Choosing a perfect tree branch takes a lot of skill, you know. Someponies think that you can just doze off on any old tree, but not if you want to wake up with a nasty back pain. Good thing I’m the certified expert on knowing tree branches. First off, you want one that can actually hold you up. not saying I’ve got a fat rear or anything, but I’ve had more than a few branches snap in half on me.

I know Applejack hates it when I doze off on branches, but come on. It’s her fault that she grows them so comfortably! Like, they look cool and they don’t ride up on your flank or anything! I’ve tried the ones on Twilight’s tree, but there’s something... uncool about the way they feel on your back. I guess her tree is an egghead too.

Oh, and of course, always look before you snooze. Let me tell you, nothing spoils a perfect cider dream like falling into a patch of brambles! More than a few times, I’ve dozed off on a tree Applejack was going to buck later. While falling on top of other ponies has always been a great way of making friends for me, I remember once I fell out of a tree next to the nearby tavern. I think I knocked Berry Punch’s drink out of her hooves! Well, it’s hard to remember anything that night. I do know that I woke up with a black eye, though.

What’s harder than finding a good branch is finding one with enough leaves to work for a pillow. Pro tip, bring your own! I always bring along my awesome wonderbolts pillow that I got at an airshow in Baltimare! I got this baby signed by Soarin too! It’s so comfy, and awesome, and stuff like that.

Anyways, I made sure to double check all three steps today before I flew down into Applejack’s orchard. I like to nap here whenever something’s on my mind. Y’know, tough stuff. I don’t really like to talk about it, it’s way cooler if I can figure out the tough stuff on my own. It’s a pretty cool place. I mean, not as cool or awesome as my pad or Pinkie’s room, but still up there. Not to mention the free food at hoof for a mid snooze snack. Plenty of juicy apples to stea- that Applejack lets me borrow all at the reach of a hoof.

As I began to lay down on the perfect branch and get my Wonderbolts pillow in the perfect position, I heard a loud cry from somepony below me. “Hi Rainbow Dash! Watcha doin’ up thar?” It was like that one time when Pinkie Pie woke me up at 4 AM to tell me she got the Candycopter Mk II. fixed by screaming into my ear with a megaphone.

“Uh…” I identified the voice as Applebloom, Applejack’s little sis and one of Scootaloo’s friends. I looked over and found a little yellow filly wearing a red bow the size of her head. It was time for plan B. My awesome lying skills.

“I’m just… Doing nothing! Not sleeping on this branch or anything! Because if I was, Applejack would be mad, so there’s no need to tell her about this! Because I was doing nothing. Yeah, nothing at all!” Ha, If I didn’t get my cutie mark in racing, I’m sure I could get a sweet one in lying. I could be like one of those super spies in the movies!

“Well, it looks like you’re plannin’ on doin’ a whole lot ah’ nothin’. What’s with the pillow?” Horsefeathers, she was good. I’m pretty sure her cutie mark could be some lie detector or something.

“It’s… For stuff that you shouldn’t tell Applejack about?” A bead of sweat ran down my forehead. Plan C would have to start soon. Fly away-- I mean make a tactical retreat.

“Really? Cause it looks like one of those things they hand out ta fillies at the Wonderbolts show. Scoots had two extras she gave to us!”

“They’re not for fillies!” I blurted out, rapidly waving my hooves in anger. “All I want to do is take a nice nap on this branch without Applejack finding--” I shut myself up when I saw the pony walking up to the two of us.

“Without me findin’ what, Sugarcube?” Double horsefeathers. Applejack trotted up to my tree with a grin on her face. If this was one of those super spy movies, this would be the part where the spy would pull out his secret gadget. In this case, it was a super cool smile and the perfect lie.

“Without you finding out that I wasn’t going to be taking a nap here!” I could have said that better.

“Is that ah’ fact? Then jus’ what do you think you’re doin’ up in one of my best buckin’ trees?” She smirked. Darn, I hate it when she does this. She always does a good job of seeing through my lies. That element must give her super powers or something.

“Uh… Not taking a nap?” Ok, scratch what I said about being a good liar. I’m a horrible liar. AJ started walking towards the tree, hind legs ready for bucking. I shot into the air, my totally-not-for-kids pillow tucked under my arm. AJ and Applebloom began to giggle as I flapped to the ground. “Haha, very funny.” I groaned.

“We’re just messin, sugarcube. A.B. here said she saw a fluffly pony in the orchard. Shoulda’ known it was jus’ you holdin’ a pillow.” She snickered. “Fer fillies.” I grumbled, lightly jabbing Applejack in the side.

“Hey, ya’ll actually got that one signed? Ah’ didn’t know you could do that! Who signed it for ya? Was it Fleetfoot?”

“That’s enough there, Applebloom. Y’all still got chores to do in the barn.” Thank you, Celestia.

“Awww, but AJ.” Applebloom pouted. It was kind of cute. Er, I mean silly. Yeah. Silly.

“No buts little missy. Bessy in there hasn’t eaten anything all afternoon. You promised you’d feed her.”

“Ahh, fine.” She began to walk away, all disappointed and stuff. Then she turned around like somepony announced an early cider season, running back to AJ with a flash. “AJ! A’h just remembered! The Sisterhooves Social is next week, right?” AJ grinned and patted Applebloom’s head.

“Why, Ah’ couldn’t forget that, course Ah’ remember! Ah’ve already got us signed up for the races,” Applejack narrowed her eyes at Applebloom, like she usually does when giving orders. “But dontchu think that’s an excuse to slack off. We won’t be goin’ till all the chores are done. Now Git!” AJ pushed AB away, but she was laughing, so I guess it was a sister thing...

Sisters. The tough stuff. I got to admit, being a sister was harder than I thought it was. I mean, Scootaloo is almost as awesome as I am, but I don’t know what to do with her half of the time! She likes racing and the Wonderbolts, but she’s so hard to take care of. I thought it was just enough to be awesome all the time, but it’s like a whole new load of responsibilities.

I don’t like responsibilities.

That’s why I came to my thinking tree in the first place, I was kinda worried about Squirt. I may have kinda screwed up yesterday, forgot to take her to school on time. I expected her to be happy to see me and stuff, but she looked kind of… Mad. I don’t like it when other ponies are mad at me, especially not my little sister.

If there’s one thing I don’t like more than responsibilities, its making other ponies feel bad.

“Hey… AJ?” I asked, deciding to face the issue at hoof.

“Yeah, Rainbow?”

I took a deep breath. “You and Applebloom… How do you do it, y’know?”

”Do what? Force each other to do chores all day?” She chuckled.

“You know… Be sisters and stuff.” I nervously shuffled my hooves around. Great, Rainbow Dash being nervous. Just what I wanted to do.

“It’s kinda somethin’ you’re born with, sugarcube.” She shrugged.

“Come on AJ… I’m just wondering.” AJ gave me that look she does whenever I ask for an early sample of cider and came a bit closer to me.

”Problems with Scootaloo, sugarcube?” My heart skipped a beat. See, I told you she’s good at stuff like that!

“Uh, er…” I sighed. It wasn’t worth lying to her anymore. “...Yeah.”

“Sure is an energetic filly. Must give even the fastest pegasus in Equestria a run for her money.” I shook my head.

“What? No way. I mean, maybe if she hits some sweet ramps on her scooter and I give her some tips or something… But that’s not really what I wanna talk about.”

“Then what do you want to talk about, Rainbow?” She leaned against a nearby tree.

“AJ, do you think… Do you think that I’m a good sister?” I looked at the ground, kicking a pebble with my hoof. “I know that I’m pretty awesome and stuff, but I don’t know if I have what it takes to be the big sister that a cool filly like Scoots deserves.” Dangit, now she had me sounding all sappy.

“Ah’ll be honest with ya, Dash. The way you’re soundin’ right now means you are.”

“What?” What? Applejack took a quick buck to the tree, probably kicking the perfect branch out of whack. Two red apples fell to her hoof before bouncing one to me. I happily accepted the snack, taking a big bite out of it in mid air. “Wha dew yoo meen aplejawk?” I asked, my mouth full of mushy apples.

“Let’s walk a fair piece, Rainbow. It’s a nice day.” AJ started walking away. Having a snack is good, but having one on the move is much better.

“You’re welcome, by the way.” I swallowed my apple, earning a smirk from AJ.

“Now, what Ah’ reckon I mean is that you think about your new little sis alot, dontcha?”

“Yeah, Scoots is pretty cool,” I kicked another rock. “Thankfully, I’m pretty cool as well… Well, at least in being everything but a good sister.”

“An what makes ya think Ah’m a better sis than you there, sugarcube?”

“I dunno, Applebloom like, doesn’t get super mad at you and stuff. You two seem to get along just fine most of the time, even if you do force her to do silly chores.” I saw AJ’s eye twitch at the word ‘silly’ out of the corner of my eye.

“Well,” she coughed into a hoof. “Ah’ wouldn’t say ‘most oh’ the time’, sugarcube. That filly was darn near ready to run away jus’ a few weeks ago.”.

“But she didn’t,” I sighed. “I’m sure if I continued being a stupid big sister, Scootaloo would run away as fast as she could. She always gets mad at me for forgetting stuff, like what time to pick her up from school exactly or if she likes her sandwich cut in halves or quarters.” I sighed again. “Guess it’s just hard to feel awesome when your own little sister doesn’t think you are-” something red and delicious stuffed my mouth before I finished speaking. I guess AJ saved the apple from earlier.

“Haveta’ stop you there, Dash. That little filly thinks the world of ya’. She wouldn’t be with ya otherwise. Ah’ think she cares about ya more than if her zapp apple sandwich was cut right.”

“That’s the weird part!” I groaned, “Pwe dwasnph...” I spat out the apple and flew into the air.. “She doesn’t seem to think I’m as awesome as she used to! She’s all… Pouty and stuff around me.”

”Look Rainbow,  you’d go to the ends of Equestria for that filly, wouldn’t ya?”

“Of course I would!” I snapped instantly. “And she knows that, so why is she still so mad at me?”

“First of all, sugarcube, bein’ able to do that much for the filly already proves you’re a good sister. Second thing is that you have ta show in ways besides bein’ as awesome. Ya get what Ah’m sayin?”

“Woah, woah,” I stopped AJ. “Are you telling me I should be… Sappy?” AJ raised her hoof and coughed into it again. It’s weird, this one kinda sounded like laughter. Maybe she was coming down with something. Can earth ponies get the feather flu?

“Not exactly, Dash. See, for every time Ah’ send AB off on some ‘silly’ chore, I make sure Ah’ try an’ help her with the next one. Ah’ spend time to get to know her, sugarcube. What can ya’ll say is Scoots favorite thing to do?”

“Uh…” I drew a blank. “Watch me… Be awesome? I dunno, she doesn’t talk to me about other stuff that much.”

”Ya’ll asked her, right?”

I honestly couldn’t remember. “I… Think so?” I paused. “Maybe?” AJ raised an eyebrow. “Probably not?”

“Now Dash, Y’all talk with me all the time. Why not Scoots?”

“Well, she’s my sister and my number one fan! I gotta be cool around her, y’know? I can’t be sappy around her.”

“So y’all would treat her less than a friend?” While I am cool, I gotta admit, that kinda hurt… because, I realized, it was true.

“Well, no! Just…” I trailed off.

“You got her attention by doin’ those crazy stunts, Dash. But it takes more than that ta’ be an good sister.”

“So I am being a bad sister? Gee, thanks AJ. Just what I needed to hear.”

“Tarnation! Did ya’ll hear what I said earlier? Y’all told me you would fight fer’ that filly! That’s what makes a good pony, Dash. Y’all wouldn’t be talkin’ to me if you didn’t want what’s best fer her, what’s left is doin’ what I’m sayin’!

“So you want me to be sappy with her? Like, not totally-awesome and stuff? But she likes me because I’m awesome!”

“Makin’ her happy isn’t part of that?” I had to admit, AJ had a point there. I grinned again.

“Yeah, I guess it is!” I did a quick flip in the air to remind AJ how awesome I am. “How are you so good at this advice stuff anyways?”

“Heck if Ah’ know, Rainbow. Things jus’ make sense ta’ me.” She tipped her hat up and looked at the sun. “It’s gettin’ a might late sugarcube. Might not make it to the barn before sundown if’n we don’t hurry. Care for a race? Ah’ could use some practice ifn’  you’re taking Scoots to the social tomorrow.”

“Oh, you’re on AJ!” I got into a running position. “3… 2… Seeya!” I yelled, running ahead of AJ before we could begin racing.

“Hey!” I could hear her shout behind me, but I had a race to the barn to win, and nopony wins against Rainbow Dash without earning it. As AJ followed behind me, I laughed and ran harder. AJ would pass me soon if I didn’t give it my all.

For the first time that day, I guess I could say my mind was at rest.

Wait, where was my pillow?

I made a complete stop in the dirt, frantically searching for the pillow. AJ passed me, cackling all the way. My pillow was propped up against the apple tree, and I frantically bolted back to grab it. By the time I made it to the bar, Applejack was sitting on a bale of hay with a smug smile on her face.

“Dropped somethin’ there dashie? Thought about takin’ a nap on the way here?” Alright, from Pinkie Pie, I can stand that name, but... ‘dashie’ coming from AJ just made me groan. AJ chuckled, before wrapping a hoof around my neck.

“Feelin’ better?”

“Yeah.” I actually was.

“Right then, well if I’m to be expectin’ a challenge tomorrow...” She winked. “One that you will lose,”

I rolled my eyes.

“Then ya’ll better head off to scoots to let her know you’ll be takin’ her there at the social.”

Just as I began to fly off, AJ waved my pillow in the air. “And don’t forget your filly pillow!”

“It’s not for fillies!” Next Chapter: The Clubhouse Estimated time remaining: 9 Minutes