//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Sister Talk // Story: From Rumble With Love // by Locomotion //------------------------------// Another calm, quiet night came and went, and Scootaloo was now waiting patiently on a rock near where Rainbow Dash had said they were going to meet, with her scooter resting against it. She had had a good sleep that night, but somehow she didn't feel as enthusiastic as she normally did when meeting up with her idol; in fact, her mind was barely on the cyan-coated, rainbow-maned Pegasus at all. Ever since she had met Rumble the previous day, she couldn't seem to get him out of her head – even while she had been asleep she kept dreaming about him, and what really unnerved her was that she hadn't for one moment acted or sounded like the tomboy she usually was. The orange filly rolled onto her back and gazed into the sky. “I don't get it,” she thought to herself. “How was it that I managed to become all sappy when I was with Rumble yesterday? I could have spent the whole day telling him about my stunt-riding skills, and I just had to act like a complete softie in his presence. Some stunt-rider he must think me!” and she slapped an exasperated hoof to her face. But then she remembered how ecstatic Rumble had been when she had given him that exhilarating ride home; his delighted whooping still rang joyously in her ears, and she couldn't help but smile fondly at the memory. “On the other hoof, he did seem to like the way I jumped that cart, and he sure seemed to think my stunts pretty awesome. Even when I told him about my wings, he didn't seem to think any less of me – but then why can't I stop thinking about that colt when I hardly even know him?” Her thoughts were promptly interrupted as she noticed a rainbow-coloured blur rapidly approaching in the distance. Trying her best to look cheerful, Scootaloo got up and waved a friendly hoof at Rainbow Dash as she swooped down towards the ground, landing just a short distance away from the orange filly to whom she had grown so close. “Hey, Scootaloo,” called Rainbow Dash. “How's it going, squirt?” “Not bad, Rainbow Dash,” smiled Scootaloo. “Still haven't got my Cutie Mark yet, but we're working on it. Apple Bloom suggested we tried dating of all things!” Rainbow Dash laughed heartily. “Well, I can understand that some ponies may get into dating – heck, even I've managed to get myself a coltfriend, but a dating Cutie Mark? How's that supposed to work?” Scootaloo blinked. “Wait – you have managed to get yourself a coltfriend?! I thought you were above that sort of thing!” she exclaimed, thoroughly taken aback. “Wrong again,” chuckled Rainbow Dash. “I used to think that, but since I met Soarin, one of the Wonderbolts whose lives I'd saved at the Best Young Flyers' Competition, that gradually changed. You remember when the girls and I went to the Grand Galloping Gala a few years ago?” “Yeah, I remember,” affirmed Scootaloo. “You said your night with the Wonderbolts didn't go all that well, though.” “True, but it was all worth it in the end,” went on Rainbow Dash. “I can still remember how it all happened like it was yesterday; I was just about to go and say hello to them when I noticed Soarin drop an apple pie he had just bought off Applejack, so I dived forward and only just managed to save it. I stood up to hold it out for him, and that – that was when our eyes met, and somehow I could already tell that he was way more grateful than he was letting on. “Then after things went all pear-shaped and ended with Fluttershy going all crazy at those animals for not hanging out with her, he came to see me in Doughnut Joe's place and said he was sorry that he and the other Wonderbolts hadn't taken much notice of me. At first I wasn't sure whether to forgive him or slap him round the face, but then Spitfire came in and said he had put in a good word to her on my behalf, and she had arranged for me to meet up with the Wonderbolts again later that month. I could have squeezed the air out of Soarin I was so delighted!” “Well that was good of him,” observed Scootaloo. “Yeah, but I didn't fully realise my feelings for him until about a month into my Wonderbolt training – with him as my mentor, would you believe?” Scootaloo cocked her head, perplexed. “Why Soarin? I thought that was Spitfire's job.” “Only for the first week; Spitfire's a great trainer, but she's usually got her hooves full with office work and stuff, so once the selection process was over, she handed the reins of the Wonderbolt Academy back to Soarin – and that's when I started to realise that he was so much more to me than just an idol.” Rainbow Dash stared into the sky, her eyes glistening as she became lost in her reverie. “He and I would hang out with each other for hours on end after training, and he always seemed full of praise for my talents as a flyer – 'no wonder you became Cadet Leader so quickly,' he once told me. “But as time went on, I found myself feeling rather empty whenever we were apart. There was one time when he went down with the feather flu and was unable to make it to training; not only did I miss having him around, but I was so worried for him that I was pretty sloppy that day. In the end, Spitfire insisted that I take a day off to recover.” Scootaloo gave her idol a look of sorrow. “That's way too bad,” she sympathised. “When he got back, I might have gotten all clingy with him,” continued Rainbow Dash, blushing heavily. “I dunno what had come over me, but I just couldn't bear to be away from him any longer. When he asked what was wrong, I said that he was the reason I had done so well in Wonderbolt Academy; just by being there, he had boosted my confidence and spurred me on to push myself harder. He then told me something I'll never, ever forget.” “What was that?” “He said that up until that Best Young Flyers' Competition, he had never shown much of an interest in mares or dating; but since I saved his life along with Rarity's and Spitfire's, all his dreams had been about me, and he had felt as though he owed me a life-debt. That time I saved his pie at the Gala had somehow reminded him of the hero he saw in me, and the dance we had had together at the Royal Wedding was one of the best moments he had ever experienced. Finally, he said that after all we had been through together, he had fallen for me, and would readily give up his Wonderbolt career for me if he had to – he even locked lips with me to prove it. I'd never felt joy like that in all my life,” finished Rainbow Dash, closing her eyes in fond remembrance of her first kiss. By now, Scootaloo was gazing at Rainbow Dash with a wide-eyed expression of astonishment. So what if all that she had just said usually sounded rather mushy for her tastes, she thought to herself; even though her very own idol could be as brash and boastful as her, she had still managed to bag herself a coltfriend of her very own. Perhaps the mention of a kiss might have been a bit much, but the little filly felt a deep joy for the older Pegasus mare nonetheless. “That's...that was a great story, Rainbow Dash,” she said at last. “I really, really hope it goes well for you and Soarin.” “Thanks, Scoot,” smiled Rainbow Dash, nuzzling against the orange Pegasus filly gratefully. “So how did the whole dating thing go? Any new Cutie Marks appeared?” Scootaloo placed a hoof against the back of her head. “I never really found out,” she admitted. “Apple Bloom and I got into a row after she suggested dating as a means of getting our Cutie Marks, but then she made this horrible remark about my wings, so I just legged it out – I mean, scooted it out of the clubhouse. That's when I bumped into a colt named Rumble – you know him?” “Yeah, I know him alright,” affirmed Rainbow Dash. “He sometimes volunteered to help with the weather jobs before I left for the Academy.” “Just what he told me too,” smiled Scootaloo. “I was still angry and upset with Apple Bloom, and at first I didn't take much notice of Rumble. But when I let slip of my naff flying skills to him, he didn't even laugh at me – I later learned he has a cousin who has a similar problem, and even if I was unable to fly, he thought I was awesome on the scooter. He even offered to teach me how to fly, just like you had been doing since you took me under your wing.” She broke off as she noticed Rainbow Dash stifling a chuckle. “What's so funny, Dash?” “Oh...nothing,” replied Rainbow Dash coyly. “Just pleased to see he's still the kind and considerate young colt that Thunderlane had for a brother. I tell you what,” she added, “it was sure nice of him to coach you like that.” “Just what I thought when he made that offer,” agreed Scootaloo. “I mean, don't get me wrong, I still see you as like a big sister, but to have Rumble training me when you're not here, that's – I just feel like I can take on the world!” Rainbow Dash assumed an expression of disappointment. “Guess you won't need me around anymore then,” she muttered, feigning hurt feelings, and spread her wings as if she was about to fly away. “What?! No – I mean, yes, I do...” spluttered Scootaloo in horror. But the young orange filly's fears turned to confusion as Rainbow Dash burst into hearty laughter again. “Nah, don't worry, squirt,” she chortled, pulling herself together, “I was just playing with your head. No way would I leave my number one fan hanging – you know that.” Scootaloo merely rolled her eyes, an amused smirk on her face. Naturally, Rainbow Dash didn't feel up to flying with Scootaloo or showing off any new tricks after how arduous her latest week's worth of Wonderbolt training had been, so the two Pegasi simply hung out with each other in Ponyville Market Square. As they sat outside Sugarcube Corner trying out a new flavour of cupcake that the ever-imaginative Pinkie Pie had thought up, the rainbow-maned mare told Scootaloo all about what she had been up to at the Wonderbolt Academy that week. Scootaloo gazed at her idol in amazement. “Twelve-hoof gaps between clouds – at high speed? That must have been real tough!” “Yeah, even I was surprised by how hard it was,” agreed Rainbow Dash. “I had to go at it five times before I could pass between those clouds without hitting the sides. Still, at least I didn't do too bad; Soarin told me there were cadets who failed at it at least forty times before they got it right!” “Forty?!” exclaimed Scootaloo, her voice full of bewilderment. “How could anypony have even succeeded after forty failures?! That figure sounds just about right for them to be kicked out of the Academy!” “That's what I thought too; but after training I learned from Soarin that one of the younger Wonderbolts had to go at it seventy-six times until she got the hang of it,” Rainbow Dash went on. “She very nearly lost her spot in the Wonderbolts as a result, but her skills at high-speed turns more than made up for it. Mind you, Spitfire wouldn't let her out to any major air shows until she felt she was ready for it.” Scootaloo chuckled. “She must be really jealous of how far you've risen over the last few months.” “Nah, Tsunami and I are cool. Okay, so perhaps she might try and get ahead of herself from time to time, but she's not obsessed with vengeance like Trixie and that Sunset Shimmer maniac used to be towards Twilight; we do tease each other sometimes, but she's still a good friend.” “Just hope she doesn't end up going down the same flight path as that Lightning Dust show-off you told me about!” quipped Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash gave a weak smile in reply. She could still remember how Lightning Dust's thoughtless actions had nearly cost her five best friends their lives; the two of them had struck up an immediate friendship on their first day, and it still cut her to the core that the very Pegasus who seemed to have so much in common with her had turned out to be reckless, cocky and thoroughly irresponsible. Seeing how disheartening the mention of Lightning Dust seemed to have been towards her idol, Scootaloo tactfully decided to change the subject; “So how long had you known Rumble?” she asked curiously. “Since he was just a baby,” replied Rainbow Dash. “He was one of my first real fans, the others being you, Lemon Daze and a colt who's since moved out of town named Razor Wing, which might have been why he trained so hard at his own flying skills. Back then, his brother was only an apprentice rather than a full-time weather pony, but I soon became good friends with them both. There was one time I heard Rumble say he wished I was his and Thunderlane's big sister.” “I bet they all did,” murmured Scootaloo. “Well...yes, they did,” affirmed Rainbow Dash, “but I'd always been too busy seeing to the weather or saving the world, etc. to spend any real time with my fans – either that or I never set any time aside for them. With you, though, it was rather different; Rumble may have looked up to me, but there was something about you that made me wish we really had been blood relatives all along.” She turned her head away, blushing mildly. “Never thought I'd sound this mushy,” she muttered ruefully. Scootaloo laughed heartily. “What's so mushy about that?” she countered. “I know I was glad when you said you'd take me under your wing, but to know you'd actually thought about it before I asked you is just...there aren't enough words to describe how I feel about that.” Rainbow Dash smiled fondly upon the little filly. “Come 'ere, you!” she chuckled, wrapping a foreleg around her number one fan and playfully ruffling her mane with her free hoof. At that very same moment, Noi, who had arranged to hang out at the bakery with Dinky and Tootsie Flute that morning, noticed the two Pegasi hanging out and trotted over to their table. She had been feeling rather worried for Scootaloo's feelings after the dispute between her and Apple Bloom the day before, and was relieved to find that she was alright. “Hey, Scootaloo,” she chirped, “how's it going with Rainbow Dash?” “Oh, not bad,” answered Scootaloo. “How about you?” “Um......seems that dating wasn't our special talent after all,” admitted Noi, scuffing a hoof against the ground. “Only half our dates showed up, and none of us got our Cutie Marks in the end. Seems you were right about the whole dating thing.” Scootaloo smiled weakly. Even though her dispute with Apple Bloom the day before still played on her mind, she couldn't help feeling sorry for the other Crusaders. “Ah, don't worry about it,” she soothed, patting Noi's shoulder in encouragement. “There's always other stuff out there that'll earn us our Cutie Marks, right?” Noi smiled wryly. “Yeah, I suppose so,” she conceded. “Anyway, I'd better head inside; Dinky and Tootsie Flute are waiting for me.” “Okay, see you later.” Noi found Tootsie Flute and Dinky seated over by the window on the far side of the bakery, Dinky munching away at a chocolate muffin while Tootsie Flute sipped at a blackcurrant smoothie. Having bought herself a freshly baked cream horn, the golden-furred filly went to join the two unicorns. Tootsie Flute barely seemed to notice as Noi took a seat next to her. “I can't understand this,” she sighed wearily. “First Apple Bloom won't stop griping about Scootaloo and now she's so busy trying to work out new ways of getting our Cutie Marks that she won't talk to anypony.” “What's wrong with that?” asked Noi, confused. “Well, it just feels as if she's trying to get hers for no other reason than out of spite,” explained Dinky gravely. “I get that she's still annoyed with her, but that's just selfish. I kinda feel sorry for Scoot, really.” “Yeah, me too,” agreed Noi. “Come to think of it, she was just outside the bakery as I came in, so I thought I'd see how she was doing.” “Not that well, I'm guessing,” murmured Tootsie Flute. “Well, actually she seemed quite cheerful. She even told me not to worry about not getting our Cutie Marks in dating, and said there were plenty of other...” “Hang on, hang on!” interrupted Tootsie Flute, startled. “You're telling us that Scootaloo of all ponies comforted you about dating?!” “Yeah – what's the big deal?” quizzed a visibly perplexed Noi. Dinky and Tootsie Flute exchanged bewildered glances. Normally, whenever they failed at something so sappy, Scootaloo was usually the least sympathetic about it – and yet from what Noi had just said, she had been uncharacteristically understanding this time around. “That doesn't sound like Scootaloo at all,” mused Dinky. “Are you sure you heard her right, Noi?” asked Tootsie Flute, secretly wondering if the golden filly's mind had simply drifted during that conversation. Noi looked a little hurt. “Of course I did!” she protested. “She said, 'don't worry about it, there's always other stuff out there that'll earn us our Cutie Marks, right?' And she meant it too!” Tootsie Flute glanced out of the window, quietly mulling it over as she watched Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash stroll away towards the library. She couldn't help noticing a dreamy look on Scootaloo's face, which bewildered her even further; she may not have known the orange Pegasus filly that well, but she had never seen a look like that on her face before, not even when she had spoken of Rainbow Dash or the Wonderbolts – nor, for that matter, had she ever known her to be so laid back about something as sappy as dating all of a sudden. “Something strange is definitely going on,” she remarked suspiciously to Dinky. “This isn't the Scootaloo we know.” “Could it have something to do with what happened yesterday?” wondered Dinky. Tootsie Flute nodded thoughtfully. “Could well do,” she agreed, “but I can't really see it being anything to do with what Apple Bloom had said. Whatever's gotten her behaving the way she is now must have happened after she stormed out of the clubhouse, but I can't quite put my hoof on it.” “What should we do about it then?” asked Noi. “We need to find out what's been going on,” explained Tootsie Flute simply. “When school ends on Monday, I'm gonna shadow her and see what she gets up to...”