//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 - Welcome Home // Story: Far Cries Of Hope // by Blueball-Blitz //------------------------------// Five years doesn't seem like too long when you think about it. For instance you might see yourself not changing so much in that time, but sometimes that little time away can do havoc to the world and the ponies around you. Rainbow Dash was one of those ponies who never really cared about anything more than friends, family and always aiming for the highest goals in life. Time didn't really matter so much to her, all she needed in life was purpose just like everypony or so she thought. For the past five years the pegasus had been away on active duty serving as one of the talented fliers known as the Wonderbolts to protect Equestria and the ponies she loved, but today she was coming home. Dash's rainbow mane flashed off Celestia's sun as she disembarked from the train at her home town, she smiled as she looked up to see the sign that was engraved into the stations banner which read the word 'Ponyville'. It was then that the steam from the train subsided as it left the station, the cyan mare looked over and smiled as she saw all her friends each with similar smiles waiting excitedly for her return. Of course Pinkie Pie was the first pony to notice the blue mares arrival and quickly leaped onto the rainbow mare as the pair fell to the floor in a fit of giggles. Pinkie smiled a mile wide as she said, "Hey Dashie I haven't seen you in forever!" she said excitedly as she squeezed her pegasus friend tight enough to squeeze her eyes out their sockets. Luckily for Rainbow Dash her friends came into to break up the death hug. Twilight Sparkle levitated both ponies away from each other in her purple aura before she turned to Dash and smiled, "Welcome home Rainbow!" she said happily as she hugged her old friend a bit more gentle than her previous encounter. Dash smiled as she looked at each and every one of her friends, she was astonished that they looked not a day older than when she had left them nearly five years ago. It was then that Rainbow noticed something, "hey guys, where's Scoots I thought she'd wanna come see her big sister after five years" she asked raising an eyebrow as she did so. Fluttershy was first to speak, "Well um she kinda um left" the pale yellow mare said in a quiet voice as she shied away slightly. Dash was slightly shocked by this sudden news, "woah left, what do you mean left?!" she said in a confused and slightly worried tone. Before any other pony could answer Applejack cut in, "well she said she had some problems and she didn't wanna us worryin none but she said she had to leave" the farm pony answered. Dash's mind was a blur, by her calculations Scootaloo was only just 17 years of age so why would she be in any sort of problem, the pegasus returned to her friends, "Well was there anything wrong with her?" she asked in hope that any of her friends would know anything about her missing sister. Rarity pondered as she put a hoof to her chin, "Sweetie Belle said it was something to do with finding a purpose, but besides that we know nothing else about it darling" the dressmaker said in a sad tone. Dash nodded, she knew she needed to go and find her little sister, but she didn't know where to start looking. Turning to her friends once again Dash looked to Twilight, "did she leave anything at all about where she was going or what she was doing?" she asked in a slightly worried tone. The lavender unicorn pondered for a few moments as she thought, then a light bulb went off in the purple mare’s head and a smile came to her face as she spoke, "well Scootaloo did leave a note for you for when you came back, maybe that has some answers" the unicorn replied with a hint of hope in her voice. Rainbow nodded in response and the 6 mares galloped off to the Golden Oaks Library hoping to find any information on the orange and purple pony. - A Few Moments Later - The red oak door to the famous library was surrounded by a purple aura before it was magically swung open as six ponies rushed into the library. Twilight dashed towards her desk in the corner of her living room where she wrote her friendship reports to the princess weekly. She opened a drawer at the side of the desk and levitated a note which was slightly worn and faded from its time away. Dash took the note and looked at the slightly faded words which spelled her name, she ripped the top of the letter of and pulled out the note from inside as she read. Dear Sis Hey Rainbow, if you're reading this then you probably know that I'm gone. Don't worry though I'm okay its just that there has been a few problems before you came back and well...I just needed some time away from all this I guess your little sister Scootaloo Dash kept reading over the slightly faded note and saw the crinkled parts of tearstains which marked certain parts of the note, she felt her own tears but blinked them away quickly as she glanced back down at the note. Dash knew Scootaloo and she knew that the orange filly she used to know would have left some sort of mark, she flipped the back of the note and saw a postal stamp on the back, she read the address and her eyes widened at what she saw. Just at that moment a Twilight spoke up bringing Dash back to reality, "So did you find anything Dash?" the purple mare asked curiously. Dash nodded, "yeah I did, but I think this is something she wanted me to do on my own" she replied as she took another glance at the note before safely putting it away in her saddlebags which she had yet to take off from her arrival to the town. Twilight nodded, "sure thing Dash, if theres any problems just let us know" the unicorn said with a smile, Dash nodded in approval before blasting out of the treehouse door blowing the slab of wood off its hinges as she shot off in the direction of her destination. Twilight sighed as she watched the blue spec leave the sky, Pinkie Pie sighed, "I hope everythings okay" she said as she kept looking on into the sky, Applejack smiled and put a hoof on her friends back as she said, "Don't you worry none sugarcube, I'm sure Dash will fix it" the orange mare replied confidently. The pink mare next to her smiled as she watched the spec leave the skies of ponyville as it blasted away from the town. - After a short while - The cyan mare powered through the skies of Equestria as she searched for her target, she soon saw the bustling city of Manehatten through the clouds in front of her as she flew over the big industrial city. She slightly worded the name of the address as she looked across various streets and avenues to find her location, it didn't take long for the mare to find it and she dived down towards one of the main streets of the city. She looked down an alleyway which had the street address plastered on a sign next to the alleyway. Dash gulped hard as she prepared for the worst to be found as she slowly started trotting down the alleyway leaving the bustling sound of the city streets behind. she came up to a door at the side of the alleyway which had the letters 'CMC' engraved onto the wooden surface which told Dash she was at the right spot. Breathing in a lungful of well needed air the cyan pegasus slowly leaned in and knocked on the door a few times before waiting for any sounds that came through the wooden entrance. After a few moments a voice spoke. "Just a sec" a raspy voice said as she started to hear hoofsteps from inside the apartment, Dash braced herself for what she would see. The mare heard a deadbolt unlock itself before the door creaked open slightly revealing one lavender coloured eye framed by its dark eyelids from their lack of sleep. "D-Dash is it really you?" the voice asked in a quiet yet hopeful tone, The cyan mare gave a smile and nodded happily before the lavender eye disappeared and the door closed again before the sound of more unlocking of locks could be heard before the flimsy door swung open to reveal the orange mare that Dash had been seeking for. Scootaloo stood at the doorstep of the apartment, though she seemed happy her features were a far cry from it, the bags under her eyes suggested a lack of sleep whilst her cracked lips and raspy voice suggested she hadn't drank in a while, all this information was worrying as Dash kept studying her little sister who was now her equal height and was wearing a pair of purple underwear and a hoodie to keep herself warm. Scootaloo smiled, "Dash!" she shouted before jumping on the mare with a gentle embrace, The cyan mare instantly felt the tears of joy on her neck as she hugged her sister tightly in return. The reunited sisters stayed like this for a while before Dash loosened the embrace so she could face her sister again as Scootaloo stepped back wiping a few strands of tears from her cheeks. Dash knew she had to start somewhere, "So um how have you been?" she asked before mentalling kicking herslef for her poor choice of words, Scootaloo was about to open her mouth before the sound of crying could be heard from the apartment behind them, Scootaloo sighed as she looked back into the home before turning back to her sister as she spoke, "Theres um something I need to show you Dash" the mare said as she ushered Dash into the apartment before closing the door quietly behind her. Dash looked around the apartment to see the pale walls and rough green carpet coupled with lightbulbs without shades and a makeshift living room that was linked next to the slightly dirty kitchen. She watched as Scootaloo trotted into a dark room at the end of the apartment and heard the loud crying come to a stop. The cyan mare trotted into the apartment and sat herself down on the couch as she looked around the empty house, 'how did she end up like this?' Dash thought to herself as she looked around the place in utter shock, just then Scootaloo came round the corner into the living room holding a bundle of wrapped blankets in her arms as she rocked it back and forth. She came over and sat down next to Dash as the cyan mare leaned over to get a closer look at the bundle, Scootaloo smiled and pulled down part of the blanket to reveal a cream coloured baby colt with a red mane. Dash's eyes became as large as saucers as she watched the baby babble before cuddling into the blankets as Scootaloo rocked him Dash felt her breath start to shudder as she spoke, "Scoots, who's that" she asked curiously. Scootaloo looked over to dash with a slightly blank expression as she spoke. "This Dash is Hope, he's my foal"