The rain grew heavier as the group of six arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow, Tank, and the Wonder Pugs were all soaking wet.
“Don’t worry, Wonder Pugs!” called Rainbow over the storm. “We’re almost there! Look! Follow the lights coming from the house!”
The puppies, although shivering from the cold raindrops, fervently obeyed. The lights weren’t hard to miss. Rainbow knew that there was somepony at home.
They trudged over the slightly muddy road, except for the airborne Tank. It was hard work for the puppies, but they struggled on. Even if they were scared of the ensuing thunder and lightning, they wouldn’t stop. Rainbow could see it in their determined little eyes.
It wasn’t until they were halfway to the house that Rainbow signaled Tank to pick up the puppies one by one and lay them on the blue Pegasus’ back. First went Soarin’, then Fleetfoot, Spitfire, and Rapidfire.
“You’ve already made me proud,” she spoke to the pugs, face to face with each and every one of them. “Right now, you need rest.”
At last, they all made it up to the doorstep of the house.
Rainbow knocked on the door. “Applejack!” she called. “Applejack, are you in there? It’s me, Rainbow Dash!”
Almost instantly, the wily pony with a brown hat opened the door and was surprised to see Rainbow and Tank right in front of her porch.
“Rainbow Dash? Tank? What in tarnation are y’all doin’ in this here storm?”
“Am I ever glad to see you, A.J.,” said Rainbow, sighing with relief. “I need your help. I’ve got puppies that need a place to stay and I was wondering if you could…”
“Puppies?” asked Applejack, raising an eyebrow. “What puppies?”
Rainbow turned to her right and showed the four wet, shivering, tiny pug puppies on her back. Fleetfoot gave a big sneeze.
“Oh, you poor critters,” cooed Applejack. “C’mon. Let’s get you to the barn.” And with that, she hurriedly packed two bags full of towels and put on her raincoat, offering another one to Rainbow, who put it on, covering the puppies from the rain on their way out.
Applejack opened the barn doors to let her and the rest of the cavalcade inside.
The barn was full of stables for all sorts of animals: cows, goats, sheep, and pigs.
The Wonder Pugs hopped off Rainbow’s back and began shaking the water off their bodies. It was a good thing that Rainbow and Applejack were wearing their raincoats. Tank didn’t need one. He had his own shell.
“Thanks a lot, Applejack,” said Rainbow. “Don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Aw, shucks,” acknowledged Applejack, as she unloaded the towels from her bags. “Couldn’t just leave y’all out in the rain, now could Ah?”
As the puppies were being tucked into separate towels, Rainbow went on and asked, “Say, AJ… These little guys need a home and, since we’re here, think you can use some extra dogs in your farm?”
Applejack gave a look of surprise mixed with concern. She hesitated for a few seconds before answering, “Look, R.D., Ah know you mean well, but what ye’re askin’, it’s… it’s kinda complicated.”
“Huh?” Rainbow wasn’t too sure on what to think of this reaction from her friend. “But you’ve got a lotta room to spare, don’t you?”
“Yeah, A know that,” admitted Applejack, “and you know Ah wouldn’t lie to ya about that. It’s just that… well, Ah’ll explain in the mornin’. Right now, those little whippersnappers need to be dried up and tucked to sleep just fer the night.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow sighed with resignation. “You’re right. Think you can give them a couple of…”
She was cut off when Applejack rushed over and wrapped the puppies in the towels she brought. “Don’t wet wittle waindwops make you all saddy waddy,” she soothed in her somewhat motherly way. “Auntie Applejack’s gonna dry you up. Yes she is. A coochie, coochie coo, coo, coo.”
The Wonder Pugs were so glad not to be wet anymore that they yipped with enthusiasm. Rapidfire even gave Applejack a lick on the cheek as a sign of thanks, causing her to laugh while saying “Yer welcome.”
Rainbow, however, was a bit taken aback by Applejack’s baby talk. “That’s what you said to Bloomberg during the ride to Appaloosa, right?”
Applejack’s face turned red. Bloomberg was one of her favorite apple trees. “Rarity told you about that, didn’t she?”
“Uh huh,” Rainbow replied dryly. Moving back to the subject at hand, she brightly said, “Well, Tank and I’ll go pick up the Wonder Pugs by tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll be fine in the barn without…”
Suddenly, there was another loud thunder crash outside. Tank instantly hid into his shell. Seconds later, Rainbow noticed the shaking puppies gripping each of her legs.
“Um… Ah think you should stay with ‘em ‘til tomorrow, Rainbow,” advised Applejack, uneasily.
Rainbow looked at Applejack for one second. Then, she looked at the puppies.
It was then that she remembered what she said to Tank earlier this afternoon. She couldn’t keep the puppies, but she couldn’t abandon them either. They were so young and so… helpless. She and Tank would have to look after them, no matter what, until they found them a home.
Finally, Rainbow looked at Tank, who simply nodded. “Okay, A.J.,” she spoke, bravely. “You can count on us.”
Hearing Rainbow’s words made the Wonder Pugs bounce and snort with joy.
“Ah wouldn’t have it any other doggone way, partner,” smiled Applejack and she walked out of the barn. She poked her head out from behind the right door and called out over the rain, “Remember: just fer the night!” With that, the doors were closed.
Rainbow slipped out of her jacket and laid herself on a bunch of hay, snuggling in. “Man!” she exclaimed. “This stuff is warm!”
The puppies jumped into the bale right next to hers and panted with agreement. Tank just gave his usual smile and kept a close eye on the little pugs as he landed on Rainbow’s hay.
“Well, guys,” exhaled Rainbow, “time to hit the sack.” Then, she gave off a big yawn. “Night, Tank.”
The tortoise simply nodded off after Rainbow said those words.
“Night, Wonder Pugs.”
The puppies yipped and snuggled each other on their own hay bale.
Rainbow closed her eyes. It had been quite a long day and she had been moving around nonstop: first, she had been flying around to avoid puppies that she saved; then, she and Tank spent many hours in an attempt to find them a home.
Right now, she needed some sleep. They all did.
She was just about to fill her head with the frequent dreams of joining the Wonderbolts when another loud burst of thunder came from outside. She winced at the sound, but tried not to let it get to her. It was just one of these things you got used to when you were a Pegasus in Cloudsdale.
Suddenly, Rainbow felt something soft shaking her belly. Next came whimpering. She opened her eyes and found the Wonder Pugs clinging to her body, as if they felt their lives were in the balance.
“Didn’t I tell you that I’m not your mother?” groaned the blue Pegasus with the rainbow-streaked mane. “Go back to your own stack of hay, won’t you?”
The puppies’ eyeballs went for a close-up and were pointed directly at Rainbow, hinting another begging gesture that she knew all too well from this afternoon. She couldn’t take it anymore.
“Tank,” she pleaded. “Help me out here.”
But the tortoise, to his credit, didn’t intervene. Even if he was wide awake by the thunder, he just lay there on the hay, staring at his owner and the puppies in their awkward situation. Then, he slept once more.
Apparently, he no longer felt like being rejected for a new pet, which was good for Rainbow. At the same time, though, it meant that nopony was going to help her with the puppies during the night.
Knowing that resistance was futile, Rainbow sighed. “Oh, okay,” she groaned. “Just don’t cram over each other, okay?”
Upon hearing this, the Wonder Pugs smiled and snuggled themselves under Rainbow’s belly. Fleetfoot was resting an inch away from the pony’s hind legs; Spitfire sat in front of her; Rapidfire went in the lead of both his sisters; and Soarin’ lay closest to Rainbow’s head.
Seeing Soarin’ centimeters in the position he was made Rainbow blush. It was as if the stallion of this puppy’s namesake was sleeping right next to her. But she tried not to let it bother her. Pinkie Pie’s usage of the word “boyfriend” made her already riled up on that particular subject for today.
The puppies all stretched themselves and gave off tiny, soft, yet squeaky audible yawns separately before going to sleep. Then, just as Pinkie Pie had predicted earlier, they began to snore.
However, no matter how much the Wonder Pugs snored, Rainbow knew that she’ll have to get used to it. Besides, the storm was able to block the little ones’ snoring, though not by much. She should be grateful.
Finally, she laid her head on the hay next to Soarin’ and closed her eyes. But before she could catch a good snooze, she reopened them halfway and looked the puppies. They were looking so peaceful, so content to be next to her. It looked like they were going to enjoy a very comfortable night now.
Rainbow smiled and joined Tank and the Wonder Pugs in their slumber.