The Great Crusade to Canterlot

Big Mac shifted his head to each side and examined the brown fedora resting atop his head. The stallion was dressed in a neatly pressed matching suit. A black tie was whipping around as he attempted to straighten his new head gear. One problem with being a farm stallion was not being comfortable in fancier attire. Big Mac was rarely seen without his horse collar and a cart rolling behind him. He had simply been Sweet Apple Acre's lead laborer since he was old enough to pull a wagon.

"Well, ain't this a sight."

Big Mac rotated his head and saw his sister leaning against the door frame. He turned his attention back to the mirror.

"I haven't seen that old thing in years," Applejack said. She gently ran a hoof over the blazer to fix a few wrinkles. "I'm amazed a big oaf like you can fit in it!"

"Yup..." Mac's voice was softer than usual.

Applejack straightened his tie and took a step back to inspect her work. She continued to fiddle with the uneven piece of fabric and the uncooperative stallion it was attached to. "Now quit your squirmin'!" She yanked down on his tie causing it to tighten around his neck.

Big Mac coughed and gave his sister a disgruntled huff.

"A tie is s’posed to be tied around the neck; not danglin' down to the ground like a broken tree branch!" Applejack snickered. "Pa would be proud to see you like this, Big Macintosh. Shoot, I’m proud of ya!"

"I miss 'em..." His low voice sunk into the floorboards.

Applejack wrapped her forelegs around her brother’s neck. She nuzzled her freckled cheek against his face. "Don't you start cryin' now! You and granny have a big trip ahead of y'all." She sniffled and slid a hoof down his mane. "I miss 'em too, but the best we can do is keep their memories alive in the orchard. Let's have some breakfast and quit this blubberin' before Apple Bloom sees us."

. . . . . .

Chase yawned as he shuffled into the kitchen. He groaned and ruffled his bed-head styled mane. "Morning..."

The Apple family was at full attention digging into their breakfast. Big Mac's hat slid forward every time he leaned over to take a bite of his toast.

"Howdy, sleepyhead!" Applejack's enthusiasm was already through the roof.

"Good morning, Chase! We have all the fixin's on the table so you can eat and get straight to work! Gonna be some long days in the orchard comin’ up. Just you and Applejack… Buckin’ till your hooves are sore.” Granny Smith took a sip of her coffee and grinned mischievously.

“Granny!” Applejack whispered through her teeth.

Chase blushed and turned away. "Uh, yeah, looking forward to it."

Apple Bloom leaned over the table and raised an eyebrow. "Why's yer face all red, Chase? You feelin' sick?"

Applejack hid her smile with a hoof. "He's just... overworked from yesterday! The farm life can be mighty tiring if ya ain’t ready for it!"

Granny Smith slammed her coffee down and cackled with laughter. "If he were a pegasus those wings would be knockin' everything off this here table!"

Big Mac snickered, but quickly stopped after Applejack smacked his shoulder.

"I don't get it..." Apple Bloom blinked innocently.

"It's, uh, just an expression! Ya know, like ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away!’" Applejack bit her lip and tapped her hoof on the floor.

"Oooooh, okay." Apple Bloom smiled. "Is it like when Rumble told me somethin' about how all colts have to chop their wood in the morning?"

"Okay, new topic!” Applejack interrupted Apple Bloom’s story before any further comments could be made. “So, Mac, Granny; why don't y’all fill Chase in on your trip?" Applejack smacked her brother again, who was still trying to contain his laughter from the inappropriate behavior being served alongside his breakfast.

Granny slowly slid from her chair and carried her empty plate to the sink. "We're leaving for Manehattan today. They’re lookin’ for new vendors to meet some of the big demand during the final harvest season each year. So, we're cartin' a wagon filled with our finest apples to present in order to snag that contract!"

"It would be huge for our earnings!" Applejack interjected.

"Eeeyup." Big Mac nodded.

"Mac here is in charge of the wagon and I'm navigatin'!" Granny Smith lifted a hoof toward the window. "Just us and the open road! Just like when your folks would go out and search the land for new buyers! And with any luck, next year we’ll be divertin’ a whole buncha apples to them city folk!"

"Yup." Mac shoved the toast into his mouth and fixed his hat once again.

"Shouldn't be gone more than a week or so. With Mac pulling the cart we'll probably be in Manehattan in three days! He inherited those muscles from me." Granny struggled to flex her foreleg. "Er, back in my younger days that is..."

"So it's just me, Bloom, and you, Chase! Hope you're ready to work!" Applejack poured herself a glass of milk. "So eat up! Can't have ya passin' out on the job!"

Chase finally took a seat next to Apple Bloom. Another jaw-splitting yawn left his muzzle. His plate had a single piece of toast with a glob of jam spread across - most likely of the apple variety - and a mound of scrambled eggs sandwiched between two flaky biscuits. He picked up the egg sandwich and hesitated before taking a bite. Nopony else had an egg sandwich on their plate. Just toast and some stray pieces of fruit.

"I was out in the chicken coop this morning and decided to scramble some eggs for ya. Hope that's okay..." Applejack forced her cheek muscles to stop her smile from growing any bigger. “Like I said, you’re part of the family while you’re here, so I wanna make ya feel at home!”

"Ya didn't make any eggs for anypony else..." Apple Bloom muttered under her breath.

"I jus' thought maybe ya needed some extra energy after yesterday. Hope it tastes alright... I don’t really cook too often. With Granny Smith’s cooking on the table all I have to worry about is keepin’ her purse filled with bits for the groceries."

Chase chomped down and grinned with a mouthful of eggs. "It's delicious!"

Apple Bloom shielded her face from the crumbs spewing out of his mouth. “That is so uncouth…” The filly huffed and crossed her forelegs.

. . . . . .

Big Mac tossed his hat next to Granny Smith in the back of the newly renovated family wagon. The old mare was resting against a large sack filled with the apples being presented to Manehattan’s apple trade committee. Despite the anxiousness flowing through Applejack, Granny Smith seemed as relaxed as ever. With a bonnet on her head and newspaper on her lap, this granny was ready for a getaway.

“And you’re sure you’re gonna be okay?” Applejack paced alongside the wagon. “We can always find a trade route closer to home. Manehattan’s a long ways from here.”

“Youngin’, everything is gonna be fine! We’ll be back before ya know it with a brand new contract to add to the pile! Sweet Apple Acres still has a lotta life in her! ‘Sides, this is just an annual trip. Not like you and your brother are hiking across Equestria every week!” Granny opened her newspaper and scanned the headlines.

“I-I know that, it’s just I-“

“You just keep an eye on the homestead while we’re away.” Granny turned to the next page. “You’ll have your hooves full enough without worrying about us!”

Applejack stopped pacing and braced herself against the cart. “That’s another thing I’m worried about! Being this short-hoofed is gonna hurt our harvest! We might miss a deadline or somethin’!

“Everything’ll work out just fine. Your parents were worrywarts too. I was hopin’ that would skip a generation.” Granny snickered to herself. “We about ready, Mac?”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac was now hooked up to the front of the wagon and ready to depart. It wasn’t everyday a pony had their best Sunday outfit on to pull a wagon of apples.

“You just try and enjoy your time with Apple Bloom and Chase. That stallion’s got a good head on his shoulders.” Granny watched as Chase and Reynard trotted off into the orchard. “Quit yer mopin’ and make the most of the time you two have together. He ain’t stickin’ around forever…”

“I promise I will, granny. Just make sure you and Mac take care of yourselves too. We’ll keep the orchard in one piece!” Applejack slammed a hoof on the wagon.

“Your mother and father always wanted you to be happy, Applejack. Now whether that means running the orchard, being with your friends, or even finding that special somepony in your life; that’s for you to decide. No matter what happens, we’ll love you just the same.” Granny Smith gave a wrinkled smile to her granddaughter. “Ready when you are, big guy!”

Big Mac nodded and Granny Smith reclined against the sack of apples once again. The wheels slowly started rolling ahead as Big Mac worked his legs into a trot away from the barn. Applejack could only watch as the tracks from the wheels grew further away from her.

“Just make sure you two don’t elope before we get back!” Granny Smith cackled with laughter. “I may not walk down into the orchard that much, but I still plan on walkin’ you down the aisle!”

Applejack’s face turned beet red. “D-don’t be ridiculous!”

Granny Smith’s laughter could still be heard all the way from the bottom of the hill. “That mare is gonna go gray quicker than me if she keeps on worryin’ about every little thing!”

. . . . . .

The familiar thuds against the tree trunks resonated throughout the orchard. Chase was back on bucking duty, while Applejack and Bloom tended to the crops and animals on the farm. Despite the apple harvest being the main source of income for the family; Sweet Apple Acres still managed to grow corn, carrots, and even grapes! The farm also consisted of a chicken coop, pig pen, and a pasture for the cows. With Granny and Big Mac on the road, the fate of the entire farm and orchard was resting in the hooves of the two sisters and Fox Chase.

The bark splintered as Chase's hind legs crashed against the tree. He quickly dropped to the ground and covered his head with his forelegs until the red barrage from above subsided.

“Whew. This is a lot more dangerous than it looks!”

He grabbed an apple filled basket and dragged it through the grass to the side of the road. Groups of baskets were all lined up and ready to be hauled for rinsing and inspection. Applejack would have plenty of cartloads waiting for her.

A groan left the exhausted stallion's mouth. "How in the hay does Applejack do this every single day? I must be outta shape…"

Reynard poked his head out from one of the baskets. He yipped and stared at his fatigued owner.

"And you're not helping!" Chase angrily waved a hoof at the fox.

. . . . . .

Applejack unhitched from the cart and stretched her body forward. Even seasoned farm ponies would get tired from an afternoon of lugging cart loads of apples up and down hills. Her time tending the farm had set her back on transporting the baskets Chase was busy arranging alongside the main path of the orchard.  She was pushing her body harder than usual to try and make up for lost time. She slumped down into the mud and closed her eyes. "I could set a spell right here in the mud if I had to." One of her eyes opened when she felt something tickling her nose. A light blue feather was resting between her eyes. "What in the-"

"Yo, Applejack! Long time no see!" Rainbow Dash said with a big grin.

Perched on of Applejack's roof were three pegasi: Rainbow Dash, Skye Shot, and Scootaloo.

Applejack pulled her body from the mud and brushed the feather from her face. "Rainbow! You're back!"

Dash hopped down from the roof and glided to the ground. She landed on the far end of the mud puddle Applejack was standing in. "Is this how earth ponies cool off these days?" She snickered.

Scootaloo hopped onto Skye's back and they both descended to the mares below. "Where's Apple Bloom?"

Applejack wiped some of the mud from her chest. "Bloom's over in the chicken coop. Feel free to give a visit!"

Scootaloo squeed happily and dismounted Skye's back. "Thanks for the ride, trusty steed!" She galloped away shouting for Apple Bloom. Skye rolled his eyes and tucked his wings at his sides.

"So, you must be Skye Shot! I’ve heard a lot about ya!" Applejack offered a hoof for a friendly shake. A clump of mud slid from her foreleg and splashed into the dirty puddle. "Know what, forget about that. Wouldn't want ya gettin' all mucky."

Skye eagerly hovered over and banged his hoof against hers. "Nothing wrong with a dirty mare! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Applejack."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash each turned an eye toward one another.

Skye winced when he realized his attempt at a good first impression had backfired. “W-wait! Ugh! Why does everything I say come out wrong?!" He shouted in anguish.

"Easy, Flyboy. She knows what you meant! Although… I don't think you could handle both me and Applejack even if you wanted to! You’d have to pick just one of us." Dash winked at Applejack.

"Most certainly couldn't! Mares like us only come along once so many generations!" Applejack replied to Dash with a wink of her own.

Skye's face turned redder than the mountain of apples behind AJ. "I gotta go!" He lifted off the ground and covered his face.

"We're just teasing!" Applejack managed to say between giggles.

“You’re not gonna last long with me if you’re this sensitive, Skye!” Rainbow was rolling on the ground and slamming her hoof in laughter. “Go find your pal in the orchard! Me and AJ need to catch up anyway. Mare talk. Nothing that would interest you.”

Skye scowled at Rainbow and Applejack before finally flying over the acres of trees spread across the land.

“He seems nice. Real polite.”

“Yeah, he’s not so bad once you get to know him! Just a little… rough at first.”

“Sounds like a match made in the heavens for you, Rainbow.”

Rainbow chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. “Guess you have a point…”

“C’mon, let’s go chat in the house. I need to wash up a bit anyway! Been bustin’ my flank cartin’ those apples up here.”

“Got any cider?” Dash’s tongue was hanging out.

“Oh, I’m sure we have a bottle or two somewhere in the cellar.” Applejack shook the mud from her hooves. Rainbow Dash zipped past her and was impatiently waiting outside the front door for a mug of Equestria’s finest cider. “Just when I thought she couldn’t go any faster…”

. . . . . .

Apple Bloom yanked a weed from the ground with her mouth. The corn stalks were wobbling above her as she continued to tear out the nasty green clumps threatening her crops. Her ear twitched as the sound of galloping hooves and her name drew closer.

"Apple Bloom! You over here?" Scootaloo ran alongside the corn field trying to peer down each row.

"Scootaloo?!" Apple Bloom's voice was muffled by the weed hanging from her muzzle. She spat the invasive root onto the ground and slithered through the dense stalks. "Scootaloo! Over here!" She shook the stalks around her to get Scoot’s attention.

Scootaloo skidded to a halt and fluttered her wings in delight. "I see you! Wait there!" She jumped into the corn field and lowered her body to see under the leaves. Sure enough Apple Bloom was dead ahead!

The fillies awkwardly sidled past the stalks until they were face to face. The corn violently shook above them as they embraced one another and laughed.

"I can't believe you're here!" Apple Bloom held Scoots in a death grip.

"Y-yeah, Rainbow Dash is over with Applejack and Skye. She just dropped me off!" Scootaloo squirmed out of Bloom's grasp.

"Who's Skye?" Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. "And wait a sec; how'd your leg get fixed?!"

Scootaloo slid a foreleg around Apple Bloom and winked. "It's a long story. I was barely able to keep up with everything and I was there!"

"Well, ya can tell me about while we feed the chickens, Scoot-Scootaloo..." Apple Bloom stifled a giggle.

"Ugh... So glad to be back." Scootaloo facehoofed.

. . . . . .

Rainbow pressed the mug against her face and chugged like a wild bull. A few trickles of liquid dribbled from the sides of her lips. With a satisfied sigh, she slammed the mug onto the table and leaned back in her chair. "Now that was a mug of cider!"

"Ya know, we could get the cider apples down into the cellar a lot faster if you and your coltfriend helped!"

Rainbow blushed and looked away.

"Now don't be embarrassed, RD! It's about time ya find a nice stallion to pal around with. Nopony’s tellin’ ya to run off and get married!”

“I know, I know…” She drummed her hoof against the mug. “Skye’s a good guy. I’m just not used to the whole ‘special somepony’ thing. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Don’t have your eyes on anypony out there? You seemed pretty excited in that last letter to have Skye’s friend working on the farm with ya.”

Applejack looked towards the orchard and chuckled. “Well…”

. . . . . .

Skye coasted over the treetops trying to pinpoint the sound of Chase’s hooves striking against the apple trees. He veered to the right and swerved between the trees as the sound grew closer. Chase was no stranger to incoming threats and already heard the soft flapping of wings off in the distance. He continued his apple bucking without even a sign of worry.

I’m not giving myself away this time, fox face! Skye narrowed his eyes. You’re mine!

Chase’s hooves struck against the tree once again. Through the torrent of apples raining down he watched an explosion of feathers followed by a blue blur speeding toward him. “Let’s go, Reynard! Take that pegasus down!”

Reynard jumped down from the tree and landed on Skye’s back. His claws dug into the pegasus and forced him into a dangerous barrel roll through the tree branches. Skye regained his flight path and shook Reynard from his back. The fox landed and braced himself for another command.

“Ha! Shook him off! Your little fox won’t save you this time, Chasie boy!” Skye swooped down and swung a hoof for Chase’s snarling muzzle.

Chase dodged with a quick spin and kicked his hind legs into the air, catching Skye in the side of his body. Like a punctured balloon, Skye spun out of control and smashed into a tree further down the path. The familiar sound of falling apples echoed through the orchard.

“We’ll clear this section of the orchard twice as fast if you just keep crashing into all the trees!” Chase sat down in front of the dizzied pegasus and grinned. “Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres… sugarcube.”

. . . . . .

The fillies continued their conversation inside the cramped chicken coop. Each hen was happily nestled on a mound of hay as the young ponies cleaned and refilled the food supplies. Scootaloo’s hoof sprinkled pellets of food onto the floor, while Apple bloom took the leftover scraps from breakfast and mixed them together in a bowl.

"Fresh water?"

"Check!" Scootaloo nudged the water feeder in the corner of the room.

"Clean hay?"

"Check!" Scootaloo kicked the dirty bag of hay out from the coop entrance.

"And we just fed 'em, so now these girls should be good!" Apple Bloom winced as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight outside. Scootaloo's nostrils flared as she inhaled the fresh air blowing over the farm. "Let's take a quick break."

"Sounds good to me. I need to get the smell of chickens outta my nose." Scootaloo's tongue was hanging out as she rubbed her nose. A dirty chicken coop was a far from desirable scent for a mare.

"Dirty little critters, ain't they?" Apple Bloom snickered and elbowed Scootaloo. "Then again-"

Scootaloo jammed her hoof into Apple Bloom’s mouth. “Stop! No more jokes! I am not - and have never been - a chicken! Do you see a beak on my muzzle?!" She removed her hoof when Apple Bloom shook her head.

"Hey! Maybe we'll get our cutie marks in farmin'! Especially if you're staying here for a while!" Apple Bloom traced a chicken face on Scootaloo's dirty flank.

"Oh no! I am not about to have a pig on my rump! I'm no farm pony!" Scootaloo ignored the hoof sketching in her dirty fur.

"Speakin' of pigs..." Apple Bloom grinned and brushed the dirty chicken face from Scootaloo's flank. "We better go feed them next! C'mon!"

Scootaloo trotted behind Apple Bloom towards the pig pen. "Isn't there something to do around here that doesn't involve me smelling like a pile of-"

"Hurry up, Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom's voice cried out in the distance.

. . . . . .

Chase and Skye were walking up the hill together with a small wagon of apples harnessed around each of their bodies. If they were going to catch up they might as well get some work done in the meantime.

"Sounds like you sure had an adventure. I figured you had a chance at winning the Cloudsdale Rumble, but snatching up Rainbow Dash in the process? Guess I'll need you to teach me a few things about wooing mares!" Chase's hooves crunched through the leaves cluttering the path back to the farm.

"I just took your advice! Added a bit of the 'pegasus touch,' but you earth ponies wouldn't know anything about that." Skye grunted and tried to keep up as Chase trotted past him.

"Add some of that touch to your wagon pulling..." Chase rolled his eyes.

"I thought you were headed to Canterlot after winning your pet show? Now you're helping clear an apple orchard for strangers... What happened to mister 'I hate farming every day?’”

"I did win the pet show – and I do still hate farming – but I gave my prize money away to help restore a family heirloom. If a trip to Canterlot wasn't so pricey I would have gladly hopped a train there already! Believe me; I still plan on beating some answers out of Role Play!" Chase growled and stomped onward. Imprints of horseshoes were becoming more visible with each slam of his hoof.

"That reminds me..." Skye stopped walking. "I ran into Role at the Cloudsdale Rumble..."

Chase came to a halt and whipped his head around. "What?! Why didn't you say something sooner?!"

"Hey, I've been busy too!" Skye shouted. “It’s not like I’ve been on a vacation.”

. . . . . .

"It's been pretty crazy, AJ. We won the Cloudsdale Rumble and almost immediately after that Forecast tells us we've been selected to go on the Cloudsdale Weather Tour!" Rainbow's voice crackled in frustration.

"What in the hay is a weather tour?" Applejack slid a mitt over her hoof and opened the oven. "Your pie'll be ready in a sec!"

"Thanks! I've missed coming over here for some old-fashioned Apple family treats! Cloudsdale just didn't compare... Oh! The tour! Yeah, so, a few pegasi are chosen to go on a weather tour to make sure the surrounding cities are training their weather teams properly. It’s almost time for winter, so we gotta make sure everypony is all set to shift the weather. Can't be sloppy when lives are at stake!" Rainbow sniffed the aroma of the pie.

"Sounds like you're just as busy as I am! Big Mac and Granny headed off to Manehattan this week to secure a new contract for the orchard. They took our biggest wagon and loaded it with only the finest apples! Granny's hopin' she can snag a few bits while she's there. She might be old, but nopony can negotiate as well as she can!" Applejack opened the oven once again and placed Rainbow's slice of pie on the table. The steam could barely rise above the drool pouring from the hungry pony's mouth. "Dig in! Don’t want it gettin’ too cold."

Rainbow passed the slice of pie back and forth between her hooves in an attempt to cool it down. "So you're busy? I was hoping for a teency weency favor..."

"I'd be happy to help if I can!" Applejack threw her oven mitt onto the counter and hopped in the chair next to Rainbow Dash. “Whatcha need?”

"Well, I sorta promised to look after Scootaloo, but now I'm gonna be away from home for a week or so. Any chance I could have her stay with you? I'd ask Fluttershy, but I know Scootaloo really missed Apple Bloom while she was in the hospital. I figured she’d be happiest here."

“How could I say no to that? Bloom’s been buggin’ me nonstop about Scoots comin’ home. It’ll be good for those fillies to spend a little time together. ‘Specially with Sweetie Belle off in Canterlot.”

Rainbow wrapped her hooves around AJ. “You’re the best! Thank you, thank you, thank you! It should only be for a week or two tops.”

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief when Dash was finally finished with her aggressive cuddling. “We can use an extra pair of hooves around here. Speaking of…”

Rainbow nodded and pumped a foreleg into the air. “You got it! Me and Skye will help you out before we hit the road. It’s the least we can do!”

“Looks like your stallion’s already helpin’.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash left the dinner table and saw the stallions unloading two wagons of apples near the shed. They looked at one another and shrugged. “I wish I could take credit for whipping Skye into shape, but he just always seems to do his own thing.” Rainbow trotted over to the backdoor.

“Again, sounds like somepony else I know…” Applejack followed and dodged an angry stare from Rainbow Dash.

. . . . . .

Chase and Skye were both resting against one of the apple carts in an attempt to catch their breath. After exchanging information from their misadventures in Ponyville and beyond, Skye issued a very strong warning about the apple trade and the problems popping up in Equestria.

“And what did you call them again?” Chase stretched and felt a muscle in his back pinch. He winced and fell onto his side.

“The Mirage Gang. A buncha thugs who mug other ponies on trade routes, vacations, you name it. Glorified robbers. They’ll do anything for bits. Anywho, they’ve been picking off a ton of apple shipments throughout Eastern Equestria.” Skye curled his wing in front of his mouth and removed a lose feather with his teeth.

“Wish I would’ve known that sooner…” Chase sighed. “I hope Applejack’s family will be okay.”

“We actually have a bit of an apple shortage in Cloudsdale lately. The last few shipments from Canterlot’s storehouse were swiped. Pretty crazy! Those goons are flipping a middle feather to the royal family.” Skye sneered and inspected his freshly tended wing. “I’d love to give them a peace of my mind. Attacking helpless merchants just to make a quick bit…”

“Hmmm… Yeah…” Chase was lost in thought.

“Don’t go doing anything crazy, fox face. I know that look. You can’t help everypony all the time. Pick your battles. Seems like Applejack will need you around here lending a hoof.”

“I know, I know…” Chase snorted in frustration. A cloud of dust blew against Skye’s wing.

“I just cleaned that!” Skye swatted at Chase’s head.

“Not my fault! We still have a bunch of apples to lug back anyway. Stop being a prettycolt and leave your feathers alone until we’re done!”

“I never should have agreed to help you… This is just like back in New Jockey! You always make me bust my flank!”

“Yeah, and I bust mine twice as hard ‘cuz you’re busy playing with raindrops and fluffing clouds.”

The two narrowed their eyes at one another.

“Last one back to the supply shed washes the fox!” Chase outstretched a hoof.

“Oh, you’re on, my friend.” Skye punched forward. The click of their hooves echoed up the hill.

. . . . . .

Despite being apart for weeks with almost no communication; the gang had no trouble helping out around the farm while catching up. For Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, this was just another break between crusades. Chase and Skye had been treating their time in the orchard as a more competitive task. The fun truly didn't begin until they started racing from the orchard to the supply shed in a time trial fashion. Not surprisingly most of the apples that had been bucked were now piled up in the shed for rinsing and inspection.

That task was left to Rainbow and Applejack while they finished their own conversation.

"Thanks again for all the help, Rainbow. Y'all really gave my spirits a boost." Applejack slid another bucket of clean apples over to Rainbow Dash, who was fanning them dry with her wings.

"Yeah, yeah; sure thing. Now, uh, back to the new guy." Rainbow grabbed the dried bucket of apples in her mouth and slid it behind her. At least a dozen buckets of glistening red delicious apples were cleaned and now ready for sale.

"Chase is a real sweet fella. Kinda strange at times... Him and Apple Bloom really hit it off. It's cute watchin' them run around in the orchard."

"Good with kids, hard-worker, sense of humor... I dunno, AJ, sounds good to me!" Dash flapped her wings faster causing the beads of water to fling against Applejack's mane. "Look, I don't like to admit it, but after a long day of punching clouds it's really nice having somepony waiting for you when you get home." Dash blushed. "C-cuz then I don't have to do all the cleaning by myself!"

"Quit lyin', Dash. You and Skye are two pigs in a pen! It's been a while since I even considered having somepony else in my life..."

Rainbow abandoned her duties and wrapped a wing around AJ's body. "I didn’t plan on all of this happening to me either, but it did. It’s weird going from doing everything by yourself to sharing it with another pony. It’s a good kinda weird though.”

“I’d have to think on it.” Applejack grabbed another bucket in her mouth.

“Ya know, something happened up in Cloudsdale while I was training with Skye. I thought for a second… that I lost him. It was awful. And do you know why, AJ?” Dash waited for the answer she knew would never come. “Because nothing hurts somepony more than realizing you missed your chance for something special. We went from having a playful weather contest to that big oaf being limp in my forelegs.” She swallowed and averted her eyes from Applejack. ”Now sometimes when we’re flying… I look over at him. Just to make sure he’s still there.”

“Rainbow…”

“When somepony steals your heart, the only thing you can do is steal theirs back.” Dash smiled and listened as the sound of wagons from the orchard drew closer. “Besides, having another stallion around might push your brother to work even harder! More time for you to kick back and re-lax.”

“This is gonna be one weird harvest...” Applejack removed her hat and lowered her ears.

/) To be Continued (\