Chapter Two Curiosity...

Rainbow awakens suddenly, as if from a bad dream. Worry showing in her face, her eyes hurriedly search for the clock. Her gaze takes her around her room, with how sparingly she used her home it is not surprising when she has to get out of bed to find the clock. After what seemed like an eternity she located the ticking object. She mumbles to herself as she removes it from the wall, engineering it with a few old toys to keep it upright she places it on the empty nightstand to the right of her bed. Proud of the odd work of a kinetic sculpture, relieved that it was only 6:30 a.m. she whispers to herself, “Always the last place you look”.

Has she makes her way into her bathroom a noise from the other room startles her. Frozen in her steps while her mind races for the answer to what it was she suddenly remembered that Scootaloo had stayed with her that night. Rainbow moves to make sure the younger pegasi is alright. Entering the room they had been in last night she sees that Scoots is still curled up in a ball on one side of her couch. Rainbow stops for a moment and watches the filly, her chest slowly rising and falling in rhythm, the look on her face pure jubilation. Rainbow couldn’t wake her now; all she could manage was a grin at the sight. A sudden shock of reality hit her like a cold bucket of water to the face, what had that noise been? Eyes getting wider by the second, she frantically looks for what could have made the dull thud. Just as she is about to chalk it up to her being crazy, she feels a warm slimy feeling creep up part of her foreleg.

“Tank! You scared me little guy. I suppose I forgot to get you your propeller didn’t I.” Rainbow snickers as she picks up the turtle, or tortoise, whatever her was she didn’t care. She touches her nose to her pets and wiggles it around before her display was interrupted by a half asleep Scootaloo.

“Are you going soft over a turtle?” Scootaloo teased.

Embarrassed rainbow quickly places the Tank on the ground and attempts to appear as if nothing had just happened. Her mind searches for something to say that will negate the effects of her actions, but to no avail. All the surprised mare can say is, “so what, I like my pet turtle, sue me” as she finishes her ears fold back and she deviates her gaze from her guest.

“Don’t feel bad about it” began the tired pegasus, “I mean, it’s a flying turtle, how cool it that?” She gave a reassuring smile, ”It’s understandable why someone such as yourself would like him” With that Scootaloo gets off the couch, stretches her legs, and finagles her wings to a position she finds comfortable against her body.

Rainbow recognized the morning routine, it was the same thing she did most mornings since she had started to fly. The only exception being when she molted her feathers, or they had gotten so out of shape they needed to be preened. Preening was a process Rainbow deemed boring, but necessary. She knew that if she let her feathers stay mangled flying would be difficult, but doing the process alone took hours of contorting your body in was most ponies wouldn’t deem natural. Rainbow asked, ”What are you doing up so early squirt?”

To which the orange pony replied, “I knew that you would be up early to practice, and I wanted to fly with you.” A short smile came over the child’s face before she continued, “I knew that if I stayed up until you finished the book I wouldn” Her voice suddenly being overpowered by Rainbow’s.

“The book!” exclaimed Rainbow, “Where is the book?!” She had almost forgotten about the book, she had awoken that morning and the thought was completely displaced in her mind. The reference made by the younger mare sent Rainbow’s mind into a state of temporary panic and confusion, Her frantic search calmed only by Scootaloo relinquishing the book to her.

Concerned about her mentor and would be sister Scootaloo asked, “Did something happen to the book? In the book? What’s got you so worked up?” She watches as the worry melts from Rainbows face. She tilts her head in surprise and confusion, Less than 12 hours ago that book was just that, a book. Now Rainbow seemed to need to know where it was almost as if her life depended on it.

“I’m sorry scoots, I just…I found a picture in the back of the book that has me asking a lot of questions, I got worried when you mentioned it because well.. I hadn’t thought about it all morning, and I thought maybe it was a dream.” Rainbow spoke more softly, “When I couldn’t find the book I over reacted, sorry scoots. Now, what were you saying?”

Considering if she should repeat herself or ask rainbow what she found Scootaloo found words to address both issues with one breath, “I was saying if I stayed up to Finnish the book I wouldn’t be able to go flying with you in the morning. How could a picture get you so worked up?”

Rainbow places the book on the table and opens it to the page with the author’s photo. She directs her hoof the show the young mare what she had seen. “You see? Right there, why is my dad in this photo, all buddy- buddy with the author.” upon closer examination with a rested eye she spots what appears to be somepony’s tail. It couldn’t be her father’s that one’s easy, and it couldn’t be the author’s because his was black, or was it grey? She couldn’t tell. The tail had seemed almost amber, maybe orange. Ironically Rainbow wasn’t the best with colors, especially one on photos taken when? She looks down to see the date of the photo. As she spots it her train of thought continues, especially photos taken almost two decades ago. She does a double take and acquires a look of concentration, and confusion. Her mouth opened several times only to close again without noise.

Scootaloo again became worried, “Something on your mind?”

The expression on her face and the direction of her gaze not changing Rainbow spoke softly, “This picture, was taken only a few months before I was born” Earning a gasp from Scootaloo. Rainbow continued, “And there is another pony in this picture, not my dad, not the author. My dad said my mother was with him when I was born. Could that be my mother?” This time Scootaloo made no noise, but stared in awe.

“If that is your mom wouldn’t your dad have told you about her?” Scootaloo interjected, only to be surprised by the answer.

“No. My dad never told me much. He told me that she loved me more than anything, and that was one of the biggest reasons he couldn’t tell me who she is.” Rainbow said, her head lowering and her ears lying flat on her head, “All he would ever say was she had beautiful eyes, and he could tell every feeling that she was having, just by seeing them.”

“That’s adorable!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she rose from the couch and closed the book. She starts going through Rainbows stuff and tossing little things like paper, some pencils, a blanket. It is when scoots moves to pick up Rainbows picture of spitfire that she is broken out of her daze.

“What are you doing with that?!” Rainbow snapped causing Scootaloo to recoil from the picture

“Well if I were you, and I found a picture with a parent in it that I never knew, I would go for it.” A smile overcomes the young mare’s face. She continues, “I was packing up the things you need to go to Cloudsdale and ask him about her, I mean when was the last time you talked about her with your dad?”

Given the question Rainbow thinks to the last time she had tried to get information from her father, “It been a while.. I think I was about your age? But why do I need a picture of spitfire? That thing has been on my desk for.. I don’t even remember. It’s been so long”

Scootaloo opens her mouth to explain, “You need the picture because it will remind you not to give up! If it has really been that long, why would he hide it now? You are your own mare! And you deserve to know your mother.” As she finishes her sentence, she places the picture into the saddle bag and carries the half full bag over to the table.

Rainbow couldn’t help but giggle as the small pony walked sideways to balance out the weight. As Scootaloo reached the table she slid the book into the other half of the bag. The book weighing slightly more than the total of the bags other half Rainbow watched as Scootaloo scrambled to find any old object that looked light enough to balance the pack. “Good job scoots, now what’s rule 4 of Rainbows rules?”

Paused in her tracks Scootaloo stops to think, “Um.. Never fly with a saddle bag when most of the weight is on one side.”

“Okay, good.” Replied the sudo-flight instructor, “Now, tell me why.” As a grin spread on her face.

Scootaloo stopped and turned to rainbow, shooting her a look Rainbow knew all too well. Scoots was not a dumb pony, and she would often say things a bit more serious to rainbow, that usually made perfect sense. The thing that always confused Rainbow is that it was never back talk per say, more like, insightful criticism. “I know exactly why you’re asking me these questions. You’re stalling! Why don’t you want to talk to your dad Rainbow? It’s not like he will get pissed off and disown you right? The answer to your question is because if your center of gravity is of then you will fly in circles. Which is why I just balanced this bag.” Scoots tosses the bag off of her back and onto rainbows, “Now go talk to your dad.” She smiles, “OH! but before you go what do you want me to do today for exercise?

Rainbow liked the determination she saw in Scoots, even though she was younger she was defiantly good at giving her the kick in the flank that she needed to get things done. “Fine, I’ll go talk to him.” Rainbow turns toward the door, “And as for training.. Pinkie Pie brought some of those triple chocolate cupcakes you like so much a few days ago, I want you to put them on the counter, and every time you think about eating one, do ten laps from here to town hall.”
A gasp escapes the surprised filly, “That’s just not right…will I get to have one? And how did pinkie..”

“Let me cut you off right there squirt” As Rainbow turns to again face the pegasi in training, “That’s just.. well that’s just pinkie pie. She tied balloons to herself.” Rainbow shrugs and walks for the door, “Don’t burn my house down kid.”

Amused Scootaloo asks, “Is it even possible to catch a cloud on fire?”

Rainbow replied in all seriousness, “Ever hang out with Derpy Hooves? If anypony can do it, she can.” After a moment of silence both started to laugh at the remark, it was soon brushed aside and rainbow took one more look at Scoots before she left her home. “Be careful and stay safe!”

As the door closes Rainbow makes out a muffled “I WILL” From inside the house. As she took flight and aimed herself for Cloudsdale she let her mind wander. She was glad that Scootaloo could finally reach her house on her own; she had waited a long time to tell the little pegasus that she could stay there. Sure she could have carried her, but it would have taken twice as long for her to learn to fly, Rainbow was all too familiar with the need for motivation. While she was glad, she was also slightly upset that she somehow managed to force her to leave her own house and face issues she had long forgotten. Although rainbow would never admit it, Scoots was learning faster than she was at that age.

The flight was long, and quiet. Leaving the cyan colored mare alone with her emotions, and at a loss for how she would bring up the topic of her mother. She thought about how her dad would react. He was normally very open and forthcoming with answers when she had questions, just never those pertaining to her mother. The more she thought about her situation the more upset and confused she became. She hadn’t realized it but she had picked up pace. She enjoyed time with her father, and she knew he would most likely not answer her about this. She didn’t want him to shut down the whole time she was there. The logic Rainbow used to talk herself out of an immediate confrontation was impeccable, but as most logic, it was still flawed. Ponies that put off their issues and try to cushion the blow may only end up making it worse, or putting it off and talking themselves down to the point of never actually doing it. Rainbow wouldn’t let that happen, in fact, she already had a plan to get him to bring it up first. She would leave her bag open at dinner, and her father being the nosy pony that he was would ask what she was reading, that’s when she would show him the picture, and she would get him talking about the author he father was known to give too many details by mistake at times, all she had to do was put him in the ballpark.

Before she realized Rainbow was only a few blocks from her father’s house, she decided to give her wings a rest and walk for a while. The sun had started to set covering the sky in brilliant colors, all kinds of shades of blues, oranges, reds, and even a little pink and purple. Rainbow would never admit it to anyone but herself, but she liked the purples that the night sky created. She especially liked the night sky around Cloudsdale, and how the leftover moisture from the weather factory created a multi spectrum explosion of rainbows on the cities west edge. In her opinion, that was the best time and place to fly, just for the fun of it, to feel the wind and see the colors all around you, the feeling of your coat becoming damp. Rainbow closed her eyes.

She opened them again right as she started toward the house not quite on the end of the street but still far enough she could get a good trot in. As she reached the house she noticed it was one of few in the area that was still lit. It was like her father to work late and rise early, it was the kind of pony he was. Rainbow on the other hoof much preferred sleeping in and having a cloud pillow be her best friend.

She knocked on the door and after a moment the door opens, the two smile when they see each other, and her dad give her a hug. “It’s so good to see you dashie, it’s been some time hasn’t it?” He releases her and speaks before she can say anything, “Why don’t you come inside, it must be cold and wet out there.”

Rainbow obeyed her father and started inside; she snickered at how she had sounded exactly like her father when Scootaloo had showed up at her house.

The door shuts behind the two leaving them inside the colts house.

Author's Note

I was a bit ahead of schedual, so i decided id post number two way early. i will post the next on monday. Thanks for reading :)