Chapter 5: Family
Even after the lunchtime rush, trade in the Corner had been surprisingly steady. The drizzle had kept customers coming in to get out of the damp, and once they were in they inevitably wanted something tasty.
Applejack and Rarity had proved an excellent team running the bakery over this day and the last. By unspoken agreement Applejack had donned a chef's hat and handled most of the food preparation while Rarity dealt largely with the customers. But Rarity was no slouch in the kitchen and Applejack had a good way with folks, so when either one got too busy the other could step up to help out. It worked flawlessly.
There had almost been a bone of contention the previous day when Rarity had suggested to Applejack that she make up a batch of her own-brand apple turnovers. Applejack had thought it was a great idea, but quickly became irked when Rarity put her carefully made treats on the counter-top into a dish labelled 'free samples'.
That sense of annoyance had lasted only as long as the next customer to come in.
"Ooh, what are these?"
"Oh these are new. They're very popular, do try one."
"Wow, these are fantastic!"
"Aren't they just divine? I'm afraid we've run out for today, but you know there's a stall in the marketplace every Wednesday that sells them. And more besides."
In the first hour since the free samples had gone out, Rarity had drummed up more business for Applejack's market stand than she'd have seen in two weeks. All without hurting the Cakes' own interests. She was good.
Of course, Applejack wasn't going to take that lying down. She'd excused herself from the shop and returned ten minutes later with a series of sketches borrowed from Carousel Boutique. Final designs from Rarity's newest line-up. To Rarity's consternation Applejack hung them along one wall and then happened to mention to the next pony who walked in how good they might look in one. The quality of Rarity's work made it difficult not to agree and by the time the customer had left she had an appointment for a fitting.
As Rarity might have said, it was 'on', and over the course of the next day and a half the two friends had each tried to promote the most interest for the other's business with increasing fervour.
So when Rainbow Dash tripped the bell above the shop door half an hour before closing time, it shouldn't really have come as a shock that she was met with twin shouts of,
"Try the fritters!" and
"Ya need a pretty dress!"
Rainbow Dash was beginning to regret coming here for advice.
Rarity and Applejack took a moment to recognise Rainbow Dash, and then as it dawned on them what they'd both just done they looked at each other and shared a laugh.
"Rainbow, darling, come in. Sorry about that, but do try one of the free samples."
Applejack smiled and rolled her eyes. She'd have to concede this one. There was no way Rainbow was going to be talked into a dress.
But Rainbow wasn't in the mood to eat either.
"Guys? Have you seen Scootaloo anywhere?"
Her two friends exchanged a glance.
"Nope. Didn't you take her to the party up there?"
"Rainbow, darling what's wrong? You look positively frazzled."
"Nothing. I'm fine. It's just..."
The worried looks from her two friends all but forced her to continue. She took a breath.
"Okay, Scootaloo wants to think she's my sister. I told her she wasn't, and I think I hurt her feelings. Now I can't find her to tell her that it's okay and we're still cool is all."
"Rainbow Dash!" began Rarity, mortified. "Why ever would you say such a thing?"
Dash hadn't quite expected that reaction. "Uh...because it's true? We're not related, Rare."
"But you're the closest thing to family she has. And you're so wonderful together. Why would you let a little thing like the fact you had different parents get in the way of that?"
"A little thing? It's a huge thing! I'm not real-life sister material. Look at me! I'm reckless. I’m irresponsible. I kick dragons in the face and smash into rock-towers for no good reason! I can't...I can't even teach her how to fly," Dash said through gritted teeth, a tear of frustration threatening to coalesce in her eye. "I'm not really her sister. I'm just...not."
A brief pause followed. Then Applejack turned to Rarity and whispered something to her, too quiet for Dash to hear. In response Rarity nodded solemnly and Applejack turned back to face Rainbow.
"Hmm. I can understand you not wantin' her for a sister. You're gonna be a Wonderbolt someday, right? Guess also having to be a big sister to Scootaloo would be too much of a distraction," said Applejack, gaze trained upwards as though lost in thought, but stepping out from behind the counter and slowly walking towards Rainbow.
"No, that's not what I meant..."
"And since she can't fly that'd probably just cramp your style too, huh?"
"Hey!" Rainbow Dash retorted angrily. "That's got nothing to–!"
"And she's only one pony, after all. Y'all still got an entire town you can be a role model for. Plenty more fans where she came from." She was almost next to her now.
"Applejack! Stop it!" warned Rainbow. She'd never hit one of her friends before, but the farmpony was coming dangerously close to getting a smack across the chops. She was muzzle to muzzle with her now.
"I suppose you don't really need her around. I can't think of a single reason why you'd want to go out of your way for her."
"BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT HER!" Rainbow screamed. She realised that she'd raised one of her forehooves, drawing it back as if prepared to strike.
Applejack seemed unfazed. Smiling and locking her gaze, she took a half-step back to give Rainbow some space.
"That's all it takes to be family, sugarcube," she said softly.
Rainbow stopped, stunned. She slowly lowered her hoof back to the floor. A quiet moment passed.
"Y'know Scootaloo ain't got any family of her own in Ponyville," continued Applejack. "That's why she reached out to ya. Everypony wants someone to care about 'em once in awhile. And she didn't pick you because you're the best flyer in Equestria..."
Dash quirked an eyebrow. "What? Of course she did!"
"Nope. She picked you because you're Rainbow Dash. That ain't quite the same thing."
Now Rarity advanced, stepping out from behind the counter towards Dash.
"Darling, nobody is saying that being a sister is easy. And nopony would blame you if you decided you couldn't be a sister to her. It would just stay between the three of us." A solemn nod from Applejack, but Rarity didn’t pause. "But that would be such a tragedy because, take it from me, having a sister can be the best thing in the world. For both of you." She gave Applejack a quick sidelong glance.
"But...it’s not like I can just go up to her and say 'hey Scoots, guess what, we're sisters all of a sudden!'"
"Why ever not? Why does it need to be more complicated than that? Just tell her you can be her family, and as far as everyone who matters is concerned, you will be."
Dash stood looking at the floor. It was a scary thought, and there wouldn't be any turning back. Even she knew that being a sister was something you could never turn off.
Suddenly Applejack sniffed the air. Her eyes went wide and she cried out, "The muffins!" She made a beeline for the kitchen, leaving Rarity tittering behind her hoof.
Rainbow's gaze followed Applejack into the kitchen, then she looked at Rarity. "What was that whispering about anyway?" she asked, curiosity suddenly overpowering her thought process.
"Hmm? Oh, just now you mean? Well..." Rarity though a moment. There really wasn't any harm was there? It had turned out for the best after all. "Darling, we're your friends and we care about you very much. But that conversation with Applejack could have gone quite differently."
"I'll say. I nearly clobbered her!"
Rarity just smiled a knowing smile. "No, darling, you didn't. You weren't even close. But you nearly ended up not talking to her for a very long time. The whispering was her making me promise that if it went...'south' so to speak, that I would try and talk to you on her behalf.
"We only want what's best for you, Rainbow. Applejack thought you needed a bit of a nudge, but she'd never want to lose you as a friend."
"A nudge? Kick up the rump is more like it!" called Applejack from the kitchen, apparently quite aware of the conversation going on in her absence. She re-emerged into the bakery a moment later and stood confidently at Rarity's side. "You're our family too, RD. Whether ya like it or not."
"Well...yeah, that's all well and good," Rainbow began absently, seeming to wrestle her mind to some sort of decision. She turned her attention to Applejack. "But you still said some pretty mean things to me so...uh...you're gonna bake me a cake. Yeah, a big apology cake. Got it?"
"Uh..." Applejack's initial response was one of confusion. She didn't have a chance to follow it up with anything else before Rainbow cut in again.
"Good! Now I gotta go find my flight goggles." And without any further warning, Rainbow took to the air and zoomed out of the shop into the early evening sky.
A smile played across Rarity's lips while Applejack's head drooped.
"Darn. I really thought she was gonna give it a shot."
"Whatever do you mean?"
"That. I thought we'd got through to her, but I guess not."
"Why of course we did."
Applejack fixed Rarity's gaze, and frowned a suspicious frown. "You seem awful sure of that."
"Applejack," Rarity laughed. "You don't really think that cake you're about to bake is for her, do you?"
Realisation dawned and Applejack's countenance brightened considerably. She gave a little grin. "Huh. Guess I'd better get started then."
---
The waterfall looked exactly the same. Notwithstanding that she was now viewing it in daylight as opposed to the dead of night.
Rainbow Dash hovered near to the top of the falls and regarded the cascade. This was where it had really started.
Guided only by the moonlight Rainbow Dash flitted furiously through the trees, a sickening lump growing in her gut. She thought she heard noise and brought herself to a halt in mid air, ears swivelling, straining to listen for the sound again.
And there it was. Oh so faint, like the ghost of a voice carried on the night wind.
"Is anyone out there?"
Too quiet to pinpoint, but it sounded like it had come from near the river. Moving again, quicker now, Rainbow Dash hurtled through the forest.
A sickening crack pierced the cool air.
"HEEEEELP!"
A loud splash. It was the river. She was close now. The trees thinning. Going faster. She saw the gorge, soaring over the fast-moving water at the point where it cascaded over the cliff to the plain below. Frantically she scanned the river upstream, searching. Hoping.
There. The small orange filly trapped in the powerful current, swept far too quickly towards the waterfall. Wailing in fear. Now about to go over beyond the point of no return, paddling furiously against the current to no avail.
Rainbow Dash dove, losing height as quickly as she dared, then arced upwards just as the helpless foal crested the falls and began to plummet. With perfect timing she wrapped her hooves around the young pony and continued to climb.
"I gotcha!"
"Rainbow Dash? Is that you? Thank you, thank you!"
Circling, she brought them safely to the ground, and then took a step back.
"What were you doing out here in the middle of the night?!"
And Scootaloo had poured her heart out while Rainbow had listened. She had heard the young filly say that she wanted Rainbow Dash to take her under her wing and teach her how to fly so she could be just like her. Hah! No problem, right?.
Except now, with the memory replaying in her mind, she finally realised that wasn’t what Scootaloo had said at all.
“...take me under your wing, teach me everything you know, and become like my big sister.”
Rainbow shook her head to clear the memory. She hadn't come to reminisce about where she'd got things wrong. That didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was setting it right. Turning her back on the torrent of water and pulling her goggles over her eyes, she surveyed the calm river below her, snaking its way gradually back towards Ponyville.
It was in there somewhere.
Diving vertically, she entered the deep plunge pool at the base of the waterfall and methodically began to search downstream.
---
Almost an hour after Rainbow Dash left, the bell above the door of Sugarcube Corner rang once again.
"Oh, I'm afraid we're closing up shop for the evening dear. Perhaps you could come back tomorrow?" said Rarity without turning round, engaged as she was cleaning down the display counter.
"Oh, come on guys, you gotta let me have five more!" pleaded the voice of Spike from the threshold.
"More?!" called Applejack's voice incredulously as she emerged from the kitchen, a blue cake-box tied with orange string balanced upon her back. "Spike, I've seen you eat everythin' from grass to granite, but there's no way even you've gotten through those five huge tubs o' ice-cream!"
"It's not my fault! It's the kids. They're ravenous! Plus, y'know, keeping an eye on them is hungry work..." he reasoned smugly.
"If Apple Bloom comes home with a stomach ache later, I'll– wait a second..." she said, the thought striking her and Rarity in the same instant.
"Spike...?" began Rarity sweetly. "Is Scootaloo at the library too?"
"Uh...yeah, she is now. I found her on the street. She seems kind of down, actually. And the perfect cure for that is more ice-cream!" he finished triumphantly holding his arms out in anticipation. His logic could not have failed to convince.
"Get!"
Grumbling loudly, the small purple dragon turned and left empty handed.
Watching him go, Applejack wore an odd, respectful expression. Rarity picked up on it, her interest piqued and gave her a curious look, inviting explanation.
"Hmm? Jus' thinkin'. Little feller's gone outta his way to entertain a whole bunch of kids when they'd otherwise be stuck at home bored outta their minds on a day like this."
"Hmph. I hardly think showing a lot of scary films to young children while letting them gorge on ice-cream is responsible."
"Oh, ain't nothin' that'll hurt 'em. And finding Scootaloo, takin' her in, keeping her and the rest of the kids safe in the warm and dry? That's responsible. Besides, remember how young we were when we saw our first scary movie? Kids can't be kids forever." She looked back to the door through which Spike had departed. "He's done somethin' pretty noble there,” she said, before adding “...even if he don't quite realise it."
---
Ten minutes later Rainbow Dash once again appeared at the door to the Corner. She was absolutely soaked but wore a triumphant grin and her step held a slight swagger.
"Ha! I found it. Now AJ, about that cake."
"I hear ya, I hear ya," came the reply. Applejack scooped up the cake-box and passed it to Rainbow Dash who held it in her forehooves. It smelled amazing.
Rainbow Dash made a show of examining the box, checking the sides, underneath, lifting the lid a crack.
"Somethin' wrong?"
"Just looking for the apology that goes with it," she said, unable to keep a small grin from her features.
Applejack gave her a wry smile and pushed the box deliberately into Rainbow Dash's chest.
"Good luck," she said. She managed to make it sound playful, but there was an undertone of sincerity there too. Then she turned and deliberately flicked her tail, batting Rainbow Dash lightly on the nose with the tip as she walked away.
Rarity stepped forward, passing Applejack. "She's at the library," she said in a low voice.
Rainbow Dash's smile vanished and her expression became serious. A performer realising that rehearsals were over and it was now opening night. She looked at the box she held, then looked back at her friends.
"Thanks, guys."
Smiles were offered, but no further words were needed. Rainbow Dash took hold of the string-wrapped box in her teeth and left the bakery.
Foregoing wings for once, she trotted somberly in the direction of the library. This was it. So many things were about to happen, and they could all go horrifyingly and spectacularly wrong. But she had pretty much ruined Scootaloo's day so far, and she was determined to make up for it. That feeling of determination propelled her hooves inexorably onwards towards the door to the Ponyville Library.
Placing the cake box securely on her back, she knocked the door softly.
Spike answered a moment later and, without needing to be prompted, said simply,
"I'll get her."
A moment later a familiar pink-maned head appeared at the open door. She looked up and recognised Rainbow Dash and for just a moment there was a spark of happiness in those eyes. Then her face fell.
"Oh. Hi, Rainbow Dash."
"Kid," Rainbow began in her soft voice, "we need to talk."
"No, it's okay Rainbow Dash. I know what you're going to say." Scootaloo took a deep, ragged breath, clearly on the verge of breaking down. "I'm sorry I've been such a pain. I promise I'll leave you alone and never bother you again. I'll just...go away." She tried to force a smile and failed.
With her head hanging low, Scootaloo walked past Dash and slowly wandered off in no particular direction.
Rainbow Dash stood paralysed for a moment, dread shocking her to inaction as the reality of what had happened sank in. It was worse than she'd imagined: this wasn't the wildly energetic ball of exuberance that she knew. This was a broken, dejected Scootaloo for whom happiness was a distant memory.
And it was her fault.
She felt sick.
No. That feeling of determination returned, spurring her on. Scootaloo hadn't taken more than a half-dozen steps from the library door before Rainbow Dash was beside her, matching her pace, walking close. She extended her wing over the young pony, sheltering her from the ubiquitous drizzle in the air.
"Scoots? Could you maybe just come with me for a sec? There's a couple of things I need to show you."
Scootaloo didn't reply. Her head still hung low and her expression was blank and unreadable, but as Rainbow Dash tentatively angled toward her destination she was pleased to see that Scootaloo changed direction with her, continuing to walk slowly at her side beneath her wing.
---
It was nice, Scootaloo thought, walking next to Rainbow Dash one last time. But she couldn't shake the thought that she was like the condemned pony allowed one final treat before the noose. Any moment now, Rainbow Dash would stop her, tell her why she didn't want to be bothered by a little kid like her, and they would finally go their separate ways forever.
She noted the irony that this was the most time she'd spent with Rainbow Dash in two days.
Rainbow ultimately led her to a small hill on the outskirts of Ponyville, just far enough outside of town that they were no longer underneath the beach-party cloud above. The sky overhead was fading to pastel pink and though the sun itself was obscured behind the cloud-mass, at least they were dry.
The hill itself was the same one where, Scootaloo had once let slip, she had first seen Rainbow Dash practising. The first time she had become so enamoured with the pale blue pegasus who twisted and turned so easily in the air. The first time she had wished she could, if only for a while, have someone like her to call a sister. She stifled those memories with a pang of regret. This was as good a place as any to put an end to all of those foolish fantasies, she supposed.
Rainbow Dash sat in front of a small bush on the peak of the hill, and after some direction, Scootaloo sat opposite her. She fidgeted nervously, unsure of what to do or where to look as Rainbow Dash seemed to flounder for words of her own.
She supposed even she would have a hard time making 'get lost' sound polite.
"I'm sorry, Scoots."
"It's okay Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo said, punctuating her words with a small sniffle. "I know we're not really friends or anything. You don't have to be sorry. It was really nice of you to invite me to the party today. Don't worry, you'll never have to see me again."
Rainbow Dash seemed surprised for a moment. Probably, Scootaloo thought, because she was making this a lot easier than she was expecting. Well, there was no sense in dragging it out after all.
Then she spoke again. "Scoots..." Dash took a deep breath, found inspiration somewhere in the distance, and then turned her attention back to the young filly. "Up at the party, you called me your sister." Scootaloo instantly opened her mouth to offer a defensive apology but Rainbow Dash stopped her. "You remember what I said after?"
"Yeah. You said it was a mistake. And you were right! I mean of course–"
Rainbow Dash cut her off again. "No, kid. I said, 'everypony makes mistakes.' And...if I've got you thinking that I don't want you around, then it looks like I've been making some pretty huge ones today." She smiled an apologetic smile. It was a rare expression to see adorning Rainbow Dash's features, and it was all the more special for it. "I'm still trying to figure them all out," she continued, "but I'm pretty sure that was a biggie."
The faintest spark of hope flickered inside Scootaloo. Maybe, just maybe, this was a different conversation than that which she was expecting. The tiny voice of happiness tried to make itself heard, but pessimism was still firmly in control and forced her to articulate the question she was sure would finish off that hope for good.
"But...aren't you sending me away, to Cloudsdale? To get rid of me?"
When Dash answered, it was with the voice of failure, filled with anguish and apology. "Scoots, I...don't think I can do it. I don't think I can teach you to fly. I mean, I want to, and I've tried but...I don't know what’s wrong or how to fix it. I just don't understand why flying doesn't come as naturally to everypony as it does to me." She took a breath. "So I figured I'd get you into the best flying school in Equestria. They'd teach you to fly and you'd be happy." She made eye contact with the young foal again. "See, for me, the most important thing in the world is flying. And it wasn't until I talked to my friends that I realised that for you...it might be something else."
Scootaloo risked a small smile. Dash returned an even bigger one. Then she carried on, her usual confident voice returning in full force. "But I'm not giving up on you. So if you decide you wanna stay here with me instead, then I'm gonna train you hard, kid. I want those wings of yours nice 'n strong, and the best way to get them there is to keep using 'em. So, you're gonna need this."
Rainbow Dash reached behind her, into the bush and brought forth...Scootaloo could scarcely believe her eyes.
"My scooter! No way! You found it?"
"Sure did. Took a while, and it still needs a little cleaning up but it'll be good as new in no time. And I wanna see you on it every day, got it?"
Scootaloo clutched tightly at her scooter, long since thought lost in the very river from which Rainbow Dash had saved her. She couldn't believe Rainbow Dash had done that for her. Pessimism receded a little further. Confidence returned.
"I don't have to go to Cloudsdale? I can stay here with...with you?"
"Sure can, kid. I'm not sending you away if you don't wanna go."
Scootaloo looked up from her scooter long enough to nod excitedly.
"Okay then...if you're gonna stay, then I want you to have this too."
Scootaloo watched Rainbow Dash reach into the bush behind her once more and bring out a very familiar wooden figurine.
Excitement turned into despair in an instant. Oh, no no no. It was all a cruel joke wasn't it? This was the part where Rainbow Dash laughed mockingly at how foolish and desperate she was. It was all going to come crashing down.
But Rainbow Dash was still smiling, more softly now. She gave the figurine to Scootaloo and made a small circle with her hooves, one over the other.
Turn it over.
Oh no. Please, surely she hadn't seen...
The words.
Scootaloo looked at them in stunned silence. She had seen them before of course.
Most of them.
My Hero
Friend
Sister
Family
"So, here's the deal," Rainbow said quietly. "You wanna be sisters? Then that's what we are. You go tell everyone you want that Rainbow Dash is your sister, that she cares about you and loves you no matter what..." Dash put a hoof gently on Scootaloo's shoulder, "...and you can trust me to do the same." There was that confident, reassuring smile again.
"Thanks, but it's okay." Scootaloo effected an embarrassed laugh. "You don't have to pretend to be my sister. It was just a crazy, silly thought I had is all. Heh."
"It's not silly, kid. And I didn't say anything about pretending."
Rainbow Dash reached forward and drew Scootaloo into a warm hug, with both hooves and wings. It was wonderful, like being wrapped in a blanket of pure joy. In that moment Scootaloo felt the happiest and safest she'd ever been, as Rainbow Dash spoke softly into her ear.
"You and me Scoots. We're family now. Okay?"
It's alright, Scootaloo, you can say it now. "Okay...big sister..."
She felt Rainbow's breath catch, and for a moment she was terrified she had made a horrible mistake. Thought it was all going to be taken away because she had been so presumptuous. Then Rainbow Dash spoke, almost in a whisper.
"That...felt awesome." Dash looked down into her eyes. "Do me a favour and keep saying that whenever you can. Okay, little sis?"
Pessimism, and its associated voice inside Scootaloo's head, died completely. Happiness made a triumphant return and took up its usual, familiar spot on the comfy cushions at the forefront of Scootaloo's consciousness. She hugged Dash back, hard.
Hugs were suddenly very, very cool.
A minute passed in comfortable silence, neither pony eager to release the other. Scootaloo waited, and found that she had been holding her breath. This was after all the point at which she would normally wake up. But she didn't, and as the hug continued and she finally convinced herself that this was in fact real, her happy, confident temperament returned.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash? Can I ask you a question?"
"Anything, kiddo."
"Uh...what's in the box?"
Dash looked down at her side and let out a laugh. "Ha! Oh, right. I almost forgot. This was supposed to go with the 'I'm sorry' part. I figured all this apologising would be hungry work."
She opened the blue box to reveal the cake inside. In actual fact there were two cakes – each one baked into the shape of half a yin-yang, pushed together to form one circle and frosted with blue and orange icing respectively. It wasn't the most subtle symbolism in the world, but then it was a cake.
They ate it together in quiet company. Two new sisters linked by the simple act of sharing something meant for both of them. Rainbow Dash made a mental note to find Applejack the next day and thank her.
Not just for the cake, either.
Even with the cake devoured the silence persisted, words seemingly unnecessary up to a point. Then after a few minutes, Scootaloo spoke up again.
"You know, one of the things I wanted to do at the party was watch the sunset together," said Scootaloo, looking up at the fading light in the sky. "Do you think we could still do that?"
Dash looked down and smiled once more. "You bet, sis." She stood and flared her wings.
Scootaloo got up and steeled herself as she felt strong hooves grasp her sides and belly. Felt comfortable as she was pulled smoothly away from the ground. Felt her eyes watering although there was no wind at all. Felt Rainbow Dash close against her back as together they ascended quietly into the golden evening sky, leaving Ponyville far below.
Felt safe.
Felt happy.
Felt loved.
The End