Azure Edge

by Leaf Blade

25. The Best Laid Plans

Rainbow refused to listen to herself as she marched toward the ApplePie Smithery.

She refused to listen to the voice that said ‘you’re wasting your time’. She refused to listen to the voice that said ‘she’s isn’t going to like you’, or the voice that said ‘no one likes you, how could they?’

She just kept walking, hands in her pockets, until the bright pink sign came into view and a sense of comfort washed over her, a bubbling feeling of excitement following it.

It wasn’t until she saw the sign that she considered that maybe her plan—Twilight’s plan—might actually work. And what if it did? What if she actually managed to go out for drinks with Applejack and Pinkie Pie?

If Rainbow was being honest, she’d always kinda wanted to get to know Pinkie Pie better; Pinkie seemed cool, but Rainbow was always too worried that she might seem weird for… talking to Pinkie Pie? That didn’t make any sense, but when did her intrusive thoughts ever?

Rainbow hurried her pace to get to the smithery as soon as possible, but she stopped dead in her tracks as Pinkie Pie walked out—no, she stormed out, stomping madly away from the shop before sitting on a little stone fence just outside it, crossing her arms in a huff.

That’s probably not good.

Rainbow stood there, far enough away from the shop that Pinkie probably wouldn’t notice her, and wondered what she should do.

Like, obviously she should turn back the way she came, forget this whole nonsense and go home, right? Pinkie was obviously in a bad mood so asking her out for drinks now was out of the question, especially if she was mad at Applejack.

That should’ve been the thought that crossed her mind; maybe it was, and it just went completely ignored. Because all of Rainbow’s thoughts regarding Applejack and Twilight’s plan completely fell through when she saw Pinkie start to shiver in the cold, and she could almost see tears falling down the young woman’s cheeks.

Rainbow didn’t care about her big plans anymore, because in front of her was someone who needed help, and Rainbow couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

“Hey,” Rainbow said as she approached Pinkie, and she could tell that Pinkie was definitely crying. “Are you okay?”

“Um, yeah,” Pinkie said with a forced smile, looking up at Rainbow with teary eyes. “Yeah, I’m just fine! Just a long day at work!” Pinkie’s forced laugh was like a nail screeching down a glass window to Rainbow, who grit her teeth but affected a smile of her own.

“Pinkie Pie, right?” Rainbow asked as she took a step closer. “C’mon, I can tell something’s bothering you. If there’s something I can do to help, just let me know. I’m not only the best at helping ponies, I’m also discreet as heck, I promise!”

Pinkie looked up at Rainbow and a frown flickered across her face, but she bit her lip and glanced away. Rainbow’s stomach sank and she wondered if she screwed up, pressed too hard, or stuck her nose where it didn’t belong.

“You’re Rarity’s friend, right?” Pinkie asked. “From the Slayers? Rainbow, uh—”

Pinkie bit her lip again as she searched for the right name, but Dash chuckled and saved her the trouble.

“Rainbow Dash. And yeah, Rarity and I are buds.”

“Did she tell you about the spirit of the Everfree?”

Rainbow’s brow furrowed at the odd question. This was the first she was hearing of any spirit, or of the Everfree for that matter.

“I take it that was during the timberwolf mission?” Rainbow asked, receiving a shaky nod in reply. Rainbow sighed bitterly and shrugged. “Rarity didn’t tell me anything about the timberwolf mission, and I’ve been a little too distracted lately to have pressed her on it.”

“So she didn’t tell you,” Pinkie said bleakly.

“Nah,” Rainbow sat down next to Pinkie and put her hand on the mare’s shoulder. Pinkie almost flinched, but she seemed to relax pretty quickly, so Rainbow hesitantly kept her hand on Pinkie.

“Why don’t you tell me about it?” Rainbow asked, and Pinkie hesitated, a little mumbly grumble escaping under her breath. “I promise I won’t tell anypony if you don’t want me to.”

“I just—” Pinkie slouched and brought her legs up in front of her, wrapping her arms around them and curling into a ball. “I just don’t want anypony to laugh at me, or call me stupid.”

“Did Applejack say that?” Rainbow asked in alarm. “Or Rarity?”

“N-no!” Pinkie gasped. “No, nothing like that! It’s just-” Pinkie groaned “-I know they both think I’m weird.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Rainbow grumbled. “I always got weird looks in flight school and stuff, ponies always talked behind my back about me. It sucked.”

“Right?” Pinkie said, getting a nod and a smile from Rainbow that hopefully made Pinkie feel a bit better, if her own smile was any indication. “I met this spirit, in the Everfree,” Rainbow’s ears perked up to listen to Pinkie’s tale, “she was kinda like a pony? But I’m not sure she was one, or at least, not entirely. I dunno how to put it, but she was—” Pinkie bit her lip to avoid saying the word—

“Weird?” Rainbow said the word instead, letting out a little snicker at Pinkie’s blush. “There’s nothing wrong with being weird, you know.”

“I know that,” Pinkie said, “I just don’t want anypony else to think she was weird! Cuz she was so cool too! And like, well, to condense a suuuuuuper long story, I promised I’d go see her again later this month, but Applejack, well she doesn’t want me to go.”

“How come?”

“Well, the smithery’s not doing so hot right now,” Pinkie groaned and buried her face in her hands. “We’ve only been at it for a couple of months, so of course we’re not gonna be buried in customers overnight, but we put everything we had into this venture, so if it doesn’t work out, we—”

“It’ll work out,” Rainbow interrupted, almost feeling offended on Pinkie and Applejack’s behalf at the idea that their smithery wouldn’t work out. “You guys are the best! I’ve never felt as confident in all my monster slaying business than I have since Rarity introduced me to you two!”

“That’s what Rarity said too,” Pinkie didn’t sound too convinced, “but every day that goes by and there’s only a little drip of progress… it makes it harder and harder to believe that any of this was worth it.”

Rainbow didn’t know what to say, so she settled for just gently rubbing Pinkie’s back.

“And the spirit,” Pinkie continued, “her name is Fluttershy, by the way, I don’t think she has any friends. You should’ve seen the look she gave me when I promised I’d come back. I can’t break that promise to her! I just can’t! I’d feel so bad!”

Rainbow was just about to say something, hopefully something encouraging, when the door to the smithery opened up and Applejack walked outside, a pained expression on her face. Pinkie looked over at her and stood up, but Rainbow could tell she was really worried about what Applejack would say.

“I’m sorry, Pinkie,” Applejack rubbed her arm and knelt on the snowy ground in front of Pinkie, gently taking her hand. “I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you. If meetin’ this spirit of yers is really important to ya, we’ll figure somethin’ out. I promise.”

Pinkie’s eyes instantly filled with tears as she pounced on Applejack and embraced her in a hug, bringing them both to the ground.

“Applejack!” she cried. “Thank you so, so, so much!” Pinkie tore herself away from Applejack for a sec, a big smile plastered on her face. “And I just know Fluttershy’s gonna love you whenever you get to visit her!” Pinkie gasped. “Maybe I can convince her to come to Canterlot with me!”

“How ‘bout we focus on one thing at a time, sugarcube?” Applejack chuckled, rubbing Pinkie’s back as she resumed their hug. “First thing’s first, we gotta figure out how to keep the shop runnin’ if yer gonna be hoppin’ on a train to Ponyville for another few days.”

Rainbow suddenly wondered how quickly she could learn how to craft enchantments, and wondered if Twilight could help her; she was good at magic, right? How hard could it be?

“But for right now,” Applejack stood up, a soft smile on her pretty face, “we got a half-eaten apple pie in the fridge that’s just callin’ our names.”

“Sounds good to me!” Pinkie jumped up and sported a bright, beaming grin.

Applejack chuckled and as she looked away from Pinkie, she finally noticed Rainbow Dash still sitting on the stone fence. “Rainbow!” she said in surprise, but quickly cleared her throat and crossed her arms, looking cool as heck. “What can I do ya fer?”

Before Rainbow could speak, Pinkie chimed in, “Rainbow was listening to me talk about the spirit! She helped me feel a lot better!”

“Oh,” Applejack smiled at Pinkie, and then at Rainbow, a gesture which made Rainbow smile, and her heart melt. “Well thank ye kindly, Rainbow Dash. Takin’ care of Pinkie’s s’posed to be my responsibility, so sorry you had to take over.”

“I can take care of myself, Applejack!” Pinkie said teasingly, blowing a raspberry at Applejack.

“I know, I know,” Applejack awkwardly ran a hand through her gorgeous blonde hair. “It’s just old habits, y’know?” Pinkie just giggled, and Applejack cleared her throat again. “Anyway, thank you, Rainbow.”

“Uh, no problem,” Rainbow shrugged.

“Was there somethin’ else ya needed though?” Applejack asked.

“Oh yeah,” Pinkie added, turning around to face Rainbow, “you were already in the neighborhood, huh? Were you coming by the smithery for something?”

Rainbow looked at Applejack and Pinkie Pie and the smiles they were both giving her. It seemed whatever argument they had been having before had been settled between them and they were back to being friendly partners, and Rainbow would have liked to think that she helped somehow.

She probably didn’t, but she’d like to think she did.

“Yeah, I was—”

Rainbow stood on her hooves and felt that seizing feeling in her stomach that she always got around Applejack, and was careful to avoid the beautiful orange mare’s gaze.

“So what’s up then?” Applejack asked heartily. “Somethin’ we can do for ya?”

If she wanted to ask the two out for drinks, this would be the perfect time. And would she honestly be okay with herself if she let this opportunity slip by? What would Twilight think?

Rainbow took a deep breath.

“Nah.”

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

Comments

[Grainne Ni Bhroin]

God dammit Rainbow. Ask her out already.