How Pinkie Pie Met Rainbow Dash

Ponyville was sound asleep. It definitely wasn't a biiig city like Manehattan was and everypony knew everypony else super well. The skies were clear of clouds that night; no mist or fog or cumulonimbus clouds could be seen for miles, most likely the work of the Pegasi of the small town. There was no reason for these ponies to be awake so late at night, so all of the Ponyville ponies were nestled in bed with sweet dreams in their minds; all except for a cyan-coloured Pegasus pony, whose mind was clouded over with scary thoughts throughout the night.

In the morning both ponies awoke groggily and sore all over; even Rainbow Dash who had made her pillow from the softest cumulous clouds around felt as though she had slept on a very uncomfortable rock the whole night. Dash had been lying awake in bed, not wanting to get out because of some fluffy and pink thoughts that had presented themselves to her while sleeping, when a knock could be heard on the front door. The Pegasus didn't answer, but the pony that the knocking hoof was attached to flew in through the cloud door anyway – cloud doors with locks on them were difficult to come by and Rainbow Dash was just too lazy to make her own. It was Cloudkicker of all ponies, and she seemed rather excited about something.

Rainbow put a hoof over her eyes to protect them from the early morning light of the sun; which had swooped in the front door along with the grinning deep-blue Pegasus pony. "Ugh, Cloudkicker?" Dash groaned and sat up with a sort of sadness Cloudkicker couldn't place. "What are you doing in my house?" Feeling a sudden pain in her rump from the restless night, she placed a tender hoof on the sore spot and turned her head to her make-shift alarm-clock – which had surprisingly never been set to alarm her to get up. She looked back at Cloudkicker with an eyebrow raised half in confusion and half in anger. "At such an early hour?"

In a town such as Ponyville, everypony was up super early. It was a biiig change from Manehattan, where all of the ponies work from dawn 'til dusk and back again… and without even enjoying the experience or having a single party. Of course, if a pony from boring old Manehattan even wanted to throw a party at all, there wouldn't be anywhere to buy party supplies, considering how the party store always seemed to be out of goodies for anything like that every time. The ponies of Ponyville almost naturally got up every morning to begin their daily chores and to just have a super-duper fun time. All of the ponies that is except, of course, for the Pegasus from Cloudsdale.

The deep blue-coloured Pegasus pony didn't waste any time and got straight to the point. "Rainbow Dash, I have good news. The Wonderbolts are coming! Here… tomorrow night!"

Rainbow sprung up out of her cloud bed, making it disappear into the clouds making up the rest of the house. "Really? They are… how?" She placed two stern but slightly shaky hooves on both of Cloudkicker's shoulders to hear her answer more clearly, as if missing her answer would mean losing her high-speed flying life.

The Pegasus stood up on her hind-hooves and rubbed another hoof on her chest proudly. "Oh, just yours truly." She kicked off the ground and pointed to herself modestly, with a biiig smile across her deep-blue face. "I have some credentials with the squad and they wanted to fly somewhere they hadn't visited before. I suggested Ponyville and they agreed; especially when I mentioned the pony that created the famous 'Sonic Rainboom' was gonna be there too. They sent a message back immediately saying that they'd be here tomorrow."

Rainbow Dash gasped hugely before flying up to meet Cloudkicker with an equally huge 'thank you' hug. "Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! The Wonderbolts? Here? That's awesome Cloudkicker."

The deep-blue Pegasus chuckled at the rainbow-maned pony's excitement and returned the hug. "It's no trouble; they owed me a favour anyway and I wasn't gonna use it for anything, so I thought I'd use it to get your idols here."

"H-Hey, how do you know they're my idols?" With her mind racing, Dash didn't really have much else on her mind but the Wonderbolts accepting her as their newest member; she didn't until the memory of the last morning she and Pinkie spent together came rushing back to her. Something here doesn't feel right. Why… am I burning up? She felt a bit nervous about hugging Cloudkicker and flew back anxiously. Feeling even more uncomfortable now that she had broken the hug so awkwardly she tried to cover up her actions, but all she could think about was how wrong it felt to be hugging the Pegasus pony.

Cloudkicker wondered why Rainbow Dash suddenly seemed so uneasy and spoke with some suspicion and worry in her voice. "Oh, well..." She lifted a fore-hoof and gestured to the cloud wall on the left-hoof side of the room. Quite a few photos of the Wonderbolts were pinned to the walls by some unseen force of nature, not to mention physics, and the deep-blue Pegasus turned back to smirk at Dash.

Finally regaining her voice, Rainbow landed on the cloud ground to sink deep in thought. "O-Oh, right." Dash rubbed the back of her mane with an apprehension she couldn't explain. Please, I don't want to feel this way anymore. Her eyes had planted themselves firmly on the fluffy ground as stupid thoughts yet again clouded her fast-paced mind.

Feeling confident that she had brightened her spirits, and just a little anxious to leave the Pegasus to her thoughts, Cloudkicker turned towards the door. "Hey, Rainbow Dash! I'll see ya when the Wonderbolts get here, okay?" She flew out the door and zoomed out into the air to begin her daily cloud clearing duties.

With the mention of the pony group she had idolised years ago, Dash was consumed in the reverie of her surely being accepted to join them. "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! The Wonderbolts are coming here! I can't wait! I've gotta get ready. I've gotta find Pinkie Pie and tell her–" She remembered back to the day before and her gaze lowered to her hooves as her eyes closed sadly.

Rainbow walked up to the window she had been looking out of at the pink pony yesterday and leaned out of it, sighing. If she said she wanted to be alone… why was Pinkie hanging out with that pony instead of me? What does she have that I don't, anyway? I have wings; what does she have? Shaking the jealous thoughts away, Rainbow flew out the front door. "I need to get outta here and get some air."

Dash soon after found herself flying down to the ground. She carefully landed on the dirt path in front of her home, just in time to be hit by a pink ball of fluff zooming full bounce out of a bright pink and white and brown cake-house.

"Ooph!" Was all that could be made from the ruckus of the occurring mess of pony and as the two landed on top of each other, they realized the other instantly.

"Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow quickly initiated a warm hug towards the pink pony with a relieved smile flying across her face.

"Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie cried, returning the hug with earnest.

A warm feeling came over Dash and she pulled Pinkie tighter in her hooves. This is much nicer than hugging Cloudkicker. I could get used to this. Rainbow lowered her head onto the pink pony's shoulders, until she realised what she had thought. The two ponies separated from the hug, but Dash still held the pink pony's hooves carefully as she spoke. "I-It's so good to see you, Pinkie!"

Pinkie's grin widened to the very tips of the corners of her pink face. "It's good to see you too Dash, but it's only been one day." She lowered her grin slightly to chuckle at the Pegasus. She looked back into Rainbow's eyes and saw something she had never seen before. She really did miss her, more than she ever had. The two ponies stared into each other's eyes for a long while, both lost in the maze of colours and emotions in each; Pinkie had one thought on her Pinkie Pie-mind… and she meant every word:

I missed you too, Dashie.

"It… feels like longer." As Dash stared up at Pinkie and Pinkie stared back at her, she felt her stomach heat up. Breaking eye contact with those beautiful cyan-coloured eyes, Rainbow gazed down at her tummy with a questioning look soaring up to her blue face. The pink pony followed Dash's stare and the two ponies noticed for the first time that they were sitting on top of each other, blushed, and got up, chuckling nervously. Pinkie dragged a fore-hoof through the dirt, not making eye contact with the cyan-coloured Pegasus, while Rainbow just stared down at the pink pony's hoof. Dash was the first to break the un-comfy silence between them as she sauntered to the side so she could look up into Pinkie's bright blue eyes again. "So Pinks, what did you do yesterday?"

A sweet smile bounced onto Pinkie's face at her bestest best friend's nickname for her. "I missed you calling me that Dashie." Her voice was solemn and lacked a certain amount of energy usually present at all times with the pink Earth pony.

Dash's wings unfurled gently and a smile spread over her face with her answer. "I missed you calling me that and all of your made up words and your just plain bouncerific attitude towards everything." Rainbow chuckled lightly at her description of her bestest best friend and Pinkie laughed as well, but she was the first to stop and look to be in thought about something super important.

Another small silence slid between them; Pinkie dragged a fore-hoof through the dirt before looking up again at Rainbow with apologetic eyes. "Dashie, I'm sorry I made you go to Ponyville all alone yesterday." Say it. Pinkie stood there, looking into Rainbow's eyes for the courage to say more, but she couldn't do it. Why can't I tell her?

Dash watched as the pink pony lowered her head sadly to stare at her cyan-coloured hooves. She stepped forward softly and nudged Pinkie's head back up to glance weakly at Rainbow. "That's okay Pinks. I think I figured some stuff out on my own."

Pinkie seemed just about to respond to Rainbow's statement, but then she gasped with her usual energetic bouncerific attitude returning. "Ooh ooh, guess what. I have a place to stay already!" Pinkie began bouncing in place with her fluffy magenta-coloured mane following after.

"Really?" Dash raised a curious eyebrow in response to the sudden change of subject that Pinkie Pie is very well known for by all, and especially by Rainbow.

Pinkie smiled brightly and stopped bouncing to talk to Dash more easily, but Rainbow knew that the pink pony was always too excited about something to stand still for too long and this was no exception. "Yeah, it's great. It's the sweet's shop just behind us. Mr. and Mrs. Cake offered me a job there. Isn't that fantabulistical?" As if on cue, Pinkie resumed her in-place bouncing and proceeded to prove Dash right about her friend's hyper-active nature.

Rainbow chuckled at the made-up word and the pink pony's spontaneous hopping; Pinkie always had a way of making her smile, but then she remembered what she had seen the day before. "Was that before or after you made a new friend Pinkie?" She asked suspiciously.

"A new friend?" Pinkie landed in front of her bestest best friend and tilted her head to the side with her pink mane following swiftly.

Dash bit her lip. "Don't lie to me Pinkie Pie. I-I saw you two walking with each other yesterday after you told me you needed some time to think."

A realisation seemed to hit Pinkie as she raised her pink head and started to bounce again. "Oh, you mean Applejack?"

Rainbow Dash's bright magenta-coloured eyes light up and looked down as she remembered what the deep-blue Pegasus pony had said to her when they first met. Cloudkicker mentioned a pony named Applejack too.

"Yeah, I met her just after me and you split up. She works on an apple farm, kicking apples off trees; she was real nice and she helped me to understand somethings. Some very important feelings I've been having, but you don't wanna hear about all that do you?" Pinkie drew a bored expression over her smile to illustrate her point of explaining things more clearly.

She kept staring into the Earth pony's gorgeous eyes and tried to speak, but it only came to her as a thought. Actually Pinkie, I don't think there's anything you can say that I wouldn't like to hear.

Pinkie continued her response, bouncing as she went, totally oblivious to the Pegasus pony's troubling thoughts. "As for the before or after, she was just showing me the way to Sugarcube Corner and she got me a job and got me a place to stay all at once and in one go!"

"So, she's just a friend?" Rainbow's ears rose to hear her pink pony friend's reply in anticipation and a fear that she didn't want to understand.

Pinkie, as if noticing the slightest bit of change in tone of the Pegasus pony's question, stopped bouncing and tilted her head to the ground. Her mane followed her movement, but Dash could still see her cyan-coloured eyes through her curly pink mane and could tell that the pink pony was sad for not picking up her reason for asking sooner. "Of course Dashie. Nopony could ever replace you as my number one pony friend. She does make good pies though… mm mmm… apples." She licked her lips and smiled widely back at Rainbow, hoping to cheer her bestest best friend up like always.

Dash couldn't help but laugh at Pinkie's attempt to make her happy. Phew, that's a relief. She thought. "Well that's great to know Pinkie Pie. I met somepony too."

"Did you?" Pinkie tilted her head to the side curiously; she always loved to know everypony in the town she lived in and she loved to know that other ponies met everypony too, but this time she felt a little… worried. She tossed that thought aside and started to bounce; trying to forget those meanie-pants feelings she had had for her friend just then. "Ooh ooh, who is it; do I know them?"

Dash smiled back at the pink ball of bouncing pink fluff cheerfully. "Mmm, I don't think so Pinks."

"That's weird." Pinkie put a fore-hoof to her chin in an intense concentration only possible for the pink pony. "I've met just about everypony here already, who could I have missed?"

Rainbow chuckled and took a step forward to receive Pinkie's attention again. "Just let me tell you who it was and then you can decide if you know her or not."

"Okie dokey lokie!" The Earth pony replied as she closed her eyes and lifted her head joyfully.

Dash sighed. Another thing she loved about the pink pony. "Her name was Cloudkicker."

Pinkie nodded quickly in response. "Oh yeah, I know her." She wiggled her rump cutely and stuck out her tongue in concentration and hopped from one side of Rainbow Dash to the other as she spoke to show her point more accurately. "She travels an awwwful lot and a whole bunch too." Regaining her hoofing, Pinkie turned herself back to face the Pegasus pony in front of her. "I met her by accident one day in Manehattan. She seemed to be the only pony that didn't mind my bouncerific energy."

Dash raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side quizzically, her rainbow coloured-mane following quickly after. "Really?" A lock of Rainbow's mane flew down between her eyes and she stared at it in annoyance. "Do you think she'd remember you?" She blew at the lock of mane, but it only lifted up from the gentle breeze she had created and landed back where it was seconds ago; the Pegasus groaned.

Noticing her friend's struggles, Pinkie chuckled and held out her fore-hoof to brush the lock back into its rightful place and smiled at her accomplishment. "There, that's better." Rainbow was speechless and confusingly… happy. "Hmm…" Pinkie put that same hoof to her chin and thought back to that day in the Big Oat.

Cloudkicker smiled at the pink pony's question. "It's actually my birthday today."

"Really? Oh no, but I didn't get you anything for your birthday." She gasped. "I didn't even make you a party, or buy you any streamers or bake you any cupcakes–" She gasped again. This is terrible."

The deep-blue Pegasus chuckled lightly at the pink pony's reaction. "It's okay Pinkie Pie. I don't really need a party or any presents; just forget it, but thanks for thinking about me. Now I've gotta go." She kicked off of the ground and turned back to Pinkie one last time. "Maybe I'll see you later, 'kay Pinkie?" She started to fly away, leaving a very troubled pink pony alone to think of what to do about this terribl-istic mistake she just had to fix.

Oh no, She thought. What am I gonna do? Nopony can go without a party on their birthday. Pinkie's head, and mane, whipped up super quickly and looked towards a grey building that went by the rather obvious and really silly name of:

'Cake Shop' and gasped even louder than before.

Realisation had struck her Pinkie Pie-mind. Wait a minute, there's a cake shop on this street! Pinkie began racing down the street to the store as she planned her next move out in her mind. I can quickly buy a cake and surprise Cloudkicker with it. Pinkie Pie is on the case. But then she stopped and put a hoof to her chin. Hmm, I wonder what's inside the case… cake? Pinkie tilted her head in thought. Ooh maybe muffins… or sarsaparilla. She shook her pink head and started cantering off to the strangely in-business cake store. Oh I'll find out when Cloudkicker opens it; I've got a cake to buy!

Now being in a hurry, she bought a large party cake filled with streamers and poppers and snakes and all manner of stuff she could pull out of nowhere and zoomed after the blue-grey pony. She saw the Pegasus pony walk into a rather tall skyscraper, by which Pinkie Pie followed her into. She noticed Cloudkicker had taken the stairs so she jumped on the elevator to head her off at the fifth floor. Somehow the pink pony knew the birthday pony was headed for the fifth floor – after all, her back left thigh was itchy and that usually meant a deep-blue Pegasus pony was having a birthday that day and needed some cake delivered on the fifth floor right away – and got off to surprise her. Unfortunately, when she jumped out at her to hoof the cake over, she had overloaded the cake with ribbons and streamers and poppers and it had all turned into a massive bouncy pressure sensitive party bomb that sent Cloudkicker flying back – blinded by the brightly coloured confetti – screaming wildly, and tumbling down to the very bottom step. THUD!

"Oops." Was all the Earth pony could say.

Pinkie, ending her flashback, nodded happily with her eyes shut pleasantly. "Yes… I think she'd remember me." She opened them again to see Rainbow gazing at her speechlessly.

Note to self, Thought Dash. Don't re-introduce Pinkie to Cloudkicker. "Anyway Pinks, Cloudkicker dropped by just now and said that the Wonderbolts are coming to Ponyville tomorrow!"

Pinkie's blue-coloured eyes brightened and she gasped lightly as she remembered what she had seen at Dash's house two nights ago. "Wow, you mean those high-flying Pegasi squad ponies you have tons and tons and tooons of posters and pictures of?" She hopped up once and landed, crouching down and readying herself to spring up in a huuuge bounce of excitement, wiggling her rump again in concentration.

At seeing the pink pony's comical display, Dash giggled softly and spoke coolly to her bestest best friend about her high-flying idols. "That's them. They're gonna make me an honorary member of the squad for sure."

Pinkie seemed to have not heard the blue pony's answer and kept talking rapidly. "The one's that go zoom zoom zoom zoooom and just before they hit the ground shoom they pick up vroom?" As Pinkie spoke, her words mimicked the movements of flying to which she demonstrated to her blue Pegasus friend in mid-air.

Dash chuckled happily at the pink pony's impressions of flying without wings and nodded; she wasn't surprised at all by her new ability. "Yep."

The bouncing pink pony grinned widely and landed in front of the rose-eyed pony. She looked into the Pegasus pony's eyes happily. "That's great Rainbow Dash! Well then, you'd better go get ready for when they come and make you a Wonderbolt– Ooph!"

Feeling two fore-hooves wrap tightly around her, Pinkie Pie felt herself blush as Rainbow Dash embraced her in a huuuge hug and seemed a bit stunned; the Earth pony's fore-hooves spread out beside her in surprise as a calming voice spoke up before she could say anything. "You're always there to cheer me up aren't you Pinks?"

Hearing this, the pink pony forgot about the warm feelings she held for the Pegasus and hugged Rainbow back. Pinkie lowered her pink curly mane onto Dash's shoulders and nuzzled her gently. "Always Dashie."

Letting the other go, they smiled firmly and brightly as they gazed into each other's beautiful eyes. Dash's soon dropped to a serious expression… a serious expression that hid a developing smirk on her blue face. "Pinkie… before I go do you wanna hang out? We can pull some new pranks I've been thinkin' up on these ponies. I'm sure they can take a joke… not like those Manehattan stuck-ups. What'd'ya say Pinks?" The smirk showing through now, the Pegasus pony looked confidently to her pink Earth pony friend to await her always cheerful response.

Pinkie blinked rapidly and raised a fore-hoof guiltily. "Hang out? No I can't. I promised the Cakes I'd deliver some sweets to Daisy at the flower shop. Just between you and me…" She glanced around to make sure nopony else was listening and walked up super close to her bestest best friend, whispering the last part in her ear. "She's got a bit of a sweet tooth." Pinkie, having finished explaining her current situation, hopped back away from the blue pony's personal space with a gigantic grin bouncing across her pink face.

Rainbow arched a suspecting eyebrow at this and frowned a little. "I see. Well then you'd better get on that quickly. If this Daisy is anything like you, I'm sure she'll need that right away." She raised a fore-hoof to Pinkie's chest and smirked.

"Okie dokey lokie!" The pink pony, in return, began to hop in place lightly, still low enough for Rainbow's hoof to remain in place comfortably.

"But Pinkie?" Dash said, moving her hoof to Pinkie's shoulder to stop her from further bouncing at the current time. "Next time, come up with a better excuse for not wanting to hang with me then delivering candy to ponies. It's way too obvious you are the one with the sweet tooth Pinks."

Pinkie tilted her head to the side quizzically and her mane bounded along in response, landing right where it needed to be on the pink pony's face again. "What're you talking about Dashie? I'm helping Daisy make a party for when the Wonderbolts get here." Rainbow lowered her hoof in a sudden and very understandable daze and confusion that seemed utterly lost in the Earth pony's beautiful cyan-coloured eyes. "There's gonna be cake and streamers and sarsaparilla and– Mmph?"

"Hold on." Dash interrupted as she jammed a fore-hoof into Pinkie's mouth to stop any further random comments from exiting the pink pony's mouth. "How could you have set that up so quickly? I only just told you they were coming." A sudden troubling thought soared across her mind and Rainbow lowered her hoof to the ground. What if…? "Did your Pinkie sense tell you before and you didn't think to mention it to your bestest best friend?" Did she tell Applejack and not me about this? Dash looked hurt at the sudden thought she had about her friend for a reason she didn't understand and tried hard to shake it from her mind, but was met with little success.

Pinkie shrugged the question off with a hoof immediately and responded joyfully. "Oh that's silly. I would surely tell you everything I knew rightly right away; we have no secrets right?" Pinkie froze after those words. Oh no, that's not true. What have I done? Dashie doesn't keep secrets from me, but I have the biggest most hugest and most getting in the way of bestest best friendship secret there is. "It's just that… well." She cut her-pony-self off and pointed a hoof over to a fence covered with fliers with the title reading:

'The Wonderbolts in Ponyville: Tomorrow Night at the Town Hall'.

In fact, now that Rainbow Dash noticed, the little town had fliers and posters scattered all around. She saw quite a few fences covered in posters and even the sides of houses had pictures of the Wonderbolts posing heroically on them. Dash turned back to the pink pony and they stared into each other's eyes for a while. Pinkie was smiling widely, but the Pegasus pony was staring seriously into the eyes of the Earth pony to find the answer to the question she still couldn't quite determine. "Pinkie Pie? Would you… like to go see the Wonderbolts with me? I just thought that you'd like to come and see them and… with me and all…"

Pinkie backed away and glanced to the side nervously. "Uh… well, I've got a lot of delivering to do and… I–I just… can't." Her happy smile had faded into a frown as she berated herself for what she soo desperately wanted to say to her friend. Why can't I just say it?

Hearing this, Dash turned to the side with her own sad look spreading across her face. "It's fine; you're busy. I… I understand." She lowered her head to the ground and away from her Earth pony friend.

Pinkie shook her head in response, but Rainbow had already turned away and couldn't see the pink pony's reaction and apprehension to acknowledge her. No, She thought. You don't understand at all. You're not fine and neither am I. If I could just say–

"I'm just kind of nervous about meeting my idols and I thought… that if I had you there with me… I'd be okay again." She began to saunter away as she tried to speak more confidently. "I guess I'll just have to suck it up and go it a–"

"I'd love to go." Pinkie looked up at the Pegasus with newly found courage and a broad smile that spoke of no lies.

Dash spun around, ears perked and a happy and hopeful smile on her face. "W-What?"

Pinkie walked forward and closed the distance between them before answering her friend's… sort of question. "What you said before… I thought about it… for a long time and I'd love to go out with you sometime and seeing the Wonderbolts sounds like tons of fun." The pink pony finished with her usual flair and a single joyful bounce to show her already obvious interest, just in case.

Rainbow Dash smiled weakly, but happily at the pink pony. "And Pinkie Pie lo-oves to have fun, right?" They both shared a laugh together as the day drew on and Dash really didn't want to leave, but she and Pinkie had their own stuff to do and didn't want to keep her up even more. "So then I guess we'd better get off to where it is we're going, right Pinks?"

Pinkie walked beside Rainbow and stopped behind her, facing away from her cyan-coloured pony friend. "Yeah. Hey Dashie, I love your cloud-house." The party pony lifted her head up to see her bestest best friend's super-duper fluffy and cool looking cloud-home with amazement… and something else. "The rainbow river really suits you." Dash wasn't sure if that statement was supposed to be a compliment or an insult, but to her it sounded like Pinkie was trying not to cry in front of her.

She couldn't tell for sure and it just made her feel that much worse about the whole thing. "Uh… Pinkie Pie? Is… ?" Dash gulped. I… I can't…

With surprisingly slow speed and without another word, Pinkie Pie walked away, leaving the cyan-coloured Pegasus alone. It's not what the magenta-eyed pony wanted and knowing that just made her want to fly away and hopefully forget these feelings she didn't want to keep. She quickly decided that a good long soar in the clouds would cheer her up, so she flew in the opposite direction Pinkie Pie had taken.

That flight eventually took her to the border of Ponyville, where she saw a large cottage with animals all along it. As she flew up ahead, cyan wings parting the fluffy cumulous and stripy cirrus clouds she leisurely breezed through along the way, a small timid voice called out to her.

"Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow recognized that small voice. Turning around, the blue Pegasus was looking into the light-blue eyes of a yellow Pegasus pony just below her. "Fluttershy?"

The Pegasus' eyes lit up some as she looked into Dash's eyes. "It is you. Oh, um… what brings you to Ponyville Rainbow Dash? Oh, I mean, if you don't mind me asking that is." Fluttershy looked down in embarrassment and rubbed her hooves together timidly.

Rainbow leveled with the shy pony in the sky and shook her head lightly. "Oh not at all, it's great to see you." Dash shrugged her shoulders and looked back towards Ponyville with a small smile gracing her blue face. "Actually a friend told me about this place and it sounded nice, so I decided to move here."

Fluttershy raised her head in surprise and her mane brushed out of the way of her blue eyes. "Really? That's wonderful Rainbow. Who is this friend? Did she come with you?"

"Yeah, she's a pink Earth pony from Manehattan." Rainbow chuckled softly as she remembered what happened just yesterday. "Or she used to be."

The yellow pony nodded slowly in reply. "I see. Well would you like to have some tea with me in my cottage?" Fluttershy flew over to the side to show Rainbow the pet sanctuary the shy Pegasus housed the various small animals she took care of. "We could catch up with what we missed of the other, if you like."

Dash put a fore-hoof to her chin in consideration and shrugged her shoulders. "Well I've never liked tea, but I'd be happy to chat with you for a while. Of course that won't be a problem anymore 'cause we both live here and all. It'll be great."

"Oh, okay then." Fluttershy turned around and looked back over her shoulder at the blue Pegasus. Follow me."

"Lead the way." Rainbow called to her foalhood friend as she followed her down to the cottage.

The two Pegasi landed at the door to Fluttershy's animal refuge. Rainbow Dash noticed all the little furry and feather creatures around and immediately remembered her Pegasus friend's shy demeanour. Dash sat down on Fluttershy's couch while the pink-maned pony went to get some food for them. As she left for her kitchen, a white bunny hopped up to Rainbow and raised a curious eyebrow.

Dash looked down at the furry creature and smiled. "Hey there little guy. Are you a friend of Fluttershy's? Same here." Rainbow hopped up from the couch and looked around at the inside of her friend's house. "I just dropped by for a visit, so we could catch up." Dash turned back to face the bunny to say something more, but was interrupted when the creature stomped his foot on her hoof. "Oww!"

The small yellow Pegasus pony's head suddenly appeared at the door to the kitchen. She gasped. "Angel Bunny, don't do that to our guest. She's a friend from Cloudsdale." The newly named Angel stood there for a moment with his arms crossed before he bounced away. "I'm so sorry about that; he's a little troublesome at times, but I just brought him here from the Everfree Forest last week." Fluttershy flew through the doorway with a plate full of food and tea and set it down on the table. "He should be just fine with a little love, care, and kindness. You okay Rainbow Dash?"

"I'm fine." Rainbow replied, rubbing her hooves together softly. "So, if you don't mind me asking, why do you have a house out here full of animals?"

"Oh well…" The shy Pegasus dragged a fore-hoof along the floor and looked back up at Dash." The little bunnies and birds feel nervous being around town with all the ponies walking about, so I built this cottage for all the shy creatures to live in with me." Angel appeared in front of the two ponies again and Fluttershy leaned in and whispered to Rainbow Dash. "There just a teeny tiny bit afraid of all the ponies accidently stepping on them."

Dash smirked at the yellow-coloured Pegasus. "Same ol' Fluttershy, huh?" Fluttershy blushed and smiled behind her light-pink mane.

"So Rainbow Dash, what have you been doing?" She raised her head back up and her mane settled back beside her face. "Still trying to get into the Wonderbolts?" She asked with a small giggle.

Rainbow smirked and nodded in answer as she bit into a cookie. "You know it. I've just been on vacation in Manehattan for the last few weeks."

"Oh? Is it nice there?" Fluttershy enquired, taking a small sip of her tea.

Dash shook her hoof in remembrance and lowered her head a little. "Nah, all the ponies there are boring stuck up snobs. Even the pranks I played on 'em seemed wasted. But… there was one pony that wasn't all business and no fun like them." Rainbow raised her head and smiled gently.

"Really?" The shy Pegasus set down her cup and looked at the blue pony kindly. "Tell me about her. What is she like? I mean, if you want to that is."

"Oh she's awesome." Rainbow sat up and smiled. "She's so bouncy and energetic and funny and playful… and she makes the best cupcakes let me tell ya." She stood up suddenly and kicked her hooves off the couch, flapping her wings just over her spot at Fluttershy. "She throws amazing parties and loves 'em to bits… and she has great ideas for pranks… every. Time."

"Oh, well… she does seem… nice." The yellow Pegasus smiled nervously and hid a little behind her pink mane again.

"Yeah, she is." Dash landed and folded her wings up beside her as she trotted over to a window to look out at Fluttershy's rather large yard.

"Uhm, Rainbow Dash?" The shy pony called from her seat.

Rainbow turned around and looked towards Fluttershy with a questioning expression. "Yes Fluttershy?"

"Oh, um, nothing." Fluttershy glanced away from the rainbow-maned Pegasus and saw an annoyed Angel Bunny staring up at her.

Dash left the window sill and walked back over to her friend. "What is it Fluttershy?"

"No, i-it's nothing. Really." Fluttershy retreated a little further into her pink mane as she sat up on the couch.

Rainbow sighed in annoyance and squinted at the Pegasus seated before her. "Fluttershy, I know when you're lying to me. A few years away from you doesn't change the fact that you're a terrible liar."

Her mane completely covered one side of her face now. "Oh, but I-I'm not lying."

"Fluttershy." Rainbow gave her a stern look and tapped her fore-hoof impatiently.

Angel appeared at the back-hoof of the yellow Pegasus pony and kicked it gently.

"Oh, okay then." She shyly lifted her head up again and looked into Dash's pretty magenta-coloured eyes. "Well, um, I was just wondering if you knew the Wonderbolts were coming tomorrow night."

"Oh yeah, I know. There's fliers and posters for it all over town." Rainbow chuckled softly at the fact that she hadn't seen them before Pinkie Pie pointed them out to her.

Fluttershy sighed with relief at the Pegasus' happy reply. "Oh, good. Well, I was thinking that since you would want to meet the Wonderbolts and make a good impression… you would want to… look good."

Rainbow lowered her head in consideration. "Right, I never thought of that, but what could I wear? I don't wear dresses; they're way too… blech!" Dash raised a tucked in fore-hoof to an invisible dress and stuck out her tongue in disgust.

Fluttershy chuckled lightly and rose from her seat, flapping her wings lightly to stay just off the floor. "Well, I have a friend who's quite good at making custom clothing. If you tell her what to put on the dress I'm sure she'll be happy to make it for you. She's always sort of… asking me if I would like a dress, but I'd be too shy to wear it anywhere on my own."

Rainbow put a hoof to her chin and sighed. "Well I guess we could try; let's go." The cyan-coloured Pegasus made for the door and turned back around to see Fluttershy following slowly.

"Okay… great." She stopped and looked at the door beside Dash. "A-And maybe we could get a dress made for your friend too?" As she finished her question, she managed to stare back at the blue pony timidly.

"Huh? Why would I do that?" Rainbow sauntered over to the shy Pegasus to hear her reply.

"W-Well um…" She shyly rubbed a fore-hoof against the other, not making eye contact with her foalhood friend anymore.

Dash nodded as her thoughts were confirmed. "Okay, now I know you've got something to say. What is it Fluttershy?" Rainbow sat down on her rump and waited for the pink-maned pony to answer her.

"Well, I just a-assumed that–" Another kick from the white rabbit made Fluttershy sigh and look back up at her cyan-coloured friend. "Alright… if you really wanna know." She breathed in deeply and began to speak more quickly than before. "How you spoke of your friend seemed really nice and you seem to enjoy her company a lot, but you looked so happy and sad at the same time when you talked to me about her. You haven't said her name yet and whenever I ask about her you become tense. And I-I don't mind… it's your decision, but do… do you… love her Rainbow Dash?"

The whole speech left the Pegasus inarticulate and the little question at the end only succeeded in making the blue pony's eyes widen and her jaw drop. "I… I…" Her head dropped in realisation and shame. "I think I do."

"It's alright. It's natural to feel this way Rainbow Dash." The yellow Pegasus said calmly, trying to make the troubled pony understand her feelings.

Dash turned suddenly on the pink-maned pony, making her back away startled. "Yeah… it's natural for colts to feel this way! She's my bestest best friend and I…" Rainbow stopped herself and looked away, regret filling her heart.

Regaining her courage, the shy pony stepped closer to the confused pony. "Rainbow… I know you're really confused and… upset that you feel this way, but you can't fight it. I've seen what happens when you fight love. My little friend's feelings eat them up inside and they feel just awful. I don't want that to happen to a friend like you." She shook her head lightly at the rainbow-maned pony.

"But I asked her to go with me to the Wonderbolts party and she said yes." Rainbow blurted out before thinking and when she did, she didn't really care what she had said. It sounded good to hear that from her own muzzle.

"Then we have to get two dresses made by that night." Surprising Dash, Fluttershy raised her head with a new confidence present in her voice.

"But I don't know how she feels about me." Rainbow started to feel uncomfortable and her wings unfurled nervously. "What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if I ruin our bestest best friendship?" She lowered her head as she folded her cyan-coloured wings against herself.

"Rainbow Dash I'm not going to make you go, but you helped me with those bullies that day in Cloudsdale and I would like to repay that kindness you showed me. You were the only pony that stood up for me and I want to do the same for you. I don't want you to make the mistake of not going; the mistake of not seeing the Wonderbolts with the one you care the most about." She finished with a stern look directed at the Pegasus pony and waited for her friend's response.

"Ugh, Fluttershy, how do I let you talk me into these things?" Rainbow shook her head, but couldn't shake the happy thoughts developing in her mind.

"I'm very persuasive." She smiled sweetly and Angel gave her a swift kick. She looked back at the impatient bunny apologetically. "Oh, sorry."

"Come on then." Dash said back at the cottage door with an anxious look soaring across her blue face. "It's time you showed me this 'fabulous pony' that you say can help me."

Flluttershy nodded in agreement. "Okay. Angel Bunny, can you look after the house and animals while I'm gone?" Angel gave the yellow-coloured Pegasus a salute and gave Dash a thumbs up. "I think that means… good luck." Angel nodded as the Pegasi fly off towards Ponyville.

The two flew through Ponyville and reached a rather tall building with the name:

'Carousel Boutique' painted in gold letters, across its door.

As Fluttershy nudged the door open with her snout a doorbell rang. "Hello? Rarity, are you in here?"

Rainbow only just had time enough to enter as well before a pure white mare with a purple mane zipped in front of the timid Pegasus pony. "Why hello there darling. Is it finally time I made you a dress? Please say yes, please say yes!" She shrieked with her hooves joined together in hopeful prayer.

"Oh, well… no." She replied meekly, gesturing to the pony beside her. "But I have a friend that needs two dresses for tomorrow's Wonderbolt appearance at the town hall."

Rarity looked from Fluttershy to Dash in concentration and arched a dissatisfied eyebrow at her. "Hmm, well I can see why you would want me to help you look nice for such ponies, but why in Equestria would you need two dresses for?"

As it shifted from early morning to late afternoon, the three ponies conversed about the situation of the blue Pegasus, and Rarity had already 'blown herself away' with what 'masterpieces' she was making for her.

"I can't wait to see how your friend likes it." She turned away from the design sheet Rarity had made for the mystery pink pony and looked hopefully at Rainbow. "Will you tell me about it later, Rainbow Dash? Oh, I mean… if that's okay with you that is."

"Sure Fluttershy. I'll be sure to tell ya the good news." She looked down at her hooves and sighed. At least I hope it's good news.

"Why Rainbow Dash; you seem quite sure of yourself about this filly of yours." Rarity spoke as she raised her head up from her sowing machine and walked over to the rainbow-maned pony. "And from what you tell me, she is the rambunctious type of pony too. I would just like to ask you one thing… if it's not too much trouble mind you."

Dash felt a little unsure about replying with how Rarity was looking at her, but she decided it couldn't be that bad a question. "Okay, shoot." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Is this pony… the first you feel this way about?"

Rainbow's eyes shrunk immediately. She tried to think, but couldn't come up with anything; she just stared anxiously into Rarity's violet-coloured eyes."Oh uh… well I–" She shut her eyes tightly and tried to think harder. Come on, you're the Dash. You've never hesitated before, what's stopping you now?

"It's quite alright if you do not wish to tell me." Rarity spoke up again, interrupting Dash's thoughts. "Forgive my curiosity, but I am the romantic type; I know just about every relationship here in Ponyville, by the consent of those ponies to tell me of course, so I couldn't help but ask." She turned back around at her creations and smiled contently. "Now, where would you like me to store these two dresses until the big night?"

"… Yes." Dash responded; opening her magenta-coloured eyes and raising her head up proudly.

Rarity was surprised at the sudden answer and turned back at the Pegasus with a questioning look. "What was that?"

"The answer to your question. She…" Rainbow gulped. "She is the first pony I've felt this way about. I couldn't possibly feel anything differently for her, or anypony else." She shook her head truthfully.

Rarity smiled kindly and shook her own head slightly. "My, my, my, it would appear we have another blossoming relationship in our small town. Well, good for you Rainbow Dash. I hope your friend turns out to have the same feelings for you as you have for her."

"Thanks." Dash allowed a small cheerful smile to cross out her nervous thoughts and fly happily across her face.

While the three ponies discussed their ideas for Rainbow Dash's and her mystery date's entrance to the Wonderbolts visit inside the Boutique, Pinkie Pie was bouncing along looking for her bestest best friend… that happened to be Rainbow Dash.

"Hi, have you seen Rainbow Dash anywhere?" She asked a random pony walking down through the town square. The pony shook her head lightly. Rushing off to another group of ponies she asked more forwardly, "I'm lookin' for Rainbow Dash have you seen her?" Head shakes all around. "Okay, thanks anyway." Just then she looked to the side and saw three ponies inside the large white and purple building well known to its residents and quite recently, to Pinkie. Zipping over to the window, Pinkie peeked in to hear that Dash had made two dresses for the night ahead; the one extra being for a friend of hers. Did Dashie make that dress for me? Pink, candy, fluffy, poufy, bouncy. The pony gasped loudly even with her fore-hooves covering her pink mouth. It is for me! Oh I'm soo happy; I should give her a biiig huger-ific hug as a thank you for being such a terrifically good friend! Or maybe… a thank you prank instead. Rainbow Dash loves pranks… it's perfect! Having come to a decision, Pinkie mock-menacingly rubbed her hooves together with a smirk bounding onto her bright pink face.

As the conversation died down, Fluttershy spoke up to the others as she backed up to the door of the store. "Um, excuse me… but I should get going… if that would be alright. I mean… the animals at the cottage will be wondering where their mother is, right?"

Rarity shook her head sympathetically. "Oh it's no trouble darling. I'll just put the finishing touches on the two dresses in the morning and we shall be all set for tomorrow night."

"Yeah, it's cool Fluttershy." Rainbow trotted over to the shy Pegasus and smiled. "Thanks for the help; I really needed it."

"Oh… um… you're welcome." Fluttershy returned the smile and continued to the door with Dash and Rarity following closely behind.

The pink pony watched as three ponies began to walk out and to Pinkie, it seemed like Dash would be the first one out.

Now's my chance, She snickered to herself and snuck over to the entrance to prepare her well plotted prank. When Dashie opens the door, I'll jump out from the side and yell "BOO!" She'll be so surprised and happy to see me and she'll give me a huuuge hug for the awesome prank I pulled on her.

The door swung open slowly; Pinkie wiggled her rump, readying herself for her big scare and when she saw a hoof land on the first step she rocketed out from her hiding place with a scream of:

"BOO!"

For an answer, however, came a very loud squeak of terror from the timid yellow Pegasus as she flew off, quite rapidly for a such a shy pony in fact, to her cottage near the Everfree Forest. Pinkie was stunned by the reaction and super regretful for accidently pranking somepony she didn't even know too well. She sat on her rump with her beautiful blue eyes still on the small yellow pony. Oh, that wasn't what I had in mind for my prank at all.

With the sudden and abrupt disappearance of the timid Pegasus pony, Rainbow and Rarity cantered out of the Boutique and saw Pinkie looking confused and more than a little regretful for what she had done.

"Pinkie?" Rainbow immediately looked nervous. "Uh, hi, Pinks. What are you doing here?"

Pinkie stood up and gave Dash a look of concentration, quite unusual for the pink pony. "Dash? Sorry, but… I gotta go. Talk to ya later okay?" She zoomed off towards Fluttershy's cottage to apologize for what she did.

This left the Pegasus feeling relieved that she hadn't done anything incredibly stupid in front of Pinkie, but this feeling of calm soon ended as Rarity cleared her throat from behind Rainbow. "So, Dash. Who is this pony friend of yours again?"

Dash gulped loudly and turned around with an awkward smile spread across her face. "Uh, well, you see…"

Rarity raised a knowing eyebrow at the Pegasus.

Pinkie had raced from Carousel Boutique all the way to Fluttershy's cottage just on the outskirts of Ponyville in 10 seconds flat… so it was needless to say that she needed to catch her breath a bit before she could talk again. But ignoring that fact, being Pinkie Pie after all, the pink pony knocked on the door and leaned against it, just in case the reply came as a mere whisper.

No reply came from within the house. "Fluttershy? Are you okay in there? I'm sorry I scared you; I didn't mean to, it was meant for somepony else. I'm super sorry." Pinkie hung her head sadly and sat on her rump.

Just as she was about to leave, Pinkie heard noises from inside the animal refuge. The door slowly opened to reveal the timid Pegasus, with an accepting smile on her bright yellow face. "Oh, it's fine. You don't have to apologize. It happens to me a lot."

"Can I try anyway? I'm real sorry for pranking you; I was trying to surprise Rainbow Dash when she walked out of Carousel Boutique, but I kinda messed up on the timing." Pinkie looked guiltily at Fluttershy as she opened the door fully.

The Pegasus shook her head. "It's quite alright, um…"

Pinkie's head popped up and she gasped with exasperation. "Oh, I haven't told you my name yet. Silly me. Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie." She answered cheerfully as she resumed her bouncing.

Fluttershy followed Pinkie's erratic movements as she made her response. "Well it's nice to meet you, Pinkie Pie. I haven't seen you in Ponyville before. Did you just move here recently? If you don't mind me asking that is." She tilted her head down and her mane covered her face a bit.

This only seemed to make the pink pony happier and she bounced higher with her successful job at cheering the shy pony up. "Oh, well I used to live in Manehattan, but I moved here two days ago. It was super boring there, so I decided I'd move to a funner place and this town seemed like tons of fun. I've already got a job working at Sugarcube Corner and a home to hoof and I've already met everypony in Ponyville, including you Fluttershy." She smiled proudly at the yellow-coloured Pegasus and kept bouncing.

Fluttershy blushed lightly. "Oh, well that sounds lovely."

"Yes indeedie. Hey, Fluttershy, can I ask you something?" Pinkie stopped bouncing and tilted her head to the side to await the pink-maned pony's answer.

"Oh, sure. Would you like to come in?" She asked, kicking off the steps gently to hover in place and gesture into the cottage. "I still have some cookies out that haven't been eaten yet."

Pinkie gasped. "Cookies? Let's go." She bounded in and sat her rump down on the couch, happily seated behind the tray of delicious-looking sweets.

Fluttershy entered after her and sat down as well, waiting patiently for what the pink pony could be asking her about. Pinkie had started eating the cookies – chocolate chip cookies – and was on her sixth when she caught sight of the shy Pegasus next to her. Remembering what she had asked, the pink Earth pony brought a hoof to her chin in thought. "Oops, sorry Fluttershy. Now what was I gonna ask? Oh yeah." She brightened up at remembering and tilted her head to the side at the shy pony. "What were the super cute dresses for?"

"The dresses?" Fluttershy's eyes darted from left to right suddenly.

Pinkie didn't seem to notice any apprehension in the pony's light-blue eyes. "Yeah, you know; the dresses at Carousel Boutique, silly. They looked really nice and I just wanted to know who they were for."

Fluttershy shuffled her fore-hooves around as she lay on her tummy. "Well, they were for a friend. Rainbow Dash." Remembering what the pink pony had said earlier, she looked into Pinkie's eyes curiously. "You said you knew her, right?"

Pinkie raised her head proudly and nodded. "Yes indeedie." She gasped as a thought hopped into her Pinkie Pie-mind and she looked more intently at the timid Pegasus. "Are they for the Wonderbolts' thingy tomorrow night?"

"Oh yes." Fluttershy nodded gently in response. "She seemed quite happy about it. She usually doesn't like wearing dresses or looking pretty."

Pinkie sat down on her rump once more and frowned cutely. "But who's the other dress for? She can't wear two dresses at once can she?" She put a fore-hoof to her chin. "Can she?" She raised an eyebrow at the confusing question of being able to wear two things at once, but just as quickly shrugged it off.

Fluttershy giggled at the pony's odd question and answered her. "She said it was for a good friend of hers. She met her over in Manehattan during her vacation there."

Pinkie gasped again, but more quietly. Her face reddened and her expression became solemn. "Did… Did she say who it was?" The Earth pony shuffled her hooves around absentmindedly as she waited for Fluttershy to reply.

"Well, no." Fluttershy saw the pink pony's mane fall in front of her face sadly and heard a deafening sound of 'oh' from the party pony; her mane seemed less poufy than it had before and it made her feel terrible. Before any reply could be made from Pinkie, the shy Pegasus spoke once again, trying to cheer the pony up. "But she said she was a great prankster… and she hops around everywhere and loves throwing parties. 'She seems to have an unlimited amount of energy', she said."

Dashie… The Earth pony glanced down at her hooves with a small smile spread across her pink face. Pinkie looked back up into Fluttershy's kind eyes and stood up shakily. "That's great. Dash should have tons of fun at the party with that cute-looking dress she has." Pinkie gasped again, and bounced over to the door as she spoke to the yellow-coloured pony. "I just remembered I gotta help Daisy pick some flowers for tomorrow night. Sorry Fluttershy. We'll talk more later, okay?"

"Oh that's fine. Say hi to Daisy for me." Fluttershy waved a good-bye hoof at Pinkie as she left.

The pink pony waved back while still managing to bounce in place at the door. "Don't worry, I will. Bye-bye Fluttershy." Pinkie hopped out of the cottage giggling at her rhyme and continued on her way back to Ponyville and the local Flower Shop.

Back at Carousel Boutique, the two ponies were having their own important conversation as Rainbow Dash backed out of the shop uncomfortably.

"Rainbow Dash, I must say I am disappointed. If you want her to truly understand your feelings for her you must ask her properly or she won't ever get it." Rarity shook her head lightly and stopped walking towards the Pegasus.

Dash stuttered as she reached the end of the doorway, afraid to have this conversation transferred outside. "I–I'm sure it'll be fine. She seemed quite happy to–"

Rarity sighed loudly. "If you truly have feelings for this pony, then you should be taking her out to dinner… or at the very least a movie."

"But it's a dance." Rainbow argued weakly, her voice cracking as she spoke.

"It's for the Wonderbolts… and the way you asked her to it…" Rarity sighed and shook her head again. "If you asked me, it doesn't even sound like you mean it as a date."

What did I mean? Dash lowered her head to the ground and closed her eyes before sighing. She knew exactly what she meant. "I–I need Pinkie there with me." Rainbow raised her head to stare more confidently into the purple-maned pony's eyes. "If she's there… I feel better. If she's there I can talk to anypony… and be happy." The Pegasus shook her head firmly, but gently. "I've never felt this way before and I never want to forget it."

Now it was Rarity's turn to be quiet. After a moment of silence she nodded just enough for Rainbow to actually recognize it as what it was.

Out the corners of their eyes, the two ponies noticed the pink pony approaching happily from the same place she had soo quickly dashed in and Rarity put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. She gasped quietly. "There she is." Seeing that the Pegasus had frozen up and wasn't going to make a move anytime soon, Rarity decided to take matters into her own hooves. "What are you waiting for? Go!" She whispered and pushed Dash in the side with her head off of the step, landing right on top of Pinkie. "Oops." She said sarcastically as she returned to her designs inside the Boutique with a wide smirk on her white-coloured face.

Shaking the confusion, and feathers, out of her vision, Pinkie saw Rainbow and immediately gasped with joy. "Dashie! You're still here." Noticing for the first time that Dash had landed on top of her, Pinkie smiled brightly and continued. "Wow. Usually it's me that lands on top of you." Pinkie chuckled lightly at the Pegasus' still spinning eyes. "I guess you can have a turn though."

At hearing this, Dash's eyes focused instantly and she looked anxiously into the pink pony's eyes. "Pinkie?" She scrambled to her hooves, accidently rolling Pinkie over onto her other side facing away from the blue pony. "Uh, hi. How–How are you?"

The Earth pony rolled onto her back and grinned at the rainbow-maned worry-faced pony with cheer. "Oh, I'm fine Rainbow Dash. I was just off to–"

"That's great Pinks." She said in a hurry, interrupting the pink pony's response. "Listen, uh, I was just wondering… I mean if it's not too much trouble…" Rainbow trailed off and glanced at Pinkie, still with her hoovsies in the air cutely. Pinkie…? She thought blissfully, in a daze.

"Yeah?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head to the side curiously and smiling sweetly up at her bestest best friend.

Heat spread across her face and her wings unfurled tightly as Dash turned her head away awkwardly from staring at Pinkie's bright pink tummy. "Well, if… if you would like to–"

"There you are Pinkie Pie!" A voice called from Rainbow's left. Both ponies looked to where the noise had come from and saw a pony with a daisy cutie-mark on her flank approaching.

"Huh?" Dash asked as she raised an eyebrow at the new pony.

She trotted passed her and stopped in front of the pink party pony, with her hooves in the air. "You were supposed to be helping me with collecting the flowers for tomorrow night's party!"

Pinkie rolled over and sat up quickly with a sad look covering her face. "But I was just–" She pointed to Dash, but the pony grabbed her hoof, preventing her from finishing her argument.

"No time! We have only two days to get ready and I need all the help I can get." She shouted as she dragged Pinkie away.

"Wait! Dash!" She shouted back towards the Pegasus, but couldn't get through the pony's iron grip.

Dash called back to her pink party friend with a hidden sadness in her reassuring voice. "It's okay Pinkie. I'll catch up with ya later, okay?" Her ears perked up to hear Pinkie's response like at that moment; it was the most important thing in the whole wide Equestria to her.

"Promise?" Pinkie replied, more quietly than before.

Rainbow smiled softly and began the hoof movements she knew so well. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Hearing her friend's response, the pink pony smiled that same small smile she gave her the day she cheered her up. Dash's heart sank in liquid happiness as she watched her trot away with the in-a-hurry pony.

As the forms faded against the setting sun and the hills on the outskirts of the small town, Rainbow sighed and turned around. She looked up at her cloud-home and walked slowly over to it as her thoughts covered her mind in fog. That's okay. I'll just take a nap until Pinkie's done with picking flowers… and then we can make up for all the time we've spent away from each other. She smiled serenely and kicked off the ground with her hooves to fly up and land comfortably on her fluffy cumulous cloud house entrance. She opened the front door and slunk into her bed for a quick nap. We can prank tons of ponies and… throw a party to celebrate… and… we can make cupcakes together. Before she could think of what she had said, the cyan-coloured Pegasus drifted off to a dream-filled sleep