//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Homeward Bound // Story: The Reason I Can't Find My Love // by Locomotion //------------------------------// The four ponies made it to Appleloosa Station in good time. Upon arrival, they brought Pinkie Pie into the waiting room and Soarin headed over to the ticket office to book their return journey, leaving Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo to stand guard over the unwilling Earth pony. As he passed through the doorway, Pinkie Pie attempted to follow; but Rainbow Dash barred her way. “And just where do you think you're going, Pinkie Pie?” she demanded bluntly. “You're not dragging me back to Ponyville!” growled Pinkie Pie, giving Rainbow Dash a threatening leer. “I'm not going anywhere until I see Braeburn again, and that's final!” “But Pinkie,” began Scootaloo, “Braeburn's already in Ponyville...” “LIES!!” bellowed Pinkie Pie furiously. “That's all you're ever telling me – a whole bunch of lies!! You never wanted me to be with Braeburn! You're all jealous that I can give the best parties in Equestria, and now you're trying to make me all miserable so you can outdo me – Rarity with her snobby fashion sense, Twilight with her 'wisdom' – you with your stupid little imitation chariot...” But Pinkie Pie had crossed the line by offending Scootaloo in front of Rainbow Dash. Maternal instinct and yet another mood swing quickly overtook her, and she stomped her hoof down so sharply that it startled not only Pinkie Pie and Scootaloo, but all the other passengers. “ALRIGHT, PINKIE PIE, THIS HAS GONE FAR ENOUGH!!!” she thundered, her wings flaring and her eyes blazing. Scootaloo jumped nervously to one side, while Pinkie Pie cowered under Rainbow Dash's death glare. “You were the one who fell for Braeburn in the first place!” ranted Rainbow Dash furiously. “You were the one who wanted to see him; you were the one who dragged us all the way out here; you were the one I offered to help out with this whole malarkey – and all of a sudden, you're giving up on him and turning your back on me, and Soarin, and Scootaloo, and Rumble, and Sweetie-Belle, and Apple Bloom, and Big Macintosh, and Applejack, and Fluttershy, and Twilight, and Spike, and Rarity, and Featherweight, and Pipsqueak, and Dinky, and Derpy...” The passengers all watched as the disgruntled Pegasus listed off all the ponies Pinkie Pie knew best. Scootaloo tried to play it off with an awkward smile, but could barely hide her own shock; even though Rainbow Dash could be highly temperamental, even before she had become pregnant, she had never known her to be this angry before. “...and Vinyl, and Octavia, and Maud, and Zecora, and Lyra, and Bonbon, and Mr and Mrs Cake, and everypony in Ponyville who made you who you are today?!” barked Rainbow Dash, aggressively raising her voice all the while. “I don't think so – not right now! Like it or not, Pinkie Pie, you're getting your precious coltfriend, and you're getting him back in Ponyville, so SIT DOWN!!!” With a terrified whimper, Pinkie Pie shakily complied. Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, stood her ground and took several more deep breaths to calm herself down again; but only when she had fully composed herself did she notice the odd stares that she had elicited. In response, she placed a hoof against the back of her neck and grinned sheepishly; “Sorry – hormones.” To her relief, the other passengers simply shrugged it off and went back to their own business. Thankful for them allowing her outburst to slide, but feeling slightly drained, Rainbow Dash sat back against the wall, still keeping her eye on Pinkie Pie just in case. But at that moment, Soarin came in looking worried. “Everything okay, Dash?” he asked anxiously. “Just about, Soarin,” replied Rainbow Dash. “I may have lost the teeniest bit of my temper with Pinkie just a few moments ago, but at least she's behaving herself now.” “Well that's something,” remarked Soarin. “I've checked the timetable, and...well......it's not good news, I'm afraid.” “What's wrong?” “The earliest train we can get is headed via Canterlot, and won't get into Ponyville until three days later at noon,” explained Soarin gravely. “We can wait for the returning Appleloosan, but that's not timed to arrive here until tomorrow, and even then it'll be late in the evening by the time it gets us home.” Rainbow Dash groaned with frustration. As if tonight couldn't get any worse! “Seems we've no choice then,” she decided. “We're gonna have to get that earlier train.” Soarin nodded in agreement. “It'll be a bit pricier than the other one, but it's our best hope.” “How much do we need to pay for it?” “Well, I checked the ticket prices; the Appleloosan was two-hundred and sixty-seven bits in total, and that other train's gonna cost in at something like...forty...” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “That doesn't sound...” “...thousand.” “How much?!” spluttered Rainbow Dash, appalled. “Uh...cents!” Soarin hastily corrected himself. “I was gonna say,” remarked Rainbow Dash, “forty-thousand bits seems a bit steep even for this length of journey. So anyway, we're talking...four-hundred bits?” “Right,” affirmed Soarin. “And what time does that train arrive here?” Soarin looked up at the clock. “Forty minutes,” he replied. “I better get a move on.” “Yeah, you do that, Soar; I'll keep watch over Pinkie Pie,” instructed Rainbow Dash. “Okay, Dashie – but don't let her out of your sight, not for one second,” warned Soarin. “If she decides to run off when you're not looking, we'll really be in trouble.” “You can count on me, babe,” asserted Rainbow Dash, and turned back towards Pinkie Pie while Soarin headed back to the ticket office. Within three quarters of an hour, all was set for the return journey. The train glided into the station, and Soarin having obtained their vital rights of passage back to Ponyville, the three Pegasi and one Earth pony plus unborn foal boarded the nearest coach they could get to and hurried down the corridor to find some empty compartments. Luckily, they didn't need to look very far; the next carriage along was almost wholly unoccupied, so Soarin and Rainbow Dash settled Pinkie Pie down in one while Scootaloo stowed her luggage in another. “Well,” mused Soarin as the train resumed its long journey back to Ponyville, “so far, so good. What now, Dashie?” “We keep watch over Pinkie – make sure she doesn't try anything funny,” replied Rainbow Dash, lowering her voice so that Pinkie Pie wouldn't overhear. “I'll take the first watch; you go keep Scootaloo company.” “Okay, Dashie,” said Soarin. “Give me a shout if you need help.” Rainbow Dash promised that she would; but as Soarin turned to leave, she could already see that watching over Pinkie Pie would no longer be half as difficult as it had been previously. The pink-furred mare was now fast asleep on the lower bunk, having worn herself out from all her crying and struggling. With a deep sense of relief, Rainbow Dash sat back in one of the chairs and began reading through her favourite Daring Do book to pass the time.