Rainbow Dash had held many titles in her lifetime: a member of the Wonderbolts reserves, the only pony to perform a sonic rainboom, and the best flier in Equestria. The title that was newest to her was the title of sister and, behind closed doors, Mother.
The title of Mother was one that she was having a bit of trouble adjusting to. Although she had no objections to the title, she was having some issues trying to live up to the name. She had never pictured herself as a mother. More to the point, she had no idea what being Mother was all about. Her memory of her own Mother was almost nonexistent. There was only one mental image that she had, that had faded with time.
Her coat was the same shade of blue as her own, and her eyes were the same shade of cerise. Her mane was cornflower blue, and curled. She was a Pegasus, just like her daughter. She didn't remember what she'd been doing to warrant that expression, but she was grateful she remembered it. Her eyes were softened and gentle, and her mouth was curled into a smile that was filled with pride.
Rainbow Dash turned to her bedside table. She only had one picture of her and her mother. She had been three years old when her Mother passed away. There was a picture of her as a foal, curled into her mother as she slept while her mother looked on her with tenderness and love. She tried to think of that expression and put it on her face, then walked up to a mirror. The look was about right, but she didn't feel the emotion inside. That was what she needed to work on.
It was the dead of night, and although she should have been asleep, her worries were keeping her awake. She threw off her blanket and got out of bed. Walking down the corridor, she stopped in front of a familiar door and opened it as quietly as she could.
Surrounded by a puddle of sheets, the filly Scootaloo slept peacefully. The moonlight streaming through the tiny window illuminated her face. Rainbow Dash sat by her bed and looked at the slumbering filly, thinking about how much she cared about her. She molded her features into the expression her mother had held, and tried to put the emotion behind it. She felt a warm sensation in the pit of her stomach, and couldn't stop smiling. She had always wondered what her mother felt when she looked at her, and now she was beginning to understand.
It had been two weeks since she was given custody of Scootaloo, and she had put all her efforts into trying to be the best Mom she could be. What was difficult, though, was that she hadn't been able to tell her friends. The past two weeks had been some of the most happy times of her life. She had experienced so much joy, and had learned so much about herself that she was just itching to tell Somepony.
She took a deep breath before shutting the door as quietly as possible and heading back to bed. As she climbed into bed, she decided to talk to Scootaloo the next morning about their little secret. Her mind finally eased, she was finally able to get to sleep.
The morning sun lit up the cloud home from the inside out. Rainbow Dash got up a little later than usual. Today was Saturday, and she was excited to talk to Scootaloo. She went downstairs and started to prepare breakfast. When she was halfway done she heard the familiar sound of Scootaloo trotting down the stairs.
Sure enough, Scootaloo emerged with sleepy eyes and a messy mane. Rainbow Dash put a plate of scrambled eggs at Scootaloo's place at the dining room table, along with a bowl of cereal, before setting a bowl of oatmeal at her own. She set a stack of toast down and got them both a glass of orange juice.
"Morning." Said Scootaloo tiredly. She started shoving spoonfuls of cereal and milk into her mouth, and slowly began waking up.
Rainbow Dash smiled. "Morning, squirt."
After a few minutes of quiet small talk, Rainbow Dash decided now was the optimum time to ask the question that had so recently begun haunting her.
"Hey Scoots, I have a question I wanted to ask."
"Sure, anything." Scootaloo said, giving Rainbow her full attention.
"When I first adopted you, we agreed that to everypony else the story would be that I adopted you as my sister. That's still going to happen, but what I wanted to know is if you would want to share the truth with a few people. Like the crusaders, and my friends."
Scootaloo looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded. "I don't want to lie to them."
Rainbow smiled. "Me neither. Do you want to tell them today?"
Scootaloo nodded. "I think we've kept this to ourselves long enough."
Rainbow Dash couldn't help the pride swelling in her chest. "Do you want to tell them together?"
"Sure."
After breakfast, Rainbow raced to get Scootaloo to school, and instructed her to invite the crusaders to The Golden Oak library. She did the same with her friends before she went to work. Today's weather called for clear skies, so she flew up to begin cloud busting. The work didn't require much thought, and did nothing to relieve her mounting anxiety. Time seemed to move as slowly as a snail. As the minutes snaked by, Rainbow Dash tried everything to take her mind off of things, from racing to hanging out by the swimming hole to trying to take a nap. All of them failed her.
Fortunately for her, each escapade took at least half an hour each. It was getting close to time for school to let out, so Rainbow rounded up her friends before going to pick up Scootaloo and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders. Sooner than Rainbow thought, they arrived at the library.
Applejack, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie were all sitting together in a semicircle. Spike was sitting on Twilight's desk alongside Owlowiscious. The other two Cutie Mark Crusaders were quick to join their sisters. Rainbow put one hoof around Scootaloo before clearing her throat.
"Thank you everypony for meeting us here. We had something we needed to tell you. Before we do, all of you have to promise you won't tell anypony what we're about to say to you."
In unison, all of them said: "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
Rainbow Dash looked down at Scootaloo, who did the same in turn. A silent communication passed between them, and Scootaloo nodded to encourage her. Rainbow took a deep breath and began her tale.
"A little while ago I found Scoots here living in the streets. I just couldn't stand there and not do anything, so I asked her to live with me. We really bonded and got close, and one day I made a decision. I went to the mayor's office and picked up some forms. Twilight, do you remember when I needed to get that urgent letter to the Princess?"
"How could I forget? I'd never seen you so anxious in my life!"
"The Princess agreed to have an audience with me, so I flew to Canterlot to ask her to sign those papers, and she did. Those papers were adoption forms. That day I adopted Scootaloo. To everyone else, the story is going to be that she's my little sister, but the truth is... I'm her mother."
She watched looks of shock cross her friend's faces. Pinkie, of course, was the first to recover.
"This is AMAZING! I can't believe it! You know what this calls for, right?! A PARTY!" Confetti flew through the air, and Pinkie blew on a party blower. Rainbow laughed at her friend's antics. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom ran to their friend and gave her a big hug. They went to a different part of the library to talk through everything.
As Pinkie calmed down, Rarity approached her friend.
"That's very noble of you, Rainbow Dash, and I'm very happy for you both, but darling, are you sure you aren't biting off a bit more than you can chew?"
"I thought about that, but every time I did, it didn't seem that important. She needs me, and I need her too."
It was a quiet response, but one so dignified that no pony could argue with it. Fluttershy got up and hugged her friend. This was by far one of the kindest acts she'd ever seen any pony do.
"You'll be a great mother." Fluttershy said in her usual soft manner. The relief the comment brought Rainbow Dash was unlike any she had ever felt.
"You really think so?" Rainbow said hopefully.
"I know so."
Rainbow was comforted by the faith her friends had in her. When she went to bed that night, she felt more reassured than she had in weeks. She fell asleep more easily with her secret off of her chest.
This, however did not tame the anxiety that still lay in her subconscious.
Rainbow Dash sat in the waiting room of the pediatrician's office. It was Scootaloo's first doctor's appointment, and she was more nervous than Scootaloo. A nurse came out from behind the door.
"Rainbow Dash?" She stood up.
"That's me."
"Follow me, please."
The nurse led her to Scootaloo's room and had her stand outside the door.
"The Doctor will be with you shortly."
"Okay. Thank You." She waited there a long time, long enough to feel her heart race and panic.
"Rainbow Dash?"
"That's me!"
"Miss Dash, My name is Doctor Black. I performed an examination on your daughter, and I wanted to ask you a few questions."
"Of course."
"Have her wings always been this size?"
"As far as I know, yes." The Doctor gave her an unreadable look.
"Has she flown successfully?"
"Unfortunately no."
"Miss Dash, as I understand it, you adopted your daughter and saved her from living in squalor. Do you know how many years she's lived in malnutrition?"
"For three years, minimum." The doctor removed his glasses.
"Miss Dash, I'm sorry to tell you that your daughter's wings aren't likely to grow anymore."
Rainbow Dash felt her heart plummet.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"I'm afraid not. If she had been brought in a few months earlier, perhaps something could have been done, but it is too late. I'm sorry."
"Thank you anyways." Rainbow said. The doctor nodded. Rainbow opened the door to see Scootaloo crying. Her instincts kicked into gear, and she wrapped herself protectively around her daughter. Scootaloo moved away from her.
"Why didn't you take me here earlier?"
"I-"
"Why?" Her sobbing was uncontrollable. Scootaloo ran away, and Rainbow didn't blame her. She immediately started criticizing herself.
It's all my fault.
I should have known better.
"ENOUGH!" Came a booming voice. She looked up to see Princess Luna flying toward her. She bowed.
"Hello, Rainbow Dash."
"Hello Princess Luna."
"I have come to understand that you have adopted Scootaloo and taken her in as your own."
"I have."
"Every parent fears failure, Rainbow Dash. You have nothing to be ashamed of. What constitutes failure is if your child does not know how much you care about them. You have shown Scootaloo that you care by adopting her. You have her best intentions at heart, and this she knows. You will make mistakes- that is the simple truth behind any endeavor. But if you do it with love, you have nothing to fear."
Rainbow Dash smiled. It was just what she needed to hear. The Princess used her magic to transport them back to Rainbow's cloud home. Once inside, Rainbow brewed the Princess a cup of tea, and they sat at her dining room table.
"I never pictured myself as a mother. I don't even have an example to look up to. If I had had Somepony to show me what it meant to be a mother, I probably wouldn't be as scared I am."
"I understand. It is far easier to imitate what you know than to be something you have never experienced. Perhaps you should watch another mother with her foal so that you may better understand your new role."
"Like who?"
"Like your mother."
The shock on her face was clear. "How?"
"I can show you who she was. You may not remember her, but time is something that in this case can be bent. Would you like to see?"
It was then that Tank flew by and was headed for collision with the kitchen cabinets. Rainbow grabbed the turtle, stopped his rotor, and sat him down on the floor. She took a deep breath, trying to think.
"Okay."
"Follow me, then."
They went upstairs. At the top of the landing there was a swirling portal. Rainbow psyched herself up inside enough to go through it, and was surprised when it led to the house she grew up in. She heard laughter and saw her mother tickling the foal version of herself as she tucked her into bed. She watched her mother sing a lullaby that she hadn't heard in years. As the foal version of herself slept, Rainbow paid careful attention to her mother's face. It was so tender and loving, just like she had remembered it. Just seeing that small interaction made her understand what she'd needed to learn.
"Thank you so much, Princess." She whispered.
"You are most welcome."
With that, Luna flew back to Canterlot as Rainbow bolted up in her bed.
With her excellent hearing, Rainbow could hear sobs coming from down the hall. Rainbow instantly threw her blanket off and ran to her daughter. She opened the door to see Scootaloo curled up on her bed, whimpering quietly to herself and shaking. Rainbow didn't give it a second thought and wrapped herself around her foal. She hushed her quietly as Scootaloo finally awoke. When she grasped her surroundings, she moved in to bury her face in her new Mother's coat and cried.
Scootaloo was very much aware that Rainbow Dash was uncomfortable with the idea of motherhood, so she had tried to avoid using the word "Mom" or any variation on that word as much as possible. But now, in her hour of need, she let it slide.
"Momma." Came the desperate whisper.
And with that one word, Rainbow's world was turned upside down. The love, pride, and protectiveness that burst open in her heart was too big to describe. Suddenly, she never wanted to be called anything else. She tightened her hold on the little Filly as a tear ran down her cheek.
"Momma's here, Scootaloo. Always."
As she cuddled into her Mother, Scootaloo put one hoof in her mouth and began to suck. Rainbow was not unaware of this, and briefly wondered why Scootaloo had retained this particular infant-like behavior. Then it occurred to her that it was likely a coping mechanism from when she lived in the streets. Developed at an early age, it had never been corrected because she had never been in anyone's care. Rainbow resolved to take some care of that the next morning.
Rainbow sang to Scootaloo until the filly had fallen asleep. Even after she had, Rainbow wasn't sure if she would be able to leave her. She decided to give in and spent the rest of her night protecting her daughter.
The next morning dawned with promise, and Rainbow followed their usual routine. She dropped Scootaloo off at school, and finished work early. When she did, she stopped at a most unusual place. Rainbow Dash headed into the store with one purpose in mind. She grabbed the one item she needed, and was quick to pay before bolting out of the store and back to her cloud home. Once there, she unwrapped the item and threw it into a pot of boiling water. When she felt it was done, she fished it out and set it on Scootaloo's nightstand. She finished her endeavor with just enough time to pick up the Filly from school.
Scootaloo hopped on Rainbow Dash's back as soon as she touched down. Waving goodbye to the other Crusaders, she held onto her mother as they took off and headed home. Scootaloo was happy to be back home, and trotted upstairs to her bedroom. She opened the door just long enough to toss her saddle bag in, and then went back downstairs to eat an after school snack. While she munched on an apple, Rainbow sat with her, thinking about the myriad of ways she could approach the subject that had been eating at her since last night. When she finally decided on how to approach the matter, she was quick to start.
"Hey Scoots, can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure, anything."
"Remember last night when you were scared?"
Scootaloo blushed. "Um... Yeah..."
"I noticed that you still suck on your hoof, and I want you to know that I'm not judging you for it. I want to help you with it if you'll let me."
Scootaloo nodded vigorously. "Okay!"
"Now, I hope you know that I don't expect you to quit all at once. I know it's going to be hard for you, but I'll be here if you need me. So, if you'll come with me, I have something I wanted to give you."
Scootaloo followed the older Pegasus pony upstairs, until they stopped at her own room. Rainbow Dash walked over to the night stand and picked up something that fit in her hoof. When Scootaloo went over to see what it was, she nearly fainted when she saw.
It was a pacifier.
"Now Scoots, before you say anything, I want you to know that I do not think of you as a baby. The reason I bought this for you is because even though getting down and dirty is fun, putting that in your mouth is nasty. I'd much rather know what's going into your mouth, and I'd like it to be clean."
Once Rainbow finished her speech, Scootaloo understood. She gave her mother an appreciative nuzzle.
"Thanks for caring about me." Rainbow looked down at her and smiled.
"I'm your Momma, kid. It's my job."
Scootaloo was moved beyond words, and gave Rainbow Dash a big hug.
"So, you're okay with me calling you that?"
"Mom, Momma, Mommy, whatever you want is perfectly fine with me."
"Really?" Asked Scootaloo excitedly.
"Honest."
With the encouragement of her Mother, Scootaloo vowed to try the pacifier tonight. After that bit of serious news, they horsed around until dinner. Soon enough after they finished eating, it was time for Scootaloo to go to bed. Yawning, Scootaloo went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. Rainbow Dash was waiting for her in her room. Pulling back the covers, Rainbow let the filly climb into bed before tucking her in.
"Goodnight, peanut."
"Goodnight, Momma."
The word sent a flash of heat through her, and she smiled. Scootaloo stared at the pacifier that lay on the nightstand. Her embarrassment made her cheeks peaked, but she decided to try it. When she put it in her mouth it felt strange and foreign, but the sucking motion felt natural, and soon she was fast asleep. With a smile playing on her lips and pride filling her chest, she gently kissed her daughter's forehead before heading to bed herself.
The next morning started with a frantic knocking at the front door. Sleepy-eyed, Rainbow Dash opened the door to a frantic Fluttershy.
"Rainbow Dash, Discord's back!"
Rainbow's eyes became as big as saucers, and she was suddenly wide awake. She looked behind her friend to see Equestria in mass chaos.
"Come in." She said, quickly. Fluttershy sat on her couch while Rainbow ran upstairs. She opened Scootaloo's door and saw the young Pegasus was still asleep. She went back down to her friend.
"Where's everypony else?"
"They all gathered at Twilight's. She asked me to come get you."
"Fly back and tell Twilight I'll be there as soon as I can. I have to take care of something first."
"Okay." Fluttershy said, departing the house rather quickly.
Rainbow flew to Scootaloo's room and gently woke her.
"Scootaloo, you need to listen to me very carefully. Discord is on the loose, and I have to go and help stop him. I want you to stay here. Lock the doors and bolt the windows, and don't open the door for anypony. Do you understand me?" She said in a serious tone.
Scootaloo, still sleepy, but alert, nodded.
"I'll be back later." Rainbow promised.
"Please be careful." Scootaloo said quietly. Rainbow hugged Scootaloo and held her tightly.
"I promise."
With that, Rainbow flew to The Golden Oak Library.
Twilight Sparkle had gathered all of her friends in the library while chaos rocked Ponyville. She lifted the glass covering the elements of harmony and put on her crown. The others put on their necklaces, and Twilight did a head count. Five were there, one was not. Annoyed, Twilight muttered,
"Where in the wide wide world of Equestria is Rainbow Dash?"
Without missing a beat, A voice shouted "Here!"
Rainbow Dash burst through the roof. "Sorry I'm late." She said, grabbing her necklace. Twilight sighed in relief.
"Let's go."
Sitting on his throne, Discord watched the chaos around him with a smirk. It was good to be the master.
"Discord!" Twilight Sparkle called. The draconequus chuckled.
"Ah, hello there my little ponies! Come to join me in watching some chaos?"
"We're here to turn you back to Stone!" She countered.
"Oh, I don't think you'll be doing that..."
"And why not?"
"I have some things that belong to you..."
With a snap of his fingers, Spike, Angel, Gummy, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo appeared. The six ponies gasped in unison. The second Rainbow saw Scootaloo, her maternal instincts went into overdrive. She bowed her head. The need to protect her Daughter made adrenaline flow through her, the sudden rush making her ears pound. She could feel the others panic, but none was as great as her own. Slowly, she looked up with the most grave and deadly expression she could muster. She stepped forward.
"You have exactly five seconds to put them down." It was said with the most murderous of tones. The look in Rainbow's eyes was not one of justice and duty as would be expected. Her eyes were cold and vengeful. For a moment, even Discord looked startled. He quickly regained his composure.
"Or what?"
"Or you won't live to see tomorrow." Rainbow went up to him, completely stone faced. "Let me be clear- no pony, and I mean no pony kidnaps my Daughter and lives to tell the tale."
Discord looked extremely uncomfortable. He couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye.
"You're accusing me of kidnapping? How do you know she didn't leave on her own?"
"Because I told her to lock herself inside the house and to not answer the door for any pony." Her response was almost robotic in nature.
As Rainbow Dash moved closer, Discord's discomfort became more apparent. The other five ponies adapted similarly stony expressions as they advanced forward.
"I'm going to ask you nicely one more time: put them down."
Discord chucked nervously before putting them down. "Y-You didn't really think I'd do anything to them... Did you?"
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ran straight for their sisters, and Spike ran for Twilight. Angel rushed to Fluttershy, uncharacteristically frightened, and Pinkie went to get Gummy. Rainbow was quick to whisper something in Twilight's ear just before Scootaloo was put down. The little filly ran to her mother and hugged her tightly. Rainbow returned the hug, teary eyed.
Just before he could poof away, Twilight did as Rainbow asked and performed a simple immobilization spell. Rainbow gave Scootaloo a tight hug before going over to Discord. She was serious about making sure he didn't see tomorrow, but decided beating him to a pulp would be enough for now.
Rainbow wasn't hesitant to begin her assault, but first made sure that her friends got the chance to let out their feelings on the spirit of disharmony. Rarity chose not to engage in physical violence, but gave a simple comment that was chilling with it's finality.
"Whatever you get at the hands of my friends is too good for you."
Fluttershy gave her stare to the incapacitated Discord. Twilight Sparkle continued her spell, a victory in it's own right. Applejack gave a crude but powerful buck to the head.
That left Rainbow, who was feeling more malicious than ever before. She kicked, punched, and let out all of her anger. When she was good and tired, and Discord was good and beaten, Rainbow said one final thing before turning her back on him.
"If you ever touch my daughter again, I will cut off your tail and feed it to my tortoise." With that, Rainbow gave a nod, and Twilight stopped the spell. Discord, bloodied and now officially terrified of Rainbow Dash, was quick to return everything to normal and leave as fast as he could.
Rainbow saw her friends reuniting with their loved ones and looked for Scootaloo. Said filly was waiting for her by the library. When She spotted her Mother, she galloped toward her. Rainbow met her halfway and enveloped her in a big bear hug. She could feel tears seeping into her coat.
"I missed you." Came the muffled remark.
"I missed you too, kiddo." She said, stroking her daughter's mane. The other crusaders came to check on their friend. Rainbow looked at her friends, all of whom gathered around her.
"Are you alright, sugar cube?" Applejack asked emphatically.
Rainbow nodded. "I'm fine. I'm finally learning what it means to be a mom, and beating Discord was a huge victory. I finally understand the maternal instinct. Never thought I'd say that... But this whole thing has taught me that I really can be a good mom... Just an unconventional one."
Her friends all shared smiles.
"We're mighty proud of you." Applejack stated. All of their friends nodded in assent.
"Thanks you guys." Said Rainbow Gratefully.
That night, after she had put Scootaloo to bed, Rainbow got out a quill and parchment out and began to write a letter.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Since becoming a Mom to Scootaloo, my whole life has been turned upside down. In the past week, I've learned that parenthood is a big responsibility, one you might not feel ready for. But when it really matters you always step up to the plate and give it your best shot. You don't have to be perfect to be a parent, you just have to show love and compassion to your child, and in their eyes that makes you the most phenomenal parent there is.
Rainbow Dash was in the middle of packing her saddle bag when she felt Scootaloo's presence behind her.
"Come on in, munchkin." She said, smiling. The smaller Pegasus sat on the bed beside her bags.
"Are you excited?" She chirped. Rainbow Dash smiled at her daughter's folly.
"Who wouldn't be excited for training week with the Wonderbolts reserves?"
"I'm so excited that you get to go!" Scootaloo buzzed. "And to top it off I get to stay at Aunt Applejack's and spend the week with Apple Bloom!"
"You two are going to have a great time together." Said Rainbow with a knowing smile. She finished packing her saddle bag and set it on the floor by the door.
"Have you finished packing for Applejack's?" Scootaloo nodded. "Good." Rainbow looked up at the clock. "I think it's someone's bedtime."
Scootaloo looked miffed. "But it's barely dark out!"
"I know that. But you have to get up early tomorrow, remember?"
"Yeah..."
"Go on and brush your teeth, I'll be there in a minute."
"Okay!" Scootaloo went down the hall and Rainbow sighed. This week was her first time away from her daughter and she was understandably nervous. Even though she knew Scootaloo would be in great hands, she couldn't help feeling that as soon as she left for training, she would feel like half of herself was missing. She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts and went down the hall to hear Scootaloo turn off the water from the sink. She walked beside the filly and pulled back the covers. Once Scootaloo was comfortable, Rainbow pulled the blanket over her. Gently messing up her mane, Rainbow gave her daughter a big hug.
"Goodnight, squirt."
"Night, Mom."
Rainbow quietly shut the door behind her and went back to her own room to attempt to sleep. As she turned on her side, she looked out the window at the moon, wondering what tomorrow would bring.
When she woke up at five-thirty the next morning, she dragged herself out of bed and into her bathtub. With the warm water around her, she began the tedious process of waking up. Once out of the water, she brushed her teeth before moving to put both in her saddle bag. Next, she woke Scootaloo and let her get herself ready while she prepared breakfast. By the time Scootaloo was coming downstairs everything was done. She fixed Scootaloo a bowl of oatmeal with some eggs and haybacon, and made herself a fried egg sandwich. By six thirty Rainbow had her saddle bag on and had Scootaloo climbing on her back. In what felt like an instant, they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow landed in front of the barn where Applejack stood waiting for them. Scootaloo hopped off of her Mother's back and hugged her Aunt.
This was the moment Rainbow had been dreading the most. She hated goodbyes, even if they were only for a little while.
"Come here, squirt." She said, smiling. Scootaloo didn't hesitate to leap into her Mother's arms. Rainbow squeezed her just a little, trying to preserve the feeling for the week ahead. Scootaloo hadn't said much all day. In truth, she was happy for her Mother but sad for herself. When her Mother pulled away, Scootaloo couldn't help but think no, come back...
"Now you listen to Applejack and do what she says. I know you and Apple Bloom are going to have a good time together." Rainbow Dash turned her attention to Applejack. "Thanks again for the help, AJ."
Applejack grinned. "Not a problem, sugar cube. Now you go on and have fun, I have everything handled."
Rainbow nodded and gave Scootaloo one last hug.
"Bye, peanut."
"Bye, Momma."
With one last look at her daughter, Rainbow Dash soared into the sky.
Scootaloo watched her Mother fly away with mixed emotions. Applejack noticed this, and put a hoof around her.
"Come on sugar cube, let's get you settled in." Scootaloo, scared to move, slowly followed her Aunt into the house.
For Rainbow Dash, the first day of training was much like the first day at the academy. She knew that she was high above the other contenders in both flight skills and knowledge of the Wonderbolts' origin. Instead of worrying about the exercises offered, she worried about Scootaloo. She knew she shouldn't be worried, but she just couldn't help it. Her head wasn't in the game, and yet she was miles ahead of the others without even trying. Having too much time to think was going to be her everlasting ruin.
Spitfire, proud captain of the Wonderbolts, noticed this subtle change in focus. She couldn't quite pin it, but something was up with the Pegasus who had brought their team surprise after surprise. The one who had been asked to compete with them and turned it down out of loyalty to her friends. She wanted to get to the bottom of it.
In the mess hall that evening, Spitfire found Rainbow Dash sitting with other trainees, looking bored and uninterested. She saw her window of opportunity and seized it.
"Hey Rainbow Dash, would you mind stepping into my office. I had a few things I wanted to ask you." Rainbow looked surprised.
"Um, sure..." Rainbow followed Spitfire to her office and closed the door while the latter got Behind her desk and sat down.
"Alright Rainbow Dash, what's going on?"
Rainbow blinked, confused. "Huh?"
"Something's going on with you. You're still the top of the class, but you're distracted and I want to know why." She demanded.
Rainbow paused. "I can't tell you."
"What do you mean?"
"I've been asked to keep it a secret. If something important comes up I'll tell you. I promise."
Spitfire gave her a scrutinizing look. "Alright. That will do for now. You're dismissed."
Rainbow Dash gave her a smile. "Thank you."
"Uh huh."
With that, Rainbow retired to her room for the night. Unpacking her saddle bag, she got out her things. Cushioned between two pillows was a picture of her and Scootaloo. She set it on her nightstand, wondering how her daughter was doing.
Scootaloo was immediately swept in by Apple Bloom's excitement. All day long they kept busy with games and attempts to earn their Cutie Marks. They ate lunch outside by the Apple orchards, enjoying their time outside. Applejack, although still tending to her chores, kept a close eye on the two fillies. Sweetie Belle stopped by after lunch and the three crusaders headed off to their treehouse. Applejack, having promised to watch them, followed them discreetly. She only left when she had to prepare dinner. Once dinner was ready, the three crusaders ate together, talking and laughing. After the sun began to set, Sweetie Belle excused herself to go home, and Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were told to stay inside from then on.
As bedtime began to encroach, Scootaloo felt a sort of emptiness beginning to well up inside of her. She was sure this was the result of being away from her mother for the first time. As she crawled into bed with her friend, she couldn't help but feel lonely. She mentally replayed the last goodnight she'd gotten from her Mom, and tried to feel the last hug around her. Fitfully, she fell asleep.
As the days wore on, both Mother and Daughter were anxious, but both kept busy during the day to try and keep their minds off of it. At the Apple farm, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle were attempting to earn their cutie marks.
"I can't believe we didn't think of this before!" Apple Bloom gushed.
"I know! It's perfect!" Sweetie Belle agreed.
"Yeah! Cutie Mark Crusaders Make Up Artists!" Scootaloo cheered.
"We can go to my sister's house! She has loads of make up and would love to teach us!" Sweetie Belle grinned.
"Then what are we waiting here for? Let's get moving!" Said Scootaloo. She hopped on her scooter and started toward the Carousel Boutique. Unfortunately, she had forgotten how rocky and uneven the ground was on this part of the farm since it wasn't tended to. She felt every rock underneath her scooter, and her vision was impaired by the rocky terrain.
She didn't see the larger rock sticking only partially out of the ground.
Her wheel caught on the rock and she was flung forward off of the scooter. She tumbled through the air, doing one full flip in the air before landing.
There was a sickening snap! As she made impact with the dirt and let out a scream.
The other Crusaders rushed to her aid.
"I'll go get Applejack." Said Apple Bloom, rushing off to find her sister. Sweetie Belle helped prop up her friend up.
"What happened?"
"I think I broke my leg..." Scootaloo was desperately trying to hold herself together, but was failing. The searing pain was burning her from the inside out. The tears came out and she bowed her head. Applejack came rushing out to see what had happened, and immediately decided to take her to Ponyville hospital. She instructed the other two crusaders to go find Fluttershy and explain what happened so that she could fly to where the Wonderbolts Reserves were being trained and get Rainbow.
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom rushed to Fluttershy's cottage.
The lovely pink and yellow Pegasus was outside tending to her animals.
"Fluttershy!" They called. Said mare looked up and smiled.
"Why hello, girls."
"We need your help!" They said, panting.
"Oh my, is everything alright?"
"Scootaloo hurt herself and she's in the hospital. Would you please fly up to where they're doing the Wonderbolts Reserves training to let Rainbow Dash know?" Sweetie Belle pleaded.
Fluttershy hesitated, but saw the despair on their tiny faces.
"Please? You're the only Pegasus we know who can help." She added.
With that remark, Fluttershy caved.
"Alright. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Thank you so much, Fluttershy!" They said in unison. Fluttershy blushed, and then flew off.
The training for the members of the Wonderbolts Reserves was the same campus as the Wonderbolts Academy, just in a different sector. There was a tiny reception building at the front of the grounds. Fluttershy took a deep breath and gathered her courage before making her way to the window. A Pegasus pony sat nonchalantly on her chair, reading a magazine.
"Welcome to the Wonderbolts Reserves training camp, how can I help you today?" She asked in a robotic voice that was disturbingly similar to Maud Pie's.
"Um, excuse me, I'm so sorry to bother you, but I need to speak to Rainbow Dash. It's an emergency." She said meekly. The Pegasus looked up from her magazine. She handed her a clipboard.
"Fill out these papers and take a visitor's badge."
"Okay, thank you very much."
"Uh huh."
She filled out the papers quickly, and wrote her name on the badge. She handed them to the Pegasus who glanced at them before pushing a button that opened the gate.
Fluttershy gulped, but entered anyways.
The campus was huge, but sectioned so it wasn't too hard to navigate. She spotted Rainbow walking and ran as fast as she could.
The fifth day of training had been more taxing than the the last four. She was tired, but felt accomplished.
"Rainbow!" A familiar voice called. Rainbow looked around and was surprised to see Fluttershy.
"Fluttershy? What are you doing here?" Rainbow was not opposed to her friend's visit, but didn't understand why she was here.
"Rainbow, something happened to Scootaloo. She's in the hospital. Applejack's with her now. She sent Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to find me so I could come and get you."
Rainbow's panic was instantaneous. Her anxiety was so great that every hair on her body stood to attention. Her heart began to pound. Her mind was scrambling over what to do.
"I'll be there as soon as I can. Will you go and stay with her until I get there?"
"Of course, Rainbow." Said Fluttershy sympathetically. Giving her friend a hug, she flew off for Ponyville Hospital.
Rainbow, for a moment, stayed totally still, attempting to figure out what to do next. She knew she had to act fast. She bolted to her room and started to pack.
Spitfire noticed the interaction with the shy Pegasus and Rainbow Dash. She watched the Pegasus who was her star pupil become intensely panicked in their short conversation. The yellow Pegasus flew off, but Rainbow Dash stayed a few moments longer before bolting to her room on campus.
She decided to find out what all the fuss was about.
Rainbow Dash began packing her saddle bag. She had a single focus- to get to her Daughter. She heard the door to her room open and then slam shut.
"Alright Rainbow Dash, I want to know what's going on."
"I'm leaving."
Spitfire gaped at her. "What? Why? You're at the top of the heap here."
"It's an emergency. You know I wouldn't leave under any other circumstance."
"Why are you leaving so suddenly?"
Rainbow sighed as she put her uniform in her bag. This secret of hers didn't seem to want to stay secret. She turned to face her biggest idol. She could only imagine what this admission would do to her career as a Wonderbolt, but she knew that Scootaloo was more important.
"You have to promise that you won't tell anyone."
Spitfire leaned against the door, intrigued. "Alright."
Rainbow took a deep breath. "I have a daughter."
Of all the things Spitfire thought she would hear, that was the last thing she would have expected. Her jaw, both literally and figuratively, hit the floor. Her mind reeled as she tried to process this new information. All she managed to say was: "You're kidding, right?"
Although she didn't intend for it to come out offensively, the words sent a small stab of hurt through Rainbow's heart. But she stood proud and tall.
"No. I'm not. And she's in the hospital. I'm not going to leave her there by herself. A lot has happened since The Academy..."
"Apparently..." Spitfire replied sarcastically.
"It's not like that. I took her off of the streets and we just clicked. I decided to adopt her, and we decided to publicly say we were sisters instead of the truth. She asked me to be her Mother, and I said yes. I'll admit that it wasn't easy, but I'm proud to be a Mom."
Spitfire was beyond words. Rainbow finally put her saddle bag on.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to see my Daughter."
Rainbow passed Spitfire, looked her right in the eye, and then left to go see her daughter, leaving a stunned Spitfire in her wake.
Scootaloo lay in her hospital bed, bored out of her mind. Aunt Applejack was telling a story, but she was only pretending to listen. Her mind was somewhere else entirely. She looked at her broken leg, feeling the weight of her cast. She wanted to go home, but knew she wasn't going anywhere. More than anything, though, she wanted her Mom.
Almost on cue, Fluttershy came in and told her Rainbow Dash was coming. Scootaloo sagged in relief. She felt guilty that her Mother had to leave her training, but she had enough sense to know that this was not entirely her fault. She found her eyes drawn to the door, just waiting for her Mother to come. Every second was like an hour. Time dragged as if it were a heavy brick being pulled through sand.
For a minute she had time to gather her thoughts. As Applejack and Fluttershy kept a close watch over her, her friends were on her other side, silently worried. How were they going to go crusading? It wouldn't be the same without Scootaloo. They mustered up twin smiles, though inside they were anxious.
All of them breathed a sigh of relief when Rainbow Dash arrived, although she was in a complete panic. When she saw her daughter, she was able to breathe again. She went over to her and gave her a big hug. Scootaloo was more than happy to reciprocate it. The elder two ponies led the younger two out, so that mother and daughter could have a few moments alone.
"How are you feeling, peanut?"
"Lousy. But I'm happy to see you!" Said Scootaloo earnestly. "I missed you."
Rainbow smiled and hugged her daughter. "I missed you too." She stroked Scootaloo's mane with her hoof and hummed a soothing tune. Scootaloo, finally relaxed, fell asleep.
Rainbow pulled up one of the plastic chairs beside her daughter's bed and sat down, watching her sleep peacefully. All the while, she never let go of her daughter's hoof. In a sense, she was afraid to. She looked at the leg that was holstered up in the air. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.
If I hadn't left...
She didn't have time to dwell on these thoughts, as her friends reentered the little room. They made small talk, and Applejack shifted uncomfortably, and clearly wanted to say something. Rainbow gave her her full attention.
"I'm awful sorry about this." She said, quietly. Rainbow flashed her a compassionate smile.
"It's alright, Applejack. I know it wasn't your fault. I've been meaning to thank you, by the way."
"Me? Why?"
"You made the right call having Fluttershy come to me. I can't thank you enough for taking Scootaloo to the hospital."
"Aw, shoot, anypony would have done the same thing." Applejack smiled.
"And anypony happened to be you."
"Good point."
Scootaloo woke up an hour later. The nurse came through and gave the small pegasus her dinner. Applejack and Fluttershy gave their well wishes before leaving. Rainbow encouraged her to eat as much as possible, but she didn't feel very hungry. After the nurse took her tray away, Scootaloo assumed she was done for the day, so she listened to her Mother's stories of her time training for the reserves. When she was midway through her tale, a set of hoofsteps entered the room. Rainbow thought it was just a nurse checking on her until she saw Scootaloo gawking.
She turned to see Spitfire standing at the end of her daughter's bed.
The famed leader of the Wonderbolts came up to the astounded pegasus and handed her an autographed picture of herself.
"Get well soon, kid." She said, nonchalantly.
Scootaloo remained immobile with shock. Rainbow nudged her.
"What do you say?" She said, authoritatively. She wasn't usually one to enforce manners, but when it came to respecting her superiors she was diligent.
"T-Thank you." Came the stuttered response. Spitfire used her head to gesture to the door. Rainbow nodded before turning to her daughter.
"I'll be right outside if you need me, okay?"
Scootaloo nodded.
Rainbow and Spitfire headed into the hallway.
"I have to hand it to you, Rainbow Dash, no pony has surprised me as much as you. I can't believe you have a daughter. When you left today, it really made me think. I know you want to be a Wonderbolt. You've jumped every single hurdle we've thrown at you. No pony else has been that consistent. You may not have completed all of the training, but you have proven that you're more than capable of taking on both the flying and the history. You will be at the top of list when training is over."
Rainbow was floored, but managed a stunned "Thank you."
"Saw it at the academy, saw it at the games, and I'm seeing it again today. I'm still learning a lot from you." Spitfire said.
Rainbow smiled. "Thank you."
Spitfire nodded before leaving.
Rainbow Dash, grinning broadly, reentered her daughter's room. Scootaloo looked at her mother, curious and excited to hear what had happened.
"You are now looking at the top member of the Wonderbolts reserves!"
Scootaloo's eyes were bright with excitement. She gave Rainbow a tight hug.
"That's amazing!"
Rainbow felt her heart swell with a myriad of emotions. She held onto her foal with a smile. There was no one else she'd want to share this victory with. No one else understood her feelings as much as her daughter did. Years of idolization made her understand her Mother's ambition clear as day. The Rainbow-haired pegasus sat next to her little girl, proud as the two of them calmed down from the excitement.
As Scootaloo fell asleep, her Mother kept vigil at her side. Nurse Redheart came in, smiling, not long after and told Rainbow she could go home. Rainbow looked at her tiredly with a smile that made her look twenty years older.
"Thanks, but I'm staying."
Nurse Redheart nodded, still grinning.
Rainbow slept in the uncomfortable plastic chair all night, too scared to leave. In her absence, her daughter had gotten injured. While she understood injury in the face of athletic pursuits, she questioned her own wisdom in leaving in the first place. She grappled with her guilt as she tried to fall asleep. When she finally decided to accept her fault, she was able to sleep.
When Scootaloo awoke, she noticed a pressure on her hoof. She looked to see her Mother beside her, sleeping. Her surprise was immediate. She stayed. Scootaloo shook her head. It was hard to get out of the mentality of abandonment.
She'd easily been able to hide from her friends about the severity of her detatchment from others. She had learned early on not to trust other ponies, simply because everypony else that she trusted had betrayed her in one way or another.
All but one.
Rainbow Dash, her idol, had been her unfaltering source of support. She had proven herself worthy of her trust. The fact that she had become her mother was an unexpected blessing. Slowly, she was beginning to open herself up again. Little things that had seemed so inconsequential before became momentous. It was like a fairy tale.
Rainbow awoke the next morning to see Scootaloo wearing a distressed face. She got up and stroked the filly's mane.
"What's up, peanut?" She said softly, sitting at the edge of the bed. Scootaloo looked up at her, deciding to get out in the open what she had suppressed all day yesterday. Scootaloo looked up at her like a deer in headlights. She took a deep breath and let it out.
"Are you mad at me?"
Rainbow was confused. "Why would I be mad at you?"
"Because I'm the reason you had to leave training."
Rainbow invited Scootaloo to sit on her lap. "Come here, squirt." Scootaloo obeyed and looked up at her Mother.
"Look, kiddo, I didn't have to leave training. I could have stayed, but I chose to go because I care way more about you than I ever could some silly training exercise." She said, giving her foal a hug.
"Really?" Scootaloo asked in astonishment.
"You bet." She nuzzled her daughter proudly. Scootaloo was happy to do the same.
After a few more days in the hospital, Scootaloo was released. When she was absolutely certain her daughter was comfortable and occupied with her book, she got out the journal that she and her friends shared. Opening to a new page, she began to write.
My week with the Wonderbolts reserves taught me more than I ever expected. When Fluttershy told me that Scootaloo got hurt, there was no other option but for me to leave. I told Spitfire what was going on when I packed, and headed to the hospital. Being loyal to my family was way more important to me than being loyal to my dream. And you'll find, when you make the right choice, that your loyalty will always be rewarded.
"Adopting one child won’t change the world: but for that child, the world will change." -Unknown
“Adoptive Mom? I am a Mom. I need no other label or prefix.” -Joanne Greco
Scootaloo was buzzing with excitement. Today was the first day that she and Rainbow Dash were taking off together. A mother-daughter bonding day was just what the doctor ordered. She finished packing her saddle bag and headed to the living room. Rainbow Dash stood there waiting for her daughter.
"You ready to go, squirt?" Scootaloo nodded.
"I can't wait to see the Wonderbolts air show!" Her tiny wings kept fluttering, making a slight buzzing sound.
"Me too. But, we better get a move on. We don't want to be late." Scootaloo nodded. Lifting her up, Rainbow flew to the arena. They had excellent seats, and arrived a mere ten minutes before the show was scheduled to begin. Rainbow thanked her lucky stars that they had packed their own snacks.
When the show started, both Mother and Daughter were star struck. Scootaloo unconsciously leant her head on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. Rainbow put a hoof around her with ease. As Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot soared above them, Scootaloo was mystified. These were the people her Mother looked up to. Therefore, idolization was essential. This easily ranked as one of the best days of her life. She snuggled into the older Pegasus.
"I love you, Momma."
"I love you too, Squirt."
When the weekend passed, Scootaloo went to school happier than ever.
"Good morning, everypony! I have a special announcement for you all. Since this week is Mother's Day, in honor of that, we're going to hold a special day of outdoor games this Friday."
Everyone clapped their hooves together in excitement. For Scootaloo, her mind was reeling. It would be her first time celebrating Mother's Day, and she had a secret that could be blown apart.
When she had initially been adopted, she had publicly stated that Rainbow was her sister. The only ones who knew the truth were the other crusaders, Miss Cherilee, and Rainbow's close friends. The line between sister and Mother was becoming dangerously thin, and she had to make a choice. She got out of school and waited for her Mother to pick her up. In a flash of color, Rainbow appeared and lifted her daughter up to their cloud home. She knew something was off in her daughter, but she decided to wait for her to come to her herself.
When she got home, Scootaloo went straight to her room. Frustrated, and unsure of herself, she grabbed the pacifier that was on her nightstand. Rainbow had been helping her cut down, but every so often she slipped. She popped it into her mouth and started to suck. Slowly, her anxiety began to dissipate, and she managed to get her thoughts in order. When she did, she took out the pacifier and laid on her bed, trying to think of what to do.
She could reveal her secret. But then again, she would have to see how her Mom felt about that. She could let the truth out, but then she would expose her lie. She had put herself into this conundrum, and it was up to her to resolve. She sat up, and decided to leave it up to her Mother.
Rainbow Dash felt her anxiety rise as the minutes passed. She knew something was wrong, and she wanted to fix it. She knew her take action approach wasn't going to work here. She had to wait, something with which she had never been good. She tried to occupy herself with a Daring Do book, but failed.
Scootaloo came down the stairs, and Rainbow turned to face her with worried eyes. Her daughter took a seat beside her with her head hanging. Rainbow wrapped an arm around her daughter.
"What's bothering you, peanut?" She said softly. Scootaloo looked up at the familiar term of endearment. The name had been given to her for her smaller size, and was a labor of love. It was the first nickname that differentiated her from sister to daughter and was her favorite pet name.
"They're having an outdoor games for Mother's Day at school." She was afraid to look her Mother in the eye.
Rainbow now understood the reason for her foal's standoffish behavior. She pulled her in for a tight hug.
"How do you feel?" She asked, sincerely.
"I'm scared... I want to not hide it anymore, but that's up to you. I know you don't want to be known as a softie..." She said, quietly ashamed. Rainbow decided to nip that in the bud.
"Look at me, Scoots." She lifted her daughter's head. "The most important thing I will ever be, more important than being a Wonderbolt, or a great flier, or even being a part of the weather patrol. The most important thing I will ever be is your Momma."
Tears filled the filly's eyes. "Really?"
Rainbow planted an uncharacteristically gentle kiss on her head. "Really." She enveloped her daughter in a hug.
"Does that mean what I think it means?"
Rainbow nodded. "Yes it does."
Scootaloo couldn't stop smiling.
At school, everypony was helping to get ready for the upcoming games. They were setting up for an obstacle course in the school yard. All week they got ready for the games, including picking up cupcakes from sugarcube corner, and setting up for a special outdoor picnic.
When the day had come, everyone was high strung with excitement.
Rainbow Dash had checked in with her superiors early on in the week to request the day off. Now, she flew her daughter to school and stood next to her as other mothers and their foals walked into the schoolhouse. Scootaloo looked up at her Mother, who nodded, encouraging her to go in. They went in together, and Rainbow stood beside Scootaloo's desk. Diamond Tiara was not unaware of this, and wondered what to do with the information she had so recently acquired.
"Welcome everypony! I want to thank all of the mothers that have come today. Your fillies and colts have worked very hard to make today possible. You should be very proud."
As if it was a staged reaction, every Mother looked down at their foal.
"First up we have an obstacle course for all who wish to participate."
Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash shared a look.
They went to the start line, ready to crush their competition.
"On your mark, get set, go!"
Rainbow started galloping forward, Scootaloo right next to her. They leapt over bails of hay, Scootaloo barely lifted off of the ground by her wings. Just enough to get over the bails. Next, they worked together to climb a wall, and when they finished, they ran through a set of tires. The very last element was a rope swing over a pit of mud. They hit the ground running, and got first place, only beating their other competitors by a nose.
Other fillies and colts cheered for them, and Scootaloo gave her mother a big hug. Diamond Tiara and her mother came in second, followed by Sweetie Belle and her mother. There were ribbons handed out at the end of the race, and much applause accompanied it. When the race was over, all of the fillies and colts went inside to make Mother's Day cards, while the Mothers themselves set up the picnic lunch that was to be had. While they set up, Rainbow spoke with Applejack, who was there in place of Granny Smith.
"Congrats on winning that obstacle course, Rainbow." Applejack praised. Rainbow smiled.
"Thanks. How come you and Apple Bloom didn't race?"
"Apple Bloom didn't feel quite right about it." She said, quietly. Rainbow nodded.
"I understand." She set out the pitchers of water and apple juice. "Hey Applejack?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember your mother at all?" She asked, quietly. Applejack was slightly surprised, but not opposed to the question."
"A might. I remember her laugh, and how she made the best darn apple pie in Equestria. I remember that she used to read to me before bed, and that she was always kind to any pony in need." Rainbow nodded. "Why do you want to know?"
"Just curious, I guess. I don't even remember my Mom that well."
"You know that doesn't mean you're any less of a Mom, right?" Rainbow paused.
"How did you-"
"You ain't that hard to read, sugar cube."
Rainbow smiled. "Thanks."
"No problem."
They spent the next few minutes working in silence.
When everything was all set, the mothers returned inside.
The fillies and colts were in the midst of making their cards, all concentrating hard as they put glitter, lace, hoof prints, and loving sentiments in their cards. A few of them had already finished and were cleaning up their desks. Miss Cheerilee looked up at the clock. It was almost eleven thirty. When the clock finally hit it, Cheerilee was the first to speak.
"Okay, everypony, it's lunch time!" She said, smiling. Everypony went outside to see a beautiful buffet waiting for them.
"Can I get your plate?" Scootaloo asked, eager to please.
"If you want to, sure."
Scootaloo went to the buffet, where Diamond Tiara was filling her plate.
"Congratulations on winning the obstacle course." She said.
"Um... Thanks."
"You must have learned a lot from your... Mom."
"I have..." She said hesitantly.
"That's what makes it so tragic."
"What?"
"You don't know? Your adoptive Mother could never love you as much as your birth mom."
"That's not true."
"Isn't it?"
"My Mom loves me more than anything. She even left training for the Wonderbolts Reserves when I was in the hospital." Scootaloo said defiantly.
"That makes it even worse... You're making her give up her dream for you. Do you know how much she's going to hate you for that later? All she'll think is that you were the burden that held her back from chasing her dreams." With a flip of her mane, she left to sit with her Mother. Scootaloo was left stunned. Her Mother had gathered with the other crusaders family that had showed for the occasion.
Rainbow dash had been keeping watch on her daughter, and knew something was wrong when Diamond Tiara left her with her head hanging down.
"I'll be right back." She said, going over to her Daughter. Scootaloo was saddened by the words spoken to her. As much as she wanted to ignore the comments, a small voice in her head said that Diamond Tiara was right. A hoof was placed on her shoulder. She looked at her Mother and they went to speak privately.
"What's the matter, peanut?" She said, quietly. Scootaloo couldn't help the tears that gathered in her eyes.
"Am I a burden to you?"
"Of course not! What would make you think that?"
"I don't want to hold you back from chasing your dreams... I don't want you to hate me..." The tears streamed down her face. Rainbow was beyond stunned. She lifted her daughter's bowed head.
"Listen to me, kiddo. You are my dream. I would never want to achieve my dreams without you. You're my biggest fan, and I wouldn't be close to making my dreams come true if it weren't for you. Honest." She said, nuzzling her foal. Scootaloo returned it, feeling reassured.
"Now, who put all this nonsense in your head?"
"Diamond Tiara." Rainbow logged the information away in her mind for later.
"Go sit with your friends, squirt. I'll fix you a plate." Reluctantly, Scootaloo went to do so. As Rainbow went to get her daughter food, she took a good look at Diamond Tiara, memorizing her face for later use. When she went to her daughter, who was there laughing with her friends, she exchanged looks with the other adults. They all knew the feeling behind it.
When lunch was over, they all went back to the classroom, where each mother was awarded her card.
For Rainbow, this was one of the most defining moments of her life.
It was a simple card, but was the first tangible expression of her Motherhood. It changed everything. The hoof print inside meant more than any Wonderbolts autograph. The "I love you, momma" written in was mesmerizing. She felt the familiar pride filling her chest. Wordlessly, she gave her daughter a big hug.
What got to Rainbow Dash the most was the intensity of the emotion she felt. Everything was overwhelming. The mothers there understood how that felt, and smiled. Cheerilee, proud and heartened, grinned at the new mother and daughter.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing together and bonding. When school was over, Rainbow Dash let her daughter spend time with her friends, before she took care of a little business of her own.
She flew overhead and stopped at the biggest home in Ponyville. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer with a stern face. A butler answered the door.
"How may I be of assistance to you, Ma'am?"
"I would like to speak to Filthy Rich please."
The butler sized her up before letting her inside.
Everything in the home screamed expensive. Carpets, paintings, and statuettes. The butler ushered her into a parlor.
"Mr. Rich will be with you momentarily, ma'am." Rainbow nodded.
"Thank you." The butler nodded and left.
Rainbow looked around. The couches were lavish and huge. There was a large bookshelf nestled in a corner by a window. Across from the window there was a desk and chair, with a standing lamp beside it. The entire room was a darker green and had a calming aura to it.
The door opened, and Filthy Rich entered the room.
"Hello," he said in a business-like tone, "how can I help you?"
"Mr. Rich, my name is Rainbow Dash. My daughter Scootaloo goes to school with Diamond Tiara."
Rich's face dropped. "I see."
"Mr. Rich, my daughter and her friends have endured plenty of teasing from your daughter over not having a cutie mark. She has dealt with a lot, but your daughter went too far this time."
"How so?"
"Your daughter told mine that she was a burden to me, and that she was keeping me from my dreams. She made fun of her for being adopted."
Rich became bug eyed, but before he could intervene, Rainbow continued.
"Mr. Rich, my daughter's birth mother died giving birth to her, and her father didn't want her. She spent years bouncing around from foster home to foster home, and no pony wanted her. She ran away and ended up in Ponyville. She lived on a bed made of newspapers at the edge of the everfree forest, and bathed in the swimming hole. She only ate when she was with her friends, and always went to bed hungry. I took her in and adopted her. I was the first person who didn't give up on her. She does not deserve to be criticized for being adopted when she lived with nothing before. You and your wife and daughter are fortunate to live the way you do. I ask that you teach her that."
Filthy Rich was stunned and moved. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
"I would have spoken to your wife about this, but I didn't want to ruin her day after she and your daughter had had such a good time." Rainbow added.
"Of course." Filthy Rich nodded. "I'm so sorry for the pain my daughter has caused. I assure you she will be disciplined accordingly and will apologize to your daughter and her friends."
"Thank you very much." She said, getting ready to leave. She paused at the door. "Oh, and Mr. Rich?"
"Yes?"
"Believe me when I tell you that if you don't get things handled and reign your daughter in, I will have no issue with taking the matter into my own hooves."
With that, she left a mildly frightened Filthy Rich at the door.
She decided to run a quick errand. She knew Scootaloo wouldn't be home yet, and she had time. She went to the Carousel Boutique to ask Rarity for a favor. Intrigued, the unicorn asked what that might be. It was so simple, and yet so powerful.
She asked if Rarity might make a blanket for her. The unicorn paused on her current project to complete the smaller task. Slightly less than an hour and a half later, she left with a bag containing a finished blanket.
Rainbow Dash flew home to see Scootaloo curled up on the couch, crying. She figured that Fluttershy had dropped her off. Her intuition told her that this was the hidden aftermath of Diamond Tiara's verbal assault. She knew the filly hadn't heard her come in.
Rainbow had never been one for any sort of intimacy. She knew she was an unconventional mom, but she knew there were times when she would have to be affectionate and mushy, something she had never been apt for. But today, she had to suck it up. Today she was going to mollycoddle her foal to make up for the damage done to the perception of their relationship.
She silently tiptoed upstairs and looked in Scootaloo's room to see the pacifier that had been given to her sitting on the nightstand. She grabbed it before going back to her daughter. When she approached her, she gently ran her hoof through Scootaloo's mane. The filly sniffled.
"Hey there, little peanut." She said gently. "Mommy's here now." Scootaloo looked up a tiny bit. "Do you want your paci?" At the last word, she felt the parts of her body Scootaloo couldn't see cringe intensely. She felt bile beginning to rise in her throat, but tried to shove the feeling aside. The word made her sick, but she figured since she was diving into everything that made her uncomfortable that she'd take a whack at it. The filly looked afraid, but nodded. Her expression eased noticeably as she started to suck on it.
"I have a special surprise for you." Scootaloo looked intrigued. Rainbow pulled out the bag and handed it to her, silently asking her to open it. When she did, her eyes went wide. Inside was a rainbow colored blanket. She took it out of the bag and rubbed it on the side of her cheek. It was incredibly soft and had a very positive and soothing effect on her. Rainbow sat on the couch next to her and waited for Scootaloo to crawl into her lap.
In the time Rainbow had been away, the crusaders had disbanded shortly after leaving the school grounds. Both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had chores to attend to. Bored and tired, she had asked Fluttershy to take her home. She had laid on the couch, quiet. Try as she might, she couldn't get Diamond Tiara's words out of her head. She'd reached her limit and broke down sobbing. It felt good to cry and let her emotions free. It was hard maintaining her tough persona.
She didn't know how long she'd been crying for when her mother finally found her, but knew that her crying was ugly. She could feel her tears running down her face, and her eyes felt stiff. She knew her nose was running, but simply didn't care. When Rainbow wrapped her arms around her, there was an indescribable relief that came with it.
Rainbow held onto her daughter until her breathing evened out. The two laid there for a short time, quiet and reflective. They never had to speak to communicate with each other- their eyes said all they needed to know. Scootaloo decided to break the silence. Removing her pacifier, she took a breath and said what she'd been thinking for the past hour.
"I'm sorry." Rainbow was flummoxed.
"Kiddo, you have no reason to be sorry."
"But I broke! I didn't stay tough... I'm a marshmallow."
"Scoots, listen to me, no pony can be tough all the time. It's okay to let those feelings out- it's normal."
"But you're always tough! You never cry..." Rainbow smiled.
"Squirt, you have made me cry with happy tears more times than I can count. Just because I don't usually let out my emotions doesn't mean they aren't there. And speaking of, just because I don't show emotion doesn't mean you have to. Be yourself- that's all anyone could ask for."
Scootaloo hugged her mother. It was the best advice she'd received yet.
The next day in the school yard, Filthy Rich stood behind his daughter. The Cutie Mark Crusaders entered, and Filthy Rich nudged his daughter forward. She rolled her eyes before begrudgingly making her way to where the trio stood. The three ponies were perplexed.
"I'm sorry I made fun of you for being adopted, Scootaloo, and calling you and your friends blank flanks." The statement was said angrily, but the truth of what was being said rammed home.
"It's okay." Diamond Tiara looked at her father, who gave a nod before leaving. Rainbow watched from overhead and just smiled. When she was done with work, she got out the journal she shared with her friends and began to write.
Today was my first real Mother's Day celebration, and it didn't turn out like I planned. Being a mom is a bunch of different jobs all rolled into one. Sometimes you have to be the cheerleader to make sure your kid knows you support them. Other times you have to be an advocate for your kids when somepony is being mean to them or bullying them. No matter what you call it, motherhood is both a gift and a curse. It's the greatest thing in the world, but it comes with a lot of responsibility. After a hard day at work, the last thing you want to do is more stuff, but you do it anyways, because nothing is stronger than the love between Mother and Child. Believe me, I've felt it first-hoof.
Rainbow Dash sighed deeply. "Because I don't approve of cosmetic surgery."
"But what if my wings won't grow any other way?" Scootaloo argued.
"Your wings aren't even done growing yet. I don't want you to get them extended and interfere with the natural growth process."
"Well can't we at least talk to a doctor about it? Please?"
Rainbow melted at the pleading eyes of her daughter. "I guess that wouldn't hurt..."
Scootaloo squealed and hugged her Mother tightly. Rainbow, exhausted, flopped onto her back on her bed. This was going to be a long week.
The next day, Rainbow took her daughter to the Doctor's office. The chairs were filled with foals, fillies, and colts alike. They sat stock still in their chairs until a nurse called Scootaloo's name. After getting measured and weighed, they were taken to the examination room to wait until the Doctor came in. Scootaloo's wings were buzzing with excitement.
"Calm down, peanut." Rainbow said, softly.
Scootaloo couldn't help it. "I'm too excited." Rainbow smiled.
The door opened, and in walked Doctor Horse walked in, smiling.
"Good afternoon." He said, cordially.
"Hello, Doctor Horse." Rainbow Dash said, moving to shake his hoof.
"So, Miss Dash, I see here that you're worried about your daughter's wing growth?"
"Yes. She hasn't flown successfully yet. She wants to have wing surgery done to expand them, but I don't want her to have it if her wings aren't done growing."
"Ah, I see." Said the doctor, adjusting his glasses. "Miss Dash, would you give me permission to take your daughter down to get an X-Ray done?"
"Of course."
"Excellent. I'll have my nurse bring you the appropriate forms to fill out."
"Okay."
As Rainbow filled out the forms, the Doctor took Scootaloo down to get her X-Ray. Although she was more than happy to do as her Doctor asked of her, all of the giant machines in the room made her feel intimidated and small. She went and changed into a gown, and did as the Doctor asked of her. When it was over, Scootaloo happily returned to her Mother.
She didn't know quite how long they waited there, but the Doctor finally came back.
"Miss Dash, after examining your daughter's wings, I found that they're not likely to grow anymore. As a result of malnutrition, their growth has been stunted. However, there is a very safe procedure that can be used to help them grow. If you're interested, I can give you the name of my good friend Doctor Bell, who has performed dozens of operations like this before."
Rainbow looked at Scootaloo, whose eyes were huge and pleading. Her heart crumbled to pieces. The thought of never flying with her daughter was too much to bear.
"I'm very interested."
"Excellent."
After discussing the finer points of what they found in the X-Ray, Rainbow shook hands with the physician and set off to meet with the other Doctor.
They met up with Doctor Bell at Ponyville Hospital. The Doctor, whose coat was darker brown and coiffed mane was coal black, was very personable.
"This procedure is very safe. What we do is we take this tube," he said, holding up a silver tube that was no more than an inch long, and was as thick as a macaroni noodle, "and put one between the top and second bone in each part of the wings. The tube magically expands about half an inch each day. This way the skin around the wings has time to expand slowly. It automatically stops when the wings are the size they should be. After that, the wings grow as you do."
Scootaloo was beyond excited. "It sounds perfect!" She looked up at her Mother.
"What's the success rate with the procedure?" She asked.
"So far, we have had nothing but success. I have performed the procedure a dozen times, minimum. The other doctors are just as experienced as I am.
"If we're having the procedure done, I want you to be the surgeon to perform it." Said Rainbow in a deadpan.
"As you wish. When would you like to schedule the surgery?"
"When are you next available?"
"Next Thursday at noon." Rainbow sucked in a breath.
"Alright. You've got an appointment."
"Excellent, let me go get you those forms."
The second the Doctor left, Scootaloo pounced on her Mother and hugged her tightly.
"You're welcome, peanut." She said, nuzzling her foal. The doctor came back with the forms, and Rainbow filled them out As Scootaloo jumped around in excitement.
When they finished, Scootaloo hurried off to tell her friends. Rainbow just rolled her eyes and smiled. She decided to pay one of her friends a visit. Flying over Ponyville, she stopped at the familiar Cottage at the edge of the everfree forest. She touched down in front of the door and knocked.
"Coming!" The door opened, and Fluttershy poked her head outside.
"Hey Fluttershy, can I talk to you?"
"Of course, Rainbow. Please, come in."
Rainbow entered the tiny cottage and sat on the couch. Fluttershy went into the kitchen.
"Would you like a cup of tea?"
"Sure. Thanks."
Fluttershy came out with two cups of tea, and Angel carried the tea kettle and put it on the coffee table. The pegasus pony sat beside her friend.
"Is everything okay?" She asked, softly.
"I took Scootaloo to the doctor today, and we found out that her wings aren't going to grow anymore. So I took her to another Doctor who's putting in this magic device to make her wings grow. She was so happy about it, and I'm happy for her, but..."
"But what?"
"But I feel like once she starts flying that she won't need me as much anymore. I don't want to let go..."
"Oh, Rainbow..." She said, putting a hoof on her friends shoulder. "She'll always need you. Maybe not in the same way, but she will always need her Mother, no matter how old she gets."
Rainbow attempted a smile. "Thanks."
"Of course." Rainbow took a drink of tea, feeling a little bit better. Fluttershy's kindness was exactly what she needed.
Scootaloo had rounded up her friends and was eagerly telling them all about her day. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were ecstatic for their friend.
"Guess we can't call you a chicken or a do do anymore, huh?" Sweetie Belle teased. Scootaloo smiled.
"Nope."
"This is amazing! We gotta celebrate!" Said Apple Bloom. The trio shared a look.
"Sugarcube Corner?"
"Totally!"
The three friends went to sugarcube corner and got carrot cupcakes, talking about the possible cutie marks Scootaloo could get for flying.
Rainbow Dash flew home shortly after her conversation with Fluttershy. When she arrived, she opened the door to Scootaloo's bedroom and looked at it. There were posters of her and the Wonderbolts, photos of her friends, and a few of the two of them together. She picked up the framed picture, smiling. She could feel the change in the air, so thick she could cut it with a knife. She knew that once her daughter started flying it would create seperation between them. While seperation was inevitable, she hadn't expected it to come so quickly after they had forged a bond.
It scared her, this seperation. She worried that they wouldn't be the same, that somehow this would emotionally distance them from one another. She knew she was being irrational, and way too emotional. Motherhood had opened her heart to a gamut of intense emotion, and she knew this event would touch on many emotions she hadn't experienced. She figured she ought to keep a box of tissues handy. She went back into her room and tried to relax.
Her mind wouldn't let up on the issue playing her consciousness. She was proud of her foal, and she wanted her to fly, but she didn't want her to grow up. More to the point, she didn't want to have to let go. She wanted reconcile that it was inevitable, and that it was better to get it over with now than later. She had enough common sense to know that this would happen several times in their relationship, but she felt unprepared for it. She presumed that she always would.
When nothing eased her mind, she decided to go for a fly. The power and control she felt being in the air helped calm her nerves. As she raced through the air as fast as she could, the adrenaline flowing through her made her lose the train of thought that was poisoning her mind. She felt her body limber up, and the tension in her stomach and shoulders starting to ease. She was back home almost as soon as the thought came to mind.
She saw her daughter headed home and landed down by her so she could pick her up. She was poignantly reminded about how few times she had left to do so. She could feel Scootaloo's happiness, and her own emotions were lifted by it. Her daughter immediately went to her room, while Rainbow Dash went into the kitchen to begin preparing dinner. It was a mindless activity, and did nothing to reign in her out of control emotions. She put on a happy face for her foal, but long after Scootaloo had gone to bed, Rainbow locked her own door, buried her face in a pillow, and cried.
For Rainbow, crying was a private activity that was hardly ever done unless under extreme stress. Today her stress had reached that extreme. Once she had begun, she felt better. Eventually, she stopped. With heavy eyes, and a heavier heart, she fell asleep.
The next few days went by in a haze of emotion. It seemed every clock was purposefully going faster, trying to mock her. As she wrestled with her emotions, Scootaloo kept hers settled on happy and hyper. The days fell into one another, and in what seemed to be the blink of an eye, operation day had arrived. Rainbow Dash picked up her daughter early from school, and headed to the Hospital. As Scootaloo lay in bed in her hospital gown, ready for the surgery that was to befall her, her Mother's anxiety hit the roof. She suddenly understood how Fluttershy felt all the time. The doctor's wheeled her foal away, and all Rainbow could do now was wait.
She had brought a couple Daring Do books with her, to keep her mind occupied, but it was like trying to intrest a sick dog in his food. Once racing by, time seemed to laugh at her by slowing to a near stop. Seconds went by like a tortoise trying to run a race. She wanted to scream so badly. The stress was eating her alive. Mentally, she was a wreck. She squeezed her book as hard as she could, trying to relieve herself of the tension, but it was no good.
Supportive as ever, her friends came to her aid when the chips were down. They each tried to gain Rainbow's interest, but failed respectively and as a unit. Just when Rainbow was about to burst, her daughter was moved into recovery. Instantly, Rainbow was up and moving. She hugged each of her friends before going to her Daughter's bedside.
Scootaloo remained unconscious from the anesthesia. Rainbow sat by her bedside, vigilant and paranoid. Seeing her Daughter had relieved a lot of her stress, but the feeling of anxiety was still in her stomach. Her heart was still pounding as she waited for her foal to wake.
Scootaloo awoke with blurry vision, but had an unobstructed view of her Mother. Relieved beyond measure, she squeezed her mother's hoof.
Rainbow smiled. "Hey there, peanut." She stroked her daughter's mane. "How are you feeling?"
"Sleepy." Came the soft reply.
"Go back to sleep, squirt. Everything's okay." Nodding, the little filly dozed off.
Not long after Scootaloo fell asleep, the Doctor arrived.
"Hello, Doctor Bell."
"Hello, Miss Dash. Your daughter's surgery went very well. She should be able to use her wings in no time." He said, smiling. She forced her own smile before turning back to her child. Scootaloo slept for another two hours before finally waking up. When she did, the doctor gave her the okay to go home, provided she stay on bed rest for the next few days. Rainbow was more than happy to fly her daughter home, and laid her gently in bed before tucking her in.
"Get on in there, little caterpillar."
"Caterpillar?"
"Caterpillar."
"Why?"
"Every butterfly starts out as a caterpillar. They have to change before they can finally spread their wings and fly." She explained.
"So you think I'm going to fly?" Scootaloo asked, hopefully.
"I know you are." She said, quietly. Her daughter gave her a tight hug.
"Thanks."
"Of course."
Rainbow spent the next few days with her foal as she recovered from her surgery. Every day Scootaloo grew more and more confident that her wings would work. She decided that she wanted to try flying a week after her surgery. Rainbow Dash felt queasy thinking about it, but who was she to stop her daughter from doing something that had brought her so much joy over the years? All too quickly, the day of determination had come.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders along with all of Rainbow's friends gathered for the occasion. Despite the outer mask of happiness, Rainbow felt her nerves getting to her. Tank flew next to her, sensing her anxiety. She felt her panic and pride duking it out for the title of most overwhelming emotion. Scootaloo felt confident, and was hoping that her cockiness was not in vein.
The time had come. Scootaloo took in a deep breath, and started flapping her wings.
For a moment, no one breathed.
The tiny pegasus was lifted off of the ground. Higher and higher, until she reached a cloud and sat on it. She gasped. She had done it! She flew! She started flapping again, looking over all of Ponyville.
On the ground, Rainbow Dash watched her daughter fly for the first time. Rapidly, her emotions took over, and she found herself crying. Fluttershy was the pony closest to her, and gently put a hoof around her. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Rarity turned to look at the pair. Rainbow Dash openly crying was a sight that was foreign and strange to them. They gathered around her, supporting her in this hour of unique transition.
Everypony watched the youngster fly overhead. Rainbow was so overwhelmed with emotion that she almost decided not to fly up with her. However, when she heard the call of "Mom!" She didn't hesitate to fly into the sky. Scootaloo sat on a cloud, looking over all of the town she'd been a part of. Rainbow pulled her into a hug, so proud she thought she might burst. Pulling herself together as much as she could, she whispered,
"That's my little butterfly."
When the excitement of the day was over, Rainbow Dash decided to write a special letter to the Princess.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I wanted to share my thoughts with you. This week I learned about how hard is to let go and give your child room to grow. Every parent wants to keep their children close and little, and most hardly see past the toddler years when they envision having a foal of their very own. I wanted to keep Scootaloo close, but I knew she'd become more independent at some point. This week I watched my little caterpillar spread her wings for the first time as a butterfly. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Now I see that even though letting go sucks, it can actually bring you and your kids closer. They want to spend time with you to learn what you can teach them. They'll always need you, just not in the same way as before.
Rainbow Dash sat in her bed, wide awake in the middle of the night. She doubted that she'd get any sleep. The excitement of her daughter's flying for the first time had made sure of that. She sighed to herself. Every parent held some reservations about their child growing up. Flying was a huge milestone in the growth process. She had put on a good face for her daughter but in reality she was scared stiff. Not just about her growing up, but of the danger that came with flying.
She had never gotten to experience her foal growing inside her. She hadn't gotten to watch her grow up and change, which is likely why she was struggling so much with this change. She was not above borrowing a few parenting books to try and ride the wave. When a foal worked on a big skill, like walking or talking, they regressed in other areas. It was almost like their brain couldn't handle everything at once, so they had to hit the reset button on other things they'd already mastered.
She could never have guessed that her daughter was thinking about more of the same.
Scootaloo had been lying awake for hours. Her first flight was exhilarating. She couldn't wait to go again. With this privilege, however, came great expectation. There was so much responsibility that came with flying, responsibility she wasn't sure she could handle. The truth of the matter was that she was afraid to grow up.
She had spent so much of her life focused on survival. She had never had a real childhood. Now that she had a stable home, she yearned for the love and attention that came with it. She wanted to ask for it so badly, but was afraid. Rejection wasn't impossible. Unlikely, perhaps, but even the slight chance made her scared stiff.
This was her time. She knew that the next morning she had to ask. She didn't want to leave anything to chance. She worked up her nerve, captured the feeling of courage she needed, and finally fell asleep.
The next morning came with a beautiful sunrise. Rainbow woke up and prepared breakfast for herself and her child. The smell of pancakes and bacon wafted upstairs. Scootaloo smelled it and ran downstairs. Her eyes lit up at the spread before her, and she immediately started filling her plate. Rainbow smiled and shook her head. Scootaloo waited until Rainbow to sit down before she talked about what was on her mind.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, anything."
"Were you ever afraid to grow up? Or scared of responsibility?"
Rainbow knew where she was going with that. "Growing up is always scary, no matter how old you are."
"I didn't get to be a kid..."
"And you feel like you'll never grow up right if you don't get to be, right?"
"How did you-"
"I can see it in your face."
"So can you-"
"Yes. Of course I will."
Scootaloo hugged her Mother tightly.
A little mollycoddling never hurt any pony, Rainbow thought. She wanted her daughter to feel free to express every part of herself, even the parts she didn't like. She wanted her child to have everything under the sun. She knew that wasn't going to be easy, but knew her effort would be worth it if it turned Scootaloo into a well adjusted mare.
The things Scootaloo asked for were not unreasonable. They were small, almost inconsequential things that made a huge difference to her. She asked for some time at the end of the day to talk about what happened. She wanted to be cuddled a little bit at night. She kept her pacifier and blanket on hand at all times when she was at home. It was emotional security that she needed.
Rainbow was secretly thrilled to treat her daughter this way. It was her own way of getting in the years she missed. She was just as committed to this as her foal was. While Scootaloo was learning to fly, she was learning how to meet the emotional needs of her child. Often times she fell asleep completely exhausted, but it was a fulfilling kind of fatigue. So far this had been a secret between them, but Rainbow had been so happy all of the time that her friends had noticed the change. Today, she decided to talk to Fluttershy about it.
After work, she made the short trip over to Fluttershy's cottage. She knocked gently on the door, wondering how she'd explain the current happenings at home. Fluttershy opened the door and smiled.
"Hello, Rainbow Dash."
"Hey, Fluttershy. Do you have a minute to talk?"
"Of course! Come on in."
Rainbow walked into the familiar cottage. Angel hopped toward the other Pegasus before going to sit on the couch. Rainbow went with her friend into the kitchen and sat at the dining room table. Fluttershy poured them both a cup of tea. Rainbow put a spoonful of sugar into her teacup and stirred. She took a sip before sighing.
"Thanks for the tea."
"No problem. Is something bothering you?"
"Sort of, but it's a good thing."
"Oh? I'd love to hear about it."
"Remember how I came to you a couple weeks ago about letting go of Scoots?"
"Yes."
"Well, a few days ago she talked to me about being afraid of growing up. I did a little bit of reading and I found out that when a foal is working on big things like walking and talking, they slip when it comes to other things they've already mastered. Since she's learning how to fly, which is a huge thing, we agreed to babying her. She never got to be a kid, so we're fixing that. She doesn't feel emotionally safe, so I've been working myself to the bone trying to fix it."
Fluttershy smiled. "I'm so proud of you for doing that for her."
"Any pony would have done the same thing."
"Not any pony." Rainbow blushed.
"Thanks, Fluttershy."
"You're welcome. Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Why did you want to tell me?"
"Because no pony understands like you."
Fluttershy gave a small smile. "Thank you." Rainbow nodded.
"Do you mind if you keep this between us?"
"You have my word."
"Pinkie promise?"
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
"Thanks."
"What are friends for?"
They clinked their cups together and took a sip of tea.
That night, after Scootaloo went to bed, Rainbow Dash laid down, more peaceful inside than she had been in weeks. She got under the covers and tried to clear her mind. As she drifted off, she was happy as a clam. Her life was perfect.
Scootaloo was flying through the air. She didn't have a care in the world. She was racing forward, feeling euphoric as adrenaline flowed through her. She looped through the sky, performing for no one but herself. She could feel her mother watching her. She felt happy and free. Suddenly, the feeling of her mother watching vanished. She looked down and saw no one there. Her panic was instantaneous. Then, her wings had vanished and she was plummeting to the ground, screaming.
She woke up with a start, and felt herself crying. Looking over to her window, she saw that it was morning. She got up and ran to her Mother's room, scared out of her wits.
She pushed the door open. "Mommy?"
No pony was there. She ran downstairs, high strung.
No pony was there. She was in a complete panic. "Mommy?"
Tank was in the living room, unhooked from his rotor. When she looked over to him, she saw a note taped to the door, and ran toward it.
Peanut,
Had to leave extra early to handle a weather emergency. I'll be home as soon as I can. Fluttershy will be by to check in on you.
Momma
Scootaloo sat down next to Tank, and cried into his shell. Knowing he was the only one in the house, she talked to him.
"I want my Momma."
Tank very slowly turned around and licked Scootaloo's cheek, which was salty with her tears. Her mouth tried to tip up into a smile, but it just wobbled and turned to a frown. She sat there and cried for a long time. How long, she wasn't sure.
Fluttershy gently knocked on the door, and opened it to see Scootaloo in tears.
"Scootaloo? Are you alright?"
Scootaloo stiffened and froze. There was a fork in the road here- she could pull herself together, or she could keep falling apart. She didn't think she could reign herself in, so she shook her head "no" and kept her face hidden in Tank's shell.
Fluttershy went over to the filly and sat next to her.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Scootaloo tried to breathe, but could only breathe in uneven gasps. Fluttershy took the initiative to try and help her calm down. Once she got her breathing under control, Fluttershy asked,
"What's the matter?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay." For a few minutes, there was an awkward silence. "Are you hungry?" She asked quietly. Scootaloo slowly lifted her head.
"Yeah."
"What are you hungry for?"
"Grass pancakes?"
"Coming right up."
For the first time that morning, Scootaloo smiled. She went to the table and waited to be served. Fluttershy's kindness was not under appreciated. Scootaloo gave her a big hug when Fluttershy handed her her pancakes.
"Thank you." She said, smiling.
"You're welcome." Fluttershy replied, happy to see the filly smiling. Scootaloo was two bites into her pancakes when she asked,
"Do you know where my Mom is?"
"I'm sorry, I don't. There was a big mix up with some of the storm clouds, and one of the trees caught on fire. All I know is that the lightning clouds have gotten overproduced and out of control."
"Okay. Thank you." She said quietly. The disappointment in her voice was ill concealed. Fluttershy felt sad for the girl she considered a goddaughter. Scootaloo ate her pancakes in a dismal silence. Fluttershy looked on her with pity.
Then, like a hero swooping in to save the day, Rainbow Dash arrived.
Fluttershy was quick to take her leave.
Rainbow Dash looked at her daughter and knew straight away that something was amiss. Scootaloo ran to her mother and hugged her, trembling. Rainbow paused, and got down to her level.
"What's the matter, peanut?"
Scootaloo looked up at her slowly. She nuzzled into her Mother and was quiet. Rainbow was quick to pick up her foal and sat on the couch with her. She petted her child until Scootaloo spoke to her in a trembling falsetto.
"I had a nightmare." Rainbow's eyes showed no condemnation or disappointment, only love.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Scootaloo nodded.
"I was flying and I knew you were watching. Then you were gone and I looked down, trying to find you, and my wings disappeared and I was falling out of the sky..."
Rainbow snuggled with her daughter.
"I'm right here. You'll never fall with me around."
"But what if-"
"You'll be fine. Trust me."
Scootaloo gave a hollow nod. Rainbow just pulled her close and held onto her for a while. It occurred to her that as her daughter was beginning to master flying, these moments of regression and closeness would soon be fewer and fewer. She had to take advantage of these moments while she could. For a few moments she could pretend she never missed anything.
They stayed that way for a long time. When Scootaloo looked up at her Mother, Rainbow was serene. She kept her head on straight, and was offered another lesson in flying. She eagerly accepted.
In the space of the three days following the simple encounter, Rainbow declared that Scootaloo had passed basic training when it came to flying. She was now comfortable with her daughter soaring through the skies, because she's the one who taught her how to fly right. She was more at ease than she had been in weeks, and decided to write an entry in the diary.
The old saying "one step forward, two steps back" is a saying for a reason. When Somepony is faced with new challenges, they can see them as scary. This week I learned that if you let your kid regress a little in things they already know, they can make amazing progress in trying new things. Because I met my daughter's needs, it gave her the confidence to fly better and work harder. This week I can officially say that my little peanut has met my standards in basic flight skills. Now that she can do that, I can start teaching her new tricks and the moves that make me awesome. It just goes to show that a little love and affection go a long way with your kids, and you'll find that if you open up that softer side of yourself and express your feelings, your kids will feel free to do the same with you. And that makes you closer with them than ever.
Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack sat at the dining room table inside the Carousel Boutique. Today, they and their younger counterparts were having a sleepover. As the three girls chatted away, the smaller children played together.
Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo bounced a ball between the three of them, giggling and laughing.
The older mares watched over their charges diligently. Rarity and Applejack looked on at their sisters while Rainbow Dash kept a close eye on her daughter. It was their first sleepover together, and they were both excited. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were bored. Restlessly, they tried to figure out another way to earn their cutie marks.
"Want to go outside?" Scootaloo asked. The other two nodded. They took the door while Scootaloo flew through the window. Rainbow was not oblivious to this and excused herself from the table to go talk to her foal.
"Scootaloo!" She called. Scootaloo bounced over to her mother. "You know you aren't supposed to go through the windows, especially at a guest's house. I want you to apologize to Aunt Rarity when you come inside. This is your first warning, understand?"
Scootaloo nodded. Her mother was not above putting her in time out, and she knew it.
Rainbow walked the fine line between disciplinarian and unintentionally brutish and harsh behavior. She didn't want to seem cold. She cared about her daughter, and it was from that place of caring that she disciplined her. However, her fear of her daughter perceiving her as cruel and that she was overly angry controlled her life.
As she went inside, she kept a close eye on her filly. Both Applejack and Rarity agreed to go outside to watch over the girls. They sat on lawn chairs as the girls tried time and again to get their cutie marks through various stunts. It was, sadly, almost comedic in nature. As the day wore on, the small trio grew hot and tired, so they shuffled inside. Scootaloo apologized to her aunt, who smiled at her gently and forgave her.
Dinner was supplied by Applejack, and they all gathered at the dining room table. For Scootaloo there was a certain anxiety that came with it. Tonight was her first night in over a month that she didn't have her blanket or pacifier with her when she went to bed that night. Her friends' ability to keep thinking up ideas for getting their cutie marks had kept her mind busy, but with the sudden lack of activity she couldn't get her mind off of her worries. Rainbow sensed her daughter's rising unease and wanted to talk to her about it. After having some delicious apple pie, Rainbow pulled her into a seperate room to speak with her.
"What's the matter, peanut?"
"Nothing..." Rainbow raised an eyebrow and waited. Scootaloo sighed. "I'm scared."
"What are you afraid of?" She asked, putting a hoof around her daughter. The wall of overconfidence and swagger came down, and the nurturing, soft side came out.
"I don't have any of my comfort objects." Came the quiet admission. Rainbow's expression was caught between understanding and one Scootaloo couldn't quite define.
"Maybe not, but you have both of your friends there, and I'm just down the hall if you need me."
"I guess..."
"It's one night. I know you can do it."
Her mother's faith in her eased her anxiety only a touch. Scootaloo cuddled into her mother for a few minutes, trying to reestablish her sense of security. When she felt better, she returned to her friends as they tried their final attempts at earning their cutie marks before they went to bed for the night. When they were finally able to calm them down, the mares took the fillies upstairs to prepare for bed.
Scootaloo was unnerved and scared to go to bed. Rainbow, seeing the subtle signs of her mounting unease, quickly removed her from the relatively calm environment and took her into another room. The filly refused to let go of her Mother.
"Scoots? What's wrong?" Scootaloo trembled against her.
"Please don't go." It was a strange, high-pitched plea. Rainbow felt her heart drop into her stomach. She could feel abandonment issues filling the space between them. She gathered her nerve.
"I know you don't like it, but it's time for bed."
"No!" Came the whining reply. Scootaloo started to cry, and was doing it purposely to try and get her mother to stay. Rainbow saw the tears and understood that this was a tantrum. She was angry that she didn't get her way. She was allowed to get angry. Rainbow steeled herself for what was to come.
"Scootaloo, if you don't stop crying and get to bed right now, you're going into timeout."
The crying did not stop. Rainbow sighed.
"Alright then." She picked up her daughter and sat her in the corner. She got down to her daughter's level.
"You're in time out for seven minutes."
She left the room, only to be followed by her foal. Rainbow sighed, picked her up, and put her back in the spot. She didn't know how many times she put her back, but eventually Scootaloo stayed for the full seven minutes.
Rainbow went over to her and looked her right in the eye.
"Do you know why I put you in timeout?"
Scootaloo nodded. "I Didn't go to bed when I was supposed to."
"That's right. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I'm sorry."
"I forgive you. Can I have a hug?" Scootaloo hugged her.
"Are you ready to go to bed?"
Scootaloo nodded.
They were just in time to hear the end of the story that Applejack read to her friends. Rainbow pulled back the covers as her daughter crawled in, and tucked her in. Rarity and Applejack wished their sisters goodnight, while Rainbow gave her daughter a tight hug. They left the door open just a crack before going to the dining room table to sit.
They all breathed a sigh of relief that the fillies were in bed. Rarity gave them all some warm cider to bring a more relaxed air to the room. After a few sips, they became more at ease.
"That was certainly an eventful day." Rarity commented.
"You're darn tootin'!" Applejack exclaimed. "Trying to get those fillies to stay still is harder than spotting a worm in a bucket of apples on cider makin' day."
"Seriously. I don't know how they have that much energy. I get tired just watching them." Rainbow added, taking a drink. The three nodded.
"Rainbow Dash, what on earth were you and Scootaloo doing while Applejack was reading to the other fillies?" Rarity asked. Rainbow sighed.
"She didn't want to go to bed. She has a few things she normally sleeps with that weren't with her tonight. I took her out of the room because I knew she was going to have a meltdown. She threw a tantrum, so I put her in timeout. It probably wouldn't have been that long if she hadn't kept trying to escape. When she did her time I brought her back in."
"That's mighty impressive." Applejack remarked.
"How is that impressive?"
"Any type of discipline requires a good amount of consistency. You must have been very persistent to get her to stay in timeout." Rarity pointed out.
"You have to be consistent with your discipline, otherwise your kids won't show you any respect." Rainbow said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I'm just surprised that you weren't afraid to do it." As always, Applejack was honest.
"That's how you show your kids you love them. You have to teach them right from wrong- that's your job as a parent."
At the end of Rainbow's small speech, Rarity and Applejack looked at her as if she was a completely different person. They smiled at her. She was a far cry from the person she'd been since she first took in Scootaloo. They raised their glasses in a toast to her.
At the end of the day, they all went to bed. This, however, didn't mean that they all slept.
Rainbow lay wide awake, quietly wallowing in her guilt. Just because she had to discipline her daughter didn't mean she had to like it. Of course it was necessary. Parenting was a job not for the faint of heart. She knew she would be spending extra time with her little peanut tomorrow. The balance of power would be restored in their relationship. Now clear of conscience, Rainbow fell asleep.
The three mares were awoken by their younger counterparts jumping on top of them.
Rainbow Dash laid there with her daughter for a while, and then sent her to be with her friends while she helped prepare breakfast. Rarity made eggs, Applejack fried up the haybacon and poured the drinks, while Rainbow made the grass pancakes. About half an hour after that, breakfast was ready. They set the table before calling in the girls.
They all gathered around the table to eat. It was a breakfast fit for a king. They didn't talk that much while eating. It was always a sign of a good meal. As breakfast wound down, the Cutie Mark Crusaders left for another day of trying to earn their cutie marks. The older ponies were left with clean up duty. They finished just in time for work. Rarity went down to her shop, Applejack headed back to the Apple farm, and Rainbow flew up to cloudsdale to get the weather going.
Today's weather called for cloudy skies. She went to the cloud factory and arranged them one by one in the sky over Ponyville. It was a menial task that didn't require much thought. Sooner than she expected, she was done. She decided to head home after a good days work.
When she arrived home, she was very much aware that she had an ample amount of time on her hands. She decided out of boredom to clean the house. She scrubbed the kitchen counters first. Then she went and took out the trash from every room in the house. She dusted, and made the bathrooms sparkle. The last thing she did was get the mail.
When she was done, she sat on the couch, unsure of what to do next. She pulled out a Daring Do book to occupy her time. She kept checking her clock every five minutes despite herself. She waited for her daughter to come home, feeling more anxious by the second. There came a point where she gave up on trying to entertain herself and just stayed on the couch. Fortunately, Scootaloo came home shortly after.
"Hey there, peanut."
"Hi, Momma."
"Did you have a good day?"
"We didn't earn our cutie marks, but we did go to sugarcube corner for cupcakes."
"Sounds fun."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Come and sit with me. I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Okay." Scootaloo sat with her mother, who gave her a tight hug.
"Look, peanut, I wanted to talk to you about the timeout I gave you last night." Scootaloo was listening intently. "I want you to know that when I discipline you, it's not because you're a bad kid. It's my job to teach you the difference between right and wrong. I know you were worried last night, but refusing to go to bed and crying to try and make me feel bad is not the answer. I know you were angry, and it's okay to be angry. I want you to know that I wasn't mad at you. I didn't want you to feel like I was abandoning you. I disciplined you because I love you and want to make you a better person. Do you understand?"
Scootaloo nodded mutely. She hugged her daughter tightly.
"Good. Do you want to help me cook dinner?" A brightness colored her eyes.
"Yeah."
"Let's go, then."
Together, mother and daughter went into the kitchen and started cooking.
After dinner, They spent the last hour of daylight going flying together. Rainbow, finally free of the weight of the words that were on her conscience, felt much lighter than usual. She was happy. Scootaloo was equally joyful.
When they came back into the house, they spent the evening winding down to get ready for bed. Rainbow spent a long time cuddling her daughter. She was uncharacteristically quiet during that time. It was peaceful and relaxing. When bedtime came, Rainbow watched her foal brush her teeth before going into her room and pulling back the covers.
Scootaloo laid down, snuggling against her blanket. She reached over to her nightstand and set her pacifier in her mouth. Rainbow looked at her with pride. She leaned down to kiss her forehead.
"Goodnight, peanut."
"Goodnight, Momma."
With one last look at her daughter, she gently shut the door. She went downstairs and just listened to the quiet. It was tranquil and yet happy at the same time. Rainbow went over to her bookshelf and pulled out the journal she shared with her friends. After pausing to think, she began to write.
Being a Mommy is not a guilt-free profession. Sometimes you can feel awful for doing what your supposed to. Anytime your kid cries, your first instinct is always to hold them and make it better. It takes a smart parent to recognize when the crying is real, or if it's just for show. When you figure out they're taking advantage of you, you have to discipline them. When you do, it comes with guilt. But if it's done with love, there's nothing to feel bad about. I learned that being a Mommy isn't always an easy job, but there's no job more rewarding.
Rainbow sat on her couch, long into the night. Scootaloo had gone to bed hours earlier. Rainbow was at a fork in the road. She had noticed her foal's deep attachment to her pacifier and blanket, and was worried over it. Was she too attatched? Was it normal? She was going in circles in her head trying to figure it out.
She went upstairs and climbed into her bed. Her frustration was mounting and she couldn't find a good way to release it. She decided to drop by her pediatrician's office the next day. It was the only way she could get her mind to stop churning. Finally, she fell asleep.
The next morning came far too soon for Rainbow's liking. She went to make breakfast, completely out of touch with reality. All too quickly, she was headed out the door and went to work. Cloud busting was quick and easy work this morning. She finished with the clouds above the pediatrician's office so that she could make the trip less long.
She sat in a stiff plastic chair in a lobby full of crying foals. It was loud, and her back was pushing against the chair in a very painful way. It would all be worth it, though, to have her questions answered. Her anxiety was through the roof. Finally, they called her name. The nurse was very personable, and led her to a neon-green colored room.
"The doctor will be in with you shortly."
With that, she was left to her own devices in the examination room. It was both reassuring and unsettling. Minutes ticked by at a snail's pace. Slowly, her agitation built like a bubble about to burst. When the doctor came in, it was like a fire being extinguished by a sudden downpour of rain.
"Hello miss Dash. How may I help you?"
"Hello, Doctor. I had a few questions about my daughter's behavior. She was abandoned and lived on the streets for most of her life. When I took her in, I gave her a pacifier to try and curb her hoof sucking habit, and a blanket. She went to a sleepover recently and threw a huge tantrum because she didn't have them with her. Is it healthy for her to be this attached?"
"How old is your daughter?"
"Seven."
"This kind of behavior is seen most often in two to four year olds. They grow attached to an object when they begin to realize they are a different pony rather than being one pony from their mother. The object is a replacement for the mother's attachment. With your daughter being older, the objects likely represent a source of love that she had not had up until that point. It is unhealthy for her teeth at least, but her emotional security is much more important at this point. If you take them from her, expect a toddler-like response. That's how mature she is emotionally. All in all I don't think it's a bad thing or that it would endanger her. Does that help?"
Rainbow nodded. "It helps a lot. Thank you, doctor." They shook hooves, and Rainbow flew off.
Her mind was far from settled. Although she had a professional opinion, it didn't tame her worried mentality. She shook her head, trying to clear it. She needed a distraction. She decided to pop into the Ponyville café to get a light lunch. While she was being seated, she noticed a Stallion out of the corner of her eye. She did a double take. She'd seen that stallion while training in the Wonderbolts Reserves. If her memory served her right, he was an excellent flyer. She ordered her lunch, unaware that she was being watched by the mysterious stallion.
He got up from his seat, finished with his meal, and decided he wanted to meet the mare who had impressed the Wonderbolts enough to be at the top of the list. His stride was confident, but not cocky. Rainbow noticed him coming in her peripheral vision, and took the chance to study him.
His mane was spiky and short, a mix of deep blue and white. His body was a lighter shade of black, and his wings were the same shade, just a touch lighter at the tips. The only darker spot was his cutie mark, which was five treble clefts arranged in the shape of a star. His eyes were a shade of sunset purple that were almost hypnotizing with their intensity.
"Hey." His voice was a deep, rich, tenor.
"Sup."
"I saw you over here and wanted to meet the mare at the top of the reserves." She almost wanted to blush.
"I'm Rainbow Dash."
"I'm Night Blues." She nodded.
"Cool meeting you."
"Same here. Have you ever done anything else with flying?"
"The list would stretch around the block..."
Before she knew what was happening, he sat down in front of her. He was intrigued by her. Her aerial acrobatics were unmatched by anybody, and yet she had a job simply doing the weather? It was a travesty. Soon, they were engaged in a very stimulating conversation. They were so alike in so many ways- ways that they didn't even know.
Night Blues helped out in the Cloudsdale snowflake factory in the morning, but during the evening he was a professional singer. He sang for her while she ate her sandwich. His voice was mesmerizing. She had to bring herself back to reality when he was finished.
Suddenly, her confident air had become like a cloak tied around her, and the string was being pulled to make it fall off. She felt like her insecurities were being exposed. There was a new fear setting into her- one that was foreign, yet not unwelcome. She didn't understand why she felt This way. She didn't think she wanted to know.
Quickly, an hour passed by. Night Blues too felt this exposure, but understood what it was. He wanted to shove it aside, but knew it make itself known despite his efforts.
He liked this mare, and he wanted to make her his.
The familliar feeling of warmth entered his stomach. It always came when he hungered for something out of his reach. He was determined and ridiculously persistent. He wanted to see her again.
"If you're not doing anything this evening, I'm having a show down by city hall. It'd be nice to have a familiar face in the crowd."
Rainbow was floored. Butterflies flitted around in her stomach. She tried to maintain her composure, and said:
"Sounds cool."
"Awesome. See you there."
"See ya."
With that, he flew off, leaving a stunned Rainbow behind.
Rainbow flew home in a state of bewilderment. What had happened to her? She had lost her confidence. That never happened... It was so strange. She had the urge to find something nice to wear, but tried to quash it. Flummoxed and exasperated, she had no idea what to do. This feeling was strange. She flew through a barrage of words, trying to put a name to it. The one that stuck was longing, and yet it didn't seem right.
It hit her like a ton of bricks. The word closest to her feeling was love.
She fought to hold down her lunch. Love was for ponies like Rarity who wanted the perfect stallion to care for her. Her head wasn't in the clouds- her ambition made her grounded. She didn't have time for love if she wanted to be a Wonderbolt. Then again, she'd become a mother and still became a member of the reserves...
Her confusion was paramount. She didn't want to think about this anymore. An obscure sense told her she'd have to talk this through before it would ease up. She sighed. This was going to be a long day.
She debated wearing a dress for the evening. She supposed she could go and see Rarity about it. Dread filled her stomach, but she shoved it aside and flew to the Carousel Boutique. She rang the doorbell and waited. A muffled "coming!" Was heard from inside. The door opened to a mildly surprised Rarity.
"Hello Rainbow Dash."
"Hey Rarity."
"Is there something I can do for you?"
Rainbow tried to shove her pride aside. "I needed some advice... About, y'know, fashion..."
Rarity gave a happy gasp. "Please, please come in!" Rainbow sighed.
Rarity led her upstairs to her dining room table. Rainbow sat there carefully. Rarity poured them some tea.
"How may I be of assistance?"
"Well, you see..." Rainbow launched into the tale of her current predicament. Rarity's eyes grew huge as she came near the end of her story. Could it be? Rainbow Dash having a crush on Somepony? She smiled softly.
"I'd be more than happy to help you. With the situation you're in, I'd suggest something sophisticated and classy, like a black dress." Rainbow nodded.
"Alright."
"I have the perfect dress in mind."
She brought Rainbow downstairs to see a floor length black dress with just a hint of sparkle. In the front, the dress had a v-neckline. Rarity loaned her a small gold necklace to wear with it. Rainbow thanked her and flew back home to get ready.
When she arrived, Scootaloo had already come home from school. She sat on the couch, reading Daring Do. When her mother came through the door she knew something was up.
"Hey Mom."
"Hey peanut."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going out somewhere tonight."
"Really? Where?"
"To a concert."
"A rock concert?"
"Not exactly..."
"Okay then..." She sensed her Mother didn't want to talk about it.
They ate dinner half an hour earlier than usual, and Rainbow used the rest of the time to get ready. For once she wondered if she should style her mane differently. She decided to brush it out and leave it be.
Time seemed to fly by, and soon it was time for her to leave. She tucked her daughter in early and gave her a kiss before heading to city hall.
Night had just fallen over Ponyville, painting the sky a gorgeous purple. Rainbow sat on one of the benches near the back and waited. The clock struck seven, and then it began.
He appeared like a vision out of a dream. In a nice tuxedo, he stepped up to the microphone, and filled the space with beautiful music. She sat there, transfixed by the melodies filling the air. It was like nothing she'd ever heard before. As quickly as it had begun, it stopped. She blinked. Was it over already?
Then, another pony took the mic and began singing. She looked and saw him coming over to her. Her heart pounded inside of her chest. He came over to her, smiling.
"Hey, I'm glad you made it." She smiled.
"Wouldn't have missed it. Everypony loves a night of music."
"It's not just music- it's dancing too."
"Oh? Really?"
"Really. Would you like to dance?"
"I'm not much of a dancer..."
"I'd be happy to teach you."
"Well... Alright."
He took her behind the benches and took her hoof in his. Her automatic reaction was to pull away, but she stopped herself. In Rarity's words, he was gallant. Normally closeness and intimacy was unappealing to her, but for some reason she didn't mind it from him. He was so like her that it seemed natural. They danced together to the smooth jazz coming from the stage.
"Tell me something about you." He asked.
She paused, and decided to say it. This could evolve into a serious relationship, and she wanted to be honest from the start. "I'm a Mom."
Instead of looking at her like she was an alien as she pictured, he smiled. "Really? Do you have a filly or a colt?"
"A filly."
"How old is she?"
"Seven."
"That's awesome. What's her name?"
"Scootaloo."
"Too cool."
"Really?" She didn't disguise the surprise in her voice.
"Of course. I love kids." She smiled.
"What do I not know about you?"
"Hmmm... I can play the piano pretty well."
"Do you write your own music?"
"Kind of. I have the bad habit of never finishing them."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I never feel like I have the time."
"Are you a workaholic?"
"Not really. I work two jobs- one for money, and one for fun. I love to sing, but it doesn't pay the bills."
"It should. You're really good."
"Thanks."
"Sure."
"So, what do you look for in a guy?" He was brash- she liked that.
"I want someone who can make me a better competitor."
"I like mares with a lot of ambition."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I like the ones who know what they want."
"Is that right?"
"Yeah, because I know exactly what I want right now."
"And what would that be?"
"You."
Her breath caught in her throat. Was this real? Their muzzles were only inches apart. She could feel his breath on her neck. Slowly, he leaned forward, as did she. Their lips met, and it was like fireworks going off inside of her. Every nerve ending was alive with pleasure.
When they separated, their eyes locked. It was nothing and everything all at the same time. They said nothing for a long time. He led her to the bench and they listened to the singer croon beautiful lyrics. They sat close together, enjoying their proximity to each other.
He flew her back home at the end of the evening, and they promised to see each other again. Rainbow went inside in a euphoric daze. She went upstairs to check on her foal, and found Scootaloo sleeping peacefully. Smiling, she made her way to her bathroom to change out of her dress and necklace. Tired and happy, she fell asleep, dreaming of the one thing she never thought she'd find: love.
The next morning she got up and made her foal breakfast, still on a high from the night before. Scootaloo noticed the change and asked the question on her mind.
"What happened last night?"
"Well... I met Somepony special."
Scootaloo's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Really?"
"Really. He wants to meet you."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. How do you feel about that?"
"I guess I'd like to meet him." Hope shot through Rainbow's heart.
"You mean that?" Scootaloo smiled.
"Yes I do." Rainbow gave her a tight hug.
"That's my girl."
Rainbow did her job in minutes, and went up to the snowflake factory. Night Blues was just heading into work when he saw her coming to him.
"Do you want to come over for dinner?"
He smiled. "I'd love to."
"Awesome. See you at five."
"See you then."
Rainbow went for a long fly, trying to figure out her next move. She went home to try and figure out dinner. She decided to order out instead and brought home the food. The hours were slow, and she felt like she was going crazy. Her daughter came home, and her insanity was curbed. She gave her a tight hug, trying to expunge her own nerves.
He appeared on time, with a calm attitude. It was the exact opposite of how Rainbow felt. She opened the door, and was instantly calmed. He was there, and tonight was going to be perfect. Rainbow led him to the kitchen, where Scootaloo was waiting.
The first thought that crossed her mind was that if her Momma got married, she would have a Daddy. She smiled sheepishly.
"Hi."
"Well hello there. You must be Scootaloo. Your Mom has told me so much about you."
"She has?"
"Yes, she has. She's very proud of you."
Scootaloo smiled.
They ate together, and Scootaloo had the impression that it wouldn't take much for her Mother to make him part of the family. She liked him, and knew he had her mother's best intentions at heart. The dinner conversation was easy and natural. After eating, the three of them went for a fly and had a blast.
When it was time to go, Night Blues ruffled Scootaloo's hair and pulled Rainbow outside. He kissed her tenderly.
"You have a amazing daughter. I'm so glad I got to meet her. Now that I have, I wanted to ask you a question."
"What's that?"
"Would you be my girlfriend?"
Rainbow blushed. "I'd be honored."
He kissed her one last time, and flew off.
Their courtship was a whirlwind romance. They became nearly inseparable. Night Blues was a chivalrous stallion, who was kind and hard working. He was easy to love. The similarities between them made their relationship easy and comfortable. They didn't talk about the future, but made the most of the present.
That, however, was all about to change.
Night Blues stood outside of the school, waiting for Scootaloo to come out. Rainbow didn't know he was there. The bell rang, and the tiny Pegasus came out.
"Hey, Scootaloo, can I talk with you for a second?"
She nodded. "Sure."
The two of them flew up to a cloud so that they had privacy.
"Scootaloo, I want your permission for something important."
"What's that?"
"I want to marry your mother. But I won't do it if you don't want me to."
Scootaloo was floored. Excitement spread through her and she nodded. "Yes, yes! I want you to marry my mom so bad!"
Night Blues hugged her. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Night Blues made his way to the Jewelry store covertly. He made his purchase and left through the back, quick to leave.
That evening, he took Rainbow Dash out to dinner with all of her friends and Scootaloo present. About halfway through the dinner, he stood up and banged on his glass.
"Thank you everypony for being here tonight." Night Blues began. "I'd like to propose a toast: to Rainbow Dash, the best flier in Equestria, and the Pegasus who has flown away with my heart." He got up and knelt in front of her. "Rainbow Dash, you are my world. You are like no pony I've ever met. You are smart, creative, beautiful and the most important pony in my life. I love you more than anything." He pulled out the ring. Rainbow gasped. "Rainbow Dash, will you marry me?"
In a whisper, she breathed out, "Yes."
Three months later, all of Ponyville and much of Cloudsdale gathered together to witness the union of Night Blues and Rainbow Dash.
For the first time in her life, Rainbow was excited to wear a dress. Her wedding gown had been meticulously crafted by Rarity. It was the same shade of white as pure snow. It was very form fitting. The train was fluffed at the edge like a cloud. The dress had a lot of beading in the front and was simple and plain in the rest of the style. The veil floated over her face. She felt movie star beautiful.
As faithful as ever, her friends were her bridesmaids. Her daughter was the flower girl. Everything was perfect. Twilight had organized the wedding down to the last detail. Applejack had catered the affair free of charge. Pinkie had planned the reception herself, and had only the best entertainment booked for her friend.
The music began, as did the processional.
Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy paraded down the aisle. After them, Scootaloo threw flower petals everywhere.
The music changed to "Here Comes The Bride." The doors opened, and Rainbow appeared, a vision of beauty and grace. Night Blues looked at his bride for the first time, and couldn't catch his breath. The beautiful creature kept advancing toward him, and he scrambled to remember his lines.
It happened in a haze of love and joy. The ceremony was short, and in a flash it was time for the reception. They danced together, each remembering the first time they had done so. In similar fashion, it ended with a kiss. Suddenly, Night Blues took the mic and crooned a love ballad to his bride. Rainbow barely held herself together. There was scattered applause at the end, and then everyone came to dance as the buffet was being wheeled in.
Toasts were made and glasses clinked. Everypony ate together, danced together, and had a great time. When the evening came to an end, the newlywed couple retired to Rainbow's home to make the most of their time together as husband and wife. Scootaloo spent the night at Rarity's with Sweetie Belle.
About a week after her marriage, Rainbow Dash pulled out the journal that had become a part of her life, grabbed a pen, and began writing.
Love comes in many forms. I didn't know any other type of love other than what my daughter gave me. I could have never dreamed love would take the form of a spouse. I thought love was for ponies like Rarity who wanted their own Prince Charming. I never imagined there would be Somepony out there for me. I now have a husband, and Scootaloo now has a father. I never thought anypony would be good enough to be a Daddy to my little peanut, but I'm so glad I was proven wrong. Love comes when you least expect it, and it always comes with joy and laughter. I'm thrilled to hold the title of both mother and wife. It's what I was meant to be all along.
Night Blues sat on the couch with his wife and newly adopted daughter. It was their first night really spent together as a family. Rainbow sent Scootaloo off to brush her teeth and sat next to her husband, spending a few minutes talking before going upstairs to tuck in her little peanut. Night Blues followed her. It was their first time tucking her in together. Rainbow went over to her and gave her a big hug and kissed her forehead. Night Blues gave her a hug, and went to the door. It wasn't until he was about to leave that he saw the pacifier and blanket. He shut the door, and his eye began to twitch in irritation.
His secret had always been kept well hidden. Even Rainbow didn't know about his severe Disorder. He wanted the perfect family, but seeing that pacifier besmirched the image of perfection that he so desperately tried to uphold. His quest for outward perfection was the result of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. He was in love with himself. The trouble was, that he was unaware of it. It had become so ingrained in him that it sunk beneath the surface of his awareness. As he walked down stairs, he swore to himself that his first mission as a father would be to take that pacifier away. Subconsciously, he knew how to manipulate his wife to get his way. Most of what he did was unintentional, because he wasn't even aware that he was sick. There were always those few exceptions, though. This was one of them.
Rainbow was in the kitchen, cleaning some dishes when her husband came up behind her and kissed her cheek.
"Hey." She said quietly.
"Hey yourself."
There was a silence that stretched over the space of a few seconds. It gave Rainbow the impression that something wasn't quite right.
"Everything okay?"
"I'm fine, I just had a question for you."
"Okay, shoot."
"Why didn't you tell me that Scootaloo still slept with a pacifier?"
Rainbow sighed, and stopped cleaning.
"I wanted her to tell you herself. It's her bedtime crutch, and I promised to keep it between us."
The look of betrayal lasted only a second, but it was enough to make Rainbow to feel guilty. Night Blues put a hoof around his wife.
"I just wanted to know, because it can do real damage to her teeth, not to mention her emotional health."
Rainbow paused. "How so?"
"Well, think about it. If she doesn't give it up now, she won't be able to until she's eighteen. The addiction should be long gone by now. Has it caused you any serious problems?"
In a flash, Rainbow recalled the tantrum her daughter had thrown at Rarity's. "Well..."
"I'm not telling you you have to do something, I'm just stating facts. Do you think that maybe part of the reason you let it go on this long is because you don't want her to grow up?"
Rainbow felt the sting of the words right in her heart. She had been so selfish... She shook her head. Night Blues kissed her gently.
"We all make mistakes, babe. It isn't too late for you to fix it."
"You're right. Tomorrow's the day I'm going to get rid of her pacifier."
"It's going to be tough, but I'll be there with you every step of the way."
She leaned into him. "Thank you."
He kissed her. "Of course."
They retired for the night with the knowledge that tomorrow would be a battle, and the night would be an all out war.
Rainbow got up early and made all of Scootaloo's favorites for breakfast. It was Saturday morning, and Rainbow was determined to have her off of the pacifier by school on Monday. When her little peanut came down the stairs, she almost choked on her guilt. But she swallowed it, determined to complete her task. Scootaloo hugged her mother tightly, and then went to eat her breakfast. Night Blues came down halfway through the meal, determined to support his wife. They shared a look as Scootaloo came near the end of her meal. Night Blues cleared the table, still watching out of the corner of his eye, and Rainbow called her daughter to come and sit with her on the couch. Once Scootaloo sat, Rainbow took a deep breath and started talking.
"Listen, peanut, today is a very big day for our family. Remember how I told you that pacifiers were for little foals that needed them?" Scootaloo nodded.
"And you're not a little foal anymore, are you?" Scootaloo nodded again. Rainbow paused a moment, trying to gather her thoughts.
"Peanut, today's the day that we're going to take your pacifier and give it to tiny baby foals who need it."
Scootaloo was floored, and didn't even know what to say. While Rainbow was talking, Night Blues had snuck upstairs and hidden the pacifier somewhere where Scootaloo wouldn't find it. It would leave the house as soon as possible.
Quickly, the shock turned to tears as she cried into her mother's coat. As Night Blues heard the crying, he knew he should feel guilty. Deep inside, a part of him did. But his conscience was able to rationalize away the guilt with the simple statement "It was going to happen sooner or later."
He sat next to his daughter, who was crying her eyes out and screaming. He looked at his wife, who had appeared to have aged a thousand years in the space of five minutes. He put a hoof on them both, trying to offer what little comfort he could. He knew this was just a drill- the full-scale war would break out at bedtime. When it seemed he could help no more, he offered to get the mail and quickly flew down to get it. He stayed down there for only a minute or two, trying to enjoy the relative quiet. As he thumbed through the mail, he saw that there was a letter addressed to him. Curious, he opened it. It was from the fine arts coordinators at town hall. The entertainment they had scheduled for that night wasn't able to make it, and they wanted him to sing in their place! Night Blues was stunned, but flew back up to the cloud home in the sky.
What could he do? He couldn't leave his wife during a time like this. Scootaloo was still sobbing into Rainbow when he returned. He paused. There was one thing he could do.
That night he left with the promise of being back in two hours. Not ten minutes later, a hot air balloon parked itself in their driveway. Fluttershy, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack stepped out of the balloon, ready to support their friend. Rainbow led them to the couch, feeling her friends moral support bolstering her confidence.
From the moment the clock struck nine, Rainbow knew she was in for a big night. She tried to keep a clear head as she had her daughter go brush her teeth. She felt her breathing get shallow, but tried to keep it under control. She walked her daughter to her room, hoping that she would be able to handle what was going to be thrown at her.
Scootaloo started acting up the minute she was set in her bed. Rainbow gave her a hug and kiss and got ready to leave, and listened to her daughter start to scream and cry. She went out of the room and was followed by Scootaloo. She put her back in bed again, only for her to escape again.
The tedious process was repeated again and again, until the filly stayed put in her bed.
Even then, that did nothing for her screaming and sobbing.
She went downstairs to four sympathetic faces. She smiled weakly and sat on the couch.
The constant screaming of "Momma!" Tore at Rainbow's insides.
It was torture. She grappled with her guilt, but for the most part kept herself together.
Hours passed, and during the ocean of time before her, Night Blues came home and sat with her.
During the first two hours she'd held out well. She'd focused and reminded herself why she was doing what she was. The third hour was more challenging. She had begun to hear nothing but the screaming. Her iron will was starting to rust. When the fourth hour rolled around, her shell of defense had begun to crack. Every minute seemed like an hour, every second like a day.
At hour five, she crumbled under the immense pressure. She buried her face into Night Blues' coat and cried. She couldn't keep going like this. She was committed to the cause, and refused to give in. If she did, it would have meant she would have been torturing her daughter for no reason.
The night went on.
The next morning no pony had slept, but they hadn't caved. Although it seemed like a failure, it was a success. The next night was sure to be easier. They all walked around in a haze of exhaustion, just waiting for nightfall to come so that they could go to bed. Time moved even more slowly than before.
At last, night had fallen. It was time to see if their waiting was worth it.
Both Rainbow and Night Blues tucked the filly in. Although she cried at first, she had learned quickly that sleep was far more important than comfort. Within twenty minutes, she had fallen asleep.
Happy and exhausted, the newlywed couple went to bed together and slept peacefully. When Rainbow awoke the next morning, she slipped out of her husband's embrace and went to write in the journal.
Sometimes it takes Somepony else to point out when we're not setting up our kids for success. It can be really hard to take, even when it's Somepony you care about. As a parent, it's your job to help your child be the best they can. As is often the case, we can be so obsessed with what we want that we can't draw the line between what's best for them, and our own Desires. Every parent wants to keep their children little- it just comes with the territory. If you really love your kids, you let them grow up. That will make you closer with your kids than ever before.
