//------------------------------// // Act II - Part 1 // Story: No Reservations // by Scantrel //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash rolled over onto her stomach and tried to pull the covers even further over her head. The bunk bed wasn't the most comfortable and the combination of the unfamiliar mattress and her ever-racing thoughts regarding Big Mac and her "competition" resulted in a poor night's sleep at best. Just as Rainbow Dash started to doze off once more, she was suddenly assaulted by an earthquake. Or at least, that's what her tired mind was processing. The shaking finally came to a stop and she felt a hand lift off the covers over her shoulder. "Rise an' shine, Rainbow!" Applejack gushed, sounding WAY too cheery for such an ungodly hour of the morning. "Mmmpph...leavemealoneAJ," Rainbow Dash muttered from under the blankets. "Now now, I done letcha sleep in already, we got the mornin' chores to take care of an' we're already burnin' daylight," Applejack said in a slight scolding tone. "Go away!" Rainbow groaned, sinking even further under the comforter. Humans were not meant to be awake this early on a vacation. Or perhaps ever. Applejack chuckled and reached over to grab the top of the blankets, tugging them down. Rainbow struggled in vain as a brief tug of war ensued, but in her half-awake state she was no match for Applejack's determination. For an instant, Rainbow Dash considered committing a felony, but her flash of anger turned to shivers at the cool air flowing over her. Rainbow crawled reluctantly out of bed, gathering what she could of the blankets around her bare legs. "There now, I saved ya some breakfast an' coffee, it's sittin' on the stove. I'll be outside helpin' Mac with the campfire pit," Applejack said, turning to the door of their cabin and tossing it open. The morning sun stabbed its way into the room, making Rainbow Dash squint as she shambled towards the door to head for the outhouse. "Uh, sugarcube?" Applejack asked with a grin. "You might wanna wear somethin' other than a blanket outside, the fellas may still be around after all." Rainbow Dash stopped in her tracks, halfway across the room. Ignoring Applejack's smirk, Rainbow turned and shambled back over to her bunk and picked up her jeans from the nearby chair she had tossed them over and wriggled into them, followed by a hoodie over her nightshirt. Satisfied she was decent enough, Rainbow Dash made her way outside and over to the outhouse. The morning preparations didn't take too long, and by the time Rainbow Dash had showered, dressed, and wolfed down the leftovers Applejack had left for her along with two cups of coffee, she felt human once again. Just as Rainbow Dash set her dish back in the sink, Applejack walked back into the cabin, wiping a little sweat from her brow. "It's 'bout time you got ready," Applejack quipped. "You and me are goin' to partake in our first chore, a time-honored country tradition." Rainbow Dash blinked, genuinely curious. "Oh yeah? So we're going to ride the range, or go plow the south forty, or something like that?" Applejack chuckled. "Nope! We're goin' to Walmart!" The drive back into town gave Rainbow Dash time to consider her game plan. Challenging Little Strongheart to an athletic competition was out, which meant Rainbow Dash had to think of another means to capture Big Mac's attention. Her train of thought was chugging along fairly slowly, somewhat derailed by Applejack's slightly off-key singing along with the country music blaring from the radio. "Applejack, can you turn that down a little?" Rainbow Dash asked pointedly. Applejack tilted her head, not missing a beat, then nodded and reached over and punched the volume on the radio up a couple of notches. "No, no, not up! Down!" Rainbow Dash growled over the music. Applejack hit a particularly sour note as the song reached the climax and Rainbow Dash had to fight to keep the wince off her face. When the tune and assault on her ears had ended, Rainbow Dash leaned over and mashed the volume button down until the radio was nearly silent. "Now whatcha do that for?" Applejack snorted. "I can't hardly hear myself think and you didn't turn it down when I asked," Rainbow Dash grumbled. "Oh! I thought you said turn it up, not down," Applejack grinned. "Sorry if it was too much, it's just that music's in my blood. If there's one thing 'bout bein' an Apple, it's that we're Country to the core," Applejack stated proudly. "So you listen to that every day back home?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Sure do! Mac an' I have a radio out with us doin' chores all the time. I reckon he knows even more songs than I do," Appejack answered. "Hmmm..." Rainbow Dash murmured thoughtfully, as a sudden inspiration came to her. She then reached over and turned the radio back up for the remainder of the ride to the store. Once Applejack and Rainbow Dash had arrived at the local Walmart, Applejack grabbed a basket and set off at a furious pace through the store, gathering groceries and other sundries. Rainbow Dash helped as best as she could, but eventually her desire to put her plan into motion grew too strong to resist. "Hey, AJ, I'll be over at the clothing area, catch up with you in a few," Rainbow called out as she tossed one last item into the basket and then made her way to the apparel section. As she walked through the rows of shirts and tops, Rainbow Dash pulled out her phone and thumbed open her browser to the images she had searched for during the drive. Satisfied that she had the entire outfit in mind, Rainbow Dash began searching for the right sizes as she went from rack to rack. Applejack placed the last of the items on her list into the basket and headed towards the center of the store to find her shopping partner. It didn't take long for her to spot Rainbow's multi-colored hair bobbing among the clothing racks. As she walked into the ladies section, Applejack saw that Rainbow Dash was eyeing different hats, trying to gauge which size to try on. "Rainbow, what in tarnation are you doin'?" Applejack asked curiously. Rainbow Dash whirled around at the sound of Applejack's voice and her face split in a grin. "Hey AJ! Wait here!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, then scurried off in the direction of the changing rooms, leaving Applejack scratching her head. In just a couple of minutes, Rainbow Dash returned. Rainbow was wearing a red and white checkered shirt with the sleeves rolled up, jean shorts that were bordering on a size too tight and leather western-style boots. Rainbow Dash reached over to the hat rack, grabbed one of the Stetsons and plopped it down on her head. Rainbow Dash paused for a moment for her new ensemble to have its effect on Applejack, then prodded, "So? What do you think?" Applejack blinked with surprise, then finally found her voice. "Well, looks like Rarity gotcha drunk on Rodeo day and took advantage of ya." Before Rainbow Dash could give a retort, Applejack held up a hand and smiled. "Just teasin'. You actually look kinda...cute. Sure wasn't expectin' somethin' like this though. Why the sudden change?" "Well, I just thought 'When in Roan, do as the Roanans do', I guess. After all, we are spending two weeks on a ranch," Rainbow replied after a moment. "Uh huh," Applejack deadpanned. "Just doesn't seem like somethin' you'd go off and do. An' besides, that outfit sure ain't practical, especially if you have to do any chores or such." Applejack took a step back and gave Rainbow Dash a more appraising look. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were tryin' to impress a fella with that outfit." Rainbow Dash didn't respond right away, she wasn't ready to confide her attraction to Big Mac just yet to his sister. Unfortunately for Rainbow, the crimson spreading over her cheeks gave Applejack the answer she was expecting. "Oooh, so you DO have a crush. I knew it! I told ya that Braeburn was good lookin', I can't blame ya for fallin' for him." Applejack gushed. "Wait, I..." Rainbow started, but stopped herself, quickly weighing her options. If she told Applejack about her crush on Big Mac and Applejack didn't approve, that would mean the next week would be a disaster. She needed time for Big Mac to notice her without his sister interfering. That only left one option. "Yep, that's it. You always could see right through me, AJ," Rainbow Dash said, trying to sound as nonchalant as she could. To her surprise, Applejack grabbed up Rainbow Dash in a hug, spinning her around. "Oh sugarcube, that's great! Of course I'll do whatever I can to help you two get some quality time together!" Applejack promised, letting Rainbow Dash out of the embrace. "Oh, no...that's cool, Applejack, but I'm sure that I can..." Rainbow started to protest. Applejack shook her head, cutting Rainbow Dash off. "Now, now what kinda best friend would I be not to be your wing-gal at a time like this? Don't you fret, Rainbow, I know just what to do." She ran her eye once more over Rainbow's outfit. "But first thing, we need to get you some working duds, so you can save the other stuff for more 'private' moments," Applejack said a little playfully. Rainbow Dash sighed inwardly and nodded, playing along. Suddenly her plan didn't feel like such a good idea after all. The near-midday sun sweltered overhead as Braeburn and Big Mac guided their horses along the path that wound around the edge of the Dude Ranch property. Braeburn pulled up on the reins, bringing his stallion to a stop near one of the fence posts. Swinging himself down from the saddle, Braeburn walked over and ran his eye over the aged post, making a note of the condition. "Looks like this one's gonna have to be replaced soon too, wouldn't you say Mac?" Braeburn asked over his shoulder. When no reply was forthcoming, Braeburn turned around and saw Big Mac was staring out across the fence, over towards the Reservation. "Mac? You hear me? I said this post's 'bout done for, you think?" Braeburn said, a little louder. Big Mac tore his gaze from the horizon and shot a quick glance down at the fence post, then nodded with a "Eeyup" to confirm the assessment. Braeburn took off his hat and wiped his brow, before setting the Stetson back on his head and studying Big Mac's face a moment. "You sure are quiet today, cuz," Braeburn observed. "Eeyup," was the curt reply. "Somethin' on your mind?" Braeburn prodded. "Eeyup," Big Mac confirmed. "Want to talk 'bout it?" Braeburn asked as he walked back up and mounted his horse once again to continue their ride. "Nnope," Big Mac replied. Braeburn followed Big Mac's stare back out across the fence and out onto the open prarie. Then his face split in a grin. "Ah, yep, I get it now. You're pinin' fer Little Strongheart. Can't say I blame ya, she's right nice lookin' and spirited to boot." Big Mac just nodded his head and spurred his horse into a trot, following the fence line. Braeburn took off after him, pulling up alongside Big Mac. "Ya know, for a spell there I thought 'bout askin' her out. Not sure why I didn't, then after we entered into negotiations with the tribe, jus' decided that wouldn't be proper-like." Braeburn reflected. "No reason that you can't, Mac. I can tell that ya want to." Big Mac looked over at Braeburn for a long moment, before replying. "Eey...maybe." Braeburn chuckled, "I knew it! Well, I'll do what I can to getcha some more time around her, maybe come up with a reason we have to go pay a social call or somethin." Braeburn paused a moment, then blurted out, "Unless o' course you got somethin' goin' on with that cute lil Rainbow that you brought along." Big Mac blinked, then shook his head. "Nnope, ain't nothing between us." As Big Mac answered, though, the words felt a little quick out of this throat. He'd known Rainbow Dash for years and hadn't stopped to consider the possibility of anything like that with her. Rainbow Dash had her qualities, she was pretty, athletic, full of spirit, devoted to her causes...not unlike the qualities that had attracted Mac to Little Strongheart, he realized. "Well then, if it's alright with you, I'd like to get to know her better," Braeburn continued. "How about it cuz? You help me out with Rainbow Dash an' I'll do what I can to help you out with Little Strongheart. Deal?" Big Mac thought that over for several moments, then slowly nodded. "Deal. Now let's get done checking this fence, that way we can ride on back before the girls get back from the store." His heels dug into his horse's flanks a little, breaking into a canter. Braeburn grinned widely, whipping the reins slightly to keep pace with Big Mac. His thoughts were already chewing on what to say next to Rainbow Dash when he saw her again.