The Bottle Labeled 'Fun'

Rainbow Dash tried to get her friends to do things with her all through the week.

On Tuesday, she asked them. She got politely told no, and was given deep apologies.

On Wednesday, she asked them. She was told no, with hardly any apology.

On Thursday, she asked them. She was told to leave, and not given an apology.

On Friday, she asked them. She was kicked out or away, denied with a simple no.

On Saturday, she asked them her final time. They each told her that she needed to stop. All she was being was annoying.

On Sunday, she contemplated asking them again. Instead, she cried. Yes, the hardcore, never-say-never, coolest pony in Ponyville cried her eyes out all day. An entire day.

Why were her friends not taking breaks to talk to her? Why were they 'too busy' for a bit of friendship? Why couldn't they see it was taking a toll on her? Do they still even care about her? Is she even important? Does she need to just leave Ponyville?

... Does anypony want her around?

She thought all of these the next Monday as she sat on a cloud, curled into a tight, tight ball. She simply let the cloud slowly drift about, shuffling through the sky on it's own, no general direction, but never once leaving Ponyville.

But then, on that fateful day, it struck her like a bolt of lightning! Which is bad, because it was actually a bolt of lightning striking her cloud that caused her to see it. After the dizziness subsided and the cloud's halves split far enough apart, a gray blob flew into Rainbow's spinning vision.

"Oh, gee! You okay, Rainbow!?" Derpy's voice rang out in Dashie's head. She suddenly froze, blinking a bit. Of COURSE! Derpy! She could hang out with Derpy! Who needed those other lame friends anyway? Derpy'd never be too busy for Rainbow!

"O-... Uuugh... Hnnnngh... Hi-Hiya Derpy... I-I'm.... fine... yeah..." Rainbow shook her head clear, before giving a soft chuckle, "Nice shot with that bolt."

"Oh, I didn't mean to. I was just making a mail run." Rainbow's heart stopped beating entirely, it seemed.

"... Do you have time to take a break, maybe?"

"No, sorry, Dash. I'm super-duper-..."

"Super-duper busy, got a jam-packed WEEK, HUH!?" Dash roared, pushing up from the cloud to stare at Derpy snout-to-snout, eyes narrowed.

"Uh. Yeah, basically. Very busy, lotsa mail, y'know?" Derpy gave a little smily, before nuzzling snouts with Dash. Rainbow clearly hadn't expected this.

"Wha-..."

"What? You put your snout on mine. I thought that's what friends did?"

"It wasn't in a-..." Dashie stopped herself, before giving a soft sigh, "Right. Go finish your mail or whatever."

"Right on!" Derpy turned, sloppily beginning to flap her wings and fly off into the distance. Dashie settled back on the now half-cloud. She blinked away her tears.

No more crying, Dash. she thought You are... Rainbow Dash! You aren't a pushover wussy! You've done Sonic Rainbooms! You're the... Dash paused for a second, before grinning, having coming more accustomed to this kind of language You're the shit! You're the coolest! Why don't you just go fly around? Like you did... Yesterday... and the day before.... and the day before... and pretty much all of last week while your friends blew you off...

She completely stopped thinking, shaking her head clear. She pushed up from the cloud, popping her neck and blinking more tears away, before sonic-rainbooming off the cloud, shattering it as she picked up insane speed immediately, launching all the way across Ponyville and towards the Orchard.