Chapter Two

Free of embarrassment, Rainbow walked calmly into Pasta House at Ponyville, the finest restaurant in town. She didn't want the Wonderbolts to catch her daydreaming, or something much more embarrassing. As she sat beside Twilight on the waiting bench, she crossed her legs primly and properly and grimaced at the very action of doing something ladylike. She set her hooves down in her lap politely, and looked over at her friends.

Rarity winked at her playfully. She gestured outside, to where the Super Hot Sports Store Pony was also waiting in line to be seated. "Go get him!" she whispered in her refined accent. In anger and frustration at her friends Rainbow sprang up, completely forgetting her polite and proper act.

"I DON'T LIKE HIM!" She screeched at her friends, who were taken aback in surprise. Rainbow fumed in midair, wings flapping ferociously. Why can't they just LEAVE ME ALONE? I never messed with Rarity when she was all obsessed over that Blueblood character! Fluttershy's the only one who doesn't mess with me!

"Ummm…Rainbow, someone wants to talk to you," came Fluttershy's sweet quiet voice from the corner of the bench. Still enraged, she turned her head, to find the….Wonderbolts?

The Wonderbolts?

THE WONDERBOLTS?!

THE WONERBOLTS?!

Rainbow quickly got her act together. "Hey," she said, trying to appear calm and cool.

"Hey, Dash. Ummm… this doesn't look like a good time," said Spitfire, glancing at rainbow, who still had her arms crossed. Noticing her gaze on them, Rainbow uncrossed her arms and put them behind her back.

"Weeeeeellll…gotta go! See ya around!" Spitfire said as she and the rest of the Wonderbolts flew off into the night sky. Rainbow put her head in her hooves. She'd just missed her chance at auditioning for the Wonderbolts and embarrassed herself infront of the Super Hot Sports Store Pony?

"Are you Ok, Rainbow," Fluttershy asked sympathetically. Rainbow managed a small smile. She looked at her friends, concern written all over their faces. They really cared. They did. They had just been teasing. And now Rainbow felt so awfully rotten for snapping at her friends like that.

"Uhhhh, sorry guys. I shouldn't have been overreacting. You guys were just teasing. I'm sorry,"

"It's OK, darling, we all know you have a cru-"

Rarity was instantly stopped by Twilight putting a hoof over her mouth. Rainbow gave Twilight a grateful smile.

"I mean, we all know you have a… have a…crumpet with you?" Rarity tried to finish the sentence without sending Rainbow into a fit.

"YOU HAVE A CRUMPET? Where? Where? Oooh! Is this hot and cold? Huh? Huh? Huh?"Pinkie bounced all around Rainbow, trying to find this mysterious crumpet. Rainbow grinned, as Pinkie searched up and down for that crumpet.

"Mares, may I show you the way to the table?" The tuxedoed pony asked, raising an eyebrow at Pinkie jumping off the walls. Fluttershy caught on immediately.

"Ummm… Pinkie… I don't think you should be doing that… I mean, you can if you want to,"Fluttershy said.

Rarity got the message and was irked that Pinkie might be destroying her reputation in a very fancy restaurant.

"What she means is, darling," Rarity said in a sugar coated voice, "SHUT UP AND STOP BOUNCING ALL OVER THE PLACE!" Rarity commanded. The bouncing and crumpet calling instantaneously stopped.

"That's better," Rarity said, as though nothing had happened, "Now you may show us to our table you handsome Gentlecolt."

The tuxedoes stallion blushed at being called a "gentlecolt" by Rarity, and Rainbow instantly wished she could call any stallion a "Gentlecolt" and they would instantly like her.

They were seated at a large booth with upholstered benches. Pinkie Pie bounced into her seat.

"Wheee! These seats are so bouncy, just like my bed!" Rarity cringed as she jumped up and down screaming "Whee! Whoopee! Yay!"

"Excuse my friend's….uh… informal behavior," Rarity said to the "Gentlecolt".

"Uhhh... right. Your server will be with you in a minute." He promptly left as the rest of the ponies took their seats. With Pinkie bouncing up and down on the bench, it was hard to start a conversation without getting whacked in the face with one of her arms or legs.

"Pinkie!"Twilight exclaimed, wiping her mouth after being smacked in the face by Pinkie's rather dirty hooves.

Pinkie giggled, and then snorted. "I can't help it Twilight! This is so much fun!" All of her friends rolled their eyes, except Rainbow, who was idly staring out the window.

"Is anything wrong Rainbow," Twilight asked, turning to her once she noticed she wasn't talking, which was very unlike her.

Rainbow managed a small role of her eyes, and she was at an angle, so Twilight couldn't see. No, I'm perfectly alright, she thought, I just humiliated myself infront of the hottest pegasus in all of Equestria and Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts! Isn't that JUST GREAT!

Instead she replied with a small, "Yeah. Ummm…I'm gonna go to the fillies room." Rainbow made her way out of the bench, and galloped at top speed (or at least as fast as you could go in a restraunt) to the fillies room.

When she got to the sink, she splashed warm water all over her. It ran down her neck, on her mane, and trickled down her body onto the floor. With the water, every last bad memory from that night washed away. They slid from all parts of her face to the floor, washed away, gone from Rainbow until she faced a day when the memories would resurface, and she would wash them out again, over and over and over again. Harsher memories, like the ones from Rainbows childhood, frequently needed washing, as they always resurfaced at the slightest bit of remembrance. When she turned off the tap, she shook her mane dry, making sure all the bits and pieces trying to cling to her were onto the floor. She glanced sadly at the pool of water on the floor. She wished her worst of memories would wash away. But they wouldn't. No amount of water would ever erase her childhood memories. No amount of flying, her favorite thing to do, that often calmed her nerves would help. Not even her friends, who were almost like family, could fill in the gaps of her life. Nothing. They were stuck with her forever.

Quit making yourself sad! You have some being awesome to do! Rainbow scolded herself, as she made her way out of the fillies' room, feeling more like the real Rainbow Dash. Fast, awesome, radical, and cool, future member of the Wonderbolts…that was the REAL Rainbow Dash!

Back at the table, she saw that an empty basket of garlic bread was sitting on the table. "Hey, I'm starved," Rainbow said as she took her seat.

"Huh, so are we. We wouldn't be if Miss Pinkie over here hadn't eaten all of our garlic bread," Applejack said. Fluttershy, Twilight, and even Rarity giggled.

"Whaaat? It was goooood!" Pinkie protested mouth still full with the buttery, fragrant bread.

Rainbow laughed. "Hey, no sweat. Just ask for another basket. They're free right?"

"Um, Rainbow? We've-I mean Pinkie - has gone through ten baskets while you were gone. I think they'll break our necks if we ask for another one," Twilight said jokingly.

"Oh my," said Fluttershy, "How violent and mean…..um… I mean they can do that if they want…." The table broke out into laughter except Pinkie who was still chewing and Fluttershy, who was confused.

"Huh? Why are you...?"

"Fluttershy dear, you simply must stop being such a pushover!" Rarity exclaimed. "Show them some strength!"

"Yeah! Show them how awesome you are! Of course, you're not as awesome as me but…."

Fluttershy giggled, and the waiter arrived. "Mademoiselles, may I take your orders?" he asked.

Twilight went first. "I'll take the Fettuccine Alfredo," she said.

"I will have the Eggplant Parmigan," Rarity declared "please."

"Ummm... I'll have some minestrone soup. If that's ok, of course…."

"Yes, it is perfectly fine."

"Good. I was just hoping…"

The waiter cut her off. "You, mademoiselle?" he asked Applejack.

"Ummm…. But… never mind…." Fluttershy tried.

"Uh, you got anything….normal? You know like not in written in fancy?" she asked.

The waiter looked puzzled. "It's Italian, "Rarity hissed from across the table.

"Yeahhh…. Talon…..whatever she said," Applejack pointed her hoof at Rarity who sighed exaggeratedly.

After a long, boring decision, Applejack finally settled on tortellini. It was even worse when Pinkie went, and kept asking if they had chimi cherries or cherry chongas. Much to Rarity's displeasure, Rainbow hade to bang her head on the table every few seconds to keep from falling asleep.

"I'll just have spaghetti. And the red sauce," Rainbow had waited so long to order, she practically had memorized the menu from cover to cover out of boredom. The poor, tired waiter left, and twenty minutes later showed up with their food.

"So, I was thinking," Rarity began, "Since you are all the best friends a pony could ask for, I've decided to create a new line of gowns called 'Diamonds are a pony's best friend'! Brilliant right!"

"Ummm, it's kinda corny," Rainbow said, but Twilight immediately shushed her.

"Great! Thanks a million ,Rarity!"

"Yay!" Pinkie exclaimed, mouth full of a strange concoction the chefs created to get her to shut up about the chimi cherries and the cherry chongas.

"Now why the hay is it called 'Diamonds are a pony's best friends'? It should be somethin' like apples or pigs, or somethin' that gals really like?!" Applejack said.

"Well," Rarity replied, "Most of us like diamonds here," she narrowed her eyes at Applejack.

Everyone paused to take a bite of food. Rainbow twirled up her spaghetti on her fork, but it kept slipping off, so she just picked up a chunk with her hoof and stuffed it in her mouth.

A cool breeze suddenly wafted towards her head. Rainbow and the other ponies looked up, and they saw that the window above them was ajar, curtains parted.

"Hmmmm…that's weird," Twilight said.

"Waiter! Waiter! Would you be a dear and shut the-"

Plop!

A small orange blob had clumsily crashed into their table, spilling marinara sauce all over the pristine table cloth. Rainbow rubbed her eyes.

"HEY! YOU SPILLED MY CHERRY CHONGA! Or is it a chimi cherry? Or what of it's a chimi cherry chonga cherry? Or maybe it's a berry bonga? Are cherries even berries? I don't think so 'cause otherwise they would be called cherry berries. Or maybe berry cherries. Or maybe…."

"What the hay?" she said, "Is that …"

"Hey Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo said getting to her hooves and standing on the glass table. She looked like she had been through a bad Italian- food throwing contest. "Aren't you impressed by my flying skills?" She puffed out her chest.

"Ummm….what flying skills?" Rainbow asked, totally confused.

"Didn't you see my do that wicked nosedive to your table? I was totally awesome, right?!"

That's flying? Rainbow thought. Instead she said, "Ummm, yeah….totally wicked. It was so wicked you nearly killed us"

"From a shock attack, you know, "she quickly added.

Scootaloo beamed with pride.

"Err, Scootaloo darling, what brings you here at this hour? It must be past your bedtime," Rarity said grimacing at the mess on the tablecloth.

"Yep it is! But when I heard YOU were at this restaurant Rainbow, I needed to get a souvenir!"

"A souvenir?"

"Yep. Can I have this piece of spaghetti," Scootaloo gestured to a floppy, long piece hanging off the edge of the table, dripping tomato sauce.

"Sure…whatever you say squirt," Rainbow replied.

Scootaloo tucked the spaghetti strand into a bag from Sugar Cube Corner that Rainbow hadn't noticed before. "Hey! Can I hang out with you? Please, please please please please?! With a cherry on top?"

"Ummm…. Don't you have to get back to your parents and stuff?"

Scootaloo looked down, the hype draining out of her. "I don't have any parents," she said glumly.

I don't have any parents. I don't have any parents. I don't have any parents. The words echoed in Rainbows mind, causing a lump to rise in her throat. She fought it back down.

"Why don't you go back to the ," Rainbow swallowed, "orphanage?" she asked, her voice a little softer and gentler this time.

"Fine," Scootaloo said, still looking blue.

"Hey, don't be so sad, squirt. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom are having a sleepover, and I'd bet they wouldn't mind if you hung with them for a while," Rainbow said softly.

"Yeah, I'd bet ya'll would have a great time. Yer best friends after all!" Applejack said encouragingly.

"Ok!" Scootaloo suddenly brightened up. "See you later Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo flapped her wings vigorously and bent her hind legs. Fwoosh! Scootaloo was three feet off the table. "Bye!" she called as she propelled forward.

Crash! Bang! Shzzzz!

The table broke, and in the middle of it was Scootaloo. "Did you just see my awesome karate moves, Rainbow Dash? Huh? Huh? Huh?" asked Scootaloo, excited.

"HEY! NOW MY CHIMI CHERRY BERRRY BONGA CHONGAS ARE RUINED!"

Rainbow sighed. This was going to be a looooong night.