STRANDED Ch.5-

The next day, things didn t get any better. In fact, one might say that things became considerably worse the following afternoon. The group were just waking up and Twilight was giving out everyponies daily job when Apple Jack finally snapped on her and refused to work one more second for Twilight. Apple Bloom, being Apple Jack's sister, decided to side with her over friends. Neither Rarity nor any of the fillies wanted to have any part.

"Why dontcha give me one good reason ah should keep workin' for ya?" started Apple Jack.

"Yea, you ain t done nothin' but boss us around since we have been on this island." input the orange work pony's younger sister.

"Apple Jack, you're not working for me. WE are working for OUR survival. And Apple Bloom, I'm not bossing you around." stated Twilight.

"Sure dose sound like it..." said the little filly.

"I've been doing my fair share of labor around here as well..." argued the purple unicorn.

" Oh do this, do that, we need this, we need that." Apple jack mocked, "Ah'm sick of it I tell ya, sick of it."

"Me too!" input Apple Bloom.

'These two were obviously to wrapped up in their pride to listen to reason' thought Twilight, 'but I can't give up. "C'mon girls, think about what you're doing. Don't you realize that it will take everyponies help to get off this island?" asked Twilight, trying to talk reason to them.

"Yea, come on, let's quit all this fighting and start working together to get stuff done." implied the pink party pony.

"After what you tried pulling yesterday with the splitin of tha food? Are you crazy?" protested Apple Jack.

"I TOLD YOU ALREADY THAT I DIDEN'T DO THAT!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie...

Rainbow Dash was just awakening when she overheard the argument in the distance. She turned her head away and closed her eyes. "It's all my fault." she was angry with herself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid... why did you have to go off and do a stupid stunt like that Dash... why?" She quickly regained her composure when she herd a rustle in the distance. She turned to see a young dark orange, purple maned filly carrying a pile of food towards the camp. "Hey, there Scootaloo." she managed to choke out, "How ya doing." Scootaloo turned to Dash and gave the coldest stare she had ever seen.

"Great Dash, just great. Ya know, I've always wanted to live on a deserted island where all my friends argued all the time. I never had any goals in life, nope, not one. In fact, things couldn t be better." she was obviously trying to be mean about it.

"Jeez Scootaloo, I'm sorry I asked."

"You better be. Think before you act Rainbow dash." and with that she turned her nose up and went on towards camp.

"What have I done..."

As the group argued, the inevitable ordeal about Rainbow dash was brought up by none other than Apple Jack herself. "Ah say she needs to learn to grow up." Apple Jack started.

"Look who's talking." Pinkie remarked.

"Ahm gonna ignore that comment. Anyway, ah still say she's liein' about being attacked by some critter. Ah say she did it to herself so she would get the rest of the groups pity and get outta work." implied Apple Jack.

"And I say she could never do such a thing to herself!" stated Fluttershy, taking up for her life long friend.

"Think about it, Fluttershy. This is just the kind of thing she would do."

"And I say that you're taking it the wrong way!" Fluttershy was unusually loud.

"Look, sugarcube. You've known her your whole life pretty much. You can't sit there and tell me that this doesn t seem like a thing she would do." Apple Jack said, now trying to reason with Fluttershy.

"O.K. Fine, yes it seems like something that she might do. But I'm still more shocked that you let your pride get in the way of you helping your friends in their time of need." argued Fluttershy.

"Whoa, there. Dontcha try puttin' this on me now. You and Ah both know that dash is a danger to herself and possibly a danger to us as well."

"What are you suggesting?" Fluttershy said, not really caring what Apple Jack told her.

"Ah say we leave her somewhere away from us so we won't have to worry about her."

"THAT'S AN AWFUL IDEA! WE CAN'T JUST ABANDON HER!" Fluttershy yelled.

Apple Jack remained composed. "All ah can say sugarcube, she brought it upon herself..."

Rainbow dash had herd enough. Tears were in her eyes as she tried to stand. She whispered to herself. "They obviously don't need me here." A tear fell as she was finally able to get herself up, the wounds still hurting but not too bad. She took one final look at her friends, who were still arguing over what to do with her. She took a deep breath and softly whispered again, "I'm sorry to be such a danger to everypony... and I'm sorry that I let you all down." The tears were running down her cheeks as she turned towards the jungle, took a slow, deep breath and walked through the edge, not even telling anypony goodbye, Sadly, she didn t know that she wouldn t be able to ask forgiveness for what she has just done, for she would not make it through the night...

"AND ANOTHER THING..." started Apple Jack before she was interrupted by Apple Bloom.

"Where's Rainbow Dash?"

"What do you mean, 'where's Rainbow Dash?' " asked Twilight.

"I mean, where is she?" The group turned to see only a empty spot where the rainbow maned pegasus used to be.

Fluttershy started, "Sh- she couldn t of..."

"Now what did ah tell ya? She's done gone and did it again. Ah say let her go on. Ah don't care." Apple Jack so rudely implied.

"I'VE HAD ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOUR SELFISH BEHAVIOUR!" roared Fluttershy, blazing red hot angry with Apple Jack.

"So have I." stated Rarity. The rest of the group agreed just as much. Even her sister was shocked at how bad Apple Jack had gotten and agreed with them.

"C'mon girls" said Twilight, "Lets go find Dash before something bad happens."

"Go on then. Just don't expect any help from me." retorted Apple Jack and with that remark the group ventured into the jungle to help their horribly confused friend and left Apple Jack all alone on the beach with nothing keeping her from the darkness except for a slowly diminishing fire...