To Become Better Sister Material
As far back as Rainbow Dash could remember, she'd had fans. Fans who would look on in awe as she sped across the sky overhead, performing tricks that other pegasi could only dream of pulling off. Fans that would greet her in public and stroke her balloon-sized ego for her any time of day. Sure she didn't have as many as say, her own idols, the Wonderbolts, but she was pleased with the attention nonetheless.
But never had Rainbow Dash dreamed that one fan in particular would become something of a surrogate sister to her.
Scootaloo was a pegasus filly that went to the same school as the sisters of two of Dash's best friends, Applejack and Rarity. She always had the same attitude as Dash, and always had the same love for danger, adrenaline and speed. But her tiny wings kept her from the open air, and thus the admirer was forced to the stands more often than not, only interacting with Dash when the pegasus was on the ground.
But even so, more than any other fan the azure weather pony had ever encountered, Scootaloo was diligent. As Dash tore across the sky, the eager young peagsus would be in hot pursuit, trailing along on her wing-propelled scooter. When Dash touched down to grab a bite to eat, Scootaloo would be by her side. Rain or shine, snow or sleet, night or day, Rainbow Dash had an adorable little shadow, whether she wanted it there or not.
Eventually, largely thanks to a certain soft-spoken friend of hers, the blue mare encountered her young fan on a cold, lightning-stricken night, huddled against the floorboards of her tree-house. On that night Dash learned the truth about her fan - that she was homeless. This fact had hit the girl's idol like a truckload of apples, and what had started as a simple check-up on the young filly evolved into something more.
And so Rainbow Dash began to harbor the filly, giving her a home far friendlier than her dark and empty clubhouse. She was reluctant at first, doubtful in her abilities to care for a younger pony, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She had to try. She had to try and give Scootaloo a place she could call home, a place to feel safe in, and to feel pride in.
Needless to say, Scootaloo was happier than she had ever been in her life. Even more than a roof over her head, her idol becoming something of a big sister had moved the filly to excited tears.
However, though a title of 'big sister' she may have had, Rainbow Dash still had an important lesson to learn about sisterhood.
"Right now? Come on, you let me stay up way later last night!"
Voices reverberated off the puffy clouded walls of a certain pegasus's sky home like sonic boomerangs. A young voice was desperately trying to persuade another, slightly older voice, but the attempts fell on stubborn ears.
An older mare teen with a mane resembling the light spectrum stood firm and authoritative, giving a scuff of her azure hoof against the ground in frustration.
"Uhhhh, duh. Last night was a planned party that Pinkie Pie told me about a few days in advance, squirt. It was fine then cause it was a special thing, and even though it was gonna be a late party, I took you along cause AJ and Rarity brought their sisters. But tonight is just like any other night, so you're going to bed now."
She wasn't going to deal with this argument yet again. A quarter to midnight. That was the deal. That had always been the deal since the first night the mare had invited the young filly into her home. Why did she have to be so…
"'Any other night'? But I don't have school tomorrow, what's the big deal in letting me stay up-"
"Kid, seriously, this is not a new concept," Dash interrupted flatly. "It's late, and you're still just a filly. By the time you even brush your teeth and do all that other stuff, it's gonna be midnight. Now go on, already. I'll seeya in the morning."
Sealing the lid on the conversation while the filly's hooves still clung to it, Dash turned and trotted to the living room, leaving the young pony to stand there by the staircase that lead to the upper floor, and with it, their separate bedrooms. But Scootaloo didn't budge. Furrowed eyebrows over a pair of violet eyes followed after the elder pegasus while she made herself busy reorganizing a couch that had been a victim of earlier playtime.
"I never used to have a bed time…" Scootaloo began, walking a bit closer to the living room, and noticing Dash's ear twitch and her body turn. "Living by myself meant I stayed up as late as I wanted, so I'm used to it. I just don't see why I can't-"
"You aren't living by yourself anymore, kid; you're up here with me," Dash said with matter-of-fact, blue wings outstretching and flapping forcefully. With a few subtle upward jerks, the pony became airborne. She floated over the now semi-organized couch and landed with a soft touchdown, only a foot or two away from the orange filly. It was clear that her patience was starting to dangle from a thread. To her, this banter was a running joke between them that was getting obscenely old.
"And like I told you clearly your first night sleeping here, I expect you to go to bed when I ask. Not when you feel like it, not whenever you get done doing what you're doing, but when I ask you to."
A soft but intimidating breeze blew through Scootaloo's mane as the pegasi landed so close to her, and for the fraction of a moment, she picked up her left hoof, and thought of giving in. But after a second of silence, she turned her gaze to the couch just behind Dash, and worked up her courage back to its tipping point.
"I'm...it's not like I'm asking to stay up until dawn, I just don't see why half an hour, maybe another hour is such a big deal!"
She hadn't meant to be that loud. Scootaloo cringed at her own voice's volume immediately after, and dreaded the impact it'd have on Dash's mounting irritation. The orange filly watched as Dash's expression soured. Her blue wings retracted back to her body, but Scootaloo wished they hadn't.
"It's a big deal because that's what…" Dash began, her own volume increasing as well. She stopped mid-sentence for a moment, grasping for words. "B-because that's what parents and older siblings do! They take care of their fillies. Making sure they go to bed on time, and getting enough sleep is one of those things!"
"But I'm not some helpless filly who doesn't know any better, Dash! I…I told you, I can take care of myself, too! I was by myself for a really long time, and I know what does and doesn't work with my sleep schedule! I know you're just trying to help, but I'm capable of-"
"I don't care what you could or couldn't do for yourself out there!", the weather pony snapped, her hoof dragging against the floor as she gritted her teeth. All her mind had room for was her desire to be done with this repetitive argument. "You're under my roof, so my rules are what goes! Now please go to bed and stop arguing with me!"
"Fine!"
The walls are said to sometimes have ears, for they are the most patient listeners of all. When the loud voices came to an end, only the silence of Dash's home could be heard. But that silence was interrupted by sniffs and garbled hiccups, marked with a trail of trickling tears down a pair of cheeks. Unfortunately, just as it had been too late for Scootaloo to take away the yell in her voice, was it too late now for Dash to take back her angry words.
"Scoots, wait, I-"
Scootaloo shook her head, turned and sprinted from the room. The sound of a rapid ascent up the stairs was followed by the abrupt slam of a bedroom door, making Dash's ears twitch. Dash was left alone with her surrounding walls, and their silence bugged her to no end.
"...great, terrific job, Dash," the pegasus mumbled to herself sarcastically, head drooping slightly in self-reproach. She walked a few steps, and then violently bucked the air behind her in frustration. She knew this would happen. She had called it; she knew this would bucking happen. She'd blow her top too easily and yell at the filly. Again. And now she was left to be the bad guy. Again.
"I told Fluttershy and the others, I told them I was no good at this," Dash hissed to herself. "But no, 'oh you'll be fine Rainbow, you two will get along great!' Tch, yeah right. Some 'sister', guardian, whatever, I am. This is like the fourth time this has happened."
The azure pony walked solemnly over to her couch, and let herself flop upon it. Violet eyes wide open, brows furrowed, she gave the armrest of her couch a death glare, her mind scattered and exasperated. Her wings shuffled uncomfortably all the while she thought, and the longer it went on, the more and more restless she became. After forty seconds of shallow grunts of irritation, and the occasional shuffle of position, she leaped up from the couch and flared open her wings. With a gust of soft wind, the mare darted out of the open window with a snap of her tail.
She needed time to think, to cool off - maybe talk to somepony she knew if she felt like it. The filly probably wanted to be left alone, and would probably fall asleep soon anyway. And even if she didn't, trying to approach her right now wasn't going to work, for either of them.
"…I bet she'll forget all about brushing her teeth and stuff liked I asked her, too," Dash whispered aloud, sighing afterwards. She couldn't enjoy the wind in her mane, or the adrenaline coursing through her, like usual.
"Not that I blame her."
With these things in mind, the blue pony soared down through the vast, cloudless night sky and down towards the pleasant town of Ponyville.
If one were to have looked in the Canterlot Archives and read back about the envy Princess Luna felt when the ponies of Equestria slept through her glorious night, only to await for her sister's sunny day, one would be surprised looking at pony society in the modern times. Not only were there still quite a few ponies up this late in their homes, but several, like Dash, were up and about outside in the streets as well.
As Rainbow Dash came to a modest landing on the cobblestone bridge that linked one part of the town to another, she looked around intently, gazing at the rooftops of the surrounding buildings, trying to locate a specific few in mind. She spotted them, one by one, thinking over which choice would yield the best results.
Twilight was really good with advice, and, being an egghead, would probably know what to do. But…she could be really wordy and confusing. Dash observed the still lit-up tree home library in the distance, standing alone. Twilight stayed up later than any pony she knew, what with her crazy studying.
The pegasi's attention shifted to the southwest, to observe Rarity's fancy boutique, even farther stand-alone from the majority of town. Huh, Rarity. Rarity had a sister, that was a plus since she could identify with Rainbow's issue. But if anything, she'd look for an excuse to get the athletic pegasus in a frilly new outfit. Plus, by the looks, she may already be asleep. Probably wanted to get her 'beauty rest' or something along those lines. Dash chuckled to herself.
That left Sugarcube Corner. Ugh, Pinkie. Pinkie could make anypony smile, but she certainly wasn't someone Dash was about to approach with a serious problem. Jumping around, calling her 'Dashie', insisting she feed the pegasus sweets to feel better…no, that's not what she needed right now.
Dash turned around and began to walk towards the edge of town, the Everfree Forest bordering Sweet Apple Acres.
It was down to Fluttershy and Applejack.
The former was her shy best friend, whom she had known longer than the others. She was the kindest pony you could have for a friend, who would give her heart and soul to you if you truly needed it. But Rainbow knew Fluttershy's sibling situation didn't quite match her own. She also knew that this kind of problem needed a firm hand to give solid advice, not just a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to listen to.
Dash took a deep breath. That left her friendly rival, Applejack. She fit the bill perfectly. She had a younger sister, she was firm, and if anyone could show her how to not blow up on Scootaloo, it was her.
"AJ it is, then," Dash decided aloud. "Hope she's up. Cuz' if not, she's about to be."
A mischievous smirk spread across Rainbow's face as she crouched low to the ground and made a vertical take-off. She made an arching curve into a horizontal flight direction, off towards Sweet Apple Acres.
A quarter past midnight, and all four members of the Apple Family were fast asleep. Apple Bloom having been in dreamland the longest of them all. Unlike Dash, who gave her surrogate sister until almost midnight, Applejack was a fair bit stricter with her own younger sibling. In bed by ten every non-school night, and in bed by nine-thirty on school nights. Even Applejack herself went to bed before eleven on most nights.
This particular night was no exception.
While a sea of crickets chirped outside in the massive fields of apple trees, Applejack clung to her thick, hoof-stitched blankets in her sleep. Her trademark hat hung on the bedpost just next to her at an angle. Out the window, a view of the tranquil countryside stretched far and wide, even into the mountains that bordered part of the area. Out of that peaceful view came a bullet of azure color.
Tap, tap, tap.
…
The orange pony was clearly visible through the layer of glass, which was surprisingly well-kept and clean of any dust or grime. Dash fluttered outside the window like a vampony in one of those old mare tales, that weren't allowed in your home unless you invited them in. Squinting to look around the darkened room, Dash pressed her snout to the glass to get a better look, but instantly retracted it.
"Man that's cold!" She hissed to herself, rubbing her nose and losing patience. She knocked a bit harder.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come on AJ, wake up." She whispered, not wanting to wake the rest of the apple family. But it was becoming clear that she would have to swallow her caution and make a little noise.
Bang, bang, bang!
Finally, Applejack stirred in her sleep. She twisted around, and now Rainbow could see her face. It was scrunched in that midway point between sleep and consciousness. Dash banged again and finally she achieved her goal.
"What in the…" the cowgirl began, picking her head up and blinking her tired eyes at the unknown disturbance. Her emerald gaze fell upon Dash's form, and she instantly frowned and cocked an eyebrow. "Rainbow? What in tarnation…"
Muttering to herself sleepily, Applejack let loose a shameless yawn before bucking her blanket off her figure, and got out of bed. Going over to the window, she unlocked it and pushed the hinged-glass outwards.
"Hey AJ! Having a nice sleep? Dreaming of apple bucking?" The pegasus teased, smirking and giggling at the bags underneath the earth pony's unamused eyes.
"Rainbow Dash," Applejack began, "you got ten seconds to explain what ya'll are doin' wakin' me up at this time of night, before I apple buck you."
"Okay okay, geez, can't I come and visit my best pony friend?" Dash defended, crossing her arms and looking up at the sky for a moment, seeking out her cloud home in the distance. No lights were on. Maybe Scootaloo did go to bed after all…
"It's about Scootaloo." Dash continued, turning her attention back to the window. "AJ, I need your help. We keep getting into these stupid arguments, and I always end up snapping at her. It's not like I mean to, it just happens! See? I told you guys. I'm no good at this sister thing like you and Rarity are! And then she always gets sad, and those darn tears, and I don't know what to do-"
"Okay, okay, whoa." Applejack interrupted, stuffing the end of her hoof into her friend's mouth. "Get on in here pony girl, before ya wake the livestock with your rantin'."
Dash nodded a few times and floated on inside the square-shaped window frame, landing on her hooves just next to her friend's bed. Applejack's blanket lay awry and draped over the end of the bed from the pony's earlier buck. The earth pony yawned again and closed the window, walking over to her bed and sitting on all four hooves. She gave her full attention to Rainbow and smiled softly.
"So, sister issues, huh, sugarcube?"
"Mhmm."
"What is it ya'll are arguin' over?"
"Well most of the time it's her bedtime, or one of the other things I expected from her from day one." Dash began. "I told her I want her to go to bed at like, a quarter to midnight, which, hey, is pretty darn lenient if you ask me. But she always pushes for it to be later, and she always uses the excuse that she used to live by herself, where she stayed up as late as she wants. I tell her it's my house so my rules, and that I'm just trying to do my best as being her guardian pony, but it doesn't work out."
While her athletic and competitive pegasus friend explained her issue, Applejack's sentimental smile grew. It wasn't until the end where the earth pony let loose a casual chuckle, that Rainbow had taken notice of it.
"W-what's so funny?" Rainbow asked, flustered.
"Oho, it's nothin' Rainbow. It's just kinda cute, is all." Applejack began, causing Dash to sprout a confused blush. "Ya know, Rarity n' Sweetie Belle had a big gap in their relationship as well, a while back. Ah came in and gave Rarity some advice, because little Sweetie Belle had decided she was disownin' Rarity as a sister, and adoptin' me as one instead. It was quite amusin', heh."
Dash's violet eyes widened, and her mouth gaped a bit. She sat back on her haunches and laid her front hooves on the floor in front of her.
"Wait, when in the hay was this?" Dash inquired, cocking an eyebrow. "I don't ever remember hearing about that from anypony before. I was always under the impression she was a naturally great sister, like you are."
"Was back at the last Sisterhooves Social." Applejack answered, sporting a matching blush at the compliment, and using a hoof to fix her bed-head mane. "Sweetie Belle initially wanted to enter it with Rarity, but Rarity was bein', well, ya know, Rarity, and said no. I convinced her otherwise with my advice, and we pulled off a little trick to get her to do it with Sweetie Belle, disguised as me. But anyway, that's not the point." Applejack cut off, taking notice of Rainbow's expression growing steadily more confused with every word.
"Look sugarcube, just from an initial glance, these issues have some pretty simple answers, and if you had more of a grasp on it, you could probably figure it all out on your own."
"Oh yeah? Well enlighten me! Cause they sure don't seem simple to me." Dash retorted, crossing her hooves in what Applejack could only describe as a pout, while she sat there on the floorboards. AJ chuckled again and got off the bed.
"Now don't get your mane in a tangle. I didn' mean that as an insult. I'm just sayin' that ya gotta get yer head in the right place for bein' a sister, before you try to take on the responsibilities of bein' a sister."
Rainbow cocked her head like how a filly in school might to an advanced math problem. Applejack sat across from her friend, putting a hoof around her neck and making direct eye contact, emerald to violet.
"Let me frame it this way. What do you believe encompasses bein' a sister? In other words, what do you think bein' a sister is all about?"
Dash hadn't been expecting a question like that. She looked at the Element of Honesty hard in the face, and then down at the very floorboards she sat upon.
"Umm…looking out for your sister, making sure they're okay, being there for them…steering them in the right direction. Being a role-model, I guess…" Dash labeled each thing off with a seemingly modest deal of difficulty. She had never truly taken deep thought to the issue before. But…maybe that was part of the problem. She thought she knew what it meant…she did, didn't she?
"Uh huh, you're right, those are all very important things for a sister to have." Applejack agreed, giving a friendly wink. "But ah'm afraid you're missin' a very key element."
"Which is?" Dash pressed, her feathers ruffling in anticipation.
"Compassion. Affection. Understanding. Compromise." The earth pony spelled out. "In short, the ability to be gentle and soft with your sibling, and being willing to sometimes meet them half-way in issues."
There was a silence for a minute or so, in which Applejack kept up her smile and blinked a few times, waiting for her friend to respond. The athlete pony's eyes closed half-way, and her lip flattened into a fine line.
"…so, basically, being sappy, is what you're telling me."
"Oh don't you give me that, you hug me n' our friends all the time." Applejack countered with an eye roll. "Heck, you practically cuddled up to me like a filly that one time during that snow storm-"
"-I was super cold and had to keep my body heat so my feathers didn't freeze, okay!?" Dash expressed loudly, flustering again, her blush turning to a deep cherry. "We were stuck in your barn from the snow avalanche that came off the roof…it's not like I had a choice…"
She defiantly looked away from her orange pony friend, but AJ gave the blue pony a sly expression.
"Suuure it was Rainbow, that's why you in turn put your wing over me like a blanket, hmm?" Applejack deadpanned.
"C-Can we please get back on topic!?" Dash barked with a voice crack.
"Well, I hate to rustle your feathers a bit further, but this really is on-topic." AJ responded firmly, her expression becoming a bit sterner. "The way it looks to me is that you're approachin' your relationship with Scootaloo from a dominantly off-hands nature. You're makin' sure she goes to bed on time, ya make sure she does her homework, you do all the responsibilities an older sister should do, but ya ain't doin' the heart to heart moments, which matter just as much."
"You know I'm not good at being mushy, plus, Scootaloo isn't really into that sort of stuff, either." Rainbow said, broaching her case for her anti-snuggle campaign with confidence.
"And ya'll know this from…?"
"Well…she never asks me, plus, you remember that one time at Sugarcube Corners, right? When you all hugged me because it turns out my awesome sonic rainboom got all of you guys your cutie marks? She said 'ewwww!' That speaks for itself, if you ask me."
Applejack outright laughed again. Rainbow gave an annoyed expression once again. That was starting to really bug her.
"Sugarcube, that was before you broached the idea to be like an older sister to her, and around her two friends, and all of us. If you ask me, it's likely she said that as a way to not draw attention to herself, and seem 'cool' in front of you. Bein' the official tomboy of Ponyville, she probably assumed you weren't into mushy stuff from the start, and wanted to mimic you."
Crap. The anti-snuggle campaign was developing more cracks in its walls with each new point Applejack made, and Dash was strugging to find a counter-argument. Grasping nothing but empty air, her ears fell flat as she bit her lip. AJ took the opportunity to push her point further.
"Look, I ain't sayin' you gotta become a hugger like Pinkie Pie. I ain't even sayin' ya gotta do it in front of others, if you absolutely want your image to remain undeterred…though there's nothin' wrong with showin' your sister affection in public."
At this point, all Dash could do was sit there and look at her hooves, listening to the explanation she knew was probably true, if at least only to some extent.
"Look, all I'm sayin' is you should learn to compromise and not expect her to always abide by your rules, and go along with them without question. Also, that once in a while spending some personal time, and demonstrating how you feel would help your relationship with Scoots quite a bit."
"But…but I am affectionate. Sometimes." Dash spoke up, adding on the later thought with a reclusive voice. "Like, earlier today Fluttershy gave her a ride home from school because I was, um, busy at work."
Applejack cocked a skeptical eyebrow. Dash furrowed her own and sighed.
"Alright, I was taking a nap and lost track of time. But that's not the point. The point is she pounced on me when she got home, so I totally got her back with a tickle attack. See? I'm not all bad, AJ."
Dash crossed her hooves as if the proof stacked far beyond any further points the farm pony could make. Applejack's expression softened, but her look of wisdom did not fade. Dash's campaign had clearly failed, softened and crumbled away entirely.
"Heh, well that's great. Playfulness is great, Rainbow. And ah'm mighty glad to hear that." The farm pony positively reinforced. "But there's a difference between spontaneous gestures that are often retaliation, and sentimental affection. I have a feelin' the latter is somethin' you have yet to try."
Dash sighed once again, not fully understanding the concept being introduced to her. She rubbed her spectrum mane with exasperation. AJ was starting to sound like Twilight. Well, except she was the egghead of sister relationships, not books.
"Isn't it all the same thing?" Was all Dash could get out, before to both pony's surprise Applejack's bedroom door opened with a slow creak. Out from the side of the swinging door was a reddish mane, followed by two large, upset eyes. While Rainbow blinked on in confusion, Applejack immediately got up from her spot, observing Apple Bloom, who was now looking as equally confused as Rainbow.
"Sugarcube, what's up? How come you're not asleep?" Applejack asked softly.
"R-Rainbow Dash?" Apple Bloom said, gawking at the rainbow pony. "How come you're here?"
"Just needed to talk to your sister. It's, uh, a bit urgent." Dash replied, standing up as well to not be the odd one out.
"RD's just havin' some trouble gettin' along with Scootaloo, but it's nothing you gotta worry about, sis. They'll resolve it real soon." Applejack explained, clearly more interested in why the filly looked as if she had been crying. "Now come on, talk to me, why are you up this late and lookin' so upset?"
Apple Bloom looked out of place all of the sudden. She looked away from AJ, clearly not having expected doing this with another pair of eyes watching her that weren't her sister's.
"Ah, um…" she mumbled under her breath, circling her small hoof around the floor.
"Come on now, you're startin' to worry me a little." Was all Applejack had to say, for the filly to look up at her and sniff.
"Ah…ah had a nightmare." She muttered. "A really awful one."
Applejack smiled. Dash remained silent, but couldn't help but smile a little too.
"Aww, is that it? Well come on over here for a minute, and let's hear all about this big nasty dream." The elder Apple said, using her head to nudge the filly towards her bed, while she used a back hoof to close the bedroom door. As Apple Bloom hopped onto her sister's bed, Applejack turned to Dash and winked. "Just a few minutes, RD."
"Sure thing." Dash responded, laying down on the floorboards and getting herself comfortable. She did her best to absently look around the room, not wanting to interrupt or disturb the moment the two were about to have by staring.
"So, what happened in this here nightmare?" Applejack asked, laying down on the bed next to the filly, and wrapping her golden tail around her casually. Apple Bloom wiped away what remained of her tears and looked down at the bed sheets.
"Well, it started out okay," she began, "me, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were crusaderin' for our cutie marks, trying to see if bein' daredevils was what we were good at. We all took turns goin' into the Everfree Forest, playin' chicken on how far we could all individually go without gettin' too scared, and comin' back out. We used sticks to mark the ground on where we all got to. Sweetie Belle went first, then me, then Scootaloo."
Applejack and Dash remained silent as the voiced voiced her recollection, but now Dash's attention had been attained as well.
"But, after a few times…Sweetie Belle went in and didn't come back out for a long time. M-Me and Scootaloo got scared, and she went in after her, sayin' she'd find her and bring her back. B-But then ah heard a really awful scream, and…and…"
Dash watched with a fraction of concern on her face, watching the filly's composure melt the further she retold.
"And then a-ah ran in to try and see where they were, and…I saw a whole bunch of timberwolves grouped together around somethin'…l-like they were eating it! Ah just knew what it was! Ah just knew! Then ah was frozen and couldn't move, and then they turned and came after me! I was almost at the exit but then ah tripped on a root, and…and…"
The filly couldn't retell anymore. Her voice became muffled through her tears and hiccuping. Dash looked away and concentrated her gaze at Applejack's dresser, closing her eyes and falling into deep thought and reflection. It was almost the same expression and voice as Scootaloo, earlier that night. Except there was no timberwolf to blame for the those tears.
"Sugarcube, that's awful. Ah'm so sorry you had to see somethin' like that." Applejack whispered softly, her voice melodic, full of care and concern. She laid her head down to the filly's, nuzzling the tiny pony's nose with her own. "But don't you worry none, those wolves don't dare come anywhere near the edge of the forest. They did back in Granny Smith's day, but they've learned their lesson. Enough bucks to the face, magic spells cast on em, and assaults from pegasi have driven their kind deep into the woods."
Apple Bloom gradually regained control over her unsteady voice, and took a deep breath. She smiled up at the older pony and dug her head into her sister's side, returning the affection.
"Really? But don't they come out n' howl for when the zap apples are gonna be bloomin'?"
"That's right, they do, but that's a behavior of theirs that we ponies have allowed. But when they dare try and prowl about anywhere near the first half a mile of forest or so, lookin' for food, they get their hides walloped. The princess deemed their existence a danger to ponies that needed to be dealt with long ago, after Granny Smith first notified her of their existence in those parts of the Everfree Forest. Ever since, her trained guards regularly patrol the key points in the woods several times a month, makin' sure they don't prowl those areas."
Dash stared at Applejack with fixated fascination. That was news to her. She knew about the wolves, but she had never heard of that decree. Why did she never see guards hanging in the woods? Did she just always miss them?
"Thanks, Applejack." Apple Bloom said sweetly, curling up against her sister comfortably and losing all nervousness of Dash being there. "Do ya think you can come hang out with me n' the crusaders tomorrow?"
"Sure thing Sugarcube, I spose I can supervise ya'll for a while. Just give me n' your brother enough time to finish our morning chores, and I'll meet up with ya at your CMC Clubhouse." The orange pony explained, nodding her head towards the door and smiling at the filly, who looked about ready to fall asleep again. Applejack beamed brightly.
"Now, you seem mighty comfortable bein' a snuggle filly, but ah gotta finish mah discussion with Rainbow. So why don't you go on back to your room for now and try to go back to sleep. Ah'll come in and check on ya soon as she's left, alright?"
"Alright, Applejack!" Apple Bloom answered, getting up from her spot and hopping off the bed, trotting over to the door with a brand new atmosphere, and turning to Rainbow Dash with a smile.
"G'night Rainbow Dash, say hi to Scootaloo for me!" She said excitedly, before opening and closing the bedroom door behind her.
Applejack got off the bed and stretched her hooves. Meanwhile, Dash stared at the door, listening to the distant sound of another door in the hallway beyond closing quietly. As silence overtook the two mares, and Dash could see the sly grin of her friend in her peripheral view, Dash adopted a put out expression.
"Geez. Don't I feel lame after seeing you show me up at being an epic sister." The blue pony droned sarcastically, resting her head on her hoof and smiling at her friend playfully.
"To answer your question," the farm pony began, ignoring the taunting and laying down right next to the blue pegasus, "you ticklin' Scootaloo was playful affection. All that ya saw right there with Apple Bloom n' me, that's sentimental affection. Takin' the time to bond with your sibling, understand what they're feelin' and demonstrating affection, past a simple gesture."
"Okay, okay, I get it already..." Rainbow grumbled in defeat, trying to lean away from the orange pony and her insistent attempts to make her blush. "I need to suck up my pride and cuddle once in a while, for her sake at least. And maybe I could be a bit more open to ideas, and stuff. But, you really think that's gonna solve everything? I can't help but think Scoots is just gonna give me a weird look and think I'm a changeling that's just trying to feast on her love."
"Pfft, well, you don't just walk up and say 'wanna cuddle?', Rainbow." Applejack chuckled. "It's subtle. Ya do it when it's called for, or if it's clear she's upset and really needs you, like just then with me n' Apple Bloom. She came in here seeking some comfort, so it was perfectly called for."
Dash let out a brisk huff. What started as advice was starting to sound more like a lecture, especially following that admittedly epic demonstration. The pegasus shook her mane and stretched her hooves, turning to Applejack and rubbing the back of her head with her hoof.
"Well, uh…thanks for the help, AJ." She said, her voice sincere and appreciative - two things Applejack didn't hear from her friend all that often. "I knew you'd be helpful for this sort of thing. You're like the egghead of relationships. So uh, I guess I'll seeya tomorrow." The weather pony opened the window, gave a wink, and soared out into the open sky. Applejack cocked an eyebrow at the abrupt exit, trotted back across the room in order to close the window after her and eyeing the vanishing streak of rainbow mane as it disappeared in the dark.
"Heh, I'll take that as a compliment, pony girl."
"I wonder just how much longer I'll need you, anyway."
Scootaloo was firmly sitting back on her haunches, her tiny wings folded to her body, her eyes full of both boredom and uncertainty. She stroked a small white cloth rag along her prized scooter's surface, rubbing every nook and cranny she could reach from handles to wheels; all of this she accomplished by way of a green lantern full of fireflies. She found it in one of Dash's storage closets, and it was proving to be exceedingly helpful in the 'defying your big sister's bed time rule' rebellion, by allowing her to shut the lights off while still maintaining vision.
Despite the fact that Scootaloo now had her own room, complete with her own furniture and her own shelves and drawers full of miscellaneous items Dash had bought her on spur of the moment occasions, she still clung to her favorite scooter. It was her prized possession. It was part of who she was, even.
For a grounded pegasus, it was to Scootaloo what Dash's wings were to her.
Sitting in the center of her comfy bed, the orange, purple-manned pony continued through the motions of caring for her scooter, whilst her helmet lay absent and empty on the almost bare nightstand next to her. Her thoughts kept trailing back to Dash, no matter how many new scooter moves she tried to think of in her head. The blue pony would probably kill her if she knew she was still up.
"I wish she wasn't so fixated on her rules…" She said aloud, peering at her reflection in the glass of the glowing lantern. "I mean, can't she just be more laid back with them, like she is with everything else? That's one of the things I always liked about her…"
The pony sighed even harder and put down the rag. Who was she kidding; the thing had been relatively clean to begin with.
"Wow Scootaloo, you're talking to yourself. Maybe it really is time to go to bed."
Just as the filly gripped the handles of her scooter to maneuver it off the bed, the sound of someone flying into the living room downstairs reached her ears. Scootaloo froze. She didn't even need to ask herself if it was truly Dash - only she would enter the house by completely disregarding the door and using the window instead.
I wonder if she's still angry. The filly pondered, dragging herself to the edge of the bed and moving a single hoof down to the floor, practically moving in slow motion to avoid making a sound. She could hear the pony walking around downstairs and interacting with objects. As long as she took her time, making sure not to make any loud noises, she'd be good.
But then the sound of hooves casually trotting up the steps of the stairway made the young pony's heart skip a beat. She was coming to check on her!
Sacrificing her ninja-like stealth for rapid speed, while still trying to not make anything bump or crash, the filly got off the bed, grabbed her scooter and tugged it from its spot. It took a great deal of strength, but she managed to place it on the floor without any loud thumps. She then dove back across the bed and grabbed the green lantern, adrenaline coursing through her as the steps on the staircase came to an end. Opening up the lantern and shooing the bugs out the open window, the filly placed the hot item under the bed, and made one final dive for the folds of her blanket. She quickly wormed her way underneath it, and set her head on her pillow, just as the door knob turned.
The door opened with sounds of tumblers turning, and Scootaloo could see the light from the hallway dimly casting a spotlight on her entire bed. She held her breath and kept completely still, not daring to even breathe.
She heard absolutely nothing.
Dash was just…standing there? Scootaloo was facing away from the doorway; only the vague shadowy blob that was Rainbow Dash standing in the doorway and blocking some of the light told her that fact.
After a few more moments, the inevitable came.
"You know you're not fooling me, right, squirt?"
Scootaloo mentally slapped herself for probably having made a noise louder than she thought. But…maybe Dash was bluffing, or wasn't sure that what she heard was actually Scootaloo. The filly remained still, not giving into defeat just yet. If Dash wanted proof, she'd have to come and get it herself. No way was a Cutie Mark Crusader going to give in to her big sister so easily!
Unfortunately for Scootaloo, that was just what Rainbow had been waiting for.
"Huh, maybe I was wrong. Maybe she is really asleep." The azure pegasus staged aloud, giving a wide smirk out of Scootaloo's vision. She walked around the bed, right to the very edge, and put her front hooves upon it. Scootaloo's heart was racing. Even a faulty eye-movement would alert the pony, now…and worse yet, she couldn't tell what the blue pegasus was doing, what with her eyes closed.
Rainbow stuck her tongue out between her lips and raised her hooves, aiming them at her target. This was going to be cake.
One…two…three…now!
In a single lightning-fast motion the blue pegasus tossed away the covers and dug both her hooves into the exposed pegasus tummy. Getting the immediate reaction she desired, she chuckled to herself as Scootaloo jumped, then immediately began giggling in hysterics. She tried to defend herself, but the assaulting hooves where far too swift; they attacked whichever spots weren't guarded.
"Or maybe, Rainbow Dash, Best Flyer in Equestria, has seen and done the green firefly lantern trick before, and knows when a certain somepony is trying to pull a fast one!" Dash said playfully. Scootaloo quickly writhed out of reach, but Dash compensated by tackling her on the bed. Once there, Scootaloo found herself pinned to her pillow, unable to escape.
"Ahaha! O-Okay I'm sorry fo-or waahaaha!! T-Tricking y-you! QUIT IT!"
"Pfft, yeah, sure squirt, like that'll work." Dash said in a mocking tone. "That's what you pleaded this afternoon too, and did I stop then?"
Dash sat back and played the filly's tummy like a musical instrument, causing higher pitches of laughter with every hoof movement. "You try and fool me, squirt, you're gonna be in for it! I don't play fair like Applejack or Rarity with their sisters. You wanted me to be your big sister, which means you get everything that comes with that!"
Scootaloo's orange cheeks were soon overtaken by a redness caused by her overbearing laughs. After the filly visibly couldn't take anymore, the rainbow pegasus withdrew her hoof, at last giving the crusader a chance to take full breaths again. When she recovered, she found Dash lying with her hooves behind her head, having made full use of the crusader's bed.
"I thought you would still be…mad from earlier." The filly explained, panting between her words and watching Dash with a mix of surprise and joy. "And…hey! How did you know about the lantern? I totally hid that before you even opened the door!"
"Nah, I went and cooled off, talked with Applejack for a bit. Oh, that reminds me, Apple Bloom says hi." Dash explained, turning to look the younger pony in the eye. "And that's a trade secret, kiddo. Just know that you're in for some serious trouble whenever you try and use that trick on me, cause it's never gonna work."
"I'm guessing by trouble you mean more tickling, right?" Scootaloo pressed, fixing her mane from her spasmodic episode.
"Nopony knows. Maybe tickling, maybe next time it'll be something even worse!" Dash said cryptically, grin spread wide. "Point is, you better get in bed whenever you go to bed, otherwise, you'll have to face the wrath of Dash the Destroyer."
"Hah, well why didn't you say so! If it was the wrath of Dash the Destroyer I was dealing with, I'd have neeever protested my bedtime in the first place!" The filly piled on, giggling along with her sister. When those giggles finally subsided, and the excitement of the moment came to an end, Dash took a deep breath of relaxation and stretched her hooves into the air.
"Alright kid, Dash the Destroyer needs to hit the hay; if she doesn't, she won't be able to obliterate the cloudy weather tomorrow." She said, a confident smile coming to her at the mere thought of tearing apart storm clouds at the speed of sound. She leaned up on the bed and turned to the filly, who had laid down against her pillow, looking genuinely exhausted, herself.
"Okay, Dash. That sounds good…goodnight and all, then." Scootaloo said with a yawn, finding the cool temperature of her pillow and blankets far more soothing than she had before. Dash couldn't help but look on with a happy smile as the small pony cuddled up against those comforts.
"Well, kid, before you pass out on me…" The blue pony began, leaping head first into Applejack's advice from the exact opposite angle she was supposed to. "I wanted to know if you'd like to spend some time together tonight. I mean, what with that stupid fight and all, I kinda just wanted to apologize, and spend some time with you. I guess most of our time together would be in our dreams, though, you gotta sleep after all. Uh, does any of that work for you?"
Rainbow Dash salvaged some remnant of a confident smile, but it was for naught. Fresh, hot sweat poured down her forehead. What was she thinking? Was all of that even a cohesive thought? She peered desperately at the small pony, hoping for any tell tale sign of agreement.
Scootaloo pulled herself from her cocoon of fabric, and was now staring at Dash using the dim light from the hallway beyond. A small smile eventually crept to her face, and to Dash's great relief she nodded in agreement with the idea.
"Uh, sure, that sounds great, Rainbow Dash!" She said happily, initial confusion over the pegasus's wording turning to simple joy. A heavy weight lifted from her shoulders, Dash nodded and fluttered up from the bed. She went out into the hallway and turned off the remaining lights, before closing the bedroom door, and leaving them in a much thicker darkness than before. With the only light source now the moon and stars outside the window, the only part of Dash Scootaloo could make out now was her outline, and the light in her eyes reflecting from the moon.
"Alright, kiddo, can you just move over so I don't accidentally sit on you?" She joked, using the filly's giggling as an indicator on how close she was. After a few joke nudges Dash couldn't resist, she made her way back amidst the pillows and blankets. Once there, the blue pony knew exactly what she wanted to do. Oh yes. This trick had worked before in fact, and required minimal gushing.
"Hey, squirt?"
"Yeah?"
"Come here for a sec."
Scootaloo gently used a hoof to help herself along in the dark. Thankfully, the moon's ominous light illuminated Dash's outline there on the bed as well. As soon as she was close enough, the filly gasped when she felt a hoof wrap itself around her midsection and pull her even closer. The filly found Dash's retracted, feathery wing behind her head. For a moment it seemed to morph out of shape, as the long blue feathers puffed themselves out, becoming softer than Scootaloo's normal pillow.
Rainbow's brilliantly colored tail wrapped itself around the filly's tummy, and secured itself. Dash then curled her body best she could, and laid her head down against the bed with a tired yawn. There was a moment of quiet.
"Pretty comfy, huh?" Dash said, clearly expecting agreement.
"Y-Yeah…thanks, Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo responded weakly, bearing a blush and beaming with content. She nestled herself into her own personal pillow to get comfortable. The coolest pillow there ever was.
"Alright. G'night, kid. We'll talk in the morning, okay?"
"Sure! Goodnight, big sis."
Rainbow Dash kept a single eye open, glancing at the young filly curling up against her; a purple and orange ball, clutching her rainbow tail like a blanket and sighing happily into it. It was to this pleasant view that the weather pony closed her eyes and allowed sleep to consume her.
Hour upon hour passed, and the crescent moon in the sky descended at Princess Luna's command. The stars, woven as they were into the sky's tapestry disappeared from view along with it. In their place, the heavenly sunlight from Celestia's day sprang forth, bringing both warmth and energy to the world below. Ponies awoke early to go about their daily chores, to go shopping, or to go and visit friends and relatives. Even the animals emerged from their dens to search for food or to play in the fields. Equestria was waking up.
"Nnnnggh…" came the shallow grunt of Rainbow Dash, shaking her head like a dog to dislodge her bed mane, and giving a long-winded morning yawn. It took her only a few moments to realize there was a filly cuddled to her stomach, still clutching her tail closely as she had last night. But as cute as Scootaloo may have been…
"Alright sleepy feathers, time to wake up. I gotta get goin'." Dash said, using a hoof to gently jostle the filly's head to try and stir her. She succeeded, but as Scootaloo began to awake to the bright sun stinging her eyes, she gave a less than enthusiastic groan, burying her head deeper into her pegapillow.
"There's quite a few lazy pegasi on the weather patrol team. If the leader of the team doesn't show up to rally them up, trust me, at least one fifth of the team will take it upon themselves to ditch out on duty for the day."
"Why so soon...just twenty more minutes, Dash?" The orange pony asked, squinting one eye at the blue pegasus looking down at her.
"Twenty? Squirt, seriously, if they ditch out, that means more work for me to do." Dash explained, her violet eyes glancing out the window, observing the scattered puffy white clouds filling up the sky like giant floating marshmallows. "And I got better things to do today than pick up the slack for-"
"Please, Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked again, a pleading in her voice that Dash was having trouble resisting. She sighed, and watched the filly cling to her comfortable nest made up of pegasus wing, pegasus tummy and pegasus rainbow tail. She did still look rather sleepy.
A sudden spark took off in Dash's brain, and her eyes widened. Applejack's angry face upon being woken up last night came to mind. Then, the advice session she had received from the earth pony. It all washed over her in a humbling wave.
Compassion. Affection. Understanding. Compromise. The ability to be gentle and soft with your sibling, and being willing to sometimes meet them half-way and stuff.
Her mind was paraphrasing a bit, but AJ's advice shone through yet again, and Dash smiled to herself meekly. Her reflective face and silence must have been as plain as day, for Scootaloo was staring up at her, blinking in confusion.
"Fine, fine, you got me. Maybe I can shave off a little more time." Dash surrendered, laying her head back down against the soft comforter and closing her eyes. "But only twelve more minutes, okay kid? I can't sleep the whole day away being your pillow."
Scootaloo's bright, pearly whites showed as she grinned and nodded, accepting her sister's terms and getting back into her sleeping position.
Whaddya know. She did remember to brush her teeth last night, after all.
――
To be a good sister, one must give as well as take.
Compromise, to make your sibling happy while maintaining some of your own interests.
Affection, to demonstrate both spontaneous gestures, as well as taking the time to bond with them on a personal level.
And flexibility, to be willing to bend your own rules in certain situations, to accommodate your sibling's interests.
For a long time, confidence in being a big sister that could compare to that of Rarity or even Applejack was not something Rainbow Dash had. Though she had never had a sister before, she took a homeless filly into her home with encouragement from her friends, and did her best to steer her in the right direction. But sometimes, you need to be steered in the right direction, yourself.
Now, Rainbow's grasp on what sisterhood entailed had been enlightened. And although she may be a bit rougher and free-form in her style as opposed to Rarity or Applejack, you can ask any of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and each one will tell you that they have the greatest older sister that a filly could ever have. Scootaloo included.
