The Secret Pony fic challenge 2012
Rainbows and Farmers
by
Alex 'Phoenix' Wing
Rainbow Dash grumbled as she woke up, THAT dream waking her up again
“Ugh.. What's wrong with me? This is seriously cutting into my nap time.” She rolled over on her side.
She got out of bed, and stumbled to her desk. On it lay her dream diary. Twilight had given it to her after the pegasus had admitted not sleeping well for the last couple of days.
Twilight had mentioned that if her problems were because of dreams, she should write them down. Maybe there were elements that reoccurred, some common themes. Recognizing those would make things easier, so Twilight had said. Rainbow almost knew for certain her friend had pulled it from some book or another, but if it worked she didn't care.
Much like the dream she had when her friends had their pet outing, she had some interaction with her dream. Which was why she remembered it so..vividly and even though she didn't want to admit it, it felt SO right!
“Here we go,” Rainbow muttered as she wrote down the date and started to describe her dream.
I am in the fields of Sweet Apple Acres. I spread my wings and take off. I do all kinds of tricks before landing again. I enter my the house...
Rainbow paused, she didn't go to her house. It was Applejack's, not her's. But I know why I thought it was mine. She sighed. Maybe she should talk to somepony about it, like Apple.. She shook her head, she wasn't the smartest pony but she knew her restlessness had to do with the Apple farm.
While Pinkie could keep a secret, Rainbow often had trouble keeping up with her on the best of days. Twilight would have read a thousand books, but she would bring up all kind of things. Her fellow pegasus of the group... wouldn't be the best choice either. Rarity really was the only one she could talk with, but she was so excitable if the subject was ever brought up.
Rainbow shuddered, she really didn't want that BUT she really didn't have a choice. She NEEDED to talk to somepony about this, and she didn't trust anybody outside the group, aside from the princesses. And she really didn't wish to start discussing dreams of a questionable nature with the rulers of the day and night.
She looked outside. It was about time she went to work, maybe after work she could go to the boutique.
Rarity was surprised that Rainbow Dash of all people, came to her store willingly.
“Darling, this is a surprise.”
“Do you have some time?” Rainbow interrupted, “I need to talk to you. Privately.”
“As a matter of fact, I DO have the time,” Rarity's gaze softened, “What do you want to talk about? I can see something is on your mind.”
“I've been getting these dreams for sometime now. They have been 'interesting' for me.”
“Do tell, darling.” Rarity had been guiding Rainbow to her kitchen, giving her a seat at the table, while she started to prepare some tea.
“Sometimes they aren't ones you'd want to share with children,” Dash looked at her friend, who had paused in her activities.
“Really now, and this as been bugging you? I mean it's totally normal. But you know this..right?” She was met with silence, “Is there more? It is one of us? Twilight? Pinkie? Fluttershy? Apple..”
Dash looked down. Rarity fell silent as she walked towards her, “Rainbow Dash, is it Applejack?” She walked around the table looking at her friend.
“Rainbow? Come on, face me,” Rarity had never seen the pegasus so.. lost before. As if the entire world was started to collapse on her. She almost didn't hear the whisper from her blue friend.
“come again?”
“Brother.”
“Applejack's brother? Oh Rainbow, is that all?”
The kettle started whistling, and within seconds Rarity had two steaming mugs suspended in mid-air by her side. One was pressed against her friend's hooves.
“There is nothing wrong with liking Macintosh , but that's not why you are afraid.”
“N't afraid,” Rainbow murmured.
“Anxious then,” Rarity amended, “You like him but you don't know if he likes you.”
Rainbow's magenta eyes followed her friend's body, a questioning look in them.
The fashionista smiled again when she noticed it, she answered Rainbow's unvoiced question, “I do not claim to know everything about love, but there are things which remain the same between experiences.”
“Like what!”
“Like uncertainty, the need to know if the other is as interested in you as you are to him, or her.”
“Her?”
“You never thought about mares?” A gossip magazine floated in front of her, showing two celebrities kissing quite passionately. Rainbow's cheeks colored. “It's quite interesting really, these two are from very different ways of life. One is a Cellist, the other's a DJ. One is classy, the other is rather brash. A bit like you and me.”
Rainbow's face started to closely resemble a tomato
“Until I learned what kind of creature 'my prince' was, I too wondered how he would see me. Of course, I thought he would be a gentlecolt even if he wasn't as interested but my dreams were shattered, ” Rarity glanced at Rainbow Dash, a pegasus whose wings were pressing tightly into her sides, almost locked up in her nerves. What was it that book said about wings like that? That didn't really matter.
“Rainbow?” Rarity asked, “What made you decide that Macintosh was the one for you? I mean rather then pegasi stallions.”
Her wings relaxed somewhat as the pegasus pondered it, “I don't know. I just started thinking about him and before I knew it, he was the only guy on my mind”
Rarity paused as she took the puzzle-pieces, “To be honest, Applejack's brother is one very dependable stallion. One could say he's loyal to his family.”
Rainbow looked at the unicorn, “You mean.. I like him just because he's loyal?”
“Also Honest, Kind, Generous. Also he's seems to be excellent father-material”
'WHOMP' Rainbow's wings flared in shock, “Why would you say that?”
“Have you ever thought about having a child? It doesn't really matter if you haven't but..”
Rainbow's red-flushed face once again looked at the floor.
“I...I..I have.”
“And?”
“I don't know... I don't know if I deserve to be a mother...“
Rarity fell silent at the new subject. As much as she wanted to keep it simple, the subject matter simply wasn't. Rainbow having a crush on Macintosh wasn't anything special, but Rarity found herself needing to know how far Rainbow was willing to go. Although the answer to the new topic was something she didn't expect.
“What makes you say that? I think you could be a great mother.”
“I can't take care of a child.”
“You would have half of the Apple family, Macintosh, Applejack and us to help you out. You aren't alone if you had one.”
“Help out wit' what?”
Rainbow and Rarity jumped and turned around.
“Applejack, what are you doing here?” Rainbow asked.
“Jus' bringing Sweetie Bell back.” Applejack said, motioning to her back where the filly was sleeping. Rarity smiled at the sight before levitating the young unicorn and moving to the guestroom.
Rainbow smiled nervously whilst looking at Applejack.
“So W'at you two talking about?”
“Nothing important.”
“Really?” a grin appeared on the cowpony's face, “Dash, we both know you don' go to Rarity's on the best of days so spill the beans sugercube. W'at's goin' on?”
“I.. I wondered if I would be a good mother..” Rainbow hesitantly said.
“W'at in tarnation? Of course, you would be a great mom. Why would you ever think you weren't?”
“What Rainbow means to say is that she has little experience with children. You have Applebloom and I have Sweetie Bell and while Scootaloo is Rainbow's number one fan, only the two of us have truly experienced the 'joys and wonders' of child raising. Rainbow just wants to know if she would be good with children, should she decide too.”
“I guess t'at makes sense. O' course I had Granny, Big Mac an' half the family to help at the farm an' with Applebloom.”
Rainbow jumped up, “Well that's great, you have settled my nerves and all that but I really need going. Okay. Bye!” She nearly exploded through the door.
“Ah. Rare?” Applejack turned her hat on, after it had nearly been blasted of her head., “Rainbow is a mighty bit anxious about something.”
“Really, I hadn't noticed and before you ask, yes I know why..”
“She isn't...”
“No, It does not deal with foals at this moment. Might be in the future.”
“Ah don't follow.”
“She has fallen for somepony.” Rarity spoke softly, watching her friend's face.
“Really, Do ah know 'im? Le' me guess? The Pie Bolt? ”
“If you mean Soarin then no, You are looking at the wrong side of the barn. But you do know him very well.”
“Rare, Ah don't follow.”
The Fashion designer sighed, “To put it simple. How do you feel about Rainbow as a Sister-in-law? Part of the family”
“Y'all are, right? With the FlimFlam bit..Ah mean we..”
“Applejack, if you weren't so clueless...”Rarity sighed, “Tell me, does your brother fancy mares?”
“Ah guess, there was this episode of mares flingin' themselves at him, that bit with Fluttershy an' o' course Cheerilee.”
“Wait..Fluttershy and... How did that work out? Well, they broke up, obviously but still..”
“Whole lot of silence.”
“I guess that both Fluttershy and your brother just do not have a character suitable for eachother.”
“Eeyup, It's not that ah don't like her but Flutter is just so..”
“Shy..” Rarity finished with a smile, “I know you have put two and two together, You would not be that dumb..just clueless. So what do you think?” Rarity looked out the still open door.
The Cowpony looked in the same direction and grinned, “It do the lug some good. And Dash as well. We always were family, it be just making it clear to the rest o' the world.”
“So any idea how to get those two together?”
“Other then tying Rainbow down long enough, a surprise party for two?”
The two forming grins would have scared all the villains away.
Dash opened the door of dark and abandoned barn, it was near midnight, “Pinkie? Twi? Hellooo anypony there?”
She heard some noise off to the side, “Guys?” She moved towards the sound. And took an involuntary step back when the source became clear. Her wings ruffled in shock. “Mac?”
“Eeyup,” The red stallion replied.
Silence fell between the two. Rainbow moved next to him, Out of sight of the barndoor
“So, I heard we would be having another surpriseparty,” Rainbow whispered if only to break the silence.
“Eeyup.”
“Been here long?”
“Noope.”
“Have you seen anypony else?”
“Noope”
“Do you know for who...”
“Noope.”
She sighed, “When is this thing going to start? Any clue?”
“Noo..”
“Nope, got it,” Rainbow sighed. Of course, things could have been worse. Being locked in with...
“What... oh nononononononono,” Rainbow muttered as she ran to the door, and tried to force the door open... “I knew it. Rarity!! LET ME OUT!!! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!!”
Her wings flared similar to an aggressive bird, she lashed out against the door. No effect.
The pegasus jumped back as a green flame flashed underneath the door, transforming into a neat scroll. “What in the.. Spike is in this too?” Of course, it could have been only Rarity, the dragon would hardly see the harm in sending an letter to whichever recipient Rarity choose.
The other pony in the barn was looking confused as to why the pegasus would shout to her friend, although he started to suspect that they both had been pranked. He flinched as his sister's friend brought her hind-hooves to bare on the door. It was a strike that would make any applebucker jealous.
Mac's eyes widened as the fire came through. The first thought was of any danger they were in, should the place catch fire, preparing to bring his own hooves in a showdown against the door. His body being a LOT stronger then the lighter build pegasus. The second was wonder as the smoke changed into a scroll. The third was bewilderment as he read the scroll.
Sorry, Rainbow but I told Applejack and she approves.
We made this little plan ,which you fell beautifully by the way.
She and I are the only ones in on this, although I would have to ask Spike to get the letter to you.
As for Macintosh, I feel awful for pulling you into this as I would have liked Rainbow to come clear about her growing feelings for you..
Mac looked up at the sky blue pegasus, whose wings were spread and a red tint was visible on her face.
“Ah don' reckon we couldn' give it a try,” the red stallion told her with a smile, “Ah don't think Granny's gonna be pleased if we destroy the barn door so we might as well sleep here.
Rainbow interest peaked, “Really, not in the house?”
Mac shrugged, “Ah slept in worse places.”
“True, I slept in a hospital bed. I heard the ground is more preferable,” Rainbow joked.
Mac laid down on the hay and nodded to the spot next to him. Rainbow trotted over to him and curled up like a cat. Mac smiled and turned of the single lantern before joining the mare into dreamland.
It was early in the morning when the stallion rose. He stood up and nudged the pegasus.
The mare just pushed his hoof out of the way and rolled over. Mac tried again.
Rainbow's eyes opened to a blurry vision “Not now, Zap Apple, Mommy's trying to sleep.”
She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, staring at Big Mac. Her wings flared once again in embarrassment, her face so red it could compete with the stallion's natural color.
“That is... I mean...”
“Maybe in the future,” Big Mac began, “Zap Apple could be real but for now.. let's just see where WE are going.”
Rainbow stood up and when they were barely touching, she paused.
“Yes, let's see where the future will take us,” Then Rainbow Dash closed the distance between them.
Author's Note
So.. this is my entry for the secret pony fic.
My first pony fic and my first Romance fic in general
I'd like to thank Bookplayer for organising this
I'd like to thank (and curse) Autocharth for being the one I got. I hope you enjoyed the story.
My brother for proofreading the fic even though he doesn't like ponies.
and all the readers for reading this, I look forward to your comments
