Forecastby JondorChaptersPartly CloudyWith a Chance of DoomEpilogue: Sunny SkiesPartly CloudyIf there was one word ponies used to describe the weather they witnessed each time they glanced up at the sky in Ponyville that week, it would be ‘okay’. On the surface, this particular Thursday looked almost exactly like any other typical, warm summer day. To the few ponies from out of town, it was just as bright, and just as cheerful as the skies at home. They noticed nothing wrong except for a strange aura of anxiety from the Ponyville residents, and few of them even noticed that much. In any other place in Equestria, from small town to big city, weather of this quality would be downright pleasant. It was hard enough for most of the Ponyvillians themselves to say exactly what was so odd about the weather. Only a few of the farmers or the most experienced pegasi were knowledgeable enough to have said anything for sure. After all, there were roughly the right number of clouds in the sky, giving almost the right balance of sun and shade. The rain shower on Tuesday lasted just about the right amount of time and covered pretty close to the right areas of land. Everything was perfect, mostly. In fact, if that week’s weather schedule had been a final exam, and the pegasus managing the weather was a prospective meteorology student, she would have earned a score of at least 92%, well above the standard passing score of only 80%. Unfortunately, the ponies of Ponyville weren’t used to 80% or even 92%; they were used to 120%. So they continued to glance up at the sky, hoping for a sign most of them weren’t even aware they were looking for; a sign that Rainbow Dash was back in town, so that their weather could go back to being awesome, instead of just being ‘okay’. On the outskirts of Ponyville, just south of Sweet Apple Acres, lay Golden Harvest Fields. Carrot Top stood up straight from where she had been digging out some mature taproots, shook a little dirt off of her right forehoof and wiped her sweating brow. Returning to all fours, she craned her neck and glanced up at the sky. Shooting a dark look at two extra clouds hanging overhead, she moaned around the trowel clutched in her teeth. For anypony who was counting, this was the tenth time in the short span of two hours. “Moaning at the sky like that isn’t going to make Rainbow Dash come back to Ponyville any faster, you know,” Berry Punch deadpanned. She had been counting. “I just can’t stand it!” Carrot Top whined, dropping her trowel and pointing an angry hoof at the sky. “Those two clouds shouldn’t be there. They’ve been shading my cabbages for the past half hour. And that rain shower Tuesday lasted ten minutes longer than it should have. Do you know how bad that is for my potatoes?” “Your potatoes will survive.” Berry rolled her eyes. “So, the weather’s not absolutely spot on perfect. Be glad this isn’t Manehattan. They’re lucky to get the right weather on the right day, let alone the right minute.” Berry sighed and walked a few paces away, sliding a full basket of carrots off her back and into Carrot Top’s wagon. She leaned against the sun bleached wood for a moment to take a swig from the bottle of berry juice she’d let sit safe in the shade beneath. She was beginning to regret her decision to spend the day helping Carrot harvest her crops. Two solid hours of her friend and neighbor whining about the not-quite-perfect weather had taken its toll. Unfortunately, her own summer harvesting was finished and all the berries were either already sold or preserved, or juiced and bottled, leaving practically nothing for her to do at home. The argument that had taken place to convince Carrot that she’d brought along bottles of fresh squeezed juice should have been a clue to her friend’s sour mood. Unfortunately, Carrot was, in fact, half right in her suspicion and trying to keep the fermented nature of Berry’s personal bottle secret from her had proved rather distracting. Despite annoyances, spending the day outside with a grousing neighbor and a single bottle of wine was still a far better idea than staying cooped up at home away from said annoyance, but with a large and rather well stocked wine cellar. That would just have been begging for her to slip back into her old, bad habits. Squinting a little in the bright sunlight that one of the errant clouds had just uncovered, Berry’s wine bottle was checked on the way back to her lips by the distant sound of hooves thundering along the hard dirt road just outside the fence. As they galloped closer, three familiar voices cried out Carrot’s name. Daisy, Rose, and Lily galloped through the gate and skidded to a halt by the wagon, billowing up a cloud of dust that took a few moments to dissipate, leaving Carrot’s crops in need of a thorough washing. Berry corked her bottle of wine to keep it safe and waved a hoof in front of her muzzle, searching for some clean air to breathe. “Carrot! Berry! We have some really bad news!” All three of the flower dealers shrieked in unison. “What, did you get spooked by another bunny stampede?” Berry snarked between coughs. “No no, this is much, much worse than that,” Lily moaned. Speaking in turns so that they could catch their breath, Daisy, Rose, and Lily began to tell the distressing developments they had just overheard in town. Earlier, under that same disappointing, yet above average sky, five ponies sat together around a large mushroom table at Horte Cuisine’s outdoor cafe. Applejack turned her face to the sky, staring for a moment at a lazily drifting, slightly oversized cloud casting its shadow over the street. For a few moments, she imagined a rainbow trail cutting across the sky, breaking up that cloud to let the sun shine on her coat again. She could practically feel the warmth spreading in her chest at the thought of her absent friend and, up until now, her secret crush. She’d resolved to let their other friends know before she acted on it; for such a tight knit group to be caught unawares about something as big as this was unfair and dishonest in her mind. “Girls,” she addressed them, bringing the chatter of conversation to a halt, “I got somethin’ important I want ta discuss with y’all.” She paused for a moment and licked her suddenly dry lips as four pairs of eyes focused on her. She mentally kicked herself; this was no time to get cold hooves. “I gotta let y’all know up front, seein’ as it might just affect alla us. I... I’ve had a crush on Rainbow Dash fer a while now, an’ I... I’ve finally got the nerve ta quit ditherin’ an’ actually ask her out, as soon as she gets back from Cloudsdale.” She chided herself for the slight stutter in her voice while she waited for the reaction. Her desire to court another of their friends made her a bit nervous, wondering how the group would take it. On top of that, while she wasn’t ashamed at all about it, Applejack doubted if any of them even suspected until now that she preferred mares over stallions. She was quite pleased to see her friends expressions range only as far as the mild, but pleasant, curiosity of Twilight and Fluttershy, to the cheerful grins of Rarity and Pinkie. “I daresay, it’s about time, darling.” Rarity strained to make herself heard over Pinkie, who had given herself over to mad giggles of delight at the thought of two of her best friends potentially hooking up. “You knew?” Applejack cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “Not exactly, darling. Had I known for sure, I would have spoken up sooner and offered to help. However, it is always pleasant to have one’s suspicions confirmed.” Rarity chuckled and grinned. “Your mannerisms where Rainbow Dash is concerned have been a veritable treasure trove of clues as of late. May I ask what qualities in our dashing friend captured your heart?” Rarity’s eyes positively glowed with anticipation. “Say what now?” Rarity nearly fell off her seat. “What do you see in her?” Rarity’s indignation was met with raised eyebrows. “I’m not criticizing, darling. She can be quite brash and act a bit like a ruffian towards me, but Rainbow Dash still has many admirable qualities: beauty, grace, daring, among others. I’m merely curious what exactly attracted you to her.” “Oh,” Applejack said simply, momentarily stunned. “Well, yeah. What you said. Rainbow’s about the prettiest pegasus I’ve ever seen, but uh... don’t tell her I said it like that.” Applejack looked sheepish while stifled giggles around the table were hastily covered up by mimed Pinkie Promises. “It’s real breathtakin’ ta see her flyin’ up in the sky, showin’ the clouds who’s boss, an’ pullin’ off alla her tricks. At least when she ain’t crashin’ into things. An’ ya gotta admire how she can take a hit an’ go on ticking too.” Applejack’s cheeks gained a bit of color as she spoke. “I’m sure it ain’t exactly romantic enough fer your taste, Rare, but I reckon we’d make a pretty good couple, given the chance.” “Indeed, darling. She’s the sort of mare I’ve always pictured you with.” Rarity blinked at her own statement and quickly changed tack. “Ah, I hope you’ll forgive me. I have suspected that you preferred mares in general for quite a long time now.” She gave Applejack a sheepish grin. “Naturally I’ve kept it to myself, it being only a guess of mine and not having been taken into your confidence on the matter.” “Well, shoot, Rarity. I’d have just told ya if you’d asked. I’m a bit nervous about askin’ out Dash since we’re all friends, but it weren’t no secret that I like mares, leastways I weren’t keepin’ it secret on purpose.” Applejack gave a small smile at Rarity’s renewed indignant expression, and then looked around at the other three. “Anypony else figure it out? Speak up, don’t be shy.” Pinkie and Fluttershy simply shook their heads, the latter with a blush that made it less than convincing. Twilight shook her head as well, but with a look of intense curiosity on her face. “Um, I guess that means that Rarity must have noticed you checking out the, uh, scenery from time to time?” Twilight stammered out the question and only continued after a confirming nod from Applejack. “Does that include, I mean did you ever, um...” She trailed off with a blush, her eyes darting from side to side toward Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy, while she tapped her forehooves together nervously. “Darling, that is not the sort of question a lady asks.” Rarity chided Twilight and fixed her with a glare. Then, on a hunch, she turned the same fierce expression toward Applejack. “Nor is it something a lady answers.” Undaunted, Applejack shot a smug grin right back. “I dunno about Twi, but I’m more of a rough an’ tumble farm gal than a lady.” She turned from Rarity to Twilight and gave the latter an apologetic grin. “I know what yer gettin’ at Twi, an’ the honest to Celestia truth is: yes, sometimes. Y’all could probably say as much or worse fer half the stallions in Ponyville. You gals are the cream of the crop, an’ I mean that in the best possible way.” Twilight, Pinkie and even Fluttershy beamed at each other after a few nervous giggles. Rarity initially scoffed at the unladylike behavior, but allowed a small smile to show through in the end. It was hard to resist enjoying the attention. “I just hope y’all won’t fret none over it. I wouldn’t even be goin’ after Dash if she hadn’t made it clear she likes mares.” Applejack felt some relief at the genuine nods, smiles and noises of assent she received. “Well, darling, with all of that cleared up, I think there is only one question. Do you have a plan?” All four ponies leaned in, quite eager to hear how Applejack was planning to court Rainbow Dash. “Junebug’s still there, keeping watch for us, but what are we going to do? This is terrible news!” Daisy, Rose, and Lily all moaned together. “So, what exactly is the big deal?” Berry Punch looked over the trio’s horrified faces with skepticism. “Everypony knows Rainbow Dash likes mares; she isn’t exactly quiet about it. Applejack is news, but what’s wrong with them hooking up? You three don’t have any problems with Lyra and Bon Bon, so what’s so different about Applejack and Rainbow Dash?” Berry glanced over at Carrot Top for support, but was highly annoyed to see a look on her face that plainly said she agreed with the flower trio’s assessment. “Et tu, Carrot?” “Berry, don’t you get it?!” Carrot moaned, her eyes wide with fright. “The weather has been awful this week because Rainbow Dash has been gone.” The flower ponies all nodded their agreement in unison. “If Applejack starts dating her, Sweet Apple Acres will get all the good weather from now on and the rest of us will be stuck with this!” Carrot Top gesticulated wildly toward the sky. “Or worse!” Daisy, Rose, and Lily all swooned. “What if they get together and then break up?! What kind of weather will we get then? Hurricanes, tornados, lightning storms? The horror, the horror!” All three flower farmers and Carrot Top collapsed to the ground in shock. “Oh Celestia, my head...” Berry just rolled her eyes, pressing a hoof to her forehead. “I need a drink.” She uncorked her wine bottle again and took a long pull, nearly emptying it. The only silver lining to the whole situation was that Carrot was too busy swooning and wallowing in misery to scold her for indulging in her latent alcoholism. Berry only hoped, for the sake of her liver, that it didn’t take her too many bottles to get through whatever crazy schemes the girls were sure to cook up to combat this completely overblown, and most likely non-existent threat to their comfortable little lives. “I ain’t got much of a plan,” Applejack confessed with a shrug. “I was just gonna invite her to a movie or somethin’.” She raised an eyebrow at the slightly pained expressions around her. “Y’all think I need ta do somethin’ fancier?” “Well, even though this is Rainbow Dash we’re talking about, a little more creativity could hardly go amiss, darling.” “Yeah! Dashie is all about being awesome and cool, but she already thinks you’re pretty awesome, so maybe you just need to ramp up the coolness, unless she’s actually looking for radicalness in a fillyfriend, then you have to hope she’s not just looking for cool and radical because then your awesomeness would work against you and that might—” Pinkie’s rant was cut short by a white hoof plugging her mouth. “Although she’s being needlessly verbose, Pinkie does have a fair point. You should at least try to come up with something to impress Rainbow Dash for your first date. If you want a better chance to succeed, that is.” Rarity retrieved her hoof and delicately wiped it off with a napkin. “I don’t know what ‘verbose’ means, but you should totally do what Rarity said.” Pinkie’s curly hair bounced furiously as she nodded enthusiastically. “Alright, y’all got a good point.” Applejack thought hard, putting a hoof to her chin and furrowing her brow. Rarity joined in the silent contemplation. Pinkie appeared to as well, while instead thinking hopeful thoughts of future anniversary and bachelorette parties. Twilight was the one to finally break the silence. “Fluttershy, what about you? You’ve known Rainbow since you were fillies. Do you have any ideas for Applejack?” “Oh, um...” Fluttershy squeaked a little, suddenly finding herself the center of attention. “Dashie already thinks you’re good looking, so you probably don’t need much help, but...” Fluttershy’s voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. “Dashie never really learned how to cook, so I think she’d really like it if you made dinner for her.” The timid mare covered her muzzle with her hooves, as if Rainbow would drop out of the sky at any moment and scold her for giving that away. “Well now, that’s a good idea. Kinda long walk back to the farm, but that’ll let Dash build up a healthy appetite.” Applejack mused, a plan forming inside her blonde maned head. “I wonder what kinda food I should make?” “Daisies? She seems to like my sandwiches during our picnics.” “Roses always make a good impression on a first date, darling. I recommend chocolate coated.” “Cupcakes! Oh wait, she’s always stealing your apples, so apple pie!” While the others were busy chattering on with their suggestions, thinking about things they’d seen Dash eating, Fluttershy attracted Applejack’s attention and tried to whisper suggestions to her. “Girls, hush up a minute, I can’t hear Fluttershy.” Applejack chided them. “Now, what were ya sayin’, sugarcube?” “Oh, Dashie tries her best to eat healthy even though she’s bad at cooking. She really likes flower salads, daisies are her favorite, and she likes roses because they come in all sorts of colors. She prefers carrots and potatoes over hay, either roasted or braised, and she usually gets berry wine when she goes on a date, unless it’s cider season. And of course, she thinks your apples are the best.” All four ponies sat in stunned silence for a moment after Fluttershy’s rundown. “Dang, Fluttershy. I could kiss ya fer alla that.” Applejack beamed and tipped her hat in thanks. “How’d ya find out so much about Dash anyway?” Fluttershy looked away from the table, both cheeks bright red. “Um, Dashie and I dated for a bit when we first moved to Ponyville, before we decided we were better off just as friends. It would be nice to see her find somepony to make her happy again. Dashie hasn’t had much luck dating lately.” Fluttershy’s confession seemed to make her withdraw farther from the conversation as soon as she realized what she had said. Rarity’s eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly recovered to jump in. “It’s alright, darling,” Rarity soothed, “I’m sure Rainbow Dash will appreciate you helping out, after all is said and done.” Rarity slid a foreleg around Fluttershy’s shoulders. “Applejack, save your kisses for Rainbow. She returns tomorrow, so I’m sure you have quite a lot to prepare. I shall see to rewarding Fluttershy.” Applejack caught a glint of determination in Rarity’s eye and a slight smile curling her lips. She briefly pondered exactly what kind of reward Fluttershy was in for before realizing that Rarity was right about preparation. She would have to go check the pantry and root cellar at home and be ready to hit the marketplace early tomorrow for anything she needed. “Yup, I’d better get my flank movin’. Thanks for the help, girls! I’ll letcha know how everything turns out.” Applejack stood, dropping a stack of bits on the table for her portion of the tab. She winked at Fluttershy, still being comforted by Rarity, and leaned in to whisper in one yellow ear. “Thanks again. I hope Rare treats ya right.” Fluttershy blushed a deeper shade of red as Applejack trotted away, the others waving goodbyes. Unnoticed among the crowd of ponies passing by on the street, a flower vendor, temporarily turned spy, cantered along in Applejack’s wake. At the first intersection, she trotted away. Once she was safely out of sight behind a row of houses, she broke into a full gallop, heading for Golden Harvest Fields and the ponies waiting there to devise a plan. With a Chance of Doom“Tell me again, why couldn’t you have just left your stand closed today?” “Because, Berry!” Carrot Top groaned impatiently, “I still need to make money! I lost that whole potato crop thanks to this crummy weather.” Berry Punch buried her muzzle in her hoof. “I told you those potatoes were just fine. I even ate one; do I look poisoned to you?” Berry fixed Carrot with a completely unamused glower. “So, you got lucky,” Carrot huffed as she counted a stack of bits and hoofed over a bundle of carrots to a sandy coated stallion. “I can’t take a chance on my customers. If ponies got sick from my crops, I’d have to get out of the farming business. I might even be run out of town!” “Pinkie’s still working at Sugarcube Corner despite that ‘Baked Bads’ incident.” Berry drained the last of the bottle she’d been nursing all morning and tossed it into a nearby trash bin. “Whatever. Isn’t it going to look suspicious when a bunch of other ponies are walking around with carrots and you refuse to sell any to Applejack?” As Carrot turned and opened her mouth to explain her plan, her face froze as she caught a glimpse of a familiar, well worn stetson bobbing through the crowd. “She’s coming! Act casual.” Berry snorted and did what came naturally in this situation; she leaned against the wall of the stand and popped the cork on a fresh bottle of wine while rolling her eyes. She was already a disturbingly long way through the bottle by the time Applejack came up to the stand. “Howdy, Carrot, Berry.” Applejack tipped her hat to her fellow farmers. “How’re y’all today?” Berry just muttered something unintelligible into her wine. “Berry’s having a bit of a bad day, but I’m alright, except for the weather.” Carrot Top tried to put on her best smile, while internally glaring Berry Punch into oblivion. “How are you?” “I’m real sorry ta hear that, Berry.” Applejack gave Berry Punch a sympathetic look before turning to Carrot Top. ”I’m doin’ real good, actually. Dash is gettin’ back later today, so I’m lookin’ forward ta that.” Applejack put on a huge grin. Both Carrot and Berry turned their heads, each quite uncomfortable for very different reasons. “An’ hey, that’ll solve yer weather problem. Ain’t like Raindrops has done a Manehattan job on us, but nopony can beat Rainbow Dash when it comes to the weather.” “No kidding. I’m really looking forward to having my... our weather back the way it should be.” Berry just silently glowered at Carrot’s falsely sweet demeanor. Much as she wanted to speak up and put a stop to what was about to happen, Carrot’s irrational fear about being run out of town echoed across her mind. Berry could picture herself being run out of town by all of her best friends, and it was not a pleasant thought. On top of that, it was most certainly not something a mother should put her little filly through. Berry took another swig from her bottle and noted with displeasure that it was half empty. She was grateful for having the foresight to bring along her least alcoholic wine, but that only helped matters a little. “Anyways, I came over ta see about gettin’ some carrots an’ potatoes. I got plans fer dinner, an’ I’m fresh out.” “Oh no!” Carrot put on a look of shock that she hoped was convincing. “That’s some really bad luck. I wish I could help.” “Shoot, I weren’t lookin’ fer a handout. I got plenty of bits.” “No, no, it’s not that.” Carrot adopted a moderately convincing sheepish look as Berry quietly scoffed into her bottle. “The thing is, I ran short yesterday and I gave out a bunch of rain checks. I have plenty of celery available, though.” She smiled a smile that was even more falsely sweet than usual. “Oh.” Applejack’s ears drooped. “Well, I can’t exactly ask ta cut in line. Wouldn’t be fair, would it?” “Tell you what, Applejack. Drop by again around four o’clock. I’ll try and save some for you if the rain checks don’t run them all out.” Berry slipped quietly away, unable to watch any more. She headed toward the flower stand where the rest of the girls were, hoping that maybe she could talk some sense into them before Applejack got there. “Alright, sugarcube. Thanks fer tryin’, anyway.” Applejack tipped her stetson once more as she prepared to leave. “I got a few other things ta buy anyway. See ya later.” “See you, Applejack.” She waved at her retreating form. As soon as Applejack was lost among the crowd, Carrot Top turned to gloat at Berry Punch over a job well done, only to find that her friend was gone without a trace. Carrot snorted and laid her head down against the counter of her stand. “How much for carrots?” a rose-coated mare asked, walking up to the stand. “Two bits for five, five bits for fifteen,” Carrot replied without looking up. “Well, I hope you’re proud of yourselves. Carrot’s already brushed off Applejack and you three are about to do the same thing.” Berry glared at all three flower vendors. She was already a little cross-eyed, and now held a fresh, nearly full bottle in her hoof. “Oh, calm down, Berry” Rose groaned. “It’s not like we want to do this. It’s our businesses at stake!” Lily and Daisy nodded their agreement. Junebug was conspicuously absent. Her fellow conspirators didn’t want to take any chances in case she had been spotted spying the previous afternoon. Berry was about to retort, but was hushed by Daisy before she could speak. “Act natural, she’s coming!” All three flower vendors struck unnaturally casual poses, primping their displays of flowers. Berry held a hoof to her forehead, feeling either a headache or deja vu; she suspected it was both. “Howdy, girls. Howdy again, Berry.” Applejack said as she trotted up to the stand. Some of the enthusiasm she displayed earlier had dimmed, but she was still pretty chipper. “You girls having a good day? I know Berry’s a mite under the weather.” Berry Punch winced at that expression and how acutely accurate it was at the moment. She nodded vaguely in acknowledgement and went back to nursing her bottle. “Under the weather,” Lily echoed, nodding sagely. “That sounds about right. This whole week’s been kind of funny weather-wise, hasn’t it?” “Ain’t that the darndest thing? Carrot was just sayin’ that a little bit ago.” Applejack chuckled and all three flower vendors followed suit, forcing out laughter of their own. Berry rolled her eyes. “Well, don’t y’all worry. Dash’ll be back tonight, so I reckon the weather’ll be all sorted out tomorrow.” “That’s great!” Daisy piped up, all three putting on false smiles. “So, what can we do for you?” “Funny enough, I need ta buy some flowers. A couple bunches of daisies and a dozen roses in as many different colors as you got oughta do it.” “Sure thing,” Rose said as she and Daisy started to gather up the order. They both stopped short a moment later. “I almost forgot to ask, you’re buying them for decoration, right?” “Nah, I planned on eatin’ them.” All three flower vendors put on their best pained expressions at Applejack’s words. “Why? What’s wrong?” “Well, the thing is, Sea Swirl was helping us out with this pest repellant spell, but it didn’t go so well.” Daisy shook her head sadly, her ears drooping. “They look pretty enough, but none of these flowers are good to eat anymore.” “You’re pullin’ my legs...” Applejack said sadly. “Ya ain’t got any edible flowers?” “I wish we did. I’m sorry, Applejack.” Lily chimed in this time, all three flower vendors putting on identical sorrowful expressions while Berry Punch slumped against the side of their cart, trying to drown the conversation out with generous gulps of wine. “How about lily bulbs?” Applejack asked. Lily started to reach instinctively for the box under the counter where she kept them. “I hear they cook up like potatoes.” Lily stiffened at the last word and shoved the box farther out of sight instead. “Uhh... no one ever buys them.” Lily invented and Applejack felt her spirits lift a bit. “So I just toss them on the compost heap.” “Dang. Well, thanks anyway.” Applejack turned to go, her cheery manner thoroughly deflated by now, but she turned back to face Berry before getting more than a couple steps away. Berry Punch looked confused for a moment and then gasped as Applejack pulled her into a hug. “I was gonna tell ya this at Carrot’s stand before ya disappeared. I seen ya hittiin’ the bottle again today. If ya need a friend ta talk to, come find me, okay?” Berry felt tears well up in her eyes at Applejack’s words and hugged her back. “Thanks, Applejack. I will.” Applejack gently patted Berry’s back a few times before pulling away and tipping her hat to her. “Seeya.” Berry slumped to the ground and shoved her half full bottle of wine away, completely ignoring all of the excited chatter above her. Applejack lay against the stump of an old tree beside the road leading to Sweet Apple Acres. Her empty saddlebags lay forlornly in the dirt beside her. The summer sun was already well past its peak and currently lay hidden behind a spare cloud. She found the out-of-place cloud completely appropriate, given her mood. She thought about going back to see Carrot, but there wasn’t much point. Dinner was already ruined, but at least she still had the movie. Suddenly, Applejack had to shield her eyes as, in a shower of cloud fluff and a flash of rainbow, the cloud burst apart, causing the bright rays of the sun to stream into her face. Under the shadow of her hoof, she could just make out a rainbow streak, topped off by a cyan blur. It was heading straight for her. “Hey, AJ!” Dash’s scratchy voice called out, accompanied by the thump of four hooves against the hard dirt road. “Whoa, you look totally bummed. I thought you’d be happy to see me.” “I am happy ta see ya, Dash. Been looking forward to it all day.” Applejack sighed. “Just, the rest of the day ain’t been goin’ so good.” Rainbow shimmied out of her saddlebags and plopped down beside Applejack, casually putting a foreleg around her shoulder. “It’s gotta be pretty bad if it’s still bumming you out after getting to see Rainbow Awesome Danger Dash.” She gave Applejack a little nudge and was rewarded with a small smile. “Tell me all about it, and I’ll see if I can make it better.” Applejack just sat for a moment. She nearly started answering purely out of instinct, until she realized exactly what she would be confessing, and to whom. It would certainly get the job done, but it wasn’t anything close to the way she had pictured it. “It ain’t really all that bad, sugarcube. It’s just frustratin’.” Applejack looked up at the sky. “Probably just the weather this week getting ta everypony, even me.” “Yeah, Raindrops does an okay job, but she’s not quite ready to be a full time manager.” Dash followed her friend’s gaze. “At least she didn’t pull a Manehattan; I would have heard about that.” That got a chuckle out of Applejack. “Anyway, I had plans fer makin’ dinner, but I needed ta pick up a bunch of stuff at the market, and I couldn’t get any of it.” She sighed once again, reliving the day’s disappointments. “Even after I asked Twi and Pinkie for help, we combed the market and the only ponies with the stuff I needed weren’t sellin’.” “Were you making dinner for your family or... nevermind.” Dash cut herself off. “Got a list?” “Say what?” “Come on, if you asked Twi to help, I just know she made a list.” Dash stood up and trotted over to her saddlebags. “The market’s still open for a bit, if you give it to me, I bet you I can go get your stuff in ten minutes flat.” She started unloading some small canisters from her saddlebags. “Hold onto these for me. I’d borrow your bags, but if they’re not selling to you for some dumb reason, then I probably shouldn’t show up wearing apples on my flanks.” Applejack felt her face go a bit red at that and quickly looked for a distraction. “What’re these things, anyway?” She turned one of the canisters over in her hoof, reading the label, as Dash took the list from her other hoof. “Powdered lightning fizz,” Dash said, puffing out her chest. “Remember? It’s one of the drinks from Cloudsdale I told you about. It’s not quite as good as when it’s made fresh, but at least you girls will get to try it.” She grinned and hovered, leaving her hooves free to strap her saddlebags back in place. “Be back in a few minutes.” Applejack finished stowing the canisters in her saddlebags as Dash saluted and flew off. True to her word, Dash came flying back down the road and landed in front of Applejack at ten minutes on the dot. “I’m sorry, AJ,” she said, her ears at half mast. “Aww, don’t be sorry, sugarcube. Twi an’ Pinkie an’ me tried fer hours,” Applejack said sadly. “I’m happy ya gave it a shot.” “I couldn’t get the wine; I couldn’t find Berry Punch anywhere.” She unstrapped her bulging saddlebags and set them in front of Applejack. “Got everything else though.” Dash could practically feel herself drooling and had to stop herself from asking if she was invited to dinner. Applejack’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates. “Sweet Celestia, you’re amazing.” She almost squealed as she looked through the bags. “How’d ya do it?” “It’s no problem for The Dash.” She grinned, rubbing a forehoof against her chest and posing. “Carrot Top and all the flower girls owe me favors. They’re always asking for special weather requests.” “Well, no wonder they’ve been grousin’ about the weather.” Applejack chuckled. “Don’t that mess things up, though?” “Nah, not with the Everfree right next door. It’s always kicking up rogue weather.” Dash shrugged. “I got chewed out for trying to use the clouds for the regular weather service, so now I just stash them somewhere safe for later. I use them when somepony has a request and trade them for other little favors.” “Well, dang. Ya didn’t have ta use up yer favors on me.” “Nah, I hardly ever use them for myself; it doesn’t feel right. I’d rather help out my friends.” Dash grinned, then turned her attention back to all the food in her saddlebags. “I do kinda wish I’d picked up some extra when I got your stuff, though. You got all my favorites.” Applejack felt her face heat up again as the conversation turned back to the food she’d been trying all morning to buy. “Half of that is fer you,” Applejack said simply. “Huh?” “I’ve been waiting fer ya to get back into town so I could ask ya out on a date.” Applejack looked straight into Rainbow Dash’s eyes and spoke with the firm resolve she’d rehearsed all week. “What d’ya say to a movie, then back ta Sweet Apple Acres fer a home cooked dinner?” “Wait, you wanna?...” This time it was Dash’s turn to go bug-eyed. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” She took off from the ground and did several vertical loops before flying straight into Applejack and hugging her tight. “I’ll take that as a yes, sugarcube.” Applejack grinned down at the pegasus clamped around her barrel. “How’d you know what kind of food I like?” Dash asked after she calmed down enough to speak clearly. Her voice was a bit muffled by Applejack’s chest. “I talked with the girls. I figured they should know, in case I uh... put all our friendships on the line, askin’ out one of our friends an’ all.” She looked sheepish. “Fluttershy suggested the food.” Rainbow looked shocked. She was putting two and two together in her mind and getting five. “Don’tcha fret, sugarcube. Yeah, she told me y’all dated fer a while.” Applejack leaned in a bit closer. “But, she also said she wanted ta see you find somepony ta make ya happy again, an’ she reckons I’ll do a good job of that.” “I’m gonna owe her big time.” Dash grinned stupidly. “I think Rarity’s takin’ care of that.” Applejack grinned an extremely smug grin. “Rarity?” Dash looked perplexed at Applejack’s grin before the pieces clicked into place. “Rarity?!” “Reckon so.” “Huh. Never woulda guessed.” “Eeyup.” Applejack stood, picking up both sets of saddlebags. “How about we go stash this stuff at the house and get goin’ to the movie? We can have some of yer lightning fizz with dinner. I ain’t surprised ya couldn’t get the wine, Berry didn’t look like she was havin’ a very good day.” “I wasn’t until now.” Berry Punch was walking down the road toward them. She had her own saddlebags strapped to her back and looked much more alert and sober than the last time Applejack had seen her. “I wanted to apologize for everything you had to go through today.” Berry dipped her head, her ears drooping. “Hey now, it weren’t your fault,” Applejack consoled. “It was, partly. I could have stopped them, should have stopped them, but I didn’t have the courage.” Berry sniffed, trying to compose herself again; the alcohol hadn’t completely worn off yet. “I’d just about worked up the nerve to make things right when I saw Dash buying up all the stuff you were after. I saw her flying out this way, so I went home and got a couple bottles of wine for you; the last thing on your list.” “Well, that’s right kind of ya.” Applejack paused, considering. “Wait, just how in the hay did ya know I was after wine?” “Junebug overheard you talking about your plans yesterday. The other girls were afraid you’d get all the good weather and they’d get the short end of the stick if you and Dash started going out.” Berry dipped her head again. “I really should have tried harder to stop them instead of just drinking and hoping it would go away.” “What?! They tried to sabotage AJ so they’d get good weather?” Dash turned to look at Applejack, but her indignation was quickly dispelled by the laughter that greeted her. “It weren’t a very good plan if all they tried ta do was stop me makin’ dinner fer ya. Even if you’d come back empty hooved, I was still gonna ask ya out.” Applejack grinned wide and Dash followed suit. “Berry, y’all remember what I said. You need somepony ta talk to, you can come ta me any time.” Applejack tipped her hat. “‘Cept fer right now of course. I gotta go show this wingy varmint a good time.” She leaned in toward Dash and said, with a bit of a leer. “I still wanna try the lightning fizz. We’ll save the wine fer dessert.” “Have fun!” Berry waved and wished them well as they galloped away, tails floating along in their wake and Dash’s wings flared. She turned her face to the slowly setting sun, feeling the warmth bathe over her before trotting off to the south to tell Carrot the good news. Author's Note Lightning fizz. Epilogue: Sunny SkiesAll over Ponyville, ponies trotted along merrily, conducting their business with an extra spring in their step. They smiled at each other, they smiled at the sun on their faces, they smiled during the light drizzle of rain, and they smiled at the clouds. They smiled particularly wide, and giggled a bit, at the occasional cloud shaped like an earth pony in a stetson. Pinkie Pie was reluctant to relinquish her record for making the most ponies smile at once, but she vowed to reclaim the title as soon as possible. Berry Punch smiled; she had been stone cold sober for a week. ‘Awesome’ did not adequately describe Ponyville’s feelings about the weather. It was still difficult for most ponies to say exactly why they were so gleeful, but everything just seemed to be perfect. There were exactly the right number of clouds in the sky. The sun and the shade were in perfect proportion and in exactly the right spots. The rain shower on Monday lasted not one second longer than it needed to and covered exactly the right areas of land. Everything was perfect... mostly. Four ponies sat at the edge of a road on the outskirts of town. To their left lay Golden Harvest Fields, and to their right was Perennial Patch. All four ponies stared forlornly at the sky above their respective farms. A yellow coated, blue maned pegasus mare was busy positioning clouds in the sky. Each time she set a cloud in place, the group of farmers moaned; their worst fears had come true. “You brought it on yourselves, you know.” Berry Punch trotted toward the group, accompanied by Applejack. “If you’d just left well enough alone and hadn’t tried to ruin AJ’s plan, you girls could have shared in all the perfect weather too.” Carrot Top, Daisy, Roseluck, and Lily Valley all put on their best puppy dog eyes, looking over at their fellow farmers. “Darn tootin’. An’ if ya ask me, Dash is lettin’ y’all off pretty light.” Applejack smirked. “But look at what she’s doing to my potatoes!” Carrot Top wailed as Raindrops gave a tuft of cumulonimbus a kick. The small, dark cloud began to sprinkle rain down, most of it landing onto the half grown plants she’d intended to water. “And our flowers!” Daisy, Rose, and Lily cried. Small wisps of stratus broke the full sunlight, casting thin shadows across the flower beds. “Hey, Raindrops does a great job!” A flutter of wings and a scratchy voice signaled the arrival of Rainbow Dash. “She just needs a little practice if she wants to be as good as me.” Dash landed and gave Applejack a peck on the cheek. “She’s already up to 95% on the standard test, so I think three more weeks of practice should do it.” All four distressed farmers collapsed to the ground in a swoon. Berry chuckled and rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you later, Applejack. We can talk some more about the apple brandy.” At Berry’s mention of the beverage, Dash’s wings raised excitedly. “Don’t go gettin’ all excited so fast, sugarcube. The good stuff’s gotta age fer a few years.” Applejack chuckled and pecked Dash’s cheek. “Now c’mon, ya promised me a run.” While the swooning farmers lay in the grass, each contemplating three weeks of not-quite-perfect weather, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Berry Punch headed their separate directions to enjoy an awesome day. Author's Note bahatumay is one smart cookie.
Partly CloudyIf there was one word ponies used to describe the weather they witnessed each time they glanced up at the sky in Ponyville that week, it would be ‘okay’. On the surface, this particular Thursday looked almost exactly like any other typical, warm summer day. To the few ponies from out of town, it was just as bright, and just as cheerful as the skies at home. They noticed nothing wrong except for a strange aura of anxiety from the Ponyville residents, and few of them even noticed that much. In any other place in Equestria, from small town to big city, weather of this quality would be downright pleasant. It was hard enough for most of the Ponyvillians themselves to say exactly what was so odd about the weather. Only a few of the farmers or the most experienced pegasi were knowledgeable enough to have said anything for sure. After all, there were roughly the right number of clouds in the sky, giving almost the right balance of sun and shade. The rain shower on Tuesday lasted just about the right amount of time and covered pretty close to the right areas of land. Everything was perfect, mostly. In fact, if that week’s weather schedule had been a final exam, and the pegasus managing the weather was a prospective meteorology student, she would have earned a score of at least 92%, well above the standard passing score of only 80%. Unfortunately, the ponies of Ponyville weren’t used to 80% or even 92%; they were used to 120%. So they continued to glance up at the sky, hoping for a sign most of them weren’t even aware they were looking for; a sign that Rainbow Dash was back in town, so that their weather could go back to being awesome, instead of just being ‘okay’. On the outskirts of Ponyville, just south of Sweet Apple Acres, lay Golden Harvest Fields. Carrot Top stood up straight from where she had been digging out some mature taproots, shook a little dirt off of her right forehoof and wiped her sweating brow. Returning to all fours, she craned her neck and glanced up at the sky. Shooting a dark look at two extra clouds hanging overhead, she moaned around the trowel clutched in her teeth. For anypony who was counting, this was the tenth time in the short span of two hours. “Moaning at the sky like that isn’t going to make Rainbow Dash come back to Ponyville any faster, you know,” Berry Punch deadpanned. She had been counting. “I just can’t stand it!” Carrot Top whined, dropping her trowel and pointing an angry hoof at the sky. “Those two clouds shouldn’t be there. They’ve been shading my cabbages for the past half hour. And that rain shower Tuesday lasted ten minutes longer than it should have. Do you know how bad that is for my potatoes?” “Your potatoes will survive.” Berry rolled her eyes. “So, the weather’s not absolutely spot on perfect. Be glad this isn’t Manehattan. They’re lucky to get the right weather on the right day, let alone the right minute.” Berry sighed and walked a few paces away, sliding a full basket of carrots off her back and into Carrot Top’s wagon. She leaned against the sun bleached wood for a moment to take a swig from the bottle of berry juice she’d let sit safe in the shade beneath. She was beginning to regret her decision to spend the day helping Carrot harvest her crops. Two solid hours of her friend and neighbor whining about the not-quite-perfect weather had taken its toll. Unfortunately, her own summer harvesting was finished and all the berries were either already sold or preserved, or juiced and bottled, leaving practically nothing for her to do at home. The argument that had taken place to convince Carrot that she’d brought along bottles of fresh squeezed juice should have been a clue to her friend’s sour mood. Unfortunately, Carrot was, in fact, half right in her suspicion and trying to keep the fermented nature of Berry’s personal bottle secret from her had proved rather distracting. Despite annoyances, spending the day outside with a grousing neighbor and a single bottle of wine was still a far better idea than staying cooped up at home away from said annoyance, but with a large and rather well stocked wine cellar. That would just have been begging for her to slip back into her old, bad habits. Squinting a little in the bright sunlight that one of the errant clouds had just uncovered, Berry’s wine bottle was checked on the way back to her lips by the distant sound of hooves thundering along the hard dirt road just outside the fence. As they galloped closer, three familiar voices cried out Carrot’s name. Daisy, Rose, and Lily galloped through the gate and skidded to a halt by the wagon, billowing up a cloud of dust that took a few moments to dissipate, leaving Carrot’s crops in need of a thorough washing. Berry corked her bottle of wine to keep it safe and waved a hoof in front of her muzzle, searching for some clean air to breathe. “Carrot! Berry! We have some really bad news!” All three of the flower dealers shrieked in unison. “What, did you get spooked by another bunny stampede?” Berry snarked between coughs. “No no, this is much, much worse than that,” Lily moaned. Speaking in turns so that they could catch their breath, Daisy, Rose, and Lily began to tell the distressing developments they had just overheard in town. Earlier, under that same disappointing, yet above average sky, five ponies sat together around a large mushroom table at Horte Cuisine’s outdoor cafe. Applejack turned her face to the sky, staring for a moment at a lazily drifting, slightly oversized cloud casting its shadow over the street. For a few moments, she imagined a rainbow trail cutting across the sky, breaking up that cloud to let the sun shine on her coat again. She could practically feel the warmth spreading in her chest at the thought of her absent friend and, up until now, her secret crush. She’d resolved to let their other friends know before she acted on it; for such a tight knit group to be caught unawares about something as big as this was unfair and dishonest in her mind. “Girls,” she addressed them, bringing the chatter of conversation to a halt, “I got somethin’ important I want ta discuss with y’all.” She paused for a moment and licked her suddenly dry lips as four pairs of eyes focused on her. She mentally kicked herself; this was no time to get cold hooves. “I gotta let y’all know up front, seein’ as it might just affect alla us. I... I’ve had a crush on Rainbow Dash fer a while now, an’ I... I’ve finally got the nerve ta quit ditherin’ an’ actually ask her out, as soon as she gets back from Cloudsdale.” She chided herself for the slight stutter in her voice while she waited for the reaction. Her desire to court another of their friends made her a bit nervous, wondering how the group would take it. On top of that, while she wasn’t ashamed at all about it, Applejack doubted if any of them even suspected until now that she preferred mares over stallions. She was quite pleased to see her friends expressions range only as far as the mild, but pleasant, curiosity of Twilight and Fluttershy, to the cheerful grins of Rarity and Pinkie. “I daresay, it’s about time, darling.” Rarity strained to make herself heard over Pinkie, who had given herself over to mad giggles of delight at the thought of two of her best friends potentially hooking up. “You knew?” Applejack cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “Not exactly, darling. Had I known for sure, I would have spoken up sooner and offered to help. However, it is always pleasant to have one’s suspicions confirmed.” Rarity chuckled and grinned. “Your mannerisms where Rainbow Dash is concerned have been a veritable treasure trove of clues as of late. May I ask what qualities in our dashing friend captured your heart?” Rarity’s eyes positively glowed with anticipation. “Say what now?” Rarity nearly fell off her seat. “What do you see in her?” Rarity’s indignation was met with raised eyebrows. “I’m not criticizing, darling. She can be quite brash and act a bit like a ruffian towards me, but Rainbow Dash still has many admirable qualities: beauty, grace, daring, among others. I’m merely curious what exactly attracted you to her.” “Oh,” Applejack said simply, momentarily stunned. “Well, yeah. What you said. Rainbow’s about the prettiest pegasus I’ve ever seen, but uh... don’t tell her I said it like that.” Applejack looked sheepish while stifled giggles around the table were hastily covered up by mimed Pinkie Promises. “It’s real breathtakin’ ta see her flyin’ up in the sky, showin’ the clouds who’s boss, an’ pullin’ off alla her tricks. At least when she ain’t crashin’ into things. An’ ya gotta admire how she can take a hit an’ go on ticking too.” Applejack’s cheeks gained a bit of color as she spoke. “I’m sure it ain’t exactly romantic enough fer your taste, Rare, but I reckon we’d make a pretty good couple, given the chance.” “Indeed, darling. She’s the sort of mare I’ve always pictured you with.” Rarity blinked at her own statement and quickly changed tack. “Ah, I hope you’ll forgive me. I have suspected that you preferred mares in general for quite a long time now.” She gave Applejack a sheepish grin. “Naturally I’ve kept it to myself, it being only a guess of mine and not having been taken into your confidence on the matter.” “Well, shoot, Rarity. I’d have just told ya if you’d asked. I’m a bit nervous about askin’ out Dash since we’re all friends, but it weren’t no secret that I like mares, leastways I weren’t keepin’ it secret on purpose.” Applejack gave a small smile at Rarity’s renewed indignant expression, and then looked around at the other three. “Anypony else figure it out? Speak up, don’t be shy.” Pinkie and Fluttershy simply shook their heads, the latter with a blush that made it less than convincing. Twilight shook her head as well, but with a look of intense curiosity on her face. “Um, I guess that means that Rarity must have noticed you checking out the, uh, scenery from time to time?” Twilight stammered out the question and only continued after a confirming nod from Applejack. “Does that include, I mean did you ever, um...” She trailed off with a blush, her eyes darting from side to side toward Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy, while she tapped her forehooves together nervously. “Darling, that is not the sort of question a lady asks.” Rarity chided Twilight and fixed her with a glare. Then, on a hunch, she turned the same fierce expression toward Applejack. “Nor is it something a lady answers.” Undaunted, Applejack shot a smug grin right back. “I dunno about Twi, but I’m more of a rough an’ tumble farm gal than a lady.” She turned from Rarity to Twilight and gave the latter an apologetic grin. “I know what yer gettin’ at Twi, an’ the honest to Celestia truth is: yes, sometimes. Y’all could probably say as much or worse fer half the stallions in Ponyville. You gals are the cream of the crop, an’ I mean that in the best possible way.” Twilight, Pinkie and even Fluttershy beamed at each other after a few nervous giggles. Rarity initially scoffed at the unladylike behavior, but allowed a small smile to show through in the end. It was hard to resist enjoying the attention. “I just hope y’all won’t fret none over it. I wouldn’t even be goin’ after Dash if she hadn’t made it clear she likes mares.” Applejack felt some relief at the genuine nods, smiles and noises of assent she received. “Well, darling, with all of that cleared up, I think there is only one question. Do you have a plan?” All four ponies leaned in, quite eager to hear how Applejack was planning to court Rainbow Dash. “Junebug’s still there, keeping watch for us, but what are we going to do? This is terrible news!” Daisy, Rose, and Lily all moaned together. “So, what exactly is the big deal?” Berry Punch looked over the trio’s horrified faces with skepticism. “Everypony knows Rainbow Dash likes mares; she isn’t exactly quiet about it. Applejack is news, but what’s wrong with them hooking up? You three don’t have any problems with Lyra and Bon Bon, so what’s so different about Applejack and Rainbow Dash?” Berry glanced over at Carrot Top for support, but was highly annoyed to see a look on her face that plainly said she agreed with the flower trio’s assessment. “Et tu, Carrot?” “Berry, don’t you get it?!” Carrot moaned, her eyes wide with fright. “The weather has been awful this week because Rainbow Dash has been gone.” The flower ponies all nodded their agreement in unison. “If Applejack starts dating her, Sweet Apple Acres will get all the good weather from now on and the rest of us will be stuck with this!” Carrot Top gesticulated wildly toward the sky. “Or worse!” Daisy, Rose, and Lily all swooned. “What if they get together and then break up?! What kind of weather will we get then? Hurricanes, tornados, lightning storms? The horror, the horror!” All three flower farmers and Carrot Top collapsed to the ground in shock. “Oh Celestia, my head...” Berry just rolled her eyes, pressing a hoof to her forehead. “I need a drink.” She uncorked her wine bottle again and took a long pull, nearly emptying it. The only silver lining to the whole situation was that Carrot was too busy swooning and wallowing in misery to scold her for indulging in her latent alcoholism. Berry only hoped, for the sake of her liver, that it didn’t take her too many bottles to get through whatever crazy schemes the girls were sure to cook up to combat this completely overblown, and most likely non-existent threat to their comfortable little lives. “I ain’t got much of a plan,” Applejack confessed with a shrug. “I was just gonna invite her to a movie or somethin’.” She raised an eyebrow at the slightly pained expressions around her. “Y’all think I need ta do somethin’ fancier?” “Well, even though this is Rainbow Dash we’re talking about, a little more creativity could hardly go amiss, darling.” “Yeah! Dashie is all about being awesome and cool, but she already thinks you’re pretty awesome, so maybe you just need to ramp up the coolness, unless she’s actually looking for radicalness in a fillyfriend, then you have to hope she’s not just looking for cool and radical because then your awesomeness would work against you and that might—” Pinkie’s rant was cut short by a white hoof plugging her mouth. “Although she’s being needlessly verbose, Pinkie does have a fair point. You should at least try to come up with something to impress Rainbow Dash for your first date. If you want a better chance to succeed, that is.” Rarity retrieved her hoof and delicately wiped it off with a napkin. “I don’t know what ‘verbose’ means, but you should totally do what Rarity said.” Pinkie’s curly hair bounced furiously as she nodded enthusiastically. “Alright, y’all got a good point.” Applejack thought hard, putting a hoof to her chin and furrowing her brow. Rarity joined in the silent contemplation. Pinkie appeared to as well, while instead thinking hopeful thoughts of future anniversary and bachelorette parties. Twilight was the one to finally break the silence. “Fluttershy, what about you? You’ve known Rainbow since you were fillies. Do you have any ideas for Applejack?” “Oh, um...” Fluttershy squeaked a little, suddenly finding herself the center of attention. “Dashie already thinks you’re good looking, so you probably don’t need much help, but...” Fluttershy’s voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. “Dashie never really learned how to cook, so I think she’d really like it if you made dinner for her.” The timid mare covered her muzzle with her hooves, as if Rainbow would drop out of the sky at any moment and scold her for giving that away. “Well now, that’s a good idea. Kinda long walk back to the farm, but that’ll let Dash build up a healthy appetite.” Applejack mused, a plan forming inside her blonde maned head. “I wonder what kinda food I should make?” “Daisies? She seems to like my sandwiches during our picnics.” “Roses always make a good impression on a first date, darling. I recommend chocolate coated.” “Cupcakes! Oh wait, she’s always stealing your apples, so apple pie!” While the others were busy chattering on with their suggestions, thinking about things they’d seen Dash eating, Fluttershy attracted Applejack’s attention and tried to whisper suggestions to her. “Girls, hush up a minute, I can’t hear Fluttershy.” Applejack chided them. “Now, what were ya sayin’, sugarcube?” “Oh, Dashie tries her best to eat healthy even though she’s bad at cooking. She really likes flower salads, daisies are her favorite, and she likes roses because they come in all sorts of colors. She prefers carrots and potatoes over hay, either roasted or braised, and she usually gets berry wine when she goes on a date, unless it’s cider season. And of course, she thinks your apples are the best.” All four ponies sat in stunned silence for a moment after Fluttershy’s rundown. “Dang, Fluttershy. I could kiss ya fer alla that.” Applejack beamed and tipped her hat in thanks. “How’d ya find out so much about Dash anyway?” Fluttershy looked away from the table, both cheeks bright red. “Um, Dashie and I dated for a bit when we first moved to Ponyville, before we decided we were better off just as friends. It would be nice to see her find somepony to make her happy again. Dashie hasn’t had much luck dating lately.” Fluttershy’s confession seemed to make her withdraw farther from the conversation as soon as she realized what she had said. Rarity’s eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly recovered to jump in. “It’s alright, darling,” Rarity soothed, “I’m sure Rainbow Dash will appreciate you helping out, after all is said and done.” Rarity slid a foreleg around Fluttershy’s shoulders. “Applejack, save your kisses for Rainbow. She returns tomorrow, so I’m sure you have quite a lot to prepare. I shall see to rewarding Fluttershy.” Applejack caught a glint of determination in Rarity’s eye and a slight smile curling her lips. She briefly pondered exactly what kind of reward Fluttershy was in for before realizing that Rarity was right about preparation. She would have to go check the pantry and root cellar at home and be ready to hit the marketplace early tomorrow for anything she needed. “Yup, I’d better get my flank movin’. Thanks for the help, girls! I’ll letcha know how everything turns out.” Applejack stood, dropping a stack of bits on the table for her portion of the tab. She winked at Fluttershy, still being comforted by Rarity, and leaned in to whisper in one yellow ear. “Thanks again. I hope Rare treats ya right.” Fluttershy blushed a deeper shade of red as Applejack trotted away, the others waving goodbyes. Unnoticed among the crowd of ponies passing by on the street, a flower vendor, temporarily turned spy, cantered along in Applejack’s wake. At the first intersection, she trotted away. Once she was safely out of sight behind a row of houses, she broke into a full gallop, heading for Golden Harvest Fields and the ponies waiting there to devise a plan.
With a Chance of Doom“Tell me again, why couldn’t you have just left your stand closed today?” “Because, Berry!” Carrot Top groaned impatiently, “I still need to make money! I lost that whole potato crop thanks to this crummy weather.” Berry Punch buried her muzzle in her hoof. “I told you those potatoes were just fine. I even ate one; do I look poisoned to you?” Berry fixed Carrot with a completely unamused glower. “So, you got lucky,” Carrot huffed as she counted a stack of bits and hoofed over a bundle of carrots to a sandy coated stallion. “I can’t take a chance on my customers. If ponies got sick from my crops, I’d have to get out of the farming business. I might even be run out of town!” “Pinkie’s still working at Sugarcube Corner despite that ‘Baked Bads’ incident.” Berry drained the last of the bottle she’d been nursing all morning and tossed it into a nearby trash bin. “Whatever. Isn’t it going to look suspicious when a bunch of other ponies are walking around with carrots and you refuse to sell any to Applejack?” As Carrot turned and opened her mouth to explain her plan, her face froze as she caught a glimpse of a familiar, well worn stetson bobbing through the crowd. “She’s coming! Act casual.” Berry snorted and did what came naturally in this situation; she leaned against the wall of the stand and popped the cork on a fresh bottle of wine while rolling her eyes. She was already a disturbingly long way through the bottle by the time Applejack came up to the stand. “Howdy, Carrot, Berry.” Applejack tipped her hat to her fellow farmers. “How’re y’all today?” Berry just muttered something unintelligible into her wine. “Berry’s having a bit of a bad day, but I’m alright, except for the weather.” Carrot Top tried to put on her best smile, while internally glaring Berry Punch into oblivion. “How are you?” “I’m real sorry ta hear that, Berry.” Applejack gave Berry Punch a sympathetic look before turning to Carrot Top. ”I’m doin’ real good, actually. Dash is gettin’ back later today, so I’m lookin’ forward ta that.” Applejack put on a huge grin. Both Carrot and Berry turned their heads, each quite uncomfortable for very different reasons. “An’ hey, that’ll solve yer weather problem. Ain’t like Raindrops has done a Manehattan job on us, but nopony can beat Rainbow Dash when it comes to the weather.” “No kidding. I’m really looking forward to having my... our weather back the way it should be.” Berry just silently glowered at Carrot’s falsely sweet demeanor. Much as she wanted to speak up and put a stop to what was about to happen, Carrot’s irrational fear about being run out of town echoed across her mind. Berry could picture herself being run out of town by all of her best friends, and it was not a pleasant thought. On top of that, it was most certainly not something a mother should put her little filly through. Berry took another swig from her bottle and noted with displeasure that it was half empty. She was grateful for having the foresight to bring along her least alcoholic wine, but that only helped matters a little. “Anyways, I came over ta see about gettin’ some carrots an’ potatoes. I got plans fer dinner, an’ I’m fresh out.” “Oh no!” Carrot put on a look of shock that she hoped was convincing. “That’s some really bad luck. I wish I could help.” “Shoot, I weren’t lookin’ fer a handout. I got plenty of bits.” “No, no, it’s not that.” Carrot adopted a moderately convincing sheepish look as Berry quietly scoffed into her bottle. “The thing is, I ran short yesterday and I gave out a bunch of rain checks. I have plenty of celery available, though.” She smiled a smile that was even more falsely sweet than usual. “Oh.” Applejack’s ears drooped. “Well, I can’t exactly ask ta cut in line. Wouldn’t be fair, would it?” “Tell you what, Applejack. Drop by again around four o’clock. I’ll try and save some for you if the rain checks don’t run them all out.” Berry slipped quietly away, unable to watch any more. She headed toward the flower stand where the rest of the girls were, hoping that maybe she could talk some sense into them before Applejack got there. “Alright, sugarcube. Thanks fer tryin’, anyway.” Applejack tipped her stetson once more as she prepared to leave. “I got a few other things ta buy anyway. See ya later.” “See you, Applejack.” She waved at her retreating form. As soon as Applejack was lost among the crowd, Carrot Top turned to gloat at Berry Punch over a job well done, only to find that her friend was gone without a trace. Carrot snorted and laid her head down against the counter of her stand. “How much for carrots?” a rose-coated mare asked, walking up to the stand. “Two bits for five, five bits for fifteen,” Carrot replied without looking up. “Well, I hope you’re proud of yourselves. Carrot’s already brushed off Applejack and you three are about to do the same thing.” Berry glared at all three flower vendors. She was already a little cross-eyed, and now held a fresh, nearly full bottle in her hoof. “Oh, calm down, Berry” Rose groaned. “It’s not like we want to do this. It’s our businesses at stake!” Lily and Daisy nodded their agreement. Junebug was conspicuously absent. Her fellow conspirators didn’t want to take any chances in case she had been spotted spying the previous afternoon. Berry was about to retort, but was hushed by Daisy before she could speak. “Act natural, she’s coming!” All three flower vendors struck unnaturally casual poses, primping their displays of flowers. Berry held a hoof to her forehead, feeling either a headache or deja vu; she suspected it was both. “Howdy, girls. Howdy again, Berry.” Applejack said as she trotted up to the stand. Some of the enthusiasm she displayed earlier had dimmed, but she was still pretty chipper. “You girls having a good day? I know Berry’s a mite under the weather.” Berry Punch winced at that expression and how acutely accurate it was at the moment. She nodded vaguely in acknowledgement and went back to nursing her bottle. “Under the weather,” Lily echoed, nodding sagely. “That sounds about right. This whole week’s been kind of funny weather-wise, hasn’t it?” “Ain’t that the darndest thing? Carrot was just sayin’ that a little bit ago.” Applejack chuckled and all three flower vendors followed suit, forcing out laughter of their own. Berry rolled her eyes. “Well, don’t y’all worry. Dash’ll be back tonight, so I reckon the weather’ll be all sorted out tomorrow.” “That’s great!” Daisy piped up, all three putting on false smiles. “So, what can we do for you?” “Funny enough, I need ta buy some flowers. A couple bunches of daisies and a dozen roses in as many different colors as you got oughta do it.” “Sure thing,” Rose said as she and Daisy started to gather up the order. They both stopped short a moment later. “I almost forgot to ask, you’re buying them for decoration, right?” “Nah, I planned on eatin’ them.” All three flower vendors put on their best pained expressions at Applejack’s words. “Why? What’s wrong?” “Well, the thing is, Sea Swirl was helping us out with this pest repellant spell, but it didn’t go so well.” Daisy shook her head sadly, her ears drooping. “They look pretty enough, but none of these flowers are good to eat anymore.” “You’re pullin’ my legs...” Applejack said sadly. “Ya ain’t got any edible flowers?” “I wish we did. I’m sorry, Applejack.” Lily chimed in this time, all three flower vendors putting on identical sorrowful expressions while Berry Punch slumped against the side of their cart, trying to drown the conversation out with generous gulps of wine. “How about lily bulbs?” Applejack asked. Lily started to reach instinctively for the box under the counter where she kept them. “I hear they cook up like potatoes.” Lily stiffened at the last word and shoved the box farther out of sight instead. “Uhh... no one ever buys them.” Lily invented and Applejack felt her spirits lift a bit. “So I just toss them on the compost heap.” “Dang. Well, thanks anyway.” Applejack turned to go, her cheery manner thoroughly deflated by now, but she turned back to face Berry before getting more than a couple steps away. Berry Punch looked confused for a moment and then gasped as Applejack pulled her into a hug. “I was gonna tell ya this at Carrot’s stand before ya disappeared. I seen ya hittiin’ the bottle again today. If ya need a friend ta talk to, come find me, okay?” Berry felt tears well up in her eyes at Applejack’s words and hugged her back. “Thanks, Applejack. I will.” Applejack gently patted Berry’s back a few times before pulling away and tipping her hat to her. “Seeya.” Berry slumped to the ground and shoved her half full bottle of wine away, completely ignoring all of the excited chatter above her. Applejack lay against the stump of an old tree beside the road leading to Sweet Apple Acres. Her empty saddlebags lay forlornly in the dirt beside her. The summer sun was already well past its peak and currently lay hidden behind a spare cloud. She found the out-of-place cloud completely appropriate, given her mood. She thought about going back to see Carrot, but there wasn’t much point. Dinner was already ruined, but at least she still had the movie. Suddenly, Applejack had to shield her eyes as, in a shower of cloud fluff and a flash of rainbow, the cloud burst apart, causing the bright rays of the sun to stream into her face. Under the shadow of her hoof, she could just make out a rainbow streak, topped off by a cyan blur. It was heading straight for her. “Hey, AJ!” Dash’s scratchy voice called out, accompanied by the thump of four hooves against the hard dirt road. “Whoa, you look totally bummed. I thought you’d be happy to see me.” “I am happy ta see ya, Dash. Been looking forward to it all day.” Applejack sighed. “Just, the rest of the day ain’t been goin’ so good.” Rainbow shimmied out of her saddlebags and plopped down beside Applejack, casually putting a foreleg around her shoulder. “It’s gotta be pretty bad if it’s still bumming you out after getting to see Rainbow Awesome Danger Dash.” She gave Applejack a little nudge and was rewarded with a small smile. “Tell me all about it, and I’ll see if I can make it better.” Applejack just sat for a moment. She nearly started answering purely out of instinct, until she realized exactly what she would be confessing, and to whom. It would certainly get the job done, but it wasn’t anything close to the way she had pictured it. “It ain’t really all that bad, sugarcube. It’s just frustratin’.” Applejack looked up at the sky. “Probably just the weather this week getting ta everypony, even me.” “Yeah, Raindrops does an okay job, but she’s not quite ready to be a full time manager.” Dash followed her friend’s gaze. “At least she didn’t pull a Manehattan; I would have heard about that.” That got a chuckle out of Applejack. “Anyway, I had plans fer makin’ dinner, but I needed ta pick up a bunch of stuff at the market, and I couldn’t get any of it.” She sighed once again, reliving the day’s disappointments. “Even after I asked Twi and Pinkie for help, we combed the market and the only ponies with the stuff I needed weren’t sellin’.” “Were you making dinner for your family or... nevermind.” Dash cut herself off. “Got a list?” “Say what?” “Come on, if you asked Twi to help, I just know she made a list.” Dash stood up and trotted over to her saddlebags. “The market’s still open for a bit, if you give it to me, I bet you I can go get your stuff in ten minutes flat.” She started unloading some small canisters from her saddlebags. “Hold onto these for me. I’d borrow your bags, but if they’re not selling to you for some dumb reason, then I probably shouldn’t show up wearing apples on my flanks.” Applejack felt her face go a bit red at that and quickly looked for a distraction. “What’re these things, anyway?” She turned one of the canisters over in her hoof, reading the label, as Dash took the list from her other hoof. “Powdered lightning fizz,” Dash said, puffing out her chest. “Remember? It’s one of the drinks from Cloudsdale I told you about. It’s not quite as good as when it’s made fresh, but at least you girls will get to try it.” She grinned and hovered, leaving her hooves free to strap her saddlebags back in place. “Be back in a few minutes.” Applejack finished stowing the canisters in her saddlebags as Dash saluted and flew off. True to her word, Dash came flying back down the road and landed in front of Applejack at ten minutes on the dot. “I’m sorry, AJ,” she said, her ears at half mast. “Aww, don’t be sorry, sugarcube. Twi an’ Pinkie an’ me tried fer hours,” Applejack said sadly. “I’m happy ya gave it a shot.” “I couldn’t get the wine; I couldn’t find Berry Punch anywhere.” She unstrapped her bulging saddlebags and set them in front of Applejack. “Got everything else though.” Dash could practically feel herself drooling and had to stop herself from asking if she was invited to dinner. Applejack’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates. “Sweet Celestia, you’re amazing.” She almost squealed as she looked through the bags. “How’d ya do it?” “It’s no problem for The Dash.” She grinned, rubbing a forehoof against her chest and posing. “Carrot Top and all the flower girls owe me favors. They’re always asking for special weather requests.” “Well, no wonder they’ve been grousin’ about the weather.” Applejack chuckled. “Don’t that mess things up, though?” “Nah, not with the Everfree right next door. It’s always kicking up rogue weather.” Dash shrugged. “I got chewed out for trying to use the clouds for the regular weather service, so now I just stash them somewhere safe for later. I use them when somepony has a request and trade them for other little favors.” “Well, dang. Ya didn’t have ta use up yer favors on me.” “Nah, I hardly ever use them for myself; it doesn’t feel right. I’d rather help out my friends.” Dash grinned, then turned her attention back to all the food in her saddlebags. “I do kinda wish I’d picked up some extra when I got your stuff, though. You got all my favorites.” Applejack felt her face heat up again as the conversation turned back to the food she’d been trying all morning to buy. “Half of that is fer you,” Applejack said simply. “Huh?” “I’ve been waiting fer ya to get back into town so I could ask ya out on a date.” Applejack looked straight into Rainbow Dash’s eyes and spoke with the firm resolve she’d rehearsed all week. “What d’ya say to a movie, then back ta Sweet Apple Acres fer a home cooked dinner?” “Wait, you wanna?...” This time it was Dash’s turn to go bug-eyed. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” She took off from the ground and did several vertical loops before flying straight into Applejack and hugging her tight. “I’ll take that as a yes, sugarcube.” Applejack grinned down at the pegasus clamped around her barrel. “How’d you know what kind of food I like?” Dash asked after she calmed down enough to speak clearly. Her voice was a bit muffled by Applejack’s chest. “I talked with the girls. I figured they should know, in case I uh... put all our friendships on the line, askin’ out one of our friends an’ all.” She looked sheepish. “Fluttershy suggested the food.” Rainbow looked shocked. She was putting two and two together in her mind and getting five. “Don’tcha fret, sugarcube. Yeah, she told me y’all dated fer a while.” Applejack leaned in a bit closer. “But, she also said she wanted ta see you find somepony ta make ya happy again, an’ she reckons I’ll do a good job of that.” “I’m gonna owe her big time.” Dash grinned stupidly. “I think Rarity’s takin’ care of that.” Applejack grinned an extremely smug grin. “Rarity?” Dash looked perplexed at Applejack’s grin before the pieces clicked into place. “Rarity?!” “Reckon so.” “Huh. Never woulda guessed.” “Eeyup.” Applejack stood, picking up both sets of saddlebags. “How about we go stash this stuff at the house and get goin’ to the movie? We can have some of yer lightning fizz with dinner. I ain’t surprised ya couldn’t get the wine, Berry didn’t look like she was havin’ a very good day.” “I wasn’t until now.” Berry Punch was walking down the road toward them. She had her own saddlebags strapped to her back and looked much more alert and sober than the last time Applejack had seen her. “I wanted to apologize for everything you had to go through today.” Berry dipped her head, her ears drooping. “Hey now, it weren’t your fault,” Applejack consoled. “It was, partly. I could have stopped them, should have stopped them, but I didn’t have the courage.” Berry sniffed, trying to compose herself again; the alcohol hadn’t completely worn off yet. “I’d just about worked up the nerve to make things right when I saw Dash buying up all the stuff you were after. I saw her flying out this way, so I went home and got a couple bottles of wine for you; the last thing on your list.” “Well, that’s right kind of ya.” Applejack paused, considering. “Wait, just how in the hay did ya know I was after wine?” “Junebug overheard you talking about your plans yesterday. The other girls were afraid you’d get all the good weather and they’d get the short end of the stick if you and Dash started going out.” Berry dipped her head again. “I really should have tried harder to stop them instead of just drinking and hoping it would go away.” “What?! They tried to sabotage AJ so they’d get good weather?” Dash turned to look at Applejack, but her indignation was quickly dispelled by the laughter that greeted her. “It weren’t a very good plan if all they tried ta do was stop me makin’ dinner fer ya. Even if you’d come back empty hooved, I was still gonna ask ya out.” Applejack grinned wide and Dash followed suit. “Berry, y’all remember what I said. You need somepony ta talk to, you can come ta me any time.” Applejack tipped her hat. “‘Cept fer right now of course. I gotta go show this wingy varmint a good time.” She leaned in toward Dash and said, with a bit of a leer. “I still wanna try the lightning fizz. We’ll save the wine fer dessert.” “Have fun!” Berry waved and wished them well as they galloped away, tails floating along in their wake and Dash’s wings flared. She turned her face to the slowly setting sun, feeling the warmth bathe over her before trotting off to the south to tell Carrot the good news. Author's Note Lightning fizz.
Epilogue: Sunny SkiesAll over Ponyville, ponies trotted along merrily, conducting their business with an extra spring in their step. They smiled at each other, they smiled at the sun on their faces, they smiled during the light drizzle of rain, and they smiled at the clouds. They smiled particularly wide, and giggled a bit, at the occasional cloud shaped like an earth pony in a stetson. Pinkie Pie was reluctant to relinquish her record for making the most ponies smile at once, but she vowed to reclaim the title as soon as possible. Berry Punch smiled; she had been stone cold sober for a week. ‘Awesome’ did not adequately describe Ponyville’s feelings about the weather. It was still difficult for most ponies to say exactly why they were so gleeful, but everything just seemed to be perfect. There were exactly the right number of clouds in the sky. The sun and the shade were in perfect proportion and in exactly the right spots. The rain shower on Monday lasted not one second longer than it needed to and covered exactly the right areas of land. Everything was perfect... mostly. Four ponies sat at the edge of a road on the outskirts of town. To their left lay Golden Harvest Fields, and to their right was Perennial Patch. All four ponies stared forlornly at the sky above their respective farms. A yellow coated, blue maned pegasus mare was busy positioning clouds in the sky. Each time she set a cloud in place, the group of farmers moaned; their worst fears had come true. “You brought it on yourselves, you know.” Berry Punch trotted toward the group, accompanied by Applejack. “If you’d just left well enough alone and hadn’t tried to ruin AJ’s plan, you girls could have shared in all the perfect weather too.” Carrot Top, Daisy, Roseluck, and Lily Valley all put on their best puppy dog eyes, looking over at their fellow farmers. “Darn tootin’. An’ if ya ask me, Dash is lettin’ y’all off pretty light.” Applejack smirked. “But look at what she’s doing to my potatoes!” Carrot Top wailed as Raindrops gave a tuft of cumulonimbus a kick. The small, dark cloud began to sprinkle rain down, most of it landing onto the half grown plants she’d intended to water. “And our flowers!” Daisy, Rose, and Lily cried. Small wisps of stratus broke the full sunlight, casting thin shadows across the flower beds. “Hey, Raindrops does a great job!” A flutter of wings and a scratchy voice signaled the arrival of Rainbow Dash. “She just needs a little practice if she wants to be as good as me.” Dash landed and gave Applejack a peck on the cheek. “She’s already up to 95% on the standard test, so I think three more weeks of practice should do it.” All four distressed farmers collapsed to the ground in a swoon. Berry chuckled and rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you later, Applejack. We can talk some more about the apple brandy.” At Berry’s mention of the beverage, Dash’s wings raised excitedly. “Don’t go gettin’ all excited so fast, sugarcube. The good stuff’s gotta age fer a few years.” Applejack chuckled and pecked Dash’s cheek. “Now c’mon, ya promised me a run.” While the swooning farmers lay in the grass, each contemplating three weeks of not-quite-perfect weather, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Berry Punch headed their separate directions to enjoy an awesome day. Author's Note bahatumay is one smart cookie.
