“…So there we were, the four of us, surrounded by manticores, with only three pies between us and them. The rogue stormclouds around us finally broke, and we could hardly see, it was raining so hard. And the biggest, baddest manticore of them all started charging us.”
“Woah! Really?” Rainbow grinned and nodded, practically exploding with glee as her godfilly’s bright green eyes widened in shock. “How big was it?”
Rainbow grinned even wider. The best part about watching Bramley was messing with her. The kid would believe anything. “Oh, she was about six times as big as me,” Rainbow answered, polishing a hoof on her chest. “With claws about this big,” Rainbow squinted and spread her hooves wider than strictly necessary, “And fangs like a dragon’s.” Bramley’s melodramatic gasp gave Rainbow a happy, guilty little rush. “So, she was charging toward us, tearing up tree roots with her great big claws, shaking the branches with her great big roar, with her teeth flashing in the lightning.
“That was about when I had a really smart plan. I rocketed up into the cloud layer and broke a nice fat thunderhead free. So I flew it down to intercept it, and I kicked all the lightning bolts right into her big, ugly face. But I wasn’t figuring for her being quite so big and tough. I thought I’d knock her down, but instead she just got angry. And that was right about when I started getting worried.”
“What kinda nonsense are you filling her fool head with this time, RD?” Rainbow turned around and waved at Applejack.
“I was just telling her about the time when Soarin’ and Spitfire and Fleetfoot and ‘Rapid and I ran into the manticore,” she bragged, ruffling Bramley’s mane with a gentle hoof.
Applejack sighed through a weary smile and raised a single eyebrow. “As I recall Spitfire telling it, there was a whole lot more shrieking going on for your part,” she deadpanned.
Rainbow huffed and inflated slightly, playfully angry. “That was my war-cry,” she protested, flaring her wings, carefully tickling Bramley’s chin with her coverts. Bramley shrieked with laughter, and rolled away on the carpeted floor.
Applejack chuckled and shook her head, ambling back towards the kitchen. She paused and smiled, though her eyes looked slightly off. “It’s bad enough what you get Pinks to believe,” She laughed. “In no time, you’ll have Lil’ Bramley eating from your hooves.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, AJ?” Rainbow asked, quirking her head.
Applejack snorted and chuckled, all the way real this time. “Nothin, Rainbow. Jus’ forgive me my little quirks, hey?” Then she walked over to the stovetop and stirred at the bubbling stew, humming a song Rainbow had never heard before.
Rainbow started as Bramley chewed on her tail, yanking her hairs with a playful energy. “What?” Rainbow practically cooed, turning around and chasing the giggling filly with a huge grin and ungainly, ridiculous leaps and pounces.
“How’d you excape the manticores?” Bramley asked, wiggling even as she sat attentively.
Rainbow smiled. “We ran away,” she said, laughing inside at Bramley’s nonplussed expression. “It happens, kiddo,” she continued, picking up Bramley and holding her in a gentle half-hug, eyeing her poofy mane and bright, eager eyes. “Sometimes, the monsters are a bit too big or a bit too scary. Sometimes the only thing to do is run. And that’s not being a coward, alright? That’s being smart. Remember that, ‘kay?” Bramley nodded seriously, scowling in a thoughtful pout. Then the moment was over, and Rainbow gave Bramley a gentle noogie, watching her usual smile ooze out and spread onto her tiny face.
“Now,” Rainbow asked, her mischievous smirk coming back full-strength. “Do you wanna hear about the time your mama Applejack drank princess Luna under the table?”