Equestria Wide River Expedition

Applejack was doing her usual work, bucking apple tree after apple tree after apple tree. Each bucking wearied down Applejack as she kicked each tree. Finally, she decided to call it done and sat under the most recent tree she bucked. Apple Bloom finished putting away the last of the apples Applejack bucked down, so Apple Bloom ran over to her sister and sat next to her.

"Hey Applejack, how many apples do ya think we collected today?"

"Hmm..." Applejack put a hoof to her chin and replied, "Don't ya think y'can add them up? Y'have done this a while. Give me your guess."

Apple Bloom mimicked Applejack's position and thought for a while. Apple Bloom finally pepped up and exclaimed, "More than yesterday!"

Applejack laughed and scratched Apple Bloom's head. "Ya got it!"

Apple Bloom joined in with her sister in laughing.

Sweetie Belle observed the new dress that Rarity made. "Wow, Rarity! Another dress made!"

Rarity grinned at Sweetie Belle and walked over to her. "I just can't believe how many dresses that were ordered yesterday. Poor Fluttershy must have been tuckered out with worry!"

Sweetie Belle walked through the rows of dresses that Rarity hung. "You know, if you keep doing this, you might get sick again! And you were sick just recently!"

Rarity nodded. "It's true that I may have pushed myself too much before." Rarity thought for a bit then said, "But I believe you are correct this time. I may need to get some rest. And anyways..." She grabbed the list from her counter and looked through it. "I got through the whole list that Fluttershy received." Rarity walked over and slumped into her couch, putting her hoof behind her head. Rarity then requested, "Sweetie Belle, I'm hungry. Be a dear and grab me a snack?"

Sweetie Belle looked at Rarity quizzically. "Um, sure Sis. What do you want?"

Rarity continued relaxing. "Something that matches my color."

Sweetie Belle nodded and walked off downstairs.

Scootaloo continued riding on her scooter down the streets. She was focused on one thing; keeping up with Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo fluttered her wings quickly and accelerated forward. Rainbow Dash took spot of this and smiled. Even on the ground, Scootaloo was quick on her scooter. Rainbow Dash then looked forward and saw a favorable relaxing spot: a tree. She then rushed over to the tree and crashed into the tree. Rainbow Dash, on the ground because of breaking the branches she was attempting to land on, rubbed the back of her head with her hoof. She got up and saw Scootaloo speeding towards her. With a skid of her scooter, she slid to a stop before running into Rainbow Dash and brushed off her helmet.

"Rainbow Dash! You okay?" Scootaloo questioned concernedly.

Rainbow Dash laughed and walked over to Scootaloo. "Sometimes, you have to make errors to learn, Squirt." She then decided to quickly rush to another topic to keep her pride. "Anyways, great job keeping up with me back there. What's the rush though?"

Scootaloo beamed and took out a paper. Rainbow Dash skimmed over the paper. "Equestria Wide River Expedition?" she contemplated.

"Yeah!" Scootaloo answered excitedly. "It's a rafting trip! The Cutie Mark Crusaders really want to go to see if we can get our 'Rafting' cutie marks! But..." She kicked her hoof on the ground. "We need some adults to be able to go."

Rainbow Dash continued looking over the paper. She then looked to the prices. Her eyes widened in shock. "Only that much? Usually, these trips cost over two-hundred bits. But this is only one-hundred-fifty!" Rainbow Dash looked at Scootaloo. "Are you sure that this isn't a hoax?"

Scootaloo shook her head. "Of course not! We made sure it was completely true! And this is the most entertaining of all!"

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment and nodded. "Well, I'll go ahead and see if this is alright with Rarity and Applejack. I mean, it's not fair that I only come. I'm sure that the others may want to go."

Scootaloo sulked a bit but tried to contain her sorrow. "Oh, alright..." Scootaloo unenthusiastically said.

Rainbow Dash gave a knowing smile and flew off.

"Rarity! I'm back!"

Rarity smiled at the call of Sweetie Belle. Rarity was getting quite hungry.

"Thank you, Swee-" She cut herself off as she noticed what Sweetie Belle was carrying.

Sweetie Belle just kept a big grin, teeth showing as she carried a bag of marshmallows. Rarity looked at Sweetie Belle, unamused. Before Rarity got the chance to counter, a ringing was heard at the door. "You got off lucky this time..." Rarity cursed as she walked down the stairs. When she was at the counter, she sang, "Welcome to Carousel Boutique!"

Rainbow Dash walked towards Rarity. "Hey, Rarity, got something for you to look at." Rainbow Dash then pulled out the paper that Scootaloo gave Rainbow Dash.

Rarity took the paper with magic and read through it. "Equestria Wide River Expedition? Oh, that sounds dreadful. Who would want to ride on the rapids with only a... 'duckie'?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged to show her same confusion. Rarity continued reading before gawking. "That's the expense?"

"Yeah, I didn't believe it either."

"Well, dear, that's... Really not as much as I thought this trip would be." She placed the paper on the desk and continued. "So why show this to me? I'm not the adventurous type, you know."

"It's something with the CMC wanting a 'rafting' cutie mark." Rainbow Dash resentfully said. Sweetie Belle perked her ears up and watched Rarity and Rainbow Dash.

"Why, that's quite usual for them. But why in the world would I go? I simply cannot handle these type of trips."

"If you don't do, then who will take responsibility of watching their own little sister? You know I'm not going to watch all three of them." Rainbow Dash then placed a hoof on the counter. "Besides, wouldn't you consider this a, I dunno, a sister-bonding... thing?" Rainbow Dash then put a cheesy grin to convince Rarity.

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash paranoid. "If you are so insistent, then why don't you just bring along Applejack? You and her could make the team to watch over the three."

Sweetie Belle decided to join. "But Sis! I won't go without you! Please?" Sweetie Belle looked at Rarity with large and adorable eyes.

"No! I refuse to..." Rarity tried looking away, but the stare was getting to her. Finally caving in, she gave a grunt and exclaimed, "Fine! I'll go! But just this once."

Sweetie Belle hopped around Rarity with excitement. Rainbow Dash sighed and took the paper from Rarity's desk. "Sorry, can't stay here much longer. Gotta tell Applejack. Later!" Rainbow Dash then flew out of the shop. Rarity groaned as she thought of what she was getting herself into.

Applejack looked into the sky and saw Rainbow Dash flying over. Applejack yelled out, "Hey! Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow Dash looked down and landed next to Applejack. "Hey, I was looking for you!"

"Same here! Ah need some help. Mind if ya can pitch in?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Hay, yeah! Glad you thought of the right pony for the job. What ya need?"

"Ah need some help with paintin' mah barn. Mind if ya could paint the roof?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Sure thing!" Rainbow Dash and Applejack then clapped their hooves together.

"Great! Now follow me!" Applejack requested.

Applejack led Rainbow Dash to the barn through a path of many fallen leaves. After walking on the path, they finally reached the barn. The first thing that bought the attention of Rainbow Dash was the barn wall. On the barn wall, Pinkie Pie was painted with rays of sunshine falling down. "Uh..." Rainbow Dash questioned as she pointed towards the painting.

Applejack shrugged. "Just worry about the roof. Ah'll work on the wall."

Applejack picked up her brush and began to paint the wall in a red paint. Rainbow Dash did the same and flew onto the roof. As she started painting, she asked, "Hey AJ, how do you feel about rafting?"

Applejack looked up at Rainbow Dash. "What'da mean 'rafting'?"

"You know, riding on a boat on the river?"

Applejack blankly stared. Rainbow Dash groaned. "Have you ever gone rafting before?"

Applejack shook her head. "Ain't it just sailing?"

"No, it's completely different!" Rainbow Dash interjected. "Okay, it's sailing, but it is with more style and excitement!"

Applejack just shrugged. "So, why bring that up?"

Rainbow Dash flew down, leaving her paint brush on the roof. "Well, Scoots came by earlier. Said something about a 'rafting' cutie mark."

Applejack groaned. "This again?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. "But it's a little different this time though. Scoots told me that she needed an adult, so she came to me."

Applejack thought for a moment. "So... A sister get-together?" Rainbow Dash nodded, which brought a smile to Applejack. "That's great! Ah would love to come! Though, we may have a few problems with Rarity. How're we gonna convince her?"

Rainbow Dash just held her hoof out. "Don't worry about that. Rarity already agreed."

Applejack didn't hold back her confusion. "Rarity agreed? Like... Really agreed? She's the last one to agree to anything like this!"

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "I guess that sisters do have power over each other."

Applejack shook her head. "Wait a minute, are ya leading this trip?"

"No!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "We're going to have guides for this." She grabbed the flyer that Scootaloo gave Rainbow Dash and handed it to Applejack. "Here."

Applejack scanned the paper carefully. After a moment, Applejack smiled. "Ah'm guessin' that this will be fun."

"Hay yeah! This is going to be awesome!"

Apple Bloom, hiding behind the barn with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, clapped their hooves together as a group.

"We did it!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

"Scootaloo, your plan actually worked!" Apple Bloom praised.

"I told ya that I had this handled," Scootaloo complied.

"Ah can't wait! My hooves are already itching with excitement!" Apple Bloom cheered.

"Cutie Mark Crusader Rafters! Yay!" they rooted.

Then a yelp came from Applejack while Rainbow Dash cracked up at the red paint splattered on Applejack from the brush that fell from the roof.

Author Notes:

I'm going to start this story. I felt like it would be nice to explain my trip. Originally, I thought of a class trip, but then I thought, "Why not bring some of the mane six?" And this is what came out. Hope you enjoy!

Oh yes! I better give credit to Toxic-Mario because I 'borrowed' his comic for the Rarity and Sweetie Belle scene...

Oh, I did edit this part a bit. Now that I read this, it seems a little short to me.