Chapter 9: Family Matters
By the weekend, none could walk an entire block in the little town of Ponyville without seeing at least one colorful flyer for a party. No more than a simple invitation for all, each informed passersby of nothing more than the party being held in the library (with both forewarning and permission this time), and the subject of said party.
EHS PARTY!!
Join us Saturday, Augustus 20th for an all-day celebration at the Golden Oaks Library!
Meet the newest arrival in Ponyville and learn how to talk to her!
Lunch and snacks will be provided!
Begins at 8 AM!
For those whose curiosity’s were piqued, they were only able to find more information from a select few individuals, all of which held similar answers:
“Rainbow Dash recently adopted just the sweetest darling you’ve ever seen.”
“Unfortunately, she’s only able to speak through something known as Equestrian Hoof-Speak.”
“So Twilight’s gonna host a shindig ta help us and ev’rypony interested learn.”
“It’s gonna be a super-duper long party, so we’re gonna provide lunch and snacks while Dashie and Scootaloo teach!”
“We’d really appreciate it if you came out to learn, i-if you don’t mind. It’ll really help Scootaloo.”
As buzz abounded through the town, word spreading and excitement growing, many found themselves looking up toward Ponyville’s sole cloud-based abode, waiting for so much as a glimpse at the mysterious new filly that had caused such a shake in the Bearer of Loyalty’s life. Those who did only saw a mound of orange and purple on the famous mare’s back as she made a trip to the Golden Oaks Library, leaving with a box before any could stop her and ask for an introduction.
As the days wore on, the time for the party growing closer and closer, anticipation thickened throughout the town. By the afternoon of the penultimate day, one could attempt to cut it with a knife.
Inside the Cloudominium, a different sort of tension was forming. Rainbow Dash paced the living room as Scootaloo worked on her history worksheet. With every pass came a glance at the clock, mere seconds passing with each peek.
Rainbow Dash jumped when Scootaloo hummed, reaching for her. She snatched up the answer sheet in time for Scootaloo to tap out her response. Chuckling, Rainbow Dash praised, “Good job, squirt! You make this look easy!”
Scootaloo laughed, hugging Rainbow’s hoof before continuing on with the next question. She ran her hoof along the Braille once, twice, thrice, before she paused, her eyes flicking in thought.
Finally, she answered with her lip in her teeth, a little unsure of herself.
Rainbow Dash frowned to herself, the filly missing the mark only slightly. “Uh, not quite,” she began, explaining to the filly what she had mistaken.
Scootaloo hummed in thought, nodding to herself. “Okay, I think I got it. So…the Windigos didn’t exist until that moment…but no pony knows if they’re still around today…but are thought to be held back by the collective magic held by all the ponies in Equestria?”
“Yeah, that’s it!” Rainbow smiled. “Good job!”
The little pegasus let out a content, giggle-tinged sigh, and Rainbow Dash pulled her into a hug. Scootaloo squirmed a bit. “Let me go, I’m almost done.”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “Nope.” With a mischievous grin, she tilted over, pulling Scootaloo away from her assignment and holding her onto her chest.
Scootaloo groaned playfully, calling out to her guardian.
In response, the mare flipped her filly over, lifting her into the air. Scootaloo squealed a laugh, flailing her hooves as she tried to reach for Rainbow’s face, less than a foot too far away.
Breaking with a laugh of her own, Rainbow Dash finally relented, bringing Scootaloo back down and booping the filly’s nose with her own. “Alright, alright. Last question, right?”
“Yep!”
“Cool! After that, I’ll make dinner. We have to get some good sleep tonight, remember?”
Scootaloo nodded excitedly. “I can’t wait to see how many ponies show up!” She snorted. “Well, you know…”
A bark of laughter escaped Rainbow Dash, the mare setting Scootaloo back down in front of her sheet. Scootaloo found her question, running her hoof along the Braille.
The moment she let go, a deep chime rattled Rainbow Dash down to her bones.
Her heart jumped to her throat, blood running cold as dread weighed down her stomach.
After a moment of shock, Rainbow Dash finally managed to pull most of herself together. She blew out a tense breath, and reached for Scootaloo.
“I gotta step away for a sec, somepony’s at the door. Call for me when you’re ready to answer, okay?”
Scootaloo hummed happily, nodding and continuing her work. Rainbow Dash swallowed hard as she stood, trudging into the foyer.
With how late it was into the afternoon, no more deliveries were being made today. Twilight and Pinkie Pie were busy setting up tomorrow’s party. Fluttershy, by now, would have started putting the animals down for the night and making preparations for the nocturnal creatures.
One by one, her desperate mind crossed off name after name, each tick leaving her more and more dreadfully certain of who was on the other side of her door.
Of course they had shown up an hour before they’d said they would.
Sweat beading at her temple, she took a thin breath, and reached a shaking hoof to the door. Pulling on the best smile she could in her nervously terrified state, she opened the door and greeted:
“Heeeeeeeeyyyy, Mom and Dad.”
Her vision was instantly filled with the light orange of her mother’s mane. “Oh, hel-lo, my little Dashie-pie!” One suffocating squeeze later, and Windy Whistles finally relinquished Rainbow’s ability to breathe. “How’s our favorite Wonderbolt-to-be doing?” she asked with a wide grin, winking.
“Uh, heh-heh, I’m…doing fine,” Rainbow responded, rubbing the back of her neck. She gulped, “Uh, how are you two?”
“Awesome, as usual, Rainbow,” her father responded, pulling her into a one-forelegged hug. “Not as awesome as you, though,” Bow Hothoof teased, nuzzling his daughter’s cheek.
Rainbow Dash gave a nervous chuckle, carefully shoving herself out of her father’s grip as politely as possible. “So, uh…you guys wanna come in?”
“Abso-tutely-lutely!” her mother beamed, trotting into the Cloudominium. “I cannot believe how big your house is, sweetie!”
“Yeah,” her father agreed. “Guess we know who the best weather mare in all of Equestria is, too.”
“Uh…yeah, so…” Rainbow Dash shuffled on her hooves, mind still scrambling to find the best way to say what she was about to say. “Um…you’re probably wondering why I asked you to to come visit.”
“You bet we are!” Bow Hothoof grinned. “You did an impeccable job at being vague.”
“Mm-hmm!” Windy Whistles nodded. “Not to mention how perfectly succinct you were, too! I must say, I don’t think I’ve ever been left in more suspense by a single sheet of paper in my life!”
Rainbow Dash blinked, a sheepish grin creeping up her face. “So, uh, yeah…about that.” She took in a shallow breath. “Mom, Dad, there’s something I need to tell you, and I need you to not freak out about it, okay?”
“Absolutely, dear,” Windy assured. With a pointed wink, she added, “Excellent work at building suspension, by the way.”
Her daughter breathed a nervous sigh. “Yeah, um, so…you promise you won’t freak out?”
“Not unless it’s something totally amazing,” Bow promised. “Which, when it comes to you, is everything!”
Rainbow stifled a groan, rubbing the space between her eyes. “Look, can you promise just this once to not immediately start cheering and at least let me finish talking before you break out the confetti?”
“Okay, yes,” Windy relented, nodding. “Now what is it you wanted to tell us?”
The rainbow-maned mare swallowed hard, nearly unable to hear her own thoughts over her pounding heart. She pulled in a breath, eyes rising to a point high on the wall as she gathered what courage she could. A dozen ways to break the news had presented themselves to her throughout the week, and she finally settled on the one that would break it in as fast as possible.
Jaw set in determination, her eyes found her parents, flicking between them before she finally pulled the pin.
“You’re grandparents.”
The declaration made them blink as it crossed the room, giving the same effect as if somepony had suddenly tickled their noses. Expressions an odd mix of shock and non-belief were thrown back at her, her parents too stunned to say anything at first.
Her mother was the first to break the silence. She broke out in a confused grin, before a bark of laughter escaped her chest. “Oh, that was a good one, Rainbow! You really had me for a second there!”
“When were you gonna tell us you achieved ‘Best Comedian in Equestria’?” her father added, laughing along with his wife.
Rainbow Dash watched with a sinking gut as her parents pulled themselves together, finally finding her face again. She clenched her jaw, brow creased in nervousness as she waited.
Windy Whistles swiped the final, mirthful tear from her eye. Her vision now cleared, she saw the look her daughter was giving her, and her heart instantly dropped.
That was the same look she’d given them when she told them she was moving away.
“Wait…” Windy droned. “You…you aren’t joking, are you?”
“What?” Bow questioned, glancing down at Windy before he, too, finally came to the same conclusion, face morphing in shock. “Wait. Wait. Dashie, what?”
Rainbow looked sheepishly at her parents, and opened her mouth to—
A wordless call rose from the living room, and three heads snapped in its direction. Rainbow Dash glanced at her parents, who slowly returned her gaze before they numbly watched their daughter smile sheepishly and trot off to answer the call.
Her retreating presence snapped them from their stupor, and they rushed after her. Bow and Windy made it to the doorway in time to see their daughter pull a little pegasus filly into her lap, resting her chin into the purple mane as an orange hoof tapped her fetlock in a strange pattern.
Confusion further clogged their minds as their eyes landed on the filly’s, her clouded gaze flicking about as it rose a bit to the ceiling.
Once the little hoof finished its dance, their daughter broke out in a smile, burying her muzzle in the filly’s mane. “Good job, kid,” she praised quietly, not a sign of acknowledgment rising from the filly…until Rainbow Dash returned with a tapping of her own. Once she did, the filly erupted in a fit of squeaky giggles, her hooves rising to clamp on either side of Rainbow’s cheeks.
Their daughter chuckled, gently removing the foal’s hooves. Her eyes flicked in their direction, her head rising to meet their gazes with a faltering smile, as if she had suddenly remembered they were there.
A small moment passed with the trio staring at each other, the oblivious filly playing with Rainbow Dash’s hooves. One gaze of sheepish nervousness met two of utter shock and befuddlement, the spell only breaking when the younger cyan mare took in a shallow breath, freeing her hooves from the filly’s grasp to tap something on her cannon bone.
The filly responded in kind with a little excited gasp, stilling to allow Rainbow Dash to pick her up and place her on the couch. She offered a small smile to her parents. “Mom, Dad…this is Scootaloo. I adopted her a few days ago. She…She can’t see or hear you.” When only silence answered her, she added, “Do, uh…do you guys want to meet her?”
The inquiry did nothing to change the expressions on her parents’ faces, the two older pegasi exchanging a glance before Windy Whistles broke the tense silence.
“Rainbow, sweetie, you can’t be serious,” her mother gaped, stepping toward her.
The mare in question fought against her rising hackles. “I am, actually. I went through training to know how to talk to her and take care of her. I’m her legal guardian now.”
“But, Dashie,” her father objected, “what about becoming a Wonderbolt? That’s been your dream ever since you could first fly. You won’t be able to do that now.”
Rainbow Dash grunted in protest. “You don’t know that, okay? I’m still training really hard, and I still want to become a Wonderbolt, but…” her eyes found the little filly patiently waiting on the couch, and a small smile crept up her face. “That’s…not my only goal anymore.”
Silence fell between them, Rainbow taking in her parents’ eyes. They’d never looked this…caught off-guard before. Sure, she’d done things they hadn’t expected before—what kid didn’t? But…the way they were looking at her…
She found herself fighting back tears as her mother finally spoke.
“I just…Rainbow Dash, dear,” Windy Whistles started. “Are you sure that was a good idea?”
Rainbow clenched her jaw, desperately trying to keep her vision from blurring. “Yes,” she replied resolutely. “It was the best decision I ever made.”
Her mother took in a small breath. It caught in her throat, before she tensely pushed it out, eyeing the little pegasus. “I just…” she trailed. “I don’t know if I support your decision.”
Her daughter gulped. “I don’t need you to support my decision,” Rainbow Dash uttered. “I just need you to support her.”
The words thumped against Windy’s heart, and her eyes locked with her daughter’s. The stare held steady, before Rainbow Dash broke it to look at her father. “Dad?”
Bow Hothoof had been silent through the exchange, golden eyes resting on the quiet filly. He knew his daughter, and he knew how headstrong she was. He knew nothing in the world could make her potentially give up on her goals in life. And yet…she had.
He felt a stirring in his chest, and tears pricked his eyes.
This must be a pretty special filly to change his daughter’s plans so completely.
His welling eyes still trained on Scootaloo, he breathed:
“She’s beautiful, Dashie.”
A grin broke out on Rainbow’s face as tears slipped from her eyes. “Thanks, Dad,” she cried.
Windy’s face whipped to her husband. “What? Bow!” she objected.
“Windy, just…just look at her,” Bow Hothoof insisted with a hoof to his wife’s shoulder, his eyes incapable of leaving the little filly. “Isn’t she just the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen?”
Windy scoffed, “Bow, you…you can’t be serious!” Now one-sided, her gaze flicked to the filly on the couch to her daughter, her heart hammering in her chest. “I can’t be the only one that sees the issue here!”
Silence fell in the room, and Rainbow’s eyes found Scootaloo’s again. Something bordering a mischievous smile graced her lips, and she gently picked Scootaloo up as she sat on the couch, pulling her into her lap. “Why don’t you just…meet her?” she offered her mother.
The older mare blanched. “Wh…what?” she stammered.
“Just…let her sit in your lap. Let her meet you.”
A tense moment passed, and Windy released her breath in a huff. Her resolve still steeled, she hid an eyeroll as she pulled herself onto the couch, reluctantly offering her hooves.
She watched Rainbow Dash tap the filly’s fetlock in an odd pattern, the little pegasus nodding. The young guardian passed the little filly to her mother, who helped the filly into her own lap before she looked up at her daughter in deadpanned confusion.
“She’s gonna feel your face,” Rainbow warned. “It’s how she sees what ponies look like.”
True to her word, the little filly wiggled her way around, finding Windy’s shoulder and using it as an anchor to find her face. Windy stiffened as the little hooves moved around her features, feeling and fighting against an unexpected stirring in her heart when the deaf-blind pegasus panted a chuckle as she flipped her bangs.
Once the filly was satisfied, she settled back down, reaching behind her for Rainbow Dash. The mare responded, and the filly tapped her hoof on Rainbow’s cannon bone.
Windy watched as a small smile found its way onto her daughter’s face. Rainbow tapped the filly back, and the tiny pegasus gave a little gasp, eyes widening and breath catching in her throat.
Brow furrowing, Windy asked, “What is—“
She was cut off by a sudden movement from the filly in her lap. The tiny thing had suddenly launched herself at Windy Whistles, hooves around her neck faster than she could blink, purple mane tickling her cheek as the little face found her shoulder.
The disabled pegasus gave a little noise, something along the lines of a whine and a content hum rising to Windy’s ear, the little forehead fitting into the crook of her neck so perfectly and completely, it took her breath away.
At once, everything Windy was trying to build up shattered, the emotions she was fighting flooding forward and filling her soul. Almost as if the filly had cast a spell on her, she felt her allegiances shift, her heart singing in a way it hadn’t since Rainbow Dash was a filly.
Suddenly, all she wanted was to hold the filly close, and love her for the rest of her life.
Windy’s eyes tracked down to the little orange filly, filling with tears. Her gaping mouth closed with a quivering chin, and she placed gentle hooves on the filly’s back.
The tiny pegasus responded with a hummed giggle, nuzzling her face into Windy’s neck.
The older mare looked up at her daughter, lovestruck written all over her face. Rainbow Dash answered with a smile of mutual understanding, her own tears welling.
“What did you tell her?” Windy questioned, nearly flabbergasted.
Rainbow rubbed at her tears, grinning. “I just told her you’re my mom.”
Windy’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes trailing down to the tiny, precious filly she held against her. Before she knew what she was doing, she pressed her face against Scootaloo’s head, her nose brushing against the little filly’s ear. The responding nuzzle against her cheek was the final straw, sending a string of tears down her face and into Scootaloo’s mane.
A sob-tinged sigh escaped her, and she looked back up at her daughter. The crimson eyes that stared back at her were pleading, tears spilling forth unbidden as Rainbow waited, unbreathing, for her mother’s response.
Finally, a warm, loving smile rose on the face of Windy Whistles, no longer able nor willing to even pretend to fight the feelings flooding her chest. In one swift motion, she squeezed Scootaloo tight, the little filly melting into place in her heart, where she forevermore would be.
“Okay,” Windy breathed, glancing up at her daughter.
Rainbow Dash smiled teasingly. “Just okay?” she chuckled.
Windy Whistles returned the chuckle with a playful huff. “Yes,” she nodded. “She’s…she’s here now. And…well…I can see why you fell in love with her.” She offered Rainbow a smile. “She’s absolutely wonderful, dearie.”
A tiny, airy laugh escaped the young mare, and she scooted onto the couch, motioning her father to do the same. She rubbed a gentle hoof on Scootaloo’s back, and the filly released her tight grip around her guardian’s mother, peeling away her teary face from her shoulder.
Rainbow Dash tapped something on the filly’s fetlock, and Scootaloo gave a happy little giggle. Her eyes flicked across Windy’s face, before she drew a swooping, dipping curve right in front of her face.
“Uh, what did she do?” Windy questioned.
That’s your name-sign,” Rainbow Dash explained, tapping Scootaloo’s shoulder. In response, the filly drew the sign again, a bit slower this time. “It’s how she’ll say your name from now on, and gives you a way to quickly let her know who you are. Whenever you come up to her, either draw it out on her, or guide her hoof through it. But only use yours, got it? Don’t draw anypony else’s, that’ll just confuse her.”
Windy Whistles nodded automatically, her head spinning trying to keep up with the new information that just piled on top of her recently-overcome shock. “But…how do we talk to her regularly?” she managed to question as Rainbow Dash helped guide Scootaloo onto her father’s lap, switching her position on the couch.
“Well,” Rainbow Dash began as Scootaloo giggled, feeling Bow Hothoof’s face, “that’s actually why I asked you guys here tonight. Tomorrow, me and Scootaloo are going to be teaching EHS to anypony who comes to the library.” She spelt out her father’s name on Scootaloo’s withers, then added, “It’ll take all day, though; but Pinkie’s arranged for lunch to be served.”
“Uh, EHS?” Bow Hothoof asked, Scootaloo drawing his name-sign in the air: a straight line down that rose in a diagonal to the right before coming down again.
“Equestrian Hoof-Speak,” Rainbow Dash explained, moving her hoof to demonstrate. “It’s the hoof tapping thing that I’m doing. It’s how she talks.”
Almost as if to prove her point, Scootaloo reached for her guardian, shyly tapping something out. Rainbow’s eyes widened, a small breath catching in her throat.
“What is it?” Bow Hothoof asked, the slightest bit of concern tinting his voice.
Rainbow Dash glanced at her parents, beginning to share in Scootaloo’s shyness as she slowly translated:
“She, uh…she wants to know if it’s okay if she calls you her god-grandparents.”
The looks her parents gave her nearly sent her to the floor in laughter. Their wide eyes and gaped jaws gave momentary expressions of surprise so sudden that she was surprised they hadn’t hit the floor in shock.
It quickly wore off, however, quickly replaced with looks of the purest love and joy, the idea of their growing family finally fully solidifying as they accepted it in an instant. Through quickly-welling tears, Bow asked curiously, “Why god-grandparents?”
“Um…” Rainbow trailed, “I’m pretty sure it’s because she likes to call me her sister.” At her parents’ collective confusion, she clarified with a chuckle, “I’m…pretty sure there’s already a mare that’s earned the title ‘Mom’ from Scoots.” She smiled softly, running a hoof through her mane. “I’m hoping she can visit sometime soon.”
“Wait, if she’s who Scootaloo sees as her mom, why didn’t she adopt her?” Windy questioned.
Rainbow Dash paused, the inquiry stumping her. She…hadn’t really thought about it, actually. Thinking out loud, she reasoned, “Well…maybe she doesn’t know, I guess, since Scoots never said anything. I’m kinda hoping that Scootaloo will tell her eventually, since I’ve invited her to come visit whenever she wants. She was her shadow, so…maybe she never saw it as anything more than professional? And I guess…Scootaloo knew that…and didn’t want to make things difficult for her? I don’t know…” She shook her head. “She’s a really busy pony, and once she’s done with one foal, she has to move on to the next. Maybe…she’d be too busy because of work?”
Her internal dilemma was finally given a moment of reprieve when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Her nervous eyes found her father’s smiling face, and she smiled sheepishly. “Well, whatever the reason,” her mother piped up, “we’d be honored to be her god-grandparents.”
A teary grin split Rainbow’s face, and she relayed the response to Scootaloo, waiting with bated breath. The little filly squealed a cheer, leaping for Bow Hothoof’s neck and squeezing him as tight as she could. He heartily returned the gesture, Scootaloo reaching with one hoof in Windy’s direction. The mare responded with a hoof, letting the newest member of the family pull her into a tight hug.
Rainbow watched the scene with a soaring heart, her fears from before evaporating. Her breath loosened, and she let out a content sigh. The moment passed peacefully, before her mother finally broke the beautiful silence.
“Have you made dinner yet, Rainbow?” she asked, peeking over Scootaloo’s head.
“Nah, not yet,” Rainbow confessed. “I was just about to before you guys got here.”
“Oh, we can take care of it,” Bow offered as Scootaloo relinquished her grip around them.
Rainbow smiled, waving off, “No, it’s okay! I can get it.”
Windy Whistles smiled warmly. “Rainbow Dash, let us take care of it for you. You stay here and finish up whatever you were working on with her, we’ll take care of dinner.”
“Oh, are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure, Dashie,” Windy insisted with a light laugh.
Bow passed the filly over to her guardian as his wife stood, trotting into the kitchen. “We’ll let you know when it’s ready.”
“O-okay,” Rainbow Dash blinked, surprised at how easily her parents slid into their new roles. With a small smile, she let Scootaloo know what was going on.
With a happy, hummed little giggle Scootaloo nuzzled her face into Rainbow’s chest. “Are they gonna spend the night and go to the party tomorrow?”
“Yeah. They might wanna–”
“Yay, Rainbow!” Windy’s voice cried from the kitchen entrance, making Rainbow Dash jump. “Best hoof-tapper ever!”
Rainbow Dash’s face leveled out into a deadpan stare as she glanced at her beaming-with-pride mother peeking out from the doorway.
“It’s called Equestrian Hoof-Speak, Mom,” she grunted. “And I’m not the best. You should meet the mare that raised her to this point.”
“Ooh! And you made another friend, too! That’s so amazing, Dashie!” Windy Whistles beamed as she trotted back into the kitchen to continue helping her husband make dinner.
“You okay?” Scootaloo tapped on Rainbow’s chest. Her eyes rested above her sister’s rainbow mane, concern creasing her forehead as she first felt Rainbow’s jump, then her hesitation.
The cyan mare looked down at the little filly, and all tension and annoyance instantly vanished. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she responded. “Mom startled me, is all. She’s, uh…very supportive. And loud about it.”
A giggle bubbled through Scootaloo. “So that’s a yes?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s a yes. They might stay a couple days after, too.”
“Okay,” Scootaloo fell still for a moment, tracing her hoof into Rainbow’s chest. The speedster recognized the internal dilemma in the filly, and waited patiently for her to figure out what was on her mind.
Finally, Scootaloo’s clouded gaze rose to Rainbow’s chin. “Is it okay if I call them Grandma and Grandpa? Even though I call you my sister? And see them as my god-grandparents?”
Rainbow Dash paused, letting the question sink in as she pondered. “However you want to see or call any of us is perfectly okay, Scootaloo. And honestly,” she looked up at a shared laugh between her parents. A small smile found her lips, and she brought her forehead to Scootaloo’s. “Honestly, I think they’d be thrilled to hear you call them that.”
The little filly in her lap hummed a giggle. “Okay,” she tapped.
Rainbow Dash smirked mischievously. “Let’s go tell them.”
Scootaloo seemed to share the sentiment, an adorable, low giggle bubbling forth as she clapped her little hooves together in delight. Rainbow Dash helped her onto her back, trotting into the entrance of the kitchen.
“Hey, Mom, Dad?”
“Yes, Rainbow?” they asked simultaneously.
“Scootaloo wants to know if, even though she sees you as god-grandparents, if it’s okay if she calls you ‘Grandma’ and ‘Grandpa’.”
For a moment, she thought her parents forgot how to breathe. They slowly looked back at her, eyes resting on Scootaloo’s face, propped against Rainbow’s head.
Their eyes flicked to each other, and Bow was the first to break the silence with a little sniffle as tears welled in her eyes. “Of course she can!” he cried, tears immediately gushing forth in a way Rainbow would have normally found overdramatic…if she hadn’t already felt the same way multiple times.
“Aw, Dad…” she teased, trotting up to him and pulling him in a hug. He clung to her neck, Scootaloo perking up at the brush of forelegs with a hum, pressing her nose against Bow’s. The motion only served to make his heart melt into a puddle, and his tears gush even harder.
Windy Whistles fought back her own tears, smiling warmly as she gave her attention back to the scattered parts of the daisy sandwiches, leaving her husband to her daughter and new granddaughter.
As the word flit through her brain, she couldn’t stop her hooves from dancing in place.
“So, Scootaloo,” Bow began as the four ate their sandwiches, “what kind of things do ya like to do?”
Rainbow Dash hesitated mid-bite, gaze flicking between her father and Scootaloo, whose two hooves were currently occupied with her daisy sandwich.
“Uh, she likes to read,” Rainbow answered for her. “And she likes to make these little figures of all the ponies she meets. They’re actually pretty cool!”
“Aww,” Windy gushed, “and how have you been liking it in Ponyville so far?”
The younger mare paused, glancing down again to check the status of her little sister’s hooves, which were still preoccupied. “Uh…how about you ask her that after we eat?”
“Why?” Windy questioned. “Can’t you do the, uh…oh, what is it called again?”
“Equestrian Hoof-Speak,” Rainbow deadpanned. “And no. Her hooves are busy right now, so asking her to talk right now would be kinda rude. We have a rule between the two of us to not talk at the table because she’s busy eating.”
“Oh, I see,” her mother nodded slowly in understanding. “Well you two are just the best house-rule-followers ever!!” With a proud little giggle, she finally quieted herself with a bite of her own sandwich, much to Rainbow Dash’s relief.
Still, she offered a quiet, involuntary “Thanks, Mom” before taking a bite of her own sandwich.
“Guys, for the last time,” Rainbow Dash grumbled. “We’ve got a busy day tomorrow, go to sleep.”
“Aw, we just wanted to check on her,” Windy whispered loudly, half inside Scootaloo’s room, where the filly was sound asleep.
“She’s an excellent sleeper,” Bow complimented in a low voice. “She might even be better than you,” he added with a wink.
“You also don’t need to whisper,” Rainbow deadpanned, her voice a tick louder than normal to illustrate.
“Aw, we know that,” her father waved off, still whispering. “We just wanted to make sure.”
Her mother picked up, “Don’t want any air vibrations to wake her up.”
Rainbow Dash blinked, her gaze leveling out in deadpanned exhaustion as she physically fought against a facehoof. Finally, she let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s not how…Look, just promise me you won’t wake her up, and that you’ll go to sleep soon, okay? We have to get up early.”
“Alright, Rainbow, we promise,” Windy Whistles smiled, Bow Hothoof nodding in agreement.
Another moment passed, and Rainbow Dash let out another sigh, turning tail and heading up the stairs, half tempted to take Scootaloo with her to ensure her parents wouldn’t bother the sleeping filly.
The next morning, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but gawk when she walked into the Golden Oaks library fifteen minutes before the party would start. Her parents shuffled into seats near the back, beginning to chat it up with Carrot Top.
Her sweeping eyes caught sight of Twilight, her unicorn friend excitedly waving her forward. Scootaloo perched on her back, the mare’s legs moved on autopilot as she trudged forward.
The room quieted at once as she walked down the middle aisle, the soft rumblings of voices becoming nothing more than whispers as eyes fell upon her almost sudden enough to startle her.
It almost seemed as if Scootaloo could feel the eyes on her as she was carried across a room she hadn’t been able to map yet, her hooves delicately running over Rainbow’s fur to calm herself.
Finally at the front of the room, Rainbow Dash tapped Scootaloo’s fetlock, helping her down and pulling her secure into her lap.
“Isn’t it amazing?!” Twilight gushed next to her.
“Yeah…” Rainbow Dash trailed, her mind still reeling. “It’s awesome!”
A smile steadily grew across her face, one that was quickly reciprocated by her friends, and then by many who were now seated and patiently waiting for the day’s activity to begin.
“How many ponies are here?” Scootaloo asked, a little nervous.
The mare’s eyes trailed around the room, taking in each recognizable face. With an elated chuckle, she answered:
“I think half the town’s here, squirt.”
Even as she said this, Pinkie nearly squealed in excitement in her place beside the Cakes, who were exchanging brief conversation with Ditsy Doo and her daughter, Dinky. The foal’s surrogate sister, Amythest, was there as well, laughing along with whatever Dinky had just said.
Across the way sat Rarity and Applejack, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom chatting animatedly as they waited for the lesson to begin. All three Apple children had come to the party, their little group sitting on the front row, Granny Smith squinting a bit at the chalkboard Rainbow Dash sat beside, where Twilight had already written out the entire EHS alphabet in much the same way Foggy had not so long ago.
‘She’d probably cry if she were here right now,’ Rainbow Dash mused to herself.
Behind the Cakes and Pinkie, Fluttershy and Ponyville’s residential veterinarian spoke softly, Matilda the donkey sitting close by. Lyra and Bon Bon exchanged quick greetings with Cheerilee, who invited them to sit with her. Berry Punch craned her neck to get a better look at both the board and the foal of the hour. Rose, Daisy, and a few of their florist friends grinned at whatever Raindrops had just told them, Rainbow could only imagine it had something to do with the upcoming weather, and what that meant for the immediate flower harvest.
Across the aisle from them sat the two musicians of Ponyville, Octavia chattering away as she described something with arching hooves, her roommate, Vinyl, nodding along thoughtfully. Behind them, Rainbow Dash recognized face after face of those who worked on the weather team, over half of her entire team settled a bit in the back, watching her excitedly. She waved at them, feeling a little shy to be in front of so many ponies she knew…and didn’t know.
She counted at least ten faces that she didn’t recognize–at least, she didn’t think she did. All looking at her, or their friends, or others in the town. It almost made her tears up, knowing even ponies she didn’t know wanted to come here and learn, all in the effort to help Scootaloo.
A nervous hum snapped her attention back down to Scootaloo, the filly squirming a bit. “What’s wrong kiddo?”
Scootaloo hesitated for only a moment. “Do I have to come up with name-signs for everypony? I don’t think I can think of that many.”
A thoughtful frown creased Rainbow’s face. “We don’t have to worry about name-signs today, okay? We can do that if you meet the pony individually, but we’ll just focus on teaching EHS to everypony today, okay?”
The filly relaxed at once. “Okay,” she tapped.
“Everything alright?” Twilight questioned.
“Yeah,” Rainbow replied. “Scoots is just nervous about making name-signs for everypony here, so I just told her not to worry about it.”
Twilight nodded, smiling, “Okay. I’ll remove that part of the lesson, then. I’ll leave that to you to disclose when she gets to know somepony a bit better.” With a flourish of her magic, she pulled the chalkboard to the center of the room, the small crowd quieting at once. “Whenever you two are ready.”
Rainbow Dash looked down at the little filly in her lap. “Ready?” she asked Scootaloo’s head.
Scootaloo nodded, and Rainbow Dash helped her onto her back, trotting to the center of the front of the room as Scootaloo situated herself in a standing position on Rainbow’s shoulders, propping herself up on Rainbow’s head with her forehooves.
Rainbow Dash carefully stopped, addressing the full room. “Uh, hi, everypony. Thank you all for coming out today, we really appreciate it.” Her eyes trailed up, just barely able to make out the tip of Scootaloo’s nose. “Everypony, I’d like you to meet Scootaloo.” Her hoof rose to Scootaloo’s. “Wave hi.”
The little filly on her back responded with a beam, her little hoof shooting up and waving high over her head, an airy little chuckle panting past her lips.
Unknown to her, she was met with wide smiles and coos all throughout the room. Rainbow chuckled, “They love you.”
Scootaloo’s eyes widened, a little blush breaking across her cheeks. She gave a little embarrassed squee, ducking her face into Rainbow’s mane. The response was only more awws and coos and giggles, each pony in the room completely smitten by the newest addition to their little town.
The mare gave a chuckle, lightly tapping Scootaloo’s hoof and guiding her back down into her lap. With a deep, calming breath, she secured her filly in her lap, and began:
“As you all know, we’re gonna teach you Equestrian Hoof-Speak today…”
In the end, Twilight had to fish out a second chalkboard. Once Rainbow had walked them all through each letter of the alphabet, Foggy Day’s own words echoing in her mind, they had broken the large group into smaller ones as word after word was practiced, each pony given a turn to figure out the letters as the others became familiar with how EHS from another pony felt.
Little by little, things clicked for each pony. Little by little, skills grew. As the day wore on, Rainbow Dash brought Scootaloo around to each group, allowing the filly to meet all who came out in support of her. True to her word, Rainbow Dash stayed silent about the name-signs, allowing Scootaloo to feel faces as she spelt out name after name after name.
After she met each group, Scootaloo apologized sheepishly to Rainbow’s canon bone, the mare translating for the filly, letting each know she may have to feel their face again should they meet later on. Of course, each present was more than understanding, beaming with joy at the prospect of seeing the little filly around town from now on.
As lunch came, Scootaloo stuck next to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, the two sighted and hearing fillies practicing the EHS they had learned so far. Apple Bloom seemed to have caught on quicker than Sweetie Belle; and the little earth pony had to fight to not tell her unicorn friend which letters she was missing and how to correct her mistakes, ultimately able to respect Sweetie Belle’s wishes and allow her to figure it out for herself.
The back half of the day saw the ponies of Ponyville improving rapidly, sharing their newfound skill with joy among their peers. Happiness and laughter abounded throughout the Golden Oaks Library, half of an entire town becoming familiar with and fluent enough in Equestrian Hoof-Speak to no longer need the boards on either side of the room. Their unequivocal sense of togetherness only fueled their drive, and by the end of the day, near-full conversations were taking place in the form of twisting, tapping hooves, those who knew nothing that morning now looking like experts in their own right.
Rainbow Dash looked around the room, a bright, proud smile lighting up her exhausted eyes. She caught the gazes of her parents, and they beamed back at her with cheerful waves. She chuckled, returning the gesture with warmth spreading over her smile.
The giggles of three fillies caught her attention, and she looked near the front of the room to find Scootaloo with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle by her sides. The little fillies stepped in perfect sync, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watching carefully as Scootaloo moved to keep in time with her as their hooves crossed over each other with each step. The two fillies made sure to keep Scootaloo steadied as they crossed the room with the funny stepping game, right hooves crossing over left, then left hooves crossing over right as they giggled madly.
The cyan mare couldn’t help her own chuckle at the contagious mirth shared by the three best friends, her own friends gathered in their own small group close by, cooing at the young trio.
Twilight Sparkle glanced up at the clock, smiling contently as she got up and meandered to the front of the room. “Alright, everypony!” she called, the attendance within Golden Oaks Library dying down. “Today has been a great day! I see all of you have become well-versed with Equestrian Hoof-Speak, and I’m impressed by your progress today.”
Delighted murmurs reverberated through the space, ponies smiling at each other and sharing hoof-bumps, congratulating each other on a job well done.
Rainbow Dash picked up, “Yeah, thanks a lot again, everypony! Today’s been way more awesome than I thought it’d be, and I’m so happy you guys came out to help support Scootaloo, it means more to me than I can say.” She met each smiling face with a beam of her own, the lightly tired faces of Ponyville’s residents ready for a good rest after such a long day.
With a final, group-wide farewell, those within the library began to dissipate, save for Rainbow’s friends and parents, who simply exchanged one more goodbye with each other, a group-hug sealing the stamp of a well-done day between them before they, too, parted ways to their respective homes.
Once inside the Cloudominium, Rainbow Dash let her parents exchange hugs and “Goodnight”s with Scootaloo before carrying the tuckered-out filly to bed. Once she and her mother and her father kissed Scootaloo goodnight, the foal was out like a light, leaving the three pegasi to exchange tired, elated hugs with each other before finally turning in for the night.
“Dad, what are you doing?”
Rainbow Dash raised an exasperated eyebrow at her father, who was holding out a hoofball to Scootaloo. The little filly panted a chuckle at the odd object her grandpa was presenting to her.
“Gonna teach her how to throw a hoofball,” Bow Hothoof beamed.
Rainbow would be lying if she’d said she didn’t feel a small flash of panic. “Uh…Dad?”
“Yeah, Dashie?”
“You…do know she can’t catch it…right?”
To her credit, the statement actually made him pause. “Well,” he tried after a moment, “she can throw it to me…and then I can just roll it back to her!”
His daughter sighed. While yes, she could admit that was a better plan, she still didn’t think it was a good idea.
‘This oughta be good,’ she resigned internally, trotting up to Scootaloo’s side and tracing her name-sign on her shoulder before pulling her into her lap.
Her father carefully tapped something out on Scootaloo’s hoof, giving her the hoofball and taking three small steps backward.
“Uh, Dad,” Rainbow Dash began. “You might wanna…go back further.”
Bow Hothoof chuckled. “It’s her first time throwing a hoofball, Dashie, she won’t throw it too hard.” He sat down, hooves stretched in their direction. “Okay, whenever she’s ready.”
Rainbow Dash smirked to herself, guiding Scootaloo’s hooves to aim.
Scootaloo felt Rainbow’s hooves leave, signaling she was good to throw the ball. She let herself feel its heft one moment longer. It was…a little bit bigger than the cloud she was used to…but it was a lot heavier. So…it would take a much harder throw to get it to her grandpa.
Adjusting her grip, she shoved it as hard as she could.
Bow Hothoof didn’t have time to brace.
Nearly before he could even blink, the hoofball collided squarely with his muzzle, and a sharp pain erupted from his nose, sending him reeling back with a shout.
Rainbow Dash watched—first with shock, then with deadpanned bemusement—as her father stumbled back. He finally steadied himself as blood began to trickle from his nose. She stifled a groan, gently placing Scootaloo down and telling her to wait there a moment. After a nod from her charge, Rainbow begrudgingly announced, “I’ll get the first-aid kit.” She raised an eyebrow at her father. “And a cloud.”
“Ouf…great idea, Rainbow…ow…” he gingerly pressed a hoof to his nose, tilting his head back.
A worried hum brought his attention to his granddaughter, still waiting for the ball’s return. He crossed to her, taking a hoof and gently guiding it through his name-sign.
At once, she grabbed it. “Is everything okay?” she asked slowly so he could keep up.
Ignoring the twinge of pain in his nose, he answered, “Yes, everything’s okay. You’ve got an amazing throw on you, Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo let out a chuckle of self-pride. She must’ve thrown the ball so hard, it went far away. She felt her grandpa’s hoof leave, the slight breeze of another presence brushing past her.
Rainbow Dash sat down in front of her father, propping open the first-aid kit and helping him with his nose. “Mom, can you watch Scootaloo for a second?”
“Absolutely, dear,” Windy Whistles replied happily, scooping up her granddaughter and tracing out her name-sign. “Impeccable preparedness, by the way.”
“And first-aid skills,” Bow Hothoof added, before wincing in pain.
The younger mare gave an unimpressed hum, the corner of her mouth twinging to the side. “And what did we learn today?”
Bow cringed as he held a piece of gauze to his nose. “Don’t underestimate Scootaloo,” he chuckled.
“Uh-huh,” Rainbow quipped. “And?”
Her father hesitated, taken aback by the motherly tone in his typically-hotheaded daughter’s voice. “Uh…listen to you, cuz you know her best?”
“E-xactly,” Rainbow Dash smirk playfully. “How’s it now?”
Bow took a moment to feel his nose. It still hurt, but it was no longer bleeding, and he knew the soreness would go away fairly quickly, having had several similar injuries in the past.
Finally, he praised, “It’s fantastic, Rainbow Dash.” A grin split his face, and he added, “You’re doing a wonderful job.”
A small smile found Rainbow’s lips, and she playfully rolled her eyes. “You’re just saying that,” she teased.
“No, I’m not,” her father insisted, taking her hoof. “Rainbow Dash, you’re turning out to be an amazing parent, okay? And don’t let anypony else tell you otherwise.”
Rainbow Dash suddenly found herself unable to fight against the tears springing to her eyes. It was uncountable, the amount of times her parents had complimented her, cheered her on—heck, put her on a pedestal. But the way her father was looking at her now, a bright glint in his eyes and a warm smile on his face…
She didn’t think she’d ever heard something so unabashedly, so wholeheartedly genuine before.
Her own bright smile lighting up her face, tears dripping down her cheeks, she reached around her father and hugged him tight.
“Thanks, Dad.”
"But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands.
The helpless one entrusts himself to you; you are a helper of the fatherless."
-Psalms 10:14, CSB
Big shoutout to my good friend who inspired the final scene of this chapter!
Thanks for making me laugh so much, buddy!
So, we now have Bow and Windy in the picture! I gotta be honest, it was a little hard trying to turn them more...two dimensional How'd I do?
Just wanted to give you guys a heads-up: as we move toward the next arc in this story, the coming chapters will be a bit more...anthological. By this, I mean each chapter will revolve around a few scenes that may not seem to follow an overarching plot for that chapter. I will try to make it as concise as possible, but these scenes may take place days if not weeks apart from each other. If there's any confusion once they're posted, let me know, and I'll try to clarify as best I can.
That being said, I'll see you guys in the next chapter!
Stay tuned over the next couple days! I'm working on a master page for all the name-signs so far. I'll post a blog about it soon, but if you don't see it, it'll be in the Author's Note in Chapter 10. See you guys soon!
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Good
Really liked this section, can see it as a show-scene playing out in front of me.
Oh, dey here...
Someone mentioned this previously, but I do love your stylistic choice of putting significant story moments in a centre alignment. Just something about it that draws the eye and makes it more poignant.
Oh dear Lord they are show accurate.
Love how you flipped the script on Windy being the less accepting one, and that one of them wasn't entirely supportive at all given how over-the-top amazing everything Rainbow does is.
I've only got two critisims about this chapter, one of which is the concept of god-grandparents, which is a very human notion, now while it's not beyond imagining that an equivalent concept could exist in Equestria, I don't think you've actually indicated it before? It's just a little bit jarring.
Love how Windy and Bow very obviously don't understand all the intricacies and delicacies of interacting with a deaf-blind foal. Rainbow's frustration really shines through and you make the experience very easy to relate to.
Oop, get the crash-cart, hearts going down again.
Which actually leads into my second critisim for this chapter: In chapter two you mention that Foggy took years to learn EHS and that Rainbow seemed to be picking it up abnormally quickly, yet here about half of Ponyville seems to be picking it up in a single day?
Nocturnal, why must you attack my heart so? What have I done to deserve?
Oh, this can only end well...
Hey Rainbow, got anything in there for my heart? Nocturnal seems intent on killing me with cuteness overload.
Also, love how you've added another dimension to Rainbow's parents without abandoning thier initial (lack of) characterisation.
Yup, one more stab for good measure. 🔪
Amazing work as always, Nocturnal! Can't wait for the next chapter and really looking forward to seeing a visualisation of all of those name signs! Brava!
So when will she meet diamond tiara and her best friend silver spoon?
Very sweet
Rainbow dash is not the only one doing a good job! Kudos to you, author! This fic is definitely already a fave, are we also gonna have an arc about that undiagnosed applebloom part?
Regardless. this story is so creatively done and wonderfully written, tugging on heart strings i didn't even know were there.
Nice to see the town is so supportive!
Interested to see where you will take Bow and Windy compared to the canon!
Also...
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The actual sentence is:
The way I read it is not that it took Foggy that long to learn it, but that Foggy had a hoof in creating it, or at least adapting it, while Rainbow and the others are just training with the finished product. Or alternatively, 'several years' is not how long it took to learn it, but how long it took to teach it to Scootaloo
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I think they're be different here. I mean, it's one thing to be a bully to the regular CMC, it's not nice, but kids will be kids, but to be a bully to this Scootaloo, that's actively malicious, the sort of thing that would earn detentions at the very least.
The fact that so many ponies showed up for the EHS class to actually learn and not just gawk at Scootaloo is the absolute BEST.
Also, I laughed out loud heartily at the mom's Best Hoof-Tapper celebration. Just that totally made up for her earlier hesitation towards Scoots.
Are you aware you've discovered the precise order of words required to make me cry and cry?
Glad to see the town being supportive although guessing they will need a lot more training to become experts at EHS.
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Join the club, we've got jackets.
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And buttons!
This is such a good story.
I cannot begin to describe my excitement every time I see this story get an update or a new chapter. I'm absolutely in love with the story. I've probably read what is available 3 or 4 times now. I can't wait for the next chapter, and keep up the amazing work!
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Hee hee, glad you enjoyed it!
11236926
Thanks! That's actually how I was picturing it the whole time, too!
Oh lawd, dey comin'!
Hee, thanks! It involves something with design...I can't remember the term, exactly, but essentially, it's changing a set pattern to draw more attention to a specific detail. Glad it's working so well!
Yeah, the god-grandparents thing is kinda my way of Scootaloo trying to place where everypony fits in her life now. It'll sound a little strange at times, what with the nature of her growing family to begin with, but bear with me.
Oh yeah! The immediate thought here was "what could they do that is both believable and face-palmable?"
CLEAR! *bzzt!*
Ah yes! ...Honestly, I forgot that's how I phrased it. I have since corrected it to a "more correct" version. Thank you for pointing it out to me!
You've done nothing! I simply wish to share in my own emotional heart attack!
Heheheeheh
Aww, thank you! Glad you enjoy it so much!
11236938
Hmm...in about...an hour or so.
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Thank you! Glad you liked it!
11237076
Aww, thank you so much! You're too sweet!
Yes, the undiagnosed Apple Bloom will be addressed eventually 
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Yes, I couldn't resist!
Thank you! I'm interested to see where they will go, as well!
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Yes, sorry about that, I should have addressed this earlier. The line is now fixed, and what once said "learning" now says "perfecting". Thank you both for staying vigilant with the accuracy of minor details!
Oh, Equestrian Hoof-Speak has existed for a long time now. Foggy took classes to learn it, just like ponies have been doing for hundreds of years now.
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I'm glad it did!
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Yes, I seem to be...oddly good at that. How strange...
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Oh yes, it will take a lot of practice for them all to get on even Rainbow's level. But...for now, they at least can talk to her. Perfection will come with time.
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Shall we start marketing?
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Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it!
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Aww, thank you! I'm so glad you've enjoyed what's here so far, and I hope you continue to enjoy what's to come!
football to the muzzle ouchie
Funnily enough, apparently this is an overused trope only really done in movies, stories, and games. :D
Not that it's not all kinds of adorable, but still. :D
Out of all the ways she could have said this.
Augustus? Is that they're version of August? Interesting.
I really really really really love this.
This is so beautiful and awesome.