//------------------------------//
// Nuts 
// Story: Appledashery 
// by Just Essay 
//------------------------------//

	Rainbow Dash rummaged through the branches of a pine tree.  She looked up... down... left and right.  At last, there was a patch of scurrying movement.  Rainbow squinted into an array of intersecting branches.  There, she spotted a bushy tail and a pair of beady-eyes glinting back at her.

Rainbow pointed her hoof at the figure, then raised a clipboard to her lips.  She drew an additional hash-mark across the sheet... then dove off the tree.

Fwoooosh!  Rainbow joined Fluttershy on the ground of the Ponyville park where she was sliding beads across an abicus.

"Found eight more," Rainbow said, waving the clipboard.  "Three in the thicket, four in the bushes, and one in the pine tree up there."

"Oh, how wonderful!"  Fluttershy smiled, sliding another bead across.  "At this rate, I'll be able to feed the otters by sundown!"

"Yeah, well, there's still the southwest end of the park to cover."

"There aren't many trees there," Fluttershy said.  "It shouldn't take much longer."  She looked up with a grin.  "Thank you so much for helping me accomplish the annual Ponyville Squirrel Census, Rainbow.  Who knew you had such an eye for finding bushy-tailed rodents?"

"Yeah, well..."  Rainbow Dash coughed, then looked over her shoulder.  "It wasn't exactly a talent I was born with."

Fluttershy giggled.

Rainbow squinted.  "What?"

"I'm just trying to imagine you with a squirrel for a cutie mark."  Fluttershy covered her grinning muzzle.  "Strangely appropriate."

"Yeah...?"  Rainbow slid a pen behind her ear and smirked curiously.  "In what way?"

"Well, sometimes, if I squint really hard... I can imagine you as a fuzzy blue squirrel with a rainbow tail."

"Eugh..."  Rainbow rolled her eyes.  "Fluttershy, I swear.  You're as weird as they get."

"Maybe it's because you're so fuzzy and pet—"

"Don't you start."

"Erm... r-right."  Fluttershy nervously picked up her abicus and began strolling towards the southwest edge of the park.  "Still, it is nice of you to help out.  I would have asked Big Macintosh, but..."

"But what?"  Rainbow followed her with the clipboard.

"He's been super busy as of late."

Rainbow arched an eyebrow.  "Coltfriend problems, Flutters?"

"Oh no." Fluttershy shook her head with a grin.  "He just has to pull double-time today and tomorrow at the farm ever since Applejack—"  Her pupils shrank and she bit her lip.

"... ... ...ever since Applejack what?"

"Oh!  Uhhhh... look, Rainbow!"  Fluttershy pointed high at the nearest branches.  "There's a whole family up there!  Including Albert!  Have you ever seen an albino squirrel?"

"Is Applejack okay?!"

"Rainbow, I-I thought you came here so that you would—"

"She's not sick or anything—?!"

"Oh, goodness, no!"  Fluttershy shook her head.  "She's merely having a... a..."  She grimaced.

"... ... ..."  Rainbow Dash blinked.  "A date."

"Well..."  Fluttershy fidgeted.  She blew a lock of pink hair out from before her face.  "What's in a word?  Things... are up to interpretation, after all."

Rainbow clenched her eyes shut.  She shook in place.

"Uhm... Rainbow?"  Fluttershy winced.  "Are.... are you going to be okay?"

At last, Rainbow relaxed with a sigh.  "...of course, Flutters.  After all..."  She flapped her wings.  "I've got squirrels to count."  FWOOOOOOOOOOSH!  She soared into the treetops with the force of an exploding rocket.

"Rainbow!  Please!  Not so fast—!"  Fluttershy winced as a resounding THUDDDD emanated from the trees.  The air filled with angry barking, and two squirrels fell from a great height.  "Eeep!"  Flinching, Fluttershy darted left and right, catching the angry rodents in her soft embrace.  She sighed, nuzzling them so that they calmed down.  "Thank Celestia I didn't ask her help in the annual Porcupine Round-Up..."