Finding Your Family

Scootaloo awoke with a start, bolting upright and clutching her sheets to her chest. She panted heavily for a few moments, then took some deep breaths. She'd just had a nightmare about what could possibly go wrong in moving back to Ponyville. While Princess Luna herself had appeared to tell her that everything would be okay, even she had admitted that Scootaloo had good reason to be afraid.

Nevertheless, Scootaloo had been told in her youth that bravery was not a lack of fear. She had learned long ago that she was to face her fears, rather than avoid them. Bravery meant continuing forward in spite of her fears.

She took a deep breath and stood up, turning around and pulling up her sheets and laying them out on the floor. In it, she placed her pillow, and atop that, her rolled-up mattress. Sleeping on padding was not something most dragons did, but Scootaloo was only a dragon in body. Her heart still beat as a pony, and it was time to return to that life.

As she packed away the last of her bedroom belongings, she made her way to the bathroom. This would be the last time she would brush her teeth here, the last time she would wash her face in this basin and the last time she would examine her face in this mirror. At least, it would be so for a long time, if everything worked out as intended. She harbored no ill will toward Scepter and Mace, but it was time she took the next step in her life, and that meant leaving her hosts. Perhaps she'd come back and visit, were she allowed, but who could be certain?

As she moved into the kitchen, she found that Rainbow Dash was already awake. "Hey, Squirt. Up already?"

"Nightmare," nodded Scootaloo. "All better now."

"Glad to hear it," answered Dash. She looked around, then waved Scootaloo over. "To tell you the truth, I had one, too," she whispered.

Scootaloo gripped her hoof in solidarity. "This is a big change. I was expecting to have some trepidation, but... just because I braced myself for it doesn't mean it's not hitting me like a ton of bricks."

"Hey, if other ponies start messing with you, just call me, and I'll rough 'em up for ya." Dash flew up to once and a half her own height to rub her hoof over Scootaloo's head. She'd grown rather significantly since she'd left Ponyville.

This made Scootaloo consider what would happen when she returned. When she had toured around Ponyville as a dragon, she had tried to hide her identity a bit, but how many of her previous relationships would change now that she was returning? Would Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom still be her friends, now that they were all adults?

"Earth to Scootaloo!"

She blinked a few times. "What happened?"

"I was asking what you wanted for breakfast. Eggs?"

"Eggs, yeah."

A few hours later, everything was packed up and ready to go. The kids had all been fed, the adults had all been fed, and most of the good-byes had been completed the day before. All that remained now was Scepter and Mace, who very quickly hugged the children wordlessly.

Scootaloo, however, had something she needed to say. "I can't think you enough for both putting us up, and for putting up with us for almost ten years. I owe you both a debt of gratitude I cannot repay."

"Try anyway," joked Mace.

"Seriously, I don't know what I'd have done without you..."

After receiving a hug from both, Scootaloo hooked herself up to the wagon with Rainbow Dash. The three kids would take flight behind them, with Smolder and Garble taking up the rear. "You okay if I lead?" asked Dash.

"Go ahead," nodded Scootaloo. "You know the way better than I do."

"Just let me know if I'm going too fast, okay? Ready?"

"Ready."

With a swift gallop from Dash, and a run from Scootaloo, they took off into the air, hauling their cart behind them. The rest of the team followed suit, in order.

Scootaloo was easily able to keep up with Dash, her wings twice as big and just as heavy. She'd been flying ever since she'd been transformed, and knew the local area well. She knew every dragon that lived in her caldera, as well as the neighboring craters. She'd seen it from above multiple times, but it felt almost cold, now that she knew she wouldn't be back for a while. She was just as scared of leaving as ever, but still she flew.

Dash began to turn, and Scootaloo followed. She didn't have a lot of practice with flying in synchronicity, as beyond teaching her children, flying alongside another dragon had seen the other flier compensating for her. Still, it didn't take much to figure out where she needed to be. It wasn't long at all before they approached the edge of the mountain range, and Dash began to slow down.

"What is it?" asked Scootaloo. "Why are we slowing?"

"Just need to see behind us," answered Dash. "Your kids have never been beyond this point. I need to be sure they're not falling behind. They didn't sound very confident yesterday."

Scootaloo craned her neck back, and sure enough, Rainbow Slash was sinking in altitude. Right behind her, Smolder was doing much the same, soon taking her by the claw and bringing her back up. With a wave from Scootaloo, however, she was brought to the front.

"I know how hard this is," assured Scootaloo, placing a claw on her shoulder. "We all do. But it has to be done."

"I know..."

"Tell ya what," said Dash. "You wanna ride on my shoulders? I can show you all the cool stuff on the way."

After pausing for a moment, Slash nodded, moving down to nestle between Dash's shoulders. Once she was situated, Smolder moved back into position.

"You sure you'll be okay with the extra weight?" asked Scootaloo. "I can take the lead, if you want."

"Did you forget who you're talking to?" scoffed Dash. "I'm awesome! Let's kick it up a notch, why don't we? See if you can keep up, Squirt!" With a hardy flap of her wings, Rainbow Dash charged on ahead out of the dragon lands, crossing the range that carried the border to Equestria.