//------------------------------// // Hearth's Warming Chapter 3 // Story: The World Keeps Turning // by Dasponi //------------------------------// The big day, Hearth's Warming Eve, came and with it came the annual pageant in Canterlot to commemorate the story behind the holiday. Rainbow Dash and her friends had taken part in it last year and this year she was looking forward to sitting in the audience and seeing a professional acting troupe take care of performing the show. Convincing Scootaloo to go had been harder than performing the show. She was well aware that her dad, while he was in prison, was still in Canterlot. Rainbow Dash had asked Twilight to send Shining Armor a message to help ease Scootaloo's worries. His reply had been swift and served it's purpose. He reassured them all that Grey Feather was safely contained in the castle. He was actually one of the few Pegasi to ever be placed in the tower because he couldn't fly. He also explained Grey Feather's punishment in a little more detail. The reason Grey Feather was confined to Canterlot was that if he actually lived long enough to find himself outside of prison, it would be much easier to keep an eye on him if he was to be contained within the city limits. If Scootaloo wanted to visit Canterlot then he would be confined even further if needed. This was of course if he even made it out. By the time that happened he would be old and feeble and Scootaloo would be a powerful Pegasus in the prime of her life. The tables would have been very much turned. Before they headed out, there was just one more little thing to take care of; Scootaloo's surprise. The three Pegasi were all dressed up in the clothes they had worn for their dinner together in Canterlot. Scootaloo wasn't wearing her brace because she felt it would have made her stand out too much. She didn't want that and Star Shine had agreed that if she didn't want to wear it then she didn't have to. They were just about to leave when Scootaloo poked Star Shine's forelegs to get his attention. “You having second thoughts about going?” Star Shine asked her, leaning down. He was aware of how apprehensive Scootaloo might still be about going to Canterlot in any circumstances. Scootaloo shook her head and smiled at him. “It's not that. It's just it's time for your surprise. Can you take me over to that platform Rainbow Dash made?” Scootaloo asked. Rainbow Dash was grinning at the pair of them. “Are you sure? Isn't it a Hearth's Warming surprise?” Star Shine asked. Ever a stickler for tradition. Presents were usually exchanged on Hearth's Warming itself. “Well yeah. But it's a surprise, not a present. So you can have it a day early.” Rainbow Dash said. Scootaloo wanted to get this done and Rainbow Dash wasn't about to let Star Shine stop her due to a technicality. Star Shine shrugged and plucked Scootaloo up, putting her on his back. It was a good enough argument for him. Rainbow Dash followed him to the door but didn't fly out after him. “Aren't you coming too?” he asked, turning to face her when he noticed she wasn't behind him. Rainbow Dash shook her head. “It's your surprise, not mine. Go enjoy it and tell me about it when it's over.” she replied. Star Shine was confused. He did as he was told and continued on towards the platform. Scootaloo turned around and winked at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash smirked in response and prepared to take off. She would fly over when she was good and ready to. It would be more of a surprise if he wasn't expecting her to be there. Star Shine made it to the platform and Scootaloo jumped down from his back onto the soft cloud layer below. She couldn't resist jumping around a little given how soft and bouncy it was. “You be careful now, okay? I don't want you falling off.” Star Shine said worriedly, watching Scootaloo hop about. She was also pretty excited about what she was about to do. It took a lot of effort to keep her wings tucked in. She stopped bouncing and looked down at the cloud apologetically. “Sorry, I'll be more careful.” she said quietly. Star Shine sighed and nuzzled up to her. He never could resist a sad voice. It made him a pretty bad disciplinarian, even if Rainbow Dash had said before that he made a good one. “It's alright, I just got a little worried.” Star Shine reassured her. Scootaloo giggled and returned the nuzzle. “I know.” Scootaloo replied softly. “Anyway, close your eyes. It's time for your surprise!” she said quickly, perking back up again. Star Shine closed his eyes and smiled in anticipation. He had no clue at all what Scootaloo could be up to. Maybe she was going to make him a small cloud sculpture or something? Maybe she had already made him something. What would she need the platform for then? Maybe Rainbow Dash would be joining them and they were pulling a prank on him. Whatever it was she was doing, she was taking her time to do it and Star Shine started to worry again. “Scootaloo? Are you there?” Star Shine asked nervously, keeping his eyes closed. He risked opening them when he didn't get a response. He couldn't see Scootaloo in front of him anymore. He quickly looked back to check but didn't see her anywhere. Rainbow Dash wasn't stood at the door to the house either. He panicked and ran to the edge of the cloud. He feared that maybe she had fallen off the layer and Rainbow Dash was missing because she was trying to catch her. He narrowed his eyes but saw no sign of either Scootaloo or Rainbow Dash when he looked down. He kept scanning but couldn't see anything. He was just about to jump down when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked back and was surprised to see Rainbow Dash looking at him, a large smile on her face. She looked pretty pleased about something. “Rainbow? Thank Celestia. I don't know where Scootaloo is! I think she fell or something. Did you see wha-” Star Shine began quickly before Rainbow Dash put a hoof in his mouth to shut him up. She gestured upwards with her other foreleg and Star Shine's eyes followed her hoof. There, hovering just above the pair of them, was Scootaloo. She was flying again and on her own. She was grinning down at him mischievously. “Did we get you dad?” Scootaloo asked, trying to suppress her laughter. Star Shine nodded slowly. Rainbow Dash still had her hoof in his mouth. That's when Star Shine noticed that Scootaloo was holding something between her front hooves. He had no idea where she had gotten it from. It was a piece of mistletoe and there wasn't any in the house. Rainbow Dash took her hoof out of Star Shine's mouth and leaned in for a kiss. Star Shine's heart beat faster as he realised what was happening. It took a few seconds to comprehend it all. Scootaloo was flying again and, not just that, she was holding mistletoe. Rainbow Dash was after a kiss under the mistletoe with him. Well, he always was a stickler for tradition after all. He leaned in and kissed Rainbow Dash before she had a chance to kiss him. Scootaloo resisted the urge to make retching noises and just smiled down at them both. Star Shine pressed his lips harder against Rainbow Dash's and that's when Scootaloo decided that she'd had enough. She made a small coughing noise to remind them both that children were still present. Star Shine broke the kiss and awkwardly laughed up at Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash gave him one more quick kiss on the cheek and cuddled up to him. “This...how...what?” Star Shine asked. He was still very very confused and still just a little lost in the moment. He couldn't get the kiss he'd just had out of his mind. Or where things might have gone if Scootaloo wasn't around. Scootaloo tapped him on the head to try and kickstart his brain again and came down to the ground. She explained what their plan was in place of Rainbow Dash who looked far too loved up to be good for much for a while. It'd take more than a tap to the head to bring her back around. Scootaloo explained that she had learned that she could fly again the last time she went to the doctors. She'd managed to keep it hidden to surprise Star Shine with it for Hearth's Warming. The timing had just been too great to resist. Originally Scootaloo planned to fly under the platform and tap Star Shine from behind and above. Rainbow Dash had suggested modifying the plan a little when she learned about it. She wanted to kiss Star Shine under the mistletoe and she wanted it to be special and memorable for all involved. She suggested that as well as flying under the platform, Scootaloo could grab some mistletoe that Rainbow Dash would put there. Scootaloo would still fly, and hover above Star Shine, but Rainbow Dash would be the one to tap him. Scootaloo had agreed, thinking that it would be pretty cute to see. By the time Scootaloo was finished Star Shine was curled up with Rainbow Dash and twitching a little. He was very, very sensitive to sweet and romantic gestures. It wasn't often somepony planned one involving him. He always loved a good romance story. Real life had proven to be far, far greater. Scootaloo joined the huddle and nestled herself between Star Shine and Rainbow Dash. “Happy Hearth's Warming Dad, Mom.” Scootaloo said, looking between the two of them. Rainbow Dash still hadn't stopped smiling and probably wouldn't for a while. Star Shine kissed both of them on the forehead. “Happy Hearth's Warming girls.” Star Shine said, cuddling back up. They stayed like that for a little while before finally heading off to the pageant after all. All of them agreed to not tell Rarity they had been crumpled up together on cloud in the clothes she made. It probably wouldn't have gone well for any of them.