//------------------------------// // A Year Older a Year Wiser // Story: Sparkle Dash Family: TMP Stories // by ssjgokillo //------------------------------// The Sparkle Dash Family Prompt # 361: A year older and a year wiser Disclaimer:  I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic         How quickly time had flown.  Rainbow Dash could still hardly believe that this time last year, both Twilight and her had made the commitment to adopt Scootaloo.  It had been a fun year.  It had been a trying year.  It had all been totally worth it.         It had seemed like an awfully big jump in their relationship at the time.  Twilight and Rainbow Dash had only been dating for about half a year when Twilight had discovered that Scootaloo was in fact living on her own.  That was six of the most awesome months Rainbow Dash had experienced in her entire life!         Sure there was a bit of a hiccup right at the beginning.  She thought she had been clear as the skies she kept about how she felt towards Twilight.  Of course she couldn’t do all the mushy romantic stuff that Rarity was always going on about.  Candlelit dinners?  Reading poetry?  What kind of pony actually did that junk?         No siree, she had been plenty upfront about her feelings.  She just had to be cool about them too.  She had figured that taking the purple mare stargazing would have been enough to really show how she felt.  Really, why else would Rainbow Dash willingly sit down for three hours to stare at the sky?  Well.. she hadn’t really stared at the sky as much as she had stared at the mare lying in the grass next to her, but still!           Did she even need to mention the milkshake again?  Someponies were just oblivious.         Eventually though she had gotten through to Twilight.  They had officially become each other’s very special somepony, and she couldn’t have been happier.         That statement would be proven wrong many times over the coming year.         It started as she and Twilight continued their dates.  As time had passed, Rainbow Dash found herself not minding the occasional candlelit dinner.  Or just walking around Ponyville with her marefriend.  Heck, even the stargazing became better when, after one colder night, Twilight had snuggled against Rainbow Dash for warmth.           Every second she spent with Twilight seemed to be better than the last, and that was saying something given how awesome those other seconds had been. Then had come that awful day when she’d found out Scootaloo had been hospitalized after being attacked by a manticore.  Rainbow Dash had been torn between anger and relief at the filly when she’d seen her laid out in that hospital bed.  Relief eventually won out, and she had spent the remainder of the day with Scootaloo, trying to reassure herself that the filly was still there.  While she had been doing that, Twilight had been investigating the mystery that Rainbow Dash had missed.  Why weren’t Scootaloo’s parents there?  Rainbow Dash had felt pretty awful when she’d found out.  She had never really taken that much of an interest in Scootaloo’s personal life.         The memory of Twilight breaking down as she delivered the news to Rainbow Dash was still fresh in her mind.  Rainbow herself felt bad, but Twilight was practically inconsolable about the whole situation.  How long had they all not seen the plight of such a vibrant filly?  If they had missed this, what else could they have possibly missed?  Twilight spent the better part of that night berating herself for something that nopony else had noticed.           With that determined look she got in her eyes whenever something important came up, Twilight had whirled on Rainbow Dash in mid-rant. She was smiling, as if the answer was clear.  “Rainbow!  What if we adopt Scootaloo?”  Twilight had asked.         What had really gotten Rainbow Dash was how Twilight had immediately stated it as “we”.  She would’ve have given Twilight her wings right then and there had she asked for them after that.  It might have not meant a big deal to most ponies, but Rainbow Dash knew what that really meant.  Twilight was meticulous in just about everything she did.  When she had said “we”, it was because in her mind there was no separation.           Of course there was no way Rainbow Dash would disagree with getting Scootaloo into a good home.  So they had talked with the matron of the orphanage and begun the rather lengthy process of adopting a foal.         The look on Scootaloo’s face when she found out who had adopted her had been priceless.  She never took Penny Gwen as a pranskter.         Time had seemed to fly by as the family got settled together.  Scootaloo had slowly gotten used to having Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle as her mothers.  There had been a few issues at first.  Scootaloo thinking that Rainbow Dash wasn’t cool when Rainbow Dash backed Twilight up on rules.  The way Twilight tried to reach out to the little filly, who only begrudgingly accepted that Twilight held a role in her life.  Even Spike had some issues with the arrangement at first, and she had always thought he was pretty relaxed about most things.         Things got better with time though.  Scootaloo settled with the fact that she had a family that cared about her, and that she wasn’t on her own anymore.  Rainbow Dash herself had to accept the fact that she was a mother now and had the responsibilities that came with that.  Spike accepted that his family was simply growing larger, and Twilight, she came to accept the fact that the ponies she loved just couldn’t be constrained to her lists and schedules.         Time moved on, and the family grew more accustomed to each other’s behaviors.  There were so many memories that Rainbow Dash knew she’d cherish for the rest of her life.         The biggest one had come the night after the whole “switched Cutie Mark fiasco”.  She had been beside herself with worry when the Elements of Harmony had caused Twilight to just disappear.  When she returned later with a flash of light standing beside Princess Celestia, Rainbow Dash had been so relieved that she hadn’t even noticed the slight look of disappointment on the Princess’ face.  She had simply launched herself at Twilight, with Spike and Scootaloo following closely behind.         Twilight had told their friends what had happened, and the offer she had declined.  Rarity had swooned and then fainted when she heard that Twilight had given up on being a Princess herself.  Pinkie Pie had lamented the lost opportunity to throw an “Alicorn Party”.  It had been good old Applejack who had asked the question that was on everypony’s mind.         “But Twi, why would ya give up a chance like that?”         Twilight had looked at the ponies and dragon who still held her in a strong embrace.  She had locked her eyes with Rainbow Dash, and given her that little smile that still made Rainbow’s heart flutter.         “I have everything I need right here Applejack.”  She had said as if that explained everything.         And it did.  Twilight had her family, and there was no way she’d give that up for anything.         Twilight simple declaration had finally spurred Rainbow Dash to finalize a decision she had been contemplating for the last month.  She had to take a few extra shifts for the weather patrol to save up the money, but she knew it would be worth it.         So now, kneeling down in the cool grass on the hill that she’d first taken Twilight to go stargazing, Rainbow Dash looked up at the love of her life while holding Twilight’s hoof.         “Twilight, this last year has been amazing.  More than amazing, but I’m not good with words like you are.  And I know that there’s just a whole bunch more amazing years ahead of us.  I can’t think of anything better than spending them by your side.” Twilight’s eyes became visibly moist at Rainbow Dash’s uncharacteristic show of feelings.         Rainbow Dash pulled a small box out from where she’d tucked it under her wing.  She opened it up, and the gasp Twilight gave was music to her ears.         “Twilight Sparkle, will you marry me?”