//------------------------------// // Being there for them. // Story: Caught in the Act // by Doom Trot //------------------------------// That evening... "Applejack? Are ya in here?" Apple Bloom meekly asked as she entered the family barn. "Ah need t' talk with you..." Applejack peered from behind a haystack in the loft, a terse grin on her face as she made eye contact with Apple Bloom. "Hey there, Apple Bloom. What do ya need?" Apple Bloom drifted over to the ladder that led up to the loft, placing a hoof on the lowest rung with a heavy sigh. "Applejack, ah need t' ask ya about some things... things havin' t' do with Rainbow Dash." Applejack hurried over to the ladder, sliding down it and landing lithely. She looked down at Apple Bloom with a warm smile, saying, "Sure thing, sugar cube. What about 'er?" Apple Bloom stared into Applejack's eyes for a moment, then turned her attention to her hooves, looking downtrodden as she muttered, "Well, at school today, ah was gettin' asked a bunch o' questions. Really weird questions. Half of 'em ah couldn't answer," she looked up to Applejack, a good measure of sorrow in her eyes. "The other half ah didn't want to." Applejack's smile seemed to waver, but she nonetheless asked in a calm voice, "Ya been hearin' rumors 'bout us, haven't ya?" Apple Bloom sighed, cheeks rosy as she rubbed at her neck. Quietly, she said, "Well, ah didn't know nothin' about it 'til school started today. Ah didn't know what t' tell mah classmates, so ah just stayed quiet... 'til Diamond Tiara showed up." Applejack chuckled, patting Apple Bloom's shoulder and saying, "Ah bet she was a real thorn in yer side." Apple Bloom nodded curtly, a small grin on her lips as she answered, "Big time." Applejack and Apple Bloom shared a laugh, but Apple Bloom's expression had quickly become dire again. "But, that's just Diamond Tiara bein' 'erself. She don't get along with me and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders none too well on any day," Apple Bloom said, placing her own hoof on Applejack's, then politely brushing it away, continuing, "That ain't important, though. Ah came here to ask 'f... if... aw, horse apples!" Apple Bloom massaged the bridge of her nose, sounding frustrated as she said, "Ah don't know how t' ask ya without offendin' ya none." Applejack lowered herself to her haunches, bringing Apple Bloom's eyes back to her's by lifting up her chin. "Apple Bloom, ah think ah know what's troublin' ya, but before ah tell ya anything, ah need to ask ya a question." Apple Bloom stared at Applejack in silence for a long moment, then tentatively asked, "What question?" "Are ya askin' me 'cause ya don't understand, or because ya do, but ya can't believe it?" Applejack question asked sternly. Apple Bloom sat as well, Applejack withdrawing her hoof. Warily, Apple Bloom answered, "Ah don't understand any o' this. Everypony 's callin' ya'll freaks." Applejack grimaced at this, giving Apple Bloom cause to quickly add, "B-but they ain't right! Ah just... um... ah don't think yer a freak." Applejack sighed a grievous sigh, but said gently, "That's much appreciated, Apple Bloom... but maybe they're right." "Don't say that!" Apple Bloom interjected, pointing at Applejack. "Ya ain't no freak; Rainbow Dash ain't no freak neither." Applejack grinned slightly at Apple Bloom's reassurance, appreciatively saying, "That's sweet o' ya, Apple Bloom." "Applejack, ah know yer gettin' laughed at." Apple Bloom began, firm and serious. "Ah know that ya ain't gettin' no respect from nopony. That's 'cause they don't understand. That's why ah came t' ask ya. Ah don't know what t' think, 'cause ah don't understand." Applejack smiled at her sister's words. After a long pause, she whispered, "Alright then. Ya want t' understand?" Apple Bloom nodded. "Then ah'll tell ya what ah know, and what ah think." Apple Bloom placed a hoof on Applejack's leg, sounding grave as she said, "Only the honest truth, Applejack. Please." Applejack nodded, patting Apple Bloom's head. "Nothin' but, Apple Bloom. Nothin' but." "Have you seen Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked a group of conversing stallions, who all answered with a shake of the head and returned to their conversation. "Oh, okay..." Fluttershy repeated her question to every passerby she came across in Cloudsdale, but to no fruition. Tired and disheartened, Fluttershy took to the skies, lazily gliding toward Ponyville. "Poor Rainbow Dash. Where did you go?" she asked the empty skies. As Fluttershy neared Ponyville, her mind wandering, she was stopped by a faint noise coming from a low flying cloud. She hovered in place, staring at the cloud with perplexity. Cautiously, she flew toward it, circling the cloud as the noise became clearer. "Hello?" she asked meekly, the sobs she'd been hearing halting suddenly. "Who's there?" asked a muffled voice from inside the cloud. "Um, it's Fluttershy," she answered, eyeing the cloud with concern. "Who are you? Why are you inside a cloud?" The cloud's top shuddered and gave way to the head of a pegasus, who furiously rubbed at her eyes before turning her attention to Fluttershy. "Oh. Hi, Fluttershy..." muttered Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash, have you been... crying?" Fluttershy asked, landing on the cloud. Rainbow Dash hurriedly dug herself out of her cloud covering, chuckling nervously, "What? Me? Crying? Don't be silly." "... okay," Fluttershy mumbled, frowning at Rainbow Dash's answer, but not pressing the matter. "I heard you were getting bullied. Is that true?" Rainbow Dash avoided Fluttershy's gaze, her tail swinging from side to side as she answered, "N-no. Just a couple stupid jokes here and there; nothing like bullying, though." Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin, scrupulously studying Rainbow Dash's feature's. After a moment, she frowned again, muttering, "Jokes don't leave ponies with black eyes." Rainbow Dash gasped at Fluttershy's observation, covering her eye with a hoof and stammering, "Oh, that. Y-yeah, that was just an accident. Nothing too serious." Fluttershy's frown deepened as she seated herself on the cloud, her eyes drilling into Rainbow Dash. "It looks pretty serious to me," she said. "Are you sure everything's alright?" Rainbow Dash shifted uncomfortably, rubbing at her cheek as she averted her gaze from Fluttershy's stare. "Of course. Everything's cool." "Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy began, sounding surprisingly commanding, "look me in the eye and tell me that nothing is bothering you." Rainbow Dash shivered lightly, hesitant to comply, then met Fluttershy's stare. She stood in silence for a moment as Fluttershy's sharp eyes pierced her form, then heaved a shaky sigh as she collapsed, her face buried in her forelegs. As her sobs began anew, Rainbow Dash cried, "I can't take this, Fluttershy! I just can't!" Fluttershy's determined frown quickly transformed into a pitying smile as she placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder, cooing a compassionate, "There, there; let it all out." Rainbow Dash curled up tighter when Fluttershy attempted to console her, but was able to regain a slight measure of composure to say, "Who knew that ponies could be so cruel? Laughing at me. Calling me names! You have no idea what it's like!" "... right," Fluttershy said flatly, her pitying smile replaced by a slight scowl. Rainbow Dash turned onto her side, her hooves now covering her face. "It's so unfair. Everypony is blowing this out of proportions, and they're just making up random crud to throw at us. I hate it!" Fluttershy sighed, stroking Rainbow Dash's mane in a soothing manner. "There's no need to be so upset. I'm sure that if you and Applejack just explain yourself to Ponyville, then everypony teasing you will stop." "No, Fluttershy, they won't!" Rainbow Dash cried, slamming a hoof into the cloud. "They'll never stop! They're gonna keep laughing at me, and at Applejack, forever!" Fluttershy grimaced at Rainbow Dash's despair, considering what to say as Rainbow Dash continued to shake from her sobbing. "Rainbow Dash... I... heard all the rumors," she began, precarious as can be. "A lot of them aren't true, but some of them are close to the truth. Talking it out will only help, so, um, why don't you talk to me? Just tell me everything." Rainbow Dash quelled her sobbing, drawing away from Fluttershy and shakily propping herself up on her front hooves. "Why... why do you want to know?" Fluttershy shrugged, her smile returning. "You're so broken up by how everypony is treating you. Talking helps, and I just want to help." Rainbow Dash sniffled, rubbing at her eyes as she mumbled, "You really think it'll help?" Fluttershy nodded, reassuringly answering, "It can't hurt." "So, this was all Rainbow Dash's idea?" Apple Bloom asked to clarify. "Yep. She came up with it, and asked me 'f ah was interested," Applejack answered, removing her stetson and scratching her head. "Really? Ah didn't think she was that kind o' mare," Apple Bloom mumbled, hurriedly adding, "Not that there's anything wrong with that!" Applejack shrugged, replacing her stetson and saying, "She surprised me with 'er proposition, that's fer sure." "Ah mean, ah knew ya'll was friends, but why would she think up somethin' like that?" Apple Bloom asked. "Well, ah don't know what got the idea in 'er head, but she seemed mighty committed. Course, now ah bet she wishes she could forgot the whole thing." Applejack paused, studying her hooves with an enigmatic expression. "... ah wish ah coulda gotten in a word with 'er 'fore she took off. She's so embarrassed; maybe even ashamed." Apple Bloom frowned at this, her eyes wandering. Without her gaze focused on Applejack, she asked almost absently, "Are you ashamed? 'Cause ah aint' seein' nothin' wrong." Applejack was taken aback by the question, putting a hoof to her chest as she asked, "Ashamed? Why do ya think ah would be ashamed?" Apple Bloom, still not meeting Applejack's eye, shrugged, answering, "Ah don't know. Rainbow Dash seems upset somethin' awful. Are ya regrettin' yer decision, like she is?" Applejack blinked at the question, seeming to draw a blank. "Well..." Apple Bloom turned an expectant gaze to her, giving her cause to smile and say, "T' be honest, ah'm not. Ah ain't ashamed none, and ah don't regret nothin'." Apple Bloom cocked her head, asking, "Then why are ya here? Why are ya hidin' from everypony?" Applejack seemed to ponder the question for a moment, then she stood, saying, "Yer right, Apple Bloom. Ah got no reason to shy away from them no-good name callers." Apple Bloom hopped up, a proud grin on her face as she shouted, "That's the spirit! Now ya just need t' tell Rainbow Dash that she ain't got no reason to shy away neither!" Applejack's resolute stance wavered. "... right. Just need t' talk with Rainbow Dash 'bout this." Apple Bloom, noticing the uncertainty in Applejack's tone, asked, "Somethin' the matter?" "Uh... just—" Before Applejack could say anything more, there came a knock at the door of the barn. "Who knocks on a barn door?" Apple Bloom asked with a raise of the brow. "Applejack! Darling, if you're in there, we're here to help!" shouted Rarity from outside. "Oh, Rarity," Applebloom muttered with a roll of the eyes. "So, this has been going on for a week now?" Fluttershy asked. "Yeah. One week..." Rainbow Dash said with a sigh, placing a hoof on her forehead. "Go ahead and laugh. I won't stop you." Fluttershy blinked at this, then grinned lightly, asking, "Why would I laugh at you?" Rainbow Dash dropped her hoof, looking confused as she turned her attention to Fluttershy. "What? You aren't gonna laugh, like everypony else?" Fluttershy's warm smile broadened as she slowly shook her head, answering, "I think it's cute. Kind of sweet, really." "You're kidding," Rainbow Dash stated disbelievingly. "You're joking, right?" "I mean it. Sure, it might sound a little unusual or even a bit creepy to some ponies, but I think it's proof what good friends you and Applejack are," Fluttershy said, enticing a weak chuckle from Rainbow Dash. "Are you serious? You... you think that it's sweet?" She asked, Fluttershy laughing in turn. "I do. Most ponies wouldn't think to ask something like that to any one of their friends so boldly, but you did. I think it's really, really, really sweet!" Fluttershy's words put a grin on Rainbow Dash's face, but her smile didn't remain for long. "Sweet or not, I got Applejack wrapped up in this, and now she probably hates me for it," Rainbow Dash muttered. Rainbow Dash's despair gave Fluttershy cause to grimace and put a hoof to her shoulder. "She doesn't hate you!" Fluttershy reassured, Rainbow Dash looking away. "Why would she hate you?" "Because Ponyville is laughing at her, and it's all my fault," Rainbow Dash answered flatly. "Nonsense! So what if a few meanies are calling you names?" Fluttershy asked, donning a determined scowl. "Applejack should only be regretful if she doesn't like what happened." Rainbow Dash's eyes wandered in the moment of silence that followed. After the moment passed, she hesitantly said, "What if she doesn't? I kinda feel like I forced her into it." Fluttershy's scowl became sharper as she placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash's other shoulder. "Rainbow Dash, stop!" she commanded, Rainbow Dash flinching at her forcefulness. "Do you really think that Applejack felt forced? Do you really think she would turn her back on you now? Would you turn your back on her, if it had been her idea?" "Of course not! What kind of friend would I be if I did that?" Rainbow Dash answered furiously, quickly appearing to have come to a realization. "Fluttershy, you're right! Applejack's tougher than that." "She is, and you are, too," Fluttershy said, her scowl morphing into a reassuring grin. "Now, you and Applejack just need to stand by your decision, and Ponyville will respect you for it." Rainbow Dash stood in a flurry, wings outspread as she declared, "Yeah! Applejack and I aren't gonna take this anymore!" With this, she jumped off the cloud and took off at full speed toward Sweet Apple Acres. "Way to go, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy whispered to herself as she stood, watching the fleeting pegasus jet away.