//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Chores at the Cottage // Story: A Ponyville Switch-a-roo! // by WRLB //------------------------------// Chapter 8 Chores at the Cottage Applejack had just finished lunch with her family. She told them about everything that happened that day. Her little sister thought it was quite odd, her big brother, Big Mac, stood in silence as he usually did, while her grandmother, Granny Smith, babbled on about how this never happened before. Applejack and her family could only hope that Twilight could find a breakthrough. “Well, I better get going to Fluttershy’s cottage,” said Applejack after she excused herself from the table. “Can me and my friends go with you, big sis?” Apple Bloom asked excitedly. “we could see if we can get cutie marks in animal care.” “I don’t see why not,” Applejack replied, it just warmed her heart to see her little sister helping out. "if it’s okay with you, Granny.” “Don’t you worry now about us,” she replied with a spark, “me and your big brother can hold the fort here while you two are gone.” “Thanks, Granny!” Applebloom said, giving her grandmother a hug. Applejack and her little sister agreed that they would meet at Fluttershy’s cottage in twenty minutes. Apple Bloom rushed towards Rarity’s house and told Sweetie Belle about the plan. With an “Okay” from Rarity, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom went on the search for Scootaloo. Since Scootaloo never stayed in the same spot for very long, the two fillies would have to search all over Ponyville to find her. Sometimes Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle would call her out using her nickname “Chicken.” Luckily, however, there was no need to resort to that. They found her at Twilight’s place staring into the window. “Hey Scootaloo,” said Applebloom, “What cha lookin at?” “I’m watching Rainbow Dash talking to a stallion,” Scootaloo replied. Scootaloo adored Rainbow Dash; in fact, she was the president of her fan club. It was her can-do attitude and her coaching that caught Scootaloo’s adoration. pplebloom and Sweetie Belle trotted and looked into the window. “Oh that must be Fluttershy,” Applebloom replied. “Fluttershy?” Scootaloo questioned. “Yeah, didn’t you hear?” Applebloom asked. “Fluttershy has been turned into a stallion!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “How did that happen?” Scootaloo asked skeptically, “You guys aren’t pulling my leg, are you?” Before Applebloom and Sweetie Belle replied, Rainbow Dash bolted out of the tree. They all watched as Rainbow Dash flew in the distance. With that Scootaloo took off, trying to catch up with her hero. “Rainbow Dash!” she exclaimed, “Wait up!” Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other before following Scootaloo’s hoof steps. Scootaloo followed Rainbow Dash to Fluttershy’s cottage, where Applejack was already taking care of the animals in her absence. The front door was wide open. Rainbow Dash floated to the ground and rested her hoofs firmly on the ground. Before she could say a word or trot inside the cottage for that matter; she was interrupted by Scootaloo’s cries. “Rainbow Dash…is…true…about…Flutter…shy?” Scootaloo panted. “Whoa, there!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “Take a breath and say that again.” After taking a deep breath Scootaloo asked, “Is it true that Fluttershy has been turned into a stallion?” “It’s true,” Rainbow Dash confirmed. “Told ya so,” Applebloom yelled out in the distance. “How?” Scootaloo asked impatiently. “We haven’t quite figure that out yet,” Rainbow Dash explained, “Twilight won’t let her leave the library, so that’s why me and Applejack are helping out taking care of her animals.” “Can I help out?” Scootaloo asked. “That’s what we were going to ask,” Sweetie Belle said beside her friend. “But you took off before we could explain,” Applebloom replied. “Girls, girls,” Applejack said from the back of the cottage. “All of ya’ll can help out.” The three fillies cheered in merriment. Rainbow Dash trotted into the cottage, and saw that Applejack was overburden with different sacks of animal food. "You got the list?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Got cha covered!” Applejack replied, taking out a slip of paper out of her hat. “What can we do, sis?” Applebloom asked eagerly. Before she could reply, Rainbow Dash snatched the list out of her hoofs. “You girls can... brush the grizzly bear’s teeth,” Rainbow Dash said looking at the list. “What?” Applejack exclaimed in disapproval. “Don’t worry, he’s a pussy cat,” Rainbow Dash said, trying to assure her friend. “I thought you said he was a grizzly bear,” Sweetie Belle cleverly remarked. “I meant he wouldn’t harm a fly,” Rainbow Dash said to Applejack, who was unconvinced. “Listen AJ, you know that all of her animals are pretty tame, so you have nothing to worry about.” Applejack sighed, realizing that she did have a point. “Well…do you girls want to brush the teeth of a grizzly bear?” Applejack asked the fillies. “It sounds exciting!” Scootaloo exclaimed, “I’ll do it!” “Me too!” Applebloom shouted. “Me three!” Sweetie Belle cried out. “Well, have at it then,” Applejack said in a sigh, “But be careful, ya here?” However, the three fillies didn’t here Applejack’s warning as they took off cheering. Applejack went back to the animal food that she had organized and picked up bucket of slop for the pigs. Rainbow Dash picked up a bag of chicken feed for the roosters and the hen. “So…” Rainbow Dash said while following Applejack outside, “...say Applejack I have a question.” “Go ahead and ask it,” Applejack replied. “What do you and Big Mac do for fun?” she asked. “Well…” Applejack said with a start; she was never asked a question like that before. “…we enjoy pitching in with the farm work, bucking apples together, helping each other out, celebrating at special events together, having fun in special activities together, and that’s pretty much it. Why?” "Well it’s just that…” Rainbow Dash started to explain, “I always had these ideas of what would I do if I had a stallion as a friend. Like having a race, seeing who could make it rain the heaviest, or seeing who could slurp down their milkshake the fastest. But I wasn’t expecting that stallion to be Fluttershy. I don’t know if she’ll kindly reject my ideas for fun, or what.”