Dash, You are in Trouble...
"RAINBOW DASH!!!"
The infuriated shriek carried enough volume to likely be heard all the Canterlot...if not much further. It was certainly heard by a fair amount of Ponyville citizens.
"What in tarnation?" Applejack exclaimed.
"Oh no..." Twilight's eyes widened slightly.
"Is that-is that Rarity?" Fluttershy faltered, wide eyed herself.
Before anypony could respond, the fashionista herself stormed into view and straight up to the recently returned group...a giggling Pinkie Pie bouncing along merrily beside her.
"Oh hey, Rarity! Pinkie! Ya'll made it back!"
Applejack spoke cheerfully, hoping to ward off the storm brewing in the unicorn's blue eyes. She was rewarded with a glare, and instantly took a step back, not desiring to be close to whatever explosion was about to occur.
"Rainbow Dash!!!" Rarity yelled in fury. "Just look what you've done to me!! Just look!!"
Rainbow looked her up and down, as did the others. She looked fairly bedraggled. Her normally pristine white coat was now quite brown ftom dust and dirt, and her usually well styled mane was wind blown and messy...with bits of twig stuck in it.
"Whoa. What happened to you?" Rainbow asked, trying not to laugh.
"YOU happened to me!!" Rarity shouted. "We fell out of that wagon and you did not return to pick us up! You left us alone, and quite helpless! Forced to do manual labor just to get home! Just look at me!"
"Yeah, so, you got a little dirt on you. Big deal." Rainbow said smirking. "It'll wash off in the first of the next 8 hours you'll spend at the spa."
"Wha..b...but...y...THAT IS NOT THE POINT!!" Rarity sputtered. "Do you know how long it takes to look as fabulous as I normally do?! But besides that, you left your friends behind!! What Element of Loyalty does that?!?"
"I had to catch AJ. You knew what you were getting into. Besides, blame Pinkie, not me. She knocked you out of the cart." Rainbow crossed her forelegs.
"Yes, but you failed to return!!"
"Come on, it didn't kill you. Its not like you're still stuck out in the middle of Celestia knows where." Rainbow shrugged. "And anyway, a little dirt never hurt."
"Excuse me?!? It utterly ruined my coat and mane!!"
"Pft. Not by much. You can fix it."
"Are you making light of this?!?" Rarity was livid.
"Uhhhh, lemme think...yep!" Rainbow grinned.
"Uh oh..." Twilight mumbled, stepping back and putting up a magical shield at the same time as Pinkie's body started vibrating and shaking and bouncing.
"Ooooh! We got a doooozy!!" Pinkie squealed.
Fluttershy, Applejack and Twilight were protected by the shield. Twilight pulled Pinkie in as well...and just in time too.
"HOW DARE YOU MAKE LIGHT OF A FASHION DISASTER, RAINBOW DASH!!!" Rarity put all the power into the outraged scream as possible. "FURTHERMORE, HOW DARE YOU DESERT YOUR FRIENDS?!?"
Rainbow winced against the force of the words. "Ok ok, look, I'm sorry. But geez, we had to catch up to Applejack! And you and Pinkie got home just fine! No harm, no foul!"
"No harm?!? Just look at me and tell me I am unharmed, Rainbow Dash!"
"Rarity, its not the end of Equestria if you got a little messed up..." Rainbow tried.
"I thought the whole thing was fun!" Pinkie put in from behind Twilight's protection spell. "Pumping that hoofcart along and oooh, singing songs too! Rarity, remember???"
"You want to know the worst thing about being stranded out there, Rainbow Dash?" Rarity demanded. "It was not just the dirt. The grime. The horrible feeling of nopony knowing where you were. It was that you left me out there with Pinkie Pie!! And you did not return!!"
"Aww. But I liked being stranded out there with you, Rarity!" Pinkie stated. "It was fun!"
"...yes, yes, darling, of course it was..." Rarity said lamely, before once more focusing on Rainbow. "But it was completely unnecessary to go through!"
Rainbow, by now, was starting to be a little nervous at her current predicament...enough so to actually shrink under Rarity's wrathful gaze.
"Ok, ok...look...uh...could we maybe just forget this happened and uh , declare a truce?"
"Ohhh no, Rainbow Dash! You are not getting off that easily! You ruined my fabulous looks, left me stranded with Pinkie Pie, and dared to make light of the fact my looks are ruined! No, you are in major trouble, and I will have my revenge!" Rarity was clearly serious.
"I...I'll pay for the spa?" Rainbow offered hesitantly, cowering back a bit as Rarity's stormy eyes bored into her.
"No! That is not enough!"
"I mean, Rarity, it seems fair to me..." Twilight offered.
"You stay out of this, Twilight!" Rarity yelled.
"Ah think we better just not get involved.." Applejack stated, as Fluttershy hid behind both of them.
"I'm gonna just...uh...go." Rainbow stammered, and attempted to fly away.
Unfortunately for her, Rarity was too quick and her magic enveloped Rainbow, dragging her back to earth and holding her there.
"Aaah!" Rainbow yelled as she found herself flat on her back with Rarity's snout nearly touching hers. "R...Rarity, we can t..talk about this!"
"No! No talk!" Rarity shouted. "All that is left, is my revenge! And you, Rainbow Dash, will hate it with every fiber of your being! Which makes it the perfect punishment for you!!"
"Er...should we get involved now?" Applejack asked worriedly.
"Nuh uh." Twilight shook her head. "Unless she decides to turn poor Rainbow into dust somehow."
Rainbow meantime was staring up into the now icy and slightly victorious blue eyes, gulping in terror. All sorts of wild thoughts were flying through her head at just what kind of revenge Rarity had in mind.
Pinkie chose that moment to sneeze, which made Rarity jump, loosening her magic grip. Rainbow took advantage of it and leaped up, lifting off into the sky and flying as fast as possible away from the area.
"RAINBOW DASH, YOU GET BACK HERE!!" Rarity screeched after her. "I AM NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!!"
"Fly, Dashie, fly!" Pinkie cheered, bouncing in place. "Don't let her catch you! Wheeeee!"
She leaped into the air, landed on her back, did a somersault, and bounced right back up unfazed.
"Who wants cupcakes??"
The others shook their heads. Rarity stomped a hoof, raising a cloud of dust. She look down and gave a dramatic wail.
"Oh, just look at meee! I must get to the spa! And then I will exact revenge on Rainbow Dash!!"
With that declaration, she stormed off to the spa, leaving the others behind. Twilight dropped her magical shield and sighed.
"Well. I better follow and see if I can't calm her down."
"I'll go too..." Fluttershy offered, gulping.
"And Ah reckon Pinkie an' me will go track down Rainbow Dash an' tell her Rarity ain't gonna kill her." Applejack adjusted her Stetson.
"Good idea. Let's all meet at Rarity's boutique in an hour." Twilight looked at them.
"Just one?" Applejack deadpanned."Ya sure it ain't gonna be somethin' like three or ten hours? This is Rarity."
"I'll have her there in an hour, Applejack."
"Ok then. Let's go, Pinkie Pie."
Applejack walked off with the hyperactive pony hopping alongside, while Twilight and Fluttershy headed towards the spa. All of them hoping they could fix the issue between the two friends.
+==============+
An hour later found Applejack and Pinkie dragging a very relunctant Rainbow to the boutique.
"No! Put me down! I'm not doing this! Let me go!"
"Will ya hush your hollerin'?" Applejack demanded. "Consarn it, Rarity ain't gonna kill ya. Right, Pinkie?
"Yeppers!" Pinkie piped up. "Buuut she might yell and scream and be all super duper mad and throw something or do horrible stuff to you like tie you up and tickle torture you with a feather!"
"She might what now?" Applejack raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, no, wait, that last one is me!" Pinkie giggled. "That's what I would do!"
Applejack didn't even ask. Rainbow started struggling more, but sadly for her Applejack was one very strong earth pony. She was not escaping.
"Let me go!" She yelled.
"Nope." Applejack was unfazed by the struggling and yelling.
The door of the boutique opened as they reached it, Twilight on the other side of it.
"Oh good, you found her." She said, almost cheerfully.
"Eeyup."
Applejack planted Rainbow on the floor, and stood ready to grab her if need be. Pinkie bounced in place by the door after Twilight shut it. Rarity walked up, now looking much calmer and certainly much cleaner, her fabulousness restored. Rainbow cringed. To her shock, Rarity smiled.
"Hello again, Rainbow Dash. And my apologies for terrifying you. Twilight brought it to my attention how unladylike screaming in the middle of the street is."
Rainbow blinked. "Uhhh...so you aren't still upset about, y'know, the stranded thing?"
"No, she is." Twilight said. "I couldn't talk her out of revenge. Sorry, Rainbow."
"What?!?" Rainbow shrieked. "You still plan on revenge?!?"
"Oh but of course I do, darling." Rarity smirked. "I am a mare of my word. And, furthermore, I have the perfect revenge planned out."
Rainbow groaned. "Fine...what is it? Haul stuff for you? Run errands? Publicly apologise?? What?"
"You will be assisting me here, in the boutique, for the next week." Rarity's smile was positively triumphant.
"Uhhh...doing what? I don't sew. I don't know a silk from a satin. Or a cotton from a...a..whatever. And you already keep things organized and clean. So, what is there to do??"
Twilight was whispering to Applejack and Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, up til then unnoticed by the others, moving closer. Applejack actually snorted while Pinkie giggledand Fluttershy just smiled, sympathetically. Rainbow looked in confusion at Rarity.
"Rarity? Just what, exactly, am I gonna do...?"
In a calm tone, and with an almost wicked smile, Rarity responded.
"You are going to model my new line of dresses for me."
Rainbow's long and nearly agonized wail of despair likely was heard well beyond the borders of Equestria.