Chapter 1 - The Only Chapter That Matters
A few strands of prismatic hair whisked in the corner of my vision as I soared far above Canterlot. The soft glow of city lights of families celebrating late nights and the ever-bustling marketplace washed against me along with the gentle light of the moon. A tranquil silence took the scene and my mind as the cool midnight air massaged my body.
The one thing that keeps me going through life and my job as a Weather Patrol Manager is my freedom to fly. I choose where to go and I choose what I do. Well, it’s also a good chance to take a break and think about my future.
I take a large arc around a pair of clouds before landing on another, the soft cushioning stopping my momentum quite painlessly despite my initial high velocity. Stretching my legs a tad, I tuck my hooves underneath my chest and relax. Almost involuntarily, I lower my head down onto the cloud and closed my eyes, breathing in the pleasant misty scents as the memories of this morning danced in my thoughts.
I had been trotting down the streets of Ponyville, leaving work to go back to my cloud house. The sun stood at noon’s mark, shining down on our little town. I had plenty of time for a lunch break as I finished my work really quickly as I always do. I had visited the marketplace, but I found nothing that I thought I might’ve needed.
“Dash! Dash!” I turned to face a squeaky voice behind me. I knew exactly who it was as I turned just in time for the little orange filly to leap at me from a full out sprint. The two of us collided and we rolled over, the two of us giggling as we tussled. We finally came to a rest with myself on my back and the small filly, Scootaloo, lightly jumping on top of my belly.
I reached out a hoof and ruffed up her little purple mane, giggling helplessly, “What’s up, squirt?”
She rubbed her hair into my hoof before hopping off and trotting in a small circle around me.
“I finally flew, Rainbow Dash! Well, kinda- I was on my scooter scooting and I made my wings buzz really fast like I do when I get really happy and excited and- and- I drove off a ramp and landed a few more hooves than I usually do when I do that! I actually flew, Rainbow Dash!”
I chuckled as I pulled myself up to my hooves, free of the little orange burden that was on my chest.
“That’s great, squirt. Maybe I can show you some more awesome tricks later, but I have to go back to work in a few minutes, but after work, I have some time to spare.”
Scootaloo leapt at me again, toppling me over once more as if I was nothing more than a bowling pin waiting to be knocked down. She bent down and gave me a quick nuzzle and was about to hop off, but I quickly pulled her down with my hooves and gave her one of my legendary dashie hugs that only the most precious to me get.
After a few seconds, I let go and let her jump off and trot away. I picked myself up shortly after and continued on my way.
Later in the day, I showed Scootaloo some brand new flying techniques to maximize wing power. Hopefully, she’ll be able to use them herself soon and they’ll help her get to flying like a pro in no time. Afterwards, I showed her a few tricks, like flips and stuff, to get her mind off the fact that she couldn’t fly in the first place.
A light smile trickled onto my face as I recall the look of elation she had after I danced around the sky. If I had known any better, I’d say that she was the happiest filly in Equestria at that very moment. For a just a second’s grace, her expression changed from elation to stark nervousness. The change did not go unnoticed and so I stopped my show to land and ask her what was on her mind.
Her pupils grew to the size of melons and a light sheen misted her eyes as she hid behind her forelocks, “Do you think I’ll ever fly as fast as you, Rainbow Dash?”
I lowered myself down so I was eye-to-eye with the small orange filly, “Of course you will, Scootaloo. In fact, I know you’ll fly even faster than me!” With that small reassurance, I wrapped a wing around her and pulled her close to my body, to share my warmth. She leaned into the embrace and tucked her face into my shoulder.
Her erratic breathing slowed to a steady pace, but my shoulder felt soaked with tears. I lowered myself down, Scootaloo following, until we were both laying down in the grass together. She remained tucked into my wing until the sun fell, calling an end to another long day.
Normally I’d be in bed, but I couldn’t bring myself to wake her as she had fallen asleep long prior. I waited until the moon peeked over the horizon, kissing the two of us with it’s sweet light before I carried Scootaloo backed to our home. I put her to bed and then left her a kiss of my own as I passed her doorway.
“Sweet dreams, squirt,” I whispered as I left. Unbeknownst to me, a soft smiled grew on Scootaloo’s face and she rolled over, further tucking herself into her sheets.
Coming back to the present, I shifted on the cloud into a more comfortable position. A few moments I had shared with Scootaloo before buzzed around my mind, the first of which being the camping trip where she first asked me to be a sister to her.
To be fair, there was no possible way I could say no to such a cute little filly, well, that and the fact that she had an entire fan club dedicated to me. It’s not everyday someone has one of those!
But as time passed on and the time I spent with the filly lengthened, I learned what it meant to be a sister: being a sister doesn’t mean having someone follow me around and shower me with praise. Instead, it means I can pass down my knowledge and my values down to another, and to also raise her to be the best damn pony she could be!
I may not be book smart or a great barterer, like Twilight or Applejack, but I can still teach Scootaloo everything I do know with the hope that one day, she could surpass me in every way. Is there anything else in life I could ever ask for?
Nothing is more sacred than family; by blood or by heart.
Reminiscing once more about the past, vivid memories of Scootaloo and I training her wing strength to increase her wing power and her speed came rushing back.
I chuckled softly as I remembered how Scoot’s tiny wings would flap so fast to the point that she looked more like a large orange hummingbird than a pony. How she manages to pull it off still makes me wonder.
My lips turned upwards into a grin, proud of my sister for the progress she’s made. I picked myself up once more and walked to the edge of the cloud, preparing to throw myself over the edge once more.
My wings shot out from my body, my wingspan encompassing the sky as I gave a final farewell to the cloud and leapt off into the night.
The moon shone high in the sky as I arrived back at our house. I entered from a window on the second story that led into my bedroom. I could feel the pull of the dark tendrils of sleep reaching out from my mattress, but I had a better idea come to mind.
I made my way across the house and into Scootaloo’s room. The small filly was in the same place I left her with what seemed like just moments ago.
I padded up to the side of the bed before carefully climbing up next to her. I curled my body and my wings around her, bringing her into a winged-embrace. Lastly, I curled my tail around the two of us and laid my head on top of hers, closing my eyes for the final time this night.
“Prepare to take flight, my little filly. You still have your entire life ahead of you, Scoots.”
