Chapters "So, how ya doing today, Rainbow?" Applejack asked.
"I'm fine, I guess," Rainbow Dash said quietly.
It had been a couple of months since Twilight vanished into thin air, and the other five were starting to lose hope of ever finding their beloved friend. Rainbow Dash, being the embodiment of the element of loyalty, took the possibility harder than most. The past few days, she'd started to become distant from the others. Each day, she only got worse, and it had her friends worried. She would try to stay in the air so she could be alone. She had gotten to the point that even becoming a Wonderbolt no longer mattered to her.
"We all miss Twilight, so ya ain't alone in this matter," Applejack said.
"I know, it's just... she was the best friend I've ever had," Rainbow Dash said, "Well, other than Fluttershy".
"She was like a sister to all of us, so it's not like that for just you," Applejack said, "Plus, you know darned well that she'd have a fit if she saw you right now".
"I just don't understand how you and the others just moved on," Rainbow Dash said.
"We all have lives to live," Applejack said, "And you do too".
"It's just not the same!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"Well, why don't ya help me out around the farm?" Applejack asked, "Might help clear your mind".
"Eh... alright," Rainbow Dash said.
For the next hour, Rainbow Dash helped out with chores around Sweet Apple Acres. The work did take Rainbows mind off Twilight, but not for long. She tried to put on a tough face, but it was just a façade that everypony could see right through. After the chores were complete, Rainbow Dash felt like taking to the sky again.
"Just remember, Dash, we're your friends. We're here for ya, no matter what," Applejack said.
"Thanks," Rainbow Dash said before spreading her wings and lifting off the ground slowly.
"Ah wish she'd let me help her more," Applejack said to herself as she watched Rainbow Dash take off into the horizon.
As Rainbow Dash flew on, she found herself over the fields just outside Ponyville. She took in how empty the land was, and it made her feel truly alone. She closed her eyes and smiled as the air breezed through her mane. That smile quickly went away when the loneliness finally hit her full force. She thought she was better off on her own, but what she really needed was somepony there beside her. Though she would never admit it, Rainbow Dash wanted somepony to just talk to, something to lash out at, a shoulder to lay her head on and just cry. The empty field that she wanted to enjoy could now bring her nothing but pain. The only comfort that she had was that nopony would see the tears that were now flowing down her cheeks and possibly think she was weak. Though depressed, Rainbow still held to her pride like it was the only thing keeping her alive.
Eventually, Rainbows wings grew tired, and she landed. She had flown in circles over the field for a couple of hours, and dusk was now approaching. As she looked into the sunset, Rainbow couldn't hold her pain in any longer. She didn't care if anypony saw her anymore, she didn't care if her tough reputation was ruined. She couldn't bear the pain any longer, and just curled up in the soft grass and just cried. As the tears flowed, and her wails filled the air, the pain eased up. It never truly left, but at least it was bearable again. Rainbow Dash didn't stop crying, however, until her energy had left her and she literally cried herself to sleep.
When she awoke, Rainbow Dash was inside. She didn't notice somepony pick her up and carry her inside. As she got up, she stretched her legs before trying to walk. After stretching, she called out to see if the pony who brought her inside was still there.
"I'm coming!" Called out a voice from another room.
The voice sounded familiar, but Rainbow couldn't quite give it a name. She plopped down and sat on the floor for what felt like forever before she finally took notice of something poking her in the side. After she shook her head to clear her daze, she looked over to see who was poking her. What she saw was a very familiar yellow pegasus with a pink mane.
"Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asked weakly.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're alright," Fluttershy said, wrapping her legs around her rainbow maned friend in a tight embrace.
"Of course I'm alright, I'm just awesome like that," Rainbow Dash said.
"When Angel said he found you sleeping in the rain, I ran as fast as I could to help you," Fluttershy said, "I was just so worried".
"It's raining, huh?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"It was pouring down last night, but it's not so bad now," Fluttershy said.
"Well, thanks for getting me out of it," Rainbow Dash said.
"Why were you out there anyway?" Fluttershy asked.
"I just needed a place to rest after flying," Rainbow Dash said, "It wasn't raining, though".
"You're still tearing yourself apart over Twilight, aren't you?" Fluttershy asked.
Rainbow had known Fluttershy basically her whole life. She felt like she could tell the yellow pegasus almost anything. However, until now, she hadn't even gone to Fluttershy for comfort. She was past the point of caring now, and so she felt like she should just throw it all out there. Not like Fluttershy would let her leave until she told her friend everything. Though normally a push over, Fluttershy wasn't about to let her closest friend suffer through this pain alone. She would tie Rainbow to a chair if she had to till she got her to admit her pain so that she could receive some help and attention.
"Ever since she vanished, I've been trying to find her. The past two months have been tough, but I've pushed through. I can't, anymore," Rainbow Dash said, tears starting to form in her eyes, "Other than you, Twilight was the best friend I've ever had. The very thought of never seeing her again just... it just hurts".
Fluttershy just moved over and pulled Rainbow Dash into another embrace. Rainbow now had two things she never wanted to admit she'd wanted: somepony to talk to, and a shoulder to cry on. As she returned the hug, she couldn't help but let all her sadness come to the surface.
"Just let it all out, Dashie, it'll be alright," Fluttershy said quietly.
"I'm the element of loyalty for Celestias sake! I'm supposed to always be there for my friends when they need me, and I can't do that if I can't find her!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
It had been a half hour since Rainbows last good cry. Fluttershy had agreed to help however she could, even if that meant getting yelled at.
"I just... I've failed as a good friend. I've let Twilight down, and I just can't stand it," Rainbow Dash said.
"You haven't let anypony down, Dashie," Fluttershy said.
"I've searched for two whole months already, and come up empty hooved," Rainbow Dash pointed out, "Please tell me how that doesn't mean I've let her down".
"You never gave up," Fluttershy said.
"Spirit is good and all, but it's nothing without success in the end," Rainbow Dash said.
"You've done your best, that's all we would ever ask of you," Fluttershy said.
"You don't get it! Twilight is out there somewhere, probably alone and scared out of her wits, and I'm not there to help like I should be!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"Where Twilight is, I'm sure she's fine," Fluttershy said.
"I'd like to believe that, but I just... can't," Rainbow Dash said, "Look, I'm glad you wanna help and everything, but I think I'm just gonna go".
"Promise me you won't do anything you'll regret," Fluttershy said.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my-" Rainbow Dash said before jabbing herself in the eye, "Ow!".
With that, Rainbow took to the sky once more. She flew back home to check on Tank and make sure he was still ok. As she got closer to her cloud, nothing seemed out of place. She walked inside to see the place just as she left it.
"Tank, you here?" Rainbow Dash called out.
No answer, not that she should have expected one to begin with. She set off checking every room she had, and it didn't take her long to find the tortoise in the kitchen, looking a tad hungry. After giving Tank a rub on the head, Rainbow set to work getting him something to eat.
"I wish I could be carefree like you," Rainbow Dash said as she set Tanks food down.
As Tank ate, Rainbow pondered what to do for the rest of the day. Should she go out searching for Twilight again? Should she just stay at home? Perhaps she should spend the day with her friends, though she figured they'd only bring up the harsh subject. She ended up deciding to just fly like she had been doing a lot recently. It didn't ever get rid of the pain, but it was really the only thing she could enjoy anymore. After making sure Tank was set for a little while, Rainbow took off.
Nothing in particular really popped out at the pegasus as she flew until she reached the border of the Everfree Forest. What she saw was a very old looking shack. She didn't think much of it until she saw something emerge from the shack. The shack was housing a blob of orange with some purplish pink mixed in. As soon as the blob took off, Rainbow decided to take a closer look. If the shack looked horrible from the air, there was no telling how bad it was up close.
As she got closer, it became clear the shack hadn't been tended to in a long time. Windows were boarded up, the front door was barely hanging on its hinges, and most of the wood was rotted to the point that it looked like the shack could cave in at any possible second. Whoever she saw leaving here couldn't honestly be living in this place, could they? She decided to stick around and find out. After a few minutes, it felt like whoever she saw wasn't going to be coming back anytime soon. Not wanting to fall asleep on her hooves, Rainbow decided to just head inside. If somepony did live here, she would invite them to live in Ponyville, so she didn't feel any guilt about trespassing.
Opening the door, Rainbow got rewarded with a very audible creak that make her wince. After the door was open, Rainbow was able to take notice of the terrible condition of the inside. This place had to be abandoned. Surely nopony lived in a place built out of rotting wood and filled with cobwebs and dust. Still, she wasn't just about to leave without knowing for sure. Wanting to help whoever might actually live here also took Rainbows mind off of Twilight for a good while, a fact she was slightly thankful for. As she walked through the shack, she noticed a worn out couch. It looked a little nicer than anything else in the shack, so she figured whoever she saw must use it for sleeping... if they did actually live in this place. Not wanting to stay on her hooves any longer, Rainbow decided the couch would be a good place to wait. It wasn't the most comfortable thing she'd ever laid on, but it would do.
Rainbow had ended up falling asleep after a little while. When something began to prod her in the side, Rainbow bolted up. As she scanned the room, she saw nothing at first. It was only when she heard somepony say her name that she looked down to notice a pegasus filly with a orange coat and... a purplish pink mane. The realization hit Rainbow like a bag of bricks. It was Scootaloo she saw walking out of this horrible place earlier. The very fact that she was back also confirmed Rainbows thought that the shack was being lived in. If an adult pony lived here, that'd be one thing, but Scootaloo was just a filly... a filly who deserved better living conditions than this horrid place.
"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here?" Scootaloo asked.
"I uh, I saw somepony leaving this old place. It looked pretty bad from the air, and up close it's even worse. I was actually going to invite whoever it was to come to Ponyville if they actually lived here," Rainbow Dash explained, "You don't really live here, do you?".
"All my life, though it didn't always look this bad," Scootaloo admitted, "I tried to keep it nice, but it got to be too much after a while, so I just gave up".
"And where are your parents?" Rainbow Dash asked, concern raising in her voice.
"I never knew mom, dad said she died was I was really young," Scootaloo explained, "But I haven't seen dad since he got called away on guard duty a couple of years ago".
So now it was confirmed that not only was the filly living in this old shack, she was living here all by herself. Rainbow started to wonder how the filly had survived on her own for so long in this place, and it started to worry her. Yes, she'd stayed in pretty good condition, all thing considered, but there's no way it was easy for her. She needed help, and she needed it soon.
"Say, what's your dads name?" Rainbow Dash asked, "I might be able to talk to Princess Celestia and get him some leave time".
"Thanks, but it won't do any good," Scootaloo said, "He's been gone for a couple of years, I know he's not coming back".
"Alright then... why do you still live here?" Rainbow Dash asked, "Surely, it'd be easy to just ask somepony in Ponyville for a place to stay. I know for sure Rarity or Applejack would be more than willing to let you live with them".
"I just don't want to," Scootaloo said, "I know, it sounds stupid, but I just wouldn't feel at home with them like I do here".
"Look, kid, you need a good place to live, and this isn't cutting it anymore," Rainbow Dash said, "I mean, the wood is rotting away and it looks like this place could crumble at the lightest breeze. I know you don't want to leave the only place you've known as home, but I don't want you to get hurt here".
"Thanks, but I'm good," Scootaloo said, "You really don't need to worry about me, though, I'm fine".
Rainbow knew full well the little filly was just as stubborn as she was herself, so she didn't push the issue any further. She wasn't going to leave the filly on her own, however, so she did head home to get Tank, his food, and something for breakfast then she headed back. A little company overnight never hurt anypony. One thing was certain, however: it was going to be quite an interesting night.
When Morning finally came, Rainbow Dash was still asleep. She wasn't used to waking up early. She bolted up again when she was prodded once more by Scootaloo. This time, however, she managed to slap the little filly as she rose.
"Sorry about that," Rainbow Dash said, "You ok?".
"That actually kinda hurt," Scootaloo said, rubbing the left side of her face.
"Sorry," Rainbow Dash said, stretching, "You hungry?".
"I already ate," Scootaloo said, "Just wanting to let you know I'm heading to school so you don't worry about me".
"Oh, well have fun," Rainbow Dash said.
"I will," Scootaloo said, "Oh, and thanks for spending the night, it was pretty fun".
"Yeah, yeah, just get yourself to school already so you're not late," Rainbow Dash said.
As Scootaloo left, Rainbow decided to take care of a few things. First things first, she needed to take Tank home. After that, she was going to head right for Ponyville town hall to talk to Mayor Mare about adoption. She wasn't about to let Scootaloo live this way for longer than she had to. Even if the filly wouldn't admit to it, she hated it here, she was hurting, and Rainbow was determined to fix that.
"I'm sorry, but unless her parents are present to sign the papers, then there's no way I can let you take custody of the filly," Mayor Mare said.
"Her parents aren't around anymore, she's living on her own," Rainbow Dash said.
"I really hope you don't actually expect me to believe a filly is able to sustain themselves with parental assistance," Mayor Mare said.
"I'm just wasting my time here, forget it," Rainbow Dash said.
"You wouldn't have to waste time if you would just follow regulations," Mayor Mare said.
"Screw your regulations!" Rainbow Dash yelled, "There's a filly out there, living on her own, and your obviously don't care!".
Rainbow didn't even give Mayor Mare a chance to say anything else before she turned and walked right out of the room. She knew she wasn't going to get any progress here, so she turned her sights on the next best place: Canterlot castle. If there was a filly who needed a good home, Princess Celestia or Luna would allow it to happen however it needed to. She took to the sky and headed right the castle.
On the way to Canterlot, Rainbow kept think of ways to give Scootaloo the good news. She could just walk up and tell her, but that was just too simple. She wanted to make the moment special, but she just couldn't think of how to make it so. She was too deep in thought to even notice she had reached the castle, until she slammed right into it that is. Pulling herself away from the wall, Rainbow then turned her thoughts towards how to handle the adoption with Princess Celestia. No matter what, she wasn't taking no for an answer this time. She flew to the entrance and composed herself before going in.
It took a bit, but Rainbow finally managed to reach the throne room. When she did, she bowed then moved forward to speak.
"Hello there, Dash," Celestia said, "Whatever brings you here?".
"I'm here for an adoption," Rainbow Dash said.
"You do know you didn't have to come all the way to me to do that, right?" Celestia asked.
"You're the only one who'll help," Rainbow Dash said.
"And what brings you to the conclusion?" Celestia asked.
"There is a pegasus filly in, or actually on the outskirts of, Ponyville. Her name is Scootaloo, and up until yesterday, I had no idea she was an orphan. She doesn't live in an orphanage, but instead in a run down shack near the Everfree Forest," Rainbow Dash said, "She needs a good home, but Mayor Mare doesn't seem to care about that".
"She lives on her own?" Celestia asked, "I am sorry, but that is just a tad hard to believe".
"She said her mother died when she was just a small foal, and her dad never came back after being away on guard duty about two years ago," Rainbow Dash said, "I also spent the night with her last night, and it was just us all night, so I'm pretty darn sure she's been alone this whole time".
"None of my guard stationed in Ponyville have ever had foals," Celestia said, "So either the filly is lying, or the pair she thought of as her parents took illegal custody of her at a very young age".
"I don't think she's lying," Rainbow Dash said.
"Well, let's go find out who her real parents really are," Celestia said.
With that, Princess Celestia started to head towards the throne room doors, followed immediately by Rainbow Dash. Nothing was said on the way to the registry. It was obvious, however, Rainbow was worried. If Scootaloo had in fact been taken into illegal custody, and her real parents were still alive, how was she going to break the news to the filly? It'd be quite a delicate situation for sure, and one Rainbow didn't think she could handle. Still, she kept moving forward seeking answers. All she really wanted was for Scootaloo to get a better home, no matter what.
When Rainbow and Celestia finally reached the registry, Rainbow could help but tense up. She was about to get an answer she probably did not want. With a little coaxing, she got over it and pushed on through the door.
"I need you to pull up a file on a pegasus filly in Ponyville named Scootaloo," Celestia said after approaching the desk.
The pony behind the desk simply nodded and turned to get the file. After a couple of minutes, the pony returned with the file and laid it down in front of Celestia and Rainbow. As Celestia opened the file, Rainbow prepared herself.
"Scootaloo, born August 15, 2006, daughter of Lily Spring and Bolt Thrasher," Celestia said as she read off what was on the file.
"Are they still alive?" Rainbow Dash asked, "That's what I want to know".
"Go see if you have any death certificates for either Lily Spring, or Bolt Thrasher, please," Celestia said, giving Scootaloos file back.
After the pony behind the desk took the file and went to go check for death certificates, Celestia sighed and turned to Rainbow.
"Before he comes back, I need to know one thing," Celestia said, "Just how ready are you really to take on the responsibilities of motherhood?".
"I'm not aiming for any 'Mother of the year' awards, but I aim to do my best," Rainbow Dash said, "That kid deserves to have a better life than the one she has now".
"Just remember one thing: if at any time you feel like you need some guidance, my door is always open," Celestia said, "And I know Rarity and Applejack will be able to help as well seeing as how they've helped take care of their younger siblings".
The two remained quiet from then until the pony returned with two files. As he laid them on the desk, Rainbow felt like she could breathe again. Instead of a death certificate, they had gotten whole files, meaning Scootaloos real parents were probably still alive. Boy, would they be happy to find out their daughter is alright. After looking through the files and finding out where the two last took up residence, Celestia gave the files back. Rainbow bowed while letting Celestia know how grateful she was for the help, and then turned and walked out of the room. She knew where Scootaloos parents were, and she was going to give them some good news. After school was let out for the day, she was also going to head to Ponyville, tell Scootaloo the news, then take her back to her real parents where she belonged.
"Who are you?" A stallion asked.
Rainbow finally found the house where Scootaloos parents lived. It took her some time with the crowds, but she was determined, and it paid off in the end. Now, she was face to face with Scootaloos father, or so she hoped.
"My name is Rainbow Dash, and I'm here about your daughter," Rainbow Dash said.
"I don't have a daughter," The stallion said.
"You are Bolt Thrasher, right?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yes, that's me," Bolt Thrasher said.
"And do you have a wife named Lily Spring by any chance?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Care to tell me why you're really here?" Bolt Thrasher asked, a little irritated.
"Then you do have a daughter. Orange pegasus filly with a dark pink mane and tail. Her name is Scootaloo," Rainbow Dash said, "Ring any bells?".
"So, the little disgrace is still around, huh?" Bolt Thrasher asked.
"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Rainbow Dash asked, obviously shocked at what she just heard.
"I know that little filly, but she's not my daughter," Bolt Thrasher said, "No daughter of mine has the inability to fly".
"What are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked, anger slowly raising in her voice.
"When she was born, the Nurse said she'd never fly because of something in her wings stunting their growth," Bolt Thrasher said, "That's not a trait of a pegasus who deserves to be called my daughter".
"You had better be joking right now," Rainbow Dash said, quite obviously ticked off at this point.
"I will not have my family name disgraced by a pegasus that can't fly, that's just not going to happen," Bolt Thrasher.
"And what about your wife, huh?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I back him up a hundred and ten percent," Came a voice from inside the house.
"That's just... just... I just can't believe this! She's your flesh and blood daughter for Celestias sake! How can you honestly say this without a second thought!?" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"A family of natural born flyers can't accept a dysfunctional pegasus into their family," Bolt Thrasher said.
"If we did, it'd only tarnish our family name," Said the voice.
"You two are the absolute worst. Scootaloo could wilt away and you wouldn't even shed a tear... that's just... you just make me sick," Rainbow Dash said.
"Now, if that's all, we need to get back to our food," Bolt Thrasher said.
"First, since you're both still alive, you're going to come with me to sign the adoption papers so I can give Scootaloo a good home," Rainbow Dash said.
"Oh? And how do you figure this?" Bolt Thrasher asked.
"You don't want to be affiliated with her, right?" Rainbow Dash asked, "Signing those adoption papers will make it so she won't be any longer".
"Well, that's as good a reason as any," The voice said, "But do let us finish eating first".
"We can eat when we get back, Lily," Bolt Thrasher said, "The sooner we sign those papers, the sooner we get to cut all ties with that little thing".
"At the very least address her by her name," Rainbow Dash demanded, "Or is that too hard for you?".
"Just lead on to where we need to go," Bolt Thrasher said.
"It deeply saddens me to know you would think this way about your own kin," Celestia said.
After leading Scootaloos parents to the castle throne room, Rainbow told Celestia what she herself had been told. After getting confirmation, Celestia was less than pleased. She knew ponies like this existed, but she had never had to deal with any face to face before.
"What do we need to sign already?" Bolt Thrasher asked.
"Just sign these, and you may leave," Celestia said, levitating a few papers to the couple.
The two ponies signed where they needed to and gave the papers back. Satisfied, they turned and left. Celestia then gave the papers to Rainbow so she could sign off that she had agreed to be Scootaloos new legal caretaker. After doing so, she gave the papers back to Celestia with a smile. After finding out what Scootaloos now former parents thought of her, she was more than happy to ensure they never even laid eyes on the filly again.
"And Princess, could you gift wrap the adoption certificate?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Whatever for?" Celestia asked, a little puzzled at the odd request.
"Scootaloos birthday is in a week, and I wanna give her the best birthday present she's ever gotten," Rainbow Dash said.
"I see," Celestia said, pondering the odd request a little, "Well, what are you going to do until then?" Celestia asked.
"She's going to need a nicer home than a rotting shack. Also, since she can't fly, it'd be pretty pointless to have her live in my cloud home," Rainbow Dash said, "So, I'm going to sell my home and use the bits to buy a nice house in Ponyville, then work all week to get it all nice and set up".
"Was not your plan to do this from the get go?" Celestia asked.
"It was, then I found out when her birthday is and I also actually adopted her," Rainbow Dash said, "I'll take off from fixing up the house to spend some time with her, and keep her company, but I still want this to be a complete surprise for her birthday".
"Well, as long as you don't abandon her or anything, then I don't see the harm," Celestia said.
During the past week, Rainbow Dash had been hard at work getting everything ready. She had sold her cloud for a couple thousand bits, and used the money to buy a decent little house near the remains of Golden Oaks library. It wasn't the most luxurious home, but it would be enough.
Today was the day. Scootaloos birthday was today, and Rainbow Dash was dead set determined on making it the best birthday ever. She wasn't much for mushy stuff publicly, but she couldn't wait to see her biggest fan, and legal daughter, after getting her present. There was time still until the party, so Rainbow decided to kill some time by flying. She'd spent so much time either fixing up the house or hanging round Scootaloo that she hadn't done any aerial stunts the past week... a fact she'd soon remedy.
After taking off, Rainbow couldn't help but take notice on a familiar sight. On the ground was a orange filly zooming along on a scooter. She was about to swoop down and join up, but stopped when she saw where the filly was headed. Instead of following further, Rainbow remembered what she was going to do originally, and went back to practicing her stunts.
It was now a little past mid day, and Rainbow was waking up from a relaxing nap. After stretching, and checking on Tank, she grabbed a thin envelope and flew out the door. Her destination? Sugarcube Corner. She knew Pinkie would have started the birthday party already, and she was running late. Upon arriving, however, Rainbow was greeted the same as any guest. As she entered, she saw a cacophony of party games being played all at once. It was a madhouse, but that was just how a Pinkie Pie party was supposed to be. Looking around, Rainbow noticed the presents hadn't been opened yet, so there was that much at least.
"Welcome, Rainbow," Applejack said, startling the pegasus.
"Geez, Applejack, no need to sneak up on me like that!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"Sorry bout that, sugarcube," Applejack said before taking notice of the envelope, "Whatcha got there?".
"Oh nothing, just the best birthday present ever," Rainbow Dash boasted.
"Uh huh... whatever ya say, Rainbow," Applejack said, rolling her eyes.
"Just you wait and see," Rainbow Dash said, "I know for absolute certain this present will trump everyponys".
"All ah know is that little filly will love any present she gets from her idol," Applejack said, "So we'll just have to wait and see if that's really the best present, or if you're just trying to get us all jealous because that filly practically worships the ground you stand on".
Rainbow kept the envelope tucked under her right wing until the time for unwrapping presents finally came. It took some time to reach the end, with Scootaloo openly showing gratitude for everything she got... even if she didn't really mean it a hundred percent. Now, it was time for Rainbows present. As the rainbow maned mare hovered over to the pegasus filly, the crowd grew a tad silent in ambition.
"I know it doesn't look like much like this, squirt, but wait till you open it up," Rainbow Dash said, "I guarantee it'll be the best birthday present you've gotten so far".
"Just you showing up has made this birthday like... twenty percent cooler," Scootaloo said, "But uh... thanks".
With that, Scootaloo took the envelope and opened it. She was just expecting an oversized birthday card, but got something even better. As her eyes went over the paper multiple times, tears started to form.
"This... this is... I can't believe this," Scootaloo said, lowering the paper slightly.
"Oh good job, Rainbow," Applejack said, "The best present ever just caused a filly ta cry at her own birthday party".
Without saying another word, Scootaloo dropped the paper and tackled Rainbow to the ground in a big hug. Curious, Applebloom walked over and lifted up the paper to read it.
"Wait a second, Scoots... you were an orphan?" Applebloom asked.
"What do you mean 'orphan'?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"This is an adoption certificate," Applebloom said causing everyponys jaws to hit the floor.
"Now hold on, ya sure ya'll ain't misreading that?" Applejack asked.
"No, she's right, it is an adoption certificate," Sweetie Belle said, "And if Rainbow gave it to Scoots, that can only mean one thing".
"Well ah'll be," Applejack said, turning towards Rainbow, "Never knew you wanted to have a kid, Rainbow".
"Yea, well... it's really for the best," Rainbow Dash said.
"This is now the best birthday ever," Scootaloo said, wiping away more tears, "Thank you. Thank you so much".
"Don't mention it," Rainbow Dash said, "Just glad to see you have a real smile for once".
"Well, congratulations, Scoots," Applebloom said as she and Sweetie Belle walked over.
"Why did you tell us you were an orphan, though?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I just didn't want any pity or anything," Scootaloo admitted, "I didn't want you to feel like you owed me anything just cause I was living on my own".
"Either way, you're not gonna live on your own anymore," Rainbow Dash said, "Soon as this party's over, we'll go pack up your stuff and move you into a real home".
"Thanks, "I really do mean it," Scootaloo said.
"Just go hang out with your friends for now," Rainbow Dash said, "There'll be more than enough time for us to chill later".
"Alright, come on girls," Scootaloo said, turning and walking off with a smile that was almost too big to fit on her face.
"Ah can honestly say ah didn't expect your present ta be that good," Applejack said, "But, ah'm mighty proud of ya, Dash. And if ya need any help or anything, just ask me or Rarity, we'll be more than willing ta help".
"Thanks, Applejack," rainbow Dash said.
After the party was finished, all the decorations taken down, all the games removed, and the food cleaned up, Rainbow followed Scootaloo back to the old shack. The others offered to help however they could, and Rainbow didn't bother to deny them from helping her out for once. Once at the shack, the others were in shock at its condition.
"This place has seen better days," Rarity said.
"Ya seriously been living here this whole time?" Applejack asked.
"It's... well, it's home," Scootaloo said.
"It was home," Rainbow Dash corrected, "It'll just be an empty shack after we're finished".
"Yea... I guess you're right," Scootaloo said.
With that, everypony walked inside and began to pack up everything Scootaloo wanted to keep. Some of it seemed like pointless objects with little to no real value, but Scootaloo treasured them so nopony argued. The job didn't take very long, and soon the group was now heading off again. Scootaloo and the other were headed towards where Rainbows former cloud home was, but Rainbow herself headed in a different direction. Needless to say, this brought upon great confusion.
"Rainbow, ya do know your house is this way, right?" Applejack asked.
"Sold it, bought another house down here in Ponyville a week ago," Rainbow Dash said, "Honestly, do you really think I'd have wanted you to help if this stuff was going to a cloud home?".
"Well, ah figured ya just wanted help moving it closer so ya wouldn't have ta fly back and forth like that," Applejack said, "Though, ah do suppose ya have a point".
"Why did you sell your house anyway?" Fluttershy asked, "I thought you were too proud of it to ever wanna sell it".
"It's uh... it's complicated," Rainbow Dash said, "I'll explain later".
Nopony asked anymore questions on the way to Rainbows new house. Once they arrived, they all set to work unpacking and helping get things set in the right place. The house was once just a decent house, but, before long, it was a real home. After setting up her own room, Scootaloo felt like she was really home now... even more so than at the shack.