"Thanks, Pinkie, for letting me stay here. I probably don't deserve your help, considering how stupid I was."
Pinkie Pie gave Rainbow Dash an incredulous look.
"ARE YOU KIDDING? That was the most super awesomest pegasus stunt I've ever seen!! How were you supposed to know that it was incredibly dangerous and could've hurt you REALLY REALLY badly and even potentially taken you away from us forever?"
Rainbow's face just screwed up in response to that question. She tried hard, but she couldn't keep herself from tearing up and, eventually, sobbing uncontrollably. Pinkie realized that she ran her mouth without thinking, again, and consoled Dashie with a nice, Pinkie hug.
"Oh, I'm so so sorry, Dash! I was just being a dumb Pinkie!"
"B-b-but,*sob* I d-did know how d-dangero-o-ous it w-was!! Sp-Spitfire told us not to try the techniques until we practiced them enough! *sob* *sob* I-I not only disobeyed her. *sniff* But, I made you all worry! And probably scared you all half to death! A-and, now I'm going to be behind on my training!!!"
Dash then proceeded to, flat out, bawl like a little foal. Pinkie Pie comically cradled Rainbow Dash in her front legs and carried her over to the guest bed. They were both in Pinkie's room, at the moment. And, Pinkie Pie prepared to house Rainbow Dash until she could use her wings again.
The guest bed was pretty big for one pony. It was big enough to fit, at least, two adult ponies. It was incredibly comfortable, with a ruby red, cotton quilt, and two big, ivory pillows - filled with perfectly kempt pegasus feathers. The frame was rich mahogany, with fancy engravings of Pinkie Pie's cutie mark. And, this bed was usually hidden in the wall. When any of her friends slept over, or any ponies needed to crash after getting a bit too wild at one of her big parties, Pinkie Pie would deploy this baby and put it to good use. Nopony knows how or when she managed to install it, or where she got it from, but nopony would ever question it because of its sheer magnificence being reserved for them. Pinkie Pie could sleep in it, herself, but she insists on sleeping in her own bed, just in case anypony else needed somewhere to sleep, in her room.
Pinkie Pie gently laid Rainbow Dash on the mattress. When Rainbow's back touched the bed, she almost immediately quieted down.
"P-Pinkie Pie...." Rainbow said, still somewhat flustered. She had never actually slept over at any of her friends' houses. She was actually quite reluctant to stay at Sugar Cube Corner. She always tried to avoid sleeping in other ponies' homes for some reason.
"Yyyeeeeeesss?" Pinkie had a smug grin on her face.
"T-this bed.....is.....AWESOME!!! And I thought nothing could ever beat a well made cloud-o-pedic!! This is something I would only expect Rarity to have! Where did you get this?"
"I have my sources. You never stay over, so you've never met 'My Guest Friend'. You're actually the first pony to ever ask me about it."
"......'Guest Friend'?....."
"Yessirooni! 'My Guest Friend' is my ever reliable, super fancy pants, true guest bed among guest beds that is only reserved for my very special guests among very special guests....Which are pretty much any guests I have."
Rainbow Dash just didn't know what to say. However, she wasn't going to complain. She always knew that Pinkie Pie's entire life was devoted to making everypony happy. But, she sometimes underestimated just how devoted Pinkie actually was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, at the Legion of The Cutie Mark Crusaders.....
"I've got it!"
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle turned towards Scootaloo in surprise.
"Ya got what?" Inquired Apple Bloom.
"Apple Bloom! Everypony loves your family's cooking, right?"
"Uhmm, Yeah?"
"And I know that Rainbow Dash is always the most excited for cider season and is Applejack's best friend! I bet that if I can get your sister to make me a lot of apple goodies, and maybe even get a bunch of cider from her, I can make Rainbow Dash feel good as new! I'm going need an especially large amount from her. Rainbow will have so much food, that she will never be unhappy again!!"
Scootaloo's tone was ambitious and rather forceful. It was a little unnerving.
"Ah don't know Scoots. Ah'm not sure if mah sister's gonna wanna take the time do that, just so that you can impress Rainbow Dash. Besides, ya can't just make our cider just like that. It's a long, delicate process that takes months. That's whah we have a 'Cider Season', and only make enough for most - if not all - of Ponyville. Shouldn't you find a way to help Rainbow without usin' other ponies? Y'know, so that what you do for her is extra special?"
Scootaloo put a sour expression on her face.
"Are you saying that you wouldn't help somepony else help her friend if she needed you to?"
Sweetie Belle was just trying to find somewhere to hide. She knew where this was going. And, it was partially her fault.
"No! That's not what Ah mean! What Ah mean is that you could prove yourself to be a better sister if you did something yourself. Ah mean, mah sister would probably do something for Rainbow Dash. But, feeding her a ton of food? That don't sound like somethin' Applejack would do. She would want Rainbow to stay as fit as possible."
Scootaloo was getting annoyed.
"Now you're saying that I want to make Rainbow Dash fat?! You know what? I'm going to ask your sister to help me, myself! And nopony is going to get in my way!!"
Scootaloo stomped her way out of the club house and galloped towards Apple Bloom's home.
"What's gotten into Sootaloo?" Apple Bloom asked.
Sweetie Belle sheepishly crept out of her hiding spot.
"U-uh, I don't know. I-I didn't tell her that Rarity eats a lot when she's depressed."
Sweetie Belle scrunched her face.
Apple Bloom sighed deeply and face-hoofed.
"Oh, Sweetie Belle."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scootaloo made it to the front door of the Apple family house. She knocked politely.
After a few seconds, the door opened. Applejack was done with any chores that she needed to do for that day and had answered the door.
"Whah howdy, Scootaloo! What can Ah do ya for?"
"Hey, Applejack! I want to ask you if you could do me a favor."
"Shoot, sugar cube."
"Can you make me 20 apple pies, 50 apple fritters, and 30 caramel apples?"
Applejack's expression went from friendly to deeply bewildered.
"....W-what in Equestria do you need all that food for?...."
"I want to give it all to Rainbow Dash cuz she's depressed."
Applejack then stared into space.