Zap Apple Pie

        Applejack lay by the fireplace, warming her back as Rainbow flapped her wings slowly, hovering in the center of the Den.  Quill took her favorite place on the couch and chuckled softly to herself.

        “What’s so funny, Quill?” Rainbow asked, turning to her.

        “Oh, just how much you cleaned up your birth story.”

        Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I didn’t do much to it, just… left out some details.”

        Quill laughed into her hoof. “Yes, like the part where you were screaming ‘if you don’t get me medicine I’ll rip your muzzle off.”

        Applejack hummed a laugh. “‘Get it outta me or I’ll shove his hooves up your butt and see how you like it!’,” she quoted, “that was a good one.  Or how about when Little Dashie came out and ya screamed,” Applejack and Quill spoke in unison:

“Oh, Celestia, its ruined me for life!”

        They both laughed and rolled to their backs, kicking the air in jovial bliss while Rainbow crossed her forelimbs and pouted. “Hey, you push a giant baby out and tell me how you feel!”

        The next couple minutes were filled with laughter as the mares let loose a day’s worth of stress.

        “So, are ya done yet?”

        “Yeah, Dashie, I think so,” Quill wiped a tear from her eye and flexed her wings, stretching her back slightly. “Yeah, I’m good.  So, anyway,” she left the sentence open.

        “Ah had a day on the farm t’day.  The helps got a long way ta go before they have the chores down, and the farmin’s goin’ good enough.  Apple season’s a couple months away so trainin’ the help’ll be key.”

        Rainbow nodded to Applejack. “Yeah, and Ah’ve gotta make sure the next batch’a Zap Apples are in and ready Tuesday.  Ugh, tomorrow,” Rainbow grumbled.

        “Rainbow Dash,” Quill slightly scolded, “you only have one real job on this farm, and it’s to make Zap Apples.”

        “Nuh-uh!  Ah also take care’a the weather, children, and chores around the house.”

        “Except the compost,” Quill frowned, “you leave that for me every time.”

        “Well, ya need chores, too.” Rainbow replied.

        “Takin’ care of the young’ns is a chore, Rainbow,” Applejack corrected.

        “Yeah, I do my part,” Rainbow said smugly.

        “Yeah, you play with them like you’re their friend, more than a parent,” Quill said to Rainbow.

        “Well, I love them my way, you do it your way.”

        The mares fell silent.  Rainbow was right, in a way.

        “So, what’s the plan?  It’s us time, and I don’t feel too frisky.  Wanna play a game?”

        “We can talk about Daring Do…”

        “Or, we can plan tomorrow’s chores.”

        The room fell silent again.  “Well, how’s the weather team, Rainbow Dash?”

        “Quill, it’s great.  Well, same ol’ same ol’, I guess.  We push the clouds around and, control the weather.  Um, I caught a feral cloud the other day from the Everfree…”

        “Um, the numbers on the farm are fine enough.  Big Mac’s better with plowing than anything, but that’s his thing.  He keeps count of the growing food, and I make sure he’s right.”

        “Ah’ve done taught the lot’a new helpers about how ta do the chores and keep the farm runnin’ like clockwork, but it just ain’t the same without me havin’ my hooves on.”

        “Yeah,” Rainbow sighed and landed beside Applejack, laying her head on Applejack’s cutie mark, “lots happening lately.”

        “...AJ, Dash?”

        “Yeah, Quill?”

        “It’s almost three years since Granny Smith-”

        “Ah know,” Applejack sighed loudly, “Ah’ll never ferget.”  Rainbow began to rub Applejack’s back lightly. “Ah guess it’s time ta have a little meal in her honor.”

        “That apple salad with cranberries?” Rainbow asked.

        “Yup, her favorite.”

        “Never seemed like it was enough, though.”

        Rainbow looked to Quill. “Maybe not, but it was her favorite.  It’s the least we can do, for all she gave us.”

        “Yeah,” Quill yawned, “I’m bored.  Wanna do anything?”

        The other mares sighed and laid their heads down. “Ah dunno.  If’n we leave ya know the children’ll come outta their rooms ta play’n snack,” Applejack said.

        “And if we stay we don’t have anything ta really do… Ah think we should play Clouds and Cumulus.”

        “Ah don’t like that game, Rainbow.  Ya always win.”

        …

        The baby began to cry, gathering all their attention.  “Well, Sugar’s up.  Think she’s hungry?”

        The mares chuckled. “She’s always hungry,” Rainbow said as she took to the air and flew down the hall to the baby’s room.  Rainbow returned with a cooing filly in her forelimbs.  She lay the baby by Applejack and let the filly drink while she took a seat nearby.

        “Well, she drinks so much she’ll be as big as L.D. in no time.”

        “Hehehe,” Quill giggled, “Whispy’s really small for her age, Sugar’s already almost as big as her.”

        “Remember when Sugar was born?” Rainbow asked and swished her tail.

        “Yeah, it was a year after Granny…” Applejack looked to the filly at her breast and swallowed hard.

        “Well, Ah remember Granny all too well, and how she left us,” Rainbow said softly, placing a hoof on Applejack’s side.