//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Getting Even // by Mint //------------------------------// (A/N: This chapter has a lot of character development in it and my sense of humor. It begins to get deadly serious next installment, so bear with me, okey? ^_^) The second day of the fair started, and Luna was becoming exhausted. Yesterday was a constant roll of orders being sent to her. The princess had no doubt that she would have to dip into her reserves today. The fair was just as flooded with ponies as it was yesterday, and there were multiple events planned, not the least of which was Scootaloo's performance. Twilight and her friends had spent the better part of the day together, getting reacquainted. Rainbow told grand tales of her victories in competitions, Rarity described in detail all of her latest fashions, Applejack spelled out what was new with apples (which wasn't much), Pinkie went on and on about her parties that ponies bothered to show up to and Fluttershy described the animals that now largely inhabited her house. The only one not to talk was Twilight, who was so happy that if she attempted to open her mouth she knew that she would only cry some more. When they were gone, she had this aching in her heart that felt like a massive black hole, sucking up every memory and other emotion she had. With her friends absent all she felt like doing sometimes was lie in bed and cry. Now the pain was gone. In the present however, Luna was walking through the fair, earning many gazes and bows. The ear rings were still in her ears and they still hurt like hell. She probably could have wormed them out...but after Twilight's compliment she felt like keeping them in. She was heading for the obstacle course Apple Bloom had built for her friend. It was mid-morning and about time for Scootaloo's show to start. Since the Princess was the one who asked her to perform she couldn't just not show up. Nearly every step of the way however another order appeared in front of Luna's face. With a sigh and a wave of a horn, the alicorn would fill them. Her usual magic was just about up. Just a few more and her reserves would be tapped into. Alicorns had a unique talent when it came to magic. They not only generated it, but could store it. Luna had quite a lot of magic held inside of her, but she didn't like using it. She liked being prepared and only wanted to wield it during emergencies, although she supposed that this counted as one. Luna entered the arena. There were endless jumps, ramps and even a loop-d-loop here and there. The bleachers were filled, not necessarily because of Scootaloo's popularity, but just because of the sheer magnitude of the attendees. If even one in twenty decided to come it would fill up all the seats available. The princess arrived as Scootaloo was putting her helmet on. She was also preparing to wear some pads on her back that covered her shoulders and hips in case she fell from one of the loops. It also had the effect of tying down her wings, which made her stunts far more impressive. The poor filly was pacing back forth, her nerves on their last leg. Her legs were shaking and she was panting frantically like an exhausted dog. “How's it going?” The princess asked, knowing the answer wasn't going to be a good one. “I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't do this!” Scootaloo shrieked, taking off into the air and buzzing around Luna's head. “Have you seen how many ponies are out there? It has to be hundreds! What am I gonna do! What am I gonna do!” “How about go out there and perform?” Luna asked, smiling weakly. “I can't...I can't!” Luna began thinking quickly. There was already a huge crowd. The last thing the alicorn needed were angry ponies causing trouble around the fair because they didn’t get what they were waiting for. What did Scootaloo like above all else...? “Okay.” Luna said. “What? Really?” Scootaloo asked, setting back down onto the ground. “Sure, I can't make you.” The princess continued. “I just thought that you would want to perform in front of Rainbow Dash. It's okay if you want to let her down.” “Wh-What...?” Scootaloo's voice suddenly got weak. “Oh, didn't you know?” Luna said, smiling. “She's in the crowd today, watching.” Scootaloo's face was a mix of happiness and fear. What was she supposed to do, disappoint her idol? The filly stared at the ground, kicking it in frustration. “I'll do it.” She muttered. She quickly ran over and began putting her back pads on. 'Too easy.' Luna thought. 'These mind games sure are easy.' “Excellent!” Luna cried. “Now hop to it, you don't want to keep your adoring fans waiting!” Scootaloo's hooves were shaking as she grabbed her scooter. She quickly redid her helmet nervously and marched out into the arena. The crowd cheered as the filly appeared. Scootaloo gulped as she felt her stomach twist in knot. There were far more ponies than she thought there would be. There had to be over a thousand ponies out there! The filly scanned the crowd, searching for anything that resembled a rainbow. Each pony she laid eyes on was a solid color however. The more time she spent looking, the more silent it became. The crowd was beginning to wonder what she was doing. The more Scootaloo gazed around however, the less sure she felt. It became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop from the other side of town. The filly began backing up, seeking to go back into the preparing area. The princess had lied, Rainbow Dash wasn't there! 'What if she doesn't care?' Scootaloo thought as she walked backward in tiny steps. 'What if she's forgotten about me...what if...' That when she heard the sound of hooves clopping. The filly gazed up as somepony emerged above the wall of the arena. Scootaloo's eyes widened and a huge smile spread across her face. Rainbow Dash hung over the side of the wall, smiled and gave the filly a wink. Scootaloo felt her will become solid. She gripped her scooter tightly. She gave it a kick and it twirled around. She hopped up and landed on it. Then with a mighty kick, she was off. Even Princess Luna was quite impressed. Scootaloo jetted around on that thing like it was second nature to her. With every jump and curve she performed a feat that impressed the crowd; from performing flips to spinning the scooter around like it were a toy. When it came time for one of the loops the crowd grew silent. The filly picked up amazing speed. As she entered it everypony held their collective breath. With surprising ease, Scootaloo cleared being upside-down and took off again. The masses cheered as she dramatically ground to a halt by turning her scooter sideways. She hunched down and began pawing at the ground, indicating that she was about to do something big. Even Princess Luna found herself leaning forward in anticipation. The filly took off, heading for a large ramp. Scootaloo pumped at the ground with her foot as hard as she could. She picked up more and more speed as she approached the ramp, finally becoming a blur. She hit the ramp and launched into the air. Scootaloo sent her scooter into a spin. She then let go. Much to the shock of the crowd she began to flip through the air, free of her vehicle. She began spinning and flipping at the same time. As she began descending back down she still didn't slow down. What most ponies didn't see was the spin she put her scooter into was done with precision. It spun away from her and then back towards her. While still spinning she reached out with one of her arms and seized the handlebars of her scooter. A split second before she hit the ground, her bottom hooves found the deck. She hit the ground and expertly turned her vehicle, skidding it to a stop. The crowd erupted, cheering wildly. Scootaloo lifted her front hoof triumphantly. For several moments, all one could hear were the clopping of hooves as the crowd stomped them in the stands. Rainbow Dash was stomping on the ground like crazy, a large smile on her face. Luna walked out into the arena, drawing even more cheering from the crowd. The princess signaled to Rainbow Dash that she could enter. The rainbow pony leaped over the wall. She ran over to Scootaloo. The filly, just as her idol arrived, took a flying leap. They both spun around happily for a few moments. The crowd issued loud “aws,” assuming they were sisters or mother and daughter. The princess trotted over much slower, giving them time to be reacquainted. “That was amazing pipsqueak!” Rainbow Dash said as Scootaloo finally stood back on the ground. “You're quite the athlete, I'm impressed!” “Thanks Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo shouted. “I bet it's not half as impressive as what you do! How have you been?” “Oh you know...” Rainbow Dash said, instantly feeling flattered. “Just being awesome.” Luna approached Scootaloo and began giving the pony an examining glance, as if studying her body. Rainbow Dash gave her an odd look, which led Scootaloo to do the same. “What are you doing?” Scootaloo asked. The princess didn't answer. She instead reached up with her hoof and lifted the padding that was on the filly's hips. Luna gazed under them for a moment before making a grunt of satisfaction. She then turned and walked away. “Yep, I'm just that good.” She said to herself. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash stared at each other quizzically. Then out of curiosity the filly reached up with her teeth and undid her padding. Once it fell away, her eyes widened. On her flank was an image of a beautiful golden scooter. As if paying homage, the deck of the scooter was decorated with a lightning bolt, very similar to Rainbow Dash's. The filly gasped and began jumping around in circles, desperate to get a better look and not realizing she needed a mirror. Rainbow Dashed chuckled at seeing her so happy. Twilight was walking around the fair, happily. This was turning out better than she had expected. As the planner of this fair she got a final report on day one from her assistants. The amount of food that was moved, by estimation, was absolutely insane and ranged in the hundreds of tons. Crime was almost nonexistent. There were a few reports of theft, but those could largely be explained away as items simply being misplaced or Apple Core committing her usual crime. When asked separate questions about how satisfied they were with the games, foods, items and entertainment, almost all ponies answered that they were pleased. Day two was just as busy as day one. These two would probably be nothing compared to the following ones. Day three there was scheduled to be a state dinner for foreign dignitaries, Sweetie Belle's concert (as well as numerous others) and a starlight observing. The final one was Luna's suggestion. Ponies were going to hand out floating lanterns as the sun fell and when the stars came out they would light them. It would be fun for the children, but also would have the effect of doing something that Luna had long wished. They would be appreciating the night. Twilight stopped walking. She saw something unusual. There were two ponies talking to a stall vendor. They appeared to be unicorns, but were shielded by brown cloaks. They were the only ones wearing them, as it was quite warm. After talking for a few moments, the vendor pointed straight at Twilight. The unicorn flinched, wondering what these cloaked ponies could want. They instantly turned, spotted her and then began trotting over. The two unicorns were both black and had very stern faces. Twilight took a few steps backwards, fearing what they had to say. They finally approached the unicorn, their faces not showing an ounce of emotion. “You are Twilight Sparkle?” The bigger one said. Their accent was thick and was one Twilight wasn't used to hearing. “Y-yes?” Twilight said, more as a question. “Khorosho.” The taller one stated. Twilight tilted her head. What did that mean? “Ve vish to speak to your Tsarina Luna.” “What...what?” Twilight asked, not entirely sure what he said because of his accent. The taller one turned and spoke to his companion, both of them speaking very quickly in a foreign language. He then turned back to Twilight. “Your head woman, your...leader, Luna” He restated. “Oh, Princess Luna.” Twilight stated. “Prin...cess...dah.” The taller one said, sounding out the word. “Ve vish to speak wiz her.” “Alright...follow me.” Twilight sounded unsure as she began trotting, the ponies walking close behind her. Throughout their entire exchange, their expression did not change, not even an inch and their tone was flat. They creeped Twilight out. Could they be assassins? Then again, if they were they were doing a very poor job of not getting caught, not to mention the fact that Luna could handle herself. Twilight decided that she didn't really have a choice. She knew that around this time Luna would be leaving the stunt ring, so she headed that way. The princess was just exiting the area, feeling very smug. She was certainly skilled at being a manipulator. At least in this case it was to do good things. So far everything had worked out nicely. Rarity and Rainbow Dash had been reunited with Twilight, the first day of the fair went off without a hitch and Scootaloo now a symbol on her flank. Now all she had to do was pull several more miracles out of her butt and everything would be okie-dokie. Luna sighed and bowed her head slightly as she walked away, her horn abruptly feeling heavier. She had been pumping magic out constantly, bit by bit. She would actually prefer it to be in one chunk. It was like she had an itch that got worse little by little, growing in intensity each time she “scratched” it. Oh well, she dug this hole, she was going to have to claw her way out. “Princess!” Twilight shouted, approaching her. The princess smiled before turning. “Another cutie mark gotten.” Luna stated as she swirled around. She instantly frowned once she saw who was right behind her. “That's great.” Twilight said, far more fascinated in Luna's abrupt frown. The most serious expression Twilight had ever seen came over Luna's face. It made her seem...intimidating, a feeling Twilight hadn't had since she first met Princess Celestia. Luna's eyes ran from one of the cloaked unicorns to the other. There was a glint in her eye that Twilight could not identify. “Twilight,” Luna began, her tone commanding. “would you be so kind as to give us some privacy? This is a...matter of state.” This only made Twilight's curiosity burn hotter. What could it possibly be? Still, she couldn't disobey the princess. “As you wish.” Twilight said reluctantly. She dragged herself away. Once the unicorn was out of sight Luna turned to the two visitors. “Follow me.” She ordered. They did not respond, but obeyed all the same. Luna made her way to a secluded part of the fair with very few ponies. It was where they were preparing the state dinner for all the diplomats tomorrow. Luna found a place in between to piles of building materials where they would be out of the way and out of sight. The moment they were all alone Luna whirled around quickly. She slammed one of her hooves into the pile of wood at her side, right in front of the tall one's face. He flinched, but otherwise didn't do anything. The pile of logs rattled in a very unsafe manner. “What do you think you were doing!?” Luna shouted. “Finding you, Tsarina Luna.” The tall one replied. “Za-what?” Luna asked. “Tsarina, or ve call you Princess?” “Actually...” Luna paused, thinking. “I rather like that word...it doesn't matter! I told you to come in with a low profile, not attracting attention! Did you tell everyone you came here to see me? Are you trying to stir up suspicion with other nations? Where is the stallion they usually send?” “To answer your last question, he died.” The tall one replied. “I am his son.” The pony finally pulled down the hood of his cloak, revealing to Luna that he had the same brown eyes and white mane as his father. “Oh...uh...” Luna said, abruptly feeling embarrassed. “My condolences on your loss.” “Spasibo.” The stallion stated, however his face didn't show an ounce of emotion. “We tell not a soul when we arrive. Only that unicorn from before knows. We ask others “who is charge,” zey led us to her. If you vish, ve can silence ze pony.” “N-No, no, no. That won't be necessary.” Luna said quickly. “That is...satisfactory. What might I call you?” “I am Captain Coltov.” He stated. Zis my nephew, Herzkoof.” The nephew removed his hood and nodded at her. Luna was used to ponies bowing, but these ponies, as a whole, only bowed to their ruler and not any other. “Ve are here for ze official orders.” “Yes.” Luna said. With a wave of her horn, a piece of paper appeared. Coltov used his own magic and allowed the paper to hover in front of him. He read it through. Fortunately it was in his native language. “Everyzing appears in order.” He stated. “And here's a second page.” Luna said, her voice low and her expression deadly serious “Second?” The captain asked. Luna made yet another one appear. Coltov read the paper, halfway through it, his eyebrows raised. He stayed that way as he made it through the whole paper. After which he offset his jaw and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Zese are...interesting.” He said, gazing between them. “I know not how to respond.” “Tell your...Tsar is it, to consider both pages...very carefully.” Luna said. “If you want money so much, think carefully how to get more for longer.” Coltov was silent. He clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth again, gazing away for a moment. He rolled up both pages and stuck them into his cloak. “He vill consider zem carefully.” Coltov said. “Ve vill set out immediately.” “No.” Luna said. Both of the ponies instantly turned their heads to her. “There are ponies that have seen you, meaning they will likely figure out you were here.” Coltov's brow furrowed and a dire look now came over his eyes. “You are not referring to...?” “I invited ponies from every country.” Luna said. “Last time I checked, Geldermany was a country.” Both of the unicorn's eyes were instantly filled with scorn and their faces snarled. “You expect us to stay when ze pigs are here?” Coltov asked. “That's exactly why I want you to stay.” Luna asked. “If they even have a whiff of this before it starts they will make a major deal out of it and file a complaint with the crown of both of our countries to stop it. I think the last thing your country needs is more tension and the risk of war.” Coltov ground his teeth together, not liking the situation. “Vat ve need to do?” Coltov asked. “Stay for the state dinner and look as if you came to represent Retussia. After that you can return home. Above all, don't do anything stupid. Can your country really afford another war?” The captain gave her a stiff glare, but stomped his hoof onto the ground. “Fine.” He stated. “Good.” Luna said, walking out of the secluded area. “Do go and enjoy the fair, it might help that glum expression you inherited from your father.” The princess needed to clear her head. The effects of those papers wouldn’t be felt for quite some time and she had to look like nothing was wrong, lest she gained unwanted attention, especially after the representatives from Retussia arrived. She decided to take a walk and act as if she were inspecting stalls. Most of the vendors were overly eager to give her products and often did so with shaking hands and nervous voices. The princess wandered around until she came to a stall overly decorated with symbols of apples. Applejack was vending the stall, which had countless ponies swarming around it. In the middle of servicing them the pony threw up her arms and waved them around. “We are out of products! Sorry!” She bellowed. The crowd moaned in disappointment and dispersed, heading in all different directions. Luna smiled and walked up to the stall. Applejack was leaning on her hooves with her elbows on the front table, huffing and puffing. “Need me to restock?” Princess Luna asked. Applejack turned her head and smiled. “Nope, we’re out of apples altogether.” She replied. “We got relatives comin’ in later today. They bringin’ a whole mess of oranges and apples. I’ll send the order when they get here so you can move them in.” “Sounds good.” Luna said, smiling. Applejack tilted her head, staring at the princess’s ears. “I didn’t notice those yesterday. Hoo doggies, those earrings sure are pretty!” “Yeah? Try putting them in. My ears feel heavy.” Just then, a loud cheering sound erupted from the other side of the fair. Luna and Applejack turned their heads towards it, as a reflex. “What’s that?” Applejack asked. “Either the Lightning Wings are kicking it off again or Scootaloo is giving another performance.” “How’d the first one go?” Luna smiled smugly again. “Another cutie mark down.” She replied. “I was wonderin’ when she’d figure that out.” “Just needed a little push.” Luna sighed to herself. “Speaking of cutie marks, I’d like to talk to you about Apple Bloom.” “What about her?” Applejack asked, instantly raising her eyebrow and looking suspicious. “I was thinking,” Luna began. “after she finishes school, you might send her to Canterlot University.” “Why would I do that? Isn’t school enough book learnin’?” “As a general rule, yes, but Apple Bloom has incredible talent, more than I can believe. If she goes to the university she can get a degree in architecture and building.” “What for?” “She can uh...design huge buildings, like skyscrapers, mansions and castles.” “She can build stuff here, what’s the difference?” Applejack wasn’t really quick on the uptake. She lived most of her life on the farm and couldn’t really grasp what the princess was trying to say. Apple Bloom could stay in Ponyville, but all she would build were small houses and small projects. Out in the bigger world, she could build things that make a huge difference, like castles, skyscrapers, dams and huge monuments. If Apple Bloom wanted to stay, that was fine. The princess wanted to make sure that such a talented pony had options. “Um...” Luna said, trying to make it sound appealing. “You see, those who design buildings, particularly big ones, make about three times more than the builders, without doing any of the work.” Appeljack’s eyes brightened. A smile spread across her face. “You don’t say?” She asked. “Oh yes, having a degree in architecture ensures you can get even more for a job. With her skills, I doubt she would have any trouble finishing classes.” “Hmm...” Applejack said, rubbing her chin. “I promised old Granny Smith before she passed away that I would take care of Apple Bloom.” “What better way to take care of her than making sure that she makes a lot of money?” “I guess so.” “She won’t have to go until she finishes school. I’ll put in a good word and she’ll get a major discount, if not go for free.” “That does sound nice, we should ask her.” Without walking around to the built-in door, Applejack leaped over the table and onto the ground. “She needs something to think about anyway.” “Why is that?” “She keeps bothering this young guard.” Applejack led Luna to a guard station, which was little more than a single pony shack. There was a young, white pegasus guard, desperately trying to ignore a filly that was climbing on his back. “How do you get to be a royal guard?” Applejack asked, leaning around his neck and looking into his face. The stallion didn’t answer. If Luna guessed correctly, he was a fresh recruit they acquired to help with the fair. He only appeared to be only a few years older than Apple Bloom and his legs were shaking trying to support her. “Is it hard?” His eye was twitching. “You know...you’re rather cute!” The stallion’s eyes became half-shaded and he growled. The filly on his back turned around. She began lifting up the armor on his flank. “What’s your cutie mark?” Abruptly, the guard reared back, knocking her off of him. He then resumed his normal position, as if nothing happened. Apple Bloom stood back up, pointing her hoof at him. “Hey! You did that on purpose!” “Leave him alone Apple Bloom!” Applejack shouted. “Get over here!” The soldier heaved a sigh of relief as Apple Bloom trotted away. Luna would have let Applejack call her over sooner, but the princess was fairly amused by the filly’s antics. Apple Bloom trotted over to them, a big smile on her face. “What is it?” She asked. “The princess has something she wants to ask ya.” Applejack said. “Apple Bloom,” Luna began. “When you’re done with school here, how would you like to go to Canterlot University?” “University?” The filly asked. “Yes, you can learn better ways to build things and you can get out of Ponyville.” “Why would I do that?” “By the gods they’re exactly the same, well you could learn to build things like skyscrapers, mansions and castles.” The country filly’s eyes brightened at that. “Really?” She asked excitedly. “Yeah, with a degree from Canterlot University you could build all kinds of things around the world!” Luna said, hyping up her plan. “Just think, you could build something that ponies will be talking about for thousands of years!” Apple Bloom’s eyes began to twinkle. Abruptly however, her face fell. “Aw...well...that’d probably be awfully expensive...” The filly said. “Then there’s the farm. I couldn’t just leave it.” “Apple Bloom dear,” Luna began, bringing one of her hooves to her chest, proudly. “I’m the monarch. We fund the Canterlot University. They’ll take whoever I say so for how much I say so. Judging from the talent you’ve displayed here our money would be well spent sending you there for free.” Apple Bloom’s eyes brightened slightly. “And don’t worry about the farm.” Applejack added on. “Apple Core’s growin’ up. I’ll put her thievin’ hide to work just as soon as she’s physically able.” Apple Bloom now had a large smile on her face. “So...so I can really go learn how to build those things?” She asked excitedly. “And get paid large amounts to do it.” Luna chimed in. “I’d love to!” The filly shouted, bouncing in the air. “Good deal.” Luna said. “As soon as you finish school I’ll send a letter. You’ll be all set.” Twilight was sitting at a picnic bench, eating some fried something or other. She had been bouncing around so much throughout the fair she really hadn’t been thinking about eating. Pinkie Pie had been, rather spastically, explaining what games she wanted to try for tomorrow. Twilight didn’t really understand why “extreme leap frog” required a giant slingshot, but she enjoyed how happy the pink pony was. Twilight hovered her lunch in front of her as she ate. It was some sort of flour tortilla wrapped around a mesh of hay, flowers, nuts and fried in vegetable oil. It was wildly unhealthy for her, but tasted quite good. She had been trying to hang out with her friends as much as possible, but Rarity was almost always putting on a show and if Rainbow Dash wasn’t putting on a show of her own she was shouting her teammates into shape. Twilight sighed and smiled. At least they were back home, even for a brief time. “What here do I see? Why, it’s the organizer appointee!” Twilight Sparkle’s eyes and ears perked up. She jerked her head around and saw a familiar zebra. The lavender unicorn leapt from her seat and wrapped her friend in a hug. “Zecora! I’m so glad you could make it!” Twilight shouted. “I was worried you weren’t going to come!” “Miss seeing all of your hard work?” Zecora said. “That really would make me a jerk!” Twilight smiled, understanding the reference. When they had all stormed into Zecora’s hut for the first time, the zebra had said something similar. “I’ve been so busy.” Twilight said. “I’m sorry I haven’t come to see you. I should have spent more time with you. When are you leaving?” A very solemn smile came over Zecora’s face. She had a gaze that Twilight understood would deliver bad news. “I am sorry too my friend.” She said. “My time here has come to an end. I did not want you to worry. With all the work, you have been in a flurry. Tomorrow I set out for home. The exiting crowds from fair I will not have to comb.” Twilight felt a sadness grip her heart. She hugged Zecora again, this time more tightly. “You should have come.” Twilight said. “I’m never too busy for a friend.” Zecora smiled and hugged the unicorn back. “My time here has been great.” Zecora said. “Great tales back home I will relate.” “I’ll miss you.” Twilight said as she finally released the zebra from the embrace. “Everyone else is here, you should tell them goodbye. I’m sure they’ll all miss you too.” “Go see them I will.” Zecora replied. “All of my goodbyes I will fulfill.” “Zecora,” Twilight began, tilted her head and looking sly. “Could you do something for me?” “Ask anything that you desire. I will give it to you if it’s within my power.” “Can you speak without rhyming, or do you have to always do that?” Twilight asked. The zebra smirked, gazing away from Twilight. “Maaaaayyyybe.” The zebra said. Twilight smiled and they both quickly began laughing. When they stopped they gazed at each other one last time. “Goodbye Twilight my friend. I wish this had never come to end.” “Me too.” Twilight said. They hugged one last time before the zebra began marching away. Twilight turned away from her, now wanting Zecora to see her tears. There had been enough of those these past years. Applejack was dragging her husband across the fair. The stallion had his feet firmly planted in the ground, but Applejack was pulling him by his tail, leaving trails in the ground. “I don’t wanna...” Apple Tree whined. “You’re not gonna sit there and play at that gawl-derned roulette stall all day!” Applejack growling through her teeth. “You’ve lost enough of our profits on that money trap!” “I was just about to win!” He whined again. “You said that yesterday and you never did.” Applejack replied. “Come on, or I’ll rip your tail out!” “Alright! Alright! Just stop! It hurts!” Applejack released her husband. He neighed gently and nuzzled the base of his hair that still stung. “Who’re we seein’ again?” “I told you already, Rainbow Dash.” Applejack said. “You mean the one that’s that flier in that...?” “Yes.” “The one who likes...?” “Yes!” “And she confessed to yo...?” “YES!!” Applejack finally yelled. “Won’t it be awkward for you?” Applejack’s face then spread into a very wide and evil grin. “No more awkward then our wedding.” Apple Tree gulped and went bright red. He gazed at the dirt and kicked his hoof back and forth. “Okey, sounds good.” He stated. “Wonderful!” Applejack shouted. “C’mon, she’s got to be around the arena.” After a few minutes of milling about, Applejack finally heard from one of the other teammates that Rainbow Dash had walked off with another pony named Sun Flash. Apparently they liked to take long walks and talk with each other. The teammate pointed them in the direction they walked and Applejack proceeded that way. “At least she has somepony to talk to.” Applejack stated. “I was worried about her when she just ran off without sayin’ nothin’.” They were walking towards a more secluded part of the fair. It was where supplies that weren’t being created by magic were being stored. There were only a few ponies running here and there, either grabbing supplies, lost or simply trying to find a quiet place. “Where do ya reckon she went?” Apple Tree asked. “Well if I know Rainbow Dash she...” Applejack paused in mid-sentence. Her ear twitched as she lifted it in the air. “Hang on, I think I hear her.” “I don’t hear nothin’.” Apple Tree stated. “That’s ‘cause you're talkin’.” Applejack complained. She listened for a moment more before walking towards the sound. She rounded a large, ten foot stack of packaged cheese snacks. She then got an eyeful. Rainbow Dash and a pony that Applejack could only assume was Sun Flash were standing very close to each other, their muzzles incredibly close. Sun Flash was giggling as Rainbow Dash nuzzled into her fiery red mane. “Stop it!” Sun Flash said in a playful voice. “We’ll get caught!” “You worry too much.” Rainbow Dash said, biting onto the other pony’s ear. Sun Flash shivered and giggled again. “Stop it!” The red-headed pony repeated. Rainbow Dash released her ear and lowered her head back down. She nuzzled their noses together, causing Sun Flash to blush. “You were so cute hopping in front of those cameras.” Rainbow Dash said. “You were like a happy little bunny.” Sun Flash blushed even more as their heads continued to rub together. “Wow.” Apple Tree said quietly. “Is this what these kinds of ponies do all the time?” “Stop staring.” Applejack hissed. “You’re staring.” He retorted. “Besides, I’m not gawking it’s just...fascinating.” Applejack glared at her husband. She then raised her head and lifted her hoof in front of her face. “Oh no...don’t do that! It’s just...!” Applejack then issued a very loud and very fake cough. Sun Flash and Rainbow Dash jerked their heads around. Both of them blushed furiously at being caught. In a panic, Sun Flash spread her wings and took off, almost faster than Rainbow ever did. “Sun Flash, wait!” Rainbow Dash shouted. The red-haired pony was gone however. The rainbow pegasus sighed, turning back to Applejack, who was now approaching. “Soooo...” Applejack began, sounding awkward. “That was...Sun Flash eh?” “Uh...yeah...” Rainbow Dash said, looking away and having a very nervous smile on her face. Apple Tree approached, looking a little grumpy from before. Rainbow Dash stared at him, confused. Then it dawned on her who it was. She instantly appeared surprised and then very uncomfortable. She gulped and backed up a few places, not knowing what to do. Applejack interjected before it could become worse. “Rainbow Dash, this is Apple Tree.” Applejack said. “Apple Tree, this is my good friend Rainbow Dash.” Apple Tree held up his hoof. Rainbow Dash did the same, but hesitantly. The stallion however didn’t seem awkward at all as they shook hooves. “I heard all about you.” Apple Tree said. “R-Really?” Rainbow Dash asked, surprised that Applejack would talk about her. “Yep, from what Applejack tells me, you’re the best flier in all of Equestria.” Apple Tree said. “Well...you know...” Rainbow Dash reached behind her head and began tussling her mane, feeling very flattered. “Is it true that when you break the sound barrier you create a sonic boom that throws out rainbows? What was it...?” “A sonic rainboom.” Applejack interjected. “Yep, can you still do that?” Apple Tree added on. “Yeah, yeah I can.” Rainbow Dash was now waving her hoof up and down, now clearly at a loss of what to say. “I’d like to see that.” Apple Tree admitted. “I’ve seen it in all those magazines Applejack has.” “Magazines?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Yep, let’s see...what all do you get?” Applejack sighed and shook her head. “I get the Equestrian Flying Squad Fanzine, the Pony Flier, Hoops and Tricks, the Official Flier Magazine and the Flying Critic.” Applejack said, as if she had said it a hundred times. “Yep, they’re starting to be a fire hazard.” Apple Tree stated. “So many?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Well,” Applejack said, smiling. “after I heard that you were on a flier team I wanted to keep up with you. I didn’t know which one would cover your team so I just got all of them.” Rainbow Dash flinched. She was deeply touched. She had no idea that Applejack...cared so much for her. “There was another wasn’t there?” Apple Tree asked. “I subscribed to it last month.” Applejack said, smiling widely. “I got the first issue just the other day when that huge amount of mail came in.” “What is it?” Rainbow Dash asked, curious. “Well...it’s...” Applejack appeared a little embarrassed. “It’s the...Official Phillydelphia Lightning Wings Fan Book.” Rainbow Dash flinched again. All the magazine consisted of was posed portraits of the members of the team and interviews. Only members of the fan club could order it. Not only had Applejack paid for a subscription to every flier magazine in Equestria, she also paid to be in the Lighting Wings fan club and paid to get their fan book. That was quite a lot of trouble...just to follow what Rainbow Dash was doing. The rainbow pony gazed at the ground, nervously pawing with her foot. “That’s...really sweet.” Rainbow Dash said. Applejack walked over and stood beside her friend. She put her hoof over the pegasus’s shoulders. “I gotta keep up with my best gal don’t I?” Applejack said. Rainbow Dash chuckled at herself. She had been terrified to go back. If Luna hadn’t tricked her, she would have never returned even until the day she died. It was funny now because what had kept her away...didn’t exist. Applejack didn’t hate her, think she was disgusting or anything like that. Instead, she was still Rainbow’s friend. “Hey.” Apple Tree said. “You’re the one who confessed to my wife, right?” Applejack and Rainbow Dash went rigid. It instantly became awkward. The stallion however didn’t seem to notice anything had changed. “Uh...uh...” Rainbow Dash stammered hopelessly. “W-w-w-well...I...uh...uh...yes. I...did.” “Oh.” Apple Tree asked. He pointed to his wife. “Weren’t going to ask her to join us when we do that...?” Applejack leapt forward and waved her hooves in front of his face desperately. She began babbling loudly, trying to drown him out. “UH UH UH UH!!!” The country mare shouted. “Shut-up Apple Tree!!” Rainbow Dash stared on positively baffled. Applejack turned back to her, looking incredibly embarrassed. “It’s...it’s nothing to worry about!” “But last night you were the one who suggested it...” “Shut-up Apple Tree!!” Applejack shouted at him. “It was a joke!!! It’s called role playing!!” “It didn’t sound like a joke.” Apple Tree said, tapping his hoof on his chin. “I even asked you again to make sure that’s what you said. You said it would be fun if the three of us...” “SHUT-UP APPLE TREE!!!!!!” Applejack shrieked at the top of her lungs. “What I was say when we’re alone is no one else’s business!” “But if she’s going to join us then...” “SHE’S NOT JOINING US!!!!!” Rainbow Dash however caught on to what they were talking about. She lifted her eyebrow, instantly shocked by the whole exchange. Apple Tree fell silent out of confusion, but Applejack was smiling nervously, sweating quite a lot. “What do you two do when you’re alone?” Rainbow Dash asked. Applejack laughed nervously. Their uncomfortable conversation was thankfully interrupted. Somepony a distance away somepony shouted something. “Come back here you thieving little filly!!!” Applejack made a sour expression before turning her head. “That would be the light of our lives.” She stated bitterly. “Huh?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Hang on.” With surprising quickness, the country pony turned around and bolted out from their little hiding spot. She was gone in a few seconds and seemed to know exactly where she was heading. That left Rainbow Dash and Apple Tree alone together. The stallion didn’t seem bothered in the slightest and stood waiting patiently. Rainbow Dash however was a ball of nerves, not knowing what to say. He didn’t seem to care that the rainbow pony was in love with his wife. Could somepony really not care at all? “So...” Rainbow Dash began. “Do I...make you uncomfortable?” “Huh?” Apple Tree replied. “No. Why would you?” “Doesn’t it bother you? You know...hearing that I confessed to her?” “No.” He replied, as if it were obvious. “Why would it?” Rainbow Dash gave him a blank stare to match his. Was he really that simple? The pegasus then chuckled and shook her head. “Applejack sure does know how to pick a good husband.” “Glad you can see that. Would you remind her of that?” “I sure will.” Applejack returned, this time walking. There was somepony tiny on her back. The filly had a large amount of cotton candy in her mouth. “When I tell you not to take something I mean it!” Applejack shouted. “Every second you’re stealin’ somethin’ that don’t belong to you! I had to pay that stallion for it so you wouldn’t get arrested! When we get home, I’m going to beat fear into you!” The filly didn’t seem to be afraid in the slightest. She just continued munching on the cotton candy. When Applejack approached she reached behind her, grabbed the filly by the head with both of her hooves and held her up in front of her friend. “Rainbow Dash,” Applejack began. “This is my daughter, Apple Core.” Rainbow Dash had a mix of emotions, shock that she had a daughter, a wave of something warm fuzzy as she was cute with her cotton candy and a feeling akin to pathetic disbelief. “Apple Core? Really?” Rainbow Dash asked. “You couldn’t pick something that didn’t have to do with apples?” “It’s a family tradition!” Applejack replied. “Say “hi” to auntie Rainbow Dash Apple Core!” “Hurro.” Apple Core said, still chewing on the cotton candy. “She’s so cute!” Rainbow Dash said, leaning close and giving the filly a look over. “She’s going to grow up to look just like you Applejack!” “And live in prison for stealing.” Applejack said. Apple Core laughed through her cotton candy. “Ohry eh I geh caugh!*” The filly said through the candy. Rainbow Dash lifted her eyebrow. “Did she say what I think she said?” The pegasus asked. “I hope not.” Applejack said. “You should join us for dinner.” “I’d like that.” Rainbow Dash said. The third day of the fair was coming. Twilight however, had no idea what was in store. She was soon going to meet somepony...she wish she never had. * She said “Only if I get caught.”