Rainbow Dash woke to a tiny clawed hand carefully shaking her shoulder to consciousness. “Mmmm-wha?” as her body roused she found that she’d slid down the staircase through the course of the night and used the bottom step as a “pillow.” Though her neck was slightly stiff this didn’t bother her much. All those naps in Applejack’s trees had prepared her body for sleeping on almost any surface (though clouds were certainly preferable).

“What’re you doing sleeping on the floor?” Spike queried. “And where’s Twilight? She didn’t wake me up this morning so I slept in.”

This caused the Pegasus’ eyes to shoot open and bolt upright “SLEPT IN?!” she shouted. “Oh, what time is it? Did Thunderlane move all the clouds to the orchards for the ten o’clock storm like I told him?” Not waiting for an answer she dashed to the window forcing Spike dodge her so she could check the weather outside. Sure enough the clouds remained where she’d left them the night before. Whipping her head back inside the alarm clock told her it was nearing noontime. “Oh no, oh no, oh no ... We should have already finished raining in the east fields by now. Omigosh, Applejack’s gonna kill me.”

Spike was thoroughly confused tried to query the pegasus for information again. “Why were you sleeping here at the library, Rainbow Dash? And why on the floor of all places?”

“I’m sorry, Spike. I’ve gotta dash and fix this weather crisis,” she replied. “Tell Twilight I’ll be back to help fix the study as soon as I can.” She stopped for a moment to think about when exactly that might be, but without knowing the full extent of the delay there was no saying for sure. “Around Seven o’clock tonight, at the latest, okay?”

“O-okay?” but before he even finished his response the weathermare was out the window.

Spike scratched his head confused by Rainbow Dash’s last statement. “Fix the study?” he repeated. “What broke?” Curious, the dragon made his way upstairs to see what she might be talking about. However, when he tried to open the door he found that it had been locked. That was odd because Twilight almost never locked any room. Most times she didn’t even lock the front door when they left. At a loss for answers the baby dragon shrugged and made his way down to the kitchen. He’d missed breakfast, but perhaps a late brunch would still be okay. He would ask Twilight about the study when she got home.

~~~~

As she flew over the town Rainbow Dash scanned the ground for anypony on her weather crew. Spotting a pair she swooped in. “Cloud Kicker, Blossomforth. I need you two to gather everypony on the weather team and get these clouds rounded up to Sweet Apple Acres. They need to be there for a scheduled rainfall two hours ago. I’m going to try and smooth things over with the Apples and I’ll be right back to help.” Without waiting for either mare to respond Rainbow Dash was off again, but stopped after a dozen paces and turned around and shouted, “Oh, kick that Coltfriend of yours in the throat for me will ya? And tell him he owes me another double-shift for this.”

From there she sped on the rest of the way to Applejack’s barn where she saw her unloading lumberfrom a wagon. “Well, howdy Rainbow Dash. Ya’ll finished rain’n the east field already?”

“I’m afraid we haven’t even started A.J.,” the weathermare replied, trying her best to sound apologetic. “Thunderlane dropped the ball again and I just found out when I woke up ten minutes ago.”

To her credit Applejack tried to keep a cool head, but she couldn’t quite help but show her frustration by throwing her hat on the ground. “Con’flab’t Rainbow, we had this whole week’s weather schedule planned out over a month ago. The fruit there is overripe as it is and we can’t start buck’n till the ground’s dry. Meanwhile all a’ Fluttershy’s critters are tak’n it upon themselves t’ make a buffet of the place.”

“I know, I know. I’ve already called for the whole team to drop what they’ve got to get this fixed. With any luck we should be started sometime in the next Twenty minutes, Forty at the outside.” The cyan pegasus thought for a moment, trying to come up with a solution that would benefit everypony. “Tell ya’ what.” Once we get the clouds set we’ll make it rain for only an hour. Then once you’re done harvesting, I’ll have Thunderlane stay up to finish the rain he was supposed to organize in the first place.”

Applejack sighed, staring down at her hat as though in thought. She was still upset, but staying that way wasn’t going to fix anything. “Alrah’t Rainbow,” she finally said, “we’ll figure someth’n else t’ do in the meantime. Jus’ make sure it’s a light rain like we talked about? A downpour over in that field would be worse than hav’n no water at all.”

“You got it A.J.” and without further delay the pegasus took to the air and was off, leaving a prismatic streak in her wake.

As Applejack picked up her hat to shake the dust out a crash resounded from inside the barn. Peeking her head inside the open doorway, she saw her big brother lying on his back at the bottom of the loft ladder, partially buried beneath a varied assortment of baskets, buckets and bin’s. “Ya’ll right in here Big Mac?” she called.

“Eeyup,”

“Alright, go ahead and leave them there. The weather for the fields got mixed up. I’mma grab the tools and get to work on mak’n the bookshelf Twilight asked me fer.” Big Macintosh struggled to stand, but an upturned bucket broke beneath his weight causing him to pitch forward with another crash, scattering the remaining containers hither and yon (save for one that remained atop his head like an outsized wooden helmet). Applejack cringed, but still had to pull down the brim of her hat to hide a guilty smirk. “W-would you l-like somep-pony to lend you a hoof?” she asked, struggling not to laugh at her brother’s distress.

The red stallion let out a weighty sigh, relenting with a reluctant, “Eeyup.”

~~~~

As Rainbow Dash powered her way back to town she saw a blonde pegasus pushing a cloud towards Sweet Apple Acres. “Derpy! What are you doing?” she chided.

Ditzy winced at the sharpness the weathermare used to call out her nickname. She didn’t much care for it but everypony said it so much she didn’t bother to correct them anymore. “Well,” she tried to explain, “Blossomforth said you wanted all the clouds over in the east fields. So I … well,”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t understand the mumbling that came after that. Though she couldn’t resist doing a facehoof she did feel bad for snapping at the mailmare. “It’s alright … Ditzy. We just don’t have time to do it one cloud at a time right now is all. So,” she thought for a moment, the bubbly mare wouldn’t be able to get back to town fast enough for the big push so she came up with a different task, “tell ya’ what. A lot of Fluttershy’s critters are in the east field eating Applejack’s crops. Go find her and ask her to get them out. Tell her it’s going to rain there and they’ll all catch a cold or someth’n. Got it?”

The gray mare brightened slightly at this and saluted. “You got it Rainbow Dash.”

~~~~

Once Rainbow Dash made it back to town she quickly found her weather team. “Alright everypony, we need every cloud we can manage to round up over in the eastern fields as quick as we can. Flitter, Glitter, Twitter; once we’re all set up there you three are free to go,” she said, continuing to pace as she spoke. “After that the rest of us will start watering the field. Class two field storm only, that means LIGHT rain, low winds, and no lightning. After about an hour we’ll stop so the Apples can get there harvesting for the day in; Blossomforth, Cloud Kicker, you two will be done at that point.” That was when she stopped her pacing and met each set of watching eyes before asking, “Any questions?”

“Ummm…” Thunderlane tentatively raised a hoof, afraid to ask the question she knew his boss had just set him up for.

“You will stay to help the Apples catch up with their harvesting,” she declared. “And I will ask them. After they’re done you’ll be in charge of finishing the storm; class two, the whole field, clouds dry. Got it?” She ignored the sharp intake of breath as somepony winced on Thunderlane’s behalf.

For a moment the colt looked like he was going to object, but lowered his head with a respectful, “Yes, m’am.”

“Alright then, let’s get crack’n.”

~~~~

From there the team pulled together well and the storm went off without a hitch. As Blossomforth and Cloud Kicker departed Rainbow Dash and Cloud Kicker went to turn the orchard back over to its rightful owners. Upon arrival the two ponies followed the sounds of hammering in the barn to find Applejack working on something.

“Hey A.J. we’re all finished with the east field,” she called out. Her eyes focused suspiciously on her friend’s workbench “What’cha got going here?”

“Aww, noth’n much,” she confessed. “It’s jus’ a bookshelf fer Twilight.” At this revelation Rainbow Dash felt her eyes widen and her pupils shrink as the blood drained out of her head and into her hoofs. She’d almost completely forgotten about the night before. “She wouldn’t tell me what for, just said there’d been an accident an’ she needed a new one.”

“Hehehe,” the weathermare chuckled, trying to hide her nervousness, “ya don’t say.”

“Yeah,” the workpony replied, running a hoof over the wood’s smooth finish, “I tried to get details, but she seemed pretty set on not talk’n ‘bout it, so I didn’t press. I’m guess’n one of her spells backfired er somth’n. Seems like someth’n she wouldn’t really wanna talk about.”

“Yeah, seems so.” Eager to change the subject Rainbow Dash motioned for Thunderlane to step up. “Thunderlane’s going to be starting the storm back up once you guys are finished.”

“Pleasure to mee’cha Thunderlane,” she greeted, offering a hoof.

The colt took it as he replied, “And I you, Miss Apple.”

Applejack smirked and grabbed for the hat she’d hung on a nearby post. “Miss Apple? Shoot, I know ah don’t have any makeup on, but ah don’t look that old do I?”

Rainbow Dash jumped in before the colt could respond. “Nah, he’s just saying you look a little … weathered is all.”

“Well I … uhh.” He started to feel his face flush as he tried to find a graceful way to amend what he’d said.

Applejack normally didn’t go in for pranks and such, but she couldn’t help but lay in one more jeer to seal the poor boy’s embarrassment. “Oh, I see. Yeah, he’s a real charmer.”

“Yup. But I think you’ll do fine resisting him while he’s helping with the harvest.”

“Uh … beg yer pardon?”

“Yeah. Since he’s the reason you guys are behind on your harvesting today,” she explained, “he offered to help get you caught up.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow at this. “Well that’s mighty nice of you, bu-”

“Ahem.” The cyan mare gave a look and nodding gesture towards him to emphasize that she was trying to make a point with him.

A.J. caught on “bu-because it’s always nice to have an extra hoof help’n out. Go on over to the house. Dinner’s almost ready so Granny Smith‘ll get ya squared away with someth’n t’ eat before we head out.”

With that bit of business out of the way Rainbow Dash returned her attention to the bookshelf. Walking over she put a hoof on it and sighed as she remembered the exchange she’d had with a particular purple unicorn. “So … it’s all finished?” she asked.

Applejack who’d started gathering buckets and ropes was a little surprised by the question. “Well, uhh … yeah. I just finished when you walked in.” Somewhat concerned by her friend’s sudden shift in mood she stopped what she was doing and walked over. “You alright, Sugar Cube?”

“Yeah,” she said, “just thinking is all.”

“Mmm,” replied the workpony, tossing her hat on the shelf, “about a bookshelf?”

To her surprise Rainbow Dash actually nodded in response.

“Ya’ mind if I ask why?”

Biting the inside of her lower lip the speedster debated with herself on discussing this. The day had been so busy she’d hardly had a chance to really think about what happened till now, and she didn’t really know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. After a few more moments of silence Rainbow Dash met heyr friend’s eyes. “I messed up, A.J.”

Even though her friend seemed a bit broken up over it Applejack couldn't quite keep from smiling at that statement. “Now how’d you do that?”

“I-” she cut herself off a moment to form the words properly in her head, “I crashed into Twilight's study last night.”

“Ahh,” replied A.J. “An’ you broke the bookshelf?”

“It wasn’t just that,” she said solemnly, “but yeah.”

Applejack reached over and put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Sugar, this ain’t the first time you crashed an’ broke someth’n.”

“You don’t get it A.J.,” she said. “After she saw the room she started screaming bloody murder. Then she started going all crazy. I mean like she went ‘Smarty Pants’ crazy, freaking out to herself all wonky-eyed and rocking back-and-forth on her bed. Then it was like she went so completely crazy that she’d gone full circle back to being normal angry at me, but worse.”

Applejack cringed at the description of events and reached up to scratched her neck with her hoof. “Ah.”

“Yeah.”

Several tense moments passed between the two friends as they leaned against the bookshelf, neither really knowing what to say. Eventually Applejack’s ears perked up. “Ya know,” she said. “We do have an extra two wheel cart out back you could borrow if ya’ want to take this to Twilight yer’self.”

Rainbow Dash turned and took a few steps away from the bookshelf, as if to distance herself from the potential encounter with the one she’d offended. “I- … I don’t know about that.”

“C’mon, girl,” urged Applejack. “You gotta make amends somehow. This Here’s a perfect way to start.”

“She was just … just so MAD. She’s never been like that before.”

Applejack was starting to run out of ways to encourage her friend so decided to give it one last push before just letting the subject drop. “Look, Rainbow,” she said, “I don’t know what happened between ya’ll last night. And I ain’t gonna claim to know what Twilight’s feel’n inside. But I do know she ain’t one to hold a grudge against somepony will’n to try and make amends.” She paused a bit to let that sink in. “If you’d like, I’ll help ya load the cart and get you hitched up?”

Smiling sheepishly, Rainbow Dash looked to her friend and nodded. “Thank’s A.J.”

Author's Note

So Rainbow Dash has a fairly eventful day following last night's fiasco. But the day isn't over yet. How will Twilight react to her early delivery?

Comments? Questions? Critiques?