“Mom? Is that for me?”

“Non. Ripple Skip down the way gave us zis dish. I am returning it.”

“…but there’s a pie in it.”

“And z'ere was a pie in it when we received it, oui? It is polite, Sally. A good way to say thank you for zat cinnamon pudding pie you enjoyed so much”

“Ooooh.”

“While I am zere, I will ask for ze recipe. Would you like to learn how to make it?”

“Yeah. Ivan’d love to try it when he comes home.”

“…Indeed he would. Come, walk me zere. I will need protection.”

“But you fence like nopony’s business mom!”

“And you are impossible, Sally. More then a match for any villain.”

“…well since you put it that way…”

--

Ding!

Salad set down the newspaper and trotted her way to the oven, lifting out a pair of freshly baked cinnamon pudding pies.

She had put every bit of effort she could spare into it. Her mother would’ve been proud. And probably hungry. It took more than a little willpower for Salad not to take a little taste of home.

One pie was set into a wooden box Cheerilee had handed her for the task. A little something to prevent accidents and keep it warm. The other was put aside with a note to her brother.

The pegasus stepped out into the open air, box balanced on her back and held steady with her wing.

Trying not to think about how against this she would normally be if not for her mother’s influence, she set off for the cottage.

The day was perfect. A little cloudy, but the weather team would probably be done soon. The walk was actually pretty relaxing. Quiet.

“Hiya.” If she weren’t walking and carrying something, she would’ve facehoofed.

“What do you want?”

“Look… we got off on the wrong hoof.” Rainbow started, treading air and keeping pace with her.

“Nope. We didn’t.” Said Salad. “You flew by the farm, I took one look at you, and decided knowing you was more trouble then it was worth. And golly gee, you attack me next time I see you! I’d say we got off on just the right hoof.”

“…are you always this much of a jerk?”

“I go with what works.” Salad said.

“It might’ve had something to do with getting mauled by a bear. And me.”

“No approach is perfect.”

“I’m just saying that maybe if you-“

“Alright, are you honestly telling me that ‘we got off on the wrong hoof, but I’m totally blameless here’? Because if so, just go away.”

“I’m not, just- argh! You’re worse then Gilda!”

“Forgetting how much I don’t care who that is, do I win something?”

“Yeah, a reality check!” Rainbow growled, landing in front of her. “What did I ever d- alright stupid question, but how do you expect to make any friends like this? I’ve heard about you. You treat everypony this way.”

“Not Ivan.”

“Well-“

“Not Cheerilee. Not Red. Not Ditzy. And I don't even care about the mailmare. The other two, though, I’m pretty friendly with.”

“I’m surprised you can be friendly.”

“Look, I get what you’re trying to do.” Salad said. “And I still don't care. If you were planning on saying sorry, you would’ve done it by now. Since you’re not, get out of my way. I’ve got stuff to do. Or do you want to run through a few of my character flaws again?”

Rainbow grit her teeth, wings out and trembling, and Salad hoped the other mare wouldn’t deck her. The pie might get ruined if a fight started.

…Salad was surprised when, though with visible effort, Rainbow calmed down.

“I’m sorry.” She said. “I acted before I knew what was going on and hit you blind. Knowing you, you probably needed a buck in the head for something, but I had no business being the one to give it to you.”

“…Apology accepted.” Salad said with a sigh. “I’m no longer sorry I didn’t hit you harder.”

“I’ll take what I can get I guess. So what’s in the box?”

“My way of returning a favor.”

“Does it have anything to do with that pie Shy sent?”

“…Maybe.” Dash laughed, falling into step beside her.

“I know all about that. I was the one who ran out to get the yams for her, actually.” Dash didn’t notice Salad’s eye twitch.

“…yeah?”

“Yeah. So what, you baked her a pie too? I thought you hated us.”

“The pie came in her own dish. This is how you return dishes.”

“…it is?” Salad rolled her eyes.

“You just gave ‘em back licked clean, didn’t you?”

“No!”

“Eh. Well, now you know you’re inconsiderate. We’re both horrible ponies.”

“Can that be from both of us?”

“As if you could make anything this good.”

“…so no…?”

“Buck no.”

“Be a friend.”

“We’re not friends.”

“We could be. I could’ve taken that bear too, but seeing you do it was hardcore.”

“I want nothing to do with you. It’s great you’re sorry, and now I don’t wish your head would explode, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot. Why are you still here?”

“Because Fluttershy told me to try.” Dash said with a shrug. “If I can’t make her a pie, I can try being nice to an unlikable mule.”

“…she said that?” Salad asked, finally turning to look Dash in the eye.

“Yeah.” The cyan mare said with a nod. “She said it was her fault everything happened, since she could’ve stopped everything by going out and dealing with it. And… she was kind of right. You won’t hate her, will you?”

Salad still had most of Fluttershy’s pie waiting for her at home. She denied that she was looking forward to it after this awkward business was over with.

“Eh, I kind of beat up two of her friends. We’re cool.”

“Two?”

“Yeah Stitches. Two.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“None of these are from you.” Salad said, looking over her own bandages.

“You had spiked shoes.”

“You can fly.”

“You… I’m bigger then you.”

“Another point to me.”

“Changing the subject.”

“Be my guest.”

“So what happened to your-“

“Changing. The subject.” Salad growled. Dash made a mental note to never cross that line again.

“…I was gonna say brother.” She lied. “I heard something about him leaving home and you coming after him.”

“That’s personal.” Said Salad.

“…Well I also wanted to know if you knew about his cutie mark.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Pfft, why wouldn’t I take a look at that flank?” Dash said chuckling. “You might not want to hear this, but your brother’s not bad for eye candy.”

“Doesn’t bother me.” Salad said. “I’d tell you, but loose lips and all that.”

“Haven’t mentioned it until now. It’s a secret to everypony. All I know though is that he didn’t have it when I met him. Then he came back from some field trip, those two snob fillies wouldn’t shut up about how beast he is, and he’s marked with something pretty cool.” Salad shrugged. Might as well, she thought.

“He got it fighting that lamia he came back with. That’s all I’m gonna say.”

“…wow. That’s almost as good as the Crusaders.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“Pfft. Mine’s the best around.”

“Put up then. We’ve still got a while before Fluttershy’s, and you're not leaving like I want, so you might as well be entertaining.”

--

“…alright, no.”

“No what?”

“No you did not shatter the light spectrum by going mach ten.”

“Now who’s jelly?”

“And it gave your five best friends their cutie marks?”

“I’m kind of a big deal.”

“Fluttershy making a dragon play nice is more believable then that.”

“I kicked that dragon in the face. Sure it made things worse but I totally did it.”

“…just… just go away. We’re here, we had our ‘we don’t totally hate eachother’ bit, we’re done.”

“Don’t want anypony to see you giving a gift to a mare? You sure I shouldn’t stay? Rare’d want to hear all about it. She’s the kind who reads so far into things like this she hallucinates. Mayb-ow!”

“Thanks fluffy. You’re alright.” Salad said to the scowling Angel. She had just managed to whip her head out of the thrown carrot’s path. The miss had the added bonus of shutting Rainbow up. “Go get the doctor. I’ve got something for her.”

The bunny responded with the universal sign for ‘up yours’.

“Classy. Eh, guess I’ll find her myself then. Throw something at me again, and you better hope you’ve got something bigger then that grizzly bear backing you.”

“I’ve got stuff to do. If I hear you did anything to Shy, I’ll buy a set of cleats and see how you like it.”

Salad didn’t tell Dash exactly where she could stick it, since she didn’t detect any actual threat in the statement. Dash didn’t think she’d try anything.

“Couldn’t hurt. Literally. You hit like my grandma.” The other pegasus waved the comment off and took to the air. Salad turned and started exploring before the bunny found more ammo.

The more she saw, the more it began to feel like Fluttershy’s cottage was more like another Ponyville altogether. Habitats for animals surrounded the house, and Salad wondered how on Equestria the pegasus could afford to take care of them all.

…then again, Salad herself had been fixed up so well that she could barely even feel the healing wounds. Treatment like that could go a long way to having fifty hundred pets.

Knocking on the door hadn’t gotten any response, and the area around the house had several animals (all of which gave her the evil eye and refused to offer assistance), but no ponies.

It was as she started to stray from the yard that she heard singing.

She happened upon her target, back turned and seated in front of a tree full of birds, conducting and singing with them.

The performance was beautiful in a way quite different from the orchestras and plays her parents had taken her to on occasion. It was something born entirely of nature, organised by a pony whom could understand. Instead of the music conveying feelings and motivations, it seemed to convey an entire way of life.

The box was set aside, and Salad took the opportunity to indulge her curiosity. She settled herself under a different tree and listened. Fluttershy would probably tell her to leave if she knew Salad was there, but the birds seemed to be happy to have an audience. They must’ve been unaware of who the one winged mare was.

Minutes passed, until another bird landed nearby and tweeted for Fluttershy’s attention. Salad surmised the bird was speaking to her, since a few tweets later had Fluttershy whirling around in alarm.

Salad avoided her eyes. Neither said anything for a moment or two. The birds waited patiently.

“C-can I help you?” The other mare barely managed to get out. Given the scowl on Salad’s face, she wondered if Fluttershy thought she was angry about something.

“I’m returning this.” Salad said, nudging forward the box. Fluttershy slowly trotted closer and Salad hogtied the part of herself that was telling her to run like the sky was falling.

“You d-didn’t like it?” The pegasus looked like she was about to cry for some reason.

“It was good.” Salad said.

“O-oh…”

“I’m giving the dish back.” Fluttershy’s eyes widened.

“You made something fo-“

“Yes, why is everypony shocked about this? I can’t be the only one to do this.”

“Well… Applejack does, but…”

“Look, just bucking take it.” Salad said, tapping the box impatiently. The fact that the she was afraid of this stuttering mess was shameful.

When Fluttershy didn’t move for the box right away, mind probably tripping over itself, Salad flipped the lid off the box to reveal the pie in question.

“See, it’s a pie. A totally not threatening, innocent pie. Stop overthinking this and just take it so I can go.”

“Why won’t you look at me?”

“You know why. Now shut up and take the pi-“

“Would you like a slice?” Salad almost turned her head.

“Say what?”

“I don’t think I could eat this all by myself right away. A-and it wouldn’t be good for a lot of my friends here. And pies are b-best fresh, right?”

“…no.”

“I-I’ll brew some tea, an-“

“No.”

“B-bu-“

“Don’t ask me again.” Salad said as calmly as she could manage. Fluttershy’s proximity was threatening her composure, and she just wouldn’t take the stupid hint.

“P-please, I just want to-“ Fluttershy stepped closer, eyes seeking hers out, and Salad soon found herself up against a tree, wing spread wide.

“G-get away!” she yelped in a panic and Fluttershy jumped back, startled.

Salad heard the beginnings of sobbing and decided it was time to go.

“I’m gonna go. J-just send the box over when you’re done with it.” Salad, so eager to leave, ran a safe distance away (since ruining the pie would defeat the whole purpose of even going through that) and jumped as far as she could manage.

She landed a good half of the distance between Ponyville and the cottage.

And there on the side of the road, she took a few minutes to calm her racing heart.

“…Buck it all. I hate you Mom. This is gonna come back and bite me in the flank.”