Scootaloo, Where Are Your Parents?
The wind in her mane, the adrenaline buzz in her veins, the blood pumping so hard she could feel it in her ears- No mistake, Scootaloo loved this.
“I can’t believe I’m finally flying!” she crowed, pulling a loop-de-loop.
“Believe it, kid!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed, racing alongside her. “You train with me- you get the best!”
“Thank you so much, Rainbow Dash! I’m so glad you’re my honorary big sister!”
“How about I be your honorary first race? Starts… NOW!”
Rainbow disappeared, leaving a colorful contrail. Scootaloo narrowed her eyes, stuck out her tongue and twisted in mid-air. Her wing muscles kicked into high gear and she was off.
Within seconds, she came alongside Rainbow, who flashed a proud smile at Scootaloo.
“Not bad,” Rainbow called.
“Not bad?” Scootaloo said. “Wait till I really cut loose!”
Scootaloo’s wings blurred even faster and she shot forward, a mini pegasus missile.
“No way!” Rainbow yelled, laughing. She pushed ahead and caught up with Scootaloo, clapping appreciatively.
“That’s pretty impressive, Scootaloo. Looks like I don’t train you. We train together.”
Scootaloo’s eyes grew as wide as saucers as she gazed up in awe of her mentor, her big sister, her forever idol: Rainbow Dash.
“Hey Squirt, you okay?”
“Better than okay…” Scootaloo said, dreamily. “I’m your training partner…”
“Your what now?”
“Huh?”
Scootaloo blinked at the sky, but her wings didn’t feel free and fast- they felt cramped and crushed. She blinked again and realized she wasn’t zooming along at near Sonic Rainboom speeds. She was laying on the ground, feeling dizzy. Rainbow Dash stood over her, holding her helmet.
“There you are,” Rainbow said, sighing in relief. She smiled at Scootaloo. “That was a hay of a fall you took there, kid. Almost as impressive as some of mine.”
“I… fell?” Scootaloo asked, rubbing her head.
“Yep. Good thing you had your helmet on too. This coulda been your head.”
Scootaloo stared at the helmet Rainbow held out to her. An impressive crack went almost from one side to the other.
“Could you imagine it?” Rainbow said, pulling the helmet back, inspecting the damage. “Your skull, all open and with, like, insides all outside?” She whistled. “You’re one lucky, filly, Scootaloo. Scootaloo?”
Looking back up from the helmet, Rainbow found Scootaloo had passed back out.
Once she came around the second time, and Rainbow was sure she wouldn’t pass out again, Scootaloo started walking home. Rainbow kept her company, like she always did on the first part of the trip.
“I still can’t believe I took a header like that. I’ve done that scooter trick a thousand times before!” Scootaloo said, looking over her beloved helmet. The crack was jagged and split it nearly in two. Scootaloo could just make out the impact point where her head must have smashed against the rock.
She sighed. She really liked her helmet, too. It was part of her style. It looked like she would have to stop pushing the aerial part of that trick until she figured out where she went wrong.
“There’s a reason fillies wear safety gear kiddo,” Rainbow said, sagely. “Till you learn how to take a fall, we can’t take chances.”
“No kidding,” Scootaloo replied, hanging her helmet on her scooter, which she pushed along slowly.
“Look on the bright side, we didn’t have to do a hospital run. That would’ve been awk-ward. Bad way to meet your folks, you know?”
“Yeah…” Scootaloo said.
“But, no harm done. Just make sure you get that thing replaced.”
They came to the crossroads where Rainbow and Scootaloo usually parted ways. Rainbow looked at Scootaloo seriously, her expression softening. “Hey, kid, you want me to walk you the rest of the way home? Talk it over with your parents?”
“NO!” Scootaloo yelped, hooves flailing. Rainbow winced, but before she could say anything, Scootaloo launched back in. “I mean, I’m good. You don’t need to do that for me. Thanks for another awesome day, Rainbow Dash!”
“Oh. Well, no-”
Scootaloo then hugged her tightly and took off down the road.
“Problem,” Rainbow said, left in a unique position: standing in somepony else’s dust.
Standing in a more familiar position atop a rain cloud over Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow watched, waiting for Applejack’s signal.
Applejack pointed at the tree in front of her and Rainbow scooted the cloud over it.
“Ten seconds should do it,” Applejack said.
Rainbow hopped on the cloud, releasing a brief shower on another one of the Apple family’s prized apple trees.
“Thanks for doing this, Rainbow,” she said, inspecting the bark of each tree as she walked. “I know you’ve been busy lately, and I appreciate it.”
“Ain’t no thang,” Rainbow said, pushing the cloud along and following Applejack from above. “Besides, we haven’t really hung out since I took on Scootaloo as a little sister.”
“I’ve noticed. Can’t say I mind gettin’ bumped for an honorary little sis.” Applejack smiled, looking over the hill at Apple Bloom helping Big McIntosh push a barrel up toward the barn. “Family, even honorary family, is mighty important.”
“Yeah. It’s been pretty cool. She helps me with training, I show her some stuff about flying- makes me wish I’d had a little sister years ago.”
Applejack chuckled. “Somehow, I don’t think it works like that.”
“It should. She’s my own little cheering squad. I mean, I know why my parents stopped with me. After you’ve had all this awesome, it’s hard to bring in another kid to compete.”
“Uh huh,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes and smiling. She pointed at a tree and said, “Just twenty seconds.”
Rainbow kicked the cloud, and it started to rain. It stopped when Rainbow kicked again.
“Still. Scootaloo’s pretty awesome.” She leaned against the cloud, furrowing her brow. “Even if I don’t know where she lives.”
“Huh?” Applejack said, turning up to her friend.
“Yeah,” Rainbow replied. “No clue. I didn’t even realize it till yesterday. See, she took a pretty bad fall- her helmet saved her, so no worries there- but when I offered to run her home, she was all- ‘no way’ and took off before I could say anything.” Checking the cloud over to ensure it still had plenty of water, she added, “And when I was going back to my house, it just occurred to me: I don’t know where she lives or who her parents are.”
Applejack paused to consider this.
“Y’know, I can’t rightly say I know either,” she said. “Any time I’ve seen her, she’s already with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.” She shook her head. “You should talk to her folks though. Especially if she’s takin’ spills like you said. We need to know who to contact in case there’s an emergency.”
“Why don’t you do it?” Rainbow asked, following Applejack to the next tree.
“Love to,” Applejack replied, sizing it up. “But, I’m in full swing these days with the farm. Don’t even have time for a Personal Pinkie Party. What I’m doing with you? This is the most sociable I’ve been all week, not counting family.”
“Whoa. You are busy.”
“Don’t I know it. Just a few drops if ya can.”
Rainbow nudged the cloud juuuuuust enough and a smattering of water pelted the tree.
“Plus, you should make sure her parents’re fine with you bein’ honorary sister and all,” Applejack said. “I know if Bloom wanted to spend time with another grown mare, unlikely as that may be, I’d want a good look at ‘em first.”
“Yeah?” Rainbow asked.
“Yep,” Applejack confirmed. “It’s the polite thing to do.” She frowned as she approached the next tree.
Squinting at the tree, she gave it a hard up-and-down look Rainbow had only seen on Twilight when checking a book for a particular fact. After a half-minute of quiet scrutiny, Applejack snorted and cocked her head angrily at the tree.
“I ain’t givin’ you four minutes of extra water, so you can just sulk!” she snapped.
Rainbow blinked. “Uh, AJ, are you talking to me?”
“Nah. Buford’s givin’ me attitude again is all, just ignore him. We got more deservin’ trees to attend.”
“Ooooooo-kay,” Rainbow replied, following her friend across the rest of the orchard.
Finding an opportunity to ask Scootaloo about seeing her parents wasn’t an issue for Rainbow. The kid and her hung out a lot. Actually meeting them was not so easily accomplished.
“They’re cool with you,” Scootaloo said the first time Rainbow asked. “I told ‘em and they’re cool. Like, super cool. Like, the coolest cool that ever cooled, so you don’t have to check in with them, Rainbow Dash.”
“Today’s bad,” she said the second time. “They have… the feather flu! It’s really gross. I’m just really lucky- I never catch it. Just like you, Rainbow Dash!”
“That’s no good either,” she hedged the third time. “They’re travelling that week. All week. Like, far, far away. They got me a sitter, but she smells funny. I don’t want you smelling funny, Rainbow Dash!”
“Sure, I can introduce you,” she dragged on the fourth time. “But Mom’s making stewed radishes tonight and I know that those’re your second least favorite food and I can’t have them serving you less than the best, Rainbow Dash!”
Rainbow flopped on a cloud over Sweet Apple Acres.
“Okay, no doubt here,” she groaned. “Scootaloo is totally blocking me from meeting her parents.”
“She is?” Apple Bloom asked from below, where she sat in a cart. “That’s really weird.”
“I know,” Rainbow exclaimed to the sky. “I mean, I know some ponies can be funny about their folks, but I don’t think I’ve ever been given the runaround like this.”
“Did ya try askin’ around?” Applejack asked, hauling the cart with Apple Bloom in it toward the south orchard.
“Yeah. But that got... weirder.”
“Weirder how?” Apple Bloom asked.
”Well, I tried Rarity and Fluttershy since they sit for the fillies so often, but they didn’t know. Rarity thinks she’s just a ‘freerange filly,’ whatever that is. So, I asked around town. Thunderlane thinks she’s living in a box under a bridge. And Roseluck says Scootaloo always rides past her stall coming from the south, where the orphanage is.”
“Ain’t the orphanage up in Canterlot?” Applejack said. “To the north?”
“Yeah. I got an earful over that.” Rainbow sighed. “And from there it got worse. She’s a changeling spy, she’s eating out of garbage cans…” Rainbow shivered. “So I came here. Where everypony’s sane.” She re-flopped on the cloud to make her point, draping a foreleg over her eyes. “Why can’t Scoots just tell me where she lives?”
Applejack shared a look with Apple Bloom, who shrugged.
“Well, you know that kid really looks up to you, Rainbow...” Applejack said.
“More like mentions her every other sentence,” Apple Bloom muttered, not as quietly as she thought.
“Apple Bloom!” Applejack snapped.
“Sorry, sis,” she said, shamefaced. “You, too, Rainbow Dash.”
“It’s cool,” Rainbow said, rolling over to look at her from the cloud’s edge. “I know you’re on Team Applejack.”
“Darn tootin’!” Apple Bloom chirped, brightening in a second. “Why, she’s the most athletic, most honest, most terrificest- she’s just the best big sis in the whole wide world!”
Rainbow laughed, smiling at Apple Bloom who smiled at Applejack, who blushed a little.
“That’s kind of ya to say, sis, but it don’t help Rainbow with her issue none,” Applejack said, stopping the cart.
“Sorry, but I can’t help,” Apple Bloom replied, kicking a basket out so it fell beneath a tree. “Scootaloo never really talks about home. Oh! And whenever we do sleepovers, me and Sweetie’s houses come up first. Y’know, Sweetie thinks Scootaloo secretly lives in the clubhouse.”
“Huh,” Rainbow said, rolling back onto the cloud. “Makes better sense than anything else I’ve heard.”
“Yep,” Apple Bloom said. “She figures Scootaloo is really a thousand-year-old immortal pony who took the shape of a pegasus and is tryin’ to help us get our cutie marks to save the world. Her secret base is the clubhouse, which turns into a fancy inner sanctum when nopony is lookin’.”
Rainbow poked her head over the edge of her cloud, mouth open, eyes squinting in confusion.
“Really,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes.
“Yup,” Apple Bloom replied. “I told her it was hooey, but she said it made sense if you looked at it from a certain angle,”
“Look, this is interesting and everything,” Rainbow interjected. “But how does this help me with Scootaloo? Nopony knows where she lives and I’m starting to get worried here.”
“You could check the town archives,” Applejack offered.
“Eeeeh,” Rainbow replied. “Seems sneaky, which I’m for, but it’d be sneaky on Scootaloo, which I’m against.”
“Ask Miss Cheerilee?” Apple Bloom said. “I know she has to have Applejack’s contact information in case I get stuck in a tree or somethin’.”
“Stuck in a tree?” Rainbow asked.
“It happens,” Applejack sighed.
Shrugging, Rainbow mulled the option over. “That feels a bit less sneaky.” She thumped her hoof authoritatively. “Okay, I’m gonna give the kid one more shot. This will just be a back-up plan. I mean, this is me we’re talking about. Maybe I’ve worn her down by now.”
One week passed, and Scootaloo was helping Dash set up a cloud course. She slumped, halted in the middle of passing a cloud up to Rainbow.
“Why do you keep asking? I said we’re cool. Don’t you believe me?”
“Of course I believe you, kid,” Rainbow replied, rubbing at her face. “But it’d be a really good idea for me to at least touch base with your folks. What if you’d gotten seriously hurt when you took that fall? I need to know how to get in touch with them.”
“But I tooooold you that they’re cool about it.”
“And I wish I could take your word for it kid, I really do, but this is some of that boring grown-up stuff.” She pulled Scootaloo close, flashing her winningest smile. “Look, it’ll be quick. I show up, tell ‘em how cool I am and that I’m watching out for ya. Boom, boom, boom we’re back to working out training courses and helping you strengthen your wings.”
Scootaloo furrowed her brow, looking stricken.
“O-okay Rainbow Dash. I didn’t- I wish I didn’t have to admit this, but…” Scootaloo took a breath and looked at Rainbow with imploring, sad eyes. “I’m an orphan.”
Rainbow’s expression fell flat. If Scootaloo was going to give her the runaround, two could play at that game.
“I think I’ll just ask Apple Bloom,” she said, tilting her head.
“Ha! Good luck! Apple Bloom doesn’t even know where my house is!” Scootaloo said, pointing a hoof at Rainbow in victory.
“Maybe I’ll ask Sweetie Belle,” Rainbow said, nonchalantly.
“Pffft! Fat chance! Sweetie thinks I live in the treehouse,” Scootaloo replied, triumphant.
Rainbow regarded Scootaloo and raised an eyebrow.
“Cheerilee owes me a favor,” she said.
“Ha! She’s-” Scootaloo froze. Her eyes widened. She latched onto Rainbow’s face in an instant. “PLEASE DON’T TALK TO MISS CHEERILEE!! SHE HAS TEACHER COOTIES!!!”
“Yeah, okay. Cheerilee it is,” Rainbow said, removing the filly.
Rainbow started walking to Cheerilee’s house. Her progress was suddenly impeded by an added weight. Turning back, she found Scootaloo wrapped like a vise around her hind leg.
“Please don’t ask Cheerilee, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo begged. “Please, please, please!”
“Kid, I’m just talking to your parents. It’s not that big a deal.” Rainbow started walking again, slightly slowed by the little filly attached to her leg.
“I know it’s not, of course it’s not. I mean, they’re just my parents, right?” Scootaloo replied, adding a high-pitched laugh.
“Okay, Scoots, you’re starting to freak me out, here.”
“WHY WOULD I BE DOING THAT?” Scootaloo shrieked, her left eyelid twitching.
“I really don’t know,” Rainbow grumbled as she dragged a wailing Scootaloo through Ponyville.
When Cheerilee’s marefriend opened the door, Rainbow smiled.
“Uh, hey boss,” Raindrops said.
“Hey Raindrops. Is Cheerilee in?”
“Sure, she’s…” Raindrops eyes strayed to the filly yanking on Rainbow’s leg. She looked back to Rainbow, whose smile was fading. “I’ll go get her.”
She left the door open, and Rainbow looked back at Scootaloo, who was on the verge of creating a new judo maneuver. Cheerilee appeared without too much waiting.
“Why, hello there Rainbow Dash, and… Scootaloo?”
Scootaloo paused in her protestations long enough to greet her teacher. “Hi, Miss Cheerilee!”
Cheerilee stared at Scootaloo, then at Rainbow’s expression.
“Is there… something I can help you two with?” she asked.
“Do you have Scootaloo’s contact info for her parents?” Rainbow said above Scootaloo’s description of the horrible plagues awaiting. “I’ve been trying to meet with them to let ‘em know I’m her honorary big sister now.”
“Scootaloo hasn’t told you where she lives?”
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!” Scootaloo howled.
“What she said,” Rainbow replied, pointing to the filly.
“Oh, well, I usually can’t do that, but I think in this case…” She looked at Scootaloo who was now tugging in vain on Rainbow’s tail. She smiled. “I think I can make an exception. Just this once, of course.”
“I appreciate it,” Rainbow said, flatly.
As Cheerilee went to get the address, Rainbow looked over at Scootaloo. “You gonna give up?”
“NEVERRRR!” she bellowed.
Rainbow smiled. “Man, if we weren’t honorary sisters, I’d swear we were real sisters.”
Scootaloo froze. Dropping Rainbow’s tail, she looked up at her, awed.
“Really?” she whispered. “You think we’re- we’re sisters?”
Rainbow snorted, but her smile touched her eyes.
“Kid, the only other pony I’ve ever met who had your determination is this mare right here,” Rainbow said, pointing a feather at herself. “That’s gonna help you when you get older. Don’t ever lose it.”
“Wow,” Scootaloo said, her tone reverent.
The moment shattered as Cheerilee reappeared in the doorway.
“Here we aaaare,” she sang, her teeth held together. In her teeth was a piece of paper with Scootaloo’s home address written in loopy mouthwriting.
“Thanks, Cheerilee I owe you- HEY!”
In a blink, Scootaloo had released Rainbow, zipped up between the adults, snatched the paper out of Cheerilee’s mouth and run off, already out of Cheerilee’s yard.
“Scootaloo! You get back here!” Rainbow yelled. Turning briefly to the other adult, she said, “Sorry, Cheerilee. Thanks!”
“No problem!” Cheerilee called, as Rainbow launched off to catch Scootaloo.
Scootaloo raced through the town, Rainbow hot on her heels.
“Scootaloo! Get back here!” Rainbow yelled. It sounded more like a roar to the young pony and she doubled her efforts to run, tucking the address between the feathers of her wing.
She didn’t want to run from her idol, she really, really, really didn’t. But she really, really, really, really didn’t want her to meet her parents either. She poured on the speed.
“If I only had my scooter…” Scootaloo groaned, tears in her eyes. “If I only had my scooter. If I only had my- Pinkie?!”
“Hiya Scootaloo!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing alongside her. “Who’re ya racing?”
“I’m not racing anypony! I’m trying to hide from Rainbow Dash!”
“Ooooo! Hide ‘n Seek! Here, lemme show ya!”
Scootaloo was yanked sideways at mid gallop, just as Rainbow flew into view.
“Argh! I thought I saw her!” Rainbow snapped. She twisted in mid-air left, then right, then took off in a new direction.
Scootaloo stared in amazement as Rainbow Dash bolted away. She rose up from behind the bush with Pinkie, and turned to her, mouth agape.
“How… How did…?” Scootaloo stuttered.
“Aw, Dashie’s just really bad at Hide n’ Seek,” Pinkie said with a wave of her hoof. “Like, both parts. She’s more a checkers mare. Still, it was fun playing with you Scootaloo!”
Just as Pinkie was about to bounce away, Scootaloo waved her hooves. “Wait!”
Pinkie froze mid-air. “What?” she asked, cocking her head.
“Can you- Can you show me all the best hiding places?”
“Sure thing!” Pinkie said, dropping back to the ground. “But this means we’ll never be able to play a game of Hide ‘n Seek together. Because if I show you all my secrets then I won’t have any secret hiding places from you anymore. And they are veeeerry…” She got right next to Scootaloo, looking left, then right, and whispered, “Secret!”
“That’s great, fine,” Scootaloo said, pushing away from Pinkie. “I just- I just need to hide from Rainbow Dash. Maybe for the rest of my life.”
Pinkie nodded approvingly. “I see some filly’s going for the Hide ‘n Seek champion trophy. I like it! Let’s get to learnin’!”
Pinkie beckoned Scootaloo along and they walked toward the park. Scootaloo watched Pinkie as she bounced along, not a care in the world.
“First rule!” Pinkie said, still bouncing. “Have your hiding spot picked before a pony can even count one! That way you’re not running like you were from Dashie.”
“Running? Why would I run from Rainbow Dash?!” Scootaloo squeaked.
Pinkie looked over her shoulder at the shaking filly. “Because you hadn’t found a hiding place yet?”
Scootaloo stared at Pinkie. “Uh. Right. Right. That’s why,” she said, glancing back over her own shoulder.
Pinkie shrugged and bounced into the park, Scootaloo following closely.
“Do you- do you really think I’m just hiding from Rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo asked.
“Yep! Because you’re going to be the Hide ‘n Seek Champ from Ponyville! Well, second Champ. Can’t beat this mare here. I’m showing you all my tricks. Like this tree here! Nopony ever notices it for some reason. It’s really weird.”
Pinkie hopped behind it and stuck her head out as if to prove her point.
“Uh, yeah,” Scootaloo said, looking at Pinkie’s demonstration. “What if- Like, let’s say what if I’m not going for a Hide ‘n Seek trophy?”
“You’re not?” Pinkie gasped. “But they’re so pretty! And they sometimes come with cookie prizes! Cookie prizes, Scootaloo.” Pinkie zipped back to leaned over Scootaloo, her eyes wide, her expression earnest. “Cookie. Prizes.”
Clearly, to Pinkamena Diane Pie, cookies were a serious business.
“That… sounds pretty good,” Scootaloo admitted. “But…”
“But what?” Pinkie asked, backing up to tilt her head in interest.
“Have you… felt like you had to hide from a pony. Like, one you really admired? Like, not as a game?”
Frowning, Pinkie sat her rump on the ground. She tapped her mane in thought. Then she shook her head. Then she shrugged.
“Sorry, nope! If I’m hiding it’s because it’s time for fun!”
Scootaloo sighed heavily. “Well, this isn’t fun!” she said, kicking a pebble. “I don’t wanna hide from Rainbow Dash.”
“Then don’t, silly. Duuh-uh. Playing Hide ‘n Seek when you don’t wanna’s a bad game.”
“But it isn’t that simple! She… she wants to know where I live!”
Pinkie blinked, then looked around as if she were going to spot a camera catching her in the middle of a prank.
“Is that… a bad thing?” she asked, looking back to Scootaloo.
“Very bad!” Scootaloo said, giving Pinkie the same, earnest look Pinkie had just given her. “If she knows where I live, she’ll know about… my parents.”
Pinkie shrugged. “Sorry, still not seeing a downside here. I mean, I welcomed-”
“DON’T!” Scootaloo shouted, cramming her hoof in Pinkie’s mouth. “I can’t let anypony know.”
She glanced over her shoulder to wave at a pair of passing mares, who stared at them. Once they’d passed, Scootaloo removed her hoof.
“Okay, I get it,” Pinkie said. “You’re playing Heart Hide ‘n Seek.”
“Huh?” Scootaloo said.
“Heart Hide ‘n Seek,” Pinkie said. “It’s like regular Hide ‘n Seek, only the opposite in fun. Because rather than hiding where somepony just can’t find you, you’re hiding in your heart. Only, rather than you hiding in your heart, you’re hiding something else there like cupcake recipes or the location of the drawer with the best frosting. This just makes it hard for other ponies who are seeking. Usually because they don’t even know they’re supposed to be seeking and when they do, you just move the thing in your heart around, which is totally cheating in Hide ‘n Seek, but not in Heart Hide ‘n Seek.
“See, like, sometimes a pony plays Heart Hide ‘n Seek with me, but I’m the champ of all Hide ‘n Seek. So I find where they hid the thing in their heart, and we talk, and share a cupcake, and have fun again with regular Hide ‘n Seek!” Pinkie spread her arms, streamers flying out behind her.
She smiled back at Scootaloo for a second, then her expression saddened. “You’re playing with Rainbow Dash though, and she’s not so good. You sound like you’re already pretty good at Heart Hide ‘n Seek, so she’s gonna be double not good at that.”
Scootaloo stared at Pinkie.
“How do you know all this stuff?”
“A Pinkie’s gotta know what a Pinkie’s gotta know!” she chirped. “And this Pinkie knows ponies!” She booped Scootaloo on the nose. “And I know the ponies you’re hiding in your heart aren’t that bad. If you just called game over and showed Rainbow Dash where you’re hiding them, then she’ll be alright with it. Dashie’s really super like that.”
Scootaloo looked at her hooves, then raised her head back to Pinkie. “You think so?” she asked.
“I know so!” Pinkie declared, putting a supporting hoof around Scootaloo’s shoulder. “So, you suuuuure you wanna be champ of Heart Hide ‘N Seek in Ponyville? Or would you rather be second champ of regular Hide ‘N Seek? Guaranteed results and it feels better too!”
Scootaloo looked at Pinkie, then the piece of paper she had tucked in her wing. When she thought about it, hiding forever felt like a long time.
She closed her eyes and took a breath. “So, um. Nopony looks at that tree?” she said, indicating the tree Pinkie had just shown her.
“None! It’s the weirdest thing!” Pinkie said smiling.
“Got any other great hiding places?” Scootaloo asked, showing a small smile of her own.
“Sister,” Pinkie said, leading Scootaloo down a new path. “You’ve come to the right mare!”
Rainbow banged her head against a tree.
“Applejack, aren’t ya gonna stop her?” Apple Bloom whispered to her sister.
“Nah,” Applejack replied. “That’s Buford.”
Apple Bloom’s eyes widened, then she winked in understanding.
After a few more bangs, Rainbow pulled back, eyes spinning. “I shouldn’t have gone to Cheerilee!” she proclaimed, wobbling back a few steps.
“So you said the last three times, Rainbow. How about givin’ us a little more here?” Applejack asked.
“I asked Scoots one last time about her place, and she started making things up!” Rainbow Dash said, shaking her head clear. “To me! Not cool. So I called her on it and went and saw Cheerilee and Scoots totally flipped out!”
“And that’s when she outran ya,” Applejack said, winking at Apple Bloom.
“She didn’t outrun me, AJ. She hid! If I wasn’t so mad, I’d be impressed! I play Hide ‘n Seek with Pinkie Pie, and Scootaloo could give her a run for her money.”
“Who do you think taught me?”
The three ponies turned to see Scootaloo astride her scooter. She wore a new helmet and a worried expression.
“Scootaloo!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Hey Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said. She rubbed the back of her head. “Sorry about… yesterday.”
“Sorry? Sorry?!” Rainbow exclaimed, zipping down to hover in front of the younger pony. “You think sorry is gonna cover how angry and scared you made me?!!”
“Easy there, sugarcube…” Applejack said, pulling on Rainbow’s tail.
“It’s okay, Applejack,” Scootaloo said, she looked up into Rainbow’s face. “I’m not just here to apologize… I came to ask if you wanna come over to my place. My parents are home right now. They’d like to meet you.”
Rainbow dropped, thudding on the ground. “Huh?”
“I… I thought about how you’ve been asking and, well, no one really knows where I live. Not really. I talked with… a friend of mine about it and decided I should stop hiding.”
Looking away from Rainbow, she noticed the other filly present. “Hey Apple Bloom,” she said, smiling. “Actually, I’m glad I ran into you. Next sleepover’s gonna be at my place, cool?”
“Uh… yeah! Yeah! That’s totally cool,” Apple Bloom replied.
Scootaloo smiled wider. Spinning her scooter around, she cocked her head at Rainbow.
“So. You comin’ or what?”
Rainbow shook her head, blinked a couple times and set her expression in determination.
“Yeah. Okay, kid,” she said. “Lead the way.”
Scootaloo revved her wings and took off down the path. Rainbow flew at a steady clip above her.
“That… was really weird,” Apple Bloom said.
“Eeyup,” Applejack said.
Buford dropped an apple.
Scootaloo lead Rainbow to a house she must have flown over a million times, but never looked at twice. White pillars stood out against the soft red bricks of the sides and supported most of the second story. Noticing the launching beam sticking out of the roof, parallel to the ground, Rainbow figured a grown pegasus lived here. With a second-story garden and a fenced backyard, Rainbow could tell it was just as homey as the cloud house of her youth.
Scootaloo hopped off her scooter and walked under the awning, veering off to park it beneath the front window. Putting her helmet on a nearby hook, she looked at Rainbow as though facing an executioner.
Rainbow landed and cocked her head quizzically at Scootaloo.
“This isn’t that bad,” Rainbow said. “Pretty nice place, actually.”
Scootaloo blinked. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah. It’s a good house, I guess. Apple Bloom’s has more history.”
“That whole family has more history,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. “I know dirt that hasn’t been around as long as the Apples.”
Scootaloo laughed.
Rainbow looked at the door.
“So we doin’ this?” Rainbow asked.
“Yeah, yeah we are,” Scootaloo said. “Can you just- I’m sorry to ask, but… Rainbow Dash, can you please, please, please keep an open mind? It’s going to be… kinda intense in there. I don’t want you thinking that my parents are all me, you know?”
Rainbow tossed her mane and struck a confident pose.
“No worries, kid,” she said, draping a forearm across Scootaloo’s back. “No matter what happens, you’re cool in my book.”
“Aaaaah,” Scootaloo whispered, her eyes wide. She was cool in Rainbow Dash’s book. She could face anything now.
Feeling invigorated, Scootaloo nodded and walked to the front and opened the door.
Rainbow took a breath and stepped in behind her to see…a living room. They stood just at a landing next to a living room with a pale green couch, and a smaller red couch, and a fireplace. Bookcases were prominent, holding quite a few board games in addition to books. She could see a few framed pictures crowding walls done up in a dark green.
“I’m hoooome!” Scootaloo called.
Rainbow’s attention was taken from what had to be a baby photo of Scootaloo as hoofsteps came clip-clopping down the stairs.
Back on the farm, Applejack loaded up the last of the day’s apples into the cart. She heard the flap of familiar wings and turned to see a dazed-looking Rainbow Dash landing on one of Buford’s branches.
“Hey there, sugarcube! Everything go well?”
“Uh… yeah. Yeah, it went fine.” Rainbow reached beneath her wings and gave Applejack a piece of paper with an address and a pair of names on it. “This is from Scoots’s moms. In case anything happens when she’s around.”
“Gotcha,” Applejack replied, looking at the paper before slipping it under her hat. Hitching herself to the cart, she turned to Rainbow. “Well, I gotta haul these back inside. You gonna tell me what they’re like?”
In just that short amount of time, Rainbow’s gaze had gone distant and she only snapped back when she realized that Applejack was talking to her. “Huh?” she said.
“I’m goin’ in Rainbow,” Applejack said slowly. “Walk with me and tell me about meeting Scootaloo’s moms.”
“Oh, sure. Right.”
Her expression still thoughtful, Rainbow hopped down from the branch and landed next to Applejack. They walked in companionable silence for a minute.
“What… were your parents like AJ?” Rainbow finally asked.
A little nonplussed that her friend was dodging her question, Applejack sighed, but still answered. “Well, Ma was the quiet, strong type, like Mac. Heh. He always was a bit of a Mama’s colt too. Dad was… well, he was more like me. Always chattin’, bein’ sociable. He’s the one asked my Ma out, y’see. She didn’t think she was that pretty, but Dad said he never saw a more attractive mare.” She chuckled. “They were farm folk otherwise. Hard workin’, fair minded. Why you ask?”
“‘Cause my mom wasn’t much like me,” Rainbow replied. “She was more like Rarity, but she always stuck up for me. Always encouraged me. Dad and I had more in common since we were both sports fans, but he’s kinda lazy.” She walked silently. “But still, Mom was energetic and Dad said I could be a great athlete too, so I can kinda see where I came from. I can kinda see where you came from too.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow at this philosophical Rainbow Dash by her side. “So?” she said.
“I have no idea where Scootaloo became Scootaloo.”
Back at her home, Scootaloo’s Momma Radiant Mind picked up the dishes.
“Well, she seemed a nice pony,” Radiant said. “I’m glad she’s so supportive of your athletics, dear.”
“Rainbow Dash is the coolest pony in Ponyville, Momma Rad,” Scootaloo said. “I hope I can be just as awesome as her some day.”
“That’s our girl,” said Scootaloo’s other Mom, Momma Autumn Song. “You shoot for the moon, Little Wheel.” Muttering, she added, “Even if the moon only reads Daring Do.”
“Come on, Autumn,” Radiant replied. “Just because you’re not a big fan of Daring doesn’t mean the books are bad.”
“That series is dead to me, Rad. Dead!” Autumn emphasized the point by spreading her wings. “Wagon Train to the Stars has been going just as long and still maintains a solid story every book. Meanwhile, Daring’s all about the formula of the now and doesn’t even care.”
“I don’t disagree, but I was fine with the change in direction. You didn’t have to toss out your commemorative hat and burn the cosplay pictures.”
“Yes I did,” Autumn retorted. “You did the same when you were done with your Batmare comics. We only have the one figurine now.”
“I gave all that to charity, Autumn,” Radiant said, with a sigh and a smile. “Young fillies need comics and action figures, and I hadn’t touched them in years. Besides, Daring’s just good candy fiction. Like my Blackstone Files books. It’s more about the adventure than anything else.”
“Pfft, adventure. More like weaksauce,” Autumn said, rolling her eyes.
Scootaloo sighed, resting her hoof against her head. Her parents were such dorks. Eggheaded, silly dorks. But maybe they weren’t so bad?
After all, Rainbow had really gotten into Daring Do with Momma Autumn and really liked Momma Rad’s nickname. So if Rainbow could get on with her folks, maybe Scootaloo could too? Sure, she wasn’t an egghead like they were, but they loved her and she loved them and that’s what should matter most.
If Rainbow was okay with them, maybe she could bring them to Parents Day at school, rather than say she didn’t sign up. Maybe...
“Ooo! Ooo! Now that we finally know Rainbow Dash, maybe we can get an inside track with Twilight Sparkle!” Autumn said. “She’ll have access to all the best books.”
Radiant grinned wide. “I think I just had a literary wing moment dear. And I’m an earth pony!”
Radiant and Autumn snorted in laughter as Scootaloo buried her face in her hooves.
On second thought, maybe Scootaloo could just introduce her friends at the next sleepover. Yeah. Start small and work her way up.
Author's Note
Thanks as always to my shieldmate and editor, Jess. This story wouldn't have had the heart it did without you, she'endra.
Also! Enderblaze has made A Dramatic Reading of Scootaloo, Where Are Your Parents? Check it out!
