Parental Glideance
Pony's Log Number 707: Parents embarassing their child is something everypony can relate too, but even parents that overdo it only have the best intentions at heart...
One day in the outskirts of Ponyville, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom were straining as they were setting up a giant slingshot and trying to get the middle end of a giant rubber band to a wooden post. Sweetie Belle was using her magic to pull on the rubber band while Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were pushing it.
"Scootaloo...is this such a...good idea?" Apple Bloom asked in a strained tone.
"What you talking about?" Scootaloo replied, "This is the best idea I've ever had!" In line of the giant slingshot was a ramp that was curved up at nearly ninety degrees. It was clearly implied that Scootaloo was planning to launch herself off the ramp using the slingshot to boost her momentum.
"It's just..." Apple Bloom grunted.
"You wanna come," Scootaloo asked, "But we talking about this. Non-Pegasus ponies fall through the clouds." Nearby in the sky was the Pegasi city of Cloudsdale. And the slingshot was set up so she could rocket up to the city using her scooter.
"Right, but..." Apple Bloom protested as she and Scootaloo finally got the end of the rubber band secured into a wooden stake.
"I think we're good," said Sweetie Belle.
"We are?" Apple Bloom remarked as she saw that the stake holding the stretched rubber band and the stakes holding the ends of the bands were wobbling and bent back from the rubber band being stretched out so much. Scootaloo then put on her helmet and Sweetie Belle used her magic to hand the orange filly her scooter. Apple Bloom was a bit worried.
"Scootaloo, I know you have to go to Cloudsdale to finish your report," Apple Bloom told Scootaloo, "I'm just wondering if this is the best way to get there." Apple Bloom gave a part of the rubber band a twang.
"It'll be fine," said Scootaloo as she got ready for take-off, "How else could I get there?"
"A Pegasus chariot?" Apple Bloom suggested.
"A flock of birds?" said Sweetie Belle.
"A hot-air balloon?" Apple Bloom said.
"Asking Mario to fly you up there?" Sweetie Belle said.
"Huh," said Scootaloo, "Those do seem a lot safer. Maybe I should try to find another waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" Before Scootaloo could finish her sentence, the back stake that was holding the rubber band broke and Scootaloo was launched at full speed ahead. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gasped as Scootaloo rocketed off the ramp and went super high into the sky.
"Woo-hoo!" Scootaloo cheered as she headed on her way to the city of the clouds. Unfortunately, her momentum made her drill through a giant cloud from below and she surfaced only headfirst looking very woozy.
"Nailed it!" Scootaloo grunted wearily with swirly eyes. It was then a pony pushing a lawn mower designed to trim cloud fluff came to a stop just inches of Scootaloo's head.
"Um, little ma'am, are you all right?" the stallion asked. Scootaloo shook her head to recover and gasped at what she saw. There before her was a blueberry blue stallion with a short rainbow colored mane and tail wearing a green shirt with a white undershirt. His cutie mark also had a rainbow on it. He looked at bit worried about the filly while Scootaloo was just in shock.
"You're...you're...you're...Rainbow Dash's dad!" Scootaloo screamed as she popped out of the cloud and bounced on her hooves excitedly. The stallion just winced at Scootaloo's screaming and then quickly recovered.
"Uh, yes," the stallion replied, "Bow Hothoof at your service." He extended his fore-leg for a hoof-shake. Scootaloo looked at the hoof excitedly, shook it, and...
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...
...started fan-girling loud and long, making Bow look around uneasily to see if Scootaloo wasn't drawing any attention from the neighbors.
(main theme)
A minute later...
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...
Bow finally pulled his fore-hoof away from the still squealing filly.
"Uh, honey?" Bow called out, "Somethin's goin' on out here!" It was then a mare came out with the same cyan coat as Rainbow, except she had a short orange mane and tail and was wearing a yellow cardigan. She also had some cute freckles on her cheeks. Scootaloo stopped screaming and saw the mare, who was just looking at the filly curiously.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...
Scootaloo began to fangirl even louder and started rotating in place excitedly.
"Oh! Heavens to Celestia, what's wrong with her?!" the mare asked her husband as they both used the tips of their wings to cover their ears.
"I don't know," Bow replied, "but you just made it worse." It was then Scootaloo came over and stood between them, making the Pegasus couple back away from her.
"Sorry!" said Scootaloo excitedly, "It's just you're...Rainbow Dash's parents! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE..." Scootaloo then lay on her back and backstroked in a circles along the cloud lawn.
"She's doing it again!" Bow called out. Scootaloo then kept backstroking until his wife held Scootaloo in place with a fore-hoof.
"Oh, dearie, please!" the mare pleaded, "You might shatter my Princess Celestia commemorative plates! Oh!" The mare cringed. Inside, the very plates she was worried about started to crack. Scootaloo finally then realized how she was acting and covered her mouth with her fore-legs stop her fangirling.
"I'm so sorry," said Scootaloo to the Pegasus couple, "I just..." Scootaloo gave a light squeal as she removed her helmet, "I can't believe I'm meeting you. My name's Scootaloo, and I'm doing a school report on your daughter!" The Pegasus couple shared looks with each other.
"Our Rainbow Dash?" Bow asked.
"The report's on an inspirational pony in my life," Scootaloo replied with a cute smile and wagging her tail, "and nopony inspires me more than she does!" Scootaloo then reached into the saddle bags she had with her and pulled out a scrapbook and opened it, "I'm putting together this scrapbook for my report! I'm her biggest fan!" Scootaloo showed the Pegasus couple the pictures and gave them a huge smile.
"Now, little trotter, what you say is impossible, "said Bow calmly before getting excitedly, "Because nopony is a bigger fan our Rainbow Dash than us!" Bow then used his wings to open his work shirt to show that his undershirt had Rainbow's cutie mark on it. His wife then stuck her head in front of him and nodded with a big smile on her face, nodding in agreement.
"Whoa!" said Scootaloo as she walked up to Bow, "You always wear that shirt?"
"Heh. Actually, it's, uh, laundry day," said Bow sheepishly, "But pretty great, right?!"
"Yeah!" said Scootaloo in agreement.
"My name's Windy Whistles," said his wife as she rubbed Scootaloo's mane, "and I just have to say that it is a total blast to meet somepony that loves Rainbow Dash as much as we do!" Windy then hovered over to her husband when the Pegasus couple saw something in the distance. Scootaloo looked in the direction the two Pegasi were looking at. She immediately recognized who it was.
"Mario?!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"Scoot, what in the name of Celestia are you doing?!" Mario asked as he landed before the orange filly, "I can hear you all the way from my train yards. Now what's with all the fangirling up here? I haven't heard you squeal that much since your last birthday party when I said I loved you and kissed your cheek." Scootaloo blushed deeply. She knew she was loud, but she didn't think she was so loud that Mario was able to hear her all the way from the Castle train yards.
"Sorry, Mario," said Scootaloo, "I was coming up here to do some research for my report and to my luck I crash landed in Rainbow Dash's parent's front yard." Mario looked up to see Windy and Bow just starting at him.
"Uh...is there something on my face?" Mario asked nervously. Windy and Bow blinked.
"Scootaloo, you didn't tell me you knew the Prince of Friendship," said Bow as Windy smiled excitedly.
"He prefers I don't go spreading it around," said Scootaloo sheepishly, "But you do know who Mario is right? He is best friends with Rainbow Dash too after all."
"Rainbow Dash never mentioned that she knew Prince Mario," said Bow.
"But it is an honor to met you now, your highness," said Windy as she gave a bow. Mario chuckled and sighed.
"Please no formalities," said Mario, "Rainbow is like my little sister and any family of hers is a friend of mine. Same here with Scootaloo, who's also a very close friend of mine. Anyways, if everything is okay up here I guess I'll be on my way."
"Oh please at least stay for some tea, Mario," said Windy, "My name is Windy Whistles and this is my husband, Bow Hothoof. We were...uhh...just about to help Scootaloo with her report." Windy gave her husband a wink as he smirked.
"Right, dear," said Bow as he looked at Scootaloo, "What can we help you with?"
"Well, I know all about Rainbow Dash's time in Ponyville," Scootaloo explained, "But I don't know anything about her life before that."
"Now that you mention it," said Mario, "Rainbow talks very little about her life before Ponyville, except for Flight Camp and her cutie mark..."
"Well, you've both come to the right place!" Bow as she showed the two ponies their rather nice cloud mansion.
"Nice pad," said Mario impressively as Scootaloo took a picture and gasped excitedly.
"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing compared to your castle, Prince Mario." said Bow.
"Just Mario, Bow," the alicorn prince replied, "Same for you Windy."
"Our bad," said Windy as she and Bow smiled sheepishly.
"But to answer your question, Twilight and I actually prefer more modest living spaces in all honesty," said Mario as they headed inside, "we actually used to live in a golden oak tree before..." As they walked inside, Mario explained how he and Twilight got their castle as well as a few other questions the two Pegasi wanted to ask him. Mario made sure to ask about them too, as well as some free marriage advice. Scootaloo was just enjoying the sights of the living room and eventually the kitchen where Mario was sipping on a cup of tea while Scootaloo was setting a picture into her scrapbook as Bow and Mario were sitting at the table as well. It was then Windy placed a rather tall sandwich next to Scootaloo. The filly had mentioned that she hadn't had lunch yet.
"Here you go!" said Windy, "Rainbow Dash's favorite meal! A pasta and potato sandwich on sourdough! She just loved to carbo-load." Windy giggled as Mario gave a chuckle.
"That's funny," said Mario, "Considering she's always telling me that she's gotta watch her girlish figure whenever she eats." Windy chuckled.
"Take my word, Mario," said Windy, "Rainbow Dash is more girly than she lets on." She then leaned into Mario's ear, "Her favorite color is pink and she loves ribbons and bows, but you didn't hear it from me." Windy gave him a wink and leaned away. Mario snickered to himself. He kinda figured that out about Rainbow already.
"I can't believe I'm eating Rainbow Dash's favorite food by Rainbow Dash's mom while sitting in Rainbow Dash's childhood kitchen!" said Scootaloo excitedly, making Windy rub the back of her head modestly, "This is the greatest day of my life!" Mario chuckled as Scootaloo took a huge bit of the sandwich.
"Mmmm!" Scootaloo hummed happily before she took the other half of the sandwich and put into her scrapbook. Mario blinked when he saw that.
"Seriously, Scoot?" Mario remarked, "I don't remember you doing that with any of my cooking!"
"Nothing beats a mother's home cooking Mario," said Scootaloo, "Next time I do a report on an inspirational pony, I'll do the same with your food." Mario laughed.
"Fair enough," said Mario, "Nothing is better than your Mom's cooking..."
"I remember you saying Celestia raised you," said Windy, "but what ever happened to your actual parents?" Mario sighed.
"Turns out related to Applejack and the Apple family," said Mario, "but...our parents passed...before I could reunite with them again..." Windy and Bow shared sad looks. Scootaloo did the same. Windy then gave Mario a hug.
"Well, if you're ever in need of some motherly and fatherly love, our door is always open," said Windy as Bow nodded in agreement. Mario gave them a teary smile.
"I appreciate that," said Mario as he wiped a tear away, "thank you. Though my wife as well as my other friends have offered that same tender love and care to me as well."
"Well, you can never have too much family, Mario," said Bow. Mario smiled in agreement. Bow then looked at Scootaloo.
"I think it's time for a tour of the house," said Bow.
"Sure," said Scootaloo with her mouth still full.
"Scoot, please swallow your food before you talk," said Mario with a disgusted look on his face.
"Sorry," said Scootaloo before she finally swallowed, "I'm just so excited!" She clapped her hooves together excitedly as Mario just smiled.
Soon they were walking down the hallway, which there were walls loaded with family pictures.
"Our little Dashie was an early learner and so rambunctious," said Bow to Scootaloo and Mario pictures of Rainbow as a baby, three of which they were trying to restrain her from flying off, "The combination was-"
"Exciting!" Windy sing-sang as she got into Mario and Scootaloo's view.
"Judging by the pictures, I take it Dashie was always very gung-ho," Mario pointed out.
"She was always so curious about things around her," said Bow.
"Ready to face anything head on!" said Windy.
"And into trouble..." Mario muttered when Scootaloo jabbed him to be quiet and started taking pictures of the other photos that were on the wall.
"Whoa..." said Scootaloo as she placed her newly made pictures into the scrapbook.
"Hey, Scootaloo!" Mario sing sang, "You gotta come and see this!" Scootaloo went to catch up with the rest of the adults and found them standing before a door that had a familiar cutie mark on it.
"Is that...her room?" Scootaloo remarked. Bow smiled as Windy opened the door. Bow and Windy immediately used the tip of their wings to cover their ears. Scootaloo smiled excitedly.
"Why are you..." Mario asked when...
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Scootaloo squealed like a fangirl once again, making Mario wince painfully as he used his own wing tips to cover his ears.
"Ow..." Mario groaned as Scootaloo rushed inside of the bedroom.
"Rainbow Dash's linen closet," said Scootaloo as she hugged the curtains.
"Her carpet!" Scootaloo said as she pretended to make a snow angel on it.
"Her inspirational poster!" said Scootaloo as she walked up to a poster that had a turtle on it, "When the going gets tough, the tough don't notice because they have hard shells. That's so Rainbow Dash!" Mario looked at the poster as Scootaloo rushed about to take pictures.
"I had no idea Rainbow liked Tortoises when she was young," Mario remarked.
"They are her favorite animal," said Windy, "But there...lack of speed...always made her reluctant to want to adopt one. And we gave her the okay for it too."
"That explains why she gave Tank a hard time," Mario remarked.
"Who's Tank?" Bow asked.
"Her pet tortoise," said Mario, "He was actually able to melt Dashie's heart, so she adopted him." Windy chuckled as she and her husband watched Scootaloo continued to zip around to take pictures and put them all into her scrapbook.
"Woo-hoo," Scootaloo cheered as she jumped on the bed.
"Settle down there, Scoot," said Mario gently, "We don't need the little filly jumping on the bed to fall off and bonk her head."
"Oh, now don't you start treating me like a little kid," Scootaloo warned as she stopped bouncing about.
"Just teasing, Scoot," said Mario, "Apple Bloom was the one who told me the last time you bonked your head, you went to from sportspony to frou-frou ballerina princess. She even said something about you trying to charm the colts in your class in your new personality."
"She's gonna pay for telling you about that!" Scootaloo muttered through her teeth.
"Scootaloo, Mario, wanna see something really cool?" Bow asked the two ponies.
"What is it, Bow?" Mario asked as Bow gestured them toward a star patterned curtain. Bow then pulled on the cord to reveal a hidden door. Scootaloo walked up to it curiously. Bow then opened the door, making a heavenly choir sing and a bright light shine on their eyes. Mario and Scootaloo both shielded her eyes as they walked inside. When the two ponies could see, both of their eyes went big. It was an entire room filled to various trophies and other objects that looked like rewards for completing achievements. Bow and Windy walked inside as the two ponies stared in shock. Bow then closed the door.
"Now this takes child appreciation to a whole another level," Mario remarked in awe.
"I, uh, installed the sound effects myself," Bow chuckled as he opened and closed the door, making the heavenly choir singing turn on and off.
"Oooh! Do you know where I can find that sound effect track?" Mario asked, "I wanna install that singing whenever Twilight goes into her private library room. She loves books." Bow chuckled.
"I'll get you a copy later," said Bow as Mario smiled excitedly. Bow then turned to Scootaloo, "Pretty great, huh?"
"So great!" said Scootaloo as she stood next to Mario.
"And look at this," said Windy as she leaned in toward Mario and Scootaloo and then zipped away toward what looked like a framed diaper.
"She was wearing it when she spoke her first words," said Windy as Scootaloo took a picture. While was a little disturbing to Mario that Windy would save a used diaper like that, he had something else in mind.
"Was her first word "awesome"?" Mario asked.
"Of course," said Windy giddily as Mario giggled.
"That is so Dashie," said Mario.
"And this broken lantern is from when she first learned to fly," said Windy as she showed them a bronzed lantern that had a crack on it.
"Gotta ask if it cracked from passerby or the landing attempt?" Mario asked.
"Definitely the landing, she always had trouble with those growing up," Windy replied. Mario inwardly snickered.
"Totally Dashie," Mario replied as Scootaloo took a picture of the lantern.
"And this bitten apple is from when she grew her first tooth!" Windy said as she showed them a trophy of a bronzed bitten apple and then gasped as she wiped a tear away, "So many memories!"
"Being a parent to such an amazing daughter must have been such a rewarding experience," said Mario, "Twilight and I just adopted a filly not too long ago. I can only hope when she grows up we'll have our own memories with her that we can look back on."
"Oh, I'm sure you will," said Windy, "and if you need any advice, feel free to ask us anything."
"Thanks," said Mario, "I'll keep it in mind."
"You're so lucky to have all of these!" said Scootaloo as Windy walked behind the filly to the other side of her.
"Well, I may have tone of Dash-mentos," said Windy, "but I don't have any of those "Rainbow Dash Saves Ponyville" headlines like you." Scootaloo looked at Windy skeptically and then gasped excitedly.
"Trade-sies?" Scootaloo asked excitedly.
"Deal-sies!" said Windy. Scootaloo gave Windy an article while Windy gave Scootaloo...the old diaper?! Scootaloo still gladly accepted it and put it into her scrapbook. Mario then walked up and used his magic to gave Windy some pictures.
"From our coronation, wedding day, and there's also some pictures of Dashie as the maid of honor at Fluttershy's wedding," said Mario. Windy squeed with glee and hugged him happily before rushing off to find a scrapbook of her own to put those in.
"So where's all the Wonderbolt stuff?" Scootaloo asked.
"You mean Rainbow Dash's personal collection of Wonderbolt memorabilia?" Bow asked as Windy walked up beside him.
"No, I mean, where's all the stuff about Rainbow Dash getting accepted into the Wonderbolt Academy and then getting chosen as a Wonderbolt?" Windy and Bow looked at Scootaloo as if her wings had just fallen right off.
"Why are you looking at her like that?" Mario asked skeptically.
"Wait, you don't know that your daughter's a Wonderbolt?" Scootaloo asked as she got excited, "And I got to tell you?!"
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Bow and Windy said in complete shock and looking absolutely dumbfounded. They also gave a whinny each and their jaws were hung open.
"Oh, wow!" said Scootaloo, "You should see your faces right now!" Scootaloo took a picture of them, which developed quickly and then showed it to them, "See? That's what your faces look like." Bow and Windy just shifted eyes from Scootaloo to each other and back at Scootaloo with their mouths still hanging out. Fortunately, it was only for about twenty seconds before the reality finally set in.
"Our daughter's a Wonderbolt?!" said Bow and Windy together and smiled at each other. It was then they heard the heavenly chorus. They turned to see Scootaloo and Mario by the door as they shut it closed to make the singing stop.
"Great timing," said Bow.
"Great door," said Scootaloo together.
"I just...it's...unbelievable!" said Windy as she hugged her husband happily.
"I'm just surprised Dashie didn't tell you two about that," said Mario, "I'll need to talk to her about it later..."
"You two were kind enough to show me and Mario the Rainbow Dash you know," said Scootaloo, "Now please allow us to show you the Rainbow Dash we know." Mario then smiled.
"That's...a great idea, Scoot," said Mario, wanting to get answers from Rainbow about this sooner rather than later, "Allow me to give you a royal escort to Wonderbolt's training headquarters. You'll need me to bypass security." Bow and Windy smiled excitedly in reply.
At the Wonderbolts Training Grounds, Rainbow was currently doing her training session with Spitfire and the rest of the Wonderbolts.
"Let's make some thunder!" Spitfire told the rest of the group.
"I was born to make thunder!" Rainbow called out as the five Pegasi dived down toward the runway and rocked upward to create a sonic boom. They were heading higher into the sky when they were stopped in their tracks by what appeared to be some sonic waves.
"We've got turbulence!" Spitfire called out.
"How? Where's it coming from?" Rainbow called out.
"I'm so proud!" Bow shouted.
"There!" Misty Fly called out as she pointed a fore-hoof toward the ground below. There was Mario, Scootaloo, Windy, and Bow. The latter two were using mega horns to cheer very, very loudly.
"She's a Wonderbolt!" the Pegasi couple shouted.
"Oh, no," Rainbow groaned as she removed her goggles and the five Pegasi came in for a landing.
"Okay, which pony broke protocol and invited guests to our training exercises?!" Spitfire demanded. Rainbow had a sheepish smile on her face.
"I guess they're with me," said Rainbow, groaning from embarrassment.
"Actually, Spitfire, I'm the one who brought them out here," said Mario as he walked up to the group, "thought I'll admit I didn't even know where they got the mega horns..."
"Mario Star..." Rainbow snarled under her breath.
"Dashie, sweetie," said Mario in a sing-sang tone, "it's rude to keep your parents waiting." Rainbow just groaned as she stomped over to them and Scootaloo.
"Mom, Dad," said Rainbow, trying to put on a brave and friendly smile, "So...good...to see you." Bow and Windy smiled as Windy snagged Rainbow in for a hug.
"Oh, honey, it's so great to see you, too!" said Windy happily, "And wow! You were so amazing up there with all of that flying!"
"Uh, how did you know I was here?" Rainbow asked, her eyes searching for a familiar alicorn prince to give a death glare to.
"Scootaloo filled us in on everything, you modest pony you!" Windy replied.
"And Prince Mario got us past security to come see you while you do your training," said Bow. It was then Scootaloo took a picture of the three ponies.
"I can't believe I'm documenting the moment your parents first saw you as a Wonderbolt!" said Scootaloo excitedly. She then took the picture and put it into her scrapbook.
"It's a Podak moment!" Mario said with a smirk on his face. Rainbow gave Mario a threatening growl as she was literally sandwiched between Bow and Windy as they hugged her tightly with their wings. Spitfire and the others were just walking away when Windy hovered over to them.
"And these must be your Wonderbolt friends," said Windy as she hovered over to Misty Fly, "Hello, team! I'm Windy Whistles, the mom of the best Wonderbolt ever!"
"Yeah!" Windy shouted as she got into Soarin's face, making him wince, "Oh! You must be Soarin! You know Rainbow Dash has had a huge crush on you for years now? She used to keep a little love shrine of you in her linen closet." Rainbow gave a strained squeak as her jaw literally hit the floor and her face turned bright red.
"Really?" said Scootaloo curiously, "Oh, wow!"
"And she teased me about having a shine to Twilight," Mario remarked, "Windy told me her shine to Soarin was twice as big as the one I had to Twilight!" Rainbow gritted her teeth as she felt her temper boil. Soarin was just left speechless as Windy rushed over to Misty Fly.
"Like I said, best Wonderbolt ever!" said Windy to Misty Fly, "Just kidding. You guys were great, too! Go, team!"
"Mooooom!" Rainbow groaned in embarrassment. Scootaloo and Mario chuckled to themselves.
"Hello, ma'am," said Spitfire, trying to be profession as she extended a wing to shake, "Nice to meet you." Windy landed before the yellow-orange Pegasus.
"Nice to meet you as well and love those goggles!" Windy told Spitfire as she used her wing to complete the wing-shake and then looked at her reflection from Spitfire's goggles, "Love 'em! You know, I have goggles, too. But they're mostly just for swimming. Oh, and bath time." Spitfire just smiled sheepishly and then looked away uncomfortably, especially when Windy mentioned bath time. Rainbow quickly pulled Windy back by her short tail.
"Mom, please!" said Rainbow in a loud whisper, "They don't wanna hear about your bath time!" Bow then pulled Rainbow in for a hug.
"I can't believe it!" said Bow, "My daughter, a Wonderbolt!" He then began to cry, "So proud!"
"Dad, hold it together," said Rainbow said firmly while pulling away from her father a bit, "We're in public."
"I know, I know," Bow croaked, "I...but it's...just...You had a goal, and...you achieved it!" Bow then began to cry as Rainbow reluctantly tapped his shoulder for comfort. Windy smiled sympathetically and Scootaloo just smiled and took a picture of the two. Mario was annoyed at how cold Rainbow was being with her father.
"Dashie, show your Dad some sympathy," said Mario as Windy stood beside him, "You said there's nothing wrong with being a sensitive stallion. I get choked up too from time to time!"
"That's different!" Rainbow snapped, "You don't embarrass me when you do lose it. Besides, unlike you, my father doesn't suffer from gloominess."
"You suffer from gloominess?" Windy asked in a very concerned tone, "Why?" Mario just sighed.
"It's a long story," said Mario, wanting to drop the subject, "Besides, my point is that there's nothing wrong with a grown stallion crying. Twilight likes that I'm sensitive." Windy chuckled.
"Sounds like Twilight and I like the same kind of stallions," said Windy, "Strong but gentle souls." Mario blushed at the complement as Scootaloo giggled to herself.
"All right, Wonderbolts!" said Spitfire to the rest of the team, "Let's hit the showers and give Rainbow Dash some time to spend with her family."
"Rainbow Dash has a crush on me?!" Soarin spluttered with a spaced out look on his face.
"And for Soarin here to return to Earth," said Spitfire before muttering, "Considering everypony knew about Rainbow's crush. The airhead." All except Soarin had smirks on their faces as they walked past Rainbow and her crying father.
"Okay, yeah!" said Rainbow, " Uh, great practice! I'll, uh, eh, catch up with you guys in a minute."
"Rainbow Dash has a crush on me?!" Soarin repeated again as he followed the rest of the group. Rainbow groaned as her cheeks turned pink once again. This gave Fleetfoot a devious idea.
"Sir, you really raised a great flyer!" said Fleetfoot as she used her wing to salute, "We'll let you know when there's gonna be wedding bells between Soarin and Rainbow Dash."
"WHAT?!" Rainbow shrieked, her cheeks turning dark pink as Fleetfoot walked off smirking and trying not to laugh.
"Oh, no!" Bow strained as his composure crumbled once again, "First she's a Wonderbolt...now she's might be getting married. Gonna give my daughter away soon...Tears...welling up again!"Bow broke down after he finished speaking.
"Dad!" Rainbow groaned as she finally pried herself from her father's grip. She then hovered to see the rest of the Wonderbolts heading back to the compound. Rainbow then turned around and glared as she saw Mario and Windy comforting Bow. Scootaloo just took a picture of the Pegasi couple. Rainbow then pulled both Mario and Scootaloo beside her with a wing.
"Could you give us a sec?" Rainbow asked. Windy and Bow used their wings to gesture that she could do just that. Rainbow pulled both Mario and Scootaloo away from her parents a short distance.
"Is something wrong?" Scootaloo asked.
"Yeah, I honestly didn't know your mother was going to tell Soarin about your crush and the love shine," Mario pointed out.
"Nevertheless! Yeah, there is something wrong!" Rainbow snapped angrily, "You should've warned me that you two were bringing my parents! Or talked to Twilight or something! Not just shown up!"
"Why?" Scootaloo asked as Rainbow stomped away.
"I don't need an invitation to visit...wait, Twilight knows about your parents and you didn't tell me?!" Mario exclaimed in surprise. Rainbow just face-hoofed herself and didn't bother to explain why she confided in Twilight and not him about Bow and Windy.
"Ugh!" Rainbow groaned, "It's just my parents and I have a delicate relationship. I love them very much and we're really close, but there's a reason I didn't tell them I'm a Wonderbolt! They can be a little bit...embarassing." Scootaloo and Mario looked back to see Bow and Windy waving at them.
"Huh? Really?" said Scootaloo.
"Is that all?" Mario replied, "News flash Dashie. All parents do that! Why else do you think my Mom shared baby pictures of me every time we see her?"
"Yeah, really and Mario, this is much worse," said Rainbow, "And now you've both invited a whole lot of crazy into my life!"
"What's wrong with a little support?" Scootaloo asked.
"Nothing at all," said Mario, "Bow and Windy were really nice parents and clearly love Rainbow very much. Like I said before, all parents embarrass their children. But I'm not the kind to disregard Dashie's feelings so I guess we'll just have to wait and see."
"I guess so," said Scootaloo.
"But despite her reasons," said Mario, "I have to wonder why Dashie would just outright keep her achievements quiet with her parents and if she's ever spoken to them about how she feels. Even Mom was willing to back off when I told her she was overdoing it with those pictures..." Scootaloo just hummed, feeling just as curious to about the issue as well as she and Mario went back to Bow and Windy.
The next day in Canterlot, Bow and Windy were in a private box at the Wonderbolt's Stadium when Mario arrived with Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle.
"Hello, Bow and Windy," said Mario as he waved to show they had arrived.
"Oh, good to see that you all made it to the show," said Windy.
"Bow and Windy," said Scootaloo, "I'd like you to meet Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle."
"Hi!" said Apple Bloom.
"Hello," said Sweetie Belle.
"Greetings, small ponies," said Bow as he gave the two fillies a salute.
"Are you excited to see Rainbow Dash?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Oh, my, yes!" said Windy, "And to think we never bothered to come to a Wonderbolt event!"
"We said if Rainbow Dash isn't a Wonderbolt, then what's the point," Bow explained, "But now, she is!"
"And she earned it!" Scootaloo replied as she opened her scrapbook and showed them a picture of Rainbow standing before Spitfire and Mario, "Did you know it all started when she won a spot in the coveted Wonderbolts Academy, training under both Spitfire and Mario?"
"I didn't know that!" said Windy, "How wonderful!"
"Didn't know you trained Rainbow, Mario," Bow remarked, "I didn't think alicorns were part of Wonderbolts."
"Back then, I was still a unicorn," said Mario, "what started as volunteer help for Spitfire got me the rank of Academy Lieutenant so we trained the squad Rainbow was part of together. Rainbow worked very hard. The more I pushed her, the stronger she became."
"True," said Scootaloo, "But then, she had some heavy competition. Especially against another Pegasus named Lightning Dust." Scootaloo then showed the Pegasus couple a picture and Rainbow and Lightning flying side by side.
"Oh, no!" said Windy worried. Bow looked worried as well.
"Indeed," said Mario, "She slightly outclassed Rainbow in the beginning of training."
"But, of course," said Scootaloo, "Rainbow Dash proved to be the best and later made it into the Wonderbolts reserves!" Mario blinked.
"Guess Rainbow skipped the part about Lightning Dust being selfish and reckless when she shared that part of her history," Mario said to herself.
"Hooray again!" Windy cheered as she and Bow smiled.
"But jealous ex-Wonderbolt Wind Rider was worried that Rainbow Dash might break his speed record," said Scootaloo as she showed a picture of the older Wonderbolt and then Rainbow getting glares from the other Wonderbolts, "And so, he framed her for a crime she didn't commit."
"Oh, no!" said Windy.
"But thanks to Rarity and Mario," said Scootaloo, "Rainbow Dash proved her innocence and became a backup Wonderbolt until Fire Streak retired, and she became an official Wonderbolt!" Scootaloo then showed a picture of Fire Streak with a black X crossed over him and then another picture of Rainbow flying with the Wonderbolts in full uniform.
"Hooray!" Windy cheered, "Wow, what a gripping tale!"
"You really know your Rainbow Dash history," said Bow, "You're going to do great on your report." Bow gave Scootaloo a wink, which made Scootaloo smile excitedly.
"And I didn't know you did detective work," said Windy to Mario, "who knew the Prince of Friendship is so talented."
"He's a jack of all trades kind of pony," said Apple Bloom, "he's good at farming, animal care, baking, acting, singing, building things, pulling trains, acting, and even parkour and so much more!" Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.
"Very impressive." said Bow. Mario just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Show's about to start," said Apple Bloom as she pointed to the sky. As some background music began to play, the five Wonderbolts, which included Rainbow, took to the sky and flew about in routine formation. Then, out of the blue. Bow and Windy were now hooting and wearing their own personal fan outfits. Each of them had a Wonderbolt tee with a loose rainbow colored scarf. Bow had a visor on his head while Windy had a head cap that looked like Rainbow on her head.
"HOOT! HOOT! HOOT! HOOT! HOOT!" Bow and Windy cheered together.
"Come on, Bolts!" Bow shouted, "Let's start this thing!"
"Wonderbolt's Big Showcase!" said Windy, trying to deepen her voice, "Big Showcase! Here! We! Goooooooooooo!"
"Rip it up and tear it! Down!" Bow shouted.
"Then build it back up again and tear it back down again! Yeah!" Windy shouted as well. The entire time the Pegasus couple was cheering, everypony else was scooting away from them, giving them uncomfortable or awkward looks. Scootaloo just smiled. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle just stared. Mario leaned back slightly in surprise.
"Wow..." was all Mario could say about their grandstanding. Even from a distance, you could hear the Pegasus couple over all the other cheering fans. Then the Wonderbolts created a star in the sky.
"Woo! Yeah! Uh-huh, uh-huh! Go-go-go! Yes! Go, Rainbow Dash! Best Wonderbolt Ever!" Bow cheered.
"Woo-hoo! That's my daughter!" Windy cheered as the Wonderbolt's created their insignia in the sky and then flew through it, "Go, Rainbow, Go, Dashie, go-go-go-go-go!" The Pegasus couple continued cheering for Rainbow.
"You go, girl!" Windy shouted as the Cutie Mark Crusaders just watched them quietly. Mario just had a rather sheepish smile on his face. Everypony else in the box just stayed on the outer edges, feeling rather annoyed at the Pegasi couple. But Bow and Windy didn't seem to care about anypony else other than Rainbow, even when the show was finally over. Rainbow just removed her goggles and looked very embarassed. Fleetfoot hovered over to her.
"Your folks were definitely loud, but they weren't that bad," said Fleetfoot. It was then a firecracker came flying between them and exploded into the background. This brought the rest of the Wonderbolts over to Fleetfoot and Rainbow.
"Whoa!" said Spitfire in surprise, "Since when did we add fireworks to the show?!"
"Uhhhh...we didn't," said Rainbow as she pointed down to her parents. Apparently, out of the blue, Windy was holding a firework cannon. While nopony stopped them from using it, Mario just covered his eyes with his wings.
"Attagirl! Yeah! Go-go-go-go-go!" Bow shouted.
"Woo-hoo! Go, girl! Go, girl, you got it! You're a Wonderbolt!" Windy shouted at the same time as Bow. Then loaded the cannon and fired it. First firework exploded into a gold trophy, while the second was a profile of Rainbow herself. Poor Rainbow looked completely mortified and humiliated.
"Wow..." was all Fleetfoot could say as Rainbow inwardly wished she could disappear.
After the show, there was a long line of ponies chattering with each other as they went up to the Wonderbolts to get autographed photos of their favorite flyers. Nearby, Bow, Windy, Mario, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders appeared nearby.
"Go, Rainbow Dash!" Bow shouted as he tore his undershirt, "You sign that photo! Whoo!" Bow then rotated the torn shirt in his fore-hoof and threw it. The torn shirt smacked the face of a young fan. Rainbow just gave a very embarassed smile as she gave the pony an autograph photo, patted their head, and the fan walked away with the shirt still on their face. Spitfire and Fleetfoot couldn't stop smirking.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Mario asked as he hovered about the two mares.
"Whatever do you mean best friend?" Spitfire asked in an overly sweet tone.
"Maybe we're just in a good mood, sweetie," Fleetfoot added as Mario made a face and rolled his eyes at the two.
Later on, Rainbow and Spitfire were at a ribbon cutting ceremony. Rainbow was holding the giant scissors and was getting ready to cut.
"Cut the ribbon! Cut the ribbon! Cut the ribbon! Cut the ribbon!" Bow and Windy shouted as they, along with Scootaloo, gave hoof pumps. Rainbow was jolted in surprise as she went to make the cut, giving her family a glare. But then Spitfire gave Rainbow a glare since the cyan Pegasus had cut off part of her tail instead of the ribbon. Rainbow just smiled apologetically and then Spitfire turned to see Mario laughing at her. Spitfire growled but then smirked deviously as she grabbed the giant scissors. Mario shrieked and flew away for his life as Spitfire chased after him. Rainbow just rolled her eyes at the both of them.
Once Mario had gotten Spitfire to calm down and spare his mane and tail, she went back to join the other Wonderbolts for their photo shoot. Lots of small foals stood in line to get their pictures taken with the elite flyers. As before, her parents, Mario, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were standing beside them.
"Now, let's do the pyramid!" said Bow as the six ponies got into position. Mario stood in the center of the bottom row with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle standing on their hind legs beside Mario so they could support Bow and Windy on the second row above them.
"Scootaloo, get up there!" Bow called out, "You're the top!" Bow then offered his wing for Scootaloo to climb up since the little filly had told them she couldn't fly. Once she was in place, they all stood in place with smiles on their faces. Spitfire noticed their pyramid and smirked.
"You really do got yourself your very own mega-fans," said Spitfire, "Lucky you." Rainbow just groaned and face-hoofed herself with a wing.
Once they had returned to Wonderbolt HQ, Thunderlane, a recent addition to the main team, had made his exit from the locker area as Rainbow walked in. She gave another groan from what had clearly been a long day, placed her towel on the top of the door, and stuck her head inside of it. It was then Bow, Windy, Scootaloo, and Mario appeared.
"You hung that towel!" Windy shouted.
CLANG!
Rainbow banged her head on the top inside of her locker and glared at her parents.
"Yeah!" Windy cheered.
"Greatest towel hanger of all time!" Bow shouted and started chanting: "Towel!"
"Towel! Towel! Towel! Towel! Towel! Towel!" Bow and Windy chanted together, making Rainbow feel very embarassed as she saw Fleetfoot and another teammate leave the locker room smirking at her, "Towel! Tow-" Rainbow's temper hit its limit when Scootaloo took her picture.
"STOP!" Rainbow screamed. She had had enough.
"This is ridiculous! Mom and Dad, you are both too supportive!" Rainbow yelled as she backed her parents onto a bench, "This is exactly why I didn't tell you I was Wonderbolt! You're just...too much!" Bow and Windy looked hurt.
"Did...did we do something wrong?" Windy whimpered innocently.
"They've already been reprimanded for the fireworks and their cannon confiscated," said Mario, "They had good intentions at..."
"ZIP IT!" Rainbow screamed, making Mario wince, then she angrily faced her parents, "and to answer your question, Mom. Yes!" Rainbow used a wing to count her mother's mistakes, "The fireworks, the cheerleading, and - and how do you even compare who is better or worse at hanging a towel?!" Rainbow gritted her teeth at them. Bow and Windy both stood shocked and sad.
"We're just trying to be supportive," Bow said calmly in his defense, extending a fore-hoof to Rainbow.
"Well, I'm tired of it!" Rainbow yelled, swatting away her father's fore-hoof and making the two Pegasi hold each other fearfully, "I've had enough of you two being so proud of every little ridiculous, insignificant thing I DO!" Rainbow then panted from her rage. Mario cringed painfully as Scootaloo looked devastated. But it was poor Bow and Windy who looked absolutely heartbroken. Rainbow just turned away with a bitter look on her face.
"I think you should leave," said Rainbow in firm tone.
"First of all, great job yelling at us, sweetie," said Windy, her composure crumbling as she sniffled and began to tear up, "No one can make their parents feel more worthless than you!" Windy then used her wings to cover her eyes as she began to cry. Mario put a fore-hoof on her shoulder for comfort. Bow was already crying.
"Your words were direct, clear, and..." Bow sobbed, "so painful! Is there nothing you can't do-oo-oooo?!" Bow and Windy trotted off crying as they left the locker room. Rainbow just glared as her parents disappeared.
"Why?" Scootaloo asked sadly, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Scootaloo, you don't understand!" Rainbow snapped.
"What's there not to understand?" said Mario firmly, "Rainbow, I get that your parent's behavior was upsetting you. But...ever heard the phrase: it's not what you said, but how you say it?"
"Oh get off my case!" Rainbow retorted angrily.
"No, I won't, Dashie!" said Mario sternly, "You didn't need to explode at your parents in order to tell them that you were upset! You never liked it when I lash out at you when I get angry! You should be grateful you've got parents at all! Let alone two parents that take the time to come and be there for you like that! I wish Celestia would have been there for me as much as Bow and Windy when I had some of rather impressive achievements growing up! But no! I was the one who got his award and looked to see the seat he had saved was empty!"
"Maybe because Celestia didn't think you were worth her time!" Rainbow yelled. Mario and Scootaloo gasped dramatically once again. As much as Mario felt his anger surge, her comment had broken his heart.
"How dare you!" Mario croaked as tears streamed, "It's nice to know what you really think of me!" Mario then ran off crying as Rainbow just panted heavily. She then saw Scootaloo was giving her a death glare as tears were now pouring out of the filly's eyes.
"What?" Rainbow asked rudely.
"I met your parents hoping to learn more about you, but I don't like what I found out!" said Scootaloo angrily as hot tears streamed down her cheeks, "and how dare you say that to Mario. The one pony who goes out of his way to love and care about all those feelings you think are so uncool!" Scootaloo then pulled out her scrapbook and threw it down at Rainbow's fore-hooves.
"I'll find somepony else to do my hero report on," said Scootaloo angrily as she stomped away. Rainbow as now left alone. It was then she looked at the two pages that Scootaloo's scrapbook had opened up to. One of the pictures was her as a baby being held lovingly by her parents. She then realized what she had said to Mario and felt a pain in her heart. Rainbow quickly choked up and started to cry.
"What have I done?" Rainbow croaked as she just sat before the book and began to cry. Tears dripped just inches away from the still open scrapbook. Rainbow was so busy crying that she didn't notice that somepony was walking up to her and gently placed a fore-hoof on her shaking shoulder.
"Huh?" Rainbow croaked as she left her head, tears still flowing when she looked up see Soarin looking at her. Rainbow's cheeks blushed as she used a wing to hide her face.
"Soarin, now is not a good time," Rainbow whimpered, but was then surprised when Soarin pulled her into a hug.
"Soarin, I said..." Rainbow tried to protest.
"Rainbow Dash, crush or not, I'm not the kind of pony to leave any of my teammates in tears," said Soarin in a calm but firm tone, "And we are friends. Just be lucky I found you like this instead of Spitfire." Rainbow whimpered and just let Soarin hold her close as she kept crying.
"You saw what happened didn't you?" Rainbow asked sadly.
"I heard what happened," said Soarin, "and I think you know what you need to do." Rainbow sniffled as she pulled away, wiped her eyes, and then got a determined look on her face.
"Yeah, I do," said Rainbow, "Thanks Soarin. And...well, about..." Soarin put a fore-hoof to her lips and then kissed her cheek, making Rainbow's jaw drop and her face turned bright red.
"It's cool," said Soarin, giving her a smile, "Good luck patching things up." Soarin then walked off with a satisfied smirk on his face. Once he was out of range, Rainbow's shock turned into a smile.
"SQUEE!" Rainbow said in a very girly manner and danced on her hooves, but two seconds later covered her mouth with both her fore-hooves, and her eyes got big as she nervously looked about the area. Then she released a long breath.
"Thank Celestia nopony saw that!" Rainbow muttered before leaving the locker room to go find Mario and Scootaloo.
Outside, Scootaloo had found Mario and helped him recover from his hurt feelings so they could both leave the Wonderbolt grounds. Scootaloo and Mario were both zooming side by side together when Rainbow finally found them and went to catch up.
"Scootaloo, Mario, wait!" Rainbow called out, but neither pony refused to stop or listen to her. Rainbow flew quickly to overtake them, "I know I wasn't myself back there, and I shouldn't have said what I said to Mario or snapped at my parents! That's exactly why I didn't tell them I'm a Wonderbolt." While Scootaloo and Mario were pretending not to listen, their curiosity about Rainbow's last statement made them come to a stop.
"First of all, where do you get the nerve to say that to me?" said Mario angrily, "You're the third pony in our group who thinks just because they're angry, they can hit me where it really hurts! Explain that to me, Dashie!" Rainbow gave Mario a sad face.
"I spoke without thinking," said Rainbow quietly, "I don't mean that, Mario. I love you. You're my big bro and a pony I can reveal my deepest and darkest secrets to. Please, can you forgive me?" Mario just stared and then raised a fore-leg so Rainbow could come over and they shared a hug.
"Love you, ya dumb head," said Mario with a smile on her face. Rainbow chuckled as she pulled away and gave him a smile.
"Glad you two made up," said Scootaloo, but was still upset with Rainbow, "But I don't understand your problem with your parents. They're so proud of you." Rainbow sighed.
"Can I tell you something?" Rainbow asked Scootaloo meekly, "I've kind of told part of this to Mario. I figured you should know about this too."
"Sure," said Scootaloo hesitantly and looked away bitterly.
"Okay, but you might wanna hold onto your wings because this could rock you to your very core," Rainbow warned as she landed nearby a fallen log and then patted for Scootaloo and Mario to come sit beside her. Once the two ponies were sitting with her, Rainbow decided to speak again.
"Believe it or not, there was a time when I wasn't the best at everything," Rainbow admitted.
"GASP!" Scootaloo gasped dramatically as Rainbow nodded in agreement. Mario just rolled his eyes.
About time she told Scootaloo about that But Mario didn't say it out loud. Rainbow then opened Scootaloo's scrapbook and showed the filly a picture of her younger self crossing the finish line.
"See this picture?!" Rainbow pointed out, "It looks like I won something awesome, but actually..."
Flashback
"And last, but not least, it's time to hand out our participant stickers!" said the announcer as a pony placed a sticker on young Rainbow's fore-head. Younger versions of Bow and Windy were in the standing, being over-the-top as usual and making everypony else in the stand glare and/or feel uncomfortable.
"YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Bow and Windy cheered as the latter held a poster of young Rainbow on it.
"Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Yeah, Rainbow Dash! You show 'em!" Bow cheered.
"Go, Rainbow! Go, Rainbow! Hooray! Yeah!" Windy cheered as her husband.
"Greatest participant ever!" Bow called out.
"Uh, your parents realize you didn't win, don't they?" Young Dumb Belle asked Young Rainbow. Young Rainbow just cringed in embarrassment and looked away.
End Flashback
"Granted, I was the youngest pony in Equestria in the senior competitive circuit," Rainbow boasted, "Most other ponies my age were still in the Junior Flappers' Club."
"Right!" Mario coughed as Scootaloo smirked. Rainbow glared.
"Seriously?" Rainbow remarked.
"Windy told us that you were more shy than Fluttershy when you first joined the Junior Flappers' Club," said Scootaloo.
"And they had to drag you to your first competition because you were so shy," Mario remarked. Rainbow groaned. That was something she had hoped Scootaloo and Mario would never know about her past, especially since it made her looked like hypocrite for how she treated Fluttershy's shyness in the past. Rainbow just closed the scrapbook before she found her words again.
"I thought it was utterly mortifying having my parents cheer for me even when I lost!" Rainbow continued.
Flashback
A short time lapse showed that with each and every competition, young Rainbow was slowly ascending the ranks. An interesting note as well was that back when Rainbow was off the podium, Muffins had been winning competitions, but then her flying got worse as her eyes began to become more and more cross-eyed.
"But then, when I started to win competitions - which didn't take very long by the way - thing got even worse!" Rainbow narrated as her younger self was now on top of the podium.
"Yeah! Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Yeah, Rainbow Dash, you show 'em!" Bow cheered.
"Whoo! Go, Rainbow! Go, Rainbow! Woo-hoo-hooo! Yeah!" Windy cheered as well. As usual, the surrounding ponies were glaring at the two Pegasi.
"Being the best came with consequences," Rainbow narrated, "Very loud, very embarassing consequences."
Young Rainbow soon found the other competitors giving her dirty looks before they flew off, leaving young Rainbow alone and dejected.
End Flashback
Back in the present, Rainbow just sighed as she leaned against the log.
"Ya know," said Scootaloo, "some ponies would dream of having parents like that."
"Yeah, right!" Rainbow retorted is disbelief, "Name one!"
"We can name two," said Mario as he pointed a fore-hoof at myself, "Me."
"And me," Scootaloo added. Rainbow looked at her sympathetically.
"I...get Mario...sort of," said Rainbow slowly, "But...why you?"
"Growing up, I never thought I'd be the best at anything, because nopony told me," Scootaloo explained as Mario patted her back supportively, "But your parents told you over and over again. Look!" Scootaloo then opened the scrapbook to show Rainbow some of the pictures, "Best bath taker ever. Best carrot eater under three. Greatest napper of all time!" Rainbow scoffed.
"I am pretty good at napping," Rainbow boasted, "I can fell asleep anywhere." Rainbow then leaned back and instantly fell asleep. Mario then snickered deviously as he pulled out an air horn with his magic.
"Mario...no," Scootaloo warned in a motherly tone.
"She's got this coming!" Mario whined. Scootaloo glared.
"But you're the bigger pony, remember?" Scootaloo pointed out. Mario huffed and made the air horn disappear.
"Fine...mom," Mario pouted as Scootaloo rolled her eyes and then tapped Rainbow's side to wake her up.
"Huh?" Rainbow spluttered as she woke up and wiped away some drool trickling from her mouth.
"For your entire life, your parents gave you the confidence to believe in yourself," said Scootaloo. Rainbow then turned the page to see the family picture she had seen from before.
"They are the reason you have so much self-confidence in yourself," said Mario, "You never really had to work hard like me or Scootaloo to think you're special or valuable. We both envy the fact that you had parents who always wanted to be there for you."
"You're both right," said Rainbow in realization, "I was always so embarassed by my parents that I didn't realize their support actually made me the awesome, confident, amazing, awesome, and awesome pony I am!" Scootaloo and Mario couldn't resist giving Rainbow some annoyed looks. They were glad she understood what they were trying to tell her, but did she have to gloat about it? Then they saw Rainbow sigh sadly.
"And I took them for granted," said Rainbow sadly.
"And you yelled at them," said Scootaloo.
"We get that they were overdoing it with the cheering and grandstanding," said Mario, "But if it really bothered you so much, you could have spoken to them once you had calmed down instead of just self-destructing like you did. Remember what happened when I was steaming with anger over Starlight and my issues. Because I exploded, all you understood was me yelling at you. When I was able to calm down, you were more willing to listen to what I was saying and understand why I was upset. It was clear to Scootaloo and I that all your parents understood was that you were mad at them and they were too hurt to understand why." Rainbow groaned.
"I gotta make this right," said Rainbow as she closed the book and stood up. She then looked around and saw the empty bleachers nearby.
"I have an idea, but I'm gonna need your help," said Rainbow to the two ponies, "Both of you. That is, if you're willing to help me after I acted like that." Rainbow was taken aback when there was a flash as Scootaloo took another picture. Once it had developed, she took it out and showed it to the cyan pony.
"Now that's a great picture," said Scootaloo, ""Rainbow Dash learns the error of her ways"." Rainbow took the picture with her wing and looked at it. She then gave Scootaloo a smile. Then she turned to Mario.
"What about you?" Rainbow asked worriedly. Mario stared and then a soft smile appeared on his face.
"Rainbow just because you make mistakes doesn't mean I'm gonna turn my back on you," said Mario, "You're my best friend and little sister after all and I want to help you settle things with your parents. How can I help?" Rainbow smiled and gave him a warm hug.
Later that day, Scootaloo and Mario had brought Bow and Windy back to the Wonderbolt training grounds. The Pegasi couple each had a blindfold over their eyes.
"I'm telling you, I just can't see a thing," said Windy, "Scootaloo, you are just so great at blindfolds." This made Scootaloo and Mario smile.
"It's true," said Bow, "You must tell me what kind of knot you used. Uh, falconer's kind? Wait, no! A farmer's loop!" Scootaloo and Mario just kept smiling, but chuckled to each other.
"What's this all about, anywho?" Windy asked.
"It will all make sense shortly," said Mario, "All I can say is your little Dashie asked me to give you a royal escort to this location." Bow and Windy were surprised.
"Did she now?" said Windy curiously.
"Wonder what it's all about," said Bow, "Thought I did enjoy the train ride there. Mario, what kind of train would you say you try to be?"
"Hmm," Mario pondered, "I often do many kinds of trains. When I was little, I liked to think I was a tank engine. These days, I would say a special mixed traffic engine."
"You are good at pulling coaches and freight cars," said Scootaloo, "he's very attractive when he pulls the Canterlot express."
"Scootaloo..." Mario groaned as he blushed as Bow and Windy giggled to each other, but then recovered, "Oh, good we're here." There was some feedback before Rainbow spoke through a loud speaker.
"Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof," Rainbow said through the loud speaker, "please be seated for a special for a super private Wonderbolt event!" Bow and Windy were then brought to their seats as they removed their blindfolds. Scootaloo then rushed over to where Rainbow was standing and set up a standing microphone. Mario then made a screen appear as he quick changed into his own Wonderbolt uniform. Rainbow cleared her throat.
"Mom and Dad, welcome to the..." Rainbow then said the title of the event very quickly, "..."I Love My Parents And I'm Sorry I Took Them for Granted and I Know That They Made Me Who I Am Today So I Really Want to Make It Up to Them"..." Rainbow paused for a half-second, "...Event. Enjoy!" Scootaloo then handed Bow and Windy some popcorn for them to eat. Mario then hovered beside Rainbow.
"Did you have to cram that all in just the title?" Mario asked annoyingly.
"It was from the heart," said Rainbow plainly.
"Fair enough," said Mario as he put his goggles back on, "Let's fly." Mario and Rainbow took off together than Spitfire, Soarin, and another Wonderbolt took off into the sky.
"Thanks for doing this," said Rainbow. She hadn't been sure if Spitfire would have helped, but was surprised to see that Spitfire didn't need much convincing. It also helped that Soarin said he would help too, making the cyan Pegasus very giddy...on the inside.
"Happy to help," said Spitfire.
"Me too," Soarin added, giving Rainbow a wink. Rainbow did her best not blush and focus on flying. The six Wonderbolts then flew about the area, creating streaks of electrified clouds behind them.
"Oooh...Ahhh...Oh!" Bow and Windy said in amazement. Then the group flew through a rainbow and each pony was coated in various colors. Then the six Wonderbolts twirled above Bow, Windy, and Scootaloo as the three Pegasi watched in awe and amazement. Then all but Rainbow rushed toward a cloud and shaped it to look like Bow and Windy's heads. Then Rainbow created a rainbow colored band that she drew around the cloud heads to make a heart, making Bow and Windy smile. Then the six Wonderbolts all made a landing in the background while Rainbow landed in the foreground.
"Mom and Dad," said Rainbow sincerely, "I want you to know that I'm your biggest fan." Bow and Windy smiled as they hovered over to their daughter.
"Oh, honey, thank you," said Windy as she and Bow hugged her, "But you didn't have to do all this. It's kind of..." She then whispered, "...embarrassing."
"Eh, it is a bit much," Bow added. Rainbow rolled her eyes, but still smiled. She knew that she had gotten her message across. The first being that she loved and appreciated them. The second being how it feels when you over do it with the support. Mario just smiled at the family hug and Scootaloo took their picture.
In fact, that picture was the conclusion to the filly's report and presentation.
"And that's why Rainbow Dash is the most inspirational pony in my life!" Scootaloo concluded as the rest of the class gave her some applause.
"Thank you, Scootaloo," said Cheerilee, "Very well researched! But a little heavy on the pictures, and there was a moldy sandwich in your report." She gave an awkward chuckle as the sandwich was now in the trash can in the background, "Um, I'll give you a B." It was then Rainbow, Windy, Bow, and Mario appeared from outside the School house window and cheered. Mario was already there since Diamond Tiara had done her report on Twilight and wanted to see how her presentation went. Bow and Windy were now wearing shirts and loose scarves in Scootaloo's mane and coat colors. Bow had a visor with Scootaloo head picture and holding a flag with Scootaloo's cutie mark on it. Windy had a hat that looked like Scootaloo's head on it.
"Way to go, Scootaloo!" said Mario.
"Yeah! Greatest report giver of all time!" Rainbow yelled. Then all but Mario rushed into the room as Bow and Windy hoisted Scootaloo into the air.
"Scootaloo! Scootaloo! Scootaloo!" Bow, Windy, and Rainbow cheered, "Scootaloo! Scootaloo! Scootaloo! Scootaloo! Scootaloo! Scootaloo!"
"Keep it down!" Cheerilee called out, "Okay! This isn't a rock concert! Please!" Mario laughed.
"Forget it Cheerilee," said Mario, "You're class has been lost to the Scootaloo fan club." Cheerilee groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Just let Scootaloo have this," said Mario, "She needs a little family support if you get my drift." Cheerilee glared but then noticed that Scootaloo was not just smiling, but was crying tears of joy.
"Fine," Cheerilee conceded, "but do you have a way to make them stop?" Mario smirked.
"I brought an air horn," Mario replied. Cheerilee blinked and then sank to the ground with a loud groan.
Fortunately, the three Pegasi did calm down a couple of minutes later without Mario having to use his air horn. Bow and Windy gave the orange filly a hug and then they and Rainbow parted separate ways. Rainbow had just landed at her Cloudominium when she found a letter in her mail box.
"What's this?" said Rainbow as she took the letter and headed inside of her home. She then opened the letter and was surprised to see that it was from Soarin.
Hey Rainbow Dash
Now that I know you like me, I was wondering if you would be available this Friday for dinner?
You can tell me before next practice what your answer is. But I'm hoping you'll say yes.
Soarin
Rainbow just lowered the letter with a blunt look on her face. Then quickly zipped about to close up all the curtains to her windows so nopony could peek in on her. Then she took a deep breath.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
And let out a girly squeal to her heart's content as she danced on her fore-hooves.
She couldn't wait til practice to tell Soarin that her answer was indeed yes.
As Rainbow was looking forward to her date, Big Mac was heading back to the farm with his wagon. He also had a dazed smile on his face.
Apparently the red stallion had his own reasons to feel lovesick...
You had to expect that when I've already implied alot of Soarin x Dash in my story that they would not only have a tender moment together. But either Bow or Windy would reveal Rainbow's crush on him to the stallion's face. I wish they had put that in the show just to see how much Rainbow would blush. And from here on out, he's most just a background pony with no lines. So I thought him at least asking her out would make a cute alternate ending. It gave me the momentum to hint at the next chapter too!
The Fact Rainbow was very shy is actually based on the Comics Books and one of the writers said that some of the content from MLP issue #51 and later is canon. This was something Windy and Bow reveal to the entire Wonderbolt team in issue #55.
NOTE: I know the main show is continuing a season 10 via the comics next year, but I don't plan on writing them.
NOTE: Many of you keep asking if I will do the Equestria Girls series. But the specials this year have been so bad in my opinion that I've made the decision that I won't be writing the Equestria girls at all. The series has just gone so downhill and character development so stale that even I don't think my OCs could make it better.
Next Time: Mario and the Cutie Mark Crusaders team up to help Big Mac win the heart of the cute and adorable Sugar Belle. Unfortunately Big Mac's competition is a combination of one part Gaston and ninety-nine parts Justin Bieber. (Yuck!)
Peace Pony Fans!