Offering

Rainbow looked up into the sunset sky, her eyes on autopilot as her brain was still processing the uncertainty of the conversation she was about to hold with Scootaloo’s cousin. She felt the nerves rise in her chest about the idea, but her determination still won through, wanting nothing more than her to at least try. She was still in thought when Soarin nudged his marefriend softly, bringing Rainbow back to reality. As Dash realised where she was, the sight of Scootaloo gleefully skipping over to the small house made her tense up, it was as if after all the time she’d had already, she suddenly needed a lot more.

“Are we going to do this now?” Soarin asked, seeming to share the same feelings as Dash. The two were now walking slowly towards Scootaloo again as the filly awaited for Sky Heart to open the door. Rainbow looked over to Soarin, the two sharing glances at one another. After what seemed like a long silence she spoke.

“If you and Scootaloo are cool with it, I don’t think we should wait,” Dash said, not seeming to hesitate for a second.

Soarin nodded in response, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "In that case, let's do what we came here to do," he replied confidently. It was then the two heard the opening of a door, their eyes swinging back to see Sky Heart ruffling Scootaloo’s mane as she welcomed her home. The mare greeted the two other pegasi as they trotted closer to the humble abode.

“Hope she didn’t give you too much trouble,” Sky Heart began with a small smirk.

Rainbow giggled, turning to Soarin as the two shared knowing glances, “We pulled through.”

A sigh of relief escaped Sky’s muzzle as she smiled more broadly, “Well I’m glad you all had fun, many thanks again for taking her out. The orphanage was a riot as always, and I’m glad she got to have some fun rather than staying cooped up all day inside.”

“Pleasure was all ours,” Soarin confirmed with a nod.

“Would you like to come in for some coffee?” Sky asked, offering a hoof into the home.

Dash smiled happily, “We’d love to.”

Sky beamed and opened the door wider to let the two ponies in, Rainbow and Soarin squeezed by as Scootaloo ran into the living room to sit next to the couple on the plush sofa. Sky made her way into the kitchen to brew some coffee, but kept the conversation going, “I’ve never asked, but how did you come to meet Scootaloo?”

Rainbow looked over to the filly with a smile, “She’s always been my number one fan, couldn’t really keep her away half the time,” she replied with an all too knowing smirk, causing Scootaloo’s cheeks to flush slightly with embarrassment. Sky Heart trotted in moments later with cups of coffee and a glass of lemonade for Scootaloo.

“She never did stop talking about you,” Sky countered with a matching grin as she eyed the filly, setting the cups on various coasters around the small table within the room. “I’m glad you like spending time together, makes my life a little less busy.”

It was at this point Rainbow exchanged another sideways glance with Soarin, the two giving each other one last nod before Dash took a breath and continued, “Actually, Sky… me and Soarin were wanting to ask you something.”

The mare took a small sip of her cup before placing it firmly in her hooves, “Go ahead,” she asked with a smile. The four ponies going silent for a moment as Rainbow contemplated the correct way to offer such a large commitment as this.

Rainbow began draping a wing over Scootaloo, the filly looking up to her with a smile as she began, “When we first met, you told me you wanted Scootaloo to have a real family. It got me thinking for a while and I’ve realised that Scootaloo,” she took a pause to share a look with the filly, “Means a heck of a lot to me. If it helps you, me and Soarin would like to offer taking Scootaloo on a more permanent basis.”

When Dash looked back up from Scootaloo, she saw the nearly expressionless mare staring at the three on the sofa. Dash fought back the urge to look away and instead kept her content smile. It seemed like hours before the silence was broken.

“You mean that?” Sky suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Every word,” Rainbow reaffirmed with a nod, tightening her grip slightly on the filly by her side.

It was after this that Sky’s expression started to soften, a smile beginning to form on her lips, “Well… as long as Scootaloo is okay with it,” she said, looking at the filly who nodded eagerly, “then I’m more than happy to let you help, it means more than you know to hear that.”

“Can we go for another sleepover then!” Scootaloo asked excitedly, making everyone in the room give a light chuckle, breaking what was left of the awkward silence.

“You’ve got school tomorrow, young filly! You’ll have to wait.” Sky said with a grin as the filly pouted.

“Aw, come on!” Scootaloo argued, while Rainbow and Soarin tried their best to quench their own fits of laughter as the filly threw a fit.

“Well, maybe if you ask nicely, Rainbow might see you after school,” Sky Heart replied, giving Dash a wink. Scootaloo turned to her idol with pleading eyes, ones that even Rainbow couldn’t resist.

Dash ruffled Scootaloo’s mane happily, “I’ll pick you up after school, Squirt.”

With that Scootaloo happily took her first drink of her beverage, letting silence fill the room once more. It gave Rainbow a few moments to contemplate what she’d just done, and she honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. She knew this would now be a large commitment that she’d need to keep up, but she was happy to lend a hoof regardless.

“I’m guessing you both will be at work tomorrow as well?” Sky asked, looking at the couple.

Soarin groaned, quickly pushing a forehoof onto his skull, “Spitfire’s gonna have me taking laps all morning.”

Rainbow gave a sympathetic smile towards her stallion, “At least you don’t have to fill out weather shipments all day.”

The small giggle from the opposite side caused both to turn their eyes back, seeing Sky with a hoof up to her muzzle, “Nowhere near as crazy as mine.”

Rainbow returned the chuckle, “Say, I never asked. What’s it like bein’ a manager for the orphanage?”

Sky Heart leaned back in her chair and pondered on the thought, “I guess… hectic. I mean, you do move around quite a lot, you know? Managers rotate a few times through different places, but luckily me and Scoots have stuck right here in Ponyville, mainly because we don’t have other orphanages close enough for us to switch. However, the best part about it has really been helping those little foals grow and get a family they deserve.”

“Have you ever moved before?” Soarin asked hesitantly.

Sky shook her head in return, “Never, you have to be interviewed and accept the contract first too," she said reassuringly. "Will either of you two ever move?”

“Soarin’s usually out,” Dash cut in, making the point clear, “But I’m always around, since my job’s here and all.”

“That’s good to hear; at least now I know Scootaloo always has someone to watch over her,” Sky happily replied.

“She always has,” Rainbow said with a grin, ruffling the filly’s mane with a forehoof as she giggled lightly.

Soarin winked to the smiling filly as Sky shared a warming look at the trio. In the mare’s mind, she couldn’t help but see the three as if they were a happy family, just starting out their new era of life together. The feeling was something the orphanage manager knew all too well and It made her heart swell ever more, thinking that Scootaloo might just get the chance she deserved.

Looking over to the last flickers of sun passing through the horizon, Rainbow gave a contented sigh, “Guess me and Soar should be heading back before it gets dark, leave you guys to get yourselves ready for tomorrow.”

Sky nodded happily and stood up, letting the two ponies go towards the exit of the home, Scootaloo following closely after them. As Rainbow and Soarin got to the threshold of the entrance, they turned back around to bid the ponies farewell. Rainbow leaned down and embraced Scootaloo softly with her wings as she let the filly nuzzle into her neck snugly.

“I’ll be back for you after school, ‘kay?” the rainbow mare said.

Scootaloo nodded, letting out a muffled reply of Acknowledgement. Sky then took her place in front of the ponies, grinning happily.

“I’ll see you both later,” Sky replied, suddenly hugging Rainbow Dash quickly before moving back, “Again, thank you for offering this,” she said, pulling Scootaloo close to her side, “It means a lot.”

Rainbow couldn’t help but give one of her trademark smirks, “Just me bein’ awesome.”

The reply gave cause for the rest of the ponies to laugh a little, Soarin rolling his eyes in mild amusement, having heard the statement many times before. The four ponies then exchanged a few last smiles before waving goodbye to one another. Rainbow and Soarin began trotting out of the home, spreading their wings and taking off into the darkening sky above as their views began to fade out of sight. Sky looked down at the filly next to her with a content smile.

“Guessing you’ll be staying over at Rainbow’s then?” Sky Heart began, referring to the day ahead. Scootaloo gave a giddy nod, a grin beginning to form.

“It’s going to be awesome!” the filly in question exclaimed.

“Just like you said this morning’s burnt toast would be,” Sky replied with a giggle.

“Hey! It was totally going to be!” Scootaloo defended as the two trotted back into the home, the filly taking one more look out into the now dark sky, smiling a little as she began to get more excited at the thoughts of tomorrow.