After the close call on Mt. Aris, Scootaloo and Terramar became increasingly concerned about their daughter’s ability to hear. She was a baby exploring the world after all, and if she couldn’t listen in urgent situations it could prove to be dangerous. So they did what they thought best and took her to an audiologist to confirm or deny their suspicions.

Which was what brought them to her office right now, anxiously awaiting answers as the doctor leafed through pages of test results.

“Well your suspicions were certainly correct. Seaweed Swirl has moderate to severe hearing loss.”

Terramar had never felt so anxious before in his life. He was constantly thinking of the ways his daughter could be hurt or the possible dangers of every situation, and now here he was, watching his fears become realized.

He almost immediately took it to extremes.

“What does that mean? Is she ever going to learn to talk? To read? How is she going to make friends!?”

Scootaloo nudged him and deadpanned,

“She’s deaf, Terramar, not blind. Of course she’s gonna learn to read.”

She had to admit herself that she was anxious too, but her Seaweed was a strong and smart little filly. She could do anything she set her young mind to and a little hearing loss wouldn’t stop her.

The doctor couldn’t help but chuckle at his rather misinformed questions.

“That’s right, reading won’t be a problem at all. Neither will talking and making friends if you accommodate her well.”

Terramar’s cheeks flushed as the embarrassment only made him feel worse. As he stared at Seaweed sitting on the doctor’s table, all he could think about was how she had no clue what any of them were saying.

“Oh trust me we will! I know how to keep my own daughter out of danger, thank you very much.”

As he said this he turned to Scootaloo with a hint of bitterness in his voice, anger and frustration in the way she was handling things slowly growing inside of him. How was she not as worried as him? DIdn’t she care?

Scootaloo ignored the look he was giving her. She was not going to deal with this today. Instead she implored further.

“What kind of accommodations do you suggest, doctor?”

“There are lots of options.”

The doctor handed them a rather fat pamphlet.

“You can get her fitted for hearing aids, they don’t solve hearing loss completely but they will improve it greatly. Plus, we make them out of pearl shards so she can wear them underwater with no problem. Or you can opt for teaching her sign language or mouth reading. There’s plenty of time to weigh your choices.”

Terramar leaned over his wife's shoulder to get a better look at the pamphlet.

“Wow…that’s a lot of information.”

Something in his heart sunk as realization settled in. He didn’t care about whatever Scootaloo was thinking anymore. He extended his claw to hold his daughter's hooves gently, smiling as she reacted with a gentle giggle.

Thinking logically, it wouldn’t be so bad.

“We’re gonna get her whatever we can, hearing aids AND sign language, right Scoots?”

Scootaloo nodded in agreement, reaching out her own hoof to coo over her daughter as well.

“Yeah. She’ll get everything she needs, no problem.”