Don't Bet On Sinking Ships

Scootaloo awoke feeling refreshed and content, until she noticed a lack of Rainbow Dash in bed. However, her disappointment was short lived as her big sister flew in from the balcony. “Sup squirt, sleep well?”

“Oh, yeah! No nightmares or anything, also where did you just go? Was there another weather emergency?” Scootaloo questioned as she started to sit up in bed.

“What? Oh, nah! Just wanted to stretch my wings a bit, do some warm up exercises and stuff,” Rainbow said nonchalantly. “But speaking of wings, I noticed something the last time we changed your bandages. Your wings need preening, bad. So how about after a bath we preen our wings, and then we can grab some breakfast.” All while she had been talking, Dash made her way to the bed and gently undid Scootaloo’s bandages. Her primary feathers allowing her expert dexterity, so her charge only winced twice.

“That sounds like a good plan Rainbow,” said Scootaloo trying and failing to not imagine all the things she’d like to get up to in a bath with her sister. Her fantasies were cut off when she realized something, “Rainbow Dash? I don’t actually know how to preen my wings,” Scootaloo admitted bashfully. “My parents tried teaching me, but… I never really got how to do it properly, and it just hurt every time I pulled my feathers.”

Hearing this, Rainbow tensed up for a second before relaxing and putting on a caring smile. “Well then, I’ll preen you! I’ve kinda always wanted to teach somepony how to do it. I was gonna show Twi, but apparently alicorn wings are different from pegasus wings, so she just got lessons from Cadence and Celestia,” Rainbow said a bit crestfallen before bouncing back a moment later. “Now I can show my little sis how to do it, which is way better!”

“Well, if you’re cool with it, I’d really appreciate any help I can get,” said Scootaloo, eager to learn from the older pegasus. With Scootaloo held carefully in her hooves, Rainbow hovered over to the bathroom. Setting Scootaloo down on the floor, Rainbow started filling the tub, making sure the water was a comfortable temperature.

“Heh, ya know, I’ve seen a lot of foal pictures of my friends taking baths with their siblings, but I never really got that. It’s funny the kind of small things you miss out on as an only filly…” Rainbow trailed off looking wistful as she zoned out on the bath.

“Well, I’m glad we can have this moment now. Even after I get better… I mean if you want… we could still take baths together, if you’re cool with that! No biggie if that’s not your thing, just wanted to let you know I’m cool with… it?” Scootaloo finished awkward as a turtle. However, Rainbow seemed to brighten at this, perking her ears in excitement.

“Really Scoots? That would actually be pretty cool. I mean, I take group baths with my friends at the spa sometimes, but it’s different with you. You’re my sister,” Dash said, a slight blush on her cheeks as she smiled down to the orange filly. With that, Rainbow gently deposited Scootaloo into the now full tub of comfortably hot water.

As the two pegasi settled in they both expelled a content sigh as Scootaloo leaned against Rainbow Dash’s belly, who in turn leaned back against the back wall of the tub. “Man, I sure am glad this magic castle came with indoor plumbing. Otherwise I’d have to bring in my own storm clouds just for a bath,” said Rainbow, totally relaxed and content.

The pair simply sat there enjoying the peace together before the water cooled down a bit, which prompted Rainbow to actually clean her sister and herself. Everything was going fine, Dash shampooed and conditioned their manes, rinsed off with a nearby bucket dunked over each of their heads. However, seeing her crush with a slicked down wet mane on top of her close proximity finally got the better of Scootaloo.

With a quiet *pomf* her wings shot up, splashing Rainbow a little, and causing her to wince in pain. Dash noticed this, but to Scootaloo’s relief, and great pleasure, the wing boner was taken as a cue to start preening. “Heh, I guess we are done with our bath, I appreciate the efficiency squirt,” Rainbow said before leaning down to start gently adjusting orange feathers with her mouth, gently nudging and pulling feathers into place.

“Wow, that feels… awesome,” Scootaloo moaned absentmindedly, before realizing her present company. However, despite her personal mortification, Rainbow didn’t miss a single beat.

“Yeah, I remember my mom teaching me how to preen, and unlike your folks, she actually preened me my first few times. I don’t mean to talk bad about them,” Dash said in a tone that suggested the opposite. “They just dropped the ball huh? Glad I came in to take you under my wing then, now I’m gonna teach you everything I know.”

Rainbow’s words soothed and reassured Scootaloo on a fundamental level. Despite how nervous she could get around Rainbow Dash, in this moment, with Dash gently nuzzling, licking, nipping at her wings, Scootaloo was overwhelmed with a sense of love and security she never felt before. She simply reveled in this soothing warmth for what felt like an eternity, but was over in the blink of an eye.

“All done Scoots. Now lets get you dried off and replace your bandages,” Dash chirped up before doing just that. Before she knew what was happening, Scootaloo was back in bed and bandaged. “Alright, now that you’re all done, you feel up to doing me?”

“Wait-what?” Scootaloo blurted, not really paying attention.

“Uh, I was gonna actually teach you how to preen by using me as an example. You can’t learn just from somepony doing it to you ya know,” Rainbow said, smirking. “Now, pay attention squirt, class is in session for preening one oh one,” she announced with her regular air of confidence. With her little sister’s undivided attention, Dash guided Scootaloo through preening her cyan wings.

It took a lot of correction, and Rainbow had to correct Scootaloo’s over eagerness a few times, but in the end, Dash was happy with the result. “Huh, not bad squirt. There’s a couple secondaries that are slightly off, but I’m sure you’ll get it down after a few more lessons,” she beamed with pride before quickly correcting the small errors.

Scootaloo basked in the modest praise like she just won a gold medal at the Equestria games. She would have been content to just revel in the attention, but just then her stomach reminded her of biological imperatives.

After breakfast, the day just flew by while they spent time reading, watching Rainbow Dash do her daily training regiment, and at one point the two of them, Starlight Glimmer and Spike played a game of Dragon Pit. Overall, Scootaloo figured it was another great day in the care of Rainbow Dash.

At this point, falling asleep with her sister in bed had become second nature for the flightless filly. Her dream on the other hand revealed something she had been dreading. As soon as she fell asleep, her dream became lucid and standing before her was Princess Luna, surrounded by a starry void tinged a slight shade of blue. “P-princess! What are you doing here? I wasn’t having a nightmare!” Scootaloo was sure that if this wasn’t a dream, her heart would have literally jumped out of her chest.

“Be not afraid young Scootaloo, I have only come to talk,” Luna said in a soothing tone as she folded her hooves beneath her, laying on her stomach. “Know that I am aware of your… desires and I wish to council you on them.” She put on a caring, patient smile to put her friend at ease. It didn’t help much.

At hearing Luna’s proclamation, Scootaloo’s mind raced, thinking up worst case scenarios involving prison, banishment, or both at the same time. For a moment Scootaloo wondered if this is how Twilight felt when she brainwashed the town to want that old doll. Once the moment was gone, Scootaloo’s mind wandered to her dream the first night she spent with Rainbow Dash.

Seeing the blank dream she was occupying start to morph into a nightmare, Luna reached out with her magic to banish the negative thoughts. “Calm yourself Scootaloo, I am not here to condemn you or out you. Your secret is safe, and nopony is going to hurt you.” This time her words had a viably calming affect on Scootaloo.

After taking a minute to calm down, Scootaloo managed to stop hyperventilating long enough to reply. “But, isn’t incest illegal? Aren’t you going to arrest me or something?”

Luna had to stifle a laugh before replying. “Scootaloo, first of all, no, incest is not illegal. It hasn’t been since my sister and myself legalized it nation wide among other things. Though, my sister was inspired to do so because young princess Twilight Sparkle did so for the providence of Ponyville first,” Luna said, pondering the events of the previous year.

“Wait wait wait… what? Why, how, what?” Scootaloo barely managed to stammer out a series of vague questions. “When was this? Why didn’t anypony tell me? How did Twilight manage that? Why would she do that?”

Luna held up her hoof to stop the filly’s questions before answering. “It was some time last year, I imagine it is still seen as a bit of a social taboo so I doubt anypony would volunteer that information to an impressionable filly. As to how, Twilight is the princess of Ponyville. It’s sort of a training program my sister set up for her. She has the final say on laws, and can introduce her own laws to be debated at the city council.” Scootaloo was slowly nodding to show she understood so far.

“Wait,” Scootaloo said looking confused, “but why though? You said she passed the law before you did right? Why?” Her mind was awash with emotion. Disgust, curiosity, anger, arousal, and more confusion.

“Well, the specifics are a personal secret we are not at liberty to say, but I can tell you there are various ponies who have taken advantage of this law to finally express the full range of their love for their siblings.” Luna covered a giggle with a hoof as she remembered the events of a specific night with her sister and her student, as well as her student’s brother.

“Huh… Anypony I know?” Scootaloo asked casually.

“Hmm, yes. Quite a few, but I won’t give specifics, as I’m sure even after this revelation, you would not want me to tell others your secret,” Luna said sternly. “But I do also have some advice. I did not come here to simply gossip or inform you of the law of the land. I know about your feelings for your adopted sister Rainbow Dash. I know you love her as a sister, but also wish to take her as a lover.”

Scootaloo’s face was turning from orange to bright red, literally. In a dream, her body’s signals were translated into over exaggerated expressions. Her blush was practically radiating, yet she didn’t try to deny any of it.

“I wish to put your mind at ease. Just know that if you confess your feelings to your sister, she will not hate you, she will not belittle you, and she will not abandon you. I can say these things with absolute confidence. Although I cannot tell you how I know,” Luna said with an obvious wink.

Scootaloo was dumbstruck. What does that mean? Does Rainbow feel the same way? What if the princess is just messing with me? As her thoughts kept spiraling Luna once again took charge and calmed the raging storm that was the orange filly’s mind.

“Scootaloo, would it help to know that I know exactly how you feel?” That got Scootaloo’s attention quick, her mind almost immediately halted in it’s self destructive tendencies. “Yes, I too see my sister both as a sibling, and a lover. As of now, this is to remain between us and a select few, but in time we will lead by example to help quell the social taboo and come out to the public.”

“This is a lot Princess Luna,” Scootaloo mumbled as she held her head in her hooves. “I appreciate the talk, and I defiantly feel better than I did earlier. I just… need a minute to process this.”

“Of course, take your time. Dreams are useful in that time itself is not set in stone. One could drag out a moment as long as one wishes or have an eternity pass in the blink of an eye. Take all the time you need,” Luna said as she shifted the dream to resemble a field of wild grass and a few sparse trees. “I find a calming landscape to be conducive to processing complex thoughts.”

Scootaloo barely noticed as she sorted out everything she had been told. The rulers of the nation are incestuous lovers, there’s apparently enough ponies with an incest fetish to warrant legalizing it, and apparently Rainbow Dash is either one of those ponies or is just okay with it. Her thoughts went on repeat a few times before she finally looked up. “So what should I do now?”

Luna was slightly taken aback, she wasn’t really expecting such a direct question, at least not so quickly. However she was still prepared for this question. “Do what your heart tells you. Perhaps plan something around hearts and hooves day. I know my sister and I have made our own plans for celebrating that day,” Luna said with a sly grin. “Also, keep your eyes open. You might just spot some siblings spending the day together, if you can peel your eyes off those well toned flanks.”

Scootaloo did a double take before talking back. “Hey! Have you been checking out Rainbow Dash? Back off, she’s my sister!” Scootaloo spit out with rising vitriol in her tone.

“Then claim her, or are you a chicken?” Luna replied with a shit eating grin. With that, she dramatically exited the dream, causing Scootaloo to wake up panting and a little angry that the princess got the last word in.

“I’m not a chicken,” Scootaloo grumbled under her breath. Turning to her side she saw something she wished she could see every morning. Rainbow Dash sleeping peacefully next to her.