1 year later

A new day has arrived as the cheerful citizens of the sky city of Cloudsdale wake up ready to start the day, while it was only an hour as the sun rose, the cloud streets were already filled with dozens of happy pegasus's who were ready for a new day. With young and teenage fillies getting ready for another day of school, whereas the adults were prepared to earn their paychecks at their respected jobs. But there was one pegasus who would find that her plans for today would take a different turn.

A loud snore can be heard from the apartment complex which said pegasus resided in, while it wasn't her ideal living condition, it was still good enough for the pegasus as it was the only thing her final paycheck from her whether team job from her former home of Ponyville was able to afford at the moment until the mare was able to find something bigger for her and her pet tortuous whom was also nestled comfortably on his little makeshift pet bed. Soon the sound of a clanging sound echoed the room as the mares alarm clock activated the hands made contact with 8am . The pegasus let out a groan as she struggled to blindly turn off the alarm, after a few seconds, the mare managed to snooze the top of the alarm.

As soon as the alarm was shut, the pegasus began to rise out of her bed as a long yawn exited from her mouth, all while the morning sun illuminated from her bedroom window. The mare then stretched her muscles before wiping the sleepiness from her eyes as she struggled to fully get up and out of her bed to start the day, finally she managed to open her eyes as she surveyed her little bedroom along with her pet who was still sound asleep.

"Hehe, I swear you sleep in longer than me big guy" She chuckled, and then turned her attention to her alarm clock to read the time. "Celestia damn it, I set the alarm an hour ahead again!" She then rubbed her temple in silent frustration. "Thank Celestia the shops closed on Mondays, I do not feel like getting yelled at by my boss for oversleeping." The pegasus then turned her attention towards the morning sun that continued to shine through her window. " Hmmmm looks like a nice day, maybe I'll grab breakfast at the cafe and maybe hang at the mall, maybe they have that new sportscoat I've had my eye......................"

She then stopped talking for a second when the realization came that she was two seconds away from sounding like a certain fashionista the moment she mentioned the sportscoat, the memory of how the purple maned unicorn would always fawn over the latest fashion trend, and wanting to be the first to get her hands on it. But the pegasus was quick to brush off this memory, as the reminder of why she moved back here in the first place played off. She then took it upon herself to survey the trash can which was piled up with not only food wrappers, tissues, soda cans, but also hundreds of unopened apology letters sent by non other than her former friends. While a part of her secretly felt bad for not even taking the time to read how sorry they were for the Mare do Well incident. The mare in question wasn't quite ready to see them again as said event wasn't easy to just forget, hell she didn't even bother to open the 22nd birthday card she received last week knowing that it was probably sent by non other than the element of laughter.

After letting out a long sigh, the mare finally leapt out of bed to prepare for the day, but not before checking to see if Tanks food and water dishes were full enough to last for half the day till she got back. As she opened her bedroom door, she took one last look at the piled up trashcan before finally exiting.

"Still not ready yet" She said to herself.

Soon the mare makes her way into town where she passes by numerous pegasus's whom took the time to say good morning to the mare, which she politely returned. She eventually reached her destination, which was a small cafe that she frequented Dailey since moving back here. With the owner pleased at the mares visits, especially with her being somewhat of a celebrity as the element of loyalty, she was a well known individual and is even labeled as their loyal patriot and number one customer. The shop bell rang as the mare entered the building as the smell of fresh coffee loomed in the air, the owner whom was quick to recognize the Pegasus called out to her.

“Oh yeah now it’s a party!!!!” He called out.

“Hehe morning Ferdinand” She greeted.

“Hiya Dash” Ferdinand asked. “ Always great to see ya, the usual platter?”

“You know it big guy” Dash replied as she took a seat at her favorite booth, while also leaving some bits on the counter to pay for said meal.

“Coming right up kid” The stallion said, and then collected the bits and turned towards the kitchen. “ Yo Morty, I need a “Rainbow dash special” over here!!!!”

“Two eggs, slice of toast, 3 stack of high protein pancakes, and an iced vanilla latte comin right up!” Morty called out and began the mares order.

"Your hear pretty early than usual Dash" Ferdinand said as he placed the currency in the cash register. " Hell Morty just fired up the kitchen, oh wait, forgot the warehouse is closed on Mondays”

"You know it" Dash replied. " And thank Celestia too, after those numerous orders we fulfilled last week, I needed a break from looking at those stacks upon stacks of crates , or I was gonna pass out the second I stepped hoof into the building”

“Hehe Amen to that kid!” The stallion chuckled. “ But that’s how it is these days, ya never know how much ponies order on a daily basis whenever a latest product catches their eye. Ya know, if ya wanted a less heavy lifting job, we always got room for one more here”

“Thanks Ferd’s, but I don’t mind the heavy lifting” Dash replied, and even went as far as to flex a bit. “ Sides , it’s actually a pretty good workout once ya get used to it”

Ferdinand chuckled at the response and even flexed his own bicep as well “ Your not wrong about that kid!”

There little flex session was interrupted by the sound of a "*ding* . ‘Order up!!!” Monty called out as he placed said order on the counter for his boss to pick up, Ferdinand gave a thankful nod towards his cook, and then placed the mares order right in front of her, to which she as quick to take the first bite, savoring the delicious platter of morning good sitting right in front of her.

"Fast service as always Morty!" Dash said in delight, earning a nod of gratitude from the cook, happy that their number one customer was satisfied with her morning meal, in no time at all the mare began to consume her meal as Ferdinand spoke up.

“So anyways Dash” He said. “ Whatcha planning on doing today now that ya have a day off from lifting crates?”

Dash took a sip of her iced coffee before responding” Eh nothing much, I plan on hitting the mall after breakfast. There's this sports coat that I’ve had my eye on since I moved back here. But it’s been sold out for quite a while, and I just so happened to have managed to snag one on layaway last month”

“Hehe layaway saves the day as always” Ferdinand nodded as Dash continued to consume her meal. “ Your pretty lucky kid, there’s these hiking boots that I’ve had my eye’s on for quite a while, but those boneheads back in the canterlot fashion square haven't giving me an honest release window. I swear they’ve giving me like five different estimates on when they’re gonna hit shelves. But I think they’re just trying to hide the fact that they’re out of stock and are just making my ass wait for them to finally receive more units”

“Dayum” Dash replied. “ I swear some of those companies wouldn’t know the meaning of hard work or customer service if it hit em in the eye like grease on a hot skillet” The Pegasus was quick to shut her moth after realizing that she spit out a Western like sentence out of her mouth, which reminded her of a certain cowgirl earthpony whom she used to hang out with .

“Hehe you’re not wrong about that one Dash” Ferdinand replied. “That’s a pretty good example, you wouldn’t believe how many times me and Morty had hot grease pop up in our eyes whenever we’re frying eggs on the……….., Uh earth to Dash?" Hearing this, the mare was quick to snap out of her thoughts as the stallion noticed that she zoned out for a bit after she made that remark. " What's the matter? Ya kind of zoned out for a bit there kid"

"Oh uh........it's nothing Ferds" Dash answered. " I just lost my train of thought for a second there, but I'm back now......heh" A nervous sweat formed on the mares face as the stallion raised an eyebrow at her response, soon the mare took the last bite of her meal and was ready to depart, but not before leaving a tip for both Ferdinand and Morty for the satisfying meal. " Well, I better head out now, that Jacket isn't gonna buy itself. I'll see you later Ferdinand"

"Oh.....ok, see ya Dash, and thanks for the tip" Ferdinand replied earning a nod from his number one customer as he watched her walk out of his cafe, just as others began to enter. Ready to start their day with fresh brewed coffee and baked goods, but the stallions mind was set on the mare as a mix of worry was written on his face as to what is troubling her especially after her short silence from that remark she said a minute ago.

“You’re gonna have to confront them sooner or later Dash” He said in his head.

Meanwhile

We find Rainbow Dash inside the cloudsdale mall near the clothing district, once she entered the clothing store to which her sports coat waited for her, the mare couldn’t hold her excitement as her sports coat was handed over to her after she payed the cashier the remainder of the layaway money that she owed from her preorder. She then decided to wear her new sports coat out but not before flaunting a bit near the mirror, admiring the craftsmanship and at how badass it made her look. After a minute of flaunting, Dash thanked the cashier before exiting the clothing store.

Soon the young Pegasus found herself walking through the mall with a little snack consisting of a salted pretzel and a small drink, not wanting to go home yet, given how early it still was. She decided to hang around a bit and do a little window shopping to see which latest product would catch her eye. Passing by every single store and kiosk, while also munching down on her snack, a sense of loneliness as this was her first time hanging around a shopping district without her old friends by her side.

While a part of her was still a little upset at what they’ve done, a part of her also missed them deeply, all while wishing that things could just go back to normal. But given her last interaction/outburst against them before she left Ponyville, that was easier said than done. As she surveyed the many establishments that she came across, a sense of imagery plagued the mare as each of em reminded her of each of her friends , including their various interest.

Examples included the kind mare who served her at that little pretzel Kiosk a minute ago, the stallion who generously presented her the sports jacket that she had her eye on for months, the various Pegasus’s who were lined up at the bookstore waiting for the latest release of the next chapter of line of her favorite adventure novels Daring do , and the friendly security guard trying to escort some pigeons who found their way inside the large building.

“Here ya go, enjoy your pretzel fresh out of the oven and baked with love, come again”

“OMG I cannot wait for the latest release! The last chapter was alright, but I’ve been dying to find the answers to last years cliffhanger ending”

“Come on little birdies, the malls no place for wild animals, lets get you back outside so you can roam free”

“Darling you look absolutely fabulous on that sports coat, and it certainly highlights your tough tomgirl exterior beautifully”

The thoughts of her former friends played out in her head over and over again as she tried her to fight off these thoughts, but alas, not even the food that was in her hooves or even the various consumers inside the mall were enough to distract her, as everything around her reminded the mare the 5 other members of the element of harmony back in Ponyville.

"You’re gonna have to confront them sooner or later Dash”

"You’re gonna have to confront them sooner or later Dash”

"You’re gonna have to confront them sooner or later Dash”

"Dash"

"Dash"

"Dash"

"Dash"

"Son of a bitch!!!!!!" She cried out, earning the attention of a few of the mall consumers. " Fine you win guilty conscience, I'll check on them ok? HAPPY NOW?!" The mare said nothing more as she made her way out of the mall, but not before tossing the contents of her finished pretzel and drink into a recycle bin, and then proceeded to exit out of the building with a new destination in mind.................

An hour later

The sounds of happy go lucky ponies of various types can be heard hustling and bustling throughout the streets of the lovely little town of Ponyville as numerous ponies and creatures alike were ready to start the day, but for one particular pegasus, this day wasn't gonna be quite a cheerful one for her as she had a mission in mind the second she arrived in town after an hour long train ride.

Soon enough, the mare finally arrived back into her former home just as the train entered the station terminal. After one of her neighbors /coworkers back in cloudsdale offered to look after her apartment and Tank for a little while, and receiving permission or should I say? Practically begging her boss for the rest of the week off to pursue her little "mission". The mare quickly made her way to the train station, not even bothering to pack anything, hoping that this conversation wouldn't last as long.

As she exited the station terminal, Rainbow Dash then proceeded towards town square, hoping to at least bump into any of her former friends along the way. After pondering about seeing them for a whole year, the mare was at a mix of thoughts, raging from as to whether or not she's ready to forgive them and move back home? While a part of her was still pretty upset at the Mare do Well incident, the pegasus would be lying if she didn't miss her friends, while also wishing that she could just bring them together into a long group hug and reform their friendship. But a part of her was still unsure about how it's gonna go down.

But her mental thought's continued to plague her with numerous outcomes, with the mare praying that she makes the right choice in the end, not wanting to make the same mistake as last year. As she trekked through the town, passing by various ponies whom were shocked to see the mare back in town after she left town months ago after said falling out with Twilight and the others, the mare soon found herself face to face with non other than Sweet apple acres, AKA the home/business of the famous Apple family.

"Damn, I wasn't expecting this to be my first stop" Dash thought to herself as she surveyed the large barn house. " I was kind of hoping I'd bump into Twilight's library, *sigh* I swear my train of thought is gonna be the end of me one of these days" The mare was reluctant at first to enter the Apple family residence, especially after her and Applejacks left off with hurling insults at each other before she left. Dash knew that there was no backing down now as she was already here. " Hopefully she's not too pissed off and will actually listen to me"

With nothing more to say, the mare knocked on the door a few times and patiently waited for either Granny Smith, Big Mac, Apple bloom, or even Applejack to answer. After what felt like a minute, the sounds of clanking metal can be heard from the other side, indicating that the front door was being unlocked. And soon the front door opened revealing Apple bloom and Sweetie belle on the other side, the two fillies were shocked to see the one mare who's been MIA for quite sometime standing right in front of them. And Dash was just as surprised to see the two fillies as well, but was also surprised to find that it was only the two of them with Scootaloo absent from the gang.

"Uh....hey kids" Dash greeted awkwardly.

"Hey Dash, it's uh....been a while" Bloom replied, her tone just as awkward as the mares.

"Yeah it has" Dash said. There was a short silence before Dash spoke. " What brings you in Apple blooms house Sweetie belle? Are you two having a sleepover?"

"Well uh, kind of" Sweetie belle replied. " It's more like a month long sleepover, you know how my parents like to travel a lot especially for my dads job? Well, Rarity is "absent" ATM so Granny smith let me crash here until my parent's come back"

"I see, I see" Dash replied with an understanding nod. " Speaking of Rarity, do you know when she's gonna be back. and more importantly is your sister home Bloom? I've been holding it in for quite a while, but now I'm ready to talk to the five of them again to hopefully make amends and to try and rebuild the bridge between us after that "incident" last year" A saddened look formed on the fillies faces after hearing the mares question about their respected sisters. The pegasus noticed this and soon her curiosity took over , as she began to wonder what became of the elements of generosity and honesty after her departure a while back. " Girls? what's wrong? Did something happen to your sisters?" Again the fillies didn't respond, reluctant to answer the mares question. " Girls, please tell em whats wrong"

"Dash" Applebloom finally responded.

"Or sisters and the others left Ponyville last month"

Author's Note

I swear writers blocks a bitch Super sorry for the long wait fellah’s, my jobs been keeping me pretty preoccupied that i wasn’t even able to have the energy to type as much last week. But don’t worry, I am now in focus and if things go well, I should have the story complete by either the end of the month or early October👍 until next time, write down your thoughts on the story so far and I’ll see ya’ll ion the next chapter