The noise was omnipresent. The ponies were chattering, milling around aimlessly, getting in her way. It was all she could do to keep going, unsure what she would find when she got through the mass of bodies between her and the source of the chaos.

The crowd pushed against her, forcing Applejack this way and that as she shoved past the townsponies. She felt a particularly painful elbow dig into her ribs. With a yelp, Applejack retaliated by knocking the offending pony off her hooves.

She wondered what on earth had happened.

All she had heard was a deafening crash, all the way from her stand in the middle of town. Her first thought had been that something may have scared the cattle, causing a stampede. Another possibility was that old Mildew's cottage had finally thrown in the towel and collapsed. It didn't take much thought to realize that neither of these were the case.

This wasn't a stampede as far as she could tell, and old Mildew's place was over to the south of town, not the north. The crowd was as unhelpful as she had expected them to be. The few attempts Applejack made to wring some information out of them ended in her being told that Celestia had fallen prey to the Nightmare force. Another had been that Twilight had cast a mind-control spell on the livestock, and on an even more outrageous note, parachute pants had made a comeback and Rarity had lost it.

Applejack had decided that the first two were impossible. The last one would have made much more noise.

"Let... lemme' through!" came a slurred stallion's voice. Applejack was almost thrown to the ground by a small-ish, bedraggled looking pegasus running straight at her.

Applejack caught herself just in time, and snapped her teeth around his tail, before tugging him back into the crowd. "Y'ain't going anywhere, partner!"

The stallion collapsed in a heap, unable to stand after Applejack's violent assault. She prodded his side as a handful of ponies began to applaud. "This fella' drunk?" she asked, taking note of his reddened cheeks and lazy expression.

She didn't get an answer before she heard gasping from the edge of the crowd, outside of her line of sight. Carrot Top was backing away from something, Applejack wasn't sure what.

"Ponyfeathers," she grunted. "Hold this for me," she instructed the closest townpony in a businesslike manner, and then gestured at the prone stallion. "I'll be comin' back for him soon."

Applejack stormed to the scene of the disturbance, not encountering any resistance for the first time that day. What she saw shocked her into silence. Her jaw dropped and her ears flattened against her head.

A huge white construct was jutting out of the lake. It was easily recognizable due to it's cloud columns and rainbow fountains: this was Rainbow Dash's house. The only major difference Applejack was that instead of floating in the air, half of it was sunken under Ponyville's lake. Applejack's eyes widened as she saw what had caused Carrot Top to panic. Emerging from the water was a small blue shape, coughing and spluttering. To Applejack's dismay, it bore a distinctive multicoloured mane.

"Rainbow!" she exclaimed, rushing towards the water's edge and wading out towards her friend. When she got close enough, she tried to drag her out by her mane, but Rainbow knocked her aside with a vicious swipe of her hoof.

"Get... get off me," she coughed, spitting out what looked like an entire bathtub's worth of water. "I'm fine, I'm just wet."

Applejack recoiled as if stung. "There ain't no need for that, now..." she began. "You looked like you were in trouble..."

The pair stumbled back onto dry land, Rainbow shaking the water out of her wings. Her mane plastered itself against her neck and her feathers seemed glued together. "I... I know," she replied. "It's been a day."

The crowd backed off as they wobbled away from the scene of destruction. Rainbow turned back to look at her house, half submerged under tons of water. "This sucks," she muttered.

Applejack looked over at the stallion she had caught from earlier, still lying face down on the ground. She glanced back at Rainbow Dash, staring at her house, wiping the water off her face. "Did he have somethin' to do with this?" Applejack asked, deciding to deal with the disaster first, and mend her friend's feelings later.

Rainbow looked down at her hooves. "Y-yeah, I think so," she said, bitter. "Just let him go. I don't care about him."

The pegasus stallion began stumbling to his hooves, still trying to get away. Applejack frowned. "RD, if he's done this, he needs to get arrested," she told her. "I know you're confused right now, but..."

"I'm not confused," Rainbow countered. "I'm just upset." She groaned and let herself slump backwards until she was staring at the sky. "All I wanted to do today was play, and maybe practice a bit. I didn't want to have to go looking for a new place to stay, and drag my belongings out of my sinking house." She closed her eyes. "And here I thought today was going to be fun."

Applejack's frown deepened. Her stall was still unmanned: it was possible somepony might be stealing from it as they spoke. But worse still was the fact that Dash was acting strangely. She might even be injured: it was Applejack's first priority to make sure she was okay, and she couldn't do that sitting on a bench.

From the water trudged the little green shape that was Tank. The tortoise lumbered towards Rainbow with his customary speed. The pegasus gave him a little smile.

"Hey, bud. Looks like you had a nice swim, huh?" she said, her expression falling as she finished her sentence. Applejack held out her hoof.

"C'mon, sugar'. We'd better get you someplace dry or you'll catch your death of cold," she said. Rainbow took the hoof, and Applejack pulled her up. "Let's go."

Rainbow kept on flicking water at Applejack every time she spread her wings, unable to dry them out. She was becoming more and more frustrated with her situation. "This is going to take hours of preening," she complained as they made their way towards the centre of Ponyville. That was where Twilight's Crystal castle lay.

"Come on," Applejack urged. "The other's will want to hear 'bout this."

"Well, great," Rainbow groaned. "Now everypony will know I'm homeless."

"They'll just be happy to know you're safe," Applejack retorted. "What if they heard about the accident an' didn't know you made it out?"

"Of course I made it out," Rainbow said. "Pegasi can float, y'know."

The pair both strode into the grand hallway of their majestic castle. Upon entering, Rainbow dripped water all over the polished crystal floor, almost causing her to slip. "Jeez!"

She flapped her wings, trying to catch her balance, but to no avail. Her wings were still slick with water and couldn't catch the air. If it hadn't been for Applejack, she might have fallen flat on her face.

"Whoa, there!" Applejack warned, stabilizing her friend. "Floor's mighty slippery, now..."

"I noticed," Rainbow replied, then smiled for the first time that day. "Hey, AJ... gimme' a push!"

After a brief moment's hesitation, Applejack obliged. "Sure thing," she said, and then shoved Rainbow's flank. The resulting force sent her sliding across the floor towards the doors to the main room. Rainbow gave a playful whoop as she did so.

"Aw, yeah!" she exclaimed, her current troubles forgotten. Applejack cantered after her. "Aw, horseapples! How d'you stop?"

It was at that inopportune moment that the doors to the throne room opened. From beyond the doors, Twilight rushed outside... only to collide headfirst with Rainbow. Applejack winced as the pair fell to the floor, completely out of control.

"Should've seen that comin'..." she muttered.

Rainbow and Twilight groaned, each one nursing their respective bruises as they got to their hooves. "Wh-watch where you're going..." Twilight began, before realizing who it was she had bumped into. "Rainbow! You're okay!"

"Not anymore," Rainbow replied, grimacing. "You really should blunt that horn or something..."

"I mean," Twilight explained, "I heard about the accident! Somepony destroyed your house! I... I got worried."

Rainbow looked over at Applejack, who was leaning against the wall, a satisfied, smug smile playing her lips. "Told ya' we should've come here."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. It's just that my house got sunk, is all." Rainbow suddenly brightened. "Hey, we could form a 'our house got destroyed' club!"

Twilight winced at the statement.

"Too soon," Applejack whispered. Rainbow's ears flattened.

"Oh, okay. Just trying to, y'know, lighten the mood..."

Twilight frowned. "What exactly happened? I heard somepony attacked you, or something. But that can't be right... that's crazy."

Applejack remembered the drunken stallion, and she remembered what Rainbow had told her. Rainbow sighed. "No, it was somepony. Threw a lightning bolt at my house."

Twilight widened her eyes. "That's awful! Why would he do that?"

Rainbow hesitated. "I... dunno. Maybe I fired him from the weather team, or beat him in a race, or something?" She coughed, and put her hoof on her chest. "An awesome pony like me can't possibly remember everypony they've beaten. I win a lot of races."

"You mean to say somepony destroyed your house 'cause you beat 'em in a race?" Applejack asked, suspicious of Rainbow trying to conceal the truth from her. "That sounds awfully far-fetched."

"It was an important race," Rainbow added. "Besides, that's not important right now! What's important is that I have nowhere to stay any more!"

Twilight tapped her chin as she pondered the situation. "Well, bringing this pony to justice is important... but I agree." She looked around at her castle. "How about here?"

"Eh... no offence, but I don't think you and I would survive that long together," Rainbow replied. Twilight shook her head, smiling.

"Oh, I'm sure we'd survive!" she said. Rainbow narrowed her eyes and gave Twilight a disbelieving look.

"Okay... I suppose you won't mind if I drag whatever stuff I have left over here until I can find someplace more permanent?"

"Of course. Are there any books? Are they sorted alphabetically? By author? Have you arranged your clothes properly?"

Rainbow sighed. "See, this is what I meant." She gave Twilight a wry smile as the young alicorn scratched the back of her neck, embarrassed. "We'd be at each other's throats within minutes."

Twilight and Applejack both looked at each other. "Well, it can't be that hard to find somepony who'll take ya'll in, can it?" Applejack asked. "We'll go by one by one and see who has a spare room."

"R-Rainbow's house got..."

"Destroyed. Blown up. Gone." Rainbow exclaimed. Fluttershy widened in panic. Twilight raised her hooves, doing her best to placate the mare.

"But she's fine! Look," she said, pointing at Rainbow. "See?"

"Y-yes, I suppose," Fluttershy replied. "But what's she going to do?"

"Well, we were wonderin' if you'd maybe have a spare room for a while?" Applejack asked. Rainbow poked her head over Applejack, stealing the spotlight.

"It'd just be for a short amount of time."

Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "Of course! I'd be happy to let you stay here for a while."

Rainbow's face lit up. "Yes! Awesome." She jumped in the air, full of glee, before coming down heavily, becoming serious again. "Oh, but I gotta' ask... I kinda' have these allergies. Being an animal caretaker, I don't suppose you have... uh..."

Fluttershy's face fell. "Yes? What animals were you thinking of?"

"... squirrels, hedgehogs, mice, badgers..."

Fluttershy held her hoof up, stopping Rainbow in her tracks.

"I, um, think you'd better check with the others first, then," she told Rainbow sheepishly. "I have... all of those."

Rarity pondered the question. "Well... I suppose. But you absolutely have to let me style that mane of yours!"

Pinkie's face fell. "Sorry! I'm afraid with the foals, there's no space left!" She brightened up again. "Unless you'd like to see if I can empty out the box..."

Rainbow backed away. "N-no need. Last time I looked down there, I think I saw some stuff I really shouldn't have." She turned around to leave. "Besides, those weird pygmies looked like they were happy living there. I wouldn't want to disturb them."

"... so... that's that, then." Rainbow leant against her tree, groaning. "What am I gonna' do?!"

Applejack opened her mouth to mention her own home, but was interrupted before she was able to make a sound. A wild orange blur came out of the blue, skidding to a halt in front of all three of them. Applejack recognized Scootaloo's purple mane and tiny, buzzing wings.

"Rainbow!" she exclaimed, leaping off her scooter. Rainbow only just managed to adjust her weight to repel the young filly throwing herself at her idol. "I saw your house was missing whilst I was at school!"

"Oh, don't worry," Rainbow told her. "It's still there. It's just a bit wetter than before."

"Were ya' worried?" Applejack asked. "Come to think of it, was Applebloom worried?" she asked, suddenly uneasy that her younger sister might be as concerned for Rainbow's safety as Scootaloo was.

"She was confused, but she didn't really mind as much," Scootaloo told Applejack. "She just wanted to know what happened."

"House blew up," Rainbow told her. "It's an occupational hazard."

"Seriously?!"

"Yep. We're looking for a place I can crash right now."

Scootaloo's little wings began to flutter as she failed to contain her exitement. "Ooh! You could totally stay with me!" she exclaimed. "Mom is always talking about the guest room, and how empty the place feels sometimes."

Rainbow eyed the young pegasus. "Is this for real?" she asked. "As in, did your mom really say that?"

"Yeah, all the time," Scootaloo replied. "Don't you trust me?"

"Would you trust me?" Rainbow asked, still eyeing Scootaloo, who nodded furiously. "...yeah, of course you would. And so you should! I'm the most trustworthy pony in town!"

Applejack tapped the ground with her hoof, pulling Rainbow's attention back to their original discussion. "There ain't no harm in askin', right?" she pointed out. Rainbow shrugged, her eyes beginning to brighten as she felt hopeful again.

"Yeah! C'mon, then. Let's see what your parents have to say about this!"

"You're welcome to stay as long as you need to, Rainbow," the middle aged mare told her with a kind smile. "My Scootaloo has told me all about you, and I've seen you around town as well."

Rainbow scratched her head. "Yeah, I am pretty noticeable, huh?"

"Very. I'm Greased Lightning." The mare held out her hoof. "Though why anypony would name their child anything with 'grease' in it, I have no idea."

Applejack watched the pair with interest. Scootaloo's mother was a tall mare, sporting an impressive dollop of purple mane. By comparison, Rainbow looked tiny, her own small, petite frame dwarfed by Greased Lightning's more mature body.

"Rainbow Dash. I, uh, give your daughter flying lessons. And manage the weather. And sometimes save Equestria."

Applejack almost scoffed at how humble Rainbow was trying to be. She was so painfully uncomfortable at it it looked almost comedic. Rainbow glared at Applejack in a no-nonsense manner, which only made it worse.

"And we're all very grateful, too," Greased replied. "The weather is important to Ponyville's welfare, after all."

The house was nice too, Applejack noticed. It was small, granted, but not cramped, and it would be easy to heat as well. The walls were covered with pictures of Scootaloo and the Crusaders. Applejack was reminded of her own walls back at her house, except with pictures of Applebloom instead. Greased Lightning was a pony that cared for her daughter, she deduced.

"Yeah, it is. Y'know, just yesterday, Thunderlane and Sky High almost drowned the entire town in rain 'cause of some silly paperwork problem," Rainbow gabbled. "Pretty dumb, huh?"

Lightning looked over at Scootaloo, turning from kind to stern. "Now, you mustn't let Rainbow distract you from your homework," she reminded. "You still need to get your grades up in maths."

Scootaloo blushed. Rainbow bounced, and everypony focussed their attention on her once again. "Ooh, I know maths! I can help!"

Greased Lightning raised her eyebrow and tilted her head. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I failed pretty hard in school, but I've been catching up ever since," Rainbow explained. "Turns out you need crazy smart-skills to get into the Wonderbolts."

Greased Lightning turned on her daughter like a shark. "Hear that, Scootsie? Your friend will be able to help you with your maths! Isn't that great?"

Scootaloo backed away, appalled at how the situation had turned against her. As mother and daughter trotted away, Rainbow approached Applejack, dragging her hooves as she did so.

"You ain't gonna' follow 'em?" Applejack asked.

"Well, yeah, but... well, I don't remember saying... uh..."

Rainbow kicked the ground petulantly.

"Thanks. I was pretty rotten today."

Rainbow did her best to smile, but the gruesome pain and anguish she had suffered at having to lower herself to apologizing had taken a lot out of her.

"It's fine, ya'll had a rough day," Applejack told her. "But... 'bout that drunken stallion..."

"He was drunk?" Rainbow asked, her voice reduced to a grunt. "Not surprised."

"I could tell," Applejack said. "Why did you want to let him go? He's a threat to Ponyville if'n he goes blowin' up our houses! And it ain't like you to let him."

"No," Rainbow explained, taking her time to carefully choose her words, "He's just some... just some loser who got angry for no reason. Or... maybe there is a reason, but it's a long story."

"Can you tell it to me?"

"No, I mean, there isn't any reason." She shrugged. "Like I said, he's just drunk and stupid, and not worth my time."

Applejack gave a dissatisfied snort.

"Rainbow, you should at least try to get him to pay the damages on your house," Applejack said. "It's his fault you're homeless now, after all."

"Hey," Rainbow replied, reverting to her usual, smug self. "I'm not homeless: I got all of you guys, right? Even if you all want to style my mane, surround me with allergy-inducing animals, re-organize my stuff or transport me to scary alternate dimensions." She smirked at Applejack. "I'm not that afraid of being in between houses for a while."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Well, if you ever need anythin'... you know where I live."

"I know," Rainbow told her putting her hoof on Applejack's side. "You're always there, aren't you?"

Applejack hesitated. "Yeah. I guess I am," she replied, feeling a little awkward.

Rainbow looked down at her hoof. "Sorry. Is this awkward touching?" she asked, and then swallowed. "It's awkward touching. I'll stop."

"It's fine," Applejack replied. "Just took me by surprise is all." As she heard Greased Lightning and Scootaloo trot back towards them, she returned serious. "Rainbow, I don't know what's wrong with you an' that stallion, but if'n you ever want to talk, please do. I'd rather listen to your whole life story than deal with more problems of yours gettin' even worse."

Rainbow remained silent. Scootaloo popped her head around the corner of the door, interrupting both of them.

"Hey, wanna' see your room?"

"Sure thing, squirt!" Rainbow exclaimed, beaming once again. Greased Lightning tilted her head in surprise.

"She lets you call her 'squirt'? She hates me calling her pet names," she said. "Isn't that right, Scootsie-wootsie?"

"Yes," Scootaloo dead-panned. "I do."

Rainbow explored her room, examining each nook and cranny with unrelenting interest. Considering how small the room was, it didn't take her long: most of the space was taken up by the large double bed and chest of drawers. There was a window, though, which Rainbow was glad for: she loved sleeping with the wind breathing life into the room.

But even the open window didn't make the room feel any less cramped and confined, like a prison cell.

"I can't believe Wallflower showed up here," she muttered to herself. "And I can't believe he'd do this..."

She sat down heavily, finally allowing herself a moment of weakness now she was all alone, and held her head in her hooves.

"What've I done?"

Author's Notes:

Chapter 2 will be released on the 12th of June!

If you liked what you saw so far, don't forget to check out my other stories. Don't forget to leave any criticism or thoughts in the comments. I always read every single one, and I love getting them.

Have a good one!