Unseen, Unheard

by Nocturnal Reverie

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Drama, Original Character, Rainbow Dash, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Scootaloo, Main 6, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 146275

While helping Pinkie Pie throw a party for an orphanage in Baltimare, Rainbow Dash meets a deaf and blind filly that steals her heart. Everything that follows was simply meant to be.

Rainbow Dash didn’t know she’d be on the precipice of the biggest change in her life when she nonchalantly agreed to help Pinkie Pie. Throw a party, make a lot of foals happy, go home. That was the plan.

So…why does she keep going back? Why does home…feel so empty?

Unable to shake the one foal that refuses to leave her head, Rainbow Dash is ready to jump into the greatest change—and greatest challenge—of her life.

And that, my friends, is only the beginning.

Chinese translation by luhcow:
无光，无声 Unseen, Unheard - FimTale
https://fimtale.com/t/34089

Published 2022-01-07 03:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-07-08 06:47:08 UTC

Chapter 2: The Formation of Habit

Rainbow Dash squinted against the wind, fighting back against a growing annoyance.

‘The currents just had to be against me today, didn’t they?’

Rainbow had woken up early, unable to fully fall back asleep last night. What had followed was almost half an hour of pacing as she absentmindedly remembered to eat and tried to decide whether or not to take the train. Since she was with a non-flying friend yesterday, they’d hadto take the train. Now that she was alone, there was nothing stopping her from just…going.

Her only objection was the strain it would put on her body. That was quickly trumped, however, when she thought about how much faster she’d get there via her own wings.

She blinked as she burst through a cloud, mood lightening considerably once she saw Baltimare only a couple miles away. She squinted through the breeze, eyes watering from the stinging wind. Scanning the steadily-approaching city, she followed the path from the large train station, and her eyes lighted upon the Baltimare Orphanage.

Beaming, she landed in the middle of the familiar courtyard, and trotted up to the entrance.

Just as she was about to knock, she hesitated, her body suddenly frozen as she realized she didn’t know what was going to happen once she stepped through those doors.

“She’ll…remember me, right?”

She shook her head. “Of course she will, you idiot! You just saw her yesterday.”

“But…how do I—“ She gasped as she suddenly remembered.

“The name-sign! Ugh, duh! Of course she’ll remember that.” She grinned at her own insecurity. “Stupid…”

Her hoof hesitated again. “Will they even want me here?” Her hoof touched the concrete again. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”

The other side of her rose in a wave, shaking her head again. “No, no. It’s fine. Who wouldn’t want you here? You’re Rainbow Dash!”

She gave another chuckle, her smile slowly fading. “It’s…just your nerves talking. You’ve got this. Just go in there, and ask to see Scootaloo…piece of cake!”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, ignoring the sweat beading at her temple, she raised her hoof.

A blue aura engulfed the doorknob, pushing the door open. Rainbow Dash froze in surprise as Foggy Day stepped out, eyes rising to Rainbow’s own before she stopped, equally stunned at the sudden appearance of the pegasus.

“Oh,” Foggy regained herself, a small smile twitching her lips, “hello, Rainbow Dash. What can I do for you?”

Rainbow shuffled in place, offering the shadow a nervous grin. “I, uh…I’m here to see Scootaloo, actually.”

The cyan mare glanced at Foggy Day, seeing a spark light behind her pupils. The unicorn’s breath seemed to catch in her throat, and her smile only grew wider. “You are?” she asked breathlessly.

“Y-yeah,” Rainbow replied, pulling on her confidence a bit easier now. “I…well, I just…I had fun with her yesterday,” she finally admitted, “I just, uh…I wanted to see if she wanted to hang out again?”

Foggy’s eyebrow rose, smiling teasingly at the mare. “Why don’t you ask her?”

The other door was nudged open with her magic, and Scootaloo stood before Rainbow Dash, instinctually reaching for Foggy’s foreleg when she felt the breeze from the opening door.

Foggy watched Rainbow’s eyes light up, easily feeling the pegasus’s excitement. Giving her her own smile, she instructed. “Reach for her hoof, and move it so your hooves touch like this.” Foggy demonstrated with Rainbow’s hoof, taking and touching it on a vertical plane.

Rainbow nodded, mimicking the movement, Scootaloo perking up at the touch that hadn’t come from Foggy.

Once their hooves were where they needed to be, Foggy continued, “Now trace your name-sign with her hoof.”

Rainbow Dash did as she was told, moving the filly’s hoof in the little arch before cutting it back to the start point. Immediately, Scootaloo broke out in a wide grin, an airy little gasp escaping her before she grabbed Rainbow’s hoof, nuzzling her fetlock.

“Nice to see you again, too, kiddo,” Rainbow grinned.

Foggy Day chuckled softly, translating the greeting. A murmur of a chuckle rose from Scootaloo, Rainbow’s heart fluttering.

“What are you two up to today?” Rainbow asked Foggy.

Before the shadow could answer, Scootaloo hummed, reaching out for Foggy. The shadow gave the filly her hoof, and Scootaloo’s hoof bent and twisted as she tapped out her sentence.

“‘Wanna see me do my exercise?’” Foggy Day translated.

“Sure!” Rainbow beamed, mussing the filly’s mane as she gave an airy little giggle. “Whatcha got, kid?”

Foggy tapped out Rainbow’s response, and Scootaloo smiled, using Rainbow’s hoof to pull herself up. She let go of it and hummed, pointing a hoof toward the courtyard.

“She needs to get to the courtyard,” Foggy explained. “Can you stand next to me for a moment?”

“Oh!” Rainbow blinked, realizing she was directly in the filly’s path. “Uh, sure.” She side-stepped, shuffling next to Foggy. “Now what?”

Foggy smiled patiently at the mare, and gave an encouraging nudge to Scootaloo’s shoulder. The filly’s face fell, her brow creasing in concentration. To Rainbow’s increasing shock, Scootaloo slid her hooves forward, lightly brushing the concrete before committing to her steps.

Rainbow’s eyes flicked to the stairs Scootaloo was steadily approaching, her anxiety rising. “Don’t you need to—“

“Just watch,” Foggy smiled patiently.

Wings fluttering nervously, Rainbow Dash watched Scootaloo, only a step away from the staircase, slide another hoof forward, stopping when it reached the disappearing concrete edge. With a confident hum, she stepped a bit closer, and crouched as she reached down. Her forehoof found the next step, and slid forward until her foreleg couldn’t reach any further. Nodding to herself, eyes wide and searching, she brought herself down the next step. A slide of her other hoof, and she found the edge again, repeating the process.

Foggy lightly nudged Rainbow Dash, who was watching with enraptured excitement as the little filly navigated her way down the stairs without any help from her shadow. The two mares gently stepped down the stairs, careful to avoid Scootaloo and potentially break her concentration.

Lighting on the courtyard walkway, Rainbow Dash looked up as Scootaloo finished the last three steps, scuffing a hoof forward for a couple steps to make sure she was on the ground. Humming through a grin, she hopped happily, her wings fluttering and keeping her hooves off the ground for the barest hint of a second.

“That was so cool!” Rainbow Dash praised Scootaloo. To Foggy, she asked, “How’d she learn to do that?”

Foggy chuckled, translating Rainbow’s sentence for Scootaloo, who giggled joyfully. “It took a lot of practice,” Foggy explained. “Spatial awareness and object permanence were the hardest things to teach her, but now she’s a natural.”

At once, Rainbow felt confusion clog her brain. “Uh…what?”

Foggy Day blinked, confused by Rainbow Dash’s confusion for a moment before it clicked. “Oh!” Keeping her hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder, she explained, “Spatial awareness is knowing where things are in relation to yourself. Object permanence is knowing something still exists even though you aren’t perceiving it in that moment.”

Rainbow’s forehead scrunched as she took in the information. “Oh, okay. So, like…knowing where I am in the sky based on what the ground looks like…and knowing how to get home from wherever I am?”

“Yes, exactly!” Foggy beamed. She rubbed Scootaloo’s shoulder, smiling softly down at the filly. “So…you can imagine how difficult that may have been.”

“Yeah, no kiddin’.” Rainbow tilted her head in thought. “How’d you manage to teach her?”

Foggy answered with a smile, internally thrilled at the genuine curiosity she could feel from the pegasus. “I created the walking exercises. We began indoors, but she was too scared at first to even try, so we tried again at the spokes by the gate.” She nodded toward them as she talked. “That day…something just clicked.” Foggy grinned at her own memories. “From then on…she took off, and now she loves practicing her independence.”

“Cool,” Rainbow grinned. “So, was she just practicing going down the stairs, or…?”

The unicorn chuckled. “No, no, she was just showing off. The real practice begins now.” Her horn lit up, and in a flash of blue, Foggy Day held a small stack of blank cards in her magic. “I’m going to place these at various points in the courtyard. They have instructions on how to find the next, and Scootaloo has to find all of them to complete the exercise.”

Confusion sparked in Rainbow Dash’s mind again. “But…how does she read?”

Foggy pulled the top card away and passed it to Rainbow. “Run your hoof along the card.”

Rainbow’s brow creased in curiosity, and she took the card. Looking at it closer, she could see raised dots along the thickened paper, arranged perfectly in line as if creating a sentence. She ran her hoof along the dots, easily feeling the distinct, almost sharp points.

“What is this?” Rainbow questioned.

“It’s called Braille,” Foggy explained. “It’s how blind ponies read. Each series of dots represents a letter, on a plane of three-by-two.” At Rainbow Dash’s tilted head, she added, “It’s a bit odd to learn from just looking at a card. I can give you a crash course a little later, if you’re interested.”

“Sure!” Rainbow smiled, giving the card back to Foggy. The shadow separated the twelve cards, glancing over them before her magic rose in a wave and placed eleven of the cards in seemingly random locations throughout the courtyard. The twelfth card, she handed to Scootaloo; and the filly ran the toe of her hoof along the card as she held it against the concrete. With a confident hum, she tucked her instructions under her wing and turned right, her hooves shuffling along the walkway before she stepped into the grass, walking for five paces before she paused. Her hoof shuffled again, and she picked up the second card, turning right again.

“How long has she been doing this?” Rainbow asked, impressed. “She looks like she’s not even trying!”

Foggy chuckled as Scootaloo found the wall, picking up the card laying against it. “That’s just because this is the easy part. The hard part comes once she finds the last card.”

“How do you mean?”

“While she’s finding all the cards, she not only has to follow the directions, she has to keep track of every move she’s made to find them, so she can keep up with where she is in the courtyard. Once she finds the last one, she has to go straight from where she’s ended back to where she began.”

The two mares looked up at a chuckle from Scootaloo, where the filly had accidentally bonked her head against one of the spokes as she found the fifth card. She shook her head, continuing on with the next step.

Giving a low chuckled, Foggy explained, “She mostly counts out her steps, but sometimes she loses track, and she has to remember the last few steps to figure out where she is. We began with just two or three cards, and we’ve slowly worked up to twelve over the years.”

A hum of a laugh rose from Scootaloo, the filly pausing at the gate where card number six leaned, turning left and stepping steadily toward number seven. She found it after only two steps, running her hoof along the dots.

3 o’clock, find the wall.

She nodded to herself, her throat moving. She tucked the card under her wing, scuffing her hoof to her right and turning, stepping back onto the grass and feeling the soft blades as she trudged along, easily finding the brick wall after nine steps.

The card rested right against the brick. As she felt the dots, she giggled. Foggy sometimes liked to turn a card or two upside-down to try and confuse her, but she could always tell. She turned the card around, and read:

8 o’clock, three steps.

She followed the instructions, her hooves finding the ninth card perched on top of the grass.

4 o’clock, five steps.

Rainbow Dash watched with a steadily growing grin as Scootaloo tucked the ninth card under her wing, turning and shuffling to card ten. Once she’d found it, she turned a bit to her left, heading to the back corner before stopping about halfway there. The filly read the eleventh card, turning to the corner where the stairs met the wall, and marching along until she found the last card.

Find your way back.

Scootaloo hummed in thought. She hadn’t even realized she was near the end of her practice, she had gotten so enthralled in her usual scavenger hunt.

If she had counted her steps correctly–which she had–and knew the courtyard like the back of her hoof–which she did–then she was by the stairs on the right side of the entrance near the back wall. She began at the base of the stairs, which meant…

Foggy watched with pride as Scootaloo turned herself around to be parallel with the stairs. Head bowed in concentration, the filly scuffed her way forward. She bumped the corner of the stairs with a hoof, and Foggy guided Rainbow Dash out of Scootaloo’s way as the filly found the base of the stairs, stopping and looking up at nothing as she smiled brightly, giving a happy, triumphant hum.

The unicorn reached out with her magic, brushing Scootaloo’s hoof and tapping out, “Excellent job! That was perfect!”

Scootaloo giggled, taking Foggy’s hoof and hugging it to her chest. “Thank you!”

Scootaloo felt Foggy pause, then her shadow’s hoof moved to her fetlock. “Rainbow Dash said, ‘You make that look so easy! That was awesome!’”

She felt her throat move in a delighted laugh. “It feels pretty easy when you do it for so long,” Scootaloo told Foggy’s hoof , letting a pause pass as Foggy told Rainbow Dash what she’d said.

“Rainbow wants to know if you want to go flying again,” Foggy informed her.

Scootaloo’s jaw dropped, her heart fluttering with the memories of the wind grazing her skin and tickling her ears. She gave a nod. “Yes, please. Can we just fly around this time, though?”

She let a pause pass, and Foggy’s hoof moved again. “She said, ‘We can do whatever you want, squirt.’”

Scootaloo’s chest shook as she laughed at the funny nickname. “Okay. Thank you!”

She felt Foggy’s magic tingling her skin as she was lifted off the ground. She could never feel which direction she was being carried, but found her bearings again when she felt fur under her hooves. She let her back legs dangle on either side of Rainbow Dash as she lay on her belly on the mare’s back, feeling the brush of Rainbow’s feathers as she reached her hooves around her neck.

She felt a vibration from Rainbow’s neck, and she assumed she was saying something to Foggy. Scootaloo closed her eyes as she felt Rainbow’s wings move. With a flap down, she felt her body move upward, and with a flurry of feathers, Scootaloo felt Rainbow’s body tilt, and the mare carried her up away from the ground.

Scootaloo pressed her cheek into Rainbow Dash’s neck, the mare’s mane tickling her nose. She spread her little wings out, shivering at the cool wind breathing across her feathers. She took in a deep breath through her nose, the air somehow smelling differently up in the atmosphere. She nuzzled Rainbow Dash’s neck, hugging her neck tighter in thanks.

Even though she didn’t know EHS, Scootaloo could tell Rainbow got the message as the mare hugged her forelegs.

Scootaloo settled down into the older pegasus’s fur, giving all of her focus to her skin. The cool air of flight felt far more calming–far more freeing–than she had ever let herself imagine. A content sigh escaped her lips, and the little filly let herself relax in the gentle movement of flight, not even noticing as she slowly but steadily fell asleep.

Rainbow Dash landed softly back on the courtyard walkway, returning Foggy’s smile as the unicorn trotted up to get Scootaloo. The shadow touched the filly’s shoulder, before cooing in a laugh.

“What is it?” Rainbow asked.

“She fell asleep,” Foggy giggled. Rainbow gave her own chuckle as she eased Scootaloo’s forelegs from her neck.

The filly gave a sudden hum, and Rainbow strained her neck to see her clouded eyes blinking open as Foggy tapped something on her shoulder. Scootaloo’s forelegs moved, tapping Foggy’s in return as she yawned.

“She said, ‘Thank you for flying me around again. That was fun.’”

“No problem, Scoots,” Rainbow replied as Foggy helped the foal off her back. “I’ll come back in a couple days, and we can go again.”

The pegasus didn’t notice the spark in Foggy’s eyes as she translated the sentence. Scootaloo gave an excited gasp, beaming up where she figured Rainbow Dash was. “‘I’d really like that,’” Foggy translated.

“Cool!” Rainbow replied. She bit her lip as Foggy translated, trying to make out the letters in Foggy’s movements, but unable to make any kind of connection. Shuffling a bit, she finally asked. “So…how do I talk to her?”

“Hm?” Foggy asked, looking back up at her.

“If, uh…if I’m gonna keep coming back, I wanna be able to talk to her. How…um, how do I do that?”

Foggy blinked, a small smile tugging the corners of her lips. “Oh! I…I could teach you. I’m sure Scootaloo would love to help, too.”

“Cool,” Rainbow Dash grinned. “I have plans tomorrow, so I’ll be back in a couple days, okay?”

“Uh–” Foggy beamed, seeming to shake herself from her own excitement. “Yes! Yes, that’s perfect. Um, I’ll have everything ready by then. It may take an entire day for you to get everything, though.”

“That’s fine,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I’ll be able to stay all day, no problem!”

Foggy beamed. “Great!” She tapped a sentence onto Scootaloo’s shoulder, and the filly stepped to Rainbow Dash, reaching up and finding her shoulder before hugging the mare’s neck.

Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat as she hugged the filly back with a foreleg, pressing her muzzle into Scootaloo’s shoulder. Not wanting to let go, she pried her hoof from the filly’s withers, and gave a final smile to Foggy.

“I’ll see you two soon!”

Rainbow Dash looked around the empty room again, her imagination going wild. She could still feel Scootaloo’s forelegs around her neck, and her heart sank a bit as her hoof reached for the spot, only to find her own fur.

She looked to the platform of boxes. Hovering over them, she hefted up the box with the shelf picture. With a quick glance around the room, she deposited it in the furthest corner from the door. As she hovered back to take in the placement, a self-pointed taunt rose in her head.

‘What happened to can’t adopt her, huh?’

“I’m not,” Rainbow retorted to herself. “I’m just…starting to set up the guest room, that’s all.”

“…And now you’re lying to yourself.”

Rainbow hesitated. “So what if I am?” With a groan, she landed. “I don’t know how this is gonna go, I just…” The phantom sensation of a filly on her back made her shiver. “I’m just…thinking…”

“...About adopting her?”

A blush spread up Rainbow’s neck, and she bit her lip. The same word that seemed lodged in her throat the night before suddenly settled into her chest, sending small pulses of joy through her body with every heartbeat. She smiled to herself, looking down at the boxes beside her, filling a space the perfect size for a foal-sized bed.

“...maybe…”

Two days later, Rainbow Dash felt her heart leap as she landed on the steps of the Baltimare Orphanage. She didn’t hesitate this time as she raised a hoof to knock.

A small moment passed, and the door opened, an earth pony stallion meeting her at the door.

“Uh, hi,” Rainbow Dash greeted. “I, uh…I’m here to see Foggy Day and Scootaloo?”

“Oh, yeah,” the stallion smiled. “Foggy told me to expect you.”

“She did?” Rainbow asked, surprised as the stallion held the door open for her.

“Yeah. Follow me.”

A few foals trotted past Rainbow Dash and the attendant as he led her to the left down the hall. Only a few doors down, and the stallion stopped.

“This is one of our smaller classrooms. Scootaloo needs a space away from the other foals so she can learn one-on-one,” the stallion explained. “Usually, it’s Foggy that teaches her, but she’s had a couple tutors that Foggy’s translated for.”

“Huh,” Rainbow Dash hummed. “Is she on the same level as the other foals?”

“Eh, you’ll have to ask Foggy about the specifics,” the stallion admitted. “But from what I know, she’s only a couple months behind, and that’s mostly just because of the communication barrier.”

Rainbow nodded in thought. “Thanks,” she smiled, the stallion nodding goodbye before trotting back down the hall. The pegasus knocked on the door.

Foggy perked up at the knock. She left Scootaloo to her reading, moving to the door and smiling as she greeted the familiar pegasus through the window. She let Rainbow Dash in, the two sharing their greetings and moving over to join the filly.

“Scootaloo’s been excited for today ever since you were last here,” Foggy beamed, letting Scootaloo know Rainbow Dash was here.

“Oh, really?” she smiled, getting her affirmative answer when Scootaloo gave a happy giggle, reaching for Rainbow Dash.

As the filly nuzzled Rainbow’s hoof, Foggy nodded. “Yes. It’s not everyday she gets to teach somepony.” With a flare of her horn, Foggy pulled over a blackboard with a diagram of a hoof and all twenty-six letters in perfect alignment. “She’ll be demonstrating, and I’ll walk you through what she does. I went ahead and took the liberty of mapping out the letters for you to make it a bit easier for you.”

“Thanks,” Rainbow chuckled sheepishly, taking in every dot, point, and curved line that paired up with one of the written-out letters.

Her attention was pulled with a hum from Scootaloo, and the filly took Rainbow’s hoof, turning it upside-down. She ran her toe along the bottom of Rainbow Dash’s hoof wall before tapping the heel of Rainbow’s frog.

Foggy smiled warmly as she verbally filled in what Scootaloo was demonstrating. “Each letter uses different parts of your hoof wall or frog. You have to tap out each letter to spell out your sentence.”

Rainbow gave a low whistle. “There’s not a faster way for her to talk?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Foggy grimaced. “While we have worked on her feeling ponies’ lips to tell what they’re saying, the only way she can talk to others is through Equestrian Hoof-Speak, or EHS, for short.”

“Woah.” Rainbow’s brow shot up. “So, she can tell what ponies are saying just by…feeling what they’re saying?”

Foggy chuckled at the confused excitement pulsing from Rainbow Dash. “In a way. It took almost a year of practice, but she can tell what words are being formed based on the vowel and consonant movements ponies’ lips make. It’s not her preferred way for other ponies to speak to her, but it’s there just in case she’s in a situation where the other pony doesn’t know EHS.”

“Gotcha,” Rainbow nodded, looking down as Scootaloo ran a series of differently-positioned hoof-taps on her fetlock. After she’d finished, she reached for Foggy.

“‘That’s your name,’” Foggy translated.

Rainbow Dash blinked, eyes flicking to the board. “Uh…can you do it again, squirt?”

Foggy tapped out the sentence, keeping a hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Watch the board while she spells your name. Keep in mind that what you feel will be mirrored to what you see, since that’s the way she’s tapping. Her left is your right.”

A nod from Rainbow Dash, and Foggy removed her hoof. Scootaloo tapped slower this time, taking a small pause between each letter. For each letter that passed, Rainbow’s eyes flicked to the letter she knew was supposed to be corresponding to the tap. She took in the shape, a map of the specific area of the hoof as she felt the tap that went along with the area, understanding slowly creeping in.

As Scootaloo reached the last letter in Rainbow’s name, Rainbow Dash gave a determined half-smile. “Okay…I think I understand the concept. I’m guessing it’s the memorizing and speed part that’s hard, huh?”

“Yep,” Foggy chuckled. “Why don’t you try spelling out Scootaloo’s name to her?”

Rainbow gave a determined nod, taking in a breath. She moved her hoof to Scootaloo’s fetlock, the filly waiting patiently as Rainbow Dash read over the letters, mentally preparing to spell out the foal’s name.

Suddenly hyper-aware of her own hoof, Rainbow Dash tilted her hoof this way and that as she meticulously tapped her hoof, only letting the designated areas outlined on the board touch Scootaloo’s skin.

She hesitated, almost forgetting where she was as her eyes jumped from ‘T’ to ‘A’ to ‘L’, carefully tapping as precisely as she could. With two final taps, she finished Scootaloo’s name, and the filly gave an excited shout as she grabbed Rainbow’s hoof, nuzzling her fetlock.

“Did I do good?” Rainbow asked breathlessly. Foggy asked for her, and Scootaloo nodded happily, tapping Foggy back.

“‘That was great!’” Foggy spoke for the filly. “Let’s try some other words,” she suggested, tapping out the same sentence on Scootaloo’s shoulder.

Scootaloo nodded, reaching a hoof to Rainbow’s cannon bone, beginning to tap once again.

Morning bled into afternoon as the three worked, Rainbow and Scootaloo passing words back and forth as Rainbow Dash quickly became accustomed to the alphabet of Equestrian Hoof-Speak. Her initial assessment was right: she could understand the words just fine…as long as she was looking at the board to help her translate. Every time she forced herself to look away, she missed at least three letters. Still, she refused to let that dampen her spirit, knowing Foggy had spent years perfecting the language and knowing Scootaloo had had to grow up with it.

Scootaloo herself didn’t mind that Rainbow was messing up, and was just happy she was willing to learn something that would let her get to know her better. She, in turn, was ecstatic with the thought of being able to talk to Rainbow Dash directly.

She knew it may take a while, but she didn’t mind in the slightest.

The three took a break for lunch, Foggy showing Rainbow Dash the kitchen, Scootaloo practically dragging the older pegasus down the hall, excited to continue the lessons. After a quick lunch–Scootaloo spelling out different foods to Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash trying to return as best she could–the trio kept up their practice in the classroom.

Afternoon crawled into evening, as did Rainbow’s skill. After a multitude of attempts, Rainbow Dash finally found herself remembering all the letters, recalling them faster and faster as Scootaloo tapped out words and small sentences on her fetlock. She smiled at her own newfound confidence as she was able to return words and answer the small sentences with her own without even a glance at the blackboard.

Foggy felt her own excitement grow exponentially as she watched Rainbow progress at an impressive rate. It seemed the mare’s drive to learn only fueled her confidence in the matter, making the short-term recall of each letter that much easier.

She glanced at the clock for probably the fiftieth time that day, giving a small smile when she realized it was probably time for Rainbow Dash to go. “It’s five-thrity.”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash looked up, still feeling Scootaloo spelling something out on her skin.

WIth a chuckled, Foggy repeated, “It’s five-thirty in the evening. You may need to leave soon.”

“Oh, shoot,” Rainbow Dash grumbled to herself, glancing at the clock. “Is today done already?”

“I’m afraid so,” Foggy smiled. “You’ve made amazing progress today. Next time you come back, we’ll work on some punctuation so you can ask questions and form compound sentences.”

Rainbow grinned. “Sweet.” She looked down at Scootaloo, who had paused to wait for Rainbow’s next sentence. She bit her lip, fighting the urge to glance at the board as she slowly tapped out, “I need to leave…Scoots…Its getting late…”

Scootaloo hummed a little whine. “Already…”

A bark of laughter escaped Rainbow’s throat. “Ive been here all day…squirt…Time flies when youre having fun…”

The little filly gave an even littler chuckle, smiling upwards. “Yeah…I guess so…”

“Ill see you tomorrow…okay…”

“Okay…”

“Why doesn’t she have a name-sign?” Rainbow Dash asked herself as she lay out the bottom shelf. “I mean…it’s not that hard to spell her name, but it’s just so long!”

She screwed in the four square rods, laying the next shelf on top. “Sure, half of her name is just ‘O’s, but still…” She jiggled the shelf, making sure it was in place, picking up the next four rods.

“Why hasn’t Foggy given her one? I guess it’s more for Scootaloo to remember ponies’ names, but…wouldn’t it make it easier for others to say her name?”

The second four rods in place, she laid and secured the third shelf. “Maybe…I could give her a name-sign?”

The prospect made her pause, the rod she held only screwed on halfway. “Would that be overstepping it?” she wondered aloud with her lip in her teeth, tightening the rod in place. “Maybe she just doesn’t want one?”

She thought for a moment, grabbing the fourth shelf. “But…it’s something she does for everypony else, so…maybe she would like one?”

She secured the shelf and twisted the next four rods in place. “Maybe…I can give her one, and if she doesn’t want it, we just won’t use it.” She hovered up, placing the fifth and final shelf in place. With a grimace, she banged her hoof on the back corner, the screw popping through the designated hole.

She landed, snatching up the final knobs and twisting them into place. “What kinda name-sign fits her, though?” she asked aloud. “The one she gave me is more literal, but the one she gave Foggy is more focused on what fog looks like…feels like?”

Rainbow Dash landed, smiling up at the completed shelf. With a final shake of the entire structure, she deemed it sturdy, and observed her handiwork. A frown tugged her lips downward as she realized:

“Those top shelves are dangerous.”

She bit her lip. “I don’t want her trying to get up there and hurting herself.” Humming in thought, she looked around, spying the two blanket boxes. “Aha!”

She tore open one box, pulling out the three blankets. She adjusted the folded fabric, placing two on either side of the fifth shelf, and rolling the third to fit in between the two. She did the same on the fourth shelf, nodding confidently to herself. “Good, now those are taken up…” her head tilted at the shape she’d made, the two rolled blankets nearly touching, the fifth shelf itself being the only thing in between them.

“She likes aerial tricks,” Rainbow thought aloud. “And half of her name is ‘O’s…that…that actually works.”

She smiled to herself, the figure eight almost glowing in her mind’s eye. “But…maybe not straight up-and-down, that’s too boring. Maybe…” she frowned in thought, looking down to the floor. She traced a figure eight into her floor, the shape indenting slightly into the cloud. Biting her lip, she circled the figure, taking it in at every angle she could think of.

She leaned to the side, her head twisting as she found an angle that stuck out to her. The figure leaned in a perfect diagonal, the new directions of the figure as a whole reminding Rainbow Dash of the dips and flips she had flown Scootaloo through the first day they’d met.

“That’s perfect,” she breathed to herself.

Rainbow Dash trotted down the hall to the classroom, her excitement growing with every step. She ran each letter through her head, refreshing her memory as she knocked on the door. She beamed at the unicorn that answered the door, the two greeting each other once again.

“Welcome back,” Foggy beamed. “Ready to get started?”

“Just about,” Rainbow Dash answered. “I wanted to give Scoots something first.”

Foggy’s brow rose in interest, letting the pegasus in. Rainbow Dash’s heart soared at the sight of the little filly in her seat, patiently running her hoof along a line of Braille as she read.

Rainbow Dash traced her name-sign on Scootaloo’s shoulder, the filly’s face lighting up at once. “Hi Rainbow…”

“Hey Scoots…” Rainbow returned. “I wanna give you something…”

Scootaloo tilted her head curiously, eyes jittering back and forth. Rainbow Dash took a breath to chase away her worries and steady her hooves, her hoof moving to Scootaloo’s fetlock and beginning to tap out the filly’s name.

Scootaloo’s brow furrowed in thought, wondering what the mare was doing. She felt Rainbow Dash move her own hoof so they touched flat against each other. Rainbow Dash guided her hoof a bit to the side, down, around, and back up again before continuing upward and curving around and back down again, ending where they had previously began.

Her brow creased in confusion. A small moment passed, and Rainbow Dash tapped out the filly’s name again, before beginning the swooping over-and-around motion again, moving Scootaloo’s hoof in a sort of lopsided figure eight.

Scootaloo thought for a moment. For a third time, she felt Rainbow’s hoof tap out her name, a bit slower this time, each tap a bit more direct, as if she were trying to emphasize each letter of Scootaloo’s name. She nodded, letting the mare know she understood her own name, and then Rainbow Dash took her hoof again on that vertical plane. Her hoof was moved in the simple shape, again at a slower pace, as if the mare were emphasizing it…in the same way she emphasized Scootaloo’s spelt-out name.

Rainbow Dash grinned as realization made the filly’s eyes widen and mouth drop open. Scootaloo’s eyes rose above Rainbow’s head as she tried to look at her, the shock obvious on her face.

“Do you like it?” she tapped out. Scootaloo didn’t respond, just kept looking at her the best she could with those big eyes. With a small pull of air, they filled with tears. Rainbow Dash’s heart leapt to her throat, trying to read Scootaloo’s eyes. The usually-hyperactive orbs of lavender were frozen somewhere near Rainbow’s left ear, and the pegasus finally moved her hoof to ask:

“Are yo—“

Scootaloo grabbed her hoof, cutting her off before tapping out, “I love it!” She grinned through her tears, hugging Rainbow Dash’s hoof to her chest, nuzzling her cannon bone while she sniffed softly.

Rainbow Dash smiled, still a bit confused at the filly’s initial reaction, before she mentally shrugged it off and gave in to her emotions to pull the filly into a hug, spelling out on her withers, “I’m glad you like it.”

Foggy Day couldn’t take her eyes off Rainbow Dash, something settling deep inside her soul. Her breath caught in her throat, looking down at the tearfully laughing Scootaloo, her own tears springing to her eyes. She knew why Scootaloo never gave herself a name-sign, and knew why she was reacting the way she was.

Through the ache in her heart, she smiled, coming to the same conclusion Scootaloo had. Rainbow Dash had just done the one thing nopony else had, and given Scootaloo something she had refused to ask of anypony, waiting for the right one to come about naturally.

And with it, with any hope, came something far greater than a simple name-sign.

“Alright,” Foggy began, blinking away her tears. “Let’s get started.” Rainbow Dash grinned up at Foggy. “Today will just be punctuation, which is just a few basic motions, mostly the tracing of the punctuation itself.”

Rainbow nodded in determination. “Let’s do it!”

In the span of an hour and a half, Rainbow Dash became comfortable enough with the punctuation of Equestrian Hoof-Speak that she was able to discern and create full complex sentences. With her main lesson done for the day, she had given her full attention to Scootaloo, the little pegasus insistent on talking one-on-one with the older mare.

“Thank you so much for letting me teach you!” the filly grinned.

“Thanks for teaching me!” Rainbow returned, resisting the urge to gather the filly in her forelegs and hug her as tight as she could.

Scootaloo paused for a moment, her tongue in her teeth as her eyes flicked back and forth in thought. “I wanna show you something I’ve been working on. Wanna come see?”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but blink at the request, surprised. “Sure, kiddo. Where are we going?”

“My room,” she responded. Scootaloo hummed, reaching out to the side. Foggy took her hoof, and Scootaloo tapped something out.

With a raised brow, Foggy smiled, and tapped something back. “She wants to show you something in her room,” she said.

“Yeah, that’s what she told me,” Rainbow Dash nodded. “What is it?”

Foggy Day gave a wry smile. “Wait and see.” She helped Scootaloo off her seat, letting the filly walk from her seat to the classroom entrance. Foggy motioned for Rainbow to follow, and the pegasus walked behind Foggy Day and Scootaloo, the filly leading the way with scuffing hooves and an outstretched wing, the feathery appendage brushing the wall as she walked.

Chuckling, Foggy Day explained, “She’s showing off again.” Rainbow Dash giggled. “She knows the orphanage like the back of her hoof, and she can find her way anywhere by herself. She prefers to have me near, of course, but she’s better at navigating the place than she’s ready to admit.”

The filly led the two mares to a corner in the hall, where the trio came to a set of stairs. Scootaloo bumped the stairs with her hooves, carefully taking them up. The filly gave a confident grunt to herself once she reached the top, leading the two mares to the hallway. She bumped the corner with a hoof, feeling her way around it before extending her wing again and trudging down the hall.

Two doors down, the filly stopped, reaching a hoof up and sliding it up the frame before she reached the knob. Barely able to graze it, Scootaloo stretched as far as she could, unable to grip it well enough to turn it.

Chuckling softly, Foggy placed her hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder, easing her back down. The filly returned with a sheepish giggle of her own, and Foggy opened the door, reaching out with her magic to flip on the light.

Rainbow blinked at the tiny room as she stepped in, the space a little over half the size of the guest room in the Cloudominium. A small bed made up the corner of the room, a small dresser on the adjacent wall. Placed precisely, staring right at the three mares, was an army of white figures standing on top of the dresser.

It was these figures Scootaloo almost trotted towards, stopping right before the dresser and extending a low hoof, bumping the drawer before it traveled upwards. She nudged a Rubit’s Cube, seeming to use it as a sort of landmark as her hoof traveled in a straight line toward one of the figures.

Scootaloo’s little hoof felt the figure a moment before she plucked it up and turned back around. Sitting, she hummed up at the two mares, drawing Rainbow Dash’s name-sign in the air.

Curious, Rainbow approached, an eye staying on the little white figures as she sat down. She wasn’t able to observe them for long before Scootaloo took her hoof and gave her the figure she had picked up.

“What do you think?” Scootaloo tapped on Rainbow’s fetlock before letting her hoof go.

Rainbow Dash looked down at the figure of the pony in her hooves, forehead scrunching in thought.

The little figure, no more than twelve centimeters tall, was completely made of hardened clay. This figure in particular was a pegasus, its wings spread wide as a bright smile adorned its face. Completely colorless, its iris-less eyes stared at nothing, a hoof raised as if ready to take a step. Its mane, wind-swept and light, sat upon its shoulder, its delicate ears up in curiosity and delight.

Rainbow Dash peered at the features of the figure, a strike of familiarity turning on a light in her brain. Eyes wide and jaw slack, she reached for Scootaloo.

“Is this me?!”

Scootaloo gave a delighted giggle, nodding excitedly. “Do you like it?”

Rainbow Dash responded at once. “‘Like it’? This is awesome!”

Scootaloo’s head ducked a bit, a blush rising in her cheeks at the compliment. “I make one for every pony I meet,” she explained to Rainbow’s fetlock before gesturing to the others on her dresser.

The mare looked over each figure, briefly taking in the details of each one. A unicorn that was clearly Foggy Day stood in front of them all, twenty-seven figures flanking her. The further back Rainbow’s eyes traveled, the more rough and imperfect the figures, the small brigade an obvious telling of how the filly’s skill had grown over time.

“They’re like pictures for me,” Scootaloo explained as an impressed grin crept up Rainbow Dash’s face. “I make them so I can ‘look’ at other ponies whenever I want.”

Rainbow Dash lightly shook herself from her stupor, eyes falling back to the miniature her she held in her hoof. “I’ve seen some pretty cool stuff in my life,” she spelt out on Scootaloo’s fetlock, “but these things take the cake!”

Scootaloo hummed a laugh, hugging Rainbow’s speaking hoof. “Thank you.”

“How long have you been making these?” Rainbow asked, giving the figure back.

The filly hesitated, replacing the hoof-made Rainbow Dash figurine. “As long as I can remember.”

Rainbow looked up at Foggy. “When did she first make these?”

The unicorn snapped back to reality, her eyes heavy as she lost herself in thought staring at the figures. “Oh! Um…she made the first when she was two. It took a few tries to make a final version, but…she’s considerably improved over the years.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, suddenly realizing with embarrassment: “So, uh…I just realized—“ she cut herself off with a sheepish chuckle. “How old is she?”

Foggy Day chuckled goodnaturedly. “She’s seven. If you ask her, she’ll insist on putting ‘and a half’ at the end of that.”

“Huh,” Rainbow trailed to herself, deciding to test that. “You’re really good at this, kiddo. How old are you?”

“Seven and a half!” Scootaloo returned with a grin.

Rainbow Dash snorted, Foggy Day snickering behind her.

Rainbow Dash flopped onto her bed, a grin frozen on her face. As she let her mind replay the moments of the day, she giggled to herself, her forehooves wrapping around her as if to keep herself from exploding.

She glanced outside, nighttime painting the sky with its stars. Pulling in a deep breath, she pulled her covers over her, eyes wide as she waited for her mind to tell her body to shut down.

She waited…

Waited…

Waited…

…

She stared at the wall, feeling as if she could run a marathon. She felt…wrong. She couldn’t name what for the life of her, but something was unmistakably, irrevocably…wrong…

Frowning to herself, she sat up, dragging her comforter with her as she stepped out of her room, running through a mental checklist.

‘I locked the door,’ she reassured herself, heading for the stairs. ‘I didn’t miss an appointment…my friends didn’t make any plans with me…I’d know if I forgot one of Pinkie’s parties.”

A shiver ran through her, remembering the last time she’d forgotten a Pinkie Party. Her eyes landed on the guest bedroom, still cluttered with its boxes—filled or empty—and the singular piece of furniture she’d put up. Another smile crept up her face, and she traipsed in.

“She’ll have plenty of room for anything she makes,” she muttered to herself, “with room for even more.”

She looked around the room, its features transforming in her mind’s eye. All at once, she could see the completed room in all its glory, ready to welcome home the only foal in all of Equestria who was just as awesome as it was.

All at once, the tension in her muscles melted, and she blinked sleepily as she sat down. Enthralled in her thoughts, she wrapped her comforter around herself and lay down on the floor.

“I’ll get a dresser in a couple days,” she promised herself, curling into herself and snuggling into her comforter, breathing evenly and peacefully as her body floated off into sleep.

Applejack knew something was up when she went an entire week without once finding Rainbow Dash napping in one of her family’s apple trees. It was this observation that sent a series of realizations spiraling through the farmer’s head.

A few days back, the six friends had met for lunch, wanting simply to spend time together and catch up after about a month of surprising normalcy. The entire time, Rainbow Dash—normally the first to speak up, with a boastful story on the side—had been nearly silent the entire time. The weather mare’s eyes were trained to the sky for most of the meal, and she had an odd look on her face as she picked at her food.

On their trot around Ponyville to see how the locals were doing, her eyes had stayed trained on the ground; and every once in a while, she would chuckle to herself, not at all timed with what was being said in that moment.

Applejack frowned to herself, almost wanting to call her friend’s actions—or lack thereof—rude, the only thing keeping her from doing so being the distracted look she’d had in her eyes the entire time.

If she knew Rainbow Dash the same way everypony did, she’d know the mare was never distracted when it came to her friends. So just what in the wide world of Equestria was keeping the Bearer of the Element of Loyalty from being in the moment with her friends?

A zip of rainbow interrupted her pondering. ‘And now she’s late,’ Applejack nearly grumbled out loud.

The mare in question landed, eyes wild. “Sorry, AJ!” Rainbow Dash all but shouted.

“Dash, where’ve y’all been?!” Applejack seethed. “Ah asked ya ta have the sky cleared over the west branch half an hour ago!”

“I know, I know, I’m really sorry,” Rainbow Dash apologized. “I just…I…uh…”

Amidst her stammering, Applejack noticed the small bags under Rainbow Dash’s eyes. Instantly, her anger and annoyance softened. “Hey…are ya alright there, sugarcube?”

“Uh…yeah,” Rainbow squeaked, trying to shrug off the question as she rubbed her eyes. “I just…had a hard time falling asleep last night.”

Applejack frowned. “Ya know…Ah haven’t seen ya around for a while. No pony else has, either. Where’ve ya been, Dash?”

Rainbow Dash froze in hesitation. “Uh…n-nowhere,” she offered unconvincingly. Her crimson eyes flicked to the sky, wings fluttering in anticipation.

An eyebrow rose as Applejack recognized the warning signs of a sudden Dash-off. She sighed, “Alright, alright. Just…please clear the sky, and then you can get back to yer…’nowhere’.”

Something flickered in Rainbow’s eyes, and she gave Applejack a sheepish smile. “I’m on it,” she nodded, leaping into the air and becoming nothing but a blur of rainbow.

The farm pony rolled her eyes, adjusting the basket on her back as she hefted over to the cart.

Ten seconds later, and a harsh breeze nearly blew her stetson off her head. She clapped a hoof over it just in time, looking up to see the smudge in the sky that was Rainbow Dash speeding away from the farm.

“What on earth are ya headin’ east for?” she wondered aloud.

Rarity knew something was up when she saw Rainbow Dash stepping down the streets of the market square…voluntarily.

She had noticed her pegasus friend hadn’t seemed quite herself as of late, and was on her way to do some shopping on her behalf when she saw the daredevil trotting into the furniture store, of all places.

Curiosity piqued, Rarity snuck in a moment after the pegasus, hearing her friend’s voice at the desk.

“I was wondering if you guys had any corner dressers,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Yes, right this way,” the stallion replied.

Rarity didn’t like snooping or spying—she found it rather unladylike. But…she couldn’t deny her curiosity.

And…she could use another bulk holder—genuinely, she had an order of a new pattern of fabric coming in.

So, she trotted along the wall where the quilt holders sat in wait…right across the way from the dressers.

The stallion motioned with a hoof, Rainbow Dash looking around as she bit her lip, trying to take in all the dressers. “Do you have any with cool carvings on the drawers?” Rarity heard Rainbow Dash ask.

‘What on earth…why so specific?’ Rarity couldn’t help but wonder.

The stallion hummed in thought. “We do, is there anything specific you’re looking for?”

Rainbow Dash shuffled in place. “I guess, uh…something that’s different for all three drawers?”

Nodding thoughtfully, the stallion answered, “Yes, I believe we have something like that.”

Rarity watched the clerk lead her friend into the maze of dressers, the duo coming to a stop in front of a white corner dresser with three drawers. Her eyes widened, the detail on each level so precise and exquisite, she could make it out from her spot meters away.

The top drawer depicted a decorative carving of a pegasus posed in flight, wings spread as clouds surrounded it on all sides. The middle showed a unicorn, horn alight with magic as tendrils reached out, twirling and twisting and bending to the outer borders of the drawer face. The bottom drawer held an earth pony galloping through a field, the grass intricately carved amidst trees and flowers.

“This…this is perfect,” Rainbow Dash breathed, drawing Rarity’s attention again. “I…thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for.”

“Absolutely, miss,” the stallion smiled. “Shall I place your order?”

“Yeah, sure,” Rainbow returned, and Rarity ducked out of sight as her friend turned around.

Creeping back close to the counter, she came back into earshot in time to hear the stallion ask, “Which color would you prefer, miss?”

“Uh…” Rainbow Dash thought aloud. “I…uh…well, the color doesn’t really matter,” she chuckled. “White’s fine.”

Rarity couldn't believe her ears. ‘Not matter?! I know Rainbow Dash is a little inept at fashion, but—‘

Her thoughts were cut off when Rainbow Dash spoke up again. “Actually, scratch that, the whole room is white. Uh…gray—no, too boring. Um…oh!” She heard a hoof tapping a page. “Lavender!”

Rarity’s brow knit together. ‘That’s oddly specific, for her.’

She peeked around the corner, watching Rainbow Dash sign the receipt before the stallion announced, “You should expect it about two days from now.”

“Sweet! Thanks again!” Rainbow beamed, trotting out of the store with a bigger smile on her face than Rarity had seen in a long time.

Mind twisting and blanking, Rarity was at a loss.

Pinkie Pie hummed to herself. “Hmm…something’s up with Rainbow Dash.”

She bounced along the streets of Ponyville, an old habit of hers whenever she was trying to think. She hadn’t seen her friend in over a week, the pegasus usually either napping on a cloud or practicing her flight tricks. She’d never been completely…missing.

Then, just earlier that day, she saw her friend helping a couple movers bring a large box into her house. She’d waited patiently, noticing her friend seemed a little nervous…excited? Nervouscited?

About an hour after the movers left, Rainbow Dash had finally come out of her house, smiling like she was in the middle of a good daydream.

“Dashie!” Pinkie had called up, snapping her friend out of her thoughts.

“Oh, hey Pinkie!” Rainbow returned. “Uh…what’s up?”

Pinkie Pie gave her prank partner a winning smile. “I was wondering if you wanted to help me do some baking at Sugarcube Corner.”

Rainbow Dash had blinked, her eyes flicking to the side. “Oh, uh…I would love to, Pinks, I really would, but…I kinda…already made plans outside of Ponyville.”

The response sent genuine shock and a near-insatiable curiosity through Pinkie’s chest. “Oh, yeah? Where’re ya goin’?”

Rainbow Dash had bitten her lip, stammering. “Uh…nowhere,” she’d finally spat out. “I mean, I, uh…I’m just…going…out.”

Pinkie Pie had narrowed her eyes, trying to read her friend’s face. She looked nervous, like somepony caught with their hoof in the cookie jar. But…why?

The party pony wracked her brain, trying to remember if there was a special event in a neighboring town that she had forgotten about. When she came up with nothing, she finally softened her gaze, letting her friend go.

“Okey dokey lokey!” she had sung. “Have fun, Dashie!”

“This is suspicious,” Pinkie Pie said with narrowing eyes, bouncing into Sugarcube Corner to begin her orders for the evening.

Twilight rubbed the bridge of her muzzle. “Okay, so…all of you have noticed something weird, too?”

Four heads bobbed in agreement. With a sigh, Twilight asked, “Fluttershy? What have you seen?”

“Not much,” the pegasus admitted sheepishly, “just that Rainbow Dash has been leaving Ponyville every morning on her free days, and she doesn’t come back until sundown.”

Twilight frowned, taking note of the observation before asking Pinkie the same thing.

She had asked her friends to come over after she’d noticed that, other than their regular meeting times during the week, Rainbow Dash would disappear. Whenever she had seen her over the past two weeks, she seemed distracted, trotting around town, hardly speaking to anypony, and acting far more reclusive than she’d ever seen her.

Turns out, her friends had noticed the same thing.

She got Applejack’s and Rarity’s stories, each event only piling on more and more evidence—and making Twilight more and more concerned.

“Okay…” Twilight scanned the sheet of evidence, “now that we’ve got everything…I suppose the only thing we can do now is talk to Rainbow Dash and make sure she’s okay.”

“Y’all sure we ain’t pokin’ our noses inta somethin’ we shouldn’t?” Applejack asked.

“Ah, absolutely not, darling!” Rarity objected. “Whatever’s going on is clearly affecting her day-to-day life; and it is up to us as her best friends to make sure she is alright.”

“I agree with Rarity,” Fluttershy insisted. “I’ve known Rainbow Dash the longest, and she’s never been like this.”

“Besides,” chirped Pinkie Pie, “we all know she’d do the exact same thing if it were one of us!”

The others—Applejack, included—gave affirmative nods.

“Then it’s settled,” Twilight concluded. “We’ll all talk to Rainbow Dash at our next brunch together in a couple days. Agreed?”

Again, nods and replies of agreement rose up in the mares, the five friends’ concern feeling easier to bare now that they were facing it together.

Rainbow Dash barrel rolled downward, adjusting her flight into a corkscrew as she slowed. A squeal right behind her head made her erupt in her own laughter, the filly holding on tight.

She evened out, slowing to an easy glide as she and Scootaloo panted, coming down from their bursts of adrenaline.

“Can we go higher?” Scootaloo tapped out on Rainbow’s shoulder.

Rainbow felt a grin creep its way up her face. “Sure thing, kiddo. Hold on tight.”

The mare felt the little filly grip her neck harder, and she responded with a hard push of her wings, brow creasing in concentration as she aimed for a spot in the overcast clouds. “Cloud,” she managed to tap out, the only warning she was able to give as she soared for the suspended precipitation.

Scootaloo’s brow furrowed, confused. Before she could ask Rainbow Dash what she meant, however, she gasped at the sudden increased chill that passed over her body. She shivered, the air around her somehow…thicker than it was before. It was cold, and her more sensitive feathers felt like they were brushing water as the two flew upward.

She knew clouds were just water suspended in the atmosphere, she’d learned so in her classes. But she also knew her magic—as well as the magic of all pegasi—allowed her to touch them.

She had no idea she could actually go through one.

The mist erupted around Rainbow Dash as she broke through the top, a bark of laughter flying from her as she shook the remaining moisture from her mane. “That was a cloud?!” Scootaloo tapped on her collarbone.

“Yep!” Rainbow replied on the filly’s fetlock. “Pretty awesome, huh?”

Scootaloo responded with a delighted giggle, nodding her head into Rainbow’s neck. In a flash of desire and bravery, Scootaloo tapped out, “Hold still for a minute.”

Concern flashed in Rainbow Dash’s chest as she felt the filly loosen her grip around her neck. She stayed as still as possible in her flight, unable to ask the filly what she was doing as she felt Scootaloo’s back hooves plant themselves on her back. The filly’s forehooves carefully traveled up her neck, moving through her mane before finding her head.

The weight on her back shifted as Scootaloo grasped her head as best she could, the filly sitting on her shoulders and leaning against her neck, her chin resting on top of Rainbow’s head.

“Are there any other ponies around?”

Rainbow’s brow furrowed in confusion at the filly’s random, odd question. Still, she humored her, and looked in every direction, answering, “No.”

Tactile silence from Scootaloo reigned for a moment, her chest moving with deep breaths. The filly took in as deep a breath as she could through her nose, and let it out again. At her next pull of air, she opened her mouth.

Rainbow Dash jerked as Scootaloo suddenly let out a scream, the filly’s ill-used voice coming out broken and raspy. It bled into a laugh, and Rainbow Dash felt her forehooves leave her skull for a moment, the filly reaching her hooves out to the passing air. The little filly let out another holler, and Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but grin, basking in the sound of Scootaloo’s exhilaration.

Scootaloo pulled in a gasp, her breath catching in her throat. She felt tears prick her eyes, the wind stinging them. She reached out her hooves, feeling the rushing, swishing, blowing thing she couldn’t see. She let out another scream, her throat vibrating and beginning to hurt with how fast she expelled her breath. The scream shook her whole head, and she could feel it tickling her nose and beating against the parts of her ears that refused to work.

She let out another scream, forcing the air out as hard as she could.

Nothing changed.

Nothing ever did.

Rainbow Dash’s smile faltered, her ear flicking as she picked up a shift in Scootaloo’s screech. The filly against the back of her neck suddenly jolted, and her next sharp intake of breath caught in a series of hiccups. Tears sprang to her eyes as she heard Scootaloo’s shout turn into a wail.

Her eyes flew about, finding the closest cloud and gently slowing down so she could land. Once her movement changed, Scootaloo quieted down, and Rainbow Dash heard the filly sniffling.

She reached up, brushing the filly’s shoulder. Scootaloo gave her a hoof, and she guided the filly off her back, heart clenching at the tears streaking down the filly’s face.

“Are you okay?” she asked Scootaloo.

Scootaloo swiped at her tears, only for new tracks to be cut in her fur. She grinned up at Rainbow Dash, her eyes flicking wildly back and forth, the clouds growing misty as rains continued to pour. Her chin quivered, and for a split second, her smile faltered. She pulled it back on, only for her trembling jaw to shake its foundations once more.

The filly took Rainbow Dash’s hoof. “I can’t make it stop,” she tapped, giggling through her tears, the bubbles of sound popping.

Rainbow Dash watched the filly–the independent, strong, clever little filly–desperately try to keep everything together as something seemed to fall apart inside her.

Before Scootaloo could rub her fetlocks into her eyes again, Rainbow stopped them, running her hooves along the filly’s face and cupping her jaw. She wiped away Scootaloo’s tears, not caring that her own were dripping from her eyes. She pressed a hoof to the filly’s chest, and tapped out, “You don’t have to pretend with me.”

Scootaloo blinked, the tickle of tears dragging down her cheeks. Rainbow Dash’s hoof wiped them away again, and she grabbed the mare’s hoof, burying her face into the strong fetlock.

Rainbow Dash’s soul pulsed, and she could no longer fight her desires. She pulled the filly onto her lap, wrapping her forelegs around Scootaloo and hugging her as tight as she could, her wings instinctually pulling around her to surround the filly with her presence.

The mare felt the filly giggle, before the laughter broke, and Scootaloo pressed herself into Rainbow Dash’s chest, burying her face into the soft fur of the mare that had chosen to give her–and continued to choose to give her–one of the best gifts she could ever imagine.

Her shoulders shaking, Scootaloo brushed her hoof against Rainbow’s fur.

“Thank you for being my wings.”

Rainbow Dash’s breath all but stopped, her tears pouring fresh. She pressed her muzzle into Scootaloo’s mane, her hoof hesitating as she tried to find what to say.

‘I’ve loved every second of it.’

‘I don’t mind, kiddo.’

‘I want to keep flying with you forever.’

‘I want to bring you home with me.’

‘I want…’

‘I…’

‘I…’

‘I want you…’

‘I love you.’

All were things Rainbow Dash longed to say, all were things she couldn’t bring her hoof to form. Instead, she squeezed Scootaloo a little tighter, nuzzling her head, trying her hardest to keep her tears from falling onto the filly, not wanting to clue her in that she was crying just as hard.

Finally, Rainbow Dash felt a little wiggle from Scootaloo, and unwrapped herself from the filly, finding a more stable smile on the filly’s face as she looked up at her as best she could.

Rainbow hesitated. “Wanna keep going?”

Scootaloo gave a happy nod, rubbing away the final remnants of her tears. Smiling, Rainbow Dash crouched and helped Scootaloo onto her back. The filly squirmed, situating herself in the same way she had before.

With a flick of her wings, Rainbow Dash launched into the sky again. Once they were back in the breeze, Scootaloo reached out her hooves, letting out a holler of excitement. Rainbow listened for a hint of the previous hurt, a content smile finding her face when she only heard cheer from Scootaloo, and with a rolling wave of her own glee, she let out her own shout right alongside Scootaloo’s.

The two pegasi cried their joy into the sky, and a thought lit up Rainbow’s eyes. She reached for Scootaloo’s rear hoof.

“Wanna try something?”

Scootaloo’s next shout was cut short, and she curiously reached for Rainbow Dash’s hoof. “Sure. What is it?”

Rainbow Dash chewed her lip. “Do you trust me?”

She felt the little filly on her back hesitate, and didn’t blame her for a second. After only a moment, she felt:

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Rainbow grinned, gently taking the filly’s hoof. Eyes narrowing in concentration, she twisted her body in the air, pulling Scootaloo onto her stomach. The filly gasped in apprehensive surprise, suddenly finding herself on Rainbow’s chest instead of her back.

Before she could even think to ask how it was possible for Rainbow Dash to fly upside-down, she felt the mare’s careful hooves flip her over onto her back before wrapping securely around her chest and belly. Before she could object to what was happening, Rainbow Dash flipped over again.

Scootaloo’s throat constricted as she gave a frightened shout, suddenly finding her hooves–not touching anything–facing where gravity was pulling. Her hooves flailed, trying to find purchase on anything. She grasped at a pressure on her chest, finding Rainbow’s foreleg, securely holding her back against Rainbow Dash’s chest.

Slowly, then all at once, the shock wore off, giving way to a new intensity of excitement that she didn’t know existed until this very moment. She pried her trembling hooves off Rainbow’s forelegs, and felt the mare’s chest move with a laugh. She returned it, stretching out all four hooves as the unseen, unheard force that was the wind filled her lungs, swirled around her ears, combed through her mane, brushed across her fur, tickled her nose, and stung her eyes.

So overwhelmed was she at the feeling of freedom, that she didn’t notice her eyes filling with tears again.

Rainbow Dash looked down at the ecstatic filly in her forelegs, Scootaloo’s weight feeling more natural against her chest than she would have ever thought. Something inside her clicked into place, a longing, deep ache telling her she couldn’t live without the filly–the vulnerable, beautiful, joyful little filly–she held against her chest.

The pegasus pressed her muzzle into Scootaloo’s mane and finally gave voice to her deepest thoughts, her most intense emotions:

“I love you, Scootaloo.”

Author's Note

Sorry if this chapter feels a little rushed! I didn’t want to drag out the wind-up for longer than necessary.

Just wanted to give appreciation to “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto—this song helped me write one of the scenes in this chapter and just helped me get in the proper mood for it as a whole. It’s officially in my playlist for this story now!

Chapter 3 is already over halfway done. Again, I don’t know when it will come out, but it will more than likely be less time than what you guys had to wait for this chapter. Stay tuned!

Chapter 3: The Decision of Life

Foggy Day paced the office, glancing down at the file every time she passed the table. She stopped, staring at the phone as if it would offer the answer to her predicament, then groaned to herself and began her pacing again.

She glanced at the clock. It was almost time to wake Scootaloo up. If she didn’t do this now, she’d only think about it all day long. Now or never.

With a frustrated push of air, she yanked the phone up in her magic, dialing the number she knew by heart. After three drones, the line clicked.

“Hello?” asked a sleepy voice on the other end.

“Hello,” Foggy returned, tapping her hoof to keep herself from pacing. “This is Foggy Day, I’m a shadow at the Baltimare Orphanage for Scootaloo.”

Foggy heard the shuffling of papers as the young stallion on the other end looked up Scootaloo’s file. “Alright,” he said after a moment. “Let me direct you to her agent.”

“Thank you,” Foggy replied, before the line clicked again and soft idling music filled the phone line.

It was less than a minute before the line clicked once more. “Sage Note speaking.”

“Hey, Sage,” Foggy greeted. “It’s Foggy.”

“What can I help you with, Foggy?”

“I, uh…” Foggy Day cleared her throat. “I may have found a potential guardian for Scootaloo.”

Sage Note paused. “Are they well-known with the agency?”

“No,” Foggy Day responded. “Her name is Rainbow Dash. She first met Scootaloo almost three weeks ago, and she’s shown great interest in spending time with her. She’s accumulated a great number of hours with her, and–”

“Foggy…” Sage Note drew, interrupting her.

“Y-yes?”

“Has she distinctly expressed interest in adopting her?”

Foggy Day swallowed. “Uh…n-no, sir. Not yet. But, I think she–”

“If she does in the near future,” Sage interrupted once more, “I want you to tell her everything.”

The unicorn’s heart skipped a beat. “E…Everything, sir?”

Sage Note sighed. “I understand your reservations with sharing more specific information, but I want you to tell her about the previous Potentials, and at least make sure she knows exactly what she’s getting into should she express her interest.”

Foggy breathed a bit easier as she was given a bit of leeway. “I understand,” she nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

“I will look into Rainbow Dash’s history, so we can make this process as quick as possible should anything come of it. And if anything does, do not clue Miss Scootaloo in. I know you more than anypony do not wish to see her experience any more heartbreak.”

“Yes, of course,” Foggy sighed. “I’ll let you know the moment Rainbow Dash says anything.”

“If she says anything,” Sage Note reiterated.

“She will,” Foggy Day insisted. “She’s different, I can feel it.”

Sage Note paused. “I’m sure you can, Foggy.”

“I know she’ll ask…sooner or later.” Foggy gulped, feeling the panic of uncertainty rising in her chest.

“Goodbye, Foggy.”

“She will,” she repeated, trying to convince herself more than anything. The line clicked, the end tone droning in her ear. Numbly, she let her foreleg sink, pulling the phone away from her head.

“She will…”

“Hello-ooo? Dashie?”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash snapped back to reality, her thoughts returning from the clouds to land back in her place amongst her friends as they sat around her, the six mares trying to enjoy their brunch.

Pinkie Pie questioned, “Where’d you go?”

“Uh…nowhere,” Rainbow Dash answered cooly with a shrug, offering her friends a wry grin. She moved the pieces of her pancake around, another blissful smile creeping its way up her face.

“You’ve been goin’ ‘nowhere’ quite a bit lately,” Applejack quipped.

Rainbow Dash barely held back her flinch as she caught Applejack’s stern gaze, ducking her head back down. “Yeah…and?”

Applejack didn’t respond, and Rarity picked up, “Darling, are you alright? You’ve barely touched your breakfast.”

A twinge of panic running through her chest, Rainbow Dash looked down at her and her friends’ plates, finding her plate still piled with pancakes while her friends’ were nearly finished. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she forced a smile, shoveling a huge bite into her mouth. Even as she swallowed the delicious pancake, her stomach churned unhappily. Still, she smiled for her friends, hoping to deflect whatever other prying questions they may try to ask.

She heard Twilight give a slight grunt. “Alright. I was going to wait a little later to bring this up.”

“Bring up what?” Rainbow Dash asked, feigning ignorance.

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the pegasus. “Don’t act like everything’s fine, Rainbow Dash. We’ve all seen you acting differently these past couple weeks, and we’re worried about you. Please tell us what’s going on.”

Rainbow Dash gulped. “N-nothing’s ‘going on’. What…what are you even talking about?”

“Leaving Ponyville almost every day, not flying around as much as usual. You haven’t even been seen napping on a cloud like you normally are because you’re not even here!” Twilight caught herself before she started shouting, taking a breath.

“Look, we just…Rarity saw you in the furniture store the other day, and Pinkie saw you and a couple stallions unloading the delivery before you spent a while in your house. Fluttershy’s been seeing you leave on all your off-days, and you don’t come back ‘til it’s already dark. We’re all just worried about you, Rainbow Dash.”

SIlence fell between the friends, Rainbow Dash trying her best to avoid her friends’ gazes.

Applejack blew a breath through her nose. “How ‘bout Ah ask a simpler question to start.” She straightened, leveling a practiced look at Rainbow Dash. “Have you been gettin’ enough sleep, sugarcube? Ah noticed you looked tired the other day.”

The pegasus in question held her lip in her teeth. Her friends wanted answers, she couldn’t blame them for that. You’d have to be bli—stupid to not see she was acting differently. That, she could readily admit.

And her friends were far from stupid.

“Okay, fine,” Rainbow Dash huffed, relenting. “Yes, I’ve been having trouble sleeping.”

Her friends responded immediately with concern. “Oh no,” Fluttershy softly lamented. “What else has been going on?”

Rainbow Dash hummed an ‘I don’t know’ and gave a shrug. “I…I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. I haven’t felt like flying around town lately. I can’t stop thinking about…” she trailed off, her eyes rising to the sky again. The five other friends looked amongst each other as, once again, a tired smile found its way onto Rainbow’s face.

Her friends stilled at the face she was making. Applejack looked the pegasus up and down, her concern turning into something far more…mischievous.

With a low chuckle, Applejack piped up. “Oh…Ah get it.”

“Y…you do?” Twilight asked.

“Yup,” Applejack nodded in understanding, leaning onto the table as Rainbow Dash seemed to snap herself out of her…lovestruck state. “So,” she said, catching Rainbow’s attention. “Who’s the lucky stallion?”

Instantly, Rainbow’s face erupted in a blush of confusion. Unfortunately her friends took this as an affirmative answer, and at once began gushing over her response.

“Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! What’s his name?”

“Darling, this calls for a celebratory makeover!”

“Did you meet him while you were training?”

“AAAHHH! You have to let me plan your wedding!”

“Guys, stop!” Rainbow Dash nearly begged. “It’s not a stallion!”

Her friends quieted down in confusion. Rainbow Dash huffed a sigh, knowing it was time to come clean before something weirder was suggested. “It’s a filly,” she admitted.

A moment passed as the admission sank into her friends. “Well, uh…” Applejack piped up, her eyes wide. “Ah gotta say Ah’m surprised. Ah didn’t know you swing that way–”

“Oh my gosh, that’s not what I meant,” Rainbow Dash blushed furiously again, plopping her forehead on the table. She groaned, “Remember that orphanage we went to a couple weeks ago, Pinks?”

Pinkie Pie giggled. “Uh, duh! Those foals loved yo…oooo-OOOO-ooooo!”

“Wait,” Fluttershy pieced together. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Rainbow gave a hesitant sigh, lifting her head and giving her friends a nervous smile.

Twilight gasped. “Rainbow Dash, are you serious?! You really want to adopt a foal?”

The very word sent a pang of joy through her chest so sharp it almost hurt. “Uh…yeah,” she breathed.

Rarity gave an excited shout. “Oh, darling, that’s wonderful! Who’s the lucky little pony?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Her name is Scootaloo. She’s a pegasus. She’s seven years old. She’s smart, and really curious about the world, and loves flying around with me. She makes these really cool little clay figures, and, uh…” She stopped herself, realizing she was about to go on a tangent. Luckily, her friends didn’t mind in the slightest, and actually grinned at her excitement.

“Oh, well she sounds just precious!” Fluttershy gushed.

“Hey, she’s the same age as Apple Bloom,” Applejack piped up.

“And Sweetie Belle!” Rarity added.

Pinkie Pie frowned in thought. “Wait a second, I remember her.” She looked back up to Rainbow Dash in concern. “Dashie, are you super duper sure about this?”

Rainbow Dash paused, nodding. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking for a really long time, and I’ve started thinking about making changes to my house’s walls. I’ve actually been to see her a bunch of times now, so I’ve been able to get to know her really well–”

“Wait a second, wait a second,” Twilight waved. “Why would you need to change your walls for a foal?”

Rainbow paused. “Oh…did I not mention it?” Her friends–all except Pinkie Pie–shook their heads. The pegasus bit her lip, glancing at her party pony friend, who gave her a small nod of encouragement. With a breath to steel herself, she said:

“Scootaloo’s blind…and deaf.”

She watched her friends’ faces turn from shock, to secondhand heartbreak, to concern. She knew what was coming, and sighed as she chose to say something about it first.

“I know what you’re gonna say, and believe me: I’ve asked myself the same thing over and over and over again. But…I’ve learned how to talk to her, and I’ve gotten to know her really well, and I just…” she chewed her lip, hesitant to admit, “I feel a connection to her I’ve never felt before–not even with you guys. So…yeah…” Her heart fluttered as she faced her friends, nervous joy pulsing through every fiber of her being. “Yeah..I want to adopt her.”

Tears sprang to her eyes as she finally said aloud the very thing she was unable to admit to herself. She let herself come down from the high of confession, and looked at each of her friends in turn. Rainbow Dash frowned to herself, observing the fond smiles her friends were giving her. “What?”

Her friends looked between themselves, a spark lighting behind their eyes that she couldn’t read.

Applejack gave a chuckle. “Sounds like ya’ve got it all figured out, Dash.”

The other four friends nodded. A blush crept up Rainbow’s face, and she gave a sheepish smile in return. “Well, not all of it…I haven’t even told her shadow yet.”

“Is there anything you need help with?” Fluttershy offered.

Rainbow Dash hesitated. “Uh…yeah, actually. I haven’t picked out a bed, yet; and I’ve been thinking about getting some kind of chest bench, or something.”

“Well, that settles it, then,” Twilight declared, standing.

“Uh…settles what?”

“Why, we’re going to help you finish your preparations, darling!” Rarity scoffed good-naturedly.

Rainbow’s gaze flicked amongst her friends. “Wait, what?

“You heard her,” Applejack shot back with a wry grin. “Let’s get goin’.”

Again, the pegasus looked at each friend in turn. “A…seriously?”

Pinkie Pie erupted in a heart-filled giggle. “Come on, Dashie! Of course we want to help you!”

“We wouldn’t dream of letting you do this all on your own,” Fluttershy added.

Rainbow Dash grinned, her excitement springing to life with a gleam in her eye. “Aw, you guys are just the best!” She threw herself to her friends, gathering them in as tight a hug as she could manage.

Rarity did her best to chuckle against the pressure on her neck. “Anytime, dear,” she almost choked. “Please let us go now.”

The mare in question blinked, letting her friends go at once with a sheepish chuckle. “Sorry.”

With a group-wide giggle, the mares paid off their meal and trotted into town, excitedly asking Rainbow Dash about the little filly that had stolen her heart. With the biggest smile they had ever seen on their daredevil friend, she told them story after story about her times with Scootaloo.

“And this one time, a couple days ago,” Rainbow Dash picked up as they entered the furniture store, “Foggy was tapping the floor in the hallway to guide Scootaloo without actually touching her. It was supposed to be an exercise, but Scoots was laughing so much it looked more like a game.”

Twilight cooed a laugh, “Aw…does she do that often?”

“Foggy said she has a bunch of different ways to practice things with Scootaloo. The floor tapping thing is to help Scoots learn how to use vibrations to guide her. She has others, too…like this one where Scoots has to read these cards–oh, that reminds me: Twilight?”

“Uh, yes?” Twilight blinked suddenly, taken aback by the sudden switch in directions.

“Do you know where I can order Braille books?” Rainbow Dash questioned as Rarity led the group to the rows and rows of beds.

The unicorn smiled. “I know a company in Canterlot that specializes in them. If you give me a list, I can talk to the owner for you.”

“Thanks,” Rainbow beamed, Twilight nodding in response.

Rarity interjected, “Okay, darling, here we are! What were you thinking about?”

Rainbow glanced around the room, thinking. “Um…I guess…” she frowned to herself. “I, uh…don’t really know.”

“Well, let’s take a look around,” Rarity offered. “Let us know what strikes your fancy.”

“Uh, okay…” Rainbow Dash trailed, letting her friends lead her down the aisle.

Not even a moment passed before her friends began speaking up.

“How about this one?” Twilight offered. “It’s fairly simple.”

Rainbow glanced over the flat wood frame and headboard, grimacing. “Nah…it’s too…plain. She’s totally blind, so…I want to get her something that’s fun to feel.”

Her attention was grabbed by Pinkie. “How about this one, then!”

Her eyes found a…well, this bed looked more like an art project than a bed. A four-poster with a headboard, this bed held all the colors of the rainbow in twirls and swirls of differently-shaped candies and cupcakes. The bulbous, blobby posts looked like piled-up ice cream, colored and textured to match.

“Eh…” Rainbow Dash tilted her head. “That’s a bit…too much. Yeah, it’d be fun to feel, but…you kinda have to see that one, too, to really appreciate it. Plus…she’d probably be too distracted with feeling everything to go to sleep.” She gave a soft chuckle, imagining Scootaloo’s reaction to the overwhelming tactile effects of the bed.

“Maybe this’n?” Applejack offered. She stood beside a classic carved four-poster bed with curved shapes and knobs making up the posts and a simple carving taking up the center of the headboard.

Her mouth twinged to the side as she pondered. “Uh…it’s nice, but…I don’t think that’s her style, plus…” she trailed off as she looked at the space underneath the bed. “I think I want to get her a bed that doesn’t have any space under it. That way, she won’t lose something under it and try to go looking and hit her head or anything.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been thinkin’ for a while ‘bout this, huh?”

Rainbow Dash gave a chuckle, moving on to the next—

Her eyes landed on a headboard. A little further down the aisle, she could just make out the white curves and swirls of a cloud shape. Her friends caught her gaze, following her with their eyes as she trotted over.

The billowing, cloud-shaped piece of carved wood tumbled down to the head of the bed, where the body sat astutely on the floor. The rounded, oval bed was lined with soft, smooth gray fabric that wrapped around the frame. She ran her hoof along the face of the frame, hard and tactiley different enough to provide an obvious difference, but soft enough that she wouldn’t get hurt should she bump into it.

Her eyes rose to the headboard itself. She pressed a hoof against the rounded wood, following a swirl to its center. She closed her eyes, exploring the carved pattern with nothing but her hoof, easily feeling the dips and curves and soft edges of the wooden cloud.

She looked down at the spread, the bed sizable enough to allow many years of growth, just small enough that a full-grown pony would find the space uncomfortably small.

Rainbow Dash stepped back, taking in the full picture just a moment longer. With a small, excited smile, she nodded to herself. “This one…This one’s perfect.”

She looked back at her friends, each giving her an excited grin. “I’ll go get the clerk,” Rarity offered, trotting off. “Why don’t you find that chest you were talking about?”

“I saw those this way!” Fluttershy piped up, gently floating over to the other side of the store.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “At least I’ve got a better idea here.”

“Well that’s good,” Applejack nudged her friend jokingly. “Whatcha got in mind?”

“I was thinking something simple…maybe cubby holes instead of a lid? So she can put things down on top while she takes things out.”

“Well, it looks like they have several of those,” Twilight offered, bobbing her head to indicate the selection.

Rainbow nodded as she looked about, Pinkie trotting up to one of the storage ottomans and pulling open the drawer. “Oooo-OOOOO-oooooo, spacious!” Without any further warning, the party pony crawled into the drawer, which promptly shut behind her.

The four remaining friends looked between each other in half-surprise. A bump came from a different bench, and their eyes whipped to find a toy chest halfway down the aisle jumping by itself before the top finally opened, Pinkie Pie dragging herself out as if from the grave, panting heavily.

“Whew,” she wheezed, “you do not want to go in there!”

She shook herself off, and shut the lid as if to seal Pandora’s box itself. With a grimace, she shook her head before finding her friends once again and giving them a bright smile.

Her friends returned it nervously, all collectively trying to either ignore or forget what they’d just seen.

Rainbow Dash forced herself to think about her current mission to avoid the headache forming behind her eyes. She let her eyes trail around, taking in the styles presented to her before she spied a deep, backless white bench with three cubby holes underneath, all of which held a teal-and-cyan striped, soft, square bin.

“Huh,” Rainbow thought aloud, walking around the piece of furniture. “This…actually works,” she chuckled to herself, her imagination taking over as she mentally watched Scootaloo rummaging through the bins, reading on the bench, laughing up at her as she sat.

“Uh…Dash?”

Rainbow Dash blinked, Applejack snapping her out of her reverie. “Sorry,” she rubbed the back of her head. “Let’s, uh…let’s go get the employee.”

“Rainbow Daaash!” Rarity trilled as she trotted back over. “You’re in luck! The bed you’ve chosen is no longer being manufactured, so the one in the store is the last of its kind. You can take it home today!”

“Wait, really?” The mare in question asked, surprised. She looked to the clerk for confirmation, and the stallion nodded. “Is it a cloud mattress?”

“Yes,” the stallion nodded politely. “It just so happens the one we have here is intended for pegasi.”

“Sweet!” Rainbow beamed. “What about this?” she pointed to the cubby bench.

“We have several of those boxed and ready for set-up in the back. You won’t have to wait for any deliveries today, miss.”

“Sweet!” Rainbow Dash grinned at her friends. “Her room’s done!”

At their joyous laughter, the same declaration turned around and speared itself directly into Rainbow’s heart. “Her…her room’s done…” She gave a strained chuckle as her grin vanished, shock beginning to fill her eyes.

“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked, picking up the look in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I…” Rainbow swallowed against her dry throat. “Scootaloo’s room is done…There’s…there’s nothing stopping me from asking Foggy.” Her friends watched as a hoof rose to the base of her neck. “I can actually…can I? This is all…can I really do this?”

The five friends gave the pegasus sympathetic smiles, recognizing the spiral of self-doubt. They surrounded their friend, pulling her close in a group hug.

“You’ve got this, Dash,” Applejack encouraged.

“You’ll be a great guardian,” Pinkie Pie added.

Twilight picked up, “If you ever need us, we’ll be right here.”

“No matter what,” Fluttershy breathed, “we’ll be happy to help.”

Rarity finished, “You’re far better than you’re letting yourself think. You’ll be able to give the little darling the best home you can, and that will be enough.”

Rainbow Dash relaxed in her friends’ hold, returning their embrace the best she could. “What did I do to deserve friends like you?”

Several hours later, six mares stood at the entrance to a bedroom. Twilight’s horn lit up briefly as she mentally checked how much more time was left on the hour-long cloud-walking spell she had cast on herself and three of her friends.

The room, now fully furnished, patiently awaited the fulfillment of a resident that would make it their own.

The shelf and dresser took up the right and left corner of the room, respectively, with the cubby taking up a bit of space between the two under a curtained window. The bed’s headboard rested against the wall adjacent to the shelves, the body sticking out in a curve as it reached into the center of the room. The bedside table stood erect on the opposite side closest to the door, a lamp Rainbow had found in yet another box ready and waiting for use on top of it.

The mares sighed contently at the finished room. “It’s lovely, darling!” Rarity complimented.

Rainbow Dash gave an airy chuckle. “It’s…it’s so much better than I was picturing.”

“So, what’s next?” Twilight perked up.

Rainbow bit her lip. “I guess…now, I just hafta…tell her shadow…”

“Oooooo!” Pinkie Pie jittered with excitement. “Can we come? Please? I wanna meet her sssoooo bad!”

“Uh,” Rainbow chuckled, “maybe not yet. I don’t want to confuse her, so, maybe…right after everything’s done?”

“Meaning…?” Fluttershy egged on.

“Meaning…” Rainbow Dash’s eyes panned around the room again. “I’ll introduce you all the same day I…bring her home.” She bit her lip as another wave of joy sent tears to her eyes, and she looked back at her friends.

“I can’t tell you how thankful I am you guys helped me out today. I just…I’m so stoked you didn’t try to talk me out of it.”

“Hey, Ah’m right tickled you actually let us help ya with it,” Applejack replied.

Rarity added, “And please, dear, do not hesitate if you need anything else.”

“Yeah,” Twilight picked up, “raising a foal’s gonna be hard, but we know you’ve got this. And we’ll be here if you need a little extra help.”

Rainbow Dash could hardly contain herself any longer. She threw her forelegs around her friends, gathering them up in as best a hug as she could.

“Thank you so much!”

Foggy Day opened the door, finding Rainbow Dash with her hoof raised to knock. “Right on time, as usual,” she grinned.

Rainbow Dash gave a chuckle as she trotted inside, asking, “What’re you and Scoots up to today?”

“It’s a free day, actually,” Foggy answered. “I have something I need to do today, so Scootaloo will be hanging out with another attendant for a couple hours while I’m away.” She raised a teasing eyebrow at Rainbow Dash. “Think you can handle her while I’m gone?”

“Pssh, ‘course I can,” Rainbow Dash replied smoothly, heart thundering in her ears.

Foggy chuckled as if sensing the nervousness hiding under Rainbow’s bravado. “Well, if you need any help, the other attendant should be able to assist you, just call him over.”

Rainbow Dash nodded as Foggy led her into the play room. The unicorn could almost see the mare’s heart leap the second her eyes landed on Scootaloo. She and Foggy exchanged a nodded goodbye, Rainbow Dash trotting over to the filly stacking differently-shaped foam blocks on top of each other.

She extended a wing, sending a little breeze Scootaloo’s way. The filly stopped in her building, snapping out of whatever daydream she was having. Her eyes jittered about as she looked towards where the breeze had come from, ears rotating as if to reach for another.

So, that’s what Rainbow Dash gave her. Snickering to herself, she moved to the filly’s other side, her wing creating a breeze that ruffled Scootaloo’s mane.

The filly’s ears snapped in her direction, followed by her head, which tilted at the odd wind that didn’t seem to want to follow any form of logic.

Rainbow Dash crept up to Scootaloo, the filly’s eyes flicking all around her face, but never landing.

She reached a wing forward, lightly brushing a feather tip over the filly’s nose. At once, Scootaloo’s face scrunched, and she gave a confused grunt as she jerked back, shaking her head.

Finally, something seemed to click, and her face lit up before she hummed as she rubbed the leftover tickle on her nose. Rainbow Dash laughed as she traced her name-sign on Scootaloo’s shoulder.

The filly giggled, grabbing her hoof and hugging it. Rainbow tapped out, “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“It’s fine,” Scootaloo beamed. “Now I know strange breezes equal Rainbow Dash!”

The older pegasus couldn’t help her bark of laughter. “Nothing gets past you very long, does it?”

“Nope!” Scootaloo hummed a laugh. “I can see everything…” She held both hooves forward, moving them as if feeling the very air itself, giving a wordless noise that reminded Rainbow Dash of a ghostly moan. The mare snorted, realizing the filly was trying to sound spooky, only to succeed in appearing more adorable.

Rainbow Dash tussled Scootaloo’s mane, nuzzling her forehead with her own. “Yeah, you’re real mysterious, squirt,” she tapped, hoping Scootaloo could pick up her sarcasm.

It seemed so, as Scootaloo scrunched up her face and stuck her tongue out. Rainbow Dash automatically responded with a playful mirror of the expression, only to realize a second later that Scootaloo couldn’t see it.

Before she could acknowledge the pang in her heart at the realization, Scootaloo broke out in a giggle again. She took Rainbow’s hoof. “Foggy’s gonna be gone for a couple hours,” she informed.

“Yeah, she told me,” Rainbow Dash answered. “Do you know where she went?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “She never wants to tell me, but she says it’s something important that she does, so I don’t ask.” She hummed to herself before she added, “It’s the only time she’s not with me during the week, and it’s private, so…”

“Yeah, I understand,” Rainbow Dash sympathized. “I won’t ask, either,” she promised.

Scootaloo grinned up at her the best she could. “Cool.” The little filly paused for a moment, a small smile slowly climbing up her face. “There’s something I’ve been working on. Can we try it?”

“Sure! Whatcha got?”

Scootaloo hummed her little chuckle, then pulled on Rainbow Dash’s hoof. The mare pitched forward a bit, too surprised to stop herself at first as Scootaloo pulled herself to standing. Before Rainbow Dash could blink, the filly brought her hoof up, booping the older pegasus on the snout.

“Gotcha!” she spelt on Rainbow’s nose as she hummed a laugh, bringing her face closer to Rainbow Dash’s.

The mare’s shock wore off at once, and she grinned against the hoof before ducking her head and nudging it against Scootaloo’s chest. The foal was knocked off-balance, and she squealed as she tipped backwards, landing softly on her back with a barely-audible thud. Scootaloo giggled, her hooves curling into her stomach.

They couldn’t stop Rainbow Dash, however, and the mare moved her hoof back and forth against the filly’s fetlocks. Scootaloo laughed, pressing both of her hooves flush against Rainbow Dash’s. Rainbow grinned, moving Scootaloo’s hooves every which way with her own. Bringing them up, she exposed the filly’s belly, and used her other hoof to tickle Scootaloo while she was distracted.

Scootaloo squealed, moving her hooves to the one tickling her and trying to push it off of her as her giggles multiplied. Rainbow couldn’t help her chuckle, the filly’s adorable laughter bringing her own to the surface. She leaned over her, rubbing Scootaloo’s nose with her own.

The filly felt her chance, and took it. At once, she threw her forelegs around the mare’s head. Her chest shook with her laughter, pulling Rainbow’s muzzle under her chin and holding on with all her might. She felt Rainbow’s grin against her neck, and she rubbed her nose between the bigger pony’s eyes. Her back left the ground, her body lifting and back hooves leaving the carpet. Gravity bobbed, Rainbow Dash moving her head to try and lightly shake her off; but she refused to give in. She held on tight, giggling harder the more Rainbow tried.

Rainbow’s brow rose in an idea. She blew a breath through her nose, tickling the filly’s neck. Scootaloo’s shoulders rose, and she shivered as she gave a surprised little squeak of a giggle. Rainbow sat back, laughing, her breath brushing Scootaloo’s neck and loosening the filly’s grip enough for her to let go.

Rainbow caught her, pulling her into a tight hug as the two shared a peel of laughter.

Foggy Day stifled her own giggle from the doorway. The unicorn had forgotten her bit purse, and had decided to check on Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo on her way back out, coming back in time to see Rainbow Dash playing with the filly’s hooves. She watched the two share a hug, unable to stop herself from thinking how right the two felt together. She could feel the joy Scootaloo felt every time Rainbow Dash came around, and she could feel the love Rainbow Dash felt every time she saw Scootaloo.

She sighed to herself as she trotted away to her weekly errand, knowing it was only a matter of time.

Two mares stood outside a little room, staring at each other. One held a nervous, anticipatory hope; the other, blank surprise.

Rainbow Dash rubbed her leg. “Uh…Foggy?”

Foggy Day drew in a shallow breath. “I, um…sorry, I…” a tiny chuckle sent a twitch into the corner of her mouth. “I just, uh…I wasn’t expecting this to happen so soon.”

Foggy had come back from her errand to find Scootaloo still playing with Rainbow Dash, the pair building walls and small structures with the foam blocks, only for Scootaloo to jump through them, Rainbow Dash ready to catch her on the other side.

After a few hours of play with her favorite visitor, Scootaloo began to grow tired from all the activity. As evening nearly crept into night, Foggy had brought her up to bed; and the two mares now stood outside her door, where Rainbow Dash had stopped Foggy before she could walk her to the door. It was here that Rainbow Dash had steeled herself, and told Foggy:

“I’ve been thinking about adopting Scootaloo.”

The words bounced around Foggy’s head, echoing back and forth as she tried to keep up with her racing thoughts. Sage Note’s words replayed through her mind, and she gulped, taking a breath to steel herself.

“Now,” Foggy began, “are you absolutely sure you want to do this? Taking care of a foal is a big enough job as is. Raising a deaf-blind filly will be even harder.”

“I know,” Rainbow gave a small smile. “I just…” she chuckled to herself. “I’ll do whatever safety inspection you want me to do—heck, I’ll do it twice. I’ve just…I’ve been thinking for a really long time about this, and I actually just finished furnishing her room—“ her eyes widened as she caught herself. “Uh, I mean…I finished…putting together a room…that, uh, could…be hers…?”

She couldn’t help the outward cringe at her own awkwardness, glancing back up at the unicorn to find her looking at her with wide eyes. A spark shone somewhere deep inside them, before it flickered away as she seemed to remember something.

Foggy sighed. “Before we go any further, I need to tell you something.”

Rainbow Dash gave a nervous chuckle. “Okay…what is it?”

The unicorn bit her lip, before she confessed, “Scootaloo has three disabilities.”

Rainbow blinked. “Okay…what, so…” she pulled on a cool half-smile, “deaf, blind, and mute?”

“No,” Foggy couldn’t help but chuckle. “She’s nonverbal, not mute. Her voice works properly—and she uses it to communicate to a certain extent—but she doesn’t understand speech enough to properly form her own words.”

“Oh…” Rainbow’s head tilted, “then…what’s the third?”

Foggy Day chewed her lip. “How well-versed are you with developmental biology?”

Rainbow Dash grimaced. “I’m, uh…I’m not very good at all that science stuff. Twilight, on the other hoof…”

The shadow chuckled. “That’s fine. I’ll try and explain it as best I can.”

She paused for a moment in thought. “Before a pony is born, they have to develop both physically and magically. The type of development they have to undergo is based on the kind of magic specific to that pony in particular. When it works in tandem with their genetics, it determines what race of pony they are…did I lose you?”

Rainbow Dash snapped up with a blink. “No, no. I was just thinking. It’s making sense so far, go ahead.”

With a small smile, Foggy continued, “For earth ponies, the magic develops more closely to their physical status, as their magic is based around their entire body, with a leaning toward their hooves. So, their magical development begins almost the moment they are conceived.

“For unicorns, it’s much different. Our magic is tied directly to a singular part of our bodies, so our magic development cannot begin until our horns are strong enough to hold our magic. At that point, the development of both the horn and the magic it contains must work together to allow the horn to grow.

“For pegasi, it’s a combination of both. Instead of having magic evenly spread throughout your body, or concentrated to a single point, your magic is more localized to two areas of your body: your hooves and your wings.

“Just like with earth ponies, the magical development in your hooves begins the moment you begin physically developing. But pegasi magic development also has to wait for the wings to be strong enough and physically ready enough to begin tying the magic to the physical features. Then, just like with unicorns, the magic must work with the physiology of the pony to allow the wings to grow properly.”

Foggy Day paused, keeping an eye on Rainbow Dash. She could almost see the headache forming behind the pegasus’s eyes. Rainbow Dash blinked a bit as she processed the information. “Okay, uh…that all makes sense,” she offered to Foggy with a sheepish smile.

Chuckling softly, but appreciating Rainbow’s determination to learn, Foggy resumed:

“Now, the process of a pony’s development–as complicated as it is–goes wrong every once in a while. Usually, bad genetics or a miscommunication between the physical and magical parts of a pony’s development are to blame. This could lead, for example, to an earth pony that is less in-tune with the earth and more in-tune with the atmosphere. Or, for a unicorn, it may lead to their horn having an incorrect swirl pattern, or be abnormally-shaped. For a pegasus, this could potentially lead to wings that function perfectly fine in the magical sense, but not so much in the physical sense.”

“How do you mean?” Rainbow Dash asked, confused.

“They may be able to fly, but their wings are either too big or too small. The magic concentration in their wings is off, but since it’s fully there, they are still able to achieve flight. For each example I gave, the pony is still able to function with some sense of normalcy, they just have to work a little harder to understand their own magic.”

Rainbow nodded as she let the information sink in. “Heh, I actually think I know a stallion like that.”

“Oh, really?” Foggy asked.

“Yeah, he’s this pegasus in Ponyville named Bulk Biceps. He’s huge, but his wings are just…they look more like a little cluster of feathers than they do wings–I don’t even think I’ve ever seen the guy fold them. But even with all that, he can still fly. He doesn’t do it very often, it actually kinda looks like it hurts a little bit, but he still can if he needs to.”

Foggy paused, intrigued by the mental image. “Yes, that’s a classic example of magi-physical miscommunication.”

“So, is that kinda what Scoots has?” Rainbow questioned.

Silence reigned from Foggy Day as she let out a sigh through her nose. “Not exactly,” she breathed. She hesitated, choosing her next words carefully, before continuing:

“Scootaloo’s magic was stinted as she developed. Communication and her own genetics were fine, but…her magic didn’t completely fill her wings. They grew strong enough to receive the magic, and her magic tried to tie itself to her wings, but it…it was unable to do so.”

Rainbow stared at Foggy in concern. “So…what does that mean for her?”

Foggy took a small breath. “As you saw when you first met, she can interact with clouds just fine. But…because there’s not enough magic in her wings, they’ll never grow…and she’ll never be able to fly.”

Rainbow’s jaw slackened, a heavy weight settling on her heart. “But…that…that can’t…are you sure?”

A sympathetic smile pressed Foggy’s lips. “It…wasn’t a good day for either of us when we found out.” Eyes heavy with the memories, she sat quietly for a moment, before a spark shimmered in her eyes. “After the initial heartbreak, Scootaloo was silent for a day or two–I suppose she was just processing everything.” Foggy’s eyes found Rainbow’s a tearful smile on her face. “But you know what she told me after that?”

Rainbow just shook her head, enraptured with the story.

“She told me she didn’t mind never being able to fly since she wouldn’t be able to see where she was going, anyway. And she told me she didn’t want to leave the ground, anyway, since that’s where I am.”

The pegasus couldn’t help but feel her heart melt. “Of course she would say that,” she breathed.

Foggy hummed a chuckle, her smile faltering. “So, now that you know all of this,” she asked, “does it change your mind?”

Rainbow Dash paused, taken aback by the question. “What? No, of course not! Why would it?”

The shadow hesitated, then gave a sigh as she decided something internal. “Come with me.”

Suddenly nervous, Rainbow Dash complied, following Foggy back downstairs and past the entrance, entering the third door on the right. Foggy Day’s magic reached out, flipping on a light as she trotted over to a filing cabinet. Her blue aura flipped through the files before plucking one out and shutting the drawer a little too hard.

Rainbow Dash observed Foggy Day’s face, mouth pressed in a thin line out of frustration as she opened the folder. Nearly two dozen sheets, all surrounded by her aura, lifted out of the file and arranged themselves on an empty table.

Foggy glared at the sheets, before her gaze softened to something akin to saddened disappointment. “Take a look at these,” she politely commanded Rainbow Dash.

The pegasus obeyed, stepping to the table to find twenty-two nearly identical sheets, their only differences being what was actually written on them. She waited for Foggy to explain as she briefly took in the dates and numbers written down the pages. She noticed the first page began seven years ago, the next few happening mere months apart from each other, five sheets spanning two years.

The rest of the sheets seemed almost as uniform. Sometimes weeks, sometimes months, passed between where one page ended and another began, with the last one’s ending date marking over six months ago.

“What…what are these?” Rainbow Dash questioned, almost afraid to ask.

Foggy Day sighed. “These twenty-two sheets are all ponies or couples that, at one point, looked into adopting Scootaloo. All twenty-two would later change their minds, and decide caring for her would be too big of a job.”

Rainbow’s heart hit the floor. Numbly, she looked to Foggy, tears welling in both mare’s eyes.

“Some were trained and experienced,” she continued, “some were in the process of getting their certifications, some were even recommended by the agency itself. All of them turned away from her.”

She swallowed thickly. “They all had valid reasons: several experienced couples were getting to the point in their lives where caring for her would simply be too physically taxing for them. A couple inexperienced Potentials simply couldn’t rise to the challenge, be it their workload or other personal reasons.”

Rainbow’s eyes slid back to the sheets, moving to take in each and every name. Foggy felt something shift inside Rainbow, and closed her eyes against her tears as she asked, “Does this change your mind? Knowing that…even those trained to handle foals like her turned her away?”

Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink. “Yeah,” she breathed, “it does…”

Foggy clenched her jaw to keep it from trembling, and pulled on a smile, opening her teary eyes. “I understand. Please don’t feel—“

“Now I know for sure,” Rainbow Dash interjected.

The sudden response made Foggy stop, and she blinked, inquiring, “What?”

“Now I know for sure,” Rainbow repeated, brow furrowing. “A hundred percent—a hundred and twenty percent.” She looked at Foggy, face pinched in determination and eyes filling with tears.

Throat thick with her rising courage, Rainbow Dash raised her head and declared:

“I don’t care what I have to do, or how long it takes me to do it. I’m going to bring Scootaloo home with me.”

Foggy Day’s breath nearly stopped. “What…?” Something slowly sank into her brain, and a smile lit up her face. “Are…are you sure?”

Rainbow Dash gave a singular nod, looking down at the papers lining the table. “I can’t believe…how can a filly like her have had this many ponies leave her behind?” Her teeth clenched. “She’s too awesome for this to be her story.”

Tears of a much happier sort welled in Foggy Day’s eyes. Letting out a tearful, joyful laugh, she threw her hooves around Rainbow Dash. “We’ve been waiting seven years for a pony like you,” she cried.

Smiling through her own tears, Rainbow returned the hug. “Believe me, I would’ve gotten here a whole lot sooner if I knew she was waiting for me.”

The mares held each other tight only a moment longer. “Okay,” Rainbow Dash piped up excitedly, “what’s next?”

“Right, right,” Foggy Day chuckled in elation, wiping her tears as she pulled away from Rainbow Dash. “First thing’s first: house inspection. You said you had a room prepared for Scootaloo?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow nodded. “It’s…pretty cool, if I say so myself.”

The response sent another chuckle through the unicorn. “Well I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Huh?”

“In a couple days,” Foggy picked up, “I’ll come by your house and inspect it myself to give you some pointers. Is it cloud, or on the ground?”

“Uh…” Rainbow trailed, taken off-guard by the confident declaration. “Cloud.”

Foggy nodded to herself. “Does it have a big yard?”

“Uh, no…should I look into an extension?”

“No,” Foggy said, “it’s actually safer if there isn’t, so Scootaloo won’t try to run around on it. Plus, it’s safer for her to play inside when she’s on a cloud, anyway.”

Rainbow Dash nodded in thought. “Okay, uh…I was also thinking about putting lines in the walls so she can get around by herself.”

“We can look at that when I come over,” Foggy smiled.

Nearly half an hour went by as the mares talked, Foggy Day giving pointers on what to expect for a real inspection, Rainbow Dash taking down every mental note she could, each second that passed sending more and more excitement through her as it finally began to settle in her chest what was happening.

Foggy finished, “I’ll tell Scootaloo you’re busy tomorrow so you can get everything ready. Then I’ll come by the next day, and we can go from there.”

“Sweet!” Rainbow beamed. “I…thank you so much!”

The unicorn smiled right back. “Thank you.” She glanced at the clock, gawking, “Oh, wow! You need to go.”

Rainbow Dash read the time, her jaw dropping.

9:37

“What the—? When did it get so late?”

Foggy Day chuckled. “Give me your address, then go home and get some rest. I’ll be at your house the morning after tomorrow.”

The pegasus gave an excited, nervous chuckle. “Okay!”

Scootaloo pressed her face deeper into her pillow, trying her hardest to get comfortable. She’d counted to one hundred, then again, even tried moving her hooves through her mane—a tactic Foggy used to calm her down when she was younger.

Nothing was working.

And why did she feel…so wrong?

She ran through the mental checklist Foggy asked her to whenever she was sick…and found nothing. She didn’t feel too hot, or too cold; her nose wasn’t stuffy or runny; she didn’t have a headache…

So…what?

Frustrated, she kicked off her covers and felt for the edge of her bed. ‘Guess tonight’s a walking night,’ her mental hoof tapped out.

Her chest heaved in a sigh as she slid to the floor, grazing her toes forward as she began the familiar pacing, orienting herself with her dresser.

‘I need to go to sleep,’ her brain’s hoof demanded. ‘I wanna keep up with Rainbow Dash!’

As the mare’s name-sign traced itself through her mind, she felt her heart skip a beat, before she felt a deep ache in her chest.

Her throat moved nervously. Was this a symptom?

She stopped pacing, giving her full attention to her chest. Cold or flu? She took a deep breath. No, she could breathe fine. Heartburn? No, there was no burning sensation. This felt…deep in a way she couldn’t describe.

And… it was the thought of Rainbow Dash that brought it on, but…

She imagined Rainbow Dash was hugging her, and felt her throat rise in a laugh, the feeling in her chest leaving only for a moment before coming back again.

Her shoulders slumped. ‘What is happening?’ her brain-hoof asked. She sighed to herself, realizing that now all she wanted was to give Rainbow Dash a hug. But…she wasn’t here right now.

Beginning to feel her head grow heavy with her fatigue, she shuffled to her dresser, finding her Rubit’s cube before beelining for the Rainbow Dash figure she’d made. She smiled once she confirmed it was her, snatching up the hardened clay figure and moving back to her bed.

Careful not to drop the semi-fragile figure, she climbed back into bed, pulled her covers back over her, and curled up around the little Rainbow Dash. She let herself imagine the real mare’s forelegs wrapping around her, her fur as warm as her blankets, her strong hooves as gentle as the breeze.

Finally, blissfully, Scootaloo drifted off to sleep.

Two days later, Rainbow Dash perked up at the knock on her door. She sped for the entrance, smiling nervously at the unicorn that greeted her on the other side.

“Can I just say,” Foggy Day began with surprise, “your house is huge!”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Yeah. I used to have this little one-story cumulus, but then I was promoted to head of the weather team here in Ponyville, so… I was able to buy a bigger place.”

Foggy snorted. “Yes, I can see that.”

The pegasus let the mare in, and Foggy’s jaw slackened at the space she stepped into. “This is your foyer?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow smiled sheepishly. “I was thinking yesterday that this would be a good place to try her walking exercises.”

The unicorn nodded in agreement. “And where would her studies happen?”

“I was thinking the living room,” Rainbow replied, leading Foggy to the left of the massive staircase and into a modest room with a couple couches and a coffee table in the center. A coat closet in the corner was cracked open to reveal a winter vest with matching hat and boots. “I've got a little extra space in here, and I was thinking about getting a desk we could keep in the corner, or just use the coffee table.”

Foggy nodded thoughtfully. “She’s used to working at a desk, but if it would be too much of a hassle, I think the coffee table should work just fine. It will give her more room to spread out, and give you more room to teach her.”

Rainbow nodded, realizing: “Oh! Do I need to learn how to teach her?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Foggy chuckled patiently. “Right now, let’s just focus on the inspection.”

The cyan mare chuckled. “Right, so…the kitchen’s this way.” She led Foggy through the living room to the kitchen. Slightly smaller than the living room, it had only what was essential to make it functional.

Foggy looked around. “No knife block?”

“Uh…” Rainbow trailed. “No, I…” she suddenly looked a little embarrassed. “I keep them all here.” She trotted over to a drawer beside the sink, pulling it open to reveal a disorderly assortment of cutlery. “I’m working on getting them all organized, but the eating utensils are here.”

The pegasus pulled open the drawer above the knives to reveal silverware cleaned and packed neatly in an organizer. Foggy nodded. “Okay. Definitely make sure to either get those organized, or put a lock on the drawer.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow smiled sheepishly. “So…you wanna go upstairs?”

Foggy Day ran her eyes around the room one more time, much slower. “One sec,” she said thoughtfully, taking a lap around the kitchen before moving into the dining area. The unicorn looked back and forth between the space, taking in heights and edges and eyeballing distances. With a final nod, she offered a smile to Rainbow.

“Sorry, just wanted to give this a good once-over,” she explained. “You’d be surprised how dangerous kitchens can be.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously. “So…how’s this one?”

“I’ll bring it up on my full evaluation,” she replied cooly.

Rainbow Dash blinked at the change in the mare’s demeanor. Hoping she was just pulling on a professional guise, she led Foggy back to the foyer and up the stairs.

The mare trotted down the small hallway into the room meant to be Scootaloo’s, and opened the door to let her in.

Foggy’s heart jumped to her throat. This room was nearly twice the size as Scootaloo’s current room, and gave her plenty of space to do whatever she liked. The uniquely-shaped bed and detailed dresser gave enough tactile differentiation to keep the filly oriented with the room, as well as give her something she could see when she was here. The unicorn couldn’t stop looking around, spying shelves and plenty of storage for the filly the space was intended for.

“Foggy? You okay?”

Foggy Day blinked, feeling tears dripping down her cheeks. At once, she cleared her throat, swiping them away. “Sorry,” she said, clearing her throat. Nodding toward the room, she asked, “May I?”

Rainbow Dash gave a sideways nod and a smile, pretending she didn’t see the slack-jawed look on the mare’s face. Foggy trotted in, pausing briefly by the bed as she marveled at the space for only a moment.

She moved to the shelves, giving them a sturdy shake, nodding to herself when they didn’t move. “Good thinking on the top shelves,” she complemented indifferently, moving to the dresser and pulling out each drawer in turn, running a hoof along the smoothened wood inside.

With a final look and a nod, Foggy asked, “Would she have her own bathroom?”

“Yeah, right across the hall,” Rainbow Dash informed before leading her that way.

Foggy briefly took in the small space, already noticing: “The inspector is going to look for preparation here, too.” She trotted over to the tub. “Make sure you have a non-slip mat, and go ahead and get some accessories and toiletries.”

Rainbow Dash made the mental note, highlighting it. “Any specific style, or, uh…”

A small chuckle rose from Foggy. “If you go with whatever made you choose the things for her room, you should be fine.”

“Okay, cool,” Rainbow laughed. “The third floor is my room.”

The two mares trotted up to the third floor, and Foggy inspected the spaces in the same way she had the lower level. Once she had finished, she nodded to herself, and headed for the stairs.

She felt her hooves sink a little bit, and renewed the cloud-walking spell as she came back to the foyer, Rainbow Dash hot on her heels.

Her brow furrowed as she put together the final pieces of her mental report. She looked up at Rainbow Dash, and could have laughed at the bead of sweat she saw forming on the mare’s forehead.

“Well?” Rainbow Dash asked nervously, shuffling on her hooves.

Foggy leveled a no-nonsense look at Rainbow Dash, before she finally let her fun break with a smile. “I’m impressed,” she relented.

Rainbow’s eyes lit up at once. “Really?”

“Really,” Foggy nodded. “I can tell you’ve put a lot of care into this so far. The things that need improvement are simple, rookie mistakes that the agency won’t hesitate to exploit.”

Rainbow Dash nodded in understanding. “The knives?”

“Especially the knives,” Foggy teased with a raised eyebrow. “And the bathroom things, as well. Other than that and basic childproofing, I think you’ll pass inspection with flying colors.” She giggled to herself. “If you’ll pardon the pun.”

After sharing in the joke, Rainbow inquired, “So, what were you gonna suggest about the walls?”

“Ah, yes, I almost forgot.”

Foggy Day walked Rainbow Dash through the Cloudominium once more, tracing a line on the walls as she gave her suggestions and explanations, giving Rainbow Dash several options that she could try out over the next several days as she prepared for the eventual inspection.

Finally, they made their way back to the foyer, Foggy needing to leave to begin the day with Scootaloo. “So, you work on all that in the next couple days, and I’ll let Scootaloo’s agent know you’re ready to begin inspection.”

“Sweet!” Rainbow Dash beamed. “I’ll go ahead and get started on some things, and I’ll see you a little later today.”

“Excellent,” Foggy smiled. “Scootaloo missed you yesterday.”

Rainbow Dash’s heart skipped a beat. “She…she did?”

“Yes,” Foggy smiled kindly. Eyes searching the floor a moment, she decided something internal, and looked up at Rainbow Dash with teary eyes.

“I’ve shadowed many foals over my career. Some blind, some deaf, some mentally or physically handicapped. I’ve never been with a foal as long as I’ve been with Scootaloo, and I was beginning to think she’d never get adopted until you came along. She’s opened up to you far faster than any other Potential that’s come her way. I think…she wants you every bit as much as you want her.”

Rainbow’s heart nearly stopped, tears springing to her eyes. She looked back at Foggy Day with blurring vision, the unicorn effectively leaving her speechless.

A moment passed as she grappled for a response before she finally offered, “Guess I better not mess this up, then.”

Foggy smiled at the pegasus’s determination. “I’ll see you in a few hours.” Her horn flared, the azure light surrounding her body before she flashed away with a crackle, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with her thoughts.

Author's Note

This chapter is brought to you by: ‘Yes, I have thought way too long and hard about how magic and genetics work with biology’!

Scootaloo’s actually the reason I have this weird little obsession with trying to figure out how it’s all supposed to work. Of course, the full explanation I provide through this story is not going to be the same as in the actual show, but since the show never gave us a full straight answer about how magic and genetics and biology work, I figured this was the best possible fanon explanation I could provide.

Food for thought: if the Cakes—two earth ponies—had two kids that were either a pegasus or a unicorn, then what would happen if a unicorn or pegasus was born to an earth pony family in G5 pre-Sunny Starscout? Would they be shunned from their own society? Would they be killed the moment they were born? Or would they amputate the wings or horn, or otherwise maim them so they couldn’t use their magic(not knowing it was gone in the first place)?

I’m gonna stop this line of thought before I fall into the abyss that is my thoughts on G5. PM me if you want to discuss!

Chapter 4 won’t be out this quickly. The only reason this chapter came out so fast is because I already have most of it written before I even published Chapter 1. But, we’re finally getting to the good stuff, so stay tuned, and I’ll see you all soon!

Chapter 4: The Process of Adoption

Rainbow Dash grinned at Foggy as she entered the classroom, where the unicorn was wrapping up Scootaloo’s lessons for the morning. As the filly ran her hoof over a line of Braille, Foggy asked, “So, how’d it go?”

Two days before, Rainbow Dash had fully finished her preparations for inspection. The guest bathroom was finished with all the supplies Foggy had suggested. The walls now held a continuous jutting line with stops indicating whether one was at the stairs or at a door—along with which door the line stopped at; and the knives were in a sealed organizer within their drawer. Foggy had given the Cloudominium a final once-over that evening, and the inspection had been conducted the day after.

Rainbow Dash had had to stay grounded while inspection took place, and she had paced the entire time. The inspector—a pegasus from the agency—had taken two hours to go through the entire cloud house. When she was finally done, she had left the Cloudominium exactly how she’d found it, and left Rainbow Dash with a simple:

“You’ll have the results by tomorrow.”

“Fine, I think,” Rainbow Dash answered Foggy. “She didn’t really say anything, just that I’d know today.”

“Yeah,” Foggy nodded sympathetically, “that’s about how it will be from now until the adoption is finalized.”

Rainbow Dash gave a nervous chuckle. “Almost done with the lesson?”

“Yes,” Foggy smiled, right in time for Scootaloo to give a confident little hum and reach for her shadow.

The filly tapped out a sentence, apparently an answer to whatever question she had read. Foggy smiled as she replied, and Scootaloo gave a happy little laugh as she answered correctly. Foggy nodded to Rainbow Dash, who traced out her name-sign on the filly’s back.

Scootaloo responded at once with a wordless, happy shout, tilting back and reaching up. She managed to clap her hooves on Rainbow Dash’s muzzle before she completely fell out of her seat, sending Rainbow into a fit of chuckles as she helped the filly slide out of the chair and onto her lap.

“What were you learning about?” Rainbow asked the hyper filly still holding onto her snout.

The question made Scootaloo relinquish her grip, and she answered on Rainbow’s neck, “Science. I just finished my quiz on magnets.”

“Cool!” Rainbow Dash nuzzled the filly’s forehead with her own, making Scootaloo hum out a little chuckle.

“We were just about to break for lunch if you wanted to join us,” Foggy offered. “After, we need to continue with Equestrian.”

“Sure!” Rainbow Dash beamed, setting Scootaloo back down.

Just as the trio passed the entrance, it opened. “Oh, hello again!” called the pegasus.

“Hi!” Rainbow greeted, perking up at the mare who had conducted the inspection. She nodded to Foggy as the shadow continued to lead Scootaloo down the hall.

“I just came by to drop off your results,” the mare explained, holding a brown envelope out to Rainbow Dash. With a small, practiced smile, the mare turned, leaving the building before Rainbow Dash could say anything.

The mare’s brow shot up. She glanced down at the envelope, biting her lip at the sudden flare of nervousness that sprang up in her chest. She tried to blow it out, the feeling resting uncomfortably next to her heart as she trotted back after Foggy and Scootaloo.

She found the filly sitting at a table as she waited for Foggy to finish making her lunch. She swayed a bit, face close to the table edge as her hooves barely grazed the surface.

Rainbow Dash grinned, hearing the little noises Scootaloo made as she daydreamed. She set the envelope down, sitting as she watched the filly playing with the table surface. Little wordless whispers rose from her mouth as her forehooves moved back and forth in different directions and patterns. She let out a coo, hooves rocking as if walking towards each other. Scootaloo pressed her hooves together, hum rising in a pitch only little fillies like herself could reach.

Rainbow’s ear flicked as she heard a low chuckle bounce from the kitchen, Foggy Day trotting out with a sandwich in her magic. “She does that all the time,” she grinned.

Rainbow Dash giggled, Scootaloo perking up as she felt the little tmp of the plate touching the table. Foggy tapped something out on Scootaloo’s shoulder, levitating over a cup of water. Scootaloo hummed as she nodded, and Foggy approached Rainbow Dash.

“So…what’s it say?”

“I haven’t checked yet,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “I’m a little scared to, honestly.”

Foggy gave the pegasus a sympathetic smile, glancing down at Scootaloo. “Why don’t we go to the office and take a look?”

Rainbow swallowed her fear and nodded, picking up the envelope and following Foggy back down the hall. The unicorn led her back into the office where she had shown Rainbow Dash the twenty-two sheets, and looked at the pegasus with an excited spark in her eyes.

Rainbow Dash held the envelope out, her hooves beginning to shake. “I…I don’t know if I can…” she looked up at Foggy desperately. “Can you read it?”

The unicorn in question blinked, smiling kindly as she gave a determined nod. She levitated the envelope over to herself, opened it. The papers slid out easily, and Foggy flipped the generic report over to the evaluation rubric. Her eyes flicked back and forth down the page, widening as they went. They ticked back up, Foggy reading the page a second time before she finally looked back up to Rainbow Dash in shock.

“Rainbow Dash…you didn’t pass inspection…”

The pegasus’s heart stopped, only to restart again as Foggy Day declared:

“You aced it!”

Rainbow Dash nearly forgot how to breathe. “What…?”

Foggy whipped the page around. “Look at this,” she said excitedly, sending the page to her. She pointed at the comments. “Your inspector was impressed with everything, and even noted that you did things they weren’t expecting!”

Rainbow peered at the page. “Wait, seriously? The wall thing isn’t required?”

“No,” Foggy replied with a small smile. “But you were so dead-set on it, anyway, I didn’t want to tell you otherwise.”

Rainbow Dash gave a wry grin back to the shadow before her eyes trailed down the sheet, landing on the final, circled conclusion.

Highly Suitable

Her heart leapt to her throat, and her wings took over as they sent her into the air, giving a shout of pure excitement. Practically vibrating, she forced herself to land. “Okay, okay…what’s next?”

“Well…” Foggy grinned, her expression bordering somewhere between sympathy and humor, “the good news is…the agency knows you’re interested, and you’ve officially started the process of adopting a disabled foal.”

Rainbow Dash felt a pang of worry. “And…the bad news…?”

“You’ve only completed step one of six.”

Foggy could have laughed at the sudden slack-jaw look Rainbow gave. “More good news,” she chuckled, “you're already in the middle of step two and you’re well over halfway done with step three.”

Rainbow Dash felt a bit of blood return to her features. “Okay…” she swallowed. “What are steps two and three?”

“Step two: Communication Lessons.” Rainbow Dash sighed in relief. “You need to complete official lessons from an official teacher. Most of it is things you’ve already learned, but there are a few specialized lessons like helping a deaf-blind foal adjust to their surroundings and how to educate them that you need to take.”

“Okay,” Rainbow Dash nodded thoughtfully, her confidence growing. “What’s step three?”

“Meeting with the foal for at least 48 total hours.”

“How many do I have?”

“As of today, 35.”

An airy chuckle escaped Rainbow’s lips. “Okay, uh…what are the rest of the steps?”

Foggy grinned at her determination. “Step four: Observation. You need to interact with Scootaloo while under observation from one of the agents. This will let them know you know how to properly handle her as well as show them she trusts you. She won’t know you’re being evaluated, so whatever she does that day will have to be entirely handled by you without any help from me or the agent.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, completely enraptured by the information.

“Step five,” Foggy continued, “is the actual interview. They’ll ask you your reasons for adopting, your history with Scootaloo, and what your long-term plans are. I’ve sat through countless interviews with ponies, and even conducted a few. I can conduct mock interviews with you, but I can’t help you with your answers and I won’t be able to be present during your interview, as I am a biased party.”

“Uh…biased?”

Tears welled in Foggy’s eyes. “My input would be…looked down upon, because the agency wants uninvolved parties to review your case to make sure Scootaloo is going to the best possible home for her. I’m biased because…I’ve already decided you’re the best possible home for Scootaloo.”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t have stopped smiling even if she wanted to. “Guess you can’t put in a good word for me?”

The unicorn’s head bounced in thought. “They may ask my opinion, since I’ve seen your relationship grow from day one; but it doesn’t mean a thing if they don’t like what they see.”

Rainbow nodded nervously. “And…Step 6?”

Foggy smiled. “Signing the papers.”

The pegasus could have burst at the wave of joy that pulsed through her heart. Shaking, she asked, “Should we tell Scootaloo?”

Chuckling, Foggy replied, “Not yet. She’s pretty excitable. It’ll be more of a surprise to tell her the day you sign the papers.”

The very thought was enough to send a shiver through Rainbow’s chest. She could already see the little filly laughing in excitement, hugging her as tight as she could, Rainbow Dash returning the gesture tenfold.

“So…when do lessons happen?”

“Every two weeks, the agency holds two day-long lessons for Potentials, new shadows, and anypony in the public who may be interested,” Foggy explained. “The next lessons happen in three days, and all you need to move on to the next step is proof you attended them. The teacher will sign off on everypony who completes the lessons. In your case, it will automatically move you on to step three.”

She gave a small smile. “The first day may be a bit boring to you, since it will be learning EHS. But the next day will be learning how to guide a blind pony through a new space, followed by how to homeschool disabled foals. Many of the techniques are similar, but once your lessons are done, we can practice here with Scootaloo specifically.”

Rainbow Dash, completely taken by the information, only nodded, a tsunami of joy crashing over her.

“Speaking of Scootaloo,” Foggy glanced up at the clock. “She’s probably done with her lunch by now. Let’s go get her.”

“Okay!”

Three days later, Rainbow Dash arrived at her communication lesson to be met with both the teacher and four others who were going through similar processes. Three were in training to become shadows, the fourth was there simply to learn.

She breezed through the first half of the communication lessons, and was even able to give some pointers to one of the future shadows struggling to adjust. By the time the day was over, she had helped those learning almost as much as the teacher.

The following day, she arrived earlier than anypony.

Well, almost.

A pony who wasn’t present yesterday sat in the front row, a mustard-colored stallion with jet black mane patiently awaiting the teacher and the other students.

“Hi,” Rainbow Dash greeted cheerfully. “Here already? How long have you been here?”

“Oh, hello,” the stallion returned, shyly turning toward Rainbow Dash, his brown eyes staying trailed to the ground. “Uh, not long. I was just waiting on everypony to get here. I’m helping with the lesson today.”

“Oh, okay,” Rainbow smiled, offering the stallion her hoof. “I’m Rainbow Dash.”

The stallion hesitated, eyes flicking near her hoof before he slowly took it, smiling shyly as they connected. “Onyx Star.”

“So, what will you be helping with today?” Rainbow inquired.

Onyx Star smiled warmly. “I’m your practice dummy.”

At once, Rainbow Dash felt she’d hit a mental wall. “Uh…what?”

The pegasus stallion erupted in a fit of chuckles. “Sorry,” he waved, rubbing a mirthful tear from his eye. “I joke around like that sometimes. Doc says it’s some kind of coping mechanism.”

“Uh, coping mechanism for what?”

The stallion gave her a wry grin. Rainbow Dash tried to read his face, finally noticing the way his eyes moved, flicking back and forth, jolting to the various light sources in the room and not landing on her face.

She gasped. “Oh, my gosh, you’re blind!”

Onyx Star laughed, “Was it not obvious?”

“Not to me,” Rainbow admitted sheepishly.

“That’s fine,” Onyx chuckled. “I’ll actually take that as a compliment, so thank you.”

Now it was Rainbow Dash who was smiling shyly, a blush creeping into her cheeks. “Can I, uh…ask an awkward question?” she slowly asked.

“Shoot.” Onyx met her shyness with a cool confidence.

“How, um…your eyes aren’t cloudy. I’m about to adopt a deaf-blind filly, and her eyes are cloudy. Why aren’t yours?”

Onyx smiled at the question. “That would have to do with the differences in the natures of our specific blindnesses. The cloudiness sounds like some kind of damage to either her lenses or corneas.

“For me specifically, I have a degenerative disease that’s eating away at my retinas. Ever since foalhood, I’ve slowly been seeing less and less until now, where I can only make out certain shapes as they reflect and bend around light, as well as light sources themselves. By this time next year, I won’t be able to see anything.”

“Oh…that…really sucks,” Rainbow sympathized.

“Eh, it’s fine,” Onyx waved off. “I’m adjusting fairly well, and my family’s been very supportive through the whole thing. Plus, I get to help out in things like this. Educating myself and others in different disabilities has kinda been my passion ever since I was diagnosed.”

The stallion’s resolve made Rainbow Dash smile. “Well I think you’re doing pretty awesome with that.”

Onyx chuckled. “Well, most of this is probably because of my disease. I can’t say I’d be doing the same thing if I was what society calls ‘normal’.” He emphasized the word with air quotes. “Honestly, I’m just happy to hear ponies like you want to learn so you can adopt. But…usually, Potentials go through all the training and then go looking for a foal. You're…kinda the opposite. How’d that happen?”

Rainbow chuckled, taking a seat. “Well, it started with me helping my friend host a party…”

Onyx Star listened enraptured at the story Rainbow Dash told him. Rainbow Dash found herself telling Onyx everything, the stallion listening with an accepting ear as she told him all her fears and worries for what might happen once everything became final; and if she was even doing the right thing, since she was clearly the least experienced pony to even try and attempt what she was doing.

“Hey,” Onyx interrupted her before she began to spiral, a hoof reaching out and managing to land on her shoulder. “You’re doing great. One small thing I don’t entirely agree on with Potentials is they become certified before they go to find the foal they can love. You loved her first, and now you’re doing everything you can to make sure you can provide for her, right?”

“Y-yeah,” Rainbow squeaked, a tension she didn’t realize she was holding leaving her shoulders. “I just…nothing usually rattles me, but…for some reason, I…I’ve never been this nervous about anything before.”

Onyx gave her a calming smile. “Well, from the sound of it…Scootaloo kinda rocked your entire world. Let me ask you this: if somepony had told you a year ago that right now you’d be getting ready to adopt a disabled foal, what would you have done?”

Rainbow gave the question a moment of thought. “Honestly…I’d probably laugh. I’d brush them off, scoff, probably; and…I wouldn’t give it a second thought.”

“Well, there you go,” Onyx nudged. “You’re exploring a part of yourself you didn’t know was there, all because you fell in love with a filly you now want to adopt. It’s gonna be nerve wracking sometimes, and trust me:” his searching eyes sparked with a smile. “You are not the first nervous new guardian I’ve met, and you will definitely not be the last. Nervousness is just part of the process. Take it like this: it means you care about her, and you don’t want to mess up, which is a good thing.”

Rainbow Dash’s nerves didn’t leave from the stallion’s words, not completely. But…they did allow her to feel more comfortable. For the first time, she allowed herself to wade in her nervousness, her anxiety for once not trying to drown her, and instead making her more keenly aware of the intense emotions she felt toward the very reason she was even here today.

For the first time, she felt the way the two emotions intermingled. For the first time, she noticed their back-and-forth was more like a conversation than a battlefield.

Of course she was nervous. She was nervous because she loved her. She loved Scootaloo with every fiber of her being…and yeah, it made her a little nervous.

Breathing a small, relieved sigh, Rainbow Dash nudged Onyx Star. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Onyx smiled back. “How ‘bout I give you some pointers before class starts?”

“Sure!”

“How did your lessons go?” Foggy asked Rainbow Dash.

“Great!” the pegasus replied, trying to handle the filly hugging her tight after not seeing her for two days. “Met this stallion named Onyx Star, he helped out with the hooves-on training.”

“Aw, you met Onyx?” Foggy gushed. “He’s a sweetheart, isn’t he?”

“Oh, you know him?” Rainbow asked as Scootaloo wiggled her way onto Rainbow’s back.

Foggy smiled, “Yes. Funnily enough, we had our first lessons together.”

“Woah, really?”

“Mm-hmm. My training as a shadow began around the same time as his diagnosis, and we just so happened to have our first EHS lesson together.” Her smile gained a thin layer of sadness as she continued, “I see him every once in a while helping out at the agency. He was offered a job there when he was a teenager; but pretty soon after that, he lost over fifty percent of his sight. He helps where he can, and the agency is more than accommodating.”

“Yeah, he was really excited to help out with the second day of lessons.”

Foggy couldn’t help her chuckle. “Yes, he once told me that was his favorite thing to help out with.” With a wry grin she asked, “Did he say anything that took you off-guard?”

Rainbow Dash nodded incredulously, “Yeah, actually. He called himself a practice dummy.”

A good-natured laugh hopped from Foggy’s throat. “Yes, he has a very interesting sense of humor.” Her eyes flicked to Scootaloo. “I’ve noticed Scootaloo has been developing something similar, though hers doesn’t seem as dry.”

“I’ve noticed a couple things, too,” Rainbow Dash piped up. “Is, um…is that…okay?”

Foggy gave her unease a peaceful smile. “Yes. It’s perfectly normal. There isn’t really a name for having a sense of humor about one’s own disabilities, but it seems to be par for the course, in some cases. From what I’ve seen, it tends to do two things: it allows the disabled pony to acknowledge the disability so the other party doesn’t have to; and shows the disabled pony has no hard feelings surrounding the disability. This tends to make things less awkward for others, so they can focus on the pony and not just the disability.”*

“Huh,” Rainbow Dash hummed, Scootaloo climbing to standing on the mare’s shoulders and flopping her chin over Rainbow’s head. “I never would’ve guessed.”

Scootaloo lay her cheek on top of Rainbow’s head, the mare giving a chuckle and reaching up to tussle the filly’s mane. The little pegasus hummed contently, leaning into the gesture.

“Why don’t we go out so you can practice?” Foggy suggested. “We can grab something from the bakery just down the road.”

“Okay!” Rainbow beamed.

“So…” Rainbow Dash faltered, glancing down at Scootaloo, “is it okay if I ask something?”

Foggy Day smiled warmly. “Absolutely. Never feel bad for asking questions out of genuine curiosity.” She gave a chuckle. “Considering your position, I’d honestly be worried if you weren’t asking questions.”

Rainbow Dash smiled nervously, “I, uh…I wanted to ask…how, um…” her eyes found the filly, happily eating her cupcake, a couple crumbs dotting the corners of her mouth. “How…is she deaf-blind? I mean…how is…what happened that made her…the way she is?” She blushed furiously at the question that refused to come out with any form of grace.

She glanced up at Foggy, whose eyes had landed on Scootaloo, a twinge of panic in her expression. As the unicorn watched the filly giggle around a bite of dessert, a pain flared up behind her eyes. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, a newborn foal screamed.

“Foggy?”

Foggy jolted with a small breath, coming back to reality. “Sorry,” she said, rubbing the bridge of her muzzle as the phantom pains died down. She offered a smile of peace to Rainbow’s worry, and answered:

“Her deafness is actually a birth defect. Things just weren’t developing properly, and now the crucial components of her middle ear are almost missing. This has left her completely stone deaf.”

She paused as Scootaloo, done with her snack, tried to reach for a napkin. A chuckle rose in Foggy’s throat as Rainbow Dash helped the filly clean her hooves and mouth. Once the small task was done, Scootaloo reached for Rainbow Dash, and the older pegasus pulled the filly into her lap, giving Foggy her attention once again as Scootaloo played with her hoof.

Foggy’s demeanor grew a bit forlorn as she picked up, “She was almost dangerously premature, and her eyes weren’t strong enough to handle the strain of birth. The blood vessels swelled, which ultimately caused a full detachment of her retinas; and her corneas were ripped apart in the process.”

Rainbow Dash held the filly in her lap like a teddy bear, her chin resting in Scootaloo’s mane. “So,” she asked nervously, feeling light-headed from all the new information, “is that why her eyes are cloudy?”

“Yes,” Foggy nodded. “The cloudiness is from her scarred corneas, but the main reason behind her blindness is the lack of retinas.”

The younger mare nodded. “Got it. Thanks for telling me,” she smiled sheepishly.

“Not a problem,” Foggy returned. As Rainbow Dash gave her attention to Scootaloo, Foggy Day gave hers to the street clock on the corner. She grinned to herself, the hands of time lining up right where she was hoping they would.

She looked back to the pegasus duo, Rainbow Dash chuckling softly as Scootaloo leaned back against her, pulling Rainbow’s mane onto her own face and blowing against the green, blue, and purple strands that would fall back over her eyes, leaving the filly giggling.

“Congratulations, Rainbow Dash,” Foggy said, beaming.

The pegasus in question looked up in surprise. “Uh…what?”

Foggy Day couldn’t help her chuckle. “As of two minutes ago, you’ve completed step three.”

Rainbow’s jaw fell open, Scootaloo squirming around to face the tri-colored part of her mane, beginning to twist and turn it as if figuring out how to braid it.

“Are you serious?” Rainbow Dash breathed.

Smile only growing, Foggy nodded. “You’re now officially ready to complete step four.”

A smile crawled up Rainbow’s face, and she hugged Scootaloo tighter. The filly hummed a chuckle, snaking her hooves around the older pegasus’s neck and hugging her tight. Rainbow Dash smiled tearfully at the little filly, nuzzling her head.

Foggy gave her own chuckle. “I’ll contact her agent. Observation should happen in the next couple days, I’ll let you know the date. Scootaloo won’t know, but you will.”

“Okay,” Rainbow Dash nodded, looking back down at Scootaloo. Her smile gained a mischievous tint, and she blew a tiny puff of breath against Scootaloo’s ear.

The filly squealed a laugh, pushing away from the mare and scrunching her face up at her. Rainbow returned the look, rubbing her nose on Scootaloo’s, catching the filly’s hooves before she could capture Rainbow’s face again.

“Nice try, Scoots. I know all your tricks.”

Scootaloo gave a playful, wordless groan, tipping back in dramatic defeat before flopping forward onto Rainbow’s chest again, laughing madly.

Foggy Day put away the letter, smiling to herself. Straight from Sage Note, the message revealed Observation would take place the day after tomorrow.

Grinning, the shadow filed it away to show Rainbow Dash when she got there, and went to wake Scootaloo.

The shadow flipped on the light, frowning when she instantly saw Scootaloo trudging along her wall on the other side of her room. She reached out with her magic, gently nudging the filly’s fetlock.

Scootaloo perked up at once, her head swiveling to the door. Foggy trotted in, lightly touching her shoulder. “How long have you been up?”

The filly’s eyes carried little bags as they twitched back and forth. She took Foggy’s hoof. “I don’t know. I woke up, and I walked 10 times, then went back to bed, but I still couldn’t sleep. I walked 10 more times, but I still can’t. This is my third time.”

“Is there something on your mind?”

She saw Scootaloo’s jaw clench, and the filly tapped, “No.”

Though it was obviously a lie, Foggy didn’t try to push her. “Why don’t you just sit with me for a little bit?”

Scootaloo nodded sleepily, and Foggy picked her up. Sitting against the wall, Foggy pulled Scootaloo’s head to her chest, lightly rocking her and passing a hoof through her mane.

Foggy felt Scootaloo slowly relax, the filly’s anxiety finally giving way to her exhaustion through Foggy’s coaxing. Scootaloo snuggled deeper into Foggy, giving a content little hum as she finally fell asleep.

Rainbow Dash knocked on Scootaloo’s door, the attendant having sent her this way, explaining Foggy and Scootaloo hadn’t been down yet.

“Come in,” lightly called Foggy’s voice.

The mare poked her head in, Foggy Day giving her a small smile as she held Scootaloo close.

“Is she okay?” Rainbow asked.

“I think so,” Foggy answered. “She has trouble with insomnia every once in a while. Since she can’t see the sun, her body tends to have issues discerning when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. Usually, she walks around and tires out her body again, and she’s able to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, last night proved to be a bit more difficult than that.”

Rainbow frowned in sympathy for the filly. “So…how do you handle that?”

“I usually let her sleep for a couple more hours, then get started with the lessons of the day. Thankfully, usually being a little more tired than usual during the day helps her sleep better the next night.”

“That’s good, at least,” Rainbow offered, sitting next to Foggy as her eyes rested on the filly, taking mental notes on the way Foggy was holding her.

“I do have some news, at least,” Foggy offered.

“Yeah?”

Foggy gave the pegasus a smile. “You’ve been approved for observation. The evaluator will be by the day after tomorrow.”

Rainbow’s jaw dropped. “Really?!”

“Really,” Foggy smiled. “So, I’m thinking I’ll mostly let you handle her today and tomorrow as practice for the real deal, okay? I can be present, but won’t be able to help in any way during your actual observation, okay?”

“Okay,” Rainbow nodded in determination. She glanced at the clock. “So, what’s her lesson today? Maybe I can go ahead and read what you had planned?”

Foggy smiled at the mare’s integrity. “Mathematics. The folder’s on her desk in the classroom.”

“Cool,” Rainbow beamed. “I, uh…I think I’ll be ready when she wakes up.”

“Alright,” Foggy grinned, pressing a hoof into Scootaloo’s mane. “See you in a little bit.”

For two days, Rainbow practiced, Foggy by her side each step of the way. With help from the shadow, she became familiar with Scootaloo’s style of learning, riding each wave of excitement right along with the filly as concepts clicked and misunderstandings were ironed out.

Scootaloo, during her time with Rainbow Dash, found something deep in her chest begin to boil. She only showed happiness and excitement to the mare, each smile making the intangible wound fester and writhe. As the hours passed, she found the odd pain harder and harder to ignore. By the end of the second day of Rainbow Dash teaching her, she was unable to focus on anything other than the roiling waves of raw emotion that she didn’t have a name for.

Foggy Day frowned down at the filly, sitting still at her desk, eyes panning back and forth as she didn’t seem to notice the paper right in front of her, despite Rainbow Dash having just told her to work on it. She knelt down at the filly’s level, unable to make out the look on the filly’s face.

She sensed…something. It was…she didn’t know what it was, but…whatever it was, it had captured Scootaloo’s attention, and wasn’t letting go anytime soon.

“How about a break?” Foggy Day suggested. “She seems distracted. Maybe you could take her out for a little bit? It’s been a while since you’ve taken her flying.”

Rainbow’s brow furrowed, noticing the same thing, thinking the same thing. She nodded, touching Scootaloo’s shoulder, the filly flinching at the sudden touch that snapped her from her thoughts.

“Wanna take a break?” Rainbow asked. “We can go flying, if you want.”

Scootaloo gave her a little smile, something in the expression cracking. Still, the filly nodded, using Rainbow’s hoof to pull herself out of her chair.

The hole in Scootaloo’s chest grew an inch as Rainbow Dash helped her climb onto her back. Her wings felt heavy as the older pegasus walked before finally taking off.

The wind made Scootaloo’s skin crawl. She hugged Rainbow Dash tighter, the parts of her touching the mare being the only thing that felt right in the midst of all the wrong she was experiencing.

She wished she could stay up here with her forever.

The longer they flew, the larger the hole grew. Dread began rising up from the strange abyss, the filly knowing each second that passed was one closer to Rainbow leaving again.

But…she’d be back again tomorrow…

…Right?

“So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Rainbow Dash asked as she helped Scootaloo off her back.

“School,” Foggy Day replied. “It’s what was planned, anyway, and it’ll be as calm as possible. Scootaloo shouldn’t suspect a thing, especially after the practice we’ve had.”

Rainbow nodded. “Cool.” She nudged Scootaloo with her nose. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” Scootaloo replied, her mouth twitching in its smile.

Rainbow Dash held her hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder, the filly’s face falling a bit as the pegasus addressed the unicorn. “What time do I need to get here?”

“First thing,” Foggy answered. “The longer observation lasts, the better. And…” she leveled a playfully serious look at Rainbow Dash, “it’s probably not a good idea to take her flying tomorrow. I don’t know who will think what about that, so it’d be best to stay as safe as possible tomorrow and keep her on the ground.”

“Okay,” Rainbow chuckled. “See you tomorrow!”

Scootaloo’s throat moved in a groan as she turned over again, her brain’s hoof working in overdrive as she thought as hard as she could. The subject of her internal predicament, the reason she had woken up in the middle of the night—and was still wide awake after four counts to a hundred: Rainbow Dash.

The older pegasus had been around for…Scootaloo had lost track at this point. But…it was definitely longer than the others.

Her mind brought her to the twenty-seven figures standing behind the little figure that was Foggy Day. Those twenty-seven weren’t all that had come before, they were just the ones she could remember. She knew what they had all come by for, she’d been told as much.

She knew why they left, too.

But…Rainbow Dash had first met her at a party, as one of the planners. Foggy had explained that, too. She had no connection to the orphanage, and she definitely didn’t have a reason to keep coming back. So…why did she?

Scootaloo’s breath caught in her throat. Was she really…? No, no. That had to be impossible. She’d had to teach Rainbow Dash EHS, when all the others already knew it. And over the past several days, it was Rainbow Dash dealing with her the most, when the three of them went to the bakery, and during her classes…as if she were learning how to handle her. So…was that it?

Was she just…learning?

…About…taking care of foals like her?

Scootaloo felt something inside her crack. Was she just…training to become a shadow, like Foggy? Or worse…was she about to replace Foggy?

Tears stung her eyes. Was Foggy sick? Was Foggy going to leave her, too? That…that couldn’t be it…

Could it?

She furiously shook her head, clapping a hoof to her temple to try and knock the spiraling thoughts out of her head. She forced herself to think about a different possibility:

What if Rainbow Dash was…going to…

She grit her teeth, her mental hoof hesitating to actually spell out the word. Even if she was…But, what if she wasn’t…?

Tears dripped and dragged across the bridge of her muzzle. The ache that had appeared in her chest about a week ago suddenly opened up again, threatening to tear a hole right through her. Suddenly, the only thing she wanted was to feel Rainbow Dash holding her again, nuzzling her forehead or tickling her nose.

It made a lump rise to her throat. Out of all the ponies she’d ever met, she’d never missed them before. Sure, she had enjoyed her time with some of them; but others, she honestly found boring.

Still, she never, not once, gave it a second thought when they ultimately left—though she would never admit to the pang of disappointment that pierced her heart every time they did. She could never tell if it was disappointment in them for getting her hopes up…or disappointment in herself for being…unadoptable.

She hit her head again, banishing the horrid thought. She was adoptable…she was adoptable…

So, then…why hadn’t Rainbow Dash said anything?

She thought back to the name-sign Rainbow Dash had given her, tracing it on her chest with a smile. The only time she’d ever asked for a name-sign was during the first ever visit she could remember. After giving the couple their name-signs, she’d asked them what they thought a good one for her would be.

They told her they couldn’t give her one, that it wasn’t their place to, that another deaf-blind pony should give her a name-sign.

That was the first time she remembered feeling disappointment, and ever since…she’d always told herself, always known…

Whoever cared enough about her to give her a name-sign…would be the one to bring her home.

Rainbow Dash had done that on day four. The third day she’d come back. On her second day of knowing Equestrian Hoof-Speak.

…

Was she the one?

…

…

Should she just ask?

The proposal made her heart jump. No, she couldn’t do that. What if she said no…?

What if she said yes?

A small smile crept up Scootaloo’s face, before she shot it down with another hard shake of her head. She couldn’t ask that…

Why not…?

Because…because…

Her tears sprang up anew, and the thought flew through her head faster than she could stop it:

‘Because I’m just a job! Because of how hard it’ll be to raise me!’

She clutched at her head, trying with all her might to fight down the thought she knew was coming, failing as it jolted through her brain, shocking her down to her soul:

‘I can’t ask her to adopt me…because of how hard it is to love me!’

The little filly, alone in her bed, burst into weeping. She knew it would be hard for anypony. Rainbow and Foggy probably weren’t saying anything because it wasn’t going to happen…

No matter how badly she wanted it.

So many things in her life she was used to going without. Sight. Sound. Voice. She couldn’t have any of that, and she was fine with it. She was used to it.

So…why? Why was this—why was Rainbow Dash…the one thing she couldn’t stand to think about being apart from?

And why did RainbowDash keep. Coming. BACK!

It frustrated her to no end. If she wasn’t going to do anything, then she should just LEAVE! Everypony should just leave!

If they all just ignored her, then she wouldn’t be a burden to anypony. No pony would have to carry her, no pony would have to help her learn how to live, no pony would have to spend every waking moment with her!

She clutched at her head, pulling on her mane. Thoughts spiraling out of control, she writhed from her own internal torment.

Scootaloo let out a shout she couldn’t hear, not caring how loud she was. What did it matter, when no pony stayed long enough to hear her, anyway?

She slammed a hoof down onto her head, trying to beat the intangible hooves out of her mind.

‘Go away!’ The one mind-hoof she seemed to still have control over slammed itself against the others as she slammed her hoof down onto her ear, trying to use the physical pain to snap her from the mental.

‘Go away!’ She internally screamed, the hooves multiplying, all tapping the same things over, and over, and over again.

Unlovable…

Unadoptable…

Unwanted…

Useless…

‘GO AWAY!!!’

Her throat constricted as she screamed, tears falling across her face. She clutched at her mane, burying her face in her pillow and slamming her hoof into the back of her head.

She cried out against the pain she had caused herself, raising her hoof for another strike against the hooves that only gained strength inside her head.

A hoof grabbed her own, and suddenly she had a new target.

Intrusive hooves stampeding, she yanked her hoof away, twisting around and striking.

Rainbow Dash landed gracefully on the top steps, taking a breath to steady her fluttering heart. “Okay,” she blew out a nervous breath, “it’s just a normal day. Everything’s normal, just spend some time with her. Help with her lesson, play with her, whatever she wants to do. No big deal.”

Stomach using her gut as a tumbling mat, Rainbow Dash knocked on the door.

It opened at once, a dusty clay stallion with golden mane greeting her with cool, icy blue eyes. “Can I help you?”

The unfamiliar stallion’s demeanor immediately shattered her confidence, though she didn’t know why. “Uh, I…” she swallowed, her throat suddenly dry as she felt sweat bead on her forehead. “I’m here…for, uh…I have…observation today…”

The stallion raised an eyebrow, and stepped aside, allowing Rainbow Dash in. “I was wondering when you were going to get here,” he grumbled as she passed the door.

“Uh…sorry?”

The stallion brushed down his suit jacket as the door closed. “You must be Miss Rainbow Dash, correct?”

“Y-yes, I am,” she replied, fighting as hard as she could against the tremble in her voice.

The earth pony nodded. “I’ll be conducting your observation today with Miss Scootaloo.”

“Oh, okay!” Rainbow Dash tried to sound chipper in the face of her sudden fear. She offered the stallion her hoof. “It’s nice to meet you.”

The stallion raised an eyebrow again, and Rainbow Dash awkwardly took her hoof back. He nodded to the hall. “I’m sure you know where her room is. Lead the way.”

Rainbow Dash gulped, unable to deny how intimidating the stallion was. Nothing in his physical stature, nor the way he carried himself made her think so, but…she couldn’t help fearing what would happen should anypony get on this stallion’s bad side.

With a nod, she trotted down the hall, fighting with everything in her to run from the stallion tailing her. She set her mind on Scootaloo, and instantly most of her fear subsided, replaced by the love that threatened to bring her to her knees. Her confidence growing, she climbed the stairs, all too aware of the stallion following close behind.

When she rounded the corner, she was met with a sight that instantly made her heart sink. The other attendant was talking in a hushed tone to Foggy Day, who was holding something against her cheek.

“Foggy?” Rainbow Dash asked as she approached.

The unicorn jumped, startled eyes finding Rainbow immediately. Her gaze flicked between Rainbow Dash and the stallion behind her, irises shrinking. “Oh dear, um…” she trailed, instinctively lowering her hoof, only to catch herself and press the ice pack back against her cheek.

Rainbow Dash’s jaw slackened, fear and worry flooding her chest as she saw the blackening bruise under Foggy’s eye. “What happened?” she gaped.

Foggy hesitated, her eyes flicking to the evaluator again. “Scootaloo’s…having a bad day.”

“What? Is she okay?” Rainbow asked.

“I-I don’t know,” Foggy admitted, adjusting the ice. “She started screaming about an hour ago, and when I went to check on her, she was…” her eyes shimmered with tears. “She was hitting herself, and when I tried to stop her, she lashed out at me.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened in worried horror. “Let me see her.” She moved to rush past Foggy, only to be stopped as the unicorn stepped in her way, looking at her with pleading eyes.

“Rainbow Dash—“ she looked, once again, to the stallion behind her. “If you go in there, observation will begin.”

The pegasus hesitated, easily reading the look in Foggy Day’s eyes. Today, things were the furthest away from normal that they could possibly be. Today, nothing was going to go well.

Today was the absolute worst day to have observation.

Rainbow Dash’s ear flicked, hearing the faintest of cries floating from the other side of the closed door. She located the sound with her eyes, the world around her falling away.

A catch of a breath.

A sob.

The weepings of a distraught filly.

Something flared up inside Rainbow Dash. Almost angrily, she replied, “I don’t care.”

She moved around Foggy, heading for the door. If the shadow had said anything after that, she didn’t hear it. All she could bring herself to care about right now was the little filly crying alone in her room.

Screw the observation.

Screw the consequences.

Scootaloo was crying, and Rainbow Dash vowed to do whatever it took to see her smiling again.

Ignoring the stallion behind her, she opened the door.

Rainbow Dash found Scootaloo immediately. The little filly lay on her stomach on her bed, holding a pillow over her head. Another sob shook her body, and she seemed to try and press the pillow deeper into her bed, as if trying to crush her head underneath it.

The older pegasus approached the bed at once, worried the filly would suffocate herself. The moment she sat down on the bed, Scootaloo responded.

An infuriated shout erupted from the filly as she scrambled to standing, yanking up her pillow and swinging it at the intruder with all her might.

Rainbow blocked the pillow with a foreleg before it could strike her in the face, heart clenching at Scootaloo’s red, drenched face and puffy eyes.

Scootaloo shouted again, reeling back for a second blow. Rainbow Dash caught the pillow, hugging it to her chest. As Scootaloo tried to yank it away from her, Rainbow Dash traced her name-sign on Scootaloo’s fetlock.

Scootaloo felt the toe of a hoof trace out the familiar name-sign, Rainbow’s touch leaving her skin tingling. At once, every involuntary thought trampling her brain suddenly vanished, leaving her with the phantom pains of disappointment and the gash of self-loathing ripping its way through her soul.

Of course Rainbow Dash had shown up now, of all the times. And she couldn’t even…she couldn’t even…

Rainbow Dash felt a sharp pain in her chest when the filly’s eyes widened, tears still freely falling from them. Scootaloo’s face pinched, mouth stretching in a frown as she let out a tiny sob. Her face fell, and the little filly just sat on her bed, head hanging as she cried.

The mare swallowed the lump in her throat, and reached for her. “What’s wrong, kiddo?”

Scootaloo shook her head, another sob escaping her as she put her head in her hooves.

“You don’t know? Or you don’t want to tell me?”

Again, Scootaloo just shook her head. She pulled a hoof away, reaching for Rainbow Dash. Rainbow gave her a hoof, and Scootaloo grabbed it with both of her own. She brought Rainbow’s hoof to her face, sobbing as she nuzzled Rainbow’s hoof with her forehead.

Rainbow sat there a moment, letting Scootaloo feel her hoof as she tried to calm herself down, her own tears pricking her eyes as the filly repeated the motion that stole her heart from day one.

Scootaloo sniffed, throat moving in a whimper, wanting to be closer to Rainbow. Trying to steady her breathing, she pulled herself up, trudging to the dip in the bed that was Rainbow and stopping once her head connected with the mare’s chest.

She felt Rainbow Dash move a bit, and shuddered when the mare’s hoof ran between her wings, the other easing around her before she was pulled into Rainbow’s lap.

Her tears began anew, an aching deep in her chest telling her she never wanted Rainbow Dash to leave ever again. It was a pain that told her she wouldn’t be able to live without the mare she was pressed against.

But she could never tell her this.

She couldn’t put that burden on the coolest pony in all of Equestria.

Instead, she just let herself be held by one of the two mares who could chase away her inner darkness with only a touch.

Rainbow Dash ran her hoof up and down Scootaloo’s back, the filly’s little shoulders jumping with leftover hiccups. After a moment, Scootaloo finally shifted, the little filly reaching for Rainbow’s shoulder before wiggling out of Rainbow Dash’s lap and moving to her back. She pressed her hooves, then her face, into the space between Rainbow’s wings, sniffling.

The mare reached back, tapping the filly’s hind leg, “You wanna get out of here?” She felt Scootaloo nod, and at once, Rainbow held the little pegasus onto her back as she stood. Scootaloo scooched further up Rainbow’s back until she was snug against the back of her neck, hiding her little face in Rainbow’s mane.

Foggy looked up as Rainbow Dash came out, eyes wide when she saw Scootaloo on Rainbow’s back.

“We’re gonna go for a fly,” Rainbow Dash said.

Foggy’s brow furrowed, eyes flicking to the thoughtful frown on the evaluator behind the mare, before giving Rainbow Dash a strained smile and a nod.

“I'll let you know if she says anything,” Rainbow Dash smiled sympathetically.

“Thank you,” Foggy sighed.

The evaluator followed Rainbow Dash as she carried Scootaloo down the stairs and to the door. Ignoring the stallion, she reached for Scootaloo’s forehooves. The filly hugged her neck, and she rose from the courtyard without a second thought, carrying Scootaloo up into the calming atmosphere. She didn’t ask if Scootaloo wanted to do tricks, she could already tell the filly wasn’t in the mood. Instead, she scanned the sky for a decently-sized, lonesome cloud.

She lighted upon the puffy surface, settling down on the cloud before gently pulling Scootaloo’s hooves away from her neck. The little pegasus slid off her back, leaning against her as she sank to the cloud, burying her face into the wispiness only tangible to pegasi.

Rainbow watched Scootaloo for a moment, letting the little pegasus have a moment to herself. With a sniff and a tiny grunt, the filly nudged her nose under the mare’s cannon bone. Rainbow Dash complied with her unspoken request, and put her foreleg over Scootaloo and pulled her close. Scootaloo nuzzled Rainbow’s chest fur, giving a sad little hum Rainbow Dash couldn’t translate. Instead, she offered the only thing she could, and nuzzled Scootaloo’s forehead with her own, letting the filly know she was here, and everything was okay.

A quiet moment passed between the two pegasi, before Scootaloo adjusted her position under Rainbow’s foreleg, reaching for her shoulder and asking, “Is Foggy mad at me?”

The question made Rainbow pause. “No,” she answered, “she’s worried about you. You got really upset back there.”

“I hit her,” Scootaloo confessed with a quivering chin. “Really hard.”

“I know,” Rainbow Dash ran a hoof through the purple mane. “She knows you didn’t mean it.”

Scootaloo hesitated. “But…” she paused, eyes flicking back and forth as she thought of what she was trying to say. “I’ve never hit her before. I’ve never been that…like that before. Won’t she…” As if scared of her own words, the filly hid her face in Rainbow’s chest, falling silent.

Rainbow Dash nibbled the inside of her cheek, trying to figure out where the filly was going with her line of thought. “Do you feel any different about Foggy after hitting her?” she finally asked.

The filly paused before shaking her head.

“Well, Foggy feels the same way,” Rainbow reassured. “She cares about you too much to let what happened today change anything, okay?”

“You promise?” Scootaloo tapped, cuddling into Rainbow tighter.

Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat, and she nuzzled the filly’s cheek. “I promise.” She bumped Scootaloo’s forehead with her own. “We can stay up here as long as you want, and we can go back down whenever you’re ready, okay?”

Scootaloo nodded. “Thank you…for everything.”

The older pegasus fought against the overwhelming urge to kiss the filly she held. “No problem, kiddo,” she managed to tap out, instead, pulling Scootaloo closer and settling down deeper into the cloud, feeling the little pegasus relax into her hold, her breathing becoming steady and even as she seemed to fall asleep.

Foggy looked desperately at the stallion, who was watching Rainbow Dash fly off with Scootaloo on her back. With a raised eyebrow, he asked, “How long has Miss Rainbow Dash been taking Miss Scootaloo into the sky?”

Swallowing, Foggy answered, “Ever since the first day they met.”

The stallion paused, humming to himself as he saw Rainbow Dash landing on a cloud and gently helping Scootaloo off her back.

Foggy couldn’t take it any longer. “Sage, please,” she began, “she’s not herself today, you know that. I don’t know what’s wrong, but…can’t we redo the observation?”

“There are no redos,” Sage Note quipped back, giving Foggy a side-eye. “You know that.”

The unicorn blinked, gathering her courage again. “Sage,” she said slowly, “I promise you…Rainbow Dash is the one, I can feel it.”

“What you feel means nothing to me,” Sage Note barked, his eyes never leaving the sky. “The only thing that does is what I see.”

Foggy Day hesitated. “And what do you see?”

This time, it was Sage Note that hesitated. “I’ll bring my report first thing tomorrow morning.”

Panic gripped Foggy’s heart. “Sage, wait, please—“

“My decision in this matter is final,” he iterated. At the shadow’s shocked expression, he suggested, “Keep some ice on that bruise.”

Words silent, mind floundering, Foggy Day could only watch as Sage Note traipsed down the stairs and out of the courtyard, dashing her hopes to the concrete below.

Hours passed before Rainbow Dash landed softly back on the steps to the orphanage, brow creasing when she saw Foggy alone. “Where’s the evaluator?”

“He, uh…” Foggy shuffled, sighing, “he left.”

Rainbow’s breath almost stopped. “Did he say anything?”

“No,” Foggy rubbed her temple. “He just…he said we’d get his report tomorrow, and left. I tried to talk to him, but…he wouldn’t listen.”

Rainbow Dash’s shoulders sank, heavy as her heart. “So…is that it?” Her voice ended in a squeak. “They can’t seriously deny me because Scoots was having a bad day.”

Foggy stayed silent, eyes drifting to Scootaloo, still holding on tight to Rainbow. “Did she tell you what was wrong?”

Rainbow Dash’s face fell as far as her shoulders. “No…I couldn’t figure it out, either. I’m…not even sure she knows what’s wrong.”

Foggy smiled in sympathy for the filly. “I suppose we all just have bad days. Disabled foals are no different than the rest of us in that regard.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow agreed, lightly tapping Scootaloo’s hooves. Scootaloo relinquished her grip around Rainbow’s neck, and Rainbow helped her back down to the ground as tears sprang to her eyes. “So…if this all goes south…is that it?”

“No,” Foggy assured at once, lightly touching Scootaloo’s fetlock and tracing her name-sign. At once, the filly threw her hooves around Foggy’s foreleg, sniffling and nuzzling her face into the mare’s fur.

“I’m sorry,” Scootaloo tapped, tears welling again. “I’m really, really sorry.”

Foggy smiled down at the little filly. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I know you didn’t mean it. Do you feel better now?”

Scootaloo nodded, reaching for Foggy. The mare stooped down a bit, letting the filly clamber onto her back before she pressed her tear-stained face into Foggy’s long mane, letting out a sorrowful little whine.

The shadow continued, “There’s a six-month cool-down, but after that we can begin the process over again.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, trying to blink away her blurring vision, only to succeed in sending tears down her cheeks. “Okay…” she wiped her eyes, sniffling. “I’ll, uh…come back tomorrow. Just ‘cause I can’t adopt her doesn’t mean I can’t see her…right?” She swiped at her falling tears, offering Foggy as brave a smile as she could.

Foggy returned it, barely holding back tears of her own. “Absolutely.”

Rainbow nodded, trudging to Scootaloo and tapping her shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Scootaloo nodded, momentarily letting go of Foggy and taking Rainbow’s hoof, reaching around the mare’s neck. “Thank you,” she spelt on Rainbow’s withers.

“No problem, kiddo,” Rainbow Dash returned, squeezing the filly as tight as she dared, finally letting go and nodding her goodbye to Foggy.

As she sped away from Baltimare, she finally let herself break. Wings working on auto-pilot, she pressed her hooves to her muzzle, letting a sob escape her as her tears streaked down her face.

Her heart trembled, sending wave after wave of pain through her chest as she fought against everything screaming at her to turn around and scoop Scootaloo into her forelegs and hold her tight until everything was okay again.

Too soon, she approached the Cloudominium, a house that no longer felt warm and welcoming, but cold and empty. Still, Rainbow Dash dragged herself in, shutting the suddenly-heavy door behind her.

Silence met her, making her ears ring. Almost soundlessly, she stepped up the stairs. She followed the jutting line with her hoof until it stopped at a diagonal figure-eight, ending right before the door to what was intended to be Scootaloo’s room.

Rainbow Dash’s tired, puffy eyes rose to the knob, and she bumped the door open. The room within, feeling far too dark, met its creator’s tears-stained face with silence.

The mare fell to her haunches, almost collapsing against the doorframe. Her tears sparked anew, and she rubbed at her face as she tried to stint them the best she could.

It was just six months…right? It…it would pass faster than she could blink…

Right?

She couldn’t lie to herself any more. She couldn’t force back the sob that wrenched her chest as she hugged herself, trying to keep herself from exploding.

“No matter what I have to do,” she croaked to herself, “or how long it takes me to do it.”

She looked up to the room, vowing to the emptiness:

“I’m gonna bring her home.”

Author's Note

This chapter is brought to you by: ‘I tried so hard, and got so far…~’ and ‘You guys have no idea how much research I had to do to get a viable reason behind Scootaloo’s deaf-blindness’!

If you want more feels:
Home - Jeff Williams

*Disclaimer: Onyx Star’s personality and jokes are a CHARACTER CHOICE, and not an accurate representation of all disabled persons. If you know a disabled person, and they do not joke about their disabilities, for the love of all that is holy, do not make jokes about it or ask them to do so.

I, personally, know two handicapped individuals, and neither of them, as far as I know, make jokes about their disabilities (outside of the throwaway “Let me pull my placard out of my purse”—which isn’t even really a joke). I have a friend whose mother is disabled, and she has told our friend group about the jokes her and her mother share, which kind of inspired this concept.

Will I continue to have characters joke about their disabilities? Yes

Am I representing all disabled persons by doing so? No!

I apologize if anyone finds offense in this, but again, it is a CHARACTER CHOICE. The characters themselves are the ones making the jokes, not me.

Got it? Good!

See you all in the next chapter!

Chapter 5: The Pain of Want

Rainbow Dash arrived at the orphanage early in the afternoon. A different attendant let her in, smiling in greeting.

“Where’s Foggy?” Rainbow questioned.

“She and Scootaloo are in the main study area,” the young mare answered.

“Cool, thanks,” Rainbow smiled half-heartedly. She trotted off in the direction she knew by heart, mentally shoving aside everything that had happened yesterday, solely focusing on having a good day with Scootaloo.

She knocked on the classroom door before she opened it. Foggy greeted her with a smile every bit as strained and exhausted as Rainbow’s, Scootaloo obliviously reading her worksheet.

“Has he come by yet?” Rainbow questioned.

“No,” Foggy replied, glancing at the clock. “He should be here any minute now.” Scootaloo gave a hum, grabbing her shadow’s attention and tapping out her answer, Foggy smiling to herself as the filly answered correctly.

“How is she?”

Foggy let out a sigh through her nose. “Better. She wouldn’t tell me anything, either. She just kept apologizing for what happened yesterday. She’s not one hundred percent right now, but she’s at least a bit more subdued. Whatever’s going on in her head is big, and it’s going to take more than one night for everything to clear up.”

Rainbow nodded in agreement, letting the shadow do what she did best as she began busying herself by picking up the plan for the next lesson, reading over the month-long curriculum page broken down week by week.

“Is there a place I need to go to get these, or do I just…make it up?”

A low chuckle rose from Foggy. “The agency communicates with the school board in Baltimare to put together the curriculum. All you have to do is give them your address, and you’ll receive packets with everything you need for the month.” Her eyes trailed to Scootaloo, face falling as she added, “This is done once adoptions are finalized, so…”

Rainbow Dash felt a pang in her heart, putting the paper back down.

A brisk knock on the door startled the mares. Glancing at each other, a heavy weight suddenly filled the air as Foggy Day rose to answer the door.

“Hey,” she greeted breathlessly, stepping aside and allowing the stallion in.

The evaluator stepped through the door, nodding his greeting to Foggy before his eyes found Rainbow Dash.

“Ah, good, you’re here,” he said indifferently, brown envelope shifting in his foreleg as he moved to Rainbow Dash.

“I wanted to deliver the news myself,” the stallion stated professionally. He offered a hoof to Rainbow Dash. “I never properly introduced myself, did I?”

“No,” Rainbow Dash shook her head, returning the hoofshake.

“My name is Sage Note,” the stallion said, giving Rainbow Dash a calming smile. “I would also like to apologize for my, er…demeanor yesterday. There’s nothing I take more seriously than the safety of adopted foals—especially disabled ones.”

Rainbow Dash huffed a contented sigh, “That’s fine. At least I know we agree on something.”

Sage Note nodded, lips pressing together in something like a smile before he reached into his saddlebag and pulled out an envelope. “If you wouldn’t mind,” he began, “I would like to read this myself.”

Rainbow’s face fell. “Uh…yeah, sure.” She took a seat, Sage Note moving to another desk. Foggy glanced up with worry, Scootaloo humming as she tapped, pulling the shadow’s attention back to her.

The stallion opened the envelope, straightened the paper, cleared his throat, and began:

“‘The evaluation conducted on the fifth of Augustus in the 1106th year of Celestia consisted of less than ten minutes of observation, as a decision was made quicker than what is normally expected.’

“‘During this time, Scenario Nine was observed in a real setting. The potential guardian was not deterred, however, and stepped into the situation with determination and an open mind. Upon becoming aware of her presence, the foal openly attacked her. The potential guardian, in seconds, was able to subdue the foal with barely a touch. Though Scenario Nine was still in full effect, the potential guardian stayed with the foal and continued to offer comfort in any possible way.’

“‘The foal in question, after mere moments, expressed full trust in the potential guardian by placing herself upon the back of the potential guardian. She and the potential guardian then showed great connectivity, understanding, and communication, as the potential guardian was at once able to discern what the foal was in need of.’

“‘Though the rest of the potential guardian’s time with the foal could not be observed, it is clear to the evaluator that the potential guardian was able to successfully navigate Scenario Nine. Thus, it is concluded by this evaluator that the potential guardian, one Miss Rainbow Dash, shall move on to the interview process; and after such, should be granted the right to adopt the foal of her choosing, one Miss Scootaloo.’”

The stallion placed the evaluation letter back down, eyes rising to find Rainbow Dash with her hooves covering her mouth, tears freely falling from her watery eyes.

“Are you serious?” she squeaked.

The stallion smiled kindly, folding his hooves on the table. “Allow me to offer a quick explanation: Our agency understands that because the foals have no awareness of when observation will occur, several types of scenarios may arise. This is not only expected, but hoped for, as we wish to see as organic an interaction as possible between the foal and the potential guardian.

“Scenario Nine is a situation where the foal is, for whatever reason, inconsolable by those within their inner circle and by those trained to handle the situation. This is by far the hardest scenario to pass in observation—for obvious reasons. Therefore, we at the agency have a silent agreement that whomever may successfully navigate Scenario Nine—however long it takes, and within means not harmful to the foal—will automatically receive a pass on their observation, as we believe one can only do so if the foal truly, wholly, and willingly trusts the pony who can successfully navigate the Scenario.

“You, Miss Rainbow Dash, not only passed Scenario Nine; but you did so admirably, in a way I have never seen before. And I am not just any agent, Miss Rainbow Dash.”

At the mare’s confusion, he continued, “I’m Scootaloo’s agent. I have represented her legally since the moment she was born.” He paused to allow the information to sink in, Rainbow Dash staring back at him with a slackened jaw.

“Out of twenty-three Potentials—yourself included—you are the first one to actually make it to Observation. And during that time, you did something, Miss Rainbow Dash, that few others have done before,” he leaned back, hooves resting on his stomach. “You impressed me, so much so that if it were not for your upcoming interview, I would have brought you the finalized papers instead of a report today.” He offered her a kind smile, an expression so vastly different to the stallion he was yesterday, Rainbow Dash almost thought she was looking at a completely different pony.

The pegasus could hardly believe her ears. “I don’t…I don’t know what to say…” she tearfully grinned. “Thank you so much!” The stallion smiled and reached out a hoof to offer her to shake, but Rainbow Dash bypassed the gesture entirely and threw her forelegs around the stallion.

He gave a good-natured chuckle, professionally returning the gesture as Rainbow Dash tried to compose herself before she pulled away from the tight embrace.

Sage Note looked up at Foggy Day, offering the gawking shadow a warm smile. “I expect you’ll be helping her with the interview as much as you are legally able?”

Foggy had to physically shake herself from her daze. “Uh, yes—yes, sir.”

“Excellent.” Giving Rainbow Dash a parting nod, he added, “Your interview is in four days. Take your time in preparing, and I wish you luck.”

“Thank you!” Rainbow beamed as the stallion gave a curt nod to Foggy, letting his eyes rest a moment on Scootaloo before he made his way out of the classroom.

Silence covered the space between the mares, whose eyes found each other’s, gaping at one another. At the same time, they broke out in smiles, airy chuckles of relief wheezing from their lungs.

“So, when do we—“

“Tonight,” Foggy interrupted, looking to the side as her magic flared and she levitated a sheet of paper over to Rainbow Dash. “This is a list of commonly-asked questions during interviews. Read over it while I’m finishing with Scootaloo, and I’ll conduct a mock interview with you before you leave today.”

“O-okay,” Rainbow replied breathlessly, not even giving herself time to process what was happening before she gave the page her full attention, sitting down as her eyes scanned over it and she mentally prepared her answers.

“Okay, Miss Rainbow Dash,” Foggy Day smirked as she sat down in front of the pegasus. “How long have you known Miss Scootaloo?”

“Is that supposed to be Sage Note?” Rainbow Dash snickered.

Foggy grinned, dropping the impression immediately as she admitted, “Yes,” before the mares burst into laughter. “Sorry, sorry, couldn’t help myself.”

“It’s fine,” Rainbow chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye. “That was pretty good, actually.”

Chuckling, Foggy relented, “I really shouldn’t do that, he is my supervisor.”

“Eh, I won’t tell if you don’t.”

The two mares giggled like school fillies, finally composing themselves after a moment of carefree mirth.

“Alright, alright,” Foggy finally reeled in, coming back to the original question. “How long have you known Scootaloo?”

Rainbow smiled, “About a month and a half now. I met her at a party I was throwing with my friend.”

Foggy nodded, clearing her throat, “What is a typical day of your life like?”

“Well, before I met Scoots, I would wake up after sleeping in, work on the weather in Ponyville, spend most of the day practicing aerial tricks, send reports to the weather factory in Cloudsdale, sleep a little more, then go back home.” At Foggy’s cocked eyebrow, she added, “Basically too much sleep and not enough challenge. Now, I’ve been spending every free moment here, learning about Scootaloo and how to take care of her.”

Small smile adorning her face, Foggy asked, “What are your long-term plans?”

“In a few years, I’m hoping to join the Wonderbolts, which is why I train so much. From there, I want to try and climb the ranks, and hopefully be captain one day.”

Foggy Day gazed at Rainbow Dash. “How do you plan on balancing that kind of work life with Scootaloo?”

Rainbow Dash hesitated. “That…wasn’t on the sheet.”

“Answer the question,” Foggy insisted.

The pegasus chewed her lip. “Uh…well…my friends can help take care of her. They’ve been really supportive through the whole process, and they keep letting me know over and over that they’d be happy to help no matter what, so…”

The sheet Foggy held in her magic lowered. The unicorn hesitated, her eyes searching Rainbow’s own before she asked, “Are you willing to change your plans for Scootaloo? Even if it means you never become a Wonderbolt?”

Rainbow Dash froze, eyes widening. She hadn’t even considered such a thing a possibility. For as long as she could remember, becoming a Wonderbolt had been her drive, the very thing that kept her flying, kept her trying. The idea that that may no longer be an option…

Her mind flashed to Scootaloo, the little filly’s smiling face filling her mind. With a start, she realized that every time she was with the little pegasus, not a single thought of the Wonderbolts even crossed her mind. The only thing that mattered—the only thing that ever mattered…was her. Sure, it would still be nice to achieve her dream, but…

Her dream had kinda…changed.

“Yeah,” Rainbow finally answered, a goofy smile on her face. “She kinda wrecked them, anyway,” she added with a giggle.

Foggy smiled softly. “Don’t include that last part,” she coached. “Don’t give them anything they could translate as negative.”

“Got it,” Rainbow nodded.

The unicorn looked at the next question. “What kind of parenting style are you planning on enforcing?”

“I didn’t understand that one,” Rainbow admitted. “Don’t I just…raise her?”

Foggy smiled patiently. “There are five different styles of parenting. I have a pamphlet to help with that one. Read over it, and have an answer tomorrow.” At the pegasus’s nod, she glanced down. “You mentioned your friends have been your support system. Who’s been the most supportive, and who’s been the least supportive, and why?”

Rainbow Dash frowned. “I don’t like that question. All of my friends have been supportive equally, in their own ways. I can’t really say who will be more supportive and who will be less supportive, because they all have their own lives. Twilight’s studying friendship for Princess Celestia, Pinkie’s kinda…getting ready to take over the bakery one day, Fluttershy takes care of most of all the animals in Ponyville, and then some. Rarity’s got her own business, Applejack takes care of her family’s farm with her family—and both of them are raising their little sisters at the same time!” She glanced up at Foggy, the unicorn meeting the look with wide eyes.

“Sorry,” Rainbow Dash shrank in her seat. “I didn’t mean to go on a tangent like that, I…all of my friends support me, and they’re all more than happy to support Scoots, so…I can’t single any of them out one way or the other, because there will be times where one can support more than the others, and I’m perfectly okay with that.”

Foggy smiled warmly at Rainbow Dash. “Well…I can’t exactly fault you for that,” she relented, glancing back down at the sheet.

“Why do you want to adopt Scootaloo?”

Rainbow grinned, “‘Cause she’s an awesome filly!”

The unicorn’s ear twitched, swearing she could hear crickets in the walls. She glanced up at Rainbow Dash. “And…?”

The pegasus’s smile faltered. “And…I’ve loved the time I’ve spent with her…and I want to bring her home.”

Foggy blinked. “Anything else…?” she encouraged, sensing confusion clouding Rainbow’s thoughts.

“Uh…” Rainbow Dash droned, racking her brain. “I…I don’t…” Her voice faltered into silence, her brain blanking.

“Okay,” Foggy began, holding back a sigh as she thought for a moment. “Why don’t you go home and think about it? Get a little fresh air, read over the other questions, and just…think about it, okay?” She gave an encouraging smile.

“Is…there something I’m supposed to say?” Rainbow asked.

Foggy Day bit her lip. “I’m not…I can’t tell you what to say, it’s…actually illegal. Just…take some time, read the pamphlet, prep your other answers. It may help to write them down.” Foggy’s horn lit up, a small tri-folded pamphlet hovering over to Rainbow Dash. She took it, brow furrowing as she was still mentally stuck on the last question she’d been asked.

Why did she want to adopt Scootaloo?

To her, it just…made sense. She just…wanted to.

Was that…not enough?

“Rainbow?”

The pegasus shook herself out of her thoughts, finding herself on the steps of the orphanage. “Sorry. So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Foggy Day gave her a small, encouraging smile. “Yes. See you then.”

Rainbow Dash hovered around her living room, reading over the pamphlet. “Geez, this thing is packed.”

Despite being no bigger than a full sheet of paper completely unfolded, the pamphlet had almost an entire book’s worth of knowledge in it—at least, from her perspective. She’d had to resort to flying to make herself focus on what was written.

The fact that so much went into parenting made her head spin. As she read over the different styles and compared each one with the chart, she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when she got to the “Overbearing” style.

“Lacking in flexibility when it comes to child’s needs and/or wants? Check. Wanting to control child’s future? Eh, not really. Large involvement in child’s life/attachment to child? Big check.”

As pieces clicked into place, she slowly lowered the pamphlet. “That makes…so much sense now.”

She took a moment to let the realization sink in, then looked back down to the pamphlet. “I don’t want to be…completely…like them, but…I’m gonna have to have a lot of involvement. But…she’s gonna need me to be flexible, too…And all of these are super situational, especially the Strict and Permissive styles. Honestly, kinda looks like Balanced is what I was planning on anyway. Give myself some wiggle room, especially for when she gets older.”

Having decided, she landed, scribbling down a couple bullet points outlining her full answer. She smiled to herself, scanning the sheet and congratulating herself for every answered question, her mind screeching to a halt at the one blank still there.

Why do you want to adopt [insert foal’s name here]?

Staring at the sheet, her mind flatlined. Over the weeks of getting to know Scootaloo, all she’d really known is her want, her need to adopt her. But…she had a feeling that wasn’t a good enough answer. Even then, Scootaloo deserved better than a “good enough” reason to adopt her.

So then…why couldn’t she say why?

Did she…not have a good reason, after all?

It was just…right. The thing that made her who she was was the same thing telling her to adopt Scootaloo. It was how she felt every time she looked at her, it was how her entire world seemed to shift just by having her near.

So…why couldn’t she put that into words?

Finally, she shook her head, clearing it of her negative thoughts. Heading toward her door, intending to take a walk, she spied her clock:

11:28

She stopped dead in her tracks, suddenly realizing how pitch black it was outside. Her eyes drooped, all at once acutely aware of the mental exhaustion creeping into her head and making every muscle feel far heavier than they were supposed to be.

Stifling a yawn, she trudged up the stairs, forcing her predicament onto the back burner of her mind in the hopes of finding some semblance of peace for the time being.

After tossing and turning for over an hour, she finally fell into a shallow sleep.

Rainbow Dash arrived at the orphanage late for the first time ever. She mentally chastised herself as she reached for the door and pulled it open.

Her eyes met a pacing Foggy Day, the sound of bits clinking from her Bit purse with every step. “Sorry I’m late,” Rainbow apologized.

Foggy gave the pegasus a quiet smile. “It’s alright. I was just about to head out.”

“Oh, free day today?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

“Yes,” Foggy smiled as she adjusted the Bit purse around her fetlock. “You know the drill, I’ll be back in a couple hours, Scootaloo’s in the playroom…yes, that should be all.”

“Okay,” Rainbow gave a small smile, noticing the strain on Foggy’s face. “Is…everything alright?”

“Yes,” Foggy replied simply, smiling warmly. “I just had a bit of trouble sleeping last night.”

Rainbow’s brow furrowed. “Oh, are you okay?”

“Yes,” Foggy said for the third time, smile widening. “I just have a lot on my mind, is all. I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay,” Rainbow Dash offered, trying to give the unicorn an easygoing grin. Foggy’s eyes squinted a bit with her own smile, before she gently nudged open the door, stepping outside.

‘She seemed kinda…tense,’ Rainbow mused to herself. ‘Wonder what’s goin’ on.’

She shrugged it off for the time being, trotting off down the hall to the main playroom.

Scootaloo sat quietly, stretching out and dividing little bits of play-dough. She never really liked the way temporary clay felt, it was too rubbery for her liking—nevermind how it felt when it got too dry. But, it let her make things that didn’t need to be put in the oven immediately, so she put up with it.

The leftover pains of a couple days ago still plagued her chest, though they were nowhere near overwhelming her like they had. Still, thinking of Rainbow Dash made the pain completely disappear, and thinking of her leaving made it come back.

But…no matter how much it hurt, no matter how badly she wanted to…she couldn’t stop her from…leaving. But…did that mean she should keep letting herself mope about it?

She paused in her pressing, a little ball of faux clay squished between her hooves. The time she had spent with Rainbow Dash had been some of the best days she’d ever had. Yeah, she’d be sad when they were over, but…it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

She’d still have Foggy. The mare who never left her side no matter what. The unicorn who had raised her…taught her everything—walking and navigating; communicating; her schooling; how to handle her emotions and talk about what she was feeling.

She felt a blush of embarrassment creep up her neck at that last one. She hadn’t exactly done a good job with that recently. But she just…couldn’t say it. She didn’t want to put any pressure on anypony. But…lately…despite what had happened, the two mares that had been beside her hadn’tcaved, even if she had.

She felt a small push inside her chest, the leftover heaviness being shoved away to make room for something…lighter.

If all else failed…she’d have Foggy. She’d always have Foggy…right?

She felt a little smile tug at her mouth, a decision lifting her mood out of the pit her own self-doubt had formed.

If, or…when Rainbow Dash left for good, she’d ask Foggy…if she could…

She giggled to herself at her internal shyness, her mental hoof hesitating again. She’d be okay if Rainbow left, even if she’d enjoyed her time with her. If nothing came of it, and she left…then she’d move on with her life, too.

So…she’d enjoy her time with her…however long it lasted.

Scootaloo felt a little breeze that didn’t belong inside the orphanage ruffle her mane. She paused, a grin creeping up her face as her ears rotated to locate where it had come from. A second one grazed her right shoulder.

Her throat moved as she gave a giggly shout in that direction, reaching for the mare she knew was there.

Finally, Rainbow’s hooves met hers, and she felt a nose touch her own. She grabbed Rainbow’s face, feeling the mare’s huffed sigh of surprise against her chin.

“I thought you knew all my tricks,” she teased.

Rainbow’s forehead met hers. “Looks like I still have some things to learn.”

She giggled. “Can we go flying?”

Rainbow Dash eased her head out of her grip, and Scootaloo felt the mare’s forelegs embrace her as she was picked up. “Sure thing, kiddo!”

Rainbow Dash’s heart soared as high as her body, the wind whipping through her mane and gliding perfectly across her feathers. Her ear twitched at the giggle of the filly who seemed to be in much higher spirits today, Scootaloo’s bright smile signaling she seemed to be feeling back to normal again, which made Rainbow Dash feel even better.

She straightened out from the dive, slipping into a lazy corkscrew in time with Scootaloo’s squeal and tightened grip. The second she leveled out, Scootaloo giggled through her panting and traced another shape. Her hoof rose up Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, pausing at its apex before it came back down.

The older pegasus smirked, taking Scootaloo’s hoof and giving a hard downstroke of her wings, sending the duo into the waiting sky.

As she rose, she tapped Scootaloo’s hooves, signaling for the filly to loosen her grip. She relented, and in one swift motion, Rainbow twisted around, taking the filly by her barrel and hugging her to her chest, letting her hooves dangle.

Rainbow arched her body, rotating herself and Scootaloo upside-down, the filly screaming in delight. Eyes narrowing, grin growing, Rainbow turned herself straight for the ground, shooting out of the suspension.

She shielded Scootaloo’s eyes as she went, keeping a careful gauge on the way she cut the wind, letting her instincts kick in to detect any potential wind gusts that could knock her off her path. Feeling none, she jerked their trajectory back to parallel with the ground.

Speeding over blurs upon blurs of color, she couldn’t help her chortle as colors blended together almost nonsensically. Pinks, blues, yellows and browns, reds and purples, teal and charcoal—

Teal and charcoal.

Wings feeling like they were being ripped from their sockets, she halted, jerking Scootaloo as she did so. The filly gasped, the sudden loss of movement startling her as Rainbow scanned the ground.

There!

She winced at the dying strain in her wings, hovering over the mare that had grabbed her attention so suddenly.

“Are you okay?” Scootaloo asked, completely unaware that they were directly above her shadow.

“Yeah, fine,” Rainbow replied as Foggy Day slipped under a flower stall. “Just give me a minute.”

Scootaloo nodded, giving a little hum as Rainbow Dash peered down at the spot where Foggy had disappeared. Not two minutes later, she reappeared from under the awning, continuing her light trek through the thin traffic of ponies.

Rainbow Dash peered down at the unicorn as she walked away from the flower stall, gingerly holding two roses—one white, one so deep red it appeared black—in her magic. She hovered away a bit to get a better angle, brow furrowing as she saw the small smile on the mare whose azure eyes carried a weight of sadness under the surface.

Curiosity snagged Rainbow by the neck, yanking her toward the mare she was unintentionally spying on. She stopped herself, Scootaloo’s hoof-taps flitting through her mind:

“She says it’s something important that she does…”

“It’s the only time she’s not with me during the week, and it’s private, so…”

She squeezed her eyes shut, turning away and shooting up into the atmosphere. “Sorry about that, kiddo.”

“It’s fine,” Scootaloo answered against her fetlock. “What happened?”

Rainbow Dash gulped, her mouth pressing in a thin line as she helped Scootaloo back onto her back. “Nothing. Thought I saw something. What other tricks did you want to do?”

She let out a little breath of relief when her distraction worked, Scootaloo giggling as she traced out another shape on Rainbow’s shoulder.

Rainbow Dash glanced up at Foggy, the unicorn smiling to herself as she nodded along with Rainbow’s spoken answer. The older mare appeared far more relaxed than she had when Rainbow had first seen her that morning. Foggy hadn’t mentioned seeing or hearing Rainbow Dash flying around, so Rainbow didn’t mention seeing Foggy Day with the two roses.

She snapped out of her absent-minded thoughts when Foggy’s attention turned to her. Smile widening, Foggy praised, “Good job.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Rainbow Dash relaxed a bit in her chair, the stamp of approval from Foggy greenlighting her for every single question on the sheet.

All except one.

Taking a small breath, Foggy picked up, “Okay…why do you want to adopt Scootaloo?”

And just like that, Rainbow’s relief vanished. Her eyes rose to a spot above Foggy’s head as she tried to think, her mind blanking once again.

The same thoughts as before cranked through her head. Her heart told her she needed to, so…

“I…I need to,” Rainbow Dash answered shakily. “I can’t…explain it, I just…need her.”

Foggy frowned, eyes sparking in sympathy. “I understand, Rainbow Dash, I do. But…they aren’t going to accept that as an answer.”

Dread rushed through Rainbow Dash, her pulse quickening. Forcing down her growing panic, she asked, “Well, what would you say?”

Something within Foggy’s eyes ignited, sparks lighting up somewhere deep inside her soul before she snuffed them out, regaining control of her emotions. “I can’t tell you,” she responded. “This is your interview, so it has to be your answers. I can’t influence them in any way other than coaching you in what would be acceptable or not. Further feedback is outside of my legal reach.”

Rainbow groaned, burying her face in her hooves. “What am I supposed to do, then? Why can’t I get this right?”

Foggy took a breath. “Maybe…you’re thinking too hard about it. You’re a bit more impulsive by nature, right?”

“Yeah?” Rainbow Dash peaked out from behind her hooves.

“Well…how about this,” Foggy offered, “tomorrow, I’ll ask you at a random point in time, and you give me the first answer that comes to mind, no matter how strange it seems. How does that sound?”

The pegasus hesitated, thinking it over. Slowly, she nodded, lowering her hooves to reveal a shy, nervous smile that felt out of place on the usually-confident mare’s face.

“Okay,” Rainbow Dash breathed.

It happened at the end of the following day, as Foggy was escorting Rainbow Dash to the office, clipboard in her aura as she walked the prospective guardian through what to expect at the interview. It was in the smack middle of a sentence, the unicorn catching the pegasus so completely off-guard, she had no choice but to say the one thing at the forefront of her mind.

“Why not?”

Foggy Day froze in her place. Rainbow Dash looked back at her, having taken a couple steps forward before realizing she had stopped.

She stared at the shocked expression on Foggy’s face, the answer having completely silenced her.

“Was…that not good, either?” Rainbow Dash questioned nervously.

Foggy reeled back her expression the best she could, rubbing her eyes. “Worse, actually.”

Rainbow’s face fell as Foggy picked up, “Rainbow Dash, your interview is in two days, and you won’t even be here tomorrow for me to help you.”

“You think I don’t know that?” she quipped back, desperately. “I just…inside, it makes sense. But, for some reason, I just…can’t…get it out. You know?”

She threw a helpless look at Foggy, emotions roiling and heart thundering. Out of all the things she had had to face since beginning the adoption process, this was by far the hardest.

At least with Observation, she could do something. But if she couldn’t give a valid reason to adopt Scootaloo, then…what?

Foggy Day could sense the hopelessness rising in Rainbow Dash, her desperation clouding her mind and blocking out the very thing that would give her the answer she needed. She gazed at the pegasus, her eyes narrowing slightly in thought. The clipboard rose in her azure aura, placing itself in a wall holder. “Come with me.”

Confused, Rainbow Dash complied, following Foggy Day down the hall to Scootaloo’s room. Foggy opened the door, reaching out with her magic and flicking on the lamp on the bedside table, bathing Scootaloo’s sleeping face in a warm glow.

“You’re not gonna wake her up, are you?” Rainbow questioned.

“Of course not,” Foggy answered, a strange tone coating her voice. She sat by the table, and pointed at a spot a few steps away from her, near the foot of the bed. “Sit there.”

Rainbow Dash sat, looking at Foggy Day, puzzled.

Foggy Day sat up straight, jaw set with determination. “I want you to look at her.”

Rainbow hesitated, doing what she said. Scootaloo lay facing the two mares, eyes closed and mouth open as she breathed evenly and peacefully.

Foggy kept her eyes trained on Rainbow Dash, waiting for the shift she knew was coming. “Really, really look at her,” she encouraged. “Don’t focus on anything else.”

Rainbow Dash peered at the little sleeping filly. As she did, Scootaloo squirmed a bit in her sleep, brow furrowing briefly before she buried her muzzle in the stuffed bear she hugged to her chest.

Foggy watched Rainbow’s gaze soften, the small smile tug at her lips. Her own smile graced her features as she recognized the love she could sense from Rainbow. She let her wade in her emotions for a moment, before asking:

“Why do you want to adopt her?”

Rainbow Dash felt tears spring to her eyes at the question, her soul pulsing with the pure joy and love that seemed inches away from physically spearing her heart. She let go of all previous answers she’d had, and gave herself over to her rawest emotions.

At last, she had an answer.

“I don’t know,” she breathed. “I’d never thought about adopting before I met her. Heck, I didn’t even meet her intending to adopt her.

“All I know…is that she changed me. She changed the way I think. She changed the way I see things. It’s like…my entire world opened up the first time she held my hoof. And now…” She paused, rubbing away her tears. “And now…I love her so much it hurts. Now, all I want to do is watch her grow up. I want to see who she becomes, and I want to be there for her. I want to be everything she would possibly need me to be, and I never want to leave her side for the rest of my life.”

Rainbow Dash beamed through her tears, eyes finding Foggy’s. “Isn’t that weird?”

Foggy looked back at Rainbow with tears of her own, smiling softly. “Not at all.”

Rainbow Dash paced the floor in front of the door, glancing up at the clock once more.

Thirty minutes had passed since the interview, and her heart had been racing the entire time. Unable to do anything about her excess energy, she had resorted to pacing as she tried to control her breathing and calm herself down.

Sage Note had been in there, and whatever had made the mare terrified of him before was turned on again. Throughout the entire interview, she found herself wishing she could shrink away and hide from the stallion’s piercing gaze. But, as question after question passed, she forced herself to look into his eyes, using Scootaloo herself as her motivation to swallow the nausea of her nerves.

The moment she left the room, it was like something had relinquished her lungs, and she could suddenly breathe again. With the disappearance of the suffocating force came the anticipatory hope and self-made worry. As she moved, helping herself think more clearly, she gave herself assurance after assurance that no matter what happened, no matter what the verdict would be, she had done her best.

And her best would always be enough.

Her heart skipped a beat as the door suddenly clacked open, one of the mare’s interviewing her alongside Sage Note poking her head out. “He’s ready to see you.”

Rainbow Dash gulped, her halted movement causing her legs to tremble. She pushed herself forward, offering the best smile she could to the mare as she walked past, the earth pony letting herself out and shutting the door behind her, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with Sage Note.

“Please, sit down, Miss Rainbow Dash,” his gently authoritative voice commanded.

She obeyed, holding her head high as she faced the one pony standing between her and a lifetime with Scootaloo.

“First of all,” Sage Note said, eyes softening. “I would like to apologize for my front again.”

“It’s fine,” Rainbow waved off. “I get it, really.”

Sage Note smiled at her understanding. “My special talent, for better or for worse, is the ability to make ponies afraid of me. I use this—what I like to call “Intimidation”—to weed out individuals that bolt at the first sign of fear. I tend to find those who are able to outlast my Intimidation are able to stand strong against actual, real-world dangers, and are more capable of keeping level heads during times of stress involving their foals.”

Rainbow Dash gave an impressed frown. “So…how would I do?”

The stallion raised a good-natured eyebrow. “You got through my Intimidation twice.” He half-smiled, adding, “I think you’ll do fine.”

With a small smile from Rainbow Dash, Sage Note straightened the evaluation paper. “That being said, Miss Rainbow Dash.” He leveled a cool gaze at the mare, whose smile gave way to a look of serious nervousness.

“Not every interview is the same, no two guardians or guardian pairs are alike. Some questions are answered with perfect certainty; others, with a bit of confidence left to be desired. Sometimes, questions may not even have complete answers during this time.” His lips curled into a pleasant smile. “But parenting would hardly be an adventure if each guardian was certain of everything immediately.

“Still, we look for willingness in a guardian’s flexibility, and their ability to care for the foal. I, personally, search for a guardian’s resilience, and their ability to adjust when things are not the best of times. This brings me to you, Miss Rainbow Dash.”

Heart thundering in her ears, the pegasus in question did everything she could to not squirm in her seat as Sage Note propped an elbow on the table.

“From what I have seen, and from what I have heard from Miss Foggy Day, you have been nothing but kind, gentle, loving, and loyal to Miss Scootaloo. You have provided your absolute best for her, even when you weren’t sure it would be enough. And from what you have told me today, you plan to continue to do as such for as long as you are able, and you are even willing to put your own desires on hold for her sake. All of this put together, Miss Rainbow Dash, has convinced me that you are not only the best candidate to date, but potentially the best candidate we could ever hope to find to adopt Miss Scootaloo.”

Rainbow Dash swore she stopped breathing, her mind blanking in the best possible way as joy and shock flooded every part of her.

Smiling softly, Sage Note concluded, “I will be putting the final paperwork together for the rest of the day today, and I will meet you at the courthouse at eight o’clock tomorrow. The date has already been set.”

Tears sprang unbidden in Rainbow Dash’s eyes, a sudden rush of emotions simultaneously immobilizing her and making her feel as if she could run a marathon. Her breath caught in her throat, unsure if she wanted to break down crying or shout for joy.

“T…tomorrow?” she squeaked, finally able to gain some kind of control.

Sage Note’s smile deepened. “Tomorrow, eight o’clock.” As he gathered up the papers, he added, “If you wouldn’t mind, please stop by and inform Miss Foggy Day so she can begin packing Miss Scootaloo’s things. Don’t worry, she won’t tell Miss Scootaloo anything.”

“Okay…” Rainbow breathed, forcing herself to stand. Sage Note came around the table, offering her a hoof. She couldn’t help but stare at it for a moment before her mind finally kicked in and she shook it. “Thank you so much,” she smiled.

The stallion returned the smile, nodding to her. “Congratulations, Miss Rainbow Dash. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rainbow Dash hummed a nod, shakily exiting the room and managing to find her way out of the building.

She didn’t remember taking flight, her instincts taking her through the streets of Baltimare to its orphanage. She didn’t remember knocking on the door, an attendant letting her in. She briefly recalled being directed to the classroom, her consciousness finally resurfacing as she approached the all-too-familiar classroom.

Foggy’s face lit up, Rainbow managing a smile as the unicorn let her in. “How’d it go?”

Rainbow Dash almost couldn’t answer, her eyes landing on Scootaloo, the sight of the little filly almost sending her to her knees. “I passed,” she whispered.

“Hm?”

“I passed,” Rainbow repeated, swallowing as she tore her eyes away to look at Foggy. “I sign the papers tomorrow.”

So caught up was she in her own joy, that she didn’t notice something vanish from Foggy’s eyes. The unicorn pulled on a smile that didn’t meet or match her eyes. “That’s amazing!” she praised. “Did you want to swing by to tell her?”

“No, I…” Rainbow cleared her throat. “Sage Note told me to come by to tell you, actually. I don’t wanna tell Scoots until I have the papers.”

“Okay,” Foggy’s smile deepened. “Did you want to at least say hello to her today?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow breathed. “I’ve got plans with my friends today, but since I’m here…” she trailed off as her eyes landed on Scootaloo once again. “Is she in the middle of something right now?”

Just reading over something for Equestrian,” Foggy explained. “You’re not interrupting too much.”

“Okay.”

Rainbow Dash trotted over to the filly, unaware her hooves were even touching the ground. Before she could even think to tease the filly with a breeze, her hoof traced out her name-sign on Scootaloo’s shoulder.

Foggy watched as the little pegasus perked up at once, like she did every single time. Rainbow Dash ran a hoof through Scootaloo’s mane, her other beginning to tap on the filly’s fetlock.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of the filly’s giggle, the single sound carrying like the most glorious of symphonies to her ears. Her smile slipped, a concept that suddenly felt impossible settling onto her heart.

She’d known for years this day would come, and she’d been waiting for it with bated breath ever since she assigned herself to Scootaloo’s case. And now…it was happening.

Sweet Celestia, it was happening.

Two emotions collided within her, startling her with their intensity. One wave rose in tandem with Scootaloo’s excited squeal, while the other beat it down with Rainbow’s laughter. She forced them into a cease-fire, burying both as she covered the steadily-piling mess with a smile of decades-long practiced neutrality.

Foggy watched as Rainbow Dash nuzzled Scootaloo, tapping out her goodbye, the filly returning it with a grin. A pulse of emotion, followed by her own shove, and the smile adorned her face once again in time for Rainbow to look up at her as she stood.

“I’ll, uh…I’ll see you tomorrow,” Rainbow Dash breathed, still in a daze.

“Mm-hmm,” Foggy hummed happily.

She watched Rainbow Dash leave, disappearing down the hall. An empty dread crept its way up her throat, and she beat it down, forcing her gaze to her charge.

She watched Scootaloo, humming happily to herself as she ran a hoof along a line of Braille, completely unaware that these were her last hours as an orphan.

Foggy couldn’t stop the welling tears, the last of her resolve offering her a little bit of strength.

For these last hours, she would watch her. And she would keep watching until she couldn’t watch anymore.

The filly’s face pinched in confusion, and she hummed, reaching up where she thought Foggy was.

She pulled on her smile, moving over to the filly to continue along with her job, and the last hours of this case.

“Hey, girls?” Rainbow Dash asked shakily.

“Yes?” they collectively returned, enraptured at the face she was making.

“Are any of you free tomorrow?”

Her five friends looked between each other. “I’m working at Sugarcube Corner all day,” Pinkie answered.

Rainbow nodded thoughtfully. “That’s fine. What about the rest of you?”

Fluttershy answered. “Other than my usual time with the animals, I should be free.”

“Me an’ Big Mac an’ Apple Bloom ain’t got a lot a’ chores tomorra’. Ah can meet ya somewhere,” Applejack offered.

“I have some reports I need to write,” Twilight piped up, “but I should be free for most of the afternoon.”

Rarity finished, “I have quite a few modifications I need to complete, but I’d be able to take about an hour’s break sometime in the evening.”

“Why ya askin’?” Applejack asked for the group.

Rainbow Dash chewed her lip, thinking. “Would it be alright if we all met at Sugarcube Corner at, like, four?”

Again, her friends looked between each other before giving her nods and affirmative murmurs. “Why?” Fluttershy asked.

A grin found itself on Rainbow’s face. “I wanna introduce you all to Scootaloo.”

At once, her friends’ jaws dropped, collectively taking in excited gasps. “You mean…?!” Twilight beamed.

Rainbow nodded. “I’m signing the papers tomorrow.”

Passing ponies would have thought something to be wrong at the sudden shouts that erupted from the table. Looking over, they would change their minds at the bright smiles on the faces of the six well-known mares–they would even chuckle to themselves when they saw Pinkie Pie had tackled Rainbow Dash in a tight embrace. None would ask what had gotten the mares so excited, all would have just been happy to see them so ecstatic.

Pinkie Pie squealed in elation. “OOOOOHHHH! You have to let me decorate Sugarcube Corner. This calls for a PARTY!!”

Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously, patting her friend’s withers. “Okay, okay. Just nothing too crazy, alright? I don’t want to overwhelm her.”

Pinkie suddenly pushed back from Rainbow Dash, pulling in a dramatic gasp. “I’ll use my crimped streamers! AAHH! I’ve been waiting so long for a chance to use those, and now I will!” She pressed her nose to Rainbow’s. “You just wait Rainbow Dash: this will be–beyond the shadow of a doubt–the absolute best adoption party you’ve ever seen in your LIFE!!”

“Okay, I believe you,” Rainbow chuckled nervously, lightly pushing her friend away and standing up again. “I’m gonna go to get her in the morning, and we’ll hopefully be back in Ponyville around noon. I want to give her a few hours to get used to the house before I bring her around to meet you guys.”

“Oh, that’s quite alright, darling,” Rarity grinned. “I, for one, am thrilled to meet the little dear.”

“Do ya want us to bring Apple Bloom an’ Sweetie Belle, too?” Applejack inquired.

“Nah, not yet,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I do want her to meet them, but maybe in a couple days, so you two can meet her first. And, uh…maybe you two could talk to them, I guess…?”

“Oh, absolutely, darling!” Rarity smiled.

“We’ll make sure they’re ready to meet ‘er,” Applejack assured with a half-smile.

“Thanks!” Rainbow grinned. “I’m so excited for you all to meet her, she’ll love you guys!”

“I’m excited, too!” Twilight chirped, prancing in place. “Tomorrow’s going to be amazing!”

Fluttershy gave a light squeal. “I’m so excited, I could scream,” she murmured, beaming before she raised her head to the sky. “Yay!”

The tiny sound from her longest friend sent a snort through Rainbow Dash as she gathered her friends in a tight embrace. “Tomorrow’s gonna be so AWESOME!” She suddenly gasped, relinquishing her grip. “I need to make sure the house is ready.”

“Haven’t you already done that?” Twilight chuckled.

“Yeah, but…I need to make sure it’s spotless!” The pegasus began pacing. “I need to make sure everything’s clean, there’s nothing in the way for when she gets there, I need to make sure her room’s perfect.” She gnawed her lip, legs almost trembling. “I gotta go!”

As she rose to a hover, Rarity called out, “Make sure you get some rest, darling! You won’t be able to enjoy tomorrow nearly as much without any beauty sleep.”

“I will,” Rainbow called back nonchalantly. “See you tomorrow!”

She rushed away from her friends, a chorus of goodbyes perfectly mixing their voices together as they—

An electronic squeal was the only warning they had.

“CONGRATULATIONS, DASHIE!!!”

The world warped from the intensity of Pinkie Pie’s voice slicing through the megaphone, leaving five pairs of ears ringing. While those on the ground nursed their aching ears, Rainbow Dash herself teetered a bit as she threw herself at the entrance of the Cloudominium, a sudden wave of dizziness almost making her collapse.

As she rubbed her ears, she couldn’t help her grimace at the mare’s overexcitement, no matter how much she appreciated the gesture. “Pinkie…” she grumbled, finally pulling herself up and trotting into her house, her own internal list running a hundred miles an hour in her head.

Foggy Day sat in front of Scootaloo, staring down at the peacefully-sleeping pegasus. With the filly asleep, she had let her cover fall away, and now the mare felt an odd numbness curling and twisting inside her chest, battling with other emotions that were trying to drown her. Her heavy eyes gazed down at the filly, the last night she’d ever be with her.

She had to get everything off her chest.

She had to let go.

She had to move on.

With a smile, she murmured, “You’re gonna go home tomorrow. You’re starting your new life.” The little face poking out from the blanket didn't respond, and she continued:

“You’re gonna start a brand-new adventure, and every day…every day…is going to be filled with so much love you won’t know what to do with it.” The unicorn ignored her blurring vision as her eyes welled with tears.

Foggy swallowed them the best she could through her constricting throat. “You’ll be alright. I know you.” She sniffed, chuckling to no pony. “Seven years is a long time to get to know a pony, huh? I can’t come with you, but I won’t be forgetting you anytime soon. And I know you won’t be forgetting me, either.”

A little laugh escaped Foggy’s throat, her tears overflowing as she felt time marching onward. Clenching her jaw, she felt an old pain well in her heart. A small pulse throbbed behind her eyes, and an aching emptiness caused her to press a hoof to her stomach.

Foggy looked down where her hoof met her skin, her tears dripping down her cheeks before her gaze rose to the filly in the bed, eyes searching.

For what, she didn’t know.

Croaking through her tears, Foggy cried, “You will never know the gift you gave me just by being born.”

The confession sent a spark of pain through her soul, and she bit off a sob. “You will never know how much you mean to me.”

Foggy rubbed her eyes against the tears that streaked down her face. “I was never supposed to get attached to you,” she sobbed, “but I—“

She bit her tongue, squeezing her eyes shut. She leaned against the bed, bringing her face down with Scootaloo’s, staring at the filly’s peacefully-closed eyes. With a shaky breath, she finally spoke the one thing she was never allowed to say, this night—this moment—being her last chance to do so.

“I love you so much, sweetheart.”

A hoof snaked to Scootaloo’s mane, and she pushed it back, revealing more of the filly’s face. Gently, Foggy pressed a kiss at the bridge of Scootaloo’s muzzle.

Breathing a trembling sigh, Foggy lay her head in front of Scootaloo’s, allowing her tears to flow as she let her heart say goodbye to the little filly she had raised for over seven years.

Scootaloo’s face scrunched in her sleep, the filly squirming a bit and stretching out a hoof. Unable and unwilling to stop herself, Foggy gave Scootaloo her hoof.

Still sleeping, the filly tugged Foggy’s hoof to her chest, burying her face in the mare’s fetlock.

Heart wrenching at the gesture, Foggy’s eyes flicked to Scootaloo’s face. The filly fell still once more with a hum, holding Foggy’s hoof tight.

Tears blurred her vision; and as she blinked, the world she saw warped, fueled by memories that felt far too fresh tonight.

Right before her eyes, Scootaloo seemed to shrink to nearly a fourth her size, the miniscule filly holding her hoof just like she had that night. Foggy’s tears left her unable to clearly see the filly…just like that night.

The night that would mark the turning point for the next seven years of her life.

The night she met the tiniest of fillies fighting for her life in the protection of an incubator, eyes covered with bandages stained with tears and blood.

A ripping, tearing pain flared up behind her eyes, and she gasped, her unoccupied hoof flying to her eyes.

For the smallest of moments, she was there. A filly’s tortured scream cut through her mind, her own spilling out as she collapsed from a pain that wasn’t even hers. Shouting, pleading. Layering, rising voices.

Stillness.

Exhausted tears trickling down her face, her gloved hoof trying to comfort a filly that couldn’t see her. Her breath catching as she tried to hiccup her way through a lullaby, unaware that it was falling on deaf ears.

Foggy Day came back to the present with a gasp. Head swimming, she tried to slow her heaving chest, taking in deep breaths as her eyes once again landed on Scootaloo. That night, and the following days, she had refused to leave the newborn filly’s side, hardly sleeping as she kept a close eye on the tiny fighter.

Tonight, for one final time, she would do the same.

She glanced to the side, the light under the door off, signaling the other tenants and agents had turned in for the night—save for the night shift clerk, of course.

Her last reservations dissolved. This was her last night with Scootaloo, and darn it if she wasn’t going to spend every single moment with her.

Lightly surrounding the filly in her magic, Foggy slid the foal over, carefully keeping her hoof in her grip. Shifting as slowly as possible, she pulled herself into the filly’s bed, curling close to her.

She pressed her forehead to Scootaloo’s, taking in every detail of her face. Emotions roiling within her, she spoke:

“I really hope we meet again one day. You can tell me all about your adventures, and I’ll get to see the pony you’ve become.” Foggy Day sniffed. “Whoever she is, she’ll be the luckiest mare in the world, with a wonderful family and too many friends to count, and a life full of ponies who love her to death.” Breath hitching in her throat, she softly cried, “No pony will ever turn away from her, and she will never be alone again for the rest of her life.”

Foggy smiled. “The best parts of your life are just beginning. And I know…I know they’ll be better than you could have ever imagined.”

The unicorn pressed one last kiss to the filly’s forehead, nuzzling her muzzle in the purple mane.

“Goodnight, baby…”

Author's Note

This chapter is brought to you by: ‘Using my own tears as ink’ and ‘Oh my gosh! Okay, it’s happening! Stay calm…Everyone stay ******* CALM!!!!!

How’d you guys like the artwork? I freehanded most of it with just some references for Foggy and the roses.

Where do you guys think she goes every week? Obviously, I can’t tell you if you’re right or not, but you’ll find out soon; and I’m curious about what you think.

Speaking of Foggy, this is totally her theme song for Unseen, Unheard!

I’ve always loved tomorrows. Not entirely knowing what’s coming is honestly scary more often than not, but there are times where everyone looks forward to what’s in store, when things seem so exciting that we can’t help but want time to move faster just so it can happen quicker. Hope you guys feel that way about this story, cuz I certainly do!

That being said, I’ll see you all tomorrow!

Chapter 7: Sunset on a Foggy Day

Author's Note

Before we start, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have read, liked, commented, saved, anything to do with this story. I’ve seen every comment, every like, and every single time this story has been featured (you guys are amazing!). I mentioned this sometime after posting the first chapter, but I had a lot of anxiety about posting this story. I wrote it because this is a story that I wanted to read, but it didn’t exist. So…I wrote it so it would. I didn’t know how others would respond to it, or if anyone would even like it. But you guys took those fears and that anxiety and chucked it at a wall and shattered it into a million pieces, and I cannot be more grateful for that. So, thank you all so, so, so much!!

So, on with this chapter. I wasn’t going to post this part of the story so soon, but this scene wouldn’t leave my head. I tried to find a way to incorporate it into Chapter 6, but I didn’t want the things in Chapter 6 to be over-shadowed by this, and I didn’t want this to be over-shadowed by Chapter 6. So, I decided to make this a standalone chapter to act as a bridge between the Adoption Arc and the next part of the story.

Let me know what you all think!

Also, trigger warning here: depressive themes, and some PTSD. Just a heads-up!

Chapter 7: Sunset on a Foggy Day

Foggy Day awoke to silence. Eyes blinking, she pulled in a deep breath. Her eyes ticked to the clock:

9:18

She let the breath out slowly.

.

.

She needed to get up.

It was almost time to go.

The mare pulled on her legs, breaking them free from their temporary paralysis. Sheets shifting, she brought them to the floor, rolling out of bed.

For a moment, she nearly forgot what she needed to do before she turned and approached the mirror.

She cringed at her reflection, eyes tired and red, small bags hanging underneath them. Her mane was a mess, and overdue for a good cut.

It’d probably help, considering her possible new job.

She shook off the thought, levitating up her brush and yanking it through her mane, pulling apart knots so harshly it brought a tear or two to her eyes.

‘At least I can still feel pain,’ she thought ruefully. ‘I know all about that.’

She put her brush back down a bit too harshly, flinching at the slam she caused. She forced her shoulders to relax with a push of breath, her weary eyes finding her reflection again before they closed.

She stayed in the darkness for a few moments, finally breaking her own silence with: “Staying here isn’t doing anything productive.”

Foggy cracked her eyes open again, swearing for a moment that she lost color in her coat before the teal brightened back to normal. Taking it as an adjustment of her eyes, her gaze panned to her Bit purse. Without even thinking, she levitated it over, and strapped it to her fetlock.

Hooves almost dragging, she maneuvered around the half-unpacked boxes, stepping to the door. She glanced down at the mail in the basket under the slat, raising an eyebrow as she spotted the singular letter within, levitating it up and opening it. Her magic flicked the tri-folded letter open, eyes scanning across the affirmative message she was hoping to receive.

She felt a pang in her heart, unable to feel excitement over the beginnings of a new chapter in her life.

Sighing through her nose, she let her eyes close, placing the letter on the small table by the entrance. She stared at it a bit longer, the chime of her little clock striking nine-thirty finally snapping her out of her stupor.

Yet another sigh heaved from her chest, leaving her feeling even heavier than before. Wincing, she yanked open her door, slipping outside and slamming it shut, locking it tight.

The hustle and bustle of the city around her—a constant she had grown to enjoy—grated on her every last nerve. As she walked, her unintentionally-eavesdropping ear picked up the briefest pieces of passing conversations, the patchwork narrative of nonsensical proportions only making her feel worse with every word that passed.

“I’d never heard of such a thing before…”

“…perhaps it’s all for the best…”

“—but did you see the way that dress fit her?!”

“…and they were roommates!”

“But I know for a fact they’ll be right back where they started.”

She blew a frustrated breath, doing her best to return with as normal a look of neutrality as she could when ponies greeted her left and right, no more than a mere ‘hello’ from strangers.

She passed couples, groups. Friends. An extra weight dragged down her heart, each unfamiliar face only serving to remind her of how alone she was.

How alone she was clearly destined to be.

She pulled on her perfected small smile as she finally came to her usual flower stall, the mint-colored earth pony greeting her with her usual smile.

“Hiya, Foggy!” she smiled brightly.

“Hello, Clover,” the unicorn returned.

“Your usual order?”

“Yes, please, thank you.”

“Sure!” Clover chirped, taking the pre-chosen flowers from their vase and moving back over to the counter. “I saved the best just for you.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” Foggy’s smile deepened, her eyes squinting a bit as she gave the florist what was owed.

“I wanted to,” Clover insisted. “It’s the only thing you order, so I’m going to give you the best.”

The unicorn’s smile gained a bit of warmth. “Well, I appreciate it.”

Clover nodded. “See you next week?” she asked.

“Of course,” Foggy smiled, traipsing away from the flower kiosk and admiring the roses Clover had given her.

Both were in full bloom, their supple petalheads large and proud as they sported flawless curves and colors. One was that of the purest white, while the other held a crimson hue so dark it burned black at the edges of each petal.

She gave the flowers a soft smile, pulling in a deep draw, their scent every bit as lovely as their beauty. Her heart skipped a beat.

They were perfect, as usual.

Beating back the tears threatening to choke her once again, she continued onward, the voices of the surrounding sea of ponies mixing and blurring together in a mess of noise as her mind checked out of reality.

Finally, she arrived at her destination, her legs moving on autopilot as she pushed open the creaky cast-iron gate.

Just as the latch clanged back into place, the bells within the tower sang their announcement of ten o’clock. She paused at the threshold, eyes slipping closed and heart skipping a beat as she basked in their chimes, unable to keep the memories from spilling forth like they did every time.

She could still feel the fabric against her fur, the warmth of the sun heating her to uncomfortable levels.

The bells ended, and she opened her eyes to find tears blurring her vision, her breath catching as she desperately held back a wave of sobs, sorrow old and new threatening to suffocate her.

She rubbed a fetlock into her eyes, almost angrily wiping the tears away. As best she could, she composed herself, pulling on a small smile as she walked around the side of the building, finding the subject of her visit immediately across the field.

Foggy Day stepped around the other still figures, greeting her visitee with a warm smile.

“Hey, there,” she cooed, eyes flicking to the two dead stalks in the waiting vase. Humming to herself, she offered, “Let me replace those for you.”

She levitated the brown stems out, tossing them aside and replacing them with the two roses she held in her magic, briefly twisting and adjusting them so they’d show off the best parts of themselves.

A question rose from her subconscious, and her eyes flicked to her subject. “I’m doing okay. I…I’d be lying if I said I don’t miss her.” Her smile gained moisture as tears welled in her eyes. “But…I’m adjusting, so…”

She could feel the eyes boring a hole straight through her, knowing she was lying.

Trying to distract both herself and her visitee, she chirped, “I’m about to start a new job.” Her smile grew. “That should, uh…keep me busy for a…for a long time…”

She swallowed the rising lump in her throat, offering a smile of peace, a total opposite to the anguish she held in her eyes.

Her smile faltered. “No. No, I can’t. I told you, she’s gone, okay? I can’t…just…be…”

Her words failed, heart straining at the seams. She pulled in a shallow breath, locking eyes with her subject.

“She has a new life,” Foggy insisted. “She shouldn’t have to stay stuck in the past with me.”

She could feel the deadpan look, something in her heart nudging her simultaneously toward and away from the one she was visiting.

“I know,” she sank. “Practice what I preach. Don’t chastise me, I’m your—“

She bit her tongue, eyes welling with tears. “I just…can’t, okay? It’d be best if she just forgot about me. Besides, with my new job, I’ll be too busy to…even think about…visiting…”

Foggy Day shook her head. “Look, it’s just not appropriate, okay? I was her shadow, nothing more. It was my job to take care of her, and…raise her, and…teach her…But-but that’s Rainbow’s job now, and she’ll do amazingly. I don’t…want to get in the way of their lives, and…”

She rubbed the water from her cheeks. “And…I can’t…can’t abandon you. I wouldn’t dream of letting you go through what I had to. Even…e-even if it means I stay here forever, okay?”

Her pulse roared in her ears, memories threatening to take over yet again. She beat them back as best she could, but a few flashes too strong for her to block flew unwanted across her eyes.

Shouting. Angry words that had faded over time.

Cold night. Alone, curled up on the concrete steps of a huge building, staring out at a large courtyard fenced in with iron spokes, the echoes of a deep voice speaking a promise that was never meant to be kept.

She—as well as many others—would wind up calling that building home for far too many years.

Fear. Half-baked stability. Fear. Rocky relationships. Fear.

Peace.

Love.

Joy.

Hurt.

Emptiness.

Foggy shook her head with a shout, clapping her hooves to her head. Taking in several heaving breaths, she brought herself back to the present, once again rubbing away the annoyingly persistent tears that wanted to fall.

She glanced back up at her visitee, sniffling. “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to scare you.”

The unicorn cleared her throat, trying to fight her watery eyes. She smiled, “My place is here…with you. I can’t…bring myself to leave you, okay?”

All her trying, all her fighting, proved to be in vain as her mask slipped and her voice dissolved, breaking apart and melting as her tears poured forth once again. She found herself no longer able to fight as her chest convulsed with barely-held-back sobs. “And I wanted to let you know…with my new job…I might have to miss a few visits, but…I’ll always come back, okay? I promise. I’m not…I’m not going anywhere, okay, sweetheart?”

Foggy’s face fell as a sob violently escaped her chest. “I love you so much!” Her legs no longer able to support her, she sank to her elbows, burying her face in her fetlocks.

The mare stayed there through the toll of eleven, not caring about how much time passed as she wept, alone.

Watching her pour out her heart for the millionth time, an angel of stone smiled down peacefully at her, wings spread and forelegs open to welcome an embrace. It stood upright upon a block of concrete, a carved brass plaque at its feet reading:

Infant colt of Augite Wisp and Foggy Day

Born asleep Aprilius 9th, 1082 C.

You knew how to fly before you could learn how to run.

Chapter 8: The New Crusader

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Chapter 9: Family Matters

By the weekend, none could walk an entire block in the little town of Ponyville without seeing at least one colorful flyer for a party. No more than a simple invitation for all, each informed passersby of nothing more than the party being held in the library (with both forewarning and permission this time), and the subject of said party.

EHS PARTY!!

Join us Saturday, Augustus 20th for an all-day celebration at the Golden Oaks Library!

Meet the newest arrival in Ponyville and learn how to talk to her!

Lunch and snacks will be provided!

Begins at 8 AM!

For those whose curiosity’s were piqued, they were only able to find more information from a select few individuals, all of which held similar answers:

“Rainbow Dash recently adopted just the sweetest darling you’ve ever seen.”

“Unfortunately, she’s only able to speak through something known as Equestrian Hoof-Speak.”

“So Twilight’s gonna host a shindig ta help us and ev’rypony interested learn.”

“It’s gonna be a super-duper long party, so we’re gonna provide lunch and snacks while Dashie and Scootaloo teach!”

“We’d really appreciate it if you came out to learn, i-if you don’t mind. It’ll really help Scootaloo.”

As buzz abounded through the town, word spreading and excitement growing, many found themselves looking up toward Ponyville’s sole cloud-based abode, waiting for so much as a glimpse at the mysterious new filly that had caused such a shake in the Bearer of Loyalty’s life. Those who did only saw a mound of orange and purple on the famous mare’s back as she made a trip to the Golden Oaks Library, leaving with a box before any could stop her and ask for an introduction.

As the days wore on, the time for the party growing closer and closer, anticipation thickened throughout the town. By the afternoon of the penultimate day, one could attempt to cut it with a knife.

Inside the Cloudominium, a different sort of tension was forming. Rainbow Dash paced the living room as Scootaloo worked on her history worksheet. With every pass came a glance at the clock, mere seconds passing with each peek.

Rainbow Dash jumped when Scootaloo hummed, reaching for her. She snatched up the answer sheet in time for Scootaloo to tap out her response. Chuckling, Rainbow Dash praised, “Good job, squirt! You make this look easy!”

Scootaloo laughed, hugging Rainbow’s hoof before continuing on with the next question. She ran her hoof along the Braille once, twice, thrice, before she paused, her eyes flicking in thought.

Finally, she answered with her lip in her teeth, a little unsure of herself.

Rainbow Dash frowned to herself, the filly missing the mark only slightly. “Uh, not quite,” she began, explaining to the filly what she had mistaken.

Scootaloo hummed in thought, nodding to herself. “Okay, I think I got it. So…the Windigos didn’t exist until that moment…but no pony knows if they’re still around today…but are thought to be held back by the collective magic held by all the ponies in Equestria?”

“Yeah, that’s it!” Rainbow smiled. “Good job!”

The little pegasus let out a content, giggle-tinged sigh, and Rainbow Dash pulled her into a hug. Scootaloo squirmed a bit. “Let me go, I’m almost done.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “Nope.” With a mischievous grin, she tilted over, pulling Scootaloo away from her assignment and holding her onto her chest.

Scootaloo groaned playfully, calling out to her guardian.

In response, the mare flipped her filly over, lifting her into the air. Scootaloo squealed a laugh, flailing her hooves as she tried to reach for Rainbow’s face, less than a foot too far away.

Breaking with a laugh of her own, Rainbow Dash finally relented, bringing Scootaloo back down and booping the filly’s nose with her own. “Alright, alright. Last question, right?”

“Yep!”

“Cool! After that, I’ll make dinner. We have to get some good sleep tonight, remember?”

Scootaloo nodded excitedly. “I can’t wait to see how many ponies show up!” She snorted. “Well, you know…”

A bark of laughter escaped Rainbow Dash, the mare setting Scootaloo back down in front of her sheet. Scootaloo found her question, running her hoof along the Braille.

The moment she let go, a deep chime rattled Rainbow Dash down to her bones.

Her heart jumped to her throat, blood running cold as dread weighed down her stomach.

After a moment of shock, Rainbow Dash finally managed to pull most of herself together. She blew out a tense breath, and reached for Scootaloo.

“I gotta step away for a sec, somepony’s at the door. Call for me when you’re ready to answer, okay?”

Scootaloo hummed happily, nodding and continuing her work. Rainbow Dash swallowed hard as she stood, trudging into the foyer.

With how late it was into the afternoon, no more deliveries were being made today. Twilight and Pinkie Pie were busy setting up tomorrow’s party. Fluttershy, by now, would have started putting the animals down for the night and making preparations for the nocturnal creatures.

One by one, her desperate mind crossed off name after name, each tick leaving her more and more dreadfully certain of who was on the other side of her door.

Of course they had shown up an hour before they’d said they would.

Sweat beading at her temple, she took a thin breath, and reached a shaking hoof to the door. Pulling on the best smile she could in her nervously terrified state, she opened the door and greeted:

“Heeeeeeeeyyyy, Mom and Dad.”

Her vision was instantly filled with the light orange of her mother’s mane. “Oh, hel-lo, my little Dashie-pie!” One suffocating squeeze later, and Windy Whistles finally relinquished Rainbow’s ability to breathe. “How’s our favorite Wonderbolt-to-be doing?” she asked with a wide grin, winking.

“Uh, heh-heh, I’m…doing fine,” Rainbow responded, rubbing the back of her neck. She gulped, “Uh, how are you two?”

“Awesome, as usual, Rainbow,” her father responded, pulling her into a one-forelegged hug. “Not as awesome as you, though,” Bow Hothoof teased, nuzzling his daughter’s cheek.

Rainbow Dash gave a nervous chuckle, carefully shoving herself out of her father’s grip as politely as possible. “So, uh…you guys wanna come in?”

“Abso-tutely-lutely!” her mother beamed, trotting into the Cloudominium. “I cannot believe how big your house is, sweetie!”

“Yeah,” her father agreed. “Guess we know who the best weather mare in all of Equestria is, too.”

“Uh…yeah, so…” Rainbow Dash shuffled on her hooves, mind still scrambling to find the best way to say what she was about to say. “Um…you’re probably wondering why I asked you to to come visit.”

“You bet we are!” Bow Hothoof grinned. “You did an impeccable job at being vague.”

“Mm-hmm!” Windy Whistles nodded. “Not to mention how perfectly succinct you were, too! I must say, I don’t think I’ve ever been left in more suspense by a single sheet of paper in my life!”

Rainbow Dash blinked, a sheepish grin creeping up her face. “So, uh, yeah…about that.” She took in a shallow breath. “Mom, Dad, there’s something I need to tell you, and I need you to not freak out about it, okay?”

“Absolutely, dear,” Windy assured. With a pointed wink, she added, “Excellent work at building suspension, by the way.”

Her daughter breathed a nervous sigh. “Yeah, um, so…you promise you won’t freak out?”

“Not unless it’s something totally amazing,” Bow promised. “Which, when it comes to you, is everything!”

Rainbow stifled a groan, rubbing the space between her eyes. “Look, can you promise just this once to not immediately start cheering and at least let me finish talking before you break out the confetti?”

“Okay, yes,” Windy relented, nodding. “Now what is it you wanted to tell us?”

The rainbow-maned mare swallowed hard, nearly unable to hear her own thoughts over her pounding heart. She pulled in a breath, eyes rising to a point high on the wall as she gathered what courage she could. A dozen ways to break the news had presented themselves to her throughout the week, and she finally settled on the one that would break it in as fast as possible.

Jaw set in determination, her eyes found her parents, flicking between them before she finally pulled the pin.

“You’re grandparents.”

The declaration made them blink as it crossed the room, giving the same effect as if somepony had suddenly tickled their noses. Expressions an odd mix of shock and non-belief were thrown back at her, her parents too stunned to say anything at first.

Her mother was the first to break the silence. She broke out in a confused grin, before a bark of laughter escaped her chest. “Oh, that was a good one, Rainbow! You really had me for a second there!”

“When were you gonna tell us you achieved ‘Best Comedian in Equestria’?” her father added, laughing along with his wife.

Rainbow Dash watched with a sinking gut as her parents pulled themselves together, finally finding her face again. She clenched her jaw, brow creased in nervousness as she waited.

Windy Whistles swiped the final, mirthful tear from her eye. Her vision now cleared, she saw the look her daughter was giving her, and her heart instantly dropped.

That was the same look she’d given them when she told them she was moving away.

“Wait…” Windy droned. “You…you aren’t joking, are you?”

“What?” Bow questioned, glancing down at Windy before he, too, finally came to the same conclusion, face morphing in shock. “Wait. Wait. Dashie, what?”

Rainbow looked sheepishly at her parents, and opened her mouth to—

A wordless call rose from the living room, and three heads snapped in its direction. Rainbow Dash glanced at her parents, who slowly returned her gaze before they numbly watched their daughter smile sheepishly and trot off to answer the call.

Her retreating presence snapped them from their stupor, and they rushed after her. Bow and Windy made it to the doorway in time to see their daughter pull a little pegasus filly into her lap, resting her chin into the purple mane as an orange hoof tapped her fetlock in a strange pattern.

Confusion further clogged their minds as their eyes landed on the filly’s, her clouded gaze flicking about as it rose a bit to the ceiling.

Once the little hoof finished its dance, their daughter broke out in a smile, burying her muzzle in the filly’s mane. “Good job, kid,” she praised quietly, not a sign of acknowledgment rising from the filly…until Rainbow Dash returned with a tapping of her own. Once she did, the filly erupted in a fit of squeaky giggles, her hooves rising to clamp on either side of Rainbow’s cheeks.

Their daughter chuckled, gently removing the foal’s hooves. Her eyes flicked in their direction, her head rising to meet their gazes with a faltering smile, as if she had suddenly remembered they were there.

A small moment passed with the trio staring at each other, the oblivious filly playing with Rainbow Dash’s hooves. One gaze of sheepish nervousness met two of utter shock and befuddlement, the spell only breaking when the younger cyan mare took in a shallow breath, freeing her hooves from the filly’s grasp to tap something on her cannon bone.

The filly responded in kind with a little excited gasp, stilling to allow Rainbow Dash to pick her up and place her on the couch. She offered a small smile to her parents. “Mom, Dad…this is Scootaloo. I adopted her a few days ago. She…She can’t see or hear you.” When only silence answered her, she added, “Do, uh…do you guys want to meet her?”

The inquiry did nothing to change the expressions on her parents’ faces, the two older pegasi exchanging a glance before Windy Whistles broke the tense silence.

“Rainbow, sweetie, you can’t be serious,” her mother gaped, stepping toward her.

The mare in question fought against her rising hackles. “I am, actually. I went through training to know how to talk to her and take care of her. I’m her legal guardian now.”

“But, Dashie,” her father objected, “what about becoming a Wonderbolt? That’s been your dream ever since you could first fly. You won’t be able to do that now.”

Rainbow Dash grunted in protest. “You don’t know that, okay? I’m still training really hard, and I still want to become a Wonderbolt, but…” her eyes found the little filly patiently waiting on the couch, and a small smile crept up her face. “That’s…not my only goal anymore.”

Silence fell between them, Rainbow taking in her parents’ eyes. They’d never looked this…caught off-guard before. Sure, she’d done things they hadn’t expected before—what kid didn’t? But…the way they were looking at her…

She found herself fighting back tears as her mother finally spoke.

“I just…Rainbow Dash, dear,” Windy Whistles started. “Are you sure that was a good idea?”

Rainbow clenched her jaw, desperately trying to keep her vision from blurring. “Yes,” she replied resolutely. “It was the best decision I ever made.”

Her mother took in a small breath. It caught in her throat, before she tensely pushed it out, eyeing the little pegasus. “I just…” she trailed. “I don’t know if I support your decision.”

Her daughter gulped. “I don’t need you to support my decision,” Rainbow Dash uttered. “I just need you to support her.”

The words thumped against Windy’s heart, and her eyes locked with her daughter’s. The stare held steady, before Rainbow Dash broke it to look at her father. “Dad?”

Bow Hothoof had been silent through the exchange, golden eyes resting on the quiet filly. He knew his daughter, and he knew how headstrong she was. He knew nothing in the world could make her potentially give up on her goals in life. And yet…she had.

He felt a stirring in his chest, and tears pricked his eyes.

This must be a pretty special filly to change his daughter’s plans so completely.

His welling eyes still trained on Scootaloo, he breathed:

“She’s beautiful, Dashie.”

A grin broke out on Rainbow’s face as tears slipped from her eyes. “Thanks, Dad,” she cried.

Windy’s face whipped to her husband. “What? Bow!” she objected.

“Windy, just…just look at her,” Bow Hothoof insisted with a hoof to his wife’s shoulder, his eyes incapable of leaving the little filly. “Isn’t she just the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen?”

Windy scoffed, “Bow, you…you can’t be serious!” Now one-sided, her gaze flicked to the filly on the couch to her daughter, her heart hammering in her chest. “I can’t be the only one that sees the issue here!”

Silence fell in the room, and Rainbow’s eyes found Scootaloo’s again. Something bordering a mischievous smile graced her lips, and she gently picked Scootaloo up as she sat on the couch, pulling her into her lap. “Why don’t you just…meet her?” she offered her mother.

The older mare blanched. “Wh…what?” she stammered.

“Just…let her sit in your lap. Let her meet you.”

A tense moment passed, and Windy released her breath in a huff. Her resolve still steeled, she hid an eyeroll as she pulled herself onto the couch, reluctantly offering her hooves.

She watched Rainbow Dash tap the filly’s fetlock in an odd pattern, the little pegasus nodding. The young guardian passed the little filly to her mother, who helped the filly into her own lap before she looked up at her daughter in deadpanned confusion.

“She’s gonna feel your face,” Rainbow warned. “It’s how she sees what ponies look like.”

True to her word, the little filly wiggled her way around, finding Windy’s shoulder and using it as an anchor to find her face. Windy stiffened as the little hooves moved around her features, feeling and fighting against an unexpected stirring in her heart when the deaf-blind pegasus panted a chuckle as she flipped her bangs.

Once the filly was satisfied, she settled back down, reaching behind her for Rainbow Dash. The mare responded, and the filly tapped her hoof on Rainbow’s cannon bone.

Windy watched as a small smile found its way onto her daughter’s face. Rainbow tapped the filly back, and the tiny pegasus gave a little gasp, eyes widening and breath catching in her throat.

Brow furrowing, Windy asked, “What is—“

She was cut off by a sudden movement from the filly in her lap. The tiny thing had suddenly launched herself at Windy Whistles, hooves around her neck faster than she could blink, purple mane tickling her cheek as the little face found her shoulder.

The disabled pegasus gave a little noise, something along the lines of a whine and a content hum rising to Windy’s ear, the little forehead fitting into the crook of her neck so perfectly and completely, it took her breath away.

At once, everything Windy was trying to build up shattered, the emotions she was fighting flooding forward and filling her soul. Almost as if the filly had cast a spell on her, she felt her allegiances shift, her heart singing in a way it hadn’t since Rainbow Dash was a filly.

Suddenly, all she wanted was to hold the filly close, and love her for the rest of her life.

Windy’s eyes tracked down to the little orange filly, filling with tears. Her gaping mouth closed with a quivering chin, and she placed gentle hooves on the filly’s back.

The tiny pegasus responded with a hummed giggle, nuzzling her face into Windy’s neck.

The older mare looked up at her daughter, lovestruck written all over her face. Rainbow Dash answered with a smile of mutual understanding, her own tears welling.

“What did you tell her?” Windy questioned, nearly flabbergasted.

Rainbow rubbed at her tears, grinning. “I just told her you’re my mom.”

Windy’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes trailing down to the tiny, precious filly she held against her. Before she knew what she was doing, she pressed her face against Scootaloo’s head, her nose brushing against the little filly’s ear. The responding nuzzle against her cheek was the final straw, sending a string of tears down her face and into Scootaloo’s mane.

A sob-tinged sigh escaped her, and she looked back up at her daughter. The crimson eyes that stared back at her were pleading, tears spilling forth unbidden as Rainbow waited, unbreathing, for her mother’s response.

Finally, a warm, loving smile rose on the face of Windy Whistles, no longer able nor willing to even pretend to fight the feelings flooding her chest. In one swift motion, she squeezed Scootaloo tight, the little filly melting into place in her heart, where she forevermore would be.

“Okay,” Windy breathed, glancing up at her daughter.

Rainbow Dash smiled teasingly. “Just okay?” she chuckled.

Windy Whistles returned the chuckle with a playful huff. “Yes,” she nodded. “She’s…she’s here now. And…well…I can see why you fell in love with her.” She offered Rainbow a smile. “She’s absolutely wonderful, dearie.”

A tiny, airy laugh escaped the young mare, and she scooted onto the couch, motioning her father to do the same. She rubbed a gentle hoof on Scootaloo’s back, and the filly released her tight grip around her guardian’s mother, peeling away her teary face from her shoulder.

Rainbow Dash tapped something on the filly’s fetlock, and Scootaloo gave a happy little giggle. Her eyes flicked across Windy’s face, before she drew a swooping, dipping curve right in front of her face.

“Uh, what did she do?” Windy questioned.

That’s your name-sign,” Rainbow Dash explained, tapping Scootaloo’s shoulder. In response, the filly drew the sign again, a bit slower this time. “It’s how she’ll say your name from now on, and gives you a way to quickly let her know who you are. Whenever you come up to her, either draw it out on her, or guide her hoof through it. But only use yours, got it? Don’t draw anypony else’s, that’ll just confuse her.”

Windy Whistles nodded automatically, her head spinning trying to keep up with the new information that just piled on top of her recently-overcome shock. “But…how do we talk to her regularly?” she managed to question as Rainbow Dash helped guide Scootaloo onto her father’s lap, switching her position on the couch.

“Well,” Rainbow Dash began as Scootaloo giggled, feeling Bow Hothoof’s face, “that’s actually why I asked you guys here tonight. Tomorrow, me and Scootaloo are going to be teaching EHS to anypony who comes to the library.” She spelt out her father’s name on Scootaloo’s withers, then added, “It’ll take all day, though; but Pinkie’s arranged for lunch to be served.”

“Uh, EHS?” Bow Hothoof asked, Scootaloo drawing his name-sign in the air: a straight line down that rose in a diagonal to the right before coming down again.

“Equestrian Hoof-Speak,” Rainbow Dash explained, moving her hoof to demonstrate. “It’s the hoof tapping thing that I’m doing. It’s how she talks.”

Almost as if to prove her point, Scootaloo reached for her guardian, shyly tapping something out. Rainbow’s eyes widened, a small breath catching in her throat.

“What is it?” Bow Hothoof asked, the slightest bit of concern tinting his voice.

Rainbow Dash glanced at her parents, beginning to share in Scootaloo’s shyness as she slowly translated:

“She, uh…she wants to know if it’s okay if she calls you her god-grandparents.”

The looks her parents gave her nearly sent her to the floor in laughter. Their wide eyes and gaped jaws gave momentary expressions of surprise so sudden that she was surprised they hadn’t hit the floor in shock.

It quickly wore off, however, quickly replaced with looks of the purest love and joy, the idea of their growing family finally fully solidifying as they accepted it in an instant. Through quickly-welling tears, Bow asked curiously, “Why god-grandparents?”

“Um…” Rainbow trailed, “I’m pretty sure it’s because she likes to call me her sister.” At her parents’ collective confusion, she clarified with a chuckle, “I’m…pretty sure there’s already a mare that’s earned the title ‘Mom’ from Scoots.” She smiled softly, running a hoof through her mane. “I’m hoping she can visit sometime soon.”

“Wait, if she’s who Scootaloo sees as her mom, why didn’t she adopt her?” Windy questioned.

Rainbow Dash paused, the inquiry stumping her. She…hadn’t really thought about it, actually. Thinking out loud, she reasoned, “Well…maybe she doesn’t know, I guess, since Scoots never said anything. I’m kinda hoping that Scootaloo will tell her eventually, since I’ve invited her to come visit whenever she wants. She was her shadow, so…maybe she never saw it as anything more than professional? And I guess…Scootaloo knew that…and didn’t want to make things difficult for her? I don’t know…” She shook her head. “She’s a really busy pony, and once she’s done with one foal, she has to move on to the next. Maybe…she’d be too busy because of work?”

Her internal dilemma was finally given a moment of reprieve when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Her nervous eyes found her father’s smiling face, and she smiled sheepishly. “Well, whatever the reason,” her mother piped up, “we’d be honored to be her god-grandparents.”

A teary grin split Rainbow’s face, and she relayed the response to Scootaloo, waiting with bated breath. The little filly squealed a cheer, leaping for Bow Hothoof’s neck and squeezing him as tight as she could. He heartily returned the gesture, Scootaloo reaching with one hoof in Windy’s direction. The mare responded with a hoof, letting the newest member of the family pull her into a tight hug.

Rainbow watched the scene with a soaring heart, her fears from before evaporating. Her breath loosened, and she let out a content sigh. The moment passed peacefully, before her mother finally broke the beautiful silence.

“Have you made dinner yet, Rainbow?” she asked, peeking over Scootaloo’s head.

“Nah, not yet,” Rainbow confessed. “I was just about to before you guys got here.”

“Oh, we can take care of it,” Bow offered as Scootaloo relinquished her grip around them.

Rainbow smiled, waving off, “No, it’s okay! I can get it.”

Windy Whistles smiled warmly. “Rainbow Dash, let us take care of it for you. You stay here and finish up whatever you were working on with her, we’ll take care of dinner.”

“Oh, are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure, Dashie,” Windy insisted with a light laugh.

Bow passed the filly over to her guardian as his wife stood, trotting into the kitchen. “We’ll let you know when it’s ready.”

“O-okay,” Rainbow Dash blinked, surprised at how easily her parents slid into their new roles. With a small smile, she let Scootaloo know what was going on.

With a happy, hummed little giggle Scootaloo nuzzled her face into Rainbow’s chest. “Are they gonna spend the night and go to the party tomorrow?”

“Yeah. They might wanna–”

“Yay, Rainbow!” Windy’s voice cried from the kitchen entrance, making Rainbow Dash jump. “Best hoof-tapper ever!”

Rainbow Dash’s face leveled out into a deadpan stare as she glanced at her beaming-with-pride mother peeking out from the doorway.

“It’s called Equestrian Hoof-Speak, Mom,” she grunted. “And I’m not the best. You should meet the mare that raised her to this point.”

“Ooh! And you made another friend, too! That’s so amazing, Dashie!” Windy Whistles beamed as she trotted back into the kitchen to continue helping her husband make dinner.

“You okay?” Scootaloo tapped on Rainbow’s chest. Her eyes rested above her sister’s rainbow mane, concern creasing her forehead as she first felt Rainbow’s jump, then her hesitation.

The cyan mare looked down at the little filly, and all tension and annoyance instantly vanished. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she responded. “Mom startled me, is all. She’s, uh…very supportive. And loud about it.”

A giggle bubbled through Scootaloo. “So that’s a yes?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s a yes. They might stay a couple days after, too.”

“Okay,” Scootaloo fell still for a moment, tracing her hoof into Rainbow’s chest. The speedster recognized the internal dilemma in the filly, and waited patiently for her to figure out what was on her mind.

Finally, Scootaloo’s clouded gaze rose to Rainbow’s chin. “Is it okay if I call them Grandma and Grandpa? Even though I call you my sister? And see them as my god-grandparents?”

Rainbow Dash paused, letting the question sink in as she pondered. “However you want to see or call any of us is perfectly okay, Scootaloo. And honestly,” she looked up at a shared laugh between her parents. A small smile found her lips, and she brought her forehead to Scootaloo’s. “Honestly, I think they’d be thrilled to hear you call them that.”

The little filly in her lap hummed a giggle. “Okay,” she tapped.

Rainbow Dash smirked mischievously. “Let’s go tell them.”

Scootaloo seemed to share the sentiment, an adorable, low giggle bubbling forth as she clapped her little hooves together in delight. Rainbow Dash helped her onto her back, trotting into the entrance of the kitchen.

“Hey, Mom, Dad?”

“Yes, Rainbow?” they asked simultaneously.

“Scootaloo wants to know if, even though she sees you as god-grandparents, if it’s okay if she calls you ‘Grandma’ and ‘Grandpa’.”

For a moment, she thought her parents forgot how to breathe. They slowly looked back at her, eyes resting on Scootaloo’s face, propped against Rainbow’s head.

Their eyes flicked to each other, and Bow was the first to break the silence with a little sniffle as tears welled in her eyes. “Of course she can!” he cried, tears immediately gushing forth in a way Rainbow would have normally found overdramatic…if she hadn’t already felt the same way multiple times.

“Aw, Dad…” she teased, trotting up to him and pulling him in a hug. He clung to her neck, Scootaloo perking up at the brush of forelegs with a hum, pressing her nose against Bow’s. The motion only served to make his heart melt into a puddle, and his tears gush even harder.

Windy Whistles fought back her own tears, smiling warmly as she gave her attention back to the scattered parts of the daisy sandwiches, leaving her husband to her daughter and new granddaughter.

As the word flit through her brain, she couldn’t stop her hooves from dancing in place.

“So, Scootaloo,” Bow began as the four ate their sandwiches, “what kind of things do ya like to do?”

Rainbow Dash hesitated mid-bite, gaze flicking between her father and Scootaloo, whose two hooves were currently occupied with her daisy sandwich.

“Uh, she likes to read,” Rainbow answered for her. “And she likes to make these little figures of all the ponies she meets. They’re actually pretty cool!”

“Aww,” Windy gushed, “and how have you been liking it in Ponyville so far?”

The younger mare paused, glancing down again to check the status of her little sister’s hooves, which were still preoccupied. “Uh…how about you ask her that after we eat?”

“Why?” Windy questioned. “Can’t you do the, uh…oh, what is it called again?”

“Equestrian Hoof-Speak,” Rainbow deadpanned. “And no. Her hooves are busy right now, so asking her to talk right now would be kinda rude. We have a rule between the two of us to not talk at the table because she’s busy eating.”

“Oh, I see,” her mother nodded slowly in understanding. “Well you two are just the best house-rule-followers ever!!” With a proud little giggle, she finally quieted herself with a bite of her own sandwich, much to Rainbow Dash’s relief.

Still, she offered a quiet, involuntary “Thanks, Mom” before taking a bite of her own sandwich.

“Guys, for the last time,” Rainbow Dash grumbled. “We’ve got a busy day tomorrow, go to sleep.”

“Aw, we just wanted to check on her,” Windy whispered loudly, half inside Scootaloo’s room, where the filly was sound asleep.

“She’s an excellent sleeper,” Bow complimented in a low voice. “She might even be better than you,” he added with a wink.

“You also don’t need to whisper,” Rainbow deadpanned, her voice a tick louder than normal to illustrate.

“Aw, we know that,” her father waved off, still whispering. “We just wanted to make sure.”

Her mother picked up, “Don’t want any air vibrations to wake her up.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, her gaze leveling out in deadpanned exhaustion as she physically fought against a facehoof. Finally, she let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s not how…Look, just promise me you won’t wake her up, and that you’ll go to sleep soon, okay? We have to get up early.”

“Alright, Rainbow, we promise,” Windy Whistles smiled, Bow Hothoof nodding in agreement.

Another moment passed, and Rainbow Dash let out another sigh, turning tail and heading up the stairs, half tempted to take Scootaloo with her to ensure her parents wouldn’t bother the sleeping filly.

The next morning, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but gawk when she walked into the Golden Oaks library fifteen minutes before the party would start. Her parents shuffled into seats near the back, beginning to chat it up with Carrot Top.

Her sweeping eyes caught sight of Twilight, her unicorn friend excitedly waving her forward. Scootaloo perched on her back, the mare’s legs moved on autopilot as she trudged forward.

The room quieted at once as she walked down the middle aisle, the soft rumblings of voices becoming nothing more than whispers as eyes fell upon her almost sudden enough to startle her.

It almost seemed as if Scootaloo could feel the eyes on her as she was carried across a room she hadn’t been able to map yet, her hooves delicately running over Rainbow’s fur to calm herself.

Finally at the front of the room, Rainbow Dash tapped Scootaloo’s fetlock, helping her down and pulling her secure into her lap.

“Isn’t it amazing?!” Twilight gushed next to her.

“Yeah…” Rainbow Dash trailed, her mind still reeling. “It’s awesome!”

A smile steadily grew across her face, one that was quickly reciprocated by her friends, and then by many who were now seated and patiently waiting for the day’s activity to begin.

“How many ponies are here?” Scootaloo asked, a little nervous.

The mare’s eyes trailed around the room, taking in each recognizable face. With an elated chuckle, she answered:

“I think half the town’s here, squirt.”

Even as she said this, Pinkie nearly squealed in excitement in her place beside the Cakes, who were exchanging brief conversation with Ditsy Doo and her daughter, Dinky. The foal’s surrogate sister, Amythest, was there as well, laughing along with whatever Dinky had just said.

Across the way sat Rarity and Applejack, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom chatting animatedly as they waited for the lesson to begin. All three Apple children had come to the party, their little group sitting on the front row, Granny Smith squinting a bit at the chalkboard Rainbow Dash sat beside, where Twilight had already written out the entire EHS alphabet in much the same way Foggy had not so long ago.

‘She’d probably cry if she were here right now,’ Rainbow Dash mused to herself.

Behind the Cakes and Pinkie, Fluttershy and Ponyville’s residential veterinarian spoke softly, Matilda the donkey sitting close by. Lyra and Bon Bon exchanged quick greetings with Cheerilee, who invited them to sit with her. Berry Punch craned her neck to get a better look at both the board and the foal of the hour. Rose, Daisy, and a few of their florist friends grinned at whatever Raindrops had just told them, Rainbow could only imagine it had something to do with the upcoming weather, and what that meant for the immediate flower harvest.

Across the aisle from them sat the two musicians of Ponyville, Octavia chattering away as she described something with arching hooves, her roommate, Vinyl, nodding along thoughtfully. Behind them, Rainbow Dash recognized face after face of those who worked on the weather team, over half of her entire team settled a bit in the back, watching her excitedly. She waved at them, feeling a little shy to be in front of so many ponies she knew…and didn’t know.

She counted at least ten faces that she didn’t recognize–at least, she didn’t think she did. All looking at her, or their friends, or others in the town. It almost made her tears up, knowing even ponies she didn’t know wanted to come here and learn, all in the effort to help Scootaloo.

A nervous hum snapped her attention back down to Scootaloo, the filly squirming a bit. “What’s wrong kiddo?”

Scootaloo hesitated for only a moment. “Do I have to come up with name-signs for everypony? I don’t think I can think of that many.”

A thoughtful frown creased Rainbow’s face. “We don’t have to worry about name-signs today, okay? We can do that if you meet the pony individually, but we’ll just focus on teaching EHS to everypony today, okay?”

The filly relaxed at once. “Okay,” she tapped.

“Everything alright?” Twilight questioned.

“Yeah,” Rainbow replied. “Scoots is just nervous about making name-signs for everypony here, so I just told her not to worry about it.”

Twilight nodded, smiling, “Okay. I’ll remove that part of the lesson, then. I’ll leave that to you to disclose when she gets to know somepony a bit better.” With a flourish of her magic, she pulled the chalkboard to the center of the room, the small crowd quieting at once. “Whenever you two are ready.”

Rainbow Dash looked down at the little filly in her lap. “Ready?” she asked Scootaloo’s head.

Scootaloo nodded, and Rainbow Dash helped her onto her back, trotting to the center of the front of the room as Scootaloo situated herself in a standing position on Rainbow’s shoulders, propping herself up on Rainbow’s head with her forehooves.

Rainbow Dash carefully stopped, addressing the full room. “Uh, hi, everypony. Thank you all for coming out today, we really appreciate it.” Her eyes trailed up, just barely able to make out the tip of Scootaloo’s nose. “Everypony, I’d like you to meet Scootaloo.” Her hoof rose to Scootaloo’s. “Wave hi.”

The little filly on her back responded with a beam, her little hoof shooting up and waving high over her head, an airy little chuckle panting past her lips.

Unknown to her, she was met with wide smiles and coos all throughout the room. Rainbow chuckled, “They love you.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened, a little blush breaking across her cheeks. She gave a little embarrassed squee, ducking her face into Rainbow’s mane. The response was only more awws and coos and giggles, each pony in the room completely smitten by the newest addition to their little town.

The mare gave a chuckle, lightly tapping Scootaloo’s hoof and guiding her back down into her lap. With a deep, calming breath, she secured her filly in her lap, and began:

“As you all know, we’re gonna teach you Equestrian Hoof-Speak today…”

In the end, Twilight had to fish out a second chalkboard. Once Rainbow had walked them all through each letter of the alphabet, Foggy Day’s own words echoing in her mind, they had broken the large group into smaller ones as word after word was practiced, each pony given a turn to figure out the letters as the others became familiar with how EHS from another pony felt.

Little by little, things clicked for each pony. Little by little, skills grew. As the day wore on, Rainbow Dash brought Scootaloo around to each group, allowing the filly to meet all who came out in support of her. True to her word, Rainbow Dash stayed silent about the name-signs, allowing Scootaloo to feel faces as she spelt out name after name after name.

After she met each group, Scootaloo apologized sheepishly to Rainbow’s canon bone, the mare translating for the filly, letting each know she may have to feel their face again should they meet later on. Of course, each present was more than understanding, beaming with joy at the prospect of seeing the little filly around town from now on.

As lunch came, Scootaloo stuck next to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, the two sighted and hearing fillies practicing the EHS they had learned so far. Apple Bloom seemed to have caught on quicker than Sweetie Belle; and the little earth pony had to fight to not tell her unicorn friend which letters she was missing and how to correct her mistakes, ultimately able to respect Sweetie Belle’s wishes and allow her to figure it out for herself.

The back half of the day saw the ponies of Ponyville improving rapidly, sharing their newfound skill with joy among their peers. Happiness and laughter abounded throughout the Golden Oaks Library, half of an entire town becoming familiar with and fluent enough in Equestrian Hoof-Speak to no longer need the boards on either side of the room. Their unequivocal sense of togetherness only fueled their drive, and by the end of the day, near-full conversations were taking place in the form of twisting, tapping hooves, those who knew nothing that morning now looking like experts in their own right.

Rainbow Dash looked around the room, a bright, proud smile lighting up her exhausted eyes. She caught the gazes of her parents, and they beamed back at her with cheerful waves. She chuckled, returning the gesture with warmth spreading over her smile.

The giggles of three fillies caught her attention, and she looked near the front of the room to find Scootaloo with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle by her sides. The little fillies stepped in perfect sync, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watching carefully as Scootaloo moved to keep in time with her as their hooves crossed over each other with each step. The two fillies made sure to keep Scootaloo steadied as they crossed the room with the funny stepping game, right hooves crossing over left, then left hooves crossing over right as they giggled madly.

The cyan mare couldn’t help her own chuckle at the contagious mirth shared by the three best friends, her own friends gathered in their own small group close by, cooing at the young trio.

Twilight Sparkle glanced up at the clock, smiling contently as she got up and meandered to the front of the room. “Alright, everypony!” she called, the attendance within Golden Oaks Library dying down. “Today has been a great day! I see all of you have become well-versed with Equestrian Hoof-Speak, and I’m impressed by your progress today.”

Delighted murmurs reverberated through the space, ponies smiling at each other and sharing hoof-bumps, congratulating each other on a job well done.

Rainbow Dash picked up, “Yeah, thanks a lot again, everypony! Today’s been way more awesome than I thought it’d be, and I’m so happy you guys came out to help support Scootaloo, it means more to me than I can say.” She met each smiling face with a beam of her own, the lightly tired faces of Ponyville’s residents ready for a good rest after such a long day.

With a final, group-wide farewell, those within the library began to dissipate, save for Rainbow’s friends and parents, who simply exchanged one more goodbye with each other, a group-hug sealing the stamp of a well-done day between them before they, too, parted ways to their respective homes.

Once inside the Cloudominium, Rainbow Dash let her parents exchange hugs and “Goodnight”s with Scootaloo before carrying the tuckered-out filly to bed. Once she and her mother and her father kissed Scootaloo goodnight, the foal was out like a light, leaving the three pegasi to exchange tired, elated hugs with each other before finally turning in for the night.

“Dad, what are you doing?”

Rainbow Dash raised an exasperated eyebrow at her father, who was holding out a hoofball to Scootaloo. The little filly panted a chuckle at the odd object her grandpa was presenting to her.

“Gonna teach her how to throw a hoofball,” Bow Hothoof beamed.

Rainbow would be lying if she’d said she didn’t feel a small flash of panic. “Uh…Dad?”

“Yeah, Dashie?”

“You…do know she can’t catch it…right?”

To her credit, the statement actually made him pause. “Well,” he tried after a moment, “she can throw it to me…and then I can just roll it back to her!”

His daughter sighed. While yes, she could admit that was a better plan, she still didn’t think it was a good idea.

‘This oughta be good,’ she resigned internally, trotting up to Scootaloo’s side and tracing her name-sign on her shoulder before pulling her into her lap.

Her father carefully tapped something out on Scootaloo’s hoof, giving her the hoofball and taking three small steps backward.

“Uh, Dad,” Rainbow Dash began. “You might wanna…go back further.”

Bow Hothoof chuckled. “It’s her first time throwing a hoofball, Dashie, she won’t throw it too hard.” He sat down, hooves stretched in their direction. “Okay, whenever she’s ready.”

Rainbow Dash smirked to herself, guiding Scootaloo’s hooves to aim.

Scootaloo felt Rainbow’s hooves leave, signaling she was good to throw the ball. She let herself feel its heft one moment longer. It was…a little bit bigger than the cloud she was used to…but it was a lot heavier. So…it would take a much harder throw to get it to her grandpa.

Adjusting her grip, she shoved it as hard as she could.

Bow Hothoof didn’t have time to brace.

Nearly before he could even blink, the hoofball collided squarely with his muzzle, and a sharp pain erupted from his nose, sending him reeling back with a shout.

Rainbow Dash watched—first with shock, then with deadpanned bemusement—as her father stumbled back. He finally steadied himself as blood began to trickle from his nose. She stifled a groan, gently placing Scootaloo down and telling her to wait there a moment. After a nod from her charge, Rainbow begrudgingly announced, “I’ll get the first-aid kit.” She raised an eyebrow at her father. “And a cloud.”

“Ouf…great idea, Rainbow…ow…” he gingerly pressed a hoof to his nose, tilting his head back.

A worried hum brought his attention to his granddaughter, still waiting for the ball’s return. He crossed to her, taking a hoof and gently guiding it through his name-sign.

At once, she grabbed it. “Is everything okay?” she asked slowly so he could keep up.

Ignoring the twinge of pain in his nose, he answered, “Yes, everything’s okay. You’ve got an amazing throw on you, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo let out a chuckle of self-pride. She must’ve thrown the ball so hard, it went far away. She felt her grandpa’s hoof leave, the slight breeze of another presence brushing past her.

Rainbow Dash sat down in front of her father, propping open the first-aid kit and helping him with his nose. “Mom, can you watch Scootaloo for a second?”

“Absolutely, dear,” Windy Whistles replied happily, scooping up her granddaughter and tracing out her name-sign. “Impeccable preparedness, by the way.”

“And first-aid skills,” Bow Hothoof added, before wincing in pain.

The younger mare gave an unimpressed hum, the corner of her mouth twinging to the side. “And what did we learn today?”

Bow cringed as he held a piece of gauze to his nose. “Don’t underestimate Scootaloo,” he chuckled.

“Uh-huh,” Rainbow quipped. “And?”

Her father hesitated, taken aback by the motherly tone in his typically-hotheaded daughter’s voice. “Uh…listen to you, cuz you know her best?”

“E-xactly,” Rainbow Dash smirk playfully. “How’s it now?”

Bow took a moment to feel his nose. It still hurt, but it was no longer bleeding, and he knew the soreness would go away fairly quickly, having had several similar injuries in the past.

Finally, he praised, “It’s fantastic, Rainbow Dash.” A grin split his face, and he added, “You’re doing a wonderful job.”

A small smile found Rainbow’s lips, and she playfully rolled her eyes. “You’re just saying that,” she teased.

“No, I’m not,” her father insisted, taking her hoof. “Rainbow Dash, you’re turning out to be an amazing parent, okay? And don’t let anypony else tell you otherwise.”

Rainbow Dash suddenly found herself unable to fight against the tears springing to her eyes. It was uncountable, the amount of times her parents had complimented her, cheered her on—heck, put her on a pedestal. But the way her father was looking at her now, a bright glint in his eyes and a warm smile on his face…

She didn’t think she’d ever heard something so unabashedly, so wholeheartedly genuine before.

Her own bright smile lighting up her face, tears dripping down her cheeks, she reached around her father and hugged him tight.

“Thanks, Dad.”

Author's Note

"But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands.
The helpless one entrusts himself to you; you are a helper of the fatherless."
-Psalms 10:14, CSB

Big shoutout to my good friend who inspired the final scene of this chapter!:rainbowlaugh: Thanks for making me laugh so much, buddy!:pinkiehappy:

So, we now have Bow and Windy in the picture! I gotta be honest, it was a little hard trying to turn them more...two dimensional:rainbowlaugh: How'd I do?

Just wanted to give you guys a heads-up: as we move toward the next arc in this story, the coming chapters will be a bit more...anthological. By this, I mean each chapter will revolve around a few scenes that may not seem to follow an overarching plot for that chapter. I will try to make it as concise as possible, but these scenes may take place days if not weeks apart from each other. If there's any confusion once they're posted, let me know, and I'll try to clarify as best I can.

That being said, I'll see you guys in the next chapter!:pinkiehappy:

Stay tuned over the next couple days! I'm working on a master page for all the name-signs so far. I'll post a blog about it soon, but if you don't see it, it'll be in the Author's Note in Chapter 10. See you guys soon!

Chapter 10: Adjustments

Rainbow Dash awoke with a jerk, a small catch of air stopping in her throat. She groaned, pulling in a yawn as she subconsciously rubbed away the line of drool trickling out the corner of her mouth. With a sigh, she settled back down, allowing the comfortable, warm weight on her side to lull her into—

“Hmm…”

Her eyes flew open, the little voice right by her ear startling her awake at once. Confusion momentarily flooded her brain as her unfocused eyes found the curved leg of her coffee table. The added shock finally made her aware of the hard cloud floor she lay against; and with a jerk, she rose off the floor, grabbing Scootaloo and pulling the filly into her lap. Still dazed and half-asleep, she blinked hard, struggling to ask Scootaloo, “What happened?”

The little filly in her lap giggled, nuzzling up against her before responding, “You were sleepy, so I helped you take a nap.”

The answer only served to make Rainbow Dash more confused, the cloud of it descending over her mind as she tried to remember what happened. “What?” she finally asked.

A peal of laughter bubbled from the filly, and she elaborated, “You were being slow this morning. When I felt you nodding off, I tackled you from the side. I knocked you over, and you tried to get me off, but you fell asleep in like ten seconds!”

As she tapped, Rainbow Dash found herself remembering the strange encounter bit by bit. The day before, she’d had a meeting with the Weather Team, orders coming in for the next two months straight from Cloudsdale. Forming the teams, assigning duties, and filing paperwork culminated into a deep mental exhaustion that apparently had not been completely helped by only six hours of sleep last night.

She looked up at the clock, blinking in surprise when she found an hour and a half had passed. She sighed, stretching out her neck with a yawn. As bad as she felt for sleeping when she was supposed to be teaching Scootaloo, she really needed that nap.

Rainbow Dash nuzzled her forehead against Scootaloo’s. “Thanks for helping me out, squirt.”

Scootaloo hummed a chuckle, grabbing Rainbow’s face as she placed a kiss between Rainbow’s eyes, eliciting a giggle of a melted heart from the bigger pegasus. “You’re welcome,” she answered, before reaching around Rainbow’s neck and squeezing her tight.

The cyan mare let the moment pass, before she peeled Scootaloo away. “How’d you know that would work, anyway?”

Blushing, Scootaloo answered, “It always worked with Foggy. Every once in a while, she wouldn’t sleep very well at night. The first time that happened, I was three, and I was actually trying to play with her to wake her up, but I wound up on her side, and the next thing I know, she’s passed out.” Rainbow Dash gave a small smile as she gazed down at Scootaloo as the filly giggled at the memory.

Rainbow pressed a kiss to Scootaloo’s forehead. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

Scootaloo blushed at the compliment, hiding her face in Rainbow’s chest. She felt her sister’s chest shake with a laugh, before the bigger hoof began again on her withers. “Alright, let’s hurry and get your schoolwork done. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle wanted to hang out today, right?”

The little filly nodded in delight, looking back up at her.

“Alright, then, let’s see how quick we can finish up, yeah?”

An excited giggle bubbled from Scootaloo, eager for the challenge.

Apple Bloom rolled her pencil under her hoof, trying her hardest to catch the last little bits of the lesson. She glanced up at the clock for probably the hundredth time in the past hour, her excitement growing with every minute that finally ticked by.

Next to her seat stood a box holding a game of Jenga. All week, she and Sweetie Belle had helped themselves to the board games in the school cabinet, trying to find ones that would let Scootaloo play with them. After some counsel from Cheerilee, and some visually-unaided tactile exploration of their own, they had finally settled on the one game in the cabinet that didn’t include pictures or Braille-less cards. The very thought of being able to play a regular game with their best friend was enough to keep them fidgety all day.

It was a sentiment Cheerilee understood perfectly well, though she asked them to curb their excitement as best they could.

The shrill ringing of the school bell startled Apple Bloom from her deep thoughts, and immediately she joined in the shuffle and ruckus of students as they all hurried to pack their bags. She met eyes with Sweetie Belle, the two sharing a mutual giggle as they thought of all the fun they were about to have with Scootaloo.

“Alright, class,” Miss Cheerilee called as the swarm of foals made for the door. “Don’t forget your Equestrian History essays are due at the end of the week, and get started on your group projects sooner rather than later.”

“Yes, Miss Cheerilee,” came the collective reply, the chorus of her students’ voices never failing to put a smile on her face.

She followed the last foal out the door and to the courtyard, keeping a watchful eye over her charges as they dispersed, individual destinations leading them all home.

Within a series of mere moments, only four fillies remained. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon spoke between themselves at the far end of the courtyard, while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat in jittery patience by the steps.

Chuckling, Cheerilee joined them for a moment. “Excited?”

The two fillies gave quick, joyful nods, beaming up at her.

Cheerilee giggled. “Well, I have to go back inside to get started on tomorrow’s lesson, okay? You three have fun! Stay safe getting to your clubhouse.”

“We will!” they promised simultaneously, their beloved teacher stepping back inside, the door closing behind her.

Only a moment passed before they heard who they were waiting for.

“Hey, girls!”

The voice’s arrival instantly lit up their faces, Rainbow Dash lighting upon the grass with the familiar filly on her back.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” they practically squealed, jumping up at once and helping Scootaloo off the mare’s back, tracing their name-signs as they did so.

Once she was on the ground, Scootaloo giggled as she extended a hoof to her best friends. Giving her a hoof each, her friends gently pushed her hoof into her chest. Panting a laugh, Scootaloo reciprocated, pushing their hooves first to Sweetie Belle, then to Apple Bloom. Their hooves returned to the center point between them before they rose into the air, three faces rising with them as three little voices whooped into the sky.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help a playful snort at the display between the three fillies. The funny game that had been the icebreaker from the first day they met had become a sort of secret hoofshake for the fillies, and they went through its motions every time they saw each other now.

A part of her mind nagged at her, and she internally sighed before double-checking, “You girls got her alright?”

“Yes!” they beamed simultaneously.

The mare breathed a small sigh as she passed a Braille book to Scootaloo, helping the filly balance it on her back. “Okay,” she said, letting them go. “I’ve got to get to my meeting. We’re dividing teams for the month, so I’ll only be gone about an hour, okay?”

They nodded, giving her mutual ‘goodbye’s and ‘good luck’s, going so far as to help Scootaloo aim her hoof in the right direction for a wave.

The elated giggle that escaped her nearly made Rainbow Dash scoop her up in her forelegs again, and she had to beat back the desire to squeeze the absolute life out of the little filly. With a barely-held-back squee, she waved back instinctively before forcing herself to fly off, on track to be nearly late for the meeting.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle beamed at each other, guiding Scootaloo around to begin the trek to—

“Ugh, great. Now there’s three of you?!”

The shrill voice made the two guides stop, their hearts falling at once. Scootaloo hummed curiously at their sudden halt, asking Sweetie Belle’s hoof what was wrong.

“What do you want, Diamond Tiara?” Apple Bloom rebutted, throwing a glare to her left as Sweetie Belle explained as nonchalantly as possible that somepony was talking to them.

The frilly pink earth pony sauntered up to the three of them, her gray lackey flanking her. “What? Am I not allowed to talk to whoever I want?” She smirked at the quiet pegasus between her two classmates, trotting up to her. “And who are you supposed to—AYYEE!”

Diamond Tiara leapt back with a shriek of horror, her eyes having finally found Scootaloo’s own, taking in her first look at the pegasus’s unique characteristic.

“What’s wrong with her?” she spat, face scrunching up in disgust. Silver Spoon’s own eyes found Scootaloo’s, and they widened in shock, though she remained silent.

Immediately, anger flared in Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s chests, and they stepped in front of their friend. “There ain’t a thang wrong with ‘er!” Apple Bloom objected.

“What, is she blind or something?” Diamond returned. Her nose turned up when she didn’t get a response of any kind from the new filly.

“Yeah, actually,” Sweetie Belle replied, her hackles raising. “Deaf, too. But that doesn’t mean anything’s wrong with her. She’s just different!”

Diamond Tiara scoffed. “She’s a freak!”

The insult, unknown by the one it was intended for, speared itself into the hearts of those for whom it wasn’t. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle jolted back, jaws hanging slack and unbidden tears springing to their eyes.

“N-no she’s not!” Apple Bloom snapped, unable to stop the waver in her voice.

Scootaloo hummed, tapping Sweetie Belle’s shoulder again. Sniffing, Sweetie Belle told Scootaloo’s fetlock to hang on a moment.

Diamond Tiara let out a sound of confused revulsion. “She can’t even talk?! She’s a freak!”

“Go away, Diamond Tiara!” Sweetie Belle screamed, hurt tears trekking down her face. “Just leave us alone!”

“Ugh, like I’d want to stay here any longer, anyway,” she scoffed. “Have fun with your freak.” she gave one last throw of her head before trotting off, leaving the two with a wound deeper than she’d ever be able to understand.

Silver Spoon’s eyes flicked to Diamond Tiara as she stepped away, before landing on Scootaloo’s again. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watched her warily as her head tilted to the side curiously.

“Silver Spoon!” The gray earth pony jumped, cringing at the harsh summoning. Wincing, her eyes chased her friend before coming to rest on Scootaloo again, an internal battle waging within her.

Finally, her allegiances won, and she shrunk in on herself as she trotted off after Diamond Tiara.

Left alone, the fillies finally let themselves break. Slowly, golden eyes met green, tears pouring from both as their collective gaze found Scootaloo. Their best friend stood patiently, not having a clue as to what had just happened, and the careless words that had so deeply hurt her friends.

Simultaneously, the two fillies burst from the pressure of their sorrow, throwing themselves at their friend. With a confused little shout, Scootaloo nearly toppled back, her book slipping to the ground as she steadied herself.

She felt her friends bury their faces into her neck, and instantly, worry crept up her throat. What happened?

She tried asking them, only to receive shakes of the head as a response. Content to simply wait, she snaked her forelegs around her upset friends, holding them close as she felt their shaking shoulders slowly cease their sporadic motions.

When they had finally calmed down enough to pull themselves away, she ignored the moisture left behind on her shoulders and immediately grabbed a hoof each.

“What happened?” she repeated, only to feel hesitation from her friends before Apple Bloom finally answered.

“We…were just…talking to somepony,” her earth pony friend answered.

Apple Bloom wiped away her remaining tears as Scootaloo tapped out, “Who were you talking to?”

Dread made her freeze for a moment, before she replied, “No pony important.”

Scootaloo’s brow furrowed, and she gave a little determined hum. “Everypony’s important!” she objected.

The earth pony filly gulped. “I know, but…trust me, it’d be better if we just ignore her.”

She was met with a blank expression from Scootaloo, the pegasus’s eyes freezing for a moment before they began their flicking again. Slowly, as if carefully holding something back, Scootaloo spelt out:

“There are some ponies out there who would say the same thing about me.”

Apple Bloom felt a rush of panic. How could she say ‘no’ to that? But…it really was different…

“Who was that?” Scootaloo tapped, giving Apple Bloom a small smile.

The earth pony filly bit her lip, sniffing. Finally, she answered, “A pony who would say that about you.”

Heart wrenching, she watched Scootaloo’s eyes widen, her mouth hang open. “Oh…” she slowly tapped, her hoof drooping.

Nervously, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle glanced at each other. Sweetie Belle took Scootaloo’s hoof in her own. “Don’t worry about her. She’s always been mean. She’s mean to me and Apple Bloom and…well, pretty much everypony.”

Scootaloo blinked, head tilting in confusion before she tapped her friends’ hooves simultaneously. “But…why?”

Apple Bloom’s hoof answered. “Wish I knew. Don’t take it personally, it’s…like her life’s goal is to put ponies down. Honestly, she’s just rotten to the core.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a nervous glance as Apple Bloom’s hoof stopped, hoping her words would cheer Scootaloo up.

A sigh of relief escaped them both as a small smile flickered across their best friend’s face. It twitched into a smirk, and Scootaloo gave an airy little chuckle. “If all she can do is make fun of ponies, then she seriously needs to get a hobby or something.”

The laughter that abounded through the three friends at once melted away whatever tension was left over from the interaction. Though the pang of hurt remained, the tiny trio pulled one another into a tight embrace, chasing away whatever darkness that could have embedded itself in their hearts. After a mutual wade in the joy, only love remained, and they picked each other up from the grass.

“Alright, let’s go,” Sweetie Belle tapped on Scootaloo’s fetlock before saying the same thing. Apple Bloom picked up Scootaloo’s book, placing it back on her back.

“We’ve a game we wanna play with you,” Apple Bloom tapped on Scootaloo’s shoulder, the little pegasus perking up at once.

“Really?” she grinned. “What is it?”

Apple Bloom giggled, translating the sentence for Sweetie Belle before tapping out, “You’ll have to wait and see!”

After a smiling, playful groan from Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sidled up beside their friend, beginning to guide her into the orchard, the previous interaction with Diamond Tiara all but forgotten.

With Sweetie Belle’s help, Apple Bloom stacked the blocks three by three, preemptive giggles bubbling from their throats. Sweetie Belle reached for Scootaloo, asking her if she wanted to play.

“What game is it?” Scootaloo asked curiously.

“Jenga!” Sweetie Belle answered happily.

At once, Scootlaoo’s smile faltered. The pegasus hesitated, a little hum rising from her before she answered. Sweetie Belle’s face fell as a small, apologetic smile rose from Scootaloo.

“What’d she say?” Apple Bloom questioned.

Sweetie Belle glanced up at her, sadness misting her eyes. “She said she’d love to, but she can’t. She said…she’s tried to play Jenga before…but it’s never worked out.”

Scootaloo let her throat move in a hum, feeling her friend’s hesitation. “I can’t feel the blocks without knocking over the tower before the game’s even begun,” she explained sheepishly.

Her friend hesitated again. She could tell they didn’t want to play without her, and that alone was enough to make her feel better. “It’s okay!” she insisted. “You guys can play without me. I have my book!”

Two little hearts cracked as Sweetie Belle translated. “It’s okay, we can play something else!” Sweetie Belle offered, just as Apple Bloom said the same thing.

Scootaloo chuckled. “It’s fine. Really, I promise.” Before Sweetie Belle could object any more, she scooped up her Daring Do book and trudged to the space under the window, planting herself inside a ray of warm sunlight and opening to where she left off.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watched their friend a moment in silence. With a glance to each other, they tried to begin their game.

Sweetie Belle poked at a center block, sliding it through easily and placing it on top. Apple Bloom carefully took hold of an edge piece and eased it out, placing it next to Sweetie Belle’s piece. In silence, they exchanged a glance, eyes finding Scootaloo again as she turned a page, smiling softly to herself.

“It’s no fun playing without her,” Sweetie Belle lamented, posture sinking.

“Yeah…” Apple Bloom’s mind galloped a million miles an hour trying to figure out a way to include, all angles seeming impossible. Scootaloo couldn’t see it, couldn’t touch it without risk of ending the game in a way it wasn’t intended to. But…she couldn’t see anything, anyway…and couldn’t touch much without—

A gasp jolted through her, and suddenly her demeanor flipped on its head. Even her bow seemed to raise up a bit as a bright grin almost split her face in two.

“What?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Ah’ve got an idea,” she chirped, her excitement proving contagious as a little spark lit up Sweetie Belle’s eyes. The little earth pony popped up, nearly prancing to her friend before she carefully took a hoof and traced her name-sign with her toe.

Before Scootaloo could ask Apple Bloom what she wanted, she was lightly tugged up and guided to the center of the clubhouse. Her throat moved in confusion. “Apple Bloom, really, it’s—“

Her friend pulled her hoof out of her grasp, placing her own over Scootaloo’s fetlock and tapping:

“Safe or risky?”

Confusion creased Scootaloo’s brow, and the pegasus grunted. “What?”

Apple Bloom grinned, and she repeated, “Safe or risky?”

After a heavy hesitation, Scootaloo still trying to figure out where her friend was going with this, she slowly responded, “Safe.”

Apple Bloom’s smile only grew, and she found an easy middle piece. Reaching around to the back, she pushed the block out in Scootaloo’s direction. Once it was about halfway through, she sidled up to Scootaloo again, taking both of her hooves and tugging them toward the tower.

Scootaloo wormed her hooves out of Apple Bloom’s hold, tapping, “No, don’t! I don’t want to knock it over.”

“Do you trust me?” Apple Bloom returned. She grinned when her pegasus friend hesitated at the sudden question. Finally, she gulped, answering:

“Yes.”

Smile only growing, Apple Bloom gently guided Scootaloo’s hooves to the half of the block sticking out of the tower. She held them apart until she reached it, bringing them together so Scootaloo’s hooves now only touched the block that was already on its way out of the tower.

“Pull it straight toward you,” she instructed, leaving her friend to do the rest herself.

Scootaloo’s heart leapt to her throat, feeling the smooth block in her hooves as Apple Bloom’s left. A moment passed with her forelegs tense, afraid to move, lest the tower come toppling down and she effectively ruin her friends’ fun.

And yet…something inside her sparked with excitement. A small part of her…really wanted this to work.

With a steadying breath, Scootaloo pulled the block toward her. She felt no resistance as she went, the block sliding smoothly from its surroundings. Finally, she felt something give way at the opposite end, the block twisting in her hooves before slipping away when she startled at its movement.

She felt a tap on her back hoof, the block bouncing away to oblivion.

A moment passed, and she felt a blush rise in her cheeks, convinced she had ruined the game. Such thoughts were shattered when she felt a hoof press the block back into her own, gently guiding it up, where she felt the tiniest brush of the top of the Jenga tower.

Shocked, she let Apple Bloom’s hooves help her place the block down with a slackened jaw. She felt her throat move a little in surprise as the tower barely wobbled, and she pulled her hooves back, resting breathlessly against her chest.

Thoughts racing, she waited for the inevitable chaos of vibrations that signaled the tower’s toppling, only for none to come.

Brief, steady moments passed, before she felt Sweetie Belle’s hooves take hers. “Safe or risky?” her unicorn friend asked.

Her jaw dropped further. The tower never fell? And…they had placed more blocks down?

Something in her mind clicked into place, and a sudden grin split her face as she excitedly grabbed Sweetie Belle’s hoof. “Risky!”

Her friend’s hooves left for a small moment, leaving Scootaloo jittering through the wait. When they came back, Sweetie Belle guided Scootaloo around to another side of the tower, gently taking her hooves and moving them to touch the block sticking halfway out of the stack.

Apple Bloom watched with a wide grin as Scootaloo’s hooves met the side block sticking out of the tower. Sweetie Belle let her go, and Scootaloo bit her lip as she carefully eased the block out the rest of the way, giving a squeal of a giggle when it came free, Sweetie Belle guiding her hooves up to the new layer to place it back down.

On and on it went, several turns passing before the Jenga tower now stood a skeleton of what it used to be.

“Tower’s looking really shaky,” Apple Bloom informed Scootaloo. “Safe or risky?”

Scootaloo pondered the question a moment, humming quietly to herself. Finally, in a flash of daring and bravery, she took Apple Bloom’s hoof.

“Risky!”

Apple Bloom chuckled to herself as she began the hunt, spying a side block from a layer already missing the opposite side block. Above and below, only the center pieces remained.

Her eyebrow cocked, she wiggled the block out of its tight confines, stopping when it was about halfway out to guide Scootaloo’s hooves to it.

She debated giving Scootaloo a hint, finally deciding to let her friend try to figure it out first as she let go of her hooves.

Scootaloo smirked to herself, her eyes flicking excitedly as she wiggled the block back and forth, until finally she frowned a bit, the block refusing to move out any further. She hummed quietly, tugging on one part of the block, the tower beginning to sway.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watched the wobbling pile of blocks with bated breath, their eyes flying to Scootaloo as she stood, keeping a hoof hovering over the block. Gingerly, she prodded at it, the tower rippling ever so slightly with each touch.

With a half-smile and a huff through her nose, Scootaloo brought her hoof slowly out to the side. A second’s contemplation, and she thrust her hoof to the side, sharply colliding with the block.

The two sighted fillies’ heads snapped to the side, following the block as it struck the floor, bouncing and twisting as it slid, bumping against the wall before coming to a stop.

Two pairs of eyes flew to the tower once again, three fillies holding their breath as it rocked once, twice, three times…

And stilled.

Two jaws dropped, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gawking at the precariously-standing tower. On the other side of it, Scootaloo held her breath, waiting to feel the telltale vibrations of a hundred blocks hitting the ground, only for none to come.

With a shrill, happy shout, Scootaloo hopped in place, hooves dancing in her celebration. She felt two pairs of hooves snake around her, two chests jumping in what she could only assume was laughter, her friends holding her close and sharing in her moment of triumph.

“That was so cool!” one of them said.

“You showed that thing who’s boss!” the other tactiley cheered.

Scootaloo’s own chest trembled with her own giggles, hugging her friends as tight as she could. “Thank you so much for helping me play!” she furiously tapped, tears springing to her eyes.

“No problem!” came the reply. “It’s way more fun with you playing with us!”

The response sent another laugh through Scootaloo, and she squeezed all the harder, finally letting go after a moment, eager to continue on with the game for as long as they could.

Sitting on either side of Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gave their attention to the tower once again. They exchanged a glance, knowing full well that the tower was barely a touch away from falling. Grinning to herself, Sweetie Belle poked at one of the less precarious areas, the block of her choice sliding ever so slightly, before it caught, sending the top of the tower into a dangerous sway.

Biting her lip, Sweetie Belle yanked the block out. The rest of the tower followed its motion as it was plucked free, the leftover momentum finally being the straw that sent the top half of the tower tumbling down.

Three little fillies erupted in laughter as the blocks exploded across the floor, scattering every which way throughout the clubhouse. As a unit, they jumped up, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle darting throughout the treehouse to pick up the wayward blocks, while Scootaloo shifted about near her place on the floor to snag whichever ones had landed close by, shuffling them back toward the tower to make it easier for her friends.

Once the blocks were found, Scootaloo waited patiently while her friends began the stacking again, humming a chuckle of anticipation to herself.

Just as the game began again, Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s ears flicked, their attention at once snapped to the entrance, where the sound of hooves had suddenly come from right outside the door. With a small creak, it opened, revealing Rainbow Dash standing in the doorway.

The mare eyed Scootaloo, the filly’s back turned to her, a few paces away. She smirked, raising a hoof to her lips. The two filly’s nodded, waiting with quiet giggles as the mare approached their best friend.

Rainbow Dash crouched down right behind Scootaloo, sneaking as slowly as possible as she brought her muzzle to the tip of Scootaloo’s ear. A sudden puff of breath made Scootaloo’s ear flick, the little filly jumping with a squeal of surprise.

Scootaloo twisted around, grabbing her guardian’s muzzle in her hooves and nuzzling her nose against Rainbow’s. With a light chortle, Rainbow asked, “Hey, squirt! Did you have fun?”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo grinned, a little coo escaping her as she bounced in place from pure, unchecked joy.

“I can play Jenga!”

The declaration, a simple one in its own right, speared itself into Rainbow’s heart, the explosion of joy in her chest sending liquid shrapnel into her eyes, blurring her view of the precious little filly giggling as if today were one of the best of her life.

Sniffling, Rainbow Dash asked, “Oh, yeah? Mind if I watch?”

Scootaloo shook her head, reaching for her sister. Rainbow pulled the filly into her lap, adjusting her seat to scoot Scootaloo closer to the precarious tower, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom grinning at her as they picked up their turns.

As Rainbow Dash watched the game go on, with the two sighted and hearing fillies guiding their friend through round after round until the tower ultimately fell (to the giggles and cheers of all three of them), she felt an ever-growing gratitude toward the little earth pony and unicorn.

After Scootaloo took her next turn, ending with a fit of giggles from the pegasus, they met her teary eyes.

“Thank you both,” she breathed. “You two are so awesome!”

With a mutual blush, they grinned up at her. “Nothin’ ta thank us for,” Apple Bloom said, Sweetie Belle nodding in agreement.

“Scootaloo’s our best friend!” Sweetie Belle added, taking her turn. “We love playing with her, too!”

A bubble of laughter gently shook Rainbow’s chest, and she hugged Scootaloo a little tighter, resting her chin on her filly’s head as she waited to watch Scootaloo’s next big accomplishment with the tower of Jenga blocks.

Sweetie Belle took a deep breath through her nose, glancing at her door, straining her ears with bated breath to make sure her sister wasn’t close by.

Resolutely, she let the breath go, reaching for her ear plugs on her bedside table.

After so many times of being woken up by Rarity’s all-nighters, she had finally requested her big sister to buy her the ear plugs so she could sleep.

Now, they would serve a slightly…different purpose.

Nervously glancing at her door again, she crossed her room to her dresser, opening it and fishing around inside. Finally, she re-emerged with a black scarf in her hooves, shoving her drawer closed before shuffling back to the center of her room. Keeping her eyes on the door, she strained her ears for a final time.

Hearing nothing potentially telling of her sister’s arrival, she carefully put in the ear plugs, silencing the ambient noise of the distant sewing machine. Shaking out the scarf, she closed her eyes, pulling it around her head and tying it in place.

She let her eyes open again, letting out a small, satisfied huff of air when she couldn’t see anything through it. She closed them again, pulling herself up to standing.

Hesitating, Sweetie Belle gulped, a twinge of nervousness plaguing her chest before she shook it down, pulling in another breath. She knew, in a way, where everything was. Her bed was to her right, she was facing her door. Her desk and the dresser was to her left, her window was behind her.

But knowing that defeated the purpose.

With a little hop, she spun herself around. When she landed, she pushed harder, managing to make herself dizzy despite being unable to see the world blur around her.

Nearly rolling her hoof when she landed, she let out a gasp she couldn’t hear as she steadied herself, now unable to tell where she was facing in her room.

Swallowing a small lump in her throat, she carefully stepped forward, tapping the floor in front of her a few times before committing to the step. Breathing through the knot in her chest, she went for a second step. Then another. Then another.

Building up a rhythm of motion, she allowed herself a smile as she moved to take another—

Her hoof collided painfully with an edge, and she let out a shout muffled by her plugged ears. Frowning to herself, she shook it out, groaning to herself as she carefully put it back down to where it made impact.

She found the smooth wood at the bottom of her dresser, running her hoof along it until she found the corner. Humming to herself, she used the corner to orient herself, her mind becoming vaguely aware of where everything else in her room was based on the singular point she had found.

Sweetie Belle turned herself around, aiming for her bed. With a calming, deep breath, she began the trek toward the biggest landmark of her room.

“Yes, see you soon,” Rarity answered, the voice on the other end chittering one final time. “Mm-hmm, love you too. Goodbye.”

With a flick of her magic, she hung the phone back onto the receiver, releasing a tense breath as the gravity of what she needed to do settled onto her shoulders. With a small, unladylike grunt, she turned tail and traipsed to the stairs.

Thoughts clouding her mind, she stepped up them, mentally preparing herself. She took in a deep, calming breath as she reached Sweetie Belle’s door, and raised a hoof to knock.

“Sweetie Belle, darling,” she called, “may I come in?”

Silence.

Brow creased in confusion, she knocked again. “Sweetie?”

Again, she was only met with silence.

With a hum, she gently opened the door, poking her head inside.

“Sweetie Be—“

Rarity’s breath all but stopped, her eyes wide at the scene before her.

Ear plugs stuck in place, her blindfolded sister shuffled near her bed, a hoof extended to reach its spread. Another step, and Sweetie Belle found it, a wheeze of relief escaping her.

A thousand thoughts ran through Rarity’s head, and she carefully stepped forward, tears pricking her eyes. As Sweetie Belle maneuvered to the end of her bed, Rarity hesitated, grimacing to herself.

Carefully, gently, she reached out a hoof.

Sweetie Bell shrieked at the sudden pressure on her shoulder, the tiny unicorn leaping away from the touch, knocking herself into her bed.

It didn’t even take her a second.

“Rarity!” she cried, yanking down the blindfold, her eyes blinking against the sudden influx of light. “I-I…” she trailed off as her startled eyes flew to her sister, whatever panic that was rising up her throat disappearing in an instant.

Rarity’s eyes were welling with tears, her older sister smiling down at her with quiet understanding.

Tenderly, Rarity reached down and removed Sweetie Belle’s ear plugs, running her hooves down her face.

The calming gesture coaxed Sweetie’s own tears to the surface, and her chin quivered as she tried to explain:

“I…I just…I wanted to see what it was like…I just…wanted to know…what she sees, you know?”

Her tears slipped from her eyes when Rarity kissed her forehead. “I understand, Sweetie,” she breathed. “Really, I do. I’m so proud of you for wanting to know.”

“Y…You are?” Sweetie Belle sniffed, rubbing away her tears to look back up at the mare.

“Of course I am,” Rarity beamed tearfully, tugging her little sister into her lap, hugging her tight. “You want to understand your friend better. Of course I’m proud of you for that.”

Sweetie Belle felt a blush creep up her neck, her eyes dodging away from Rarity’s gaze. The sight sent a warm chuckle through the mare, her brief moment of respite quickly snuffed as she remembered what she had come up to do in the first place.

Her smile faltered, and she took a deep breath.

“Sweetie Belle, darling,” Rarity began, cupping her beautiful little sister’s jaw in her hoof.

Sweetie Belle blinked at the odd look in her big sister’s eyes. “Yeah, Rarity? What is it?”

Rarity’s words caught in her throat, and she released a small breath before pulling it in to try again.

“Sweetie Belle, Mom and Dad are coming to visit.”

The effect was instantaneous. The little unicorn’s eyes widened, her mouth dropping open in shock for only a few seconds before she tried to gather herself again. “Wh…when?” she asked shakily.

Her big sister grimaced in sympathy. “Nightmare Night.”

Sweetie’s wide eyes gained a layer of sadness, her entire face seeming to droop with the news.

“It won’t be all day,” Rarity assured, instinctually trying to make her little sister feel better. “They’re planning to leave right after dinner, so they won’t be around for trick-or-treating.”

It seemed to do the trick, Sweetie Belle’s shoulders relaxing at once, the little unicorn breathing a small sigh of relief. “Okay…” she trailed, unable to stop a pout from creasing her face.

Her heart clenching, Rarity pulled her little sister into her lap, hugging her tight. “It will only be for a little while, Sweetie Belle. I promise.” She pressed a kiss to her temple. “And once the visit is over, we’ll have a lovely evening with our friends. How does that sound?”

Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but smile at the idea, pressing her face into the mare’s chest. “That sounds really good.”

A smile warmed Rarity’s face, and she tucked a stray strand back into place within Sweetie Belle’s mane. “Now,” she offered, “do you have any leftover homework you need assistance with?”

Rainbow Dash passed a hoof through Scootaloo’s mane, pressing a kiss to the filly’s forehead. Her little sister grabbed for her head, hugging her tight with a happy little hum, finally letting her go.

“Goodnight, Scootaloo,” Rainbow tapped against her fetlock. “I love you.”

“I love you, too!” Scootaloo tapped back, snuggling down into her bed with a little yawn.

Rainbow smiled warmly down at the precious little filly one more moment before trotting back to the hall, heading downstairs to reorganize the schoolwork for tomorrow.

As she shuffled the papers, she stole a glance at the calendar.

‘The middle of Septembus already?!’ she mused to herself. ‘Wow, time flies…’

A stray thought occurred to her, and she hummed to herself. Looking down at the school supplies, she snagged a sheet of paper and a pencil.

Rainbow Dash smoothed out the paper, gripping the pencil between her teeth for a moment as she pondered the thoughts swirling around her mind, her message finally beginning to click into place as she touched the tip to the paper.

Dear Foggy,

How are you? It’s been a while.

Scootaloo’s doing great! Her schooling’s coming along, and the whole town loves her! She’s got two best friends now, and they’re almost as good at helping her as I am! Even helped her play Jenga, and now I think that’s her favorite game!

Rainbow Dash chuckled to herself a moment, adjusting her bite on the pencil and continuing:

Anyway, I wanted to invite you to our Nightmare Night party. The whole town gets together to celebrate! Scootaloo’s really excited for it, and I figured it’d be a nice surprise if one of her favorite ponies came to visit!

So, if you want to meet up, write back and we can work something out. Or you can just show up. You know, whichever works for you. Can’t wait to see Scootaloo’s face when she sees you again!

Anyway, hope everything’s going okay with you! Can’t wait to hear all about it! See you soon!

-Rainbow Dash

Author's Note

"Do what is right to other people, love being kind to others, and live humbly."
-Micah 6:8

Hello, everyone!

So sorry I haven't posted the name-sign master page yet! This chapter kinda grabbed me by the neck and ran, so...:twilightsmile: It'll be posted in the next few days, promise!

Again, a big thank you to my good friend who never fails to keep me giggling like an idiot!:raritywink:

Let me know what you guys think, and I'll see you all again soon!:pinkiehappy:

Stay lovely, everyone!:heart:

Chapter 11: Life

Scootaloo’s throat moved in a delighted giggle as she felt the knot tighten securely at her back, Apple Bloom’s hooves tugging at various points on the make-shift harness, Sweetie Belle’s delicate touch helping her clip her helmet on.

As the weeks wore on, the three friends had been hard at work casually gathering (swiping) supplies from the barn and other spots around the orchard, slowly putting together the object of today’s fun.

Finally, all the hard work would pay off. And, with any luck, at least one of them would get their cutie mark.

It was enough to make the trio nearly tremble with excitement.

“Alright,” Apple Bloom trailed to herself, looking out from the platform she stood upon and across to the opposite tree, following the rope they had tied between the two, and to the pillow they had fastened to the approximated point of arrival.

Quickly, she mentally checked off point after point. Helmets. Soft landing pad. Some of the strongest rope from the barn between the trees, each end secured with a bowline knot. Harnesses for the three of them, carabiners holding them onto the rope…

She grinned to herself, everything on her radar glowing green.

“You girls ready?” The little earth pony chirped, tapping the same sentence on Scootaloo’s fetlock.

Her two friends met her with excited smiles and nods, the three facing the gap with nervous readiness. Apple Bloom blew out an excited breath. “On three?”

Sweetie Belle grinned. “On three,” she echoed, repeating the same to Scootaloo.

With a beam and a nod from their pegasus friend, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle each took one of Scootaloo’s hooves, guiding her to the very edge. Nodding to each other, they began the count:

“One…

“Two…

“THREE!”

Feeling the tug of her friends, Scootaloo leapt from the platform, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gripping her hooves tight as their free-fall was suddenly interrupted by their makeshift harnesses catching them, the vibrations of a sliding carabiner tingling her skin and the rushing of wind feeling eerily familiar as they—

It ended before it had truly begun.

Three fillies cried out as they slammed bodily both into each other and the pillow tied to the opposite tree. Bouncing back a bit, the Cutie Mark Crusaders shook off their dizziness as they dangled at the end of their rope.

A moment passed, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle glancing stupidly at each other, before a shrill little giggle from Scootaloo snapped them from their stupors. The deaf-blind filly squeezed her eyes shut, squealing in delight as she threw her hooves into the air.

The sight made the two remaining fillies burst into their own joyous giggles, throwing their hooves around each other and their friend, the trio pressing their heads together in their fit of ridiculous laughter.

As the shared fit died down, a sudden thought occurred to Sweetie Belle, the unicorn looking up at the rope, then down at the ground a meter away. She looked up at Apple Bloom. “Um…Apple Bloom?”

Swiping away a laughter-fueled tear, Apple Bloom answered, “Yeah, Sweetie Belle?”

“How are we supposed to get down?”

The question hit Apple Bloom like a train, halting her celebration of victory at once. Slowly, she looked down, the rope creaking as the three fillies dangled uselessly from the line. “Uh…huh…that’s…a good question…”

“You seriously didn’t think about that?!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“You didn’t, either!” Apple Bloom argued back.

Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to rebut, but was cut off by an odd snapping sound, their position dropping ever so slightly. Slowly, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked up, Scootaloo’s remaining giggles silenced by the odd jerk.

Before their eyes, the rope jumped once more, the odd snap accompanied by the sudden fraying of the rope.

Just as they exchanged a horrified look, it snapped.

Three little shocked cries erupted from the fillies, lasting only a second before they grunted in mild pain upon impact with the ground. A collective groan rose from the trio as they lay there a moment, squirming to get their hooves back under them.

Rubbing their aching sides and shoulders, they helped each other sit back up. After a moment of making sure each other was alright, they fell still and silent, minds reeling over what just happened.

It was a silence that was broken by three simultaneous snorts, three little fillies erupting in laughter, leaning in together as their mirth chased away any disappointment that could have been felt for the idea’s failings.

Still trying to catch her breath from her laughter, Scootaloo reached for Apple Bloom. “Can we go again? That felt like flying!”

Apple Bloom’s chuckles died down as she looked up at the frayed remains of the rope. “I’d love to, but the rope’s broken. We can try to remake it. We can make it longer!”

Giggling madly at the prospect, Scootaloo nodded, giving a cooed little whoop of anticipation.

“What’d she say?” Sweetie Belle asked, peeking up over Scootaloo’s head.

“She said she wanted to do it again, but Ah told ‘er the rope broke. Ah said we’d make it again, but longer.”

Sweetie Belle couldn’t help her smile at Apple Bloom’s contagious excitement, resigning herself to join in on the coming antics—if nothing else, then to make sure they stayed out of too much trouble in the weeks to come.

“Okay,” she agreed with a teasing smirk, “As long as we make a landing platform this time.”

Apple Bloom grinned as the two helped Scootaloo up, tapping her own head. “Way ahead of ya, Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie Belle swallowed the piece of apple pie, the delicious dessert nearly getting caught in the lump in her throat.

Across from her, her mother chattered incessantly. While Sweetie Belle had long lost interest, Rarity had her chin propped over her fetlock, the older unicorn having perfected the ‘moderately intrigued’ look as she casually let their mother’s words enter one ear…and promptly leave the next.

The younger sister almost couldn’t stop a smirk, tuning back in briefly as Cookie Crumbles jumped to their couple’s trip to Saddle Arabia.

“—and you would not believe the height of those dunes!” their mother gushed, a laugh bubbling up from her chest. “It’s a good thing it was an explorative trip, or else we’d probably be buried under one right now!”

Sweetie Belle shoved another bite of pie into her mouth, forcing her brain to think about the taste instead of what she wanted to come out of her mouth.

Rarity hummed a little ladylike giggle, turning her attention to her little sister. “How has school been, Sweetie Belle?”

The littlest unicorn in the room perked up at the question, quickly swallowing her bite of dessert as her parents gave a collective look to her older sister, who ignored their eyes.

It was the first time she had been addressed all evening, let alone the first time she was able to talk. Her parents had taken up the entirety of every possible conversation since they’d gotten there; and now that their voices had ceased, Sweetie Belle’s ears buzzed.

“It’s great!” she chirped. “Miss Cheerilee canceled the homework due tomorrow so we could all enjoy Nightmare Night.”

“Aww,” her father cooed. “She seems like such a great teacher! Say, S—“

“Sweetie Belle,” butted in Rarity, the sisters sharing a tense spark in their eyes. “Why don’t you tell Mother and Father about your friends?”

The unicorn in question released the tension in her shoulders, at once relaxed at the mere thought of her best friends.

Smiling her first genuine smile all day, Sweetie Belle prattled, “Well, Apple Bloom lives at Sweet Apple Acres. It’s her family’s farm. We hang out at a clubhouse over there all the time, and we try to get our cutie marks. Scootaloo lives with Rainbow Dash. She adopted her a couple months ago! She’s deaf-blind, so me and Apple Bloom had to learn a new language to talk to her. She’s really cool, and we have a lot of fun!”

As her melodic little voice rippled across the table, Sweetie Belle drank in the adoring eyes her parents were giving her. The two looked down at her as if she were the light of their world, a look she secretly craved from them every time they came around.

A look Rarity never hesitated to give her.

And for the briefest, tiniest flicker of a moment, Sweetie Belle found a weight lifting from her heart. For the briefest, tiniest moment, they looked like they’d actually—

“Well,” Hondo Flanks smiled, “that’s mighty impressive. I’d expect nothing less of our little Serendipity.”

Aaannnnnd there it was.

Sweetie Belle felt the weight crash back down onto her heart, tugging at the corners of her lips so desperately trying to keep the smile on her face. The weight clenched her chest, old thoughts stirred up by the force of the impact within her.

‘Serendipity…’

‘“Our happy little accident…”’

‘They never wanted you…’

‘They just dumped you here…’

A softly-cleared throat snapped her away from the old spiral. Her eyes flicked to Rarity, her big sister smiling lovingly at her.

No matter what, that smile alone was always enough to make her feel better. Because Rarity never saw her that way, and made sure to let her know it, too.

After all, it was her big sister who helped her choose her new name.

Her ears tuned back into the conversation, her father’s voice rambling on to whatever else was going on in their parent’s life. If Sweetie Belle was honest with herself, she couldn’t care less about whatever adventure they were going on next.

It wasn’t like they were taking them, anyway.

The clock struck 7 o’clock, and Sweetie Belle broke out into a genuine smile, one she quickly beat back with a practiced disappointment.

Rarity tutted, “Oh, goodness, is that the time already? You two should go ahead and head out, we don’t want you missing your train now, do we?”

“Oh, dear, I guess you’re right,” Cookie Crumbles chirped. “We best be going now, Hondo. We need to be in Fillydelphia before midnight to cash in that deal, right?”

“Right you are, Cookie,” Hondo nodded in agreement as he stood from the table.

“Right, then,” Rarity stood, smiling as she motioned for Sweetie Belle to do the same. “Do you two have everything you need?”

Their mother hummed thoughtfully. “Oh, I think so. You’ll mail us anything we forget, won’t you, dear?”

Rarity nodded, giving one of her winning smiles. “Of course I will, Mother. I do hope you two have a grand time together.”

“Oh, thank you, Rarity, dear.” Her mother beamed as she gave her oldest a tight hug, planting a kiss on her cheek.

A practiced, pleasant hum of a chuckle rose from Rarity as she pulled away, patiently motioning toward her little sister. “Sweetie Belle, come say goodbye.”

The youngest of the family stepped forward, smiling brightly up at her parents. Cookie Crumble stooped down, pulling her youngest into a one-forelegged embrace.

“I love you, Serendipity,” Sweetie Belle’s mother said, squeezing her a moment.

“Mm-hmm,” the little unicorn replied, smiling through her bristling fur. “Love you too.”

The moment passed, and Sweetie Belle felt some of the tension leave her body as her mother let her go, only to return the slightest bit as her father scooped her up in an ursa hug.

“Behave for your sister, okay?” her father lightly chastised, grinning down at her.

“I will,” she promised, Hondo releasing her. Sweetie Belle backed up to stand beside Rarity, her big sister’s presence beside her helping her relax and making her parting smile more genuine.

“When should we expect you again?” Rarity inquired.

Cookie Crumbles actually looked a little sad as she smiled. “Oh, it’ll be about six months before we get back from this trip. We’ll call you, okay?”

Rarity hummed pleasantly, nodding. “Yes, please do.”

Finally at the door, their parents gave a final shared goodbye, waving at their daughters.

The two younger unicorns returned them with lovely smiles, waving as their parents at last slipped out the door.

The moment the door closed, Sweetie Belle’s hoof and face fell, her body sagging with mental and emotional exhaustion. Rarity gazed down at her sister sympathetically, reaching for her.

“Sweetie…” the moment her hoof made contact with the little unicorn’s shoulder, she ducked away, rushing for the stairs and hurrying up them. Rarity lazily followed after, stopping at the base of the stairs in time to hear a door slam.

If she strained her ears, she could hear a muffled, frustrated scream, Sweetie Belle’s face buried into her pillow.

Her heart sinking, Rarity turned her attention to the kitchen.

Half an hour later, Rarity adjusted the plate in her magic, and knocked on Sweetie Belle’s door.

“Sweetie, darling?” she called, only to be met with silence.

She pulled on a chipper tone. “I made hors d’oeuvres!”

Silence.

A little breath escaped her nose, and she sat against the adjacent wall. “It’s your favorite,” she sang. “Blueberry cream puffs!”

More silence, and she heaved a sigh, popping one into her mouth. “Come now, don’t make me eat these all by myself,” she said around it.

She allowed a moment to pass, before she heard little hoofsteps from the other side of the door. She watched it open, greeting her little sister’s tear-stained face with a warm smile.

Sweetie Belle trudged to her sister, sitting down against her. “I hate it when they visit,” she grumbled.

“I know,” Rarity sympathized, lowering the plate to her sister’s level.

A small shade of light green enveloped her sister’s horn, one of the cream puffs tilting and twitching in the failing aura before Sweetie Belle gave up with a grunt and picked it up with their hooves, popping it into her mouth.

She pressed into her sister, closing her eyes as she savored her favorite snack, nerves and stress beginning to melt away. Her heart skipped a beat, and tears rose to her eyes. She buried her face in her big sister’s side. “I hate that stupid name,” she spat, losing the fight against her tears.

“I know,” Rarity breathed, putting a foreleg around her sister and pulling her close.

Sweetie Belle sniffed, her little forelegs wrapping around her sister’s barrel. “Thank you for never calling me that.”

Putting down the plate, Rarity tugged her precious little sister into her lap, hugging her tight. “Of course, Sweetie. I wouldn’t dream of calling you something that you are not.”

With the tiniest of giggles, Sweetie Belle pressed into her, nuzzling her chest. Rarity planted a kiss into her sister’s mane, running a hoof along her spine.

Closing her eyes a moment, her mind brought her back to all the other times her little sister planted herself against her like this.

The long, tearful night of confession and pain. Her precious little sister pouring her heart out to her, her own tears joining the flood taking place behind the closed doors of Carousel Boutique.

The tears of joy just a few days later, when careful, thoughtful contemplation finally produced fruit worthy of the beautiful filly she held so close to her heart.

The evening of tearful disappointment as the remaining two could not see through the veil they had set up for themselves to gaze upon the pony underneath.

Rarity had made a vow to herself that night. No matter how many times she needed to, no matter how long it would take each time…

She would make sure her little Sweetie Belle knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she was far more than her parent’s Serendipity.

A long, quiet moment passed, the two sisters wading in comforting, shared company, before finally Rarity piped up, “Alright, now. Why don’t we get ready for tonight, hm? That wig isn’t going to pin itself!”

The mare’s heart leapt at the giggle she got out of her little sister, her little face still streaked with leftover tears, but smiling brightly, eyes beginning to spark with anticipatory excitement.

“Okay!”

Rainbow Dash chuckled, straightening out the strap around Scootaloo’s head, adjusting the goggles that sat securely over her eyes.

Scootaloo’s nose crinkled, nudging the reflective goggles a bit before grinning up at her sister. “How do I look?” she asked Rainbow’s fetlock.

The mare grinned down at her, rubbing her nose against Scootaloo’s, the filly giggling in delight as she answered, “Like a real Wonderbolt, squirt!”

A bark of laughter escaped her as she felt Scootaloo’s bright blue hooves clamp on either side of her dark navy muzzle, the filly bringing her nose to touch hers.

The moment the topic of Nightmare Night costumes had come up, the two had had nearly the same idea almost instantly, and were now overjoyed the night had finally come to show off the most awesome team costume of the night.

Rainbow Dash glanced at her reflection once more, ruffling her mane and brushing it down, laying it better over her Shadow Bolt costume. The tiny Wonderbolt in her lap reached up for her, and Rainbow Dash chuckled as she helped her onto her back, Scootaloo squirming a bit as she got used to the way two layers of costume felt between her and her big sister.

The filly hung on tight to her sister as she moved, her body dipping downward a moment before leveling out again. The brush of a breeze, and Scootaloo shivered in the cool of night, her heart leaping as she thought of all the fun she was about to have with her sister and best friends tonight.

The duo glided easily away from the Cloudominium, Rainbow’s heart leaping as she spied her friends almost instantly, the small group gathered at Sugarcube Corner, all donned in their costumes for the night.

Twilight was dressed in her ‘historically accurate’ Starswirl the Bearded costume, Pinkie Pie zipping about in a retro-style skater outfit. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help her internal chuckle as Applejack took a step, a piece of hay falling from her scarecrow hat. With barely a thought, Rarity, dressed in a well-fitting Renaissance outfit (with a wig to match) picked up the stray piece in her magic and tucked it back into place without a word.

Marveling at each other’s costumes, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom chattered excitedly to each other, the former wearing a matching outfit to her sister, looking like a near-copy of Rarity, while the latter wore a fur-tight brown suit, black flippers on her hooves and a similarly black duck bill over her muzzle, Rainbow Dash realizing after a moment of thought that the filly was meant to be a platypus.

Grinning to herself, she stayed along the cloud layer, where her friends couldn’t see her for the moment, and maneuvered Scootaloo to her chest, nuzzling the filly’s forehead with her own. “You ready to show them?” she asked with a barely-contained giggle. Scootaloo nodded, and Rainbow Dash twisted around, pulling Scootaloo back onto her back, where the filly hid behind her mane.

The mare cleared her throat as she hovered down to her friends. Her voice coming out big and deep, Rainbow’s voice boomed:

“Citizens of Ponyville! I, Rainbow Dash of the Shadowbolts, am here to end the festivities of Nightmare Night once and for all! Mwah-ha-ha-haaa!” As she laughed, Rainbow Dash reached back and tapped Scootaloo’s back hoof, giving the filly her cue.

Scootaloo gave a little shout as she jumped up, hooking her hooves over Rainbow’s head as she revealed her face.

Rainbow Dash gave a mock gasp, straining her eyes to look up at the revealed filly. “And who is this, trying to ruin my fun?” She reached up and back, pulling the filly off her shoulders and holding her up overhead. “Aha! The mighty Wonderbolt, Scootaloo! And what could you possibly think to do to try and stop me?” She brought Scootaloo down in front of her, the motion serving as Scootaloo’s cue.

With a little smile, Scootaloo lunged forward with hooves outstretched, the tiny things landing squarely on Rainbow Dash’s nose as the filly gave a short huffed call.

Rainbow Dash let a moment pass, her friends giggling below her at the cute motion from her filly. “Your adorable antics are no match for my prowess. You’re gonna have to try harder than that.”

With a snap of her wings, she rose in the air, holding Scootaloo a foreleg’s length away, the filly’s laughter beginning to pick up again as Rainbow Dash pulled her into her chest, pulling off a wild series of twists and flips, changing Scootaloo’s position every few seconds to give the illusion of the filly actually fighting her in the air.

After a few moments, Rainbow Dash prepared for the final blow. Pulling Scootaloo onto her stomach, the little filly braced with her hooves pulled under her chin, just like they’d practiced. Both pegasi grinning, Rainbow Dash flipped into a backflip, stopping her curve so her belly face the sky, before pushing Scootaloo into the air.

The flightless filly giggled almost maniacally as she rose a couple meters in the air, hooves braced as if to pounce onto the attentive Rainbow Dash below her.

Rainbow aimed, catching her with a faux cry of pain, slowly lowering herself to the ground as she cried: “No! I have been defeated! The great Wonderbolt is far too powerful for my evil!”

Scootaloo could feel the vibrations of her sister’s words as the two of them were lowered back onto the ground with expert control, finally feeling their descent come to a halt, Rainbow Dash going limp as she played dead beneath her.

Her throat jumped as she giggled, rising to her hooves and bouncing on Rainbow’s chest.

The rainbow-maned mare let out a light ‘oof’ as Scootaloo landed on her chest, chuckling as she moved to stand back up to the lighthearted laughter and applause of their friends.

Rainbow chuckled sheepishly, hugging Scootaloo tight. “That was perfect, kiddo! Good job!”

Scootaloo giggled wildly in return. “Thanks! That throw was perfect, too!”

The mare ruffled her filly’s mane. “Thanks, squirt.”

As the pair came down from their shared high, Rainbow Dash felt a nagging at the back of her mind, and she looked around the steadily moving crowd all around them. Her well-trained eyes pierced through the glass of her goggles, scanning the surrounding faces and colors for a familiar flash.

“Whatcha lookin’ for, Dashie?” Pinkie Pie chirped, effortlessly skating literal circles around her.

Rainbow Dash sighed. “I invited a pony to Nightmare Night, but I haven’t seen her yet. She never responded to the letter I sent, so I figured she must’ve been busy; but I was hoping I’d still see her.”

Rarity chuckled warmly, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Oh, never fear, darling! The night is still young!” With a little hum, she added, “Why don’t you tell us her name, and we can help you look for her?”

A small, grateful smile from the faux Shadow Bolt, and she answered, “Uh…her name’s Foggy Day. She, uh…she used to shadow Scootaloo. She raised her until I adopted her. I…I thought it’d be nice if she could come visit tonight, so I sent her a letter. She never replied, but…I figured she was too busy to, but that we’d still see her.”

“Hmm…” Pinkie Pie hummed. “Well, we can look around. I’m sure with all of us looking, we could find her! Who knows, she might see you before you see her!”

Applejack chuckled, “Pinkie’s right! We’ll help ya look, sugarcube.”

A smile curled Rainbow’s lips, relief coating her heart. “Thanks, guys.” A squirming in her forelegs brought her attention back to Scootaloo, the tiny Wonderbolt reaching for her friends, who were tapping her cannon bone. “Oh! Right.”

She deposited the filly beside her friends, giving her her pillowcase and tapping on her withers, “Stick with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, okay? I’ll be with my friends, but I’ll come check on you in a couple hours, okay?”

“Okay!” Scootaloo tapped back, grinning wildly, her hooves dancing in place.

“Have fun, Scoots!” Rainbow tapped a final time, nuzzling her filly’s nose with her own before finally letting her go.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle at once deposited themselves at Scootaloo’s sides as she waved goodbye to her guardian, the three fillies excitedly tapping each other as two told one the plan for the night, letting their friend feel their costumes and marvel and the creativity behind them.

With an excited nod from Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle turned her around, heading for the mingling group of foals set to head out on their hunt for treats.

Twilight brushed down her Starswirl beard, smiling at Rainbow Dash. “Okay, Rainbow Dash. What does this Foggy Day look like?”

Rainbow smiled, already feeling a weight rise from her shoulders as she described the mare in question, her mind racing to think what kind of costume she might be wearing.

As the night wore on, the three little fillies gradually made their way from house to house. The group of foals they traveled with ultimately moved faster than they, with no pony having to guide another, and no other pony having to be guided. Still, this didn’t bother them in the slightest, as they now had all the time in the world to take their hunting at their own pace, the feeling of being rushed having left with the other foals.

Eventually, the tiny trio made it to Sweet Apple Acres, the foals from before running about playing games and trying their luck in the haunted maze, where plentiful screams abounded, Apple Bloom guessing with a giggle that Big Mac was responsible for most if not all of them.

As they walked, slowly trekking to the barn, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom did their best to tell Scootaloo what was around them, finally making it to the entrance of the maze.

Granny Smith grinned at the little trio, her granddaughter grinning up at her in anticipation.

She had promised her youngest grandchild that she’d make sure to go a little slow for them, the precious filly requesting such to ensure her friend would be able to enjoy it as much as she would.

Sweetie Belle exchanged an excited glance with Apple Bloom, having just told Scootaloo where they were and what they were doing.

Scootaloo bit the inside of her cheek, happy her friends wanted to include her, but knowing deep down that she wouldn’t be able to enjoy it in the same way they would. Still, appreciating their efforts, Scootaloo marched on as Apple Bloom began tapping away on her shoulder, Granny Smith having begun her speech.

The next ten minutes went by about as Scootaloo predicted. For her, the scares were secondhoof as she jumped at her friends’ jumps, and didn’t have much time to think about the atmosphere before she was pulled along again to the next. As much as she enjoyed the idea of spiders reaching for her head and mummies chasing them down a hallway, she couldn’t help but feel most of the effects were lost in translation.

Even still, she appreciated her friends’ willingness to include her in the activity, and thanked both them and Granny Smith once it was over, giving them her best smile.

She felt her friends’ hooves, the trio turning around and walking for a couple minutes before they stopped. “Well, that was everything,” Apple Bloom’s flippered hoof said. “You wanna get a head-start on eating our candy?”

A rush of air passed Scootaloo’s nose as she snorted, beaming as she nodded.

In the deep sky of night, a darkness loomed. Piercing eyes scanned those below, patiently lying in wait for the one to strike against. Pure innocence trotted this way and that, chasing each other to and fro.

Each and every one of them…were the perfect prey.

Without so much as the stirring of a breeze, the darkness crept toward the sound of screams, the high-pitched shrieking of foals being the one thing it sought. The one thing it wished to exploit.

A reverberation passed through it, gleeful anticipation of what was to come sending a shiver through the otherwise perfect pitch blackness.

Unseen eyes crept across the landscape, pairs, trios, and more divulging themselves in the distractions of the evening, shrill cries rising into the air. None of these were precisely what it was looking for. All were already taken by the waiting activities.

A flash of light blue caught its eye, and the darkness grinned. Three lone fillies sat at the entrance of the maze. They were alone. No pony was watching them.

It was perfect.

Slowly, eerily, it crept up behind the small foals as they dug around in their pillowcases. After a moment, the fillies extracted pieces of wrapped candy, their hooves fiddling with their sweet prizes a moment before the candies revealed themselves. With triumphant little giggles and coos, the fillies popped the candy in their mouths, grinning happily as they chewed.

The perfect opportune time came in the form of the fillies reaching in for another piece. The darkness could already hear it.

Their screams would be glorious…

Drawing itself up, the darkness sent a smoke to either side of the fillies. Gradually, it revealed itself, the soft blue glow of moonlight shining off their backs. The darkness took a silent, deep breath…

“RRAAAAAAAAWWWWWRRRRRRRRR!!”

The mighty roar cracked like thunder and reverberated through the air as a maniacal cackle followed in its wake, fillies’ screams rising to join the cacophonous atmosphere. Darkness opened its eyes again, grinning in glee at the…the…

One of the fillies hadn’t moved.

A blink sent the darkness back a touch, the filly cooing to herself as she popped another piece of candy in her mouth, giggling in delight at its flavor while her two friends stared wide-eyed as they clutched their chests and panted in fright.

The darkness’s ear twitched, all around it having gone silent, save for the filly that had not responded to the fright meant for her.

In fact, she carried on as if she couldn’t see the obvious smoke billowing around her, as if she hadn’t seen her friends move or heard them scream.

The darkness sank, its hooves touching the ground as it stared down at her. A shimmer of royal blue, and the smoke dissipated, pulling into the figure that was underneath, wrapping around them like a cloak before vanishing altogether.

Behind the little filly, Princess Luna stood, curiously gazing down at her. She glanced up at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, whose wide eyes and gaped jaws were steadily leveling out as they calmed down and recognized the friendly Princess. “Pardon me,” said the Princess of the Night, “but is she incapable of hearing me?”

The honest question made the friends exchange a glance, bright smiles instantly lighting them up at the idea of introducing their best friend to the Princess.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle finally answered as they stepped back over to her. “She can’t see you, either.”

Apple Bloom picked up, “That’s Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash just adopted ‘er not too long ago.”

Princess Luna smiled kindly. “I see.” She knelt down beside the little pegasus, the tiny Wonderbolt reaching into her pillowcase again. “May I be introduced?”

“Sure!” the fillies said in unison, gently taking Scootaloo’s hooves and explaining the situation.

Scootaloo gave a little gasp as she perked up, a grin splitting her features. “You two know Princess Luna?!”

“Yeah!” Apple Bloom responded with a giggle. “She came by last year and joined in the festival. She came back this year!”

Sweetie Belle added, “She was pretending to be Nightmare Moon, and scared us. And now she wants to meet you!”

Princess Luna watched the little filly’s jaw drop open in shock, before her head ducked down bashfully. She chuckled to herself, imagining the filly was blushing underneath her costume. As she was guided up and led to her, Princess Luna dug up centuries-old knowledge from the depths of her mind, recalling diagrams and practice pieces as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle guided one of her hooves to Scootaloo’s.

The tiny pegasus cooed softly, marveling at how large her hoof was as she shook it with a bright smile. Luna grinned, moving her hoof to rest against the filly’s chest before she spelt her name out, each passing letter sending more and more shock through the three fillies.

“You know Equestrian Hoof-Speak?!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“Yes,” Luna smiled. “Equestrian Hoof-Speak was first created a little over a thousand years ago. I was there when it was officiated as an Equestrian dialect, and my sister and I were promptly educated in it.”

As two marvelled at her words, the remaining one practically vibrated as she hugged Luna’s hoof to her chest. With an excited, airy little chuckle, she tapped Luna’s cannon bone, drawing the Princess’s attention enough to draw out two crooked curves, creating the obvious shape of a crescent moon in the air.

Princess Luna couldn’t help her laugh as she ducked her head, nudging her nose against Scootaloo’s. The happy little filly instantly grabbed hold of her muzzle, her hooves delicately running over Luna’s face as she felt her features, the Night Princess patiently waiting until the filly was satisfied, purple locks tickling her face as Scootaloo nuzzled her muzzle.

“Are you three enjoying your Nightmare Night?” Luna asked as she sat back up, asking Scootaloo the same thing.

Three little faces broke out in grins, nodding in excitement.

With a mischievous smirk, Luna lowered herself to their level,tapping and asking, “Would you care to help me scare a few more ponies?”

The little trio’s eyes widened at the idea of helping Princess Luna with Nightmare Night antics. Hardly a moment later, and their own grins curled their lips, making them look every part of the adorable little imps they were.

With a nod from Luna, her deep blue magic pulsed around her, and Nightmare Moon gave them a full-toothed smirk. “Now, why don’t we get started?”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but feel the steadily growing weight of disappointment grow to its apex as she and her friends checked the train station for the fifth time that night, each arrival of the locomotive only punctuating the fact that Foggy Day was nowhere to be seen.

She wilted, her heart sinking as the final trip around town came to a close, with no results. It was now past midnight, and time to find Scootaloo and her friends to get them all back home and to bed. She tried to hide her disappointment, offering her friends a grateful smile as she faced them. “Thanks for trying to help me look, girls. Sorry I dragged you all around town for nothing.”

“Oh, nonsense, darling,” Rarity beamed, putting a hoof to her shoulder. “We’re happy to have helped you. And it has been a wonderful trek around town.”

Applejack nodded, “Yeah. It was actually kinda nice ta just catch up with you girls.”

“It sure was!” Pinkie tittered. “I know we usually just play a bunch of games on Nightmare Night, but I’ve seen everyponies’ costumes! That never happens!”

Twilight chuckled, giving Rainbow Dash a friendly nudge. “Never feel bad for asking for help, Rainbow Dash, even if it doesn’t end up working out. We all had a good time, regardless.”

Rainbow felt a small smile crawl up her face as she watched her friends give affirmative nods and hums and chuckles. “Thanks, guys…” With a moment to gather up her bravado again, she gave Rarity and Applejack a wry grin. “So, how much trouble do you think our sisters have gotten into?”

No sooner had the words crossed her lips that three distinct hollers suddenly erupted in the air above them, the black figure of Nightmare Moon swooping overhead, cackling evilly as three familiar little fillies rode on her back, holding on tight as they shouted their mirth into the night sky.

Five jaws dropped from the initial shock, three of which quickly morphed into a bemused worry. “Welp,” Applejack sighed, “Guess that’s our answer.”

The cyan mare kissed her orange filly’s forehead, Scootaloo asleep almost instantly. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help her chuckle, remembering how the her little hooves had quickly grown slower and slower as she recounted her nightly adventure, the filly half-asleep as she was helped out of her costume and bathed, nodding off even as her guardian held her in a fluffy towel to dry her off.

Rainbow Dash sighed contently to herself as she stretched out her wings. She meandered into the living room, a small, thoughtful frown creasing her face. She slid a piece of paper off the stack on the coffee table, once again plucking up a pencil. Concerned embarrassment fueling her, she began to write:

Dear Foggy Day,

Sorry we missed you at Nightmare Night. I tried looking for you, but we must have just missed each other.

It’s okay, though! Next month, Pinkie’s hosting the town-wide Hearth’s Warming party at Sugarcube Corner. I don’t think Scootaloo would know what to do with herself if you suddenly showed up then!

Hope to see you there! It’s the big bakery shaped like a giant cake, you can’t miss it. It’ll be on the opposite side of town as the train station.

See you soon!

-Rainbow Dash

Twilight yawned heavily, carefully hanging up the last item of her costume as she rubbed her eyes. A tiny snore drew her attention, Spike breathing deeply as his chest rose and fell under his blanket.

With a sleepy little smile, she picked up the latest scientific journal from Canterlot. After long, exciting days with her friends, reading about the joys of scientific and medical discovery never failed to relax her and put her to sleep. Journal in tow, she trotted up to bed.

Lying comfortably, Twilight flipped open to the first article, skimming through experiments and method developments, smiling contently at the progress being made toward the treatments of some of the most ruthless diseases known to ponykind.

Giggling contently, she flipped the page to the next article, once again beginning to read.

As she began, the pleasant smile on her face faltered. She shook her sleepy mind from its half-dozing, re-reading the sentence, only for her heart to leap to her throat.

Reaching the end of the abstract, her widened eyes only grew. Suddenly, she became all too aware of her thundering heart in her ears as she sat upright in her bed, her previous tiredness all but forgotten as she gripped the journal in her hooves, eyes flying across the paper, internal gears grinding to process the information being presented to her.

By the time she had finished, she almost couldn’t breathe.

“SPIKE!” she nearly screamed, vaguely aware of the dragon at once leaping from his dead sleep out of pure fright.

The baby dragon scrambled to standing, limbs twisting up in his blanket, the corner drooped over his face. “Y-yeah, Twilight?” he asked, desperately rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes as he saw the look within her eyes.

Eyes wide, Twilight gave the familiar command:

“Take a letter.”

Author's Note

”You will be given a new name that the Lord’s mouth will announce.”
- Isaiah 62:2, CSB

“Now this is what the Lord says — the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel  — “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.”
-‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:1‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Hey, everyone! Sorry this took so long to get out! I hit a pretty hard wall with this chapter for some reason, and honestly had to really force my way through it. I’m sorry if the quality is a little lacking in this one because of that.

So, what do you guys think about Sweetie Belle’s name, hm? What do you think of her parents in all of this? Those two were always a bit of a mystery to me. We see them twice in the entire show, and we don’t even get much information on them. We didn’t even get an episode with them as its center. I tried to make them as show-accurate as I could in the four minutes of content we get with them, but in the end I think it worked out all for the better:twilightsmile:
(Also, ignore the fact that they call Sweetie Belle ‘Sweetie Belle’ in the show, this is an alternate universe story, after all:twilightsmile:)

Speaking of: did anyone else notice in “Scare Master” that Rarity said “Period costumes are all the rage” and later on the the episode we see Sweetie Belle in a period costume!:pinkiesad2: That tiny detail just made me insanely happy when I noticed it:twilightsheepish:

So, other than that: thoughts? Where do you think Foggy is? What did Twilight read that got her so excited?:moustache:

See you guys in the next chapter! Should be a bit easier to write than this one was!:twilightsheepish:

Chapter 12: The First Hearth's Warming

The shrill jingling of her alarm clock startled Rainbow Dash from her excited sleep, and she clapped her hoof over the hammer with a grin.

The sun had only just begun to rise, but she was too excited to turn in for a few more minutes.

She rolled out of bed, some parental instinct she was unaware of making her tiptoe down the stairs and into Scootaloo’s room. Rising into a hover, she gently glided over the little sleeping filly.

As gingerly as possible, Rainbow Dash gathered up the filly’s comforter around her, worming her forelegs underneath Scootaloo’s still form and wrapping her in the comforter as she picked her up.

The filly squirmed a bit, hugging her hooves to her chest and snuggling into the crook of Rainbow’s neck as she gave a sleepy, content hum.

Rainbow Dash could not have grinned wider as Scootaloo fell asleep once again in her forelegs. She cradled the filly as if she were made of glass as she hovered down the stairs and came into the foyer, beaming to herself.

Every time she saw the tree, she had to admit to herself that she’d overdone it.

The deep green cedar was huge. The full branches were decked out in the best ornaments Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo could find, the pair even making a few themselves to give their little family their own personal collection, their crafts over the month proudly on monochrome display amidst the colorful, bulbous, glittering decorations one could find at a store, candy canes, popcorn string, and ribbons dipping and dodging and weaving amongst each other and the hanging delights.

Rainbow glanced up again at the elaborate star perched atop the tree, the multi-pointed, three-dimensional star sat right where it had been since Scootaloo sat it there, helped up by Rainbow Dash as her father snapped a photograph, her parents more than happy to mark the occasion with the newest addition of their family.

The cyan mare landed softly, stepping toward the small wall of presents lined up neatly underneath the tree, all of them addressed to the tiny, precious filly Rainbow Dash held cradled against her chest.

She wanted to give Scootaloo the world.

The items waiting under the tree would be a good start.

Smoothly, Rainbow sat down on her haunches, gently pulling Scootaloo from her shoulder and cradling her as if she were nothing more than a baby. Her heart melting at the beautiful sight, she nuzzled her nose against Scootaloo’s, rubbing her hoof into her chest.

Only a couple seconds passed before Rainbow Dash felt Scootaloo’s muzzle scrunch, her little hooves coming up to rub against her nose, groggily pulling the older pegasus’s muzzle down from her own as her eyes blinked open.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Scootaloo,” Rainbow Dash gently tapped.

Scootaloo gave a sleepy groan, her stretching hooves pushing against Rainbow’s nose. She yawned, her forehooves coming back down and her fetlocks rubbing her eyes as she gave a quizzical hum.

Rainbow Dash giggled. “It’s Hearth’s Warming, Scootaloo. You wanna open your presents?”

The mention of the universal foal-exciter did the trick, Scootaloo perking up at once, a switch in her brain flipping and her previous leftover tiredness suddenly nonexistent as she jumped a little in her guardian’s hold. A wide, gorgeous grin split across her face, and she nodded excitedly, pulling herself up to sitting in her big sister’s lap.

Scootaloo felt Rainbow’s chest shake a little in a laugh, her forelegs wrapping securely around her as she felt Rainbow Dash scoot forward. Rainbow’s hooves left her shoulders, returning a moment later with a large, thin box. She let Rainbow’s hooves guide her hoof around the rectangular box’s edges, and she easily found a corner and pulled, her throat moving in satisfaction at the funny shaking that came with ripping paper.

She shimmied the paper off the box underneath, and eased the lid off, feeling Rainbow’s hooves hold it steady to allow her to explore the contents.

She first found a little fluffy ball, giggling at the tickle on her frog as she felt around it, finding it attached to a soft, thick, woven fabric, the design popping out in little curves as it twisted over itself down to a rounded edge. Recognizing the woven toboggan, Scootaloo pulled it out of the box, running her hoof along the wool until she had the pattern memorized, pulling it onto her head and feeling the way it slid over her ears, pressing her mane down onto her forehead until the edge pressed over her eyes.

Rainbow chuckled while Scootaloo giggled, and she helped the hat sit better on her head, brushing the purple mane a bit to the side and out of Scootaloo’s face. Little tufts poked out from the back of Scootaloo’s neck, Rainbow Dash noticing the mane had gained about a half-inch as the tip drooped ever so slightly.

She hummed to herself in thought, tapping on Scootaloo’s fetlock, “I think your mane might need a trim in the next couple days. It doesn’t look bad, it’s just a tick longer.”

Scootaloo paused in her box search, thinking over the implications before she finally requested, “Can I grow it out a little bit? My mane’s always grown slow, but I wanna know what it’s like to have it longer.”

Rainbow Dash smiled. “Sure, kiddo. Whatever you wanna do with it.”

With a smile and a grateful little hum, Scootaloo nuzzled back against Rainbow before continuing her hunt through the box.

Her hooves brushed against something soft, and her hoof hopped on top of it, running along it as her lips formed a little ‘o’ at the smooth silkiness of the block of fabric she felt. She picked it up, feeling part of it spill over the edge of her hold, the box in her lap bumping as the end fell back into it. Pulling it to her chest, her hoof followed the thin, long, silky cotton back down into the box, where she felt little tassels at its edge.

Her throat moved as she picked up the end, pressing her face into the smooth, warm scarf, loving the way it felt against her muzzle.

Rainbow Dash grinned at her delight, setting aside the now-empty box. “You like them?”

Scootaloo pulled her face from the crimson scarf, the matching hat’s fuzzy ball bouncing as she looked up at her. “I love them!”

Rainbow squeezed her tight, nuzzling her face into Scootaloo’s mane as the filly giggled. A tight hug later, and Rainbow asked on Scootaloo’s shoulder, “Wanna open your other presents?”

Bit by bit, present after present was torn open, wrappings tossed aside in favor of the surprises inside.

Scootaloo cooed and squealed in delight at every new item.

More clay for her creations.

Play-Dough (so she could practice before she committed, Rainbow said).

A warm, fuzzy blanket that practically swallowed the filly in pleasing little tufts of smooth fluff.

Braille playing cards and a magically-modified game of Sugar World, each square raised and the art textured to allow Scootaloo to feel it. The cards, a little thicker than normal, contained textured art and Braille underneath the written Equestria.

Three-dimensional wooden puzzles (complete with an answer sheet to help Rainbow explain how to put them back together if she needed it).

A Braille copy of the newest Daring Do book.

Foam blocks not unlike the ones Scootaloo used to play with at the orphanage.

And to top it off, the final gift contained a couple stuffed animals, the fluffy Ursa Minor and Bugbear looking far more adorable and cute than either real-life creature had any right to be.

Once they were all open, Scootaloo snuggled into Rainbow, happily humming a tuneless ditty as she pulled her new fuzzy blanket tightly around her. “I think this is the best Hearth’s Warming I’ve ever had!” the little filly declared. Delighted, Rainbow Dash squeezed her tight, peppering kisses on her temple as Scootaloo giggled.

Rainbow Dash felt a wave of deja vu at a nagging at the back of her mind, knowing one pony whose appearance really would make it the best Hearth’s Warming ever. A knot of dread formed in the pit of her stomach, and suddenly she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go to Sugarcube Corner to see whether or not her fears were confirmed.

But she knew denying Scootaloo the day with her friends wouldn’t be fair to her, and she pulled Scootaloo away, tapping out on her little fetlock, “You wanna try on your new winter stuff and go see your friends? I think everypony should be heading to Sugarcube Corner by now. We can get breakfast there!”

Scootaloo grinned up at her excitedly, nodding her head.

Rainbow Dash trudged alongside Scootaloo, the little filly’s brow creased in concentration as she tried to learn what stepping through the snow in her new boots felt like. She had lamented to her sister that she didn’t like walking in boots, not to mention they made talking to others a little difficult—the finer movements of her fetlocks deemed nearly useless from something that reached almost halfway up her leg.

But, when Rainbow agreed to let the filly not wear her boots for a day, she almost couldn’t stop her freezing hooves’ shaking to ask Rainbow for them again.

Rainbow Dash stopped Scootaloo a moment, adjusting the crimson scarf that was threatening to drag the ground, mere inches away from becoming a tripping hazard for the filly. For the thousandth time since the first snowfall, Rainbow asked if she wanted to be carried, to which Scootaloo looked up gratefully at her and responded, for the thousandth time:

“No, thank you. I like the way the snow feels!”

Her taps were slow, methodical, and succinct, Rainbow Dash able to just barely feel the connections her hoof wall made on the other side of the thick sole.

Through a series of questions made earlier in the month, Rainbow had learned that Scootaloo had never experienced much snow, with the streets of Baltimare constantly being swept during the snowy months, and the snow that fell in the courtyard of the orphanage being taken up by the other foals as they built snow ponies and made snow pegasi.

The moment she learned this, Rainbow Dash had spent the entire day playing in the snow with the little filly until no less than three mugs of hot chocolate each could warm them up again, the sisters shivering against each other under a thick blanket in front of the fireplace in the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse, Scootaloo blissfully unaware of the earful Applejack was giving Rainbow Dash for letting the filly get so cold.

At the end of the day, they had both decided it was worth it.

Even if both of them had stuffy noses for the next week.

Rainbow Dash breathed an internal sigh of relief for the filly as they came up on Sugarcube Corner, knowing the warmth of the building meant the removal of the mildly infuriating hoofware.

Despite the filly’s claims of loving the snow, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help her little smirk at Scootaloo’s own relieved sigh as she felt the sinking snow give way to solid hardwood.

The moment she opened the swinging doors, she looked about the bakery, eyes scanning over her friends and several other residents of Ponyville. She made two quick passes before she came up with the similar observation:

Foggy Day was nowhere to be found.

Sighing to herself, Rainbow Dash helped Scootaloo out of her scarf, hat, and boots, two familiar fillies bounding their way and taking her hooves, exchanging a quick push-hoofed greeting before leading her off to a quiet corner to talk all-things Hearth’s Warming with each other.

The sight teased a smile from Rainbow, and she stepped her way to Pinkie, putting together the final pieces of a pastry tower. “Heya, Pinks! Happy Hearth’s Warming!”

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Dashie! What can I help ya with?”

Rainbow Dash smiled sheepishly, “Uh, me and Scoots haven’t had breakfast yet. Can you ring me up for one banana nut muffin and one chocolate chip?”

“Sure thing!

The chirpy pink earth pony ducked out of sight, only to pop back up a second later with a little paper food boat with the two requested muffins. With a light giggle, Pinkie Pie slid them across the counter, smiling brightly. “There you go! On the house!”

Rainbow Dash paused in reaching for her Bit purse, looking back up at Pinkie Pie in surprise, a smile melting onto her face at the warm, insistent grin from her friend. She chuckled her gratitude, sliding the little tray into her hoof. “Thanks, Pinkie, you’re the best!”

“No problem, Dashie!” Pinkie giggled as Rainbow Dash went to find Scootaloo, her friends letting her get pulled away to a table as Rainbow passed her her muffin, the little filly snuggling into Rainbow’s lap as they enjoyed their first Hearth’s Warming breakfast together.

‘You know,’ Rainbow thought to herself, ‘this isn’t a bad first tradition…’

Rainbow Dash nuzzled her little sister, who hummed happily at the affection and taste of the chocolate chips in the large muffin. She pressed her head into the motion, sighing contently as she felt the warmth all around her and grinning as she counted herself the luckiest filly in the world.

As the breakfast with her big sister finished up, Scootaloo found herself experiencing something odd. She grinned in the direction of her sister's face, held gently in her lap as she waited.

And waited.

A moment passed, and with a start, she realized it was the actual waiting that was odd for her.

What was she waiting for?

Her mind pranced around the question, finally hopping onto the solution.

It was usually around this time that she would be read to.

But…that was…back then.

She found a tiny hole in her chest probing at her heart. Her usual Hearth’s Warmings with Foggy typically consisted of, among other Hearth’s Warming things, one little tradition that meant more to Scootaloo than she realized until that moment.

And suddenly its absence was opening an unexpected chasm in her soul.

She swallowed, feeling the desire for tears fill her heart. Though she was able to fight them back, she couldn’t deny to herself the reason behind them.

She…really missed Foggy right now.

An odd sensation tingled up her spine, her mind for a moment making her believe it was the gentle, warm embrace of the unicorn that held her instead of the strong, affectionate one from her sister.

A pang tapped her heart, and she felt her smile twitch.

Foggy was gone, but…

‘I wonder if Rainbow Dash likes poetry…’ her mental hoof absentmindedly skipped through her brain. Her smile gained a self-pointed shyness, and she squirmed away from Rainbow Dash, her guardian picking her up off her lap before setting her down, two little hooves tapping her canon bones and taking her away into the throng of Hearth’s Warming activities, Apple Bloom letting her know Granny Smith was about to read the story of Hearth’s Warming.

For now, she decided, she’d focus on the new traditions unfolding in front of her.

She’d worry about bringing up the past later.

Rainbow Dash trotted to the train station with her charge secure on her back, Scootaloo’s jittery excitement knowing no bounds as her little body rode on the continued high of what she had declared to be the best Hearth’s Warming of her life.

One Rainbow knew was about to get even better.

She stomped her booted hooves as she found the wood of the train station, shaking off the layer of snow and perking up at the whistle of the approaching locomotive.

Feeling her stop, the little filly on her back squirmed as she reached for the ground, Rainbow Dash helping her down and the little filly grinning as she felt the platform vibrate through her boots. She hopped in anticipatory delight as the train pulled to a steaming halt, the doors opening smoothly.

Almost at once, Rainbow Dash heard their voices.

Two pegasi burst from the warm breath of the engine’s pistons, engulfing the two waiting on the platform in hugs and kisses and greetings both verbal and tactile. The youngest giggled and cooed out her excitement, almost too caught up in the happiness of being held by her grandma to tell her how great her day had been so far, her little hoof nearly cramping up as she spilled all of the recent exploits of her life to Windy Whistles.

The young guardian hefted a large wrapped box her parents had brought onto her back, relieving her father a bit of his burden as he smiled gratefully.

Smiling to one another, eldest mare scooping up the little filly into her forelegs, four pegasi chattered and caught up as they flew up to the hovering house to begin their first of many Hearth’s Warmings together, their small family now just a little bigger…and a little filly brighter.

Away from the prying eyes of the world, a lone mare closed her door, shaking off her boots and shivering as she removed her cream-colored scarf and hat, hanging them on the hooks by the door.

She briefly looked into a passing mirror, careful to avoid looking at her own eyes as she briefly scanned over her pulled-back mane, shaking away the remaining snow.

A brief trip into the kitchen, and she traipsed back into the quiet, empty living room with a large, steaming mug of her favorite tea, climbing onto her couch and pulling a blanket over her lap. She reached out with her magic, the light snapping of the small fire behind her warming the room as she plucked one of her favorite poetry books from the bookshelf across the room.

The spine cracking as it opened, she began to read.

The light shift of pages shuffling over themselves was all that accompanied her, her mug growing more and more empty as the time wore on.

She flipped another page as she finished her mug, and froze.

Gazing upon the page, a more popular poem stared back at her:

“The Road Not Taken” by Snowfall Frost

Despite her best efforts, she could not stop the phantom sensation of a small filly in her lap from haunting the forefront of her mind. Her breath suddenly struggled to move as she felt tiny hooves holding her own, a wispy mane tickling her chin as the precious, sightless thing pretended to read as she waited for her to translate what was on the page.

Every year, this was the one thing she ever requested.

She pressed her hoof to her chest, unsure whether she was trying to brush away the sensation of a face pressed against her…or keep it there longer.

Her hoof moved on autopilot, her mind and heart reciting the poem by memory, her skin tingling at the question she was always asked.

“What’s yellow like?”

To which she would always give the same answer:

“It’s like the warmth of the sun filtering through tree leaves. It warms you up just enough to get a smile out of you.”

Once given, the filly would grin, settling into her as the mare continued with her favorite poem.

Tears blurred her vision and spilled down her cheeks, dripping off her chin only to plip onto her fetlock as she reached the last stanza.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the road less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

The welling water in her eyes pulled the dancing ambient colors of the flames within the fireplace around her.

Too subtle for her to notice, too trivial for her to care, the blending, warbling colors gained a shade of gray.

A gasp reignited her, leaving a gnawing emptiness in her heart as she rubbed her fetlock into her eyes, sniffling and clearing her throat as she shut the small tome and set it aside.

Wishing for anything else to do, she looked around her living room, only for her eyes to land on a small tinderbox on the mantel, hidden away in the shadow of the corner of the chimney.

A lump rose to her throat, and without her mental command, an azure aura surrounded the tinderbox, pulling it to her until it rested inches away from her heart, the thing her magic instead had chosen to respond to.

Her hooves numb, she took it, the smooth worn metal begging to be opened.

She obliged it.

With the tiny pop of brass, the ghosts of laughter rose to her ears, delighted little squeals guiding her hooves as she reached in and pulled out the first item.

The tiny hospital band stared back at her, the edges of the stark white plastic reflecting the orange of the fireplace as small, thick black letters revealed the name of the newborn it had once labeled.

Placing it within the lid of the tin, she pulled out the second item.

Tied tight with a little white string, a purple curl lay in her hoof. The squirms of the fussy one-year-old bounced a little smile to her face, huffs and puffs of unreleased energy forcing the filly’s first manecut to stretch on for over an hour.

A little chuckle, and the lock was replaced, a small folded sheet of pink paper taking its place.

She gingerly unfolded it, despite already knowing its contents.

Glued onto the page were Braille letters carefully cut out of a book, wishing the mare who held the note a happy Hearts and Hooves Day. Her heart soared, remembering her shock when she’d discovered the torn-up tome, what was supposed to be a textbook, had now adorned the hoof-made card, the three-year-old spelling out her message letter by letter in the only way she knew how words got onto a page.

She had run out of patience when it came to signing her name, and had simply stamped her tiny, ink-coated hoof onto the page underneath it.

It had taken weeks to scrub out the ink stains in the filly’s fur.

She traced the tiny hoof on the paper, and a laugh, the first and only song of the evening, filled the house for the briefest of moments as the Hearts and Hooves Day card was refolded and placed on top of the lock of hair.

The final item made her pause.

She dipped her hoof in, pulling out a small photo album no bigger than a couple inches across, and an inch thick.

Whenever she could, she would take her small Polaroid; and away from the prying eyes of the agents, she would take a picture.

The tiny metal hinge squeaked as it was opened, revealing the first photo.

A tiny orange newborn, held in the loving forelegs of a teal mare, stared back at her. Tired, cloudy eyes freshly removed of their bandages tried to learn how to blink to keep a moisture they didn’t understand the purpose of.

There were a few taken that day, the face of the mare responsible for the photos finally revealing itself as she grinned at her camera, leaning her head softly into view as she held the filly close.

Flip by flip, photo by photo, a story revealed itself to her. The story of a little filly learning her way and enjoying the simplest things in life under the guidance of a mare who, to an outsider, was in every way the filly’s mother.

But she wasn’t an outsider. She knew the truth.

Each flip sent her crawling to the end of the tiny album, with the last picture showing a little, confident filly blindly blowing a puff of air as the tiny flicker of a candle leaned away from her onslaught, the candle perched atop the little cake announcing the seventh year of her young life.

She could still hear the giggles of delight, could still see the muzzle smeared with icing as a bright smile lit up the filly’s sightless eyes.

For the briefest moment, her world lit up with the memory of that smile, only to come crashing back into darkness as she remembered that, for her, it would never be anything more than that.

A memory.

Alone in an empty house, Foggy Day held the only things she had of Scootaloo.

And wept.

Rainbow Dash’s hooves thundered as she raced across the dry earth. Her heart pounded in her ears, eyes wide in desperation.

She had to get there. She needed to get there.

Everypony was depending on her.

She was depending on her.

Her head swiveled as she reached the edges of Ghastly Gorge, her wings flapping as she tried to take off, only for her feathers to refuse to grab the air, her attempt in vain.

Gasping for breath, she screamed:

“WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Her legs trembled beneath her even as she forced them forward, her hooves going numb at the force of the impact with the ground.

Her aching muscles could finally give no more, and her legs locked up underneath her, sending the mare sprawling to the dust below. Painful, ragged breaths wheezed from her lungs, her body trembling as she forced herself to stand again, head and vision swimming with the movements.

Rainbow groaned, finally pulling her scraped-up body to standing again, forcing her double-vision to focus.

As two became one, a figure stood at the precipice not twenty meters away from her.

A solitary unicorn stood, staring out over the edge of Ghastly Gorge, her teal fur untouched by the surrounding grime, and her long charcoal mane flowing in the breeze.

Rainbow’s breath caught in her throat. “Foggy!” She went to run, only to nearly fall again. She clambered her way up, limping toward the unicorn, her legs nearly collapsing under her by the time she reached the shadow.

“Foggy! What are you doing out here?”

The mare in question’s gaze never left the daunting depths of the valley below them. Voice dry and monotonous, Foggy echoed, “What are you doing out here?”

Rainbow Dash blinked, her brow furrowing at the lack of an answer she received. “I came to get you. What are you doing out here?”

Again, Foggy’s azure gaze never wavered from the cliffside. “Why are you here, Rainbow Dash?”

Breaths heaving, Rainbow Dash gaped, “What are you talking about? I told you! I’m here to get you!”

A cloud passed over the sun, blanketing the world around them in a shade of gray. A spark lit behind Foggy’s eyes, and she asked, “Why?”

Rainbow grunted in frustration. “Because I want you to see Scootaloo again! I want to see you again!”

“Why?”

The cyan mare only stared at the monosyllabic teal unicorn, her ears ringing as the world seemed to crawl to a halt. The clouds ceased their movement, the dust hung in the air, and the wind quieted its whistling.

Rainbow Dash stepped toward Foggy Day, raising a hoof and putting it on her shoulder, a single answer rising from the depths of her heart.

“Because we love you.”

A quiet moment passed, time, space, and Rainbow’s words suspended into stillness.

The silence was broken by Foggy herself, movement restoring with the motion of her head as she finally pulled her gaze up from the gorge below her. The wind grazed through her mane, carrying the faintest of whispers across Rainbow’s ears as Foggy’s face painfully slowly came to rest upon Rainbow. Her eyes, dull, empty, and dead, gazed through Rainbow Dash, sending a ball of dread into the pit of her stomach.

Disembodied whispers began riding a crescendo, tingling Rainbow’s ears as Foggy’s mouth opened.

“No, you don’t.”

Rainbow’s heart jumped to her throat, the odd, ominous reply leaving her only capable of saying one word. “What…?”

Before she could receive one more word from Foggy Day, an eruption of darkness billowed from the gorge, its waking wind yanking the mares’ manes up and threatening to pull them into the atmosphere with its sheer residual momentum.

The cyan pegasus leapt away from the edge in terror, a booming, unintelligible voice quaking from the darknes that pulled and stretched and roiled over the edge of the gorge, reaching and wrapping its cloudy tendrils around Foggy Day’s legs, barrel, and neck.

“NO!” Rainbow screamed, throwing herself to Foggy and grabbing the mare desperately trying to pull her out of the grip of the unknown force.

Her teal legs didn’t budge, despite Rainbow’s panicked tugging. She looked up at Foggy as the darkness gripping her began to sink, the smoky tentacles growing more and more taut around the unicorn as she stared back at Rainbow Dash.

Crimson, pleading eyes met azure, exhausted ones. As the terrible, phantom finger tightened around Foggy’s neck, a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye, the older mare’s voice barely a murmur in the space between them.

“I was never meant to be loved…”

All at once, the tendrils snapped tight, plucking Foggy Day out of Rainbow’s grip and leaving the pegasus to only watch as the lone unicorn was dragged down into the depths of the gorge, disappearing out of sight.

“FOGGY!!”

Rainbow Dash jerked awake, sitting up from her dead sleep as the shadow’s name shrieked across her lips. She shivered at the sudden loss of her covers, a cold sweat drenching her coat and sticking her mane to her forehead.

Her stomach lurched, and she clapped a hoof over her mouth, scrambling out of bed and across the hallway.

Several minutes of gags and dry heaves passed as the events of the night terror replayed in Rainbow’s mind against her will, her legs trembling and her heart skipping beats from the leftover horror of what her mind had conjured.

“It was just a dream,” she croaked, gagging into the toilet. “It’s okay, it was just a dream.”

Rainbow forced herself to breathe, finally sitting down and leaning her head against the tub, shivering at the chills coursing through her body, the cool tub wall easing a deep burning in her—

Her eyes popped open, and her fetlock rose to her forehead.

She was burning up.

Suddenly her aches and pains and clouded mind made a lot more sense.

Groaning, she pulled her weak legs under her, trudging to the stairs and hobbling down them, her wings feeling far heavier than they were meant to be on her back.

Reaching the second floor, her hazy eyes slid to Scootaloo’s door, and she trudged over, carefully nudging it open to find the filly sound asleep, with nothing akin to Rainbow’s ailments bogging her down as she slept.

Swallowing another wave of nausea, Rainbow Dash decided she’d take her to Twilight’s tomorrow to keep her away from whatever was affecting herself so horribly.

The darkness from before loomed in the back of her mind, and she shuddered, Foggy’s empty words hovering between her ears.

Rubbing a fetlock into her exhausted eyes, she staggered to the stairs, her knees wobbly as she made it to the first floor, her mind still reeling from the vivid nightmare.

Passing the coffee table, she paused. Mouth open with ragged breaths, Rainbow Dash’s heart thundered in her chest, her worries creeping up her throat and demanding she resolve her emotional turmoil.

Reluctantly, her body begging for rest, she indulged in the thing that would quiet her mind for the time being, and picked up a pencil:

Dear Foggy Day,

I’m sorry we didn’t see you at the Hearth’s Warming party. You must be pretty busy, so I don’t blame you for missing it. Did you have a nice Hearth’s Warming, at least?

I understand if you’re busy, but…it would really mean a lot to me and Scootaloo if you could come to our birthday party next month. I forgot to mention that our birthdays are actually just a day apart! So we’re gonna celebrate both of ours on Scootaloo’s birthday!

I’ve already talked to my friend about it, and it’ll start at 2. It’ll be in Sugarcube Corner, same place as the Hearth’s Warming party. Again, across town from the train station. Cake-shaped bakery, can’t miss it.

I…I really hope we’ll see you there.

Rainbow Dash pondered a moment, swiping a hoof across her sweaty forehead as her hesitation finally gave way for her convictions as she added to the letter:

I really want you to keep being a part of Scootaloo’s life, even though she doesn’t live with you anymore. I know you care about her, and she cares about you.

Please don’t disappear.

I really hope to see you soon.

-Rainbow Dash

The task finally achieved, Rainbow Dash left the letter to be mailed off to the agency later on as she stood up and dragged herself into the kitchen for some desperately-needed medication.

Author's Note

“God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”
-Psalms 68:6, NIV

“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

I don’t have much to say about this chapter. Honestly, I had no idea it was going to get that dark at the end there:twilightsheepish: To be fair, I actually didn’t plan on Foggy making an appearance at all this chapter, but…I’m glad she did:twilightsmile:

Something I’m sure my fellow writers out there will understand when I say that the tinderbox just kinda threw itself into the story.:rainbowlaugh: Love it, though, so I’m not complaining in the slightest!:heart:

Also, in case you guys wanted to know: Sugar World is a play on Candy Land:rainbowlaugh:

Well, for the first time in this story, I actually don’t have a thing written for the next chapter yet. Don’t worry, though! It’ll be coming y’all’s way shortly!:twilightsmile:

I wanted to give two shoutouts today! First to Apofis who’s helped me stay in high spirits and has helped me destress and laugh! Love you, Void Buddy!:heart:

The second goes to Partycannon_, who is, as far as I know, the first person to draw fanart for this story!:heart:

Thank you so much, Partycannon_!

Check out their profiles and give them some love, guys!:twilightsmile: They’ve both got some pretty neat stories!:pinkiehappy:

Okey doke, everyone! Stay tuned! Chapter 13 will be here shortly!

I love you all so much and I can’t thank you all enough!:heart:

Chapter 13: Love

Spike lounged against a bookshelf as he munched on a small handful of gems, his eyes lazily tracking Twilight as she paced back and forth, an unrolled scroll not two inches from her muzzle as she mumbled over the words on the parchment.

“Thank you so much for your interest…we have sent you a report regarding clinical trials…we have several patients who would gladly speak with you…should you so wish…an operation coming up in the next couple months—SPIKE!”

The baby dragon barely flinched, having gotten used to his guardian’s sudden outbursts over the past couple weeks. “Yeah, Twilight?”

“Do you know what this means?!” He could practically see his own reflection in her shining eyes, her wide grin perfectly encapsulating her overexcitement.

“I’m gonna hafta write another letter?” he deadpanned.

His quip bounced right off of her as she continued, “This means I’ll have the chance to learn every possible piece of information I can before I give my proposal!”

Spike sighed heavily, pushing himself off the bookshelf and stepping toward her. “Twilight, this isn’t some book report, this is your friend!”

“Exactly!” She fired back. “I want to know absolutely everything before I bring this up to her. I need to be as well-informed as possible, so she can be as well-informed as possible, so then when we get this thing going—“

“If, Twilight,” Spike interrupted her prattling.

“What?”

“If and if she wants to,” Spike reiterated. “This isn’t your decision to make. We aren’t even sure if she’d want it.”

Twilight blinked in stunned confusion. “Why wouldn’t she?” The letter flicked in her magic. “Spike, this isn’t just some scientific study, this is a life-altering occurrence! You’d be crazy not to pass it up!”

Spike sighed, popping the last gem in his mouth as he thought over his words, chewing slowly, only swallowing when he was ready to speak. “But Scootaloo’s not a scientific study, and she’s not crazy.”

Twilight halted, his words hitting a paradox in her mind as they sounded like an objection, yet didn’t disagree with her argument. She looked at him with a tilted head. “What?”

The baby dragon hopped up, heading to the kitchen to take his mug to the sink. “If you think it’s a good idea to bring up to Rainbow Dash, and if she thinks it’s a good idea to tell Scootaloo, Scootaloo still might not want to go through with it. Like you said, it’s life-altering. She’d have to learn how to do so much all over again. She’s only seven years old, Twilight, don’cha think that’ll be pretty scary for her?”

The overhyped mare bit her tongue before she could correct that the filly in question would be eight tomorrow, and sighed as she considered his valid argument. “Yeah…you’re right, Spike. But…I still want to know everything.”

“And I agree with you,” Spike piped up. “We both know how Rainbow Dash is, and she’ll feel a lot better knowing you’re the relative expert on things. But I don’t think you should get ahead of yourself. You’re not the one that’ll have to deal with figuring life out again.”

“I know,” Twilight slumped for a moment, perking back up as she offered, “But I can be there for her every step of the way.” She chuckled, adding, “If she decides to go through with it.”

Spike gave his guardian a little smile. “There you go.”

Rainbow Dash grinned, giving a little playful shout as she flipped the seventh pancake from her pan, the breakfast item flying over her head to land on a precisely-placed plate on the counter. A giggle bubbled from her chest in time with the tiny one coming from her back, Scootaloo laughing and squealing at every bob and twist the cyan body made as Rainbow Dash put on a show of making their birthday breakfast.

The mare twisted off the oven, taking bouncier steps than usual—much to Scootaloo’s giggly delight—as she slipped the completed plate of pancakes off the counter and made her way to the table. She deposited the pancakes, then Scootaloo, and dished out three pancakes to the filly, taking the other four for herself. “How much syrup do you want, squirt?”

Scootaloo made a little thinking noise, her hooves tapping the table, before she threw her hooves to the sky with a whoop, giggling maniacally.

Rainbow snorted, pouring a little more syrup than normal, before passing her filly a fork and knife, guiding Scootaloo’s butter knife-holding hoof around the stack of pancakes, the tip tracing out the area the pancakes were located.

Giving a determined little nod, Scootaloo felt Rainbow’s hooves leave, and dug into her birthday breakfast.

The cyan mare smiled, quietly following suit and cutting into her pancakes, thinking over the plan for the day and reminding herself where the filly’s present was.

Breakfast was made quick work of, and the older helped the younger with a glob of syrup that had fallen and clumped into her chest fur, the filly giggling in appreciative sheepishness. Table cleared, and mess cleaned, Rainbow Dash scooped Scootaloo onto her back and trotted into the living room, depositing her on the couch.

“Stay here for a second, okay?” Rainbow requested on the filly’s fetlock. At the nod she received as answer, she smiled, trotting up to her room and grabbing the package from her bed.

Grinning, she presented the gift to Scootaloo, the filly blushing and giving a small cry. “You didn’t have to!” she objected.

Rainbow Dash snorted. “I wanted to, squirt! You only turn eight once!”

“But…I don’t have anything for you…”

The mare chuckled and pressed a kiss between Scootaloo’s eyes. “I don’t expect anything from you, kiddo. I know we talked about not worrying about presents for our birthdays since they’re so close to Hearth’s Warming, but I wanted to get you something extra.”

Scootaloo smiled sheepishly, nodding in understanding as she gingerly reached out and took the gift from her guardian. Easily finding the corner of the small package, she worked her hoof under the flap and tore away the paper, soon holding a familiar shape in her hooves as she looked up at Rainbow Dash in humorous question. “Is this another Daring Do book?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Feel the cover, silly.”

The filly giggled sheepishly, doing as she was told, finding the title and skimming her hoof over it.

Best Poems of the Modern Age

Perking up at once with a gasp, Scootaloo grabbed her guardian’s hoof and nuzzled it fiercely. “Thank you so much!”

The cyan mare beamed at her filly, ruffling her mane. “You’re welcome, kiddo, I’m glad you like it so much! I don’t know much about poetry, but let me know which ones are your favorites, okay?”

Scootaloo nodded, though a blush crept up her neck. Her guardian’s head tilted at the odd reaction, and asked her what was wrong.

The filly shifted in her seat. “You don’t think it’s weird, do you? That I like poetry? I know it’s not cool or anything…”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help the little smile worming its way up her face as she sat down next to the little pegasus. “Hey. You like it, right?”

The filly blinked. “Yeah…”

The mare chuckled. “Well, if you like it, then that makes it cool. I consider the things I like cool. If you like poetry, then it’s pretty awesome in my book.”

A new blush found its way onto Scootaloo’s cheeks as she shrank in her seat with a smile, rubbing her toe along the spine of the poetry book. She reached for her big sister, the mare pulling her into her lap with a tight hug. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, squirt,” Rainbow tapped on her withers. The sisters held each other close, gratitude and love matching each other wave for wave as they enjoyed each other’s company, the first few times out of many they were sure to face that day.

Finally, Rainbow pulled away enough to nuzzle Scootaloo’s nose with her own. “Alright, ready to go?”

With a giggly nod from Scootaloo, the poetry book was set aside for the time being, and filly was scooped onto mare’s back, the two grinning as they headed out the door to spend the day with their friends.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle grinned as Scootaloo tore open their gift to her, easily revealing the brand new game of Jenga. She squealed excitedly, clapping her hooves together in delight before the three friends set about opening the new game and breaking it in with a round.

Across the room, Rainbow Dash chatted ecstatically with her friends, the six Bearers happy to have some time together, the best friends sharing in the mutual celebration of the shared, small birthday party.

“It’s hard to believe it’s almost been six months,” Fluttershy gushed.

Rarity agreed, “Oh, I know, darling. And what a wonderful six months it's been!”

Pinkie tittered cheerfully. “It’s like you two have been together your whole lives!”

Chuckling, Applejack couldn’t help but agree, nodding through a mouthful of cupcake.

Rainbow Dash blushed at her friends’ words. “Aw, guys! It really doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. Time sure does fly when every day’s an adventure.”

Having finished her bite of cupcake, Applejack chuckled, “You can say that again!”

Giggles from five mares rose into the atmosphere of Sugarcube Corner, the silence from one making Rainbow Dash look over to her purple unicorn friend. “Twilight? Is everything alright?”

The unicorn in question snapped out of her thoughts with a little gasp. “What? O-oh…yes, I’m fine. Uh…” The scholar looked around at her friends, mentally scrambling for context. “What…were you talking about?”

A small round of giggles and chuckles passed through the five friends, Rarity speaking up for her, “We were simply admiring the time that’s passed with Scootaloo, darling; and appreciating the adorable little thing.”

“Oh!” Twilight’s face suddenly lit up with understanding as she nodded in agreement. “Thank you! Sorry about that.”

“What’s on your mind, Twi?” Rainbow inquired, smiling at her friend.

The simple question, spoken by a concerned friend, held a horribly complicated response that Twilight quite frankly was not ready to share. As such, the questioned mare shrunk a bit in her seat and muttered. “Uh…it’s complicated. I don’t really want to talk about it right now.” She eyed her friends, hoping they’d take the response.

The resounding nods immediately released a tension from her gut, her friends offering her understanding smiles. “Alright,” Applejack verbally conceded for the group, “but you let us know if’n it bothers ya too much, alright? We’re ready ta listen when you’re ready ta talk.”

Twilight’s smile gained a deep gratitude for her friends. “Thanks, girls.” With a lilted little giggle, she was met with a soft group hug, her friends pressing in on either side of her, leaving her to stare at the deaf-blind little filly as she celebrated the small victory of pulling out a Jenga block.

Her mind began working once again as she watched the filly play without a care in the world, her heart picking up pace as her internal debate started up again, a small worry for the young foal gripping at her heart as her previous conversation with Spike replayed for the hundredth time in her head.

Rainbow Dash held the mail against her chest, a tail flip shutting the mailbox before she took to the sky again, lazily circling upward until her hooves found her doorstep. She trotted through her foyer and passed Scootaloo, who was reading through her Equestrian passage for the morning.

Passing into the kitchen, she flipped the mail onto the counter, the envelopes spilling over themselves more so than she intended.

She rolled her eyes at herself, moving a hoof to gather up the scattered paper. A familiar name flashed across her vision, and she looked back in surprise.

The blood drained from her face as she recognized her own mouth writing.

Foggy Day’s name stared back up at her, the address of the agency spelt out below it, exactly as she had sent it over a month ago.

Her heart nearly stopped as her gaze finally processed the thick, ugly red ink stamped over it.

RETURN TO SENDER

Rainbow Dash felt as if she couldn’t breathe, her heart thundering in her ears. She set upon the scattered letters, easily finding two more letters identical to the first, all with the same awful red smashed across their fronts.

RETURN TO SENDER

The flabbergasted mare could only stare in shock at the letters lying before her, her mind working a million miles an hour and cranking out possibility after possibility for why they were sitting in front of her right now, why they weren’t with Foggy.

A call from Scootaloo jerked her back into the present, and she gasped, her heart thundering in her ears. She looked down at the letters, dragging herself away as their continued presence shocked her down to her very core.

One thought and one thought only cycled on repeat inside her head, even as she gave Scootaloo her worksheet, even as she numbly took the letters in her hooves, even as she ran them upstairs and placed them gingerly in an empty shoebox:

She…never even read them…

Rainbow Dash grinned as Scootaloo passed her yet another finished Hearts and Hooves Day card, asking her to address it to Apple Bloom as she tapped out her message slowly enough to let Rainbow Dash write it out at the same time.

Happy Hearts and Hooves Day to my best friend!

Thank you for accepting me so quickly!

I can’t wait to see all the adventures we’ll go on next!

Love,

Rainbow stopped writing here, giving the card back to Scootaloo as the filly felt for the Braille stickers, peeling off a strip and letting Rainbow Dash guide her hooves to plant it right under the last line.

Scootaloo gave an airy little giggle as she gently ran her hoof over the sticker strip patterned with her name in Braille, giving a little squeal of excitement. It was the best way the two of them figured she could sign her name; and after a few letters from Twilight on their behalf, the same company that made the Braille books sent them a dozen sheets of stickers, various shades and colors all reading the same thing and providing Scootaloo a way to put her own name down to whatever Rainbow helped her write.

The mare set the hoof-made card aside next to an identical card, this one addressed to Sweetie Belle, the message exactly the same as Apple Bloom’s as Scootaloo thanked the two fillies for loving her without fail. Scootaloo had done her best to show her appreciation for the two, the heart-shaped cards covered in glitter and bordered with lace, Scootaloo’s attempts at hoof-painted smiley faces and hearts leaving colorful splotches on both the paper and her hooves. Though, Rainbow had to admit, there was a certain charm to the spots of color across the otherwise red paper.

Chuckling at the small mess that had been made for just two cards, Rainbow Dash asked Scootaloo, “Is there anypony else you wanna make a card for?”

Scootaloo paused, absentmindedly tapping her hooves on the coffee table as she swayed in thought. After a moment, she nodded happily, her hoof sliding to her left and snagging a sheet from the small stack of red paper. “Can you cut this into a big heart, please?”

Grinning, Rainbow folded the paper in half widthwise. “Sure thing, squirt!”

As she cut, her head turned at a knock on the door. She hummed quizzically to herself before finishing the point and giving the unfolded heart back to Scootaloo, letting her know she’d be right back and where her needed supplies were on the sticky, glitter-covered table. She trotted into the foyer in time to hear a second series of knocks before she made it to the door and opened it.

A gray pegasus mare with neon green mane greeted Rainbow Dash with a bright smile and a clipboard cradled in her foreleg.

“Hello, Miss…” her golden eyes fell to the clipboard, “Rainbow Dash?”

“Yes?” Rainbow answered, a small quiver of nervousness flashing through her.

The mare smiled. “Good morning, Miss Dash. My name is Stormy Skies, I’m from the Baltimare Adoption Agency and I’m here for the mid-year check-in.”

Rainbow couldn’t stop her heart from skipping a beat. “Wh-what? I didn’t know you were coming.”

Stormy’s smile gained a small layer of practiced sympathy. “I know, Miss Dash. That is actually our standard protocol. We do not inform guardians when the first few check-ins will be. This is to ensure both an organic interaction with the families; and is a precautionary measure to protect foals.”

Rainbow’s head tilted to the side. “How do you mean?”

The gray pegasus shifted her clipboard. “I am not at liberty to go into details; but before the reformation of the system, ingenuine foster and adoptive parents were getting away with multiple counts of foal abuse. The new accountability protocols require us to not inform foster and adoptive parents of check-in dates and times to ensure they cannot hide anything.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened at the drop of information, the very thought of what potentially happened prior to said reformation making her stomach churn. She swallowed a wave of secondhand disgusted nausea and nodded. “Yeah…yeah, that makes sense. Come on in.”

Stepping into the foyer, Stormy Skies looked around the grand entrance to the house, her eyes landing on a little playhouse in the far right corner. She chuckled to herself, making a little note on her papers.

The cyan guardian chuckled sheepishly. “Yeah, that’s Scootaloo’s Hearth’s Warming present from my parents. I wasn’t sure how she’d like it at first, but she likes to take some pillows and a blanket in there every once in a while and just read or take a nap or play with her toys. We put it in her room just to see what it was like, but she can’t get around easily with it in there, so we leave it down here.” She chuckled to herself. “She likes to call it her Hideaway.”

“It’s lovely,” Stormy commented with a little giggle, taking a quizzical step toward the bright pink house. “Do you mind if I…?”

“No, go ahead,” Rainbow shrugged, gesturing to it.

Stormy Skies approached the little house, nothing more than a box of thick plastic walls a meter wide by a meter deep, yet contained a foal-sized door and some closable windows.

She peeked inside, spying a string of fairy lights lining the downward creases of the ceiling inside the house, the button to operate them hanging right inside the door. She glanced down at her clipboard, frowning in interested confusion. “Does she need the lights? My notes here say she has total blindness.”

Rainbow Dash perked up, smiling. “Oh! That’s mostly for me. I ask Scoots to turn them on when she’s in there so I know whether she’s in there or in her room so she doesn’t have to tell me all the time. Plus, it makes for a pretty cute picture when she falls asleep reading.”

The agent smiled at the mental image, making a note on her sheets. “Okay. And where is Scootaloo now?”

“She’s in the living room,” Rainbow informed as she led the mare to her filly. “It’s, uh…kinda a mess right now. She’s working on her Hearts and Hooves Day cards for her friends.”

Stormy giggled. “That’s perfectly alright. We don’t expect houses to be immaculate at all times, just controlled enough so they’re not a problem for the foal.”

Rainbow Dash felt a tension she didn’t know she was holding leave her shoulders, an easy smile finding her face with a chuckle as they entered the living room. “Yeah, makes se—oh my gosh!”

She rushed over to Scootaloo, the filly aggressively shaking a glitter bottle over head, only half of which was getting on the card. The rest dusted her mane and coat in sparkles of red and pink, partly piling in her lap.

Rainbow Dash gently took her fetlock, ceasing the violent shaking that threatened to turn the filly into a living Hearts and Hooves Day card. “Ah, Scoots…” Rainbow shielded the filly’s eyes as she chased her hoof through the purple mane, trying to shake out as much of the glitter as possible before running her hoof along Scootaloo’s forelegs, the pink and red sparkly snow dusting the cloud floor between them.

By the time she deemed herself as done as she could be, she looked down at herself, her mouth twitching in mild annoyance when she found herself almost as covered as Scootaloo. Thinking herself appearing highly unprofessional to the social worker, she sheepishly met her wide, amused golden eyes.

“Uh…” Rainbow gulped, “I’m sorry, this doesn’t normally—“

Scootaloo sneezed, unintentionally interrupting her as glitter puffed up around the little filly, slowly settling back down. A foalish grin crept up the filly’s face, the littlest pegasus in the room erupting in a fit of giggles.

Rainbow’s ear flicked, her eyes jumping to Stormy, who hid a giggle of her own behind her fetlock. Shrugging, the visiting social worker said, “Well, can’t have some family fun without a mishap or two.” She smiled brightly, speaking aloud as she wrote, “Mishap occurred at fault of visit, guardian responded accordingly, appropriately, and effectively.”

The words admittedly lifted a weight from Rainbow’s heart, the relief manifesting in a little half-smile as her shoulders relaxed.

Stormy Skies chuckled to herself. “I’ll let you two finish up down here while I go through the house.”

“Okay,” Rainbow smiled. “What else will we need to do?”

The social worker smiled kindly. “We’ll get to that in a moment, Miss Dash. One thing at a time, I’ll be right back down.”

Rainbow Dash managed a small smile as Stormy Skies headed for the stairs, giving her attention back to Scootaloo. “Somepony from the agency in Baltimare’s here to check on us.”

The little filly perked up, unable to hide a small flash of nervousness. “Is it somepony we know?”

“No,” Rainbow Dash replied. “She’s gone upstairs right now, so we can finish this Hearts and Hooves Day card before we have to do whatever else she needs us to.”

Scootaloo breathed a little sigh. “Okay.” She squirmed into Rainbow’s lap as the guardian picked up a pen, waiting to be told what to write on the massive Hearts and Hooves Day card.

Steeling herself, Scootaloo finally began:

I think about you every day,

Even though we are away.

I hope we can meet again,

I don’t want the part of my life that’s you to end.

I hope you’re happy, wherever you are,

Because, to me, you’re never far.

You taught me, cared for me, and gave me a home,

Scootaloo stopped here, her little hoof and body freezing as she thought over her words. Finally, a blush crept up her face, and she shrunk in on herself a bit as she continued:

I hope one day I, too, can be part of your own.

Happy Hearts and Hooves Day,

And thank you.

Scootaloo once again paused, her blush deepening as she hid her face in Rainbow’s cannon bone, finally finishing:

Thank you for being my first everything.

I love you.

Rainbow’s eyes released their welling tears, having known who the card was for the moment Scootaloo finished the first line. She cleared her throat, passing the note to Scootaloo and helping the filly stick her name onto the card. “When’d you get so good at writing poetry, squirt? You even got it to rhyme!”

The filly giggled sheepishly, pressing down her Braille name before responding. “I’ve been reading that book you got me! I don’t know much about rhyming, but from what Foggy told me, and from what I’ve read, I noticed ‘rhyming words’ have a lot of similar letters, so I guessed!”

Rainbow couldn’t stop the grin that suddenly split her face. “Well, you did awesome, Scoot!” She hugged her little sister tight, kissing her temple and tickling her side.

Stormy Skies chuckled at the distant, affectionate squeal coming from the little filly downstairs as she opened the door to Scootaloo’s room.

She nodded approvingly at the made bed and the lack of clutter on the floor, making a note on her clipboard. Tucking the pen behind her ear, she made her way around the room, smiling at the overall care that went into the room’s upkeep, stopping when she got to a floor-to-ceiling shelf.

The bottommost shelf was lined with Braille books that ended about three-quarters of the way across, the ending book tilted to keep them all from toppling over. The second shelf, however, made her stop and stare.

A line of clay figures stared back at her, the exquisite detail put into each of them something to be envied. A unicorn mare she didn’t recognize headed the group as it stood at attention on the left, a pegasus that was clearly Rainbow Dash standing next to her.

Lined up in a row were five other mares Stormy vaguely recognized from the newspapers, the other Bearers of the Elements of Harmony and Rainbow’s friends. Next to two of them stood the figures of a couple fillies: one, a unicorn filly, standing next to the unicorn with thick eyelashes and perfectly-curled mane; and the other, an earth pony filly wearing a large bow, standing next to the earth pony with a stetson.

The final figures in the line were two pegasi, a mare and a stallion, that Stormy also didn’t recognize, yet was able to infer were Rainbow’s parents, if the shape of the mare’s face and the spacing of the stallion’s eyes was anything to go by.

Giving a low, impressed whistle, Stormy Skies made a note on her clipboard:

Foal shows clear signs of intellectual and creative enrichment.

With a click of the pen on her chin, she tucked it into her ear with a smile and trotted off to see the bathroom across the hall.

Two mares landed side-by-side right beside the clubhouse, two little fillies running up to meet the one carrying their best friend, greeting her excitedly and helping her down from her guardian’s back.

With a grin, Scootaloo reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the two Hearts and Hooves Day cards, presenting them to her best friends.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ‘aww’ed as they took the cards, only to blink upon realizing they were addressed to each other. Giving giggles, they exchanged the mismatched cards and read them, simultaneously meeting Scootaloo in a big hug before they gave her the same, each filly tapping out what they wrote only for Scootaloo to coo appreciatively and hug her friends in return.

Stormy watched the cute exchange with a big smile on her face, recognizing the two fillies from the line of figures in Scootaloo’s room. “You two are very lovely.”

The stranger’s voice stopped the two in their tracks, and they looked up at the new mare in confusion before they looked to Rainbow Dash for an explanation.

Said mare chuckled as she stepped forward. “Girls, this is Stormy Skies. Stormy, these are Scootaloo’s friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.” After a shy exchange of hellos, Rainbow explained, “Stormy here is from the agency I adopted Scootaloo from. She’s here for the six-month evaluation.”

Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s faces suddenly pinched in an odd territorial worry. “You’re not going to take Scootaloo away, are you?” Sweetie Belle questioned cautiously.

The mare smiled kindly. “Only if I need to.”

Rainbow Dash returned the smile, understanding the mare’s implications at once. The fillies, however…

Their eyes narrowed, and Apple Bloom nearly growled, “Well, ya don’t ‘need to’, so I reckon ya can leave now!”

Without another word, the two returned their attention to Scootaloo, the three tactiley chatting as if two-thirds of the group hadn’t made a passive-aggressive threat to the social worker, two leading the one into their clubhouse.

Mortified, Rainbow Dash stammered to the slack-jawed mare. “I’m so sorry about them. They…” she bit her lip, glancing at the trio of fillies as the door closed behind them. “They’re…pretty protective of her.”

The social worker blinked, snapping out of the stupor the absurdity of the situation had put her into. She hesitated as she watched the door, a trio of giggles emanating into the open air, then gave a small smile to Rainbow Dash. “Good.” With a small chuckle, she made a note on her clipboard, grinning good-naturedly. “Well, I can officially say she has a very good support system with others her age.” She trailed, reading through whatever else she needed to determine. “Am I correct in assuming your own support system has not changed?”

“Um…” Rainbow Dash thought for a moment. “My parents are involved now, and it was a little strained at first, but we’re good now. They love Scootaloo as much as I do.”

Concern creased Stormy’s brow. “‘Strained’ how?”

Rainbow blinked, eyes lighting up as she realized how what she said must have sounded. “Oh! Uh, they were just…surprised to see her, is all. It’s my own fault, really. They weren’t involved with the adoption—they actually didn’t even know I was adopting a foal, so the thing just…kinda…” She glanced up at Stormy’s curiously raised eyebrow. “But once they met her, they fell in love with her, so…they’re really supportive now. They came to see her on Hearth’s Warming and our birthday, and they’re all over her when they come.”

Stormy’s mild concern evened out to quiet understanding, and she offered a little nod. “I see.” She scrawled a quick note on her clipboard. “As long as they support her, that’s all that matters.”

The cyan mare couldn’t help her little chuckle as her previous tension dissolved. “Oh yeah, no question about that!”

Smiling, Stormy pulled a strand of her mane out of her face as she looked over her clipboard, flipping a page, and nodding to herself. “Alright, I believe that’s everything.”

“You don’t need to meet my friends?”

“It’s not entirely necessary,” Stormy explained, “since Scootaloo appears to be in perfect health and happiness, not to mention we would probably be here all day trying to track down five other mares, hm?”

Rainbow Dash paused, trying to remember her friends’ schedules. “Heh, yeah, that’s true.”

Stormy smiled. “It’s an expected flaw with the lack of notice to the scheduling. Not all times will work out for all parties; but, again, it’s an accepted flaw in favor of keeping the foals safe.”

Rainbow nodded her agreement. “I’m really glad you guys have a system like that, actually. Who thought of it?”

A little chuckle rose from Stormy. “You probably haven’t met him, he’s like, the top stallion in the Agency. His name’s Sage Note.”

A shock ran up Rainbow’s spine. “W-wait, what?! That was Scootaloo’s agent!”

“Hm?” Stormy looked up at Rainbow Dash, a second passing before the information sank into place, and her eyes lit up. “No way! This is the legendary case?!”

Now it was Rainbow’s turn to be confused. “Uh…what? Legendary?”

Stormy nodded, a sudden excitement sparking in her eyes. “Yeah! This is the one case Sage Note handled personally! And apparently the mare he placed her with was his most trusted subordinate!”

Crimson eyes widened as question after question flew through Rainbow’s head. “Wait, wait, slow down a second! Why did he take Scootaloo personally? And…wait…” Stormy’s words flit through her head, latching on to a crucial word as panic gripped her heart. “Was?! What do you mean ‘was’?! What happened to Foggy?!”

Golden eyes mirrored Rainbow’s for a moment, shocked at the sudden frantic look on the mare’s face. “You didn’t know?”

Rainbow Dash could only shake her head, her pulse beating against her eardrums as she began to feel dread creep its way up her neck.

Stormy Skies shuffled slightly. “Foggy Day left the agency. Officially, she took an early retirement; but the rumor is she quit.”

Rainbow felt the air filling her lungs begin to thin. “Wh-what? She…she said she wanted a change of pace, I didn’t know that meant she was gonna quit!”

Stormy’s eyes widened, Rainbow practically unintentionally confirming the rumor, though she decided to keep quiet about it. She was pulled back from her thoughts as Rainbow’s face fell, and the cyan mare mumbled, “That’s why…she…wasn’t even getting them…”

Green mane tilted as Stormy made a second realization: it had been Rainbow Dash sending those letters. She couldn’t help a blush of guilt, remembering bringing up the letters to Sage Note, only for him to sigh and finally request she send them back to where they came from.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Rainbow Dash, the cyan pegasus shaking her head to clear her own thoughts. Her emotions a bit subdued, she looked back up to Stormy and asked again, “Why did Sage Note take her case personally?”

Stormy blinked. “I figured I’d be asking you that question.” She lets out a sigh through her nose. “None of us know any details, but apparently something really bad happened the night she was born. According to the ponies who were around then, Sage Note was seething for over a week until she was released from the hospital. Apparently that was the last time Foggy Day stepped hoof into the agency headquarters until the case closed.”

Rainbow’s hooves began to tremble, the mare swaying a bit at the sudden information dump. She sat down to steady herself. “W-why wasn’t I…what happened? Was Scootaloo in danger or something?” Her blood ran cold, her mind working a million miles an hour. “Is she in danger now?!”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Stormy assured her, instantly by her side and stroking a hoof along her shoulder. “If it was important for you to know, you would have been told. The fact that you weren’t just means it’s no longer necessary information, which means it’s no longer a danger to the foal, okay? Scootaloo’s perfectly safe, happy, and healthy. She was probably in the hospital because of her prematurity, right?”

Rainbow Dash sucked in a deep breath, practically forcing herself to nod. “Yeah…yeah, okay. It…might’ve been bad then, but…Foggy would’ve told me if it was still bad…right?”

Stormy offered the distraught mare an encouraging nod. “Exactly. By law, we have to inform you of any dangers to the foal. Whatever it was that happened that night, you weren’t told because it’s not a danger. At least, not anymore.”

The cyan mare’s breath shook as she drew in another breath. “Okay, yeah…yeah, you’re right.” She rubbed the spot between her eyes. “Sorry, I’ve just…I’ve been really stressed out since I got those letters returned from Foggy. I didn’t even know she wasn’t getting them.” The tiniest spark of hope shone in her eyes as she looked back up at Stormy. “Do you at least know where she is? Have you seen her?”

The gray mare sadly shook her head. “I’m afraid I haven’t. I was hired after she left, and the only pony who would possibly know is Sage Note himself.”

Rainbow’s face followed her eyes, her expression drooping and her hooves tingling with the phantom swipes of darkness she tried to pull Foggy from, a lump rising in her throat as she found herself fearing the unicorn was gone for good. After a moment, she gathered herself up again.

“Thanks for letting me know why she didn’t get the letters,” she smiled, before she nodded to the clipboard. “How’d I do?”

Stormy’s sympathetic smile turned to a more genuine grin. “You are every bit as suitable as you were when you first adopted her.” She placed a caring hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “You are a wonderful guardian and a loving mother to Scootaloo.”

Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat as the mare offered a smile to Stormy, unwilling to go into detail about their…admittedly odd family dynamic, a small piece of herself hoping beyond hope that what she desired was still possible. “Thank you, Stormy.”

The mare in question smiled, giving her an encouraging nod. “I’ll try to get assigned your case for the next inspection, and I’ll let you know if I find anything out, okay?”

The cyan pegasus gave her a grateful smile, thankful she has at least one ally inside the agency. “Okay.”

With a final smile and curt little nod, Stormy took to the air, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with her thoughts and an impending sense of dread.

Author's Note

“Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”
- Luke 15:3-4; NIV

‬‬
Sorry it took so long for this one, guys! Next chapter shouldn’t take so long. If you would like to know what was up with me, please find my most recent blog post!:twilightsmile:

So, what do you guys think so far? Where’s Foggy? What happened? Why all the secrecy? Let me know what you think in the comments!

I would also like to give a shoutout to Queertrixie for this wonderful fanart from Chapter 9!

Go show her some love, guys!:heart:

Next chapter will possibly be a bit longer, as I’m combining what I previously planned to be two chapter’s worth of material into one chapter. This is where the ‘highly anthological’ part of this section of story will really show, just as a heads-up.

Can’t wait to see you guys again!:scootangel: Stay tuned!

Chapter 14: Springtime Downtime

Twilight smiled politely as she scrawled down yet another sentence, finishing her third page of notes since beginning the interview.

As the earth pony in question finished their answer, she nodded. “That’s great to hear! And how about way of life before and after? Did you experience any major changes?”

The elderly pony nodded his head side to side. “It took some getting used to, but the doctor’s did a wonderful job. Once I figured it all out again, it was like nothing ever happened. Now, things aren’t immaculate, of course; but…well, it’s like wearing a pair of sunglasses. Some tints may be a bit different, the ground may look closer or further away than you remember it, but you can still see, you know?”

The studious mare nodded in understanding, jotting down the gist of the analogy. “Of course! Thank you, that was an excellent way of putting it. If you don’t mind, I have one last question.”

The stallion smiled kindly at Twilight. “I don’t mind at all, go ahead.”

Giving him a small smile, Twilight picked his brain. “What would you argue to try and attempt to convince somepony to consider it?”

Rainbow Dash awoke from a shallow sleep to the sound of little hooves pounding across the cloud. Her eyes opened in time to see Scootaloo desperately shoving open her bathroom door, bolting inside.

Her legs kicked in automatically as she heard, for the third time that night, the filly losing her dinner.

Tugging her comforter around her, she rubbed her exhausted eyes as she rose up from the hallway floor, rushing in after Scootaloo and flipping on the light.

She breathed a sigh of relief, thanking her lucky stars that Scootaloo had actually made it this time.

The filly clung to the toilet, gagging as she spilled her guts into the bowl. Another heave ended with a cough as Rainbow Dash rubbed a hoof between Scootaloo’s wings, the filly so caught up in her sickness to even have an initial reaction to her guardian’s presence.

Scootaloo gave a pitiful moan, pained tears dripping down her cheeks. Spitting, she shakily took Rainbow’s hoof.

“I’m sorry,” she tapped, hugging a foreleg to her aching stomach.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Rainbow answered at once, pressing a hoof to Scootaloo’s forehead, mentally gauging her temperature. Still feverish, but not any worse. “You’re sick. You can’t help that.”

Scootaloo nodded weakly, too tired to make some kind of counter-argument.

Rainbow Dash waited a moment, looking at the filly’s face for any kind of signal to being sick again. “Are you done?”

The filly blinked sleepily, giving a nod. “I feel a little better now,” she slowly tapped on Rainbow’s fetlock.

“Good,” Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief. “That should mean this won’t happen anymore tonight.”

Scootaloo hummed her own relieved sigh, offering a small smile to Rainbow Dash. The mare helped her filly up, guiding her to the sink and helping her clear her mouth of any remaining foul taste.

She scooped up the feverish filly, holding her close and carrying her into her room. As she was about to lay Scootaloo back down, the filly grabbed her hoof.

“Can you stay with me?” she asked.

Rainbow Dash paused, glancing down at the bed that was too small for her. “You wanna go to my room?” she offered.

Scootaloo hesitated, clutching Rainbow Dash’s hoof. “Can…can you…hold me?”

The mare blinked as the filly broke out in a blush that had nothing to do with her fever. Rainbow breathed a sigh through her nose, a little smile finding her face. “Sure, kiddo.”

Her mind presented her with all the mental notes she had taken nearly eight months ago as she settled down, leaning against Scootaloo’s bed. She adjusted the filly, gently pulling her head into her chest and passing a hoof through her mane as she began to lightly rock her.

At once, Scootaloo relaxed in her hold, giving a content hum as she nuzzled her hot face into Rainbow’s chest fur, easily falling into a peaceful sleep.

Rainbow Dash gazed down at the precious thing in her forelegs, her heavy heart lightening at the promise of her sickness slowly but surely easing up.

A stomach bug had been going around the school. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, not yet knowing they had it, had unintentionally given it to Scootaloo.

Scootaloo was currently the only one still sick with it.

What had lasted only a couple days for her friends had stretched on for nearly a week for the little pegasus. Worried sick herself, Rainbow Dash had run to Twilight for help. After gathering as much information as she could from the frantic pegasus, and some research on the unicorn’s part, Twilight was able to find an answer for Rainbow Dash.

Her friend’s words played through like they had a million times already, and Rainbow Dash highlighted for the millionth time the mental note to get Scootaloo started on some multivitamins.

‘You said Scootaloo was born premature, correct?’ Twilight had asked.

‘Yeah, why?’

Twilight had breathed a small sigh. ‘According to a scientific reference I found, sometimes foals born prematurely have a harder time fighting illnesses due to a weakened immune system. This tends to wear off more and more as they grow up, but occasionally there will be times where fighting off an infection is a little harder if it is an illness they have never faced before, or if it is a more aggressive strain.’

‘So…she’ll be okay?’

‘She’ll be fine,’ Twilight had smiled. ‘It’ll just take a little longer than normal for it to get out of her system.’

Rainbow Dash let out another sigh, remembering how she’d relayed the news to Scootaloo, who at the time had asked if she was dying. Such a question, of course, had only made Rainbow Dash even more worried; but with the worst of it finally over, she couldn’t help but relax as she held her filly close.

Her shoulders releasing their remaining tension, she tightened her hold on Scootaloo, laying her head upon the filly’s mattress and continuing her slowing ministrations.

The hoof she held in the purple mane finally crept to a stop as her consciousness slipped away into peaceful dreams.

Cyan hooves secured the knot in front of her chest, adjusting the quilt as it lay over her right shoulder and tucked under her left foreleg, ensuring her team jacket was still visible underneath the body-wide wrap.

Though it had been two weeks since Scootaloo recovered from her illness, Rainbow Dash wasn’t taking any chances. Going so far as to hoof over leadership of the flight team to Raindrops, she intended on staying in town and keeping Scootaloo on her at all times, not allowing any chance for the filly to get sick again as the weather changed from freezing winter to warming spring. She’d even requested to be taken off the bird migration list, something she’d intended on doing with Scootaloo now soured and silenced because of her worries.

The filly in the quilt bundle shifted on her back, Rainbow Dash reaching up to the little hoof on her neck. “Let me know when you start getting too warm, okay? The weather’s gonna be changing pretty quick today, andI don’t want you getting too hot, okay?”

A little face nodded into her withers. “Okay.”

Rainbow Dash gave a little nod, shouldering Scootaloo into a more comfortable position onto her back before stepping out her door and taking flight, gliding down to town square.

Inside the pocket of warmth on her guardian’s back, Scootaloo waited patiently, having already accepted today would be a pretty boring day for herself. Yet, she couldn’t really argue with Rainbow Dash, either. She really didn’t want to get sick again anytime soon.

It had only taken two days for her to fully regain her appetite and feel like herself again after that last night, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t terrified of that happening again. She readily accepted the gummy vitamins Rainbow Dash gave her, though her imagination was a bit disappointed when she wasn’t immediately super strong like some of the foalish books Foggy had read to her about being healthy had said.

A gust of chilly wind stung her face, and she gripped her little cocoon closed, feeling Rainbow’s back muscles working with every stroke of her wings, making a game out of guessing when her sister would speed up and when she would slow down.

Rainbow Dash frowned to herself, wishing Scootaloo could spend the day helping and playing with her friends, having already vowed to herself a thousand times over to try and make it up to Scootaloo when all was said and done.

Even so, Scootaloo hadn’t complained once, even as the morning came well under way, one hour turning to three of monotonous cloud-clearing and roof shoveling.

By the time lunch rolled around, the sky was partly cloudy, the lake was well on its way to melting, and most of the animals were awake. Rainbow herself no longer shivered against the occasional breeze, and Scootaloo was beginning to shimmy out of the bundle more and more.

After a confirmation from Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash stopped by the Cloudominium to drop off the blanket, both of them beginning to feel hot with it; and with the warmer weather, Rainbow Dash felt far more comfortable with allowing Scootaloo to leave her side. Spying two familiar fillies next to Rarity, Rainbow smiled as she lighted upon the grass and brought her charge over to the nest-making table.

“Hey, Rare!”

“Oh, hello, Rainbow Dash, darling,” Rarity greeted, setting aside yet another completed basket. “What can I do for you?”

Rainbow grinned as she helped Scootaloo down. “Would you mind letting Scoots work with you for a bit while we finish some things up? It’s starting to get a bit hot in the upper atmosphere, and I’ve been carrying her around all day.”

A light giggle trotted from Rarity’s mouth. “Oh, absolutely, darling, without a question!” She gestured to the seat beside her. “Sit her right by me, I’ll walk her through everything.”

“Thanks, Rarity, you’re the best.” Rainbow did as she was told, settling Scootaloo right beside Rarity as the unicorn traced her name sign and Rainbow Dash explained what was going on. With an interested little coo, and confirmation from Scootaloo that she’d be fine, Rainbow took off to wrap up winter.

Rarity unpacked a nest kit and set all the parts in front of Scootaloo, trying to space out each piece so as not to confuse the poor dear while also keeping them well within reach. With a self-satisfied nod, she took Scootaloo’s hooves and placed them on the first twig. “I laid out all the necessary supplies for you. Go ahead and have a feel.”

Scootaloo hummed curiously, running her hooves along the table and feeling the prickle of twigs and the brush of twine, mentally placing and tallying up all she had to work with.

A hoof brushed her own, Rarity’s delicate touch saying, “Here’s my nest as a reference.” No sooner than it was tapped was Scootaloo’s hoof gently taken and placed upon a rough wall of twigs. Her other hoof joined it, the two sensitive appendages carefully feeling the way the nest bent and curved into a perfect circular bowl. Within a couple moments, she nodded to herself as she figured out the ways in which the twigs intertwined with each other, with the occasional differently-textured material that was definitely not a stick.

Her throat vibrated in a hum as she felt the odd fabric, feeling three different distinctions between the strips: bumpy, skinny smooth, and wide smooth. “What are these?” she asked Rarity’s hoof.

“Those are some ribbons for the nest, darling,” the mare answered. Scootaloo’s hoof was taken and run along the three ribbon textures. “This one’s red, this one’s blue, and this one’s yellow,” Rarity’s hoof explained as the filly’s hoof was guided along the bumpy, skinny smooth, and wide smooth textures, respectively. “Feel free to arrange those within the nest as you see fit, it doesn't matter what order. I picked spring-like colors for these.”

Scootaloo hummed in interest, nodding her head and finding her own sets of bumpy red, skinny smooth blue, and wide smooth yellow ribbon. A little giggle bounced from her throat. She had no idea textures could be related to seasons! Or that they had cool names like red and blue!

Her mental hoof went wild as she began picking up piece after piece, gently bending and weaving the sticks together, using her ‘red’ ribbon to hold them together. ‘Red must be because they’re bumpy! Red’s a short word, just like the bumps! And ‘L’ is a flat letter*, so that must have something to do with the smoothness of it. And since yellow has two ‘L’s, that means it’s bigger and smooth!” She giggled. “And it’s just warm enough to make you smile, so it’ll make the birds happy and warm!”

Rarity watched on in proud delight as the little filly almost expertly incorporated the ribbons, giving a beautiful pattern that also left the avian habitat one of the most structurally-sound nests she’d ever seen, Scootaloo giggling to herself as she seemed to quite enjoy herself. After several long moments, Scootaloo tucked in the final piece of ribbon and presented her work to Rarity, smiling brightly. The white unicorn gave her a gentle hug. “That’s wonderful, darling! You’re a natural!”

With a self-celebratory clap, Scootaloo asked for another kit, happily making nests with Rarity for the rest of the afternoon and enjoying different combinations of red, blue, and yellow she could make.

Three little fillies trekked through a dark wood, two of them mildly troubled by the observation as sight became more obscured by the dark shadows of the trees on top of the already-deep-set darkness of night.

But they had a mission, and they weren’t about to back down because of a little darkness.

Two fillies guided their friend over a twisting root, the little pegasus smiling gratefully and giving a little hum. Their ears flicked as they heard the shuffling of her feathers under her cape, the three of them wearing identical articles of clothing that marked them as members of theirclub. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle smiled at each other as they heard Scootaloo’s feathers fwip along the golden silk, their friend having told them she liked the way it felt on her feathers when they asked if she wanted wing holes.

A rustling in the brush caught their attention, and they stopped, halting their friend in the process as they looked, seeing the chicken head pop out of the bush.

Scootaloo giggled to herself as she felt the smooth silk for probably the hundredth time with her feathers, her friends stopping her as she felt their subtle movements, assuming they were looking around. She gasped as Apple Bloom collided into her, sending her into Sweetie Belle, the three fillies tripping over each other’s hooves and hitting the ground.

Before she could even ask what was going on, Scootaloo was yanked up, her friends pulling her along in a sudden gallop. Fear instantly established itself in her chest, unable and unwilling to stop and ask her friends what was wrong.

So fast they went, that they were unable to stop themselves when they eventually tripped over each other’s hooves, tumbling over each other before finally coming to a stop.

Desperately, Scootaloo grabbed the first foreleg that brushed against her. “What’s going on?!”

“It’s a Cockatrice!” the answering hoof trembled.

With a throat-jump of shock, Scootaloo was pulled up by her friends, the fillies pressing against each other and the two hearing fillies jolting at everything that moved, three little minds racing to find a way out.

Scootaloo gasped as a thought galloped through her mind, and she whirled around, grabbing her two friends and turning them to face her. She took a hoof from both, tapping simultaneously on their fetlocks, “You’re not supposed to look at it, right?”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a glance. “Right,” Sweetie Belle answered on Scootaloo’s shoulder.

“Why?” Apple Bloom added.

Their best friend hesitated. “I think I might be immune to it.”

A moment of confused thought passed before two pairs of eyes widened, the other fillies coming to the same conclusion. Scootaloo took their pause as an affirmative answer, and quickly tapped, “Point me in the direction we came from. Then get behind me and close your eyes. Hold onto my cape and don’t let go.”

Spurred into action, the two fillies did what they were asked. They twisted Scootaloo around, lining up her hooves with the path. A squawk, and they squealed, shielding their eyes as a flutter of feathers rustled past. Terrified, they clung to the cape of their equally trembling friend, the motion signaling her to begin walking.

Scootaloo carefully shuffed her hooves forward, skidding the dirt underneath them as she slowly led her friends away from the area. Every few seconds, she felt them press tighter into her, the Cockatrice apparently making a close pass at them. This only compelled her faster, and she hesitantly threw a bit of the caution she had built up over a lifetime out the window as she took quicker steps, just trying to get somewhere safe as fast as possible.

She only hesitated a bit when she found grass, reassuring herself that she had felt grass before she felt dirt when they had first set out. Swallowing her nervousness, she led on, her friend’s faces pressed into her withers.

The more steps she took, the easier she fell into her usual rhythm, the more confident she felt in her ability to get her and her friends out of the terrifying situation they had gotten themselves into.

Breathing became a bit easier for the guiding filly, knowing they had to be close to the cottage. Just as she was beginning to estimate a wall of shrubbery, her hoof touched down on something hard and rough, bringing her trek to a halt. Her throat moved in a little shout of surprise, nearly falling over whatever it was she stepped on.

And yet…something about it was familiar.

“Are you okay?” asked one hoof. “What is it?” asked the other.

Instead of answering, Scootaloo’s hooves went back to the suddenly-appeared tripping hazard, feeling the round, stoney object, the curves and edges of which resembled…

A face.

With a lump in her throat, and a sudden trembling in her hooves, Scootaloo’s hoof found the straight edge of a set of bangs, where a horn poked out from the center of the forehead, solidifying the identity of the pony whose face was stretched with a shock-induced, dropped jaw.

Scootaloo leapt back from the petrified Twilight, her throat opening in a scream.

She would have no idea that her scream, coupled with her friends’ once they dared open their eyes to see for themselves the reason for their friend’s shock, would be what would lead Fluttershy to their location.

Once the Cockatrice was dealt with, and Twilight’s safety confirmed to Scootaloo, the filly hardly left the unicorn’s side for an hour, both the restored mare and her friends reassuring her the monster was gone, her nerves finally settling enough to sleep by the time the sun began to peek over the horizon.

Scootaloo happily shook the mare’s hoof, feeling her sister’s hoof on her withers. “She said it’s nice to meet you, kiddo.”

The little filly giggled. “It’s nice to meet her, too!”

Rainbow Dash laughed, grinning at the mare who so graciously came around the table to meet the filly properly, and now let her little sister hold her hoof as the filly seemed to be curiously feeling the size and shape of her hoof. She chuckled, “She’s got the whole collection in Braille, she might be your smallest biggest fan.”

A.K. Yearling gave her own little giggle at the compliment. “Well I don’t doubt that for a second, kiddo.”

Scootaloo felt the shape of the A.K. Yearling’s hoof once again, her internal gears grinding as she felt an odd familiarity to them. With a curious vibration from her throat, she reached for Rainbow’s hoof. “Is it okay if I feel her face?”

“Uh…” Rainbow grinned sheepishly. “She wants to know if it’s okay if she feels your face. I’m sorry if that’s a strange question, but that’s how she sees what ponies look like. You can totally say no if that makes you uncomfortable.”

The cloaked author tilted her head with a little grin. “I don’t mind at all!”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help the surge of relief in her chest, the smile on her face showing her gratitude toward the mare as she guided Scootaloo’s hooves toward A.K. Yearling’s lowering face. The pegasus patiently waited for the tiny hooves to roam her face, Scootaloo giggling as she bumped the big glasses and used it as an anchor to find the rest of the features.

As she went, her smile slowly faded from excited joy to outright confusion. With an odd hum, her hooves lowered, her head tilting. She reached behind her. “Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah, squirt?”

Scootaloo jumped at the response that definitely came from behind her, still sensing the presence of the pony in front of her. Her mind tripped over itself as she reached back for her sister again. “Why does she look just like you?”

Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion, her own head tilting as she looked up at A.K. Yearling. With a nervous chuckle, she translated, “Uh…she said we look alike, but…I don’t see it.”

Now, A.K. Yearling joined the party of befuddlement. “Huh, never heard that one before.” She hummed to herself, looking down at her deaf-blind fan, chuckling, “Eh, who am I to argue? Maybe she feels something we can’t see.” The pegasus’s eyes shined as she grinned, obviously finding the situation amusing, despite the filly’s continued confusion.

Her eyes flicked to the long line behind her prismatic-maned fan, internally sighing to herself, honestly finding fan signings a touch tedious—especially compared to her real profession. With a little chuckle, she stands, the back of her mind continuing to map out the next book in the series. “Well, it was great meeting you two. Maybe I’ll catch you next time?”

“Oh, definitely!” Rainbow nodded as A.K. Yearling situated herself at the table once again. “Thanks again!”

The tan pegasus nodded kindly, giving her a lazy salute. “Not a problem. Catch ya on the next go-round!”

Rainbow grinned, helping Scootaloo on her back, the filly already planning out her next little clay figure.

The next day, Rainbow Dash pulled a fresh baking sheet from the oven, where a new figure, a hat, and a tiny pair of glasses rested upon the aluminum foil. She couldn’t help her proud little grin at Scootaloo’s speed and skill, the little filly apparently bound and determined to show off the figure and all its moving parts.

Once said figure and pieces were cool enough, Rainbow Dash plucked the still-warm figures up and gently carried them into the living room, where Scootaloo was waiting for her at the coffee table, the filly having brought down the little figure of Rainbow Dash as she waited for her guardian to finish baking the figures.

Setting them down, she gently took Scootaloo’s hooves and guided them to the pieces, the filly nodding in determination as she gently took them and put the ensemble together, showing off A.K. Yearling in all her author glory.

Rainbow grinned. “Great job, Scoots! It looks just like her!”

“Thanks!” Scootaloo replied, taking a moment to feel the finished product before she took Rainbow’s again. “Can you go get the little you off my shelf?”

“Sure.” Rainbow trotted off, hovering up the stairs and into Scootaloo’s room. Coming back with the figure, she found Scootaloo had dressed it in the hat and glasses, showing A.K. Yearling in all her glory. “Here you go, kiddo.”

“Thanks!” Scootaloo gratefully took the figure, setting it beside A.K. Yearling. She thought over what she wanted to try and say to Rainbow Dash, finally deciding on. “You two look a lot alike.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, eyeing the two figures stood next to each other, a frown tugging at her mouth when she couldn’t see it. “Really? You think so?”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah! Watch this!” Carefully, she removed A.K. Yearling’s hat and glasses, leaving a bareheaded and baremaned author before placing the items on Rainbow Dash, creating what her hooves thought was the perfect identical double of A.K. Yearling. With a little chuckle, she turned her face up to Rainbow Dash and gestured to the figures.

Rainbow’s brow scrunched in confusion, though she chuckled in amusement. “Well, gotta be honest, kiddo, I don’t see what you see, but there’s no way I can pull off that look like A.K. can!” She offered her little sister a chuckle, unaware of the filly’s internal fit as she questioned whether or not she was crazy.

Twilight flopped onto her bed, breathing a heavy sigh as she rolled over and propped her hooves on her chest, letting her eyes slip closed as she replayed the events of the day.

Her mind sifted through the observed operation, reminding herself of the surgeon’s words with every step.

The skin being cut away.

The grinding, grating sound against the skull.

The magical zoom-in to ensure chemical and electrical signals were firing properly.

Speaking to the patient afterward before they were discharged.

Twilight let out a breath, her eyes opening again as she stared up at the ceiling, giving barely-perceptible nods to herself as she mentally checked off every box on her list.

All but one.

Clenching her jaw in thought, she turned over onto her side, beginning the first of many debates in her mind as she tried to decide how to bring this up to her friend.

She needed an angle.

Author's Note

“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”
-‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:9‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Sorry for the long wait on this one, guys! Mental health took a plummet for a little bit, coupled with some IRL drama. I’m doing better now, should be more consistent in the next couple chapters.
They’re both already mostly written:raritywink:
This is really the only chapter that’ll be so anthological for a while, and mostly consists of a few scenes to illustrate the passing of time so the next couple chapters won’t be so jarring with their time frame. Can’t wait for you guys to read them!:pinkiehappy:

Shout out once again to my good friend! Thanks for the serotonin, buddy!:raritywink:

See you all soon!

*in reference to the EHS alphabet. I plan on making a chart for this soon, but basically, ‘L’ uses the leftmost part of the hoof, appearing and feeling flat.

Chapter 15: A Modest Proposal

Rainbow Dash gently glided up the stairs, a tuckered-out filly on her back humming softly as she nuzzled her big sister’s neck. An opened door, a smooth transfer, and the little pegasus was tucked away in bed, her cloudy eyes blinking sleepily in her big sister’s direction. Little hooves reached for her, and she obliged with a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead. Tucking her little sister into bed, Rainbow grinned to herself as she trotted upstairs to her room, checking off point after point of her mental checklist.

With a nod and a yawn, Rainbow Dash pulled her covers over her, settling down to sleep as her eyes found her calendar, tomorrow’s date circled many times over.

Augustus 11

Scootaloo awoke to the smell of hay bacon. A deep yawn filled her nose and mouth with the wonderful scent, and her throat moved in a giggle as she wiggled to the edge of her bed, carefully feeling for the edge before slipping her hooves over the edge and reaching for the floor. A little breath escaped her as she touched down on the cloud floor, taking a moment to tug her blanket back into place, bumping her nightstand before turning and counting her steps to the door.

She eased the door out of the way, finding both the door jamb and the line in the wall before extending her wing to follow it, stopping once she found the line indicating the stairs. Lowering her body a bit, Scootaloo reached for the next step down, finding it with a satisfied movement in her throat.

She almost didn’t need to think about the steps she took, counting them perfectly before finding the line at the bottom again, counting her steps to the living room, then again to the kitchen, the smell getting stronger and stronger as she went.

The determined little filly shuffled into the kitchen, heading straight for the oven. A few steps away, she put out her hoof in a sweeping motion until she collided with a leg. A grin split her features as she stepped up to the furry limb, nuzzling up against the mare as she passed, her throat jumping in pleasant surprise as her forehead found Rainbow’s wing.

Right when she would have found her foreleg, Scootaloo ducked down and under her big sister, Rainbow’s chest fur tickling her back before her head poked out from under Rainbow’s chest. She grinned up where her sister’s head should be, blowing out a call.

In response, she felt a familiar nose touch her own, sending her chest into a giggle even as she rubbed her nose against Rainbow’s.

“How’d you sleep, squirt?” asked Rainbow’s hoof on her forehead.

Her own hoof touched Rainbow’s fetlock. “Good! I had a dream that we went flying!”

She felt Rainbow’s chest bounce in a laugh. “Oh, yeah? Wanna make that dream a reality a little later?”

Scootaloo’s smile stretched, and she bounced in excitement. “Yeah!”

Rainbow’s lips planted a kiss on her forehead, making Scootaloo’s throat rise in delight. After a few moments, Scootaloo passing the time by reciting her favorite lines, Rainbow Dash ducked down and scooped her onto her back, Scootaloo finding her neck immediately and holding on as her guardian rose to a gentle hover, her movements turning, forward, and a little glide to the right before she turned again, her gentle hooves pulling Scootaloo off her back and setting her down before the filly’s hooves were guided to the table.

A knife was pressed into her hoof, Rainbow’s guiding touch helping Scootaloo outline what she guessed was a stack of pancakes based on their shape. She smiled upward, unsure where her big sister’s face was before she reached for the plate itself, the distance of the edge she found telling her the pancakes were at about ten o’clock, and a little exploration came back with her finding the hay bacon taking up the rest of the space.

With a happy little hum, she poked the edge of the pancakes with her fork, and dug in.

With breakfast made quick work of, Scootaloo scrubbed a napkin across her muzzle, Rainbow taking it to get the part she missed. Just like every day, Scootaloo reached for her sister and asked, “What are we gonna learn today?”

Instead of answering with a subject name, Rainbow’s hoof replied, “Actually, we’re gonna take a day off of school today.”

Scootaloo blinked, surprise and confusion shocking her. “Why?”

“Because,” Rainbow answered, “today we’re gonna celebrate.” Scootaloo raised her head where she believed Rainbow’s face was, tilting it in question. Rainbow elaborated, “Exactly one year ago today, I signed the papers to bring you home.”

A gasp shot down Scootaloo’s throat, a grin splitting her face. “Really?!”

“Yep!” Scootaloo felt Rainbow’s forehead touch her own, her guardian nuzzling her, and she returned it as her throat tightened in a joyful giggle. “Happy Gotcha Day, Scootaloo.”

“Happy Gotcha Day, Rainbow!” Scootaloo threw out her hooves, catching Rainbow’s head in a tight hug as she felt Rainbow smile between her eyes, her chuckling breath making her blink.

She felt Rainbow’s hooves wrap around her barrel, pulling her into a loving, warm hug, scooping her out of her chair. Scootaloo felt herself moving in Rainbow’s hold, patiently waiting out the disorientation until she was placed down on the familiar cushion of the couch. “What do you want to do today, squirt? We can do whatever you want!”

Scootaloo’s throat moved as she thought, her mind trotting over several ideas before finally spinning around one in particular. Her mouth grew in a grin, and she grabbed her sister’s hoof. “Can we play Daring Do?”

She swore she could feel Rainbow’s smile as she replied, “Of course we can, Scoots! Which one?”

“Sapphire Stone!”

Her throat jumped, her chest shaking as she giggled, Rainbow’s hooves lifting her and holding her to her chest. A glide to the left, and Scootaloo felt the warmth of the sun on her back, Rainbow’s hoof quoting the opening of the first Daring Do book:

“‘Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle. The wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step…”

As her big sister recited the first few pages by memory, she moved about the house, dipping and swooping and twirling through the air to mimick the movements and setting within the book as best she could, adding a level of immersion only the two of them could understand and making Scootaloo truly feel as if she were on an adventure in the forelegs of Daring Do herself, Rainbow Dash ducking down to avoid the shooting spikes and opening the prewarmed oven as they came across a pit of lava.

Rainbow couldn’t help her self-pointed swell of pride as she recalled every last detail, successfully prepping the next step as she re-enacted the novel, managing to wet the same towel used to swing over a gaping hole in the floor to roll to a stop on some damp jungle moss later in the scene, all while spelling out each and every action taken for her precious little sister as she led her through the scene.

She decided to have a bit of fun of her own as Scootaloo giggled from a suspended blanket bundle, Daring Do’s partner trapped in a net and the plucky protagonist trying to find a way to free her. As she tapped out how Daring figured out the pulley system, she poked where she knew Scootaloo’s neck was, her filly squealing in delight and exploding in a fit of giggles, lumps appearing as her hooves tried to catch Rainbow’s, the mare finally releasing the bundle and catching Scootaloo, the two finding each other and meeting in a nuzzle, sharing the love soaring between them.

As they stopped for a break, Rainbow Dash guided Scootaloo’s hooves around a large slice of cake, the adoptive big sister making the acception just for today and serving herself a slice as her charge took a bite, little squeals of excitement squeaking from her throat as she found sprinkles baked into the chocolate. Even as she watched her sister’s show of happiness, Rainbow couldn’t help her little puddle of guilt. “I’m sorry your friends aren’t here to celebrate, too.”

Scootaloo paused, then smiled as she looked in Rainbow’s direction and shook her head. “We spend every other holiday with them. I’m fine with this just being between the two of us.”

A little smile graced Rainbow’s lips. “Me too, kiddo.” With a cheery little hum from Scootaloo, the two savored the cake in mutual pleasantness, simply enjoying each other’s company and loving the little family they had built together.

Finally, after a long day of play, the two settled down, Rainbow Dash curling around her little sister and gently nuzzling her, Scootaloo blinking sleepily through a yawn. “Did you have a good day, squirt?”

Scootaloo nodded into her chest, snuggling as close as she could into her big sister. “Did you?”

Rainbow couldn’t stop her grin splitting her face. “Every day with you is a good day, Scoots.”

Her filly giggled, the sound never failing to make her heart leap with joy. “You, too!”

Just as Rainbow pressed a kiss into Scootaloo’s mane, she felt the telltale sign of Scootaloo hesitating, and she patiently waited to feel her question.

“Can I ask you something?” Scootaloo tapped on her chest.

Rainbow responded, “Anything, Scoots.”

Scootaloo hesitated again, her cheeks growing warm as her question trotted in a circle in her mind.

“When did you know I was yours?”

A breath caught in Rainbow’s throat, her filly’s inquiry shocking her mind and sending her tumbling down a well of memories, every moment from the second Scootaloo caught her eye across that courtyard to the moment she told Foggy she wanted to adopt her.

With a smile, Rainbow already knew the answer:

“I knew you were mine the moment you held my hoof.”

The answer made Scootaloo grin, sudden tears of joy welling in her eyes. She let out a little giggle, snuggling into her sister’s chest.

Rainbow Dash watched in heartwarming delight as her little sister slowly fell asleep, curling around her in a cocoon of warmth and protection. As she drifted off to sleep, her light mind danced around words of her own, Scootaloo’s poetic influence bleeding into them.

I knew you were mine the first day we met,

During the first of many moments I won’t soon forget…

A knock on the door caught Rainbow’s attention just as she finished helping Scootaloo trace out a slice of cake leftover from Gotcha Day. Leaving Scootaloo to her snack, she rushed to the front door, opening it at once.

A familiar pegasus mare greeted her with a smile, Stormy Skies brandishing her clipboard. “Good morning, Miss Dash.”

“Good morning!” Rainbow greeted in return, offering her a hoof. “It’s good to see you again.”

Stormy took the offered hoof, giving it a firm shake. “Likewise.” She adjusted her grip on the clipboard as Rainbow let her in. “So, it’s the same drill as last time. I inspect the house, then talk to Scootaloo. Are any of your friends available today?”

A brief pondering from Rainbow Dash confirmed the answer: “I don’t think so. They’re all busy today.”

Stormy nodded, “That’s okay. As long as neither you nor Scootaloo indicate any problems, then there’s really no reason to interrogate your friends.”

With a chuckle and a nod from Rainbow, Stormy Skies set about her inspection, the cyan guardian arriving back to her charge and helping the filly clean off her hooves once she finished her cake. “Agent’s here for one-year inspection. It’s the same mare from last time.”

Scootaloo perked up at the news, giving her guardian a bright smile. “Okay! Is she looking at the house?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow confirmed. “She’ll be back down in a little bit to talk to you again. Until she does, let’s get started on the afternoon classes.”

The little filly nodded, smiling brightly as she reached up for her guardian, Rainbow Dash scooping her up and gently hovering into the living room, depositing Scootaloo at her place by the coffee table and passing her her history reading.

“Okay,” Stormy smiled as she clicked her pen, tucking it behind her ear, “that’s it for the time being.” She stood from the couch, letting Rainbow Dash help Scootaloo off the couch and back to her assignment, picking right up where she left off.

Once the filly was settled, Rainbow stood once more to walk Stormy Skies to the door. “Well? How does everything look?”

The gray pegasus chuckled, “Everything is just as good as it was six months ago, if not better. You’ve maintained a well-established schedule for Scootaloo, and she’s adjusted perfectly.” With an easy grin, she added, “I’m very impressed with you and the environment you’ve kept up for her.”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help her blush at the string of compliments, a tension leaving her shoulders that she didn’t realize was there as she smiled. “Heh, thanks. I…I don’t doubt how good I am, but it’s still nice to hear I’m doing something right.”

Stormy Skies giggled, “Of course, I understand. And…” her voice lowered a bit “I’ve heard a bit more information about Foggy Day. It’s not much, but I figured you’d like to know more.”

Her breath suddenly catching in her throat, Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened as anticipation suddenly filled her chest. “R-really?! What’d you find out?”

The inspector smiled sheepishly. “Like I said, it’s not much. But, I heard a couple things from the ponies who’ve been around since shortly after the system reformation.” Her golden eyes lit up with intrigued excitement as the information spilled from her lips:

“Apparently, Foggy Day just appeared out of nowhere about twenty-four or twenty-five years ago. According to others, she wasn’t even interviewed, Sage Note just showed up one day with her in tow. He briefly introduced her to the entire agency, and she got to work, and that was that. She was always super nice to whoever she spoke to, but no pony knows anything about her. She never opened up about anything, and she really clammed up when she was asked why she wanted to work here.

“No pony knows about any family she might have, or even who she worked for beforehoof. She was super skilled at working with foals, but she never told anypony why. The most anypony got out of her was she has a psychology degree and she loves foals. But that was it.” Stormy shrugged, “She’s totally elusive, too. No pony’s seen her since she left, and not even Sage Note will talk about her.”

Rainbow couldn’t stop her heart from racing as she was given piece after piece of information, her head swimming with the mind-bogglingly lack of solid facts about Foggy Day. She briefly wondered why in Equestria none of her coworkers knew anything, only to remember every interaction she’d ever had with the mare, her professional stance impenetrable, even as she kept up the perfectly lovely demeanor that made you feel as if you were friends with her the moment you exchanged greetings.

Stormy observed her flabbergasted client, nodding in mutual disbelief. “I know, right?! It’s so strange.”

“You’re telling me,” Rainbow agreed numbly, humming after a moment of thought. “But…thanks for trying to find out more about her.”

The agent nodded, offering her a smile. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry I couldn’t help anymore than that.”

Rainbow waved her off. “Nah, it’s fine! Thanks for at least trying.”

Stormy nodded,offering her a hoof. “I might see you next time, but in case I don’t: it was nice to see you again!”

Rainbow returned her smile, meeting the shake. “You too! I’ll see ya when I see ya!”

The smile she followed Stormy’s retreating figure with was merely a mask for the heartbroken disappointment she felt in her chest, Foggy’s missing presence refusing to settle as a permanent fixture in her heart.

“See you this afternoon, okay?” Rainbow Dash tapped on Scootaloo’s withers. The filly nodded, smiling brightly as she felt the breeze from Rainbow’s wings, the older pegasus taking off.

Scootaloo at once felt Twilight’s hoof on her shoulder, the unicorn guiding her around and leading her into the Golden Oaks Library. “How are you, Scootaloo? Doing okay?”

She nodded, smiling in Twilight’s direction. “I’m great! How are you?”

Twilight giggled, replying, “Me, too! I have a bit of work to do today, so I can’t play very much.”

Her temporary charge smiled. “That’s okay! I have my book and my cube.” As if to emphasize, Scootaloo shimmied to show off her saddlebags.

A little laughter escaped Twilight, the mare leading Scootaloo to a big, comfy chair and helping her onto it. As Scootaloo unfastened her saddlebags and pulled out her Rubit’s cube, Twilight asked, “Do you want anything to eat or drink?”

Scootaloo only shook her head, her hooves beginning to twist and turn the mismatched cube.

With a little chuckle, Twilight left the filly to her toy and crossed the room back to her desk, her position giving her full view of the filly she volunteered to foalsit today.

Her eyes dropped to the cube Scootaloo held, watching in mild fascination as she turned sides in nonsensical directions and patterns, as if she were more interested in the way the sides clicked back into place than actually solving the mixed-up squares, making Twilight briefly wonder why she wasn’t trying to solve it.

A jolt shot through her brain, suddenly realizing with intense clarity that Scootaloo couldn’t solve it even if she wanted to.

The cube was smooth on all sides, giving Scootaloo no indication of which side was what or what color was where. Frowning, she approached her and lightly tapped her fetlock.

“Can I borrow your cube for a second?”

Scootaloo paused in thought, then nodded. Twilight levitated the cube out of her hoof, and concentrated for a moment. In a small flash of magic, she now held the improved cube in her aura.

The order hadn’t been changed, the colors were where they had previously been. However, now each color sported a different-shaped bump that gave a tactile distinction between them. Twilight smiled at her handiwork, observing the bumps and shapes.

Now, each green tile had a crescent shape jutting out of them. Yellow had a star, white had two dots on the corners, red held a circle, a raised diagonal line cut through orange, and blue had a swirl.

Twilight passed the cube back to Scootaloo. The filly turned the cube over in her hooves, feeling the new textures with surprise.

“That should make things a bit more interesting, yeah?” Twilight asked.

She beamed up at Twilight, nodding. Smiling to herself, Twilight trotted back to her desk, hearing Scootaloo’s thinking noises accompanying the click of the cube.

She had just finished her paragraph of notes when she heard a happy little hum come from Scootaloo. She looked up, seeing the filly holding out the cube in the direction she had previously stood.

She trotted back over, Scootaloo smiling brightly as she presented the cube again. Twilight’s jaw dropped, her heart swelling with excitement.

The side of the cube that faced her was all green, each crescent perfectly in line with the others.

Twilight glanced at the clock, noting to herself that a little more than five minutes had passed, before reaching for Scootaloo’s fetlock.

“Great job! Can you do that for all six sides at the same time?”

Scootaloo frowned, her brow creasing in thought. She felt the cube again, carefully taking in each square. Twilight watched with bated breath as Scootaloo began twisting the cube again.

Twilight glanced at the clock again, noting the time as she stepped away and back to her desk. She pulled her tome over, glancing at the clock yet again, then back to Scootaloo, then forced herself to focus.

With a small breath, she threw herself back into her studies, organizing multiple areas of study at a time, making various lists, jotting notes to herself. Time seemed to blur around her as she went, her body and mind falling back into the familiar—

“Mm!” Scootaloo hummed excitedly, snapping Twilight out of her thoughts so suddenly the unicorn nearly spontaneously combusted her papers.

The little pegasus was holding out the cube again, and Twilight jumped up, hurrying over.

Her heart thundered with excitement, Scootaloo turning the cube over as she held it out, showing Twilight all six sides, which were now all their own color.

Twilight looked up at the clock, her jaw dropping.

Only a little over an hour had passed.

She was only halfway snapped out of her shock when Scootaloo gave a triumphant little giggle. Twilight took the cube in her magic, and tapped Scootaloo’s shoulder.

“Wonderful! You did an amazing job! Want to try it again?”

Scootaloo nodded excitedly, and Twilight used a reversed algorithm to scramble the cube before giving it back.

This time, she sat and watched Scootaloo feel the cube in her hooves. After a moment, the filly began again. Twilight kept her eyes on the filly’s hooves, watching the way she twisted the block, looking for any kind of pattern.

She had every algorithm for the Rubit’s Cube memorized. Every method of solution that was ever created, she had carried out herself until she had mastered each one.

Scootaloo was using none of them.

The filly made a couple adjustments, felt the cube again, and made a few more. Little by little, the colors all lined up, coming together in lines, diagonals, rectangles, and finally, whole sides.

Scootaloo felt the block one more time before she hummed again, presenting the block with a triumphant smile.

Twilight glanced at the clock. Less than fifty-five minutes had passed.

Elation dawned on her, a grin creeping up her face as her recent ponderings regarding the little filly in front of her suddenly provided the answer she needed.

She had her angle.

Rainbow sighed as she rolled out her neck, knocking on the door. Only a second passed before she was met with Twilight’s beaming face opening the door.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight nearly shouted before Rainbow could speak. “I’m so happy you’re here! Come inside, I need to show you something!”

‘Well somepony’s channeling her inner Pinkie Pie,’ Rainbow mentally deadpanned as she hurried after Twilight. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

Twilight shook her head, pulling her into the main area of the library and in front of Scootaloo, who was fidgeting with her Rubit’s cube. Rainbow blinked and smiled, humming in interest as she saw the changes to the cube. “Oh, sweet! You fixed her cube up for her? I’ve been trying to find one that she can feel, but I just can’t find them anywhere.”

“Uh-huh,” Twilight responded almost dismissively, her eyes shining with excitement. “Now watch this.”

Just as she was told, Rainbow Dash watched her little sister twist the cube a few times before she held a completed cube in her hooves, a wordless noise escaping her as she held it up.

Rainbow’s eyes widened, impressed. “Woah! That’s…that’s awesome!”

“I know, right?!” Twilight gushed, taking the cube and rescrambling it for the filly. “She’s been solving it over and over again all afternoon! I mean, she’s…she’s a natural at complex puzzles!”

The cyan mare smirked in pride for her little sister. “Heh, yeah, she’s pretty good at solving hard stuff. She impresses me all the time!”

Twilight could hardly contain herself anymore. “Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo’s extremely intelligent. Gifted, even!”

Now, Rainbow blinked in confusion. “Uh…what?”

The purple unicorn giggled in elation. “Don’t you see? She figured out how to do that all on her own in the span of about an hour. And she’s improving rapidly! If she can do that, imagine what else she could do if she could see or hear!”

A pang tapped Rainbow’s heart, and her brow furrowed as she felt anger try to flare up in her chest. “Wh…what…? But…Twilight, she can’t…”

“I know, I know,” Twilight persisted. “But just think about what she could accomplish if she could…”

She paused for dramatic effect, letting what she knew had to be thoughts of great academic achievements cross Rainbow’s mind.

Spurred by Twilight’s words, the list of things that had steadily built up over the year crossed Rainbow’s mind once again. Little things she had thought about ever since bringing Scootaloo home…things that her sister would never get to do.

If she could see or hear…those would be the best accomplishments she could ever ask for.

Twilight’s voice snapped her out of her heartbreaking reverie. “She would be able to learn so many things, Rainbow! And broaden her horizons…she has an insane amount of potential!”

As her friend went on, Rainbow’s irritation began to bubble. Who was Twilight to say how much potential she had? She wasn’t the one there with Scootaloo during all her academic struggles. She didn’t have to constantly carefully explain concepts to make sure she got it right.

She didn’t have to watch the best of life pass her little sister by.

“And, just…if she could see or hear, she could—“

“Run, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, turning to face her friend. “She could run.”

Twilight stared back at her, stunned, her next words dissolving instantly and leaving her mentally floundering.

“She could play,” Rainbow Dash squeaked. “She could take a step without hesitating o-o-or wondering if it’s even there…”

The pegasus rubbed her fetlock into her eyes, trying to fight away her tears. “She wouldn’t have to worry about getting hurt at every turn.” With a bark of tearful laughter, she added, “Heck, she’d probably get hurt on purpose trying to be the next Stoney Hawk on a scooter for all we know, but…no.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes fell to the filly excitedly working on her Rubit’s cube. “Instead…she has to constantly worry about playing catch-up…” Rainbow sniffed. “She has to practice being independent…did you know that?”

She threw a thin-lipped look at the unicorn. “She has to practice…her independence,” she reiterated, taking emphasizing steps toward her friend. “If she could see and hear, that wouldn’t even be a thought. If she could see and hear, she wouldn’t have to work twice as hard as everypony else to be at the level she is right now.” Voice breaking, Rainbow Dash almost shouted, “If she could see and hear, she wouldn’t have to sit around and wait for life to happen just because somepony decided to include her!”

The pegasus stopped herself, taking a steadying breath, letting it out slowly. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Twi; and I’m flattered you think so highly of her, just…being able to solve one puzzle doesn’t mean anything…she’s not some genius trapped in darkness.”

Her face fell. “She’s…just a little filly trying her hardest to live as normally as possible. The skills she’s had to develop her entire life just so happen to be what you need to solve a Rubit’s cube, that’s it.”

Silence fell among the two friends, Twilight’s heart sinking as she realizes she’s made a grave error in her assumptions about the disabled filly, the cold water of Scootaloo’s reality hitting her square in the face and waking her from her fantasies.

Rainbow, for her part, felt guilt creep up her throat as she felt she snapped at her friend, and she sighed “Sorry about that,” she chuckled, offering Twilight an apologetic smile, “I, uh…I didn’t mean to go on a tangent like that.”

Twilight’s shoulders slowly released a tension she didn't realize she was holding. “No, it’s fine. I needed that. It’s…it’s good to have a dose of reality every once in a while. I’m sorry. I…wasn’t thinking about all of that.”

Rainbow gave a rueful grin. “I think about it every day.”

Twilight returned Rainbow’s look with a sympathetic one of her own. A moment passed between the two where nothing but the sound of a clicking Rubit’s cube filled the silence.

“What, um—“ Rainbow Dash began again, rubbing her temple, “what were you gonna say? I feel like you were trying to say something before.”

“Yeah,” Twilight picked up again, “I was…heh…I was gonna use that as a segue into…well…”

“What?” Rainbow Dash egged on.

Twilight swayed a bit, tracing a toe into the grain of the floor. “Well…okay, so…there’s this…thing…”

Rainbow’s face leveled into a look of annoyance. “And, Twilight?”

“And…it’s slowly been gaining traction in the medical community in Canterlot, but…not a lot of ponies want to accept it because it’s fully technological, no magic is used whatsoever—well, except at the very beginning.”

“And?” Rainbow Dash nudged, her patience beginning to wear thin.

“And I’ve read up on it,” Twilight continued, catching Rainbow’s hint of impatience, “and conducted multiple interviews, and read as much as I can, and I even sat in on a procedure, and…well…from what I’ve seen, at least…”

The student blew out a nervous breath, looking up at Rainbow Dash with the spark of barely-checked anxious excitement in her eyes.

“It’s…shown to be a near-perfect cure for deafness.”

A beat passed, and Rainbow’s eyes widened, the mare’s body and breath freezing at once as the blood drained from her face.

With a final click, Scootaloo hummed triumphantly, presenting her Rubit’s cube to silence.

Author's Note

“There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:”
-‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭CSB‬‬

And cliffhanger!:rainbowlaugh:

Hello, everyone! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Chapter 16 is already almost done, so stay tuned! Might get uploaded in just a few days:raritywink:

So what do you guys think? I know there are some who may be concerned about story elements being affected by the changes coming up down the line, but rest assured that this is necessary for the next step in the story. I know it doesn’t seem like that now, but you’ll see:raritywink:

Again, shoutout to my wonderful friend who’s never failed to put a smile on my face.:scootangel: Love you, Buddy!

See you all soon!:twilightsmile::heart:

Chapter 16: Hunting for Day

After a moment of breathtaking silence, Rainbow Dash finally managed to snap out of her stupor a bit. “What…what do you mean by ‘near-perfect’?”

Twilight smiled softly. “It just needs adjustments every once in a while to make sure the pony is hearing as perfectly as possible. Other than that, the pony is able to hear just as well as those without any form of hearing loss. It’s as if they were never deaf to begin with.”

Rainbow Dash hesitated, expecting to hear more. “That’s it?”

Her friend gave a little nod, a grin creeping up her face. “If the surgery is successful, Scootaloo would be able to hear.”

Immediately, Rainbow’s defenses went up again. “If it’s successful?”

Twilight blinked, then gave a calming smile as she tried to reassure Rainbow Dash. “The surgery only deals with the inner workings of the ear. If the surgery is unsuccessful, the worst that could happen is she’s never able to hear, or the hearing gets worse. But she’s already stone deaf, so…”

Rainbow relaxed a bit, stepping up to her filly and tracing her name-sign. “So it couldn’t get any worse for her, anyway…”

“Exactly,” Twilight breathed.

Rainbow let the idea sink in as Scootaloo nuzzled her hoof, reaching her cube toward Rainbow, a strange hope she never thought about creeping its way into her heart. She met Twilight’s gaze. “She’d…be able to hear my voice?” she squeaked.

Twilight nodded excitedly, tears pricking her eyes. “It’s nothing short of a miracle, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow rubbed at her eye, gaze falling to the little filly excitedly showing off her Rubit’s Cube, telling Rainbow all about Twilight fixing it, Rainbow trying to return with her own excitement through her confounding shock. “I’ll, uh…I’ll talk to her about it. Do you have something about it I can read first so I know everything?”

“I’m so glad you asked,” Twilight beamed. Her horn lit up, and a stack of papers several inches thick was levitated over to Rainbow Dash. As Twilight’s magic placed them within Rainbow’s saddlebags, she explained. “Here’s a news article, a scientific journal, a brief explanation of the inner ear and what the surgery does, and a manual for how to take care of the device once it’s been implanted.”

“Wha—Twilight…” Rainbow Dash chuckled, “we haven’t even decided anything for sure, yet. I don't even know anything about this thing you’re talking about.”

“It’s called a cochlear implant, and there’s no reason you shouldn't be as prepared as possible from the very beginning,” Twilight returned.

Rainbow found herself silenced, unable to argue with her logic. Still, she couldn’t stop the strange resignation she felt at the prospect, her confusion for her hesitation already making her doubt herself. She bit her lip before she could voice such objections though, feeling the final tug of Twilight closing her bags. With a thanks to Twilight for watching Scootaloo, she loaded her charge onto her back and took to the sky, asking her filly about her day.

Rainbow Dash hovered up and down her room, head swimming with thoughts that refused to give her any reprieve of landing. Her heart thundered in her ears as she looked back down at the spread of papers Twilight had given her.

In an understandably unusual bout of hyperfocus, she had read the entire scientific article, her intrigue easily able to trump her usual boredom at reading something so…egghead-ish.

Her chest convulsed, and with a start, she sucked in a lungful of air, not even realizing she had stopped breathing for a moment. Tears blurred her vision for the umpteenth time that night, her heart at war with itself.

“She…she’d be able to hear…” she lamented to herself. “She could hear your voice. She could…learn how to talk…” a breathless giggle billowed from her throat, and she fell silent once more, her smile fading as she thought of other parts of the article.

“But…the surgery would take a while to recover from…she might be in pain…would she even want it?” She began her pacing again. “What if…we get it, but it doesn’t work…and then…the chance is blown…?” Tears stung the corners of her eyes once again. “She’d be devastated…”

Sniffling, she came to a stop once again, her heart longing for somepony to talk to about the predicament that Rainbow never thought in her wildest dreams she’d be having with herself. She bit her lip, tears slipping down her cheeks as she closed her eyes.

“Why can’t I just…?”

‘Just what?’

“Decide!”

‘Is it even your decision to make?’

“No, it’s Scootaloo’s.”

‘Then let her decide.’

“I don’t even want to bring it up until I’m more confident with it!”

‘Then talk to somepony who’ll make you more confident.’

Her internal conversation finally came to a standstill, letting her wade in her emotions and criss-crossing thoughts. Through all the chaos inside her, a single line of thought gave her an anchor of clarity. She chased it, becoming more and more sure of its destination until it arrived, instilling a deep need into her chest. At first, she tried to fight against the solution her mind was presenting her with. However, with each thought she tried to create for herself, only more chaos appeared, chasing her back to the clarity within the eye of her mental storm.

Finally, she took in a shaky breath, swallowing the lump in her throat as she addressed the still, silent dead of night.

“I need to find Foggy.”

The next morning, Scootaloo quietly ate her cereal. With a stressed puff of breath, her mind still racing and reeling, Rainbow Dash trotted into the kitchen.

Having just got off the phone with Applejack, she had managed to secure a last-minute playdate for Scootaloo with both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle for the afternoon. Snagging an apple from the counter, she forced herself to eat something as she mentally raced through year-old memories.

‘You know where the orphanage is, you can start there. If she’s not there, you can always just go to the agency. They have to know something. You can talk to Sage Note! He’ll know! He’d know everything!

…Right?’

A hum from her little sister drew her attention; and she tossed her unfinished half of apple and trotted over, her ears nearly ringing as she asked, “All good?”

Her heart and soul nodded, beaming up at her and asking, “What are we learning today?”

A nervous smile found Rainbow’s face. Though it was the end of the week, they had planned on making up the schooling Scootaloo had missed yesterday today.

‘Guess that’ll have to wait ‘til tomorrow now,’ she mused to herself.

“Actually,” she finally tapped back, “I need to go somewhere today. I had something come up suddenly last night. I’m gonna take you to Fluttershy’s so you can spend the afternoon with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, okay?”

What began as a look of mildly shocked confusion turned into one of foalish glee, Scootaloo at once giggling happily. “Okay! How long will you be gone?”

Rainbow Dash breathed a sigh of relief as she took the bait. “All day. I should be back to get you before sundown, though, okay?”

Scootaloo hummed softly, nodding with a grin before reaching for Rainbow Dash. The mare obliged her, scooping her up into a near-strangling hug as she kissed her temple. The little filly returned in kind, kissing her guardian’s cheek and wiggling to get onto her back.

The cyan mare waited for her filly to settle down before she scooped up the abandoned bowl, moving into the kitchen to deposit them into the sink. The task completed, she made for the door.

“Thanks a lot, Shy, I owe ya,” Rainbow uttered as she helped Scootaloo off her back with her little saddlebag, giving her filly a quick nuzzle.

“Oh, no, it’s not a problem at all,” Fluttershy objected, taking Scootaloo’s hoof and drawing her name-sign, meeting the little pegasus’s nose in a gentle nuzzle, making her giggle. “When should I expect you back?”

Rainbow smiled sheepishly, “I’m planning on mid-afternoon, depending on how things go. I don’t know exactly how long it’ll take.”

The light yellow pegasus pushed aside a stray strand of pink mane. “Oh, that’s not a problem at all. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere out of my cottage today, anyway; and she loves the animals. I don’t mind letting her help out today until Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle come over.”

Cyan shoulders relaxed at her friend’s sincerity. “Still, thanks again, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy simply smiled and nodded as her friend flew off, taking Scootaloo’s hoof and guiding her to her favorite spot under the tree surrounded by burrows, gently scooping up a snowflake-patterned hedgehog as Scootaloo giggled at the brush of rabbits. “Guess who wants to see you!”

Instantly, Scootaloo knew, offering up gentle hooves as the most fascinating animal she ever met was gently placed in her hooves, the chunky critter instantly clambering up her foreleg and situating himself into the crook of her neck, his tiny nose tickling her jaw.

Fluttershy’s eyes briefly wandered to the sky, unable to stop the troubling feeling in her heart as she watched Rainbow become nothing more than a dot in the sky, before Scootaloo’s hooves pulled her thoughts back to the present as the little filly asked about George the hedgehog.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t stop the heartwrenching nostalgia from flooding through her as she soared for Baltimare, eyes watering from a little more than just the wind.

Lost in thought not unlike the way she was the previous night, she startled slightly when her eyes suddenly found the orphanage. In a stunned state of nostalgia, Rainbow gazed down at the familiar courtyard in a hover, her desperate mind almost swearing she could make out Foggy Day still sitting on the top step, watching her fly away with Scootaloo.

With a catch of breath, she blinked, shaking her head as her mind began racing, reminding her of the directions to the agency. In a flash of rainbow, she was off, twisting down the roads, cutting corners and sailing over buildings to finally land of the familiar steps, the sign to her right reading:

Baltimare Adoption Agency

She swallowed hard, her heart pounding as she pulled open the door, stepping through.

Rainbow Dash found the receptionist, her hooves practically trembling as she stepped up to his desk. “Uh…hi.”

The young stallion looked up, blinked at her. “Yes? Can I help you?”

The cyan mare could hardly contain herself any longer. “I’m looking for Sage Note. Is he here?”

The stallion blinked again, this time in confusion. “Uh…yeah, he is. But you can’t just walk in and see him, he’s a very busy pony.”

Rainbow clenched her jaw. “I know he is, and I don’t wanna bother him if he’s really busy, but it’s really important that I see him! Is there any way for me to see him today?”

The receptionist hesitated, his eyes conflicted. “Let me go ask him.” He stood, trotting away from the desk and around the corner into the main area of the agency.

A frustrated, nervous breath escaped Rainbow Dash, the mare beginning to pace as she waited.

Movement caught her eye, and she looked up to see a familiar pegasus stallion walking along the wall, his wing brushing up against it as he held a couple files against his chest. A bright red scarf now hung around his neck, sticking out against his yellow fur. Rainbow blinked as his name finally lit up her mind. “Onyx Star!”

The stallion’s ear twitched, and he paused, his head turning to tilt in her direction. “R…Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow couldn’t help the smile that split her face, rushing up to him, part of her thankful for the distraction. “Hey! It’s really good to see you!”

Onyx gave her a cool, wry grin. “I’d say the same, but…you know…”

The mare blinked, suddenly remembering. “Oh…yeah!” She managed a little laugh. “So…are you…?”

A little, thin-lipped smile graced Onyx’s face. “Yeah…it’s…it’s all gone now. Hundred percent.”

A wave of secondhoof pain and disappointment passed through Rainbow’s chest. “I…I’m really sorry, Onyx.”

The stallion shrugged. “Eh, what can ya do, right? I don’t mind too much. Just means I can’t see the ignorance anymore, huh?” The chuckle that escaped him was unaccompanied by a laugh from Rainbow, ending far too early as his face seemed to shift, and his hoof went to his scarf, rubbing it.

“Is…that new?” Rainbow asked, trying to change the subject.

“U-uh…yeah,” Onyx replied, a smile finding his face once more, albeit a bit forced. “My mom made it for me this past Hearth’s Warming. I…I know it’s summer and all, but…well, it…it sounds stupid, but it’s really helped me stay calm…you know?”

Rainbow nodded at once, only to cringe at herself. “Yeah, I get it. Nothing wrong with that, it actually looks really good on you!”

Onyx chuckled. “Thanks. So…what are you doing here? Haven’t talked to you in a year.”

Instantly, Rainbow’s current predicament, and all anxiety surrounding it, suddenly rushed back to the forefront of her mind. “Uh…actually, I—“

“Miss Rainbow Dash.”

The voice snapped her attention to the clay-colored earth pony she’d been there to see all along. Her breath caught in her throat, and she rushed for him.

“Sage Note, please help me,” Rainbow practically begged. “I’m trying to find Foggy!”

Silence and stillness suddenly fell over the immediate area, all that could hear Rainbow’s voice stopping to stare at the sudden outburst. The stallion’s eyes hardened at the exclamation, flicking to the side at all now watching the scene before he glared at Rainbow once more.

His face drew closer to hers, his voice lowering as Rainbow felt a familiar sting of fear toward the stallion as he growled, “In my office. Now.”

He turned, pushing open his door and holding it for Rainbow Dash. The mare swallowed hard, forcing her hooves forward and into Sage Note’s office.

Sage Note closed the door. “Sit down.” Reluctantly, Rainbow complied, sitting in the chair in front of his desk as he stepped around it and sat in his own chair, almost glaring at Rainbow Dash as he did so. Rainbow felt the familiar fear course through her under his gaze, though this time, it felt a bit more genuine.

He sighed heavily as he settled into his chair, looking up at her with a deadpan glare. “Miss Rainbow Dash, if you must know, Miss Foggy Day no longer works for our agency. She quit the same day Scootaloo’s case was closed, and we are now no longer in contact with her.”

Rainbow felt her heart collide with her stomach, her mouth floundering a moment before she sputtered, “S…So it’s true?! She really did quit?!”

The dusty clay stallion’s brow furrowed. “You were told otherwise?”

Blood drained from Rainbow’s face, the mare feeling as if she had just been caught in a lie. “W-well…I, uh…” Catching Sage Note’s gaze, his hardening eyes sent a wave of fear through her; and she, for the first time, crumbled under his gaze, her face falling like a chastised filly. “Y-yeah…I…I was told the official answer was she retired…but that there were rumors that she actually quit.”

Silence fell between the two of them, part of Rainbow preparing for some kind of reprimand, only for none to come as Sage Note let out a heavy sigh, Rainbow’s ear twitching as she picked up a deep sadness in the expulsion of air.

“It seems,” he finally said, “that some certain employees need to be reminded to keep work gossip at work.”

Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat, her eyes alight with worry as she looked back up at Sage Note. “She won’t be in trouble, will she?”

A waving-off hoof calmed her nerves momentarily. “I will give a generalized announcement reminding everypony to maintain professional relationships with the clients. As for the rest…” Sage Note leaned against the table, his voice lowering as his eyes shine in a sadness that almost seems to border regret. “I am painfully aware of every rumor surrounding Miss Foggy Day in this agency, Miss Rainbow Dash.”

His words were met with an incredulous blink from the cyan mare before him. “Th…there are more…rumors about her?”

Sage Note pulled in a deep breath through his nose, letting it out again as he sat back in his seat, his hooves resting on his desk as he leveled a serious look at his conversational partner. “Miss Foggy Day is a very private pony. Not even I know everything about her, and I have known her for 25 years now. Unfortunately, such personality traits in a pony tend to lead others to fabricate stories in order to fill the gaps. I wish I could say that is where rumors surrounding her begin, but the truth of the matter is…Miss Foggy Day has been followed by rumors for most if not all of her life.”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw clenched, her hooves gripping the seat. She struggles to swallow as she pries her mouth open to ask, “What…what kind of rumors?”

Another breath whistled through Sage Note’s nose, the stallion’s face gaining a strange exhaustion Rainbow never expected to see on the tireless agent. A moment passes before he finally speaks again. “No pony should be burdened with such knowledge, Miss Rainbow Dash. To give you an idea, the most ridiculous I have ever heard pinned her as a changeling in disguise who was feeding off the love of the orphaned foals.”

A cyan jaw dropped at the revelation, her heart sinking that such a thing could be said about one of the kindest ponies she knew, its cruelty keeping it from being laughable. “But…why? Why would ponies say things like that about her?”

Sage’s face fell. “I wish I could say that I knew, truly.” A heavy sigh escapes the stallion, his shoulders slumping as his eyes close as if to pay reverence to the life he speaks of.

Finally, he looked back up to Rainbow Dash, a deep longing sorrow etched across his brow and filling his eyes as he spoke. “Miss Foggy Day is a beautiful soul who has seen the absolute worst ponies can become. She carries heavy burdens no pony should ever have to deal with.” His brow creases, a weight in his eyes making Rainbow think he himself had seen said burdens personally. “She has a darkness, Miss Rainbow Dash. A darkness that follows her wherever she goes. A darkness that has built up over the course of a very difficult life and has led her to believe ponies do not want her.”

At the mention of darkness, Rainbow’s pulse quickened, her mind instantly reminding her of the fever-induced night terror she’d had months ago. Flashes of a dark, sinister entity dragging Foggy down into the gorge crossed her mind and felt suddenly far too fresh. Almost desperately, Rainbow looked into Sage Note’s eyes, feeling as if the one line she had to Foggy was slipping away before her eyes. “But…but, I do want her. I want her to keep being a part of Scootaloo’s life. S-Scootaloo wants to see her!”

The desperation in the mare’s voice was enough to send a pang into the stallion’s heart, and he met her with a heavy sigh. “I understand that, Miss Rainbow Dash, more than you know.”

“S-so…don’t you at least know where she is? Can’t…can’t you tell me where she is?”

Despite the sympathetic look in his eyes, Sage Note quipped, “I’m afraid I cannot. Even if I knew where she was, that would both be a breach of privacy for Miss Foggy Day, and would kill whatever trust I have been able to gain from her.” Sage Note closed his eyes a moment, mulling over his next words. “Miss Foggy Day is a pony who knows how to disappear when she deems it fit for her to do so. If she wants you to know where she is, she will tell you. If such information is not made known to you, then I am sorry to say, but no pony will find her until she deems it time for her to be found…no matter what those who care about her may think.”

The tears Rainbow Dash so desperately held back before suddenly sprung to the surface, her crimson irises beginning to wade in her clenching heart as she met his eyes, a silent message passing between the two.

Sage Note had, perhaps multiple times, tried and failed to reach Foggy Day.

Rainbow deflated in her seat, the air stolen from her lungs from the new information. The rope slipped from her hooves, the dark wisps disappearing into the depths, any and all hope Rainbow had of finding Foggy again evaporating into smoke.

A pulsing shock of emptiness radiated from her heart with each pump, and she closed her eyes against her welling tears. She sniffed, rubbing them away the best she could. “I…I’m sorry…I was just…really hoping I’d find her again.”

Sage Note gave an understanding, sad sigh. “Is there anything else I can do for you today, Miss Rainbow Dash?”

The mare in question sat in silence for a moment, debating her next words. Finally, she could no longer ignore the nagging at the back of her head as she looked up at the head stallion of the Baltimare Adoption Agency.

“What happened the night Scootaloo was born?”

The question made Sage Note pause, an imperceptible wave of shock and panic, followed immediately by disappointment pulsing through his chest. Yet another sigh escaped him, his voice tense as he resolved, “I suppose Miss Foggy Day isn’t the only one with rumors on her back.”

He rubbed his temple, reaching into a desk drawer and pulling out a file, placing it in the perfect center of his desk. An unreadable, hard shine overtook his eyes as he looked back up at Rainbow Dash, his hooves resting astutely on his desk.

“I will not tell you you are not within your rights to know, Miss Rainbow Dash. Such a thing would be untrue at best and illegal at worst. Miss Scootaloo is your foal, and you are within your every right to know everything about her.

“However…I will also not lie to you.” He tapped the manilla folder resting in front of him. “The truths that lie within this file—within the first twenty-four hours of Miss Scootaloo’s life—are quite the heavy burden to carry, and should not be taken lightly. That being said, it is still your right to know; but I would like to ask you something, Miss Rainbow Dash.” He leaned into his desk, his head hovering over the file.

“Is it worth viewing her differently?”

The strange question sent a bolt of shock through Rainbow’s chest, waves of emotions crashing over her heart and mingling in unprecedented ways as her mind desperately tried to grasp what he could possibly mean. “Wh…what? What do you mean…?” An odd dizziness threatened to send her head swimming a she desperately tried to piece together what he could be implying. “I-I’d never see her any differently! She’s my little sister, I love her too much to see her as anything else!”

Sage Note met her panic with a hard determination, and he spoke slowly. “In that case…allow me to ask a different question:

“Is it worth her viewing herself differently?”

The new pronouns made Rainbow pause, her head tilting. “Wh-what…?”

A sigh escaped the stallion. “There comes a time in every foal’s life where they want to know more about themselves. Such questions often lead to their origins, particularly in orphaned and adopted foals. The information held within this file, Miss Rainbow Dash, could damage her if it is not presented in the proper way. So, I ask again: Is this” he gave the file a definitive tap “worth possibly hurting her?”

Any and all attempts for argument died at Rainbow’s throat, whatever she could have possibly thought to say only being shot down as her mind conjured image after image of her beautiful little filly. The storm within her ran aground on the love in her heart, slowly but surely dying away into silence. Though the desire for answers remained, they stayed in the back of her mind, quieting down until the day they would be needed, not wanted.

Finally, Rainbow Dash let out a defeated sigh. “No. It’s not worth it.”

Sage Note paused, a small, sympathetic smile gracing his lips before he plucked the file up and replaced it in his desk drawer. “The information is still readily available to you,” he vowed. “When the day comes that she wishes to learn, I will make her the same offer. Should she accept, I will explain it as delicately as I can.” The drawer ‘clunk’ed closed. “To both of you.”

Rainbow hesitated, giving Sage Note a nod. “Right…yeah, thanks, uh…Thanks for…letting me know, at least…”

The earth pony nodded, standing and moving around his desk to his door. “Feel free to stop by again whenever you please, but I do ask that you refrain from making a habit out of it.”

Rainbow couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her as she stood. “Yeah, no worries…this’ll probably be the last time before I bring Scoots so you can explain stuff to her.”

Sage Note nodded once more. “Of course.” He opened the door for her. “I wish you luck, Miss Rainbow Dash.”

Before she could turn around and thank him again, the door shut behind her. Rainbow’s heart dropped, rooting her legs to the spot as her mind raced, her heart and mind at war trying to figure out what to do next.

“Uh…Rainbow Dash?”

The mare in question looked up to find Onyx Star a few steps from her, the yellow stallion looking a bit awkward as he faced her, unseeing brown eyes flicking about nonsensically.

She blinked, closing the distance between them and putting a hoof on his shoulder. “Hey, Onyx. I…I guess…I, uh…”

The stallion seemed to understand, offering her a little smile before offering:

“You wanna go for a walk?”

On the street a couple blocks away from the agency, Rainbow helped Onyx find the bench, the two sitting beside each other, Rainbow feeling the tickle of deja vu as she looked over at him, his eyes flicking about, no longer able to see any sources of light. Despite her own tugged heartstrings, the stallion grinned. “So, you came all the way over here just to get some advice?”

Rainbow couldn’t help big chuckle to herself, having told Onyx of her predicament on the way over, rubbing the back of her head. “Heh, yeah…feels kinda stupid when you really think about it.”

Onyx waved his hoof dismissively. “Nah, you’re fine! It’s great that you want to get a second opinion on everything; and honestly, I can’t think of many better ponies to ask advice from than Foggy Day.”

The pegasus mare smiled. “Yeah…she always felt like she’d know some good sage advice…that, and…I was…really hoping she could be there when it all happens. If it all happens.”

Onyx nodded to himself, a huffed chuckle escaping him. “Yeah. Knowing her, she’d absolutely freak once she heard what’s got your mind racing.”

Rainbow snorted. “Yeah…” She fell silent for a moment. “What…what’s your take on it?”

The stallion hesitated, his face falling in thought. As he ruminated over his thoughts, an odd, sad look overcame his countenance. Before Rainbow could ask what was wrong, he spoke:

“My sister just had a foal a few weeks ago,” he breathed. “A little filly.” Rainbow Dash blinked, but before she could offer any form of congratulations, he added, “I…can’t…see her.”

Rainbow Dash’s heart dropped, instantly cracking for the stallion. “I…I…” her words failed her as she could only give him an unseen look of sympathy.

Onyx let out a sigh through his nose. “But…I can hear her.” The tiniest of chuckles caught in his throat as tears wet his eyes. “I heard her laugh for the first time last week, and…it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard in my life.”

The stallion sniffed, his fetlock scrubbing away his tears before they could fall. “I…I don’t know what I’d do if I lost my hearing, too.” The very thought seemed to be almost too much for Onyx, his tears escaping down his cheeks despite his hooves’ fight.

Rainbow Dash stayed silent a moment, letting the stallion let out his sorrows for a moment as he gathered himself. After a deep breath and a clearing of his throat, he continued:

“If…if it were me…I wouldn’t hesitate. I’d put her down for the surgery as soon as possible. Getting the opportunity to give her the gift of hearing…it wouldn’t even be a question for me.”

Rainbow nodded to herself. “I just…don’t know how to bring it up to her. I…Of course she needs to know about it, but…I don’t want to get her hopes up and then…it not be able to happen. You know?”

Onyx nodded, humming as he thought over the predicament. “Maybe…you could wait and see if it would work, and then tell her before it actually happens? That way you can just play off any appointments as just a checkup, and then hit her with the news once she’s approved.”

The mare blinked, the idea sparking in her mind and instantly easing away all her tension. A single chuckle jumped to her lips, making them twitch in half a smile. “Heh…Actually? That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” She nudged Onyx gratefully, the stallion smiling sheepishly as the mare accepted his advice. “Thanks, Onyx.”

“No problem,” Onyx beamed, his face easily filling with teasing once again. “Now, whenever that filly learns how to talk, feel free to bring her to me and I’ll teach her all the blind jokes I know.”

Rainbow couldn’t stop her snort, breaking out in a fit of laughter as she playfully pushed Onyx’s shoulder. “And give her your sense of humor? Yeah, right!”

Onyx grinned. “Hey, forget smell and taste making up for my eyes, I’m all charisma and wit!”

The two pegasi broke out into a fit of laughter, worries beginning to alleviate from the speedster’s heart, though one remains, a hopelessness being put in the backburner of her mind as she prioritizes her foal, waiting for another day to find who she was looking for.

Tired azure eyes gazed at the two familiar ponies sitting on the bench not three steps away, a teal face frozen in surprise as a deep, aching longing filled the eyes of the solitary, silent mare.

A flash of worry sparked through her chest, though it was quickly snuffed when she did not sense any sadness or worry from the two. Instead, the hope that seemed to light up the cyan mare’s face kept her rooted in her spot, a painful truth settling into the back of her mind as they erupted in laughter.

Rainbow Dash was happy, and seemed to be getting happier.

She…was not…needed.

Foggy Day stared at the mare, entranced by the rainbow mane that seemed so vibrant next to the shades-grayer surroundings, her hopeful heart sinking further and further as her mind reminded it what happens when she lets ponies get too close.

Feeling something akin to a crack deep within her, the world around Rainbow Dash gained a shade of gray, tears threatening to choke her as it only made the rainbow-maned guardian appear even brighter.

Closing her gaping mouth, her longing giving way to sorrow, Foggy Day tore her eyes away from Rainbow Dash, and trekked down the familiar road, two roses gripped in her magic as she melted into the crowd, disappearing from sight.

Author's Note

“I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will shepherd them with justice.”
-‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭34:16‬ ‭CSB‬‬

And thus, we have completed the next stage of the story!:pinkiehappy: Now, on to the next arc!:rainbowlaugh:

So, this chapter came out so fast because Chapters 14, 15, and 16 were being juggled all about the same time, with parts of 15 and 16 having been written before I even published the first chapter:rainbowlaugh:

Keep an eye out for a blog post in the next couple days! I’m gonna show you guys part of my process for this past section of the story. It’s a lot less organized than the Adoption Arc, but it’s still fairly effective. Hope you fellow storytellers can glean some tips from my own process, if you’re struggling a bit.:twilightsmile:

Also, for those of you wondering (probably not many of you, if I’m being honest with myself:rainbowlaugh:) the seemingly random bit about George the hedgehog…is my shameless plug for my own pet:rainbowlaugh:
I have a hedgehog named George. Yeah, he’s a bit chunky, but that’s from his previous home, and is on a steady diet with me:rainbowlaugh: He’s a lot healthier now, and will take many opportunities to climb up my shoulder on the pretense of snuggling…only to immediately try to dive off my back:rainbowlaugh:

Anyway: here’s some pics!:rainbowkiss:

I would also like to give a shoutout to Partycannon for this incredible artwork based off Chapter 15:twilightsmile:

I absolutely love this! Go show them some love!:heart::twilightsmile:

I may take a short break before the next arc begins, to get a couple things taken care of story-wise and IRL, but it won’t be for very long:twilightsmile:

Stay tuned!

I love you guys so much!:heart:

Chapter 17: Learning

The cyan mare took a breath as she sat in the waiting room, Scootaloo playing with her hoof. Her filly cooed, hugging her hoof to her chest and burying her muzzle in her guardian’s fetlock. Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat at the sight, a small smile playing along her face before she nuzzled Scootaloo in return, the little pegasus turning just enough to snuggle into her neck.

Rainbow’s gaze once again rose to the poster situated right across from her, showcasing a cross-section diagram of a pony’s ear and educating Rainbow Dash on exactly what complexities go on inside the heads of ponies that allow them to hear.

Every passing second of just looking at it made her more and more nervous for what she might hear.

Thankfully, her saving grace came in the form of an open door. “Rainbow Dash?” The attending nurse called.

Immediately, Rainbow Dash stood, easing Scootaloo onto her back and trotting up to the nurse with a nervous smile as a greeting. “Hi.”

“Hello there, right this way.” The nurse ushered her into the back. “Just a consultation today, right?”

“Right,” Rainbow confirmed, following her to a room and sitting in the provided chair, holding her little sister in her lap.

The nurse nodded, Rainbow Dash finally seeing “Pleasant Field” on the lavender earth pony’s smock. “Alrighty, then. I’ll just be taking Scootaloo’s pulse and blood pressure, just so we have a baseline in our system.” Rainbow nodded, gently stretching out Scootaloo’s foreleg and translating the nurse’s words as the cuff was affixed to her.

Scootaloo’s face scrunched in confusion. “Why are we at the doctor? Am I sick?”

Rainbow almost chuckled. “No, you’re fine—“

“Are you sick?” Scootaloo’s words would have been laughable if it weren’t for the worried little whine of that escaped her.

Instantly, her guardian nuzzled her reassuringly. “No, Scoots, I’m not sick. This is just a checkup. The doctor’s gonna take a look at you while you’re healthy so they’ll know what’s different from normal when you are sick.”

The explanation did the trick, calming the filly at once. A twinge of guilt tapped Rainbow’s heart at lying to her little sister, but she didn’t want to cause the filly any unnecessary excitement until she could confirm this would work.

‘Please,’ she prayed, ‘please let this work…’

Before too long, the nurse finished her preliminary readings, humming softly to herself as Scootaloo played with Rainbow’s hoof. She gave Rainbow a polite smile, tucking her clipboard to her chest. “Alrighty, Doctor Physique will be in shortly to speak with you.”

“Thank you,” Rainbow returned as Pleasant Field stepped out, leaving her with swimming thoughts and a playfully patient filly. Her eyes began to wander around the nearly empty room, monochrome walls adorned with casual advertisements and infographics for expectant mothers and insurance holders.

Scootaloo’s playfulness quickly turned to boredom as they waited, the filly squirming a bit in her big sister’s lap until she finally settled against her chest, lightly nuzzling Rainbow’s chest fur. Rainbow herself had begun fighting off her own sleep when, finally, a knock resounded on the door, and it opened.

A light blue stallion stepped through the door, his silver eyes gleaming as he smiled, stepping toward Rainbow Dash and extending a hoof in greeting. “Hello, there, Miss Dash. I’m Doctor Diminue Physique, how are you?”

Rainbow Dash gave him a polite smile, meeting his hoof. “I’m good! Thanks for coming all the way from Canterlot to see us.”

Doctor Physique smiles, his horn lighting through his brown mane and a clipboard levitating onto the counter. “Not a problem! When I heard wind of Miss Scootaloo’s story…well, it would be against my very oath to not see if this technology could help improve her quality of life.”

The cyan mare smiled awkwardly, having heard the term a couple times by now, both from Twilight and the doctor’s letter. ‘Quality of life’. If she were being honest with herself, she hated the term. Who were they to say how good Scootaloo’s life was? To determine how much she had done for the filly or how much she loved life?

Or at least…what she could experience of it.

Because if she were really being honest with herself…she wanted more for her little sister.

One good thing about having to be so hooves-on with Scootaloo was that the two had to stay indoors a lot, away from prying eyes. Which meant Rainbow was the only one who knew how many times she had let her emotions get the better of her. How many times she suddenly began crying when her filly’s eyes would pass right over her, or when she wished more than anything to sing her a lullaby or let her hear what an animal sounded like.

The same could be said for Scootaloo.

No pony else was around when Scootaloo would break, Rainbow seeing the signs of her upset from a mile away, but never prying until the filly couldn’t try (and fail) to hide her feelings anymore. Only Rainbow Dash knew how much it hurt Scootaloo to not be able to hear her guardian’s voice, or see a sunset.

Rainbow’s aching heart still replayed the memory of the day Scootaloo learned what music was, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle having innocently attempted an introduction. What followed for Scootaloo was a series of confusing shapes as they showed her a gramophone, and poorly-conducted vibrations that could only be felt on the speaker bell.

When she was subsequently asked “Isn’t it pretty?”, she lied.

The two had patiently and kindly been asked to leave such introductions like that to Rainbow Dash from then on.

Even still, Rainbow had wondered many times over the past two weeks whether or not what she was doing was selfish. She had finally decided it wasn’t, so long as the final decision came down to Scootaloo herself.

That is…if it was able to even work.

“Well, I’m really grateful you came so far to see her,” she said to Doctor Physique. “I actually don’t know all the specifics of her deafness, I just know she’s stone deaf because her…ear bones didn’t form right…?”

Doctor Physique chuckled kindly. “That’s alright. We’ll both know exactly what’s going on in that little head of hers soon.”

Gently, carefully, Doctor Physique leaned down toward Scootaloo, and grazed her shoulder with his aura. Immediately, Scootaloo perked up, giggling a bit as she reached for the newcomer. The good doctor introduced himself and let the little thing feel his face, Scootaloo cooing as she held his muzzle.

With a chuckle, he eased her hooves off his snout. “She’s a very happy filly.” At Rainbow’s grin, he took a step back, his horn alighting in a silver aura and an image appearing on the wall, a similar diagram as was shown in the lobby.

“This is a normal auditory system,” Doctor Physique explained. A small ripple floated down the canal with a large opening, heading towards a drum-like structure. “When sound enters the auditory canal, it hits the eardrum, which then vibrates these three little bones. The bones then cause tiny filaments in this spiraled organ called the cochlea to rub against its walls, which then sends a signal down the auditory nerve to the brain, where the sound is interpreted.”

As he spoke, the mock soundwave caused the prompted structures and organs to vibrate, giving Rainbow a step-by-step of the system in question. She listened intently and closely, despite having already read about it three times before, and nodded along, the doctor merely confirming what she already knew.

Not that she was gonna tell him that.

Doctor Physique smiled at her understanding, taking a step toward Scootaloo and his horn flaring once more, leveling a calming gaze at Rainbow Dash. “I’m going to cast a medical spell that will allow me to see into her skull enough to see her auditory systems. I’ll look at her right, then her left, then show you both. Okay?”

Rainbow nodded, and told Scootaloo to sit up straight. With the filly patiently waiting, Doctor Physique smiled and peered at Scootaloo’s head, casting his spell.

The guardian waited patiently as the doctor stared for a long moment at the right side of Scootaloo’s head, finally releasing a little interested hum before nodding and moving over to her left, recasting the spell.

Finally, Doctor Physique stood straight once more, stepping back to the wall. A rise and fall of silver, and the cross-sectioned images of Scootaloo’s own head appeared on the wall. Rainbow Dash swallowed the lump forming in her throat at what she saw.

Where the healthy system sported three distinctive bones connecting the eardrum to the cochlea, Scootaloo’s right system had three little white dots. Her left sported a mere, small clump of what was supposed to be said bones. Her cochlea seemed smaller than the healthy system, but she was unable to tell if that was because she was still a filly or not.

Thankfully, the doctor answered her unspoken curiosity. “As you can see here, the most glaring problem is her hammer, anvil, and stapes bones in both ears. From the looks of it, they were unable to develop past a certain point, which seems to have yielded two different results, both of which, simply put, have caused a disconnect between the mechanical and electrical parts of her auditory system, which has left her with her stone deafness.

“That being said, her eardrum and cochlea, while a touch smaller for her age, seem to not sport any openings, and seems to be fully developed, if not slightly smaller than they should be, particularly her cochlea.”

Rainbow nodded curiously. “Do you know how that happened?”

Doctor Physique shook his head. “I do not. The details you described on her file stated you were told they simply stopped developing, which is true, in a sense; but things like this need a trigger to occur. Usually, this kind of developmental deficiency can allude to the involvement of a wide range of things, anywhere from the pony’s gene pool to a freak genetic mutation to environmental factors outside of the pony’s control. Too many things could have happened to bring Scootaloo’s auditory system to this point. But it is useless to speculate on the why. Right now and from here on out, we should focus on the what and if and how we can help her.”

The cyan mare’s heart pounded in her chest, subconsciously leaning on the edge of her seat, her undivided attention on the doctor’s next words. “And…can you help her?”

Doctor Physique smiled patiently. “With her cochlea intact and connected to the auditory nerve…yes. We can help her.”

Rainbow’s breath left her chest in a great huff, and she slumped in her seat, stupefied. Scootaloo, sensing her big sister’s sudden change in posture, whined in worry, twisting around in her lap. “What’s wrong?”

Cyan hooves caught orange. “Nothing’s wrong, Scoots. I’m okay. Everything’s okay, actually, I’m just…happy!”

Unable to give a further explanation without going on a tangent, Rainbow simply scooped up her little sister in a tight hug. Her kisses between the filly’s eyes were met with giggles and happy squeals, Doctor Physique’s own light chuckles joining Scootaloo’s own. “Now, when would you like to schedule the surgery?”

And at once, Rainbow’s heart jumped to her throat. “Oh…uh…I actually…I need to talk to Scootaloo about it first. I…I just wanted to see if this was possible before I brought it up to her, because I didn’t…you know…I didn’t want to get her hopes up if it couldn’t happen, but…now I know it can, so…”

Doctor Physique chuckled in understanding. “Of course. I understand.” He motioned for Rainbow to stand so he could walk her out to the front desk, the mare complying and swinging Scootaloo onto her back, the filly grabbing hold with a little squeal of delight. “You have my office number,” the stallion continued as they began walking, “don’t hesitate to call me if you have any more questions or if Scootaloo wants to move forward with everything. I understand this is a big decision to be made, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. I take it you know the risks? The potential of never being able to hear again? Discomfort and short-term balance issues?”

Rainbow nodded, having read over the risks multiple times from a couple articles Twilight had given her to read. After hearing Twilight’s theoretical risks that ranged all the way to delayed intellectual development (something Rainbow argued Scootaloo technically already had), she felt as if nothing in the way of risks could phase her anymore.

But…to Scootaloo, that may be a different story.

The mare smiled once more as Doctor Physique led her back outside. “Thank you again for coming so far to see Scootaloo. I really appreciate you giving us this opportunity.”

Doctor Physique waved her off. “Oh, it’s not a problem at all. All ponies should be given the opportunity to hear, and Miss Scootaloo is no different.” He smiled pleasantly at her. “I do hope to hear from you soon, Miss Dash. Have a wonderful rest of your day.”

Rainbow wished him the same, and he disappeared in a flash of silver.

Rainbow sat silently in Sugarcube Corner, barely remembering to blink as she watched Scootaloo sway happily as she ate a cupcake—a reward for her good behavior at the doctor’s office. The filly’s muzzle was a mess of chocolate and dotted with sprinkles, much like Rainbow’s thoughts. The parallel made a little huffed laugh escape Rainbow Dash as she imagined poking fun at the filly, the two of them enjoying a fun conversation over their snack, something deemed impossible with their way of communicating presently.

“Whatcha thinkin’ ‘bout, Dashie?” Pinkie Pie’s sudden voice cut through the fog of her thoughts, making her blink away her mental haze.

“Oh, hey Pinks…” Rainbow trailed, having to tear her eyes away from her charge to look at her pink friend. “I, uh… it’s…a little hard to explain…”

Pinkie Pie let out a long, drawn-out hum, sitting next to her friend as she tapped her chin. “Hmmm…is it like that one time when we tried to throw a surprise birthday party for Fluttershy—“

“Pinkie…”

“Only for her to see us with Angel Bunny picking out all her favorite things—“

“Pinkie…”

“And then we made up this story about how Angel needed to go to the vet, but he looked fine to Fluttershy because obviously she knows him best, and we almost had to tell her?“

“PINKIE!!”

The motor-mouthed pink mare giggled. “Now that was hard to explain!”

Rainbow Dash huffed a sigh, the tension leaving her shoulders at once now that the overstimulating timbre of Pinkie’s rant was over. Exasperated, Rainbow took in a slow breath, and began.

She told Pinkie about Twilight’s research, about the meeting they had today. Every detail she could think to divulge, she did. And to her pleasant surprise, Pinkie listened, not interrupting for a moment as Rainbow let out the memories swirling inside her head. With a glance to her filly, who had begun trying to wipe off her hooves by herself, Rainbow spoke her conflicting feelings about the whole matter, too caught up in them to even chuckle at Scootaloo’s adorable concentration.

“So…” she finally finished, “I guess…I’m just trying to decide…if I should tell Scootaloo about it…and let her know that something like this exists. Would it…even be worth it to go through something so life changing just to have the chance of letting her hear?”

Her voice ended timidly, unsure even of her question. With a tiny chuckle, she finally scooped up her messy filly and helped her finish cleaning her hooves. Once the task was complete, Scootaloo’s favorite trick of clapping her hooves over Rainbow’s muzzle sent the two pegasi into a fit of giggles.

The whole time, Pinkie watched Rainbow Dash with an odd expression of seriousness that didn’t quite fit the party pony’s usual cheer. When the cyan mare finally looked at her friend, she found Pinkie staring at her hard, clearly scrutinizing everything she had heard. “What?” Rainbow asked blankly.

Pinkie blinked stupidly, as if having come to an obvious conclusion Rainbow was still unaware of. “What?” Rainbow repeated.

The pink party pony stared hard at Rainbow for one more moment before finally opening her mouth to speak. “Are you seriously thinking about not giving Scootaloo the chance to hear?”

Rainbow blinked, gobsmacked. “You say that like there’s no other way.”

“Well, duh!” Pinkie exclaimed, perking up once again. “You’d have to be crazy to not go through with it. I mean…that’s just…think of all the things she’s missing out on!” Before Rainbow could express her flare of protective anger, Pinkie began listing all the ‘things’ in question.

“There’s laughter, singing, music. The rush of excitement when you hear ponies shouting ‘surprise’! The chants of games—oh! I bet she’d be amazing at Pin the Tail on the Pony! And she’d actually be able to hear Granny Smith’s Nightmare Night story. And all kinds of other stories, too! Not to mention hearing ponies singing to her on her birthday!”

As Pinkie listed each and every point to her argument, Rainbow Dash began to find it easier and easier to agree with her, and soon began nodding along with the ideas, her worries beginning to melt away as she became more and more sure of the decision.

The chime of the cuckoo clock in Sugarcube Corner finally jolted Rainbow Dash out of her thoughts, and she glanced at it, jumping up to her hooves and scooping Scootaloo onto her back. “Sorry, Pinks. I forgot I promised Scoots I’d take her to Fluttershy’s house to help with the first round of hibernation blankets.”

“Ooh!” Pinkie perked up. “Is it that time already?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow chuckled as Scootaloo settled down between her wings. “It’s kinda funny how many animals seem to like her. The last time I went over there, she had hitched a ride on this tortoise named Tank, and Fluttershy said he’d been having a blast just walking around in circles with her on his back. Scoots said she liked the pattern on his shell.”

Pinkie giggled, calling up to Rainbow as she took to the sky. “Well, you two have fun!”

“Hey, ‘Shy!” Rainbow greeted heartily as she landed, Scootaloo sliding off her wing to the ground.

“Hello, Rainbow Dash,” Flutershy returned wispily, her hooves full of felt. “Is Scootaloo ready?”

Rainbow grinned. “She sure is!” With a playful tickle and a scoop, Rainbow situated Scootaloo at the picnic table, Fluttershy placing the little hooves onto the fabric and explaining how to tie the knots at each tassel.

As Scootaloo started on the task, Fluttershy glanced over at Rainbow Dash, stifling a giggle. “Somepony’s happy.”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash snapped up, suddenly feeling a blush rise in her cheeks.

Fluttershy smiled at her oldest friend. “I know that look. What’s happened that’s got you so happy?”

Rainbow blinked, surprised, before she broke out in her own chuckle. “Could never hide much from you, huh, Flutters?”

A grin is all that answered her, the pastel yellow mare taking two layers of felt for herself before passing another pair to Rainbow Dash. “So, what’s got you so excited?”

Working her tassels into gentle knots, Rainbow Dash launched into the same spiel she gave Pinkie Pie, resigning herself to tell the same tale potentially three more times. By the time she was done, she was halfway through her own blanket, and Fluttershy was peeking at her from behind her mane with an oddly unreadable expression.

“What is it?” Rainbow inquired.

Fluttershy’s brow furrowed. “So…you really think it’s a good idea to give Scootaloo hearing?”

“Uh…yeah? If she says yes.” Rainbow’s smile faltered, and she glanced to the side, unsure of what Fluttershy was getting at. “Don’t…don’t you?”

The blanket Fluttershy was working on lands softly in her lap as her hooves drop. “Um…no.”

Crimson eyes widen at the blunt answer. “No…? Why?”

Fluttershy lets out a breath through her nose, thinking over how to phrase her next words. “Well…it would be against her nature, wouldn’t it?”

Rainbow felt as if a block had lodged itself in her brain. “Uh…what?”

A small hum escaped Fluttershy, and the pegasus looked around, finally perking up as she reached for a little pink creature bundled in older blankets, holding it gently out to Rainbow Dash, the speedster suddenly finding her vision full of the wrinkly, buck-toothed face of a naked mole rat.

“Take Molly, for instance,” Fluttershy began explaining. “She doesn’t have very good eyesight, and has to rely on her other senses to get around, just like Scootaloo.”

Rainbow stared at the squinty-eyed creature for a moment, finally looking back up to Fluttershy. “Um, okay, but…what does that have to do with Scootaloo?”

Fluttershy tucked Molly the naked mole rat back into her blanket, the hairless creature snuggling back into its blanket. “If you gave Molly better eyesight, it would completely change the nature of who she is as a creature. She wouldn’t need to rely on her other senses anymore, and she wouldn’t need to burrow for safety anymore, either. Everything that makes her a naked mole rat wouldn’t matter anymore, or everything else she’s worked so hard to establish over her whole life. She would have to change so much about herself, that she just wouldn’t be the same. And since it would be completely against what makes a naked mole rat a naked mole rat…she would no longer be how she was…well, meant to be.”

Rainbow fell silent, the logic hitting her harder than she thought it would. Her eyes fell as her mind scrambled for a thought, any kind of argument that she could use to make Fluttershy see and be on her side. “But…Scootaloo’s a pony. It’s not…against pony nature to see or hear.”

“I know, but…well, it’s not my nature to fly fast; and it’s not your nature to care for animals all day. It’s more individual for ponies, but it still applies.”

The speedster looked down once more at the blanket in her lap, brought to silence once again. A yellow hoof touched her own, bringing her crimson eyes back to Fluttershy’s cerulean, the demure mare speaking once again.

“I’m just saying that you shouldn’t go into this without considering Scootaloo’s feelings. She’s known one way of life ever since she was born. It’s easy to say she’s missing something when you have what she doesn’t; but if you were to ask her, I’m sure she’d say she has everything she needs right here, and that she doesn’t need to hear.”

Rainbow smiled softly at Fluttershy, nodding quietly. “But…what if she wants it?”

Fluttershy grinned. “Then she wants it. But if she doesn’t, well…now you have a better understanding of why.”

A chuckle escaped the cyan pegasus. “Yeah, that’s true.” She offered a little smile to her friend, beginning to tie her blanket tassels again. “Thanks, ‘Shy.”

“No problem, Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy giggled as Scootaloo gave a little call, holding up her first completed blanket for Fluttershy to take, the mare replacing it with another for the filly to start on, which she did with gusto, keeping her head as still as possible to avoid annoying the birds settling down for a nap in her mane.

Rainbow carefully reached over and plucked out the last of several feathers she had found in Scootaloo’s mane since they had been home, the filly obliviously working on the next book in the Daring Do series as she sat in Rainbow’s lap, the mare holding her own copy of the same book over Scootaloo. The two had recently found solace in their own way of “reading” together, and enjoyed simply sitting together and reading the same story simultaneously. Even if this was Rainbow’s fifth time reading this tome in particular.

Not that she could even focus on it if she wanted to. Pinkie’s and Fluttershy’s words swirled together in her mind, creating an argument of disputing ideas all with the same idea in mind: Scootaloo’s happiness in the face of this new and life-changing opportunity.

With a sigh, she finally admitted defeat over her internal battle, remembering the one pony whose opinion actually mattered in this dilemma had yet to be asked. With a twisting in her gut, Rainbow Dash leaned down to nuzzle Scootaloo’s mane, their signal that she wanted to talk.

Scootaloo reached the end of her paragraph, then obediently placed her bookmark and closed the book, her cloudy eyes blinking up in a curious smile at Rainbow.

With a nervous smile, Rainbow passed a hoof through Scootaloo’s lengthening mane, beginning to droop at the back of her neck, and lifted her up to turn her around and face her, taking a hoof. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Scootaloo’s head tilted cutely as her eyes flitted back and forth. “Okay, what is it?”

Rainbow hesitated, unsure how to open Scootaloo up to the conversation. With a lump in her throat, she began: “Mind if I ask a hypothetical question?”

Scootaloo nodded, giving a quizzical little hum.

“If you had the chance to hear, would you take it?”

The question made Scootaloo’s eyes widen. The filly sat there for a moment in quiet contemplation. She nodded a bit to herself, humming softly, and finally reached for Rainbow’s hoof.

“Yes. I’d want to hear your voice, and Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle, and everypony. I’d want to know what music is, and I’d want to learn how to talk and sing.” Scootaloo paused, as if imagining being able to hear all that she had described. With a smile, she added, “But I don’t need to hear. I can recognize you and all our friends just fine, and even though I don’t know how to talk, I don’t need to speak.”

Rainbow Dash smiled, tears welling in her eyes. She scooped up Scootaloo, nuzzling her and tapping out, “Do you have any idea how awesome you are?”

Scootaloo giggled, hugging Rainbow Dash. “I should hope so, since you’re the pony that adopted me.”

The two sisters held each other close, their shared laughter pleasantly filling the space around them for a moment before Scootaloo let her thoughts get the better of her, and she tapped on Rainbow’s chest, “Why do you ask? I feel like that’s an important question.”

A sigh whistled out of Rainbow’s nose. She pulled her little sister away from her, holding her gently in her lap. “Yeah, actually…it is pretty important.”

Scootaloo’s heart began to pick up pace, her smile turning nervous, altogether wanting and not wanting to know the reason behind the question. “So…what is it?”

Rainbow Dash took a steadying breath as she gently took Scootaloo’s hooves. “Okay, Scoots, here’s the thing…All these appointments we’ve been going to…they were more than just check-ups. I’ve been talking to a doctor Twilight recommended, and…well…there’s something that’s come up over the past few years, and it’s allowed deaf ponies to hear.”

A jolt passed over Scootaloo, the filly’s face blanking in shock. Rainbow Dash ran a hoof through the purple mane and kissed her forehead. “The pony we saw today is the ear doctor that developed it, and he said it would work on you. But I wanted to ask you if you wanted to do it before we did anything.”

The cyan mare fell silent as her filly hesitated. Scootaloo put out a hoof, hesitated, drew it back. The silence, broken only by the soft ticking of the clock, dragged on for minutes, thoughts cantering around and around in Scootaloo’s mind. Finally, her eyes floated up to Rainbow’s forehead. “So…I would actually be able to hear…all that stuff that I want to?”

Unbidden, Rainbow’s eyes began to water, and she nuzzled her sweet filly. “Yeah, Scoots. You’d be able to hear me and your friends. You’d be able to learn how to talk without your hooves. I could read to you, your friends could talk and sing with you. Everything you could possibly want to do, we could.”

When she looked back down to Scootaloo, she found those cloudy lavender eyes welling with tears of their own, Scootaloo’s own thoughts already trying to overwhelm her. Her forehead pressed into Rainbow’s chest, trying to ground herself from her swirling thoughts, both excited for the opportunity and terrified of the possible outcomes. “Can…can I think about it for a little bit?” she finally asked.

Rainbow felt her heart skip over itself, wishing she could help Scootaloo sort her thoughts. “Sure, kiddo. And you don’t have to decide right away. And you can ask whatever you want, I’ve got lots of answers.”

Scootaloo giggled softly, falling silent against her guardian. After a moment of silence from both of them, the little filly gently tapped on Rainbow shoulder: “Can I stay with you tonight?”

She felt Rainbow’s larger hoof rub her withers. “Of course you can, Scoots.” Instead of scooping her little sister onto her back, she held Scootaloo close as the two abandoned their books on the couch and took to the air, Rainbow silently flying up the stairs to her room and settling down in her bed with Scootaloo.

The mare lay quietly, her hoof passing lovingly over Scootaloo’s spine as she waited for the little filly’s thoughts to sort themselves into something askable. Finally, her patience was rewarded as the questions steadily began flowing.

“How many ponies has the doctor helped?” Scootaloo softly tapped.

“A couple hundred. And Twilight even interviewed a few that had it done. One of the ponies that went deaf said it was just like how they heard before, it just took a little while to get used to.”

A caught breath in Scootaloo’s throat indicated her surprise, her heart picking up pace. ‘Just like normal?’ she thought to herself. The answer fueled her curious excitement as her nervousness dictated the next question.

“Will it hurt? How does it…work?”

Rainbow smiled. “You’ll be asleep while it happens, and there will be just a little discomfort afterwards. It’s a surgery that’ll put a probe in your inner ear, and the only thing that’ll show is a little scar right about here.” She lightly traced the toe of her hoof across a spot about an inch behind Scootaloo’s ear. “There’s gonna be something right under your skin right about there, and after you’ve recovered from the surgery, you’ll have these things that’ll sit over your ears like this.” Once again, she traced a little arc hooking over Scootaloo’s ear. “Those will have a microphone and a magnet that connects to the part behind your ear. They’ll work together to let you hear.”

Scootaloo’s throat moved in a thoughtful hum. “So it only works with both parts?”

“Yes,” Rainbow tapped. “You can take off the magnet any time, and everything will go quiet again. So you don’t have to get used to it all at once. We can take this whole thing as slow as you need.”

The little filly pressed against her chest smiled gently, grateful for the unspoken promise. “How will I learn how to talk?”

“After the microphones come in and get set up, I’ll take you to a speech pony who helps other ponies learn how to talk. And we’ll practice at home as much as you want.” She finished her sentence with a kiss to Scootaloo’s mane, earning a giggle from her sweet filly.

Evening turned into night as Rainbow answered every single question Scootaloo had, the guardian refusing to ask for a decision right then and there, simply letting her charge think things through and mull over the information she was given, occasionally nuzzling her to simply let Scootaloo know she was there and she loved her.

Her own racing with anticipation, Rainbow Dash chuckled as Scootaloo eventually fell asleep in the midst of all her thinking. With a little sigh, Rainbow resigned herself to do the same, her heart full of anticipation and hope for her little filly.

Apple Bloom rushed up the ramps of the clubhouse, she and Sweetie Belle gently pulling along Scootaloo, though their friend was already able to climb to the front door without even thinking about it.

At Sweetie’s suggestion of their own modified version of Mark-o Polo, Scootaloo hesitated, her nervous smile cluing the two in on something being wrong with their friend.

“Is everything okay?” Apple Bloom inquired.

Scootaloo gnawed her lip. “Can I ask you something?”

At Apple Bloom’s translation, Sweetie Belle frowned thoughtfully. “Of course! What is it?”

The three sat down, Scootaloo holding her friends’ hooves together and beginning to tap away, telling them what Rainbow Dash had told her the previous night. Unseen by herself, eyes of orange and green widened as they felt her story, their own hearts beginning to race as Scootaloo broke the news to them.

A moment of tactile silence fell between them as she finished, the two fillies unaware she had even stopped for a moment as their little minds reeled.

Scootaloo took their stillness as an opportunity to finally say what had followed her to sleep, and stayed rooted in her mind all morning. As much as she wanted to tell Rainbow about it, this was something that only the two fillies in front of her could be asked.

“So…” she began, her eyes flicking back and forth nervously, “I wanted to ask…What you two thought of it.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were snapped from their excited and racing thoughts by the odd question. “What do you mean?” Sweetie tapped on her shoulder. “This isn’t exactly something we can decide for you.”

A little chuckle escaped Scootaloo, her mouth rising and falling in a little smile before she clarified, “I…I just wanted to know if this would…If you would still want to be friends with me after.”

Two little jaws slackened, the fillies floored to hear such a thing from their best friend. Without even thinking or consulting Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom grabbed Scootaloo’s hoof and tapped out as fast as she could:

“Are you crazy?! Of course we will!”

Scootaloo’s concern left her mind so suddenly, all she felt was the embarrassment of having thought such a thing to begin with. With a sheepish smile, she threw her hooves out, catching her two friends around their necks, the three nuzzling each other fiercely, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle tapping out their excitement and support for their pegasus friend, asking nearly as many questions as Scootaloo had, the deaf-blind filly answering the best she could.

It was afternoon by the time Rainbow Dash landed on the front step of the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ clubhouse. She grinned at hearing three peals of laughter, pushing the door open just enough to peek inside, seeing the fillies happily playing Mark-o Polo.

Scootaloo gave a wordless call, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie gave a hard stomp and a little hop, respectively. The little pegasus’s ears twisted, indicating she had felt the vibrations, and was now deciding which to try and pursue.

With a shout, she ran to Apple Bloom, the earth pony squealing and dodging, mere inches away from Scootaloo’s hoof, leaving both panting with giggles.

Rainbow Dash chuckled, hovering and slipping inside, two fillies looking up at her. She pressed a hoof to her lips, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle giggled to themselves. The latter took a chance and gently bapped Scootaloo’s hoof, the pegasus grinning and taking a few bounding strides toward Sweetie Belle, the unicorn shuffling out of the way with a giggle. Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to give her wings a hard downstroke, the little breeze she created stirring up the paper underneath the filly and brushing her fur.

Scootaloo stopped in surprise, then grinned. Her head panned in the direction the breeze had come from, and she took a couple curious steps toward it. Rainbow Dash hovered gently over her, giving another hard downstroke once she was behind her.

Scootaloo paused, giving an airy chuckle. She hopped, turning herself around, landing in a wide stance as if ready to tackle her adversary, beaming widely.

Rainbow Dash dove to the side while in mid-air, catching herself and giving another hard downstroke over Scootaloo’s left shoulder. The little filly at once turned toward the breeze, giggling. Chuckling herself, Rainbow Dash landed, stepping lightly to the filly. Ducking her head, she touched her nose to Scootaloo’s. She shouted a laugh, throwing her hooves around Rainbow’s head, capturing the mare’s face in her hooves.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle giggled while their friend was scooped up by her big sister. Rainbow Dash nuzzled Scootaloo, tapping out something against her chest. Once Scootaloo nodded happily, she asked Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, “Did you three have fun today?”

“Yep!” Sweetie Belle chirped.

“We figured out what to try next, but we can’t say, ‘cause it’s a surprise!” Apple Bloom declared.

Rainbow smirked. “Oh really?” Before she could get an answer, however, Scootaloo pressed her little hoof to Rainbow’s chest.

“I wanna get the surgery.”

Crimson eyes widened at the sudden declaration, her hooves rendered immobile for a moment in her shock. Finally, she questioned, “Are you sure? What made you decide?”

Scootaloo paused, her beating heart so hard she could feel it jumping in her throat. “I told Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They said it won’t change our friendship, so…I’m okay with getting it now.”

Rainbow blinked, taken aback by the line of thinking she had no hope of trying to understand the journey of, simply once again finding herself grateful for the two best friends of her little sister. With a little smile, she nuzzled Scootaloo’s mane, and kissed her forehead.

If this was all Scootaloo was worried about, then she didn’t exactly have anything to complain about, she decided.

“Okay.”

Author's Note

“My mouth speaks wisdom; my heart’s meditation brings understanding.”
-‭‭Psalms‬ ‭49‬:‭3‬ ‭CSB

‬‬

Hi, everyone!

Sorry it took so long for a new chapter! My last couple blog posts will detail what’s been going on, but I’m finally in a mental state where I can get back on track with the story.:twilightsmile:

Not sponsered:rainbowlaugh: but Headspace and Fabulous have really been carrying me lately behind the scenes.

Shout out to my good friend who’s kept me laughing all throughout. Hope you enjoyed the Pin the Tail reference!:rainbowlaugh:

Next chapter will be up far sooner than this one:twilightsheepish:

Stay tuned! I love you guys!:rainbowkiss::heart:

:trixieshiftleft::trixieshiftright:
Keep an eye out for upcoming readings in the near future.

‘Kay, bye!:twilightsmile:

Chapter 18: Unseen, Heard

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, her pounding heart and twisting stomach fueling her pacing hooves, the motion doing nothing to curb her anxiety as she mentally went over her checklist once again.

‘House lowered and anchored to the ground? Check.

‘Schedule cleared for the next two days? Check.

‘Comfy pillow fort with blankets and books? Check.

‘Her favorite foods and snacks? Check.

‘Pain prescription? Double-check.’

The double door opened, her heart leaping as she saw a doctor walk out, but falling and hammering once again when she only went to the circulation desk. Huffing internally, she forced herself to breathe as she began her pacing once again, reassuring herself of all the right steps that had been taken over the past month.

A second consolation to help Scootaloo begin to mentally prepare for the surgery and give Rainbow time to prepare accommodations.

“Part of the surgery includes magic,” Doctor Physique had said. “This way, we’ll line up the electrode to the exact points of retrieval within her cochlea to make her hearing as close to exact as possible.”

More scheduling.

A preliminary appointment with the speech therapist.

Getting ahead in Scootaloo’s schooling.

A final big day of fun as guardian and charge prepared the Cloudominium to suit the filly’s needs for the next few days.

Two empty stomachs as Rainbow fasted with her filly. One last flight on the way to Canterlot as the two enjoyed the air and shouted out their nervously excited energy.

A filly whose smile—Rainbow had to admit—was far more confident than she was feeling as she was fitted with a band around her fetlock and given a kiss as she was carted away.

Scootaloo’s brave grin lingered in Rainbow’s mind, and she clung to it.

‘Before I know it, she’ll be right out, and we can rest for the rest of the day,’ she reassured herself for the thousandth time.

She didn’t hear the door open again.

“Rainbow Dash?” called out the familiar voice.

A prismatic head whipped around so fast her neck cracked, her adrenaline-fueled heart rate instantly put at ease by the pleased smile on Doctor Physique’s face.

The good doctor motioned her forward and grinned as he reported. “The surgery went wonderfully. No hiccups, no abnormalities. She’s currently in her room for recovery. Once she gains alertness, you can both go home.”

An unnoticed tension released from Rainbow’s chest, leaving her inhaling chest sore. “Thank you,” she wheezed. “Can I…can I go see her?”

Doctor Physique nodded, smiling in understanding and gesturing to a nurse behind him whom Rainbow had not noticed. “Nurse Blue Cross will take you back to her and make sure she’s fit for departure.”

Rainbow nodded, forcing her hooves to stay still, her heart screaming for her to get to Scootaloo as quickly as possible. Doctor Physique trotted past them to the main desk as the Spring pink mare began leading Rainbow Dash down the hall to the room she had left Scootaloo. Rainbow’s building anxiety finally dissipated only when she laid eyes on her precious filly sleeping away the final moments of anesthesia.

The nurse let Rainbow approach her filly and take in the bandage pads situated securely behind Scootaloo’s ears, giving her a moment to see the filly was alright before beginning her post-surgery spiel: “For the first couple days, let her rest as much as she wants. You remember the conditions the doctor put in place? No flying or high altitudes for two weeks while her cochlea heals?” At Rainbow’s affirmative nod, she continued, “Excellent! Don’t forget to change her bandages every two days for the first week, with about an hour or two of airing out in between; and try to keep the stitches covered when her mane is washed.You can sponge the site with a damp cloth, but don’t flood the stitches.”

At Rainbow’s confident nod, the nurse smiled. It was nice when the patient's family didn’t put up a fuss about the recovery requirements. “She’ll be pretty disoriented while she’s waking up. She may feel a little nauseous, but that’s normal. She didn’t eat this morning, so there’s nothing for her to get sick with, so just help her breathe through it. If you want, you can get in the bed with her, but just make sure we can get to her when we need to check on her.

Rainbow gave the nurse a smile. “Cool! Thanks for everything!”

The nurse returned the smile, nodded, and left Rainbow to her filly. Eyes almost refusing to blink as she watched for signs of Scootaloo’s return to the waking world, Rainbow finally decided to join her little sister in the bed, carefully climbing in and laying down beside her and worming her forelegs around her, tucking the little filly’s head under her chin and beginning a gentle pass up and down Scootaloo’s spine.

Thankfully, the reprieve came quickly for the mare, the little pegasus stirring after mere minutes. Rainbow drew her name-sign on Scootaloo’s back, her little sister responding by instantly pressing her face into the soft, comforting chest fur of the older mare.

Scootaloo squirmed a bit as she awoke, a little whine escaping her throat. Her little hoof rubbed Rainbow’s chest as if finding purchase, finally slowly tapping out. “Is it over already?”

An involuntary snort escaped Rainbow’s chest, her sapped adrenaline and shot nerves leaving her feeling numb relief at Scootaloo’s returning alertness. “Yep,” she tapped softly and gently. “It’s all over now. How do you feel?”

A pause from the orange filly, and she answered, “Kinda weird. I…I kinda feel sick.”

Rainbow smiled, pressing a kiss into Scootaloo’s mane. “That’s normal, squirt. Just take some deep breaths. The more you wake up, the more it’ll go away.”

Her filly nodded as she took the first of several deep breaths, relaxing in Rainbow’s hold. “Can we play Daring Do when we get home?”

The cyan mare couldn’t stop her grin at her filly’s simple request, giving the easy affirmative answer, what would be the first of many over the next couple weeks.

Rainbow checked over the stitches once again, the nicely-healing surgical sites showing not a sign of infection or agitation, much to her immense relief. She painstakingly sponged over the stitches, Scootaloo showing no signs of pain despite being off her meds for two days now.

With a careful pat dry, Rainbow let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, her tense shoulders relaxing as she landed, Scootaloo so engrossed in her book she was unaware of the uptightness of her guardian.

The mare glanced at the letter on the table. With her fitting just days away, she had received a letter from Doctor Physique asking about preferences for the outer parts of the implants.

Gently grabbing Scootaloo’s attention, she explained its contents:

“The doctor wants to know what color you want your processors and transmitters to be.”

Scootaloo perked up at this, not knowing she had a choice. A little thoughtful hum escaped her throat. “I don’t really care what they look like. I won’t be able to see them, anyway.”

The two pegasi shared a laugh at the joke, before Rainbow clarified, “I think he’s just asking if you want it to be the same color as your fur or your mane so it’ll blend in better. Or you can keep it at its standard color if you don’t want it to blend in.”

Another hum rose from the little pegasus as she thought over her options. “What do you think would look cool?”

Rainbow blinked, honestly not expecting the requested advice. She looked down at Scootaloo’s colors, the orange and purple that already contrasted pretty well together. She imagined the processors being orange on the filly, and her muzzle scrunched up, thinking the placement would be awkward with her coat color bleeding too far into her mane. She thought of the opposite, and ran into the same argument, finding the idea of plastic mane stuck to Scootaloo’s ears a bit strange.

But that’s just what would blend in. And neither, in Rainbow’s not-so-humble opinion, were cool.

It only took a moment of thought for Rainbow to decide.

“I think you should go with black,” Rainbow answered. “It’ll look cool with your fur and mane and pop from both of them. It’ll be more showy, but I think showy is cool. Especially in this case.”

Scootaloo nodded in agreement. “Yeah! I don’t wanna hide them! They’re gonna be part of me now, I wanna show them off!”

Rainbow grinned, pulling her filly into a hug. “I was thinking the same thing, Scoots. You’re gonna be the coolest-looking filly since I was your age!” She kissed Scootaloo’s temple, the filly giggling madly before she clapped her hooves over Rainbow’s muzzle, babbling against her nose.

A loud, heavy heartbeat was all Rainbow could hear as the technician affixed the magnetic transmitters to Scootaloo’s head, the small black discs sticking into place where the receivers rested just underneath Scootaloo’s skin. The stallion gently looped the black processors over Scootaloo’s ears, the filly desperately trying to keep her hooves still as she itched to touch the new things on her ears.

“Alright, first things first,” the technician said in a quiet, pleasant voice, “we need to calibrate the processors. This is done by playing a few drones in different directions. It’ll be fairly quiet to us, but they will be played directly into the processors on one side or the other in various frequencies. If they are working correctly, we’ll see Scootaloo respond to the noises by looking in the direction it sounds like they’re coming from. She won’t actually be hearing anything, this is just to ensure the system is completely connected.”

Rainbow’s heart leapt to her throat, and she could only nod as she held her breath. Thankfully, the technician seemed to understand her shocked quiet, and simply returned the nod as he began working, Rainbow finally gaining the presence of mind to tell Scootaloo what was about to happen.

With mare and filly as ready as they could be, the calibration began. The prismatic guardian almost couldn’t breathe as she stared at Scootaloo. The filly’s ear flicked, and she blinked in surprise as she instinctively looked to her right, Rainbow not even aware a tone had played until Scootaloo responded to it quicker than herself.

It was only then her breath began to move again. The calibration was working.

Her tense muscles slowly began to relax as she watched Scootaloo respond to every droned note, the filly herself beginning to look more and more excited as she ‘looked’ at each stimulus.

The technician chuckled at the happy little noise the filly made after the eighth and final tone, grinning at the mare. “Alright, that’s all the calibration stimuli. Now we can turn them on for real.”

Rainbow gawked at the stallion. “F…For real?”

He nodded patiently, his own excitement building. He had decided a very long time ago that no matter how many times he saw this, it would never get old. “I’m going to turn them on at their lowest volume so she won’t get overwhelmed, then we’ll turn the volume up to a more comfortable level.”

The mare could only nod as she swallowed the anticipatory lump in her throat, only able to wait as the wires connecting Scootaloo to the computer swayed lazily, the technician tapping a few more buttons.

“Alright,” he said at last. “Just a few more seconds, and the microphones will be on,” he said.

A final click, and he smiled at Rainbow Dash. She waited for him to say they were on, but he stayed silent.

Instead, her confirmation came from a change in Scootaloo. The little filly suddenly sat up straight, her ears rotating as her jaw went slack. Rainbow’s heart leapt to her throat as she looked at Scootaloo’s face, the shock apparent even with seemingly no noise happening.

Throat nearly closing from her rising emotions, Rainbow ran a comforting hoof down Scootaloo’s back, Scootaloo’s breath catching and her ears twisting behind her.

‘She can…she can hear my hoof brushing through her fur…’ Rainbow realized, tears welling in her eyes.

Her own breath caught right past her lips, and she breathed:

“Scootaloo?”

At once, her little sister responded. A tiny gasp escaped the little filly as her face whipped up to Rainbow’s. In the next second, that same little face was buried in Rainbow’s chest, Scootaloo’s voice coming out in gasps and tiny sobs.

Rainbow didn’t even remember hugging her little sister, finding her lips pressing kiss after kiss into her filly’s mane, her world a blur of purple as her tears leaked from her eyes onto Scootaloo’s head.

Sounds she had never heard before rose from Scootaloo’s throat, the little pegasus’s untrained voice letting out sobbing giggles and surprised little gasps.

Scootaloo paused in Rainbow’s hold, a giggle bubbling past her lips before she fell silent again, then made a small calling noise.

Before Rainbow could think to ask about the noises, Scootaloo’s hoof once again found her chest.

“Is that my voice?”

The tears that had squeezed from mere cracks in Rainbow’s emotional dam were suddenly joined by the river of the sudden release of the building pressure, Scootaloo’s question obliterating the remaining foundations.

Scootaloo felt her big sister’s chest jump with a sound she couldn’t name. It was the same ring as what she was beginning to learn was Rainbow’s voice, but it…didn’t seem clear. It stopped, then came out suddenly, then quieted before beginning all over again.

She didn’t know what to think, what to do. Her question forgotten, she could only let her sister clutch her to her chest, the sound stirring Scootaloo’s own emotions within her. Something deep inside her soul wanted to make the sound stop, yet another part of her couldn’t help but smile because of it.

She wanted to learn it all. She wanted to name this sound coming from her sister. She wanted to…she wanted to…

Before she even realized her own building emotional pressure, a similar sound broke free from her throat, a sudden tap of sound that preceded her gushing tears. With a start, she realized exactly what that heart-tugging, beautiful sound was.

She could hear her big sister crying.

The technician sat back at his desk, giving the two pegasi a moment to let the life-changing moment sink in. He had all the time in the world to wait, the memory ingraining itself into his brain and earning a spot next to all the joyful, tearful moments that had preceded it.

He watched as the filly giggled, forever grateful that he got to witness the little thing discover her own laughter, as well as that of her sister’s, the orange filly shouting and bouncing happily in her guardian’s lap as she seemed to be begging her sister to make more and more sounds, judging by the chuckles and giggles from the both of them that were slowly turning into mix of uncontrollable laughter and tears.

The moment finally ended with the two holding each other close, the emotions of the moment finally tapped for the time being. He smiled at them, and began the process of turning up the volume, asking Scootaloo where she was most comfortable.

Many tears were shed that same day as Scootaloo was brought around to all of their friends, her grandparents even coming by to spend the day with their daughter and granddaughter.

Rainbow hugged the filly to her chest as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle spoke to her, Scootaloo getting so caught up in the new sounds and timbres she almost didn’t feel Rainbow’s hoof translating for her, the little pegasus unable to understand the words being spoken.

“Deyoo-oh-ool!” said one bright voice. “They look so cool!”

“Thanks!” replied Scootaloo, her voice ringing out, “Bah!”

“Duuya-ohwah-m-sain?” said the other, higher voice. “Do you know what I’m saying?”

Before Scootaloo could reply, Rainbow’s voice spoke from over her head. “Nahye. Spo-n-worzerlie-anoolaynwegefu-ur. Sheedoznohwayursain-ye.” Scootaloo felt her ears strain to try and make sense of what she was hearing, only for relief to finally come with Rainbow’s hoof. “Not yet. Spoken words are like a new language for her. She doesn’t know what you’re saying yet.”

Rainbow smiled as Scootaloo relaxed, not having a clue what her little filly was hearing; but knowing it couldn’t be discernible. A little smile found her face, more than ready to help her filly through this next big phase in her life, and almost too excited for her own good to get to experience it firsthoof.

“We’ll be going to a speech therapist in a couple days so she can learn,” she explained to their friends and family, translating for Scootaloo. “I don’t know how quick she’ll catch on, so please be patient with her, everypony.”

At their collective smiles and nods, Rainbow felt a weight lift off her shoulders, grinning as she was offered help from everypony in the room.

With so many voices coming by, Rainbow wasn’t too surprised when Scootaloo began squirming uncomfortably, pressing harder into Rainbow’s chest.

Rainbow gave a little hum, excusing the two of them and carrying Scootaloo outside, where it was much quieter than in the fairly noisy Sugarcube Corner. “You okay, squirt?”

Scootaloo nodded, beginning to calm down a bit. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong. It’s like…my brain started feeling fuzzy.”

The mare smiled sympathetically, having been warned about too much at one time for the little filly causing overstimulation. She nuzzled her sweetly to give her something to ground herself. “It’s okay, Scoots. That’s normal for now. It won’t happen as much as you start getting used to it. But for now, you can take as many breaks as you want. You wanna go ears-off for a little bit?”

After a moment of thought, Scootaloo gave a sheepish nod, reaching up and carefully tugging off the transmitters, plunging herself into sweet, comfortingly familiar silence.

Immediately, Rainbow could see a change, Scootaloo relaxing completely as she gave her brain a break. With a kiss between Scootaloo’s eyes, Rainbow gently took the processors off Scootaloo’s ears and placed them in a zippable case around her own neck. Stopping down and letting Scootaloo clamber onto her back, the two headed back inside to continue the party.

Two pegasi sat patiently on a cushy sofa, the speech therapist getting the final pieces of paperwork in order. All the while Scootaloo’s excited ears flicked at every shuffling paper, wordlessly calling back to a thoughtful hum that rose from the therapist.

The gray unicorn, Gentle Word, couldn’t help but laugh at that. “My, somepony’s excited.”

As Rainbow translated with a grin, she replied, “Yeah, Scoot’s been trying to talk back to all the sounds she hears. You have no idea how excited she was when she heard the wind for the first time.”

Gentle chuckled. “That’s a good sign! Some foals who gain their hearing have a bit of difficulty adjusting. How often does she take a break from hearing?”

“Most of the day, for now,” Rainbow answered. “I haven’t been forcing her to wear them all the time. Heck, at one point, she took a whole day off.”

The speech therapist nodded, giving Rainbow a gentle, approving smile. “That’s perfectly fine. Getting used to a new sense is very hard work. Most ponies don’t tend to think about the fact that they went their entire lives learning how to get used to sound, so we shouldn’t expect those who haven’t had it all their lives to get used to it immediately.”

With a smile from Rainbow Dash, Gentle explained, “Now, for today and the next few sessions, I would like you to make sure you’re here for them so you can see what we go over. She’ll learn here, but she’ll need to practice the basics we learn today as much as possible, which is where you come in. It won’t be too hard to practice at home, and I recommend speaking to her as much as possible so she can get used to the way words sound. That way, she can start piecing words together. When you do speak to her, of course, use EHS to translate your words so she can understand their meaning. It’ll be a lot of work, but simply bridging the gap between words and their meanings and how they sound will be a lot easier to learn with as much practical use as possible.”

Rainbow nodded in compliance, unable to hold back a chuckle as Scootaloo completely disregarded the conversation happening right in front of her in favor of making as many long and drawn out noises as she could, the filly seemingly in love with the sound of her own voice.

Gentle Word chuckled. “I suppose we should take that as our cue to begin.” She took the spot next to Rainbow, the mare turning so her noisy filly could be better reached. The therapist took Scootaloo’s hooves as she told Rainbow Dash she could keep holding Scootaloo, introducing herself once again.

At Scootaloo’s excited hoofshake, she giggled. “We’re going to begin learning how to repeat sounds today, okay? I’ll coach you on how to move your mouth and throat to match the basic sounds that make up words. Sound good?”

Scootaloo nodded excitedly, clearly holding back her voice–as much as she could, seeing as it came out in little squeaks. Gentle smiled, opening her mouth and letting out a clear, practiced, “Ahh…”

Immediately, Scootaloo tried her best to copy the sound. “Bwaaaaahh-buh-buh-buh…”

Patiently, Gentle chuckled, Rainbow’s heart soaring and melting at her filly’s efforts.

“Almost. There’s no need to use your lips with this sound. Just open your mouth, relax your throat, and let the sound come out gently.”

Scootaloo nodded in thought, taking a moment to let the instructions sink in as she suddenly became more aware of her mouth and throat than she ever had. Her head raised a little bit, and she opened her mouth, letting her jaw and throat muscles relax before she took a little breath.

“Ahhh!”

Gentle beamed. “Excellent job! Now this next sound will use your jaw and tongue a bit. Listen to me first, okay?” At Scootaloo’s nod, she quietly cleared her throat. “Eee…”

Rainbow watched as Gentle Word tapped out an explanation on Scootaloo’s foreleg, her own thoughts working through how the sound was made, with a raise of the jaw and the tongue pressing to the roof of the mouth just enough to make the sound possible.

It finally began to sink in just how much work was ahead for her little sister.

And it only made her even more proud.

“Eeee!”

Her mind was snatched from her thoughts as Scootaloo claimed victory over the second sound, the filly celebrating with a happy hop in Rainbow’s lap and clapping her hooves together.

The sight made Rainbow’s breath catch in her throat as it suddenly crashed down on her. The very thing she had thought to be impossible was happening right in front of her eyes.

Scootaloo was learning how to talk.

At once, all her daydreams of being able to playfully banter with her filly came rushing back. Talking over meals. Reading aloud to her. Singing her lullabies. Calling out to her friends.

Rainbow Dash calling out to Scootaloo.

Scootaloo calling out to her.

It was all possible now.

A gentle yellow aura caught her eye, finally just noticing the tears pouring down her face as Gentle Word offered a warm, sympathetic smile, her magic holding out a box of tissues to the guardian as she began to explain the next sound to Scootaloo.

Two weeks later, Rainbow Dash arrived at the speech therapist’s office, Scootaloo excitedly shifting on her back. Once there, she sat her sister on the familiar couch, entrusting her to the therapist for the next hour.

“I’ll see you in a little bit, Scoots,” she tapped. “I have something quick to do in Ponyville, then I’ll be right back before the hour’s up to get you, okay?”

Scootaloo grinned, nodding and reaching for a hug from her sister. “Otay! Bye-bye!”

Not for the last time, Rainbow’s eyes welled with tears, unable to describe her pride and joy she held in her sweet filly’s progress. Finally able to let go, Rainbow looked to Gentle Word. “Thanks again! Sorry I can’t stick around today.”

Just like she had a couple days ago at the last session, Gentle Word waved her off. “Not a problem! Sometimes it’s good for guardians to not be present during the appointments. I’ll let you know of any problems that come up, and give you a full report.”

Rainbow grinned thankfully. “Sweet! Thanks again!” She ruffled Scootaloo’s mane, nuzzling her nose against her own. “Bye-bye, Scoots.”

“Bye-bye!”

Scootaloo listened as her sister’s hooves stepped away, the familiar click of the closing door preceding the usual momentary silence. After a ‘shf’ of papers, the couch she sat under rose a bit as Gentle Word sat down on the other side, and she felt the familiar hoof take her own.

“The plan is to continue building our words from last time. Does that sound good?”

Scootaloo gnawed her lip, a desire that had been building ever since her first session crying to be let out, mental hooves and voices all demanding to be felt and heard as she once again toyed with the request.

After all, with Rainbow Dash gone…now couldn’t have been a better opportunity.

“Actually,” Scootaloo finally tapped, “can we do something else today?”

The speech therapist looked curiously at the filly. “That depends on what you want to do.”

Scootaloo gave a little hum, her hoof moving as she told the speech therapist what was on her mind.

The mare’s eyes widened, her face at once softening in a warm smile. “I think we can do that.”

Scootaloo beamed. “Yay!”

Rainbow Dash trotted into the office an hour later, right on time. “I’m here to pick up Scootaloo,” she told the attendant at the window.

Smiling, the lanky stallion nodded and stood, leading her to the back door and down the hall and to the cracked-open door.

Rainbow Dash grinned when she heard Scootaloo’s laughter, the attendant saying something she couldn’t make out. She nodded her thanks to the stallion, peeking into the room. The speech therapist smiled up at her, staying quiet as she motioned the mare in.

Gingerly, she stepped inside, careful to make her hooffalls as silent as possible as she approached Scootaloo, coming right in front of the filly and touching her nose to her filly’s.

Scootaloo blinked, before recognition surged through her, and she threw out her hooves, snatching Rainbow’s head before she could think of getting away and rubbing her nose against her big sister’s, much to the mare’s delight.

“Hey, Scoots,” Rainbow Dash chuckled.

Humming a laugh, Scootaloo returned the greeting with a nuzzle to Rainbow’s forehead and an echoed, “Hey!”

“She’s been working hard today,” the speech therapist informed happily.

“Oh, really?” Rainbow Dash questioned slyly, peeling Scootaloo off her face. “Show me whatcha got, squirt.”

The speech therapist tapped her hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder, and the little filly beamed. She held her head high, and her voice rang out:

“Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow’s heart nearly stopped, her breath catching in her throat. Scootaloo sat in front of her, giggling all the while as if she could see her guardian’s astounded face.

Smiling through welling tears, Rainbow Dash scooped up the filly and pulled her close. “That was perfect!” she praised, tapping out the sentence once she said it.

Scootaloo giggled, pressing her head into Rainbow’s chest. “Rainbow Dash!” she repeated happily.

Her joy bleeding through as uncontrollable laughter, Rainbow Dash could only squeeze her filly tight and breathe, “Scootaloo…”

“S…ss…” Scootaloo began trying to echo, “S-st…Stoo-a…Stooda-doo!”

Rainbow couldn’t stop the snort from escaping her nose, Scootaloo’s struggles with hard consonants showing through when trying to say her own name. Though it was hard for the filly, one couldn’t deny the adorableness produced by the effort.

“You’re getting a lot closer!” Rainbow praised. “We’ll work on it at home, okay?”

Scootaloo smiled up sheepishly at her guardian, silently agreeing. “Rainbow!”

Once again, Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat, the world seeming to fall away as her little filly said her name with perfect clarity. In that very moment, Rainbow decided she would forever be content so long as she could hear her precious little sister speak her name.

Her heart full, her mind hardly registering her surroundings, Rainbow thanked Gentle Word, and carried her sister away into the afternoon sky.

Author's Note

"I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete."
- John 15:11, CSB

Hello, everyone!:heart:

Here's Chapter 18!:pinkiehappy:

:twilightsheepish: I've been super excited to get this one out to you guys. We're about to head into some of my favorite scenes for this story (not counting this chapter, of course:rainbowlaugh:)

I did want to clarify something just to give a bit of worldbuilding that I was unable to say in the chapter itself:

Computers in this world are seen as medical technology and are not readily available to the public. In terms of science and magic, they are able to run on a combination of magical energy that combines well with the technology, making them equipment that can be very fragile and particular, hence why they are not mass produced for public consumption. And depending on what they are designed to do determines the ratio of magic to technology, which in turn becomes something that must be very carefully and precisely constructed.

Scootaloo's cochlear implants are a bit like this. The nodes have a combination of electrodes and fine crystals incorporated into the technology. The crystals respond to Scootaloo's physical magic, which is what helped the doctors place the electrodes precisely where they needed to be, and can later help doctors ensure that they haven't moved. Everything else is technology-based.:twilightsmile:

Please let me know if you guys have any questions, I'm more than happy to answer them. It's a bit difficult to get out all my logic out into a single chapter, so I'm happy to explain how things work in this universe.:twilightsmile:

See you guys real soon for Chapter 19! We're finally gonna be moving forward in the show timeline!:rainbowlaugh:

Chapter 19: Air Vibrations

Seven sessions had passed since the fateful day Scootaloo learned her guardian’s name, the filly now proudly able to piece together spoken sentences. Following the therapist’s instructions, Rainbow Dash patiently helped the filly incorporate EHS into the new vocabulary, making the transition from tactile to spoken Equestrian just a bit easier for the little pegasus.

Scootaloo had quickly lost track of new favorite sounds. First was the wind, then birdsong, then Rainbow’s voice, then rain and softly rolling thunder. Just when she thought there were no more new noises to learn, it seemed twenty more decided to make themselves known with the sole purpose of proving her wrong.

Rainbow was always more than happy to explain what a new sound was to her charge. She fondly remembered the afternoon spent at Fluttershy’s house as birds one after the other sang for the filly they had grown to love almost as much as their caretaker, Fluttershy helping explain each bird’s voice and the rhythms of their songs.

That very same evening, she and Scootaloo had come across a small group of string players, Octavia leading the quintet as they advertised their next show. Rainbow Dash would not soon forget the look of pure, untapped wonder on her precious little sister’s face as she was given a proper introduction to music, her hooves and ears jumping and flicking as if the filly were trying to find the lines of noise in the air so to touch them and better examine them in a way she could understand.

Both mare and filly could not be more thankful to their friends for helping them during the transitionary period for the both of them. Rainbow was especially surprised at Pinkie’s self-control over the past several weeks, letting Scootaloo take things at her own pace instead of accidentally flooding the filly with new sounds that would inevitably overwhelm her.

To Rainbow’s pleasant surprise, her parents were actually very helpful in the matter of helping Scootaloo learn spoken Equestrian, letting Rainbow go over the notes from the therapist with them before they spent time foalsitting while Rainbow was away with work. By the time she came home, they had made an impromptu lesson out of baking cookies.

“Now for the sugar,” Bow Hothoof had said, Rainbow just hearing him as she stepped into the living room after a long day of weather work.

“S…suh…suh-gar!”

Her father’s chuckle pulled a smile to her face. “Almost, sweetie. Use your teeth. Sugar.”

“Teeth!” echoed Scootaloo, a moment passing before she tried again. “Ss…sh…sh-sugar!”

“Great job!” Her mother praised. “Now we add the chocolate chips.”

Scootaloo giggled as the ‘clink’ of the morsels hit the bowl. “Sho-late Ships!”

Rainbow couldn’t help her quiet snort, her mother’s kind giggle answering the filly. “So close! Just add your tongue.”

“Tongue!” Scootaloo repeated. Rainbow strained her ears for the improved words. “Sh–ch…sh–ch-choc-late…chips!”

Windy Whistles gave a little cheer, and Rainbow could see her mother swoop through the kitchen with Scootaloo in her hooves, nuzzling her nose. “Best pronouncer ever!”

Even the youngest of their friends tried their hardest to be as helpful as possible when it came to re-educating the little pegasus. Though they were asked multiple times to take things slow for the filly, one could not deny their enthusiasm in the matter.

Such thoughts only served to make Rainbow sigh as she dropped off her little sister at the regular clubhouse hangout. “Remember,” she reminded Scootaloo as the filly hopped to the ground with a little squeal, “it’s okay to ask to them to slow down,” she finished with her hoof on Scootaloo’s chest.

Scootaloo giggled, “Okay, Rainbow!” Her hoof tapped the ground, a habit the filly had gotten into when working out her next word or sentence. “Slow down, please,” she practiced.

Rainbow scooped her little filly into a hug, nuzzling her in praise. “That’s right! Good job, Scoots!” Her hoof found Scootaloo’s withers. “Now, I won’t be too long, okay? Just gotta finish up some plans for the coming season, okay?”

“Okay! Good luh-ck!” Scootaloo shouted, instantly regretting it as her ears folded, remembering for the umpteenth time that her voice was the closest thing to her microphones, and therefore the loudest.

With a sympathetic little smile, Rainbow ruffled Scootaloo’s mane, planted a kiss on her forehead, and placed Scootaloo’s hoof on the clubhouse ramp, calling out, “See ya later!” as she once again surrounded herself with atmosphere.

Scootaloo barely had to think about the steps up the ramp, the muscle memory so ingrained that her friends and sister no longer needed to guide her, and she was delighted to be met with her current favorite sound of laughter as she pushed open the door.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked up in delight, pulling their friend inside. “We wanna show you something!” Sweetie Belle declared excitedly.

It took a moment for Scootaloo to process the sentence. “Hm?” she asked, wanting a repeat of the question.

Unfortunately, sich intentions were lost as two pairs of hooves guided her over, and Scootaloo heard the sound of flipping pages, followed by a beat of silence before the giggling began anew.

Finally, her patient silence was rewarded.

“What fruit do twins like best?” Apple Bloom asked slowly.

Scootaloo tilted her head at the strange question. Her eyes flicked back and forth as she thought, her hoof idly tapping the ground. “Say…again?”

Apple Bloom put her hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder, spelling out the words as she asked them again. “What…fruit…do…twins…like…best?”

Scootaloo’s brow furrowed. “What?” Her tone, still a little flat, gave no indication of whether she was asking out of curiosity, or of confusion.

Apple Bloom snickered to herself. “Pears!”

At once, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle burst into giggles, leaving Scootaloo stumped. She frowned in confusion, questioning, “Why ah…are…y-you…laugh—laugh-ing?”

Doing their best to quench their giggles, Sweetie Belle joined Apple Bloom as the earth pony began to explain. “‘Pear’, the fruit, sounds like ‘pair’, which means ‘two’. Twins are a ‘pair’, but the fruit is ‘pear’.”

Sweetie Belle picked up, “It’s a pun, which is a type of joke that plays around with how words sound.”

Scootaloo’s eyes flicked about as she thought. Finally, she requested of Sweetie Belle: “Say ‘pair’.”

“Pair.”

The little pegasus’s head tilted. “Say ‘pear’.”

“Pear.”

Scootaloo’s eyebrows shot up as she heard no difference between the two words, even though there was a clear distinction between their vowels.

Slowly, she pieced together, “So…the joke is…you say one thing, which sounds like both…which is both a good answer, and a joke…because ‘twins’?”

“Uh…kinda,” Sweetie Belle smiled sheepishly, unsure of how to better explain. “Let’s try another one.” She nodded to Apple Bloom, who picked up:

“What kind of cake do ghosts like?”

Scootaloo hesitated, tapping the floor a moment before nodding as she caught the whole question. “What?” she asked curiously.

“I-Scream Cake!”

Sweetie Belle spelt out the answer on Scootaloo’s foreleg. “See?”

Scootaloo hesitated again, then sat as she thought. She spelt out the answer to herself on the floor, then said it to herself.

“Ice cream…I-Scream.” Her eyes jittered a bit, until finally something clicked.

Her face broke out in a grin. “I-Scream!”

“Yes!” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exclaimed at the same time.

A bark of laughter flew from Scootaloo, morphing into a fit of giggles as Sweetie Belle chose another.

“Okay, okay,” the little unicorn said, Scootaloo stifling her giggles enough to hear, “I spent all night wondering where the sun went…then it dawned on me.”

Apple Bloom snorted, Sweetie Belle stifling a giggle. Scootaloo gasped, “Dawn!” before letting out a peel of laughter, tipping backwards from her mirth.

“Do! Uh…” Scootaloo frowned to herself, rolling onto her stomach. She tapped the floor, slowly spelling out a word. “Uh…nuh…ther. Do…uh-n…uh-nuh…th-er.” She hummed to herself, her mouth moving as she silently pieced the large word together.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle waited patiently, excitedly glancing at each other as Scootaloo figured out the word they could already tell she was trying to say. They scanned the book for the next puns, already giggling internally at the laughter they knew was coming.

“Another!” Scootaloo perked up. “Do another, please!”

Armed with a hoof-full of jokes, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shared with Scootaloo what would become her new favorite part of the spoken word, their friend laughing so hard they would think their cutie marks had shown up to reveal special talents as comedians. The disappointment of denial would wear off quickly, however, as they whiled the day away sharing in the simple joy of a good joke book.

One week later…

Screams erupted through the halls of Canterlot, Rainbow grabbing her little sister and pulling her away from the fiery ring of green magic, her mind barely able to keep up with what was happening.

What had started as a beautiful morning for a wedding–made all the sweeter as she watched Scootaloo prance down the aisle with her best friends and fellow flower fillies, her direction guided by Rarity’s magic on her hoof–had very quickly turned into the very thing she had sworn she would never let happen.

Scootaloo being in the middle of an Element of Harmony problem.

The little filly’s ears rotated wildly as she tried to keep up with the fast words and strange sound around her, Rainbow almost too shocked to explain what was happening as Queen Chrysalis revealed herself to the throne room audience.

Her hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder suddenly stopped as she looked up, hovering out of the way of Princess Celestia, who rose in the air and fired a bright beam of golden magic toward her adversary.

Scootaloo gasped as she heard what she had come to learn as the expulsion of magic be met with another, the two frequencies matching each other before the second overpowered the first, preceding the ‘clink’ of metal and the ‘fwump’ of a heavy body hitting the ground. Her heart lifted, thinking the threat had been defeated, before more screams made her cower down into Rainbow’s forelegs, and Twilight's desperate voice rang out with a name she had grown familiar with over the past two days.

“Princess Celestia!”

Rainbow’s forelegs tightened around her moving where she could only assume Princess Celestia was lying. Amidst the pandemonium, Scootaloo could hear her best friends’ quiet whimpers, and a tired, regal voice saying something she couldn’t make out. Her nerves stirred in her belly, too scared to ask for an explanation, lest Rainbow Dash miss something important that would keep her safe.

Another sentence from Twilight, and Scootaloo felt Rainbow put her down for just a moment before scooping her back up again, the filly now unable to feel the fabric of Rainbow’s bridesmaid dress.

Rainbow took off after her friends, Rarity and Applejack carrying their own sisters down the hall. As they passed the dressing room, Twilight looked back at them. “We need to hide the girls,” she said. “We can’t have them getting hurt.”

“They’ll be safest with us,” Applejack argued.

“You heard Queen Chrysalis,” Twilight returned. “Her Changeling army is almost through the barrier. We’ll have to fight our way to the Elements. They’ll be safer where the Changelings won’t be looking for them.” She pointed to the dressing room. “That room is big, with plenty of hiding places. Plus it’s not so close to the Queen, so the Changelings aren’t very likely to look there first for any threats.”

The three big sisters looked to each other, reluctant to part with their younger siblings for even a moment during this crisis. And yet…knowing they were out of harm’s way, and knowing what room they would be in…

Finally, Rainbow huffed a sigh. “Alright, but we come back as quick as possible, alright, Twi? And we grab them on the way back to the throne room.”

Twilight nodded. “Of course.” Her magic yanked open the door as the trio of sister pairs raced into the room, Applejack dragging a couple trunks to a corner and Rarity unfurling several sheets, Rainbow giving as quick an explanation to Scootaloo as she could before lowering the filly into the nest of piled fabrics alongside her friends, all three taking hold of each other at once.

“Now, listen here,” Applejack instructed. “You three stay here, and don’t come out until we get back, ya hear?”

Rarity nodded. “Stay together, and stay hidden. We’ll be back as soon as we can to get you.”

Rainbow passed a hoof through Scootaloo’s mane. “Stay quiet, okay, squirt? I won’t let anything happen to you, but you gotta stay here for right now. Don’t leave Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, okay?”

With obedient nods, the three satisfied mares reluctantly turned tail and ran back out to their friends, leaving the three fillies in quiet darkness, the only sound being the muffled cackling of the Changeling Queen back in the throne room.

After a moment, racing hearts finally began to slow at the absence of immediate danger, and the fillies began to squirm uncomfortably in their dresses.

“We should take these off,” Sweetie Belle suggested, “just in case we have to run.”

“Good idea,” Apple Bloom agreed, translating for Scootaloo before the three shed their garments.

Just as the flower crown was removed from Scootaloo’s head, a mighty shattering sound filled the very air surrounding them, and Scootaloo squeaked, a sudden tinny sound filling her microphones.

“What’s wrong?” questioned Apple Bloom, she and Sweetie Belle only able to hear the deafening silence within the room.

Her question would go unanswered as Scootaloo pawed at her ears, the filly whimpering at the odd sensation filling her head, as if something was brushing up against her processors, and by extension, her very brain.

With each passing second, the sensation only got worse and worse, Scootaloo whimpering and whining the whole time. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, powerless to help their friend, perked up in horror as they heard unfamiliar, tinny voices getting closer to their room, a fact that only seemed to agitate Scootaloo further.

“Shh,” a distraught Sweetie Belle practically pleaded, “Scootaloo, we have to be–”

She was unable to finish her sentence as Scootaloo, no longer able to take the buzzing in her brain, let out an uncontrolled scream, gripping at her processors and ripping them from her ears, transmitters popping out of place before both apparatuses clattered to the floor.

Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s hackles raise, the fillies freezing as Scootaloo sinks to the floor, massaging her ears and head and completely unaware of what she caused.

Their frozen shock only gave them reprieve for a moment, two of the three fillies jumping when the door nearly flew off its hinges, slamming against the adjacent wall. The buzz of four pairs of wings carrying their owners entered the room, flying straight for the fillies.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle screamed, throwing themselves over Scootaloo, the pegasus still rubbing her ears and openly sobbing as all three were grabbed by chitinous forelegs, the fillies kicking and shouting at the intruders.

Voices both squealing pony and barking Changeling filled the room, before finally a new one rose above them all.

“SILENCE!”

At once, all seeing eyes fell upon the Changeling queen, Chrysalis stepping in with her head high as she glared down at the three neophytes that had been discovered by her drones. “And what is the meaning of this?”

The Changeling holding Apple Bloomcovered her muzzle, silencing her biting shout. “My Queen, we found these three nymphs hiding in this room. We were alerted by a scream from one of them.”

Queen Chrysalis looked down at the fillies with a smirk. “Ah, yes, the flower fillies.” Her head tilted in thought. “If I remember correctly, you’re the sisters of three of my bridesmaids, is that right?”

Sweetie Belle hesitated, her eyes shooting to Apple Bloom, the two locking eyes for only a second.

The single glance told Chrysalis everything, and she chuckled. “Well now…that will certainly help things.” Her eyes snapped to the three holding the fillies. “You three: take their forms and find the Bearers. There is already a squadron forming at the Vault of the Elements, I want you to make sure they get there.” She looked to the final Changeling, who had not left the door. “And you, Thorax, I want you to keep these three occupied. Stand guard, do not let them out of your sight.”

The Changeling called Thorax nodded, his neck seeming to hesitate before he forced it back into motion. He stepped aside as his Queen marched out of the room, watching his fellow Changelings set the pony nymphs back into their corner.

“Don’t move from here,” the Changeling holding Scootaloo instructed, unaware the filly he held could not hear his voice. Once back on the ground, Sweetie Belle met Apple Bloom met at Scootaloo’s side, their terrified friend trembling as she asked what was going on. Three flashes of putrid green, and the fillies were met with identical versions of themselves, their blood running cold as they faced their doppelgangers.

The drones smirked at each other, three pairs of eyes moving between them and the fillies, checking for any imperfections, one of which Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle made sure to remain tight-lipped about. The imposter Scootaloo’s clouded eyes rested on them for only a moment, before the estimated voice ordered in a sneer, “Let’s go.”

Thorax watched his fellow Changelings leave, before his gaze trailed back to the fillies. The two seeing foals couldn’t help but feel a spark of shock in their chests as the Changeling before them, one of the reasons their sisters were about to be in trouble, looked at them with pain on his face.

“I…I’m really sorry about this…” he finally said, turning his back on them to guard the door.

Gold and green eyes met, the two unable to think too long about the apparent remorseful Changeling before Scootaloo’s desperate need for information once again took precedence.

Six mares panted heavily, having just defeated the swarm of Changelings that had bombarded them in the middle of the castle grounds. The chitinous beings twitched on the ground where they lay, void of any other signs of life.

Sighs and stretched necks led to the friends exchanging a glance, collective nods of varying confidence permitting each other to begin pursuit again.

“Rarity!” “Applejack!” “Rainbow Dash!”

The three mares instantly froze, twisting around to find their little sisters galloping toward them.

“Girls!” Rarity shouted, meeting Sweetie Belle in a tight hug. “Are you alright? What happened?”

“We told ya tah stay put!” Applejack objected, worry coating her voice.

“It was so scary!” Sweetie Belle whined.

“They got inta our room, we had tah sneak out!” cried Apple Bloom.

Rainbow Dash caught Scootaloo, instantly drawing her namesign on her little shoulder and hugging her tight. Taking a few breaths to calm herself, the sisters’ chatter passing through her, she set her sister down and got down on her level, her hoof on her shoulder asking, “Are you okay? We told you three to stay put, what happened?”

To her confusion, Scootaloo only stared up at her blankly, seeming to hesitate, before she finally just shrugged, offering her big sister a smile. “I’m so happy to see you again!”

Crimson eyes widened, dread sinking deep into Rainbow’s stomach. Her gaze flicked to Scootaloo’s ears, confirming her suspicions.

Scootaloo wasn’t wearing her processors.

Her eyes met Scootaloo’s own, the cloudy lavender steady as they looked right back at her.

A sudden rush of anger flared in Rainbow’s chest, and a loving smile softened her features. Her hoof rose to cup the not-Scootaloo’s face, tracing down the imposter’s jaw and to their neck. Once she was where she wanted to be, her face hardened with the reveal of her intense hatred for the thing in front of her.

With a single motion, Rainbow Dash gripped the Changeling disguised as her little sister by the neck, twisting around and slamming the creature against the closest wall. “Where is she?!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity gasped, one hoof covering her mouth, the other gripping her own little sister to her chest.

“You're not Scootaloo!” Rainbow Dash declared, ignoring the horrified looks her friends were giving her, having just witnessed their friend violently pin her favorite filly against the rough brick. “She’s just learning how to talk, and you’re terrible at acting blind!”

To the steadily-realizing shock of the others, Scootaloo’s innocent, terrified face morphed into one of hatred that rivaled Rainbow’s own, a flash of green revealing the Changeling underneath the illusion magic. “I see. My mistake, then.”

Two shouts of surprise preceded Rainbow’s grip on the Changeling loosening as two more hard bodies slammed against her, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle also replaced with the Changelings they really were.

Rainbow Dash sprang back to her hooves, shaking the gravel from between her feathers as she glared at the trio of Changelings. “Where are they?! I swear if you’ve hurt one hair–”

“Maybe you should try and catch us,” one interrupted in a taunt, “then you’ll find out.”

Now Rainbow saw red, her wings beating down to take after the Changelings that took to the air, unable to hear Twilight calling out for her to wait. Her vision tunneled on the buzzing wings of the three Changelings, her speed no match for their own as she–

Something grabbed her forelegs, yanking her to a stop in mid-air. Her momentum suddenly halted, her heart jumped to her throat as she was forced to see the wall of Changelings before her, completely blocking the way to the Elements of Harmony.

Her heart leapt to her throat, internally kicking herself for falling for such an elementary trick. And as she heard the approaching hoof-falls of her friends, she knew the jig was up.

“Ah, ponyfeathers…”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle helped Scootaloo pull aside another sheet, the fillies hunting for Scootaloo’s processors and transmitters, having lost track of them when Scootaloo had thrown them.

After calming their friend down, immediate danger having passed, they finally figured out what went wrong.

“It felt like my whole brain was buzzing,” Scootaloo had explained. “And then it got way worse, like it was on fire.” After assuring her friends the sensation was now gone, the three began their hunt for the expensive equipment.

“Um…e-excuse me?” asked the Changeling from the doorway, not stepping toward them. “What are you looking for? There’s, uh…there’s no way to escape here. At least, I don’t think there is.”

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, the timid Changeling having called out to fhem a couple times since the other Changelings had left. She and Apple Bloom had been ignoring him the whole time. And yet, annoyingly, he kept trying to talk to them.

Their attention was grabbed as Scootaloo backed up from the sheet pile, holding one of her transmitters, only to hum in annoyance when she felt the processor was disconnected from it. She set it down on a nearby box and dove back into the pile to search for its partner.

“Um…what is that thing?” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes this time, finally fed up with the questions of the Changeling that was supposed to be their captor.

“It’s a transmitter,” she finally snapped, throwing him a harsh look.

“Oh…what is that?”

This time, Sweetie Belle chimed in with an annoyed grunt. “It’s part of something that lets her hear. She needs the whole thing, that’s just part of it.”

“Oh…So…she can’t hear anything right now?”

“No!” Both fillies quipped simultaneously, glaring at him.

The Changeling finally seemed to get the message, his apparent ears flattening against his head. They watched his defeated expression as he turned back around to look out the door, huffing out their remaining unease as they put their attention back on helping their friend search.

Whatever help they could have hoped to give was halted once more as they heard a slew of familiar voices following the drag of a heavy door. A shared glance, and they sprinted for the door, only for their Changeling guard to notice and scoop them up in his magic with a shocked cry.

“Barbarian! Put them down this instant!”

“Rarity!”

Sweetie Belle called for her big sister, being led back into the castle along with her friends, the Changelings keeping the sisters apart.

“Thorax!” One of the Changelings snapped an order. “Do not let them out of your sight.”

Again, the timid Changeling tried to speak up. “But, um…I think they’re just scared. Shouldn’t we let them–” The pounce of another Changeling clocking him on the temple quieted him again, his aura unintentionally tossing the fillies back into the room.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle caught their sisters’ eyes, Rainbow’s own landing on Scootaloo deeper in the room before she allowed herself to relax, continuing to be carried by the hovering drones.

Once again in the absence of the older mares, the two fillies only sat with twisting stomachs, resigning to just watch their best friend dig for her accommodating equipment, neither having the heart to tell her what they’d seen.

Would it even matter soon, anyway?

Their sisters had been captured.

The Elements of Harmony were nowhere to be found.

…Had Canterlot really fallen?

A rumbling interrupted Scootaloo’s brief celebration at finding the missing processor, the filly yelping as a sudden, intense vibration coursed from the floor beneath her. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle popped up, fear striking their hearts as what was unmistakably the sound of powerful magic echoed down the hall, Scootaloo’s panicked voice crying out, “What happen?!”

Their eyes flew to the door as several tinny shouts and buzzing wings flew past, headed the way their sisters went. The Changeling at the door leapt a few paces down the hall, seemingly entranced by something. His eyes widened, his jaw dropping slack.

“That’s…so…that’s…”

He never got to finish.

The floor beneath the fillies shifted, and a bright pulse of pink rushed down the hall, the guarding Changeling scooped up in its wake, snatched up with the remaining drones.

Shouts and rapidly-vanishing screams echoed down the hall and out of the castle, leaving the two in ear-ringing silence.

Scootaloo’s little whine snapped them back to her, and Apple Bloom numbly took her hoof. “I…I think they’re gone now, Scoots. Keep looking for your stuff, we’ll let you know what’s up.”

A nod from the little pegasus, and she continued her search, pulling the sheet over her head to free space for her hooves.

The two remaining filles barely had time to catch their breath before hooves thundered down the hall toward them, six familiar mares suddenly filling the doorway with wide eyes and heaving chests.

Rarity—or what looked like Rarity—moved first, her eyes teary. “Oh, Sweetie Belle, darling, I was so—“

“Don’t!” Sweetie Belle squeaked, her knees trembling as she moved closer to Apple Bloom.

“H…how do we know it’s really you?” Apple Bloom stammered.

“Y-yeah!” the little unicorn chimed, both standing their ground in front of Scootaloo, still looking for her processors and completely unaware of the reappearance of her apparent sister.

A moment of hesitation ended as Applejack stepped forward. “Our Ma ‘n Pa’s names’re Buttercup an’ Bright McIntosh.”

Little golden eyes widened, one heart of two put at ease. Sweetie Belle locked eyes with the pony who was supposed to be her sister, waiting patiently.

Rarity was instead silent, glancing at her friends before stepping toward her little sister. Fearful, Sweetie Belle took a couple steps back, not wanting a potential imposter to get anywhere near her. With wide eyes, Rarity stopped her advance, the trouble in her eyes only growing as she stared at Sweetie Belle, tumultuous heartbeats passing. Finally, Rarity breathed one single word:

“Serendipity.”

Sweetie Belle’s breath caught in her throat, rushing to her sister the next second, the two meeting in a tight hug.

Twilight racked her brain as Apple Bloom trotted over to her own big sister. “Serendipity? What’s that?”

Sweetie Belle’s forelegs tightened around Rarity’s neck, and the mare smiled at Twilight, scooping up her little sister and giving her a reassuring nuzzle. “Oh, just something only the two of us know, darling.”

Rainbow Dash patiently waited until Scootaloo had found her processors, dredging the second one up from the fabric pile and replacing them both on her ears and guiding the transmitters back to their rightful places, before sending a wingbeat of wind her way, stirring her sister’s mane.

Scootaloo’s sigh of relief at the absence of the whining buzzing sound turned to widened eyes before she looked to the direction the wind had come from, calling out, “Rainbow Dash?”

“Hey, kiddo,” Rainbow greeted softly, gently taking a hoof. “You three were really brave. I’m so proud of you!”

Scootaloo breathed a relieved sigh, Rainbow’s EHS proving her identity. She threw herself into her big sister’s chest, the two nuzzling each other, palpable relief passing between them.

Rainbow gave her heart a few minutes to slow before she finally asked, “What were you doing with your processors off?” “What happened?”

Her little filly hummed, squirming uncomfortably. “I don’t know what happened. My ears were fine, but then there was this weird screeching sound, and it made my brain hurt. Like it was on fire.”

The prismatic mare frowned in concern. “Does it feel like that now?”

“No,” Scootaloo answered simply, shaking her head as emphasis.

A sigh slipped through Rainbow’s lips, and she nuzzled her little sister. “Let me know if it happens again, okay?”

“Okay!”

Twilight watched with a little smile on her face as all finally began to calm around her, the sisters secure with each other once again, and Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie offering help where they could. She breathed a sigh, announcing, “I’m gonna go check on Cadance and Shining Armor. We’ve got a real wedding to plan now!”

Author's Note

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”
- ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1,‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Hello, everyone!

Sorry this is a day later than promised! Tiredness hit harder than usual this week!:twilightblush:

Fun fact about this chapter: this was the first time something had to be completely rewritten to better fit the scenario. In the original draft, the CMC are caught by the Chagnelings, but then manage to escape and make it out to the streets of Canterlot. That's when they discover Scootaloo's processors are getting interference from the Changelings themselves, and they wind up using that to their advantage to navigate the streets to try and get to their sisters. I'll include the rest here if you're interested:twilightsmile::

The two skid to a stop, Scootaloo groaning a cry into Apple Bloom’s neck.

“Which way, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle called.

A wail was all that answered her. Apple Bloom tried to crane her neck around to find her friend. “Scoots, are ya okay?”

The filly’s cries only got louder, and she suddenly let go of her friend, pushing away. She hit the ground, but didn’t even seem to acknowledge whatever pain she may have felt as she ripped away her processors and transmitters, the pieces of technology hitting the ground as Scootaloo screamed.

Line

A familiar scream ripped through the air, six mares’ gazes ripping in its direction.

“Scootaloo?” Rainbow Dash’s fur rose on her hackles. Her eyes found Applejack and Rarity before the trio tore away from their group, beelining for the sound of a filly in distress.

Line

“Scootaloo, it’s okay,” Sweetie Belle muttered aloud, trying to reach for her friend to tap out the same assurance.

The pegasus filly was sitting on the ground, rocking back and forth as she desperately ran her hooves through her mane, openly sobbing as she panted from an unknown pain.

The moment Sweetie Belle’s hoof touched Scootaloo’s shoulder, it was slapped away, the pegasus curling away from the touch with a squall. She turned her back to her friends, only making their concern rise as she seemed to collapse from a horrible agony, burying her face into her fetlocks as she continued to groan through hiccuping breath.

“Girls!”

The two fillies startled from the sudden voice, heads snapping to find their sisters galloping toward them.

At least, it looked like their sisters.

Breaths catching, they instinctively lowered their stances in defense, pressing together in front of their distraught friend.

The mares slowed to a stop at the sight, hearts skipping beats and jumping to throats. Rainbow’s attention was immediately grabbed by Scootaloo’s moaning sobs. “What’s wrong with Scootaloo?”

The fillies hesitated, glancing at each other. Finally, Apple Bloom demanded, “Prove you’re Rainbow Dash, and we’ll tell ya.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened, flicking along the ground as she mentally scrambled for the necessary information.

She pointed to Apple Bloom. “Your name-sign is a circle with a line going up from the center.” She pointed to Sweetie Belle. “Your name-sign is the motion a hoof makes when you ring a bell, but when you draw it out, it looks like a smile.”

Relief instantly flooded the little earth pony and unicorn, and they visibly relaxed. “We don’t know what happened,” Sweetie Belle began explaining anxiously. “Her ear things let her hear when Changelings were nearby, but it was hurting her.”

At the barest mention of pain, Rainbow zipped over to Scootaloo, gently landing in front of her and trying to figure out an angle to get to her little sister.

Apple Bloom picked up, “We told ‘er she didn’t hafta do it if it hurt, but she said she’d be fahne. Ah carried ‘er so she didn’t hafta try ta run, but once we got here, she shoved ‘erself off of me and threw off her projectors.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t bother correcting the filly as she knelt in front of Scootaloo, reaching a careful hoof toward her fetlock. Gently, she quickly drew out her name-sign on Scootaloo’s fetlock.

Scootaloo gave an uncomfortable groan, pulling her hooves into her chest, pressing her forehead into the concrete as she continued to wail.

The older pegasus ignored the conversation happening in front of her, the two other sister pairs proving their identities to each other.

Rainbow Dash gingerly pressed her forehead into Scootaloo’s mane, the filly’s cries quieting only a second before they picked up again. The filly whimpered, curling even tighter around her as she pressed her head back against Rainbow’s.

A moment passed, Scootaloo’s cries quieting bit by bit, before finally, she lifted her tear-stained face from the pavement. A hummed whimper rose from her throat, and she reached for Rainbow Dash.

Her sister was all too eager to return the gesture. Without hesitation, she scooped up the filly, pulling her into her lap and wrapping herself around her little sister, enveloping her in a cocoon of safety and pressing her muzzle into the disheveled mane.

“Are you okay?” she asked gently on the filly’s back.

Scootaloo only nodded in response.

“What happened?”

The filly in her lap hesitated, her shaky little hoof finding Rainbow’s chest before she finally answered, “It felt like my brain was on fire, and my skin didn’t feel right. Everything was too loud, and it felt like you were slapping me when you touched me.”

“I’m sorry, kiddo,” Rainbow frowned. “Do you still feel like that?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “It’s going away now.”

I also wanted to give a shoutout to bonefangs for this amazing artwork! Show them some love, guys!:heart:

That’s all from me right now, everyone! I’m so incredibly excited to get Chapter 20 out to you guys, it’s one of my favorites in this entire story.:pinkiehappy: As such…it’s already halfway done:rainbowlaugh: Hoping to get it out in about a week.

I have some personal things going on at home right now, one of those things being my mother having a major surgery. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers this week. I’m confident she’ll be alright, it’s just gonna be a rough road of recover for a few weeks.:twilightsmile::heart:

I’ll see you all soon! I love you!:rainbowkiss::heart:

Chapter 20: School

Author's Note

Hello, everyone!

So sorry for the long wait on this update! I kept going back and forth between making this next part its own chapter, or breaking it apart into a two-parter. I finally decided on two parts to help out with the pacing, so here's the first!:twilightsmile:

I also wanted to let you all know before the chapter started that there are one or two instances where very childish ideas involving disabilities come up. You'll know them when you see them. I just wanted to put this quick disclaimer here that they are put there intentionally because these next couple chapters involve the foals of MLP, who will, of course, have childish ideas. They are not necessarily a reflection of how I view disabilities, they are simply the thoughts of the characters on the whole in regards to processing disabilities and how others outside of themselves experience the world.

I also wanted to give a shoutout to QueerTrixie for this amazing artwork. Go show them some love!:heart:

The next chapter should be up a lot sooner than this one, as it's already mostly written. After that, there will be a more anthological chapter that may be a bit longer than average to cover some scenes that just don't warrant a chapter all on their own. Hope to see you all soon! Love you guys!:heart:

Chapter 20: School

Scootaloo swallowed her nerves as Rainbow lighted on the ground, their descent ending with a light bump, the mare clenching her jaw around a lump in her own throat as she stared at the schoolhouse in front of them, the bell having rung five minutes ago.

The past six months had been spent in careful planning and hard work for the sisters as they prepared to integrate Scootaloo into the public schoolhouse, a decision that had taken almost the entirety of the first month to make, with Scootaloo finally taking a leap of courage and Rainbow Dash promising things could go back to the way they were if it proved unsuccessful.

Cheerilee, for her part, had been very helpful in the matter, allowing Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash to come by after hours to map the schoolhouse over and over; and working with Rainbow Dash to let the mare know where Scootaloo needed to be so she wouldn’t immediately fall behind the other students.

That following summer, Scootaloo studied harder than she ever had before, her best friends helping her out both academically and verbally as her spoken skills steadily improved.

Excited at the prospect of the little filly going to school with the rest of the foals, Twilight set her own sights on a project to help accommodate Scootaloo, multiple weeks of research and trial and error yielding the final result of enchanted parchment that could turn tapped EHS into Braille notes, of which Scootaloo’s saddlebags were now packed to near bursting, alongside her Braille textbooks.

One of the final confirmations came from Gentle Word herself, having approved Scootaloo for integration after two sessions went by with Scootaloo able to hold full spoken conversations with only the occasional pause for EHS pronunciation work.

With a preparatory test from Cheerilee confirming Scootaloo had learned all she needed, Scootaloo finally earned full approval to begin school with the other Ponyville foals, right on time for the summer holiday to end and for Scootaloo to begin the first day of school alongside her new classmates.

The final week had been spent with Rainbow Dash grumbling to herself about her newfound egghead behavior, list after list piling up on the kitchen counter as she checked a hundred times to make sure Scootaloo had everything she needed, from lunches to parchment to saddlebags, checking over and over again with Applejack and Rarity that she wasn’t forgetting anything, going so far as to claim, “I had no idea schools ask for so much! I hardly brought anything to class growing up.”

With a rare smirk, Fluttershy had quipped, “That’s because you always studied with my notes.”

A sheepish smile and apology had followed, with Fluttershy waving her off with a polite chuckle. “No, no. I helped you with studying, you helped me with flying. There’s no need to apologize, really.”

Rainbow Dash continuously found herself chuckling at the memories, unable to fight the irony of learning more from teaching Scootaloo herself than actually being present in the classroom during her foalhood.

As she stepped up to the schoolhouse, she couldn't help but feel a twinge in her heart, already missing those days in the Cloudominium where she would do nothing but be with Scootaloo as she helped her through a lengthy Equestrian history essay.

And yet, the pride she felt was undeniable as she helped Scootaloo down off her back, making sure her saddlebags were secure and tucking a stray strand of mane behind her ear, the filly’s purple locks beginning to droop down to her withers.

“You ready?” She asked, blinking back her bittersweet tears.

Scootaloo smiled nervously, nodding. “Yeah…I think so. I’m a little nervous.”

Rainbow chuckled. “Don’t worry, squirt, that’s normal. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are already in there, and you know they’ll help you out with anything you need. And when you get home, we can talk all about it. I know you said you want to at least get through the week before you decide if you wanna keep it up, but if you decide even after today that you don’t wanna do this anymore, we’ll go right back to homeschool, okay?”

A grin answered her. “Okay, Rainbow.” The little filly reached up to her guardian for a hug, one Rainbow Dash more than happily obliged her with, holding her foal tightly, part of her never wanting to let go. Pride and pain, joy and sorrow danced in her chest as she finally let Scootaloo go, checking her over one more time before she pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Knock ‘em dead, Scootaloo,” Rainbow breathed. “I know you’re gonna be great.” She nuzzled her sweetly. “Don’t let anypony tell you otherwise, either. Every bit of you is just as awesome as the next. Anypony who can’t see that–”

“Is blinder than me,” Scootaloo finished with a grin, sending both pegasi into a small fit of laughter.

The joke had started as Rainbow began pep talking Scootaloo through her nerves at the new opportunity, the filly worried about what ponies would think of her, lamenting her fears of the other students leaving her behind.

“The ponies who try to do that aren’t worth your time anyway, Scoots,” Rainbow had said. “Besides, anypony who can’t see how awesome you are is…uh…” The mare had trailed off, the obvious final word of her encouragement falling flat on its face with Scootaloo’s own physical impairment.

Scootaloo had given a cheeky grin as she realized what Rainbow was about to say, her own humor picking up as she had finished for her, “Blinder than me?”

The final bits of giggles tapered off from the two in front of the schoolhouse, Rainbow putting a hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Now remember: you can make jokes about yourself all you want. But if somepony else makes a joke that hurts you, it’s okay to say so. Chances are, they aren’t trying to be mean, they’re just trying to copy your sense of humor and then went a little too far.”

Scootaloo nodded once again, the two of them having gone over such a few times already, Rainbow Dash using the same opportunity to help Scootaloo establish where the line was.

Cloudy eyes tilted up in Rainbow’s direction, smiling. “And if they are trying to be mean, tell Miss Cheerilee,” Scootaloo recited.

Rainbow grinned proudly, mussing the wispy mane. “That’s right.” She pulled her charge in for one more nuzzle. “I’m so proud of you, squirt. Never forget that. Every bit of you is as awesome as the next. So own it!”

“Okay,” Scootaloo giggled. “I’ll tell you everything after school.”

“Okay.” Rainbow Dash pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Knock ‘em dead! I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Scootaloo felt Rainbow Dash leave, hearing and feeling her wings stir the air around her. Taking in a deep breath, she turned herself around, bumping the steps with her hoof before stepping up them and entering the schoolhouse.

Cheerilee’s ear flicked as the door opened, and she pulled on a warm smile. “Alright class, before we begin our lesson for today, I’d like to introduce a new student.” She turned to the doorway, mildly surprised to find Scootaloo already standing there, head down nervously. She tapped the floor beside her with her hoof, and Scootaloo perked up slightly, moving to the spot she was signaled.

Scootaloo’s heart pulsed in her ears. She could hear the students murmuring, no doubt a bit confused by the odd gesture from their teacher. She stood where the tap had come from, and felt a gentle hoof on her shoulder, Miss Cheerilee subtly nudging her to face the voices of the class a bit better.

“Why don’t you introduce yourself, dear?” Miss Cheerilee encouraged.

She took in another deep breath, let it out slowly, and lifted her head.

“Hello,” Scootaloo greeted, a nervous smile twitching her lips. “My name is Scootaloo. I’m eight years old…and this is my first time at a public school.”

She was met with silence. She forced a chuckle. “I’ve uh…kinda been homeschooled my whole life, so…this is all new to me–but I’m really excited to meet you all and, uh…”

Silence met her again. She chewed her lip, remembering Rainbow’s words.

Every bit of you is as awesome as the next. So own it!

She took in another breath, straightened, and gave a wry grin, speaking her favorite idiom. “I wanna address the elephant in the room.” She lifted a hoof and pointed it at her ears. “I, uh…I know you can all see these, and I wanted to explain what they are.

“A few months ago, I couldn’t hear a thing. I had a surgery that put an implant in my inner ear, and now this device lets me hear. I have two of them because I was deaf in both ears.” She gave a little chuckle. “I’m kinda new to the whole hearing thing, so…if I look confused, or if I ask you to say something again…that’s why. I’m still learning word association and processing. At least, that’s what my speech therapist says.”

“Why do you have a speech therapist?” came a voice from somewhere to Scootaloo’s left. “You sound just fine.”

Scootaloo felt a blush creep into her cheeks. “Thank you! That’s…actually a really nice compliment. Since I couldn’t hear others, I couldn’t hear myself, either. So I never learned how to talk until recently.”

She heard the creaking of wood.

“Yes, Twist?” Miss Cheerilee called.

“What’s wrong with your eyes?”

Scootaloo blinked, the question taking her off guard. The voice that had asked had come from a little distance right in front of her. She felt Miss Cheerilee stiffen, and she got the sense the question should be considered rude. But…there was something in the voice that had asked the question. Whoever had asked–Twist–didn’t seem like they were trying to be rude.

So, Scootaloo smiled, and answered before Miss Cheerilee could chastise the foal.

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never seen my eyes before.” Her brow creased, realizing she had never asked. “Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle? What do my eyes look like?”

“Uh…” Apple Bloom answered, right in front of her, but a little closer than the last voice. “Kinda…foggy? Cloudy, I guess?”

At the mention of a cloud, Scootaloo couldn’t help but imagine a pony with clouds coming out of their eye holes, and giggled.

Sweetie Belle picked up, from Scootaloo’s right. “Your eyes move around a lot when you talk, even more when you think.”

“Oooohhh,” Scootaloo nodded in understanding. “So…your eyes don’t do that?”

Apple Bloom chuckled. “No.”

“Gotcha.” Scootaloo closed her eyes, grinning. “Is this better?”

She was met with silence again, even from her two friends. Miss Cheerilee stiffened again, and Scootaloo felt an odd embarrassment as she realized she must have asked something rude without realizing it.

Miss Cheerilee lightly cleared her throat. “You can do whatever you want with your eyes, Scootaloo.”

Yep, she’d definitely asked something rude. Trying to play it off the best she could, she chuckled, “It’s okay either way. Doesn’t make any difference to me.”

Miss Cheerilee chuckled, seeming to understand. “Whichever you prefer.”

Scootaloo nodded, opening her eyes again.

“So you can’t see?” another curious voice asked from the right.

“Yes,” Scootaloo nodded. “I’ve been completely blind ever since I was born.”

“So, you just…don’t know what anypony looks like?”

Scootaloo hummed in thought. “Not exactly…It’s a bit hard to explain.” She perked up at an idea. “Twist, was it?”

“Uh…yes?” came the voice from right in front of her again.

Scootaloo chuckled awkwardly. “So, this is gonna sound a little weird, but…can I touch your face?”

She was met with silence as Twist hesitated. “Um…sure, I guess?” Wood creaked again, hooves stepping across the floor as Twist came to the front of the classroom, standing in front of Scootaloo.

Scootaloo moved a bit. “Can you look at them?”

Twist hummed a bit, but did what she asked. Scootaloo’s face fell a bit in thought, and her hoof slid across the floor until she was met with Twist’s hoof. She lightly followed the foreleg up to Twist’s shoulder, feeling the filly tense nervously. Giving what she hoped was a comforting smile, she reached Twist’s jaw, and lightly ran her hoof around Twist's face, stating her observations as she went.

“Narrow face, curvy nose, glasses…really curly mane…a couple inches taller than me.” She stepped back, smiling at the class.

“I’ve gone my whole life without seeing, and I rely on my sense of touch to figure out what things and other ponies look like.” She nodded to Twist. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Twist replied. “That’s pretty cool.”

Scootaloo beamed as Twist went back to her seat.

“Yes, Dinky?” Miss Cheerilee called, Scootaloo perking up at the next potential question.

“So, can you read and write?” asked a voice somewhere on the left.

“Uh…not in the same way you do,” Scootaloo explained. “Like I said before, I rely on my sense of touch a lot, and I read the same way. I mostly use Braille to read, but I have a special type of paper that’ll let me write using a language I had to learn before I could hear.”

“What language?” yet another voice, further away on the right, asked.

“It’s called Equestrian Hoof-Speak,” Scootaloo answered. “Basically, you tap using different positions of your hoof to represent different letters. It’s a direct translation from normal Equestrian to make it easier on those of us that have to communicate like that.”

“Can you show us?” asked the voice belonging to the pony who asked about her reading abilities.

“Um…I don’t know, it kinda takes a while to learn.”

A light chorus of affirmatives rose up from the class, nearly a dozen voices asking to be shown Equestrian Hoof-Speak. Scootaloo’s excitement at the genuine curiosity of her new classmates easily trumped her initial jolt of fright at the overwhelming response.

“Okay, um…” she looked up in Cheerilee’s general direction for help.

“Why don’t you start by spelling out your name?” Cheerilee offered, genuinely curious herself.

“Okay!” Scootaloo beamed. “Um…can you help me with that?”

“Absolutely,” Cheerilee answered as the students’ voices died down to an excited chittering. “What do you need?”

“Um…it’d be easier if I could do this with ink on regular paper instead of my enchanted paper–that’s mostly for me to be able to read later. Do you have an inkwell? Or paint?”

The next hour was spent with Scootaloo’s new classmates coming up and allowing her to feel their faces. In exchange, she showed them what their name looked like in EHS, electing to save any name-signs for later, considering she most likely wouldn’t need them in the classroom.

One familiar filly in particular came up and shyly reintroduced herself.

“I was at the EHS lesson when you first came to Ponyville,” Dinky explained.

“Oh…Oh, yeah, I remember you!” Scootaloo grinned as she dredged up memories from over a year ago. “Your mom’s a pegasus, right?”

“Yeah! Her name’s Ditzy.”

Scootaloo grinned at the familiar filly. “I thought it was cool that your mom’s a pegasus and you’re a unicorn because me and my mo—uh…” Scootaloo stopped herself, feeling her cheeks heat up. She smiled to try and cover up her slip-up, ignoring the pang of homesickness everytime she thought too hard about Foggy. “I…know somepony who’s got the opposite.”

Dinky giggled, mentally brushing off whatever Scootaloo was about to say. “That’s so cool! Yeah, it’s so funny how that happens sometimes. Mom says I get it from my dad, though, so I guess it makes sense.”

The little pegasus nodded. “Yeah. I actually don’t know who my birth parents are. But…it doesn’t really matter to me.” She shrugged, grinning. “It doesn’t really matter to me who they are. Not to sound rude, but…they didn’t exactly have a hoof in raising me, you know? So…I don’t really care.”

Dinky blinked at the simple response to the very similar question she had been asking herself, the little unicorn having been secretly wishing she knew her father. But…by Scootaloo’s logic…he wouldn’t be much of a pony to know if he wasn’t here helping out her mom. She smiled softly to herself, and nodded. “Yeah…yeah, that makes a lot of sense.”

As introductions continued, questions began coming left and right.

“What city are you from?”

“How come you were born like this?”

“So how do those weird ear things work exactly?”

“How do you get around by yourself?”

Scootaloo smiled at this one. “I was taught how to get around spaces by my shadow when I was really little, and I practiced almost every day.”

“Your…shadow?”

Purple locks bobbed as she nodded. “I think the, um… the better term is caretaker? But she liked being called a shadow. I don’t know why, I’m pretty sure it confused a lot of ponies.”

“So…how do you see—or, uh…”

Scootaloo’s ears strained as she tried to hear the differences between the voices, deciding to leave such an ability to the experience she was sure to gain later. “It’s okay, you can use ‘see’. Sometimes, that’s the only word you can use. See?” She giggled as her point was made, tension-releasing chuckles joining her own laughter. “And to answer your question: I know where I’m going based on the object I’m touching and where I know it is in the room. I came here during the summer to map the schoolhouse.” She leaned back to bump her wings against Cheerliee’s desk to demonstrate. “So that’s Miss Cheerliee’s desk, so I know I’m five paces away from a wall right to my right with a window at ear level. There’s three desks in a line going left to right in front of me, and two more rows behind them.”

“So, what, you have echolocation like a bat or something?”

Scootaloo’s ear flicked at the odd tone in the voice that asked the question, its timbre…edgier, reminding Scootaloo of the way the point of a knife would poke at her frog, swearing she could feel a strange unease in the quieting of the voices around her.

“Um…no?” she tilted her head in confusion at the odd question. “I use my hooves, and because I’ve had to use my hooves since I was little, I have a very high spatial awareness.” Another grin found her face as she perked up, remembering: “Twilight said it means I’m good at thinking in three dimensions. Which is ironic, since I can’t even see in one dimension.”

Whatever unease she sensed was suddenly gone as the joke left her lips, sending a wave of laughter through her new classmates.

The same voice made an odd huffy sound, making something in Scootaloo’s ears ache as it began again.

“And what about those wings? Guess you can’t fly if you can’t see where you’re going.”

The dying laughter around Scootaloo ended abruptly, and she tilted her head, feeling an uncomfortable stirring in her chest.

“Um…” she began, “well, um…I can’t fly, anyway, even if I wanted to, because my magic didn’t, um…” her hoof tapped the ground, though her sudden fluster made her forget what she was trying to say “do right.”

A snort preceded that same voice again, beginning to make Scootaloo’s heart pound. “So, a blank-flank and a flightless pegasus? You really are a freak, aren’t you?”

The clamor of gasps around Scootaloo couldn’t drown out the sudden drop of her heart.

“Diamond Tiara!” Miss Cheerilee snapped, making Scootaloo jump at her volume. “That is quite enough. And that’s after-school detention for you.”

Scootaloo felt Apple Bloom’s hoof trace her name-sign, and grasped her friend’s hoof, her breath catching on the lump in her throat.

“What?” Diamond Tiara objected. “Why? Aren’t I allowed to speak my mind?”

Miss Cheerilee let out a deep sigh. “Apple Bloom, please show Scootloo her desk. Everypony else, please take your seats. Diamond Tiara, outside. Now.”

Scootaloo was tugged up as her hoofsteps joined a great shuffling, each pair of steps moving to where Scootaloo knew the desks were. Apple Bloom’s muttering voice and guiding touch brought Scootaloo to the far left and back a row as the door closed, their teacher’s hoofsteps disappearing. “Miss Cheerilee put ya behind Diamond Tiara–that’s the filly that…said that. I think she’s hopin’ that’ll keep Diamond’s attention on th’ lessons.”

The little pegasus could hardly concentrate on that, her saddlebags slipping to the floor as her mind whispered and galloped, circling around a moment that felt like a year ago now. Scootaloo tugged Apple Bloom toward her. “Was…was that…the foal that stopped us…when you taught me Jenga? The one that you said isn’t worth knowing?”

Her friend didn’t answer until a moment had passed. “Yeah…she, uh…she called you that same thing that day, too.”

Scootaloo’s hoof tightened, her cheeks beginning to burn. “What does that word mean? I’ve…’freaked out’ before, but…what does it mean, the way she put it?”

Again, Apple Bloom hesitated. “It…it means…She thinks you’re weird, that you don’t belong…She thinks that, since you’re different, that that’s a bad thing. But it ain’t true, alright?”

The blind filly nodded quickly, wanting the pleading tone to leave her friend’s voice as soon as possible. “I know! There’s no reason to listen to what a mean pony says, anyway.”

Unbeknownst to Scootaloo, a classroom full of foals blinked in surprise at the simple resolve of their new classmate, having shared awkward glances with Apple Bloom before she reluctantly shared what the horrid insult meant. Now, little minds turned amidst furtive looks, the entire class both relieved and taken aback by how easily such words slid off her back.

Was it really such a bad thing to be unable to hear…if it made you impervious to harsh words?

Apple Bloom looked up from making sure Scootaloo was in her seat and could reach her bag to see Miss Cheerilee stepping back into the classroom, Diamond Tiara on her heels. The prissy pink foal tossed her mane, relishing the unseen smirk she threw at her new classmate as she took her seat.

“Alright, class,” Miss Cheerilee began, “today, we’ll begin with our history lesson.”

Scootaloo’s ears perked, the filly momentarily distracted by the shuffling sounds of paper and pencil, her overwhelmed ears making her forget to take out her own supplies until Miss Cheerilee began speaking, a tiny giggle in front of her bouncing off of Miss Cheerilee’s voice as she scrambled for her paper, smoothing it out before beginning her hoof taps and running her other hoof over the Braille appearing at the top of the page to make sure the enchantment was working properly.

Sweetie Belle looked up from her lunch and asked, “So, where did you learn that thing about not listening to mean ponies?”

Scootaloo swallowed her sandwich bite. “Oh! Uh…it was from…I learned it from Foggy.”

“Who’s that?” one of her new classmates asked.

Scootaloo felt her cheeks warm as she hesitated. “She was my shadow before Rainbow Dash adopted me.” A small moment of silence reigned, making her begin to think her processors had turned off.

“You named your shadow?”

Scootaloo blinked as a couple tiny giggles made her ear twitch, and she tilted her head. “Um…no? Why would I…? What…?”

Another voice piped up before Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom could begin to explain, the two exchanging a glance. “No, remember? That was the mare that took care of her.”

Scootaloo sat up straighter, her interest suddenly grabbed. “Wait, what else is a shadow?”

“We’ll tell you later,” Sweetie Belle assured her, their classmates exchanging glances as they realized the same thing Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had, all wondering just how in Equestria the two of them were going to explain what a shadow was to a pony who had never seen one.

The rest of the day went by smoothly, Scootaloo gradually learning as the day went on that she could hear where her classmates' desks were. Even more interestingly, she could hear the patterns of pencils change with every subject. Right behind her, Snails’s pencil picked up pace during math, but was barely making any sound in Equestrian. The opposite was true with Snips, to the left of his best friend.

The only outward sign of Scootaloo’s observations was her rotating ears, picking up the subtleties of her classmates’ mannerisms during school. She smiled to herself at the continuous tapping that seemed to come from Apple Bloom, and the long strokes from Twist’s pencil that seemed to indicate the filly was doing more than writing notes on the lessons. Her curiosity piqued when she heard Diamond Tiara’s pencil pick up pace during science. She stayed quiet through it all, her own thoughts distracting her as she pondered all the things her ears could tell her that no pony would ever say.

“So, how was school, squirt?”

Over the whistling wind, Scootaloo answered, “It was good! I liked the lessons!”

“Oh, yeah? A little bit different, though, huh?”

“Yeah. A lot more noise, too.”

Rainbow lighted on her front doorstep, helping Scootaloo down. “So…everypony treat you right? No pony was mean, right?”

Scootaloo smiled, pointedly ignoring the memories of Diamond Tiara. “Yeah, everypony was great! I had a lot of fun!”

Rainbow smiled as she guided Scootaloo in. “Was lunch okay? Got your fill?”

“Yes, Rainbow.”

“Did you have enough paper? Twilight said she can make more any time.”

Scootaloo smiled to herself, Rainbow’s new pattern of doting parent taking over again. “Yes, Rainbow.”

Her guardian nodded, trying to think of anything else. “Got any homework? I can start on dinner if you want to go ahead with that.”

“Actually…Miss Cheerilee said she couldn’t put it in Braille, so…”

Rainbow grinned, a part of her relieved to have something to put her nervous energy into. “Yeah, sure! Let’s go ahead and get that knocked out, then just chillax for the rest of the day.”

Scootaloo grinned, wanting nothing more than to relax with her big sister the rest of the day. “Sure! But, uh…can I turn my ears off? I did a lot of hearing today…”

Her big sister’s gentle hoof brushed through her mane. “Of course you can, Scoots. Give ‘em here.”

Scootaloo obeyed, tugging off her transmitters and hoofing over her processors, the familiar, comforting silence easing tension she didn’t realize was built up in her muscles. After a moment, Rainbow properly putting away her devices, she feels familiar hooves scoop her up and a muzzle nuzzle her neck as she floats over to the coffee table, the familiarity putting both ponies at ease as they fall into their old pattern.

The week went by mostly uneventful, Scootaloo getting more and more comfortable with her surroundings and more and more familiar with her classroom. Once her new sense had had its fill of noises, her other senses began to kick in. Multiple times, she found herself rubbing her nose, a smell in front of her overpowering her with its flowery odor. The further away she was from Diamond Tiara, she found, the smaller the smell was.

Friday afternoon, the school bell having rung, Scootaloo pulled in fresh air through her nose as she felt her best friends press into her sides. The fresh scent of trees was cut off by a powerful wave of the sickly flowers she had been smelling all week from Diamond Tiara, though she heard said filly’s voice from her right.

A new voice, one that stuck uncomfortably to her ears, spoke. “Ugh, and what do we have here?”

Apple Bloom tensed against Scootaloo. “Good evenin’, Mrs. Rich.”

The voice ‘hmph’ed. “To think we pay to keep this school open, and this is how we are repaid? Foals who can’t even walk by themselves are brought in and cramp up the same space as my daughter. Oh, the nerve!”

A pang sank Scootaloo’s heart as she realized the mare was talking about her, and her head followed as she felt her friends push her away, the mare calling out, “And do consider not coming back.”

Scootaloo shuffled alongside Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, her head hanging as she listened to the mare’s laughter die down.

“Don’t listen to her, Scoots,” Sweetie Belle assured, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “She’s always been rotten all the way to the core.”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom seconded. “That’s Diamond Tiara’s mom, an’ she’s even worse than ‘er daughter.

Scootaloo hesitated. “But she’s right, isn’t she?”

Her two friends paused, appalled she would think such a thing.

Tears filled Scootaloo’s eyes as she continued, “My whole life, I’ve had to rely on others. I can’t walk or do much by myself. I can’t even fly.” At the last sentence, her voice broke, and she didn’t try to stop her tears from falling.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a glance, hearts heavy as they tried to find the words to say. They rubbed their friend’s shoulders, and Sweetie Belle spoke up.

“So what?”

That made Scootaloo pause. “Huh?”

“So what if you have to rely on others a lot? My sister relies on others to help keep her boutique open, and Apple Bloom’s brother and sister rely on her to help out around the farm. Everypony needs help every once in a while, you just need it a bit more often.”

“Besides,” Apple Bloom picked up, “you’ve done so much on your own. You’ve worked so hard to understand the world around you. Yeah, you might’ve had help a couple times, but figuring it out was all you. And you’re still learning, and improving every day. Any pony that can do that is hardly helpless.”

“I know I couldn’t do it,” Sweetie Belle added with a chuckle.

“Me, neither,” Apple Bloom agreed.

The two shared a chuckle, Scootaloo giving them a small smile in return. Her eyes welled up again, this time for a much happier reason. She sniffed, wiping away a couple tears.

“Who needs sight when I’ve got friends like you?”

Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s hearts soared, and they pulled their best friend into a tight hug, which she gladly returned.

Gently closing the door, Rainbow Dash watching Scootaloo breathe until the door cut off her vision, she finally let herself breathe.

School had been going great, the foals had been treating her well, Miss Cheerilee was impressed with her progress, even the homework wasn’t that bad.

It had been a week of success after success after success.

Rainbow Dash pushed out the steam from her overworking heart as she trotted into the kitchen, right to where she left her documents. Her bottom lip found her teeth as she stared down at them, letting her mind run wild in a way she hadn’t in a year and a half.

She knew it wasn’t a good idea to get her hopes up now, but…she couldn’t help it.

With Scootaloo in school now, and gaining more independence day by day…was it so wrong to let herself begin to dream again?

Sad azure eyes flashed across her mind, and she shook her head to dispel whatever line of thinking was trying to intrude on her happiness.

With a flick of her hoof, she popped open the cap of the ink bottle, picked up the quill, and began to read the first document entitled:

Wonderbolt Academy Application

Chapter 21: From the Rough

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 22: Snapshots

A yawn preceded Rainbow Dash’s appearance in the living room, the pegasus now too used to early mornings to sleep in anymore. She flopped down onto the couch, coffee mug grasped in her wing, and took a deep swig, the rising sun glinting off the record player in the corner.

‘Scootaloo’s probably gonna sleep in,’ she figured. ‘She partied hard with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle last night.’

The cyan mare chuckled to herself, taking another sip of coffee. Ever since she had bought that record player for her filly’s tenth birthday, Scootaloo had had a hard time staying away from it. Swore up and down she could feel the music tingling her feathers. What followed was the first of many evenings the filly spent leaping and dancing through the living room as the same record played over and over. Rainbow had to promise to let her pick out the next vinyl just to get her to go to sleep.

And she did. The filly’s growing love for music prompted her guardian to take her to her first concert, an easy-going, classical showcase. Rainbow herself couldn’t deny the impressiveness of all the instruments working together under the guidance of one pony. Scootaloo’s delight only grew when she found out they were selling records of the show afterward.

Rainbow hummed to herself as she polished off her mug. ‘It really is a shame she’s sensitive to rock concerts.’

When they had tried branching out to other forms of music, they had tried all different genres. What eventually led to a rock concert quickly turned into Scootaloo having to remove her processors, screeching guitars and pounding bass too much for the little filly. To Rainbow’s guilty relief, the records were perfectly fine, when they had tried again with the player, now able to control the volume.

Sighing, Rainbow stood up and trotted back into the kitchen, making sure the present was where she left it. She checked the clock, and smiled to herself, her prediction proven correct.

Scootaloo was fifteen minutes late.

She stretched out her neck and traipsed back into the living room, her eyes landing on the wall of photo frames. She chuckled at the first one she saw, lazily traipsing over and blowing away a bit of dust.

The smiling faces of her friends greeted her, a night that changed their lives forever frozen in a single moment. She could still feel Scootaloo’s little giggles against her chest as Twilight’s new wings accidentally fwip’ed her little sister in the face, the newly-made alicorn unsure how to control her wing muscles. It would take two weeks of lessons and constant encouragement to keep her eggheaded friend airborne for more than a minute, her friend finally beginning to feel more comfortable with them after a month.

As her eyes left the one picture, they landed on another, and her heart folded with nostalgia as she gazed upon a picture of one of Scootaloo’s proudest moments, her little filly grinning at the camera as she held a purple ribbon up into the air.

She snorted. “Scootaloo is lucky I don’t mind asking the awkward questions around here.”

“Hey, Rare!”

“Oh, Rainbow Dash! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I, uh…need some fabric.”

Rarity blinked, her glasses slipping down her nose in her shock. A hoof reset them before they could fall, a cleared throat bringing Rarity’s thoughts out of her shock. “And…why do you need this fabric?”

Rainbow shrugged, a sheepish blush rising in her cheeks as she rubbed the back of her head. “It’s kinda hard to explain. Scoots needs a fabric that you can’t really see through, but you also don’t realize you’re touching.”

The fashionista’s head tilted in thought, her mind cranking out question after question. “What is she using this for? If I know its purpose, I may be able to better help you.”

“Uh…” Rainbow shuffled her hooves. “Scootaloo wants it to be a secret. It’s really important to her that no pony knows until she shows it. But…it needs to be stretched over something, while still hiding it.”

A low hum escaped Rarity as she tapped her chin. “What color?”

“White.”

Rarity couldn’t help but cringe, her friend’s lack of…fabulosity shining through once again. “Okay, then…something stretchy, yet opaque…that holds no resistance to touch…I’ve got it!”

A grin crept up Rainbow’s face as she watched Rarity trot away, her hoof bobbing along her bolts of fabric, her magic finally alighting with a nod of approval. “This should do it.” Sapphire aura unrolled the fabric and gave it a stretch. “Commonly called ‘stretchy silk’, this should be what you’re looking for. I’ve used this for a few of Sapphire Shores concerts, and now that I think of it, she mentioned it being very lightweight. I think you’ll find this satisfactory.”

Rainbow stepped up to the bench while Rarity held the fabric out. She closed her eyes, reaching for the fabric…

Only to feel nothing.

She grinned to herself, knowing she had passed the point where the fabric had been levitating right in front of her, and yet had felt nothing. With a sigh of relief at her quest yielding such quick results, she opened her eyes to find her hoof stretching the fabric towards Rarity. “This is perfect, Rare! Seriously, we were completely lost about this.”

“Oh, of course, darling! It’s my pleasure to help you two out. Although, I must say, you do have my curiosity held captive. Whatever in Equestria would you need only this for?”

The rainbow-maned guardian only grinned as she told Rarity how much fabric she needed. “You’ll just have to wait and see. But trust me, it’s gonna be awesome!”

Rainbow chuckled to herself, running her hoof over the red ribbon held in her filly’s hoof, the two posing for a picture in front of the finished product of her hard work.

“Oh, Scootaloo…” Twilight began as she stepped up to the filly’s piece, “it’s lovely.”

“Thanks!” Scootaloo chirped, Rainbow Dash once again having to hide a snigger behind her hoof, knowing even her eggheaded friend would not be able to decipher the artwork her filly had made.

Little orange chest puffed out in pride, cheeky grin splitting her face, Scootaloo stood on a little pedestal beside a blank canvas hanging on the wall next to her, the ten-year-old confidently displaying what to every passing pony could not argue…was a whole lot of nothing.

Words failing to reach Twilight’s brain, the alicorn finally managed an uneasy smile. “Well…I hope tonight goes well for you, Scootaloo.”

“Thanks! I’m sure it will!”

With the purple bookworm stepping away, Rainbow snorted as she leaned to Scootaloo. “She so didn’t get it.”

“I know, right?!” Scootaloo giggled. “I can’t believe I’m actually gonna have to explain this. I mean, when have I ever made art like this?”

As the two shared a laugh, an earth pony mare approached, haughtily clearing her throat. “I’m sorry, I fail to see what is so funny about entering an art contest with a blank canvas.”

The mare’s tone killed the humor within Rainbow Dash, the cyan pegasus straightening up to defend Scootaloo. “First of all, this was actually a mandatory thing for the school. And if you want in on the joke, maybe you’d like to be the first to actually ask the artist to explain the piece?”

The mare–Harshwhinny, by the badge–raised an eyebrow, and sighed. “Alright, I’ll bite. Please explain your piece.”

Scootaloo smiled and puffed out her chest, stepping forward and delivering the lines she had practised with Rainbow Dash. “As you can see, I am blind.” She paused as Rainbow snickered and Harshwhinny rolled her eyes. “And as such, I cannot create things, nor do I have a sense of art as everypony else does. I have to navigate the world by touch. So, to illustrate this, I created a piece that forces the pony to see things through my eyes. Or rather, my hoof.”

Officially intrigued–she had to admit–Harshwhinny hummed and made a mark on her clipboard. “And how does one view this piece?”

Scootaloo took a step toward her submission gesturing for the judge to come forward. “Please close your eyes and touch the canvas.”

Harshwhinny sighed internally, but did as she was told. She stepped up to the canvas, closed her eyes, and reached out her hoof.

She frowned in concentration, her hoof touching something that was most definitely not the cloth of canvas. Her hoof caught an edge, and she traced it, meeting another line, then another, the curves gently rising and falling as her hoof circled the area, condensing and tightening as they reached the middle. Something clicked in her brain, and her eyes flew open, her gaze finding the artist and her guardian. “Is this a rose?”

The filly’s bright smile gave her her answer. “It’s not the only one.”

Harshwhinny blinked, closing her eyes and her hoof diving back in to find another circular cluster of thin bumps next to the first, closing her eyes as her mind built the image as she felt it. She could almost smell the roses as the canvas of her mind’s eye filled with each head that revealed itself to her.

When she had finally reached the edge, her eyes finally reopened, seeing the small dent her hoof made in the false canvas that hid the artwork beneath it, a profound sense of understanding befalling the mare that had regulated and judged many a competition.

A canvas was supposed to translate what the artist saw in the world. This one was blank…and yet…

Harshwhinny’s attention finally left the canvas and her own thoughts as she jotted down a note. “Well, I hope the results are in your favor.”

Ponies, both judge and viewer, came around to view Scootaloo’s piece, all holding various reactions to her work. Scrunched noses and wide eyes intermingled that night, playing with Rainbow’s emotions and making her oddly anxious for the results of the contest.

She wouldn't remember all the names that night. The first place prize went to a filly with an impressive talent named Toola Roola. At the end, with Scootaloo shrugging off her mild disappointment, Harshwhinny took the microphone and announced a final reward of the night, one intended to be given to the foal who inspired the judges and viewers.

Rainbow would forever remember the way her hooves locked up when Scootaloo’s name was called.

To this day, her work of art and the ribbon she earned hung in her room.

A fond hum rose from Rainbow’s throat as her hoof left the frame, her eyes landing on the broad, multicolored stretch of landscape that was Flower Lake atop Haven’s Point.

Rainbow couldn’t help but cringe every time she thought of their first camping trip, the beauty of the destination nearly soured by the campfire stories told along the way.

The cyan mare swooped around her friends, sending a whirlwind to the three ten-year-old fillies huddled together on their log.

“And then Flash Magnus swooped down from the clouds, outflying the falling dragon and barely escaping with his tail from being crushed by it. They say the impact of its collision with the earth can still be felt today in quiet tremors of the ground.”

She grinned at the looks of awe on Sweetie Belle’s and Apple Bloom’s faces, the expression faltering at the confusion on Scootaloo’s.

“I don’t get it,” the filly confessed. “Why would it shake the ground? And why would have to outfly it? Why’s the dragon a threat, anyway?”

Rainbow mentally kicked herself. It had been a long time since she’d forgotten to properly describe something for Scootaloo. “Right, sorry. So, you know Spike?”

“Yeah?”

“Okay, so…take his scales and wings and stuff, and put it on Princess Celestia portions….then times a hundred for size.”

Scootaloo blinked. “Oh.” It took a moment for the image to sink in. In Scootaloo’s mind, Princess Celestia sprouted scales, Spike’s head popping on top of the lengthening neck as her legs stretched to an unfathomable length, Scootaloo’s expression leaving nothing untold of the horrors unfolding in her own mind, the mutated dragon Princess flopping and flailing around as she peers around clouds in search of a pegasus a fraction of a fraction smaller than her.

“Scootaloo? You okay?”

The filly wasn’t sure who had spoken to her, finding her limbs uncontrollably shaking as she clung to Apple Bloom. She couldn’t describe the terror that surged through her as she tried to get her voice under control enough to speak.

“Th-there’s…there’s s-still dra-dragons like t-that?!”

Rainbow snorted into her hoof, remembering how long it took to get Scootaloo to sleep that night. Both pegasi were exhausted the following morning, and barely spoke until they finally reached the peak of Haven’s Point, Scootaloo’s excitement at all the different smells and textures from the flowers managing to wake Rainbow up a bit as she listed off flower after flower as her little sister dragged her around, grateful for the guide under her wing that she had grabbed at the trailhead.

Rainbow’s eyes landed on a frame that still brought a tear to her eye. All of Ponyville had come out that day in support of the three fillies that had run amuck around town. Her heart fluttered as she remembered the excitement.

She scooped up her little sister, her wings moving on autopilot as she whooped through the sky, Scootaloo hugging her neck tightly.

“I’m so proud of you, Scoots!”

“Thanks, Rainbow!”

It was small, but she could hear it. The slightest hesitation, but one that told Rainbow more than words could.

Under the guise of celebration, Rainbow lifted Scootaloo away from the cheering crowd and to a quiet little cloud. She set the filly down in her lap and smoothed down her mane. “Everything alright, squirt?”

The filly tried to blink back her tears, her mind swimming as she tried to think how to say what was wrong. “I don’t feel anything.”

Rainbow frowned. “Well, most ponies don’t feel any different when they ge—“

“No. I mean…literally.”

A chill passed through Rainbow’s heart, the happy emotions of the moment vanishing in an instant. “Oh…right.”

Scootaloo sniffed, snuggling into her sister’s chest. “I know you can’t feel yours, but I was hoping I’d be able to feel mine. Maybe not like with my hoof or anything, but…maybe through my flank, you know.”

The mare’s heart flooded with sympathy as she held her filly close. She couldn’t imagine not being able to see the very thing that represented who she was. As she nuzzled comfort into Scootaloo’s mane, her gears began to turn, praying Scootaloo would find solace in the promise of a solution.

It was a couple days before Rainbow could talk to Twilight about any kind of solution, one she was happy to see her friend had already been working on. Later that week, the mares presented the filly with the product of their hard work.

Scootaloo eased the top off the box and tenderly felt inside. Her feather touch grated over the tissue paper until she felt something shift with the bump of her toe. She grabbed it, scooping the shield shape into her hooves and pulling it close.

Her delicate touch traced the outer edge of the shape, venturing in and sliding over the polished wooden surface, finding a straight indent running up the shape. She followed it to discover another stop, and traced around the raised edge, the piece in the middle making the shape of a feather. Her breath catching, she ventured closer to the center and found a couple dips within the feather creating a pair of swirls reminiscent of half a heart.

As she formed her mental image, a grin crept up her face. She looked up in the direction Rainbow last was. “Is this my cutie mark?”

“Sure is, Scoots!” Rainbow pulled Scootaloo into a tight hug. “Twilight worked some magic so you could see what your cutie mark looks like. Do you like it?”

“I love it!”

Scootaloo insisted on bringing the shape to school for the next month, where it sat on the corner of her desk so she could fiddle with it as she listened to Miss Cheerilee give instruction. When she had finally had her fill of the comfort the object brought her, she sat it beside the updated statuettes of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

Rainbow’s own reflection interrupted her thoughts of Scootaloo, her acceptance letter into the Wonderbolt staring at her through the glass.

Scootaloo was nine when Rainbow Dash had gotten the acceptance letter to the Academy, and after over a year of training, she had finally been accepted into the Wonderbolts, her family and friends conspiring with her little sister to throw her a surprise party at the Cloudominium.

She would be forever grateful to Spitfire for including Scootaloo in the practice the day she was unable to find a foalsitter, her captain guiding the Wonderbolts through their training with the whooping, squealing filly on her back. Hardly any of them could completely focus as the mares and stallions grinned and chuckled at the filly’s elation, Scootaloo making many new friends that day.

One of which she made after she turned eleven, at the annual Wonderbolt Summer Dinner.

Scootaloo traced her hoof through the water spot left behind by the shifted glass, letting herself get lost in thought as she swayed her head to the beat of the music and felt the raised stitches of the fabric, swearing she could hear Rainbow’s laughs as she talked to Soarin.

She grumbled to herself, half happy that Rainbow Dash got asked to dance, and half jealous that she couldn’t join her big sister.

“Is it okay if I sit here?”

Scootaloo jolted at the sudden auditory presence. “Oh, sorry!” said a colt’s voice. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s fine,” Scootaloo breathed a chuckle as her shoulders slowly relaxed. “Uh, sure…”

The chair next to her creaked, and the tablecloth tugged a bit to her left as whoever it was pulled themselves into the chair. “So, who dragged you into this?”

Scootaloo snorted. “Rainbow Dash is my sister. None of her friends could watch me tonight.”

The voice snorted a hum. “Yeah, same. Thunderlane’s my big brother. He swears I need to socialize more, and then he brings me to things like this where I can’t even socialize.”

A giggle bubbled its way out of Scootaloo’s chest. “Yeah…that’s kinda dumb.”

The colt chuckled. “I’m Rumble, by the way.”

“Oh, hi! My name’s Scootaloo.” Her ear flicked as she felt something move beside her. “Uh…” she gave a nervous chuckle, reaching for where she could only assume Rumble was reaching for a hoofshake.

“Oh, sorry,” Rumble said, and his hoof touched hers, lightly shaking it. “I, uh…I don’t want to sound rude, but…can you see anything?”

“No,” Scootaloo replied simply, offering the colt a smile. “And that wasn’t rude, don’t worry. It’s okay to ask questions out of curiosity. I’ve been blind ever since I was born.”

“Oh…okay, cool–” Rumble suddenly stammered as he tried to recover what he’d said. “I mean, uh…it’s not cool that you can’t see, I’m just saying it’s cool to, uh, learn that about you.” The colt groaned, and Scootaloo imagined he was hitting himself on the head, and couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s okay,” she chuckled. “I know what you meant.”

Rumble gave a nervous chuckle. “Sorry, I just…I’ve never met a blind pony before.”

“And I’ve never seen a socially-awkward colt before,” Scootaloo returned.

Rumble gave another chuckle, before his laugh suddenly stopped. “Wait, did you just–”

He was cut off by a mad giggle from Scootaloo, and the colt couldn’t help but join in at the self-made mirth. “Sorry, sorry, that was pretty bad,” the filly giggled.

“Eh, I thought it was funny,” Rumble shrugged.

“Okay, good. Sometimes ponies find my sense of humor a little…weird.”

“Self-deprecating?” Rumble offered.

“Yep.” Scootaloo emphasized her answer with a curt nod. After a sheepish giggle, she continued, “Speaking of can’t see…is it alright if I feel your face? It’s how I tell what ponies look like.”

“Oh, uh…y-yeah, sure,” Rumble stumbled, and Scootaloo reached out her hoof. She felt Rumble take it, and smiled patiently as the colt brought her touch to his face. She took in the shape of his muzzle, the curve of his eyes and angle of his jaw. She chuckled softly at his swept-back hair, finding his ears and trailing a hoof down the back of his neck and finding his wings.

“Thanks,” Scootaloo smiled, settling back down into her seat.

“Yeah, no problem,” Rumble answered. “Do you want me to tell you how you look?”

A bark of laughter escaped Scootaloo’s throat, Rumble chuckling along with her. “No, I have a pretty good idea of what my face looks like.”

“Okay,” Rumble chuckled. He looked up at the dancing, mingling Wonderbolts, finding his brother’s face as aristocratic ponies passed by. His eyes searched, finding Rainbow Dash as she let out a laugh, dancing with Soarin amidst a few other couples.

“So, uh…” he asked shyly. “You wanna dance?”

“Um…” Scootaloo shrank into herself. “I kinda…can’t. I mean, I can, just…not what everypony else does. The dancing I do at home…I don’t feel comfortable doing that around ponies I don’t know.”

Rumble hummed to himself. “I…think I can show you how. What everypony else is doing right now seems pretty easy.”

“Uh…I–I don’t,” Scootaloo insisted as she squirmed in her seat, “I don’t want to go out to the dance floor. There’s too many ponies, and too much movement.”

“That’s fine,” Rumble smiled. “We can stay right here, where they won’t be paying attention to us.”

At once, Scootaloo seemed to relax immensely, her shoulders lowering and head raising a bit. A moment passed as she thought, Rumble unable to take his eyes off Scootaloo’s own as they jolted back and forth as if looking for something.

“Um, okay,” she answered shakily. “Can you help me down?”

“Yeah, sure.” Rumble hopped down from his chair, reaching up and taking Scootaloo’s hoof. The filly held on, her other hoof gently feeling the edge of the seat before she leaned on Rumble, the colt supporting her gently as she eased her way out of the chair.

Once her hooves were on the ground, Rumble pulled her a bit away from the table. “Okay, we should have plenty of room here,” he said once the two were away from the tables. He looked up, making sure he could still see the ponies on the dancefloor from where they were. “Stand on my hooves.”

“Uh, what?” Scootaloo blinked. “Are you sure? I don’t wanna hurt you.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Rumble assured. He moved his hoof so hers now rested on top of his. “Go ahead, put the other one on.”

Scootaloo hesitated, scrubbing her other hoof forward. Rumble moved his other hoof so it was directly in Scootaloo’s path, and she quickly made contact, sliding her hoof on top of Rumble’s own.

“Okay, so…” Rumble trailed as he looked up at the dancing adults. “First, you move your hoof like this.” Rumble shifted his left hoof forward, bringing Scootaloo’s right hoof back a step. “Then it comes back forward, and then the other hoof goes in the other direction.” As he spoke, he moved his right hoof back, bringing Scootaloo’s left hoof forward. “Then, uh…we both take a step back.” He slipped his left hoof out from Scootaloo’s right. “So I step back with this hoof, and you step back with your right hoof.”

Scootaloo nodded, doing what he said. “Like this?”

“Yeah,” Rumble smiled, taking his own step back. “Then we step forward at the same time, staying a bit to the left so our right shoulders touch.” He stepped forward again, slightly turning his body as he waited for Scootaloo to do the same.

The filly stepped forward, turning too far to her left. Rumble reached out a hoof, lightly touching her shoulder. “Not that far,” he corrected kindly, guiding her shoulder to his, Scootaloo’s eyes lighting up in understanding once contact was made.

“Now what?” Scootaloo asked, beginning to gain excitement for the new activity.

“We take a few steps so we circle around each other so we end up on the opposite side we were standing on.” Rumble slowly took a step, encouraging Scootaloo to join in the motion with him. “Good! And then it goes again.”

The two twelve-year-olds repeated their steps over and over again, their confidence sendi g them faster and faster as they forgoed the music and simply fell into step, finally stumbling to a close with sweaty foreheads and panting breaths.

“I…I need some water,” Scootaloo panted.

“Same.” Rumble took her hoof and guided her back to the table, making sure she knew where her chair was before clambering back onto his own.

As the foals gulped down their punch, Rainbow Dash grinned from the dance floor. Still dancing with her, Soarin followed her gaze to the foals at the table. “Do you wanna go check on her?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Nah, she’s fine. Looks like she’s made a friend.”

Soarin chuckled. “Looks like it. So, you’re not worried about her being bored anymore?”

The rainbow-maned mare smirked. “Nope. Looks like you’re stuck with me a little longer.”

The music began to shift into a more upbeat tune, Soarin grinned. “You won’t find me complaining. I do wish we were wearing our Wonderbolt gear, though.”

A snort lurched from Rainbow’s nose. “Eh, not the first time I’ve had to wear stuffy getup like this. I like to upstage the fancy guys on the dance floor to make up for making me wear things only Rarity can name.”

The laughter that rusted from Soarin was contagious, and made Rumble look in their direction. “I’m gonna use that one later. Let’s stamp some wood!”

From the table, Scootaloo frowned through a hum as her ears flattened, trying to cover her microphones.

“You okay?” Rumble inquired.

“It’s too loud,” Scootaloo mumbled, cringing at a trumpet sting. “Can we go away?”

Rumble nodded, mentally kicking himself as he jumped up and took her hoof. “Yeah, the back table’s aren’t so close to the speakers.”

He held her hood and awkwardly steered her around the tables, leading her to the back corner where a window overlooked the royal courtyard. He opened his mouth to comment on the nice view, only to close it again as he realized she couldn’t see it. His sinking heart gained a bit of air again as he saw her instantly relax at being further away from the loud music.

Scootaloo smiled in his direction. “So, how long has your brother been a Wonderbolt?”

With her question, whatever tension Rumble felt eased as he answered and asked in return, the foals conversing through several songs as the grown-ups danced and mingled the night away.

“Um…” Rumble trailed, embarrassed to finally ask a question that had been on his mind.

Scootaloo smiled patiently, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “It’s okay,” she encouraged. “What is it?”

“Isn’t it, I don’t know…scary? Not being able to see anything?”

Scootaloo’s head tilted, her eyes twitching about as she thought. “Not really,” she replied simply. “Yeah, I can’t see anything, but…I’ve spent my whole life figuring out how to find my way around, so…” She smiled, “Plus, I have Rainbow Dash and my friends! They help me out a lot, too.”

Rumble smiled. “That’s good! Must be nice to have so many friends.”

The filly’s head tilted at this. “You don’t have a lot of friends?”

“No, not really.” Rumble shrugged. “Cloudsdale’s great and all…but all the other foals just ask about my brother. It’s just ‘Thunderlane this’ and ‘Thunderlane that’. No pony asks about me. I get that it’s cool to live with a Wonderbolt, but…you know…”

A frown creased Scootaloo’s face. “Yeah, I get it. I don’t…really have that problem, probably because Rainbow just became a Wonderbolt this year. But I understand. That would be really annoying if that happened to me.” The conversation fell into an awkward silence before she piped up again. “How about this? Whenever we meet up here, we don’t talk about Wonderbolt stuff at all. We’ll talk about things we like, since everypony else is so busy with Rainbow and Thunderlane.”

The smile on Rumble’s face grew as she finished, becoming more genuine as he realized he had just made a new, true friend. “Yeah…yeah, that sounds great!”

Scootaloo grinned, pulling Rumble into a hug. “Awesome!” A giggle escaping her, she added, “And if you ever come to Ponyville, I know a ton of ponies who’d like to meet you.”

As beautiful as the conversation and budding friendship was, it would unfortunately not last as Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane came looking for their respective siblings, the party close to over.

Rainbow Dash blushed as she remembered how that night ended. She had listened to Scootaloo’s story with a distracted mind, her clever foal picking up on her hesitations and odd tone, finally getting out of her that Soarin had asked her on a date that night. The night of, the stallion was properly introduced to her, Scootaloo putting on a tough filly act and promising “pain unlike you’ve ever felt before” should he break Rainbow’s heart.

She never needed to make good on her threat, the two happily together even three years later.

Rainbow’s eyes fell to the dress her filly wore in the picture, the same one from the wedding in Canterlot. Her filly had grown so much over the years, the dress long ago donated, and Scootaloo had yet to wear another dress since.

Not for lack of trying, either. Rainbow had brought her sister to Carousel Boutique several times, but the filly had gotten surprisingly demure at the thought of trying on dresses and other clothes, and kept trying to hide when she heard other patrons around them. The last attempt had been months ago, and ended with Scootaloo nearly in tears after the eighth outfit, the filly once again claiming it didn’t feel right or was too scratchy or whatever other excuse she could make while still maintaining her composure.

A frown crossed Rainbow’s lips, reminding her of all the ways she had found she couldn’t help Scootaloo with no matter how hard she tried. When analogies and connecting perspectives couldn’t connect the dots and Scootaloo’s mind, only serving to highlight the remaining ignorance in Rainbow’s mind at what it was like for Scootaloo on a day-by-day basis.

She had taken comfort in knowing that she would always be there for her, even if she couldn’t help her figure things out.

She forced her hooves to move, lest she drown in her thoughts, passing picture after picture, moment after moment.

Her first Wonderbolt performance.

Their first escape room attempt.

The Daring Do-a-thon.

Scootaloo performing poetry for her classmates.

A group picture the summer the Cutie Mark Crusaders put together a camp to help other foals find their special talents.

The school play.

The talent show.

Scootaloo dancing alone in the living room, her movements fluid as the still frame threatened to move to allo Scootaloo to finish her solo.

Rainbow’s ear flicked at the familiar hoofsteps trotting down the stairs. She looked up in time to see Scootaloo step down onto the first floor of the Cloudominium.

Her fourteen-year-old filly now stood at her chin, purple locks hanging in loose curls down to her shoulders. Her cloudy eyes were every bit as active as they had been the day she met the filly that had stolen her heart.

She waved a lazy wing in the teenager’s direction, and her stirred mane signaled the message received. Scootaloo stopped with a grin as Rainbow approached, the older mare pressing her forehead to Scootaloo’s own in a gentle nuzzle.

“Happy Gotcha Day, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo hummed a chuckle, slipping her guardian into a tight hug.

“Happy Gotcha Day, Rainbow.”

Rainbow Dash pressed a kiss to her filly’s temple, her affection for the filly having only grown over the years. “I’ve got something for you on the table.”

Her charge chuckled. “Something awesome?”

“You know it!”

The young mare playfully rolled her eyes, breaking away from her guardian enough to share a smile with her. “Alright, lead the way.”

Rainbow grinned as she took Scootaloo’s hoof, leading her to the dining room. “Get ready for the best end of summer ever, kiddo!”

Author's Note

“We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.”
‭‭- John‬ ‭9‬:‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Hello, everyone! Long time no see!

Sorry about the wait, a couple parts of this chapter didn’t want to be written.

Speaking of, I tried to make this chapter as cohesive as possible, and I apologize if it felt a little choppy. As you can see, it’s meant to be a series of scenes that took place over the course of several years. My reasons for doing this is so the story wouldn’t drag out too long and to prevent myself getting bored writing it. So, compilation chapter!:rainbowlaugh:

If you guys would like, I can go into a bit more detail with some of the events that have passed. They won’t be posted to the main story, but I can make a little extras series if you guys want more of those stories.

What do you guys think of Scootaloo’s cutie mark in this story? It’s more based around her feather-light touch that she navigates the world with and the swirl represents her newfound love for dancing. I chose to keep their canon group talent for finding other’s special talents because it will become relevant later on in the story. I may go ahead and do a side story to that moment leading up to their own marks appearing.

With all that said (I’m horrible at author’s notes:twilightsheepish:), I will see you all in the next chapter!:rainbowkiss::heart:

Chapter 23: True Colors

Scootaloo eased open the box, gingerly reaching inside, feeling something like thick paper laying flat in the box.

She felt the smooth surface of the paper, chuckling as she pulled it out. “What are these?”

Rainbow Dash answered, “Two tickets to an opera showcase in Canterlot.”

Scootaloo’s head tilted in thought. “Opera? What’s that?”

She heard Rainbow’s chuckle. “It’s some kinda high-class concert thing. I don’t know much about it, but I’ve been told it’s pretty neat. So I figured…it’s a new flavor of sound we can both learn about.”

At once, Scootaloo broke out in a grin, finding the idea of learning about and hearing a new type of sound every bit as exhilarating as it was when she first gained her sense of hearing.

“Thing is…” Rainbow Dash trailed, “we hafta dress up for it.”

Scootaloo’s heart jumped to her throat. “Uh…we do?”

“Yeah.” Scootaloo could hear Rainbow’s apologetic smile. “I know you don’t like wearing clothes, but like I said, it’s a high-class event. So…we need to look our best.”

Lip in her teeth, Scootaloo thought over the prospect. She hated dressing up, but she didn’t want to pass up learning about something that sounded so cool. She ran her hoof over the tickets, her desire to spend an evening listening to new music with her sister beginning to outweigh her disdain for clothing.

It was just for a few hours, right?

“Okay,” Scootaloo sighed. “Are we going to Carousel Boutique?”

Rainbow Dash gave her sister a small smile she couldn’t see, the filly trying but unable to hide the unease on her face. “Actually,” she answered, “I have a meeting with the Wonderbolts this afternoon, so it’ll just be you at the boutique.”

Scootaloo’s mouth twitched. “But…don’t you need a dress, too?”

“I’m gonna wear the same dress I wore to the Gala,” Rainbow explained. “I’ve only worn it that one time, and I don’t need another fancy dress.” She smirked, “You, on the other hoof…”

“I can wear the dress I wore at the wedding,” Scootaloo offered.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t hide her snicker. “That little thing won’t fit you anymore. You need a new dress, Scoots. Besides, you never know when you’ll need one.” She smirked, teasing, “Like…Rumble could ask you out to a fancy dinner date, or something.”

Scootaloo’s face erupted in a furious blush, the filly hiding her face in her hooves. “Rainbow Dash!” she whined.

Rainbow reached over and tussled her sister’s mane. “I’m just teasing,” she relented. “But seriously, everypony should have at least one nice outfit.”

“Even a super cool tomcolt of a Wonderbolt?” Scootaloo smirked, peeking out from her hooves.

Rainbow let out a bark of laughter. “Yes, even a super cool tomcolt of a Wonderbolt. It’s like…the only thing me and Rarity agree on.” Scootaloo felt a hoof in her mane. “Rarity’s reserved the boutique just for you today, okay? No pony else will be around, just you and Rarity.”

Scootaloo felt a weight she wasn’t aware of lift off her shoulders. “That…makes me feel better than I thought it would.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled, pulling Scootaloo into a sideways hug. “Good! Everything will be fine, Scoots, I promise.”

Scootaloo’s hoof bumped the corner of the entrance to Carousel Boutique, and stepped right in, the plush carpet brushing against her frog smelling like fresh cleaner.

The bell jingled as the door closed behind Rainbow, and Scootaloo’s ears quirked at the drag of hanger hooks on a metal bar.

“Welcome, darling!” Rarity gushed, and Scootaloo’s breath catch in her throat as she was suddenly pulled into a hug, nervously chuckling off her surprise as she patted Rarity’s shoulder in return.

“Hey, Rare!” Rainbow greeted. “Ready to work some magic?”

“Ah, as if you have to ask, darling!” Rarity let out a haughty little giggle.

“Great!” Scootaloo could hear the grin in her big sister’s voice. “I leave her to you, then.” A delicate, comforting wing draped itself around Scootaloo’s shoulders and pulled her into a loving embrace, the oh-so-familiar muzzle nuzzling her mane. “I’ll see you soon, Scoots. Can’t wait to see what you two come up with.”

Her returned smile hid well her trembling heart. “Me, too!”

Rainbow let her go, giving a final wave to Rarity before leaving the store, making sure the ‘Closed for Personal Business’ sign was square in the window before taking off for Cloudsdale, Carousel Boutique quickly shrinking away behind her.

Back inside, Scootaloo inquired, “Where’s Sweetie Belle?”

“She’s out with Button today. They’re at the arcade.”

“Again?!”

She immediately felt bad for her response, as if Sweetie were there to hear it. She had been dating Button Mash for almost six months now, and the young stallion had yet to take Sweetie out on a “proper” date. With Sweetie being the socialite pony within their group, Scootaloo could understand not wanting to be out in public a lot. But even she had her limits to being considerate towards one's partner.

Not that she had any experience.

“I know,” Rarity sighed. “I’ve been trying to tell her she needs to put her hoof down, same as the two of you, but unfortunately she is having a hard time being more assertive.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, I get it. She wants it to work, but if he’s got so much social anxiety that he refuses to go out to dinner, then…” she trailed off, waving a hoof to get her point across.

Rarity nodded. “Quite right, darling. But enough about that, we have a dress to make!” The excitement in her voice pulled a gentle smile from Scootaloo’s unease, and Rarity took her hoof and guided her onto the Diaz in the middle of the room.

“Now,” the fashionista began, “I have a few swatch dresses for you to try on. Just for you to feel what’s comfortable. We’ll add to things from there.”

The layout of events eased a tension in Scootaloo’s shoulders, and the young mare pushed out a sigh as she nodded. “Okay. That sounds good.”

Rarity’s eyes lit up as she donned her sparkly red reading glasses, her magic lighting up and pulling the swatch made from broadcloth. With a helping hoof and a quick adjustment with clips, and Scootaloo stood in a basic white draping. Curious, she explored the dress stand-in, moving her legs to feel how it brushed against her, her muzzle crinkling a little bit.

“What are you thinking?” Rarity prompted. “It’s okay if it’s not the right fabric for you, there are dozens of options we can choose from.”

Scootaloo finally released her feelings with a sheepish smile. “Yeah…It feels really stiff.”

Rarity nodded, undoing the clips. “Yes, broadcloth is very breathable and light, but sacrifices a little bit of comfort. Let’s try this one.”

A simple dress of silk rested against Scootaloo’s fur, and she ran her hoof over it. “I like how smooth this feels, but it’s getting kinda hot under the lights.”

Again, Rarity nodded thoughtfully. “I had a feeling you would say that.” She opened up the clips, her mind already churning out color compliments for the filly. “What about this one?”

Soft fabric brushed over her fur, settling comfortably over her back. As she felt it, the light ease in which she moved instantly put a few fears to rest, the sample skirt flowing gently around her flanks and reminding her a bit of a cloud.

“I really like this one,” she smiled, giving a little twirl. Rarity watched as her brain ticked over, pulling forth shades of yellow and mentally comparing them to the shades of her fur.

“It looks wonderful on you, darling!” Rarity grinned. “Believe it or not, that fabric is made from bamboo.”

Scootaloo’s mouth dropped open. “No way! How do you do that?!”

The adorable reaction drew a polite little giggle from the dressmaker. “No idea, if I must be honest. My talent is in making dresses, not fabric.”

The two shared a quiet chuckle, the whistle of Rarity’s aura growing as she picked up bolts of fabric. Scootaloo held perfectly still save for her rotating ears as it got closer and farther in various directions, Rarity finally settling on a shade with a little “Aha!”

Her hoofsteps drew closer as the gathered whistles congregated and sailed away. “Alright, now. What kind of skirts do you prefer?”

A thoughtful hum buzzed Scootaloo’s throat. “I…I don’t like ones that drag the floor, but I don’t like the idea of half my tail poking out. Maybe down to my fetlocks? And I like them flowy, because they don’t catch at all when I walk.”

Echoing her own, Rarity rubbed her chin as a piece of the design came together. “And the sleeves?”

“About the same,” Scootaloo replied. “I like feeling them flow, but I don’t like too much touching. One of the dresses I tried on before felt like a bunch of tiny hooves trying to get my attention. I jumped really bad when Rainbow touched my shoulder.”

She didn’t hear a response this time as Rarity nodded. “I see…” Silence reigned between them, and Scootaloo awkwardly felt as of she should give more, before she heard her magic spring to life again. “I think I have just the thing!”

It only took an hour to make the base of the dress. The bodice was first, before Rarity gave shape to the skirt under Scootaloo’s guide to where it felt the most comfortable, and she smiled as she came out with a full skirt, fluffed by the young mare’s tail but just long enough to allow her to step backwards without fear of tripping herself.

The sleeves were next, and a bit trickier. Faux sleeves were pinned to the bodice as Scootaloo wore it, stepping around the store and up and down the diaz, even giving a few basic dance steps. Little by little, changes were made, scrapped, and tried again. Finally, Rarity felt her heart soar as she sewed down the cuffs, flowing just past Scootaloo’s chestnuts and tapering up to the front of her shoulders.

Now standing back on the diaz, Scootaloo’s confidence began to wane a bit, knowing what came next.

“Oh, darling!” Rarity gushed. “This yellow is simply divine on you!” So caught up was the fashionista in her own zone, she didn’t notice Scootaloo’s already-strained face fall.

Rarity levitated over a length of pink ribbon. “Pink is a natural complement, of course; and it adds a wonderful contrast to your fur. And the light yellow of the dress will make your mane pop and bring out your eyes.”

Scootaloo’s brow furrowed, her mind racing as she tried to keep up with what Rarity was saying. Her ears flicked as the unicorn paced behind her, the whistling of her magic holding at least four items.

“Now, which shade works best with the ensemble?” Rarity hummed in thought, rubbing her chin. “Hot pink is too close to the intensity of your fur, but I feel like blush fades too much into the yellow. We want complement, after all.”

Scootaloo opened her mouth, about to ask a question, before Rarity continued, not noticing her client’s confusion and anxiety rising as she fell into her tangent.

“Rose? No, too orange. Punch? Oh, too red. Hmm, perhaps fuschia? No, no, too much purple…Oh, I know! How about–”

“Stop it!” Scootaloo shouted.

Rarity stared up at the filly on the diaz, her concentration completely shattered. Her shock turned to worry when she saw the tears welling in Scootaloo’s eyes. “Darling, whatever’s the matter?”

“I want it off,” Scootaloo stressed, stepping down and hoof moving to find how to take off the unfinished dress. “Take it off, please!”

“But, darling, you look stunning! Why on earth would you want to–”

“I don’t know what you're talking about!” Scootaloo cried, tears dripping down her face. “I can’t understand half the words you say! You keep saying ‘complement’ and ‘contrast’ and I just…I can’t…Rarity, what are colors?!”

Rarity pulled in a sharp breath, realizing with terrible clarity what the problem was—and the mistake she’d made. “Scootaloo, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even realize…”

Scootaloo’s face fell. “It’s fine, okay? I just…I hate the idea of wearing something because I don’t know how it looks. I don’t know what looks good on me, and I don’t know what colors are supposed to go with what because I can’t see them. So…” Scootaloo rubbed her foreleg, head ducking down to hide from Rarity’s view as much as she could.

Rarity took a breath, and sat down in front of the teenager. “Give me your hooves,” she instructed softly.

Scootaloo paused, sniffing before she complied, sitting in front of Rarity and giving her her hooves.

Rarity held Scootaloo’s hooves so that they rested on top of her own. “I want you to imagine you’re walking in a flower field.”

Scootaloo’s eyes blinked, the cloudy lavender searching only a moment before they finally closed as she concentrated. Rarity moved her hooves back and forth in a soft sway. “Can you feel them? The soft velvet flower heads brushing against you as they blow in the breeze?”

Scootaloo hesitated, imagining various little petaled heads brushing against her forelegs and hooves as she felt them. She nodded, and Rarity continued:

“Now, as you’re walking through, you hear a nightingale’s song.” She watched Scootaloo’s head tilt the slightest bit. “Can you hear it?”

Scootaloo let herself get lost in the mental sensations, internally giggling at the song her mind’s nightingale was singing her.

“While you're walking through, you disturb him. He erupts from the field, and sends petals blowing in the breeze.” She watched Scootaloo’s barest hint of a sway before she asked, “Can you hear his wing beats? Can you feel the wind brushing leaves and petals over your fur?”

She watched Scootaloo hesitate, and then nod once again.

Rarity smiled, bringing her face closer to Scootaloo’s. “That’s what you look like.” Scootaloo’s face rose a bit, mentally looking up at Rarity.

The unicorn brought her hooves to Scootaloo’s mane, holding her face. “You’re beautiful, darling.” Scootaloo’s eyes blinked open, allowing new tears to fall from them. “I’m so sorry I got lost in my own little world. Today is for you, and I promise to make this dress perfect.”

As Scootaloo gave a small smile, Rarity felt the all-too-familiar spark of inspiration, her own mental walkthrough providing her with the exact solution she needed. She leaned back from Scootaloo, taking in the dresses dips and curves. “And I know exactly how to finish this dress.” She helped Scootaloo up. “Bear with me for a little longer?”

Scootaloo hesitated, giving a small nod. Smiling, Rarity pulled her close for a moment before walking her up the diaz, and Scootaloo felt a small breeze on her hind legs as Rarity fluffed out the skirt.

“Now, let’s see…” Rarity’s hooves trotted off to Scootaloo’s right. “Ah! Perfect! I’ve been waiting ages to use these appliqués, but they’ve just refused to work for anything else!”

Scootaloo’s ears flicked as she heard the lilting whistle of Rarity’s magic, seeming to pass in a wave over to her as she couldn’t pinpoint exactly where the magic was coming from. Rarity trotted back over to her, and Scootaloo felt the magic wave move to the skirt. A series of the tiniest of swooshes rose to her processors, the skirt moving ever so slightly to help Rarity with whatever she was doing.

“Aha! Perfect!” Another wave of magic, and Scootaloo felt the skirt jerk with the smallest bit of weight before the sound of levitation magic died away.

Her curiosity getting the best of her, Scootaloo reached back to feel what Rarity had done. “Ah, ah, ah!” Rarity nearly sang, Scootaloo’s hoof tingling with a magic that stopped it mid-reach. “No feeling until they’re all properly stitched on. I don't want you catching your hoof on a pin.”

A small ‘poof’ and the dress was off, the complimenting repetition of the sound popping up to Scootaloo’s right.

“Wait just a moment, darling. This will take a few minutes.”

Scootaloo took a seat on top of the diaz, her flustered shame fading into embarrassment. “I’m sorry I snapped,” she apologized. “I usually don't mind when ponies forget I can’t see. I actually take it as a compliment. It’s just…different when it comes to dressing up. It’s the only thing that’s completely visual that I haven’t been able to navigate or recreate with my sense of touch. It just…doesn’t work.”

Rarity smiled in sympathy. “I understand, darling. But…” she took Scootaloo’s hoof, pulling the dress toward her, “I hope this comes close to what you want to experience.”

Scootaloo’s hoof was guided down, grazing a small tingle of magic before her hoof brushed against the light, soft fabric of the dress. Rarity’s magic aura disappeared, and Scootaloo ran her hoof along the fabric, feeling a small flake. Brow furrowed, she felt the extra piece of fabric, rounded and curved as only a couple stitches held it in place on the dress.

“Is this a petal?” Scootaloo breathed.

“Yes,” Rarity answered. “And there are many more. Keep feeling.”

Scootaloo left the petal alone, her hoof moving only a couple inches before she found another. Smiling softly at the appliqué, she continued on, finding petal after petal in an increasing concentration until finally she felt as if her hoof was resting in a small puddle of scattered petals. She added her other hoof, skimming them over the flaked fabric, and smiling as she felt as if her mental image had come to life.

“I really like the way this feels,” Scootaloo grinned. “Is it like this on the whole dress?”

“It’s in a gradient rising up the skirt,” Rarity explained. “Right now, you’re right at the hem, but as you go up to the hip area, there’s less and less concentration.”

Nodding to herself, Scootaloo moved her hooves in the opposite direction, feeling the cluster of petals getting steadily further and further apart from each other as she grazed her way up the skirt.

“Do you like it?” Rarity asked hopefully.

Scootaloo grinned. “Yeah. It feels just like what you were saying earlier.”

She heard Rarity give a low chuckle. “Good. I was hoping you would say that.”

Nervously, Scootaloo asked, “Can I try it on?”

“Absolutely, darling.”

The dress shifted, and Rarity instructed Scootaloo as she helped the pegasus into the dress once again. The teenager shifted a bit, poking her little wings through the holes, fluttering on instinct to move feathers back in place.

Rarity tugged on the sleeves, and Scootaloo heard her magic light up again, the skirt moving around to her side. “Do you want to feel it again?”

“Yes, please.” Scootaloo reached back a hoof, feeling the dress fall over her hips before she found the first petal. Smiling to herself, she eased her hoof down, following the dip of the skirt as her hoof passed petal after petal, the curled fabric growing closer and closer together until she finally reached the hem of the dress.

She traveled back up, feeling the way the dress fit her figure. The soft fabric flowed in a way that reminded her of the wind, which only added to the tactile experience she was having.

Rarity felt her heart soar as she watched Scootaloo feel the dress. The light yellow base easily helped bring out the colors of the petals, the cyan, purple, pink, and red intermingling wonderfully and bringing out Scootaloo’s natural beauty.

“Do you like it?” Rarity questioned, feeling she already knew the answer.

Scootaloo beamed, tears pricking her eyes. “I love it,” she breathed.

Rarity grinned, pulling Scootaloo close. “I’m so glad you do.”

Scootaloo squeezed the older mare. “Thank you so much.”

“Of course, darling,” Rarity smiled. “But we aren’t quite done yet.”

“Hmm?”

Rarity held Scootaloo out, humming as she thought, looking at the purple mane. “Let me see what I can do with your mane to match.” Scootaloo sat patiently, letting Rarity run a hoof down the side of her face, following the curl of her mane.

Scootaloo felt Rarity’s hoof hesitate. “Is it alright if you take your processors off? They’re a tad in the way right now, but you can put them on again as soon as I’m done.”

“Oh, sure!” Scootaloo gave Rarity a smile, tugging away her processors and transmitters, the familiar silence filling her mind.

Rarity carefully took the external components of her cochlear implants, and after a moment, Scootaloo felt a comb running through her mane, the light tingle of magic and the soft press of hooves separating strands of her mane, gently pulling them a couple different ways before Rarity seemed to decide on what to do.

Scootaloo felt a piece of the front of her mane move forward, the strands tugging as she felt careful magic twist her mane together, the beginning braid was around her ear as it was formed, before it met her mane again at her neck. Strands were added little by little as Rarity went, and Scootaloo felt the braid sit comfortably on her neck as it was brought around to her left shoulder. One more movement, and it fell onto her shoulder, the ending curl tickling the base of her neck.

Another moment, and Scootaloo felt a hoof on her ear. Rarity’s hoof tucked the processor around her ear, the microphone dipping a bit into the braid. Scootaloo felt a hesitation, before the transmitter was slid across her skull until it jumped back into place, and she heard Rarity’s voice:

“Uh, can you hear me alright? I didn’t realize the braid was a bit in the way of your, um…”

“Yeah, I can hear you fine,” Scootaloo smiled. “The microphone has some touch resistance, so my mane rubbing on it won’t affect it too much.”

“Okay, good,” Rarity sighed in relief, replacing the other processor. “Would you like to feel it?”

Nodding, Scootaloo felt the twisting bumps of her mane, carefully taking in how it pressed against her hair at her neck and made its way around her head. The other side of her mane was pulled down a bit to join the braid, a smaller leftover strand curling up from her forehead.

“I never thought I’d like my mane like this,” Scootaloo said absentmindedly. “I’ve never really cared about how it looked.”

“Well it looks stunning,” Rarity complimented, making the filly blush. The unicorn looked Scootaloo up and down once more. “Though, I feel like something’s missing…”

Rarity stepped back a bit, rubbing her chin in thought. “Ah, I’ve got it!”

Scootaloo once again heard the mare trot away, and a drawer opened. A whistling of magic, some humming from Rarity, and her hooves came back, her aura touching the side of Scootaloo’s face.

The braid was moved a bit at the base of her ear, before Scootaloo felt the round and curled something brush against the left side of her head as it was placed in her mane.

Rarity’s hooves stepped back. “Ah! Perfection!”

“What is it?” Scootaloo asked.

“Why don’t you feel it?” Rarity encouraged.

Scootaloo felt her braid, following it to the new item. She brushed into a similar shape to the petals on her dress, and followed the shapes all the way around and to the center of the round object.

“A rose?” she questioned.

“Yes!” Rarity gushed. “And feel a little lower.”

Scootaloo obliged, moving her hoof to the bottom of the rose and finding something soft and thin brushing her hoof. She ran her hoof over the smooth surface, what was clearly a feather hanging from the rose clip. She found another, the two feathers dangling delicately over her braid and down to her jaw.

“How does that feel?” Rarity asked, loving how well the red and light brown popped amongst Scootaloo’s orange and purple.

“Really cool, actually,” Scootaloo admitted. “It’s…like a nightingale in a flower field.” The young pegasus smiled, her heart swelling as the picture was completed, Rarity having done the one thing she was never able to do for herself.

“Splendid, darling!” Rarity cried out. “It looks wonderful on you.”

Scootaloo felt a blush creep into her cheeks. “It feels pretty good, too.”

“Now we just need shoes,” Rarity picked up. “I think simple flats ought to do the trick.”

“Um…okay, but not on my front hooves,” Scootaloo requested. “Shoes make it hard for me to feel anything.”

“Oh, of course, darling!” Rarity called back. Several moments of buzzing sewing machines later, and the dressmaker returned with a simple pair of flats, cut from the same cloth as the dress to perfectly match it. Rarity guided Scootaloo’s hooves into the shoes before she beamed, bouncing a bit on her hooves. “Alright, darling, give us a twirl!”

The pegasus filly on the dais stepped into a graceful, skirt billowing turn, the petals catching the motion just right as the skirt undulated in the faux breeze Scootaloo created for it, giving the illusion of a young mare dancing among a bed of flowers. A silly little grin seemed forever plastered on Scootaloo’s face as she came to a stop, unknowingly not facing the way she was before.

“Darling,” Rarity breathed, “you look…you look simply divine!”

A rose-colored blush accompanied Scootaloo’s grin, and she ducked her head amidst her sudden bashfulness. “Really…?”

Rarity gave a haughty little scoff. “Darling, Rainbow dash won’t have the words to say when she sees you in this. You’ll turn every head in your vicinity!”

The color in Scootaloo’s cheeks only darkened as the filly couldn’t help her mind wondering about just who she would wind up grabbing the attention of.

As if reading her mind, Rarity giggled politely, slipping her glasses off the ridge of her muzzle. “If Rainbow Dash lets you out of her sight for a small while, you may even come home with a coltfriend, looking like this.”

The fashionista couldn’t help her giggle as the filly’s cheeks betrayed her cool facade. “Rarity!” she objected. “Rainbow already gives me enough grief about Rumble, not you too!”

“Oh? Who’s Rumble?”

Rarity raised a curious eyebrow as the filly before her clamped her mouth shut, her blush rising to her ears and a squeaking sound escaping her. Rarity resolved to save her the rest of her dignity with a gentle hug and a soft chuckle. “Enough of that for now. Let’s talk about how you want to reveal the full vision to your sister.”

Rarity opened the door twenty minutes later to a hopeful Rainbow Dash. “Ah, Rainbow, darling! How was your meeting?”

“Great!” Rainbow grinned. “How’s Scootaloo doing?”

“Why don’t you come see for yourself?”

Rarity’s grin put some of Rainbow’s trepidation at ease, and she let the fashionista lead her to the back, where a curtain hid the diaz from view.

“Is Scootaloo back there?” Rainbow questioned.

“Yeah!” came her little sister’s voice. “Can you see me yet?”

“She hasn’t pulled the cord yet, Scoots,” Rainbow laughed.

Rarity gave a polite chuckle as she took up her position. “Get ready, darling!” She cleared her throat.
“Presenting…the beautiful and elegant Scootaloo!” She pulled the cord, parting the curtains and revealing a bashful filly in her gorgeous new dress.

Scootaloo’s ears strained, thinking her processors had suddenly turned off when she was met with silence. After a small moment, she asked, “Well?”

There was a step, and Rarity giggled. “I believe this is what we call in the world of fashion, ‘flabbergasted’.”

“Hmm?”

“She’s speechless, darling!”

Scootaloo shrunk in on herself a bit. “Is…that a bad thing?”

Another silent moment, Scootaloo’s heart racing and anxiety growing.

“You…” croaked Rainbow’s voice. “Scoots, you’re gorgeous…”

A small smile crept up Scootaloo’s face, and she felt a blush rising in her cheeks. “Really…?”

“Yes,” Rainbow Dash insisted. With Rarity’s help, she guided her little sister down off the diaz, her hooves feeling the fabric and the petals. “Rarity, you seriously outdid yourself this time.”

“Oh, darling you say that every time,” Rarity gushed as she flipped her mane.

Rainbow grinned, “That’s because every time I think you’ve done your absolute best, you show me something even better.”

Caught off guard by the sincere compliment, Rarity experienced what she imagined Scootaloo had felt earlier that day as her face erupted in what she knew was an embarrassing shade of crimson. “Oh, stop it, Rainbow Dash. Flattery will get you nowhere with me.”

A smirk found its way up Rainbow’s cheek as she finally found a way to use one of the many lines she;d heard at the many stuffy parties she’d attended with the Wonderbolts.

“It’s not flattery if it’s the truth.”

Rarity jerked in a very unladylike fashion. “Rainbow Dash! How dare you use my own line against me?!”

“Oh…that was yours?”

Scootaloo giggled. “Maybe you should let me do the talking at the showcase.”

“Uh huh? And let you talk to a pole while you’re at it?”

“That was one time!”

Rainbow chuckled, having to stop herself from ruffling Scootaloo’s mane, instead pressing a quick kiss to her temple, leaving her filly to grumble to herself as she tried her hardest to get Rarity to charge her what she was truly owed.

Scootaloo placed the needle on the record player, the crackle from the bell making her ear twitch. She sighed to herself as the first opening piece began, her hooves stepping to the rhythm as the memories of her magical night with Rainbow came flooding back, her mental hoof reconstructing what had been described to her.

“It’s a little taller than the Cloudominium,” Rainbow detailed, “with these columns going up to the top, and the roof is domed. There’s a circle window at the top, and…there’s a chandelier shining through it.”

The filly gradually stepping into a dance of her own design couldn’t help but send her giggles to accompany the chords of the music, the soft duet a gentle introduction into the operatic world of Equestria, grinning as she recalled the double introduction as Rainbow and she discovered the recent news of the community.

“Oh, wow!” Rainbow breathed as she flipped through the pamphlet, hoping to find more information on what they would be listening to tonight. She had found that and more.

“What is it?” Scootaloo whispered, leaning in to hear her big sister better.

“According to this thing, the Capriccios are taking a five-year break. Tonight’s their last performance until then.”

“Oh, really? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah! More than okay. Turns out the daughter, Rhapsody, is about to give birth to twins!”

“Woah, really? That’s uncommon.”

“Yeah, and they’ve been working really hard to keep it on the down-low. They don’t want a lot of media surrounding them the moment they’re born.”

“Yeah, I get it. They deserve some alone time with their grandfoals. Maybe when they come back, they'll have their own part in the concerts.”

“Maybe! Seems like music runs in the family, wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

Scootaloo’s heart leapt at the memory, anticipation surging through her chest as the next song queued up, recalling the same swell of emotions as the two waited for the Capriccio family to make their appearance onstage, only to find out the stallion of the family had been conducting the entire time.

The pegasus filly snickered to herself as a familiar, and now very recognizable voice, picked up the next song, taking a seat as she panted through a break, her hoof continuing to tap along with the beat making up the skeleton of the tenor aria.

She let her mind wander as she reminisced on the three other songs the stallion would sing, seeming to take up the entire show for himself, before a trio of stallions would put on a show of stealing it out from under him. She wound up having to cover her microphones for a moment at the audience's laughter and cheers as the four voices harmonized together into a spectacular final chorus before the first (quite literally, according to Rainbow Dash) bowed out of the show, leaving the stage to the trio for two more songs before they, too, took their leave.

A winded chuckle passed through Scootaloo’s lungs, and she removed the record as it came to an end, feeling for and placing the fourth and final record on the player. Two hours had passed with ponies showing off their musical gifts, leaving Rainbow and Scootaloo to wonder why they hadn’t heard of such a thing before, and why it wasn’t as popular as they believed it should have been.

The tap of the needle, and a new sound began, that of a harp. Instantly, Scootaloo’s mind was transported back to the scene, her ears straining to hear the quiet beauty of the harp warming up.

“Here comes Rhapsody. I think…I think that’s her Mom down there on the harp. And…Oh! Her dad was the conductor!”

Scootaloo could still feel the way her back relaxed into the chair when the mare began to sing. Even carrying twins, her vocal talents were unparalleled, each and every word pulling the pegasi’s hearts as the song guided them through what Rhapsody herself had to have been feeling in that moment, where she sang out her temporary goodbye to the audience before her, promising a quick return.

She sighed as the song drew to a close, the emotions within the music every bit as strong through the record as they were in person. She shuffled up to the player to remove the record and replace it in its cover.

“You practicing for tonight?”

Scootaloo nearly jumped out of her skin, a yelp shooting from her throat as her hooves left the ground. Hysterical laughter from her adopted sister triggered her playful pout as she whirled towards the sound, lashing her tail to regain her bearings within her room. “Rainbow!”

Rainbow Dash swiped a tear from her eye. “Sorry, Scoots,” she said amidst her dying chuckles. “You looked great!”

“Thanks,” Scootaloo blushed, pulling away a strand of mane stuck to her cheek. “Is it time to go already?”

“Yeah, just about. Can’t keep Spitfire waiting, you know how she is.”

Scootaloo nodded in the affirmative. “Let me talk to her if we’re late. I’ll just bat my eyelashes and she’ll cave.”

Her sister’s snort made her smirk. “That only worked when you were a filly, kiddo. She’s a lot harder now.”

The blind filly’s shoulders rose and fell. “Eh, worth a shot.”

Rainbow chuckled, her voice closer before her sister’s nose brushed against her own. “Go ahead and get ready while I get your dress. Then it’s all aboard the Rainbow Express.”

This time, it was Scootaloo who snorted. “Alright, I’m going.”

Two hours later, in a hotel in Canterlot, three ponies prepared for the summer Wonderbolt gala. A tense sigh flew from Rainbow’s throat as she tied off Scootaloo’s mane, grateful for Rarity’s instructions on braids. Her fetlocks ached from having to redo the thing three times, but couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride when she managed to twist the purple locks into place. She fluffed up the rose before spraying it down with mane spray, making Scootaloo cough.

“Sorry, Scoots,” Rainbow apologized, “I don’t want this to go anywhere.”

“It’s fine,” Scootaloo replied as she cleared her throat, passing a hoof down her skirt and grinning as she once again felt the petals. “I’m really excited.”

Rainbow grinned, “I can tell. Excited to show Rumble, huh?” She laughed as her little sister’s face ignited in a blush.

“Rainbow!” Scootaloo ducked her face away, mind racing to defend herself, but finding she didn’t need to as Rainbow pulled her into a tight hug.

“I’m just teasing,” the mare conceded. “But seriously, you look gorgeous.” She snickered as unintelligible, flustered splutters answered the compliment, and she kissed Scootaloo’s temple. “Ready to go?”

Scootaloo nodded as the redness in her cheeks died down. “Yeah. Is Soarin here already?”

“Not yet, I haven’t seen him.”

“That’s because you’ve gotta work on your tunnel vision.”

A shock ran down her spine as she heard her sister giggle, “You jerk!” A barked laugh escaped her as she heard Rainbow’s hoof connect with his shoulder in a thump.

“What can I say? Can’t blame me for being quieter than you.”

Scootaloo groaned, rolling her eyes. “Ugh, please spare me the sounds of your flirting.”

Soarin snorted. “Like you’re one to talk, Scoots. Where’s your own lover boy?”

The only response he received was a further blush from the filly, and his girlfriend’s snicker.

“Speaking of,” Soarin continued, “can't keep the public waiting, yeah?”

Rumble tugged at his collar, his mouth quirking to the side in his discomfort.

“‘Wear the suit’ he said,” he muttered to himself. “‘It’ll make you look like a gentlestallion’ he said.” He scoffed, wrenching at his collar. “More like it’ll make me itch until I scratch off my fur—yeah, that’ll look great!”

“Hey, Rumble!”

The familiar voice of the rainbow-maned mare pulled his attention. On the way to meet her eyes, his own landed on the young mare accompanying her.

All at once, his itchy collar was the furthest thing from his mind.

Rainbow smirked to herself as Rumble’s face gained a pink tint. Scootaloo giggled as she excitedly bounced in place. “Rumble?”

Her prompt shook him out of his shock, and Rumble forced himself forward. “I’m–” he cut himself off by clearing his throat, his voice cracking. “I’m here, Scoots. You…you look, wow, um…new dress?”

Scootaloo bumped Rainbow when she snorted. “Yeah, it is. Rarity made it for me, and I wanted to wear it here. Does it…look okay?”

Rumble had to clear his throat again. “Yeah, it looks amazing on you, Scootaloo. Um…” His ear twitched as the orchestra inside began to tune, saving him from an awkward pause. “Wanna dance?”

The beam radiating from Scootlaoo made his heart flutter. “Of course!” She trotted over to his voice, and waited patiently for him to take her foreleg and escort her into the ballroom.

Rainbow felt a breeze behind her and looked to see Soarin alighting upon the entrance, immediately offering a hoof to his fillyfriend. “Rainbow, elegant as always.”

A scoff escaped the mare's lips as she took his hoof. “One night of the year, babe. Better enjoy it.”

Soarin grinned, leading her inside. “Oh, I plan to.”

Inside, as Rainbow and Soarin flirted their way to their table, Rumble situated himself and Scootaloo at a corner of the dancefloor, the orchestra beginning their first selection of the night.

Through his fluster, Rumble couldn’t help but feel as though Scootaloo were the one leading him through the dance, her talent shining through and her natural elegance only heightened by the way her dress flowed through each turn and flared with every spin.

The world seeming to fall away around them, the two danced through every selection, time simultaneously speeding by them and halting as they shared their prolonged moment of peace.

As the orchestra finished yet another peace–they had both lost count–Rumble’s ears turned at the chime of the bells signaling 7 o’clock. His eyes widened at the time, knowing what was about to come next, and remembering Scootaloo’s request from the first time she had heard fireworks.

“You, uh…you wanna go to the garden?” Rumble questioned breathlessly, his heart still cantering as the orchestra seamlessly picked up the next selection. “The…the fireworks are gonna start soon.”

Scootaloo blinked as she realized the time, barely a catch of her breath. “Yeah, that’d be great! Are there flowers blooming?”

A glance out the window answered in the affirmative, but Rumble grinned. “Yeah. Bet you won’t be able to name them all.”

Challenge crossed her face, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Maybe three. “You’re on,” she said, brushing up against him and taking his arm. “Lead the way.”

Rainbow gave a moment’s glance at the couple as they made their way to the door, a turn from her partner unable to hide Rumble’s beat-red face as he escorted Scootaloo out to the courtyard.

“What is it?” Soarin strained his neck to see what his girlfriend was looking at.

“Nothing.” Rainbow continued in the well-practiced steps. “I just have a feeling we’re gonna have an awesome story by the end of the night.”

Outside, the crisp chill revived a bit of Rumble’s stamina, and his lungs drank in the fresh air. Words came automatically as he guided the young mare on his arm down the stairs, and she leaned comfortably into him as they stepped into the garden, Scootaloo’s nose already working before they were even fifty meters away.

“Ooh, the roses are really nice this year!” She picked up with a grin.

Rumble tried to respond with more than a chuckle, but he once again found words slow coming. It wasn’t so much he didn’t know what to say. It was more…there was too much, and they were clogging his throat as they tried to come out in any way other than a tangled mess of random verbiage.

“Yeah…pretty,” he finally squeezed out, his face burning with internal panic on whether or not she would take it as a compliment. Confusion flashed through his mind as his heart sank when he realized she didn’t.

‘What is wrong with me?’

Scootaloo lifted her head to the sky again, taking a deep breath through her nose. “Is that lavender?”

His eyes could barely spare the arbitrary flora a second’s-long glance. “Uh…yeah, yeah, it is.”

She giggled, and he swore the stars burned brighter. “That must’ve been Princess Luna’s idea.”

“Uh-huh…”

Intense relief poured into his brain at the first flash of light from the fireworks, washing the world below them in a brief red before the almighty bang shot through their ears.

He mentally kicked himself as Scootaloo gasped, pressing against him as her ears flattened. “Sorry, sorry!” He apologized, steadying her and reaching for her processors, gently shushing her as he turned down the input volume, the filly visibly relaxing in his hold.

Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks.” Her easy smile held his attention through the next couple flashes of light, her ears merely flicking at the resulting booms that followed. It only faltered after a moment, and Rumble realized with a start that his hoof was still in her mane.

He yanked it back, eyes unable to leave her. “S-sorry…”

Purple braid quirked to the side as she tilted her head at him. “Are you okay?” She asked.

No, he most certainly was not okay. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” His mind scrambled for a response that didn't feel half-lame. “I was just…thinking.”

“About what?”

The question, although simple in nature, stumped his mind far more than he could have ever anticipated. Too many things were running through his head. Memories of him and Scootaloo dancing were suddenly brought back to life in sharp clarity, as if they had happened merely moments ago. The knots stirring in his chest were given new meaning as each of their encounters, every event, summer, and holiday they had had together all began to culminate into the young, radiant mare standing before him in this very moment.

A golden firework erupted above them, awashing her in angelic light, and at once, a single thought broke through the traffic jam.

“I…I think I want to kiss you.”

Finally, he seemed to see the same sort of conflict he had been feeling all night slap itself onto her own face. Orange fur became tinted in red as blood rushed to her cheeks, her eyes for once stilling in their everlasting search for light, unintentionally staring at him as if he were what they were looking for this whole time.

For a horrid, terrible moment, Rumble felt the world give way from underneath him, and he wished it would swallow him away. What would she think now? Had he ruined everything they had together? Would she ever see him the same way again?

The response she gave brought him back to the cruel, harsh present, and patting a bit of life back into his brain.

“What’s stopping you?”

He swallowed a dry mouth, snapshots of moments flashing across his vision, the universe itself uncertain of what the next seconds would bring, but knowing it would all end in the same outcome, one way or another.

“I…myself, I guess.”

Scootaloo’s ears flicked at another blast of vermillion, and a soft chuckle escaped her. “Close your eyes.”

His lungs stilled as he did as she asked, slipping himself into darkness. His soul ached as he briefly caught the thought of this being Scootaloo’s daily experience, before it and every other thought clouding his motor cortex was blown out of the water at the soft pressure of another’s lips on his own.

At once, breath returned to his chest, and he stepped back, his eyes flying open to gaze upon the heavenly vision before him.

His muse blushed, her smile faltering as her own moment of courage ended in a way she had not expected. “I…I’m sorry, I—“

He refused to let her finish the thought.

Hoof wrapped immediately around her neck, he pulled her close into a second kiss, whatever she would have said ending in an adorable little squeak. Only the tiniest of hesitations passed, a boom from above bathed them in pink light, before her hoof found his face, tracing his features as they took in every detail of the moment passing between the two love-struck dance partners.

For once, Scootaloo forgot about the horrid booming in the sky from the fireworks, simply enjoying being lost in the bliss of the moment with Rumble. Even as it passed, the following moments spent in his hold was elysium to the two hearts that had grown deeper together.

And like the best moments of history, one always had to break the silence.

“So…are you my fillyfriend now?” asked Rumble, earning a snorted little bat of the hoof from the filly.

“I…I guess so,” Scootaloo responded, hiding her face from his gaze so he wouldn’t see the heat that had erupted all over her cheeks.

Rumble couldn’t help his chuckle, ducking his face to nuzzle her cheek. “I…I think I love you.”

Scootaloo gave up the fight of hiding her face as she finally looked up, the cool of the night doing nothing for her burning cheeks. “I think I love you, too.”

This time, as the fireworks popped overhead, she felt no fear in Rumble’s hold.

Scootaloo tilted her head at the knock on her door, and she fixed her processor back properly onto her ear. “Come in!”

Her door clicked and shuffled open , and Rainbow’s light steps approached. The bed rose on her end as Rainbow sat down, Scootaloo smiling for her sister as she waited to hear what she had to say.

She could hear the smirk on Rainbow’s face as she teased, “So…how was your first kiss?”

The two would talk about colts and stallions all afternoon, what drove them up the wall and what made them melt at mere thought. The older of the two would freely give sage advice, the younger would blush as her imagination ran wild.

But first, before any of that…

Rainbow laughed through a face full of pillow.

Author's Note

Hello, everyone!

Merry early Christmas!

Sorry it took me so long to get this to you guys. A lot has happened since my last update. For starters, I won NaNoWriMo! Finished the month with a little over 50,000 words!

I will post a little update explaining more later on, I'm a little pressed for time right now.

On a side note, I originally planned to write out the entire opera sequence, but felt like it was rambling so I cut it. If you guys want to see the full lay out, let me know! I'll put it on the list of things to flesh out in the side series.

See you guys soon! Much love!:heart:

Chapter 25: Lost: Part 1

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Chapter 1: The Spark of Meeting

“How’s this?” Rainbow Dash asked, staying as still as possible in her hover, holding the corner of the colorful banner in place.

“Hmm…” Pinkie Pie hummed in thought, rubbing her chin. “Just a teensy, weensy, eeeeeennnssssy bit higher.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, discreetly rolling her eyes from behind the banner and rising an inch.

“Perfect!” Pinkie shouted, and Rainbow Dash pinned the corner in place over the double-doored entrance. Rainbow Dash brushed out the hanging tail, and looked around.

A week ago, Pinkie Pie had asked Rainbow Dash to help her set up her annual party for the Baltimare Orphanage. She put one on for every orphanage in each major city in Equestria. Today was Baltimare’s turn. The event was held to give the foals a day of fun and grab the attention of any potential foster or adoptive parents.

This party was no different than any other of Pinkie’s—she planned it carefully and precisely, down to the letter. The courtyard was littered with tables of cake and snacks, all ordered a month in advance. Games took up the corners of the fenced-in area, placed precisely so passers-by could see the foals in their play. The spokes of the cast-iron fence were decked out in Pinkie’s best: streamers dipping and swirling and weaving between each other, balloons clustered together every meter or so. The banner Rainbow Dash had tacked into place held no special message, but depicted foals playing together amidst twirling colors as bright as their smiles.

“I think we’re ready, Pinkie,” observed Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie Pie was almost vibrating with excitement. “I think we are, too. Go ahead and open the door.” She gave an excited shout. “OOH! I’m so excited! Are you excited? I’ve never been so excited! Okay, except for maybe the time when–”

Rainbow Dash put a hoof to Pinkie’s mouth before she could continue, raising an eyebrow at the overhyped mare. Pinkie Pie chuckled. “Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “Go ahead.”

Rainbow Dash gave a chuckle of her own, floating up the steps and cracking open the door. “Come on out, everypony!”

A trigger had been pulled, and there was no going back. With a chorus of cheers, a little over two dozen foals stampeded through the doors, and Rainbow Dash was thankful she was already hovering, wholly convinced they would have trampled her had she landed.

Foals grouped up with their friends, running to their favorite games or chatting at the snacks, or forming a line in front of Pinkie–who had somehow, in the five seconds Rainbow had her back turned to her, donned her “balloon making” outfit, her fetlocks and head now sporting twisted balloon bracelets and headbands. At once, she began taking requests for her unparalleled balloon creations, and providing the foals with a spectacle that could only be provided by the party pony of Ponyville.

“Excuse me?” Rainbow Dash heard from the front gate. She looked, and beamed at the couple that had found themselves at the gate of the orphanage.

In a flash, she was there. “Hi,” she greeted.

“Hello,” the mare returned with a chuckle, looking around at the organized chaos going on on the other side of the gate. “Eh, would you mind telling us what’s going on here?”

“Yeah, no prob,” Rainbow answered. “We’re throwing a party for the foals here. We wanted to give them some fun and hopefully grab the attention of possible families.”

“Well, you’ve certainly succeeded in the latter,” the stallion complimented.

Rainbow’s heart thundered in excitement. “Really? Sweet! Here, let me take you to the mare that runs this place.” She opened the gate, letting the couple in. “I, uh…I don’t remember her name,” she admitted as they walked, “I’m mostly just here to help the party planner.”

The couple chuckled good-naturedly. “Well, you two have done an amazing job,” the mare smiled.

“We’ve been wanting to come here for a while to begin fostering,” the stallion confessed. “We just…didn’t know when the best time would be, and we wanted to meet with multiple foals at a time.”

The mare picked up. “We want to offer a potential home for a foal or two, but we know what we can offer won’t mean a thing if the foal or foals don’t want to accept us.”

“I gotcha,” Rainbow Dash sympathized. She looked around as they made it up the stairs. “But I think you’ve got a pretty good chance at finding a foal that’ll want you as much as you want them.”

The couple smiled at the encouragement, and allowed Rainbow to walk them into the orphanage. “Just on the right,” she instructed, to which the couple nodded their thanks and entered the office foyer.

Rainbow Dash let the door close, and sighed contently, heading back into the fray. She could see why Pinkie loved these kinds of parties so much. She, herself, liked foals every bit as much as the next pony; and she–like almost every filly(though she would never admit it)–had at one point fantasized about her own little foals once she would settle down with her potential partner. But, with her on track to achieve her dream career, and with no stallion in her sights…the fantasy was slowly but surely turning into nothing more than that.

She shook herself out of her thoughts, and grinned at the foals running around, giggling and calling out to each other. Her eyes scanned the crowd, a small cluster of foals running past her and nearly knocking her over. She chuckled, brushed herself off, and looked up to find a little pegasus filly sitting by herself next to the stairs, a unicorn mare sitting quietly beside her as she played with a bit of cloud in her hooves.

She frowned to herself, trotting away from the hyperactive group and pulling on a smile as she approached the lonely filly.

“Hey, there,” she greeted the orange pegasus. “You wanna come play with your friends?”

She got no response from the filly, who continued to play with her bit of cloud, moving it around and pulling at its curls while she wore a tiny smile on her face.

Rainbow’s face fell, and she looked up at the mare beside the filly in confusion. The teal and charcoal mare smiled patiently at Rainbow Dash. “She can’t hear you,” she explained.

“Oh,” Rainbow Dash shuffled, realizing her mistake. “I’m sorry, I…”

“It’s alright,” the mare assured. She put a gentle hoof on the filly’s shoulder, and she stopped playing with her cloud, looking up with unfocused lavender eyes. The mare moved her hoof in a series of twists and taps on the filly’s shoulder, and after a moment, the foal’s face lit up as she reached out a hoof.

“Take her hoof,” the mare instructed. “She wants to meet you.”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t stop her eyes from watering as she moved directly in front of the filly, her clouded eyes hovering somewhere at Rainbow’s chin. Rainbow Dash took the filly’s hoof, and the little pegasus smiled brighter, a little giggle escaping her throat as she grabbed the larger hoof with both of her own, happily shaking it.

“What’s her name?” Rainbow Dash asked the mare, eyes unable to leave the pure joy on the little filly’s face.

“Scootaloo,” the mare responded. Once the filly’s hoof-shaking died down, the mare added, “I’m her shadow. I help her get around and communicate with the world.”

“That’s so cool,” Rainbow Dash complimented, letting Scootaloo move her hoof around in a similar fashion to the cloud.

The mare smiled shyly. “Thank you. I’m Foggy Day, by the way.”

“Rainbow Dash,” the cyan mare responded, offering the mare her unoccupied hoof to shake. They exchanged niceties as Scootaloo pulled herself up, following Rainbow’s foreleg to her side. “What’s she doing?”

“She wants to see what you look like,” Foggy Day explained. Scootaloo reached Rainbow’s shoulder, and used it as leverage as she pulled herself up to her hind legs, reaching up and finding Rainbow Dash’s mane with her tender hooves. She felt Rainbow’s wispy mane, following its flow from her ear to her forehead—where she carefully felt the shape of her face—then down her neck.

Scootaloo’s hoof continued down Rainbow’s back, the tiny limb finding Rainbow Dash’s wings. Scootaloo pulled in an airy, excited gasp before backing up a step and fluttering her own wings. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help her chuckle.

“Yeah, that’s right, kiddo. We’re both pegasi.”

Foggy reached for Scootaloo, tapping the filly’s leg before once again tapping her in an unreadable pattern, her hoof moving in various positions as she did so. As she went, Scootaloo’s smile got wider and wider, and she nodded excitedly. As Foggy’s hoof left, Scootaloo grabbed it, her hoof bobbing in the same way as the unicorn’s had earlier.

Foggy Day smiled. “She’s asking for your name.” Rainbow Dash smiled as the shadow responded to the filly’s question. Scootaloo’s eyes rose, moving back and forth as she appeared to be thinking.

“What’s she doing now?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

“She’s thinking up a quicker way for her to say your name,” Foggy explained. “It’s a little difficult for her to have to spell out everypony’s name every time, so she likes to make a name-sign for each pony she meets specifically.”

“Huh,” Rainbow Dash smiled, impressed. “That’s pretty neat. What’s hers for you?”

Foggy Day replied with a raised hoof, moving it side to side as if running her hoof along a wall. Once she finished demonstrating, Scootaloo gave a happy little hum, the two mares giving the sightless filly their attention.

Scootaloo bounced happily, sitting back. She raised her hoof, sending it in a small arch before cutting it quickly back across her body. Rainbow Dash couldn’t stop her face from splitting in a wide grin.

“That’s perfect,” she praised. Foggy Day translated, and Scootaloo giggled joyfully, her little wings fluttering in her excitement.

“What’s her name-sign?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“She doesn’t have one,” Foggy explained. “She never gave herself one.”

“Oh, um…” Rainbow Dash trailed off, eyes falling to the little filly, who was reaching out again. She didn’t need a translation, reaching for the filly’s hooves and giving her her own. Scootaloo grinned at the now-familiar contact, and brought Rainbow’s hoof to her forehead, nuzzling it softly.

Rainbow Dash felt something in her heart melt. The little filly before her had unknowingly stolen a part of her soul, and Rainbow Dash smiled at the sudden idea that came to her.

“Would it be alright if I took her for a flight?”

Foggy Day’s eyes widened in shock at the question. “Um…well, I…” her eyes fell to the filly, thinking for a moment. Finally, she sighed through her nose. “If she wants to, sure. But will she be alright?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash assured. “I’ll go slow, and we’ll only be gone a few minutes.”

Foggy seemed to relax a bit at the promise, and smiled a bit as she reached for Scootaloo. After another series of taps, Scootaloo’s eyes widened in surprise, pulling in a sharp gasp. After a moment of contemplation, the little filly gave a nervous, excited nod.

Rainbow Dash chuckled, the hoof Scootaloo was holding moving to the filly’s short purple mane, tussling it as Scootaloo gave a giggle.

Foggy Day stood with Rainbow Dash, lightly rubbing Scootaloo’s shoulder before picking the filly up in her magic. The filly’s eyes looked about instinctively as she was placed on Rainbow’s back, and Scootaloo settled down in between Rainbow’s wings, her hooves moving around the mare’s neck and her face nuzzling her mane.

“Tell her to close her eyes,” Rainbow Dash said, and Foggy relayed the request, tapping Scootaloo on the shoulder. Foggy gave a smile and a nod once the filly had complied. “We’ll be right back,” Rainbow Dash promised.

Gently, Rainbow Dash began to flap her wings, rising from the ground. She felt Scootaloo take in a quick breath, her grip tightening. Rainbow Dash placed her hooves over the filly’s forelegs, holding her secure against her, before rising into the sky, picking up a bit of speed as she did so.

Scootaloo’s chest shook as she giggled uncontrollably, feeling the foreign, wonderful feeling of the wind running through her fur and feathers, the breeze flooding through her mane. She pressed her face into the mare’s neck, her face beginning to hurt from how hard she was smiling. As she began to come down from her initial excitement, an idea formed in her head.

Rainbow Dash felt Scootaloo’s hoof move, finding her shoulder before it began to move across her fur. Curious, she strained her neck to try and see, unable to move her eyes enough to spy what the filly was doing. She instead looked back to where she was going and focused on simply feeling the area the filly was tracing, feeling her little hoof move forward a bit before moving up in a circular motion.

The cyan mare’s eyes lit up as understanding rushed through her. She pulled Scootaloo’s hoof back around her neck, holding the filly’s hooves as tight as the filly was holding on to her. With a snap of her wings, she picked up speed, Scootaloo letting out more giggles as she sensed the increase in velocity. Rainbow Dash angled herself upward, curving herself around as she brought her body into a wide loop. Scootaloo pressed into her neck at the sensation of gravity switching directions, holding on tight as they completed the loop and continued on right-side up again.

She grinned at the filly’s laughter, her own heart soaring with the excitement that now seemed contagious. Scootaloo’s little hoof wiggled out of Rainbow’s grip, and the filly traced another pattern onto her shoulder. This time, her hoof traced downward in two tight circles. Rainbow grinned, taking Scootaloo’s hoof and tilting herself to the side, expertly corkscrewing through the air.

Scootaloo let out a delighted squeal, feeling her body twist with the mare, gravity and the wind moving around her in a way she couldn’t describe, but found exhilarating nonetheless.

Rainbow Dash righted herself again, letting go of Scootaloo’s hoof as the filly breathlessly moved to her shoulder again. This time, the filly traced a straight line downward, before cutting back into an upward angle.

The mare understood immediately, and took the filly’s hoof once more. With a flap of her wings, she dove toward the ground.

Scootaloo felt as though the very breath had left her lungs as she felt her belly rise from Rainbow Dash’s back. She pulled herself tighter to Rainbow Dash, feeling her throat vibrate as she let out an excited scream.

Rainbow Dash angled herself a bit better, letting the ecstatic filly come back down onto her back. Though they were nowhere near the ground, she gave a hard downstroke of her wings, quickly cutting off their descent and jerking them back into an upward direction.

Scootaloo felt herself shaking, unable to stop. But she wasn’t afraid. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this excited, the mare having given her a gift she was unable to express. The wind slid over her fur, almost stinging her as Rainbow Dash tilted a bit to the right, and Scootaloo felt herself press harder into the fellow pegasus’s back, the filly having the thought that they were turning.

Foggy Day grinned up at the descending pegasus as she circled back down to the ground. She could hear Scootaloo’s elated laughter, Rainbow Dash smiling just as hard at the filly’s joyful giggling.

Rainbow landed gently, Scootaloo apparently not even realizing she was back on the ground, her hooves still gripping Rainbow Dash’s neck. The cyan pegasus eased the orange hooves out of there grip, and Scootaloo shakily let go, tremors of leftover giggles rising and falling from her throat.

Foggy Day traced her name-sign on Scootaloo’s shoulder before taking the filly’s hoof and helping her back to the ground on unsteady legs. “Did you have fun?” Foggy asked as she tapped out the same question on Scootaloo’s withers. The filly’s head bobbed quickly in an adrenaline-induced nod.

She tapped out something with a trembling hoof, and Foggy chuckled. “She said ‘That was so awesome!’”

Rainbow Dash’s giggle was only rivaled by Scootaloo’s own. “Glad you enjoyed yourself, kiddo.”

Foggy Day translated Rainbow’s words for Scootaloo, and the filly gave an elated laugh, falling to her haunches. Her head swayed, and Foggy giggled as she tapped out something on Scootaloo’s shoulder. At Scootaloo’s sheepish nod, Foggy asked aloud, throwing a wry grin at Rainbow Dash, “Why don’t you do something a bit calmer?”

Rainbow gave a nervous chuckle. “Sorry. Did I overdo it?”

“No,” Foggy replied, her smile gaining warmth. “She’s just not used to flying, is all.” Scootaloo reached for Foggy, tapping something on her hoof.

“She wants to know if you want to play a little longer,” Foggy said.

“Sure, kid. We’ve got a couple hours.”

Foggy translated, and Scootaloo beamed, giggling. She tapped something on Foggy’s hoof, and Foggy responded before reaching out with her magic and pulling the little bit of cloud over in her aura, passing it to Scootaloo.

The pegasus filly beamed as Foggy helped her aim her hooves to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus mare sat ready as Scootaloo shot her hooves forward, sending the cloud toward Rainbow.

It fell a little short, grazing the grass and rolling a bit before gliding back up and into Rainbow’s waiting hooves. Foggy smiled and stepped away as Rainbow carefully aimed and sent it back, the little piece of cloud floating straight and true into Scootaloo’s hooves.

The filly giggled, shoving the cloud back, veering wide to Rainbow’s right. Startled, the mare jumped up, catching it. She looked back at Scootaloo, the filly’s smile holding a small spark of mischief.

“You little stinker,” Rainbow Dash smirked, passing the cloud back. Scootaloo smiled, nibbling her lip and passing it back, not even trying to hide—or not knowing Rainbow could see—that she purposefully aimed too far to Rainbow’s left this time.

Chuckling to herself, Rainbow trotted over to catch the cloud, and aimed a bit higher. She sent the cloud over a bit gentler, and it completely bypassed Scootaloo’s hooves before ‘pomf’ing right in between the filly’s eyes.

Giving a little squeal that was quickly followed by a peal of giggles, Scootaloo pulled the cloud from her face and sent it back again.

While the two passed the cloud back and forth, Foggy Day kept her eyes trained on Rainbow Dash. The mare was giving Scootaloo her undivided attention, and seemed to be genuinely enjoying her time with the filly. Scootaloo, like every other time she met somepony new, was exuding the excitement of a foal on Hearth’s Warming.

She chuckled when Scootaloo giggled, the cloud brushing her hooves again before she grabbed at it and sent it back in the direction she pretended to perceive it came from. Rainbow Dash stretched for the cloud that was well on its way to flying off over her head, and grinned as she sent it back. Foggy knew better than to put all her chips on blind optimism–especially when it came to a foal like Scootaloo. But, that didn’t mean she was entirely opposed to letting herself hope.

Foggy glanced up at the clock situated high on the outside wall, smiling to herself. ‘Twenty-seven minutes and counting,’ she thought.

Scootaloo let out a little squeal, pulling Foggy Day’s attention. The filly had thrown the cloud so hard she’d knocked herself over, and Rainbow Dash was already helping her back up, laughing all the while.

The unicorn let out a chuckle, Scootaloo taking the cloud again with a giggle. ‘Only time will tell,’ she told herself, letting out a soft sigh.

A couple hours later, and the party was officially over. The foals, worn out from the excitement of the day, merely gave a collective whine when Pinkie Pie announced it was time for her and Rainbow Dash to head home.

When Foggy told Scootaloo such, the filly hummed her own whine, but beamed up in Rainbow Dash’s direction, spelling something out on Foggy’s fetlock.

“She said, ‘Thank you so much for playing with me today. I had a lot of fun.’”

“Same here, squirt,” Rainbow Dash replied, Foggy translating. As she did, Rainbow Dash trotted over, tussling the filly’s mane once the sentence was over.

Scootaloo let out a laugh, hooves flying to her head and finding Rainbow’s. She pulled the bigger hoof to her face, nuzzling it with her forehead once again. Rainbow Dash found herself physically fighting to return the gesture with her own head, and instead gave the filly a sideways hug.

“It was really nice to meet you, Scootaloo,” Rainbow grinned.

Foggy tapped the sentence on Scootaloo’s foreleg, and Scootaloo tapped Foggy’s hoof in return.

“‘You, too, Rainbow,’” Foggy spoke for the little filly.

“I gotta help Pinkie pack this party up. Glad you had a good time.”

Scootaloo grinned, nodding happily. “‘Okay, thank you again. Bye!’”

Scootaloo returned Rainbow’s hug, the mare looking up at Foggy. “Thanks for talking for us today.”

“Not a problem,” Foggy smiled. “All part of the job description.”

Rainbow chuckled before she let Scootaloo go, lightly bumping the filly’s hoof before joining Pinkie in the middle of the courtyard.

“Whatcha need me to do, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked.

“Hmm,” Pinkie Pie thought. “You can start by grabbing the banner you helped me hang earlier.”

“Alright,” Rainbow replied. She zipped up to the banner, pulling out the tack and keeping an eye on the foals heading back inside as she crossed and yanked out the other side.

She folded the banner as neatly as possible in mid-air, turned back around, and looked up to ask Pinkie what to—

The courtyard was bare, empty of every decoration. There wasn’t even a pile of streamers, nor a box that could have potentially held all the games.

Gawking, Rainbow asked, “Uh…Pinkie?”

“Yyyyeeeeeesssss?” Pinkie asked, smiling brightly and blinking rapidly at Rainbow Dash as the pegasus landed softly.

“Where did all the decorations go?”

“Pfft! I took those down, like, ten seconds ago,” Pinkie waved dismissively. “Come on, Dashie, keep up!” The party pony giggled nonchalantly, the speedster shaking her head before the twists of logic could break it, sighing softly as she handed the banner over to her friend.

“So, did you have fun with your new friend?” Pinkie chirped.

“Yeah,” Rainbow smiled, looking over her shoulder, hoping to see Foggy Day and Scootaloo still in the corner.

To her unexpected surprise, her heart sank when she saw they weren’t, and the front doors ‘clunk’ed closed.

Her smile fell for only a second before she tugged a smaller one back on. “Yeah…I did.”

Foggy hugged Scootaloo tight, the filly settling down to sleep. She gave the filly’s mane one more pass with her hoof, and stepped out of her room. Mentally checking off a few things, she pushed open the office door and pulled open the bottomost drawer, reaching with her magic and tugging out a single sheet of paper.

She hesitated, knowing she technically wasn’t supposed to do this. But…her intuition was telling her otherwise.

‘If she doesn’t come back,’ she nodded to herself, ‘I’ll shred it.’

Having decided, she plucked up a quill, smoothing down the sheet. On the top line, she wrote a single name:

Rainbow Dash

She jotted down the date, noting the two and a half hours Rainbow Dash spent with Scootaloo that day. Smiling softly to herself, she sent up a silent prayer before picking up the sheet again and moving to a different filing cabinet. Pulling it open, she nudged the files until she reached Scootaloo’s.

She pulled out the filly’s file, flipped the other twenty-two pages aside, and placed Rainbow Dash’s page at the back of the file. With a flash of hurt, she let out a sigh through her nose and closed the folder, replacing it before flipping off her light and leaving the office.

‘Please,’ she begged internally. ‘Please let her be the one.’

Rainbow Dash was flying. The wind whipped through her mane, and she breathed in the scent of freedom as she soared.

She smiled to herself, ducking, weaving, and twirling around the clouds and smirking as she narrowly avoided a flock of birds. From their passing squawks came another noise, one that almost made her wings freeze in shock and surprise.

A little filly’s laughter filled her ears, and she suddenly became aware of a small, comfortable weight on her back.

She craned her neck, feeling little forelegs holding onto her. A little orange filly rested on her back, and Rainbow could just make out the purple mane flipping about in the breeze.

“What the—?” she asked herself, landing on the closest cloud.

At once, the filly hopped up, bouncing off Rainbow Dash’s back and landing on the cloud, giggling all the while.

Rainbow Dash looked down at Scootaloo, now sitting and beaming up at her, eyes closed. “Kid, what were you doing on my back? How’d you even get there?!”

Scootaloo just giggled, and Rainbow Dash remembered she couldn’t hear her. Rainbow sat dumbly, not knowing how to tell her what she’d just asked.

As she watched the filly laughing, she said, more to herself, “I didn’t even know you were on me.” Brow creasing, she wondered aloud, “What are you laughing about, anyway?”

At this, Scootaloo’s giggling died down. The filly’s smile faltered as she seemed to be thinking, before she broke out in a wide grin.

Scootaloo opened her eyes, her opaque pupils staring at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow, in turn, stared right back, unsure of what to do.

The filly before her broke out in laughter once more, and Rainbow Dash startled as the cloudiness in her eyes began moving, warping and swirling about. The intermingling shades of white swam together, fading and revealing Scootaloo’s lavender eyes in all their clarity.

Rainbow Dash gasped as Scootaloo seemed to be gazing directly into her soul, her cleared eyes shimmering in the light of the sun.

The filly opened her mouth to speak.

Rainbow Dash gasped awake, trembling in a cold sweat. She sat up, tiny giggles ringing in her ears as she looked about wildly.

She flipped on her light, her tired eyes half expecting to see Scootaloo sitting right in front of her. When she found nothing but her own disturbed bedspread, she groaned, rubbing her eyes and pulling herself out of bed.

“What a dream…” she murmured to herself.

She stretched her legs, walking off her shock and trying to calm her pounding heart.

She went downstairs, through the second floor of her house, to the first floor, and into the kitchen. She sat down on the kitchen floor and downed a glass of water, rubbing her forehead. A small headache was coming on.

“Where did that even come from?” she asked aloud.

She normally didn’t dream. When she did, it was mostly just her flying through the sky. Usually, those ended with her violently waking up as she face-planted into her wall or floor—and they most certainly did not include little hitchhikers.

Groaning to herself, she climbed back up the stairs, stopping at her second floor. She was too wired to go back to sleep.

With a sigh, her eyes panned to the guest bedroom, a stack of boxes lining the corner of the adjacent wall. She’d never furnished the smaller room, and had ended up using it as a storage closet ever since she’d moved in.

She stretched out her neck, not wanting to deal with the bulky things, but not wanting to go back to sleep, either. A flash of Scootaloo’s eyes lit up her mind, and suddenly the boxes won her attention.

Rainbow bumped the door open, twisting on the singular lamp in the opposite corner of the boxes. She huffed another sigh, reading the label on the first box.

Blankets

She lugged the box down, pushing it against the opposite wall. The next one read the same thing, and she mindlessly shoved it next to the first. The third box, a longer one, held a picture of an old shelf, one with square bars at all four corners holding up five shelves meant to fit floor to ceiling.

Rainbow Dash grumbled to herself. These things were either given to her by her parents, like the blankets; or they were leftover things from her old bedroom her parents wanted her to take when she moved, like the shelves. Either way, she hadn’t had space for them in her own room, and now every single item was in a junk pile in an empty bedroom.

She shoved the shelf box in front of the other two, away from the wall. She scanned the boxes for other bedroom-esque labels, spying one labeled Table.

She rolled her eyes. Her parents had insisted she take both her old bedside tables (having only a twin bed when she was younger). Now that she had a full bed, she simply didn't have room for both.

Another low grumble to herself, and the box was shoved in front of the shelf box. She raised an eyebrow at the impromptu platform she’d made, jutting out like some weirdly-shaped stage.

She chuckled to herself. “A bed could fit there.”

She blinked, shocked at what had just come out of her mouth. Shaking her head, she turned her attention to the boxes still in the back corner. She found herself staring at their collective size, and another sleepy smile crept up her face. “A dresser could go there. Maybe a corner one? It’d be a cool shape.”

She smiled in thought, before she snapped out of her stupor again, furiously shaking her head.

“Come on, Rainbow Dash, snap out of it!” She demanded herself, pacing the room. “You can’t…you…you can’t…” she grit her teeth, forcing herself to say the word that seemed lodged in her throat.

“You can’t adopt her.”

Silence answered her declaration, and a pain tapped her heart. Another voice rose in her head, and she allowed it to speak out loud:

“Why not?”

She shook her head again. “Because you’re a very busy pony.”

“Doing what?”

“Y—You’re part of the weather team! You have a job!”

“…That pays well and doesn’t challenge you.”

“But…but still!”

“You take naps in the middle of the day. You can do things so fast—the most you do is during Winter Wrap Up, and that’s only because you fly back and forth constantly to clear the snow clouds and help the birds migrate.”

Silence met the voice, Rainbow Dash unable to find a retort for a moment.

“But…I don't know how to talk to her.”

“You can learn.”

“Ugh, I don’t know the first thing about taking care of a foal!”

“…You can learn that, too.”

Rainbow Dash finally fell silent, head swimming with the back-and-forth thoughts.

“I can’t just…jump into this,” she said quietly, defeated. “This isn’t some trick or grand gesture or anything…this is a little filly.”

“…Then take it slow. Take your time, let it play out… see what happens…”

Silence.

“Maybe…I can start by just…going to see her again?”

Rainbow Dash’s heart swelled, her mind already racing through whatever tricks she could fly Scootaloo through. Or, maybe she should just let her decide.

“I’m off tomorrow,” she thought out loud. “My friends haven’t made any plans with me…yeah, I’ll go see her again tomorrow.”

A small smile found her face, and Rainbow Dash trotted back up the stairs to her own room, nearly too excited to sleep.

Author's Note

This chapter is brought to you by: ‘Yes, I am aware of how many Scootadopt stories there are, but this is the one my brain wanted to read and it didn’t exist so I had to write it’!

So, I probably listened to this thing 50 times trying to make sure the beginning was as good as possible (I tend to struggle with solid beginnings--I get impatient and rush because I want to move on to the meat of the story and all that). I'm really proud of how this one turned out!

By the way, the non-HD Female USA voice in Speechify thinks 'mane' is pronounced 'mah-neigh'.:facehoof:

Let me know what you guys think! I don't know when the next chapter will be up--the next thing I'm posting is the very last chapter for A Hearth's Warming Carol. Very sorry to those of you that have read it and wondered where the last chapter is! I hope you can see why this story has been distracting me so much!

See you all soon!

Chapter 6: The Completeness of Family

In the Baltimare courthouse, two ponies stood in front of a judge. The rainbow-maned mare held stars in her eyes while the dusty clay stallion passed paper after paper to her, carefully explaining each and allowing her to sign it under the witness of the judge himself.

Finally reaching the last document, Sage Note smiled, “And this completes the process. By signing this, you agree that you understand everything written on these pages, and that you are ready to become the sole legal guardian of Miss Scootaloo.”

For once, Rainbow Dash was grateful she had to use her mouth to write, as her hooves were currently too shaky under her trembling legs.

She took a breath, cleared her throat, and signed her name. With a dot of the ‘i’, the paper was levitated away, the judge placing the final paper in its place within the stack. With one last glance over each paper, nodding at every signature he passed, he flipped back to the front. With a flourish of a quill, the judge scrawled his signature. He passed the stack to the notary, who pressed their seal into the page before passing it back up, nodding to the judge.

Addressing the officiates and representatives, he recited, “It is with the power invested in me by the city of Baltimare, that I now declare Scootaloo under the legal guardianship and tutelage of Rainbow Dash.”

As he accented his declaration with a crack of the gavel, Rainbow’s heart soared. She felt as if her face would forever be frozen in the smile she wore, unable to feel anything but the unchecked joy her body threatened to burst from. With an elated chuckle, she managed, “Thank you…thank you so much.”

The judge smiled warmly at her, this part of his job being one of his favorites. “Go take your foal home,” he encouraged.

‘My foal…’

Those two words echoed in Rainbow’s head, zipping back and forth in her skull, her heart leaping as it tried to chase them. With a nod, she took the enveloped papers in her hooves, her soul pulsing as she tried with everything in her to keep her body calm.

The pegasus met Sage Note’s eyes. “Thank you for everything,” she beamed.

Sage Note gave her a small, content smile. “It’s been a pleasure, Miss Rainbow Dash.”

Incapable of stinting her smile, she trotted out of the courtroom, grinning brightly at all she passed. She checked out with a trembling hoof, stepping through the doors.

She stopped on the steps, her emotions faltering as part of her thought she had to be dreaming. A deep draw of air, and a glance down at the brown envelope in her foreleg told her otherwise, and at once her joy flared up, brighter than ever.

Her breath picked up, and she gave a shout, not caring who heard her. Hooves dancing about, she almost forgot she had wings before she launched herself off the stairs, instinct taking her to the orphanage.

‘My foal…’

In moments, she was on the steps, trembling. In a daze, she raised a hoof, knocking three times.

The familiar azure aura engulfed the knob, and a contently-smiling Foggy answered the door.

A glance down at the envelope, and the unicorn smiled wider, something sparking in her eyes. “Is everything in order?”

Rainbow Dash swallowed. “Uh-huh,” she breathed, the only thing she was capable of expressing, her words suddenly gone.

Foggy Day chuckled at the look in Rainbow’s eyes. “Let’s go get her.”

‘My foal…’

A nod was all Rainbow could manage, following Foggy through the door. The shadow led the new legal guardian down the halls she had come so accustomed to down to the main craft room. A couple laughing foals ran out as they approached, the door swinging shut behind them. Rainbow chuckled as they passed, Foggy grasping the door in her magic before it closed all the way.

Foggy pulled the door open, stepping aside to allow Rainbow in. Breath stilling in her chest, Rainbow Dash stepped inside, her eyes immediately finding Scootaloo sitting by herself at a table.

‘My foal…’

Head swimming, Rainbow Dash approached the filly, playing with an unformed ball of clay. She sat down beside her, and traced her name-sign on Scootaloo’s shoulder.

At once, the filly perked up, giving a happy giggle as she touched Rainbow’s fetlock.

“Hi, Rainbow!”

‘My foal…’

“Hi, Scootaloo,” Rainbow Dash returned. “What are you working on?”

“Nothing,” the filly replied. “I was just waiting for you to get here.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled, tussling the filly’s mane. “Sorry you had to wait so long,” she tapped, a lump rising in her throat as her heart meant it in more ways than one.

“It’s okay,” Scootaloo beamed. “What do you want to do today?”

Tears pricked Rainbow’s eyes. “I’ve got a couple ideas.”

Before the filly could ask, Rainbow took Scootaloo’s hoof, slipping the envelope under it. Heart thundering in her ears, Rainbow Dash watched the filly’s brow crinkle.

“Open it,” Rainbow encouraged. Scootaloo nodded a bit, laying the envelope down and hooves smoothing it out as she searched for the flap.

She found it easily, nudging it open and pulling out the papers. She lay the small stack flat, delicately tracing the edges.

Rainbow’s eyes scanned the sheet as Scootaloo’s hooves went lower and lower, approaching the signature and seal that made the documents official in every sense of the term.

‘My foal…’

Bringing her hoof to hover over Scootaloo’s, Rainbow waited until the little orange hoof found the seal, the only tactile part of the paper pulling her attention as she tried to figure out its shape. She placed her hoof over Scootaloo’s own, holding it on the seal.

“Do you know what these are?”

Scootaloo slowly shook her head, though Rainbow could tell the filly was making a couple guesses by the way her breath caught in her throat.

“Your adoption papers,” Rainbow tapped, tears welling in her smiling eyes. “I signed them.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened at the first sentence, a gasp jolting her little body at the second. With a wordless cry, her face rose in Rainbow’s direction, eyes instantly filled with tears. The little filly yanked on Rainbow’s hoof, throwing herself at the mare, her face at once buried in Rainbow’s chest.

Nearly knocked to the floor by the impact, Rainbow’s own tears poured from her eyes as she held Scootaloo tight, the filly’s body shaking with sobs. A little laugh escaped Rainbow Dash as Scootaloo wept into her fur.

‘My foal…’

Scootaloo clutched at Rainbow’s chest. “Serious?” she tapped, looking up at Rainbow Dash with pleading eyes, begging the mare to be telling the truth. She tried to keep her breath as steady as possible, wave after wave of joy trying its hardest to rip her heart open.

Rainbow’s hoof moved through her mane, and the mare pulled her close. Her heart leapt to her throat as a pair of lips kissed her forehead.

“Serious,” Rainbow Dash answered on her back, sending another sob through Scootaloo’s chest. She pressed her face into the mare’s chest, hugging her as tight as her little forelegs would let her.

Scootaloo’s chest convulsed with her cries. So Rainbow Dash was?! This whole time, and she didn’t even have to worry?! She could have laughed at herself, if it weren’t for the tears so thoroughly choking her.

She had dreamed of this day her entire life, and almost couldn’t believe it was actually happening. Rainbow Dash’s hoof in her mane and foreleg holding her tight chased away any remaining doubts, only succeeding in eliciting more tears from the filly.

Rainbow Dash squeezed Scootaloo tight, the two pegasi having zero intention of letting go anytime soon. A moment passed with the mare curled around her filly, before Rainbow finally rubbed a hoof between Scootaloo’s wings, tapping, “You wanna go pack your things?”

The filly sniffed, nodding. Scootaloo’s forelegs peeled themselves away from Rainbow Dash, only to clamp around her neck once again. Giggling through her tears, Scootaloo spelt, “My hooves don’t want to let go.”

Scootaloo felt Rainbow’s chest move in a laugh. “Same here,” the mare’s hoof said against her withers. “How ‘bout I carry you?”

Scootaloo nodded against the bigger pony’s neck, and managed to let go enough so Rainbow Dash could stand and put her on her back. At once, Scootaloo’s hooves found Rainbow’s neck again, and she held on tight while her new guardian stood. She felt Rainbow’s shoulders move, apparently putting the papers back in the envelope, before the mare turned, her body bobbing as she carried her out of the room.

Foggy Day followed the two down the hall, her eyes unable to leave Scootaloo. The little filly had her face buried in Rainbow Dash’s mane, her shoulders shaking with her overflowing joy. It was a sight that made Foggy’s heart skip a beat, the unicorn having wished for so long to see her like this. Finally, finally, the filly she cared so much about had somepony to bring her home.

She ignored the gnawing emptiness carving itself into her heart and opened the bedroom door for the duo, picking up Scootaloo’s saddlebags in her magic and carefully packing some remaining essentials. She glanced over at Rainbow Dash as she brought Scootaloo over to her dresser, the mare grabbing a box Foggy had put there last night.

“How do you want to pack these figures?” Rainbow tapped. Scootaloo hesitated before, finally, her vice grip eased up; and Rainbow Dash guided her into her lap. Scootaloo reached for the dresser, Rainbow Dash scooting a bit closer. The little hoof found it, nudging the Rubit’s cube before arriving at her little figures. After a small moment of thought, she gently picked up the Rainbow Dash and Foggy Day figures.

“The others can all go in a box,” she tapped. “Doesn’t matter what order.”

“Okay,” Rainbow responded, picking up all twenty-seven figures one at a time and placing them into the waiting cardboard box.

While Rainbow worked, Scootaloo held onto the two figures, trying to mentally work something out. Finally, she hummed, finding Rainbow Dash’s moving fetlock. “Do I call you Mom?”

The question froze Rainbow Dash at once, eyes dragging down to the filly in her lap. Swallowing, she shook off her shock and answered, “You can call me whatever you want to. On paper, I’m your legal guardian, but that can mean anything you want it to mean.”

When the filly didn’t respond right away, Rainbow Dash put the last of the figures in the box. She put a hoof on Scootaloo’s own, about to ask about the little her and Foggy Day Scootaloo held, before she was stopped by the little pegasus taking her hoof.

The filly held it there for a moment, eyes jumping about as she thought. After almost a minute, she broke out in a grin, and tapped, “Sister!”

Rainbow Dash paused, surprised at the apparent jump in logic. She looked down at the little filly as she ran the term through her head, seeing the way she held the two little figures against her chest. Scootaloo hugged the likenesses of Rainbow Dash and Foggy Day close to her heart, almost as if she couldn’t let go of either of them.

She smiled, the word clicking into place in a way she wasn’t expecting, yet better than any other she could think of.

The mare reached around Scootaloo, pulling the little filly close. “That’s perfect!”

Scootaloo let out a delighted giggle, nuzzling her new big sister’s chest. Rainbow Dash held her close, ruffling her new little sister’s mane and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

The final items in the filly’s old room were packed quickly, and Foggy Day helped her into her saddlebags with a small smile on her face. The second they were secured, Scootaloo grabbed Foggy’s foreleg and held on tight.

The motion brought every tear Foggy was fighting to the surface as her smile faltered. Clenching her jaw, she tried to pull it back on as she stooped to Scootaloo’s level, peeling the filly away from her.

Her heart nearly stopped when she saw the quiet tears dripping down Scootaloo’s cheeks. Her own chin quivering, she gently wiped away the little pegasus’s tears before lightly tapping her nose.

Scootaloo gave a little giggle, Foggy returning with a chuckle of her own. Almost simultaneously, their faces fell before Scootaloo threw herself at Foggy, hugging the mare’s neck as tight as she could.

She felt her throat move, not caring about the whine rising up from her. She felt Foggy’s gentle forelegs envelop her like they had so many times before.

Every time she was sick.

Every time she was scared.

Every time she couldn’t sleep.

Every time she doubted herself.

She pressed her face into the mare’s shoulder. There was so much she wanted to say, so many things to thank Foggy for.

Nuzzling her face into Foggy Day’s neck, Scootaloo tapped:

“Thank you for being my first everything.”

Foggy’s breath caught in her throat, tears falling unbidden. She pulled Scootaloo into her lap, hugging her tight.

Everything in her screamed the same three little words over and over again, everything told her she needed to say it.

She bit her lip, yanking herself back, ripping down every trace of that part of herself and stuffing it away, locking it tight deep inside her heart. Rubbing the filly’s back, she spelt out, “Live well, sweetheart.”

Foggy allowed herself to squeeze Scootaloo tight, nuzzling her cheek before forcing her forelegs to let her go, the filly smiling up at her before turning back to Rainbow Dash.

“So…what will you do now?” Rainbow asked as Scootaloo climbed back onto her back.

Foggy Day gave the question a gentle, tired smile. “I could use a change of pace. I’ve put a couple applications in, so…we’ll see.”

Rainbow’s smile faltered a bit, a small pang thumping her heart. “I…I can’t thank you enough,” she confessed. “I just…I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without you.”

The unicorn’s smile deepened, her eyes sparking. “All part of the job description.”

The two mares chuckled at the little joke. Foggy gestured with her head. “Take her home.”

Tears welled in Rainbow’s eyes, and she pulled the older mare into a hug. Scootaloo, feeling the brush of forelegs returning the embrace, popped up one last time, recognizing her shadow’s touch.

The little filly followed Foggy’s foreleg, finding her face as it pressed into Rainbow’s neck. Foggy smiled, tears welling in her eyes as Scootaloo moved her hooves around Foggy’s face, just like she’d done so many times before, before she pressed her forehead against Foggy’s, nuzzling the mare who had raised her and stood by her side for longer than she’d ever be able to remember.

It was the best thanks Scootaloo could offer, and Foggy Day knew it. Running a hoof through the filly’s mane, she pulled both Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash close, wishing them well in their new lives together.

“I hope we meet again one day,” Foggy whispered.

“Me, too,” Rainbow Dash returned, squeezing Foggy Day before the trio finally let go, rubbing away their tears.

“Good luck, you two,” Foggy Day smiled. “You’ll be just fine.”

“You will, too,” Rainbow offered. “And good luck at whatever you do next.”

“Thank you.” Smiling, Foggy pushed open the door for the pair, and Rainbow Dash scooped up the box containing Scootaloo’s figures and stepped out the door.

“Hey,” Rainbow piped up again, looking over her shoulder at Foggy. “If you ever find yourself in Ponyville, feel free to drop by, okay?”

The prompt caught Foggy off-guard, though she continued to smile softly. Offering a small nod, she simply replied, “Okay.”

Flashing a final smile at Foggy Day, Rainbow Dash stretched out her wings and took to the sky, carrying Scootaloo away from the Baltimare orphanage for the final time.

Foggy let the door close behind her as she watched the two fly away, heart hammering in her ears. The further away they got, the harder it was to make out the little orange and purple dot on Rainbow Dash’s back. Something inside her rippled, and she was finally blinded by her own blurry vision.

She blinked, her smile faltering as she inadvertently sent a pair of tears down her face. Rubbing them away, she looked back to the sky, unable to find the pegasi.

Her smile returned, a pang of excitement for Scootaloo lighting up her chest, before it snuffed itself out with the reminder of her absence from Foggy Day’s side. The smile slipped, her tears subsiding as the new yet overall familiar emptiness sank into her chest once again.

Paralyzed, she sat on the steps, gaze trained to the sky. Wind blew, clouds passed, the sun dragged across the blue ocean of atmosphere. The world continued to turn, and she was immobilized for what felt like an eternity.

A creaking whine of metal finally snapped her out of her mournful daze, and her ear flicked as a set of familiar hooves approached her from the gate, stepping up the stairs.

“Have they already left?” Sage Note asked.

Foggy nodded dully, eyes unable to leave the sky.

His lips pursed, gaze landing on the tired eyes of the unicorn. “Were you able to say your farewells?”

“I said my goodbyes last night,” Foggy almost whispered.

The stallion hesitated, giving a small nod as he breathed a sigh through his nose. “I came to file away her final papers.” When the mare didn’t answer, his brow furrowed as he stepped away from her.

“Sage,” Foggy’s voice cracked, stopping him right at the doors. Monotonously, she droned, “consider this closed case my two weeks notice.”

Sage Note gazed at Foggy Day sympathetically. “I told you not to get attached, Foggy.”

The unicorn was silent for a moment, a phantom pain pulsing behind her eyes. “That stopped being an option the moment I felt her agony.”

A sigh escaped Sage Note’s nose. “I know.” As he moved to the door, Scootaloo’s final papers in hoof, he added, “I’ll give you as much time as you need to relocate.”

“Thank you.”

“And Foggy?”

Foggy Day finally tore her eyes away from the sky to look back at Sage Note with heavy eyes.

“Good luck,” Sage Note wished. “You deserve it.”

Foggy’s lips moved in a half-hearted attempt of a smile, her lips pressing together as if the mare gave up halfway through the motion.

“Thank you.”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t remember the last time she felt so alive. The weight she carried felt nonexistent as she soared through the atmosphere.

She felt a little movement on her back, Scootaloo shifting and propping her chin on top of Rainbow’s head. The older pegasus stayed as still as possible, letting the filly adjust herself so she sat on Rainbow’s shoulders. With a little giggle, Scootaloo threw her hooves into the air, letting out a joyful holler.

Rainbow Dash erupted in laughter, sending her own ecstatic shouts into the atmosphere. It took everything in her not to twist her body in a series of flips and tricks, her excitement making her body jitter.

Finally, after an almost agonizingly long time, she spotted the Cloudominium.

Had the rainbow waterfalls always been that vibrant?

She found herself gazing at the little streams of rainbow as they approached, swearing up and down the colors were far brighter than they’d ever been, almost more than they had any right to be.

Scootaloo quieted down as she felt her new guardian’s flight pattern shift, slowing into more of a hover. With a tiny jerk, their movement ceased, the wind teasing her mane as she felt Rainbow’s hoof on her hind leg.

She let the older pegasus help her down, brow creasing in confusion when she felt the fluffy surface of a cloud beneath her hooves.

Her throat moved in a confused hum, reaching for Rainbow Dash. “Why are we on a cloud?”

“This is where we live.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled to herself at the look of utter befuddlement on the filly’s face. She explained, “I have a cloud house.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened, and the information finally seemed to click as she let out a wordless sound of surprise, jaw falling open. “We live in the SKY?!”

A shot of laughter barked from Rainbow’s throat, and she scooped up the little filly. “Yep! Wanna check it out?”

The filly gave another shout bordering a giggle, nodding in excitement. Rainbow grinned, putting Scootaloo back on her back and grabbing her box. She stepped inside, tapping Scootaloo’s foreleg and guiding her back down.

Her eyes widened the moment her hooves touched the floor, feeling the distinct difference between what she’d felt outside and what she was feeling now.

The cloud this floor was made of was…harder. Smoother. Like…an actual floor, but still distinctly cloud. It sent a wave of chuckles through her chest. She had no idea something like this existed, and yet…here it was!

Rainbow Dash giggled as Scootaloo gave a couple little hops, discovering the texture of the cloud floor. Remembering her training with Onyx, she set the box down on the stairs and rejoined Scootaloo at the entrance.

“Wanna feel the space?”

Scootaloo nodded, beaming. She sidled up next to Rainbow, letting the older mare take her around.

“This is just the foyer,” Rainbow explained on her withers. “The living room, dining room, and kitchen are down here, your room is on the second floor, and my room is on the third floor.”

Scootaloo’s heart leapt at the mention of her new room, but she forced herself back to the task at hoof as she tried to keep up with her steps, chewing her lip at the strange shape of the foyer.

She wasn’t used to curved rooms. Expecting some kind of corner to act as a starting point, she couldn’t help but feel nervous when the only distinct landmarks she found were the entrance itself, and the stairs on the opposite side of the huge half-circle room.

Rainbow Dash saw the twinge of nervous confusion on the filly’s face as they made it back to the door, and smiled to herself. “We can map all you want over the next couple days, okay? You don’t have to rush.”

Scootaloo smiled upward, silently thanking the mare. Rainbow Dash guided Scootaloo to the living room, where the filly seemed to relax a bit more at the obstacles, using them as markers for the room itself. Her confidence grew when Rainbow Dash showed her the jutting line around the room, a laugh of excitement bubbling forth as she bounded forward, following it to the kitchen and nearly leaving Rainbow Dash behind.

The older pegasus took the lead again when it came to the kitchen and dining room, Scootaloo patiently letting her lead her around the more numerous obstacles in both, trying to count her steps in the new space, but losing track every so often as her excited mind tried its best to map out the area.

She perked up at once the second Rainbow Dash asked, “Wanna see your room?”

Jittering with excitement, Scootaloo nodded. Grinning, Rainbow led her back through the foyer, scooping the box onto her back as Scootaloo counted the number of stairs to the second floor of the house. Rainbow Dash brought her little hoof to the line on the wall, and nudged her to her room.

Scootaloo followed, letting the line and her new sister guide her. Rainbow’s heart fluttered when the little pegasus found her name-sign in the wall, stopping to feel its shape. With a little gasp, the filly looked up in Rainbow Dash’s direction, beaming widely and pointing to herself.

“Yeah, that’s you!” Rainbow grinned, heart soaring. “Wanna go in?” she asked. “The door’s right on the right.”

Grinning, Scootaloo moved her hoof a bit to the right, finding the door frame. She bounced from her own excitement, nudging the door open the rest of the way and waiting for Rainbow Dash to take the lead again.

The mare gently took her hoof, and guided it to her left. She met the wall, her toe grazing another jutting line. Her throat moved from her excitement, Rainbow gently nudging her, encouraging her to follow it.

She disregarded her counting, her nervous steps smaller than normal—which would make her count inaccurate, anyway. Instead, she wandered into the nothingness until her slightly-extended hoof bumped a corner.

She ran her toe along the different texture, the smooth wood ending shortly at another corner before it cut away at an angle. Her hoof found a small, rounded jut-out, and she ran her toe along it, the texture continuing in a rectangular shape. She moved her hooves inside it, feeling carved swirls and dips bending around two knobs and leading to the middle, where the outline of a pony stood.

A grin creeping up her face, she felt around the carved unicorn, taking in every detail that she could. Her breath caught in a chuckle, and she threw her head back to where Rainbow Dash last was.

A hoof touched her shoulder. “There’s one above and below that one.”

Her eyebrows rose in interest, and she felt below, her throat moving in delight as she felt the easily-recognizable trees and grass, smiling as she found the earth pony running through the field. She moved her hoof higher, past the unicorn, and to the topmost drawer, right at the level of her head.

She felt the little rounded edges of odd, bulbous shapes carved out of the wood. Some bulbs swirled into each other, curling in a way that reminded Scootaloo of clouds. She moved to the center, perking up when she realized her assessment was correct, finding a spread-winged pegasus carved out in the middle of all the puffs of wood.

“Do you like it?” Rainbow’s hoof asked on her shoulder.

She grabbed it, responding with an, “I love it!”

Rainbow Dash beamed as Scootaloo threw herself at her for the umpteenth time that day. “That’s your dresser. Wanna see the rest?”

Scootaloo giggled, nodding into her chest. Rainbow Dash led her the couple steps to the storage bench, letting her feel the smooth surface and the three cubby holes with their baskets. With a little help from her new guardian, Scootaloo clambered on top of the bench, finding the curtained window.

She took the curtains, running her hoof along the seams and hems. With a chuckle, she wiggled around while she held one of them, wrapping herself up in the sun-warmed fabric. Rainbow Dash snorted, hopping up on the bench and teasingly poking at the little bundle.

Scootaloo gave a little giggle-filled squeal, squirming a bit in her personal cocoon. Chuckling, Rainbow Dash parted a section of curtain, finding the filly’s grinning face. She kissed her forehead, Scootaloo giving a happy little hum before she reached for Rainbow Dash, smiling sheepishly. Rainbow playfully rolled her eyes, lifting Scootaloo out of the tangle of her self-made confines before she straightened the curtain out and placed the filly back down.

She scooched Scootaloo over a couple steps, guiding her hoof forward to feel the shelves. The filly’s mouth fell open as she felt yet another piece of furniture along the same wall, her mind taking her back as she briefly approximated how many steps she’d taken since finding the dresser.

Smiling, she let Rainbow Dash show her the shelves, the bottommost resting almost all the way on the ground. She grinned to herself, shimmying under the second shelf. She giggled as she managed to fit her entire body on the bottom shelf, with room to spare.

Her giggles multiplied as she felt Rainbow’s hooves find her under the shelves again. As her new big sister dragged her out from the bottom shelf, she scrunched her face up at where she figured the older pegasus was, and hummed as Rainbow’s nose rubbed her own, feeling the creases in her snout as the mare’s face mirrored her own.

After a moment, Rainbow’s hoof tapped her chest. “There’s three shelves you can reach right now. We’ll deal with the fourth and fifth when you get a little older, okay?”

She nodded, her hooves touching the cloud floor as Rainbow put her down again. “Wanna go to your new bed?”

Scootaloo’s face rose, beaming in her direction before she nodded excitedly. Hoof gently on her shoulder, she led the filly along the wall to the bed, letting her count her steps before she stopped her right beside it. She guided Scootaloo’s hoof to the frame, her heart leaping when Scootaloo’s eyes lit up at the contact.

The filly felt the slight bend in the frame, her head tilting as she followed it to the foot, humming curiously to herself as she didn’t meet a single corner as she navigated the circumference of the oval-shaped bed.

Rainbow Dash pressed her hoof to Scootaloo’s forehead before the filly could bump her head on the bedside table. Scootaloo giggled as Rainbow showed her the reason for the sudden stop before she lifted her up onto the bed.

The little pegasus paused, eyes widening as they flicked back and forth. She shuffled her hooves along the comforter, bouncing a bit. This bed was way softer than her bed at the orphanage–bigger, too. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized just how huge the entire house was–and she hadn’t even been through all of it yet.

She giggled to herself, finding the edge of the comforter and burrowing under it, finding the mattress. A sharp little gasp, and she poked her head back out, reaching for Rainbow Dash.

“Is the mattress a cloud, too?!”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t stop her chortle. “Yep! You like it?”

Scootaloo giggled, nodding. Rainbow Dash took the filly’s hooves, guiding them to the headboard. She watched her little sister’s eyes widen when her little hooves made contact with the cloud-shaped headboard.

A little smile found her face as Scootaloo’s hooves traced the swirls of the headboard, gently flowing through the bends like a pegasus in flight. The little filly pulled herself onto her hind legs, stretching as high as she could, reaching the top edge of the headboard. She tried to adjust her stance, only for the bed to bend under her hooves. With a surprised little shout, she fell to her haunches, giggling up in Rainbow Dash’s direction.

She grabbed the hoof that touched her own. “I love it!” she beamed, hugging Rainbow’s hoof.

The older pegasus wrapped her up in her forelegs. “I’m glad you do.” A small moment passed, the two pegasi holding each other tight before the older tapped on the younger’s withers, “You wanna unpack your figures?”

Scootaloo nodded, her mane tickling Rainbow’s chin. She reached for the other end of her bed, Rainbow scooting over to the edge and helping her down. She passed the box over to the filly, who rummaged around briefly before extracting the figures of Foggy Day and Rainbow Dash. She felt their faces, confirming to herself their identities, before she reached up for the second shelf, placing them side-by-side.

The filly hesitated, humming in thought. A hoof reached for Rainbow Dash, and the mare answered with her own hoof. “That’s all I want to put up right now.”

Rainbow’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Okay. Whatever you want to do is perfectly fine,” she answered, smiling when Scootaloo pressed her cheek into Rainbow’s communicating hoof, humming a little chuckle. She pressed her forehead to the filly’s. “You wanna see everything else?”

“Yeah!”

Rainbow Dash put the filly down, leading her to the door and showing her the line again. She led her to her bathroom, leading the ecstatic filly around the space before helping her up the third story and leading her around her own room. By the time the tour was over, Scootaloo was practically vibrating with excitement as the events of the day finally began to really sink in.

As the filly hugged her new guardian for what may have been the hundredth time that day, Rainbow Dash checked her clock.

3:48

She started, suddenly remembering her plans with her friends. Where had the time gone?!

“Hey, squirt,” Rainbow tapped.

Scootaloo hummed, her face peeking up at the mare.

“You wanna meet my friends? I want to introduce you.”

The filly took in a sharp breath, another smile creeping up her face as she nodded.

Rainbow Dash beamed as she nudged open the swinging doors of Sugarcube Corner. Five mares halted in their minglings at once, meeting her eyes with their own anticipatory excitement.

Scootaloo shuffled when she felt Rainbow Dash stop, hefting herself up and her face popping up from behind Rainbow’s mane. The mare’s eyes tried to find the filly as she grinned, her friends letting out coos at their first look at Scootaloo.

Rainbow reached for Scootaloo’s foreleg, shyly gripping her mane. “Wanna get down and meet my friends?”

Scootaloo hesitated. She hummed to herself, forehooves sliding onto Rainbow’s face and covering her eyes.

The older pegasus, thinking she was playing, gave a little snicker. “Come on, Scoots.” She tried to pull the little forelegs off her face, cracking open an eye in time for Scootaloo to pull away and cover it again.

She felt the filly bury her muzzle into her mane, giving a shake. One of her hooves tapped on the bridge of Rainbow’s muzzle:

“What do you hear?”

At once, Rainbow stopped. A moment of stillness, and she let her hoof fall. Tears stung her eyes as she gave all of her focus to her ears.

After a moment, she raised her hoof again.

“I hear soft music…the breeze blowing outside. It’s making a draft, so there’s the rustle of tablecloths and decorations, too.”

Scootaloo pressed her nose into Rainbow’s head, humming contently. Her hooves moved away from Rainbow’s eyes, and they opened, allowing the tears to fall.

Rainbow’s friends looked at her in concern and confusion, and she returned with, “Just give us a sec.” They nodded as Scootaloo’s forelegs found her ears, covering them before she tapped on Rainbow’s head:

“What do you see?”

Again, Rainbow let a small moment pass, smiling to herself through her tears. Again, she raised her hoof to respond.

“I see my friends. They’re all really excited to meet you. I see a table with cake and punch, and streamers hanging from the ceiling. And I see a banner on the back wall that says ‘Happy Adoption Day!’ in regular Equestrian, with the Braille letters underneath it.”

Her eyes fell back to her friends, and she gave them a smile.

“I see our family, Scoots. I see ponies who want you to be a part of their lives. And soon, ponies I can’t see will, too.”

Scootaloo gave a little hum of a chuckle, her face pressing into Rainbow’s mane. Finally satisfied, she relinquished her grip on her big sister’s ears and reached for her hoof.

Rainbow Dash helped Scootaloo to the floor, sitting down and pulling the filly into her lap. “Ready?”

At Scootaloo’s nod, Rainbow smiled up at her friends. “You guys wanna meet her?”

What followed next gave Rainbow Dash wave after wave of deja vu. One at a time, her friends came up to meet Scootaloo, the filly greeting each mare with a grin and a hearty hoofshake. Rainbow Dash raised up the filly to help her feel their faces, before Rainbow Dash spelt out each of her friends’ names, giving Scootaloo a bit of time to think about the name-signs for each of her friends. They listened close, excitedly learning about the filly as they indirectly spoke to her, Rainbow Dash nearly running her hoof ragged as she translated.

‘Guess this is how Foggy feels,’ she chuckled internally.

Rarity and Fluttershy couldn’t stop gushing over the little filly, who giggled in delight at the two as they took her hooves in theirs. The filly had nearly forgotten to tap out her sentences on Rainbow’s hoof as she gave the two their name-signs–Rarity’s a little downward-swooping swirl that perfectly parallel her mane, and Fluttershy’s a couple tilted half-circles that resembled half of a butterfly.

Applejack was the most patient of her friends, staying as still as possible and giving the filly as much time as she had needed to feel her features. With a mischievous grin, Scootaloo flicked Applejack’s hat, the stetson jumping before falling onto Applejack’s eyes. The farm pony had chuckled, tossing her head forward to flip the hat onto Scootaloo’s head, the little pegasus giggling madly as the stetson completely engulfed her head, sitting on her shoulders and chest. As Applejack lifted it back up, Scootaloo had traced out the name-sign she’d chosen for Applejack: a circle with an ‘x’ through its center.

Pinkie Pie, of course, asked the most questions, the party pony actively in the process of making a file for the filly while the little pegasus felt her face and gently pat her hooves into the bouncy, cotton candy-like mane of Ponyville’s resident party-planner. Scootaloo giggled at every inquiry, answering them as best she could figure until the party pony was finally satisfied enough to receive her name-sign: a thin, upright triangle with a curved base, the shape reminding Rainbow Dash of a slice of pie.

Twilight’s questions, as Rainbow Dash had already guessed they would be, were about what Scootaloo liked to read, and what books she wanted her to order. The filly had happily answered, thanking the unicorn profusely and providing her with a name-sign: three lines criss-crossing at a single point to create a shape not unlike a six-pointed star.

After receiving the new piece of her identity, the student apprentice grinned, kneeling close to Scootaloo and surprising each and every pony in the room as she gently tapped on Scootaloo’s fetlock, “Wanna know Rainbow Dash’s favorite series?”

The filly’s face lit up as her eyes widened, still overcoming her shock as she nodded.

“Twilight, what are you telling her?” Rainbow asked suspiciously.

Twilight cocked a teasing eyebrow at Rainbow Dash. “Nothing,” she replied nonchalantly. Grinning, she tapped, “Daring Do.”

Scootaloo erupted in a fit of giggles, grabbing Twilight’s fetlock. “I read the first one. I’m not surprised.”

“Want me to order the full series for you?”

“Yes, please!”

Scootaloo reached for Twilight, the unicorn obliging and pulling the filly into a tight hug. “Thank you so much!” Scootaloo tapped on her neck.

“Not a problem,” Twilight replied, passing the filly back over to her guardian.

Once again secure in Rainbow’s lap, Scootaloo spelt out, “I didn’t know you liked Daring Do.”

A blush immediately burned Rainbow’s cheeks. “Twi-light,” she whined.

“What?” the unicorn teased. “She likes to read, too.” She added with a tone somewhere between scholarly and motherly, “It’s good to be able to connect with your foal, Rainbow Dash. I’ve already ordered the entire series for her, it’ll be here in a few days.”

Scootaloo giggled at Rainbow’s lack of response, the mare finally answering as her blush faded, “Yep! And I’m on book four, so you’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

The filly hummed a laugh, scrunching up her face at Rainbow Dash, who rubbed the filly’s nose with her own.

Momentarily forgetting Scootaloo’s habit, she jolted at the impact of the little hooves capturing her face and holding it against Scootaloo’s own. Her friends erupted in chortles as her blush returned, trying to gently peel the giggly filly off her face.

Once introductions were in order, Scootaloo asked, “Can I feel the decorations?”

Rainbow responded at once. “Sure thing, squirt!” She scooped up the little filly, helping her onto her back and gently hovering up to the ceiling. She made careful aim toward a pair of dangling streamers, ducking her head out of the way. The streamers brushed up Scootaloo’s face, and the filly erupted in giggles as she grabbed at them, cooing in interested delight as she felt their texture.

The mare kept a careful eye on Scootaloo. When the filly reached up, she gained a bit of altitude. When she reached for the right or the left, Rainbow obliged, hovering in those directions and allowing the filly to feel the hanging decorations to her heart’s content.

“These are so cool!” Scootaloo hummed a chuckle. “I didn’t know crimped streamers existed!”

Rainbow chuckled, translating her sentence, to which Pinkie Pie nearly exploded with excitement.

“See?!” the party pony shrieked. “I knew she’d like them! Didn’t I say she’d like them?! I don’t think I did, but I knew she would!”

As the ecstatic mare babbled, Rainbow chuckled. “Pinkie really appreciates the compliment.”

Scootaloo hummed a laugh, rubbing her muzzle into Rainbow’s mane, who returned the gesture with a hoof to Scootaloo’s own purple locks.

“Wanna get some cake?” Rainbow asked, the filly at once nodding in delight.

“I think today was the best day of my life!” Scootaloo tapped sleepily on Rainbow’s head, carefully giving her new big sister a length of streamer.

“Oh yeah?” Rainbow tapped back, grinning as she took the streamer and hung it around the corner of the third shelf.

Scootaloo had asked Pinkie if she could take one of the streamers home, and the party pony had practically showered the filly with them, falling around her in a pile before Scootaloo poked her head from the top with a giggle, one of them in hoof.

“Yeah!” Scootaloo hummed a chuckle, settling down into Rainbow’s mane.

The mare reached up, rubbing the little filly’s mane as she looked at the second shelf, where the lone figures of herself and Foggy Day stood.

“Did you want to put your other figures out on the shelf?” Rainbow tapped on Scootaloo’s head.

The filly paused in thought, squirming her way off of Rainbow’s back. The mare scooted the box closer to her, Scootaloo finding it and rummaging through the figures. She plucked out her Rubit’s cube, setting it a few inches away from the corner of the shelf. The filly hesitated, twisting around to Rainbow Dash.

“I don’t want to put the rest of them up there.”

Rainbow blinked, taken aback. “What? Why not?”

Scootaloo chewed her lip. “They’re the ones that came before you. They left. I…they didn’t want me, so I don’t want them anymore, either.”

Something inside Rainbow Dash shattered, her eyes drifting to the figures in the box. Her heart skipped a beat as all the dots fell into place.

How had this never occurred to her? Everypony Scootaloo met…were the Potentials.

The Potentials…who had decided to turn the other way.

Rainbow Dash clenched her jaw, taking in each face. Mares and stallions, young and old, from all three races. All of them so vastly different, they only had one thing in common.

The singular truth made Rainbow’s stomach churn, and she suddenly didn’t want to look at them ever again, either.

“What do you want to do with them?” she finally asked.

Scootaloo tilted her head in thought, eyes flicking. After a moment, she took Rainbow’s hoof and asked:

“Can we bury them?”

Rainbow’s eyes widened, not exactly expecting the filly to answer with such a specific request. She’d imagined throwing them away, maybe going out to a nearby tree and smashing them. But…burying them?

A half-smile found its way onto her face. Did it matter? Who was she to judge the way Scootaloo needed to say goodbye to the life she was leaving behind?

She scooped Scootaloo up, squeezing her tight and nuzzling her forehead. “Sure! I’ve got a little shovel downstairs.”

It took longer than Rainbow Dash would have liked to admit to dig a big-enough hole with just a little trowel. Once the hole was big enough, she helped Scootaloo carefully approach the large hole, where the filly—with Rainbow’s help—gently pressed the box into the ground. Together, they pushed the dirt back on top of it, packing it tight and pressing it down, smoothing it over until it was nothing more than a brown patch amidst the greenery.

Once they were done, the little pegasus stood before the grave of her past, determination furrowing her brow. After a moment, her face softened, a small smile adorning her face as she nodded. She found her new guardian, and leaned into her side, humming contently and nuzzling her shoulder. “Thank you,” she tapped on Rainbow’s foreleg.

Rainbow Dash crouched beside her new charge, pulling her close. “No problem, Scoots.” She planted a kiss on Scootaloo’s cheek, leaving the filly giggling and gripping her neck. As she hugged her new little sister in the light of the setting sun, Rainbow Dash grimaced at the dirt she was accidentally rubbing into Scootaloo’s fur.

“Alright,” she began, “we should probably wash off. We’ve got dirt all over us.”

Scootaloo giggled. “Okay.”

Nearly an hour later, the sun giving way to the darkness of night, both pegasi were free of dirt; and the older carried the younger to bed as they each gave a big yawn.

“Goodnight,” Rainbow Dash tapped on Scootaloo’s fetlock as she pulled the covers over the little pegasus.

“Goodnight,” the filly returned, settling into her new bed.

Rainbow Dash backed away from the bed, Scootaloo humming a bit as she snuggled down into her covers, hugging her bear to her chest. She leaned against the door frame, not even wanting to blink as she watched her filly slowly fall asleep.

Hours may have passed with Rainbow sitting there, limbs frozen and lips stuck in a dreamy smile, tired eyes blinking sleepily but not wanting to leave the beautiful sight before her.

Finally, her brain seemed to click, telling her the little filly wasn’t going anywhere, and that she’d be there in the morning. Slowly, Rainbow Dash peeled herself away from the door, body moving solely on second nature as she turned off the light and stepped up to her room.

She didn’t even remember walking, only knowing she was at Scootaloo’s door, and was now in her own bed. Thoughts flatlining to a perfect peace, she finally allowed her eyes to close as she drifted off to sleep.

.

.

.

.

.

“Mm!”

Rainbow’s eyes shot open, startled by the sudden noise right in front of her. Her covers moved, something over the edge of her bed tugging on them.

She slid over, nearly knocking her forehead into Scootaloo, the filly poking her head up as she tried to pull herself onto the larger bed.

Rainbow Dash reached for the filly’s fetlock, and Scootaloo smiled sheepishly up at her once contact was made, asking a silent question. Chuckling, the mare pulled the filly onto her bed, answering.

“Just for tonight,” Rainbow Dash tapped, Scootaloo letting out a tired giggle and snuggling into Rainbow’s chest.

“Okay,” the filly agreed. Rainbow Dash smiled as she pulled the filly close, the extra presence next to her closing a gap in her heart she didn’t even know existed.

Running her hoof between Scootaloo’s wings, she tapped out, “I love you.”

Scootaloo’s breath caught in her throat with a little squeak, and her face turned up to Rainbow Dash, eyes flicking as they filled with tears. The filly squirmed, worming herself higher so the top of her head rested under Rainbow’s chin, her face pressed into her neck.

“I love you, too!” the filly responded, a little chuckle bubbling from her throat, her breath catching as if she were crying.

A lump rose in Rainbow’s throat, tears springing to her eyes. She squeezed the little filly pressed against her, letting elated tears fall from her eyes, slipping off to sleep with the calming rhythm of Scootaloo’s breathing.

Author's Note

The End

of the Adoption Arc!

Epilogue chapter will be posted soon!

For those of you making a little playlist fir this story: here’s Rainbow’s theme!

Alright, hands up, who thought I meant the “tomorrow” thing figuratively? *snickers*

Were you surprised? I didn’t want to torture you all with waiting another week or two before I posted the actual adoption, so I’ve been working a little harder over my extended break to get both chapters out within a day of each other. Hope you all enjoy!

Sorry that this chapter is a little shorter than the others (except Chapter 1). I like having long chapters, but I don’t force a specific word count, because this detracts from just telling the story and letting it flow.

Speaking of short, next chapter will only be about 1,000 words, and will be a sort of wrap-up before we begin the next part of the story. See you tomorrow! (not literally this time :rainbowlaugh:)

Chapter 24: The End of Summer

Author's Note

Hello, everyone!

Happy two years of Unseen, Unheard!!:pinkiehappy::pinkiehappy::pinkiecrazy::pinkiecrazy::heart::rainbowkiss::rainbowkiss:

Before I use up every single ponmoji on the roster:rainbowlaugh:, I just wanted to say to all of you how much I appreciate you reading this story. I never imagined in my entire life that one of my stories would be read and loved by this many people. I really appreciate seeing all of you who have stuck it through so far, and I appreciate your patience during the times when I've been slow to upload.

Do not mind my robotic words. I am bad at expressing feelings when they are coming from myself.:rainbowlaugh::rainbowlaugh::rainbowlaugh:

Let me try to express it in my writing style...*ahem*:

The writer stretched out her fingers, looking up from her hours of work, ready to submit yet again. With anticipatory breath, she clicked upload, and eagerly waited to see the numbers climb.

*blink blink* "Why are you milking it?"
*jumps* "Scoots! You scared me!"
*raises an eyebrow* "Why are you letting this just drag on?"
"What? It hasn't been going on that long. Besides, I just want everyone who clicked on and read the story to know I appreciate them."
"Okay...so why don't you just say that?"
"I did, but I wanted to say more. So I let my brain go, and now it's turned into a cringey meta-interaction."
*pauses, clears throat, turns to face the audience* "Forgive Nocti, she has a tendency to let her nerves get the better of her. Which is why this story is such a big deal to her. She's been nervous about it from the beginning. She wants to tell a good story that not only entertains but opens up doors for others. She knew it was a little risky, and she's really appreciative of all the support she's received. Thank you all so much for reading!"
*blushes, blinks back tears* "Thanks for helping me with that, Scoots."
*grins, nods* "You're welcome!"
*sniffs* "Uh, but Scoots?"
"Yeah?"
"I hate to burst your bubble, but...you're facing the wrong way."
*blinks* "...Oh."

:twilightblush: But yes, thank you all so much for reading thus far. I know I say it every time, but I really do mean it.

Thank you everyone who left comments.

Thank you everyone who made fan art.

Thank you everyone who liked.

Thank you everyone who disliked.

Thank you all! Your presence alone has given me more courage than I will ever be able to express. And I hope you will all continue to read on.

See you all in the next chapter! :rainbowkiss::heart:

“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
‭‭- Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Chapter 24: The End of Summer

Sweetie Belle stifled a sigh through her nose, making sure she could hear Rarity’s sewing machines before she reached under her bed, pulling out the little shoebox. She eased off the lid, revealing the pile of cards held within.

She sat down on her bed and picked up the new card. It had just arrived today. Internally cringing, secretly hoping, she opened it.

Happy Birthday, Serendipity!

We hope to see you soon and tell you all about Briarland.

Love from Tailes, Mom and Dad

A huff escaped her nose. Every card was the same. The minimum work done while every postcard boasted just how happy her parents were seeing the world.

Again, she found herself regretting opening the card. Again, she questioned why she thought it would be any different.

Again, she kicked herself for so desperately wanting to know they spared her any thought at all.

Blinking back her tears before they could ruin her mascara, she slipped the rolling-hilled postcard into the box and shut the lid. “At least they sent it sooner this year,” she mumbled to herself. “It’s only two weeks late instead of a month.”

She had actually enjoyed herself on her birthday this year. Her friends had chipped in with Rarity and bought her a karaoke machine, and they’d explored the library all night long, Rarity allowing it just that once despite having to go to Manehatten the next day.

Glancing over at said karaoke machine, she smiled at the simple fact of knowing who truly cared about her, no matter how much it stung to know her parents didn’t.

“Sweetie Belle?” Rarity’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “Are you ready to go?”

The young mare in question giggled to herself as her magic scooped up her saddlebags to fasten them around her waist. “Are you ready to go?”

A mock scoff answered her. “Young lady, I am offended! I’ll have you know I have only my largest saddlebags this time.”

An impressed hum tickled Sweetie’s nose, before a smirk spread across her muzzle. “You sure you didn’t stash a carry-on in the tent bag?”

Silence met her ears as she walked out of the room, Rarity’s voice finally floating up the stairs. “Well it’s not fair when you know me so well.”

Laughter filled the boutique as Sweetie Belle trotted down the stairs, meeting her giggling sister in the shop.

“Are you ready to go, darling?” Rarity inquired.

“Yep!” Sweetie Belle picked up the tent in her magic as Rarity did the final rounds of the shop, muttering to herself about customers put on hold for a week and which should have their shipments in while they were gone.

With final nod from the elder of the two, Rarity flipped off the light, kissed Opalescence goodbye, and held the door open for Sweetie Belle. Carousel Boutique closed its doors for the week, giving its two residents a much-needed break.

Apple Bloom yanked out the final knot in her mane, smoothing it out with a cringing sigh. Her hoof reached for her ribbon, a pulse through her heart making her stop. Her golden eyes rose to look at herself in the mirror, her muzzle scrunching at how strange she looked without the bow she’d worn her entire life.

A groan rose from her throat, and she snatched it up. Her hooves looped through the same motions she’d gone through everyday. Effortlessly, the bow was in its place, and she stared, something in her heart she couldn’t name sinking the longer she looked at herself.

Her mind twisted on itself, restarting an internal argument that had steadily grown louder over the years.

‘It’s just…not me.’

‘But it is. You look weird without it.’

‘Then why do I hate wearing it?’

‘It’s Ma’s! You make everypony happy when you wear it.’

‘So why don’t I feel happy?’

A grunt echoed around the bathroom as she yanked the bow out, once again feeling as if something was missing as she glared at her reflection, eyes brimming with tears.

“Apple Bloom?”

A spike of dread shot through her heart, and she scrubbed her eyes. “Yeah, AJ?”

“Come out real quick.”

Apple Bloom cleared her throat, barely having time to check her reflection for tears before she pulled open the door.

She was greeted by her sister’s curiously stern face. “Ya alright, sugarcube?”

“Uh-huh!” The answer came out automatically, the young mare nodding and smiling a bit too widely.

Her older sister quirked an eyebrow, but decided to let it go, her list of things to pack flashing through her mind again. “If ya say so, sugarcube. Don’t forget yer bow. Ya’ve been forgettin’ a lotta stuff, lately.”

The youngest Apple’s heart sank, more hurt by the reminder than her sister would understand. ‘If only you knew the reason why,’ she brooded to herself.

Out loud, she said, “Yeah…sorry. Ah’m almost packed up.”

Applejack sighed through her nose. “You were supposed ta be done last night.”

Apple Bloom internally cringed. “I know…I got distracted and fell asleep.”

Her sister’s frustration presented itself as a heavy sigh. “Apple Bloom,” she began.

‘Here we go again,’ the younger sister thought ruefully.

“You really need ta get it t’gether. How in Equestria’re ya gonna be able ta function on yer own if ya can’t keep up with simple stuff?”

Like every time this conversation came up, all Apple Bloom could do was shut down. Her eyes refused to meet her older sister’s, and her hoof rose to rub at her foreleg, desperately trying not to dig her toe into her fur and mess up what she’d just brushed.

After a long moment of silence between the two, Applejack finally steered her cold gaze away and marched off. “Hurry up. We don’t wanna be late.”

“Okay…” Apple Bloom squeaked, feeling two inches tall. She closed the bathroom door, hating herself for making AJ mad. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t do exactly what she was told as soon as she was told to do it.

It was like her mind was working against her now. Where she used to have so much enthusiasm to do whatever she was told, she now seemed to struggle to stay focused on the most basic instructions. Thoughts were harder to hold onto, and she felt she had to walk a mile before she could accomplish something her older siblings could do in a single step.

She had tried to bring it up before, but it all ended with her standing rooted to the spot as silent tears fell down her face, her siblings reprimanding her for acting like she knew herself better than they did.

She had vowed to herself to never bring it up again.

For the longest time, she thought all was lost, that there was just something blatantly wrong with her…until the day their class was visited by a psychologist. In a mix of educating the young students and a reverse field trip, the psychologist had told them all about different mental disorders, with footage and tools to demonstrate.

Despite what was happening now, she was glad she volunteered that day. The good news now was: she knew what she needed to not make her feel this way anymore. The bad news was: she had no way of getting it without her family asking too many questions or outright barring her from getting it in the first place.

Fighting back her tears, Apple Bloom dragged her mother’s ribbon off the counter and tied it into her mane without a second thought. Her thoughts in the mud, she trudged to her room and packed the rest of her saddlebags in silence.

Half an hour later, Applejack passed her room again, spying her sister slipping something into her nightstand drawer. “Ready now?”

“Yep!” Apple Bloom gave her a smile that didn’t match the knot in her chest.

Applejack smiled back at her. “See? Was that so hard?”

Apple Bloom felt her heart crack.

“Now git downstairs and say bye ta Big Mac and Granny. Ah’ll be down in a second with the tent.”

“Okay, AJ.” Her big sister disappeared down the hallway, and her smile followed. Thoughts unable to make any sense, she found herself itching to get to her best friends, and fastened her saddlebags.

Scootaloo’s hoof touched the ground, and she slid off Rainbow’s back, sitting down to wait for Rainbow to go back and get the tent.

Her sister’s sigh and ruffled wing to her mane made her giggle. “Am I getting too heavy for you?”

“Nah,” Rainbow grinned as the duo began the quest to the train station, “it’s just the tent. No biggie.”

Though Scootaloo smiled, her wing brushing Rainbow’s own as they walked, a beat passed in her heart. “Do…do we need to move the five-year plan a bit closer?”

She wasn’t surprised when Rainbow hesitated. “…Maybe,” her big sister finally admitted.

An understanding smile crossed Scootaloo’s muzzle as she nuzzled up to the mare, resting her head against her neck and hearing her heartbeat. “It really is okay, Rainbow. I…I wanna be able to get out to hang out with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle without having to ask you or Soarin.”

“Yeah…” Rainbow Dash leaned her cheek into Scootaloo’s mane. “I know…it would really help you be more independent, too…Turn it into a three-year plan?”

Scootaloo giggled, grinning. “Can we turn it into a one-and-a-half-year plan?”

Rainbow’s heart sank, but she smiled for her little sister, already dreading no longer needing to carry the young mare everywhere anymore. “Yeah…yeah, that sounds good.” She pressed a kiss to Scootaloo’s temple. “Wanna talk to the builders when we get home?”

Her little sister nodded, the two of them sporting misty eyes at the prospect of the big change of moving house. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

The older of the two smiled softly, nudging Scootaloo. “Alright, enough of the sappy stuff. I don’t wanna think about anything other than how sticky the s’mores will be tonight by the time we get on that mountain.”

Scootaloo chuckled. “Same. Are the others there yet?”

Rainbow looked up ahead, spying the train station dead ahead. “Yeah. They’re waving at us.”

“Oh!” Scootaloo perked up, waving wildly in the direction of her friends, much to their shared laughter that carried over the space between them.

Unable to wait any longer, an excited Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rushing down the steps to meet the remaining sisters, the three instantly beginning to chatter about nothing and everything as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle took up their rightful spots at Scootaloo’s sides, escorting their best friend to the train station and leaving Rainbow to follow behind.

Mingling arose within the triad of pairs as they waited for the morning train to Fillydelphia. Before 7 o’clock, they were on board and chugging away.

“Have either of you heard from Diamond?” Scootaloo asked as the three pairs of sisters stepped their way through the trail, the younger a few paces ahead of the older.

“Uh-uh,” Apple Bloom shook her head.

“No,” Sweetie Belle concurred.

Scootaloo chuckled. “She really must be having the time of her life away from her parents this summer.”

The three friends shared a small bout of laughter as they trekked up Foal Mountain. The frilly filly in question had jumped at an over-the-summer opportunity the moment she could, not even caring where it would take her. She had told her parents it was a business apprenticeship in Manehatten, but disclosed to her friends (the CMC included) that she was actually going to volunteer at a summer program. She had elected to keep most of the details to herself, to make sure word didn’t get to her parents.

Before she left, she had said she would write when she could. She had yet to make good on that promise to most of them. Silver Spoon was thankfully able to quiet any fears they had over her safety, as she was the only one to receive any letters from her, the young mare claiming to be exhausted at the end of every day (But loving every second!).

“I wonder if it’s something like a summer camp,” Sweetie Belle suggested. “Like she’s a counselor or something.”

Apple Bloom snorted, “Doubt it. Can you imagine that filly goin’ anywhere near dirt?”

“I don’t know,” Scootaloo snickered. “I think she’d rather touch dirt than her mom’s muzzle job.”

Their laughter carried to the three mares behind them, Rarity trotting along after them as Applejack and Rainbow Dash switched cart duty, Applejack stretching out her neck and Rainbow letting her wings rest under the yoke. “Whatcha think they’re talkin’ ‘bout?” Applejack questioned.

Rainbow chuckled as she began to pull the cart. “Colts, probably. Whatever their version of gossip is. You know how it was when we were their age.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Don’t put it that way! Yer makin’ me feel old!”

Her snicker met Rarity’s ears, and the fashionista let a small smirk climb her face. “Oh please, Applejack, darling! We age like a fine wine. The older we are, the better!”

The chuckle that rose from Applejack died far too soon, and she mumbled to herself, “Not after a certain point.”

Rainbow Dash gave her friend a brief, encouraging nuzzle, Applejack hardly giving her a glance of acknowledgment.

The matriarch of the Apple family had steadily been slowing down over the past year or so, her usual pep that echoed her still-youthful soul finally wearing down into a bone-deep fatigue. They had finally convinced the stubborn mare to go to the doctor after her third fall in a week. The day after…all four Apples were nowhere to be found, shut in together in their farmhouse.

None of them spoke about whatever prognosis they had been given, but the town held its collective breath, knowing the inevitable was on the horizon. And though she herself objected to it, Granny Smith was always with one of her grandchildren ever since.

Applejack let out a sigh, then straightened herself up. “She’d kick me in th’ teeth if’n she knew I spent the whole trip worryin’ about her.” She managed a strained smile, but was able to breathe a bit easier as she caught sight of her little sister and her friends, trotting off after Rarity. Rainbow Dash smiled gently, nearly chuckling as her stubborn friend hardheaded her way through her emotions, knowing they would come out properly in due time.

The rest of the hike consisted of pleasant conversation and excitedly pointing out views, flowers, and birdsong. Laughter was shared, as were cheers when Rarity for the first time volunteered herself to pull the cart, the lady merely rolling her eyes and haughtily holding up her nose as she pulled the cart behind her, though all could see the little smile on her face.

As the sun began to set, the trio of duos finally came upon their campsite for the night, Scootaloo setting out with Rainbow Dash to map it out, the electronic-eared filly loving the sound of the rushing river beneath the overhang and making note of where the treeline was.

As they set up their tent, Applejack let her own little sister start the fire as Rarity and Sweetie Belle once again debated over proper s'more toasting techniques.

All six friends and sisters sported tired eyes as they huddled together around the fire. Dinner and dessert passed under the stories of heroic grandeur and personal victories, Scootaloo only chuckling a little nervously this year as her sister told yet another dragon legend, the young mare having been gifted a carved wooden model of a full-sized dragon soon after her first dragon story to help her with her disturbing visualizations.

With filled stomachs and warmed hearts, the mares bid each other a good night’s rest and well-received dreams, retreating into their tents under the coaxing of the cooling winter night air and the symphony of night life.

Inside their own tent, Scootaloo gave Rainbow one of her processors as she zipped herself up into her sleeping bag. She yawned, her heavy eyes dragging her head down as the drone of noises outside eased her body into peace and stillness.

Rainbow Dash chuckled through a smirk as Scootaloo snuggled down into her pillow. "You gonna give me the other one, kiddo?"

Her response was a sleepy shake of the head. "M-mm. I like the cricket...the crickets chirping. It’s relaxing…”

The mare had to stifle her snort so she wouldn't disturb her drifting-off filly. As quietly as she could, she unrolled her own sleeping bag and plucked up her ear plugs and Scootaloo's processor case.

She put a plug in her ear, sighing with relief at the half-quiet. She really wished she could fall asleep to the sounds of nature like Scootaloo could; but due to her training as a Wonderbolt, she unfortunately jolted awake with every croak, chirp, and crack that happened right outside the tent. It didn't help that the hard ground made her snore.

"Scootaloo?" she called lightly. Her filly didn't answer, her soft breathing passing through her lips. Rainbow grinned, gently stepping to Scootaloo and carefully removing the processor and transmitter.

The technology safely in its case, Rainbow tucked it away into their pack before silencing her world with the second ear plug. She sighed, pressed a kiss to Scootaloo's forehead, and crawled into her sleeping bag. With a sigh she only felt in her throat, she sent a breeze to their lantern, snuffing it out and leaving her to drift off in blissful silence.

Scootaloo steadily became more and more aware of the hard ground beneath her as she awoke. Her breath caught as her remaining drowsiness suddenly snapped into focus. It took a moment for her to remember where she was, the stiff warmth of her sleeping bag a far cry from her comfy cloud bed.

She waited a moment before she pushed out a hoof, stretching and sliding along the floor of the tent until she connected with the nylon fabric of Rainbow’s sleeping bag. Using as little pressure as possible, she ran her hoof up the bag until it curved away from her touch, feeling the gentle rise and fall under a familiar strand of mane.

Rainbow Dash was still asleep.

She sighed to herself. She needed to get up and walk around if she wanted to get back to sleep.

Releasing a huff through her nose, she pulled off the upper flap of her sleeping bag and wiggled out. Carefully maneuvering with her hooves, she reached the tent flap and unzipped it slowly enough to make her think Rainbow Dash wouldn’t be bothered by the sound. She poked her way outside, the cool air of night sending a quiet shiver over her back, making her grumble to herself.

Of course this had to happen while they were camping.

Tired, she turned away from the tent and shuffled forward, intent on finding the tree line, which would make it easier for her to count her steps and keep track of where she was. She’d walk around for just a few minutes, enough to physically wear her body down again, then go back in the tent.

She counted twelve steps, frowning a bit to herself. Weren’t the trees closer than this?

Scootaloo felt the ground dip a bit, and stopped. She scrubbed a hoof forward, feeling the ground drop away just a few inches ahead of her. A cool breeze brushed her outstretched hoof. She grimaced to herself, realizing she found the rushing river instead of the treeline. She rolled her eyes, side-stepping to turn herself around.

Her hoof met open air.

Panic gripping her, she scrambled back, finding purchase on the loose soil only momentarily before her back hoof stepped on the jutting, round knob of a root. It bent her hoof to the side, sending her balance off-kilter. She moved her hooves to try and catch herself, only to be met with nothing. With a desperate shout, Scootaloo’s body crumbled over the side of the overhang, and she momentarily felt the sickening weightlessness of free-fall before a biting cold surrounded her and instantly chilled her to her bones.

She let out a cry of shock, water rushing into her mouth. Her sense of gravity nearly overpowered by the current of the river, she shoved herself toward where she hoped the surface was.

She felt water fall away from her head, and pulled in a desperate gasp of breath. Something fell away underneath her, and the water dropped a bit, taking her with it and submerging her once again. She tried to blow out the water that shoved its way up her nose as she tumbled end over end, the undertow of the river jerking her legs out from under her.

She slammed against something smooth and slimy, the force of the blow to her back making her cry out, knocking the air from her lungs. On instinct, her lungs tried to pull in another breath, only for icy river water to nearly shoot down her throat. She coughed, the river’s current ripping her away from the object she hit. She fought to get to the surface again, lungs burning ferociously.

Scootaloo felt her mane fall and cling onto her face as it met open air, and she pulled in another breath, managing to let out a scream before another drop forced her under once more. She clamped her hooves over her mouth, trying desperately to hold onto her failing breath, praying somepony had heard her scream.

The bitingly cold water rushed by her, shoving her along in a direction she was unable to fight. She kicked herself in the direction she perceived as ‘up’, and felt her head break the surface.

She gulped air into her burning lungs, coughing and fighting to keep her head above the surface. She let out what she hoped was another loud enough scream to reach her sister and friends as she felt the push and pull of the water become more violent, speeding up.

A horrid thought crossed her mind, and she froze in fear, feeling the water move around her. It was definitely getting faster, the water sucking her to an unknown destination.

She cried out in fear, twisting this way and that as she desperately felt around for something to grab onto, her panic rising with every fraction of a second that went by unsuccessfully. She sputtered against the water at her lips, sobbing in abject terror as she felt the water’s speed reach a climax.

Time seemed to slow for Scootaloo as she pitched forward, the water dragging her into open air. She had never experienced vertigo, but had a feeling it was something just like this as she tumbled through the air, her sense of gravity suddenly nonexistent. All she knew was the air whipping nonsensically around her body, and the scream she couldn’t hear ripping apart her throat.

Breathlessly, she hit the water once more, but didn’t have time to register the force and cold that nearly tore her body asunder before the back of her head collided with something rough and angular.

Suddenly, she had no strength to give her limbs. The cold shock of the water began to wear off, her thoughts instantly halting. As the last shreds of her consciousness were wrenched from her grasp, she felt the river nudge her away from the waterfall, pulling her up toward the surface of the still-surging water.

Rainbow Dash scrunched her face against the light of the sun filtering itself through the fabric of the tent. With a deep yawn, she stretched, rolling over and reaching for Scootaloo on the other side of the tent.

Her hoof met nothing.

Confused, she blinked her eyes open to find an empty sleeping bag where her sister should have been sleeping.

She heard quiet peals of laughter outside, and she smiled to herself. Scoots must have woken up a bit earlier. She stretched again, yawning wider this time before she got up and unzipped the tent.

She squinted against the risen sun, her eyes taking a minute to adjust as she stepped out.

She heard Applejack chuckle. “‘Bout time you two woke up.”

The sentence made Rainbow Dash pause in confusion. She blinked the remaining light out of her eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.

Standing around the fire were four ponies. None of them were Scootaloo.

Fear did not hesitate to grip Rainbow’s heart. “Where’s Scootaloo?”

Whatever the quartet were previously talking about instantly evaporated from their minds.

“She’s not in there with you?” Rarity asked.

Rainbow Dash felt the blood drain from her face. “No.”

The single-word answer sank into the group. All at once, the five ponies jumped into action, scattering about the campsite and calling out the young pegasus’s name.

Rainbow Dash darted to the other two tents, ripping open their flaps and scanning their insides. A horrible thought crossed her mind, and she threw herself back to her own tent. She dove inside, grabbing Scootaloo’s bag and yanking it open, her hooves beginning to shake. She grabbed the storage case, unzipping it in one motion, hooves trembling when she found the two cochlear implants inside.

Across the campsite, Apple Bloom desperately scanned the raised riverbank. She came across a little jut-out, spying something different to the surrounding area. She stopped, nausea rising in her throat and her heart roaring in her ears. She swallowed hard as Rainbow Dash called out in a panic, “She’s not wearing her ears!”

“AJ!” Apple Bloom heard her voice call out, though she didn’t remember speaking. Her older sister stepped up beside her, seeing the same thing she saw.

“Oh, sweet Celestia…” her sister breathed, pulling her little sister close. “Rainbow Dash!”

The pegasus rushed over, her worry only growing at the sisters’ stillness. She followed their gazes, eyes landing on a sight that made her blood run cold.

At the end of the riverbank, shuffle marks and hoof prints interrupted the smooth, loose soil. At the very edge, two lines dragged toward the river, where they disappeared over the side.

Rainbow’s mouth suddenly felt dry. “Oh, my God.” Without hesitation, she threw herself into the air, turning around and scanning the entire immediate area with her trained eyes. Seeing nothing, she shot off in the direction the churning waters were flowing. Her heart raced as she passed a small section of rapids, the roaring water getting louder as she went.

She followed the rough water, and her heart nearly stopped, feeling as though her breath was ripped from her lungs.

A waterfall nearly thirty meters tall greeted her, its height making her head swim. Dread and horror rushed through her chest, and she forced herself to take in a breath.

“Oh, my God.”

She dove, whipping all around the water’s landing point. She peered as hard as she could, unable to make out anything in the water, breathing only the slightest sigh of relief when she saw nothing. Eyes wild, she shot away from the vicious wall of water.

“SCOOTALOO!” Rainbow Dash screamed, though a voice in the back of her head rudely reminded her the filly was not wearing her implants. “SCOOTALOO!!” She screamed louder, eyes darting between trees and rocks, scanning the shore of the river as quick as she dared, praying she would be able to see a trace of the filly.

Two miles down the river, she finally stopped, practically hyperventilating. She forced herself to land and take a few deep breaths. Panicking wasn’t going to help Scootaloo right now.

She fought against every instinct she had to keep going forward, and turned herself around, shooting off to go back to her friends. In what felt like far too long, she arrived back at the campsite, finding the others scattered about looking for the teenager.

“See anything?” Applejack asked, drawing the attention of the others.

“No,” Rainbow Dash responded, on the verge of tears. “She could be anywhere, and she doesn’t have her hearing aids! She could be hurt, or worse, and won’t be able to tell if she’s in danger, or where she is, or—“

“Rainbow Dash, darling,” Rarity tried to soothe, pulling her into a hug. “You cannot allow yourself to panic right now.”

“But Scootaloo—“

“Needs ya ta have a level head right now,” Applejack interrupted, her accent thickening as her emotions rose. “Ya can’t get yerself worked up right now, Dash. She’s smart, she’ll more’n likely get somewhere safe and hunker down ‘til somepony finds ‘er.”

Rainbow Dash forced in deep breaths as she heard her friends reasoning, trying to calm herself down as best she could. “Yeah,” she breathed, absentmindedly hugging Rarity back as she tried to compose herself. “Yeah, you’re right. She’s smart. She won’t do anything stupid.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, having heard the stressed conversation, tried to take the same comfort Rainbow Dash did. They looked at each other, unable to stop dread from creeping its way up the backs of their necks.

If they knew their friend like they did, she’d try to get back to where she came from. True, she wouldn’t purposefully do anything stupid, but she wouldn’t stay still, either.

They kept their mouths shut, however; and began quickly packing up the campsite. The best help they could offer Scootaloo right now was getting as many involved as possible in the search.

The door to Baltimare Search and Rescue opened with a light jingling of the bell. Inspector Tracks, to the relief of the receptionist, finally ceased pacing a pit into the carpet as he looked to the mare who walked through the door, relief instantly taking the place of the worry flooding through him. "Oh good, you're here."

A tilted head met his desperation. "Is everything alright, Inspector? Am I late?"

"No, no, right on time as usual. We've just had a sudden situation come up. You’re needed in Fillydelphia."

At once, the unicorn straightened, all tiredness leaving her eyes. “What’s the status?” she asked curtly, trotting to her office with her supervisor trailing behind her.

“Deaf and blind filly, fourteen years old. They camped out hiking up Foal Mountain. She apparently got up in the middle of the night when her family was still asleep. They woke up to find her missing.”

She nodded, immediately mentally filing away the information as she snatched up her saddlebags. “Is the family at their office?”

“Ready and waiting,” he confirmed with a nod.

“Okay.” She cleared her throat. “And the search party?”

“They’re corroborating with the park services and volunteers as we speak.”

A smile answered him, the spell already weaving together in her mind. “Good. I’ll let you know when we head out.”

His nod was the last thing she saw before he disappeared into his office. She took a breath, conjuring her practiced image of the Fillydelphia Police Department. Releasing the spell, she vanished in a flash of azure.

Reappearing in said department’s atrium, the mare startled the attendant as the appeared. “I’m the specialist from Baltimare,” she quipped, flashing her badge.

“Yes, ma’am, right this way,” the clerk responded, nearly tripping over herself as she came around the desk. As she led the specialist, she informed, “The family has already filed a report, we’ll be gathering the search party in T-minus twenty.”

She nodded. “Excellent, thank you. Put me on the list and get me the file.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the clerk nodded, stopping in front of the door to the family room.

The unicorn took a breath to steel herself, mentally preparing for the most stressful part of her job. She pulled on her decades-practiced, comforting façade, and pushed open the door, finding the—

Her breath caught in her throat as she froze, her front crumbling at once, the eyes of the waiting mare rising to meet her own. The pegasus stopped in her pacing, her disheveled, brilliant rainbow mane a beacon within the gray colorlessness that was the specialist’s world, her crimson eyes red with tears.

Her breath caught in her throat as Rainbow Dash locked eyes with her, the cyan expression mirroring her own.

In seven years, she hadn’t changed one bit.

Rainbow Dash’s jaw fell slack as she gawked at the unicorn she hadn’t seen in years, recognizing her instantly despite the toll time had taken on her.

“Foggy?!”