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// Back to the Daily Grind 
// Story: Thirty Minute Ponies 
// by ThatOneWriter 
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The first thing Applejack noticed as she stepped off the train was a suspicious lack of ponies there to greet her. The second thing she noticed was the smoke rising above the library.

She raced toward the fire. The flames climbed high above Golden Oaks Library, and they also were a bizarre and unnatural shade of blue-ish purple. Twilight stood outside, watching helplessly as the fire engulfed her home.

"Twilight! Are you all right?"

Twilight nodded. "I'm fine." She turned and pointed to her home. "But the library isn't."

Applejack looked back at the burning tree. "What in tarnation happened, anyway?"

"Well..." Twilight rubbed the back of her neck. "Remember that potion I was working on that would grant the drinker immortality or else explode in a massive, uncontainable fire?"

"Yeah?"

Twilight looked at the ground. "It didn't grant me immortality."

Applejack facehooved. "Twilight, what did I tell you about messin' with the laws of nature?"

Twilight sighed. "It's wrong and it comes with consequences I can hardly foresee."

"Then why in Equestria did you push forward with this?"

Twilight shrugged. "You weren't there to nag me, so I thought this was my chance."

Rolling her eyes, Applejack put a hoof on her friend's back. "What did you learn?"

"That you're usually right about these things," Twilight muttered.

Just then, something whizzed past them, hitting the ground with a massive thud. They both rushed over to see what it was.

Rainbow Dash lay in a heap amidst the crater she had made in the dirt. She rolled to her belly, wincing as she tried to stand and stretch her wings. "Ow..."

"Rainbow Dash?" Applejack narrowed her eyes. "I should've known. What kind of dang fool thing was that?"

Dash gave her a weak grin. "My newest trick." She coughed. "Only it didn't actually work this time. Heh."

"New trick? You mean--"

Dash nodded, her grin widening. "Aw, yeah! The Rainbow Dash's Patented Sonic Loop Blitz!" She tried to stand again, abandoning the attempt as soon as her full weight was on her legs.

Applejack shook her head. "Now, Dash, I thought I told you to check with Twilight before trying these bonehead maneuvers of yours to see if they're safe!"

Dash raised an eyebrow. "Uh, I did."

Lowering her head, Twilight looked away from Applejack. "I was too busy with my potion to even check."

Applejack stomped her hoof into the dirt. "Consarnit, girls! At least have a little sense!"

Just then, something roared on the edge of the Everfree. Somepony squealed in terror.

"That sounds like Fluttershy!" For a third time, Applejack galloped off toward a friend in peril.

"No, uh, that's fine! I'll just be here!" Dash called.

"Rub some dirt on it!" came Applejack's response.

Dash rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, "rub some dirt on it." That'll help." She shook her head. She found herself looking from her bruised body to the dirt. "Oh, what the hay." Dash smeared it over her injured legs. "There's no way that--" She stood easily. "Oh hey, it worked!"


...


Meanwhile, Applejack was whipping some kind of fierce mutant creature. She was starting to lose track of what the Everfree's abominations were called. Fluttershy was in tears, clinging tightly to Twilight.

"He seemed like he'd be friendly!" she sobbed. "And then the big meanie roared and tried to bite my head off!"

Applejack wrangled her lasso around the thing's torso, pulling it tight. It gave one last mighty roar, then toppled onto its behind. She quickly tied off all of its limbs. Even the weird slimy tentacle ones.

"Fluttershy, next time couldja please make sure there's somepony with you before you try to befriend," she looked at the creature, "that?!"

Fluttershy nodded, rocking herself in Twilight's hooves. "I just wanted to be friends. I just wanted to be friends," she said over and over.

Scootaloo burst through the door of the cottage. "Applejack! Thank goodness you're here! Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are stranded on the vines above the lake!"

"So? That lake's perfectly fine. They can swim."

Laughing nervously, Scootaloo shrunk back. "Yeah, about that..." She bit her lip. "We kinda-sorta-maybe... filled it with cragodiles."

"You what?!" Applejack yelled.

"We thought we'd get our cutie marks in cragodile taming!" Scootaloo lowered her head. "Instead, the cragodiles tamed us.

With a sigh, Applejack straightened her hat. "Lead the way."

Yet again Applejack found herself being dragged to clean up somepony else's mess. It wasn't easy being the voice of reason in a town of crazies. But somehow, Applejack did it.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.