//------------------------------// // Chapter 90; The End Of The Beginning // Story: Working Towards The Future // by Dasponi //------------------------------// “Rainbow?! You home?!” a familiar southern accent called from outside Rainbow Dash's house. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo had gone back to enjoying their book. Having recognised the voice Rainbow Dash wasn't as bothered by the interruption as she might have been before. She had no clue why Applejack had decided to visit out of the blue however and resolved to find out. She left the house with Scootaloo in tow and leaned over the edge of the cloud layer. She saw not just Applejack, but also Fluttershy. “What's up AJ?” Rainbow Dash called down. “Hi Fluttershy!” Scootaloo shouted, waving at Fluttershy. Fluttershy waved back with a smile but didn't reply. She looked nervous. Well, more nervous than she usually did. “What in tarnation was up with that thunder earlier? There a storm due today?” Applejack asked. “...I didn't hear any thunder. There's no storm scheduled until tomorrow. Somepony might have lost a cloud. I don't think they'd buck it though.” Rainbow Dash replied. She had no real idea what Applejack was talking about. It was possible she had missed the thunder. Nopony should have set any off though. “All Ah know is that Ah heard some thunder and then a few minutes later poor little Fluttershy here was knocking on my door cos she got scared. Ah'm closest to her.” Applejack said. “...I was worried the animals might be scared...” Fluttershy said timidly as she played nervously with her hooves. Only Applejack heard her. “That's all...” she added, trying to cover for her own shyness. The truth was a bit of a mixture between what she had said and what Applejack had said. If she was really that scared she probably wouldn't have even left her cottage. Applejack was about to respond when she heard what sounded like more thunder. “What the hay is that?” she asked, looking around to see where the noise might be coming from. Fluttershy hid behind Applejack and let out a whimper. “Rainbow, you're in charge of weather aren't you? Why's there a storm comin'?” she called up to Rainbow Dash as she gently patted Fluttershy to keep her calm. “That's...that's not thunder...” Rainbow Dash said, peering off in the distance. She couldn't make out any particular ponies but from her vantage point she could see what appeared to be a very large crowd moving across the fields surrounding her house. Moving specifically towards her house it seemed. As the crowd got closer she began to make out individuals in it. One that stood out was the pony at the very front of it; Star Shine. “Sometimes I think that idiot wants to die.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “What is it? What's going on?” Applejack called up. She still couldn't really see the crowd. “It's not thunder!” Rainbow Dash called down. Fluttershy calmed down and gave a sigh of relief. “It's a large crowd. Looks like the whole town!” Rainbow Dash added. Fluttershy gave a yelp and looked for something to hide behind. Something a little bigger than Applejack. She settled for hiding behind Applejack again when she couldn't find anything. Scootaloo ran inside the house. She wanted no part of whatever was going to happen. Rainbow Dash followed her inside. “Oh I know, she doesn't want to go into town so I'll just bring the whole town to her.” Scootaloo said sarcastically. Rainbow Dash patted her on the back. “I'm sure he had his reasons. Might not be good but I'm sure he has them.” Rainbow Dash reassured her. The crowd got closer and closer and soon enough the sound of marching ponies stopped. Star Shine appeared in the doorway about a minute or so after this happened. “I'm home. Again. I brought some guests, hope you don't mind.” he said as he walked through the door. He braced for what he felt was an inevitable hug but it never came. He looked around and saw that Scootaloo was huddled up to Rainbow Dash, who was still comforting her. “I...errr...take it you do mind.” he said simply. “Why'd you bring the whole town back with? Even Fluttershy and Applejack showed up!” Rainbow Dash chastised him. “I didn't mean to...” Star Shine said, moving his hoof across the ground apologetically. “I suppose they all just followed you home?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Well yeah actually. That's pretty much what happened.” Star Shine replied with a giggle. They really had all followed him home. “Can you please just go outside for a second?” he pleaded. This was backfiring on him just a little. He hoped that when Rainbow Dash knew everything she would be a little more willing to forgive him. “Why are they even here?” Scootaloo asked quietly. “I really wasn't expecting them all to come here. Really. I asked them to come with me to let you know how they feel. I didn't want you worrying about how they might treat you.” Star Shine replied. Scootaloo let out a sigh. “Suppose I don't have a choice now.” Scootaloo said. She was getting tired of having her choices taken away from her. She walked back outside and Rainbow Dash followed her. Star Shine gave a nervous laugh as Rainbow Dash glared at him while she passed him. “If this goes badly, you're dead.” she whispered in his ear as she passed him. This really was not going well for him. At least Scootaloo was wearing the brace like he asked, he noted. He followed them outside shortly after. Scootaloo nervously made her way to the edge of the cloud layer and peered down at the crowd below. As soon as they saw her a large cheer went through the crowd. Scootaloo looked across the crowd and saw that Applejack and Fluttershy had found the rest of the group and all five of them (six if you included Shining Armor) were all beaming up at her. By this point Star Shine and Rainbow Dash were stood right behind Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash was beaming back at the crowd and it looked like she was about to cry. “We love you Scootaloo!” called a voice from the crowd. “We're sorry we didn't notice anything sooner!” called another. Rainbow Dash let go and started crying. Scootaloo started crying too. She had never felt so accepted and like she belonged since she had moved in with Rainbow Dash. She thought that Rainbow Dash was a one time thing and that the vast majority of the town would regard with her with apathy or, worse, disdain. They would simply not care about her. She never expected such an emotional outpouring. “So I take it I get to live?” Star Shine whispered in Rainbow Dash's ear nervously. Rainbow Dash nodded and nuzzled up to him. In her wildest dreams she never would have expected something like this to happen. The crowd switched from cheering Scootaloo to awwwing at Rainbow Dash and Star Shine. Scootaloo turned around to see what they were all reacting to and lost her footing. She slipped and fell off the cloud layer. An audible gasp ran through the crowd and Star Shine reacted before Rainbow Dash had a chance to. “FLAP!” he called down to Scootaloo. “FLAP YOUR WINGS!” he prepared to leap down after her in case his calculations were wrong. In case Scootaloo wasn't ready yet. Rainbow Dash leaped after Scootaloo but stopped herself before she reached her. She was staring open mouthed at Scootaloo, trying to process what she was seeing. In front of her, with her eyes closed tight, was Scootaloo. In mid-air. Not gliding, but hovering. Holding herself in place. “Scoots...open your eyes...” Rainbow Dash said softly. She was almost starting to cry again. Scootaloo heard Rainbow Dash's voice crack and was afraid to open her eyes. It sounded like something was wrong. She hadn't felt the ground or anything and wondered what was going on. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. There was something wrong with what she was seeing. She wasn't moving. She saw Rainbow Dash hovering in the air and smiling at her so widely Scotaloo thought she could see all her teeth. It was then that her brain started to process what was happening. She looked down to confirm what she already knew. She saw the ground below and that's when it really hit her. She was hovering. She was flying. Another loud cheer erupted from the ground below and Scootaloo let out a squeal of delight so loud even the people at the far end of the crowd could hear her. She had done it. She had everything she had ever wanted. She was accepted by the town. She was accepted by Rainbow Dash. She was flying. It felt a little off to her. Something felt a little wrong. But she was flying. There was one thing she had wanted above all that she had managed to find and that was a family. Scootaloo flew over to Rainbow Dash who hugged her tight while Star Shine looked on and grinned at her in a way that she always wished her father had. Some things had gone a little bad but in the end she had it all. Scootaloo wept tears of joy as Rainbow Dash hugged her so tight she couldn't hear the voices of the crowd. Star Shine joined in the hug and Scootaloo enjoyed the moment with her new family. Nothing mattered anymore. Not the past, not the future. Only that one shining moment she found herself a part of. Some more things were to come, but for now she was very happy to just enjoy what was already happening. There were questions left unanswered but this was neither the time nor the place. “Congratulations Scoots. I knew you had it in you.” Rainbow Dash said happily. “Thanks...” Scootaloo replied dumbly. She was still trying to process everything that was happening. She was flying. With Rainbow Dash. It was all she ever dreamed. It was almost too much for Scootaloo. She huddled as tight as she could to both of them and enjoyed the warmth, joy, and love she was feeling. She even stopped flapping her wings. She knew Star Shine and Rainbow Dash would support her and that they always would. She had nothing to fear, nothing to hide from, and everything to live for. Underneath their little group Pinkie Pie had began a “Scootaloo's First Flight” party and, after enjoying the moment a little longer, Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash and Star Shine went down to enjoy the festivities. Star Shine enjoyed them a little less than the others as he fell asleep precisely as Pinkie Pie told him he would. While he was out Pinkie explained to Rainbow Dash everything Star Shine had done and just what he had said to get ponies to come over, including all the slightly mushy stuff he said about Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash flew Star Shine up to the house for the sake of his own safety and so he could get some much deserved rest. She gave him a quick kiss on the forehead like she did with Scootaloo before heading back down to the party. The filly of honour was being accosted on all sides by ponies who continued to apologise for not noticing anything sooner or for making her feel how she did. Scootaloo assured them that it was alright because there was one pony who believed in her and never gave up on her and over time she gained another. Now she had a whole town who felt that way. You only need one pony. Sometimes you have them and sometimes you don't. If you don't then they are out there waiting for you. One thing is for sure though; Everything will always work out in the end.