The next day arrived with a majestic flourish bringing with it a fanfare of warmth that was the midsummer sun. With the calming atmosphere outside, Rainbow Dash awoke with a smile on her face. As if by clockwork, Rainbow looked at the clock on her bedside table.
“Nine o’clock…” she mumbled.
After sitting up, yawning, and stretching, Rainbow made her way to the bathroom. After a quick look in the mirror, she hopped in the shower.
As the warm water cascaded down her body, Rainbow’s thoughts went back to the previous day. The Wonderbolt airshow… The post-show conference… The conversation with her friends…
“Ugh… Stupid Soarin!”
Take some time to think about it… the Wonderbolt said.
“I am thinking about it, and it’s driving me crazy!”
Now fully awake, Rainbow finished her shower and headed for the kitchen.
“One step ahead of you,” she muttered, acknowledging her rumbling stomach.
After a few apples, Rainbow felt a bit better, more or less ready to take on the day…save for one nagging thought…
“Aw, horseapples!” she swore. “I got to get some air…”
Rainbow Dash flicked her tail in annoyance as she headed out to her front porch and scanned the scenery below and around her. A few moments of this, and she felt boredom set in. With a strained sigh, she flew down to check her mailbox to find it empty, and retreated to her favorite pastime: flying around town.
“Why now? It’s often calmed my nerves before…”
As she graced the Ponyville skies from one end to the other, Rainbow’s irritation subsided, allowing her to focus on a more pressing—in her eyes—matter.
“Let’s clear some clouds. Sunny skies in ten seconds flat!”
Personal goal set, Rainbow got to the task. Exactly ten seconds later, the sun had a clear view of the world below and vice-versa, no cloud having received mercy from the rainbow-maned weather mare.
“And now, back to being awesome.”
With the usual air of bravado filling her, Rainbow Dash took off like one who was just launched from a cannon and pushed her way through the air accordingly, leaving a rainbow-colored trail in her wake. Every so often, she admired her handiwork with the clouds, but mostly, she just did her usual collection of flips, dives, and spins.
No amount of such antics could bore the acrobatic pegasus. While she openly loved watching others perform such stunts, Rainbow loved performing her own stunts more, especially if she got to fly fast. She pondered the idea of giving a private show to each of her friends as she passed over their homes, but after the conversation from last night, she felt somewhat uninterested in seeing them at the moment.
Having her fill of showing off for no one in particular, Rainbow headed off for another favorite activity of hers: napping. After producing a new cloud, she tested and adjusted it as needed, and flopped down on the plush white surface. Empty-headed and optimistic, Rainbow smiled and closed her eyes, blocking out the world around her. A moment later, she was asleep.
Ponyville always carried a certain charm to it, particularly in the middle of the daytime. The city was the most active with ponies at the market, hungry townsfolk mingling somewhere for lunch, or children getting picked up from school. That last activity always seemed to create the most, if not all, of the afternoon commotion.
In the space of a half hour, Ponyville Schoolhouse found itself abandoned until the next morning. In stark contrast, the streets echoed with the voices and laughter of young fillies and colts socializing with parents or older siblings as they headed home.
In the midst of the liveliness below, Rainbow Dash slept deeply, her snores loudly piercing the sky nearby. No doubt about it; her prior activities exhausted her more than usual. Occasionally, she rolled over or subconsciously batted at something, but no matter what, the pegasus didn’t—
“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” a young voice called.
That got a little bit of a response; though, it was little more than a gentle flutter of wings.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” the voice repeated.
With a long yawn, the dazed pegasus stood up and looked down, hoping to find the one daring enough to interrupt her nap. Her mood softened upon recognizing a scooter and the helmeted orange pegasus piloting it.
“Hey, Scootaloo!” Rainbow greeted as she swooped down to meet her admirer. “What’s up?”
“I was just wondering if we could hang out for a bit, unless you’re busy,” Scootaloo answered, calmly removing her helmet.
“I’m never too busy to hang out with you,” Rainbow replied, playfully tussling her “sister’s” purple mane.
“Thanks, Rainbow Dash!”
“So what do you want to do?”
“Actually…” Scootaloo sighed. “I wanted to talk to you about something; just something I’ve had on my mind lately. I’m not even sure how to explain it.”
Her, too? Perfect…
“Think you could help?”
“Maybe…but how about we go someplace quiet?”
“Alright!”
After making the necessary preparations, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash set off.
“Whoa…” Scootaloo sighed as she took in the majestic scene before her.
“Yeah, it is pretty cool, isn’t it?” Rainbow asked in agreement.
Rainbow Dash had escorted her young friend to a secluded outcropping close to the border of the Everfree Forest. In the midst of the trees behind them and the canyon ahead, the two friends were granted an uninterrupted view of the Equestrian sky above.
“I come out here when I really need to be alone; bad day, stuff on my mind, you get the idea,” Rainbow explained.
“Yeah, I do,” Scootaloo mumbled. “I usually just run to the Crusader clubhouse.”
“So what’s on your mind, Scoots?”
“Where do I start?” She flinched at the touch of a wing being draped around her shoulders. The thoughtful act met with such a defensive response set the gears of thought inside Rainbow Dash’s head in motion.
“Hey, what gives? You know I won’t hurt you…”
“I’m really sorry, Dash… I’ve just been on edge lately, but I’ve kept smiling so no one would worry.”
“Why do that? It just makes things worse.” She noticed tears on her friend’s face. “Talk to me, kid,” Rainbow commanded in a maternal tone of voice.
“If it isn’t one thing, it’s something else…”
“Like what?”
“Between this Cutie Mark business and my wings…I just can’t catch a break!”
Rainbow managed a pained sigh.
“Both topics we’ve discussed before. You’ve got the support of your friends to help you get your Cutie Mark, and I’ve said it before—it doesn’t matter if you can fly or not; you’re all kinds of awesome, anyway. That scooter of yours…and the stuff you can do with it… That proves that you’re destined for awesomeness.”
“I really appreciate that, Rainbow,” Scootaloo sniffed. “…but it’s not my friends I have to worry about… It’s my family…”
That was like a knife to the heart for Rainbow Dash.
“Why do you say that? I always figured you were pretty close to your family.”
“I am…to a fault…”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“My parents take care of me, just as they should, but…” Scootaloo sighed and looked skyward.
“But…?”
“They’re all I have here; the rest of my family lives way up north, so I don’t see them much. I get along with my parents and some of my other relatives, but you, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom have felt like more of a family than my own family. The reason I asked if you could be like my big sister is because I don’t have any siblings of my own, and I really admire what you can do. I figured…’Why, not?’”
“That’s…” Rainbow Dash became misty-eyed. “That’s all really sweet of you to say, Scootaloo, but…don’t you think you’re being a bit hard on them?”
“No. Why?”
“Tell me about these other relatives.”
“We had a family reunion about a couple weeks ago. That was why I disappeared for a few days.”
“I remember that; please continue.”
“We came back early because of some…complications. They know about my flying ‘disability’ and my lack of a Cutie Mark, and there were some…mixed messages about me at the reunion.” Scootaloo shifted uneasily in Rainbow Dash’s embrace.
“What did they say?”
“Some of it was said to my parents, but I still got the hint. Some of them sincerely believe I’ll get there some day, whether it’s my Cutie Mark or my wings; a couple of my cousins even asked for scooter lessons!” Scootaloo laughed at the memory, prompting a smile from Rainbow Dash, but both were short-lived.
“It was the insults that made us leave early; the drama caused by…me. Some thought it was a wasted effort on my part to try flying. Some thought I was seriously wasting my time with Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle; they believe the idea of ‘crusading’ for a Cutie Mark is…ridiculous or stupid. It was bad enough that they insulted my friends…” Scootaloo leaned into Rainbow Dash and sobbed.
“They— They called me a-a-a disgrace! The Cutie Mark business was…mostly minor…” She paused to breathe. “They thought it was strange that I’m still a blank flank, but they made an even bigger deal about my wings. Some blamed my parents, even going as far as asking if there had been a mistake when I was born, thinking I should’ve been born as an Earth pony instead. No matter how much my parents tried to defend me—no matter what they said—“
“None of them would listen.” Rainbow made the observation with a hint of malice in her voice. “How can anyone be so short-sighted or cruel?”
“My parents thought that as well; they just got fed up with everyone talking about me—and even to me—like that, so we got our things and came home.”
Rainbow Dash gently pulled Scootaloo into a full hug, allowing the younger pegasus to shed all the heartache she received from her own relatives. As Rainbow Dash comforted her friend, she calmly looked toward different parts of the sky.
“Hey, sis?” she whispered as she stroked the filly’s mane.
“Y-yeah?” Scootaloo replied, meeting Rainbow’s warm gaze with her own.
“I’m proud of you for talking to me about this.”
“Th-thank you…sis…” She leaned against Rainbow Dash and closed her eyes. “I’ve just had such a hard time with this… Ever since that family reunion, I couldn’t help but wonder if they were all right about me. My parents do what they can to help me…and comfort me, and I love them for that, but I have that nagging fear that they’ll wind up giving up on me.”
“No good parent would abandon their child. Anyone that would has no right to even think of having kids. Your parents love you, no matter what; I’ve seen that for myself. Don’t you worry; they won’t give up on you, ever.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Some personal experience; just ask Fluttershy. Both of us just had our parents and each other. We both had our flaws, and both of us had our share of drama because of that. I never really saw much of my extended family, but Fluttershy did, and it wasn’t always pleasant. She had trouble flying, just like you do now, and among those that doubted her were some of her relatives.”
“I had no idea…”
“She can explain it better than me. Anyway, her parents stuck by her, just as my parents stuck by me. The premise was the same, even if the circumstances were different.”
“So Fluttershy might be able to help me?”
“Yeah; just go and talk to her.”
“I will; thanks!”
“Any time, kid!”
The two sat in the warm silence for a while before Rainbow Dash spoke again.
“Actually, there’s been something on my mind, as well.”
“Really? Like what?”
I have no idea how well she’ll understand it, but if she’s willing to trust me with her problems, then I have no problem trusting her with this.
“Yesterday, my friends and I all went up to Canterlot for a Wonderbolt airshow.”
“Awesome! How did it go?”
“It went really well, even though I had some trouble focusing on what was going on.”
“Really? What happened?”
“Two days ago, I got a personal letter from Spitfire. All she said in that letter was that she wanted me to stick around after yesterday’s performance, but gave no reason why.”
“Interesting…”
“Yeah, I thought so, too. It kept eating at me, so I enjoyed the show as much as I could and stayed after, just like Spitfire wanted. Turns out, Soarin was the one who actually wanted to talk to me, but he was so scared, he had Spitfire write to me instead.”
“That’s…odd…”
“My thoughts exactly… Spitfire left out a few things so I could get a proper explanation from Soarin. Turns out that the poor
guy wanted to meet up with me, or at least talk to me, but he always ended up getting cold feet. Our meeting yesterday broke that.”
“Why would one of the Wonderbolts get cold feet over you? What’s that actually mean, anyway?”
“It means he had something to talk to me about, but he was afraid because he wasn’t sure how I’d react.”
“What did he want to talk to you about?”
“Something personal, like something you’d write in a journal, if you kept one.”
“Sounds like something I wouldn’t even care about…”
“You probably won’t care about it; you may not even understand it, but whatever… The reason Soarin went to all this trouble just to talk to me was that he had a confession to make. That confession was that he’s…” Rainbow closed her eyes and sighed. “…he’s in love with me.”
“Wait. You mean Soarin of the Wonderbolts…likes you?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow laughed. “Poor guy’s got it bad; he told me he’s had these feelings for me for about two months now, and he was afraid to tell me because he was afraid I’d reject him or something.”
“So then what?”
“I told him the truth; told him that I appreciated the nice things he said about me, and that I was flattered, yet surprised, by his confession. He initially wanted to get to know me as a friend, but over time, his feelings of respect and admiration toward me turned into the massive crush he now has on me.”
“He wanted me to think about it, which I’ve been doing. This is a new experience for me, so I have no idea of what to do or where to start. I like Soarin; just not…like that. I think of him as a friend, and he said he’d be fine with that.”
“When my friends and I got back to Ponyville, I told them what was up and they each gave me their own bit of advice. Rarity actually recommended that I start off by just being friends with him, and seeing where that goes. Textbook advice, from what I can guess.”
“That’s great, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo replied with a faint smile. “I’m happy for you, but what would I know about love? I don’t even care about sappy stuff like that. Sorry, but if you were looking for advice from me, you’re wasting your time. No offense.”
“No worries, kid. To tell you the truth, I’ve never cared much for romance, either. Given the drama I went through, I’ve always been fine with friendship; didn’t want love, and never saw myself needing it.” Rainbow smiled. “Thing is, I have a lot of respect for Soarin, and I’d love to hang out with him some time. I just wish he had worked up the nerve to tell me this sooner. It would’ve made facing it a lot easier.”
“Yeah, I guess I can relate to that. Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle have had moments where they have something on their minds, but can’t seem to say it when it matters.”
“You’ve done it, too, Scootaloo.”
“I know…”
At the embarrassing recollection, the two friends burst out laughing, fully relaxed after clearing their minds of whatever confusion they felt.
“So what do you say?” Rainbow asked. “Feeling any better?”
“Absolutely! Thanks for bringing me out here and listening to me.”
“Any time; just say the word, and I’ll be there to cheer you up. Though I do recommend that you go to your parents, first. They’re your family; not me. Call me your guardian angel, if you’d like; that’s how Fluttershy saw me.”
“I’ll…keep that in mind.”
“What do you say we head back to town? Your parents are probably getting worried about you.”
“It’s not that late; besides, they’re used to me getting home late.”
“Really?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
“Yeah, really; mostly because of Crusader business.”
“Alright, then.” Rainbow quickly made a mental note to speak to Scootaloo’s parents and her earliest convenience before returning to her previous thought. “Let’s head back; I can bring you back here any time you like, so no need to worry.”
“Awesome! Thank you so much, Rainbow Dash!”
After receiving an unexpected kiss on the forehead from her idol, Scootaloo put her helmet back on, mounted her scooter, and followed the rainbow-maned pegasus back into the forest.
Back in Ponyville, business continued as usual as ponies of all ages went about their shopping, work, play, or whatever other activity fit their schedule. Occasionally, someone would pause long enough to get the time or have a quick snack before heading back to whatever they were called to do.
On the edge of Ponyville, two pegasi had their own business to tend to.
“So now that we’re back in town, what should we do?” Scootaloo asked.
“How about we stop at Sugarcube Corner?” Rainbow Dash offered.
“Yeah, sure!”
“Yeah, no one can resist a treat from Sugarcube Corner.”
“Apple Bloom did once…”
“I remember hearing about that…”
As the two conversed, they made their way into the heart of Ponyville and in little time at all, the brightly-colored bakery stood before them. Suddenly rendered hungry by the warm smells emanating from inside the shop, Rainbow Dash entered Sugarcube Corner, Scootaloo directly behind her.
“I don’t know about you,” Rainbow began, “but a milkshake sounds good right about now, and maybe some cupcakes to go with it.”
“Coming right up!” a cheerful voice rang.
No sooner than Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash took their places at an unoccupied table, the owner of the cheerful voice from before appeared with a tray balanced on her head; said tray contained two milkshakes and a dozen cupcakes.
“Thanks, Pinkie,” Rainbow happily replied as her friend placed the tray on the table.
“Not a problem, Dashie!” Pinkie replied. “Just say the word if you guys need anything else.”
“Thanks!” Scootaloo called as the party pony headed to the kitchen.
Not wasting any more time, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo enjoyed their pleasant afternoon snack. Along the way, Scootaloo’s thought drifted from one thing to another, mostly details about her prior conversation with Rainbow Dash. Wanting to save that matter for her parents, Scootaloo thought about her Crusader business.
“Hey, Scoots,” Rainbow said, finishing off a cupcake.
“Huh?”
“Promise me you won’t try to keep stuff to yourself, alright; talk about your problems.”
“I promise.”
After the cupcakes and milkshakes were gone, Rainbow Dash left a bag of bits on the table and she and Scootaloo left Sugarcube Corner behind.
“That was really fun…and satisfying,” Scootaloo laughed.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it, sis,” Rainbow replied, warmly.
“Hey, would it be alright if we went back to your place for a bit?”
“I don’t see why not. I’ve got nothing else planned for today.”
“Yes!”
The sight of the younger pegasus in high spirits warmed Rainbow Dash’s heart immensely, as well as the hearts of any who happened to notice the spectacle. As they wove their way through town, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo could hear the complements headed their way; occasionally one or both of them would react.
“She has such a way with the little ones,” one mare said.
“They act more like mother and daughter than anything,” a stallion noted, which brought tears to Rainbow Dash’s eyes.
“That’s a nice thing to say,” she replied as she and Scootaloo passed him by.
“That filly’s something else with that scooter,” another stallion quipped, prompting Scootaloo to blush in response.
“Look at who her role model is,” a nearby mare added, prompting a blush from Rainbow Dash.
With the activity of the townsfolk behind them, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash looked ahead to the edge of town, and their next destination: Rainbow Dash’s cloud house. Not anything more than a few minutes later, the majestic structure in the sky was directly overhead.
“We’re here!” Rainbow declared.
“Is it alright if we sit down here for a bit?” Scootaloo asked her hovering friend.
“Yeah.” With that, Rainbow landed and took her place next to Scootaloo.
“About what everyone was saying as we passed them…”
“I know what you mean. I can’t say I’ve ever heard anyone use the word ‘mother’ to compliment me before. Most of the time, I hear the exact opposite—that I’d make a lousy mother or whatever.”
“Don’t listen to ‘em! You could be the coolest mom ever!”
“You…really think so, Scootaloo?”
“Yeah, of course I do. You’re already the coolest friend ever; best sister I’ve never had.”
“You’re such a sweetheart, Scootaloo…”
“So are you, guardian angel…”
As the two openly cried their tears of happiness and gratitude, a new thought crossed Scootaloo’s mind.
“I just remembered something my mom told me once. She told me that I should never be afraid to spread my wings. Even if I fall, I can learn from that to better myself.”
“That’s a nice lesson to live by. In a way, it reminds me of something my mom would sing to me when I was little.”
“A lullaby?”
“Yeah; unfortunately, I only remember a small part of it. Luckily, it’s part of the chorus as well as the song’s title; wraps up how I feel about you, perfectly.”
“What is it?”
“’You are the wind beneath my wings.’”
“I don’t know what to say…”
Rainbow allowed Scootaloo to lean against her for a moment before breaking the silence.
“Let’s get inside; I can carry you if you need me to.”
“Sure!” Scootaloo shouldered her scooter and prepared herself for the trip skyward, but froze when she noticed something above.
“Something wrong?” Rainbow asked.
“Yeah, I think someone’s wanting inside your house.”
Rainbow followed her friend’s gaze to discover that there was indeed someone waiting at her front door. Though the distance was vast, she could still discern the figure of a pink pegasus with a blue mane standing patiently at her front door.
“Any idea who that might be?” Scootaloo asked.
Rainbow didn’t hear the question as she had already rocketed toward the pony on her doorstop.