"Scootaloo! You're going to be late for school!"

Scootaloo opened her eyes, looked at the clock on her bedside table, and groaned. The illuminated hands glowing in the semi-darkness of the room told her that it was just past 6:30: school wouldn't be starting for another hour.

But that was her mother, and the knowledge of the nagging that she would get if she tried to sleep in any longer overruled her instinctive desire to stay in her bed where it was warm. Yawning, she pulled herself out of bed and slid onto the wooden floor, reaching up for the light switch. Blinking in the sudden light as she looked up, Scootaloo was cheered up enough to smile at the sight of a poster of Rainbow Dash taped up on the wall, grinning confidently at her.

The smile disappeared when Scootaloo turned and saw the picture on the nightstand next to the clock. Upon the sight of the sparkling sky-blue eyes, Scootaloo was once again reminded of his absence. He'd been gone for long, far too long, and every day that he was gone made the hole in her's and her mother's life a little deeper.

She really needed to stop looking at the nightstand.

"Scootaloo! Are you up?"

"Yes, mom! I'm coming!" Scootaloo called.

A few minutes later, Scootaloo was trotting downstairs, greeting the smell of perfectly-browned toast. A butter knife, in the grip of a watery blue magic aura, spread grape jelly on the toast. The unicorn manipulating the knife was a small mare with cloud white fur, sunshine yellow eyes and a mane and tail that were the same color as her aura and shimmered like waves. The image of a cloud and sun was displayed on her flank.

"Morning, honey!" she said in a soft voice like summer rain on a rooftop, smiling gently as she set the toast down on the table next to a glass of orange juice. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, mom," Scootaloo said, tucking into her breakfast. At least until you woke me up. she thought.

While she ate her breakfast, she watched her mother, whose name was Rain Breeze, prepare her lunch for the day: egg salad sandwich, banana, grapes, some chips and a carton of milk, double checking everything as she put them in.

"Did you finish your homework?" she asked as she did so.

"Yes, mom."

"What are you doing after school?"

"Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and I are trying for our cutie marks in slalom skiing!"

"Oh, dear, can't you three do something safe? Like painting? Or making snow angels?"

"Mom, we'll be fine," Scootaloo said, rolling her eyes at her mother's usual overworrying.

"Oh, all right, dear," she sighed. "I just worry that you..."

"I know, mom," Scootaloo said, the weight of her voice clearly denoting her sincerity. "I know."

Finishing her breakfast, Scootaloo went back upstairs to brush her teeth. Staring into the mirror at her scruffy reflection as she scrubbed her teeth, she thought about the look of worry on her mother's face. That same fear that she'd been dealing with ever since he left...

When she came back downstairs, she found her saddlebag had been packed and was waiting for her. As she put it on, she prepared herself for the regular interrogation.

"Did you brush your teeth?" Rain asked.

"Yes, mom."

"Are you sure you've got everything?"

"Yes, mom."

"You're going straight to school?"

"Yes, mom. I won't talk to strangers, and I'll be back home before dark."

Rain Breeze gave her a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, honey."

"I love you too, mom," Scootaloo said, heading outside and down the road to school.

Back inside, Rain Breeze poured herself a cup of tea while she gathered her notes from her work. Possessing a special talent in being able to cheer up other ponies, she worked as a psychiatrist at a local clinic, which wasn't going to open for another few hours. Putting on a classical music record with her magic, she sat down at her desk to review her notes. There weren't that many, fortunately, but the papers on her desk each represented a pony who had trusted her to help them with their problems, who were depending on her. A recovering drug addict, a young mare with anorexia, a pair of concerned parents who were struggling to connect to their autistic child...

A husband dealing with depression after the death of his wife.

Rain Breeze sighed and thought of her husband. His smile, his reassuring laugh, his hooves around her as she awoke...

There was a knock on the door. Looking at the clock, Rain Breeze realized that a couple hours had gone by. Regaining control of herself, she walked up and answered the door, staring in surprise at who was standing at the door.

Twilight Sparkle and her armored bodyguard, Corporal Flash Sentry, stood there, both of their faces neutral.

"Dr. Rain Breeze?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Rain Breeze asked, already dreading what she was about to hear.

"We have some news about your husband."

Rain Breeze tried not to whimper.

Earlier...

Flash Sentry licked his lips, struggling to maintain his focus. He couldn't afford to get this wrong: he was down to his last chance, his last hope. He considered his position and his opponent's, thought through every possibility, and made his decision.

Looking across the table into the smirking lavender eyes, he spoke softly. "Do you have any threes?"

"Nope!" Twilight said, her smirk growing wider. "Go fish!"

"Aww," Flash groaned, reaching forward to take another card from the table, which turned out to be a six, and adding it to his hoof.

"Do you have any sixes?" Twilight asked.

Without a word, Flash took three cards out of his hoof and held them out. Twilight took them all in her magic, added them to the six from the cards floating before her face, and stacking them neatly, placed them on top of the very large stack of suits next to her.

Within two minutes the game was over, and Flash had suffered possibly the most humiliating defeat in his life. "I swear you cheated," he grumbled as he gathered the cards up.

"Flash, how can you possibly cheat at go fish?" Twilight said, acting insulted.

"You could have read my mind or something," Flash said.

"Would I do that?" Twilight asked. Flash decided it was best not to answer and went back to watching the rest of the carriage, which was empty except for them. The two of them were in the train back to Ponyville from the Crystal Empire, where they had just returned from a meeting between the princesses and the minotaur leaders.

Flash looked up as the door opened and a pegasus stallion walked into the carriage, his head up and alert. He had cloud white fur, blue eyes, a red mane that went down to his shoulders and a red tail. A five-pointed shooting star with a rainbow trail was displayed on his flank and he carried his things in a pair of saddlebags, both decorated with his cutie mark, and a suitcase that he carried in his mouth. Flash observed him quietly as he walked over to a seat on the other side of the carriage and sat down in it, straight backed. Flash noticed the tanning on the left side of his body, the spot of oil on his saddlebag, the callus on his right hoof and the small scar on his right cheek.

"Do you know him, Flash?" Twilight asked.

"Not yet," Flash said, approaching the other stallion, who had not seen them. Clearing his throat to announce his presence, he said, "Sniper, back from guard duty from Canterlot?"

The stallion, upon seeing him in full armor and with a corporal pin on his shoulder, snapped to attention and replied, "Sir, yes sir!"

"At ease," Flash said, internally pleased with himself for being correct.

"How'd you know, sir?" the stallion said, relaxing.

"The details," Flash explained. "The spot of gun oil on your saddlebag, the callus on your hoof from having the hammer repeatedly rammed into your hoof from shooting your gun a lot, and the scar on your cheek from a hot brass cartridge hitting you in the face. I can see the ticket in your luggage, and you're tanned on one side, which meant you spent a lot of time standing in one place."

The stallion spotted the silver bars on Flash's shoulders and grinned. "You can't get anything past an Investigator."

Flash stuck his hoof out. "Flash Sentry, Royal Guard Investigator and personal bodyguard to Princess Twilight."

"Private First Class Zipline, sniper for the Solar House Guard," the stallion replied, then bowed to Twilight. "Your Highness, it's an honor to meet you."

"And you," Twilight said. While his head was lowered, she mouthed "Show off" to Flash, who smirked back at her.

"I'm coming to Ponyville, too," Zipline said, digging in his luggage. There was the rattling of his armor as he rummaged around it in his search before pulling his hoof back, revealing a photograph. Twilight's eyes widened upon the sight of the small orange and purple pegasus riding upon Zipline's shoulders in the photo.

"Are you Scootaloo's father?" she asked.

"Yes! Do you know her?"

"I tutor her and her friends," Twilight said.

Zipline smiled. "You must be pretty sharp to be able to handle those three troublemakers."

Twilight laughed. "You have no idea." The three new friends settled down to enjoy the rest of the train ride.

"We have some news about your husband," Twilight said.

Rain Breeze swallowed, her pupils shrinking. "What is it?"

Twilight smiled as she and Flash stepped aside to reveal Zipline behind them, bedecked in full armor and a wide smile. "He missed you very much."

Rain Breeze stared for a moment, then gave a loud, delighted squeal as she rushed forward and tackled her husband in a hug, knocking him to the ground. Zipline laughed happily as he hugged her back, stroking her back.

"I'm home, honey," he whispered.

Rain Breeze kissed Zipline on the lips. "Scootaloo and I missed you so much," she said, happy tears shining in her eyes.

"I missed my girls too," Zipline said as Rain Breeze allowed him to get up. "Where's Scootaloo?"

"She's at school now," Rain Breeze said. "Oh, she's going to be so happy to see you!"

"Why don't I go over and surprise her?"

"Oh, that'll make her day!" Rain Breeze squealed in delight. The two headed for the school, with Twilight and Flash following.

The class had just come back inside from recess and Cheerilee had set them on their next lesson: fractions. Joy.

Scootaloo was doing her best to concentrate, but her brain seemed to be particularly unreceptive of knowledge today. She kept thinking about the look on her mother's face.

What happens if Dad doesn't come back?

She tried to shake the thought out of her head. Of course he would come back. He had to!

So why was she so worried about it? Why did she stay up at night, thinking about the prospect of growing up fatherless, what it would mean for her and for her mother?

Fractions just seemed really inconsequential at the moment.

"Scootaloo, are you paying attention?"

Scootaloo snapped up at her teacher's voice. "Yes, Miss Cheerilee!"

Cheerilee gave her one of her looks, which Scootaloo returned with an innocent, and, she hoped, convincing smile.

"Well, then," Cheerilee nodded. "Class, I have a surprise for you; we have a special visitor."

Scootaloo sighed and turned towards the door as it opened, wondering what old coon would be lecturing them today. But when the stallion walked into the room, his armor shining in the sunlight, her jaw dropped and she stared for a few seconds before regaining her voice.

"D-dad?"

"Yes, sweetie, it's me," he replied.

Instantly, Scootaloo leaped out of her seat and ran towards her father, happy tears already leaking from her eyes. Her father knelt, opening his forelegs wide, and she seized him in a hug as the class erupted into cheers. Even Cheerilee's eyes watered.

"I missed you so much," Scootaloo sobbed into her father's chest.

"I missed you too, kiddo," Zipline said, wrapping his wings around her. A happy smile spread across the father and daughter's faces as they held one another. Rain Breeze watched from the doorway, beaming with pride, Twilight and Flash beside her.

"Are you crying?" Twilight asked Flash.

"N-no!" Flash protested, wiping at his eyes. "There's dust in my eyes."

Twilight just rolled her eyes and levitated a hanky over to him.

Scootaloo snuggled tighter against her father. It was so good to have him home.

Author's Notes:

Gah! Finally, I get this done. Sorry for the long chapter, but it's necessary to set up the chapter.

Scootaloo's father was based off of this image: Surprise, Scootaloo

The image in the text was a commission done for me by EmR0304.

Hope you look forward to more!