A Good Sister Chapter 1

A Good Sister, Chapter 1

Rainbow Dash was having one of her trademark naps on a tree, content and undisturbed. The sun was out, the birds were singing, and if it was business as usual Rainbow would've gagged at how cliche it was. But there had been a brief lull in her adventures, and though she wouldn't admit it to any of her friends, she was glad. After how well the Grand Galloping Galla went, she and her fellow Elements could use a rest. Dash was perfectly fine with that, allowing her mind to drift to her favorite dreams, when-

"Hey Rainbow!"

"GAAAH!"

Dash gave a "little" jump, causing her to not only fall off the tree, but to crash through several of the branches on the way down. A bonk on the head through the first branch, a crash through the second with her torso, and finally her wings were caught on the next two branches below. Angered by her predicament, she struggled to break free and while successful, she didn't have enough time to brace herself for the fall. After all this, Rainbow was ready to chew out her awakener, but after picking herself up and seeing the assailant, found much of her anger gone. For in front of her she saw a remorseful Scootaloo in front of her, babbling her apologies. And strangely with a bandage on her head, but Rainbow could ask about that later, once Scootaloo was finished.

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! Rainbow, are you okay? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to surprise you!"

"I'm fine," Rainbow replied, unable to keep a bit of her annoyance out of her voice. "And I wasn't surprised. I was just, uh, springing forth to action, in case it was an emergency or something."

"Of course! And it is!"

"Well? Out with it," Rainbow prodded with a roll of her hoof.

"Okay, I was practicing a new scooter trick that was totally wicked. A little dangerous, but you got to take a risk sometimes, right?" Rainbow gave a little nod. "I knew you'd understand!" Scootaloo exclaimed, energized by Rainbow's apparent approval. "I came up with it myself and it was the first time I was going to do it, but I knew that this could be my chance to shine, to really impress you," Rainbow raised a curious eyebrow, "you grownups," Scootaloo covered with a large grin. "But I messed up and hurt myself a little."

"A little!" Dash exclaimed, realizing what the bandage was for.

"No pain, no gain, right?" Scootaloo responded sheepishly, a nervous smile on her face. Rainbow began to speak again, but Scootaloo interrupted her, continuing on. "Well, my dad took it so seriously! He said that the scooter was too dangerous for me, that I can't ride it anymore. But that's who I am, Dash!" she yelled, tears starting to form. "It's all I'm good at! It's even in my name, for Celestia's sake!" Rainbow noticed she was taking a page from the older ponies' vocabulary. "I think it may even be my talent, and I just have to perfect it and find the greatest trick, just like your Sonic Rainboom! So I ran off with it and found you!"

She's doing this because of me, because of my rainboom, to impress me, Rainbow thought with an increasing sense of guilt. So I have to make up for it, give out some of my great advice.

"You know, Scoots, I went through the same thing when I was your age," she began.

"Really!?" Scootaloo called out, glad to have something in common with her idol.

"To take a page from Big Mac, Eeyup!" Rainbow answered, hamming it up with an impression of the stallion. It drew up a few giggles from the orange filly. "When I was a young filly, like you, I felt the same way you did. Flying was my thing, but my cutie mark still wasn't there yet! So I thought I needed to pull off an amazing act, a terrific and tremendous trick. So I started to practice the Sonic Rainboom. And it. Was. A failure."

"What? But you're the great Rainbow Dash! You've pulled it off twice, once while still at camp!" Scootaloo recounted, shocked at the tale.

"Well, those times I had adrenaline pumping through me and I had to make it in time. But you know what else I had that was even more important than that? Practice." Rainbow narrowed her eyes and stared at Scootaloo to drive the point home, and Scootaloo gave a solemn nod. "Anyway, I hurt myself 'a little', just like you. And my dad was ticked off, just like yours. He forbid me from flying and I just ran off. But I came across the orphanage, where all these fillies didn't even have a dad and I realized how lucky I was. My dad may have been a bit overprotective, but I knew he loved me, so I ran home and apologized. And he did the same thing. He felt horrible about trying to restrict me from my talent, my passion. We talked it out, I promised to be more careful, and we hugged. But the best part? The next morning, I saw a rainbow-colored flower in my room. They only grow in the Everfree Forest. He went all the way down to the ground to make it up to me. My mom always said that for all his worry about my misadventures, I got that trait from him. And just as good, he sent me to flight camp the same day!", Rainbow finished, nostalgia bursting from her and a twinkle in her eyes.

"He sounds amazing," Scootaloo said a bit airily, enraptured by the story.

"Best. Dad. Ever," a single tear falling from her eye. She quickly wiped it off and addressed Scootaloo. "You need to relish these times with your dad, Scoots. Go home, apologize to him, and it'll all work out."

"You're right, Dash! Sorry for bothering you with my emotion problems," Scootaloo added, making a heaving motion. "But, um, can I see that flower sometime?"

"Sure, but you'll have to ask the new owner."

"You gave it away!?" Scootaloo cried out.

"Yeah. To a friend. To make up for something I did. My dad taught me that when you mess up with someone and you want to apologize, you have to go the whole mile."

"Well," Scootaloo began, sharply inhaling to gain confidence, "I've got to go home."

"See ya around Scoots."

Scootaloo started to turn, but stopped. "Wait. I, uh, need to tell you something else.

"What?"

The brash filly ran up to Rainbow and gave her a strong hug. "Thanks." Without a second thought, Rainbow returned the hug, too stunned to do anything else or to say anything until after Scootaloo rode off.