Down Here On the Farm
Thwap!
Rainbow Dash touched down, breathless, along the grassy edges of Sweet Apple Acres. She squinted through the sunlight glistening off the nearby baskets of fruit.
“Looks like an early harvest,” she murmured to herself, then trotted forward on light hooves. “So... what's the problem?” She gulped and continued in a soft, feeble voice. “Did worms eat up half her crops? Are the vampire fruits back? Is... is...” Her pupils shrank as her blue coat went pale. “...is there a death in the family?”
Rainbow's eyes instantly darted towards a lone rocker on the front porch. Nopony was sitting in it—especially no green, wrinkly nopony.
“Ohgosh... ohgosh...” Rainbow squeaked. “She was soooooooooo super old. It was just a matter of time, huh?! And here I've been flying all over the place trying to save the world from deadly chaos shards! Guh! Stupid world!” She sat on her haunches and repeatedly whapped her little head. “Idiot! Dumbflank! Freakabimbo! You should have been here for Applejack! You should have been here with her for when her grandmother—”
Rainbow heard hoofsteps. She gasped, swinging towards the barn. A sweaty equine figure was marching out, depositing baskets full of apples into a wagon.
“Applejack!” Rainbow Dash darted over. “I came as soon as I heard! Well—erm... I didn't hear much of anything, really... but I came anyway! What's going on! How can I help?!”
“Hrmmm? Help?” A stallion spun around. Bright green eyes blinked, followed by a bright, cheery smile. “H-hey! I know you! You're Rainbow Dash, right? AJ's friend?”
Rainbow Dash blinked... then blinked harder. “Uhhhhh...”
“Stu! Stu Leaves!” The stallion dropped a basket and held his hoof out. “Weather flier? Transferred from Cloudsdale?”
Rainbow Dash's eyes thinned. “Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...”
“Pffft... come on, silly!” He chuckled. “We met not long ago! At the Saddlehay Soiree, remember?”
“Sisterhooves social,” Applejack corrected, trotting around the wagon with three times as many baskets on her back. “Honestly, can't ya ever get it right, one time, Stu?”
“Eugh...” He rolled his eyes, chuckling. “So help me! I'm new around here!”
“Thankfully you're useful for yer wings, not so much as yer head.”
“Hardy har har.”
Applejack turned and smiled at the sight of her friend. “Howdy, Rainbow! What brings you around these parts on such a warm, sunny day!”
Rainbow blinked. “I... just... I felt like—”
“Oh AJ!” A frail voice chirped, followed by a front porch door opening and slapping shut. “Don't forget to drop off the irrigation equipment y'all borrowed from them Harvest ponies up the road! It was right neighborly of them to lend us the tools, and wouldn't be proper to hold 'em any longer! Ya hear?!”
“Darn tootin', Granny! I'll get right on that!”
“Uhm...” Rainbow spun and flashed a look at the porch.
A healthy and decidedly alive Granny Smith sat on her rocker, sipping from a glass of lemonade. She caught a glimpse of Rainbow and waved pleasantly.
“You look out of sorts, Rainbow!” Applejack said. “Seems like I haven't seen ya in ages! How are ya, darlin'?”
Rainbow's heart skipped a beat. She spun about and stammered, “I've been... around.” She blinked. “You look really friggin' happy.”
“Heh!” Applejack half-guffawed. “And why shouldn't I be? The farm's doin' well and there ain't no cloud in the sky! Couldn't have asked Celestia for a better day even if she were to carve it herself!”
“You can say that again!” Stu Leaves exclaimed.
“Now now, Stu, nopony likes an echo.”
“Erm... r-right...” He bit his lip with drooping wings. “Sorry...”
Applejack chuckled for a good straight five seconds. “Honestly, Stu, don't ya go all Fluttershy on us. My brother's liable to start chasin' after ya!”
“Hahah... that's funny.” Stu smiled, blinked, then cleared his throat. “Uhm... you are joking, r-right?”
Rainbow Dash hovered in place. “Applejack, who is—?”
“You mean to tell me ya don't recognize Stu Leaves?” Applejack said, trotting around the wagon. “Ponyville's newest weather flier?”
“I... uh... I-I can't say that I do...”
“I was trying to tell her that we met at the Summerhorse Seminar,” Stu said.
“Sisterhooves Social! Heavens to Betsy!” Applejack winked at Rainbow Dash. “They certainly don't teach much more than flight at flight school, do they, Rainbow?”
“I wouldn't know,” Rainbow droned. “I never finished.”
“Oh, you're a Cloudsdalian alright!” Stu Leaves said with a grin. “I can smell it off your feathers!”
“Down, boy,” Rainbow said with a frown. “Really, though, I've lived in Ponyville for several years.”
“Yeah, but you can never take the clouds out of your mane!” Stu chuckled and sighed. “Hoooo boy, am I finding that out the hard way.”
“Awwww... you've been doing alright in my book, Stu,” Applejack said. “Besides, yer doin' the right thang, what with lendin' a hoof here on the farm—”
“He's been helping out on the farm?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“Well, sure!” Applejack smirked. “A real helpin' hoof, this here Stu. I'm surprised you two haven't run into each other in the skies!”
“Yeah!” Stu exclaimed. “All week on weather detail, I haven't seen you, Miss Dash!”
“Please, just call me Dash.”
“Dash. Everywhere I go, ponies talk about how awesome and amazing you are! Even above the rooftops of Ponyville with the other pegasi!” He chuckled. “If I hadn't seen you at the...” He looked nervously at Applejack. “...Sisterhooves Social...” He smiled back at Rainbow. “...I would have guessed you were just some crazy legend!”
“Heheheh!” Applejack chuckled. “He's learnin'!”
“I've been... uhm...” Rainbow Dash rubbed her forelimbs together. “Uhhh... how do I put this...”
“Rainbow Dash here has been a super busy pony as of late!” Applejack exclaimed, packing as many baskets of apples into the wagon as possible. “What, with all her deliveries and cross country flights n'all...”
“Oh! A delivery pony!” Stu smiled up at her. “Even more that we have in common! I work part-time at the local post office!”
“Uh huh...” Rainbow avoided his gaze, fidgeting. “...that's nice...”
“Boy, I tell you what. I never thought a small-town parcel service would be so exciting! Between that hilariously sweet pegasus with bubbles for cutie marks and all the random explosions that happen in this town, I can't get no end of excitement—”
“Welcome to Ponyville, Stu Leaves,” Applejack said in a low tone. “It only goes downhill from here.”
“Heh. That remains to be seen. How about I help you with drawing the wagon to the Harvests?”
“You've done enough today, Stu. We're all greatful, really.”
“Seriously! It's no sweat!”
“The day I can't draw my own wagon is the day I quit buckin' apples, and between you and Rainbow and me, I'd rather be shot dead than let that happen overnight!”
“Heh. Guess I won't be delivering any lead bullets anytime soon. But if you need more help getting the apples off these trees...” Stu wiped his brow and smirked. “Just give me a holler!”
“Sure thang, Stu. I might do that. Especially with Big Mac bein' all... how should I put this... super distracted as of late.” Applejack finished with a twangy guffaw.
“Heh... I won't ask questions,” Stu said with a smile.
“Good! Cuz I ain't givin' ya answers!”
“See you later, Applejack!” Stu waved. “Granny Smith!” He bowed towards the porch from long distance, then swiveled to smile at Rainbow. “Nice seeing you for once, Rainbow! Here's hoping we get to clear clouds together soon! I'd just love to learn some of the moves that make you crazy famous!”
“Jee, thanks...” Rainbow waved at him as he trotted off. “...you just might be crazy lucky.”
Stu Leaves hummed to himself as he left through the front gate of Sweet Apple Acres in a bouncy canter.
“Hmmm... he's got a heapin' helpin' of cheer,” Applejack said. “It almost makes up for what's missin' upstairs,” she said with a wink.
“Just... how long has he been... uh... helping out at the farm?”
“Oh, I dunno. A few days?” Applejack shrugged her way into the wagon's riggings. “I swear, this whole week has flown by.”
“Yeah, well—”
“And I hadn't gotten a single glance of you in all that time!” Applejack smirked. “Even Rarity made it out to the farm once or twice! But you? Where ya been, Rainbow?! Not gettin' in too much trouble, I hope!”
“Heh... heheheheh...” Rainbow avoided Applejack's glance as her cheeks flushed. “Ohhhhhhhh... you know me.”
“Reckon I don't, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Especially not lately.”
“Yeah... erm...” Rainbow Dash bit her lip and fiddled with her hooves. “Well...”
“What finally brings you down to my farm all of the sudden?”
“I... uh... I h-heard that... that...”
“Hmmm?”
Rainbow Dash clenched her jaw. Finally, she summoned the strength to look at Applejack dead-on. “I heard through the grape vine that you were feeling down in the dumps.”
“Who? Me?” Applejack blinked. She snickered and slapped her knee as the wagon behind her rattled. “Y'all serious? Do I look like I'm missin' any sunshine to ya?”
“Uhhhhhhhh...”
“Whatever put that silly idea in yer head?”
“It's j-just that... Pinkie Pie said—”
“Lemme guess.” Applejack smirked. “The ol' 'Sourapplejack' bit.”
“Err... yeahhhhhhhhh.” Rainbow winced.
“Listen, sugarcube. Pinkie Pie says thangs all of the time. Rarity says thangs all of the time. She may not even admit it, but even our dear ol' Fluttershy says thangs all of the time. Twilight would say thangs, if only the sweet gal wasn't so busy believin' all the nonsense from the other ponies! Heheheh... but unless I'm hearin' the truth from the horse's mouth—so to speak—t'ain't no sense in takin' stock in whatever's miserable or dramatic-like, ya feel me?”
“Yeah... sure...” Rainbow Dash exhaled, her ears folded back over a smiling expression. “I feel you...”
“Besides...” Applejack smirked knowingly. “You ain't got time for feelin' miserable as of late. Am I right, Rainbow?”
“Uhm...” Rainbow Dash squinted. “What's that supposed to mean?”
“Whoops! Uhm...” Applejack chuckled lightly, adjusting the brim of her hat. “Nothin', I-I reckon! Time to... uh...” She started pulling the wagon. “...give back the Harvests' tools and drop these apples off in Ponyville! I'd love to chat, darlin', but there's work to be done!”
“Yeah. You and me both.”
“Ain't it the truth!” Applejack waved as she carried the wagon over the nearby hill. “See ya, Rainbow Dash! We and the girls oughta hang out together again soon!”
“Right... brilliant idea...”
“Darn tootin'!” And the bright orange shape was gone, along with her bright orange voice.
Rainbow sighed the heaviest she had all day. She hugged herself in midair, staring down at the scattered empty baskets by where the wagon had previously been parked.
“Why do I feel like a stranger in my own hometown...?”
“Hey, there, speedy!” Granny Smith warbled from the porch below. “If yer gonna be flyin' up there anyways, ya mind wranglin' in a little bit of rain to help the southwest fields?”
Rainbow exhaled through her nostrils. She pivoted and gave Granny a calm, quiet smile. “Hey... no problem. I'll knock it out on a jiff.”
“There's a good girl! I'll give ya a whole pitcher of lemonade!”
“Thanks. But no thanks.” Rainbow shot up into the air, sweeping the sky for errant rain clouds to gather. “I've had all I can take of sour stuff this week...”
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I've noticed this and Urohringr always get updated at the same time, is there a reason for this?
4965489 Because they're by the same author?
I SWEAR I've seen this name elsewhere before...hmmm...
Pinkie knows. Fear her! :flail:
I guess RD forgot about Fancy's message... Or didn't think it was the right time.
Hmmm. Most curious. I don't know what to make of Stu. He seems nice, but I sense some other significance to him. Furthermore, Applejack's definitely up to something. If I didn't know better, I'd say Rainbow's absences are a big part of her mood. And am I reading too much into it when she reached up to her hat (about the contents of which there's been much prior speculation) when she started backpedaling? There's a small, unjustified, but surprising stubborn part of me that thinks Rainbow's feelings aren't entirely unrequited, whether AJ knows it or not.
4965976
I was thinking the same myself, actually. Maybe, just maybe, the reason she's been feeling down is because she's yearning for Rainbow as much as she's longing for AJ. And remember, Dash did tell Rarity she had a coltfriend, so that might be part of it as well.
...What? A guy can dream, right?
4965976
4966359
Yyyep.
definitely thinks 
has a coltfriend, and is jealous. Of Dash, or the coltfriend, we'll see...
I'm guessing this upcoming meeting between the friends is either going to go extremely well, or more likely, fall apart into chaos whilst simultaneously destroying/revealing Rainbow's dream. Fun times ahead!
4966409 If AJ is jealous about RD "having" a coltfriend.
Then maybe that's why Stu is suddenly helping her down on farm.
Perhaps.
Let the drama commence.
4966678 I'm not sure AJ is there just yet. But it's a risk, yes...
4966875
Oh, I thought because his name was shortskirtsandexplosions... Actually, that logic doesn't make sense. See, this is why I shouldn't think - I just make things ten times more confusing than it has to be.
Rainbow has always been my favourite character so I definitely agree there. I'm biased though. And I liked Vinyl's personality in this, too.
4966569 "Rainbow catches up with herself". Either it's going to go extremely bad, or we'll see yet another 'Rainbow goes out to drink, helps Fluttershy, sees Zecora, stalks AJ and tries to avoid Rarity' mid-chapter arc.
One it think rainbow is gonna get jealous of stu. And two I think rarity told everypony about rainbow
4966359
4966409
Y'know, I'd forgotten that Rainbow told Rarity (more or less) that she had a coltfriend. And we all know how discreet Rarity is (
). That only adds credibility, methinks. Most interesting.
4965976
Oh, good. I wasn't the only one who thought this.
AJ has some sort of motive going on, conscious or not, and it seems to only lead back to RD.
As far as the hat goes, there's obviously a bigger significance to it. It wouldn't be pointed out so much if it wasn't, and considering the way Applejack acts every time the thing flies off her head and Rainbow tries to grab it for her, it's definitely a pretty big deal whatever it is.
4966682 That's also a possibility. But either way Rainbow is probably seeing Stu as competition or maybe she made the conclusion it's to late and that AJ has fallen for Stu (or at least that is what I make from how RD reacted) no matter if AJ is that far or not.
Personally I hope RD doesn't let jealousy blind her which in turn could push AJ away from her and towards Stu creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I hate you, Stu Leaves. I hate him. I hate his guts. Go get lost in the Bermuda Triangle, ya blutz. I don't even know why I hate him....
....OH.
Now I know, I'm jealous of Stu. I'm jealous of him for Dashie. Dashie, take five from your flank-kicking. I got this one, girl.
I'm making my guess now.
Applejack has a lock of Rainbow's hair in her hat.
...
What kind of name is 'Stu Leaves', anyway?
That's like, the backgroundiest of background pones.
I'm guessing Gary Stu Leaves took Rainbow Dash's place both in the weather team and the delivery service. And with him helping at the farm like Rainbow sometimes does, she'll consider getting Stu and AJ together
and fly east. Meanwhile, AJ thinks Dash has a coltfriend, because Rarity told her so, even if AJ said she wouldn't believe anything it if it Rainbow herself didn't say it. So, I'm guessing AJ considers Rarity may be right, but has her doubts, that will be "confirmed" when Rainbow admits having a boyfriend, for some reason.Lonely love came on at the end of this chapter, really amplifying the mood of it.
If this were an episode, Dash would learn within 22 minutes that staying in town with your friends is better and zipping off doing crazy adventures to try and perform miracles for them.
Of course, if this were an episode, Dash wouldn't be in love.
Stu is a changeling, calling it now.
Instant dislike for the possible suitor to our heroes maiden
I don't know if the chapter title references it, but now I have this in my head again.
*Shakes fist* Braaaaaaaad
Observation: She who would be AJ was unhappy while RD was absent, yet is ecstatically happy right now for some reason.
Cautiously optimistic noise: Squee.
Wait, his name is Stu Leaves... Stew Leaves... Is his special talent making tea?
(Call upon the tea ponies, when you're in distress!)
Stu Leaves is getting awfully chummy with Applejack.
Rainbow may have to reach out to some of the ponies in Noir's underground circle to get... results.