A mother who abandoned, a child she gave up, and the story of what happens when they are reunited by the hands of fate.
[Set in a dark alternate universe where Rainbow never met Scootaloo]
Rainbow Dash has a secret, a secret she had been keeping since she first started at flight camp. Now, that secret has come back to haunt her in the form of a broken and bloody orange filly, a filly she abandoned almost eight years ago. Now she is trying everything in her power to correct that mistake and be the mother Scootaloo was meant to have, but can she ever get her daughter to see her as anything but the monster who abandoned her.
Rainbow walked along the road through Ponyvile, enjoying one of her rare walks as she headed over to Golden Oaks. She had got a letter from Twilight saying the next Daring Doo book was in, so she was heading over to pick it up. But as she walked her ears perked up, catching the sound of a faint scream coming from a nearby ally. Curiosity and concern got the better of her, and she turned down the path, cautiously weaving her way through the buildings till she reached the source of the noise.
She peaked out from around the corner, catching the sight of two stallions kicking something on the ground, though she couldn’t see what. She steeled herself for a gruesome sight, knowing that some stallions around this part of Ponyville got their rocks off on beating up defenseless animals, and then she lifted herself into the air to get a better look. But the moment she got a good look at what they were kicking she froze, for under their hooves was a young filly…her filly.
Her mind started to race, several hundred thoughts racing from her brain. Why was she here, how did she get her, but they were all overridden by a single notion. Those stallions were hurting her foal, so with a primal yell she charged the two stallions.
* * *
Twilight and the other followed Pinkie as she prowled the streets, having been dragged out of her library due to the pink maniac.
“Pinkie why the hell did you drag us out here, I was writing the friendship report for Celestia.”
“no time pony in trouble,” said the pink mare, her mane and tail unusually straight as she kept moving down the path, her eyes scanning the street for the pony who was in need,
“But how can you know that?” asked Fluttershy, keeping her distance due to the way Pinkie looked.
“Tail twitch followed by gut pain followed by deflating mane means pony somewhere is in suffering.”
Twilight was about to ask Pinkie what she was talking about when they heard a yell from the alleyway they were passing and turned, recognizing it as Rainbow Dash’s. They charged down the alley, reaching the end of it and catching sight of their friend crouching over an injured filly and glaring at two unicorn stallions as they stalked around her. Twilight and the others leaped to her defense, managing to subdue the stallions and then turning to their friend, who slowly shook the protective fog from her mind and recognized her friends, but she held the protective stance over the filly.
“Rainbow what the heck, why were you…”
“No time, I need you to get us to the hospital fast, this filly is hurt.”
Twilight was about to argue when she saw the state of the filly and gasped, quickly to Rarity. “Can you teleport them to the hospital, I want to stay behind and make sure these brutes get taken to the proper authorities.”
Rarity nodded, getting herself ready for the taxing process of teleportation. The others gathered around her as she prepared, all save for Fluttershy, who watched as Rainbow as she knelt down to pick up the foal, her delicate ears catching what the others could not.
“Its ok Scootaloo, momma’s got you.”
* * *
The ponies appeared in the hospital, Nurse Redheart noticing the injured filly and running over to help. “What happened to her?”
“She got attacked by two stallions; I don’t know how bad they hurt her.”
“Ok I’ll need you to put her on the stretcher and fill out this form while we take her in, are you related to her?”
“I’m her mother.”
Their was a gasp behind her as Redheart handed her the paperwork, but before her friends could talk to her Fluttershy stepped in, waving for them to stay silent.
“Not here,” said Fluttershy, leading them away as Rainbow sat down to take care of the form. When they reached the next room, the others turned to Fluttershy with skeptical looks.
“Ok Fluttershy what the hay is going on here, why the hell did Rainbow just claim to be that filly’s mother?”
“Because she is that filly’s mother Applejack.”
Applejack opened her mouth to argue, and then closed it, shocked into silence. Rarity on the other hoof decided to speak up. “but…but dear that’s impossible, that would mean she would have had to have her in flight camp and we all know that didn’t happen, that would have been the gossip of all of Cloudsdale and Ponyvile if such a thing were to happen.”
Fluttershy sighed, turning around and closing the door so that no one else could hear them and then turning back to her friends. “I’ll tell you guys what you want to know, but to do that…I’m afraid I am going to have to break a Pinkie promise I made to Rainbow when after we all became friends.”
Everypony in the room gasped, turning toward Pinkie to gage her reaction to this news. But to their shock, she was staring calmly at Fluttershy, waiting for the older mare to continue.
Fluttershy nodded at that, knowing that Pinkie wanted to know as much as they did, then she cleared her throat to speak. “Almost eight years ago Rainbow hooked up with somepony, I won’t say who though, it’s…kind of complicated. After they hooked up Rainbow got pregnant, from what I can recall she disappeared during that time, though she never told me where. I don’t know what went down, but I know when she got back she didn’t have the foal with her, and from what I managed to get from her the other pony was mad about it when they found out.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense, that doesn’t sound like the Rainbow Dash we know,” said Rarity.
“Rare’s right, Rainbow Dash would never do something like abandon her own foal.”
“The Rainbow Dash you knew wouldn’t, but Rainbow was a different pony back when she was in flight camp, a very different pony.”
“But that doesn’t explain how she reacted!” said Rarity with a raised voice. “Why would she say she was her mother if she abandoned her, shouldn’t she want noting to do with her?”
“That would be true if she hadn’t spent the last few years trying to find her,” said Fluttershy.
They stared at her for a moment, and then Rarity started to stutter. “But…but she never said…she never told us…”
“She didn’t want anypony to know, the only reason I know is because she trusts me with that kind of stuff. She made me Pinkie promise not to tell you guys because of many reasons, but mostly…mostly because she is ashamed of what she did, and she didn’t want to see your faces if you found out.”
“But…but why?” asked Pinkie, “She could have asked us, she knows we would have helped her…”
“I don’t know Pinkie…that’s something only Rainbow can tell you.
* * *
Rainbow paced outside Scootaloo’s room, having finished the paperwork and now waiting impatiently for the doctor to exit. As she had paced she had begun thinking of what she was going to say to her, but really what could she say. Inside that room was the foal she had abandoned and then spent the next eight years of her life trying to get back, and from what she could assume from how she had found her Scootaloo hadn’t had a good life. What could she say to that filly to make those eight years of pain, misery and abandonment any better?
She turned around as the door opened, walking up to the doctor as he closed the door behind him.
“How is she doc?” Rainbow asked with concern, trying to keep from imagining what the doctor would tell her.
“She is lucky you found her when you did, luckily all she suffered was two cracked ribs, some slight damage to her wings and a broken leg, but otherwise she is fine. Now she will have to stay here for a few days to heal, but you will be able to visit her while she recovers.”
Rainbow nodded, “can I see her?”
“Yes, just make sure to keep quite, she is sleeping right now.”
Rainbow nodded again and then entered the room, walking over and taking a seat next to the bed, staring down at the little filly. She reached out a hoof, taking the little fillies in her own and clutching it softly, tears trickling down her face at the sight of her. She noticed that Scootaloo was tossing a bit, a tear falling down the little fillies face as a whimper escaped her lips, and Rainbow realized that she was having a nightmare, and without even thinking about it she softly began to sing.
“On the wind, across the sea Hear this song and remember Soon you‘ll be, home with me Once upon a December”
Scootaloo slowly calmed down as she sang, breathing normally and returning to a peaceful slumber. Rainbow let go of her hoof, wiping the stray tear from the little filly’s cheek before getting up and heading to the door. But before she left she turned back, smiling sadly at the filly in the bed.
“Don’t worry kid, I’ll be back soon…I’m not leaving you alone again.”
Rainbow headed to the front desk of the hospital, talking to the attendant and asking which direction Ponyville Orphanage was and then turning to leave. She intended to leave the hospital, not really wanting to talk to anypony till she got what she needed to do done, unfortunately the princesses seemed not to be smiling on her at that moment, for her friends spotted her as she was heading for the door and ran after her.
“Consarn it Rainbow Dash stop right there this instant!”
Rainbow growled as she heard them, not even turning around as she spoke. “I don’t have time for this; I got somewhere I got to get to.”
“Not till you sit down and tell us what the hay is going on, especially not after what Fluttershy just told us.”
Rainbow turned and looked at Rarity for a moment, then turned her gaze to her old friend. “You told them?”
Fluttershy nodded, “I had to tell them something Dash.”
Rainbow glared at her, then turned her back on her friends, continuing her way to her destination.
“Now hold on just a minute,” said Applejack, reaching out and grabbing Rainbow Dash by the shoulder to stop her. Unfortunately Rainbow was in no mood to be stopped, batting away Applejacks hoof with a growl.
“I told you I don’t have time for this, I’ll talk with you all latter, right now I need to head over to the orphanage!”
The others looked at her in shock, but before any of them could speak she leaped into the air, speeding off toward the orphanage.
* * *
Rainbow landed outside the Orphanage minutes latter, walking through the gate as an older mare exited the building, looking concerned as she spotted her.
“I am sorry mam but if your looking to adopt you will have to come back another time, I just got a message from the doctors saying that one of our fillies got admitted…”
“I know mam,” said Rainbow, “I was the one that brought her into the hospital.”
“What, but they said that her mother…”
Rainbow raised a hoof to silence her, “can…can we go inside please, this may take a while to explain.
The mare looked at her for a moment, noting the hurt and hesitance in her eyes, and then she nodded, motioning for her to follow and heading back up toward the orphanage.
* * *
“Goddess dam that slimy no good rotten…”
“Calm down Applejack, I’m sure she is just…”
“JUST WHAT!” yelled Applejack, rounding on Rarity with a venomous glare. “JUST STRESSED, JUST AGGRAVATED, IS THAT WHAT YAH WERE GOING TO SAY TAH ME!”
“What is going on here?”
The others turned around to see Twilight standing in the door, her hair a bit disheveled and a scowl on her face as she stared at Applejack. They had decided to go to Golden Oaks Library to wait for Twilight after Rainbow had left them.
“What the hay are you yelling about Applejack, and where is Rainbow Dash?”
“That slimy piece of…”
“APPLEJACK!” shouted Rarity, “I don’t care how angry you are at her right now, there is no reason you should be using such language.”
Twilight just stared at her friends in confusion, wondering what had happened at the hospital to cause Applejack to be acting this way. However as she opened her mouth to speak she noticed Pinkie, her mane and tail still deflated and her eyes downcast as she stared at the floor. “What’s wrong with Pinkie?”
“She has been like that ever since we found out that little filly in the hospital is Rainbow Dash’s foal!”
Twilight looked at her in shock, her mouth hanging open as the information hit her. “She…she’s what?”
Applejack opened her mouth again, only for Rarity to shove her hoof in her mouth with a glare. “Oh no, we aren’t hearing anymore form you until you go and calm yourself down. Now why don’t you just head into the kitchen and cool off, I’ll talk with Twilight.”
Applejack looked like she was going to try and argue, but gave up and left, leaving Rarity to wipe her hoof off. “I am sorry about her Twilight, she has been like that ever since she found out, and you know how she can get when it comes to family.”
“But…but what did Rainbow do, and how could we have not known she had a foal up till now?”
“Well…that’s the part that has Applejack so mad, it seems that when Rainbow was young she…she abandoned the foal.”
Twilight was rendered speechless, her mind locking up on what she had just heard. Rainbow Dash, the element of loyalty, the most dependable pony she had ever known, had abandoned the one thing she was supposed to stay loyal to beyond anything else.
“No…no no no no no no…” said Twilight, clutching her head due to the impossibility such a statement produced in her mind.
“Great now we broke her to,” said Fluttershy, getting up to comfort the poor mare as she began to rock back and forth on her haunches.
Rarity looked form her to Pinkie, unease growing at her due to what such information. She needed help, she needed advice, but who could she turn to with something like this. Then she looked at Twilight once again, and she immediately thought of who to turn to, walking over and kneeling down so that she was facing Twilight.
“Twilight...where do you keep your quill and parchment?”
* * *
Gleaming Shores stared at the mare as she finished her story, passing the tissue box she had been holding to Rainbow so she could get another tissue, for she had been sobbing the entire time. Gleaming had to admit, she had heard many a strange story while working at the Orphanage, but the story this mare had told her rocked her to the emotional core.
“This…this is a lot to take in Miss Dash…”
“Misses,” said Rainbow, not wanting to hide anything from the pony between her and her foal.
“Oh, so I can assume from that your still in contact with the father?”
“Yes…though it’s complicated, you…you remember what I said about…about them.”
Gleaming nodded, “you don’t have to worry dear, your secret is safe with me. Now why don’t we discuss the matter of paper work, I assume you will be wanting to adopt her?”
Rainbow looked a bit taken aback, but she nodded, “yes…though only if you’ll let me. I…I know what I did back then means I pretty much gave up my rights to…”
Gleaming clutched her hoof reassuringly, “it’s alright Misses Dash, from what you have told me it wasn’t your fault. But I must caution you to break the information to her gently, she…well, she doesn’t really think to highly of you.”
Rainbow Dash gave her a sad smile, “I wouldn’t think to highly of me either, not after what I did.”
Gleaming patted her on the shoulder, “hey it’s alright now, at least you have a chance to correct your mistake, not may ponies get that. Now come on, let’s go take care of that paper work.”
Rainbow nodded, getting up and following the mare to her office, hope slowly filling her heart like it hadn’t in a long time. And as she filled out the adoption forms, she was visited by a feeling she hadn’t experience since the day she had given birth to Scootaloo, a feeling she had all but given up hope on till today…she was finally going to be a mom.
Rarity finally finished her letter, looking it over one more time before nodding satisfactorily at it and went over to Spike, who was sitting next to Twilight trying to comfort her.
“Spike, I need you to send this letter to Princess Luna for me.”
“What?” said both Spike and Twilight at the same time, Twilight looking at her in confusion.
“Twilight I promise to explain latter, but right now I need advice on this matter and though it is a recent development, Luna is a pony I trust for matters like this. Now can you please send this to her for me?”
Spike hesitated for a moment, then nodded, grabbing the letter and sending it away with his flames. She thanked him and then got up, walking over to the table before turning as somepony knocked at the door. “I’ll get it,” she said, walking over and opening the door. However as soon as she opened it her jaw dropped, for the sight that graced her was one she had never thought she would see willingly in her lifetime.
“H…hi,” said Rainbow Dash sheepishly, blushing due to her friends stare. Her coat and wings had been cleaned, and her mane and tail were done up in a manner Rarity had never seen before, combed almost perfectly straight with a braid in both her main and tail tied around in a spiral.
“R…Rainbow, what the hay happened to you dear?”
“what, oh this, well I…I thought I’d clean up a bit you know, so that when I…I get Scoot’s out of the hospital she wont have to see a total slob when she first wakes up.”
“But but…you look gorgeous!” said Rarity, letting her fashionista eyes lance over each detail of her rugged friend.
“um…not that I don’t mind the compliment but can we go inside and talk, I think I owe you guys a explanation about this whole thing.”
Rarity snapped out of her faze, nodding and leading Rainbow into the library. Upon entering Rainbow caught sight of Twilight and Pinkie, and immediately ran over to them. “Pinkie, Twilight? Wha…what’s wrong with you guys?”
“The have been like that ever since they got the news dear,” said Rarity as she came up next to her, “I just sent a letter of to Luna asking for help, but maybe now that you’re here we can get this mess sorted out.”
Rainbow nodded, but before she could speak there was a crashing noise from the kitchen, and she and Rarity turned to see Applejack standing in the doorway, her eyes glaring at the rainbow manned pegasus.
“So you finally decided to show up you fucking varmint,” said the farm pony, her Stetson eschew and her cheeks flushed with a healthy coat of red. She had a bottle clutched in her hoof, and from the label they could tell it was a bottle of hard apple family cider.
“Applejack you’re drunk,” said Rarity with a grimace, “I thought I told you to cool off, not get yourself plastered.”
“Can it Rarity, I don’t need any backtalk from yah. And you-” she said, pointing a hoof at Rainbow, “yahs got some explaining to do yah here me.”
“Not while you’re drunk Applejack, I think you need to lie down and get your head back on straight.”
Applejack looked like she was about to shout something when a sudden blast of magic hit her right in the noggin, knocking her out cold and causing her to fall to the floor. Rainbow and Fluttershy both looked at her stunned for a moment, then turned to the source of the blast, Rarity.
“What the buck was that!?” asked Rainbow, looking at her friend with a little apprehension as she went over to pick up the unconscious farm pony.
“Just a little sleeping spell; one that will help clear her head while she sleeps off all the alcohol she has consumed, though how she found one of Pinkie’s emergency cider stashes is beyond me.”
“She has a cider stash here?” asked Fluttershy.
Rarity nodded as she carried Applejack up the stairs, “for cider emergencies, she has them all over Ponyville.”
They turned to each other as Rarity disappeared upstairs, both shrugging and then sitting down to wait. Fluttershy kept looking at Rainbow occasionally, till finally she got up the nerve to speak. “So, I see you decided to wear your mane like you used to…its nice.”
“Yeah,” said Rainbow sheepishly, grinning a little as she looked at her mane and tail. “I…I thought it would be a nice change you know…now that I…”
She stopped when Fluttershy grabbed her in a hug, hugging her tight and smiling at her old friend. She returned the hug, not needing the voice how happy she was that Fluttershy at least was still on her side, she just hoped the others would understand once she told them.
* * *
Luna woke up slowly as she heard the unfamiliar sound of a letter being transported by magical flame. Her horn glowed as she grabbed the letter, her eyes cracking open as she pulled it closer to her. When she noticed that it bore the purple ribbon that identified it as her students, she quickly opened it and began to read.
Dear Princess Luna
I know this isn’t the normal method of which I send my letters, but something has happened and Spike was on hand at the time, so it was easer to send it that way then our agreed method. Anyways we have found out some startling information about Rainbow Dash today that has caused both our pink friend and Twilight Sparkle to have sort of nervous breakdowns, and it has caused Applejack to be put into quite a mood due to it. As for what the information was, it appears that Rainbow Dash, our element of loyalty had a foal which she abandoned when she was young.
I know this must come as somewhat of a shock, but it is sadly the truth from what Fluttershy says. I honestly don’t know what to do in this situation, and I am hopping you will have some advice that can help, and will gladly wait till for your reply here at Golden Oaks Library, though hopefully Rainbow Dash will show up and explain this whole mess, till then I await your reply.
Your faithful student Rarity
Luna was stunned, nay she was horrified. A foal, Rainbow Dash, the element of loyalty had abandoned a foal. She couldn’t believe it, she just couldn’t believe that the pony who personified one of the elements of harmony would do such a thing, it was unthinkable. She got up, placing the letter down on the table and exiting the room; she had business in Ponyville it seemed.
As the door’s to her room closed however another figure stepped out of the shadows, walking over to the table and picking up the letter to read, her strawberry pink eyes beginning to glow with anger as she reached the letters end. The letter crumpled in her magical grip, catching fire and falling to the ground in a pile of ash as the mare turned and left the room as well, for she to had business in Ponyville.
It had taken a couple of ours for Applejack to sleep off the hard cider she had consumed, and now everypony was now sitting patiently down in the main room of the library waiting for Rainbow to speak. Rainbow herself was nervous as hell, for she had never really planned on how she was going to tell her friends about this dark corner of her life. Oh she had always planned to eventually, but as to how she wasn’t quite sure how to approach it, so like her dad had taught her she decided to go back to the start of the whole mess.
“Ok I know you guys know how I preformed the sonic Rainboom when I was a kid right?”
Everypony nodded; of course they knew that, “well this whole mess starts with that. You see I always had the dream of becoming a wonderbolt, and my parents were very supportive, especially my mom Firefly. But…but when I preformed the Rainboom; it all changed, and my dream became a nightmare.”
They all looked at her confused for a moment, and she quickly started speaking again. “You got to understand, my mom was supportive about my dream, but when she saw me perform the Rainboom…something changed. She no longer saw it as her child’s dream; she took it and turned it into inevitability. Every day when I would get home she would take me out to the training coarse and drill me for hours and ours till my wings were sore and my eyes stung, never letting up and only letting me rest for a few short minutes before forcing me into the air again. I…I remember dad trying to stop her but she wouldn’t listen, she was like a mare possessed.”
“As I got older I started to rebel, I started wearing my hair differently I started going to parties, I started hanging out with griffins. Then one night I found a pony, a pony I knew mom would not approve of if I started hanging around and dating.”
“Who was that then, some ruffian colt or something?” asked Applejack, still trying to sake off the hangover as she held an ice bag to her head.
“Nope,” said Rainbow with a smile, “it was Spitfire.”
“The wonderbolt?” asked Fluttershy with a skeptical look, “but she is a mare.”
“I’ll get to that Shy, just be patient. Anyway I met Spitfire at a club in clouds dale that I had been frequenting, and we hit it off pretty well, though it almost bombed when I freaked out after she tried to kiss me the first time. Turned out she liked mares and at the time I was more into stallions, but when I thought about how my mom would react, well lets just say I decided to see if I like mares as well.”
She started describing dates, where they would go out, and her friends couldn’t help but noticed how she seemed to glow when talking about her marefriend, which was definitely not in the norm for what they knew about Rainbow. “After a while I…I guess I finally fell head over heals for her, so when my 18th birthday rolled around I…I decided to do something that neither of us would ever really forget. I…I brought her back to my place, took her to my room and we started to make out. We ended up on the bed at one point and I realized this was it, this was the moment…and then I got a surprise I didn’t exactly expect.”
“What didn’t yah expect; her marehood drip on yah in a weird way, and this still doesn’t explain how yah had a kid without a stallion to rut yah senseless.”
Rainbow blushed at that, “w…well not to be vague but the stallion was um…provided for…”
Everypony stared at her confused for a moment, then Twilight gasped as realization dawned on her. “She was a hermaphrodite?”
“A herwhat now?”
Twilight face hoofed, and then clarified, “she had a dick instead a pussy right?”
Everypony turned to her then, looking at her like they had never seen her before. “Well-” said Rarity with a blush, “-that was blunt…to say the least.”
“Well I am sorry not everypony has as big a vocabulary as me which forces me to use more blunt descriptors but that’s not the issue! Now rainbow, did she have a…”
“Yes she had stallion parts instead of mare parts,” said Rainbow quickly.
“Oh…my…” said Fluttershy, her face flushing red as her overactive imagination started kicking in.
“Hey get your head out of the gutter Shy,” scolded Rainbow, causing her friend to blush even harder. “Anyways, yes she had the bits where it counted, so my first time turned into a lot more magical experience then I was expecting…at least that was till three months later.”
“Don’t tell me, you let her do the deed inside thinking it wouldn’t get you pregnant.”
Rainbow nodded, “I found out latter form her that it was actually more potent then standard stallions, so all it took was one go with me to get a bun I’m my oven. At first I was scared; I didn’t want to tell anypony for fear of things spiraling out of my control. But mixed in with the fear was a sense of hope and joy, for with that life growing inside me I had a chance to do things I wanted…to live my own life.”
She got shaky as she kept talking, knowing where her story was going and dreading the looks she was going to see, but she had gotten this far, she had to continue. “So I went home to confront my mom, telling her straight to her face that I had gotten pregnant and would soon be taking care of a foal of my own, living a comfortable life away from her. She got so mad, ranting about how this would destroy my dream and wreck my chances of ever getting into the wonder bolts, and that’s when I told her straight to her face I didn’t want to be a wonderbolt.”
Everypony looked at her in shock, “what…but…but you always wanted to be a wonderbolt!” said Fluttershy with a raised voice, her shock making her break from her usually quite demeanor.
“That was before my mom went and destroyed my ambition to become one, though in latter years Spitfire helped rebuild it again. Anyway that little tidbit seemed to make her just snap, and my life went downhill from there. I’ll spare you all the details, but it was because of my mom that I lost Scootaloo for so long…she…she took my foal away from me…”
She started crying, not even noticing as everypony walked up and wrapped her in a hug, even Applejack. It took her a while to calm down, but after a moment she finally hugged them back. “Thank you guys…I’m just sorry I didn’t tell any of you sooner.”
“That’s ok sugar cube, I just wish you had told me sooner, I wouldn’t have blown my top off if I had known that.”
“And this means your not a bad pony anymore!” shouted Pinkie, hugging her friend even harder as her mane and tail poofed back up.
Her friends eventually let her go, and she sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I just hope she is as understanding as you guys, I don’t know what I would do if…”
She stopped as the door fell in, and everypony turned to see Celestia standing in the doorway, her mane and tail billowing angrily around her as her eyes locked on Rainbow with a venomous glare.
All the ponies backed away from Rainbow as Celestia walked forward, her eyes never leaving the rainbow maned mare before her.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t burn you alive for what you have done.”
Rainbow just stared at her, not knowing what to say. Fortunately for her she was spared that requirement as Luna came barging into the library, throwing herself in-between Rainbow and Celestia. “Sister, you don’t want to do this.”
“I just want to talk to her….”
“No you don’t, you just want to yell.”
“I just want to talk to her…”
“Celestia she is not our mother she does not…”
“SHE IS JUST LIKE HER!” roared Celestia; stamping her hoof so hard on the floor she sent cracks through the wood. “SHE ABANDONED THE ONE THING SHE WAS MEANT TO PROTECT ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE IN THIS WORLD, SHE CARRIED A LIFE INSIDE HER AND THEN SQUANDERED IT, SHE DOES NOT DESERVE TO WIELD THE ELEMENT SHE BEARS!”
“I DID NOT ABANDON MY FOAL!”
Everypony looked at Rainbow, her eyes burning with an angry fire as she stared down the regal monarch. “If you had heard what I had just told my friends you would not have said that to me, my foal was taken from me, by my own mother!”
The anger died in Celestia’s eyes, turning instead to horror at what she had just heard. Rainbow moved out from behind Luna then, walking over and placing a hoof on Celestia’s shoulder. “I don’t know what happened between you and your mother…and I’m sorry it happened to you, but Luna is right, I’m not her.”
Then something happened then that nopony expected, Rainbow reached up and pulled Celestia into hug, and after a moment of surprise, she got a hug in return. After a long moment and a few tears they parted, Celestia looking apologetically at her as she bowed her head. “I am sorry Rainbow, it seems that wound still has yet to heal, I did not mean for it to be taken out on you.”
“Its ok…I know what its like to be betrayed by your mother, it…it never really heals, but we can learn to get over it with time…especially if we are willing to look to others for help.”
She gestured at her friends, receiving a surprised look from both them and the two rulers. Finally it was Luna who spoke up, “wise words young Dash, it seems my sister has forgotten some of these things of late.”
Celestia nodded, “it seems I have…but enough about that. I must get going; I fear I have lingered to long here today.”
She turned to go, waving for Luna to follow. Luna nodded, but before she left she leaned toward Rarity. “I expect you to keep me informed on how things go from here on in.”
“Yes your highness,” said Rarity with a bow, then Luna nodded and left with her sister.
After they left the others all turned to Rainbow, “so what do you plan to do now sugar cube?”
“What do you think, I’m going make sure Scoots pulls through this ok, and then I’m going to take her home.”
“But Dash, what are you going to do about the father?”
Rainbow froze at that question, for in truth she hadn’t thought about that. “I…I don’t know, I guess I never really thought what I would say to her if I found Scootaloo.”
She then felt a wing drape over her shoulder, and turned to see Fluttershy standing next to her, giving her a smile. “Go, well watch over Scootaloo while you get Spitfire, she deserves to know.”
Rainbow looked at her a moment, then nodded. “Ok, I’ll go get her, lucky clouds dale is so close to Ponyville this time a year. Just…just keep her safe ok; I can’t bear to loose her again.”
The all nodded, and then watched as she took off out the window, speeding off in the direction of the floating city.
* * *
She eventually landed outside Spitfires place after dark, knowing where it was by heart due to her frequent visits to the place. It had been a blessing that they had stayed together, but they had agreed that living apart for a while would be best, thought Rainbow kept visiting because Spitfire provided her the kind of emotional support you can only find in a lover. She knocked nervously at the door, waiting patiently till the door opened, and was greeted with the startled face of Spitfire.
“Hey Spitfire, how you doing?”
“Wha…did my birthday come early or something?” said Spitfire, here eyes glancing up and down Rainbow and causing her to blush. “Babe I haven’t seen you look like that in years, what’s the occasion?”
“Um…can I come inside, I…I got something to talk to you about.”
Spitfire looked confused, but invited her in all the same. Rainbow went and sat down on the couch as Spitfire went into the kitchen, grabbing them drinks before sitting down as well. “So hon, what did you want to talk to me about?”
Rainbow hesitated for a moment, and then she began to speak. “Um…you…you remember when I told you about…about the foal.”
Spitfire stopped mid drink, cowling as she set her glass down. “I thought we agreed never to talk about that again Dash, we both agreed that it was too painful.”
“I…I know Spits but…but I found her…”
Spitfire’s eyes widened in shock when she heard that, and she turned sharply towards her lover, not wanting to believe what she heard, “you…you what?”
“I…I found her Spits…our little girl, she’s alive.”
Spitfire stat their for a long moment, then she got up and walked over to Rainbow, sitting down next to her and grabbing her hooves. “You’re not just pulling my leg this time right hon; you’ve really found her this time?”
Rainbow nodded, “I found her in Ponyville, though…though I didn’t find her how I wanted to…”
“What do you mean hon?”
“I…I found her being attacked by some stallions, she…she got hurt pretty bad but don’t worry-” said Rainbow, for she had caught the expression on Spitfires face. “-I managed to get them away from her, luckily my friends showed up and helped me get her to the hospital. She is doing fine, though she will need to stay in the hospital for a few days to recover.”
Spitfire stayed where she was for a moment, then grabbed up Rainbow in a hug, tears of joy streaming down her face as she pulled her mare close. After a brief hug, and a few pecks for reassurance they parted, Rainbow leaning against her stallion and breathing in her scent.
“So, have you told her about…about what happened yet?”
“No, she hasn’t woken up yet, so I haven’t gotten the chance to tell her, honestly I’m afraid to though…”
“Hon you have nothing to be afraid of, you spent eight years of your life trying to find that young filly, and no matter what she may think of you now once you tell her the truth she will see it wasn’t your fault, it was that dam momma of yours.”
“I know, it’s just…it still scares me.”
Spitfire nodded, and then grinned as she got an idea, one that would help them both. “Hey, you want to do something to take you mind of things for a while.”
She let her hoof drift down to rub the inner part of Rainbow’s thy, causing her to shiver but also causing her to scowl. “Babe stop, I didn’t come here for that.”
“I know you didn’t, but it will clear your head for a while, and we haven’t exactly done it in a while and you walking in looking like that has got me all hot and bothered.”
Rainbow mulled it over in her head, on the one hoof it would mean that they would be late getting back to Ponyville, but on the other it would help her to relaxed and take some of the worries of her shoulders for a while. And she herself had to admit, it had been a looong time since they had played around under the sheets. “Ok, but only three times this time, we need to be able to fly back home ok.”
“As you wish my lady,” said Spitfire with a grin, slapping Dash on the ass before running off to her room, her rainbow maned mare in hot pursuit.
Rainbow and Spitfire flew through the sky over Ponyville, Rainbow flying crooked due to their earlier activities. “God damit Spits I thought I said only three times, I can barely feel my dam legs now!”
“Sorry babe but it’s your dam fault for looking so dam sexy, I can’t help it if I think like a stallion in some ways.”
“Cock for brains!” yelled Rainbow, landing outside the hospital and stumbling a bit, her legs shaking as they tried to support her weight. Spitfire landed beside her and grabbed her, helping her walk inside. The got up to the desk, and were soon greeted by Nurse Redheart, who informed them that Scootaloo was awake and that her friends were watching her.
They walked down the hallway toward where she was staying, Rainbow getting more and more nervous as they got closer to the room. “Wha…what if she doesn’t accept what I say, what if…”
“Hon calm down, everything is going to be fine, you don’t have to worry.”
Rainbow wouldn’t believe it, not until her filly was hugging her and telling her herself it was alright. They finally reached the room, and rainbow saw her friends sitting outside, all of them waving to her as she walked over. “Hi guys…um…I would like you to meet my…my wife Spitfire.”
Her friends gasped as the mare beside her blushed, walking up to them and shaking their hooves. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all; Rainbow has told me so much about you.”
“Only good things I hope,” said Rarity, shaking the mares hoof while letting her eyes travel over her body to a certain spot, smiling when she spotted it. “And my I say dear, you are a healthy specimen.”
Spitfire blushed, and Rainbow glared at her friend after realizing what she was doing. “Hey, get your eyes of my wives bits Rare’s, she’s taken.”
“Nothing wrong with window shopping dear, besides I’m not the only one looking.”
Rainbow looked, and she could see that everypony else was staring at her marefriend as well, or at least a certain part of her. Applejack had a look of disbelief and curiosity, Fluttershy looked curious, Twilight wasn’t really looking, and Pinkie was just giggling as she pointed with her hoof.
“Ok all of you quick ogling my wife and move aside; we got a kid to see.”
“I’ll wait hon; I want to get to know your friends better.”
“Ok hon, but it’s your ass,” said Rainbow, who breathed in a deep breath before opening the door and walking inside.
* * *
Scootaloo sat up as the door opened, her eyes widening as her idol Rainbow Dash entered the room. “Ra…Rainbow Dash, oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!”
Rainbow looked a bit taken aback by her reaction, some of her fears beginning to make themselves heard as she stood there. “Oh know please tell me she is not…”
“Could I get your autograph, I’m your biggest fan, I’ve seen all your stunts and…”
“Oh buck,” thought Rainbow as her child rambled on, her worst fear confirmed as she gazed at her foals excited face. Ever since she had found out Scootaloo had been living in Ponyville, she had been dreading this might happen, that her daughter would unknowingly start idolizing her from afar, and before she knew what she was doing she was opening her mouth to speak.
“I’m not somepony you want to be idolizing kid…”
“Wha…what? What are you talking about Rainbow Dash, you’re awesome!”
Rainbow shook her head, but then sat down, looking at Scootaloo as she began speaking again. “Kid, would you mind if we talk for a bit, there are some things we need to talk about.”
Scootaloo nodded franticly, looking ecstatic at the chance to be able to talk to her idol. “K, but…this question you may not like. Um…Scootaloo, what do you remember about your mother, your birth mother?”
Scootaloo’s face darkened at that question, “I don’t remember anything, because she abandoned me when I was a foal, but that pretty much tells me what she was probably like, undependable and heartless. Not like you though, you’re awesome and the element of loyalty and you can do the sonic rainboom and…”
“Scootaloo I’m your mother!”
Again her mouth was speaking before her mind had made up what to say, and she couldn’t really blame the look she received from Scootaloo. “Wh…what?
“I…I’m your mother Scoots…I…I was the one who gave birth to you…”
Scootaloo stared at her for a moment, and then started shaking her head franticly. “No no you can’t be her, you wouldn’t do something like that you…”
“Scootaloo please…I…I brought proof with me, here…”
Rainbow pulled from her saddle bag a slip of paper, handing it to Scootaloo and letting her read. It was birth certificate, and it looked like it had been handled with care. Scootaloo saw her name on it and in the place where the parents name went was Rainbow’s. After a long moment Scootaloo spoke, her voice shaking a bit as she kept her eyes locked on the slip of paper.
“Get out.”
“Scootaloo please I need to…”
“I said get out!” Yelled Scootaloo; actually getting out of bed and walking towards the door.
“Scootaloo you get back in that bed, you still…”
“Who are you to tell me what to do, you abandoned me!”
“Scootaloo if you would just let me explain…”
“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say, I hate you!” Yelled Scootaloo, and then before Dash could do anything she leaped through the window, disappearing from sight as the broken shards of glass hit the floor, leaving Rainbow in tears.
“Calm down!” yelled Rainbow, rounding on her wife with a glare. “Our baby has run off alone and she is hurt, so don’t you dare ask me to calm down!”
Spitfire didn’t flinch, grabbing her mare by the shoulder to stop her. “Dashie listen to me, you need to calm down now. I know you babe and when you get like this you can’t think strait, so just breathe deep and calm down.”
Rainbow stopped, taking a deep breath and forcing herself to calm down, realizing Spitfire was right. “Ok, but what are we going to do, we don’t know where she could be.”
“Well she had to have gone to school right, so why don’t we check…”
“Um…Misses Dash?”
Rainbow turned around to see Applebloom walking up to her, looking nervous as she approached.
“I’m sorry Applebloom I won’t be able to play with you today, I’m kind of…”
“I’m not here to play; I heard you was looking for mah friend Scootaloo?”
Rainbow’s eyes widened, “You know Scootaloo?”
Applebloom nodded, “yeah, but that’s not why ah came, ah think ah might know where she is.”
“Where?” asked Rainbow, getting closer as hope started to rekindle itself inside her.
“We have a clubhouse I know she stays in when she doesn’t want to return to the orphanage, come on I’ll show yah.”
Scootaloo cried as she laid on the makeshift bed she kept in the clubhouse, watching as the last of her Rainbow memorabilia burn away in the fire she had constructed. She still could barely believe that Rainbow Dash, her idol, was the one who had abandoned her when she was young.
Why she thought, why did she do it, why would the most dependable mare in all Equestria abandon her, her own child, it was just unthinkable.
She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of a pony landing inside the clubhouse, but when she turned around she growled, for it was Rainbow standing behind her.
“I thought I told you to stay away!”
“And I told you I am not leaving till you have heard what I have to say.”
Scootaloo made for the door, only to be stopped as Rainbow grabbed her and held her at bay.
“Let me go!”
“No not until you heard what I had to…”
“I don’t want to hear what you got to say! Now let me go!”
“NO I’M NOT GOING TO LOSE YOU AGAIN!”
Scootaloo froze in her forelegs, her mind halting on what she had just said. She slowly looked up, noting the tears streaming down Rainbow’s face as she gazed down at her, and then she finally found the urge to speak. “Lose me again…wha…what do you…”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you Scootaloo, I didn’t abandon you…you were taken from me…”
She then let Scootaloo go, backing away as the young pegasus stared at her in disbelief. “I…I never wanted to give you up Scootaloo, you were my little foal…the one good thing I can say I did right with my life, but…”
“Who?” asked Scootaloo, still a little wary but willing to hear this time.
“What?”
“You said I was taken from you, I want to know who did it…and where the hay where you for these last eight years of my life?”
Rainbow hesitated for a moment, than nodded, sitting down before speaking to her. “It…it was my mother who took you from me Scootaloo, she…she had this vision of where I was supposed to go in life and…and she saw you as a mistake. She…she knew I wouldn’t give you up though, I…I told her as much when I told her I was pregnant with you, about how I was going to be a mother to you…so…so she waited till I was away and…and she took you away.”
Her face was running with tears as she kept talking, her voice choked with sobs as her daughter stared at her with a mixture of disbelief and horror.
“And…as for where I was these last eight years…I was looking for you Scootaloo, every day when I had the time, I would go out and look for you, but each time I couldn’t find you…till I that day in the ally…”
Rainbow then squeaked in surprise as Scootaloo tackled her, then wrapped her forelegs around her foal as she felt her begin to cry.
“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…”
“Shh,” said Rainbow, rubbing the back of Scootaloo’s head as she tried to calm her down. “You have nothing to be sorry for Scoots, it was my fault I couldn’t find you sooner, and I just hope you can forgive me for being gone for so long.”
“I do Rain…mom…”
With that one word Rainbow’s heart soared, and so she hugged her little girl tighter, simply holding her as they both cried their torment away.
“Ah come on, do I really have to go back to that crummy hospital?”
Rainbow laughed, holding her filly close as she flew her closer to the hospital. “Yes you do, your still injured Scoots, so it’s back to the hospital for you. Anyway I told your dad to wait for me there, so it will be a good chance for you to meet her.”
“Mom, I know dads aren’t she’s, you can at least not joke around with me.”
Rainbow laughed again, “I know you know that squirt, but in your case your dad is a mare, whom I am in very much love with and plan to introduce you to today.”
Scootaloo shot her a look, but decided to remain silent; she figured she would get the truth once they got back to the hospital. As they drew closer Scootaloo saw a mare waiting outside, and her jaw slowly began to fall open as she realized who it was. “No way, no bucking…”
“Hey, watch you language squirt.”
Down on the ground Spitfire watched as the two drew closer, barley containing the urge to just leap into the sky and fly to them so that she could embrace her foal. Eventually they landed on the ground, Rainbow placing her gently onto her back and then walking over to Spitfire.
“Hey,” said rainbow, nuzzling into her wife with affection as she nuzzled back.
Spitfire then looked up at Scootaloo, who was staring at her with slack jawed disbelief, only to squeak as Spitfire pulled her off Rainbow’s back, hugging her close as she started to cry happy tears at finally being able to hold her baby girl. After a while Rainbow joined in on the hug, and Scootaloo had to admit, for the first time in her messed up life, she felt things were finally right, and they were only going to get better from here on.
*One Day Latter: Cloudsdale*
Firefly trotted along the road on the way to her favorite news stand, bouncing a little on the clouds as she thought of the good date she had just had. She felt like a young mare again, happily dancing along the street till she made it to the stand and asking for a paper, handing over the bits and then turning to look at the front page as she leaned against the news stand.
However when she noticed the front page, her eyes shot open, and she quickly ripped open the paper and began reading, not even trying to hide the glare she shot the picture of two mares hugging a little filly.
After eight long years of searching the Element of Loyalty, a misses Rainbow Aurora Dash and her wife, the legendary leader of the Wonderbolts, Captain Spitfire, have finally been reunited with their long lost filly Scootaloo, who has been living the last eight years of her life in the Ponyville Orphanage. Local reporter Flying quill managed to get an interview with the head of the Orphanage, miss Gleaming Shores.
“Well Rainbow came by after I had just gotten the news that Scootaloo was in the hospital, and after a brief conversation I invited her inside and she told me about how she had lost Scootaloo, though she asked me to keep it a secret, but I assure you it is a very sad tale.”
As of yet reporters have not been able to get an interview with the celebrity parents nor their long lost child, having been stopped by both hospital staff and even royal guards at one point. Even the close friends of the Element of Loyalty refuse to comment on the matter, saying it was their business and that they did not want to betray their friends trust…
The article went on more, but Firefly couldn’t continue, dropping the paper into her saddle bags and running over to the nearest pay phone. She inserted the bits and quickly dialed the number of her boss, waiting impatiently till she heard the ringing stop.
“Hello?”
“Hello Sal this is Firefly.”
“Oh hey Fly, whatcha need this time?”
Firefly giggled, “Well you know all that vacation time I have saved up, well today I’m cashing in, I just got the newspaper today and saw my little girl has found her daughter.”
“Ah, so you want to go down there celebrate the good news with them?”
“Why of course, what kind of mother would I be if I did otherwise?”
That got her a laugh, “well I’ll grant it then, I know it’s been a while since you have seen your little girl, just make sure you enjoy yourself ok?”
“I will Sal, and thanks for this, I promise to talk with you when I get back, Bye.”
The minute she set down the phone her face changed, her smile vanishing to be replaced by an angry grimace. She couldn’t believe it, after all the bucking trouble she went through to get rid of that little bump in Rainbow’s road to glory, that little bundle of hell still somehow managed to make it back into her life. She quickly turned and headed straight for home, she had to pack a few things before she made her way to Ponyville. One way or another she was going to fix this, no matter what she had to do; she would not let her filly’s life be ruined again.
Rainbow and Spitfire flew side by side as they headed toward her cloud home, Scootaloo held comfortably in Rainbow’s forelegs as they kept flying. It had taken a while to get everything together after they had left the hospital, they had insisted on her staying for one more day to make sure she was completely on the mend. After they had left and gathered Scootaloo’s things, Rainbow had decided they should head over to her house, so that they could get Scootaloo’s room ready for her before going over to Sugar Cube Corner to celebrate the reuniting of the family.
“Is Momma going to be staying with us to?” asked Scootaloo, using the tittle she had picked for Spitfire.
“Yeah she is, though only if that will work with her job, you got to remember she is the captain of the Wonderbolts.”
Scootaloo looked over expectantly at Spitfire, who giggled as she nodded her head. “I’m staying honey, even if I have to move heaven and earth to make it happen, I’m going to make sure I can stay to help raise you.”
That got a smile from the little filly, who nuzzled close to her mom as they reached the cloud which supported Rainbow’s cloud home. At first Scootaloo was scared, but after a few test steps she found that she could walk quite normally on the clouds, and quickly followed her parents to the door.
“Goddesses it’s been ages since I’ve been here,” said Spitfire, breathing in a deep lungful of air, loving the feeling of the special clouds under her hooves. Rainbow had crafted this house out of high altitude clouds, which were hard to keep together at such low altitudes, but Rainbow Dash somehow managed to keep them together, she still didn’t understand how though.
“I know, the bed hasn’t exactly felt the same with you gone you know,” said Dash, hugging her wife close as she gave her a kiss.
“Oh gag,” said Scootaloo, causing her parents to giggle as they reached the door.
“One day you won’t see it that way squirt,” said Rainbow, opening the door and walking inside. However the moment she looked inside her face lit up with a huge smile, and she quickly ran inside, tackling the pony who was sitting on her couch and giving him a big hug. “Dad!” she said as the stallion laughed, letting him go and looking at him as he brushed his rainbow mane out of his face. “What the heck are you doing here; I thought you were off in Fillydelphia working with the weather patrol there?”
“well me and Posy were passing through on our way back to Cloudsdale when we saw the newspaper, figured it would be nice to surprise you with a visit from your old man and your favorite step mom.”
“Posy is here to?” asked Rainbow excitedly.
“Yeah, she and Fluttershy are in the kitchen cooking up a storm, you know how those two get.
Rainbow quickly shot off toward the kitchen, leaving her father with Spitfire and Scootaloo, who was hiding behind Spitfire’s legs out of fear.
“Hey Spitfire, been a while.”
“Same to you Blitz, it has been a while.”
Blitz then leaned down and looked at Scootaloo, giving her a soft smile as she looked at him. “Hey there kiddo, long time no see.”
Scootaloo looked at him with confusion, causing the stallion to chuckle as he went to explain. “I was with your mom during the first year of your life kiddo; I helped her take care of you till…till you were taken away from her.”
Scootaloo stood there for a moment, then slowly walked out from behind Spitfire, walking over to the stallion and giving him a hug, receiving one in return as Blitz fought back tears.
In the kitchen Rainbow finished hugging Posy, and then rolled her eyes as she held her at hooves length, getting a good look at her. “Oh it’s wonderful to see you wearing your mane like this again; it always did compliment you better than that rat’s nest of a hairdo.”
“Mom stop it, your embarrassing me.”
Posy giggled, and then smiled when she saw her husband walking into the room with Scootaloo on his back, walking over and nuzzling her, which caused her to giggle. “So this is the little angel we have been hearing so much about, it’s nice to finally meet you.” She then looked over at Rainbow, giving her a smile before speaking. “Why don’t you get an apron and help your sister dear, I want to go with you father and talk with Scootaloo a bit ok?”
Rainbow nodded, then grabbed an apron and went over to help Fluttershy as Spitfire stared at her in disbelief, not even noticing as Posy and Blitz took Scootaloo into the living room. “I didn’t know you know how to cook!”
“You never asked,” said Rainbow with a laugh, then she went back to helping Shy with the cooking.
Back in the Living room, Posy and Blitz sat down with Scootaloo as she looked between the two, till the urge to speak finally overcame her. “Um, would you mind if I asked when you two hooked up, from everything I knew about my mom you were married to the former Wonderbolt Firefly?”
“It’s no trouble dear,” said Posy, sitting down on the couch and putting Scootaloo on her knee. “Well after Firefly took you away, your grandfather decided enough was enough and got a divorce, I can tell you that was the story of the century or a while in Cloudsdale. Any way’s, I myself was a widow at the time, and after a while he called me up and we hit it off, going out for two years before finally getting married. Rainbow sadly couldn’t attend the wedding, she was still looking for you at the time, but it still was a magical day.”
Scootaloo nodded, “um, what about when mom was looking for me. I mean I know she told me she was, but every time I saw her she was usually sleeping, or working, or helping out her friends.”
“Well the reason she was sleeping so much was because she was so tired,” said Blitz, “if she wasn’t working or helping out her friends, she was out looking for you, scouring town after town, city after city. She’d be gone for days, even weeks just looking for you, never wanting to give up.”
Scootaloo found herself awed, remembering one time she had spotted Rainbow landing on a cloud, looking dirty and worn out as though she had been flying non-stop for days.
“Anyway enough about that, I’m sure you want to hear of better things then the sad moments of our lives. But now I got some question’s for you kiddo, how long you been staying in Ponyville before Rainbow found you.”
“About as long as I can remember really,” said Scootaloo, “from what Gleaming Shores told me she found me on the doorstep of the orphanage, she figured I had been abandoned by my mom. It was a good place to live I guess, but I never really stayed there for long once my friend Applebloom showed me her tree house, I used to sneak out there to sleep when I couldn’t stand staying in the orphanage.”
Blitz nodded, and then spoke up as he looked down at Scootaloo. “now here is one thing I don’t get, I mean you have been living for eight years in Ponyville, and Rainbow moved their six years ago, how come you two never ran into each other?”
Scootaloo actually lowered her head at that question; looking nervous as she spoke. “w…well, I always kind of thought of mom as my hero, but I…I didn’t want her to see me like I was, I kind of had the notion that you needed to look nice and have your cutie mark before you could meet your hero, so I…I kind of went out of my way so I wouldn’t have to be seen by her.”
Posy quickly gave her a hug, sensing her discomfort as the little filly hugged her back. “It’s ok dear, we all have irrational fears like that, even your mom has some of her own.”
Scootaloo was about to speak when Rainbow poked her head out of the kitchen, “dinners done guys, it’s in the dining room,” she said, smiling as they got up and followed her to the dining room.
The moment Scootaloo entered the dining room her jaw dropped, for the entire table was covered food, so much food her mouth started to water, for she hadn’t seen this much food in…well ever.
“mom and I thought it would be nice if you came home to a nice home cooked meal,” said Fluttershy, who got up and gave her a big hug, which was joined by everypony in the room, all giving her affection as Rainbow got close and nuzzled her daughter.
“Welcome home Scootaloo.”
They could have stayed like that forever, but as quickly as the moment had come; it vanished when a knock came to the entryway door. “I’ll get it,” said Rainbow, walking away as everypony else walked over to the table and sat down. She walked over to the entryway, a spring in her step and a smile on her face as she opened the door. But when she saw who was standing at the doorway the words of greeting she had prepared caught in her throat, for standing in the doorway was a pony she hadn’t seen in ages, and the last pony she thought she would ever have to see again.
“Hello Rainbow,” said Firefly, “long time no see.”
Rainbow couldn’t move; she couldn’t speak. Why…why in the nine planes of Tartarus was she here, what could she possibly want with her now.
“Well aren’t you going to invite me in dear, It’s been ages since we last saw each other, and plus I heard you got your little girl back, so I thought I would come by and offer my congratulations.”
She didn’t buy it for a second, letting go of the door and flaring her wings in an aggressive manner. “You’re not setting one hoof in this house!”
Firefly laughed, actually laughed, finding it funny that her daughter was trying to stand up to her after all this time. “Come on honey, you and I both know whether you like it or not, I am coming into your house.”
Back at the kitchen entrance Blitz poked his head out, about to ask Rainbow what was wrong when he saw who was at the door, and he quickly turned to Posy, unable to hide the anger in his voice. “Honey keep everypony at the table, I got to go help Rainbow with something.”
“Honey what are you-” she started, only to have him place a hoof on her mouth and whisper into her ear, causing her eyes to widen. Then he turned and walked out of the kitchen, raising his voice as he got close to the door.
“What the buck are you doing here Firefly!”
“Oh great, it’s you,” said Firefly, staring past Rainbow as Blitz came up beside her.
Back in the kitchen everypony cringed as they heard shouting start coming from down the hall, Scootaloo staying close to Spitfire as Fluttershy leaned over to whisper to her.
“Spits, keep Scootaloo in here, I’m going to go get Twilight and the others ok.”
Spitfire nodded, then watch as Fluttershy opened up a hole in the floor, diving out as it closed and speeding off toward Twilight’s house as fast as she could.
Twilight sighed as she sat down to read the latest Daring Doo book, thoroughly drained from the past day’s events. She opened the book, turning to the first page when her window broke open, Fluttershy falling into her room and then shaking herself off.
“Fluttershy, what the heck…”
“Twilight!” Fluttershy said, grabbing her by the shoulders as she spoke. “You need to send a letter to princess Celestia now, Firefly just showed up at Rainbow’s house, and I think she plans to try and take Scootaloo away again!”
Twilight didn’t even hesitate, grabbing up a quill and parchment and writing a quick note to Celestia telling her what was going on, and that she should probably bring some guards just in case before teleporting it to her. “Come on, let’s get the others!” she said, and then she and Fluttershy ran out of her house, splitting up to go gather their friends.
“I don’t care why you’ve come here mom; I already told you you are not setting one hoof in my house!”
“And I told you I am coming in there whether you like it or not!”
Before either Rainbow or Blitz could react Firefly struck, grabbing both of them by the face with her wings and delivering an electric shock to both of them, dropping them both to the floor. She flexed her wings; smiling as she watched the electricity arc between her feathers, after all, there was a reason her cutie mare was a pair of lightning bolts.
Back near the kitchen door Posy stood sock still, not wanting to believe what she had seen. She quickly turned to Spitfire, mouthing one word before stepping out into the hall to confront her sister.
“Run.”
Spitfire didn’t even hesitate, grabbing Scootaloo and leaving through the window, not even looking back as she heard a crashing noise echo from the house.
Back inside Firefly smiled as she got up, spitting blood onto the floor as she got up. “Dam Pose, I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“I can’t believe you did that to them, to you own daughter, mom told you you weren’t supposed to use it on others, you could hurt somepony!”
“Yeah well a lot of good that advice did her didn’t it, if she had just had the balls to use her own talent she might have…”
She never finished, for at that moment Posy screamed in rage, charging forward and bucking her in the chest. Firefly hit a wall but quickly recovered, catching her sister as she tried to strike her again and shocking her as well, gently lowering her to the floor and kissing her on the forehead. “I’m sorry sis, but I have to do this, I can’t let her ruin her life, not like mom did.”
She then took off through a hole in the floor, chasing after the yellow blur that was making its way toward Canterlot.
Twilight and the others looked around as Fluttershy pulled the blimp, her usual timid nature gone as she pulled it fast along the sky.
“I still don’t see why you needed us Twi, ah mean ah’m all for helping a girl out but what can me and Pinkie Pie do in the air like this.”
“The more eyes we have the better Applejack, the quicker we find them the better.” Twilight then turned a nervous glance toward Fluttershy, who was looking around with a serious yet frightened manner. Twilight knew Fluttershy was usually scared of a lot of things, but this was different, she was terrified now, and anything that terrified Fluttershy terrified Twilight.
“There they are!” cried Pinkie, pointing her hoof in the direction of Canterlot and the two dots heading towards it. But as they turned to look they saw a bolt of lightning shoot out from the pink dot, nearly hitting the yellow one as it dodged out of the way.
“What the hay was that!” cried Applejack, staring in fear as another bolt shot out from where Firefly was.
“It’s Firefly’s special talent,” said Fluttershy as she picked up the pace, “she has the ability to build up enough electricity in her wings that she can create lighting, its why she has twin lightning bolts as cutie marks.”
“But…but that’s not possible, nopony can do that!”
“She can,” said Fluttershy, “and you better have some spells ready to take her down, cause if I’m right that’s Spitfire with carrying Scootaloo out there, and it looks like Firefly won’t stop till she’s knocked them out of the air.”
The air seemed to grow cold after that, and then Rarity and Twilight began prepping some spells to stop the wild mare, knowing that Scootaloo’s life probably depended on them taking her down.
Out in the skies Firefly unleashed another bolt of lightning, the air crackling around her due to all the energy she had built up. She had to admit, the kid was an adept flyer, managing to dodge each of her discharges with ease while being weighed down by the filly in her forelegs. Still, she would never make it to Canterlot, all it would take for her to screw up just once and she would be down, and then Firefly would be able to take care of that little runt once and for all.
“You should have just left that little runt out to die,” thought Firefly as she kept up the chase, “but no, you had to be all nice and leave her at the orphanage, and now you got to clean up the mess, again!”
As she prepped another bolt however she caught something out of the corner of her eye, and turned to see a blimp being pulled by her niece Fluttershy and what looked like two unicorns prepping spells which she knew were meant for her. “Oh I don’t have time for this bucking shit,” she said, turning in midair and unleashing a pair of bolts in their direction.
The first bolt hit Fluttershy in the chest, while the second tore through the blimp, causing them to begging plummeting from the sky. She smiled and turned to continue her chase, only to meet with spears at her throat as several royal guards surrounded her, spotting Princess Celestia herself in the air in front of Spitfire, who was clutching Scootaloo protectively as she hid behind the princess.
“Firefly, you stand accused of three counts of assault, one count of foalnapping, and several counts of attempted murder, how do you plea?” asked one of the guards.
“Well I would say guilty if I wasn’t about to add a few more counts of assault,” said Firefly, who then unleashed several bolts on the guards, rending them unconscious as she shot toward Spitfire and Scootaloo. She never made it though, for just as she started to move she was struck by a golden ray of magic, and then she knew no more.
Rainbow felt a sense of deja-vu as she sat in the hospital room, only this time instead of sitting by the bed of her long lost daughter; she was now sitting by the bed of her stepsister Fluttershy, who was in a coma after being hit by Firefly’s lightning. It had been several days after thin incident; and the doctors had all but given up on trying to revive her, because every time they tried to touch her with their magic, her own pegasus magic would surge against it, for it had become incredibly unstable after being struck by Firefly’s own magic.
But there was something she knew she could do to help Fluttershy out of this, but she couldn’t do it with everypony watching, and every time she had gone to try and help she had found somepony already there, watching her as she laid there motionless.
So while she waited for a chance to be alone with her sister, she had been busy doing other things. She had finally headed over to the Ponyville police station to identify the two stallions that had been locked up, and had finally found out from Scootaloo the reason why they had been attacking her. It seemed that they had been the victims of one of the Crusaders attempts at earning their cutie marks, and had decided to corner Scoots and chase her into the alley Rainbow had found them in to teach her a lesson, having mistaken her for the leader of the group.
She had also started giving flying lessons to Scootaloo along with her wife Spitfire, and together they made a pretty good team, gently guiding their daughter through the proper ways a pony should fly. It was hard at first, due to Scootaloo having never actual tried to fly before her wings were underdeveloped, but with a little help and some support magic from both her parents, her own pegasus magic started to grow stronger, and she could now fly around pretty decently, even if her wings did buzz like a bees instead of flapping like they should.
Rainbow shook her head to clear her mind of the happy memory; she had things she needed to focus on besides memories. She looked across the bed, seeing Twilight sitting in the same chair she had been occupying since Fluttershy had been brought to the hospital. She had refused to leave, sleeping in a cot in the corner of the room so that she could be close to Flutters, refusing to even go out for meals and even getting mad when the princess had tried to make her go home.
Rainbow knew why of course, she had seen the look in Twilight’s eyes when she stared at Fluttershy’s unconscious form; that pain in them that she knew only ponies in love could feel. She got up, going over and sitting down next to Twilight, wrapping a comforting wing around her friend before speaking. “So…how long have you and Fluttershy been seeing each other?”
Twilight looked at her in shock, “How…how did…”
Rainbow put a hoof to her lips, smiling as she spoke, “I knew because of the way you looked at her Twilight, it wasn’t hard to guess after that.”
Twilight stared for a moment, and then smiled, looking back at Fluttershy as she spoke. “We’ve been going out for a few years now, she…she was actually the one to ask me out on our first date, it really caught me off guard. We…we were going to try for our first foal a…after this whole mess with you had calmed down…but now…”
Rainbow’s eyes widened at that, and she decided that she was done stalling. She got up, heading over to the door and locking it, causing Twilight to give her a puzzled look. “Rainbow, what are you…”
Rainbow made a gesture to silence Twilight, walking back over to sit down next to Twilight before speaking up. “Twilight I need you to Pinkie Promise me that what I am about to show you stays between us ok?”
"why do you need me to…”
“Because what I am about to show you will help Fluttershy, but I need you to Pinkie Promise me that you won’t tell anypony else, I’m taking a big risk even showing you this.”
Twilight looked skeptical, but went through the motions as she recited the words. Rainbow then nodded, her wings beginning to spark as rainbow bolts of lightning began to pass between her feathers. Twilight’s eyes widened in shock, but before she could speak Rainbow spoke up. “I have the gift like my mom,” she said, placing her wings gently on the temples of Fluttershy’s head as she spoke. “But mine was different somehow, I don’t know if it was the sonic rainboom that did it, or if it has always been this way, but my lighting can heal as well as hurt.”
She kept her wings by Fluttershy’s head, and as Twilight watched, she saw the monitors hooked up to Fluttershy begin to show signs of brain activity, and then Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes.
“Ra…Rainbow…is that you?” asked Fluttershy, looking at the blue mare as she pulled her wings away.
Rainbow nodded, “Yeah it’s me, but I think there is somepony more important you should be seeing.”
Fluttershy looked confused, but then she looked forward, seeing Twilight staring at her in disbelief, “Twilight,” she said, reaching out her hooves as the other mare ran to her, both of them hugging each other and stealing kisses as Rainbow smiled, getting up to leave before being stopped by Twilight’s hoof, turning around and then getting a hug from the tearful librarian.
“Thank you Rainbow, I know it must have been hard for you to share such a secret, and I promise you I won’t tell anyone else, just promise me you won’t hide if from the others.”
Rainbow nodded, then headed out the door, making her way out of the hospital and then taking off into the sky, turning toward Canterlot with a determined look in her eyes, for she had some business to settle.
Firefly glared through the bars of her cell as she watched Rainbow descend the stairs, a smug smile on her face as she got up to speak. “So, come to gloat at your mother about how she got her ass handed to her by that harlot.”
Rainbows wings sparked, causing Firefly to smile as she looked at her, “oh did I press a button, I guess you’re a lot closer to her then the papers think. So tell me, what's it like to be one of the princesses pets along with the rest of those elemental sluts huh…?”
“Mom would you just be quite, I didn’t come here for you to bad mouth me, I just want you to answer a question for me, then I’ll leave you in peace.”
“Well I’m not stopping you; ask your fucking question already.”
Rainbow wanted nothing more than to blast her mother with a bolt of harmful electricity, but she restrained herself, glaring at her as she spoke. “Mom, I want to know you reasons behind taking Scootaloo from me?”
Firefly looked at her, not really surprised by the question, having waited to give her the answer ever since that day. “You remember when you asked me why your grandma wasn’t around, and I told you I’d tell you when you were older?”
Rainbow nodded, “my momma was just like you, she was skilled, she had talent, and she was the fastest mare of her time, even capable of pulling of the sonic rainboom like you can. But one night she got pregnant, giving birth to two foals and deciding to raise them by herself, and it was the stupidest mistake of her entire life.”
She gave a choked laugh as tears welled up in her eyes, keeping her face turned away from Rainbow as she continued. “Oh she said we were her greatest gift, that she wanted nothing more than to raise us, said she enjoyed being a mother. But I knew it was a lie, I saw the regret in her eyes, how she would stare longingly at the sky, and wondering…what if.”
She then turned to rainbow, a glare entering her eyes as she spoke. “And then the day came, they day that fucking trash who had sired us walked back into our lives. He wanted to take us away, but mom wouldn’t let him, and then they got into a scuffle, a scuffle that ended up with both of them dead. We came home and found her bleeding on the floor, a knife dug into her chest that had punctured a lung, and she died there, with me clutching her as she whispered to me how everything would be alright, but I knew it wouldn’t be, because it should never have ended that way.”
“What are you…?”
“She could have used her gift, she could have killed him with it, but no, she would never use it on other ponies.”
She gave a sarcastic laugh, turning back to the wall as she ranted on. “She always told me and posy never to use our gift on other ponies, even if that pony was trying to hurt us, said it was wrong. But that day I realized she was full of horse shit, because if she had used her power then she would be alive! And that’s why I took Scootaloo, because I didn’t want you to waste your life and then die like my mom, does that answer your fucking question!”
“…you are a fucking idiot!”
Firefly looked startled, but before she could speak Rainbow cut her off. “Mom the reason why your mother told you never to use your gift against other ponies is because when you do you take their pain into you, corruption your magic and your soul along with it. It was something Gilda taught me when I went to her to learn about my gift, because I wasn’t going to trust with teaching me about it.”
“That bitch of a griffin, what the hell could she teach you that I couldn’t?”
“that bitch taught me more then you ever could, for one it was Gilda that taught me that each of us is connected in some small way to those of our race, and to attack one of your race you damage that link, and in so doing corrupt yourself. Your mother was trying to protect you from that, and you spit in her face by doing what you did.”
Rainbow then got up and walked away, stopping at the top of the stars to give one last glace at Firefly, and then she turned and left, leaving nothing but silence in her wake.
Rainbow landed on the porch to her house, opening the door and walking inside, not too surprised when an orange ball of energy ran down the stairs to the bedrooms and tackled her, causing her to laugh.
“Mom your home, we were wondering when you would get back, momma was worried sick.”
“Was she?” asked Rainbow, looking up to see Spitfire coming out of the kitchen, looking a little tired.
“Yeah I was; you could have left a message for me telling me where you were going.”
“I had some personal business to take care of, but now I’m back.”
Spitfire nodded, then motion for Scootaloo to head into the kitchen before giving Rainbow a peck on the cheek. “I got dinner ready for us, but I have a surprise waiting in our room.”
Rainbow grinned, following her wife up to her room and then gasping, for she saw that she had moved all the stuff she had owned inside their room, and she started to tear up as she turned toward her.
“I…I thought it would be nice if I finally moved in completely, you know, so that we could better raise our daughter together. I already made arrangements with the rest of the Wonderbolts, and Soarin has agreed to take over management for me while I am away, cause honestly girlfriend, don’t think I can do my stunts if I leave you here by yourself, I just…”
Rainbow silenced her with a kiss, holding it for a long moment before finally pulling back, looking deep into her wife’s eyes before speaking. “You don’t need to worry about that, you’re here now, and that makes me happy. Now come on, we got to make sure our little filly eats her vegetables.”
They both giggled, getting up and leaving the room with smiles on their faces, both feeling that life was finally turning around.
