• Published 4th Jun 2012
  • 28,259 Views, 2,509 Comments

Rainbooms and Royalty - Trinary



Alternate Universe: Filly Rainbow Dash has just performed her Sonic Rainboom when she gets a visitor

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Roosting

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Rainbow Dash flapped her wings as rode the warm morning air. Canterlot was still visible, but just a shape on the mountainside. Looking below she saw farmland and homes set out in a sprawl. She waved idly at the ponies below her, but none of them looked up. It wasn’t long before her stomach politely reminded her that she hadn’t had breakfast—or anything since last night’s disastrous dinner party—and if she didn’t so something about it her stomach would quickly become roommates with her backbone.

Unable to argue with a grumbling stomach, Rainbow Dash looked around for someplace where she could grab a bite. Seeing as she was flying over an enormous apple orchard she decided not to look a gift pony in the mouth and settled down in one of the trees. She found herself surrounded by the richest, fullest and most delicious looking apples she’d ever seen. Licking her lips greedily, she yanked an apple off the branch and tossed it up in the air, catching it and taking a bite in one smooth motion. “Hrrrrrm!”

Getting comfortable, she settled back in the branches and helped herself to a few more. When she was full she patted her stomach contentedly and belched. “Heh, no need to excuse myself for that here!” She smirked, feeling free from the confines and rules of Canterlot.

Rainbow Dash soon found herself drifting off into a bit of a nap. It wasn’t long before it was rudely interrupted by the tree shaking. “W-whoa!” She grabbed for the branches a split second too late as she tumbled out of the tree and towards a yellow-orange earth pony beneath her. “Look out belooow!” She cried.

The earth pony looked up and Rainbow Dash got to see her green eyes grow big as she fell. “Aw nuts.” The pony managed to get out before being flattened by Rainbow Dash.

“Oooooh.” Rainbow Dash groaned. The pony beneath her grumbled something. “Huh? What?”

“Gerroff!” The orange pony grunted as she bucked Dash off her. “Landsakes!” She groaned as she climbed to her hooves, cracking her back. “How’s a skinny little thing like you weigh so much?”

“Hey! For your information this is muscle and everypony knows that muscle weighs more than fat!” Dash protested as she also got up, flapping her wings to straighten them out. “Who are you anyway?”

“Ah’m Applejack and y’all ‘re sleeping in MAH apple trees!” She stomped her hoof. “This is Sweet Apple Acres, not a motel! Now, y’mind telling me who you are? Never seen you ‘round these here parts before.”

“The name’s Rainbow Dash!” The pegasus grinned as she put her hooves behind her head as she ‘sat’ in midair. “I guess you could say that I’m just passing through.”

“Passin’ through huh?” Applejack frowned as she looked at the apple cores that littered the ground beneath the tree. “An’ helping yerself to a bunch of mah apples while you’re at it, huh?”

Rainbow Dash gave a nonchalant shrug. “Hay, yeah…they were great!”

“Thank yew kindly.” Applejack deadpanned. “Ah’d sooner you paid for yer apples with bits than compliments.”

“Hm? Oh, right I—erm.” Dash sheepishly patted herself down. “I, uh, kinda left without any bits.”

Applejack snorted. “That right? You left your home without any money?”

“It was a bit sudden.” Rainbow allowed, not wanting to say more. Distressingly, Applejack seemed to see right through her. Her face softened a touch.

“Sugarcube, are you runnin’ away from something?”

Dash shook her head. “No, I’m not! I’m just…I just needed a break. That’s all.” She took a half step back. “Sorry about your apples, I swear I’ll pay you back…I’ll just go.” She leaped into the air and started to fly only to feel a sudden tug on her tail as she was yanked backwards.

“Woah there nelly!” Applejack said around a mouthful of tail. “Not s’fast! Ptah!” She spat out the multicolored tail. “Listen hun, ah don’t rightly know what your story is, but if you need to rest a spell, well we got plenty of room here at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“…I thought you said you weren’t a motel?” Rainbow grinned.

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, don’t go expecting room service, but me and mah kin always have a door open to anypony who needs it. In fact, we’re about to have a passel of relatives over for the family reunion. Ifn you’d care to stick around, you can pay us back for the apples by helping us set up. Afterwards, we’ll have plenty of tasty vittles! Apple pies, apple fritters, caramel apples, apple brioche, apple brown betty and heaps of good old Apple Family Cider, saved special for the occasion!”

Dash shrugged. “Cider huh? Sounds neat. Never had any.”

“Oh, you don’t know what you’ve been missing!” Applejack grinned. Rainbow Dash found herself grinning too. There was just something about her…perhaps it was her lack of airs, her country manners or just her down-to-earth attitude, but Dash found herself liking Applejack. She wasn’t like the mares in Canterlot. She was…honest. With herself, with who she was and that placed her way ahead in Rainbow Dash’s book from all the pretentiousness and fakers she had to put up with.

“Deal!” Dash spat on her hoof and was surprised to see that Applejack did the same without any hesitation. The two ponies bumped their hooves together. “Sounds like it’ll be a blast AJ!”

“Heh, it sure will RD.” Applejack winked. “An iff’n you want to talk about whatever it is you’re, ‘taking a break’ from, I’m all ears.”

“…Thanks.” Rainbow Dash stretched her wings, trying to extricate herself from having some lame, ‘soft’ moment. “So, you look pretty fit.”

Applejack gave a snort. “Gee, thanks.”

“You up for having some fun?” The cyan pegasus grinned in a way that made the country mare uneasy.

She gave a hesitant step back. “Uh, what kinda ‘fun’ are you talking about?” AJ asked with a twinge of worry.

“Competition!” Rainbow Dash beat her wings. “Races, hoof wrestles, name your speed and I’ll beat it!”

AJ’s eyes widened as her mouthed formed an ‘o’ shape. “Ooh. Sure!” She wiped her forehead with her leg. “That’s a relief.”

“…What did you think I meant?” Rainbow tilted her head.

“Nothing.” Applejack said quickly, her nose scrunched up as her eyes darted this way and that, looking at everything but Rainbow Dash.

“Applejaaack…” She tapped her hoof impatiently even as she made a mental note to play poker with her sometime. The earth pony was the worst liar ever.

“Ah didn’t mean nothing by it! Except for, well, you kinda made it sound like…” AJ trailed off.

Rainbow looked like she was starting to get the picture. “…You didn’t think that I--?” A look of enlightenment lit up her face. “You did! Didn’t you?”

Applejack gave a weak, sheepish smile. “Well, what with your mane and all…”

“Arg!” Rainbow Dash facehooved. “It’s my natural color!”

“Sorry!” Applejack cleared her throat. “A-anyway, as much as I’d like to have a throw down with you sugarcube, I cain’t. I’ve got chores to do. After all, these apples won’t buck themselves! Maybe later?”

“Sure, I guess.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

Seeing her annoyed look, Applejack put a hoof on her withers. “Ah’m sorry Rainbow, I really am. Look, I’ll be a while. Why don’t you head into town for a bit and I’ll catch up with you?”

“Hmm, there anyplace where I can grab a snack or something?” She asked, her annoyance already gone.

Applejack scratched her muzzle with her hoof. “Well, there’s always Sugarcube Corner. Big ol’ sweet place, looks like you could literally eat the walls. But—”

“Sounds good! Catch you later Applejack!” Rainbow Dash called as she took to the air. “Better step back ‘cause I’m gonna show you why I’m the most awesome pony ever!” Flapping her wings quickly, Rainbow Dash zoomed through the tries, slaloming quickly through the tightly packed trees and then burst up; through the canopies and up into the sky, flying so fast she left a rainbow trail as she went into town.

Applejack whistled. “Woohee, girl sure is fast!” She made a face. “A mite too fast, I reckon. Never got to warn her…ah well, she’ll figure it out soon enough.” She chuckled.

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