Scootaloo returned home at five o’clock to the scents and sounds of cooking. She dropped her bags by the stairs and trotted to the kitchen to see Rainbow cursing over the oven. “Nightmare darn it! Why can’t Ah cook toast in the oven?”

“Mom, I’m home,” Scootaloo called, startling the pregnant mare.

“Sheesh, Scoots… how was school?”

“Oh, ya know,” she shrugged, “now that everypony’s friends it’s just great,” she smiled, “so, what’cha cookin fer dinner?”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Vegetable and mushroom stew with burnt bread and butter,” she pulled a tray of smoky charred bread from the oven with her hoof mitts.

“Uh, I think I’ll just have the stew. The toast smells awesome, though,” she lied with a forced smile.

“Really?” Rainbow asked and leaned in to taste one.

“It’s still hot!” Scootaloo shouted and moved to stop Rainbow.

“Oh, right,” she snickered, “well, I’ll have one, since they’re made with pure awesome.”

Scootaloo turned away to roll her eyes. “I’ll set the table. When’s mama coming home?”

“Sunset. Quill should be along at about the same time. So, the stew has a couple more hours to cook.

“...Then why’d you make toast so early?”

Rainbow placed the sheet pan aside and shrugged. “I guess I just got bored waiting.”

“Hey!” Scootaloo opened her wings and hovered, “let’s go for a fly around Ponyville!”

“Shh!” Rainbow hissed, “I’m not going in the sky until tomorrow at least. The weather ponies haven’t left me alone since I got back,” she rushed and pulled a curtain shut, “they moved my clouds for me. Busted my clouds for me. Nuzzled and hugged me like a baby… it was sickening,” she shuddered.

“Oh, because they missed you?”

“No, because this baby is a nuzzle magnet.”

Scootaloo felt and fought the urge to nuzzle Rainbow’s belly. “I know what you mean,” she said as she landed. “Well, I can’t fly around town myself yet so what’d’ya wanna do for the next hour or two?”

“Ah dunno. Why don’t you tell me about your time with Quill? We haven’t really chilled since we got back. The party, the sleeping, the going back to work… Oh my gosh, what you said at breakfast was the most awesome thing any filly’s ever said.”

“What? About bucking a stallion?”

Rainbow took to the air and flew into the living room, landing on the couch. “Eeyup.”

“Well, not much really happened. She kinda just foalsat me the whole time. There was a lot of talking and our showers were really detailed… but not in a bad way! She taught me how to clean my feathers and preen them in a certain way that works with my body style. Uhm, and she gave me love advice,” she sat beside the couch and poked the cushion, “and told me to wait.”

Rainbow bit her lip.

“What?”

Rainbow sighed. “That’s great advice, but if you wait you might miss the fun… at least that’s what I always believed,” she laid her head down on her forelegs, “and then I met AJ in my cloudhouse,” she sighed. “Okay, maybe taking it slow is good for some things, just not everything.”

“Like racing! I totally wanna race you when I’m older. I bet I can beat your times, easy.”

“Ha, as if. Call me when you do a Sonic Rainboom, Squirt. Until then, you’re my trainee slash daughter slash little sister.”

Scootaloo beamed with pride as they began to talk sports and racing, among other things (Wonderbolts).

Quill and Applejack met outside the house and looked one another over. Both were covered with matted fur, dirt, and sweat. Applejack sported a tired smile while Quill, she was worn out and teetering, ready to sleep standing.

“Quill,” Applejack nodded and turned to the house. A heavy thud sounded behind her. Applejack turned her head to look back at Quill, asleep on the gravel path. With a soft chuckle she went back, nosed under Quill and slid the purple mare onto her back, fixed her hat, and went inside.

“Rainbow, we’re home.”

“Mama!”

“Fritter!”

“...Quill?”

“Is she, okay?”

“Heh, she’s just done tuckered out from a long day on the farm. Reckon we’re gonna take a quick shower then eat some’a that yummy smellin’ supper.”

Rainbow nodded and pointed with a wing upstairs. “Want some help?”

“Ya know it. Y’all ain’t showered yet?”

“Heh, nah,” Scootaloo dismissed, “I was waiting for Mom to offer.”

“I was just gonna skip it tonight. After the day I had, there’s no reason.”

Applejack made for the stairs. “Tell me in the shower, Ah need it more’n you know.”

“Okay!” Rainbow chirped, flying to the shower and turning it on a full ten seconds before the others made it to the bathroom. “Your rain awaits,” she bowed with a smirk.

“Well, thank ya kindly, Sugarplum. Sugardrop, ya head in first and get rinsed while Ah get Quill ready.”

“Ready?” Rainbow asked, “for what? She’s already covered with muck and sweat. It’s like the other night on the train when-” she stopped when she remembered Scootaloo was listening with an ear aimed at the mares. Quill snorted awake.

“Mommy, I don’t wanna take a shower,” she mumbled as her eyes fluttered open and the haze of the room steadied into focus. “Oh, when’d I get home?”

“Ah carried ya in, ya whippersnapper,” Applejack joked as she took her hat off and tossed it to Scootaloo. “Scoots, give’r a rinse.”

“‘Kay, Mama.”

“Good girl we got there, Rainbow.”

Rainbow nodded and turned to join Scootaloo. “Yup, we got first since we’re not super gross.”

“Fair ‘nuff. Quill, what’s got ya so tuckered out? A day on the farm isn’t that hard.”

“Ugh, for you maybe. I was pulling weeds all day and digging holes with my hooves! I ate enough greens to make me fart and of course I did it when this flank-tastic mare was walking by. I had to fly and chase a flock of crows away and they kept coming back, then I switched and hauled dirt, yes dirt across her farm for replanting, or something.

“I need a new job.”

“Now, Quill. A day on the farm isn’t a reason ta quit. Ya gotta keep at it and yer gonna get great at it.”

Quill raised her hooves and made Applejack wince. “If I don’t go to the spa tomorrow to fix these I’ll tear holes in my bed after tomorrow,” she commented showing off her cracked and chipped hooves.

“Why didn’t ya wear yer shoes?” Applejack asked, shaking her head.

“I didn’t know I needed them! It was supposed to be harvesting, or something. Not free weed salad and heavy chores!”

“Now, don’t yell at me, ya green hoof. Ya gotta job and ya gotta see it though until a new one comes along.”

“Yeah, well I don’t see this as a career. I’m a pegasus, not an earth pony. I’m not built for hard labor.”

“She’s right,” Rainbow added, “remember when I bucked trees and nearly broke my leg? Yer a giant almost twice my size, you’re made for that stuff. We’re made for speed,” Rainbow moved her leg through the water quickly.

“And whinin’,” Applejack retorted, “ya done?”

“No, almost. Just gotta wash the vagies.”

“Well, don’t ferget this time-”

“Yeah, yeah; up, not down. Sheesh, one doctor visit and she never lets me forget,” Rainbow grumbled.

“AJ, I’m gonna get a job doing something that won’t kill me before the day’s done and leave me looking like a dog after a mud roll.”

“If’n ya feel that way,” Applejack said, “but farmin’ isn’t easy work and ya should’a expected that.”

“Now I know,” Quill grunted as she took to her hooves and ruffled her wings, dropping dirt to the floor.

“And that’s some good quality dirt yer droppin’. Try’n save some, we can use it fer the garden.”

“We don’t have a garden,” Quill said as she arched her back.

“Yeah we do, behind the house.”

“...That was a garden? Uh oh.”

“What happened?” Rainbow asked.

“I, thought it was wild so I ate them while you were gone.”

The mares sighed. Quill spoke first. “Yeah, I’m gonna get outta the farmin’ trade.”

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