Rainbow Dash charged toward the ground; Fluttershy had been gone for a couple of hours now, and she refused to believe the alternative. Crying wasn't cool, and depression would only distract her, so she pushed any and all negative thoughts from her mind. Fluttershy was fine; she had landed safely on the ground, maybe she'd just hurt herself, and was simply sheltering somewhere until somepony from Cloudsdale came to pick her up.
The pegasus filly passed over an orchard filled to the brim with apple trees; she slowed down a little, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of her friend underneath the scrub. It was impossible to get a clear view of the ground from here, so she decided to land.
āHey,ā someone called out to her, āwhat you doin' round here, stranger?ā
Rainbow Dash turned to see who was addressing her. It was a small but tough-looking earth pony with an orange coat and a brown hat pulled over her blonde mane. āI'm looking for a friend. Have you seen her?ā
āI ain't seen anypony but my family,ā the earth pony replied. āI'm just back, though. I can help you look if you'd like? Name's Applejack.ā
āRainbow Dash,ā said the pegasus. āI've been all over town, but I haven't checked the orchard here or that creepy-looking forest.ā
āWhat's she look like?ā asked Applejack.
āSmall, yellow coat, pink mane. Her name is Fluttershy.ā
āIs she a pegasus, too?ā
Rainbow Dash nodded.
āWhat's she doin' down here, then? Don't you guys normally stay in the nest until you're a bit older?ā
āIt's a long story,ā Rainbow Dash said with a sigh. She told the story of the race and Fluttershy's tumble from Cloudsdale as they made their way through the tangle of trees, but she left out the bit about the sonic rainboom and her cutie mark. Now wasn't the time for bragging.
āI don't want to be a Negative Nancy, but uh, it's quite a ways to fall from Cloudsdale to Ponyville. Are you sure she's even-?ā
āYes,ā Rainbow Dash stated firmly.
Applejack smiled.
āWhat?ā asked the pegasus.
āMighty loyal of you, comin' all this way to find somepony you've only just met,ā Applejack said.
āIt's my fault she fell. Loyalty has nothing to do with it,ā replied Rainbow Dash with a shake of her head.
āJust callin' it like I see it. Not many would care so much about a stranger.ā
āShe wasn't really a stranger. I've seen her around school plenty of times, but up until I saw her being picked on, I'd never spoken to her at all.ā
āAnd you decided to defend her honour, as you put it?ā asked Applejack, her muzzle curling up into a smirk.
Rainbow Dash hissed through gritted. āOkay, it wasn't the best choice of words.ā
āIt's mighty sweet of you, sugarcube.ā
Sweet, ew. Rainbow Dash blushed all the same.
Eventually, they came to a clearing by a stream; they found a small yellow filly sitting with her muzzle pressed against the surface of the water, gawping in wonder at the many types of fish flitting back and forth. āFluttershy!ā cried Rainbow Dash, bounding to her friend and pulling her into a tight hug.
āRainbow, what are you doing here?ā asked Fluttershy, awkwardly pulling herself out of the embrace.
āI came looking for you. Why haven't you come home?ā
āOh, sorry if I worried you,ā Fluttershy said, cowering behind her mane as Rainbow Dash glared at her, ābut I was just so caught up with all the animals down here that I ā¦ forgot.ā
āWe should be getting back. Your parents'll be worried sick,ā said Rainbow Dash. She turned to Applejack. āThanks for your help.ā She offered a hoof to the earth pony who bumped her own against it.
āOkay,ā Fluttershy said sadly.
Just as the pegasi unfurled their wings, a loud grumbling sound echoed horribly through the glade. Two pairs of eyes turned to Rainbow Dash and she reddened slightly and covered her belly with a foreleg. āUm, I may have skipped lunch.ā
Applejack nodded in the direction of the farm. Steam was beginning to rise and the sweet smell of cinnamon floated through the woods. āC'mon, girls. Granny Smith's apple pies are to die for.ā
Either Manehattan and Ponyville are actually really close, or Fluttershy was missing a long time.
5151893 well it does mention a few hours, and considering from what I saw in the episode the rainboom happened in the morning, this story could well be taking place mid afternoon or even evening
5151893
What 5185870 said.
Very nice. I like how this developed!