Doubts of Friendship

by mbpony 512

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Sad, Dark, Comedy
Length: 2133

When Loyalty is questioned, who will answer the call ?

After the events of Mysterious Mare-do-well, Rainbow Dash felt a bit angered at the lengths her friends went to go teach her a "lesson." In fact, she was angered so much over what happen, that it caused her to question her own friendships with each of them.

So with the aid fo Zecora, Rainbow Dash made it so that her "friends" could realize just how far they truly went…

This is by no means a Troll fic as I am trying to make both sides have their say in this and make each character question their actions and their importance of being one of the Elements of Harmony.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-02-26 14:18:10 UTC

Prolouge

Disclaimer: The following characters are not a product of mine as they are the property of Lauren Faust and Hasbro.

This is my response to the Mare-do-well storyline, as Rainbow Dash decides to give the others a little taste of their own medicine with the aid of Zecora's magics

“They Tricked me…my own friends tricked me Tank! They tricked me in a way that even I wouldn’t do.”

The flying tortoise saw his rainbow haired master walking back and forth upon their cloud home.

Rainbow Dash was a bit upset over the recent revelation of her friends tricking her to teach her a lesson. Sure, she was stubborn enough to admit that she was a bit of a jerk in some ways, but the way her friends did it to her in front of the entire town… was not cool….”Not cool at all Tank,” she states her flying friend.

“Friends don’t go out of their way to pull the ultimate trick on each other…I mean, even I have my limits when it comes to a good prank.”

Tank did nothing but listen as Rainbow Dash continued, “I try my best to avoid the feelings of others, so that whenever it came down to either them or me, I would chose them. I mean, I’m the Element of Loyalty for Celestia’s sake. What’s good of being loyal to your friends when they play tricks on you?”

Tank still couldn’t respond to his master and friend, so he hid in his shell for a fear of her reaction.

“I wouldn’t expect you to know Tank,” stated Rainbow Dash as she looks down upon the paper and quill.

“Ugh, I can’t do this letter thing; I’m just so messed up right now.” Soon she started to head out the door, but not before saying, “I’m stepping out Tank, I gotta clear my mind a bit. I’ll expect you to guard the house while I’m gone.”

She closed the door and took off not responding to the sad look upon the tortoise face.

Several weeks later Pinkie Pie was bouncing along the way down Ponyville in search for her best friend and buddy, Rainbow Dash.

It was around that time when talk of the Mare-do-well has calmed down a bit. So Pinkie thinks it’s about time for her and Dashie to pull a fast prank on the citizens’ of Ponyville once more. The problem was trying to find Rainbow Dash, as no pony has seen her since the Mare-do-well thing. Pinkie was bouncing along her way minding her own business when suddenly…

“Pinkie,” cried out a voice. She turned around and saw a little scooter coming her way and on it was its rider and Rainbow Dash’s number one fan, Scootaloo.

“Hey there Scootaloo,” Pinkie said with a smile, “What ya doing?”

“Looking for you” the little orange filly stated with a hint of urgency,” I was hoping you could tell me where Rainbow Dash is? I mean no pony has ever seen her since the whole ‘you know…’”

“Oh well, I was on my way to look for Dashie right now, I’m bet she’s over the whole prank by now and is willing to go through a new one,” Pinkie states.

The little orange filly looked at the strange pink adult mare with confusion…”A prank… she still things that thing was a prank?”

“Well whatever you say Pinkie pie,’ states Scootaloo as she turns and speeds away.

Pinkie Pie watches as Scootaloo left behind in a train of dust before bouncing her way once more.

Pinkie knew that Dashie had to be over the joke by now… I mean yeah, she hasn’t been seen in Ponyville for almost two weeks, but that was because Pinkie thought she was trying to lie low until the heat of this thing dies down.

So she decided to gather up her usual balloons and float her way up to Rainbow Dash’s cloud house that was just above her view, just to see if her best friend was home.

After gathering her many balloons and using a bit of the wind as luck, she was able to find Rainbow Dash’s cloud home. She knocked on the door, “Oh Dashie, it’s your beloved Auntie Pinkie. I’m here to see if you want to pull a great prank on Rarity today, I mean, it involves mixing her thread streams with party streamers and as soon as she uses them, it will rip to shreads upon the first pull. Oh man, the look on her face would be priceless, wouldn’t you agree Dashie?”

Yet, as soon as Pinkie Pie talked in hopes of getting a response from her friend, she was greeted with silence.

“Dashie?” asked Pinkie Pie again.

With no answer, she decided to look upon the window and she soon saw the house emptied. Nothing was living in there.

“Maybe she’s not home,” stated Pinkie, Pie as she decides to float on to the second place she thinks Rainbow Dash maybe.

Yet, it turns out she wasn’t at her secret second place either. So then she decides to see if Applejack has seen her, since Rainbow Dash would occasionally deliver special rainclouds to the farmers of Ponyville.

“Ah’m sorry sugarcube,” stated the apple farmer pony, “Ah haven’t seen nither hide nor hair of Rainbow Dash all day. Isn’t that right Big Mac?”

“Nope,” stated the elder red big brother of Applejack.

“You saw Rainbow Dash?” states Pinkie Pie, “Oh please, tell me, tell me, tell me…”

“Came by an hour ago this morning, when you were in the kitchen AJ eating breakfast,” stated the elder pony, “Brought us a spare raincloud for a quick shower, took some apples with her and left just as you got out.”

“She…took our apples?” stated Applejack in confusion.

“Eeeyup,” stated Big Mac. “She headed over yonder to them Cakes people.”

“To the Sugarcube Corner,” shouted Pinkie.

Soon the two friends headed into the Sugarcube, but they were too late again.

“You just missed her Pinkie,” stated Mrs. Cake was at the register, “Rainbow Dash was just by here looking for some ingredients for some type of apple pie that she wanted to make.”

“Rainbow and cooking?!?” cried Applejack, “Ah reckoned those two don’t go well together. Did she tell ya where she was head ma’am?”

“Why yes, she was stopping by Twilight’s place for a few moments,” stated Mrs. Cake.

“To Twilight’s,” stated Pinkie Pie, as she was running off.

“Pinkie, what about the register?” asked Mrs. Cake.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, I’m sure Gummy can take care of it,” state Pinkie Pie to a worried Mrs. Cake. It’s not that she loved Pinkie as a daughter, it just that at time she can be a bit…scattered brained.

“I’m sorry girls, I didn’t even know that Rainbow Dash was here…” states Twilight Sparkle.

“That’s because she came when you were out looking for new paper,” stated Spike, the baby Dragon and Twilight’s best friend.

“What?” asked Twilight Sparkle in confusion to her number one assistant.

“I mean she was just here before you got back,” stated Spike, “Asking for some books on….something….I don’t remember.”

“Well did she tell you where she was headed next?” asked Pinkie, who rushed into Spike face with a hint of anger in her eyes.

“Err…she did say that she was headed to Rarity’s place,” stated Spike.

“Fine,” stated Twilight, “Let see if Rarity spotted her then.”

However, the three friends were in for some disappointment when they went to the fashion chic pony,

“I’m sorry darlings, but I have not seen Rainbow Dash anywhere in my boutique today.”

“But Rarity, Spike told us that Rainbow Dash was heading here,” stated Pinkie worried.

“And she was here,” shouted the little voice of Rarity’s little sister, Sweetie Belle.

“What?” stated Rarity, in a shock tone, “Whatever do you mean Sweetie Belle?”

“Well, Rainbow Dash was here while you were out front doing your order,” stated Sweetie Belle,” She just came by to borrow some threads and fabric for a secret something, then she headed her way into the Everfree Forest.”

Looking at the confused faces on the adult ponies, little Sweetie bell asked, “Did I do something wrong?”

“No Sweetie belle it’s not that,” stated Rarity calmly, “It just that the next time someone asks to use one of my threads. Please see to it that I know about it first.”

After seeing her little sister given a brief, but small smile of confidence, Rarity left with her friends to see if Fluttershy seen Rainbow Dash.

“Oh goodness, no,” stated Fluttershy when asked about the runaround Rainbow, “I didn’t know Rainbow Dash was anywhere near the Everfree Forest. We haven’t seen her all day, haven’t we Angel?”

The little bunny gave Fluttershy a bit of a dirty look that said, “What do you mean me? I don’t keep track of everypony you meet.”

“Still, it doesn’t add up…” said Twilight, “I mean we all missed seeing Rainbow Dash all day so far.”

“You don’t think she still….upset with us?”Fluttershy asked timidly.

“Nah, I reckon Rainbow just blowing off some steam, Fluttershy,” stated the proud Applejack.

“Yeah, I mean it’s not like this is a set up for a comeback prank….right?” asked Pinkie Pie to the audience.

Her friends looked at her with confused tones on their faces. When Twilight said, “You’re right Pinkie, I mean Rainbow Dash may want some time alone. “

“That’s right, she is a tough, but brutish, pony, besides we know she can handle herself,” states Rarity.

“Right, I mean she might be just visiting Zecora for the day,” stated Twilight, “You see, by this time tomorrow, Rainbow Dash is sure to be back to her normal self.”

“Darn tooting,” stated Applejack, “Come on girls, let’s head back to Ponyville.”

“Yeah, we can plan a welcome back Rainbow Dash party,” shouted Pinkie Pie.

Fluttershy accompanied the other ponies back into little village home, fully unaware of what is transpiring within the depths of the Everfree Forest…

Located within the depths of the Everfree forest, lived a zebra herbalist named Zecora, a good friend to the Elements of Harmony when it came to potions and magic that was more practical than mystical. It was here that Rainbow Dash resided for the day with the stuff she brought with her…

“Are you sure you up to this Rainbow Dash? This trick of yours could be your last,” questioned the Zebra herbalist.

“I know Zecora,” states Rainbow Dash, “I wouldn’t have done all of this if I didn’t have reason,” stated Rainbow Dash.

With a slight nod, Zecora got started on her work. She crafted up her brew of magic and within a few hours she was done.

“Now Rainbow Dash, bring the items that you wish to stash,” states Zecora.

With a nod Rainbow Dash dropped the items one by one…a few apples from Sweetie Apple Acres, A pie tin from the Sugarcube corner, a book of nightmares, some threads and needle, some herbs, and the most important ingredient of all: bits and pieces of her own rainbow hair so that the things will carry her essence.

With a swish and a swash the culdron boiled over and soon with a poof the items appeared one by one: a perfectly made Apple pie, a soft blanket to lay on and a container with herbal tea.

“It is done my rainbow friend,” states the zebra, “The contents you require are at an end.”

“Will they do what I asked for?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Yes, for you see, the blanket will immobilize any pony,’ Zecora stated.

“And the pie?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“The pie is filled with its natural sweets for anyone who takes a piece,” states Zecora, “However it for those who taste it must beware that it is enhance with essence of Nightmare.”

“Nightmare?” asked Rainbow.

“For any pony who takes a slice,” states Zecora, “they will see the worse nightmare of their life.”

“Good, and the juice?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“The juice is filled with herbs and spice,” states Zecora, ‘That will put a pony to sleep for life.”

“Yet, you place these objects so that they could last a good while or so…like say half a day, right?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Zecora nodded with response.

“Thank you for your help Zecora,” stated Rainbow Dash as she started to gather her things and leave.

“What will you do now Rainbow Dash, will you still go down this dark path?” asked Zecora.

“We have a saying in the weather biz,” states Rainbow Dash, “And that is that for every dark cloud, there’s always a silver lining.”

With that Rainbow Dash took off towards her home and started to plan for the picnic of her friends lives.