Applejack looked to the spring sky and wiped her brow, wincing as dirt flaked into her face, then returned to dropping seeds behind Big Macintosh as he plowed. “Big Mac, ya ever wonder what it’d be like to fly?”

He thought for a moment while dragging the plow. “Eeyup.”

“Would ya, if ya got the chance?”

“Eeyup.”

“And, Ah know I did it once last summer but,” she moved to shake more seeds loose, “it just wasn’t the same as bein’ free in the sky.”

“Nope.”

“Ah guess, what I’m gettin’ at is that sometime I get a little jealous of Pegasi.” Big Mac turned his head back and raised an eyebrow as he plowed ahead. “Now, don’t give me that. Ah know what yer gonna say and Ah’m proud ta be an earth pony. A grounder, farmer, harvester. Ah dunno what Ah’d do if I could laze on a cloud all day or drift in the wind.

“But, it’d be nice ta see the whole of the acres and get around without the trouble of all this,” she stomped in the soil, “and it’d make mah hooves stay pearly.”

Big Mac chuckled. “Eeeyup.”

“Hey, Ah’m allowed ta feel girly sometimes. Ah reckon ya have your moments, Princess.” Big Mac stumbled to a stop and looked back in surprise. Applejack smirked. “Ah guess ya talk in yer sleep sometimes.”

“Ya don’t even sleep here anymore,” he grumbled.

“Apple Bloom told me. Ah know yer gonna be upset, but she promised ta tell noone else. So, m’lady,” she bowed slightly and tipped her hat, “shall we get back to it?”

Big Mac grumbled under his breath and turned forward, stomping ahead as he plowed and was followed by Applejack. Silence ensued between them.

---

Rainbow landed in the weather office building’s side window with a roll and pose. “Calm down, everypony. Rainbow Dash is back,” she grinned as she took a stride towards Soarin’s office. “Soarin? Ah’m back from my trip to save another empire from certain doom,” she said loudly garnering the attention of the floor.

“Rainbow,” Flutterwing appeared suddenly from the side, “didn’t you hear?”

“Uh, no, I was gone for a month to the frozen north,” she replied sarcastically.

“Soarin’ left for the rest of the season and left Thunder Stamp in charge.”

“Oh, really?” Rainbow leaned in, “what’d he do?”

Flutterwing snickered and whispered. “Quill.”

Rainbow pulled back with a look of disgust. “Eew, she and him?”

“Totally, and it was worse than it was for us,” Flutterwing giggled into her hooves. “Two.”

Rainbow blinked and thought for a couple seconds. “Two? You mean-?”

“YES!” She shouted and began to laugh while Rainbow stood on the floor dumbfounded.

“Wow, she really did have it rough while we were gone,” Rainbow said in a stupor as a smile formed on her features. Then she chuckled and began to laugh with Flutterwing. “Oh, I so have to tell AJ about this,” she said as she sat and began to laugh loudly.

“Oh my! Dashie, you’re really showing!” one of the mares said as she cantered to Rainbow.

“Yeah, I’m happy as ever to know Soarin still sucks at sex.”

“No, your baby bump, Rainbow,” the mare said quieting Rainbow, “you’re really pregnant!”

“Uh, yeah? Duh, I said I was when it happened.”

“But none of us believed you! Rainbow!” she hugged the cyan mare and nuzzled her, “we thought you were just trying to take more time off…”

Rainbow gulped as ponies surrounded her and gave her hugs and nuzzles. “Uh, thanks, no, really, thanks… I’m fine, she’s fine-”

“She?!” the crowd shouted in unison and reaffirmed their hugs and nuzzles, swarming her like a flock of penguin in a blizzard, trying to keep warm.

“Well,” Rainbow’s words were lost in the gleeful mesh of words, “we don’t know it is for sure…”

---

“Ugh, I hate the way dirt tastes,” Quill grumbled.

“Now, now. It’s soil, darling,” Golden Harvest said softly as she led Quill to her harvesting spot. Now, the weeds grow between the plants so try to pull them out by the roots and you can eat as much as you want. They’re sweet enough but don’t get fat,” she giggled.

Quill rolled her eyes and followed. “I only have this job to keep AJ and Dash happy, if I get fat I’m blaming you,” she said flatly.

“Yes, yes. You’re not the first to have weed duty and have the same worry. It’s more of a joke than a fact. Look at Silver Hoof over there,” Golden pointed to a yellow pony, “he spent two seasons pulling weeds-”

“Two seasons?”

“-and he’s still fit as any stallion his age. Hello, Silver Hoof,” Golden smiled warmly, “Quill here is the new weeder.”

He chuckled. “Have fun!”

“I was supposed to be pulling crops!” Quill yelled to the stallion who was smirking at the mares.

“Yeah, so was I,” he mused turning back to a cart with grain stalks.

“...Two years?”

“Nah,” Golden leaned in, “he has nice hind quarters,” she giggled and looked back to the stallion as he leaned forward to grasp something. Muscles rippled as he hefted the cart up to hitch himself in. “I couldn’t have that leave the fields and get a new job and you know what they say about a stallion and his stomach?”

“There’s more brains between the two than between his heads?”

“Huh? Quill,” Golden chuckled innocently, “you say the strangest things.”

“Yeah, and some ponies never know what the world has to offer beyond what they’re told.”

“I’m sorry, darling, I just don’t understand you sometimes.”

Quill sighed and shook her head. “Is it too late to get a job scrubbing toilets in the weather office?” she mumbled.

“I, honestly don’t know, Quill. But, you can always ask.”

“...This’ gonna be so much fun,” Quill smiled widely and stood tall.

“That’s the spirit!” Golden chirped and trotted ahead slightly, oblivious to Quill sagging slightly.

“This sucks,” she whispered.

Next Chapter: Farmin' Ain't Easy Estimated time remaining: 10 Minutes