Discovering the past

It's been four years since Jackpot was adopted by Applejack and one year since he and Scootaloo became coltfriend and marefriend. However, now that Scootaloo was a legal adult, they had to hide their relationship. Their friends knew and, as long as each other were happy, who were they to judge?

However, their time together was to be cut short due to Scootaloo going to Manehatten to become a mechanic, as her cutie mark revealed to be a pair of open ended wrenches crossed together as an X. Scootaloo had also become vastly more feminine as she grew up. She let her hair grow to jaw length and she wore it in curls. Jackpot loved playing with her curls when they were snuggled together. She also wore a shadowy gray eye shadow to make her eyes pop, she wore mascara for extra pop, purple lipstick, and she never left the house without wearing the apple pendant her boyfriend gave her. "Scootaloo, you sure about Manehatten?" Her mother, Rainbow Dash, asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well... remember how you asked about your father when you were younger?" Rainbow Dash asked. Scootaloo's eyes widened. It was time! She was finally going to get the answer she had long searched for!

"You might wanna sit down on your bed. It's a long story..." Rainbow smiled, sitting next to her eighteen year old daughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(19 years ago)

Rainbow Dash sat at her desk in Manehatten, trying to get an essay done for Professor Flightwit on weather patterns and how Pegasi affect them. She had her headphones on, listening to the latest Phil Coltins cassette when they were suddenly taken off. "Hey! Cheerilee, give that back!" she yelled.

"Nuh-uh! We're going out!" she laughed.

"Like hell I am! Flightwit's been on my flank about this essay and-"

"Oh forget Professor Nitwit! You're working too hard!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You? Studying hard?" Scootaloo asked, interrupting the story, laughing.

"Yeah, I know. I was almost like Twilight," Rainbow Dash laughed as well, "But the way I saw it, I needed a backup plan if the Wonderbolts didn't pan out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eventually, Rainbow Dash relented. "Fine, I'll go with you. Where are we going, anyway?" She got up and followed Cheerilee to the bathroom in their flat. "There's a party at DOTA House and-"

"DOTA House?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Delta Omnicron Theta Alpha. DOTA. It's one of the frats on campus." Cheerilee explained, "Now sit still." Cheerilee forced Rainbow Dash onto the edge of the tub and started applying makeup. When she was finally finished, Rainbow Dash gasped when she saw her reflection. She had smoky gray eye shadow to make her magenta eyes pop, purple lipstick, deep mascara and a blush that matched her coat.

"Oooh, Rainbow, so sexy! Hey!" Rainbow had proceeded to wash off the makeup.

"Cheerilee, you know I hate that crap! Can we just go so I can get this night over?" Rainbow Dash sighed. She walked with Cheerilee back to the campus of Manehatten University two blocks away and found the DOTA House with ease. The two entered the building and to hear music blasting, accompanied by a subwoofer. "Ok, we're here. Can we go now? Cheerilee?" Rainbow Dash looked around but Cheerilee was nowhere to be found.

"Great." Rainbow Dash sighed, going up to the bar, "Barkeep, cider." She ordered, passing her ID.

"Lightweight." the bartender chuckled, passing her her drink.

She had downed her drink when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw an earth pony with a bright orange coat, a short purple mane and tail and a hoofball for a cutie mark.

Rainbow Dash's heart pounded. "Uh... H-Hi."

"Hey," He said, "What's your name?"

"Rainbow Dash. You?"

"I'm -"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Scootaloo, I swear, for the life of me, I can't remember his name. But... for the sake of simplicity, let's call him Eagle."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"W-Wow..." Rainbow Dash could feel herself blushing. "So you here with someone?" Eagle asked, taking a swig of his Scotch.

Rainbow Dash grunted. "I was. She ditched me as soon as I arrived."

"Some friend." Eagle said.

"Nah, she's cool. But she can be a bit dense now and then. Say, you wanna get outta here?" she asked. She led him back to the loft.

"Wow, how can two college students afford a place like this?" Eagle asked. "Cheerilee comes from money. Her dad teaches at Celestia's School of Magic which apparently makes so much bank." she answered, passing Eagle a beer and putting on music. They'd spent the night dancing and drinking, getting cozy with each other. Eventually, in her drunken haze, Rainbow Dash led Eagle to the bedroom.

"C'mere, big boy. I know you be-hic-been eyeing me up all night." She giggled.

"With pleasure." He responded as the two climbed onto Rainbow's bed.

The next morning, however, he was gone. Rainbow was, understandably angry but life resumed. A few months had passed and Rainbow had noticed a slight weight gain. Finally, she decided to get checked out.

"So what's the problem, Doc?" She asked, "I catch a bug or something?"

"We'll know in a moment, once the test results come back." he replied. Soon after, his fax machine rang. "Oh, my... Miss Dash... You're pregnant." Rainbow Dash blacked out on the spot.

As the months went by, the headmistress of the school granted her a leave of absence until the baby had been born and she was back on her hooves. Rainbow Dash got in contact with Fluttershy who had moved into a cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville. Fluttershy allowed Rainbow Dash to move in with her until she had the baby. Fluttershy introduced Rainbow to her new friends once Rainbow was settled in.

Rainbow Dash wouldn't admit it outright but at first, Rarity and Pinkie Pie annoyed the crap out of her. She got on well with Applejack, though, and developed a crush on her big brother, Big Macintosh.

Rainbow was moved into Sweet Apple Acres as the pregnancy entered the final trimester. During that time, Rainbow Dash and Applejack had become like sister. Rainbow told her all about Eagle.

"Well he best not show his face 'round here! Else he's gettin a buckin ta the head!" She snapped, "Ain't nopony take advantage o' mah sister!"

"No, I was stupid, Applejack. I got shitfaced and... well... OW!" Rainbow Dash doubled over in pain, "Applejack...! I think it's happening!"

"OI, BIG MAC!" Applejack yelled out the window, "GET YER BUTT UP HERE! WE GOT A FOAL COMIN!!!" No sooner had she yelled was Big Mac in the room. Applejack steadied Rainbow Dash up onto Big Mac and he carefully carried her to the hospital.

She had been in labor for twelve hours straight. At long last, after hours of pain, screaming and swearing, the Doctor had examined the foal to see if it was healthy. "Hmm... Normal breathing rate, good heart beat..." He flashed this weird looking flashlight which emitted a green light into the foal's eyes, "Reaction to light is normal," he said in his slight cockney accent. Satisfied, he checked the gender of the foal, then wrapped her into a pink blanket and presented her to the mother.

"Congratulations, Rainbow Dash. It's a girl!"

Rainbow looked at the filly carefully. The filly looked exactly like Eagle. Same orange coat, same purple mane and tail, same purple eyes. But she was a pegasus. Rainbow Dash fell in love with her daughter instantly. "Hello, my beautiful baby girl..." She smiled, a tear falling from her eye.

"Have you thought of a name?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah... my mother's name..." She hugged the baby, "I love you... Scootaloo..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Present day)

"Wait, so I'm the result of a drunk lovefest?" Scootaloo asked.

"No. Well... yes, but..." Rainbow sighed, "Scootaloo, what matters is that, you were my daughter and I love you so much." she smiled, hugging her daughter, "Which is why, when you said you wanted MU, I got worried."

"Mom, I've got Jackpot. You really think I'd cheat on him?" she rolled her eyes. Finally catching her mother's meaning, she added in, "Oh, right. Well, now that you told me that, I'm more determined than ever! Ooh, speaking of Jackpot... I'll see ya later, Mom!" Scootaloo flew out the window.

She had to look hard but she eventually found that light blue coat and brown mane she'd fallen in love with. He was bucking apples. Over the years, he'd made sure to evenly match his physical strength with his wing strength. This made him a slower flyer than Rainbow Dash but, to Scootaloo, his balance made him so sexy. That and his goatee he had been growing for a year.

"Hey, Jacky!" she landed next to him.

"Hey, beautiful." he hugged her, "What's up?"

Scootaloo had told Jackpot the gist of what her mom told her. "... So now I have another reason to go!" She said. Jackpot stroked his goatee.

"I dunno, Scoots. It's one helluva long shot. But hey, if you feel you NEED to do this, then I've got your back, Scootaloo. Always." He smiled, pulling her into a kiss.

"How'd I get so lucky to have such a sweet guy like you?" she giggled as a curl fell in her face.

The next day, the Crusaders had all gathered to say goodbye to Scootaloo. Applebloom was headed for Fillydelphia to study foal care since she'd gotten her cutie mark helping Applejack with Jersey Mac and Sweetie Belle was headed to Applewood for their music program.

"No matter how far..." Applebloom started.

"No matter what happens..." Sweetie Belle chimed in.

"No matter how long..." Scootaloo added.

"No matter the problem..." Jackpot finished.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders for life!" The four ponies laughed. Jackpot sat back and watched as each pony had gotten on their respective train. He was staying in Ponyville for both high school and the farm. When it came time for Scootaloo's train, Rainbow Dash took her time hugging her daughter, expressing how proud she was. Then she turned to Jackpot.

"I'll be gone a while..." she said.

"I can wait." he smiled.

"I love you so much, Jacky." she hugged her boyfriend.

"I love you too, Cutealoo." Jackpot replied, hugging her tight. Once he let go, Scootaloo reached into her saddlebag. "Jacky... I want you to have this..." She gave him a necklace made of various bolts and washers. He chuckled. "I'm never taking it off." he smiled, "Now go on, Scootaloo. Follow your dreams. Find your dad."

With that, Scootaloo gave him one more hug, one more kiss, then boarded her train. As the train pulled out, she kept her eyes on Jackpot, who was sitting on the platform, watching her pull away. Once he was out of sight, she sat back in her seat. "This is it... the beginning of my journey... I'll find you, Dad... I swear it."