Meeting Scootaloo's Mother
"Rainbow Dash!" a voice called out, getting Rainbow Dash's attention. "Rainbow Dash!"
Tilting her wings and spreading them wide, Rainbow Dash slowed down until nearly stopping. Turning around, she made her way toward an orange pegasus filly with a bright pink-purple mane that was standing on the ground not far from where she had been practicing. With practiced ease, Rainbow Dash came to a full stop and land gently in front of the filly, smiling.
A smile that faded when Dash saw the serious look on her face.
"What's up, Scootaloo? Something wrong?"
"Not exactly," the filly -- Scootaloo -- answered. "Mom says she wants to meet you before we go camping tomorrow."
"Your mom?" Dash asked, tilting her head curiously.
"Yeah," Scootaloo answered with a nod. "If I'm going to be spending days with you on the trip, she at least wants to meet you first." She shifted on her scooter, grinning widely. "Luckily, you're so cool that once she talks to you, she'll totally be okay with me going."
The filly's enthusiasm got a chuckle from Rainbow Dash. Admittedly, while she was pretty sure she would be able to convince Scootaloo's mom it would be okay, Rainbow Dash doubted it would be for the same reasons the filly thought. From her experience, parents did not really care about how "cool" a pony was (if they even knew what that was), but by how "responsible," and "mature" they were. And Rainbow Dash totally knew how to act like a mature and responsible adult, no matter what Applejack or Rarity said.
Plus, Rainbow Dash was kind of curious. In the few weeks since she had noticed Scootaloo and hung out with her (which was more of the filly following her around and gushing over everything more than anything else), the filly had mostly just talked about how awesome and amazing Dash was. While it was kind of fun to hear, it also did not tell her much about Scootaloo herself. On top of that, she had never run across the filly and her mom together, nor had the mom ever shown up to take Scootaloo home. Although the filly did make absolutely certain that she was always home on time. It would be nice to know the mystery behind Scootaloo's mother once and for all.
"Alright, squirt," Dash said. "Lead the way."
Grinning widely, Scootaloo turned around and took off. Her wings flapped behind her as she sped through town on her scooter as fast as she could. It was pretty fast, but no problem for Rainbow Dash to keep up with. Well... that was not entirely true. There were a few times where Scootaloo turned pretty sharply around a corner, and Dash had to bank hard to follow.
As Rainbow Dash flew she wondered about the mare she was going to meet. Was she going to be a pegasus like Dash and Scootaloo? Maybe not. That would explain part of why the filly did not seem to fly very often, because she had no parent to teach her some of the finer points. Maybe she was an earth pony, or a unicorn.
With a small gasp, Rainbow Dash had a thought: what if it was none of them? What if the filly's mother was a bat pony? She only came out really late at night after all the other ponies had gone to bed, and saw Scootaloo off to school before sleeping all day. Or maybe she was actually a changeling. One that had broken away from the hive and gone into hiding. Then she would have to disguise herself when out in public -- especially after the wedding -- and often did so, having no pony -- including Scootaloo -- recognize her. Maybe she was a zebra, and had been afraid to show herself because of how they had treated Zecora.
Or maybe she was not even a pony or something pony shaped. Maybe she was a griffon. One that had adopted Scootaloo and had moved to Equestria so the filly could grow up around her own kind. What if she was actually a dragon? She was actually living in a massive underground cave, a house built on top of it to hide her and let her adopted pony daughter look like she was in a normal home.
Her mind boggled as she came up with all sorts of outrageous ideas on what Scootaloo's mom was like.
Before too long, Scootaloo was slowing down in front of a basic two story house. It had the same beige exterior with dark brown support beams and straw roof as most of the houses around town. Nothing about it stuck out from any of the buildings around it, or most of the buildings in town for that matter. Considering where it was, Rainbow Dash probably passed it all the time without a second thought.
Now that she knew who lived here, the pegasus mare took time to note the address and location, easily dedicating it to memory so she could find it again if she ever wanted or needed to.
Pushing the door open, Scootaloo and her scooter went inside, followed by Rainbow Dash. Inside, the filly pushed her scooter into a small alcove by the door, then tossed her helmet onto it.
"Mom!" Scootaloo shouted as she walked further into the house. Her ears perked and twitched. "Mom! I'm home! And I brought Rainbow Dash with me!"
"I'm in here," a voice called out. "And I've told you before, Scoots, you don't need to shout."
Scoots? Rainbow Dash thought as she followed the filly. She would have to remember that. As she walked, she looked around, trying to see some of the house.
"Sorry," Scootaloo said, her voice still pretty loud. "Like I said, I have Rainbow Dash with me, just like you wanted."
The two of them walked past a living room. As they did, Rainbow Dash looked around to catch a glimpse at the pictures there. There were several individual shots of two mares, some of Scootaloo, a few of the the two mares together...
Then she found them. One picture had Scootaloo flanked by two ponies. Another had what must have been Scootaloo with her mother. Dash managed to get some details, light color and pegasus, but walked by too quickly to get the entire image. Somewhat moot at this point since she was about to meet the mare, but she was still curious.
And a little disappointed that the mother was not one of the crazier things Dash had imagined.
In the dining room sat the pegasus mare that must have been Scootaloo's mother. She was lighter colored than her daughter. Her coat much closer to yellow with a tint of orange to it, and mane and tail were more of a deep pink than purple. Her eyes were half-lidded as she looked at the two of them, and she gave them a tired smile. She turned her full attention to Scootaloo.
"So, how was school today?" she asked.
"Boring, as always," Scootaloo answered. "Mom, this is Rainbow Dash." She turned to motion toward the pegasus. "Rainbow Dash, this is my mom: Rain Dance."
"It's nice to finally meet you," Rain Dance said with a smile. Her eyes then narrowed, studying the mare. "Scootaloo talks about you all the time."
"Thanks," Rainbow replied. Suddenly, she found herself at a loss for words. Had not really thought about what she would say to the other mare. Plus, she recognized the look on the mare's face. Rainbow Dash had seen it a few times on her father's when she had brought home a friend who happened to be male, as well as a few other places. Rain Dance was measuring her up, gauging her, judging her.
"Sit down," Rain Dance said in a voice that sounded soft and gentle, but definitely an order.
She's a mom alright, Dash thought as she took a seat. Only a mother could be both that gentle and commanding at the same time. Well, except for Celestia, but she was kind of seen as a massive mother figure by most of the ponies in Equestria anyways. Plus she had sometimes had to deal with a bunch of whiny ponies throwing tantrums when not getting what they wanted, so it made sense she would master the same talents as a mother dealing with foals.
Rain Dance then turned to her daughter again.
"Aunt Sandstorm made some cookies, in the kitchen," she said. "Could you go grab them and the punch for us?" She then leaned in closer and grinned. "You can even use... the cups."
"The cups?!" Scootaloo squealed out, grinning widely before darting off toward the kitchen.
"The cups?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You'll see soon enough," Rain Dance answered with a wave of her hoof. "In the mean time, let's get to the point of your visit." Her eyes narrowed her face turned serious.
"You're planning on taking my daughter on a camping trip."
Rainbow Dash's wings flickered as she shifted in her seat. She suddenly felt like she was about to be interrogated. She could already imagine it. She was in a little interrogation room at the town guard station, sitting in an uncomfortable chair. The entire room was a slight off white, having gotten grimy over the years. A single, bulb -- slightly yellowed -- shined down, lighting up the room and making it hard to see. Rain Dance stood on the other side, a police uniform on and a hard-boiled look on her face.
With a shake of her head, Dash banished the image.
"I wouldn't quite say that," she finally said. "Her friends and their sisters are going on a camping trip, and Scootaloo asked if I wanted to go too." She tilted her head. "Didn't she talk about this with you?"
A chuckle escaped from Rain Dance as she turned to look toward the kitchen.
"That girl tends to act before she thinks." She then turned to look at Dash with narrowed eyes. "Something the two of you have in common, if I've heard right."
Rainbow Dash's lips pressed together as she looked away, taking time to stare at the wall. That was truer than she would like to admit. She did have a tendency to act first and think later. Sometimes, it worked out well for her. Others... at best she would have one of her friends -- Applejack or Twilight Sparkle normally -- stopping her to come up with a proper plan, and at worst, she would end up with a broken bone or two and getting an "I told you so," -- always from Applejack.
"Anyway," Rain Dance continued, "regardless of whose idea it was or did the inviting, the point remains the same." She pointed a hoof at the other mare. "You are the one who is going to be looking after my daughter during this trip." Her eyes narrowed more and ears pulled back. "So, why should I trust a mare that I..."
She stopped to yawn. Leaning forward, her eyes closed as she rubbed at her head. Seconds passed as she stayed like that, not looking at Rainbow Dash or saying a word. Just sitting there, eyes closed.
"Uhm... you okay?" Rainbow Dash asked, the quiet finally getting to her.
"No," the other mare answered. Opening her eyes, she looked at Rainbow Dash. "Which is all the more reason that I need to be sure that you'll look after Scootaloo. That you'll keep her safe."
She then leaned forward.
"My daughter is the most important thing in the world to me. I would go up against Nightmare Moon, Discord, or even Princess Celestia herself if it means keeping her safe." She pointed a hoof at Dash. "Right now, she looks up to you and wants nothing more than to be just like you. That means I need to be able to trust you to make sure nothing..."
Rain Dance stopped talking, turning to look toward the kitchen. Scootaloo came out of it and into the kitchen, grinning widely as she carried a tray on her back, wings spread wide to keep it better balanced. On it was a pile of cookies, a pitcher of red punch, and six glasses. On the side of each glass was a picture of a cutie mark, one for Rainbow Dash and each of her friends.
"Elements of Harmony Glasses," Scootaloo said with a grin. "Mom picked them up when she was in Canterlot."
The tray was set on the table and the filly began to fill the glasses. She filled the one with a red yellow and blue lightning bolt first, then pushed it to the visiting pegasus. Dash looked at the glass a moment, then pushed it back toward Scootaloo.
"You use that one," she said. "I'll use Fluttershy's."
A small "squee" escaped the filly as she grinned, pulling the glass closer. She then turned to the glass with the pink butterfly, and began filling it up.
"Well I'm going to go lay down for a while," Rain Dance announced as she got up. "Don't have too many cookies, okay?" She kissed Scootaloo on the forehead.
"Mo-o-om!" Scootaloo whined, rubbing at her head. "Not in front of other ponies."
With a chuckle, Rain Dance ruffled her daughter's mane.
"Oh, Rainbow Dash isn't going to care." She leaned in and grinned. "Besides, part of my job as a mother is to embarrass you in front of 'cool' ponies." She suddenly lunged forward, blowing a raspberry on her daughter's cheek and getting a laugh in response.
She then stepped back.
"You two have fun." She then turned to Rainbow Dash. "And have fun on the camping trip." Her gaze went back to Scootaloo. "I want to hear all about it when you get back."
"So I can go?" Scootaloo asked, looking up at her mother.
"You can go," Rain Dance confirmed. "But next time, remember to talk to me or your aunt before making plans like this."
The filly gave a small chuckle as she nodded. "Okay."
With one last smile, Rain Dance ruffled her daughter's mane, then headed out of the room. She moved slowly as she went, her wings giving a small shift as she went.
Rainbow Dash watched her go, then turned back to Scootaloo. The filly had finished filling the second glass with punch and had pushed it her, and was now eating a cookie. Picking one up for herself, Dash took a bite. Oatmeal chocolate chip, with something else that she could not place. It was pretty good though. Not as good as Pinkie Pie's, but better than anything Rainbow Dash could make.
As she chewed, she looked at the filly as questions came to mind. Dash swallowed and took a deep breath.
"Hey, Scoots?" her voice got the filly's attention. "Mind if I ask you something... personal?"
Scootaloo gave a nod as she chewed around the mouthful of cookie.
"Is... is something wrong with your mom?" Rainbow Dash finally asked.
The filly shifted in her seat, looking down. Her ears drooped as she let her gaze drift to the cookie in her hoof. After swallowing, she licked her lips before answering.
"She's sick," Scootaloo answered. "I don't know what she has. She sleeps a lot though." She pushed the cookie away. "And she gets tired really easily. Like just an hour of walking around or something leaves her exhausted. Plus, she has to go to the hospital in Canterlot a lot. Check-ups, medications, tests. Sometimes she is even kept over night for something called 'observation.'"
"So, if she has to go to the doctor's in Canterlot, why not live there?"
"Mom says it's because Aunt Sandy lives here," Scootaloo said. "That she can't help keep an eye on me because Mom's too sick to do it on her own." Squirming in her seat, she looked up at Dash. "But, honestly, I think it was because living in Canterlot hurt too much. That being there reminded her of Dad and she couldn't deal with it, me, and being sick."
"What happened to him?" Rainbow Dash asked. As soon as it was out, Rainbow Dash regretted. It was stupid. This was probably a sensitive subject for the filly. Once again Rainbow had shot her mouth off before her brain could stop her.
"I don't know all of it," the filly answered. "He was a town guard, and there was a fire." Turning, she looked down the hall toward the living room. "There was a pony in the building, and the fire department wasn't there yet. He saved the pony's life, but..."
"I'm sorry, kid," was all Dash could think to say.
Scootaloo gave a nod, but did not say anything. She continued to stare at the hallway, her eyes distant. There was a hint of tears to them, but none of them were running down. Either the memories hurt, but not enough to fully cry, or the filly was trying to hold it back in front of Rainbow Dash. As Rain Dance had pointed out, Scootaloo looked up to Dash and wanted to be like her... or at least how the filly imagined her to be. Rainbow worked very hard to look tough, and the filly would have seen that image. Rainbow Dash would not cry, so Scootaloo would not cry either.
It made the older mare feel she should say something, but it did not feel right to tell the filly it was okay to cry. Besides, Rainbow Dash was not really good at dealing with other ponies' emotions. Having Scootaloo sitting there crying would make her really uncomfortable. Especially since she was no Pinkie Pie, and had no idea how to cheer another pony up.
Although, maybe she could distract her instead.
"Hey," Rainbow said. "Since we're here, why don't you show me your room."
That got Scootaloo's attention. Perking up, she turned to look at Rainbow Dash and smiled.
"Okay," she said as she hopped down. "Come on. It's upstairs."
Rainbow Dash followed after the excited filly, feeling relief that Scootaloo was feeling better, or at least putting on a brave front that looked to be working. Now, however, Dash was feeling a little bit of pressure. They had a camping trip tomorrow, and now Rainbow Dash felt that it had to be absolutely perfect.
Rainbow Dash swore she would do everything in her power to make it the best camping trip Scootaloo had ever gone on.
Nothing would go wrong.
