Author's Note

This replaces the episode "Newbie Dash". Also, as much as it pains me to write what I'm about to write...I have to do this this way...
If anyone who is reading this is turned off by the concept of someone being homeless, please feel free to skip this chapter. I'll understand.

Season 2: Episode 3 - The Scootaloo Delima

"I will say, you are improving at least." Soarin told Lightning Dust as he and her were out today. "I bet Dash would accept this progress." Soarin added.

"Where is she anyways?" Lightning Dust asked.

"Not sure. She said there was someone she really wanted to help out today. Let's see if we can..." Soarin said and started to head off when the duo heard something.

"Your getting there, don't give up." Rainbow Dash's voice was heard. Soarin and Lighting Dust looked at one antoher and then pushed aside a few bushes to the nearby lake. There they saw Rainbow Dash helping Scootaloo.

"You sure I'm making progress Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked.

"Squirt, I know your making progress. And don't give up on it. And after the results today? I have even more confidence you'll be joining me in the sky sooner then you think." Rainbow Dash said, before ruffling Scootaloo's mane.

"Thanks Dash. I'm really glad you've been helping me along so much. You've been so great to me." Scootaloo said.

"Think nothing of it Scoots. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go take care of a few things." Rainbow Dash said and flew off.

"...See you..." Scootaloo said and then went off herself.

"Whose that?" Lighting Dust asked.

"I don't know. Kid looks down though." Soarin said and quietly he and Lighting Dust followed Scootaloo. That's when they saw her enter an allyway and then into a cardboard box.

"Wait...is she..." Lightning Dust said.

"...I think so..." Soarin said.

The next day, Soarin and Lightning Dust approached Rainbow Dash's home just in time for the rainbow pegasus to hit the later with a force swing open of the door.

"Ouch!" Lightning Dust yelled out.

"Oh sorry Lighting Dust. I'm just kind of in a hurry." Rainbow Dash said. "See...the thing is there's somewhere I have to be. So if you'll excuse me." Rainbow Dash said and sped off.

"Wait Rainbow...shoot she's gone." Soarin said and he helped Lighting Dust up. "You okay?" Soarin asked.

"I'll be fine. Wonder where she's going off to? Isn't that direction Cloudsdale? What's Rainbow doing going that way?" Lightning Dust asked.

"I don't know. Let's head that way and find out." Soarin said.

They followed Rainbow's trail to Cloudsdale but got there just in time to see Rainbow Dash heading off back to Ponyville. Following Rainbow Dash once more, they then found her flying out of the Town Hall and then to the post office. And then from there to a clubhouse but she didn't go in there. She simply left a letter on the door for Scootaloo and flew off.

"Okay, what the heck is going on?" Lightning Dust asked.

"Hell if I know. I've never seen Rainbow Dash like this before." Soarin said. Soon Scootaloo came out and read the letter then got on her scooter.

"Sorry guys, I gotta go meet Rainbow Dash. She says it's important." Scootaloo called out.

"Be safe then." Apple Bloom called out from inside the clubhouse. Scootaloo took off on her scooter.

"Should we follow her?" Lighting Dust said.

"Do you need to ask?" Soarin asked.

The duo followed Scootaloo all the way to the lake and then hid. Rainbow Dash was already there.

"Hey there Scootaloo. Thanks for coming so quick." Rainbow Dash said.

"It was nothing. Your letter mentioned we need to talk about something. What's going on?" Scootaloo asked.

"I thought I told you when we went camping that one time that you could tell me anything." Rainbow Dash said.

"Well I have nothing I can tell you." Scootaloo said.

"Don't lie to me Scoots; I saw where you've been living this whole time. When were you going to tell me you were homeless?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"But if I did that...then it'd be only a matter of time before I was picked up by an orphanage again. And I don't want that." Scootaloo said.

"I figured as much. That's why while I've been teaching you how to fly, I've been doing something in the background." Rainbow Dash said. Scootaloo went wide eyed.

"Your going to adopt me?!" Scootaloo exclaimed, taken aback in shock.

"Not me, but your very close." Rainbow Dash said and then took out some adoption papers. They were signed by Rainbow Dash's own parents.

"...You...you mean your parents...they..." Scootaloo felt tears coming.

"Scootaloo, being a mentor to you has allowed me to become the closest thing to a big sister to someone I could ever ask for. So I did some talking with my parents and got it approved thanks to one of my best friends being the Princess of Friendship. I normally don't like having favors done like that, but it was the only way without sending you to an orphanage first and no way you would've trusted me after that. So I had to ask Twilight to use her princess position to allow for my parents to adopt you without you needing to go to an orphanage." Rainbow Dash said. "I've always thought of you like the little sister I wish I had, so I did some talking with my folks. Now it's for real." Rainbow Dash said.

"You...you mean..." Scootaloo said.

"That's right Scoots...your my little sister for real now." Rainbow Dash said. Suddenly Scootaloo tackled Rainbow Dash to the ground; the former crying happy tears.

"I don't care that I'm crying...your the best big sister ever!" Scootaloo said.

"Hey come on squirt...lay off..." Rainbow Dash said. "I know your happy, but this does mean we get to spend more time together now. I'm going to double down on your training..." She added but then turned towards Soarin and Lighting Dust's hiding place. "And you two really need to work on your hiding." Rainbow Dash said. This caused the two Sonicbolts to come out.

"So you knew the whole time and was already doing something about it huh?" Soarin said. "Gotta admit, I didn't see that one coming." He added.

"If there is one thing I'll give you...you can pull off the impossible sometimes." Lightning Dust said.

"Sometimes? How about all the time. And I'm going to get Scootaloo in the air. Think you two can help out with that?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I think it'll go over well with Spitfire, Lightning Dust." Rainbow Dash said.

"I see no reason not to help." Soarin said. "I'm backing you all the way." He added.

"Yeah...I think I can help out too." Lightning Dust said. No Wonder Rainbow Dash would've gotten in before I ever could...she's just all kinds of loyal. Spitfire was right the entire time: She deserved being a Wonderbolt. She thought to herself.