//------------------------------// // Wednesdays child // Story: Vaguely Familiar. // by Reptilicus //------------------------------// Congratulations. You are here because you are the best your kingdom has to offer. You have earned your right to be a member of our team. Through hard work and dedication, we will mold you to be the heroes of tomorrow. However, becoming a Wonderbolt is more than just a privilege. More than just an honor. It is a state of mind. A mantra. Even the best can falter. Even the best can lose a challenge. Honor, loyalty, bravery, and self-sacrifice. These are our greatest tools. It is not an easy job, and I say this as a longtime member. You will get hurt. You will lose precious time with your loved ones. You will grow to hate flying. Even if for only a short while. It will seem thankless. Cruel. But, through it all it is one of the most rewarding jobs you can have. I would not give this up for anything. And this I promise to you. Part entertainer, part defender, part dignitary. For those of you who stand here before me please raise your right hoof. This is our oath. Today you will repeat after me. Tomorrow, you will learn it. Memorize it. Make it a part of you. I affirm that I have voluntarily enlisted myself as a Wonderbolt. I will stand firm in the face of adversaries. I will defend Celestia against all her enemies. I will serve honorably for the Kingdom of Equestria. Where there is a fire, I will snuff it. Where there is a thirst, I will quench it. When others are weak, I shall be strong. When others are needy, I shall be giving. I will wear the name Wonderbolt to the best of my skill and understanding. I take this obligation freely. And with grace. Spitfire, the captain of the Wonderbolts stood proudly before the line of pegasus ponies that stood before her. Each had been through so much. Documentation, training, contests, challenges, all leading up to this moment. To prove they were the best of the best of the best. They stood rigidly, a folded blue and yellow uniform on the turf before them. It was a joyous affair, and an honor. But there was a tinge of sadness in the air as Spitfire glanced at the inductees. Once again, a young and promising mare from Ponyville had failed to make it to the final standings. She had saved Spitfire's life, and sacrificed much to defend her country against a variety of threats. But yet she had failed to complete the rigorous training again. And although she sat several dozen yards away in the bleachers of the Wonderbolts arena, Spitfire could feel the sad grim stare of the young mare piercing into her. She would have given anything to simply allow Rainbow Dash a free pass into the team. The Ponyville daredevil had shown she had more than ample skill to perform any task. But when faced with a challenge to put all her training and tricks together, it had fallen apart. And not just on one occasion. It was heartbreaking to watch a pony so full of promise, fail at the one thing she had set her heart on. But rules were rules, and Spitfire continued speaking to the new recruits that stood before her. "So, now that the boring legal stuff is done." she began with a wink. "Why don't you kids get those uniforms on and follow me to the stadium. Fleetfoot has a game of Airball set up for us. Whoever gets the most points gets to decide where we have our celebratory dinner tonight. I'm setting up a rule this year, if you win and pick a fast food place, you are cleaning the latrines tomorrow. I don't care if it's funny. I'm not eating fried oats again." With a few nervous chuckles, the young recruits donned their uniforms and took to the skies, following Spitfire and disappearing into the clouds. ********************************************************* In the stands on the minty green seats sat Rainbow Dash. Her face was expressionless, and despite the bandage criss-crossing under her right foreleg, she looked simply like a bystander. But her magenta eyes told a different story. Anger, frustration, and despair seemed to be seeping out from her pupils, unable to remain contained within her trembling body. A few feet away sat a group of three other ponies, their expressions full of concern as they watched their friend quietly mouth Spitefire's speech along with the captain on the field. She had heard the speech so many times. Memorized it. Made it a part of her. Shakily she raised her right hoof, repeating the oath, knowing this might be the closest she ever got to saying it for real. Her dream had been shattered yet again. It was becoming a regular thing, but that didn't make it any less upsetting. As the recruits flew off, Dash stayed put, staring at the empty field. "Ya know maybe it'd be good for you to take a break for a while, Dash." began Applejack, an orange pony with a brown stetson atop her blonde mane. "This can't be healthy for ya, Sugarcube. Hurtin' yerself up like this and sittin here watching these fellers get their accolades n' such." "No. I need to watch this." Dash muttered through gritted teeth. "Why?" "Because if I don't I won't learn anything." A sad glance was exchanged between the three friend. Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy all watched Rainbow as she sat quietly staring into the empty field, unwilling to budge, even long after the recruits had flown away, only their misty trails in the air serving as a reminder they had ever been there. On most days Applejack and Twilight would not even be here. They lacked the natural magic to stand upon clouds like pegasus ponies did. But Twilight was clever, a sorceress in training, and had enchanted her wingless friends with the ability to cloudwalk, simply so that they could watch their friend compete, and hopefully win. It had not been a productive day. Twilight began to whisper to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy I really don't think it's good for Dash to stay here." she whispered. "If we let her revel in this, she's only going to get more upset. You need to do something to get her to follow us." "Why me?" Fluttershy squeaked. "Because you're her oldest friend and you understand her more than any of us. Rarity and Pinkie are probably wondering why we aren't back home yet." "Alright....I...I'll try." Fluttershy rose to her hooves and quietly hovered over to Dash, landing in the seat to her side. For a moment she said nothing, collecting her thoughts. She'd known Dash ever since they had been little fillies. Even then, being a Wonderbolt had been Dash's dream. The rainbow-haired mare had always been private about her struggles, but Fluttershy knew this particular loss had to be very bitter. Gently as she could, Fluttershy lifted one of her light yellow forelegs and placed it on her old friend's shoulder before clearing her throat. "Dash, um I know that....you're very upset right now...." "I'm fine." "We both know you aren't. But it's fine to be upset....you know you'll have more chances to be a Wonderbolt. Maybe even tomorrow." "Hmph." "It's....not good for you to just sit here...being angry. You should come with me and the others. We can have fun and get some supper. I know that would make you feel better." "Mmph." "C'mon...let's get out of here." With a small nudge, Fluttershy pushed Rainbow out of her seat. The cyan mare reluctantly fell to her hooves unsteadily, not breaking her gaze with the turf. Finally she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, turning away and joining the rest of her friends. They walked down the steps to the locker rooms in silence, not quite sure of what to say. It had been a long and difficult day, and as they rounded the corner into the lobby they knew it was only going to get worse. There, lounging in one of the cloud couches sat Hoops, a buttery brown stallion with a small evil grin playing around his stocky features. His hair was much too long, but one could still see his beady eyes, following Rainbow as she quietly trotted through the lobby. Fluttershy shrank from his gaze, remembering all the years of bullying she had put up with at the hooves of this stallion. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Rainboom Crash and Stuttershy," he called with a sneer. "Another day another failure huh?" "Buzz off." Rainbow growled. "I really liked the part where you slammed into the artificial tree." Hoops continued. "It takes some real skill to pull that off. Guess you aren't a one-trick-pony after all." "Son, if y'all don't shut up I'm gonna kick yer teeth out." Applejack menaced with an angry glare as she marched boldly up to the stallion. She wasn't anywhere near his size, but the strength of her hind legs was considered legendary. And when Applejack was angry, you knew any threats she made were promises. Hoops grinned and backed off into one of the hallways. "Sure thing, apple lady. See ya at the racetrack tomorrow, Crash." he turned before he exited through one of the doors. "And before you ask, I'm not competing. I'm one of the judges. Better bring your A-Game tomorrow, Crash." And with a final snicker, he was gone to the sound of the clicking doorknob, leaving the four ponies sitting in the lobby. "I really dislike that feller." Applejack muttered as they made their way out into the sunlight. **************************************************** On the outskirts of Ponyville, high in the sky, sat a rather elegant house in the clouds. White marble and pearl tile gleamed in the sun, a small shimmering waterfall cascaded from the roof into the fluffy white clouds that held the structure aloft, creating a very peaceful and relaxing ambient sound of gurgling liquid as it it splashed into the small pond below. At it's front, near the edge of the cloud sat a small blue mailbox. It's side painted with a small rainbow lightning bolt and the words R.D. Originally a resident of the town of Cloudsdale where most pegasi lived, Rainbow had moved her floating cottage over to the small humble village of Ponyville two years prior. Partly so she could begin her new job as the head of the Ponyville weather team, and at the same time so she could be closer to her only friend, Fluttershy. The two had known each other since before they could fly, and despite Rainbow's brash need of independence, she was more than willing to follow Fluttershy wherever she went. After moving Rainbow had made quite a few new friends, and while it had been somewhat difficult to adjust to being social, she had come to adore the village and its many friendly occupants. Her house had become sort of a landmark for the town, a great white beacon in the sky that marked the way for any incoming visitors. Inside at the moment were quite a few guests, setting up a small surprise party and eagerly awaiting Dash's arrival back home. It wasn't every day that a Ponyville citizen was accepted into the highly regarded Wonderbolts squadron. And despite having failed to make the cut, everyone was certain Dash would be a shoe-in this year. The party had been decided by Pinkie Pie, a friend of Dash and a longtime citizen of Ponyville. When it came to parties, she was an expert. In fact, it was her special talent, her cutie mark appearing as three colorful balloons in the short pink hair on her flank. Pinkie's parties were always great. Even the royalty of Canterlot would at times invite the pink pony to help organize their social gatherings. But this party was special because it was a party for Rainbow Dash, whom Pinkie considered to be her very best friend in the whole wide world, for reasons even she didn't quite understand. "Pinkie!" Rarity barked as she held aloft a pile of streamers in a small cloud of blue magic emanating from her horn. "You're daydreaming again!" "What? Oh that's silly Rarity! I can't dream while I'm awake!" Pinkie replied as she shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I was just thinking." "Where do I put these streamers? The whole ceiling is pretty much coated with the things and I've run entirely out of room." "Hmmm. HMMMMMMMMMMM." Pinkie slouched over, scratching her curly pink mane with a hoof while gazing at the ceiling. It was indeed nearly invisible under the thick layer of ribbons that crossed it from one end of the room to the other, packed tightly. "Could you maybe....braid them Rarity? Sort of like a basket but with streamers!" Rarity raised an eyebrow. "You want me to make a lattice of streamers?" "Yeah! That would be great and it'd be really colorful! Better than not being able to hang those up!" "Pinkie." the white unicorn sighed and packed the streamers back into their box. "You know there is such a thing as TOO much decorating." "Rarity, nobody throws a party like me. It has to be the best!" "There are streamers on the walls." "The best!" "And streamers on the floor." "THE BEST!" "And streamers in the punch bowl." "THE BEST!!!!" "Pinkie." Rarity put her arm around the pink pony's shoulders. "I know you want this to be the best party possible but I'm exhausted and so is everyone else. It's been hours now." Pinkie glanced around the room. It was full of guests, some were co-workers from Rainbow's job at the weather center, others were flightless earth ponies from town, sitting on the clouds with 'cloudwalking' spells enchanting their hooves. All had been busy following Pinkie's orders over the evening, preparing a frustratingly elaborate party to congratulate Rainbow. At the moment most were quite fatigued and slumped over. Pinkie frowned as she looked around. Ponies were supposed to be happy at parties! Not tired and sad! This certainly wouldn't do. "Oh no! I'm sorry everyone!" Pinkie squeaked as she began forcibly stopping the guests from preparing and dragging them to a large soft cloud couch and forcing them to sit and rest. "I didn't realize it had been so long. I've been such a worry-worker I forgot we're supposed to be having fun! So you guys can all just relax and I'll do the rest!" The pink pony grabbed the streamers and began to slowly thread them through the ones on the ceiling, trying to form a colorful lattice. It was difficult to braid things when one only has hooves to do so. Even hooves as articulate as Pinkie Pie. Rarity walked up and watched as the pink mare struggled. "Pinkie dear, I really don't think Rainbow is going to mind, or for that matter notice, that the streamers clogging her ceiling are arranged in a particular fashion. You should try to relax while we wait for the others to arrive. You don't want to be sweaty for the party do you?" "I have to use all these party favors and decorations Rarity!" "What ever for?" "I spent pretty much all my last bits on these!" Pinkie said with a sad smile. "All your bits!?" Rarity asked in shock, her jaw hanging. "You spent ALL of them?" "Yes! I am Pinkie Poor until I get my next allowance from the Cakes." "Wha...why on earth would you spend so much money for a surprise party, Pinkie?" Pinkie gave Rarity a surprised look, the sort of look a bird gives before its sucked into an airplane engine. "Because this party has to be the absolute very very best Rarity! I promised myself I would give Dash the absolute best party and that is what I intend to do!" "It's already the best, Pinkie! This is so elaborate and intense for what should be a surprise party. Even the New Year parties you throw don't match up. But you didn't need to spend all your savings on it! Rainbow would have loved it if even if it was a small humble party." "I know but....." Pinkie's small grin grew crooked as she glanced at the floor. "I wanted the best of the best for Dash. She deserves it cause she's....the best." Rarity's expression softened. "Well....I'm sure she's going to love it, Pinkie." Rarity turned and made her way to a seat as Pinkie continued threading the colorful strands of plastic and cloth individually, her face locked in a look of fierce concentration. Rarity took a sip of punch as she watched her friend work, feeling a small pang of guilt. Pinkie had spent all her money. It wasn't too surprising. The crazy mare tended to go overboard whenever it came to social gatherings. In a way Rarity felt like she should have gone into this expecting a big production. Particularly since it involved Rainbow Dash. The others didn't seem to notice but Rarity had. She had a knack for understanding the hidden feelings of others, through all their layers and subtle expressions. Nothing seemed to brighten Pinkie's day like Dash visiting her. It was a common sight to see the pink pony skipping through town, following the colorful speedster as she soared overhead. Rarity sighed sadly. It was obvious that Pinkie liked Dash, thinking of the athletic pegasus as her best buddy. But her affections had always been very....one sided. Rainbow was a bold pony, but very shy when it came to anything too socially stimulating, shying away from family reunions, sleepovers, dinner invites and more. She regarded Pinkie as a good friend but also as at times like a distraction to avoid. It always made Rarity frown when she saw Pinkie sitting alone watching the clouds go by, waiting patiently for Rainbow to return from work or awake from an afternoon nap so that the two could go pranking or play games. The unicorn's thoughts were interrupted by a very gentle tug on her tail. She turned and glanced down to see a small purple dragon gazing up at her with a look of complete adoration. "Oh hello, Spike!" Rarity cooed at the youngster. "What can I help you with?" "I can see Twilight and the others coming back!" he responded in his scratchy little voice. "They're just a few blocks away! Is it party time yet?" "Hmm no, not quite." Rarity said glumly as she glanced at Pinkie who was currently tied into a large knot of streamers and hanging from the ceiling swinging back and forth like the pendulum of a deranged colorful clock. "We're still putting the finishing touches on this rather fantastic mess. Oh!" Rarity quickly grabbed a quill and small piece of parchment out of her purse with her unicorn magic, levitating them in front of herself in a shower of white sparkles as she scribbled a quick note. When it was done she gave it a quick once-over, folded it neatly and handed it to Spike. "Spike, I need you to send this to Twilight as quickly as possible. We need to stall them for at least a little more time." "Sure thing!" the dragon cheerfully crowed, as a small wreath of green sparkling flames erupted from his mouth. The fire coated the parchment, not burning it, but causing it to vanish nonetheless. His dragon fire had long since been enchanted with a teleportation spell, so that Twilight could send letters quickly to her mentor, the Princess. She cared for Spike as if the little dragon was her child, and in return the scaly rascal was always there to help. It was certainly a lot faster and more efficient than mail. ******************************************** Four ponies made their way across the sky. Three sat on a small fluffy cumulus cloud while one flew, pulling the cloud behind herself. Fluttershy wasn't fast, but it was generally agreed that Dash would probably be happier if the others gave her some space. The entire trip had felt awkward. There wasn't really much to say with Dash sitting on the edge of the cloud, silently glaring out into the sky. Normally a slow-moving cloud ride would have bored the jock to tears, and she would have gladly voiced it as such. But her mind was elsewhere and any attempts at conversation had been cut woefully short with blunt one-word responses signifying that Dash was preoccupied with her thoughts. The silence was gracefully broken by a small poof of green smoke and a folded piece of parchment that landed in the cloud in front of Twilight Sparkle, sinking into the pulpy substance. With a small spark of violet light she had unfolded the parchment was soon engrossed with reading it. She frowned and quickly glanced behind herself to see if Dash had noticed or heard the magical interruptions, but expectantly the pegasus had remained where she was, staring blankly into the sunset. Twilight leaned over and whispered something urgently into Applejack's ear, beckoning Fluttershy to listen as well. After a tense moment the three parted and turned towards Dash, large insincere smiles plastered on their faces as they attempted to come up with a decent diversion lie on the spot. "So Dash, I er....thought we could maybe go out and get dinner before we drop you off!" Twilight eagerly shouted nodding her head rapidly in agreement with herself. "Not hungry." Dash muttered. "Aww c'mon, Sugarcube! I know yer upset n' all but I also know you ain't eaten since breakfast! Why I could rustle us up somethin' real nice real quick if you want! I know y'all like my cooking!" Applejack began to nod with Twilight. "Oh yes, that would be wonderful!" Fluttershy chimed in, dragging the cloud off its desired path and toward Ponyville. "I'm sure we could all use something to eat! And it would cheer you up, Dash!" "I said I'm not hungry." Dash leaped off the cloud, flying towards her home, her path swerving as she tried not to wince from her injury. The others quickly pursued her. "DASH!" Twilight shouted. "WHY dont....uh you...I MEAN WE! GO! And not go to your house but instead go to...uh....THE BOWLING ALLEY!" "No." "Oh, um, why don't we go see....uh....a play!?" Fluttershy said, flinching as she realized what a weird excuse it was. "You guys just wanted to get dinner. Then go bowling. Now a play?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow as she gazed back at them, continuing to fly forward. "It could be uh...uh....um......" Applejack began to sweat rubbing her face with a hoof and looking to Twilight with a pleading expression. "A DINNER AND A SHOW!" Twilight screeched, causing Applejack to nod happily and Fluttershy to smile at Dash in the hopes they'd convinced their reluctant friend. "Yeah, nah. Going home." Dash increased her flight speed. "Why are the lights on in my house?" "Dash stop!" "NO! Someone's in my house!" "DASH YOU CANT GO INSIDE YOUR HOUSE!" Twilight howled. "ITS MY DANG HOUSE!" Dash shot back as she landed onto the cloudy lawn of her home, putting several meters of space between herself and her pursuers. "Oh no!" Fluttershy squeaked as Dash reached into her backpack, pulled out her keyring, and slammed open the door to her cloud cottage, a burst of light and sound exploding from the inside. Balloons, confetti, streamers and fireflies all seemed to flood from the flashing multicolored beams of light and music that now resounded from inside the cottage. Old rock music began to play, filling the air with a honky-tonk sound as Dash made her way through the door, squinting from the light. The door seemed to have triggered quite a few mechanisms set up inside of her home. A large discoball swung into view as small colored spotlights beamed onto it sending small rings of light and color flickering around the interior. Tin and copper star-shaped confetti fell from a large net, catching the light beams as they fell and dazzling in blinding sparkles of light. Several of Rainbow Dash's co-workers were sitting on the couch, staring bug-eyed at the door. Rarity shared their expression from her comfortable seat, suddenly turning towards the others. "It's time!" she hissed. "SURPRISE!" the various ponies shouted completely unsynced as they struggled to all get off the couch at once. Dash cast her eyes upward, noticing the large white banner that dangled from the ceiling, triumphantly announcing in rainbow letters the reason for the occasion. !Congratulations Rainbow Dash! As if on cue there was a loud crash and tearing of paper as Pinkie Pie wrencher herself from the streamer web that coated the ceiling as she bounced merrily across the floor covered in rolls of the colorful substance and she wrapped her arms around Dash, clinging to her friend's side, squealing in the sort of voice that could shatter an iceberg. "DAAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIEEEEEE! Oh Oh oh I just knew you would make it! I'm so happy you are here although you are here alot sooner than I thought you would be. Was there an orientation for becoming a Wonderbolt? Did you get through the orientation really fast? I know you are good at being fast. Fast is kinda your thing. Did you get their cool blue and yellow suit yet? Why do you have a band-aid? Do you like your surprise party? I got all your favorite things! I've been preparing for this all day! I got semolina soup and raisin nut bread! And I baked you a cake it has little pineapple slices in it and me and Rarity colored it to look like your tail...and...and um.....where are you going?" It was only now that Pinkie she was being dragged along by Rainbow, who was marching forward solemnly towards the staircase in the back of the den. Her face a mixture of sadness and anger as she trudged. Pinkie went silent, it was so uncommon to see Rainbow looking this upset. "Did you not get in?" Pinkie asked quietly, as she tightened her hug around Rainbow's torso, feeling a pang of grief for her friend. "No." grumbled Rainbow, shaking her body to toss Pinkie off. She began to ascend the staircase as Rarity galloped over helping Pinkie to her feet. "Rainbow....I'm sure you're upset but your friends want to spend time with you. Pinkie and I have been setting this soiree up all day! Pinkie spent her entire savings putting this all together for you." There was a grim silence as Rainbow continued staring at the staircase. Everyone grew quiet. The record player even managed to grow sentient for a split second and turn itself off, well aware now was not the time for rock music, no matter how righteous it may be. Rainbow swished her tail slightly and took a deep breath. "I lost. Again. And I don't feel like doing anything or talking to anyone. I have a big day tomorrow." She took a few steps up the stairs before stopping. "I'm sorry, everyone. Pinkie.....I'll find a way to pay you back for all the expenses. I just.....I cant be here right now." And with that, the cyan pegasus continued her ascent, disappearing behind the door to her room, followed by Pinkie who knocked quietly on the door, calling out the name of her friend in the hopes she could convince her to exit. Her cries grew more and more strained as she came to the realization that her celebration for her best friend was now in tatters. If Rainbow's depressing loss hadn't been enough to suck the energy out of the party, Pinkie's quiet begging as she leaned against her friend's locked door was. One by one the party guests began to file out, thanking Rarity for the invite and apologizing for their early departure. Rarity sighed sadly as she watched Pinkie. The poor thing looked close to tears as she sat at the top of the stairwell, watching the door for any signs of movement. The unicorn turned and looked at the other three friends who had been sitting near the front door looking both exhausted and sad. "I noticed she had a sling on her foreleg." Rarity began. "How bad was it?" "It was.....really bad, Rare." Applejack mumbled, taking her hat off and giving Rarity a warm hug. "She ended up hittin' a tree during a real sharp turn. Snapped it in half and hit the ground awful hard. Her finishin' time was so bad she couldn't qualify. One of the Wonderbolts actually flew out there to make sure she was alright. She was so embarrassed." "Oh the poor poor thing!" Rarity cried. "Oh she really thought she was going to make it in this year. She must be devastated." "Well she gets another chance tomorrow...kinda." Applejack mumbled, releasing Rarity. "Surely....surely she's not planning on trying to race with her injury?" Rarity asked in panic, her eyes growing wide as Applejack stared at the floor. She turned to Twilight. "Twilight you're usually the voice of reason here. Surely you told Rainbow not to race tomorrow?" "I haven't had a chance to say much of anything, Rarity. Can't really talk to her when she's like this." Twilight whispered, making her way to a nearby chair. "Too upset to say anything to any of us." "She's not the only one who's upset." Fluttershy quietly pointed at Pinkie who had descended the stairs and now lay on the floor curled up, casting a tearful worried glance up at Rainbow's doorway at the top. The others frowned. "Yes, well I suppose the night is ruined now." Rarity mused. "I'm staying here." Fluttershy said, plopping herself into a cushion. "We need to be there for her tomorrow, if she races. She was so sad when she found out you and Pinkie weren't coming to see her perform, Rarity." "I knew she would be." Rarity replied, looking at the floor. "But Pinkie really wanted this party to be a surprise. The best laid plans...." "I'm stayin' too." Applejack said with a snort, hopping on top of the couch that had formerly been occupied with guests. "Maybe I can talk some sense into her in the morning." "I suppose I might as well remain here also. No need for needless travel." Rarity joined Applejack on the couch. "Spike." Twilight asked as she noticed the tiny dragon peering out from behind one of the table legs. "Would you mind having a sleepover with me and the girls here at Dash's house?" "Well sure, Twilight." Spike said, jumping happily into a nearby cloud. "This stuff's a lot softer than my basket." "We're going to get you a real bed one day, Spike. I promise!" Twilight hopped into one of the rocking chairs and curled up, casting a glance at Pinkie who was still staring up at the doorframe, sniffling quietly. She sighed sadly at the sight. "Pinkie I don't think Rainbow is going to come out of there, tonight. You should try to get some sleep." "I'm gonna wait a little longer." Pinkie answered in a low voice. "Just in case." "I'm sorry the party didn't go as planned, Pinkie." Rarity called from the couch. "I really truly am." "It's ok, Rarity." Pinkie mumbled. "Dash is my friend. I'll have time to throw all sorts of parties for her in the future." Rarity shot a sad glance over at Pinkie as she heard those words. Applejack frowned and lay down on the couch, closing her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep. The others soon followed, all except Pinkie. The small pink pony lay on the floor curled up like a cat, her head elevated as she watched the door, waiting and listening for a sign. A sound. A smell. Anything that would let her know that everything was going to be alright.