Pinkie Pie smelled the rich autumn air. It was the end of Applebuck Season, and she could just taste all the cider they had spent all week preparing with Applejack and the others. Twilight had been an enormous help, as always, and really quickened production. Truly, there was more this year than any other year. Applejack said they had made so much, she wasn’t sure if there was going to be enough to store for the winter anymore.
Silly Applejack, though. She might be Apple Family, but she sometimes knew dirt about apples. Some varieties just don’t make good cider. Not Apple Family cider, anyway. She’d set her straight later. They were going to be fine here on the farm – she had dress orders to fulfill for her Manehatten customers. Applejack had spent a good long while during the cider making session talking about her Aunt Orange’s modeling studio, and how they were going to start using her dresses in some of the shows. She wasn’t a big name yet, she said, but this time next year her name would be in lights.
Pinkie was happy for her, of course. She was living her dream the way she knew she wanted to. Applejack spent nearly half of what she earned on commission on her old farm home, making sure that her family was never wanting of much, even if she never had time to really gussy up the old Boutique she bought from Rarity’s father.
Pinkie could not thank Rarity enough. She had done an amazing job putting together the most delicate summer ever, and the harvest was nearly perfect for it, minus a few hiccups. Her skill with manipulating weather in the most intimate way with her magic was something to behold, turning a day that was a touch too warm with a humidity that was just a little too much, to a wonderful morning rain that really cooled the air for the rest of the day. Really, nopony was left wanting in weather with Rarity in charge.
-----
Fluttershy waiting for Pinkie Pie when she came in with a barrel of cider. Pinkie grinned, hugging her friend close. “Hiya, Flutters! I’m totally ready for the big party!”
Fluttershy smiled, nodding her head. “Oh, yes, I can’t wait until everyone gets here! I’ve been watching the twins all day, but Mr. and Mrs. Cake are taking them to see their grandparents in Hoofington tonight, so you and the girls can stay for as long as they like tonight.”
Pinkie beamed. “Oh, that’s super-duper fantastic! I know Rainbow Dash would be totally up for that, and I know Twilight’s a party animal...”
Fluttershy could hear a slight hesitation in her voice. “Buuuut...?”
Pinkie’s pink pinkened as she covered her face with her hair. “Well, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom left for Appleoosa about an hour ago, and Big Mac ‘n me... we’ve got the house to ourselves tonight. We haven’t had much time alone together since our honeymoon... so I might duck out a teensy-wincy bit early.”
Fluttershy smiled, opening up the oven and batting her wings a few times. “Oh, that’s fine! Really, you should be with him when you can... it’s no trouble at all if you want to head back now if you want.”
“Oh no! Never! Nuh-uh, can’t get rid of your ol’ pal Pinkie that easy!” Sniffing the air, Pinkie’s tongue lolled out of her mouth. “Ohmygosh, what is that smell!?”
“Oh, just, um...” Fluttershy grabbed her oven mitts and put them over her wings, reaching into the oven and pulling out a couple of round cake pans. “Double chocolate chip cookie cakes. I have a peanut butter glaze for gluing the cakes together that’s warming on the stove, and a peanut butter buttercream frosting for the outside.” Fluttershy nodded. “It’s for the party.”
Pinkie slammed her own jaw shut. “That sounds super-duper amazing! I can’t wait to have some! Can I have some now?”
“No!” Fluttershy put her hoof down, flapping in front of Pinkie. She stared right into her eyes. “These cakes are for the party!”
“Oh! Ah... sorry! I was just kidding, I just MMph—!?” Pinkie felt a spoon shove itself into her mouth as Fluttershy gave her a mouthful of frosting with a high pitched giggle.
“Although I made more than enough extra frosting... of course you can have a little of that!”
Pinkie lapped the roof of her mouth for at least an hour following.
-----
Rainbow Dash shot through the sky over Ponyville, away from the bird sanctuary she had set up a short flight away from the Everfree. Going into a dive, Rainbow Dash felt the rush of the air as she accelerated. Memories flashed in her mind, diving down and making that last ring, and hitting a friction barrier, knocking her back into the air violently. By sheer chance, she propelled herself into the finish line, winning the race with flying colors, the rainboom flying out across the land—
Rainbow Dash shook her head. No, there wasn’t a rainboom. That was an old mare’s tail. Something she thought she had done when Twilight did that weird spell thingy. It’s no feathers off her wing that it didn’t happen that way. Sure, it would have been awesome... but she might have never checked the ground for Fluttershy after the race... and then she might have never found her destiny down there.
No, her cutie mark told her that this was the way it was supposed to be. She flew with the butterflies and the other animals. She took care of them– not everypony can keep up with animals like she could.
-----
Twilight Sparkle looked up from her meal, smiling as Rarity passed by her window. The two locked eyes, and Twilight beckoned her friend inside, happy to see a familiar face. “Twilight~” Rairty sang, trotting in through the large oaken door, “Just the mare I’ve been looking for!”
“Oh?” Twilight finished the last of her sandwich and stood up, meeting Rarity in the middle of the room. “What do you need me for?”
Rarity chuckled and put her hoof on her friend’s shoulder, shaking her head. “Oh Twilight, I don’t need you to do anything, but... well Twilight, I’ve been hoping that perhaps you could help me organize next month’s weather patterns. Rainbow Dash proved... apt, somewhat, at handling the weather during that little episode of ours, but it’s absolutely ruined all of my perfectly detailed weather management!” Rarity bemoaned, falling back onto a lounge chair that had been expertly piloted by Spike. “It’s an absolute wonder how we haven’t all succumbed to heat stroke by now.” Rarity reached over and dragged Spike over to her chest, giving the small dragon a huge hug for hauling her chaise lounge all the way from her little cloud cottage.
Twilight smiled, motioning for Rarity to follow her to the desk. “I’ve been looking at your weather designs for a little while now, actually. It’s absolutely amazing the amount of control you have over the weather – I have doubts even I could match it.” Twilight heard Rarity squee behind her, releasing Spike from her hug as she galloped over to the table. Feeling accomplished in complimenting her friend, Twilight brought out a larger map of the region. “I was wondering if maybe, if I used my magic to amplify yours, we could fix what damage had been done and actually help out a larger area – we may even be able to control Ponyville’s weather from the city center ourselves.”
Rarity beamed at the designs, taking the maps up into her magic and pulling out an ink pen from Twilight’s drawer. “This is marvelous, Twilight! Ooh, but you haven’t the eye for weather that I do, you see, a cold front should be coming east thanks to the melting ice caps near Stalliongrad and then....” Rarity kept going on, Twilight nodding slowly behind her as the two ponies discussed weather and magic.
-----
Applejack stood outside her Boutique, staring up at the lone apple tree that she had planted when she returned to Ponyville from Manehatten. She had almost called it Bloomburg, but when she learned Big Mac had taken care of her little apple seed after she left, she couldn’t have taken the name again.
A farm. Hard work. Apple Bloom and her being so close. “Like Apple Pie. Could we really have been?” Applejack wondered aloud. Apple Bloom was nearly a stranger when she came back, but she had been real quick to warm up to her only sister. Applejack closed her eyes and tried not to think about an Applejack who never was. “I need to get this out of my head.”
Walking over to the tree, Applejack sized the beast up. She stretched her hind legs out, trying to remember the name she had given them. Bucks McGillicutty? Kicks McGee? Applejack snorted. “I sure was a rustic type, just like my siblings...” Applejack said, mimicking the accent her family was so fluent in.
She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the next part. Turning her back to the tree, Applejack raised her hooves up. “Now just kick the tree and get this silly notion out of your head.”
Applejack struck the tree to thunderous applause, the bark underneath her hooves cracking and straining under the heavy hit. Apples fell like red rain.
And she cried.