The Story of the Apple Spectrum

One week after the swim at the lake, Rainbow and Applejack are busy at work bucking apples. Above Ponyville, many Pegasi were placing grey storm clouds that rumbled as they built up. Rainbow denied the break Applejack gave her in favour of working. Before she could buck, a crash sounded behind Applejack, prompting her to stop.

“Consarn it, Rainbow. Why can't y'all jus' buck like a normal pony fer a change?” she exclaimed, turning around.

“Too slow. Storm coming. Silence your face, my little pony,” Rainbow spat out in a hurry.

While she sighed, Applejack trotted towards the source of the crash, off the main path. Upon reaching the site, she spotted a tree had been tilted over, its apples falling off of the shuddering tree, and behind it, lay a groaning pegasus pony. Applejack chuckled, shaking her head.

“Applejack, the tree attacked me. Otherwise I would have knocked the apples off with ease,” Rainbow said, stumbling to her feet.

Applejack continued chuckling, refraining from eye contact with Rainbow. “Ah 'spose that th' tree also knocked i'self over, ah presume?” she said, her voice subtly cracking.

Rainbow shook herself, still dazed from the crash, and stopped to look at the tree. Rainbow sighed, resisting the urge to take off. She spat at the ground and kicked dirt over it, anything to postpone the inevitable chewing out.

“Y'know, ah think y'all should jus' leave fer the day.” Applejack said with a drawn out sigh, rubbing her forehead with a hoof.

Rainbow winced and her face turned into a scowl. “What, don't think I can handle this? It's only one crash.” she walked slowly towards Applejack.

The Earth Pony turned her head up to glare at Rainbow. She sighed once more and placed a hoof on Rainbow's scruff to prevent her from walking forward.

“No, ah jus' don' think it's very safe fer th' likes of ya right now,” Applejack said, gritting her teeth.

Rainbow shook off Applejack's hoof and stepped back. “The trees aren't gonna do anything.” She fluttered her wings, preparing to take off for some more sky-bucking.

Applejack bit Rainbow’s tail as she took off, halting the Pegasus. “Ya jus' said th' trees attacked ya.” Rainbow flinched and gave a sheepish grin, mumbling a few words. “An’ that's not what Ah meant. Ya won't be safe from me 'cause I'm tryin' my darndest t' not buck ya t' th' moon fer damagin' mah tree.”

Rainbow froze up, looking to her friends face to see Applejack's eye twitching. Rainbow took a few steps back slowly, all while Applejack merely let loose a few ominous chuckles.

“Uh, hey, is that cloud calling my name!? Gotta go!” Rainbow shot off from the ground, zipping up over the trees before flying towards Ponyville Town Hall.

[*][*][*]

Setting on her goggles, Rainbow soared through the skies towards Town Hall to recheck the cloud plan for that night before actually getting to work. Down below, several ponies pruned several loose branches off trees.

She slowed down, descending at a calm pace. She landed directly on the ground in front of Town Hall and trotted through the doors, wasting no time. Upon entering, she ran into the most unlikely thing possible.

“'sup, flip-flop?”

Rainbow stared with an odd glance at the sight before her; Mayor Mare with a distraught look on her face, shaking hooves, or her hoof with the claw, of Rainbow's long-time griffon friend who bore an annoyed face.

“Gilda. Hi. Hello. What's up? How are you? Why? What is this, I don't even,” Rainbow blurted out towards Gilda.

The Mayor's hoof was released from Gilda's claw, both looking equally disgusted at what must have occurred prior to Rainbow's entrance.

“Nothing. Just striking a deal with some lame o' ponies.” Gilda's attitude didn't seem to change from when they last saw each other. Rainbow glared at the griffon. “Ponyville needed extra help with their storm and I figured why not, I could use a couple extra bits. Don't expect me to care about my job, though.” Gilda walked towards Rainbow as if to shove her, instead passing by to exit.

“Still queen lame-o, Dashie?” Gilda asked, stopping by the door.

“Still rude, brush-off?” Rainbow replied with an angered face only visible to the Mayor.

Gilda stared at Rainbow from behind, snorting. She shook her head and stepped out.

“Figures.” Gilda took off into the skies after.

Rainbow growled before scoffing and turning her attention to the Mayor.

“Why did you ask for her help? I mean, I'm not mad, it's just that she doesn't exactly get along with most ponies,” Rainbow asked as she trotted over to a nearby room.

The Mayor sighed. “I apologize, I really should have talked with you, but even I know when we need an extra set of hooves on the job. Several pegasi quit after that tornado, so we're shorthooved. Gilda promises that she can help in return for payment,” the Mayor said, walking over to a desk in the more office-like area of Town Hall.

Opening a filing cabinet, Rainbow fumbled around for the Forecasts of the Week to find that the Weather Plans weren't present. She slammed the drawer and began to mess through the rest of the office to find that Forecast.

“Shorthooved will be the least of our worries, I totally forgot... err, I mean, I need to refresh my memory.” Rainbow shouted out from the office while the Mayor began to record Gilda's assistance plus her eventual pay. “And I can't, find, that, blasted, Forecast!”

“Hmm, Gilda did look at it. Maybe she left it out here.” the Mayor replied, writing something down.

Rainbow shot out of the office and began to trot around the more open part of Town Hall in her search for the Weather Forecast. Observing the room did nothing so Rainbow floated up to the upper level to search around. In a nearby corner lay a crumpled paper, that when Rainbow opened up, had the Weather Forecast. Rainbow sighed before taking the paper into her mouth before flying to ground level.

“It was upstairs. Crumpled up.” Rainbow let out a sigh as the paper floated down to the ground.

“Well, that griffon was making a lot of trouble, knocking chairs over, but we need her help,” the Mayor said, finalizing the record before folding it up and slipping it into an envelope.

Rainbow studied the Forecast, which called for a 24 hour light storm starting from 3 pm the next day. She attempted to fold the paper up properly, but wound up crumpling the paper more than before. She sighed, roughly folding it and walked into the office to set it into the Forecasts Drawer.

“Rainbow, if you see Gilda, could you give this to her? It contains her record if she ever needs to'explain' where she got the money from,” the Mayor said, holding it out.

Rainbow reluctantly nodded, trotting forward and taking the envelope out of her hoof. Finding nowhere else to put it, she sighed and decided to pin it against the back of her head with her goggle straps during.

“Leaving to prep the Weather Team. And tell them that Gilda is helping.” Rainbow said, trying to hide her emotion as the Mayor nodded.

[*][*][*]

Rainbow sat on her front porch after scanning the skies for Gilda. Eventually, she plopped down on her cloud lawn and sighed. A few minutes passed before she found herself dozing off, and she didn’t fight it. It didn’t last long as thunder sounded above her, snapping her fully awake. She looked up to see Gilda, smirking with a cloud. Rainbow frowned at Gilda due to her leave at Town Hall, but found herself smiling.

“Fine, you got me there but don't think this changes anything,” Rainbow said. She soon lost her smile, Gilda doing the same. “I remember how you acted last time you came to Ponyville, Gilda.”

Gilda sighed. “Hey, I've totally changed, Rainbow. I don't think ponies are lame-o's,” she said in a dull tone.

Rainbow nodded. “Good. Then that means yo-”

“Just you.”

Rainbow looked at Gilda with surprise, wondering if this was another one of Gilda's mean-spirited jokes. She continued staring, not seeing a change in Gilda's expression.

“Lame-o flip-flop, why couldn't you have stayed cool?” Gilda exclaimed, gritting her teeth. Rainbow merely looked, slowly losing her anger and annoyance at the griffon.

“We were friends first. Why did you choose them over me? Are you stupid or something? Or was I that expendable!?” Gilda shouted, ripping the cloud in her claws apart.

Rainbow had completely lost her anger and annoyance, instead replaced by guilt and regret. She bit her bottom lip as Gilda shook as if holding back a violent urge.

“I spent all the time possible with you when you first came here, I rejected my other friends because I knew you weren't staying, and when the one time came where you came across a situation that you didn't like, where I was the cause, you lost it.” Rainbow paused as Gilda zipped forward toward her, inches away from her face.

“Says the one who chose to humiliate me in front of everypony,” the griffon shot back, her voice betraying her words.

“They weren't all meant for you. You just happened to get in the wa-”

Gilda gave Rainbow a shove back, coming off as a bit of a surprise to the Rainbow pegasus. Gilda had never gotten this physical towards anybody else, even if it was just a shove.

“I heard this story a hundred times, Dash. I don't care about that,” Gilda growled at Rainbow up close, the pegasus not backing down or replying.

“Whatever, hurry up, flip-flop. We've got work to do.” Gilda spun around and quickly took off in the general direction of clouds heading for Ponyville.

Rainbow flew towards the area just outside of Ponyville, where most clouds were bunched up. Already, she could see Gilda zipping around, shoving several pegasi away as she grabbed clouds. Rainbow shook her head, trying to shut out the guilt. The next hour continued like this, the pegasi and Gilda continuing their job of spreading out the rain clouds in equal distribution.

Rainbow waited until the first wave of cloud bunches were taken care of, and floated towards Gilda. The cloud was just large enough to support the two of them, and Rainbow floated over, setting herself down next to the griffon who sat with a leg sprawled out, knee raised and her left arm resting on the knee.

“Thanks for your assistance.” Rainbow stated, looking towards the stormy skies.

“Whatever, loser,” Gilda retorted.

“Do you wanna race before we work again? I mean, not often somebody can race me in the air,” Rainbow thought back to her race with Fluttershy; she definitely had potential to match her, but not right now.

Silence overtook the two, almost driving Rainbow to insanity. This always was the worst part of a conversation; the silence following a question.

“Last one to your cloud home to here wins,” Gilda said, shoving herself up to her talons.

Rainbow smirked. She shot up right after Gilda. “You're on! Loser has to do one extreme dare!” Rainbow fluttered her wings and placed herself in a ready-to-take-off position.

“Yeah s-GO!” Gilda took off before Rainbow could fully prepare herself.

Rainbow gasped in surprise before arching her brow and taking off in a fit of determination to catch up to the griffon. She grit her teeth and picked up her pace, going at her fastest speed. She caught up to Gilda quickly and zipped passed her. She crashed onto her doormat, bouncing off of the door and rolling back towards the cloudy porch, Gilda touching down seconds after that. Rainbow stared off at Gilda with giddiness but that died after Gilda's face displayed nothing but anger.

“Grr, darn it! I can't even beat you at a simple, stupid race, let alone this supposed 'friendship' crap.” Gilda kept shaking her head, slashing away at the cloud she stood on.

“Darn it, why couldn't I have been a pony? Then I could have been cool enough for your books and then y'know what? We could have been the coolest pegasi ever!” Gilda shouted, Rainbow staring in confusion. “It's because here I am in Pony country as a Griffon. I'm the black sheep and I understand that. It's why I became cool, so being the black sheep was awesome. Then you came along and were the only one to come close to my coolness!” Gilda ranted on while Rainbow looked down, her mind deep in thought.

“And now, I can't even beat you in a race because I'm not a stupid pegasus. Lost my coolest, only friend to a buncha lame-o ponies and-”

“BAH HA HA HA!” Rainbow burst out laughing, rolling on the cloud behind Gilda.

The griffon spun around with furrowed eyes. Her face contorted into one of anger, gritting her teeth and her brow arching as far as they would. She stomped to Rainbow, who still continued rolling around. Gilda grabbed Rainbow by the shoulders and lifted her up, the cyan pegasus laughing away even as Gilda picked her up.

“You'll be laughing a lot harder when I bust your teeth in, Dashie!” Gilda shouted right into the mare's face.

Rainbow attempted to stop laughing, hiccoughing as she wiped her eyes of tears. Rainbow let out a few more chuckles, attempting to breathe normally again.

“S-sorry G, it's just that I suffered from this just last week,” Rainbow said/

Gilda stared at Rainbow and dropped her onto her cloud. Rainbow fell down on her rump and merely leaned back onto her elbows.

“What're you talking about? Suffering from being a griffon?” Gilda growled, clenching her claws.

“No, I mean, I raced a friend of mine, who is an Earth Pony, and I got real mad because I couldn't beat her in a race due to her higher endurance and stamina.” Rainbow rolled onto her hooves, stumbling to her feet as a few laughs threatened to escape once more.

Gilda cocked her head, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah, so? What about losing your friends or rather, your only friend?” Gilda demanded again.

Rainbow cleared her throat. “That's happened before, believe it or not.” She remembered back to when Discord returned to Equestria. “My friends abandoned me, and I did the same. I felt horrible, but I also had to choose between my friends and Cloudsdale... which turned out to be an illusion, but I still lost them, even for a bit. It was the worst feeling ever and to be honest-” she turned to Gilda. “When you left, I was devastated. I mean, yeah, you were mean to my friends and I told you to basically leave and find cooler friends, but when you left, kinda felt like a part of me was taken too.”

Rainbow stepped forward as Gilda fell back down onto her behind on the cloud, shaking her head. “You were my best friend from Junior Speedsters Flight Camp. Maybe you aren't my best friend anymore, maybe that has changed, and maybe you're still peeved at me from tossing you away so easily, but you're still the most awesome griffon I know... and as far as I know, you still can pull a good prank. You just need to learn how to take it when one is done on you.” Rainbow trotted over and sat next to the griffon.

“Darn it, Rainbow Dash, you’re acting really uncool right now, just like-” she paused, thinking about it. “Like me. I'm not cool. I overreacted and got angry over some stupid pranks.” Gilda couldn't stop as the floodgates broke and she buried her face into her arms.

Rainbow couldn't help but lift a wing up and wrap it around the griffon's shoulders, shuffling closer to completely wrap around her. Gilda merely hid her sobs well, hiccoughing every few seconds.

“I'm sorry, or something. I'm just not cool enough to hang out with the Best Young Flier of Equestria,” Gilda said as her sobs died down.

Rainbow gave Gilda a rather hard nudge in the shoulder, smiling at the griffon as she turned to look at Rainbow.

“Hey, anybody who says that is not cool enough to be a griffon. Pony up... err, griffon up and get your act together, otherwise Captain Dash will have to dish out the punishment in place of the Junior Speedsters Captains. On your feet, Junior Speedster!” Rainbow said in her usual, captain tone.

Gilda snorted and quickly rubbed her eyes dry. “Whatever. You're still a flip-flop,” Gilda shot up, stretching her back out.

Rainbow followed suit, standing up next to her friend who seemingly fixed her attitude. Gilda gave Rainbow a rather hard shove into her cloudy ground, Rainbow merely falling over and rolling on the soft substance. Gilda and Rainbow both let out a series of laughter. While distracted, Gilda felt herself be tackled as she hit the cloudy ground, Rainbow on top. The two proceeded to wrestle around on the cloudy home in an attempt to pin the other down... and not the usual wrestling. They kept up their same rough and tough attitude as they grunted and picked and tossed each other around, leaping through the air in body slams. After a few minutes, both were exhausted from the horseplay and eventually blue-skied each other, panting after their wrestling match.

“Heh, that was, almost as fun as fighting the entire Senior Speedsters our second day of camp,” Gilda spoke out.

Rainbow chuckled at the memory. “Yeah. Hoops and Dumb-bell got caught in it like a bunch of dumb-bells.” Both friends laughed.

“And then Captain Lightwing started chasing us,” Gilda spoke out.

“We tricked him and he flew through a cloud pillar. It was too hard and he was stuck for hours,” Rainbow replied.

“Remember when the Wonderbolts came to give a presentation on stunts?”

“Oh yeah, I remember when we all tried to do their simplest stunts. Only you and I came close.”

“Yeah, we totally destroyed the bleachers after we spun out of control.”

“That totally ruined my mane, cutting some of it off. Hah, I looked like a boy for months.”

“And all the so-called 'real boys' called you 'Rainbow Dy-”

“SO THEN WE GOT CHASTISED!”

“Haha, c'mon, they're just words, Rainbow.”

Gilda gave Rainbow a light nudge on the shoulder before rolling over and pushing herself onto all fours while Rainbow followed suit.

“Thanks again for your help with the weather today. The Mayor has a letter for you,” Rainbow said. “One sec, it’s in my house.”

Running into her house, she stepped in, immediately forgetting where it was. She looked on the table, her room, then the kitchen before finding it under Tank. Finally, she stepped outside.

“Took you ten years. What, did you stop to take a nap?” Gilda chortled.

Rainbow chuckled before touching down. “Now now G, you took off before we finished.” Rainbow shuffled across the clouds, loving the sensation of her hooves scraping against the cloudy surface.

“Anyways, Gilda, why don't you live in my house while I'm gone?” Rainbow quickly spat out.

Gilda stared at Rainbow with confusion. “Why? You not living here?”

“No, I'm currently at Sweet Apple Acres helping my friend during a competition. I have to constantly come up here and check on Tank. As much as I love the little guy, it is kinda tedious, and it really would be nice to have somepony house sit for me. You don't even have to pay rent to me. That way you're close by and we can not have that awkward 'Spending all my time with you because you're leaving soon' event like last time.” Rainbow paused while Gilda thought it over. “Speaking of which, I really think you should talk to Pinkie Pie. You did accuse her of a lot.”

Gilda looked at Rainbow as if the pegasus was insane. She shook her head.

“Uh uh. No. No way, I can't. She totally hates me.” Gilda drooped her head.

Rainbow smirked before setting her hoof on Gilda's shoulder.

“C’mon, G, Pinkie isn't like that. Also: you lost, I dare you to talk to Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow said with brimming confidence.

Gilda's eyes widened before she grunted, kicking more cloud up. Rainbow released her hoof and chuckled as Gilda cursed herself for losing.

“Fine, fine. I'll do that right now just to get it over with.” Gilda walked to the edge of the platform and extended her wings. Rainbow cocked her head to the side. “Just tell me if the door's unlocked. You can go do your thing with your friend.” Gilda asked as she bent over and prepared to dive to the ground.

Rainbow nodded her head and paused. She then slapped her forehead and let out a sigh.

“G, I'm actually going to be gone the next two days after tomorrow. I'm going to Trotonto for some stuff,” Rainbow said.

Gilda turned her head in shock. “So this entire bonding thingy we just did set us up for something that has to wait three days. Perfect, Rainbow. Just amazing.” Gilda grunted and dived off.

“See you in a few days, Gilda,” Rainbow said as the griffon dived through the clouds.

Rainbow sniffed, taking in a big breath before letting out a long exhale. She looked off towards Sweet Apple Acres and decided to get the show on the road. She jumped off of her front lawn and fell to the edge of the mass of storm clouds ready to unleash rain upon Ponyville. She spun in the air and bucked one cloud and then they thundered simultaneously, like dominoes. The rest of the clouds felt the impact through their lighter masses and began to slowly spout rain as it picked up turning into a regular storm. Satisfied, Rainbow zipped off to Sweet Apple Acres.

[*][*][*]

“Ah wonder if'n Rainbow's ever gon' be a Wonderbolt?” Applebloom asked, leaning on a table as she stared out the window watching the storm start up.

“Now now, Applebloom, y'all know that she will. At least she shoul' be, ah'm gonna win m'self free tickets t' her shows, and ah can't very well do that if she ain't no Wonderbolt,” Applejack said, walking over to Applebloom, peering out the window.

Both ponies examined the skies for any sign of the cyan pegasus. After a few seconds of scanning, a little multi-coloured blip shot out from above the hills of trees. Applejack smiled as she walked over to the door. She opened it up just in time for Rainbow to slow down from her high speed and land on the ground. She looked up to see her stetson-clad friend waiting with a smile on her face.

“Uh, hi, Applejack. Beautiful weather we're having,” Rainbow chuckled.

Chuckling, Applejack backed into the house. “Don' you go spoutin' that 'chatter' nonsense, Rainbow. Ah know ya too well t' believe y'all will seriously mean that,” she said as Rainbow shook herself off of the little rain she got on her before stepping in and closing the door.

“So, why're you all waiting here for me and stuff?” Rainbow asked, waving to Applebloom who hopped down from her chair and rushed over to Rainbow.

“Well, two bits of news t' start, RD. One: ah've allowed Applebloom t' help an she'll be comin' with us t'morrow,” Applejack said.

Rainbow smiled and looked down at the glowing filly. “Isn't it great? Ah kin fin'ally help m' family with them apple stuff!” Applebloom shouted with glee as she bounced around the two mares.

“Hehe, good for you, Bloom.” Rainbow looked at Applejack. “I actually have some news too.” Rainbow paused to allow an interjection.

“Well shoot, what's it? Ah can say m' second tidbit after y'all.” Applejack walked towards the stairs, but not before talking to Applebloom. “Applebloom, ah'll be upstairs fer a bit. Tell Big Macintosh what ah told ya,” she shouted.

“Will do!” Applebloom enthusiastically replied to Applejack before zooming into the kitchen.

Rainbow noticed how Big Mac always seemed to be in the kitchen lately, but thought nothing of it and followed Applejack up the stairs.

“I met Gilda and she's staying at my house for now,” Rainbow said.

Applejack stopped when she reached the top of the stairs and looked at Rainbow with concerned. “Come again?”

Rainbow trotted passed Applejack and headed to Applejack's room. “I ran into Gilda. We talked and, to be honest, she's sorry for what she did. Told me some things, I told her what I learned recently because it turns out, she's sad that she was a griffon!” Rainbow said, pushing open Applejack's door.

Applejack walked after Rainbow, entering and plopping herself down on her bed. “Ya don't say...?”

“Yeah, I couldn't believe it. Said that because she's a griffon that I pushed her away for my pony friends. I decided to have none of that and so I proceeded to give Gilda my best Captain's lecture, most of which was done in my normal voice,” Rainbow snorted before flopping down on her rollaway bed.

“Heh, well Ah'm glad y'all reconciled things with yer ol' buddy, but why is she stayin' at yer place?” Applejack asked, laying down on her bed.

Rainbow nuzzled her pillow. “I'd rather not say, but she is house sitting while I'm, y'know, not there. Would help to have somepony there on a daily basis for extended amounts of time, why not somepony or somegriffon I know.” Rainbow rolled back in her bed, looking at the ceiling. “Now, what's that second tidbit of news?”

Applejack sighed, smiling as she stared at the ceiling.

“When we arrive in Trotonto next, Ah was thinkin', why not go and have that dinner at th' restaurant we couldn't last time? Th' Rainforest Cafe. Ah'll tell ya th' news there.” Applejack exhaled while Rainbow let out a grunt.

“Now I'll never go to sleep. Thanks for the tease, 'jack.” Rainbow tossed her blanket into the air and kicking at the airborne fabric.

Applejack laughed as Rainbow finally let loose a chuckle , allowing the blanket to fall on her body. She stretched out in the bed and yawned.

“Going t' sleep a lil' early there, Rainbow?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow thought and nodded. “Yeah, I actually feel a little tired. I'm still not used to my odd hours here on the farm. I think I'll 'nap' until dinner.” Rainbow got comfy in the bed and almost immediately felt herself going to sleep.

“Wake me when dinner is done, please,” Rainbow asked before she started snoring.

Applejack chuckled. “Sure, sugarcube.” she rolled off of her bed and walked over to Rainbow who lay sprawled out in a position that made her so open to various forms of light-hearted attack. “Nah.”

“Y'all really look defenceless, sugarcube.” she said before she walked off out the room, closing the door as quietly as possible.