Life's Lessons

Rainbow Dash powered through the sunny autumn skies of Ponyville with the little orange filly strapped tightly to her back as she held her sister’s neck tightly. She soon spotted the famous dress shop near the outskirts of the main streets. Dash smiled and dived down. She landed softly on the ground, careful not to hurt her living cargo.

Scootaloo grinned. “That was awesome Dash!” she said happily as she hopped off her older sister’s back.

Dash smirked. “Plenty more where that came from kid!” she said confidently before folding up her wings and walking with the small filly towards the purple and white building - which had a mural at the top which was carved to look like a carousel.

Dash opened the front door ringing the little gold bell at the top signalling the shop owner. She let Scootaloo walk in front as they trotted into the store. Dash looked around the store and saw a white mare working at the sewing machine not to far away from the shops stage.

Dash trotted over to the mare who turned around at the sound of the hoofsteps. “Oh hello Rainbow darling, what can I do for you?” she asked getting off her seat and facing the rainbow maned mare. The white unicorn assessed the mare in front of her before speaking up again. “I’m guessing you broke you’re wing again and you want a more comfortable bandage?” she said tilting her head to one side.

Dash muffled a giggle before replying, “Not today Rares, Scoots over here needs a flight suit and I was wondering if you could make one?” she asked hesitantly.

The dressmaker looked over to the small orange filly in the center of the shop and then back at the rainbow mare. “Hmm I guess I could,” she said putting her hoof to her chin and using her magic to take out a few rolls of different fabric as she made her way over to the stage.

Scootaloo’s eyes widened when she saw her body be enveloped in a aura of blue magic before she was levitated over to the store’s stage. Before she could say anything she was immediately assaulted with different fabrics and other utensils.

Rainbow Dash trotted up to the white unicorn as she worked. “So how long do you think it will take?” she asked quizzically.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Rainbow Dash, you know you can never rush perfection,” she said knowingly as she moved a few more things over to the filly.

Dash shook her head playfully as she watched her little sister try many different things for very long periods of time.

After a few hours Rarity finally stopped her work. Scootaloo collapsed on the stage exhausted from standing still for to long. Dash looked over to the white unicorn as she trotted over to a Desk at the far side of the shop next to a set of mannequins. Rarity took a quill and began to draw on a piece of parchment as the two other ponies made their way over to her.

Dash peered over the mares shoulder as she watched the mare work. Scootaloo jumped up onto her older sisters back and looked down to see her flight suit being drawn out. Soon the white unicorn was finished with her design. She levitated the finished product over to the pair as they looked at the prototype.

Scootaloo was the first to speak. “It looks awesome!” she said with joy. Dash nodded in agreement.

Rarity just smiled. “Well that's great! It will take me about three days to make the suit though, so you’ll have to give me some time,” she pointed out as she walked over to one of the mannequins and stuck the design on it.

Scootaloo looked up at Dash. “Does that mean we can’t train today?” she asked in a sad tone.

Dash shook her head dismissively. “Of course not you silly filly, we can still train,” she said ruffling the filly’s mane, making her giggle.

After giving the unicorn their thanks Rainbow and Scoots made their way to the shops entrance, but they left Rainbow was stopped by the white unicorn. “Hey Dash, can I speak with you?” she said motioning for Dash to come over. The rainbow maned mare nodded and trotted over.

Rarity leaned in. “So how is the filly?” she said motioning to the little pony at the end of the shop.

Dash smiled. “She’s great! She was at my place last night and it was the best time I’d had in a while,” she said happily as she looked over to the orange filly.

Rarity smiled. “Well that's great to hear darling, it's good to know the poor dears not in any trouble,” the white mare said happily as she trotted back over to the other side of the shop and began to sew once again.

Rainbow said goodbye to her friend once again before leaving the shop with Scootaloo. The pair then started to trot towards Ponyville’s central park.

The two Pegasi trotted through the main street in the small town. Many stalls and market places lined the road as the pair walked by seeing their apple friends selling their famous treats at one of the many stalls. At the moment, the yellow filly was currently trying to sell apples whilst the older mare in and orange coat tried to stop customers from running away. The two Pegasi laughed at this as they made their way further down the wide open street.

The pair soon passed by the famous sweets store in the center of town not to far from their destination. Suddenly, a pink mare appeared out of nowhere to greet the two ponies. “Hey everypony!” she hollered as she bounced around the two Pegasi happily.

Dash rolled her eyes playfully. “Hey Pinks, how's it going?” she asked as the pink mare came to a stop in front of both her and Scootaloo.

Pinkie smiled a mile wide. “Juuuuust great!” she said joyfully before continuing, “Today I got to bake Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s new recipe for apple pie and I got to play with Spike when he was getting more quills for Twilight!” she said happily before she began bouncing around again.

After a few moments Pinkie spoke up. “So what fun things are you doing today Dashie!” the party mare asked quizzically as she looked at the cyan mare.

Dash grinned. “I’m gonna train Scoots here to fly,” she said winking at the small filly next to her.

Pinkie grinned, “That sounds like so much fun! I wish I could be there, but I need to start planning for Scootaloo’s party,” the mare said before trotting off towards the sweets store.

Dash and Scootaloo looked at each other with equally confused before speaking in unison, “A party?”

Pinkie turned around and nodded happily. “Yeah it's a ‘Yay Scootaloo’s not in trouble' party,” she said before bouncing away.

Dash looked at Scootaloo and shook her head playfully as the small filly giggled at the party mare’s antics.

After a few more minutes of trotting Dash and Scootaloo both made their way to Ponyville’s central park, which was miles of green land accompanied with a colorful bridge and a few other features. The sun was now shining high above the town as mid day rolled around.

Dash and Scootaloo found a clear space away from the other ponies enjoying the fine autumn day. The cyan mare turned around to face the filly. “Okay squirt, first we’re going to do some exercises to get you all warmed up,” the mare said before she started to do particular stretches with her wings.

Scootaloo copied her actions as the pair did all types of warm up exercises, ranging from wing press ups to hind leg stretches. Soon however Dash stopped the filly, the exhausted pony could feel the sweat on her brow as she looked back up towards the cyan mare.

Rainbow smiled. “Great work Scoots, now lets start flying!” she said flaring her wings. Scootaloo smiled back as she spread her own wings. Dash smirked. “Okay first you're going to learn how to glide or at least that's what I did first,” the mare said as she thought back to her first flight lessons.

Scootaloo nodded. “Sounds awesome!” she said happily as she buzzed her wings. Dash grinned and motioned for the little filly to jump onto her back before the cyan mare jumped into the air a few feet from the ground.

Dash looked back to the filly. “Okay Scoots, you're going to stretch out your wings and jump,” she said. Although to Scoots this was easier said than done, she hesitantly stood up on the mare’s back and flared her wings. She took one last look at Dash who smiled casually. “It's okay squirt, trust me just act like a kite,” she said pointing over in the distance at a kite which a father and son where playing with in another part of the vast park.

Scootaloo watched the kite for a few more moments before turning a determined look at the ground below her. After a few more tense moments, she jumped of the mares back. Scootaloo saw the ground advancing towards her and closed her eyes as she waited for the impact of the unforgiving ground. But none came.

Scootaloo slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by a sea of cyan fur. She looked up to see Dash with her famous smirk as she held her tightly.

Dash rolled her eyes playfully. “You silly filly, next time remember to spread your wings,” she said pointing to the filly’s currently folded and shaking wings. Scootaloo blushed slightly from embarrassment.

Dash muffled a giggle and set the filly down on the grass before leaning down to her level and speaking, “First kid, you’ve gotta relax, don’t stress about it,” she said ruffling the filly’s mane before continuing, “You gotta let your wings carry you, they ain’t gonna work folded up like that,” she said looking at the filly with a playful smirk.

Dash smiled. “Stretch your wings squirt,” she said. Scootaloo did as requested and stretched her wings, Dash shook her head. “More,” she said. Scootaloo stretched her wings out to the point where her muscles began to strain.

Dash looked at the wings before nodding. “That's right, now keep them like that when you jump off my back, okay?” she said before letting the filly jump up onto her again as she made her way into the sky once again.

Dash looked over at the filly. “Okay, just remember what I’ve told you, and don’t sweat it, I’ve got you,” she said with a warm smile. Scoots brightened up at this and nodded before getting up on the mares back and got ready to jump.

Scootaloo closed her eyes as she jumped off the mares back. She waited for the inevitable "splat", but again, it never came. Scootaloo opened her eyes expecting to find herself in the arms of her sister. But to her shock she was gliding across the towns park.

Scootaloo squealed in excitement as she glided along the sky. She looked over and saw her older sister gliding next to her with a huge smile adorning her face. Scootaloo smiled along with her as the joy of feeling the wind rushing through her became a reality. Sadly, like all great things it had to come to an end and the small filly soon landed on the ground, although her excitement didn’t leave her.

Dash quickly landed next to the little filly who was currently bouncing around in excitement. Dash too was also full of joy as she picked up the little filly and hugged her tightly before saying, “Well done Scoots, I’m proud of you.”

Scootaloo smiled with content as she heard those words. although she hadn’t actually flown she felt like she had just seen that little bit of what it was like to fly and she hoped she would be able to feel that joy again.

Dash smiled happily at the filly below her before releasing the embrace and speaking up. “So squirt you wanna try that again?” she asked curiously but with a hint of excitement. The filly nodded rapidly before she jumped on the mares back again as the pair soared into the sky once again.

After a few more hours the two worn out Pegasi left the park as the sun began to drop behind the horizon. They trotted along the path as they went back through the small earth pony town. As they walked Dash spotted the famous eatery at the center of town. The mare remembered her earlier attempts of cooking and turned to the little filly. “Do you want something to eat?” she asked motioning to the bakery.

Scootaloo lit up at this and nodded. Dash smiled and the pair began to make their way over to the bakery. Dash opened the door to the sweet shop and let the filly in before wandering over to the counter which was currently occupied by a light blue mare.

Dash smiled. “Hey there Mrs. C,” she said happily.

The mare perked up at the arrival of the cyan Pegasus and smiled. “Why hello Mrs. Rainbow Dash, what can I get for you this fine evening?” she asked curiously.

Dash scanned the lower half of the counter which was lined with delectable goodies. She put a hoof to her chin as she pondered. “How about... two chocolate chip cupcakes,” she said happily, handing over a few bits.

The light blue mare nodded as she took the money and swapped them for a bag full of treats. Dash smiled and thanked the mare before making her way out of the door with the little orange filly.

Dash and Scootaloo made their way down the small steps leading from the store as they munched on their food happily. In her daize Dash accidentally dropped a bit, the round coin dashed off down the side if the store.

“Crap,” Dash muttered under her breath as she trotted down the side of the shop. Meanwhile Scootaloo waited patiently at the side of the building.

Dash wandered up to the coin and recognized the object that had stopped it. She glanced back at Scootaloo and spoke, “Hey squirt, isn’t this your scooter?” she asked pointing to the contraption. Scootaloo hesitantly trotted over to where Dash was positioned and nodded when she saw the famous scooter.

Dash then remembered the letter and looked around the slightly lit alleyway behind the shop. It was then that she found what she had been looking for, on the ground was a giant slightly worn cardboard house complete with a few items like a yellow backpack and a few other utensils. Dash couldn’t refrain from letting a tear fall from her eye at the sight, she slowly began to trot over to the small home.

Scootaloo walked up beside the mare as she looked around the place she had been sleeping in only a few days ago. She went over and took her backpack from the box; she would need it for tomorrow’s day at school.

Dash however was frozen in place as she looked over the scene with slightly glazed eyes. She couldn’t believe that a filly like Scootaloo, a pony who she always saw with a smile and was always up for doing anything, would be coming home to something as horrific as this.

Scootaloo put her school backpack on when she heard two words come out of the mare behind her which shocked the filly. “...I’m sorry.”

Scootaloo turned around to face her older sibling. “What are you talking about Dash?” she asked slightly confused.

Rainbow turned to face the small filly, “I said I’m sorry” she said more clearly to the filly.

Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak but Dash stopped her. “Look squ-Scootaloo...I’m sorry that I was a jerk to you sometimes...I’m sorry I always left you when you wanted to play...but most of all….I’m sorry I never got to know you better,” she said before letting more tears fall as she lowered her head in shame.

Scootaloo looked up at the mare and she too felt her emotions well up inside her. “Dash...I don't need you to be sorry,” she said in a slightly assertive tone. The mare stopped her sobbing slightly and looked down towards the filly.

Scootaloo took a step towards the mare and continued. “Dash...the time I spent with you was awesome...I don't want you to be sorry...y-you're the best and most awesome pony in Equestria and… I’m so happy to be with you sometimes... even if its only for a little while... you make my day Dash… I-I don’t need anything else,” the filly said letting a tear of her own leave her eyes.

Dash smiled and leaned down to pick the filly up in her hooves as she held her tightly. Scootaloo smiled as she nuzzled into Dash’s chest happily as the pair let their feelings flow.

After a few moments the cyan mare spoke up. “I promise Scoots, from now on I’m going to be the sister you deserve...I’ll always be there for you and help you from now on. I promise you that Scoots,” she said as she nuzzled the top of the little filly’s head affectionately.

Scootaloo nodded as she felt her eyes start to close and yawned contently as she nuzzled closer to the rainbow maned mare. Dash smiled and put the filly on her back as she spread her wings and took off into the night sky towards their home.

Dash felt as if today she had bonded hugely with the small filly she had now come to truly love. She now started to wonder if she could really make this work with Scootaloo and become the pony she’d been searching for all these years. She just hoped she could do the right job and help Scootaloo when ever she needed it… she just hoped that it wouldn't suddenly crash.