For the next couple of days, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were very busy. Per Scootaloo's instructions, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom went around town, picking up all the supplies they would need.
Scootaloo, meanwhile, continued to iron out the exact details of her plan. This largely included what she would say to Rainbow Dash, and to her mom, without making them suspect anything. The whole plan hinged on keeping them in the dark.
"Alright, that's the last balloon," Apple Bloom said wearily, climbing down from the ladder she had borrowed to put up the balloons in those hard to reach places "What about you, Sweetie Belle? You done on your end?"
"I think so," Sweetie Belle replied, nearly out of breath, as she used her magic to neatly align the banner between the two wooden poles. "I've been using magic for so long, my horn is starting to hurt."
"Good job girls, we did it!" Scootaloo cheered, as she tied down the last of the table cloths and set the party favors on top. "If Pinkie Pie could see all of this, she'd be proud."
"I still don't see why we couldn't have just gotten Pinkie Pie to organize the whole thing." Apple Bloom complained.
"Yeah, I mean, she does this sort of stuff all the time," Sweetie Belle added "Why did you insist on not telling her about it? "
"I want this to be a surprise or it's not going to work," Scootaloo explained "And since Pinkie Pie is terrible at keeping secrets, I can’t risk her telling. If either my mom or Rainbow Dash suspects anything, this whole plan is ruined."
"You really think it's just goin' to work?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Why shouldn't it? If it worked for the Princess of Friendship, there should be no reason why it won't work here," Scootaloo replied, hopping onto her scooter "Now, I'm going to go find Rainbow Dash, and my mom. You'll see, in a matter of hours, they'll be best friends again!" And with that, Scootaloo sped away.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged nervous glances. "I don't think it's going to work out as well as Scootaloo intends it to." Sweetie Belle said with concern as Apple Bloom nodded in agreement.
Rainbow Dash had just finished an exhausting day of cloudbusting, and was currently enjoying her favorite pass time, napping on a cloud. "It feels nice not having anything to do," she thought to herself as she closed her eyes "It's just me, this cloud, and the open skies above. Nothing could possibly top this."
But just as Rainbow Dash was about to nod off, she heard a familiar excited voice shout out "Rainbow Dash!"
With a yawn, Rainbow Dash reluctantly opened her eyes. Looking down from the cloud she was perched on, she could easily spot the familiar orange coat of her favorite filly and number one fan (not to mention unofficial little sister). "She probably wants me to give her some more flying lessons, again." Rainbow Dash thought, as she flapped her wings and rose from the cloud.
"What's up, squirt?" Rainbow Dash asked, as she landed on the ground in front of Scootaloo "Want me to take you on a cloud ride again? Or give you some more tips on how to strengthen your wing muscles?"
Scootaloo shook her head "Nope, I came here for a different reason. You know that the Sisterhooves Social is coming up, right?"
"Of course I do, Applejack's been talking about it forever," Rainbow Dash replied "What does that have to do with me?"
"Oh, nothing much. I was just thinking that, since we're kind of sisters now, you and I could compete in the social? You know, like Applejack and Apple Bloom, and Rarity and Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo explained "I know we can totally win if we train hard enough!"
"I don't know, Scootaloo," Rainbow Dash said, suddenly wishing she'd bothered to ask Applejack about the rules "We aren't technically sisters, I'm not sure we'd be allowed to compete."
"But Applejack let Sweetie Belle compete with her that one year, and they weren't related at all," Scootaloo replied "If they were allowed to compete, I'm sure we can too!”
"Well, even if that's the case, I wouldn't want to get in trouble with your parents. Your mom wouldn’t be too happy if I let you compete in the entire social without her knowing where you are." Rainbow Dash insisted.
"Oh, that's not going to be a problem," Scootaloo said, eagerly buzzing her wings in anticipation "I'm sure I can get my mom to say yes. Just come to the park in about half an hour, and everything will go smoothly!”
Rainbow Dash wasn't usually the greatest at picking up on hidden non verbal clues, but Scootaloo seemed to be a bit too excited for something that wasn't even confirmed yet. She quickly brushed those thoughts aside, chances were Scootaloo was just really happy at the thought of being able to compete in the Sisterhooves Social with her "big sister", and Rainbow Dash couldn't blame her.
"Alright, squirt, half an hour it is." Rainbow Dash smiled.
"Okay, see you later!" Scootaloo replied, and she zoomed away on her scooter. In her head she mentally high fived herself "One awesome big sister down, one amazing mom to go!" she thought to herself. So far, everything was proceeding exactly as she had planned it, Rainbow Dash didn't suspect a thing.
Dizzy Twister was doing some light cleaning around the house, and had just put down the broom, when she heard her daughter come bursting through the front door.
"Mom! Mom! CanIcompeteintheSisterhoovesSocialwithRainbowDash?!" Scootaloo asked in one breath.
"Settle down, Scootaloo. And speak slowly so I can understand you." Dizzy Twister insisted. She didn't mind her daughter's enthusiasm, but it did make it harder to comprehend what Scootaloo was trying to tell her.
Scootaloo took a deep breath, and asked "Can I compete in the Sisterhooves Social with Rainbow Dash?! Please?!" shooting her mom her best pair of puppy dog eyes.
"Scootaloo, you do know that you and Rainbow Dash aren't technically sisters, right?" Dizzy Twister asked her daughter.
"I know that, why does everypony keep saying that?!" Scootaloo complained, then quickly regained her composure as she said "I'm sure the rules allow honorary sisters to compete. After all, Sweetie Belle did it with Applejack."
Dizzy Twister couldn't argue with that logic, but that didn't mean she was completely sold on the idea of her daughter and Rainbow Dash competing. "Scootaloo, I'm not saying I don't trust Rainbow Dash, but are you absolutely sure it's something she wants to do, and not just something you asked her to do?"
"Well, maybe I did ask her before I came to see you," Scootaloo admitted "But she said that if you agreed, she'd be more than willing to do the social with me.”
"Scootaloo, I know how much you love spending time with Rainbow Dash. But the next time you do something like this, you need to ask me first, not Rainbow Dash." Dizzy Twister said seriously.
Scootaloo frowned a bit "Sorry, Mom. It's just that, I got so excited, and I was so sure you'd say yes."
"I never said my answer was no, Scootaloo," Dizzy Twister explained "I'm just explaining what you need to do differently next time. I'm not mad or disappointed, but this is something I would've prefered to have cleared with me first."
"Got it! From now, I'll be sure to ask for your permission before I do anything with Rainbow Dash, where I'll be gone for more than a couple of hours," Scootaloo said with a nod "So, are you going to go meet with Rainbow Dash? I told her you'd be waiting for her at the park."
"And why did you tell her that? She knows where I live, and so do you. Not to mention, she’s been here several times," Dizzy Twister said with a look of suspicion
Scootaloo gulped, and tried her best not to look like she was worried about how to respond. After hesitating for a couple of seconds she told her mom "Well, it's just, today is such a nice day. Wouldn't you rather go out and enjoy it, instead of staying in the house?”
Dizzy Twister was silent for a moment, and gave off a glance that made Scootaloo suspect she was doubtful. But those worries vanished, when she said to Scootaloo "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go ahead, and meet Rainbow Dash. I was going to do a little bit of house cleaning, but it can wait."
"Good, make sure to come by in a little bit. I told Rainbow Dash to meet you there in half an hour." Scootaloo explained, and quickly raced out the door, hopped onto her scooter, and took off.
"Things are working out better than I thought they would," Scootaloo thought to herself, as she sped back to the park "Now I just need to wait for my mom and Rainbow Dash to meet, and start talking."
Scootaloo returned to the park, and was glad to see that the party decorations were still holding up well. She looked at the clock tower in the distance, and saw that she still had quite a bit of time before Rainbow Dash and her mom were expected to show up.
"So, did you get them to agree to come here?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I sure did!" Scootaloo exclaimed, as she got off her scooter ". Now we just need to play the waiting game."
"Ya know, it's not too late to change your mind about all of this," Apple Bloom suggested "Ya could easily take down those decorations, and just tell both Rainbow Dash and your mom why you wanted them to meet up so badly. I'm pretty sure they'd understand."
"And miss the chance to see them become best friends again, no way!" Scootaloo protested. "This plan is completely fool proof now, it has to work!"
"Ya sure about that, 'cause I don't think any plan is ever fool proof." Apple Bloom said skeptically.
"Apple Bloom's right, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle added "There's still a chance things won't work out. Maybe what happened with Princess Twilight and her Canterlot friends was an exception?"
"There's no way it could've been an exception!" Scootaloo insisted, then she looked out into the distance, and saw her mom approaching the park from the outskirts of town, and Rainbow Dash from Cloudsdale's position near the center of the town. She began to bounce up and down in excitement.
"They're coming! Quick, hide!" she shouted, and pulled Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle into some nearby bushes. Scootaloo then carefully poked her head out from said bushes, while making sure to stay out of sight. "Any second now!" she thought to herself, it took every ounce of willpower she had not to shout for joy at the inevitable outcome.
As both Dizzy Twister and Rainbow Dash drew closer to the center of the park, they were surprised to see what looked like balloons, party favors and decorations, streamers, and a big banner hanging between two poles.
At first, they both rubbed their eyes and shrugged it off. "I have to be seeing things," they both thought "There's no way this is an acutal party. Pinkie Pie would've mentioned if she was throwing a party."
But sure enough, when they at least met each other face to face, they realized that they were not seeing things. The party supplies were real. Somepony had gone to great lengths to set everything up in advance.
"Hey, Dizzy Twister. I know it's been a long time since we talked, but you didn't have to set up this party just to make me feel more comfortable," Rainbow Dash said nervously "I'm sure you're an excellent mother, and I'm not trying to take your place."
"I know that, and I didn't set up this party," Dizzy Twister replied "And something tells me you didn't set it up either."
"It's like you can read my mind," Rainbow Dash said with a nervous grin on her face "But if you didn't set up this party-"
"And I didn't set up this party-" Dizzy Twister added.
"And Pinkie Pie didn't set up this party, then that means the only pony who could've done so is, Scootaloo!" Both Rainbow Dash and Dizzy Twister realized at once, surprised at the fact that they had come to the same conclusion at the same time.
From the nearby bush, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle couldn't help but chuckle. "Looks like they're on to you, Scootaloo." Apple Bloom said, in between giggles.
"I told you it wouldn't work out the way you thought it would." Sweetie Belle chimed in.
"But I don't understand, it worked so well for Princess Twilight, it should've worked the same for me," Scootaloo complained, trying to keep her voice down so as not to give away her position "Maybe it just needs time to work!"
Unfortunately for Scootaloo, at that very moment Dizzy Twister called out in a serious tone of voice "Scootaloo, I know you're here somewhere!"
"This isn't funny, squirt, you've got some explaining to do," Rainbow Dash added "Come out and talk to us."
"We're not mad at you, but we want to understand why you did this." Dizzy Twister said.
Sighing, and realizing that her plan had failed, Scootaloo reluctantly emerged from the bushes she'd been hiding in, as did Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle (who now wished they hadn't tried to help Scootaloo set up the party). "Hey Mom, hey Rainbow Dash." she said nervously.
“Anything you want to tell us?”" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I had good intentions, honest!" Scootaloo insisted.
"I'm sure you did, Scootaloo, but that still doesn't explain why you did this." Dizzy Twister said seriously.
Scootaloo sighed, and reluctantly confessed "When I found out that you and Rainbow Dash used to be friends, I wanted to do something to try and restore your friendship. When Sweetie Belle told me about Princess Twilight, and how she patched things up with her Canterlot friends, I figured the same approach would work here. But I guess it didn't."
Scootaloo expected both her mom, and Rainbow Dash, to be furious with her. Lecturing her at length about why she was wrong to attempt such a thing, and why meddling in other ponies lives without permission was inappropriate.
But instead, Rainbow Dash broke the tense silence by saying kindly "Kid, your mother and I really appreciate what you tried to do for us. And we're not saying it was a bad, or selfish thing to do."
"Rainbow Dash is right, it was very nice of you to do this," Dizzy Twister said with a smile "But you rushed off on me before you heard the whole story. Rainbow Dash and I are still friends, but Rainbow Dash is very busy, and that makes it hard to spend time together.
"I know, I know. It's just, you two are the most awesome ponies in my life!" Scootaloo said eagerly "And I could hardly believe it when I found out you used to know each other! I thought your friendship just needed a little push to be restored. Guess I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions like that." She hung her head in shame.
“Yes, you shouldn’t have,” Rainbow Dash said seriously, looking Scootaloo firmly in the eyes "I know why you might have thought the way you did, but you could’ve avoided all of this if you’d just asked me about it. Besides, since I became your unofficial big sister, my friendship with your mom has already been restored to some extent. It just hasn't returned to the same level it was at when we were in high school. Does that make sense?"
"I guess." Scootaloo shrugged, her mood returning to a more happy state.
"Good," Dizzy Twister smiled "So, why don't you and your friends take down the decorations. And make sure you return them to wherever you found them? In exchange, Rainbow Dash and I will spend some time together. Does that sound like a fair deal to you, Scootaloo?"
"I suppose," Scootaloo said, and turned to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle "Come on girls, if we work together, we can take down the decorations faster than it took us to put them up!" And she and her friends quickly set to work.
Dizzy Twister and Rainbow Dash smiled, as they watched Scootaloo zip around the park, taking down decorations left and right.
"You've certainly raised a good kid," Rainbow Dash said, chuckling slightly "She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age."
"Oh, don't I know it," Dizzy Twister laughed, then she sighed "I wish I still had some of that same youthful energy. But being a parent, really takes it out of you. I’m not as fast as I was during my relay racing days.”
“No kidding,” Rainbow Dash replied “From what Bulk Biceps told me, you were a record setter! I wish I could’ve seen you in action, I think you could’ve made an excellent Wonderbolt!”
“Maybe, but from what I hear, you're well on your way to becoming a fine Wonderbolt yourself." Dizzy Twister smiled.
"You bet I am! I'm actually part of the reserves now! And one day, I might even become Captain! It's been my lifelong dream! Though, I'd be willing to settle for any sort of permanent position." Rainbow Dash exclaimed in a tone of voice not unlike that of a giddy school filly "So, how are things with you and your husband?
"They’re good but he's always away on trips with the hockey team," Dizzy Twister said with a half smile/half frown "I appreciate what he's doing, but I miss having him around the house. Still, he always strives to come home for important dates. Maybe, the next time he comes home, you could stop by for a visit. I'm sure he'd love to see you."
"I'm sure he would, and I'm sorry for not keeping in touch as often as I promised," Rainbow Dash apologized "I really didn’t mean to get so busy that I forgot about you. But being part of the reserves, and traveling to faraway places like Griffonstone, really eats up your free time.”
"It's alright, I don't hold it against you," Dizzy Twister smiled once again "I'm just glad we’re still friends. And in a way, it's all thanks to Scootaloo."
"Speaking of which, I understand that Scootaloo doesn't have any older or younger siblings to compete in The Sisterhooves Social with, correct?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Indeed she doesn't," Dizzy Twister explained with a reluctant frown "And all of her cousins either live too far away to make it for the social, or can't spare the time to come down to compete with her."
"So then, would it be alright with you, if I checked with Applejack and her family to see if honorary big sisters can compete? And if they say yes, I could then enter the social with your daughter?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Of course you can, Rainbow Dash," Dizzy Twister smiled happily, putting a hoof around her old friend "I'm sure Scootaloo would love that."
"Hey, it's the least I can do for her," Rainbow Dash said, also smiling, as she put a hoof around Dizzy Twister "And for an old friend like you. Say, whaddya say we stay and watch the sunset together? It'll be just like old times when we were in Cloudsdale High together."
"I'd love that very much. I can’t remember the last time we’ve done this." Dizzy Twister replied, and the two pegasi sat down on the grass. Together, they watched happily, as Celestia’s sun began to set in the distance.