The Derpy I Know And Love 4 or And The Children Shall Lead

CHAPTER SIX

Dash-ed Hopes

Candy Mane looked up from her paperwork.  She recognized the two ponies that just entered the office.  Rainbow Dash was the captain of the local weather team, and who did not know Pinkie Pie, no, she corrected herself, Pinkie Dash.  These two ponies, along with their four friends had saved Ponyville and Equestria on several occasions.  Here were real celebrates and heroes.

“Hello! Rainbow and Pinkie, isn’t it?  What can I do for you?”

“Yes Candy Mane, (Pinkie knew every pony in Ponyville).  We are interested in adopting one of your fillies.” Said Pinkie.

“Yes, her name is Scootaloo.” Said Rainbow.

“Scootaloo?” asked Candy Mane, “Oh yes, Scootaloo West Wind.  A good filly, a little bit of a hoof-full at times, but heart as big as all Equestria.”

“Oh we know that!” said Rainbow, “she is friends with my best friends’ sisters.”

“And daughters,” interject Pinkie.

“I have been giving her flying lessons for the last few years.”  Finished Rainbow.

“So you are the one who has been working with her.  Some of the very minor behavioral issues vanished when she started taking lessons.  Thank you for working with her.  Sometime our kids go un-noticed and they are the fillies and colts that need attention the most.”

“It is our pleasure,” said Pinkie, “Rainbow and I have decided that Scootaloo would be a perfect addition to our family.  Who better to take care of a pegasus filly than the best flier in all Equestria.  Plus, in the Dash home, there is more than enough love to go around!”

“That is what we like to hear.  When children get Scootaloo’s age, it gets harder to place them in a home.  So here is what needs to be done.”

Candy Mane reached in her desk and brought out a packet of forms.

“These need to be filled out in full.  We will need personal information from the two of you so we can do a background check, standard procedure, nothing implied.  You will need to give six personal references, not family, and then the information goes before the board for a decision.”

“How long does that take?” asked Rainbow.

“Two to three weeks, normally.”  Replied Candy Mane.

“I was concerned because I heard that she was being moved to Cloudsdale soon.” Said Rainbow.

“Yes she is, but we should have a decision before that.” Said Candy Mane.  “The process is to make sure the children entrusted to us by the Crown get the very best homes.  We are not here to block children from getting loving families.”

Pinkie’s eyes glowed yellow, there was a yellow aura around the packet of forms as Pinkie levitated the paperwork off the desk.  Candy Mane was taken aback.

“I have never seen an Earth Pony do that!”

“Long story!” said Rainbow with a sly smile, “we will get these back to you as quickly as we can.”

“Thank you and good luck!” said Candy Mane as they left the office.

In the hall they saw Scootaloo.  Scoot was happy to see them.

“Rainbow! Pinkie! What are you doing here?”

“Oh! we had nothing better to do so we decided to get a cat to play with Tank, but there were none available right now.  So, instead we thought we would come here so we could get a ton of paperwork to fill out.  What a pain, a cat would have been easier!  I hope the snot-muzzled little brat is grateful.  I detest paperwork!”

”Yes,” said Pinkie with one of her smiles, “paperwork is soooo boring!”

“Paperwork?” asked Scoot, “what paperwork?”

Pinkie let Scootaloo see the papers.

“Adoption papers?” asked Scoot, hopping what she was hearing was what she was wishing, “really!  No way!”

“I don’t know,” said Rainbow teasing, “I just can’t get my mind around ‘West Wind’.”

Scoot’s eyes got bigger.  Her hopes coming to fruition.

“Yes,” said Pinkie to Rainbow, “I don’t think I could ever get use to that.  Unless it was a deal-breaker, I think that would have to be the first thing to go!”

Pinkie then looked at Scootaloo.

“What do you think of..... Dash?”

Rainbow and Pinkie worked hard to get the paperwork filled out correctly.  Twilight and Bubbles helped a lot.  When told that they needed six personal references, Twilight told Rainbow who better than three of her fellow wielders of the Elements of Harmony, Applejack, Rarity and herself.

“What about the other three?” asked Rainbow.

“I thought about them from the start,” said Twilight with a grin.  “I think I can arrange some letters of recommendation from some ponies that would be hard not to take notice.”

“Do you mean....”

“Princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadence.” Answered Twilight.

A week later, Diamond Tiara was at home doing her homework.  She had some to make up because she had been distracted in class and there were the clandestine meetings with Sweetie Belle at the movies or just hanging out at Sugarcube Corner or the clubhouse that made her fall behind on her work.  But she felt that all the kissing and hoof-holding was worth it.  She and Sweetie were falling deeper in love, and they were not sure how much longer they could keep it a secret.  Sweetie Belle had shared with her the books that Rarity had gotten for them.  They were excited, confused and embarrassed with some of the descriptions.  Rarity had also made them swear that they would not try any of this before they had a chance to talk to her about it, she impressed that unlike Spin the Bottle, this was not a game and not to be taken lightly.

She had been let in on the fact that Rainbow and Pinkie Dash were trying to adopt her friend Scootaloo.  As her father came in, she thought that she might ask about Scoot.

“Hey daddy,” said Diamond, finishing up the last problem. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure baby, what is it?”

“You know my friend Scootaloo.  She is so upset that she is going to have to leave her friends because she is graduating.  You are chairpony of the Children’s Home board.  Can’t you do anything to help her?”

“Sorry honey,” said Filthy Rich, “she is too old for the home.  Besides, she will be around other pegasi.”

“But I heard that Rainbow and Pinkie Dash wanted to adopt her.”

“Like that will happen while I am on the board!”  Replied Filthy.

“What do you mean daddy?”

“Listen honey, it is my job to make sure that the children entrusted to the board get good homes with decent ponies.”

“But I know Rainbow and Pinkie, they are some of the nicest ponies around!” said Diamond.

“Look, you are probably too young to understand this, but that Rainbow and Pinkie are not fit ponies to be around normal ponies.  Mare-lovers don’t need to be polluting the mind of an innocent filly.  And I am going to do my best to block the adoption anyway I can.  It does not matter if they do have references from three princesses.”

“Why would you do that, you would deny my friend a loving home?” said Diamond, not believing what she heard.

“Mare-lovers have no right to be around normal ponies!  That is that!  If I could get my way I would throw every mare-lover out of Ponyville, no out of Equestria!”

“But daddy!”

“I can see that hanging out with the sisters and daughters of mare-lovers had made you soft.  From now on, you can only hang out with Silver Spoon and only when she is not around those other fillies.  Don’t argue!  I have spoken and I mean every word!”

Filthy stormed out of the room.  Diamond got up and headed to the door.

“Where do you think you’re going, young filly?” demanded Filthy.

“I am going to the library; I have to get some information for a report.”

“Well get back here quickly.”

Diamond was going to the library.  There was something that she had read about and she needed to get help with it.  She would tell Twilight Sparkle everything, she was sure that she would get all the help she wanted.”

A.J. and Rarity had dropped by the library to say hello when the Dash’s came storming in.  Rainbow was mad enough to ‘eat nails and spit chain’, as A.J. would put it.  Pinkie was a crying wreck.

“I can’t believe it!  I can’t believe it!” thundered Rainbow.  “Just who does that Filthy Rich think he is? Celestia?  I know Celestia and he is no Celestia!  Celestia would not think of sending such a letter!”

Pinkie was in a corner weeping hard, Bubbles was trying to console her.

“Let me see that letter,” said Twilight.

Rainbow and Pinkamena Dash,

I have done the preliminary review of your application for the adoption of Scootaloo West Wind.  Your back ground checks and personal references are spotless.

However, on further review of your personal lifestyle, I am afraid that the request will be denied.  This still has to go before the full board, but it will be my recommendation that the board turns down the request.

Filthy Rich

Chairpony, Ponyville Children’s Home

“That Filthy Rich!  I would kick his bigoted face right off his bigoted head,” shouted Rainbow, “if it would not land me in jail!”

Rainbow then noticed that Diamond Tiara had come into the library.

“Sorry you heard me say that about your dad.” Said Rainbow.

“Don’t be,” said Diamond, clearly something was bothering her.  “Right now, I would hold him down for you!”

“Why is that?” asked Twilight.

Diamond told them the conversation she had just had with her father.  Rainbow said that she was ready to go do what she had just threatened.  Jail would be no biggie with the satisfaction she would feel.

“Please don’t,” said Diamond, “I have a different way.  Mrs. Sparkle you know about official paperwork.”

“Yes.” She replied.

“I need you to do some for me, I don’t have any bits, but I can work for it.”

“Don’t worry about that Diamond,” said Twilight, “what do you need?”

“I believe it is called an ‘Emancipation of Minor Order’.”

Twilight looked puzzled and thought a moment.

“That’s rather harsh,” said Twilight.

“He said that mare-lovers had no right to be around normal ponies.  That if he had his way, all mare-lovers would be thrown out of Equestria.”

“That is very noble of you to stand up for other ponies, but I don’t think that is any reason to divorce your parents.” Said Twilight.

Diamond was blushing.

“Twilight, it does affect her,” said Rarity, Diamond gave her a little nod. “Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle have been dating secretly for some time.”

“Is that what the books were for?” asked Twilight, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

“Yes, Mrs. Sparkle” said Diamond, “we have read them, but we have not done anything more than kissing, I promise.  We told Mrs. Apple that we would talk to her before we thought about doing anything.”

“You can believe her,” said Rarity, “but I guess that with her father’s attitude, I can understand her request.”

“Are you sure about this honey,” asked Twilight, “this is a big step.  It may change your life in ways you may not have thought about.”

“I am sure, just as sure as I love Sweetie Belle.” Said Diamond, the ponies around her smiled.  “I don’t want to do this, I love my father.  But he is just as liable to kick me out when he finds out that I am in love with a filly.  But I can’t be around his bigotry and be quiet.  This time it directly affects me, my friends and especially the pony I love.

I plan to tell him right now how I feel and I will be bringing Sweetie Belle, if she will come with me.”

“She will go Diamond, I guess you have an answer for Sweetie Belle.” Said Rarity.

“I have, I had an answered all the time.  But I was trying to figure how to break it to other ponies, and to my parents.  I guess this is the time to do it.” Said Diamond, “but I need to see Sweetie Belle and give her my answer first.  Do you know where she is Mrs. Apple?”

“She is where she spends most of her time after school, at the clubhouse.”

“Listen Diamond,” said Rainbow, “I think that is very brave of you, and it would be fair to say that we all here are so proud of you taking up a stand under such a hard situation.  But I think that this might be a way to fix our Scootaloo problem also.”

“How do you mean,” asked Twilight.

“I think that with the backing of his daughter, proof of his bigotry, will have him removed from the board if he continues with his attitude.” Said Rainbow.

“I thought after the fight thing, he had changed.  I guess his feelings went underground.” Replied Twilight.

“Don’t worry Mrs. Sparkle, Mrs. Dash,” said Diamond, “I will help anyway I can, and if I don’t have to use the paperwork, I won’t.  But he does not need to hurt other ponies just because his head is up his flanks!

But if I have to, I will use the paperwork and go and live at the Children’s Home if need be.”

“That is a very mature attitude, Diamond,” said Twilight, “And you will not have to stay at the Home.  I think I can name a few ponies that would be happy to take a brave and intelligent filly in to their homes, right girls?”

There were comments of agreement all around.

“I will draw them up now.  I do have the authority to sign them, you know.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Sparkle, I will pick it up when I come back with Sweetie Belle,” then Diamond added with a smile, “my fillyfriend!”

“No Diamond,” said Twilight with a smile, “you two are too mature for that.  Say rather ‘marefriend’!”

Diamond flashed a larger grin and trotted out the door.

Rainbow looked at her friends;

“I don’t think Filthy Rich deserves a daughter that special!”  Then looking at Rarity, “you better let Sweetie Belle know that she is a ‘keeper’!”

“I think Sweetie already knew,” replied Rarity.  “In spite of their age, they are two ponies who love each other so much that they want the togetherness more than sex.  I know a lot of stallions and mares that never reach that level of maturity in their relationships.  And I am going to make sure that they know that I support them.”

“I think it would be fair to say that everypony here will do the same.”  Said Twilight, “I think I have some paperwork I need to do.”

Twilight looked up the reference and started on the order for Diamond Tiara.