Applejack stirred as the sun light poured in to her bedroom. She lazily threw her arm over her lover, only to have it hit the other side of the bed. Confused, she opened her eyes and blinked a few times.

"Dash?" She called.

But Rainbow Dash had been gone for a while. After a particularly disturbing dream, she had taken off from Applejack's bedroom in the middle of night. Applejack stretched and lifted herself out of the bed. After checking the bathroom and kitchen, she began to pout. She was so sure she had everything in the bag with that pony! However, she also had a long list of chores to do today. She hung her head and sadly got herself ready for the day, feeling defeated.

Unbeknownst to Applejack, Rainbow was also feeling very defeated at that moment. She had flown over to Zecora's one last time to make sure she hadn't returned, then tried to make a list of any and all ideas about her situation. She was now staring at a very blank piece of paper in her home, the same piece she had been staring out for hours.

"This is hopeless! I can't think of a single way to get this off!"

She bit the back of her pencil in frustration. Then, she heard a voice outside.

"I'm pretty sure you aren't home, Rainbow. Just like you haven't been home the past few times I checked. But, on the off chance you are, I just wanted to say that I'm trying. I'm trying really hard! I've gone over that first night in my head many times and I can't figure out what I did wrong! I know you're wearing that necklace and maybe I'm just crazy for thinking my feelings aren't just a result of that, but the love I feel for you seems so...real. I guess if you don't return my feelings then it doesn't matter either way, but I just wish you'd at least tell me why. I'd also like my friend back, regardless of feelings."

Rainbow slowly made her way out her front door and peeked over the edge of her cloud house. Twilight was sitting directly below her, looking miserable. Dash began to feel very guilty for how she had been treating all of her friends, Twilight especially. Dash was so caught up in being angry about them not respecting her feelings, she hadn't respected theirs either. She also probably hurt them by reacting the way she did and flying away after they had just been showing their affections. Even if some of their "affections" were out of line and undesired, she hadn't conveyed that to any of them.

She saw Twilight slowly get up, her ears drooped, and begin to turn around. The sight pulled at her heart strings.

"Twilight, wait! I-I'm here..." Dash flew down next to her friend, but she didn't look any happier to see her.

"Oh, so you were home." She didn't even look Dash in the eyes, but she stopped walking away.

"I'm so sorry, Twilight. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but at least you DO know you only love me because I'm wearing thi-"

"And HOW do YOU know?"

The question caught Rainbow by surprise.

"Well, uh, I guess I don't, but-"

"Exactly, you don't know! You won't even give me a chance!"

Rainbow sat silent for a moment as Twilight looked at her, sadly. For once, the pegasus was speechless. She was so sure Applejack was the one for her, but now that she was looking at Twilight, and really looking at her, maybe...

"No!" She shook her head.

"Fine! I should've known a shallow pony like you could never love anypony but herself!" Twilight's eyes filled with tears as she began to run away from her friend.

"Oh, no, Twilight, wait! I wasn't talking to- I mean, that wasn't a response to what you said! I mean, ugh! This necklace is ruining my life!"

Twilight kept running until Dash couldn't see her anymore. She hadn't thought about it, but she was hurting her friends badly. Sure, they were also doing things that hurt her, but she knew it was only because of the necklace. It had to be! At this rate, she would lose all of her friends before she ever figured out a way to end this curse.

Rainbow's ears also fell as she just sat there, feeling sorry for herself again. She hung her head and began to wonder what life would be like without any of her friends. She was so lost in her sadness, she didn't hear the familiar sound of a scooter with buzzing wings pull up behind her.

"Rainbow Da-" Scootaloo began to call out when she saw her idol, but quickly went quiet when she saw the state she was in.

However, Rainbow had heard Scootaloo speak. She had also heard her start a sentence then finish it abruptly. Oh no! No, no, no! She's like my sister! Not her, anypony but her! She thought frantically, afraid to open her eyes. She thought about flying away again, but before she could, she felt tiny arms wrap themselves around her body.

"Don't be sad, Rainbow Dash!" She heard Scootaloo say.
"Whatever the problem is, you're little sister is here to help!"

Oh, great! Now I've got to wrestle a filly off me because there's no way in hell I'm going to hook up with...wait, did she just say...'little sister'?

She opened her eyes finally and looked down to see the little orange pegasus hugging her tightly. Not in a sexual way at all, just a naive little filly upset that her hero was sad. Dash wiped the tears from her eyes and hugged the tiny pegasus back. Why isn't she affected?

"Scootaloo...I think I might need your help."

A large smile grew on the filly's face and her eyes swelled.

"Really? Of course, Rainbow Dash! I'll do anything to help you!"

Scootaloo's eagerness to do whatever Rainbow asked was sometimes annoying in the past, but now she couldn't have been happier to hear those words.

"What's the matter?"

Rainbow sighed. She couldn't explain everything to Scootaloo, but she needed her to understand just enough to get her into the castle. The only pony that would be able to help at this point would be Celestia, but she couldn't face her herself. Not if even Luna was enchanted.

"Listen, Scoot, I have a problem. A very big one. For some reason, you're not affected by whatever the hay is going on with the necklace I'm wearing. I need you to keep every pony we might come across from looking at me and then I need you to speak with Princess Celestia for me, okay?"

"Sure thing! Just one question."

"Yeah?"

"Why?"

"..."

Rainbow put her hoof to her chin and began to think of how to explain things to the little pegasus.

"Because the necklace is cursed. It makes anypony that looks at me fall in love!"

"Don't you want ponies to love you?"

"No! Well, yes! Just not in this way."

"And, what way is that?"

"Like...like they really love me!"

"I...I don't get it."

"Arghhhh!"

Rainbow grinded her teeth in frustration. Scootaloo's face dropped when she saw she was making her hero mad.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash, I'm just confused. How can you want them to love you but not really love you?"

"Okayyyy, one more time...I want to be loved as a friend, right? Yeah, that works. But this necklace makes ponies like me...in the way a mare and a stallion love eachother. And that makes it bad."

"Oh! Like...they want to be your special somepony!"

"Yes! You got it!"

"Who is it, Rainbow Dash? I want to meet your special somepony!"

"ARGHH!! Scoots, just listen to what I say and don't ask anymore questions, okay?!"

"Whatever you say, Dash!"

"Come on, we're going to Canterlot!"

Rainbow Dash flew above while Scootaloo followed ahead on her scooter, making sure nopoy was in the way. If somepony was coming, Rainbow would hide until Scootaloo gave her the 'ok'. Rainbow tried her best to ignore the never ending flow of questions and comments out of the little pony and hoped that this trip would finally bring her to an answer.

Author's Note

Yeah, this is a short chapter. I had a better idea with this one, but it just didn't come out the way I liked. Also, I had a bit of writer's block with this particular chapter.

The next 3 chapters are, for the most part, already written. I had the ending planned for a while.

Just 3 chapters left and an epilogue!
Please don't unfavorite and thumbs down for this chapter.
I promise I'll redo it when I'm not so stumped.
Maybe, someone give me a better idea.

But, the REST, the next chapters, I promise you'll love them Full of funny moments and D'awww ones!