I can do it, I just gotta push... a little... bit... further…
A small filly was wheezing and struggling to move up a rather large hill on her bike. She was currently just starting out on it, and already struggling. The poor bike had seen better days, bearing the scars of many-a-crash. It was not making it any easier for the tiny filly to move up. Still, she would not back down. She had taken on far greater challenges for far less; she could certainly climb this hill like it was nothing.
Right?
The small seed of doubt had already been sown in her mind, yet she continued onwards. Even at a slow, steady pace, she was hurting. Her legs were sore from biking all over Ponyville and now were reaching their burning point. Her mouth parched like the Samara desert, crying out to her body for water, any water at all. The filly quickly tried to fill her mouth with saliva, yet her futile attempts at quenching her mouth failed miserably, leaving her mouth even drier than before.
Finally, the filly could take it no more. She stopped pedaling, still gasping for breath, as she planted her shaky legs down on the ground to stop her bike from taking her on an unexpected trip downhill. Her breath came out in short rasps with the occasional shudder. It took all her strength to keep the bike from rolling downwards through a street. But somehow her shaking limbs managed to keep the bike mostly steady.
The filly looked towards the hill. She was about halfway up it, just to the point where it felt like less of a hill and more level. She quickly looked back down, laying her head in between her handlebars. Her eyes closed as her breathing grew softer. If ponies didn’t know any better, they’d say she fell asleep on her bike.
The filly was wondering what she should do next. She could take her bike down the long way, but her sister would have a fit considering she was already late. Or, she could move her bike manually up the hill. It wasn’t the most convenient choice but certainly easier than pedaling upwards. As she pondered which option to take, a third choice entered her mind. Maybe she could pedal back up?
No, I’ll never make it, she despaired. The small seed of doubt before was now transformed into a wild plant from the Everfree, complete with jagged thorns that pricked her self-esteem every time the thought entered her head. Feeling like a failure, she was ready to push the bike uphill when a small voice entered the back of her mind.
What would Apple Bloom say? What would Scootaloo say?
The small filly paused, head still resting on the handlebars but eyes wide open. Slowly her head came back up, her hoof coming to rest on her chin as she perplexed over the question. A small smile broke her face for the first time all day.
I can picture it now… she thought.
Apple Bloom would have an encouraging smile on her face, the kind of eyes that could inspire courage even in the lowliest of ponies. “Come on, Sweetie Belle!” she’d bark. “Time’s ‘a wastin. Who know’s? Yer special talent could be biking!” Apple Bloom would then pause to giggle, “Well, probably not. Still, nothing proud ‘bout being beaten by a hill”
Scootaloo would then intercede, “Apple Bloom’s totally right, Sweetie Belle,” she would say while crossing her arms, trying her best to imitate Rainbow Dash way of coolness in body language. “It would be totally lame to have one of the CMC beaten by a measly little hill.” Scootaloo would then jump on their wooden table, causing it to shift a bit before continuing. “I bet we did stuff ten times as hard as riding up a hill! Maybe we even did stuff that Rainbow Dash would find daring!” The orange pegasus would then leap down from the table to cast a wide grin at her friend. “But the most important thing to remember is that we believe in you!”
“Yeah! You can do it Sweetie Belle!”
“Yeah! Do it for Rain-err, us! Do it for the CMC!”
“Do it for yourself, Sweetie Belle, if nothing else! Remember, y’all always have something to prove, if not to others to yourself!”
“That’s right! Often when I think I’ve got nothing left to inspire me, even though that rarely happens with Rainbow Dash around, I turn to myself and tell me that I still gotta try, just to prove to myself that I can do it!”
“Wow, Scootaloo, that was actually pretty deep.”
“Ugh, I know right? I think I’ve been hanging around Twilight too often…”
“Uh, the point is Sweetie Belle, we believe in you, but you also have to believe in yourself if you want to climb that hill.”
“Right! So believe in yourself Sweetie!”
“You can do this!”
“Believe!”
Sweetie Belle snapped out of her daze; she had been staring into the same place for a while now. She figured she was even later now than before. No time to retrace her route through town. She looked above at the towering hill, and remembering the words of her friends, Or was that just me talking? she hesitatingly put her feet back on the pedals and began the climb again.
Only this time there was a smile on her face.
“I came as fast as I could Applejack! Is Sweetie Belle alright? Oh please let her be alright, I promise to never yell at her again just please let her be alright!” A panicked Rarity screeched. Her mane ruffled and eyes bloodshot from crying.
A weary Applejack sighed, putting a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder causing her to flinch. “Don’t you worry yer darn head off Rarity. Sweetie Belle is just fine, like I said. Big Mac found her crumpled up on top of the hill and brought her straight ta Sweet Apple Acres since it was closer.” Rarity looked at Applejack with fresh tears in her face.
“I-I just didn’t know where she was. Yesterday she came home saying how she’ll never be very strong and I tried to comfort her, but,” Another sniffle was heard, “She just wouldn’t listen to me. The next morning I saw her dragging out my old bike that I kept in a shed outside. I-I just let her go, thinking maybe it would be good for her to try it out.” A sob escaped the unicorn’s mouth as she lost herself in her anguish.
“But look at what a good lot that did her! I’m a terrible big sister, I don’t deserve hummh!” Rarity’s mouth stopped its rant to gaze at Applejack’s hoof, now currently being lodged there.
Applejack looked at Rarity with an eyebrow arched up, “You done?”
Rarity looked at Applejack, back down at her hoof, then back at her again. One last breath was taken (hard to do with a hoof stuck in your mouth) and yet to form tears sucked back. Finally Rarity gave a confident nod and the hoof was removed. Immediately Rarity gagged and put one hoof over her head in a dramatic representation of how she felt at the moment. “Honestly Applejack, did I just spend a minute with a dirty hoof in my mouth?”
Applejack just chuckled, fidgeting with her hat, “Maybe…”
Rarity let out a foalish shriek before dramatically crumpling onto the couch. Applejack let out a hearty laugh, in which Rarity joined in a moment later, worries forgotten for a brief second.
The laughing finally died down to light giggles before coming to a stop altogether. An awkward silence filled the room, until Applejack decided it was time to talk. She cleared her throat self-consciously. “Now that that’s all taken care of, ah just wanted to tell y’all something.”
“Urm, yes?”
Applejack pulled up closer to Rarity, opening her mouth like she was about to give a speech of a lifetime. Suddenly Applejack’s eyes shifted to look out the open window, she stared there for a few minutes before Rarity politely coughed. “Oh! Beg yer pardon Rarity, got distracted there fer a moment.”
“Quite alright Applejack, it happens to the best of us. Now what were you going to say darling?”
“Say? Oh…” Another quick glance out the window, “Ah don’t think it’s important right now. I’ll tell you later.”
“Ok then. Er, Applejack?”
“What now Rarity?”
Rarity sat herself up on the couch, leaning in a bit. “Do you think that...Sweetie Belle is awake now?”
A wild grin crossed the cowgirl's face, “Plum sakes Rarity, thought you’d never ask! She’s upstairs on Apple Bloom's bed. She started to stir just a bit ‘fore you got here but ya should go slow on her. She’s still tired from the ride.”
“Oh, thank you Applejack!” Rarity exclaimed as she leapt off the couch and began to race up the stairs. Half way up she stopped, “I promise I’ll repay you somehow Applejack!” So then she continued to race upstairs.
Applejack basked in the moment of hearing Rarity clomp up the stairs like a little filly on Hearth’s Warming before shaking her head and making rounds into the kitchen. She opened the fridge to take out some apple juice, confident that Sweetie Belle’s empty stomach would beckon downstairs soon.
Of course, every victory needed a victory drink.
Sweetie Belle looked out the window. She had seen Rarity enter the house a while ago, but hasn’t heard her come upstairs since she arrived. A sign was heard from the little filly, she had hoped that Rarity would at least come up soon. She was getting awfully hungry.
Sweetie Belle’s ears pricked up, a loud clomping noise was heard coming up the stairs. She quietly dismissed it, Rarity never clomped up the stairs.
Unless…
“Sweetie Belle!” A door slammed open, revealing a rather disheveled Rarity.
“Rarity!” Squeaked Sweetie Belle, running from the window to tackle her sister in a ferocious hug, worthy of many d'awwws. This prompted an “oof” from Rarity, but she, too, embraced her sister in a hug only sisters could give.
The hug unfortunately lasted for only a few long moments before Sweetie Belle broke away, the biggest grin on her face, and exclaimed to Rarity.
“Guess what I did today?”
Author's Note
Was orginally intending to make this part of my short stories compilation but it quickly grew much longer than I had intended it to be. The part with Rarity and Applejack I was originally thinking of being a heart to heart talk about how Rarity shouldn't feel bad about not talking to SB and that things sometimes need to be worked out on their own. Before realizing that both sisters would probably just work it out amongst themselves anyways. Maybe I'll post that alternative speech later.
Anywho, constructive critisim is always appreciated! If I made any other errors feel free to point them out.
