“Scoots, c’mon! I’ve waited all week to get the day off, we’re meeting everypony at the lake to go skating,” Rainbow called from outside their house to the filly who was getting ready inside.

“I’m coming, Mom, keep your boots on. Sheesh,” Scootaloo replied from the top of the stairs.

“Don’t sass me, young mare. Mama left already with Apple Bloom, I don’t wanna miss anything. If ya don’t get down here in a minute Ah’m comin’ up there ta get you,” Rainbow demanded as she stomped inside and slammed the door.

“I’m coming!”

“Don’t shout at me!”

“I’m not shouting, I’m screaming!” Scootaloo screamed as she floated down the stairs. She landed before Rainbow with the most angry expression she could make. “You have to give me more time, Mom. I’ve gotta make sure I have everything ready to get our cutie marks in ice skating.”

“Whatever, Scoots,” Rainbow said jumping into the air and beginning to hover, opening her forelimbs, “I can’t believe we’re gonna be almost an hour late over your cutie mark!”

Scootaloo frowned and opened her wings. “Well, if you spent more time with me; maybe I could get it in flying! But all you do is drool over Applejack!”

“You call her Mama, and she’s my marefriend, fiance. Ah’m gonna pay her my mind when I’m around.”

“And you talk like her too much too! What happened to the cool Rainbow Dash? I miss it when you’d just fly by and I’d see you for a second and dream of this. This sucks! You’re not awesome, you’re sappy!”

Rainbow landed and stood tall, towering over Scootaloo, both refusing to lower their guard. “What the hay, Scoots? Why’re you talkin’ to me like this?”

Scootaloo’s facade deflated and she let her head, ears, wings, and tail droop. “I, I can’t tell you.”

“Scootaloo,” Rainbow said taking in one last deep breath before exhaling most of her tension away, “Scoots,” she said softer as she lowered her head to Scootaloo’s level, “you can tell me anything. You’re still the coolest filly I know and always will be.”

Scootaloo let her snout touch the floor before she noticed how low she’d gotten and huffed her nose clear. “I, really wanna, but if I do I’ll be a terrible pony.”

“What? There’s no way you’d ever be anything less the totally awesome, Scootaloo. Tell me what’s up, if you want we’ll keep it a secret between us. Just, get it off your feathers so you can fly better.”

“Ya know,” Scootaloo said wiping her snout with the back of her hoof, “I don’t always get the feather stuff. I’m not a Cloudster, I’m a Faller.”

“Meh, Cloudsdale, Rainbow Falls; still have pegasi in cities. You should know some of the things we say.”

“I do, Mom, but I don’t, haven’t, had to use them since I’m always on the ground. Like ‘keep your feathers preened and cleaned and you’ll be a fightin’ machine’? Who even says that?”

Rainbow opened her mouth then realized what was happening. “Wait, you’re changing the tropic! I won’t fall for that… wow,” she said reflectively, “that’s how AJ feels. Anyway, you’re gonna tell me why you’re upset, right, Scoots? Just Mom and… daughter.”

Scootaloo poked the wooden floor with her hoof and nodded slightly before she turned and began to walk to the couch, Rainbow slipped out of her boots; lest she incur Applejack’s wrath, then followed.

They both laid on the couch, facing each other, waiting for Scootaloo to start. “Scoots, Ah know I said we hafta go, but there’ll be other days like today all winter; I can see to that. Let’s just talk about this, like Mama would say, ‘talk now, feel better later’.”

“Fine,” Scootaloo said, “I have a bully problem.”

“Oh, that’s it? Just tell ‘em off and it’ll be over in no time; bullies hate confrontation.”

“That’s the thing, Mom. I’ve tried. We’ve all tried: They’re ruthless, relentless, almost evil…”

Rainbow closed her wings and shuffled into the couch a bit. “Now, what are you talkin’ about? No pony is that bad. Who’s so mean?”

“Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.”

“Oh, those two? They’re your best friends, I thought,” Rainbow said as Scootaloo sneered in disgust, “they’re always encouraging you to get your cutie marks and giving you ideas of crazy stuff to do, right?”

“Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said narrowing her eyes, “who said they were our friends?”

“Well, we just see ‘em hangin… around, you three… Aw horse feathers, I never even thought that they were bullies. I mean, I never saw y’all bein mean, really. Just them laughing,” Rainbow said as she reached a hoof to Scootaloo’s.

“Well, they’re evil. They’ve been tormenting me, us, since we first all met. Every, single, day.”

“Oh, that can’t be. What about when you’re inside all day?”

“They slide notes through the window.”

“Wh-what do they say?” Rainbow asked softly, remembering how tough she was and how it didn’t apply to the filly before her.

“They’re blank.”

“Oh,” Rainbow said as a smile graced her in relief, “that’s not so bad.”

“Blank flank. That’s what they’re telling us, calling us, teasing us all the time. Since you adopted me, it’s gotten worse, Mom.”

“Worse?” Rainbow asked as her voice cracked, “how can two fillies make you so upset?”

“Mom, they’ve been saying I’m a fillyfooler, with Applebloom.”

“Oh, well, I guess-”

“And you, and Mama, all at the same time. They poke me under my tail and ask if it’s where everypony takes turns first,” she said lowering her head to Rainbow’s hooves, “and they laugh. They’re so mean, mom.”

Rainbow gulped as she stared ahead.

That’s what the dream was about, I bet, she thought, this’ the first time you have to be a real mother to your… foal. Just, say the right thing.

“I’ll buck them in the head!” Rainbow shouted taking to the air and putting up her forelegs in a fighting stance. “I’ll rip out their manes and … they’re earth ponies, right, Scoots?” Rainbow looked down at the defeated expression Scootaloo had and winced.

Wrong answer. It’s okay, you can save this; you’re Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow closed her wings and fell to the couch, lowering her head. “I’m sorry, Scootaloo, that wasn’t a nice way to handle it. I just, I dunno, forget that I’m a mom now.”

Scootaloo placed her hooves on Rainbow’s bangs and moved them from her eyes. “It’s okay, Mom, I’m not used to being a daughter again. I’m sorry I yelled at you, before.”

“No, it’s okay. I have to learn to not be so, rushy. AJ’s always tellin’ me ta slow down sometimes, but Ah just don’t know how. I mean, look at me,” she sat tall and grinned, “I’m the best flier in Equestria. But, that’s not important right now. Let me tell you something,” she said laying down and motioning for Scootaloo to do the same.

“Scoots, bullies only act tough because they’re weak. That’s why I never had to bully anypony, gryphon, or whatever. Because I know I’m weak.”

“Wait, what? You’re not weak; sappy, yes. But not weak,” she retorted indignantly.

“Scoots, I’m only telling you this because you’re family. I’m scared of failure, I saw a shrink when I was a filly for a bit, and stopped going because she said I’d have to face failure someday, even with my cutie mark of pure awesomeness,” she said looking back to her flank.

“Well, that’s you. I’m not afraid of failing; I just want my cutie mark.”

“Is the reason you and the others want your cutie mark… because you want them, or to stop the bullies?”

Scootaloo opened her mouth then froze. Her eyes shifted slightly as she thought, debated, the answer. Rainbow began to daydream about stunts she’d perform later to pass the time in silence as Scootaloo snapped her muzzle closed and inhaled sharply.

She started to cry.

Rainbow moved closer and pulled Scootaloo into a hug. “It’s okay, Scoots. We’re all here for you, and those two can eat a falling pile of mud.”

Scootaloo snorted a laugh and pulled back, looking at her mother. “Mom,” she started, her eyes barely clinging to what tears hadn’t washed down her face, “I don’t think the crusaders are crusading for the right reason anymore. What do I do? Do I disband our club? Should I just leave?”

“Darlin’,” Rainbow said softly, “running will never fix your problems. You’ve gotta be awesome and face ‘em down. I don’t want you to hurt them too bad, but those bullies have to know you and the others aren’t rainclouds and won’t be walked on. You’re all storm clouds, ready to strike them in the tail if they don’t treat you right.”

Scootaloo sniffled and smiled as Rainbow carefully wiped the fillies eyes clear with a pillow from the couch. “Mom, what if they don’t listen? What if Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon get worse?”

“Then I guess I might miscalculate a sonic rainboom over their houses and shatter all their glass until their parents get on ‘em.”

“Mom, that won’t work. Their parents are rich, they can afford new windows.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow said, “but not if the glass is their shipments of jam.”

“Ohh,” Scootaloo grinned, “then they’d lose business and… wait,” she sighed again.

“Sco~otaloo,” Rainbow whined, “you’re thinking too much. Let’s just break something, that always makes me feel better.”

“Well, just listen, Mom. What if we just ask the Apples to stop selling them jam? They have to have it to sell around the world, or else they lose money. Diamond Tiara’s dad might do anything to get the jam, so we could just have him send Diamond Tiara away.”

“Fine, let’s try that. First though, can we get to the skating pond? I wanna try my hoof at horse hockey; I already bet Mama I’d beat her. She’ll win if I don’t show up, and I don’t wanna do chores for a week on the farm,” she said hopping and flapping, hovering over the couch.

“Okay, mom. Let’s go,” she sighed.

“And, I’ll keep an eye out for those two. If they bug you, I think I can have Pinkie start a snowball fight with them; no holds barred.”

Scootaloo hopped into the air and hovered. “Now, that sounds like a great plan. Let’s go start a snowball fight, just because.”

Rainbow flew to the door and landed in her boots. “Hurry and get ready, I call the grey bully.”

“Her name’s Silver Spoon.”

“More like, bruised at noon!”

Sharing a laugh, Rainbow helped Scootaloo get ready before they left in a hurry to the lake… forgetting to close the front door during an especially chilly morning.

“Mom, I can’t fight her. What can I do to beat her without getting in trouble?”

“Hmm,” Rainbow thought as she picked up Scootaloo to her back and began flying quickly, “hugs are a great way to get a pony to calm down.”

“So, like a bear hug?” Scootaloo said squeezing Rainbow’s neck a bit tighter.

“Ha, no, silly filly. I mean a friend hug. Maybe her friendship tank is empty and that’s why she’s so mean.”

“...Maybe, I’ll try it, eventually.”

“That’s all I ask for, Sport.”

Next Chapter: Confrontation Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 13 Minutes