//------------------------------// // Taking Care of Business // Story: I'll Always be Here for You // by The Abyss //------------------------------// Still half-asleep, Twilight stirred under the covers and felt something both pleasantly soft and warm pressed up against her back. The thin sheets had done little to keep her warm throughout the night, but this mysterious source of warmth had been more than enough to keep her content. She snuggled deeper into it, seeking more of the precious heat. The room was cold, but not so chilly that it demanded that the thermostat be raised. Still groggy, Twilight wanted nothing more than to just go back to sleep. Her internal clock, however, was screaming at her to get up. Twilight slowly cracked open an eye. Everything was bright, making her wince slightly. Gauging by the amount of sunlight flooding the room it was already well into the morning. Ugh, I guess now is as good as any time to get up… She took a deep breath and slowly released it, idly watching a rainbow-colored mane blow in her breath’s wake. Wait, what? Twilight lay still. Why would Rainbow’s mane be in front of me? Weren’t we sleeping back to back? She tried to look up but quickly found that she couldn’t; her head was pressed into the nook of Rainbow’s neck, angled so that the pegasus’ chin fell short of hitting her horn. Perplexed, Twilight tensed up her right shoulder, testing to see if it was free. It wasn’t. She quickly found that Rainbow had wrapped one of her forelegs around her, covering it with her right wing. Well, that explains why I’m so warm… She kept still, not wanting to ruin the moment. It wasn’t often that she got the chance to relax with such comfort. A few minutes passed as she relished the cozy feeling, snuggling even closer to her bedmate. Twilight smiled as she felt the pegasus gently pull her closer. When Rainbow finally stopped shifting about, Twilight nestled further into Dash’s new grip. It was only then and only then that it finally hit her. Rainbow Dash was cuddling with her. Feeling rather awkward, Twilight cleared her throat in an attempt to wake Rainbow up. Nothing. The pegasus slept on like a boulder on an abandoned rock farm. Twilight rolled her eyes in annoyance. Apparently this pegasus is a heavy sleeper. She cleared her throat a little louder and gently bucked her hips backwards, coming close to pushing Rainbow off of the bed. “Hey sleepyhead, do you mind?” she asked with a giggle, gently trying to pull herself out of Rainbow’s grasp. “Wha…” Rainbow mumbled, cracking an eye open. She jerked back a bit and slid off the bed, landing on the cold floor with a loud thump. “Ow! Um… hehe, sorry,” Rainbow mumbled as she rubbed her flank. She sat up and rubbed her eyes before blearily looking up at the alicorn, her mane a vibrant mess. “You sleep alright?” Twilight blushed a little. “Yeah, I slept pretty well, all… all thanks to you,” she added, giggling when she saw Dash blush. “It’s okay, Rainbow, I didn’t mind. It was actually… quite nice.” Wanting to change the subject before things became more awkward, she slid out of bed and shook her mane out of her face. “Good morning, little ones,” came a familiar voice from behind her. Whipping around, Twilight saw Celestia standing in the doorway, her squad of royal guards taking up position just outside. “Princess!” Twilight’s face lit up in a grin as she closed the gap between them, giving her old mentor a hug. Celestia closed the door behind her, giving them a decent level of privacy. “Twilight, Rainbow, how are you two doing?” “We’re fine,” Twilight said as she let go of her mentor. “But there’s something I, err, we want to talk to you about.” She nodded to the other side of the room, where Rainbow was still sitting by the bed. “It’s rather sensitive, and I don’t want Scootaloo waking up and hearing us.” She led Celestia to the other side of the room, Rainbow joining them a moment later. “So, what is so important, you two?” Celestia asked softly. Twilight and Rainbow both looked at each other, silently asking the other who should go first. With a nod from Twilight, Rainbow spoke up. “Scootaloo, well… umm… she’s never gonna to be able to fly because her parents didn’t take good care of her when she was younger, princess. Scootaloo’s mom drank while she was pregnant with her, which made her have… What’d the doctor call it?” She cocked her head to the side and looked up, thinking. “Underdeveloped wings,” Twilight answered. “Oh, yeah, that.” Rainbow paused as she saw Celestia’s eyes widen ever so slightly. “Since she has underdeveloped wings, the doctor said that she’ll never be able to fly.” Her shoulders slumped as she glanced over at the sleeping filly. “Since she looks up to me, I always wanted to be the one to teach her how to fly, to show her how awesome it is to speed through the sky, dodging clouds, and… well, you know what I mean. And now, because of me, she’s in the hospital.” “What do you mean?” Celestia asked. “I brought her back to her house the morning after I found her, and I… I left her there. When I came back with Twilight, we found her like…” She trailed off as she gestured at Scootaloo. “...that. I just can’t help but feel responsible.” “I see,” Celestia said softly with a slow nod. “Rainbow, given the current circumstances, I do not believe that you are responsible for Scootaloo’s injury. There was no way that you could have known her parents would mistreat her after you left.” “But I left her there knowing exactly how they treat her!” Rainbow said, raising her voice a little bit. She lowered it after a small nudge and a glare from Twilight. “I should have–” “Rainbow, stop.” Celestia’s eyes were kind, but firm. “What’s done is done. As much as we would like to, we cannot go back and change the past.” “Princess,” Twilight spoke up. “Do you know any spells that could help Scootaloo’s wings? The doctor said there’s nothing he could do to make her fly again, but I want a second opinion.” Celestia sighed. “I’m afraid not, Twilight. This is truly a rare occurrence, one I have not seen in many generations. There may have been a spell for such a thing ages ago, but I have neither seen nor heard of any such magic for quite some time. However…” She let her words trail off with a little smile. “What?” Rainbow glanced up hopefully, her heart beating faster with each passing moment. She snuck a look over at Twilight and saw she was waiting breathlessly, looking up at Celestia with the same hopeful expression. “The bones in her wing are snapped in two, right?” Celestia asked. “I may have something just for that…” “What do you mean, Princess?” Twilight asked in confusion. “I can heal her wing. It will require a great deal of effort on my part, but it is possible.” “Really?” Rainbow asked, smiling wildly as she hopped into the air. She thought Celestia meant that she can make it so that Scootaloo could fly. “But wait, you just said that you can’t make her fly. What do you mean?” “I meant that I know a spell that will heal the bones in her wing. Her wing would return to the state in which it was before it was broken, but I know of no way to allow her to fly,” Celestia said. “Oh, okay...” Rainbow sank back down to the ground, but her eyes quickly brightened. “Hold on a second! If you can heal her wing, then why didn’t the doctor do it last night?” she asked incredulously. “This magic is something beyond any unicorn’s reach,” Celestia murmured as she walked over to where Scootaloo slept, Twilight and Rainbow following her. “It is a complex spell, and–” “Like black magic?” Rainbow interjected, earning a punch on the shoulder from Twilight. “No. This is normal magic, magic that requires an understanding that too few users possess. The way it works is quite simple though. To heal Scootaloo’s broken bones, I must simply transfer some of my body’s energy into her, giving her the strength necessary to repair the wing.” Rainbow gulped. “Will it… will it hurt her?” She flapped to the other side of Scootaloo’s bed, taking care to not let the air from her wings disturb the sleeping filly. She brushed a couple errant hairs out of her face and looked up, silently watching Celestia sit down on the other side of the bed. “Absolutely not,” Celestia replied as she leaned down to inspect the damage. After several moments, she lit her horn and touched the tip of it to the break in Scootaloo’s wing. She closed her eyes and put more energy into the spell, her horn filling the room with its light as it got brighter and brighter. Rainbow glanced back down, noticing Scootaloo stir in her sleep as Celestia worked her magic. Scootaloo’s face contorted slightly and she twitched in her sleep as the bones in her wing fused back together. Looking back up, Rainbow saw Celestia’s horn grow even brighter as her face contorted into a slight grimace. Several moments passed, the silence being broken by the quiet humming of Celestia’s magic. As she watched on breathlessly, Twilight noticed beads of sweat roll down her mentor’s face. Wow, if she’s struggling, then that must be one heck of a spell… With a final burst of light, Celestia finished, waking Scootaloo up. “Wha… what’s goin’ on?” Scootaloo muttered, blinking through bleary eyes at the three ponies standing around her bed. “Princess… Princess Celestia?” She tried to sit up only to be pushed back down by Rainbow. “Hold on there, squirt…” Rainbow spoke up, sliding closer to Scootaloo. “How’re you feeling?” “I, uh… what the…” Scootaloo trailed off as she instinctively tried to fold her wing. She gasped and closed her eyes, anticipating a flash of pain but nothing came. Confused, she looked over and inspected her wing. She tentatively tensed its muscles and quickly realized that it was fully functioning. “Um… wasn’t my wing broken?” She looked up at the three of them as she cocked an eyebrow, waiting for one of them to speak up. “Yeah, but Princess Celestia fixed it!” Rainbow said, smiling as she playfully tousled Scootaloo’s unkempt mane. “That’s right... little one,” Celestia panted softly, trying to catch her breath. She took a moment, watching as Twilight flared her horn and unhooked Scootaloo’s wing from the harness. “I healed your wing.” Scootaloo quickly folded her healed wing to her side and sat up, then gave her wings a few flaps. “Awesome! Back at full power!” In her excitement, she didn’t see Rainbow cringe slightly. Hearing those words dragged a rusty nail through Rainbow’s heart. Back at… full power… She bit her lip as she tried to keep a neutral expression. She swallowed loudly and fidgeted, looking anywhere but at Scootaloo. Her gaze eventually landed on Twilight, catching her eye. Judging from the nervous expression on her face, Twilight felt the same way. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, little one,” Celestia said, smiling. “But I now must go and have a word with your parents. Rainbow Dash, can you watch over her while we are gone?” “Yeah, you got it,” Rainbow said, snapping out of it. She pulled over a chair, set it next to the bed, and plopped down on it. “Wait, we?” She cocked an eyebrow, thinking that Twilight was going to stay with her. “Yes, we.” Celestia looked behind her, saying, “Twilight, I need you to come with me and my guards for the arrest. I would prefer it that you accompany us.” “Of course, princess.” Twilight nodded, motioning towards the door. “After you.” “Wait, you’re going to arrest my parents?” Scootaloo sat up in the bed, her eyes widening slightly. “You’re not gonna hurt them, are you?” “No, we merely want to ask them some questions and figure out the truth,” Twilight said gently. “What they did was really wrong.” Scootaloo nodded, showing that she understood. Looking up at her old mentor, Twilight said, “Alright, I’m ready.” “Very well, Twilight.” Celestia turned and opened the door, pulling it open with her magic. The two of them walked out into the hallway, all of the guards snapping to attention as they made their way to the exit. Hooves hitting the floor in perfect rhythm echoed off the walls as the procession left the hospital and out into the snow. “This way, everypony.” Twilight led everyone through the streets of Ponyville at a brisk trot, emerging on the other side of the town several minutes later. They kept their pace until Celestia’s captain trotted forward. “My princess, I think now is a good time to form our plan,” the captain said, keeping his gaze forward respectfully. “I agree, captain. Give the order,” Celestia said tersely, her wings bristling with nervous energy. The captain let the two princesses gain a bit of lead on him before he ordered, “Squad... halt!” Everypony, save for Twilight and Celestia, took two more steps and came to a stop, staring straight ahead. “Parade… rest!” All of the soldiers remained stock-still, although they relaxed slightly. Twilight and Celestia put a little distance between them and the guards, giving them a decent level of privacy. Twilight glanced up at her old mentor, noticing that she was sweating and even panting a little bit. Concerned, she spoke up. “Pr– Princess? Are you alright?” Twilight asked, her tone thick with worry. “Oh, I’m quite alright, Twilight.” Celestia slowed down, stopping in the middle of the road. She panted, letting her head droop a little as she caught her breath. Moving to stand in front of her, Twilight hissed, “No, you’re not! Why are you sweating? For that matter, why are you even panting? We weren’t going that fast; you should have been able to keep up!” “Twilight, I assure you I’m fine.” Celestia looked back towards her guards, seeing that they were now standing on either side of the roadway. She took a few deep breaths to steady her breathing and settled down on her haunches. “Healing Scootaloo’s wing took a bit more out of me than I had anticipated. As I’m sure you are aware of, nothing is ever free in life. Everything comes at a cost. Remember how you told me that you felt incredibly tired after giving Rarity wings a while ago?” “Yeah? What does Rarity have to do with you being tired, though?” Twilight asked, cocking her head to the side as she struggled to figure out Celestia’s meaning. “Everything, Twilight. Both spells are similar, where energy is transferred from our bodies to make something grow, or heal in Scootaloo’s case. I remember you said that giving Rarity wings left you unsteady and exhausted. That was because you had used a lot of your energy to construct the wings. In comparison, that spell isn’t as arduous as the one I used to heal the filly’s wing. Even after casting the spell just once, you knew you couldn’t cast it anymore, so you had to search for something more simple.” “Yeah? So? I still don’t see what you’re getting at.” “Let me put it in simpler terms. Those that can use magic have been given both a blessing and a curse. We both know that using magic comes at a cost, tapping into your body’s energy. The more you use it, the more you build up your strength and reserves, giving you the ability to cast more powerful spells the more you practice. But if you try to use a more powerful spell before you can, you’ll wear yourself out to the point where you won’t be able to use magic until you regain your strength, which, as we both know, can usually be done through eating and sleeping.” Celestia paused as she collected her thoughts. “On top of that, if you use a spell so complex and beyond your grasp, it could take so much out of you that you could lose your magical abilities permanently, possibly even causing death. You see where I’m going with this, Twilight?” “I think so… I already know all this though. That still doesn’t explain why you’re so tired.” And suddenly, it hit her like a runaway train careening out of control. Everything that she ever assumed about her mentor was suddenly thrown out of the window. “Wait, are you saying that even you have limits when it comes to using magic?” Twilight’s eyes widened and her ears flicked forward as she impatiently waited for the answer. Ever since she was a little filly, she had always just assumed that Celestia was all-powerful. How could one live for over a thousand years and not have an infinite supply of magic at their disposal? “Yes, Twilight, even I have limits to what I can do. I am not immortal, nor do I have an infinite supply of magic as most of the general public believes. My abilities are vast, yes, but everypony has their limit, even… even me.” Celestia lowered her voice slightly, casting a glance over her shoulder. She didn’t want her personal guards to hear what she said next. “Remember when Canterlot was attacked by the changelings?” “Yeah?” Twilight asked. “Both your brother and I were fueling the spell to keep the shield intact around the city. While most of the energy came from me, your brother was the one that kept the shield up all those days. No unicorn could protect an entire city for an extended period of time, not on that scale, so that’s where I came in. I provided all of the necessary energy, leaving myself with just enough to get through the day. And when the changeling queen finally revealed herself, I didn’t have enough energy to overcome her strength.” “So when you healed Scootaloo’s wing…” Twilight trailed off as she finally understood what Celestia was talking about. “Yes, Twilight, using that spell took a great amount of energy from me. Like I mentioned back at the hospital, I transferred a lot of my energy into her body, giving it the necessary strength to heal the wing. Doing so requires large amounts of concentrated energy, something that a unicorn does not have. That spell comes at a risk, though. I had to make sure that I did not transfer too much energy, leaving me drained. If that had happened, then I might have lost the ability to use magic for a short time. In a situation like this, such an act would not have been smart.” Celestia trailed off as a flock of birds flying overhead caught her eye. “In any case, there is another matter that we must talk about: Scootaloo. I’m sure that she’d like to stay in Ponyville, as she has–” “Rainbow and I volunteer to take care of her,” Twilight said, cutting Celestia off. “Rainbow was the one that found out about the problem, and Scootaloo already considers Rainbow Dash her older sister; it’s only fitting that she take care of her.” “I see… And what about you? Why do you want to help her?” “I, well… I’m not quite sure why I told Rainbow I’d help her out. I guess it was because I hate seeing somepony in pain. Besides, everypony deserves to live a good life. If I can help give Scootaloo that, then I would be more than happy to assist. Furthermore, since Ponyville is now technically my domain, it unsettles me to know one of my subjects is hurting.” “You’ve always had strong maternal instincts,” Celestia said with a gentle smile. “Do you think those may have played a part in your decision?” “Maternal instincts?” Twilight sat down, confused. “I’m… I’m not sure what you mean. I haven’t had any foals of my own...” “Twilight, let’s not forget that you raised Spike since he was a hatchling. You took care of him like you would your own, nurturing him and loving him. Because of that, I think both you and Rainbow Dash would be a perfect fit to take care of Scootaloo.” Celestia smiled warmly, proud that her former student had stepped up to such an enormous challenge. “And to help support you and your friend, I can increase your monthly stipend to adjust for taking care of her.” Her smile faltered as she remembered what her research had turned up last night. Twilight noticed it instantly. “Princess, what’s wrong?” she asked nervously. “I… I reviewed the regulations governing matters of adoption last night and came across something that might impede our plans. While those who want to adopt a filly or colt can be young or old, married or single, in order to take care of an abused filly, the prospective parents are required to be married and in a healthy relationship. On top of that, they–” “Wait, you’re saying that Rainbow and I have to get married if we want to take care of Scootaloo? But that’s absurd! I don’t–” Twilight exclaimed before Celestia cut her off, her eyebrows furrowing in worry. “I wasn’t finished talking yet,” Celestia said with a small smile, waiting until Twilight calmed down. “Normally, to adopt somepony, the prospective parents would have to go through a rigorous screening process, a process that can take up to several days, weeks even.” “But wait, are you saying that we can’t take care of Scootaloo?” Twilight’s shoulders slumped as she thought about breaking the news to Dash. She knew the pegasus would be so upset. “Twilight, please, let me finish. I think I’ve found a way to get around that. That law only pertains to fillies and colts that are in the foster care system. And since Scootaloo isn’t in the system…” Celestia trailed off, giving her old student the opportunity to finish her sentence. “Then the law wouldn’t apply to her!” Twilight said, her face lighting up. She thought they had it in the bag when she realized something else. “But would the courts see it that way?” she asked nervously. “I’m sure they would, Twilight. Since Scootaloo is not registered as homeless or in the foster care system, they cannot use that law against us. But let us not digress; we must first place the parents under arrest before we make such arrangements.” “Agreed,” Twilight said, watching as Celestia turned and beckoned for her captain to come forward with a wing. It only took him a few moments for him to close the distance, and he saluted the two of them as he reached them. “What do you require, my princess?” he asked, addressing Celestia. “We are ready to proceed with the operation.” Turning to Twilight, she asked, “Twilight, could you be so kind as to tell my captain about the layout of the house?” “Of course.” Twilight closed her eyes as she got her thoughts in order. “The front door is in bad condition, so breaching from the front, if needed, should not be a problem. There is a small foyer at first, followed by a narrow hallway that goes to the kitchen and the stairs. Halfway down the hallway, there is a living room on the right. Near the end of the hallway, the stairs are on the right, leading to the second level of the house. Upstairs, there are three rooms, with Scootaloo’s room being the first one on the right. I don’t know anything about the back of the house, though. The structure is just right down the road, about a minute’s brisk trot away.” “Got it, princess. I’ll ready my soldiers, and we’ll move in immediately. Also, the prison carriage should be arriving shortly. Shall we proceed?” “Yes, captain. You and your soldiers may execute the operation. Both Princess Twilight and I will be observing from a safe distance.” “Ma’am, yes ma’am!” the captain barked, turning and trotting back to his soldiers. Celestia watched him relay the intel to them, waiting patiently until they were ready. Several moments later, the captain barked an inaudible command and the entire procession silently made their way past the two princesses. They moved so quietly that the only noise they produced was the sound of them breathing. As Celestia’s guards trotted around the corner, both Twilight and Celestia followed them silently. A minute later, the house came into view, the guards already stacked up outside the front door. Celestia lowered her head and whispered smugly, “Watch how well your brother trained my stallions.” She watched with pride and a smug feeling of satisfaction as she observed her hoofpicked guards perform flawlessly. Twilight felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck, but she knew it was from the tripwire spell she had placed on the property. She paid it no mind as she watched the guards move onto the property, keeping silent as she and Celestia watched as the captain trotted down the path. He climbed up the steps and rapped on the front door five times. “Residents of this household! This is the captain of Princess Celestia’s personal guard! By order of the princess herself, my soldiers and I are here to place you two, the parents of Scootaloo, under arrest,” the captain barked. “Like Tartarus you are!” came a deep, scratchy voice from inside. “You can take yer spears and shove ‘em up yer royal guard buttholes!” Sounds of locks clicking shut came from inside the house a moment later. “There ain’t no way yer gettin’ in here!” “He made his choice, boys! Stack up!” the captain barked at his soldiers, gesturing for them to move into position. Several tense moments passed in silence as they did so, and when they were ready, the lead pony nodded at his commanding officer. “You have one last chance to surrender or we’re coming in for you!” the captain yelled at the house. He waited several moments but only silence met his warning. “Alright, move in!” “Sir, yes sir!” The first guard moved to stand in front of the locked door, reared back, then bucked it in just like Applejack would buck an apple tree. He quickly moved to the side, allowing his fellow soldiers to enter unimpeded. Shouts of protest came from inside a moment later, and just as soon as the operation had started it was over. Scootaloo’s parents were marched out, shackles securing their hooves together. Just then, Twilight heard two sets of wings flapping, pulling her attention away from Scootaloo’s parents. She looked back just in time to see two more of Celestia’s guards land, a small prison chariot being pulled behind them. They saluted the two of them and dropped their hooves, standing stock-still as they waited for their prisoners to be loaded inside. “Get yer filthy hooves off of me!” Brick Lump yelled furiously as the soldiers dragged him and his unconscious wife before Celestia. He looked up, finally realizing that the princess was actually standing right in front of him. He stared up into her eyes, waiting for her to speak, but nothing came. “What the hay do you want?” “Hey, show your princess some respect!” the captain barked as he kicked the back of Brick Lump’s forelegs, forcing him to kneel. “Please, captain, that won’t be necessary,” Celestia said calmly. “Brick Lump, I am placing both you and your wife, Tranquil Breeze, under arrest for the crime of abusing your filly, Scootaloo. Such an atrocious crime must be punished and I will not allow it in my domain.” She turned her attention to the captain. “Captain, read them their rights and get them out of here.” “Yes, my princess!” the captain said, saluting her. Leading the prisoners away, he started reciting, “You have the right to remain silent…” His voice faded away as he and his soldiers led them to the prison carriage. Moments later, the door was slammed shut and locked. As soon as the road was cleared, the chariot took off, heading back towards Canterlot. “That will be all, captain,” Celestia said as he trotted back up to her, “Great work on securing the criminals. You are dismissed, and after you file the report, you all may have the rest of the day off.” “Thank you, my princess.” The captain turned to his soldiers and said, “Form up! Time to move out!” A couple more terse orders and they were off, leaving Twilight and Celestia standing in the middle of the road alone. “So what now, Celestia?” Twilight asked. “Now that Scootaloo’s parents are in custody, where do we go from here?” “Well, I’ve officially set the court date for ten days after Hearth’s Warming Day. It’s imperative that both you and Rainbow Dash be there if you want to claim custody of Scootaloo, who of course needs to be present as well. Furthermore, I shall leave her in the care of Rainbow Dash and yourself until the trial. Also, I suggest that you all try to live as normally as you can. The trial might be a little stressful for Scootaloo, and I think it would be a good idea if we tried to keep her mind off of it for now. Oh, and Twilight?” Celestia asked with a small smile, lowering her head slightly. “Yes?” Twilight looked up into her old mentor’s face. “I admire you for stepping up to take charge in this situation. You’ve done extremely well during your stay here in Ponyville, and I couldn’t be more proud of you,” she said, giving Twilight a loving nuzzle on the cheek, eliciting a smile and a happy hum from the younger alicorn. “With that being said, I think it’s time for me take my leave. I need to get everything set up for the trial, and I’m sure you need to figure out how to accommodate Scootaloo.” She rose back up, spreading her wings to their full extent. “I’ll see all of you in Canterlot soon.” Celestia gave her wings a forceful downward thrust, propelling herself into the air. She made one elegant circle around Twilight and flew away, heading straight towards Canterlot. “Bye, Princess!” Twilight called out, waving goodbye. When Celestia was nothing more but a speck in the sky, she stopped waving and took off, flying back towards the hospital.