must insist that it stop.”
Scootaloo sunk to her haunches, mouth agape. Her sore wings trembled at her sides, her mind working desperately to wrap her head around the situation. Her throat bobbed uselessly.
The thin line on Mrs. Taker’s face barely cracked as she said, “Now, back to the house, Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo numbly got to her hooves. The small sounds of nature grew inscrutable over the thundering pulse in her ears. Three plodding paces to her scooter, Rainbow’s voice cut through the stillness. “Now hold on, learning to fly is really important for Scootaloo. You can’t make her quit.”
“Excuse me?” She turned to the pegasus, her brow knitting together. “I’m looking out for Scootaloo’s best interests, and falling behind further in her studies is not one of them, thank you.”
Rainbow opened her mouth, eyes drawn down in challenge and teeth bared, when Twilight talked over her, voice smooth and reasoned. “You really shouldn’t make her stop.” She stepped next to her marefriend, a firm frown on her lips. “Far be it from me to discourage study and academic achievement, but flying is an important aspect of pegasus culture; you’d be denying Scootaloo a vital part of her identity. It’s wrong.”
Mrs. Taker’s face battled between hard-set and surprised. “You’re…Twilight Sparkle, correct?” The unicorn nodded. “Well…I would have preferred to meet Princess Celestia’s protégé under better circumstances.” The surprise fled her features, replaced by indignation. “I appreciate your concern, but school comes first.” She turned to leave.
“School is very important, Mrs…”
Barely injecting any carrying strength into her voice, Scootaloo supplied, “Taker.”
“…Mrs. Taker, but this goes beyond just school.” The mare’s voice filled with passionate conviction, drawing a pause from the earth pony. Twilight glanced at Mrs. Taker’s cutie mark; the bud of a flower beginning to open adorned her flank. “Pegasus magic is very similar to earth pony magic. While you’re not a farmer, can I assume you have a flower garden?”
Frowning in thought, Mrs. Taker turned back to Twilight. “…Yes, I do.” The mare’s gaze turned distant and vague, lost in introspection. “I never had any luck at growing plants for food or flowers for bouquets, but I could always keep the frailest sprouts alive.” A reminiscent smile spread across her face. “That’s what my cutie mark means. I can nurture anything.”
Twilight stepped forward, the hard expression on her face and solid tone in her voice growing more insistent. “And how would you feel if somepony kept you from ever growing another plant again?” Mrs. Taker flinched. Twilight’s voice continued to grow in volume and vehemence. “Scootaloo deserves to learn how to fly. Denying that part of her life, that part of her heritage, is like stamping a flower to paste! It’s heartless and cruel!”
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo gaped at the unicorn. Head lowered and nostrils flared, with legs widely planted apart, she almost looked ready to gore Mrs. Taker with her horn. They blinked at each other dazedly before turning to the earth pony.
Mrs. Taker did not seem fazed by Twilight’s aggression, but her expression grew puzzled. A thick silence settled over the afternoon air. Eventually, the mare said, “…I never thought of it that way…” She frowned thoughtfully at Scootaloo, sizing her up in the way that always made the filly feel like she was a tomato being squeezed to check for freshness. After a long pause, Mrs. Taker turned to Twilight and began again. “…I suppose you’re right.”
A smile spread across Scootaloo’s muzzle as Mrs. Taker readdressed Rainbow Dash. “If it’s as Ms. Twilight Sparkle says about pegasi,” Rainbow nodded fervently in agreement, “Then it would be just as destructive to make her neglect flying as it is her schoolwork.” She frowned again the filly. “This doesn’t solve your study problems, Scootaloo. You’ll have to make extra time for schoolwork.”
Twilight chimed in, “I can tutor her.” Three faces turned back towards the unicorn. Twilight’s calm and inquisitive face stood in sharp contrast to the challenging look from just moments before. “You said she’s struggling, right?” She looked towards Scootaloo, offering a small smile. “Maybe you just need somepony to talk you through things.”
Mrs. Taker’s eyes brightened. “The princess’ protégé! Now there’s a tutor!” Her eyes widened at the distinct greediness in her voice. She cleared her throat, dropping down into a more gracious tone. “If you’re offering, I’m accepting.”
Twilight’s eyes remained locked on the filly. “That alright with you, Scootaloo?”
Scootaloo’s eyes felt warm. She didn’t understand what had just happened, or why Twilight had offered to help her. She cleared her throat and forced out, “Y-yeah, Twilight. Thank you.” A pregnant silence filled the park.
“…Well then,” Mrs. Taker began, shifting uncomfortably on her hooves, “I suppose that clears everything up.” She extended a hoof to Twilight. After a brief shake, she thrust it towards Rainbow Dash. The pegasus cocked an eyebrow and shook hooves with the mare, her expression bewildered. Mrs. Taker nodded once to Scootaloo and trotted back the way she came.
Scootaloo sunk to her haunches, looking at the ground. She glanced at both mares, each smiling at her, and looked away quickly, embattled with the overwhelming emotion pulling at her chest. She bit her lip. The filly desperately wanted to ask why. Why they had both interjected themselves on her behalf. Why they bothered. But she didn’t know how to ask; the words failing to coalesce in her mind into a sensible pattern.
Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “So…sprint relays?”
Scootaloo nodded numbly, climbing back to her hooves. She followed Rainbow back onto the grass and poured herself into the workout. The strain of exertion acted as a catharsis on her mind, soothing away her war-torn emotions. When it was time to go home, she felt blessedly empty.
Twilight grinned as Scootaloo retrieved her scooter. “Come around to the library after you get out of school tomorrow. We’ll figure out what’s giving you so much trouble.”
Scootaloo nodded. “See ya then.” She hopped on her scooter and kicked off, clattering along the sidewalk towards home.
Rainbow Dash sidled up to her marefriend. “Well, that was awkward.”
“Mm.” Twilight watched the filly drift out of sight. “…I see what you meant about not really being there,” she muttered darkly. “I’ll bet you ten bits she was happier about the fact that Scootaloo is being tutored by Princess Celestia’s protégé than she is that Scootaloo’s being tutored at all.” She ran her tongue over her teeth, attempting to displace an imagined distaste in her mouth. “It wasn’t that flying was important to Scootaloo that got her to change her mind. It was the thought of leaving something out that got to her. She’s just going through the motions. I wonder if all foster parents are like that.”
Shrugging noncommittally, Rainbow wrapped a wing around Twilight. “C’mon, let’s go home.”
“Yeah…” Twilight frowned deeply, nuzzling into the pegasus’ neck. “…I get why you were so worried now. We’ve gotta do right by her. The both of us.”
Rainbow regarded her marefriend quietly for several moments in the still park. She lifted a hoof to Twilight’s chin and pulled her into a fierce and burning kiss. When she broke away, her wing tight around the unicorn’s middle and hoof stroking long and straight mane, she murmured, “Scoots’ lucky she’s got you lookin’ out for her.”
Twilight chewed her lower lip, willing the heat from her cheeks and her breaths to even out. “…She’s a good kid.”
Wordlessly, she climbed onto Rainbow’s back and they took off towards the library.