Chapter Eight

The Promise-Breaker

The placid Friday morning sky was red with the rising sun. Shadows were cast about the land from the clouds hanging in front of the giant ball of life giving energy. One shadow in particular was in the shape of the home where Rainbow Dash and her sister, Scootaloo, were slumbering.

Like the previous occasion where Scootaloo had stayed the night, she was nestled up close in the arms and wings of her older sister. She didn't think she would ever get tired of the feeling of Dash's body enveloping her own.

The morning sun's rays slowly found the two dreaming, peaceful faces, and lit them up. The cyan coated pegasus began to stir. She didn't like the sun being in her eyes on an average day, but she absolutely loathed it in the morning.

After casting away the last of the rags of her dream, Dash lifted her head and showed the sun a great yawn, and an even greater grimace. She laid her head back down, but she couldn't fall back asleep.

She lifted her head again, then slowly lifted her wing, revealing a dreaming filly. Dash smiled at her sister, and placed a kiss in the middle of the magenta mane. After thinking about it a moment, she reeled back. This was strange. Dash normally had to think about her actions when showing affection or love toward her sister, or anyone for that matter. But the kiss she just gave was completely without thought.

Dash didn't quite know what to think about this new development. She normally hated anything that was touchy-feely and mushy in nature, only making an exception for the few occasions with her sister because of the absolute need for it. She was a bit disappointed in herself for being weak, but at the same time, she was overjoyed to know that she was still capable of showing love. Dash now realized how important Scootaloo is to her; it isn't easy to break all of the layers of brash boldness that surrounded Dash's affectionate side.

The rainbow mare simply watched her sister breathe. The two pegasi simply lay there; the older awake the entire time. Before she realized it, the sun had fully risen. Dash snapped out of her daze, and shook her sister violently.

"Scootaloo, wake up! You're gonna be late for school!" she yelled.

Scootaloo, upon hearing these words, bolted upright.

"What?!" she exclaimed. "Not again! Cheerilee said that if I'm tardy one more time, I'll be sent to detention!"

Scootaloo then clambered out of the giant cloud bed and rushed out the door with Dash in pursuit. They strode out into the living room, and Scootaloo's face twisted to look like she just saw a ghost.

"Great," groaned Scootaloo. "My saddle bag is all the way across town in my room. I should have known you'd have me sleep here yesterday."

Dash's ears went back guilty shame.

"Sorry, Scoots," she apologized.

"It's okay, it isn't your fault. I just don't know how I can make it back to my room then to school before it starts. I can fly there myself, but I don't know if I would make it in time."

Dash smiled. This was her responsibility now.

"Well," started Dash. "I know I can make it there and back in the space of about a minute, so if you need a ride…" She then pretended to inspect her hooves for dirt.

"Yes! Rainbow Dash, please may I have a ride home then to school this morning? I promise not to ask for any more," plead Scootaloo.

Dash reached over and ruffled the magenta mane.

"Sure, and don't worry about needing rides or anything, that's on me," said Dash.

The front door burst open as the cyan mare with an orange filly clinging to her neck rocketed out towards Ponyville. Scootaloo made sure to hold on this time, there wasn't any room for jokes.

After Scootaloo pointed the orphanage out, Dash descended to meet the ground. It was a large, wooden building with its name on a sign in the front. Scootaloo jumped off Dash's back, and fluttered up to the window connected to her room. After a moment, she reappeared with her saddlebag.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash, I think I can make it on my own the rest of the way. I wanna show everypony that I can fly!" challenged Scootaloo.

Dash smiled, her sister's urge to impress was palpable, as it was in her. Dash kept finding more and more similarities between the two, each discovery strengthening their bond.

"Sure," responded Dash. "Wanna race there?"

Scootaloo thought about it for a moment.

"When don't we race?" she asked

"Good point," replied Dash as she unfurled her wings and got into a start position. Scootaloo did the same, and soon they were off.

The two sisters flew high and low, and through trees and clouds, speeding along the whole way. After playfully flying about, searching for the school, the final stretch became visible. They both kicked into high gear and dashed for the finish line.

Several schoolchildren were meandering about in the front of the school, heading inside for their lessons, when one grey filly noticed two fast looking projectiles heading right for the school.

"Who are those two?" asked Silver Spoon, pointing in the direction of the racing pegasi. Five other fillies, along with Diamond Tiara, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, looked up at the two blurs.

"Whoever they are," replied Diamond Tiara, "they look stupid. Racing to get to school is what babies do."

As they were approaching the school, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo flared their wings and jammed their hooves into the earth and mud, spattering the grey and pink unexpecting fillies with muck.

"I WIN!" the two pegasi yelled simultaneously, mimicking their previous race to the school. They held yet another gaze and then giggled again like before.

"Alright," said Dash after regaining her composure, "see ya later, Squirt!"

Scootaloo waved goodbye, then looked over at the two brown lumps with glaring eyes poking out the fronts and started giggling again.

"Sorry guys, I guess I was flying too fast!" boasted Scootaloo as she walked past the gaping mouths of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Scootaloo then trotted over to her friends who were in a similar state of shock.

"That was you?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"You can fly?" asked Applebloom.

"Yep and yep!" replied Scootaloo. She loved every moment of shared amazement by the onlookers.

"Jeez, and this is all from Rainbow Dash teaching you?" asked Sweetie Belle, "I gotta get Rarity to show me how to use magic."

The three Crusaders giggled as they walked into the classroom. Dash watched Scootaloo go and took note of the personality type the two pegasi shared. She was about to turn and flutter away when Cheerilee who watched the whole thing walked up to Dash.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash, may I speak with you?" greeted Cheerilee with a smile.

"Oh, hi Cheerilee, what did you want to talk about?" responded Dash.

"I find it remarkable that you took your sister 'under your wing' so to speak and taught her how to fly in such a short time! You truly do know what it means to be a sister," Cheerilee commended.

"Oh, thanks," replied Dash. "Really all I did was show her some stretches and stuff that straightened out her wings. She did the rest on her own."

"My, I wish I could get her to put as much effort into her school work as she does with other things," joked Cheerilee. "Much like you were, I presume? You two are a lot alike." Cheerilee slyly cocked her eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's just the way she is." Dash finished her sentence with a higher tone to emulate a passive parent. "Well I guess you need to get inside to teach her stuff now, so I guess I'll take off. See ya Cheerilee!"

Dash unfurled her wings after the school teacher bid her farewell, and took to the sky. She was fully aware of impending stressful complications, but her mind was surprisingly clear. She really didn't know what she was going to do about this idea she had in her head. If she told someone, then she'd be a liar. But at the same time, her sister would be so much happier. After contemplating her actions, she decided to go ahead with it.

"I guess it's time," she said to herself.

Dash glided down to meet the earth in front of a huge tree that has been carved out to serve as a library and a house. This amazing work of architecture was the home of her friend Twilight Sparkle. The cyan mare slowly walked up to the big red door, and hovered her hoof in front of it. She was having second thoughts about this.

If she told this secret, Scootaloo might not forgive her. The orange filly might run away and never love Dash again, just like in the nightmare she had. Dash just kept her hoof raised as if she was going to knock on the door. She kept that position for a few moments before lowering her hoof, sighing, and walking away. After a few steps, she tightened her face and walked back to the door only to give up and walk back again.

Dash turned back to the door and went up to it. This was it; she was going to do it. She'd just walk in there and talk with her magically gifted friend, and be done with it. No she thought I can't do it. She was about to turn away when a young scratchy voice made her jump out of her skin.

"Uhh, Rainbow Dash? What are you doing?" the voice asked.

Dash turned to find a purple dragon with a paper grocery bag in his hand. He was looking at Dash inquisitively, wondering what she was doing.

"Oh, hey Spike," said Dash, donning her usual 'cool' demeanor. "I was just here to see Twilight." She kept an air of nonchalance on the outside, but was panicking as she realized that her fate was now sealed.

"Okay, come on in! She's just doing some reading right now," said Spike as he opened the door. "Hey Twilight! Rainbow Dash is here to visit you!"

Dash walked into the main room with all of the books stacked upon shelves. Her purple friend then came cantering down the stairs.

"Oh, hello Rainbow Dash, what brings you here?" asked Twilight.

Since Dash was rushed into this after focusing all of her mind on her decision, she hadn't formed the words yet. She finally was able to stammer out the reasons for her visit.

"Uhh, I was here to uh, ask a um, question," stuttered Dash. "Do ya got a minute?"

"I suppose I could make some time for a friend. What's your question?" asked Twilight.

Dash didn't know how to word this. "Uhhm, okay, so if your friend tells you a secret, and they trust you to keep it, would it be okay to tell the secret if it means they'd be happier?" she asked.

Twilight reeled back and narrowed her eyes. "Rainbow Dash, if you're planning on breaking a promise to keep a secret by telling me, don't. I don't want any part of it, so don't drag me in."

"But…" protested Dash. "I know that if I tell the secret, it'd make my friend a lot happier! I want to tell somepony, but at the same time, I don't want my friend to be mad at me. I know it's the right thing to do, but I don't know if I can do it."

"Rainbow Dash, I told you. Don't tell me the secret. If you tell me, then you break your promise. If you break your promise, you might lose your friend forever," said Twilight. The two ponies stood and waited, listening for their pink friend. After a moment of silence, Twilight continued.

"If that's your only question, then I'm going to have to return to my studies. Princess Celestia assigned me half a dozen books to read, and I have only just finished the second one."

Twilight turned and started walking up the stairs back to her study room. Rainbow Dash's window of opportunity was closing. She needed Twilight to help her with her problem, so the adrenaline that was being pumped through her veins made up her mind for her.

"I'M SCOOTALOO'S ONLY FAMILY AND I WANT TO ADOPT HER FROM THE ORPHANAGE SHE LIVES AT!" Dash bellowed.

The cyan mare looked up and gazed at nothing. Had she actually told the secret? She looked as though she just saw all of the horrors in the world in the space of three seconds. Dash hated herself for breaking her promise to Scootaloo, and immediately regretted it. It was done, however, there's nothing she could do to take it back.

"What?" asked Twilight who paused halfway up the stairs.

"Scootaloo's parents are dead, and I'm all she has right now. She lives at an orphanage, and I want to get her out of there," Dash admitted.

She sat on the floor and buried her head in her hooves and began to emit small, dry, heaving sobs.

After sitting there a moment, she felt a hoof rubbing her back. Dash looked up to see her purple friend standing over her with a weak smile.

"Well," started Twilight. "I guess it's out there now, so there's no use in thinking about it. What I want to know is why do you want tell me?"

Dash's mouth was still covered by her leg, so her voice was a bit muffled. "I need your help in getting everything set up," said Dash.

Twilight smiled as a purple aura appeared over her horn. A thin green book then floated from one of the bookshelves and was held in place above the two mares.

"This book will tell us everything we need to do," said Twilight, placing the paperback in Dash's hooves.

"Adoption Process in Equestria," said Rainbow Dash, reading the title of the book. Dash looked up at her friend, and smiled. "Thanks, Twilight."

"You're right, this is the right thing to do," said Twilight. The two ponies looked down, and started reading the protocol Dash would need to follow if she was going to make her sister's life get even better.