Equestria Wide River Expedition

"C'mon! Hurry! We're going to be late!"

Sweetie Belle waited impatiently as Rarity ran around packing for the trip. Sweetie Belle had everything packed in her suitcase, but Rarity continued to gather many hats together. She looked at each individual hat carefully.

Sweetie Belle groaned. "C'mon Sis! Can't you just pick a hat? Please?"

"Sweetie Belle, must you be so impatient?" Rarity asked. "I must look fashionable before everypony!"

Sweetie Belle let out a defeated sigh and walked over to her bags. Rarity peered over each hat, deciding which one would be best. A knock sounded from the door and Sweetie Belle quickly ran over to the front. She opened the door to Applebloom and Applejack, who were saddled up and ready.

"Sweetie, y'all ready yet?" Applejack asked.

Sweetie Belle sighed. "No... Rarity refuses to leave without looking 'fashionable'." Sweetie Belle then plopped onto the floor.

Applejack just shook her head. "Ah'll take care of this." She turned to Apple Bloom and said, "Better stay here with Sweetie Belle." She then ran upstairs where Rarity and Applejack started an argument almost immediately. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other and laughed.

Scootaloo continued jumping up and down as Rainbow Dash flew around clearing the clouds. She enjoyed the breeze in her mane as she continued to clear the sky. Rainbow Dash looked down every so often to see Scootaloo still excitedly jumping. At first, Rainbow Dash thought it was kind of awesome how her fan was excited for the trip. But as time went on, it became a little annoying how Scootaloo kept following her around as she was preparing the skies for later. She knew that the others could fill in for her, but Rainbow Dash still felt like she had to leave her mark in the sky.

After clearing the whole sky above Ponyville, Rainbow Dash grabbed her bags and flew down next to Scootaloo. "Well Squirt," Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Looks like it's time for us to see how the others are doing."

Scootaloo nodded excitedly with a huge grin. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and started walking towards the Carousel Boutique. As she peered back, she saw Scootaloo hopping behind her. Rainbow Dash smirked at the filly's enthusiasm.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle groaned as Applejack and Rarity continued arguing.

"We're never going to move anywhere with those two arguing," Apple Bloom complained.

Sweetie Belle agreed and rolled onto a couch. "But how are we going to separate them from arguing?"

Apple Bloom thought for a bit. Before she could gather an idea, a knock was heard at the door.

"I'll get it!" Sweetie Belle yelled as she hopped off the couch. She walked to the door to open the door. Behind the door, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo stood, both of them grinning. "Scootaloo! You came!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo ran up to meet each other around Sweetie Belle as Rainbow Dash looked at the ceiling. Rainbow Dash sighed. "They're arguing again?" Rainbow Dash asked. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked over to Rainbow Dash and nodded. Rainbow Dash just groaned and flew upstairs.

Apple Bloom looked at her friends. "Ya sure that Rainbow can separate them?"

Scootaloo boldly stated, "She's Rainbow Dash. Of course she can!"

As Scootaloo finished, a yell was heard and it became quiet immediately. One voice then sliced through the silence. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo tried their best to stay silent to hear what the voice was saying.

Faintly, they heard, "You two are really arguing at a time like this? C'mon, the other three are ready to leave and you're wasting their valuable time with all this yelling! It's a sister-bonding type, uh... thing. So shouldn't you be there and ready for your sister?"

Another voice spoke out. "I suppose so... I guess I got a little caught up in fashion and forgot who I'm doing this for."

A third voice then spoke up. "Yeah, Ah reckon Ah'm also to blame here. I got caught up with trying to get Rarity down that Ah almost forgot as well." A laugh then sounded. "But what in tarnation got you all hyped up to be the voice of reason here?"

The first voice spoke, "Well, uh... You know... Rafting is really awesome, and I want to go as quickly as I can."

"Oh, is that so?" The second voice asked.

The first voice exclaimed, "Of course! I mean, who wouldn't be excited?"

The third voice sounded, "Well, it sounds more to me that yer excited to spend time with your number one fan."

The first voice squeaked, "What? No!" A cough was heard and the first voice continued. "I mean, yeah, it's cool and all, but that's definitely not the reason!"

The third voice spoke, "Whatever ya say, RD." Even more faintly, two snickers could be heard.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders then regain their senses when Apple Bloom sighed. "Well, at least that's taken care of," Apple Bloom stated.

Sweetie Belle smiled. "We're finally going to leave soon."

Then the second voice upstairs sounded, "Oh dear... Which scarf should I bring?"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders then groaned as they fell to the ground.

After what seemed to be a few months for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they were finally standing on the train station entrance. Much commotion rushed around as everypony continued to scatter around to get to their train. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash sat near the front counter. Sweetie Belle busied herself by counting everypony coming in. Scootaloo attempted to fly in the station with some instruction from Rainbow Dash. Rarity looked at herself in the mirror to make sure that her make-up shined above the rest. Apple Bloom and Applejack laughed as they told each other stories; Apple Bloom spoke of her crusading while Applejack told about her days on the farm as a filly.

Everypony looked up as the train whistle sounded from the station square; the conductor yelling, "All aboard!" Applejack wrapped up her story and picked up Apple Bloom onto her back before carrying her to the station. Sweetie Belle lost focus of watching and jumped next to Rarity. Rarity continued to put on her make-up as she was walking, making Sweetie Belle groan with exasperation. As Scootaloo fluttered in the air, Rainbow Dash inspired Scootaloo to try to fly to the train, in which she dropped onto Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo flushed with embarrassment, but Rainbow Dash praised her for trying before flying over to the train. When everypony was boarded, the train doors closed and the train left.

A few hours passed as the train was keeping it's steady rhythm. Many of the passengers were asleep, but Scootaloo, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were awake. Scootaloo was much too excited to sleep, but she attempted to fall into a blissful sleep. From closed eyes, she could hear a voice calling, "Hey. Rainbow. You awake?"

From Scootaloo mind, she could easily determine that Applejack was calling for Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo wondered why Applejack was calling so late in the night, so she continued to listen.

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash answered. "Why?"

"Ah just wanted to talk to ya for a bit."

Scootaloo heard a shuffle before Rainbow Dash responded, "It's dark outside. Couldn't this wait for tomorrow?"

"Don't get yer feathers in a ruffle, RD. It will be quick."

A small moment passed before a sigh sounded. "Fine. Make it quick then."

"Ah just wanted to know the real reason as of why ya came on this trip."

"Like I told you before, it's for the awesome rafting."

"Come on Rainbow, Ah know ya better than that. There's another reason." A pause occurred before Applejack continued. "It's because of Scootaloo, ain't it?"

Another pause occurred longer than the previous pause. After a little bit, Applejack continued, "What ya hidin' Rainbow? It's not like you to be so silent."

A sigh could be heard before Rainbow Dash finally responded. "Well, promise me you'll keep this a secret?"

"My lips are sealed. None of a peep shall be comin' out of my mouth."

"Well..." Rainbow Dash started. "I see you guys together; you and Apple Bloom. You two look like you have so much fun together. I admit, I got a little jealous seeing you two being together. I never got to have that fun when I was younger. Never had a sister." She gave a small laugh before continuing.

"Then, Scootaloo came talking about a trip with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I was about to ignore it, but then she asked if I would come along. I was going to refuse, but then a thought came to me. Wouldn't this be a chance to actually feel what it would be like to have a little sister to play with? Was this my only chance? I decided I would come along, but I didn't want to go alone with three Cutie Mark Crusaders running along. So, I had to ask for you and Rarity to come along. And anyways, I might be able to watch you and Apple Bloom together and learn to be a good big sister to Scootaloo." A moment of silence creep along before Rainbow Dash asked, "Does Scootaloo even have a big sister?"

"Not that Ah know of. So maybe this could be great for both of y'all."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, if Scootaloo doesn't have any sisters, maybe she'll have the same feelings that yer having. And even if she does have a sister, she would still feel excited to spend time with her big time idol. Either way, Ah'm sure everything will be fine."

"But what if-"

"No buts Rainbow. Ya have to be the older mare here. Don't think that yer gonna ruin it for her. Just have fun with her. She's not goin' ta hate ya in one trip."

There was another pause. Applejack then finished with saying, "Listen Rainbow. Everything will be fine. Don't worry about it." With that, a rustle of sheets sounded.

Scootaloo laid in her bed, not believing what she had heard. "Sisters..." she thought to herself. "I never had a sister... And now I finally will be able to know what it's like! And Rainbow Dash!" She tried to hide her excitement from the outside, but a smile escaped. "She's going to be my sister! I can't believe it! This will be the best trip ever!"

Author Notes: Sorry for the long time between this update to the first! But I'll make sure to update this more. I was off on vacation, so I didn't really have time to work on it. And no, I'm not doing a story on that because the recent vacation stunk! So anyways, here's the next chapter!

How did I miss my error in leaving an error like that? "Rarity, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle were hugging." Seriously, why did I leave that in?