//------------------------------// // Chapter 4- The Oatson // Story: The Book of AppleDash // by Twinsez //------------------------------// “How many times do ah have to tell ya, Apple Bloom? Ah ain’t gettin’ Rainbow that hat!” Applejack snapped at her little sister. With that, Applejack focused her attention back on the tree in front of her. She reared her legs up and, with an incredible amount of force, bucked them hard against the ripe apple tree. As if on a schedule, the apples all fell at the same time, landing neatly into the surrounding apple baskets. “Alright Apple Bloom, pick em’ up!” Apple Bloom grumbled something unintelligible before going around to collect all the baskets. Unfortunately for her, Applejack heard. “Now what did ah hear you say there?” “Nothin’ Applejack,” Apple Bloom murmured. Still, Applejack persisted. “Now ah heard you say somethin’ an’ I want to know what it was.” “Really Applejack, I didn’t say anythin’. Ah, swear,” Apple Bloom said with the basket in her teeth.  Applejack sighed and locked eyes with the little filly. “Apple Bloom, ah know you want me to be happy, but ah’m still not comfortable getting into a relationship right now.” “Uh-huh.” “Mah friends have accepted me an’ all when ah told them, but ah think ah jus’ need to… explore my options before I start dating, ya know?” “Yep.” “Don’t get me wrong, Rainbow’s a fine mare an’ all, but I don’t think it would work out. She’s lazy, ah’m hard working. She’s an egomaniac, and I prefer to stay humble. Ah appreciate you lookin’ out for me, but it just wouldn’t work out.” “Sure.” Applejack sighed. “Apple Bloom, are you even listening to me?” Apple Bloom was now carrying one full basket, heading towards the apple cart a few feet behind Applejack. There was a distant look in her eyes as if somepony just snatched all her hope and dreams away from her. “Of course. Let’s just go to the next tree” Applejack shook her head sadly. “When will that filly learn she can’t control everything she ain’t happy with?” “This makes no sense. How could she refuse? Everything was going according to plan!” Scootaloo was pacing around the walls of the CMC treehouse, freaking out. Her mane was a mess from the constant pulling she inflicted on it due to stress. Sweetie Belle was sitting in a corner, a hoof over her mouth in a thinking motion, and Apple Bloom was lying on her back near the exit, staring up at the wooden ceiling. “You told her everything, right? You said that Rainbow Dash mentioned she wanted an Oatson? Did you tell her the price? 40 bits! That has to be cheap, right?” “I told her everything Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said in a defeated tone. She never took her eyes off the ceiling. “She still said no. Just forget about it.” “Forget about it?” Scootaloo stopped her pacing to instead glare at Apple Bloom. “AB, this is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in a month! Now you’re just going to quit because of one little speed bump?” “It’s not just going to be just one speed bump for long.” Scootaloo threw her hooves out in exasperation. “You don’t know that Apple Bloom! C’mon now, get your head back in the game an-“ “Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom spoke again, this time with enough bite to it to get Scootaloo to shut it. Apple Bloom finally turned to face Scootaloo, her face sunken and her eyes distant. “Scoots, you don’t understand. Ah know mah sister, an’ that just reminded me how this whole thing is goin' to go down. My sister is so incredibly stubborn Scootaloo, an’ ah mean really stubborn. If she doesn’t have a good feelin’ about somethin’ then she ain’t goin’ to do that somethin’.” “What are you talking about Apple Bloom? You got her to come out, didn’t you?” “Yeah, ah did. After ah came out. It was a friendly environment then, so she finally felt comfortable tellin’ us. She never tried tellin’ us before because she was sure it would end up badly. “Mah sister jumps into danger and helps out any pony she can. Ah’ve lived with her mah entire life and ah’ve always admired her selflessness. But she’s so… familiar with all those situations she gets herself into. When somethin’ new happens… she panics.” Apple Bloom had long returned her gaze back to the ceiling of the treehouse, but she didn’t need to look at Scootaloo anymore to hold her attention.  “She has never been in a relationship before. She focuses too much on her work, cause that’s familiar. You’re right Scoots, this is just one-speed bump. But how many more are we goin’ to face? We don’t even know about Rainbow yet, what if she’s the same way! Ah’m done interfering with my sister and her love life. Ah’ve finally realized there’s no use tryin’.” Scootaloo's mouth fumbled for words, anything to argue back with Apple Bloom. Scootaloo knew it would work out eventually, they just needed to keep trying. She believed it would get easier, and she wanted Apple Bloom to believe that too. It was during this tense thought process that Sweetie Belle let loose the loudest “A-HA” either fillies have ever heard. It even managed to snap Apple Bloom back from her bout of depression, who was now rubbing at her throbbing ears.  “Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo shouted, covering her ears in case of another barrage of ear shouting exclamations. “Calm down, you scared the crap out of me!” Sweetie smiled apologetically. “Heh, sorry about that. Anyways, I figured out how to get past this step!” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “Go on,” Scootaloo said cautiously. Sweetie Belle was back to full excitement as she explained her master plan. “What if we brought the Oatson for Rainbow Dash and told her Applejack got it for her?” Scootaloo shook her head in disappointment, causing Sweetie Belle's wide smile to fall. “Sweetie Belle, it said Applejack needed to buy Rainbow Dash the hat, not us.” “A-HA!” Sweetie Belle shouted in her defense, causing a tremor to shake the treehouse. “It also said most of the rules would require some sort of participation from us. So we should be in the clear!” She banged her hoof against the floor, proud of her deductive reasoning.  Needless to say, today was not the treehouse’s day. Scootaloo’s wings began to twitch, and she felt a stupidly wide grin coming on. “You really think so?” “Makes sense to me,” Apple Bloom said, apparently deciding to add herself back into the conversation with a healthy dose of melancholy. The sulking filly was now back on her hooves and already had her saddlebags hitched on her back. “That’s the spirit, Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo patted her friend on the back as a friendly gesture. Apple Bloom didn’t even seem to register the contact. “I knew you’d snap out of that funk and get back into this. Now-“ “Ah’m still not doing this Scoots, ah was just sayin you’re right.” “...what?” Apple Bloom sighed and pointed at one of her bags. “Just take the book from my saddlebag. Ah don’t want anything to do with this right now. Ahm just gonna go back to my room and, I dunno, think.” Scootaloo gulped at the bulging saddlebags that hung down Apple Bloom’s sides. “Um, okay then.” After five minutes of rummaging, and after everything was smashed back in the cramped bags, Apple Bloom bid her two friends a wordless goodbye and left them with the magical notebook to head back to the farm.  “Jeez!” Sweetie Belle spoke up from the corner. “It looks like Applejack’s rejection really did something to her. She’s never been this down before! I wonder why…”  Scootaloo stared in disbelief at the oblivious unicorn. “Did you not just hear anything she told me? Like, anything at all?” Sweetie Belle rolled it over in her brain, then shrugged. “No, not really. I was too busy trying to find out how to give Rainbow the hat.” “It took you that long to figure that out?”  “Well if it’s so easy to figure out, then why didn’t you think it up before me?” Sweetie Belle retorted. “You know what? How about I’ll tell you later and instead we’ll conduct this grand plan of yours for Applejack to give that Oatson to Rainbow Dash without Applejack even knowing about it?” Sweetie Belle jumped back up on all four hooves to walk on over to Scootaloo. “You know,” Sweetie Belle said as she casually draped an arm over Scootaloo’s back, “I think that sounds like a great idea.”  “Fine, I guess,” Scootaloo sighed. Let’s just go.  ‘Great!” Sweetie cheered as she began to trot towards the entrance, magical notebook in magical tow, before stopping to turn back around to Scootaloo with a sheepish grin. “So uh, can you pay? Heh, I’m kind of broke at the moment.” Scootaloo facehooved. “It’s just so unlike her, ya know? I get she’s upset, but she’s taking it harder than I thought. I mean, she never talks like that! She’s usually so down to earth, but now she’s speaking a lot like you, Sweetie Belle!” “I… don’t know if that’s a compliment or an insult.” “How about both? See, there’s a mind screw for you. Anyways, I’m worried about her. I don’t think she expected this whole thing to be this challenging. She just needs to give this whole thing a chance. It’s like she’s trying to be more mature about this whole thing than she really needs to be. Why do you have to think about this so much? Just get two mares together, make them happy, and call it quits. She shouldn’t be taking this so seriously “She does have a good point though. We still don’t know what’s going to happen with Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash is awesome, she’s a Wonderbolt, Equestria’s fastest flyer, she knows where to get the greatest nachos, and… and… I forgot where I was going with this.” “Ok Scoots, this is interesting and all, but-” “And I thought she was going to tell her family she wasn’t gay? But she didn’t tell me she told them yet. You think something’s up. Because if she’s gay, well then I’ve got a pony for her if you know what I mean. I mean D-” “Scootaloo! This is truly fascinating here, top-notch stuff, but now’s not the best time. You didn’t say a word about it when we were buying the darn Oatson, but now when we’re hiding in these bushes to surprise Rainbow with the hat, thanks for paying by the way, you decide to tell me everything. Just keep your voice down, she might hear us.” “Oh please, she’s not going to hear us!” “Hey, who’s talking in those bushes over there?” “...Well I guess she can.” “Go out there Scootaloo!” “Okay okay, I’m going! “Hey Rainbow Dash! You won’t believe what Applejack got you!” Applejack was gay, and Rainbow Dash didn’t exactly know how to feel about that. She had no idea that’s what that breakfast at Sugarcube Corner really meant. She was expecting anything based on how serious Applejack was when she invited her to breakfast. That certainly opened up a lot of options, but Rainbow still didn’t exactly know how to handle it. She was used to mares pining after her, but never the opposite. Rainbow just wished she could find the “one” randomly one day. Zero effort at all. She worked so hard at flying and maintaining her friendships, so why did she have to do the same for a girlfriend? Couldn’t she just be given a break just for once? No, of course, it wouldn’t. Like most things in her life, Rainbow would need to work hard. She just needed to think about her options, and then she’d win. So ponies whispering in bushes while she was on the thinking cloud didn’t really help at all. She was going to show these eavesdropping ponies what happens when you interrupt Rainbow ‘Thinking’ Dash in thought. Why she would- “Hey Rainbow Dash! You won’t believe what Applejack got you!” Rainbow Dash’s whole body relaxed as the small orange filly came trotting happily out of the forest. “Hey, Scoots? What you got on your back there?” Rainbow Dash flew gently down to get a better look at the box on Scootaloo’s back. And by flew gently down, I mean she took off at blazing speed complete with figure eights and loop-de-loops before crashing down into the earth without a scratch. As usual, Scootaloo was struck in awe and began to clap her hooves together. So of course the poorly wrapped cardboard box fell from the little filly’s back and onto the grass below. “Woah, a gift! Is it for me?” “Oh, uh yeah,” Scootaloo stammered. “Well you see, it’s from Applejack, and-” “Applejack, huh? Sweet!” Rainbow Dash wasted no time unwrapping the green and black striped wrapping paper and throwing the box’s lid to the side. Inside the box was… a hat. A black cowboy hat, to be exact. With some gold string around the peak. Huh. Rainbow Dash brought the hat closer to her eye and began to examine it, as if there was some magical item hidden inside. “Uh is this it?” “Uh yeahhh?” Scootaloo began to dig a hoof at the ground in embarrassment. “It’s from AJ you said, right?” “Y-yeah?” “Huh.” Rainbow Dash inspected the black stetson before shrugging. “Well okay then. That’s pretty cool I guess. Tell AJ I said thanks.” With that, the cyan pegasus spread her wings open and sped back towards the thinking cloud, the black and gold stetson clinging closely to her chest. Scootaloo stared up at the sky in disbelief before turning towards the forest and shrugging at it. For some weird reason. Rainbow Dash waited until Scootaloo retreated back into the bush before squeeing in delight. She made sure the black stetson was still in perfect condition before trying it on. Perfect. Maybe she would get a break after all.