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// Interlude: Meet the Apples 
// Story: Super Sonic Rainboom 
// by Starkeeper_Ponyfic 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow cracked her neck with a pleased sigh as she glided from the weather management facilities, having hashed out a schedule for the week’s weather.

“Alright, so... grocery shopping is done, the week’s weather’s been planned...” Rainbow mentally listed the morning’s tasks and checked them off. “So... what’s left? I need to meet with Fluttershy to check some stuff for Sonic’s biology, go figure out how to legally adopt him... jeez, that’s gonna be a huge hassle, isn’t it? Pretty sure the Equestrian legal system doesn’t have any paperwork for ‘completely unknown species falls out of the sky and attaches to somepony,’ cause that doesn’t normally happen, does it?”

Rainbow’s musings were interrupted by Applejack waving her down. “Rainbow, ya got a moment?” she called.

Rainbow dropped to the ground. “Yeah, what’s up? Need something?”

Applejack shrugged. “Well, I was just wonderin’ if you could bring Sonic ‘round Sweet Apple Acres so Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny could meet ‘im. Apple Bloom ain’t got many friends other than that li’l Twist filly and it might do her some good, and if he’s there he might as well meet Granny and Big Mac.”

“Sure, I can do that,” Rainbow agreed. “Um, gotta meet up with Fluttershy real quick to check up on some of Sonic’s biology stuff, but I’ll head over there right after.”

“Sound’s good! Lookin’ forward to introducing him to my family!” Applejack replied with a grin as she trotted off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres while Rainbow darted off to get Sonic from Pinkie’s foalsitting care at Sugarcube Corner and take him to Fluttershy’s cottage.

After she and Fluttershy figured out the details Fluttershy wanted- namely Sonic’s preferred diet, internal body temperature, heart rate, and a test of what Fluttershy could gauge of Sonic’s innate magical energies- Sonic hopped on Rainbow’s back and Rainbow trotted off toward Sweet Apple Acres, deciding to let her wings relax for a few hours. The glares and looks were less hostile than the day before, but Rainbow made sure to keep Sonic distracted from any particularly nasty ones.

Applejack welcomed Sonic and Rainbow before introducing Sonic to her family. Each Apple had an entirely unique reaction. Granny Smith was startled initially, but quickly lost any hint of hesitation and began grandmothering Sonic to his slight vocal displeasure. Apple Bloom watched Sonic curiously from a distance until curiosity won her over and she carefully approached, like one of Fluttershy’s critters seeing something shiny. Sonic suddenly reached out a finger and tapped Apple Bloom’s muzzle, sending the filly into giggles, and she began a game of tag.

For Rainbow Dash, though, Big Mac’s reaction to Sonic was the most interesting. He slowly crept forward, trying not to scare Sonic. This proved unnecessary, as Sonic looked at Big Mac and his mouth went into a circle shape.

“Woah... Big,” Sonic murmured.

“...Eeyup,” Big Mac replied.

“Really big.”

“Eeeeyup.”

“Scary?”

“Nnnope.”

“Cool!”

Big Mac proceeded to hoist Sonic onto his back and walked him around Sweet Apple Acres, calmly explaining what life was like on the farm to an utterly enraptured Sonic. After about an hour of Apple Bloom pestering Rainbow with questions about Sonic, Rainbow realized she hadn’t seen him in a while and rushed off to look. She found him curled up with Big Mac under an apple tree on one of the tallest hills on the farm and struggled to keep her squees in check.

Applejack and Apple Bloom hurried up to join Rainbow, and had no such inhibitions. Applejack’s extended “daw” lasted until she ran out of breath, and Apple Bloom repeatedly called Big Mac an “enormous softie” until he was hiding his face behind his hooves. Sonic had woken up by this point and was giggling fiercely. Rainbow joined him with a slight chuckle before getting Sonic on her back, securing his cloud-walking amulet, and taking flight toward their home to get started on the mental testing that Fluttershy insisted on getting him.