The rumor of Twilight attempting to murder Derpy Hooves spread all over Equestria. There were mixed feelings on the subject: some ponies were heartbroken and thought Twilight was framed; others figured Equestria would be better off without her. There were a few odd bits about that, like some ponies who were usually kind and forgiving, thought Twilight would actually attempt murder, and a few of the tougher and rude ones believed that Twilight was innocent. One of them was a yellow unicorn with a red and yellow mane and tail named Sunset Shimmer, who was currently locked up in jail after she nearly destroyed all of Canterlot with her power.

"I can't believe I'm the one saying this, but how could that Celestia stoop so low!" she roared. "It's obvious the unicorn was framed, because I heard stories about her and her adventures, and the white piece of trash didn't even consider asking what had happened! After all, she was the one who told me, during that Flash Sentry incident, that it was wrong to jump to conclusions before knowing the truth, which makes her a hypocrite! That's infuriating, especially when she's compared to me and I'm the one who nearly destroyed Canterlot several years ago. The princess should be ashamed of herself."

Rainbow Dash had just woken up from last night's sleep. She then turned to see Lightning Dust, who had also woken up. "Oh, morning," said Rainbow Dash.

"Morning to you too," said Lightning Dust. "Are you ready to become a Washout today?"

Rainbow thought hard. "Truth is, sadly I don't feel like joining your team."

Lightning Dust gasped. "but why?"

"Well, even though I'm a pretty fast pegasus, I know when I'm going too far, and I know when being reckless crosses the line. But, that doesn't mean you need to cancel your shows. Maybe you and your teammates can try and just tone it down just a little bit, and all the fans would still enjoy your shows and-"

"So," growled Lightning Dust. "We become good friends, we have a nice chat, I offer you to sleep with me for the night, and this is how you return the favor?! By not joining my team?!"

"Look," said Rainbow Dash, "I'm just trying to make things safer for you and your team-"

"If that's how you think of me," shouted Lightning Dust, "then fine! I wish I was never your friend! In fact, your princess might be right! Twilight is a murderer!" and then she kicked Rainbow Dash out of her house.

Rainbow Dash just sat there with tears in her eyes. Her new friend just betrayed her. And she realized something. Lightning Dust''s nice attitude was only an act to get others to join her team. In reality, she was just as cruel and reckless as she had been just now.

"Fine!" Rainbow Dash growled to herself. "I don't need her! She was only taking advantage of me the whole time so that she could make me join her team! Who needs them anyway? I don't even need to be part of a stupid flying team in order to succeed in life!"

Discord had just met up with Fluttershy and Spike. The two, along with Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash are going to go to the lake today to hang out with him and get to know him better.

"Oh hey, Discord," said Spike.

"How are you today?" asked Fluttershy

"Hey, Spike, hey Flutters," said the draconequus, which made the pegasus briefly blush at the nickname, but he didn't notice. "I'm doing good today."

Just then Rarity and Applejack arrived. Applejack had a beach ball and a beach chair on her, and Rarity had her beach chair, umbrella, and blanket.

"Hey, darling," said Rarity.

"Howdy," said Applejack.

"Hey, Applejack. Hey, Rarity," Discord responded.

"So, Pinkie Pie will be waiting for us at the lake. She's going to be setting up the party there," said Applejack to the others.

"Rainbow Dash should be here in a few minutes or so," Spike said. "It doesn't take her long to arrive."

After a few minutes, Rainbow Dash arrived, but something was different. she looked depressed with her head down. The girls, Spike and Discord noticed this.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash."

"Something wrong?"

"Are you okay?"

"What's wrong?"

"Why are you sad?"

As soon as Rainbow Dash lifted her head up, everypony gasped. Her mane was messed up, she was crying, there were many tear stains on her eyes, and she looked terrible.

"Girls, me and Lightning Dust had a feud. Her nice behavior was just an act for me to join her team of Washouts, but I refused to join her team, because of all the crazy reckless stunts that could put lives at risk, but when I tried suggesting how to tone things down, she yelled at me, and said that she wished I was never her friend! And she literally admitted out loud that she's starting to believe that the princesses were right about Twilight being a murderer!" This caused the five to let out a gasp.

"She what?!"

"Why that little..."

"How dare she?!"

"She fooled all of us!"

"I thought she was my friend."

"Same here," said Rainbow Dash. "But, she wasn't." and then the pegasus began sobbing again.

"You poor darling," said Rarity.

"She ain't what we thought she was," said Applejack, who hugged Rainbow Dash. Followed by Fluttershy, then Rarity, then Spike. The five shared a group hug for a while until Discord snapped his claw, which made a box of tissues appear so that Rainbow Dash could use to dry her tears. After a few minutes of Rainbow Dash calming down, the gang decided to head to the lake now for the hang-out.

At the lake, Discord, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Spike arrived. But what they saw was not what they had expected at all.

They saw lots of angry ponies, including some familiar faces like Lightning Dust, her Washouts team, the Mayor, the Wonderbolts, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, "Surf", "Turf", and several others. Pinkie had just got the food ready when she bumped into Lightning Dust, making the pegasus look behind.

"Weirdo," she sneered.

"I told you, no blocking the path!" snapped Pinkie. "I thought you were nice! And I was going to have a hang-out with my friends, and you all suddenly show up and block every path! How did you all even get here?!" The pegasus angrily walked off.

"Hello, friends!" shouted the pink mare, her usual sweet voice returning. "I've got a bit of a situation here!"

"Ah can tell," said Applejack. "We didn't know this was going happen..."

"I've been trying to get them out of here," sighed Pinkie. "But no matter how hard I try, they don't listen."

Just then, the ponies saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders arrive.

"What in Equestria?!" cried Sweetie Belle.

"What happened?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Rude ponies," sighed the Mane 5, Spike and Discord together.

"Ever since Twilight was banished," said Pinkie, "They've been very disrespectful to me, my friends, and my workmates recently."

It wasn't long before the crusaders got an explanation about what happened, which involved Lightning Dust telling everypony else about the hang-out at the lake, and the CMC led the rude ponies out of the lake after some threatening. The Mane 5, Spike, and Discord were pleased that they were able to round up everypony and lead them away.

"Hey, squirt," smiled Rainbow Dash, "how was your day before you three found us?"

"It was okay, thanks, sis," replied Scootaloo. "We still didn't get our cutie marks, and we noticed everypony was disappearing. How have you been?"

"Lightning Dust told everypony about our planned hang-out," explained Spike. "These ponies didn't exactly know the meaning of 'respect'." He and Scootaloo looked over to see Sweetie Belle leading Sweetie Drops, Lyra, Octavia, Vinyl Scratch and Berry Punch away from the lake. The pegasus filly was quite cross with Lightning Dust, and wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

"Nopony treats my friends, especially my sister, like that and gets away with it!" she snarled. "I bet your fans won't be impressed with your behavior at all!"

"That serves her right," said Pinkie Pie.

After a few minutes, everypony else was gone, leaving only the Mane 5, Spike and Discord. Pinkie piped up, "Well, maybe we can have our hang-out now, even if it is late?"

"I'd love that," smiled Fluttershy. "At least we can get to know Discord better now. But what will you do first?"

The pegasus got her answer when she saw lots of decorations and a beach-themed party, including a table with all sorts of foods, desserts, and drinks, a volleyball net set up at the side of the lake, lounge floaties in the lake, a hot tub for Spike, and pool toys for the lake.

"Come on, everypony!" shouted Pinkie. "Let's hang-out!"

As Applejack and Rarity placed their beach chairs on the side, Spike got into his hot tub and relaxed. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy grabbed a drink and some snacks Pinkie placed on the table. Discord spawned a cannon and then shot himself into the lake.

Even though the seven were having fun with each other at the lake, Chrysalis was watching everything from a bush.

"Those fools may be enjoying themselves for now, but they'll be in for a big surprise tomorrow!"

The changeling queen laughed to herself, but not too loud as she would have been found out and spotted if she did laugh too loud.

Author's Note

We'll see more about Sunset's backstory in later chapters. Her mentioning the events of her nearly destroying Canterlot is a reference to "Equestria Girls", although the events happened differently.

Also, the tension-building increases, and Lightning Dust's true colors are revealed! Dun dun dun!

I was also crying when writing this chapter.

This chapter happens simultaneously with the events of Not the Nuts!
Next chapter will be happening simultaneously with the events of Nutty Bowling.