I'd never Hurt you, Dashie
Dash. Daaash. Wake up." Rainbow Dash managed to give her a modicum of weak acknowledgement.
Pinkie reached into the medicine bag and produced a large syringe. "Alright, time for the last round."
Dash looked at the needle and Pinkie took that as a question as to what it was.
"Something to take the pain away" she informed as she walked around to Dash's ruined backside. She stuck the needle into the lower part of her spine. Dash flinched. Coming up to the front again, she told her friend, "In a few minutes you won't be able to feel anything below your ribcage. Then you'll be able to stay awake to watch the harvest."
Dash started to cry again, "Pinkie," she trembled out.
"yeah?"
"I want to go home." She openly sobbed.
Dash's ear twitched, she was curled into a ball under her covers, shaking and whimpering as she slept.
“Yeah, I can see wanting to do that,” replied the party pony. “Sometimes, I just wanna give up, just say ‘I’m done with this mess’ and go to bed. But you know what? You can’t shrug off your responsibilities. You got to pull yourself up and meet the challenges head on. That’s the only way you’re gonna get ahead in life.”
Dash whimpered again, curling up tighter.
Minutes passed as the drug took effect. Eventually, Dash was completely numb from her chest to her flanks. At this point, Pinkie approached with a scalpel. Glancing at Dash and smiling, Pinkie made a long horizontal cut across the pegasus pony’s pelvis, just above her crotch. Moving up Dash’s body, Pinkie made a similar incision under her ribs. Finally, Pinkie made a long vertical cut down Dash’s stomach, connecting the first two.
“Looks like I got my ‘I’ on you, Dash,” Pinkie giggled.
Dash's ears flattened,
“I know I can be a real pancreas, but you know I’m just kidney with you.
Rainbow Dash sniffled in her sleep.
You really got to learn to liver it up. Boy, these jokes are getting bladder. Guess ya gotta develop a stomach for them.”
As the dream went on, the sleeping Dash got more and more frantic, squirming weakly under the covers, kicking her back legs and struggling against nothing.
"It was really was nice knowing you, Dash!”
Dash's eyes flew open, she jerked upright with a cry, panicking. It took her a moment to realise she was safe and sound, unharmed in her bed, in her room. She panted, wide eyed, her coat slick with sweat. "Pinkie..." she whispered, as if the pink earth pony had been there the whole time. But of course she wasn't, she was naturally in her own bed, at Sugarcube Corner, sleeping deeply probably dreaming about baking pies and cupcakes. Cupcakes.... Dash turned on the lamp, looking around, as if the party pony was waiting in the darkest shadows of Rainbow's room, with a knife. Nope. Dash was all alone, a gentle breeze flowing in through the open window. Dash sat there for the longest time, trying to calm down.
Just a dream, Rainbow Dash. JUST a dream. Nothing scary about that.
Then why was she so scared...?
It's late..... I'm just... startled... that's all. Not scared.
She slowly got out of bed, and made her way to the bathroom. Turning the light on, she looked at herself in the mirror, her mane was a tangled mess, her bangs sticking to her sticky with sweat forehead, she was breathing heavily, her heart pounding in her chest. She took a deep breath, trying to relax. She swept a hoof through her mane, shaking her head. She went back to her room, crawling into bed with a sigh. She turned the light off, and settled down, curling up under the covers. Nothing scary about a dream. Nothing at all, just bad thoughts made real in subconsciousness.
***
"Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow Dash groaned in her sleep, pulling the pillow over her head.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash!"
"Mmmmf."
"Wake up sleepy head!"
Rainbow Dash's heart plummetted. She shot awake, looking around frantically. She sighed in relief when she realized she wasn't tied down, and pinkie wasn't standing above her. "Rainbow Dash~!"
But Pinkie /was/ standing outside. Dash groaned, getting out of bed she fluttered over to the window and looked out, the smiling pink pony was bouncing up and down below Dash's window. "Rainbow Dash! Come here!"
"Ugh! Can't it wait? Why this early!"
Pinkie looked confused. "Early? Its two in the afternoon!"
"What?!" Dash murmered, surprised. She flew down out the window and landed in front of the bouncing pink pony. "What is it?" she asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Oh! Well, I was wondering - since the Cakes are really busy and tired after having to take care of the twins - and I told them they could go home and take the day off while I worked Sugarcube Corner - if you would come over and help baking cupcakes and stuff with me?"
Rainbow Dash's legs wobbled, she wasn't even sure why. "Uh.... I dunno.... can't... Applejack or maybe somepony else help you?"
Pinkie frowned, "I already asked Applejack, but she's busy on the farm today. Everypony else is either busy, or just doing something else." she shrugged, "So, wanna help?" she smiled.
"I... oh, I can't! I uh - I have to clear the clouds!" Dash unfolded her wings, preparing to take off. "Don't be silly! There's not a cloud in the sky! Besides, didn't you tell me yesterday you had today off?"
Dash bit her lip, "I..... guess I can."
"Yippee!" Pinkie leaped up in the air, her front hooves spread wide and confetti bust out of absolutely nowhere. "C'mon, Dash! Let's get going! I bet we've got a LOT of hungry costumers!"
"Uh... Yeah, customers, right, just let me..... brush my mane! Just a second." She dashed up to her home to brush her mane and tail. Normally she wasn't that concerned about how her mane looked, or at least not as much as Rarity, but for some reason she just need an excuse. An excuse for what? What was she hiding from? She wasn't even sure. The images from her dream last night seemed to fade in and out of her vision. Tied down... Pinkie Pie wearing that horrible dress... Gripping a scalpel as she approached Dash. Dash shook her head snorting. Was that what she was afraid of? She knew Pinkie better then that. Was she seriously afraid she was going to get baked into cupcakes. Dash chuckled, she didn't even think ponies could digest meat. Silently scolding herself for her own stupid worries, she smiled as she met Pinkie outside again. "I'm all ready!" she smiled. "Great!" Pinkie laughed, "Let's get going!"
Rainbow Dash wasn't really great at baking, but she wasn't 'bad.' She usually need to look over the cookbook several times, but she managed. She sighed as she beat some eggs, to be made into a cake. Pinkie was on the other side of the kitchen, rolling some dough. At the moment, the oven was occupied, a dozen unfrosted cupcakes baking. The oven timer went off. "Oh!" Pinkie smiled, bounding over the the oven. She opened it, then grabbed an oven mitt with her teeth and pulled out the tray. She placed it on the floor while she set the mitt down and closed the oven. "Hey, Rainbow Dash! Wanna help me frost them?"
"Sure, Pinkie!" Rainbow sighed, relieved to give her hoof a rest. She trotted over, and Pinkie held out a can of pink frosting. "You can frost them, I'll sprinkle them!" She smiled and bounced over to the cupboards to pick out sprinkles while dash squirted the frosting over the unfrosted vanilla and chocolate cupcakes. Dash set the can down and looked them over. She hadn't been able to pull off the neat swirl of frosting that Pinkie could, it looked sloppy and messed up. Normally she wouldn't care, but she sighed. Pinkie ran over, having selected the chocolate sprinkles. She immediately noticed the sloppy frosting work, and set the sprinkles down. "Oh, hey! Not bad, actually!" she chirped, nudging Rainbow's shoulder with a hoof. "I'm sure nopony will mind" she opened the sprinkles and gently sprinkled them over the cupcakes, she then took them out of the tray and set them neatly in a box. "Not as bad as Twilight's," she continued, then frowned. "That sounded mean. But there was like, NO frosting! You know, the cupcakes she brought to the picnic the day she was acting weird because her letter was late? Yeah, those ones. I don't mean to be a meanie pie, but whats a cupcake without frosting?"
"Yeah, those were not frosted enough" Rainbow Dash agreed
"Yeah! Oh, hey, wanna try one?" Pinkie asked, holding out a cupcake in her hoof. "These weren't made specifically for anypony, so you can have one!"
Dash froze, her eyes widened, "You.... want to give me that.... for... taste... testing...?"
Pinkie frowned. "No, I was just asking if you wanted one. I don't think you've eaten since I woke you up this afternoon. You should really eat something. An empty tummy is an unhappy tummy!" she said cheerfully "Doesn't have to be a cupcakes, I mean, as delicious as they are, I don't think having a cupcake for breakfast is healthy. Maybe a muffin. Or, wait, is this brunch? No, too late. Uh... Dunch? Linner? It's between lunch time and dinner now so..." Pinkie rubbed her chin with a hoof. "Oh! Right! Want the cupcake? It's probably suuuper yummy!"
Dash wasn't even really aware that she had the option to say no. She reached out with a trembling hoof, taking the cupcake. She stared at it for the longest time, before slowly bringing it up and taking a tiny bite out of it, eyes shut tight, heart beating a mile a minute. She chewed slowly, swallowed. It was sweet, warm, sugary. She stood there for seemingly forever. "Uh... Dash? Are you okay?" Pinkie asked, concerned. "Are you feeling sick?"
Dash snapped back to reality "Huh?! What? No! I'm fine!"
Pinkie was startled by her friends outburst. She backed away a step, then shrugged. "If you say so," she said before bouncing over to help a customer who was waiting by the register. Dash was hyperventilating. What is WRONG with me! It's just a cupcake. A STUPID cupcake! It's not going to hurt me! I feel fine! I have NOTHING to worry about! She didn't notice Pinkie approaching her. The pink earth pony reached out and touched rainbow's shoulder. "Dash, are you-" She was cut off by a startled yelp and Rainbow Dash bounded across the kitchen, crashing into the counter. "Don't take my cutie marks!" She gasped suddenly.
Pinkie was staring wide eyed, completely unsure of what to make of this. "Dashie? Are you.... I'm not taking anything from you...... why would I want you're cutie marks?" The pink pony lowered her eyes. "Have I taken something from you? Do you think I'm a thief?" The party pony panicked. "Oh no! What have I done?! What did I do! Dashie forgive meee!" The party pony wailed. Dash slowly stood up, rubbing frosting off her face from the cupcake which had been smashed into it when she collided with the counter. She turned towards Pinkie Pie. "No! Pinkie, you didn't do anything wrong..." Rainbow Dash muttered, feeling guilty for making the pink pony cry. Pinkie looked at her. "I... didn't? Then why are so nervous today?"
"Nervous?! Pfft, I'm not nervous!" Dash denied. Pinkie stood up. "Uh.. Dash?"
"What?"
"You have something on your face!" Pinkie giggled. Rainbow laughed too, though her heart was still racing.
Celestia's yellow sun was lowering beyond the horizon, making way for Luna's glorious night. The high sky had gone dark, yet the lower sky was still bright orange. Pinkie Pie had just closed shop and Rainbow was helping her clean the kitchen. Pinkie smiled brightly, making conversation the whole time. Rainbow Dash was just barely listening though.
"And that is why human's can't exist! I mean, walking upright? All the time? That makes no sense! Even I think so! Uh... Dashie?"
"What?" Dash said, turning to Pinkie. "You said something about the sun and moon raising themselves ages ago or something?"
Pinkie tilted her head. "Rainbow Dash, is something on your mind? I mean, you've had this super bored look on your face, no, not bored, but it's like, you're mind was in another world! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" Rainbow said, glaring at nothing in particular. Pinkie shrugged, and started putting away the washed dishes. She started with the silverwear, "Hey, Dash? Why do they call these things butter knives? I mean, they don't ONLY spread butter, they spread other stuff too! Like peanut butter, jelly, chocolate.. wait! Is peanut butter technically butter?"
Dash froze for the millionth time that day.
"Say Dash, why do they call it a hack saw? It doesn’t hack; hacking is what I was doing with the knife. This is a saw. I don’t get it.”
Dash shook her head, ears flattening. It was just a dream, she told her self for the millionth time. She lay down on the floor, sighing. Needing a rest. She had been working all day, or more like all afternoon. She closed her eyes, trying to forget about the stupid dream. She wasn't aware of it, but while Pinkie jabbered in the background, she fell asleep.
Dash was startled awake. "Rainbow Dash! I was talking!" Pinkie whined, then frowned. "How are you tired when you slept till this afternoon? Didn’t anypony teach you any manners? It’s very rude to fall asleep when somebody invites you over to spend time with them. How would you like it if I came over to your house and went to sleep? ‘Oh I’m sorry Dash, you’re so boring I think I’ll take a nap.’"
Dash just sat there, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. The exact same words.... same tone of voice..... same sentances........ same reason....
Pinkie's slight irritation turned to concern. "Dashie?" she said softly, lowering her head to Rainbow Dash's level. "Are you feeling all right?"
"N-never better...." Rainbow mumbled. It then occurred to her that she was all alone, with Pinkie, in Pinkie's home. She broke into a cold sweat. Pinkie stomped her hoof. "You're a worse liar then Applejack! You've been jumpy all day! And you won't tell me why! Please trust me! Is it embarrassing? I can keep a secret, you know. But you're obviously NOT alright."
Dash shrank away at Pinkie's outburst, lowering her eyes to the floor. Pinkie went to Dash's side and sat next to the shaking blue pegasus. "Dashie... please tell your big sister Pinkie what's wrong!"
"Well....." Dash bit her lip. It was actually pretty embarrassing, how a stupid dream could reduce her to.... this.
With a sigh, Dash begun to explain. The whole thing, from the drugged cupcake all the way to the gutting. Pinkie's expression had grown from concerned, to confused, to terrified, and to downright horrified. Dash tried to hold back tears... but she just couldn't. When she finished, she openly cried, burying her face in Pinkie's bright pink coat. "Oh Dash..." Pinkie murmured. She ran a hoof comfortingly through Dash's brightly colored rainbow mane. "Rainbow Dash, I would never hurt you. Not ever. Not even if somepony cast a spell on me forcing me too! And that I Pinkie promise."
Dash bit her lip, Pinkie nuzzled her friend. There was a long silence before Dash said quietly; "Uh P-Pinkie.... could you keep this a secret between us? I don't want the others knowing I was this.... upset... because of a dream..."
Pinkie smiled. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." she said, doing the appropriate motions with her hooves. Dash smiled weakly. Pinkie would never hurt her...
