Saddlebags, Sun, and On the Run (Book 2)

Chapters

Dragon Your Hooves
Welcome to the Hotel Cowlifornia
Applewood
Speaking Words of Wisdom
Desperado
Morning Has Broken
Dance The Night Away
A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To the Forum
Two Tickets to Paradise
Foalsom Prison Blues
At Last
Author's Note

Dragon Your Hooves

CHAPTER ONE
DRAGON YOUR HOOVES

"The Princess is ready to see you and your entourage, Miss Sparkle", the stoic Royal Guard pony stated in clipped, formal tones.

Twilight nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Strident Shield. Please say hello to your family for me the next time you see them."

The guard faced forward and let a slight smile form on his lips as Twilight and her friends walked past him, and through the large double doors that lead into the throne room of the palace.

"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student! It is so good to see you once more!" Princess Celestia said as they entered the massive chamber. "It also warms me to see all of you here. I take it things were successful?"

Twilight trotted over to the Princess, and nuzzled her outstretched neck.

"Everything worked out wonderfully, Princess! That trio of dragons gave up and scattered. Hopefully for parts unknown, especially once Pinkie Pie pulled out her party cannon!"

"Alliteration! Woo!" came a bright, bubbly voice next to Twilight.

Princess Celestia turned her gaze toward the gathered six, calling off their names as she did: "My faithful Twilight Sparkle, resourceful Pinkie Pie, honest Applejack, lovely Rarity, brave Rainbow Dash and dear, sweet, Fluttershy. you have once again braved the dangers of this land, and have saved it's inhabitants from the threat of chaos and disorder. For that, I thank you."

"Oh, it was nothing, Princess. That's why we're here!", Twilight said proudly.

"Yes, I realize your dedication and appreciate it, my dear student, but there is something else I wish you to do. Something that I feel is very important, and it must be done right away, without hesitation. While I would normally ask you, I feel this is so important that you must accept." Princess Celestia intoned gravely.

Rainbow Dash's face scrunched into a determined grin. "You just tell us what it is, and we'll take it on, Princess!"

The other ponies' voices joined in agreement.

The Princess smiled. "Very good, then. Twilight, you and your Elements of Harmony need to join together and leave with all due haste for Los Pegasus. I want you to take on the serious and treacherous responsibilities of taking...", she paused for suspense, and then, leaning forward said, "...a vacation".

"Right away, Pr-huh-?!" Twilight stopped mid-sentence. "Did you say vacation?"

Celestia smiled at the confused faces staring up at her. "I certainly did, Twilight. I have spoken to Spike, and he agrees that you and your friends have worked yourselves until you can't take much more. You need a rest. All of you. I don't want any arguments or protests on the matter. I have spoken with each one of your respective family members and employers, and they all agree. Therefore, you will be taking a few days off in the beautiful city of Los Pegasus, where you will be my guests in a five star hotel, and you will enjoy yourselves. Is that clear?" she said, raising her eyebrow, her eyes full of humor at the situation.

Finally, Twilight gathered her wits, and looked to her friends, who looked back to her with resignation, and not just a hint of excitement. Nodding to them, she turned back toward Celestia. "We would be honored, Princess! When do we leave for this treacherous mission?", she asked, a hint of sardonic glee in her voice.

"You will leave in the morning, on the Friendship Express. Spike will have your tickets, Twilight. He will be attending as well, since being your assistant is a full time job, my faithful student" she added as she gave Twilight a wink, "of which I am certain you have no qualms."

Twilight smiled. "Of course not, Princess. Spike deserves a break, too!"

"Well, with that taken care of, I wish you all a wonderful, fun filled time. Perhaps you will bring back a souvenir for Luna and myself. She will be quite interested in your stories once she returns from her business in Germaney." She then turned to Twilight. "Be safe, my faithful Twilight, and most importantly, have fun with your friends."

The six mares bade their heartfelt farewells to the Princess, and left the grand throne room, a spring in their steps, a song in their hearts, and in Pinkie's case, a kazoo on her lips.

-(/)*()-

"So, what do ya think Los Pegasus is like?" Applejack asked Rainbow as the farmpony packed her saddlebags. "I hear tell they got buildings as tall as mountains!"

Rainbow snorted as she stepped out of the bathroom, carrying toothbrushes and combs. "Nah, it's nothing like that, AJ. They've got tall buildings, but not as tall as mountains. They do have indoor waterfalls, though."

Applejack's eyebrows shot up. "You pullin' mah leg, Dash?", she asked, incredulity in her voice.

"Nope! You should see 'em, AJ. 200 hooves high, and they fall into big lit up pools of water, and people sit by them on marble benches and throw bread crumbs to the ducks that swim there.", Rainbow finished as she shoved a cake, a bottle of suntan lotion, and the latest "Daring Do" book in her bags.

Applejack shook her head as she finished packing. "Ah sure do hope ah don't git lost in such a big city. Manehatten was bad enough, but waterfalls in their buildin's? That's jus' crazy!"

Dash laughed. "No, AJ, not in every building. It's just in the high fancy hotels." She sat on her saddlebags, forcing the contents down. One last jump and a loud crunch, and her bags were closed. She was ready.

"How do ya know so much about Los Pegasus?", Applejack asked as she packed her rope.

"My parents and my sister live in Los Pegasus. I was, um, kind of hoping that we could meet them", Dash said, averting her eyes from Applejack for a moment.

"Ya ain't worried are ya?" Applejack's voice went quiet, which was uncharacteristic for the bold pony. When it came to matters of love, though, nothing was quite as it ever seemed.

"Oh, no, no! I was just worried you wouldn't want to meet them!" Dash said quickly, hugging Applejack in the process.

"Ah ain't worried about them. Ah love ya and ah'll tell them to their faces", Applejack replied, kissing Dash on the muzzle.

She then closed her saddlebags without the need for jumping, sitting, or crunching, and they placed their saddlebags together by the door to their room.

Applejack made her way to the bed, taking her braids out of her hair, and placed them on the bedside table. She climbed in under the covers. A few moments later, Rainbow Dash jumped into the bed, and brought herself up close to Applejack. She brushed aside a stray blond lock that had fallen into AJ's face.

Applejack stared back into Dash's rosemary eyes. "You know", she began quietly, "this'll be our first real vacation together. It's been almost a year since we found out how much we cared about one another. Ah have loved every day ah've been with you, Dash. Do ya know that?"

Rainbow smiled, and placed her forehoof on Applejack's chest. "AJ, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. Every day I see you, all I can do is smile and think of how awesome you are. You're smart, you're strong, you're athletic, and, oh yeah, you're almost as cool as me".

Applejack chuckled and punched Dash lightly in the shoulder. They leaned in and their muzzles touched briefly, before Applejack grabbed Rainbow Dash and flipped her on her back, Applejack straddling the cyan pony. She brought her face down close to Dash's.

"Ya make me whole, Rainbow, and as long as you'll have me, I'll always be by your side."

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the element of Loyalty here", Dash whispered, right before Applejack leaned down and kissed her.

-(/)*()-

"Spike! Where did I put that book on covalent particle magic?!" Twilight Sparkle yelled up the stairs, where her assistant was packing their things for the trip.

"Jeez, Twilight! Don't tell me you're going to pack a stuffy science book when we're going to beautiful Los Pegasus!" he said, emphasizing the last three words in an effort to dissuade his longtime friend from letting her bookishness get in the way of yet another vacation. He would never forget their trip to the Canterlot Rock Gardens. Rocks. Rocks everywhere.

He heard her frantic voice from downstairs. "No, not a stuffy science book, it could be valuable should we encounter an endotrophic super eel, or iridescent sentient jellyfish!"

Spike rolled his eyes. Again with the iridescent jellyfish.

He placed a few more gems in his backpack. Picking up his map of Los Pegasus, and his favorite fake mustache, he tried to place them in the backpack, only to find there wasn't enough room.

"Hmm." He scratched his head, and tried to arrange them in his pack. Having no success, he tossed the map and put his mustache in the pack, zipping it up. "Twilight will know her way around. After all, she's a magical pony who can teleport anywhere! What are the chances of getting lost?"

Downstairs, Twilight was having trouble deciding between two of her books to place in her own saddlebags. "Why is this so difficult? Surely I can do without 'Slumbering Creatures of the Deep Sea', but what if we go scuba diving? I don't want to fall victim to a giant mollusk! Then again, if I take that book, I have to leave behind 'Tales of Pirates on the High Seas', and if that happens, we could get boarded and be utterly defenseless!"

She concentrated on both books, furiously trying to decide, even as her combs, clothes, maps, compass, bottled water, rations, firestarter, sextant, telescope, microscope, and hoof fins lay by the book filled bags.

"AAARGH!" she called out. "Why is going on vacation always so hard?! I need a vacation from my need for a vacation!"

-(/)*()-

"So when are you coming back, sis?" Sweetie Belle asked her big sister as she watched her trotting back and forth between her closet and her saddlebags.

"Oh, it will only be for a few days, Sweetie Belle, though I do promise to bring you back something nice." Rarity gently placed a crisply folded silk nightie in her suitcase, and snapped it shut, only to pick up another empty suitcase by her bed, and begin filling it as well.

"I want you to behave while I'm gone, and make certain you and your friends stay out of trouble. My friends and I shan't be around to rescue you should something happen."

At this, Sweetie Belle lowered her head and pooched out her lower lip. Rarity turned and saw her younger sister's expression. She put the sun hat down and leaned down to face Sweetie Belle.

"Don't be sad, Sweetie, you know I only want you to be safe. It's all a part of being a big sister. Also..." she whispered conspiratorially, "if you're good, I shall bring you back a souvenir that will make your head spin!"

Sweetie Belle's frown instantly turned into an excited grin. "Thank you, big sis! Ooh, what will it be?!" She danced around on her hooves, turning around and facing her sister, a wide grin on her face.

"Ah, ah, ah! I can't say! You'll just have to be surprised!" Rarity waggled a hoof.

Sweetie Belle's grin faltered for a moment, but then she shrugged and the smile returned. "Okay, but now I really really can't wait until you get back!"

Rarity laughed. "My goodness, and I haven't even left yet!"

She reached down and hugged her sister. This was going to be the best vacation ever.

-(/)*()-

Angel Bunny was angry. He wasn't just every day angry, he was a very angry little rabbit, and he made that anger known by throwing all of Fluttershy's clothes out of her saddlebags and stomping on them.

"Angel Bunny! My goodness! I know you're upset, but I'll only be gone a couple of days! Princess Celestia ordered me to go!"

Angel Bunny ignored Fluttershy's rationale.

"Come now, Angel Bunny. Surely you can't be that upset. You know Big Macintosh will be by every day to check on you and feed the other animals."

Angel Bunny remained unmoved.

"Would you feel better if I gave you this delicious carrot?" Fluttershy waved a large orange carrot in the resolute rabbit's furry face.

He smacked it away from her and crossed his stubby little arms.

"Oh, Angel Bunny, please understand. I need to rest. I mean, um, not that you caused it or anything. I'm just, really tired from so much work as the element of kindness. So many animals need it, that I just get exhausted. Do you understand?"

He turned toward her, and seeing her eyes, with exhaustion filling them, his shoulders dropped, and he lowered his arms. Sighing, he reached up and hugged her face.

"Thank you, Angel Bunny. I knew you would understand", came a muffled, sweet voice underneath.

Angel Bunny let go and nodded at her, smiling.

Fluttershy resumed packing her saddlebags. "Oh, I hope Big Mac will be ready to handle all of this. I'm going to miss them so much!"

-(/)*()-

"SO MUCH STUFF!" came a bright, ultra hyper voice from the trunk in her closet. A cotton candy pink tail was the only visible part of that pony's anatomy as she shuffled through all of her supplies, her saddlebags sitting on the bright pink bed, filled to overflowing with streamers, confetti bombs, fireworks, plates, silverware, table cloths, banners, cupcakes, pies, candy, and a tuba.

"AHA!"

She grabbed, pulling with all of her strength, until she flew backwards, a large object rolling out of the closet. She got back to her feet, brushed off her hooves, and gasped in excitement.

"I found my party cannon! It's a good thing too, because you can't have a party without a party cannon!" she said as she rolled the cannon up to the waiting saddlebags.

Standing by the bed, she noticed something didn't seem right. She looked at the saddlebags. She turned her head toward the giant cannon. She looked back to the saddlebags, then again at the enormous cannon sitting by her bed. After doing this a few more times, she scratched her chin with her hoof, as if in deep thought. After a few moments, she came to a decision.

"Hmm, it looks like I'll have to really pack it in there. Maybe if I move the board games, and the chandelier."

She set to her task, oblivious to both the noise level it created, and the laws of physics it violated.

-(/)*()-

The next morning, they found themselves at the Ponyville train station. Everypony was carrying their saddlebags, save for Rarity, who had already sent all of her luggage to the baggage car via a very distressed, and somewhat disgruntled purser.

Standing on the platform with them were several members of the Apple family, two of the Cutie Mark Crusaders trio, and Mayor Mare.

Twilight was speaking to the Mayor at that particular moment.

"...and of course, if you need us, I'm certain Princess Celestia can call on us immediately and have us back here in no time. There's absolutely nothing to worry about."

Mayor Mare laughed softly. "Miss Sparkle, I'm supposed to be the pony telling you that. I am sure there won't be any trouble while you're gone. Honestly, what's two or three days? At the worst, we can always contact the Princess, who, I'm sure you will agree, is more than capable of handling a crisis?"

Twilight blushed. "You're right, of course. I guess I'm just nervous. I've never been to Los Pegasus before, and it's so far away. I don't want you to be worried."

Mayor Mare put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Don't worry, my dear, we'll be fine. You enjoy yourself! Bring me back a celebrity!"

They both laughed.

Meanwhile, Applejack was giving Applebloom a hug. "Ya be good now, Applebloom. Don't let me hear about ya doin' some kinda crazy shenanigans while we're gone." Applejack patted her on the head.

"Yeah, you be good, squirt" Rainbow Dash added, and was surprised for a moment when Applebloom grabbed her by the foreleg and gave her a hug.

"I will, Rainbow Dash. Ya take good care o' mah sis, ya hear?"

Dash blushed and leaned down to face Applebloom. "You have my word, squirt." They hugged each other tightly.

"That goes double for me", Granny said, standing next to them, "ya with me on that, Big Mac?"

The large, red farm pony chewed on his stalk of wheat for a moment, blinking his eyes slowly and deliberately, and with a great ponderous turn, looked at Dash before replying. "Eeyup".

They laughed at that, and gave one another a group hug.

At that moment, the train's whistle sounded loudly across the platform, and the conductor could be heard above the din. "NOW DEPARTING! THE FRIENDSHIP EXPRESS BOUND FOR LOS PEGASUS! ALL ABOARD!"

The excited ponies gave a final farewell to their friends and family, with Rarity giving Sweetie Belle a quick kiss on the muzzle as they bolted for the train.

"We'll see everypony soon! Thanks for the sendoff!" Twilight shouted, looking back as they stepped onto the train. A moment later, they waved from the windows as the train's mighty steam engine powered itself up, and the giant wheels began rolling forward. They were on their way.

This was going to be a great vacation!

-(/)*()-

They had been underway for about nine hours. The sun had began to set on the horizon, casting a golden hue across the countryside. Applejack shifted her foreleg as she gazed out the window, humbled by the amazing beauty of Celestia's kingdom.

"Hey, mind if I join you?" she heard that familiar coltish voice behind her.

"Sure, Rainbow, git yourself comfortable." She scooted over on the wide, flat couch.

A moment later, a cyan body and rainbow colored mane lay draped across her chest.

"Ya can't see the countryside if ya lay that way." Applejack said, glancing down at the pegasus.

"Hey, I can see all the country side I want to see right where I am." Rainbow Dash licked Applejack's flank for emphasis.

Applejack chuckled. "You're a fancy talker, Rainbow."

They lay in silence for a while that way, with Applejack's hoof on Rainbow's back. She rubbed it gently, feeling the soft fur bristle up and down from the motion. Light snores came from her lap, and she couldn't help but smile, as she continued watching the landscape slowly change from lush, fertile crops to a more arid, dry plain.

She knew they were about to pass Appleloosa, and for a moment she let her mind wander to her cousin Braeburn. Her thoughts about family turned to Rainbow Dash's family in Los Pegasus. This would be the first time Rainbow would see them since she left home, back when she was a filly. She wondered how they would react to one another, how they would react to, well, her. Applejack knew that not everypony was as open minded as many of the citizens of Ponyville, or the Princesses, for that matter. Some ponies didn't like that sort of thing.

After a moment, she cleared the doubt from her thoughts. They were going to meet her sister and her parents. Whatever happened, she knew that Rainbow Dash would be right there beside her, holding her hoof and standing with her regardless of the outcome.

She leaned her head down and kissed the sleeping mare on her forehead, a warmth flowing through her chest, as she turned her gaze back toward the setting Sun and it's promise of new and exciting adventure, for her and her friends, in Los Pegasus.

-(/)*()-

Welcome to the Hotel Cowlifornia

CHAPTER TWO
WELCOME TO THE HOTEL COWLIFORNIA

"Dashie! Applejack! Wake up! We're here! We're here! We're here! LALALALALALALA!"

"Pinkie..."

"Wakey! Wakey! Muffin Bakey!"

"Pinkie."

"Rise and shiney, rubber hiney!"

"Pinkie!"

"The Sunshine Siren is calling! Upsey Daisey! WOO!WOO!WOO!WOO!WOO!"

"PINKIE PIE!!"

Rainbow Dash's voice cut through the pink pony's wake up call. Pinkie Pie's bouncy buoyancy came to a halt, and she eased back to the ground, only slightly defying gravity as she did.

"Oh, good! You're awake!"

With that, the party pony bounced away toward the front of the train car.

Rainbow Dash sat up and gently shook her sleeping companion. "Hey, AJ, we're here. Better get up before Pinks decides to find another way to do it, and if I know her it'll probably involve confetti."

Applejack bolted upright. "I'm up!"

Rainbow Dash laughed and punched Applejack in the shoulder. "Let's go get our stuff and get outta here! I've gotta stretch my wings!"

She stood on all fours, and leaned backward, her rear end sticking up in the air as her wings stretched outward. Applejack raised her eyebrow, and taking her hat off of her head, quickly smacked Dash right in the flank. "Yeehaw, little pony!", she called out.

Rainbow Dash jumped straight into the air, and bonked her head on the ceiling. She fell back onto the bed. Sitting back up, she rubbed the back of her head with her foreleg. "Gah! You could have caused me brain damage! Oh no, I'm blind! I can't see!"

Applejack, suddenly alert, leaned over toward Rainbow in a panic. "Oh, sweet Celestia! Ah never meant for that ta happen! We gotta get ya to the hospital, Rainbow!" She leaned in and waved her foreleg in front of Dash's face. "Can ya see anythin' Rainbow? How many hooves am ah holdin' up?!"

Dash, face panicking, looked past Applejack. "I don't know! Lean closer, maybe I can make it out better!"

Applejack leaned forward, and right at that moment, Rainbow Dash grabbed her, and pulled her down on the bed. "Oh no!", the cyan mare called out, giggling, "I'm being attacked by a crazy pony! Help! Somepony call a medic! Somepony get the Royal Guard!"

Applejack, stuck in Dash's grip, placed her muzzle on Dash's warm, fuzzy chest, and begin to vibrate her lips. Dash, unable to contain herself, started laughing.

"Ack! Stop! I... can't... breathe!", she called out between giggle fits. This only caused Applejack to redouble her efforts. Rainbow Dash's grip let go, and Applejack brought her muzzle lower, over the pegasus' belly. At this, Dash's legs kicked out, and she lost all control.

Applejack brought her hooves up and started tickling Dash's sides.

"N-! No! That's...that's cheating!" Dash said, her voice choked with laughter.

The sound of a male voice clearing his throat broke into the sounds of silliness, followed by a polite question by that same voice. "Uh, excuse me?"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash froze. Slowly, Applejack turned her head.

Standing three meters away, and watching with great interest, was the Conductor, Engineer, and two medic ponies.

"I'm sorry", the Conductor began, "are we interrupting anything? We heard cries for a medic and the Royal Guard, and while we don't have the Royal Guard on hand, we certainly have medical assistance."

Applejack's cheeks turned blood red, and she was too embarrassed to speak.

Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, had no such qualm. She took on an air of laissez faire disinterest. "Oh, I'm not sure where you heard that. My marefriend and I were just leaving. It must have been some other pony. You should check the other train cars. They're probably halfway to Dodge City by now."

She rubbed a hoof against her chest, as if unconcerned by the witnesses to her fun with Applejack.

The four ponies stared at her for a moment, before the Conductor replied. "Ooookay... well, then, if that is all, then I suggest you ponies disembark, as we're about to onboard for Seaddle."

Without a second to waste, Applejack and Rainbow Dash grabbed their saddlebags and lit for the train car exit.

Stepping out of the boxcar, they saw the others standing away from the platform, by an information booth, Twilight consulting the guide pony there. They hurried over, relieved to find that no pony had noticed their absence.

Twilight turned away and thanked the guide pony, taking a map of Los Pegasus and Applewood and placing it in her saddlebag. "It's a good thing I checked. Spike forgot to take our map!" she said cheerfully.

Spike's eyes shifted left and right as he said, "Yeah... forgot."

Twilight remained oblivious to the baby dragon's poorly hidden fib, and instead turned toward the curb and began waving down a taxi.

"So, where are we all stayin'?" Applejack piped up. "Ah hope it ain't too fancy schmancy. I mean, gollee, look at this here town!"

Above them, and all around the train station, was the massive city of Los Pegasus. Skyscrapers stood like giants, hundreds of meters high, made out of glass and steel. Billboards blared at them from every direction, carriages zipping past on their way to posh destinations. Palm trees lined the streets in every direction, and amongst it all, a sea of ponies everywhere.

Applejack was overwhelmed.

Rainbow Dash put her foreleg around Applejack's shoulders. "Don't worry, AJ. I won't let ya get lost. After all, I have a flawless sense of direction." She kissed the orange earth pony on the cheek.

Applejack smiled and put her head on Dash's shoulder.

Fluttershy saw this, and let out a tiny squeak of delight. She had so much joy in her heart seeing two of her best friends so happy together. It was no secret, amongst gossiping ponies at any rate, that Fluttershy had more than a slight crush on Big Mac.

The butter yellow pegasus would dream about him as she fed the animals, tilled her garden, and in snug in her bed late at night. She had never gathered the nerve required to ask him anything remotely personal like who he fancied as a partner. Still, as she stared quietly at the two love ponies, her heart wondered.

A moment later, Twilight managed to flag down a carriage, and the ponies (and baby dragon) climbed aboard. Twilight leaned in toward the driver. "The Ritz-Colton Hotel, please", she asked, in as polite and professional a manner as possible.

The driver nodded, and trotted out into the heavy traffic, moving toward the main thoroughfare of downtown Los Pegasus. The mares, and one dragon, were in awe as they took in all of the sights, their carriage moving about in the bustling traffic. They began to talk over one another in their excitement.

"Sweet Celestia! Look at the size of that stallion. You should ask him out on a date, Rarity!"
"Perish the thought, Twilight! He looks to be all brawn and no brains."
"Oh my! Look at those lovely trees!"
"Don't even go there, Fluttershy. You remember what happened last time."
"Aw yeah! Look! The Wonderbolts are going to be at the Los Pegasus Sports Arena this week!"
"Where do y'all think anything is in this crazy mess o' ponies?!"
"Hey, AJ, look at that giant cowboy hat!"
"What an odd place to put a jewelry store. It's positively garish."
"That's not how you spell oregano!"
"Hey Twi, I think that's the hotel up ahead!"
"I think you're right, Spike! There it is, everypony!"

Twilight pointed in the direction of their hotel, as everypony went silent. The edifice was enormous. It was almost as grand as the Royal Palace in some ways, and as their carriage was drawing near, Twilight could see that the pylons holding up the huge awning in the front of the hotel, were made from marble, and carved in the likeness of ancient griffons, each one holding up a corner.

The carriage pulled up to the curb, where a doorpony greeted the exiting ponies. While Twilight paid the taxi driver, the others stretched, and brought their luggage down from the top of the carriage. A bellhop grabbed their bags, until he saw Rarity's luggage, and called for assistance. Finally, with luggage in tow, the six mares, one baby dragon, and five bellhops made their way into the lobby of the hotel.

Everypony's jaw dropped at the same time.

True to form, right in the middle of the lobby was a fountain that had to be at least 20 meters tall, the water cascading down what appeared to be a crystal rock formation, that flowed into a marble pool churning with crystal clear water. The bellhops urged them on, and as they passed the fountain, Applejack took a moment to dip her hat in the water.

"Applejack, what are you doing?!" Rarity said in a hushed, panicked voice. "You can't just drink water from the public fountain, that's rude!"

Applejack plopped her wet hat back onto her head and grimaced at Rarity. "Since when? Ah do it all the time in Ponyville!"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "If you haven't noticed, we're not in Ponyville. We're in what must be the most beautiful and grand hotel in all of Los Pegasus. While you may not be much of a civilized pony, at least have some etiquette!"

Applejack huffed and sat down, crossing her forelegs, as the rest of the mane six, and Spike, made their way up to the front desk.

A graying caramel colored pony with black mane (obviously dyed), raised his snout and asked in a thick accent, "Hello, and Welcome to the Ritz-Colton Hotel. I assume you are here as the new kitchen staff?"

Twilight blinked in surprise. "Er, no. Actually, we're here to get rooms. We have reservations."

"Coincidentally enough, so do I."

Twilight ignored his rejoinder. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, understudy and protege of Princess Celestia. This is Spike, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy.. We have three rooms reserved for the next three days at this establishment."

The desk clerk stared at her for a second, snorted, and replied. "I'm sorry, but if this is a joke, I do not find it to be funny. If you are kitchen staff, please get to your posts, otherwise, cease this poor attempt at humor and exit the hotel. The door is that way." He finished, pointing behind them, while keeping his gaze trained on them.

Before Twilight could respond, Rarity stepped forward and raised the brim of her sun hat. "Excuse me, Sir", she said, her tone dripping with condescension and contempt, "but you are treating the honored guests of Princess Celestia with ill manners, disrespect, and a dire lack of aplomb. I find your attitude toward us to be discourteous, lacking, juvenile, and quite impertinent. Surely you can clamp that large, and hoof filled muzzle shut long enough to simply check your reservations list and see if our names are there."

The clerk was stunned into silence only for a moment, his eyes wide as he stared, dumbfounded at the erudite and assured mare. A raised eyebrow, and a light exhale, and he resumed his haughtiness. "Very well, please wait a moment while I check the reservations list. Do NOT leave this desk."

As he cantered over to the registry, Pinkie Pie spoke up. "Well, what a mean, meany mean pants he is!" she said. "That's no way to treat friends!"

Twilight leaned in toward the pink mare. "Pinkie, I don't think he wants to be our friend. I'm not sure I'd even want to be his friend, to be honest."

Pinkie Pie gasped. "Why, of course he could be our friend! He just has to loosen up and relax!" She beamed a smile at Twilight, who could only chuckle in return.

A few moments later, the clerk returned, a smug smile on his lips. "I'm sorry for the confusion", he began, "it seems I was mistaken."

Rarity harrumphed. "That's better", she said.

"Yes, quite", he continued, "it seems you're not kitchen staff or on our reservations list. Good day, and please make haste for the exit."

Twilight's mouth dropped. "Excuse me?! We have reservations! Princess Celestia made them for us, and paid for them, just so we could relax on this vacation!"

The clerk raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. "If that is true, then all I can do is request verification from the Princess or her royal clerk. That will take two days at best. Until then, I suggest you find accommodations elsewhere. Good day." With that last word, he snapped the ledger shut, and walked away, leaving them at the counter, mouths agape.

Applejack was the first to speak up, "Well, tarnation! What do we'all do now?!"

Twilight thought for a moment, and then perked up. "Wait! Spike can send Princess Celestia a letter explaining that the hotel lost the reservations!"

Grabbing a piece of paper off the front desk, Twilight quickly jotted down a note, rolled it up and handed it it to Spike.

"Send it on out, Spike! We'll get this fixed in no time!"

Spike exhaled, breathing his magic green flame onto the scroll. The message floated away as a gossamer wisp of smoke.

"Once she sees what's happened, she'll fix it in no time!" Twilight beamed.

A few seconds later, Spike's gout of green flame signaled Princess Celestia's response.

Twilight caught the letter with her magic and opened it, reading aloud:

"Dear Miss Sparkle, I regret to inform you that Princess Celestia has flown to Germaney to help her sister, Princess Luna, in their increasingly heated negotiations with the local government there. In the interim, she has asked me to reply to all necessary correspondence. I will see what I can do about the hotel reservations, however, without Princess Celestia to authorize the transaction, I cannot force them to validate them. She will likely be returning by tomorrow, at which time I will approach her to resolve this situation.

Sincerely,
Urgent Notice
Mail Steward"

Twilight sighed and tossed aside the letter, disappointment in her voice as she spoke to the others. "I guess we get rooms somewhere else. I have a couple hundred bits. We'll see what we can find."

The disappointed mares, and one dragon, headed for the exit, followed by a line of beleaguered bellhops.

-(/)*()-

Two hours later, they arrived at their destination. "We're here", Twilight stated, her voice filled with apprehension and uncertainty as they gazed upon the building where they would be staying for the next several days.

The hotel, if it could be called that, was a bright pink stucco, with a neon sign that said "Los Pegasus EZ Rates Hotel", though the broken sign merely flickered the words "LO PEGA EZ RAT HO".

They made their way inside, though light weeping sounds could be heard somewhere among the group of dismayed ponies.

After checking in with the desk clerk, who was also the hotel barber and pawnbroker, the six mares and one tired dragon finally made their way up to their rooms. Opening her door, Twilight stepped into their room, with Pinkie Pie and Spike following closely behind. Light spilled in from the open blinds, which gave a view out onto the street, from their third floor vantage point. Twilight could see several hobo ponies dancing for bits on the corner. Sitting her saddlebags on the springy mattress, and to satisfy her curiosity, she walked over to the window and stared out at the pool below.

The water was almost a light blue, save for some dark green cloudy areas in several spots. On the side, where the walkway met the courtyard, and next to a tattered umbrella, was a chalk outline of what appeared to be a unicorn pony. She quickly stepped away from the window, and made her way over to the bed. She sat down, and was launched off the side and into the floor. She heard Spike from the bathroom.

"Hey Twi, are we supposed to have rat butlers? Because if not, um..."

Twilight's eyes went wide, as she sat up on the spinach green shag carpet floor. "Spike, you get out of there right now, and don't touch anything!"

Pinkie Pie, for her part, was bouncing on her broken down bed, which seemed to be stuck in vibrating mode. "This...is...fuuuuun!" she said, her voice quaking as the bed continued to vibrate.

Meanwhile, across the hall in room 34, Rarity was in tears, as she stood on her suitcases, terrified to touch anything in the room. Fluttershy, for her part, had already begun to make friends with the rats in their bathroom, and they had kindly helped her pull the shower curtain out of the toilet and rinse it off.

"It's okay once you get to know them", she said to Rarity, who merely kept staring from one heinous abomination of cleanliness to another. Fluttershy opened her saddlebags, and began taking out some clothes. She turned to the stained wooden dresser, and opened the top drawer to place them inside. A bat flew out and escaped the room through a hole in the corner of the ceiling above the light fixture.

"Oh my", she whispered as she watched it fly away.

Rarity, on the other hand, simply passed out.

Over in room 33, Rainbow Dash was already laying on the bed, flipping through the channels on the television, while Applejack was putting their clothes away in the dresser drawers.

"Hey Applejack, this hotel doesn't have any good channels. All they have is ENN and FOX news."

Applejack glanced over to her cyan friend. "Did ya already put your gear away, Rainbow?", she asked.

Dash yawned. "Yeah, it only took a few seconds." She didn't tell her that those few seconds involved shoving everything into one drawer. If she needed anything, she was sure she could find it somewhere.

A few moments later, Twilight peeked into the room. "Hey, you two, are you ready to go find something to eat? The others agree that we don't want to spend any time here than what we really have to" she said, a grimace appearing on her face.

Before Applejack could turn toward the door, Rainbow Dash had already bolted out and down the stairs.

Applejack chuckled. "Ah'd take that as a yes."
She grabbed her hat from the bed, and followed Twilight out the door.

-(/)*()-

Two blocks up from the "hotel", they came upon a sidewalk cafe. Rarity noted it's small size, but was appreciative of the decor. "It has a lovely rustic coziness, wouldn't you say?", she asked her friends.

"It ain't fancy, and there don't seem ta be no waiters puttin' on any airs, so ah like it!" Applejack said, as she and Twilight pulled a couple of chairs up to the table so they could all sit together.

The glass and stone table wasn't very large, and there was a large, blue umbrella right in the middle of it which cast shade down upon the seated ponies, but was adequate enough to accommodate them. Rarity ran her hoof along the outer edge of the table, and was pleased to find that the table was relatively clean for being near such an atrocious area.

"It seems to bring in a fair amount of business", she added, glancing around at the packed little bistro. She watched as children chased each other around a couple's table, knocking a glass over the side, where it shattered on the brick patio below. A chestnut mare glared at the children, who cowered and ran off toward the other side of the cafe.

"I wonder if any celebrities eat here?", Spike was asking, as he looked around for notable faces.

Rarity chimed in. "Oh, goodness no, Spike. I don't think celebrities would visit a small establishment such as this one. While it does have a certain charm and flair, it lacks the subtle and refined atmosphere that would usually attract the wealthy, and elite."

"I guess so", Spike replied, disappointment in his voice. "Still, maybe we'll get famous! I could be a star!", he added, at which point he took out his sunglasses, and mustache, and applied them to his face.

The six mares around him giggled.

"Ooh, look at him, he's so precious!" Rainbow Dash said, her voice going higher as she pressed her cheeks together and blew kissy faces at him, which caused him to frown.

"Oh, Spikey, you look so absurdly adorable! I could just squeeze you!" Rarity cooed, which turned his frown upside down.

A gossamer voice amongst the group squeaked out a "d'aww", and then everypony at the table giggled, mustachioed Spike included.

A few moments later, a waiter arrived to take their order.

As they ate, they discussed their plans for the day.

"As it turns out", Twilight was saying, in between bites of a daisy sandwich, "I have planned our entire itinerary. Did you know Los Pegasus has five natural history museums, and three libraries?! Every moment of every day from now until we leave is filled with fun and exciting adventure that are all opportunities for learning!", she finished, her voice triumphant.

Opening her eyes, she saw several uneasy expressions on the faces of her friends.

"Well, you see..." Rarity began, uneasiness creeping into her voice, "Twilight, I, thought that we could... you know..."

Before she could continue, Rainbow Dash jumped in, "Yeah, uh, it's not that we don't want to learn borin-er-educational stuff, it's just that we kinda wanted to, you know..." she trailed off.

Applejack finished. "We kinda want ta see the sights, Twi. Ya know, like Applewood, and go ta the beach, and all that."

Pinkie Pie chimed in. "Yeah! Not to be a clowny frowny downy face, but we need to have a party! I mean LOOK! We're in a totally awesome city with lots of ponies all around! We have to have FUN! The author's probably on his knees praying for some kind of action!"

The last comment drew confused looks for a moment, but was quickly ignored.

A soft voice cut in. "Oh, your idea sounds fun, Twilight, but I wanted to swim with the dolphins at the Los Pegasus Marina. Um... you know... if you're okay with that...". Fluttershy's voice trailed off.

For a moment, all was silent. Then Twilight sighed. "I'm sorry, everypony. I just assumed that I would organize everything. I didn't even stop to think for a moment whether any of you would want to do those things with me."

Rarity spoke up, "Darling, we love to do things with you, that's why we're here. Let's simply try to listen to one another, and we can all agree on where to go. As we do, we'll do our best to give everypony a chance to do something they like."

A chorus of agreements answered her comment.

Twilight smiled, her posture returning to that of a cheerful unicorn. "Thanks, everypony. So, what do we do today?"

Everypony answered at the same time. "Applewood!"

-(/))*()-

Applewood

CHAPTER THREE
Applewood

"Tarnation. Would ya look at that!"
"It's the most beautiful sight I have ever seen!"
"I don't see any libraries here."
"I don't think they do libraries in Applewood, Twilight, but there is a bookstore."
"Hey, a billboard of the Wonderbolts!"
"It's a bit noisy."
"LOOK AT ALL THE SHINY THINGS!"

The Mane Six (and Spike) stood in the center of Applewood and Shetland, staring at all of the new sights and listening to all of the new sounds. They could smell the fragrances, see the lights, and hear the bustling of ponies everywhere, emanating from more than a hundred boutiques, nightclubs, and restaurants. It was, in short, a cacophony, a feast, an overload of the senses.

"So where do we start? I wouldn't mind visiting that bookstore, myself!" Twilight's voice was the first to speak up after the silence brought on by the sheer spectacle of what they were experiencing.

"Oh, my! We simply must start at the Boutique Equestria!" Rarity said, clopping her hooves together, and pointing toward an elegantly decorated jewelry shop located across the traffic laden thoroughfare from where they were standing.

Fluttershy spoke up quietly, "I would like to see that, too, if, oh you know, it isn't any bother. You don't have to, I mean..." she trailed off. Rarity smiled at her butter yellow friend.

"I would like to see the inside of the Hard Clop Cafe. It looks awesome!" Rainbow Dash said, raising her hoof in the process and pointing to the brick building, "I mean, look! They've even got a Mustang that looks like it busted through the wall!"

"Hey, I wouldn't mind takin' a gander at that mahself!" Applejack said, patting Rainbow Dash on the back.

"Oh, cool! An Applewood Studio Tour Bus! I want to see the stars, Twilight!" Spike piped up, tugging at Twilight's mane like an overexcited foal begging it's mother for a candy bar.

"THERE'SABAKERYRIGHTTHERETWILIGHTIWANNAGOSEETHATSEEYALATERBYEEEEEEEE!" Pinkie Pie called out as she bounced away from the group, and toward the bakery a block down the avenue from where they were standing.

"Pinkie!" Twilight called out, but it was too late. The party pony darted right into traffic.

Everypony watched in horror as Pinkie Pie bounced in between the carriages, causing ponies to swerve, missing her by mere centimeters. Other carriages weren't so lucky, and ran aground on embankments, into flower gardens, one of them even crashed into a newsstand. The remaining five ponies (and dragon) cringed as the pink pony, unaware, continued leaving her path of unintended destruction behind her as she darted into the bakery. A moment later, the angry drivers ranted, shook their hooves at the pink mare's receding tail, and then continued about their business, used to such craziness in the big city.

Sighing, Twilight looked to the others and continued. "Since we all want to see different sites, and since Pinkie Pie has already made her choice", she added with a momentary scowl of annoyance before returning to her hopeful expression, "how about we take some time and visit our respective interests?"

Twilight and Spike standing next to one another as Twilight added, "and we can all meet up at the Starred Buck Coffee Shop in an hour."

They all nodded in agreement, smiles on their faces as they paired up. Applejack and Rainbow Dash heading to the Hard Clop Cafe, Rarity and Fluttershy already gushing over the jewelry boutique, and Twilight starting off toward the bookstore.

As they waited at the crosswalk, Spike patted Twilight's side. "Hey Twi, can we go on a bus tour and see the celebrities?"

Twilight turned toward the diminutive dragon. "I'm not sure, Spike. I've never really been interested in celebrities and such. It wouldn't interest me. I mean, if you wanted to go later, we could, but I really want to see this bookstore!"

Spike took on a plaintive look, and his voice cracked in desperation. "Come on, Twilight! I spend all of my time in the librar-eh, heh," he began to falter a bit as Twilight frowned at that, "I mean, as your number one assistant, don't I deserve to see something cool, too?"

"I know how you feel, Spike, but no offense, you're a baby dragon and this is a big city. You know I want you to be safe."

The pedestrian sign switched to a walking pony, and they stopped their conversation long enough to hurriedly make their way across the street. As they stepped onto the sidewalk at the opposite side, Spike pointed to the tour guide standing near the bus. "You could ask the guide if it's safe."

Twilight scratched her chin with her hoof, appearing to be deep in concentration. "Very well, let's ask the tour guide."

They trotted over to the waiting guide pony.

"Excuse me, sir", Twilight began, as the guide pony gave them his attention, "My assistant here wishes to see Applewood celebrities, but as a concerned guardian, I would like to know the chances of his being put in harm's way. You understand, I'm sure."

The guide pony smiled. "Oh, certainly, Ma'am. The tour is completely safe. All tourists stay on the bus as we travel around to see the various homes and places of interest visited by celebrities. No one is allowed to leave the bus, and no one else is allowed to get on the bus during the tour. I will also be there to supervise every tourist, and I don't allow funny business. He would be very safe. Plus, who would dare try to do anything to a dragon, even a baby one?"

Twilight considered his words for a moment, but was still unsure. Yet as she looked down into the bright green, pleading eyes of her dear friend, she couldn't just say no. He deserved some time off, too.

"Very well", she said. "You can go Spike, but do everything the tour guide says. We'll see you back here in two hours, okay? And don't go getting famous on me!" she said, chuckling at her own joke.

Spike grinned from ear to ear and clapped his claws together in anticipation, as Twilight gave the guide a few bits, hugged her number one assistant (to his slight embarrassment), and turned to walk away toward the book store, waving to him as she went. Spike waved in return, and stepped onto the bus, eager to see the sights and hopefully catch a few famous ponies. Maybe they'd even sign his scales.

<(/)*()>

"Oh my word, Fluttershy, look at these beautiful bangles! They're the hottest fashion in Canterlot right now, and I would just love to infuse some west coast flair into the more stuffy designs they dare to call the haute vision of pony wear." She made air quotes with her hooves and rolled her eyes, the bangle sparkling on her fetlock.

Rarity's attention moved from the trinkets before Fluttershy had a chance to glance at them, as the fashionista turned toward the wall of hats and practically exploded. If she were an energy source, she would have lit up all of Los Pegasus.

"Sapphire Shores is wearing my line of swim apparel!"

"Is that good?" the shy pegasus asked her all too excited friend.

"Oh my, yes! YES!" Rarity squee'd as she ran over to the rack next to the chapeau laden wall. In front of the rack was a cardboard cutout of Sapphire Shores, famed pony pop star, wearing the Rarity Regalia Fantastique™ fashion line of swim wear.

She trotted to the other side of the rack. As she did so, she accidentally bumped into a pony standing nearby.

"Oh, excuse me, I didn't mean to run into you-" Rarity began, but was cut off by the other pony.

"And I'm glad you did! Why, I have never seen such a lovely, well mannered, magnificently coiffured mare." The other pony said.

Rarity, caught off guard, took a moment to size up her new admirer before continuing. His silver coat and white mane were very well groomed. He had excellent style in clothing, from his Oatley sunglasses, down to his Arponi slacks, and Kabardin shoes.

"Why, thank you, you're too kind!" she said, blushing. "If I knew bumping into ponies would lead into such complimentary statements, I would deign to be all left hooves."

They both giggled at her joke.

The stallion cleared his throat. "My name is Chromatic Vision", he said, offering a hoof to the white mare.

She replied, taking his hoof as she spoke. "My name is Rarity." Then it hit her. "Wait, you're not the Chromatic Vision, are you?" she asked, her voice jumping half an octave in surprise.

He smiled. "Indeed, I am. Photographer for Spotted Saddle magazine, at your service, my dear."

She giggled daintily as he leaned down and kissed her hoof. "It is such a pleasure to meet you" he said, raising his eyes toward her as he did so.

Rarity let out a small squee. "I love your work, sir. Your photographs bring out the absolute beauty in each and every one of your models. I am honored to have bumped into you!" she finished, teasing in her voice.

For a few minutes, they engaged in trade talk about fashion, and Applewood in general. Rarity mentioned her fashion work in Ponyville and Canterlot. A few moments later, Fluttershy, who had been in the background, hiding behind the cardboard cutout of Sapphire Shores, stepped out to meet Rarity's new friend.

Chromatic Vision glanced over in her direction and stopped speaking. His jaw dropped. "Miss Rarity", he began, his voice returning, "is that who I think it is?"

Rarity, for her part, turned to see who had stolen Chromatic Vision's attention away from her, only to laugh at the object of his utter shock.

"Oh yes," she replied, holding a hoof to her chest, "that is Fluttershy. She is my dear friend, and yes, she was a model, though it wasn't for me", she finished, doing her best to keep the regret out of her voice.

She didn't want Fluttershy to think she harbored some ill will toward the demure pony's past career. It certainly wasn't her fault things ended up as they did. Circumstances simply lead to nothing panning out. Sometimes things just didn't work out, and there was nothing anypony could do about it.

She glanced back toward Chromatic Vision, who had tried to shake Fluttershy's hoof, only for the quiet pony back into the clothing rack from which she had previously emerged.

"She's your friend?" he asked, turning back toward Rarity.

Rarity nodded. "Oh yes. Fluttershy and I are practically inseparable."

He put his hoof to his chin. "Really? That is so very interesting, my dear. I would like to ask you a question, if I may."

"Oh, my dear Chromatic Vision, you are free to ask me any question you wish", Rarity replied, her white cheeks turning a slight shade of red, her eyelashes batting innocently.

Chromatic Vision lowered his sunglasses and said, "May I call upon your friend Fluttershy to appear in a photo shoot? She would be perfect for our new line of Etruscan Chic wear. You would be free to attend as well, to observe, of course."

The last thing Chromatic Vision remembered was the sudden, and impending, impact of a shiny, sequined, designer hoofbag rapidly approaching the edges of his periphery before the blackness took him.

<(/)*()>

"Okay, now get one of me sticking my tongue out at him!"

Applejack raised the camera to her eye and snapped another picture of Rainbow Dash harassing the marble statue of Moose Springsteen.

Bringing her camera back down from her face, Applejack sighed. "Is it mah turn yet? Ah haven't even had a chance ta look at nothin', Rainbow!"

Rainbow rolled her eyes, and flitted down from the top of the marble floor piece. "Okay, okay, keep your bridle on. Let's go look at that old fashioned, and boring, Johneigh Cash display."

The pair of ponies began to weave between other customers gazing at the various examples of musical history, or placing orders with the waitresses rolling around on hoofskates, pencils and notepads in their muzzles.

"Hey!" a voice called out above the din.
"Hey! Rainbow Dash!" the voice called out again, louder and more urgent in it's intensity.

This time it caught the spectral maned pony's attention, and she turned toward the sound of the faint voice. A light purple hoof was waving in their general direction.

"Someone's calling me over, AJ. Let's go check it out. It might be a fan!" Dash said, her voice rising slightly in anticipation of meeting and greeting a fan who lived in a totally different city.

"Alright, Dash, hold your horseshoes" Applejack replied, a frustrated frown on her muzzle at the latest obstruction to her getting a chance to study more about her favorite musician.

Dash, pulling on Applejack's foreleg the whole way through the crowd, finally pushed past the latest roadblock, and was finally able to see her, what must have been, desperate, and starry eyed, hopeful fan. She let go of Applejack's foreleg, rubbing her hooves together in self admiring glee, eager to see the awed face of her admirer.

Instead, she ended up standing face to face with a pony who had a light purple coat and a tri-color mane of black, purple, and silver hues.

"Violet Tempest?!" she called out in surprise, her voice rising a full octave.

"Rainbow Dash!" came the cheerful, elated reply from the pony in question. "It's so good to see you again!"

Violet Tempest grabbed Rainbow in a tight hug and squeezed, her face scrunched up against the taller pegasus' cyan chest.

Applejack, pushing past a particularly obstructive pony, and tipping her hat and offering a quick apology, turned to face the subject of her marefriend's incredulity.

"Uh, howdy", she began, "so, uh, ah hear ya are a fan o' Rainbow Dash!"

Violet Tempest raised an eyebrow, cocked a smile, and replied, "Not quite. Oh, don't get me wrong, I am a fan of Rainbow Dash, but it's not due to her aerobatic skills, it's due to her being my older sister."

Applejack smiled. "So you're Rainbow's sister, uh, Violet Tempest, am ah right?"

Violet Tempest smiled in return, and replied, "that's right! Rainbow Dash told you about me? I must admit it's a bit of a surprise. She doesn't talk about family outside of anypony she isn't really close to. You must be a good friend or something."

Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash, who had been looking toward the floor up until that moment. Dash looked up and met Applejack's emerald eyes, and nodded imperceptibly. She turned to her sister, and taking a deep breath, exhaled.

Violet looked at Dash expectantly, a questioning expression on her violet face. She didn't have any idea what to expect.

Dash's mouth was dry, and she tried to lick her lips, but her tongue was dry and didn't offer up any moisture. Instead, she breathed a quick sigh, and looked to her sister.

"Yeah, Applejack is a good friend to me, Violet. You see, she's uh, she's more than just a good friend. She's my... my marefriend."

Violet's blue eyes went wide for a moment. Dash was about to explain further, when her younger sister's mouth broke out into a huge grin, every one of her shiny, white teeth visible.

"That is so awesome!" she said, breaking into giggles. She reached out for a surprised Applejack's foreleg, and shook it vigorously. "I am so happy for you two! Oh, Dash, I always knew you'd find the right pony somewhere out there!"

Dash looked to Applejack, and back to her sister. She stretched her forelegs wide, and embraced both her marefriend, and her sister, drawing them in to her chest, a delighted cackle escaping her lips as a tear made it's way down her cheek.

"You have no idea what that means to me, kiddo!", she said a moment later, as she quickly brushed away the tear before anypony could see it.

Applejack, for her part, was sniffling and smiling at the same time. She dabbed her eyes with the corner of her hat, and slapped Violet Tempest on the back, sending the smaller pony back into Applejack's orange fur.

"Hey, hey" she said, pushing away from Applejack, while laughing and coughing. After a moment she continued. "My shift just finished. How would you like to go home with me, maybe see mom and dad?"

The warm, relieved atmosphere cooled considerably at that, but Rainbow Dash was determined to meet that problem when it showed it's ugly head, and who knows? Maybe mom and dad would be just as happy as Violet. They were good ponies. They'd welcome them both. At least, she hoped.

Hoof in hoof, the three ponies headed for the exit.

<(/)*()>

Pinkie Pie lay on the tiled floor of the upper crust (no pun intended) bakery, her stomach having expanded to a point where it was impossible for her to do anything as simple as rolling over. Even her breathing was labored, her face flushed, her tongue lolling out as she stared at the aghast customers, at least the ones in her field of view. Contrary to their expressions, Pinkie herself had a smile plastered on her face.

It was worth every bit.

Now if only she could move.

<(/)*()>

'Migratory Practices of the Ranged Hoofian Equine, A Corollary'. That sounds interesting, and would make a wonderful addition to not only the library, but my own personal collection!, Twilight thought as she levitated the large tome into her shopping bag. In truth, she had already read the first two hundred pages, but couldn't resist studying further. Considering it worth the slightly higher cost than what she would have paid in Canterlot, she looked up at the clock and saw that nearly a full hour had passed. Moving from a trot to a canter, she made her way to the checkout lane.

Oh, I hope everypony has enjoyed themselves, she thought to herself, before adding, and maybe Spike got to see a few celebrities. At the mental image of a star struck Spike, she giggled, and approached the register.

<(/)*()>

Spike stepped off the tour bus, and headed for the pre-arranged meeting place at the Starred Buck coffee shop just a minute up the walk. He had some stories to tell, and he couldn't wait to tell his friends. They weren't going to believe it!

<(/)*()>

"I don't believe it!" Twilight exclaimed, her eyebrows raised in skepticism.

"It's true, Twilight! A studio producer saw me on the bus, and asked me to model for this really cool ad campaign! They told me they liked my cool pizazz, whatever that was, and asked me to stand in front of this really neat backdrop, and so I did, and they began taking pictures of me!"

"Sure they did, Spike. That's a good 'un!" Applejack called out as she, Rainbow Dash, and Violet Tempest stepped into the coffee shop. "Next y'all will be tellin' me we're on some kinda television show completely unawares." She slapped him affectionately on the back.

Twilight turned her attention to the new guest, as Spike rolled his eyes in a huff.

"Hello, I don't believe we've met", she said to the newcomer, holding out her hoof. "My name is Twilight Sparkle."

The smaller pony accepted the hoof, shaking it gently, and smiling in return. "Hi, Twilight, my name's Violet Tempest. I'm Rainbow Dash's sister."

Twilight's smile grew larger as she shook the younger mare's hoof more intensely. "Wow! It's a pleasure to meet you! I didn't even know Rainbow had family!" She caught herself and continued. "Er, I mean, I didn't know she had family out this way." she finished, blushing at her mistake.

Rainbow Dash smiled and put her hoof to her own chest, "That's because you can't keep this much cool contained in just one pony, sometimes you have to spread it out." At that, she ruffled her sister's mane, who gave her a good natured eye roll in return.

A moment later, Rarity and Fluttershy entered the coffee shop, and spotted their companions at a far table. Hurrying over, Rarity glanced around the cafe before taking a seat, and pulling a giant sun hat from her saddlebag, placed it over her head. She quickly added sunglasses to the equation, glancing furtively from left to right, and placing a hoof over her brow, as if in hiding.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, could be found under the table. She had covered her eyes with her hooves.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Violet Tempest looked at one another.

"Is something wrong, Rarity?" Twilight asked her nervous friend.

"Oh, my goodness, no, where would you ever get a silly idea like that, Chromati-er, Twilight? No, of course not, things are just peachy, why yes they are! Isn't that right, Fluttershy?"

"meep!"

"See? Nothing at all wrong! Let's discuss something else!" Rarity added, glancing toward the door and back to her friends.
Twilight knew something was up, but felt it unwise to press the issue. Details would be coming forth soon enough.

At that moment, the cafe door burst open, at which point Rarity ducked under the table, holding Fluttershy in her forelegs.

"If it's the police, tell them there aren't any fashionably astute ponies here!" came a cultured, yet plaintive voice from underneath the table.

Twilight looked toward the door, and giggled. "Don't be silly fillies, you two, it's just Pinkie Pie!"

At this, the gathered ponies took their seats.

Twilight spoke first. "I hope everypony had a good time exploring!"

At affirmative nods (and a glance around the room by an alabaster fashionista), they began sharing the events of the past hour.

Eventually, Rarity came clean about what had happened, explaining that she had apologized profusely to the poor photographer after he regained consciousness. She was relieved to find her friends only giggling in response, with Twilight assuring her that she wasn't going to jail simply for being angry at a photographer, and that if he had accepted her apology (he had), then there was nothing else to worry about.

Spike piped up, "Yeah, and even if he did get mad and try to call the police, I'm a celebrity now, and would protect you with my fame, Rarity."

Everypony laughed. Spike took on a half lidded expression, and sighed.

At that moment, his cheeks expanded, and a cloud of billowing green fire erupted from his mouth.

Twilight caught it with her magic.

"It's a letter from Princess Celestia!" she said.

"What's it say, Twilight?!" Applejack asked as the purple unicorn read silently.

Twilight cleared her throat. "It says:

My faithful student,

Please forgive the inconvenience that has befallen you and your friends. It seems my reservations were confused with a recent attempt by a young couple trying to play off on my royal reputation, posing as minor Ambassadors. Having been so recent, the hotel believed that your arrival was the latest attempt at such a deception.

The hotel has apologized profusely, though I explained to them that I am not the offended party to which they should be apologizing, and in their desire to make amends, have prepared your rooms in the penthouse suite. They will be ready for you upon your arrival, after having received this letter.

Once again, my sincerest apologies for the mix-up, and please enjoy your vacation.

Your mentor and friend,
Princess Celestia."

Everypony cheered at the news. Gathering their things, they began to run back to the pitiful excuse of a "hotel" they feared they would be staying in the rest of the week.

Things were really starting to go their way! After all, with those minor bumps out of the way, what could possibly go wrong now? Twilight felt the chances of anything negative happening were so statistically insignificant, as to be worth ignoring. The statistics simply didn't lie. With a smile on her face, Twilight followed her friends out the door of the coffee shop, heading for fun and relaxation in the lap of luxury.

<(/)*()>

Speaking Words of Wisdom

CHAPTER FOUR
Speaking Words of Wisdom

In the hour that had passed since they left the coffee shop to retrieve their belongings and head to their new accommodations, the Mane Six had spent time getting familiar with Violet Tempest, Rainbow Dash's sister.

"So that's when Rainbow left for Cloudsdale?", Twilight was asking Violet Tempest, as they disembarked from the taxi carriage.

Violet nodded, a few stray hairs from her bangs getting into her eyes. She blew them out of her face, as she continued. "Yep. Rainbow was always ready to leave home, even as a filly. From what mom and dad tell me, she had always wanted to fly, to be a Wonderbolt. Nothing was going to stop her, so they decided to curb any need for a rebellious estrangement, and paid for her enrollment in the best flyer's academy in Equestria."

The seven ponies, and one dragon, entered the lavish hotel, as the bell hops lagged behind them, carrying dozens of suitcases and hoofbags, each one of them marked by a large and fancy 'R' on the facing.

As they reached the desk, Twilight noted the snooty clerk pony they encountered last time was nowhere in sight. Thank Celestia for small favors, she thought to herself. In his stead was what appeared to be a polite young mare, perhaps in her early 20s. She wore a small smile, and looked up at them with bright blue eyes, her golden mane falling over her light brown shoulders.

"Can I help you?" she asked the group of ponies across the counter.

"Hello Miss..." Twilight began, taking a moment to look at the young mare's nametag before smoothly inserting it into her greeting. "Treble Clef. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends. We have reservations for this hotel, courtesy of Princess Celestia."

She took a deep breath, hoping there would be no more confrontations. Her fears were allayed a moment later.

"Of course, Miss Sparkle. We've been anticipating your arrival. We have your room prepared. This is your key card for the Penthouse floor", she said as she handed Twilight the room card, a slight smile on her face as she did so. "If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask. You may follow the bell hops to your rooms. If there is nothing else, then I shall let you attend to your business. I would also like to thank you for staying at the Ritz-Colton hotel. Have a pleasant evening."

Twilight smiled. "Thank you, Miss Treble Clef. I'm sure we will have a nice stay."

The polite young clerk pony smiled, nodded her head, and walked away from the counter to see to a stallion standing by the mail desk.

Twilight turned to face her friends. She clopped her hooves together as she grinned broadly, her eyes crinkling. "Well, everypony, let's go find our room! It shouldn't be too difficult since it's at the very top of the hotel, and we get the whole floor!"

A chorus of cheers was the only thing to break the calm, staid atmosphere of the posh hotel's lobby, as the colorful group of friends followed the service ponies to the large silver and brass elevator waiting for their arrival.

<(/)*()>

Violet couldn't help but stare in awe as they boarded the fancy elevator. Her parents weren't poor by any means, but she had never seen opulence like this. Everything appeared to go out of it's way to look ostentatious, to be a pretentious overture of high society and frivolity. She turned toward her sister.

"Hey Dash, is this how you live all the time?!" she asked, incredulity in her voice.

Rainbow Dash laughed and slapped her on the shoulder. "Nah, kiddo. Twilight here's just good friends with the Princess."

Applejack broke into the conversation. "Not just any ol' friend, but her mentor! Twilight's th' Princess's prize pupil!", she said, raising her eyebrows and tipping her hat up for a moment before bringing it back down over her forehead.

Violet smiled. "I like the way you talk, Applejack. Your accent's really cool."

Applejack frowned and pursed her lips. "Ah ain't got no accent."

All she heard in response to that statement were giggles from the mares (and dragon) around her in the elevator. Before she got a chance to respond, though, the lift stopped. The bell hop placed a key card into the slot underneath the number pad, and a few moments later the doors opened, chiming softly as they did.

The lift's passengers stepped out into the entryway of the penthouse.

Nopony had a word to say as they all took in the sheer experience of what they were seeing. The desk clerk hadn't been exaggerating when she told them their room had been prepared for their arrival. Everything had been made ready for each one of them. The penthouse at the Ritz-Colton was enormous, and was made in a modular design that allowed for easy configuration depending upon the size of the party staying on that floor. In this case, the penthouse had been divided into individual rooms, with a large gathering area in the center. Inside that gathering area was an indoor fire pit, lined with soft cushions.

One of the bell hops coughed, and motioned to them as he took their luggage to their individual bedrooms. Following along, they noted each bedroom had the same layout. A large, Queen size bed, covered in soft blankets made of silken cloud. Clothes dressers, made out of a beautiful teak wood from the northern provinces of Equestria. They passed by a bathroom, and Twilight saw marble floors, golden wall tiles, and a large whirlpool bathtub.

The bell hop noticed her interest and replied to her unspoken question. "There are 3 such bathrooms on this floor, Miss Sparkle. I hope you find them to your liking."

Twilight smiled and nodded. "Oh, they're beautiful! I'm sure they will be more than sufficient for our needs." She looked over to Rarity, who was enthralled by the crystal chandelier above her own bed, and coughed. "I think even the most discriminating pony would find this suite to be satisfactory." At this she winked at the bell hop, a touch of humor in her voice.

The bell hop returned her wink, followed up by his own smile, as he lead Twilight into her bedroom, placing her saddlebags on the bed and stepping out of the room as she followed.

"Well, then, Miss Sparkle, and honored guests", he addressed the group as he and the other bell hops lined up by the elevator, "if there is anything else you need, do not hesitate to call for us. There is an enchanted message pad on the writing desk next to the sitting area. All you need to do is jot down your request, and it is instantly transferred to our customer service department, where the request will be served."

"Thank you for your hospitality, sir, we're overwhelmed by it, if I may say so. If we need anything, we'll be certain to let you know!", Twilight replied.

He stepped inside the elevator with the other service ponies. "Well, then, on that happy note, I leave you with my warmest well wishes, fondest regards, and I thank you, kindly. Speaking for myself, and my fellow service ponies, I hope you enjoy stay at the Ritz-Colton." With that, he smiled, tipped his hat, and bowed. The other service ponies followed suit as the elevator doors closed, leaving the group of mares (and a dragon) free to enjoy their well appointed surroundings.

Spike was the first to speak up. "So, who wants to toast marshmallows?!"

<(/)*()>

Applejack emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed. She had cleaned herself, brushed her hair, and now, having put her hat back on her head all good and proper, she felt like a brand new, shiny bit. Trotting back into her bedroom, she noticed her saddlebags were missing. A frown formerd on the orange earth pony's face. "Who in tarnation would take a pony's saddlebags?" she thought to herself before her mind jumped to a conclusion. There was only one pony who would do so. Well, okay, two, actually, but only one of them would do it to her in this fashion.

She stomped out of the room, and headed to the bedroom across the hallway. "Rainbow Dash! Ah know you got mah belongins' and ah'm coming ta get 'em!" She pushed aside the halfway closed door, charging into the room. Looking around, she saw her saddlebags on the floor next to Rainbow's. What really got her attention, though, was the look on the face of the filly who had just dropped them in place.

Violet Tempest had a look of fear on her face as she met the eyes of her sister's marefriend, and then lowered them quickly, her forelegs trembling.

"Violet!", Applejack began, then lowered her voice as not to frighten away the young pony. "What in the name o' sweet gala are ya doin' with mah saddlebags?"

Violet Tempest opened her mouth to speak, but found that she couldn't.

Applejack noticed this, her face softening into a look of concern. She slowly stepped over next to the filly and looked her square in the eyes. "What's the matter, darlin'? If'n ya got a good reason, ah ain't gonna be upset. Even if'n yer reason isn't sah good, at least tell me." She placed her hoof on Violet's shoulder.

The fear on Violet's face was replaced with an expression of trepidation. "I didn't mean to make you angry", she began, licking her lips before continuing, "I just saw the bell hops had placed your luggage in a separate room. I figured if you and my sister were in a relationship, you'd want to be together. Please don't get upset with me, Applejack, I didn't mean to interfere. I'll understand if you're angry for me meddling in your business, but..."

She was cutoff as Applejack's forehoof came to rest under Violet's chin. Tears were in AJ's eyes as she spoke. "Ya just have ta be the most kind an' understandin' pony there is. Ah don't think ah've ever seen anypony wantin' ta see her sister sah happy. Ya really do love yer sister, don'tcha, Violet?"

Violet nodded in earnest. "She's my whole world, Applejack. When she was away, all I could think about was my awesome, brave, loyal sister, who was going to make something of herself. In the few times I had the chance to see her, when she would visit for a few days, she always took the time to tell me everything she had done and seen. She told me I could be a great pegasus flyer just like her, someday! That I could make something of myself, and do great things. I just want to be like her, and when I found out that she had found you, I knew that if you made her happy, then you were just as important to me." She coughed lightly as she finished, the sudden emotion overwhelming her for a moment.

Applejack's tears began to flow freely as she embraced the younger filly. Together they cried in each other's forelegs, and so involved were they in this bonding, they didn't notice the spectral maned cyan pegasus standing in the door, a tear drop making it's way down her cheek. Looking around to make sure nopony else was watching, she flitted over to the pair, and quickly grabbed them in a bear hug, lifting them off the floor and landing with them on the bed, as they started, and then laughed in surprise.

"What did I tell ya, AJ? Best little sister in all of Equestria!" Dash crowed as the three ponies separated, and positioned themselves on the side of the bed. Rainbow Dash mussed her younger sister's mane as she turned to face them.

After a moment, Violet cleared her throat. "Rainbow", she began, a hint of nervousness creeping into her voice, "can I tell you something? Something I haven't even told mom and dad?"

Dash looked up at Applejack, who returned her glance with an unsure expression, her eyes telling nothing. They both looked down at Violet as she drew circles in the blanket with her hoof. She began speaking again. "Remember when you told me I could, you know, be a great flyer like you someday?"

Dash grinned and nodded her head. "Yeah! I told you that if you really wanted something, you had to chase after it. You had to have the guts to get it yourself, and I know you've got the guts, kiddo!", she said, giving Violet a light punch in the shoulder.

"Oof!" Violet wheezed jokingly, rubbing her shoulder as she sat back up straight on the bed. "Well", she continued, "I wanted you to be the first to know. I'm..." She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, "I've got a tryout for the Wonderbolts in two days, and I want you to be there."

She closed her eyes, unsure of what to expect. After a moment of silence, she opened one eye and saw her older sister's mouth agape, eyes wide. It registered only a moment as Dash leaped forward and grabbed Violet in a tight hug.

"Aw yeah!", Dash crowed, "that's my little sister! Violet Gale Tempest, trying out for the Wonderbolts!"

Violet's face began turning the color of her name as she started pulling at Dash's strong forelegs. "Air!" she wheezed out before Dash let go.

"Heh, sorry, kiddo", Dash said, blushing fiercely.

"No problem", Violet said between coughs, as Applejack patted her on the back to help get her lungs going again. "That there's great news!", the orange pony said as she thumped Violet's back.

Between Dash's hugs and Applejack's ministrations, Violet was surprised she was still conscious. Still, she wouldn't have had it any other way.

"That really is awesome, Vi", Dash spoke while standing up and stretching her wings. After a few more stretches, she turned and faced her two companions. "Now", she said, "who wants to go see mom and dad?"

<(/)*()>

Half an hour later, the city bus had stopped on the corner of a quiet suburb washed in the hues of the evening Sun. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Violet stepped off, with Violet taking the lead. "Follow me. The house is this way", she said, turning back to her two friends. One of them near and dear, the other new, but already as close. "Mom and dad have been making improvements. It doesn't look much like the house you saw when you left, Dash."

Applejack looked at her marefriend. "Aw, and ah was hopin' tah see Rainbow's room, what with all th' frou frou dresses an' stuffed animals", her voice taking on a cuddly tone, as she teased Dash, a smirk playing out on her muzzle.
Violet couldn't help but giggle as Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Hey, Applesnack, I'm not the one who has a brother that walks around carrying a Miss Smartypants doll."

"Rainbow if ya ever tell anyone ah'll show you what this lasso can do!"

"Oh yeah, you'd have to catch me first, Applestack, and if I recall correctly, I'm the champion of the Iron Pony competition."

"Only after ya cheated, or don't ya remember?!"

"Heh! All I remember is being awesome and beating the hay out of you every single time!"

"That contest tweren't fair, and you know it, Rainbow!"

"Didn't seem that way to me!"

"Well, that's all cause ya'-"

Applejack was cut off as Violet turned and raised a forehoof. "I'm sorry to interrupt you two, because this is just too good, but you're going to have to be quiet as we walk up to the door. We don't want to give mom and dad the wrong impression!"

Applejack nodded. "Ah'm sorry 'bout that, Violet"

Rainbow Dash coughed lightly and flipped the hair from her mane out of her eyes. "Yeah, sorry, kiddo. Me and Applejack get a little... heated... sometimes."

Violet waved her hoof. "Oh, it's no big deal. I figure anypony who would be with you has to be just as stubborn." She giggled as she looked at their flat, half lidded expressions. "You two are perfect for each other", she added, holding in an errant snicker.

"By the way, kiddo", Dash began, her voice low, "about me and Applejack. Don't say anything to mom or dad until we tell them. To be honest, I don't know how they'll take it."

Violet nodded soberly. "You have my word, Dash. Though I have to say, the sooner you tell them, the easier it will be to take their reactions."

They approached the house, and trotted up to the porch as Violet grabbed her key from her mane, and turned to her sister and her marefriend. "Don't worry. No matter what happens, I've got your backs." With that, she turned toward the door, and stepped inside, beckoning the other two. "Mom! Dad!" she called out, "I'm home, and you'll never guess who's with me!"

<(/)*()>

"Oh my goodness! Rainbow, it really is you! Come over here and give me a hug!" said the voice from the table, as they entered the dining room.

Rainbow Dash blushed and rolled her eyes as an older mare, her coat sky blue and her mane a shock of orange and red as it fell down over her shoulders and highlighted her bespectacled face, stood and embraced her oldest daughter. "It's been so long since we've seen you! First we heard you were visiting, but we know how busy you get and how often you have to cancel your plans. How long has it been? It must be 3 or 4 years since we last saw you!"

Rainbow Dash's mother let go of her daughter, and called into the family room, "Dusk! Our oldest has decided to come home to the roost and bless her parents with a visit! Don't be rude!"

A few moments later, an older stallion stepped into the dining room. His green coat and silver mane rather unkempt, as he placed a screwdriver on the table. Looking toward his wife, his face lit up as he saw who was standing there next to her.

"Rainbow! Oh, my sweet daughter! You actually showed up! Come here and give this old stallion a hug!"

As Dash and her father embraced, Applejack stepped back a few steps inside the doorway, trying to keep herself out of the spotlight so her marefriend could have a family moment. To AJ, nothing was more important than family, and she figured this one had a lot of catching up to do. Before she could go any further, however, Dash's mother glanced in her direction and beckoned for her to come forward.

"Rainbow, you haven't introduced us to your friend!" she said, as Applejack approached the other ponies standing in the dining room.

Rainbow turned her head and smiled at Applejack and looked back to her parents.

"Mom, dad", she began, "this is my best friend in all of Equestria, Applejack. She's visiting with a group of our friends who live in Ponyville. She and her family run a huge apple orchard called Sweet Apple Acres."

Applejack, noting Rainbow's conservative use of their relationship but brushing it aside, nodded to them both, tipping her hat and smiling politely. "Howdy! It's nice ta meet ya'll!"

Dash placed a hoof on the shoulder of the older mare as she turned to her marefriend, "Applejack", she said, "this is my mom, Sunset Wind. She's an Administrator for the Los Pegasus weather patrol."

She dropped her hoof, and sidled up next to the stallion standing by her mother, and patted him on the back. "This is my dad, Dusk Thunder. He's the Chief Engineer for the Los Pegasus department of power and water."

Rainbow Dash stepped away from her father and grabbed the younger filly sitting at the table, and ruffled her mane, grabbing her into a bear hug. "You already know my awesome sister, Violet", she said, her voice straining as her young sister happily fought Dash's grip.

After a moment of struggling, and a quick yelp of "Uncle!", Dash let go of her giggling sister, and stepped back over by Applejack. Her eyes shone proudly. It was clear how much she loved them, and how proud she was to be their daughter.

After a moment to allow the introductions to sink in, Sunset Wind spoke up. "Well, Rainbow, Miss Applejack, why don't you both stay for dinner? We can catch up on family gossip, and you both look like you could use a good meal!"
Rainbow Dash grinned and placed her foreleg on Applejack's shoulder. "That sounds like an awesome plan to me, how about you, AJ?"

Applejack smiled her half smile, and bopped Rainbow Dash on the head. "Ah'm willin' if you all are! Ah thank ya fer invitin' me ta supper!"

Dusk Thunder spoke up, "You know, Applejack, I have to say, I just love your accent. It's so rustic!"

Applejack looked at Rainbow's father with mild surprise. "What accent?"

Violet Tempest cleared her throat. "Well, then", she said, "I guess I can show our guests around until dinner. I want to show them my room, anyway, so they can see the latest trophy I've won from school!"

"That sounds like a fine idea, just don't talk their ears off, Violet. I know how you can be when you get on a subject you like!", her mother admonished.

"I won't!", she said, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips. She perked up and called behind her, "Come on, Dashie, Applejack. I'll show you the coolest room in the whole house! This way!", her voice becoming muffled as she rounded a corner and bounded up the stairs.

<(/)*()>

"This is pretty cool, kiddo! A first prize trophy for spelling! I knew you had it in ya!" Rainbow Dash said as she sat the small trophy back in it's cubby hold on her sister's shelf. "Then again, anyone who has a room like this has to be the smartest filly in Equestria!"

Violet's room was a virtual shrine to her heroes, the Wonderbolts. The walls were plastered with posters, calendars, photos, and newspaper clippings showcasing the exploits of Equestria's premier stunt flying team.

Violet, for her part, was beaming from ear to ear as she sat on her bed, watching her older sister take in the whole room. "Thanks, Dashie! I am really proud of it. I beat out Norbert Whitegrass, and he's the biggest egghead in school! Shoot, after we were getting in the carriage to go home, we saw him running to the library. He looked frazzled."

"Sounds like somepony we know", Rainbow Dash quipped, glancing sidelong at Applejack.

Violet stared at the both of them for a second, and her face lit up. "Oh, you mean that really nice purple unicorn I saw at the coffee shop! What's her name? Twilight, uh, Spackle?"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash burst into a fit of laughter as Violet merely raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently for them to calm down so she could find out what was supposed to be so funny.

"Twilight Spackle!" Rainbow Dash wheezed out between guffaws, her body rolling on the floor as she clutched her sides with her forelegs, her back hooves kicking into the air.

"Ah ain't heard nothin' sah funny in sah long. Ah don't think ah'll be able ta face Twilight again!" Applejack spoke, words coming between the deep breaths that had followed the gales of laughter.

Violet threw a pillow at the pair in good natured annoyance. A few moments later, they had managed to collect themselves.

"It's Twilight Sparkle, Violet", Dash said finally, as she flicked a stray tear away from her eye. She coughed, and cleared her throat before continuing. "Anyway, yeah, Twilight's an egghead, maybe the biggest egghead in all of Equestria. There's almost nothing she doesn't know", she finished.

Violet's eyebrows raised as she smiled, "Really? She seemed so nice! Nothing like Norbert Whitegrass. I thought eggheads didn't like to be around other ponies."

Applejack smiled and sat on the bed next to Violet. "That's because Twilight learned a great lesson on friendship. She learned that friends an' family was just as important as books and knowledge, an' one can't live without the other around."

Dash sat down on the bed, next to Applejack, and took her hoof in her own. "I learned a really cool lesson about friendship, too."

Applejack blushed.

Violet d'awwed, and leaned forward, taking the two mares into an embrace. "You two are so adorable together!" She sat back and looked at both of them, a look of concern forming on her face. "I do have a question. Something that's been nagging me a bit since AJ met mom and dad downstairs." She looked at Applejack, and then her older sister. "Dashie, when are you going to tell mom and dad about your relationship with Applejack?"

Rainbow Dash looked up to her marefriend, who gazed back at her, her emerald green eyes showing nothing but trust and faith in her love.

"Tonight", Dash said firmly, her voice unwavering. "We'll tell them tonight."

A moment later, Sunset Wind's voice could be heard calling from downstairs. "Violet, Rainbow Dash, Miss Applejack! Dinner is ready!"

The two mares, and intelligent young filly looked at each other, their faces showing apprehension, but also hope. Together, they stood up from the bed, and made their way to the door, and down the stairs.

<(/)*()>

Desperado

CHAPTER FIVE
Desperado

"So, Applejack, dear, tell me a little about your family." Sunset Wind said to the orange earth pony as she passed her the potatoes.

Applejack paused a moment to finish chewing. She had been taught by Granny Smith that only a jackass talks with her mouth full, and Applejack was many things, but a jackass wasn't one of them.
"Ah'm glad you asked, Mrs. Dash".

"Oh, call me Sunset Wind, dear."

"Ah don't know..."

"I insist. 'Mrs. Dash' just sounds so formal at the dinner table."

"Alright, if ya insist, Mrs. D-er, Sunset Wind, though mah Granny Smith always taught me ta respect mah elders, sa pardon me fer bein' a bit unwillin there." She shifted slightly, and took a drink of water before continuing. "Now, lessee, mah grandpappy and grandmammy settled in Ponyville 'bout 60 some years ago, and durn near helped build the entire town on their lonesomes, and not long after, they had my pappy. Later, as my pappy got old enough, he took over the farmin', and opened up a thousand acres ah Apple orchard on the outskirts of th' town. It was about that time that mah pappy met mah mama, and they got married, and had Big Macintosh, that's mah older brother, then mahself, and finally mah younger sister Applebloom."

"Are they all involved in farming?" Sunset Wind asked the young mare before taking a sip of wine.

"They sure are. Mah Granny Smith is still the head o' the family, who makes much o' the apple cider, and apple jam that ya see on the shelf. She's a part o' the family that also makes that apple wine y'all are enjoyin'. Then there's mah brother, that's Big Macintosh, who plows an' plants th' fields, an' takes care o' the family budget, which is a good thing, since ah'm not much of a high falutin' math pony. Ah handle the day to day chores, like the applebucking, and feedin' o' th' animals. Mah sister Applebloom is too young ta do all day chores as she goes ta school, but she still helps her Granny Smith with her recipes and such."

Applejack felt a quick rush of pride as she finished. Her family was her world, and she was proud of all the hard work they did every day, knowing that it took everything to keep the family farm vibrant and running.

Sunset Wind smiled. "That's amazing, Applejack. It's nice to hear someone so young working so hard to support and protect their family. I dare say that you won't find much of that spirit out here in Los Pegasus, at least not among the upper crust.

"Thank ye, Sunset. Ah appreciate that", Applejack responded, attempting to tip her hat until she realized she had taken it off before she had sat at the table.

Sunset Wind turned her attention to her older daughter. "It's nice to see you have such a strong, dependable friend, Rainbow. To be honest, I didn't know if you would have time for friends when you left home. You were so determined to succeed that I couldn't imagine your fitting friends into the equation."

Rainbow Dash shoved a forkful of carrots into her mouth. "Well," she began, her lips smacking as she chewed her food, "I did meet Fluttershy in flight camp, you remember her, real quiet and all that. I guess I was too busy being awesome for so long, that I forgot to make more. Heh. But then I met Applejack, and we've known each other for about 7 years now. I've made more friends since then, and I realized how important they are to me. AJ, here, though, she's my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without my friends, but I would really be lost without Applejack here. She's the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"That sounds wonderful, honey", Dusk Thunder said to his oldest daughter. "I'm glad you made so many friends. Life's too short to go without having a good friend. I have that in your mother", he said as he took Sunset Wind's hoof in his own.

Rainbow Dash took a moment to glance at Violet, who was looking at her earnestly, her food untouched on her plate, as she had been watching the exchange, waiting for the moment when Dash would make the leap. She nodded her head, and gave her older sister an encouraging smile.

She forged ahead. "You know, mom, dad, I, know what you mean about finding that right friend. There's somepony special to me that means more than a friend."

Sunset Wind's face lit up in surprise. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, that's wonderful! Two surprises in one day! Oh goodness!"

Applejack silently noted to herself that the number of surprises the day held might have been understated. She heard Rainbow's mother ask the question.

"Who is the lucky stallion, dear?" Sunset Wind asked her daughter.

"Oh, this pony is so awesome, you have no idea. Honest, hard working, smart, and gorgeous."

Applejack noticed the lack of pronouns in Rainbow's descriptive gushing. She knew the mare was having trouble getting the important words out. So as she listened to her marefriend reaching, and made her decision. Dash continued her litany of compliments to the as yet unnamed "stallion".

"...and what a smile! Brave, strong, a talented fighter, great at sports, and did I, uh, mention teeth? White as snow! Fresh breath, bathes regularly, and -"

"Ah'm in love with Rainbow. Ah'm her marefriend an' she's mah marefriend, an' there's no one else in th' world that ah love more than her!"

It had come out in a rush, before AJ could even begin to properly frame the answer, to soften the sudden impact of such news. It was so inelegant, so crude, but so very honest. It was true to the core of Applejack's character. It was something she couldn't deny herself.

She had closed her eyes as she spoke, and now she opened them to see the fallout from her attack of honesty.

Sunset Wind's mouth was agape, her eyes wide, hooves on the table, unmoving. Sitting next to her, Dusk Thunder's expression registered the same surprise, though his left eye appeared to be twitching. Violet Tempest, for her part, was grinning from ear to ear, eyes shining and misted as she looked at the two lovebirds, her joy so suited to a young pony's ideas of love and romance.

Rainbow Dash glanced back and forth from her father to her mother, wondering what they were thinking. Finally, her mother spoke up first.

"Rainbow. Is... is this true? Is Applejack your m-marefriend?" Sunset asked, her lip trembling. Dusk Thunder merely whispered the word "marefriend", as if it were the name of some deadly disease.

Rainbow Dash took Applejack's hoof in her own, and looked directly at her parents.

"Yes", she said, her voice heavy but resolute, "Applejack is my marefriend. She loves me, and I love her, and Celestia herself couldn't take that love away from us."

Applejack's hoof tightened around Rainbow's, and they both sat there across from Rainbow's shocked parents, and hoped for the best.

Violet Tempest, having become tired of her parents' inability to speak, decided to make her voice known.

"Well, I for one am happy for the both of you! Life's too short to go without having a special friend, wouldn't you say, pop?"

Dusk Thunder's expression was still one of surprise, but he found his voice.

"Uh, uhm, yes..." he began, caution in his voice, "but...um... I... don't..."

Violet Tempest interrupted him, talking to her mother instead.

"Isn't it great to see Dash make friends, mom? She's found somepony who loves her for who she is. We should all be so lucky, just like you and dad!"

Rainbow Dash looked in appreciation at her younger sister, tears welling in her eyes. Here they were, dropping this huge bomb on Dash's parents, with less than desired results, and her sister was cheering her and AJ along, like it was the most righteous and true thing in the world.

Finally, Sunset Wind spoke. It was soft, so much so that it reminded Rainbow of a certain butter yellow pegasus.

"I don't know what to say, Rainbow." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. "I've... I've always wanted you to find somepony who would complete you, somepony who would be your companion. I don't know if I can, if I can accept this. I mean no offense to you, Applejack, you seem like a kind pony, but her... her marefriend? I mean it's not... natural..."

Violet interrupted her with an indignant smack of her hoof on the table. "Wait a minute! Does Dash love Applejack? You just heard her, and she does! Same goes for Applejack loving Rainbow Dash. What's not natural about love?!"

Sunset Wind frowned at her daughter. "You simply don't understand, young filly. Mares are meant to be with stallions, it's the way the world works. It's nature. I'm not saying they don't love each other, but they're just confused. They have to be."

Rainbow Dash sat upright. "Hey!", she cried out, "we're right here, you know, and we're not confused!"

Applejack spoke up, hesitant to confront Dash's mother, but adamant to make her point. "Sunset, Dusk Thunder, the day ah finally realized that ah loved yer daughter was the day mah confusion ended. Ah could see clearly, fer the first time, that ah had found mah best friend, mah companion, and ah knew that no other pony would do. Ah love yer daughter, and no matter what happens, ah will always love yer daughter. When ah wake up in the mornin', tah when ah lay down mah head at night, that mare is in mah thoughts. There ain't no other."

Dusk Thunder leaned forward, his elbow on the table, hoof on mouth, as if weighing his words carefully. "Applejack," he began, a pleading tone in his voice, "you don't know what you're saying. You think you love my Dash as a marefriend. You're confusing your friendship with her as if it's some sort of deeper relationship, and it's not. It can't be."

Sunset Wind spoke, her voice breaking. "Rainbow Dash, please listen to us. Applejack is a good friend, I'm sure, but she's not your marefriend. The two of you can't even have foals together! What kind of life is that, to have no family? To live some sort of sham life?!"

Applejack sat back in her chair, dumbfounded at the remark. Her heart ran cold, and she began to cry. Angry at her tears, she got up from the table and galloped out of the kitchen. Dash stood as she heard the front door open, and the sound of hoofbeats receding.

"Why did you say that?! What is wrong with you!?" Dash yelled, her voice reaching a fever pitch. "I love Applejack, and it's not wrong! You don't even understand! How could you treat her like that? She only wanted you guys to like her! To understand that I love her! What you did was SO not cool!"

With that, Rainbow Dash flew out of the kitchen toward the living room and the open door. Her coltish voice could be heard calling out her marefriend's name.

Silence reigned in the kitchen of the Dash household. For a moment, not a word was said, not even breathing could be heard. It didn't last.

Violet Tempest stood slowly, and turned toward her parents. "I can't believe the two of you! You just told your daughter that the mare she loves is worthless! That she's a dead end! How could you be so rude?! How could you be so foalish!"

Her parents gasped in surprise.

"Violet Tempest!" her mother said, her voice in shock at her young daughter's brazen attitude, "You shouldn't speak to your parents that way! You're simply too young to understand-"

"Oh, I understand! I understand that you two are so close minded, so self absorbed, that you don't even realize your own daughter was confessing something to you that meant so much to her! You just tossed it out of hoof! Did you even listen to her? Did you listen to Applejack? They were practically begging for you to understand, but you didn't! You just ignored their pleas and put your hooves down like you should have some kind of control over her life and what she does with it! I'm ashamed of you both!"

Not even taking the time to look at their reactions, Violet stormed off, and galloped upstairs to her room, slamming the door.

For the second time that day, silence reigned in the Dash household.

<(/)*()>

After rushing out the door, Dash's eyes were assaulted by sunlight. Putting a foreleg over her eyes, she squinted, and began looking for Applejack She couldn't have gotten too far, could she? Dash wondered as she hovered in the air, looking out over the neighborhood.

A few seconds passed, and she caught the tale tell shape of the stetson hat the stubborn earth pony wore everywhere she went. She had managed to reach the end of the block, which was by the municipal park. As Rainbow Dash caught up with her, landing gently on the sidewalk, Applejack had just sat down underneath a maple tree, her hat drawn down, covering her eyes.

Dash folded her wings, and ducked underneath a low hanging branch, and sat next to the distressed mare.

"Hey", she began, her voice soft, "don't worry about my parents. I don't know what's got in 'em but you don't have to let it get to ya."

Applejack was still quiet, though she would sniffle occasionally and Dash could see her trying to wipe away tears without being noticed.

Dash raised the brim of the stetson hat, and looked into her marefriend's beautiful emerald eyes. Applejack didn't look up.

"AJ", Dash continued after a few minutes of silence had passed, "if I did something wrong, you'd tell me, right?"

Applejack looked up at this, and looked into Dash's eyes. After a moment, Applejack's look deflated, and she shook her head.

"Rainbow, it ain't anything ya did, it's what Ah did! Ah made ya yell at yer own parents! Ah came between you and yer family. If anypony should be apologizin', it's me! Ah didn't mean ta cause any trouble, ah swear ah didn't! Ah didn't mean ta let ya down!"

At that, Applejack covered her face with her hooves, and fresh sobs began to rack her body.

Rainbow leaned over, and brought Applejack to her chest. She could feel the earth mare trembling with grief. Dash sighed as she held Applejack to her with one hoof, and began stroking her back with the other.

"AJ, you didn't let me down. If anything, you proved to them just how much you love me, and I'm not ashamed of that. When you started talkin', and telling my parents how much you cared, all I could see was a pony who loved me, who would do anything to be with me. Who chose me and loved me. Come on! How cool is that?!"

Applejack's trembling began to subside, and she brought herself back from Dash's embrace.

"Ya mean ya ain't ashamed?" she said, returning to her sitting position.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Nope."

Applejack's expression was one of incredulity. "Rainbow, Ah ran off and left ya to face yer parents alone! Ah'm a yellow bellied, lilly livered coward! Ah don't deserve a pony like you!"

Rainbow frowned. "Hey, now. You're not a coward! You're the bravest pony I know aside from me!" she said, adding under her breath, "and maybe Fluttershy sometimes..."

Applejack waved her hoof dismissively. "Don't be silly, Rainbow. Ah may be stubborn, but Ah ain't brave. Ah'm just as quick ta get us in a heap o' trouble than Ah am to get us out of it."

Rainbow Dash laughed. "Are you kidding? I'm the one that gets us into trouble! Without you, I'd have to fix my own problems! I mean, sure, sometimes you're not much help. Remember that time you decided to buck all of those apples on the farm? And I had you trying to help me launch myself into the air and break the sound barrier? Aw man, you should have seen Twilight's face when I crashed into the library."

Applejack chuckled at that.

Rainbow Dash's heart warmed to hear the sound.

"See? There's no way I could be mad at you. You sent me screaming across Ponyville, and I didn't stay mad, so why would I get mad when all you were doing here was defending your love for me to my parents? Come on, Applesnack, you know that just makes me love you 20% more!"

Applejack snorted at Dash's overused cliche, but she did feel better.

A distant voice interrupted their bonding moment. "Rainbow Dash! Applejack!"

Rainbow Dash looked up and saw a small, light purple blob heading her way, and fast.

"Duck!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she pulled Applejack to the ground with her. A few seconds later, a crash, a snap, and a yelp was heard behind her.

Looking up, she saw Violet Tempest sitting up and looking dazed.

"Ohmigosh, are you okay, Violet?!" Dash called out as she rushed over to the light purple filly.

Violet Tempest shook her head and stood up, without any assistance from Rainbow Dash.

"Nah, I'm okay", she said as she steadied herself, "just a harmless little bump." She brushed herself off and looked at her older sister and her marefriend.

"Are you two okay?" She looked at Applejack. "I'm sorry for what my mom and dad said, Applejack. They shouldn't have judged you like that. It was totally not cool, and I just want you to know I don't feel that way about you or Dashie."

Applejack grinned and ruffled Violet's mane.

"Thank ye kindly, Violet. Ah know you don't feel that way. If anythin' you've been right proud for both of us. All ah can say is Rainbow Dash has a right good sister."

Violet Tempest blushed at the praise coming from the earth mare.

"Well, I just wanted you to know." Suddenly, her eyes went wide, and she looked up to Rainbow Dash, sadness on her face.

Rainbow put her foreleg on her sister's shoulder. "What is it, kiddo?"

"I was wondering if this means no one will be at the Wonderbolts tryouts. It won't be right if no one's there to watch me. I mean, yeah there will be other ponies, but not anypony I know." She sniffled.

Together, Rainbow Dash and Applejack embraced the filly. "Kiddo", Dash said as they embraced, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

They stepped back from the embrace.

Applejack tipped her hat to the filly. "An' if you don't mind, Ah'd like ta be there, too, ta cheer ya on."

Violet beamed. "It would be awesome if you came and watched me perform, Applejack. After all, I think of you as part of the family!"

The three embraced once more, before Rainbow Dash sent Violet back to the house, as she and Applejack hailed a taxi to head back to the hotel. It had been a long day, and she was looking forward to some alone time with her marefriend.

<(/)*()>

Morning Has Broken

CHAPTER SIX
Morning Has Broken

She could feel the warmth of the Sun on her fur, and the weight of the comforter pressed against her body. The waves of drowsiness and slumber were slowly ebbing, as awareness took it's firm, but gentle, hold. Even so, she kept her eyes closed, and took in her surrounding environment with her other senses. She could feel soft fur against her back, a foreleg draped over her side, a light snoring sound near her ear. The soft breath from her lover's muzzle tickled the back of her neck.

As she lay there, in the warm companionship of her beloved Rainbow Dash, Applejack thought about the events of the previous night. Rainbow Dash, as loyal as any pony could be, had stood by her side and declared her love to her parents, who had then reacted as if they had been struck in the very center of their hearts. On one hoof, Applejack couldn't blame them. Until she had learned just what it was like to be loved as deeply, and as fully, as she had been loved by Dash, she had never considered she would be anything other than a stallion's mare.

On the other hoof, however, she had been hurt. Dash's parents' rejection cut her to the core, as it were, and the utter sense of helplessness as she watched the whole thing collapse into shock, and rage, it was so much to bear all of a sudden. It wasn't that she was some useless damsel in distress, heavens to betsy, no. What cut her down, in her heart of hearts, was the rejection of family. Violet Tempest had been so happy, and so willing, to bring Applejack into the fold, that for a moment more than she could spare, Applejack believed that Dash's parents would have been just as open, just as accepting. It was, of course, a mistake to make such an assumption. Many times in her young life, Applejack had seen otherwise reasonable ponies make foolish choices, snap decisions that brought nothing but anger and shame upon families. Whole generations turning on one another because of a poorly worded phrase, or an unapproved idea. Usually, after a time, things would calm down and return to normal, the incident forgotten or forgiven, or both, and the family would become a whole unit again. It's how things worked in Ponyville. It's how things had always worked.

Still, this was Los Pegasus, Cowlifornia. Things worked differently here, if what she saw so far was to be believed. Ponies were more rude, more outspoken, they were more willing to ignore other ponies, especially other ponies they felt were beneath them. To be honest, it almost felt like Canterlot, or maybe Manehatten. Both were large cities, both filled with the upper crust and elite, and both regarded as hotspots for either fame or famine, depending upon your wits, or your connections.

She realized she had drifted off of her initial thoughts, regarding the events that had taken place the night before in the Dash household. Applejack had felt responsible for setting everything in motion. If only she wouldn't have blurted out how she felt before Dash had the chance to explain herself, or maybe if she would have denied it. Could she have lied to protect Rainbow Dash? A quick bit of introspection told her that while she would defend Rainbow with her very life, she could never lie to her, or for her. She simply loved her too much.

Applejack couldn't disagree with the self assessment.

She felt the bed shift ever so slightly, as Rainbow adjusted her position in her sleep, her foreleg falling back behind her. Applejack turned herself over, ever so carefully, to face the peaceful visage of her dozing defender.

The Sun was casting it's golden beams across her face, highlighting the soft cyan fur of her cheeks. Applejack noticed the faintest hint of a smile on Dash's lips, and wondered, for a moment, what the beautiful Pegasus was dreaming about. She wished that somewhere in that pleasant dream, was an orange country mare, who wore a stetson hat, and an "accent". A mare who had 3 red apples on her flank, and golden blonde hair falling down past her withers, in a loose braid.

Applejack wanted to be the focus of her lover's hopes, her dreams, and her desires. It was vain, and Applejack wasn't one for vanity, but surely, if there was any joy to be found in the heart of another pony, there could be an allowance for this. Surely those that supplied the world with love poems, sweet candies, and silver trinkets, surely they could understand why she just wanted it to be so.

And so it was, that Applejack brought her hoof slowly to Rainbow Dash's chin, lifted it gently, and with the faintest touch, kissed her on the forehead.

Applejack started to back away as slowly as possible, so as not to disturb Dash's peaceful slumber, when she felt a foreleg against the back of her neck, pulling her back in. A moment later, she was muzzle to muzzle against smiling lips. A second later, a single eyelid opened, revealing the glistening rosemary iris underneath.

The kiss began as a soft nuzzle, but quickly flared in intensity, becoming passionate, and fueled by a longing to make the hearts of it's owners complete. They embraced one another tightly, and brought their bodies in close. They were so close, the beating of their hearts mingled together, dancing out a staccato rhythm of love and lust.

Finally, the couple pulled away, gasping for breath. They stared into each other's eyes, muzzles so close, that another long, passionate kiss threatened to dominate their attention once more. Finally, before the temptation to engage in another long kiss with her marefriend overtook her, Rainbow Dash smiled, and spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Now that's how you wake up to a totally awesome day."

The mare of her affections smiled, a twinkle in her emerald eyes as she leaned over her marefriend's head and grabbed her stetson hat, placing it on her blonde mane as she spoke.

"Mornin' sugarcube."

<(/)*()>

"So what is everypony's plan for today?" Twilight asked her friends as they sat around the table in the main living area, eating their breakfast.

"Rainbow and Ah have been talkin', and we were gonna head on down ta the hotel gym." Applejack said, before finishing her applejuice. Her expression soured as she looked at the label.

Rainbow Dash nodded, her mouth filled with a blueberry muffin. "Yeah, I'm gettin' kinda restless just walkin' around everywhere" she said between the mouthful of muffin, "and being a top athlete means workin' hard! Being awesome isn't free, ya know!"

Rarity nodded. "To be honest, I wouldn't mind staying in the hotel for the day, either. I hear the spa at the Ritz-Colton is the best in all of Equestria! Just imagine all of the pampering, the luxury, the pampering!"

Fluttershy raised her hoof quietly. "That sounds wonderful. It would be nice to relax, and it would feel like home. Oh, I miss it already."

Twilight smiled. "What about you, Pinkie?"

The pink pony was busy stuffing a large cake into her mouth when Twilight's question had put her on the spot. She looked at the assembled ponies out of her open eye (the other couldn't be seen because of frosting), midbite. She shoved the cake down her throat. "Ooh! Me and Spike were gonna visit a pizzeria that was in the Equestrian Book of World records for baking the largest pizza ever made!"

Spike piped up. "Yeah, and they also make Ruby Red fire pizza. You can't find that in Ponyville or Canterlot! I'm going to eat a whole pizza! Then maybe another one!" He sat back, rubbing his tummy and staring toward the ceiling, dreams of gem encrusted pastry filling his thoughts.

Twilight giggled at the young dragon's buoyant enthusiasm. "Well, it sounds like you have your day planned. Rarity, would you mind if I joined you and Fluttershy for a day at the spa?"

Both Rarity and Fluttershy nodded their assent.

"We would love you have you join us, wouldn't we Fluttershy?" the white unicorn demurred.
"Oh yes, Twilight! The more the merrier!" the butter yellow pegasus cooed, her face lit up, and then immediately cowered, a lock of her pink mane sliding in front of it as she added softly, "I mean, if... you know, you want to."

The purple unicorn nodded and smiled. "Then it's settled!", she said, stamping her forehoof on the table for emphasis, "we can set out after breakfast!"

<(/)*()>

After they had finished breakfast, the group set out.

"Man, I haven't exercised in days. I hope that hasn't taken off my edge", Rainbow said out loud, in an attempt to start a small conversation.

Applejack looked up, her eyes unfocused, "Huh?", she said. She shook her head and looked at Dash. Ah'm sorry, I wasn't listenin'. What'd ya say, Rainbow?"

"Oh, I was saying that I haven't exercised in days, and I was hoping it didn't take away my skills. You know what they say about a lazy pony", Dash said, an admonishing tone in her voice. Every since she was a tiny filly, she had been told what happened to lazy fillies who didn't clean their rooms, or finish their homework.

The thought brought back the tender subject of her parents. She still couldn't believe they had been so willing to just throw her life away like that. They didn't even try to understand, they just put their hooves down and talked about Applejack like she was some kind of evil stranger. The family's only saving grace in that whole day had been the words of her sister, who actually cared, who wanted her and AJ to be happy. Why could she understand when her own parents couldn't? Why couldn't they be that way? Why couldn't they be happy for her? Maybe if they got to know AJ better, they would see how honest and hard working she was, but she doubted it. If anything, they became more stubborn the more they learned about her. It just wasn't right.

Still, every time she thought about them, the pain in her chest increased, and her headache would come out of nowhere and pound in her skull.

"Rainbow?", a sweet, southern voice broke in.

Rainbow Dash looked up to see Applejack staring at her, concern in her eyes. She leaned in toward Dash, stopping a centimeter from her own muzzle.

A moment of quiet, and then a cracking voice replied. "Yeah?"

More silence, but only a breath of it, before Applejack leaned in the last centimeter, and licked Dash right on the nose. "Ah love you, Rainbow."

A few seconds later, the elevator doors opened, and as they stepped out of the elevator, Dash recovered quickly, stopping long enough to notice that her chest pain was gone, and the headache had receded.

They made their way toward the gymnasium.

<(/)*()>

The volleyball screamed across the expanse of hardwood floor, almost landing square on the line, right before Rainbow Dash dived in at the last second, knocking it back into the air, jumping up, meeting it, and slamming it downward with a hard spike. Applejack dove for the ball, only to miss it by mere centimeters. Rainbow Dash gave a victory whoop and sailed into the air, ducking as she neared the ceiling.

Applejack got to her hooves, glaring daggers at the cyan pegasus. "That ain't fair, Rainbow! You agreed no wings!"

"Hey, what can I say, Applesnack? Some of us ponies just have natural gifts for everything, and it would be criminal if we didn't use 'em!"

Rainbow Dash wiggled her butt in the air, toward Applejack. "Ya wanna try again, Appleshack?" she taunted gleefully.

Applejack's glare turned into an almost sadistic smile, as she wiped the sweat off of her brow with her towel, laying it back on her shoulder. "Ah sure do, but ah think we should pick somethin' other than volleyball. Somethin' a little more challengin'. You up for it, Rainbow Crash?"

Rainbow puffed out her chest, "I'm not afraid of anything, Apple...uh...crack", she finished with a snort, proud of herself for coming up with yet another pet insult for her friend.

"Well, then, Rainbow, if ya think ya can handle it, why don't ya follow me into the other room?", Applejack retorted, raising an eyebrow as she turned and headed toward the back of the gym, swaying her tail ever so slightly.

Rainbow's quizzical expression was met with it's answer as Applejack lead them into the weight room, right up to the giant machine.

"Leg presses?" Dash asked, her tone fraught with skepticism. "Is this it?"

Applejack nodded as she placed a forehoof on the machine. "Yessiree, this is it. Why do ya ask? Ya scared?"

The sharply worded tease was enough to get Rainbow Dash right in Applejack's face, muzzle to muzzle. "I'm not scared. I'm not afraid of anything! You want to go? Let's go!"

Before Applejack could say anything, Dash seated herself in position on the leg press, her head, shoulders, and back against the padded cushion which lay tilted downward at a 45 degree angle, with the weight system angled on the opposite side, so that the user had to press with the back legs to move it up and down, while using the forelegs to grip the hoof holds. These were attached to the pulley system, along with a failsafe, to prevent the pony from accidentally dropping the weight at full strength.

Off to the side of the machine were 100 kg weights on each side that could be slid over and locked into position on the machine, which added more weight for the lifter. Applejack got into position as the spotter, as Rainbow unlocked the pulley system.

"You know the rules, right, Rainbow? Ya have to do five lifts each weight level, ya cain't use yer wings, and ya have ta lift more than yer opponent. The winner is the one who can lift the most weight. Got it?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Got it. Now, with all that talkin' out of the way, are you ready for me to show how it's done, there, AJ? I won't go too fast, that way your brain can keep up!", and with that insult, she let out a cackle as the first level of weights dropped down.

Dash did her ten reps without any effort, her legs easily handling the 200 kg weights. "Bring it on, next level!"

Applejack locked the second set of weights in place. "Okay, go for it, Rainbow."

Again, Dash pushed against the iron, making ten more reps before locking them back in place. "Easy as pie! Next round, AJ!", she said, though she was breathing a little harder this time around.

Applejack locked the next set of weights in place. "Here we go, Rainbow, be careful."

Rainbow grunted as the 600 kgs of weight pressed against her. As she finished her 7th rep, the thought occurred to her that she may have been in a bit of trouble. She noticed that she was straining now, the beads of sweat running down her face, leaving dark tracks in her fur.

At the 9th rep, she couldn't push anymore. She didn't want to give up, she wanted to keep going, but her body was exhausted, especially after the last round of Volleyball, and it was catching up to her.

She sighed. "Okay, Applejack, I give. This is all I've got right now."

Applejack locked the weights in place, and pulled back on the machine, helping Rainbow up and out of the leg press.

"Ya did 9 reps at 600 kgs, Rainbow, that's pretty durn good! Ya should be proud!" Applejack said as she patted Dash on the back, and handed her a towel. While Dash dried off, Applejack cleaned off the seat that was still wet from Rainbow's profuse sweating, and reset the machine.

Stepping into it, and laying back against the cushion, she called out to Dash. "Ya ready, RD?"

Dash called back in the affirmative. "Yep, whenever you're ready, AJ."

Applejack nodded, and gave the word. "Go!"

Rainbow Dash locked in the first level of weights, as Applejack pulled back on the hoof holds, releasing them onto her legs. Like Rainbow Dash, she did ten reps without breaking a sweat.

"Okay, Dash, bring down the second set."

Rainbow locked the second set of weights in place, and watched as Applejack did ten more reps. She didn't even seem to be winded at all.

"Bring the next set on down, RD!" Applejack called from the press.

Rainbow locked the third set of weights in place, as Applejack once again began her reps. Steadily, and smoothly, she completed her ten reps, though she was winded at this point.

"Aw man, ya beat me!" Dash called out, her voice containing disappointment.

Applejack, however, had not stopped. "Rainbow", she began, "bring down the next set", confidence in her voice.

Rainbow locked the next weight set in place, 800kgs. "Be careful, AJ."

Applejack nodded, as the weights slowly released. She began her reps, straining, but after a few minutes, had completed all ten. As she brought the pulleys back, she was breathing heavy, sweat pouring from her.

"AJ", Dash said, caution in her voice, "I think you proved your point."

"More! Bring the next ones on down, RD!" Applejack called out as she caught her breath.

"AJ, I don't think that's a good-" Rainbow Dash began, but was interrupted by the orange mare.

"No, now come on, Dash, ah can handle this just fine. Load the next set!"

Dash hesitated, but relented, knowing the earth pony wouldn't give up this easily.

"Okay, but if I see you starting to pass out or anything, I'm going to stop you. Got it?" Dash's tone was stern, but filled with fear as she locked the last set of weights into position. 1000kgs.

Applejack nodded.

The weights slid down in place as Applejack began to press against them. The first three reps weren't too difficult, but as she kept going, Applejack could feel her muscles starting to tremble. Sweat was pouring from everywhere, as she strained to hit the 9th rep. Barely making it, but at the cost of a pulled muscle, she brought her legs back in for the last one. The last rep.

Applejack began to press into the machine, as her right rear leg burned like fire. She was halfway up the track. All she had to do was push a little more. Her legs were trembling fiercely now, as if her whole body were the epicenter of an earthquake. She could feel her forehooves rattling against the hoof holds. She tightened her grip. She had to do this. She had to. She had to finish this rep. She wasn't doing it for herself, she was doing it to show Rainbow something she felt was important. Something she had to prove to her. She pressed harder, her body reaching it's limit.

Rainbow became concerned as she watched Applejack began to twitch, as if her muscles were about to give.

"AJ, you should stop now. You're going to hurt yourself!" she called out plaintively. "Come on, now, stop! You already beat me! You won! You don't have to keep going!"

Applejack replied, through clenched teeth, "Yes, ah do!", her voice straining as she continued pushing against the iron. "Ah... have ta show... you... that ah... am..." she pressed harder, her legs quaking, her breathing shallow. "Ah have... ta show you that ah... am...STRONG!". On the last word, her legs slammed into the weight at full power, so hard that it locked the weights back into their sitting position.

Applejack collapsed onto the ground, sliding out of the padded seat in the process.

Dash was at her side in half a heartbeat.

"AJ! Are you okay?! Come on, talk to me!" Dash called out, gently slapping at Applejack's muzzle, in an attempt to clear her head.

Applejack opened her eyes, though she was still breathing heavily, she looked like she had fought a tornado and lost. Tears had formed at the corners of her eyes, though Rainbow wasn't certain if it wasn't sweat.

"Rainbow..." Applejack began, her voice reedy, "ah had ta prove... to you...", she paused for a moment to take in a gulp of air. Dash let her head down and grabbed the water bottle, making AJ drink several small gulps before letting her continue. "Ah had ta show you that ah was strong. That I was strong enough ta be there fer ya."

Rainbow Dash stared downward at the beautiful mare in her arms, that she was holding as she sat on the cold floor of the weight room. If any other pony were around, they would have thought they'd walked into a love story.

Dash licked her lips. "This is about my parents, isn't it?", she asked, staring at Applejack.

A soft "yes" escaped Applejack's lips.

Rainbow Dash sighed gently, not wanting to make the earth pony think she was upset, because she wasn't. At least, not at her. "AJ. Applejack. Look at me. You don't have to prove anything to me. I know you're strong. You're the strongest pony I know. No one works like you, no one plays like you, not even me. What happened yesterday was not your fault, and you're going to have to let it go. If my parents come around, they'll come around. If they don't, then we'll just know they're not as cool as we are. Besides, we have Violet, who thinks you're awesome."

At the mention of Violet's name, Applejack smiled.

Rainbow gently bopped her in the arm. "Ha! See? You know she cares about you. She likes you, and why wouldn't she? Anypony I like has to be the coolest pony in Equestria, aside from yours truly, of course." She winked at Applejack as she said it.

Applejack sat up and looked around, noting the condition of the two of them.

"Well," she said, "ah can be shore of one thing. We both stink somethin' awful. Ah think we could use a shower, and quite frankly, ah think you should be the first one in."

Rainbow sniffed under her foreleg. She looked up, making a sour face at Applejack. The two mares laughed together, embracing a long moment, before standing up, and grabbing their towels, heading for their suite.

<(/)*()>

After a short elevator ride, they arrived at their suite in the penthouse. Throwing the towels and sweatbands on the floor next to the hamper, Rainbow Dash turned on the water, bringing it to a warm, steamy temperature. She stepped into the shower, closing the door, and grabbing the Mane 'n Tail shampoo. After a moment of just enjoying the hot water, she poured some shampoo into her hoof, and lathered it into her mane.

As she scrubbed her mane, she felt something pull on her tail. Thinking it was just her imagination, she continued scrubbing. It was after the second pull that she realized somepony (or something) was scrubbing her tail. She stretched a hoof out, unable to see due to the shampoo still in her mane, but didn't feel anything. She put her head under the shower nozzle to rinse her face so she could get a better look. As she cleared her face of the soap, and rubbed her eyes to clear them, she found herself face to face with an orange, and very wet, muzzle.

"Hey, sugarcube. Need some help gettin' ta those hard ta' reach places?"

"You know you have your hat on, right?"

"...ah know. Ya want me ta take it off?"

Rainbow Dash said nothing, but instead, simply smiled as she pulled the shower door closed.

<(/)*()>

Dance The Night Away

CHAPTER SEVEN
"Dance the Night Away"

That Same Morning

"Hey Spike! Hurry! Hurry! We don't want to miss buying a map!"

A bright pink pony bounced out of the elevator toward the lobby doors, her short, purple and green companion behind her.

"I'm coming Pinkie! Hold your harness!" he called out, scrambling to keep up with the energetic mare.

Pinkie stopped suddenly, causing Spike to crash into her from behind. He lay on the floor for a moment, as he saw birds flying around his head, tweeting shrilly.

"Oh, don't be silly willy nilly, Spike!", Pinkie Pie said, standing over the little dragon, "I'm not wearing a harness!" She giggled as she pulled him to his feet and they exited the lobby, Spike holding a claw against his forehead.

As they stepped out into the daylight, Spike noticed the sidewalks were packed with other ponies. Some of them appeared to be tourists, what with their cameras, sunglasses, and hats. Spike even saw one very round pony wearing a Hawaiian shirt. He couldn't help but mentally compliment him on his attire.

"Come on, Spike! We're going to miss out!"

Pinkie bounced away, knowing Spike would be right behind her. She glanced about, looking at all of the sights, listening to all of the sounds. Somewhere deep within her mind, she was formulating all the different parties she could have with these ponies.

I wonder if these ponies like pin the tail on the pony? What if they don't like pin the tale on the pony? What if they like pinning tails on other things like walruses or whales? Would I have to go in the water to pin the tail on a whale? How big is a whale tail? Does a walrus have a tail? Can you pin the tail on a tailless walrus that doesn't have a tail anyway? Would that be cheating? What if you could put the tail anywhere? Would a tail be a tail if it was on a walrus head?

Pinkie's thoughts were interrupted as she caught sight of her quarry. On the corner of the street across from where they were standing was a pony wearing sunglasses and a flannel shirt. His blond mane was slicked back, and he wore a large gold necklace with what appeared to be a "stallion" symbol on it. In his hooves were wide strips of folded color paper. Pinkie immediately identified them as what they were: maps!

The sign next to the pony only confirmed her suspicions. It read "Maps to the Stars! 25 bits!". She had found what she had been looking for, and this, of course, made her overwhelmingly happy.

Calling loudly for Spike to follow her, Pinkie darted across the street, and stood in front of the pony who jumped back in surprise upon finding a cloud of pink within centimeters of his own muzzle.

"Hey! Watch out, there, lady!", the stallion called out, his voice filled with surprise and more than a hint of anger.

Pinkie Pie, nonplussed, started in with her questioning. "Hey, there! Are those maps? Maps to the stars? Maps with the names of the stars written on them? Can I go where the stars are if I buy a map? The map you're carrying right there in your hooves! Why aren't you answering? Huh? Huh? Huh? PLEASE GIVE ME A MAP!" She yelled in desperation, as she grabbed his shirt collar. "PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!"

"Fine, lady! Just take the map! Sweet Celestia, I don't know who you are but you're scaring me!", the vendor replied. His hooves trembling, as he began to give her a map.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the map from his trembling, outstretched hoof. Pinkie smiled sweetly in return. "Thank you!" She reached into her saddlebags and tossed 25 bits to him, but he was so shaken that they fell onto the sidewalk.

The pink pony and her dragon trotted off, as the vendor collected his wits, and also the bits that were laying at his hooves. He began to seriously consider a new line of work that wouldn't involved the sheer lunacy of these crazy tourists. He also felt it wise to avoid pink ponies in the future. For his health, if nothing else.

~//~

"Oh, darling, this is divine", Rarity purred as she began to lower herself into the warm, bubbling, effervescent water of the whirlpool tub. Joining her in murmurs of agreement were two of her best friends, Fluttershy and Twilight.

They had kept to their plan of visiting the hotel spa. Having received a Neighponese massage, hot rock therapy, and a horn and hoof filing, they were now relaxing in the hot tub room. Lush, green plants sat in stark contrast to the soft purple walls, and the muted lights. Designs of ancient ponies lined the borders of every wall, with marble columns breaking the purple and green every so many meters. The room itself wasn't very large. In fact, it was rather comfortable and cozy, as if everything that took place outside the room wasn't welcome, that there wasn't any room for it to join the ponies escaping from the world's stresses. It was very nice, very fancy, and likely very expensive.

Rarity felt the hot water work wonders on her muscles as she let it creep all the way up to her neck. Glancing around, she saw similar smiles of delight on her friends' faces. The three mares were silent for a short time as they allowed the jets to relax the tension away. After the events of the previous day, who knew that one had to take a vacation from a vacation?

Fluttershy's soft, sweet voice broke the silence. "Oh, I hope Applejack and Rainbow Dash are having fun together. They really needed to relax, too. Poor Applejack." It was immediately followed by a soft 'eep' as she realized she had spoken her thought out loud.

Rarity and Twilight looked over at the butter yellow mare.

"Whatever do you mean, Fluttershy? What's wrong with Applejack?" Rarity asked her meek friend. Twilight looked at her, in a mutual question of concern, which Rarity nodded back in agreement. They both returned their focus on Fluttershy.

"Oh... it's probably not..." Fluttershy began, her head sinking lower into the water, "very... important." she said, before her head submerged completely.

Twilight looked at Rarity, her eyebrows raised. Looking back at the space where the pegasus had been, she saw bubbles rise to the surface. "Fluttershy, this may be important. You have to tell us."

Bubbles in response.

"Fluttershy, my dear", Rarity began, "if you don't tell us, we'll just have to wait here until you do, and we can wait quite a bit longer than you can hold your breath, love."

Bubbles. Then a light pink mane began to rise up out of the water, followed by the quiet mare herself. She glanced at her two friends for a moment, likely thinking it over, before continuing.

"Okay", she began, an airy sigh escaping her lips. "Yesterday, while Rarity was in her room, changing into her pajamas, and while Twilight was in the kitchen playing cards with Pinkie Pie and Spike, I saw Rainbow Dash and Applejack come in for the night. I don't think they saw me, because I was on the other side of the couch, watching a cute little animal film about bunnies and squirrels, oh they were so adorable, you could just-".

"Um, Fluttershy?", Twilight interrupted gently, "could you tell us the rest of what you saw with Rainbow and AJ?"

Fluttershy dipped her head, as if scolded, but continued, "Oh, I'm sorry. Um... oh yes, Rainbow Dash was holding Applejack's hoof, and she had her foreleg around her neck. Applejack looked like she had been crying, but I've never really seen Applejack look so sad, so I couldn't be sure. They went into Rainbow Dash's bedroom and closed the door, and that's what I saw."

Her voice trailed off as she glanced downward at the bubbly water, letting herself get lost in it for a moment.

Rarity and Twilight gave each other similar looks of concern.

"I wonder what could have possibly made Applejack so sad?" Rarity asked her purple friend. "I've seen her exhausted, angry, and even a little melancholy over matters of her farm, or her work, but we're on a fabulous vacation in one of the most beautiful, and largest cities in Equestria. What could make her sad out here?"

Twilight put a hoof to her chin. "Could she be homesick?", she proffered, rubbing her hoof with her chin.

"Hmm, I'm not certain", Rarity replied, her voice filled with deep concern for her delightfully rustic friend.

Twilight's eyes narrowed as she poured more mental energy into the problem. Finally, she smacked her hoof down, forgetting for a moment that they were sitting in water, and in the process, splashed her friends. "I've got it!" she said, her voice triumphant.

Rarity, whose hair was sopping wet, gave Twilight a flat stare. "Oh, do go on."

Twilight grinned sheepishly and uttered an apology before continuing. "Sorry Rarity. I guess I got excited." She cleared her throat and began in a professorial tone. "We all know that Rainbow Dash took Applejack to see her parents yesterday. Could something have happened at her parents' house to cause Applejack's inexplicable bout of sadness?"

Rarity nodded. "Yes, I suppose it could."

Twilight continued. "If that's the case, it's possible that something bad happened. Something that would hurt Applejack. What if Rainbow's parents rejected her? Or insulted her?"

Rarity and Fluttershy glanced at each other, alarm on their faces.

"What do you suppose could cause something like that? Who would insult somepony like Applejack?"

Twilight continued, encouraged by her scenario. "What if Rainbow Dash told them about their relationship? Remember when we found out? We were happy for them, but we're their friends, and seeing them happy makes us happy, but what if it's different out here where Dash only gets to see her parents every so many years? Maybe they don't know about Rainbow, or about how she feels towards other mares, Applejack in particular? It could be disastrous!"
Rarity nodded. "Yes, I see. I do have a question, my dear, what about Violet Tempest? She was an absolute gem when we met her yesterday. She was thrilled with her big sister, and seemed to be rather fond of Applejack as well."

"Well", Twilight began, once more rubbing her chin before speaking, "Violet is much younger. Her generation has become accustomed to seeing different ponies in different types of relationships. While Princess Celestia has always felt that love is love, and that everypony should be allowed to love another pony regardless of their appearance, beliefs, or gender, the older generations seem to have trouble with that concept. It was something the Princess and I discussed at length when I went on my first date all those years ago."

Rarity and Fluttershy perked up at this bit of information.

"Your first date? Twilight, you must tell us about this!" Rarity practically squealed.

"Oh my, yes, please tell us, Twilight! I mean... if you want to, that is." Fluttershy interjected softly, both her and Rarity momentarily forgetting the problem they were trying to solve.

Twilight blushed. "Oh, I didn't mean for that to blurt out", she said, panic in her voice.

With a glimmer of mischief in her cerulean eyes, and a flutter of her long, graceful lashes, Rarity had Twilight in the proverbial corner. "Oh, my dear, there is no escaping this. Your two dear friends have heard you open up about a previous romance, and we simply must know the details. All of them!" she finished as she squee'd, her voice reaching a high pitch as she clapped her forehooves together.

Fluttershy merely blushed at the display, letting part of her pink mane cover her eye and the rest of her sweet, round, and innocent baby face.

After glaring at Rarity for a few more moments, Twilight finally threw both hooves into the air, and again splashing her companions with water, before finally giving in. "Fine", she grumbled, "but what I tell you doesn't leave this room. Understood?"

Both Rarity and Fluttershy nodded.

"Pinkie Pie swear."

In unison, both Rarity and Fluttershy went through the motions of the Pinkie Pie promise:

"Cross my heart, hope to fly,
stick a cupcake in my eye."

Satisfied that they were now beholden to a Pinkie promise, Twilight leaned back, letting the hot water sooth her aching back, as she began to tell them the story of her very first date.

~//~

Canterlot Castle, Twilight's Room
10 Years Ago

"Princess, I don't want to dance with a colt!" a filly Twilight Sparkle was hanging her head, speaking toward the floor, as she continued whining. "Colts are weird."

"My dear Twilight Sparkle", her celestial mentor replied softly, "this colt isn't any ordinary colt. He's the son of a very dear friend of mine, one who has just returned from a long and dangerous journey across thousands of kilometers. I normally would not ask this of you, but you are the only other pony anywhere near his son's age, and I would feel terrible if that young colt had to be all alone in a room full of other ponies, particularly if I knew of one pony his age who could be a friend to him."

Twilight merely sniffled.

Celestia continued, using her most cajoling tone. "I mean, after all, who else could I trust this responsibility to, if not my most prized pupil? Come now, Twilight, surely you can help me in welcoming this young colt and his family home? You've been to many of these galas, and I know how well you've behaved, and how many other ponies you have impressed. Can't you do this once more, for me, to welcome my friend home?"

Twilight sniffled once more, but this time, she raised her head and replied. "Do I get to wear my favorite dress? The one with the pretty purple stars and moons on it?"

Celestia smiled warmly. "Yes, my faithful student, you can wear your favorite dress."

Later that evening, as they arrived at the location of the Harvest Moon Gala, Twilight began to feel butterflies in her stomach. Who is this colt? Why is he so important, and why does the Princess feel it necessary for me to look after him like I'm some kind of foalsitter?, she wondered. For a moment, she thought about Cadance, and wondered if she ever felt this way about her.

Knowing that her favorite, bestest foalsitter in the whole wide world of Equestria would have never thought such things about her, Twilight felt a pang of guilt, that scattered the butterflies already in her stomach. No, I won't be that way, either. I'll be nice to him. After all, it's just one night."

Trotting up the walkway next to Celestia, Twilight saw her begin to greet a couple of ponies she hadn't seen before. Looking in front of her, she saw a strong, dark blue stallion, next to a light cream mare. She could tell they were from out of town because she knew every pony in Canterlot, having attended countless galas, balls, celebrations, and other things the upper class ponies frittered away their time doing. It was all rather boring really, but that thought was banished from her mind as she saw the young colt standing next to the mare.

He was a light powder blue pegasus, with green eyes, and a royal blue mane. He seemed bashful, standing close to his mother. Twilight was unsure about what to do or say next. Fortunately, that wasn't a problem much longer.

"Twilight, why don't you and young Soarin go play? Maybe dance in the main hall, or visit the buffet table?" Princess Celestia's warm, encouraging voice was heard from above.

Twilight nodded to the Princess, nuzzled her, and slowly made her way over to the young colt, trying not to spook him. "Hello", she began, "um... my name is Twilight Sparkle. You must be Soarin'."

The powder blue colt hesitated a moment before being nudged by his mother. "Be polite, and introduce yourself to the young filly, Soarin'".

He inched his way toward Twilight, and bowed lightly, his legs trembling slightly. "Hello, um, Twilight, my name is, uh, Soarin'." He rubbed the back of his neck with his foreleg.

"Aw, see? She's a nice filly. Now go and have fun, you two!" Soarin's mother called as she, her husband, and Princess Celestia began walking away, toward the other end of the garden.

The two young ponies began to walk toward the hall entrance.

"So, um, where are you from, Soarin'?" Twilight began.

"Oh, um, I'm from, I mean, my dad and mom are from here. I was born in Coltifornia, and lived there for a few years, before going to Marexico. I've also lived in Neighpon, Germaney, and Corsica. Yesterday, we came back here. Oh, uh, I guess you know that part." Soarin' replied, looking away and rolling his eyes at the absent minded silliness of his remark.

Twilight giggled. "I see. You traveled around quite a bit. Is your dad a diplomat?"

Soarin nodded. "Yeah, we moved around a lot. I got to meet a lot of other ponies. Went to a lot of different schools." He trailed off a moment, but then returned his attention back to the filly.

"So, uh, are you from Canterlot, Twilight?"

Twilight smiled, happy to talk about her family. "Oh, yes. I was born here. My father and mother live in the northern part of the city. My brother lives at Canterlot Academy. He's training to become a royal guard. Someday he'll be Captain and have lots of soldier ponies at his command!"

Soarin' looked impressed. "Whoa! That's majorly cool! I don't know anypony in the guard!"

Twilight raised her head high, "Well, now you do", she said with pride, before lowering it a bit, "uh, sorta." She grinned a sheepish grin as they moved around the other guest ponies, making their way into the dance hall.

As they began dancing a simple two step, they continued getting to know one another. Soarin' talked about wanting to join the Royal Air Guard, like his mother.

"Yeah, I like flying really fast. I could be a lot of help in the Royal Air Guard." he said, a confident smile on his face.

Twilight nodded, "That's definitely the place for fast flyers. That and the Wonderbolts."

Soarin' raised his eyebrows at her comment. "The Wonderbolts? Nah. They're cool and stuff, but they're too flashy for me. Plus, all that training every day? No thanks."

Twilight giggled. "Silly, you would have to train for the Royal Air Guard."

Soarin' smirked. "Yeah, but... um... wait... um..."

At his confusion, both ponies began laughing. A few seconds later, Soarin heard his tummy grumbling. He looked up and saw the buffet table off to the side of the room.

"Hey Twilight, um, do you think we could go to the buffet table? I'm kinda hungry."

Twilight smiled. "Sure, let's see what they have this time!" she said, feeling a bit of an echo in her tummy, as well.

As they walked over to the table, Soarin' looked at Twilight. "You know, Twilight, you're awfully nice" he began, then realizing what he was saying, added quickly, "uh, you know, for a filly." he finished, looking from side to side.

Twilight, blushing, said nothing as they reached the table.

"Ooh! They have pie!" Soarin' called out as he glanced upward at the table, unable to reach the top, even though he was now hovering a few inches off the floor. "Do you think you can help me reach it, Twilight?" he asked, an almost pleading look in his eyes.

Twilight couldn't see the pie, so she couldn't teleport it from up there to down here, or vice versa.

"What do you suggest we do?" she asked the powder blue colt next to her.

He scratched his mane. "Um, oh, I know! You could get on my shoulders and I could lift you up to where the pie is, and you can bring it down!"

Looking uncertain, Twilight figured it was the best chance they had, short of asking another pony to help, and none of them looked too willing to help a couple of young ponies.

She sighed. "Okay, I guess we can do that. Just don't get my dress dirty. This is my favorite", she said in an admonishing tone.

Soarin' merely nodded as Twilight began to climb onto his back, taking care not to step on his wing muscles. She could almost see over the table. "A little more", she called out beneath her, and felt herself lift up a couple of centimeters.

"A little more" she called out again, hearing Soarin' grunt as he lifted higher.

"This is as far as I can go, Twilight", he called out, his voice thick and strained.

Finally, she had a clear view of the pie.

"Okay, hold steady, this will take a few seconds", she said to the royal blue mane beneath her.

Staring at the pie, Twilight focused all of her concentration. After a few moments, the pie began to glow a soft purple.

"Hurry!" she heard beneath her.

"Shh!" she replied harshly, without moving her lips.

Focusing intently, she began to move the pie slowly, centimeter by centimeter, from the center of the table toward the outer edge. Almost there, she thought to herself.

As she brought it to the edge, she began to lift it slowly, and was about to bring it completely off the table, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw another pony bump the table. Breaking her concentration, the pie dropped, but instead of dropping on the table, it dropped right on her hooves. She yelped and pulled them back in pain, realizing that she had let go of the table.

Soarin', startled by the yelp of pain, jumped back as Twilight grabbed onto the table cloth for support, and in the process, pulling it downward.

What followed felt like a dream sequence. Almost with a detached point of view, Twilight watched as first the pie, then a cake, and a bowl of punch, careened over the side and landed right on top of her, the punch splashing all over her favorite dress.

As she sat up slowly, she saw her now deep red stained dress, covered in cake and pie, her mane sticky and gooey. She began to cry. Wails and tears emanating from the poor filly as everypony in the room stopped and stared at her. Her, the prized pupil of Princess Celestia, covered in cake and punch, as the result of a colt making her do stupid things and getting her favorite dress ruined.

"I'm so sorry, Twilight!" she heard a young colt's voice as she ran from the hall, too embarrassed to live. She didn't return to the gala the rest of the night. Princess Celestia had come up to her room at one point and did her best to comfort her, explaining that the royal clothiers could clean her dress, and even if they couldn't, they would gladly make her a new dress just like that one.

Twilight wouldn't be mollified. She was done with colts. Done with trying to make friends. All it lead to was embarrassment.

~//~

"So that was your very first date? Oh, that's horrible, Twilight!" Rarity said as her friend finished her tale.

"Oh my, how awful", Fluttershy chimed in, a sorrowful look on her face.

"I'm so sorry I made you recall that, dear. It sounds absolutely traumatizing!" the snow white mare interjected, her voice apologetic.

"It's alright, girls", Twilight began, holding up a hoof, "I can look back and laugh on it, now. Still, it wasn't what you would call a pleasant experience."

The other two mares nodded in agreement.

"Still", Rarity stated, a twinkle in her eye, "we're glad you decided to give friendship another try, and at the very least", she continued, mischief in her voice, "you don't have to worry about random bowls of punch attacking you in a dance hall."

The three mares giggled.
"This has been wonderful", Fluttershy cooed. "Still," she continued, "what can we about poor Applejack?"

The three ponies began to step out of the hot water, taking the towels sitting next to them and drying off. That was still a matter to be considered.

<(/)*()>

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To the Forum

CHAPTER EIGHT
"A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum"

"Where are we, Pinkie Pie?", Spike asked the party pony as they made their way through yet another quiet neighborhood. They had been walking for hours, and for what felt like a thousand kilometers, looking to spot any famous pony that had casually wondered outside of their fancy, secluded homes.

"Hmm...", Pinkie said aloud, scratching her chin as she consulted her map. "If I'm reading this correctly..." she began, flipping the map upside down, and then right side up again, "then I would have to say..." she flipped it over and began reading the text in the bottom corner. "We're in Rand McNally."

Spike's jaw dropped. "You mean we're lost?!" He smacked his claw against his brow.

Pinkie Pie shook her head. "Of course not, silly willy! I know exactly where we are! We're right here!"

Spike looked around, past the lovely homes and green, well trimmed lawns, hoping to find a passerby who would point them in the right direction. Seeing nopony else around, he glared at Pinkie Pie, who was busy tasting the air.

"So what do we do now, Pinkie Pie? We can't get lost! Twilight and the others will be expecting us back at the hotel. She promised me ice cream!" The purple dragon threw up his claws in exasperation.

Pinkie, meanwhile, had spotted a house with a carriage in the driveway. That meant somepony was home. Without waiting on Spike, she began hopping toward the front door of the house, over the gladiolas in the landscape, and landing squarely on the porch, her nose mere centimeters from the large glass double doors.

She pressed the doorbell.

"Pinkie!", Spike called out as he sprinted to catch up with her, and was now huffing and puffing beside her. "What", , "are you doing?!"

Pinkie's smile beamed. "I'm seeing if this nice pony will help us find our way back to the hotel, Spikey!"

She rang the doorbell again. There was still no answer.

"Maybe nopony is home", Spike said, as he half hid behind the pink pony, just in case the owner was disgruntled about being disturbed.

Pinkie Pie wasn't certain. So, to be sure, she pressed the doorbell again, and again. This went on for a few minutes, with Pinkie pressing the doorbell, waiting with a wide smile, the smile deflating after silence, and then repeating the process.

In a bid of slight frustration, she began pressing the doorbell button rapidly, setting off a high pitched dinging sound that made her appear to be the winning contestant on a game show. Finally, the doorbell had suffered enough, and the spring popped, the brass plating which held the button breaking in two, and a short spark as the button itself shot off into the grass behind them.

"Hmm..." Pinkie murmured, scratching her chin once more.

"They may not be home, Pinkie", Spike offered, hoping she would take the hint and they could move on elsewhere.

"Hmm... no, I don't think that's right, Spike", the peppy pony began, "in fact", she added, pulling a detective's hat from her saddlebags and placing it on her fluffy pink mane, "I believe we've stumbled upon a mystery!" A crack of thunder accompanied the last word, and Spike quickly glanced around to see nothing but clear, blue skies. He scratched his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe they're just not home", he offered again, knowing that she would be unconvinced.

For a moment, Pinkie was silent, her eyes narrow, her jaw moving back and forth, her tail beginning to twitch back and forth as she poured all of her mental energy into whatever fantasy she had began to concoct inside that head of hers.

Finally, she spoke. "Spike! To the window!" she called, raising a hoof into the air, and dashing off the porch.

Spike was wholly unprepared for that.

"Where are you going? What window?!" he asked, panic in his voice. It would not do for them to be sneaking around somepony's home.

Ignoring his question, Pinkie sidled up to the nearest window and pressed her face against the glass, giving her a good view inside the home.

"Ooh, Spike! This place has all sorts of neat, shiny stuff!" she called behind her, her muzzle still pressed up against the glass, rendering her speech unintelligible.

Across the street, an old mare was watching intently at the two figures standing against the window of her neighbor's house. One of them was some kind of amalgamated pink abomination who seemed unable to control her body movements, or the volume of her voice. Either that or she really had to use the restroom. The other figure was very short, and appeared to be a dragon. She had never seen them before, but the simple fact that one of them was a dragon was a sign of danger. Dragons were no-goodniks!

Out of concern, she picked up the message pad on her desk, to contact the nearest Los Pegasus police station. As she scribbled the message and let the magic teleport it away, she looked out the window and saw the pair going around the side of the house. She shook her head. What fool idiots would try to break into a house in the middle of the afternoon, and not just any house, but the home of the Deputy Director of the Los Pegasus S.W.A.T. team?

<(/)*()>

They had just finished their shower, and were taking a seat at the small kitchen counter when they heard the elevator door open in the main entrance to the penthouse suite.

"Rainbow Dash, Applejack, are you here?" they heard the querying call of Rarity, the socialite pony's voice filled echoed off the walls.

Applejack looked at Dash for a moment with a questioning glance, wondering what the fashion mare could possibly want.

Rainbow Dash merely shrugged in an "I don't know" response, as they stood up, and cantered into the main living area.

"Yeah, we're here", Dash called out, seeing Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy all turn toward their direction at the same time. They had looks of concern on their faces, and Dash found it more than a bit freaky when they all began walking toward her and Applejack.

Fluttershy began cooing softly. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, Applejack. We want you to know how much we love you, and want you to be happy."

"Indeed, my dear, " Rarity said, stepping up next to Fluttershy, "you know that you can always talk to any of us if you find yourself facing the horrible inequities of life." She paused, placing a foreleg on her head, and fell backward, as if fainting from the stress, onto a waiting couch.

"That's what friends are for. We're all in this together, and we'll overcome this problem through the magic of friendship!", Twilight finished, a determined smile on her face. The three of them stared at the two lovers, as if waiting for their reaction.

"Uh, come again?", Applejack asked, her southern drawl filled with confusion.

"Yeah, what are you guys talkin' about?" Rainbow spoke up.

The three mares looked at one another. Twilight looked at Fluttershy, who blushed and ducked her head. Twilight turned back to a waiting Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

"Uh, you see, girls," she began, rubbing a hoof on the back of her neck, "Fluttershy told us about yesterday, when, uh," she paused, finding it difficult to continue, but pressing on, "Applejack started crying, eh heh", she finished, trying to clear her throat and not succeeding very well.

Applejack's eyes grew wide. In response, Fluttershy's meep could be heard from underneath a coffee table.

Rainbow Dash put her hoof on Applejack's shoulder and looked at her, nodding.

Letting out a sigh, Applejack turned back to her three friends. "Yeah, ah was cryin' yesterday. Ah didn't know anypony had seen me."

Another meep emanated from underneath the coffee table.

"Aw, now, Fluttershy, come on out, ah ain't mad", Applejack called in the direction of the table. "Y'all are mah friends, and ah don't hide no secrets from ya."

Applejack sat down on the couch, Rainbow Dash sitting next to her. The other ponies followed suit, save for Fluttershy, who was still underneath the table.

"Ya see," Applejack began, her hat in her hooves, "ya all know Rainbow and Ah visited her kin yesterday. At first, things were goin' really good, and Ah felt like Ah was a makin' progress of a sorts with 'em. They were all friendly like, and we was gettin' along mighty fine."

"It was my fault, really." Rainbow Dash interjected.

Applejack shook her head. "Nah. Ah appreciate it Rainbow, but ya know it wasn't yer fault. It was mine. In the middle of supper, Ah blurted out that Ah loved Rainbow, and that she was mah marefriend. It durn near killed 'em, ah'd wager. They looked like a herd o' cattle caught in the headlight of a train, and ah watched as their faces turned ta frowns and anger, all 'xcept fer the young'un, Violet."

Tears began to form at the edges of her eyes.

Rainbow Dash ran a comforting hoof through her marefriend's mane.

"It was just so uncool what they did", Dash filled in, her gaze still on Applejack, "I woulda never thought my parents would do that to one of my friends. Not just a friend, but the most important and coolest friend in my life."

"Don't you worry, Applejack. There's nothing that the magic of friendship can't fix", Twilight said to her friend, hope and determination in her voice.

"That's so very true, darling", Rarity added, "friendship can overcome anything."

"Oh, and we're the best of friends!", Fluttershy said, wrapping her arms around Applejack.

"They're going to have to accept you, AJ, because I ain't letting you go!" said Rainbow Dash as she took Applejack's hat from her hooves and placed it on her head.

Applejack looked up at her friends, a small smile on her face. "So what are y'all gonna do?"
Rainbow Dash's expression went blank for a moment, then she looked up at Twilight. "Yeah, what are we going to do? My parents can be pretty stubborn, just like me."

Rarity and Fluttershy's gazes turned toward Twilight, and she realized she had put herself on the spot with her determination to resolve this problem for her friends.

So she raised her head, and stomped her hoof on the tile floor. "I'm going to lecture them! And when I'm finished, they'll have no choice but to accept Applejack as their very own! Tomorrow morning, we're going to go to Rainbow Dash's parents' house, and we're going to show them what true friendship is all about!"

Cheers went up from the small group, and for the moment, the mood was light again. Rainbow Dash squeezed her marefriend and gave her a kiss on her muzzle. Fluttershy blushed and made her way to her own room, as Rarity went into the kitchen to prepare a light dinner for everypony.

Twilight looked at the adoring couple for a moment, before a thought struck her.

"That reminds me", she said aloud, breaking the quiet that had settled in the room, "has anypony seen Pinkie Pie or Spike?"

<(/)*()>

"Freeze! You are surrounded! This is the Los Pegasus police department!"

"Gah!" Spike yelped out in surprise as his claws shot straight into the air.

Pinkie Pie, however, just bounced in place, as a group of ponies dressed in all blue, and wearing protective helmets began to approach the pair.

"Hee hee! Don't be silly! This isn't the police department! It's just a house!"

The voice of the lead officer rang out over the megaphone, this time a slight puzzlement to his voice. "Uh... no, you don't understand. We're the Los Pegasus police department! We have you surrounded. Raise your hooves above your head, and put yourselves up against the wall."

Pinkie Pie giggled, "You do the pony pokey and you turn yourself around, that's what it's all about. Yay!"

Spike, for his part, was already against the wall, claws against the siding. He turned his head. "Pinkie! These ponies aren't playing! You have to put your hooves up and get against the wall!"

Pinkie, though, was having none of it. She began bouncing toward the lead officer, who started to step backward in surprise, calling out to the pink mare. "Stay back! Do not approach! Put your hooves up and lay down on the ground!"

"And turn yourself around", Pinkie continued to sing.

Overhead, the Los Pegasus air division dived downward, in order to head off the mare who appeared to be attacking the squad commander. At the last second, however, Pinkie bounced out of the way, and the team of Pegasi crashed into one another.

"Whee!", the party pony said, bouncing up behind a dazed pegasus. She touched him on the head with her hoof. "Tag! Now you're it!" she said with a grin, bouncing away. Several officers began to move in, trying to grab and tackle the mare, to no avail. Pinkie merely bounced sideways, over, under, and in one case, around, the other ponies as they attempted to reign her in.

Chaos reigned everywhere, as a dozen police ponies were lying on the ground, dazed and confused, with a pink pony singing and dancing around them, while a purple and green dragon was plastered against the wall of the house.

Finally, out of sheer desperation, a police pony threw a net over top of her, bringing the hyper pony down to the ground.

"Please remain still!" the officer commanded as he tried to cuff Pinkie's hooves.

"Ooh! Is this like Simon Says?!" Pinkie asked excitedly.

The officer's eyes shifted back and forth for a moment before replying. "Um...yes. Simon Says please remain still!"

With that, the pink pony stopped skittering about. "Okey dokey, lokey!" was all she said, as a big smile appeared on her face.

As they were cuffed, and lead to the paddywagon, Spike couldn't help but notice an old grey mare sitting across the street in a lawn chair. She appeared to be laughing.

Spike huffed, too ashamed to keep watching the odd mare.

The officer who was leading him to the paddywagon began to read him his rights. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used in a court of law. You have the right to legal representation. If you waive that right, you may represent yourself. Do you understand these rights?"

Spike nodded sullenly as he was helped into the carriage. Twilight was going to be so upset. Spike had never been to jail before, and now Twilight wasn't ever going to trust him again. That is, if he ever got out.

As the carriage began to move, Spike stared out the back, through the bars, wondering how long he would be stuck in jail. Next to him, Pinkie Pie was giggling and humming.

He hoped above hope that they at least gave him his own cell.

<(/)*()>

Two Tickets to Paradise

CHAPTER NINE
"Two Tickets to Paradise"

Spike sat sullenly on the bench inside the paddy wagon. His arms cuffed, all he could do was look around forlornly, wishing to be anywhere other than where he was right then. The matter was made all the worse by Pinkie Pie, who was bouncing around inside the paddy wagon, and peering out the grating in the back. It reminded him of the tourists on the sightseeing bus he had taken when they had first arrived in Los Pegasus.

"Spike! Look!" Pinkie Pie called out to him from the back of the paddy wagon, "Everything looks like I'm looking at it through a waffle! I love waffles! Don't you? Of course you do! Everypony loves waffles! They're super duper deliciously fun and waffley good! Mmm! Ooh! You know what would be fun?! If we could all live in a land of waffles! There would be waffle streets, waffle clouds, waffle houses, waffle trees, and when it would rain, it would rain maple syrup! We could eat waffle cones, waffle candy, waffle apples... okay, not waffle apples, but we could put apples on our waffles! Oh! Oh! Spike! What if we took apples and waffles, and smushed them together! We could call them Wapples! Or maybe Affles. Hey Spike, which sounds better? Wapples or Affles? Wapples or Affles? Wapples.."

Spike couldn't stand anymore.

"Pinkie Pie!" he shouted, "can you calm down for just a minute, please?! Don't you realize we're going to jail?! I'm just a baby dragon, I can't go to jail! What's worse is that Twilight's going to be so angry with me! Who wants a number one assistant who's also a number one felon?! It's all over!"

At this, Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing and giggled.

"Oh, Spike, don't be silly! There are at least a couple of chapters left before the story resolution."

She resumed her bouncing.

Spike tilted his head to the side and stared at the pink pony, wondering how much of reality she had completely disregarded up there in that puffy mane of hers.

"Um, Pinkie, the ponies pulling the wagon are police. They're taking us to jail because they think we were trying to break into that house back there," he replied, pointing a claw in the direction of the neighborhood long out of view.

Pinkie Pie cocked her head and stared at him like a dog would stare at a funny noise. She then scratched her chin with her back hoof, again, much like a dog would when scratching an itch. Suddenly, she perked up.

"Ooh, that reminds me! I have to ask the police ponies something really, really important!"

She bounded toward the front of the paddy wagon and, without warning, completely disappeared from sight. Spike rubbed his eyes, and blinked a couple of times. He was about to investigate the area toward the front of the paddy wagon where she had vanished into thin air, but a moment later he was caught off guard when the paddy wagon jolted and swerved sideways, upending, and finally landing on it's side, throwing Spike against the grating. The force of the impact was enough to knock the lock loose, sending the dragon flying out the back, and landing hard on the ground, rolling to a stop.

He lay there for a minute, catching his breath and watching the tiny blue pegasi spinning around his head. When the whole of Equestria stopped spinning so quickly, he sat up, rubbed his head, and looked around.

He could see the overturned wagon off to the side, the free wheel spinning lazily. He got to his feet and hurried over to the front of the wagon, worried that the Pinkie Pie and the police ponies had been injured. As he approached, and then knelt beside them, examining them carefully (having taken an introductory first aid course thanks to Twilight), he concluded that the police ponies seemed unhurt, but were definitely unconscious.

What captured his immediate attention, however, was the bright pink pony, hopping in place and looking them over with what appeared to be mock concern.

"Um, Pinkie?! What happened! How did you get out of the wagon? Why did we crash?" Spike asked as he stood, trying to look over the excited mare to see if she had any scrapes or bruises.

"Ooh! Lots of questions! Is this a game?!" she asked, her voice rising in pitch at the prospect of another "game".

Spike nodded. "Um, sure! So, uh, tell me your answers." After a final check, he felt she was okay, and he began to wonder whether the pony was invincible like some kind of robot zombie or something.

Pinkie put her hoof to her chin. "Hmm..." she began, "We crashed. I just did, silly, and we crashed because the nice police ponies were surprised to see me walking backward in front of them! Did I win?!"

"Sure, whatever", Spike said, rubbing his head from trying to process her answers. A dull ache in tyhe back of his head had began to make itself known.

"Pinkie, what are we supposed to do now? We've been in a crash, the police ponies are knocked out, and we were being carted off to jail!"

Pinkie stomped her hoof in the grass, raised the other above her head, and said with a seriousness Spike hadn't seen since the day the parasprites invaded Ponyville, "we have to call the police!" She held her gaze firm for a second, before looking upward, putting a hoof to her chin. "Oh wait, no, they are the police. Hmm. Who do you call when the police need the police?" she asked, a quizzical expression on her face.

Spike shrugged. "Iohknow, Coast Guard?" The dull ache had become a sharp pain.

"Are there police for the police? Do they have different uniforms? I wonder what kind of hats they wear", the pink mare continued her rambling, "Oh, wait, I know! Police ponies have to go to the doctor when they get sick! So all we have to do is call an ambulance! A big white ambulance with sirens that go Woo!Woo!Woo!"

"Pinkie, I think we need to be serious." Spike's vision began to blur.

"I am being serious, you super silly! I...", she stopped as she saw Spike start to wobble on his feet. "Um, are you okay, Spike?"

Spike held a claw to his head. "I don't know. I'm feeling kinda weird. Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought."

Before he could say anything else, the baby dragon fainted in the grass.

Pinkie took on a worried expression, looking around to see if there was anypony who could help. Seeing nopony, she realized that she would have to do everything herself. She had to get Spike and the police ponies to the hospital.

She had to be a mare of action.

-//-

Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy, were standing on the sidewalk, in front of the modest home that belonged to Dash's parents.

"Is everypony ready to change some perspectives?!"
"Absolutely!"
"Aw yeah!"
"Ah'm ready, Ah guess!"
"Um... okay, you know, if you want to. "

Just as Twilight took her first step, a flash of purple shot from the house to the sidewalk in front of them.
The mares jumped back, with Rainbow Dash taking a defensive mare-tial arts position.

They all blinked at once. It was Violet.

"Wait, please! I want to take a stand with you!", she said, a plaintive cry in her voice.

Rainbow Dash floated over and grabbed her sister in a hug. "You bet, little sis! You'll make us all at least 20% cooler!" she said, and rubbed the young filly's mane. Everypony took that moment to look upward, their gazes focused toward one particular part of the sky, before looking back toward the house.

"Agreed. You're part of the group!", Twilight said with finality.

Together, they turned toward the porch and began to walk with determination toward the front door. Twilight was the first to reach it, and the first to ring the doorbell.

After a few moments, the door swung open, and they were standing face to face with Dash's mother. Thin, dark tracks under her eyes gave the appearance that she had been crying. In her hoof was a tissue, and her voice was filled with hollow emptiness as she spoke. "Have you returned to yell at us?" she asked, dabbing her eyes with her tissue, "because I'm not certain we can handle any more of that."

Twilight's eyes widened. ""Actually, uh..." she began, momentarily caught off guard, "Ms. Sunset Wind, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and we're here to...well...". She didn't want to say "lecture", because everypony always thought of it as a bad thing. Twilight felt otherwise. A lecture was an opportunity to make a wrong into a right, to correct an error, to become aware of one's mistake and have it rectified.

As she stood here now, though, and looked into the puffy red eyes of Dash's mother, she couldn't quite see it that way. She was about to apologize, when she was cut off by Rarity, who had stepped in and filled the gap.

"Madam, my name is Rarity, and I am a dear friend of your daughter Rainbow Dash. I am also a dear friend of Applejack, despite her chosen fashion, of course", she stated offhandedly, receiving a quick glare from Applejack.

"Ahem, as I was saying", she continued, "I am their friend, a dear friend, an almost irreplaceable friend". As she spoke, the other mares rolled their eyes. "And even still, I must say that we're not here to yell at you. Quite the contrary, we want to speak words of love to you, words filled with hope, and romance, the ideas of scholars and poets made manifest in your hearts and minds, to abscond with the dreary dour thoughts of-"

"Ma'am, we're here to prove to ya that Rainbow's and mah love, well, that our love is real." Applejack finished, interrupting Rarity's well intentioned, if slightly meandering, soliloquy. "Mah friends will tell ya just how much we care about one another. Ah'm a hopin' that if Rainbow and Ah cain't prove it to ya, that our friends can at least tell ya that we ain't just sayin' it to give th' hogs somethin' ta nibble on."

Sunset stared at Applejack for a moment, and looked down at the other mares gathered in front of her. Finally, she settled her gaze on her youngest daughter. Violet was staring right into her eyes, and she could feel this bright sense of purpose there. She had always taught her daughter to stand up for what she believed in. If she failed her now by disregarding those words, then she had failed completely in everything, and she wasn't going to let that happen. So with resignation, she stepped back and motioned them inside.

"Please come in. I will make us some tea, and we can talk. While I can't promise you anything else, I can promise you that much."

The six ponies stepped inside the Dash home, and made their way to the living room, taking seats on the lovely plush furniture.

They sat in the living room, in various states of discomfort, not knowing what to do or say now that they had been graciously invited inside.

Quite frankly, I didn't think we would get to this point right away. I hope this is a good sign, Twilight thought to herself as she tried to find places to sit her hooves without appearing antsy.

"Twilight, dear, you're being a mite antsy. Relax." came a soft, cultured whisper to her right. It was the voice of Rarity.

Well, there goes that.

A moment later, Sunset entered the room with a tray loaded down with silver cups, and a beautiful silver decanter, steam rising out of the spout.

"I hope you like Earl Neigh, it's a favorite of Violet's", she said gently, as she sat the tea on the coffee table in front of the mares, who had mostly positioned themselves on the, soft and plush, forest green couch.

"I-" Twilight began, but was interrupted by Sunset.

"Miss Sparkle, before we begin, let us take a moment to pour the tea, and situate ourselves. If we're going to discuss something distressing, let us do with some measure of relaxation. Perhaps it shall ease the discomfort so many of you feel toward myself and my husband."

They all sat together, for a moment, as Sunset poured a cup for each pony and passed it around. Twilight received hers last, and she took a moment to sniff the aroma as she saw Sunset pouring a cup for herself .

Twilight leaned in slightly, bringing the cup close to her muzzle. The aroma was sharp, but fragrant. She could detect a touch of honeysuckle. She figured it was there to lighten the heavier bitter taste of Earl Neigh, and add a bit of sweetness to the normally astringent brew.

As she took a sip, she could feel the hot tea coat her throat. The warmth spread to her shoulder muscles, and she could feel herself begin to relax. As they sat in silence, drinking their tea, Twilight glanced around the living room. She saw a large picture over the wall, above the fireplace. It was a picture of the Dash family. In it, was a younger Dusk Thunder and Sunset Wind, their forelegs around the children; a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and braces on her teeth, and in her hooves, a lavender foal with a silver, black, and purple mane wearing a pink and purple onesie, her tiny hoof resting on her father's.

She let her gaze wander over to a large shelf, loaded for bear with antiques and knick-knacks, tiny collectibles from various family vacations and school functions. She noticed a small trophy that said "1st Place - Championship Spelling Bee - Rainbow Dash", and surprise registered on her face for a moment before she glanced over to her friend, who was merely looking into her empty tea cup.

Twilight let a small smile break the somber expression she had been wearing. Life was full of surprises, and, big or small, only Celestia knew where and when anypony could happen upon them.

She looked back toward her own tea cup, looking up for a moment, only to notice that Sunset Wind was looking at her. A second later, Twilight realized she had been watching her the entire time. Just as she was about to say something, Sunset Wind spoke.

"Miss Twilight", she began, her voice gentle, with a soft, lilting quality to it as she spoke, "I'm not a monster. My husband is not a monster. I don't know if you are aware of what is going on, or how much Rainbow Dash has told you, but we don't hate her. We don't hate Miss Applejack. Quite the contrary, we like her. We find it gratifying that our eldest daughter has made so many friends so far away from home."

"Then why are you afraid of Rainbow Dash loving Applejack?" Twilight asked, taking another sip of her tea.

Sunset took a breath and sat forward a touch, setting her tea cup and saucer down on the serving tray before beginning.

"My dear, we're not afraid of their love."

"You seemed afraid when we told you yesterday," Rainbow Dash spoke up, her eyes still looking toward her tea cup, but a rough edge was evident in her voice, "in fact, I seem to recall that you were ashamed of me for loving another mare. Were you?" she finished speaking, clipping the last words with a sharp tone, her gaze moving up toward her mother, who was sitting across from the others, in her own wingback chair.

Sunset looked downward for a moment, her forelegs twitching slightly, as if she wanted to pour herself another cup of tea but couldn't bring herself to concentrate on such a mundane task. After a moment, however, she did so. Holding up the steaming cup in her hooves, as if like a barrier between herself and the focus of her pain, she replied to Dash's stinging words.

"Rainbow Dash, I am not ashamed of you. Your father and I have never been ashamed of you. You have always been unique, you've been your own mare. We knew that you had a spirit that couldn't be brought down or tempered with wisdom-"

"Hey!"

"Let me finish, Dash. We knew your spirit couldn't be tempered with wisdom or the day to day mundanity of living in this world like all of the other ponies. You had courage and such talent. My Celestia, you had such talent. You still do, and that makes us proud."

"What does this have to do with why you're too scared to let me and Applejack stay together?"

"It's not that, it was never that. Rainbow Dash, your father and I would love you if you came home with two mares on each foreleg. Why would we be afraid of you being yourself?"

"But yesterday, Dad told me that I was just confused."

"Your father was afraid that-"

"Ah ha! So you two were afraid!"

"No, Dash, we weren't afraid of you, we were afraid for you!" Sunset's voice began to rise slightly in earnest, "Don't you see, Dash? We're not afraid of your choices reflecting upon us, we love you and always will. We're afraid that your choices will reflect poorly upon you by others! Dash, when I was a young filly, two mares didn't get together, and if they did, they certainly didn't tell anypony about it. It was a shameful thing, and some ponies were ostracized and ran out of town for admitting it out in the open. What kind of life would that be for you or Applejack? To be hated? To be shunned? What kind of future is that for the two of you?! Look at your friends here. What wonderful friends! They know of your relationship, and they accept it. That is a rare thing, my young mare."

"Actually", Twilight began, raising her hoof and wincing as she tried to interject as politely as possible, "that's not the way it is anymore."

"I beg your pardon?" Sunset asked, now turning her attention to Twilight.

Twilight was caught off guard by the intensity of Sunset Wind's gaze, but she pushed forward, her teacup shaking slightly as she spoke. "I said, um, that's not the way it is anymore. I, uh, realize that you and Dusk Thunder probably don't visit the more popular social circles..."

Sunset Wind's eyebrow raised at that.

"Er, no offense, Ms. Wind. Heh. Um, what I mean is that our generation, the younger generation, is much more open and accepting to relationships like the one Dash and Applejack enjoys. We've come a long way since the days where loving a pony of the same gender is frowned upon. Even the Princesses approve of such things."

Sunset Wind's look of open concern turned to suspicion. "How would you know that, Miss Sparkle? I highly doubt the Princesses would let just anypony look into their personal lives, and unless you can read minds, there's no way to know for certain."

Twilight blushed. "Um, actually, I am the protege under Princess Celestia."

Sunset Wind covered her muzzle with her hoof in surprise.

"Oh my!" she said, sitting her tea cup down, "you know the Princess personally?"

"Yes, ma'am. I have been her prized pupil since I was a filly. I have been taught under her auspices, and am a graduate of the Royal Academy, and I am three years away from my Doctorate in Magical Sciences."

"So Princess Celestia is not only a friend, but a mentor."

"That is correct", Twilight replied.

"That is simply amazing that you were taught under Princess Celestia! What about Princess Luna?"

"Oh, she's been under Princess Luna, that's for certain", Rarity quipped, and then realized a moment later that she had spoken aloud. "Oh my!" she said quickly, covering her muzzle with her hooves, her eyes wide.

Everypony in the room gasped and began blushing, save for Sunset Wind, who looked around at the assembled ponies with some confusion.

"I don't understand", she said.

Twilight caught her breath, and spoke with care. "Um, you see, that, well, I, you, we, Luna, and I are, we're um...", she took a deep breath. "We're together."

Sunset Wind's mouth fell open and her eyes went wide as she stared at Twilight.

"You mean... you... and the Princess... are..."

"Yep. We're lovers." Twilight answered, warmth returning to her chest as the effects from the rather large, but purely accidental, bomb dropped by Rarity had worn off.

"We've been together for over a year, now, and we love one another." Twilight added, a smile showing on her face.

"Who knows about this?" Sunset Wind asked, her face betraying her curiosity at getting a chance to hear some Royal Court gossip.

"Everypony in Canterlot knows, and most of the ponies in Ponyville."

"And... and they're okay with this?" she asked.

Twilight nodded. "They threw us a huge party and everything. They did the same for Rainbow Dash and Applejack."

Seeing her chance, Twilight drove the point home. "The thing is, we were openly loved and accepted, just as Dash and Applejack were loved and accepted. We have realized, as a culture, that love is to be celebrated and cherished, not to be hidden away and shamed. That is why we were so concerned, because we were afraid that you and Mr. Thunder had become angry at Rainbow Dash merely for finding somepony to love."

At this, Applejack, who had been silent the entire time, began to break down in tears. Rainbow Dash pulled her close and whispered something in her ear.

"See, Ms. Wind", Twilight continued after a moment, "there is nothing greater than love. Granted, if you would have told me this a couple of years ago, I would have considered it all foolishness. Something for those who didn't have any real direction in life. Then my brother married my foal sitter, and I saw how that love affected them. Then I found out that two of my dearest friends loved each other, and that changed my whole perspective. Finally, I fell in love with the most beautiful mare in Equestria, and that shook my world from top to bottom, and changed my life. You see, that love is just as real as the love you have for Mr. Dusk Thunder."

By this time, Sunset Wind had began to weep. Her shoulders shook with heaving sobs as she reached for her hoofkerchief.

"How could I... be so foolish?" she said between sobs, "How could I be so shortsighted? Dash, you must hate me, and what have I done to you, sweet Applejack?!"

She buried her muzzle in her hoofkerchief.

The mares looked at one another, but before Twilight could say anything of comfort, Rainbow Dash and Applejack rose together, walked over to where Sunset Wind was sitting, and pulled her into an embrace together.

There the three of them cried together, letting pain and hurtful words get washed away by tears. A small "D'aww" was heard from under the table next to the couch, where a butter yellow pegasus had crawled once the emotions began running high. Now she had regained her courage, and had stepped out, witnessing the outpouring of emotion in the room, as sweet and savory as the honeysuckle in the Earl Neigh tea that had long since cooled on the table.

-//-

"Spike!" a hushed whisper called out.

"Spike, wake up!" it called out again.

Spike lay on a soft surface. He wasn't sure what it was, but whatever it was, it had been easing the pain in his aching scales. He let the darkness remain for a few more seconds.

"Spike, wakey wakey dragon fakey!" came a light voice, followed by a giggle.

Spike finally opened one eye, recognizing the voice's owner.

"Hey Pinkie..." he croaked, his throat dry. "where are we?"

The last thing he remembered, he had passed out in the grass next to a paddy wagon, two unconscious police ponies, and an ultra hyper Pinkie Pie.

Opening his eyes, he sat up. He was in a mostly bare room, save for a few old pictures of flowers on the dirt colored walls, and an old mattress upon which he was sitting.

"I'm glad you woke up, Spike! I thought you were going to be a sleepy dragon forever!"

Another giggle.

Spike turned to see Pinkie now hopping on the bed next to him.

"So, where are we, Pinkie? Did we get away from the police? Did we call an ambulance? What?"

Pinkie Pie smiled and pointed a hoof behind him.

"Oh, nothing like that silly!"

"Then what?" he said as he turned himself around slowly, trying to avoid the pain of moving too quickly.

"We're in jail!" A giggle.

"What?!" Spike called out as he turned fully, experiencing a moment of dizziness.

Sure enough, turning to look in the direction her hoof was pointing, Spike saw bars, and outside those bars, a dimly lit hallway with other cells.

They were in jail.

And Pinkie Pie was giggling.

Spike felt the headache return as he smacked his forehead with his claw.

They were in so much trouble.

<(/)*()>

Foalsom Prison Blues

CHAPTER TEN
"Foalsom Prison Blues"

Spike lay, despondent, on his bed. Here he was, behind bars in one of the largest cities in all of Equestria, here because of a fluke, a misunderstanding, and the ever random actions of a hyper pink pony. A hyper pink pony with a harmonica.

Strains of some kind of ballad could be heard coming from the pink mare's side of the room, the whiny pitch of the harmonica moving up and down the scale, the sound piercing his eardrums and making the headache that had been forming earlier into a now pounding destructive force. She had been playing that harmonica for more than an hour, and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Spike sighed and pulled the pillow over his head to block out the noise.

"Are you playing hide and seek, Spike?! That sounds like fun! We can play hide and seek!" Pinkie called from the bed, momentarily stopping the incessant, everpresent shrill whining of the harmonica.

"Pinkie Pie, why can't you get it? We're in jail. This isn't fun time, this is serious business! We don't belong here, but we're going to be stuck here for Celestia knows how long, because they're not going to believe we were just looking through the windows of somepony's house!" The irate dragon put his head in his claws.

"Aw, don't have such a frowny upside downey face, Spike. When I get a super frowny face, I play my kazoo, or my harmonica, or my tuba, or my zither, or I play with Gummy, or throw a party! Hey! We should throw a party! There was this one party one time..."

Spike just stared, dumbfounded, at the mare's ability to completely bypass reality and create her own world, all within the confines of that curly pink mane. He would be impressed if it wasn't for the fact that the very ability was what put them behind bars in the first place. If Pinkie Pie would only have paid attention to the neighbors, if only she had stopped and listened to the police ponies, if only she would have explained everything, then they would have been okay, but now, here they were, stuck behind these bars, waiting for the system to throw away the key.

"...and I was the happiest colt on the playground!"

Pinkie stopped bouncing on her bed, and sat down next to Spike. "So what will we do, Spikey? Do ya want to play tic-tac-toe? charades? pin the tail on the pony? Oh, sure, we might have to get a picture of a pony, and a tail, and a blindfold, but I'm sure the guards would be happy to-"

"PINKIE!"

Pinkie stopped her litany and, with wide eyes, stared at the angry dragon. His face was red, and wisps of smoke were streaming from his nostrils as he huffed.

"Um..what is it Spike?" she asked, a slight tremble in her voice.

"Look, Pinkie Pie. I've had just about enough of this. Don't you understand? We're in jail. I've been trying to tell you how serious this is for the past hour, but all you've done is get louder, and crazier, and it's driving me up the wall!"

"I-"

"Don't!" Spike said sternly, before Pinkie Pie could reply, "Don't say anything! Just listen! Pinkie, don't you realize that you got us into this mess? You were the one who dragged me to that celebrity's house, you were the one who caused the ruckus with the police ponies, you're the one who got us arrested! You're the one who is responsible for putting us in jail! Now here we are, behind these bars, waiting for some lawyer pony to come tell us how long we'll have to stay behind these bars. You know what that means?!"

Pinkie said nothing, but shook her head slightly.

"It means that for however long we're in here, there will be no parties, no jokes, no games, no cake, no fun of any kind. It will be quiet, and dull, and sad. We will see nothing but these walls for days, maybe weeks, maybe months, maybe even years. No parties, no cake, no friends, for years, Pinkie. Now do you get it?! You got us into this mess! You caused this! It's your fault we're here! Quit trying to help!"

With that, Spike threw up his claws, turned around on his bed, and put his back to Pinkie.

It was silent for a moment, nopony moved. The air was thick with disappointment, and it seemed like not even the buzzing flies around the head wanted to make any noise. Finally, after a few moments of a fat and heavy silence, Pinkie Pie's tail flattened. Her mane became straight and hung at the sides of her face, and her fur becoming a dull mauve instead of a bright pink. Her lip began to tremble as she began to move a hoof to Spike's shoulder. At the last second, however, she pulled back, and dragged herself over to her bed, crawling up in it, and laying on her side, unable to face Spike's accusations and anger.

For a short while there was nothing, but then, if one listened closely, one could hear sniffles emanating from the far corner of the cell.

-//-

"...and so as she's zipping by, she looks at me, and calls out, 'Don't worry, mom, I've totally got this, you're gonna flip at this awesome new trick', and it was at that moment, before I even had a chance to warn her, well, she went and flew headfirst into the mailbox! Oh, I was horrified at first, but when I found out she was okay, I couldn't stop laughing! It took all night to get the mailbox off of her head. We had to spoon feed her supper through the lid!"

A chorus of laughs and giggles filled the Dash living room, as Sunset Wind, still sitting in her wingback chair, finished regaling yet another tale of Dash's fillyhood.

"Ah don't think she's changed one bit!" came a southern drawl from the direction of the sofa. More giggles followed as a blushing Rainbow picked up a throw pillow and whacked Applejack in the face, who responded by launching herself at Dash, grabbing her in a hug and tickling her sides.

"N-, d-, gah!" Dash called out as she became short of breath, Applejack's well aimed tickles causing her to sputter and snort. They rolled onto the floor, and all that could be seen was a brown stetson, and four wriggling cyan hooves.

Sunset Wind looked upon her daughter, and her daughter's love, and she felt that new sensation of joy begin to grow. For all of her doubts, all of her concerns, she could see that Rainbow Dash was truly happy, and that the two mares belonged together, "common sense" be damned. For a moment, she felt shame arising from deep within her, due to the sting of the words she had inflicted upon them the day before.

She pushed that shame aside. There was no need for it now. All had been forgiven, she had learned from her children, and she hoped that they had learned something from her, that an old pony could be taught new tricks. At the thought of her children, she glanced over at her youngest daughter, Violet, who was perched on an end table, giggling at the playfighting between her older sister and her adopted friend.

Sunset's heart warmed at the knowledge that no matter what happened as she grew up and became a young mare, her youngest daughter had a strong, sensible head on her shoulders. She would be just as ambitious, and just as stubborn as her sister, and even her mother, though she never spoke much of her own ability to dig in her hooves if the situation warranted it. The one thing she got from her father, though, was that irrepressible sense of logic. She funneled everything through that grid of rational thinking, and it would make her a mare to be recognized some day.

Thinking of her husband reminded Sunset that he would still be out of the loop on this one. Still, she wasn't worried. He was a good stallion, and she was certain she could get him to come around easily, once she abated his fears about Dash becoming a shunned mare, doomed to exile. She knew he had been afraid because she was afraid, because for all of his vaunted logic and reason, he lived by his heart, and that was why she loved him.

She let her gaze fall once more onto the playful ponies. Dash had given up, crying out in defeat, and was crawling back up to the couch. Applejack, for her part, had risen to her hooves and was helping Dash onto her own, when off from the side, Violet Tempest took a swan dive onto her adopted friend, and tackled her to the floor. Applejack cried out in surprise as she was tickled by the filly.

Rainbow Dash, seeing her moment for revenge, dove to the floor and started tickling Applejack in retaliation. "Gah! Hey! Ah wasn't ready!" came the fitful voice from underneath the coffee table, now becoming interrupted with fits of laughter. "Quit it! Ah... cain't...yer gonna make me...ah cain't...!"

Squeals of surprise erupted from beneath the table, at which point both Violet and Rainbow Dash fell on the couch laughing so hard that their faces looked the same color, a dark shade of purple and red.

Twilight leaned over from her position on the chair next to the sofa. "What's going on down there? What's wrong with..." her eyes went wide for a moment, and she uttered a soft "oh", and began to blush.

Sunset Wind's curiosity was getting the better of her, when she heard Applejack's muffled voice from under the table.
"Er, Ms. Sunset Wind," she began slowly, "Ah hate to ask you, but, uh, can Ah use yer restroom?"

Everypony was silent for only a moment before the entire room burst into gales of laughter.

-//-

"Pinkamena Diane Pie. Spike the Dragon. You have a visitor!"

Spike had been asleep, but at the sound of the guard's voice, he opened his eyes, sat up, and turned toward the front of the cell. A tall, lanky pony wearing only a black suit was staring back at them.

Spike looked over toward Pinkie Pie, who seemed to be asleep on the bed. He looked back toward their visitor.

"Uh, hi?" He said, uncertain of just who this pony was.

"Hello, there," the stranger replied, his voice had a rough edge to it's deep baritone. "I assume you're the two kids who was trespassin' on my property." He gave Spike an appraising look, his right eyebrow raised as he gave him the once over. He glanced over to Pinkie Pie, who was still inactive.

"She don't seem to talk much. Guess she's usually too busy breakin' inta ponies' homes than strikin' up a conversation."

Spike was a little worried. Usually, even in a deep sleep, Pinkie would awake at the sound of a new, never before seen pony. Concerned, he walked over to her bed and shook her gently.

"Pinkie Pie, wake up, there's somepony here who wants to talk to us."

Spike waited a moment, but she didn't budge. He could tell she was breathing, as her side fell and rose gently. It was then that he noticed her shade of pink seemed a little dull, as if the bright colors had been washed out of her coat. Her hair was limp and...

Oh no.

"Pinkie! It's Spike! You have to wake up."

"Why?"

Spike paused for a moment. He realized that it was his fault she was this way. Yes, she had got them into trouble, and yes, they were certainly in trouble, but she was only being Pinkie, and back home everything always seemed to work out. Except this wasn't home, and aside from himself, she was all alone in a weird city that didn't seem to follow very many common sense rules, at least, not the type of common sense Spike understood.

"Listen Pinkie," he began, "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I was just..." he gulped as emotion clogged his throat for a moment, "I was mad because I was scared. I've never been to jail before."

"Y'all okay over there?"
"It's okay, we'll be ready to talk in a minute, mister."

Spike turned his attention back to Pinkie's hurt feelings. "Look, Pinkie. It was wrong of me to yell at you, and to blame you for all of this."

"I'm nothing but trouble. All I do is make things bad for you, Spike." A mumble from the other side of the pillow.

"No, Pinkie. You don't make things bad. Hey, most of the time, without you, everything would be boring and sad! Remember that time you made me those sapphire cupcakes for my birthday?"

"Yeah."

"No pony had ever done that for me before!"

And remember the time you caught me leaving the town hall and scared me so bad that I got the hiccups? We all laughed! Remember that?"

"...yeah."

"Pinkie, you're my friend. No matter what I said earlier, there's no way I would want you to be anything other than who you are. I care about you, Pinkie, because you're you. You're my friend, and you make my life better, not worse."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Really? Really?"

"Yes, Pinkie. Really, really."

"Really, Really with whipped cream on top? And a cherry? And sprinkles?! And OMIGOSH I LOVE SPRINKLES!"

At that moment, Pinkie's mane poofed, her coat turned a bright pink, and she hopped up. In that same instant, she grabbed Spike in a huge hug, and squeezed him with joy.

"Oh, thank you, Spike! I was afraid you never ever wanted to see me again!"

"-air-"

"And then we would have to go our separate ways, and you would become a pirate-"

"-air-"

"And I would have to become a flying nun who played basketball on the weekends to save all the cool kids from their rich, evil uncles-"

"-ai-what?"

"Yay! It's good to be friends again! I couldn't-Ooh! Who are you!?"

Pinkie Pie dropped Spike on the bed, and bounded over to the cell bars, where the stranger pony was still standing, a look of confusion on his face.

"Uh, hello Ma'am," he began, "my name is Johnneigh Cash, and I'm the owner of that house what you did trespass onto."

Spike, climbing down from the bed, gasped in surprise, and in the process slipped and fell to the stone floor. He didn't notice. "Johnneigh Cash!? The famous singer?!"

Johnneigh Cash nodded his head. "Yep, that's the one."

Pinkie Pie extended her hoof, "Pleasure to meet ya! My name's Pinkie Pie and I'd like to be your friend!"

Surprised, but always the gentlecolt, Johnneigh reached out and shook Pinkie's hoof. The pink mare smiled in response.

"Thanks! So, what are ya gonna do? You gonna press charges? Are we going to the slammer?!" She gasped, "Are you sending us up the creek without a paddle?!"

"-what?-" came two voices, one a baby dragon, the other an older gentlecolt.

Pinkie Pie merely smiled.

Johnneigh shook his head. "Naw, none of that. I wanted to come by and see who you was, to decide whether ya intended to cause harm or not, and from what I'm seein', one of ya is a baby dragon, the other is a... spirited... young mare who seems friendly enough, so nah, I'm a droppin' the charges. Y'all will be free ta go as soon as I talk to the deputy up front. Now, I do expect this ta be a lesson not ta go traipsin' up into ponies' homes, ya understand?"

Spike and Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes, sir!" Spike replied.

Johnneigh nodded. "That's all I'm askin' then. Nice meetin' ya folks."

He tipped his hat, and disappeared back up the hallway.

"Wow!" Spike said after their visitor had left. "Twilight's never going to believe this!"

Pinkie nodded her head, "Yeah! Neither will Applejack! Johnneigh Cash is her favorite singer ever!"

After that, they settled in on the beds and waited for the bailiff to come and let them go.

You know, Spike thought to himself, for starting off so bad, and for being thrown in jail and all this other stuff, the day wasn't actually so bad.

He looked over at Pinkie who was humming a song to herself.

"Pinkie?"

"Yeah, Spike?"

"You're a good friend."

"You are too, Spike."

-//-

"Oh my dear Celestia! How ever did you survive that dungeon?" Rarity declared, her hoof raised above her head in a dramatic pose as she lay upon her couch, which she had managed to bring with her. Somehow.

"It was pretty cool, actually...er, I mean, we toughed it out, Rarity. We dragons are pretty tough, ya know." Spike said, his efforts to impress Rarity extremely obvious.

"Well, it's not everyday my number one assistant is incarcerated into the Los Pegasus Justice System." Twilight commented from the kitchen, as she floated in a tray of snacks for the group.

They had all returned from the rigors of their day, and were back at the hotel, with Pinkie and Spike sitting around the dining table with the others, sans Applejack, who was in the bedroom cleaning her hat, and regaling them with their individual stories of what had happened.

Spike was the one to break the news about their guest.

"Oh, and to top it all off," he said, jumping onto the table for emphasis, "who was it that we meet? None other than Johnneigh Cash."

The girls gasped in unison, even Pinkie Pie.

"You met Johnneigh Cash?!" Twilight exclaimed. "He's one of the most popular singers in all of Equestria!"

"I thought he retired many years ago!" Rarity said.

"How do you know about Johnneigh Cash, Rarity? I never imagined you would be into that kind of music." Twilight asked the aristocratic mare.

Rarity, for her part, brushed back her mane and raised her muzzle, "Oh, well, if you must know, when I first started the carousel boutique, his entourage passed through Ponyville on the way to Canterlot, and he had me hem his suit, which had fallen into a sudden state of disrepair. I must say, he was rather dashing and mysterious, and you know how such, er, curious mares like myself love a stallion of mystery."

A soft voice broke in. "Oh my, that must have been wonderful to meet such a stallion. I wish I could meet somepony like that." Realizing what she had said, Fluttershy began blushing, and hid her face below the table in an effort to hide it.

"Forget all that! Johnneigh Cash is Applejack's favorite singer!" Rainbow Dash cut in. She was silent for a moment as the other ponies looked at her, curious as to her sudden excitement. Dash looked up at Spike. "Spike, do you think you could take me to see Johnneigh Cash?"

Spike raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Um, I guess I could, as long as he's home and we're not peeking in his windows." Spike finished, looking at Pinkie Pie, who was busy eating everything on the tray Twilight had brought in.

"Why would you want to do that, though? I mean, he probably doesn't want to see anypony."

Rainbow Dash gave Spike her most earnest look. "Because this is important to me. If you do this, I'll owe you big."

Spike scratched his chin for a moment. "Sure, we can go see him tomorrow morning. I'm too tired tonight. Is that okay?"

Rainbow Dash smiled, leaned across the table, and gave Spike a hug. "Awesome, Spike, and thanks!"

Spike began to answer when they heard a squishing sound come from the center of the table.

Pinkie looked up and noticed everypony's eyes were suddenly on her, as she sat in the center of the table, with a half eaten pickle, onion, tomato, and whipped cream sandwich.

"What?! This stuff is good!"

<(/)*()>

At Last

CHAPTER ELEVEN
"At Last"

Rarity finished tweaking her eyelashes and stared into the mirror. They were luxuriant, and so delectably long. She blinked slowly, and admired their smooth, gentle movements. They were certain to catch the eye of a handsome, well-to-do stallion.

Mmm... we certainly look marvelous, Rarity, don't we?

"What time is the competition, Twilight?" she asked, reluctantly turning away from the mirror to call into the main room.

"It starts in two hours, Rarity. Don't worry, I've arranged the schedule so that we'll arrive approximately 25 minutes before the start of the show, ensuring good seats, and maximizing accessibility for restroom and vending access. " came the reply. Twilight never missed an opportunity to use her organizational skills. Today they would be rather helpful.

Across the hall, in Dash and Applejack's room, AJ had long since finished getting ready, as a cowpony like her had no need for fancy stuff like eyeshadow, or lipstick. A good shower with soap and water, some shampoo, and that's all she needed. Anything else was getting fancy for fancy's sake, and that never appealed to her.

At the moment, she was sitting on the bed, looking at a picture of Rainbow Dash and Violet Tempest.

"That's a lovely photo, Applejack. Is that Rainbow Dash?"

Applejack started for a second before looking up and seeing Rarity standing in the doorway.

"Oh, golly, Rarity, ya scared me there for a second! Anyway, yeah, that's Rainbow. Why don't ya come on in and take a gander?"

She handed the photo to Rarity, who took a moment to look at it. A smile appeared on her face as she did so. Applejack couldn't help but notice how lovely Rarity looked, and thought for a moment that maybe, just maybe, wearing all of those fancy lipsticks and eyeshadows might not be such a bad thing after all, if the reasons were right, and she could only think of one reason for wearing such things. Fortunately for her, Rainbow had never been interested in that kind of thing either. Maybe that's why they connected so well. They wanted a pony in her true form, without the need for dressing it up.

Still, she began to think back to the Grand Galloping Gala, and that dress. Rainbow was so lovely...

"So this is Rainbow Dash as a filly? She's simply adorable! Who is the foal she's holding in her forelegs? Oh, that must be Violet Tempest! How simply charming!"

She handed the photo back to Applejack. "If I may ask, where did you get this lovely picture?"

Applejack stared at the photo as she replied. "Sunset Wind gave it to me before we left last night." She looked up at Rarity. "She told me, 'Applejack, ya've gotta fine young mare there, don't ya go lettin' her outta yer sight."

She looked back down at the photo, with a sweet young Rainbow Dash, braces and all, held a tiny purple foal who was staring at the camera and sucking on her hoof.

Family. It meant so much to her. She didn't really know how much Rainbow's family meant to her until yesterday, when Sunset finally brought her into her forelegs before they left. I won't lie, but for a moment there, Sunset's hug almost felt like the hugs I used ta get from mah Momma.

She brought the photo to her chest, and held it there. A moment passed, and she looked up, realizing she was alone in the room. Bless her heart, Rarity had left. A good friend always knows when to stick around and when to let someone be, and Rarity was that good friend. Applejack smiled as she stood up, removed her hat, placed the photo inside, and put the hat securely back on her head.

She grinned as she heard Twilight's voice echo through the hallway.

"Okay, everypony, saddle up! It's time to go! Fluttershy, get the umbrellas just in case it rains, Pinkie Pie, you grab the cooler, and don't eat everything in it, we have to have some left just in case the vendors run out of food! Rarity, what you're wearing is fine, we don't have time to change again, Applejack, grab the seat cushions, I'm not bruising anything this time! Come on, everypony! We've got to get to the stadium before all of the good seats are taken!"

As she left the hallway, Rarity spotted her in the corridor. "Oh, my dear Applejack, have you seen Spike? I was going to ask him to choose between these two broaches. He loves emerald and star ruby, but I am partial to amethyst. Sometimes you want the opinion of a gem aficionado, if you do know what I mean, of course."

Applejack secured the seat cushions in her saddlebags before looking back up to the porcelain and painted pony. "Oh, he went over yonder with Rainbow Dash ta see her folks this mornin'. She wanted ta see Violet Tempest, I guess to get her all psyched out and ready for this whole contest and whatnot."

Rarity sighed. "Ah, I see. Very well. Then I shall choose the emerald because it reminds me of him. Not that it would mean anything other than that, because, well, you know, I mean..." She quickly ducked back into her room to affix the pin. Applejack merely raised an eyebrow, and tried to suppress a smile as she headed for the main area where the other ponies were waiting.

-//-

They reached Los Pegasus Sports Arena approximately 23 minutes later, on account of traffic, and proceeded up to the ticket booth which was set against the entrance. Twilight sidled up to the booth, her friends behind her. She stole a glance at the attendant, a lovely young pegasus mare, with a green mane and blue fur, who seemed barely out of college, and dressed in a blue suit with the Los Pegasus city logo on the front, which was the outline of a pegasus with it's wing's spread.

"Hello, Miss, I would like seven tickets please, preferably in a row that gives optimal viewing angles while still being within a reasonable price range."

The young mare looked up, registered Twilight's presence, and glanced back at the unicorn's flank. Twilight followed her eyes, and blushed. The attendant looked down at her small desk, and back up to Twilight. "Could I have your name please?"

Twilight raised her eyebrows in surprise, but found no reason not to answer. "Certainly. My name is Twilight Sparkle."

The young mare nodded, "and who is in your party?"

Again, Twilight found no reason to answer, though she was starting to wonder what it could mean. Usually, buying a ticket took no more than a few moments, where bits were exchanged with a piece of paper, and a seat designation.

"This is Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Applejack. We also need tickets for a Miss Rainbow Dash, and a dragon named Spike."

Each of the named and present ponies nodded their greeting to the young attendant, with Applejack tipping her hat, Fluttershy giving a soft meep as she hid behind Rarity, who herself seemed to quickly glance at the young attendant's mane and blush slightly as she nodded, glancing away.

"Well, Miss Sparkle," the attendant began, smiling as she spoke, "I have pleasant news for you. It seems you have been given reserve seating along the upper pylon overlooking the center of the stadium. These are very choice seats, as you get a perfect 360° panoramic of the entire arena and the airspace around it. You must have friends in high places!"

Twilight blushed once more as she was given their tickets, and guided to the upper level stairs, by which two guard ponies stood silently. Twilight glanced at each of them as she climbed the steps. As she came to the top of the landing, at which point the guards stepped aside. As she stepped past them, Twilight's mouth dropped. The whole upper level pylon was wide and flat, with far more comfortable seats than the stadium seats to which they were accustomed. There was a drinks counter toward the back, along a low level marble divider wall that separated the section from the rest of the seats. A server pony was standing there at the moment, waiting for patrons, though nopony else was around.

Twilight could see everything. She could see Los Pegasus behind her, spread out for kilometers. To her left she could see the stairwell that lead down into the rest of the stadium. To her right she could see more seats, across from the divider, and beyond that the edge of the stadium. Further still, she could see the ocean. It was beautiful.

Gazing frontward, toward the inside field, Twilight could see a low wall that kept anypony from accidentally falling over the side. Along the inside of the wall were rows of flowers. A rainbow of colors that only accented the beautiful inlaid flooring.

At first Twilight wondered what happened when it rained, as the stadium was an open stadium, and while that was fine for metal seats, all of this was too richly appointed to allow for that. Her question was answered a moment later as she saw a lever system that lead to a set of gears. Further along that line, she spotted hard canvas rolls wedged against the back wall.

I see, she thought to herself, The lever and gearing mechanisms trigger the davits, which raise the canvas into a sturdy type of awning, which covers this section. Fascinating! I'm going to ask for the architectural blueprints to this stadium.

The rest of her friends were still quiet, taking it all in. Finally, Rarity spoke up. "Twilight, darling, did you know about any of this before we arrived?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, Rarity, I was just as surprised as you are."

Applejack stepped around Pinkie Pie, who was bouncing around, taking in every detail that she could.

"Ya don't think it was th' Princess, do ya?"

Twilight shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure, AJ. I guess she could have reserved these seats for us, but I don't recall telling her about the show."

Fluttershy piped up quietly, "Um... maybe it was the other Princess. The, um, scary one." She backed up against one of the padded seats. "Um... no offense, Twilight."

Twilight waved a hoof, "it's okay, Fluttershy. You know, one day you'll get to know her as well as I do, and you'll see that she's not scary at all. As for reserving our seats, she has been in Germaney all this time, so I don't think it's likely. The same applies for Princess Celestia, as well, I imagine, but who knows. The Princess, well, both Princesses have given occasion to where they can be full of surprises. Maybe this was one of them."

Rarity placed her sunhat on her head, and sat back into one of the plush chairs. "Well, my dears, I suggest we not look a gift horse in the mouth, and enjoy the show, which should be starting in a few minutes."

Twilight looked around, as the others settled into their seats, with Pinkie bouncing back toward the refreshment stand. She saw the various pegasi getting into position on the field below. Across from where she was standing, Twilight could see the judge's box, where three Wonderbolts were sitting, chatting amongst themselves. Looking toward the far end, she could see Violet Tempest warming up. Violet looked up and saw Twilight and waved to her.

Twilight waved back. "Look, girls! It's Violet! She's on the field!"

The other mares leaned slightly over the edge, waving to the young filly, smiles on their faces. Applejack, in particular, was smiling. "Good luck, Violet! Knock 'em all out and make it count!" she called out. While she doubted Violet could hear her that far away, she figured the good words of support would make themselves heard somehow.

"She'll do fine, AJ," Twilight said.

Rarity nodded her agreement. "She's a fine young filly, with a great deal of her sister's determination in her."

"She's brave, Applejack, I know she will make you proud." came Fluttershy's soft but confident voice.

"Yeah! And if she loses, she still has us, and all of this delicious popcorn and cotton candy!" Pinkie Pie joined in, slapping Applejack on the back.

"Um, Pinkie, I didn't know the refreshment table sold popcorn and cotton candy," Twilight asked, confused.

"They don't!" came the pink mare's reply.

-//-

Twilight shook her head in bemusement, and began looking through the guide that had been given to her by the ticket agent. It looked like there would be a procession of athletes, then the Equestrian anthem would play, followed by the tryouts themselves. After that would be a short awards ceremony, then an all night concert. Twilight knew these events had always drawn large crowds, but as she looked around the stadium, it was almost like a religion for these ponies. Even Canterlot's Wonderbolt events never looked this crowded, or this excited. She figured it had to do with the arena actually being on the ground instead of in the sky, unlike Canterlot Downs.

"So in which order is Violet gonna be competin?" Applejack asked as she sidled up next to Twilight to glance over her shoulder.

Twilight scanned down the list until she found it. "Violet is #24 out of 25. Next to last."

"Hmm, that's an awful long time ta be worryin', but ah think she can handle it. She's made o' th' same stuff her sister's made from, an' Ah can tell ya th' apple don't fall too far from th' tree with that one."

"Hey Twilight!" came a younger, cheerful voice from the stairwell.

Twilight glanced over and saw Spike waving his arms around the guards. "Oh, hey, Spike, glad you could finally join us!"

She waved toward the guards. "He's with us, sirs. Thank you!"

She waited as the guards stepped aside, and the young dragon padded up the rest of the steps, and jogged over to where Twilight was standing, stopping to catch his breath. "Whew!" he breathed, slightly bent over. His expression changed as he stood and looked around. "Wow! Where did you get these seats? They're all fancy and awesome!"

"I'm not sure, actually," Twilight responded, "We figured Princess Celestia had reserved them for us as a special surprise. That's merely a theory at this point, however."

Spike nodded. "Works for me!"

"Spike", Applejack asked as she stood next to Twilight, "ya didn't happen ta see Rainbow Dash anywhere did ya? Last time Ah checked, you were with her."

Spike smiled and nodded his head once more. "Oh, yeah. She went to talk to Violet before coming up here. She told me to tell you that she'll be along as soon as she took care of something first."

Applejack smiled and patted Spike on the head. "Alrighty, then. Thank ya Spike. Ah hope she gets here before Violet's turn. I know how much this all means ta her."

He grinned as he turned his head toward the back of their section, "Oh, cool! Is that a buffet table?!" he said before bolting toward the treat laden counter.

Twilight tilted her head slightly as she noticed the food. "Um, I don't recall seeing that when we came in. Did you see that earlier, Applejack?"

Applejack raised her eyebrows as she turned her head to where Twilight was staring. "Naw, Twilight. I didn't see anything in the corner when we all got here."

Twilight harrumphed. "That is rather peculiar."

Before she could think on it any farther, trumpets blasted from every speaker that the competition was beginning, and that everypony should take their seats.

"Okay, everypony, it's getting ready to start! YAY!" called out Pinkie, who was bouncing in her seat, eating caramel corn with one hoof, and wearing what appeared to be a giant yellow foam finger with a giant '#1' on the front, on the other. Spike was sitting next to her, his stomach already huge from what appeared to be candy coated gluttony. Still, his mood was bright as he half waved along with Pinkie.

Fluttershy was as far back in her seat as she could get, covering her head any time a loud noise emanated from the crowd, which was constant.
Rarity had a small mirror in her hoof, as she admired her freshly applied lipstick, and muttered, "Come on, you big stallion, take me to the races" over and over again.

Applejack was quiet, but focused on Violet, who was now appearing with the other competing pegasi, out on the field below. Twilight watched her for a moment, noticing that she kept fidgeting with her braid. It warmed Twilight's heart to see that Applejack already cared so much for the young filly.

Twilight, too, watched as the young mare walked out onto the field, waving to the crowd. Removing a pair of binoculars from her saddlebag, Twilight focused in closely. She could see Violet's expression seemed relaxed. She was even smiling as she waved. She was born for this, Twilight thought to herself as she looked on, glad to see Violet's nerves had not overcome her.

Finally, as the athletes stood in the middle of the field, the speakers blared once more. "Please rise, and place your right hoof over your heart for the Equestrian Anthem."

As Twilight did so, she recalled back to when she first learned the anthem, under Princess Celestia's tutelage. That fond memory lead to a warm, sunny day in the library, where Celestia taught her how to read ancient languages. Suddenly, Twilight began thinking of her most recent studying companion in that library, and her thoughts turned to Luna. Her heartbeat began to quicken at the mere mental manifestation of that beautiful mare. They had grown so close, had learned so much together, and about each other. Twilight could feel her presence, deep down, even now, and part of her ached to be home, to be with her soul mate.

"Twilight..."

It was Applejack's voice breaking through her mental fog in a hushed whisper.

"The song's over, darlin'. Yer the only one still standing like a statue with yer hoof over yer heart."

Twilight snapped out of her reverie and looked around to see that she truly was the only one still standing. She blushed and returned to her seat.

"You alright, sugarcube?"

"Oh, uh, yeah", Twilight said, bringing her full attention back to the present. "I'm fine. I was just daydreaming." She smiled a little smile, and they returned their attention to the competition.

As the competition began, Applejack watched with interest as each pegasus pony stepped out, bowed to the judges, bowed to the crowd, and then began their routine. At first she figured she wasn't going to be too involved, thinking only of Violet and her chance for success, but as she watched with greater intensity, she couldn't help but cheer on each athlete as they tried their hardest to impress the judges and wow the crowd.

She likened it to an old fashioned bull riding competition, only this time the pony was both the rider and the bull, having to show skill, grace, and brute power all at the same time in order to get them considered for that amazing group of performance ponies known as the Wonderbolts.

All of Applejack's knowledge was thanks to her marefriend, who, when they were working the orchard together, would talk endlessly about her high flying heroes. Applejack didn't mind it at all. After all, what made her partner happy was important, and she wanted it to be important to her, too. Rainbow had been more than fair in return, coming with AJ to her beloved rodeos.

On and on, each competitor took their turn. Some of them doing well, and landing proudly in the center circle in front of the judges, to the sounds of applause. Others, like the one young colt who clipped a cloud and spun out into the stands, was met with surprised gasps, and a trip to the clinic, or performed so badly that they simply stood in the center of the circle, their heads facing downward. Two had quit halfway through their routines, they had become so frustrated by their lackluster performances.

Finally, it was Violet's turn.

Applejack watched with apprehension while the young mare walked out to the center of the field, bowed to the judges, bowed, and then waved to the crowd, and then shot up into the air, leaving a purple and silver streak in her wake.

Applejack gasped as Violet rose about half a kilometer into the air before flipping and flying straight toward the ground. At the last second, she bolted to the right, swinging around and shooting up once more, doing corkscrews as she continued higher.

As she began to make spiral loops, the audience applauded in delight. Violet wasn't finished, however, as she shot forward and began whipping around a lone cumulus cloud hanging above the stadium. She began making faster circles and causing the cloud to begin spinning. As it sped up, she shot downward, racing around the stadium in a giant loop, mere meters above the heads of the spectators, who oohed and ahhed as she sped away, toward the spinning cloud. Going in the opposite direction of the spin now, the cloud began to form into a column from the centripedal force.

Applejack watched as Violet shot upward, into the air, hundreds of meters. She watched her descent as she barreled downward, toward the column of cloud, and punched through it. As she did so, the cloud exploded into purple and silver bits, cascading away like cotton candy.

The crowd went wild as she looped once more, did an aerial somersault, and landed pitch perfect in the center of the circle in front of the judges.

Everypony leapt to their hooves, clapping for the young mare who had so much exceptional skill. Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy were cheering excitedly, while Pinkie Pie and Spike were dancing together happily, Spike covered in bits of cotton candy.

Applejack, for her part, was tearing up, applauding for Violet. She looked around as she did so, wondering where Rainbow was. She hoped the mare hadn't missed her sister's amazing performance.

She didn't have time to think about it though, as the final athlete walked onto the field.

She heard Twilight's gasp before it registered. She looked closer at the pony now walking to the judge's stand, and noticed the spectral mane, and the cyan blue fur.

It was Rainbow Dash.

"What in tarnation is that mare up to?!" she called out to her friends. She turned to Spike, who was stuck to his chair. "Spike, did Rainbow say anything about entering this here competition?"

Spike, who was busy trying to free his arm from the seat cushion, shook his head. "No, Applejack. She told me she had something to take care of, and that she would be up later. Honest."

Applejack looked at Spike for a moment, but her heart told her he was telling the truth. "Okay, Spike, Ah believe ya. But I wonder what she's gone and done now."

They watched as Rainbow Dash approached the judge's stand. She appeared to speak to them for a few moments. While she didn't know what was being said, she noticed the judges were nodding their heads. Finally, one of them seemed to give the all clear.

Once again, they watched Rainbow Dash walk to the center circle. She bowed her head to the judges, then to the crowd, and like her sister, she shot straight into the air. They all watched as she became little more than a tiny speck against the clear blue sky. Shortly thereafter, the rainbow trail disappeared.

The crowd had become silent and still. Everypony knew something was about to happen, but they didn't know what it could be.

Applejack strained to see where Rainbow would return. She glanced over to Twilight. "Hey Twilight, do ya still have those binoculars?"

Twilight shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, Applejack, Pinkie Pie used them to make her own Batmare signal, and burned out the lenses." Applejack heard her sigh and then add quietly, "again."

Applejack turned back toward the sky. A few moments later, she saw, along with the rest of the spectators, a sliver of rainbow heading downward. Applejack watched intently, and then with baited breath, as the sliver of rainbow became a white mach cone.

"Ah think she's gonna perform a sonic rainboom." she said quietly to no one in particular.

The whole crowd watched intently, silent, as they held their collective breathing, hoping to witness what only few had seen in other parts of Equestria, but never in Los Pegasus, and they wanted to be the first to do so.

The rainbow streak became brighter, the mach cone wider and more forceful. As Rainbow Dash became more than just a fast moving speck in the sky, Applejack saw the mach cone bear down, and Dash began to light up like a Hearth's Warming Eve tree.

As her marefriend approached the ground, Applejack heard the crowd gasp. She, herself, had stopped breathing, and her heart had nearly frozen, hoping that Dash wouldn't be foolish, and would pull up if something went wrong.

She had no reason to worry.

Seconds later, Applejack watched in awe as color erupted overhead, sending a shockwave in all directions.

And again.

Applejack cried out in triumph. Rainbow Dash had just performed a triple sonic rainboom.

The crowd went wild once more, clapping and cheering as the cyan mare circled over head, creating a loop of rainbow color all around the stadium, the colors washing over the clouds.

Amidst the cheers, and the pats on the back by her friends, Applejack didn't notice Rainbow change her course, and a moment later, was surprised to see the cyan mare appear on the platform next to their section.

"Rainbow, that was amazin'!" Applejack called out, a wide grin on her face.

Before she could continue, however, the speakers began blaring. "Attention, everypony. This is a special announcement."

Seconds later, Applejack heard somepony behind her, coming up the stairwell. They were singing.

"I love you because you understand dear,"

It couldn't be.

"Every little thing I try to do"

There was no way. It had to be a dream.

"Your always there to lend a helping hoof dear"

Oh, sweet Celestia.

"But most of all I love you, cause you're you."

Applejack turned around to see her music idol, Johnneigh Cash, playing his guitar, and singing her favorite song. Behind him was Violet Tempest, and Rainbow Dash's parents, Sunset Wind and Dusk Thunder.

Applejack quickly turned back toward Dash, who was down on her hind knees. Her heart began to race.

"Applejack", she began, "I know I'm not perfect, and I know I can be stubborn, but I also know that you're the only mare for me. I couldn't live my life without you, and, even though you're too awesome for words, and I'm not very good at saying them, I want to ask you," she said as she opened a small jewelry box in front of her, "would you take my hoof in marriage?"

Inside the box was a hoof bracelet. Applejack gasped and put her hoof to her mouth in surprise.

From behind her, she heard Sunset Wind speak softly, "I want you to have my engagement bracelet, Applejack. My mother gave me this bracelet. She was a pony of the earth just like you, and she would have been proud to call you family, just as I am proud to call you family, if that is what you want."

Applejack's eyes filled with tears. Everypony else was completely silent. You could have heard a pin drop from the other side of the stadium. The only thing Applejack could hear was her own breathing, and her beating heart racing furiously.

She looked into Dash's eyes, and saw loyalty. She saw dedication, determination, stubborness, and hope. Most of all, she could see the love that was there, strong and vibrant, like the heart of their owner.

She smiled as tears streamed down her face.

"Ah would love to marry you, Rainbow, and Ah would love to be your wife. So th' answer is yes. Yes, Ah will marry you."

Rainbow leapt forward, holding Applejack in her forelegs as they kissed passionately.

The crowd exploded with cheers. From behind them, Applejack and Rainbow Dash could hear a party cannon firing repeatedly, as their friends moved in and embraced the two in a giant group hug.

Finally, Rainbow and Applejack pulled apart long enough for Dash to slip the bracelet onto Applejack's hoof. They embraced once more.

Overhead, the loudspeakers blared forth once again. "Attention, Fillies and Gentlecolts, we want to congratulate Rainbow Dash and Applejack, and wish them the best. Now, for the rest of you ticket holders, the Wonderbolts will be announcing the winners."

A few moments later, the three judges stepped up to a raised dais in the center of the stadium, floating roughly 20 meters in the air. An orange maned Wonderbolt stepped forward, up to the microphone and cleared her throat.

"Good day. My name is Spitfire, and I am the Captain of the Wonderbolts. We are proud to be here today, not only to award an introductory position to the team, but also to congratulate Rainbow Dash and Applejack on their forthcoming wedding. Lots of love and luck to the both of you."

Applejack and Rainbow waved toward Spitfire, who nodded before continuing.

"And now we come to the decision you've all been waiting to hear. Who, you may ask, has earned themselves a position on the Wonderbolts team? Who will get their start here, and work their way up to becoming a valued member of our group?"

She shuffled a stack of papers and coughed before leaning back in toward the microphone.

"The decision was a difficult one. Today we have seen many worthy competitors, and all of you should be proud of yourselves. It is not easy to perform under pressure, and I believe that in time, those of you who do not make it today, still have the potential to join in the future. Nothing is impossible if you believe strongly enough that you can do it."

She flipped an index card.

"So, with that said, we will now announce the winner of the competition. The winner, of the Los Pegasus Division of the Wonderbolt Tryouts is..."

She paused for dramatic effect as all ears were on her next few words.

"The winner is... Floating Windmill."

The spectators began to clap as Floating Windmill jumped up and down, and headed for the dais.

Spitfire continued. "We would also like to give honorable mention to Violet Tempest, whose performance was magnificent. There is no doubt in our minds that she will become a truly amazing flyer, and wish her the best."

Rainbow Dash, still holding Applejack's hoof, turned toward her sister.

"Aw man, I was sure you were going to win, kiddo! Maybe I should go talk to Spitfire, she'll..."

Before she could take off toward the platform, Applejack held tight to her hoof, keeping her grounded.

"Now hold on, sugarcube. We may not like it, but it was a fair and square match."

Rainbow Dash sputtered as she looked to Applejack. "But...you... I mean... aw, darnit!"

Violet Tempest interrupted them both. Not by saying anything, but rather, by giggling.

Everypony turned toward Violet Tempest, who had a big smile on her face.

"Are you two made for each other or what?" she continued giggling.

Rainbow Dash gave her sister a confused look. "What's so funny?"

Violet held a hoof to her mouth for a moment before continuing. "Don't you see? I didn't care about the competition as much as I do the both of you. I mean, that's not to say I don't care about winning, I do, but I think I've won quite enough today, don't you? I mean, how awesome is it that I get to have another big sister?!"

With that, she grabbed both mares in her forelegs and hugged them tightly.

"I love you, Rainbow Dash, and I love you Applejack."
"We love you too, Violet Tempest."

"We love all three of you!" came the voices of Dusk Thunder and Sunset Wind, as they gathered together with the group and hugged them. Finally, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike joined in the love as well, a shower of confetti falling down upon them thanks to a final blast of Pinkie Pie's party cannon. All of them happy to be together, to be one big, extended family.

This was a happy day, and everypony knew there would be many more to come.

Twilight looked up for a moment, as a pegasus flew by carrying a banner with what appeared to be a Calvin Clydesdale cologne ad.

She blinked once. Then again as she stared at the ad. Without her binoculars, she couldn't be certain, but the model in the ad looked like...

No, it couldn't be.

"Um, Spike?", she asked hesitantly, "When was the last time you wore a mustache?"

THE END

Author's Note

Hello, Everypony,

I hope you have enjoyed "Saddlebags, Sun, and On the Run". My only goal was to tell a fun story, and to engage the reader in the hope that they might find it a nice diversion from the day to day stress of life. Whether you love the story, like it a lot, or merely like it a little (that's a joke. I know everyone loved it unconditionally), it is my gift to you.

That said, I'd like to thank everyone who read it, everyone who critiqued it, and all those who gave me a chance to entertain them. It has been a pleasure to serve you in some way.

So, to finish up, all of my best, don't hesitate to leave comments on FimFiction.net, and know that someday, sometime, there will be more. That's either a promise or a threat, depending upon how you liked the story. ;)

All of my love,
The Lotus Tea Dragon