“Unnnnngh...” I groaned to myself, writhing slightly.
Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder. “You okay there, squirt?”
I nodded, gripping tighter to Rainbow's backside as the two of us flew against the cool evening breeze. “I think that pie from the racing competition is coming back to haunt me.”
“Heh... I did sort of shove that crap down your throat, didn't I?”
“No. No, it's okay!” I smiled nervously. “I knew that it was part of the competition. It's just that... mmmnngh...” I rubbed my belly with one free hoof. “I didn't think it was possible to have too much apple pie.”
“Heh... You kidding?” Rainbow smirked as she flew over rooftops along the northwest edge of Ponyville. She circled around, coming down low towards a row of two-story apartments. “Part of being awesome is knowing your limits, kid.”
“But Rainbow Dash!” I gawked at her. “You don't have any limits!”
“Hoooooooooooo boy.” Rainbow rolled her eyes.
I made a confused, squeaking sound.
“Hate to break it to ya, Scoots, but I can't exactly do everything.”
“Why not?” I stammered. “You're Rainbow Dash! You're the very definition of awesome!”
“You wanna know what 'being awesome' is all about?” Rainbow touched down on the grassy lawn and folded her wings. “It means knowing what your limits are, and yet trying to do everything anyway.”
“Even if everying is impossible?”
“Especially if it's impossible.” Rainbow placed me down and ruffled my mane. “Only, being awesome involves doing something else: you gotta make it look to everypony alive as though you have no limits.” Rainbow winked. “It's all in the style.”
“Then... then...” I fidgeted. “If that's true, then why are you telling me?”
“Because you're something special, kid,” Rainbow Dash said. “And if you wanna go places and be awesome, then you gotta know all the ins and outs.”
“You... you really think I can be like you someday?”
“Try really hard, and you can be better.”
I gasped as if I was exploding. “B-better than you?”
“You think I got to where I am by trying to be simply as good as the older ponies who used to fly laps around me as a kid?” Rainbow smirked devilishly. “I'm tellin' ya, Scoots, it takes guts, daring, and a little bit of craziness. And I can tell that you've got all three. So what's stopping you?”
My wingtips fluttered as I bit my lip.
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. With a proud smile, she wrapped a wing around the my shoulder. “Today was pretty boss, Scootaloo. I enjoyed wiping the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres with everypony else's hides. You and me? We make a great team. We oughta hang out and kick flank more often.”
“F-for real?”
“How many times a year does the Sistershooves Social happen?”
“Er... once.”
“Oh.” Rainbow chewed on her lip. “Guess I shoulda known that one. Uhm... Oh!” She smirked. “Doesn't the school have some athletic tournament thingy? The 'Running of the Foals' or some crap?”
“Every two months, Ms. Cheerilee sets up a 'Field Day' for all of the schoolchildren to compete in races and games.”
“Awesome sauce!” Rainbow grinned. “How 'bout I swing by and teach you the tools and tricks to smoke the other participants?”
“Heeheehee... you bet!” I said with a little hop.
“Done deal, then!” Rainbow drew me into a surprisingly sincere hug. “Just hang in there, champ.” Rainbow patted my back. “You'll be running this place once you're my age.”
I said nothing. I hung there in Rainbow's embrace, my face hidden in the mare's chest.
“Scoots?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “You still inside that feisty orange shell or what?”
My tiny figure quivered slightly.
“Scootaloo?” Rainbow gulped. “Come on, kid. Out with it. What's up?”
“Nothing...” A voice sniffled. My head slowly shook against Rainbow's coat. “It's stupid. It's lame. I'm just fine, Rainbow Dash...”
“Kid...” Rainbow spoke in a quiet voice, patting my back again. “If you were normally this touchy-feely, you woulda teamed up with Rarity instead of me. Now what's going on? Talk to me.”
“I...” A tear or two came into contact with Rainbow's coat. “I j-just wish you could be my big sister every d-day...”
Rainbow's ears folded as she exhaled.
“I'm s-sorry...” I whimpered, curling my forelegs to my face as I shuddered. “Today was so fun... so sp-spectacular... and I'm being the absolute lamest. I'm sorry... I-I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash...”
“Shhhhh. Hey hey hey...” Rainbow Dash knelt down and grasped my shoulders. “Hey. Look at me.”
I reluctantly did so, my eyes wet and puffy.
Rainbow held a neutral expression as she locked eyes with mine. “I can't be your sister, Scootaloo.”
I instantly winced. I turned my head to look away—
“Hey.” Rainbow gave my shoulders the tiniest of shakes. We made eye contact again. “But I can hang out with you. I can show you all my moves. I can even show you how to do the Sonic Rainboom if you're feeling lucky enough.” She smiled softly, then said, “But there's no sense in pretending to be something which neither of us really are. After all, I wanna see you become awesome. You don't get there the fake, made-up way.”
“So...” I sniffled. “You're saying th-that we'll never be sisters again?”
Rainbow smiled. “We can be friends, Scootaloo.” She brushed the my tiny chin. “The most awesome and butt-kickingest friends there could ever be! That is something we have the power to be... that we can choose to be.”
“B-best... friends...?” My eyes sparkled.
Rainbow shook her head. “I'm afraid there's somepony who already has that spot taken.”
“Who?” I sniffled and squinted. “Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle?”
Rainbow placed her hoof on my chest. “You, kiddo. Above all else, you have to be your own best friend. Because no matter how many ponies promise this one thing or the other, there'll come a time when all you've got to depend on is you. Maybe nopony's ever told you that before, but I'm telling you now. Because I want the best for you. And even if I spent every waking hour of each day with you under my wing, I can't stop life from being crazy or unpredictable. In the end, being awesome depends on you. It may sound scary, but don't worry. You've got what it takes.” She smiled. “I know that for a fact.”
“All... all I've ever wanted is to be cool,” I stammered. “Like you, Rainbow. Having everything t-together. Being able to wow the crowd at the drop of a hat. Maybe... m-maybe then...” I clenched my teeth as another set of tears squeezed out. “Maybe then I wouldn't feel so weak...”
“But you are strong, Scootaloo,” she said, squeezing my shoulders. “You're one of the strongest ponies I know. But you can be even stronger.”
I gulped a lump down my throat and looked at her. “How?”
“You really wanna know?”
I nodded and nodded.
She was almost frowning, her eyes were so strong. “Surround yourself with ponies you care about. Don't ever settle for being alone, y'hear me?” She shuddered slightly as she said these words. “Going the way of a lone wolf may look awesome on the outside, but someday you might realize that a spotlight isn't worth manure when there's nopony around to applaud for you.” She cleared her throat and struggled to look straight into my eyes. “So, don't grow distant, y'hear?. Don't become an island. It might seem like the easy way at first... it might even make yourself feel stronger than the rest. But all you'd ever do is become hard on the outside and all mush on the inside. Like a bad egg. You don't wanna be a bad egg, do you?”
“Hmmmm-hee-hee-hee...” I chuckled breathily, wiping my face dry. “No way.”
“Does any of this make a lick of sense to you, Scoots?” Rainbow asked. “Last time I tried teaching anything, the library walls got covered in spitwads.”
“Surround myself with friends,” I said. “But look after myself.”
“There ya go.” Rainbow smiled. “And you can bet your crazy-ass scooter I'll be round to make sure you're sticking to it!”
“Heehee... you don't have to check up on me. I read you loud and clear, Rainbow Dash.”
She slowly, slowly nodded. “Yeah, well...” She sighed through a calm smile. “Something tells me you'll be seeing more of me from now on, regardless.”
“You mean it?”
“Yeah...” Rainbow breathed. “I guess so.”
I had run out of words, at least for that breath. Upon the next inhale, I lept forward and hugged her as hard as I could. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. You're the best.”
“Hmmf... well...” She ruffled my mane. Her voice sounded strangely frail, but her lungs resonated confidently. “It takes one to know one, squirt.”