Chapters What if the Rainboom Never Happened?
Fluttershy took her place upon the small white cloud, and looked upon Rainbow Dash and her bullies. Rainbow Dash lined up at the starting line, and got in the starting position. Fluttershy looked up, and raised the white flag. Rainbow Dash sped past Fluttershy, spinning Fluttershy off of the cloud.
As Fluttershy fell, she screamed. The fall felt like hours, even though it was mere seconds. Her wings locked up at her sides, something that was commonly found with her scared state.
“HELP!” Fluttershy shouted as she was halfway down to the ground. Nopony was around to hear her call for help. Her scream frightened the animals away from the ground.
As she fell, she saw her life flash before her eyes. Her laughing and playing with Rainbow Dash, her first flight, and a few other things. Tears fell from her face as she fell faster and faster.
Fluttershy crashed onto the ground with a thud. Soft pink hair was strewn across the ground. Small breaths drew from the unconscious Fluttershy.
When she awoke, she was in the Cloudsdale Hospital Centre. As she painfully looked around, she noticed Rainbow Dash sleeping in a chair in the corner.
“R-Rainbow Dash….” Fluttershy struggled to speak.
Rainbow Dash jerked awake. “W-what?! Oh, hey Fluttershy. You took a pretty bad fall 3 days ago. When I finished the race, I looked for you, and since I couldn’t find you in Cloudsdale, I peeked through the clouds, and saw you on the ground. I screamed, and brought the Nurses to you. You scared me so much!” Rainbow Dash commented.
Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash in disbelief. “It’s been 3 days?”
“Yeah. I thought you died,” a solemn tear fell down the cyan pegasus’s fur. “Your wing broke, and so did a couple of your ribs. You won’t be able to leave Cloudsdale for the rest of your life. The strain of the different atmosphere on the ground would shatter your bones. I heard you got a job at the Cloud Making Factory. You can stay there, but that’s pretty much all you can do from now on. I’m so sorry, Fluttershy,”
Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash. “It’s okay. Maybe I’ll become a bigshot cloud maker,” Fluttershy laughed. With that, she fell back asleep.
Rainbow Dash left Fluttershy to sleep. Tears streamed down her face as she left the Hospital Centre.
A few days later, Fluttershy woke up, and was admitted out of the Hospital, and went back home. After a few weeks up being laid up in bed, and having Rainbow Dash help around the house, Fluttershy finally went to work.
Pegasi looked at Fluttershy as she crossed Cloudsdale. Of course, the news of what happened quickly spread throughout the cloud city. Whispers circled young Fluttershy, and it shocked her. She knew that news spread quickly, but she never expected that it would be this widespread.
When Fluttershy walked into the Cloud Factory, pegasi greeted her warmly. After she had changed into the normal white, cotton work clothes, she walked over to her new station. Cloud making was a precise job, perfect for the keen eye. Recipes for different clouds lay across the station.
Today’s clouds: Cirrus clouds. As Fluttershy looked for the correct recipe, she looked up. A rainbow stretched across the sky, trailing a cyan colored Pegasus. Even though Fluttershy would have loved to go outside and try to fly with Rainbow Dash, she had work to do.
When the work day was over, Fluttershy walked out of the Cloud Factory and saw Rainbow Dash trot over to her.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash. What’s up?” Fluttershy asked.
“I was just wondering how your first day at work was,” Rainbow responded.
“It was actually really good. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Well, I have to go home. Good evening Rainbow!” Fluttershy skipped on home to her cottage at the edge of Cloudsdale.
Days past, and Fluttershy started to like her job more and more. Each day brought a new challenge of cloud making, and some days were just to make clouds for upcoming days. Fluttershy was part of the ponies who made clouds for Ponyville, the small town centered a little ways behind Cloudsdale. All the pegasi in the Cloud Factory loved Fluttershy, and even though she was shy, she would make a great friend.
Rainbow visited 3 times a week at least to Fluttershy’s cottage. They would talk about the progress over the past few days. Rainbow Dash bade Fluttershy good night.
Weeks past, and Fluttershy started to like her work more and more. She met many great ponies who liked her. Friendships blossomed, and Fluttershy felt like she could live up to doing something with her life.
When Fluttershy first got promoted from Cloud Maker, to Cloud Manager, she was ecstatic. She knew she was good, but very few ponies actually got to be promoted.
As the days passed, Fluttershy loved her work more and more. Pegasi always asked her how she was able to make the clouds so well. All she could do what shrug her shoulders, and say, “I guess I’m just destined to be a cloud maker,” then walk away.
Rainbow Dash sat atop one of the soft puffy clouds in the sky. “I hope Fluttershy is having fun. It’s lame just sitting here all day, waiting for her to get off work,” Rainbow Dash sighed. She missed her friend. But most importantly, she missed flying with her friend, trying to teach her new tricks.
That night, Fluttershy scrambled on home. She had the next day off, and was looking forward to spending her day with Rainbow Dash. So closed the blinds, and crawled into bed. Even though it was really early, she needed all the extra sleep.
The next morning, Fluttershy got out of bed and did her normal routine. Brush mane and tail, brush teeth, take a shower, eat breakfast, then do whatever (on days off. Days with work- go to work, and well, work.) When she left her house, she looked around the sky for Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash?” she said to the air. No rainbows were anywhere.
After a few hours of searching, she gave up the quest to find her friend. She headed back home, very disappointed. The one day she was free, Rainbow Dash was no where to be found. Fluttershy’s tummy rumbled. “Oh gosh. I’ve been so busy, I forgot the time. I better go eat something,” she said to herself. traveling to the kitchen, she noticed a picture of her and Rainbow Dash. She looked at it, turned her head, and kept walking.
After a nice Daffodil sandwich, she felt much better. She noticed that the sun was setting on the horizon, so she decided she should get ready for bed soon. As she brushed her teeth, she saw Rainbow Dash flying not too far away. “Oh. Stho now se hasth time to fwy arownd. But when I want to shpend time wif her, I can’t find her,” Fluttershy said, with a toothbrush and foamy toothpaste in her mouth.
Fluttershy went to bed quite angry. In the morning, however, she felt so much better. She got up, and went to work. Today’s clouds: Cumulus clouds. One of the easiest clouds to make.
Fluttershy looked at her newest clouds in admiration. “The best ones yet, Fluttershy!” ponies said as they crowded around her to see the clouds she made.
A flash of light came from Fluttershy’s flank. “Fluttershy! You got your cutie mark! It’s so pretty!” Amethyst said to Fluttershy.
The pink pegasus looked at her flank. A white puffy cloud stood in the place of nothing just moments ago. “A cloud! Wow. I knew I was good at this, but I never thought it would be my destiny!” Fluttershy yelled. Jumping up and down, and squealing, she was so happy. When the work day was over, she would be sure to go and find Rainbow Dash, and show her the new cutie mark on her flank.
What if the Rainboom Never Happened?
Igneous Rock, and Cloudy Quartz, Pinkie Pie’s parents, always had her out early in the morning. Marble Pie and Limestone Pie, were always treated the best by their parents.
“Good morning Mother, good morning Father,” Pinkie Pie said as she walked into the kitchen of the small house.
“Good morning Pinkamena. Don’t forget, you are taking the morning shift. We are transferring the rocks from the South field into the East field, so build up a pile of as many rocks as you can. But first, have some breakfast, Pinkamena,” Igneous Rock commented as he pushed a plate of pancakes over to Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie Pie looked around. Where is Marble and Limestone?” Pinkie asked as she put a piece of pancake in her mouth.
“They are sleeping. Marble is taking the shift after you, so she will be up fairly soon to get ready. Don’t worry, dear, it is all under control,” Cloudy Quartz proceeded.
Pinkie Pie nodded as she finished her pancake. Once she finished, she walked out the back door and went towards the South field.
Pinkie Pie walked around her family’s farm pushing around a small rock into a pile she was making. For the small filly, her pile was considerably large. But not large enough for her family. She looked up, and saw her family looking at her like a disgrace.
Pinkie Pie had never been good with rocks, and had no clue why anypony would want to own a farm, but most especially a rock farm. She still tried her hardest everyday. She wanted to win her families love, just like her two sisters had done.
She nudged a small rock up against her still growing pile. “Maybe someday I will learn to like being in a business,” Pinkie Pie sighed as she looked towards the air.
Marble Pie and the rest of Pinkie’s family made their way outside. “Pinkamena! How is the rock moving going along, dear?” Cloudy Quartz asked.
Pinkie Pie looked at her white furred mother. “It’s going fine, Mother. I have a pile working up that Marble and Limestone could move to the East field when they are ready,” Pinkie Pie called across the rocky field.
Marble and Limestone looked at their parents. “May we?” they asked in perfect unison.
Igneous Rock laughed. “Yes, you may. Just stay out of trouble, and try not to get in Pinkamena’s way to much!” he shouted as his two daughters ran towards the pink furred pony.
“Hi Pinkamena! We have come to help! But how about we make this a game? We try to catch up with how many rocks you move, and we will move them. Since you are bigger, you can move faster than us, so it will be you, against me and Marble!” Limestone told Pinkie Pie.
“How about we all make our own piles, but you and Marble work together as a team. The next time Mother or Father come out, we start moving the rocks we have gathered to the East field. The first one to get rid of all their rocks, wins,” Pinkie Pie added.
Marble and Limestone looked at each other. “You are so on, Pinkamena,” Marble and Limestone raced away to start on their pile.
Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz looked at their three daughters from inside the house. “Look at that, Cloudy, they are playing together,” Igneous told his wife. “Maybe we should have them work together a little more often. They are moving rocks like there is no tomorrow. Ohhhhh. I think they are playing a little game together.”
Cloudy trotted up next to Igneous. “They are fillies, so they gotta have a little fun. And whatever works for them, works for me. Well, as long as they don’t injure each other, or injure themselves. But whatever they are doing, it looks like they are having fun. I’m gonna see what they are doing,” Cloudy went over to the door and opened it. “What are you doing out there?!” she yelled to her daughters.
All three fillies looked up. “GO, GO, GO!” they yelled. They raced towards their pile of rocks, and picked one up and ran to the east field. Cloudy Quartz stood there, confused.
“Uhm, I’ll just go back inside then, I suppose,” she commented as her young fillies ran to the East field to deposit the rocks they gathered.
Pinkie Pie already had a head start on her younger sisters, But they were getting rid of two rocks while she was only getting out one for every two of theirs. She decided that she needed to pick up the pace, and ran as fast as she could to the East field, and quickly deposited her rock. This went on for about 5 minutes until she was running out of breath. “Just.. one… more… rock… and… then… I… win…” she said to herself as she made the final trip. Picking up the rock, she stumbled past Limestone and Marble who was carrying the last of their rocks.
Upon seeing this, Marble and Limestone ran faster and faster trying to keep up with their older sister. Pinkie Pie looked behind her. She was ahead by a long shot. “Maybe I should let them win this round…” Pinkie Pie said. She slowed herself down to slight jog, and watched as her two sisters sped past her. Pinkie sped up, but only going so fast so she was a whole muzzle behind them.
Limestone dropped her rock along with Marble. “We won!” the fillies stared in amazement.
Pinkie Pie laughed. “Yes, you did, silly filly. You did great. And more of the South Field’s rocks have gone. The bigger ones we won’t be able to move on our own, but there are a few smaller ones left over that we can get. Come on, lets finish this up. Mother and Father will be proud of our hard work,” Pinkie Pie turned around, her two sisters following closely behind her.
As Pinkie Pie grew older and older, she began to like the farming business more and more. All she really had to do was add a fun game to the moving of the rocks, and it became more fun.
Limestone and Marble had eventually moved onto their own fields, so they didn’t see each other as much as they usually would have liked, but the times that they did spend together, that had lots of fun.
One day, Pinkie Pie was pushing a rock around the South field, trying to get it to make it’s way to the East field. This rock was strangely heavy, and didn’t like to roll well. “Ugh. Come on you stupid rock. Move!” Pinkie yelled at the rock. Yet, it did nothing, but well, nothing. Pinkie kicked the rock, and it burst open. “Oooooohhh. Pretty!” Pinkie exclaimed. Inside the rock, there were purple crystals. She had never seen a rock so pretty. Pinkie Pie picked up a part of the rock, and showed it to her parents.
“This is absolutely beautiful, Pinkamena. Thank you!” Cloudy said to her eldest daughter. “Oh, I think you have a present as well,” Cloudy pointed a hoof towards Pinkie’s flank.
“My cutie mark!! It’s so pretty! Just like that rock!” Pinkie yelled.
When Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz passed away, the Rock Farm was passed on to Pinkamena Diane Pie. Pinkie Pie grew to have the farm flourished with workers, and businesses crowded her office wanting to buy the rocks from her farm. Pinkie Pie was never prouder of herself than that moment in time.
What if the Rainboom Never Happened?
“You know, maybe I will find my cutie mark if I go to Manehatten with my Aunt and Uncle Orange,” Applejack said with a sigh. She didn’t particularly like the country life, so maybe she will like the city life a little better.
The next morning, Applejack had sent a letter to her Aunt and Uncle saying that she would be staying there to learn the life of a city filly. Once they found out, they were delighted to be able to see their niece again.
Once Applejack got a letter back saying that she can stay there, she packed her bag, and left to Manehatten on the next train.
When she arrived in Manehatten, she got off the train, and grabbed her small bag. Luckily, she had been to her Aunt and Uncle’s place a few times before, so she knew where to go. As she walked through the huge city, she was amazed by the tall buildings, and the amount of ponies that were in the streets.
Soon, she had made it to the apartment, and knocked on the door. After a few seconds of waiting, Aunt Orange opened the door. “Hello, Applejack. It’s fantastic to see you again. Please, come in and make yourself home. There is a spare bedroom down the hall and to the left. I will be in there in about 10 minutes to see how you are doing,” Aunt Orange said to Applejack.
Applejack took her bag down to her room. She opened the door and looked around. The walls were a pale orange with darker orange swirls painted on them. The bed in the middle of the room has an orange blanket covering it with white pillows.
“I think I am going to like it here,” Applejack said to herself as she unpacked her small bag.
Aunt Orange pushed open the door and made her way over to Applejack. “How is it going, honey? Do you like it here?”
Applejack looked up at her Aunt. “Yes I do! It’s so much better than the farm!” she squealed.
Aunt Orange laughed. “Good,” she said. “Tomorrow, we are going to a dinner party with a few of my friends. I expect you to be on your best behaviour, look and talk your best.”
Applejack nodded and closed her blinds to go to bed.
When she woke up the next morning, she woke to the sweet smells of hay waffles. The smell woke her up easily, and she was down the hall in just a matter of a minute, while at home, it would take her sometimes 7 minutes to get herself out of bed, and 4 just to get down the short hallway.
She took a seat at the table, and a stack of warm waffles was placed before her. “Eat up, honey. Today is going to be a long day. Once you are done, go upstairs and get ready to go. We are going to go to a small party before, then dinner, then the after party. I want to do your mane and teach you to speak in the proper Manehatten Equestrian,” Aunt Orange explained. Applejack nodded, and practically dove into her waffles.
She quickly finished, and rushed to her room. She was so ready to learn how to be a proper city pony, instead of a small farm pony.
Aunt Orange soon came down the hall, and began to work on Applejack’s mane. After a half an hour of teasing the mane, and slowly working it above her head, the work was finally finished. “May I please see it now, Aunt Orange?” Applejack asked. just the way she was taught during that fast 30 minute-or-so lesson.
“Yes, Applejack, you may,” Aunt Orange showed Applejack to a mirror, and Applejack gasped.
“It’s so pretty! I love it!” Applejack squealed in delight. “I mean, it is very beautiful. Thank you very much for your work, Aunt Orange. I am quite pleased with the work you have done.”
Aunt Orange laughed. “You’re welcome. Now, come along. We must get going,” Aunt Orange stated.
Applejack, Aunt Orange, and Uncle Orange caught a cab and made their way downtown.
They sat down at the table. “So how are you finding good old Manehatten?” William Wright asked Applejack.
She look up at him. “Oh, it’s simply divine,” she said sweetly.
Aunt Orange nudged Applejack. “Very well said, my dear,” Aunt Orange looked back at William Wright. Applejack grinned.
“Although, I must admit the city noise took some getting used to. Where I'm from, nights are so quiet you seldom hear a peep until the roosters wake you.” Applejack caught herself. She didn’t mean to say that, but there was no taking it back now.
“The… what?” Dainty Dove muttered.
“I say, my dear, what in the world is a rooster?” William Wright asked.
Applejack looked worried. “.....uhhhh..” she started.
“Dinner is served,” a pony said as he put down plates.
“Thank goodness. Being a city pony’s hard work. I’m so hungry I could eat a-” her words were cut off when the cover was taken off the plate. Only a little bit of food was on the plate. Applejack was devastated.
She was so hungry, but there was almost nothing to eat. But it was better than nothing. She ate it slowly, trying to be graceful, and trying to fill herself up.
When dinner was over, she said goodbye to all the ponies she met, and went back home with her Aunt and Uncle.
They walked in the door, and Uncle Orange began to cook.
Applejack looked at him. “Uncle Orange? Why are you cooking? We just ate,” she asked.
Aunt Orange laughed from the living room. “We may be quaint, but that dinner is nothing! We always have a little extra to fill ourselves up afterwards. Not a lot, but enough,” Aunt Orange explained.
Applejack nodded her head and went up to her room to take down her hair. It was hard work, but she pulled out as many pins as she could. She knew there were more in her hair, but she would just ask Aunt Orange to take the rest out.
The smell of food drifted into her room, and Applejack followed the smell. She sat down at the table, and began to eat the extra food that was given to her.
When she finished her food, she looked up at her Aunt. “Can you help me pull out all the pins and stuff from my hair, please?” she asked.
Aunt Orange sat up from the table. “Of course, darling. Come along,” Aunt Orange went to Applejacks room.
Applejack sat down in front of her Aunt. She moved a little as her hair was being pulled out of its pins. “Honey, are you feeling alright?” Aunt Orange asked as she pulled out the last of the pins.
“Ah’m just feeling a little homesick, that’s all. Do you think Ah could come to your work tomorrow, to see what you do?”
Aunt Orange looked at Applejack in the mirror. “Well, sure. If it makes you feel any better, you can come to my work any time that you want,” she assured Applejack.
Applejack turned around, and hugged her Aunt. “Thanks!”
Soon, Applejack was all set for bed, and ready to go to work with her Aunt the following day. Her Aunt and Uncle Orange tucked her into bed, and left the room.
When Applejack awoke, she hopped out of bed, and got herself ready for the day. She met her Aunt Orange at the front door, and they made their way to her work.
At her work, she helped her Aunt sort through the oranges. Which ones were ready, and which ones weren’t. She even had to peel some and help dry them. When she was done, her hooves smelled like oranges. The air did as well.
“Do you ever get tired of doing the exact same thing every single day?” Applejack asked as she peeled yet another orange.
Aunt Orange looked over at Applejack. “Sometimes, but I get over it. This is what I was born to do, so I love it either way. I’m sure you’ll learn to love it, too.”
Applejack looked down at the newly peeled orange. To be honest, she wasn’t sure if she liked this or not. It was fun and all, but maybe her speciality wasn’t peeling, cutting, and drying oranges. Maybe it was running a company or something. A lightbulb went off in Applejack’s head.
“Aunt Orange? Do you think I could set up a small shop around Manehatten selling these oranges? It could give you more business!” Applejack noted.
Aunt Orange looked at Applejack. “Are you sure you could do that? Do you want some help?”
Applejack exhaled deeply. “I can do it, Aunt Orange. Just trust me, I can do this,” she said.
Aunt Orange nodded her head, and Applejack grinned. “Thank you sooo much!” she exclaimed as she ran out of the doors.
In just a few weeks, oranges were selling like nothing before. Applejack had created the most popular orange selling place in all of Manehatten. The oranges were so good, people all around Equestria came to get a taste of the Oranges, well, oranges.
Aunt Orange stopped by Applejack’s new shop. “Wow Applejack, you are doing very well,” she exclaimed. “And I think you got something there on your flank,” she said as she grinned.
“What?” Applejack asked as she turned around. There it was. An orange. With a money symbol right in the middle of the orange. “My cutie mark! Ohmygosh! I finally got it!” Applejack bounced up and down. “I got my cutie mark everypony!” she yelled.
Applejack cleared her throat. “Uhm, thank you, for pointing that out. I appreciate it.”
Aunt Orange laughed. “You’re welcome, darling. Now let’s get home.”
For the next few years, Applejack built her way up from a small street corner, to a full blown business. She became the CEO of Applejack’s Oranges, a subcompany of the Orange’s Oranges.
