Rainbow Dash, the brash and bold pegasus. The only pony in the entirety of Equestria that could pull off the sonic rainboom sat humbly on her cloud couch, an orange pegasus filly leaning against her, a purple blanket laying on her back like a limp pancake. Normally she’d be practicing her moves in preparation for the Wonderbolt academy, but she’d just gotten back from the park.
She had planned to sleep for at least two hours on her cloud, but woke up when someone woke her. It was a challenge to race, around the park twice with her cloud as the finish line. The first time she whooped the mare, and was ready to go back to sleep when she heard shouting from below.
A filly, bouncing up and down on top of the mare’s back, screaming into her ear to rematch, that she can beat Rainbow Dash if she focused.
Rainbow thought the pair were mother and daughter, but then the mare flinched. Would a mother flinch at her filly’s words? Turns out they were sisters, and immediately Rainbow thought of Scootaloo.
They raced again, and again, and no matter how many times they raced, the mare didn’t seem to get tired. Each time the mare lost, and each time the filly pumped her up again. Would, Scootaloo do that for her? She’d never lost a race so the question didn’t have an answer, but she knew the filly would. On the last race, Rainbow lost on purpose, and the way that filly bounced and cheered could bring a smile even to Cranky Doodle’s face.
Rainbow shuffled the controller in her hooves. Scootaloo had come up to her right as she arrived back at home, and asked if she wanted to play. “You can be Player One if you want,” she said. Rainbow couldn’t say no.
“Hey, Squirt,” Rainbow stretched, noticing the filly squirm for a second before the classic “What’s up, Dash?” sounded like the twelve o’clock chime. “I raced some pony in the park today.” She let her hooves fall. They landed on Scootaloo’s back and she pulled her close. A rare occasion to say the least.
“Did you whoop her butt?” Scootaloo didn’t even notice the hoof she was so enticed by the game.
“Well, I did, but this filly cheered her on, and she challenged me again and again.” Rainbow sighed, and Scootaloo looked up, pausing the game.
“You okay?” Scootaloo said.
“Yeah, it’s just that the filly reminded me a lot of you. How she watched every move the mare made, how she cheered her on even when the race had been decided, and, that smile. It reminded me so much of you, Scoots.”
“Rainbow, I… don’t know what to say?”
“Then don’t say anything.” Rainbow half shouted, her breathing hitched for a moment and a tinge of color found its way onto her cheeks, “Just… seeing them so close. I feel like I need to tell you more about… myself..” Scootaloo nodded before resting her head on Rainbow’s shoulder. “I… how do I say this? My mother passed before I went into flight camp.” There was a little gasp but, to her word, Scootaloo said nothing. “It’s fine now, but my mother was really worried about me. I don’t remember the details, but I remember her sending me to some kind of hospital after I did… something she didn’t want me to. I guess… I guess it gave me a kind of fear of… authority? like I didn’t want them to ever get mad at me.”
“You, afraid of adults?” Scootaloo looked up, eyes the size of saucers. Rainbow only sighed. The filly hadn’t asked for more details..She trusted her to no end, and a relationship like that deserved no secrets. “Dash, I remember you’ve mouthed off to Celestia before. How could you ever be afraid of adults?”
“Well, I, guess it was because I thought it was what my mom wanted, and I loved my mom. She was my world. That’s it. I think.” Rainbow waited for a reaction. She tightened her grip on the filly, and Scootaloo just watched, mouth agape.
“How did you become so, you then?” A simple question, one that easily led the conversation away from more embarrassing topics. Rainbow thanked Celestia.
“Well, believe it or not, I was as timid as Fluttershy back in the day. After my mother passed, I was afraid to leave my shell, to quote the Egghead of the year.” She chuckled, hoping she wasn’t making this awkward by spilling her entire story at the wrong moment. Scootaloo looked at her with eyes filled with curiosity, so she guessed she hadn’t. “Well, I went into flight camp with no friends and no self confidence. I was a good flyer, great flyer actually, but every time ponies watched me fly, I shied away. I really can’t explain why, it just felt wrong. I guess.” Rainbow sighed. She tried to figure out why she’d started this, and thought of that filly again. Looking out the window, she saw Flitter and Rumble hop from cloud to cloud like frogs, she decided, in for a penny, in for a pound. “Yeah, I was actually shy once in my life, and looking back now, I never knew how vulnerable, if that’s the right word, I was. If I hadn’t found Fluttershy, defended her from those bullies and realized that I hated mean ponies, I don’t know what I’d be. But I did, and Shy got me through flight camp. The connection I made with her there is something I’ll treasure for the rest of my life, and I swear on that life that she will never shed a tear in my presence.”
“What about Gilda?” Scootaloo asked. Rainbow half expected her to have a notepad in her hooves, mouth feverishly scribbling words, but when she looked down, the filly hadn’t moved. “She was your friend, and… well, she made Fluttershy cry. Is she why you’re so brash today?”
“Well, yes, but what really happened is. When I met Gilda she was exactly like Fluttershy, although that changed quickly. Maybe that was because of me. Protecting Fluttershy all throughout Flight Camp had given me some self worth, if that’s the right word. I really don’t know.”
“Wait? Gilda was shy!?” Scootaloo shrieked.
Rainbow chuckled at the enthusiasm. Laughter never felt so good. “Yeah, she was picked on by those same bullies, and I couldn’t let that happen. I befriended her and quickly saw her grow. I watched as she slowly arched her back in the pride Griffins are known for. Heard the confidence grow in her voice, and clapped her on the back when she herself pushed the bullies away. I applauded when she beat Hoops. And I bought her a lollipop when I saw she’d given him a bloody nose.”
“That doesn’t sound like you at all Dash.”
“I know, I know, and I guess my confidence got so high watching Gilda grow that I made some stupid mistakes. I steered her in the wrong direction, and I can’t forgive myself for that. She looked up to me, and, I feel like I failed her.” Rainbow threw the controller to the ground and groaned. “It sucks!”
Scootaloo took another step forward, putting a hoof on Rainbow’s back. For once in her life, she comforted her idol. “That’s alright, Dash. You’ve learned from your mistakes.”
“Oh, I did. That I can easily say.” Suddenly Rainbow pulled Scootaloo into a tight hug. Scootaloo squeaked, the attention overwhelming her senses, sending her into a moment of pure bliss. “And now I have a second chance. With you Scoots.”
“Me?”
“Yes, seeing that filly. I thought of Gilda, but more importantly, I saw you. It was then that I realized just how much you idolized me, how much you wanted to please me, and in that moment I swore I would correct my mistake with Gilda and steer you in the right direction. That’s why I became your unofficial official sister.”
“I… I” Scootaloo sniffed. All these emotions being thrown around left her teary eyed. But she didn’t care. Those were words she’d been dying to hear from Rainbow’s mouth. Quietly, she buried her head into Rainbow’s coat. “Thank you, Rainbow.
“You’re the best big sister ever.”