//------------------------------//
// Sugarcube Conniption 
// Story: Appledashery 
// by Just Essay 
//------------------------------//

	Swoooooosh!

Rainbow Dash swooped through the door to Sugarcube Corner before it could close from the last patron exiting.  She landed nimbly before the counter, startling Mrs. Cake.

"Whoah!  Oh, goodness!  Uhm... hello there, Rainbow Dash!"  The rotund mare smiled, waving a nervous hoof.  "Uhm... c-can I get ya something or...?"

"Uh... not right now, Mrs. Cake.  Thanks..."  Rainbow trotted briskly across the eatery, approaching a table full of familiar faces.

Rarity, Trixie, and Twilight sat at the table, giggling.

"And... and then!"  Rarity smiled.  "When I plugged her in, she just blew up!"

"Heeheeheee!"

"Hahahaha..."  Trixie wiped her eyes dry.  "Trixie actually gets it for once!"

"Good!"  Twilight wheezed.  "Because I don't!"

"Hey, girls.  Having fun?" Rainbow remarked.

"Even more so now that you're hear, darling."  Rarity took a sip of tea and gestured.  "Grab a seat."

"Thanks.  Another time, maybe."  Rainbow cleared her throat.  "Have you all seen Applejack?"

"Why?"  Trixie smirked.  "Has the apple horse drunk invisibility potion?"

"Hah!"  Twilight slapped the tabletop.  "Now that one I get!  Heehee!"

"Look, I'm friggin' serious."  Rainbow frowned, slicing the mirth in half with her tongue.  "She didn't have her apple vendor opened at the marketplace today.  And I just got done talking to Scootaloo who says that Apple Bloom was being all mopey at school 'cuz her older sister 'wasn't being herself.'"

"My my..."  Rarity blinked.  "That's a lot to digest."

"So, like, have any of you girls seen her today, or...?"

"Trixie hasn't."

Twilight also shook her head.  "I haven't seen her since the last time we hung out here, Rainbow Dash.  Maybe she... uh... had a little too many treats yesterday?"

"We did sort of binge, did we not?" Trixie added with a wink.

"Eugh..."  Rainbow rolled her eyes and trotted off.  "Never mind."

"Oh Rainbow, please, don't be so huffy."  Rarity smiled.  "We all have our off-days.  Applejack's entitled too, don't you agree?"

"Yeah, well..."  Rainbow's tail flicked as she sighed.  "She's Applejack."

"If you're so concerned, why don't you go to Sweet Apple Acres and ask her yourself?" Twilight asked.  "Nopony's stopping you."

"Mmmmm... right."  Clearing her throat, Rainbow made for the doorway...

...only to run into Fluttershy.

"Oh... uhm... h-hi Rainbow," Fluttershy muttered, her voice bereft of melody.

"Hi yourself."  Rainbow squinted.  "What's up, Flutters?  You look like you just buried another one of your critter friends."

"Uhm... no.  That... that hasn't happened."  Fluttershy chewed on her bottom lip.  She raised one forelimb and rubbed it against another.

Rainbow's brow furrowed.  "What the hay has gotten into you?"

"I... uh... I just got done talking to Big Macintosh," the pegasus murmured.

"Yeah, and?"

"He's... he's angry, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said.  "Perhaps the angriest I've ever seen him?"

"What?  At you?!"

Fluttershy shook her head.

"Then what for?"

Fluttershy's ears drooped back.

Rainbow Dash glared.  "Fluttershy, what for?"