4

Chapter 4

Scootaloo jumped from the rock onto the grass, and dropped onto her stomach next to Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle lay on her back, watching the clouds roll by lazily. “So,” Apple Bloom said, “what should we do next for our Cutie Mark Crusadin'?

Scootaloo rolled onto her back, then rolled again onto her stomach. “We should try science!”

Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo upside down. “But that would take some bits to get the materials!”

“We could just ask Twilight for them.”

“An' she woul' jus' think we were gonna explode somethin'!” Apple Bloom put in.

“But wouldn't that be fun?” Scootaloo giggled. “Blowing stuff up?”

“What would we blow up?” Sweetie Belle said in her high pitched voice.

Apple Bloom giggled. “Heehee....Zecora's house!”

At this comment the three fillies burst into a fit of giggles that lasted several minutes.

“That would be so funny!” Scootaloo yelled into the sky.

“What would be funny?” a voice called down from above. The Cutie Mark Crusaders all looked up. Rainbow Dash jumped down from a cloud and sailed down, hitting the ground beside them. She folded her wings quickly and with expertise, and looked down at Scootaloo. “What were you laughing at?”

Sweetie Belle giggled. Apple Bloom smirked. And Scootaloo burst out laughing again.

Rainbow Dash sat down. She smiled, waiting for them to be done. Scootaloo looked at her, still laughing, and said, “We...we were talking about...AHAHAHAHA! Blowing up Zecora's hut in the forest!” She giggled, and hit the ground with her hoof, laughing uncontrollably.

Rainbow Dash held in her laughter, as funny as the thought was. She could picture it, the three fillies running away giggling, while Zecora's house shot up in flames. Smoke covering the trees...

Eventually the girls stopped laughing. It was silent for a moment, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all staring at the clouds. “So what did ya'll want, Dash?” Apple Bloom said.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to Scootaloo. Wanna come with, Scoots?”

“Sure, Rainbow Dash!” The orange filly stood up and followed Rainbow as the pegasus began walking away. She bounced alongside her adoptive sister. Her purple tail swung around as her hooves  hit the ground at a constant beat. “So what did you wanna say, Dash?”

“Just wait a minute kid. I wanna take you to a favorite spot of mine above Ponyville! Here, hold on.” She crouched down and allowed Scootaloo to clamber onto her back. “Just watch the wings, okay? Don't want to start falling midair.”

When Scootaloo was comfortable, and not likely of intervening on her wing motion, Rainbow Dash jumped into the air. It was a bit odd carrying the weight, but Scootaloo was not particularly heavy. It helped that she had a Pegasi body type. Had she been carrying Apple Bloom, or another Earth Pony, it would have been more difficult. The Pegasus race had the lightest body, having to compensate for the necessity of being able to lift their own weight in flight. When she had spent a few days at the Wonderbolt Academy, she had often wondered how Snowflake had been able to fly with his wings, and she never discovered an answer.

But that was beside the point. She had something to ask Scootaloo. But it was not what she was supposed to ask.

Whatever the heck Twilight was wondering with all the stupid economics and political and all that boring egg-head stuff, Rainbow figured she had a better question.

Rainbow flew up into the sky, making sure that Scootaloo did not slip and fall, but the little filly had a firm grip, her hooves wrapped around Dash's sides, the tips digging into her ribs.

Her wings began to slow as they reached their destination. A small cloud, that Rainbow Dash had never let fade, sat just above a cleft in a rock that shot above Ponyville, partially broken off from the mountain that she, Twilight, and her friends had removed a dragon from in order to save the Equestrian sky. It was also her favorite spot to bring the Daring Do books that Twilight let her borrow. It was a peaceful place.

The cloud sat a few feet above the rocks, and the cloud is where she set Scootaloo, while she herself settled on the rocks. It was nowhere nearly as comfortable as the clouds, but for what she was about to do, it was a sacrifice she had to afford to make.

Applejack didn't care so much about the political stuff, or any of that, so she decided not to ask Apple Bloom, simply implore Granny Smith for advice on the matter, and then decide for herself. Apple Bloom was young enough and didn't need to know about politics yet. She returned home, and resumed her work beating the hell out of trees for the apples they contained.

Rarity used her magic to piece some cloth together with various colors, testing out what she thought would be a nice touch to an outfit she wanted to wear. Mister Filthy Rich had cordially invited her to a strictly adult party the next weekend. He had also asked that Silver Spoon stay with Sweetie Belle, as they could “Keep each other company in our absence,” as he had put it. (What he didn't know was that Sweetie Belle absolutely loathed the other filly, but Rarity had obliged anyway. She also hadn't told Sweetie Belle about the event yet.)

After considering Twilight's request, she had decided not to tell Sweetie Belle about the politics involving the census, and simply add her as a part of her family when the population was counted. Sweetie Belle was a sentient life form, but she would likely make a rash or foolish decision on the matter, despite the fact that both options, include or not include the fillies, would likely produce the same result, it didn't matter what Sweetie Belle chose.

Rainbow Dash waited for Scootaloo to get comfortable on the cloud. When she had, Rainbow watched her intently, trying to read her emotions. All she could figure out was the curious, but excited expression.

But this couldn't be right.

She was about to invade on her privacy. On her personal life. On her own mind. As much as Scootaloo trusted the rainbow pegasus, Rainbow knew that she would not answer her easily.

“Scootaloo.” she began.

“Yeah, Dash?” She looked intently upon her sisterly figure.

“Who are your parents?”