Arriving on the outskirts of Ponyville, the two Canterlot mares dismounted from their chariot, Rainbow offering thanks to their escorts, who still had yet to say a coherent word if they weren't commanded. She sighed sadly, moving to catch up to Twilight, who'd departed without so much as a congratulatory grunt. "You know, Twilight," Rainbow Dash spoke up, "maybe if you weren't so rude all the time, you might have some friends." Twilight just scoffed, staring ahead while she went over their checklist again. "Friends aren't going to enhance my career." Rainbow arched an eyebrow at that, but let it slide. She had better things to do than pick a fight with a stuck-up bookworm. "So, what's on the list?" She asked to change gears.
"Let's see... food, weather, decorations, music... what's this last one?" Twilight prodded her assistant, who rolled the scroll over. Spike smiled enthusiastically as it came into view, proudly reading off, "Make some friends!" Immediately, Twilight threw her head back with a groan. "Friends again! How can the princess be so unprofessional? She has a kingdom to run!" Rainbow Dash stopped her in her tracks at that moment, standing steadfastly. "You don't have the right to question her! She's looking out for us, not just ruling over us!" Twilight realized only too late that she hit a nerve; you don't speak ill of the princess in front of her protege. She stepped away, feeling a few inches shorter for having actually angered her companion. "Look," Rainbow began again, "she's not just the ruler of Equestria. She wants us to make the most out of this trip; the least we can do is talk to some of these ponies. Maybe things will be different here."
Just then, the two came upon an unusual earth pony, sporting a sweater in black and pink stripes that partly blended into her coat, mane kept in curled pigtails. Twilight forced a smile as they met eye-to-eye and opened her mouth to speak, but just as soon, the unknown mare darted off past her with nary a word. "You're right," Twilight quipped, "That was different. Usually I have to say something before they turn tail."
"No," Spike interjected, "That was super-extra different, if you ask me." Twilight glanced back to her assistant with some acknowledgement, nodding her head back to Rainbow Dash as they continued on their way. Dash contained a smile as thinking of how that encounter went, striding just a bit ahead so she could snicker in peace.
Already, the farm they strode for came into view, absolutely bustling with activity as far as the eye could see. 'So many of them,' Rainbow Dash thought to herself. It had been a while since she'd seen such dilligent work, she'd thought to stick around and see about lending a hoof. "I thought they were supposed to be behind," Twilight spoke up while still in transit herself. A Particularly small pony in yellow with a red mane, and the most perfectly-placed bow spotted them, trotting over with a big smile on her face. "Welcome ta' Sweet Apple Acres!" She started enthusiastically with a slight twang. "We got everythin' here ya'll could possibly want, an' so much more!" Twilight took a step back from the little one as if she'd just been approached by a snake. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, while Spike hopped down off Twilight's back to meet her. "Everything, huh?" He started, "Well, we did skip breakfast to get here on..."
"Easy, Spike," Dash stepped forward. "Excuse me, we're here to check up on the festival preparations. Do you know who we should be talking to about that?"
"Well, sure!" The small pony beamed all the wider as there was business to be had, and hopped over to an orange pony with a blond mane, dressed perhaps a bit too well for farmwork, currently discussing something among two others. "Jackie, the inspectors're here!" The orange pony turned the direction of this outburst, shaking her head with a little smile despite herself. "Apple Bloom, there is no need to shout, I'm right here." The mare waved the three over all the same, taking in the sight of them; a rainbow-maned pegasus with an air of dignity, and a purple-all-over sourpuss trudging behind her, to say nothing of the baby dragon eagerly hopping along.
"I hope we're not intruding," Rainbow began, "I'm Rainbow Dash, here on behalf of the princess. How have your preparations fared?" Her speech was somewhat forced, the city-mare surmised, but she thought little of it. She knew how appearances were key in such society, and merely moved on.
"I am Jacqueline Apple, and I will say, things were a bit slow to start... I take responsibility for that... but we should be right on schedule, barring any unforseen complications. And who, may I ask, are your traveling companions?"
"I'm Spike!" The dragon perked up first, smiling his head off before souring a bit, motioning to the purple unicorn at his side. "And this is Twilight Sparkle." Twilight mumbled a little, her eyes wandering anywhere but Jacqueline for the time being. Spike gave a little glare to his mentor, before walking up to Jacqueline, puffing up his chest and offering a sly smile. "So, uh... you doing anything at the Summer Sun Celebration?"
Jacqueline smiled demurely to that question, lightly kicking one hoof as she turned her head. "Oh, goodness, you are incorrigible." She took a moment to recompose herself, giving a little shake of her head. "I'm afraid I shall be working the entire morning, overseeing the banquet." Spike looked a bit disheartened, but he perked up again soon enough. Twilight knocked a hoof on his head as she stepped in front of him.
"Wipe that silly grin off your face," she commanded. She turned to Jacqueline herself, quite annoyed by her assistant's behavior. "Looks like you've got everything taken care of, so we really ought to be going. Things to take care of..."
"Aren't ya' gonna' stay fer brunch?" A tiny voice called out behind Twilight. She turned again, ready to enforce her opinion, but the sad, soulful eyes looking up at her caught her off-guard. She opened her mouth, looking for the words, trying to turn her down more gently than she would have otherwise, but Rainbow Dash stepped up more assertively.
"We'd love to," Dash spoke honestly. It wasn't often she was given an impromptu invitation, and she smiled around to all the Apple family around. "It'll give us a chance to get acquainted."
"Yay!" A resounding cheer arose from the clan, Twilight groaning in defeat as they were brought to the table.
The three royal overseers lost track of time, Rainbow Dash enjoying a chat with Jacqueline as she introduced every member of the family: Apple Fritter, Apple Bumkin, Apple Dumpling, Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, Apple Brown Betty and Granny Smith. It was exhausting, being the center of attention of so many, but Dash thoroughly enjoyed it, to be able to have a casual chat among equals. They did have to go sooner or later, however, as she was fairly certain any more apple-themed names were going to cause Twilight to grind her teeth down, and Spike probably never would have left Jacqueline's side, if not reminded they had business to attend. "Weather," Spike rattled off from the list. That was to be their next stop as they got back into town. Twilight's eyes immediately darted to the sky, noting perhaps an excess of clouds, for a celebration of the sun. "Someone should really tell those ponies to get to work," she muttered.
"I think that's why we're here," Spike chimed in without hesitation. Twilight shot him yet another look, certain this one might just be the one to burn through his skull, but he just grinned back to her, thoroughly enthused by their trip thus far. "But it could be worse, at least it's not..."
Spike was cut off by a very abrupt downpour, which as the three looked around, noticed it wasn't happening anywhere except above their heads. They were all thoroughly drenched before they had a chance to get out from under the single, tiny cloud that hit them. "Raining?" Twilight sneered to Spike before working her gaze up. There, she saw a pegasus- or at least half of one- on the cloud, stuck head-first underneath its surface, tiny and orange, a scraggly purple tail flitting about as they struggled to remove themselves. "Swell," Twilight huffed as she focused on this figure, her horn sparking to life, tugging the pegasus out of the cloud.
As the filly was set to the ground, she shook a veritable beard of cloud from her chin, grinning sheepishly to her three bystanders. "Heh, sorry about that." She spoke with embarrassment in her folly, looking as innocent as she could to each of them. "Guess it kinda' got away from me."
"I'll say," Twilight shook her head. "Aren't you a little young for weather patrol?"
"Well... if you wanna' get technical," The pegasus said coyly, the others closing in on her.
"Who roped you into this one all on your own?" Rainbow Dash stepped forward, peering over the intrepid weather-pony. She began to respond to Dash, but as soon as her eyes greeted her, she just stuttered and stammered, seemingly without end. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, this being all too familiar territory for her...
"Scootaloo!" A voice called out from above, a pink pegasus with a blue mane setting down in front of the group, two blue lightning bolts marking her flank. "I am so sorry," She apologized with a sheepish little grin, "I thought she could handle just a little on her own."
Twilight was not amused by that explanation, her wet mane absolutely covering the disdain in her eyes. "I'm guessing you're weather patrol here," She piped up with further annoyance dripping off of her... or it could have just been more rain.
"Yeah... Firefly at your service, and this is Scootaloo. You must be the overseers from Canterlot, don't worry, we'll have this done in--"
"In one hour!" Twilight shouted now, not able to take any more delays. "I don't know how you run things here in Ponyville, but in Canterlot, weather is kept on a tight schedule. We're already behind, no more distractions, got it?!"
Firefly just stared in awe at that outburst. Scootaloo was about to pipe up, but she found her mouth covered by a pink hoof, Firefly just nodding in defeat. "We'll get right on it," she started without a fight. "C'mon, Scoots. You'll be dancing on air before you know it." The smaller pegasus hopped onto Firefly's back, and soon they were off into the sky again, working with vigor despite Twilight's best efforts to bring them down. Rainbow Dash looked between herself, Spike and Twilight a moment, had a small laugh at their respective appearances, and headed for the next building down, a small boutique with a sign reading 'Violet Studio.' "Hey, they were supposed to be in charge of decorations, right?" She strode forward unbidden regardless any answer that might form between the two. Spike didn't have the heart to tell her that their list was destroyed in the downpour, but Twilight pressed him forward as taking the lead, hoping to get through with this stop as fast as possible.