• Published 9th Feb 2012
  • 6,880 Views, 346 Comments

Of Horseshoes, Apples, and Feathers - Gutovi



Rainbow Dash x Applejack & Scootaloo x Apple Bloom FimFic

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Three is a Crowd

Octavia's Note, the second most fancy and beautiful restaurant in all of Ponyville. The walls were painted by a famous artist, and the furniture was all made in Canterlot. The entertainment that night, as usual was the Ponyville Orchestra, since one of them, the cellist, was the one entrusted by Horte Cuisine to run the establishment.

The light was dim, the music was right; a sweet fragrance lingered in the air... Romance was palpable in the atmosphere present, and it showered two mares in love, who were sitting in one of the many tables.

But something was off... A third, pink pony with a bubbly personality and curly hair was sitting close to one of them, rubbing cheeks. An orange earth pony's blood was boiling at the sight.

Applejack planned a very special dinner for two, and now she was stuck here with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, who was acting much mushier than usual with her cyan friend which, though she wasn't showing it, was getting to her nerves.

She inhaled deeply and sighed, for about the eleventh time since they found the party animal waiting for them outside the restaurant, and harshly said "Say Pinkie Pie... Would y'all come again on how y'all got such an intelligent, level-headed and sane mare like Octavia to let y'all change OUR reservation?"

Pinkie Pie stopped hugging Rainbow Dash to reply

"Oh, I know this one!" She leaned to the left, looking at the blank space where she used to be "Of course you know it, you were the one who changed it." She leaned to the right, staring to the place where she was seconds ago "Oh I'm sorry missy, for trying to ease the tension" Back to the left "Tension you say? Oh P-lease, if there's tension in here is your fault!" Right "My fault? It's your fault! You missy, are making them uncomfortable" Left "They are uneasy because her friend is talking to herself! If you haven't noticed, we are the same pony." You know where "YOU DON'T SAY! Oh, come on, we both know no matter what we do now, the tree will end up leaf-less, and there will be a forth one, and there will be a dancing pony, and the cloud will witness something the reader won-"

"Pinkie Pie, fer the love of Luna stop it! What's up with y'all?" Yelled Applejack, making not only Pinkie Pie stop talking and freeze, but also Rainbow Dash and half of the restaurant.

Pinkie Pie moved her mouth to one side and whispered to her prior location "I told you she was uncomfortable..."

Applejack sighed and said "Ah'm mighty sorry Pinkie... Ah've been on mah nerves since..."

"Since I found you two in the park?"

Applejack thought about it for a second and answered "Yes! Right there!" "Please take the hint gal, please take the hint, please take the hint"

Pinkie Pie put a hoof on her chin and looked at Applejack, thoughtful.

"And after y'all left, Ah started feelin' a bit better, that is until y'all-"

"Until you met with me here at the restaurant!"

"Eyup, n' even a bit more after y'all-"

"After I rushed to sit right next to Dashie?"

"Eeexactly"

"Wow... look at all that coincidences! That's a doozy my Pinkie Sense can't predict."

Applejack tried hard not to facehoof, but couldn't help to let a groan.

Rainbow Dash, trying to calm the waters asked "So Pinks, you never got to tell us how you got to change the reservation meant just for me and Applejack."

"Oh yeah, you're right."

"And please, no talking to yourself this time" clarified Rainbow Dash.

"Okie Dokie Lokie! Okay, the thing is this. After I left you two in the park I thought 'Boy, poor AJ, she probably wants to invite me, but the reservations are already done and she won't be able to change them', that's when I remembered, I knew Octavia! And I could ask her to change the reservation as a favor!" She happily said.

Before Applejack could ask her, Pinkie Pie was already answering "So I told her your problem, and that we met, and that we wanted to hang out, and also that you that you were sorry because the reservation was already than, and that-"

"Can't you say all that without saying 'and that' every two words?" groaned Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie was getting both mares on their nerves by now.

"Oopsie Woopsie Dashie, yes I can, of course I can and I will! Soooo.... I told her that maybe she could just change the reservation, but she told me 'First, Pinkie Pie, reservations can not be changed, this is a first-class restaurant, and it was enough trouble to get her the table, changing it would mean a lot more trouble. And second, even if I were... understanding enough to accede to do such a thing, I would only let Miss Applejack change it, not you.' Buuuut" She inhaled to continue
"IrememberedsomethingthatcouldchangehermindandItoldherandIactuallychangeditsoIgotthetablechange!"

"What did you do?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Oh, I remembered next Sunday would be a whole year since her first date with her now super special somepony, so I offered to make the best anniversary date ever for her, for free, taking into account their likes and preferences. She agreed and changed the reservations."

"How did y'all know she has a special somepony? And when was her first date? I never knew she had a coltfriend..."

"Well, I know about her date because it was in Sugarcube Corner! Though it wasn't actually a date, well, it never started as one... but one thing lead to another and... Oh, and she doesn't have a coltfriend..." After a few seconds of thinking, she realized what she just said "Oops, I talked a bit too much... Well the important part is that I could change it! And that's how we're here together now!" She put on a fake smile and a drop of sweat formed on her brow.

"Wait, what do you mean she doesn't have a... Don't tell me she's a..."

"C'mon Rainbow, don't be like that, if she is that's no skin off yer muzzle."

"Oh, no, I'm totally cool with that, I'm just... surprised."

"I knew it, Dashie wouldn't be such a hard skull to be intolerant about that kind of things" Pinkie Pie said hugging Dash.

Applejack frowned at the sight "Easy cowgirl, this is Pinkie Pie yer friend, y'all can't get like this! Relax, and try to ignore her n' talk to Rainbow." She inhaled deeply. "So.... Rainbo-" She was cut mid-sentence by Pinkie Pie, who asked

"Oh Dashie, do you remember that time when you were flying on the fields next to Ponyville, and that I went there to see you, and you flew up, up, high, until you looked like a teensy weensy itty bitty little spot in the sky, and then you plummeted down like whoosh!" Every action described was followed by very amusing hoof movements and special effects, courtesy of the pink maned party animal. " And then you were about to hit the ground but... Swash! You made a ninety degrees turn, flying parallel to the ground, you closed your eyes and, without knowing, you flew directly towards me, and we collided, ending a few hooves away!"

"Pfft... That ain't nuthin'!"

Applejack couldn't stop herself in that moment, she felt something between jealousy and pride, she wasn't going to let Pinkie Pie steal her rainbow mare, nor have the best crash, she would have it and nopony else.

"One time, when we were jes lil' fillies, this crazy daredevil pegasus was flyin' 'round mah orchard at great speed, 'cause she came down from Cloudsdale nosedivin', Ah was jes walkin' out of the barn, after helpin' Big Mac with sum chores. Ah closed mah eyes to take in the sweet fragrance of freshly ripped apples that covered the whole orchard, but instead, Ah got tackled. Ah never saw her, n' she never saw me, out of nowhere, Ah was mid-air, dragged by a small but fast flyin' pony"

"Yeah! Normally, back then, I wouldn't be able to lift her off the ground that easily, but since I had such a momentum that moment, that I took her up in the air without noticing."

"But the strength left'er soon n' Ah started dragging'er down. Unluckily, or luckily, now that Ah think 'bout it, we ended up crashin' into mah bedroom's window, fell on mah bed, sprung n' finally landed on mah bedroom floor. Ah was on top, pinning her to the ground. We spent a whole minute, starin' at each other's eyes, tryin' to understand what jes happened"

"Yeah, great job Rainbow Dash, that was a very good second impression, destroy your new friend's bedroom!" said the cyan pegasus grinning slightly.

"After we put two and two together, we realized what she had jes done n' her eyes started watering n' her mouth started poutin'."

"Yeah... I felt awful, after all the troubles I put you trough the first time we met, I came back just to break your stuff... This crazy cowfilly saw I was about to burst out crying, and even if we had met just once, she hugged me tight and told me everything was going to be alright, that she'll fix it later... She only cared for my wellbeing."

"N' Ah still do Sugarcube, y'all know its always mah first priority."

Rainbow Dash's heart fluttered a bit and doubled it's heartbeats at the comment, her cheeks started turning a bit pink, so she looked at the table while saying "A-after a few minutes I relaxed, and the two of us burst out laughing our flanks off. The whole situation was ridiculous!"

The two ponies started chuckling.

"It still is Sugarcube!" The orange mare looked at Pinkie Pie and asked "Can y'all picture Dash, Equestria's fastest flyer, young daredevil, first pony to ever pull off the Sonic Rainboom, whimperin' n' feelin' all guilty 'bout breaking sumthin? N' me tryin' to comfort a pony Ah jes met?"

Pinkie Pie started giggling "That IS kinda funny! I never knew your story was like that! Dashie, why you never told me how you two met?" she said hugging the cyan mare and pouting at her with puppy eyes.

Applejack's smile faded and she narrowed her eyes.

"Umm... I dunno. There are a lot of things I've never told you. Don't take it personal, mostly is because I never thought you would like to hear it."

"Well I never thought you had adventures and funny stories with Applejack!"

"Oh you don't even have a clue! This crazy cowpony must be the one I have most stories to tell. When we were little fillies, nopony could separate us, we were like just one pony!"

"Ooh, ooh, so you were like... Appledash! Or were you Rainbowjack? When did you two became two different ponies?" Inquired the hyperactive mare.

"Not like that! You're so random sometimes... I meant we did everything together." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

"Everything? Even going to the bathroom?"

"Okay Pinkie, y'all are jes being silly now... though we did bathe together frequently, y'all remember Dash?" asked the orange mare.

"Of course I do! Who wouldn't miss your back scrubbing? You were so good at that! Look at me, years have passed since the last bath together, and I still remember how good you were."

"Dash, Ah know y'all are lazy, but being a grown pony n' wanting somepony to scrub yer back is jes plain ridiculous"

"First of all, I CAN be that lazy, second, it's not a matter of being lazy, its because you were awesome at it, not even I can do such a good work on my own wings and back. And for the record, even if you tell me it's ridiculous, I'm not going to miss them less." Rainbow stuck out her tongue.

"Hey, could I ask you two how you ended up bathing together?" asked Pinkie Pie, hugging the cyan pegasus.

"There ain't no need on huggin' her if y'all are jes asking a question..." Applejack was NOT happy about this attitude... was she always like this? Or did she just get a huge crush on Rainbow, right when Applejack realized she loved the crazy pegasus? She wasn't sure, but she would like it if it stopped. Unluckily, the night hasn't ended yet, and no matter how many hints she threw at her, Pinkie Pie was not going anywhere. The question remained unanswered for some seconds, until Rainbow Dash spoke up

"Well... as I told you, we were always together on the orchard playing, and you know us, we are meant to get dirty..." "That sounded way weirder than in my head... Just play it cool, keep talking, and maybe they won't notice." "A-after we first met, I practically lived with AJ. She had this clubhouse, where the crusaders play nowadays, where we spent everyday and night. I barely touched Cloudsdale's clouds anymore..."

"What about Fluttershy?" asked the pink mare "You abandoned her or what?"

"Truth is Pinks, is that we weren't the best of friends back then... Yeah, I stood up for her as soon as she needed me, or I saw somepony was mocking her... I guess I had kind of a sweet spot for her, I couldn't see her suffer..." The cyan mare looked down and a soft smile appeared on her mouth.

"We all do Sugarcube... Ah think is like a second special talent that girl has, even if y'all jes met her, y'all jes GOTTA help her"

"Yeah, I'm her auntie Pinkie Pie, even if I'm a year younger than her"

"May Ah ask why the 'auntie' thing?"

"Because of my aunt Pinkie Pie! She always tried her best to make me smile"

"Your aunt is also called Pinkie Pie?"

"We all are!" stated happily the baker mare "Oh girls, I never told you about the Pinkie Pies?" looking at the expression of bewilderment on her friends' faces, the pink mare guessed she hadn't "Oh silly me! Ok look, once each generation, in our family, one of the Pies is born pink, blue eyed and with a special talent to make other's happy, we are all called differently, but when we discover our talent, we are called Pinkies. I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie, my predecessor was my aunt Pinkaroline Pie, and before her was granny Pinkatherine Pie, you know, the one who taught me the song about laughing at the thing that scare you..."

"Oh... THAT granny Pie..."

"N' why does this happen to y'all, any clue?" inquired the hard-working earth pony.

"Not a single one, but we humbly accept our responsibility on continuing the legacy. Besides, it's tons of fun! Being a Pinkie means I have the Pinkie Sense, I'm not easily tired; I always get ideas... but being a Pinkie also means I can mess with the readers!
like this,
or like this,
,siht ekil ro
'sıɥʇ ǝʞıl ɹo
,またはこのような!”"

The cyan pegasus and the orange mare looked at each other, then back at their friend, who was talking strangely to apparently... the roof. Soon enough they realized that it was silly to even try to comprehend Pinkie Pie, so they decided to resume their chat.

"Hey AJ... I was hoping for us to get some alone time later... I wanna talk to you about something really important."

"Ah know Sugarcube, Ah also gotta tell y'all sumthin', but now let's enjoy a good meal n' have fun." "Oh mah stars... could it be? No, no, she must be talking about something else... maybe she needs a favour or sumthin'."

"Applejack wanna talk with me something important, and she knows? But she wanna have a good meal before, and fun? Why would you... Oh No! She knows I'm in love with her, but she doesn't feel the same way so she's going to ditch me, and she doesn't want to ruin the night this early, so she's going to ruin it after we finish eating!?" her eyes started watering a bit, and she needed to look away, but she regain composure to talk again.

"Hey writer!"

...

"Hey you, writer! Gutovi-kun, answer me for Celestia's sake!"

Oh, so it's not enough to mess with my head, now you have to mess with my stories too?

"Hey, what do you mean by that?"

Pinkamena Diane Pie, you better stay in character missy, or I won't write that story for you.

"Story? What story? What are you talking about?"

The story you... Oh... so it wasn't you in a dress... I must say that your aunt Pinkaroline is awfully similar to you... I kinda knew it, it was hard to believe you would ask me to write a story about you and...

"And who? AND WHO!?"

You are not allowed to know that... Maybe, if you act like a real sweetheart and follow the story, you will get to know.

"Grr... Ok, I'll play your little games for now..."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash had stopped paying attention at her long ago, and soon after Pinkie stopped talking to apparently no one, Applejack was getting impatient and her belly was too.

"This is strange fer a fancy restaurant... we don't have plates nor glasses... we don't even have cutlery! Ain't nopony gonna bring us the menus at least?"

As if summoned by some kind of spell, a waiter came and brought them the menus.

"I am sorry for making you wait ladies, I will be back in a minute to get your orders."

They were about to skim the list of food when they found it to be in a completely strange language, literally.

"Horsefeathers, what is this?"

"French, obviously"

"Fre-what now Sugarcube?"

"What they speak on France."

"Pinkie, there's no such thing as France in Equestria..."

"Oh right, we're on Equestria... I meant this is what they talk in... Prance, that place with the Eiffoal Tower and l'Arc du Triunfilly."

"Ah... That's the city Rarity n' Fluttershy are always talkin' 'bout..."

"Yeah, the place is known for its fashion and fancy food. Fluttershy loves that kind of fashion, Rarity loves all types of fashion, and they both enjoy this kind of food, so it's pretty much a city both would love to visit."

"Well... Ah would love to see if this here food is as good as everypony says, but Ah don't have a clue 'bout what any of this here mean!"

"It's easy peasy lemon squeezy. This one is a daisy and cucumber salad, this is a carnation gratine with apples on one side..."

"You actually understand this?"

"Well duh, I just changed the language option"

"Sugarcube, there's no such thing"

"Of course there is! Look."

She put her hoof in the air and removed it after a few seconds.

"¿Ves? Ahora está en español!"

She repeated the process and started talking normally again

"O-ok... Ah think Ah'll try the daisy salad..."

"I'm going to go with the apple one, I love apples."

"And I think I'll have the... I...I-I..." She started stuttering as soon as the three glasses were served on the table "Y-you're doing it on purpose, aren't you Gutovi-kun?"

You reap what you sow

"As an apology for the delay, three glasses of our finest wine, on the house" the waiter explained

Looking at her friend's expression, Applejack asked "What's the matter Pinkie? Y'all don't like it?"

"Actually... It's quite the opposite" Pinkie corrected swallowing hard. "I-I... I really must go now."

"What's wrong? Pinks are you okay?" Rainbow Dash inquired.

"YES! Finally she's going!" thought Applejack.

"Y-yes... I-I like wine, but I really shouldn't drink it, like... really shouldn't." Her hoof was quivering in front of the glass.

Her friends looked at her concerned, even though they were happy she was finally leaving them alone, the way she was acting was very preoccupying.

Suddenly the pink pony grabbed the glass, drank it and ran away, out of the restaurant.

"What was that?"

"Ah dunno... but at least she's gone..."

"I... suppose she's not going to accompany you two tonight...?" asked the waiter.

"Ah guess not..."

"Anyways, what would you like to order ladies?"

"Ah'm having a daisy salad with-" she was cut mid-sentence by the waiter.

"Cucumber, alright, and you?"

"The carnation gratine with apples on side."

"Alright, I will be right back with your plates."

The waiter walked away, back to the kitchen."

"I always wondered how they remember all the things you order... Yeah, right now we ordered just two things, but what about when you come with your family, or when we come with the rest of the girls, and ask one thing to eat and another to drink, each, and they don't even write it down! I would love to have such a good memory..."

"Yeah, Ah also usually wonder how they do it. Now... while we wait, what do y'all wanna talk 'bout? Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

Rainbow Dash blushed slightly "I can't tell her right now... if it goes wrong, then the whole meal would be ruined, and maybe we would start a scandal in the middle of the restaurant... I'll better tell her after we finish eating..." "Oh, that, umm... Why don't we talk about it later?"

"Alrighty Sugarcube... Hey, y'all remember the first time we met?"

"How could I ever forget it?"


----



Summer Flight Camp was over, days were quiet, days were calm...

Luckily, she was not going to see the dumbass trio of colts that tormented her for at least three months.

Unluckily, she was not going to see that cute shy pegasus that she had protected for at least three months. It was a shame, she wanted to get to know her better, she looked like somepony she could trust. There was something in that filly that drove her to protect her from every being, pony or monster, that could even think of trying to hurt the fragile pale-yellow filly... Maybe her special talent was mind control.

Summer Flight Camp was over, days were quiet, days were calm...

There was no pony to bother, there was no pony to watch her do amazing things, there was no pony to race.

Summer Flight Camp was over, days were quiet, days were calm... And days were bucking boring as hay.

Having an inherited cloud mansion just for her would be awesome someday, but as a filly, it was just boring... boring and lonely. She might as well fly down to the ground, one of these days she had to find that place she usually dreamt of.

Every night was the same, only varying on how close she got to that strange secret place. Every night, as soon as she rested her head on the pillow, the same vision.



She had surpassed those three dumb colts that messed with the pink maned shy pegasus, whose name escaped her now, and the air was starting to become a physical barrier, but that was not going to stop her, not Rainbow Dash, she was not going to stop, she could break it, she was going to break it... And she broke it.

She suddenly felt lighter, the air wasn't a burden no more and when she looked over her shoulder, she noticed a rainbow trail behind her, a giant rainbow-colored ring that expanded and her cutie mark glowing brightly. After re-living that moment a thousand times, it wasn't really that awesome, but what came next, in her dreams, was what made her look forward to fall asleep every night.

The difference between the dreams and what happened to her weeks ago was that here she could also see an orange and yellow blur far away in the distance, glowing from a grey dull block. She couldn't make out what was it, but she wanted to catch it. She turned towards the blur, but the unknown haze moved as well. Somehow, the orange thing was following her rainbow wake towards a green field with red specks, yet Rainbow Dash was following the blur. But, as everypony knows, dreams don't usually make sense or follow reality's laws, and for Rainbow, there was nothing wrong with it at the time.

As she got closer to the field, a nice smell flooded her nostrils, she wasn't sure what was it, but she liked it, and it was also an indicator that she was near to her prized mysterious haze.

The dream always ended there, she could see it in the distance, waiting for her in that strange green and red paradise, and every day Rainbow Dash woke up to fly down to the ground, searching until the sun was nearly set for that piece of Eden, where the blur was waiting for her. But today was different, she just knew it.

Rainbow Dash inhaled deeply, puffed out her chest and exited through one of her manor's window.




"Today's the day. Finally mah first time applebuckin'! Ah'll get them all down at the first attempt, Ah've trained mahself really hard fer it. Ah'm even sure Ah'll get one of them apples Granny Smith always talks 'bout, mah dream told me so!" a certain orange young farm-filly thought as she walked out of her bedroom, down the stairs towards the kitchen.

"Howdy sis, ready to go?"

"Of course Ah am big brother! Let's go get them apple trees apple...less?"

The humongous-for-his-age young colt couldn't hold it and started laughing at her sister.

"Ok Ah may not that good with words Big Mac, but that ain't a problem since Bucky Mc Gillicutty n' Kicks Mc Gee are gonna do the talkin'." Applejack said raising her hind legs in cue to their names announcement.

"Ah like yer backbone sis, but don't be too hard on them trees, or y'all end up leaving a dent. N' y'all don't wanna hurt'em do y'all?"

"Of course not! Ah care fer every single tree on this here orchard as if were kin, n' y'all know it! Ah could even tell y'all the name of each apple tree right now!"

"Ah know y'all can, but that would take us all afternoon, n' we gotta finish before sunset, so lets get goin'." Big Macintosh stated, walking out the door of the Apple family house.



For the second time since she started making this trips, she decided to go south. Last time she went that way, she flung through Canterlot and got to a little town called Ponyville, but as soon as she got there, it was almost sunset, so she had to go back before night caught her and she couldn't get to her own home. But today, she decided to head south earlier in the day, which meant she could get to the town's outskirts, luckily...

She nosedived to gain speed and flew directly to Ponyville, since she had already searched around last time she headed south, she didn't had to slow down. This, along with the speed burst of the several feet nosedive, she got there in no time.

The wind felt great on her coat, but sadly she had to slow down so she could search the area... "But it feels so good... The sun warming my coat, the wind blowing my mane, and my problems away as well, the sweet, sweet smell of..." her eyes opened wide "That's it! That's the smell of my dreams! I must be nea-"

Before she could finish her sentence, she realized she was flying head first into a tree with some red fruits. "Whoa! That was a close one" she said evading the tree, just to find another one, and another, and a third one after that and an almost interminable row of trees. She did what she knew best, twist and turn between the trees, slowing down until she was almost at a stop.

She decided to turn up and reach for a branch. As soon as she got to the branch, she noticed the red fruit in front of her.

"What is this thing?"

Rainbow Dash inspected it, looking at it from different angles, until she decided it was probably not dangerous. Besides... that sweet smell was calling her, and her tummy was grunting from hunger.



Applejack was following her brother Big Macintosh through the orchard. She has been told minutes ago to walk quietly so she wouldn't disturb the trees. She thought that being trees they couldn't be 'disturbed' but Big Mac told her that they had feelings too, so she did as told and walked quietly. "Ah'll show mah big brother Ah can buck them trees jes like him. Ah'll bring'em all down, Ah know it."

Her brother was taking her to the farthest side of the orchard, there, the trees were pretty young, which meant they were weaker, and it was probably the best to start practicing for a little filly.

After some walking, the red colt found the perfect one. He stopped walking and so did his sister, he faced her and signalized by craning his neck to the side towards the tree. She got the message, nodded and with a determined face walked towards the tree, turned around, lowered her head and...



"Oh my bucking Celestia! This is so sweet and amazing and... Oh gosh this is great..." Rainbow Dash was savouring the red delicious fruit on her hooves. Her eyes were watering, she never tasted something that sweet! But when she was about to bite it again, a loud thud was heard and the whole tree shook.

"Whoa!" the cyan pegasus lost her balance and fell from the branch. All she could see was a big orange blur quickly coming closer. She felt the impact and a crack...



That couldn't be good...