Working Relationships

Working RelationshipsOriginally written on July 9th, 2011Part One: A Miracle Formed From a DisasterApple Buckin'

Applejack was working on the farm, that fine summer day, with the sun shining down, and the temperature going up.  Her job was apple bucking, and she enjoyed it.  Her body would curve up, and her hind legs would stretch out with such a force, they struck the tree's hard, dark bark, and the sweat of her body shook off as the vibration wiggled through.  It was hard work, but it put food on the table, and gave her a good life style, healthy.  She was bucking up to fifty trees a day, and pulling in hundreds of apples.  It seemed like a very normal day, and Twilight was supposed to come over to help her with the wagons.  She continued her job as she waited for Twilight, taking in a good sum of her work.  Twilight came trotting in, with Spike at her side, and she announced that she was ready to lend a helping hoof.

"Howdy Twilight, you ready?" Applejack greeted her, and she showed her were the wagons were.  The baskets on the wagons were hand woven from slick wooden strips, and bound together with a few old rags, stabilizing them.  Applejack hooked up the first wagon they had and she pulled it with ease.  They walked down the dirt path of the apple orchard, streaming by the already bucked trees.  Twilight's horn lit up as they levitated the apples in the air, and into the bucket.  Spike was perched up on Twilight's rear, and was bouncing as she trotted along side Applejack.  They were a great working pair, and they were finishing the job very quick.  Applejack tried to start a conversation with them, to pass they time.

"So, Twi', whatcha' been up to, t'day'?" she asked fondly.

"Oh, well, Spike and I were happy to help you with the apples, and then we planned on going to visit Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash after," she responded.  The cart was getting heavier with every apple put in the barrel, Applejack could th, feel the tension

rising in bath the wagon, and between her and Twilight.

"Uh, how they' been'?"

"They're good, they invited me to a 'private picnic' in the park," she explained.

"A Private Picnic?  Well, ah' hope you have fun, I wish I could go, but I got other chores ta' do."

"Thanks, Applejack."

"Do y'all wan't any of these here' apples to take," she offered.

"No thanks, Applejack, they're yours for the taking."

"We can't forget to bring some food, Twilight, it's on the list," Spike pointed out, checking off the 'apple bucking' picture.

Applejack kept kicking the trees, the bark chipping away on each impact.  They were finishing up the last of the trees, and they worked in silence for the rest of the job.  The sun was rising high in the sky, and clouds started appearing.  They filled up the last wagon, and brought it back to the main house, unlocking the front door, and carrying in the baskets to the storage room.  They exited the house.

"Here's ya' pay, Twi, thank ya' kindly," she extended some money towards Twilight, but she pushed it away.

"Thanks, but no thanks, were friends, Applejack, I don't need money to prove that."

A smile grew on Applejack's face, and she returned the money to herself, shaking Twilight's hoof once more, and said goodbye.  Then, Twilight was gone, what a true friend indeed.

The 'Private Picnic'

Twilight was trotting through Ponyville with Spike on her back, and she didn't pay attention to any of the other ponies passing by, minding their own business.

"Don't forget the food, Twilight," Spike reminded her.

"Don't worry, so what do you think they would like to eat?" she asked.

"What ever ponies eat, I guess," he made a smart remark.

"Don't be a smart mule, seriously, what do you think?" Twilight snapped back.

"I'm sure they would eat anything you bring them."

"Thank's, that makes me feel better," she said sarcastically.

She decided to get a few quick daisy sandwiches, and some hay fries for Spike to munch on.  The sun was still beating down on them, and it kept getting warmer.  Twilight could see the tree where the picnic was being set up, and noticed Rainbow Dash flying around, and Fluttershy taking out the plaid picnic sheet.  She had a basket filled with treats, and so did Rainbow Dash.  She landed next to Fluttershy, as Twilight trotted up with food she brought, and set Spike down on the blanket.

"Hi, Twilight," They both said, happy to see their friend.

Twilight took out the food, and Spike greeted them too.  They started eating, and discussed their day.

"So, what's with the picnic?" Twilight asked,

"Oh, well, I was in Ponyville, and I saw these oranges for sale, I bought so much of them, and I decided to have a picnic," Fluttershy said.

"I was in town, and Fluttershy came over and told me to share these with her."

Twilight had a confused look on her face, "So, you threw this little picnic over some oranges?"

"Yes!"

"But... Why?"

"I thought we could spend some quality time together..." she softened her voice, and pushed her body onto the soft, green grass.

Twilight pulled out the sandwiches, and shared them with her friends.  They munched on them quietly, and there was an awkward silence through out most of the picnic.  Twilight expected Fluttershy to be quiet, because, it was Fluttershy, but Rainbow Dash seemed tired, and didn't speak at all. She expected her to be ranting on about her over confidence, and self respect.  But not a word was spoken...

The wind in the trees were blowing softly, and the only noise they could her, was Spike eating his fries, and belching loudly.  Why were her friends acting like this?  The picnic was an 'odd' occasion, but what was the point.  When she came, she wanted to talk, not sit in silence.

"Wonderful weather, we're having," Twilight broke out the extremely old conversation starter.

"Yes, fine weather," Rainbow Dash said, "but I don't remember those clouds being scheduled, we don't have a storm until next week,"

"Next week?" Fluttershy asked,

"Yes, and those clouds look like the ones that we made for said week."

They finished eating, and helped each other wrap up the picnic, and said goodbye.  There was no other contact, and that was the most awkward picnic Twilight had ever had.  She walked away from the fields, and went back to her house with Spike, and she asked him, "Spike, did you notice anything strange about the picnic?"

"Strange? How?" He asked back,

"I dunno', just a thought, I guess."

"Well, it was pretty quiet," he responded,

Twilight looked at him, "I was thinking the same thing."

But something was still clawing at her flank, and she couldn't put her hoof on it...

"Let's just get back to work, shall we," Spike offered,

"Ya, go ahead, I'll catch up," she sighed.

She sat down on the chair in front of the desk, quill in telekinesis, and tried to work on her message and studies to Princess Celestia.

Fluttershy walked back to her house, after departing with Rainbow Dash, and unlocked her little cottage door, on the outskirts of Ponyville.  Angel was sleeping in his little rabbit house, and Fluttershy lowered herself to the couch, and stretched out on it.  She was in a form of mental stress, her conscious was talking to her, and she could hear it in her noggin.

You can't keep doing this, Fluttershy, you just can't,

"What do you want me to do about it," she asked herself,

Tell her how you feel, tell Twilight how you feel,

"What if she doesn't feel the same way?"

What's the worst that could happen?

"When should I?"

When the time is correct, but this cannot remain a secret.

"But wasn't the picnic good enough?"

A picnic? Just to see Twilight, no, it wasn't

"But how d-" she stopped, and realized that nopony else was in the room, she was just mumbling to herself.  Maybe her conscious was right, is she really that lonely?  Maybe she should just come out of the closet, and say it.  Non of her friends would judge her differently...

She looked at the wall from the couch, and then to the small table next to her.  There was a group picture of the Mane 6  on it, and she picked it up.  She studied the faces of her close friends, and she could remember that long night ago, when she felt so lonely, and decided that it was her, who would be her sole mate, her who would be her lover, that one pale purple pony, with the star on her flank, and her big, gleaming, dark purple eyes.  They sparkled in the photo, Twilight sparkled.  Fluttershy's tear drops rained down from her corneas and onto the thick glass of the photo.

Rainbow Dash flew back to the center of Ponyville, and went to Rarity's Carousel Boutique.  She walked in the room, and the dirt ground changed to floral tile in an instant.  Rarity was obviously working on another dress, she turned her head after hearing the bell on the door ring.

"Rainbow Dash? What's wrong?" noticing the disgruntled face on Rainbow Dash.

"It's nothing big, but I just had the weirdest picnic with Twilight and Fluttershy,"

"Weirdest? How?" Rarity asked her, changing moods,

"It was quiet, too quiet, nopony said anything."

"And? What's the problem?"

"I don't know, is there a problem?" Rainbow Dash started asking the questions,

"You shouldn't sweat the small stuff, Rainbow Dash, now help me with these dresses," Rarity said joyfully, taking RD's mind off the picnic.

They unwrapped some more supplies out of the new boxes, and Rarity noticed the black circles around RD's eyes,

"Are you okay, RD?" she asked out,

"What? I had a late night, last night, I'm just tired, that's all," Rainbow Dash answered hazily,

"What were you doing?"

"Just flying, just flying."

"Where could you possibly be flying at that time?" Rarity spoke,

"Just over town, the forest," she looked to the ground, "and Sweet Apple Acres."

Rarity studied RD, but just like Twilight, she couldn't put her hoof on it.

Rarity started un-boxing some more dresses, they were in brilliant designs, colorful, and vibrant.  Just like Rainbow Dash.

Can't forget Pinkie

For that summer day, Pinkie was just being usual Pinkie, prancing around, making cupcakes, and laughing.  She stepped out from her home at Sugar Cube Corner, and noticed Twilight walking back to her house with Spike on her back.  She looked glum, and wanted to know what was up.  She was about to charge towards Twilight, when she smelt her cupcakes in the oven... They were burning, and she rushed over and threw them in the sink.

She burnt her hooves a bit, and put them under some cold water.  When she finished, she ran back out, and Twilight was already gone.

"Aw shoot," she grunted, but then noticed Fluttershy walking back to her house, and Rainbow Dash heading to Rarity's.  She was about to run towards RD, knowing she would talk to Fluttershy later, but she was called back by the smell of smoke.

She turned her head, and she had left the stove on, and a fire was burning through.

"Horsefeathers!" she called, and ran for the fire extinguisher.  Out went the small stove fire, and she ran back out, they were both gone, just like Twilight.

"Shoot, I really should remember to shut the stove off," she sighed, and went back inside.

She sat on the couch in the living room, and tried to sort things out.  Why did Dash look tired?  Why was Twilight glum?  And why the hay was Fluttershy- well, nothing seemed to be wrong with Fluttershy, but that left the other two.  Pinkie's thoughts were rushing around in her head.  She sat and thought for a few minutes, then it hit her... A party!

She decided to throw a party tomorrow night, just for the hay of it, and maybe that would cheer them up.  She started writing invitations.

Invitations were the most important part of a party, but Pinkie was planning on making this a special party, to make everypony all better.  Pinkie was getting very excited and she was really happy, her body shook as she thought of the future with her friends, dancing, food, games, and parties.  She was completely thrilled, but yet unaware of the actions that would come.

Applejack was finishing her chores, and went back inside to her old house, big and red, like Big Macintosh.  She sat down on her couch, when Apple Bloom came in, she was alone, no CMC today.  She trotted her little filly legs over to her older sister, and spoke,

"Somethin' is up with Rainbow Dash."

Applejack looked at her in bewilderment, "What are you blabberin' about, sugarcube'."

"I woke up last night, and saw here circling the acres, then landed near the house.  I

thought she was goin' crazy or sumthin'!"

"Y'all saw her land near the house?"

"Very close, I thought she was goin' to break in the house."  Apple Bloom continued.

"Hush up, now, I'm sure it was nothin'."

"What ever ya' say, Applejack."