Pattycakes: Needs

Next day, Fluttershy prepared Rainbow's mid-day bottle.

Rainbow sat in her playpen, sucking a hoof as the other hoof hazardly tossed toys around the upsized confinement.

Just as Fluttershy brought the bottle out to her little one, the door opened up.

Her friends casually strolled in...besides two. Pinkie Pie practically vaulted inside the living room, attracting remarks on her entrance. Applejack...trudged in, hat so low it nearly left her face unseen.

They all stopped dead in their tracks once spying Rainbow, who shoved her face to the lining just for a better look at the visitors.

Everypony winced at the sight of her, glancing to find how Applejack would take it.

Applejack shook her head, disappointed. Yet, didn't leave the house.

She simply hurried to the couch, taking a seat without a word or loud breathe.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, then demanded of Fluttershy, "Take her to her...um, room. We didn't expect her to be outside of her room right now. Thought she would be taking a nap. Just...please take her to her room."

Fluttershy rolled her eyes, explaining the situation, "Well, she was hungry. Thought you all would send somepony here to check when I was ready, instead of just coming in unexpectedly. It's not my fault you all deemed when would be a good time to stop by. So, I will feed her as I planned."

Twilight magically ascended Rainbow up to the ceiling, which she absolutely loved. Giggled and clapped as she was in her race's element.

Then, floated her into the kitchen as Fluttershy narrowed her eyes at the intervention.

Twilight then nipped the bottle from Fluttershy to Pinkie, who understood what to do as Twilight nodded forward.

Pinkie Pie gladly hopped into the kitchen, eager to feed the adult baby her meal.

Fluttershy snorted, then grumbled, "She always makes a mess with my baby."

Applejack nearly grinned at what she believed to be a ridiculous statement made by an obsessive pony, "Sure, honey. Sure."

Twilight intervened for the second time when Fluttershy took an agressive step near Applejack, which A.J. responded by getting slightly up from the couch in case a fight was on its way.

She stood in the middle of the two, trying to calm them down, "Now now, you two. We are all friends. Nopony needs to try anything. We can all settle this with words. This is why we're all here, true?"

Both blew her off, scoffing or waving her away.

To aid Twilight, Rarity kept the main conversation on track, "You two quit acting like children! Pun...unintended. Behave, I should say. Would be very sad for Twilight and I to break up a fight. Honestly, it would. We're bad fighters. Sweeties, you two are actually friends! Not enemies! Sure, you're not on the best of terms this minute. Yet, we're here to change that! Don't let this be where your friendship ends."

Applejack and Fluttershy said in unison, "Get on with it, girls."

Twilight and Rarity glanced at each other, frowns on their faces at how the attitudes were brought onto them now.

Rarity then spoke the agreed upon conditions to repair their friendship, "Alright. Anyways, we are here to create a schedule. Every week, Rainbow gets to be her adult self. For two days. Now, when are those two days?"

Fluttershy quickly pointed out an unliked rule, "Uh, two days? Why? I don't remember agreeing to two days a week. One."

Applejack countered with an equally-acceptable argument, "Never said it couldn't be two days! Two."

"One."

"Two."

One!"

"Two!"

"One, or I put Foalmula in your drinking water!"

"Two, or I punch you in the mouth right here, right now!"

Twilight held Fluttershy as Rarity did the same to Applejack, which both fought with all their might.

Twilight sweat gallons, yet pushed onto a final decision, "Two days, Fluttershy! Two days...and you get something in return!"

Fluttershy and Applejack went still, knowing trying to break free was useless.

Fluttershy thought it over, rolling the idea inside her mind as another brilliant one formed.

Finding a loved solution, she smirked as she decided then and there, "Fine. Tomorrow. And, the next day. So, every Monday and Tuesday. How does that sound?"

Twilight and Rarity figured the two had settled down enough to be allowed freedom.

Applejack wondered about that new smile so evident on Fluttershy's face, yet couldn't pass up that deal, "Great. Glad we could do this talk without a bit of violence."

Fluttershy chuckled, sounding so creepily happy, "Yeah. I am, too. Baby."

"...Don't call me that."

"Why? That's what you'll be. For those two days. Every week."

"What?!"

"Or, no deal."

"I will not be your baby, you buck-"

Twilight didn't predict that would be Fluttershy's reward for losing her child a few times a week, though added in a way for Applejack to be open with it, "Okay! Both of you, stop! Alright, alright. Now, Fluttershy, you know how Applejack feels about your...lifestyle. So, why not...let Applejack get a day with adult-in-every-way Rainbow Dash. Then, the next will be where you can baby Applejack. Foalmula added into the mix that day will be entirely up to Applejack, also."

Applejack did her signature hoof crossing, replying, "I...guess that will work. As long as she sticks with I deciding if I get...ugh, Foalmula. I won't be trapped as a baby in the mind like you did with Dash, hear me?! I will just have to tough it out as an adult. The adult I am and will be staying. Even if I must be embarrassed by playing foal with Fluttershy."

Rarity thought of the perfect way to bring the agreement to an end, "Everypony happy?! Lovely! So...why not get it signed with a loving hug, hm?! Fluttershy and Applejack, save your friendship today. Hug."

Applejack and Fluttershy knew they were friends, just on different sides of a massively-dividing issue.

So, both slowly walked up to each other.

When their chests were close to touching...they awkwardly embraced.

It felt right to be this loving again, after such a large amount of time away from the other. Even if it felt just as right to choke the other pony until they forgot what oxygen was.

Fluttershy whispered too low for anypony else besides Applejack to listen to, "Mommy knows how stubborn this little one can be. Maybe all she needs is a motherly hoof."

Applejack would've growled, if not for the dream of her old Dash back to her senses.

She breathed back, "We'll see. I was always stubborn. Even as a baby."

Twilight and Rarity had left to give the two some alone time to hug, tickling Rainbow with Pinkie having started moments before when Dash finished her bottle and had been burped.

Twilight questioned Rarity on the conversation playing out in the next room, "You know they're threatening or insulting each other, right?"

Rarity shrugged, giving a sound answer, "Obviously. Clear as day, really. Though, maybe those two and their clashing points-of-view can benefit from this experience?"

"We'll see."

"Yeah. Should be...a sight. Of some sort."