Chapters The afternoon sun hung lazily in the air, a warm summer breeze blowing through the fields of Sweet Apple Acres. It was just about time to harvest the orchard's hundreds of apple trees; the Apple family had spent the past week preparing for applebuck season and the hard work it would bring. Applejack was on her way back to the farmhouse after examining the last field when a rush of air blowing past caused her to recoil. It was then she noticed the blue streak following the gust and, after a few seconds, the sudden, cool breeze upon her head.
"Rainbow Dash! I'd like it very much if you'd return mah hat!" Applejack hollered after the pegasus, who slowed down and turned back toward her.
Rainbow Dash flew up to the orange earth pony and hovered in place, a brown cowboy hat perched atop her head. A wide, mischievious grin split her face from ear to ear. "Hey, Applejack!" Dash exclaimed. "What'cha doing?"
Applejack reached up and reclaimed the hat for her own. "Ah'm helpin' Big Macintosh prepare the fields for the harvest. " Placing the hat upon her own head, she peered at Rainbow Dash. "What're you up to, besides a whole lotta nothin' as usual?" Applejack inquired as she resumed her previous course.
"Practicing my moves for the Wonderbolts!" Dash exclaimed, flying a few circles around the earth pony before landing to accompany her on hoof. "I know I'm gonna wow 'em with this new one I've been working on! Say, you wouldn't wanna help me out, would you?"
The orange mare quirked a brow. "Help ya, how? I'd love ta, Rainbow, but Ah don't figure Ah could do much without, ya know, wings." She cast a glance askew at the pegasus as she spoke.
"That's the fun part," Dash said. "It's actually meant for an earth pony. Or a unicorn, I guess. You don't need wings!" The quizzical look on Applejack's face prodded her on. "Okay, look. A pegasus, like me, flies with an earth pony, like you, and they perform all kinds of awesome tricks together."
"Ah don't know..." Applejack trailed off. "Sounds dangerous ta me."
"C'mon, AJ, it'll be fun!" Dash said, lifting into the air with a flourish. "I promise nothing bad will happen! I'm the best flier in Equestria, remember?" she beamed pridefully, recalling her victory at the Best Young Flyer competition in Cloudsdale.
"Ah like to keep my hooves on the ground, thank ya very much," the earth pony flatly stated. She had gone to Cloudsdale for Rainbow, for her friend, but she was relieved when they had returned to solid ground.
"Applejack, you really need to lighten up. Have some fun once in a while. You're all work and no play!" Dash looped over in the air to accentuate the end of her sentence.
"And Ah think you could stand ta learn the meanin' of a hard day's work," Applejack retorted sharply. Sighing, she said, "If 'twere anything else, Ah'd gladly volunteer. Ah'm just not comfortable with this idea."
The pegasus hung her head dejectedly, sighing as well. "Okay. I guess I can try to find somepony else." She looked up at Applejack. "I'll see you around, AJ."
The country mare stopped and turned to her friend. "Don't worry yerself 'bout it. Ah'm sure somethin'll work out. You take care, now." She watched until the pegasus was out of sight, then continued on her way to the farmhouse.
Big Macintosh sat outside, staring out into the fields while chewing on a sprig of wheat. He said nothing as she moved to sit by his side, following his gaze out over apple trees as far as the eye could see. "Looks ta be another good harvest this year."
The crimson stallion remained silent for a moment. "Eeyup," he finally drawled, swishing the sprig in his mouth. He finally broke his gaze, swinging his head around to face his sister. "C'mon, sis. Dinner's just about ready." He got to his hooves, followed by his sister, and they trotted inside.
Rainbow Dash flew for many reasons. She flew to relieve stress and anxiety. She flew to bleed off anger. Most of the time she flew simply to fly, enjoying the wind beneath her wings. She flew, sometimes as she did now, to lift her spirits. Flying was the answer to everything, in her opinion.
Dash was sure Applejack would have jumped at the opportunity to experience something new. Perhaps she didn't know her friend as well as she thought. I'm sure something will work out , she repeated to herself. After a few more minutes of soothing time in the sky, she angled herself toward the far end of Ponyville.
A sudden knock at the door jolted Spike out of his concentration, the stack of books precariously balanced in one hand falling to the floor in a heap. Sighing in defeat, he hopped down from the ladder, walked to the door, and pulled it open.
"Hey, Spike," Dash greeted the dragon. She peered around the room, books strewn everywhere. He was the only one present. "Is Twilight busy? I want to talk to her."
He glanced over his shoulder at the door to the back room. "Actually, she is. Told me she didn't want to be interrupted by anyone." He shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, Dash."
The pegasus sighed and nodded. "Okay," she mumbled. "Guess I can come back later. See ya, Spike."
Spike closed the door as she took to the air and turned around, bumping into Twilight Sparkle as he moved to resume his work. "Whoa! Sorry, Twilight! I didn't know you were there."
"It's okay, Spike," the lavender unicorn soothed. "Who was here just now? I could have sworn it sounded like Rainbow Dash."
"Yeah, she wanted to see you," Spike said, proudly placing his hands on his hips. "But I told her you didn't want to be disturbed by anyone!"
Twilight rushed past her assistant as the door tugged open with a purple glow. "Oh, Spike! You should know I always have time for my friends!" She stopped outside and looked for Rainbow Dash, to no avail. Her friend was already out of sight. She sighed and returned inside. "If she comes back, let me know right away. That goes for the others, too!"
The young dragon's shoulders drooped as Twilight trotted into the back room. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, there was no winning. Sighing in defeat again, he scooped up the fallen pile of books and began the slow climb up the ladder once more.
Rainbow Dash's quest was off to a spectacularly disappointing start. Applejack's safety concerns kept her grounded. Twilight Sparkle was busy doing whatever the smarty-pants did in her spare time. Fluttershy was out the question because the stunt called for a non-pegasus; she'd probably be too scared of the high-speed acrobatics, anyway. Pinkie Pie, well... she didn't quite comprehend the idea. They'd probably be picking pieces of her gyrocopter out of the trees for days.
Rarity was the last of her friends on the list. Carousel Boutique appeared ahead, and Dash landed in front of the door. She rapped on it a few times, after which a muffled voice could be heard from within. Moments later, the door opened to reveal Sweetie Belle.
"Hi, Rainbow Dash!" Sweetie said, smiling.
"Heya, Sweetie Belle. Is Rarity busy?"
Sweetie's smile faded. "Well, she's--"
"Rainbow Dash?" a voice called out from within the building. "Do come in, dear!"
The unicorn filly stepped aside and Dash walked through the doorway, glancing about the room until she found the voice's source. Rarity was fussing over a dress form and the garment that adorned it, concentration furrowed into her brow. Pieces of fabric floated in the air around her, moving about at the unicorn's will as she tested various design changes.
As her guest approached, Rarity turned to face her. "Welcome!" she smiled. "How are you, Rainbow? To what do I owe the pleasure?" A clearly feigned smile. The two ponies didn't really mingle outside of group activities, but the unicorn's distress read like a book.
"Uh, Rarity... you okay? Something bothering you?"
The fashionista's eyes grew wide. "Of course not, darling!" she laughed. "What ever gave you that idea?" She continued to absentmindedly arrange the dress form as she spoke.
"Well, I'm pretty sure I don't know the first thing about fashion, but even I know that ," Dash stuck a hoof toward the dress form, "is terrible." Rarity paused to give her attention to the dress form again. Fabric haphazardly adorned the frame and could hardly be called a dress. The unicorn hung her head shamefully.
"Sweetie Belle and I were at the park earlier today to spend a bit of quality time with each other. Just as we were leaving, somepony complimented me on how adorable my daughter is!"
Dash looked confused. "You don't have a daughter. Uh, do you?" She figured that'd be something she would know.
"Celestia, no!" Rarity gasped. "Do you not understand? She was speaking of Sweetie Belle! She thinks I'm ooold!" she wailed frantically, taking Dash's forehooves in her own. "Is that really how I look? Do I look old to you?"
"Uh, well..." the pegasus replied. She was being made very uncomfortable. Rarity wasn't old, but Dash could understand how the mare's compliment could come about. The unicorn sisters were separated in age enough to appear as a young mother and daughter. "I don't think you look all that old. It's... just the age split between you two."
Rarity released her grip and recomposed herself. "I... I never thought of it that way. Thank you, Rainbow Dash. I needed to hear that." A genuine smile crossed her lips. "Now, let us put this out of mind. You came here for a reason. How can I help?"
Dash looked around the room. It had seemed oddly unoccupied, and she just now realized why. "Where'd Sweetie Belle go?"
Rarity shrieked, running about the shop in search of the filly. "She must have snuck away while we were talking!" She sighed heavily. "That filly gives me nothing but trouble. I'm terribly sorry, darling, but I need to go find my sister." The unicorn made for the door. "We will have to catch up another time. I apologize again, Rainbow!"
All the pegasus could do was watch, dumbfounded, as her friend bolted out the door. Sighing, she followed and closed the shop behind her.
Dash found herself on the way to Sweet Apple Acres once more. Applejack was her best bet, if only she could get her to overcome her reservations. She arrived at the orchard and scanned the area for signs of activity, settling her gaze on the blot of orange making its way through the green of a field and speeding down to meet it.
"Well, howdy, Rainbow," Applejack greeted the pegasus. "What brings ya here again so soon?"
"Oh, nothing, really." Dash considered for a moment explaining how fruitless her search for help was, but decided against it. Instead, an idea sparked to life in the back of her head. "Hey, you going somewhere?"
Applejack looked up at the hovering pony and quirked a brow. "Ah'm goin' to the barn. Why d'ya ask?"
"How about a lift?" Dash smirked.
"What?" the earth pony asked, confused. Realization soon set in. "Rainbow, Ah told ya Ah ain't flyin'. 'Sides, it ain't that far away."
Dash wouldn't give up that easily. "Come ooon, AJ," she pleaded, touching down to the ground. "It's just a ride! And you said it isn't far, so what's the harm?"
"Now don't ya--"
"Puh-leeeease?" she whimpered, putting on her best pouty face and letting her wings droop limply.
Applejack sighed and brought a hoof to her face. "You just ain't gonna let this go, are ya?" The sad face stared back at her, looking as pitiful as possible. "Fine," she sighed exasperatedly.
Dash's feigned mood immediately shot upward as she squealed a bit more enthusiastically than she had wanted. "Hop on!" she said, kneeling on all fours.
"Straight to the barn," Applejack warned, climbing onto Dash's back and wrapping her forehoofs around the pegasus's neck. "Ah'm only doin' this for ya just once, so don't make me regret this."
Dash felt the warmth of the embrace and unwittingly smiled. "Oh, you won't regret anything. You ready?" At the nod, she stood up and extended her wings, pausing momentarily before leaping into the air. She felt the grip around her neck tighten as her passenger instinctively held on for life.
Applejack's heart raced as the two of them flew above the tree tops. She had begun to regret caving in, but the feeling washed away as she looked out across the entirety of the orchard. Even the outlying fields were clearly visible; she could see Big Macintosh working one from her vantage point.
After a few moments, Dash decided to give her friend a true taste of the sky. "You okay back there, Applejack?" She received a shaky affirmative. "Hang on! We're going up!" she shouted, gently inclining her path.
"We're whaAAAAT ARE YA DOIN'!?" Applejack shrieked as they gained altitude. She clung tightly to the pegasus, unwilling to look down. They soon breached the lowest cloudline, where they leveled off. The view took Applejack's breath away once she allowed herself the opportunity, and she dared to reach out and skim through a cloud. Her hoof passed with no resistance, simply dampening slightly in the vapor. The sensation was radically different than her time in Cloudsdale; there, she had been enchanted with a cloud-walking spell and it had felt like walking on a mattress: soft and slightly springy. Now, it felt wet and intangible.
Dash glowed with delight. Not only was she where she loved to be, she was there with someone she liked. She had grown to appreciate Applejack's company, and enjoyed the days when they would hang out. With the apple harvest upon them, the country mare's time was spent in preparation for bucking the vast number of apple trees. The blue flier relished today's flight for that reason alone. Unfortunately, their time was coming to a close as the barn approached, and she eased herself into a downward spiral. They circled the barn a few times and touched down in front of the door.
Applejack slid off of Dash's back and paused to catch her breath. "Rainbow," she huffed. "Ah oughta smack ya for goin' up so high!" Seeing the pegasus recoil from the anticipated blow, she softened. "But Ah guess it wasn't so bad," she said, looking to the side, then back. "It was a pretty nice view, once I got over the whole 'really high up' part."
"Nice enough to rethink your decision from yesterday?" Dash said with a smirk.
Applejack lowered her head and shook it, smiling. "Now don't go jumpin' the gun, RD." She lifted her head, still smiling, and looked at her friend. "But maybe Ah wouldn't mind another sky-ride sometime. Just don't pull any sudden moves again."
While she had been hoping Applejack would have changed her mind, Dash was happy that they might get to fly together again in the future. She scratched her head and grinned. "Right, nothing fancy." Suddenly, the pegasus's stomach loosed a ferocious growl, and her grin turned sheepish. She had forgotten lunch today.
Applejack chuckled and said, "C'mon, Rainbow. Why don't ya stay for dinner? It's been a while since we had a sit-down."
Dash's thoughts drifted momentarily to the stacks of fast food takeout containers at home awaiting disposal. She was a terrible cook and her mouth salivated at the idea of a genuine home-cooked meal. The temptation was too great to resist and the two mares galloped side by side into the farmhouse.
"Granny Smith," Applejack announced as she entered the house. "You remember Rainbow Dash, don't ya?"
The elderly green mare swayed gently back and forth in a rocking chair and looked up from her knitting project. She squinted at the earth pony and the pegasus who followed her in. "What's that? My eyes jest ain't what they used ta be. Come closer, would ya?"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and walked up to the elder. Granny Smith looked her guest up and down and, satisfied with the appraisal, smiled warmly. "Oh, yes, Ah remember. One of Applejack's friends, ain't ya? Welcome ta our home."
The sound of a throat being cleared drew the two's attention to Applejack. "Ah was hopin' Rainbow could stick around for dinner. If that's all right with ya, Granny?"
Granny Smith's smile continued unabated. "Why, of course she can, dear! It's been a while since we had company. Ain't no problem at all." As she finished speaking, a bell sounded from the next room. Applejack took a few steps toward the kitchen, but was intercepted by her grandmother. "Hold on, dearie. Ah may be gettin' on in years, but Ah can still tend to the cookin'." As she hobbled away, she drawled on. "Jest have a seat here an' wait fer yer brother to get back. He oughta be here any time now."
The two mares did as they were instructed and took a seat on the sofa. Almost on cue, the door opened and a large, red stallion strode through the entrance. Big Macintosh paused to hang his yoke on a rack by the door, then nodded at Dash. "Evenin', miss."
Dash nodded in return, and Applejack said, "Dinner's just about ready, Mac. Ah invited Rainbow ta join us tonight."
"And boy am I glad! I completely forgot about lunch today," the flier exclaimed as her stomach gurgled again. The three ponies shared a quick laugh at that.
Big Macintosh trotted into the kitchen to greet his grandmother. Within a few minutes, the call to eat was sounded and four ponies sat in the dining room. A number of dishes were laid on the table, steam rolling off the food within. Granny Smith had prepared a veritable bounty: diced potatoes, boiled to softness and seasoned with oregano; a medley of carrots, peas, and corn, steamed to perfection and lightly glazed with butter; a basket of freshly-baked rolls. The scent of apples and dough wafted from the oven, betraying the contents within.
Rainbow Dash's eyes, were they capable, would have leapt from their sockets. She smacked her lips as they prepared their plates and was about to dig into hers when a kick under the table stopped her. Looking around the table, she took the hint at the family's lowered heads and bowed her own. Granny Smith led a short thank-you to Celestia and her life-giving sun before telling everyone to dig in. Dash didn't need to be told twice, and she eagerly attacked the plate before her.
"Land sakes, girl," Applejack said, recoiling slightly. "Ya act like ya ain't had a meal in weeks."
"Oh, uh..." Dash started, swallowing before continuing. "Well, I haven't had anything this good in weeks, at least." She returned to her meal, dining more slowly.
Granny Smith laughed. "Why, thank ya, dearie. Make sure ya save some room because I've got apple pie in the oven!"
The remainder of the main course passed without incident, and the bell sounded once more, signaling the oven's task as complete. As Applejack swept everyone's empty plates from the table, Granny Smith doled out generous slices of apple pie to all present, serving herself last. As family and guest ate, the Apple elder turned to peer at her granddaughter.
"Applejack, Ah've been tryin' ta figure out how ya done got home so much sooner than yer brother."
"Well," the orange pony began, "Rainbow was achin' somethin' awful to give me a lift." She rolled her eyes in the pegasus's direction. "Wouldn't quit pesterin' me, an' I gave in so she'd stop."
"Ya sure it's safe for an earth pony ta be flyin' 'round like that?"
Rainbow Dash puffed up at the insinuation. "Nah! The Wonderbolts do it all the time. Though," she sighed, "they really only give rides to the younger ones. But we were fine! All except for the chicken over here." Dash jabbed at Applejack playfully.
Brushing the hoof away, Applejack grumbled, "S'only natural. I ain't no flier." She perked up slightly. "But Ah suppose it was all right in the end. It's like a whole new world up there, ya know?"
Big Macintosh shook his head slowly. "Just be careful, AJ. Applebuckin's just 'round the corner."
The farm mare laughed. It was her turn to do some ribbing. "What's the matter, Mac? Don't want to buck all them trees by yerself like I did last time?" She received a frown in reply. "I'm just pokin' fun, big bro. Ain't nothin' keepin' me from that harvest. You know me."
All too well, everyone conceded. Their banter turned to conversation about the scheduled weather ahead. Rainbow Dash assured the family that the orchard would remain high and dry for the harvest. After some more idle chat, the pegasus bade her farewells to her hosts.
"Hey, uh..." she hesitated, looking aside momentarily. "Thanks. For the food, that is. It was good."
As the pegasus turned to exit, Granny Smith beamed a warm smile at her. "Any time, dearie. Friends are family, far as Ah'm concerned."
Big Macintosh offered his signature agreement, and Applejack said, "Ah'll see ya later, Rainbow."
Dash gave an exaggerated salute at the door, then took off into the sky. The flight home was short and she was soon landing at the door to her floating home. Tiredness had begun to fall over her on the way, brought on by the massive meal she enjoyed. Ignoring the growing pile of bills and takeout containers on a nearby table, the pegasus made her way to the bedroom and flopped down onto the fluffy cloud bed. Sleep was not far behind.
The sun was nearing the apex of its course as Rainbow Dash flashed through the sky. She checked the large clock in the town square; it read 10:54. Plenty of time for some practice, the pegasus thought to herself as she began a routine of aerial acrobatics. The manuevers were engraved in her memory by now, and she had no difficulty with them.
Dash's vision scanned across the clock in the middle of her performance and she came to a jarring halt. The hands displayed 3:21. Oh, horseapples! I'm late! she mentally shrieked, streaking toward the apple orchard in a rainbow blur. When she finally arrived, she found Applejack walking along one of the field roads.
Rainbow Dash quickly descended and came to a hover before the earth pony. "Ohmygosh, I'm sorry for taking so long!" she exclaimed, apologising profusely for keeping her friend waiting. "I lost track of time and--"
Applejack raised a hoof to cut the pegasus off. "Late? Why, yer just about on time, Rainbow! Ah was just headin' out to the practice field." She grinned mischievously. "Maybe ya wanna give me a lift there?"
The cyan flier didn't need to be asked twice, and the two were soon in the air. Before they arrived at the field in question, however, Applejack leaned forward from her perch on Rainbow's back and said, "Take me up to the clouds." Dash was taken aback by the request, but readily complied. Earth pony and pegasus ascended until they shared the sky with the cloudline.
Dash flew lazily along, enjoying the time shared with her best friend. Suddenly, she felt hot breath and a nuzzling on the back of her neck. A soft drawl met her ear: her name. "Applejack..." Dash replied nervously, stealing a glance behind her.
"Rainbow... Ah..."
An ear-piercing shriek shattered the moment and drew Dash's attention downward to the source. A blonde-maned, orange earth pony was tumbling toward the ground, legs flailing uselessly. The pegasus snapped her gaze over her shoulder once more, but nothing was there. She became dimly aware of the presence of a large crowd around her, but another shriek pulled her attention downward once more.
"Hold on, Applejack! I'm coming!" Rainbow Dash shouted, hurling herself through the open cloudiseum bottom and toward the falling farm pony. Her wings beat as quickly and powerfully as she could manage while she streamlined her body for maximum speed. A dull ache where her wings connected grew into a wildfire of pain, and she attempted to will it into submission. She was slowly gaining on her target, but at her rate she couldn't hope to catch the pony before the ground did.
A vapor cone slowly began to form before the pegasus as she struggled to increase her speed. The burning sensation through her backside was too intense to ignore now, causing Dash to grimace, grunts of pain escaping her. The vapor cone grew thicker as she neared the sound barrier. Just before crossing it, however, a sharp, blinding pain coursed through her wings. She lost speed as her burning, overworked muscles refused to cooperate any longer, and the vapor cone dissipated.
The distance between Rainbow Dash and Applejack began to increase as the pegasus's wings failed her. Tears streamed down her face and blew away in the wind as she watched her best friend approach the earth. Just before impact...
... Rainbow Dash bolted upright in her bed, soaked in sweat and panting heavily. Her gaze darted around for a few seconds until she caught her bearings and realized where she was. The pegasus flopped back down onto the bed and took a number of deep breaths, recalling with vivid detail every moment of the dream... the nightmare. Once she had calmed herself, she moved to the kitchen for a cup of water.
Taking a deep gulp of the cooling liquid, Dash swirled the cup and stared at the remainder. She ran the dream through her mind. The falling scene was easily explained, as she had had a few nightmares about the incident at the Best Young Flyer competition after saving Rarity. What she lingered on, however, was the intimacy Applejack showed toward her before everything went south.
Outside the Ponyville library, Rainbow Dash paced back and forth in front of the door. She was never a mare of words, preferring instead to keep her problems to herself. Today, however, she felt it was time to get one particularly bothersome problem off her chest, and she knew just the pony smart enough to figure it out.
She hadn't been able to return to sleep after the nightmare had jarred her awake, and so she decided to meet with Twilight Sparkle early in the morning before her friend could involve herself in whatever it is she tended to do. Finally, Dash summoned her courage and knocked on the door. It was a few moments before the door opened to reveal the library's lavender caretaker.
"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked, a bit surprised. "What brings you here so early?"
The pegasus scuffed at the ground with a hoof and smiled uneasily. "Uh, hey, Twilight. Can we talk?"
Twilight was momentarily taken aback. "S-sure, come on in. I was just about to make some coffee. Want a cup?"
Rainbow answered affirmatively and the two entered the library, where the pegasus took a seat on one of the sofas. Twilight continued into the kitchen and prepared the coffee machine to brew a pot of java. Spike, her baby dragon assistant, was typically in charge of mundane tasks such as this, but it was still early in the morning and she knew he needed his rest.
As the machine churned away, Twilight sat and pondered the presence of the pegasus in her parlor. In all the time they'd been friends, Rainbow Dash had never been an early riser, preferring instead to sleep well into late morning. As such, the unicorn was slightly concerned over her friend's sudden early morning arrival. Her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed the coffee had finished brewing, and she levitated the pot to pour out two mugs worth of the liquid.
Twilight returned to the main room with a tray following in the air behind her. As she set it down between them, she lifted the cover on a bowl. "Sugar?" she asked, taking two for herself. The cubes floated to her mug and plopped themselves in.
Rainbow shook her head and took the other mug. "The tougher, the better. Gonna need this to stay awake." As she finished speaking, she yawned before sipping at the brew. The two ponies sat for a while, the only sounds cutting the air being that of the occasional sip. Finally, Twilight spoke.
"You said you wanted to talk, Rainbow?"
The pegasus took another sip from her mug and savored the moment. She was still having doubts about having come here, but it was too late to back out now. Finally, Rainbow set her mug down and took a breath.
"It's about a dream I've been having," Dash said, looking away. "A nightmare actually. I've been having it a lot since the flight competition at Cloudsdale. You remember what happened, right? Rarity was falling and..." At a nod from the unicorn, she continued. "Well, ever since then I've had this nightmare. We're all back in Cloudsdale, me and Rarity are... well, you know how it goes. I'm diving after Rarity, but in the nightmare I never make it. The sonic rainboom never happens and... Rarity..."
Rainbow stopped for a moment and looked directly at Twilight. "I've been losing a lot of sleep because of this. It's driving me crazy! But that's just the start. Last night..." she trailed off, swallowing hard and forcing herself to continue. "Last night, I had the nightmare. But instead of Rarity, it was Applejack." She further explained how the dream had originally started and the jarring transition into the nightmare.
Twilight took a final sip and set her mug on the tray. "Let me make sure I understand this. You've been having this recurring nightmare since the competition in which you fail to catch Rarity. Last night, the nightmare occurs again, but Rarity is replaced with Applejack." The pegasus nodded on both counts. "Is there anything you can think of that would cause this kind of change?"
Rainbow retreated into her thoughts. It was a slow process, sleep deprived as she was. "Well, I have been hanging out with Applejack a lot lately. Been trying to get her to help me with a stunt. I've given her a few skyrides to get her used to the idea."
"I see," Twilight murmured. "Recent events can influence our dreams, but this nightmare of yours seems pretty heavily engraved in your memory. I don't think something as simple as spending time with somepony would have this kind of effect. Maybe it has something to do with these skyrides you mentioned."
"I dunno," the pegasus mumbled. She knew Applejack had complained about the safety risks the first time, but she had gotten over it, right? She moved to her hooves slowly. "Well, hey. I really appreciate you listening like that. Normally, I wouldn't have told anypony, but last night really freaked me out." She coughed a bit. "Uh, don't tell anyone I said that."
"Not a soul," Twilight giggled. Her friend's façade was meticulously maintained, and she felt honored that she could be trusted enough to see a glimpse of the real pony behind it, if only for a moment. As the two headed for the door, Twilight said, "Now, I think you ought to try getting some rest. The last thing we need is our weather captain falling asleep on the job."
Rainbow pulled the door open and puffed out her chest. "Hah, one night of bad sleep isn't going to keep me down!" Yawning mightily, she grinned sheepishly. "But, uh... maybe a quick nap wouldn't hurt. See ya later, Twi!"
After the pegasus had taken off, Twilight closed the door and began to clean the coffee mess. Suddenly, she realized why Rainbow had been spending more time than usual napping in some part of the sky. Now that she knew of these nightmares, she wondered what else the pegasus kept to herself that could be affecting her. Twilight shook her head, dismissing the thought. As much as she yearned to unravel the mystery of her friend, she had to tell herself it wasn't her place to drag somepony's secrets into the light.
Besides, it's just a nightmare, right?
Chapter 1 (of the planned rewrite)
The sun shone warmly upon Sweet Apple Acres as a cool breeze whispered through the grove of trees. Autumn was fast approaching and the time would soon be upon the Apple family to harvest that oh-so-delicious fruit of their namesake. They would seal a good quantity away to last the winter; the remainder would be squeezed into sweet cider, chopped and baked into mouth-watering pies, or simply sold whole and untouched. There was also the hard cider, but few outside the family were fortunate enough to have tasted of it, and only enough for special occasions was ever made.
Applejack wandered amongst the trees, admiring each in turn and inspecting them for fitness to harvest. Autumn was her favorite time of year, in no small part because all of her hard work would finally pay off, but also because the trees blazed with color as leaves changed from green to brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows. The blonde-maned, orange-coated earth pony paused in her step to gaze upwards into the sky.
Nearly blending into the sky flew a light blue pegasus pony, dipping and diving in wild stunts. Her rainbow-colored mane and tail appeared to cast off a similarly-hued trail for a number of meters behind as she moved through the air at speeds the best fliers in Equestria could only hope to match. Applejack liked watching Rainbow Dash while the pegasus performed her aerial acrobatics. A smile spread across her face as she returned to her walk.
High in the sky, Rainbow Dash spiraled into another manuever, the name of which she had yet to decide on. While doing so, she caught a glimpse of the orange pony below staring up in her direction. Rainbow smirked; she often noticed Applejack watching whenever she was practicing in the air over the apple orchard. The price of being so awesome, she thought to herself. When the pony below averted her gaze and began to move, Rainbow angled herself toward the ground and entered a dive.
"You better watch out!"
The warning -- nopony seems to ever react appropriately -- caused Applejack to stop and face the direction it had arrived from. No sooner had she turned around than a blue-and-rainbow blur rushed past, nearly knocking the farmer to the ground. Applejack muttered under her breath as her mane whipped momentarily in the sudden gust of wind, she reflexively reaching to steady her hat which had, as she took a second to register, disappeared.
She turned around to shout and nearly bumped muzzles with her assailant. Applejack's heart skipped a beat as she recoiled, taking the sight in after a moment. Rainbow Dash hovered before her with a devilish grin plastered all over her face. Perched atop the pegasus's head, comically lopsided, was a brown Stetson. Applejack felt a sudden loss of words, so she reached to reclaim her hat and place it back on her own head while she sorted her thoughts.
Clearing her throat, Applejack spoke. "While it's mighty nice of ya ta drop in, Rainbow, could ya stop stealin' mah hat?" Rainbow Dash's visits in the open fields often began with this ritual-of-sorts. While she thought it was kind of cute the first few times, Applejack had slowly grown weary of the same antics from her pegasus friend. Actually, it seemed as if Rainbow had picked up on the growing irritation and continued to abscond with her Stetson to spite her.
Rainbow laughed and stuck her tongue out playfully. "But it's so funny to see you get worked up over it!" Yep, just to spite her. But in spite of herself, Applejack found she couldn't get too annoyed whenever it happened. "Anyway, thought I'd take a break from all my hard work to see what's up."
Applejack started around the pegasus and silently beckoned she follow with a toss of her head. Rainbow flapped her wings just enough to keep pace with the farmpony. As they began to move, Applejack said, "S'almost time fer the harvest, you know. We was hopin' ya'd be able to help out again this year." She stopped to sweep a hoof before her, indicating the trees, before continuing forward. "Our yield's been gettin' higher 'n higher every year, and now we're definitely gonna need a few extra hooves to buck all these apples."
"Are you kidding?" Rainbow exclaimed. "Heck yeah, I'll be there! I haven't forgotten what happened the other year." Rainbow spoke, of course, of the year that Applejack's older brother, Big Macintosh, injured himself and was unable to assist with the harvest. Applejack had spent days on end stubbornly attempting to buck the fields herself, barely getting any sleep and working herself to the point of total exhaustion. It wasn't until she physically, and nearly mentally, collapsed from the strain that she accepted the assistance of her friends.
Applejack smiled, for she truly had the best friends a pony could ask for. The two walked, and hovered, in silence for a while, one inspecting the trees with a keen eye and the other simply looking at them. Once or twice, Applejack caught herself staring idly at her companion. She shook her head and returned to examining the trees. There was just... something about Rainbow that she couldn't put her hoof on. As she tried to push the thought out of her head, Rainbow Dash flew ahead of her.
"Well, not that I don't find wandering aimlessly around a bunch of trees thrilling ," she said, sarcasm dripping off the end of her words, "I'm gonna get back to work." She turned and gave a mock salute before dashing upwards into the sky. Applejack watched until the pegasus was out of view, then sighed.
She couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on just before Rainbow left. For some reason, she just wanted to see the pegasus, to know she was there. Applejack was mighty glad that she'd gotten her friend to help with the harvest. Her other four pals had already agreed to lend a hoof, as always. Even Rarity, which still surprised Applejack every time, even though she ought to have known better by now. Old habits die hard, she supposed.
But Rainbow... for some reason, that pegasus... No, Applejack shook her head. It's anything but that. She simply envied her friend's ability to soar. If she had wings of her own, she could experience the rush of air, the speed, zipping alongside--
Applejack buried her face in a hoof. The only thing thinking was doing right now was scrambling her thoughts further. She needed to set them aside and get back to work. Perhaps after returning home, she could give these... disturbing thoughts some attention and sort them out. With an exasperated sigh, the earth pony marched onward through the fields on the seemingly never-ending quality inspection.
