Only Spike had heard her say it, and he was gone before he could give any of the others an idea of what her real plans where. ‘If they’re going to hate me… so be it. This is my generous plan. They’ll thank me when it’s over.’ she thought to herself.
Rarity was angrier than she ever had been but she had that rage focused. She had the courage for once to actually say what needed to be said. Sweetie Belle probably hated her right now… but that was alright. Her friends would probably hate her soon enough as well, she knew Dash already did. But she had to do this. She was sure she’d already saved one relationship, with Spike and her sister.
Right?
They would talk and rekindle what they had with each other. She hadn’t planned anything out; it could all just as easily backfire and blow-up in her face. Surely she could do it though, the others only needed the slightest push to get them back together. But could it really be this easy? She knew what was keeping them from each other, all of them!
The multitude of small lies that held them apart had to be broken. She’d be breaking so many promises to keep the secrets she’d been told, whether spoken or unspoken. All of them had always seen Rarity as the one to confide with about their romantic indiscretions, even if she had never really understood why. It was just known thing that Rarity was the expert on the subject.
Of course none of these thoughts would’ve made any sense to anypony else, but it was crystal clear in Rarity’s hazed mind. A drunken cloak helped on that part for her and she realised it. ‘Oh, to hay with it. Time to pony up! Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash first!’ she thought to herself.
Before she could say anything after Spike had run off though, Twilight yelled “What is your problem Rarity?”
“Oh I’m so glad you asked! It’s a long story, although it’s kind of a short one.”
It sounded more like something Pinkie would say, not Rarity. Twilight couldn’t help but wonder how much she must’ve had to drink. It was amazing that she was still standing so steadily. “How much have you had to drink? Why is there even alcohol at a kid’s party anyway?”
“So Rarity could drink it, duh!” yelled Pinkie, having completely fixed the broken table somehow and now bouncing back to take her place looking on at Rarity with the others. “Don’t worry about them though. Aunty Octy’s taken the kids out for ice cream, the third greatest gift ever! Right behind children and laughter! You just say what you have to say Rarity!”
“Why… thank you Pinkie…” Rarity was somewhat confused by her words. But it’s Pinkies… don’t question it. Putting that aside she started to formulate whatever it is she was about to say. Hopefully it would just flow. “I’ve had a few to drink perhaps, but that’s hardly the issue here.”
“Not the issue?” Twilight was getting quite concerned now, but none of that registered with Rarity, just the demanding tone behind it got through. “You’ve been drinking non-stop for weeks now! Maybe you’ve had a few to many drinks today.”
“Oh, I’ve had too many Apples… that’s a funny one coming from you.” Rarity’s horn glowed as she spoke, levitating Twilight’s own class from where it had been on the table toward herself. Twilight probably wasn’t drunk herself but she finished off Twilight’s mostly empty flute in one small gulp and added “Tell me, Twilight, is Big Mac the third or fourth Apple you’ve had?”
“Wha… what does that have to do with anything I just said?” Twilight was clearly trying to make the sense of the connection Rarity had in her last sentence, but it made absolutely none. They weren’t even drinking Sweet Apple drinks, even if they had been the connection was forced at best.
“Well you’re asking questions that don’t matter, why shouldn’t I? But no, he’s only the third.”
“What the hay is she talkin’ bout Twi?” Applejack chimed in.
“Oh didn’t you know? She’s been with a few members of your family, extended family rather. She confided in me, many a time with her love life.”
“Rarity I…” Twilight wasn’t sure what to say “You know confided means confidential right? Which means SECRET!!!”
“Oh yes, I… oh wait, no he is the fourth, you had both of those brothers after all…”
“RARITY!!!”
“Twiligh’, just how many of ma family have you slept with?” AJ said, both concerned and curious.
Rarity answered for her “Well first there was Braeburn in Appleloosa, though you surely had to know about him Applejack. Then Golden Delicious, congrats on turning him gay by the way. I bet he just loved your horn… oh then and his brother, Red Delicious at the reception, the night of Golden’s wedding. So make’s Big Mac your…”
AJ looked blank faced. Not because of what she had heard, but because Twilight had slapped Rarity. Hard!
It the second of her friends to strike her today… “I trusted you! I told you everything because I thought I could trust you!”
“Oh is that why you told me? I thought it was because I was the go-to pony to talk about sex and relationships because I have o-so-much experience in that field! You!... No, all of you, even me, always assume so much of each other! I know so much about sex and relationships because I’m just the trampy glamour whore of the group!”
“I NEVER… said that…” Twilight yelled, drowning to a whimper. She had never said it… but she realised she had thought of Rarity in that way. She’d always seen her fawning over the tall, light and handsome types, always putting so much fuss into how she looked. Twilight had always just assumed…
“You want to know something darling? In the first two years that I knew you, you slept with more stallions than I have in my entire life! You’ve since slept with more than five times the number I have! Oh and when we first met, I was still a virgin! Yes, shocker, ‘that slut Rarity isn’t a slut at all, my world is suddenly flipped right upside-down!’ Three! I’ve been with three stallions and one of those only recently! Prince Blueblood, Eli and Flash Dance!”
This wasn’t going the way she had planned. She had to stop now. Twilight wasn’t on the list of relationships to fix... she'd even just possibly broken Twilgiht from Big Mac. The irony of thinking that and her last speech suddenly clicking but was being ignored. She’d surely shut Twilight up now, she could move on to Pinkie and Dash.
“So… I’m a slut?” Twilight said “Little Miss Everything’s-Perfect-In-My-Life is a slut? And you’re not? Only three… you expect me to believe it when I know it’s a lie! Pinkie’s new years party 2015… you, me… Dash and Pinkie and Celestia knows how many stallions!” Twilight was half expecting Pinkie to burst in saying there weren’t any guys there that night. Neither
Rarity nor Twilight actually remember it… but Pinkie’s yell never came, actually surprising Twilight. Her short break for Pinkie to interrupt over, she began anew “And me… you and me… I don’t even count in your three?”
“Twilight… I thought we agreed never to mention any of that…”
“Yeah. I thought that about a few other things too… you know, like Braeburn. Or golden. Or Red, or Seafoam, or Cheerilie, or… or… any of the others I told you about!”
“Or Derpy?” finally came Pinkie’s voice, not what Twilight had wanted to hear… but yes, Derpy. Twilight just stared at Pinkie for a moment before returning to Rarity, half expecting her to be crying but no…
“Well… honestly… yes. You’re the slut of the group.” Rarity said, recoiling and closing her eyes. She could tell Twilight was readying to hit her again. It never came though. She opening her eyes hoping that Twilight had chosen not to but it was just Big Mac. He’d blocked her hit with himself. It probably hurt but the stoic giant didn’t show any signs that it did.
“C’mon Miss Twilight, you don’t need ta go hitting her again.” he said, putting a hoof around her and pulling her away. They sat down in the corner, on a small rug. Twilight started to cry into Big Mac’s chest. It honestly hurt Rarity to see it.
“You said you were drinking because your life isn’t perfect like mine… well what’s so wrong with yours then!?” Twilight yelled. “Last time I checked, your business is going well, you’d been so happy for the last few months and you were engaged to a rich stallion who you love…”
“Honestly...” Rarity paused for a moment in thought. “I don’t know. I’m just nervous about… EVERYTHING! I’m scared for Sweetie Belle again for no reason. I’m worried my business will go under even though I’m well off for orders and sales. I’m… Flash Dance… I’m horrified about getting married! In four months time I’ve gone from celibate for as many years to getting married to some pony I barely know! I love… I’m sure but… Eli? I can’t stop thinking of him. Uh… I still have feelings for him even though I hate him! And I don’t even hate him. He’s just… there now! In my mind, constantly!”
Twilight hadn’t even hear her response. Rarity doubted she had even asked the question to get an answer, just to try and come back at her in some way. Twilight had instantly just buried her head back into Big Mac after saying it. All the the reply she was able to make was muffled sobbing noises.
Rarity hadn't noticed that until now but still added “I… I started drinking when he proposed as well. Maybe… maybe Sweetie Belle was right…” her words cut off by a loud sob let out from Twilight.
Rarity hadn’t wanted to come between Twilight and Big Mac but she may just have… it wasn’t part of her plan. She barely even had a plan… should she continue? 'The damage was already done to Twilight and if she didn’t fix the other two, whatever happens to Twilight now will all be for naught.' that’s how she justified it at least…
“Dash. I assume you can hear me back there”
“Go to hell you marshmallow!” came Gilda’s voice. Down putting but it meant she could at least.
“So… you don’t want the child… big deal. You should’ve listened to me eight months ago when I told you to get rid of it.” her words had come out hideously! Far more piercing than she had intended but there really wasn’t any nicer way to say that though.
Gilda burst through the doors as she flew out of the kitchen landing right in front of her “Listen you little cunt, if you think it hurt when RD hit you then you better shut up right now or I’ll be joining my brother in prison very soon! Understand?” She growled, beak pressed into Rarity’s forehead, almost starting to break the skin.
“Gilda… she’s right… I should’ve listened, none of this would’ve happened if I did.” Dash said as she walked out of the kitchen, barely keeping her head held up. Gilda backed away from Rarity, moving towards Dash, putting a wing around her. The hair that normally hung under Dash's neck was mattered, she’d been crying into it. “So what… now you’re going to have a go at me? At how I’m in lesbians with Gilda and just in denial still? Well go for it you has-bian…” Dash had worked hard on that joke ever since she’d heard Twilight confess about her and Rarity but the room was dead silent to it. “No laughs at all… great.” You'd hear crickets chirp but even that where not ammused by the terribad joke...
“On the contrary darling. I know you must feel horrid and I just want to…” she stopped and turned to Pinkie “You’re still in love with her, aren’t you Dash?”
“So what if I am… she’s with Fluttershy. Yeah, I could kick Fluttershy’s flank and take her back but… then I’d be a worse friend than you are!” Dash's sadness faded, turning slowly to hate. Just as Rarity had expected.
“Well…” Rarity said, turning now from Pinkie to Fluttershy “I’m sorry dear but I’m telling them…” then turning back to Dash “She doesn’t love Pinkie… she still can’t move on from Applejack. It’s breaking her heart and the only reason she hasn’t broken up with Pinkie is because she doesn’t want to hurt her.”
Dash almost looked happy. It sounded possible. It sounded like something Fluttershy would do. But that hope was dashed [pun intended] when Fluttershy shouted “No, that’s not true… I.. I don’t love Applejack.”
“Oh…” came a hurt groan from Applejack as she stood next to Fluttershy. Dash hadn’t been the only one whose hopes where risen by what Rarity had said. Pinkie, to AJ’s other side though, was completely un-phased by any of this… almost as if she expected it…
“It is true." Rarity pointed quipped. "Twilight isn’t the only pony who confides in me. Fluttershy’s been mortified she may hurt Pinkie for weeks now. True, our spa treatments aren’t too common any more but we still take time to pamper ourselves at least once a month. And we still confide in one another. Why, I even knew about her fertility issues and her want of a child long before Applejack. I even know why Applejack was so against the idea, though I didn’t then. I few months back she told me…”
“Rarity! Don’t you dare say a word!” Yelled AJ.
“Oh I dare. She told me I was the only pony who knew this, though naturally Big Mac had to know as well. Right Mackintosh?” she called out, facing him. His ears twitch so he had obviously heard her but he refused to look at her, still consoling a sobbing Twilight, buried into his chest. His chin resting on top of her head, his eyes closed, trying to share her pain. He was clearly sad, though his face was blank as usual.
“Rarity, ah swear ta Celestia that if you say one more word ‘bout this ah will break your muzzle sa you can’t say nothing ever again!” She growled, walking right up to Rarity. Getting almost as close has Gilda had before.
“Say another word about what? That you didn’t want Fluttershy to have a child because YOU already have one?!” Rarity paused and braced herself for what she knew was coming. The blow never came though. Applejack just stood there. “Applebloom, the young little ‘sister’. But really; Applejack actually had her just after she turned thirteen. And the father?”
“Rarity…” AJ mumbled
“I know what you’re all thinking: and no. The father is not Big Mac, though that too did happen once, as I’ve heard.”
“Rarity.” AJ repeated
“She doesn’t even know the father’s name, he was just some colt she met in Manehattan. Slept with him trying to prove she was a sophisticated mare of the world and not just some country hick.”
“RARITY!!!” Applejack yelled
~ ~
She didn’t even remember what had happened, but Rarity lay on the ground in front of her. “Ah told you that out of ma heart! That ah could put ma faith in you! How could you tell her! How could you tell Fluttershy!?” AJ was standing right over Rarity, huffing and panting. Rarity was out cold but it didn’t matter to her. “Get up…” she said, giving Rarity a kick to the ribs. AJ yelled this time “GET UP!!!” as she swung her hoof out again, harder than before, harder than maybe the first strike that had knocked Rarity out.
It made solid contact… with Fluttershy.
“ARGH!!!!....” Fluttershy cried as she took the full force of the blow meant for Rarity as she fell onto her unconscious friend. She'd jumped in front of AJ to protect her.
Applejack was horrified. She’d hit Fluttershy as hard as she could and now she lay on top of the other pony she had wanted to hurt. “Flutt…”
“Please! Argh...” she winced “just, stop fighting…” Flutterhsy was crying. Not just from the pain in her side where she’d blocked Applejack and possibly broken a rib doing so. But from the fact that she even had to stop Applejack from hurting Rarity at all. “I just want…”
“Ah’m sorry… ah’m so sorry Fluttershy! I didn’t mean to…”
“Yes you did! Ev-argh... even if you didn’t mean to hit me, you… you still meant to hit Rarity…” Fluttershy managed to get out. She was breathing heavily and holding back a lot of pain. Both physical and otherwise. “You’re horrible… worse than Rarity!”
“Fluttershy… I… love you…”
“You don’t love me!... and I don’t love you, I don’t like you! I…I hate you Applejack…”
The words where like venom to AJ, shot directly into her heart. Hate-felt, loathsome words, the exact opposite of anything she ever though she would hear from Fluttershy… and it made her smile.
“Now ah know you’re lying… you have to be… I know you Fluttershy… it’s impossible for you to hate anypony. Even if ah deserve it, fer what ah’ve done. But please, Fluttershy, believe me. Ah love you! Ah really, truly love you!”
“How could you love me? You… you don’t love me! You… you want… you wanted a divorce!”
“No! I wanted that for… as stupid as it sounds, fer you. So you and Pinkie could be together. It killed me ta say it. Ah didn’t want it! Ah… ah thought you did…” AJ said as she moved to sit done beside Fluttershy. She put a hoof over Fluttershy’s side and she winced. AJ had really gotten her hard. It was a good thing though... she may have killed Rarity if she had kicked her in the head like she intended.
Fluttershy tried to move away from AJ but she couldn’t. She simple squirmed for a briefest moment until the pain stopped her. “Argh… Applejack, e-even if I did still love you, a-and I don’t. I couldn’t. I’m… with Pinkie Pie…” Fluttershy said, trying not to look into Applejack’s eyes but failing. Now both stared into each other’s eyes. “I couldn’t just leave her for you…”
“No… you couldn’t…”
“Yes… you can…” Pinkie said, somehow having moved right next to them without either noticing. Normally it would just be Pinkie’s weird powers but this time she had just talked over and sat. The two simply hadn’t noticed.
“But… Pinkie… I can’t. I won’t do that to you!"
“I knew when this started that it wouldn’t last. I know Applejack is meant for you. Not me… I love you Fluttershy, I always will. But I can’t stop you… and don’t want to.” Pinkie forced a smile, that even though put on, still conveyed so much warmth and happiness as any other true smile could, and managed to hold back any tears that she had. “Please…Applejack loves you. More than I ever could.”
Pinkie gave Fluttershy a small kiss on the cheek that lasted not even a second, before walking away. Applejack was dumb-struck. Pinkie had just done something that selfless. Yet horrible! Yet caring… yet stupid! Yet heart-breaking… for her. For... them. “Fluttershy. Ah want you to move back to Sweet Apple Acres. You belong there. With me! With your family! With… Applebloom.”
Fluttershy didn’t respond. AJ didn’t even know if she had been heard, Fluttershy was just looking past her, probably at Pinkie. She finally said something after a moment, still not looking at AJ though. “Applebloom doesn’t... no…”
“Ah... ah guess you know why ah didn’t want a child. Ah shoulda told ya, ah been wanting to tell ya fer years… ah just never could bring maself ta do it…” Applejack said, still trying to get Fluttershy’s wide, beautiful eyes to return to hers.
“No… I mean Applebloom still doesn’t know… you, you should tell her, not me. I… I knew… I’ve known for a long time.”
“So Big Mac told ya huh? Ah shoulda known he would…” Applejack stopped trying to look her in the eyes, she turned following Fluttershy’s gaze, expecting to see Big Mac. Instead fluttershy was looking at herself. Just staring at her own reflection in a glass cabinet.
“No… it wasn’t Big Mac…”
“It wasn’t Big M… but nopony else knew… who told you?”
Fluttershy, still looking at the cabinet met Applejack’s reflected eye at long last. She wasn’t sad, confused, hurt or even worried. She was… happy. “The same pony who told me… told us, on her death bed. The last words…”
Applejack cut Fluttershy off "‘No matter what happens, love her…’ Ah, ah always though Granny Smith said that about me… but you’ve known fer that long… and you’ve loved her… like ah do. Like, she was your daughter…”
Fluttershy broke contact with Applejack’s reflection again. She'd thought that Fluttershy would stay looking at her, even if only by proxy. Then, she looked past the reflection, into the case itself. There where apples ranging from red to yellow to even an odd zap-apple. But where Applejack thought Fluttershy had been staring at herself; was a brilliant, vibrant green apple.
The words where already said between them. Even if she hadn’t understood them at the time. Even if they were about somepony else entirely.
No matter what happens, love her…
No, they hadn’t been about somepony else. They were about everypony. And Applejack knew that she did. She loved Fluttershy, she loved Applebloom, she loved Granny Smith… she even loved Rarity. If it hadn’t been for her she would’ve never realised any of this.
Her attention was taken away from the apple when she felt something on her hoof. It was a tear, but not her own. Fluttershy fell against her less than a second after it had hit her hoof, resting her pink mane against Applejack’s neck. She leant her head against Fluttershy’s in turn, resting her chin into her soft hair. It had been too long she they touch each other like this, so lovingly… even before they had separated.
Nothing else needed to be said or done. They just stood there, happy to be together again. After so long apart.
~ ~
Pinkie’s fake smile slowly turned into a real one. She had been horrified about the possibility that this may’ve not worked. That she’d dump Fluttershy and she still wouldn’t take back Applejack. Luckily it had! She knew it would work but the fear never strayed far from her thoughts. The word’s she chosen and practiced for days now had hurt her so much but they had to be said, and they where all true. All that mattered was Fluttershy was happy.
Now however, it was Pinkie’s turn. Dash and her would be together again. Pinkie had taken her place back in the crowd, beside Dash after saying her part. Dash had looked away from the newly reunited couple when Pinkie returned and now just looked at her. Their eyes held contact for a while, losing all track of what ever had happened between AJ and Fluttershy. Pinkie had surprisingly been the first to turn back to them though and Dash followed suit.
Now, they just sat there, Fluttershy’s head resting against AJ and AJ against hers. Pinkie tried to do the same, leaning up against Dash, her eyes closed expecting Dash to do the same. Instead though, Dash backed down a little as she felt Pinkie’s mane brush against her neck. Not far enough away that Pinkie still couldn’t lean against her but enough that Pinkie knew it wasn’t the same as what the others were doing.
“Dashie… I want you to move back in with me as well.” Pinkie said, in the lower volume than Pinkie ever used… a whisper…
“Pinkie… I can’t.” Dash replied, loud enough that the others heard her but still not quite as loud as usual.
Pinkie, eyes still closed, leaning against Dash.“Do… you still love me?” she managed to ask with her smile still there.
“Are you kidding!?”
“Does that mean yes?”
“No!” Dash pulled away from Pinkie who opened her eyes wide and instantly fell to the ground. Taking another step away as Pinkie stood herself up, Dash added, though still not as loud as normal “You’re crazy! You really think I could go back to you after all this?”
“But Dashie… I still love you”
“I doubt it! No, actually I don’t. You probably really think that don't you? That this is a romantic moment? And that it’s sure to sucker me back in!”
“But… isn’t it?”
“Are you serious? You just broke up with the mare you’ve been cheating on me with for months! How is this romantic?”
The smile Pinkie had before was now fading fast. “It’s not like that! I only… because you cheated on me first.”
“I never cheated on you! I loved you and honestly I still do.” Pinkie perked back up for the briefest of moments before Dash continued “But I can’t take you anymore!” Dash was now shouting, even managing to steal Fluttershy and Applejack’s attention as they both looked at her. Even Twilight had pulled herself back from Big Mac enough to see the two.
“But… I’ve always been with other ponies, so have you…”
“Pinkie… you know this was different. This isn’t the same as that. Did they mean anything to you? Like I did? Like Fluttershy?”
"No, but I..."
Dash took a deep breath “Caramel, Seafoam, Snowflake, Vinyl, Highscore, Derpy, Big Mac, Joe, Flim, Flam, Bruce Mane, Caboose, Emerald, Gizmo, Jeff Letrotski, Marigold, Powder Rouge, Steamer, Twilight-Sky, Vera, Welly, Brolly, Cinnamon Swirl, Great Scott, Orange Box, Papermoon, Prism Strider, or even Prism Slash… did you feel anything for them? Did you even remember their names?”
“How… why do you know their names?
“Because I’m not some loose, partying slut who’ll jump into bed with just anypony! Not anymore! Out all those names and the hundred more, how many do you think you had and how many do you think I had? You know what, don’t answer! I don’t even want to know what you think of me like that. I loved you but I just can’t anymore. You say you love me but that’s how you show it? Even if I was cheating on you what does it say about how much you care, if you cheat on me just because I am?”
“I… don’t know… I never thought about it like that. Me and Fluttershy… just happened.” Pinkie now could barely keep looking at Dash. It hurt much more than what she had just done with Fluttershy, mainly because it had gone exactly as she had thought it would with her. But Pinkie never planned that Dash wouldn’t take her back. “If you were cheating… then you weren’t wronged?”
“Wow… I really don’t know how to even touch that thought…” Dash said lowering her voice, not even angry, just disappointed that Pinkie thought so little of her. With that, Dash just walked by Pinkie. She just stood there, her hair instantly deflating as Dash passed. She knew what Dash was doing and as if to confirm it she called “G. let’s go…”
“Sure… yeah, let’s go RD” replied Gilda as Dash walked out of the shop, Gilda close behind her.
The two walked for a few moments. But they had also been followed out of the place by Scootaloo. That stupid little filly’s crush on Dash back in the day hadn’t helped then and only served to bring up more painful memories of what her friends thought of her now. How much had Scootaloo even heard of Rarity and Gilda’s discussion? Dash couldn’t remember.
They were far enough away from Sugercube Corner now that Gilda felt it safe that she could do what she was about to. She rushed up to Dash, spun her around to look her in the eyes, held her by the scruff of her neck and slapped her. “Are you stupid Dash? What the hell was that? You’ve been crying over her for months and now she wants to take you back and you reject her? New stupidest thing you ever did right there!”
“I meant what I said… I can’t handle it anymore.” Dash pushed aside Gilda’s claw and turned to take off into the sky. She barely got off the ground when she fell right back down, only just managing to catch herself from landing on her stomach. She clutched her left shoulder again. The pain got worse every time it happened. Now it ran from her shoulder, into her chest and down all her side.
“Rainbow Dash!” calls Scootaloo as she ran up to help her.
Dash didn’t want her help though “Get off me! You didn’t help any of this either you know!” Dash yelled, then sighed… she was just taking out her anger. And what was worse was she now had to ask Gilda for help after brushing her off so before. “Let’s just go home. Can you help me fly back?”
“Soz Dash. Can’t.” Gilda shrugged, she could but didn’t want to. “To drunk, can’t drink and fly. Sure Sc'thuloo here’s had a few drinks too. Guess we’ll just have ta stay here the night.”
Scootaloo however missed the sarcasm of Gilda’s word and thought it was go-time! At least arguementivally. Standing beside Gilda she said “Who are you even to talk about cheating and loyalty anyway? You stole Gilda from me. Moving in with her out of nowhere, but you don’t think you cheated on Pinkie?"
“What the hay Scootaloo?! We’ve been over this all-Celestia-damned ready! Me. And Gilda. Are not! TOGETHER!!!” Dash yelled. She then clutched her shoulder tighter as her pulse raced. She got a hold of herself though. Scootaloo didn’t know that. She probably only heard the part about Gilda being bi or something…
Scootaloo wasn’t entirely sure of what happened between Dash and Gilda but what Dash had told Pinkie and the way she had just freaked out made her think Dash was telling the truth. “I just thought… I heard she’d had some old mare friend move in with her and seems we were never that serious. Even after five years…” Scootaloo emphasised the last words to Gilda, before returning to Dash. “I guess I was… jealous?”
“Look, I’m sorry if you feel that way Scootaloo.” Dash sighed out. “Gilda never told me much about the… uh… 'coltfreind' she said she had.” Dash said, also emphasising her words to Gilda. “But what I heard, you broke up with her.”
“Hey, I moved away. Back here. And what I thought… look, whatever… you need a place to stay? Stay at mine. It’s just a one room bachelorette pad, but the couch is a futon so you can sleep there.”
“That sound awesome and all Sc'thuloo but…” Gilda said, turning from her to Dash. “Go back to her. I don’t like that Pink-Squeak and for what she did to you... tss, I hate the bitch! But you love her. Just go to her, stay the night and if you really still wanna leave tomorrow I’ll help you back up ta Cloudsdale.”
“Darn it Gilda…”
“Uh, just do it already Dash! If you don’t I can destroy you in one second… so what’s it ganna be chump? Go back to that Pinkie… ‘Pie’, right? Or you can puss out and I can kiss you, shattering everything you’ve held onto this whole day against Rarity.” Gilda smirked. She had no intention of actually kissing Dash but the empty threat had hit its mark. Or so she thought…
“What if I want that?” Dash asked, in on the joke. No intention to actually doing it either.
“Then Sc'thuloo here’ll show ya why I gave her that name!”
Scootaloo added “Trust me, Dash… DON'T KISS HER.” her voice seemed to sub-echo for no reason.
Figuring she could at least get the last word “Fine…” she said as she strode between the two of them but stopped right in the middle. She turned to Scootaloo and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ‘Let’s see how you take that Gilda…’ she thought to herself as she began walking again. She didn’t look back to see the reaction, just gave herself a quiet chuckle as she imagined what the two looked like at the moment.
She had gotten about ten meters away from them when something came to her. “Wait, aren’t you coming?”
“Didn’t you hear? She offered ta let me stay the night”
“But you sai…”
“She offered to let her EX stay the night...” Gilda said, hoping she didn’t have to spell it out any further for Dash. She got the hint and headed off.
It was only about a five minute walk away from getting back to Sugercube Corner but that five minutes was way too much time to just be thinking to herself. By the time Dash arrived she had came to the conclusion she didn’t want to see Pinkie, but she didn’t want to break a promise to Gilda either.
With some effort and a good deal of pain she flew up to the first window on the second floor, the guess room, or Pinkie’s old room before the Cakes left them the store. She went in through the window and went over to the door. She yelled out of it and down, the stairs. “Pinkie… I’m back, I guess…” And with that, she closed the door and clocked it behind her.
Less than a second after she got the lock done, the handle rattled, Pinkie obviously on the other side. She didn’t say anything though. The handle stopped rackling and Dash though Pinkie was gone, half expecting her to come in through the window or wall or just appear in the room somehow. A minute or so pass but she never did. Dash just walked over to the bed and lay down. This had been her home for so many years....
But it wasn't anymore.
