Boundaries

The loud buzz of the phone vibrating on the nightstand simply became too annoying to ignore and the timid teenager begrudgingly answered the ill timed summons. "Uhm. Hello? I'm sorry, but this is a really bad time right now. If you could."

"Fluttershy! Finally! Listen, Applejack hasn't been to school for the last two days and Rainbow is almost catatonic. She doesn't speak and she barely blinks! I'm really worried about them both. We're all going to go to Sweet Apple Acres together to see if we can't work this out between them. Is Sunset there with you? She's not answering her phone." Twilight said in a tone just below hysterics. Fluttershy looked at her girlfriend and blinked silently for several seconds. "Fluttershy?"

"Oh, um. No, She can't talk right now, but you're on speaker, she can hear you." Fluttershy said, casually pressing the button on the remote in her hand.

"Okay, good. We're all gonna meet up and go together. How soon can you two meet us?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy did some quick calculations in her head. They'd have to disconnect the straps, tidy up the mess, scrape off the wax, wipe up the puddles, clean the tools, get undressed, bathe, and get dressed again. "Ummm. . . Can we just meet you at the gate to the farm in an hour?"

The worried bookworm sighed with discontent. "Fine, but please hurry!" The line went dead in the yellow girl's hand.

Fluttershy sighed hard with annoyance and worry. "Sunny Bunny, I'm sorry, but we have to hurry this up. Your mistress will graciously allow you to finish early today." She pressed a different button on the remote and again the sound of loud buzzing could be heard along with the convulsive rattling of chains. After the still trembling teenager was lowered from her restraints, cleaned, and clothed, the two made their way to their friend's farm.

"Alright!" A very annoyed Sunset Shimmer shouted as she slammed the door to Fluttershy's van. "What's so important that you had to interrupt Mistress Flu. Woah. . ." She stopped suddenly when she caught a look at Rainbow Dash's face. She was white as a sheet. It looked like she hadn't slept in days and her eyes were as red as if she'd poured bleach into them. "Rainbow! Oh my gosh! Is this still the whole? . . ." She tilted her head towards the house to signify who she was talking about without having to say the name. "I mean I knew She loved her, but I expected someone like R.D. to bounce right back onto her feet."

"No, she's positively distraught over the matter." Rarity said as she helped the nearly limp girl out of her car.

"Yeah! It's spooky! It's like when Applejack left she took Dashies soul with her." Pinkie said, flailing the limp hands about. Everyone assembled shushed the silly girl, but it was too late. The cat was out of the bag.

At the name Rainbow's red eyes swam back into focus. She began to move like one slowly waking from a coma. "Abblejuh." She mumbled dreamily, as she blearily looked around. In a flash her vision cleared and she realized where she was. Her magic wings appeared and she flew like a dart towards the farm house. The rest of the girls followed as fast as they could run down the dirt trail, but the panicked lover was already pounding on the door when they arrived panting and puffing.

"Gosh darnit! Hold yer dern hosses a cotton pickin minute!" Granny snapped irritably as she flung open the door. "Cain't an old lady take a nap in her own home without someone breakin down the door?" She saw the collective concerned faces and recognized them as her granddaughter's little friends. "Oh hello there youngins! What can I."

"Where's Applejack?!" Rainbow shouted, interrupting the old woman.

Both Sunset and Twilight lashed out a hand to cover the worried lover's mouth and pull her away from the door. "So sorry about that ma'am!" Sunset pleaded apologetically.

Twilight cleared her throat. "Granny Smith? Applejack hasn't been to school in the last two days? Is she alright? She's not answering her phone and we're really worried." Every head nodded in agreement.

A dark cloud seemed to pass over the face of the senior citizen. "She ain't here." Granny began. Rainbow went limp at the news. "She's at some camp because some BOY couldn't keep his hands to hisself and got her as messed up insahde as a fox in a henhouse. Now she's gotta go get her head all straightened out." She waved her cane menacingly. "I always said chidren lovin on each other was askin fer trouble! N Iffn I find out who done treated mah little Jackie so bad, Imma! IMMA! Heck fire it ain't polahte to say what imma do in present compny!" The furious old woman fell heavily into Her rocking chair as if exhausted by the emotion.

Rainbow felt pierced to the heart by the explanation. She mirrored the action by her legs giving out from under her and falling heavily onto her butt on the wooden porch. Rarity and Sunset both crouched by the shell shocked girl. "Camp? What camp?" Fluttershy asked.

Granny Smith reached her cane inside and deftly snatched the brochure off of the table by the door. "This'n. Some kinda therapy camp ah think. Counsler at the school said it worked a trick fer silly children who get their hearts broken."

"Camp Chrysalis?" They all asked simultaneously.

"But when will she be back?" Pinkie asked.

Granny shook her head sadly. "Don't rightly know child. Poor thing." She noticed the mortified expression on Rainbow's face and pointed with her cane. "What's a matter with this'n? She get her heart broken too?" She shook her head disapprovingly. "Kids these days."

The girls all shared one of those stealthy glances that in one look contained an entire conversation. They all knew that Applejack hadn't told Granny about her relationship with Rainbow Dash and confirmed that none of them should betray their friend's secret. "Oh uhm she's just concerned for poor Applejack." Rarity said, trying without success to hoist the limp girl to her feet.

"Can I hold on to this?" Twilight said as she wrapped a blue arm over her neck. Granny nodded her head and they trudged away with their burden in tow.

"What'd we do now?" Pinkie asked, her big blue puppy dog eyes swelling up in concern for her friends.

"For now let's just get Rainbow home." Sunset Shimmer said, sweating under her burden.

Rainbow for her part was completely unaware of the conversation. Granny's creaking accusatory voice echoed over and over again in her mind, "Messed up insahde. Broken hearted. Treated her so bad." Every word striking her like a physical blow to the heart. She'd driven her away. The love of her young life and she'd driven her away! Applejack had JUST said she LOVED her and Rainbow had just hurt her so bad she had to physically flee just to get away from her!

The limp girl's thousand yard stare happened to catch the brochure in Twilight's hand and she snatched it away faster than the eye could track. She crushed the colorful paper in her trembling hands as she devoured every word on the page. "Camp Chrysalis! Just outside of town!" Her magical wings once again sprouted and she rocketed up into the air. Before anyone could tell her otherwise she dashed off into the distance, leaving a shimmering trail behind her.

"Rainbow!" Twilight called uselessly after the rapidly retreating girl. She sighed hard and a tear came to her eye.

"Poor thing." Fluttershy said quietly The last of the colorful trail disappeared, leaving a big pale empty sky in its wake.

Sunset Shimmer took Fluttershy's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. A determined look came into her eye. "Well girls." She gave each of them a stern look. "We've been through hard times before but we've always managed to get through them somehow. So, what are we gonna do about this?" She looked to Twilight for any ideas she might have.

The purple person put a pointer to her chin and paced while she pondered. "Well, maybe we should find out what we can about this Camp Chrysalis, see if it's on the up and up."

"Um, Granny said the school counselor recommended it to her. I can talk to her about it. I mean. If you want me to." The shy girl suggested softly, earning an approving squeeze from her girlfriend.

"I think at least some of us should see if we can't retrieve Rainbow before she does something foolish." Rarity added, picking up the pace towards the gate.

Twilight nodded, "Right, Pinkie and Rarity, see if you can't find Rainbow. Fluttershy, Sunset, you go talk to the school counselor, see what this camp is all about."

They began a brisk jog towards their cars, but Pinkie stopped. "What'll you do Twi?"

"I'm going to go talk to Cadence. If anyone will know what to do, it's her." The scholar said with a confident smile.

She was immediately snatched by the collar of her shirt and pulled nose to nose with the fashionista. "Cadence! Your sister in law! Mi Amore Cadenza the most beautiful prom princess in Canterlot High history!" She squealed in excitement. "Can't I go with you? Please! I simply idolize her! Please please please!''

Pinkie lifted the hysterical fan girl straight into the air. "Hey mister missy miss! I'm supposed to be the one who's easily distracted and over excited! Stay in your lane! Plus, we're on Rainbow wrangling duty!" She produced a cowboy hat from who knows where and slapped it down onto Rarity's head. She let out a loud yeehaw and stuffed Rarity into her rather stylish luxury sedan. The rest got in their respective vehicles and made their way to their various objectives.