Rainbow Dash Always Dresses In Style
"It's OVER! I'm RUINED!" Sweetie Belle is startled awake from her mid-afternoon nap by the sobbing noises of her older sister downstairs. Grumbling, she raises herself up to her hooves, shivering a little to get her muscles used to moving, before trotting downstairs. Panicked outbursts like this are not exactly rare around the boutique, but she still probably should see if she can help at all.
"Why meeee!" Rarity wails, laying back on her usual couch with a bowl of comfort ice cream resting on her barrel. "This is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!"
"What is?" Sweetie Belle asks, now getting a bit concerned as she lifts her front high enough to see Rarity face to face with her forehooves on the couch.
"Oh, Sweetie Belle! My sweet, darling Sister, it's just DREADFUL! The last quarter of sales is over, and... And... I still have surplus merchandise in stock!" Rarity wails in abject horror.
Sweetie Belle sighs. She really should have expected something like this, given her sister's track record. "Can't you just sell them next season..?" Sweetie Belle asks, nonplussed.
Rarity stares at Sweetie Belle in shock, like she is looking at a stranger. "And sell... out of fashion clothes?" She asks, incredulously. "Who would do such a ghastly thing!?"
"Oh, I don't know, every clothing brand, ever?" Sweetie Belle asks, rolling her eyes.
Rarity gasps. "To think my own sister could say such a horrid thing. I have standards, Sweetie Belle. And these clothes are quite simply unfashionable now!" She declares, levitating up the sets of clothes that hadn't sold- It seemed to be a line of egregiously frilly dresses in various shapes and sizes. Sweetie Belle dimly remembers Rarity saying something about classical dresses being in fashion last season, but apparently her big sister had made a rare miscalculation of how in fashion they were.
Sweetie Belle just rolls her eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to go see my friends" She declares, before trotting out the door to make her way to the clubhouse, and thus escape Rarity's wailing at least for the time being.
Sweetie Belle trots into the CMC's clubhouse with a decidedly nonplussed expression. "Alright girls, what are we getting up to today?" Sweetie Belle asks, immediately, as soon as she enters the clubhouse. Applebloom is curled up napping on one side of the room, while Scootaloo is laying down drawing something with a crayon. Craning her neck around and dropping the crayon, Scootaloo looks at Sweetie Belle with a curious expression.
"What's the matter?" Scootaloo asks.
Sweetie Belle stretches out, yawning. "Oh, it's nothing much. Rarity is just freaking out because she had a few dresses leftover from last season, and she woke me up from my nap, so I'm still a bit groggy."
Applebloom perks up from where she had been napping. "Leftover dresses, huh? Does she need help selling them? Maybe we could be..."
Her eyes dart over at Scootaloo for a moment, before the both of them burst out in perfect synchronization. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS EXCESS MERCHANDISE SELLERS!"
But Sweetie Belle just shakes her head. "I don't think so, she doesn't want to sell anything that is out of fashion. You know how my sister is. She'll probably want them recycled, though, so maybe we could be..."
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER FABRIC RECYCLERS!" The three of them shout in synchronization as always, never wondering how it is that they are always able to know exactly what the others are going to be shouting despite not coordinating at all.
But Scootaloo seems to have more on her mind, as she look at Sweetie Belle with a curious expression. "What kind of leftover dresses, anyways?"
Sweetie Belle shrugs. "Some super frilly dresses that she thought would be in fashion last season, apparently they're classical fashion."
Scootaloo purses her lips in interest as the gears in her head begin turning. "Hey, Sweetie Belle? Do you think you could save some of them for me and take me to look at them, later? I think I might have an idea."
Sweetie Belle blinks at Scootaloo, confused. "Huh? Sure, but why?" It didn't seem like something the scooter-loving filly would be into, based on her description. Scootaloo's mischievous expression does not exactly assuage those doubts.
"Oh, nothing you need to worry about. I just have a fun idea for later." Scootaloo explains with a sly expression.
"Well... Alright." Sweetie Belle says. "In the meantime, why don't we go check with that visiting smith from Appleloosa today? Maybe we could be-"
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS BLACKSMITH APPRENTICES!" The three cheer out in perfect sync one more time, before rushing out the door.
Three days later, Scootaloo’s tiny wings buzz as she rockets through town on her trademark scooter. Most ponies she passes by give her friendly waves, before rapidly being lost in her peripheral vision. As she passes sugar cuber corner, she spies a pink party pony popping her head out the window to call out “Say hi to Dashie for me!”
Looking out for some debris to do some cool tricks on, she makes a quick detour for a spare plank of wood propped up on some cinder blocks, just begging to be used for a stunt. Narrowing her eyes, she jerks the handlebars in one direction to rocket up the impromptu ramp, then swinging the scooter around to make a full 360 horizontal rotation in the air before crashing back down to earth with a jolt, grinning ear to ear. I wonder if that's what flying is like?
Soon enough though, she makes her way to the outskirts of town where her big sister’s cloud house is parked. Skidding to a halt in the open field next to the mail box, the orange filly leaves her scooter leaning against said mail box. Taking in a deep breath, she cups her hooves around her muzzle to project her voice before yelling up at the clouds with all her might.
“Hey Rainbow Dash! I got something I need to show you!” Scootaloo announces with a cheeky smile that just about gives away her mischievous intentions. A sleepy, cyan colored muzzle peaks out over the edge of a cloud, looking down at the orange filly, before flapping its wings to hover in the air.
"Hey, squirt. Whats up?" Rainbow Dash asks, yawning. She'd clearly just been woken up from one of her usual power naps, but she doesn't seem at all upset. At least her tiredness rendered her oblivious to Scootaloo's mischievous smile.
Scootaloo looks side to side, slyly. "Can I come up? I can show you in person!"
Rainbow Dash looks down at the orange filly, and shrugs. She had scooted all the way out here just to see her, so of course she could. The cyan pegasus swoops down, landing in front of Scootaloo with a hefty impact before flipping her mane back- Rainbow Dash always shows off to Scootaloo even when just flying around normally. "Alright, alright. Jump on, Squirt." Rainbow Dash gives a signature cocky smile to the filly, and Scootaloo's wings buzz in anticipation- Riding on her big sister's shoulders is always a special treat. Before Rainbow Dash can lean down, Scootaloo jumps as high as she can, straining with her wings to carry her just high enough to catch Rainbow Dash's shoulders and clamber onto her back without assistance, beaming at the accomplishment.
Rainbow just chuckles, looking back. "Hey, great job, squirt. Now hang on tight, alright?" Once Scootaloo nods in confirmation, Rainbow Dash rockets upwards at full speed, knowing the filly would appreciate the feeling of the wind in her face just as much as Rainbow- Maybe even more, since it is more special and rare for her. All Rainbow Dash needs to confirm that supposition is glance back at the enchanted face of the filly, smiling contentedly herself before performing a loop in the air and coming down for a landing at the entrance to her house, scattering wisps of cloud here and there.
"Alright, squirt, lets hear it. Whats up?" Rainbow Dash prompts, while Scootaloo releases her tight grip from around Rainbow's neck and slides off to the ground.
Scootaloo takes the opportunity to unhook her saddlebags and, laying them out on the ground and unpinning the latches that keep them shut, retrieving a very embarrassing set of frilly clothes. Rainbow Dash immediately looks flustered and backs away slightly, hesitating.
"U-um, you sure you didn't mix up your bags with Rarity's or something, Scoots?" Rainbow Dash asks, a little nervously. Scootaloo just grins widely up at her idol and shakes her head.
"Well. Sweetie Belle mentioned that Rarity had some leftover dresses from last season..." Scootaloo starts. "And I just thought, it'd be funny if we got together and tried some of them on! She was just gonna throw them out, so it's not like we need to be careful with them."
Rainbow Dash's cheeks start glowing a pale shade of red as she backs up, chuckling nervously. "Um, Scoots... I don't know how to tell you this but those are some... Very un-cool dresses." She protests, embarrassed. "I wouldn't have thought you'd be into things like that, Scootaloo." Rainbow Dash finishes uncomfortably.
But Scootaloo came prepared for this, and was quite familiar with how to stroke her older sister's ego. "Oh, I'm not, but wouldn't it be funny if the coolest pony around was wearing a silly dress?" Scootaloo states, looking up at Rainbow Dash with wide eyes.
"Eheh, I guess I can see how that could be funny." Rainbow Dash admits, picturing Daring Do in a ridiculously frivolous getup that would make Rarity blush. "But, I dunno..." Rainbow Dash winces, wondering how to let the filly down easy.
But this is nothing Scootaloo hadn't expected, and she still had her ultimate weapon left to unleash. Feigning disappointment, she paws her hoof at the ground. "I guess you're right. Even you couldn't make this look cool, I guess I just let my perception of you get the best of me." Scootaloo relents, looking as pitiful as possible.
"Hmph- Don't think I don't know what you're up to, squirt." Rainbow Dash responds, glaring at the orange filly suspiciously, before hesitating. "But... I am pretty awesome... Maybe..." With a huff, Rainbow Dash makes a decision she is sure to regret. "Ha. If you dress up all silly and stupid first, I guess I'd have to do the same. Ya know, just to show you how its done." Rainbow Dash smirks, flipping her mane back.
Scootaloo smiles ear to ear and holds out her hoof for Rainbow to seal the deal. "Deal!" Rainbow Dash, chuckling a bit nervously, starts to hoofbump, before pausing.
"...Ok, but no cameras. And nopony else hears about this! Alright?" Rainbow Dash hisses out. Scootaloo nods in response, and Rainbow finally seals the deal with a hoof bump. How did I let myself get talked into this..? Rainbow was already wondering. "Alright, squirt, go on. Give me your worst."
Scootaloo scurries off to put on one of the smaller outfits, while Rainbow just shakes her head in amusement. Just what had gotten into the little filly? Satisfied that Scootaloo is getting dressed, Rainbow Dash peruses the dresses available to fulfill her end of the 'bargain'.
There is a tolerable blue dress in the mix that wouldn't be so bad to wear... But Rainbow Dash did not take half measures. If she's doing this... She is going to commit. So instead, Rainbow picks out an egregiously frilly, excessively pink dress. if I can make this look cool... I can make anything look cool. Rainbow tells herself, before forcing her way into the outfit.
There is a white cuff of frills around the lower side of the dress, and some ribbons that needed tying. Rainbow Dash, however, can't seem to reach them around her own back. Why would you design it like this? Ugh, Rarity is spoiled by that horn of hers.... Rainbow sighs. "Hey, Scoots? A little help over here?" The pegasus asks, sheepishly. As if just getting in that dress isn't humiliating enough... She wonders yet again why she had been talked into this so easily.
One sight of her little sister scurrying around the corner, eager to help, dashes that thought away. If it made Scoots happy, she guessed that is enough reason for her.
The orange filly in question is wearing an old-fashioned baby-blue dress with lacy bracelets and white highlights, all tied together by a neat bow on the front. Rainbow couldn't help but notice that Scootaloo's outfit was much easier to put on on her own, given that it actually tied from the front.
Rainbow tries to stifle the giggle the ridiculous sight gave her, but in short order she is keeling over laughing. "Bahahahaha! You look ridiculous!" Rainbow Dash rolls over onto her back, and then flops over again. It isn't that Scootaloo looked bad, exactly; Actually, the orange filly pulled off the look quite well. It is more that it just clashes so heavily with the perception that Rainbow Dash had of her that it almost gave her an uncanny feeling; Scootaloo is usually a filly after her own heart. Then again, she had let herself get talked into this somehow...
Scootaloo seems to take the laughter as praise, because she zips around Rainbow playfully. "But I pull it off, don't I?" Scootaloo asks, in a low stance like a cat getting ready to leap, waggling her body side to side unable to keep still.
Rainbow has trouble catching her breath, giggling up a storm as she is, but eventually she manages to roll over onto her front again with a sly grin. "Sure, Scoots, you look as cool as ever." She isn't lying, it honestly complements the orange filly quite well. "What's all this about, anyways? Is there some colt you're trying to impress?" Rainbow Dash asks quizzically. "If its something like that, ya know you can just ask me for advice without playing games, right?" Rainbow asks, awkwardly. This isn't exactly her forte, and she silently wishes she could ask Applejack for advice; But Scootaloo is here right now.
Somewhat to her relief, the orange filly shook her head, making a face. "Blech. Gross. I already told you whats up, I just thought it'd be funny! And you sure seemed to think so!" Scootaloo points out, levering a hoof at Rainbow Dash, with a goofy smirk on her face. "I heard you laughing like that!"
Rainbow giggles a little again, unable to help it. "Heh... You got me there, kid."
"Anyways, didn't you say you needed help with something?" Scootaloo asks, and Rainbow motions at her back.
"Uf, yeah. I can't reach the ties in back, you think you could get those for me, squirt?" Rainbow asks. Scootaloo nods, happy to help, and scurries off to put the bow in place before stepping back and admiring her handiwork.
"So... How bad is it?" Rainbow Dash asks with a sheepish smile as it is now Scootaloo's turn to restrain a giggle.
Scootaloo just shakes her head. "Why don't we just go look at ourselves in the mirror?"
Rainbow Dash reluctantly stands up, stretching and trying to get a feel for moving in the dress- it catches the air as she moves, slowing her down, and it feels unusually tight around her waist after Scootaloo had tied the bow on the back. But she could still flap her wings to fly and takes off with all the grace she can muster. "You got it, scoots!" Rainbow Dash scoops the filly up in her hooves and flies through her house with only slightly diminished speed and agility, making a hairpin turn at the doorway into the bathroom with signature recklessness while Scootaloo gasps in amazement and surprise.
Settling down in front of the mirror, landing heavily on the floor in an action pose with wings spread out, Rainbow finally gets to see herself in the mirror. And just as she expected, she looks... Absolutely ridiculous. The daredevil look on her face does not match the outfit in the slightest. I'm gonna have to take the coolness up to eleven if I wanna make this work. Rainbow Dash thinks to herself, preening her feathers.
Scootaloo races back and forth trying to find a way up onto the counter to get a better look at herself, before finally leaping up, tiny wings fluttering to catch just enough lift to get her over the ledge and clamber up onto the counter. Scootaloo giggles a little comparing the two of them.
"You know, considering how reluctant you were, you sure did pick the pinkest outfit available." Scootaloo points out.
Rainbow Dash puts on her normal smug, overconfident face and places one hoof against her chest. "Ha! Putting something easier on would just be a cop-out! If I'm gonna prove how awesome I am, that means I gotta prove it even under the harshest possible scenario." Rainbow Dash holds her chin high, overly proud of herself for the circumstances, and Scootaloo's eyes just widen in awe.
"Wow... Well, you certainly did that, you look just as cool as ever!" Scootaloo announces, unable to keep a 'squee' sound from emitting from her throat.
Rainbow looks a little taken aback and rubs the back of her neck bashfully. "Heh, you think so, Squirt?" Scootaloo just nods her head vigorously in reply.
Rainbow struts back into the living room with her sister following close behind. "Well then. I guess that's mission accomplished, huh?" Rainbow settles down on the couch, looking awfully self assured.
With a cheeky smile, Scootaloo leans her forelegs up on the couch, raising her upper body up to look at Dash in the eyes. "Care for a dance?" She asks, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
Rainbow rolls her eyes, then puts her hoof to her chest with mock sincerity. "Well, when you ask like that, how can I refuse?" Rainbow says in an egregiously fake, high-pitched warbly accent that sounds like she is trying (and failing) to imitate Rarity. She hops from the couch, and with an overblown vaguely formal-looking gesture bows to Scootaloo, trying to keep her snickers inside.
Slowly, the two of them start strutting around eachother, in an obnoxiously exaggerated waltz raising their legs almost up to their shoulders with each step. As Rainbow Dash gets more into it, her movements become increasingly extravagant, balancing on one leg and reaching out delicately, each movement careful and measured.
"Wow, you're a good dancer! I mean I guess I shouldn't be surprised, you're amazing at everything." Scootaloo declares, eyes still wide in awe. Rainbow, looking increasingly smug and steadily losing all reservations, performs an utterly embarrassing twirl like a ballerina, ascending gradually into midair with a complicated series of wingflaps reminiscent of a hummingbird in order to hover upwards even whilst spinning gracefully.
"Of course! You never seen me dance before, Scoots? it's a great way to stay active and takes a lot of balance and coordination, just like flying!" Rainbow pauses, suddenly remembering some of her embarrassment, and coughs awkwardly. "I-I mean, not dancing like this, I do much cooler dances... But, you know, I've seen Rarity dance while we were at events, and I've picked up on a thing or two..." Rainbow finishes lamely.
The prismatic pegasus breathes an internal sigh of relief that her number one fan still seemed enthralled even by that... It sure was a good thing that Scootaloo just about defined 'cool' as 'whatever Rainbow is doing', since that made it much easier to save face. Equally, it makes it progressively easier to relax and let down the veneer of impervious awesomeness that Rainbow Dash carefully cultivated for all public appearances. With perhaps more than a little shock, Rainbow suddenly realizes... She was having fun, not just because she was making fun of the silly outfits and dresses, but just because it is fun to cut loose and not worry about image for once in her life.
What's gotten into me? Rainbow can't help but wonder. But whatever it is, it had clearly gotten into Scoots too, who was presently doing a ridiculously odd prancing dance back and forth across the room, nose high in the air and a goofy smirk on her face. Rainbow can't help but smile, it is a heartwarming sight to see her little sister enjoying herself, just cutting loose. And Rainbow hadn't been lying; Dancing is active, and a good way to practice balance.
Steadily, the two's dance became something rather unique; Neither knowing anything about the formal dances they are imitating, they combined their impressions with their usual, exuberant ways of moving, making some odd hybrid between the two.
That is, until a sudden sound, like knocking at the door, just about gives Rainbow Dash a heart attack. Normally she'd have perceived a pegasus coming to the door well ahead of time, but she'd been highly distracted. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo look at each-other, freezing up for a second, before Rainbow Dash's panic sets in.
"Scoots! Help me get out of this and hide it!" Rainbow Dash hisses at a loud volume, anxiously glancing at the window to be sure nopony is looking inside. She was not about to be caught doing something so embarrassing, her reputation would be absolutely ruined! But the tight bow around her midsection made it difficult to remove on her own.
Scootaloo jumps up and takes the ribbon in her teeth, tugging it at the right spot to make it come undone, releasing Rainbow Dash from its hold. The cyan pegasus breathes a sigh of relief- It might have been funny for a one-time thing, but she did not care to stay in that stuffy dress a moment longer, flexing her muscles to enjoy the new sense of freedom and air on her fur. "Uh, Coming!" Rainbow Dash calls out, hoping the intruder could wait long enough, while she looks around in a frenzy for someplace to hide the outfits.
There is still an empty crate from when she had gotten a new lamp delivered not too long ago- Without thinking, she quickly stuffs her dress into it. "Scoots! Over here!" Rainbow Dash beckons the orange filly, who was removing her own dress with similar concern. A feeling of comfort pierces the momentary panic that had overtaken Rainbow Dash; if she had any doubt before, seeing her own panic reflected on Scootaloo's face at the thought of being seen with that embarrassing getup swept away any thought that the orange filly is anything but a pony after her own heart.
I guess that means that Scoots just trusts me enough to be willing to cut loose around me. Rainbow Dash thinks, feeling a warmth in her heart. She still remembered how the filly used to always try so hard to put on a tough face around her, and though Scootaloo was just as cool as ever, it felt... Rewarding, to know that she trusted Rainbow Dash enough to just be her uninhibited, genuine self around her. Her internal sentimentality is interrupted by another knock at the door, and Scootaloo giving Rainbow Dash a concerned look.
"A-are you ok? Rainbow? I-I didn't mean to upset you-" Scootaloo sounds almost terrified, and it takes Rainbow a second to realize she'd accumulated a small tear in the corner of her eye, which she quickly blinks back and coughs awkwardly.
"N-No, I'm fine, squirt, really. I was just thinking about how lucky I was to get such a great little sister." Rainbow Dash takes a deep breathe, regaining her usual veneer of sheer coolness, then jerks her head towards the door. "Now, let's go see whose knocking and why, shall we Squirt?" At the sight of Rainbow's larger than life smile, Scootaloo regains her enthusiasm, and eagerly nods her head, bobbing along as she follows after her big sister. But before Rainbow Dash finally opens the door, she glances back at Scootaloo, just a bit of that internal sentimentality slipping through for just a moment. "Oh, and Scoots? You were right. That was fun."
