For the fastest pegasus in Equestria, never had she thought she could fly this slowly. As if filled with lead, the muscular wings felt heavier than ever, and seemed to drag Rainbow Dash farther down towards Ponyville.
Dragging her farther down towards her fear of everypony knowing that things too, got to her. She couldn't let anypony know. Not even her friends, although she knew that deep down, they knew about her biggest fear. To come across as a weak pony and who would constantly try to live out her dream, but fail at the finish line.
Even if the world seemed to go at a pace worthy of a snail, Rainbow Dash didn't realize her own velocity, and due to the tears clouding her vision, she accidently burst through some of her home. She didn't notice her error until she felt the sensation of soft and solid cotton candy upon her flanks, before it disappeared again. The pegasus stopped, sniffled once and rubbed her muzzle before glancing back at the punctured wall of cloud.
"Ugh, great work Rainbow. You just can't do anything right." she mumbled to herself, and quickly fixed the hole. Rainbow Dash let out a sigh of relief, and glanced upon her home with mixed feelings.
Although she loved her home in the clouds, glorious as it was, with rivers of rainbows flowing from top to bottom, before evaporating as it left the clouds, she found it to be rather lonely. Obviously, earth ponies and unicorns couldn't walk on clouds like herself, and Fluttershy wasn't one who left her cottage often. Sometimes she wished she could share the joy of flying with ponies stuck on the earth, like Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Applejack was an athlete like herself, and would definitely enjoy the achy muscles flying could give, and Pinkie would like doing either fun or crazy stunts while in the air. But alas, they were not gifted with wings like Rainbow Dash, but with other things instead. With heavy hooves and wings, Rainbow flew into her home, prepared to spend the rest of the day in bed and having a pity-party for herself.
As Rainbow Dash laid in her fluffy bed, surrounded by even fluffier clouds and furniture, her thoughts went straight to Scootaloo. The little filly had gotten much closer to Rainbow Dash than she'd like to admit, but she was starting to realize how much Scootaloo actually meant to her. The more the weather mare got to know Scootaloo, she had seen how much the two resembled each other.
Rainbow Dash was confident, Scootaloo was confident. Rainbow Dash was tough, Scootaloo was tough. Rainbow Dash didn't care about what others said, and neither did Scootaloo. As the list of similarities between the two ponies went on inside Rainbow's mind, she realized that many of her own traits, were built up from her own childhood without much parental influence. She had to toughen up, because her parents weren't there to be tough for her, and it was obviously Scootaloo had been doing the same. But just like Rainbow Dash had, Scootaloo's wall of toughness had several cracks and holes, and harsh words or action acted like cannonballs towards the wall, gleefully wanting to expose the weaknesses behind it.
Nonetheless, Rainbow Dash had noticed that after Scootaloo's second disappearance, the filly had seemed happier. Less likely to spend the rest of the day at the orphanage, and more likely to spend it with Appebloom or Sweetie Belle. Rainbow Dash knew the two fillies were as great friends as their older sisters. Like Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo had great friends in her life, that she, hopefully, wouldn't trade for anything.
"Well, I'd trade one..." Rainbow Dash mumbled to herself, and prepared herself to go to sleep.
But just before managing to sleep, a thought occured to the cyan pegasus.
What if the others thought she'd be a poor sister or mother too?
So, some time after my awesome night meeting with Luna, it had made me realize that maybe I'm not such a bad pony, and everything was going better. I was doing better in school, and even though I was missing my cutie mark, my friends and I were having a blast trying to figure out our talents. But one day, after school, all three Cruaders went into Ponyville to help Applejack with sales for the day, to see if we were talented at selling apples, and that's when we saw a rainbow streak dash across the sky. It couldn't be anyone but Rainbow Dash, but she was flying so fast, she didn't hear me.
"Isn't she just the fastest pegasus you've ever seen, Applejack!" I exclaimed excitely, hovering slightly off the ground. I hadn't told nopony about the day when they all went on the field trip, that Rainbow Dash and I went flying together, but I could hover just a few inches off the ground.
"She sure is, sugarcube. An' I'm sure ye'll be followin' her hoofprints any day now, wit' those wings goin' so awfully fast!" she replied, smiling widely towards me. I grinned sheepishly, and couldn't help but blush slightly.
After that day, I found out that I'm not worth much as an appleseller, but Rainbow Dash wasn't seen in Ponyville for ages. It wasn't awesome at all, to see ordinary rainbows, instead of a really cool coloured one that disappeared afterwards. The weather wasn't near as great either, with Rainbow Dash not on weather duty. I wondered how she got off, with Mayor Mare, and all. But it doesn't matter!
One day, after Rainbow Dash's disappearance, I decided to go see her. I thought it'd be nice, since when I came back after running away the second time, Rainbow Dash seemed really happy to see me! How awesome is that, and if she was happy to see me, she should like it if I came to visit her, right! And I also think that the sister Princess Luna was telling me about, is Rainbow Dash! It must be her, who could it be otherwise? I mean, Applejack and Rarity got their hooves full with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, Fluttershy with her animals, Pinkie Pie with Sugarcube Corner and the Cake's, and Twilight with Spike and her library. It must be Rainbow Dash! I can feel it in my feathers!
"Rainbow Dash! Are you home?"
I immediately raised a hoof to my face.
Of course, she's home, stupid Scootaloo! Where would she be otherwise!
But I didn't get a response, so I shouted some more.
"Rainbow Daaaaaash!" I tried again, but she didn't reply either. I let out a snort before gathering as much air in my lungs as possible, before trying one last time.
"Rainbow Daaaaaa-"
"What?!"
I was really surprised by Rainbow Dash's tough reply, so surprised that I fell right on my tail. I was expecting her to come out of her house to apologize, but she didn't. Instead, her mane looked as if it had never been messier, sudden bags under her eyes, and her eyes red as if from tears. Sadly, I know the last one pretty well.
"What do you want?" she groaned and barely bothered to keep the hole open as she spoke.
"Well, I, um. I was just wondering, if you'd like to help me with flying?"
"No."
"What?! Why not?" I asked, and I already felt the tears coming up.
Again, she didn't bother replying.
"Rainbow Dash, why won't you teach me how to fly! I'm your number one fan!"
Silence.
"Rainbow Dash, please teach me how to fly!" I begged, tears falling down my cheeks.
"Scootaloo, just go away, and leave me alone. I don't want to teach you to fly, and I don't want to be your friend!" she hissed, and disappeared into the clouds again. I didn't know what to do. I just stood there, tears falling from my eyes, but all I could do, was gallop away as fast as my legs could carry me. I didn't know where to go, but I couldn't run away again. Instead, I ran to the place where I could hide from the world under my Wonderbolt cover. When I reached Ponyville, I heard several ponies shout my name. Even if those stupid tears were dry, I still managed to ignore the shouts, until I bumped into a pony. Some of the other orphan ponies stood there, along with a cruel pony that always bullied the new orphan ponies.
"Ugh, watch where you're going." the pony said, and turned to face Scootaloo. When the colt saw who it was, a cruel grin spread on his face.
"Oh, it's Scootaloser. Been out crying again?"
"No, get out of my way." I grumbled and tried to get past him, but he still stood in my way.
"Or what?" he challenged.
"Or I'll... I'll get the headmistress!" I replied, knowing that my reply was really lame. I didn't bother with him, I just wanted to get under my cover and forget all about Rainbow Dash. The pony in front of me stood on his hind legs, parodying the headmistress in all kinds of weird ways.
"Oooh, don't get the headmistress! Please don't, I'm so scared!" he begged, causing some of the other ponies to laugh as he turned towards them, then back to me. I wasn't going to let him get to me.
"She's just an old mare anyway! She isn't the boss of me!"
The ponies behind me laughed again, before turning silent.
"Oh, well. What am I then?"
The colt froze, and slowly turned himself towards the headmistress, with a sheepish grin. He glanced over his shoulder to find all of his so-called 'friends' gone. A filly a bit older than me stood by the headmistress' side, and winked at me.
"Headmistress! Why, hello there, lovely weather today, isn't it?"
The headmistress glanced up in the sky, then smiled towards the colt.
"Yes, it's very lovely. It's a shame you won't get to see if for another week."
"What?! A week? Are you joking, I can't be inside for a week!" the colt objected, causing the headmistress to scratch her cheek.
"Hmm, that's true. You can be inside for two."
"But, I can-"
"Three, do you want to make that four?" the headmistress said, glaring sternly at the colt that looked smaller and smaller in comparison. I couldn't help but just stand there with my mouth open in surprise.
The colt shook his head, and sent me a stare that could kill, before heading inside the orphanage. The headmistress and the nameless filly quickly towered over me.
"You alright, Scootaloo? I hope he wasn't too mea... Have you been crying?" The headmistress asked, cocking her head sideways to analyse my face even more.
Frozen with fear, I didn't know what to do. For a minute, I just stared back at the headmistress, thinking my possibilities through. I couldn't tell her, could I? But if I couldn't tell her, who could I tell? Would she think I was a weak pony? A lame silly filly?
I don't know it if was the right thing, but I nodded my head in silence. With a nod of her head, the nameless filly disappeared inside the orphanage, and a supporting hoof was immediately over me.
"Come on inside, Scootaloo. We'll talk about it."
"Actually, I was wondering, could you maybe get Applebloom and Sweetie Belle here?" I meekly asked.
It was time for them to know, and even if it needed my idol to want me to leave her alone, I was ready. Ready to show the weaknesses that I've held inside of me so long. The headmistress let out a weak smile, before nodding and sending someone to fetch my best friends. We sat awkwardly in her office until we heard a knock on the door.
It was time to show my friends what had been going on for all this time, and I don't think I've ever been so happy to see Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. As soon as they stepped inside the office, I couldn't stop the tears from going. I stormed towards them, and for what seemed to be forever, I cried as my best friends held me close.
Rainbow Dash knew her reaction to Scootaloo was wrong. It wasn't her fault that Twilight thought she was unfit to be a mother, but if she really was, why even bother to stay friends with the little filly? Rainbow Dash wanted to give Scootaloo the family that both ponies clearly longed for, but if she couldn't make it happen, why make the effort? If Rainbow Dash couldn't have Scootaloo as a family, she couldn't bare being her friend at all.