Chapter 10-It’s Foal Proof
“COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!!” The rooster crowed loudly as the very tip of Celestia’s majestic sun shone on the horizon.
“Ah!” Rainbow Dash let out a sudden cry of alarm as she leapt off the bed, into the air, and flailed around wildly until she came back down onto floor with a resounding crash.
“What in tarnation?” Applejack asked as her head shot up in surprise from the sudden commotion. She looked over to where Rainbow Dash was supposed to be, then looked down on the floor. “Are you alright sugarcube?”
“I think so.” Rainbow Dash said as she leaned up and rubbed her head. “What in Equestria was that noise?”
Applejack looked outside and then started to chuckle. “You mean the rooster? He crows like that every mornin’ when it’s time to wake up.”
“But its still night out,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she got back on all four hooves and started to brush herself off. “What time is it anyway?”
Applejack scratched her chin in thought and looked at her wall. “Looks like it’s about five thirty in the mornin'.”
“And you wake up this early every day?”
“Ah sure do,” Applejack said as she got up and started stretching.
Rainbow Dash watched her for a minute then Applejack walked over to her mirror and started getting ready for the day. “Yeah well that’s great and all but I think I’m going to get some more shut eye.” Rainbow Dash said before she leapt back into Applejack’s bed and made a cocoon out of her blankets.
Applejack smiled and shook her head before she picked up a brush and started to comb out all the knots in her hair.
“Well ah guess that you’ll just miss out on breakfast then.” Applejack said playfully as she put down her brush and put her hair tie in.
Rainbow Dash’s head popped out of the mass of blankets. “What are we having for breakfast?”
“Probably some baked apples, pancakes with apple butter, and…” Applejack sniffed as an aroma started to waft through the air, and her mouth started to water in anticipation. “It smells like Granny Smith is makin’ rosemary apple turnovers with honey.”
Rainbow Dash’s mouth started to water at the thought of all of the amazing apple treats that she could never dream of making herself; she quickly unfurled herself from her fortress of blankets and climbed out of Applejack’s bed. “Well I guess I could get out of bed this early for that.”
Applejack smiled and flipped her hat up onto her head. “Well then come on, it smells like it’s almost done.” Applejack said before she opened the door and stepped out.
Rainbow Dash didn’t need to be told twice, and quickly followed after Applejack. As she followed she looked around the hall trying her best to keep her eyes off of Applejack’s flank.
While she was looking around she noticed that there were a lot of pictures of different members of the Apple family on every wall, but she couldn’t find any that looked like they could be Applejack’s parents, but before she had much time to think about it her and Applejack made it into the kitchen.
When Rainbow Dash walked into the kitchen her nose was immediately filled by the aroma of apples prepared in many different ways. She could barely believe it; it almost smelled better than Sugarcube Corner after the Cakes and Pinkie Pie had made all of their sweet concoctions for the annual baking competition.
“Well howdy there Big Macintosh. Howdy Granny, how’s it comin’?”
Granny Smith smiled at her grand filly, and Big Macintosh made a slow nod of his head before he continued to set the table for breakfast.
“It should be ready in just a few minutes, why don’t you two have a seat and ah’ll bring it over when it’s done.” Granny Smith said before she turned back to the stove.
Applejack nodded and trotted over to the table and pulled out her usual seat and the one next to it and motioned for Rainbow Dash to take a seat.
Rainbow Dash quickly trotted over and hopped into the chair and smiled at Applejack.
Applejack returned the smile and got in her own chair. “Hey Granny, so Rainbow and ah were talkin’ and she’s gonna move her house closer so that she can be closer to Scootaloo.”
“Well that sounds like a mighty fine idea to me.” Granny Smith said as she brought over a tray full of food and sat it down on the table.
“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh said in agreement as he sat down the last of the plates and pulled out his own chair.
“Hey where are Applebloom and Scootaloo?” Rainbow Dash asked as she looked around the kitchen.
“There comin’ Applebloom ain’t much of a mornin’ pony.” Applejack said with a smile just before the door to the kitchen opened reviling the two bleary eyed fillies.
Applebloom yawned and trotted over to her chair and hopped into it. “Good mornin’ everypony.”
Scootaloo hopped up in the last open chair with the biggest smile on her face.
“Alright dig in everypony.” Granny Smith said now that everypony was present.
“So how was your first night here Scootaloo?” Applejack asked as she started to grab food and piled it onto her plate. Rainbow licked her lips as she rubbed her hooves together and then started eating with the enthusiasm of a lover of all things apple.
“It was awesome.” Scootaloo said with a buzz of her wings.
“Well good ah’m glad to hear it. Y’all better eat up, after breakfast you and Applebloom can get your chores done then ah’ll take you to school.”
“Can we go crusadin’ with Sweetie Belle after school?” Applebloom asked while giving her sister the biggest cutest eyes she could muster.
“Sure, if you and Scootaloo can finish up your chores before school.” Applejack said with a nod.
“Ok Applejack.” The two crusaders chorused.
After everypony finished eating, they all separated to do there chores. Granny Smith started cleaning up the kitchen, Big Macintosh went into the barn to get the Apple carts, and Applebloom went around showing Scootaloo how to do the various jobs around the farm.
Rainbow Dash trotted out of the house behind Applejack and let out a loud yawn, “Well I don’t have to be at work for a few hours, so I think I’m going to go take a nice nap.”
Applejack smiled and shook her head. “Alright sugarcube, you’re still plannin’ on movin’ you’re house today right.”
“Yeah I’ll probably move it after work.”
“Great, ah guess ah’ll see yah then.”
Rainbow Dash nodded and leapt into the air, gave Applejack one last wave goodbye before she flew off toward her house.
Rainbow Dash flew in through her bedroom window and landed on her cloud bed. Rainbow Dash pulled the blankets over herself and went to sleep.
The Ponyville Library
Rarity and Fluttershy were watching Twilight muse over two very similar looking letters. Making sure that every little detail of each was perfect.
“Are you sure this is such a good idea?” Fluttershy asked meekly.
“Darling it’s a splendid idea, a romantic dinner in the light of Luna’s moon. What better a place for the two of them to get their feelings out in the open for each other?” Rarity said as she looked over Twilights shoulder to admire her handy work at forging Rainbow Dash and Applejack’s signatures.
Twilight put the finishing touches on the letters and sealed them in matching envelops. “Don’t worry Fluttershy the plan is foolproof. I’ve set up a very easy scavenger hunt for the two love birds. They’ll find letters that Pinkie Pie and I hid that point out where the next clue is. Then, after they have all of them, the letters will tell them when and where the picnic that you and Rarity will set up for them is going to be.”
Fluttershy nodded, it did seem simple enough, but she still had a nagging feeling that something was going to go very wrong. “Speaking of Pinkie Pie, where is she?”
“Oh she’s at Sugarcube Corner cooking the food for the picnic.” Twilight said with a wave of her hoof.
“And how are you going to deliver the letters without them knowing that you wrote them?”
“That’s easy I’m going to have the mail mare deliver them.” Twilight said as she picked up the sealed letters and signed the two addresses on each. “SPIKE!”
“Yes Twilight?” Spike asked as he ran down the stairs while being careful not to trip.
“Could you please send these letters to the town hall mail service?”
“I don’t know Twilight. I still have to organize the new books we got from Princess Celestia yesterday.” Spike said as he looked back towards the stairs.
“It’s okay Spike. Tell you what, you do this for me and I’ll make sure there is a great big emerald for you next time we go to visit Canterlot.”
“Deal!” Spike said enthusiastically as he took the letters and ran to the door, threw it open and ran in the direction of town hall.
Twilight smiled and nodded her head in approval. “Now that that’s taken care of, we just have to wait till tonight. Let’s all meet back here at six a clock. That will give us an hour before Applejack and Rainbow Dash are supposed to arrive at Canterlot heights.”
The other two mares nodded their understanding and said there goodbyes to Twilight, before leaving and going there separate ways.
Later at Rainbow Dash’s house
Rainbow Dash was snoozing happily without a care in the world, she finished work early and was back taking another nap, and she was having one of the best Applejack related dreams that she had ever had.
“Heh heh, Applejack stop that tickles.” Rainbow Dash said as she playfully pushed away the immaterial mare, when she suddenly was awoken by a loud knocking coming from her front door.
Rainbow Dash let out a groan and lifted her head from her pillow and looked around waiting to see if the knocking would continue. Sadly after just a few seconds there was another set of knocking coming from down stairs.
Rainbow Dash threw the blankets off and started trotting down the stairs, every few seconds there would be another sequence of knocking.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Rainbow Dash impatiently said as she got to the front door and opened it revealing Derpy Hooves, the mail mare. “Oh hey Derpy what’s up, you got some mail for me or somethin’?” Rainbow Dash asked as she leaned against the door frame.
“I sure do Rainbow Dash, let me just find it.” Derpy said as she started searching through her mail pouch, pulling out many different things that shouldn’t even fit in the small bag she carried. Then after a few more tries she pulled out a letter.
“Here you go Rainbow Dash.”
“Thanks Derpy, is this the only thing you got for me?”
“Yap that’s it, I’ll see you later Rainbow Dash.” Derpy said before she leapt of the cloud and waved at Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash waved back and shook her head. She turned around and went back into her house, and looked down at the letter. She tore it open and unfolded it, and unfolded it, and unfolded it until it eventually started to drag on the floor.
“What the heck is this supposed to be?” She asked herself before she started reading it out loud.
“Dear Rainbow Dash, I was wondering if you would be so kind as to join me for a nice talk at a special location... yata yata yata, blah blah blah, and I have set up a scavenger hunt for you. The details and the first clue is in the following section of this letter, signed Applejack.”
“When did Applejack have time to set this up?” Rainbow Dash thought before she started trying to decipher the rest of the letter.
After a few minutes she started quickly skimming through the long letter of instructions to find the point of the whole thing.
“So the first clue is in a place of fluttering wings of many colors…that must mean Fluttershy’s butterfly field. This is going to be so easy I’m going to be done in ten seconds flat.” Rainbow Dash said as she stretched out her wings and blasted through her front door.
Sweet Apple Acres
Applejack reared up and delivered a swift kick to the nearest tree, and smiled to herself when all of the red delicious fruit fell into the waiting baskets below.
“Applejack I have something for you.”
Applejack looked up to see Derpy flying toward her. Derpy landed and started trotting over to Applejack. Until she accidentally tripped over a stray apple, She let out a loud yelp of surprise and hit the ground face first, spilling the contents of her mail bags all over the ground around her.
Applejack quickly galloped over and started helping Derpy up. “Are you alright sugarcube?”
“I think so.” Derpy said as she brushed herself of with her wings.
“Well you sure took a tumble over that apple, here let me help you with that.” Applejack said as she started to help Derpy pick up all of the mail.
“Thanks Applejack, oh and here is the letter I was supposed to bring you.” Derpy said as she offered the letter to Applejack.
Applejack smiled and took the letter. “Well that’s mighty kind of yah Derpy, who’s the letter from?”
“I don’t know it was dropped off at the Mayor’s office this morning before I got in.” Derpy said as she picked up the last remaining pieces of mail and stuffed them into her bags.
“Well that’s fine, ah’ll find out when ah read it. Y’all have a good day Derpy.”
“You have a good day to Applejack.” Derpy said as she started flying away and waving with both her hooves. She turned around just in time to run face first into one of the apple trees. “Oops. My bad!”
Applejack shook her head and sighed. After Derpy was out of sight Applejack opened the litter and started reading it.
“What yah readin’?” Big Macintosh asked as he walked up beside his sister.
“A letter from Rainbow Dash, ah think.” Applejack replied as she kept reading her expression becoming more and more perplexed as she read.
“What’s wrong with it?”
“It says somthin’ bout me meetin’ her somewhere to talk, but it says she set up a scavenger hunt that ah have to solve to find out where.” Applejack said as she started to fold up the letter.
“Yah plannin’ on doin’ it?”
“Course not, ah don’t have time, Cider season is right around the corner and we have a lot of apples to buck, if it’s really that important, ah’ll talk with her about it later.” Applejack said as she put the letter back in the envelope and put it in a nearby apple cart.
Big Macintosh nodded in understanding, turned, and started off back to his section of the field to get back to work.
On the outskirts of Ponyville
“Awesome that’s another one. I wonder if it spells anything yet.” Rainbow Dash asked herself as she picked up yet another clue. It had taken a longer than ten seconds, but it had only been about ten minutes since she finished reading the letter, and as far as she could tell that was the last clue.
Rainbow Dash placed all of the letters she had found in order on the ground in front of her, and to her joy it did spill something. “Canterlot heights,” Rainbow Dash sat back and thought about what that could mean, and then it dawned on her.
“Oh yeah, that’s the name of that big hill with the awesome view of Canterlot.” Rainbow Dash said to herself with a smile. “Well I won’t need this; I know where to go from here.” Rainbow Dash said as she picked up the letter and tucked into her saddle bag not bothering to read any of the other clues.
Rainbow Dash flared her wings out and took off in the direction of Canterlot Heights. A cocky smirk spread across her face as she flew through the sky. What would take a normal pony twenty minutes to travel Rainbow Dash could fly there in a few minutes, if she flew straight there, and where was the fun in flying straight?
Rainbow Dash started doing loops and spins as she rocketed through the air. After a few minutes Rainbow Dash could see the hill in the distance, and she smiled as an idea started to come to her. She flew up high above the heights, and once she felt she was high enough she nosedived at the hill. Just before she hit the ground she tilted her wings up and started her super speed strut around the clearing until she came to a full stop.
After coming to a landing Rainbow Dash started looking around expecting to see Applejack, but after a few seconds of looking around her ears drooped when she realized she was alone.
“That’s strange I thought the letter said she wanted to meet me here.” She thought to herself as she trotted around making sure Applejack or anypony else was hiding somewhere.
“I guess I must have made it early.” Rainbow Dash said to herself as she trotted to the middle of the hill.
After thinking it over for a little while her brash smile returned. “Of course I made it before she did; I am the fastest flier in all of Equestria after all.” Rainbow Dash thought to herself, stroking her own ego with content.
“I’ll just wait for the slow poke to catch up.” Rainbow Dash said as she sat down and waited.
After a few minutes of waiting her smile started to disappear. She got up and started trotting around in a circle to help kill time, but after several more minutes there was still no sign of Applejack. After what seemed like forever Rainbow Dash officially had had enough.
She galloped to the edge of the hill, spread her wings and leapt off. She then started flapping her wings furiously pointing herself in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.
Sweet Apple Acres
Applejack reached up and whipped the sweat of a hard day’s work off of her forehead and took a moment to admire her handy work. She had gotten almost half of the south field done, and that would leave only the west field. And once that was done they could start making cider for cider season.
“APPLEJACK WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?” Rainbow Dash yelled as she flew down at Applejack.
“Well it’s about time she showed up, now ah can get this letter thing straightened out.” Applejack thought as she started trotting toward Rainbow Dash.
“Ah’ve been here applebuckin’ where else would ah be?”
“Well that stupid letter you sent me had me going on a scavenger hunt all around Ponyville. Then I go to the spot you wanted to meet me at and you never showed up.” Rainbow Dash retorted in annoyance.
“Wait, you got a letter too?” Applejack asked in confusion.
“Duh, of course I got a letter. You…wait what do mean got a letter too.”
“Ah got a letter supposedly written by you earlier today.” Applejack said as she walked over to the applecart nearby and got the letter.
“Let me see that.” Rainbow Dash said as she quickly flew over and took the letter from Applejack. “What the hay, it’s the same exact letter that I got. What’s going on here?”
Applejack scratched her chin, then she started to chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” Rainbow Dash asked in an annoyed tone.
“Rainbow, ah think someponies are playin’ a prank on us is all, and ah think ah know who it is.”
Rainbow Dash thought about it for a few seconds then her eyes narrowed. “Pinkie Pie.”
“Well ah think that she had somethin’ to do with it, but ah don’t think she did it alone.”
“You think she had help, from who?”
“Well look at the letter, who do we know that would write a letter like that? Who would turn a simple prank into something so complicated?”
“Wait, you think Twilight helped her?” Rainbow Dash asked with a hint of disbelief in her voice.
“Well think about it, does this look like something Pinkie Pie would write?”
Rainbow Dash took another look at the letter and shook her head.
“And on top of that the two of them have been spendin’ a lot of time with each other.”
“I guess that makes sense. Sorry I yelled at you.”
“It’s alright. After you move your house over, you want to play a few games of horse shoes?”
“You know it! You are so going down.” Rainbow Dash said flapping her wings in anticipation. “I’ll be right back.” Rainbow Dash said as she speed away to get her cloud house.
Later that night
“Twilight I don’t think there coming.” Fluttershy said as she took one last look around to make sure they weren’t in sight.
The hill was a thing of beauty. The entire area was lit up by fireflies, revealing a checkered blanket covered with many different delectable sweet treats.
“I don’t understand. They should have gotten the letters, and the scavenger hunt was simple enough. What went wrong?” Twilight asked as she started pacing back and forth in front of the other three present.
“Well, I really don’t think it matters why they didn’t show up. What we should be focusing on is what we should do next.” Rarity said with a majestic wave of her hoof.
Twilight stopped pacing and looked up. “Your right, it really doesn’t matter why they aren’t here, the past is in the past. We just have to figure out what to do now. Anypony got any ideas for a plan B?”
The other three thought about for a few seconds before Fluttershy chimed in.
“We could have a brain storming session, to come up with ideas.”
“Yeah, and we can’t just let all of these super, yummy, delicious treats go to waste.” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced around the blanket.
“I must agree, I think we just need to get some ideas in the open and think out what would work best.” Rarity said with a slight nod.
Twilight nodded her head in agreement. “Alright, it’s settled then. Let’s put our heads together and come up with some good ideas for a good plan b.”