//------------------------------//
// Life Goes On 
// Story: Families 
// by Darth Link 22 
//------------------------------//

Scootaloo's flying lessons had been wonderful. With Soarin with them, she had forgotten all about the pains of the last few days. Even the frustration of not being able to do a perfect takeoff from the ground had not diminished her mood.

Noon faded into late afternoon as the trio headed to Sugarcube Corner. The Pies and the Cakes had worked all day preparing cakes and pastries to celebrate, and Scootaloo was invited, just this once, to eat her fill of them.

"Just don't get too used to it," Rainbow Dash warned. "After today, you're going to be on an athlete's diet."

Scootaloo didn't answer for a moment, because her mouth was filled with half a cupcake. However, even after she gulped it down, she was still silent for a moment. 

"Something wrong, squirt?"

"Rainbow... I was wondering... do you think it's right to just forget about my father?"

Rainbow Dash was shocked, but tried to keep from sounding it. "Wh-why do you say that? He hit you!"

"But he's still my dad..."

"No. That's not how it works, kid. A dad takes care of you. A dad wants what's best for you. Speedy Delivery wasn't a dad."

"But Pinkie made up with her dad, didn't she? That's what she said..."

Rainbow Dash was caught off guard. "Well, it's... different."

"How?"

"Uh... well..."

A hoof on her shoulder stopped her. It was Clyde, giving Rainbow a look that she needed a moment to decipher. He wanted to talk to her.

Clyde lent down to Scootaloo's eye level. "Listen... me and my daughter did reconcile, but it wasn't Pinkie who did the work that made it happen. And it shouldn't have been. I was the one that hurt Pinkie, and it was up to me to ask for forgiveness. And that should be your father's job as well. He might be able to redeem himself one day, but it will be his decision. You can't change anypony that doesn't want to be changed, understand?"

"I guess..." she trailed off. "Are you saying I should forgive him?"

"Well, forgiveness can be liberating. But you don't have to accept him back into your life. It'll be up to you to decide what will happen if he ever does come to you. I can't make that decision for you."

There was silence for a moment. "...Thanks, Mr. Clyde. I... I feel better."

"Glad I could help," he said, standing up. "If you don't mind, my daughter was telling me about how they defeated NightMare Moon." With a tip of the hat, he walked off.

"Scoots... I know this is hard for you, but... you shouldn't worry about your parents. You're still a foal, you shouldn't have to worry about things like that... not yet."

"...Do you know what's going to happen to me?"

After a moment, Rainbow Dash pulled her student into a hug. "Listen, squirt... I've been thinking it over, and... I want you to live with me, permanently. It'll take awhile to get everything straightened out, but I can afford it... Soarin's going to help, too, so you don’t need to worry about being a burden. So... if you want...”

A set of tiny forelegs wrapped around her neck, and a little muzzle stuck itself in her neck. As Rainbow Dash hugged back, tiny tears began to wet her mane. She soothingly rubbed her head, and let her take in all in.

“Rainbow... thank you.”

She just smiled. “My pleasure, squirt.”





Garble felt a long and powerful tail, the one belonging to his father, strike him in the chest, sending him flying back into the wall of his palace.

“You fool, you insolent little fool,” he growled. Still, it was enough to make Garble shiver, and he was grateful, for once, that his father had self control. King Dyne was a powerful dragon, over a thousand years old and still in his prime, and his roar would likely reduce the palace, such as it was, to rubble.

Of course, calling it a palace by pony standards, or indeed the standards of any other race, would be untrue. The only elegance was the king’s hoard, a collection of gold, gems, and other jewels that would fund a nation in and of itself. The actual building was crude stone, crudely carved and just big enough to allow dragons free access.

“D- Father,” Garble said, remembering at the last minute to use the proper honorific, “It wasn’t like that I only lost...”

The giant, oversized tail struck him again, his time pinning him. “Fool,” he growled again. “I don’t care if you lost.”

Garble just looked at his father in disbelief, so he continued. “The fact that you were attacking ponies at all is the problem. Do you realized what you nearly caused? Our treaty with Equestria? What if Celestia withdrew her support? Then what? We cannot all live in the same area...”

“But... Father...”

The tail pulled back and struck him again. “Silence. Speak when spoken to. Relations between other races have always been shaky. Eleven hundred years has not been enough to forgive the damage done. And when I have to deal with an insolent subject, that makes things worse. I’ve already had to deal with a dragon a year ago who tried settling in an unauthorized location. So tell me, why would you cross the continents just to bully a group of ponies?”

“Father, they broke the treaty first! Those ponies were present at the Migration!”

“What?”

Garble winced. It sounded like his father was getting angrier. “Yes, they were there... and they had a dragon! They’re keeping a baby dragon hostage!”

There was silence for a moment as Dyne was in a mixture of shock, anger, and pondering. “Go on...”

“At the Migration, there was a baby dragon. He said he came from a pony family. I was... I was going there to get him back!”

There was another moment of silence as Dyne pondered.

“Out of my sight.”

“But... the dragon...”

“Is not your concern any longer.”

“But...”

The tail struck him again. “Go! And I think you might want to reflect on your leadership abilities!”

Frightened, Garble fled the room.

Dyne sat atop his jewels, pondering. He turned to a guard. “Send for a messanger. I believe I need to request an audience with Princess Celestia.”





Twilight had been overjoyed when Spike had coughed up the papers needed to make the adoption official. With a sign and a quick copy spell, the papers were sent back to be filed, and it was official. Spike was legally her son.

Afterward, a trip to Sugarcube Corner was in order, as was a conversation with her friends. While Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders played, and Pinkie told her family of defeating Discord, Twilight and her friends talked.

“The papers have been signed, so Spike is mine now. I got word that Princess Celestia is back in good graces with the noble class, and they’re planning an overhaul of the Royal Guards. Hopefully, it will make the performance better.”

“So does this mean our problems are over?” Applejack asked.

“Not really... the changelings are still out there, remember?”

That shook nearly all of them. The wedding had been just days ago, but so much had happened since then.

Rainbow Dash spoke it. “Um, Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“Uh, I was wondering... could you send another request to Princess Celestia for me?”

Her five friends looked at her curiously. “Yes, I can do that. Why? What do you need?"

"I need... I need some adoption papers."

Her four friends looked at her like she had just sprouted an extra head.

"Rainbow Dash... are you planning to adopt Scootaloo?"

"Well... yeah. Is there a problem with that?"

Her friends were silent again. "Rainbow..." Rarity said slowly, "if you decide to do this, then of course we'll support you. But we want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. Taking care of a foal is a big responsibility..."

"I know," Rainbow Dash cut her off. "Me and Soarin already talked about it. We have everything figured..."

"Wait," Rarity said. "You and Soarin?"

Rainbow Dash blushed. "Uh..."

"Well, lookie who got a coltfriend out of all this," Applejack chuckled, relishing in an instance to ruffle her friend's feathers. "Ya already lookin' ta get Scoots a pa?"

"H-hey," Rainbow Dash said defensively, "I'm only going to be taking care of Scoots, not being a mom. And me and Soarin just started dating..."

"You're taking care of a foal together," Applejack pointed out.

"Oh my gosh!" Twilight said. "I heard that relationships that go that fast usually end bad! Maybe you better take it slow..."

"Darling, you must relax," Rarity said. "It's true love..."

"Rare, please don't turn it sappy," Rainbow Dash said quickly. "We're just dating..."

"And raising a foal together!"

"Well, yeah, but... look, can you get me the papers or not, Twilight?"

"I'll have Spike send for them when I get back home."

"So... that's it, right?" Applejack asked. "Spike's okay, Pinkie's okay, and Scootaloo is okay. That means all we gotta worry 'bout is them changelings?"

"That's right," Twilight nodded. "But we might not have to worry about that, either. Celestia says she's pretty close to finding them. Hopefully, they'll be in custody by the end of the week."





Celestia looked over the newest report, this one handwritten from Chief Thunderhooves. They had found where the changelings had been camped out, and it looked recently abandoned. They could count on seeing a hive within a few days.

Grinning in triumph, she lay the letter down and went back to her paperwork. Shining Armor would be arriving shortly, and she wanted a proposal for reform ready for him. Perhaps with better training and a more disciplined regiment, the guards would not perform so miserably next time. Having a shape-shifting foe might work to keep them on their hooves as well.

Sipping her tea, she only slightly looked up when Luna arrived, taking a seat across from her sister.

"You really should be getting more sleep," Celestia said.

"I had time to sleep on the moon, dear sister," Luna waved her hoof dismissively. "I've a thousand years of life to catch up on."

"Not much life around here," Celestia mumbled, reviewing the work. "My guards got soft in peace time. Over the last thousand years, things have been relatively quiet. Now Discord, the changelings, ...NightMare Moon," she winced, "all returning at once... and those dragons! If they told Dyne..."

"Dyne is a reasonable figure," Luna said. "Even if, among dragons, his tolerance is radical. I remember when he took the throne..."

"I'm not worried entirely about Dyne," Celestia stated. "But if he finds out about Spike, he will certainly send a summons, and that likely means other dragons will discover it. Even he cannot withstand such political pressure forever."

Luna nodded in understanding, looking over her sister's proposal. "And you told me I was too rough with the Lunar Guards."

Celestia sighed. "Yes, Luna, you were right." She smiled, despite herself. She knew as a filly, she would relish in the chance to get the better of her sister. "I guess that makes hundreds to one."

"Perhaps..." Luna said, playfulness still evident in her voice, "but I shall..."

They were interrupted by a messenger entering the room, flying up to the table with a message in his teeth. As Celestia took it, he noted. "It's from the outpost up north. They say it's urgent."

Celestia nodded, unrolling the parchment to read it. Luna waited patiently, at least until she saw her sister's eyes widen, and her jaw slack.

"Celestia?"

"...Looks like Princess Cadance's homecoming will be short-lived," she sighed, levitating the message to her sister. "A new wrinkle, it seems."

Luna took the message and read it over. She gaped. "The Crystal Empire..."





That night had been a peaceful one, the first complete one in a while.

In the Golden Oaks Library, Twilight slept on her bed, clutching her Smartypants doll close. She didn’t tell Spike, but she hoped it would shield her from nightmares that night. They had been decreasing in frequency, but she couldn’t afford them tonight. She had plans for the next few days, and she needed to be on full alert. She needed to get Scootaloo's adoption papers processed, as well as frame and hang Spike's. The dragon could use a new bed, too; his basket was starting to get too small. He still slept in it undisturbed, happy and relieved that the suffering his friends had endured was over. Meanwhile, in the rafters, Owlowiscious was preening Peewee, congratulating him on a good day of learning to fly.

Up high in her home, Rainbow Dash had tucked Scootaloo in for the night, kissing her forehead and reading her two chapters of Daring Do and the Griffin's Goblet, with a promise that it would be a bedtime tradition from now on. After it was read, Soarin came in and gave her a kiss goodnight as well. The two then closed the door and retreated to Rainbow Dash's bedroom. He had one more day of leave left, and he was determined to spend it with her.

In Sugarcube Corner, the Pies and the Cakes were still up and about, telling stories, singing songs, and mending ties. Pound and Pumpkin had taken to Inkie and Blinkie, and it looked, officially or not, that the two families would enter a merger of some kind.

Rarity had Sweetie that night, and in a rare occurrence they had fun, with Rarity letting her style her mane. The resulting bird’s-nest mane could easily be fixed, and they had a good laugh about it.

The Apple Family all settled in for the day's chores tomorrow, and Fluttershy took her sleep with Angel on her bed covers.

In Canterlot, Celestia responded to Dyne's request with a request to wait. The Crystal Empire remained a top priority, and Rabble Rouser's trial started tomorrow. He was looking at several life sentences. 

The pony in question sat in his cell, waiting patiently for the guards that would never come. The inside ponies would either free him, or failing that slip him the dagger that would allow him to go out a martyr. Speedy Delivery sat in a cell with his wife, stewing from the injustice they had been put under. Quick, deprived of her alcohol, merely regretted her sobriety. Olive Branch lay in his own prison. The pain had stopped, but he still felt the phantom lingerings of it. True to Luna's word, he had a lot on his mind.

Fancypants kissed Fleur goodnight before they fell asleep, ready to travel to Ponyville the next day and pick up their order. They had a dinner date with her and Zecora, and they had questions to ask.

A few houses over, Vinyl Scratch and Octavia lay in bed after expressing their love. As the earth pony fell sound asleep, the unicorn looked at her sleeping form, thinking she looked more beautiful than ever with the moon lighting her.

Shining Armor and Cadance returned, only to be shoved in a convoy by the Princesses with instruction to scope out the Crystal Empire. It seemed the promised visit to Twilight would have to wait. Shining Armor went from disappointed to having a heart attack when he discovered that he was now an uncle. It was only after Celestia explained the adoption that they could be assured he wasn't going to go into Ponyville, brandishing an axe to use on some nonexistent stallion.

On the Pie Family rock farm, a lone farmhand took inventory, mumbling under her breath on how beneath her it was. She took a deep breath and reminded herself, once more, what she was working toward. It would all pay off, soon.

Out in the desert the buffalo and the guard unit made camp, toasting each other's good health and singing songs into the moon before the captain called lights out. The changelings would be found soon, and Equestria would be at peace.

Garble sat and moped in his room, angrily gnawing on jewels from his hoard while fuming at his father's dismissal. He began forming plans, each more improbable than the last, of his long overdue revenge. He knew Thrash and Mumble had likely received beatings from their parents as well, but perhaps they could be persuaded. Dyne himself was annoyed at the response from Celestia, but a promise to visit and explain as soon as it was feasible calmed him, much to his messenger's approval.

Up north, several ponies, their normally shining coats a dull grey, limped aimlessly around their once great kingdom, responding to little, even the guards from the nearby outpost who were attempting to get information out of them. They were simply out of touch of reality, rejecting it and its horrors.

And of Chrysalis herself, who had been in hiding since the Wedding, each night became fraught with nightmares. She knew her capture was imminent, and her punishment would be most cruel. As she sat, curled in her newest hideout, she began to wonder if freeing Discord wouldn't have been the better option.