I know I made a mistake
Rainbow jolted awake, her heart pounding and her body covered in a cold sweat. She tried, unsuccessfully, to slow her breathing down as she struggled to remember the nightmare that caused her current condition. Lightning Strike was there, and so was Scootaloo; he started falling and Rainbow just started laughing. Then Scootaloo started crying, and Rainbow pushed her off the cloud, her own horrible laugh still echoing in her ears as she watched the filly fall helplessly toward the ground. But that couldn’t be right. She would never hurt Scootaloo. Rainbow shook her head vigorously, trying to get some clarity as she glanced down at the filly sleeping next to her; Scootaloo was sleeping soundly, the only movement being the spastic twitching of her tiny wings. A look out the window told her that it was in the early hours of the morning at best; Celestia had not yet raised the sun, and Luna’s moon was still shining brightly in the night sky.
Rainbow pulled the blanket back over Scootaloo and herself and rested her head against the pillow, but sleep eluded her. Every time she shut her eyes she was overcome by an uneasy anxious feeling that would only go away when she confirmed that Scootaloo was still sleeping peacefully next to her. Exhaustion eventually won out over anxiety, however, and Rainbow fell into a dreamless sleep.
Rainbow was jolted out of her slumber by a gentle prodding sensation on her muzzle. “Are you awake?” she heard Scootaloo whisper.
“I am now.” Rainbow tried to sound annoyed at being woken up, but Scootaloo was too adorable for it to be sincere. She smiled at the little filly, “How ya doing, squirt? Let me see your head.” Rainbow used her muzzle to gently push Scootaloo’s head to the right so she could get a better look at her injury. The swelling had subsided somewhat, but the filly still had a rather unsightly welt behind her left ear. Rainbow let out a short breath and gently ruffled Scootaloo’s mane.
“It doesn’t hurt. I’m tough, just like you,” Scootaloo said as she puffed her chest out.
Rainbow playfully bopped Scootaloo on the head, taking care to avoid the welt. “Oh yeah? Show me what ya got, kid.” Rainbow held her forelegs up, and Scootaloo jabbed at them, mimicking a boxer’s motions. Scootaloo wound up for the big finish, and Rainbow exaggerated the impact as the tiny hoof connected with her muzzle. Rainbow fell over backward in a pratfall and she landed flat on her back. “Ok, I give up,” she said as Scootaloo danced around the bed, her forelegs raised in triumphant victory.
Rainbow sat up and smiled as she watched Scootaloo savor her pretend conquest. The little filly kept raising her hooves in the air and repeating, “Oh, I’m so pretty, it hurts to be this good!”, as she did a little dance. Rainbow had to admit, it was pretty endearing.
“Okay, there, Marehammad Ali. What do you say we go make some breakfast?”
Scootaloo smiled and jumped on Rainbow’s back, and the two pegasi headed downstairs. In the middle of making waffles, there was a knock at the door. She pushed the more outlandish thoughts about who could possibly be visiting at this hour out of her head, and peered through the peephole, finding much to her relief that it was only Fluttershy.
“Oh my goodness, Rainbow Dash!” the yellow pegasus exclaimed as Rainbow opened the door and she saw Rainbow’s bruises.
“It’s okay, ‘Shy. It looks worse than it is,” Rainbow Dash said, trying to reassure her friend.
Fluttershy frowned. “Well, that’s good, because it looks awful. Twilight said that you and Scootaloo are supposed to take it easy the next few days, so I thought I’d come by and make sure you’re listening to the doctors. I tried to visit you in the hospital, but the doctors weren’t letting anypony in your room until you woke up.” Fluttershy began to tremble slightly as she remembered the helpless feeling she had watching her unconscious friend being wheeled into the operating room.
Rainbow noticed Fluttershy’s fear and gave her a hug. “It’s okay, ‘Shy. I know you were there. And thanks for the soup.It really hit the spot.”
“You’re welcome. You know I’m always here for you if you need anything.”
“Thanks, ‘Shy. Umm… now that you’re here, would you mind watching Scootaloo for a few hours? I have some things I need to take care of.”
Fluttershy’s voice took on her mothering tone. “No. You need to go sit down on that couch and rest.”
“ ‘Shy, I’m not going to do anything stupid like practice stunts. I just need to visit with a few ponies, and I’d rather not do it with Scootaloo around. Can you please help me out?” she said, her voice just shy of pleading.
Fluttershy nodded reluctantly. “But you are going to have breakfast first,” Fluttershy said, while fixing Rainbow with a not-quite-half intensity stare. Rainbow Dash nodded her assent to Fluttershy’s demand.
The two pegasi walked into the kitchen to find a flour covered Scootaloo mixing the waffle batter. “Hi, Fluttershy! Want some waffles?” the filly exclaimed, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she was more white than orange.
“Oh, I’d love some, but why don’t you let me mix that while you go get cleaned up?”
Scootaloo caught her reflection in the fridge and let out a small gasp of surprise. “I guess I got a little carried away, huh?”
Fluttershy took the bowl, giving the filly a friendly smile, and Scootaloo hurried off to the bathroom. As soon as she was out of earshot, Fluttershy turned to Rainbow Dash. “How is she doing?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I mean, she seems okay some of the time, and then something happens, and she totally freaks out. But…” Rainbow hesitated telling Fluttershy about Scootaloo’s request, but decided that her voice would be good. “She wants to live with me permanently. What do I do about that?”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened, then returned to normal after the surprise faded. “Have you talked to Scootaloo’s mother?”, she asked, knowing full well that Rainbow couldn’t just decide to become Scootaloo’s legal guardian unilaterally.
“No, that’s one of the things I need to do that I would rather Scoots not be there for.”
“How do you feel about it, Rainbow? Taking care of a foal is a big responsibility.”
“I know that, ‘Shy.”
Fluttershy spoke gently but firmly. “Do you? You’ve been amazing these past couple days; I can’t even begin to imagine what you’ve had to go through, and you’ve handled it better than anypony else possibly could have, but taking care of a foal isn’t like that. It’s about being reliable, consistent and understanding. I know you love Scootaloo, but that’s not really enough. You have to be willing to accept that this is going to be a major life change.”
Rainbow could feel her anger rising, which surprised her; she never got angry at Fluttershy. “Are you saying you don’t think I can take care of her?”
Fluttershy lightly placed a hoof on Rainbows shoulder. The gentle touch helped diffuse Rainbow’s anger. “I’m not saying that. I think if you want to do this, it would be the best possible thing ever to happen to that poor filly, but you need to be absolutely sure that you want to. Because if you’re not, that’s not fair to her.”
Rainbow’s thoughts softened. “I understand. It’s just, she’s had such a hard life for such a wonderful filly. If I can make her life a little better, why shouldn’t I?”
Before Fluttershy could answer, Scootaloo came bounding back into the kitchen. Her mane was still damp, but her coat was restored to its usual orange hue. “Whatcha talkin about?” she asked.
“Boring grown up stuff,” Rainbow said. “Hey, listen Scoots, I got some stuff I gotta do. Do you mind staying here with Fluttershy for a few hours?”
“You’re coming back, right?”
“Of course. It’s just for a little bit.”
Scootaloo smiled happily. “Cool. Then no, I don’t mind. Fluttershy’s awesome.”
“Well, thank you, Scootaloo. That’s sweet of you to say. However, Rainbow Dash isn’t leaving until she has had breakfast.” She shot a friendly glare at her friend. “How about we let Rainbow rest up while we finish making waffles?”
Scootaloo and Fluttershy made waffles while Rainbow caught a quick power nap on the couch. She was still a little tired from last night, so the power nap felt good. The three pegasi ate breakfast, and Rainbow left, confident that Scootaloo was in good hooves. She figured that, of all the ponies she had to see, Misty Skies should probably be her first stop. She wasn’t really sure how she was going to explain why she wasn’t dropping off Scootaloo as she had originally agreed to do. She was still thinking about what to say when Scootaloo’s house came into view.
“Where’s Scootaloo?” Misty asked as soon as she opened the door.
“She’s with a friend. I thought we could talk.”
“Oh, well then please come in. Can I get you some coffee? Tea?”
Rainbow was surprised by the pleasant invitation. “No thanks. I’m okay.”
The two ponies sat down in the living room. The thought occurred to Rainbow that she hadn’t ever been to Scootaloo’s house. It was… nice. It wasn’t some opulent mansion, and the furnishing was maybe a little too flowery for her taste, but the couch was comfortable, and the pictures on the wall showed a happy filly and her Mom at a variety of locales. There was an unfamiliar red stallion in a few of the pictures. In one of them he was holding a very young Scootaloo over his head, with a big grin plastered on his face; Rainbow assumed that he must have been Scootaloo’s father.
Scootaloo didn’t talk about her family much, so Rainbow had always assumed that she lived in some horrible run down shack with terrible parents. But, if the pictures were any indication, her home life seemed surprisingly normal. Scootaloo was clearly loved within these walls. Rainbow looked around, and was relieved to find that if Lightning Strike had ever been in any of the pictures, they had been removed. Misty sat across from Rainbow Dash in a pink recliner. “Well then, what would you like to talk about?” she asked in a pleasant tone of voice, which completely masked the emotions that Rainbow was sure she was feeling.
“I think Scootaloo still feels a little vulnerable, and I think she feels safer when she’s with me. I was thinking that maybe she should stay with me until she decides that she’s ready to come back here,” Rainbow offered cautiously.
“I see. And you think that’s what’s best for Scootaloo?”
“Well, yeah. It’s what she wants.”
“So you think that giving Scootaloo whatever she wants is what’s best for her?”
“No. But she’s pretty upset, and I can’t say that I blame her.”
For the first time since Rainbow had met her Misty’s calm veneer started to crack. “I don’t need you to tell me I made a mistake. I know I messed up, but that doesn’t give you the right to take my daughter away from me!”
“I’m not trying to take her away; I’m just trying to look out for her.”
Misty shut her eyes tightly and let out a long drawn out breath. “And what do you think will happen if she stays with you? That one day she’ll wake up and say ‘Gee, Rainbow Dash, it’s been fun, but I’d like to go back to my real mom now’?”
Rainbow found her voice rising, “She was being abused and you didn’t stop it! How could you not know!?”
Misty took another deep breath. “Have you ever been in love, Rainbow Dash?”
“You loved that monster?”
Misty shook her head. “No, I didn’t,, but I loved the idea of being in love. I was in love once,” she gestured over to the picture of the red stallion holding Scootaloo above his head, “Clear Skies was the most amazing stallion I’ve ever met. He was so amazing that he was able to convince me that we should name our daughter Scootaloo.” She chuckled softly at her own joke. “He was warm and funny, enthusiastic and caring. I know everypony says this about their special somepony, but I truly believe I married the best stallion in all of Equestria. Scootaloo may look like me, but she gets her personality from him. When he died, I thought that I would never love again, and I was okay with that because I had a taste of the real thing. But, then I met Lightning Strike, and for a moment, just one moment, I thought that maybe I could have that feeling again. And I let that hope blind me to what was really going on. I don’t expect you to understand.”
Rainbow began to feel sorry for the mare sitting across from her. She probably hadn’t had the easiest life either, but that didn’t change the fact that her actions caused Scootaloo a lot of pain. Maybe she didn’t mean for it to happen, but it still happened, and Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure she could forgive that. Not yet, anyways. “You’re right I don’t understand. However, a little filly, your daughter, put her trust in you to protect her, and you let her down.”
Misty nodded. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, either.” She sat silently for a few moments. “I could go to FPS. They would order you to return Scootaloo to my care. I am her mother,” she said quietly. “I suppose you could fight that order. Princess Celestia might get involved again, and maybe your friend Princess Twilight would help you. But I don’t want to do any of that. You’ve been through a lot, more than you should have ever had to go through. Scootaloo’s been through a lot too….” Her voice trailed off again. “I’m not going to call FPS. I would like to talk to Scootaloo, though. If she still wants to live with you after that, then I won’t stop her. Does that sound fair to you?”
Rainbow Dash was surprised by the offer. She had come here expecting a fight, and instead she found a sad pony who seemed willing to face the consequences of her actions. “Sure. Can I bring her by tomorrow? I think she could use another day to calm down.”
Misty nodded. “How is she doing?”
Rainbow smiled. “She’s doing okay. She probably has a long road of recovery ahead of her, but she’ll make it. You’ve raised a good kid.”
“Thank you, though sometimes I wonder if Scootaloo grew up the way she did despite my care, instead of because of it.”
Rainbow shook her head. “I may not have any fillies of my own, but I know something about having a mom, and Scootaloo wouldn’t be nearly as awesome as she is without you.”
“That’s nice of you to say. Here, I want you to give her this.” Misty reached over and picked up the picture of the red stallion holding a young Scootaloo aloft. “She always liked this picture. If she does stay with you, I’d like her to have it, and if she doesn’t want to stay with you, then she can bring it back herself,” she said softly.
Rainbow took the picture, placed it in her saddlebag and nodded. All of the emotion was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. “I... uh, I should get going. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As Rainbow left the house she couldn’t help but feel conflicted. If you had asked her this morning what she thought was best for Scootaloo, she would have said that the little filly should stay with her without hesitating, But now she wasn’t so sure. Rainbow let out another groan. Why can’t anything about this be simple?
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I love it!
Awww so sweet keep up the fabulous work its such a great story I can't wait for more
Very rarely are such cases cut and dry, and no matter how much you may want them to be they really aren't a simple matter for anyone involved... that's what makes them so heart rending.
Awww! I feel sorta sorry for Misty though. I wonder who Scoots will wanna live with? Can't wait for more!
So.. She admits that she was so in love with the idea of being in love that she played ostrich for the Scootabuse? Again, I'd have trouble trusting her with a pet rock. She'd probably drag home.. is there even a word for someone who sexually molests rocks? Lithophilia?
Dat one dislike!
Who in the world could give a dislike to such a story?
Oh, what an interesting development.
I guess it makes sense or scoot's mom not to be a monster. I thought that she seemed too uncaring before, but it is understandable now. She knows she messed up bad.
What a bind, i'm not even sure what to hope for anymore.
Ooohhhhhh who is she gonna pick? Five dollars on dashie
I as just as surprised as rainbow. I honestly thought misty was going to insist she bring rainbow back.
A good chapter, and chapter and I look forward to the next
Well, at least Misty Skies has some redeeming qualities. I think she needs to go to a psychologist herself just to be safe. I wish we could have met Clear Skies, he sounds like a great stallion... of course, his spirit is probably busy bucking Lighting Strike's spirit all over Tartarus right now.
4272183 that's kind of what I was goibg for, I wanted to move away from the Scoots parents are terrible ponies with no redeeming qualities trope that is all too common in scootadopt stories
4272988
I'd say you did an excellent job at that. This story just continuous to impress.
4273248 thank you
4271581 Some of my favorite stories on this website have a few dislikes, I don't worry about it
Wow...thats all I can really say. This is turning into a very interesting little story and your characterisations of Rainbow and scoots is fine. I honestly can't wait to read more and so glad I favourited this. Keep up the good work!
-Frost
4279557 thank you
This story is amazing!!! Favorite Rainbow/Scootaloo fic on the site.
I'm having trouble feeling compassion for Scootaloo's mom, which is not to say I don't understand why she wouldn't be deserving of it.
When adults let their issues get in the way of their ability to raise their children, then they run the risk of becoming a liability to their child's development, especially if they're putting themselves first. While it's understandable that she might be blinded by her own passion and a desire to feel happy again, and that's believable, Scootaloo could have died during her wistful denial and that's going too far. Perhaps this is hitting close to home as I've known people from abusive families, but this story has given me the chills several times so far.
I'm a little over half way through it. Not all of the stylistic choices I would have made, especially in the beginning where there was a lot of telling us how the characters were feeling without showing it... this is a good story. I can't put it down. Good job
Amazing chapter, can't see where will Scootaloo go.
statics.vayagif.com/gifs/2013/02/GIF_153797_rajoy_no_sabe_nada_de_los_sobres.gif
Still, it is quiet funny.
4272285
Why would Clear Skies be in Tartarus? He's probably in Elysium, as that is the Ancient Greek version of Heaven, while Tartarus is the Ancient Greek version of purgatory. Which is actually the case, as there's the Fields of Punishment, which is like the Ancient Greek version of hell, the Elysian Fields, which is like the Ancient Greek version of the Heaven, only slightly worse than the Isles of the Blest, which you can only get to after having been reborn three times and living virtuous lives each time, and that is the Ancient Greek version of Heaven, if Heaven was at least 20% cooler than what it is, and they get to stay in the Isles of the Blest. I'm not sure if souls in the Underworld can travel like what you're saying...
7038164
Actually, the Fields of Asphodel is the Greek version of purgatory, while Tartarus is, much like in the MLP, a prison for monsters - only mortals evil enough to be classified as monsters are sent there. Tartarus is basically hell beyond hell. So yeah, I agree on your main point even more fervently, Clear Skies should not be in Tartarus. Lightning Strike, on the other hoof...
7038164
They could. If there was a reason to, and they could pay the price to do so. So in other words not a lot. Although this being the MLPVerse with not Hades, or the dickery of Zeus to muck things up. I think whoever watches over Elysium would grant a few hours to go from super heaven to super hell to put the fear of Discord into Lightning.
7480096
Oh, he wasn't stating that Skies should be in Tartarus. Mainly that he didn't know if Skies could go to Tartarus to kick Lightning Strike's flank in the most brutal ways possible. Like 'visitation' for criminal in normal prison, but with more 'righteous fury' and 'brutal vengeance'.