Soaring over the Rainbow

Five But Not Six

The next morning Fluttershy woke up to a moody Thunderstar.
"Morning Star..." Fluttershy said at bit nervous seeing the threatening spark in her eyes.
"Did you guys think I was asleep? You even lied to let her go out. She just wants boy time. This isn't even about her 'opportunities' you keep talking about."
Fluttershy was a bit shocked. "Um.. well I actually was going to have a friend here, but plans changed. So I really wasn't lying... and it's not all just about... boy time."
"Where is she? Did she go out early again to go practice with her amazing Wonderbolt boyfriend?" Thunderstar said a bit mokingly.
"Actually, I don't even remember her coming back last night..." Fluttershy's thoughts trailed quickly. "What if something bad happened to her?!"
"Hmpht, like she couldn't handle it. She's the best flyer ever, shouldn't you know? She's your best friend... oh wait, she's always ditching you. Nevermind, that doesn't sound like a friend to me."
Fluttershy was starting to get heated at her constant negativity for Rainbow Dash. "Look Thunderstar," she was about to let out her anger for once when their door burst open.
"SURPRISE!!!!" It was the hyper, excited voice of Pinkie Pie. Behind her were the remaining mane six.
"Pinkie Pie? What are you all doing here?" Fluttershy asked confused and surprised.
"We came to visit you silly. Especially because you didn't write." Pinkie said adding a dramatic frown.
"Oh, sorry. A lot's been happening here..."
"See darling, I told you so." Rarity said tapping Pinkie Pie.
"Where's Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.
Fluttershy bit her lip to them and turned her eyes away. Thunderstar just stood and watched.
"I um, think she went out early to practice flying. She's been doing that since we got here... we can meet up with her later..." Fluttershy said hoping she would be right.
"Then I guess we'll save the cake and pie for later." Apple Jack said. Fluttershy was relieved that no one caught on to her suspision.
"Aww man! I've been waiting forever to eat those!" Pinkie frowned.
"Sorry Pinkie, it would be rude to eat without R.D."
Thunderstar interrupted with a scuff. "I'm sure that wouldn't make out to be an issue." She said as she turned away from them.
"Wha?" Apple Jack asked looking to Flutershy.
"She's just, uh, in a bad mood this morning, don't mind her right now. That's Thunderstar, a new friend we made here."
"She's...interesting." Rarity said.
"Yeah, why don't we go outside? I'll show you girls around until Rainbow Dash shows up..." Fluttershy said.
Thunderstar looked back to watch them leave, one by one out the door. She decided she'd go out too, but mainly to search for Rainbow and hopefully spat her feelings to her.
Fluttershy led the way as her and her friends walked around. Ponies flying everywhere above them.
"Gosh, I wonder if we'll ever find Rainbow Dash among all these pegasi." Apple Jack said with a slight chuckle. Fluttershy felt like she swollowed a rock.
"Um, yeah. She can be so hard to find sometimes..." Fluttershy said reassuring herself the most. The walk was all find and simple until Spitfire took a harsh landing right in front of Fluttershy causing her to jump back.
"You. Fluttershy, right?"
"Um... yes." She said shakily.
"Do you know where Rainbow Dash is? And if she knows where Soarin is?"
"Um... I'm unsure... I haven't seen Soarin since yesterday..."
"Neither have I." Spitfire stated a bit coldly. "All the Wonderbolts should report to me every morning, and he's the first one who hasn't.  I figured he left with Rainbow Dash this morning. Did she say where she was going?"
"No... she didn't... "
"When did you last see her?"
"Um... last night..."
Spitfire moved her mouth in a curve as she thought while peering the sky. "Some thing's up. And I don't like it." She flew off quickly without another word.
"Wait, Soarin is gone too? Have those two been hanging out?" Twilight asked.
"Twilight, don't ask me questions like I know everything." Fluttershy said in a slightly stern tone. Twilight was shocked but more confused as she gave a puzzled look to the other ponies. Fluttershy just continued walking as if nothing was said.
"Um, darling, you seem troubled by something... Is everything okay?" Rarity asked walking next to Flutershy.  "You and Dashie aren't fighting are you?"
"No..."
"Well what's the trouble, you can't tell me nothing is going on."
Fluttershy took a deep sigh. "I just don't know where Rainbow Dash is. This whole trip has been nothing more than romance and stress!"
All her friends looked at her surprised.
"Romance? Fluttershy?" Rarity asked slowly.
"Well, um, I mean... Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash and Soarin."
Rarity shrieked which startled all of them. "You mean Rainbow Dash and Soarin are together!?"
"They're missing." Fluttershy scolded.
"Oh... like, for real?"
"Well no pony seems to know where they are. They went to hang out last night, and that's the last they were seen..."
"Oh no! Rainbow Dash is missing!!" Pinkie yelled.
"She ran off with her boyfriend?" A.J. said flatly.
"I'm guessing so, but I don't know for sure. No pony does." Fluttershy answered.
"Well we can't just stand around. They could be in trouble!" Twilight said. "We have to get help."
"I could look for Spitfire again." Fluttershy seggested.
"Don't bother." A voice said out of no where. Thunderstar appeared above them and dropped a rolled up paper as she landed on her hooves. "This was tied on the flag pole."
Fluttershy opened the paper to read a note signed to her from Rainbow Dash.
Dear Fluttershy,
Soarin and I have left the camp. We don't plan on returning. I haven't been a good friend to you lately, so why be one at all? I won't be at home either, so don't waste your time looking. I'm sure you have plenty of other ponies much more loyal than me to take my place as your friend. I'm just a mistake Fluttershy, but I don't want to hurt you, so you might as well forget about me.
                               Love, Rainbow Dash
Fluttershy continued to stare at the letter after she read it. The other ponies look over her shoulders to read it for themselves.
"Gosh.. you were right when you said a lot has been happening here..." Rarity said softly.
"Why would she think leaving you as a friend would fix anything?" A.J. questioned.
"She's rediculous. She's given up on even trying to be friends with Fluttershy." Thunderstar said angerly. "She's one of the worst ponies I've ever met. Fluttershy deserves better. I hope she doesn't come back here. It's obvious she'd rather be with her lover anyway."
All the other ponies gave a sour frown and sadly looked to Fluttershy. She just held a blank stare for a while before picking up the letter in her mouth and flying off faster then any of the ponies had seen her fly before. They all watched her impressed but also sad.
Twilight was about to run after her put Thunderstar abruptly stepped in front of her. "Don't go after her. She wants to be alone. You all should just go back home."
"What? But we came all this way to see them two!" A.J. said. "We're their friends, we can help them with their problem."
Thunderstar stepped over in front of A.J. close enough to see all the different lines of green in her eyes. "Fluttershy needs alone time. Rainbow Dash is gone. What more is there to do? Who are you?" Thunderstar spoke a bit sternly to her as she gave in to no space. A.J. curved an eye brow and stepped back from her. "The name's Apple Jack."
"Nice. I like that."
"Whut? Why do you care if you just wanna get rid of us?"
"Fine, enjoy the camp you shouldn't even be at. It doesn't matter to me." Thunderstar started to walk away.
"Hold up." A.J. said coming after her.
Thunderstar  waved her head around and stopped to look at her.
"I don't get it. You wanted us to leave and now you don't care?"
"Apple Jack, I never cared. I just want Fluttershy to have the space she needs." Then she turned around again to continue walking away. A.J. didn't bother following this time.
"Girls, what are we gonna do?" Pinkie frowned.
"Well maybe that um... Thunderstar," Rarity started remembering her name. "Maybe she was right about Fluttershy needing some space. She'll come back to find us and we'll  help her when she's ready."
"I guess that sounds right..." Twilight said.
"Until then I guess we can tour. Maybe there's some shops here..." Rarity dreamed.
"Rarity. It's a Flight camp. Don't count on it." A.J. said.
The four ponies looked around and were even greeted by some of the pegasi flying around and passed them.
"Ooh! Look Rarity, they do have shiny things." Pinkie said intreged by the shiny badges and metals in a small building.
"Oh how lovely. There's all kinds of different awards for the pegasi here to win." Rarity said as they wondered in the building.
"Can you imagine how many Rainbow Dash  has got already?" Pink was quiet as soon as she finished her sentence. Rarity looked at her and they quickly moved on to look at something else in the building.
Twilight and A.J. were still outside, distracted by some ponies doing impressing high flying at a nearby coarse. Apple Jack looked over to see Thunderstar walking about by herself. A.J. walked up to her without saying anything to Twilight.
"Hey uh, Thunderstar."
She looked over to see Apple Jack walking up to her. "Now what?" She asked simply.
"Could you fill me in on what's been goin' on with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?"
Thunderstar gave her a look then rolled her eyes. "I suposed, since you actually seem cool, but then again I thought the same thing about Rainbow Dash."
"R.D. can be a pain and get caught up in her ego sometimes, but she always comes around and is there for her friends."
"Oh, that's why she ran away from camp saying she'll never come back for Fluttershy." Thunderstar blurted sarcasticly.
"That's the thing. This isn't like Rainbow at all. The Rainbow Dash that I know very well wouldn't behave like that."
"Then I guess her boyfriend isn't much of a good influence on her, huh?"
"Is Soarin really her boyfriend? I didn't know Rainbow would um, soften up, if you would, to havin' romance in her life."
"Well surprise Apple Jack, that's all of her life now."
"It just doesn't seem right at all though... So her and Soarin had been hanging out together a lot?"
"Uhh, yeah. She kept ditching to be with him. Fluttershy kept trying to tell me it was such a great opportunity for her to hang out with a Wonderbolt, but all I saw was a little snake taking advantage of a ponies innocents and leaving her behind."
"That's kind of a dark way to put it. I think there's something else that we don't know..."
"Well, let's go find out. If they can ditch this camp, so can we."