Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #176: Problem Solving

The morning air was still, and the chill of winter was still hanging around in the air. Mornings like these were some of Applejack’s favourites. There were a few ponies up and about already, but that wasn’t too surprising. Ponyville, as Granny Smith liked to say, had started as a farming town. In many ways, it still was. As such, a number of ponies got up with the sun, Applejack being one of them.

With Winter Wrap-up being only a few weeks behind them, Applejack didn’t have the sales cart with her this morning. Instead, she was heading for Barnyard Bargains, to pick up some supplies for some basic repairs to both their homestead and one of their barns.

That was when the shriek shattered the illusion of Ponyville being a nice, peaceful community, and Applejack sighed, and headed for Carousel Boutique.

“Gosh darn it, Rarity,” said Applejack, as she pushed open the door to Rarity’s home and shop, “what’s happened now?”

“Oh, Applejack, it’s simply terrible! It’s awful! It’s...why, I don’t even think I have the words to describe how terrible this is!” cried Rarity, while Applejack rolled her eyes. “The monstrosity is through there, if you must absolutely look upon it!”

Applejack sighed, and trotted through to the main floor of Rarity’s workroom. Sitting in the center of the floor was a newly-delivered crate of cloth. Applejack couldn’t see what was wrong with it, personally, but she headed back to Rarity, who had managed to get onto her fainting couch by this point.

“Do you see my distress, Applejack? Isn’t it terrible?”

“It’s just cloth,” said Applejack.

“It’s plaid! I can’t do anything with plaid! And yet, Sapphire Shores wants four costumes out of this...horrid material! Oh, Applejack, this is quite positively the worst possible thing!”

As Rarity collapsed back onto her fainting couch with another wail, Applejack rolled her eyes again, and Rainbow Dash poked her head through the window.

“What’s up, AJ?” she asked, and then she got a look at Rarity. “She overreacting again?”

“Eeyup,” said Applejack, “you mind shuttin’ her up so’s the rest of us can go about our business without her shrieking every five minutes?”

“Sure thing,” said Rainbow Dash, slipping into the kitchen, trotting over to Rarity, grabbing the sides of the unicorn’s head, and kissing her. Applejack took that moment to leave.

“Rainbow Dash, you utter boor! How dare you kiss me while I was having a moment of personal crisis!”

There was a pause, while Rainbow replied, but Applejack couldn’t hear what she said.

“I didn’t say stop!” cried Rarity, and Applejack got back on track for her errands with a badly disguised snicker.

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #176: “Literally the Highest Level Attainable of Awfulness”
The prompt: The worst possible thing.