Catching Hope by warpd.
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“But I don’t want to go to school. It’s so boring.” Hope whined to her mother. “You already taught me so much anyway. What’s the point?”
Twilight groaned as she reorganized the young satyr backpack. “School is the most important thing for young fillies.”
A teenage Spike snickered. “It would be if you hadn’t taught her high school grade material.”
“Not helping, Spike.”
Lero shook his head as he knelt down to Lauren Hope’s eye level. “Ok. Hope, do you wish to learn the real secret to why we all go to school?”
“To allow parents free time so they can do naughty things.”
Lero stifled a cough. “Noooo, it’s so you can make friends. Sure you read and learn things from a teacher, but school mostly teaches you how to make relationships with other ponies.”
Hope rolled her eyes as she puffed away a stubborn strand of hair off her face. “Ponies are slow and boring.”
Rainbow Dash snorted back to the waking world from her nap. “Excuse me short stuff?”
“Well not you obviously mom. You’re the only one who can catch me when I want you too.”
Rainbow Dash rubbed the sleep away from her eyes. “Squirt, I’m pretty sure more ponies then me can catch you.”
Hope folded her arms and frowned. “Really, who?”
Lero looked over to the other mother of the herd. “Well Mommy Twilight for one.”
“Nope, she’s a slow flier.”
Spike nodded in agreement. “Ya, she’s more into gliding long distances because of her wings.”
Twilight stuffed the 12th pencil into the pencil case to put in the pencil holder of the bag. “Honey, I can teleport. It would not be hard to catch you.”
“Mom you glow a bright purple before and after you disappear. I see a bright light for a whole three seconds before you appear. It’s like you are telling me ‘Here I am, watch out!’ then I just bounce away. I turn on a bit and still keep up my speed.”
“Aunt Pinkie.” Rainbow grinned.
“Well, she might be able to catch me, but I always keep emergency candy stashes in my pockets just in case of Pinkie emergencies.”
“Speaking of which.” Twilight pulled out said candy with her magic from Hope’s pockets.
“Hey!” Hope’s eyes went wide eyed.
“No candy in school.”
“That’s not fair!”
“It’ll be all right. I’ll have your candy here when you get back.” Twilight carried the candy into a jar and dropped them in.
“I’m not going.” Hope stomped her hoof.
Spike leaned back on the wall as a small toothy grin grew. He closed his eyes and softly whispered to himself. “And here we go again.”
Lero took a careful step towards his daughter. “Hope, just give it a shot. It won’t be that bad.”
Twilight continued to stuff the backpack full, completely oblivious to her daughter’s posture and tail flicks. “Your Dad’s right, school is going to be so much fun for you. You’ll get to learn different languages.”
“Twilight.”
“Go out on field trips to museums and libraries.”
“Twilight.”
“Bring home homework!”
“Twilight.”
“Yes, Lero?”
“Lero pointed to the vacant spot where Hope was and the open window. “She’s gone.”
Twilight blinked vacantly before reality snapped her back. “What!?”
She galloped over to the window and propped her forelegs onto the windowsill. Hope was already at the market area with Rainbow Dash hot on her hooves. Twilight’s royal voice carried across the town. “Hope!!! No child of mine is going to become a tardy delinquent you hear me!!!
Hope turned back and stuck out her tongue. She then pulled a 90° turn which made Rainbow crash into a cart of cabbages. Twilight grinded her teeth as she teleported out of the house.
Lero looked over to Lyra who watched the whole thing with amusement. “Were you ever that way as a child?”
“Yup, just not as fast.”
“Well I better go catch her.” Lero whistled as he strolled out the house with Hope’s book bag.
Hope whooped as she leaped over walls, bounced off ceilings, and vaulted over ponies. “Hi, Aunt Applejack.”
“Hope shouldn’t you be—“
Hope was already well out of hearing range as she galloped. A bright purple flash told her that her mom was about to appear in front of her. Hope threw an apple she borrowed from her aunt then pulled another 90° turn.
“Hop—gha!”A juicy apple impaled itself on Twilight’s horn.
“Don’t worry, Twilight. I got her.” Rainbow flew past her herd mate. Hope yelped as she put her legs into high gear. To an on looker, it appeared that two blurs danced with one another. When Rainbow got close enough Hope would make another impossible turn that gave her the lead once more. Rainbow Dash would have had an easier time with a rabbit on a sugar high.
Hope leaped towards a large tree; her mom was once again close behind her. Rainbow anticipated which was her daughter was about to turn. She was not about to lose this time, just a few more inches.
Rainbow crashed straight into the tree. Hope had decided to go vertical and climbed the tree. In the safety of the tree Hope looked back down at her dizzied mother. “Told you. Nothing can catch me.”
Pride comes before the fall, literally in this case. A camouflaged net wrapped around Hope and pulled her out of the tree. Lero hefted his daughter into the air with a pleased grin on his face. “Gotcha.”
Hope looked around and noticed she was in front of the school house. “How!?”
“Emergency filly catching net in case of filly fleeing emergencies.”
“Aunt Pinkie taught you that! That’s not fair.”
Lero carried her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Wouldn’t you have more fun making new friends in school rather than getting your mothers angry with you?”
“B-but it won’t be fun.”
Lero placed her down, took the net off her, and gave Hope the backpack. He gave a quick kiss to her forehead. “Do you remember the stories Scootaloo told you about the CMC? Where do you think she meet her friends?”
Hope gasped then disappeared into the school building. Lero brushed off his pants and walked back towards Twilight and Rainbow as gave him gracious smiles.
Lero then heard his daughter cry out to him.
“Love you daddy! I’ll see you after school!”