Raise hind legs, lean forward, check aim, aaand, buck! Apples dropped from the tree, and into the readied baskets below; with perfect accuracy. With another tree bucked, Applejack proudly moved to one of the last trees still bearing fruit. With the baskets already placed, she began the steps again, raise hind legs, lean forward, check aim, aaand, but before Applejack completed her technique, she noticed an extremely out of place, yet familiar, rainbow coloured tail dangling out of one of the middle branches. Now that she thought about it, she could definitely make out a rather loud snore coming from the tail's owner.
A devious smirk crept onto the farm pony's lips. She had finally found her ticket for revenge, after last week's 'plastic Timber wolf prank'. Forgetting the technique, Aj lifted her right hind leg, and delivered a powerful blow to the centre of the tree trunk. Shortly after the blow, the limp tail became very much alive as it tumbled out of the branch, accompanied by the blue Pegasus who it belonged to. Rainbow dash landed (while shrieking, due to the sudden wake up call) in amongst the baskets and falling apples. Applejack began giggling uncontrollably at the sight of the Pegasus sitting awkwardly in a basket, with apples everywhere. Before she could lose her balance from laughing so hard, the Pegasus had shaken off the apples and flown out of the basket, and was now standing directly in front of the orange mare, who had admirably managed to tone the laughter down to a mere giggle. Rainbow simply stood there, staring into Applejack's eyes menacingly, which seemed to help quell the last few chortles. "Well how..." Another snicker escaped the farmer's lips, to which Rainbow sighed. "Well howdy there, Rainbow. Ahm sorry sugar cube, Ah didn't wake ya, did I?" It was only now that Applejack took notice of the bags under Rainbow dash's bloodshot eyes, she looked like she hadn't slept in days. "Good heavens girl! Are you alright sugarcube? Ya look terrible!"
Rainbow's glare subsided, as she began rubbing her temples with a hoof. She was suffering from morning memory loss, as well as a head splitting headache. She knew that she had been sleeping in Applejack's farm for a reason, and not in a soft, warm, cosy cloud. But she couldn't put a hoof on what that reason was. "That's because I feel terrible! So er, you wouldn't happen to know why I'm in your farm, would you? If not, gimmie a minute and I'll remember" Rainbow slumped by the trunk of a nearby tree, a hoof slowly massaging her forehead.
Applejack searched for a specific reason for why her flying friend would choose a tree as a bed, but found none, "Hmm, nah. Ahm sorry Rainbow. Ah can't for life of me think why you'd be in my farm, takin a nap." Applejack moved closer, and stood in front of her sleep deprived friend.
"Ok, let's see..." Rainbow began to recap the day before. "Ok, so, I know for sure yesterday was meant to be prank day, with Pinkie, maybe ... possibly."
At the sight of her friend slowly recapping the previous day, Aj couldn't help but take a jab, "Not a morning kinda gal, huh?"
"That, and it turns out being bucked out of a tree doesn't help much when tryin to remember stuff!" Rainbow shot a quick accusing glare to the quickly guilty looking farm pony. "Ok so I'm pretty sure we first pranked the mayor, with a bunch of chocolate bits, hehehe, that was funny! Then I think we may have moved to Carrot top's farm? Oh yeah, we borrowed those bunny costume's your gran has. It turns out Carrot top isn't a fan of ponies pretending to eat all of her crops, especially when they're dressed up as bunnies." This earned a chuckle from Applejack.
"How have ya'll managed to stay in town, and ya know, not get run out yet?"
To this Rainbow slightly puffed out her chest and turned her chin upwards, "Because I'm the most awesomist pony in Equestria! Oh wait, that's not a word is it? Oh who cares, Twilight's not here so I can get away with it... Wait! Twilight! That's it!"
Applejack gave a puzzled look, "You were sleepin in ma orchard, because of Twi? What, you miss the return date on Darin' Do?"
Rainbow thought for a minute, "I don't think so? Let me get back to my thinking!"
"Yes mam!" Applejack added a sarcastic salute and attention pose, to which Rainbow just smirked.
"Alright after Carrot, it was Rarity's turn, hmm. Oh yeah! We were gonna try out new rubber chicken launcher" To which she added a very foalish grin.
"Ahm not even gonna ask"
"Whatever... Oh that was it! Yeah, so we were about to prank miss prissy pants, when Twilight trots into the boutique. They were doin something, oh yeah, talking!"
"Shocking!" Aj joked
After shooting more visual daggers in Aj's direction, Rainbow sat still for a few quiet moments, pondering what the conversation the two had been having. "Meh, it'll come to me later. All I remember, is that Twi was crying at one point. I think after that, me and Pinks decided to help, or congratulate her... I, can't, remember which.
Applejack gave a puzzled look, "Why in the wide world of Equestria, would congratulate Twi, ifn' she was cryin'"
"I know right?! Anyhoo, then I remember an argument over proper and improper use of clouds, with my boss. Guess I must of borrowed some. Then I woke up here." Moments passed, with Applejack standing patiently, and Rainbow working her brain, drawing out the lost memories.
It wasn't until a minute or two had passed when it hit. Twilight was asking Rarity for advice on feelings! Feelings for Applejack! That was it! And the reason that she had been arguing with her boss, was because she wanted to write her best friends a message in the sky, to show her support; "Congrats love birds!". How could she forget? She had spent all night on the placing after all!
Rainbow dash leaped to her hoofs, and threw herself at AJ. She wrapped her friend in a midair hug as she flew them around the orchard. Applejack wasn't so much shocked by this outburst, just confused. "Oh Aj! How could I have forgotten?! Congratulations! I totally forgot, but I totally remembered, so it's cool now, I'm sorry for acting grumpy on such an awesome day for you!" She soon stopped flying around the orchard, then hovered above the ground, Aj held out in front of her.
"Wh-.. Rainbow, just what are you talkin' about?"
"Oh come on Aj don't be embarrassed! If I had someone tell me that they love me, I would be totally over the moon!" Applejack's face had become one resembling a shocked, confused and slightly scared pony.
"Love?! Rainbow, you've lost me." Applejack said, while warily eyeing the ground.
Ignoring her friend, she continued in her thrilled mood "Oh, and I made you this, it took all night, but it was so worth it!" With that, she took the helpless earth pony a short distance further from the ground and held her at arm's length above her head, to give the perfect view of her masterly written message.
"Ah, er. Ah don.."
"Come on Aj! What do ya think?!"
"Well, Ah guess, ya learn something new every day?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, Ah always thought that rats and birds didn't get along all that well, guess Ah was wrong. coulda just told me though, didn't need to go and write it out in the clouds." By now Rainbow dash thought Applejack was trying to prank her, and act as if Twilight hadn't told her of her feelings, which was obviously not the case.
"Aj I'm not fooling for your prank!" Rainbow moved her friend to the side, and got a clear view of her weather affected message, which now read, 'rats love birds'. Rainbow was pretty disappointed at this, she must have over slept again, the message could only last so long, what with it being made out of clouds. "Aw, but I put so much time into that!"
While dangling above the orchard, Applejack's mind thought back to something mentioned earlier, "Wait, what was that about love?"
Rainbow tore her eyes from her ruined message in the clouds, as she then began guiding them back down to the ground, "Hm? Oh Aj, come on! It was pretty funny pretending that you had no idea what I was talking about earlier, but now that I remember everything, it's getting pretty old." They landed smoothly. Aj's head was currently buzzing with confused, unanswered questions, but at the same time, thankful to be back on solid ground.
"Rainbow, Ah'm bein' serious! Y'all ain't makin a lick of sense!" Applejack had almost lost her patience with Rainbow's random antics.
"You mean you don't remember Twilight walking up to you this morning, sitting you down and telling you how she is madly in lo.." The rest of Rainbow's words were lost, as a bright purple flash surrounded her. After a moment of panic from both ponies, the light faded, the end result was a purple glowing sphere encasing Rainbow dash. Applejack stood, shocked at the sudden magical occurrence, at a loss for words. Rainbow was also confused by the event, with a pinch of fear and frustration, as she did her best to break the sphere.
"Rd!" Applejack shouted, as she ran to the bubble, only to be pushed back by the lavender aura. It looked like Rainbow dash was attempting to communicate with her as well, but the spell appeared to be soundproof.
"Applejack! Stand back!" Applejack tore her gaze from her trapped Pegasus friend, to notice a certain Lavender unicorn, sprinting toward her from the barn with a beaming horn. "Thank Celestia, you're okay Applejack!" At the sight of the farm mare, Twilight felt her mind start to lose its focus from the situation at hoof. She had to mentally fight back the silly grin that was threatening her lips.
"Twi ?! Why wouldn't I be okay? Why is Rd in a bubble? Who loves Rainbow dash?! And since when, did rats start loving birds?!" Applejack felt a throbbing headache coming on, she would give just about for a cool cider right now.
"Oh, right, well for one, I think it's best to just forget everything that Rainbow dash has said today! Everything! You see, she, erm. Well, she is sick! Yes, sick!" Applejack cast a worried glance toward her encaged friend, "Don't worry, she is going to be fine, along as she gets plenty of rest and takes her medicine! Which is not something she wants to do." Twilight added a nervous laugh to finish her improvised lie.
Applejack put a hoof to her chin, "That would explain the writing."
"Writing?!" Twilight grew worried for a second before Applejack cast a hoof toward the message in the sky, "Oh. Wait, what? Erm, yes, that is exactly the kind of symptom that the medicine prevents!" Twilight was sure Pinkie had said to congratulate Applejack, not confuse her. "Sooo, what else has she been doing?" Twilight gulped in nervous anticipation.
"Oh, a whole lot of nonsense! Something about dressing up as a rabbit over at Carrot top's, using a rubber chicken launcher on you and Rarity, oh, and tricking the mayor with some candy bits. Oh yeah, and something about how she would react, if'n somepony told her that they loved her." To this, Twilight's face dawned a deep shade of red that could challenge Big Macintosh's coat.
"Forget it!" She yelled, "I mean, erm, yes, those seem like the symptoms alright, so, er. You just forget all of that, and I'll take Rainbow of your hoofs, and let you get back to work. " Twilight began backing away from the still extremely confused farm mare, whilst carrying the Pegasus prisoner with her magic. She paused after a few more paces however "Oh! that reminds me! before I go, Fluttershy said that Winona's leg is feeling much better, and that you can go and visit her whenever you're free. So er, I'll um, see you around Aj."
"Oh, er, thanks Tw..." With a pop and flash of purple, Twilight vanished, as did the rather frustrated looking Pegasus.
"What in the hay, is wrong with everypony today!" Applejack felt like sitting down and thinking matters over, but the chance to see her little, loyal companion once again, pushed her to journey toward Fluttershy's cottage. Maybe she could actually have a normal conversation with somepony, something that hadn't happened all day, so far.
Pinkie pie sat, upside down on a wooden chair in the library. She had been reading all about how the molecular structures of cells within ponies are formed, well, she would have been, had the book been the correct way up. With a sudden pop and purple flash, Twilight, accompanied by a cross-hoofed Pegasus, materialized on the library stairs. "Oh! Hi guys, how was Aj? Did you say sorry for me? You know how I wasn't congratulating her? I mean, she and Dashie are kinda better friends I guess, but still, I don't want her thinking it was because I don't like her or anything!" Pinkie's eyes grew wide with terror as she scrambled out of the uncomfortable sitting position and leaped over to her friends. "Oh no, she doesn't hate me, does she?! Oh no, what have I done? Will she never want to see me again? Will I have one less best friend? Will everyone hate me now that Applejack hates me? Will I be banned from eating apples?!" Pinkie was on the verge of tears by this point.
"Pinkie" Twilight placed a hoof on her pink maned friend's back, "Applejack doesn't hate you. You're one of her best friends! Right now, I think she's probably just confused, but not angry." Feeling reassured, Pinkie began hopping around the room again, the party decorations by now, were all packed away in a small, pink saddlebag in the corner of the room. How Pinkie managed to fit a cannon inside that, Twilight thought best, not to ask. There was a sound of a light tapping from behind Twilight, as the unicorn turned to investigate, she noticed an extremely frustrated friend of hers, bucking the bubble which she was confined to. "Oh my goodness, dash I am so sorry!" Casting a quick counter spell the bubble blinked out of existence and the cyan mare fell to the ground with a thud. "Oops, sorry! again." She added with a sheepish grin.
"Okay Twilight, I need an explanation, like, two minutes ago!" Rainbow dash was up in a flash and advancing on Twilight.
"Of course. Well, you see Rainbow, I haven't really, told Applejack about my feelings for her yet. So I needed to stop you from, well, beating me to it I guess." Rainbow seemed to calm down after hearing this.
"Oh, well I guess that kind of makes sense, but what did you tell Aj? I doubt she took the whole friend trapped in a floating purple bubble thing, all that well. " The three mares made their way to the centre table.
"Oh, I just made up a story about how you were acting crazy because you were ill and needed medicine to help calm you down."
Rainbow seemed rather impressed with Twilight's lie, "Wow, not bad Twilight, not bad"
With a few moments of calm, Twilight seemed at last content with the situation, all right, who's thirsty?" With a collective approval, Twilight went to prepare some drinks.
"So Pinks, what did you get up to last night?"
"Oh, nothing much after our little eaves dropping thingy, I went to prepare some supplies for the congratulations party. Let's see, I was walking back to the Cake's smiling and skipping, aaaand, oh yeah! I bumped into Fluttershy, well not really bump, I saw her and jumped on her back." Which got Pinkie giggling, while Rainbow just cracked a smirk.
"Of course you did, how was Flutters anyway?
"Oh, she said she was fine, apparently she was taking care of Winona, which made me think of Applejack, which then made me think of Twilight, and then the whole Love thingy, sooooo, as it was on the tippy top of my tongue, I asked her if she could keep a secret. She said yes; of course. So I told her how Twilight secretly loves Applejack!" Pinkie pie's face bore a concerningly large grin, as the thought of two of her best friend's falling love with each other once again entered her mind; However, shortly after Pinkie had finished her tale, Twilight, who had been listening to the conversation, while preparing lemonade for her two guests, "You did WHAT?!" She screeched, quickly giving a tired yet frustrated sounding shriek, which was soon followed by the sound of a pop then a flash of light, and finally a smash, as the lemonade hit the floor.
"Twilight? You okay?" Rainbow dash called, as the Pegasus went to investigate. She was presented with an empty kitchen, and shattered glass with spilled lemonade, everywhere.
Pinkie pie joined her friend in the investigation but seemed rather calm, "Oh, clumsy, Twilight" With that, Pinkie hopped back to the table, only to sit upside down once again, and began to hum the Smile song to herself, without a care in the world, as usual.