//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: The Rainbow Grows 
// by TheRainbowDashShow 
//------------------------------//

Applejack awkwardly swung a hammer, pounding a nail into the board she held over the broken window. She wasn't sure whether to be frightened that worse could be coming or relieved that the attack was something so mild. 

Rainbow Dash, however, was in deep thought as she stared at the paper, her mind trying to come up with a suspect, but she had not even the slightest clue. "Ugh, I got nothing." She said frustrated, she crumpled the note and tossed it to the table.

A thought popped into the pony as she hammered away at the nails. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t thought of it before. Once finished, she nudged the board, making sure it was stable and then picked up her saddlebag off the staircase railing and pulled out the small crown from within the bag. 

"Hey, isn't that Diamond Tiara's tiara? What are you doing with that?"

Now Applejack could remember, she had seen it every zap apple harvest, when Filthy Rich came to resupply his stock of jam. His daughter wore it everywhere; most ponies were convinced that it might even be fused to her mane. "Ah found it outside next to the barrels some pony had… knocked over…" she stopped as her mind finally put the pieces together, as did Rainbow Dash's.

"You mean to tell me, you found that tiara, outside our window, AFTER we heard the crashing noise WHILE we were… and not only that, but it belongs to the biggest blabbermouth in town and her father is one of the most powerful ponies in Ponyville!" 

Rainbow Dash stood up, pacing back and forth, ignoring the shallow ache in her leg. "Every pony in town is gonna know AJ! Every pony probably already knows! Who knows what is coming next!" The Pegasus started limping in circles, working herself into hysteria. "We're ruined!"

"Oh fiddlesticks, it's not that bad RD. Yer over reacting, ah'm sure no pony is gonna bother us again after tonight. Now calm yerself!" Applejack trotted in front of the frantic pony, blocking her path. 

Rainbow Dash put stood still for a moment, placed a hoof on her chin, then pushed Applejack aside and continued to pace. "If Filthy Rich knows, than that means everypony knows, and if everypony knows, that means theres bound to be some ponies from crazytown who are going to overreact and-"

"RAINBOW DASH CALM DOWN!" Applejack screamed. The Pegasus silenced with shock, sat back down on the couch. 
"Everything is gonna be fine, if it makes yah feel any better, ah'll go talk to the Mayor, and see if she can do something."

"But Applejack-"

"No buts, RD, working yerself up over this aint gonna do any pony any good. It's already been done, ain't nothing we can do 'bout it now." 

Rainbow dash sighed, "You're right…" 

Applejack chuckled a little; she couldn't help it whenever the Pegasus admitted that she was right. "Now the best thing we can do right now, is try and get some sleep. Ah'll go into town in the morning, and we'll get it all sorted out. Okay?"

Rainbow Dash grumbled a little annoyed at the treatment she was receiving, "Okay..." 

Applejack detected the change in her mood and decided to try and change her approach. "Look, ah know yer scared, lord knows yah won't admit it though. But it's okay, ah'm scared too, but everything'll be fine." She patted the Pegasus, and pulled her close. Rainbow Dash smiled a little, and rested her head on Applejack.

The two rested down on the couch, neither wanted to head back upstairs, in case of any other incidents. They lay there silently, trying to sleep, but they couldn't, they were far too frightened to shut their eyes now. The time crept forward, the sunlight filling the room from one of the unbroken windows and a roosters crow disrupted the morning's calm.

Applejack sat up, her eyes sagging tiredly. "Yah didn't get any sleep, did yah?" She asked. She could tell by Rainbow Dash’s breathing she was already awake. 

The blue Pegasus sat up and shook her head, "Did you?" 

The orange pony mumbled quietly "Nope, ah'm gonna go see some ponies about this in town now, ah'll be back soon, yah better not tear yer mane out with worry while ah'm gone, yah hear?" The Pegasus nodded.

The orange pony vanished upstairs for a few moments and soon reappeared with the typical get up, her hat and red mane ties. Heading towards the door she opened it, “Applejack?” Rainbow Dash said before she stepped outside.

She turned around looking in the worried pink eyes from across the room. "Yeah RD?" 

Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, "I love you so much." She said, the concern in her voice bleeding through. 

"Ah love yah too" Applejack called back with a smile across her face; she winked, and walked through the door, shutting it behind her.

Rainbow Dash stared at the clock above the mantle near the fireplace. Only five minutes had passed since Applejack left now. She looked around nervously, trying to find something to distract her. Spotting her Daring-Do book still resting on the table, she picked it up and began to read once more.

After finishing a few pages, she looked up at the clock again, fifteen minutes. She kept on reading, finishing the chapter. Thirty minutes. Her eyes continued running through the pages, finishing another chapter, an hour had passed now. 

She began to worry once more, "It's only been an hour… I mean, it is a pretty long walk to town" she said trying to keep herself calm. Another chapter finished, she looked up, yet another hour had crept by and still no sign of Applejack.

The Pegasus placed the book back down on the table and found she was pacing the living room once again. Her eyes were tired but had no trouble staying awake with how anxious she was. Fifteen more minutes went by and she couldn't take waiting anymore. She picked up a scarf off of the coat rack in the corner, wrapped it around her neck and staggered out the door.

The snow on the ground crunched beneath Applejack's hooves, the snow began packing together much more tightly as the winter grew colder. Her warm breath clung to the air, forming a small fog which hovered momentarily, before dissipating. Multiple sets of hoof prints were visible leading to and from the broken window of the farm house, Applejack counted at least four separate tracks.

Four ponies, at least three if she excluded Diamond Tiara as one of the sets, the thought worried her. If at least three ponies had planned this in just a few short hours, more ponies could easily join in with their own schemes. Her mind wondered who they could have been. She picked up speed, the silent road frightening her; any pony could be waiting for her out here.

Applejack slowed down once she reached the town's cobblestone roads. The streets flooded with ponies, some of which whom were glaring at her. She put on a fake smile, acting as if she didn't notice the staring eyes that made her uneasy. Approaching the town hall she found that it was closed. Her journey had been an entire waste. She soon began to start jogging, trying to escape the uncomfortable staring faces.

As she came around the corner of a building, something pushed her. Skin scraping off her leg as she hit the brick wall next to her. She looked around trying to spot her attacker, but saw nothing. She stood still for a moment, trying to recover her breath. A strong, dull blow landed on top of her head, her eyes became disoriented and her thoughts became groggy as she smashed down into the road beneath her.