Days Of The Week

"Someday is not a day of the week."

-Unknown

What Lies Before

With the hour and a half of a break she had, she decided to spend it lazily, laid back, on a soft, cushion-like cloud, watching as her co-workers finished their work much after she did.

She knew they were slower than she was, but she also knew that they were all still hard workers, as well as occasional troublemakers, so she could appreciate and respect them, but also know that she was not the only one who would be on her boss's bad side at times.

"I love this job," she said to herself. She felt a sense of satisfaction whelm her mind as she crossed her hind legs and leaned back, resting her head on her forelegs. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of this..."

An absentminded thought that always ran through her head was the fact that being a weatherpony was so easy. The pay wasn't fantastic, but she lived on her own, so she didn't really need to count on a high income.

"Man, I must be living the Equestrian dream right here!" She closed her eyes and relaxed as best as she could, not having a single care at the moment.

"Ya mind tellin' me what y'all mean by the Equestrian dream?"

She looked out the corner of her eye and spotted the farm pony, buried in a pile of apples. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes again, resuming her relaxation.

"Oh, nothing much, just a--... Wait, what?" She opened her eyes again, sat up straight, and looked to the farmland beneath her cloud. On the ground, among the numerous apple trees, was a rather large and attractive pile of apples. Poking out from within was the face of a hard-working, twang-toned, apple-bucking, blonde-maned, gamboge-orange farm pony. Usually wearing a Stetson-like hat, there seemed to be an exception for not wearing it in her situation, for it was not every day that one was buried in a heap of apples. Her hat lied in the more useful part of a nearby carrier cart that appeared to be tipped over on its rear.

"Well, what're y'all waitin' for, Rainbow Dash? Some kinda special invitation from Pinkie Pie or somethin'?"

"It wouldn't be surprising, really," Rainbow Dash joked with a giggle. She then noticed her annoyed friend trying to wiggle out of the pile on her own. "Here, hold still, I'll help you out, Applejack." She hopped from her cloud lazily and swooped down, landing her on hooves within a few meters of the trapped mare.

"Thanks, partner." Applejack smiled and relaxed more, knowing she was probably in good hooves.

Rainbow went to work, pushing clumps of red and green apples from around the farm pony, first allowing her movement of her right foreleg, and then her left. "Thank ya kindly, RD. Ah reckon Ah can handle the rest from here."

Rainbow Dash backed off and watched while taking an obnoxious bite of an apple she had snatched, as her friend shifted and wriggled uncomfortably, slowly but eventually freeing herself from the pile. "Woo! Now that's more like it! Ah've was stuck in there fer over an hour!"

Rainbow stopped eating and looked at her quizzically. "Over an hour? Wow, Applejack, what hit you this morning?"

Applejack started stretching her legs. "A-Ah've been feelin' a might lazy today, Ah guess... Never really woke up until about eleven. Kinda sad, ain't it?"

Rainbow dropped her apple. "Whoa..." She trotted up next to her. "That's not like you at all! What's going on?"

Applejack started to look around for her hat, turning her head this way and that. "Ah haven't the slightest idea, really. Maybe Ah should jus' slow things down today. It's gettin' ta be pretty hard on mah hooves..."

Rainbow saw what she was looking for and, knowing where it was, marched over in the direction of the toppled apple cart. "Hard on your hooves?" she said, picking up the hat with her teeth. "Whash wrong wish you, AJ?"

"Ah told ya already, Ah haven't a single clue!" She reached a hoof out to take her hat.

Feeling an odd urge, Rainbow smirked and decided not to give it to her yet. She had the same intentions, but with a different idea. She stepped back a bit, keeping the hat in her mouth, away from Applejack's reach. Applejack stepped forward and reached out a bit further, only to have Rainbow step back again.

"...Rainboooow..." She stopped trying to grab it, giving the daredevil a glare. "Give it back now, alright? It's mine." Rainbow leaned forward and held the hat out with a hoof, seemingly teasing her with it.

"I know."

Applejack thought quickly and took a swipe at it, missing it as Rainbow pulled it away just as quick. Applejack groaned lightly in frustration, taking another swipe with the same results.

"This ain't funny, Rainbow Dash..." She took another swing, missing again. She began to grow more impatient than she was already.

"Just hold still, AJ." Dash held it out even further. Applejack took another swipe with the same results again.

"What for!? So y'all can just do whatever ya want with it!? Ain't gonna happen, RD!" She was determined to have it this time. Doubtless. She took one more try, this time almost like a well-aimed punch.

She still missed. That was it.

"PUT MAH PAPPY'S HAT DOWN, RAINBOW!" the farm pony yelled. Rainbow flinched, and almost had trouble keeping her balance. She didn't remember ever earning an outburst like that.

"NOW!"

Stunned and a little shocked, she dropped the hat, letting it hit the ground, and then she backed away. She was no longer smiling. "...S-sorry... I just wanted to put it on your head for you..."

Applejack closed her eyes gently and breathed in deeply, before opening them again. "Look, Ah'm sorry sugarcube... Ah didn't really mean fer it ta end up like that... It's just... That hat is really special ta me, an' Ah thought y'all were just playin' games with it. Ah'm real sorry fer yellin' like Ah did..." She walked forward slowly and then picked up the hat with a hoof, holding it against her chest. "Do ya think Ah can be forgiven?"

Rainbow smiled warmly. "Of course!" She walked up closer to her, stopping in front of her. "I guess I should be more, uh... mindful of that hat then..." She said, rubbing the back of neck.

Applejack chuckled lightly. "Oh, don' worry yerself, y'all didn' do nothin' wrong. Ah was jus' bein' overprotective, tha's all. Ya know what..." She then held out her hat, offering an apologetic look. "Here."

Confused, Rainbow slowly and hesitantly took the hat and held it awkwardly, not really doing anything with it. She then darted her eyes between the farm pony and the hat, as if asking what to do. She then saw her gesturing to the top of her own head. Now understanding, she smiled and put it between her teeth, careful not to get any saliva or make marks on it. She then leaned forward and placed it gently but firmly on top of her friend's head, adjusting it as it wasn't quite straight at first.

Leaning back, she accidentally brushed noses with Applejack, causing them both to twitch noticeably. "Oh," they said simultaneously. Rainbow stumbled backward.

"Sorry--"

"No, it's fine--"

"I didn't mean to--

"No, that was my fault--"

"I... kinda... yeah, uhm... Sorry." Rainbow held still, surprised that she was able to finish her words, albeit uncomfortably. She waited for Applejack to say something.

Applejack sighed. "It's fine, sugarcube. It was just an accident, right?"

Rainbow nodded a little too quickly. "Oh, uh, yeah. Accident."

"Right, okay. Yeah."

There was a terribly painful fifteen-second silence. Rainbow tried to keep her eyes occupied with something other than Applejack's muzzle. She found that the short contact may have been accidental, but what she also realized was that it wasn't a bad feeling on her own. In fact, besides the fact that it was Applejack's nose, she really didn't mind. But the thought of touching muzzles Applejack put a shiver down her wings, and she didn't know what to think about it. When she looked at Applejack, the farm pony seemed to be unaffected by the contact.

Applejack looked back behind herself at the Apple house. She then turned to the Pegasus and said almost obnoxiously, "Do you wanna head inside fer some apple cider?"

Rainbow nodded again. "Sure! I'd love some. Cider. Yeah, sure."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Am Ah makin' you uncomfortable at all?"

Rainbow shook her head. "No, not really. That last little moment was just a wee bit too awkward for me, that's all."

"Well, sorry 'bout that."

"Don't worry. Not your fault." She started walking unintentionally slow toward the house.

"Ah guess not..." Applejack followed beside her.

Rainbow looked at her as they walked. "What? It's not. Really."

Applejack shook her head slowly. "If ya say so."

As they walked, both were awfully quiet, sneaking tiny glances at each other, and were pondering on if the other wanted to race or not. Applejack was the first speak up.

"Do you--"

"What? Do I what?"

Applejack hesitated then. "Nevermind."

"No, seriously, what were you gonna ask me?" Rainbow insisted. "I-I was just caught up in my thoughts..."

"Oh, well, Ah was jus' wonderin' if y'all were wantin' ta--"

"Race?"

"Yeah, that."

"Sure." Rainbow didn't sound enthusiastic.

Applejack waited for her to start the race, as she usually did, but there was nothing but the sound of quiet and maybe clumsy hoofsteps. She decided to say something else that would maybe help remind her.

"Right then."

"Right."

Still nothing. Now she was just confused. "Hey, Dash?" The pegasus turned her eyes toward her quickly. Applejack cleared her throat. "You feelin' alright?"

"Yeah. Fine. Just fine."

Applejack was not convinced, and she wanted to take it further to maybe find out what was bothering her, but she could see that Rainbow was trying to avoid that direction of conversation, so she instead chose to try and get her to start the race like the Pegasus usually would.

"You still wanna--"

"Race?"

Applejack almost slowed her pace. "Yeah, that."

"Sure, I mean, why not?" There was still no energy in her words.

Applejack stopped walking. "Well, then why don' ya start off like ya usually do?"

Rainbow stopped as well. She did usually start them, didn't she? "Oh, yeah... Sorry, I..." She assumed her ready position, crouching down on her forelegs. "...must be slow today..." She looked straight ahead, but the determination in her eyes was missing.

Applejack assumed the same ready position, also crouching down on her forelegs. "Slow? Well, that sure ain't gonna help ya win this here race, now is it?"

Rainbow faked a laugh. "I guess not."

There was silence again as Applejack waited. She waited for a full twenty seconds before sighing. "What's the matter, sugarcube?"

Rainbow looked back and forth a few times between Applejack and the trail they were on, before looking at the dirt beneath her. "I-I can't decide..."

Applejack stood up straight again. "Can't decide what?"

"I can't decide whether I should go with 'ready, set' or 'three, two, one'..." she admitted sheepishly.

Applejack choked on the air she attempted to breathe in. After recovering, hitting her chest a few times and clearing her throat, she crouched down again. "Well, uh... why don' ya go with 'ready, set' then."

Rainbow nodded. "Okay, yeah. Right." She looked straight ahead, and then toward Applejack for some type of approval. Applejack motioned her hoof in a slow, horizontal circle, asking her to get on with it. Rainbow nodded and looked straight ahead once again. "Ready... set..."

Applejack bit her lip, prepared to beat her fellow competitor once and for all.

"Oh, wait..."

"Hoomph!" Applejack tripped over her own hooves, comically planting her face on the ground.

"Did I say it too fast?"

The downed pony pulled herself up and tried to brush the dirt off of her face, walking up next to Rainbow Dash and repositioning herself. "What'd ya mean too fast? Isn't fast kinda yer thing?" She she sighed face-hoofed. "Yer word-speed was jus' fine, Dash. Ah don' know what's gotten into ya, but it's sure givin' me the creeps, ya hear?" She then shook her head sympathetically, muttering under her breath "Fer pony's sake... Too fast... Pfft, right. Good one, Rainbow..."

After thinking it over thoroughly, Rainbow crouched down for what they both hoped to be the last time. "Ready..." She turned her eyes toward the trail. "Set.." She was finally beginning to feel alive with energy again. She opened her mouth to say the last word, but it wouldn't come out. Her mind had gone blank. She looked toward Applejack for help.

Applejack noticed the silence and looked at Rainbow to find her looking at her for assistance. She then rolled eyes and mouthed the word go.

"Oh, right..." Rainbow whispered. "Uh, go!" Rainbow startled herself with her own words, causing her pace to falter, therefore giving Applejack a big lead. She looked at the pony who was now twenty feet in front of her and felt the competition, finally coming to her senses. She put more effort into her jog, quickly turning it into a full-on sprint, and eventually catching up with her rival. She didn't know what had come over her, but she was glad to be herself again.

~_~_~_~_~

Applejack took a generous bite of a fresh-baked apple pie and swallowed quickly. "So."

Rainbow looked up from her glass of cider.

"Now that y'all are feelin' normal again, do ya know what the hay that was all about?"

Rainbow put her face in her hooves and groaned. "Ugh... No, I really don't know. It was so weird..."

"Ah'll say..." Applejack chuckled.

"It was like I was turning into Fluttershy or something. The weirdest part is that I remember how I felt, too."

Applejack stopped eating and thought for a moment. It still didn't make sense... Why would Rainbow be so... careful? It was unlike her. It was alot like Fluttershy, though...

"Huh," they said simultaneously.

Rainbow took a small sip of cider before deciding to change the topic a little. "Well, I also think it's strange that you said you were feeling lazy today. Maybe we're both out of whack." Logic wasn't playing it's part in this conversation. At least, not correctly.

Applejack had had enough pie and enough of this confusion, and in turn, changed the topic to the only one she could think of that last for awhile longer before the same one came up again. "Rainbow..." she started, leaning on the table with one foreleg. "What do you wanna do with yer light-- Ah mean, life?"

Rainbow laughed lightly and watched her scold herself for letting her tongue slip, before leaning back into her chair and smirking. "I'm gonna be a Wonderbolt, remember?"

Applejack waved a hoof toward her. "Okay, Ah guess Ah should've known that already... Y'all are prob'ly well on yer way toward that goal, too, right?"

Rainbow sat up straight and her smile faltered a bit. "I'd like to think so..."

Applejack put both forelegs on the table and raised both eyebrows. "What? Hold on a minute... So yer tellin' me that after all this dreamin' ya had, they're not lettin' ya in? Ah thought y'all were at least right on yer way, what with ya goin' to that Wonderbolt Academy shtick, an' all."

Rainbow shrugged. "No, it's not like that. I'm just feeling, uh..."

"Lazy...?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that."

"Precisely why I did, sugarcube." Applejack smirked. "You know we'd never git along as a couple, right?"

"Yeah..." Rainbow scratched her head. That was awkward. "Wait, what does being a couple have to do with any of this?"

Applejack leaned back. "Nothin', really. Jus' thought Ah'd mention it fer good measure."

Rainbow tried to find something to look at, possibly to avoid looking at the pony across the table. But when she looked back at her, it was only then that she noticed her hat was off and sitting on the table. She had never really taken the chance to gaze at her blonde mane alone, and now, taking that opportunity, she found that it wasn't too bad. In fact, she kind of prefered the hat to be off now.

Applejack caught her gaze and blushed lightly before clearing her throat, snapping Rainbow from her oblivious stare.

Rainbow turned away for a second, before turning back and apologizing. "Sorry about that, I, uh..."

"It's fine, sugarcube."

Rainbow was a little surprised to hear that, but for now, she put the thought away and returned her question. "What are you gonna do with your life, Applejack?"

Applejack finished the last of her pie before answering. "I know exactly what Ah'm gonna do, Ah jus' don' really know how ta make it happen, really."

"What would that be?"

Applejack stood up and took care of her plate, before returning and sitting again. "Ya know how the Apple family's always wanted ta have ourselves a real business, right?"

"Yeah." Dash rest her own forelegs on the table as she took another sip. "Is that your dream?"

"Well, uh..." Applejack scratched her head. "Mostly, Ah guess. But ya see, we don' really wanna be the top brand of apples all over Equestria, but we would like ta have at least some exposure, ya know what Ah mean?"

"Yeah, I get it. You want to be a popular brand, but not that popular."

"That about says it."

"But what would your brand name be?"

"Sweet Apple Acres. Duh."

Rainbow slapped herself mentally. "Oh, duh, Rainbow Dash... I should guessed that. Cool, though. It actually sounds like a real brand name."

"Exactly, Dash."

"Right, uh..." Dash rubbed the back of her neck. "Oh! Uhm, since you asked me, how close are you to achieving?"

Applejack shifted in her chair uncomfortably. "Ah'm afraid not very close at all... We jus' can' seem to attract enough attention from anypony at the moment. Ah have mah little stand here in town, but the word never seems ta spread any further than that. At least, not that Ah've heard about."

Rainbow knew all about not being noticed. "I know how you feel. Not that I don't grab alot of attention already, but I know what it's like to not have the right kind of exposure."

"Yeah." Applejack grabbed her hat and put it on. "The right kind. Ah think ya said right there, Rainbow." Applejack thought for a moment on what the right exposure would be. 'Most brands usually have some sorta main attraction, like a quality or something that excites everypony. Well, what's a type of thing excites ponies if it's not food? Well, for sports, it's always a mascot... And for... Hmm...' She looked at the pegasus, who was currently downing a glass of apple cider, slowly and generously. 'Food brands do, too, Ah guess...' Applejack watched as she finally finished the cider, after taking such a long time to do so. '...Mascots... A mascot...' Would that be the solution? Would she finally get a chance to make the bits she needed for her family?

She took her hat off again. "Hey, Dash?"

Rainbow put her cup down. "Hm?"

"How much do ya like that cider?"

The daredevil smiled proudly. "It's the best cider I've ever had! Nothing could ever match it! If I ever become-- I mean when I become a Wonderbolt, I'll be sure to have Spitfire and the others try it! They'll love it!" She then lowered her hooves. "Uhm, why?"

This was already heading the direction she wanted. "Speakin' of which... How'd ya like ta be a mascot?"

Rainbow grabbed her glass and gave her a sideways look. "F-for Sweet Apple Acres?"

Applejack nodded simply.

"A mascot... Wow, uhm... What would I do? Dress up as an apple?"

Applejack tried not to imagine the idea for the moment. "Nah. Ah'd jus' have ya fly around town with a big banner. Nothin' too fancy. The fanciness, however, comes from what ya decide ta do with that banner. Y'all could probably make some pretty cool patterns with it, Ah guessin'?"

Rainbow was beginning to like this. "That actually doesn't sound too bad..."

"Ah know. Ah figured it would give you the attention you need, flyin' around with somethin' followin' yer pattern, cause you'll eventually be doin' it in different cities after a while. But it'll also give Sweet Apple Acres that attention, jus' make sure you hog it all to yerself. Like if they can't quite read the banner, and they ask what it says, y'all don't lie. Tell 'em what the advertisement really says. Ah'm sure it'll be heaps o' fun for ya, anyhow..."

Rainbow stood up, took care of her glass, and then came over to Applejack's side of the table with a smile. "You know what? I think I'll accept. It does sound fun, but I think it would be better if I did this, anyway. So, the fun part really isn't that important. If this will get us what we want, especially for you, then that's what really matters to me. It's a deal." She held her hoof out to seal this deal.

Applejack stared at the hoof for a moment, before pushing it aside and standing up to give her a one-legged hug instead. "Thanks, Dash. It means alot ta me."

Dash quickly recovered from the surprise and clumsily hugged her back. "Me, too. I-I think we're both in for good futures, what do you think?" She felt the orange mare nod against her shoulder.

"H-hey Big Mac?"

Their eyes widened as they heard Apple Bloom's voice. They then heard hoofsteps trailing up the stairs. "Do ya know when the market opens tomorrow...?"

They both let out breaths they were oblivious to holding in. They then ceased their hug and listened to the slightly muffled, high-pitched voice of the filly who was now on the higher floor.

"Well, Ah was gonna ask her, but she looked... busy, Ah guess. With Rainbow Dash. No, Ah... Ah don' know what they were doin'... It looked like--... Ah dunno... Anyhow, do you know when it opens? Ah wanna git a head start so me, Scootaloo, an' Sweetie Belle can git some, uh... equipment we've been needin' fer a while..."

"Apple Bloom?" Applejack called to her from downstairs. "It starts at nine o'clock, ya hear?"

"Okay," they heard her call back. "Thanks, sis!" They heard her lower her voice again. "Uh, nevermind Big Mac... Thanks, anyway, though."

"Ee-yup."

Applejack looked back at Rainbow Dash who was currently stretching out her wings. "Perfect. That's where we'll start then."

Rainbow nodded in agreement. "Sounds great, AJ."