“No, no, no, NO!!” Scootaloo’s aunt cried as the orange pegasus filly walked inside her house to the smell of smoke. Scootaloo placed her scooter by the door, and sighed.
“What’s for dinner this time, Aunt Lofty?” She called out. “Jasper’s Pizza Pies, or Loung Youngs Tofu again?!”
Her aunt’s blue head popped around the corner through the smoke. “I was thinking, canned spinach!” she glared.
Just then, Scootaloo’s second aunt, a light pink earth pony, walked in. “What the—“ she gawked at the smoke before seeing her marefriend. “So what’s for—“
Lofty held up a knife. “Don’t even!” she threatened.
Scootaloo and Holiday rolled their eyes, giggling.
Lofty lowered her head. “I thought I had it this time.” She looked away from her family. “I just want to be useful!”
“Aw,” Holiday said, bringing her marefriend in for a hug. “You don’t have to prove anything to me. You know that, right?” She kissed Lofty on her forehead.
Lofty’s blushed bright red. “You always know what to say. How do you do that?”
Holiday batted her eyes. “Just talented like that, sweetie.”
They went in for a kiss, while Scootaloo pretend to gag. Seeing as how dinner would be for awhile, the young filly was about to head to her room to get started on her homework. All of the sudden, there was a knock on the door. Scootaloo, being closer to it, decided to answer.
“Hey squirt,” Rainbow Dash smiled at her when the door opened.
“Rainbow Dash!?” Scootaloo said with a jump. She then blinked and tried to act cool. “I mean, what brings you around?”
Rainbow Dash chuckled and ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. “At ease, squirt. Anyways, you free—” her nose wrinkled. “Ugh! Something die in here?”
Lofty cringed. “I can’t be the worst chief in Equestria!”
Holiday giggled. “Well, Ms. Dash, what brings you around?” She let go of Lofty to open some windows. “We were just about to pick out dinner. You’re welcome to stick around.”
“Actually,” Rainbow said, taking a step back out of the house. “It’s my mom and dad’s half anniversary, and they wanted you over for dinner. If that’s alright with you, squirt.”
“Half anniversary?” Scootaloo asked.
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Eh, don’t ask me. It was something they stared when I was born. That way they could celebrate with me and family on their half, and on their full without one alone. Anyways, since they consider you my sister, they wanted to know if you’d want to join them for dinner.”
Scootaloo’s eyes lite up. “Really?”
“Yes really!” Rainbow said, giving the filly a noogie.
“That sounds lovely!” Holiday said, sliding over to Rainbow Dash with a huge grin. “We’ll happily bring Scootaloo along.”
Scootaloo’s eyes widened in horror.
“Will there be homemade—?“ Holiday squeaked as Lofty grabbed her tail and pulled her marefriend back.
“Sorry about that!” Lofty said with a mouthful of tail. “We wouldn’t want to intrude or anything,” she added, spitting out out Holiday’s tail.
“Yeah!” Scootaloo chimed in. “I mean, I have homework, and I’m sure—”
Rainbow Dash laughed. “Oh they won’t mind! Mom always bakes too much lasagna for special occasions.”
“Well….” Lofty said, hesitant. “I mean…” her stomach growled. “If you say so!”
Holiday drooled. “Ah! Out first decent, homemade, meal we’ve had in years.”
Lofty snorted. “You’ll be the end of me one day, but what the heck?”
“Love you too, Lofty!” Holiday said, giving her marefriend a kiss on the cheek. “Give us a sec!” she told Rainbow Dash,. The pair then went upstairs to tidy up.
“Okay!” Rainbow waved back as they disappeared upstairs. She then looked to Scootaloo, who seemed oddly content looking at the floor.
“You okay, squirt?”
Scootaloo jumped up. “Eh, yeah, totally!”
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I know what’s going on.”
Scootaloo looked around nervously. “You do?”
“Yeah.” Rainbow smiled. “You’re worried the meeting of our two parents will be a disaster! An embarrassment of epic proportions that will destroy the world!” She laughed. “Hey, we’ve survived worse.”
Scootaloo let out a sigh. “Yeah…. Yeah! I guess we have each other!”
Rainbow Dash playfully batted Scootaloo’s shoulder. “That’s my sis! Nothing to worry about.”
Scootaloo smiled. However, when Rainbow Dash turned around, her gaze feel to the floor again.
*****
“I’ll get it!” Wind Whistler said as she went to answer the door. “Oh, girls!” she said, seeing her daughter and Scootaloo. “We were getting worried you wouldn’t make it!”
“Sorry, mom,” Rainbow Dash weakly chuckled. “We had to make a few extra stops to get up here.” Windy was about to ask, when she noticed the two other mares behind her.
“Oh! And who might you fine ladies be?” Windy asked extending her hoof.
Scootaloo held in her breath.
“Oh, I’m Lofty, and this is Holiday.” Lofty said as she shook Windy’s hoof. “We’re Scootaloo’s aunts.”
“Oh that’s lovely!” Windy dropped her hoof and looked behind them. “Is it just you two, or will Scootaloo’s parents be joining us?”
“Actually,” Holiday chimed in, “we look after her. It’s a long story. ,” she sniffed the air and began to drool. “Can we explain over dinner?”
“Oh of course!” Windy said, stepping aside. “Come on in! Foods all sets. My poor little Bow gets cranky when he’s kept waiting.”
“It’s your fault for making such amazing food, honey!” her husband called from the dining room.
“Real food!” Holiday cried as she zoomed past Windy.
Lofty slapped her forehead. “You’ll have to forgive her. She acts like I don’t feed her.”
Windy blew on her tongue. “Oh, I know! Siblings are the worst. But come on! Dinner time!”
Letting out her breath, Scootaloo turned to Rainbow. “Hey, Rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo held back as her aunt squealed beyond the hallway.
“Yeah?”
“... I’m sorry I wasn’t so understanding when your parents were embarrassing.”
Rainbow chuckled and wrapped a wing around her. “Eh, family? Am I right?” The mares smiled and made their way inside.
*****
“Oh!!!!” said Holiday and Lofty as they blissfully ate their meal.
“I take it you girl like my wife’s cooking?” Bow chuckled as he consumed his second piece.
Holiday nodded, on her fifth. “Yes! Real, home cooked, food!”
“I’d complain,” Lofty added with a mouthful of garlic bread. “But yes, it is that good!” She threw her face into more.
Scootaloo’s hooves covered her face while Rainbow Dash playing patted her on the head.
“Mind if you share the recipe?” Lofty asked.
Scootaloo and Holiday’s eyes widened in horror.
“Sure thing.” Windy smiled. “Although, if I may ask again, where are Scootaloo’s parents? Is it really just you two looking after her?”
Holiday looked up from meal. “Oh yeah.” She shallowed, then continued. “My brother and his wife travel a lot, so they figured it would be better if Scootaloo lived with us.” She stabbed another forkful of pasta. “We see them once or twice for special and surprise visit, but it usually just us.” Hoilday poked around at her plate and smiled dreamily. “We’ve know her for so long that the two of us consider her more of our own daughter that a niece.”
“Well that’s awful nice of you two.” Bow Hothoof approved. He then looked to Lofty. “So, you both sisters or cousins?”
“Oh, we’re dating.” Lofty said nonsalauntary after another bite. “Holiday is the one biologically related to Scoots, I’m just the marefriend. We were living together when her brother suggested she move in. I admit it took some getting use to, but I would take any of that time back for the world.”
Hoilday blished and giggled. “Oh, you!”
Scootaloo smiled, but the looked up in time to see Rainbow’s parents shocked expressions.
“Oh!” Windy smiled. “That’s great.” However, there was a hint of... Something in that smile which put Scootaloo off. They were smile she had seen many times before. When ponies found out about her aunts...
“Yeah,” Bow added, “I mean, you don’t see any reason- I mean, you both look great!”
They went back to eating, only this time in silence. An awkward silence. Scootaloo, meanwhile, was feeling a little less hungry as she held her fork.
Finally Lofty commented, “So I take it you two have never seen a gay couple before?”
Both Windy and Bow coughed on their food.
“Oh! What? No!” Windy said. “No no! Why wouldn’t we have? It’s just… This the first time we’ve met a pair. Not that we wouldn’t think your kind exist!”
Scootaloo gripped her fork tighter.
“Yeah, it’s cool!” Bow added with a grunt, pounding his chest. “Thought… Which of you would be the stallion then?”
With that, Scootaloo threw her fork onto the table. She then stood up from the table, screamed, and stormed out. The door to the house slamming shut behind her.
Rainbow Dash wasted no time taking off. But not before she looked to her own parents. Unable to form words, she simply glared at them, then raced after Scootaloo.
*****
“Squirt!” Rainbow Dash cried out.
“Over here,” Scootaloo answered, her voice low.
Rainbow Dash let out a sigh. Happy to see Scootaloo sitting on the edge of a cloud instead of off of it. That relief, however, switched to empathy as she sat down next to the orange filly. The night sky lying out before them.
“Hey, i’m sorry about what happened back there.” she kicked a tuft of cloud. “I wouldn’t have thought my folks would have any problems with your aunts.”
Scootaloo let out a sigh. “Yeah, that’s what I always think.”
Rainbow Dash cocked her head. “Really?” she snorted. “Somepony say something mean to you?!”
Scootaloo lowered her head. “Nopony. They don’t need to say anything. It’s how they act that gets on my nerves.”
Rainbow Dash’s ears feel back. “Wow, kid, I… I didn’t know.”
“Well I didn’t want you to know!” Scootaloo snapped. “Why do you think it took me years to invite you or my friends over? I was afraid! I’m!...” she blinked. “I’m not ashamed or anything.” She relaxed and feel back into the cloud.
Rainbow Dash smiled. “You just really care about them?”
Scootaloo blew on a piece of cloud. “Yeah.”
Rainbow Dash pulled her into a hug with her wings. “Well good for you. Actually, I have to give you credit for not bucking my parents in the face. I know I would if anyone called my old man gay!”
Scootaloo narrowed her eyes.
“Okay, okay!... Still, I’m sorry about all that, sis.” She pulled Scootaloo under her wing for a hug.
Scootaloo giggled. “I know, I know!” She frowned.
Rainbow Dash lowered her ears. “Listen, I... Don’t think my parents meant to come across as offensive. They’re just… old-fashioned.” She stood up from the cloud. “Still, Maybe we should at least head back inside? Just to let everypony know you’re okay. It’s getting cold out here.”
Scootaloo shivered as a cold breeze blew past. “Yeah…”
Rainbow Dash stood up. “Come on, squirt. I’ll have a word with my folks. And if they have any problems, i’ll take you and your aunts to Jasper’s for a cookie pizza!”
“Okay,” Scootaloo nodded, with little enthusiasm.
Rainbow Dash lifted her chin. “Hey, don’t worry, sis, everything will be alright.”
Taking a deep breath, and Rainbow’s hoof, Scootaloo followed her big sister back inside.
Once there, they were greeted with the sound of… laughter? Confused, the pair stepped inside and walked in just as Holiday finished;
“...and that’s how we learned never to wear green in Las Pegasus after Arbor Day.”
They laughed again, save for Lofty, who was blushing profusely. However, she also cracked a smile.
“Oh please,” Bow said, “when we went to… girls!” All eyes were immediately drawn towards Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo.
“Um… hey,” Scootaloo offered, her face turned away.
“Oh, Scoots, are you alright?!” Windy flew over. “We’re so sorry about all of that!”
“You seemed to have gotten over it rather fast.” Rainbow added, her voice harsh.
“Now, now!” Holiday interjected. “We’ve dealt with worse. They apologized, so i don’t see any reason to be upset.”
Scootaloo looked up. “It isn’t?”
“No,” Holiday assured. “It isn’t, we assure you, Scoot’s.”
Bow frowned. “Yes, and I’m sorry about what I said. I’ll work on it. If you gal’s still want to stick around for dinner.”
Scootaloo perked up. “Really?”
Windy smiled. “Of course. You’re like family to us. Family doesn't just turn family away. Even if some of the things they do are a little odd. They love them for who they are, no matter what they do.”
“Like the time you broke the weather factory with your singing?” Bow asked.
“Yes, just like I— Hey!” Windy pouted.
“No, no!” Lofty eagerly grinned. “Tell us more.”
“Well,” Bow started over his wife’s venomous stare, “my wife here had just bought some opera albums…”
As they talked, Scootaloo felt a nudge at her side. She looked up to her sister, who in turn gave a reassuring smile. With a confident nod, the two rejoined their parents at the dinner for a night of embarrassing fun, not too soon forgotten.
Author's Note
Comment on anything you would change. Don’t have time for any big alteration, but any small details you can point out would be appreciated.
Notes from this year’s pre-readers will be in the comments next week.
