Getting teleported from the Everfree to her home had taken a little out of her. The moon was full in the sky, and Rainbow estimated that it was late. She decided to go to bed and she would talk to her friends sometime the next day. Settling down and hoping the dreams wouldn’t come back, she closed her eyes. Sleep crept up, bringing her into its sweet embrace.
She woke late in the day, the sun was almost directly overhead.
The sun was beginning its slow descent towards the horizon, marking the time around six or seven. Pinkie Pie would have closed up shop, eating any leftover treats she could get her hooves on. Rarity would be in bed, she needed her ‘beauty sleep’ as she called it. Twilight would be in her meeting still. Applejack would be squeezing as much of the last bits of sunlight out of the day as possible, bucking apples and storing them.
That was it, Applejack was the second most dependable of ponies after all. Even while she was having a crisis of faith in herself as the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash was most definitely the most loyal pony there was. Dependable was just another word for loyal, after all.
Her decision made, the cerulean mare jumped off her porch, spreading her wings and orienting herself towards town. She fell into a leisurely pace, not too fast yet not too slow. She needed some time to sort out her thoughts. Besides, if she showed up this close to the end of the day they might make her do work. Her friend Applejack may be, but she wouldn’t willingly do any more work than was needed.
She flew into town, passing over the buildings and losing herself in the flight. It distracted her, making everything seem so distant, like they couldn’t touch her. Of course, nothing could touch her up here unless she wanted it to. As she touched down in front of Sweet Apple Acres, the all too distant thoughts suddenly crept up on her, coming much too close for comfort. With no small amount of anxiety, she walked among the familiar orchards, the uniform rows of trees surrounding her.
The sound of hooves striking wood reached her ears, causing them to turn towards the source. The rest of her body oriented that way as well, and she soon found the orange farmpony kicking trees. Her forehooves planted, rear hooves connected with the tree, causing a hoovefull of apples to fall into the carefully arranged baskets around the tree. Her faithful stetson hat remained planted on her head. She was in her element here, a perfect maneuver practiced many many times.
All it took was Rainbow Dash saying, “Hey, Applejack.” to break the routine. Applejack turned to look at the same time her back legs shot out, off balancing her. She missed the tree, and with only two hooves to steady herself she fell over, her back hooves striking a basket. It flipped, scattering apples all over her to uproarious laughter from her prismatic haired companion. “Gets you every time!”
“Gosh darnit, RD. Ah’ve told you not to sneak up on me like that!” Applejack planted her forehooves and pushed herself up. Getting her hooves beneath her, she fixed Rainbow Dash with an unamused stare. “Does everything have to be a joke with you?”
Still trying to rein in her laughter, Rainbow sputtered out, “It’s just.... pfft hahaha.” Composing herself, she began again, “It’s just so easy. You always fall over, and the apples cascade so perfectly. I can’t help it!” She fell over backwards, lost in another fit of giggles.
“‘Cascade’? You’ve been spending too much time with Twilight, sugarcube. She’s turning you into a regular egghead.” It was Applejack’s turn to laugh as Rainbow stood up, her face turning red in embarrassment and anger. “Does she bring out the blackboard, tryin’ to expand yer vocabulary?” She held up her hoof, moving it as she spoke, “And this is a verb, you use it as an action.” Her voice devolved into giggles.
“‘Use it as an action’? Applejack, I don’t think I’m the one who needs vocab lessons from Twilight.” She chuckled, “Reading my Daring Do novels has been expanding my vocabulary slightly.”
“Right, right. Anyway, why did you decide to interrupt my work?” She picked up a basket full of apples and started heading towards the barn. “Ah hope it’s something important.”
“Yeah... well you see.” Rainbow Dash pawed the ground, looking down and away.