Loyalty's Revival

Rainbow Dash flew as fast as her wings could take her, the magic of harmony guiding her. She hoped that Scootaloo wasn't anywhere near the nightmare, or that at least someone had enough sense to keep an eye on Scootaloo.

She landed in the west side of Ponyville, close to the park. She looked around frantically, for some reason scared beyond all reason.

“Scootaloo…” Dash said to herself, “Please be alright.”

Her heart felt funny after she said that, and she looked down somberly. If Scootaloo was in any danger, Dash had no one to blame but herself. She allowed herself to fall into self pity, and wasn't there to watch over her. Both Rarity and Twilight told her that her magic was being blocked because of her psyche. That's why her magic failed in the first place. Because Soarin…

“Damn it!” Dash swore to herself, “What am I going to do?! If I can't use my magic then what good am I?!”

“Dashie? What are you doing here?” Rainbow Dash turned around to see Pinkamena walking up to her, “Don't you have somewhere to be?”

“You…” Dash said, “You knew, didn't you…? About Soarin…”

Pinkamena looked down sadly, “Having a gift like mine is a double edged sword, especially since I only ever have bad news.”

“Gift…?” Dash asked, “What are you talking about? Why are you even-”

“That's not important right now,” Pinkamena said walking up to Rainbow Dash, “You don't have time to doubt yourself. Someone needs you right now, right? That's why you're so frantic.”

“But… I let them down once before…” Dash said, “I couldn't defend them, how am I going to defend them now?”

“Dashie, I-”

“There you are,” Soarin's voice called out flying down to them. Hearing him, Dash tensed up, unable to turn to him, “Dash, we need to talk.”

“Not right now,” Pinkamena said, “Dashie has something she needs to take care of.”

“Stay out of this,” Soarin said to Pinkamena, who stepped back a bit in shock before frowning at him, “Dash, what's wrong? First you scream at me, and then you change the locks? What's the matter, babe?”

“Don't, call me babe,” Dash seethed, “Pinkamena's right. I don't have time right now. There's something I have to do.”

As Dash turned to walk off, Soarin grabbed Dash's foreleg stopping her.

“No Dash, I'm not going to let you put our relationship second again,” Soarin said seriously, “You may not care about us, but-”

“I don't care about our relationship?!” Dash asked, now turning to Soarin enraged, “That's a load of shit coming from you! If you want to know what's wrong, I saw you and Fleetfoot together!”

Soarin looked shocked for a second, but then quickly composed himself, “So… you know then.”

“I can't believe you two!” Dash said, trembling as she tried to hold in her tears, “I gave up my place in the Wonderbolts Academy, ruined my chances of getting custody of Scootaloo, made everyone think I was a reckless fuck up for you and Fleetfoot, and this is how you repay me?! By sleeping together behind my back?!”

“Dash, look, I'm sorry okay? But you became so distant. You would come home late and be too tired, you weren't telling me where you were going, and you didn't seem interested in us,” Soarin said seriously.

“So this was my fault?!” Dash asked.

“I wanted to feel loved, but apparently some things were more important than us!” Soarin fussed. Dash couldn't believe what she was hearing. He had the nerve to act like he was hurt!

“You wanted to feel loved?! No Soarin, I know what you wanted! You wanted someone to fuck, and when I wouldn't give it to you, you ran to Fleetfoot! And for your information, yes something more important happened, but I had hoped that my boyfriend would understand!” Dash turned around to leave.

“Dash, I'm not going to keep being second!” Soarin shouted, “If you leave right now, this is it! We're through!”

“Do whatever the fuck you want!” Dash said, “My child needs me!”

With that, Rainbow Dash galloped off, unaware of the proud smile Pinkamena was giving her or the god smacked expression on Soarin's face.

Twilight and Scootaloo were galloping through the ruined city away from the large red bird nightmare as it fired at them with its feathers. As they ran, Twilight turned around and fired a magical bolt at the nightmare, but the attack bounced off of its body.

“Nothing I do is working!” Twilight cried.

“Miss Sparkle, what is that thing?!” Scootaloo asked.

“Something that's not going to get you as long as I'm here!” Twilight said. She and Scootaloo ran behind a building, where Scootaloo fell to the ground and cried.

“Oh no...” Twilight pleaded, “Please stop… Don't cry…”

“Mom…!” Scootaloo sobbed, “I want my mom…!”

“Oh Scootaloo…” Twilight sighed. She hesitated, and lightly patted Scootaloo on the head. She knew that she needed more, but she almost had a heart attack holding her before. This was the best she could do for her. Besides, the one she really needed was her mother.

Please tell me you guys are on your way… I don't even care if it's Rarity, just SOMEONE with the magic of harmony…

Rainbow Dash stopped in the park, which seemed to be where the magic of harmony was leading her. Once she arrived, she felt out her feelings toward what just happened with Soarin. Oddly enough, she didn't feel nearly as upset as she thought she'd feel. More so, she felt free.

Like a great weight was lifted off of her.

She looked around for a second until she saw the white portal leading to the labyrinth. As she approached it, she looked down and saw Scootaloo's picture. The one of her “mother”. This was what she thought her mother looked like, huh? The mare in this picture was noble, magnificent, a real hero.

This was the pony Scootaloo was probably expecting to come to her rescue.

“Well, I guess I'll have to do then,” Dash said standing up and looking at the portal, “Hang on Scootaloo. Mommy's coming.”

Dash galloped into the portal, praying that someone was with her right now and that she was alive.

The nightmare landed near the building Twilight and Scootaloo were hiding behind and started looking around. It was dangerously close to them.

“Scootaloo, don't make a sound, alright?” Twilight urged. Scootaloo nodded and calmed down a bit, but she was still terrified. Twilight too. They needed to find the way out of this labyrinth and soon, before-

The nightmare turned to their building, and looked right at Twilight.

“Miss Sparkle, do something!” Scootaloo urged. Twilight didn't know what to do. She didn't have the magic of harmony, so she couldn't fight the nightmare or call any of the others. She closed her eyes, and braced herself for the worst as the nightmare lowered its beak about to-

A bolt of lightning shot into the nightmare, knocking it back. Rainbow Dash then landed elegantly in front of Twilight and Scootaloo, still in her pegasus form.

“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo cried out happily. Twilight was confused. What was Rainbow Dash planning?

“You…” Dash seethed looking at the nightmare as it stood up, “You…!” her entire body started glowing. Twilight couldn't believe it. She wasn't about to…

A red gemstone latched onto Dash's chest, creating a silver chest plate. She flinched slightly in pain from the influx of power hit her, and her entire body began glowing light blue and was engulfed in electricity.

Her body and wings grew, and silver regalia condensed and formed from the electricity. At the same time her mane and tail grew in length and volume as a large horn sprouted from her forehead.

A fancy tiara formed on her head as the electricity was briefly conducted at the tip. She flapped her wings hard to disperse the electricity, and she stood nobly ending the transformation.

“YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR ATTACKING MY CHILD!!!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed. She pointed her horn to the air, and shot a large bolt of lightning out, creating a full on storm of electricity around the labyrinth. The nightmare tried flying away, but the lightning hit its wing knocking it back onto the ground.

For the longest, Scootaloo looked at Rainbow Dash shell shocked, but she slowly stepped out to Rainbow Dash.

“Mom…” Scootaloo said, tears falling from her eyes, “MOM!!!”

Rainbow Dash turned around just in time for Scootaloo to run into her wing embrace.

“Scootaloo, I'm so sorry…” Rainbow Dash said, “I wanted to tell you for the longest time, but I…”

“I knew it!” Scootaloo said, “I knew you were amazing! I never lost faith in you Mom!”

“Scootaloo…” Dash said. Her attention was taken away as the nightmare cried out in anger, flapping its wings, “Sweetie, I need you to stay with Twilight, alright? It'll be safe there.”

“You'll protect us?” Scootaloo asked.

“I promise,” Dash said.

Scootaloo ran back to Twilight, and Dash turned to the nightmare. It flew off, but Dash spread her wings and flew after it. She chased the nightmare for a minute, and then fired a bolt of lightning out of her horn at the giant bird, instantly hitting it in the back. Once it fell to the ground, Rainbow Dash flew down to the nightmare and slashed at it with her horn, ending by shooting it in the chest and knocking it back.

Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike all ran into the labyrinth, the three Elements already transformed. As the nightmare tried to stand, Fluttershy trapped it in a tornado and Spike shot fire at it setting the entire tornado ablaze. They all landed next to Dash and glared at the nightmare.

“So, yer pops got ya back to yer senses?” Applejack asked Dash.

“Yeah, he did,” Dash said, “Thanks, and I'm sorry for letting your guys down.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Rarity said, “If I ever see Soarin, best believe I'll give him a piece of my mind.”

“He's the least of our problems,” Fluttershy said, “For now, we have a nightmare to vanquish, right?”

“That's right!” Spike said turning to Twilight, “Captain, you're up!”

Twilight nodded and ran forward, “First, we need to protect Scootaloo! Applejack, use your magic to create a sphere around her for protection, and then stay close to me to maintain it!”

“Roger that!” Applejack said flying to Twilight and Scootaloo, creating a dome of earth around Scootaloo, “Yer gonna be safe, alright?”

Scootaloo nodded as the sphere closed. The front was slightly open allowing her to still see the fight.

“Fluttershy, Spike, do that combo again while its on the ground! Rarity, follow that up with your lasers!” Twilight commanded.

“You got it Twilie!” Spike said flying up.

“Understood!” Fluttershy said flying after Spike. Rarity nodded and prepared her magic. Fluttershy flew around the nightmare creating a tornado, which Spike once again set ablaze doing extra damage and trapping it. Rarity flew over the tornado and created five spheres that all shot into the tornado. When the tornado dispersed, the nightmare took to the skies flying around them and firing its feathers at everyone, and knocking them all back.

“Rainbow Dash, use your lightning to knock it out of the sky!” Twilight commanded.

“Got it!” Dash shouted, charging up her horn. She fired her lightning at the nightmare, instantly hitting it and paralyzing it.

“Applejack, use your magic to create a cage around it!” Twilight ordered, “Once that's done, prepare the banishing spell! Since it doesn't have armor, we should be able to banish this if we can get it to sit still!”

“You got it Captain!” Applejack said, using her magic. Stone spikes shot out of the ground keeping the nightmare trapped. The four alicorns stood in a circle around the nightmare and shot their magic at the nightmare. It writhed in pain clawing out of the cage, but its events were futile. After a few seconds to a minute, the nightmare faded away along with the labyrinth.

The sphere around Scootaloo dropped and she ran into Rainbow Dash's embrace as the others stepped away from them.

“Mom!” Scootaloo cried, “You're real! You're really real!”

“Yeah, I am…” Rainbow Dash said softly, “I'm sorry Scootaloo… I'm so sorry…!”

“Hey,” Rarity asked, “Should we…?”

“Not this time,” Fluttershy said, “Rainbow Dash has wanted to be with her daughter for the longest. She needs this.”

“But what about our position?” Rarity asked, “She saw all of us.”

“Let's trust Dash,” Applejack said, “Loyalty goes both ways, remember? She'll know what to do.”

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo walked back to the Orphanage together with heavy hearts. Everything was laid out in the open, but now there were hard questions that needed answering.

“So… how long have you been an alicorrn princess?” Scootaloo asked.

“Not too long,” Rainbow Dash said, “Today's actually my one week anniversary joining the team. I wish I could tell you that I've been a silent guardian since before you were born, fell in love with someone, had a child, but couldn't keep you out of fear of putting you in danger, but…”

“But…?” Scootaloo asked. Rainbow Dash stopped on the bridge and looked at the water sadly.

“The truth isn't nearly as glamorous. You might be better off not knowing,” Dash said somberly.

“No, I want to know,” Scootaloo said, “Please?” Dash turned to Scootaloo and sighed.

“It was a little after my fifteenth birthday. Back then, I was a mess. I smoked pot, drank, and well, I don't know how much you know about this stuff, but… I slept around… a lot.”

“You mean sex, right?” Scootaloo asked, surprising Rainbow Dash a bit, “It's amazing what you can learn at the Orphanage.”

Dash chuckled, “Maybe you would have been better off with me,” Dash said before getting serious again, “Well, I was at a party with the seniors. I was invited because I was the hottest filly in school, and I was easy. I had a few too many drinks, and ended up sleeping with one of the seniors. He claimed that he was using protection, but either he lied or it failed.”

“Is that… how you…?” Scootaloo asked.

“Sorry kid,” Dash said, “Like I said, it isn't a glamorous story. Before you ask, I don't know your dad's name either. He graduated before I could tell him that I was pregnant.”

“So… why didn't you keep me?” Scootaloo asked, “Was it because you didn't want me?”

“No!” Dash said immediately, tears in her eyes, “That's not it at all! I was told that I should have aborted you, but I refused!” Dash pulled Scootaloo into her embrace, “I wanted you to have a life, a good life.”

“Then why…?” Scootaloo asked, her voice cracking as the tears came.

“Because I was scared,” Dash said looking into Scootaloo's eyes, “I was so young when you were born, and I didn't know the first thing about raising a kid. The idea that I didn't have your father to help either? My father was really supportive, but he was already raising a teenager on practically minimum wage. Your life would have been horrible, and I didn't want to be a burden on anyone.

“So I set you up for adoption. I had hoped that you would find a good family that could take care of you. Once I learned that you were still at the Ponyville Orphanage I moved here so I could be in your life, but also… in the hopes that I could get custody.”

“Really?” Scootaloo asked hopefully.

“Unfortunately, I screwed up before I could,” Dash said sadly, “I had joined the Wonderbolts in the hopes of making a name for myself, but my squad tried a dangerous maneuver that resulted in a lot of ponies injured. Fleetfoot, my partner, would have gotten sacked, but if that happened she would have been homeless, so I took the fall for her,” Dash looked down sadly, “That ruined my record though, and the Council refused to let me get custody… Scootaloo, I'm sorry. I'm not this princess from a fairy tale. I'm not a super hero. I'm just a mare who screwed up left and right, and who failed to take care of the most important thing in her life.”

“No… you're not,” Scootaloo said, “You did everything you did out of love, and you tried to get me.”

“Yeah, as much good as it did!” Dash said breaking down, “My mom abandoned me after I was born, so I know how much it hurts! I never wanted you to have to live with that!”

“But I'm not,” Scootaloo said placing a hoof on Dash's shoulder, “Because my mom is right here. You've been with me since the beginning. Without you, I wouldn't be as strong as I am right now. You're here, and no you're not the amazing alicorn I thought you were,” Scootaloo smiled, “You're even better.”

“Oh… Scootaloo!” Dash said pulling Scootaloo into her embrace again, “I promise, somehow, in some way, I'm going to get custody! It won't be perfect, I might not be there all the time when you want me to, and I'm gonna fuck up a lot, but we will be a family!”

“I believe in you,” Scootaloo said, “You're the best… Mom.”

“Yeah…” Rainbow Dash said, smiling through her tears, “I know…”

They didn't know it, but Twilight and Spike were watching their reunion. The two of them nodded to each other smiling, and walked off.

After walking Scootaloo back to the Orphanage, she decided to take a walk through town. She finally calmed down enough to ride out her emotions. She felt happy and hopeful for her relationship with Scootaloo, who she promised she'd see more often. Now the only thing that was weighing heavily on her heart was-

She saw Soarin sitting at a table outside of Sugar Cube Corner. Looking at him right now, he actually looked really sad. Did he actually…?

Rainbow Dash sighed and walked over to him.

“Hey,” Dash said catching Soarin's attention. He looked at her sadly.

“Hey…” Soarin said somberly. Dash quietly sat down across from him and for a second was just silent. Sitting in front of Soarin, she tried to feel anger toward him, but in the end she couldn't build it up.

“We need to talk...” Dash said.

“Yeah… wanna head inside?” Soarin asked. Dash looked at Soarin with a sad smile.

“That… sounds good,” Dash said. She and Soarin walked into the cafe. It was time to talk about their future.

Dear Mom,

How are you doing? I'm sorry I haven't been in contact with you for a while. Things have been a little crazy lately. The investigation is still underway, but things are making headway at least.

I'm actually contacting you today for a special reason, unrelated to the investigation. I'd like to actually reopen a custody case that was previously closed. One of our friends, Rainbow Dash, has a child stuck in the foster program. She tried to gain custody, but an incident tarnished her record.

I've only known Rainbow Dash for a few days now, but in my opinion she's an excellent mare with a good heart. She has a stable job, and she really cares for her child. It's a shame all the stuff that's happened to her.

I'd never ask you to use your position to veto a decision from the council before, but this just isn't right. Rainbow Dash should be with her daughter. Please at least consider it. I love you Mom, and I hope to be able to come back and visit you soon.

Your son,
Spike

End of Arc 3

Author's Notes:

Sorry this is so late. I'll check it for errors tomorrow, but right now it's up. This is the last episode for the Rainbow Dash arc. Next arc will come soon.

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