Pinkie countered with another question. "Why'd you do it, Dashie?" she asked, hurt and betrayal in her eyes.

Rainbow Dash stared back, confused. "Why'd I do what?"

"Why'd you cheat on Fluttershy?"

Rainbow gaped at her friend, at a complete loss for words. Her mouth worked silently as she tried to find a way to respond to such a ridiculous statement. Finally, she did the only thing that she felt like she could do. She broke out into peals of laughter.

As she laughed, pounding the table as tears ran down her face, she noticed Pinkie's face. It was red with embarrassment and anger, and her eyes were hard, nearly as hard as she'd seen them the last time somepony had broken a Pinkie Promise. She did her best to stop laughing, but it was difficult, and she kept fighting down another bubble of mirth as she looked over at Pinkie. "What's so funny, Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie asked, her voice completely different from before. It was a scary voice, the kind of voice that sent shivers up Rainbow's spine.

"You - you can't seriously think I'd cheat on Fluttershy, can you?" she asked, trying to school her face back to a semblance of normality. "Element of Loyalty, remember?"

"That's what I thought too," Pinkie replied in the same voice. "'Dashie wouldn't do anything like that,' I told them when we saw the papers. 'She's better than that, you know.'"

Rainbow's confusion deepened. "Wait, what papers? What are you talking about, Pinkie?"

Pinkie reached up into her mane and pulled out a newspaper, passing it across the table without breaking eye contact. Rainbow glanced down at the headlines, and her eyes went wide. "W-what the buck is this?" she asked, completely blindsided. "'Partying With a Liar: Loyalty's Farce,'" she read, before diving into the article itself. "'Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, Wonderbolts star flier, blah, blah, seen partying frequently with Wonderbolts team members Soarin and Fleetfoot, blah, blah, said to be carrying on an affair with Captain Spitfire!'" Rainbow slammed her hoof down on the paper, her eyes blazing as she glared at Pinkie. "What the buck, Pinkie? Why would anypony believe this - this -trash?"

"I didn't want to believe it either, Rainbow," Pinkie replied harshly, her mane slowly losing its curl. "Rarity and Applejack were ready to hunt you down, but I convinced them not to until we figured things out." She leaned forward across the table, staring into Rainbow's eyes. "But then I asked around when I was in Canterlot last week. It's amazing what Donut Joe knows about what goes on in that city. He told me that you'd been 'secretly' visiting Spitfire for a while now, but everypony knew about it. Soarin himself told him that the two of you had hooked up a bunch of times when you were drunk." Pinkie slammed her own hooves down on the table, barely-controlled fury on her face. "So once again, Rainbow Dash," she hissed. "Why did you cheat on Fluttershy?"

"I DIDN'T CHEAT ON FLUTTERSHY!" Rainbow screamed, thrusting her face into Pinkie's. "I WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING TO HURT HER!"

"THEN WHAT ABOUT THIS?" Pinkie screamed back, pointing at the paper.

Rainbow flopped back down into the booth, rubbing her forehead. Pinkie hovered over her, a touch of uncertainty creeping into her furious expression. It was a moment before Rainbow finally spoke. "It's garbage," she replied in a weary voice. "Spitfire's been training me to be the Wonderbolt's new captain. That's why I've been spending so much time with her. I guess Soarin found out, and he's been with the team for so long, maybe he got jealous or something. I dunno." She shrugged. "It's true I've been partying a lot. Maybe a little too much. Got swept up in the life, I guess. That bit's my own fault. All the rest?" She shook her head. "Everything I've done out there, I've done for her. I would never cheat on her."

A long silence greeted this announcement. Rainbow finally looked up at Pinkie, jumping a little in surprise. Pinkie was inches away from her, staring into her eyes with an intensity that rivalled Fluttershy's Stare, and Rainbow had a brief moment of panic as she inexplicably saw her life flash before her eyes. Then she blinked, and Pinkie was back in her seat, a bright smile on her face and her mane as curly as ever. "Alright, Dashie," she said softly. "I believe you."

Rainbow blinked once more. "Y-you do?"

"Yeppers!" Pinkie replied brightly. "That's the Dashie we all know and love. Now," she said as she quickly pulled a small paper bag out of her mane, passing it over to Rainbow, "run along to Fluttershy and Auntie Pinkie Pie will take care of things around here, 'k?"

"...Wait, take care of what?"

"The others, silly," Pinkie replied with a giggle, and Rainbow looked around the bakery as if seeing their audience for the first time. Every customer in the place had gone completely silent while she and Pinkie had been talking, and were now staring in awe at the two of them.

Rainbow felt her cheeks heating up at the sudden unexpected attention. Normally, she was more than happy to be the center of attention, and quite often strove for it. This time, however, was different, and she felt more embarrassed than excited. At the same time, she felt grateful for Pinkie Pie's offer, and decided to take her up on it before the mood changed at all. Quickly grabbing the bag from the table, she dashed out of the bakery. "Thanksh, 'inkie!" she called, her voice slightly muffled from the bag in her mouth.

"Anytime, Dashie!" Pinkie called back before turning her attention to her other customers. "Soooo..." she began with a grin. "Who wants to get ready for a 'You're getting promoted and you're back together with your special somepony' party?"

The cottage that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy now shared was a beautiful sanctuary of love and kindness in the summer. The sunlight shone down on the quiet glade, shimmering off the gently flowing stream just outside the door. A warm summer breeze wafted through the nearby trees, sending the leaves dancing soothingly. Bright flowers of all colors surrounded the cottage, each lending their beauty to a place of joy. There were always animals around the cottage, brightly-colored hummingbirds zipping this way and that, little squirrels and chipmunks that skittered around in search of food or a little kindness, and the occasional seal or bear that stopped by for a visit. Everypony that approached the cottage immediately felt at ease as the kindness of the one who had lived there for most of her life worked its magic on the surroundings.