One Stormy Afternoon

Part 1
"Anticipation"

"All Year Long..."
1

"Come on, Rainbow Dash!" Exclaimed Pinkie Pie's jubilant voice. "We're going to be late!"

"Gah..." Rainbow stretched, slowly opening her eyes and looking around the confines of their dark tent. "Pinkie, what time is it?"

"About 5 in the morning!" The pink mare unzipped the tent and bounded outside with some balloons. "Come on, Dashie! Stay in bed and you forfeit your place in line! You don't want to go without Apple Jack's super-duper fantastic tasting cider, do you?"

"No..." Dash rolled over and stretched. "I just... need a moment!"

"Whew!" The hyperactive mare bounded around the tent. "There are some ponies here already, Dashie, but no pony cut in line at least! We're bound to get ours-"

Pinkie was cut short:

"Faster than two shakes of a Pinkie's tail?"

"Uh-huh."

Dash exited the tent and looked around. It was still dark outside, but she could see that there were still only three ponies ahead and at least thirty new ponies behind. She smiled a cocky smile, stopping her mare friend mid-bounce:

"You know what, Pinkie Pie? It was worth it."

"Well, duh! Now you're sure to get your cider, silly!"

Rainbow Dash rubbed her hooves together:

"They'll be opening in a half hour... I don't want to sleep now."

Dash put away the tent while Pinkie entertained those ponies both behind and in front of them. It took Rainbow Dash only seconds to get everything secured. She looked into the sky above and sighed:

I hope Thunderlane knows what he's doing up there. There are lots of other ponies I'd rather have left in charge...

It was Thunderlane's first day being left in charge of the Ponyville Weather Patrol. Unfortunately, no other experienced Pegasai were available that morning (they all liked cider, too) and Rainbow had been up the previous night with these same thoughts... part of her wanted to have skipped today's activities, but it was too late for that now.

* * *

As the sun peeked over the horizon, Dash's taste buds were primed for AJ's cider. She was so excited she could fly laps around the farm house... but if she did, her spot would be forfeited. She'd normally just be getting here by now... it was likely they'd run out before she even tasted it if she couldn't control herself.

First pony she saw was Big Mac, setting up the tables and bringing out the mugs. Setting up was a task he did every year -- he worked with practiced speed, yet at his usual relaxed pace. Dash grew antsy... even antsier than Pinkie Pie.

Apple Jack came out, stretching her hooves, with Granny Smith and Apple Bloom right behind. AJ addressed the crowd with her usual, confident grin:

"Thank you all fer comin'! This year's season produced an especially sweet product. Strong, too!" She looked into the mob, now ninety ponies long, and sat behind the table. "Quite the crowd today! Ah hope everypony gets the chance to enjoy it! In a matter of moments we'll be open for business."

Rainbow Dash could hardly wait. She stomped at the ground, snorting, as she stared with anticipation at the barrels both big and small. One was taken from the stack and placed by the table; her mouth hung open as its spigot was opened. Pinkie was right beside her, looking just as eager.

With the push of a button and the jingle of their register, the cider table was finally open for business. Both ponies nearly fell over.

Never before had a line with just just three ponies ahead seemed like it was taking so long...

"I'm going to buy, like, five things of cider!" Exclaimed Dash, her mouth watering.

"Me, too, at least!"

The first pony bought two containers of cider and left... the second pony, same deal. Just a couple mugs, no more. Third pony... took her time deciding. Rainbow Dash was not amused:

"Come on, already! You should know by now! You've had all year!"

Sighing, the tan mare ignored the impatient Pegasus and made her selection, stepping aside with a mug in both hooves.

After all the wait it was finally their turn, and both ponies couldn't be more excited! Grinning ear-to-ear, Dash turned towards Pinkie, feeling her friend's eyes on her back. The Pegasus's smile quickly faded after she saw the two pleading blue orbs looking right back at her... a set of pink, pouty lips beneath them. In exchange for inviting the cyan Pegasus to wait with her, in her tent, enjoying her games and snacks before hitting the hay in anticipation of this big day... Rainbow reluctantly motioned with a hoof, allowing the pink mare to go first.

"Aww, thanks Dashie!" Exclaimed Pinkie, bouncing up to the counter.

Apple Jack raised an eyebrow in surprise as the impatient cyan pony twiddled her hooves behind the pink Earth Pony... this was completely unlike Rainbow Dash. Especially at cider time. Briefly feeling AJ's eyes on her, Rainbow just shrugged and tried to look indifferent.

Pinkie made her decision very quickly for Dash's sake and placed an order that surprised even the orange farm pony, who knew her well:

"I'll have a small keg and a mug for the road, pretty please," she said, setting a massive fifty Bit shower in front of the register. Apple Jack just stared at her... this was not the usual mountain of mugs she would be ordering. "What?" Pinkie giggled innocently. "This time I wanna be savoring your sweet cider for weeks from now, silly, not all at once!"

Apple Jack, bemused, trotted over to her brother and nodded. He walked over to the stack of kegs and selected one for the pink mare. He pulled a smaller keg from the side, set it on his back, and brought it over to Pinkie with little effort. He set it on the ground and tugged on the back revealing a little rope handle so it could more easily be dragged by the mare like luggage on the ground:

"Thank you kindly fer your business, Miss Pinkie Pie!" He said with a smile, passing the keg and mug to the mare, who immediately drank the latter in one gulp.

"Oh, thank you!" She replied, wiping the froth away from her lips.

As Pinkie pulled the keg out of the way with surprising ease, Dash stepped forward and placed an order:

"I'll take five of your ciders!" She exclaimed, setting down a couple week's savings of fifteen Bits. "I've been waiting all year for this!"

"And it's a high quality cider," Apple Jack added, with her usual smug grin. "Strong, too. I think that might be too much for you in one go, Sugarcube. How 'bout you buy a half small keg for just five Bits more? That way you can take it home!"

"You're talking to Ponyville's greatest athlete," boasted Rainbow Dash. "I've got the metabolism of a cheetah! Downing 5 ciders will be no problem."

"Alright, then, hun, but don't say I didn't warn ya!" AJ found herself gesturing to Big Mac as she got a mug. "We're liable run out shortly after this one... get another while Ah take care'a her."

Dash watched as AJ got a mug, filled it up, and handed it to her. She immediately drank it down in one gulp and was blasted off into the sky with sheer, intense pleasure. It was sweet, tangy, and strong. Very strong. Apple Jack smiled as she handed over another mug which was immediately downed by the enthralled Pegasus. Pacing around and around, she kicked the air in ecstasy, wings fluttering. Lost in the moment, she smashed into the larger red farm pony as he brought out the next keg:

"Woah! Woah! Woah! WOAH!" He exclaimed frantically as he struggled with it in vain, ultimately dropping it to the ground.

The container split open, its contents immediately seeping into the Equestrian soil. Dash froze... slowly looking up at the Apple Family. None of them, not even Apple Jack, looked remotely sympathetic. Big Mac stared sadly into the dirt, whereas every Apple else's eyes were on her.

* * *

"Rainbow Dash!" Hissed Granny Smith, turning bright red. "Look at what your tom foolery did this time! Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"... sorry?"

Apple Jack sighed:

"Sorry ain't good enough this time, Rainbow... I think maybe it'd be best if you left for right now."

Rainbow's eyes went wide in surprise. She'd never done anything bad enough to get kicked off the Apple farm.

"B-but I can pay for that..." She said, trying to pick up the broken pieces of barrel while Big Mac still stared into it. "J-just gimme a couple of weeks!"

"We certainly appreciate it, Rainbow," Apple Jack began, "but we have ta keep the line--"

Big Mac cut AJ short as he pulled the loose bits of wood from Pegasus's hooves and turned to her, stone-faced as always:

"You've done enough helpin' already! Just git goin' before Ah lose ma temper!"

Big Mac and Granny Smith stared angrily at the pensive Pegasus, and she scowled right back. Even Apple Bloom looked mad. They kept the stare going for a few seconds, until Dash broke the silence, opening her wings:

"Well, fine then! Who needs you?"

Slowly, but surely, she took off. Her face looked angry, but on the inside was a different story... she wanted to cry. She flew quickly, so that if she did... the Apple family wouldn't have seen. As she approached the end of the line, Rainbow heard a little, muffled, high-pitched voice:

"Dashie! Wait!" It was Pinkie Pie, plain as day. From the sound of her voice, she was pulling something while moving very quickly "Slow down! Dashie!"

Rainbow turned around and slowed her pace, but still continued to move far away from the table. Her jaw nearly dropped as, rump-first, the pink mare approached her at an alarming rate of speed.

"Pinkie Pie! You- you're really fast!"

"Well, of course I am, silly! I got the need for speed when it comes pranking!" Pinkie took in some air. "Dashie, can we stop?"

They were a good ten yards from the end of the line. Dash put her hooves into the dirt and sighed, looking up into the sky while shaking her head:

"Could today get any worse? I get kicked off my best friend's farm and her whole family hates me!"

Pinkie did her best to reassure her now ciderless, cyan friend, while still catching her breath:

"They don't hate you! That was an accident! They just need time to cool down. There's lots we can still do today to have fun... and not everypony's here. I know! Let's go pranking! That'll make you feel better."

Dash smirked:

"You know what, Pinkie Pie? That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'll help you carry that heavy thing while we're at it."

Pinkie smiled back, standing up tall on all hooves:

"Woo-hoo! That's my Dashie!"

Without another word, the two turned away from the line... which was growing longer by the minute. The very back of the line was full of impatient, antsy-looking ponies... they were worried they'd come too late, and the sun was only barely coming up. Dash felt glad she'd come early enough to dodge all that.

They left, heading off into the sunrise... towards Ponyville. Their laughter could be heard in the distance, deep into the line, even over the sound of the dragging keg. As promised, the ponies switched back and forth on their way... whichever one was talking, the other one was dragging the keg. As they approached the road, Dash saw a rolling tumbleweed and got hit by a bit of inspiration:

"Pinkie Pie, this isn't working," she said. "I have an idea... it'll take some careful balance, but I think we can pull it off. Plus it'll be loads of fun."

Pinkie Pie grinned:

"Ohh! What is it? What is it?"

Dash offered her a hoof, putting the handle back into the keg:

"Listen to me very carefully, and we'll really get this thing moving!"