I: Welcome to Ponyville!

That Rainbow Mane
I: Welcome to Ponyville!
by Dragon Rage

The little pink filly stared wistfully at the trees on the edge of her family's farm and the gray, cloud-smothered horizon above them. Her mane, straight as a yardstick, swayed gently in the wind. It was another early autumn day, just like any other. Just herself and her sisters, her mother and father, in their own obscure little plot of land where their rock farm sat. Each day was the same, the five of them working tirelessly to make ends’ meet. Every night was the same as well, she and her sisters sitting idly by the fireplace while Mother cleaned the dishes and Father... well, she never really understood just what he did, but it was important enough that they usually never saw him unless he was telling them it was time for bed.

The best thing she could say about this life was that it could always be worse. It was as dull to her as the rocks she pushed about every day. She took solace in those scarce few moments in life where things... changed. When Granny Pie would come visit them and the nights would be filled with laughter and joy, or when Father would come out of his room early one night and one of her sisters would get him to read them a story. Those little moments were the important ones, and each day was a slog through unending work until one such moment would arrive again.

She sniffled. Granny Pie hadn't come by in weeks. She'd heard her mother reading some letter out loud the day before. The old mare had broken a leg and had to be taken to the hospital. Granny Pie was a tough one, her mother always said, and little Pinkamena knew well enough just how strong she was, but... she hadn't seen or heard from her in weeks. Granny Pie would always at least send letters, which Mother would read aloud for them, but lately Mother hadn't read one letter to them at all. They stopped coming, because if they hadn't, Mother would have read them.

With a sigh far too heavy to have come from the little pink filly's mouth, she lowered her head and began pushing the nearby rocks into a pile. Father needed them to rotate the "crop" from the south field to the east field that day. For the most part they'd finished, but little Pinkamena had been falling behind constantly, earning her the stern, disapproving gaze of her father as he called them back into the house for the night. Heavy rain was scheduled for today, and there was no way he'd force them to work through that.

The little pink filly almost turned to head into the home. She almost went inside, and almost had a quiet afternoon and evening, sitting by the fire while her sister Inky read their favorite story, because Father was busy and couldn't do it himself. She almost did just that, but she didn't.

Instead she sat perfectly still, her eyes lighting up in awe. A huge rainbow-colored explosion appeared on the horizon. At first it was tiny, but it grew huge, pushing far over her head and nearly knocking her over as it blew across the landscape. Her straight little mane twisted and twirled in the wind, curling upon itself until it resembled a big fluffy lump of hair. By the time the explosion stopped, the gloomy rain clouds overhead had been blown clear away, revealing the bright blue sky that had been hiding behind them. A rainbow swiftly formed across the sky where the explosion had started.

Little Pinkamena stared at it in amazement, a little grin forming on her face. It grew steadily, until it ceased to be a grin and instead became a big, warm smile. She'd never been this happy before. Not even Granny Pie made her this happy when she came to visit. Not even the stories Father would read had ever made her this happy.

As the rainbow slowly faded, a quiet fear rose in the back of her mind. This was just another little moment, and as soon as that beautiful rainbow was gone, she knew she'd be miserable again. It faded and faded, until there was nothing but blue skies.

She was still happy. Even as the pegasi overhead brought the clouds back, griping and moaning about how much extra work it was, she was still happy.

A thought occurred to her; She'd never been this happy before, and it stood to reason that if she could feel like this, then her family should too. Inky and Blinky had always been more accepting of how life on the farm was, but she knew they were unhappy. Mother and Father seemed distant these past few weeks, and she could tell they weren't happy either.

She sat there outside, rubbing her chin. She thought to herself, 'How can I bring this happiness to my family? I can't make them see that rainbow, it's gone now. How do I make them happy?'

~~~

Three days.

It had been three days since Pinkamena Diane Pie had set out with her parents' blessings; she was little Pinkamena no longer. The little filly had grown into a fine young mare, practically the spitting image of her Granny Pie right down to the bouncing curly mane and tail. They knew she was old enough to make her own decisions in life and when she told them that she wanted to leave the farm and make some friends, they gave her everything they could to help her out.

It wasn't much. Their family had never been too big on personal possessions. The farm had always struggled to make ends’ meet, and what few possessions the young mare owned had filled her bindle. Thankfully she didn't have to pack any food; grass and flowers were plentiful on the road. There was one other thing they'd given her, of course, and thankfully she could carry that in her head.

Sugarcube Corner, a bakery in a town called Ponyville, was her destination. All she needed to do was tell the owners that she was the daughter of Susanna and Clyde Pie and that she was looking for a place to stay and work to do. They'd take her in. The Cakes were like family to the Pies. That's what her mother told her, at any rate.

A quiet fear sat in the back of her mind. Her mother had never talked about the Cakes like that before. It wasn't that she didn't believe Mother, but all she had to go on was her word that they'd accept her. It was a fear quickly dismissed, however. It wouldn't matter if the Cakes weren't like family. She'd just have to do her best to win them over regardless. To do anything else would just be lazy, and her father never raised her to be lazy.

As she arrived on the outskirts of Ponyville she scanned the town, looking for any signs of Sugarcube Corner. While there were certainly many distinct looking buildings, from the houses to the farms on the edge of town, and everything in between, none of them said "Sugarcube Corner" to her. It didn't help that she had no idea what Sugarcube Corner even looked like, but she was hardly about to let that stop her. If she didn't know where it was, then there was only one thing to do.

With a trot that looked more like a hop than anything else and a sweetly hummed tune, the pink earth pony headed off into town. Somepony in town had to know where Sugarcube Corner was and, as soon as she found them, she'd know too.

~~~

Bon Bon pressed her pillow against her ears, trying to get back to sleep in spite of the loud pounding coming from her front door. She glanced briefly at the grandfather clock across the room from her bed. She shouted, "What kind of crazy pony goes around slamming on their neighbor's door at four in the morning?!"

The knocking ceased for a moment, much to her relief. Then it picked up again, causing her to throw her pillow across the room. She stormed out of bed and down the stairs of her house, arriving at her front door in a huff. Whoever was on the other side of that door was going to get a piece of her mind. She slid the bolt keeping her door locked in place, then swung it open, glaring angrily at the pony on the other side.

The young pink-maned mare staring back at her caught her off guard. "What do you want?" Bon Bon asked, trying her best to sound irate. But if the strange new pony had any idea that she was mad, she certainly didn't show it.

The pink earth pony beamed a warm smile. "Good morning, new neighbor! I was just wondering, do you know where I can find Sugarcube Corner?"

Bon Bon tried to remain angry. She tried to chew out the pony who had so rudely disturbed her sleep. She just couldn't manage it, though, and instead found herself pointing to the large gingerbread-esque building by the town square.

"Thank you!" The pink-maned mare said, and with that she was off, leaving a dumbstruck Bon Bon behind.

"What in the world..." She began. She shook her head and closed the door, locking it back up. As she trudged back upstairs to go to sleep she muttered to herself, "That pony is such a weirdo."

~~~

Pinkamena stopped just a few yards short of the entrance to Sugarcube Corner, taking in the whole of the building. It was, by all accounts, a giant gingerbread house. What appeared to be white frosting decorated the rooftop, on which a large pink-frosted cupcake tower sat. Windows were plainly visible on them, too; they weren't just decorations, they were part of the living space itself.

She stared at it for a little while longer, then began laughing. This was amazing! She was expecting something far more like home, where the buildings needed to be practical and there was no room for a little creativity. But this place... whoever designed it was a genius. She could just stand out here forever, admiring that pony's handiwork...

"Excuse me," said a voice from the now empty doorway, "but are you here to buy something?" The pink earth pony turned her attention towards the owner of it, an older mare with hair like the frosting on top of the bakery's cupcake tower. "If you are, we won't be opening for another six hours."

Pinkamena tilted her head to the side. "Oh? Wait, are you Mrs. Cake?" As the older mare nodded, she smiled hopefully. "I came all this way to meet you and Mr. Cake! My parents told me all about you and your bakery in Ponyville and I knew I just had to come out here and meet you two and maybe you could help me find my own place here in Ponyville oh my gosh I can't believe this is happening can you believe it oh look is that Mr. Cake what's he carrying it's a tray of-"

A solid blue hoof clamped itself over her mouth. "Slow down, dearie. Start from the beginning, okay?"

She nodded, and when Mrs. Cake removed it, began to speak again. "My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie. I've come here all the way from my parents' rock farm to see you two."

The older mare turned her attention to the lanky stallion by the front counter of their store, waving him over. Then she turned back to her guest. "Pie, you said? As in-"

"Susanna and Clyde Pie! They're my parents." Pinkamena beamed earnestly. If they really were friends of the family, that'd be more than enough.

The two older ponies turned to look at each other, whispering things Pinkamena couldn't make out. A quiet fear crept up from the back of her head, but it was silenced immediately. If that wasn't enough, she'd just do her best to prove herself to them. That's what she'd told herself before she even got here, and it wasn't about to stop being true now.

When they finished, Mr. Cake turned his attention to the young mare. "We could always use another hoof around the store. Can you bake?"

"Of course," Pinkamena exclaimed, "my Granny Pie and my parents taught me everything they know about baking!"

The orange-maned stallion smiled. "Follow me to the kitchen, then. I'll give you the tour and get you started right away."

~~~

Pinkamena grinned with anticipation as she watched the little egg timer on the kitchen oven. It was almost time. Just one more minute...

The voice of Mr. Cake came from behind her. "You've been watching that oven this whole time. You don't really have to just wait in front of it, you know."

She shook her head, her eyes staying focused on the oven. "I want to make sure you two know I'm definitely worth hiring! These cupcakes need to be perfect for that."

"I'm just saying," the lanky stallion began, but was cut off by a loud ding. Within an instant she'd removed the cupcake tray from the oven and placed it on the countertop. He'd never even seen her grab a hot pad, but one sat in her mouth despite that. His mouth hung agape while he tried to process just what had happened.

The pink earth pony beamed a huge grin as she turned to look at Mr. Cake. "Done! Let 'em cool off before you try one, okay? Oh, but we should probably frost 'em first! Where do you keep the frosting?"

Mr. Cake eyed the cupcakes, then motioned towards to a cupboard at the far side of the kitchen. "Don't worry so much about making them perfect. Mrs. Cake and I aren't expecting perfection from a filly fresh off the rock farm." He cleared his throat, then stepped to the side and pulled a bundt cake pan out of the cabinet beside the oven. "Anyways, you've got the job. We're opening in about three hours, so we need to keep working. Once we open, we'll see about letting you work the front counter with Mrs. Cake."

Pinkamena nodded her head in approval; she'd get to meet lots of new friends that way. "Okey dokey! I'll just frost the cupcakes, then we can get right to baking!"

~~~

Applejack groaned as she walked down one of Ponyville's may streets. All she'd wanted to do was go to Sugarcube Corner and explain the situation to the Cakes. The night before a section of their roof had caved in and, since the Weather Patrol had a heavy thunderstorm planned for tonight, they'd need to cancel the birthday party they'd planned at Sweet Apple Acres for her little sister. The rest of the day would have to be spent patching up the Apple family's home, and if there was time for it they'd try to have a little picnic on the farm.
It wasn't a big responsibility, really, but this was important to her. And yet, Granny Smith had insisted on coming along. No matter how much she'd wanted to do this herself, there was just no arguing with granny. Once the old mare set her mind to something, there was no shaking her from it.

The voice of her granny snapped her back to reality, and as she lifted her head she just barely stopped herself from walking into a street lamp.

"Don't look so down in the dumps," Granny Smith said, patting the blonde mare on the shoulder. "You'll give somepony the wrong impression."

Applejack turned her head back and forth, looking around the street. The citizens of Ponyville were all going about their business, like it was any other day. "Nopony's even lookin', Granny. Ah'm not sure ah follow, anyways."

"If folks see you moping about like that," the elderly mare began, her face serious and her tone deadpan, "they might think we're going to a funeral."

That got a chuckle out of Applejack. "Sorry granny. Ah'm just... a mite frustrated. Ah was really hopin' ta do this alone. Ah'm a grown mare now, an' part a' bein' a grown mare is handlin' important responsibilities like..."

She paused, having just noticed that they'd already reached Sugarcube Corner. They're already gotten halfway through their trip; there wouldn't be much of a point in asking granny to head home now. "Well," she said, pushing the door open with a hoof, "let's get this finished, then."

As the two stepped into Sugarcube Corner, they were greeted by two ponies. The first was definitely familiar to the young mare; she'd recognize Mrs. Cake's mane from a mile away. But the second was an enigma to her. She'd never seen a pony who looked like that.

The pink-maned earth pony beamed a huge grin as she leapt over the counter towards the two of them. "Good morning," she shouted as she closed the distance between them, "and welcome to Sugarcube Corner!"

Applejack leaned backwards, just barely avoiding the young mare's muzzle rubbing into her own. "Uh... good mornin'? Do ah know you?" The pink mare shook her head from side to side vigorously. "Well then, it's... nice ta... meetcha..."

"Give her some space, Pie, you're scarin' her!"

The two young mares both turned their heads to look at the elderly Granny Smith. Their mouths opened simultaneously, each asking nearly the same question.

"You know who I am?"
"You know who she is?"

Granny Smith nodded sagely. "'Course I do! It's been a long time, Pinkamena Mary-Anne Pie, but I'd recognize that face anywhere. What're you doin' back in Ponyville? And why are you so young?"

That got a giggle and a snort out of the pink-maned mare. "No no no, that's my Granny Pie's name! I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie. What's your names?"

Applejack looked back and forth between her granny, Mrs. Cake at the counter, and the strange newcomer, then sighed. "Ah'm Applejack, and this here's Granny Smith. We're here ta pick up a cake for my little sister's birthday. We'll be cancelin' the party though. Y'see our roof sorta caved in a mite bit last night, an' there's gonna be a big thunderstorm tonight, so we'll be spendin' all day fixin' it up an' can't really-."

There was a spark in her pink counterpart's eyes, and she regretted saying it almost immediately. Pinkamena's mouth opened, and from that point on it seemed to Applejack that it would never stay closed again. "Ooh, a birthday! How old is she? What's her name? How many ponies are invited? Hey, maybe I could help you! I'm great at throwing parties, that's my special talent! If you're inviting a lot of ponies, I could get to meet more of them too, and-."

Applejack jammed a hoof in the pink earth pony's mouth. "Woah! Slow down sugarcube. It's just a private family thing back at the farm. We'd love ta have some more ponies over, but Apple Bloom just wanted to invite her friends. 'Sides, we really need ta get that roof fixed an' havin' all sorts a' ponies runnin' around, gettin' in the way... better to just let us be, ah think." As she finished talking, the pink mare's shoulders sagged in defeat. She'd regretted saying that, too.

"Actually," a voice from the back of the room said, "we could always host the party here, if you're willing. I know it's on short notice, but between the three of us, we could definitely put something nice together for the night."

"Really?" The blond earth pony asked as she turned towards Mrs. Cake. She continued, "We don't want ta impose," but before she could even finish her sentence, her granny spoke up again.

"That'd be lovely, dear!" The elderly mare patted Applejack on the shoulder. "Come on, Applejack, let's go back to the farm and get Big Macintosh and little Apple Bloom, okay?"

Applejack's jaw dropped. They'd walked all the way here to pick up a cake, and now they were going to go back home just to walk all the way back again? But there was no arguing with granny, and no Apple family mare would refuse such a gracious offer. She chuckled and tipped her hat to Mrs. Cake. "Thank ya kindleh. It means a lot ta us. As fer you," she said, turning towards the pink earth pony standing before her, "what's yer name again? Pinkasomethin'?"

The pink earth pony exclaimed, a big smile forming on her face as she did, "Pinkamena Diane Pie!"

~~~

Rainbow Dash groaned and rolled over onto her belly. "Never again," she muttered, staring down at the bark of the apple tree she'd taken her nap in, "unless I have a pillow on me." Then she stood up and stretched her legs, gazing into the sky as she did so.

Clear skies. Her own hoofwork, of course. The other mares in the Weather Patrol just weren't fast enough to keep up with their latest recruit, so she'd started taking on more and more of their work to ease her own boredom. Not even Cloudkicker, the team's "best flier", could manage it. It hadn't done either of them any good that she couldn't; with the old team captain retiring soon Cloudkicker was in line for a promotion, and it hardly looked good for her if the rookie was outperforming her every day. And as for Dash...

It didn't matter to her what they said about her. Not to her face. Not behind her back. None of them mattered as much as Fluttershy, and that was who this was all about. As soon as that crazy pony got situated or gave up on this backwater town, she'd be free to go back to Cloudsdale where she belonged. And yet...

It wasn't that she didn't miss home. She left Cloudsdale for a reason other than her friend's safety, though she'd never admit it to anyone if they'd asked. She hardly needed the education, but there wasn't a pegasus alive who wouldn't feel even some shame if they dropped out of flight school. She could still hear the jeers of her classmates whenever her thoughts drifted back towards the pegasi city.

She shut her eyes and spat at the ground, trying to force her thoughts somewhere else. A voice from down below shouted, "What in the hay?!" She turned her head down to see who it was, catching sight of the female earth pony who usually worked the farm.

As she jumped down from the tree and landed beside the blond mare, she said, "Sorry," her tone belying her sincerity. The mare glowered at her, then shook her head and smiled.

"Ah was about ta buck that tree mighty hard. If anythin' ah ought to be apologizin' ta you fer that." The earth pony bowed slightly, crossing her legs as she did so. "Name's Applejack, stranger. An' you are?"

The rainbow-maned pegasus rolled her eyes at the gesture. She probably thought that cute little bow was impressive or something. "I'm Rainbow Dash," she said, unfurling her wings as she did so. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a cloud to find so I can get back to sleeping."

"We got beds in the house," Applejack offered, her smile never once leaving her face, "if you're just lookin' fer a place ta crash fer a while. Don't mind the hole in the roof, Big Macintosh'll be back with some boards an' nails fer that. We won't trouble ya much after that anyways. The Apple family's headin' ta Sugarcube Corner in a few hours fer my little sister's birthday party."

"Have fun with that." Dash turned to leave, but stopped before she could even get off the ground. "Hold up, how old is your sister?"

Applejack's eyebrow went up. "Hardly a filly. Why?"

Rainbow Dash smiled, trying her best not to make what she was about to say sound creepy. "Is it alright if I come and bring a friend? I've been trying to get her to come out and mingle more often, and I think it'd be less... intimidating for her if she isn't just dealing with ponies her own age."

"Well," the earth pony began, her eyebrow still raised, "ah suppose it wouldn't hurt. Lots a' the colts an' fillies here in Ponyville have older siblings they'd probably bring with."

"Great!" Dash shouted, pulling the earth pony into a hug. "Thanks, AJ. You're not so bad for an earth pony, y'know? I'll see you at the party!" With that she flew off into the sky, leaving Applejack and Sweet Apple Acres behind her.

"... that was a compliment, right?" Applejack asked out loud, her face a mix of perplexity and mild irritation.

~~~

"But sis," Scootaloo cried as she pulled away from the purple-maned pegasus pony beside her, "I don't even want to be here! I heard the caterer is a total weirdo and the birthday girl is just some farmhand!"

"Come on, Scoots," the older mare began, "there's plenty of other ponies your age here. And besides, the caterer can't be that bad if she was willing to throw a party for a family of total strangers at the drop of a hat, right?"

The little filly's eyes rolled. "Yeah, she can. Why are we even here, anyways?"

Dizzy Twister groaned. She knew exactly what she'd need to say to get this filly going. That pony was all she seemed to care about these days, ever since she'd come to town. "Because Rainbow Dash is my co worker and the boss told me to keep an eye on her. She's a real troublemaker, you know. Last week she-."
Before she could even finish her sentence, the little filly had leapt up into her face, her hooves wrapped around the sides of her head. "Woah, she's here?! Where is she? Come on sis, I wanna meet Rainbow Dash!"

The older mare shook her little sister off her face. "Later. She's not here yet. Go inside and have fun, okay? I'll introduce you to Dash before the night's over." It seemed that was all she needed to convince that filly this party would be worthwhile; Scootaloo had already run right through the open doorway to Sugarcube Corner. Dizzy breathed a sigh of relief, then headed on in herself. At the very least she'd wanted to see this "weirdo" herself, and since Dash hadn't arrived yet she definitely had the time...

As she entered the building, she was accosted by a fast-moving pink blur of hair and pony. "Good afternoon," it shouted, nearly knocking her off her hooves, "and welcome to Sugarcube Corner!"

The purple-maned pegasus smiled, gently brushing the earth pony off of her. "Um, hi. You must be this caterer I've heard so much about." As the earth pony nodded, she continued, "So you're this... Pinkamena, then?"

Again, the earth pony nodded. "Pinkamena Diane Pie, at your service! Welcome to the party! Oh hey, was that your sister just now? Scootaloo, was that her name? Are you Dizzy Twister? Would you like a cupcake?"

Dizzy cocked her head to the side. "What? Oh, right. Um, sure. Yes. That's her. Look, I'm kinda waiting for somepony, so I really should be getting back outside. You have a good day, okay?"

The pink earth pony grinned. "Okey dokey lokey! Don't worry, I'll be greeting ponies out there, too! Oh, and before you go, the cupcakes are over on the counter. Help yourself! Everything by the counter is free!"

~~~

Pinkamena smiled as she headed outside of Sugarcube Corner. They'd set up a few tables here and there by the front of the building for customers who wanted to eat without having to deal with the two dozen or so fillies and colts running about inside the store. And of course they'd want some free cupcakes too, she thought.

Over by the tables were a group of pegasus ponies. The pink earth pony recognized Dizzy Twister, but the rest were all new to her. Without a moment to spare, she began hopping her way over, taking care not to throw off the tray of cupcakes on her back as she did so. She needed to pick out a target; somepony had to be greeted first and the most obvious one was the closest. There were two of them. The closer of the two was a yellow-bodied pony with a long, face-hiding pink mane. And the one just behind her, chatting with somepony two tables down, was a sky blue pegasi with a long, disheveled mane the color of the-.

She stopped right where she stood. The entire world seemed to fade away as her sight locked onto that rainbow mane. Childhood memories began filling her head. The day everything stopped seeming so gray and dull came flooding back, and a huge grin crept its way onto her face. She needed to know this pony. There wasn't a single doubt in her mind, not even a quiet fear whispering from the back.

She moved closer and closer, her eyes never leaving that rainbow mane. The sky blue pegasus turned her head, and the mane swished with it; Pinkamena's eyes followed it as if she'd been hypnotized by the way it moved. She was almost there. She opened her mouth and tried to shout, "hello".

Instead she screamed and fell over, having ran right into the pink-maned pegasus pony in front of her. Her tray of cupcakes flew off her back and into the air, then hit the ground not too far away, smushing the baked goods into the grass.

She sat there, pinning the terrified yellow pegasus to the ground. She needed to do something fast, but her confidence had left her in that moment. Instead she sat, utterly petrified, even as the pegasus she'd knocked over threw her off and ran away until she'd vanished from sight.

She heard a voice, very close by, shout "What the hay is your problem?!" Her head pivoted upwards on its own, looking right into a pair of bright violet eyes just under that rainbow mane. They glowered back down at her. "Do you have any idea how long it took to get her out of that rat hole of a cottage?! Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've been able to hang out with my friends without having to worry about her?! You ruined everything! You stupid, clumsy... ugh!"

The sky blue Pegasus stormed off in a huff, leaving her and her pegasus pony friends behind.

Quiet fears... that's what her Granny Pie had always called 'doubts'. They were just little voices in the back of her head, and they were easy to shut out when that's all they were.

Pinkamena turned her head, looking at the cupcakes she'd ruined on her way out. Her quiet little fears weren't so quiet or little anymore.

II: More Than a Nickname

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That Rainbow Mane

II: More Than a Nickname

by Dragon Rage

The sky above Ponyville was a deep and dark gray, with storm clouds stretching out as far as the eye could see. Puddles of water had already begun forming on the ground below.

Pinkamena let out a heavy sigh as she listened to the raindrops beating against the window before her. The room she'd been given to sleep in was sparsely furnished. Wallpaper had been put up a while ago and a few piece of barely used furniture sat here and there, but there was no bed beyond the pile of hay they'd gotten from the Apple family and no lighting other than a small candle she'd borrowed from the Cakes. She was fine with that, though. She'd lived her whole life on the farm, where luxuries like her own bed were a rarity.

What was eating at her was that rainbow-maned pegasus pony and her pink-maned friend. She'd been doing so well today, but that one moment of carelessness struck her even harder for it. It wasn't even just that she'd been yelled at, or that she ruined the party for those two pegasi. The incident made her... think. Not good thinking; she was good at good thinking. Positive thinking. Dismissing little fears as they cropped up and looking on the bright side of everything.

The pony she'd met that morning was disturbed by her behavior. The Cakes were put off by her eagerness to please them, and what little she knew about her family's relations to Ponyville left her troubled. And between Applejack and Dizzy Twister's reactions to her...

She shook her head, angrily pushing the thoughts away. Everything had gone well. Even if they were put off a little, they still accepted her. Mr. Cake said it himself; nopony expects perfection. She could always improve, and while the first impression was important, a bad one just meant there was even more room for improvement.

The only question in her mind now was 'how?', and it stumped her. She'd never experienced vitriol like that before. The pink-maned mare hadn't actually had much interaction with anyone beyond her family, and even when they raised their voices, it never felt like they hated her.

"Maybe I'm not giving her a chance," she said aloud. "What if she doesn't hate me? What if she was just upset?" That was enough to get the ball rolling for her. The pink-maned pegasus was uncannily shy, if the words of her rainbow-maned friend were any indication. Dizzy Twister had been waiting for 'somepony' and was with them when she got out there, so they might be friends. And she remembered the rainbow-maned one yelling about a cottage...

As the raindrops beat against the window, a plan began to form in the mind of Pinkamena Diane Pie. She didn't know enough about either of the ponies she upset today, and fixing that had to come first before she could make amends for her carelessness.

She needed to find Dizzy Twister, and to do that...

~~~

Applejack smiled as she tucked her younger sister into bed. "Rest up, birthday girl. Tomorrow ah'm gonna need yer help with the harvest. Nothin' too big, but it's important."

The little filly groaned. "Why do ah hafta-."

"Now hush, sis. Like ah said, it ain't anythin' big. One day you'll be a big strong mare like your sister Applejack, but you ain't gettin' there without puttin' in the work." With that she kissed her little sister on the muzzle, then left the room and headed downstairs.

The fireplace in the Apple Family's front room was blazing on, unattended by anypony. The blond earth pony scanned the room, her eyes fixating on Granny Smith. The old mare had fallen asleep in her rocking chair. "Lands' sake," she said under her breath. "Guess ah got a little responsibility today after all..."

As she tended to the fireplace, there was a loud knock on her front door. One of her eyebrows raised as she turned to look towards the door. "What the hay is somepony doin' out in a thunderstorm at this time ah day?" She headed over to the door and opened it, more to satisfy her own curiosity than anything else.

Standing in the doorway was a pink earth pony. Her soaking wet mane draped down across the front of her face and down her back, an odd sight given how curly and bouncy it had been the last time the two met. The mare smiled sweetly. "Hey AJ. You don't mind if I come in, do you?"

Applejack opened her mouth, then closed it. She repeated this motion a few more times, then chuckled. "You are the craziest pony ah've ever met. Get in here before you catch a cold, Pinkamena."

As the two mare settled down near the fireplace, Applejack gave her another look over. "What in tarnation possessed you, ya silly filly? Why'd ya come all the way down here in the middle of a thunderstorm?"

Pinkamena giggled. "I was going to come visit in the morning, but I couldn't get to sleep so I figured I'd just do it now. I know it's silly, but I really needed to talk with you. It's about this pony I met."

The blond earth pony yawned. "Alright, alright... start from the beginnin', sugarcube."

"Well," the pink-maned pony began, her eyes fixated on the roaring flames before her, "you said you had to cancel your sister's party because of a hole in your roof, which you needed to fix before tonight since it would rain. And sure, getting it fixed fast would be important, but I figured that since you're a farmer, you'd want to know all about when the rain is scheduled ahead of time. So of course you'd know when Ponyville's weather team would be working, and I thought you might know more about them than just that, so I decided to come to you and ask you for your help with finding one in particular." She turned towards Applejack and continued. "Do you know Dizzy Twister?"

A second yawn escaped Applejack's mouth. "Woah there, sugarcube. Yer assumin' an awful lot there, aren't ya? Ah don't rightly talk much with the weather patrol. Everypony in Ponyville keeps track a' the schedule an' most do their bit ta help out with the pre-storm cleanup. Ah wouldn't know any more about who or what's on the team than anypony else just goin' offa what you know." She yawned a third time and closed her eyes, then continued. "Now ah don't think ah know this Dizzy Twister very well. Why'd ya ask?"

Pinkame's head drooped. "Oh... well, from what I know, she's friends with this other pegasus. I was hoping you could tell me where to find Dizzy, so I could talk to her about the rainbow-maned one."

The blond mare's eyes flared open. "Rainbow mane? Ya don't mean Rainbow Dash, do ya? She was at the farm just this mornin', sleepin' in one of the apple trees. Why do ya care about her? She's... well, not exactly the nicest pony around."

Pinkamena's head sank even further, her muzzle lying on the carpet beneath her. "I... don't know. I just saw her and that mane and it reminded me of when I was a filly and I wanted to meet her so badly so I went right over to talk with her except I wasn't watching where I was going and I tripped over this shy pegasi and she ran off screaming and crying and Rainbow Dash yelled at me and-." An orange hoof jammed itself in her mouth, giving her counterpart a chance to speak.

"Now hold on a second.. Slow down an' tell me everything. Let's start with... what did y'say she reminded ya of?"

The pink pony tried to talk, but there was still the matter of her friend's hoof. She tugged at it for a moment, then yanked it out and looked Applejack right in the eyes. "It's a long story, but back when I was just a little filly..."

The farmpony listened carefully to every word her pink counterpart said. As she went into detail about the depressing life she led on her family's rock farm, Applejack found herself flashing back to her own fillyhood; She couldn't help but relate the story to the time she ran away from the farm for Manehatten. While she wouldn't say she was depressed or miserable, the fact of the matter was she'd been dissatisfied with life on the Apple Family's farm and wanted to find a better way of life. But even so, she found life in Manehatten to be even worse for her. Everypony seemed so fake, like they were all showponies putting on an act to impress one another.

The little blonde filly had found herself wanting so badly to leave, but it wasn't until a strange, amazing spectacle happened one day that she acted on those desires. A rainbow had, without any warning, erupted into existence on the horizon. It pointed right back to Ponyville, the filly's own hometown. Without even giving it a second though, Applejack had made up her mind. She left Manehatten that very day.

“And I know it’s just the color of her mane, but I can’t help but remember that rainbow when I think of her...”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Ah’m just not seein’ it. A rainbow’s a rainbow. The pegasi make ‘em up in Cloudsdale. Doesn’t mean she had anythin’ ta do with it.” At the sight of the pink pony’s crestfallen face, she hastily added, “Still, if ya want ta go about bein’ her friend anyways, ah’ll do what ah can ta help.”

Pinkamena practically knocked her over as she leapt onto her for a hug. “Oh, thank you Applejack! Thank you so much!”

“Don’t mention it,” the farmpony said, “but first ah’d like ya ta get some rest. It’s the dead a’ night out there an’ that storm ain’t stoppin’ anytime soon.”

~~~

Rainbow Dash rolled over on her belly, a pleased smile forming on her face as the fluffy white cloud rubbed up against her belly. Last night had gone much better than she'd be expecting. Fluttershy had once again proven inconsolable, but that wasn't new to her. What made the night so great was the work she put in with the Weather Patrol. A heavy thunderstorm was just what she needed; the flashes of lightning and the booming thunder beneath her hooves as she pounded away at stormclouds were oddly soothing to the young mare.

Like this cloud she was lying on. The way it brushed against her belly made her feel a little giddy inside. She felt the cloud brush against her again and let out a barely restrained giggle. Then it did it again. One of her eyebrows raised and she sat up to see what was touching her belly.

Within an instant, Dizzy Twister launched up through the bottom of the cloud, tackling the rainbow-maned pegasus and rubbing her belly with her front hooves. Even as she struggled to stop the energetic assailant, Dash couldn't help but laugh. The words "cut it out" barely managed to escape her mouth.

The wavy-maned mare ceased her tickling. "Good afternoon, Dash! Sleep well?"

"I was," she began, still trying to force her friend off of her, "but then you came and woke me up! What's this all about, Dizzy?"

Dizzy Twister simply smiled and motioned to the sky around them. Dozens upon dozens of clouds were scattered about from the night before, all of them completely untouched. "Cloudkicker said 'tell that featherbrain to quit slacking off and clear the skies before sunset', so I'd been out looking for you!"

Rainbow Dash could hardly contain her annoyance. "I told her it'll be done before tonight. Who does she think she is? It's not like this is hard or anything." She sank down into the cloud, passing through it and out the bottom to free herself.

"Well," Dizzy said, poking her own head through after her, "she's the boss right now, so it's her orders. And if it's so easy for you, why don't you just get it over with?"

"Fine, fine..." Dash rolled her eyes. "Quit bugging me and I'll get to it." Her gaze followed the wavy-maned pegasus as she flew off towards Ponyville, then turned her attention back to the clouds she was supposed to be clearing up. With a mild grumble she set about her job, stomping her former bed into thin air.

~~~

About two blocks from Sugarcube Corner sat an odd building. Its design, a large fancified carousel, had been worked out by Ponyville's finest carpenters to meet the owner's demands. Carousel Boutique was both the home and storefront of one of the town's youngest entrepreneurial spirits, a lovely young fashionista named Rarity.

The white unicorn was quite proud of the building. Architecture was hardly her forte and she had to make a few compromises here and there, but as a whole the building was more than she imagined it would be. It stood as a testament to her creativity and skill as an artist.

And yet the... she hesitated to describe the features of her home a "novelty"... of it all hadn't brought in nearly as many customers as she'd hoped. Word of mouth seemed a much better approach in the past few months, though she was still nowhere near as successful as she'd hoped for by now.

With a belated sigh, she headed over to the front door. She was her own boss and could set her own working hours, so today was going to be her day off. A nice relaxing time at the spa would be a good way to spend the afternoon, she mused. As she opened the door, however, she was practically assaulted by a pink earth pony with a bouncing, curly mane. She did the only thing any sensible pony would do in such a scenario. The entire neighborhood could have heard her screaming.

The pink mare giggled and got off of her. "That's some pretty good screaming! Have you been practicing?"

Rarity stared silently at her would-be assailant for several long seconds. She'd wanted to respond, but was at a loss for words. Finally she managed to get out a single one.

"Yes?"

The earth pony's smile remained in place. If there was any sign at all that she knew how awkward the encounter was, Rarity couldn't see it. "Keep up the good work, then! So what's your name, stranger?"

Rarity cleared her throat and tried to forget the bizarre moment. First impressions were important with potential customers, and if she continued making a scene then she might scare the poor dear away. "You may call me Rarity, darling. Welcome to Carousel Boutique! I'm afraid we're closed for the moment, but if there's anything you're interested in, I suppose I could fill in an order for you."

The pink pony's snorting told her everything she needed to know, much to her dismay. "Nah, I wasn't looking to buy anything! Ooh, except maybe a hat. Are those hats for sale over there? Can I try them on?"

"No, dear, those are my hats." She paused, noting the confusion on her guest's face, then added, "the ones I wear, I mean. Listen, I really must be going... if you don't have any business with me, could you please leave?"

"Okey dokey!" The pink-maned mare hopped out the front door, then turned to look back at her. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! My name's Pinkamena Diane Pie! It's great to meet you, Rarity! You're the fifth new friend I've made this afternoon!"

Rarity gulped. This strange pony thought they were friends. She'd almost wanted to deny it to her assailant's face, but her curiosity had been piqued. "A pleasure, I'm sure. Tell me, just why did you decide to tackle me just now?"

The earth pony cocked her head to the side, as if somehow the past two minutes or so had never happened. "Oh! Applejack told me to go around town and make some friends and to get back to my job with the Cakes while she works on getting Dizzy Twister to talk to Rainbow Dash for me." A warm smile suddenly formed on her face. "Thank you for asking, Rarity. It's been a pleasure meeting you! I've gotta go though, Mr. and Mrs. Cake are probably worried sick about me!"

With that the strange pink pony was out of her life. For that day, at the very least. With another belated sigh, the white unicorn locked up Carousel Boutique and headed off for Lotus and Aloe's spa. More than a bath, what she really needed right now was somepony sane to talk to.

~~~

As Pinkamena rounded the last street corner, her new home and workplace came into sight. Sugarcube Corner seemed particularly fascinating to her right now. She stopped and stared at it in awe. This was now the second time she'd really taken the time to really think about it, and after seeing Carousel Boutique, her curiosity had been piqued. She wouldn't be able to stop thinking about this until she got an answer; she had to know just who had designed this wonderful place.

Mr. Cake waved her over to the counter, a concerned look on his face as he did so. "Pinkamena, where've you been all night?! Cup Cake and I were worried sick about you!"

"Sorry Mr. Cake!" Pinkamena leaned on top of the counter, smiling as she did so. "I was up all night and couldn't sleep, so I went over to Applejack's place to talk with her. After that I spent the morning trying to help her get her chores done quickly until she told me to go and make some friends around town!" Her smile quickly faded as she lowered herself down to the floor. "I'm sorry I made you worry."

The lanky stallion didn't respond at first, and Pinkamena feared he'd be angry with her. Instead he chuckled. "Don't worry too much about it. Mrs. Cake could use a hoof in the kitchen, so why don't you hurry on up? And the next time you feel like you need to talk to somepony... well, we're here for you, Pinkamena."

The pink-maned mare nodded and trotted into the back room. The sound of an egg timer ticking could be heard near the oven, and Mrs. Cake herself was not far from it, carefully frosting a small chocolate cake. As Pinkamena approached her, she realized that she'd forgotten to ask Mr. Cake about the store's design. This was as good a time as any, she mused. "Hi, Mrs. Cake!"

The elder mare stopped and turned her head to look at her. "Oh, hello dear! We've been worried sick about you, you know."

"I know," Pinkamena began, smiling sincerely as she stood up and hugged her, "and I'm sorry for worrying you two. I've been out and about all day and forgot to stop into work, that's all. You can't pay me if I don't do my job, right? So let's get bakin'!"

Mrs. Cake pulled back and watched the pink pony land gently on the ground. "Actually dear, I could use some help with frosting this cake. You like chocolate frosting, don't you?"

"Um, yeah!" Pinkamena giggled. "Doesn't everypony love chocolate cake? But why ask me? Who's the cake for, anyways? What's the occasion?" The blue mare cocked her head to the side, staring at her. "... what? What did I say?"

"Your birthday's coming up in a few days, isn't it?"

This time it was the pink pony's turn to be confused. "How did you know?" She was worried now; she'd never told anyone in Ponyville when her birthday was. Her eyes bounced back and forth between her boss and the cake on the counter. She could barely make out the words 'Happy Birthday Pink' on the top.

The elder mare sighed wistfully. "Your mother and Granny Pie both like to keep in touch with me and Mr. Cake. We miss them so much. Haven't seen either of them since Susanna eloped with that rock farmer, Clyde..."

A loud gasp escaped Pinkamena's mouth. "Eloped? You mean-."

"I'm afraid so. They were pretty happy together," Mrs. Cake said as she turned her attention back to the chocolate cake on the counter, "but Granny didn't approve of them being together and when they left, she didn't want to stick around Ponyville anymore. She left us the plans for her bakery and a little extra pay to deal with any loans we'd need, then left town."

Pinkamena turned her attention back to the cake, sniffling as she did. "So Sugarcube Corner... this is... " Her eyes focused on the cake, reading the words on top out loud. "Happy Birthday Pinkie..."

Mrs. Cake looked at the now crying pony next to her. "Oh? Sorry, my mistake dear. Let me fix that. Don't cry, please..." She reached for a knife to scrape the cake off, but a pink hoof gently pinned her own to the counter.

The young mare smiled and shook her head. "Leave it like that. Thanks for letting me come home, Mrs. Cake."

~~~

Pinkamena Diane Pie yawned and rolled onto her back. The hay pile she'd been given wasn't the best bed ever, but somehow it seemed far more comfortable to her now than it had the night before. The young mare had been quite content by the day's turn of events, and thought of what was to come the next day had her excited. It couldn't take Applejack too long to get in touch with Dizzy Twister, and she knew that she'd get to patch things up with that rainbow-maned pegasus anytime now.

At the same time, she found herself dreading the encounter. The rainbow-maned pegasus might still be angry with her, or could have developed a grudge over her clumsiness and wouldn't give her the time of day. And for some reason, the pink earth pony felt as if she'd forgotten something important, but it kept slipping by her.

She retraced her steps. "First there was Mrs. Cake... Mr. Cake... that funny Rarity unicorn... Applejack, and the rain, and-." The sound of a hoof tapping on her window interrupted her train of thought. Her head pivoted towards the window, a quiet gasp escaping from her gaping maw as she did.

The rainbow-maned pegasus hovered just beyond it, grimacing as she stared back at the room's owner.

With lightning agility the pink earth pony bolted to the window, unlocking it and flinging it open. She opened her mouth to speak. No words came out. Her hind legs began quivering.

"So, uh... hi. You must be Pinkamena, huh?" The rainbow-maned mare cracked a smile. "The name's Rain-hey!"

Pinkamena turned and fled, dropping down onto her haypile and holding her head down with her hooves. Doubt flooded her mind. She couldn't do this. She wasn't ready. That pony hated her, she just knew it.

"Hey! Come on!" Rainbow Dash sighed as flew into the room. "At least give me a chance! How am I supposed to apologize to you if you pull stuff like this?!"

"Apol-. Apologize?" Pinkamena raised her head, lowering her hooves to support her. "You mean-"

The rainbow-maned pegasus nodded, turning her head away as if she were refusing to make eye contact. "I didn't... I was just upset, that's all. I'd spent so long working Fluttershy up for that night, and you went and-." Before she could even finish her sentence, the pink-maned mare tackled her to the wooden floor. "Hey!" Dash shouted. "What's the big idea?!"

Pinkamena's front hooves wrapped themselves around the waist of her pegasus partner, pulling her into a tight hug. "Oh thank you so much I'm so sorry about that I mean I didn't want to hurt her feelings I just wanted to serve some cupcakes oh and talk to you since you're so awesome and your hair is amazing and it looks just like this rainbow I saw when I was a filly would you like to hear about that well it all started when-." This time she was the one being cut off as a sky blue hoof stuck itself in her mouth.

"Okay, stop! This isn't what I had in mind when Dizzy said I 'hurt some poor filly's feelings'..." Rainbow Dash squirmed in the pink earth pony's grip. "Look Pinkie, I'm sorry I made you feel bad. Now will you please let go of me?!"

Pinkamena giggled and released her captive to the floor. "Sorry, I... Pinkie?" She cocked her head to the side. "Nopony calls me that. Well, not on purpose. Not that I don't like it, I love it, but why call me Pinkie instead of Pinkamena?"

"It's short for Pinkamena, okay? A nickname." The rainbow-maned pegasus flew up off the ground, landing near the window sill. She turned her head back to the pink pony and asked, "Take care, okay?"

As she was about to fly out, the pink pony shouted, "Wait Dashie!"

Dash turned her head back in confusion. "Dashie?"

"It's short for Dash! Or well, Rainbow Dash. I guess I could just call you Dash, though. But I like saying Dashie, it sounds nice and-." Pinkamena shook her head, trying to focus her thoughts. "No, no, no, what I mean is, I wanted to ask you... who is Fluttershy?"

The rainbow-maned pegasus sat down outside the window, staring out into the starless sky beyond. As Pinkamena edged closer and sat down besides her, she sighed and said, "It's a long story..."

III: Your Best Laid Plan

View Online

That Rainbow Mane

III: Your Best Laid Plan

by Dragon Rage

The afternoon up in summer flight camp was almost always sunny; clouds were rarely taken far above the Pegasi's domain. Being that high up, though, meant the air was always much cooler than the surface. The idea of a hot summer day was practically alien to the fillies and colts. At least, to those who'd never ventured down below.

Most pegasi would journey down to the surface one day. Many would frequent it or choose to live there of their own accord.

Fluttershy was not such a pegasus. Just looking down at the ground made her legs quake. Every moment she didn't have a cloud under her was a moment she could fall, and it was a long, long way down...

And that wasn’t her only problem. If she wasn't tripping over her own hooves, her wings were locking up mid flight or her hair was getting in the way. And with all the ponies who laughed and jeered at her mistakes, it was a wonder to her how she ever worked up the courage to keep trying.

Like today, for instance. 'Klutzershy' wasn't a new name, but it stung all the same when her peers called her that. It wasn't her fault she'd tripped on that cloud ring, or that she flew into the camp's flag.

The day's saving grace came in the form of her friend, Rainbow Dash. The squeaky-voiced filly was even younger than she was, but was already one of the best fliers in camp. She was so brave and selfless, too; it was no surprise to her when Dash stood up for her in front of Hoops and Reps.

Everything between then and now was a bit of a blur to her. The three ponies agreed to a race. Fluttershy was given a flag to hold and was to wave it so they'd know when to begin. She'd done so and watched them fly right past her.

She was falling.

Her tiny wings and long skinny legs flailed about rapidly, but she wasn't slowing down.

She was going to hit the ground.

She knew it was coming up. It was only a matter of when. Tears began to form on the corners of her eyes as she continued her flailing, managing to right herself. Still, it wasn't enough to make any difference.

A strange pink cloud near the ground was coming up quickly. This was it. Fluttershy closed her eyes tightly, bracing for impact.

Just as she hit the cloud, her descent slowed significantly. She opened her eyes, trying to see just what the cloud could possibly be made of to stop her fall so easily.

She'd landed in a swarm of the most beautiful butterflies she'd ever seen. More so than any pictures or displays in Cloudsdale's museum. Beyond them stood many towering trees, their long and leaf-covered branches casting thick shadows on the ground below.

She smiled as a warm summer breeze brushed past her cheek. She couldn’t imagine wanting to leave this place ever again.

~~~

Fluttershy glanced out her bedroom window at the little garden she'd made below. Her carrots weren't growing anywhere near as fast as the ones she'd seen earth ponies in town caring for, despite how well she'd been taking care of them. She'd have to ask Rainbow Dash to buy some from the market; the bunnies she'd taken in couldn't eat carrots that weren't there.

Her stomach rumbled and she let out a long sigh, leaning her head on the empty window frame. She was always relying on Rainbow Dash to help her. 'It isn't safe to go down there alone,' she'd told herself, so she wanted Dash to come with her. 'Everypony must think I can't do anything,' she believed, and so Dash had offered to pay her expenses. 'I have no food for myself or for these animals,' she cried, and so she had Dash spend her own money on food for them. Everything came back to depending on Rainbow Dash to live for her, and so she'd become a burden. Things weren't nearly this bad back in Cloudsdale; she wasn't happy but at least there she wasn't completely helpless.

Just as she was about to pull back in, she saw something moving on the horizon. It was small, but as it got closer she could make out an odd looking hat and the orange earth pony wearing it.

She immediately ducked back into the cottage and raced downstairs to lock her front door. In her panic she completely forgot that the lock had been broken when she moved in and, thanks to her panic attacks, Rainbow Dash had never been able to hire somepony to fix it.

Her gaze flicked back and forth over her sparsely decorated front room. There was nothing she could use to barricade the door. No tables, no chairs, not even the odd ladder.

A chill ran down her spine as the knocking began. She'd just have to hold the door shut herself, and-.

"Howdy, neighbor! A common friend a' ours told me you hadn't eaten breakfast this mornin', so ah figured ah'd come on over with somethin' and get ta know ya!"

Fluttershy poked her head out a nearby window, trying not to catch the earth pony's attention. A fresh apple pie sat on her back.

"Neighbor? Are ya home?"

Her mouth moved on its own, and in her effort to stop any sound from escaping, she gave her position away. She couldn't duck back into her home quick enough; the earth pony had already leaned through the open window to look for her.

"There ya are! Yer Fluttershy, right? My name's Applejack. It's a pleasure ta meet ya!"

She looked up in terror at the smiling face of this "Applejack". Her little muzzle, big green eyes, and long blonde mane coming down in a ponytail behind her neck were—at the moment—the most horrifying things Fluttershy could think of. They were also the only things she could think of as she stared upwards.

Applejack cocked an eyelid. "Um... are ya okay, sugarcube? Sorry, am ah comin' on too strong here?"

Fluttershy barely managed to nod, and with a sigh the earth pony slid down from the window sill. "Whew", Fluttershy said, wiping the sweat from her brow. In all likelihood her unexpected visitor would leave now.

The front door swung open and the earth pony trotted in, sending Fluttershy scurrying across the room, hiding behind her wing.

As Applejack looked about the room she said, "Sorry 'bout that, let me try... oh no." Her gaze rested squarely on Fluttershy. "This is gonna be a long mornin', ain't it..."

~~~

“And remember, she’s kinda shy. You need to be careful when approaching her, okay?”

Applejack nodded, tilting her hat down with a hoof. “Ah gotcha, sugarcube. Shouldn’t be too hard ta get her outta hidin’, though. This apple pie Granny Smith an’ I baked ought ta be enough ta convince her.”

Dash had to admit, that pie did smell pretty tasty. She was kicking herself for not thinking about asking for a second pie to be made while they were still on the farm; she had to eat too, after all. “Alright, you head off to the cottage and get Fluttershy out of there. We should be there in about... does thirty minutes sound good?”

“Sounds fine ta me,” Applejack said, smiling as she did, “ah’m sure ah can get her away before then. Y’all have fun with remodelin’ the place while we’re gone, okay?” With that, the young farm pony trotted off, leaving Rainbow Dash, Pinkamena, and her brother behind.

Dash turned her head towards her companions, glowering at them. “Do you really think she can pull this off, Pinkie?”

“Of course!” Pinkamena cheered, her cheerfulness practically radiating off of her. “If anypony can get your Fluttershy out of that cottage, it’s Applejack! Right, Big Mac?”

The large, broadly built Big Macintosh looked back and forth between the two of them, then simply nodded without saying a word.

Pinkamena let out a light giggle, seemingly causing the stallion to blush. “See? We know she’ll have it all taken care of! Now let’s go do some shopping! We’ll need paint, lots of wood, and maybe some-.”

“Actually,” Rainbow Dash began, “I... I need to pick something up! For Fluttershy, I mean. From...” She turned her head this way and that, before finally settling on the bizarre carousel-esque building they’d come up on. “This place! Yeah, this place. I’ll catch up to you two in a bit!”

“Wait!” Pinkamena shouted, causing Dash to stop in her tracks. As she turned back towards the two of them, she noted their scrunched up faces. “Should we wait here for you to get finished? I mean, that’s a clothing store. I was in there yesterday and met the shop owner and she was a real gem of a pony. But anyways, if you’re just going in there to pick something up it shouldn’t take too long and-.”

“It... well... um...” Dash said, trying her best to work up a convincing lie. “It’s a... special order! Yeah, a special order. I, uh, need to... haggle... and stuff. I’ll be awhile. A long while. Thirty minutes or more a while! You two should just head over to the cottage without me. Don’t worry, I’ll catch up later.”

With that, she dashed off, leaving the two earth ponies behind. As she was about to ram against the front door of the odd looking shop, it opened up. She collided into an unseen white unicorn and the two tumbled into a clothes rack on the other side of the room.

The unicorn groaned and pushed Rainbow Dash away. She shouted, “What in Celestia’s name are you doing?!”, but her assailant had already fled to the front of the store.

Rainbow Dash slammed the front door shut, then slipped over to the window next to it, peeking out over the sill just in time to see Pinkie and Big Macintosh walking away from the store.

“Excuse me, I asked you a question!” The unicorn shouted as she began her march towards to the front of the store. “And what do you think you’re doing with that dress?!”

Rainbow Dash turned her head and let out an annoyed sigh. “I’m trying to hide from these two ponies I met so I can-.” She cut herself short, shaking her head in frustration. “What does it matter to you? I’ll be leaving any second now!”

“First you break into my store,” the unicorn began, her voice much calmer now, “then you assault me, and now you’re wearing my merchandise and saying you’re going to be leaving? I think not!”

“I’m not wearing-.” Rainbow Dash began, pointing an outstretched hoof at the belligerent store owner, then stopped as her gaze turned towards her leg. A sky blue sleeve led up her shoulder, connecting to a fairly breezy summer dress. “How did... I... I mean...” She turned her head away in embarrassment.

“I have to say,” the unicorn started to say, walking up alongside her assailant, “it’s not quite your style, I believe. If you want to, I could design something that would go well with your eyes. Or maybe something a little more... fiery, would you like that?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Th-thanks, but I really do have to go.” As she began slipping out of the dress, she noted the store owner’s disappointment. “Sorry about all this. Maybe I’ll stop by later when I don’t have things I need to do. What’s your name?”

“Rarity, darling. And you’re welcome in Carousel Boutique anytime. So long as you try not to break anything, I mean.”

Dash smiled and nodded, then turned back to the window sill. When she finally felt that her companions were out of sight long enough, she headed back out the front door and took to the air, cutting low over the rooftops of the town’s buildings. If she was quick enough, she’d make it to the cottage before even Applejack got there.

As she soared past the edges of Ponyville, the cottage and the massive forest beyond it came into sight. Just looking at that place gave her chills—more so the forest than the rickety old cottage—but this was where Fluttershy resolved to live. There was no budging her from it.

Dash spied Applejack, taking her sweet time as she trotted along. It didn't occur to Dash that she might be doing it to keep her pie from falling; all that mattered was that she wasn't paying attention to the sky. She certainly wouldn't be able to go ahead of her, but tailing her the rest of the way would be easy. Easy, and very slow.

~~~

Rainbow Dash yawned, leaning over the edge of the cottage's roof. The trip here felt like it took ages, what with how slowly she had to fly in order to keep Applejack unaware. Five minutes ago she had gone inside, trying to coax her friend Fluttershy out. There was no way she'd be able to succeed—Dash knew her better than anyone and it took her two months to get Fluttershy to come out of her shell—so it was only a matter of time before she'd get her turn.

She'd already planned out their entire day together. They'd fly around together for a while to loosen her up, then spend the day in town. There was this nice little spa there, and while that wasn't really her thing, she'd do anything if it meant getting Fluttershy to open up...

'Well,' she thought, looking down at her front hooves, 'almost anything.'

Meanwhile, somepony could finally get to work on remodeling the cottage. Almost everything needed to be fixed. The front door was nearly off its hinges, the lock had broken, and every window was missing. The floors creaked, the roof leaked, and she knew the walls would fall out any day now.

As she kicked her hooves back and forth, she couldn't help but notice Applejack leaving the cottage. "Must've given up already", she whispered to herself. “Bet she couldn't even get Fluttershy out of her room.” It was only a matter of time before she’d get to have her turn. As annoying as her friend could be at times, she was the only pony other than her workmates she could stand to be around for more than a little while.

She looked back down at Applejack, and her jaw nearly hit the roof beneath her. Her old friend was fluttering after her, chowing down on an apple pie given to her. "Wha... but how?!" She cried, trying to wrap her head around the imagery.

Rainbow Dash stood up, glaring at the two as they left down the road. She had to know what happened in there, had to make sure Fluttershy was alright. She crouched down, wings unfurled, and prepared to leap off the roof.

"You're here early, Rainbow Dash!"

She nearly leapt out of her coat as she spun around. "Pinkie Pie! Don't sneak up on me like that! I mean-." She stopped, looking about the roof. "How did you even get up here?"

Pinkie merely grinned as she sidled up next to her. “We’re not that high up, y’know. It’s just two stories! I bet it won’t take more than an afternoon to fix this place up. So,” She began, her grin not leaving her face, “how’d things so with Rarity?”

Rainbow Dash tilted her head to the side. “Rarity? Oh!” She nearly hit herself in the face with one of her front hooves. She should’ve at least bought something, she realized. “I... well, what I was looking for... wasn't in stock! Yeah... she didn't have it in yet.”

“Well that’s okay,” Pinkie said, putting a hoof over Dash’s shoulders, “I’m sure she’ll have it in soon! So after you left, you decided to come all the way here ahead of us, huh?”

Rainbow Dash nodded, more than a little thankful that her companion filled in the rest of her lie for her. She couldn’t help but feel like she was being distracted, though. “Anyways,” she began, trying to focus her thoughts. She was going to... do something a moment ago, she remembered. “We need... we need more workers. How are the two of us going to manage all this ourselves?”

“You’re forgetting Big Macintosh,” Pinkie said, motioning back towards Ponyville, “and I’m pretty sure the three of us can handle this!”

Dash sighed. “Right, that overgrown earth pony. He’s pretty strong... hm.” She began pacing about the rooftop; what she was going to do was starting to come back to her. “How long is it gonna take him to get here?”

“Well,” Pinkie began, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof, “he’s still on his way here. We picked up a lot of supplies in town, and he offered to carry it all for me so I could go on ahead and make sure the coast is clear.”

“So maybe I should go and speed him along! Y’know, so we can get started faster.” Dash tilted her head away, trying not to make eye contact with her oddball companion. The last thing she wanted to do was shirk her duty after they’d gone and planned this out, but...

Pinkie beamed a brilliant smile. “Oki doki! You hurry over to Ponyville and bring him here right away! Oh, and if you see any other ponies who want to help, we could use the extra hooves!”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Right, I’ll be back in a bit!” With that, she lifted off from the roof of the ratty cottage, flying off towards Sweet Apple Acres. She could scarcely hear Pinkie shouting “Wait, Ponyville’s the other way, Dashie!” from behind her as she sped away.

~~~

“An’ here’s the carrot farm run by my neighbor, Golden Harvest. She’s a mite fussy, but that mare’s got a heart a’ gold, ah tell ya.”

Fluttershy nodded with interest as she followed alongside Applejack. She’d finished off the apple pie a while ago, and honestly felt as if she’d run away back to her cottage once she did so. But by the time she was done, she found herself... comfortable around her newfound friend. She even called her friend, at least in her own mind. The only pony she really considered close enough to her for that was Rainbow Dash...

“We’re comin’ up on Sweet Apple Acres now, Fluttershy. You’re gonna love it, ah just know it!”

She nodded again, smiling weakly. She wasn’t terribly interested in growing apples and, as far as she knew, that was all this particular earth pony did. She didn’t know if bunnies would eat apples, she’d never heard of them doing it before. But it couldn’t hurt to see what Applejack had to show her. She could always adapt the knowledge to growing her carrots. Or she could ask Applejack to try and introduce her to Golden Harvest.

“Well,” Applejack said, turning around and smiling at her, “Whatta ya think, sugarcube?”

Fluttershy peered over the earth pony’s shoulder, gazing at the massive apple orchard behind her. Her mouth dropped open as she did.

“Heheheh, yer not the first ta react like that. The Apple Family’s one a’ the oldest in Ponyville, an’ we’ve got a lotta land ta’ show fer it.” Applejack’s smile beamed with pride. “‘Course it’s no big deal, really. The Apple Family’s just another part a’ the community. Would ya like somethin’ ta drink?”

“Oh,” Fluttershy began, regaining her composure. “Sure, I’d like a glass of water if you don’t mind.”

Applejack chuckled. “Sure thing. Ah could juice ya some apples real quick if ya want, too.” As she began her trek towards the farmhouse on the other side of the orchard, she motioned for Fluttershy to follow. “So tell me, Fluttershy, what brings ya here to Ponyille?”

Fluttershy smiled, looking up at the apple-filled boughs of the trees they’d been passing by. “I can’t remember the last time I told anypony. To be honest, I was never all that happy up in Cloudsdale. I’m not the best flier... not by any stretch. So when Rainbow Dash offered to take me down to the ground, how could I say no?” After a moment of silence, she let out a heavy sigh. “But life down here is much harder than I thought it would be. I don’t have my family to take care of me anymore, and I haven’t had much luck with settling in here...”

Applejack stopped in her tracks, giving Fluttershy ample time to catch up to her. “Well, all that oughta change today! Ah’m gonna show ya a few gardenin’ tricks, if ya don’t mind.”

As the two came up on the Apple family home, a small red-maned filly with a big pink bow barreled out the front door, leaping onto Applejack. “Yer home, sis! Where were ya, an’ where’s Big Macintosh?”

Applejack chuckled and helped her sister get onto her back. “Big Macintosh is... busy right now, Apple Bloom. He’s in town shoppin’ fer things an’ won’t be back until later. As fer me, ah was off gettin’ our new neighbor, this sweet young pegasus right over here.” She motioned with her hoof to where she knew Fluttershy had been standing.

Apple Bloom cocked her head to the side. “Um, sis?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s nopony there, sis.”

Applejack spun her head, only to find that Fluttershy had seemingly vanished on her. “Aw horseapples, Apple Bloom! Did ya see where she got off to?”

In a tree not too far from the two earth ponies, Fluttershy found herself struggling to contain her fear. ‘It’s just a filly,’ she thought, ‘just a harmless little filly. I don’t need to be scared. I don’t need Rainbow Dash or Applejack to protect me. I can do this...’

As she crept forward to the edge of her perch in the tree, she heard a slight rustling not far behind her. She screamed and leapt down, dashing towards the Apple sisters in a panic.

~~~

Big Macintosh had been silent his entire time in Ponyville, save for when he needed to speak. Most ponies left him well enough alone, which suited the stoic stallion just fine. Not that he would’ve minded the company, but when there’s work to be done the best thing to do is stick to the task at hand, he figured.

He calmly trudged down the road out of Ponyville, towards the rundown cottage by the Everfree Forest. A small part of him longed for the company of another pony. Just somepony to talk to him while he kept pace with them. A second set of eyes would mean he could afford not paying full attention to the road, though with one as plain as this he didn’t see that being too big a problem. He reckoned even without a friend to guide him along, he’d get there pretty quickly.

His thoughts turned back towards that odd pegasus they were supposed to be working with. Lingering doubts about her behavior had been silently building up in the back of his head, and while he wasn’t one to back away from an ugly truth, he felt he ought to have a little faith in Dash.

As he came within a stone’s throw of the cottage, he felt the weight on his back shift. Above him came a voice full of pep and cheer, shouting “Hello Big Macintosh!” as loud as it seemed it could. He thought back to his thoughts earlier on the trip here, and almost regretted the minor bout of loneliness. “Hello”, he said back as he carefully lowering his load onto the ground next to him. “Rainbow Dash is still busy in town, I guess. We should get started without her.”

Pinkie lept off the stack and back onto the stallion’s back and shouted, “Woohoo! We’ll have this cottage all cleaned up before she gets back!” She paused, then added “Except-.”

Big Macintosh’s ears perked up. His head turned to look back at his new load. “Except what?” He knew he wasn’t going to like what she had to say. Nopony ever liked any news coming after an “except”, and somehow he doubted this would be any different.

“Except Rainbow must have had something else to do in town.” Pinkie slid off his back and began pacing beside him. “She got here before you, and said she finished what she had to do in town, so she wanted to get here quickly to help us out, but I told her you were still in town so she said she’d go off to help you along but obviously you aren’t with her so she must have met you on her way into town, right?”

'No', he thought, 'it wasn’t any different.' With a knowing sigh, he decided there was no avoiding where this conversation was going. Better to drive it forward himself before his crazy new friend took it someplace dangerous. “Which direction did she go off in, Pinkamena?”

Pinkie stopped her pacing and half-climbed onto his back, pointing off in the direction he suspected she would. “That way, I remember! I tried to tell her she was going the wrong way, but she was going too fast and I don’t think she heard me! She might’ve gotten lost, or maybe she-.”

“She abandoned working with us to go keep an eye on her pegasus friend,” he guessed. He felt he was giving that pony far too much credit after she’d skipped out on helping them twice now, but it made sense to him from what little he knew of her. And besides, even if it wasn’t the truth, a gentle falsehood like that would still keep Pinkie from worrying her mane off.

Pinkie’s body sagged down into a sitting position and her head hung low. “Oh... I guess that’s okay...”

He cleared his throat and patted her on the back. He knew was going to regret this, but the last thing he’d ever want to see again was that adorable little face as downtrodden as it seemed right now. “Chin up, Pinkamena. Go into town and fetch some other ponies to help with the work. Tell ‘em Big Macintosh asked for help if you have any trouble with it.” He was well liked enough in Ponyville, he reckoned, and there probably wasn’t any shortage of ponies who’d lend him a helping hoof if he asked for it.

~~~

“Now, just like ah showed ya, sugarcube.”

Fluttershy nodded, looking down at the little watering can Apple Bloom had left for her before she disappeared into the orchard to play. The little redheaded filly had turned out to be not so much scary as very uncouth, if the spittle floating on the surface of the water inside was any proof. She fluttered over to a small pot resting by the side of the Apple family’s front door, tipping the can and slowly pouring water onto the soil and mulch within. Her nose crinkled at the smell; it was more powerful than she’d expected, though hardly disgusting by any means. It reminded her of the smell of freshly cut timber, in fact.

As she finished, she turned her head towards the nearly identical pot next to it. It had a flower growing out of the soil, courtesy of Applejack. It had sprouted up even before she stopped giving it water. Her own pot did no such thing.

“I don’t get it,” she cried, turning her head back and forth between the two pots, “why doesn’t mine do that?”

Applejack dug at the ground with one of her forehooves, silently going over what had happened. Her friend here hadn’t done anything wrong, at least as far as she could tell, but she couldn’t argue with the results.

“Well, ah wasn’t sure this’d be a problem, but...”, she began, trying her best to figure out how to word what she needed to say. “Maybe it’s just, ah’m just guessin’, ‘cause yer not an Earth Pony?” She lowered her hat to cover her eyes, trying not to make eye contact in case she offended the pegasus.

Fluttershy merely nodded. “Oh, that makes sense.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow, lifting her hat again as she spoke. “Beg pardon?”

“Back in Cloudsdale, we were taught the differences between the three kinds of ponies.” Fluttershy closed her eyes and smiled as she began recounting what she’d learned. “Pegasi are gifted with the power of flight and a natural control over the weather. Unicorns have their magic, letting them do many amazing things related to their special talent. And earth ponies all have a natural connection to the fauna and flora of the land.” She then lowered her head and sighed. “I guess that means I just can’t cut it when it comes to growing my own plants.”

Applejack held back a sigh of relief, thankful that she hadn’t hurt the poor dear’s feelings. “Well, nothin’ to be done about that, ah guess. Ah wouldn’t mind waterin’ yer plants fer ya every now an’ then.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I’m sure if I keep trying, my plants will grow eventually.” She then sighed again, dropping down next to Applejack’s potted flower. “Eventually...”

Applejack walked over to Fluttershy, nudging her with her muzzle. “Don’t just turn me down ta be nice. Ah’d love ta be yer gardener, at least until ya settle in. Why’re ya so insistent on havin’ yer own garden, though?”

“Oh, um,” Fluttershy began, turning her head to look up at her new friend, “it’s not for me, really. I started it because I need something to feed the nearby animals. The ones I’d been talking to just don’t eat all that well, and I couldn’t just let them starve.”

Once again Applejack’s eyebrow flared up. “Beg pardon? You talk to ‘em? Like, listenin’ to what they say an’ such?”

Fluttershy nodded. “That’s my special talent. I discovered it when I was a filly, and ever since then it’s all I’ve really wanted out of life. Living down here with the animals I’d take care of is my dream.”

Applejack cocked her head to the side. “Yer sure about all that? Can ya show me? Here, follow me ta the chicken coop.”

As Applejack walked away, Fluttershy could have sworn she heard rustling from behind her, up in one of the many nearby trees. She turned, watching them carefully for any sign of movement, then hurried along behind her friend. She found her sticking out of the coop, her head hidden from sight. “Why would you have a chicken coop on an apple farm?”

“Well,” the farmpony said as she pulled her head out of the coop, “nopony else was willin’ ta take care of ‘em, so Big Macintosh an’ I built this here coop an’ let ‘em stay. They’re nice an’ the eggs they lay help bring in a little extra income, but we’ve always felt they deserved a better home.” She stopped, turning her head away for a moment, before turning back and smiling. “If you can really talk to ‘em, then ah reckon that better home’s finally come.”

Fluttershy nodded, smiling confidently. “Thank you, Applejack! I promise I won’t let you down!” With that she lowered her head, sticking it into the dark confines of the wooden coop. “Hello little chickens,” she began, trying her best to keep her tone gentle, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Fluttershy and-.”

She could swear she heard the faint sound of leaves rustling behind her, followed by a heavy thud. A familiar voice shouted, “What’d you tell her to do?! What’s in that big wooden box?! Answer me!”

Fluttershy reflexively tried to turn, bopping her head on the side of the chicken coop’s entrance. The chickens inside squawked and flailed about, pushing her out as they fled. As she stood up, shaking her head, she gasped and turned to chase after them, only to stop when she saw the newest arrival to Sweet Apple Acres.

Rainbow Dash seemed poised to attack Applejack at any moment.