Lack of Faith

by Tennis Match Fan

Leap of Faith

A few days later, Rainbow Dash stood in the front lobby of Cloudsdale Plumbing Inc. Her eyebrows were furrowed in seriousness as she approached the receptionist.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked, looking up at Rainbow with nothing short of disdain, as receptionists usually did.

"Uh, hi. I need to see the CEO of this building?" Rainbow pursed her lips. "What's his name?"

"Shortstack Outflow?" The receptionist rolled her eyes. "Must not be very important if you don't even know the CEO's name."

"This is very important!" Rainbow slammed a hoof on the desk with more force than she intended. Both ponies winced. With somewhat more calm, Rainbow continued, "It's about his daughter."

The receptionist coughed. "Oh please, Shortstack doesn't need to be bothered with that runt. If you don't have a real reason to see Shortstack, then get out."

Rainbow's blood was boiling. How dare you insult Scootaloo! You don't even know her! Rainbow swallowed and tried to remain cool. Twilight's always said to keep my temper in check. At that moment, a thought flew into her brain. Rainbow smiled coyly and leaned in.

"'His daughter' is actually the codename for the project we're working on," Rainbow informed the receptionist. "I'm a Wonderbolt, see, and we're working on a partnership... I guess I shouldn't tell you that, since you didn't know the code."

"What? No! Shorty tells me everything!" The receptionist bit her lip. "I'm his... I'm his receptionist!"

Rainbow pounced on the mare's reply. "Awfully cozy, using his nickname like that," she pointed out. "You and Mr. Outflow aren't involved in anything unprofessional, are you?"

The receptionist didn't say anything. Rainbow took her silence as a yes.

"It's no concern of mine." Rainbow Dash yawned lazily. "I just need to see Mr. Outflow about the project. So if you'll just point me in the direction of his office, everything will be grade-A awesome."

The receptionist slumped. "His office is on the third floor. Take the left airlevator, fly down the first hall you see, and his office is on the right."

"Thanks!" Rainbow Dash winked and jetted off to the airlevator.

Pegasi had little need for stairs or regular elevators, considering they could fly. Instead, most Cloudsdale buildings had airlevators, large shafts where ponies could fly up and down from floor to floor. Rainbow made her way to the left one and flew up.

She followed the receptionist's directions and soon arrived at the entrance to Shortstack Outflow's office. His name was embossed on a gold plate, so Rainbow had no room for error. Rainbow took a deep breath to ready herself for the monster she was about to face, then she knocked on the door to the office.

A low rumbling reached her ears. It slowly grew louder as the seconds passed, then the door handle squeaked as the pony on the other side unlocked it.

"What do you want?" Shortstack asked, annoyance etched across his face.

"Wow. You are shorter than I imagined." Rainbow was staring at a dusty red pony barely taller than Scootaloo herself.

Shortstack raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "It's in the name, miss. I don't know what you expected. Let me reiterate my question: What. Do. You. Want?"

"Hi, Mr. Outflow. I'm Rainbow Dash." Rainbow extended her hoof for a shake. Ew, I don't want to touch this creep.
But I'm not gonna get kicked out for being rude. Not yet, anyways.

Shortstack's taupe eyes drifted from her hoof to her face. "Why are you here, Miss Dash? I am a very busy pony. I don't have time for pleasantries."

"Or your daughter, apparently," Rainbow muttered under her breath. She withdrew her unanswered hoofshake and began speaking. "I'm here to talk to you about your daughter."

"Scootaloo? She's fine. If that's all, please leave me alone. You're testing my limits." Shortstack backed away and began to close the door.

"No!" You're not getting away that easy! Rainbow lunged forward and stuck her hoof in the doorway to keep the door from slamming shut. "I want to know why you're such a jerk to Scootaloo!"

"Jerk? Don't go accusing me of things you don't know anything about, Miss Dash. Just because I'm a career-focused pony doesn't mean I'm a jerk-"

"You don't believe in her! You said you wanted to talk to Miss Cheerilee about giving Scootaloo 'false hopes!'" Rainbow countered, glaring up at him. "She told me! She told me everything! You're a terrible father!"

"Scootaloo told you that, did she? I suppose that you know everything about my family, then," Shortstack said coldly. "You don't know my daughter. Get out."

"Yes I do!" Rainbow snapped. "She's like a sister to me! Only you wouldn't know, because you're never around! And her mom is probably worse!"

"Shut up, horse," Shortstack said. "I am this close to calling security."

"Why don't you love her?" Rainbow pressed. "She doesn't deserve parents like you!"

"Would you like me to explain why my daughter is a hopeless case?" Shortstack asked, malice laced in his tone. "If you're that insistent, come on in. I'll tell you, since you want to know so bad." He retreated to his desk. Rainbow followed without hesitation.

"I'll work and talk," Shortstack said. "So don't interrupt." He reached into his desk and pulled out some documents. Shortstack pushed a silver hair out of his eyes. Rainbow watched, waiting for him to start. She seethed with rage, but she kept the magma at her core so that Shortstack would talk.

"My daughter," Shortstack began, "was born premature. By only three weeks, sure, but that was enough to do damage. My wife and I have reviewed the doctors' notes several times. Scootaloo's Pegasus magic was underdeveloped. On top of that, so were her wing muscles. Whether they were correlated or not, we don't know. Doesn't matter, because you know what that means? She's a defect. The kid can't walk on clouds as well as other Pegasi, and she has runty, pathetic little wings. She'll never be able to fly. She won't amount to anything, so there's no point in investing my time in her." Shortstack reached under his desk and pushed something. "Case closed."

Okay, thing about Twilight's advice too stay calm-

"That's... that's stupid!" Rainbow burst out. "Scootaloo isn't worthless! And even if she can't fly, she's still a pony who deserves respect! You're such a dead-beat, you know that?"

"I don't give a flying feather about what you think of me," Shortstack said. He raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused with Rainbow's fury. "Stop reminding me that I produced a failure, okay? Leave my office."

"No! You need to understand-"

"I thought you might resist," Shortstack interrupted. Suddenly, three security ponies burst through the door.

"This one giving you trouble, sir?" The head security pony pointed at Rainbow. Shortstack's slight nod was all he needed to grab Rainbow Dash.

"No! Let me go!" Rainbow struggled to no avail. "I need to tell this loser how much of a jerk he is!"

"Quiet, miss," barked the Pegasus holding Rainbow's left wing.

"Good bye, Miss Dash," Shortstack said calmly, not looking up from the rest of her papers.

"You'll regret this!" Rainbow scowled. Her kicks grew less frequent, and she thought, Shortstack isn't the only pony I need to chew out.

Ten minutes later, Rainbow Dash had returned to Ponyville. Scootaloo was at school, so Dash didn't have to worry about any unwanted intrusions on her second interrogation. She perched herself on Scootaloo's doorstep and knocked deftly.

"Hello?" A mare immediately opened the door. Her pink hair was plaited down the back, and she wore bright green eyeshadow that clashed with her pale yellow coat.

"Are you Scootaloo's mother?" Rainbow Dash asked. It was a rhetorical question, but the mare shrugged.

"I'm Angel Pulse, but please don't call me her mother," Angel said. "More like her caretaker. What the buck do you want?"

"I'm Rainbow Dash. I'm really close to Scootaloo," Rainbow explained, a sharp edge to her voice. "She told me you and your husband Shortstack don't like her."

"Well of course I like her!" Angel replied, smiling a bit too wide for Rainbow's liking. "I think you're confusing Scootaloo with some other filly-"

"You literally just denied that she was your kid," Rainbow deadpanned. "And I just saw your husband Shortstack to ask him the same stuff."

"Of course you did." Angel rolled her eyes. "Say, aren't you a Wonderbolt? I think I saw you at one of their shows."

Rainbow glared at her. "Just tell me why you hate Scootaloo so much. She's done nothing! So what if she has trouble flying? That's no excuse to dissuade her from achieving her dreams."

"Shortstack and I are just trying to keep her grounded." Angel adjusted her braid. "Grounded in reality, that is. You'd understand if you had a disabled kid."

"So that's how you rationalize it?" Rainbow blinked. Okay, don't buck this up. "I hope you know your husband is cheating on you with his secretary."

Angel Pulse glared at Rainbow for a solid three seconds. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Okay maybe that wasn't a smart move. Rainbow swallowed, but held her ground. "I dunno, maybe knowing your husband is leaving you for another mare will make you realize that you need to be nicer to other ponies. Specifically, your daughter."

Another three seconds passed before Angel slammed the door in Rainbow Dash's face.

"You're a horrible mother!" Rainbow called out. When no answer came, she spread her blue wings and took off for Sweet Apple Acres.

---

"You did what?" Applejack's green eyes widened after Rainbow Dash recounted the morning's events. "Rainbow Dash, you cannot do that!"

"Why not?" Rainbow folded her front hooves. "Scoots' parents are jerks! They need somepony to set them straight!"

Applejack set down the basket of apples she had been carrying. "Listen, sugarcube, I know that Scootaloo's parents ain't the best apples in the bushel. But from what I've heard and seen, they don't bother Scootaloo too much. She has Sweetie Belle an' Apple Bloom, plus you and your parents. And everypony else. An' trust me, hon, if Scootaloo is happy, it ain't wise to rock the boat."

"Why not?" Rainbow Dash repeated.

"Are they physically harming her?" Applejack demanded.

"No, I don't think so-"

"Doesn't Scootaloo have supportive friends like you and the CMC?" Applejack raised her Eyebrow™.

"Yeah, but-"

"Then let it go." Applejack placed a reassuring hoof on Rainbow Dash's chest. "If Scootaloo ain't bothered by them, why should you be?"

"Too late now, AJ," Rainbow pointed out. "I'm just trying to look out for her. She's like my sister, you know? I'm more family to her than her scumbag parents."

"I get that, Dashie. I just can't help wondering if this is all gonna go sour..." Applejack bit her lip. "Be careful, alright? Especially since you told Angel Pulse that Shortstack was cheatin' on her. I know you're impulsive, but that was plain uncalled for."

"You know what they say, honesty is the best policy." Rainbow laughed sheepishly.

"If ya say so, Sugarcube." Applejack affectionately punched Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "Come on, can ya help me sort out these apples?"

Comments

[Bronycommander]

I gree, they're jerks for not loving their daughter, treating her like they never had one. I like the way Rainbow Dash countered Scoots "father"

[StarzGecko]

Even though they don't show support or much love but doesn't mean she was treated wrongly. She has been healthy, has a home, goes to school and has great friends.

So trying to take her away from a home that she is safe isn't right Rainbow and can cause really big problems even with Scolotloo since she knows that even when they dont support her she still loves them.

Oh dear... Telling the mother about the husband cheating is going to be really bad for Scoots... She isn't going to be happy with Rainbow Dash but I do think that the parents really need counseling and not the cold shoulder.

[Godslittleprincess]

Oh good gravy, Rainbow, what have you done?

[PonyPuffy 2012]

Wow, it's great that Rainbow cares so much about Scootaloo and her parents are definitely bastards(especially the "father"). But I fear barging into Scoots personal life like this is just gonna blow up in everypony's faces.

[OmniFox]

I wonder does Rainbow Dash's parents know about her friends, her pet TORTOISE, and being the harmony bearer of Loyalty?

Time for a Harmony of Friendship meeting.

[Blast]

8226448

But I fear barging into Scoots personal life like this is just gonna blow up in everypony's faces.

Rainbow Dash being Rainbow Dash.

[khaelin04]

Really glad expanding a nice one-shot. Hope to see more soon.

[Foxhelm]

8226425
She done screwed up Scootaloo's home life, that's what she did.