Chapters Chapter 1: Learning a Lesson
Chapter 1: Learning a Lesson
As Big Mac finished putting all the harvested apples in the barn there was one thought on his mind, and that was seeing Rainbow Dash. The two have been dating for a little over six months now, and with the big step they had taken a few days ago, Big Mac was more than confident that things were going great. There was no doubt in his mind that tonight was going to be just as amazing, or at least, until Applebloom and the other Crusaders came sprinting into the barn with their tails between their legs.
"What are you three up to?" Big Mac asked from the back of the barn as he neatly packed the last bushel in. None of the Crusaders replied, nor did they have to as his question was answered when Rainbow Dash came flying in through one of the windows on the barn.
"You..." Rainbow said slowly as she raised her hoof, her voice chilling Big Mac to the bone, "All of you..." Her hoof began to shake as the Crusaders huddled up together, all of their eyes wide open in fear as they looked at Rainbow. When the shock of her sudden appearance had left Big Mac he trotted up behind her, setting his hoof on her shoulder. He was not prepared for what turned to look at him. Rainbow had her mane curled oddly, with a large pink bow on the top, causing her orange hair to curl awkwardly in front of her face. While suppressing a chuckle Big Mac lead Rainbow away so he could calm her down.
"Rainbow you need to calm down" Big Mac said as they turned a corner to be out of the fillies' sight, when Big Mac gave Rainbow a light kiss on her nose. She gumbled slightly before looking up at him.
"They tricked me into helping them try to get their cutie marks" Rainbow said angrily, "Then they all shouted 'CUTIE MARK CRUSADER MAKEOVER!' and then did this to me" Rainbow pointed her hoof up her mane, making Big Mac hold in a chuckle again.
"They're kids, remember that" Big Mac said with a smile, which made Rainbow calm down a little bit, "Are we still on for tonight?" Rainbow smiled up at him happily, quickly kissing Mac on his cheek.
"Of course" Rainbow said, calmly walking out from behind the wall, doing her best to hide her smile from the fillies as her face returned to it's angry state. Big Mac chuckle once she was gone, both at how her mane looked, and how Rainbow was pretending to be angry with the fillies to make them run away scared. Once they were gone she popped back around the wall to glare at Big Mac, who she heard chuckling the entire time.
"Asshole" Rainbow said before giving Mac a wink, promptly flying off towards her cloud house so she could prepare for her date with Big Mac tonight. Meanwhile Big Mac headed into the farmhouse and searched for his brush so he could clean up his mane just enough so he would look respectable. Once that was done he headed over to the potion shop and bought a cloud walker potion that would last for twelve hours, allowing him to stay with Rainbow for the night, and then he climbed up the ladder that Rainbow had dropped down for him.
"Rainbow, you in there?" Big Mac asked once he got outside her door, knowing better than to knock on the door because he would make a hole in it. He only had to wait a few seconds before she was at the door, her favorite necklace around her neck. For their six month anniversary Big Mac bought her a piece of jewelry that looks exactly like her cutie mark, and since then she has worn it almost every time they met.
"You ready for dinner?" Rainbow asked, wiping her forehead with a hoof. Every time they met up at her place she prepared her favorite dishes, which Big Mac had easily grown to love.
"Eeyup" Big Mac said with a smile as he walked into her house, shutting the door gently behind him. He followed Rainbow into her dining room, where she had comfortable cloud chairs set up for her and Big Mac to sit on while they ate whatever Rainbow had prepared. A few seconds later Rainbow came in with a veggie pizza dish, which she gently placed on the table.
"Bon appétit" Rainbow said as she showed off the pizza with a laugh, making Big Mac smile. Rainbow sat down next to him and grabbed a slice of pizza, and the two of them eating it while playfully pushing each other around. Within minutes the pizza was completely gone, and the two of them quickly ran up to Rainbow's bedroom for the second part of the evening.
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"Good morning..." Big Mac said with a smile while he turned over to face Rainbow, "Dashie?" He sat up quickly, not seeing Rainbow in the bed next to him. As he looked around he head a gagging noise coming from the adjacent bathroom. Getting out of the bed slowly, testing the floor to make sure he could still walk on clouds before he headed over to the door.
"Dashie, are you in there?" Big Mac asked, still half awake. He heard some muffled shouts from inside, and curiosity got the best of him, making him open the door slowly. When he looked inside he saw Rainbow knelt over the toilet with her head halfway inside. Just as he got to her she began to hurl again, scaring him for a second.
"Damn you Mac..." Rainbow said as the vomiting stopped, her voice sounding strained and tired. Mac knelt down to her and put a hoof on her shoulder to support him, but she pushed him away, shooting him a glare before she starting to vomit again. Big Mac looked around the room, spotting a small white object lying near Rainbow, with the name Pegasi Blue Pregnancy Test on it. Looking at the results made Mac faint, but he managed to say one thing before he hit the floor.
"YOU'RE PREGNANT?!"
Chapter 2: Getting Serious
Chapter 2: Getting Serious
"MAC WAKE UP!" Rainbow shouted for the twentieth time, finally rousing the large stallion from his slumber. When he opened his eyes he was fifty feet above the ground, hanging precariously from the floor of Rainbow's cloud house as she held onto one of his forelegs. His first reaction was to freak out, but he managed to stay calm as Rainbow pulled him up into house, carefully placing him in the bathtub, where he would be safe to stay now that his cloud walking potion has worn off.
"When did you take the potion?!" Rainbow shouted at him as she patched up her floor, grunting angrily as she had to pop outside to find more clouds to fix it. Mac sighed loudly as he laid back in the tub, thanking Celestia, Luna, and even Discord, that Rainbow was able to recover from her morning sickness fast enough to catch him. Otherwise there would be a disgusting red mush under her house, complete with some dark orange patches. Once Rainbow was done patching up her floor she trotted up the edge of the tub, putting her forelegs against it.
"When did you take it?" Rainbow asked as she leaned against the side of the tub. Big Mac tapped his chin for a second before he remembered.
"About six in the evening, why?" Big Mac asked, not knowing what time it was. Rainbow sighed loudly before she pushed herself off of the tub, heading towards the bathroom door. Without saying anything she left Big Mac inside the bathtub, where he was going to stay until she got back. Knowing that there was nothing he could do in anyway Big Mac opted to fall asleep, which he did surprisingly easily. Just before he fell into a deep sleep Rainbow shook him awake.
"Drink it right now" Rainbow ordered, handing him a small shot of the cloud walking potion. He downed it without any complaints, despite the horrid aftertaste it always left in his mouth. He waited a few seconds before stepped out on to the floor, hoping that the potion had worked. When he balance himself on the floor Rainbow pulled him into a hug, shaking slightly.
"Asshole, why didn't you tell me" Rainbow said, followed by a sniffle, "You almost died!" Big Mac sighed and hugged Rainbow back, gently rubbing her back.
"I'm sorry Dashie, I didn't mean to do that" Big Mac said, a sad atmosphere in the entire room. Rainbow continued to hug Big Mac for a few more minutes before pulling away, only to come back in for a deep kiss. Once they had finally broken apart she gave Big Mac a shot in the arm, an joking smile on her face.
"Asshole" Rainbow said in a mock pout before she trotted out of the bathroom, making her way downstairs towards the kitchen. As Big Mac trotted down the stairs he heard her humming away as she prepared breakfast, which brought a smile to his face. In the six months they had been together that was the closest Rainbow had ever gotten to really crying, and he was happy to see that she had already gone back to normal. Soon a smell of scrambled eggs with peppers and spinach filled the house, snapping Mac out of his thoughts, just as Rainbow came in with two plates.
"So, about what happened up there..." Rainbow said quietly as she placed Big Mac's plate in front of him, making him freeze up. He looked up at her for a moment before taking a forkful of eggs, finishing the mouthful before speaking up himself.
"Which thing that happened upstairs?" Big Mac asked, "Oh, and these eggs are delicious" Rainbow smiled for a moment because of his compliment, but her face quickly turned back to stone.
"You know, the morning sickness, and the test..." Rainbow said, putting her fork down as she looked down at the eggs, suddenly losing her appetite. Big Mac gave her a worried look, knowing that something had to really be bothering her for her to interrupt her favorite breakfast. Getting out of his chair he walked over to her side and had her turn towards him.
"It's okay Rainbow, we can deal with it, I know we can," Big Mac said with a comforting smile, which managed to make Rainbow calm down slightly, "What's got you so worried about it?"
"We're not married, we've been keeping our relationship secret from everypony, and I don't know if I can raise a foal by myself" Rainbow said, her eyes darting straight to the ground right as she thought about everything that could go wrong with this, "I want to keep the foal, but I'd have to keep it secret from everypony..." Big Mac sighed and lifted her head up with a hoof, giving her a quick kiss to let her know that he was there for her. When he pulled back she turned her head to the side, looking back down as soon as she could.
"Rainbow don't worry, I'm here for you, remember?" Big Mac said with a small smile, making Rainbow smile a little bit as well, "I'll gladly help you raise the foal, and keep it secret as long as we can, I promise" It looked like she was going to get up for a moment, but instead she fell into Mac, humming happily as he embraced her. After a few seconds Rainbow looked up at him, smiling happily.
"You'll always be here for me?" Rainbow asked, nuzzling her head up against Big Mac's chin.
"Always" Big Mac said as he leaned his head downwards, nuzzling Rainbow back.
"What about Applejack?" Rainbow asked sadly, "She's going kill me if she finds out about this..." Rainbow sighed sadly, knowing full well that Applejack was very protective of her brother, not wanting to lose him to some random mare.
"It's okay, I can talk to her about it" Big Mac said, pausing to give her a kiss on the forehead, "I love you remember, nothing my sister says or does can change that"
"Really?" Rainbow asked, her fear coming out in her voice.
"Of course Dashie" Big Mac said, pulling Rainbow into a tighter hug. The two of them stayed there for as long as they could, but a loud crack from Sweet Apple Acres snapped Big Mac back to reality. He looked down at Rainbow to see her sleeping soundly against him, meaning he would have to move her up to her bed. Once that was done he found a piece of paper and a Wonderbolts pen, using them to write Rainbow a note explaining where he was going, and then he was off to work on the farm all day long.
Chapter 3: Life Changing
As Big Mac trotted up the path to the farm he spotted Applebloom running around with the other Crusaders, holding what looks to be an old yoke from Big Mac's closet. He wanted to ask them what they were doing, but when he saw Applebloom put the yoke on he figured it out.
"Look at me, I'm Red Gala~" Applebloom said in a high pitched voice, "Eeyup~"
"I'm Snowflake, look at my pretty muscles" Scootaloo said as she struck a pose, "YEAH!~" Big Mac stopped in his tracks, the overly feminine voice that came from Scootaloo made him freeze, and the noise she made afterwards make his brain cease to function. The first thought that came into head when he recovered was, I've only ever heard Dashie make that noise before , which made him blush almost immediately, but luckily his red coat covered it up. In the background he saw Sweetie Belle holding up a curtain with her magic, something Rarity had recently taught her to do.
"And I'm..." Sweetie Belle announced happily, "Princess Bluebelle!" As Sweetie Belle dropped the curtains she revealed herself with a long flowing mane and a nice dress, that would make Rarity have a panic attack because of the mud that was all around the hem of the dress. Big Mac laughed before moving on down the path, the Crusaders' antics continuing on in the background as he got closer to the sound of Applejack bucking the trees. When he was close enough he heard Applejack swearing loudly with every buck.
"Damn. Lazy. Bastard. Skipping. Work. To. See. Mares!" Applejack said with each buck, kicking the tree a few more times for emphasis. Big Mac slowly walked up to her, watching for any stray apples falling from the tree as he got under it's branches. When Applejack saw him walking up behind her she pulled in her hind legs, preparing to buck him in the chest, but he moved out of the way, causing her to fall to the ground with a loud smack.
"Where have you been?!" Applejack asked angrily, pushing him back with a hoof until he was against a tree.
"I fell asleep in the field last night, if you really want to know" Big Mac said in a dignified way, making Applejack frown. She knew he had fallen asleep in the fields before, so it wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary, but he was never this late. Maybe a few minutes here or there, but for him to be late by an entire hour? She knew there was something else going on, but she respected him too much to push the issue any further than an angry grunt before she got back to work. For the rest of the day she kept one eye on him, making sure he wasn't going to skip out in the middle of bucking so he could go do whatever, or whoever, it was he had been doing at night.
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Rainbow slowly opened her eyes, the morning sun shining right onto them through her window. When she didn't find Big Mac in the bed next to her she freaked out, but quickly remembered what had happened earlier that morning, and was calm almost immediately. She knew, deep down, that right now is when she should be scared, terrified, or even crazy, but knowing that Big Mac was going to stand by her, no matter what got thrown at them, made her feel calm.
"How does he always know what to say?" Rainbow asked herself quietly as she headed down to her front door so she could check her mail and get the newspaper. She never really read the newspaper, considering she only looked at the comics in the back, but there was the odd time when the Wonderbolts made news, which she would read as soon as she could. When she opened her door she saw Ditzy, the local mailmare, attempting to stuff a muffin into the mailbox.
"Derpy what are you doing?" Rainbow asked tiredly, just wanting to get her mail and her comics so she could go back inside.
"I found this under your house," Ditzy said, replying as usual to Rainbow's nickname for her, producing the pregnancy test from earlier out of her bag, "It has a plus sign on it so I thought you deserved a muffin for whatever you did" Rainbow sighed loudly and stuck her hoof out, receiving both her mail and the muffin at the same time, and with a wave goodbye Ditzy was off to "deliver" mail to the next pony. After Rainbow set everything on her counter she realized that she had just gotten a muffin, for having unprotected sex...
"I can honestly say I never thought I would be congratulated for having sex, but oh well" Rainbow said, shrugging it off as she took a bite out of the muffin, a rich blueberry flavor filling her mouth. As Rainbow's blueberry induced ecstasy wore off she noticed a familiar symbol on one of her letters.
"I GOT A LETTER FROM THE WONDERBOLTS?!" Rainbow freaked out, barely managing to put the muffin down before she grabbed the letter and began to roll on the floor with it. When Rainbow was finished fangirling all of her floor she sat up and opened the letter.
Rainbow Danger Dash,
This letter is here to inform you that a second round of boot camp will take place in exactly one month from now. It is mandatory that you arrive at the camp one week before we begin, and you will stay at the camp for it's duration. As before outside contact is allowed, as well as visitors, but you cannot have anypony assist you in this camp unless they are your assigned partner. Remember to bring your uniform, and we look forward to seeing you there, as after this camp we will pick which of you will be future Wonderbolts.
Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts
Rainbow put the letter down, completely speechless. She was now so close to her dream of being a Wonderbolt that she could taste it, but when she saw the pregnancy test out of the corner of her eye she felt her hopes being crushed. They do a medical examination before anypony can enter the camp, and if they found out that she was pregnant...
"GAH!" Rainbow shouted as she put her head down on the counter next to the half eaten muffin, "Why does every life changing thing have to happen to me right now, at the same time?!"
Chapter 4: Accidents Happen
Chapter 4: Accidents Happen
Rainbow slowly opened her eyes to the sound of a bell ringing in the distance. When she got up she looked around to see at least five other mares sitting on their beds rubbing their eyes to try and wake themselves up. A quick look to her right and Rainbow would find her wing pony, Lightning Dust, who was currently mumbling angrily to herself about the bell when the door suddenly slammed open.
"Good morning recruits!" Spitfire announced as she trotted into the room, sporting her usual aviators as she looked at each and every pony in the room, "Is everypony ready for the final day of boot camp?!"
"Yes ma'am!" everypony shouted back. Rainbow had been waiting for this day to come ever since she came back to boot camp a month ago. It was hard to tell Big Mac that she was leaving, but he eventually let her go, knowing that it was her life's dream to become a Wonderbolt. He warned her to safe for him and the foal, and also told her to tell Spitfire about it, but of course she didn't. If she had told Spitfire about it she would have probably been kicked out of boot camp.
"Lead pony Rainbow Dash, did you hear what I just said?!" Spitfire asked with her face pressed up against Rainbow's, making her gasp quietly, "I guess not..." Spitfire trotted away slowly, her eyes scanning the other mares in the room before coming back to Rainbow.
"I said that not everypony in this room will be going home a Wonderbolt, but you will all go home feeling sore and tired!" Rainbow almost let out a sigh, but caught herself before it got out. She wasn't worried about it, she had been doing an amazing job the rest of the camp, all she had to do was keep it up for today and she was in, there was no doubt in her mind about that. After Spitfire gave them a run down of the day's activities they all ran for their lockers, getting into their flight suits as fast as possible, and then running out to the tarmac to wait for everypony else.
"Now, the first thing we will be doing in the Dizzytron..." Spitfire paused for dramatic effect, "At full speed" She smiled evilly at the mares and stallions that stood in front of her, at least one of them already feeling nauseous. Except, it was Rainbow Dash that was feeling sick today, but she brushed it off as nerves because it was the last day. Unluckily for her, she was first on the list for today. As she got strapped into the machine she felt an urge to throw up, but she managed to suppress it.
"And... go!"
With the flip of a switch the Dizzytron was going, and Rainbow was suddenly sent into the sky, her eyes struggling to readjust so she could keep flying. When she landed she skidded on her hooves for a little bit, but quickly settled down. She was perfectly fine until the feeling of nausea came back to her, making her collapse to the ground. As she started to drift off to sleep she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, as well as muffled shouts from Spitfire as she tried to get a medical team outside for her.
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Big Mac was pacing worriedly through the hallways of the Wonderbolts Academy, waiting for news about Rainbow. He had been working on the farm, doing his best to not think about her being gone when a group of Pegasi in Wonderbolts' uniforms came down to the farm looking for him. They said that Rainbow had managed to tell them to get him in her unconscious state, and luckily for him Applejack was nowhere nearby. If she had heard that Rainbow wanted to see him before anypony else when she got hurt, then her suspicions would be proven right. Ever since Rainbow left she had been pestering him, asking if he was sneaking out every night to go see her, and this would have been a field day for her.
"Mr Mac?" somepony asked from behind Big Mac, snapping him out of his thoughts. When he turned around he was faced with a light blue Pegasus with golden hair, whom he recognized as Lightning Dust from Dash's stories.
"Yes?" Big Mac replied, his hoof being taken by the mare as she led him away so she could talk to him in private. Once they were out of earshot of everypony else Lightning Dust began to talk.
"Is there something wrong with Rainbow Dash?" Lightning asked, "I mean, you're her coltfriend, aren't you?" Big Mac thought for a moment about that question, because he wasn't sure what he should say. Would it be easier to say yes, and go along with what she was going to say, or say no, and come up with an excuse for why Rainbow wanted him to be there? Eventually he made up his mind and replied.
"I'm her coltfriend" Big Mac said calmly, and odd feeling of pride coming from inside him after he said that. He made a mental note about how good it felt to say it before turning back to Lightning Dust, who was now awestruck. Big Mac didn't know why she was, but she quickly snapped out of it and continued on with her thoughts.
"Well, I heard her talking in her sleep a couple of times, mentioning a foal with someone, and how good that person was in..." Lightning Dust tried to finish, but her bright red face told Big Mac that the rest was too embarrassing for her to say. He smiled to show her that it was okay, just as Spitfire came bolting down the hallway, stopping right in front of the two of them. She was surprised by what she saw, but right now she didn't really care, Big Mac was coming with her, right now. Without telling him anything she ripped him away, leaving Lightning Dust dazed and confused. As they got to Rainbow's room Spitfire threw Big Mac ahead of her, sending him into the room first.
"Rainbow Danger Dash!" Spitfire said loudly, "Is he the father?"
"Yes ma'am" Rainbow answered tiredly, a hint of sadness in her voice. Spitfire quickly turned Big Mac to face her and looked him right in the eyes, making even the giant stallion feel a bit weak in the knees.
"You are one lucky son of a bitch, you know that?" Spitfire said before letting go of Big Mac's yoke, "This idiot over here almost got your foal killed today!" Without saying anything else Spitfire left the room, slamming the door violently behind her, leaving the two of them in the room alone, with the tense atmosphere still hanging around. Rainbow was the first one to speak up, feeling like she had to let Mac know what was going on.
"So, about what Spitfire said..."
Chapter 5: Caught Red Hoofed
Chapter 5: Caught Red Hoofed
Big Mac and Rainbow Dash sat in silence, having just finished talking about the foal's safety for the past hour they were both in desperate need of a break from each other. Rainbow had just about told Big Mac told fuck off and leave her alone during the conversation after he scolded her for not telling Spitfire about the foal in the first place, and Big Mac almost left when Rainbow told him that it was her foal, and that she would make all the decisions for it. Thankfully they managed to stay somewhat quiet during the entire thing, the occasional "fuck" or "ass" being said just loud enough for anypony outside to hear. After a few more minutes of silence Big Mac spoke up, managing to surprise Rainbow.
"Rainbow, I'm sorry for getting upset," Big Mac said sadly, looking down at the space beneath the bed rather than Rainbow, who was on it, "Can you ever forgive me?" Without saying anything Rainbow hopped off the bed, just out of Big Mac's sight, and got behind him, tapping him on the shoulder so he would turn around. He went to say something to her, but she stopped him by suddenly moving forward, giving him a deep kiss, with tongue and all.
"Of course I forgive you" Rainbow said, her face red from the kiss, "Do you still love me?" Big Mac didn't say anything as he leaned in, giving Rainbow a gentle kiss, breaking it off only so he could pull her into a soft hug. Rainbow felt a moment of bliss as Big Mac's body shared some of it's heat with her, and Big Mac could feel her relax against him. For another time that day they were silent, just enjoying each other's company until there was a knock at the door.
"Come in" Rainbow said happily, still enjoying her time in Big Mac's hold. When she looked over she saw a very angry Applejack standing just ahead of Lightning Dust, who was looking extremely guilty. Big Mac attempted to say something, but ended up stuttering, making Applejack even angrier.
"What the fuck is this?!" Applejack shouted, a hoof coming up to point at the two of them, still hugging each other close. They quickly let go of each other and Rainbow moved forwards, having already come up with an excuse, but Applejack wasn't going to have any of it.
"I had a feeling that you had been leaving the house every night to go see a mare in town, but her..." Applejack said, her voice seething with hatred, "One of my best friends?!" Rainbow pulled away from Applejack when she felt a violent stare on her, but Big Mac stepped forwards, putting a leg in front of Rainbow.
"Applejack cut it out, right now" Big Mac said angrily, having made the decision to defend his marefriend than bend to his sister's will. Applejack stepped up to her brother, pushing her face against his as she stared him down. Outside the door Lightning Dust was watching in horror, and when she saw that Rainbow was looking at her she mouthed the words, "I'm sorry"
"Cut it out?!" Applejack shouted, her face still pressed against Big Mac's, "WHY SHOULD I?!"
"Because this my choice, dammit!" Big Mac shouted back, surprising Rainbow. He had never raised his voice to anypony, let alone his sister, for him to be doing it now...
"Then why did I find out about it from Applebloom?!" Applejack screamed, tears running down her face before she ran out of the room, making sure her tail whipped both of them across the face first. Once she was out of the building Lightning Dust knocked on the door frame, getting Rainbow's attention.
"What happened?" Rainbow asked, her voice sounding unusually down for her. Lightning Dust looked down at the ground as she began to explain what had happened.
"I went to go talk to the other recruits, and told them about what I heard, that Big Mac was your coltfriend and that you were actually pregnant right now" Lightning Dust explained, making Big Mac look up at her, "I guess one of them lives in Ponyville because a little while after we were dismissed she showed up, demanding to know where your room was" Lightning Dust looked up when neither of them said anything, Big Mac was just looking out the window, watching as Applejack left on the same balloon she had rode up, and Rainbow was thinking. Who in the Academy came from Ponyville as well, and who would tell somepony about what they heard...?
"Cloud Chaser!" Rainbow shouted as she figured out who spilled the beans. Lightning Dust and Big Mac gave her equally confused looks, but Rainbow's sudden change from depressed to a "ready to kill a bitch" mood told them what had happened.
"That stupid fucking jackass went back to town and probably told that bitch of a sister about us, and then she told everypony else!" Rainbow shouted as she prepared to head over to Cloud Chaser's house and give her more than just a piece of her mind, "I swear to Celestia, Luna, Cadance, fuck even Discord, that I am going to fucking kill that little bitch in the most pai-" Rainbow was suddenly cut off by Big Mac's hoof, which he had stuffed in her mouth, which she quickly spat out.
"You're not going to do that Rainbow" Big Mac said sternly, making Rainbow feel like a little filly that got caught trying to steal out of the cookie jar, "I know you're very angry, I am too, but right now we need to try and figure out what to do about us, and Applejack"
"Yeah, your right..." Rainbow said sadly, having been immediately calmed by Big Mac's words. She was pissed right the fuck off, and Cloud Chaser was still going to get hell for what she did, but right now wasn't the time for Rainbow to be doing something stupid out of anger. As Big Mac and Rainbow began to think about what they were going to do Lightning Dust left the room, feeling more than a little guilty for causing this whole mess. She knew it could have been avoided if she had just kept her mouth shut...
"Seriously Mac? That was so fucking stupid!" Rainbow said from inside the room, sounding almost happy to be saying it.
"Like your plan was any better Ms 'My middle name is Danger'" Big Mac said, poking fun at Rainbow's unusual middle name.
"Shut up you asshole" Rainbow said as she lightly pushed Big Mac, "I don't know why I even love you"
"Maybe it's my good looks" Big Mac said, getting a loud laugh from Rainbow.
"You really need to stop hanging out with me, I think I'm rubbing off on you" Rainbow said, her face turning bright red when Big Mac gave her a wink and a nudge. After that the two of them could be heard laughing hysterically at each other, their alone time having managed to make everything better for at least a short time. Right now they could have fun like this, because in all honesty, it was the calm before the storm.
Chapter 6: Crash and Burn
Chapter 6: Crash and Burn
Rainbow slowly walked alongside Mac as he helped her out of the hospital at the Academy. She had just been released after they managed to get somepony in to check on the foal's health. According to him the foal was doing fine, but Rainbow told that she had to fly only when necessary for a little while, so that no accidents could cause harm to the child. Big Mac agreed with the doctor, knowing better than to argue with someone who went to school to do what they do, but Rainbow had a different idea. It took Big Mac, Snowflake, Thunder Lane, and three of the instructors to hold Rainbow back as she attempted to tell the doctor how wrong he was by going on the dizzy tron at full speed again. Once she had calmed down enough, or at least to a point where Big Mac could control her by himself, they let her leave.
"I can't believe he said that I can't fly!" Rainbow complained as she leaned against Mac, her wings telling her that getting into the carriage that Spitfire had ordered for them was pointless. Big Mac simply sighed and let her go inside first, being grateful that he didn't have to take the hot air balloon down to the farm, he had a hard enough time getting the darn thing to come up anyways.
"You really should listen to him Dashie, he's gone to school for this" Big Mac said with a grunt as the carriage began to move, the burly Pegasi that were pulling it started off moving fast, causing Big Mac's stomach to lurch. Rainbow noticed it and giggled a tiny bit, but it was over as soon as she processed what make had said.
"So just because he went to school I should trust him?" Rainbow asked, putting her hoof against Mac's broad chest angrily, "Does this mean I'm not supposed to listen to you about farming or apples because you didn't go school for it?" Big Mac frowned at her, making her take her hoof off his chest, still upset at him.
"You know what I mean Rainbow" Big Mac said sternly, his years of being the only male in the Apple household giving his voice an almost father like tone to it, which only pissed Rainbow off even more.
"And you know what I meant" Rainbow said angrily, turning away from Big Mac, and staying that way for the rest of the trip. The last noise to come out of Big Mac was a depressed sigh, and he didn't make another peep until the carriage landed outside the Apple household, where Applejack was waiting on the front porch, her expression letting everypony in the area know that she was still very angry.
"Nice of you to finally come home with the brother stealer!" Applejack said, her voice getting louder and harsher as she looked at Rainbow, who was still in a bad mood of her own. She tried to stay quiet, not wanting to get into a fight with Applejack right then and there, but Applejack had far different plans than that. Without saying anything she stepped up to Rainbow's face, pushing further and further and until Rainbow tripped, landing on her flank. This was the final straw for Rainbow, and within a second she up on her hooves, ready to punch Applejack out.
"You seriously think I want to steal your brother?!" Rainbow shouted as she jumped forwards, eager to take the first hit, but Applejack stepped out of the way, "What kind of moron thinks that up?!"
"HE'S ALL I HAVE RAINBOW!" Applejack shouted as she dodged another punch, this one sending Rainbow face first into the mud. She growled angrily as she hopped back up, shooting an angry glare back towards Applejack. Rainbow attempted to fly at her again, but Big Mac stepped in the way, making her freeze on the spot.
"Get out of my way!" Rainbow shouted as Big Mac continued to move with her, preventing her from getting a straight shot at Applejack.
"Eenope" Big Mac answered, giving Rainbow a blank stare as Applejack ran into the house behind him. Rainbow gave Big Mac one more look before she angrily flew away, not paying attention to how fast she was going, or where. Knowing full well that Rainbow was going to fly away from him no matter what Big Mac decided to head out into the orchard to buck some apples with what little daylight he had left. Meanwhile Rainbow used the high speeds to talk to herself about what had just happened.
"How could my own coltfriend do that to me?!" Rainbow complained as she shot over the town hall, "I thought he was supposed to always take my side in a fight?!" Without paying attention Rainbow performed a sonic rainboom, causing her speed to drastically increase, as well as create a shining rainbow trail behind her for anypony to see. As she turned to head for a loop around the town she felt a sharp and sudden pain in her stomach, causing her wings to stiffen in surprise. While frantically attempting to get her wings to flap Rainbow began to fall like a meteor, right into Sweet Apple Acres. From the orchard he was working in Big Mac was able to see the rainbow comet crash, a smoke cloud climbing high into sky.
"RAINBOW!" Big Mac shouted as he began to run towards the crash site, his thoughts and actions becoming a blur to him the closer he got. The next thing he knew Big Mac was sitting in the waiting room of Ponyville Hospital, not knowing what was going on. When he began to look around a doctor came down the hall, a sad look on his face when he saw Mac's confused look, mistaking it for a pained one.
"I'm sorry Big Mac..." the doctor said sadly as he watched Mac raise an eyebrow.
"For what?" Big Mac asked, his eyebrow still raised.
"We did everything we could for Rainbow, but..." the doctor said, the memory of the crash coming flooding back to him. His face drained of color, or at least as much as it could for somepony as red as he was. The doctor waited a second before he continued to speak, hoping that some of the shock would have worn off, but it didn't.
"We had to amputate her wings, I'm sorry"
Chapter 7: Recovery
Rainbow slowly opened her eyes, a sharp pain in her back as she tried to sit up. Looking around she saw that she was in a hospital room, a place she was used to waking up in after a serious crash, but this time, something was different. On her lap was a big red stallion, and the blanket under him looked to be slightly wet, as if he had been crying. Last thing she could remember before now was fighting with him, flying away, and then...
"My wings!" Rainbow said quickly as she turned around to see her fears were true. Her majestic blue wings were gone, and the only sign that she had them in the first place were the bandages they had wrapped around her to prevent excessive bleeding. There weren't even any nubs where her wings used to be, they were completely gone. She sat in shock for a long while until Big Mac moved, having woken himself with his own snoring.
"Dashie..." Big Mac asked slowly as he started to wake up, still not quite aware of his surroundings. Rainbow didn't answer, she was still in shock, but she did turn her head to look down at him, his big and caring eyes filled with worry. He sat up fully and put his hoof on hers, helping to get rid of the shock just by being there.
"My wings are gone..." Rainbow said slowly, no emotion in her voice at all.
"Yeah, they are..." Big Mac replied slowly, not having the slightest clue how to explain everything to Rainbow. The doctors told him that they had to amputate her wings, other wise the pieces of bone that had broken off into her back would slowly kill her over time. Once they really got in there they found that the shoulder blades had nearly shattered into a million pieces, so they used the bone from her wings to help heal them. According to the head surgeon an operation like this has never been done before, and helped advance the knowledge of wing injury.
"Why did they have to take my wings?" Rainbow said angrily, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, "Why didn't they just..." Big Mac knew she was about to say why didn't they just let her die, but her eyes had settled on the number one reason why she should still be alive. The unborn foal that was inside her stomach, part of the reason why they had even fought in the first place, was still there, and was now the center of Rainbow's attention.
"Is the foal alright?!" Rainbow asked quickly as she started to shake Big Mac by his shoulders, nearly shaking him to pieces. His somber face made her start to worry, so she let him go so that she could touch her stomach.
"The doctors said that she's fine..." Big Mac said, making Rainbow look at him worriedly, "But they want to have a check up every week to make sure nothing happened to her that they can't see as of yet" Rainbow wasn't stupid, she knew that the doctors were afraid that the crash was going to cause birth defects, like mutated wings, or a inverted horn if it was a Unicorn, heck, it could even have some sort of mental retardation now.
"They found out the gender?" Rainbow asked, knowing full well that there could be other things she could ask, but she wanted to ask the easiest question first.
"Yeah, and the race" Big Mac said sadly, his mood lifted slightly now that they were talking about something somewhat happy, "The foal is going to be a filly, and a Pegasus, like... you..." An awkward silence filled the room as once again the fact that Rainbow was no longer a true Pegasus came to their minds, but Rainbow quickly worked to fix it.
"Maybe Fluttershy can teach her how to fly, or Spitfire, if I can ask her" Rainbow said with a sad smile on her face, "Maybe she'll become a Wonderbolt like I had hoped to" Big Mac returned her sad, yet hopeful, smile with one of his own, and soon after a nurse looked into the room, quickly running off to get a doctor. When she returned she had Doctor Monitor at her side, and he looked extremely pleased.
"It's good to see that you're awake Rainbow" he said as he picked up her chart, quickly scribbling something down onto it, "Now, could you please try to sit up so I can take a look" Doctor Monitor obviously assumed that Big Mac was going to tell her what had happened, and what they did, which seemed a little odd to Big Mac. Of course, despite the suspicion Rainbow sat up and turned slightly towards Big Mac, allowing Doctor Monitor to poke and prod the area they had operated on.
"Looks like everything's doing well back there, now Rainbow, could you try to stand?" Doctor Monitor asked, and Rainbow nodded slowly, unsure of why she would have to stand right now. When she started to climb off the bed she stumbled, so Big Mac ran up to support her, noticing why she was asked to stand.
"Rainbow, your cutie mark..." Big Mac said slowly, his eyes wide open, and transfixed on the area were Rainbow's cutie mark should be. When she looked she gasped loud enough to rival Pinkie or Rarity. Her cutie mark was completely gone, no trace of it whatsoever.
"How is that even possible?!" Rainbow shouted angrily, obviously confused and upset by the missing cutie mark. She looked up to Doctor Monitor to see him smiling sadly.
"When a pony like you, who's cutie mark was based off something they had on their body, loses that thing, there is a chance they will lose their cutie mark" Doctor Monitor explained, "Because your cutie mark was because you could perform the sonic rainboom, because of your amazing wing speed, losing your wings..." There was a deadly silence hanging in the room now that he had finished talking. The one thing that made Rainbow her, save for her hair, was now gone, and she would never get it back. After waiting for a few minutes to see if she or Big Mac had any other questions Doctor Monitor and the nurse left, somber expressions on their faces.
"Rainbow..." Big Mac said slowly as she climbed back into the bed, laying down on her side so her back was to him. She didn't respond and instead stared straight ahead of her. Knowing that there was nothing he could say that would make things right Big Mac pulled up a chair to the side of the bed and laid his head on her side, making her turn to lay on her back. She just stared into his eyes, no emotions being displayed on her face, but he could see, deep in her eyes, that she was broken to the core.
Chapter 8: A New Crusader?
Chapter 8: A New Crusader?
After a few weeks of treatment Rainbow was let out of the hospital, on the condition that she stay with Big Mac at the farm. Obviously she didn't want to do that, seeing as Applejack most likely hated her guts now, but she had no choice, it was that, or stay at the hospital forever. When she left the hospital they gave her a coat, mainly to protect her from the cold rain that had been scheduled for that day, but it was quite helpful as it covered her missing cutie mark from anypony who might see it. Rainbow decided to cut through the trees on her way to Sweet Apple Acres, hoping that it would mean that no pony would see her at all, thereby keeping her missing cutie mark a complete secret, with no chance of anypony finding out. Yet, things don't always go as planned, and today things were certainly going to go awry.
Just as Rainbow came close to the farm she heard somepony's hoofsteps behind her, and when she turned around they stopped, yet no pony was there. She felt like she was being watched from all over, and all of them were staring at the coat that she had on, as if they knew it was covering something up. Ignoring it for the time being she continued on her way, but after a few minutes the hoof steps became obvious again. Right then she felt something heavy land on her back.
"RAINBOW DASH!" Scootaloo shouted happily as both her and Rainbow fell to the ground, getting a pained grunt out of Rainbow. Rainbow continued to lay on the ground in pain as Scootaloo hopped off, taking the coat with her by accident.
"Hey, guys, isn't there something missing there?" Sweetie Belle asked, and Rainbow knew she was pointing at her blank flank. The girls quickly started to examine Rainbow's flank, trying to find the cutie mark they had all grown to know and love, or any sign that she had put something on it to cover it up, but after a few minutes they realized the truth.
"She's a blank flank?!" the three of them cried, Scootaloo being the loudest. He idol's cutie mark was missing, she felt as if her life was a lie now, but the surprise quickly wore off as curiosity crept into their minds.
"How could she lose her cutie mark?" Applebloom asked, now noticing that Rainbow's wings were missing as well, "Is it because she had her wings amputated?" The three Crusaders thought about how that would work, but eventually they all came to the same conclusion. It didn't matter, Rainbow could now join their club and it would be totally awesome and fun.
"Hey Rainbow, want to become a Crusader?" Scootaloo asked happily, barely able to contain her excitement. If Rainbow became a Crusader they could hang out all the time, and have lots of fun, maybe they'd even get cutie marks together! Scootaloo actually started to shake as she thought about how much fun it would be, which earned her a few confused looks from the other Crusaders.
"Yeah, wouldn't it be fun, trying to get our cutie marks together?" Sweetie Belle said, trying to ignore Scootaloo as she bounced up and down like a mini Pinkie Pie. Rainbow looked at the three of them like they were crazy, but she knew why they were asking, especially Scootaloo. She was their idol in a ways, and the chance to spend time with her like this was something of a dream, mainly for Scootaloo, so she really couldn't blame them, but it was still a strange offer.
"Let me think about it okay?" Rainbow asked, giving the three of them a hopeful look, which they returned with smiles. They knew that this wasn't a no, or a yes, it just meant that there might still be a chance that she'll join the Cutie Mark Crusaders if she's given a good enough reason to do so. Content with her answer the Crusaders ran away, probably to try some absurd thing to try and get their cutie marks. From the sounds of it, they were currently trying to get their marks in cloud watching, a pass time that Earth ponies had created so they could catch the hilarious cloud shapes that Pegasi would make when they got lazy or bored.
"I wonder what it'd be like, to be a Crusader like them..." Rainbow thought out loud as she turned to head onto Sweet Apple Acres, running right into Big Mac and Applejack having an argument.
"When were ya plannin' on telling me she was stayin' here from now on?!" Applejack shouted, her southern accent really coming out the louder her voice was. Big Mac stood his ground against his sister's shouting, which surprised Rainbow, usually he would back down and try to appease her.
"I didn't know until today!" Big Mac shouted back, "If I had known I woulda told ya earlier!"
"Oh come on, we both know that's a load a..." Applejack continued to shout, trailing off as she saw Rainbow in the corner of her eye, "Looks like it's too damned late, she's already fucking here!" Big Mac turned to see Rainbow giving him a worried look, and he started to walk over to her, but not before shooting Applejack a look that said that they'll talk later. Rainbow loved Big Mac more than anything in the world, but she couldn't stand seeing his family falling apart like this over her. Although she knew he would always pick her side in a fight, even against his sister, this couldn't keep happening, it had to stop now.
"Mac, can you please stop fighting with your family because of me?" Rainbow asked before giving Big Mac a kiss, which she hoped would soften his mood. Sadly it didn't and her statement only made him angrier.
"Rainbow, you know Applejack's not going to let you stay here, even if I'm the one who owns the farm" Big Mac said seriously, looking Rainbow right in the eyes so the point could easily get across.
"Then I'll show her that I deserve to stay here!" Rainbow said arrogantly, "The zap apple harvest starts in a few days, right?" Big Mac nodded slowly, not quite understanding why she was asking until everything she said clicked in his head. Rainbow planned to use the zap apple harvest as a way to show Applejack that she could stay on the farm, and that it would be beneficial to everypony.
Chapter 9: The Harvest
Early in the morning Rainbow was woken from her sleep by Big Mac so she could prepare for the zap apple harvest. Over the past few days they had gone through the four signs of the harvest approaching, and today was the last one, which also meant they would be harvesting the apples. After having a morning coffee Rainbow headed outside, running into Applejack at the edge of the orchard.
"You're going to help with the harvest?" Applejack asked, giving Rainbow a suspicious look.
"Of course" Rainbow said, as though it should have been obvious, "I helped with every other step along the way, why wouldn't I help now?" Rainbow's faced turned a bit red as she remembered having to wear a bunny suit while she helped Granny prepare for the making of the jam. Big Mac had quite enjoyed watching her bounce around while she wore the suit, which he was given hell for later, but it had also managed to impress Applejack. When Rainbow had moved into the Apple home she completely avoided her, but after watching her work hard to ensure a successful harvest Applejack had begun to let up on her.
"Well, it wouldn't have surprised me if you'd chickened out" Applejack said, still feeling bitter about Rainbow and Mac keeping their relationship a secret from her, "You may be loyalty, but you're also pretty lazy"
"Hey, as you are so kind to remind me, Mac is my coltfriend" Rainbow said, pushing a hoof up against Applejack's chest, "I'm doing this for him, out of loyalty" What Rainbow had said wasn't a total lie, she was doing this to help Big Mac, but not because the harvest was difficult. Ever since Applejack had found out about them his relationship with her had been deteriorating, their only conversations being them shouting at each other.
"Hey, you two, get over here, it's about to begin!" Big Mac shouted from inside the orchard, getting both mares' attention. The two of them quickly trotted inside and stood next to him on either side just as the final sign began. The storm came over quickly and as soon as it passed a brilliant rainbow came across the orchard, signalling the start of the zap apple harvest.
"Let's split up, we'll get done faster that way" Big Mac said as he turned to face the two mares, "Applejack you take the section of the orchard that's behind you, and Rainbow, you do the one behind you. I'll do the one behind me. Understand?" Big Mac looked at the two of them to make sure they understood and when they nodded they broke off, heading into their sections to begin the harvest.
"Where to begin, where to begin..." Rainbow said out loud as she looked at the mass of trees ahead of her, hoping to find one that would be easy to start with. Finding a rather feeble tree around the middle of the orchard Rainbow began to buck, easily knocking every apple from the first tree with ease. Moving to the tree beside it Rainbow bucked again, clearing the second tree with ease, like she had done the first.
"This isn't that hard" Rainbow said as she bucked a third tree, once again clearing it out, "This is actually kinda fun" Rainbow quickly moved over to the next tree, bucking it with a smile on her face, and when all the apples fell out she hopped over to the next one. She was having more fun than she thought she would, seeing as all she was doing was bucking trees, but for some reason, she liked it. Rainbow paused for a moment when she realized her enjoying bucking apples could be a dirty joke, but once the thought had passed she was right back to it, bucking at least fifteen trees in just a few minutes.
"I'll be done in no time!" Rainbow said happily, not noticing how close she had gotten to Applejack's section.
"Not if you don't shut up!" Applejack shouted from somewhere in her section of trees, making Rainbow flinch. She wasn't expecting to hear Applejack at all during the harvest, so her suddenly shouting back at her caught Rainbow off guard. After recovering from the shock Rainbow went back to bucking the trees, and after a few hours of work she was done, now all she had to do was carrying the baskets the apples fell into back to the barn. When she left the orchard Rainbow didn't see any baskets at the barn, which meant that either she was the fastest, or the slowest, of the three of them. Quickly deciding that it didn't matter Rainbow went back into the orchard and began to haul the rest of the barrels over, eventually running into Big Mac and Applejack after they had finished.
"So, how was it?" Big Mac asked as he walked up next to Rainbow, giving her a quick kiss.
"Not bad, did you guys just finish?" Rainbow asked, and when they both nodded she smiled happily, "This is my last trip, all my apples are already there" The two siblings shared a surprised look before they were interrupted by the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who had come to see Rainbow.
"Rainbow, Rainbow!" Scootaloo said as she hopped up to Rainbow, giving her a hug on her foreleg, "Have you decided to join o-" Everypony was silent for a moment after Scootaloo cut herself off, now focusing on something else. When Applebloom and Sweetie Belle went to go check out what made her stop they froze.
"Rainbow, you got your cutie mark..." Applebloom eventually said slowly, making the three grown ups quickly look, seeing a bright zap apple looking cutie mark on Rainbow's flank. There was an awkward silence until Applejack stepped forwards, extending a hoof to Rainbow without any hesitation.
"Looks like you're meant to be an Apple after all" Applejack said with a smile, moving her hoof to try and get Rainbow to shake it.
"So, you're not mad at me or your brother anymore?" Rainbow asked, being confused by Applejack's offering of a hoofshake.
"I still am, but there's nothing I can do now" Applejack said, again moving her hoof to get Rainbow to shake it. Giving up on trying to make Applejack talk Rainbow shook the outstretched hoof, Applejack's grip showing that she was still a bit angry. After they ended the shake Rainbow turned to Big Mac, who without saying anything pulled her into a big hug. When they broke apart Big Mac picked up Rainbow's hoof in his, and asked her the most important question in her life.
"Rainbow Danger Dash, will you marry me?"
Chapter 10: Emotional Distress
Chapter 10: Emotional Distress
Rainbow's eyes opened wide as the three Cutie Mark Crusaders gasped, covering their mouths with a hoof. Applejack gave her brother a stern look before walking off, kicking the dirt as she did. She knew that what she said gave him this idea, and she hated it, she was just trying to be nice to Rainbow because she had done a good job. Now she was probably going to become her sister and Applejack hated that thought, being sisters with somepony as lazy as Rainbow Dash. Meanwhile Rainbow's mind was going at a thousand miles per second, and there were probably a thousand tiny rainbooms going off in there too. After some rather quick thinking Rainbow blurted something out.
"NO!" she screamed before running away, pushing Applejack over so that she could get away faster. Rainbow didn't know why she had said that, or why she was crying because of it. She knew that she loved Mac, but to spend her life with him? It was just too much for her to handle without any warning, so she freaked out, leaving Big Mac behind to watch her with the most painful look he could manage without crying on his face. There was an eerie silence as Rainbow ran away, no pony hearing the slightest thing until Mac's hoof fell to the ground with a thud.
"She said no..." Big Mac muttered quietly to himself before he got up and walked away, making Applejack feel as though her own heart was breaking too. Yes, she hated Big Mac and Rainbow for hiding from her, and then not telling her when Rainbow got pregnant, but she couldn't stand to watch her brother get turned down like that, it made her want to rip Rainbow's heart out like she had just done to him. With a short look to the Crusaders to tell them to go somewhere else Applejack ran off, chasing after Rainbow.
"Rainbow?!" Applejack shouted as she caught a glimpse of Rainbow's tale slipping around a tree, "RAINBOW!" With a surprising amount of effort Applejack was able to catch up to Rainbow, who had stopped to lean against a tree to try and catch her breath.
"What. Do. You. Want?" Rainbow panted, her voice sounding hoarse from running as fast as she did. Despite how fit she was something about this just exhausted her, making the run she just had almost make her pass out. Applejack was okay until she stopped running, suddenly being hit with a wave of exhaustion as well. After they both caught their breath they began to really talk.
"Why did you do that to my brother Rainbow?" Applejack asked, staring Rainbow down to see if she was going to try and avoid the question somehow, "I know I don't like that you two hid it from me, but you just tore out his heart and threw it back in his face" Rainbow's face softened for a moment as she thought about it but it quickly changed to an angry frown.
"Why are you trying to give ME a lecture?!" Rainbow shouted back, making Applejack lean back out of surprise, "If it wasn't for you being so stuck up and stupid me and Mac wouldn't have argued! I wouldn't have lost my wings!" Applejack looked at Rainbow with anger in her eyes but it changed to regret as she thought about what her actions caused. Not only did Rainbow lose her wings because of her, but Big Mac and her had been fighting ever since. It was tearing the Apple family apart and she knew it, but her own stubbornness didn't let her see it before.
"I don't know what came over me Rainbow, I was just upset that you guys hid your relationship from me, and then I started to say things I didn't really mean..." Applejack said sadly as she leaned against a tree, sliding the entire way down into the mud, "I didn't mean to cause any of this to happen..." After a few moments of silence Applejack began to sob, making Rainbow look at her with pity. Big Mac had wanted to tell Applejack about the relationship, but Rainbow made him keep it a secret, thinking it was going to make things bad for her. Rainbow was just being selfish, and now it's hurt everypony she cared about...
"I'm sorry Applejack, I didn't mean to keep it a secret from you..." Rainbow said sadly as she laid next to Applejack, putting a hoof around her neck, "It's all my fault, not yours" Applejack and Rainbow looked at each other sadly before they both looked at the ground, both of them feeling guilty and ashamed of what they did.
"I should be getting back to the farm, I bet Big Mac's ripping his heart out right about now" Applejack said sadly after a few minutes of silence, her mind having wandered off to thinking about what just happened. Rainbow seemed to tense up for a moment before pulling her hoof back from AJ's neck, allowing her to get up. Applejack gave Rainbow a sad look before turning to head back, but when she started to walk away she heard Rainbow get up out of the mud with a wet pop.
"I'm coming with you" Rainbow said, her voice sounding sad, yet determined. Applejack continued to walk forwards with a small smile on her face, which Rainbow couldn't see. As they neared the edge of the tree line Applejack and Rainbow quickly shook the mud off themselves before stepping onto the farm, the evening sun bearing down on them.
"We were in there THAT long?" Rainbow asked as she looked up at the sun, shielding her eyes with her hoof. While she looked up at the sun Applejack froze with horror before stepping backwards, running her flank into Rainbow's face.
"Hey, watch i-" Rainbow started to say, before she saw the same thing Applejack had. Granny Smith was slowly coming towards them, a cane resting on her walker. Rainbow knew what that cane was, and she was terrified, from what Big Mac had told her, Granny only takes out "The Cane" when somepony is about to get taught a lesson.
"RUN!" Applejack shouted as she turned to run along the treeline, with Rainbow soon joining her. Meanwhile Granny was laughing, having not been angry at the two of them, but had just felt like playing a small joke on them.
