"Applejack, what's the matter with ya?!"

Applejack had been recently punished after she had another argument with her older brother and grandmother yesterday. She had been forced to sit in the corner and the rest of her family (except Apple Bloom) refused to talk to her as they didn't want to see her face ever again.

The orange earth pony knew she had no choice. So she went down the stairs and confronted her big brother and grandmother.

"What do ya want?" grumbled Big Macintosh.

"Big brother..." Applejack muttered darkly. "Ah can't believe that ah'm going to say this, but ah quit!" This gave out gasps from Big Macintosh and Granny Smith.

"How dare ya yell at us, young lady?" scolded Granny Smith, "Ya're only mah granddaughter, and ya can't just abandon us like-"

"Oh, ya're one to talk," said Applejack. "Ya two literally abandoned me just because ah thought Twilight was innocent! Ah know she would never do such a thing like that, and yet instead of listening to me, ya ground me, abandon me, and not to mention that ya're also treating mah sister just as badly."

Applejack opened the door of the barn. "Goodbye, ya two," she said. "Ah hope ya two realize yer actions will have consequences." And with that, she left the barn.

Apple Bloom had heard everything and was angry too. "Congratulations, grandmother, and big brother. Ah told ya two it was a bad idea, but did ya two listen? No! Now ya’ve lost mah sister’s trust for good, and ya’ve also lost mah respect." And she walked out of the barn as well.

Fluttershy wasn't faring it any better. Every animal ignored her when she tried to take care of them. Some were even rebellious enough to try and attack her. Right now, they wouldn't eat the food she had just gave them.

She knew she had no choice. Even though she was the element of kindness, these animals were being stubborn. So she took a deep breath...

"How dare you!"

This surprised all the animals and they turned to look at Fluttershy.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" scolded the yellow pegasus. "You may all hate Twilight right now, but that doesn't give you the right to harass your owner or my friends just for having different views!" She gave out "The Stare" to the animals, which scared them and they began eating the food Fluttershy had just laid out for them a few minutes ago.

Fluttershy was still angry, so she decided to take a few breaths and go outside of her cottage. She recounted all the things that happened several days ago: Twilight was banished, she and her friends became pariahs, Discord reformed, Lightning Dust's betrayal, the Cakes got bombed, and Flitter and Cloudchaser were banished.

"I wish Twilight didn't get blamed." sighed the pegasus to herself. "If she were still here, our lives would still be normal like usual."

"Alright, fellow crusaders and friends," said Scootaloo. "Today we're going to discuss why everypony's hatred towards Twilight is going too far."

Scootaloo was talking to her friend, Sweetie Belle, but it wasn't just them. Rumble, Pipsqueak and Button Mash were also there. Apparently, they had been kicked out of school too for believing Twilight was innocent and the Crusaders had gladly let them join their club.

"Say, where's Apple Bloom?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Just then the yellow filly came into the clubhouse. "Sorry, I'm late, I had to deal with my sister being harassed again."

"You're actually on time," said Pipsqueak, "Anyways, Scootaloo said we're going to talk about why everypony is taking their hatred towards Twilight too seriously."

"Oh yeah, that," growled Button Mash. "Cheerilee expelled you, me, and Rumble just for believing Twilight's innocence!"

"Me and mah sister got harassed by her brother and grandmother!" yelled Apple Bloom.

"Not to mention that Flitter and Cloudchaser also got banished as well," said Rumble. "I think there's a changeling on the loose again and is impersonating ponies! I mean, Helia is a good substitute for a foalsitter, she's just as kind and friendly, but she often makes me nap on the clouds with her."

"I'm sure she just wants you to relax yourself," reassured Scootaloo.

"I guess..." came the reply from the grey pegasus colt.

"But, if everypony realizes the truth," said Sweetie Belle, "How are these three going to get back? We don't even know where they are!"

This left the six fillies silent. Rumble piped up after a few minutes.

"Um, I guess I better be heading back home." said the grey pegasus colt, who had no answer to what Sweetie Belle had asked, and he left the clubhouse.

During Flitter and Cloudchaser's absence, things were difficult for Thunderlane. He never once believed that Twilight, Flitter and Cloudchaser were guilty, and had even quit flying practice to spend time with his little brother and to get away from the other horrid pegasi.

Now he was sitting on the couch worrying about them and hoping they would be okay. Just then, Rumble flew in.

"Little bro!" shouted Thunderlane. "How are you?"

"It's been good in spite of Twilight and my two foalsitters still being missing," said Rumble. "Anyways, how's your day so far, big bro?"

"Terrible," said the dark gray pegasus. "I miss Twilight already, and I miss Flitter and Cloudchaser even more! I appreciate Helia's help, but it just isn't the same without these two."

"The feeling's mutual, big bro," said Rumble.

"Hey, you two?" came the voice of Helia. "I baked you two some cookies!"

"Not right now, Helia," said Rumble. "Me and Thunderlane are talking about, um, stuff."

"Oh okay," said the blue pegasus. "If you two want cookies, they are on the counter in the kitchen!"

"You quit your family?!"

Applejack looked at Pinkie Pie, who had said the surprised response.

"Ahm sorry, sugarcube, but ah just can't take it anymore. Mah family wants me to stay away from them and ah have had it with the way they treat me right now."

Pinkie Pie looked at the orange farm pony, and then she sighed,

"I know how you feel. My parents never appreciated my parties. Even on my birthday, they never let me have a party or even any fun at all. They took the dullness of their rock farm job too seriously. The only party I successfully had back then was when I discovered my cutie mark and made my family smile for once. But that was one time. They found my parties annoying. Luckily, I had three of my best sisters, because they were my only sisters, who liked the dullness of the rock farm job more, but at the same time, they respected my choices and even stood up for me a few times. It got to a point where me and my parents had an argument that I quitted the family and ran away, but not before I said my farewells to my sisters. I ended up being found by Mr. and Mrs. Cake, who were kind to me, took me in to Sugarcube Corner, and that's where I live now."

After Pinkie told her story, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity and Spike were surprised at how sad the pink mare's past was. They all began tearing up a bit. (except Applejack, who cried on the inside)

"Pinkie, darling," said Rarity, "You never told us that."

"I was waiting for the right time to tell you all that backstory, and when Applejack told us that she quit her family, I knew how she felt."

"Um, excuse me?" wondered Fluttershy, "What happened to your family now?"

"They're still working and living at the rock farm," said Pinkie. "My sisters are still in contact with me. They write emails every month about what's been going on at the farm lately and I write back."

"Nice to see that there's at least some family that cares about ya, sugarcube," said Applejack. "Apple Bloom was the only one in mah family who still cares about me now, and even then she suffered just as much as ah did."

"Say, if you and Apple Bloom quit your family," wondered Rainbow Dash, "Where are you two going to live?"

"The library's been empty without Twilight," said Spike. "You and your sister can live there until your family realizes their mistake."

"Aw, shucks, sugarcube," said Applejack gratefully. "Ah'll go look for my sister and tell her."

"Well, ah'm going to have to get used to it, since it's a new place for us to live," said the yellow filly once her older sister asked her, "but ah'm in!"

That night, Rumble, Thunderlane, and Helia were sleeping together in the bed.

"Oh hello, big bro," Rumble greeted. "It's nice to see you feel better."

"Yeah," said Thunderlane. "Thanks to you."

"You're welcome," smiled the younger pegasus brother.

"Can you two keep it down?" grunted Helia, "I'm trying to sleep and I don't want any noisy interruptions. How can I fly well if I don't get my beauty sleep?"

"By 'fly well', you mean nap on the clouds all day," Thunderlane chuckled.

"Plus, it's not like you don't snore loudly at night," smirked Rumble. Helia's protests were drowned out by the laughter of the two pegasi brothers.

Before long, the three pegasi went to sleep. All the same, Thunderlane had his thoughts about Twilight, Flitter and Cloudchaser and had high hopes that they would be okay.

Author's Note

When writing this chapter, I edited some of the other chapters to fix the quotes from Applejack and her family to have their accent. ("Ah" replaces "I", "Ya" replaces "You", "Mah" replaces "My".)

We also get a few more ponies who believe the innocence of Twilight, Flitter and Cloudchaser!

I felt that after the Sugarcube Corner incident from "Intermission: Bombing the Bakery", Rumble needed a substitute foalsitter, so I chose Helia, as I felt like she would be the best substitute, plus given that she was seen with Thunderlane in "Hurricane Fluttershy" and "Rainbow Falls" (despite that episode not having happened yet in this AU), it would make sense. I also gave her a personality. In my headcanon, she's like Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy in a way, she's usually kind to others, but sometimes likes to slack off on the clouds and gets annoyed when her sleep is interrupted.

Also, about Pinkie's parents, this is an AU, so several things will be different. This includes the personalities of several characters.

This chapter happens simultaneously with the events of Pulting it to Use.
Next chapter will be happening simultaneously with the events of Chill Out.