(Lesson Four-Sometimes, you're pegasus filly needs a little discipline.)

It was the next day. Dash had woken up to find a little bundle curled up beneath her wing. She lifted her wing and found the bundle to be Scootaloo snuggling up to her. Scootaloo had said she was going to sleep in a guest room, but at some point in the night must have snuck into Dash's bed. Dash wasn't able to resist pulling her a little closer and then using her feathers to tickle Scootaloo's side. Scootaloo had woken up giggling. Then she had taken her revenge and pounced on the elder pegasus and dug her hooves into her belly. Dash hadn't wanted to knock her off so had just lain there and let Scootaloo mercilessly tickle her. Scootaloo ended the tickle assault when Dash suggested they have breakfast. Dash wasn't a very able cook so she just poured two bowls of cereal. Scootaloo didn't seem to mind even if Dash didn't have her favorite kind. After breakfast, Scootaloo entertained herself by bouncing on the soft, fluffy clouds that made up Dash's home.

"These are so cool!" Scootaloo gushed, bouncing up and down. She buzzed her wings and bounced against a wall, laughing when she fell onto the floor.

Dash chuckled. "Yeah, cloud floors are the best."

"When I grow up I'm living in a cloud house!" Scootaloo said, beginning to prance along the soft, fluffy material. "Oh! Can we do some training today?"

"I'm not working today. When are your parents expecting you back?"

"Um...I dunno. I told them I was at a crusader's sleepover. Usually, I go crusading with the girls after. So, I'm usually back after noon."

"Sure, we can get some training in. First let's do some wing-ups."

Dash went to sit next to Scootaloo and they assumed the position for wing-ups. By this point, Scootaloo could do about fifteen wing-ups, which was standard for her age. By thirteen she was struggling to maintain her balance while on the tips of her wings. Dash eyed her position critically.

"Scoots, it'll be easier if you keep your back straight." With one hoof she gently corrected Scootaloo's form. Scootaloo went down and did the other two wing-ups with a perfect form. Dash couldn't deny the spark of pride she felt in her heart at seeing how much Scootaloo had progressed in a month. "Now, let's see how long you can hover in the air."

Scootaloo flared her wings and rose into the air. A buzzing sound came from her wings as she hovered.

"Slow flaps, no buzzing." Dash reminded her.

Scootaloo slowed down her wings and nearly fell. At the last second she caught herself. The struggle to stay in the air was visible on her face.

A bead of sweat appeared and trickled into her eyes. She ignored it. When they had began training last month she had only been able to stay in the air for nine seconds. Two weeks later it had been twelve seconds. This time, Scootaloo was determined to stay in the air a full minute.

She felt the strain in her wings, but she ignored them and gritted her teeth. Dash impassively observed her, noting the angle of her wings. Mechanically, she had her form down. Her wings were still weak, however. Suddenly, her wings gave out. Dash caught her.

"How long was that?"

Dash glanced at her timer. "Fifteen seconds. Good job, Squirt."

"Not good enough." Scootaloo grumbled. "I'm going to do it again!" She lept back into the air and began flapping her wings again. At this point her wings were burning. She tried to ignore it, but began to slow. Her hooves nearly touched the floor, but she flapped back up every time that happened.

"Awesome, Scoots." Dash praised. Scootaloo beamed, determined now more than ever.

"I'm going for a minute in the air!" She panted. Her lungs were begging for air. Her wings felt like they were on fire.

"Scoots, you don't have to do that. You don't want to hurt your wings. Take it easy."

"No, I have to do this!" Scootaloo said as she began to sink. She yelped in pain and finally fell into Dash's waiting arms.

"Are you alright?" Dash asked. She rubbed soothing circles into Sootaloo's back.

"Yeah, fine. How long was that?"

"Fifteen seconds."

Scootaloo groaned.

"I'll get you some water, Squirt. Don't try to fly. I mean it."

Dash disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few moments later with the glass of water. Scootaloo took it and gulped it down.

"I want to try again."

"If you think you can."

"I can. I know I can." Scootaloo said.

Dash tousled her mane. "I like your spirit."

Scootaloo flapped her still sore wings and rose into the air. Pain shot through her feathers and she fell. Dash once more caught her.

"Five seconds." Dash told her. "But hey you have improved. Fifteen seconds is your best time."

"Fifteen seconds...a month and I've only improved by a few seconds."

"What'd you expect kid? That'd you be pulling a sonic rainboom?"

"Of course not, I'm not stupid." Scootaloo responded stomping a hoof. "I just-it just makes me mad!" She bucked out wildly and kicked a table.

The vase that the table was on fell and landed on Tank, shattering.

"Oops." Scootaloo said. Dash moved so fast that Scootaloo didn't register that she was across her knee till the first spank connected with her rump.

'Okay, even when she gives spankings she's awesome.' Scootaloo thought as Dash smacked her butt again. A cascade of swats fell down upon her behind, making her yelp though she tried not to.

"Go sit in the corner." Dash ordered, picking her up off her lap and gesturing with a hoof. Scootaloo hung her head and walked over, pressing her muzzle to the wall.

Dash busied herself with sweeping up the pieces of the vase. Then she picked up Tank and gave her a hug, making sure her pet was alright.

She made a mental note to tell Scootaloo to apologize to the tortoise. Scootaloo sniffled a bit. Dash looked at her. Her ears were drooping. Her bottom was a little pink and she was holding back pitiable whimpers. Dash winced.

'Okay, Dash. You could have handled that a lot better. She probably hates you now. Great going. How long is a time-out supposed to last? It's been so long since I was on the receiving end of one.'

After five minutes, Dash decided that Scootaloo had served an acceptably long time-out. She walked over and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"Scootaloo, I-um..."

Whatever she was going to say was cut off by Scootaloo embracing her. "I'm sorry Rainbow Dash!"

"Hey, it's okay. I forgive you." Dash said, returning the embrace. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. I should have told you why you were in trouble before I spanked you."

"I shouldn't have thrown a tantrum. I didn't know Tank was behind me, I didn't mean to hurt him."

"Oh, yeah. You need to apologize to Tank too."

She looked over Dash's shoulder. "Sorry Tank."

Tank smiled at her graciously and went back to sleep. Dash sat down and invited Scootaloo to sit down beside her.

"Why don't we both try to work on our temper?" Dash asked.

"That sounds good." Scootaloo agreed. They hoofbumped. Dash wrapped a wing around her and Scootaloo leaned against her mentor.

"Y'know, Squirt, learning all this takes time. It might be hard to believe-and if you tell anyone I said this I'll deny it-but I wasn't born awesome."

"You weren't?" Scootaloo asked.

"Nope. I had to learn just like you. You want to know something else? I almost got kicked out of Flight School."

Scootaloo's jaw worked up and down. "What for?"

"I just couldn't do the work. The flying I could do, but not the written stuff. Math and stuff like that. So, after Flight School I traveled the world. I learned Scoots, from everypony-and everybody-I could. It took me weeks, but I ascended the Epona Mountains and learned from the Pegasus Sky Masters. To test if I was worthy they threw me off the highest mountain peak they had while weighted down. Almost died, but I soared at the last minute. I learned from Griffon masters too. I even learned from a passing Changeling. I learned Changeling martial arts from him. I think I saw my old teacher at the wedding. Socked him in the jaw."

Scootaloo stared at Dash with reverence bordering on religious awe.

"Will I ever be as awesome as you?"

"No. You'll be as awesome as yourself. The potential is in you, Squirt. Now why don't we go back to training? I'm thinking some light arm and ab exercises? You have other muscles besides your wings, don't neglect them. "

"I'm always up for more training." Scootaloo said. They spent about half-an-hour training before Dash took Scootaloo home. She asked Scootaloo what her mother's name was. Scootaloo pointed out the purple-maned, brown coated earth pony who was working in the garden as Dash and Scootaloo landed by the house.

"Hi, Scootaloo. Who's your friend?" She asked as she put down the spade and walked up to the pair.

"This is Rainbow Dash! She's teaching me to fly!" Scootaloo announced.

A confused expression crossed the mare's face. "I thought you spent last night with the Crusader's."

"We got in some training this morning." Scootaloo said..

Dash couldn't help but admire the skill of the obfuscation. Technically, it wasn't a lie. Nor was it the truth. Sccotaloo had a future in politics.

"Say, do you have some time to talk, Mrs. Oak?"

"Please just call me Oak. Mrs. Oak is my mother. And what's this about?"

Scootaloo looked between the two adults.

"I just need to talk to you about something." Dash said.

Scootaloo chose to leave, going away into the house.

"What's this about?"

"Scootaloo spent the night with me."

"What? Why?"

"She told me that you and her dad had been fighting so much she didn't want to be home."

Oak sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I could see that. If she'd told me the truth I'd have let her stay over with you. Don't know why she'd lie to me like
that."

"You and your husband fight a lot?"

"None of your business."

Dash cocked her head. "When your kid wants to stay over with me cause her parents are fighting so much, it's kind of my business. There are a few other things, too."

Oak trotted away and knelt down in a patch of carrots. She began to dig. Dash trotted next to her.

"Is it about her not being able to fly at her age?" She asked. "We're both Earth Ponies. We can't teach her. You're welcome to though."

"It's not just that." Dash said. "Scootaloo's wings looked awful. She hasn't been preening properly. It's a mother's duty to make sure their child's wings are preened."

Oak stopped. "I'm not a pegasus, if you haven't noticed."

"It doesn't matter. There are professional preeners out there who don't charge that much."

"We're not rich."

"Then you could have learned how to do it yourself!" Dash snapped.

Oak stood and Dash saw where she got the name. Her muscles were so solid and well-developed that Dash wondered if she didn't work out herself. "Are you accusing me of neglect?"

"She had parasites. Your daughter's wings were covered in parasites. I had to pull them off." Dash responded.

"You are. You're saying I'm neglecting my daughter!"

"Well, if the horse shoe fits-"

She stomped her hoof, reminding Dash of her daughter. "I do not neglect her! Look, I just...I just don't know how to take care of a pegasus. I don't know what she needs."

"Lady, pegasii aren't that different from any other pony. Other than wing care you take care of them like you take care of any other foal."

"Wanna know something? When she was born, I wasn't ready for a foal. But I have done the best I can! How dare you accuse me of neglect!"

"I'm not accusing you of anything!" Dash shouted, "Just...I'm just worried about her. I want to know what's going on."

Oak shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing is going on. You want to preen her, teach her how to fly, teach her everything a young pegasus should know, go ahead."

"Okay. Also, please don't get mad at her about lying. I think she was just scared about what you might say."

"Sure, sure." Oak said, then returned to her gardening.

Dash backed away, flared her wings and took to the air.

...
It was a bit too early for a drink, but Dash did enjoy the pub. It was the atmosphere. The light filtering through the red, stained-glass windows. The sound of the pool balls knocking into each other. The loud chatter of the stallions and the mares flirting with each other. The familiar smell of beer and greasy, hay burgers. And one of her oldest friends sitting by her side. It felt like home.

"I don't get it, AJ." Dash said, sipping her root beer. "Aren't Earth Ponies supposed to be all into family? I get the feeling Scootaloo's mom doesn't even care."

Applejack bit into her hayburger. "I don't get it, RD. What's up with Fluttershy? Aren't pegasii supposed to be into flying and being brave warriors?"

"I see your point. But, I mean...my mom cared about me. I mean really, really cared about me. It got a bit annoying at times. 'Dashie put on your sweater, I'm cold.' 'Dashie, eat your veggies.'"

"Your mama calls you Dashie?" Applejack asked with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, it's adorable I know. She loves me. I always knew that and never doubted it. I can't imagine a mother not caring about their foal."

"It's sad, but at least Scootaloo has somepony that cares about her."

"Me? I can't be a mother. I screw up too much. Training her, sure, I can do that. But I can't be her mother."

"You don't need to be. Be her sister, be her friend, be her wise old mentor-"

"Who ya calling old?"

"Missing the point, Dashie. Just let her know that somepony out there cares about her."

Dash sipped her drink. "Your right. I just gotta be there for her."

Author's Notes:

Author's Note:
Instead of Scootabuse, it's Scootaneglect.
I just gotta be different.