1 The Mother She Deserves
What's Really the Most Important?
By KrishnaKarnak
Rainbow Dash was staring at the ceiling. Her expression was blank, but her mind had been racing for the better part of an hour or two. She held a hoof behind her head, supporting her pillow as she tried to get into a more comfortable position. Her tired eyes gazed upon the alarm clock on the bedside table.
“Oh, for the love of...” she groaned quietly.
It was nearly 5:00 AM. So much for getting much sleep tonight, she thought wearily. She felt a tickle on her left side and turned her head to see if the filly was awake. No, Scootaloo was still fast asleep, her hair tickling Dash's side as she breathed softly. Dash sighed, feeling her left arm gradually growing more and more numb, but she wouldn't risk moving it and waking the child up. She had held Scoot close to her when the little filly had come in a few hours previously, in great distress.
Scootaloo had yet again experienced the same recurring nightmare. Almost once a week, Scootaloo's sleep-time was disturbed by memories of the last night she had ever seen her mother. Scootaloo, who was four at the time, had gone into the Everfree Forest with the mare who had brought her into the world, whom Scootaloo had loved dearly. Scoot couldn't remember why they had gone into there, but her mother left her in a small cave and told her to stay put and wait for her to return.
Misty Skies, that was her name, Rainbow Dash remembered. Her eyes narrowed and she bit her lip, trying to prevent herself shaking with rage. She would never forgive that mare! She knew her well, the mare had been friends with Dash's mother. A lazy and worthless stallion had gotten Misty pregnant at a young age. Little Scootaloo had been the result of that one-time union. Rainbow Dash had met up with Misty Skies again, well over a year ago now. But Scootaloo didn't know. Dash told not a soul.
All Scootaloo knew was that her mother never returned to find her in the cave. Scootaloo was lost in the forest and had no way to fly above the trees to return home to Ponyville due to the fact that she was handicapped. Scootaloo's wings had never developed properly, so the young pegasus could not yet fly. While most pegasai foals experiment with flight as young as a couple of months old, Scootaloo had gone her full seven years of life never tasting the thrill of it.
Scootaloo believed her mother had died. Everyone did. Scootaloo never knew her father, who had left her mother before she was born. She had waited in that cave for two whole days, shaking and hungry, until a botanist picking herbs in the forest heard her cries and brought her to safety. She was taken to the Ponyville orphanage, where she had lived until two months prior to this sleepless night.
There was a pegasus that Scootaloo idolized: the great Rainbow Dash, the fastest pony in Equestria! Friend of the famous Twilight Sparkle, who was the protegé of Princess Celestia herself. Scoot had founded the 'Official Rainbow Dash Fan Club' amongst the foals at her school and a few other ponies in Ponyville.
Rainbow Dash glanced back down at the sleeping filly beside her, her chest swelling with memories. Rainbow Dash was the one who had adopted Scootaloo. It was only after they had gone camping that Dash fully realized precisely how much Scoot adored her. Rainbow Dash had always pitied her, knowing she could not fly, knowing she was orphaned, knowing she had no one but her best friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.
And so, the month before last, Rainbow Dash had bought this house and brought Scootaloo home. She remembered fondly the look of supreme joy and the tears of happiness when the matron of the orphanage had led Scootaloo into the room 'to meet the mare who wanted to adopt her'. Acting as both a big sister and mother, Dash cared for and fed her. Laughed with her and preened her. Rainbow helped her with her homework, tucked her into bed whenever the filly was upset, told her stories, played with her, started wing training with her in their basement gym in the vain hope that one day Scootaloo could have sustained flight. Rainbow Dash was growing to love her.
Her thoughts drifted back to Misty Skies and her blood boiled. That mare was no more dead than Rainbow herself. Misty Skies lived in Manehattan. Dash had accompanied her friend Rarity there for a fashion show. She probably wouldn't have bothered otherwise, but she yearned to see the big city, and the rest of their friends were too busy with other affairs to go that weekend. After a successful show, the pair of them had gone to a nightclub in the evening to celebrate after a long day of sight-seeing.
Rainbow Dash was sitting at the bar, enjoying her drink and lost in the raucous atmosphere of the dance club. She kept throwing furtive glances at a stallion across the room who had been eyeing her up all evening. He was kinda cute, she deliberated, and his behaviour towards her whenever he stopped for a chat had suggested certain motives that were not necessarily unwelcome to her, but Rainbow Dash was only there for some drinks and dancing. Not tonight, she thought. It was Rarity, after all, who was flirting with the guys there.
As the night wore on, the fatigue of the day seemed to finally catch up with her. Growing tired, Rainbow decided it was time to drag Rarity back to their hotel. Throwing the room one final pan with her gaze, she had spotted someone that made her heart rocket into her throat. She sat in a corner of the club, drinking alone, but chatting it up with a stallion or two every few minutes. With long fuchsia hair in light, fluffy curls and a dark grey coat of fur wrapped in a dress of lavender silk. Misty Skies.
Dash stood up quickly on her hind legs. Despite the alcohol intake, was quite steady as she marched over. She had to walk this way to keep her head above the crowd, keeping the pony in her sight. Her mind buzzed numbly as she tried to ignore the sights and sounds around her: the song blaring over the sound system, the lingering taste of her drink on her throat, the smell as a stallion stumbled his way toward the exit, supporting a buddy on the verge of passing out. As Rainbow Dash finally reached the corner, Misty Skies looked up, a look of horror crossing her features.
“Misty?” Rainbow spluttered, sitting down at the same table as a feeling of great surprise and shock thundered through her.
“Rainbow Dash! Ish that you?” the mare responded with a gasp, her drink tumbling from her hooves and spilling across the table. “Oh no, oh no...”
“We thought... you were dead!” Dash stammered. “What in Celestia are ya doin' HERE? W-what happened?”
“Oh no, no, no... Look, I'm beggin' ya, don't you tell anypony! I left Ponyville becaushe of my debt. I had no way out, so I ran for it. Please! Don't tell a shoul! If the authoritiesh -hic- found out...” Misty wailed, hiccuping. “I moved here and shtarted afresh. I go by Dusk Feathersh now...”
Judging by the curious look on Misty's face, Rainbow had a feeling that her own expression was unreadable. “You a fool?” Dash continued, hooves shaking. “You could have gotten help! Do you have any idea what you've left behind?!”
“I wash too far in the hole! I panicked, but it's all worked out sho far.” Misty explained, wiping off her dress. Some of the spilled drink had splashed on to her without her notice. “Besides, I had nothin' left for me in Ponyville. Life ish way better here.”
An ugly fury had begun to bubble within her stomach. Blood surged through her veins with such force that it was physically painful.“That's... true, I suppose. You had nothing left for you back home.” Dash spoke calmly, standing up and leaning across the table. “Nothing at all.”
A terrible stinging pain erupted through her right hoof as it collided with the smirking, arrogant face of her old friend. The warmth of the blood as Misty's nose broke flowed freely across it. With a crash, the chair Misty Skies was sitting on had fallen over and Rainbow watched the drunken mare looking up at her, horrified and shocked, recoiling in fear.
“Nothing at all,” Dash repeating, loud enough for only Misty to hear, “except a practically crippled little pegasus who you probably left to die alone in the woods. Oh, you probably thought we'd all think she died or disappeared or whatever along with you, huh? You probably thought no one would ever know you left her for the timberwolves, did you? Don't be too disappointed that she survived, now. Enjoy your new life, you pathetic wretch.”
Rainbow Dash kicked her hard in the stomach and turned away, immediately finding Rarity amongst the startled and silent crowd who were close enough to notice the assault. Moving quickly, she dragged the unicorn from the club before the security could alert law enforcement and returned to the hotel.
They departed Manehattan early the following morning. Despite her own confusion, Rarity had never asked Rainbow precisely what had happened, never asked her why she had seemingly attacked a stranger for no reason. This made Rainbow Dash very grateful.
These memories had been racing through Dash's mind all night, keeping her up ever since Scoot had come in earlier. Around 2:00 in the morning, Dash had been prodded awake by a tearful and shaking Scootaloo, who had asked to sleep in Dash's bed with her. It was the same nightmare; Dash had known at once from the look on the filly's face.
Dash had moved over and allowed Scootaloo to come aboard, cuddling the sniffling filly until the younger pegasus had fallen asleep. Three hours later, and Dash was still wide awake and still thinking about everything.
Nobody knew who Dusk Feathers of Manehattan really was. Rainbow Dash didn't tell anyone that Misty Skies was still alive. She didn't go to the police, either. She wasn't worth it, nor did Dash have any real evidence. Scootaloo did not know that the mother she had cherished had selfishly abandoned her, had left her to either starve to death or become the timberwolves' next meal. Perhaps, Dash often debated, she was better off never knowing. But, no. When she had first adopted Scoot, Dash had decided that she would tell the child about her mother's treachery when Scoot was older. She deserved the truth. Scootaloo deserved someone who loved her. Rainbow briefly nuzzled her face against Scoot's head.
'The mother she deserves...' Dash thought, a warmth spreading through her body. 'I'll never let anything happen to her... she's been through enough.'
Scootaloo slept on as Dash picked up the remote off of the bedside table and clicked on the TV that sat on top of her wardrobe. Turning down the volume quickly as not to wake the girl, Dash flicked through the channels. She was trying to distract herself as she remembered why she wanted to adopt a filly or colt in the first place.
Scootaloo certainly wasn't the only pony who had something wrong with their body. Dash had known for years that she was almost completely infertile. As such, it was unlikely that Rainbow Dash would ever be a mother herself, so she had pushed the idea from her mind as soon as possible to avoid becoming depressed as she continued to train hard to become the best flier who ever lived. She hadn't really intended to adopt anyone until she was much older and had finally gotten herself into the Wonderbolts, the world famous aerobatic team.
Dash looked over at the poster of First Officer Soarin on her wall. She smiled at the scribble near the bottom, put there by Soarin himself. 'To Rainbow 'Sonic Rainboom' Dashie, keep being an inspiration to pegasai everywhere!'. Rainbow had drawn a little heart next to the signature. One day, perhaps. One day.
No, she had decided that she would adopt earlier than she had originally intended. When Scootaloo confessed her deepest fears and told Rainbow that she wanted the older pegasus to become something like a big sister to her, Dash had agreed. Not only that, but Rainbow Dash had taken it further. Even though Dash was still barely into her adulthood at the age of twenty two, she had made that fateful trek to the orphanage to file the paperwork she needed.
She had certainly known Scoot long enough by that point. Rainbow had saw her nearly every day, especially whenever she visited Rarity or Applejack. Both of them had a sister who were best friends with Scootaloo. The three fillies formed the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders', Ponyville's little band of trouble makers on a quest 'to find out who they are' by attempting everything under the sun to cause their Cutie Marks to appear.
Rainbow Dash turned the television off. Nothing good on, she realized with a sigh. What a surprise! Once again, she gazed intently at her new 'sister'. Scootaloo was drooling all over the sheets. Scoot really was adorable, Dash noticed fondly. Her life had felt so much fuller ever since that camping trip. She felt truly happy. Best of all, she had noticed Scootaloo seemed a lot happier, too. Dash smiled to herself, knowing how happy being together as a real family had made both of them.
She could remember telling the filly that she could call Rainbow Dash 'Mommy' if she wanted. Rainbow still wasn't one hundred percent certain if she would prefer being called that over 'Sis' or not, since it was practically impossible for her to hear that word otherwise due to her near-infertility. What was more, she often wondered if Scootaloo found it painful to accepting having a mother again. Maybe it would be best to stick to 'sisters' over 'mother and daughter'? Now and then, Scootaloo called her 'Mom', but it seemed more of an accidental slip up than anything else. Rainbow wasn't really bothered by it.
She rolled over and snuggled the filly close as the room gradually brightened due to the sky outside the curtained window growing steadily lighter. Their life together had been amazing thus far, but not everything had been enjoyable, she remembered. The Crusaders had nearly burned down their clubhouse a few weeks after Scoot was adopted, an event that easily could have cost either of those fillies their lives. Rainbow Dash had to face the prospect of disciplining Scootaloo because of this, and not three weeks later, she found herself in almost the same spot after Scootaloo had started a fight with one of the school bullies that landed her in detention. Rainbow Dash's 'sisterly guidance' was firm, but she always made sure Scootaloo understood that it was all out of love for her and these corrections were necessary because she wanted her to do better.
Eventually, Dash had to give up on the prospect of trying to sleep. Instead, she breathed deeply as she continued to set her focus on the memories they shared together, the good and the bad. She was looking forward to the days, weeks, months, and even years ahead where Scootaloo would get all of the love and guidance her real mother had never offered her. After losing herself in her recollections and thoughts for another long while, she rolled back over to the right and checked the alarm clock. 6:25 AM, it was going to go off in five minutes. Realizing that it was pointless to wait, Dash reached over and disabled the alarm early, yanked her arm out from under a still snoozing Scoot, and sat up. Shaking the feeling back into the limb, she stretched and yawned. Today was going to be a long day. An important day, though Dash didn't know it yet, but any day felt exhausting when you were tired.
“Wake up, kiddo,” Rainbow Dash said, giving Scoot a gentle prod. “Time to get up for school.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.026 seconds
Total duration
1,032 users online
1,360,009 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Yes! A sequel! Keep up the great writing! I know that you are going to make this turn out amazing.
2350259
I'll do my best :)
2350502
2351128
looking forward to updates
wow...I almost wanna cry....It's just so....Deep....
.......................
....sorry, just....thinking...
I love this story. I absolutely am amazed that it exists...Keep it up.
Wow just wow, usually I hate fics where Scotaloy can't fly because of a medical condition but these is so well written I don't even care.
Wow this is pretty amazing! So well written! Onto chapter 2!
So.. Uh.. what would everyone think If I did a reading of this chapter? It's coming, so, regardless.. haha
Their life together had been amazing thus far, but not everything had been enjoyable.
Seems that Luna is telling the tale with the thought of "Thus"
It makes me think of Luna atleast
love except the spanking
2537882
I agree I can't imagine dash spanking scootalo
never....read....this long of a....fic before....okay on to chapter....two...
I disagree on the arms and legs bit, just saying. Part of it is just weird, because ponies seem to have more flexibility than horses and the hooves are more like some kind of suction device somehow. Also, this -
- should really be mare. The term woman is a term specific to humans. It's kind of unclear if you intended some kind of anthro or ponies, not sure what that last bit of the author notes is supposed to mean.
You used the wrong "principle". Heads of schools are principals, not principles.
awesome sauce! it was rlly good, i read im sorry sis before this, it was rlly good :D ima read the next chapter after ive read the updated next chapter of a guard and a princess,
2350259
What is a sequel?
Wow, just really wow!!! I love this story after the first chapter!
I also love " I'm sorry, sis " two awesome storys please keep ritting Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash stories.
Chapter 1 has been fixed up!
This story is good
Need more scenes of RD kicking Scoot's biological mother's buttocks all over the bar. Repeatedly. With fireworks. And popcorn.
Really enjoyed the scene when Dash kicked Misty's ass! HAHAHAHA! That wretch deserved every last punch and kick!
Kick misty skies ass one more time for me
3400405
I support that idea. 100 percent.
5100462 this is not long fallout equestria project Horizons is long
. I like this story.
I am fully onboard with the terms your author notes puts forward. And this is a sequel!? There's no indication of that fact in the story description. Please fix.