What's Really the Most Important?

by KrishnaKarnak

8 Suit of Hearts

Rainbow Dash stood there in the kitchen, her breath held. Could it possibly be who she thought it was? She walked to the kitchen's doorway, peering into the hallway. Soarin was standing on his hind legs at the front door, speaking to Scootaloo. He was holding something over his shoulder by a hook, another object under his arm. Dash tried to walk down the hallway, but got stuck as her perked wings caught either side of the entrance. She snapped them closed impatiently.

“What's your name, little one?” Soarin asked, bending low to talk to her. “Is your mommy home?”

“Um, I'm Scootaloo. And of course she is, I just called out to her!” the young pegasus replied, looking over her shoulder as she heard approaching footsteps.

“Soarin...” Dash said, coming into view.

“Rainbow Dash... Hi...” Soarin said, his mouth parted slightly and looking very awkward. “I wanted to, uh, talk to you. May I come in?”

Rainbow Dash hesitated. She wasn't really sure she wanted this right now. “I... yes. Of course... Please, c'mon in.”

She stood aside, giving Scootaloo a gentle push so she would do likewise. Soarin stepped over the threshold. What he was holding turned out to be a long plastic bag, the hook protruding from the opening, which had a string tied around it to keep it tight. He dropped the other bag to the floor. It seemed to be Rainbow Dash's towel and water bottle, as it landed softly and something protruded through the top. Soarin had returned them to her.

“Waaait... I know you!” Scoot was saying, looking up at the stallion's dark blue mane. “Gimme your autograph! You are a Wonderbolt! Rainbow Dash got a poster of you, I recognize you!”

Dash blushed scarlet. “Scootaloo, would you like to go upstairs and watch cartoons in my room instead of down here?”

“Bah, there's no couch in your bedroom!” Scootaloo sighed, but her ears and wings perked up. “Oh, but there is a big ol' bed. That's actually way way better!”

She ascended the stairs. Rainbow Dash was still feeling hot under the collar. Soarin's eyes were averted from her.

“She's really adorable...” Soarin said after a pause, looking up at the ceiling as Scoot's voice echoed down the stairs ('SWEET CELESTIA, SHE'S MANAGED TO KEEP IT CLEAN FOR LONGER THAN A DAY!'). “Quite energetic, I see.”

“Yeah...” Rainbow said awkwardly. “Scoot's pretty awesome.”

Well, the pegasai couldn't stand in the porch all day, Dash thought. She gestured wordlessly down the hallway to the living room and squeezed by him, leading the way. She walked to the couch and sat down on the right side, turning the television off with a remote. Soarin came in and laid the long bag on the floor and looked over at her. He paused a moment, and sat down on the opposite end of the sofa.

“You've got a nice home here...” Soarin said, glancing around the room. “Is it just you and Scootaloo, or do you have a...?”

“It's just me and Scoots, yeah...” Rainbow answered, still not sure she was able to look at him.

“Rainbow Dash...” Soarin began, but Dash forestalled him.

“I know what you're gonna say, Soarin...” Dash spoke, looking him in the eyes. “You upset me earlier. You were upsetting me the entire day. But I'm sure, pretty damn sure, you've already realized that...” Her voice trailed off a moment. “But I am happy to see you right now, y'know, irregardless of the fact that I've been wanting to take a frying pan to your skull. I could use somepony to talk to... about something.”

“Well, if you want to hurt me, I'm not surprised you're happy to see me!” He grinned, though it faded immediately. This time, it seemed, he realized his own mistake before Rainbow had a time to react. “I... did realize I upset you. That's why I'm here. I wanted to apologize for the... stupid things I say, like just then...” Soarin began as Rainbow looked at her own hooves. “I say stuff without thinking. I'm sorry...” He sounded it. “I should have asked about Scootaloo first before jumping to any conclu—”

“Soarin...” Dash cut across him. “I understand. I flew off the handle when I probably shoulda avoided it. You are a bit of a numbskull sometimes. Just... put some thought into your words, man! Y'know, when you come over to apologize, don't start by making a stupid joke! I'm sorry for overreacting...”

Soarin gave a half smile. “I'll do my best from now on. So... apology accepted if you accept mine?”

“Very well, then!” Dash replied, smiling faintly back.

“You... mentioned you could use somepony to talk to. Is everything alright?” Soarin asked after a moment of silence.

“That remains to be seen. I dunno if it will yet...” Rainbow said, shaking her head sadly.

She explained briefly about what Cheerilee had described to her that afternoon. Soarin listened quietly, a look of concern on his face. As Dash spoke, her composure began to slip. Soarin hesitated, but placed a hoof on her arm in comfort.

“It's just... not fair, Soarin...” Rainbow said in a quivering voice. “Scootaloo has been through hell and back already. She can't fly on her own, her wings didn't develop properly. Who knows if she'll ever actually fly... To make matters worse, she doesn't even have her real mother.”

Soarin looked confused.

“I adopted her. But I'll love her as though she were my own. She's my whole world right now...” Rainbow finished, closing her eyes and shaking.

“It sounds to me like she does have her real mother right now.” Soarin said, sitting close to her and putting a hoof around her shoulder. Rainbow Dash made no attempt to shift away or remove it. “I'm certain you've already been a wonderful parent to her.”

Dash shook her head. “I don't even know how to handle this anxiety thing! I've been an emotional wreck ever since I found out. This is all still so new to me. I'm going to do my best and help her through this to the very best of my abilities, but I'm scared, Soarin.”

“You've only just found out. It's going to be it's worst for the first little bit, isn't it? You'll figure out a way to pull through it. If I know anything, it's that nothing can beat Rainbow Dash. Nor anypony she raises.”

“Thanks...” Rainbow Dash said after a moment. She leaned close to him, her lips slightly parted. She was about to place a kiss on his cheek. However, Rainbow thought better of it. She just gave him a faint nuzzle. Soarin blushed in response. “When you're not being a jerk, you sound like you can be a really sweet guy.”

Soarin gave her a tight little squeeze. “You're both going to make it... I'm sorry I upset you earlier, Rainbow Dash. Especially now that you got this news on top of me being an idiot. Hopefully, this can cheer you up.”

He stood up and walked around the coffee table, kneeling down to the bag he had brought and untying the string around the opening. Rainbow sat up straight, leaning over the coffee table.

“If you're going to be my partner in a Wonderbolt performance,” Soarin said, opening the bag fully and pulling on the hook, “you'd better look the part.”

Rainbow Dash gave a gasp of breath. He had pulled out a blue suit with the iconic yellow lightning bolts. Over the flank on the suit was Rainbow Dash's cutie mark, the cloud with a bolt of rainbow lightning. He laid it out on the floor next to the bag.

“That is an OFFICIAL Wonderbolt Flight Uniform, specifically made for you. I asked my seamstress to make a brand new suit earlier. She works fast! She still has to enchant it with magic, but there you go! There's a pair of goggles in the bag, too. I designed those myself!” Soarin explained as Rainbow Dash made her way over, her face glowing with euphoria.

“I've dreamed...” Dash spoke in barely a whisper. “I've dreamed of owning one of these. I've wanted to join the Wonderbolts ever since I was a little filly. Having my own suit is just as good right now! Soarin, I love it!”

Soarin sat on the couch, smiling at her. “I'm glad you like it. Well... put it on!”

Trembling all over, Dash picked up the suit and felt around the front of it, There was a fold revealed with a zipper. She unzipped it and slipped a leg into one of the suit's legs. She put the other one in and pulled it up around her waist, slipping both arms in and pulling up the zipper. Her hair, mane, and wings fit through the slits on the back perfectly. She adjusted any creases. Reaching into the bag, she pulled out the goggles with a yellow elastic strap. She snapped them on to her face, falling back on to all four hooves and bending low, as though she were about to take off at full speed.

“You look awesome!” Soarin exclaimed, his eyes locking on to a sheet of paper and a couple of crayons.

Dash moved quickly into the hallway and checked out her reflection in the mirror. She grinned broadly. “Aww yeah! Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolt!”

Soarin came into the hallway after her. “I look forward to you joining our ranks, Dash. You'd make a great Wonderbolt. Anyway, I better be off. I'll see you tomorrow?” he asked, placing a folded up sheet of paper on the hallway table. It appeared to be an autograph for Scootaloo, albeit written in crayon.

Dash lifted the goggles. “Yes, I'll see you in the morning. No bunny hops, though!” As he turned to leave, she took his hoof into both of her own. This time, she managed to kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks... for everything!"

Soarin flushed again, his wings quivering. “Is it true you've got a poster of me in your bedroom?”

“I'm allowed to have a crush on whatever celebrity I want!” Dash said with distinction, opening the front door. “Besides, you gave it to me yourself, remember? After that Rainboom in Cloudsdale? Signed it and everything. You are clueless sometimes! Now, out ya go!”

She gave Soarin a shove with her wings and he stumbled out onto the step. “Goodnight... Dashie...” He said, smiling back at her as she closed the door.

Rainbow leaned against the front door for a moment. Her torso seemed to swell, the rapid beating of her heart sending the blood flowing into her face. She was inhaling and exhaling deeply. He was a lot more complex than she had realized and he had definitely just earned himself a few brownie points.

“It's too early for you to call me Dashie, Soarin...” she mumbled quietly to herself in the empty porch. “But you're on the right track.”

She reached up and slipped down the goggles again. She ran back to the mirror, eyeing herself up happily for a moment. The day had not been a total disaster after all. Her mind drifted to Scootaloo, and her heart ached for the filly, but both Soarin and Cheerilee were right. Dash had to be strong. If there was anything wrong with that little pegasus, Dash would need to be there for her.

“And I will!” she said, tearing her gaze from the mirror and calling up the stairs. “Scoot, you better be in the tub right now!”

“I'm nooot!” Scootaloo's voice called back playfully.

“Well, you're gettin' the blazes in there!” Rainbow said, climbing the stairs excitedly. “I've got something to show you!”

“What do you have to—” Scootaloo gave a great gasp. “WOW!” Scootaloo's jaw would have punched a hole in the floor had it not been attached to her skull. She bounded off Rainbow Dash's bed as her big sister entered the bedroom. “Oh WOW! Is that real?!” She gawked at the suit, mesmerized.

“It is! Soarin gave it to me! DO I LOOK AWESOME, OR DO I LOOK AWESOME?!” Dash asked, standing tall and spreading out her limbs, flexing her wings.

“YOU LOOK AWESOME!” Scootaloo said in a hollow rush, running around her. “It's even got your cutie mark! Ohmigosh Rainbow Dash! You look like a SUPER HERO! I WANNA WEAR IT!” The filly grinned excitedly, jumping up and down continuously, a faint buzz coming from her rapidly flapping wings.

“This is waaay too big for you!” Dash laughed, pulling off the goggles again and glancing down at the yellow bolts on all her hooves.

“Pfft!” Scootaloo spat. “Like I care! I'm gonna try it on anyway!”

“Not without a bath, you aren't!” Rainbow said, shaking her head. “By the way, Soarin left you something, too!”

“WHAT?!” Scootaloo gasped. “Ya kept that quiet, ya big blue goof! What is it, where is it?!” She started bouncing again.

“It's that autograph you asked for! It's downstairs.” Rainbow replied. "Don't be long!"

Scoot gave a great inhale and tore from the room. Dash heard her pounding down to the lower floor. Feeling more cheerful than she had the entire day, she unzipped the suit and took it off, folding it neatly on top of her bed. She looked at it happily for a moment before going into the bathroom to run the water for Scootaloo.

“Raaainbow Daaaash! I can't fiiiind... OH! THERE IT IS!” Scoot's excited squeal echoed up to the bathroom. “It says I'm a 'Fearsome Filly'! It's even written in crayon, that is so awesome. I am showing everyone I have ever met this autograph!”

Rainbow Dash grinned as the tub gradually filled up. She checked the water, deciding it was not too hot. She stamped her hoof on the floor. “Get your rear up here!”

Scootaloo slowly made her way upstairs, clutching the autograph to her chest. “A Wonderbolt signed this. A Wonderbolt I think I'm in looove!"

Rainbow wanted to say 'you and me both!', but it was foolish to think that just yet, anyway. She knew she and Soarin had a long way to go before that. Rainbow followed Scootaloo into her bedroom and watched her place the sheet of paper on her bedside table, beaming at it. Scootaloo turned around and bumped into her sister. She looked up into her face. Silently, Rainbow Dash jabbed a hoof in the direction of the bathroom. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and sighed.

Once inside the bathroom, Dash closed the door, sealing the only way out. Scootaloo was standing in the middle of the rug on the floor, just by the sink. Dash walked around to Scoot's front.

“Why's it so hard to get you to take your bath? I thought you said 'neat' earlier?” Rainbow Dash questioned, folding her arms and sitting on the edge of the tub. "You sounded like you were looking forward to it!"

“I...” Scootaloo tried to speak, frowning up at her.

It was like something unreal. Rainbow noticed that Scootaloo looked nervous. Her wings were tucked in tight and her eyes were darting every which way. She almost seemed to cringe away from her big sister. Scoot's chest was heaving and her ears were drooped. Scootaloo was chewing her lip anxiously.

“I'm sorry, I just got so excited. Really, I'm so sorry Rainbow Dash!” She hung her head in shame. “I'll take my bath!”

Dash jumped up, her heart rate once again accelerated for what felt like the billionth time that day. “I... I was only asking, Scoot!” She said quickly, feeling a chill creeping down her spine. Her thoughts drifted to the conversation with Cheerilee. “Scootaloo, Dashie's not mad... at... at you or anything! Why would I be upset with... You did nothing wrong! Don't be silly, I wouldn't...”

“Of course you're not mad!” Scootaloo said with a warm smile, her abrupt return to normality making Dash feel significantly alarmed now. “Outta my way!”

Scootaloo bounded forward and hopped up on the edge of the tub. She held her out her arms and wings gracefully and tipped into the water, nearly slamming her face off the far rim. She began to splash around and dipped her head under, emerging with her hair soaked and flowing down her body. She reached for a few bath toys.

Dash just stood there in total silence. Her thoughts were racing, her mouth was slightly open, and her extremities were quaking so badly her bones physically hurt. She could feel each thunderous bang as her heart threw itself against her chest, a look of horror in her eyes.

Comments

[KrishnaKarnak]

2371968

I hope she will!

[JollyRogue]

You made me feel both a happy warmth, and a chilling sadness. Bravo good sir.

[miseta22]

me want more!

[ScootalooTheBrave]

I love this story soooooooooooooooooo much!!!

[KrishnaKarnak]

2375063

Thanks! I literally -just- posted a new chapter, too!

EDIT: Whoops. Helps if I hit the publish button~

[KrishnaKarnak]

2373729

Here ya go

[KrishnaKarnak]

2373504

Glad you enjoyed it!

[LeopardCay]

I dont understand the ending... And i use too understand everything... even if scar in The lion king suddenly said "blue bird with orange fruit beak" o.O

[PokemonBattleBrony]

VERY GOOD JOB!!!!!!!! This is the best fimfiction I've EVER read!

[Fireball]

MAGNIFICENT

im scared is scoots all right ?

what will happen?

THE SUSSPENCE IS KILLING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mayrothwell]

:O i hope everypony will be ok!

[TheElvenDoctor]

2908880 you dead yet, or did it stop killing you

[KrishnaKarnak]

Chapter 8 has been fixed up!

[Tiki_the_Cat]

Is Scoots bipolar?