//-------------------------------------------------------// A Dashing road trip : A Mare do well fallout story -by ALoneWolf- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Update //-------------------------------------------------------// Update Next chapters currently in production , don’t worry folks👍 also after the next chapter, I’m gonna take a short hiatus from the story to get a head start on my Halloween themed story. //-------------------------------------------------------// Prologue : Rainbow Dash part 1 //-------------------------------------------------------// Prologue : Rainbow Dash part 1 "Dash please, just listen to us!!!" Twilight pleaded as her rainbow maned friend continued to pack up her belongings, all while pretending to not hear a single word her "friends' are saying. "We didn't mean to hurt you Dashie honestly!!!" Pinkie jumped in. "We were just trying to teach you a lesson about.........................." Fluttershys words were cut short by a loud closing sound, as the element of loyalty shut her suitcase in a violent rush before turning against the group with a look of pure fury, which sent chills down their spines. "About what?!" She roared, ever since she saved that pony a few days ago, Dash was deemed a local hero and celeb in town. But alas, her newfound popularity got to her head which began to take a tole on her friends who found it rather irritating , and given that their friend already had a massive ego to begin with only made it worse. Eventually the five members of the elements of harmony came up with a plan to teach their friend a lesson about boasting and letting her ego get the better of her. They soon came up with a brilliant plan to "introduce" a new superhero dubbed Mare do Well, as to not only teach their friend a lesson, but to also lend a hoof to any pony in need. Throughout the week, Mare do Well has gained a vast boost of popularity for all of her good deeds much to the frustration of the rainbow maned pegasus, who started to feel jealous of this new "superhero". Whenever she tried to lend a hoof of her own to anypony who needed it, she was always overshadowed somehow by this mysterious new pony whom always beat her to the scene, and to make matters worse, most of the mares former fans and supporters started to tease and mock her, and to even go as far as to say......... "Why couldn't you arrive at the scene sooner like Mare do well dash?" "I'm surprised , here you are the fastest pony in town. But yet Mare do Well beats you to the punch" "Maybe if you wore a costume, Mare do well might make ya her sidekicked" " "You think dash might be Mare do Well?" "Pfft no way, Mare do Well is 100 times more awesome" "Shame you can't do all the awesome stunts Mare do Well can do slowpoke" "Hey Dash, have you heard of this new superhero named Mare do well? She's so awesome, I should start a new fanclub about her, maybe she'll help me fly and get my cutiemark at the same time? That would be so cool" This negative backlash soon took a tole on the mare who one day decided to expose Mare do Well for the fraud that she is, and she soon got her chance by the end of the week when the town decided to hold a special appreciation day dedicated to Mare do Well, which only fueled the mares frustration as that was originally gonna be her appreciation day. And the second the mare entered the stage looking all heroic and awesome, a chase was soon to transpire, which eventually lead the local hero into an alleyway. The second Mare do well was cornered, Dash tackled the mare to the ground and was quick to unmask her new rival. But to her shock and horror, the mare behind the mask was non other than her friend Pinkie Pie. The pegasus was speechless for a moment until the others showed up wearing the exact same outfit, this only added more salt to the mares confusion until Twilight Sparkle broke the ice. As it turns out, the five of em were getting tired of Dashes non stop boasting and decided to teach her a lesson about how having a massive ego and boasting non stop can get the better of you. So they came up with the plan to become the superhero Mare do Well in order to upstage the pegasus and show her what being a hero is all about. After Rarity made costumes for each of them, they soon put their plan into motion, where as they used their many quirks and abilities to arrive at the scene before Dash . Originally they were gonna unmask themselves the second the appreciation day began, but their friend already beat them to it. As soon as they were done giving their explanations, they waited to see their friends response hoping that she'll realize the valuable lesson that they were trying to teach to the mare, but to their surprise, the mares reaction isn't what they expected as tears began to form along with silent sobs. This was quite a surprise to the group as it would have taken something extremely drastic to make the tomgirl shed a tear, Applejack walked up to try and comfort the sobbing mare, only to be pushed away. The sobbing pegasus then took off leaving her "friends" behind before they even got a chance to get one more word in. And now here we are, as the pegasus finally finished packing up her belongings, all while remaining visibly pissed at her so called friends. " Being egotistical, boastful, being awesome, trying to be a hero, is that the lesson you cowards were trying to teach me? Cause it sure as hell didn't work, and now thanks to you, everyone thinks I'm a laughing stalk and prefer to have Mare do Well as their hero, not me!!!! And to make matters worse, Scoots, the one kid who I treated like my own little sister see's that wannabe superhero as her role model now!!!" "Dash we weren't trying to humiliate you!!!" Twilight jumped in. " You were letting the newfound popularity you gained from helping that pony a week ago get to your head, you've been boasting non stop and letting your ego get the better of you. We just wanted to show you that a hero helps those without expecting anything in return and to think about everyone else's feeling not just themselves" "Did it ever occur to you that you could have just talked to me about it Sparkle?" Dash asked, Twilight however was reluctant to answer her friends question, much to her annoyance. “. Asked you a question, if you had a problem with my boasting , why didn’t you just tell me?” The unicorn was still reluctant to answer the question, knowing that the outcome wouldn’t be pretty, but she knew that it wouldn’t help to keep the Pegasus waiting for an answer. at last, she took a deep breath before answering. “ We figured that you wouldn’t listen to us, given how stubborn you can be at times Dash” The unicorn then closed her mouth, fearing an outburst from the Pegasus. But to her surprise, Dash let out a small chuckle. “Wow” She replied in a sarcastic tone. “ My own “friends” think that I’m so stubborn that I wouldn’t listen to reason” “It’s not like that Dash…….. “Save it!” Dash cut in. “ You know what you’re right, I can be stubborn at times, and maybe my ego gets the better of me. But do you honestly think I’d be so stubborn that I can’t even hold a simple conversation with you traitors?” “Who ya calling traitors?!” Applejack said. “ Don’t forget that it was your big ass ego that got ya in this mess in the first place!” “Applejack!!!!” Rarity shouted. “Oh my ego’s bad farm girl?!” Dash shot back. “ That’s funny coming from you of all ponies, your ego’s just as bad as mine” “What are you talkin bout?” Applejack relied. “ I don’t have an ego!!!” “Guys please stop” Fluttershy said trying to break it up. “Oh really?!” Dash replied in a mocking tone. “ Oh look at me I’m Applejack, ma family has the best Apples this side of Equestria, no other apples or markets can outmatch the apple family. and it’s all thanks to my incredible tree bucking strength, courtesy of my two hind legs Bucky and Kicks whateverthehellthey’recalled! And I can buck like 50 apple tree’s all in one day, hell I could even be in the pony Guinness book of world records if I can keep this up!!!!” A large growl can be heard from the farm girl as the Pegasus continued to mock her. “Guys I’m begging you that’s enough………….. “At least I know the value of hard work instead of boasting bout it 24/7!!!!” Applejack shouted. “ Ya know I feel sorry for the Wonderbolts if they even consider recruiting you one of these days, cause they are get one hell of a headache listening to your non stop boasting, they wouldn't think of you as a fellow teammate, they'd just think of you as the biggest mistake brought on by the entire team! I swear your just as worse as Gilda or those three boneheads who used to bully you and shy!!!!!” “Applejack SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!” Fluttershy shouted, shocking the group to the core, never expecting to hear one of the most sensitive citizens in town raise her voice like that. Dash however was unfazed by the Pegasus’s outburst with her expression hidden in the bangs of her hair. “Oh so that's it?” Dash quietly replied. “ You guys think I’m a bully huh?” “Dash no, that’s not what we……….. “Save it Pinkie” Dash coldly interrupted while grabbing her suitcase. “ I can see very clearly now, non of you ever trusted me to begin with. All the good deeds I did were nothing but a waste of time, cause all you see whenever I save a life is an egotistical Pegasus who does nothing but boast 24/7. You probably only let me hang out with you just to keep me under control so that I don’t do anything reckless, and I bet you were planning on stripping me of my element if I ever did anything to piss you guys off weren’t you?” The others were too stunned and riddled with guilt to say anything , Dash just let off a scoff. “ I thought so” the Pegasus then proceeded to make her way towards her front door. Dash please, It’s not like that we swear” Twilight pleaded. “ We love you……. “Save it Sparkle” Dash interrupted. “After this whole week, I don’t believe any bullshit that comes out of your mouths, Celestia sent you here to learn about friendship, but in the end, you failed miserably at it. Gilda was right, I definitely wasted my time befriending you selfish dweebs” Gasps of shock echoed the room after hearing the hurtful words exit their friends mouth, She then picked up her pet tortoise placing him gently onto her back. “Come on Tank lets go” She said. “We don’t need these traitors, you’re the only friend I need” Before exiting, she took one last look at the group. “ I’ll send for the rest of my things, and if you even think about following me to the train station to try and stop me. You’ll regret it” and with that, the element of loyalty exited her soon to be former home leaving behind a group of sad and depressed ponies who all wished that this Mare do Well plan never happened. Twilight on the other hand felt the worst of them all, given that it all her idea in the first place. Soon the pegasus landed on the ground without even looking back at her house as she proceeded towards the train station, during her short trek she passed by many ponies and growled slightly when a few of them were asking themselves "what happened to Mare do Well?" "It's as if she's suddenly vanished" this only fueled the mares frustration to the point that she was no longer wanted here. As she was only a few meters away from the station platform, the pegasus passed by a familiar filly who's face was full of confusion as she witnessed the suitcase wondering where her big sister figure was going. "Dash?" Scootaloo called out. " Where are you going?" The filly however didn't get an answer as the pegasus just walked by, pretending that she didn't hear her. " Dash?" Again there was no answer. " Dash wait up!!!" Scoots couldn't help herself and began to follow the mare, hoping to gain her attention. " Dash talk to me, are you going on vacation or something. Will you please just...................." "Why don't you worry about your own self for once kid?!" Dash snapped, causing the filly to back away slightly . "Or better yet, why don't you go see how your new idol Mare do Well is doing? You and everyone else in this damn town obviously prefers her over me anyways!" With nothing more to say, the pegasus rushed straight to the terminal not even giving her former fan a chance to say anything else. Soon the pegasus purchased her ticket and made her way inside her assigned coach, as she stepped inside, the mare took her seat as the train began to exit the station, not even bothering to look back at her former home one last time, not even towards the sad filly who watched her big sister figure leave, wondering if she'll ever come back. An hour later The sounds of a loud whistle along with a wheesh can be heard as a passenger train entered the station terminal before coming to a complete stop, soon the passengers exited their respected coaches just as the others whom waited on the terminal began to enter in their places. Amongst the crowd, a familiar pegasus exited her coach, with luggage and pet in hoof, she made her way out of the station. As she exited the station entrance, the mare looks up at the main entrance which lead to the city to which she and her former friend once resided when they were kids. Cloudsdale After taking a long deep breath, the pegasus flapped her wings, and soon took off towards the cloud city, ready to start her new life in her home town. "Home sweet home" Author's Note My Mare do Well story has arrived folks:pinkiehappy: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/pinkiehappy.png Will Dash reconcile with her friends, or will she rebuild her life in her hometown? Lets find out shall we:raritywink: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/raritywink.png //-------------------------------------------------------// Prologue : Rainbow Dash part 2 //-------------------------------------------------------// Prologue : Rainbow Dash part 2 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:heart: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/heart.png” “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:twilightblush: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/twilightblush.png 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:raritystarry: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/raritystarry.png 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:raritywink: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/raritywink.png //-------------------------------------------------------// Pinkie Pie //-------------------------------------------------------// Pinkie Pie Dash was soon inside the apple family residence , sitting comfortably at the kitchen table alongside the two members of the CMC's. There was an awkward silence between the three of them as they , especially Dash struggled to find the right words to say to each other. When informed by the youngest apple sibling that her older sister along with the others left home last month, the element of loyalty was desperate for answers . Just then big Mac walked in and presented the trio with a glass of homemade apple cider for each of them, The trio thanked the large stallion, to which he nodded a silent "your welcome" before heading back outside with Granny Smith to do some work, leaving the three girls alone to discuss the matter in hoof. Finally after a long awkward silence, the older mare finally spoke up. " Alright bloom, what did you mean by, they left ?" "I meant what I said partner. " Bloom replied, then filly then took a sip of her cider before continuing............ "Ever since you left last year Dash, things haven't been so good around here, especially after Mare do Well was personally exposed and unmasked by you. When your friends Identities were revealed , the entire town was in complete shock that the mare whom they've been praising all week from all the good deeds she's done, ended up being Twilight and her friends whom were already local heroes whom saved them and Equestria not one but two times" "Their shock soon turned into anger, when Twilight revealed the truth to all of them that she only came up with this Mare do Well sheraud teach you a lesson about boasting and letting your ego get the better of you. But her explanation didn't sit too well with everyone who openly criticized and chastised Twilight and the others for not only fooling them about the "new hero" in town, but for also causing you to leave town just to teach you a lesson about boasting" "After that, everyone in town began to give each of your friends sour looks, including some of your former weather team members whom were just as pissed at them for causing their best and most loyal coworker to leave. Most of them even stopped going to both Twilight's library and Rarity's boutique choosing to get their books and clothing elsewhere, Pinkie even had to quit her job at Sugarcube corner after numerous customers kept requesting to have someone else serve them. Fluttershy doesn't bother going into town anymore out of fear of getting mocked and bullied by your former supporters, Celestia herself even showed true disappointment towards them, especially Twilight for their actions, and given that they were now short on one element user only made it worse" "The dirty looks, mocking, and harassment finally took a tole on each of them, to which they simply chose to isolate themselves inside their respected homes to avoid the upset citizens. Throughout their time, each of em would write an apology letter to you, hoping that you'd at least read one of them and forgive em. But alas neither of them got a response back from you, after you didn't respond back to the birthday / apology card Pinkie sent you a few weeks ago, that's when the others reach their limit with each other" "They started to get into numerous fights with one another, with each of them calling each other out for not representing their elements and roles, and they also openly blamed the whole mess on Twilight, given that Mare do Well was her idea in the first place. After the last argument, they all packed their bags and went their separate ways, thinking that they were no longer welcome here. They even went as far as to resign from their respected elements feeling that they failed to represent their roles. After that , no ones seen them since, and any reminder of Mare do well was either thrown away or set on fire, courtesy of Twilight" "And before you ask about Scootaloo, well.........things haven't been so good between us either. After doing some digging, she soon discovered the reason as to why you yelled at her and left Ponyville in the first place. She was actually present at town square, the same day Twilight confessed to the town about the Mare do Well fiasco and the reason as to why she did it, and long story short, Scoots was not happy about it. Me and Sweetie Belle tried to comfort her, but she just pushed us away and said, and I quote...... "Shut up!!! I don't wanna hear it, if it wasn't for your stupid sisters , I wouldn't have betrayed and lost the one mare whom I loved and idolized as my own sister, just leave me alone!!!!!!" "After that it's just been me and Sweetie Belle, whenever we tried to talk to Scootaloo, she just brushed us away. And to make matters worse, she started hanging out with Diamond Tiara of all ponies. Celestia, the thought of one of my friends turning into her and Silver spoon makes me sick to my stomach. But to make a long story short Dash, that's how things around here transpired after you left" As Bloom finished her story, Dash was left speechless after the whole explanation was summarized to her. The mare was at a loss for words, while she was angry at them, she didn't want them to leave, and the fact that they gave up their elements out of guilt only made the pegasus feel worse. The thought of their departure being partially her fault shook the mare to the core, guilt ran down her spine at the fact that the others were out there, somewhere in Equestria and worst of all, their friendship shattered. The mare didn't know what to do, or if there was anything she could do in this manner. Given that she's completely blocked them out of her life for an entire year without even checking up on them, there's no telling if they'll even want to have her back or to restore their friendship. Her mind continued to ponder at what her next move would be as she took a sip of her cider. "Dash?" Sweetie belle asked. " I know this isn't really our place to say but.......what are you gonna do now?" The unicorn filly along with her friend waited patiently for an answer from the older mare, wondering what her next move is gonna be after hearing Appleblooms explanation as to what became of the remaining members of the main six after the mares departure. They soon got their answer as the pegasus got up and took one last swig of her cider. "I'll tell ya what I'm gonna do kid" Dash said with a boost of confidence. " I'm gonna track each and everyone of them down and drag their asses back here" The two friends were in shock after hearing the mares answer. " Yes it's true that I was mad at them, but I didn't want them to leave, or even to quit their respected elements. Mare do Well may have torn a rift in our friendship, but deep down, I know it's not too late for second chances, So I'm gonna track them down, hear them out, I'll say my own words as well, and see where it goes" The two fillies shocked expressions suddenly turned to looks of admiration, not expecting to hear those words come out of the mares mouth, and the fact that she was willing to track down her former friends despite what happened last month says a lot about her newfound boost of confidence. After a moment, Bloom spoke up. " Well in that case partner, count us in too" Sweetie belle nodded in approval as well. "Sorry girls" Dash interjected. " But this is something I gotta do alone, besides it's too dangerous, this isn't like your usual antics, this goes WAY beyond Ponyville" "But we want too!" Sweetie belle jumped in. " Look Dash we get it, we know you wanna go at it alone since this is mainly your problem. But you have no idea how much I've missed my sister dearly since she left, and it wasn't just me, Apple bloom felt the same way with Applejack and the others as well. Besides, it's like you said, this adventure goes WAY beyond Ponyville and trying to track down Twilight and the others one by one is like, as Bloom would say "trying to find a needle in a haystack" You'll need as much help as you can get on this mission. Plus these are our sisters we're talking about, who else would be able to reason with them as well than their own flesh and blood? So please Dash. let me and Bloom come along. we promise to be careful and to follow orders" "Please dash? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese?" Apple bloom pleaded and proceeded to give puppy eyes towards the Pegasus alongside Sweetie belle who followed suit. The mare in question couldn't help but let out a small chuckle and be visibly impressed by the fillies confidence and willingness to go out of their ways to help out not just her, but their respected sisters and friends as well. After what felt like an eternity, the mare made her decision. "Alright you knuckleheads............your in" Dash replied. " But only if you abide by these three rules. One don't go wondering off, two stick by my side, and finally three when we confront each of them, let me say my piece with em first before you jump in. Can you two do that for me" The mare was met with a small chorus of cheers and promises from the two fillies, whom were overjoyed that they get to come along to help out the element of loyalty and that they'll get to go on an actual adventure. "So where to first Dash?" Apple bloom asked. "Let head on over to Canterlot" Dash replied. " Princess Celestia and Luna might have some clues as to where each of them has gone" Bloom and Sweetie belle nodded in approval, but something else caught their mind as well . "Wait....but what about Scootaloo?" "Don't worry girls" Dash assured. " I'll have a talk with her the second we come back, plus I still owe her an apology from my outburst before I left. I'll be sure to restore you guys friendship as well, that's a promise of a lifetime" The two friends smiled warmly at the words that came out of the mares mouth. With nothing more to say, the three friends were ready to head out on their journey of reconciliations and friendship. "It's a good thing we're on our last week of winter break" Sweetie belle said. "No kidding" Bloom replied with a small giggle. " Miss Cheerilee would never let us hear the end of it if we personally took a week off school to go on a cross country adventure" An hour later Soon the three friends made their way towards the royal city of Canterlot, home of the royal sisters. After receiving permission from Big Mac and Granny Smith, they made their way towards the train station where as the locomotive to Canterlot City was about to depart. After an hour long train ride, the group finally arrived in Canterlot, with the two fillies visibly mesmerized and amazed at the luxurious city, especially with this being their first time traveling to a place like this. But they knew that this wasn't the time to go sight seeing as they knew there was more important matters to attend to. They eventually arrived at the castle, home of the royal sisters in order to receive answers to the whereabouts to Twilight and the others. But alas, the sun goddesses answer, wasn't what they were hoping for............ "Didn't you try to reason with them your majesty?" Dash asked. "I spent an entire day last month trying to do so" Celestia answered, but then her expression changed to utter sadness as her ears dropped down as well. " But alas, it wasn't enough. Luna even attempted to reason with them through their respected dreams, but they still wouldn't budge. And I can't help but feel partially responsible as I did sound a bit harsh towards them and especially Twilight when I reprimanded them for their actions last year" "Hey now, don't say that your majesty" Dash replied. " If anything , I'm pretty much the main reason they left in the first place and got into that big argument, I was the one who was too harsh with them" "Nonsense" Celestia reassured. "You shall not blame yourself, your decision last year was justified. You rainbow dash have the right to be furious and to choose whether or not to forgive your friends. But I'm afraid that's where the bigger issue stands, you see Dash, the elements of harmony weren't just roles that I assigned to you and the others, But they're also the key to stopping any threat that plagues Equestria, but with the bond and friendship between you six broken, the elements have shown signs of decaying" Shocked looks formed on the trio's faces after hearing this dreadful news from the sun goddess. "So you mean............." Sweetie belle jumped in. " Without the elements of harmony?" " It's not just your home, but all of Equestria that'll be in stake" Celestia replied. " Like I said, without the elements and the power of friendship, we shall stand no chance against the next adversary, and I'm afraid Me and my sister won't be enough to stop them" "Well I'm not gonna let that happen" Dash jumped in. " Princess Celestia, you don;t have to worry about anything, I'll round up the others. I won't let the Elements of Harmony decay because of my stupid mistake, While I'm still debating on whether or not to forgive my friends, I can't stand by while Equestria's balance is literally at stake. And in all honesty, I do miss having them around. Again I'm not sure how it's gonna go down when I encounter them again, but I wanna hear what they have to say after putting it off for quite a while, I'll say my piece as well, and see where it goes and hopefully our bonds will reform" Celestia was at a loss for words once Dash was finished speaking, while the Mare was still deeply upset by the incident last year. It touched the Alicorns heart that the element of loyalty was willing to go out into far regions of Equestria, searching every single town, city, and kingdom in order to find the others, and to hopefully make amends. "Your absolutely sure about this Rainbow dash?" The pegasus gave a nod as an answer to the sun goddess's question. "Very well then, I actually have something that should help you locate the others" Celestia proceeded to concentrate her magic, and within seconds, an acrylic orb appeared before the group. Dash Sweetie belle and Apple bloom stared in awe at the magical artifact which stood before them. " Behold, the friendship map" "Wow! It's beautiful Celestia" Bloom said in amazement. " What does it do?" "It's quite simple young Apple bloom" Celestia replied. " It's a magical tool created to locate the source of any friendship problem or threat scattered across all of Equestria. I was saving this to show to Twilight once she finally reached a certain magical "level" .But given the issue in hoof, I say now's a good time for a test run. Now I must clarify that this isn't the friendship maps true form, it's more of a prototype stage. But it work just fine with locating the others in it's current stage. It's actually quite simple to use , just say the name of the individual in question, and it will teleport you to their location within seconds" Celestia then proceeded to levitate the friendship map over to Dash. As the Magical orbs now in her possession, the mare took a moment to admire the splendorness of the magical artifact that was in her grasps. "Well, looks like we don't have to worry about blowing cash on train tickets throughout this roadtrip" Bloom said earning a giggle from her unicorn friend. " So where to first Dash?" "Hmmmmmmm" Dash pondered. " Lets start with Pinkie and Fluttershy, they'll be the easiest to talk to and pursued. Then we'll work our way towards Rarity, AJ, and Twilight" The two fillies nodded in unison after hearing the mares answer, Dash then turned her attention back towards Celestia . " Thank you your majesty, I promise to find the others" "I know you will kid" Celestia replied with a smile as warm as the sun. " Good luck you three, and please be careful out there" The three friends each gave the sun goddess a nod of reassurance, just as Dash prepared to say the name of the first pony in question. "Take us to where Pinkie Diane Pie is at" Dash said to the orb, and within seconds, a bright light engulfed the surrounding area. Celestia watched as the group were teleported immediately out of the throne room straight to their destination . All while the sun goddess once again wished them luck on their journey while silently praying that things will work out. A few seconds later A bright flash of light engulfed the surrounding area once again as the group reached their destination, after regaining their composure's, they group looked up to find that they stood inside the luxurious city of Las pegasus. Home of some of the most expensive and luxurious vacation spots, hotels, and casino this part of Equestria, even spending at least one night or even an hour in this magnificent city would have cost any individual an arm and a leg, and the fact that the friends found themselves here amazed each of em. The beautiful sights of this luxurious city mesmerized each of them, but they knew there was no time for sight seeing as there was more important matters to attend to. "Damn!!!" Bloom cried out. " Sorry for the language, but how did Pinkie manage to move into a place like this?!" "I have absolutely no idea Bloom" Sweetie belle replied. " But I tell ya, you'd have to be as loaded as Mr Rich in order to live here . So where do we even start with finding that mare ?" "According to the map" Dash said as she surveyed the orb. " It's saying that Pinkies right in front of................" Dash looked up to find the location that was said on the map, a look of shock formed on the mares face along with the three fillies as they surveyed the back entrance of a large building that stood in front of them with the words "Hells Kitchen" written on the very top as the florescent lights illuminated each of the letters. " No way, no freaking way" "Pinkie is working in the Hells Kitchen?!" Apple bloom asked. " I mean I know her desserts are out of this world, but the fact that she was lucky enough to work in the restaurant of one of the most famous chefs in all of Equestria is insane" "At least we know how she's getting the money to stay here" Sweetie belle replied. " So what's the game plan Dash?" "Simple" Dash answered. " We go in, ask to have a word with her, and hopefully we'll be able to convince her to come back home, now lets go find this girl” With nothing more to say, the group made their way towards the employee entrance . But were soon stopped by a burly looking security guard. “Woah there” The stallion said. “ Where do you think you’re going?” “I’m just here to talk to a friend real quick, I don’t want any trouble” Dash replied. “Sorry but only employee’s are allowed to enter through here” The stallion said. “ Sides, Ramsey doesn’t allow visitors during shifts, so you’ll just have wait till your friends done for the day toots. Now step aside , the afternoon crew are to arrive soon” The mare let out a small huff of disappointment, but she knew that starting a fight would have been a bad idea. So the trio reluctantly walked away out of sight from the security stallion. “Celestia damn it” Dash said under her breath. “Now what do we do?” Apple bloom asked. “ *sigh* I don’t know kid” Dash answered. “ But theres no way in hell I’m waiting for pinkies shift to end, it’s already starting to get late, and who knows if she’s even in today? If only there was a way we could sneak inside some…………. “Damn it, I hate the late shift” Came a voice which earned the attention of the group as they saw a group of unicorns consisting of two stallions and one mare. “You said it bro” the other stallion replied. “ Who the hell would even want food this late? Unless their one of those chumps who are trying to fight off a major hangover” “Pfft, as if Chef would allow drunkards in his restaurant” The mare cut in. “ Speaking of Chef, that guys been up in my ass about my knife cutting skills. Sheesh, 4 years of cooking school and the chance to work in one of the most famous establishments in Las Pegasus, only to have my skills criticized. I swear if the pay wasn’t amazing, I would have quit in a heartbeat” “Amen to that luv” One of the stallions replied. “ I swear if that guy calls me subpar whatever the hell that means, one more time, Ima club his ass” Unknown to the trio however, the sight of em gave the element of loyalty an idea. “Excuse me fellahs?” She called out earning the groups attention, the mare then presented some bits , indicating that there’s something that she wants from them. 1 Minute later We find the security guard reclining comfortably against the entrance door as he waited patiently for the afternoon crew to arrive, and soon he found not one but three of em ( or so he thought). Heading towards the entrance donning their respected uniforms, but what’s he doesn't know is that these three are actually the element of loyalty and her two filly companions wearing the afternoon crews chef uniforms which they gratefully handed over to the mare after she presented them with some bits as a fair trade. And thanks to a size enhancing spell courtesy of Sweetie belle, their respected disguises were a snug fit for the group. “Sup Simone?” The stallion greeted. “ Strange, Usually Craig and Butch arrive the same time as you?” “Oh …….uh…………..” The Pegasus stammered. “ They’re running a bit late this evening” “Damn I’d hate to be them” The stallion replied with a chuckle. “ You know how pissed off Ramsey gets whenever someone arrives late? Wait a minute………what are these kids doing here?” The mare let out a nervous gulp alongside the two fillies whom tried to think of an excuse, Andre pondering for a few seconds, she thought of one. “They’re my sisters kids” Dash answered. “ You see their schools hosting a career event today where students get to chaperone their respected families jobs to see how they function while at work, and since I’m their favorite aunt, they thought it would be cool to see me in cation inside the kitchen” “Career day huh? “ The stallion questioned as he raised an eyebrow which only made the group more nervous, but his suspicious expression soon changed. “ Well that’s pretty awesome of you! Hehe no doubt you kids are be extremely popular in school when your classmates find out your aunt works in Hell’s Kitchen” “Hehe we sure will sir, thank you” Bloom replied. “Alrighty come on in Simone, don’t keep Ramsey waiting” The stallion said as he moved out of the way , to allow the group to make their way inside. “ BTW don’t call me sir, I’m 24” Soon the trio were inside the back room as they made their way down the hall leading to the kitchen, as they continued to walk down the path, Dash began pondering as to what she’s gonna say to Pinkie the second the two of them reunite. Having not seen or responded to any of their mares letters for an entire year, she begins to wonder if she’ll even be happy to see her or not. With the fear that the earth pony thinks that she still hates her guts after the Pegasus made it perfectly clear last year. But the mare would have little time to prepare as the entrance drew near, and soon the trio found themselves inside the restaurant’s kitchen to which every gourmet dish is prepared. Each one of em took the opportunity to stair in awe at the large kitchen which stood right in front of em. The sleek and luxurious foundation alongside the expensive looking equipment and interior mesmerized the group, even the tables themselves looked fancy, if Rarity was here she would absolutely faint at the sight of this beautiful looking kitchen, and even Applejack would have been impressed. And the uniforms looked as if they were tailored by world renowned fashionista. Dash however was quick to snap out of her small trance as she looked around for the pink poofy haired earthpony, but she would soon be interrupted by the sound of spitting. “YOU EXPECT THE PATRONS TO PASS THIS OFF AS HOLLANDAISE SAUCE?!” Came a loud booming voice which not only garnered the groups attention but also sent chills down their spines a bit, and there standing right next to a quivering stallion, stood non other than the worlds most well renowned chef this side of Equestria, Mr Ramsey. “Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii’m sorry chef” The stallion stammered. “ I followed the recipe like you said” “Well clearly you missed the step where ya don’t give someone DIABETES!!!!!!!!” Ramsey boomed. “ That was way too much lemon juice in there, I don’t know whether the extreme sourness was gonna be the end of me, or if it was gonna be the high levels of citric acid!!!” He then proceeded to pour out the bowl of hollandaise sauce onto the ground, just missing the stallions hoof by a few meters. “ You have precisely 10 freaking minutes to redo the sauce, or you’ll find yourself working at a hayburger joint!!!! The customers want good creamy, succulent, hollandaise for their eggs Benedict, not piss! NOW GET TO WORK!!!!!!!!” “Yes chef, right away chef” The stallion quivered as he quickly got to work redoing the sauce as Ramsey stormed away. “Damn” Sweetie belle whispered. “ I knew he had a temper, but to see it in real life is scary” “You said it kid” Dash whispered back. “ I don’t know why Pinkie would even…………….. “Oye you!!!!!!!!!” Ramsey called out to Dash, who was quick to usher the two fillies to hide behind a nearby serving rack just as Ramsey walked up towards the mare. “ It’s about time you showed up Simone, need I remind you that we have a dinner rush tonight and can’t have any slackers?!” “Uhhhhhhh no chef, I’m sorry chef” Dash apologized. “ I was having some issues back home, but I’m here now, it won’t happen again” “Good” the stallion replied. “ BTW where the hell are those two friends of yours? Their should have arrived the same time as you” “Oh them? Uhhhhhhh oh yeah , they’ll be here soon” Dash said. “ There was a carriage pileup downtown near their street, so their gonna be a few minutes late” “Well those two better pray that lil pileup gets sorted in 5 minutes, or they'll be on dish duty before clocking out later!" Ramsey replied. " Now enough chit chat Simone, you'll be partnered with Diane over there" The stallion then pointed towards a familiar pink earthpony whom Dash was quick to recognize. " Now hurry up to your station and get to work on that wedding cake, the clients expecting to pick it up by 8 am sharp" "Uh yes chef, right away chef" Dash said just as Ramsey left the scene, the mare wasted no time and approached the pink pony whom was hard at work decorating the luxurious looking wedding cake. With Pinkies unique baking skills, there's no doubt in my mind as to how she landed a job in Hells kitchen especially with how much work she's put into this particular piece. As she approached the mares table, who's mind was focused on the large wedding cake, Dash pondered for a bit as she struggled to find the right words. Finally after what felt like an eternity, the pegasus finally spoke up." ....................Pinkie?" This caught the former element of laughters attention as she was quick to recognize the voice, she turned her attention away from the cake to come face to face with her log lost friend. "Rainbow dash?" She said earning a nod from the pegasus. "Yup that's me Pinkie" Dash replied, expecting the poofy mare to either jump up for joy or to give her the biggest hug imaginable, but instead the mare looked blank in posture and expression, much to the shock of the pegasus, not expecting this behavior from one of the most happiest and hyperactive citizens in Ponyville. And her once poofy hair seemed to have deflated a bit, which normally happens whenever she’s either in a bad mood or depressed over something. "Don't get me wrong, I wanna give you the biggest hug imaginable right now Dashie" Pinkie replied. " But sadly Mr Ramsey doesn't like us slacking off or chatting when we're not on break, and sadly my break isn't for another hour. Wait what are you doing here anyways, and how did you find me?" "It's a long story" Dash said. " But to put it simply Pinkie, I came to bring you back home. Before you say anything, I was furious at you guys for pulling that Mare do well stunt instead of just talking to me about my boasting. But i didn't want any of you guys to leave and quit your respected elements, so I decided to track you guys down one by one so we can actually talk this out and hopefully make amends with each other. but that's not the only reason Pinkie, the elements aren't just roles, they're the key to restoring friendships and stopping any incoming threat that plagues Equestria. That's not the only reason I want you back Pinkie, I want you to come back so that once again, we can talk this out, I don't want this Mare do well incident to tear apart our friendship, so please Pinkie come back home" Pinkie was at a loss for words after hearing her friends reason for being here, while a part of her desperately would like to move back home, a part of her was also stopping her . " I can't Dash, I just can't. Believe me I would love to come back home to my old life back in Ponyville, but given how harsh I was during my last argument with the girls. Who's to say that they would even want me around?” “I know about the fight between you five Pinkie” Dash jumped in. “ That’s why I’m here, again I didn’t want you to leave. Look I know there’s a rift between us at the moment, but I wanna attempt to fix it, but I can’t do that if you and the others are in different cities. So please Pinkie, I’m asking you to come back to Ponyville. I need you, the element of laughter needs you, even the girls need you” This only earned the Pegasus a sorrow expression from the earth pony. “I wish it was that easy to come home Dashie” Pinkie replied as she continued to ice the wedding cake that she was preparing. “ But I just don’t feel like I’m welcome back after what I did to you, and for nearly fooling everyone in Ponyville. Besides, this isn't one of those jobs where you could just quit so easily. It was almost an honor for me that I got accepted to work alongside Mr Ramsey himself despite his temper, but I'm also under contract so it's nearly impossible to leave unless he feels that I'm no longer welcome...................." "OYE YOU!!!!!!!" Boomed a voice which echoed throughout the kitchen , earning the attention of not only Dash and Pinkie, but the other chefs as well. and there stood Ramsey himself, alongside his security guard whom held the CMC's in his grasps. " You bloody imposter, your not Simone!" He then turned his attention towards his security guard. " And you! Are you seriously more muscle than brain kid?! A career day event at school my arse, first off, Simone doesn't have any nieces, and second, what kind of school remains open at 5 freaking PM?!" "Sorry sir, that was my bad" The guard apologized. "Fine I'm not one of your chefs!" Dash replied before taking off her disguise. " My name is Rainbow Dash, and given how me and my friends saved Equestria not one but two times, you've probably heard of me. I'm here to pick up my friend Pinkie here so that we can return home and hopefully fix a broken bond" However , the only response Dash got out of the famous chef was a sly giggle " You think i give a shit about who you are kid? I don't care if you and your friend there are part of the elements of harmony and work under Celestia herself, this is my restaurant, and like it or not, your friend signed up for this. her excellent desserts have brought in quite a crowd , and I'd be damned to just hand her back over to Princess sunbutt who just sits on her arse eating cake!" He then pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. " And this contract she signed states that she's answers to me! Now you have two choices, either take your kids and get the hell out of my restaurant, or I'll have the cops here in about 10 seconds flat!!!" Ramsey then walked forward to continue giving the pegasus a piece of his mind, all while not noticing the spilled hollandaise sauce from earlier. "Uh sir?" One of his chefs called out. " The hollaindaise.................... "Stay out if this.................." But before Ramsey could reply any further, he slipped on the sauce he had purposely spilled earlier and landed head first onto a nearby table knocking him out cold instantly , as Pinkies contract flew out of his grasps and landed onto a boiling pot of freshly made hollandaise sauce, which disintegrated the piece of paper instantly, much to the group and staffs surprise. "Wowie zowie, talk about lucky" Pinkie said all surprised. "So now will you come back ?" Dash asked. "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" Pinkie pondered until a big smile formed on her face. " Ok!!!!!! He's probably gonna fire me anyways, lets get out of here before he wakes up" Dash gave a nod As they made their way towards the exit alongside the two fillies whom managed to escape from the guards grasps. As the chefs watched the four ponies exit the kitchen , a unicorn mare with a dark reddish mane walked towards the still unconscious Ramsey and leaned in a bit towards his ear. "I don't suppose this is a bad time to ask for a raise Chef?" She asked willingly. Soon the group found themselves taking cover in a nearby alleyway, all while Dash and even Pinkie double checked to see if they were being followed or not. "Phew, I think we lost em" Pinkie said with a sigh of relief. " Thank you Dash, I don't think I would have lasted another day under his wing" "It's no prob Pinks" Dash replied with a smile. “Plus it was pretty cool TBH” Sweetie belle stated. “ I never expected to find myself walking inside the real life Hell’s Kitchen” “Me neither” Bloom replied. “ Hehe Diamond Tiara’s gonna be so jelly that we got to see Hell’s Kitchen first before her rich ass” The others giggled at the fillies response, Pinkie then turned to Dash, with a question on her mind. "So does this mean you forgive me for Mare do well Dashie? Pinkie asked waiting eagerly for an answer, but was only met with an unsure expression from the pegasus. "Lets find the others first and then I'll give you my answer" Dash replied quietly. " Does that sound like a deal to you Pinkie?" Pinkie then gave a determined nod. " Deal! Plus that'll give me plenty of time to practice my upcoming apology to not only you but the others as well, and I promise I'll work hard and to say my words super dooper carefully so that you'll all know I'm super dooper sorry" A small giggle could be heard from the pegasus, happy to hear her friends bubbly tone again. "I missed you Pinkie" 1 down, 4 to go Author's Note And another chapter bites the dust👍 Don't worry guys, the next chapters are gonna come much faster, I promise:twilightblush: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/twilightblush.png And before you say anything, I'm not bashing on Gordon Ramsey here, this was just based of how cartoons and tv shows portray him, I have nothing against him in the slightest. Also I decided to add in an easter egg into my stories starting with this one where the creator Laura Faust makes Stan Lee style cameos, now I'm not gonna give into full detail on where she'll pop up in certain parts of my stories, but I'll try to make it sorta obvious, but you guys will have to locate her , almost like an "Eye Spy" or "Where's Waldo?" scenerio :pinkiehappy: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/pinkiehappy.png But anyways, hope you guys are enjoying the story, next chapters coming very soon, until then have a good night ladies and gentleman:raritywink: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/raritywink.png Also RIP to James Earl Jones, thank you for being a major part of our childhoods:fluttercry: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/fluttercry.png //-------------------------------------------------------// Fluttershy //-------------------------------------------------------// Fluttershy The next day The surrounding area of the next city became engulfed in a bright light as Dash, Bloom, and Sweetie belle, along with Pinkie Pie whom arrived at their destination. After helping the reinstated element of laughter pack up her belongings into her suitcases and out of her apartment, with the latter showing her gratitude by offering for them to spend the night before returning the key to her landlord and head out the next day. Once Pinkies belongings were collected, the group immediately teleported out from Las Pegasus, to their next destination. They also decided to leave in a hurry just in case Mr Ramsey filed a police report on em last night the second he regained consciousness. And soon enough, the group finally arrived at their next stop. The City of Fillydelphia . while it wasn't as big as Las Pegasus. It was never the less a quaint and modest city, and it just so happens to be the home of a certain farm fillys cousin. "OMG we're in Fillydelphia!!!!!" Bloom shouted in excitement. "Why are you so excited all of a sudden?" Sweetie belle asked. "Because my cousin Babs lives here, that's why" Apple bloom replied. " It's a shame that we're on a mission ATM, otherwise I'd introduce ya'll to her. But I'll wait until she visits next time, you guys would love her , Babs is pretty laid back and chill. And I think you'll like her too Sweetie belle, she's definitely your type of gal "wink, wink" "Bloom!!!!!!!" Sweetie belle replied with a big blush, earning a giggle from her farmer friend. As the two friends bickered with one another, Dash took this opportunity to survey the friendship map to locate the next pony on the list.........Fluttershy. And to her surprise, it read that the element of kindness was only two blocks away from where they're currently standing. "I hate to break up the chit chat" She said to the group. But the map says Fluttershy is only two blocks away, lets get a move on ya'll" The others nodded in agreement knowing that Dash was right, with nothing more to say, they made their way towards the location to which the element of kindness resides. Finally after a short trek, the group arrived at their respected destination. A large building stood before them, with a sign above the entrance canopy which read "Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary" "Yup, that sounds like Fluttershy alright. " Bloom said. "Wait a minute Dashie" Pinkie said. " Why is the map taking us to where the others including myself work instead of where they live?" "Dunno Pink's" Dash replied. " If ima take a guess, the map was designed to take us to the exact location to where the individual in question is currently at. Plus it saves us time from having to look up her street address. "Makes sense to me" Pinkie said with a nod. " Alrighty then, lets go find Fluttershy" The group proceeded towards the front entrance, but stopped suddenly when a loud creaking sound can be heard coming from the Canopy that stood overhead from the entrance door, the unsafe condition of the canopy caused the group to increase their steps just to be on the safe side. "Wowie Zowie, they should get that fixed, if that fell on someone. They'd be a literal pancake" Soon the group were inside the large animal sanctuary, the sounds of various wild life echoed through the hallway and even the front desk , which made it clear that the various doctors and veterinarians had their work cut out for them this morning. In an instant, they found themselves at the front desk to which the clerk greeted the group. "Good morning" The mare said. " How can I help you four?" "Hi, we're looking for Fluttershy" Dash explained. " Is she in today? We're friends of hers, and we just need to talk to her about something rather urgent and we'll be on our way" "Oh yes, Miss Fluttershy" The desk clerk answered. "She is in today, but unfortunately she's not scheduled to clock in until 10am, so you'll have a 7 minute waiting time. But your more than welcome to sit in the waiting room just down the second hallway until she arrives" "Much obliged" Apple bloom replied as she and the others made their way towards the waiting room , soon they stepped inside the waiting room, and were quick to take a seat at their respected chairs. Each member of the group was in a pondering state as each of them was thinking about what they were to say to Fluttershy the second she walks into the building. With the mare being the most sensitive of the group, they knew that they had choose their words carefully with her , least they want this “reunion” to go bad really fast. “Hang on I’ll go fetch the bandages” Came a voice. Dashes ears perked up a bit as she heard a familiar voice. “ Wait a sec, that voice…….no it can’t be, there’s no way he’d be in a place like………………….” But before the mare could finish her sentence, a large stallion in a managers uniform stepped into the room, the mare was quick to recognize the stallion whom was now in the same room as them, and the stallion was quick to recognize the mare as well. Having not seen each other since their days at flight school, neither one of em, especially Dash for that matter were expecting to bump into each other again after all these years. There standing right in front of Dash, stood non other than her and Shy’s former bully…………..Dumbbell billy stallion. “Wait………Dash?” Dumbbell said as the mare in question was still speechless. “ Damn, I wasn’t expecting to bump into you at work, wow this is a surprise, it’s great to see you again” Dash however wasn’t had a different opinion on the matter. “What are you doing here Billy?” Dash asked in a bit of a cold tone. “I work here duh” The stallion replied. “ I actually got promoted to manager last month, I was just on my way to retrieve some spare bandages from the supply closet” “Oh please” Dash scoffed. “ You honestly expect me to believe that you of all ponies, who cares only more about lifting weights and flexing in the mirror, is now working at a sanctuary for animals? And alongside Fluttershy, who’ve you been mocking since we were kids? Let’s not forget that you and those two lackeys of yours made flight school a living hell for not only me , Shy, but even Gilda as well. And you honestly expect a friendly greeting from me after all the shit you pulled in the past?” “I don’t expect you to” Dumbbell replied in a quiet tone. “ I don’t really blame you for not being the least bit happy to see me Dash, I know I wasn’t the nicest guy in the past, and you have every right to be pissed off, I was a major dick when I was a kid, and I was ten times worse to you as a teenager” Dash was speechless for a moment again, not specking this kind of tone or words to come out of her former rivals mouth. “So you finally came to terms with your past actions Billy?” She asked. “Yes I have” Dumbbell replied. “ To be honest, I’m actually glad I bumped into you here Dash. I was actually planning on stopping by Ponyville to visit you and even Fluttershy to say a few words to you guys” Dash couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow as she pondered what was about to come out of the stallions mouth. “Rainbow dash, my former rival, and one of my former favorite bullying victims……………I would like to apologize. I am truly sorry for how I treated you in the past. All the stuff I pulled on not just you, but also Fluttershy as well wasn’t cool. And the fact that I was picking on girls as well was the definition of messed up. you and shy never done anything to me , and I just treated you both, and especially fluttershy like punching bags, and I can never take back all the stuff I’ve done” “After we graduated, I started to look back at my pst actions once my freshman year of college began, I was actually planning on apologizing to you two when we met up again. But I ended up taking the cowards way out as I was afraid that you guys wouldn’t even forgive me, and i wouldn’t blame you either. I was so cruel , no scratch that, I was a monster, Hoops and Score are sorry too and feel the same way. I can never erase the stuff I’ve done Dash, but the only thing i can do now is to say I’m sorry. I don’t expect you to forgive me for all the terrible things I did when we were kids. I hope you can accept my apology, if not I understand, it’s what I deserve” Rainbow dashes jaw completely dropped, the mare was not expecting her former bully of all ponies to be so apologetic. Given his past actions , hearing a genuine and remorseful apology from Dumbbell was quite a shocker for the element of loyalty, she didn’t even know how to respond to that. but after what felt like an eternity, Dash finally broke the ice. “ Dumbbell, I don’t know what to say, I never expected to hear those words come out of your mouth” “I don’t expect you to” Dumbbell replied. “And to be honest, Fluttershy felt the same way too, and yes I apologized to her as well. Honestly, she’s mainly the reason I started working with animals. To be honest with ya, I wasn’t expecting myself to be in this position, I was originally working as the security guard after landing this job two years ago. But then I happened to bump into Fluttershy, she wasn’t expecting me to see me again after flight school, and I felt the same. I was actually surprised to see her here after learning that she moved to Ponyville after graduation from her university three years ago, but then she told me the reason why she suddenly decided to move to Fillydelphia. and yes , I know about Mare do Well” “When she told me the whole story I was at a loss for words, I never saw her so guilty and heartbroken about something. Her words made me pluck up the courage to finally apologize to her after all the stuff I put the poor mare through when we were kids, at first I was expecting her to say that she’ll never forgive me for all the stuff I did. But to my shock and surprise, she forgave me, and she even gave me a hug, after everything I put her through , I wasn’t expecting her to forgive me of all poinies especially since I made her past life a living nightmare. But I was happy never the less, when I saw her working with various animals throughout her first month here, it actually inspired me to start a new. So I started to take some training myself, and soon enough, I too found myself helping and treating animals as well” “To make a long story short, I was eventually bumped up to manager after all my hard work, and me and Fluttershys newfound friendship grew stronger and stronger each day, and I couldn’t help but feel happy to have redeemed myself for my past actions” A small smile formed on the Pegasus face once Dumbelle finished his story. “Well………….I must say Dumbbell, I’m proud of you for working hard to redeem yourself from your past actions” Dash said proudly . “And if fluttershy was willing to forgive you, then I forgive you too. We were just kids back then after all, sides, It’s not like I did some stuff myself that I’m not proud of too” “Thank you Dash” Dumbbell said with a warm smile. “ Thank you so much” The others couldn’t help but smile at this tender moment of reconciliations between the bully and his past victim, Pinkie however, wondered what Dashes answer would be the second the others are collected, will she forgive them and move back to Ponyville, or will she remain in Cloudsdale, guess only time and fate will tell. "So anyways friend, I take it your here to see Fluttershy?" "How'd ya guess Billy? " Dash asked. "Eh, guess you can call it a hutch" The stallion answered. " Like I said, after me and Shy reconciled, she told me all about the Mare do Well incident, the reason as to why she moved here in the first place, and the fallout between the others. So I'm taking a wild guess that you came all this way to try and make amends with her?" Dash gave an assured nod as a way of answering the stallions question. " I see, I see. But I should warn ya Dash, She's still feeling a little guilty about what happened last year. If ya want my advice, choose your words very, and I mean very care............................ CRASH Suddenly, the stallions words were cut short by a loud crash that echoed throughout the hallway, which also earned the groups attention as each of them wondered where it came from. "What the hell was that?!" Apple bloom shouted. "Dumbbell!!!" Came a voice, and soon the desk clerk from earlier entered the room in a panicked state. "What's going on Rita?" Dumbbell asked. "Come outside quickly!!!" Rita answered. " It's the canopy, it finally gave way. And I think someone got caught underneath it!!!" "Oh no......................., damn it I told em that canopy needs repairs!!!!!!!" The group starred in shock at the scene right in front of them the second they stepped foot outside, and it wasn't just them, a bunch of staff members including a few pedestrians also showed up to survey the scene of the loud crash from a few minutes ago. The sight of what was right in front of them was a most devastating scene. There stood what remained of the overhead canopy , which was now reduced to nothing but but a pile of rubble. With splintered wood frames, bent metal, and torn fabric scattered everywhere. But what caught the groups eyes more was the mare whom laid buried and battered underneath the fallen rubble., to whom Dash was quick to recognize. "Fluttershy!!!!!!!!" She screamed and then proceeded to run up to the unconscious mare, and proceeded to try and pry the broken canopy off of her. "UGH come on you stupid canopy MOVE!!!!" Soon the others, including some of the staff joined in to try and free the unconscious mare from the broken canopy. But sadly, even with their combined forces, the canopy wouldn't budge. "Everyone stand back, I got this!!!!" Dumbbell called out as the others moved out of the way as he rushed towards the canopy. "Dumbbell......................... "Don't worry Dash" The stallion interrupted, " I got this!!!! This is how I got my cutiemark after all" The burly stallion proceeded to place his hooves underneath the rubble and began to lift. His cutiemark began to light up slightly as a bright aura illuminated his entire body as he continued to pry the canopy off of Fluttershy. Everyone watched on at the stallions impressive feat of strength as he lifted more and more, his muscles even tensed up and bulged a little as he began to feel the canopy starting to move up slightly. Apple bloom couldn't help but blush and ogle at the sight of the muscular stallion whom stood before her as the sleeves of his uniform began to tear slightly from the pressure. "Hot dayum:heart: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/heart.png" She said before Pinkie covered the fillies eyes and mouth with her hooves. "Thank you Pinkie" Dash said. And in no time at all, The stallion finally lifted up the canopy off of the injured mare. He turned back towards Dash , ushering her to quickly move Fluttershy out of the rubble which she was quick to do so. Just in time as the stallion place the what was left of the canopy back onto the ground, Dash immediately checked over her unconscious friend. " Shy, wake up!!! Come on say something please!!!!!!!!" "Get an ambulance over here on the double!!!!!!!" Dumbbell called out to one of the staff, who was quick to rush out towards the nearest ambulance as Dash and everyone else checked on the unconscious mare as Dash continued to rock her slightly praying that she'd wake up. We find the group now inside the fillydelphia hospital, after successfully getting the element of kindness out of the rubble, courtesy of dumbbells incredible strength, Dash was quick to get her friend to the nearest hospital as possible. As the five friends waited patiently in the waiting room for the medical light to turn green, Dash began to wonder to herself if Fluttershys circumstance was her fault? If she hadn’t have been so hard on them the day she revealed them as Mare do well, she wouldn’t have ended up here in the first place, but Dash also knew that she couldn’t have known something like this would have happened. But the mare couldn’t help but feel guilty never the less. Finally free what felt like an eternity, the light shown green, indicating that visitors were now welcome into the operating room. Not wasting any time or even waiting for the doctor to escort them, the group made their way inside the medical wing to which Fluttershy was being treated. As they made their way inside, Dash and even Pinkie and the others silently prayed to themselves that their friend was alright and still kicking. Soon they were inside the operating room, and there stood Fluttershy, with her left arm and wing in casts , and half of her head bandaged up with a few stitches here and there from the impact of the canopy, seeing the element of kindness in this condition broke their hearts , especially Dashes. While she was a gray at Fluttershy for taking part in the Mare do well fiasco, she never the less felt sorry to see her childhood friend in this condition. Soon enough, the doctor entered the room, and the group were quick to rush over to him. “Doctor” Dash said. ‘ Please tell me she’s gonna make it” “Yes, is Fluttershy gonna be ok Mr doctor? “ Sweetie belle asked. The doctor took a deep breath before responding to the group. “ Yes everyone, I’m pleased to say that miss Shy is gonna pull through” The entire group breathed a sigh of relief that Shy was gonna be ok. “ However, she’s currently in a mini coma, so there’s no telling when she’s to wake up. But rest assured , we’ll keep you all updated on her progress” He then placed a comforting hoof on Dumbbells shoulder. “ You and your friends did a brave thing today kid, if it Hadn’t been for you, your friend would have been in a much worse condition, so thank you” “It’s no prob doc” Dumbbell replied. “ I’d do anything for my friends” A proud smile formed on Dashes face, happy to know that her former bully truly has reformed. The doctor gave one final nod to the group before leaving the room to give them some alone time. As they watched him leave the room, there was a short silence between the five of them, as each of em wondered what was to happen next, with one of the elements temporarily out of commission. “Poor Fluttershy” Apple bloom said sadly. “What’s the plan now Dash? Sweetie belle asked. “I don’t know guys” Dash replied . “ But one things certain, I’m not leaving until Fluttershy wakes up, i abandoned her once, and I’m not gonna do it again” “But Dashie, what about the others?” Pinkie asked. “There’ll be plenty of time to find them Pinkie” Dash answered. “ I say we stay here for a while until Shy wakes up so that we’ll be able to say our peace and hopefully……………….. “Dash……go” Dumbbell interrupted. “What?” Dash replied. “You go on and find the others” He said. “ I’ll stay here and look after Fluttershy” Dash was at a loss for words after hearing what dumbbell was suggesting. “ Billy………..I mean don’t get me wrong but, are you sure?” “Yeah , it’s no problem Dash” Dumbbell reassured. “ Besides, after that incident earlier, we were actually planning on shutting down temporarily until we finally get that canopy fixed so that something like this never happens again. So I’ll stay here and look after Fluttershy, I’ll write to you once she finally wakes up. So go on ahead and find the rest of your friends, Fluttershys in good hoofs, so go” A warm smile formed on the mares face, and before she knew it , she wrapped her hoofs around the stallions neck bringing him into a warm hug to which he happily returned as the others watched on at this heartwarming scene between the former rivals. After a few seconds, the hug ended as Dash took out the friendship map. “Thanks Billy” Dash said. “ I really appreciate this, look after Shy for us until we get back ok? “ The stallion gave a confident nod as the mare prepared to say the name of their next location, but not before Pinkie walked over to the stallion, handing him a small envelope with her cutiemark painted on the center. “When Shy wakes up” She began. “ Could you give this to her?” “Of course Pinkie” He reassured. “ Good luck with the others. Pinkie gave a nod of reassurance of her own before rejoining the group just as Dash requested the location of their next stop, which is the element of generosity. Dumbbell watched as the surrounding area became engulfed in a bright light, signaling that Dash and the others were about to teleport to their next destination. “I wonder If he’ll let me feel those biceps If I ask him politely when we see him again?” Bloom whispered to Sweetie belle. “Bloom , heel girl, he’s the same age as Dash and Pinkie” Sweetie belle whispered back with an annoyed eye roll, just as they teleported towards their next stop. 2 down, 3 to go Author's Note Oh no not Fluttershy!!!!!!!:fluttercry: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/fluttercry.png Don’t worry guys, Shy’s gonna be ok, and she’ll get the chance to say her peace to Dash and the others, I don’t plan on her being in a coma for too long👍 But rest assured, she’s gonna be ok I promise:heart: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/heart.png Also hehe, looks like Bloom has a thing for Muscley guys XD but I’m sure Dumbbell would be kind enough to let you feel his bicep Apple bloom , just don’t make it weird ok? Anyways, hope you guys are enjoying the story, next chapters currently in progress and should be up soon, so stay tuned:raritywink: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/raritywink.png //-------------------------------------------------------// Rarity ( warning : contains suggestive moments) //-------------------------------------------------------// Rarity ( warning : contains suggestive moments) After receiving reassurance from dumbbell that fluttershy was in good hooves, the group immediately made their way towards their next destination. Once Dash said the name of the next element bearer on her list, the four friends were soon teleported to the city, in which the element of generosity resides………… Manehatten The city of fashion and beauty , here you’ll find not only the hustle and bustle of the streets of this large city. But also the biggest fashion district that outmatches even the luxurious Las Pegasus. Wide varieties of clothing , perfumes, colognes, and accessories who’s origins range from the many cities and countries where their designers hale from, with most of the materials of said items also haling from the designers native homes. Now ya might think this is where they’ll locate the element of generosity, but the group would soon find the mares real line of work, which is something they would not see coming…………….at all. The large building that stood before them made their jaws drop in shock at the sight of the fashionista’s location. But what caught their attention the most, wasn’t the the name of the establishment which read “The Golden Horseshoe” it was the sign near the entrance which read “ No one under the age of 18 allowed, must have ID, touching the dancers is prohibited” This was an extreme indication that the building that stood before them wasn’t just a night club , but also a strip joint. Shock enveloped the groups faces as they and especially Sweetie Belle couldn’t believe that someone as glamorous and pampered as Rarity would be working in a place like this, even if there was a strong chance that she would be making the outfits for the strippers, she wouldn’t stoop this low . Neither of em knew how to respond to this, as this was a shocking discovery to say the least. But soon Dash broke the ice. “No freaking way” The mare said in disbelief. “ There is absolutely no way Rarity is in there” “I know my sister likes to flaunt her beauty from time to time” Sweetie belle replied. “And she does have some elegant dance moves, but there’s no way she’d be a stripper, that isn’t like her at all” “TBH with ya Sweets” Apple bloom said. “ Given how she felt after the big fight with Twilight and the others, can ya’ll honestly blame her for going down this road? The poor girls probably depressed beyond belief and believes all this attention would help to clear her mind. But wait, are we even sure this is where she’s at? “Considering the fact that I can see a small complex on the roof of the building” Pinkie replied. Ima take a guess Rarity not only works here, but also lives upstairs. Should we go inside and see if she’s home?” “Doesn’t look like we can Pinkie” Dash said, and then pointed towards the same age requirement sign which also showed the hours. “ Says here it doesn't open up till 6pm tonight, so we have quite a bit until we can step inside. Plus there’s a chance Rarity might not even be home ATM. “That is a possibility Dash, plus it’ll be quite a goose chase to try and find my sister in the city, cause with the hundreds of clothing shops, she could be anywhere” Sweetie belle jumped in, but as she did, Dash caught a glimpse of a diner across the street , with an overhead clock which read that the current time was 12 :25PM , 7 hours before the night club opened up it’s doors to patrons. “That diner looks open to me” She said. “ Let’s go ahead and wait it out in there until they open up” The others nodded in agreement at the mares suggestion. “sounds like a plan Dash” Bloom replied, but then suddenly her stomach began to rumble a bit. “ Plus I’m starving like hell over here” The others couldn’t help but chuckle at the fillies response as they too were a little peckish, with nothing more to say, they made their way towards the small eating establishment to not only stuff their faces, but to also wait it out till 6pm arrives. 7 hours later Evening soon approached as the sun was only minutes away from turning in for the day, and this was also a turning point for the group as the Golden Horseshoe was only minutes away from opening up it’s doors. After filling up their bellies with not only lunch, but dinner and dessert as well, courtesy of Pinkie whom handled the bill thanks to her last paycheck from Hells Kitchen. They were all set to finally meet up with the element of generosity and to hopefully bring her home. “Looks like it’s time ya’ll “ Bloom said. “Indeed” Dash replied. “ Also Bloom, Sweets, I want you two to stay in the diner with Pinkie until I get back with Rarity” The two fillies were in utter shock at what the mare just instructed to them. “What?!” Sweetie belle said. “ But why? I wanna talk some sense into my sister too…………. “I know Sweetie belle” Dash interrupted. “ But listen, this is something that I’ll have to do alone this time. And need I remind you two of where Rarity is working at? It isn’t necessarily a place for kids, and I don’t want ya’ll getting any nightmares from the…….suggestive material that’s in there. And the sign even points it out as well, plus Granny Smith, Big Mac, and even your sisters would be all up in my ass if they found out that I brought you too inside of a strip club” “Oh yeah good point” Bloom replied. “ Applejack would put you in a headlock if ya brought us inside that place, alrighty then partner, we’ll stay behind” “We promise” Sweetie belle said in a disappointing nature , as she wanted to see her sister so badly. “Thank’s girls” Dash said. “ Hold down the fort Pinkie, I’ll be back soon. And before you even ask me Apple bloom, no I will not tell you if I see any muscley stallions, your too young to know any of that anyways” Bloom gave a disappointed look while Pinkie did a playful solute as they watched the mare exit the diner. Soon Dash made her way across the street towards the Golden Horseshoe whose doors just opened up, she soon came across the bouncer who stood by the front entrance with three ponies currently waiting in line to get in, which was also good news for the mare as she wouldn’t have to wait as long or even to sneak in. As she walked up, the mare found that she was next in line, with the others already having gained entry. “ID please?” The bouncer said to the mare in question, whom proceeded to present her identification to him. After a short glance, the burly stallion gave a nod of approval. “ Alrighty , come on in” Dash silently thanked the stallion, but was quick to notice something rather ………familiar about him. “Hey wait a minute” she began. “ Aren’t you that same stallion who works as Mr Ramsay’s personal security guard as well? The stallion raised an eyebrow at the mares response. “What are you…………….Oh wait, you must be talking about my twin brother I assume? “ He replied. “ Yeah I get that a lot toot’s, seriously we went to the same university , got the same degree, and yet he’s the one who got to work under Mr Ramsey himself, while I get stuck working as a bouncer at a night club. If the chicks in there weren’t hot AF, I would have quit already. *cough* But enough about my personal life, you may now proceed into the club. With nothing more to say , Dash proceeded inside of the establishment ready to find her fashionista friend. And no touching the stallions foot longs!!!!!!” Soon the mare made her way inside the night club, once inside, she was soon greeted by a number of patrons and staff. Including and not limited too, partygoers, college students, married stallions who were itching for a good show without their wives finding out, a few servers stallion or mare and even a minotaur and griffon whom wore rather revealing uniforms which made their *cough, cough* lower regions nearly visible, and even a few of the strippers could be seen giving a few audience members either a lap dance or a sneak preview before they got on stage. While it wasn't the largest Nightclub in equestria, Dash was never the less impressed at how crowded it was, indicating that business was definitely booming. As she looked for a place to sit, the mare surveyed the surrounding area for any sight of the element of generosity, but there wasn't a single trace of her anywhere, but the mare simply brushed it off for now, as she's probably back stage getting ready, but little did she know is that she would soon get her answer. At last she finally found a seat just as the show was about to begin, a stallion server presented her with a cocktail beverage, but the mares mind was set at not the entertainment or the complimentary drink, but the whereabouts of her fashionista friend. As the lights begin to dim, a Voice could be heard over the speakers just as the music began to play. "Ladies and Gentlecolts!!!" Came a voice " Welcome to the Golden Horseshoe, hope all you wonderful ponies stuffed your pockets with bits, cause your in for a special treat tonight from all these lovely mares and stallions " "Wait, why does that voice sound familiar?" Dash wondered to herself. "And now to start off the show" The announcer continued. " For you lovely ladies, and stallions as well, we're starting with non other than the Macho men, come on out boys, time to flex those muscles!!!!!!!" And within seconds, a group of muscle bound stallions entered the stage and began shaking what they got as the crowd erupted with cheers and woes. Their cheers grew louder and louder as each member of the group began to tear off their respected clothing to reveal their toned physiques at the audience whom began to throw their bits at them. Many of them struck various types of bodybuilder poses, taking a moment to feel and fondle each others bodies, and even poked their massive bulges in the air which were clearly visible through their respected speedos and jockstraps. Dash couldn't help but ogle slightly at what was literally right in front of her. "Dayum!!!!" She said to herself. " If Bloom was in here, she would faint instantly if she saw all this.…....no, no focus Dash, your here for Rarity, not a bunch of pec bouncing studs" The performance went on for about 20 minutes as a variety of stallions, and even the minotaur and griffon from earlier shaked and showed off their physiques and tight packages towards the audience whom continued to eat it up. Soon the muscle strip show ended as the audience erupted with cheers and claps as the respected strippers let out a bow of praise happy that the thirsty audience enjoyed the show. "Bravo, bravo, bravo!!!! Another spectacular performance boys, you can tell these lovely men don't skip leg day folks. Hope you enjoyed the macho men, cause now it's time for the ladies to take the stage. And to start things off, we're starting with everyone's favorite mare. Hailing all the way from Ponyville, an elegant lady shaking for a good time and attention, with a beautiful gaze that would line up a group of stallions in seconds, but your hooves together for RarrrrrrrityyYYYYYYYYYYYYyy!!!!!!!!" Dashes gave a shocked look as his friends name was called out, and soon a cloud of mist surrounded the stage as a mare began to walk through it, the audience cheered and wowed as there stood non other than the former element of generosity and fashionista........Rarity, Dawning an elegant and beautiful Arabic style outfit, the mares piercing gaze surveyed the crowd as the music became slow for a moment as she raised her hoof into the air. And in a split second, the mare began to shake her entire body in an elegant manner as the music changed to an Arabian tone as the crowd instantly ate at the mares beautiful dance moves. Moving her body to the rhythm of the music that played before her, the mare was defiantly a beautiful sight to behold, and the bits she was being presented to by the crowd, definitely showed that's she was indeed a fan favorite. The Pegasus was in awe at the sight of her fashionista friends various moves, while she knew Rarity was quite beautiful and was an amazing dancer, seeing it up close was rather breathtaking for the mare. While she wasn't into mares as much, Dash couldn't help but blush at how elegant her friend was, especially with the music that played which only made her dance moves more and more elegant, it was almost hypnotizing to say the least, and the music definitely gave the impression. The Pegasus continued to be captivated at the dancing mare whom stood before her, it almost seemed like she was on stage as well sharing a dance alongside her as the music synched with each and every one of their movements. But alas, the moment didn't last long, as soon the music ended as the mare let out a dazzling final pose as the audience roared with cheers and claps at the mares performance, just as she exited the stage. "Beautiful, absolutely BEAUTIFUL Rarity!!!!!" The announcer said. "Folks, you can definately see why she's my favorite dancer, excellent performance as ever Rarity. We're gonna go ahead and take a 20 minute break for the next performer to warm up, in the mean time, enjoy the bar and unlimited lap dances courtesy of the macho men and the ladies all you lovely ponies" The audience clapped again just as the lights turned back on, Instantly Dash snapped out of her mini trance, this intermission was a perfect opportunity for the mare as it gave her just enough time to talk to the mare backstage. "Ok, now's my chance" She said to herself." Hopefully the locker room isn't guarded, here I come rarity" Dash took one last swig of her cocktail before proceeding stealthfully towards the backstage entrance, all while passing by the various muscle men whom gave the mares and some of the LGBT stallions a lap dance. She couldn't help but ogle slightly at the sight of the various chiseled booties and packages she passed by, all while wishing she was getting one too, but she knew there was more important matters to attend to. After checking to see that the coast was clear, the mare entered the backstage entrance making her way towards the female locker room. At long last, she reached her destination as the locker room entrance drew near. After taking a moment to collect herself, The Pegasus opened the door , ready to confront the fashionista. And to her surprise, the locker room was practically empty, which gave the impression that since Rarity was the first performer , she’d be the only one in here while the other mare strippers were outside giving some of the guest lap dances or warming up on the practice stage. Speaking of Rarity, Dash could hear a small humming sound, which belong to non other than the fashionista, whom the Pegasus was quick to recognize as she knew her little singing voice and humming tune all too well. The Pegasus followed the sound of the little tune, until she came around a corner to see the element of generosity standing in front of the locker room mirror fixing her hair slightly, like the other three. The Pegasus was a bit surprised to see the mare after being absent for over a year, and seeing her now filled her with a sense of nervousness. But she knew now that there was no turning back now. After clearing her throat, the Pegasus finally spoke up…………………….” Rarity” The sound of her name instantly got the mares attention, as she was quick to recognize the voice. And as she turned around, there stood non other than her former friend Rainbow dash whom shared the same look of surprise as the fashionista, but the unicorn however was quick to change to a blank faced expression just as she turned her attention back to the mirror to continue fixing her mane. “Hey Dash” She said trying to sound as polite as possible. “ Never expected to see you again, especially at my new job” Dash was silent for a moment, but soon found her words. “ Yeah me neither” “So……….how’d ya even know where I was?” Rarity asked. “It’s kind of a long story” Dash replied. There was an awkward silence for what felt like an eternity, until Rarity broke the ice. “ Well……go on then, you obviously came here to berate me. So get it over with, let me know how badly I screwed up our friendship after that Mare do Well scheme, so go on and get it over with and then take your leave” “Rarity” Dash began. “ I’m not here to berate you, I’m here to ask you to come back home” The Pegasus however only received a dark chuckle as a response from the fashionista. “Your serious?” Rarity asked. “ You, the one pony who said such hurtful words towards us, even though we kind of deserved it, and had the gull to leave for an entire year and not even bother to respond to the various apology letters that we all sent you all because you were pissed off, and now that your back, you expect me to return to my old life? Well you’re flat out of luck darling! I’m done with my old life back in Ponyville, and I’m done with my fashion career as it only brings back memories of that incident especially given that I was the one who designed the costumes to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, while I do miss my old life, and I do regret leaving my sister alone. It’s too late for me to return Dash…………….Besides, I like it here, I get all sorts of attention from the lovely audience. And I still get payed not only off stage, but on stage as well, and I still get to show off my glamour and beauty. And I’m my boss Flams favorite dancer, and he even offered me the studio apartment upstairs for my services free of charge, so I owe him…………….. “Wait a minute” Dash interrupted. “ Did you just say Flam? AKA Flims twin brother , whom together form the film Flam bros? the two dumbasses who tried to con Granny Smith and Ponyville last year? That Flam?! * No wonder the announcers voice sounded familiar* “Yes darling , that Flam” Rarity answered. “ Believe it or not, I was just as shocked to see him as well, as it turns out, he and his brother had a falling out a while back and went there separate ways, so the latter decided to start his own business a few months ago where he built the Golden Horseshoe night club. And I just so happened to find myself being a loyal patron here while I searched for work, and that’s when he happened to recognize me, after complimenting me, he offered me a job here. At first I utterly refused to degrade myself by becoming a stripper, but after the stallion remarked on how beautiful and elegant I was, and how the audience would absolutely adore my exotic dance moves and taste in clothing. I decided to give it a try, and to my surprise, everyone loved me, and that’s when I knew that this was my true passion” “Rarity, I know this isn’t your passion” Dash replied. “ The Rarity I know would never stoop as low as to go down this path all over a falling out. Yes I was furious at you guys for what you did, but I didn’t want you guys to leave behind everything you cared bout. I know the rarity who loves fashion and designing clothing is still in there, everyone misses you back at home, I miss you, Sweetie belle misses you, even the others miss you” “I highly doubt that darling” Rarity said bitterly. “ You honestly thing Twilight and the others would miss me after our fallout last month? It’s so obvious Dash, this friendship is dead and buried, and I don’t think it’ll ever be repaired. I’m sorry for what happened last year, but it’s too late for me to go back to my old life………. “No it’s not” Dash interrupted. “ Rarity, it’s never too late for reconciliations, deep down I’m sure the others regret the fight last month just as much as you . Plus all of us are what keep Equestria safe, after you quit as the element of generosity, it made Celestia worried about what the future holds. What she didn’t tell us, is the elements are not only roles assigned to us to spread the importance of friendship, but to also help with any threat whom tries to invade Equestria. You , Pinkie, and everyone else have important roles Rarity, and your…….our friendship and bond is what keeps us strong and motivated to keep pushing forward………………….please Rarity, I need you back, everyone else needs you back. Without your generosity , we’re not a whole with one another, please Rarity I’m begging you…………come back home with us” The unicorn was at a loss for words after hearing the Pegasus speech, while a part of her was a bit skeptical about returning home after what transpired last year. But she also missed her friends deeply after the falling out , her mind was full of different choices , as she began to wonder on whether or not she should return back to her old life and reinstate her position as the element of generosity, or that’s it was too late to change everything and to just stay where she currently is. As she was about to give Dash her answer, the locker room door swung open. “You!!!!!!” Came a voice which caught both mares attention, and there standing near the entrance , stood non other than Flam, a couple of security ponies, and even a few of the macho men form earlier. “ So you’re the chump who thought she could sneak backstage huh?” “ Well, well, well, we meet again Flam” Dash replied “Indeed we do “element of loyalty” the stallion spat out. “ But I’m not in the mood to catch up, backstage is off limits to customers, so ima ask your politely to get the hell out before I have my boys toss you out” “I don’t think so Mr mustache” Dash interjected. “ I’m here to take my friend home and out of this shitty strip club of yours” She then turned her attention towards the two macho men “ No offense fellahs, I loved you guys performance BTW” The two man couldn’t help but blush at the mares compliment towards them. “Snap out of it muscleheads, she’s trespassing!!!!!!” Flam shouted. “ And I’m afraid your friend isn’t going anywhere, It’s thanks to her that business is skyrocketing and I’d be a damn fool to let her go now. Besides you already tossed her out after that Mare do Well stunt, yeah that’s right she told me her entire backstory, and now she’s working under me instead. If I had known it would be this easy going solo, than I would have ditched my brother sooner. Your far too late to take back your friend now Dash, she’s moved on and is my property now, So I’m gonna have to ask you one more time to leave” “ I ain’t leaving without my friend chump” Dash retorted. “ Not that you care or anything, but without her, not just equestria , but our friendship is at stake if I don’t take her home, yes i was furious at her , but I didn’t want her to leave, sure it still hurts a little, but I’m willing to try and move past it for the sake of her and everyone else” Rarity was in complete shock at her friends words, along with a hint of gratitude that proved visible on the mares face. Flam however wasn’t convinced even the slightest. “Wow” He said sarcastically. “ Now that is what I call the definition of true and passionate friendship * sniff* It almost moves my heart……………………..alright enough of that, kick this mare to the curb fellahs” He then ushered his group to take action, and within seconds , the four stallions charged forward to apprehend the mare whom stood in a battle position ready to kick some major ass the second they got closer, but she wouldn’t have to worry about getting her hooves dirty, as just then, Rarity stepped forward blocking the men’s path and surprising the Pegasus. “ What the? Rarity what are you doing? this doesn’t concern you!” “Sorry boss” Rarity replied. “ But no ones laying a hoof on my friend” The unicorn then began channeling her magic, and in a split second, she and Dash were teleported out of the scene in a flash, much to the stallions surprise. Outside the club, we find the bouncer from earlier checking the ID of the current patron in line. But as he was about to give him the all clear, a cloud of magical smoke enveloped the area slightly, and there stood the duo whom immediately high tailed it out of there the second they were outside much to the stallions surprise. “By Reggie , it’s been fun darling!” Rarity called out as she and Dash made their way towards the diner. “ Also tell Flam that I quit would ya?!” The stallion was at a loss for words at what he just witnessed. “…………………………Yeah I’m going on break, you guys have the all clear” He said as he walked away as the patrons in line cheered and proceeded inside the nightclub. Speaking of inside, we find Pinkie, Sweetie belle, and apple bloom whom were still waiting patiently for Dash and Rarity to return. “Hmmmmmmmmmmm” Pinkie pondered as she fiddled with her pen slightly on her piece of paper. “ What rhymes with “ I’m super Dopper sorry for bing a meany pants and hope that we can be friends again?” But before she got her answer, the door busted open just as the Pegasus and the unicorn barged in panting heavily as if they were in a hurry, this got the trios attention especially Sweetie belle whom were quick to rush over to them. “Rarity!!!!!” sweetie belle cried out in joy as she ran up and gave her sister the biggest hug imaginable. “Sweetie belle, what are you doing here?!” Rarity asked just as Pinkie joined in on the hug as well. “ And Pinkie pie?” “Yup that’s me” Pinkie said happily” “Save the reunion for later fellahs” Dash said in a frantic tone as she took out the friendship map. “ We gotta go NOW” Suddenly she witnessed Flam alongside his bodyguards and the macho men making their way towards the diner much to their horror. “ Oh shit they’re coming, everybody gather around!!!” The others did as Dash instructed , and the Pegasus was quick to say the name of the next destination. “ Take us to Applepaloosa ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!” And in a split second , the five friends were instantly teleported out of the scene just as Flam and his companions barged into the diner, the stallion was dumbfounded as he found no trace of the mares in sight. “What the hell?!” He said, and then turned his attention towards the owner. “ Where’d they go?” But all the got from the owner was a. “ I dunno” The stallion let out a loud growl of frustration at the fact that he lost his prized stripper at the hands of the boastful Pegasus he encountered during him and Flams last visit to Ponyville. “ THIS ISN’T OVER RAINBOW………..WHATEVER THE HELL YOUR NAME WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” “3 down, 2 to go” Author's Note Another chapter done folks, thank goodness:applejackconfused: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/applejackconfused.png It’s a good thing I had a written script, or I would have never have gotten it done so soon:twilightblush: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/twilightblush.png As stated in the update, the stories gonna go on a temporary hiatus while I get a head start on my upcoming Halloween story. But don’t worry, Dashes adventure will return once my current story is completed:raritywink: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/raritywink.png Until then, I’ll see ya guys soon 👍 //-------------------------------------------------------// Applejack //-------------------------------------------------------// Applejack In a flash, the group were instantly teleported out of the scene before Flam and his goons could catch them. With the element of generosity officially crossed off the list, that left only two ponies left. That being Applejack and Twilight along with Spike, and ironically enough, the group found themselves in the exact same town the element of honesty grew up in the second Dash called out its name. Applepaloosa Despite the nighttime atmosphere, it wasn’t difficult for anyone in the group, especially apple bloom to identify this mid Western town. And to the latter, it was almost felt like home, even though she was born in Ponyville. The young filly took a second to breath in the fresh Applepaloosa air, and to also let the entire town know of her prescence. “Hello Applepaloosa!!!!!!” She cried out as her voice echoed through the valley. “ Ah it’s great to step foot into the home of the Applefamily, ya’ll made a good choice there Dash, but how’d ya know my sis would be here?” “Eh, call it a hutch” Dash replied. “ I figured that, since this was the town Applejack grew up in, this would definitely be the place she would go to vent. Plus with Flam and his hunky cronies on our tail, I wanted to get us out of there ASAP , so I just said the first town that came to my mind. Speaking of which, I hope he doesn’t end up hunting us down after what transpired earlier” I wouldn’t count on it darling” Rarity said. “ With the time I’ve spent with Flam, furious or not, I highly doubt he’d leave his club unintended just to go on a cross country witch-hunt. Speaking of which, I must thank you Dash for setting me straight, I now realized that running away wasn’t the best course of action, despite what we’ve been through and the words we exchanged to one another, It warms my heart that you four came all this way just to get me out of that little pickle I put myself into” The four friends smiled warmly at the fashionista’s response. “And I must apologize to you as well Sweetie, I’m deeply sorry for abandoning you like that, and for being a poor excuse for an older sister………………….” Rarity’s words were cut short as her younger sibling brought her into a loving embrace. “ No matter how many fights we get in, I’ll never stop loving you big sis” Rarity Smiled warmly as she returned the hug , after a few seconds, the siblings ended their hug as Rarity gave Sweetie belle a serious look. “Oh and by the way Sweetie belle, if mom and dad ask…………….don’t let them know what I’ve been up to these past couple months, they’ll never let me hear the end of it, Celestia it still shocks me that I even went down this path in the first place” “Secrets safe with me sis” Sweetie belle replied with a slight giggle” “For what it’s worth Rarity” Dash cut in. “ Ya did look very beautiful on stage, it almost felt like I was dancing along side you” Rarity couldn’t help but blush with gratitude at her friends comment. “Thank Celestia we managed to get out of there before they got us” Pinkie said . “ There’s no telling what Flam and his lackies would have done to us if we got caught in their grasps. He’d probably order those big, chiseled, burly stallions to take me into a private room where’s each of em would take turns…………..” “Pinkie!!!!!!” Dash interrupted and them pointed towards the two fillies . “Kids” “Oh…………….sorry Dashie” Pinkie replied with an embarrassed blush, and then let out a tired yawn. “ Goodness, double sorry” “ We don’t blame you Pinkie” Sweetie belle said with a yawn of her own. “We have been out for quite a while, maybe we should call it a night” Apple bloom said and let out a yawn as well. “ I wanna look for my sister as much as you guys, but It is getting pretty late. Plus it’d be pretty hard to go look for her in the dark” “Good point there Bloom” Dash said, trying to hold back her own yawn. “ It is getting pretty late, lets go ahead and find a hotel, or an inn or something and get some sleep, we’ll get a head start on finding AJ in the mor…….AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!” Dashes words were cut short as she received a small scare from a familiar stallion who stood right next to her, giving the biggest smile that even rivaled Pinkies towards the group. “Well I’ll be eggs sizzling on a skillet!!!!” The stallion said happily. “ If it isn’t Rarity, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash, how are ya’ll? It’s been a while!!!!!” “Ugh, hey Braeburn” Dash greeted with a slight groan. “ Long time……..no see” "Hiya Braeburn" Pinkie greeted waving rapidly in the process. "Great to see you again darling" Rarity greeted. “Braeburn!!!!!!” Apple bloom cried out happily and rushed over towards her cousin. “Hey cuz!!!!” Braeburn said and then proceeded to bring his younger cousin into a loving embrace. “ C’mere , oh you’ve gotten so big, it’s great to see ya again!" "It sure has Brae" Bloom said all happy. " What brings you out here so late at night anyways?” Rainbow dash asked as the stallion and his cousin ended their hug. "Why helping out at this years rodeo of course" The stallion replied proudly. " Not to brag but, I was chosen by the mayor to host this years rodeo , and I've been hard at work organizing both the stadium and the various challenges we have in store for this year. I've been spending half the day training some of the contestants for said events, and I tell ya'll this year's rodeo is gonna be a major doozy.........wait, what brings ya'll here anyways?" "Well.............." Rarity began. " Actually Braeburn, we're actually here on some serious business regarding me and the girls friendships. As much as we would love to catch up darling, I'm afraid that this isn't a social visit, as we have a task at hoof ATM" The others nodded in agreement at the fashionista's response. Braeburn on the other hand gave a more understanding look as if he knew what the group was talking about. "Let me guess" He said quietly. " It's about my other cousin , isn't it?" "Indeed darling" Rarity replied. " Wait........how did you know?" "Well.................lets just say she told me the whole story between what happened with ya'll last year" He said while scratching the back of his head. " And to make a long story short, she's still pretty pissed, whenever I tried to talk to her, she simply just brushed me and the other apples off" "I see" Dash replied. " Well regardless of how upset she is, I at least want to try, we’ve already come this far, I don’t wanna end this lil journey emptyhoofed. I ain’t leaving until all my friends are present and accounted for so that we can hopefully resolve our past issues. Do you at least know where she’s staying at right now Braeburn?” “Actually yeah” Braeburn replied. AJ’s staying at one of the apartment complexes downtown, I’d take ya’ll over there, but you know how cranky my cousins gets when she’s disturbed this late at night. Plus it’s not a good idea to approach her right now given her state” “You’re not wrong their Braeburn” Apple bloom said. “ Given how stubborn my sister is, she probably wouldn’t even open the door for us if we even manage to try and talk to her, so it’ll probably be best that we wait till morning to confront her” “Wise choice lil cuz” Braeburn replied. “ Hmmmmmmm actually I might know a way for ya’ll to get a word in with her, AJ’s actually competing in the Rodeo tomorrow representing the Apple family, and most of the contestants usually practice out on the desert scapes for the various challenges they’re to compete in. And knowing Applejack, she’ll probably be out their first thing in the morning practicing before the other contestant’s, so that might be y’all’s best chance” Rainbow dash gave a nod of agreement before letting out a small yawn. “ Sounds like a plan Braeburn, we’ll go see her first thing in the morning. *yawn* but first things first, do you know where the hotels are so that we can call it a night?” “Sorry ya’ll” Braeburn said in an apologetic manner. “ But all the hotels are booked for the night ATM, but ya’ll are more than welcome to crash at my place for the night, I got plenty of room for all of you” “That sounds lovely darling, thank you” Rarity said with a hint of gratitude. “Amen to that “Sweetie belle replied. “Lead the way cuz” Bloom said. “You got it, follow me ya’ll” Braeburn said and then ushered the group to follow him back to his house to rest for the night, Dash on the other hand was silently full of anxiety as she wondered what she was to say to the farm girl given how they left off last time. But hopefully tomorrow will come at a decent outcome between her and her friend/rival. The next day The morning sun rose bright and vagrant over the horizons of the town of Applepaloosa, as the many citizens soon awoke, ready to start the new day, with some full of excitement as the yearly rodeo was to commence later today, while some however planned on spending half of the day training for today's events. Speaking of said rodeo, we find the group feeling refreshed after a good nights sleep and a hearty breakfast courtesy of Braeburn himself, this also gave Pinkie and Rarity enough time to talk out their issues and to reconcile with one another. But they especially Dash knew that there problems weren’t over yet as they knew there was one pony on their list whom wasn’t gonna be easy to convince. With the desert scape approaching their view, Dash began to wonder what exactly she’ll say to Applejack given their last “interaction” before she left. And given their past rivalry with each other, this was gonna be easier said than done especially with Rarity and Pinkie, whom were also nervous about confronting the farm girl as well given their falling out a while back. But they knew that there was no turning back now especially given how far they’ve come. Soon the group arrived at the desert scape with a large clearing just over the horizon which looked large enough for the contestants to train. They looked down to find one of the contestants already out into the clearing practicing her lasso swings and reflexes, instantly, the group along with Braeburn were quick to identify the mare whom was down their practicing for the upcoming rodeo later today. This was the element of honesty herself, Applejack. As they made their way down the ravine, Dashes mind was chalk full of anxiety as she pondered on what to say to her former friend, and given how their last "interaction" went, this wasn't gonna be an easy task. But she would soon get her chance as the group finally made their way down towards the makeshift training grounds just as Braeburn called out towards his grumpy cousin. "Hey cuz!!!!!" He called out earning the farmgirls attention, whom proceeded to stop what she was doing after recognizing the voice. As the mare turned her attention towards the sound of the voice, she found that Braeburn wasn't alone, with a bunch of familiar faces standing right behind him. "Uh.......................howdy AJ?" Pinkie greeted nervously, Applejack however had a different reaction to seeing her former friends. "Well, well, well" She replied coldly. " So......the coward, the stripper, and the so called chef finally decides to show there faces............wait Bloom what the hell are you and Sweetie belle doing here?!" "I'm here to bring your butt back home that's what I'm doing" Bloom replied in an annoyed tone. "She's right Darling" Rarity jumped in. " We're here to ask you to come back to Ponyville" This however , only earned a chuckle from the element of honesty. "Ya'll are joking right?" Applejack asked. " Do you honestly think I'll wanna come back after what happened last year?! Yeah, I know I messed up with that whole Mare do well shit, but ya made it perfectly clear on how much we F'ed up Dash. Ya'll didn't want to associate with us anymore? Ya got your wish. I am in no hurry to ever return home with any of ya'll, Applepaloosa is where I belong" "But AJ, what about the farm?" Pinkie asked. " You know your brother, grandmother , and Bloom here won't be able to run it themselves?" "They can manage just fine without me" AJ retorted. " Need I remind ya'll that my brother can practically move a boulder? He doesn't even need my help.......wait that's it isn't it? Ya'll only want me back because ya miss all the Apple family products?" "No we want you back to fix all this !" Dash fought back. " I want to try and restore our friendship AJ, yes I was pissed off at what you guys did, but I had some time to think about it, and I wanna try and put this incident and to restore what we once had regardless of how hard it's gonna be" "Well it's too late for that I'm afraid" Applejack replied. " You made your choice Dash, and honestly, ya'll should just stick with it. lets face it, this friendship is over, and we have non other than Mare do Well to thank for that, or better yet, Celestia's prized student for coming up with that bullshit idea in the first place!" "Applejack.................. "Stay outta this Braeburn" AJ interrupted. "Sis please" Bloom cut in. " I know your hurt about what happened last year, and believe me, me and Sweetie belle have our own problem with Scootaloo, but we miss you, Granny misses ya, Big Mac misses ya, Winona misses ya, I miss ya. I know it's not too late to reconcile , hell, sorry for the language, even pinkie and Rarity managed to make amends, I know it's not too late for you guys to restore your friendship with each other" "It's too late lil sis" Applejack said. Much too late. " Nothing can ever make things go back to normal, not after the choice words we all said to each other last year, like I said, Dash made it perfectly clear that she want's nothing to do with us. And I sure as hell granted her wish, this friendship is done ya'll, there's plenty of fish in the sea to take over my element, I'm done, Applepaloosa is my home now. If ya'll will excuse me, I have a rodeo to prepare for later, and I plan on winning" With nothing more to say, the earthpony grabbed her lasso and walked away from the group, looks of sadness and despair formed on each of their faces as they watch Applejack leave, and not even bother to look back towards them. "You really weren't kidding Braeburn" Sweetie belle said. "Mhmmmm" Braeburn nodded. " Sorry bout that ya'll" "No need to apologize darling" Rarity reassured. " With how Applejack is, we knew it wasn't gonna be so easy" "Soooooooooooooooo, what now?" Pinkie asked. " Should we just look for Twilight and Spike and come back for AJ later when she cools off?" The others pondered for a moment as to what their next move should be. Dash on the other hoof, had other idea's . "No............I got a better idea" She then turned her attention towards Braeburn. " Braeburn, is it too late for me to sign up for a spot in the rodeo?" The others gasped in shock at what just escaped from the mares mouth, she just asked if it was possible to join in on the rodeo? This was news to them, even though the pegasus never backed down from a challenge, they never expected to see her perform in something like this. "Well.................."Braeburn began. " We do have quite a lot of contestants this year Dash, but I think I'll be able to squeeze in a spot for you" "That's good enough for me" Dash replied. "Dash no offence................but are ya'll nuts?!" Bloom asked. " Ya'll never competed in a rodeo before" "I know Bloom" Dash reassured. " But this might be my only chance to knock some sense into your sister, whether I win or not, I’m getting that cowpoke back even if I have to hogtie and drag her back to Ponyville” The others were completely speechless at the mares response, the fact that Dash would go as far as to compete in a rodeo just to confront the element of honesty which definitely showed that she earned her title as the element of loyalty/ After a moment, Braeburn stepped forward and placed a hoof on dashes shoulder. “ Very well then partner, If you’re serious about this, I’ll help ya. Ya’ll only got 3 hours to prepare though, but with my help and knowledge, I’ll turn ya into a lean mean rodeo machine in no time partner” Dash gave an understanding nod as a response. “Alrighty then, let’s start with the basics………………….. Later that day Soon the stage was set as various ponies lined up, ready to witness the biggest event in Applepaloosa history. After hours of preparations and planning, the annual Applepaloosa rodeo was about to commence. With over a dozen participants from far and wide competing for the title of this year’s champion, it’s anyone’s game. But for one mare, it wasn't for the title of the champion that she longed for, it was for something far more important. After 3 hours of training sessions courtesy of Braeburn , Dash was all set to show Applepaloosa what she’s made of, and to finally confront Applejack. With Braeburn supplying each member of the group with tickets for entry, they were all set to not only see the rodeo, but Applejack as well. “Nervous?” Rarity asked. “I never thought I’d say this Rares, but kinda” Dash answered. “ I just hope I’m able to get through to that girl or all this training I went through, would be all for not” “No pressure darling. “ Rarity reassured. “ Whatever happens, we got your back all the way” The others gave nods of agreement which boosted the mares confidence, just then Braeburn walked up to the group. “Good news Dash, while I wasn’t able to enter ya into the entire rodeo, I managed to land ya’ll a spot in the barrel rolling competition as a surprise competitor. “ He explained. “ One of the contestants had to forfeit after he was informed of his wife going into labor. And he was more than welcome to give you his spot” “Oh that’s good” Dash replied. “ I hope his wife and soon to be child are doing ok?” “No worries partner, she’s in good hoof” Braeburn reassured. “ BTW, he told me to tell ya’ll that he’ll name his child after ya if you manage to win in his honor” “Hehe , that’s a real honor, but it’s not really necessary” Dash giggled. “ Aside from that, got any last minute tips and pointers for me” “Just one partner” Braeburn replied. “ If ya find yourself in a pickle, remember to use the environment to your advantage” “Environment to my advantage…..got it” Dash said. “Alrighty then, i think we’re set” Braeburn replied. Ya’ll go on ahead inside and take you seats, Dash follow me to the back where the other contestants are preparing” Each member of the group gave nods as they each went their separate ways for now, with Rarity and the others proceeding inside the stadium to find seats, while Dash follows Braeburn to them backstage entrance where the other contestants were waiting. Soon the stadium was packed with hundreds of ponies whom were ready for the competition and show to commence, Rarity and the others found their respected seats along with some goodies from the concession stand near the ticket booths. Each member waited patiently for the competition to commence as they silently prayed that it goes well for Dash, and especially apple bloom. As she took a bite out of her churro, the young farmgirl hoped that Dash would be able to pull this off as this might be the only way to bring her older sister back home. Sweetie belle was quick to notice her friends nervous state. “Don’t worry Bloom, it’s gonna be ok” Sweetie belle reassured as she took a sip of her soda. “I hope so Sweetie belle” Bloom replied. “ But still, I know Dash entered the competition in order to knock some sense into AJ, but would it be messed up of me if I rooted for Dash? Cause I mean, my sis was always the raining champion even when she was my age, but if she ends up winning, there’s no telling if we’ll be able to convince her to come back now” Just then , Rarity placed a comforting hoof on the fillies shoulder , gaining her attention. “ You worry too much darling, I’m sure it’ll work out. And about who’s side to choose, your free to root for both, even though Dash would be the reasonable choice given the circumstances. But again , you have nothing to worry about Darling” Bloom smiled at Rarity’s response, which made her feel a little better. “Thanks Rarity” She replied. “No problem” Rarity said, and then proceeded to take a bite out of her soft pretzel, only to regret it. “ UGH!!! I told that moron cinnamon sugar! Salt is not good for my waistline!!!!!” This earned small giggles from the group at the fashionista’s small rant, suddenly the light went out, which indicated something was about to commence. “Looks like the shows about to begin” Pinkie said as she ate some of her nacho's, soon the intro lights lit up the center stadium which fully indicated that the event was about to begin. And soon enough, Braeburn whom donned a showkeeper outfit emerged from the center entrance , microphone in hoof ready to make his statement to the crowd. "Mares, fillies, colts, and Gentlestallions!!!!!!!!" Braeburn announced. " Welcome to this years annual Applepaloosa Rodeo!!!!! We got a big show for ya'll this year, dozens of ponies across Equestria have come forward , for a chance to be this years champion. Each and every one of em has trained hard for this event, but only one of em will rain supreme folks. My cousin Applejack, whom , not to brag, just so happens to be the undefeated champion ever since she was a filly, hehe I swear that girls got some amazing talent ya'll. But who know's ? This might be the year that somepony else will sweep the champion title right off of her feet, but we'll just have to see for ourselves. Without further ado, to start things off, we got the Lasso competition. Time to put those rope skills to test, as my friend Pinkie pie would say "Lets get this party started!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Immediately, the stadium erupted in a chorus’s of claps from the audience as the competitors entered the arena, ready for the first competition. Soon each of the ponies in the arena showed off their various lassoing skills and tricks, which impressed the crowd even more whom never seen lassoing as intermediate and as pro level as this. This went on for over 20 minutes as the entire audience were treated to some amazing top handling skills by the competitors, eventually the first round of the rodeo was over with only three competitors eliminated. And soon it was time for the other events to transpire. Rarity and the others along with the crowd, watched on at the many events that were happening right before their very eyes. The many challenges that were happening right now ranging from, animal hurdling, knife throwing, juggling, high diving, archery, bull riding, acrobatics, obstacle courses, strength tests, and even wrestling. The crowd ate up at these events l;Ike the snacks that were sitting neatly on their respected laps. After 3 hours into the competition, it was soon time for the final challenge of the Rodeo with only three competitors left, with one of em aiming to bring home the gold. Soon Braeburn entered the arena to present the final challenge for the night. “ Damn folks, I tell ya’ll, this years rodeo is quite a doozy!!!! We’ve seen a lot of amazing challengers these past few hours, but unfortunately only three are now standing for the final event, the barrel rolling competition!!!!!” The crowd roared with claps at the announcement of the final event as Braeburn continued. “ Hohoho, hold your excitement for the soon to be competitors folks! To start things off, I give your our final three. In this corner, we have a familiar face, a mare who’s well known across not only Applepaloosa, but all of Equestria as well, weighing at around 250lbs, give it up for my cousin Applejack!!!!!!!” Soon Applejack entered the stadium jumping straight onto her barrel as the crowd alongside her cousin and little sister and the rest of the group cheered for the farmgirl who looked just as determined to win as ever. Braeburn then proceeded to present the second competitor. “And in this corner, another well known face here in Applepaloosa, a stallion with a heart as big as his muscles, weighing at around 450 lbs, give it up for Trouble Shoes!!!!!” In an instant, the stallion in question entered the stadium as the crowd and especially the mares cheered and wooed at the sight of the massive stallion whom like Applejack , proceeded to jump onto his barrel, while also striking a few bodybuilder poses which only made the mares in the audience cheer for him more. “Damn, look at the glutes on that beefcake:heart: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/heart.png” Applebloom said while licking her lips. “BLOOM!!!!!!!!!!” Rarity said and was quick to cover the fillies eyes and mouth, much to her disappointment. “Hehe, I’m surprised your not swooning over him yourself Rares” Pinkie said with a smirk which earned her an eye roll from the unicorn. “I’m not into muscley guys Pinkie” Rarity replied. "And our final competitor" Braeburn continued. " Filling in for Splitstream whom unfortunately had to forfeit at the last minute, an athlete with a thirst for competition, the Wonderbolts biggest fan, another well known face across Equestria, weighing at around 250lbs, give it up , for Rainbow Roseanne Dash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The crowd cheered as Rainbow dash made her entrance, zooming across the stadium in a fashionable speed before landing on top of her respected barrel, which only made the audience cheer louder and louder as the pegasus took a moment to breath in the attention. The element of honesty however , had a different reaction towards the pegasus. "Dash what the hell are ya doing here?!" She asked . " This is my turf!!!" "Well your "turf" is the only way for me to talk to ya'll Ms stubborn" Dash retorted. " If beating your ass is what I have to do in order to change your mind, then bring it!!!" "HA!!!!!" AJ laughed. " Ya'll think you stand a chance against me? The one mare who's been the champion since she was a filly?" "Why don't you put your money where your mouth is ? " Dash asked. "Ohhhhhhhhhh it's on now partner" Applejack replied. "Oh man, we got some serious heat here" Braeburn announced. " Alright fellahs, here's how this is gonna go down. You'll each try to knock each other off their respected barrels, last one standing is the winner. Only three rules, no flying, no magic, and no physical pushing. Alrighty then, lets get this show on the road" "3..................2.............................1.........................................LETS ROCK AND ROLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The crowd cheered as the three competitors began rolling on their respected barrels as the challenge commenced. Trouble shoes was quick to make his first move as he charged towards Rainbow Dash, whom was quick to dodge, no doubt Braeburns training did wonders for the mare. Applejack focused on both her opponents and the environment to ensure that she had a clear shot at one of them, despite Trouble Shoes muscles, and Dashes keen reflexes, the mare wasn't about to let those two features stop her from protecting her title. The mare proceeded to charge towards Shoes , ramming against his barrel causing him to topple slightly, but luckily the large stallion kept his composure as he proceeded down the arena trying his hardest to knock down one of his opponents. Dash took this opportunity to take a shot at Applejack, going as fast as she could. AJ however was quick to dodge the upcoming mare. "Ya'll have to do better than that partner!!!!!" She gloated. Soon the mare went back towards Trouble Shoes whom dodged the mares attack in an instant, but unfortunately, the stallion didn't see the pegasus coming his way as she charged towards him, causing his barrel to lose control slighty as he struggled to keep his balance. But unfortunately it wasn't enough as his barrel crashed straight into a nearby crate causing the stallion to fly off and smack face first into the trapeze pole, as the crowd watched on and winced as if they felt that. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh that's gotta hurt! Trouble Shoes is down!" Braeburn announced, Shoes slid down the pole, dazed but luckily still conscience and with only a minor bump on his forehead as his hat landed softly onto the ground. Dash was quick to roll up towards him. "Are you ok?!" She asked. "Yeah no worries luv" He chuckled as he rubbed the bump on his head. " Believe me, this ain't the first time this has happened to me, good luck Dash" "Thanks shoes" Dash said with a nod before rolling back towards the arena, it was just her and Applejack now, the two mares had looks of determination written on each of their faces as they and their eyes on the prize. " It's just you and me now AJ!!!!" "Bring it on coward!!!" Applejack called out, which earned a snarl from the pegasus, given how she hates getting called the C word. She soon charged towards Applejack at a rapid speed, managing to land a blow towards the mares barrel, causing her to tumble slightly, but she was quick to keep her balance and even showed off a bit by rolling on her front hooves which amazed the crowd. Dash proceeded to charge forward again, but AJ was quick to make the first move as she made a U turn staright into the pegasus barrel. In a flash, Dash was sent flying off of her barrel as everything looked as if it were moving in slow motion, the crowd and Braeburn watch in awe at the mare tumbling down the arena, Dash herself was in shock as she wondered what she'd do as using her wings would be an instant disqualification. Suddenly her eyes met the rope used by the trapeze artist as Braeburns words from a few hours ago played in her head. “ If ya find yourself in a pickle, remember to use the environment to your advantage” And she did just that , and was quick to grab onto the rope, swinging like a monkey earning the crowds attention. After one big swing, Dashes hoofs let go of the rope as she did a somersault into the air as the crowd watched on in anticipation. The entire stadium erupted in cheers and claps as the pegasus landed back onto her barrel looking as confident as ever. "WOW!!!!!!! Now that what I call Improvising!!!!" Braeburn called out. "Way to go dash" Dash then rolled towards the edge of the stadium , with Applejack doing the same. Both mares found themselves staring at each other, both looking all sweaty and exhausted as they panted heavily. their looks of determination still written on each of their faces as the crowd watched on in anticipation. " Lets finish this" "Bring it" Applejack said and then proceeded to pace across her barrel to increase her speed with the pegasus quick to do the same, Braeburn backed away slightly as he knew what was coming. "Wooooooooooooowwwwwwwiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He called out “ looks like a game of chicken here folks, this might decide it all!!!!!" And it would, within a few seconds, both mares let out a battlecry as they charged towards each other at an incredible speed, soon their barrels collided with each other, smashing to bits upon impact which sent both mares flying until each of them landed in a cloud of smoke as the sound of a camera flash can be heard from across the stadium. The audience watched on in shock as they wondered who landed first, the smoke soon cleared to reveal that dash landed softly in the mini trapeze pool all soaked, while Applejack on the other hoof laid on the ground slightly bruised and groaning slightly. "Hot damn!!!!" Braeburn called out. " This looks like a photo finish folks, lets see who landed first. The photographer was quick to hand the stallion the now developed photograph, with him quick to inspect it to see who the winner is. The entire audience alongside Bloom and the gang waited in suspense as to who the winners gonna be, and they would soon get their answer as Braeburn raised his microphone back up after surveying the photo. " I can't believe what I'm seeing folks......................................my cousin hit the ground first!" The entire stadium gasped in shock at what they just heard. " Which means the winner, and the newest champion of the Applepaloosa rodeo is.......................Rainbow DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The entire audience roared with a chorus of cheers at the announcement of their newest rodeo champion whom was quick to get out of the pool, shaking the water off of herself slightly as she surveyed the crowd cheering for her, the mare watched on in amazement at the praise that she was getting , along with Rarity and the group who cheered the loudest. But the mares eyes were soon directed towards the bruised mare laying on the ground and was quick to fly towards her. "OMG AJ are you ok?!" She asked. " I'm so sorry, I went too far! Can you stand, do you need................. "SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!" Applejack shouted which shocked the pegasus slightly, not expecting an outburst, but that would soon change. " That's what I should be saying" In a flash, Dash felt Applejacks hooves wrap around her in a tight hug as tears began to flow down the earthponies face. "I'm sorry partner, I was a stubborn idiot. I never should have driven you away or ran away myself. I should have had your back, but I didn't, i went along with that plan in the first place and now look what I've done?! I ruined our friendship and I drove not only you, but the 4 ponies whom I loved and treated like family just like you. I'm so sorry for ruining everything Dash and for what I said last year, I don't deserve to be the element of honesty" "AJ" Dash said softly , and then proceeded to wrap her own hooves around the farmgirl while rubbing her back slightly. " You didn't ruin everything, neither did Pinkie, Fluttershy, rarity, or Twilight. I never should have left in the first place, you were sort of right, I was a bit of a coward. Mare do Well may have messed me up pretty bad. But I don't want that incident to mess up the best friendship I ever had, I don't want to lose you or anypony else. So please I ask ya, will you come back...........for us?" " *sniff* Yes partner, I'll come back" Applejack said as a heartfelt smile formed on her face. The crowd awed at this heartwarming sight along with Braeburn, whom was proud that his cousin finally saw reason. After a minute, the mare wiped her tears before speaking again. " Now then, go on and claim your reward champ" Soon a big trophy was handed towards Dash as the crowd cheered for their newest champion, Applejack gave the pegasus a friendly pat on the back as she raised her trophy into the air as the crowd continued to clap and cheer for their newest champion as Bloom watched on with tears of joy, with the fact that she finally has her sister back. "Thanks Dash" one hour later "Dash my friend" Braeburn said. " I must say, I was not expecting that, you were amazing out their partner" "Amen" Trouble Shoes jumped in. " I didn't even hold back the whole time, you definitely earned the title. congratulations Dash" "Thanks you guys" Dash replied. " But damn, Bloom wasn't kidding, this rodeo thing was quite a doozy. I love challenges as much as the next guy, but I don't really see myself doing something like this again anytime soon" This earned her a few giggles from the group. "Ya'll sure you don't wanna stay for the victory party?" Braeburn asked. " We'll be serving the famous Applefamily cider and Pies" "Thanks Braeburn" Dash answered. " But we gotta continue on with our little quest, we still gotta find Twilight and Spike, and we don't want to waste any more minutes" "I understand partner" Braeburn said. " Never the less, it was great seeing ya'll again especially you cuz" "Come back to Applepaloosa anytime ya like "champion" Trouble Shoes said. " Ya'll are more than welcome" "Thanks Shoes" Dash replied. "Excuse me?" Came a voice which earned the groups attention, soon a mail carrier stallion walked up to them with a letter in hoof. " Is one of you named Rainbow Roseanne Dash?" "Yes" Dash replied. " That's me" "Perfect" The mail carrier said. " I got an urgent message for ya from a Billy Dumbbell Stallion all the way from fillydelphia" After hearing this, the mare was quick to grab the letter and started tearing away at the envelope, she then began to read over the letter the second she pulled it out of the open envelope. After what felt like minutes, the mare finally finished reading the letter as a look of surprise formed on her face. "What did that hunkmuffin write to ya Dash?" Bloom asked. "What'dya say Bloom?" AJ asked. "Fluttershy woke up from her coma" Dash answered. "Really?" Pinkie said. " That's great!!!!!!!!!!!!" "Thank goodness" Rarity replied. "That's quite a relief" Sweetie belle said. "You said it partner" Applejack replied. "Looks like we found our next stop" Apple bloom said. " But wait, what about Twilight and Spike?" "Lets check in on Fluttershy first and then we'll go after them" Dash answered, earning nods of approval from the group. And in an instant they gathered around as Dash pulled out the friendship map, ready to head towards their next destination. "Good luck ya'll" Braeburn called out. "Be careful out there" Trouble Shoes replied. "Thanks you guys" Dash said. " We'll see ya'll soon. Alrighty then, take us to Fillydelphia" Within seconds , the area around the group illuminated as the friendship map was about to teleport them towards their next destination, but not before Applejack asked an all important question. "Your middle names Roseanne?" She asked which earned giggles amongst the group much to the mares embarrassment and annoyance. "*Sigh* I'm not gonna hear the end of this" She said to herself just as the Friendship map teleported them out of Applepaloosa as Braeburn and Trouble shoes waved goodbye to them. 4 down, 1 and a half to go Author's Note Stories back ya'll!!!!!!! :pinkiehappy: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/pinkiehappy.png Hope you guys had a wonderful thanksgiving. Cause now the stories is back on track, and if all goes well, I should have the last two chapters out by December, until then, goodnight folks:raritywink: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/raritywink.png //-------------------------------------------------------// Fluttershy : Part 2 //-------------------------------------------------------// Fluttershy : Part 2 Fillydelphia Medical wing an hour earlier "Wha................................where am I?" Fluttershy asked herself as she surveyed her surroundings, only to find the area to which she stood shrouded in nothing but darkness. " Hello?....................How did I even get here? I remember that Canopy falling on top of me, I also remember blacking out. Am I dreaming or something, this doesn't feel real, but for some reason, it kind of feels real to me. And why is this area making me nervous for some reason?" Suddenly , her gaze was set upon a mysterious figure who stood right in front of her. The yellow Pegasus had a hard time identifying the figure in question , until she took a step forward , which made their appearance much more visible to the naked eye. The mares eye’s widened in shock as there stood non other than rainbow dash, or more as , her younger self from their filly days back in flight camp. “ Dash? What………is that really, but wait why do you………..” Fluttershy began to step forward to try and get closer to the filly form of her friend , but an unknown force was keeping her from taking one more step closer to the rainbow maned filly. “ What’s going on? why can’t I…………………..” “You don’t deserve her” Came a malevolent voice which earned the mares attention. “Who said that?!” She called out. “You have no right to come anywhere near her” the voice continued. “ Not after what you did” “Wha……………. “You hurt her Fluttershy, what makes you think she’ll want anything to do with you after that. You two were best friends since you were kids, she always had your back whenever you were bullied, she cared and loved you like her own sister and this is how you treat her? Hehe ya know, if discord was here, he’d be laughing his ass off at this moment, as it’s exactly how he planned at first” The mare was silent at first as the mysterious entity continued to mock her over her mistake last year, until she finally mustered up the courage to fight back. “ No your wrong!!!! Yes I made a mistake , but I didn’t mean to hurt her , I still love her , Dash is the best friend a pony could ask for. And I don’t want that bond to end over one fight between us I…………….. "Cut the crap" Dash interrupted. " You never cared about me and you know it Fluttershy, if you really did care, you would have talked the others out of that horrendous plan and sided with me. But no, you chose to go along with it anyways like the freaking coward you are, you messed me up something fierce Shy, and nothing, and I mean NOTHING can ever erase the sins you committed against me" "NO Dash! I do care about you, I never meant to..............................." "It's too late for that, much too late. You made your bed already Fluttershy, and now ya gotta lye in it. I always saved your ass from those bullies when we were kids, but look at you now? You became the one thing that you despise more than anything, and now................I'm gonna show you exactly how a bully receives their just desserts" Before Fluttershy could respond, black tendrils popped out of nowhere and began dragging the Mare away to parts unknown, the element of kindness struggled to escape from the darkness hold , but her efforts were fruitless as Dash watched on without a single care. " Bye, bye, element of Cruelness" "No, no dash please I'm sorry!!!!!!" Fluttershy called out as she was carried away by the darkness with Dash no longer right infront of her. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The pegasus awoken with a cold sweat as she panted heavily from the nightmare that she just endured, the mare looks around to find herself inside what appears to be a hospital room,various get well cards were scattered throughout her bed, indicating that she was out for quite a while. As she wiped the sweat off her face, she began to recollect her thoughts, and soon the memories of what happened a few days ago replayed in her head as she remembered everything. Getting ready for work, walking down the street from her apartment, and the overhead canopy crashing down onto her. Fluttershy turns to her side after hearing a small snoring sound, and found a familiar stallion laying by her side of the bed as if he's been waiting for her to wake up. " Dumbbell?" The stallion in question soon awoken after hearing his name, and was surprised to find the female pegasus awake and well much to his relief. Before Fluttershy could say anything else, the stallion was quick to gently wrap his arms around the element of kindness. "Shy thank Celestia!" The stallion said. " I'm so glad your awake, I thought you would be out for months, or worse a year. I was so worried" Shy couldn't help but crack a smile after hearing the words of her former bully, she then returned the hug, happy to know that Dumbbell was worried about her and was overjoyed that she was alright. " I'm sorry Billy, I didn't mean to make you worry" The mare felt a sudden migraine and was quick to rub her temple as Dumbbell let go of her. "OMG did I squeeze too hard?!" He said in a worried tone. "Hehe no, no it's alright Billy" Shy reassured. " I just feel a little sore is all" "Oh, good" He replied. " That's no problem, it's natural to still feel a little sore even after treatment" "Speaking of which, how long was I out for?" Fluttershy asked. "Not too long actually" Dumbbell answered. " Only a few days, but damn, they should have labeled ya as the element of lucky. Cause normally you'd be in a coma for months or worse, years" He then got up ready to leave the room. " Hang on , I'll be back , ima go grab the doctor. Dash and the others are gonna be so happy that ya woke up" As Fluttershy watched him leave the room, the name Dash stuck to their head as she wondered if Dash and the others knew what happened to her and wanted to see her despite the Mare do well incident. As she collected her thoughts, her gaze was now set on an envelope that sat idly on the nightstand with a familiar looking balloon engraving on the center. Fillydelphia Medical Wing ( Present ) The next day, we find the familiar group making their way towards the hospital to which the element of kindness resides. After receiving the letter from Dumbbell the second they were about to teleport out of Applepaloosa, Dash and the gang decided to check up on Fluttershy first before going after Twilight and Spike. After spending the night at one of the hotels the second the teleported onto Phillydelphia, the gang immediately made their way towards the hospital, not even bothering to have breakfast first as there were more important matters on hoof. Soon they made their way towards the large building, but were redirected towards the back entrance due to the canopy continuing to be repaired after the incident a few days ago. They soon reached the front desk , and were soon given clearance to see Fluttershy, As they walked down the hallway, Dashes mind was once again crowded with judgement as she wondered what she was gonna say to her childhood friend. While she was upset at Shy for being a part of it, she didn’t want to sound harsh towards her sensitive friend, especially after what dumbbell told her. They soon reached the mares room and were about to enter, until. “ Golly this trophy’s heavy!!!!!! What do they make them out of back in Applepaloosa? Concrete?” “No just the normal materials as any trophy Pinkie” Applejack replied with a slight giggle. “ Sorry bout this partner, but it wont fit in any of our suitcases, so until we find something to carry it in, we’ll just have to settle on taking turns lugging it around till we get it back to Dashes house. But enough of that for now, lets go see Shy” “Not to mention Mr Muscles as well:heart: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/heart.png” Bloom whispered. “Yeah” Dash replied towards Applejack, but before she opened the door, the mare turned towards the group. “ Remember what Dumbbell said guys, Fluttershys in a pretty sensitive state. I know we’ll have some choice words to say towards her, but be sure to watch what you say. If we want her back, we’ll have to be as subtle as possible especially since she just woke up” Each member of the group nodded in reassurance as Dash finally opened the door, where they were soon met by not only Dumbbell, but the now awoken element of kindness who had a warm smile written on her face at the sight of her friends, including Dash herself. “ Hi guys” There was silence for a moment before Pinkie broke the ice. “Fluttershy!!!!!!” She called out before rushing towards the mares side and wrapping her arms around her into a gentle hug with Rarity, AJ, and even Dash joining in as well, while Dumbbell and the CMC’s surveyed this heartwarming scene from afar. “We’ll give you guys some privacy” The stallion stated as he and the crusaders left the room to give the girls their privacy and the chance to make up with one another as Dash gave a nod of approval. “We’re so glad you’re ok darling” Rarity said trying to hold back her tears. “We all are sugarcube” Applejack jumped in. “You were all ……….worried?” Fluttershy asked nervously. “Of course we were!” Applejack replied. “When Dash told us about what happened to ya , we rushed straight over to see ya” “And we couldn’t be happier to see you alive and well Fluttershy” Pinkie said. The mare shed a tear at her friends response as a warm smile formed on her face as well. “ Thank you guys, thank you so much. And by the way, I read your letter Pinkie, did you really mean all that?” “Of course I did silly” Pinkie replied. “ I know we had a fight and we said some………..choice words towards each other, but I don’t want one fight to ruin our friendship. You guys mean the world to me, and I can’t imagine life without any of you in it. After all , it’s not a party unless you have a large group” The group couldn't help but giggle at the mares response, with all of them feeling the same way. “Is Twilight here as well?” Fluttershy asked. “Unfortunately no darling” Rarity answered. “ We were going to go after Twilight next, but we wanted to check up on you first. I know all of us, including Dash here have some words to say, but maybe we should put that on hold for now until we find Twilight” “You won’t have to look very far” Came a familiar voice, the others instantly turned their heads to find not one but two familiar faces standing near the entrance door. And there stood non other than the mare in question, Twilight Sparkle alongside her assistant/little brother figure Spike whom donned a blank expression just like her. “ Hello girls” “………………………………..TWILIGHT?!” Everyone said in unison. "Hehe yup that's me" Twilight replied with a nervous chuckle. "Hey guys" Spike jumped in. “Wow talk about making our job easier for us” Pinkie said in her usual tone. “You said it Pinkie" AJ replied. " But wait, how did ya'll know we were here? And more importantly, where were you two?" “Lets just say Celestia told us everything Applejack” Spike answered. “ When we heard that Fluttershy was in the hospital, me and Twilight rushed right over from Canterlot to go see her” “And to our surprise, ya’ll are here as well” Twilight jumped in. “Wait…………?” Dash began. “ You’re telling me……………………you've been in Canterlot this whole time?!” Meanwhile in the royal castle Inside the royal throne room, we find Celestia sitting comfortably on her throne, while her younger sister gives her a raised eyebrow which the sun goddess was quick to notice. “What?” Celestia said. “ It slipped my mind, Princess's can make mistakes too Luna!!!!!” “Yes me and Spike were in Canterlot” Twilight answered. “ TBH, Celestia informed me about you guys little “mission”, me and Spike actually wanted to come looking for you as well, but we didn’t feel ready yet given the big fight between us . Especially since you planned on collecting all of us, so we thought it’d be best to wait until you came to us. But after we were informed about what happened to Fluttershy, we decided to come see her . And to our surprise, we happened to bump into all of you as well” “So in a way it’s like killing two birds………………….” Spike replied but stopped for a moment as he knew his animal lover friend was in the room. “ I mean………….it was convenient for us to say the least. If you’re wondering what we’ve been up too, we’ve just been chilling for the time being until we were ready to see you guys. We got to see mom and dad again, Twilight even got to see her older brother Shining Armor and old foal sitter Cadence again with me meeting them for the first time, we even got invited to their wedding this April as well , and Twilight even got a chance to reconnect with some of her old Canterlot friends” “That’s great Spikey Wikey” Rarity replied earning a blush from the dragon whom missed being called his nickname by his friend/crush. “ We’re happy that you two are doing well” “So are we” Twilight sheepishly replied, there was another awkward silence in the room as everyone wondered what to say next, especially Dash given that her plan was to collect each and every one of them before giving her final verdict on the state of their friendship, the mare was about to speak, until Twilight beat her to the punch. “ Listen girls, I know this won’t mean much, but I wanna apologize. This whole Mare do Well scheme was my idea in the first place, i thought it would have been the perfect plan to help Dash ease her ego. But boy was I wrong, oh so very wrong, I ended up ruining not only Rainbow dashes life, but you guys lives as well. I’m a disgrace to my element and as Celestia’s student. Honestly she should have just stripped me as her student as it’s what i deserve for not representing friendship……………….” “No she shouldn’t” Pinkie interrupted. “ You do deserve your position as her student Twilight, and you’re not a bad pony either. We’re the bad ponies for pinning the entire blame on you, Mare do Well may have been your idea, but again , we shouldn’t have placed the entire blame on you. If Dashie Hadn’t found us, who knows if our friendship would have been restored to how it once was? I was mad before , but now I see our fight and leaving behind Ponyville was a big mistake, I don’t wanna lose any of you” Pinkies poofy hair started to deflate as tears began to form. “ All of you aren’t just my friends, your my family too, If I lost you, I wouldn’t wanna live in this world anymore I, I ,I……………………..” Pinkie said no more and just silently wept as the others including Dash watched on visibly heartbroken at the mares response, in an instant, Twilight rushed forward and was quick to bring the sobbing mare into a comforting hug “ I don’t want to lose you either Pinkie, I love you guys, your my family too” And soon Rarity, spike , and Applejack walked over to join in on the group hug. “Ya’ll are my family too” Applejack replied as tears of her own began to form. “And mine “ Rarity said. “Mine too” spike said. “And mine as well” Fluttershy called out form her bed, with the others temporarily ending their group hug to go over and gently bring the recovering mare into the hug train which she soon accepted. But to their surprise, they found another pair of hooves wrapped around them , which belonged to non other than the element of loyalty herself. “Room for one more?” Dash asked as she continued to hug the group, after what felt like an eternity, the group hug ended as the five element bearers looked at their fallen friend with looks of guilt written all over their faces. “Listen Dash” Applejack began. “ I speak for all of us when I say, we were both fools and cowards for driving you away. We should have known better than to have come up with that stupid plan in the first place, we should have just took the reasonable choice of action and just sat ya down and talked to you about your ego getting the better of ya. But we didn’t. I know saying sorry ain’t gonna cut it, and we can’t take back what we did or said to ya’ll. But I promise, even if it take us months or even a whole year, we’ll do whatever it takes to prove to ya’ll that we’re sorry and want you back as our friend sugarcube” The others nodded in unison agreeing with the farmers response as they patiently waited for one from the rainbow maned Pegasus. “That’s pretty stupid” She replied. “ Why would you guys spend that much time trying to make it up to someone who’s already forgiven you?” Shocked gasped practically echoed the room as the others were not expecting those words to come out of the one mare that they’ve hurt. “Wait Dashie” Pinkie began. “ You mean you……………………………” “Yes Pinkie, I forgive you guys” Dash replied with a smile. “ To be completely honest with you, I know I said I’d wait until we collected the others before reaching my verdict. But when I saw my childhood friend unconscious and laying in that hospital bed” She then turned towards the mare in question whom gave a comforting smile. “ I just couldn’t bring myself to be mad anymore as I don’t want to see any of you get hurt, or worse, all because of one stupid incident and fight. Like Pinkie said, you guys are my family too, and I can’t imagine life without you guys either. So I forgive you, all of you. But I want you guys to promise me, If one of us is doing something or acting out in a way you don’t like, sit whomever is down and talk to them about why you don’t like it instead of taking matters into your own hooves so that something like this doesn’t happen again, can you do that for me?” Dash soon got her answer as Pinkie and the others rushed forward ad brought the mare into another loving embrace, to which she was quick to return. “We promise Dash” They all said in unison, as Dash basked in the heartwarming ambience that she long missed since last year, happy to have her friends, no, her family back by her side again. Suddenly the sounds of the door opening brought the groups attention as they turned towards the source, and to their surprise, there stood no other than Dumbbell carrying a giggling Sweetie belle on his back alongside a very happy Apple bloom on his left bicep. “Hehe man Dash wasn’t kidding” Sweetie belle giggled. “ You are one strong man!” “ No kidding :heart: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/heart.png“ Bloom replied. “Hehe I didn’t get my cutiemark for nothin kids!!!” Dumbbell said proudly as AJ and Dash rolled their eyes at the scene. “Really Bloom?” She asked. “Hehe well Dumbbell was always good with the ladies back in flight school AJ” Dash replied as she playfully nudged her friends shoulder. “*sigh* Im starting to regret letting that filly go with me to the gym that day” Applejack said in her head. The final piece of the puzzle has been found Author's Note Only one more chapter to go folks, stay tuned👍 //-------------------------------------------------------// Epilogue : Back to normal //-------------------------------------------------------// Epilogue : Back to normal One month later Last year has been quite a doozy for some, friendships destroyed, reputations tarnished, and a huge rift scattered all around. But I'm happy to say that these events were now ancient history, as the Main six along with Spike have been officially reunited and are not only a team, but a family again. With Dash finally forgiving her friends for the mare do Well incident last year, while said events wont go away anytime soon, Twilight and the others learnt to look back at this incident as to insure that they never make this mistake again as to keep their word to the element of loyalty. Eventually, Fluttershy was discharged from the hospital. After receiving her crutches, and collecting both her stuff and animal friends from her apartment, the element of kindness along with the others were ready to head home. But not before the mare was treated with a goodbye party hosted by not only Dumbbell, but her boss and coworkers from the animal sanctuary. The group also made quick stops in Canterlot, Cloudsdale Applepaloosa, and Manehatten to collect the rest of the elements of magic, generosity, loyalty, and honesty's stuff before heading back home. As Dash collected Tank and her stuff, and sent over her resignation letter from her storage job, the mare was also subjected to a goodbye party hosted by her old Cloudsdale friends , including Ferdinand and Morty. Celestia even apologized to Twilight and the others for her harsh words towards them last year, but Twilight and the others assured the sun goddess that there was no hard feelings, and felt that they deserved it. And with that, the five ponies were officially reinstated as their respected elements which was quite a relief for both the sun and moon goddesses, but also Dash as it meant that the team of friends was officially back and stronger than ever. Soon the 7 friends were back home in Ponyville, on their first day back, Twilight and the others apologized to the townsfolk for deceiving them and for practically running their friend out of town and making her a laughing stalk. And thankfully, everyone was touched by the groups apologies and were quick to forgive and welcome them back home, and even offered a few apologies themselves for their harsh behavior to the group. Speaking of which, Scootaloo, after hearing the full story, walked up to Bloom and Sweetie belle and apologized for pinning the entire blame onto them, long story short, the duo were quick to forgive their pegasus friend , sealing the deal with a group hug, restoring their friendship and also reforming the CMC's. And Dash even apologized to Scootaloo for snapping at her before she left, and like Sweetie belle and Bloom , the orange pegasus showed no hard feelings towards the mare, and their sisterly bond was soon restored as well. Life eventually went back to normal in Ponyville after said apologies were given. With Applejack back to bucking apples and making the famous line of Apple family products alongside her grandmother and siblings, Pinkie pie taking her job back at Sugarcube corner with the twins happy to have their favorite babysitter back, Twilight officially back as not only the owner of her library/home and as Celestia's prized student alongside Spike as her assistant, Rarity back as the towns fashionista ready to take in new clients while also hoping that non of em caught wind of her "former career", Fluttershy, Angel and her animals friends, happy to be back home to their old cottage , which was so much better than being cramped inside her apartment back in Phillydelphia, And of course Dash was back on the towns weather team, with her former employee's giving the mare a warm welcome back, She even got promoted to manager during her first week back. Aside from these events, there have been a few silver linings for a few others. Ferdinand found himself getting a large boost in sales and customers thanks to the reviews from his number one customer herself, the pegasus alongside his chef found themselves as the number one food chain in Cloudsdale. The number of patrons was such a success that the stallion even opened a few chains across Equestria, including one in Ponyville which his younger sister owns. Flam decided to give up his pursuit on Rainbow dash as Rarity proved right when she stated that he felt that business was far more important that going on a wild goose chase for a bunch of mares whom caused a ruckus in his nightclub. And in an ironic turn of events, the mustached stallion ended up reuniting with this twin Flim after finding out that he was one of his patrons. After a long talk and some rather "choice words" The two brothers ended up reconciling, with Flam choosing to abandon the club business, and handed the ownership towards his bouncer Reggie, whom reveled at the fact that he moved up from a simple bouncer to the owner, which also meant that he'd also have a more closer interaction with the ladies *wink, wink*. And with that, the brothers left Manehatten ready to start out fresh, But strangely enough, no ones seen them again after that, but wherever the two brothers are now, lets hope they're getting out of trouble. Crazy enough, the Macho Men having no hard feeling towards the group, wrote to both Rarity and even Dash from time to time, with Rarity also receiving a few commissions for new outfits for them and the other strippers and employees in the club. And the CMC's, after going back to school, told the entire story to their classmates about the most epic adventure they went on during the last week of their winter break, and suffice to say, everyone was intrigued and amazed at the adventure Bloom and Sweetie belle went on, while also wishing that they were there as well. Even Tiara and Silver spoon were impressed to say the least. Suffice to say, all was good with Dash and co, and they all couldn't have been any happier. We now find the element of loyalty herself, inside the bedroom of her Cloudhouse ready to start a new day with her friends. The mare hummed a little tune as she finished gussying herself up, happy to finally be back home and to have her friends back, even Tank was happy to be back home as well, but what made the tortoise even happier was seeing his owner happy and no longer the depressed and angry mare that she was last year. Suddenly , the sound of a small chime could be heard, earning the pegasus's attention, she surveyed her nightstand to find the sound coming from non other than the friendship map itself. Dash proceeded to walk over and pick up the orb, just as the sun goddess's face appeared through the other end. "Greetings Rainbow dash" She said. " Just checking to see how your doing" "I'm doing just fine your majesty" Dash replied. " And i couldn't have been any happier...................................oh shit!!!! I forgot to bring this back to you after I found the others, I'm sorry Celestia!" "Hehe no apology needed dear" Celestia reassured. " To be completely honest, it completely slipped my mind as well. Heh even Princesses make mistakes from time to time, am I right" "Yeah I guess they do" Dash giggled. " But anyways Celestia, thanks for the help" "Your quite welcome Dash" Celestia replied. " But in all honestly, I just supplied the map, you did everything yourself as you knew deep down that you can't live without your friends, and that you'd do anything to have them by your side again despite the obstacles" "Hehe your right about that" Dash said. " Those six mean the world to me, like Pinkie pointed out, I can't imagine my life without them either. I wasn't about to let some fight get between us, they're not just my friends, they're my family, and I couldn't have been any happier. To be honest with you, while I did forgive them, the Mare do Well incident still hurts a little, and I don't see it going away anytime soon, but as long as I have my family by my side, we can get through this together as our friendship can overcome any obstacle that comes our way. And who knows? One day I can see ourselves looking back at this incident, and have a good laugh about it" This statement earned the mare a small giggle from the sun goddess. "There's no doubt in my mind that you and your friends earned your elements kid" Celestia reassured which earned a smile of gratitude from the Princess. " Oh! One more thing, before I take the friendship map back, I must ask you not to tell Twilight about it. Like I said, I want to wait until she reaches a certain "level" before she's ready for the friendship map to be bestowed upon her" "I promise Celestia, your secrets safe with me" Dash reassured. "Excellent" Celestia replied as the magical orb began to vanish, but not before the Sun Goddess spoke one last time " Have a nice day, my little pony" And with that , the friendship map vanished back to it's rightful place as Dash watched on with a grateful smile. “Thanks Celestia” Dash said as she proceeded towards the exit of her bedroom , ready to start the day with her friends. But not before giving Tank a kiss on the forehead as a goodbye and surveying the trophy case Applejack built for her , where her rodeo trophy stood inside, tall and proud, alongside a recent group photo she and her friends took, which brought a heartfelt smile on the mares face before closing the door behind her. We now it to the Spike and the five other element bearers sitting comfortably on their large picnic blanket , with baskets and drinks scattered throughout as they waited patiently for their rainbow maned friend to arrive so they can get their little outing started. As they waited, everyone’s minds were full of relief that they not only earned their friends forgiveness, but the entire towns forgiveness as well. With Twilight and everyone else happy to have everything back to normal. In no time at all, Dash landed softly onto her usual spot on the blanket with her friends happy about her arrival. “ Howdy ya’ll, sorry I’m late” “Actually, you’re right on time darling” Rarity said. “Awesome” Dash replied, but then noticed something. “ Wait a minute…….Rarity , you’re not sitting on your little lounge chair?” “Eh……I thought I’d rough it this time” The fashionista answered. “ After what we’ve been through, I came to realize that theres no harm in getting a little dirty. And to be honest with you, I think the upholstery on that thing was starting to give me a rash” “Wow, who are ya’ll and what have ya done to Rares?” AJ replied with a sly tone. “OH haha” Rarity retorted. But before they could say anything else, another familiar looking Pegasus in a mail carrier uniform can be seen coming down right towards them, until she hit the ground with a slight thud. “ Oh my…………….hehe hello there Derpy” “UGH” The mare groaned. “Hiya guys, sorry for intruding” “Not at all Partner” Applejack reassured. “ Ya’ll ain’t interrupting anything, heh ya’ll are getting better with your landing “ “Heh thanks” Derpy replied with a slight blush. “ Thank Celestia I didn’t land on my face this time, those calf workouts at the gym sure are paying off” The group giggled at the mares response, just as she began to rummage through her brown mail bag. “ Oh yeah, I got some letters for Twilight and Fluttershy” She then handed the respected pieces of mail to the mares in question whom were quick to take them out of the mares hoofs. “Thanks derpy “ Twilight said. “Yes thank you very much Derpy” Fluttershy replied. “ Would you like to join us?” “Thank guys, but my lunch break isn’t for a couple hours” Derpy politely declined. “ Plus my boss would be all up in my ass if I come back with my bag still full of unopened parcels, speaking off which, I better finish up this morning run. I’ll see ya guys later” “Bye Derpy” Everyone said in unison as they watched the clumsy Pegasus take off to continue her morning mail run, Soon Fluttershy and Twilight began to open their respected letters, with Rarity quick to notice something oddly suspicious about the yellow Pegasus’s letter in question. “Why Fluttershy” She said in a sly tone. “ Is that a love letter I see?” This earned a chorus of Ohhhhhhhhhh’s from the entire group much to the mares embarrassment, but she never the less answered the fashionistas question. “Yes it is” Fluttershy answered. “ Billy thought it’d be cute if we wrote to each other twice a week to make this long distance thing work……………… “Wait Dumbbell?” Dash interrupted. “ You and Dumbbell are dating?!” A larger blush formed on the mares face at her friends question. “ …………………Yes we are, we actually started dating a week after we buried the hatchet with each other, and he’s been quite the gentlecolt throughout my time in Phillydelphia. Sorry i would have told you guys sooner but, I was kind of debating on what would be the appropriate time” “Nonsense Shy!” Dash reassured. “ Billy’s a changed stallion, and if I can trust him after he looked me straight in the eye and apologized for ALOT eh hell he used to put me , you and Gilda through when we were kids, than I know he’s gonna treat you well” The yellow Pegasus smiled at her friends response, grateful that she was ok with her and dumbbell dating “ Thanks Dash” She then turned her attention towards Twilight whom was reading over her own letter . “ What does yours say Twilight?” “It’s from my brother” She answered. “ He’s just giving me some updates on the status of his and Cadence’s wedding next month……….and would you look at that? Cadence said that you guys can come along too as the bridesmaids/ wedding planners, your little sisters as the flower girls, and spike as the best man” The others gasped in excitement at what they just heard come out of their friends mouth. “Best man? AWESOME!!!!!!!!!” Spike said in excitement. “A wedding sounds really fun!!!!” Pinkie replied as she jumped for joy. “Oh my, i must prepare bridesmaids and flower girl gowns for all of us ASAP!!!!” Rarity said. “ And of course a dashing tuxedo for you as well Spikey Wikey” this earned the mare a blush from her dragon friend. “Now that sounds like a hoot and a holler!” AJ said just as excited. “ Hope Cadence likes Apple pie” “I wonder if I can bring my bird friends along to sing a little tune during the ceremony? “ Fluttershy wondered. “That sounds like a wonderful Idea Shy” Dash said, before looking up at the clear blue sky as the sun shown bright. “A wedding huh?………………………….sounds pretty cool to me” Author's Note And with that, this epic tail is complete , just in time for christmas:raritywink: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/raritywink.png Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this tale, don’t;’t forget to comment on what ya thought of it and how ?I can improve on future stories👍 Until next time , I’m AloneWolf and I wish all of you a merry christmas, Happy holidays, a Happy New Year, and for a fresh start in 2025🎄 //-------------------------------------------------------// Bonus Chapter : Just desserts //-------------------------------------------------------// Bonus Chapter : Just desserts "Ya know......." Pinkie Began. "I know he was a bit of an asshole, but I wonder whatever happened to my old boss Pony Ramsey after we left? You don't think he actually pressed charges and has our faces on wanted posters , do ya?" "Hehe" Twilight giggled . "Well I might know the answer to that Pinkie, Cadence actually stated his fate in the letter as well. And lets just say .......................that old mans got his work cut out for him" Meanwhile in Canterlot Inside the royal kitchen, we find various chefs prepping long and hard for the soon to be wedding. with each of them putting their hearts and soul into the partyfood that they were prepping so that they were all good and ready for not only the guest, but the soon to be royal couple as well as Celestia offered supervision and even lending a helping hoof to some of her chefs, aside from one. In the far corner of the room, where the wedding cake stood tall and proud, we find non other than the celebrity chef of Las Pegasus himself, Pony Ramsey continuing to frost the elegant cake. After receiving a letter from the Sun Goddess herself , offering his services to prepare the wedding cake for her nieces wedding which was to transpire early next month. The professional chef reveled at the fact that he'll be able to put his culinary skills to the test at the royal wedding, but I'm sorry to say that it wasn't as big an honor as he thought. As it turns out, Celestia, wanting the cake big enough to serve a majority, since pretty much the majority of Canterlot, including some visitors from Ponyville and the Wonderbolts will be attending as well. The size that she requested nearly touched the ceiling of the kitchen. As Ramsey continued to put icing on this ginormous cake, the stallion began to wonder if this size was actually necessary? Especially since he's only reached the 3rd sponge cake layer at this point, despite the fact that there was gonna be a large guest count at both the ceremony and the after party. But before he could question himself, the sun Goddess herself walked up to the man with a small grin. " How goes the cake preparations Mr Ramsey?" The chef was hesitant to answer at first, but never the less answered the Alicorns question. " It's...............showing progress. Beg pardon your majesty, but don't you think this size is a little too much for one wedding? I understand that it's a royal wedding, and we have a pretty high guest count. But don't you think this size a little cartoonish at best? Cause I hardly doubt I'll be able to frost and decorate this entire thing by the time the wedding arrives, It was an even bigger nightmare to stack these sponge cake layers together after taking them out of the oven, and that fact that you requested that I personally make it without any of my assistant cooks isn't making it any easier for me" "NONSENSE!" Celestia reassured. " I picked you personally as I know your the chef for the job Mr Ramsey, after all, you own your own high class restaurant, have your own published cookbooks , and competed in thousands of cooking competitions, so there's no doubt in my mind that you'll definitely get this elegant wedding cake ready in time for the ceremony. After all, this wouldn't be the first royal wedding I helped to prep, and besides.......................................... "It's not like I sit on my arse and eat cake all day" A cold sweat formed on the chefs face after hearing the Princesses response, he gulped slightly as he stared deep into her stern expression as he began to wonder " How did she ?" But he didn't dare to ask her as he knew his own arse would be on the line if he pissed off or insulted the Sun Goddess herself, so he simply chose the safe approach as to not cause any trouble for the Alicorn. " Yyyyyyyyyyyyes, thank you your majesty, and your right, yyyyyou picked the right chef for the job, I'll have this cake ready before your niece even picks out her wedding dress, pinkie promise" The Alicorns stern expression turned back into a smile after hearing the stallions response " Excellent!!! I knew I could count on you Ramsey, my niece is gonna be so happy when she see's what you've cooked up. Well i best check up on the other chefs, I'll leave you to your work" The Sun Goddess then turned around and was about to walk away, but before saying one more thing. " Oh and one more thing, mind changing the color of the buttercream frosting to purple instead? That's my nieces favorite color, if it's not too much trouble?" Ramseys expression widened as he knew that meant he'd have to make a whole new batch of buttercream frosting, which would only extend the cake preparations for him, but he never the less nodded a yes as to not anger the tall woman. "Yes your majesty, whatever makes your niece happy" And with that, the Sun Goddess nodded in approval as she walked away as the slightly terrified chef breathed a long relieved sigh. "This is gonna be a looooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggggggggg week💧" Author's Note I now realized that I forgot to add this scene into the epilogue:facehoof: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/facehoof.png But anyways, LOL poor Ramsey, but it's to be expected after what he said a while back. And he should know, pissing off the Sun Goddess herself is a very bad idea😈