Scootaloo's POV.
The creature that had attacked us seemed to have been contained at the very least, whatever the heck it was.
"What was that?" I asked, looking up at Rainbow Dash who shook her head.
"Honestly, I don't know," she admitted. "It wasn't like anything I've ever seen before at least."
I looked concerned as we continued along, I had hoped that we could've flown out, but I had a chance to talk to Rainbow Dash at least.
"Rainbow Dash... I have to know, why didn't you raise me?" I asked quietly.
"Scootaloo... I'm sorry," Rainbow said as we entered the forest. "I wanted to honestly, but... the truth is I couldn't. I tried for about a month, but I couldn't afford it... I wanted you to have a chance at a happy life."
She, wanted me to be happy? I couldn't believe what I was hearing, Rainbow Dash had still abandoned me, but she had done it hoping that I could be happy.
"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about what I did..." Rainbow admitted. "Maybe if I had left Manehattan, I could've raised you... I'm sorry Scootaloo, please forgive me."
I looked at her for a long moment, trying to figure out what to say. She looked sincere enough, maybe, maybe I should forgive her. Even though I had been angry with her before... she had been there for me whenever I needed it.
I took a deep breath and nodded with a smile. "I forgive you... mom."
00000
Rainbow Dash's POV.
"I forgive you... mom."
It felt like a huge weight that I had been carrying around for 10 years had been lifted off my shoulders.
"Thank you..." I said softly, then something occurred to me. "Hey, whatever happened to your scooter?"
"I, crashed it..." Scootaloo said sadly. "Just as I was getting to the castle..."
"I'm sorry," I said sadly, I knew how much that scooter meant to her even though she had no idea I had gotten it for her. "How about this, when we get back to Ponyville, if we can't get it repaired, I'll get you a new one."
Scootaloo couldn't help but smile before she frowned again. "I want to ask you something... who's my Dad?"
I paused, I wasn't actually sure if I should answer that question. She wanted to know, but the truth was painful, to both of us.
"His name was Stratosphere," I said. "He, left me before you were born... I honestly don't know what happened to him. I'm sorry Scootaloo, I wish I had a better answer for you."
"I'm sorry too... I shouldn't have been so angry with you," Scootaloo said. "Do you, think we could ever be a family for real?"
I had to think long and hard on that, I had thought about it sure, but I wasn't sure if I should get the Filly's hopes up. I had given her up, I didn't exactly have the right to be her parent, legally at least. Then there was her wings, would I have to... no, I couldn't think about that, that's not what mattered.
"Maybe..." I said softly, I wasn't sure what else to say.
Scootaloo looked sad at that, I wondered if she had ever thought about what it would be like if I was her mom. She was my number one fan, I couldn't help but smile a little about that, it seemed like whatever force there was out there, it kept putting us together.
"If nothing else, I'm going to still be your friend," I said with a smile.
"I'd like that," Scootaloo said with a weak smile.
Suddenly there was a rustling ahead of us, I motioned for Scootaloo to get behind me as I moved to prepare to attack whatever it was. If it was some monster, it wasn't going to take Scootaloo away without a fight!
"Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo!" A familiar voice called out and I relaxed as Twilight came out of the bushes. "Oh thank Celestia you're both alright."
00000
I was quickly taken to Ponyville General, thankfully my wing hadn't been too badly hurt, but I was going to have to stay off it for a few days. I headed back outside with my wing in a cast to see my friends waiting.
"Let me guess, everypony in town knows now?" I asked.
"Pretty much," Twilight said. "Scootaloo's back in the castle, she'll be okay, she's just a little shaken."
"Yah could've told us yah know, Rainbow," Applejack said. "We'd have understood yah wanted ta keep it private."
"I know..." I said. "I should've trusted you."
"Yep, but now Scootaloo finally knows!" Pinkie said putting her foreleg around me.
"Wait did you... never mind, I don't want to know," I said with a groan, I really didn't want to figure out Pinkie Pie's, Pinkieness right now.
Pinkie giggled and removed her foreleg. "Don't worry about it Dashie, you're going to be just fine."
"I'm going to go talk to her, but Twilight, there's something I want to talk to you about first," I said as I turned to Twilight.
"Okay, what is it?" Twilight asked, I took a deep breath and started talking to her about what I had in mind.
When I finished she nodded in agreement. "Okay Rainbow, I'll talk to Princess Celestia to get the red tape taken care of. Now, go see your daughter, she's waiting for you."
I smiled and headed towards the castle.
00000
Scootaloo's POV.
"Hey Scootaloo, are you okay?" Spike asked as he came up next to me.
"Yeah, I'm okay," I said as I looked at him. "Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead," Spike said as he sat down next to me.
"Do you, ever wonder about your parents?" I asked. "Your real parents I mean."
"Sometimes, but really Twilight and Celestia are the closest things to parents I've ever known," Spike said. "Though, they never really told me where they got my egg."
"I see," I said, we were kind of in the same situation, well, until now at least. "I'm sorry, I've been thinking about this whole thing with Rainbow."
"Well, its always seemed to me like she really cares about you, even before we found out about this," Spike pointed out. "What are you going to do, Scootaloo?"
"I still have a lot to think about," I admitted. "But I'm not angry at her anymore, right now I just want to get another chance with her."
"You never know, you might get that chance," Spike said with a nod.
I was going to say something when the door opened and Rainbow came in followed closely by Twilight.
"Hey Scootaloo," Rainbow said with a smile, I frowned a little at her bandaged wing.
"Are you going to be okay?" I asked, I didn't want her to have been hurt because of me.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just can't fly for a few days," Rainbow said. "I'll live, what about you, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, it didn't get close enough to hurt me," I said, looking at Twilight. "What was that thing anyway?"
"I, honestly don't know," Twilight admitted. "I looked through my books earlier, but I couldn't find anything."
"Oh," I said.
"Come on, I'll walk you home," Rainbow said and ruffled my mane.
We headed out, maybe things were starting to look up for me finally.
00000
A week passed, thankfully Ms. Cheerilee gave me a few extra days on my assignment, but I still wasn't sure exactly what to write. I was in my room in the orphanage, gathering up my stuff to go meet with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom when there was a knock at the door.
"Scootaloo, are you in there?" A mare's voice asked, it was the mare who ran the orphanage.
"Yeah, I'm here," I said, walking to the door and opening it. "Is everything okay, Miss. June?"
"Everything's fine, there's somepony in my office that wants to talk to you," Ms. June said and started walking away with me close behind.
I had to wonder who wanted to see me, Rainbow maybe? I hadn't seen her that much in the past few days, it felt like she was up to something. When I reached the office, Rainbow Dash was inside waiting for me with a smile on her face.
"Hey Scoots, how are you doing?" Rainbow asked with a smile, her wing was still in the sling.
"I'm okay, how's your wing now?" I asked, looking at it concerned.
"The Doc says that I should be able to remove it tomorrow," Rainbow said with a nod. "In the meantime, I've been talking with Twilight to get something worked out for you."
I perked up, curious about what she had done... you don't think that she could have... could she?
"What is it?" I asked.
She picked something up off Ms. June's desk and handed it to me, it was a piece of paper that was folded up. I carefully unfolded it and read it, my eyes going wide.
"D-do you really mean it?" I stuttered out.
"I do Scootaloo," Rainbow Dash said, wrapping a foreleg around me. "10 years go, I made the mistake of giving you up... I'm sorry, and I want to make up for it."
I couldn't help it I hugged her and buried my muzzle into her mane, she must've pulled a lot of strings, but she had chosen to formally adopt me and take me back into her family.
I had a mom again, and I couldn't be happier.