Rainbow Dash soared through the bright blue skies on her way to Ponyville, enjoying the freedom of an unscheduled flight. It felt like it had been forever since she'd had a chance to just fly lately. All of her time had been devoted either to Wonderbolts practice sessions or shows, and after getting back to the dorms, all she'd been able to do was collapse into bed, only to get up the next morning and do it all again. It didn't help that Spitfire was grooming her to become the next Wonderbolts captain, so any free time she had was spent with her in planning sessions or learning the ropes of running the group.

She mentally allowed herself a moment of ego as she sent herself into a spinning loop. That's what happens when you're as awesome as I am, she thought with a smirk. She easily banked around a large, fluffy cloud, smiling as she caught sight of Twilight's castle shimmering in the summer sunlight. Almost home, she thought wistfully. Being married to her best friend and greatest love was one of the most wonderful things she had ever experienced, but lately the Wonderbolt's heavy summer touring schedule had left her with little time to actually spend at home. She'd had to beg for the three weeks to herself, promising to take Spitfire's shift with the latest recruits in the Wonderbolts Academy when she got back.

She'd hoped to surprise Fluttershy when she arrived, so she'd done whatever she could to keep her break a secret, choosing to fly back as quietly as possible instead of taking the train. Now, with her mane fluttering in the wind and her wings spread wide, she soared across the land, just relaxing and letting all of her cares and worries slip away.

Coming up to the outskirts of Ponyville, she smiled as other familiar sights began to greet her: the great spire of town hall reaching up towards the sky, the pristine white walls of Rarity's boutique, and the colorful confectionary shape of Sugarcube Corners. As her eyes caught sight of the bakery, a thought sprung up in her mind, and she angled her way down towards the ground. I'll just pop in and grab a little treat for Flutters. I'm sure she won't mind.

One quick loop and an easy landing later, she found herself on the ground outside the bakery. Glancing around with a big grin on her face in anticipation of some sort of greeting, her grin faltered when she realized that nothing had happened. Confused, she looked around once more, her eyes searching for the reason for the silence.

It wasn't that the town was empty. No, it was still its normal, bustling self, especially around the bakery, as it was approaching midday. The difference was that anypony that had noticed that she had arrived was either blatantly ignoring her or giving her a look of outright disdain.

Confused, she slowly made her way into Sugarcube Corners, where she was greeted by the normal pleasant bustle of a busy bakery, a bustle that quickly turned sour as the ponies inside caught sight of her. She gave them a sheepish grin in the face of the glares just as a bright, peppy voice called out, "Be right there!"

A moment later, a flour-dusted Pinkie Pie emerged from the kitchen, her eyes landing on Rainbow as she stood in the entryway. Her expression went from welcoming and happy to guarded and sad, a trace of hurt in her normally-bright eyes. "Dashie," she said simply.

"Hey, Pinkie," Rainbow replied as she approached the counter, trying to ignore the hostile atmosphere. "How's things?"

Pinkie stared at her for a long moment before replying. "Things... are good, I guess."

"Great!" Rainbow replied, now feeling a little uncertain about her return. "Say, Pinks, can I get something to go? I wanna bring Fluttershy a treat when I head home."

Pinkie hesitated, the happy-go-lucky party pony unusually serious for a moment. "Dashie, I don't think that's a good idea, 'k?"

Frustrated, Rainbow's anger flared. "And why's that, huh?" she snapped. "Why can't I bring my wife a treat after I finally get some time off? And why's everypony treating me like I got the pony pox?"

"Tell you what," Pinkie replied. "Go have a seat and I'll come talk to you in a little bit. Ok?"

"But -"

"Please, Dashie," Pinkie said with finality. "I don't want any trouble right now. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Rainbow glared for another moment, but finally nodded. Turning away, she stormed off to have a seat in a corner booth, silently seething. She continued to glare in frustration, even as other ponies glared back or ignored her entirely. She tried to listen in to some nearby conversations to figure out what was going on, but every time a pony noticed she was paying attention to them, they would give her a look and quickly clam up.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Pinkie finally emerged from behind the counter, leaving a teenaged Pumpkin Cake in her place. Flour and other bits of baking detritus still dusted her vibrant pink coat, and her mane and tail were as curly as ever as she made her way through the bakery, greeting everypony she came across with the same bright smile and happy tone. However, when she reached the table where Rainbow Dash sat tapping her hoof impatiently, she seemed to deflate slightly, her mane losing some of its poofiness and her eyes losing some of their shine.