AN; We're getting fast aren't we? I'm quite proud. As always, props to my amazing beta, The Truth's Lie. I couldn't have done it without her.

Rainbow Dash collapsed onto her designated sofa the second she was able to. Her hooves ached but she was too tired to walk. She shifted until the duck squished beneath her managed to wriggle out and waddled off. "Quack," it said haughtily.

She rolled her eyes and curled into a ball, sighing. Fluttershy draped a blanket over her. "What an exciting evening," Fluttershy said. "A new librarian and a representative."

"Mhm."

"And a baby dragon!" she continued. "I've never seen one before! Do you think Twilight Sparkle will let me study him a bit more?"

"I'm sure she will, Fluttershy," she muttered, tucking her head under a cushion.

"Oh, you're tired. I'm sorry to bother you," she whispered. "Good night, Bright. Sleep well."

She smiled tiredly at her friend. "Good night, Fluttershy. Don't let the bear bite."

"Mr. Bear is very kind...once you get to know him."

"I'm so sure," she snorted, closing her eyes.

"He is! Good night."

Her only answer was a deep throated snore.

She couldn't have been asleep for more than a few hours before she was being crushed by the weight of a small leaping projectile. "Bright! Wake up!" Scootaloo shouted. "Wake! Up!"

"Hmnh I'm up! I'm up!" she shot up, dislodging her little friend as she fell to the floor.

"Argh!"

Fluttershy trotted in, looking confused. "What's all this commotion about?" she asked, although from the quirk of her lips, she was probably more amused than anything.

"I wanna go flying!" she pleaded, staring up at her from the floor."

"No way it's-" she looked around for a clock.

"Seven," Fluttershy muttered.

"Seven," she confirmed. "The only thing I'm doing right now is breakfast."

"You're doing breakfast?"

"Do you want to go out later today or not?"

"Yes! More than anything!"

"Then shut up and let's do breakfast. Fluttershy, do you have eggs?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Pancakes it is."

Okay, so maybe Rainbow Dash didn't really know how to cook. But she was trying and Fluttershy would step in if things got too bad, right?

Right?

Apparently not.

Rainbow Dash had mixed the eggs with flour and milk and now watched helplessly as they sizzled and burned on the skillet. The blueberries she had lovingly thrown in on top at the last minute began to smoke.

Scootaloo wailed in fear. "Make it sto-o-op!"

"Fluttershy!"

Giggling, the mare turned off the stove and threw the remains away. "Who wants cereal?" she asked, not unkindly.

As they silently ate their oats, Fluttershy could not keep in a few snorts.

"Stop!"

"It's not funny!"

She laughed. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm-" she broke off, chortling.

Rainbow Dash looked into her bowl and smiled. She was used to people laughing at her. Normally she hated it. But this? This was alright. Scootaloo nudged her. "Can we go flying now?" she asked.

"You're not going to leave me be on this, are you?" she responded.

"Nu-uh!"

"Fluttershy, wanna come with?"

"Oh no thank you, Mr. Squirrel needs-"

"Got it. Okay. Let me finish squirt and then we'll go."

The squeal almost broke her eardrums and she strangely didn't mind.

Scootaloo was getting better, at least. She managed to stay up in the air this time. Her friends cheered her on as she flapped her tiny wings. "Go, Scoots!" Applebloom called. "You can do it!"

"Yeah!" squeaked the other one. "You got it!"

They both screamed in excitement as Rainbow Dash gave a strong beat of her wings. "Okay, now glide!"

She shifted and stretched out her wings. "I can't!" she said.

"You can!"

"No, really, I don't-" she went tumbling down.

"Enough for today," the bright blue mare said. "If you're still tired tomorrow, we'll continue with some exercises again. We need to work on your stretch anyway."

"Yes, Bright," she said, more cheerfully than the last time she failed.

She paused. "Squirt?"

"Yeah?"

"Good job."

She brightened considerably. "Thanks!"

"Bright," Applebloom said. "My sister wants you at the farm when they finished. She needs help with something."

She sighed, smiling. "Busy, busy, busy." She shot off, leaving the Crusaders winded, literally.

Applejack had impeccable timing, leaving the barn just as she touched down. "Howdy, sugarcube," she said. "Sorry for the short notice."

"No prob! What do you need help with? Bucking?"

"Nothing like that. It's not time yet. But them darn Weatherponies left a few clouds hanging around the east orchard and they haven't stopped drizzling."

"Ah, I got it, AJ."

"I hope you'll be better at their job than they are," she said, guiding her friend.

The clouds were large and droopy, occasionally sparking with lightening. "That's odd," she said. "Why would they waste lightening? It's expensive." She kicked away the clouds, blowing them steadily until they came apart. "I hate to destroy it but I have nothing to contain it with."

Applejack watched curiously. "So this isn't normal?"

"If it was just the clouds then yeah, maybe I could see it as just a mistake but that was a big cloud. Not to mention lightening. We don't use that unless we're going to use thunder and that's only for outside of Ponyville. It's weird."

"Maybe the Pegasus didn't put it there?"

"Natural rain? We haven't had that for years! It's too inconvenient, too unpredictable."

"Well, as long as it doesn't bother us here, I ain't one to interfere with a Pegasus' work. She picked up a shovel. "I'm just an Earth Pony."

Rainbow Dash snorted. "You're not a 'just' anything! You let me know if they aren't doing their damn job and I'll...I'll buck 'em for you! Right in the head!" She kicked for good measure.

The blonde mare snorted up at her friend with laughter. "Thanks, Bright, I sure appreciate it. You're a great friend."

She beamed, heart swelling. Friend. She hadn't had another friend besides Twilight Sparkle and Shinin-

Nope.

Nope.

Not going there.

"Thanks, Applejack," she said warmly.

"Shoot, it's the truth," she replied, smiling back. "You're good for helping us out. Without any pay, too!"

"I don't need it. My job starts soon and I won't need it. I can focus on paying Fluttershy back for all she's done."

"She's a dear, idin't she?"

"Yup. I feel kinda bad mooching off her."

"Oh, shut it. You know she'd do anything for a friend. We all would."

"Yeah, but, still, I'll feel better once I start pulling my weight."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much."

---

AN; Review please!

Anyone have any ideas for side pairing they'd like to see?

Oh, and yeah, I meant idin't. It's slang.

Well, at least down here.