A light sobbing echoed throughout the upper-level of Sugarcube Corner, it would ave been worrying to hear, if anypony was there to hear it. Which no one was. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were out of town for a baking seminar in Las Pegasus, they had taken the twins with them, and all of Pinkie's friends were busy. Which left her to despair on her own. She had been in her room the whole night, crying into a torn and dirty green dress.
"I'm so sorry, Dashie.." By now though, the tears had dried up, but her guilt hadn't. "I just wanted a chance.." She sniffed and buried her face in the dress once more, taking in the scent of her hopeless crush.
She had put up blackout curtains yesterday after she had closed up shop, the room was cast in darkness and she was lucky to even see the dress in front of her..the dress. It mocked her. It ridiculed her. It was the monument to her sins. It was the thing that hours ago made her come to her senses. She had ruined her friend's date and she knew it...she had even made sure of it.
--
The straight maned mare sat in the bushes outside of Restaurant Chic, watching the trio dine. Just a few hours ago, she had told the female Wonderbolt where and when to find the couple, even where they were going to dinner. Pinkie didn't know at the time that the flame maned pegasus had a soft spot for her teammate, she just gave her the details. But now, she saw the way Spitfire looked at Soarin, the dreamy look that she herself knew all too well.
Then she saw Dashie. She looked so disappointed and sad, Pinkie couldn't stand seeing her like this. That's when she realized how much she screwed up. Stealing the dress, sending the Cutie Mark Crusaders after them, then having Spitfire ruin their date. It made her feel terrible. She watched as Dash excused herself from the table, as she did, Spitfire reached over and held Soarin's hoof in her own. The colt looked up and smiled at his teammate. Though, Pinkie didn't care about that. She cared about the look of extreme hurt in her love's eyes.
"What have I done..?" Tears were forming at the edges of her icy blue eyes. "Dashie..I'm so sorry.." A single tear rolled down her cheek, the first of many. She backed out of the bushes, turned tail, and ran home, crying all the way.
--
"I...I have to fix this.." She stared at the dress sadly, longing for the mare who it belonged to.
"Fix it? She's heartbroken! Go comfort her, she can be all yours.finally." She looked at her pet Alligator, who seemed to speak without actually talking.
"But Gummy, I'm the one who hurt her! I broke her heart...." She nuzzled the dress ever so gently and sighed.
"She doesn't know that, and she doesn't have to either." The gator climbed up on the bed with great struggle.
"I-I guess..." Pinkie was still unsure of her pet's plan. The last one didn't go over so well, it only left her feeling guilty and depressed. "Okay, I'll go see her.." She put the dress back on her bed. She was going to fix it later, she wanted it perfect.
"She'll be in the park, that's where she always goes when she's sad." The alligator curled up on the dress and closed his eyes. "I'll be here, sleeping." Pinkie nodded and patted the small reptile on the head. "Oh, and for Celestia's sake, fix your appearance before you go. You look like a serial killer." Pinkie sighed and trotted off to her bathroom to fix her appearance.
She looked in the mirror. She looked terrible. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her mane was still straight as a board and it made her look downright terrifying. She stared into her icy blue eyes, they weren't her eyes, they were the eyes of a jealous monster. She sighed, right now she wasn't Pinkie Pie the Party Pony, she was Pinkamina Diane Pie, the jealous, hateful, pony-hurter.
She grabbed her various shampoos and creams and started to get to work.
--
Rainbow Dash was laying in her favorite tree in the park, she often came here to sleep or just think. Today was a thinkin' day. She thought about the date yesterday, how bad everything went, and what she did wrong. Last night had been a mess, first her dress had disappeared, then the CMC interrogated her date, then Spitfire showed up. Spitfire...she was the worst of it. She had come in and been the intrusive third wheel trying to take her spot. Then...at the restaurant, she saw them holding hooves and smiling. That had hurt the most.
She had left the restaurant through the kitchen after that, too hurt to go on. Immediately, she wanted to head to her home, lock the door and just...just...well, she didn't know what she wanted to do. She didn't exactly want to cry, she never really cried, but she was close last night.
She sighed into her napping pillow, what did she ever do wrong to deserve this? She was a good pony, never hurt anypony, was good and loyal to her friends. She at least deserved some love.
"Dashie!" A familiar voice came to her ears from the bottom of the tree. The pegasus sighed.
"What is it Pinkie? I'm...busy." Busy sulking, maybe. She turned her head and looked at her friend. She noticed right off the bat that something was...off with Pinkie Pie. She looked normal, but she wasn't smiling and she wasn't bouncing around like normal.
"Are you okay, Dashie? You seem sad." The pink mare looked up at her with pleasing eyes.
"You don't seem all that happy either, Pinks." The nickname brought a smile to Pinkie's face.
"Yesterday wasn't a good day for me..."
"You too?" Dash rolled off of her branch, spreading her wings as she fell and landed lightly on the ground.
"Yeah...You wanna head over to Sugarcube Corner? it's closed, but I can make us something." She trotted over to Dash hesitantly.
"Sure..that sounds good to me." Dash smiled softly and nuzzled Pinkie. "I just need a friend right now, is all."
Pinkie shivered when Dash nuzzled her, it was pure elation, bliss. Recognition from Dash was the best feeling she ever had. "O-Okay..You can always count on me Dashie. I'll never let you down.." Her inner voice prodded at her conscience Too bad you already have...
It was a short walk back to the bakery: the pair strolled in silence, Dash out of worry, Pinkie out of bliss. When they got to the eatery, Pinkie unlocked the door and went in. Dash immediately went to her favorite booth and sat down.
"So, what do you want to eat, Dashie?" Pinkie was already behind the counter, getting out assorted sweet treats.
"Got any soda back there?" The pink mare nodded. "Some of that please." Pinkie went to work getting the proper items and turning on the soda machine. "Hey Pinkie..?" Blue eyes turned away from their work and looked at her. "What did I do wrong? I had this date....and everything that could go wrong, went wrong." The eyes turned nervously back to their work, but Dash was too interested in her own hooves. "First my dress went missing, then the CMC came along and interrogated my date, and finally, this other mare showed up....." Pinkie just nodded in response. "What did I do to deserve this? Does somepony out there hate me?"
That last statement stuck Pinkie like a knife to the heart. Her will was breaking, her confidence was shattering. She was going to cave.
"Oh man, I didn't realize how long I had been out there, Pinks. Can I use your bathroom?" Dash stood up and started looking around, she had been in here alot over her years in Ponyville, but never had to use the bathroom.
"Sure..upstairs. Third door on the right." Dash nodded and headed for the stairs. When she reached the top, she was surprised to see that the upper level of Sugarcube Corner looked as normal as any other house in Ponyville, Not as chaotic and colorful as the downstairs. She passed the first door on the right: The twins room. The room across from it was the Cakes' room. Then she passed the second door on the right: That's when she spotted an awfully familiar green color laying on the bed.