Rainbow flew into the weather office on time and ready with a slightly devious smile. "First day completely solo and he's late?" she asked a random pony trotting by.

"Don't know or care, I've got my orders and I'm getting to work, boss."

"Well carry on then," Rainbow replied waving a hoof before turning to her right and continuing to her box. Reaching in she grabbed her paperwork and started to a cubicle to begin her sorting. Laughter was heard starting from the rooftop entrance and growing louder. She hovered from her chair and looked to the laughter and felt herself fill with glee as she looked at soarin.

Bright pink. A pink that rivaled Pinkie Pie and a green mane. She couldn't help but laugh as she fell to the floor knocking her chair out of the cubicle into the path of another Pegasus who was laughing herself.

Quill pranced to Rainbow laughing. "Fly in the soup? Cover it up," she said as she turned to face the multicolored stallion embarrassedly walking to his office with his head partly hidden behind his wingtips. "I think this' the best thing I've ever seen!"

Laughter filled the floor as he tried the knob only to find it was locked. He dug into his saddlebags and rummaged finally removing a key and putting it into the lock, turning it quickly he opened the door and stepped in and shouted loudly as a bucket of glitter fell upon him covering him with shimmering colors that sparkled in the light. He turned around and pouted.

"Oh, c'mon! I understand pranking the new boss but this? This?! This' too much ponies, c'mon," he said in disbelief as he shook his head raining glitter around him and floating some across his office. "Oh Luna damn it," he shouted as she turned to look at his office that was now full of floating glitter that was landing across the room. With an annoyed groan he closed the door with his rear leg as the floor roared with laughter that was audible outside.

---

"...So then the bucket fell on him and covered him with glitter! It was hilarious," Rainbow said as she laid on a cloud with Lime above a field. "I wish you could've seen his face, we took a picture but Quill's having it framed tonight so that's all there is to that. Hey, wanna see my new stunt?"

"Nah, you've shown me enough of them. I'd be impressed and jealous while you gloat."

"Lime," Rainbow said turning to her, "are you okay? You've been down all day and I'm used to you being the happy one."

"’Happy one?’"

"Yeah, you're happy. I'm confident, AJ is thoughtful and Quill is fun like. We're like a family and that's our thing."

"Hm, I never thought of it like that. It's just that," Lime paused for a moment. As Rainbow was opening her mouth she continued. "I know you and Quill kissed."

"Oh that? That was nothing, just emotions ya know. She was upset and I comforted her and boom, thank you kiss. Totally innocent," she said waving it off as she rolled to her back and stretched her hind quarters.

"Wait, so you didn't kiss her?"

"No, she kissed me but-"

"That damned mare! She lied to me! She said you kissed, like you both kissed each other."

"Woah woah Lime, cool it. It wasn't anything, she was sad and-" Rainbow sat up holding her forelegs out.

"So she kissed you because she was 'sad'? What if she was mad? Would she lift your tail and stick her tongue in your-"

"Hey now, that's too far and you know it," Rainbow said shocked, "she's a great mare and you two are totally made for each other like me and AJ.

"If you're so perfect then why don't you just take Quill into your happy life then," Lime said as tears formed in her eyes. She rolled off the cloud quickly and dove as Rainbow scrambled to the edge of the cloud to watch Lime fly off.

"What just happened?" Rainbow asked herself as she followed Lime until she disappeared into the town.

---

"So, then she just flew off like all sad and stuff. What do you think?"

"Dashing, Ah dunno but it sounds like she's jealous. Really jealous. I don't know what'll happen but Ah think we'll let them handle it for now. Ah really wanta finish somethin we started talking about last night. Ah'm okay to look into adopting Scootaloo but... Ah wanna carry one too. I wanna start a family now that we have a house and can turn it into a home. Ah reckon yer a bit scared but Ah know I can handle it for the botha us. Won't ya do this with me?"

Rainbow bit her bottom lip and sat down. The grass under her was cool, the orange mare before her beautiful, and the scent of apples from the orchard around them gave her a moment to focus.

"AJ, Ah really love you and can't think of being with anypony but you. I, I don't know if I'm ready for a foal. I have my job and we keep getting into 'save the world' things. What if you're pregnant and get hurt, or I do?"

We have everypony here for us and nothing'll happen. It's been seven months since the last thing and it's been life like normal since. Ain't no monster or beast gonna get us apart as long as we have each other."

Rainbow looked at the desire in Applejack's eyes and felt her body warming, her nerves making her start chewing the inside of her cheeks in anticipation. "Fine, but how?" she said reserved as she poked the ground with her hoof.

Applejack walked to Rainbow and hugged her with one foreleg. "Thanks Sugarplum, Ah'll always remember this moment," she said lowering her other hoof to Rainbows chest and letting it trail down her body. "I'll repay you tonight like you wouldn't believe."

Rainbow giggled as Applejack kissed her cheek. "We're going to the clinic tomorrow to see how we can make this happen," Applejack said softly.

"You knew I was gonna say yes, didn't you?"

"I know you as good as I know apples, and that's a lot," she said as she leaned back. As though Celestia knew the perfect moment a breeze blew in from behind Applejack and her hat flew off into Rainbows face.

"AJ, I guess this' a good obem."

"Omen, Dashing. And the day I met you was the best anything."

"AJ, yer gettin' all sappy."

"Yer the one with tears."

Rainbow wiped her cheek and looked at her hoof. The moisture didn't lie. "Some dust in yer hat got in my eye is all."

"And yer talkin' like a farmer again," Applejack teased taking her hat back.

"No I am not," Rainbow said slowly, before hopping up. "Hey, can we get to work tryin' this or nah?"

"Dashing, I would love to try it. Off ya go."

Rainbow cleared her throat and pulled her goggles from her saddlebag. She reached under her belly and unstrapped them letting the bags fall to the ground as she jumped and opened her wings powering up through the air like a fish through water into the sky far above the acres and hovered in place. The entire orchard looked like rows of green dots with red scattered about as she turned and powered into a Sonic Rainboom.

A few seconds later the city was shaken by the sound wave as a magic rainbow encircled the city as ponies awe'd. Rainbow turned and broke speed quickly turning into the acres and landing by Applejack beaming a smile.

"So, how many Zap Apples we get this time?"

"Notta one," Applejack said scratching her chin. "What happened? What did ya do different last time?"

"I dunno," Rainbow shrugged then removed her goggles and looked around at apples littering the ground. Ponies in the distance wandered under the trees picking up the fallen apples. "But now we gotta pay these ponies for picken regular apples and that's cuttin' into our pockets. If you can think of anything it'd help heaps."

"Well, I don't know. Let's just try again," Rainbow said lowering her goggles and flying into the sky faster than Applejack could stop her. "Another Rainboom and no Zap Apples, better try again."

Three Rainbooms later there was a roar of angry shouting from across the town as she rounded the acres to setup the next one. She looked to Applejack who was scowling. "What the hay?"

Landing she looked at the frustrated orange mare and smiled awkwardly as Applejack stomped to her. "Rainbow, I said no, I told you stop, and now the tree's ain't got any more apples and we've got til tomorrow ta get 'em all up 'fore they go bad. What were you thinkin'? Doin' so many of them booms?"

"I,I was just tryin' ta make you happy and get more apples... I'm sorry AJ," Rainbow said pouting slightly.

"Dangit Dashing, why ya gotta be so cute. I swear to Celestia ya do that again I won't preen ya for a week," she said narrowing her eyes before turning and walking to a cart.

"Sheesh, try ta help a mare out," Rainbow said smirking as she took to the air again, this time to the farmhouse to get some food.

Trotting in she say dozens upon dozens of jars ready to be filled with jam. Granny was marching talking to them and giving the motivational words as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon donned pink bunny outfits.

I've really gotta figure this out.

Rainbow went to her room and fell onto the bed looking at the ceiling. She had carved her and Applejacks name in the ceiling in a heart and that was always a point for her to focus on. She had spent so much time lately trying to be her old self to every pony outside her circle of friends and a sappy bubbly mare with AJ, Quill, Lime, and the others.

What’m I gonna do? I can’t get Zap Apples going? I don’t think Ah’m ready for kids. Scoots might be an orphan but NO PONY KNOWS. How the flock am I supposed to ask her when she looks up to me like a sister. Can I even be a mother?

She rolled to her belly and looked out the window at the orchard now nearly bare of apples.

“I have AJ. Why can’t I be me?”

“Well kiddo,” Granny said from the hallway looking in startling Rainbow slightly, “ya don’t know who ya are yet. Yer in love and anypony can see that, but yer also fightin’ who you wanna be an’ who ya are.”

“But Granny, I know who I am. I’m the great Rainbow Dash,” she said sitting tall and opening her wings, grinning.

“Are ya sure of that? Or are you just Rainbow Dash?” Granny turned from the doorway and walked back downstairs leaving Rainbow sitting, proudly in place lost in thought.

I’m Rainbow Dash. I AM Rainbow Dash. Who else could I be? I’m me. That’s that. Right? Her wings fell limp and she slumped. “Am I? Who am I showing off for anymore?” she said under her breath. She fell back again and looked at their names in the ceiling and fell into an empty void. A place where she was completely relaxed, she didn’t have any thoughts, her mind was blank and her vision focused keenly on their names.

Rainbow’s body twitched and she sat up quickly. “I am Rainbow Dash. I have AJ. That’s who I have to be awesome for,” she said in a eureka moment as she galloped to the door and down the stairs.

“Thanks Granny!” she shouted as she left to the elder mare who nodded.

“AJ! AJ! I know what to do!” she screamed as she flew into the sky donning her goggles again. A roar of shouts told her to stop but she couldn’t hear them over the speed and distance she had put between herself and the ground. She thought of her love and passion for Applejack.

How she wanted to do everything with her and how she had no reason ever again to be
anypony except who Applejack wanted her to be. She stopped and descended letting her love fuel her speed until she created a Rainboom, much to the frustration of the city.

The trees shook and waved under the magic rainbow and burst into bloom with Zap Apples filling most of the orchard with the cash crop as Rainbow spiraled around the farm leaving a rainbow spiral in her wake as she landed by Applejack.

“AJ! It’s love! It’s my love for you that makes it happen! You’re the reason AJ! It’s YOU!” Rainbow said tackling the stunned orange mare as ponies began to pluck and buck the zap apples from the trees taking a bite every once in a while.

“Sugarplum, Ah-I don’t know what ta say except we gotta get ta work,” she said pushing Rainbow off, “we’ll celebrate after harvest! Ponies, get pickin’! Tell Granny we got a load comin’ in.”

With that Applejack began organizing the crew to work as Rainbow went to work picking apples at her own pace.

Yeah, I can get used ta this. “Hey AJ, I wanna talk about our family!” she shouted loudly so ponies across the area heard.

Applejack galloped back and looked at Rainbow dropping one apple at a time into a basket.

“Say what now?”

“I wanna talk about our family. Tonight, before we celebrate.”

Applejack looked at Rainbow raising an eyebrow before crossing her legs and laughing.

“Ya got a deal.”

Next Chapter: New Home Inspection Estimated time remaining: 9 Hours, 39 Minutes