Don't Judge a Fic by its Cover Image

Pinkie Pie was left to wait once more. Rainbow Dash hadn't shown up. The Pinkie Pie Promise had been broken.

Throughout the streets of Ponyville, Pinkie Pie was in desperate search for the spectrum pegasus. Every nook and cranny, inch and block had been thoroughly in search, growing more worrisome with each passing attempt.

From the nature derived bookcase called Twilight's treehouse, to Rarity's fine, unique Carousel Boutique, and passing Fluttershy's cottage, it was time to ask Applejack of Rainbow's whereabouts. With each negative answer from her friends, Pinkie's mane deflated, losing its cheerful poof and color.

Pinkie could have only hoped she had made it in time to see Applejack. With a balanced gallop on her three hooves, the pink mare checked her watch, the minute hand five clicks away due lunchtime. She could have only prayed to Celestia Rainbow Dash was safe, and with that prayer, came the vexatious mood, knowing that if she was safe, she had broken their promise.

Galloping through the town, Pinkie arrived at the seller's market, where ponies gathered on a daily basis to sell their fine goods, and mostly food: carrots, bananas, cherries, tomatoes, lettuce... apples.

"Applebloom! It's so good to see you, where's Applejack?" Pinkamena greeted, slowing down to a trot as she approached the filly by her family's apple stall.

"Oh, I told AJ I was ol' enough to be one of you bigger ponies, tryin' to sell apples like she does! Why'd ya need her? I can help ya'! What do ya' need?" Applebloom excitedly offered her assistance to the saddened mare. "Urm, Pinkie? Are you alright?"

"Oh, urhm, yeah, I'm fine," Pinkamena waved off the filly's question with a quick gesture of her hooves. "By chance, have you seen Rainbow Dash, today?"

"Oh yeah! She said told Applejack she had one of them Wonderbolts performances tuh go to!"

Pinkamena knew Pinkamena was right.

Pinkamena knew Rainbow Dash would hoof her off, just for a day to see the Wonderbolts.

Pinkamena snapped.

Pinkamena wanted revenge.

"Applebloom? Why are you here if you're trying to get your cutiemark?" Pinkamena asked the younger apple sibling, curious as to why she would continue doing so. "Do you know what they call, repeating the same action, but expecting the same result?"

"Urhm, no?" The blank-flanked filly answered with uncertainty.

"Hehehehe, it's called insanity!" Pinkamena chimed, sitting on her haunches, clopping her hooves together. "Like when you expect one of your friends, to keep a promise!" She then smiled, staring into blank space. "Oh, I know! Do you want to become my super-duper, secret assistant?"

"Assistant? Fer what?" The filly asked. "Didn't we already try baking cupcakes? That didn't work so well... Ah gave the entire town food poisoning!" she admitted.

"Oh nononono, this is a different kind of cupcakes! Something that I'm sure if you're good at, you will definitely get a cutie mark so super special awesome, that everypony in town will be jealous of you!" Pinkamena promised.

"Really?! Alright, ah'll do it!" Applebloom agreed to the psychotic mares conditions and terms with a hopeful glee in her eyes.

"Yay! But, you must Pinkie Pie Promise, that you'd never, ever, ever, ever tell anypony. Do you?" Pinkamena asked, ensuring there was no space for loopholes within this promise.

"Cross muh heart, an' hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in muh eye!" Applebloom sang, signing Pinkamena's contract.

"Good! And guess what? Our first customer's number came up!"

The taste of getting her cutie mark was so close, the young Apple sibling could have tasted it! Curiosity, as well as, her soon to be cutie mark had driven her to ask, "Who is it?"

"Rainbow Dash."