Author's Note

Pairing: N/A

Contains repressed lusting for griffondom, adult Apple Bloom struggling to keep Rainbow Dash together, a one-on-one friend date gone wrong, and a cliffhanger ending!

Rainbow's Relapse

“Rainbow Dash…Dash…c’mon, it's time to buck apples!”

“Applejack?” Dash’s eyes fluttered open, her heart plummeting as the orange shape she was expecting ended up being a smaller yellow mare with a red mane staring back at her. Instead of the glare she wore at Rainbow Dash the first few days she was back at the barn, her face was fallen like she was staring at a dead dog she found on the side of the road. Somehow, Rainbow Dash hated that expression more as she got up and walked past Apple Bloom with a walk that more resembled a limp as she managed to stare at herself in the mirror. Her lean and athletic body was exaggeratedly thin from all the weight she had lost the past two weeks, her kept mane completely disheveled and her hooves caked with mud from the nights before. Apple Bloom walked up to her and coughed as soon as she breathed in the pegasus’ direction.

“Great Celestia!” Apple Bloom wheezed. “How long has it been since you took a shower?!”

“How long has it been since I came back from that place?” Dash retorted as she glared at the mare.

“R-Rainbow Dash, how ah’m ah supposed to just watch you throw away everythin’ from your place in the Wonderbolts to even somethin’ as simple as your basic hygiene!” Apple Bloom stomped her hoof. “Ya think it isn’t hard for me to keep workin’ when mah older sister threw her life away?! To not just give up like she did?!”

Dash winced as she wasn’t even longing for Applejack the same way she did before the incident. Sure, Applejack was a dear friend she missed from time to time, but when she thought about the way Gabby and Silverstream threw her around and played with her? That is where the real searing pain began. It was a knife that stabbed further into her heart with each passing day, as she got a flicker of just why Applejack threw everything away…

…and Rainbow Dash completely blew her chances.

What?! You should be glad you’re away from them! You have dreams! And family who cares about you!

“I already told you, it was approved time off from the Wonderbolts,” Dash emphasized with a weak roll of her eyes. “And last time I checked, showering isn’t a requirement for bucking apples, now is it?”

“It is now,” Apple Bloom snapped. “Now c’mon! You’re jumping in the shower with me before we go!”

Normally, the 19-year old mare’s yellow flanks would entice the rainbow-maned pegasus, but now staring at them felt like staring at paint dry as Rainbow Dash watched Apple Bloom untie her bow and place it on the bathroom counter before beckoning the pegasus inside with one hoof. As Rainbow Dash trotted inside, Apple Bloom turned on the hot water and gave a small smile at Rainbow Dash.

“Ah know ah’m not mah sister,” Bloom sighed as her smile crumbled right away. “But can ya at least try to take care of yourself? Do we not matter to you?”

“Of c-course you matter!” Dash felt a pang in her heart as she stood up straight and galloped into the shower, gasping as she felt the hot flash of water landing on her dirty body. As she felt her frazzled mane get drenched in hot water and the caked mud on her hooves getting washed away, Rainbow Dash felt a flicker of warmth for the first time in two weeks. She could still take care of herself, work hard enough, and still have ponies who love her…

Rainbow Dash felt a sharp and uncomfortable feeling at the thought, and the sense of wrongness returned to her. What was wrong? Wasn’t this good? Why did it feel like her sense of aliveness was being pulled out from underneath her?

Apple Bloom joined Rainbow Dash in the shower, closing the sliding shower door as she smiled at Rainbow Dash only to frown again as she saw the pegasus’ expression. Apple Bloom felt frozen underneath the hot water, staring at Rainbow Dash’s dead eyes. Apple Bloom bit her lip, restraining the desire to scream as she pumped shampoo into one of her forehooves and began scrubbing Rainbow Dash’s mane, focusing on how her dull mane was steadily returning its bright and prismatic shine. Apple Bloom scowled as she started recalling doing the same thing for Granny Smith as she was reaching the last several months of her life. Had Rainbow Dash been reduced to that little of a state to help herself? What would Applejack do?

Apple Bloom winced, whispering to Rainbow Dash to close her eyes before she stood on her hindlegs and pointed the showerhead at Rainbow Dash’s mane. She knew, deep down before all of this, that Applejack would want her to do whatever she could to bring Rainbow Dash from this deep pit of despair.

But in a world where mah sister would abandon her own family...is that even possible?

Apple Bloom moved the shower head back to its normal spot on the wall, getting back on her four hooves as she grabbed the wet bar of soap and started moving it down Rainbow Dash’s back. Slowly, Rainbow Dash opened her wings and sighed as her tail started flickering back and forth. Apple Bloom washed the pegasus’ form and felt her heart aching more and more at just how thin Rainbow Dash had become. She slowly cleaned her wings and her tail, bringing back its shine as she eventually found herself staring at the older mare’s pussy and ponut. Rainbow Dash moved one of her wings back while Apple Bloom was staring, snatching the bar of soap from the earth pony before she could react.

“I’ve got it, you take care of your mane,” Dash sighed. Apple Bloom shook out of her trance, proceeding to scrub her own mane with shampoo at the other side of the shower room while Rainbow Dash scrubbed her intimate parts thoroughly, finding her face twitching as each physical reminder of her shared intimacy with Gabby and Silverstream was being washed away. After a few more minutes, the two mares were done with their shower as they walked out and dried themselves with the towels in the bathroom.

“Hey, don’t worry about bucking apples today,” Bloom broke the silence, and flinched as Rainbow Dash turned and stared at her wide-eyed.

“Are you sure? I can be a big help to you two!” Dash insisted. “Please, Apple Bloom. It’s the only thing I have keeping me from completely giving up-”

“Okay, okay!” Apple Bloom threw a forehoof up in the air as she closed her eyes for a moment before giving Rainbow Dash a firm stare. “But not until you’ve gone out and eaten something. You could use a change of scenery, so ah don’t want ya back at Sweet Apple Acres until you’ve got a full belly, ya hear?”

“Ugh, fine!” Dash rolled her eyes, throwing her towel onto the counter as she opened the door and walked out of the bathroom. “You’re right…maybe a flight and some food could do me some good.”

“That’s the spirit!” Apple Bloom beamed. “Me and Big Mac will be out all day, so take yer time!”

Rainbow Dash walked out of the barn, not even bothering to see where Big Mac was when she charged up the hillside, opening her wings and taking flight. She didn’t even bother to savor the feeling of the wind behind her wings as she sailed over Ponyville and stared at the ground, looking intently for any pink clothing. Eventually, she landed in the middle of Ponyville as she kept looking, knowing that finding what she was looking for would’ve been near impossible from an airborne point of view. As she stared at ponies smiling and waving at her, she glanced over them until her heart practically somersaulted in her chest at the pink collar and skirt laying right outside of somepony’s house. After two weeks, it was still there where she dropped it! Rainbow Dash felt life renewed in her wings and hooves as she galloped towards it, charging at the abandoned clothes like she was rushing towards an old friend…

“Darling, is that you?”

FUCK! Rainbow Dash halted in her tracks, her eyes still laser-focused on the clothing crying out her name as she felt her breathing getting shorter. It was literally right in front of her, and yet she was helpless to watch Rarity walk in between her and the pink articles on the dirt.

“What’s wrong dear? You look like you’ve seen a…” Rarity drifted off as she slowly turned around and looked at the skirt and collar. “OH! Oh my, whatever in Equestria is that?”

Rarity slowly walked towards the pink articles, and Rainbow Dash felt her thoughts running at a mile an hour. It took her every inch of her willpower to not knock the unicorn out of the way and snatch up the clothing, letting Rarity use her magic to lift the collar and reading the nametag.

“Is this Applejack’s?!” Rarity gasped. “Oh my stars! Rainbow Dash, did Applejack decide to come back to the barn?! Oh, this is the best news-”

“No, she didn’t,” Dash managed to interrupt the squealing unicorn through gritted teeth, and felt herself getting even more tense as Rarity stared at the collar even more intensely.

“Then however do you think this could’ve ended up here?” Rarity asked before she smiled at Rainbow Dash with a twinkle in her eye. “Do you think this warrants the return of Detective Rarity-”

“NO!” Rainbow Dash snapped, interrupting Rarity the second time in a row. “One of her…owners probably ripped this off her before h-having their way with her b-by sliding the skirt off and groping her butt a-and then taking off the collar as she…she…”

Oh no, please for the love of Celestia, do not cum right in front of Rarity!

“Darling, are you alright?” Rarity frowned as she tilted her head at Rainbow Dash.

“Y-Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?!” Dash answered loudly, wincing afterwards as she sighed. “Look, I want to visit Applejack again, and wouldn’t it only be fair to return that to her myself? After all, I’m the one who technically found it.”

“That is true…” Rarity whispered as she glanced down at the collar once more before winking at Rainbow Dash. “Alright, but let's have lunch first! It’s been forever since we’ve had one-on-one time, darling! We absolutely must catch up!”

“Well, Apple Bloom did say I should eat something,” Dash muttered with a hoof to her lips before she shrugged and smiled at Rarity. “Fuck it, why not? Just let me hold onto-”

“Nonsense dear, I’ll just put this somewhere in the boutique for safekeeping, and you can pick it up on the way back~” Rarity smirked as she carried the collar and skirt with her magic, trotting towards her boutique only a short distance away as Rainbow Dash followed her. Rarity opened the door, walking back inside and leaving Rainbow Dash to pace outside with her flattened ears and fast movement as she practically created a circle out of her hoofprints in the dirt. The blue pegasus jolted and gasped as Rarity swung the door open and batted her eyelashes at the pegasus.

“Shall we?” Rarity nodded as she proceeded to walk past Rainbow Dash, flipping her mane as she shook her tail from side to side. “There’s this new café that opened up just a few weeks ago, and I’ve been dying to go and try out their sandwiches! Let’s get going before it gets busy!”

Dash nodded, glancing back at the boutique before gulping and flying after Rarity. The two approached the cream yellow building with its red roof, and saw lots of tables outside the establishment as well as inside. The building with its meadow green letters spelled out Kirin Kraze Kafe, catching Rainbow Dash’s eye as she followed Rarity inside the building. Many Kirin, and even several ponies, were behind the counters throwing together sandwiches and pouring bowls of soup for customers conversing at the various tables in the spacious building with its meadow green interior. Rainbow Dash pulled out a menu as Rarity chatted with the Kirin at the register, asking her usual several questions before deciding on the menu item she wanted the whole time. She then smiled at Rainbow Dash, who was staring at the words on the menu as her mind was on replay, feeling a rush of need as she couldn’t stop thinking of talons and beaks and talons and beaks-

“Darling, do you know what you want?” Rarity asked.

Yes, but I can never have what I want anymore, now can I?

“Y-Yeah, I’ll take the bowl of Loaded Potato Soup and a fountain drink,” Dash ended up saying instead as she placed the menu back on the counter. “Thanks Rarity, y-you didn’t have to do this.”

“Hush now, a lady should treat her friends every now and then!” Rarity leaned over and placed a foreleg around Rainbow Dash’s shoulders and used the other forehoof to place a generous amount of bits on the counter. “You keep the change, sweetheart.”

“Thank you!” the Kirin at the counter grinned. “We’ll have you order out shortly~”

Rainbow Dash took the offered cup and got some lemonade before joining Rarity at a table right next to the windows. Rarity sipped away at her drink, never taking her peacefully narrowed gaze off her friend as she stopped sipping her drink and opened her mouth.

“Well, we might as well get the obvious out of the way,” Rarity shrugged. “So our lovely Applejack is a pet for griffons now.”

“Griffonesses,” Dash muttered. “And a hippogriff too.”

“What was that now, darling?” Rarity’s eyes widened a little.

“Nothing!” Dash grinned. “Um…y-yeah, I heard about that too?”

“Only heard about it?” Rarity watched as a Kirin walked over to their table, placing a tray with both their meals onto the middle of the table. “Thank you dear.”

The Kirin smiled and nodded before walking away, and Rarity fixed her gaze on Rainbow Dash once more as she picked up her hay and tomato sandwich while Rainbow Dash picked up a spoon with her wing and started picking away at the soup little by little.

“Rainbow Dash, Apple Bloom told me you spent the night there several weeks ago.”

Rainbow Dash nearly choked on her spoon, spitting out a potato back into the soup as she dropped her spoon and looked up at Rarity’s narrowed eyes, no longer gentle in their gaze.

“Um, p-part of the night,” Dash confessed. “But it was to try and convince Applejack to leave! And she defended those griffonesses till I got kicked out. I’m telling the truth.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity spoke up right before taking another bite of her sandwich.

“Yes?”

“Do you really think I’m that stupid?”

“I didn’t lie about any of that,” Dash frowned.

“I don’t believe you did either, darling,” the word came out of Rarity’s mouth with venom as she stared down at Rainbow Dash. “But the way you rushed towards that skirt and collar, and the way you positively shuddered at the thought of those ‘griffonesses’ taking advantage of Applejack…you don’t care about Applejack at all, do you?”

“How dare you!” Dash’s wings came out from her sides as she glared at Rarity, not even bothering to keep her tone down in the public setting. “I fought tooth and nail to get her to leave, don’t you see how hard it’s been for me to accept her decision?! I’m just trying to be supportive!”

“And rushing towards the skirt and collar?” Rarity tilted her head. “You have yet to explain that to me, darling.”

“I don’t owe you any explanation!” Dash found herself completely cold to the touch and exposed to the unicorn with no way out. The worst part was Rainbow Dash wasn’t entirely sure why she was so determined to bring those articles of clothing back to the three feathery ladies until that very moment. Be damned if she had to grovel and beg, she wanted to return to them. She saw no hope in helping Apple Bloom and Big Mac, and the rainbow-maned pony was completely stunned as Rarity smirked and pressed her snow white hoof on Dash’s blue hoof.

“Have you seen Fluttershy or Pinkie lately?” Rarity pressed a hoof to her own chest, causing Rainbow Dash’s eyes to widen as she continued. “While we’ve neverdone lewd acts with one another, I’ve heard from the both of them that they had done stuff with you. Why not talk to them? Perhaps at the same time? I know that you’ll stop fantasizing about getting what Applejack has and settle for who you already ha-”

“There was no fantasizing,” Dash’s wings returned to her sides as she gave Rarity a deadpan stare, having finally understood what she wanted. “I fucked two of them that same day, and it was better than Applejack, than Fluttershy, than Pinkie. You can tell them that too. I’m done pretending to be somepony I’m not, and you can fight me from getting those clothes, but I’m going back to that house with or without those clothes. So either we eat here peacefully and you take me to get that skirt and collar, or I’ll go to the house myself right away.”

“Or option number three,” Rarity stated, pushing her empty plate to the side as she stood out of her seat. “I hold you down and take you back to Apple Bloom and Big Mac, and they can talk you out of-”

Before Rarity had the chance to use her magic to hold Rainbow Dash down, the blue pegasus bolted out of the restaurant like a legion of demons were at her tail. Being one of the fastest ponies in Equestria didn’t have a better purpose than that very moment, with the prismatic mare zooming with lightning speed in and out of Rarity’s boutique with the skirt and collar firmly held in her muzzle. Rocketing towards the feathery babes’ house with a constant flap of her athletic wings, Rainbow Dash stopped before the door with her heart thundering in her chest.

Knowing that any one of her unconverted friends could try and stop her at any moment, Rainbow Dash frantically knocked on the door. In moments that stretched out into minutes in the blue pegasus’ mind, Dash gulped and felt her body shaking as the door opened and revealed Gilda towering over her, glaring down at the blue mare.

“What the fuck do you want?” Gilda spat.