The Best Present of All

by gmen15

The Best Present of All: Part 2

[A/N]: For this chapter I'd like to thank Garbo802 for his story "Crystal Empire: The Appendices" was inspiration for the entire first scene of this chapter involving Davenport.

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The Best Present of All: Part 2

Rainbow Dash scanned the town for someplace where she might find the perfect gift for her fillyfriend. Unfortunately, she still wasn’t sure what sort of gift she should get. She was quite familiar with Applejack’s tastes, as anyone in a committed relationship should be, but trying to choose a specific gift was becoming increasingly difficult. The truth was, she felt that she wouldn’t know what to get until she spotted the perfect one.

Eventually, one shop in particular caught her eye.

“Quills and sofas?” She asked, scratching her head. “Well, that’s a strange combination.”

She was about to pass by the shop when she suddenly recalled the day Applejack had reluctantly thrown out her family’s armchair two months prior. This was after Derpy, the cross-eyed pegasus mailmare, flew through the window of Applejack’s home and crashed into the prized antique, breaking three of the four legs, destroying the entire back of the chair, and sending so much stuffing all over the living room floor that it looked like a fresh layer of snow. The damage was so bad that even a great seamstress like Granny Smith and a capable handy-pony like Big Macintosh weren’t able to fix it.

Rainbow remembered seeing Applejack staring blankly at the destroyed chair while Derpy lay dizzily on the ground her cheeks blushing furiously.

“Sorry Miss Applejack.” She said with a sigh. ”I got distracted by that new billboard. You know, the one with the giant blueberry muffin? It was just so convincing and looked soooo delicious.”

Of course, Applejack had accepted the gray mare’s apology, gave her an apple muffin to ease her embarrassment, and then sent her on her way. However, that didn’t make dealing with the mangled furniture any easier. A family heirloom, passed down from when Granny Smith was a filly, was now destroyed and Applejack had given up on ever finding a replacement.

Apparently, the color of the armchair -a dark green with thin red stripes- had not been made for years. Applejack had gone to all shops that she knew about, but with no luck. Eventually, she settled for a boring, brown armchair that Fluttershy had offered. It was not terrible, but it could not hold a candle to the lost family treasure that had once sat proudly in the Apple’s home.

Rainbow Dash knew how much her fillyfriend and her family missed that armchair. One of Applejack valued most was her family, and with the longevity of the armchair in the Apple family lineage, it had come to be a silent representation of the entire family.

While the pegasus couldn’t restore the original chair, she knew that if she could find one that resembled it Applejack would still be ecstatic– if not by the chair itself, then at least for the recognition of it’s importance to the Apples.

Now that she had a clear goal in her mind, Rainbow Dash zipped down to the shop and landed beneath it’s sofa-and-quill emblazoned sign. Trotting inside, she saw that the sign had captured the essence of the shop perfectly. To her left were shelves upon shelves of varied quills, from the very elegant to the mundanely generic. Some were longer than her legs and plumed in an assortment of colors, much like her tail and mane. To her right sat row upon row of sofas, armchairs, and even some coffee tables. The furniture continued into the back of the shop, seemingly without end.

“Can I help you?” asked somepony in front of her.

Rainbow Dash looked around to see a brown stallion standing behind the counter, his hoof resting on the cash register and a sly grin on his face. A gold-plated nametag on his collared shirt read “Davenport” large enough so that Rainbow Dash could read it from across the shop if she squinted.

“Yes… Davenport, is it?” Rainbow Dash asked, trotting towards him. The stallion nodded and she continued, “Right. I see you sell armchairs... in addition to sofas and quills.”

“That I do.” Davenport said.

“That’s a pretty interesting choice of items.”

“Yes it is,” Davenport said with a chuckle, “but uh, I assume you didn’t just come in here to tell me what I already know about my store and what I sell.”

“Yeah, right,” the pegasus said. “Sorry, it just sort of grabbed my attention.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Davenport said with a wave of his hoof. “Now, what do you need today?”

“Well,” she said, finally reaching the counter, “I was wondering if you happen have an armchair, one with green with red stripes. Or, you know, something similar.”

“Actually,” Davenport said, walking out from behind the counter, “I think I might have what you’re looking for in the back. Follow me.”

He motioned for the pegasus to follow him. Still looking about at the odd choice of goods on sale, she followed him as they made their way through an open doorway into the back of the shop. The entire room was nothing but furniture. Davenport brought Rainbow Dash over to the very back corner, where a single armchair proudly stood. The mare’s jaw dropped when she saw the piece of furniture.

It was an exact replica of the armchair that Derpy had destroyed.

Rainbow’s face lit up with an ecstatic grin. “Oh my gosh! This is perfect!”

“I thought you might like it,” Davenport said, patting the chair with a hoof. “This baby has been waiting for somepony to buy her for almost two years now, and when I looked into your eyes,” he looked at Rainbow Dash warmly and smiled, “well, now I know it will finally find a home.”

Unfazed by Davenport talking about the chair as if it were alive, Rainbow Dash saw the price tag and stepped closer to read it. Almost as soon as the the price registered in her brain, her cried in alarm and all hope drained from her face.

“Is... is this the price of the chair,” she asked, “or the year that it was made?”

“The price, of course.” Davenport calmly replied.

“But there are four digits.”

“I know.”

There was a brief pause as Rainbow Dash stared down at the price, a mix of horror and shock on her face.

“Holy Celestia.” Rainbow Dash said, swallowing hard before she looked up at Davenport. “There’s no way I can afford this.”

“Well, if you can’t afford it,” Davenport said, reaching over and lifting the tag out of Rainbow Dash’s hoof, “I’m afraid this armchair will have to remain here.”

“Oh, come on!” Rainbow pleaded. “You said this chair’s been sitting here for years, don’t you want somepony to take it off of your hooves?”

“Well, I’m gonna level with ya,” Davenport said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just got this chair in a week ago. I only said that to get you to buy it.”

“You’re kidding me,” Rainbow said but Davenport simply nodded. “Can’t you bring down the price just a little? Please?”

Davenport shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t believe in haggling. In my shop, what you see is what you get.”

“So all you are is a cheap jerk who doesn’t have any talent besides selling two completely unrelated items at ridiculously high prices?” Rainbow Dash muttered as her anger got the better of her.

Davenport just gave Rainbow Dash a bemused look. “I’ll just give you some time to consider your purchase. You can find me up front when you’re ready..”

Davenport began walking to the front of the store when Rainbow Dash stepped in his way, blocking him.

“Look, I’m sorry. That was totally out of line. But please. Couldn’t you lower it a few dozen bits?” Rainbow Dash begged. “You don’t understand how much I need this chair!”

Davenport shook his head. “No. You either pay the price on that tag or you walk out of here empty-hoofed. Your choice, babe.”

Faced with his stubbornness, Rainbow Dash growled audibly and slapped a hoof to her face.

“Although...” The blue mare’s ears perked and she lowered her hoof at the sound of contemplation in stallion’s voice,. revealing a red horseshoe-shaped mark. Davenport rubbed his chin with his hoof as he considered, and his eyes traveled up and down the athletic pegasus, studying her. “I might be willing to make a bargain. You know– a trade of sorts.”

“I’m listening.” Rainbow Dash said, though she was not entirely comfortable where the conversation was heading, and she didn’t bother to hide the scepticism in her voice.

“I’ll sell you this chair,” Davenport said, tapping the armrest, “only if you’ll go on a date with me.”

Rainbow was so surprised by the offer that she just stared at the sales pony for a few seconds before she finally found the strength to shake her head: “Sorry, I’m already in a committed relationship with Applejack.”

“True, but that hasn’t stopped my customers in the past.” Davenport said, giving his best ‘sultry’ look possible. “I may not know you personally, but I’ve seen you around town with that hick apple-selling mare that you’re dating. When I tell you I’m a better catch than her, I know what I’m talking about.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes shot wide open, and then narrowed as the arrogance of his words sunk in. Without a word, she chose the most mature, appropriate response she could think of- she slid the box containing the blueberry pie out of the take-home saddlebag. She then pulled the pastry out, took aim, and hurled it directly into Davenport’s smug face.

Rainbow leaned towards the blueberry-coated face of Davenport.“You know what, I think I’ll pass on the chair. But consider that my tip for helping me,” she hissed. “Have a nice day. Jerk.”

She then turned and trotted out, leaving a shocked Davenport to clean the globs of blueberry mush off his face.

Once outside, she took to the air and flew over Ponyville, once again looking for a shop that might sell the perfect gift for Applejack. The setting sun and changing sky -streaks of orange crept over a deepening blue- reminded the increasingly desperate Rainbow Dash of the time. She knew that most shops would soon be closing up for the night and her options were running thin.

Man, I better hurry, she thought, resuming her search.

---

Applejack was in the barn, sitting on her flank with her forelegs folded across her chest and a pout on her face. She watched as her friends and family worked to set up for the party. And true to Big Macintosh’s word, she had not been allowed to help in the slightest. She knew that it was supposed to let her relax, but all it did was make her more pent-up and agitated. Watching her friends work tirelessly to get her party organized while she did nothing but sit around like a bump on the log was about as far from relaxing as Applejack could imagine.

Lazy and useless- that’s how it made her feel.

Twilight and Spike were both busy filling tables with an array of food and drink: Mostly cookies, ice cream, and punch, with a few muffins for good measure. Big Macintosh was clearing the barn floor of haybales and equipment so that guests could use it as a dance floor once they arrived. Apple Bloom was directing Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo as they hung a banner that read ‘Happy Birthday Applejack!’ in vibrant green and orange letters, painted to match the birthday mare’s eyes and coat. There were even three apples painted on each side, representing her cutie mark.

“All right, just a little to the left!” Apple Bloom called out.

“Ugh, you said a little to the right five seconds ago!” Scootaloo complained from her position at the top of a ladder.

“Yeah, and ya moved it too far to the right. Now do as Ah say!” Apple Bloom replied flatly. Grumbling, Scootaloo obliged and moved the banner slightly away from her as Sweetie Belle pulled on the other end.

Applejack sighed, imagining how fast the party could be set up if only somepony allowed her to lift a hoof. She looked over to see Spike carrying a second bowl of punch over to the table. His eyes were bulging and his body was about to collapse beneath the heavy vessel. Without hesitation Applejack trotted over and took the bowl from the baby dragon’s back, glad to find an excuse to get involved.

“Ah got that for ya, Spike,” she said, placing the punch onto the table.

“Boy, thanks Applejack,” Spike said with a sigh, stretching his tight muscles. “Gosh, it felt like I was carrying a boulder.”

“Please, Spike, don't exaggerate. It's just a punch bowl.” Twilight said as she used her magic to straighten up some of the plates so the table looked well-organized.

"I wasn't exaggerating," Spike grumbled. "It really is heavy. I mean, it's twice my size."

"So are many of my books, but you manage to carry them okay," Twilight said with a smirk. Spike rolled his eyes and walk off to help set up elsewhere. Twilight then turned her attention over to Applejack, giving her a kind smile. “You know, Applejack, you really shouldn't be doing anything, it’s your birthday and we’ve got everything under control.”

“Ah know,” Applejack said with a sigh, “but ya’ll have already done so much to help out.”

From the banner, to the tables laden with an assortment food, to the DJ station being set up in the corner, to the cleaning of the ‘dance floor,’ ponies worked industriously to prepare for the party. Applejack watched as Vinyl Scratch, who had just arrived with a massive black box and pair of speakers, was working hard to untangle a twisted mess of cords. Her face twisted and contorted as she concentrated on the daunting task, something that looked not only extremely difficult but also rather annoying.

Applejack couldn’t help but feel even more determined to get involved as she watched the funky-maned unicorn wrestle with the wires.

“And ah sure do feel mighty lazy watching from the sidelines,” The earth pony said, looking down in embarrassment.

“But it’s your birthday party, Applejack. That means that it’s your day to take it easy. You’re the guest of honor for Celestia’s sake,” Twilight said. “Just relax and let us handle everything.”

Applejack sighed, still not entirely comfortable watching her friends do all of the heavy lifting while she lounged around. She was about to say so when she turned to see Big Macintosh letting another haybale slide off of his back. He grunted, sweat dripping from his head. Applejack could see just how hard he had been working from his perspiration and heavy panting.

Unwilling to sit around any longer, Applejack trotted over to her brother, The red earth pony was at the next haybale, preparing to carry it off of the barn floor.

“Hey, Big Mac,” she said with an innocent smile, acting like a foal about to ask her parents for an expensive new toy. “Do ya need a little help?”

Big Macintosh looked up to his sister. His eyes were sunken, with circles under them, and his tongue hung out as he continued panting. Still, the stallion shook his head. “Eenope.”

But Applejack, could see the exhausted look on her older brother’s face and didn’t buy a word of it. “Yeah right,” Applejack snickered. “Ah can see clear as a crystal pony that yer struggling and need some assistance. Don’t be so stubborn about asking for it.”

Big Macintosh raised an eyebrow. “Ah’m sorry, Ah’m the stubborn one that has trouble asking others for help?”

“Yep, ya are,” Applejack said with a nod. “Hang on, let me give ya a helping hoof.”

Big Macintosh rolled his eyes and reached out to grab the bale. “Applejack, Ah already told ya…”

“Ah’m helping ya’ll out, and nopony is gonna tell me otherwise!” Applejack said before she snatched the bale from his hooves and flipped it onto her back, gritting her teeth as the heavy weight pressed down on her. Her legs wobbled for a brief moment before she steadied herself. She then hauled it over towards the others hay bales, leaving a very annoyed looking Big Macintosh in her wake.

Staggering to the far corner of the barn, she let the bale slide off of her back before bucking it to where they others were situated. She sighed and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Looking up, she saw Big Macintosh shake his head in disapproval and trot off to grab the next bale of hay.

With a satisfied smile on her face, Applejack turned to see Apple Bloom and her friends still trying, unsuccessfully, to set up the banner. Deciding to leave her equally-stubborn big brother to his duties, she made her way over to assist the fillies when Twilight took a step towards her.

“Applejack, are you really doing this now?” She asked.

“Relax Twilight, Ah’m just gonna help out a little bit.” Applejack responded, grabbing a bag full of balloons and pulling them out.

“But we’ve got our other friends coming to help as well.” Twilight said. “One of whom is Pinkie Pie. You know, our friend whose special talent is throwing parties!?!”

“Ah don’t care if she is bringing her dang party cannon and an army of fun-loving monkeys to help set up!” Applejack spat, tearing open the plastic bag and removing a balloon. “Sitting on mah flank while mah friends do all of the work makes me feel like a useless jerk and Ah refuse to do it.”

Twilight opened her mouth to respond when a purple claw covered it. She looked down to see Spike shaking his head.

“Don’t bother, Twilight. You’ll never be able to talk her out of it,” Spike said. “She’s too stubborn.”

Twilight sighed and nodded before she went back to placing candy-colored party hats on the table. Meanwhile, Applejack worked on cleaning the floor until it was near spotless. She then turned to Apple Bloom and the other fillies, all of whom were still trying to hang up the banner.

“Hey! Do ya girls need help?” Applejack asked, trotting over with a grin on her face. Before the fillies had a chance to respond, Applejack answered her own question. “Of course ya do.”

---

The next stop Rainbow Dash decided to make was at the spa, a place that she usually tried to avoid unless it was absolutely necessary that she go there, but one that she knew Applejack secretly enjoyed. Certain that she would find something that Applejack would like inside the spa, Rainbow Dash landed just outside of the entrance. She then trotted into the spa and made her way to the front desk, where Lotus Blossom and Aloe were standing. The bell above the door rang, causing the the two spa ponies’ to direct their attention to Rainbow Dash. They then stood up straight, a pair of matching grins on their faces.

“Yes, can we help you Miss Dash?” Aloe asked.

Rainbow continued to make her way into the shop. “Yeah, hi. Listen, I know that I don’t come in here that often, what with this being a spa and me being… well... me…” she gave a small chuckle, hoping the two spa ponies wouldn’t be insulted by what she said. Based on the confused glances the two shared, she guessed they hadn’t even understood her. She cleared her throat, the shop’s awkward silence making her feel uncomfortable.

“Buuuut...” she said, deciding to move on, “I was sort of wondering if you had any gift cards for sale. You know, for things like massages or jacuzzis. It’s for Applejack’s birthday and I know she loves both.”

Both mares’ expressions fell. They then turned to each other, smiles returning to their faces as they shared a nod. The duo looked at Rainbow Dash, a glimmer in their eyes that made Rainbow Dash feel a little uncomfortable.

“Well, yes we do have some cards, that your fillyfriend might enjoy.” Lotus Blossom said.

“Both for massages and jacuzzis.” Aloe said with a snicker.

Rainbow Dash grinned, shaking off her uneasiness for the time being– she was delighted at the idea of finally having found a proper gift for Applejack.

“Awesome! How much does one cost?”

The spa ponies made their way out from behind the counter, approaching Rainbow Dash with a mix of mischief and sensuality in their eyes.

“That depends,” Aloe said, placing a hoof onto Rainbow Dash’s shoulder.

“On what you agree to do for us,” Lotus Blossom added, placing a hoof onto Rainbow’s other hoof. The two mares slowly began to rub Rainbow Dash’s shoulders, causing her to jump back in shock.

“Uh... girls,” Rainbow said with a nervous laugh. “What’s.. hehe... what’s going on? Why are you acting like this?”

“The truth is that we like you, Dashie.” Lotus said, fluttering her eyelashes. “We have ever since you came into the shop that one time, so afraid to get a pedicure. You were so adorable, flinching your hoof in fear of our filer.”

“And now, here you are in our shop again.” Aloe said, trotting over to Rainbow Dash with a sultry look on her face. “Looking so tense and full of negative energy, especially in your wings.”

Rainbow Dash turned to see her wings flared out. Her cheeks burned crimson as she tried to push the stiffened appendages down to her side, but no matter how hard she tried, they just kept popping back up as if they were attached to springs. After a few more failed attempts, she gave up and turned her attention back to the two mares, who had drawn closer to the defenseless pegasus while she was distracted.

“Yes, perhaps we could entice you with a nice massage using our many assorted lotions,” Lotus said, licking her lips and speaking in a breathless tone. “And oils.”

“Or we could give you a soothing bath with our six kinds of salts from every corner of Equestria,” Aloe said. “From Las Pegasus, to Canterlot.”

Rainbow’s legs began to wobble uneasily and her eyes bulged. She had never felt more awkward in her life than at that moment. It was like being trapped inside a bad romantic novel written by a sex-crazed stallion... or mare.

“Eh... sorry, but as you two already know,” the pegasus said sternly, “I’m dating Applejack.”

Lotus and Aloe looked around the store, as if searching for somepony, then looked back at Rainbow with a pair of erotic smiles, which further increased the pegasus’ anxiety.

“Well I don’t see Applejack around,” Aloe said.

“In fact,” Lotus said, “there is nopony in the spa... but us.”

“It will be out little secret,” Aloe continued, now mere inches from Rainbow’s mouth, “and what Applejack doesn’t know, won’t hurt her.”

Before the pegasus could respond, she was interrupted when Lotus leaned close to her ear, her proximity and warm breath only serving to make the panicked pegasus feel even more uneasy.

“Oh, I can’t wait to get my hooves all over your body,” Lotus whispered. “From your beautiful face down to your cute little fla-”

“Whoa nelly!” Rainbow Dash pushed away and started backing off towards the door, “Uh, you know what? I think I’ll just try Rarity’s place. I really appreciate all of these offers, but I think AJ needs a new dress, anyway. So... yeah. See ya!”

Before she could give the pair of now pouty mares a chance to respond, Rainbow Dash ran from the shop like a bolt of lightning. Once outside, free of the seductive mares, she stopped and looked back at the shop.

“I knew there was a reason I avoided that place, those ponies are weird.” She waited for her wings to unstiffen before she flying off towards Carousel Boutique, wondering why everypony seemed to think she’d go out with them while dating Applejack. It was like they thought she would sleep with anypony if given half a chance to do so. Insulted, Rainbow Dash beat her wings hard in frustration and flew off.

Rainbow Dash looked down at the town below her, watching as shop lights started to go out. The streets were filling with ponies heading home for the night, done working and eager to get home to either their families or at least a simple meal. Rainbow Dash’s worries returned as she realized that her options were dwindling with each shop that darkened.

When Carousel Boutique came into view, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief. “Rarity will have something, I just know it.” she told herself. “Plus she won’t hit on me like the others did... I hope.”

She directed her attention to the small building and shot forward, hoping that her friend hadn’t left for the party yet. She landed on the walk and stared at the door. Rainbow Dash held her breath, her nerves on fire with fear, afraid that the shop would already be closed and she was too late. She pressed her hoof against the door and braced herself for the possibility of it being locked.

Contrary to her fears it swung open with ease, signaling that Rarity was still there. Rainbow Dash exhaled and wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, relief washing over her. She trotted into the shop and a tiny little bell rung above the door. But what she expected to see upon entering was nothing like what reality had in store.

There was not a single dress in view. Every mannequin had been stripped clean, every hangar hung bare from the metal rail. The shop was barren, like a white-carpeted and red-draped desert. Rainbow’s jaw dropped, head panning to search the room for any sign of any dress– any article of clothing that she could buy and give to Applejack. Alas, there was nothing.

A familiar white unicorn trotted out from the back, humming a cheerful tune with a content smile on her face. She opened her azure eyes and looked over at Rainbow Dash.

“Oh! Good afternoon Rainbow Dash! How are you doing on this fine day? Ready for Applejack’s party?” Rarity said as she made her way towards a small table where a wrapped gift was placed. “Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be over there- ”

“Where are your dresses?” Rainbow Dash cut her off with a worried question.

Rarity smiled even more, clearly excited to tell Rainbow Dash about the spectacular event which had put her in such fine spirits.

“Oh, yes. Well, yesterday Hoity Toity stopped by and took a look around. He was so impressed by my entire lineup that he took everything I had up to Canterlot for his annual Autumn fashion show!” Rarity giggled. “Oh! I cannot wait to see what the Canterlot Times thinks. And my pay, ohhh!” She squealed in joy. “He said he’d be willing to give me…”

Rainbow Dash wrapped her hooves around Rarity’s forelegs. Rarity stopped talking and looked down as Rainbow Dash gave her the most authentic pair of puppy-dog eyes she could muster.

“Rarity, please tell me there is something I could give Applejack for her birthday!” She pleaded. “A hat, a scarf, a set of designer socks, anything.”

“Now now, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said with a chuckle, giving her friend a pat on the back, “there is no need to go overboard. I’m certain that Applejack will be more than happy to receive whatever gift you’ve already picked out for her. You are a couple, after all. Petty things like gifts should be cherished for the thought rather than the item itself.”

“But that’s just it,” Rainbow Dash said, shaking her head. “I don’t have a gift for her!”

Rarity’s smile fell, replaced with a look of concern. “Darling, p-please tell me this is some bad prank you’ve cooked up with Pinkie Pie.”

“I wish it was,” Rainbow Dash said, averting her eyes from her friend and looking down at her hooves.

“How could you not remember to get her a gift?” Rarity asked. “You’ve been organizing her party the entire week.”

“That’s just it,” Rainbow Dash said, her ears flattening against her head. “I’ve been so focused on making the birthday party the most awesome one she’s ever had, I didn’t remember to get her present.”

The pegasus shrunk back, her face properly reflecting her inner misery. She continued to stare at the white floor and hooves of her friend; both blended into each other to give the pegasus the feeling of standing in a void of nothingness. It made her feel even more helpless than she did before. She watched as one of the hooves lifted up and out of sight before she felt it pat her on the shoulder, warm and comforting.

“Oh, come on now. It’s not the end of the world. Besides you still have,” Rarity said with a clearly forced smile before looking up at a clock, “twenty minutes to find one.” She looked back down at Rainbow Dash and gave her a broad smile teeming with faux reassurance.

“I know, but I can’t think of anywhere else I could go.” Rainbow Dash muttered, “I know that Twilight’s down at the barn since she was supposed to help set up. In fact, I think all of our friends are down there right now, so I can’t get them to help me. And it’s past five, so most shops are already closed.”

“There’s no way out,” Rainbow Dash concluded. She sighed and let her head flop onto the carpeted floor. “I’m doomed.”

“Why not go up to your house and give her something you already own?” Rarity suggested.

Rainbow’s ears perked up, then fell again. She lifted her head and looked at her friend with sadness in her eyes.

“Wouldn’t that be really cheap?” She asked.

Rarity put a hoof to her chin and shrugged. “Well, I think a gift already owned by the giver is better than no gift at all.” Her horn glowed as her own gift for Applejack levitated over to her, engulfed in her white aura.

“It just feels so cold,” Rainbow said before she pushed herself back up onto her hooves.

“I assure you it will be fine.” The white unicorn re-assured her friend with a hug, but when she caught a glimpse of a nearby clock her eyes widened as she realized what time it was.

“Oh my stars, I’m going to be late!” Rarity stepped out of Rainbow Dash’s hold and then stared down at her friend with a look of pity. “I’m so sorry that I couldn’t be more of a help, but I certainly wish you the best of luck on your little gift escapade.”

“Thanks Rarity,” Rainbow Dash answered, though her lack of eye contact and monotone voice revealed her true disappointment.

Spreading her wings, the pegasus left the boutique and made her way up to her house. She glanced down at her watch– a custom Wonderbolts one with Spitfire's face on it. She had a brief moment of deja vu as she looked into the eyes of the current captain of the Wonderbolts, but quickly returned her attention to flying home to find Applejack a proper gift.

“Eighteen minutes,” she said with a sigh. “Oh man, I really hope I find something up here.”

---

Applejack had been working like a perpetual motion machine, never stopping to catch her breath. Ever since she first helped buck her first hay bale off of the barn floor, she hadn’t stopped helping her friends– or at least what she thought of as helping. In reality, she was simply aggravating everypony.

She kept finding various things that needed to be done: Organizing the food on the table, setting up the leftover Hearth’s Warming Eve lights on the ceiling (meant to give the party even more vibrancy), and even helping Pinkie Pie drag her massive mystery project into the barn.

The hardest task by far had been pulling Pinkie’s gift into the barn. At first Twilight had tried to levitate the present, but as soon as she started to show the first signs of straining -the gift was rather heavy and was quite the burden on her magic- Applejack jumped in and took over. She strained to pull the weighty gift like the work pony she was, snarling at anypony that dared to offer her the tiniest bit of assistance.

Twilight made her way over to her friend with an aggravated look on her face. “Okay, Applejack this has gotten beyond ridiculous. Take a break, I told you I can use my magic to levitate this over to where it needs to go.”

“Stop... telling... me what... to do,” Applejack spat. “Ah... ain’t weak, and Ah... ain’t lazy! Ah don’t need yer help, ya’ll have done enough!”

Twilight face-hoofed. “I never said you were either one. As I’ve told you numerous times before, receiving help from your willing friends is not wrong and it certainly doesn’t make you seem weak or lazy. Especially on your birthday!”

Applejack shot her friend a glare before returning to her self-assigned duty of dragging the gift.

“What…are…ya…recycling yer rant…from…when Ah…tried bucking…all of the…trees... by mahself?” The earth pony said in-between pants, her legs wobbling as she became weaker and weaker.

“Yes, because it applies here, too!” Twilight screamed. “You’re overworking yourself again when we’re more than happy to set all of this up for you!”

“Ya gonna…tell me…that ya’ll didn’t…need mah…help?” Applejack said, straining as she brought the covered objects closer to where she planned to leave it. “Because... that’s... a bunch... of hooey.”

“But you aren’t helping us, you’re doing everything FOR us!” Twilight shouted before she gestured at the entire barn, “You cleaned the barn floor, you put up the banner, you even set up Vinyl’s DJ station when you had no prior experience handling musical technology!”

Applejack looked over in the corner to see Vinyl Scratch busy unplugging and taking apart all of the work Applejack had done due to it being completely wrong. The musician pony glared at Applejack. She lifted her glasses and pointed at her own ruby eyes before pointing at Applejack– the universal sign of ‘I’m watching you’.

Applejack rolled her eyes and got back to dragging the gift. Twilight then pointed to Pinkie Pie’s gift that Applejack was pulling.

“I mean, have you noticed that you’re the only one dragging Pinkie Pie’s gigantic gift right now?” The unicorn shouted. “Even Pinkie Pie needed Fluttershy’s help dragging it over!”

Applejack continued on, panting. “Ah’m…fine…besides...Ah’m stronger...than Pinkie...Pie”

“Hey!” Pinkie Pie called out from where she was standing, scowling at her working friend. “I worked on a rock farm for years, and I can tell you right now it takes just as much strength as apple-bucking does!”

“Simmer down...missy...Ah’m just...making...a...point...” Applejack said before turning to Twilight, still pulling against the cart. “Ya’ll have…done…enough for…me.”

Applejack gave one last heave and stopped, finally having reached the desired spot for the mysterious gift. Panting, she slipped the harness off and flopped onto the ground. She rolled over so she was facing the ceiling, sweat plastering her mane to her head.

She sighed and sat back up, scanning the barn. Everything appeared to be in order. Colorful lights were hung and illuminated. The tables were completely filled with plates of food and bowls of punch. The main floor was cleared of all hay bales. The large birthday banner hung proudly from the ceiling. She slowly raised a hoof towards the sign, mouthing the message “Happy Birthday Applejack” to herself. A smile slowly spread across her muzzle.

“And it looks like we’re ready to go.” She said before turning to see Twilight, who let out a sigh.

“Thank goodness.” The violet mare said, clearly relieved to be done dealing with her friend’s stubbornness, at least for the time being.

Applejack heard the frustration in her friend’s voice and, for the first time, an understanding of her over-the-top stubborn attitude sunk in. In her attempt to lend a helping hoof to her friends -those she had thought needed it- and not look like a lazy jerk, she had instead made herself look like a bossy jerk who was too stubborn to listen to reason. Not only that, but she had actually caused more problems for everypony else– she winced as she caught sight of Vinyl Scratch still struggling to fix up the mess she created. Applejack realized the truth: It really was apple bucking season all over again.

She clearly hadn’t learned her lesson at that time, and the result was her making a fool out of herself in front of all her friends and family at her own birthday party. Her cheeks blushing red in a mix of humiliation and shame, Applejack turned to Twilight apologetically.

“Listen, um... Twilight,” Applejack said before she stared down at her hooves. “Ah’m... Ah’m sorry that Ah went overboard with helping but-”

Twilight raised a hoof to silence her friend, “Don’t worry Applejack, it’s okay.”

“But ah acted like such a jerk, taking over everything and not letting ya’ll help me like Ah know ya’ll wanted to,” Applejack shook her head, “It’s just that Ah felt like it was wrong to sit around while mah friends did everything.”

Twilight smiled and placed a hoof onto her friend’s side. “But it wouldn’t have been. We were more than happy to do everything while you relaxed. You work so hard every day, you deserve to have one day off.”

“Ah understand,” Applejack said with a sigh. “Ah’ll try to remember that for next time. Thanks.”

“No problem.” Twilight said with a smile.

Applejack looked around. Over by the tables, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were chatting while they ate snacks and drank punch. Big Macintosh made his way over to the covered gift, only to be shooed away by Pinkie Pie, who held what appeared to be batons in her hooves, wielding them like a pair of swords.

“Don’t you dare take the sheet off!” She said, looking around. “That goes for everypony here! I’ll fight you!”

Big Macintosh, (as well as Rarity and Fluttershy, who were both standing nearby as well) slowly backed away from the covered gift, frightened by their crazy friend. Pinkie PIe had adopted a pose that made her look like she would use a karate move on anypony that dared get too close to her present. Spike was chatting with the few Apple family members who made it to the party, including Braeburn. Even with such a crowd, Applejack did not fail to notice that one face in particular missing. Her ears flattened and her smile vanished.

“Hey, where is RD anyway?” She asked Twilight.

“Huh,” the unicorn looked up and did a quick scan of the room. “That’s a good question.”

Applejack trotted over to Fluttershy and Rarity, who were having a lively conversation about Rarity’s success with Hoity Toity.

“Have any of you girls seen Rainbow recently?” Applejack asked.

The friends stopped talking and gave Applejack their full attention.

“Well, she did stop by Sugarcube Corner earlier,” Fluttershy said. “But that was almost an hour and a half ago.”

“And she stopped by my boutique as well,” Rarity said, her eyes avoiding Applejacks’ as though she were hiding something. “Though I honestly don’t have an idea as to where she could be now.”

“Oh.” Applejack began to worry about the her fillyfriend’s tardiness– it was nearly time for the party to begin.

Seein the concern on the farm mare’s face, Rarity hastily added, “But I wouldn’t fret. I’m certain she’ll get here soon enough.”

Applejack sighed, looking down at the ground in resigntion. “Ah sure hope yer right.”

---

“Come on, there’s gotta be something in here that AJ will like.” Rainbow Dash opened the last drawer in her bedroom. She looked inside with the hope of finding something she could give Applejack at the party. Unfortunately, there was nothing but an old copy of ‘Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone’ and a pair of wing-heaters, which she used after intense workouts to relax her sore muscles.

“Crud, nothing.” Rainbow Dash closed the drawer and turned towards a pile of miscellaneous stuff, ranging from Wonderbolts memorabilia to old magazines. Wasting no time, she dove into the mound, searching for something, anything, that would be a suitable gift. Again, there was nothing remotely suitable.

“Ugh! How can I have so much stuff and not one thing that I could give AJ?” She asked with a groan, slamming her hoof into the pile. She turned and trotted towards her closet, opening it to see if there was anything inside she was willing to part with. There she found her gala dress, the dress she wore at Shining Armor and Princess Cadence’s wedding, and several Wonderbolt uniforms. She closed the closet and pressed her head against the door, trying to keep herself from crying.

“There’s nothing… I… I can’t find anything for her.” She whimpered, sliding to the cloudy floor. “I’m such a jerk. How could I forget my fillyfriend’s birthday present anyways? Who am I kidding, I deserve to arrive at the party empty-hooved. I deserve to be laughed at.” She sat there for a few minutes before she found the strength to stand back up.

“I guess I’ll just have to face the music.” She slunk towards her front door with her head hung low. But before she could even leave her bedroom, something caught her eye. She turned to see a small, half-open closet door. She trotted over and pulled the door completely open before flicking the light-switch on, revealing a white mannequin wearing a brilliant Wonderbolts uniform encased in a box made of magic-proof glass.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened as she slowly reached out towards the glass, pressing her hoof against it. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from the uniform, shining in all its glory.

The uniform she had been given when she was only a filly.

---

Rainbow Dash stood outside of the massive stadium, having just experienced her very first first Wonderbolts race. Even though most ponies had already gone home, their presence had left its mark. The smell of pretzels and hay-dogs lingered in the air, and a hint of cider lingered as well.

Though that could have been from Rainbow Dash’s father, who had drunk his fare share of the beverage during the race. Rainbow wore a cap bearing the Wonderbolts’ emblem and a shirt emblazoned with a picture of Aurora Flare, the captain of the Wonderbolts and her hero (though all of the Wonderbolts were her idols).

A huge grin was plastered on the little filly’s face; never in her life had she had such a breathtaking and wonderful experience. The intense speed the Wonderbolts traveled at, the grace they displayed in the skies! It was too much for the young filly to take in, and her mind was still reeling with the highlights– trying to pick out the downright dazzling from the merely impressive.

While she waited for her father to come out of the bathroom -the cider had gone right through him- she saw the nearby door in the stadium wall swing open. Through it, an indigo pegasus with a flowing pink and white mane stepped into the outside world.

The mare was alone and looked exhausted, yet she had a smile that radiated joy and fulfillment. An expensive saddle-bag was draped over her back while a pair of goggles covered her eyes., but Rainbow Dash recognized her immediately. In fact, the goggles made her even more recognizable.

Rainbow gazed down at her t-shirt to confirm her initial assumption, that the mare who stood before her was the same one whose image was on the front of her shirt. Rainbow Dash looked up at the mysterious pony in awe, knowing that she was none other than Aurora Flare.

Rainbow Dash gazed at her idol, her eyes wide and mouth agape. There she was, her hero, standing a mere twenty yards away from her– a distance that would soon shrink dramatically. Behind the goggles, Aurora’s eyes swept about and met Rainbow Dash’s. The smile she had on her face seemed to grow as she made her way towards the awe-struck filly.

“Hey there kid,” she said in a warm voice not unlike that of a mother.

“Holy Celestia! You’re... you’re Aurora Flare!” Rainbow Dash stammered in disbelief. “The captain of the Wonderbolts!”

“Yep, I am,” the mare, Aurora, said. She took off her goggles, revealing a set of beautiful violet eyes. “But out here you can just call me Aurora. I’ve never been much for full names or job titles outside of the arena.”

“What are you doing out here?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Trying to avoid the crowds and paparazzi,” Aurora took a quick look around, as if to make sure nopony with a camera was in the immediate vicinity, “they never try to look for me out here in the public area so it’s a great way to sneak out, especially since most of my teammates love the spotlight and give the press more than enough attention. They don’t really need me.”

Aurora let out a small laugh. She then looked back down at the still-giddy Rainbow Dash with a smile. “So, did you enjoy the show?”

“It was totally awesome!” Rainbow Dash said, her voice cracking from excitement. Her wings even started to flap, lifiting her into the air. She hovered with a huge grin on her face while her tiny wings emitted a small buzzing noise, quite like that of a hummingbird.

“Glad to hear!” Aurora said with a light chuckle. “Was this the first one you’ve ever been to?”

Rainbow Dash nodded before she landed. Aurora smiled, looking up at the sky.

“Heh, yeah. I remember the first show I attended as a filly. That was the day I first decided that I was going to become a Wonderbolt, too.” Aurora said. Rainbow Dash couldn’t speak, only nodding enthusiastically, like a perpetual bobble head. Aurora noticed the filly’s enthusiastic behavior and smiled. “Actually, after that show I ran into the captain of the Wonderbolts too. At the time it was Blaze Dash.”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. “Her name had Dash in it?” The filly couldn’t help but grin. “My name has Dash in it too!”

Aurora smiled. “Really? What is your name, kid?”

“Rainbow Dash!” The cyan filly said.

Aurora snickered. “Well, Rainbow Dash, with a name like that, you already sound like a member of the Wonderbolts.” Aurora said before she continued her story. “Anyway, she came up to me and asked me if I enjoyed the show, did I want to be a Wonderbolt, yada yada yada.”

Aurora had a look that Rainbow Dash could only interpret as her experiencing a wave of nostalgia. Her eyes were misty, like she was in the middle of recalling a pleasant dream or desire she wished to fulfill. It was a look Rainbow Dash was often scolded for during class, when she would think about being in Wonderbolts blue rather than listening to a lecture about the dynamics of flying.

Why bother learning something so basic when you already excel at it?

Keeping her gaze fixed, Aurora continued to reminisce. “Then, she did something completely out of the blue. She handed me her uniform and told me to always look at it as a symbol of the life I wanted to achieve.”

“Wow.” Rainbow Dash said in disbelief. “That’s amazing!”

“Yeah, but she also said something else,” Aurora said, reaching into her saddle-bag, “that I have a duty to pay it forward– to inspire others to accomplish their dreams as she had with me.”

Before Rainbow Dash could respond, Aurora pulled out her shining, blue Wonderbolts uniform and handed it to her little fan. The filly’s jaw fell and her eyes widened, sparkles appearing in them as the mare gently placed the uniform into her hooves.

“I want you to have this.” Aurora said, closing her saddle-bag as Rainbow Dash continued to stare at the suit like it was made out of pure gold. She finally managed to tear her gaze away from the uniform and look up at the pegasus in front of her- the one she idolized.

“Really?” She said. Aurora nodded. The filly, so overwhelmed with appreciation, threw her hooves around Aurora, hugging her tight. “Oh! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!”

Aurora smiled and patted Rainbow Dash on the back. “Don’t mention it kid.”

The broke the hug when Aurora placed a hoof onto Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, looking down at her with stern eyes and a kind smile.

“Remember, always follow your dream. Strive to be the best you can be in anything, and never, ever, let anypony tell you that it’s impossible or that you aren’t good enough. Because they’re wrong– if you work hard, you can accomplish anything.” Aurora said, backing away from Rainbow Dash who was looking at her as if she were Princess Celestia herself– the filly imagining that Aurora had a halo of light surrounding her.

“Because I did,” Aurora said, “and so can you.”

---

Rainbow Dash wiped a tear away as the memory ended. She didn’t remember much from her fillyhood, but that one moment stood out crystal clear, as if it happened only the day before. She also remembered the day she told Applejack about that experience and showed her the uniform, telling her that it was her most prized possession.

She remembered how Applejack teared up when she had finished telling the story, something she rarely did in front of anypony else, including Rainbow Dash. For once, she let her stoic image break down and revealed her inner sensitivity. In fact, it was the lone time both mares had shared a silent cry, holding each other as they basked in the memory of a day that meant so much to Rainbow Dash, and now Applejack as well.

Rainbow Dash sighed, a small smile spreading across her face as she remembered how her uniform had brought them both even closer than they already were.

It was at that moment that Rainbow Dash realized what she wanted to give Applejack for her birthday.

Ecstatic that she could now present her fillyfriend with a proper gift, Rainbow Dash trotted -almost skipped- over to her bed, reached under it and pulled out a box, which had to be stowed under the bed due to there not being enough room in the Wonderbolts’ uniform-occupied closet. She opened the box and peered inside. Inside was wrapping paper, ribbon and other random party supplies, most of which had been given to Rainbow by Pinkie Pie.

As Rainbow Dash scanned the contents, her eyes fell on a band covered in golden sleigh-bells. She had purchased them a few years back as a means to decorate her home for Hearth’s Warming Eve, but since them they’d collected cloud-dust. Pulling them out, she gave them a small shake, listening to their gentle jingle as her mouth slowly curled up into a grin as she thought up a comical idea.

“You’ll come in handy,” she said, letting the band fall to the floor with a light ring. She rummaged through the box again until she found some wrapping paper she liked. She then turned to reach back under her bed. This time, she pulled out small, sky-blue safe with a Wonderbolts symbol on it. She scrolled to the correct number and unlocked it. Looking inside, there wasn’t much– a few classic gold bits that were over a century old, and some other small things that weren’t necessarily worth a whole lot of money but meant a lot to her.

Rifling through the contents, she found what she was looking for- a small, silver key. She closed her safe and trotted over to a drawer near the glass box that housed her treasured uniform. She slid the drawer out and reached inside, pulling out a small, blue box. On the front there was a tiny keyhole, the perfect fit for the key she held in her other hoof. Carefully pushing the key in, she turned it and opened the smaller box to reveal a second key- this one made of pure gold.

Taking out this second key, she trotted over to the open closet and her sealed Wonderbolts uniform. She looked up at it, taking in its majestic appearance. But this time, as she gazed upon the suit, she realized that it’s radiance didn’t stun her as much as before. It was still undeniably beautiful, and it still meant more to her than any other material item in her possession, but it lacked the feeling of overwhelming importance that it had once held.

However, unlike so many other things during that day that had left her confused -especially with how everypony seemed to be hitting on her- this odd feeling had a reason that could not have been clearer to her.

It was because something else had taken her heart. Something that had proven to be more valuable than not just her prized Wonderbolts uniform but anything that money could buy. Shaking off any doubts she had about parting with her childhood treasure, she took the gold key, put it into the tiny hole and turned it, unlocking the glass barrier between herself and the suit.

---

Applejack took her seat at a long table, a polka-dot napkin tied tightly around her neck and a sparkling party hat placed onto her head; for once, her favorite stetson lay on the table beside her plate.

The table was filled with her close friends as well as several family members from Appleloosa and Manehatten -including Babs Seed, who was sitting with Apple Bloom and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders- and many of those living in Ponyville. Thunderlane took a seat next to Fluttershy, having finally shown up after spending the day watching his younger brother, Rumble. He was already chatting it up with Fluttershy, while she simply listened to him and nodded with the kindest smile on her face. Every now and then they gave each other eskimo kisses, a sight Applejack couldn’t help but find adorable.

Bon-Bon even showed up to the party, though no one was certain why; she wasn’t part of the Apple family nor was she a close friend of Applejack. However, her cheerful demeanor and familiarity with several of the guests made her apparent party crashing forgivable.

Everypony around Applejack was talking up a storm, creating an atmosphere of chaos that surrounded the horde of guests that had come to celebrate the mare’s birthday.

But Applejack’s attention wasn’t on the plethora of guests already at her party. Her attention was focused towards the entrance to the barn, waiting for the one guest she wanted to see most of all to arrive.

Eventually, there was a hush throughout the crowd of guests as Twilight stood up with a smile on her face and turned to Applejack.

“So Applejack, are you ready to begin?” She asked.

“Huh?” Applejack shook her head and turned to face Twilight. “Shoot, ah’m sorry Twi, ah was acres away. What did ya just ask me?”

“I asked you if you are ready to start the party,” Twilight said, “we’re all ready to sing you ‘Happy Birthday’.”

“Especially me!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “I’ve been practicing my vocals for the past few days so I’ll be pitch perfect when I sing. Here, I’ll show you my warm-up routine!” The pink mare said before she cleared her throat and opened her mouth wide to sing the most harmonic of melodies imaginable.

“DO, RE, MI, FA, SO, LA, TI, DO!” She belted the syllables out with a force that would make Princess Luna jealous. Applejack blushed, looking from side to side as her friend continued to sing, much to the chagrin of the rest of the guests, who were not too fond of the party mare’s screechy, nail-on-a-chalkboard-esque voice.

“TI, LA, SO, FA, MI, REEEEEEE!”

Everypony plugged their hooves into their ears as she held the last syllable in a long, wavering screech. An apple-shaped ice sculpture that one of Applejack’s relatives had brought shattered. Applejack felt like her eardrums were going to burst. She even resorted to pulling the brim of her hat down to cover her ears.

The entire barn rattled with the intensity of an intense earthquake. The punch bowl cracked and took on a spider-webbed appearance but miraculously did not shatter, at least not yet. Some ponies, including the Cutie Mark Crusaders, grabbed hoof-fulls of cake and shoved it into their ears to drown out the shrill noise of Pinkie Pie’s voice.

Finally, Pinkie Pie stopped, much to the relief of the rest of the guests. Unfortunately for them, she wasn’t finished. She took one long, final deep breath, and concluded her syllable descent.

“DOOOOOOO!”

Unable to take the shock of this last wail, the punch bowl finally shattered, along with every other glass object within the barn– from eyeglasses to watches.

Once finished, Pinkie Pie grinned like nothing happened. Meanwhile, all of the other guests slowly lowered their hooves or removed the cake and frosting from their ears. Some of the ponies remained tensed up, unable to relax until Pinkie Pie finally sat her flank onto her chair with the same, cheerful grin. Applejack slowly released her hat so her ears were exposed, now safe from Pinkie’s assault on everything melodic.

“Ah, my ears!”

A familiar, tomboyish voice rang out from the barn’s entrance, causing Applejack to look up to find the source of the voice. What she saw was Rainbow Dash standing in the doorway, her hooves firmly clamped over her ears. On the ground in front of her lay a gift, wrapped in magenta wrapping-paper. A red band was strapped to her neck, five sleigh bells attached to it. On her back was the same saddle-bag, holding the remaining pie on one side while the other was empty.

“Geez, it sounded like a cat was being beaten to death in here.” Rainbow Dash tapped her ears like she had gotten water in them. She finally stopped what she was doing once she realized that everyone was staring at her. Her face turned bright red from embarrassment until she saw the grinning face of Applejack at the end of the table.

“Uh... Happy Birthday AJ,” Rainbow Dash said, holding the gift up for all to see. “Sorry I’m late, I kinda got caught up doing some stuff.”

Applejack didn’t respond. She simply stared for a moment, waiting until Rainbow’s awkward smile fell– clearly worried that Applejack was mad at her for being late to the party.

Once confident she had caused her fillyfriend enough torment with her silence, Applejack hopped off of her chair and galloped over. Before Rainbow could react, the earth pony wrapped her in a tight embrace, nearly bowling her over, and planted a kiss on her muzzle.

Rainbow Dash returned the kiss, leaning forward. A collective ‘aww’ arose from everypony in the barn. Applejack broke off first and gazed into her fillyfriend’s ruby eyes as the pegasus returned the gesture.

“Cutting it kind of close, don’t ya think sugarcube?” Applejack asked, eyes half-closed.

“Hey, better late than never,” Rainbow Dash said with a nervous laugh. “Besides, you know I like to make an awesome entrance.” The pegasus gave her fillyfriend a knowing nudge with her elbow.

“And what in tarnation is the reasoning behind this?” Applejack asked, gesturing to the sleigh-bells attached to the necklace that hung from Rainbow Dash’s neck. The pegasus looked down at the necklace before holding it up towards Applejack. A gentle chime rang from the tiny bells.

“Hey, I told you I’d be here with bells on.” Rainbow Dash said with a wink. Applejack laughed before she pulled Rainbow under her arm and gave her a noogie, causing the bells to ring even more.

“Ow! Quit it!” Rainbow complained, though her voice cracked as she tried to hold back her laughter. Finally, Applejack stopped and let her fillyfriend catch her breath. She patted the pegasus on the back.

“Come on Dashie, let’s go join the others,” she whispered.

“Right behind you,” Rainbow Dash nodded before her ears perked up in realization.

“Oh! I almost forgot,” she handed Applejack her gift. “Here’s your gift, Applejack.”

“Thank ya kindly, Dashie.” Applejack said, taking the box before she and Rainbow made their way over to the table, filled with the smiling faces of their friends. Rainbow Dash placed the remaining pie onto the table that held the now-shattered bowl of punch and snacks.

“What happened to the other pie?” Applejack asked.

“You don’t want to know, trust me.” Rainbow Dash said with a light laugh before trotting to the table with Applejack. All of their friends were either waving or grinning.

All except for Pinkie Pie, that is, who had a look of disappointment on her face. Rarity noticed this and turned towards her.

“Pinkie Pie, what’s the matter. Aren’t you happy for them?” Rarity asked.

“I’m thrilled for them.” Pinkie Pie said before letting out a disappointed sigh. “I just wish Rainbow had chosen banana mania wrapping paper.”

They took their places at the table, Rainbow Dash occupying the seat right next to Applejack. The entire table then broke out into exuberant song, singing ‘Happy Birthday’ while Applejack blushed. Rainbow Dash placed her hoof around the country mare’s shoulder as she sang. Pinkie Pie’s voice was so loud it rose above those of all the other singers, all of whom seemed to blend together in comparison. Once the song was finished, Applejack closed her eyes and made a wish before she finally blew out the candles. There were cheers as well as a horn blasting confetti, courtesy of Pinkie Pie.

“Thanks for this party,everypony,” Applejack said with a blush, not used to having so much attention on herself. “It really means a lot.”

“Eh, we can give thanks later,” Rainbow Dash said before she grabbed a knife and held it over the cake. “I say we focus on the cake for now.”

More cheers erupted around the table. But just before Rainbow Dash could cut into the delicious-looking cake, she was interrupted by Pinkie Pie.

“Wait!” She shouted. “Let me show you what I made!”

Before anypony could object (not that they would) Pinkie Pie dashed over to her project, still hidden under the thick white sheet. She reached up and pulled the sheet off, revealing possibly the most amazing, albeit odd, gifts imaginable.

“Ta-da!”

There, standing proudly in front of the astonished guests were, surprisingly accurate, life-sized replicas of Applejack and her five friends.

Each pony model was covered in frosting and candy, while the bodies were made of paper mache. For instance, Pinkie’s mane and tail were made of cotton candy and Applejack’s cutie mark was made of tiny cherries glued to the flank of the body, modeled to look like tiny apples. The bodies were scaled perfectly, and were astonishing in how closely they resembled the six friends.

Overall, it was beyond impressive– it was downright incredible.

“Wow,” Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash said in unison. In fact, that was what most of the table said, though it was more varied to include ‘whoa’ and ‘Mother of Celestia’ and even ‘sweet fancy applesauce!’– though that seemed to come exclusively from guests who were part of the Apple family.

“I know, right?” Pinkie Pie grinned, bouncing over to the table. “It took me so long to make. I haven’t slept in three days! Look!” Pinkie Pie leaned forward, pointing to her slightly bloodshot eyes, deeply sunken in the circles beneath them.

“Well it sure is a sweet gift, thank ya Pinkie.” Applejack said with a chuckle.

“Yes, it’s fantastic!” Twilight said, equally impressed.

Fluttershy and Rarity also responded in similarly amazed ways- Rarity’s eyes sparkled while Fluttershy simply blushed and told Pinkie Pie she liked what she did with her own replica.

Only Rainbow Dash remained silent. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt looking at the models. Pinkie Pie put so much effort into her gift for Applejack- so much time and commitment, and the end result was phenomenal. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash -Applejack’s fillyfriend- had just grabbed something from her house and brought it at the last second. Sure, it was something that meant a lot to her, but when compared to the gift Pinkie Pie brought, it still seemed very cold and uncaring. All of Rainbow Dash’s sense of relief faded, only to be quickly replaced by a feeling of regret.

I’m a terrible fillyfriend, she thought, hanging her head as she waited to receive her slice of cake.

Comments

[KibaWR]

“I may not know you personally, but I’ve seen you around town with that hick apple-selling mare that you’re dating. When I tell you I’m much better than her, I know what I’m talking about.”

Dude... before saying something like that.... you should listen to this....

You sure you wanna tell Dash that youre better than the mare she loves?

[Shadepal P]

"It was like being trapped inside a bad romantic novel written by a sex-crazed stallion... or mare."

Hmm...this line almost seems like a tongue-in-cheek joke about her being in a fanfic. Would that be a fair assumption to make?

Of course, this isn't a bad romantic novel, it's quite good!