//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: One Trick Pony // by f0xhole //------------------------------// Applejack felt a thud, but it wasn’t how she had expected it to be. She could still feel herself moving, and there was barely any pain. Opening one eye, she peeked out and saw… “Rainbow!” she yelled. The cyan pegasus, wearing her usual smirk, was carrying the two previously falling pony through the air over the orchard. “Looked like you two could use ride,” she joked, setting them down in a small clearing near the barn. “Oh, Celestia, sweet, sweet land!” Twilight bent down and starting kissing the ground, until Applejack forced her up. “Not that I’m complaining about being given another chance to prove how awesome I am…” Rainbow struck a pose. “but how exactly did you two end up…you know,” she said, pointing a hoof skyward. Applejack suddenly became very interested in the dirt between her hooves. “Well, Applejack was helping me with some experiments and…well, we had a bit of accident,” Twilight said, trying not to sound too accusatory. Rainbow snickered “You know, Applejack, I don’t know how you usually do things out in the country, but where I come from helping people generally doesn’t involve almost putting them in hospital.” Applejack just grumbled. She knew Rainbow was right, that she had screwed up badly. “Ah’m really sorry about that Twilight. Ah jus’ don’t know what Ah was thinkin’…” “You were thinking about the sky above your farm,” Twilight said, deadpan. “Well, yeah, I just meant…” “Relax, AJ. I suppose I should have been more careful with such sensitive equipment. Speaking of which…” Twilight reached over to Applejack and removed the helmet from her head. “It wouldn’t do to have any more accidents.” Applejack just kept looking at the ground. Once Twilight was out of earshot, Rainbow looked down at Applejack, smiling smugly. “I guess we can add ‘sciencing’ and ‘flying’ to the list of ‘things AJ can’t do’.” “Oh, come off it, RD! Like you’ve never messed anything up!” Rainbow Dash tapped a hoof against her chin, apparently deep in thought; she raised her head, smiling proudly. “Nope!” “Why you…!” Applejack stammered “He he. Gotta fly!” And with that, Rainbow took off into the sky. Applejack growled. “Alright, alright, don’t let ‘er get to ya. It’s early days, yet,” she muttered, trotting back into town. By this time, the town square had transformed into a bustling (for a small town) marketplace; Applejack found herself bumping into ponies left and right. She could have sworn she saw Big Mac and Applebloom waving at her from their usual stall, but by the time she had managed to find some space amidst the crowds she had lost sight of them. ‘Ah’m not gettin’ anywhere like this,’ she thought to herself. ‘I gotta get outta here.’ Seeing a break in the crowd, she darted off into side alley, not really caring where it led. As she stepped out into the sunlight, she recognised the pink and blue monument that was Carousel Boutique. “I bet Rarity’s got plenty of work to get done; there must be somethin’ Ah can help with.” Applejack hesitated as she approached Rarity’s store; as much as she wanted to find a new talent, this was a little far outside her comfort zone. “Doggonit, nothin’ ventured, nothin’ gained.” Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door and trotted inside. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is…oh! Applejack, darling, how wonderful to see you today,” a voice called with a familiar British accent. A white unicorn with a deep purple curly mane and tail trotted down the stairs, sheets of fabric and thread held aloft with her magic. “Howdy, Rarity. I was jus’ wondering…” Applejack paused in a moment of uncertainty, but ploughed on ahead. “I was jus’ wondering if ya’ll needed any help around here?” she asked, a nervous smile across her face. “Oh! Well, as it so happens, I just finished some new orders for a new client who…” Rarity stepped carefully around Applejack, looking her up and down as she did so. “Yes, I would say they’re about your size, and I just need to make a few last minute adjustments to the ensemble. I don’t suppose I could maybe convince you to model for me?” Applejack struggled to keep her face from falling. “Sure, Rarity. I’d love to.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “OW!” “Sorry about that, dear. Just a little more…” ‘A little more’ sounded like a little too much to Applejack after an hour standing around, but she held her tongue. She had agreed to help out, and she was going to see it through if it killed her. “And…done!” “Oh, thank Celestia!” Applejack tossed off the dress as fast as she could, happy to finally be able to stretch. “Oh, come now, Applejack, you looked gorgeous! You should really consider wearing formal attire more often.” “Ah heh heh,” Applejack laughed nervously. “I’ll take that into consideration. But Ah don’t suppose you would have anything more…hands on I could help ya out with?” “Well… I suppose I do have some old works that need a little patching up… but are you sure you can really handle something like that? You’ve never really struck as being particularly…” “Particularly what?” Applejack asked with a hard look in her eye. “Oh, well, just, you know…um, I think they’re just upstairs, actually, if you wanted to give it a go, aheh heh.” This time it was Rarity’s turn to have an uneasy smile on her face. She led Applejack up to her private study, with absolute confidence that there was no way that this could all go terribly wrong. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “AAAAARRGGGHH!” “Come on now, Applejack darling, just hold still and I’ll be able to get this out in a...oof!” Rarity let out a gasp of pain as Applejack accidently head butted her in the muzzle. “Be CAREFUL. Honestly, how exactly did you even manage to stitch a dress to your mane in five places?” “Jus’ help me get it out of…AARRGGHH!” “Got it! There, see now, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Although the state of your mane is rather distressing…” Applejack got up off the floor, shaking her hair loose and collecting her hat from the bench. “It’ll be fine, Rares. Ah’m real sorry about all the trouble Ah caused ya.” “Oh, please, darling. It hasn’t been…” Rarity hesitated. “It hasn’t been that much trouble. And you really did help me out a lot.” Applejack bowed her head, sadly. “Well, thank ya kindly for sayin’ that, but I think Ah’m gonna look to see who needs help elsewhere.” The door to Carousel Boutique opened, and the orange farm pony trotted out, eyeing the midday sun. “Gosh, it’s gettin’ later than Ah thought. Maybe Ah should just head home…” A sudden rainbow blur in the sky caught her eye, and her eyes glinted at the reminder of the source of her quest. “Doggonit, no! Ah promised mahself Ah would do this, and by Luna nothin’ is goin’ ta stop me!” A loud growling suddenly interrupted her thoughts. “Ah, heh heh…Ah guess it wouldn’t hurt ta stop fer lunch, though.”