Rainbow tried to kick a tornado up but there were too many ponies running around the area grabbing Zap Apples for her to make one and she figured they'd do it all soon enough anyway. She flew above the acres and landed on a cloud; she always made sure to keep a few above the acres just in case.

Looking down she admired the hustle all three races of ponies had as they scurried like ants between the trees in the orchard. Hanging lightly on the cloud she let her forelegs dangle and wave as she tried counting the ponies below. She noticed only a large area of the acres were affected by her magic. She quickly got tired of watching others work so she rolled off the cloud letting herself free fall to the treeline before she opened her wings and glode across the length of the acres without a single flap. She headed to the house once she was out of the trees to find Applejack.

"Hey AJ? How's it goin?"

"How's it goin? Rainbow?! Ya just made... Ya," Applejack ran half the length of the kitchen on her hind legs like Pinkie would and grabbed Rainbow into a tight hug.

"So, we're cool then?"

Applejack pulled back from the hug and smirked at Rainbow. "Dashing, ya even have ta ask?" Letting the mare go Applejack turned and galloped out the door ready to issue more orders as Twilight and Rarity came galloping into sight and stopped Applejack to talk. The surprised looks and expressions said they couldn't wait to have a few exciting words with Rainbow. Rainbow sighed as she let a smile creep across her muzzle and landed before strolling out the door of the farm house casually looking to the sky as her two unicorn friends galloped to her and began bombarding her with questions.

"How?" Did you plan this?" "The colors are amazing, can I use them as inspiration?" "Is this a side effect you've known about?"

"Girls girls girls," Rainbow opened her wings and took to the air hovering as she waved a hoof dismissively. "This is just what I do."

The excitement left the two unicorns partly as they realized they were talking to Rainbow Dash, after all.

"So, is this a known side effect of the sonic rainboom that you didn't tell us or is this just a happening? Can we run some tests and see the effects sonic waves and rainbows have in conjunction with-"

"Oh enough of that sciencey talk, darling. Rainbow, can I have you model some new Zap Apple clothing I just realized we should have on hoof? If we're going to have sonic rainbooms over our town then we should have outfits to match."

"Rarity, that is just... An inspired thought, however I really think we should study the effects of her magics effect on the environment first. What if she has a higher output of magic than other Pegasus that has lasting effects when she performs a sonic rainboom?"

"No Twilight. Fashion waits for no mare and this is the greatest inspiration I've ever had and Rainbow Dash is to thank... Where'd she go?"

Twilight and Rarity scanned the area around them then looked up to see a rainbow contrail heading south west. "She ditched us?" the unicorns said in unison before looking at one another and giggling as they walked into the acres to help pick zap apples. "Oh that mare is always in such a rush, dear. I swear that if she ever stopped she'd turn to stone," Rarity joked.

"She's just excited to have done something so amazing. No pony could have ever expected this to happen and to such a deserving family."

"Oh! I wonder if this would work on cherries. I can try to make cherrychangas, or would they be zaperrychangas? Cherryzappas? Cherryzapachangas?"

"Pinkie, where in Celestias name did you come from and what are you talking about?"

"Oh! I was in that tree over there and saw you walking and thought 'gee, those ponies sure did look happy to see all these apples that Dashie turned into zap apples' and then I thought about cherries and how great cheery pie is then cherry cake and then I thought how chimichangas are really good too. They're like fried burritos; and then I thought-"

"Okay, okay Pinkie Pie. Thanks for the view into your mind however I'm sure you'd be a bigger help gathering zap apples for the Apple family? Zap Apple jam is supposed to be one of their biggest cash crops I heard and I can't wait to try some."

"Twilight?! You've never had Zap Apple jam? Here, try some. I have some in case of emergency right here." Pinkie reached into her mane and pulled out a nearly empty jar with swirling colors of the rainbow inside it. Taking the top off she produced a spoon and stuck it into the jar. "Open wiiiide."

"Um, thanks Pinkie but I-" Pinkie shoved the spoon full of jam into Twilights mouth and with an oof Twilight let the flavors fill her senses. "Oh Celestia that's amazing! Hurry everypony, lets get these zap apples picked," Twilight shouted excitedly as she galloped into the acres.

"The sugar in that batch must be extra potent," Rarity exclaimed watching Twilight use her magic to grab several apples from a tree into a bushel.

"Yeah, this ones a couple years old. I really should get a new one."

"A couple years? Is that safe Pinkie Pie?"

"Well, it's a little fermented but that just makes it yummier in the tummier!" Taking a spoon full herself she shuddered and closed the lid then zipped off into the distance.

"Maybe that's where she gets some of her energy from..."

---

Gosh, I left those two hangin' asking questions I can't answer or don't wanna. I guess I should expect that from now on. The great Rainbow Dash is always full of surprises. Also, she has a job to do and doesn't wanna get fired so yeah. I'm really glad that Applejack is so happy but I know I'm not gonna be much help with all the other ponies there doing their own jobs. I'll see her tonight and we can talk about- Oh yeah, Quill and me kissing. Rainbow was at her area to start her shift but she hovered for a moment thinking how to bring the topic up on such an exciting day for the Apple family.

I guess I don't have to bring it up today and I'll just let Quill know we'll wait until this whole Zap Apple thing blows over. What's the worst that can happen from keeping this little kiss a secret for a couple days? Week tops.

Rainbow shrugged and pulled her goggles over her eyes as she went to work moving clouds and busting others and preparing for the storm later the evening.

"Works done now I'm off to... I don't know. AJ has the acres. I'm an hour early to end my shift, like expected, and I'm not really tired so maybe I can grab a snack. I bet Lime can get me a discount on a smoothie." Rainbow licked her lips and reached into her saddle bag and smiled. Just enough for even if I can't get a discount.

She turned and headed to the Ole Deli. Walking in she saw Lime behind a counter mixing what looked like coffee and milk. Rainbow licked her lips then shook her head quickly.

"Heya Lime, can I get a smoothie?"

"Sure thing, 3 bits."

"Can I get a discount?" Rainbow winked as she dropped two bits on the counter.

"Sorry Dash. Boss is really counting the beans lately. If she finds out I'm giving discounts to friends I'll get reprimanded. Maybe fired," she whispered.

"Oh, okay then! Not a prob, my fine mix mare. I'll take a smoothie on the rocks," she smiled slamming the last bit on the counter startling a table of ponies nearby.

"It's okay, she's just boasting," Lime smiled and waved a hoof dismissively to the table.

"Dash, calm down sweetie. I'll get right to it, care to take a seat while I finish up their drinks?"

"Sure thing Limey."

"... Don't call me that, silly filly. That's for Quill," she winked as she whispered and went back to stirring a drink.

Rainbow smiled then shrugged as she turned to scan the room. Even for an after lunch hour it was pretty slow. She chose the table she and Applejack first sat at by the window and watched as ponies walked by.

Ya know, it's been a long time since I've been on an adventure? Flying and doing stunts is fun and all but I kinda wanna fight another dragon, save a city from a Ursa Minor or maybe even just go on a bender and... No, never again. Why would that even cross my mind with all I've done and what I'd lose. No, this isn't the time or place to think like that, I have too much going on right now. I'll just have to stay awesome by being sober.

Rainbow smiled to herself as she waited for her drink watching ponies pass by.

"Rainbow, here ya go hun. I've got a few minutes if anything's on your mind, you look stressed."

"Well I'm not gonna see AJ for a while cuz I turned a bunch of apples into Zap Apples and she's gonna be workin' like crazy."

"Oh my gosh! I knew that was a sonic rainboom but I was in the basement and didn't see it," she sat across from Rainbow in the open seat and brushed her mane from her eye. "I thought it was an earthquake and ducked under the stairs. When I came up there was gossip all around and I had missed it," she groaned placing her hooves over her eyes, "I missed the last one too when you did a heart when you first got together."

"Well that was a really awesome accident, actually," Rainbow said taking the drink in to her mouth and sipping with a smile, "this' really good Lime, you're a smoothie artist."

"Thanks but you're seriously telling me that that super romantic gesture was an accident? Ponies were talking about it for days and you oopsed it?"

"Yeah, I usually just kinda get bounced back up when it happens and I turned then landed and poof, it was a heart. Best mistake I made since..." Rainbow cleared her throat and took a big drink.

"Since, Soarin? Is that it?"

"Well, kinda. I guess I just have bad luck with stallions in general."

"Well, that's in the past now hun. You're with AJ and your one ex lover is hiding in Cloudsdale somewhere rubbin' it off," Lime giggled.

"Well that's..." Rainbow tipped her drink back and chewed a chunk of poorly mixed fruit.

"Oh my," Lime snickered, "how many stallions have you had?"

Rainbow blushed lightly and looked into her drink. "What kinda fruit do you use in these?"

"Don't change the subject," she pressed.

"Lime, order up." Chef called from the kitchen puling the mare back to work.

"Oh you got lucky, I'll be right back and you better have a good answer," she smiled and glared lightly challenging the cyan mare. Once Lime was in the kitchen Rainbow drank the last of her drink and flew out of the restaurant taking to the skies. With a barrel roll before opening her wings she caught a good thermal and rode it high into the sky; she quickly landed on a small cloud and laid flat. Letting her body relax she sank lightly into the cloud and buried her face into it.

I can't believe I started this. Now I'm gonna have to talk to all of them and explain my old life. Oh crap...

A few minutes passed before Rainbow turned over to look at the sky. Clear and blue; warm sun passing its apex and the scent of fresh grass from only Celestia knows how far away carried on the breeze. "I guess I can finish my shift then go do more practice. I might not be a Wonderbolt but I can sure use the exercise, I feel my wing power falling by the day.

Rolling off the cloud she bucked it as she began flying into town zipping between the houses to the office. Not wanting to stop she flew past the other Pegasi that were congratulating her on her creating Zap Apples AND a sonic rainboom before her shift began.

Flying into the office floor she was greeted with cheers and applause as she landed and decided she should take it all like she used to. She posed and grinned widely as ponies gathered around her asking questions that she proudly answered to the best of her ability.

"Okay, okay. Break it up and get the flock back to work," Quill shouted flying over landing before the prideful Rainbow Dash. "I thought you were done being like that silly filly we all knew?"

"Well I am, but if everypony wants to talk to the great Rainbow Dash who am I to stop them? Did you even see that rainboom? Epic."

"Yeah and you also should expect a visit from the guard and a bill from the mayor. You shattered dozens of windows and made one mare go into labor three weeks early," she quipped as she wrapped a wing over Rainbow and walked with her to the order boxes. "So, you didn't talk with Lime, did you?"

"Nah, I got a smoothie and she almost got me to talk about something totally else from my past. I left before I had to answer though."

"Wait, you ditched Lime? You know she'll never let it go now, you could have lied to her or told her to buck herself but now she knows its serious gossip. You, my friend, are in so much trouble now."

"Yeah, keep smiling and maybe she'll find out something about you like that."

"Oh Dash, she already has and she helped me to Fluttershy to fix it. But whatever you're having is gonna be big news. It might even leave our little circle... by accident."

"You wouldn't dare," Rainbow said surprised.

"Well, you better come over sometime in the next couple days or you may spill it outside the walls of secrecy."

Rainbow rolled her eyes but couldn't disagree. Whatever happened in Quills home was a secret kept on a level even the Princesses would admire. "Fine tomorrow night, just the four of us and we get this whole mess out of the way. I've got cool stuff to do and I can't wait for this shift to be done."

"Like?"

"Like doing a few stunts and practicing moves to impress the Wonderbolts of course," she beamed as she broke free from Quill and reached into her saddle bags producing her paperwork. With a few stamps on pages she raised them and put them into a 'completed' box before leaving, looking at one sheet before putting it back into her bag and hovering in the air, looking at Diamonds office. The door was open and the mess was cleaned however several of his personal affects were gone.

"He's gone Rainbow Dash, and good riddance. After that whole mess this morning he cleaned his office and packed a box and left before lunch."

Rainbow looked at the mare. "Flutterwing? But, I didn't get to say goodbye. Where is he? Back at his house?"

"No, he said flock this place and left for Cloudsdale. He dropped his box with the post office and it's gonna be shipped. He couldn't wait to get out of this tiny town for the big city I guess." Flutterwing shrugged and trotted away leaving Rainbow to look into his office sullenly.

I didn't get to say goodbye and thanks for the letter She sighed and flew to the exit, up the stairs and out of the building into the sky. She began doing some of her common tricks, spins, loops and dives as she left the city limits before deciding that speed should be her training for the next few hours. Twilight is helping get apples, so I can't use her wing power tester. Fluttershy wouldn't keep up with a bird at top speed. Pinkie would tie me down with streamers and Rarity wouldn't want to mess up her mane.

So, how am I supposed to judge my speed or show off becomes the question. She smiled and clapped her hooves together.

"Ghost race."

Next Chapter: Monday Night Estimated time remaining: 11 Hours, 33 Minutes