Spellbound Fireflies (18 page)

“What happened?  Something with Scootaloo?”  She tensed against his chest, sniffling loudly.  “Do you want me to talk to her?  What’s going on?”

“N-no, I-I need to fix this…This is my fault, I need to…Oh, Under, what do I say to her?  How do you tell a twelve-year-old that…that you didn’t know you were
blind?
”

Completely at a loss, Mr. Taker shook his head and stammered wordlessly.  Shaking his head again, he cleared his throat.  “What happened?”

“I forgot,” she sniffled, “I can’t believe I forgot, but I did.”  She pulled away and wiped at her eyes, turning back to the cutting board.  “D-don’t worry, Under.  I’ll…I’ll fix this.  I just need
time
.”

“Honey,” he said, his tone growing even and direct, “I’ve always left Scootaloo’s care in your hooves, but if you need help, if things are hard and you need me to step up—”

“N-no, thank you.”  She sniffed loudly to clear her throat, the tremor in her voice fading.  “I can handle this…I just need to figure out how.”

When Scootaloo arrived home and set to work on her chores, Mr. Taker watched his wife intently, seeing her spine straighten and her throat freeze at every hooffall from the filly.  As the silence in the house stretched out, his worry grew.

“Okay, Scoots!” Rainbow shouted from the hill, “Try a slow spiral!  Counter-clockwise!”

Twilight and Sweetie Belle watched Scootaloo shift her beating wings and begin to bank around in a circle a couple dozen feet above the ground, her legs tucked close to her body and a wide, devil-may-care grin on her muzzle.  The pair of unicorns cheered as she finished her descent, landing gently on the hill.

Scootaloo turned as Rainbow trotted up to her and leaned in close.  The daredevil had a wicked smirk plastered across her face and her eyes drew down in a conspiratorial leer.  “Hey, Scoots.  Guess what?”

Raising an eyebrow, Scootaloo asked, “What?”

Rainbow leaned in further.  “You’re ready.”

Scootaloo sat down heavily.  Her jaw fell open.  “…What?”

“You’re ready.  You got all your positions down an’ you can use ‘em in the air.  Soon as your muscles are strong enough to handle take-off, you’ll be flyin’ like a pro.”  Scootaloo gaped at Rainbow while the mare grinned.  She ruffled her trainee’s mane.  “You’ve worked hard these last few months, Scoots.  Really, really hard.  I’m proud of you.”  She dropped her voice, her tone quiet but emphatic.  “My dad would be proud of you.”

Scootaloo’s throat bobbed silently.  She shook her head to clear it.  “…What?”

Snorting and patting the little pegasus on her shoulder, Rainbow said, “Snap out of it, squirt.”

“I’m…ready?”  Her voice was awed and quiet.  Rainbow grinned at her.  She shook her head again, feeling dazed.

“We’re in that home stretch, Scoots.  You’ve got positions and control down, all that’s left is getting your strength all the way up.  And you’ve been workin’ hard at that, too; remember how tired your wings got after we really started glidin’?”  Scootaloo nodded numbly.  “You were in the air twice as long this time.  Do they hurt at all?”

Glancing over her shoulder at her still twitching limbs, she said, “…No.”

“Exactly.  I’d say we’ve got a few more weeks of strength training left.  We’ll put ya through one last speed-test, and if you make it, we’ll be ready to get you actually flying.”

Scootaloo felt a bead of wetness run down her cheek.  She touched her hoof to her face and found she was crying.  “I’m…I’m gonna do it…I’m gonna make it…”  With sudden speed she lunged at Rainbow Dash and hugged the mare around the neck.  “Oh, thank you, Rainbow!” she gushed, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Beaming with pride, Rainbow hugged the little filly back.  “Don’t thank me.  You did this, Scoots.  This is all you.”

Scootaloo sniffled and hugged tighter, uncontrollable and breathless giggles of relief shaking her small frame.  Sweetie Belle turned to Twilight and asked, “What’s goin’ on?”

“Well, Rainbow’s been telling me Scootaloo’s getting close to being ready.  I’d bet that last glide was it and Scootaloo’s ready for actual flight.”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened and a smile lit up her face.  “Today?”

Twilight shook her head, musing, “Probably not.  Rainbow said after Scootaloo was ready, they’d have two more weeks of strength building.  But she’s almost done now.”

Sweetie Belle bounced with excitement on the bench, watching the two pegasi slowly pull away and Rainbow ruffle her friend’s mane.  As they settled into a strength training routine, her expression slowly faded into contemplation.  Without looking away from the pair, she asked in a low voice, “…What’s it like bein’ with Rainbow Dash?”

Twilight blinked and shook her head to clear it.  She raised an eyebrow.  “Come again?”

“You know…” Sweetie sat back on the bench, a small frown on her lips.  “I know you’re both really happy…anypony who sees you together can tell that.  But…do you ever get a hard time?  Is anypony mean to you?”  Her voice dropped lower.  “…Did you lose any friends?”

Twilight’s attention shifted entirely to her student in magic.  Her brow knit and she mulled over her words carefully.  “Rainbow and I have…well, I can’t say we’ve not gotten
any
looks.  It’s been…hard sometimes.  Not everypony has understood, or accepted us.”  She watched Sweetie Belle crumple in on herself a nearly imperceptible amount.  She raised her voice and added more strength to her tone.  “But most of the time it hasn’t been like that.  I haven’t lost any friends, and neither has Rainbow.  We’ve had a lot of support and the few times we’ve had problems has been from ponies neither of us really knew.”

Sweetie Belle’s ear flicked with interest at Twilight’s words while her eyes were trained on Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash.  Twilight glanced over at the pair and back at Sweetie Belle.  She cleared her throat and continued, “It’s not always easy, but I think that’s true for everypony.  Sometimes life isn’t very easy…”  She looked back at her marefriend and a fond smile pulled at her muzzle.  “…I wouldn’t trade Rainbow for an easier time, though.  You’re right that we’re happy.  It could be ten times harder, and I’d still be happy.  We have our friends, we have our dreams, we have our jobs and our hobbies, and we have each other.  The stuff a few close-minded ponies say doesn’t matter.”

Too focused on her marefriend leading Scootaloo through a set of one-winged push-ups, Twilight didn’t notice Sweetie Belle sit up a little straighter.

“And that’s ten; fifteen second rest,” Rainbow said, watching Scootaloo drop back to the ground and switch wings.  She smirked pridefully; her pupil didn’t look like the three sets of one-winged push-ups were any strain at all.  “Remember how hard these used to be?”  Scootaloo grinned.  “Okay, next set.”

As the filly worked, Rainbow’s mind wandered and her mouth fell into a frown.  “…Hey, how’s stuff at home?  Any change?”

Scootaloo’s smile changed to a scowl.  “No.  I don’t care, though.  They don’t wanna talk to me, why should I care?”

Rainbow sighed sadly, shaking her head.  “Scoots…”

“No, really.  Why should I care?” she spat, “What do they do for me?  I get food and stuff, but that’s not new.  They never really did anything before; all that’s different is it’s quiet.”

“That’s ten, ‘nother break.”  Rainbow closed her eyes, lowering her head.  “I don’t want you to have a hard time, is all.”

“I don’t,” Scootaloo said simply, “Since school got out I get my chores done and spend most of the day with Sweetie or AB.  What do I need the Takers for if I got them?  Or you an’ Twilight?  It’s just a place to eat and sleep.”

Rainbow swallowed thickly and for several moments she didn’t say anything.  Her tone low and defeated, she finally said, “Next set.  Ready?”

The pair worked through the remaining time for Scootaloo’s strength training in relative silence while Twilight and Sweetie Belle watched on, sometimes with keen interest, sometimes talking.  Part of the way through, Twilight floated a few of the really heavy practice stones out of her saddlebag for Sweetie Belle to levitate.  They left the bench and cantered over as Scootaloo began her stretches.

Twilight smiled as they neared, calling, “Hey girls, good practice?”

Scootaloo grinned widely, bending down low and stretching her right wing straight behind her.  As the muscles along the hard-working filly’s side flexed under her coat, a rosy dusting of pink entered Sweetie Belle’s cheeks.  Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and hid her smile behind a hoof.  Scootaloo excitedly called, “I’m almost done!  Once I’m all the way strong enough, I’ll be able to fly!”

Sweetie Belle bounced on her hooves.  “Twilight said she thought that’s what happened!  I’m so happy for you!”

Straightening up and fluffing out her wings before folding them to her sides, Scootaloo asked, “You’ll be there right?”

“Course I will!”

Still grinning, Rainbow said, “Alright, Scoots.  I want ya doin’ fifty one-winged push-ups a day, both wings, plus all your stretches.  If you do that, you should be ready to go for a speed test in a couple weeks.  Also...” leaning down, Rainbow looked at the filly sternly.  “I know you’re gonna want to go jumpin’ off of stuff and gliding around half the town, but this last bit’s gonna be pretty tough on your muscles.  So hold off on any gliding without me there.”  Scootaloo grumbled.  “I know, I’d hate it, too, but it’s important.  We got a deal?”  She extended a hoof.

Scootaloo clacked her own hoof to Rainbow’s.  “We got a deal.”

“Alright then, catch ya both later.”  She waved as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle rushed back to the bench and clambered onto the scooter, quickly making their way from the park.  As they disappeared from sight, Twilight nuzzled her cheek.  She smiled wider, saying, “Hey, beautiful.”

“Mmm, hey yourself.”  She turned so their sides were pressed together and Rainbow extended a wing over her back.  She nuzzled in closer.

“You’re affectionate,” Rainbow teased, “Watchin’ me coach get you all hot and bothered?”

“Mmm, just something Sweetie Belle asked about.  She wanted to know what it’s like for us as a gay couple.  Reminded me how happy I am.”

Rainbow grinned and pressed her face into Twilight’s mane.  “I’m happy, too.  And Sweetie Belle asked about us?  Like, if we were happy?”

“No…” she tapped her chin.  “No, she was wanting to know if we’ve had problems.  Funny looks, lost friends, that sort of thing.”

“Well!” Rainbow exclaimed, stepping away to shake stiffness from her wings and back.  She cantered towards Twilight’s saddlebag still on the bench. “That settles that for me.”

Twilight moved to catch up.  “Hmm?”

“Soon as Scoots is ready to ask her out, I’ll bet ya ten bits Sweetie Belle says yes.”  At Twilight’s raised eyebrow, she snickered and winked.  “You missed the blush on Sweetie’s face when Scoots was all bent over stretchin’.”

Twilight giggled and shook her head.  “How come I never pick up on this stuff?”

“I dunno.”  Rainbow lifted the saddlebag in her teeth and dropped it onto Twilight’s back.  “Wish
I
picked up on it when we first got together.”

“Should we say anything?  To either of them?”

“Heck no; it’s too fun to watch.”

Twilight laughed louder.  “It really, really is.”

“We’ll make popcorn, and when they finally get it out in the open, we’ll crack open that bottle of wine we’ve been saving.”

“Sounds like a date,” Twilight agreed as Rainbow bent low for her to climb on.  Her smile turned thoughtful.  “Actually, instead of flying home…”  She turned towards the pathway leading out of the park.  “I know it isn’t raining this time, but…”

Rainbow darted to her side and lowered down.  “You’re on.  Ready?”  Twilight crouched and they shared a challenging smirk.

They counted out together, “One…two…three!”

In a blur, they bolted down the path, their hooves a rumbling clatter barely louder than their mirth.  Bursting from the park they thundered down the roads of Ponyville, between shops and homes, swerving around the few ponies milling about with eyes more on each other than where they were going.

As they galloped, they both found themselves mentally transported back in time.  In flashes, the streets turned empty and dark, rain animating every surface in violent splashes of water leaping into the air from the impact.  The sunlight shifted to flickering lantern light, reflecting off their soaked coats.  Their traded grins were framed intermittently by plastered manes and the dazzling afternoon’s brightness.  The phantom memory of a medal around Twilight’s neck reflected gold into Rainbow’s eyes.

In seemingly no time at all, they reached the library and Rainbow tackled the unicorn.  They burst through the door, tumbling end over end in each other’s hooves with a flurry of giggles.  Laughing breathlessly, Rainbow looked into the eyes of her marefriend, sitting on top of her and pinning her down.  She wrapped all six limbs around Twilight and hugged her close.  “I love you so much, Twi’.”

“I love you.”  Their lips met and the world fell quiet around them; two ponies that had each other without any other cares or worries.

An embarrassed cough from the doorway snapped them back to reality.  Derpy chewed her lip and blushed, pointedly looking several feet above the embracing mares.  Or maybe directly at them.  “I’m, uhh…real sorry to interrupt, but I got some mail for you.”

Clearing her throat repeatedly, Twilight clambered off of Rainbow Dash.  She straightened her mane with a hoof and willed the heat from her cheeks.  Her face refused to cooperate.  “Erm.  Yes.  If you’ll excuse me…”  She rushed up the stairs with her tail tucked between her legs.

Sighing and grumbling, Rainbow stood up.  “I uhh…” She coughed.  “Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Derpy said, scuffing her hooves on the floor.

They both looked away from each other for several moments.  “So, uhh…you said you had mail?”

“Yes, mail,” she said quickly, pulling a mouthful of letters from her bag.  “H’re y’ ‘o.”

“Thanks,” Rainbow mumbled, taking the letters and gently shutting the door after the mail mare departed.  Sighing again, she dropped the letters onto Twilight’s desk and rifled through them.  “Well, that wasn’t as bad as Mrs. Taker,” she mumbled to herself, “Gotta remember to close the door before make-outs…”  She turned to follow Twilight upstairs and try to turn morbid embarrassment into amused embarrassment, then hopefully into more make-outs, before a letter addressed to her caught her eye.  The familiar seal drew a raised brow and she grabbed a letter opener in her teeth.