Rainbow Dash did not have a good morning. She woke up on the wrong side of the cloud- literally! She rolled over into a small storm cloud during the night, and it zapped her awake. Angrily, she blew the cloud away with her wings, her coat dripping with water. To dry herself, she sped around the Cloud House, pulling rainbow drops with her until the air was sparkling with colorful dewdrops, and Rainbow Dash was dry.
"Boy, that was fun." She rolled her eyes. Thoughfully, she patted her stomach with a hoof. "I sure am hungry. What's for breakfast? Hmm..."
She looked at her kitchen and decided there was nothing good to eat before she even looked. Hungry, and bored out of her mind, Rainbow Dash drifted sleepily down to Ponyville to Pinkie Pie's bakery. She hoped the little shop was open. She was awake unusually early, thanks to that pesky storm cloud. Rainbow landed on earth, relishing the deep vibrations and heaviness her body suddenly felt. She unfurled her wings and let them spread out behind her. They caught in the slight breeze, holding her back but also lifting her up. Tossing her head happily, Rainbow Dash felt light as a feather again. She trotted up to Pinkie Pie's shop and tapped the door with a hoof.
"Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, thrusting her brightly colored head out of the door.
"Hey there, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash said, stepping back. "Is your place open yet? I could really use some breakfast."
"Why of course! Here at Pinkie Pie's Bakery, Pinkie Pie is always here and ready to serve- especially to her hungry friends. Come in!" Pinkie whirled around and skipped inside.
Rainbow Dash followed. "Thanks," she said gruffily, wondering if it was a mistake to see her, of all ponies.
The shop was full of sweet and savory goodies. There was a warm honey smell coming from the kitchen. Pinkie hopped into the kitchen and began gesturing to all of the things she had baked and prepared that morning.
"What are you hungry for? Muffins, cakes, cookies, pies? Tea, wheat grass juice, apple juice? You know, I get my apples from Sweet Apple Acres and turn them into the most deliciously scrumptious wonderfultastic amazing apple juice you've ever tasted! Even better- I dare say- than Applejack's own recipe!"
"That's quite the juice." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "You have any lemongrass muffins?"
"Lemongrass?" Pinkie Pie looks at her goods, sitting behind glass and waiting on the shelves. "No, but I could whip you up a batch real quick. You can help me, too! Here, grab an apron and hand me the-"
"Forget it, Pinkie. I'm not that hungry anyway. Your place is about to open, so I should leave you alone to work."
"Oh." Pinkie Pie looked down. "But I always work alone..."
Rainbow Dash backed up while Pinkie wasn't looking, backed up and out of the bakery until she was back outside.
"Phew," Rainbow huffed, trotting away. "I almost got trapped in there."
She walked through town and hummed to herself, then her stomach rumbled. "Applejack's apples sound pretty good right about now," she muttered. Despite it being a bit of a walk, Rainbow Dash did not mind making the trek to Applejack's farm to avoid Pinkie Pie's bakery. And of course- Rainbow Dash spread out her wings- she could always fly there. Kicking off the ground, Rainbow bolted up into the sky with a flurry of wings. The air whistled through her mane and sang her praises in her ears.
"You're the greatest flyer in all of Equestria," the wind told her.
Rainbow Dash laughed. "I know!"
Bursting through damp, cotton-ball clouds, Rainbow soon came upon Applejack's farm. From up high, the work ponies almost looked like ants- except for the fact that they walked side by side instead of one behind the other- as they plowed the fields. Rainbow caught sight of a familiar dappled orange pony and closed her wings, dropping out of the sky like a rocket. She felt the speed, the thrill! She was not going to pull out- no! She was going to keep going- slam into the ground and burst out on the other side of the earth! The first pony ever to do so! Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. Closed her body in tighter around her. The air tried to pull her back, but she was the air! The ground came closer, closer, closer! The jet-force wind behind her surged!
"What in tarnation?" Applejack grabbed onto her hat to keep it from blowing away, her mane and tail blasting into frizz around her as Rainbow Dash suddenly jerked to a halt in mid-air.
"Hey Applejack, nice hair-do!" Rainbow Dash snorted, landing softly beside her.
"You and yer dang flyin'," Applejack grumbled, beating her hair back with her hooves. "Why cain't you jus' keep your hooves on the ground like a sensible pony?"
"Duh! Because I'm not just a pony. I'm a pegasus, and the best flyer in-"
"Yeah, yeah. You got wings." Applejack straightened her hat. "I know."
Rainbow Dash frowned.
"Now what is it you want?" Applejack looked at Rainbow crossly. "I gots a mighty load of work to do and I ain't got time to horse around, although I should say "pegasus" around."
"All you ever do is work," Rainbow Dash complained, sweeping a hoof around at the farm. "Don't you ever want to take a break and have a little fun?"
"Life ain't always about havin' fun, honey bumpkin. You gotta work before you play." Applejack lifted a saddleback onto her back and started to walk to the orchards.
Suddenly Rainbow Dash remembered why she came. "Hey, Applejack, I forgot!" She beat her wings and flew after her.
Applejack turned around. "What is it?" She asked.
"Do you have any fresh apple pie? Or maybe apple fritters?" Rainbow licked her snout hungrily.
Applejack faced her seriously. "You want somethin', you better pay for it- or at least work for it, 'cause I know you ain't got any money. So grab yerself a basket and-"
"Oh, forget it."
Rainbow Dash flew off into the clouds. She flew hard, trying to rid her mind's eye of Applejack's judgemental expression. "That selfish work-horse, who does she think she is? I thought we were friends! All I wanted was some breakfast, and she can't even-" A pain in her stomach caused her to lose concentration. She growled with frustration. "Is food too much to ask for? Gosh!"
"Oooh, please be careful Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow pulled out of flight and hovered, tossing her head to find the source of that voice. "Fluttershy?"
The yellow pony came peeking out from a bank of clouds that Rainbow Dash had planned to break apart to release her frustration.
"Yes, hello. It's me," Fluttershy answered.
"What the heck are you doing? I could've nailed you!" Rainbow Dash went over to her.
Fluttershy ducked her head. "I'm sorry. But you see, there's-"
"Shouldn't you be cuddling rabbits or something?" Rainbow Dash crossed her arms. "And, you know, staying out of my way?"
"Oh." Fluttershy swallowed nervously. "Yes, sorry, but you see, I have a-"
"Okay." Rainbow thrust a hoof in Fluttershy's face to silence her. "Fine. Do your little animal acrobats or whatever. Just watch out for the real flyers, alright?"
"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash."
"You're always sorry, Fluttershy. But you never mean it, because you don't even know why you're apologizing!"
Fluttershy looked down, ears joining her. "You're being mean," she said softly.
Rainbow Dash flew up to her face. "What was that?" She demanded. Fluttershy didn't answer. "That's what I thought." She nodded sharply and darted onwards through the clouds.
Hearing a strange noise, Rainbow stopped short and turned around. A flock of baby geese had been perched on the edge of the cloud Fluttershy was in, but when Rainbow sped by, the cloud spread apart. Two baby geese had fallen off the cloud, struggling and crying, and Fluttershy was chasing after them.
"Pathetic," Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Practice on a tree stump next time!" She yelled after them.
Tossing her head, Rainbow Dash headed back to Ponyville to see if her friend Twilight could fix her some breakfast. She landed just a few yards away from Twilight's front door.
"Maybe she'll have alfalfa snaps, or blueberry scones! Ooh, that would be great with mint tea!" Smiling, Rainbow tapped the door. She heard voices coming from inside.
"Who is it, Spike?"
"Give me a sec to get to the door, Twilight!"
Rainbow snickered.
The door opened. Spike rubbed one eye with his left fist. "Hey Rainbow Dash." He turned his head to yell over his shoulder: "It's Rainbow Dash!"
"Really?" Twilight Sparkle trotted over.
Rainbow puffed out her chest proudly. "Of course it's me," she said. "Gracing you with my presence- the presence of the greatest flyer in all of Equest-"
"I'm surprised you're at the door. Usually you coming crashing in through the ceiling or windows." Twilight smiled amicably.
"Haha." Rainbow's ears went back grumpily.
"Hahaha! Real funny, Twilight. That's always how Rainbow Dash comes to visit! Bang-crash-boom!" Spike pulled a book off the shelf and threw it into the wall for dramatic effect.
"Spike!" Twilight scolded.
"Sorry." The little dragon giggled and went to pick up the book.
"So what's up, Rainbow Dash? What brings you here so early?" Twilight looked at the other pony curiously.
Rainbow Dash tried to perk up. "Oh, not much. Just out paying a visit to my bestest friend." She gave Twilight a half-hug.
"Aw, that's sweet." Twilight returned the hug, then stepped back. "Me and Spike were about to head into town for some breakfast. Would you like to join us?"
Spike walked over and climbed onto Twilight's back. "Ready," he exclaimed. "This dragon could eat a horse!"
Twilight and Rainbow gave Spike a withering look.
Spike chuckled nervously. "It's just an expression. Carrots will do...or hay." He buried his nose in Twilight Sparkle's mane, embarrassed.
"You wouldn't rather, I don't know, have breakfast in bed?" Rainbow Dash shrugged.
"Are you offering to cook for us?" Twilight Sparkle gasped. "Oh my gosh, breakfast is bed is on my list of things to do! I've never had any-"
"Oh, no," Rainbow Dash reared up, waving her hooves. "I am not a good chef, trust me."
"Oh." Twilight blushed. "It's a good suggestion, though. Maybe one morning I'll ask Pinkie to cook for me."
"We can ask her about it right now!" Spike put in.
"Great idea, Spike!" Twilight nudged her little friend. "We can get some breakfast while we're there, too. How does that sound to you, Rainbow? Want to go to Pinkie Pie's bakery?"
Rainbow Dash sighed. "Nah, I'm... I'm not hungry enough for all that. You guys go ahead and... Well, I just have other people to visit today, so, I'll be seeing you!" She turned around and flew out of Twilight's house, ignoring the violent paper-sounding blasts behind her of books being sucked off the shelves. Once again, Rainbow took to the skies.