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Big Sis Scootaloo

by Never2muchpinkie

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Scootieloo's back!

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Chapter 23: Scootieloo's back!

It’s been six months since Scootieloo left. I had continued diligently practicing. We talked back and forth with letters as much as we were able. She’d send me pictures of her in her racing outfit, and I’d send her pictures of myself. It was the closest we could get to actually talking.

One morning I was heading out to do my training with my friends. I had just left the house and was about to take off on my scooter when I heard a savage yell above me and I felt something grab me and lift me off the ground.

I let out a scream, about to cry out for help, but when I looked up to see what had me I let out a loud gasp. It was Scootieloo! She was sporting an open mouthed grin, showing off all her teeth as she looked warmly at me.

I flapped my wings and hugged her in mid-air and said, “Scootieloo! You’re back! I’m so glad!”

“That’s right!” she said. “Oh my gosh, Rosie. I’ve missed you so, so much! You have no idea!”

“I missed you too!”

“I thought I’d surprise you, so I didn’t tell you I was coming. I’ve felt so excited to be able to come home again.”

“You’re… you’re not quitting, are you?”

“Course not!” she said, squeezing me tighter. “Not even close. I’ve been training like there’s no tomorrow. Now that I’ve built up a good relationship with my teammates and showed them I’m committed, determined, and dangerous, they finally want me to participate in a show. However, I told them I wasn’t doing it unless it was in Ponyville. I want all my friends and family to be there when I finally live out my dream. I tell you... the moves we’ve been practicing are insane! Especially the final act! It will blow your mind! Can’t tell you about it though. No spoiling the fun.

“At first they were a little hesitant of shifting their schedule for me, but I showed them how profitable it would be. I told them about me fighting a dragon and being a huge town hero. That’s going to draw a big crowd. I figure that if I do great I want my hometown to know I haven’t forgotten them in my success. And if I do horrible and make a big mess of things that’s okay too. At least they’ll be more forgiving here because of my hero status.”

“I bet! But I know you’re gonna do great! So when’s the show?”

“Tonight at seven. They’re going to be spending most of the day setting things up and advertising the show. They told me I could have the day off to come visit you guys since it’s been so long.”

When she finally set me down and let me go I said, “Hey, Scootieloo!”

“Yeah, Rosie?”

I gave her a smug look and said, “You’re not the only one that’s been keeping a big secret until we could meet up again.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” In response I shifted to the side and she gasped. “Rosie! You got your cutie mark!”

“That’s right!” I said with pride, looking over at my mark. “Now I really can say I’ve grown up.”

She came up and looked closer at it. My cutie mark was of a scooter surrounded by a heart, with rose petals around it in five different colors: orange, blue, gray, green, and yellow.

“So what does it all mean, Rosie? I can tell what the scooter is about, but those are some crazy flower colors.” She laughed at the end.

“The scooter is about my true potential. Like you, I’m destined to be an amazing scooter rider. The heart and the different colored petals show how I’m connected to every one of you. All of you loved me and showed me what path to take. Just like a rose each of you played a part in helping me bloom and to know what I should do with my life. You’re all a part of me and in my heart forever for what you did. I didn’t get to where I was alone. I did it with the help of my friends and my two sisters.”

I saw Scootieloo smile warmly at me. “I see. Just like me you now have a piece of your family with you wherever you go. So that’s what the different colors stand for. One for each of us.”

I nodded. “After you left I was heartbroken. Rainbow Dash was the one who snapped me out of it. She knows exactly what to say to get you mad and to push to do your best. She started calling me Rose Baby for a while!”

Scootieloo began cracking up, erupting into hysterical laughter. “R-R-Rose Baby! Oh, that’s a riot!”

I guess I should have gotten mad, but I had missed her too much to get upset. “Oh, yeah. I do believe you went by the nickname of COWARD-loo for a little while.”

She wiped her face of some tears that had formed from her laughter. “True enough. So you became determined to prove her wrong?”

“That’s right! I began taking my training super seriously. Rainbow was impressed at how hard working I became. Rock Climber got all jealous and began working harder himself.

“After I got that letter from you I knew even more that I had to work even harder. I’m not going to just sit around and let you wipe the floor with me forever.”

Scootieloo was still smiling, but her eyes seemed kinda unhappy. “I’m so glad to hear that you’re doing okay without me. That makes me feel better about being away. But… I’m also a little… sad. Rosie… you’ve been growing up without me.”

“Well, like Rainbow said about you, she told me I couldn’t just be a copy of you. I had to stop being so dependent on you so I could become good on my own merits.”

“Don’t get me wrong, Rose. I don’t want you to be solely reliant on me for everything. I’m just upset that I missed the biggest milestone of your life. I wish I could have been there when you got it.”

I gave her a shove. “Oh, stop getting all down in the dumps. It’s just a cutie mark! And if you hadn’t left I wouldn’t have had to learn to be strong on my own, so it might have actually taken a whole lot longer for me to get my cutie mark if you hadn’t left.

“You’re a part of my cutie mark, and I’ll always be thankful for all your help, but I need to keep pushing ahead on my own.”

I let out a laugh. “Come on! I’m gonna go really surprise Mom and Dad.”

“Oh, no! What’s going on in that mind of yours?”

I let out a sinister cackle, feeling a twisted grin come to my face. “Oh, you’ll see. Don’t come in until I call you, but stay near the door.”

Scootieloo let out a laugh. “Oh, boy!”

I went back inside the house. I saw Mom sitting at the table reading a book. She turned to me. “Hey, Rose. You’re back already? Did you forget something?”

I glared at her and adopted a snobby, disrespectful attitude. “No! I found someone to hang out with and I’m letting them in the house whether you like it or not!”

I could see a spot of puzzlement by my attitude before she got angry. “Not with that attitude you’re not! You send them home right now! I think maybe you need to spend some time in your room before you decide to speak like that to me.”

I let out a sigh. “Alright, then,” I said in a small voice. With a smile on my face I turned to my sister and pulled her into view and said, “You heard her. You have to leave now, Scootieloo.”

Scootieloo waved with a chuckle and said, “Hi, Mom.”

The expressions on Mom’s face were priceless. It went from anger to surprise to joy. “Scootaloo!” she cried out, jumping up out of the chair and running towards us. She nearly knocked Scootieloo over in her haste as she hugged her daughter. “I’ve missed you so much!” She was crying already. “You have no idea.”

I heard Scootieloo laugh a bit before saying, “I’ve missed you too, Mom, but if you don’t ease up a little I’m not going to be able to breathe.”

I saw her release her grip a bit before she turned to me with a shrewd expression. “I suppose you think you’re funny, Rosie.”

I smiled my widest smile. “Yep, I am pretty funny.”

“You little scamp! I suppose you’ll find it much more hilarious when I really do send you to your room and don’t allow you to see your sister during her visit.”

I quickly gave her a puppy dog pout. “You wouldn’t do that to me… would you?”

“Of course not.” I saw her let go of Scootieloo and look her up and down. “You still look pretty much the same on the outside, but I’m sure there’s a world of difference on the inside, if your letters are any indication.”

“Maybe, maybe not," she replied. "I guess you’ll just have to wait and see. My very first performance is tonight.”

“Tonight? Really? I’m so excited!”

“You should be. I’ve worked hard for this.”

I heard Dad’s voice as he walked into the kitchen. “Is someone here? I thought I heard… Scootaloo? Scootaloo!” Just like Mom he nearly tackled her as he ran over to her and hugged her.

I was crying now. The family was back together. All four of our members were together. This was the way things should be. I hugged Scootieloo too, and Mom hugged her again.

Looking up I could see Scootieloo’s eyes were closed, tears coming down her eyes. “This,” she started quietly, “I’ve missed most of all. The hugs that only a family can give. I’ve worked my hardest to make something of myself since I was a little filly and I thought I wasn’t anything special. But I’d give up all my talents and my cutie mark if I had to choose between that and all of you. My grandmare… Rainbow Dash… and now you. All of you have been so loving and supporting. All of you mean the world to me. Like Rosie’s cutie mark I’ll always have a piece of you guys inside me wherever I go. That’s why I refused to let them buy me a new scooter.”

“I love you, Scootieloo,” I said warmly, squeezing her tightly.

“I love you, Scootaloo,’ said mom.

“I love you, my wonderful daughter,” said dad.

Our group hug lasted for a while. None of us wanted to be the first to break it apart. It was probably about ten minutes all of us stayed clustered together. When we finally did let go I could see a look of peace on Scootieloo’s face. I knew the feeling.

I let out a breath and smiled. “Come on, everyone!” I said. “Come with me! I want to show all of you something. Especially you, Scootieloo.

“I haven’t just been sitting on my butt and doing nothing while you’ve been gone. Me and my friends have been working on putting together our own group which showcases all of our talents. I’ve been hesitant to show anyone our act because we’re still in practice in getting things just right. But you’re here today, and I want to show you how far I’ve come. I know I’m not as skilled as you yet, but I’ve been working hard to improve in my own way.”

“I can’t wait to see it, Rosie!” she replied. “I want to see for myself how much you’ve grown.”

I jumped onto her back, gently holding her around her neck. “Come on, Scootieloo! Go! Run!”

“Since when did I become your taxi?” she asked with a giggle.

“Hey, less complaining, more running.” I was grinning from ear to ear. I didn’t know if anything was going to be able to take my smile today. Everything just felt so right with my sister back.

“Fine, then. Hold on.” She reared up, and took off running, Mom and Dad not far behind. Mom was carrying my scooter for me.

“Woohoo!” I cried out. “Faster, faster!” I didn’t care if I sounded like a little kid. Scootieloo just had a way of bringing out the child in me.

When we got to the park we headed to our usual training spot. I saw my friends and yelled out, “HEY! Look who’s back!”

My friends turned to me and I saw their faces light up. They ran over to her and hugged her, then began plying her with questions. She answered, looking around at the three of them.

“So all three of you have been growing up too? All of you also got your cutie marks.”

Rock Climber had a cutie mark of a rock with a pair of wings. His symbolized his drive and determination. No matter how much of a weight was upon him he was determined not to falter and to fly to towards the sky. Sun Glimmer had a ring on a string like they have in the circus, showing her acrobatic skill. And Honey Drop had a net, symbolizing her desire to be a safety net to her friends, someone they could depend on when they were in trouble.

After chatting for a bit I spoke up. “Come on, all of you. Let’s go show her what we’ve been practicing on!”

“Okay!” they replied.

I took my scooter from my mom, my heart beginning to beat faster in my chest. I did my warm-up exercises as I prepared. My first audience. My first real demonstration of my talents. With my sister nearby I felt so much more courageous.

I headed to my spot, turning to my friends, and they nodded.

**********

Honey Drop was off to the side, but the other three kids split up and took off. Rock Climber jumped on top of Rose as she slowly flapped her wings. Sun Glimmer ran forward, jumping first off of Rose’s shoulder, flipping rapidly, before doing the same to Rock Climber until she landed on top of their group. As they passed a high tree branch she stuck out her hooves and grabbed it, Rock Climber holding onto her as she flipped and threw him into the air before rotating around the branch a few times and jumping off herself, twisting her body and spinning like a drill towards him. Rock Climber caught her on his back, and she jumped off of him towards a high branch, doing single rotations before throwing herself at each lower tree branch. Rock Climber headed lower, grabbing Rose Blossom as she came near a small hill and flipping her upside down.

Near the bottom of the tree Sun Glimmer launched herself off a branch, passing under Rose as she landed back on Rock Climber. The colt raced towards Rose who had just landed, the two of them heading towards each other. Rose Blossom jumped, flipping herself halfway forward and doing a hoof stand on the handlebars. Just as the weight began to press the scooter forward Sun Glimmer jumped , also doing a half-flip and landing with her hooves on top of Rosie’s before hopping off again onto the board of the scooter, launching Rose backwards. Sun Glimmer immediately jumped off the board towards Rose Blossom, grabbing her and twisting around to throw her back towards the scooter before landing on Rock Climber. She jumped as he twisted and did a one-eighty, him flying upside down now. She landed back on his stomach as she kept jumping and doing flips, landing on his now outstretched hooves each time as they headed back towards Rose Blossom.

Sun Glimmer jumped forward off Rock Climber, overshooting Rose Blossom and heading head first towards the ground. Scootaloo gasped, hoping her sister would somehow get there in time. There was a glow in the air before a net appeared surrounded by a purple glow. Scootaloo saw it had been cast by Honey Drop.

Sun Glimmer bounced out of the net and it disappeared as she landed on the back of the scooter. Rose headed towards a hill, jumping off it and doing a front flip. As she began turning Sun Glimmer jumped into the air. She kept pushing off and doing half-flips, heading higher towards a flying overheard Rock Climber. At first Scootaloo thought she was actually jumping on air, but looking closer she could see Honey Drop continually providing little platforms for her to land on. When she was high enough Sun Glimmer was grabbed by Rock Climber. He threw her up on top of him as they headed towards the ground towards Rose Blossom. Once they were close enough Rose grabbed onto him. They headed towards a tree branch, the two pegasi flapping their wings hard for the most speed.

When they reached it Sun Glimmer grabbed onto it. With the momentum Rose Blossom went flying into the air with the scooter. On the next rotation Rock Climber went, and then finally Sun Glimmer. Rose did a few rotations before landing back on the ground, her two teammates following suit. Rock Climber landed on the handlebars and Sun Glimmer on the back of the scooter as they headed back towards their audience.

*********

I was panting a little as we finished up. It was such a rush. I looked anxiously at Scootieloo to see what she thought of it. Her mouth was hanging open a bit. She suddenly began laughing, and that hurt more than anything. I thought we had done great.

“Rosie, Rosie, Roooosie!” she suddenly said, clapping her hooves. “That was incredible!”

I let out a sigh of relief. She had liked it.

“Your teamwork was flawless. You’ve been working really hard to improve. I can see that clear as day. I’m really proud of you. The level of trust and coordination all of you displayed is nothing short of perfection.”

My heart shined with pride and a huge smile lit up my face. “Thank you, Scootieloo.”

That was the first highlight of the day. We spent the rest of the day together playing and joking and laughing and talking. At five o’clock Scootieloo had to excuse herself. Even though the show didn’t start for two more hours she wanted to be there early to make sure everything was set up. Before she left she provided us with enough tickets for all of us and our parents. I left to give Rainbow her ticket, and she came back with us.

At six thirty we headed towards the arena. I couldn’t believe how many ponies had shown up. I think maybe the entire population of Ponyville was there. Outside the stadium I could see the advertisement for the show, and Scootieloo’s face was the main focus. I guess she was right. Hero status had brought in a big crowd.

My heart was racing again as we were shown to our seats. She had secured us the best seats there. I was bobbing up and down on my hooves, eagerly anticipating the show. I couldn’t wait!


Author's Note

So yeah. I decided to split the ending into two chapters so Rose can get the recognition she deserves, and Scootaloo can get the same.

Next Chapter: Chapter 24: The Blazing Wheels. Estimated time remaining: 47 Minutes
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