In the following days after the accident at the race track, Rainbow Dash has devoted her time where possible to help her younger sister get her groove back on.
Even though she may of been hesitant to go along with the exercises that Rainbow talked to her about, she eventually gave in and once or twice during that time, she found a smile upon her lips.
It was true that it still hurt her heart to think about what happened to Scootaloo and how helpless she felt when she retrieved her from that trench along with her battered and broken scooter. As for Sweetie and Apple Bloom, they have managed to spend time with their friend to lighten her mood, despite the unexpected shyness that came with her.
All it took to find her smile was some good old fashioned Crusading to take her mind off of things. They even did a few things like zip lining, despite failing miserably and getting covered from head to hoof in tree sap seeing as that thankfully, the injuries that Scootaloo sustained had subsided enough for her to manage most of her strength and capability to do things she couldn't do previously.
She was still pretty shaken up and scared, even after around three or so days after the accident. When she was asked by her friends about it, she wouldn't respond or she would just look down at the floor with a sad look in her eyes due to the lack of her self confidence that was destroyed along with her scooter and her dreams.
Hopefully, if nothing could change that, maybe this would.
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had both decided that enough was enough and accompanied the distressed Scootaloo towards Sweet Apple Acres where along the way, they noticed her cringe and tense up multiple times out of seeing the track again. However, they moved up beside her and helped her along, trying to avert her gaze that was locked upon the track for the duration of the walk to the farm.
Thankfully, it didn't take them long to get to the farm and upon getting there, the two escorted Scootaloo over to the barn where they had planned something that they hoped would get her out of her funk.
For a while, Scootaloo just looked uncertain and confused as to why they brought her to the barn and when they opened the doors to the large, red and white painted building, Scootaloo's heart froze at the sight.
It was her scooter, completely restored to the exact same state it was before her accident, complete with all the rubber tires and handle grips on the handle bars. On a small crate next to it was her crash helmet, a little dinged up and scratched from her fall but still in one piece, none the less.
Hesitantly, she panned her eyes towards her two friends, seeing them smiling at her, hopeful expressions on their faces. ''Apple Bloom, Sweetie? W-What's this a-a-all about?'' She managed to stutter out of her slightly trembling body, the fear and anxiety coming over her again like a tsunami.
Apple Bloom stepped forward. ''This has gone on long enough, Scoots.'' She said, coming up to her and placing her hoof around her shoulders. ''All we want is for ya'll to be happy again. This ain't you, Scoots.'' She gave her a small frown and as a response, Scootaloo sighed and averted her gaze to the floor, knowing where this was going.
Next, Sweetie came up to her and hugged her for a brief moment before breaking away and looking her in the eyes. ''You've lost your confidence, Scootaloo. All we want to do is help you get back to your old self. We all do.'' She smiled warmly to her friend, managing to get one back in return.
''Thanks, guys, but there is seriously no way I'm getting on that thing.'' She looked over to her scooter and stared at it for a few moments, visualizing the part during the race where the wheels and handle bars snapped clean off. Shaking off a shiver and cringe, she looked back to her friends.
''It's okay to be scared,'' Sweetie told her. ''we just want the old you back and for you to face your fears.'' Her ears perked at that last part, reminding her of the time when she could of drowned that time when they and their sisters all went camping and those ghost stories Rainbow Dash told everyone spooked her and then she saved her life before Scootaloo faced her fears out of encouragement from Princess Luna herself before she became Rainbow's adopted sister.
With Rainbow by her side, she remembered all that confidence and happiness that came with it, making her feel like she could do absolutely anything with her big sister backing her up by her side. For the first time in a while, Scootaloo could feel the same confidence she felt then build inside her, a warm and fuzzy feeling in her guts that yearned for an adrenaline rush.
Trotting into the barn and coming up beside her scooter and the small crate on which it was leaning on, she placed her hooves on the sides of her crash helmet and picked it up, looking it over with a mix of uncertainty and determination. Ever so slowly, she placed it on top of her head and fastened the strap tight, ensuring her safety levels.
Next, she very hesitantly and shakily placed her hoof on the left handle bar of her scooter, trying to bring herself to place her right rear hoof onto it before the other, her friends watching her all the while, giving words of encouragement that were the only things making her press on with her troubles.
Slowly, she managed to place her hooves onto the main body of the scooter and both her hooves were holding onto the handles, her anxiety causing her grip on them to be so tight that her hooves hurt. The only thing besides the encouragement from her friends was the confidence within her that was slowly rebuilding itself, bit by bit and putting her mind at ease.
Removing a hoof from the body of her scooter, Scootaloo gently pushed the hoof along the ground, giving herself a small push that made her go forward, followed by another push, then another push.
Unexpectedly, she found herself to be actually enjoying the moment, the pure fun of it blocking out her mind that was rolling in anxiety and fear. In all her confidence, she felt so at ease that she opened up her wings and at first, began to flap them softly to generate speed before she flapped them harder and harder, doing a circle or two around the area of dirt around the front of the barn before skidding to a halt with a smile on her face, happy now that she felt safe using her scooter again.
Not a moment later did she find herself being tackled by her two friends in a tight, friendly embrace, happy smiles covering their own faces, glad that they had their friend back.
''I don't believe it! You actually did it, Scoots!'' Sweetie said happily as she continued to hug her friend warmly.
''Yeah, Ah knew ya could do it!'' Apple Bloom chimed in. Blushing a soft pink, Scootaloo gently pushed the two of them off with a hoof, sparing herself death by hugging.
''I-I couldn't of done it without you, girls. You two truly are the best friends a girl could ask for.'' She said with a warm, friendly smile, pulling the two of them into a hug of her own.
Now that her fears were conquered, Scootaloo finally found her lost confidence. Maybe now she could get her dreams back on track. She knew scooting was a fairly dangerous thing for a filly to do, especially in the circumstance of a race involving tight turns and twists and trenches, but for her, it was who she was.
She was so caught up in the moment of her happiness that she didn't even notice the picture of a scooter appear on her flanks.