Family Bonds
A week had passed since the incident involving the Scorpentine and the discovery of Flash and Scootaloo's relation. Scootaloo was still in the hospital, recuperating from the deadly monster sting until the doctors had told her that she was being discharged tomorrow morning. Right now, she was in her room with her best friends, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. They had been keeping her company everyday after school, playing board games or reading comics together.
"King me," Scootaloo said as she moved a small board game piece around.
"We're playing chess," Sweetie told her with a deadpan stare.
"Oh...right." Scootaloo replied before letting out a horrible groan. "I'm so bored!" She cried out as she sat back in her bed.
"Don't worry Scootaloo," Applebloom said as Sweetie put away the game. "Ya'll be out of here tomorrow, then you can go home."
"Yeah...I know." Scootaloo moaned, rubbing her head in frustration. "I'll finally get out of this snorefest..."
"Speaking of homes," Sweetie said as she returned from putting the game away. "You must be so excited! You're moving in with your new big brother!"
At that sound of that word, Scootaloo's stomach seemed to do several back flips. Even now, a week after learning about it, she still had trouble believing it. She and Flash were siblings. She had idolised Flash since the day she had met him, almost as much as Rainbow, and would have given anything for him to treat her like a sister. But now that that fantasy was actually coming true, and all Scootaloo felt now was nothing but a pile of nervous nerves.
Over the last week, Flash, Twilight and the orphanage caretaker Ms. Blossom, had been coming to see and talk to her. Apparently, they had been investigating Scootaloo's past and discovered it had several similarities to Flash's story. Scootaloo had been left at the orphanage's doorstep one night with nothing but a blanket wrapped around her and a little note telling her name and birthday. Same story, different pony.
It was here, after much discussion, it was agreed that Scootaloo should move in with Flash and Twilight at the library. Scootaloo however, wasn't sure how she felt about this. Sure, she had often dreamed about having her own family, but she never actually expected something like this to happen.
"Scootaloo?" The little filly was broken out of her thought storm by Applebloom. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Sweetie added, "you spaced out for a moment. I asked if you were excited."
"Sorry..." Scootaloo replied, shrinking slowly back into the bed. "I am excited...I guess."
Meanwhile...
Across town, Twilight, Rainbow and Ms. Blossom were just exiting the Ponyville Orphanage. They were loading some boxes onto a cart, all of them filled with Scootaloo's possessions.
"Is this the last of it?" Rainbow asked as she put the last box onto the cart.
Ms. Blossom nodded. "Yes, that's everything."
"Great. Let's get going then." Twilight said as she began magically pulling the cart. The duo quickly followed her, all of them conversing over the current situation.
"I still have trouble believing it..." Rainbow commented, her wings slowly flapping in the wind as she hovered by the two. "Flash and Scootaloo...siblings."
"Well, it's true," Twilight replied, nodding. "According to First, he found connections in their DNA based on the blood Flash donated. According to him, he found that multiple helixes were exactly the same in both ponies thanks to his magic scans." Twilight then noticed the two's confused looks, making her dumb down her explanation. "They both have the same blood type, plus all the other similarities between them...including DNA."
Ms. Blossom nodded. "They're both pegasi with orange coats, both abandoned at an orphanage as foals, and now they're both going to be taken in by another family."
"Even though Flash is part of her family," Rainbow pointed at Twilight.
"Either way, I'm just glad that she's finally going to have a true home."
"And we're happy to give it to her," Twilight said as they arrived outside the library and put the cart down. "Let's put the boxes in her room and let her decide where to put everything when she's here."
"Right..." Rainbow added before raising an eyebrow. "Wait a minute-what room?! Doesn't the library only have two bedrooms?"
"It did." Twilight replied with a coy smile. She opened the door and showed them inside, directing them upstairs to the outside of a certain door.
"Isn't that Spike's broom closet?" Rainbow asked, pointing at the slab of wood.
"It was," Twilight said as a certain magic aura moved the doorknob, opening the door. There, Rainbow and Ms. Blossom looked inside, only to see a large space that was the same size as Twilight and Flash's room.
Rainbow looked around in amazement. "How did you-"
"Undetectable Extension Spell," Twilight interrupted with a smug smile.
"Incredible," Ms. Blossom added.
"I know. The only thing it's missing is a window, which we're looking into."
"Cool," Rainbow said as she put down the box she had brought in. "Hey, where's Flash? Shouldn't he be helping with this?"
Twilight let out a small sigh, rolling her eyes as she thought about the stallion. "Training. Ever since finding out who they really are, he and Iron have been working to hone their skills with First and Heather."
Meanwhile...
"Flash Cutter!" Flash yelled as he unleashed the energy blade at Heather, who dodged the shot as it cut down the tree behind her.
"Bloom Lash!" She cried as she pointed her Celestic Gear at him, which extended and fired the flower shaped mace head at the pegasi.
"Whoa!" He yelped before leaping into the air, barely dodging the mace.
Heather retracted the weapon back into the handle, her ears picking up a yell. Turning, she saw Iron, Piecemaker in hoof, rushing at her while letting out a mighty battle cry. She quickly managed to side step him, reunleashing her Celestic Gear. "Bloom Coil!" The chain shot out and wrapped around the earth pony's back legs, tying them up and causing him to fall face first. "First."
"No need to ask," the unicorn said from his spot on a tree. Using his magic, he pointed his crossbow Celestic Gear at Heather. "Viribus Aid!" An arrow made out of red magic appeared on the crossbow, firing the arrow at Heather. The arrow exploded and bathed Heather in red energy.
"Thank you," she said before thrusting the chain back, causing Iron to be sent flying into a tree.
"Ooh, that's gotta hurt." Springer commented from the sidelines. "So...First can increase a pony's physical strength. Nice."
"Looks that way," Flash said as he flew down next to him. "Even so, that doesn't mean I'm gonna give up." With that, he shot forward, ready to strike her with Lightbringer.
"Celeritas Aid!" Another arrow, one made of green energy, flew past Flash and struck Heather. The light around her turned from red to green as she turned to the charging pegasus. Then, in a gust of wind, she was gone and Flash suddenly felt a small breeze behind him.
"Surprise!" Somepony called out, causing Flash to turn around before feeling a hoof-punch in the face. He cried out as he was sent hurtling towards the ground, landing with a mighty thud and kicking up dust.
"Speed too," Springer added as he put a piece of candy in his mouth. "They're good..."
Flash groaned as he tried to pick himself up, while Iron was also trying to correct himself. They both heard giggling, which made them look up to see Heather spinning her Celestic Gear by the chain.
"You give?" She asked with a cocky grin.
Flash and Iron both glanced at each other, feeling the bruises that had just been inflicted on them as they turned back to her. "We give," they said before collapsing on the ground. Heather giggled once again as First leapt down from the tree, all moving over to where Springer was sitting. As they sat down, Springer threw each of them an apple to eat.
"You guys are amazing," the jakhowl told the two Royal Knights as they munched on the piece of fruit.
"Thank you sweetie," Heather said with a bright smile, scratching the jakhowl's ear. "We try our best."
"It took many years of training to get where we are," First explained. "It took us even longer to become as well oiled at knowing what the other is thinking."
"So you two are a Royal Knight team?" Iron asked, gulping down the apple in one go. "How long have you been working together?"
"Since the day we first met."
"Which was?" Flash asked.
First and Heather shared a glance, nodding to each other before turning to the three. First let out a small sigh before speaking up, "Alright...since we will most likely be working together in the future, it is best you know everything about us. My story began many years ago, when I was just a foal. I lived with my father in a small village, where he ran a small medical office. He was one of the best practitioners in Equestria, but I was never really interested in learning about the art of medicine. That all changed however, when my father came down with an unknown illness." The three did not like the way this story was going, but kept listening anyways. "My father tried everything to cure himself, but he couldn't even diagnose what disease he had. Eventually, he became to weak to search for a cure and was bed ridden, suffering for several weeks until finally..."
Even though he didn't finish, everypony knew how the story ended.
"We're sorry," Flash said, the others nodding with his statement.
"It's fine," First assured him, waving his hoof. "It was sixteen years ago, so I've gotten over it. Even so, at the time, it hurt. My father was dying and I didn't have any way to help him. So, I vowed I would learn every thing I could about the pony body and be able to cure any disease."
"So you started travelling all of Equestria," Springer added.
"That's right," First nodded. "I travelled everywhere for three years...that is, till I met Heather."
They all turned to the earth pony, who sighed before sitting up. She then began to speak up, "Well...my story, like First's, begins when I was very young. My family owned a little plot of land that we grew flowers and vegetables on, which we sold in a nearby town to make a living. However, one day they both started feeling ill. There wasn't a doctor in the village, so we couldn't find out what they had. Day after day they got more and more tired, until they were too weak to even get out of bed. I was forced to do everything: cooking, cleaning and going to buy groceries. And as I did this...that's how I met First."
The Past...
The ten year old Heather was walking through a small village, three paper bags jammed with groceries on her back. Due to the size and weight of the bags, she was having trouble keeping them balanced on her back. "Stupid groceries...why did I buy that extra-ah!" a small rock placed itself in front of her hoof, causing her to trip. What followed was three bags spilling, their contents flying everywhere. "Darn it...not again."
Heather slowly picked herself up, grabbing one of the bags in her hoof. "Why me? Why does-huh?"
Her eyes went wide as a blue aura covered the groceries, putting them back into all the bags. She looked up and saw a thirteen year old unicorn stallion before her, the groceries now floating around him. "Here you go," said the stallion in front of her.
"Oh! Um...thank you," she said happily as he put the groceries back on her back.
"You are most welcome." he replied, giving her a small smile. "Please, allow me to introduce myself. My name is First Aid."
"I'm Heather, Heather Bloom."
"Nice to meet you Heather Bloom. I am impressed that a filly like you is here all alone." First said as he looked around. "I would have thought that somepony your age would have somepony helping you with your shopping. Tell me, where are your parents?"
Heather just shined a small frown. "At home. They don't feel well, so I'm doing the shopping."
"That's very sweet of you," First told her, patting her head.
"Thanks." Heather replied, readjusting the bags as she did.
First just blinked as he watched her. The filly was struggling to keep the bags on her back, as they were almost bigger than her combined. He then thought about how she had told him that her parents were sick and shrugged to himself. The next thing Heather knew, two of her bags were being lifted off her back. "Tell you what, how about I help you take these home and then I will take a look at your parents. I am training to become a doctor, so I might be able to help."
Heather smiled at this and nodded. "Okay!" she said as she started skipping down the street, able to keep the bag on her back. "I know mommy and daddy are gonna love you." she cheered before turning around, "Um...can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"What's a doctor?" she asked innocently.
"Wha...you don't know?" First replied, pure shock on his face. Heather shook her head in response, causing him to be even more dumbfounded. "Well...a doctor heals other ponies, makes them feel better."
"Ooohhhh...okay!" she then turned around again, skipping down the street. First just chuckled as he followed her.
They made their way out of town and travelled down a dirt road for about half an hour. It was that they arrived at a little cottage with a large back garden. Heather opened the door to let them in, allowing First to see how homey it looked. He looked around and saw many pictures of Heather with two older ponies, many of which showed the three of them in the garden. As he got further inside, First caught a whiff of an unusual smell but chose to ignore it and just told himself that it must be fertilizer.
First then tapped her shoulder. "Let us put all this away, then we can go take a look at your parents." Heather nodded and they got to work. "How about you tell me what the symptoms of your parents illness while we do this?" When he saw Heather giving him a confused look, he knew he had to rephrase it. "How does the illness make them feel?"
"Oh..." Heather replied, her head drooping. "They both started coughing one day. It was only a little at first, but now they do it more and more and it keeps getting louder and louder. Then they started feeling dizzy and began to get tired and less hungry. Now they can't get out of bed. For the last few days all they do is sleep, they won't even eat anything I give them."
"I see," First commented as they put the last of the groceries away. "Why don't I go take a look myself?"
Heather nodded wildly before rushing up the stairs, First calmly following her. As they ascended the stairs, First once again noticed the unusual smell. That is, till the reached the bedroom door.
"Mommy?" Heather said as she opened the door and peered inside, "Daddy? There's somepony here to see you. His name's First and he's here to make you better." She then stepped inside, First following behind her.
Once inside, First's nostrils were assaulted by the smell, which was now a hundred times stronger. He looked over at the bed and saw two earth ponies, the same ones from the pictures, laying motionless on the beds. He didn't need to take any tests or ask any questions to realise what had happened.
"Mommy?" Heather climbed onto the bed and started poking her mother, "Come on mommy, its time to wake up. You too daddy."
She poked a few more times before First walked up and grabbed her poking hoof. "Stop. That's not going to help."
"Huh? Why not?" Heather asked as she turned her head to First, only to see a grim look on his face. "What's wrong?"
The stallion did a large gulp as he saw her face, worry all over it. This was not going to be easy. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes before saying, "Heather...they are not going to wake up."
"What?" Heather asked as she looked back at them. "Why?"
"Because they...they are dead."
"Dead? What's dead?"
It was then that First realised that the young filly must not understand the concept of death. "It is...well...death is..." First thought for the right way to explain it. That is till he glanced out the window, seeing the garden. "It is like when a flower becomes wilted or a vegetable goes bad. They have gone to sleep and...well, they will not be waking up."
Heather's eyes went wide hearing this, turning back to her parents. "You're lying! Mommy and Daddy will wake up! They have to!" She began shaking her parents once again. "Mommy! Daddy! Wake up!" Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. "Please wake up! WAKE UP!" She burst out crying, hugging her parents motionless bodies as she did.
First sighed at seeing her heart broken sobs, already hating what he had said to her. A few minutes later, he used his magic to lift her away from her parents and brought her to him. Heather clung to him as he turned and walked out the room, carrying the filly down stairs and putting her on the couch. Heather continued to cry for hours on end, with First holding her in comfort. Eventually, the two drifted off into a restless sleep.
The next morning, First woke up as the first few rays of Celestia's sun hit his face. He got up and saw Heather was still holding onto him. Blinking at this, his horn lit up as he slowly peeled her off, putting her back on the couch. Deciding that she was still going to sleep, First made his way upstairs to do some tests on the two parents, wanting to make sure that whatever had killed them wasn't contagious.
Despite his age, First had learned much about medicine from his three years of travelling. Using a few magic scans, he found his results, almost too quickly. "This is...is this poison? No...it is a toxin. One that seems to be infecting the immune system." he said to himself, scratching his chin in thought. "Not only that, they both have it..." He looked at the door, the stairs just out of view. "Does she have it too? And where did they get it?"
He looked back at the dead patients, only to see the window above them. There, he could see the garden and an idea popped into his head. He quickly left the room and rushed downstairs, heading out the back door while trying to make sure not to wake up Heather. A minute later, he approached the garden, pulling out a surgical mask over his snout before heading into the garden.
"If I am right, its probably here." He commented to himself as he starting searching the greenery. He combed the whole garden until finally, tucked away in a corner, he came across a flower he recognised. "Here we go..."
It was a very rare and deadly flower, the Vitiosus Viola. The flower was known to unleash a highly toxic pollen as a defense from being eaten by animals. It reproduced similar to dandelions, by having its seeds be picked up by the wind and blown to another area. There was also one other thing to know about Vitiosus Violas, which was that one in every seven ponies was immune to the pollen. Heather must have been one of them, which was why she was unaffected the plant. Deciding not to risk anypony else being infected, First uprooted the flower and placed it in a nearby bucket. He used a sparking spell he had learned for lighting campfires and burnt the bucket.
"There we go...but I better check if there's anymore of those flowers." As he said this, he searched the garden again, burning three more flowers, all of them hiding in tiny corners. After this, he checked the garden one more time before walking back to the house. There, he saw a certain filly now waking up.
"Heather," he asked as he walked over to her. "Do you have any other family? Somepony to look after you?"
Heather just shook her head. "No, Mommy and Daddy were the only family I had." Her eyes began to once again fill with tears. "What will happen to me now?" That was a good question. First would most likely have to take her to some kind of orphanage or something, but who knows where the closest one was. Heather then asked him a question he was not expecting. "Can I stay with you?"
First had not been expecting that. "I do not know. I travel a lot, so if you come with me you will be camping and having to forage for food."
"That's alright, I like camping and I know lots of different flowers you can eat." Heather rushed over and gave him a pair of puppy dog eyes. "Please, you're my only friend. If you leave, I'll be alone...I don't want to be alone."
First tried to think of a reason not to bring her, but the eyes were too much. Eventually, he sighed and nodded. "Okay."
The Present...
"And we've been together ever since," Heather cheered, a big smile on her face.
First nodded. "Over time, Heather's interest in flowers began to grow. So whenever we arrive at a new location, we would study the medicine and flora of the area. Its become very helpful in my journey of becoming a doctor."
Flash, Iron and Springer just sat there, blinking at the story. That is, till Flash spoke up, "Wow...and I thought our history was tragic. I'm sorry that happened."
"It's fine," Heather waved her hoof. "I've gotten over it."
"So the two of you travel all over Equestria?" Iron asked. "Is that how you met Grand Hoof and became Royal Knights?"
They both nodded before First explained. "He was amazed by our talents in medicine and botany and when he heard about how we had been surviving on our own since foalhood, he invited us up to Canterlot to meet Celestia. When we arrived and told her our story, she asked to become Royal Knights, believing our service could help Equestria."
Heather nodded at this. "We went through several trials to see if we were worthy, and when we passed, we were knighted and presented with our very own Celestic Gears." She pulled out her weapon, which was nothing more than the handle and mace head. "The Flower Chain."
"And this," First said as he showed them his crossbow. "This is Crossbolt."
"Since then, we've been the Floral Knight and the Healing Knight. For the past few years, we've continued our studies while also helping whenever the Princess has need of us."
"If you were knighted just a few years ago, why didn't we know about you?"
"We chose to have a quiet knighting," First told him as he put his weapon away.
"Some knights are usually so famous that when they're knighted, it's a big thing." Heather added as she fiddled with the mace head. "We weren't into being famous, so we asked that Celestia to not make a big fuss. Only she, the other princesses and the Royal Knights know about us. It uh...it helps keep things low key."
"I guess that makes sense," Iron replied, shrugging.
Springer finally decided to speak up. "So how many Royal Knights are there now?"
Flash thought for a moment. "When I first met Grand, the number was supposed to be twelve. So with First and Heather, that would make fourteen."
First waved his hoof at the pegasi. "Actually, there are only seven Royal Knights in Equestria now."
"Seven?!" Flash gasped. "What happened to the other five?"
"They either retired or died," Heather told them, shrugging. "Probably from old age or...well."
"This life we lead is not one without risk," First added, adjusting his glasses.
"We know that," Iron darkly chuckled. "One of the best perks of the job in my opinion."
"But even so," Flash said while looking at the two. "So I know you guys, plus Grand and Iron's mentor Skybreaker make four we've met...huh. Who are the other three?"
"You will likely meet them in time," First assured him. "Well...at least, I am pretty sure you will meet the other two. We have never met the seventh one."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Heather replied, nodding. "Even Grand hasn't met the pony. We've all asked Celestia, but all she ever says is that the seventh member is lost and they'll find their way back one day."
"Sounds...ominous," Springer said, slightly shivering at the moment.
"That is usually the way with Princess Celestia," First replied as he looked at the sky, seeing where the sun was now. "Is that the time? Wow, time sure does fly." He and Heather got up as Flash, Springer and Iron did the same. "Looks like we have to get going. We agreed to meet up with Zecora to learn more about zebra medicine."
"We'll see you guys later," Heather added, winking at the three.
"Sure," Flash replied before watching the two walk off. He turned to two and asked, "Ready for the midday patrol." Two nods followed before they headed off, ready to do their job.
Later that day...
Flash and Springer arrived back at the library, both of them finishing their midday patrol. There, they found Twilight and Spike in Scootaloo's new room. The two of them were working on putting the bed they had got from Quills and Sofas together, while seeming to have trouble with the instructions.
"I'm telling you, it's Pole B three in section eight C," Spike told her as he held the large sheet of paper in his claws.
"It can't be." Twilight replied, growling at the drake.
"It is!"
"Does this look like it fits in here?" Twilight replied as she levitated the two pieces, one a long wooden tube and the other a plank of wood.
"Give it to me and I'll show you," Spike said as he put the instructions down. "I'll just-"
"No way," Twilight interrupted as she levitated the pieces out of his reach. "I'm not buying another bed because you broke something."
"I'm not going to break anything," Spike grumbled as he leapt up and try and grab them.
"You two seem to be having fun," Flash said as he and Springer stepped into the room.
"What was I thinking when I decided to get a flat pack?" Twilight moaned. "Could you please help Spike understand how this works?"
"Sure, let me take a look," Flash said as he picked up the instructions, looking at the section Spike had been reading. He then rolled his eyes. "Spike, that's a D, not a B."
"Oh..." Spike, who had climbed on one of the boxes filling the room, said as he reached for the levitating pieces. That is, till he reached too far, tipping the box over and making its contents fly everywhere.
"SPIKE!" Twilight scolded the dragon as she lowered the bed pieces and began picking up the spilled contents. "What did I just say when we started doing this?!"
"Sorry," Spike winced, backpedalling. "I didn't mean to."
Twilight's eyes twitched, ready to go into rage mode. That is, till she felt a certain nudge from Flash's wing. The following look on Flash's face lowered her temper. A sigh later, she looked back at the drake and spoke, "Its...its fine Spike. Just...just help me pick this stuff up, okay?"
"Okay..."
As they continued to pick up the items, Flash and Springer helping them, Flash noticed something laying on the floor that looked very familiar. It was a red blanket, which Flash picked up and looked over. It was just like the one he had gotten from Clarity, which now lay on his bed, thought this one had the name 'Scootaloo' sowed into it.
"Whoa," he said as he rubbed the fabric. "I guess this is the blanket she was found in."
Twilight slightly nodded. "That would make the most sense. It does look just like yours." Flash smirked as he gently folded the piece of cloth and placed in on top of the box. Twilight was also smiling as she continued building the bed. "So, how are you feeling?"
Flash gave her a confused look. "About what?"
"About Scootaloo being your sister. You uh...haven't actually said how you feel about the news." Twilight remarked as she slowly said her next words. "And I...I know you're worried because you've been trying to distract yourself with...knight stuff."
Spike and Springer stopped what they were doing and looked over at the apprentice knight, obviously wanting to hear what he had to say. Flash's flank hit the floor as he thought over Twilight's words. He looked back at the unicorn, only to see a look that said: 'Just tell me already'. The look made him sigh, a shake of the head following. "To be honest...I don't know. I mean, I always wanted to be part of a family. Even when you guys took me in, I felt like an outsider." Twilight frowned at this. Even after all the years they had been together, he still didn't feel part of the family. That is, till he said his next set of words. "But now, I suddenly have somepony I can actually call my own family. Plus, its not somepony I just met, but one I've known for a while and got close too."
Twilight's frown turned to a smile. Not the biggest smile though, as she felt that he shouldn't have said that he was outsider. In fact, the thought made her not want to respond as Flash continued. "Even so, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I want Scootaloo to be happy...but I don't know the first thing about being a brother. What if I mess up and do something that makes her hate me? What if I'm not capable of looking after her? What if-"
"Flash!" Twilight interrupted as she moved over to him. Her hoof gently placed itself on his shoulder. "First off, you know exactly how to act like a brother. What you call looking out for her, taking her to see the young flyers competition and the Fantasia Festival or even going into the dangerous woods to fight a monster...heck, do I have to say more? You've always treated her like your sister since the day you both met! The only thing that's changed is that you get to live with her and actually get to watch her grow up."
The lecture made the pegasi smile, a small tear almost forming in his eye. As this happened, Spike and Springer walked up to him and sat down at his side. Seeing this, Twilight sat down on Flash's other side, her hoof now around his shoulder as she continued. "Besides, its not like you'll be alone in this. We'll be there to help every step of the way. Trust me." Spike and Springer nodded at this.
Flash nodded as well, his smile increasing ten fold. Before they knew it, the four were hugging. Silence covered the room for those few seconds. Then, Twilight released herself from the hug, standing up and returning to the bed pieces. "Tell you what, we'll finish this up while you go see your sister. You haven't really spent any one on one time with her since finding out."
Flash nodded, getting up and moving over to the door. "I'll see you later. Help her out Springer, okay?"
"Sure, no problem."
Flash left the room and headed downstairs, his hooves going at a very slow pace . That is, till he heard a certain annoyed voice. "I said C twelve, not D twelve!" Flash chuckled at this, heading out with a smile on his face.
Scootaloo was sitting alone in her hospital room, Sweetie and Applebloom having left to go home before curfew. As she laid on her back, a multitude of thoughts flew through her head. "Why aren't I happy?" she asked herself. "I should be, there's no reason I shouldn't. But every time I think about living with Flash, my stomach feels like its on a roller-coaster. Why? I don't get it."
Before another thought happened, there was a knock at the door. A second later, the door opened and First Aid and Heather stepped inside the room. "Hey there," Heather said as they moved over to her. "How you doing?"
"I'm okay I guess," Scootaloo replied, her eyes looking away form the two.
"Good," First said as he levitated her chart over to him. Ever since revealing he was a Royal Knight with an incredible amount of medical knowledge, First had been asked to check up on her every now and then. His knowledge of Scorpentines meant he was the best pony to have should there be any other problems. "So how do you feel?"
"Fine," Scootaloo said flatly.
"Just fine?" First asked.
"Yeah...just fine."
Heather sat down next to her, giving a stare that kinda creeped Scootaloo out a bit. "You don't look fine. You look like you've got something on your mind." Scootaloo looked away from her, causing Heather to smile as she knew she had hit the mark. "Come on, tell us what's on your mind."
Scootaloo looked back at her, seeing her glare turning into a smile that screamed 'you can trust me'. Slowly, she sat back around and looked at the two of them, taking a deep breath before speaking. "I'm worried about living with Flash."
The two older ponies gave her a confused look, "What do you mean, worried?" First asked.
"I don't know," Scootaloo replied while unknowingly wrapping herself in her duvet. "I know I should be happy that I finally have a brother or any family member, and I am, but every time I think about living with him I...I get this unexplainable fear in my stomach."
"I see," Heather said as she turned to First with an all-knowing smile. "I think I know what your problem is."
"You do?" Scootaloo asked, a bit of hope in her eyes.
"Yes," Heather nodded as she got off her chair and sat on the bed. "Let me tell you a story. When I was very young, my parents died. I didn't have any other family and I didn't know what I was gonna do. I only had one friend, First Aid. So, I begged him to take me with him. He agreed and we went on our journey, but after a few months of travelling I began to feel a strange feeling whenever we were moving."
"You did?" Scootaloo said.
"I did. And I think you're feeling those same feelings. You know what I realised those feelings were?"
"What?"
Heather chuckled as she put her hoof on Scootaloo's chin. "I was scared I was being a burden to First." This statement alone made Scootaloo's eyes go wide. She wanted to respond, but Heather continued, "When I saw how dedicated to his studies he was, I began to worry that having me around was distracting him from what he loves. And...I think you're feeling those same worries about Flash and his life."
Scootaloo let what Heather told her wash over her and thought about it. Was she worried that having to look after her was going to ruin Flash's life? He was working to become a Royal Knight. Could he do that while having to look after her?
First now stepped up to her bed, giving her a happy smile as he knew Scootaloo needed an answer. "What Heather did not know back then, was that she was not a burden. Before meeting her, I did not realise how lonely my life had become. But meeting her and allowing her to become my travel companion, it put new meaning into my life. I no longer spent my nights sitting in solitary silence and staring into the campfire. Instead, my nights were filled with laughter and singing campfire songs." He turned to Heather and gave a joyous smile. "If she had not been with me, I may have become some antisocial introvert and may not have been worthy of becoming a Royal Knight."
Heather smiled back at him before turning back to Scootaloo and placing her hoof on the filly's shoulder. "Scootaloo, we don't have a family, and everyday we wish we did. You can probably relate. But now...now you've been given a gift. You've found your family and have the chance at a new and better life, with your brother. Don't you want that?"
Scootaloo thought for a moment, only to let out a small sigh. She then began to stutter out, "Of course I do, but...but I don't want Flash to feel like he has to take me in because he's my brother. I-"
"I'm sure he doesn't." Heather interrupted her, patting her shoulder.
"How can I know for sure though?" Scootaloo asked, tears almost appearing in her eyes.
"You could try asking him."
They all jumped at the new voice, causing them to turn and see Flash standing at the door.
"How long have you been there?" Scootaloo asked him in worry.
"Long enough," Flash replied as he glanced at First and Heather. "Can you guys give us a minute?"
The two Royal Knights nodded and made their way out the room, leaving Flash and Scootaloo alone once the door was closed. The tension in the room was so thick, it could be cut, sliced, and diced with a spoon. That is, till Flash made his way over to her bed and sat on the chair Heather had been sitting in. A long sigh followed as he asked, "You're really worried I don't want you living with me? Is that true?"
Scootaloo didn't reply. Instead, she simply looked down at her bed sheet.
Seeing this, Flash sighed again before patting her shoulder. "Scootaloo, don't do this. Please...talk to me."
Scootaloo continued to stare at the sheets, depression filling her being. Seconds passed until she slowly muttered, "Do you..do you want me living with you?"
"Oh course I do," Flash replied, nodding.
"Because you think it's your responsibility?" Scootaloo asked, her head turning to him, a deep frown on his face.
The look made Flash almost shiver. He knew he had to chose his next words carefully. Closing his eyes, a release of air came out of his mouth and nostrils before he looked back at her, "Yes."
Scootaloo's eyes began to tear up, the feelings she had felt before increasing tenfold. Seeing this, Flash quickly continued, "But it's more than that. Did you know that Ms. Blossom once told me she would have considered me adopting you?"
The tears stopped at this. Scootaloo just stared at him in wonder, obviously wanting to hear the rest.
And with that look, Flash continued. "She said the only thing stopping her from actually suggesting it was that I was so young. Considering I'm only nine years older than you, I can agree." Flash looked down for a bit, his hoof scratching the side of her head. "But ever since then, whenever I saw you...I uh...I thought about what she said and pictured you living we me. I know its silly but..." Flash shook his head before letting out one little chuckle. "Every time I did, I got a happy feeling in my chest."
Scootaloo's eyes went wide hearing this. He wanted her.
"And now...now that I know you're my sister, that feeling is stronger than ever before." Flash looked back up and gave her a happy smile. "Yes, I feel responsible for you...but don't think for a minute that I don't want you in my life because of it. I want you in my life because of who you are, not what you are."
Scootaloo's tears increased, but they weren't tears of fear and sadness. They were tears of joy. She jumped out of bed and threw her hooves around Flash, pulling him into a hug as she cried into his coat. Flash didn't even hesitate to hold her, flexing his wings around her as he placed her back on the bed, both of them laying on it as the tears continued. They laid there for several minutes, until Scootaloo finally stopped crying and pulled away from him.
There was one more question on her mind. "Flash?"
"Yeah?"
"Why...why do you think they left us?"
Flash knew who she was talking about. The very thought about it made a mix of emotions swirl in his stomach. "I don't know. I've asked myself that question many times, but I could never come up with an answer. I uh...I just figured that...it didn't really matter in the end."
Scootaloo frowned after hearing that, turning to stare at her wings as she responded. "I always thought...maybe they knew from the start that I couldn't...you know. I thought they didn't want me because of that." She turned to look at him. "But they left you as well and you're perfectly normal! So...so why did they leave us?! Why?!"
Flash just sighed as he held her closer. "I don't know. I wish I could answer that for you...but I can't. I don't have the answer." He looked back down and tightened the hug. "But it doesn't matter anymore. I'm here now and I promise...I promise I won't ever abandon you."
All that was left was a smile on Scootaloo's face. That was all she needed as she embraced the hug. Silence followed, but that was all that they needed.
Meanwhile...
In a forest area, a pair cloaked ponies lay side by side. One was a unicorn with a silver coat and purple mane, while the other was a pegasus with an orange coat and blue mane. The two were staring at a dish, which showed Flash and Scootaloo in the hospital.
"Now they know," the pegasus said, shaking his head at the sight.
"I told you," the mare added as she wiped a single tear from her eye. "I told you that they would find out eventually."
"Yeah..." The pegasus let out a long, pained sigh. "They must hate us."
"I know," the mare agreed as she nuzzled the stallion. "But we both agreed that this was for the best. Their destinies are more important than our happiness." She looked back at the dish, more tears filling her eyes. "I just pray they'll forgive us."
The Next Morning...
Outside the Ponyville Hospital, Flash, Twilight and Scootaloo had just exited and were making their way to the library. Scootaloo was especially glad to leave the medical facility, as she sure that boredom was about to kill her after waiting a week in that white, bland room. Now, she was walking down the dusty roads of Ponyville, nudging her 'new' older brother as she spoke up, "You know, you didn't have to come and pick me up."
Flash just shrugged. "Somepony had to fill out the paperwork."
This remark resulted in a smack from Twilight's tail. "That explains why I'm here," she joked. "Not so much you meathead."
"Ha ha," Flash said sarcastically while Scootaloo giggled.
Twilight just rolled her eyes before looking down at the little filly. "Anyways...Flash told me about how you're scared of being a burden."
"Oh?" Scootaloo replied as she quickly started staring at the ground, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Twilight let out a little sigh before shaking her head. A small smile appeared on her face as she then patted Scootaloo's head. "Don't worry about it." she said, causing Scootaloo to look slightly up, a tiny smile trying to appear. Seeing this, Twilight winked as she continued. "As far as I'm concerned, you're as much a part of my family as Flash is. In fact, I told my parents about you, and they asked us all to come to Canterlot for a dinner party so they can get to know you better."
"Really?!" Scootaloo asked in amazement. She remembered meeting Twilight's parents during the Fantasia Festival and knew they were very nice ponies, so hearing how happy they were to accept her as part of the family made her feelings of doubt lessen even more.
However, she couldn't think about it too long, as they had just arrived outside her new home, the Golden Oaks Library. Flash and Twilight ushered her in front of them, making the filly open the door. As she did, Scootaloo soon noticed that the whole place inside was bathed in darkness. Stepping inside, her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness, until-
"SURPRISE!"
"Surprise!" Pinkie's voice called out, "Darn it! Twice in a row!"
Scootaloo blinked as a burst of light lit up the library. The filly rubbed her eyes with her hooves, blinking more as she tried to focus her eyes. And as she did, her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. It was her friends from school, ponies from the orphanage and some very familiar older ponies. Looking around at the sight, she then saw that the room was filled with balloons, streamers and a big banner that had 'Welcome Home Scootaloo' written in funny letters.
"WOW!" She cried as she turned to all her friends. "Thanks guys! But...why is-"
"We had to celebrate silly!" Pinkie interrupted as she placed a party hat on the filly's head. "This is your, 'congrats on getting out of the hospital and discovering your long lost brother party'!"
"Awesome..." Scootaloo gasped, her body shivering at the sight. "So...awesome."
As she did this, Sweetie Belle hopped behind the filly and began pushing her towards an area of the room. "Come on Scoots. Pin the tail on the pony's over here."
"You can go first if you want," Applebloom added, putting her hoof around the pegasi's shoulder.
"Awesome..." Scootaloo repeated as they all rushed over to it.
Twilight chuckled at young ponies antics. "Having her around is sure gonna liven things up, isn't it?" she asked Flash as she stepped inside.
"It sure is," the pegasus nodded as he closed the door behind them. As he did this though, he saw something that made his raise an eyebrow. It was Heather and First walking down a nearby street, their saddlebags strapped to their backs. After quickly glancing inside to see if anypony was looking, he stepped outside for a second.
"Hey!" He called out, getting their attention as he trotted up to them. "Are you leaving?"
"Afraid so," Heather replied with a small smile.
"We have learned all we can here," First told him, nodding. "It is time to go find our next adventure and see what we can learn there."
Flash frowned at this. "So you guys were just going to go without saying goodbye?"
The two Royal Knights gave him a sad look. "We are not big on goodbyes. In fact, we are more on...until we meet again."
"Will we meet again?" Flash asked them, raising an eyebrow again.
"Oh course," Heather nodded, winking. "We're all Royal Knights, meaning when Equestria needs us, we'll be there."
"Until then," First said as he and Heather turned back to the train station. "We gotta keep going. Simple as that."
Flash sighed, but nodded anyway. "See you...and thank you, for everything."
They both nodded and walked off. As they did, Flash shook his head, a small smile on his face as he returned to the library.
Later That Night...
The party was over. Scootaloo had especially partied herself, and was now making her way to her new bedroom. Everypony had returned home as well, exhausted but happy just like the orange filly. At the same time, Flash was in his room with Springer, sitting at his desk with a quill and some parchment.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I've always felt like an outsider, watching as the ponies around me took something so special as having a family for granted. I always thought I would be like that, an outsider. But now, I can say I finally understand what it means to have a real family. I know I'll always love Twilight's family, how they raised me as a colt, and be glad for what they've done for me. But now I have something different, a true family member, blood and everything. And I'll gladly admit that I'm scared that I might make a mistake with this new endeavour, but I guess I'll just have to keep to my Element and try and ignore those fears. Because of this, I'm writing this letter to you. To thank you for sending me to Ponyville, and letting me stay. Because of that, I got to find my sister and be a part of her life. Thank you.
Yours truly, Flash Sentry.
Flash finished the scroll and rolled it up, deciding to send it to her tomorrow. Getting up from his desk, he decided to go see how Scootaloo was settling in and headed to her room. Once outside, he knocked on the door.
"Come in."
He opened the door and saw Scootaloo laying on her new bed, her bed sheets untucked.
"Hey," he said as he stepped over to her, trying to make sure he didn't knock over any boxes. "How you settling in?"
"Okay I guess..." Scootaloo replied, letting out a small sigh as she felt the last piece of energy leave her body.
Flash smiled as he began tucking her in properly. "Don't worry, you'll be more comfortable once we get this place just the way you want it." He finished the tucking and put her blanket over the bed's quilt, her body snuggly under it. Seeing this, Flash turned around and headed out the door, only to hear his new sister call out:
"Night bro."
Flash stopped, his heart beating as that was the first time he had heard her say that. He stood still for a few moments, slowly turning around to smile back at her. "Night sis."
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Don't worry, we'll still respect you afterwards... maybe?
That Author's Note
Oooh, this gunna be good. I'm curious, I'm genuinely curious, as to how the hell you're gonna pull this one off.
Honestly, I was half expecting Scootaloo to spend the night with Flash, like how young children would sleep with their parents because of a nightmare and such
*Rereads Hearth's story*...
What the ... I don't... I... I... I... I... I... I... I... I... I...
This is a good chapter, but my only nitpick with it is Flash's letter. It's a good letter, talking about family and stuff, but when flash mention about ignoring his fears, that made me raise my eyebrow. You can't just ignore your fears and pretend they're not there. It's OK to be afraid, because it shows that you're alive, but you can't let your fears control you and rule your life. There are time where you have to face your fears head on and conquer them, so you'll become stronger. I'm working on my own story that involves that. It called "The Boogeyman", a family friendly horror story about the legendary monster that was forgotten for centuries. Friendships will be tested, trust will be questioned, and fear is rising.
Cute chapter. So Hearts and Hooves Day is next? This is gonna be hilarious! Have at it, we’ll still respect you.
I'm guessing that chapter you told us about with Flash getting a haircut wasn't this one or even the next one. Is it even for this story? I've got to get over Flash having a new haircut.
Also, how long have Heather's parents been, you know, dead without her knowing?
Is the Hearts and Hooves Day chapter based on the episode from the show? Even if it isn't, I'm expecting a TON of ship.
8658641
You know I'm about three chapters ahead of you guys. They have to be edited before they're sent out.
How long's it take for dead things to...smell?
8658675
A few days.
8658683 Then a few days...maybe longer.
8658688
Oh, sweet Celestia.
14-7=7 not 5 so Flash should say what happened to the other seven not the other five. And the line about how many they know of indicates that there are indeed seven since 14-5= 9. I mention this because this error really stood out to me in this chapter.
10188006 He's counting First and Heather in that number.
not crying... definitely not crying
In The Flash Sentry Chronicles no matter where you'll find hope
I can imagine tears in his eyes.