"Why isn't Scootaloo here yet? She said she could make it right after class," the tiny yellow pony asked her squeaky companion.
"Maybe something came up? I'm sure she will be here soon," Sweetie Belle answered.
The two fillies sat in their usual spots in the clubhouse, ready for another day of questing for their cutie marks. They were oblivious to the charred floorboards and slight stench that still persisted from their previous day's adventure of trying to cook s'mores with magic and alchemy.
Apple Bloom sat up and said, "Well, maybe we can plan what ta do today while we wait."
Sweetie Belle scratched her chin and said, "I suppose. What haven't we done yet?"
"Ya know, at the rodeo, ah got to see a fire breather! Wouldn’t that be an awesome way to get a cutie mark?"
Sweetie Belle looked slightly doubtful, possibly remembering the previous day. "That sounds... interesting..."
"Ah'm sure it would be something Scootaloo would want to do! Plus, that might impress Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon - ah sure would like to get them off our backs for a bit." After a pause, she continued, "Well, ah don't think it’s gonna be bad. We could start by asking Spike what he does!"
"Spike is a dragon. I don't think we could do what he does to breath fire," Sweetie replied. She glanced out the window for their friend, but nopony was coming down the path.
"Well, maybe he will know somepony else we could learn from... Ya know, we might be able to track down that pony at the rodeo! I'm sure we could figure out whatever he is doing, or ask him to show us!"
"But how would we go about that? We sure won't be allowed to go out of Ponyville on our own, not after last week."
Apple Bloom's expression brightened. "Don't worry about it! Ma sister goes to Appleloosa fairly often. She’s always happy to have me tag along. Ah'm sure ah can convince her to let us all go."
Sweetie Belle said, "My sister wasn't happy about me going last time, not when she learned about Trouble Shoes. I don't want to sit through another lecture about staying safe and not wandering out when dangerous ponies are around." Especially, she thought, when I had agreed with her in the first place. She still felt guilty about that incident despite everything working out fine.
"Forgot about that. Ah'm just glad my sister just left it at cleaning up after him. She was pretty alright with all of us afterwards," the yellow pony said.
Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement. "I know I was nervous about going along to find him, but I still wish Rarity didn't need to rub it in after all of that."
Apple Bloom, looking slightly smug, drawled "Well, maybe my sister's just better than yours at this kind of thing."
Sweetie Belle's face reddened in anger. "N-no! My sister is the best sister in the world!" she stated firmly.
The two ponies faced each other. Young as they were, differences of opinion between them were usually minor, likely to be resolved with a shrug or a reluctant acceptance. This time, however, each filly had a strong opinion on the matter.
"Yeah?” stated Apple Bloom coolly. “Ya totally wanted to be sisters with sis instead of Rarity not that long ago,"
The white filly suddenly remembered the events of the previous Sister Hooves Social. She started to defend herself. "Well, she's gotten a lot better since then. Besides, at least she trusts me enough to leave me at the shop for more than 5 minutes without checking on me. We actually had to rescue you from your sister!"
Apple Bloom’s face scrunched at her words. "She only did that once, she is usually fine about me doing my own thing. But at least ma sis lets me help her with the farm. I don't see Rarity letting you help her make dresses."
"Hmph," Sweetie replied, looking away. She paused as she considered the room, built by the apple family for their use. Though the room was quite functional and easy to repair, it did lack the touch that only her sister could bring. "My sister can make beautiful things. It takes all her creativity and skill to do so. I really want to help her... but I do understand that sometimes she can do things I can't imagine. And she helps me organize things sometimes."
"But Ah can actually help ma sister with useful things! Applejack grows food for so many ponies! Ah don't see your sister helping people like that."
"Does your sister help people express themselves?” Standing on her hooves, Sweetie Belle glared at her friend. “My sister can take a look at a pony, anypony, and find a dress or suit that will put their best side on display. Do you realize how important is for a singer or politician to send a message with their very appearance? My sister can help people be heard and express their inner beauty!"
Apple Bloom looked unconvinced. "Yeah, but my sis-"
"And don't think for a second that she doesn't help people! Your sister might grow the apples, but my sister is the Element of Generosity, and she never lets anypony go hungry! She makes sure everyone gets food on their plates. She makes ponies the clothes the need, even if they can't pay the full price."
Apple Bloom sighed. "Ok, yeah, your sister does important work. Still, Applejack does her best to support those around her. She’s always welcoming, always warm, always sincere. She provides anypony ah friend that they can rely on. Ah pony who will never break her word. Ah pony honest to the core."
The two friends looked at each other, considering what they had discussed. Certain as they had been before this conversation, which sister was better was not going to be an easy question to answer.
"Ya know, ah guess both our sisters are quite awesome ponies. Together they must be the best sisters in the world..." stated Apple Bloom quietly. Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement. "Seems almost silly to compare them... They each are the best in their own areas."
They both looked to the floor, considering the implications. Their musings were interrupted with a loud bang as the door flew open, causing both ponies to sit up in alarm. Framed in the doorway, an orange pegasus was proudly shouting, "I ran into Rainbow Dash on the way here, and oh you won't believe this, but she was totally impressed when I did a flip on my scooter! She said that she didn't know anypony who could do that! Isn't this awesome?" She paused, finally taking a look at the two others in the room, who were silently staring at her. Apple Bloom sorted out the rapid subject change first. "That sounds real swell, Scoots! That what held ya up?"
"Yeah, she and I got into a conversation about possibly having me tag along with her to the next Wonderbolt's performance. I'll actually get to go with her to Cloudsdale! She said she could fly me up there and show me around!"
"That’s really cool! Glad to hear you're planning stuff with your big sis," said Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo looked around, saying "Yeah, I am definitely looking forward to it . But lets hurry up and do some crusading - you two have any ideas?"
"We were thinking of a few, but then got sidetracked into a discussion."
"What about?"
Sweetie Belle started, "We got into a discussion about which of us had a better big sister."
"We all kinda decided that we couldn't compare them, they’re just better at different things," Apple Bloom added.
"What?"
"See, ma sister is always honest and supportive, but Rarity is always generous and supportive in a different way. Applejack grows food for so many ponies, but Rarity gives ponies a way to better themselves. They are just really good at different things."
Scootaloo frowned. "But that's no fun - one of them has to be better than the other - this could even be a competition between them!"
"What do you mean?" inquired Sweetie.
"Well, Applejack and Rainbow Dash settled which one was the most athletic through that Iron Pony competition, right?" While Apple Bloom looked rebellious at those words, Sweetie Belle nodded. Scootaloo continued, "We could do the same thing, except see which one is the better pony overall! I'm sure we can come up with some skills that can determine which is better!"
Apple Bloom spoke up. "Ah don't think they ever really decided which is more athletic in that competition - and besides, ah don't see Rarity sitting down with Applejack to do some competition."
"Well, do they have to know they going against each other?" asked Sweetie Belle. When the two other ponies looked confused, she continued, "We’re the ones who want to know which pony is better. I'm sure we could ask them questions individually and compare them. Rarity wouldn't mind answering a few questions!"
"All right, but even if we question them one at ah time, what kind of questions would let us know which is the better pony? Ah certainly haven't been able to come up with any."
Scootaloo said, "I'm sure we can come up with something! I've got tons of ideas! We should totally do this, get our cutie marks in... interviewing!"
Sweetie Belle laughed, and said, "That could work! What do you think an interview cutie mark looks like?”
Apple Bloom sighed, "Ah guess I don't see anything wrong with it, so long as we get good questions..."
"Ok, then, how about this..."
"Have ah ever saved anypony's life?" asked Applejack as the three crusaders stood around her.
The pegasus of the group responded, "Yeah, that’s the question. Have you?"
Applejack considered as she moved on to the next tree. There were still a few weeks of growing before the harvest season, but there was still plenty to do on the farm. Today, Applejack was making sure that not too many of the immature fruit were missing, which could indicate that fruit bats or some other creature was snacking in her fields. "So, can ya tell me why ya'll want to know if ah'ved saved a life?"
Sweetie Belle smiled and said, "We’re getting our cutie marks in interviewing!"
"Are ya now." Applejack looked doubtful, but decided that humoring the fillies was less work than turning them down. Besides, she didn’t want to be putting out any more fires this week, and asking questions would keep the troublesome trio busy for a while. "Ah was in the time and place to rescue a pony or two on occasion. Stopped a loose carriage once, prevented timberwolves from taking a bite out of Spike, and tied up some critters that were after Twilight once or twice."
"And, uh, how do ya feel about that, sis?"
Applejack frowned. "Ah just did what was needed at the time, what any good pony would do. No reason to feel special or headstrong 'cause of that.” She paused as she inspected a nearby tree, before moving on and continuing, “Ah know ah've been rescued myself on occasion - your sisters and I tend ta get in trouble a fair amount. Ah'm proud of them for what they've done for me, but ah'm far more proud of just who they are. Wouldn't trade any of them for the world. Not even RD, though she gets on my nerves on occasion." Applejack gave
"Ok, then, how many ponies do you feed with these apples?"
"Well, she definitely did well," said Apple Bloom, as they left the farm.
"Yeah, but I'm sure my sister will be even better." The trio hurried on their way to the carousel.
"So, have you ever saved anypony's life?" asked Sweetie Belle. Rarity was busy sewing a seam while the three fillies watched. Ordinarily, she would have made sure they were comfortable in the sitting room, but she had gotten behind on dress orders and could not take the time to wait on her sister's friends. When they had said they wanted to question her, she’d told them to wait for another time so she could finish her work. Sweetie's expression and her insistence that they’d talk while she worked convinced her otherwise.
"Why, again, are you three asking these questions?" Rarity inquired, focusing on her needle.
"We’re going to get our cutie marks in interviewing!" replied Scootaloo.
A dignified lady does not roll her eyes. Rarity resisted, this time at least. "This isn't going to end up on print is it? We don't want another Gabby Gums, or things could become... unpleasant for everyone."
Sweetie Belle dismissed her sister’s concerns. "Don't worry, Sis. We just want to practice interviewing ponies."
"Fine. Have I saved anypony? I'm afraid I've never had the opportunity to swoop in to rescue somepony off the train tracks or stop somepony from harming another. So, no, I don't think I've directly saved anypony..."
Apple Bloom nudged Sweetie Belle and smirked, while the latter ignored her.
"But I still believe I have made a major difference to many a pony. I would never let a pony stay in trouble if I knew I could help. I know how much a helping hoof can help, and many ponies have returned my generosity in kind. I don't believe any of you have met Coco Pommel, but my choices helped her defy the pony taking advantage of her work. We are now very close friends, and I can assure you that her life is much better working for me than... that other pony. Though I do not believe I have directly saved anypony's life, I do believe I have saved ponies."
"So what did you do today?" Rainbow Dash asked Scootaloo. Although the rainbow-maned mare usually trusted Scootaloo to be fine going home by herself, the adventures of last week had scared her, and she wanted to be sure that the little squirt made it home safe and sound tonight at least.
Scootaloo looked back to the clubhouse, from which the noises of the argument still could be heard. "Oh, they’re wondering which of them has the better sister. We decided to make into a competition, like the Iron Pony competition you did a while back, except that neither of them knew they were competing."
"And so which pony won?"
"They’re still arguing over who won. Both Rarity and Applejack have done so much good, but have such different approaches. They are really hard to compare."
Rainbow Dash failed to looked contemplative. "Eh, I could take both of them, I'm sure."
Scootaloo laughed and hugged Dash, who, after glancing around to make sure nopony was watching, warmly returned the hug. Scootaloo said happily, "I may not know which of their sisters is best, but I sure know that I've got the best sister of them all!"
Rainbow struggled out of the firm hug, picked up the pace a bit, and said, "Hey, squirt? You're pretty fast on that scooter. How about a little race back to your place?"
Scootaloo grinned. "You're on!" The two took off, soaring through the town as the sun set in the distance.