Life's Lessons

The day over Ponyville was starting to come to an end as the sun started to make it’s way towards the horizon when the three ponies reached the small cloud home overlooking Ponyville. Princess Celestia pushed open the cloud door and trotted into the house, Dash looked at Scootaloo as the small filly jumped off her back and onto the cloud surface below. She looked up at the cyan mare with the same nervousness that Dash was feeling herself. The rainbow maned mare held out a hoof which Scootaloo gladly took a hold of as the pair walked into the cloud home with the sun goddess.

Celestia trotted into the home and first checked the main room of the cloud home with great detail as she levitated items and photos from the room. Dash felt the grip from the filly’s hoof tighten as they watched the alicorn inspect the home, then a knock came from the door.

Dash looked over at the entrance with a quizzical look before she trotted over to open it. When she did she saw a purple stallion with a dark blue mane standing behind it, on his flank adorned a checkerboard and a quill. Dash raised an eyebrow and was about to open her mouth when Celestia interrupted, “Oh hello purple check, I see you received my note,” she said with a smile.

The stallion nodded and looked down towards the filly. Scootaloo stepped back slightly as the stallion entered, she didn’t feel a nice vibe from him and that didn't bode well for her current fears.

Dash tried to keep a straight face as the ponies entered the kitchen to see the burned breakfast from yesterday still visible next to the kitchen sink as well as torn up scraps of magazine paper from the night before when she was planning her day out with the little filly.

Purple Check already had a quill and paper out and was already writing things down as he and Celestia inspected the place. The stallion went over to the sink and looked down to see the burnt food, he turned around to face Dash with an eyebrow raised. “Miss Dash, how would you value your...cooking skills?” he asked.

Dash could feel sweat forming on her brow. “Oh um...average?” she said hesitantly as she rubbed the back of her neck.

The stallion nodded before writing down on the piece of paper.

Scootaloo looked around the kitchen as she watched the two ponies inspect the room. She could feel her nerves and heart pulse rising with every second as they continued to search every fine detail, she just hoped it would all work out.

Soon all the ponies moved onto the upper floor of the cloud home. Rainbow almost face-hoofed when Celestia entered the bathroom to find the remains of last nights bath-time which ended in a splash fight between Rainbow and Scootaloo. The bathroom floor was covered in water and soap from the bath tub. Purple Check looked around the room with utter shock. He turned around to face the cyan mare. “You think this is safe?” he asked with a quizzical look.

Rainbow Dash lowered her head slightly. “No, but I was going to clean it up”, she pointed out.

Purple Check nodded before writing down on the parchment once again.

Scootaloo started to feel a lump start to swell in her throat. Things didn’t seem to be working out so far and that only made the intensity rise as the four ponies walked around the home.

After a few more moments the four ponies reached the last part of the home. Purple Check opened the door to reveal the master bedroom of the house.

The room was a mess with items littering the floor and books over filling the nightstand. The bed was acceptable but wasn’t even made and the wardrobe was full to the brim with Wonderbolt memorabilia.

Celestia was next into the room, she looked around the space with a blank expression as she levitated certain items in the room. Dash and Scoots stood at the threshold of the door nervously.

After the inspection was complete everypony made their way back to the outside of the home before Purple Check delivered his verdict.

The purple stallion sighed as he looked towards the two ponies. “Okay so on inspection of the house the quality is poor and slightly on the health hazard side with all those rotten apple cores..and the eggs,” he said raising an eyebrow at the cyan mare as she lowered her head.

Purple Check continued, “On safety aspects of the house its poor as well mainly because looking at Scootaloo’s records she cannot fly and this home is sky based plus what I found in the bathroom isn’t really child-proof either,” he said writing a few more things down on the parchment.

Everything that had been said so far was like a kick in the chest for both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. Still Purple Check continued unaware of the internal pain he was bringing with each syllable, “On inspection of the house as a whole I’m afraid to say I cannot permit this house to be fit for child upbringing as it is too dangerous or healthy to be used,” he said writing the last few words on the paper before handing it to Celestia.

That's when Scootaloo felt her heart rip into pieces. She felt the warm flood of tears make its way to her eyes as she was on the verge of breaking down then and there. Her grip on Dash’s hoof was now tighter than ever.

Dash could also feel her heart tearing slightly at the words of disapproval from the purple stallion. She felt as if her world she was building with the filly was crashing down by the second, she knew the filly was thinking the same when she realized the tight grip on her hoof. She gripped the filly’s hoof harder showing her she was still by her side.

Celestia took the parchment in her magic and read over it before looking down at the three ponies. She could tell that Purple Check was wondering why she hadn’t signed it yet. She then looked over to the two pegasi holding their hooves, she saw Scootaloo mouthing the word ‘please’ again and again as she kept her eyes shut trying to stop any tears from exposing themselves. Meanwhile Dash was looking straight back at her with a slight glint of hope in her deep magenta eyes.

Celestia smiled warmly at them. “I think differently,” she said bringing slight shock to the three ponies.

The alicorn princess continued, ‘While you think that the home is unsafe. I could tell a lot of love had been shared throughout the entire home, and I could also tell by the way you two ponies walked around the home that you wanted this really badly. That tells me all I need to know that you will love and cherish this filly and that is more than enough for me to accept your adoption Rainbow Dash.”

The cyan mare’s jaw dropped in astonishment as Scootaloo squealed in excitement pumping her hoof in the air before hugging Dash tightly. Once the rainbow maned mare regained her senses she returned the hug with the same force as the feeling of utter joy washed over them.

Celestia smiled as the two Pegasi embraced, but Purple Check was far from pleased. “Celestia how can you approve this, this house is clearly unsafe?” he said in utter shock. Celestia was about to speak when a voice cut her off.

“Just leave it to us Mr,” Pinkie Pie said as she sat in Ponyville’s signature balloon with the other mares who were all armed with paint brushes and other tools. Dash and Scootaloo smiled at their friends arrival as Celestia held back her own laughter.

After a few hours of hard work Twilight Sparkle collapsed onto the cloud home’s living room sofa with all the other worn out mares and fillies. They looked round the new home with equally big smiles. All the cloud walls had been reinforced, the Wonderbolt memorabilia replaced with pictures of Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash on their days out. The whole home also had a few more items which had been the handy work of Applejack and her little sister. Finally the house looked like a real home, one that two ponies could share happily.

Rainbow Dash sighed happily as she held the little orange filly around her neck as the filly kept looking round the room in awe.

Applejack was the first to break the peaceful silence, “Well ya’ll, I think it’s time we all headed home,” she said taking the now sleeping Applebloom on her back.

Twilight and the others nodded as they all got up and made their way to the balloon at the edge of the cloud home.

Dash and Scootaloo waved goodbye to the ponies as they descended back through the clouds to the earth pony town below. Rainbow yawned before turning to the orange filly. “Well sister, you wanna hit the hay?” she asked whilst ruffling her mane with a smirk as she trotted back into the home.

Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah right behind you sis,” she said happily as she followed her new guardian into the cloud home, closing the door behind her.

Scootaloo followed the cyan mare into the master bedroom. Rainbow turned around to face the smaller pony with a quizzical look. “I never asked this squirt, but would you like your own room? I mean I’m down if you want to but it might take some time to do,” she said.

Scootaloo pondered on this for a moment before shaking her head. “No, I prefer being with you...If that’s okay,” she said circling her hoof on the cloud surface, her face slightly flushed with embarrassment.

Rainbow Dash smiled and nodded as she picked the smaller Pegasus up in her wings and cuddled her tightly.

Rainbow put a wing over Scootaloo as they laid down on the cloud bed. “So Scoots...do you feel better now, you know since you did before?” she asked curiously.

Scootaloo looked up at the cyan mare. “I do, I feel like the luckiest filly ever because I have the most awesome sis who’s there for me,” she said happily as she hugged the mare tightly.

Dash smiled. “Well squirt if you’re happy, then so am I,” she said to the orange filly giving her a gentle squeeze. The little filly gave out a yawn before snuggling into Dash’s soft fur. Dash smiled and kissed the filly’s forehead gently before whispering into her ear.

“You will always hold a special place in my heart Scoots...and I will always be your sister.”