Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo stood outside of the hospital in Neighagra Falls. This was the ninth town they’d been to, all in search of the answer to Scootaloo’s lack of flight. Dash was getting pretty sick of trotting all over Equestria, but her new daughter was desperate to find a doctor who’d tell her that she might fly someday. The truth was, she would never fly, and she knew it. But she was so insistent on finding somepony who could say what she wanted them to say. Her tears had been many, and Dash had done her best to comfort the filly. She already knew that she loved her, and thought she was awesome in every sense of the word. But Scootaloo didn’t believe any of it. She found herself less than perfect, and diluted in the eyes of every other Pegasus.

“Maybe this will be the place!” Scootaloo announced eagerly as she waited on her adopted matron to join her.

“The place for what, kid?” Asked a passing Pegasus.

“The place where somepony tells me that I might fly someday!”

The other pony took a look at her short, stubby wings and burst into laughter. “You? Fly? With THOSE? Thanks, kid! I needed a good laugh today!”

Scootaloo’s mouth dropped, and her tears were immediate. She gave the older mare a nasty look and was just about to launch into an altercation when Dash interrupted. The Cyan Pegasus stood between her daughter and the offender, and also gave a nasty look. It was the same look any mother bear gives when somepony disrupts her cubs and tries to hurt them. It became apparent that Rainbow had heard the entire insulting conversation, and she was well prepared to defend her filly’s honor. She ground her teeth together, taking pleasure in imagining every last pearly white smashing down on the other mare’s fur.

“If you don’t wanna end up in a body bag on the front cover of tomorrow’s newspaper, I’d suggest you run along,” Dash growled.

“Oh, come now, lady,” the mare snorted, “you’re really gonna defend this worthless filly?”

Dash felt her anger rise even further, and it took all her faculties to control it. “I…happen to be this filly’s mother.”

“Oh, so YOU’RE responsible for this travesty against all Pegasi everywhere?!”

“Get going…” Dash said in a voice so low and venomous that it frightened Scootaloo, “…or I may just snap…”

“Okay, okay, okay, I’m going. But you’re dealing with a lost cause, there.”

The Pegasus whipped her head pointedly and trotted off, leaving Scootaloo shaking and Rainbow Dash fuming. The loyal Pegasus had once again proven her Element of Harmony, keeping Scootaloo safe and secure against a threat. She had also proven her love for the orange filly, and her willingness to do anything to protect her. She felt a sense of motherly pride when she gazed at her hooves and saw Scootaloo begin nuzzling up against them. She couldn’t help but smile and bend over to nuzzle her back. Her anger had melted, replaced by her deep care for her daughter.

“It’s okay, Scoots,” Dash said, using her special nickname for the filly, “I’m right here.”

“Why did she treat me like that?” Scootaloo asked, “I mean, we’re all Pegasi, aren’t we?”

“There are some Pegasi who believe that those of us who can’t fly are inferior,” Dash explained, “it’s okay, I’ve…dealt with it before.”

“What do you mean?” Scootaloo said, “you’ve always been an excellent flier! I mean, you’re one of the top Wonderbolts on the team! The autograph line for your meet and greets is always a mile long! How could you have possibly dealt with this?”

“Because…I couldn’t fly for a long time, too.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened and her mouth hit the ground. Rainbow Dash…had been a poor flier? How could that have even entered the realm of possibility? She had heard stories of how Dash had crushed the competition at Flight Camp, how she had been one of the best young fliers in Cloudsdale history, and how many medals she’d won. She’d been to Dash’s home, for Celestia’s sake! She’d seen the trophy room! How in the world could Dash just suddenly confess to being unable to do something she was so undoubtedly amazing at?

“You…couldn’t?”

Dash shook her head. “Nope…at least, not at first.”

“But…Flight Camp…the race…the Rainboom…Fluttershy…”

“That’s all true, but before Flight Camp, my wings were extremely weak. In fact, my Mom and Dad took me to five different doctors in Cloudsdale, and they all told me that I would never be able to fly well. They said it’d be a miracle if I even got off the ground! But, I worked and I practiced and I pushed myself, and now look where I am.”

“But…your wings grew as you did, right?”

“Well…er…” Dash said, as her story suddenly lost all of its intended morale, “…I mean, yeah, but-“

“That’s just it,” Scootaloo said as she turned towards the hospital, “mine haven’t grown. I need answers!”

“But, Scoot, we’ve been to eight different hospitals already! Why don’t we just go home?”

“Because I have to know!” Scootaloo squeaked in defiance.

“But, you do know!” Dash retorted, feeling her anger begin rising again, “you’ve gotten eight opinions already! What good’s a ninth gonna do you? Besides, I’m your Mom now, and I say we need to go home!”

“No, we don’t!”

“Yes, we do!”

“No, we don’t!”

“Yes, we do, and I won’t hear any more arguing about it! Is that clear, young filly?!”

Scootaloo’s ears drooped as she realized that she wouldn’t win this heated debate. She felt like crying again, but she didn’t want to appear in such a way in front of her mother. So, she just plopped on her rump and looked at the ground in complete devastation. Her dreams of being able to fly like a bird, which had lay dormant for so long, had finally been crushed. What was worse, it was her own adoptive matron, whom she loved with all her heart, who committed the crushing. Her lip quivered as a pain she’d never known before took hold on her heart.

Rainbow Dash saw this, and immediately sat beside her daughter. She was getting used to the filly’s constant presence in her life, and would hate to break their bond over something like this. All the same, though, Scootaloo needed to understand that she was the authority figure in her life now. Even when it meant taking something like an opportunity away, Dash needed to do what was best for her. She understood that Scootaloo’s heart was broken, and she felt for her very deeply. But at the same time, she also understood the need to accept life’s truths, even when they hurt.

“Scootaloo…” She said soothingly, running a hoof through the filly’s mane.

“Let’s just go,” Scootaloo responded, on the verge of tears.

“You have to understand that I’m doing this for you,” Dash said, “I love you, and I want what’s best for you.”

“Then why won’t you let me go see another doctor?”

“Because he’s just gonna tell you what everypony else has. I can’t bear to see you disappointed nine times, Scoot!”

“If you couldn’t bear to see me disappointed nine times, then…why didn’t you stop me at the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth time?”

Dash looked at the ground and then back at her daughter. “I guess…I’d convinced myself that perhaps one of these doctors would have a different diagnosis. I thought that maybe one of them would come back from the lab with test results that showed that you could fly. I had these pictures in my head of you soaring higher than the clouds, and me…I saw me right there with you. Oh, Scootaloo, you don’t know how much I want you to be able to fly! To become every last thing that you want to be! It tears me apart, not just as your new mother, but as your friend!”

Dash couldn’t hold back her emotions, and she broke down crying. Scootaloo, shocked at the sudden outpour, slowly nuzzled into her mother. She buried her muzzle into Dash’s shoulder and the two lay as a blubbering pile of fur and hooves for a moment. Dash was the first to stop weeping, and she got up and helped Scootaloo back to her hooves. She saw the pain in the filly’s gaze, but this time…she also saw a lot of understanding. Scootaloo had become aware of the heartache that the Wonderbolt faced on a daily basis.

“Listen, Scoots,” Dash said, ruffling the filly’s mane, “if you wanna go in and try one more time…then, we’ll try one more time.”

“But…what if the answer’s the same?” The small orange pony asked.

“Then, we’ll just have to accept it,” Dash said, “but no matter what, I’m always gonna love you.”

“I love you, too…Mom,” Scootaloo said as the two trotted into the facility.