The Best Present of All: Part 1

[A/N]: A very special thanks to Featherprop for helping me edit this story.

The Best Present of All: Part 1

“Hi-yah!” Rainbow Dash grunted as she kicked one final cloud, finishing her daily sky-clearing tasks. She looked around at the empty blue sky and admired her work. The radiant sun warmed her fur and she couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction at the admirable job she had done.

“Hehe, another day, another cloudless sky for my pals to enjoy,” she said with a snicker. “I am truly the most totally awesome pegasus to ever roam the skies!”

She then zoomed off towards Sweet Apple Acres, grinning as she looked forward to seeing her beautiful fillyfriend, Applejack. She felt ecstatic and full of warmth, her heart beating faster as she approached the farm where the country mare-of-her-heart lived.

This feeling was not anything new to Rainbow Dash. Sure she spent most of her time either clearing the skies or relaxing- napping was one of her favorite pastimes. But in the back of her mind there was always a great anticipation of finally being able to stop by Sweet Apple Acres and spend time with Applejack (once she had finished her daily apple bucking). The time they would spend with each other, however, didn’t consist of merely hanging out like most friends. When they were together, it was much more intimate and deep than that, for they weren’t just friends.

They were in love.

In fact, Rainbow Dash and Applejack had been in a relationship for the past few months, during which they had taken full advantage of the benefits of being a couple– namely learning how to connect on an emotional level neither of them would have believed they were capable of, and making out whenever they found themselves in a room alone together. Sometimes it would be innocent, other times drenched in passion as their competitive nature drove them to fight for control of the kiss. It was a “war of tongues” of sorts.

But by far the best part of being openly in love with each other, at least in Rainbow Dash’s opinion, was that they could spend every night in each other’s company, whether it be snuggling or just sitting side-by-side. Where they did so varied, but one of Rainbow’s personal favorite spots was outside, under the indigo sky and Luna’s moon. There, they would gaze up at the stars; the view was always a reminder of the night they had first openly expressed their love.

It was Hearth’s Warming Eve and Twilight was hosting a celebration at the library for her friends. It wasn’t the biggest party, but it didn’t really need to be. The company that was present made up for the size. Besides, most of the guests preferred smaller, less chaotic parties to large and wild ones- with the exception of Pinkie Pie.

Overall, the night had been a success: Fluttershy, with the encouragement of Rainbow Dash and Rarity, mustered up the courage to talk to Thunderlane (whom Rainbow Dash had invited for the sole purpose of setting him up with the shy mare). The speed with which they had connected stunned everyone at the party, since the two were so vastly different. Thunderlane, who was still on the road to becoming a Wonderbolt, was not known for being overly humble. However, when it came to the timid and less-than-confident Fluttershy, he had toned down his arrogance and acted like a pure gentlecolt. Eventually the two of them broke away from the rest of the party and went over in a corner to talk in private, leaving the other guests to make assumptions as to what in the world they were talking about.

The two lovey-dovey pegasi were not the only ones enjoying themselves– everypony else seemed to be having a grand time as well. Spike managed to steal a dance with Rarity, who talked endlessly about her new line of dresses; she was sure they would finally get her the recognition she deserved. Pinkie Pie enjoyed the sweets she and Twilight had made, which included cupcakes, cookies, cherry and apple danishes, and a gigantic chocolate cake. Her pink face was hidden behind globs of icing, but it wouldn’t last long for she would effortlessly clean it away with her tongue.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash spent her time standing in the corner, sipping from a small cup of punch. She was with a very talkative Twilight and a less-than-social Applejack.

In fact, while it was a night defined by a feeling of comfort and relaxation for most, Applejack appeared to be neither comfortable nor relaxed. She was not herself, acting much more withdrawn and timid than usual. Whenever any of her friends tried to goad her into joining the conversation, she would simply shrug off their efforts or give a nonchalant response before returning to her quiet moodiness. Twilight kept asking her if anything was wrong and Applejack repeatedly insisted she was fine, but the unicorn would not be deterred.

After being asked “What’s wrong?” by Twilight one time too many, Applejack couldn’t contain her anger back any longer and snapped.

“Ah already told you nothing is wrong, Twilight! Jeez, stop pestering me like yer mah dang mother!” She exploded at her concerned friend before storming out of the party, slamming the door behind her with such force it caused almost everything inside the library to rattle. Twilight seemed hurt by the outburst, but stoically sought to maintain her composure. Rainbow Dash looked over at her saddened friend.

“Twi, are you okay?” she asked.

With a small nod the unicorn answered, “Yeah, I’m fine.” As she turned towards the door she continued, “But clearly Applejack isn’t.”

Rainbow Dash could tell Twilight was lying about being okay and that she really had been hurt by Applejack’s words. At the same time, the cyan pegasus was not angry at Applejack– at least not yet. She knew that Applejack would never be so harsh to her friends unless something was truly bothering her; perhaps something she was too ashamed to mention but something that deep down she wanted to talk about.

So the pegasus told her friends that she would talk to the farm pony. The others at the party agreed it was the best course, most likely thinking Rainbow’s concern was merely due to her close friendship with the irritated pony.

In truth, Rainbow Dash cared about Applejack much more than simply as a friend– the feeling was closer to adoration. The truth of the matter was, ever since she had first laid eyes on the beautiful country pony all those years ago, she had loved her.

There were many times when she wished that she had the guts to confess her feelings to her best friend; but whenever she approached her friend any bravery or determination she felt immediately disappeared, replaced by fear of judgement and disgust. It was only later, after her crush had left, that the words would finally come forth. She would then scold herself for being such a coward, sometimes even to the point of falling asleep with teary eyes and a face drenched in misery.

But this wasn’t the time to reveal any of that to Applejack– something else was bothering her and Rainbow Dash, being the ever-loyal friend that she was, made it her mission to uncover what it was and help her friend.

She left the library and soon found Applejack sitting on her flank, forelegs crossed. Even though she could only see the earth pony’s back, Rainbow Dash could tell that her friend’s face would not be awash in happiness.. Sighing, she made her way over to the upset mare.

“Hey AJ.”

Applejack looked back at her friend, her eyes emotional yet dry. “Hey.”

“So...” Rainbow Dash asked, stopping once she was close enough to see the sad expression on the other mare’s face, “what was that all about?”

“What was ‘what’ all about?” Applejack snapped back.

“You know,” Rainbow Dash said, taking a seat on the soft grass beside her friend, “shouting at Twilight back there.”

Applejack turned away from her friend. “She was getting on mah nerves.”

“All she did was ask if you were okay,” Rainbow Dash said, pressing on, “and based on how you’ve been acting tonight, I can see why. She’s concerned about you. Heck, we all are.”

“Well everything’s peachy, so ya’ll can stop being so concerned,” Applejack said, still stubbornly refusing to meet Rainbow’s probing eyes.

“Right,” Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes before she prodded her friend with a hoof. “Applejack, I know you. You’re not the kind of pony to snap at a friend like that unless something is really bothering you.”

Applejack gave her friend a cold glare.

“Ah told ya and Ah told everyone back in the library, Ah’m fine,” she stubbornly spat before she turned away from her friend and went back to staring up at the stars. Rainbow thought she saw a faint blush in Applejack’s cheeks, but dismissed it and focused on the more important matter of Applejack’s sour mood.

“Are you sure?” Rainbow Dash asked in a way so Applejack knew she didn’t believe a word of what she was saying- her voice stern and face unconvinced. “You’ve been acting antsy since the party started.”

“Positive.” Applejack said, though her voice was much less certain and forceful than it had been before. If anything, it betrayed a measure of worry. It was clear that Applejack wanted to avoid the matter, but Rainbow would not let her. She was determined to find out what was ailing her friend and nothing short of an earthquake would stop her.

“Look,” the pegasus calmly said. “I understand how hard it can be to talk about some things– you worry about what others will think or you just don’t feel comfortable talking about ‘em. Trust me, I’ve felt like that plenty of times before.”

“Ah ain’t worried about what anypony thinks of me,” Applejack said, glaring at her worried friend. Rainbow Dash felt a chill run down her spine as the other mare’s green eyes speared her like a pair of daggers. She held onto her resolve and didn’t let her expression falter as she stared back at her friend with equal intensity.

“Are you saying that for my benefit,” she asked, “or yours?”

Applejack closed her eyes and looked away, clenching her teeth.

“Please tell me what’s on your mind, Applejack,” Rainbow said, placing a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “I swear that I won’t be upset or think any less of you, no matter what.”

Applejack turned to her friend, her expression still hard for a moment before it softened in defeat.

“Okay... Ah’ll tell ya,” Applejack said before she gave Rainbow Dash a serious glare. “But only if ya promise not to tell anypony.”

The pegasus raised her right hoof in the air and solemnly said, “I promise.”

Applejack squeezed her eyes shut and let out a sigh before she was able to look her friend in the eyes and give voice to what had been causing such turmoil for her.

“Ya see...” she started, her voice shaky. “The truth is that Ah’ve... Ah’ve been having thoughts...” she took a deep breath before getting to the point, “... about ya.”

Rainbow Dash took her hoof off of her friend’s shoulder, shocked by this revelation.

“Thoughts about me?” She asked. “What do you mean? What kind of thoughts?”

That’s when Applejack –her face as red as the apples she spent all day bucking– took the plunge and tried to admit her true feelings to the cyan mare.

“Ah’ve... Ah’ve been thinking about you,” she stuttered before she hung her head in shame. “As more than just a friend. Ah... Ah think that Ah’m...” Applejack looked away, biting her lip. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come.

Rainbow Dash, always impatient, leaned closer to her friend to demand an answer. “Well?”

“That Ah’m in love with ya, Rainbow.” Applejack forced the words out in a rush.

Rainbow wasn’t sure what to say, but she could tell that Applejack was on the verge of tears. The farmer’s eyes fogged up and her lip quivered as she tried to keep herself from sobbing.

Rainbow Dash continued to stare at her friend. Deep down she felt a sudden surge of hope jolt through her, but she wanted to make sure that she heard Applejack correctly before jumping to conclusions and doing something she would regret.

“You...you love me?” She asked.

“What, do ya have cloud stuck in yer ears or something!?! Yes, Ah love ya!” Applejack shouted before she shrank back, sealing her lips and looking away. She reached up and pulled her hat down a bit to cover her eyes. “Ever since Ah first met ya there’s been this...thing Ah’ve felt in the pit of mah stomach. At first Ah didn’t think much of it, but as time went on Ah realized that mah avoiding the feeling was causing me to live in denial and...and Ah can’t do it anymore.”

Rainbow Dash could tell her friend was about to burst into tears. She desperately wanted to help her feel better, but wasn’t sure what to do.

“A-Applejack– ” Rainbow Dash started, only to be interrupted by her friend.

“Look... Ah completely understand if ya don’t want ta see me right now, Ah know it’s weird... Ah know Ah’m weird,” the country pony whimpered. “So Ah’ll leave ya alone.”

As the thoroughly dejected mare got up to leave, Rainbow stopped her. Before Applejack could say anything more, Rainbow Dash took her hooves in her own.

“Please don’t leave,” the pegasus whispered.

Applejack looked up at her friend, her emerald eyes moist with tears. The pain in them nearly broke the pegasus’ heart.

“And why in the hay shouldn’t Ah?” She asked, her voice shaking.

“Because you’re hurting,” Rainbow Dash said, placing a comforting hoof onto her friend’s cheek, “and I hate to see the pony I love hurt as much as you do right now.”

The change of expression on Applejack’s face was amazing to behold: At first she was stunned, but then a wave of hope spread over her as the words sunk in.

“Ya... ya love me too?” She asked, and Rainbow Dash responded with a smile and a small nod.

Applejack’s eyes lit up gleefully and a smile spread across her face, joy and relief and hope all mixed together. The two mares gazed into each other’s eyes and kissed, their lips softly pressing together like petals on a rose. They slowly broke apart and smiled before looking up into the sky. The rest of the night was spent in each other’s embrace, gazing at the moon as a gentle breeze passed through their manes. A pair of identical shooting stars graced the night sky above, neither in front of the other– they both shone with equal, dazzling intensity.

It was a night that Rainbow Dash would never, ever forget..

Rainbow Dash felt her cheeks blush a bright red at this memory. She shook herself out of the daydream and flew on. It wasn’t as if she could help falling into such reveries; the last few months had just been so great for both of the mares. Not only did the love between them blossom like a rose in the spring, but it didn’t have to be hidden.

All of their friends and the Apple family, as Rainbow Dash had little contact with her parents, had accepted their relationship without reservation (to the unending relief of both mares). Pinkie Pie had even wanted to throw a party to celebrate, but the duo refused, not wanting to draw more attention to it than there needed to be.

All in all, everything had gone swimmingly and this day didn’t seem to be any different. It was Applejack’s birthday and that, of course, meant that a party would be thrown in her honor. Even more significant, however, was that it was Applejack’s first birthday since the two had begun dating. It was for this reason that Rainbow Dash had dedicated herself to making it the best party, birthday or otherwise, that Applejack ever had.

When Rainbow Dash had expressed her desire to throw the best bash possible for Applejack, all of her friends had been eager to help her make it happen. While most offered to help with setting up for the party, a certain pink mare decided it would be in Rainbow’s best interest if she gave a helping-hoof through the entire planning process. Reluctantly, Rainbow Dash had accepted Pinkie Pie’s assistance, knowing full well that if she was going to make the party as awesome as possible, she would need the help of Ponyville’s resident party pony.

But just because it was Applejack’s party, didn’t mean she was completely kept in the dark about it. In fact, she did have a tiny bit of say in planning the event, namely by sitting down with Rainbow Dash to pick out what foods she’d like to have. However, that was the limit of her contribution, as it was all Rainbow Dash would allow her to do, much to the disappointment of the hard-working earth pony.

Over the course of the past week, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had worked tirelessly to organize the event. Rainbow Dash decided after looking over the guest list and the things they planned to have at the party, that the barn at Sweet Apple Acres would be the optimal place to hold it. Pinkie Pie drew up blueprints, displaying how everything would be set-up, from where the snack and punch table would go to where the dance-floor would be.

Rainbow Dash arranged for the foods that would be served, the music that would play –she hired DJ Pon-3 to perform for the day– and assisted in painting the banner even though she had no artistic talent. She even spent an entire night writing out the invitations, a total of sixty-nine, and mailed them the next day. In all about forty-five ponies confirmed they would attend, including many that the pegasus had never heard of, which were mostly relatives of Applejack that lived in far-off places like Appleloosa and Manehattan.

Overall, when everything was finalized and the party completely planned, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but feel a great deal of satisfaction in her work. She had put more effort into preparing for the party than she had for anything else in her life– except for her flying, of course.

And that’s where she was off to now. To see her fillyfriend and check on the party set-up to make sure everything was going to plan.

After soaring over Ponyville for barely a minute, Rainbow Dash found herself at the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres. Thinking that Applejack would be in the barn watching the others set-up, she swooped towards the towering red structure that proudly stood at the top of a small hill, deep within the orchard.

But before she had flown far, she heard the familiar thunk of a pair of strong hooves slamming into the trunk of a nearby tree. She hovered and glanced around, catching sight of Applejack hard at work, bucking apples just like any other day. Her mane was sweaty, her face determined, and her muscles rippled each time her hooves struck a tree’s trunk. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but blush a little as she watched the powerful mare work. At the same time, though, any arousal she might have felt was overridden by her annoyance at Applejack’s stubborn obsession with work.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me.” She muttered under her breath. Suddenly, a sly smirk spread across her face as a deviously brilliant idea popped into her mind.

She dove straight at Applejack. Before the country mare even saw the rainbow blur headed her way, she was bowled off of her hooves. Both ponies tumbled through the orchard until they eventually slid to a stop under on of the larger trees, with Rainbow Dash’s lips planted firmly on Applejack’s in a passionate kiss. Dazed by the impact, Applejack returned the kiss until her senses returned and she realized what had just happened. The earth pony heaved the amorous pegasus up and off her, and Rainbow Dash fell backwards as a torrent of laughter poured forth from her muzzle.

“Rainbow! That was completely uncalled for!” Applejack sputtered.

“Oh, chill out Applejack, you know you liked it.” Rainbow Dash shot back with a wink.

Applejack opened her mouth to retort, then stopped and rolled her eyes. “Well...” Applejack said, trying to hide her blush, “as lovely as it might’a been, it was still dangerous and downright dumb of ya to do it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow Dash waved off the impetuous act as if it were nothing, “by the way, what in the hay are you doing out here on your birthday?”

“What does it look like? Ah’m working,” Applejack answered, making her way over to a tree. “Now Ah’d appreciate it if ya let me finish up what Ah started.”

“But it’s your birthday,” Rainbow said, “and I thought Big Macintosh said he was going to make you take the day off.”

Applejack opened her mouth to respond when a lasso wrapped itself around her tail. Before she could protest, the lasso tightened and she was dragged back and hog-tied by Big Macintosh. She struggled to free herself, but it was no use– her brother’s knots were far too tight to undo. Big Macintosh spat out the end of the rope and looked up at Rainbow Dash, who was trying her hardest not to erupt into another fit of laughter.

“Ah would have, but she snuck out at dawn while Ah was still asleep,” the red stallion said with a deep chuckle. “She can be quite the sneaky one. Ya remember that now, Rainbow Dash.”

“Let me go ya fat varmint!” Applejack screamed, struggling against the rope. “Ah swear Ah’ll buck ya where Celestia’s Sun don’t shine!”

Big Macintosh shook his head with a smug smile. “No way, lil’ sis. Ah told ya to take today off, and Ah’m gonna make sure ya don’t work another muscle in yer body.”

Applejack struggled, then finally gave up. “If Ah’ gotta put up with this, ya’ll better have gotten me a really great gift.”

“The best gift ya could imagine,” Big Macintosh replied with a grin.

Applejack relaxed. “Well Ah find that hard to believe,” she said before letting out a small laugh. “Rainbow Dash is getting me a gift too and she knows me better’n anypony else, ain’t that right RD?”
As soon as Applejack’s words filtered through her bright blue ears, Rainbow Dash froze. She had spent weeks going over all the details for the party, but she had gotten so wrapped up in the preparations that she had completely forgotten something else, the most basic part of any birthday party. Her mind spun and she had to stop herself from trotting in place as panic gripped her.

“Rainbow Dash?” Applejack asked. “Hello? Are ya in there, sugarcube?”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash shook her head and looked at her friend with a nervous smile. “Oh, yeah definitely. I got you a totally wicked sweet gift that will leave everypony elses’ in the dust. No offense, Big Mac.”

“None taken,” the stallion responded with a wave of his hoof. “Ya’ll are together now, Ah’d hope yer gift would be head and shoulders above mine.”

Rainbow Dash bit her lip as another pang of guilt hit her in the gut. She fought to hide her panic, hoping Applejack wouldn’t notice it and ask a question she couldn’t avoid answering. Fortunately for her, Applejack was not the best at deciphering other ponies’ feelings or thoughts.

“That’s great to hear sugarcube,” Applejack said, just before she started to slide across the ground. “Consarn it Big Mac! Stop draggin’ me like a sack of potatoes!” The red stallion had gripped the end of the rope in his teeth and was steadfastly hauling his sister away.

“How else am Ah to get ya back to the barn?” Big Macintosh asked, though his words were ever-so-slightly muffled due to the rope he held in-between his teeth.

“If ya untie me, ah can walk there mahself,” Applejack said, her voice sounding like a Manticore’s snarl.

“Sorry, ya lost yer free-reign walkin’ privileges.” Big Macintosh said as he continued to drag her off. “Ah’ll untie ya when we get to the barn, until then yer staying bound like a bull.”

“Let me out of these ropes, ya big lug!” Applejack spat before looking back at Rainbow Dash. “Remember to pick up the pies RD, Pinkie Pie told me that they’re done. The party starts at five-thirty, please don’t be late!”

Rainbow Dash smiled and gave her incapacitated friend a salute. “You’ve got it AJ, I’ll be there with bells on!” she called after her trapped friend.

Applejack smiled back before being dragged over a small rock. She let out a grunt and resumed yelling threats at Big Macintosh, who simply kept dragging his helpless sister through the orchard with a satisfied smile on his face.

Once the siblings were out of earshot, Rainbow Dash dropped her cheerful demeanor and began panicking in full.

“Oh no, this is not good! This is not good at all!” She said before leaping into the air and started to pace back and forth in the sky. “I can’t believe I forgot to get Applejack’s gift! Out of anything I could forget, why did it have to be this?” She smacked her hoof against her forehead a couple of times in frustration.

“Ugh, why am I such an airhead when it comes to remembering important stuff?”

Her mind churned and she nervously rubbed her hooves together, trying to think of a quick fix. She looked down at her wrist, where her custom Wonderbolts-themed watch showed the time to be three-twenty; she only had about an hour and forty-five minutes to find the perfect gift for Applejack before the party started.

“Crud, and I have to go pick up the pies,” Rainbow Dash said before she a thought struck her. “Wait... maybe Pinkie Pie can help me out!”

With that the blue pegasus flew off towards Sugarcube Corner, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake as she zoomed off. It wasn’t long before she landed in front of the bakery. The smell of baked goods wafted through the air, drifting into the pegasus’ nostrils. She caught herself drooling as she imagined the variety of flavorful goods just beyond the glass door. Shaking her head, she walked into the shop.

Surprisingly, the shop was nearly empty; Fluttershy stood before the counter, while behind it was a large white sheet on which the familiar silhouette of Pinkie Pie could be seen moving around. The pink mare popped her head out from behind the sheet and squinted at Fluttershy, her tongue stuck out as she held her hooves up in front of her face as if she was ‘framing’ a photograph of the timid pegasus. Her poofy mane was pressed down under a black beret, giving her the look of a true artist.

“Um Pinkie Pie…not that you’re wasting my time, because you could never waste my time,” Fluttershy said shyly, “but... are you... maybe... close to being done?”

“Uh-huh,” Pinkie Pie said with a nod.

“O-okay, I was... just wondering.” Fluttershy said, her face red as she looked down.

“Aaaand one more gumdrop should do it for this part.” Pinkie Pie said, reaching into a clear bag and gently pulling out a pink gumdrop. She then vanished behind the white sheet to complete whatever she had to tweak. Rainbow Dash could not tell what she was doing, but based on the size of the shadows on the sheet, it was big.

A small clock above a nearby shelf caught the pegasus’ attention– the hands showed it to be almost four. Realizing that her time was running out, Rainbow Dash pushed her curiosity to the side and made her way over to the counter where Fluttershy was standing.

“Hey guys!” She said with a wave.

Fluttershy had not heard Rainbow come in, and the her unexpected greeting had a predictable effect: The yellow pegasus let out a small shriek of terror and whirled around, looking as though a demonic phantom had just jumped out of a corner. One long bang flopped back down over her face, and her entire body was shivering as she held her hoof to her chest, like she was in the middle of having a heart attack.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy stammered, trying to catch her breath, “Rainbow Dash, you... you frightened me.”

“Sorry Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash said apologetically.

“It’s quite alright.” Fluttershy responded.

“Hiya Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie Pie called out from behind the curtain, sticking a pink hoof out and waving.

“Hey Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash said before looking from Fluttershy to the still-hidden Pinkie Pie.
“Look, I need you two to help me out.”

“Oh my goodness, what’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked, her voice full of concern. “Is it an emergency?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“An emergency?” Pinkie Pie shouted with a gasp. Before Rainbow Dash could follow up her statement with a proper explanation, Pinkie Pie jumped out from the sheet -her beret flying off- and leapt towards the pegasus. Rainbow leaned back as she found herself face-to-face with her hyperactive pink friend. “What kind of emergency? Was it the cupcakes I gave you and Applejack yesterday? Oh, I knew that milk I used to make them smelled funny.”

“No, that’s not it,” Rainbow Dash said, pushing her friend back. Pinkie’s cookie-laden breath was too much for the pegasus to handle. “Actually, it’s about her birthday present.”

Rainbow Dash felt a pair of pink hooves grip her cheeks and turn her face so that she was looking directly into the baking pony’s panic-filled blue eyes.

“There’s an emergency with Applejack’s gift?” Pinkie Pie asked with a gasp. “Is it stolen? Broken? Lost? Eaten by a big, grubby gift-eating monster!?!”

Rainbow Dash, once again, found it necessary to push her crazy friend off of her.

“Pinkie Pie, please, some personal space?” She shouted.

Pinkie Pie moved back. “Sorry Dashie. But when one of my friends mentions an emergency, I gotta know what it is so I can solve it. Especially when that emergency has to do with a party or making somepony happy!”

“Well, help me solve it from a over there or take a breath mint.” Rainbow Dash grumbled. She waved a hoof in the air in front of her nose to emphasize her point, but Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to notice as she had begun her next rant.

“Do you need help wrapping it? Because I’ve got a ton of wrapping paper in the back that you could use!” Pinkie Pie bolted off into the back of the shop. There was the sound of rummaging and chaos, which included what sounded like hammers hitting nails and a lion roaring (which only confused Rainbow Dash even more), before Pinkie Pie returned holding a mountain of wrapping-paper rolls in her arms. She skidded to a stop behind the counter, directly in front of her two friends. The tower of rolls threatened to topple over as Pinkie Pie danced back and fort, trying to balance it. She popped her head out from behind the rolls with a goofy grin.

“What would you like? I’ve got forest green, Columbia blue, manticore red, yellow with little birthday present designs on it, pink with thin blue stripes– which I call the Pinkie Pie brand. And there’s hot pink- which I call the backup Pinkie Pie brand.”

“Pinkie Pie...” Rainbow Dash started to say, but the party pony wasn’t finished reeling off the list of colors that were located somewhere in the massive pile.

“Red-orange, yellow-green, candy-cane, aquamarine, tangerine, green-bean, magic mint,” Pinkie Pie took a deep breath,“ and one that is indigo with cute little kitties. Oh! And banana mania– that one’s my personal favorite.”

Pinkie Pie grinned, a small ‘squee’ escaping her lips while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy stared at the mountain of wrapping paper, their mouths hanging open. Rainbow Dash shook her head, snapping out of her Pinkie-induced shock.

“No Pinkie Pie, my problem has nothing to do with the gifts’ wrapping paper.”

“Oh.” Pinkie Pie said with disappointment in her voice before she perked up again, tossing the wrapping paper over her head. “Then what exactly is this super-duper gift emergency that you have?”

Rainbow Dash looked away, embarrassed to admit her failure.

“I don’t have one,” She spoke in a near-whisper.

“You don’t have bun?” Pinkie Pie asked, putting a hoof to her chin in thought. “That’s odd, why would you need a bun for Applejack’s birthday?”

“No. I don’t have one.” Rainbow Dash repeated, a little louder than the first time though still quiet enough that her friends couldn’t quite hear her.

“You don’t have fun?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well that’s no good!” Pinkie Pie said, crossing her arms and staring daggers at Rainbow. “How could you not have fun today? It’s your fillyfriend’s birthday and you’re going to a party that I helped set up and...”

“I DON’T HAVE ONE!” Rainbow Dash shouted, rattling the entire shop.

“One?” Pinkie Pie asked. “One what? One bun?”

“No,” Rainbow Dash said with a sigh. “I don’t have a gift for Applejack.”

Both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy stared at Rainbow Dash as if she had spontaneously grown a third wing.

“W-what!?!” Pinkie Pie gasped.

“I don’t have a gift for Applejack. I forgot, okay?” Rainbow Dash bristled. “Now could you please stop making me repeat it? I feel bad enough as it is!”

Pinkie’s jaw fell to the counter and her eyes became so wide that they threatened to pop out of her head and smack her two pegasi friends in the face. Fluttershy just kept staring at her humiliated friend, a look of bewilderment on her face. Pinkie Pie placed both hooves under her chin and pushed her jaw back up off of the counter.

“But... how could you forget?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“It slipped my mind.” Rainbow Dash said.

“How could it slip your mind?” Fluttershy asked.

“It just did, all right?” Rainbow Dash said, glaring at her friend as if she had just called the cyan pegasus a slowpoke. “It’s not like I purposely forgot or anything.”

Fluttershy backed away. “Sorry, I was... I was just curious,” she whimpered. “I didn’t mean to insult you or anything.”

“That’s not a good reason to forget a fillyfriend’s birthday gift.” Pinkie Pie said, shaking her head in disapproval.

Rainbow Dash face-hoofed. “Look, if you two want a reason, it’s because I’ve been so focused on preparing the party itself that I forgot about the gift. That’s why I’m here– I need your help.” She pulled her hoof away from her face and looking directly at Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie Pie, please tell me you’ve got something I can give her. Anything.”

Pinkie Pie shook her head. “Sorry Dashie, I don’t have anything on me outside of food, and you’re already serving plenty of that at the party.”

Rainbow Dash turned to Fluttershy with a desperate look. “Fluttershy? Please?”

“I’m sorry Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said, shaking her head, “but all I have are animals, and she already has Winona.”

“Dang it, I knew that dog would be trouble at some point,” Rainbow Dash hissed, stomping her hoof. “Okay, I guess I’ll keep looking around town.” She began walking towards the door. “Thanks anyway girls.”

“Rainbow Dash! Wait!” Pinkie Pie called before she ran to the back of the store. Rainbow Dash turned, hope rising in her chest. A small smile even began to creep onto her muzzle.

But almost as soon as Rainbow’s hope returned, it sunk once Pinkie Pie emerged with two white take-home boxes, one in each hoof.

“I remember Applejack wanted these. Could you take them back to the barn for me? Thanks!”

Rainbow Dash looked at the two pie boxes, her ears flattening against her head as disappointment flooded her again.

“Oh… the pies, right.” Rainbow Dash flatly as Pinkie Pie handed her a take-home saddlebag to carry the pastries in. Rainbow Dash mentally scolded herself, ashamed that she had been so caught up in her own personal gift crisis that she had nearly forgotten the pies Applejack had ordered. Once again, her forgetfulness almost caused her screw up Applejack’s big day.

It was one more thing for the pegasus to feel shameful about.

“Yeah, one apple pie and one blueberry pie!” Pinkie Pie said pointing at each pie respectively. “I didn’t even know Applejack liked blueberries so at first I put down two apples, but then she corrected me later. I didn’t think she could eat any fruit besides apples. I mean, her name is Applejack.”

Rainbow Dash exchanged a confused look with Fluttershy before turning back to Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie, just so you know. Sometimes you make less sense than Twilight does when she’s talking scientific mumbo-jumbo.”

Rainbow Dash sighed and gave her friend a small nod as she stuffed the pies into the bag before sliding it over her body, then tightened the straps with her teeth.

“Okay, I’ll bring these with me,” she said before she looked up at the white sheet, large shadows on the other side. “Say, what are you working on back there?”

“It’s a surprise for the party!” Pinkie Pie said excitedly. “You’ll have to wait to find out!”

“Can’t you tell me? I mean, it’s Applejack’s party, not mine,” Rainbow asked.

Pinkie Pie shook her head. “Nope! This is a surprise for everypony that will be there, and I’d hate to have such a totally awesome gift that I put so much work into be revealed before it’s even finished.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, but didn’t bother to hide her disappointment.

“All right, then I guess I’ll keep looking around,” she said with a sigh. “Hopefully there’s one place that will have the perfect gift.” The pegasus waved to her friends and flew out of the shop to continue her search.

The Best Present of All: Part 2

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[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.

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.

The Best Present of All: Part 3

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The Best Present of All: Part 3

The party lasted a total of three hours, but for Applejack it seemed to go by way too fast– she was having so much fun. But, as usual, all good things had to come to an end and slowly but surely, the crowd thinned as guests began to leave the party.

Eventually, only Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Twilight, Spike, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders remained in the barn. Big Macintosh had already begun cleaning up the scattered paper hats and confetti while the Cutie Mark Crusaders sat in the corner, gulping down sugary treats and getting hyped up for the sleepover they were about to have. Applejack stood near the entrance, talking with Twilight while Spike lay almost unconscious on the unicorn’s back– the young dragon was exhausted and full from the pie eating contest he had entered against Pinkie Pie.

“This was a great party Twilight, Ah can’t thank ya enough for helping out with it.” Applejack said.

“It was our pleasure.” Twilight said. “But really, all we did was help set up and organize. Rainbow did most of the work in planning, preparing and assigning jobs to each of us. I’ve never seen her so dedicated to anything not related to flying.”

Applejack nodded, her eyes glancing towards the back of the barn– specifically up to a rafter where Rainbow Dash sat, staring out of a tiny window at the full moon.

“Yer right,” Applejack said with a nod. “Ah’m beyond proud of her.”

She then looked around the barn; everything from the dance floor to the mountain of trash made her think of just how many guests had showed up. She noticed the massive chocolate cake, or rather, what was left of it. It was a cake Rainbow had picked out and topped with a customized design that the pegasus had chosen as well. The remaining party supplies, the banner, the food, the empty spot where Vinyl Scratch had been earlier– everything served as a reminder to Applejack of all the hard work Rainbow Dash had put into celebrating her special day.

“She really outdid herself.”

“Then why don’t you go tell her that?” Twilight said, motioning her head towards the rafter and the sitting pegasus atop it. Applejack nodded, bade Twilight and the near-sleeping dragon good night (as well as thanking them again for sharing in her birthday) and made her way over to the rafter. Part-way there she stopped, her eyes landing on the pile of gifts she had yet to open. At the top lay a flat gift she knew to be Rainbow Dash’s. She trotted over and grabbed it from the mound before continuing on. She passed Big Macintosh, still hard at work cleaning the floor, and gave him a small, appreciative hug. He stiffened for a second, clearly taken aback by the gesture, but soon returned the gesture with a hug of his own. They broke off and exchanged smiles before Applejack continued on her way and Big Macintosh returned his work.

Applejack ascended a rickety ladder until she finally reached the rafter where Rainbow Dash had been sitting all by lonesome.

“Hey Dashie.”

Rainbow Dash turned to look at Applejack and smiled.

“Oh, hey there AJ,” She said with a smile. “What’s up?”

“Nothing much,” she responded. ‘Ah just thought that Ah’d tell a certain pegasus how much fun Ah had at the party she organized.”

Rainbow Dash smiled and gave a small wave of her hoof. “Don’t mention it, I’m just glad you enjoyed yourself.” She looked down at the gift in Applejack’s hooves.

“Oh,” she said, her expression immediately fell to one of despair, “you... you have my gift.”

“Yep, ah wanted to open it in front of ya.” Applejack said, taking a seat next to Rainbow Dash. They exchanged a smile and kissed. She looked down at the gift, the only indication that it was from Rainbow was the small, white sticker with ‘To AJ, from Your Dashie-cube’ written in hasty, black pen.

“Hehe, not one for extensive writing, are ya?” Applejack asked.

“Shut up and open it,” Rainbow Dash said with a groan.

Applejack chuckled and then proceeded to tear the wrapping paper off of the flimsy gift. Her eyes widened when she saw the glistening blue of the Wonderbolts uniform that was her gift.

“Wow, this is really neat,” Applejack said, squinting to get a close view of it. “Where did ya get it? It looks so authentic.”

“That’s because it is,” Rainbow Dash said, rubbing the back of her head nervously. “It’s... it’s the suit that Aurora Flare gave me when I was a filly.”

Applejack looked up at Rainbow Dash,all joy flushed from her face, replaced with pure disbelief.

“This... this is... that... uniform?” Applejack asked, receiving a nod in response. “But, that’s yer most prized possession. Ya kept it locked in a glass box for Celestia’s sake.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, “Yes, AJ. I did. And I could sit here and say that I thought long and hard about what to give you before settling on this. Heck, I could even come up with some cheesy metaphor or meaning for this gift in relation to our love for each other.”

Rainbow Dash let out a light chuckle before returning to her solemnity. “But I’d be lying. Sure there is meaning behind this gift, but it isn’t enough to justify what I did.” Rainbow Dash took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled before she finally confessed. “The truth is that I picked this as your gift today...ten minutes before I arrived at the party.”

Applejack tilted her head. “What?”

“I was so caught up in planning this party that I forgot your present all together,” Rainbow Dash said guiltily. “After I left the farm earlier, I spent the rest of the day before the party flying around town, trying to figure out what I should get you. And in the process, I got hit on by a stallion...and I threw your blueberry pie in his face. I was sexually harassed by two mares. I even begged Rarity like a dog. But after that...” Rainbow Dash took a second to steady herself as she let out a small sniffle, “after all that I only managed to find a gift for you just minutes before the party. Rainbow Dash looked down as tears started to form in her eyes.

“Then Pinkie Pie showed her gift, the one she put so much hard work into, the one that stunned everyone at the party.” Rainbow Dash swallowed. “And then there I was, your fillyfriend with a gift I didn’t make or even buy, only grabbed out of my own closet at the last possible second.”

The pegasus used the back of her hoof to wipe some tears away from her eyes.

“And I couldn’t help but feel... you know...guilty and... like I let you down.” Before Rainbow Dash could erupt into tears, she felt a comforting hoof under her chin, lifting her face up and towards the very caring face of Applejack.

“Rainbow, this gift didn’t let me down in the slightest,” Applejack said, taking her hoof away from Rainbow’s chin and using it to comb through her short-cut mane. The pegasus’ cheeks turned bright red, clearly enjoying the soothing touch of her fillyfriend’s hoof raking along her scalp.

“R-really?” she asked.

“Of course,” Applejack said with a reassuring smile, “Ah know how much this Wonderbolts uniform meant to you, and Ah’m beyond touched that you’d give it to me.”

Applejack removed her hoof and smiled. “Besides, if ya forgot to get me a gift, Ah wouldn’t have cared.”

Rainbow Dash gave Applejack an extremely puzzled look. “Why not?”

“Look around us,” she said, gesturing to the entire barn. “This whole party, all of the fun moments and the great memories, was only possible because of ya, Rainbow.”

Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash and patted her on the shoulder. “It’s because of yer effort that Ah got to have the best birthday party of mah life.” Rainbow still looked like she was ashamed of herself, so Applejack pressed on, not willing to let the love of her life stew in such a pit of self-constructed despair.

“Ya worked hard to make me happy with this party, and that was more than enough of a gift.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, but was clearly still not convinced– her eyes still refused to meet Applejack’s gaze. However, the stubborn country pony wasn’t finished expressing the gratitude she felt to her marefriend.

“Besides,” the country mare said, placing her hooves onto Rainbow Dash’s shoulders, “the best gift of all is having ya as mah fillyfriend.”

Rainbow Dash looked up at Applejack, wiping some tears out of her eyes.

“R-really?” She asked with a small sniffle. “Do you... you really mean that?”

As she looked into her fillyfriend’s face, Applejack could see a glimmer of hope in her otherwise sad eyes, the same eyes that typically conveyed high self-esteem as well as honest affection simultaneously. Those eyes were one of the main reasons why Applejack first started to have romantic thoughts about the polychromatic pegasus those many nights ago.

“Of course Ah do,” Applejack nodded with the utmost confidence. “No gift could ever compare ta knowing that Ah have ya by mah side, and that Ah have yer love.”

Applejack drew Rainbow Dash into a warm embrace. “Confessing to ya about mah thoughts at Hearth’s Warming Eve was the best thing Ah’ve ever done, because it gave me the greatest part of mah life.”

Applejack broke the hug and looked back into Rainbow Dash’s eyes with a smile. “It gave me you.”

Rainbow Dash’s smile returned, her cheeks lit up bright red. Applejack returned the smile and leaned in, planting a soft kiss on the top of Rainbow Dash’s head. Rainbow snuggled against the orange mare’s chest, letting out a sigh as she looked up at the moon. Neither mare had ever felt so safe and warm, their hearts beating in rhythm as they relished each other’s closeness.

They stared up at the sky through the tiny window of the barn. Although it was a cool night, the closeness between the two mares kept them as warm as if they had been wearing wool sweaters or a blanket.

“I love you AJ,” Rainbow Dash said breathlessly, “with my whole heart and soul.”

Applejack looked down at her fillyfriend and gave her another kiss, this time on her cheek.

“Ah love ya too, Sugarcube,” She responded, nuzzling the pegasus pressed up against her as they watched a pair of identical shooting stars blaze across the night sky- neither in front of the other, both shining with equal, dazzling intensity, flying in perfect harmony.

It was just as it had been on that cool Hearth’s Warming Eve.