“You know, maybe your real problem is that you don't eat enough.”
“Hrmmmmzzzzzznnnkkkttt...”
“I mean, it may not account for the inexplicable numbness and atrophy, but it definitely explains how friggin' scrawny you are.”
“Hmmmmzzzzzzzzzzzschlkkkk...”
“I really think you should munch on something.”
“...”
“Like right now.”
“... ... ...”
“Since it's lunch time.”
“... ... ... ...!!!” Rainbow Dash's eyes flew wide open.
Bright sunlight poured through the window.
“Or, then again...” Lancie shrugged, juggling the alarm clock from paw to talon to paw to talon. “Maybe what you need is a good laugh.”
“BUCK!” Rainbow Dash kicked off the bed, pinballed off the ceiling, and snatched the alarm clock out of Lancie's grasp.
“Ooof!” Lancie fell hard to the floor, his legs curling above him like a dead cockroach's. “'Jee, Lancie, may I borrow the clock from your hands? Thanks, old ch-chum!'”
“Noon?!” A single tear rolled down from Rainbow's wide eyes. “Noon?!” She spun and gawked at the statue. “How can it possibly be noon?!”
“I told you!” Lancie sat up, gesturing. “My favorite number is twelve!” He squinted. “Hellooooo. Weren't you listening to a word I said last night?”
Rainbow bit her lip. A tiny squeal whined out of the corners of her muzzle. Her nostrils flared to the point of breaking as she saw a pale face reflected in the clockface.
“Now...” Lancie stood up straight, holding his arms out. “If you wanna try for a field goal, be my guest...”
Rainbow dropped the clock and zoomed across the room.
Lancie blinked. He turned to see her zig-zagging through the rest of the house, completely passing him. A half-second later, the clock landed hard on the floor and rattled to a stop. “Huh...” He blinked. “Well that was unexpected.” Slowly, he produced a devilish smile.
Rainbow Dash flew over the houses and treetops of Ponyville so swiftly that she nearly produced her own hurricane winds. All the while, her eyes remained locked on the southwest splotch of orchards.
“Mmmmmm...” She fought the urge to sniffle, to sob, to completely and utterly implode. “Piece of crud. Such a worthless, pointless piece of crud. Always bucking it up. Always... always... completely bucking it up.” She grimaced. “It's gone. It's all gone. She's gone. She'll never trust you... she'll never trust you again. She'll...”
Rainbow Dash gasped. She saw stands. She saw tents. She saw concession stands and temporarily erected fences and moving clusters of ponies, both young and old.
“Oh no... oh no oh no oh no oh no. I blew it.” She looked up at the clouds hanging overhead, and her voice wilted in her throat. “I completely and utterly blew it. I'm so horrible. I'm so... so... lame! Friggin' Celestia on a bike, I...”
There was an orange shape moving a box of red flags and banners across the east field.
Rainbow bit her lip, but nevertheless she soared straight down to where the mare was.
Applejack reached her mouth into the crate to grab the first of several obstacle course props.
FWOOSH! Rainbow Dash landed in front of her, almost breathless.
“Applejack!” Rainbow panted and panted, her wings drooped—as her whole body was drooped. She squatted low in Applejack's shadow and stared up at her with sad, sad eyes. “Applejack, I am so... soooooo sorry.”
“Whoah nelly!” Applejack hopped back, then steadied her hat on her head. “There ya are—!”
“Yes! I know! And I am so so so so insanely sorry! Omigosh omigosh omigosh...”
“Rainbow, what is—?”
Rainbow started pacing circles, hyperventilating. “I swore I set my alarm. But s-something happened to it overnight! While I was sleeping!” She shook her head as her beady-eyes darted from grass blade to grass blade. “I know it's hard to believe! And it doesn't matter if you believe me or not, because it's all my falt! I'm totally lame and totally disloyal and I screwed everything up when you and everypony else desperately needed me and—”
“Rainbow, for the love of apples, will ya just slow down?!”
“I'll understand if you never ever ever ever wanna talk to me ever again or the rest of the girls for that matter because if I royally screwed you over then how are they ever going to trust me or anypony else for that matter but that's all good and fine because somepony as lame and irresponsible as me probably deserves to be alone forever and ever anyways and—”
“Rainbow!” Applejack gripped the pegasus by her shoulders and anchored her to the ground. “Calm down, sugarcube! Yer ravin' like a lunatic!” She squinted into the mare's eyes. “Now what's gotten yer mane in such a tangle?”
Rainbow gulped, avoiding Applejack's gaze. “I... I slept in, Applejack.” Her weak muscles shivered as she struggled to stand upright. “You needed me... depended on me... and I slept in...”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Heh... then when do you normally get up, darlin'? Five o'clock?”
Rainbow Dash glanced up, lip quivering. “Huh...?” Just then, the front door swung open and a red body thundered out, yawning.
“Good mornin', Big Mac!” Applejack turned and waved at her brother. “Ready to get the last few tents pitched?”
“Mmmm... eeyup.” He yawned once last time and waved before trotting off towards the noticeably barren obstacle courses to assist the other mares and stallions who had gathered to prepare.
Rainbow Dash blinked. “I... I don't get it.” She turned and squinted at Applejack. “Does your brother always wake up after noon?”
“Heck, no! He's usually up at the crack of dawn. Poor fella worked his hooves off last night, settin' things up, so I figured I let him sleep in a bit. Heh...” Applejack returned to the stack of boxes. “So, ain't no sweat in a pony like you doin' the same. Besides, yer earlier than I expected.”
“I... am...?” Rainbow Dash blinked.
“Why, yes, Rainbow.” Applejack slapped a crate down, wiped her brow, and glanced over. “'Bout a half hour after seven. Why?” She blinked. “What time didja think it was?”
Rainbow Dash silently repeated Applejack's words. Her eyes flew towards the horizon. She blinked, then frowned with a heavy snarl. “Lancie... Lancie I am going to obliterate you.”
“Lancie? Heh... what in the hay is a 'Lancie?'”
“He... he only set the time! He didn't... I mean I didn't... I mean...” Rainbow Dash blinked, teetered, then fell back on her haunches. It came out as a snort at first, then a spittake. She hugged herself and giggled incessantly, nearly falling over in the dirt.
Applejack stared, her face hanging between concern and amusement. “Eh... heheheheh...” she nervously guffawed.
“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh jeez...” Rainbow Dash wiped at the corner of her eyes. “Maybe he was right. Maybe all I needed was a good laugh.” She flinched, then flexed her hooves, realizing that she could almost feel them fully all of the sudden. “Heh... will you look at that... bloodrush's gonna blood, I guess.”
“Well, I've got some last-minute preparin' to do.” Applejack pointed blindly behind her. “Granny's up and about. She's in the kitchen, fixin' breakfast. Feel free to grab yerself some grub before you get to cloud clearin', if ya like. Either way, we're all happy to have ya lendin' us a hoof.”
“Mmmmmmm...” Rainbow Dash leaned forward with a delirious grin. “You're gorgeous.”
“Hmmmfff?” Applejack pulled her head out of a crate and spat a few lengths of rope out. “Ptooie. Didja say something', sugarcube?”
“Uhhhhh... d'uhhhm...” Rainbow Dash flinched, then hopped up to her hooves. “The clouds... are... g-gorgeous!” her voice cracked. “It's a total shame I gotta kick them loose before anypony can see them, but... y'know... more power to the sisterhooves!” She shot skyward in a blue blur. “Woooooo yeah!”
Applejack shrugged, smiled, and adjusted her hat before returning to her work.