//------------------------------// // Chapter Five: Rainbow Dash // Story: Love is in Bloom // by MuddyWaters //------------------------------// I showed up at Sweet Apple Acres first thing in the morning. I was the first one there, and only AJ was awake, which I found just a little odd. Normally all three of the Apples liked to get up nice and early to get a head start on the days chores. And where was Pinkie Pie? She was always up early, and I was the one of us three who slept latest. So, why was I the second one here today? "Hey, Applejack," I said, smiling. "Did you sleep well?" "I slept as good as I could, what with being worried we won't finish Apple Bucking season on time this year. It's tough when Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy are all gone." She stirred the pot of food on the stove that she was making. Whatever it was, it smelt good, even though I'd had a full breakfast at home before coming here. "Surely they'll be back soon?" I asked. "I don't know," Applejack replied, sighing. "Rarity left to do fashion, and who knows what Princess Celestia and Princess Luna wanted with Fluttershy and Twilight." She let out another sigh. "I'm just not sure how much more I can take right now." I could tell she was anxious, although I didn't quite understand why. Even with all of us, there was more than enough ponies to help. We could do it! I knew we could. "Well you have Pinkie Pie and me," I told her. "And Big Mac, and Apple Bloom. We'll pull it off, I know it." She didn't look like she believed me, and I wished I could say something to prove her otherwise. But, at that moment, Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh came down the stairs. They both looked sleepy, and they just nodded to me before heading to the fridge. "I made breakfast," Applejack told them. "It's maple oatmeal for the day." She served two bowls of the stuff from the pot she'd been stirring to her siblings, and then turned to me. "Would you like some, Rainbow?" "Nah," I responded. "I ate at home. Say, do you know what's taking Pinkie so long? She should've been here by now." It was weird, she was normally the first up of any of us, except perhaps Twilight, and yet the pink mare was nowhere to be found. "Haven't seen her," Applejack replied. "I hope she's okay." We waited for about another five minutes, while Big Mac and Apple Bloom ate. I was growing impatient. We weren't going to get anywhere just sitting around and doing absolutely nothing. There was still plenty of orchard left, and it was wasn't going to be done anytime soon. At that moment, Pinkie Pie came bouncing into the door. "Hi! Sorry I'm late, but I got distracted on the way here. Rose's birthday is today, and I wished her a happy birthday. And you know I like wishing everypony happy birthday in my own special way, so that they don't feel unspecial. And then I saw a tent by the edge of your orchard, Applejack, and I got curious but nopony was inside so I thought maybe it was just one of yours-" "A tent?" Applejack asked, cutting Pinkie off. "Yes! Isn't it weird?" Pinkie giggled. I didn't get the big deal. It was a tent, maybe somepony had decided to get an early start on cider season. Who knew? But apparently Applejack and her siblings thought otherwise. They all shared an uncertain glance, and then Applejack turned to us, and her green eyes seemed a bit sad. "I'm sorry y'all," she started, and I knew the rest wasn't going to be good. "I'm glad you could make it out here to help today, but it seems like we have an issue we need to deal with." "What is it?" I demanded. "Pinkie Pie and I will be glad to help with it." "It's not that kind of problem, Rainbow Dash," Applejack sighed. "it's just...Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and I need to deal with this on our own." "Oh," I said flatly. Then I narrowed my eyes. "Why? Is it some kind of secret? Why can't you have your friends with you?" "Rainbow Dash," Pinkie said, her blue eyes wide, and she almost seemed calm. "What?" I demanded, sounding harsher than I'd intended. She didn't seem phased. Instead, she said, 'Maybe they need to do this." "Thank you Pinkie Pie for understanding," Applejack responded, sounding a bit surprised. She then looked at me, and let out a smile. "I'd be mighty happy if you'd understand, Rainbow. I promise I'll explain this tomorrow. All I'll say is this: something happened last night after you gals left, and it brought up unwanted memories. Can you understand?" I nodded my head, after a second. "Do you Pinkie Promise to explain tomorrow?" "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She did the ridiculous motions that went with it. I nodded my head again, approving. I turned to Pinkie Pie, who was sitting down, looking off into the distance. I shook my head, not sure if I wanted to know what was going through her mind. It would no doubtfully confuse me in the end. "Let's go," I told the pink pony. "We'll just come back tomorrow." She got up, her blue eyes sparkling, and started to bounce out of the barn, singing about something that oddly sounded like love. I shook my head again, not knowing if she was being random or if she was just being Pinkie Pie. Either one was possible. I caught up to her, as she just finished singing. "Did you notice Applejack?" Pinkie asked me. "She was acting differently." "She was?" I asked. I hadn't noticed anything too different about her, besides her obvious lack of telling us whatever was going on, which I still couldn't understand. But, I knew I should respect her decision, even if it was a stupid one. Anyways, she Pinkie Promised to tell us about it tomorrow, and the last time she broke a Pinkie Promise, she had to deal with an angry Pinkie Pie. I doubted she wanted to deal with an angry Pinkie Pie again. The playful pink pony was scary when she was angry. "Yeah!" Pinkie exclaimed, jumping up. When she got back on the earth, she looked at me questionably, tilting her head to the side. "Didn't you notice? I thought it was obvious." Of course she did. It was Pinkie Pie after all. "Well it wasn't. How was she acting differently?" "Well duh, silly! She's acting like she's in love! I have a feeling she likes whoever's in that tent!" I started laughing. AJ, in love with somepony? The idea just seemed so ridiculous. For some reason, I couldn't imagine the farm pony to be in love. It just seemed unfathomable. Perhaps Pinkie was just being her crazy self. There was no need for me to go believe her, was there? Because Applejack couldn't be a pony in love. It wouldn't be fair! She couldn't be the first of us with a coltfriend! Well if she was in love, that just meant I had to find a stallion to love. I'd have to get a coltfriend before her! And I would spend today finding one.