//------------------------------// // Rise And Shine // Story: Canterlot's Newest Star // by BudCharles //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash strolled into Scootaloo’s room to see the filly dangling over the edge of the bed, having managed to turn about ninety degrees during the night. She was snoring loudly, her leg occasionally twitching.   A small beam of light made its way through the window, failing to reach Scootaloo by a few centimetres.   “Scootaloo!” Rainbow Dash called out.   No response.   “Scoots!” she called out louder.   She got a twitch and a yawn, then the filly went back to sleep.   “Time to wake up, squirt!” Rainbow Dash called out, loud enough to wake up half of Equestria.   Finally, Scoots opened her eyes and stretched, before rolling over to face Rainbow Dash.   “Aww come on Dashie,” Scootaloo groaned, still half asleep, “it’s not even a school day.”   “I know, it’s Sunday, don’t you remember what’s happening?”   “No” Scootaloo said tiredly, trying to wriggle her way out of the blanket prison she’d managed to wrap herself in.   “We’re going to Canterlot, remember?”   Scootaloo’s ears suddenly perked up   “Oh yeah, the show” she realised as she managed to break herself free. “It’s gonna be so cool! Spitfire will be coming through the sky, going WHOOSH!”   She moved her hoof around, imitating a pegasus spinning in the air.   “And then Soarin will be all ZOOM!”   She did the same with the other hoof.   “And then you’ll come in, NEEEEAOOOW! And you’ll dodge heaps of obstacles, and fly way up into the clouds, and do the most awesome, epic, amazing sonic rainboom ever! It’ll be so cool!”   “Heh, yes it will be, squirt. I am pretty awesome” Rainbow replied, giving her adopted sister a noogie. “Now it’s time to get packing, is there anything you’ll need while you’re there?”   “Wait?” Scootaloo’s eyes practically doubled in size and her wings began buzzing. “I’m coming too?”   “Well of course you are, I said we’re going to Canterlot, not I’m going. I wouldn’t leave my favourite sister behind!”   “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!”   “Well, I’ll leave you to it squirt, come let me know when you’re ready to go.”   “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!”   With that, Rainbow Dash trotted out of the room, leaving Scootaloo to run around fangirling for the next ten minutes.   --✈--   Apart from nearly missing the train at the start, the trip to Canterlot was mainly uneventful. Rainbow Dash spent most of the time laying back and relaxing of course, while Scootaloo watched through the window as Canterlot’s skyline gradually grew closer and the familiar, open farmland of Ponyville disappeared into the distance - though not before thanking Rainbow Dash several times for being “the most awesome sister ever”.   Eventually, after an hour or so of travelling, the two ponies arrived at their destination with a screech of the brakes and a loud thud.   “Well, we’re here, Canterlot!” Rainbow Dash announced. “Stay close to me okay? It’s easy to get lost.”   “Don’t worry, I’m too cool to get lost” Scootaloo boasted with a giggle as she lifted her bag over her shoulders. A teddy bear could be seen sticking out of it, and what appeared to be a rolled up Wonderbolts poster.   “That’s the spirit!” Rainbow chuckled as she trotted towards the end of the carriage, Scootaloo following close behind.   “I think the hotel’s this way” she said, more to herself than Scootaloo, as she made her way off the train and onto the platform. She turned to check Scootaloo was still safely following her. Sure enough, there she was, following along happily, though she did seem to be falling behind.   “Hey Scoots, want a lift?” Rainbow Dash offered.   Scootaloo nodded, skipping over to Rainbow Dash happily and climbing up onto her back.   “Whoa, you’re heavy” Dashie laughed, nearly falling over as Scootaloo shifted too much weight to one side of her, “what’d you bring, the kitchen sink?”   “Nah, just the first seven Daring Do novels. They’re the best!”   Scootaloo’s awesome sister smiled proudly. “You’ve got good taste in literature, kid.”   Scootaloo smiled back.   --✈--   The Central Canterlot Hotel was a small but luxurious establishment, tucked away between the tall rows of shops and houses on one side and the Central Canterlot Schoolhouse on the other. The hotel itself was a big, rectangular building with a domed gold-coloured roof, typical of Canterlot.   The main entrance had a lush, circle-shaped garden out the front, populated with a whole variety of flowers arranged in a rainbow pattern, red at one end, then orange, yellow and so on until it reached violet.   “This place is pretty cool, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked her little friend as they headed for the reception.   “Yeah!” Scootaloo agreed, admiring the garden.   “I picked it cause it’s so close to the school, plus it’s got a cool rainbow out the front! I had no idea you could make flowers so cool!”   A look of dread overtook Scootaloo’s face. “Wait, I’m going to school here?”   “Well yeah, I can’t let you miss out on your education just so I can perform in some show. I have to be responsible for you now.”   “But I don’t know anypony! What if they bully me? What if I can’t make any friends?”   Rainbow Dash stopped in her tracks and turned her head around, gently picking Scootaloo up and placing her on the ground.   “Now listen here” Rainbow Dash instructed, sitting down herself.   Scootaloo sat down on the grass and looked up at Rainbow Dash intently.   “If anypony gives you any trouble, at all, they gotta answer to me, got that?”   Scootaloo smiled and nodded.   “And as for making friends, don’t fret it - you’re the coolest filly I know. You’ll make friends in no time, alright?”   Scootaloo nodded again. “Alright.”   “Good. Well, I’m off to see how comfy our couch is,” Dash laughed, "catch me if you can!"   With that, Scootaloo chased Rainbow Dash into the reception area, stirring up a big cloud of dirt and dust, which found its way onto the newly washed white hat of the next guest.