Everypony else’s rendition of that little promise rhyme was the same thing, where as she had her own twist for it, that everypony knew she’d use. And in this very moment was the perfect time to use it, as they were her words, loud and true… Even if it was a playful thing to say.

❝Stick a cupcake in my eye!❞ She spoke aloud, reciting her little end of the ❛Pinkie Swear❜ rhyme, raising her hoof and pointing it toward her eye. After that, Pinkie lowered her hoof, trying her best to stand confidently in front of the pegasus. Even though the rhyme sounded like a coy, they all knew it as the Pinkie Swear.

❝There. I said it.❞ She spoke, a little playful smile on her face. She really thought she wouldn’t do it. She’s a prankster, but she wouldn’t lie about something like this, April Fools or not.

   Whatever she was expecting, it wasn't for Pinkie to ACTUALLY go ahead and finish her end of the sentence. Her expression drops, her jaw coming unhinged. Following that one single sentence, her customary, carefully crafted veneer of COOLNESS is entirely effaced from her exterior. ❛ Wow. You really AREN’T kidding. ❜ Her voice comes in a small croak. Up until now, she'd always tamped down the way she felt about Pinkie. Maybe it was just easier that way; it certainly wouldn't have stirred up all these dormant feelings for the sweet-smelling baker all over again. But Pinkie wouldn't make light of something so serious, ESPECIALLY not after committing to a Pinkie swear.

    ❛ Uh, WHAT ? No, I'm not ! ❜ She can hear her own voice cracking, instantly giving her away. Not that it makes any difference; after Twilight's insert, the blush that was formerly confined to a light rose has turned a very bright, very HOT pink. ❛ That's just your giant wings reflecting back the glow of the sun onto my face ! Not MY fault your wings are so huge. ❜

@rainbowbooming​

                 She’s not being subtle at all, she knows this will work.

So what if it’s after april fools, that’s the best time for pranking! She sets a whoopie cushion on a seat, in blatent view of Rainbow Dash, humming and then giving a quick bounce as she walked away. 

What she hid was a button and pressure plate, if Rainbow moved the whoopie, a pie would erupt from the mushroom stool and get her in the face. If she sat on it, the button would press down and she’d get a pie in the face from the table.

Perfection.

   Following the prank war on April Fools', Rainbow is EXHAUSTED. Dark arcs stand out starkly under her eyes, her wings dragging along the ground. She sluggishly pitches a look at the clock tower, watching one hand officially lurch past midnight. Defending the title of Ponyville's greatest prankster hasn't been easy, but now, she's finally made it; she's predicted and sidestepped every single prank feasibly known to ponykind, meaning her title of Ponyville's greatest prankster is still intact. ❛ YES ! ❜ She exults under her breath, raising a victorious hoof.

   With RENEWED life flooding into her, she picks her way toward Sugarcube Corner for a quick pick-me-up. Shunting the door inward, she meets Pinkie Pie with a measured smile, born from a long day of successfully terrorizing the entire populace of Ponyville. ❛ Thanks for keeping the shop open. You're not gonna believe how many more ponies I pranked since you dipped... to... water... Gummy ? Er... ❜ Thinking about it now, the excuse DOES seem a tad suspicious, but she'd been too caught up in her own pranking spree to consider that Pinkie might be planning a prank of her own.

❝But I wasn’t joking this time! I really mean it!❞

   ❛ Wait, you're actually serious? ❜ For a moment, she pulls an expression of surprise, but quickly manages to gather herself. It wouldn't be the first time somebody has tried to pull the wool over her eyes today, but the greatest prankster in Ponyville is not to be outpranked so easily. ❛ Alright... PROVE it. ❜

   ❛ A DARING DO doll... ? ❜

   ❛ What're you looking at ME for ? ❜ She promptly suffuses with color. How in Equestria did her Daring Do doll get up on that roof ? She must've forgotten it after one of her impromptu pit stops. ❛ I'm a GROWN mare, aren't I ? Why would I even need that ? Heh... ❜  She scratches the back of her neck sheepishly.

❝I love you.❞

❝For realsies!❞

   ❛ For realsies ? Like, for REALSIES for realsies ? ❜

   ❛ Pinkie Pie, I... ❜

  Luna winces in sympathy as the pegasus hit her head against the bubble.  It was designed to be a thick shell, multilayered with spells not necessarily soft to touch.  The creatures are still watching them from the shadow and she finds herself snarling back at them.  A deep sound not made for pony vocal chords.  It’s satisfying to watch them flinch, watch them hopefully start to wonder if she is what she looks like.  They know where the bubble is due to the light, they just can’t see inside it.   She nudges the bag off Rainbow’s back to the ground.  “Okay.”  If anything went wrong, Rainbow would need backup.  She doesn’t know if their enemies can fly.  There should barely be enough room for the blue mare to get out from the trees and into clear air before anything can pounce.  “Ready?”  Her chest is tight as she finds manipulating their shield more difficult than it should be.  She has to maintain a large majority of it around them while giving Rainbow enough of a hole at the top to get out.  It’s concerning and for a fleeting moment, she wonders how much longer she can keep this up.  Her horn sparks as the bubble shifts to create a hole above them.  “Go.”

   Wide-eyed, Rainbow instinctively staggers back a little as a guttural snarl tears from within the deepest reaches of the princess' throat. For a moment, she thinks she catches a FLICKER of Nightmare Moon there, but the moment passes, and when Luna rises to her full imposing height again, she isn't sure it was ever even there. Momentarily drifting off into her private thoughts, the sound of the saddlebag thumping onto the ground startles her all over again. She tilts her head back to look at the alicorn, but she doesn't see Nightmare Moon in those glow-in-the-dark blue eyes; she sees only a pony, standing high above her in both stature and rank, trusting her as an EQUAL. Despite the other's clearly waning strength, her familiar gaze bears down on her like a blanket of comfort, and Rainbow gives an affirmative nod. ❛ Ready. ❜ She may not know alicorn magic, or even the origin of the eldritch creatures closing rank around them, but she knows how to go—— FAST. On Luna's cue, she kicks off the ground, tucking her wings tightly along her sides as she rockets through the aperture.

   Eldritch creatures already start gathering around the opening seam, but she RIPS past them like a cork exploding from a bottle, the force of which sends them staggering backward. Dragging a rainbow trail in her wake, she barrels headfirst through a pack of clouds, and another, and another—— for once wasting no time on showmanship. She finishes clearing the sky in nearly less than the blink of an eye, counting exactly the amount of seconds passed under her breath, and as she loops back around toward Luna, she can't help the sly GRIN that eases over her face.

♡

“oh, rainbow… “ she coos softly, her heart just about shattering into a million pieces. she can’t recall if she’s ever seen rainbow this upset before. “ you’ll be okay without me, i’m sure. just like my babies here. “ a weak smile finds itself forming on yellow lips, as she glances at all of her critters who are present. she turns back to face rainbow dash. tears are threatening to spill out of her own eyes.

she hides behind her pastel pink mane again, finding solace in a world she’d hidden in once upon a time when she wasn’t so social.

“ i would never leave you or any of the other girls forever… i’ll come back when i can, “ she promises, saying this just a little more sternly as if to emphasize her point. “ rainbow dash… you know i love you all. and i love you enough not to leave you. “ this stood for all of her friends. with each and every joyous moment they shared together, and with the connection they had — they were all too important. rest assured, the memories they created would forever be a part of her.

sure, the fire-breathing dragons aren’t so friendly… but she can find her way through this. in the magic world of equestria, things would surely click in place and work out eventually, no matter how much problem solving was required. she knows that dashie is going to be fine. but…but  what about her? will she really be okay?

fluttershy begins to doubt everything more and more as she feels like part of her world is going to crumble and fall apart right in front of her.

   Her last remaining dredge of hope that Fluttershy might still change her mind begins to fray at the edges when the other dips into her placating tone, a tone usually reserved for her animals, reassuring her that she'll be okay. Her pupils darting back and forth pleadingly between her eyes, she searches the other's face, hoping to find some kind of WAVER in her resolve. Instead, Fluttershy makes her voice strong, prompting her insides to somersault. ❛ But... you're leaving me right NOW ! ❜ She cries out in a knee-jerk reflex, and immediately ducks her head down guiltily. She becomes acutely self-conscious; never in a million moons had she expected the news of her best friend leaving to draw out a reaction like THIS. Gathering herself, the realization that Fluttershy is crying slowly sleeps in, and it's HER fault. This whole time, she's only been focused on how scared SHE is, completely neglecting Fluttershy in the process.