//------------------------------//
// The Best Kind of Awesome 
// Story: Appledashery 
// by Just Essay 
//------------------------------//

	I tweaked and rotated the wheel of my scooter until it spun true again.  With a breath of relief, I planted the thing back on the ground and pushed it back and forth in my forelimbs.  Sure enough, the vehicle was gliding straight again.  I don't think the waking world was ready for the intense moan of frustration I was going to let out at having to squat down and repair the darn thing again.

It still didn't change the fact that it was a lazy, lazy Saturday.  With bored breaths, I glared across the windswept fields outside Ponyville.  Every jump and ramp—I had practically memorized by then.  I was starting to wonder if the village and everything surrounding it was starting to run out of pizazz.  I pondered going to knock on Sweetie Belle's door, or stumbling upon the front gate to Sweet Apple Acres to see what Apple Bloom was up to.

Instead, I just stood there, leaning against my scooter, feeling the warmth of the morning sun roll slowly over me.  I had a lot of sighs to give, and ultimately found myself staring at the dirt and gravel underhoof.

It was then that her shadow darted by, and my ears tickled to her cracking voice.  "Why so glum, kiddo?" she chirped.  "Any filly within spitting distance of a killer set of wheels shouldn't be frowning, y'know!"

I about ripped my muzzle muscles apart with the force of my instant smile.  "Rainbow Dash!"  I twirled to look up at her.  She orbited me and the hill I was on in a low, lazy glide.  "I... I didn't see you!"

"Most ponies don't."  She winked.  "It's not their business to."  She twirled, landed in a grind, and came to a stop just inches from me and my scooter.  "What's up, kid?"

"You're up!  Or... at least you were."  I couldn't help but giggle.  I could never help it.  "Where've you been, Rainbow Dash?"  I hadn't expected to blurt that question out, and it made me wince slightly.  "I mean... y-you haven't been around lately, and... uh... I was starting to get worried."

"Didn't I give you heads up?" She arched an eyebrow, smirking.  "I was heading south with Applejack and her friend to do some cider business!"

I gulped.  "Oh yeah.  Right."  I gazed down at the grass.  "Stupid me."

"Hey."  She tilted my chin up with a blue hoof.  "None of that, now.  Have you been exercising your wing muscles?"

"Err... yeah.  Why?"

Her teeth glinted in the sun, and I could almost see my reflection in her smile.  "Cuz I can think of a certain filly who deserves more flight training!"

My hear leapt through my chest.  "Really?!"

"Yup!"

"You're not super tired from your long trip or nothin'?"

"Hehe!  Nope!"  She rested a hoof on my shoulder.  "And boy do I have a doozy of a story to tell you, too!"

"What, did you run into danger down south?"

"And how."  Rainbow chuckled.  "Evil psychopaths.  Dreamy explosions.  A whole fantasy world."  She brightened.  "I even met best pony!"

"Heeheehee!  But Rainbow Dash!  You're best pony!"

"Ehhhh..."  She waved a hoof, smirking.  "I like to keep it a trade secret."

"Pffft!  No you don't!"

"Guilty as charged."

"Hehehehe!"  I fumbled forward.  That was a good enough excuse.  I found myself hugging Rainbow close, nuzzling her fuzzy chest.  "I'm so glad you're back, Rainbow."

"It's great to be back, kiddo," she said, squeezing my shoulder.  "Super great."

"Mmmhmmm..."  A happy breath escaped my nostrils, followed by another.  I leaned back to return to my scooter, but I didn't go anywhere.  It took me a few blinks to realize that Rainbow Dash was still hugging me.  In fact, I would have ventured to guess that she was hugging me harder than I had ever hugged her.  "Uhhhh... Rainbow Dash?  Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, kid," she said, more like breathed.  I felt the slow, delicate flutter of heartbeat through her warm chest.  She stared past me, and my peripheral vision caught the hint of a placid smile.  It was if Rainbow had fallen from a great height and had landed at the last second.  I was a little bit worried at first, until I heard the steady vibrations in her voice:  "Everything's super okay.  About as okay as they've ever been."

"Erm... good?"  I smiled awkwardly.

"Nope.  Not good."  She leaned back and stared at me, fluffing my mane.  "Awesome."  She flexed her wings.  "Now... let's earn you those feathers, right?"

I giggled and took her hoof.  "Roger."

She gripped my fetlock and the two of us soared skyward into the morning air.