Don't even get me started

“Just... just do it alright?” Rainbow tries to hide the blood spreading through her cheeks, getting worse with each passing moment of silent non compliance. Feeling the heat rising, she opens her wings just to shimmer. “Will you stop looking at it and do something?!”

Biting her lower lip in anticipation of what she hopes will be but a brief moment of pain, her body surges forward as a groan erupts from her lips, soon brought into a seething inhale. No matter her image, no matter her inhibitions, she was prepared to see for herself what she was promised would be worth all the pain and discomfort. Holding her trembling wings just a few inches out from her sides, they vibrate like a hummingbird getting ready to take it's first flight.

“Wha, why'd you stop?!” Rainbow glances back with one eye twitching in anger and embarassment while she remains braced by her front hooves. Pushing back with small forceful jerks with muscles already pushed to the limit, she just cannot accept the cruel hesitation. “Who the hay offers something like this and then just pulls back when I make a little noise?!”

Breathing hard like she had just ran the Running of the Leaves, her body begins to twitch as a job barely touched takes her back to where she had started. Unsatisfied, exposed, and agitated. But in her most powerful emotion yet, glistening in the only visible eye for the briefest of moments, she finally turns her head forward again.

Hanging her head for a few moments, feeling the air crack like a whip on what begins to dry and ache once again, she lets out a most uncharacteristic sigh. Closing her wings and folding her ears, Rainbow readies to slam shut the door she herself cracked open in invitation. She felt embarrassed and made a fool, but in hindsight, it began to hurt more to think she wasn't the only one.

But faster than she can properly react, the sudden pressure and chill sent shooting up and down her back spreads to her wings with a bone popping spread even the biggest stallion couldn't compare. Pushed forward, she would in turn throw it all behind her.

“More, dang it!" Rainbow leads off overly strong, a mare without compromise to what she was offered and accepted with far more indifference than she'd expected of herself. “Screw the towel! I don't care if it gets messy!” Fluttering her eyes like the sun was right in front of her eyes. "You can take your time, next time!"

Looking forward and away, with her body tensing up, she sharply inhales and whimpers when her body jerks forward, soon brought into a watery rhythm. Resisting at first, she throws herself into the heat of the moment as pain and discomfort begins to numb to the caress of an overpowering pleasure.

“Ohhhhhhaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh...” Rainbow's head bobs up and down like a rag doll, her body moving on it's own to meet the pressure where she needs it most. “Don't stop.”

“You're making my animal friends uncomfortable.” Fluttershy looks as sour as she could possibly be, her hoof covered in a goop that also smears and pops over Rainbow's swollen cheeks. “You haven't even come to visit in over a week and you won't even explain why. You just push your way in through my bedroom window and scream if I have any butt cream.”

"That's what it is!"

"No, it's a specially made paste that relieves swelling while also soothing the inflamed..."

"Mmmm" Rainbow decides enough is enough, and just leans her rear in one direction to choose which cheek gets the message they both desire. Stretched out with her wings held just off her side in a rather private display, she soon begins to force how much pressure by grinding backwards with absolutely zero bucks left to give. "Yeah, yeah. Just hold it still, right there."

Standing with her hoof held straight out, remaining still so Rainbow can do what she needs to do just how she wants it, Fluttershy looks over towards the observations all the little critters give to what happens before them. At first, innocent enough, they only cause Fluttershy glance away in slight embarrassment. But slowly, as the noises Rainbow etches out get louder and more intense, so do the animals.

"What?!" Fluttershy folds her ears back as her cheeks blush. "No no, she's my best friend."

Ignorant to Rainbow pivoting one ear back towards her, but otherwise still focused on her own problems, Fluttershy starts to forget who might hear as she becomes focused in on her own.

"It's different." Fluttershy tries to explain to the otter.

Then a ground squirrel starts squeaking and carrying on, Fluttershy starts to get a little defensive.

"Mr. Squirrel, that is quite enough." Fluttershy nods sharply towards the squirrel, who just shrugs, followed by a bird that flaps it's wings while chirping rapidly. So shocked her muzzle hangs open, she becomes even more so when Angel enters the picture. "A-Angel!"

Lifting her free hoof into the air as if to stop her little bunny, her cries or extended hoof cannot stop the little demonic rabbit from taking each and every animal that bucked up right back down. Whether by bash of carrot, double bunny kick, or a plain old paw slap in the kisser it matters not. When all said and done, with an exerted Rainbow Dash collapsing to the floor, so does each animal that needed reminded.

"Angel." Fluttershy chastises her little bunny, Angel, who holds down a squirrel with a carrot to it's head. "Angel!"

Angel, still caught up in the moment, jabs the tip of his carrot into the squirrels head several times before stomping with both feet. Looking around to see if any other wishes to break the rules of his home, he twitches his nose before disappearing into the kitchen. With loud crashes upon the floor coming loud and clear into the living room where Rainbow and Fluttershy remain, the other animals remain in cower.

Mumbling something inaudible, Rainbow remains on the floor.

"You're welcome." Fluttershy still stares towards the kitchen, ears flicking and folding with an unease shining in her eyes when the noise finally stops. Hearing the kitchen window open, she sighs in partial relief. "He must be taking food to his bunny friends."

Mumbling a little louder, Rainbow seems intent on staying exactly as she is, hind legs somewhat stretched behind her, but not entirely level against the floor. Content to not caring how it looks, she just mumbles with a little more force.

"Surely you would be more comfortable on the couch?" Fluttershy moves over to alongside the down and entirely relieved Rainbow Dash, causing Fluttershy herself to slowly settle down at the sight of her friend being so comfortable. "Perhaps a nice fluffy pillow?"

Rainbow grunts, instead of mumbling, causing Fluttershy to fly away and come back with a pillow. Not wanting to move, but going wide eyes with Fluttershy tickles the outside tip of her wing, Rainbow jumps up just enough for the pillow to slide underneath.

"Ow."

"I'm sorry." Fluttershy sits down next to Rainbow, staring down at her friend with concern. "Will you tell me now?"

"You worry too much. I was just doing what I normally do." Rainbow turns her head to glance up and over. "Will you stop?"

Fluttershy looks down into the one eye looking up to her.

"I've been with Applejack doing stuff. You know how it goes." Rainbow half closes her eyes to the insistent plea in Fluttershy's stare. "Sometimes you start messing around and things get out of hoof, and you just get bucked and have to fly it off."

"Are you and Applejack fighting?" Fluttershy lowers herself to the floor, positioning so that Rainbow needn't strain her eyesight or move. "I know things have settled down quite a lot and we've been so used to needing to spend all we have for Equestria, but..."

"We've been messing with Double Down."

"Oh!" Fluttershy seems to understand, but looks no less worried. "Oh."

"What do you mean, oh?" Rainbow grumbles to having to go into greater details, but finds she may owe it to her friend for having helped her so delicately. "Applejack was messing with him, and somehow I got involved so we're both testing out our luck. Seems the dude has a fence, kind of like you, but it's taller than Princess Celestia's horn and it's really ticking AJ off." Snickering. "Real- Ow."

Fluttershy tries to process the information.

"It's just something to do." Rainbow opens her eye a little more. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Relaxing on the floor, Fluttershy kicks out from underneath herself to get more comfortable. With the morning sun creeping just above the nearby treeline, her living room casts itself in just a few beams of light from the shuttered windows. Lost in her thoughts while even the animals calm down and watch in silence, the timid pegasus finally finds a voice.

"He's not a toy you play with until you're bored." Fluttershy stares intently towards Rainbow Dash. "He has feelings."

"Like the one planted right under my tail?" Rainbow slowly, but eventually, slides down into a more relaxed position on top of the pillow. Letting it hold her up more than her hind legs, she eases through without even a murmur of pain. "He isn't a pony."

"Rainbow." Fluttershy's cannot help but shake her head. "That doesn't mean he's worth any less."

"You sure about that?" Rainbow turns to place both eyes on Fluttershy, who looks back in confusion and maybe even a little hurt. "Cause I didn't notice back then cause I never had anything to compare him to." Tilting her head. "Now I do."

"There's another one of them?" Fluttershy raises her voice, but not only in excitement. "Oh, I hope they get along."

"No!" Rainbow grumbles. "I'm talking about the the Double Down I saw two weeks ago. Needs thrown in a river and groomed but he looked healthy." Curling a corner of her muzzle to her frustrations in finding the right word. "Maybe even happy."

"Happy?"

"I dunno. I just got the vibe he's doing better."

"So... it really was us, then?" Fluttershy looks down with her voice dipping lower. "Or just some of us?"

"I... dunno, alright?" Rainbow realizes what she'd done, a little too late. Mentally bucking herself in the face, she does so again when she sees Fluttershy looking down with a self inflicting stare of guilt. "It wasn't you."

"How do you know?" Fluttershy rubs the area above her front hooves together, one of many bad habits she carries for the world to see. "I stayed away the farthest, even from the very beginning. I never got a chance to really give him a chance."

"You remember when we first learned about him? Back before Twilight changed." Rainbow hangs on the last word used, not exactly feeling right about it. "Back before Twilight got cooler?"

Fluttershy nods, but otherwise remains silent, shifting about to get more comfortable with ears in forward tilt.

Almost ten months prior, Ponyville Library.

"Thank you all for gathering, on such short notice." Princess Celestia smiles towards each of the five mares in the room, having passed on taking up any of the seating for her short intended stay. "I am sorry for having woken many of you."

Still smiling, Celestia smiles a little more towards how hard her little ponies try and stay awake. Watching with the patience afforded to her, she almost lets out a snicker when Applejack starts tapping her hoof on the back of a sleeping Rainbow Dash. With both on the couch along with Rarity on the opposite end of Applejack, Rainbow simply refuses to give a damn when a wing smacks Applejack right back.

"I swear this pony sleeps as hard as she flies." Applejack begins to become apprehensive, stopping a pat with her hoof while eyeing wide the wing that twitches when halfway extended out. "Hey Rarity, mind helping me tag team this sleeping pony?"

"Hmm?" Rarity looks over, eyes half closed with a dopey slant on one side of her muzzle. "Oh. Oh! Why, certainly."

Beginning to hum, Rarity goes to work with her magic. Pulling up Rainbow's mane, she pulls a fancy brush from somewhere and begins to brush it. Calm and delicate, her thoughtful smile hides something far more devious as Rainbow begins to quiver and groan in her sleep. Earning the attention of Fluttershy, who sits beside Pinkie Pie on a smaller sofa, even the latter looks aware of the consequence inbound.

Quick to realize and even quicker to jump over the back of the couch to safety, Applejack stands up to peak back over. Shifting back down until her eyes can barely see over the fabric, she has to bite into the couch to keep from getting busted up for busting up.

"Oh, good morning!" Rarity claps her hooves to her work's perfection, the ruffled spiky mane of Rainbow Dash now looking closer to something of a shortened Fluttershy's. Now pulling over a mirror, Rarity seems too tired to know any better. "You look-"

"Quite lovely." Celestia offers her compliments to Rainbow Dash and Rarity, both of whom look as if they had suddenly realized who had been standing there this entire time. "But I think it is important to look how we wish the world to see us, regardless of how rambunctious."

"What do you mean she's here? It's two in the morning!" Spike's voice can be heard upstairs, obviously riled up and tired like all of them. "This better not be another trick to make you a snack, Twilight."

"Spike, please." Twilight awkward laugh as she backs out of her bedroom door lowers into inaudible but noticeable shushes and chastises. Picking Spike up with her magic to help speed him along, she teleports them both back downstairs to just in front of the main touch, facing Princess Celestia whom seems no less worse for waiting. "I'm sorry for the delay. We just weren't expecting you and-"

"What in blue blazes happened to you?" Spike looks up, eyeing Rainbow who simply growls.

Twilight decides to just bow down, like the others save for spike who still seems frozen with all talons over his mouth. "It's just that you usually send me a letter through Spike before you come to visit, or conduct local business."

Celestia motions with a front hoof, her normally perfect regal demeanor just a little off that in turn helps bring focus to the tired ponies and dragon before her. Waiting still, without a word or peep for having to do so, she only speaks when all are ready.

"Shortly after the Changeling invasion of Canterlot, there was an incident within our borders. While I feel some details need to remain hidden until certain things have aligned, I can tell you what all will soon know. We had a visitor." Celestia glances between all those assembled for reactions thus far, noting curiosity remained most prevalent. "Who has since become more permanent."

Thankful, and perhaps a hint guilty to having purposely waited until all were less than peppy like in the mid day, Celestia notices only Twilight coming back into her own. Scribbling, glancing away, and then back again, words are not needed in explanation for what currently happens inside Twilight's mind. Sadly, this would also be exactly why Celestia came herself, on such short notice with even shorter time to explain.

"Initial interactions were amiable. While we could not directly communicate through our words, we found ways to symbolize well enough, and given the situation it was decided the former would need rectified." Celestia stays focused towards Twilight, who lets the slip between her lips seal as quick as they had parted. "That was a mistake, looking back after all that has transpired because of it."

"But..." Twilight doesn't focus in on Princess Celestia, but nonetheless directs her vocal thoughts. "How?"

"You're the egghead, and you don't know?" Rainbow ruffles her mane. "Sounds like a spell to me."

"That's not what I-" Twilight turns her head to look at Rainbow Dash, who just spits in a hoof and rubs her mane almost violently while giving Rarity the look of death. "Uh. I mean... the spell requires a medium! Just like with the Minotaurs and the Griffons, it was a pony who spent their entire lives learning each of their languages that allows us all to understand each other. Without that-"

"Then mistakes can be made." Celestia speaks up loud and firm, snapping a surprised Twilight back towards her. Caught in each other's gaze, Celestia words catch in her throat without a voice wishing to be heard. "That others have to decide on how to live with."

"So you want us to look after them until they get better?" Fluttershy speaks softly, but lose some of her mustered courage to speak up when Princess Celestia seems to not have heard her. To embarrassed to try again, it is another who rolls her eyes that does it for her.

"Fluttershy volunteered to foalsit." Rainbow comments loudly, still not quite able to get Celestia's attention.

Not falling on deaf ears or blind eyes, Princess Celestia's demeanor begins to cause some concern. But as Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash look between themselves, they find familiarity their worst enemy.

"Twilight?" Rarity lifts a hoof to scratch into the air. "Is everything alright, darling?"

"I don't reckon I'm understanding quite like the rest of you, but sounds like you got a pony down on their luck." Applejack stretches to rest her muzzle over the top of the sofa along with her front hooves from behind it. "Can't get started without em, though."

"What makes you so sure you'd even want to?" Rainbow doesn't even turn her head to look back towards Applejack. "All we know is that something bad enough happened that the Princess came here in the middle of the night to warn us."

"My Pa always taught me even a bruised apple has a core worth saving." Applejack stretches up even more.

"Sounds dumb." Rainbow catches herself too late, already feeling the hairs on her back rising. "Aw, crap."

Rarity, who had also realized a moment too late, just screams bloody murder when the couch flips backward hard enough to land cushions down. Trapped underneath with an equally surprised and trapped Rainbow Dash, she frantically pushes a foreleg out from the small hole left between the couch side rest and floor. Reaching for help, the overpowering smell of apples causes her to try harder.

"Somebody, help me!" Rarity shrieks, the couch jumping and rocking back and forth. "Back! Back I say, you ruffians!"

"Ow!" Rainbow yells, causing the couch to buck into the air. "Oh, wanna play it that way, huh?!"

"I wanna play!" Pinkie jumps off the half couch and hops over, smacking the extended white hoof. "Tag!"

"Ah! Pinkie!" Rarity looses her grip, quickly pulled back completely under the couch.

Wishing she could just up and leave, letting what she sees be what she shall continue to believe, Princess Celestia finds herself locked in silent stare between her and her prized pupil. Without the need for words, do they come to a temporary truce.

"He, and it is a him, is not like a pony. He had become restless, and while he seems to lack some natural ability that many of this realm take for granted, even that has been flipped around to be in his favor." Celestia speaks loud, but serene. "He was not satisfied with what we wanted to show him, and instead took it upon himself to explore a great many things."

"Is he fun?" Pinkie gleams towards Princess Celestia, hopping once for her curiosity.

"A different kind of fun, perhaps." Celestia smiles towards Pinkie, glad the atmosphere was becoming a little less heavy. "He made sure to keep his attendants guessing, and the guards assigned to him from relaxing. He found most of the places he wasn't ever supposed to go by letting the guards search for him at all the places he was supposed to be."

"Huh?" Pinkie tilts her head.

"He gave the impression he sought to turn the only place no pony wished to be into his own." Celestia hesitates, but not in anger. "To be more specific, he replaced the locks on the palace dungeons with a different kind of locking mechanism. Even unicorns couldn't quite get the grasp of it, since there were little tricks and traps within. Why, I remember when even I tried, and asked Luna if she wanted a turn."

"Did she win?" Pinkie hops like a bunny in place, entertained by such a small insignificant task.

"She broke the door." Celestia catches her own smirk before it overpowers her smile. "In half."

"I hope she didn't hold a grudge." Fluttershy thinks back to Princess Luna's temper. "For too long."

"She didn't break the door because she couldn't unlock it." Celestia looks towards Fluttershy. "He switched the door hinges, and instead of pulling out, it pushed in from the wrong side. He had two princesses, three dozen royal guards, several butlers and maids occupied for several hours while he left the palace grounds."

"Alright!" Rainbow manages to squeeze her muzzle out from underneath the couch, groaning and breathing hard. "So the dude is a jerk and you all were going too easy on him." Pulling herself all the way out, kicking the couch when finally free. "Bring him to us and we'll have him whipped into shape in no time, or I'm not the fastest pony in Equestria!"

Celestia steps forward, but loose enough to actually bring more confusion than worry from doing so. Coming to just before Twilight and Rainbow Dash who stands just behind her, Celestia uses her magic to gently lift the couch and flip it upright in mid air. Doing the same with Applejack and Rarity, Celestia sets the two ponies on the sofa cushions before the couch peg legs touch the floor.

"While I love seeing my little ponies be the pony they are, no matter how energized or silly they may become, I believe you are already befalling to the same misunderstandings that we did." Celestia backs up before sitting down on her haunches, beckoning any other not already to follow in mimic. "Do you think such was for but a prank, or to purposely ridicule and embarrass?"

Finding full attention onto herself, but no answer dared, Celestia mentally sighs.

"Hopefully, if he heads this way, then perhaps you will be able to let me know."

Back to present, Fluttershy's Cottage.

Still laying about the floor, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both seem to remain somewhere in the past as they both take unique perspectives on what had been. But as the minutes passed by, Rainbow seemed unable to do anything but what she normally never.

"Rainbow?" Fluttershy tilts her head, leaning into the lean to watch her usually loud and quick to act friend doing nothing but stare down onto the floor. "Maybe you should take a nap. It always made you feel better."

"Son of a horse." Rainbow casually lets the curse fly, now looking up towards the wall facing her.

"Is it hurting again?"

"Only my head." Rainbow does a double take towards Fluttershy who jumps up to get something. "I mean't cause I'm thinking too much! Ow!" Rainbow shifts her outstretched hind legs, regretting but still pulling herself up off the pillow, until she lets out one long breath when finally firmly on all four hooves. "Think I'm finally understanding what Princess Celestia was talking about."

"About Double Down?" Fluttershy flutters backwards, coming up to a tall open cabinint where she first got the paste for Rainbow's swollen derriere. Swiftly reaching in for more, her muzzle hangs open to having nothing left. "Oh no!"

"What?" Rainbow looks over, still preoccupied with her own thoughts.

"I'm out." Fluttershy moves things around on each shelf just to make sure. "I wanted to give you some of the medicine before you left, since it will take several days for it to be absorbed through all the fur." Shifting a glance to Rainbow and then away. "I'll need to go see Zecora."

"Well, let's go." Rainbow, already turning towards the door, grunts before taking into the air in hover as well

"You're going too?" Fluttershy flies over towards the door, getting in front of a visibly agitated Rainbow, who just waits for the door to be opened. "I thought you didn't like going to Zecora's?"

"Gotta ask her something." Rainbow elaborates no further, and just flies out of the opened doorway towards the nearby Everfree, only to groan to a stop. "Hey, I'm not going to cause any trouble, alright? I just need to ask her something."

"Do you promise?" Fluttershy tries to look as stern and serious as she can muster.

"Yeah yeah." Rainbow rolls her eyes. "Just don't go forgetting my dang butt cream while you're worrying, alright?"