The week passed, as they tend to do...

Rainbow Dash seemed completely fine on the outside. She still flew, she still worked, and whether her friends needed an extra hoof or a pair of wings... she was there in a flash.

Twilight had noticed Dash stopped taking her afternoon naps. She was always on the go, always offering help. The reality of Dash's situation was that, like many of her friends, she wasn't sleeping that much... and when she did manage to catch a wink or two she had nightmares about going back to the crash site to find Scootaloo dead. Scootaloo laid there in her dreams, looking like a little puppet... a little toy. Everything she loved about the little filly was gone... she was just a thing that was going to decay just like every other thing does. As a result of her insomnia, she found it very hard to remain focused at work. After a few days there was a minor mishap... RD jumped on a black cloud and accidentally shocked a few earth ponies while out on weather patrol. It was nothing terrible, but they sent her home for the blunder. Following that she took a couple days off to clear her head. Of course she didn't rest much during that time... she used her new found free time to visit Scootaloo, but not Rarity.

When Dash was with Scootaloo, everything outside their little world didn't matter anymore. The older Pegasus would muse to the little filly during each visit about spending more time together once she got out... which sounded good to them both.

Scootaloo was scheduled to be taken from Ponyville in just a couple months. Rainbow didn't know whether it would be a good idea to tell her. Part of her said "live in the now!" while the other half shouted "prepare for the future!" She couldn't make her mind up, even if it meant her life... so she discussed the matter with her friends. The reality was disheartening, as they didn't know what was right either... some said tell her and some of them said don't:

"Both ideas are right." Said Twilight.

Dash had Spike write Princess Celestia a letter asking for her for advice. The Princess's response was quick, and Dash's smile faded as Spike read it aloud. Celestia couldn't tell Rainbow Dash what to do either, but would offer support in any way she could. The response said more or less "I understand your predicament" and pointed out the advantages and disadvantages of both. Rainbow knew she didn't want to let anything happen to Scootaloo, so she had to do something... even if her friends couldn't help.

Dash wasn't ready to be a mother. That was true. Pinkie Pie didn't have the space or maturity to have a filly of her own around all the time. Twilight was too obligated to her studies. Fluttershy took care of animals and that had to come first. Apple Jack didn't know what her living conditions would be in a couple months, and Rarity was indefinitely unavailable.

It took three things to adopt in Ponyville -- a clean criminal record, a clean place to live that would not endanger the filly, and an income which could support two. RD had two of those things, seeing how the filly couldn't fly... she also had a strong urge to do right. At least the five had criteria with which to search...

They asked all the ponies they knew who would make good candidates -- Cherilee, the Cakes, Berry Punch, Lyra and Bonbon, Cherry Berry, Octavia, even the more aloof mares Derpy Hooves and Vinyl Scratch. All these ponies had taken her in before, if only for a couple of days. They were very hopeful, but no pony could say yes. They all had their own dreams and obligations, all of which were not compatible with having a filly (or another filly, in the case of the Cakes and Derpy) at the time. It was back to square one...

"What about a joint adoption?" Fluttershy suggested one day while having brunch at the library with Dash. "Between you and me, and Twilight? Certainly we could juggle her until she got old enough..."

"It wouldn't work," said Twilight. "We'd need to be in the same household... unless we got married to each other."

"Yeah, that ain't happening," said Dash, laughing despite her frustration. "I like you girls, but not like that."

It was an idea, though.. not marriage, but joint adoption. It showed the girls were really trying despite how bleak things were looking. Rainbow Dash was the element of Loyalty, and she felt sick enough leaving so many ponies she cared so much about in these hopeless situations. Scootaloo's approaching fate devastated her; the unknowns with Rarity's condition disturbed her, and the idea of Apple Jack losing her farm destroyed her. She was in a state where she didn't know much of anything for sure anymore... but she did know that she was sick of feeling helpless. Too many late nights with thoughts on her mind which would wither her to nothing if she didn't do something soon.

That was when she got inspired.

It was early morning, before the sun even rose. Rainbow Dash flew to Celestia's castle in Canterlot. The princess was not up yet, and it would be another hour for her to bring the sun out... the guards were vehement about keeping RD out of her chamber, lest the Celestia be late. They barred her path with crossed pikes.

"Please let me see Celestia," Dash pleaded. "I have to ask her for advice face-to-face. It's important... I've been up for days!"

"You can wait just like any other pony!" Snapped the guard on the left.

She looked to both guards on either side of the door and remembered the cold stare she got from the staff by the emergency vehicle... this was no different. They weren't going to let her in and she knew it, and trying to force her way in could get her badly injured or killed. She lowered her eyes and began to drift away:

"Okay... I'll be waiting over here until she's ready."

The guards smirked to each other, happy to have enforced their precious rules.

"Let her in," echoed a booming voice from behind the door. "The moon is at rest, and if Celestia can not speak to her yet, Luna will!"

The guards uncrossed their weapons as the door opened, lowering their heads in submission to the Princess's will.

"Step inside, Rainbow Dash..." said the gentle voice of Luna. "Tell Luna your troubles, and perhaps I shall help thou come up with a working plan... My time is yours."

Smiling, Dash accepted the invention. The door closed behind her.

A few days passed...

At dusk, Apple Jack looked out over her apple orchards. At this point she was showing signs of fatigue and depression that rivaled Rarity's, constantly having the black suited ponies' visits on her mind. Yet she still worked like there was a tomorrow, as was the Apple way. Rainbow Dash rested beside her on a stump, listening to her as the breeze blew by them. Rainbow, for the first time in weeks, was smiling... though looking almost exhausted as her friend. AJ thought perhaps she had finally lost her mind, but naturally didn't share it.

"I'm really gunna lose it all, Rainbow," Apple Jack said, sighing dejectedly.

Dash clearly wasn't out of ideas yet:

"I wouldn't say that, AJ. Have you thought about having a promotion... something to get business moving? Maybe early cider sales?"

"Yeah. I have, RD." Apple Jack laughed. "Even if it were feasible, that'd just be a drop in the bucket. There ain't nothing Ah can do."

"Nothing? So you're giving up?"

"'Afraid it's coming to that..."

Rainbow Dash looked her friend in the eyes:

"So you're just giving up? We all have our problems, AJ... heck, I'm gunna lose Scootaloo soon and you think I'm not thinking about things I can still do?"

"Yeah, well you can always adopt her before that, you know." The farm pony laughed. "Wanna adopt my farm while you're at it?"

Rainbow looked at her hooves dejectedly:

"Yeah, I know I can just adopt her." She paused, gritting her teeth and sighing "You know what, AJ... I can't let this happen."

Again, Apple Jack laughed:

"What do you mean? You gunna save Scootaloo?"

The Pegasus smiled wide:

"I don't know. What if I were to tell you I could at least make your problems go away...?"

Apple Jack did not look amused:

"Oh, come off it RD... How are you fixing to do that? It'd take a fortune! Not even ma whole family can help... not the whole town can help, not even Celestia!"

The Pegasus spread her wings and turned towards the sky:

"Trust me, AJ. I have an idea."

"Fine.... grateful as I am, though, I think you're just cloud talkin', RD... and I'll thank you not to do no more of it."

Rainbow looked back and grinned smugly:

"You'll see who's head's in the clouds..."

The Pegasus took off before her friend even had a chance to reply. Apple Jack just shook her head... even she knew things always fought the hardest before they give up and die.

A week later...

Rainbow Dash passed awe-struck ponies on her way through Ponyville. She'd come all the way from Canterlot pulling a cart she insisted on pulling herself, two armed guards on either side. The journey took half a day, but it was worth it. The populace of Ponyville had never seen so many boxes stacked on one cart -- stacked thick, wooden chests with metal trim -- filled the cart literally to the brim.

Surprisingly, although she garnered quite a bit of attention, few ponies actually followed her to her destination outside of Ponyville. The guards were off-putting enough to deter that, boredom got the better of the rest. She continued on, passing apple trees, until she saw the two haggard Apple heirs working in the field.

"Apple Jack!" She shouted, once she was in ear shot. "Big Mac!"

The farm ponies turned their heads and looked at the distant Pegasus with the large cart and entourage.

"What'd ya want, RD?" Apple Jack shouted. "Me and my brother are very, very busy here!"

"Ee-yup!" Shouted Big Mac in agreement, his voice hoarser sounding than usual.

"Come here!" Shouted RD.

"Ah don't have time for your foolishness right now!" Replied the farm pony.

"Come here!" She shouted again.

"Why don't you come here!" Hollered Big Mac.

"Fine..." Grumbled the cyan mare, climbing the steep hill before her.

As she climbed the hill and cursed Apple Jack, she took a breath... this would all be explained in seconds.

She was nearly there when she her hoof buckled... the guards with her attempted to grab hold of the cart, but it weighed far too much and they could not keep their grip. The cart went down the hill with RD attached... down, down, down until it finally slammed into a tree, wrecking the cart and sending the cyan pony flying into the dirt. That got Apple Jack and Big Mac to come running.

"Rainbow, Rainbow!" Shouted Apple Jack at the downed Pegasus. "Are you okay?"

"Gah...." Dash attempted to stand and seemed fine, until her foreleg buckled again, this time with a snap. She fell over to her side, crying. Rainbow looked up at her friends around her, biting her lip in agony with tears streaming down her face. "AJ... I think I broke my shoulder. It really hurts!"

Apple Jack helped her up into a seated position, taking the weight off her front legs.

"You're going to be okay, Sugarcube," the farm pony said tenderly. "You just took a nasty spill. Maybe ya broke something, we can't worry about that now.."

"Just make sure nothing happens to that cart," Rainbow said, motioning over to the wrecked wagon. "Promise me you won't let anything happen to it. The guards can't be here forever, AJ."

"I promise, I promise... What's in it that's so important?"

"Bits... tons of bits. Too much for me to have carried on my own, I'm starting to think. It'll make your problems go away."

Apple Jack's eyes went with both fear and surprise:

"Rainbow Dash! How in Equestria did you-"

"Don't ask, AJ! Don't. All that matters is I could help you. I don't want to see you lose your farm."

Getting up, Apple Jack turned to Big Mac:

"Stay with her... I'm faster than you. I gotta hoof it to Fluttershy's pronto to get help!"

"Ee-yup."

Apple Jack was gone in a flash, leaving the guards and Big Mac surrounding the cart. Big Mac curiously peered at the wreckage, only to have one of the guards step in his way with his pike held out:

"Let him look," said Rainbow. "It's for the Apples, and he's an Apple."

The guard lowered his eyes in the same way he had for Luna, making way for the larger farm pony.

The cart contained many chests, and the crash had cracked a few. Big Mac could clearly see through the cracks the chests were full of golden bits. More than he'd ever seen.

"Ah don't know what you did, RD," he said, looking back at her. "But I'm forever in your debt."

Rainbow Dash was in too much pain to appreciate what he was saying:

"Just... give me a barrel of cider or something and we'll call it even, 'kay?"

"Can do."

Rainbow Dash was taken to the hospital by the same drivers who had taken Scootaloo... the trip seemed to go even slower as the passenger. She was treated by Dr. Stable for a fractured shoulder and kept overnight, on the same floor as her favorite filly... but not in the same room, of course.

Her friends visited her that night. Big Mac and Apple Bloom were there, too, the adults having napped a few winks following Rainbow's delivery. They all thanked her, except for Apple Bloom, who just gave her a hug and said was glad she was alright. This made Dash smile.

She'd be out in a day, only to come right back in and see Scootaloo. What she'd done to get those Bits had no effect on the problem with her favorite filly, but at least she'd made a difference.

Apple Jack stayed after once the ponies went their separate ways. The time was a blur... She just talked to Dash, and expressed her gratitude... Rainbow remained quiet as she confessed her own plans about going to jail. Neither had to say anything, they just hugged... Rainbow had truly averted a crisis for Apple Jack. She truly was the most wonderful, most loyal pony AJ had ever met.

But she'd done nothing for Scootaloo or Rarity. That kept her up after AJ left and she was all alone once again...