Rainbow Dash lived in a very large house above Ponyville.  Many ponies said it was to contain her huge ego or she secretly was hiding her whole family in there.  None of these were true because it was Rainbow’s ego that made the house so large.  She got enough bits to buy enough clouds to form the simple house with many rooms, to fit awards and fan mail she would get.  Of course it never came, but it didn’t stop the boisterous Pegasus from trying.

The fact she actually had a fan club fueled her ego even more than a large house ever could.  And yes, they sometimes sent mail!  Usually adorable little drawings and trinkets.  Most are kept in Dash’s storage for ‘safe keeping’ or because it was useless junk she’d never need.  She’d usually wake up with a bright smile when Celestia’s sun shines in through her window and into her eyes to wake her like a natural alarm.

“Oh ponyfeathe-blaaaaaaah.”

A natural alarm clock that didn’t wake Rainbow Dash today.  Rainbow Dash was majestically perched over her toilet bowl and ‘purifying’ her insides.  Much to the Pegasus pony’s displeasure, she continued to hurl into the toilet bowl for five minutes.  Most of that time she was making gagging noise behind a closed door.

“Ugggggggh what’s wrong with me?” she asks pathetically.  

The rainbow-maned Pegasus shot her head out of the toilet bowl with eyes as wide as saucers, realization dawning on her face.

“Oh my gosh!  Applejack!  I have to help her on the farm!” Rainbow got up from the toilet bowl and galloped out into her sizable living room.

She ran out the door and quickly took flight.  She knew Applejack expected her early in the morning because that’s when she usually gets up.  Though in the haste of trying to help her friend replant her farm, she quickly forgot her strange illness and flew up quickly without thinking.  Rainbow Dash had to slow down or she’d start hurling from the movement of her stomach.  She flew timidly to Sweet Apple Acres, only just barely topping Fluttershy’s regular movement speed.

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Applejack was plowing the apple orchard to fill in the holes in the ground with dirt.  The parts of land that she plowed with her own strength looked like it was turned into a wheat field.  There were a few bulls and cows out plowing the orchard as well, trying to even out the ground after the untimely removal of all the trees in the orchard.  

“Hey Applejack!” came a voice from the entrance of the orchard.  

Applejack looked around and spotted a purple unicorn near the barn.  Her solemn features lightened up and she took off her harness that was attached to a steel plow.  She trotted briskly toward the barn where the purple unicorn waited with a warm smile.  Applejack found that smile strange after what happened so she assumed she believed whatever made her happy it must be good.  She got several feet from the purple unicorn and she started talking before getting to her.

“Hey Applejack!  You’ll never believe what happened!” exclaimed the unicorn energetically.

“Easy girl, Ah haven’t seen ya’ll this happy since yah kissed mah brother.” Applejack teased.

Twilight’s face went red. “H-he told you?”

“Yup!  But ah’ll keep it between the apple family and ya’ll, ok Sugarcube?  What yah here for?”

“Well I came to tell you the news that when Discord took your seeds, he dropped them on Princess Luna’s bed as a joke.”

“WHAT?!  Is the princess all right?”

“Yup!  And better yet, she wasn’t in the bed at the time because the guard woke her up to help stop Discord.  Also it was made, so now all the seeds are wrapped up in her comforter and are being brought over here to Sweet Apple Acres for replanting!”

“Well that’ll be the best news ah heard since we got a dog!  Ah’m gunna tell Granny Smith the good news!” the farmer pony ran into the barn with vigor.

Twilight watched her friend bolt into the barn before hearing distinct flaps of wings behind her.  She turned around to see the owner of the soft wing strokes expecting to see Fluttershy but when she looked at the rainbow-maned Pegasus softly landing behind her, she held a quizzical expression.  Rainbow’s head was dipped a low with a sickly expression on her face.

“Uh, Rainbow Dash are you ok?” asked Twilight while studying her friends features.

Rainbow had a droopy expression. “Y-yea I just think I got something.  Not sure what it is, but it’s not too bad.” she replied weakly.

“Do you want to lie down?” asked Twilight with worry in her voice.  

“Uh, maybe later, ok?  I want to help out Applejack in any way I can before I give out, ya know?” asked Rainbow with a reassuring smile. “Besides nothing can keep me down for long!” finsihed Rainbow, instantly perking up.

Twilight rolled her eyes at Rainbow’s boisterous attitude, but found worry once again when Rainbow seemingly froze up.  

“Rainbow, are you ok?” inquired Twilight with even more worry in her voice.

Rainbow didn’t respond, but waited for a few seconds holding a seemingly blank face with constantly changing expressions of discomfort.  Then without warning, the Pegasus looked around frantically and shot off toward a random hole in the ground where a tree used to be.  Twilight almost called out in alarm toward the rainbow-maned Pegasus about her health, but stopped when she heard the distinct sounds of sickness coming from the pony she knew.

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeew.” Twilight weakly stated, with a worried expression.

She was trotting over to the hole her friend upchucked into, and when she got half way there the Pegasus lifted her head out of it with a disheveled look upon her features.  Rainbow looked almost angry at herself.  She spotted Twilight who was a mere two yards from her and she put on a look of sadness.

“Uh, maybe I should come back tomorrow.” admitted Rainbow Dash with a solemn expression toward her friend.

Twilight put on a reassuring smile. “It’s ok Rainbow, I’ll tell Applejack what’s going-”

“THERE YA ARE!” shouted the orange earth pony as she gallops toward the party of two. “Ya’ll ready fer some work Rainbow?” Applejack saw her face and she suddenly looked unsure of herself. “Ya’ll ok?”

“Uh, not really.  I’ll try to muscle through it though.” Rainbow weakly managed to say.

“Heck no!” shouted Applejack. “Ya’ll look like ya stood in the way of’a train!  Yer gettin’ yer flank inside, NOW!”

“AJ I can just fly home.” Rainbow reasoned.

“Ah saw what yah did ta that hole!  Ah thought ya’ll were seein’ how deep it was, ‘er somethin’.” responded Applejack angrily.  “Now follow me ‘er ah’ll carry yah in mahself!”

“Whoa careful with that temper AJ, I think I hear your accent getting thicker.”  Rainbow teased. “WHOA!”

Rainbow found herself sitting on Applejack’s back and she was briskly prancing into the Apple family home that was near the barn.  Twilight took the idea to follow them and she remained quiet while contemplating Rainbow’s illness.

“Cool it AJ, I feel fin-…I feel-ugh-stop bouncing.” Rainbow whined pathetically, going limp on Applejack’s back.

“Uh Twi, can ya’ll carry her with yer magic?”

“Sure thing AJ.” Twilight’s horn light up and Rainbow Dash was encased in a purple aura that lifted her slowly off of Applejack’s back.  “So Rainbow, describe what’s been going on.” stated Twilight without showing strain for picking up the Pegasus.

“Ugh-well-ugh-…k I felt sick to my stomach in the morning, like all of a sudden my stomach hurt and stuff, so I hoofed it to the bathroom and started throwing up for hours.  I was able to get it under control, but I didn’t feel all that hungry afterword.”

“Maybe some sort of stomach virus?” Twilight rhetorically asked out loud to herself. “Rainbow did you eat anything weird yesterday?”

“No, I just had some hay for dinner.  I got home pretty late, and didn’t feel like cooking.”

“Ya’ll think Discord did this?” Applejack asked, looking toward Twilight.

Twilight went into thought for five seconds before responding.  “I don’t think so.  Discord's magic would have been removed when the Elements were used on him like last time.  Like how they turned the ground back into grass?  If Discord did this, then he should be still free, but we saw him turned to stone so that’s out of the question.”

“Aw shucks.  Well at least we know it aint’ somethin’ sinister.”

“It feels sinister.” Rainbow threw a deadpanning look at Applejack.

Applejack responded with a low chuckle and a smile.  “Well, it aint’ out tah get yah.”

“Maybe it’s bacterial?” asked Twilight. “I think that might actually explain it.  Rainbow are you sure your hay tasted right?”

“Yeah, it was just fine.  Actually I feel better…” stated Rainbow perking up a bit.

“Great!” replied Applejack. “Maybe ya’ll can work for me!”

Twilight put Rainbow down between her and Applejack and they watched her carefully.

“Sure I’ll just ge-…be right back.” Rainbow ran off toward another hole and began upchucking once again.

Both mares watched their friend with varying degrees of worry, as she throws up into the hole and collapses at its edge with whines of pain and sickness as the only indicator that she’s conscious.  A few loud wing flaps got their attention and they turned around to see a solar guard slowly descending toward them, with a stoic expression.  He had a wrapped up comforter wrapped twice around his body and hanging off him so it was the first thing that touched the ground.  

“Princess Luna gave me this letter for Miss Applejack.” stated the guard while taking out a letter from his suit of armor and held it up.

“Tha’d be me.” replied Applejack.

“Here you go, miss.” he handed her the letter and she began relentlessly tearing off the seal and opening it, to get at the royal writing inside.  “I’ll leave this here.  Good day.” he took a questioning glance at Rainbow and flew off.

“What’s it say?” asked Twilight eagerly, as Applejack scanned the letter.

“Nuttin’ much.  Just wishin’ me good luck an’ sayin’ ah can keep the comforter since she got several others.  A’might nice of ‘er if ya ask me.” she answered with a smile on her face.

“All right, but what about Rainbow?  She seems…” they looked back at the Pegasus in question at the same time. “…ill.”

“How about ya’ll help me get her inside and go get Fluttershy.” offered Applejack. “Ah’ll stay here and keep her company.”

“Agreed.” responded Twilight.

They both left the seeds on their own, without a second thought to take care of their friend who was now groaning in misery.  Applejack walked up next to the Pegasus and put a hoof between Rainbow’s wings and started to rub up and down her spine trying to comfort her.

“Ya’ll ok Sugarcube?” asked Applejack with a worried expression.

“Noooo-uuuugggggggggggggghhhh.” came Rainbow' sickly response.

“Rainbow, prepare to be moved.  I’m going to carry you to Applejack’s farmhouse, ok?” inquired Twilight gently.

“…yes please.” answered Rainbow, closing her eyes as if trying to sleep.

Twilight lifted Rainbow Dash into the air with her magic without a second thought, and slowly made her way to the farmhouse with Applejack trailing behind slowly.  They walked for a minute without saying much to each other, and the whole time Twilight carried Rainbow she kept going through her mind on various diseases that could cause Rainbow’s peculiar illness.  The whole time she carried Rainbow, the pegasus’s eyes were closed and she looked almost unconscious if it weren’t from the stirring the Rainbow-maned Pegasus occasionally did.

“Sugarcube, can ya’ll hear me?” asked Applejack softly to Rainbow Dash.

“…yea…” Rainbow weakly replied.

“Are ya hungry?”

“A bit.”

“Ah’ll whip somethin’ up fer ya.”

Applejack trotted ahead of Twilight as they neared the farmhouse and Applejack held open the door while Twilight levitated Rainbow Dash through the open doorway.  Applejack followed suit, and upon entrance watched Twilight lay Rainbow down on the couch.

“Ya comfy?” asked Applejack.

“Mmmhmmmmm.” moaned Rainbow Dash weakly with her eyes shut.

Rainbow rolled to her right side, so her face was facing the couch and a blanket covered in a purple aura softly rest itself on top of Rainbow Dash as her connection with the world seemed to decrease as time went on.  Twilight gave Rainbow a worried glance before looking back at Applejack to give her a nod.

“I’ll be leaving now.  I think it’s best that I message Celestia about this strange illness, because it was only yesterday Discord tried something on Rainbow Dash.”

“Ya’ll do that Sugarcube.  Ah’ll stay here an’ help Rainbow.” responded Applejack with a smile on her face.

“I’ll be back.” stated Twilight as she headed for the door.

Twilight opened the door with her magic and trotted through it, before the door closed itself and the aura that surrounded it dissipated.  Applejack watched her friend leave and when she was out the door her head swiveled toward Rainbow Dash whom by which has already fallen asleep on the couch.  Applejack’s face became irritated by the possibility that Rainbow could have staged this to get out of working.  

“Ah swear Sugarcube, ya’ll better be in some serious trouble...” warned Applejack under her breath as she trotted into the kitchen to find some food for Rainbow Dash.

Applejack put her first hoof in the kitchen and continued on to the fridge where it was stuffed full of many assorted foodstuffs that were edible for ponies.  Applejack assumed she needed to grab something soft or easy to digest for Rainbow Dash, since she’s been upchucking all over her farm, to the point where she couldn’t remove anything else from her stomach.  She chose some freshly made applesauce that was kept in the fridge for the Apple family rather than have it sold.  Applejack took the jar out and left it on the dining room table.

Applejack scanned the room for the right cupboard and smiled when she saw the one with the bowls on the counter.  She trotted over to it and looked inside to find it was empty and clean.  She assumed Apple Bloom forgot to put it away after she washed it, because of her haste to be with her crusader friends.  Applejack poured a substantial amount into the bowl and grabbed a spoon that she placed into it.  She opened the refrigerator door and placed the jar of applesauce back inside.

Applejack balanced the bowl of applesauce on her back while exiting the kitchen.  She looked in the direction of Rainbow Dash and found her sitting upright with a confused look on her face.  She looked at Applejack and frowned.

“How long have I been out?” she asked, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck.

“Uh, not even three minutes, Ah reckon.” came Applejack's response, and a smile.

“That’s weird though, cuz I don’t feel sick anymore.”

Applejack stared at her for a few moments with a blank expression that made Rainbow Dash shift in her seat uncomfortably.  She moved the blankets off of her to stand back up before interrupted by a scream.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!?” shouted Applejack, who now wore a look of intense irritation.

“Whoa whoa whoa sorry!” stammered a startled Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow ya’ll better’u not used that as an excuse tah get outta work.” warned Applejack, now stomping her hoof angrily.

“Hey I was actually throwing up, ok!  I felt terrible!”

“Ah know that, but seriously?  If’n ya’ll ‘er able to walk around all fine like nothin’s wrong then ya’ll better get tah work!” Applejack walked over to Rainbow Dash and placed the bowl of applesauce on the table in front of the couch.  “Now eat.  Ya’ll said yah didn’t eat breakfast, so that’s fer yer stomach, it’ll keep yah from passin’ out.” Applejack finished in a neutral tone.

“Yes, Applejack.” meekly replied Rainbow.

Rainbow started to use the spoon to lift applesauce into her mouth while Applejack walked out of the farmhouse without giving her friend a second thought.  Rainbow Dash watched her leave the room and went back to eating.  She put another spoonful of applesauce in her mouth when Applejack peered her head back in.

“Oh, and when ya’ll ‘er done, ya need to find me near the farmhouse.  Big Mac’s workin’ the far fields today, an ah don’t got as many cows as he does, so ya’ll ‘er pullen’ some plows.”

Applejack stepped outside, closed the door and went to work.  Rainbow Dash stayed inside and continued to eat her late breakfast.