Blurring the Linesby FrostyDawnChaptersAlcohol, best friend and worst enemyThe cause and solution to problemsPrayers and demandsSugarcoatTies that bindAlcohol, best friend and worst enemyDear Princess Twilight, We miss you. But in your absence, we learned that we all have our share of troubles. We might feel confused. Or angry. Or even the urge to end it all. But when the ones you care about are tearing themselves apart, you have to ask yourself. If friendship really is magic, then what is sorrow and pain? -Your five faithful friends... <><><><><><><><> It had been a full week since Twilight Sparkle’s transformation into an Alicorn. A full week where Twilight had been absent from Ponyville, fulfilling her royal duties. She exchanged letters with her friends, expressing her joy of being a princess and her desire to see Ponyville again. But that would have to wait for now. Applejack walked down the road from Sweet Apple Acres, wiping the sweat off her brow. A hard afternoon’s work of picking apples and and sitting in the sun. Her jeans worn with dirt and grass, and her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. A clear blue sky beamed overhead, with a few white puffy clouds. And yet, Applejack could just tell it was going to rain. Call it intuition, call it a sixth sense, Applejack was expecting a big downpour. When the sky’s been clear for a couple of days, it all comes down hard. That, and one of her friends was actually in control of the weather. It helps to know these kinds of things. Speaking of which, Applejack glanced up at the bright blue sky, holding her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun. A thin streak of rainbow bolted through the sky, and she smirked. Who other than Rainbow Dash to fly overhead to show off? Applejack kept walking. Applejack soon stepped into the lively Ponyville square. Small businesses, local families and cheerful children covered the streets. It wasn’t as illustrious as Manehattan or Fillydelphia, but it had a rural charm to it. Applejack quickly craved something to snack on upon passing a few people. Crowds tend to do that. Applejack found herself at Sugarcube Corner, and the smell of baking pastries and frosted sweets caused her to lick her lips. She poked her head inside. “Hey, ya’ll. Mind if ah get a little somthin’ sweet?” Applejack asked, looking around for any activity. The Cakes weren’t in the room, but the sound of clattering pots and pans rattled from the kitchen. Pinkie Pie stepped out, with bits of flour and icing in her pink, curly hair. “Applejack! How ya doin’!?” Pinkie asked with a bright smile on her face. The cowgirl wandered inside, glad to see her friend. “Doin’ just fine, Pinkie. Ah’m just hopin’ get a little snack.” “Well, you’re in luck!” Pinkie replied. “The Cakes are out for the day, and I got the whole kitchen to myself!” She said, and pulled out a tin tray, holding at least a dozen bright blue cookies. “I just made this batch of-” Pinkie would of finished her sentence, but her arms sporadically shook, flinging the tray of cookies right into Applejack’s face. “What in tarnation did yah do that fer!?” Applejack shouted, wiping the frosting off her face. Pinkie Pie sighed. “I’m sorry, Applejack. My Pinkie Sense has been spazzing out all day!” She said, motioning to the rest of the kitchen. Bags of flour lay spilled on the counter, icing was strewn all over the walls, and a peculiar scorch mark covered the walls over the stove. “It’s gonna be a doozy! I haven’t had anything this strong since the Hydra attack!” “It’s probably the rain. Ah reckon a little storm damage is all.” Applejack said. “Rain? I didn’t feel anything about rain. Besides, it’s a beautiful afternoon!” Pinkie Pie said, peeking out the window. “Ah know.” Applejack said bluntly. “So, any treats yah got that aren’t completely trashed?” “Yeah! I’ll go get some cupcakes!” Pinkie said, returning to her cheery, bubbly self. “Actually, I’ll pick ‘em up mahself.” Applejack said, nodding. “I understand.” Pinkie said, looking down at her arms. “Six bits, then.” Applejack reached into a cabinet, pulling out a purple cupcake. She then reached into her pocket, and passed Pinkie a few gold coins. “Thanks, sugarcube.” Applejack said, stepping out of the bakery. “Bye, Applejack! Watch out for the doozy!” Pinkie Pie called out, before Applejack shut the door. She then turned to an enormous sack of flour sitting on the counter. A crudely drawn smiley face was printed in red crayon on the bag. “All right, Mr. Floursack. Our duel ends here!” She said, pulling out a large butcher knife. <><><><><><><><><> Applejack licked the icing off her fingers as she strolled through the rest of town. “That Pinkie. She’s always a little... off.” Applejack muttered to herself. Applejack then peaked over at the Carousel Boutique. Applejack paused. She and Rarity had her differences, but they were good friends, none the less. Perhaps a quick visit before she returned to the farm. The Carousel Boutique’s door opened with a quiet creak as Applejack pushed it open. the room was unnaturally dark, lit only by the sunlight of the opened door. The other windows were curtained shut, and silence filled the room. “Rarity? You home?” Applejack asked aloud, which resulted in no reply. Applejack was dead silent, as she heard a faint murmur upstairs. Rarity was probably up in her room. It wasn’t like Applejack to intrude, but a wisp of worry slipped into her mind. She slowly wandered up the stairs, hearing the mumbling get slightly louder. Applejack couldn’t make out any audible words, just whimpering and mutters. Applejack slowly creaked open Rarity’s door, and cringed at what she saw. The windows were curtained, and the room was dark, except for one candle on a desk. On that desk was Rarity, hunched over, her hair unkempt, and clutching a pen tightly in her hands. The fashionista was surrounded by crumpled pieces of paper around her desk and chair, and she let out quiet, but heart-wrenching sobbing. “Rarity? You ok, sugarcube?” Applejack asked. Rarity looked up and turned to Applejack, her tears and make-up leaving black streaks on her cheeks. “Applejack... It’s simply awful! It’s the worst POSSIBLE thing!” Rarity sobbed. Her voice was shaky and frail, clearly distressed. “Calm down, Rarity. What’s wrong?” Apple jack asked, putting her hand on her friend’s shoulder. Rarity sniffled. “I-I-I’m in way over my head! I have to make 50 outfits by next week!” “That doesn’t sound too bad. Ah’ve seen you whip off tons of dresses before all by yurself!” Applejack said confidently. “Make and design 50 dresses! 50 new and original designs! That I’ve never made before! That I’ve never even seen or thought of! I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be making looks like!” Rarity bawled, burying her face in her hands again. Applejack felt her heart sink. She’s never seen Rarity this upset over anything before. She couldn’t sit idly. “Don’t worry, sugarcube. Ah’m gonna help you get this sorted out.” “R-Really? You’d do that for me?” Rarity asked, looking up to Applejack. “ ‘Course. What’re friends for, anyway?” Applejack replied with a warm smile. “But first, you need to calm yourself down.” Rarity sat up and wiped her eyes. “You’re right.” She replied, her voice stronger. “I suppose I should start by letting some beautiful sunlight in.” Rarity said, grabbing at the curtains. As she did, she pulled away to show a thick shroud of rain pouring down relentlessly. “Well Ah’ll be damned.” Applejack chuckled. “Ah was right.” “Ok. Sunlight’s out of the question.” Rarity said, a little gloomier. “Ugh... I need some wine.” she groaned, rubbing her forehead. Rarity led Applejack down the stairs into her kitchen, pulling out a two tall glasses and turned to Applejack. “Would you like anything, Applejack? Red or white wine? Perhaps a little chardonnay?” Applejack blinked. “Uh... just a little of whatever you’re havin’.” She said, and sat down at the table. A short moment later, Rarity set some glasses on the table, along with a sketchpad. She sat next to Applejack with a pen in her hand. “Are you sure you want to go through with this? I know fashion isn’t exactly your forte.” Rarity asked. “It might not, but helping a friend is. Cross mah heart and hope to die, stick a cupcake in mah eye.” Applejack promised. “It rather looks like you stuck one in your hair. It’s all messy.” Rarity chuckled. Applejack looked up. She still had icing in her hair from her visit with Pinkie Pie. “Ah wouldn’t go that far. You kinda skipped your combin’.” She replied. Rarity patted her messy hair. “Point taken. Let’s get started, shall we?” She said, pointing to her sketches and taking a sip of her wine. “This is what I’ve come up with so far.” The sketches seemed pretty straightforward. Three dresses adorned with different ribbons, gems and shapes cut in the fabric. The whole set definitely oozed ‘Rarity’ from their designs. Applejack took a swig, and started her ideas. “Ah see what’s goin’ on here. Yur designs are too stuffy.” “I beg your pardon? There is nothing wrong with my ideas!” Rarity quipped. “Yeah... not with these. But yur gettin’ too fancy-schmancy here. Try to have a little fun with this.” Applejack replied, taking the pen from Rarity’s hands. She began doodling away, and made her own design. Rarity raised an eyebrow as a shape began to form on the paper. A dynamic, sleek dress with small points like an arachnid. “There! How do ya like them apples?” Applejack said, smirking at her creation. A dress that seemed to be inspired by a black widow spider. “Applejack, you cannot be serious! No one would wear something so... macabre! I’m designing dresses for a ball, not a costume contest!” Rarity said, drinking more of her wine. “That’s what you say now, but think about it. You make this dress, and some gal wears it to somewhere special. They’ll say ‘Gee whiz, who made that fascinatin’ dress?!’ And you’ll be like, ‘Ah did!’ and everyone will be lining up like ‘shut up and take mah bits!’ and you’ll be rich!” Applejack explained, stopping for a breath. Rarity scratched her chin. “I... suppose that’s likely. And with the direction you’re heading, it just might work.” Rarity mused, and took the pen again. She began scribbling quickly, and sighed as she finally looked at her new idea. A flowing, loose dress with thin wisps of thread from the short sleeves. Applejack had an unimpressed look on her face. “What’d ah tell yah about that frilly stuff? Ah thought ah told yah to have fun with this!” She said. Rarity smirked. “I am having fun. With your little spider thought, I made a quick idea based off... uh, what is it called? Ah, yes. A jellyfish motif! I could design a whole line of designer outfits with a primal essence. The best ideas do come from nature, after all.” “Ah see what yer gettin’ at. An animal feel, huh? Lemme see that.” Applejack said, grasping the pen. The two took turns sketching away, guzzling glass after glass of wine. They shared a few laughs, and the ideas and creativity kept flowing forward. Time flies when your having fun... <><><><><><><><> Applejack snapped awake to the crash of thunder. She was still in Rarity’s house, with a dim candle lighting the area. Rarity was leaning against Applejack’s shoulder, snoring loudly. Her hat must’ve fell off in her sleep, since it was sitting on the floor. The bottle of wine was tipped over, clearly empty. Did they really finish the whole bottle? How long was she out? Applejack rubbed her eyes and gently moved Rarity off her shoulder. Applejack flipped through the sketchbook, counting their sketches. “65... 66... 67!” Applejack muttered in amazement. She and Rarity designed more than enough dresses for next week! Applejack sighed with relief, and wiped her forehead. Oddly enough, she found a red smear on her hand. A strange shade of red not unlike the color of Rarity’s lipstick. Shocked, Applejack quickly ran to the bathroom and flicked on the lights. Sure enough, her face was dotted with bright red lipstick marks, on her cheeks, forehead, and even on her lips. Her hair was pulled from it’s ponytail shape, letting her blonde hair flow freely behind her, which was also slightly colored with red streaks. And if that wasn’t enough, Applejack’s blouse was unbuttoned, and slightly falling off her shoulder. “What the hell happened?!” Applejack asked herself. She tried to remember what transpired in the last few hours, and it slowly came back to her. She remembered Rarity’s soft face illuminated in the candle light, her gentle blue eyes shining in the dim atmosphere, and her lush, warm lips coming closer... Applejack shook her head as she saw her reflection smirking at the thought. “Why am ah enjoyin’ this?! Ah couldn’t kiss Rarity! Oh, this is bad!” She mumbled, turning on the faucet and splashing water on her face. The kiss marks slowly washed off. “It’s alright. Nobody has to know. If Rarity even remembers, she’ll keep quiet about this.” Applejack told herself. “I’ll just be on mah way. Rarity will understand.” She said, quietly sneaking back to Rarity. She flipped to an empty page in the sketchbook, and began writing. Rarity, I had fun designing dresses with you. We must’ve passed out from the wine, cause it’s mighty late. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good luck. -Applejack And with that, Applejack buttoned her shirt back up as she picked up her hairband and hat. She quietly tip-toed to the door and looked back. Rarity was still passed out. Applejack lightly smiled. She actually looked rather cute in her sleep. Was it really that bad, what happened between them? But Applejack pushed the thought out of her head. She opened the door, trotting through the rainy night. The other denizens of Ponyville were inside, probably asleep. Thunder crashed overhead, briefly illuminating the streets with lightning. But up ahead, Applejack felt her blood run cold as she saw something horribly out of place. A body laying on its side in an alleyway. Applejack rushed over, instantly knowing that someone could be at horrible risk. She approached the slumped body, and her eyes widened with horror as she recognized the victim. It was a young girl, about as old as Applejack. The left side of her face was horribly lacerated and bleeding, with a few green glass shards stuck in the side of her head. Her eyes were shut, and mouth was agape. But worst of all, the girl had pink, curly hair. The unmistakable hairdo of the beloved Pinkie Pie. The cause and solution to problemsApplejack sat in the hospital’s waiting room after she carried an injured Pinkie Pie there. Her heart was pounding in her chest like a kettle drum as fear and panic raced through her head. Pinkie was just lying in the street with a large gash in the side of her head, and Applejack waited for a status condition as Pinkie was undergoing treatment. Only two thoughts occupied the cowgirl’s mind. “How did this happen?” and “Will she be ok?” She looked up to see Nurse Redheart walk up to her. “You’re friend is going to be just fine. She needs a little rest and she’ll be back up on her feet.” Applejack sighed as if a thousand pounds were lifted off her shoulders. “Thanks, Doc. How bad’s the damage?” Nurse Redheart skimmed through a clipboard. “Pinkie Pie has several lacerations, a minor concussion, and some damage to her inner ear. I recommend staying quiet around her, and making sure she doesn’t get too stimulated.” She said, leading Applejack to Pinkie’s room. She stopped at the door, which Applejack slowly opened. “Pinkie? Are you alright?” She asked softly. Pinkie was lying in the hospital bed, with half her face covered in gauze. There was a red stain near her bandaged eye. Pinkie slowly turned to Applejack and smiled, with her other eye half open. “Hey, Applejack. Good to see you.” She said with a rather calm energy, which was far from Pinkie’s natural state. But a gash in the side of the face would make anyone the same way. It just heartwarming to see Pinkie smiling again. Applejack had something she wanted to bring up. She sat by Pinkie’s bed. “Pinkie Pie... when ah found you in the streets, you had pieces of glass stuck in your head.” The cowgirl said solemnly. “Ah don’t think this was an accident. What exactly happened to you?” Pinkie Pie scratched her chin. “Well, I think it wen’t a little something like this...” <><><><><><><><> Hours earlier.... Pinkie awoke as her phone rang throughout her house. Rather quickly, and startled. “Who’s there?! I’ll get you, Mr. Floursack!” Pinkie yelled, brandishing her pillow as a shield. But there was nothing there. Pinkie rubbed her eyes as the phone rang a second time. She picked it up and put her ear to the receiver. “Hello?” She asked groggily. “Hey, Pinkie! You still open?” A cheery voice rang through the other end. Pinkie recognized the caller as none other than Derpy Hooves, the innocent, oblivious muffin-lover. “No, Derpy. I’m trying to sleep. And so is everyone else in Ponyville.” Pinkie replied. “Oh. Well, if it isn’t to much trouble, could you send me a bag of your blueberry muffins? Dinky and I are building a muffin fort and we ran out of stuff to make our own.” Derpy said, still as optimistic as Pinkie on a daily basis. Pinkie sighed. “Fine. But please stop calling me so late at night.” She said, and hung up. Pinkie Pie slouched out of bed, and got dressed as the thunder rumbled overhead. She put on a thick sweatshirt, and stuffed a few muffins for Derpy in a paper bag. She stepped out into the rain, the cold water waking her up in a matter of seconds. She walked the desolate, wet streets, and felt almost complete isolation. Not a soul around, and Pinkie never liked feeling alone. But amidst the sound of rain, she heard an even more discouraging sound. One she liked even worse than loneliness. Pinkie Pie heard someone crying in the rain. Someone she knew. Pinkie Pie turned into the alley, and felt her heart sink at what she saw. Rainbow Dash sat against a building, with a canopy overhead to shield her from the rain. But her clothes and hair were still soaking wet, and her face was buried in her hands. Pinkie set the paper bag down against the building, and stepped up to Rainbow Dash. She took note of several empty glass bottles around Rainbow Dash, that read: Berry Punch’s Hard Spiked Cider. Not a good sign. “Rainbow Dash? What’s wrong? Why aren’t you smiling?” Pinkie asked softly. Rainbow Dash looked up and held back tears. “It’s freakin’ Rarity and Applejack! I saw them playing tonsil hockey earlier and I just couldn’t believe it!” Rainbow bawled angrily. “Rarity and Applejack!? You mean they were-” Pinkie said, shocked. Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Yeah! They’re freakin’ in love! I saw it with my own eyes!” “Love? Well, is that so bad? I mean, they like each other more than they did before, and liking someone isn’t bad.” “Yeah, and you know what that means?! They’ll leave us! They’re gonna ditch Ponyville and everyone of us to go do it in the sheets!” Rainbow slurred, and Pinkie became a little uneasy. “And with Twilight gone, it’s only a matter of time before you and Fluttershy leave, and I’m all alone... again.” Rainbow continued. “Fluttershy and I would never leave you. None of us will.” Pinkie said reassuringly. “It’s love, Pinkie! Think back. When Big Mac and Cherilee were in love, they ignored everything else just to be together! And it’ll happen again with Rarity and Applejack.” “I thought they were under a love poison.” “Love is poison. It brings two people together, but it separates them from everyone else.” Rainbow sobbed. “It doesn’t work for me, or anyone. All it brings is trouble.” There was a long pause. Rainbow Dash took a deep drink from a nearby bottle, and sighed as it was completely empty. Pinkie Pie set her hand on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “Look. It’s going to be fine. The best thing we can do is be supportive. Can we really deny Rarity and Applejack if they actually love each other?” Rainbow Dash stood up quickly. “Are you saying we let them leave us!? I’m not losing them!” She cried, and held the bottle by the neck. “I’VE LOST TOO MUCH!” Rainbow Dash shrieked, and swung the bottle at Pinkie’s face. <><><><><><><><> “...and that’s all I remember.” Pinkie said, sighing as she finished the story. “I guess this was that doozy I felt earlier.” “Damn.” Was all Applejack could say. “I must’ve been passed out during all this. And.. you know about what happened with me and Rarity?” she asked, blushing. Pinkie nodded. “I guess so. Do you and Rarity really make out?” She asked. Applejack looked down at her hands. She still felt the tingle and taste of Rarity’s lips against her own and deep down, she knew she enjoyed it. “Ah’m afraid so, sugarcube.” She muttered. Pinkie smirked. “I don’t blame you. But please, talk with Rainbow Dash. She’s pretty upset.” Applejack nodded, and stood. “Put some cheer-up on her pain-cakes, will ya?” Applejack paused to get the pun. “You bet Pinkie. You just get some rest.” Prayers and demandsFluttershy used her yellow wings to drift high into the clouds, where the rain lighted up the higher she got. Rainbow Dash’s home was still white and puffy, despite any weather. Fluttershy gingerly set foot on the clouds that held it in the sky. Those able to fly were light enough to walk on clouds without falling through. She gently knocked on the door. No response. “Hello? Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked aloud. Still nothing. She jiggled the doorknob, which creaked open in the stormy wind. Fluttershy entered quickly and shut the door, in nearly total darkness. The only source of light was a lantern sitting on a desk in the middle of the room. The dim light cast by the lantern only created a circle of illumination, not lighting up the walls, just the desk. A typewriter also sat on the table, next to lantern. Why would Rainbow Dash have a typewriter? She didn’t strike Fluttershy as a literary type. Fluttershy slowly stepped closer to the desk, the sound of her footsteps echoing around the empty house. Perhaps Rainbow’s writings would be a window into her pained psyche. Fluttershy held her breath as she leaned over the typewriter. There were only three two words typed on the paper. Feelin’ fine. Fluttershy sighed, relieved. “Oh, thank goodness. I thought Rainbow Dash was going mad.” She said to herself. But she spoke too soon. Thunder crashed around the house, startling Fluttershy. The lightning flickered, several times, illuminating the rest of the room where the lantern did not. All over the walls and floors, the lightning revealed words and phrases scribbled madly with ink. NO LOVE. THERE’S NO LOVE I feel like a monster NO MORE TEARS TO CRY Disconnected, SO ALONE No one needs you after all I WON’T BE IGNORED And the biggest and most frequent phrase: DON’T TAKE THEM FROM ME. These were but a few of the writings on the wall. Each one changed style and accent, making them lack consistency and there was absolutely no rhyme or reason. “This is less encouraging...” Fluttershy whimpered. She heard the sound of a door opening. A door she was sure she left closed. She turned, and saw Rainbow Dash’s silhouette in the doorway. “Hello, Fluttershy.” She growled. Fluttershy flinched. “AH! Rainbow Dash! You scared me...” She said nervously. Rainbow Dash looked around her own house. “What do you think, Fluttershy? All I need is a title. I was thinking along the lines of ‘Don’t something them from me’.” She said, like she didn't already know the answer. Fluttershy began to panic. Rainbow Dash had bags around her eyes and her hair was a mess. Rainbow's knuckles were white and her face twitchy. “Uh... would that happen to be ‘Don’t take them from me’?”. Rainbow smirked. “Yeah. That’s it.” She said, more malevolent. “So, do me a favor and just not leave me like those damn whores.” She growled. Fluttershy was trembling. “Y-You mean Rarity and Applejack?” she squeaked. She could practically smell the alcohol in Rainbow’s breath. “Don’t you dare mention them. They’re nothing but dirty, backstabbing whores! They think they could just toy with me. Make me feel with garbage with their love. It sickens me.” “B-b-but they haven’t done anything wrong...” “HA!” Rainbow cackled, making Fluttershy flinch. “You just wait! They’re gonna leave me, leave you and Pinkie and everyone!” Rainbow’s eyes filled with the unmistakable trace of hatred. “And soon enough, you’ll leave me too. Friendship only builds itself up just so someone can watch it burn down again.” “Rainbow, I would never do that! If Rarity and Applejack love each other, so be it! They’re still our friends, and nothing will change that!” Fluttershy replied. “You know what happened to the last person who told me that?” Rainbow hissed. Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she knew Rainbow was referring to Pinkie. She backed away, slowly approaching the corner of the room. “Rainbow... stay away from me...” she whimpered, as tears started to well up in her eyes. Rainbow Dash slowly advanced, picking up the red-hot coal poker from her fireplace. “Sorry, Fluttershy. But I’m not letting you walk away from this. Not without a warning.” Fluttershy ducked down as Rainbow Dash jammed the poker straight forward, but it missed Fluttershy, and left a searing hole in the drywall. This allowed Fluttershy to dive out from the corner, before Rainbow pulled the poker from the wall. As Fluttershy scampered away on the floor, Rainbow took another swing, grazing Fluttershy’s left wing. Fluttershy let out a blood-curdling scream of pain as a fiery agony filled her wing. She tried to get to her feet, and hurried up the stairs, with Rainbow Dash on her trail. Fluttershy ran into a bedroom, and slammed the door. She quickly locked it and held it shut as Rainbow slammed on it. “Come on out, you coward! I want to hear you beg for mercy!” Rainbow shrieked, and jammed the red hot poker through the wooden door, missing Fluttershy by mere inches. Fluttershy looked around the room, looking for anything to help her hold off Rainbow Dash. Tears were dripping down her cheeks as the pain of her burned wing and scarred mind tore through her. Her only salvation was right in front of her. A window. Fluttershy raced towards it in a full on sprint before Rainbow tore through the door, peeking in through a hole in the wood. Fluttershy hit the window. She burst through the glass, feeling a few pieces lacerate her skin. And then, time slowed to a crawl for her. She fell down and down, but her mind was somewhere far, far away. SugarcoatRainbow Dash’s house was very high up. Ten, maybe fifteen thousand feet in the air. And Fluttershy was rocketed down from that tremendous height. The ground was a far ways away, but Fluttershy could tell her impending fate was close at hand. She tried to flick her wings open, but she felt a burning sting in her body, and one wing was nearly useless without a second, equal wing. Her mind began to race, which made everything seem slow into a blurry tunnel of dreary colors. This gave her time to think. “What’s wrong with Rainbow Dash?! She’s not just depressed, she’s insane! She wanted to kill me! I could have stopped her. I could’ve put an end to her pain. But I just ran. She was right. I am a coward. I’m worthless.” Fluttershy thought. She saw the ground rushing toward her, and trying to fly off again. Her wing singed with pain, and she snapped it back. “I can’t fly. Not without it hurting like this. Am I just going to die?” Despair and failure spread through her mind like wildfire. “Would the world would be better without a coward like me...” A tear dripped fro Fluttershy’s eye, which accelerated downward, like another drop of rain. She shut her eyes and readied for her mind to stop. But Fluttershy felt something rush by her, and she did in fact jerk to a stop. Fluttershy opened her eyes. She was still in the sky, descending at a much slower speed with something tugging on her waist. She looked, and saw a rope wrapped around her waist. She then looked up, seeing the rope lead her to a hot air balloon. Twilight’s balloon. The rope was being held by both Applejack and Rarity who struggled to keep Fluttershy in their grip. “Gotcha!” Applejack smiled, holding the rope in one hand and keeping her hat in place with the other. Rarity clenched her teeth, pulling Fluttershy into the balloon. The extra weight of another person made the balloon slowly sink back down to the ground. “Are you alright, Fluttershy? What happened up there?” She asked. Fluttershy rubbed her eyes. “It’s horrible! Rainbow Dash tried to kill me!” She cried. Applejack and Rarity were shocked. “SHE WHAT!? Rainbow would never do that, not even at her lowest!” Applejack said. Fluttershy grabbed her wing to show them the burn. “Look at me! She tried to kill me with a burning poker!” She shrieked, which was a very startling thing to hear. The other two were stunned. Rarity covered her hands with her mouth and nearly had a tear come to her eye. “She’s a monster! We have to do something before it gets worse!” Rarity whimpered. Applejack sighed. “Girls... we need Twilight back.” she said. Fluttershy looked up to her. “You really think that’ll help?” she asked. “Remember when Discord made us turn against each other? Twilight was the only one able to bring us back to our old selves.” Applejack replied. “Besides, we have to try something.” Rarity sighed half-heartedly, and leaned against the edge of the balloon’s basket. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t gotten drunk, poor Rainbow never would’ve seen us.” She said. Applejack put her hand on Rarity’s shoulder. “It was mah fault too, sugarcube. Ah got just as drunk as you, y’know.” “That’s not going to be enough. Rainbow Dash hates us.” Rarity replied. “But we’re her friends. What good would we be if we abandoned the Element of Loyalty?” Applejack said. Fluttershy rubbed her eyes. “You’re right. We’ll get help as soon as we can.” “Then we’re gonna have to get a hold of Spike. He’ll understand.” Applejack said. The balloon then hit the ground, and a familiar face greeted them. Pinkie Pie stood on the ground, with her bandages still on her face. “Heya guys! How’d it go?” she asked, optimistic. “Not so good. We have to get Twilight down here immediately!” Rarity replied, before noticing the gauze over Pinkie’s face. “Um, are you sure you shouldn’t be resting? After your... injury?” “Nope. Nurse Redheart said I’ll be fine. I suppose I can take these off now.” Pinkie said, and began unwinding the bandages. The blood had been fully cleaned up, and all that remained was a faint scar under Pinkie’s eye. “It’s good to see you’re recovering, Pinkie. I might need a little rest, too.” Fluttershy said softly, grasping her burnt wing gently, walking toward Twilight’s tree library. As Applejack helped Rarity out of the balloon, she sighed. “Rarity... Ah gotta tell you something.” She said, a little urgently. “What is it, darling?” Rarity asked, her hand finding its way into Applejack’s. Applejack slipped it out. “That’s just it. Ah know what ah said earlier, and you know how ah feel...” “I feel the same way. I thought we... had something.” “We did. But if it’s driving Rainbow mad and putting our friends in danger, then ah can’t risk it.” Applejack said, half-heartedly. “But Rainbow doesn’t have to know! We could just hide everything from her.” “Ah can’t. You know ah’m a horrible lair.” She said, nodding. Rarity sighed. “I understand. I can leave this. For you.” She said. “Cheer up, sugarcube. We gotta get Rainbow Dash back.” Applejack said, pulling Rarity into a quick hug. “Now, lets get outta this rain. Don’t wanna catch somethin’ nasty.” Rarity nodded, and the two ran to catch up with Pinkie and Fluttershy. The group gathered in the Books and Branches Library. Soaking wet, they avoided touching any books as to make sure they didn’t get to moist and tear. “Hey, Spike? You home?” Pinkie shouted up the stairs. A loud THUD signaled the someone was upstairs. Soon, a young boy stepped down the stairs. “What is it? I was busy.” He said. He then let out a low belch and small crystalline pebbles popped between his lips. “Right. Busy. Listen, we need you to write a letter. To Twilight.” Applejack said. Spike picked up a nearby quill and scroll, ready to write. “Dear Prin-” Applejack began, but she was cut off. The door flung open, with Rainbow Dash standing there. White knuckles, bloodshot eyes, and a merciless glint in her eyes. Ties that bindFor a short moment, time seemed to have stopped. Rainbow Dash stood in the door way of the library, blind with rage. Her friends were too shocked to do anything. They knew what sort of madness had gotten into Rainbow Dash. What they didn't know was how far that madness would take her. Spike, totally shocked by the entrance, dove into a nearby barrel for hiding. "I knew it. Plotting against me, huh?" Rainbow growled. "Going to somewhere far away and leave me in the dust?!" She cried. Only after a short pause did one of them speak up. Applejack mustered all the courage she could, and decided to bite the bullet. "We aint' plotting anything! You're outta your mind! Just look at yourself!" She said, standing tall in a defensive stance over the others. "Oh sure! Make me look like the bad guy!" She said. "I should've gotten rid of you long ago!" She said, lunging at Applejack, knocking her to the ground. She clamped her hands around AJ's neck, and Applejack tried her best to shake Rainbow Dash off. Pinkie Pie and Rarity quickly grabbed Rainbow by the shoulders, and flipped her off Applejack, pinning Rainbow Dash onto the floor. "Rainbow, get a hold of yourself! We're your friends!" Rarity cried. "You're not my friends! You're nothing!" Rainbow shrieked. "Come one, Dashie! Let us help you!" Pinkie said. "You can help by getting out of my life!" Rainbow Dash said, shaking and squirming in their grip. Applejack got back on her feet, and pinned Rainbow's flailing legs down. Fluttershy knelt beside Rainbow Dash, and leaned over her face. "Rainbow Dash..." She said, surprisingly soft. Rainbow stared into Fluttershy's eyes, and felt a small part of her rage die. No matter how angry she could be, Fluttershy's forgiving eyes and warm smile was something you couldn't stay angry at. "Do you remember back in Cloudsdale, Rainbow? When we were little girls?" Fluttershy said. Pinkie, Applejack and Rarity were all very confused at Fluttershy's approach, but kept Rainbow's tense and struggling limbs pinned down. "You helped me gain my cutie mark. When you gained yours. We all have you to thank for that." Fluttershy reminded. Upon mentioning that moment once more, Rainbow Dash's harsh expression softened even further. "A-and remember when my fake wings burnt up and you saved me?" Rarity added. "You pulled of a Sonic Rainboom to save me! I can't possibly forget that. I probably still owe you." "The Running of the Leaves!" Applejack said. "You and I, remember? We were both so stubborn and bent on winning. But you and I had fun, right? You have to admit that was good for us." With each passing memory, Rainbow Dash felt her lost friends reconnecting with past lessons and conquered struggles. She couldn't throw it all away just because of what she saw now, could she? They'd been so kind, so true, so forgiving... and know it was her job to return the favor. Rarity and Pinkie released her arms and Applejack let go of Rainbow's legs. Rainbow Dash sat up, and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry." She sobbed. "Please... don't hate me." "It's alright, Rainbow Dash. We're here for you." Fluttershy said, hugging Rainbow tightly. A few tears slipped from their eyes. "It's just good to have our friend back." Rarity said. "Come on out, Spike. We have a letter to write." Applejack said. <><><><><><><> Dear Princess Twilight, We miss you. But in your absence, we learned that we all have our share of troubles. We might feel confused. Or angry. Or even the urge to end it all. But when the ones you care about are tearing themselves apart, you have to ask yourself. If friendship really is magic, then what is sorrow and pain? It takes a lot of sadness to turn against your friends. And a lot more courage to stand up to them. Through madness and sanity, friends never back down. Friendship may not be easy. But it's worth fighting for. -Your five faithful friends...
Alcohol, best friend and worst enemyDear Princess Twilight, We miss you. But in your absence, we learned that we all have our share of troubles. We might feel confused. Or angry. Or even the urge to end it all. But when the ones you care about are tearing themselves apart, you have to ask yourself. If friendship really is magic, then what is sorrow and pain? -Your five faithful friends... <><><><><><><><> It had been a full week since Twilight Sparkle’s transformation into an Alicorn. A full week where Twilight had been absent from Ponyville, fulfilling her royal duties. She exchanged letters with her friends, expressing her joy of being a princess and her desire to see Ponyville again. But that would have to wait for now. Applejack walked down the road from Sweet Apple Acres, wiping the sweat off her brow. A hard afternoon’s work of picking apples and and sitting in the sun. Her jeans worn with dirt and grass, and her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. A clear blue sky beamed overhead, with a few white puffy clouds. And yet, Applejack could just tell it was going to rain. Call it intuition, call it a sixth sense, Applejack was expecting a big downpour. When the sky’s been clear for a couple of days, it all comes down hard. That, and one of her friends was actually in control of the weather. It helps to know these kinds of things. Speaking of which, Applejack glanced up at the bright blue sky, holding her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun. A thin streak of rainbow bolted through the sky, and she smirked. Who other than Rainbow Dash to fly overhead to show off? Applejack kept walking. Applejack soon stepped into the lively Ponyville square. Small businesses, local families and cheerful children covered the streets. It wasn’t as illustrious as Manehattan or Fillydelphia, but it had a rural charm to it. Applejack quickly craved something to snack on upon passing a few people. Crowds tend to do that. Applejack found herself at Sugarcube Corner, and the smell of baking pastries and frosted sweets caused her to lick her lips. She poked her head inside. “Hey, ya’ll. Mind if ah get a little somthin’ sweet?” Applejack asked, looking around for any activity. The Cakes weren’t in the room, but the sound of clattering pots and pans rattled from the kitchen. Pinkie Pie stepped out, with bits of flour and icing in her pink, curly hair. “Applejack! How ya doin’!?” Pinkie asked with a bright smile on her face. The cowgirl wandered inside, glad to see her friend. “Doin’ just fine, Pinkie. Ah’m just hopin’ get a little snack.” “Well, you’re in luck!” Pinkie replied. “The Cakes are out for the day, and I got the whole kitchen to myself!” She said, and pulled out a tin tray, holding at least a dozen bright blue cookies. “I just made this batch of-” Pinkie would of finished her sentence, but her arms sporadically shook, flinging the tray of cookies right into Applejack’s face. “What in tarnation did yah do that fer!?” Applejack shouted, wiping the frosting off her face. Pinkie Pie sighed. “I’m sorry, Applejack. My Pinkie Sense has been spazzing out all day!” She said, motioning to the rest of the kitchen. Bags of flour lay spilled on the counter, icing was strewn all over the walls, and a peculiar scorch mark covered the walls over the stove. “It’s gonna be a doozy! I haven’t had anything this strong since the Hydra attack!” “It’s probably the rain. Ah reckon a little storm damage is all.” Applejack said. “Rain? I didn’t feel anything about rain. Besides, it’s a beautiful afternoon!” Pinkie Pie said, peeking out the window. “Ah know.” Applejack said bluntly. “So, any treats yah got that aren’t completely trashed?” “Yeah! I’ll go get some cupcakes!” Pinkie said, returning to her cheery, bubbly self. “Actually, I’ll pick ‘em up mahself.” Applejack said, nodding. “I understand.” Pinkie said, looking down at her arms. “Six bits, then.” Applejack reached into a cabinet, pulling out a purple cupcake. She then reached into her pocket, and passed Pinkie a few gold coins. “Thanks, sugarcube.” Applejack said, stepping out of the bakery. “Bye, Applejack! Watch out for the doozy!” Pinkie Pie called out, before Applejack shut the door. She then turned to an enormous sack of flour sitting on the counter. A crudely drawn smiley face was printed in red crayon on the bag. “All right, Mr. Floursack. Our duel ends here!” She said, pulling out a large butcher knife. <><><><><><><><><> Applejack licked the icing off her fingers as she strolled through the rest of town. “That Pinkie. She’s always a little... off.” Applejack muttered to herself. Applejack then peaked over at the Carousel Boutique. Applejack paused. She and Rarity had her differences, but they were good friends, none the less. Perhaps a quick visit before she returned to the farm. The Carousel Boutique’s door opened with a quiet creak as Applejack pushed it open. the room was unnaturally dark, lit only by the sunlight of the opened door. The other windows were curtained shut, and silence filled the room. “Rarity? You home?” Applejack asked aloud, which resulted in no reply. Applejack was dead silent, as she heard a faint murmur upstairs. Rarity was probably up in her room. It wasn’t like Applejack to intrude, but a wisp of worry slipped into her mind. She slowly wandered up the stairs, hearing the mumbling get slightly louder. Applejack couldn’t make out any audible words, just whimpering and mutters. Applejack slowly creaked open Rarity’s door, and cringed at what she saw. The windows were curtained, and the room was dark, except for one candle on a desk. On that desk was Rarity, hunched over, her hair unkempt, and clutching a pen tightly in her hands. The fashionista was surrounded by crumpled pieces of paper around her desk and chair, and she let out quiet, but heart-wrenching sobbing. “Rarity? You ok, sugarcube?” Applejack asked. Rarity looked up and turned to Applejack, her tears and make-up leaving black streaks on her cheeks. “Applejack... It’s simply awful! It’s the worst POSSIBLE thing!” Rarity sobbed. Her voice was shaky and frail, clearly distressed. “Calm down, Rarity. What’s wrong?” Apple jack asked, putting her hand on her friend’s shoulder. Rarity sniffled. “I-I-I’m in way over my head! I have to make 50 outfits by next week!” “That doesn’t sound too bad. Ah’ve seen you whip off tons of dresses before all by yurself!” Applejack said confidently. “Make and design 50 dresses! 50 new and original designs! That I’ve never made before! That I’ve never even seen or thought of! I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be making looks like!” Rarity bawled, burying her face in her hands again. Applejack felt her heart sink. She’s never seen Rarity this upset over anything before. She couldn’t sit idly. “Don’t worry, sugarcube. Ah’m gonna help you get this sorted out.” “R-Really? You’d do that for me?” Rarity asked, looking up to Applejack. “ ‘Course. What’re friends for, anyway?” Applejack replied with a warm smile. “But first, you need to calm yourself down.” Rarity sat up and wiped her eyes. “You’re right.” She replied, her voice stronger. “I suppose I should start by letting some beautiful sunlight in.” Rarity said, grabbing at the curtains. As she did, she pulled away to show a thick shroud of rain pouring down relentlessly. “Well Ah’ll be damned.” Applejack chuckled. “Ah was right.” “Ok. Sunlight’s out of the question.” Rarity said, a little gloomier. “Ugh... I need some wine.” she groaned, rubbing her forehead. Rarity led Applejack down the stairs into her kitchen, pulling out a two tall glasses and turned to Applejack. “Would you like anything, Applejack? Red or white wine? Perhaps a little chardonnay?” Applejack blinked. “Uh... just a little of whatever you’re havin’.” She said, and sat down at the table. A short moment later, Rarity set some glasses on the table, along with a sketchpad. She sat next to Applejack with a pen in her hand. “Are you sure you want to go through with this? I know fashion isn’t exactly your forte.” Rarity asked. “It might not, but helping a friend is. Cross mah heart and hope to die, stick a cupcake in mah eye.” Applejack promised. “It rather looks like you stuck one in your hair. It’s all messy.” Rarity chuckled. Applejack looked up. She still had icing in her hair from her visit with Pinkie Pie. “Ah wouldn’t go that far. You kinda skipped your combin’.” She replied. Rarity patted her messy hair. “Point taken. Let’s get started, shall we?” She said, pointing to her sketches and taking a sip of her wine. “This is what I’ve come up with so far.” The sketches seemed pretty straightforward. Three dresses adorned with different ribbons, gems and shapes cut in the fabric. The whole set definitely oozed ‘Rarity’ from their designs. Applejack took a swig, and started her ideas. “Ah see what’s goin’ on here. Yur designs are too stuffy.” “I beg your pardon? There is nothing wrong with my ideas!” Rarity quipped. “Yeah... not with these. But yur gettin’ too fancy-schmancy here. Try to have a little fun with this.” Applejack replied, taking the pen from Rarity’s hands. She began doodling away, and made her own design. Rarity raised an eyebrow as a shape began to form on the paper. A dynamic, sleek dress with small points like an arachnid. “There! How do ya like them apples?” Applejack said, smirking at her creation. A dress that seemed to be inspired by a black widow spider. “Applejack, you cannot be serious! No one would wear something so... macabre! I’m designing dresses for a ball, not a costume contest!” Rarity said, drinking more of her wine. “That’s what you say now, but think about it. You make this dress, and some gal wears it to somewhere special. They’ll say ‘Gee whiz, who made that fascinatin’ dress?!’ And you’ll be like, ‘Ah did!’ and everyone will be lining up like ‘shut up and take mah bits!’ and you’ll be rich!” Applejack explained, stopping for a breath. Rarity scratched her chin. “I... suppose that’s likely. And with the direction you’re heading, it just might work.” Rarity mused, and took the pen again. She began scribbling quickly, and sighed as she finally looked at her new idea. A flowing, loose dress with thin wisps of thread from the short sleeves. Applejack had an unimpressed look on her face. “What’d ah tell yah about that frilly stuff? Ah thought ah told yah to have fun with this!” She said. Rarity smirked. “I am having fun. With your little spider thought, I made a quick idea based off... uh, what is it called? Ah, yes. A jellyfish motif! I could design a whole line of designer outfits with a primal essence. The best ideas do come from nature, after all.” “Ah see what yer gettin’ at. An animal feel, huh? Lemme see that.” Applejack said, grasping the pen. The two took turns sketching away, guzzling glass after glass of wine. They shared a few laughs, and the ideas and creativity kept flowing forward. Time flies when your having fun... <><><><><><><><> Applejack snapped awake to the crash of thunder. She was still in Rarity’s house, with a dim candle lighting the area. Rarity was leaning against Applejack’s shoulder, snoring loudly. Her hat must’ve fell off in her sleep, since it was sitting on the floor. The bottle of wine was tipped over, clearly empty. Did they really finish the whole bottle? How long was she out? Applejack rubbed her eyes and gently moved Rarity off her shoulder. Applejack flipped through the sketchbook, counting their sketches. “65... 66... 67!” Applejack muttered in amazement. She and Rarity designed more than enough dresses for next week! Applejack sighed with relief, and wiped her forehead. Oddly enough, she found a red smear on her hand. A strange shade of red not unlike the color of Rarity’s lipstick. Shocked, Applejack quickly ran to the bathroom and flicked on the lights. Sure enough, her face was dotted with bright red lipstick marks, on her cheeks, forehead, and even on her lips. Her hair was pulled from it’s ponytail shape, letting her blonde hair flow freely behind her, which was also slightly colored with red streaks. And if that wasn’t enough, Applejack’s blouse was unbuttoned, and slightly falling off her shoulder. “What the hell happened?!” Applejack asked herself. She tried to remember what transpired in the last few hours, and it slowly came back to her. She remembered Rarity’s soft face illuminated in the candle light, her gentle blue eyes shining in the dim atmosphere, and her lush, warm lips coming closer... Applejack shook her head as she saw her reflection smirking at the thought. “Why am ah enjoyin’ this?! Ah couldn’t kiss Rarity! Oh, this is bad!” She mumbled, turning on the faucet and splashing water on her face. The kiss marks slowly washed off. “It’s alright. Nobody has to know. If Rarity even remembers, she’ll keep quiet about this.” Applejack told herself. “I’ll just be on mah way. Rarity will understand.” She said, quietly sneaking back to Rarity. She flipped to an empty page in the sketchbook, and began writing. Rarity, I had fun designing dresses with you. We must’ve passed out from the wine, cause it’s mighty late. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good luck. -Applejack And with that, Applejack buttoned her shirt back up as she picked up her hairband and hat. She quietly tip-toed to the door and looked back. Rarity was still passed out. Applejack lightly smiled. She actually looked rather cute in her sleep. Was it really that bad, what happened between them? But Applejack pushed the thought out of her head. She opened the door, trotting through the rainy night. The other denizens of Ponyville were inside, probably asleep. Thunder crashed overhead, briefly illuminating the streets with lightning. But up ahead, Applejack felt her blood run cold as she saw something horribly out of place. A body laying on its side in an alleyway. Applejack rushed over, instantly knowing that someone could be at horrible risk. She approached the slumped body, and her eyes widened with horror as she recognized the victim. It was a young girl, about as old as Applejack. The left side of her face was horribly lacerated and bleeding, with a few green glass shards stuck in the side of her head. Her eyes were shut, and mouth was agape. But worst of all, the girl had pink, curly hair. The unmistakable hairdo of the beloved Pinkie Pie.
The cause and solution to problemsApplejack sat in the hospital’s waiting room after she carried an injured Pinkie Pie there. Her heart was pounding in her chest like a kettle drum as fear and panic raced through her head. Pinkie was just lying in the street with a large gash in the side of her head, and Applejack waited for a status condition as Pinkie was undergoing treatment. Only two thoughts occupied the cowgirl’s mind. “How did this happen?” and “Will she be ok?” She looked up to see Nurse Redheart walk up to her. “You’re friend is going to be just fine. She needs a little rest and she’ll be back up on her feet.” Applejack sighed as if a thousand pounds were lifted off her shoulders. “Thanks, Doc. How bad’s the damage?” Nurse Redheart skimmed through a clipboard. “Pinkie Pie has several lacerations, a minor concussion, and some damage to her inner ear. I recommend staying quiet around her, and making sure she doesn’t get too stimulated.” She said, leading Applejack to Pinkie’s room. She stopped at the door, which Applejack slowly opened. “Pinkie? Are you alright?” She asked softly. Pinkie was lying in the hospital bed, with half her face covered in gauze. There was a red stain near her bandaged eye. Pinkie slowly turned to Applejack and smiled, with her other eye half open. “Hey, Applejack. Good to see you.” She said with a rather calm energy, which was far from Pinkie’s natural state. But a gash in the side of the face would make anyone the same way. It just heartwarming to see Pinkie smiling again. Applejack had something she wanted to bring up. She sat by Pinkie’s bed. “Pinkie Pie... when ah found you in the streets, you had pieces of glass stuck in your head.” The cowgirl said solemnly. “Ah don’t think this was an accident. What exactly happened to you?” Pinkie Pie scratched her chin. “Well, I think it wen’t a little something like this...” <><><><><><><><> Hours earlier.... Pinkie awoke as her phone rang throughout her house. Rather quickly, and startled. “Who’s there?! I’ll get you, Mr. Floursack!” Pinkie yelled, brandishing her pillow as a shield. But there was nothing there. Pinkie rubbed her eyes as the phone rang a second time. She picked it up and put her ear to the receiver. “Hello?” She asked groggily. “Hey, Pinkie! You still open?” A cheery voice rang through the other end. Pinkie recognized the caller as none other than Derpy Hooves, the innocent, oblivious muffin-lover. “No, Derpy. I’m trying to sleep. And so is everyone else in Ponyville.” Pinkie replied. “Oh. Well, if it isn’t to much trouble, could you send me a bag of your blueberry muffins? Dinky and I are building a muffin fort and we ran out of stuff to make our own.” Derpy said, still as optimistic as Pinkie on a daily basis. Pinkie sighed. “Fine. But please stop calling me so late at night.” She said, and hung up. Pinkie Pie slouched out of bed, and got dressed as the thunder rumbled overhead. She put on a thick sweatshirt, and stuffed a few muffins for Derpy in a paper bag. She stepped out into the rain, the cold water waking her up in a matter of seconds. She walked the desolate, wet streets, and felt almost complete isolation. Not a soul around, and Pinkie never liked feeling alone. But amidst the sound of rain, she heard an even more discouraging sound. One she liked even worse than loneliness. Pinkie Pie heard someone crying in the rain. Someone she knew. Pinkie Pie turned into the alley, and felt her heart sink at what she saw. Rainbow Dash sat against a building, with a canopy overhead to shield her from the rain. But her clothes and hair were still soaking wet, and her face was buried in her hands. Pinkie set the paper bag down against the building, and stepped up to Rainbow Dash. She took note of several empty glass bottles around Rainbow Dash, that read: Berry Punch’s Hard Spiked Cider. Not a good sign. “Rainbow Dash? What’s wrong? Why aren’t you smiling?” Pinkie asked softly. Rainbow Dash looked up and held back tears. “It’s freakin’ Rarity and Applejack! I saw them playing tonsil hockey earlier and I just couldn’t believe it!” Rainbow bawled angrily. “Rarity and Applejack!? You mean they were-” Pinkie said, shocked. Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Yeah! They’re freakin’ in love! I saw it with my own eyes!” “Love? Well, is that so bad? I mean, they like each other more than they did before, and liking someone isn’t bad.” “Yeah, and you know what that means?! They’ll leave us! They’re gonna ditch Ponyville and everyone of us to go do it in the sheets!” Rainbow slurred, and Pinkie became a little uneasy. “And with Twilight gone, it’s only a matter of time before you and Fluttershy leave, and I’m all alone... again.” Rainbow continued. “Fluttershy and I would never leave you. None of us will.” Pinkie said reassuringly. “It’s love, Pinkie! Think back. When Big Mac and Cherilee were in love, they ignored everything else just to be together! And it’ll happen again with Rarity and Applejack.” “I thought they were under a love poison.” “Love is poison. It brings two people together, but it separates them from everyone else.” Rainbow sobbed. “It doesn’t work for me, or anyone. All it brings is trouble.” There was a long pause. Rainbow Dash took a deep drink from a nearby bottle, and sighed as it was completely empty. Pinkie Pie set her hand on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “Look. It’s going to be fine. The best thing we can do is be supportive. Can we really deny Rarity and Applejack if they actually love each other?” Rainbow Dash stood up quickly. “Are you saying we let them leave us!? I’m not losing them!” She cried, and held the bottle by the neck. “I’VE LOST TOO MUCH!” Rainbow Dash shrieked, and swung the bottle at Pinkie’s face. <><><><><><><><> “...and that’s all I remember.” Pinkie said, sighing as she finished the story. “I guess this was that doozy I felt earlier.” “Damn.” Was all Applejack could say. “I must’ve been passed out during all this. And.. you know about what happened with me and Rarity?” she asked, blushing. Pinkie nodded. “I guess so. Do you and Rarity really make out?” She asked. Applejack looked down at her hands. She still felt the tingle and taste of Rarity’s lips against her own and deep down, she knew she enjoyed it. “Ah’m afraid so, sugarcube.” She muttered. Pinkie smirked. “I don’t blame you. But please, talk with Rainbow Dash. She’s pretty upset.” Applejack nodded, and stood. “Put some cheer-up on her pain-cakes, will ya?” Applejack paused to get the pun. “You bet Pinkie. You just get some rest.”
Prayers and demandsFluttershy used her yellow wings to drift high into the clouds, where the rain lighted up the higher she got. Rainbow Dash’s home was still white and puffy, despite any weather. Fluttershy gingerly set foot on the clouds that held it in the sky. Those able to fly were light enough to walk on clouds without falling through. She gently knocked on the door. No response. “Hello? Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked aloud. Still nothing. She jiggled the doorknob, which creaked open in the stormy wind. Fluttershy entered quickly and shut the door, in nearly total darkness. The only source of light was a lantern sitting on a desk in the middle of the room. The dim light cast by the lantern only created a circle of illumination, not lighting up the walls, just the desk. A typewriter also sat on the table, next to lantern. Why would Rainbow Dash have a typewriter? She didn’t strike Fluttershy as a literary type. Fluttershy slowly stepped closer to the desk, the sound of her footsteps echoing around the empty house. Perhaps Rainbow’s writings would be a window into her pained psyche. Fluttershy held her breath as she leaned over the typewriter. There were only three two words typed on the paper. Feelin’ fine. Fluttershy sighed, relieved. “Oh, thank goodness. I thought Rainbow Dash was going mad.” She said to herself. But she spoke too soon. Thunder crashed around the house, startling Fluttershy. The lightning flickered, several times, illuminating the rest of the room where the lantern did not. All over the walls and floors, the lightning revealed words and phrases scribbled madly with ink. NO LOVE. THERE’S NO LOVE I feel like a monster NO MORE TEARS TO CRY Disconnected, SO ALONE No one needs you after all I WON’T BE IGNORED And the biggest and most frequent phrase: DON’T TAKE THEM FROM ME. These were but a few of the writings on the wall. Each one changed style and accent, making them lack consistency and there was absolutely no rhyme or reason. “This is less encouraging...” Fluttershy whimpered. She heard the sound of a door opening. A door she was sure she left closed. She turned, and saw Rainbow Dash’s silhouette in the doorway. “Hello, Fluttershy.” She growled. Fluttershy flinched. “AH! Rainbow Dash! You scared me...” She said nervously. Rainbow Dash looked around her own house. “What do you think, Fluttershy? All I need is a title. I was thinking along the lines of ‘Don’t something them from me’.” She said, like she didn't already know the answer. Fluttershy began to panic. Rainbow Dash had bags around her eyes and her hair was a mess. Rainbow's knuckles were white and her face twitchy. “Uh... would that happen to be ‘Don’t take them from me’?”. Rainbow smirked. “Yeah. That’s it.” She said, more malevolent. “So, do me a favor and just not leave me like those damn whores.” She growled. Fluttershy was trembling. “Y-You mean Rarity and Applejack?” she squeaked. She could practically smell the alcohol in Rainbow’s breath. “Don’t you dare mention them. They’re nothing but dirty, backstabbing whores! They think they could just toy with me. Make me feel with garbage with their love. It sickens me.” “B-b-but they haven’t done anything wrong...” “HA!” Rainbow cackled, making Fluttershy flinch. “You just wait! They’re gonna leave me, leave you and Pinkie and everyone!” Rainbow’s eyes filled with the unmistakable trace of hatred. “And soon enough, you’ll leave me too. Friendship only builds itself up just so someone can watch it burn down again.” “Rainbow, I would never do that! If Rarity and Applejack love each other, so be it! They’re still our friends, and nothing will change that!” Fluttershy replied. “You know what happened to the last person who told me that?” Rainbow hissed. Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she knew Rainbow was referring to Pinkie. She backed away, slowly approaching the corner of the room. “Rainbow... stay away from me...” she whimpered, as tears started to well up in her eyes. Rainbow Dash slowly advanced, picking up the red-hot coal poker from her fireplace. “Sorry, Fluttershy. But I’m not letting you walk away from this. Not without a warning.” Fluttershy ducked down as Rainbow Dash jammed the poker straight forward, but it missed Fluttershy, and left a searing hole in the drywall. This allowed Fluttershy to dive out from the corner, before Rainbow pulled the poker from the wall. As Fluttershy scampered away on the floor, Rainbow took another swing, grazing Fluttershy’s left wing. Fluttershy let out a blood-curdling scream of pain as a fiery agony filled her wing. She tried to get to her feet, and hurried up the stairs, with Rainbow Dash on her trail. Fluttershy ran into a bedroom, and slammed the door. She quickly locked it and held it shut as Rainbow slammed on it. “Come on out, you coward! I want to hear you beg for mercy!” Rainbow shrieked, and jammed the red hot poker through the wooden door, missing Fluttershy by mere inches. Fluttershy looked around the room, looking for anything to help her hold off Rainbow Dash. Tears were dripping down her cheeks as the pain of her burned wing and scarred mind tore through her. Her only salvation was right in front of her. A window. Fluttershy raced towards it in a full on sprint before Rainbow tore through the door, peeking in through a hole in the wood. Fluttershy hit the window. She burst through the glass, feeling a few pieces lacerate her skin. And then, time slowed to a crawl for her. She fell down and down, but her mind was somewhere far, far away.
SugarcoatRainbow Dash’s house was very high up. Ten, maybe fifteen thousand feet in the air. And Fluttershy was rocketed down from that tremendous height. The ground was a far ways away, but Fluttershy could tell her impending fate was close at hand. She tried to flick her wings open, but she felt a burning sting in her body, and one wing was nearly useless without a second, equal wing. Her mind began to race, which made everything seem slow into a blurry tunnel of dreary colors. This gave her time to think. “What’s wrong with Rainbow Dash?! She’s not just depressed, she’s insane! She wanted to kill me! I could have stopped her. I could’ve put an end to her pain. But I just ran. She was right. I am a coward. I’m worthless.” Fluttershy thought. She saw the ground rushing toward her, and trying to fly off again. Her wing singed with pain, and she snapped it back. “I can’t fly. Not without it hurting like this. Am I just going to die?” Despair and failure spread through her mind like wildfire. “Would the world would be better without a coward like me...” A tear dripped fro Fluttershy’s eye, which accelerated downward, like another drop of rain. She shut her eyes and readied for her mind to stop. But Fluttershy felt something rush by her, and she did in fact jerk to a stop. Fluttershy opened her eyes. She was still in the sky, descending at a much slower speed with something tugging on her waist. She looked, and saw a rope wrapped around her waist. She then looked up, seeing the rope lead her to a hot air balloon. Twilight’s balloon. The rope was being held by both Applejack and Rarity who struggled to keep Fluttershy in their grip. “Gotcha!” Applejack smiled, holding the rope in one hand and keeping her hat in place with the other. Rarity clenched her teeth, pulling Fluttershy into the balloon. The extra weight of another person made the balloon slowly sink back down to the ground. “Are you alright, Fluttershy? What happened up there?” She asked. Fluttershy rubbed her eyes. “It’s horrible! Rainbow Dash tried to kill me!” She cried. Applejack and Rarity were shocked. “SHE WHAT!? Rainbow would never do that, not even at her lowest!” Applejack said. Fluttershy grabbed her wing to show them the burn. “Look at me! She tried to kill me with a burning poker!” She shrieked, which was a very startling thing to hear. The other two were stunned. Rarity covered her hands with her mouth and nearly had a tear come to her eye. “She’s a monster! We have to do something before it gets worse!” Rarity whimpered. Applejack sighed. “Girls... we need Twilight back.” she said. Fluttershy looked up to her. “You really think that’ll help?” she asked. “Remember when Discord made us turn against each other? Twilight was the only one able to bring us back to our old selves.” Applejack replied. “Besides, we have to try something.” Rarity sighed half-heartedly, and leaned against the edge of the balloon’s basket. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t gotten drunk, poor Rainbow never would’ve seen us.” She said. Applejack put her hand on Rarity’s shoulder. “It was mah fault too, sugarcube. Ah got just as drunk as you, y’know.” “That’s not going to be enough. Rainbow Dash hates us.” Rarity replied. “But we’re her friends. What good would we be if we abandoned the Element of Loyalty?” Applejack said. Fluttershy rubbed her eyes. “You’re right. We’ll get help as soon as we can.” “Then we’re gonna have to get a hold of Spike. He’ll understand.” Applejack said. The balloon then hit the ground, and a familiar face greeted them. Pinkie Pie stood on the ground, with her bandages still on her face. “Heya guys! How’d it go?” she asked, optimistic. “Not so good. We have to get Twilight down here immediately!” Rarity replied, before noticing the gauze over Pinkie’s face. “Um, are you sure you shouldn’t be resting? After your... injury?” “Nope. Nurse Redheart said I’ll be fine. I suppose I can take these off now.” Pinkie said, and began unwinding the bandages. The blood had been fully cleaned up, and all that remained was a faint scar under Pinkie’s eye. “It’s good to see you’re recovering, Pinkie. I might need a little rest, too.” Fluttershy said softly, grasping her burnt wing gently, walking toward Twilight’s tree library. As Applejack helped Rarity out of the balloon, she sighed. “Rarity... Ah gotta tell you something.” She said, a little urgently. “What is it, darling?” Rarity asked, her hand finding its way into Applejack’s. Applejack slipped it out. “That’s just it. Ah know what ah said earlier, and you know how ah feel...” “I feel the same way. I thought we... had something.” “We did. But if it’s driving Rainbow mad and putting our friends in danger, then ah can’t risk it.” Applejack said, half-heartedly. “But Rainbow doesn’t have to know! We could just hide everything from her.” “Ah can’t. You know ah’m a horrible lair.” She said, nodding. Rarity sighed. “I understand. I can leave this. For you.” She said. “Cheer up, sugarcube. We gotta get Rainbow Dash back.” Applejack said, pulling Rarity into a quick hug. “Now, lets get outta this rain. Don’t wanna catch somethin’ nasty.” Rarity nodded, and the two ran to catch up with Pinkie and Fluttershy. The group gathered in the Books and Branches Library. Soaking wet, they avoided touching any books as to make sure they didn’t get to moist and tear. “Hey, Spike? You home?” Pinkie shouted up the stairs. A loud THUD signaled the someone was upstairs. Soon, a young boy stepped down the stairs. “What is it? I was busy.” He said. He then let out a low belch and small crystalline pebbles popped between his lips. “Right. Busy. Listen, we need you to write a letter. To Twilight.” Applejack said. Spike picked up a nearby quill and scroll, ready to write. “Dear Prin-” Applejack began, but she was cut off. The door flung open, with Rainbow Dash standing there. White knuckles, bloodshot eyes, and a merciless glint in her eyes.
Ties that bindFor a short moment, time seemed to have stopped. Rainbow Dash stood in the door way of the library, blind with rage. Her friends were too shocked to do anything. They knew what sort of madness had gotten into Rainbow Dash. What they didn't know was how far that madness would take her. Spike, totally shocked by the entrance, dove into a nearby barrel for hiding. "I knew it. Plotting against me, huh?" Rainbow growled. "Going to somewhere far away and leave me in the dust?!" She cried. Only after a short pause did one of them speak up. Applejack mustered all the courage she could, and decided to bite the bullet. "We aint' plotting anything! You're outta your mind! Just look at yourself!" She said, standing tall in a defensive stance over the others. "Oh sure! Make me look like the bad guy!" She said. "I should've gotten rid of you long ago!" She said, lunging at Applejack, knocking her to the ground. She clamped her hands around AJ's neck, and Applejack tried her best to shake Rainbow Dash off. Pinkie Pie and Rarity quickly grabbed Rainbow by the shoulders, and flipped her off Applejack, pinning Rainbow Dash onto the floor. "Rainbow, get a hold of yourself! We're your friends!" Rarity cried. "You're not my friends! You're nothing!" Rainbow shrieked. "Come one, Dashie! Let us help you!" Pinkie said. "You can help by getting out of my life!" Rainbow Dash said, shaking and squirming in their grip. Applejack got back on her feet, and pinned Rainbow's flailing legs down. Fluttershy knelt beside Rainbow Dash, and leaned over her face. "Rainbow Dash..." She said, surprisingly soft. Rainbow stared into Fluttershy's eyes, and felt a small part of her rage die. No matter how angry she could be, Fluttershy's forgiving eyes and warm smile was something you couldn't stay angry at. "Do you remember back in Cloudsdale, Rainbow? When we were little girls?" Fluttershy said. Pinkie, Applejack and Rarity were all very confused at Fluttershy's approach, but kept Rainbow's tense and struggling limbs pinned down. "You helped me gain my cutie mark. When you gained yours. We all have you to thank for that." Fluttershy reminded. Upon mentioning that moment once more, Rainbow Dash's harsh expression softened even further. "A-and remember when my fake wings burnt up and you saved me?" Rarity added. "You pulled of a Sonic Rainboom to save me! I can't possibly forget that. I probably still owe you." "The Running of the Leaves!" Applejack said. "You and I, remember? We were both so stubborn and bent on winning. But you and I had fun, right? You have to admit that was good for us." With each passing memory, Rainbow Dash felt her lost friends reconnecting with past lessons and conquered struggles. She couldn't throw it all away just because of what she saw now, could she? They'd been so kind, so true, so forgiving... and know it was her job to return the favor. Rarity and Pinkie released her arms and Applejack let go of Rainbow's legs. Rainbow Dash sat up, and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry." She sobbed. "Please... don't hate me." "It's alright, Rainbow Dash. We're here for you." Fluttershy said, hugging Rainbow tightly. A few tears slipped from their eyes. "It's just good to have our friend back." Rarity said. "Come on out, Spike. We have a letter to write." Applejack said. <><><><><><><> Dear Princess Twilight, We miss you. But in your absence, we learned that we all have our share of troubles. We might feel confused. Or angry. Or even the urge to end it all. But when the ones you care about are tearing themselves apart, you have to ask yourself. If friendship really is magic, then what is sorrow and pain? It takes a lot of sadness to turn against your friends. And a lot more courage to stand up to them. Through madness and sanity, friends never back down. Friendship may not be easy. But it's worth fighting for. -Your five faithful friends...
