Is This What It's Like...?
Scootaloo left her room on a chilly morning, her scooter at her hooves as she made her way downstairs. She looked around the house, trying to spot her aunts, but there was nopony in sight. She headed to the kitchen, where a bowl of oats waited for her. She sighed to herself, eating her breakfast and continuing to the door. “I’m going to school!” she called. She heard a muffled response from deeper within, prompting a sigh, an eyeroll, and a swift exit from the abode.
On her way to school, the winged Crusader looked up at the sky. She remembered how desperately she once wanted to be able to go there on a whim. She had told herself that if she ever got to fly for real, she would never come down, spending as much time as possible among the clouds. She laughed to herself. Now she could be up there as much as she wanted. Not only was she able to fly, but she could out-fly nearly any Pegasus her age, save for more practiced stunt flyers like Rumble. The call of the sky wasn’t as strong now, but she still relished it. Recently, though, something else had begun to occupy her mind.
“Hey, Scoot!” Apple Bloom greeted, trotting up to match her pace. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?”
Scootaloo shook her head, freeing her from the enthrallment of her thoughts. “Huh? Oh, hey Apple Bloom.” She cast her eyes forward towards the school house. “Nothing, really. Just remembering everything that’s happened this year.”
“Yeah, I bet it’s been a doozy for ya.” the Earth Pony affirmed. “Learnin’ to fly, an’ doin’ it so dang fast! Why, before Bolt talked about teachin’ ya, I was about ready to say you might never get off the ground!”
“Yeah, he surprised both of us with that one.” Scootaloo stated.
“You mean all three of us!” a slightly squeakier voice corrected. Sweetie Belle trotted into place on the other side of her scootering friend. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both nodded, waving a hoof in greeting. “What are we talking about, anyway?”
Apple Bloom tripped, both on her fellow Crusader’s words and on a larger-than-average rock in the road. “We were talkin’ about Scootaloo learnin’ to fly. Sayin’ how Bolt went ‘n surprised us when ‘e said he could teach her how to get up there.”
Sweetie Belle’s face lit with recollection. “Oooooh, yeah. That was really sweet of him, though.” She scratched her chin with her hoof “I wonder why he did it…?”
“He told me that I reminded him of himself when he was younger.” Scootaloo clarified. “He even used the same techniques he learned how to fly from to teach me!”
“Well, intentions aside, it was still pretty great!” Apple Bloom commented as they approached the school house. “Meet up after school?”
“Of course!” Sweetie Belle affirmed.
Scootaloo looked back towards Ponyville, that same thought burning in the back of her head. “Maybe… I’ll let you know when school is out.”
The day was almost over. The fillies and colts in the room chatting amongst themselves while a cerise-coated Earth Pony mare sat down behind the desk at the head of the school house. She had a fluffy pink mane and tail with a lighter stripe going down the middle, bright green eyes, and a Cutie Mark of three flowers with smiling faces. “All right, everyone, calm down! I know you’re excited for the weekend to start, but I have one announcement to make before I let you go!” The foals ceased their chatter, turning to face their instructor. “Thank you. Now, I want you all to know that we’re going to be holding an open house on Monday!” One of the colts, a chubby blue-coated and buck-toothed Unicorn with a messy orange mane, raised his hoof. “Yes, Snips?”
The colt lowered his hoof, tilting his head. “Uh… Miss Cheerilee… What’s an open house?”
Cheerilee beamed, pointing an approving hoof at Snips. “That’s a very good question, Snips! An open house is an event where we invite our families in to see how the school operates and show them just what you’ve all learned!”
“So, it’s like when we had a family member come in to talk about their lives, but instead they’ll be lookin’ at what we do?” Apple Bloom inquired.
“That’s right! You’re allowed to invite up to three family members to the open house, so make sure you pick the ones who you know can make it, so they can appreciate everything you’ve learned!” the teacher declared, turning to the door and raising her hoof grandly. “And with that, I will see you all on Monday!” The foals all cheered, running for the door.
“Well, I know who I’m bringin’ in!” Apple Bloom announced, trotting onto the road and turning to face her friends.
Scootaloo put her hoof to her face in feigned ignorance. “Let me guess… Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith?”
“Is it that obvious?” the yellow filly wondered.
“Pretty obvious.” the orange filly affirmed.
“Well, I’m going to bring Rarity and my parents!” Sweetie Belle stated. “I’m sure they’d love to see what we’ve been doing in school!”
“Parents, huh…?” Scootaloo mused aloud, looking over to Ponyville.
“So, Scootaloo, you gonna invite Rainbow Dash?” Apple Bloom asked, leaning closer to her.
Again, the filly flyer was pulled from her mind, looking at her best friends. “Huh? Oh, yeah! Of course I’m gonna invite Rainbow Dash! She’s practically my big sister, after all!” She rubbed the back of her head, letting her eyes drift back to the subject of her pondering. “Hey, I’m gonna head into town. You two have a good day, all right?”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged confused glances, finally coming to a nod. “Okay. We’ll see you later, then!” Sweetie Belle said, waving as Scootaloo scooted away. She looked to Apple Bloom once more. “Does she seem… distracted to you?”
Boltsinger walked through the castle foyer with a wagon of books strapped to his barrel. Twilight had been looking forward to this day for a while now, and he had to admit the excitement was infectious. He looked back at the books with a giant smile plastered on his muzzle, trotting happily towards the library he loved.
Until a knock came at the door. Boltsinger stopped his trot, wondering who it could be. He un-strapped himself, making for the door and opening it to reveal Scootaloo looking up at him. “Oh! Hey, Scootaloo! This is a pleasant surprise.”
“Hey Bolt.” she responded, removing her helmet. “Can I come in?”
“Of course!” he told her. He waved the filly inside, taking her scooter to rest by a bench. “What brings you over?”
“Oh, not much. I just wanted to spend some time with you.” she told him, walking up to the wagon. “What are you up to?”
The stallion smiled wide, getting the wagon ready to move again. “I’m helping Twilight reorganize the library!”
“Again?” the young pony queried, cocking an eyebrow. “Doesn’t she reorganize that library, like, every other week? Why does it suddenly make you smile so much?”
“Because this time, we’re making room for a bunch of new books that just came in!” he explained, flaring his wings excitedly. “And as excited as I am to start reading, we’ve got to make sure everything has a place. So, we decided to organize the whole library from A to Z!”
Scootaloo eyed the books the stallion was pulling along. They looked like they were brand new, never been cracked to the point where they nearly shined with how pristine they were. “So… You need any help?”
Boltsinger’s eyes shot in her direction. “Really? You want to help us sort books? That doesn’t exactly seem all that exciting… Well, it’s exciting for Twilight and I ‘cause we’re a couple of eggheads, but… Doesn’t seem active enough for somepony like you.”
“It would give me a chance to practice my flying!” the smaller Pegasus reasoned.
Boltsinger chuckled. “That’s true, but you don't need a special reason. You’re welcome to help out if you want. I just don’t want you to be bored out of your mind.” He stopped for a moment as they reached the hall, giving Scootaloo a smirk. “Race you to the library?”
Scootaloo smirked back, dragging her hoof on the floor. “You’re on!”
The two ponies broke into a gallop, winding through the halls as the books in the wagon jostled about. Boltsinger would look back every now and then, making sure he hadn’t lost part of his haul, only to see Scootaloo ahead of him when he finally looked forward again. The process continued for a while until the two of them skidded to a simultaneous stop in front of the open door to the library. “I’m back!” Boltsinger announced with a pant.
“Welcome back, Bolt.” Twilight greeted, floating another book to its place. “Is that the last load?”
“At least for today.” he replied, going to the back of the wagon and proceeding to unload it. “We also got ourselves a surprise volunteer!”
“Oh?” The Princess looked away from the three books she had floating in front of her, spotting the orange filly. “Ah! Hi, Scootaloo. Are you here with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle today?”
Scootaloo shook her head, fluttering over to one of the many piles of books that still littered the room. “No, it’s just me today. I felt like I…” she looked back at Boltsinger, then returned her attention to the spines before her. “... needed to be here today.”
A smidge of confusion crossed the Alicorn’s expression as she returned to her work. “Oh, well we’re happy to have you. Although I’m not sure why you’d want to sort books all day.”
“Well, actually, I did have another reason for coming over.” she admitted, coming to a landing. “You see, there’s this open house thing going on at school on Monday, and…”
“An open house?!” Twilight repeated, dropping her books and rushing up to the filly. “As in an event where students’ families get to come in and see just how everything works and what they’ve all learned?”
Scootaloo scratched her mane. “Um… Yeah, that.”
“You’re going to invite Rainbow Dash, aren’t you?” the lilac pony wondered. “But will Rainbow Dash really appreciate all of that classroom stuff? Every time I’ve seen her in a classroom setting, she’s fallen asleep almost instantly.”
Scootaloo nodded.“Yeah, I’m going to invite Rainbow Dash, but… We were told we could invite at least three family members.”
“How about Rainbow's parents?” the Princess suggested. “I’m sure they’d be happy to come and support you!”
Boltsinger raised an eyebrow, walking over to the other ponies and putting his hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “Honey, if she was going to talk to Bow and Windy about it, I doubt she would sound so uncertain.” he advised, turning his attention to the filly.
Twilight looked at her husband, then back at their guest. “Oh. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. You’re not wrong. I’m sure they would love to come down, too, but they live all the way in Cloudsdale. That’s a long way off.” she stated. “I still haven’t figured out who else to invite.”
“Are your parents gonna be in town?” Boltsinger asked.
Scootaloo huffed, averting her eyes. “That’s like asking if Cutie Marks grow on trees!”
Boltsinger felt a stern bitterness in the filly’s words, sending him reeling a ways. “Ooh… That bad?”
“I’d be lucky if they showed up for anything lately…” she confirmed. She walked over to a stack of books, putting her hoof to the spines. “Can we just… sort books now?”
The two older ponies looked at one another with a soft smile, then walked to either side of their junior, each placing a wing on her back. “Of course.” Twilight answered, lighting her horn and lifting more books. “Okay, so…”
The sorting process began in earnest, Twilight pointing to a book and having one of the Pegasi flying over to retrieve it. She would then read off the title, listing what the topic of the book was, or its genre, and then another Pegasus would take it and put it on a shelf. They kept up this routine for several hours, with Scootaloo often making a game of her task. Sometimes she would see how fast she could do it, while other times, she would challenge herself to fly a specific way while finding a book’s place. When ideas didn’t come to her, Boltsinger would chime in with a suggestion, always managing to spice things up.
Eventually, the time came for the evening meal. The ponies walked down the hall, Twilight giving her legs and wings a good stretch. “Wow. I haven’t sat in one place for so long since my last--”
“Book-sort-cation?” Boltsinger finished, leaning towards her with a smirk.
The Princess of Friendship gave off a guffaw. “How’d you know?”
“Because that’s the only time you stay in one place for that long.” he explained. “Even when you’re researching, you’re still all over the place!”
“I am?” she queried, thinking back on it. “How so?”
As Twilight and Boltsinger went into an involved conversation on the various differences in her behavior between sorting books, researching, and simply reading a novel, Scootaloo looked back at them. She could hardly understand all of the nuances they went on about, but she couldn’t help but smile and laugh. It felt right. Like something she had been missing for a long time. Similar to how she felt with Rainbow Dash, but… different at the same time. At long last, they found their way to the dining room. When everyone was seated, Scootaloo cleared her throat. “So, uh… Today was really fun!”
Boltsinger smiled back at the young Crusader. “Oh? I’m glad we could make library sorting interesting for you!”
“Do you think, maybe, I can come back and help you tomorrow, too?” she requested.
Twilight took a look at the filly, taking special note that her eyes were mostly fixated on the stallion next to her. “I don’t see why not. You know you're welcome anytime, Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo squeed, pumping her foreleg. “Yes! Thank you, Twilight!”
“It’s no problem.” the Princess replied. “So, you have any homework?” Scootaloo’s eyes widened momentarily and darted back and forth. She attempted to stall for a moment, but quickly relented, speeding off to her saddlebag. As the young pony left the room, Twilight and her husband turned to each other. “You’re planning on going to that open house, aren’t you?”
“Not even Celestia could tear me away.” he confirmed.
Scootaloo had never imagined she would enjoy a weekend of books as much as she did, but it happened. It had less to do with the books, and much more to do with the ponies she had spent it with. She had returned to the castle for both of the days that encompassed the weekend, sorting books for the most part. Every now and then, Twilight and Boltsinger would agree to break up the monotony of sorting with an activity of Scootaloo’s choice. Alas, as with all good things, the weekend came to an end. Monday morning had arrived, and Scootaloo left her house once again. She started her scooting, knowing that Rainbow Dash was to meet her on the way. She dearly loved her honorary big sister, but she still felt like there was something missing. She wanted more ponies to come along with her today.
“Oh well.” she told herself. “It’s not like having Rainbow Dash around is ever a bad thing, right?”
“You got that right, squirt!” Rainbow answered from above. She came to a landing next to the orange filly, trotting in time with her wingbeats. “You ready for the open house?”
Scootaloo smiled at her idol. “You know it!” She lowered her head, readying her wings for a higher speed. “Race you there?”
Rainbow met Scootaloo’s stance with one of her own. “Of course! But don’t feel bad when I leave ya in the dust!” With that, the two of them zoomed off, leaving a trail of dust in the turbulence behind them.
The speedy ponies blew through the streets, bypassing several groups of students and their families. Sweetie Belle, Rarity, and their parents found themselves with wind-blown manes, causing the fashionista to let out a frustrated groan. Soon after, they found Diamond Tiara with her parents, Filthy and Spoiled Rich, crossing the road. Rainbow and Scootaloo smirked at one another, jumping high into the air and flapping their wings to soar over the now-surprised family. They landed with a laugh, keeping their pace and finally rounding the corner to the school house, where the sight before them sent Scootaloo skidding to a stop so hard that her scooter flipped over. She tumbled over in the dirt, landing with a thud at the hooves of three older ponies.
“So, let me get this straight… You two are here… for Scootaloo?” Cheerilee asked.
“That we are.” the orange stallion affirmed, nodding matter-of-factly.
Cheerilee nodded in kind, scratching her mane. “I see… I was under the belief that her… parents… would be coming.”
“Unfortunately, no.” he retorted with a tinge of resentment. “But, we’re here for her. Is that okay?”
“Of course!” the teacher stated, stepping aside to let the ponies in. “You’ll be in the back of the room with, I’m guessing, Rainbow Dash. You’re certainly not who I expected to show up, but thank you for being here for Scootaloo!”
Scootaloo, shaking herself to make sure she just saw what she thought she saw, slowly stood up. “Was that…?”
“I was wondering if they were here already.” Rainbow remarked, walking past her honorary sister. She waved a wing at the instructor as she passed. “Hey, Cheerilee.”
Cheerilee bowed her head. “Glad to see you, Rainbow Dash.” she turned to Scootaloo, who was removing her helmet. “Ah! Good morning, Scootaloo! Did you know that Princess Twilight and her husband were coming today?”
Scootaloo shook her head, still mildly baffled that they showed up. “No, ma’am. I told them it was happening, but I didn’t think they would actually be here.”
Cheerilee smiled warmly at her young student, ushering her inside. “Well, you don’t want to keep your family waiting, now do you?”
The filly flyer’s focus faltered for a moment. “My… family?” she mused out loud. In a flash, she shook her head clear of distractions, meeting her teacher’s smile with one of her own. “No, ma’am!” she made a brief hover, shooting into the classroom and taking a seat at her desk.
Scootaloo looked around the room as it steadily filled with ponies. Apple Bloom gleefully trotted in with Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith following her, heading to a corner of the room. Diamond Tiara sauntered in soon after, flashing a smile at her friends and taking a seat, while her immensely proud father smiled, taking a seat near the front while his aptly-named wife sat next to him in a huff. The room filled out, pony after pony arriving with families in tow, until finally Sweetie Belle arrived with Rarity and their parents. Rarity looked completely different from when she had last seen her. She now sported a fancy dress with a modest up-do in her mane. Scootaloo giggled to herself, thinking on how much that little bit of wind must have set the fashionista’s family back on the way. Finally, she looked to the back of the room, where Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Boltsinger sat. Rainbow was on the verge of falling asleep as Twilight nudged her in the side. Boltsinger’s eyes were fixated on the filly he had come to support, an excited smile on his muzzle. Scootaloo squeed, waving gingerly at the ponies in the back.
The school day went about as normally as it could with such a full classroom. Lessons ranged from language skills to math, science, and other fundamentals. All throughout, hooves were raised, giving each student a chance to show how much they had learned. While the foals went out for recess, the older ponies met up, various families reacquainting with one another. As Boltsinger was conversing with those of his friends who were present, the most uptight pony in the room, Spoiled Rich, made her approach.
“You’re that pony that moved to town a couple of years back, yes?” the haughty mare inquired. “The one who married Princess Twilight?”
“Eeyup.” Boltsinger confirmed, turning to face her. “You’re… Diamond Tiara’s mother, right?”
She gave the stallion a cocky smirk. “Yes I am. I’m here to support my amazing daughter, and see how the school is doing. I am on the school board, after all!”
A bit of surprise crossed the Pegasus’ eyes. “Wow, you are?” Spoiled nodded confidently. “Well, I have to say I think it’s wonderful that you’re helping so many young ponies get the education they need! It’s really a special thing to see a foal’s face light up as they learn new skills and facts.”
“Yes, yes, I’m incredible, but that’s beside the point.” she stated, waving a dismissive hoof. “Why are you, and the Princess, for that matter, here? You two may be expecting, but that doesn’t give you any reason to be here on a day reserved for families, now does it?”
“Oh, that’s easy. We’re here for Scootaloo.” he informed her, looking out the window at the playing students.
“But you’re not part of her family. By all rights, you shouldn’t even be here!” she argued, poking his chest with her hoof. “And the simple fact that you’re here for such a pathetic excuse for a Pegasus gives me… concerns… about what you and Princess Twilight prioritize as royals. For that matt--”
Boltsinger raised his hoof to his mouth, aggressively clearing his throat at the top of his voice. Every other conversation in the room came to a halt as the school house rumbled, the fillies and colts on the playground all coming to the window to see what was going on, Cutie Mark Crusaders chief among them. “Excuse me… What did you just call her?”
Spoiled Rich’s face went stern, looking Boltsinger in the eye. “You heard what I said. Any Pegasus who takes as long as she did to get off the ground clearly doesn’t know what she’s doing with those wings of hers. Now--"
“No.” he interjected, muffling her with his hoof. “You’re done talking. Now you listen.” Myriad gasps sounded from some of the parents and students, many of which had never seen such treatment on a pony in such high standing, let alone a prominent member of the school board. “Scootaloo, who you just called ‘pathetic’, is a natural in the air. She just needed to get off of the ground to prove it. You wanna know how I know that?” Spoiled Rich nodded. Boltsinger removed his hoof from her muzzle, motioning to himself. “I’m the one that taught her to fly! And even before she could fly, she has, time and again, proven that she is one of the bravest, strongest, and most dependable fillies in all of Equestria, and I could not be more proud of that hard, proven, scientifically accurate FACT!”
The haughty mare rolled her eyes. “You can’t possibly be talking abou--”
“Yes! That is EXACTLY who I’m talking about!” the stallion retorted, stomping his hoof. “How it is that you can’t see that when your daughter was able to become friends with them is beyond me!” He loomed over her, angrily splaying his wings and snorting steam from his nostrils. From Spoiled Rich’s perspective, there seemed to be a fiery image of a stallion with lightning surging forth from its head, furiously protecting an unseen child. She dropped to the floor, shaking all over. Boltsinger’s glare died down as he calmed himself. “But… from what I understand, it’s the dream of every parent to see their offspring turn out better than they did.” He turned around to see his friends, whipping her in the face with his tail as he did so. “You must be so proud…”
The entire school house lingered in silence for several moments, a calm air taking hold. Rainbow Dash stepped up to Boltsinger, giving him a punch to the foreleg. “That was awesome.” She shot a fierce glare at the terrified mare on the floor, quickly turning back to her friend. “I’d have laid into her myself if you hadn’t. Wouldn’t have been so nice about it, either…”
“And that’s why I held you back in the first place.” Twilight reminded her. She trotted over and gave her spouse a kiss on the cheek.
Outside, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo pulled back from the window. Scootaloo’s pupils were like pinpricks, with her ears laying flat against her head. The wingless Crusaders each kept an outstretched foreleg on their friend. As they reassured their friend, Diamond Tiara made her own approach, taking a seat in front of her. “Hey, Scootaloo. I’m sorry about my mom.”
Scootaloo blinked, her eyes returning to normal. “It’s… It’s not okay, but it’s expected.” she replied.
The former bully reached forward and added her hoof to the gathering of friends. “I know… And that’s what I’m so sorry for. You know I don’t think you’re pathetic, right?”
“I know…” she affirmed. “Thanks, Diamond Tiara.”
“You’re welcome.” She pulled her hoof back, looking at the adults in the window. “So, I’ve gotta know… Who is that pony who stood up for you? He seemed really mad, but in kind of a cool way!”
“Him? Oh, that’s Boltsinger. Don’t you remember? He was the announcer at the Equestria Games.” Scootaloo explained, looking that way herself. “He’s my…” Flight coach? No… He’s not that anymore. I guess he’s still a kind of mentor… But that still doesn’t feel right…
“Hey, Scoot, you okay?” Apple Bloom asked. “Ya look like yer searchin’ for sumthin’.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” Scootaloo assured.
“So, what is he to you?” Diamond Tiara repeated.
“I… I don’t know…” she admitted. There was an idea in her head, but she wasn’t sure.
The open house finally came to a close. Scootaloo had been quiet for the rest of their lessons, only responding when called on for a question. Likewise, Spoiled Rich spent the rest of the day in relative shock, refusing to say anything for fear of retaliation. As steadily as the school house had filled that morning, it now emptied. Cheerilee thanked everypony that had shown up, assuring the parents that their foals would continue to be well-educated. As Scootaloo waved goodbye to her still-concerned friends, she found herself surrounded by Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Boltsinger.
“Hey, Scoot.” the stallion began. “I want you to know, I’m really sorry you had to hear what happened during recess. She was out of line and I just… I snapped.”
“No, it’s okay.” the filly affirmed, waving her wing. “I’m actually really happy that you did it.”
Boltsinger let a grin onto his face, giving her a small hug. “That’s good. But… you still look a little distracted. Everything okay?”
Scootaloo looked up at the living lightning bolt, her nerves setting in. “Yeah! I’m fine! Totally fine! Let’s go and sort those books, okay? Yeah!” She began to accelerate, flapping her wings and lifting off with zero effort.
Rainbow Dash recoiled, looking over at Twilight. “Sort books?”
“It’s been a busy weekend.” the Alicorn stated.
Boltsinger leaped forward, catching the foal’s tail in his teeth. “Not so fast, Crusader!” he called, using his weight to pull her back to the ground. She acquiesced, letting her hooves touch down, followed soon after by her rump. “I know full well what the word ‘fine’ means. It’s not always good.” He sat next to the little pony, putting his wing around her. “Whatever it is, it’s keeping you from concentrating on… well, on anything. Why don’t you tell us what’s wrong?”
Scootaloo looked into the purple eyes that now peered into her very being. A kind of warmth filled her. It was familiar, like the feeling she got from Rainbow Dash, but at the same time, it was new and different. “Okay, but… Can we talk about it someplace away from other ponies? I don’t want everypony to hear this.”
Boltsinger nodded, turning his attention to his wife. “Honey, if you would be so kind?” Twilight gave him a curt nod, lighting her horn as a translucent magenta bubble formed around the four of them. Boltsinger nodded in thanks, returning his gaze to the other orange pony. “Bubble of silence. Complete privacy, even in public!” He made a grand gesture with his foreleg, emphasizing how amazing the spell was. “Okay. Spill.”
Scootaloo breathed a heavy sigh, preparing herself for what she had to say. “So… I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and… You know what the situation with my family is like, right?” Each of the older ponies in the bubble voiced their affirmations. “Then you know it gets pretty lonely. Nopony to be there for me or support me… Nopony to send me off to school with a good breakfast, even! I’d all but given up on things like flying. I didn’t have the confidence to even think my wings could get stronger! Then…” She looked up at Boltsinger. “... Then you said you were gonna be my flight coach… Just… out of the blue! You showed me how to get off the ground with my own power, you took pride in every little accomplishment I made, did a Sonic Rainboom to catch me when I fell, and… And then today you were there for me without me even asking you to be… I mean, I know that I have the most awesome older sister in the world, but I look at you and I feel something that’s like that but different… and I just can’t stop asking myself…” As her explanation continued, her eyes had begun to water, a steady stream of tears flowing down her face. “Is this what it’s like to have a dad?”
Inside the bubble of silence, there was still more. The usually-talkative Boltsinger found himself at a loss for words. “I… I-I-I…” He reached for Scootaloo with both forelegs, hoisting her up and pulling her into an embrace that cradled her in every upper extremity his body could offer. “Yes! Yes, Scootaloo, that is exactly what it’s like to have a dad!” His breathing grew staggered as his eyes gave way. This was easily one of the happiest and proudest moments of his life, but he found that he couldn’t help but let the waterworks run. Scootaloo wrapped her forelegs around his neck, returning his embrace as he finally pulled his head back. “And I’m gonna keep being there for you, no matter what. Okay?”
Scootaloo pulled him in again, squeezing ever tighter. “Okay!”
Twilight stepped up to the two of them, wiping a tear away with her wing. “You know, Scootaloo, I can have a room set aside for you at the castle if you want. You don't have to move in, but you’ll always have a place there.”
The filly pulled back once more, looking hopefully at the Princess. “Really? You mean I can come by anytime?”
“Any time.” the Alicorn repeated.
Scootaloo flashed a bright smile, reaching for the most royal of her friends. “Thank you so much!” Twilight leaned in, joining the embrace with her forelegs and wings.
Rainbow Dash took a hard look at the three of them, her own sense of pride having welled up to a near-breaking point. She refused to let her cool give way, though. She had a reputation to maintain. And then they all looked at her.
“Come on Rainbow. Join the hug.” Boltsinger suggested, waving her forward with his wing. “You know you want to!”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, giving into her emotions at least for the moment. “You asked for it!” she warned them. She dove headlong into the three of them, catching as much of them all in her embrace as she possibly could, while simultaneously sending the lot of them to the ground. The bubble of silence burst open with a loud pop, followed instantly by the laughter of four ponies sharing in a hug.
This one... This was one of those chapters where a particular character has been talking to me, almost demanding that I address the question she asked.
This was Scootaloo asking just what was going on with her.
I had previously read up on her family situation. It's an actual thing that she almost never sees her actual parents, and that she lives with her aunts with almost no real direct support from them. Why do you think she was so jealous of the way Bow and Windy supported their daughter to a fault? So it made sense that she doesn't have much experience with... parental affection.
Bolt has been spending all this time preparing to be a father. He took responsibility for Scootaloo in a way that even Rainbow Dash had yet to even consider! And after all of that, it became pretty obvious that they had bonded in such a way that felt like family. Chosen family. Much like what Bolt has done, and what Scoot started when she asked her idol to be like her big sister.
I wrote this because I had to.
I wrote this because the characters wanted me to.
I wrote this chapter... because it just felt right.
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“I wrote this because I had to.
I wrote this because the characters wanted me to.
I wrote this chapter... because it just felt right.”
And I am glad you did, it was very heartwarming and lovely to read, loved the Verbal Smack Down That Spoiled Rich got from Bolt; it was a nice bonus.
I love this fanfic because of how much goes into Boltsinger and his changes.
I also love how he is selfless, which makes me stop wanting games and help others instead of staying at home.
This is creativity at its core and hope you’ll continue this line of fanfic’s.
9000298
I've already got ideas for a spin-off story and season 3.
How about; good friend, honorary father figure, former flight coach... there's no shortages of titles.
that was a sweet chapter