Chapter 4: Escalating
~Cloudsdale~
It had been precisely thirty-five hours since Rainbow Dash was subjected to the shock of her life. And, even now, curled up on a small cloud, she was still reeling from it.
After Pinkie had acted on her feelings for her, Rainbow Dash found out fairly quickly that she wouldn't be able to fly home. Even up in the air, her mind was frozen on that moment back at Sugarcube Corner and she'd nearly crashed into several houses because of it. So, she concluded that walking was the safest way.
And it was during her walk in the twilight that two very important things had dawned on her.
First, she esteemed she needed to spend some time in Cloudsdale to figure out what to do from there and perhaps practice her routine some more before the Wonderbolts arrived.
Second being that she had actually…liked the kiss.
No.
She was just confused-she did not actually like Pinkie Pie…in that way. Surely everypony liked their first kiss to some extent; they wouldn't have any other to compare it to. This was all normal and she was just overreacting.
That is what she told herself, anyway.
~Carousel Boutique~
"FINISHED!"
The source of this outcry had erupted from a unicorn who looked quite exhausted. Her normally attentively styled hair was misplaced everywhere and her eyes bore bags under them. Her expression though didn't hold any despair of her appearance-she was too busy feeling quite pleased with herself.
"This dress is going to leave him floored." she gushed, clasping her hooves together in delight. "I simply cannot wait for Pinkie Pie to see it!"
While Rarity admired her work, she summoned her little sister Sweetie Belle to send her off to seek out Pinkie Pie.
"Maybe my special talent is finding ponies!" Sweetie Belle hoped wistfully which caused Rarity to roll her eyes. Sweetie Belle didn't notice this, however, since she was already out the door in her eagerness.
~The Search for Pinkie Pie~
Sweetie Belle had searched all over Ponyville; she had, of course, checked Sugarcube Corner first but Pinkie Pie was not present there and, apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Cake hadn't noticed her absence until Sweetie Bell dropped by to find her. They had suggested she check all her friend's houses, which she did. The library; no Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy's environmentally friendly cottage; no Pinkie Pie. Sweetie Bell didn't even bother to check Rainbow Dash's home because, according to the other pegasi in Ponyville, she was up in Cloudsdale on a temporary leave.
As of now, Sweetie Belle was cantering to Sweet Apple Acres; the last place she hadn't looked.
"Pinkie Pie!" she called out, hoping that she'd get an answer, but to no avail.
Even so, she continued on down the trial that led to the farm house; maybe Apple Bloom can help me, she thought.
She skidded to a halt, making a brief frown at the dirt that suddenly resided on her hooves, and called out again more confidently. "Apple Bloom!"
"Hey ya, Sweetie Belle!" answered a different voice than she'd been expecting; it had a southern twang but sounded more mature.
"Hi, Applejack." Sweetie Belle greeted the cowpony politely when she'd popped her head out behind the barn door. "Do you know where Apple Bloom is?"
"Ah'm afraid she ain't here, sugarcube. She went out wit Big Mac to help get more supplies for the Square Dance Party. Ya heard of it, right? Anyway, s' just meh an' Winona here." She gestured to the dog sitting beside her, who was panting to keep cool.
"Oh…" Sweetie Belle's ears drooped in disappointment.
Applejack, seeing this, was quick to offer her assistance. "Anything ah can do for ya?"
Sweetie Belle tilted her head up in inquiry, "Could you help me find Pinkie Pie?"
Applejack green eyes broadened in surprise and concern, "Wait a sec, Pinkie Pie is missin'?"
Sweetie Belle nodded, "I looked everywhere for her! Rarity wanted me to bring her down to Carousel Boutique to show her a dress."
"A dress?" Applejack muttered, more to herself than Sweetie Belle. "Well, ah can help ya round her up for shore!"
"Really? Thanks!" Sweetie Belle smiled appreciatively.
"Ah betcha Winona would like to help, too." Applejack added, looking down at the dog that was lolling its tongue out happily.
Sweetie Belle smiled uneasily at this, looking at the dog with fearful eyes.
"Uh, s-sure." she squeaked, hoping Applejack hadn't noticed her voice crack.
Applejack came out of the farm house fully with Winona following suit and shut the barn door with a swift kick from her hindleg. Sweetie Belle bit her lip nervously while Applejack went on past her, "Ready to go?"
"Uh huh."
"Then let's go! YEEHAW!" Applejack was already leading the way back down the dirt road to exit Sweet Apple Acres and Sweetie Belle trialed behind at a slower pace to avoid Winona.
~The Search for Pinkie Pie Cont.~
The trio had been seeking out Pinkie Pie for about ten minutes now; wandering along the edges of Ponyville where the Everfree Forest lurked nearby and occasionally calling out her name. It had been Sweetie Belle's idea that they search on the outskirts before heading back into the heart of Ponyville, where it was much more likely to find a party pony. But Applejack didn't try to persuade Sweetie Belle to reconsider and decided to humor her instead. Meanwhile, she tried numerous times to make small talk with Sweetie Bell but the filly was obviously not interested; and she kept giving Winona weird looks, like at any moment the dog would tear her to pieces if she didn't keep an eye on it.
Applejack tried to get a conversation rolling again, "Sooo…ah'm gettin' the sense ya don't like dogs."
Sweetie Belle did a double take, "Uh…oh…um…noooo."
Applejack smirked, "Yeah…don't even try lying to me."
Sweetie Belle sighed, "Well…it's just…Rarity told me about the… Diamond Dogs." she said 'Diamond Dogs' really ominously, as if she were telling a ghost story about them.
Applejack had been smoothly cruising on forward but suddenly stopped when she heard this, and then let loose a hearty laugh and continued onward again. "Did she also tell ya how she had them beggin' for us to take her back?"
Sweetie Belle paused midstep, "Wait…what?"
Applejack laughed again, "Guess she didn't."
"Well, what she did tell me was how uncivilized and cruel they behaved towards her." Sweetie Belle recalled, narrowing her eyes at the thought of her sister being held against her will by some ugly, big, mean dogs.
"They even called her a mule." her voice hitched up with indignation on the word 'mule'; her sister had almost seemed like she was bragging about the whole experience when she was retelling it to Sweetie Belle-like it was such a great accomplishment to have even survived the whole event. And Sweetie Belle had lapped it right up.
"Well, yeah, ah wouldn't consider them mighty friendly, either." Applejack consented, "But Winona ain't a Diamond Dog…ya know that, right?"
"Yes, but, I mean, really? What's the difference?" Sweetie Belle said, shrugging. Any dog is a bad dog.
Applejack shook her head in belittling tolerance for the young filly, "Big difference. Trust me on this one."
But Sweetie Belle was not convinced; why couldn't Applejack just let it go?
Suddenly, a familiar pink pony stumbled out from the border of the woods they'd been walking along. And, of course, it was typical Pinkie Pie to pop up out of the blue in the least expected place.
Applejack and Sweetie Belle immediately rejoiced and attempted to call her over. But what they didn't notice was that Pinkie Pie was in a state of panic and frantically searching around the area for a place to hide safely. When she finally did hear her friends, her eyes widened even more, "YOU GUYS, RUN! IT'S A-"
Then, startling the ponies and dog, a yowl ripped through the air, ringing in their ears. Following that, a blurred form leaped out from the wood's shadows.
With no time to react, Pinkie Pie was easily pinned down by the unseen attacker from behind while Applejack and Sweetie Belle stared in shock; frozen in place as they were with absolute terror.
There, leaning down over Pinkie Pie's limp body, was a giant cougar with its menacing, sharp teeth bared in a growl.
"Woah Nelly!" Applejack exclaimed wide-eyed and Sweetie Bell began to whimper, catching the cougar's attention. It looked over at the other ponies and licked its lips, excited at the prospect of more victims.
But Applejack wasn't going to have it; she displayed her bravest face, squared her shoulders, and tucked her hat down lower to overshadow her narrowed eyes. Hat's on.
"Get away from her!" she demanded, referring to Pinkie Pie who was currently knocked unconscious…or worse.
Winona backed her up with a fierce bark, her normally docile face pulled down into a snarl.
This seemed to merely amuse the cougar and it made a weird coughing sound; its equivalent of a laugh.
But that just made Applejack angrier and she hoofed the ground, ready to charge at the animal that was at least twice her size.
Then, thank Celestia, the puma backed away from Pinkie Pie…
...and made a lunge straight for Applejack and Sweetie Bell.
Sweetie Belle automatically opened her mouth to release a strident screech, causing Applejack to rear up on her hindlegs in dismayed surprise which, in turn, gifted the cougar those few precious seconds where it could get a hold of the orange pony without a fight. Applejack's backside connected with the ground in a blast of unrelenting force driven by the powerful cougar, her hat flew off, and Sweetie Bell uselessly continued her volleys of high-pitched screeches.
Applejack got a whiff of a musky scent on the mountain lion and nearly gagged, but chose to ignore it as she started to struggle hard against the ferocious feline, though she was unintentionally drawing her own blood with her efforts. The cougar smirked from its advantageous point; prolonging the pony's suffering before it would eventually kill it. And still the pony tried and tried...until the giant feline pounded the little pony's head against the ground, rendering it unconscious for the time being.
In other words, it was not looking good for the ponies…
But then, in a heroic act worthy of a Medal of Honor, Winona streaked over onto the cougar's crouched form, tearing into its fur with her canine teeth. Sweetie Bell gasped, taken aback by Winona's actions.
The cougar, however, did not appreciate the dog chomping down on its hide and twirled around to face the annoyance.
It tried to swipe at Winona with its giant paw and extended claws but Winona was too quick. She had already bounded out of harm's way, taunting the cougar with barks and yips.
The cougar's eyes flashed in anger, accepting the challenge, and rushed to meet the tiny, defenseless, herding dog. But Winona didn't turn away or flinch from the oncoming, enraged cougar; she just waited. When the cougar was close enough for cause of concern however, Winona finally turned tail and flew into the woods that enveloped her into darkness. The cougar didn't even pause in its pursuit.
Sweetie Belle gawked at what she had just witnessed; but there wasn't time for gawking. There were two ponies that were possibly seriously injured!
Sweetie Belle walked hesitantly up to Applejack, who was the closest, but was afraid of what she'd see. Her dead eyes staring up blankly at the sky? Her face covered in a mask of blood?
She gulped and peeked over the fringe of the curls in her mane to see the damage.
And cried with relief.
Applejack had endured the cougar's assault unscathed!
Truthfully though, there were a few bruises and bleeding scratches on her strong shoulders but that was nothing compared to the horrors that had been filling Sweetie Belle's mind.
"Applejack, wake up!" she gently shook the working pony, to which Applejack responded by blinking and squinting up at Sweetie Belle, as if the sun were glaring down at her. But the sky was, in fact, too cloudy for a sun to shine through.
"Wha-what happened?"
"That giant cat thing attacked you!" Sweetie Belle informed her hysterically.
Applejack's face contorted from brief confusion to anxious concern.
"Pinkie Pie? Is she okay?" she asked as she sat up, rubbing a hoof on her head to somehow ease the pain the bump on her head brought.
Sweetie Belle bit her lip, "I haven't checked yet…"
Green eyes wide, Applejack was up on her hooves in a sudden burst of energy, rushing to where Pinkie Pie laid. Sweetie Belle couldn't bring herself to follow and hanged back to hear Applejack's report on Pinkie Pie's condition.
It was silent for a while on the other end and Sweetie Belle finally found the nerve to ask:
"Is it bad?"
Applejack sighed. Was it a sigh of relief? A sigh of sorrow? Sweetie Belle couldn't tell.
"Applejack…?" she ventured, terrified of what she'd hear but also dying to know.
Applejack turned to Sweetie Belle with tearful eyes and Sweetie Belle's heart skipped a beat.
"S-she's okay," Applejack breathed out those beautiful words and Sweetie Belle's whole body shuddered in relief.
"Applejack, you scared me." Sweetie Belle whined as she walked over.
Applejack released a half-hearted laugh, "Sorry, sugarcube. But ah was scared, too, ya know."
The mare and filly then both proceeded to nudge Pinkie Pie awake until her sky blue eyes fluttered open.
"Applejack, Sweetie Belle…" Pinkie Pie stared up at them with a dazed smile, but it was erased when she took note of their worried expressions.
"Oh my gosh!"
"Yeah-" Applejack started.
"Applejack, where is your hat?" Pinkie Pie cut her off, wide-eyed at seeing her friend bareheaded.
Applejack blinked in surprise and then groped around her head where there was nothing but her blonde mane. Sweetie Belle giggled nervously, "It fell off..."
Since Pinkie Pie couldn't take Applejack seriously without her Stetson, she went back to get it and place it in its rightful place.
"Aight, Pinkie Pie. Do ya remember what happened?" Applejack asked intently, getting right down to business. At Applejack's request, the party obsessed pony thought back to the events of a mere five minutes before-but was coming up empty.
"The cougar must have hit ya harder than we thought." Applejack fretted, biting her lip.
And that's when Pinkie Pie remembered; she remembered the howl of a cougar before everything went dark. She also remembered crying over a sparkling stream but that was before it had spotted her and gave chase.
"Wait, I remember now! I was attacked." Pinkie Pie stated, her mouth so wide open that a bird could have made a nest in there.
"Yes." Applejack said relieved; she'd feared her friend had been suffering from amnesia. "So, ya okay, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, her brows still tightened down over her eyes in worry. Sweetie Belle bore the same expression.
Pinkie Pie scanned herself over with her eyes and hooves, feeling for a bruise or unfamiliar bump. Then she grinned up at them, "Mint condition!"
Applejack raised an eyebrow at this but then replaced it with a smile. "We were so worried for ya there."
"Yeah." Sweetie Belle admitted.
Pinkie Pie smiled and sprung up on her hooves again in one swift motion; something only Pinkie Pie could do after a traumatic encounter with a Felidae. Then, surprising Applejack and Sweetie Belle, she wrapped them all up into a tight hug. "Aww! I have such great friends." she gushed, then let them go. While they were brushing themselves off, Pinkie Pie finally realized something. "Wait a second-so where is that mean, old kitty cat, anyway?" Pinkie Pie asked, shifting her eyes back and forth suspiciously.
Applejack faltered, "Uh…ah dunno. What in the hay happened back there, Sweetie Belle?" she turned toward said filly, referring to when she was knocked down unconscious.
Sweetie Belle's eyes widened considerably, "Oh my gosh, Applejack! You should have seen it! Winona led it away, into the woods! It was the bravest thing I'd ever seen." she raved.
"Well, where is she now?" Applejack asked anxiously, looking around as if Winona might be hiding in a bush and would jump out any second. Sweetie Belle didn't pick up on Applejack's urgency though; thinking instead that Applejack hadn't heard her clearly.
"Your dog is a hero!" she exclaimed, expecting a positive reaction.
"Where is she, Sweetie Belle!" Applejack yelled desperately, leaving Sweetie Belle speechless for a while. Then she finally understood the reason for Applejack's concern…
"I-I don't know. She ran off into the woods…and…and it followed her."
Applejack looked devastated, "Oh no…"
"I'm sorry…" Sweetie Belle murmured.
"It ain't your fault, sugarcube." Applejack said, feeling awful for having yelled at her. "Ah just hope…she's okay."
"Of course she's okay!" Pinkie Pie laughed, pointing to the edge of the woods. "See?"
Applejack's and Sweetie Belle's heads snapped over to see, what in Equestria, Pinkie Pie was talking about.
And there Winona was, standing proudly and wagging her tail excitedly.
"WINONA!" Applejack and, surprisingly, Sweetie Belle called out. The collie bounded over eagerly at the sound of her name, tail whizzing behind her.
Once she'd reached them, Applejack hugged her while a hesitant Sweetie Belle hung back awkwardly. Pinkie Pie, uninvited, joined in the hug between pet and owner; not that they seemed to mind too much.
After a moment of hugging, Applejack patted the dog on the head.
"You're a good girl," Applejack said fondly, beaming at her canine companion.
Sweetie Belle coughed from behind, scoffing her hooves on the ground in uncertainty. Applejack, Winona, and Pinkie Pie turned around to Sweetie Belle expectantly. When Sweetie Belle realized all eyes were on her she made a small squeaking sound, very much reminding them of Fluttershy.
"Well…I just wanted to say…I was wrong about you, Winona…and...I'm sorry." she confessed, staring down at her hooves. But then she was knocked over by a ball of fur and was staring up at Winona's friendly face. Then Winona proceeded to lick Sweetie Belle, who burst out in high pitched giggles.
"It tickles!" she cried, causing Applejack to laugh.
"Oh, me next! Me next!" Pinkie Pie insisted, jumping up and down in her enthusiasm.
~What is This Feeling~
Rainbow Dash had decided to go out for a little winging since she'd been busy deliberating on the Pinkie Pie crisis the past hours. She couldn't spend too much time thinking about it-the Wonderbolts were coming soon and she intended to impress them with all she was worth.
And it felt good to have the wind rush through her mane, tail, and wings again, like old friends reunited. She was also very content to have gotten Pinkie Pie off her mind finally.
Twelve minutes into her flight however, Rainbow Dash started to notice something weird about the clouds; something very subtle but still there all the same. She just couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was…
As she observed all the clouds she zoomed past, they began to evolve more and more; contorting into unnatural shapes and sizes.
What the hay…?
Rainbow Dash assumed it was the storm starting up; but that wasn't scheduled until another three hours! Had she lost track of the time? It wouldn't be much of a surprise, really.
Then she finally realized what the clouds were morphing into:
They looked like they had the distinct outlines of…a...pony? And not just any pony…
Pinkie Pie.
Rainbow Dash felt like screaming but all that came out was a choked gasp. She couldn't believe it-all of the clouds were transforming into imitations of Pinkie Pies! They even had her crazy hair replicated perfectly; right down to every curl and coil. The only differences being the clouds were white, not pink.
So, it was official; Pinkie Pie had invaded her subconscious.
Rainbow Dash cursed Pinkie Pie for all these feelings she had stirred up inside her. These strange and scary feelings she had never before experienced or felt. These feelings she did not want any part of.
Feeling she had no choice, Rainbow Dash drifted down onto the stable ground where she wouldn't have to see a Pinkie Pie cloud everywhere she turned.
And just when she thought she was safe…
"Rainbow Dash?"
Please, no.
Rainbow Dash was contemplating on whether to pretend she hadn't heard Pinkie Pie & fly back up to the clouds, however formidable they were, or just get the confrontation over with.
"Oh, it is Rainbow Dash!" said another voice which Rainbow Dash recognized as Applejack's.
Rainbow Dash couldn't avoid it now without looking like she'd completely blown them off so she turned to face them with a shaky smile.
"Hi guys…" she said, mainly focused on Applejack. She hadn't seen Pinkie Pie since the 'incident' and still wasn't sure where they stood.
"Well, howdy," Applejack replied, grinning. "Mind my askin' whatcha doin' on the ground? Your wings workin' alright?"
Rainbow Dash gave a nervous chuckle, "Yeah...they're fine. Uh...I just…bumped into a bird while I was up there." She looked up at the sky with her hoof cupped over her eyes, acting as if she were on the look-out for it. "I think it's gone now so I'll be on my way…"
"Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow Dash winced as soon as she heard it; she knew it was one of those troublesome Cutie Mark Crusaders. She also knew she wouldn't have a quick get-away like she'd wanted.
Sweetie Belle ran with her stubby, little legs towards the group, Winona the collie trailing behind her.
"Oh my gosh, Rainbow Dash-you should have been there! It was so scary yet so cool!"
"What?" Rainbow Dash asked, the curiosity leaving her grounded.
Applejack exhaled tiredly, as if she'd heard this a million times already. "Pinkie Pie," she glanced at said pony sharply, "got herself into a sticky situation wit' a cougar."
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in alarm. A cougar? How big were those? She riveted her eyes on Pinkie Pie in concern. But, from what she could see, Pinkie Pie looked perfectly fine; if not a bit hostile, for whatever reason. She looked back over at Applejack.
"She looks-" then she noticed the bloody scrapes and bruises that adorned Applejack's shoulders. "Wait, what happened toyou?"
Applejack shrugged in an attempt to make it seem like the whole ordeal was no big deal, but immediately regretted it as pain shot through her shoulders and grimaced, "Well, ah had to get the cougar away from Pinkie so ah taunted it over an' it pounced me."
Rainbow Dash stared at Applejack, shocked and impressed. Then something swirled in her stomach; another new feeling? It was a sensation that her whole body was on fire; was she flushed? Why am I flushed?
What she did know was that she did not like this feeling any better than the others-this feeling of heat that seemed to bubble beneath her skin and threatened to smother her. It almost felt like she was…angry …with Applejack; for what? For saving Pinkie Pie's life? Her stomach clenched at the thought. Now she was really confused.
"And then Winona saved Applejack! Yay!" Sweetie Bell chimed in.
Applejack tossed Sweetie Belle an annoyed look but didn't say anything.
"And now, I'm not afraid of dogs anymore." Sweetie Belle added, beaming at Winona.
Applejack smiled upon hearing this, "Ah told ya she was nothing to be afraid of; ya can't operate on assumptions." she concluded satisfactorily.
Rainbow Dash had managed to tune the ponies out while she tried to puzzle out her state of ambivalence when she heard Pinkie Pie sigh impatiently.
"Can we go already?" she whined, annoyed.
"Go where?" Rainbow Dash asked before she could stop herself. She tried to convince herself she only asked so she would know where to avoid going today but she actually was curious as to where Pinkie Pie was in a hurry to get to.
"The Carousel Boutique; my sister finished her dress!" Sweetie Belle relayed to her before Pinkie Pie could even open her mouth in response.
"Oh…" Wait, was she still going to the Square Dance Party?
Am I still going to the Square Dance Party?
Before Rainbow Dash could answer her own thoughts, Pinkie Pie had swept past her; her pink, bushy tail accidentally brushing along Rainbow Dash's side, leaving a trial of shivers.
"Come on!" Pinkie Pie urged, glaring now.
Woah, attitude much?
"Okay, okay," Applejack complied, smiling apologetically at Rainbow Dash before she cantered on after Pinkie Pie with Sweetie Belle and Winona soon following suit, side by side.
Which left Rainbow Dash alone, just as she wanted.
Or was it?
~Strolling Through Ponyville~
Rainbow Dash weaved her way through Ponyvile, bypassing ponies and hoping she'd see a friend. But she made sure to steer clear of the side of the town with Carousel Boutique at the end of it; the last thing she needed was another run-in with She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
Then, when she was cruising by Clover's Café, a pony caught her eye.
Oh, no…
It was Pinkie Pie. No, wait, it wasn't just Pinkie Pie.
She was sitting at the mushroom table with somepony else. But Rainbow Dash had no idea who it was. Rainbow Dash racked her brain to try and recognize the earth pony; she had a porcelain coat with a jagged mane & tail streaked with red & pink and stem-green eyes...wait, is stem-green even a color? Maybe I'm thinking of forest green... Rainbow Dash also noted that her cutie mark was a plump, bright rose bud.
Rose..?
That must have been it. But what was Pinkie Pie doing, hanging out with her?
Rainbow Dash decided eavesdropping wasn't the worst idea she'd had so she spread her wings and flew to the top of the Clover's Restaurant, hunching down low to stay hidden.
"-be so much fun." Pinkie Pie finished, smiling brightly. Smiling brightly at Rose. Not her.
Rose beamed right back, "I can't wait to see your dress!"
Pinkie Pie nodded vehemently, "It looks really great so far; just needed a few Pinkie Pie finishing touches."
"I bet it looks beautiful on you," Rose speculated, still smiling earnestly.
Pinkie Pie then looked down so Rainbow Dash couldn't read her expression, "I'm so glad you're coming with me to the Square Dance Party."
Rainbow Dash felt her heart stop beating for a moment and suddenly found it very difficult to simply breathe. Woah! What is wrong with me? Is this a heart attack? Do I need to go to the hospital?
Rose's eyelids fluttered at half mast, still smiling so sickly sweet, like her smile was made out of a bee's tainted honey, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." She avowed.
The two earth ponies continued on conversing but Rainbow Dash was too busy panicking to keep listening in on them-she had heard enough.
So…Pinkie Pie and I aren't going to the Square Dance Party together?
Rainbow Dash wanted to feel relieved-she tried to feel relieved. But all she felt was…hurt…and not the physical sense of the word.
It especially hurt in her chest area, which was starting to scare her, and she seriously considered checking herself into the nearest hospital.
Then Pinkie Pie and Rose were done talking and got up from their table to go their separate ways. Before they did though, they both warmly embraced.
Now Rainbow Dash's hurt deepened into something else entirely. It was that feeling from before! She felt flushed and resentful towards Rose. Why was she angry?
Well, why shouldn't I be? It is completely understandable since Pinkie Pie FORGOT TO EVEN TELL ME SHE WAS GOING WITH SOMEPONY ELSE!
Rainbow Dash realized she had to get out of there before she blew her cover and zipped back down to walk among the earth ponies and unicorns again.
~Fluttershy's Environmentally Friendly Cottage~
Rainbow Dash would have flown back up to Cloudsdale. She really would have, but…
She was spooked of what was up there, the images in the clouds. So she decided to visit her pegasus friend, Fluttershy, instead. After all, Fluttershy's cottage was far from civilization so there wouldn't be any chance of her seeing Pinkie Pie again.
Rainbow Dash was up at Fluttershy's door, which was camouflaged in the vines covering it, and was about to knock when she heard a soft giggle from somewhere behind her.
"Fluttershy?" she called out, turning around. There was no answer but Rainbow Dash was sure that giggle had belonged to Fluttershy so she wandered into the little wooded area. She finally found her in a small clearing, with a grey bunny held between her two front hooves. There was also a white bunny, Angel, off to the side. And he was not looking like a happy camper at the moment.
Fluttershy giggled again as the bunny's whiskers tickled her snout.
"Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash tried again.
"Oh…" Fluttershy's face snapped back into reality and she finally acknowledged Rainbow Dash's presence. "Oh, hi Rainbow Dash."
"Hi…is that the bunny that was stealing Applejack's carrots?" Rainbow Dash inquired, cocking her head to the side as if she could tell the difference between this bunny and any other from a different angle.
"Oh…uh…no." Fluttershy peeped, blushing.
Angel glared at Fluttershy and apparently she could feel his stare on her because her gaze flitted over to him and she sighed in defeat.
"I mean…yes." she murmured, ashamed.
Rainbow Dash smiled, amused, "Let me guess; you gave it-"
"Him." Fluttershy interjected, blushing a more vibrant shade of pink as she did.
"You gave him a name?" Rainbow Dash repeated, faking curiosity. She knew Fluttershy had a bad tendency to give her animal patients names and inevitably develop an attachment with them in doing so, making it very difficult for her when the time came to releasing them back to the wild permanently.
"Oh, yes." Fluttershy's eyes lit up from underneath her mane, eager to share his story with the whole world; that is if Rainbow Dash was considered the whole world. "I've adopted him as Pepper." She smiled, proud of the 'clever' name she'd bestowed upon him.
"I thought he had a family?" To be honest, Rainbow Dash was only continuing this conversation out of pure boredom; she really didn't care about Fluttershy's pet bunnies, what their names were, or their families. No, what she cared about was getting that infuriating pink pony out of her mind's subconscious.
"Oh, well, he decided to live with me instead. I'm his family now." Fluttershy said, smiling gleefully.
"That's nice…" Rainbow Dash said absent-mindedly, averting her eyes anywhere but up in the air where the clouds would mock her with their Pinkie Pie smiles & tails.
"It did seem like a nice idea, at the time," Fluttershy continued on in her soft-spoken voice, looking down at Pepper in adoration. Then she sighed and glanced over at Angel again, who crossed his arms and fumed.
"But Angel refuses to make friends with Pepper." Fluttershy said gloomily, frowning. Rainbow Dash took a peep at Angel again, and finally recognized him glowering balefully at Pepper. And that one heated look explained it all. Angel did not like Pepper.But why? Shouldn't all bunnies supposed to get along?
"Have you ever thought that maybe he doesn't like Pepper?" Rainbow Dash asked tentatively, hoping she didn't offend the sensitive pony.
"Oh, no, it's not that." Fluttershy informed her, her frown deepening. "He did like Pepper…at first. But then when I told him that Pepper would be staying with us, he got..." Fluttershy leaned in closer and whispered, as if she were sharing a highly classified secret, "jealous."
"Oh."
Jealous.
Jealousy.
A feeling of insecurity, fear, envy, and anxiety all rolled into one word.
That was what she'd been feeling with Applejack-she'd felt jealous, in a way. She'd wanted to be the one to save Pinkie Pie; not Applejack.
And then it had happened again when she'd seen Pinkie Pie and Rose locked in a hug; wishing it was her and nopony else. She could see now that her and Angel's feelings were one and the same.
But, being the confident pony Rainbow Dash was, jealousy wasn't something that she was used to. She'd hardly ever felt jealous about something or somepony. She'd always been proud of who she was-she'd never wanted anything more. And, if she did, she usually got it.
And so Rainbow Dash understood now-something that had been growing more and more obvious though she was too afraid to admit it to herself. She really did like Pinkie Pie. Why else was she being so protective and possessive of her? Why else was she the only thing she could think of? Why else did she have these feelings for her? It had been staring her dead in the snout and now Rainbow Dash was ready to accept it. She was Rainbow Dash, after all. She could handle anything.
Why not love with a pink party pony?
The grey, desolate sky buzzed with the promise of a storm and Rainbow Dash lifted her head up, with one clear resolution in mind.
"I'm going to get her back."
~Cue Dramatic Music~