The two mares started walking towards the park, but halfway there Minty said 'Race you!' and took off running, Pinkie Pie in pursuit. It was a short race, one easily won by the pink pony.

"I'll never understand how you do that."

"Do what?"

"Outrun everypony. You've outrun pegasus ponies flying flat out."

"Oh, that's easy. I just know lots of shortcuts," Pinkie smiled as Minty slid down the slide.

"Wheeeeeeeee!" cried the mint mare.

"....built this city!" answered Pinkie Pie.

"Wheeeeeeeee!" Minty said again, once more sliding down the playground's slide.

"....built this city on rock and roll!" Pinkie once more responded, as she took her turn on the slide. She balanced on her hind legs and slid down the slide surfer style, "Wheeeeeee!"

"....didn't start the fire!" answered Minty, wasting no time following her friend down the slide, "Wheeeeeeeee!"

"....are the world...."

"Wheeeeee!"

"....are the children...."

"Wheeeeee!" Minty once more slid to the bottom.

"....are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving!" Pinkie Pie answered. She took her turn sliding, "Wheeeeee!"

"...are the champions!" answered Minty as she landed on top of Pinkie Pie in a crumpled heap. The two mares giggled as they stood up.

"Yes we are!" agreed Pinkie Pie. "And we can do anything if we put our minds to it!"

"You're right!" Minty giggled.

"That was fun. We totally need to do that more often!"

"Agreed! How do you always know how to brighten my day?" Minty asked, her problems forgotten.

"Cause I'll do anything to make my friends smile," replied Pinkie. "And you needed a smile! Now that you're feeling better, let's go see Twilight so we can solve your problem."

*************************************

"What did you think of the theme park?" High Winds asked, looking toward Rainbow Dash, "They've got some of the best roller coasters in Equestria."

"We loved it! I had a hard time dragging these fillies away from them to come see the show.”

“I particularly liked the ones that go upside down. The feeling of weightlessness was incredible," Apple Bloom replied.

“That’s the way I live every day,” Rainbow Dash rubbed her chest. “There’s nothing like the feeling of flying through the sky. Nothing.”

"Rainbow Dash is right. How would you fillies like to experience what it's like to be a Wonderbolt, from our perspective?" Spitfire asked.

"How? We can't fly," Babs replied.

"No, but we can," Soarin' replied, "We'll just strap you to our backs and take off. We always practice after a meal anyway. Helps burn off extra calories."

"That offer is extended to you, Rainbow Dash." Spitfire said, "If you're interested of course."

"You want me to practice...your routines...alongside you?" Rainbow Dash stammered, "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!"

"You have better attendance to our shows than some of our support staff. As intently as you've been watching us you should know our routines pretty well by now," Spitfire replied, "So let's see if you can keep up."

“I’m the fasting thing in the air. You’re gonna be begging me to slow down just so you can catch up.”

One by one the Crusaders climbed onto the backs of the Wonderbolts, except for Scootaloo. Because she wasn't able to fly on her own yet, Rainbow Dash picked her up and held her in one hoof as she flew. The Wonderbolts leapt into the air, making sure the fillies were safely on their backs before they flew higher and began their routine of dives, twists, and turns. The Crusaders were cheering as the Wonderbolts flew so close to the ground the fillies could reach out and touch the grass with their legs as they flew by.

When the Wonderbolts pulled up and flew back into the clouds, they took a few seconds and split into two teams. Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, Soarin', and Babs were on one team while Spitfire, Sweetie Belle, High Winds, and Apple Bloom moved away from them. When they got two clouds away they turned and faced Rainbow Dash and Soarin'.

"What are they doing?" Babs asked.

"They're squaring off against us," Soarin' explained, "They're going to come right at us in a few seconds. This is to test our flight skills."

"Hold on," Rainbow Dash said, watching Spitfire flap her wings, "You take High Winds. I want Spitfire."

"Are you sure about that? All those practice sessions you've seen her in; even the shows she's performed in don't show what she's capable of. There's a reason she's the Captain," Soarin' replied.

"I'm sure," Rainbow Dash said, "I want to see what she's got."

Soarin' and Rainbow Dash didn't wait for their opposition to come to them. They flew straight at Spitfire and High Winds. High Winds climbed and accelerated high and left while Spitfire dove and flew to the right, breaking in opposite directions from each other. Soarin' went after High Winds while Rainbow Dash dove after Spitfire. Spitfire climbed and turned sharply, her wings extended as she went for a head-on pass with Rainbow Dash. To avoid a collision Rainbow turned to the left and Spitfire turned to the right, both coming within inches of one another when they flew past each other.

******************************************************

Silver Spoon set the empty glass down in the kitchen sink and sighed. Her parents had insisted she drink the last of the Apple Family Cider they had saved for a special occasion in an attempt to cheer her up after recent events. But now they were out, and she knew her parents loved it too – possibly even more than she did herself. She decided to surprise them by buying a replacement barrel with her allowance.

She trotted back to her bedroom and grabbed her piggy bank from her dresser. She gave it a quick rattle, and satisfied that the contents would be enough to cover her planned purchase, she dropped the bank on the floor. Seconds later the little ceramic piggy shattered and Silver Spoon helped herself to all of the bits that poured out.

“There really aught to be a better way of opening these things,” she thought, as she earmarked a few bits to buy a replacement piggy bank and made a mental note to stop at the general store on her way back from getting the cider. She went outside and double-checked that the door was locked before removing the tarp from her family’s wagon.

Silver Spoon hooked her harness to the wagon and attached it around her waist. Then she started the short walk to Sweet Apple Acres, taking her time to enjoy the warmth of the sun as she walked down the street. It took her about twenty minutes to get from her home to Sweet Apple Acres. She didn't see anypony there, so she unhooked the wagon and left it near the front of the farmhouse. The silver filly walked around to the back of the house, looking for any member of the Apple family. She was completely unaware that she was being watched.

Angel Bunny observed Silver Spoon as she unhooked her wagon and walked around to the back of the house. He couldn’t believe his good luck – he certainly had not expected to see Silver Spoon here today. He had recruited some of Fluttershy's critters to help him steal some of the Apple family's cider. Harry the bear had carried two empty barrels from her cottage to Sweet Apple Acres. Their plan was to wait till the Apple Family was distracted and swap out the empty barrels for full ones. Seeing the filly he had been paid to take care of made Angel pause and rethink his plans.

When Silver Spoon disappeared around the corner of the house, Angel Bunny ran over to the wagon and looked at it. He thought back to the deal he made with Diamond Tiara. She wanted this to be an accident, and Angel had seen enough wagon crashes to know that if an axle broke, the wagon would tip over. The terrain back to town was full of hills and if he could get one of the wheels to come off at just the right moment his problem would be solved.

Angel looked at the wheels carefully, debating on how to do it. Removing the bolts that held one of the rear wheels would require tools that he didn't have on him. He thought briefly about trying to get into the barn and see if he could find something he could use, but that would take time. His target might leave before he got back.

Angel looked underneath the wagon. He could see that the wheels were held on to the axle by bolts, but the axle itself was made of wood, which was already showing signs of wear. Everypony knew that wood axles would eventually have to be replaced. If they broke, the wagon would become unstable and likely to roll over. Angel quickly decided to that today was the day that axle would break. Since nopony was at the front of the house, Angel motioned for Harry to come over. Angel pointed to the spot on the axle that was splintering and motioned for the bear to help him.

Together they took chunks out of the already damaged wood, weakening it further. After a few moments Angel started getting nervous, and motioned for both of them to head back to the woods. They carefully made their way around the house, staying in the woods until they could get a clear view of Silver Spoon.

"Hello?" Silver Spoon called out, "Is anypony here?"

Applejack was in the orchard bucking apples. She heard the filly's call and shouted as she started trotting back to the farmhouse, "Be right there!"

A few minutes later Applejack emerged from among the apple trees. She looked at Silver Spoon and walked up to her. "Well howdy Silver Spoon. What brings you to these parts?"

"I wanted to surprise my parents by getting a barrel of cider. If you have any left."

"You're in luck, sugarcube," Applejack said smiling. "We just made a fresh batch."

"How much per barrel?"

"Ah rekon Ah can't hardly charge you for one. Twouldn't be right since you helped my kin and all," Applejack replied.

"I don't feel right about just taking it without giving you something," Silver Spoon replied.

"You gave me my little sis. Without you she and her friends might still be in jail. That's the greatest gift you could have given me. Ah can't take your bits for this."

"I know I helped Apple Bloom, but you can't just give me a barrel," Silver Spoon protested. "You worked too hard to make it to just give it away."

"You're right. We did work hard to make it. It's ours to do with as we see fit, and Ah can't think of a better way of showing our gratitude for what you did. Besides, we've got forty barrels now," Applejack said, grinning.

"You're not going to let me pay you, are you?"

"Sorry sugarcube, that ain't gonna happen."

Silver Spoon looked around. When she didn't see anypony else around she gave Applejack a hug. Applejack hugged her back.

"Thank you," Silver Spoon said.

"You're welcome. May I ask how you're planning on getting them home?"

"I left my wagon over there," Silver Spoon said pointing to her wagon. "Wait a second… Them? I only need one barrel."

"Well, you picked a pretty good time to come here. We've got a bit of a storage problem right now. We overestimated demand and made a few too many barrels, and now we don't have anywhere to put them. So you're getting two," Applejack said, "Go get your wagon, and we'll get you all loaded up."

"How could you overestimate demand? You’ve been making cider for years."

"Normally we don’t have this problem because Pinkie Pie chugs cider like every glass could be her last. But she said something about her Pinkie Sense telling her a friend needed her and Ah haven’t seen her since. You would think this would mean Rainbow Dash would stock up, but she’s flat broke. Apparently she just bought a new house. So their loss is your gain, sugarcube."

Applejack loaded the cider barrels into the wagon as Silver Spoon harnessed herself to it. Little did they know Angel Bunny was watching them like a hawk. He looked at the two barrels on her wagon and smiled.

"Now are you sure you're gonna be able to pull this back to town? Ah can help ya if ya want," Applejack offered.

"No thanks," Silver Spoon replied, "I can manage."

"Alrighty then. Take care. Ah'll tell my sis you stopped by when she gets home."

"Apple Bloom's not here?" Silver Spoon asked.

"She and the rest of the Crusaders went to Baltimare to see the Wonderbolts. They'll be back this evening sometime."

"Okay. Thanks Applejack."

"You're welcome."

Silver Spoon took the path back to town and had no problems with the cartful of cider she was hauling until she reached the hill. She briefly considered going back to Sweet Apple Acres and asking Applejack for help, but she dismissed that notion. She was almost an adult she reminded herself – she had her cutie mark now. She could do this without help. Or so she convinced herself. She managed getting the wagon up the first hill by going slowly and when she reached the top of the hill she allowed herself to stop and catch her breath. Angel Bunny and his crew stayed in the dense undergrowth as they silently tracked their quarry. When they saw Silver Spoon stop, they stopped.

The road ahead of Silver Spoon sloped down and curved to the left about half way down the hill, to avoid a twenty-foot drop. The sheer cliff was known to be hazardous, especially in inclement weather. But today was picture postcard perfect, so Silver Spoon didn’t give the sharp corner and steep incline a second thought. She walked slowly, trying to keep from gaining momentum as she carefully guided the wagon down the hill. The weight of the barrels was pushing her down the hill a little faster than she was used to going, but she felt she still had control of the wagon.

As she approached the corner, she tried to slow the pace down. She turned to the left, following the trail, but as the wagon turned, the rear right wheel hit a rock. Silver Spoon heard a loud crack and looked back at the wagon just in time to see the rear right wheel come loose. Silver Spoon never had time to stop or unhook herself from the harness before the wagon tipped over to the right. It fell off the edge of the road and pulled her over the cliff along with it.

Angel watched as Silver Spoon’s crash with satisfaction. He hopped toward where the wagon went over, listening as it fell. It created a lot of noise as it went down, and he sincerely hoped the barrels were okay, though he doubted they would be. If not at least Sweet Apple Acres wasn't that far from them.

When the white rabbit finally got to the edge of the road he looked down and saw what was left of the wagon. Silver Spoon was laying at the front of it, but she wasn't moving. Angel kept looking and eventually saw the barrels. They had been flung from the wagon and landed further down the hill. He motioned for the bear to join him, and together they worked their way down the slope.

Angel kept an eye on Silver Spoon while they moved toward the wagon. Any sign of her moving would have been very bad for them, but the whole time they moved down the hill Silver Spoon never once moved a muscle. When they got close enough to the wagon the bear took the two empty barrels he was carrying and bashed the ends of them into a tree. He did it hard enough to cause them to have cracks in the wood, and tossed them away from the wagon.

While the bear was doing that, Angel went and found the barrels Silver Spoon was hauling. They were cracked and some of the cider was leaking, but the cracks were limited to one side of the barrel. When the bear picked up the two barrels he turned them so the cracks were facing up, and the leaking stopped. Having accomplished what they set out to, the two started walking back up the hill, leaving the silver filly where she lay.

**************************

Bon Bon trudged along the road leading to Sweet Apple Acres, sweating as she pulled a heavy load of confectionary supplies. Applejack placed orders for sugar through her sweet shop weekly, and the cream-colored mare was more than happy to offer free delivery to one of her best customers. Besides, she could consider the chore to be her exercise for the day and as an added bonus Applejack usually extended a free cup of fresh cider to her while she was there. She parked the wagon in front of the barn and saw Applejack standing out front waiting for her.

"Hello Applejack," Bon Bon replied smiling, "Here's your order."

"Right on time. Thank ya kindly," Applejack replied.

"Do you want the same order next week?"

"Yes’um. Ah reckon the same amount should do nicely."

"Okay, I'll make sure it's ready."

"Would you like some apple cider before you go?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I could use a drink."

Applejack got a glass of cider while Bon Bon unhooked her wagon. There was a lot of sugar on the wagon and Applejack would unload it later in the day, when Big Macintosh was available to help her. Bon Bon had no problem leaving her wagon at Sweet Apple Acres – she knew that either Applejack or Big Macintosh would return it after they unloaded it, and she had other wagons she could use to make deliveries with in the meantime.

"Thank you," Bon Bon said, taking a long gulp of the cider.

"Don't be a stranger, ya hear? You're welcome here anytime. By the way we're having a party here in a few days. Pinkie Pie wanted to throw a party. You're welcome to come, and you can bring all your friends, too," Applejack said.

"That could bring out a lot of ponies."

"Pinkie's spreading the word all over Ponyville, but she always says the more the merrier."

"Alright. I'll let my friends know, but knowing Pinkie she probably already has," Bon Bon said, "Take care of yourself, Applejack."

"You too."

This was Bon Bon’s only scheduled delivery for the day so she made her way back to Ponyville. It was a beautiful day so she immersed herself in the sights and sounds of the forest as she walked through it. Birds chirping, leaves rustling, and insects buzzing were all normal sounds she expected to hear in the woods. The sound of raspy breathing was not. She quickened her pace and much to her horror saw the twisted remains of a wagon at the bottom of a cliff. Worse, there was a pony still strapped to the harness. She gasped as she realized the injured pony was only a filly. Bon Bon watched the little pony’s chest rise and fall – she was still breathing, that was a good sign.

"Hello down there!" Bon Bon shouted. "Are you all right?" The cream mare sincerely hoped the filly was conscious and could answer her question. She waited almost a minute, watching intently for any sign that the pony below was moving. After seeing no sign of movement aside from shallow breathing, she looked at the sharp drop over the hill. She could probably get down to the pony but there was no way she'd ever be able to get back up the hill again. She needed help.

"I'll be right back, I'm going to get help!"

She dropped her saddlebag and raced back toward Sweet Apple Acres as fast as her legs would carry her. When she got there she found Applejack and Big Macintosh unloading the sugar she had just dropped off.

"Help!" Bon Bon shouted as she ran toward them.

"What's wrong?" Applejack asked.

"Somepony with a wagon fell down a hill. I can't get to them without help," Bon Bon said, between pants.

"Are they hurt?" Applejack asked.

"I don't know. Whoever it is didn't respond. I could barely see them. I think it’s a filly."

"I'll get some rope," Applejack said. She had a sinking suspicion that she knew who the mystery filly might be but she really hoped she was wrong.

Applejack ran toward the barn and grabbed some rope. Big Macintosh backed the wagon near the house and rapidly unloaded the remaining bags of sugar. They were fifty-pound bags and he unloaded them onto the porch by himself like they were pillows. Applejack threw the rope into the wagon and then hooked Big Macintosh to the harness. The trio ran down the road and stopped when they found Bon Bon's saddlebag. Applejack and Big Macintosh looked down over the hill.

Applejack’s fears were soon proved true. She blamed herself for letting Silver Spoon take two full barrels of cider back home without help. The weight had obviously been too much for the little filly to adequately slow down in time. "Silver Spoon!" Applejack shouted. "Can ya hear me?"

"We have to get down there," Bon Bon said.

"Here, tie this end of the rope to this here tree. Ah'll tie the other end to me, and Big Macintosh can lower me down to her. Ah'll tie my end of the rope to her and he can pull her back up. You untie it from her and toss it back down to me, and Big Mac can pull me up, too."

Bon Bon did as instructed and tied one end of the rope to the specified tree. When Applejack had the rope tied around her, she began to descend carefully. It took about five minutes for the farm pony to work her way down to Silver Spoon. She moved some of the debris out of her way and climbed toward the front of the wagon.

"Silver Spoon, it's Applejack. We're going to get you out of here."

There was no response from the filly, which made Applejack start worrying even more. When she reached the front of the wagon she saw Silver Spoon laying face down in mud, her head next to a tree. Applejack unhooked her from her wagon and then untied the rope from herself. She quickly tied the rope around Silver Spoon's torso.

"Okay, pull her up. Slowly! She's hurt!" Applejack shouted.

A moment later the rope began to move as Big Macintosh walked slowly forward, jaws firmly cramped around the rope. Silver Spoon began to rise in the air, and after a few minutes Applejack saw Bon Bon reach down and pull Silver Spoon onto the road. The rope was tossed back down and Applejack was lifted back to the road, too.

"We need to get her to a doctor right away," Bon Bon said.

Applejack grabbed Silver Spoon's hind legs while Bon Bon picked up her front ones, and they put her in the wagon. Bon Bon tossed her saddlebag in the wagon and climbed in. Applejack climbed into the wagon, and Big Macintosh raced back toward Ponyville. The earth shook as the big red pony’s hooves struck the ground, flinging mud in his wake. The wagon slid from side to side behind him and Applejack shouted for him to slow his pace down. Getting to the hospital fast wouldn’t matter if they didn’t make it in one piece.

What normally was a twenty-minute walk took less than ten minutes for Big Macintosh to run. He ran straight through Ponyville, slowing down only when he came to turns as he barreled toward Ponyville Hospital. Ponies jumped out of his way as Applejack and Bon Bon did their best to shout warnings in advance. Big Mac finally stopped when he arrived at the medical facility. Applejack and Bon Bon were ready when he stopped, and they hopped out of the wagon, carrying Silver Spoon with them. They ran into the hospital, and the nurse quickly got Silver Spoon admitted.

"What happened to her?" Nurse Redheart asked.

"She fell down the side of a hill hauling a wagon," Applejack replied.

"Are either of you related to her?" Nurse Redheart asked.

"No," Applejack replied.

"Do you know where her parents are?" Nurse Redheart asked.

"I know where her mother is. She works at the rail depot," Bon Bon replied.

"Please go get her. We'll need some information."

"I'm on it." Bon Bon turned and ran out of the hospital, heading toward the train station.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Applejack asked.

"She'll be fine. We'll just get these wounds all clean and bandaged up."

Nurse Redheart excused herself and shortly returned with Doctor Stable. They began to treat Silver Spoon while Applejack paced back and forth. Big Macintosh came walking into the hospital, having parked the wagon alongside the building.

"Ah should never have let her take those barrels. This is mah fault," Applejack said.

"It was an accident. It could have happened even if you had been walking with her. It could have happened even if you had been pulling the wagon," Big Macintosh replied.

"Still it ain't right. Nopony deserves this," Applejack said.

"Agreed, but at least she's safe. What about her parents? Has somepony gone to find them?" Big Macintosh asked.

"Yeah. Bon Bon's taking care of that," Applejack said.

"Then I guess we've done all we can do here," Big Macintosh said.

"Ah'd like to stay, if ya don't mind," Applejack said.

"I was hoping we could get that wagon back up the hill first. I can't do that alone. After we get it loaded into one of our wagons you can come back. We can't just leave it there," Big Macintosh said.

"All right, big brother. Let's go get that wagon cleaned up."

The two farmers left the hospital and went back to the spot where Silver Spoon went off the road and down the hill. They decided to use the same method to get the debris up the hill that they had used to get Silver Spoon to safety. It took them about an hour to recover all the pieces of the wagon. When they finally were done loading them on their own wagon, both Applejack and Big Macintosh sat down for a few minutes beside it.

"What a mess," Applejack said, wiping sweat from her brow.

"I don't know if we can put this wagon back together or not. It's all tore up," Big Macintosh replied.

"Ah think we should try anyway. Besides, you know Ah love a challenge. Hey, look at these barrels. They were full when ah gave 'em to Silver Spoon."

Applejack and Big Macintosh examined the cider barrels and found cracks in both of them.

"The cider must have leaked out on the ground. I'd be amazed if it hadn't, given how much damage was done to the wagon," Big Macintosh said.

They spent a few more minutes looking at random pieces of the wagon. There was so much damage done to the wagon there was no way for them to tell that the rear axle had been tampered with. After they finished their break Applejack helped Big Macintosh into the harness and she walked alongside him as he pulled the wagon back to the farm.

**************************************************

High Winds and Soarin' were the first of the Wonderbolts to land. They had spent several hours flying around, giving the fillies quite the roller coaster ride while practicing the techniques and maneuvers they had used during the show. Although they were flying quite fast, both Soarin' and High Winds were always mindful of their young passengers and never did anything that could cause them to get dizzy or lose their grip. When the pegasi landed on the ground, both fillies hopped off their backs.

"That was awesome!" Sweetie Belle shouted.

"Better than any roller coaster," Apple Bloom replied, grinning from ear to ear. "Yeeeehaw!"

"I don't know about you," High Winds replied, "But I need a drink."

"I'll drink to that," Soarin' said, following his pegasi friend over to a cooler. He poured them each a glass of water. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom followed them and Soarin' poured them drinks as well.

"Thanks," Sweetie Belle said.

"You're welcome," Soarin' replied.

"I wonder where the others are," Apple Bloom said.

"I'm not seeing them anywhere. They must be above the clouds," High Winds said, scanning the sky.

A thunderous boom was heard off in the distance. The four ponies turned and looked to see an expanding rainbow-colored ring in the sky, and a rainbow leading away from it. They followed the rainbow to its source. Rainbow Dash was flying at breakneck speed, twisting and turning amongst the clouds, with Spitfire right behind her. No matter what maneuver Rainbow Dash tried, Spitfire always managed to stay right behind her.

Rainbow Dash and Spitfire circled the sky a few more times before both pegasi landed on the ground next to the others. Scootaloo was cheering her sister's performance while Babs was just happy to be on solid ground again.

"I've got to give you credit. You're good. Possibly the best flyer I've ever raced against. You kept up with me right up until the rainboom," Rainbow Dash said.

"That sonic rainboom you performed was impressive," Spitfire replied, "But I was holding back."

"You held back? I thought we were going all out," Rainbow Dash said, confused.

"Rule number one when flying with passengers: protect them at all costs. I didn't want to do something that might wind up injuring Babs, so I kept my maneuvers easy."

Rainbow Dash looked at Spitfire, trying to keep her facial expression the same. She had flown with all of her skill and speed, and the only thing that had let her pull away was her signature move. If Spitfire was truly holding back… She was starting to see just why Spitfire was the Captain of the Wonderbolts. The group of pegasi and Crusaders sat back down on one of the benches and stretched out.

"I can see you have doubts. Watch this." Spitfire leapt into the air and disappeared from view.

"I think with the proper training you'll make a good Wonderbolt someday," Soarin' said while they waited.

"You do?" Rainbow Dash said, the excitement clear in her voice.

"Sure. You've got a lot of raw potential, but raw potential doesn't mean anything if you don't hone your skills. That's what the academy we're setting up is designed to do. It'll separate those who think they've got what it takes to be a Wonderbolt from those who actually have what it takes."

Before Soarin’ could expand on that, the sky lit up in a giant ring of fire. Spitfire zoomed away from the ring, a trail of flames blazing behind her. She landed next to Rainbow Dash and put her hoof under the prismatic pegasus’ chin and gently shut her jaw. "You’re letting the flies in.”

"But…why….how?"

"As for the why, you performed one at the Young Fliers competition, which proved it was physically possible to accomplish. As for the how – lots and lots of practice. I call it the ‘Sonic Flameboom’."

"So far Spitfire’s the only other pegasus aside from you to pull it off,” said High Winds. “We’re all curious as to what our own booms will look like. My personal guess is Soarin’s will involve pies somehow."

"That would be delicious,” Soarin’ licked his lips as he imagined that scenario. “Oh my, yes, especially if I swoop back around and gather up all the pies. I could even distribute half to the audience!"

"Only half?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Hey! A stallion’s gotta eat, after all."

They all cracked up at that. When the laughter finally died down they sat down and talked about what it took to be a Wonderbolt, the performance they had finished earlier that day and potential ways to improve upon it, the flight they just took, and every other subject under the sun. In the process, the group lost all track of time. Nopony realized how late in the day it was starting to get until Soarin's ears perked up and he abruptly looked to the east.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?" Spitfire replied.

"It sounded like a train whistle," Soarin' said. He stretched his wings and leapt high into the air.

"What do you see?" Spitfire called out, looking up at Soarin'.

"The train is already past the station, headed westbound."

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh," Rainbow Dash stammered, "We're late!"

"Soarin' go catch that train," Spitfire ordered, "Try and get them to wait long enough for Rainbow Dash and her friends to get onboard."

"We still have to get back to the hotel and get our stuff. No way will they wait that long," Babs replied.

"It won't matter if I try and catch the train," Soarin' replied. "Because it's already clear of the station. It's half a mile away now and moving at speed. Even if I do catch it it'll be miles away from here before it comes to a stop. Assuming I can get the conductor to stop the train at all."

"Looks like you're gonna have to catch the next train," High Winds replied.

"We can't do that," Rainbow Dash said, "I promised to have these fillies back in Ponyville tonight."

"The next train doesn't leave here for another four hours," Spitfire replied, "I don't think you'll be able to keep that promise."

"There's another way," Soarin' said. "Perhaps we can let Rainbow Dash borrow one of our wagons. She can pull the fillies and their stuff back to Ponyville."

"It'll take you quite awhile to get back there," Spitfire replied, looking at Rainbow Dash, "But it's probably your only other option besides waiting for the next train."

"So what do you fillies say?" Rainbow Dash asked, "Do you want to go for another wagon ride?"

"Are you sure you can do this?" Scootaloo asked, "Ponyville is a long way from here."

"Piece of cake," Rainbow Dash replied, rubbing her chest with her right hoof. "Though a better question is how do I get the wagon back to you after we get back to Ponyville?"

"Keep it," Spitfire replied.

"Are you sure? Returning it to you won't be that much of a hassle. We can put it on a train and ship it to wherever you want it," Rainbow Dash replied, "Or I can bring it with me to the academy when I go for the tryouts you mentioned."

"We've got hundreds of wagons ready to go to the academy once it's built. I'm not sure how we ended up with so many of them, but we have far more than what we'll ever need for those ponies trying out. At least we know you’ll put it to good use," Soarin' said.

"I'll do you one better," Spitfire said, grinning, "I've read your application, Rainbow Dash. I know how fast you claim you can go. Although the sonic rainboom you perform is spectacular, I'm curious to see how well you'd do over long distances. The ability to do short bursts of speed isn't enough to make somepony a Wonderbolt."

"I can do more than just short bursts," Rainbow Dash replied, "At the annual Running of the Leaves I didn't even break a sweat."

"That’s impressive by itself, but it's not the same thing. The Running of the Leaves was only over a dozen miles or so," Soarin' replied.

"A Wonderbolt has to have the ability to push themselves beyond what they believe are their physical and mental limits, Rainbow Dash," Spitfire said, "We have to be ready to do whatever has to be done, regardless of what it is. From running long distances without stopping to carrying heavy loads to performing while sick, we do what we set out to do regardless of the circumstances. That’s what it means to be a Wonderbolt. You say you're ready, your application says you're ready, but I am wondering how ready you actually are."

"Let me prove I'm ready," Rainbow Dash replied, "Give me a test and I'll show you."

"As you wish," Spitfire replied. "That clock tower near the train depot shows it’s currently quarter to seven. You've got fifteen minutes to get your stuff from the hotel and report back here. We're going to give you a time trial."

"Fifteen minutes to get to the hotel and back with our stuff? Please, surely you can do better than that," Rainbow Dash blurted out, instantly regretting her choice of words when she saw the look Spitfire gave her.

"It's quarter to seven now," Spitfire replied, smiling, "We're going to have you meet up here and use this as a starting point. If you can make it back to the train station in Ponyville by 10:00pm, you'll prove you're ready to compete at the academy, and I’ll excuse you from that part of the course. All you have to do is check in with the clerk at the train station. Have them verify on a time slip what time you arrived, and bring me the time slip they'll give you."

"That's no problem for Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo said looking up at Rainbow Dash, who was looking at the clock, "She can do that easily."

"Oh, one other minor thing Rainbow Dash," Soarin' said as he flew next to the blue pegasus, hovering off the ground close to her, "Although you’re probably capable of pulling the wagon in the air, this test will require you to remain on the ground. You are free to use your wings to increase your speed if you wish, but you are not free to fly."

"That'll be cutting it close," Sweetie Belle said, "Ponyville is a good three hours away by train."

"That's what makes it a challenge. And I never turn down a challenge," Rainbow Dash replied.

"The longer you stand here talking about it, the less time you'll have to do it," Spitfire said, pointing at the clock.

Rainbow Dash and the fillies took the hint and bolted back toward the hotel to get their stuff, leaving Spitfire and High Winds coughing in the dust trail the ponies left in their wake. Soarin' landed a few seconds later at Spitfire's side, laughing. Spitfire flapped her wings and kicked up more dust, causing him to start coughing instead.

"Think she'll make it?" High Winds asked.

"Rainbow Dash may be a self absorbed, egotistical, and extremely arrogant pony," Spitfire replied, "But the thing about her is she can usually back it up. Never underestimate her."

**************************************************

Minty and Pinkie walked away from the playground and back to the mint green pony's home. Minty opened the door and trotted inside; grabbing her saddlebag and every book she was given from the police department. She put them all in her saddlebag and walked back outside to find Pinkie sniffing some of the flowers growing in her yard.

"Those are my favorites, too."

"I love their smell and I think Fluttershy would, as well," Pinkie replied, "She's always trying to find new and unique flowers for her gardens."

The two mares trotted from Minty's home to Golden Oak Library in the center of town. Minty looked at the library and started getting nervous as they approached.

"What if Twilight's not home?" Minty asked.

"Maybe Spike will be. He can pass along our request," Pinkie replied.

"What if she's too busy?"

"Don't be nervous, Minty. Twilight'll make time to help a friend. Trust me."

Minty walked up to the door and hesitated before knocking. She looked back at Pinkie who reassured her with a smile. Minty took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" Twilight called out. A few moments later Twilight opened the door, "Good afternoon, Pinkie.” She turned her head and was surprised to see the policemare. "Uh, good afternoon, Minty.” She looked back at Pinkie and said, "Pinkie Pie! I’m not posting bail for you!” Twilight exclaimed. "Again…" she muttered under her breath.

"That was totally a prank!"

"You do not squirt the princess with a Super Soaker from the sixth story of the school book depository!"

"Princess Celestia got a kick out of it…well, she did eventually anyway."

"We never did find that second pony on the grassy knoll. Whoever it was sure moved fast," Twilight mused. "I wonder who you know who moves rapidly and likes to play pranks..."

"Must have been Saddle Arabian terrorists."

"I find that scenario highly dubious."

"It could happen."

"In theory, yes. In practice, it’s very unlikely."

"But not impossible, right?" Minty asked. "In my line of work we need to make sure we leave no room for reasonable doubt before accusing somepony."

Twilight sighed as she let the other ponies in. "Point conceded. It’s not impossible."

"See! I told you I was good at this law enforcement stuff!" Minty bounced in place while Pinkie Pie giggled at the purple unicorn’s frustration.

"So what brings you two by this afternoon?"

"I…uh… " Minty stammered, stopping mid-hop. She fell to the ground in a heap. "I…uh…have no idea how Pinkie can defy gravity when she stops in midair."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "And that’s the only reason you’re here today? To get me to explain Pinkie Pie’s antics to you? I already tried researching that, and let me tell you something, she defies all rational logic!"

"Actually, we were kind of hoping you could help Minty study for a test she has to take."

"Oh! You came to the right pony – I'd be happy to help. What kind of test is it?"

"I have to take a test on police procedures. On everything in these books."

Minty took off her saddlebag. Twilight used her magic to remove the books one by one and she levitated them in front of herself as she read the titles of each.

"I don't really know much about police procedures, Minty," Twilight admitted, "I think the first thing I should do is read these books. Then I can help you study them. I'll take notes on what I read and create a way to help you memorize these procedures."

"Is there anything we can do to help you?" Minty asked.

"I don't think so. Given the quantity of books, it's going to take me the rest of the day to finish reading them, take notes, and prepare the lessons and tests I'll give you on them."

"Nooooooo! Not more tests!" Minty whined, "There's gotta be another way, Twilight. Tests are just evil."

"These aren't the kind of tests that can hurt you, Minty. What I need to know is how much of the information in these books you already know. There’s no point in going over what you already know. So this test will save us both time. If you don't know it, the tests will show it. I'll go over those specific areas with you, and you'll be more prepared for your real test."

"See? I told you she was the best at this kind of thing," Pinkie said.

"Come see me first thing tomorrow morning. Pinkie, I'd like you to come tomorrow, too. I think I know a more useful way to help Minty learn from these books, but I'll need your help."

"You bet I’ll be here!" Pinkie Pie saluted. "When a friend needs me, I’m at their disposal! Oh, I really hope they don’t dispose of me."

"Aww, nopony would dispose of you, Pinkie Pie," Minty said, patting the pink mare on the back. "They’d have to be completely crazy!"

"According to my observations since I’ve lived here, most of the ponies in this town really are crazy."

"You know it! Nopony can throw a party like a Ponyville pony! We could totally use a studying for a test party right now! Where’d I leave my cannon?"

"But if we party, I won’t be able to study because I’ll be too busy having fun, and then Minty will fail her test."

"Oh no! We can’t have that. I need my job, Pinkie!"

"Okay, okay, no party. At least not until after Minty passes her test with flying colors!"

"That would be an appropriate time to party," Twilight replied, as she opened the door, hoping her visitors would take the hint and leave.

"Thank you, Twilight," Minty said.

"We'll leave you to your studies, Twilight. Come on Minty, I know just the thing to take your mind off of this! The Cakes are making a brand new cupcake today. I think you of all ponies'll love it. It has mint frosting."

"Mint? Sounds yummy," Minty replied. She blushed as her tummy gurgled.

"We'll bring some back for you and Spike," Pinkie promised.

"Thank you. I’m sure Spike will thank you later as well."

"It’s the least we can do for all the help you’re giving Minty."

Twilight watched Pinkie and Minty leave the library and closed the door behind them. She took the books Minty had left behind and walked over to her couch. She used her magic to levitate a piece of parchment over to her and a quill, and then she opened the first book and began to read.

**************************************************

Rainbow Dash wasn’t familiar with the terrain she was running through. She usually viewed the world from either onboard a train or from high above it. Traveling the roads the ponies had made between cities and through the woods was foreign to her. Although she didn't know exactly where she was, she knew enough to follow the train tracks. They led to Ponyville, and all she had to do was keep them in sight as she ran. Flexing her wings, the blue mare used them to increase her speed.

Most normal ponies would slow down before turns, especially when hauling a wagon. But Rainbow Dash wasn't an ordinary pony, and she had no intention of slowing down for any reason. She saw a sharp turn to the left ahead of her and knew if she didn't slow down the wagon would tip over.

"Hang on and lean out of the turn!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

The fillies moved to the right side of the wagon and leaned as far as they could as Rainbow entered the turn. She dragged her left hooves and kicked out with her right ones, forcing her body to turn abruptly. The momentum created by that act translated to the wagon and it leaned sharply to the left, the right side coming off the ground. The fillies were all on the right side of the wagon, clinging desperately to it as it came off the ground. Their weight kept the wagon from tipping over completely as it rounded the corner, and once Rainbow pulled it straight again, the right side came back down on its wheels with a thud. Rainbow glanced over her shoulder and looked back to see the fillies all sitting back up in the wagon.

"Are you all alright?" Rainbow called over her shoulder.

"We're fine, keep going!" Babs shouted back.

Rainbow Dash resumed glancing at the railroad tracks as she ran. She divided her attention between keeping them in sight and the road ahead of her, and never saw the silhouette of a pony flying overhead. The Crusaders gasped in awe as they watched Princess Celestia land in the wagon alongside them.

"Princess Celestia!" the Crusaders said in unison, bowing before the Princess.

"Hello, my little ponies."

"Hey Rainbow Dash," Babs said.

"Not now kid, we've got another turn coming up."

"Uh Dash," Scootaloo replied, awe in her voice, "You're really going to want to turn around and see this."

"Not now! If I lose concentration we'll crash!" Rainbow shouted back, focusing on the turn rapidly approaching.

"Should we tell her, Princess?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Who are you calling a princess back there?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Oh that would be me."

"Princess Celestia? This better not be another joke, Scootaloo…" Rainbow Dash turned her head abruptly to look at the Princess standing in the wagon.

The momentary lapse of concentration was enough for Rainbow Dash to trip, sending both her and the wagon out of control toward the turn in the road. Princess Celestia saw the turn and immediately realized the danger they were in. Her horn glowed brilliantly, and when the spell she cast dissipated, Rainbow Dash found herself past the turn, with her legs beneath her again and the wagon traveling at a much slower pace.

"Forgive me Princess, I didn't know you were there," Rainbow Dash said, blushing as she brought the wagon to a stop so she could bow before Celestia.

"Oh it's quite alright."

"May I ask what brings you to this stretch of road? Shouldn't you be in Canterlot?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"During the evening I always go for a flight before bed. It helps me unwind. What brings you and your friends out this way, if I may ask?" Princess Celestia inquired.

The fillies took turns explaining about their adventures in Baltimare, carefully leaving out their deal with High Winds. Rainbow Dash explained why she was racing to get back to Ponyville.

"I apologize for my interference," Princess Celestia said. "I did not know this was one of their trials."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Princess," Rainbow Dash replied.

"Since I cannot teleport you all back to Ponyville without violating the deal you made with the Wonderbolts, there's really not much I can do to help you except wish you good luck."

"Thank you Princess," Rainbow Dash replied.

"I must be going now, as it is nearly time to lower the sun for the day. Take care." Princess Celestia extended her alabaster wings and flew high into the air before disappearing into the clouds.

"She really does show up in the strangest places, huh?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yeah," agreed Babs. "That’s another thing to remember later. You never know who’s watching you or who’s listening in. We’ve gotta be careful, capisce?"

"Quiche?" asked Apple Bloom. "Applejack made one of those for me once but I didn’t much like it."

"No. Capisce. It means ‘do you understand?’" Sweetie Belle explained.

"Everything except for the part involving the quiche," Apple Bloom replied.

While the fillies debated the differences between quiche and capiche, Rainbow Dash wasted no time accelerating and once again she and the fillies were racing down the road, trying to make up for lost time.

**************************************************

By the time Applejack and Big Macintosh started walking toward Ponyville Elementary School, the sun was still above the trees, but not by much. Both of them were hauling wagons full of tools to begin the repairing the school. When they got to the school they unhooked their wagons and walked around the building, surveying the damage.

"Look at this mess," Applejack said in awe as she and Big Macintosh examined the wreckage that used to be Cheerilee’s classroom.

"It's hard to believe one pony could have done all this by herself. The fact she isn't even a unicorn and still managed to pull this off is impressive," Big Macintosh said.

"Well shoot, the unicorns ain’t got nothin’ on the pegasi when it comes to breakin’ things. The most destructive mare I know is a pegasus."

"Rainbow Dash?"

"Got it in one." Applejack chuckled. "Ah'm startin' ta wonder if maybe we bit off a might more than we can chew with this one. Havin’ this school repaired by the start of class Monday might not happen."

"Eeeyup," Big Macintosh said, "But there’s only one way to find out. Which would you prefer? Drawing up the plans for the repair or cleaning up the debris?"

"Ah'll take the debris. You're better at drawing up plans and measurin' stuff anyway with them there fancy mathematics y’all are so fond of. Let me know when you're ready to start."

"And what would you like me to do?"

"Uh, who are you?"

"I’m Patch, the school janitor. I’m not sure how you were planning on working here without these…" Patch dangled the keys to the school.

"Well shoot, there’s a giant hole in the side of the wall. We were just going to walk in and get started."

"Right, and I’ve been sitting here since that crazy cop wrecked the place to make sure nopony enters who isn’t supposed to. I take it you’re Applejack?"

"Right on! Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Patch. This here’s my big brother, Big Macintosh. He’s the strong, silent type."

"Eeeyup."

Patch couldn’t take her eyes off of the red stallion. He was massive. He was muscular. He was a real hottie. She wished she were twenty years younger with all of her heart, but alas, all the wishing in the world couldn’t regress her age to that of the stallion’s. She had to content herself with looking. "Just so you both know, I’m required to stay here and supervise you as you work. I can help wherever you need me, but if I leave, you both have to leave too."

Big Macintosh squirmed under Patch’s unwanted attention. Why did all the mares always have to check him out? He was nothing special. Maybe a little tall, but there was nothing wrong with that, was there?

The two farm ponies followed Patch through each of the classrooms and hallways as she led them on a tour of the school. They surveyed the damage and were astounded at just how many holes were punched in the walls and ceilings.

"Very thorough," Big Macintosh said, "Had Officer Minty chosen to leave them in place, those cameras would have provided good security for the school."

"How did she afford all those cameras in the first place? She musta done blown the police department’s whole budget for the year on surveillance cameras for this one case," Applejack replied.

"Dunno, sis. But she did, and then she had to take ‘em out. And it’s our job to repair the holes, not speculate on the Ponyville PD’s yearly finances."

"Good point. Time’s a-wastin’ and we don’t have time for small talk. Ah think we should tackle the damage to the classroom first. It's gonna take some time for the cement we'll need to dry."

"Give me an hour," Big Macintosh said, "I'll take measurements and figure out how much wood and concrete we'll need to repair the wall. Then we'll go get the supplies."

"The chief of police wants all the receipts we get. She said she has an account at every shop in town. We just have to tell them to charge it to her account and give her the receipts," Applejack said.

"Interesting how she'd need an account at every shop in town," Big Macintosh pointed out.

"Well, she does have Minty on her payroll. If you two don’t know her…well…she’s a walking disaster area," Patch reminded the Apples she was still there.

Big Macintosh was going to reply to her, but when he turned his head he caught her checking out his flank again. He rolled his eyes and decided it was time to get to work. "Let's get started."

The two siblings walked out of the school and back to their wagons. Big Macintosh pulled some tools out of his wagon and walked around the school, while Applejack pulled out a ladder and a small saddlebag filled with construction tools and then went inside. Big Macintosh started measuring the area of Cheerilee's classroom that once contained a wall while Applejack used her ladder to reach the holes Minty had put in the ceiling. She began to smooth out the edges of the holes, figuring it would make patching them a lot easier.

**************************************************

Every muscle in Rainbow Dash's body was sending shockwaves of pain through her body as she pulled the wagon much faster than it was designed to go. She used her wings and hooves in tandem, trying to increase her speed. The result was a wagon that was traveling over the ground so fast it was practically floating on air as she pulled it. The pegasus desperately wanted to prove to both the Wonderbolts and herself that she could rise to any challenge they posed to her, but even her own unshakeable faith in herself was starting to come to the realization that if she didn't get to Ponyville soon she would have to stop.

Rainbow crested a hill and began the descent, using gravity to aid her in pulling the sleeping fillies toward the glowing lights in the distance. Never in her life did she think she'd be this happy to see Ponyville, but this was hardly a normal day for a pegasus who just spent the last three hours of her life running flat out. The rainbow-maned pegasus was just glad that Applejack wasn't likely to be at the train station to see her collapse when she stopped. Rainbow ran straight through town and got to the train station in time to see the train departing for the next stop. She had kept up with a moving train the whole way from Baltimare. Now if she could just beat the clock. With one smooth motion she dropped the harness and ran inside to the ticket counter.

"Wh...time...?" Rainbow Dash asked, panting and coughing.

"It's two minutes after ten," the clerk replied.

"Two minutes?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding aggravated, "Two minutes! I lost by two minutes!"

"May I ask what it is you lost? There's another train going to Canterlot in a couple hours."

"It's not that," Rainbow Dash exasperated, "I was given a chance to prove myself to the Wonderbolts, and I failed by two minutes. I don't suppose there's any way you could say I was here at ten on the dot, could you?"

"Sorry, I can't do that. I'm a certified notary. I can only put what time you were actually here."

Rainbow Dash felt crestfallen as she walked back outside toward the wagon. She had just spent the last three hours giving everything she had, and she had come up short. Losing was not something Rainbow Dash did often, and it wasn't something that she took very well. She looked over at the wagon and saw four heads sticking above the rails, looking at her.

"Are you okay?" Scootaloo asked.

"What time is it?" Babs inquired.

"Did we make it?" Apple Bloom queried.

"No. I missed it by two minutes. Two lousy, stinkin' minutes!" Rainbow Dash shouted bitterly.

Babs and Scootaloo looked at each other and stood up in the wagon.

"Say, sis, do you mind if I go use the bathroom before we head home?" Scootaloo asked, "I've been holding it in for a long time now."

"I need to go, too," Babs said.

"I think you all should go inside and take care of your business," Rainbow Dash replied, "I'll stay here and watch the wagon. And sulk. Maybe I’ll try writing some angsty poetry. That’s what Fluttershy used to do back at flight camp. Anypony know a word that rhymes with unsure?"

"Uh, maybe manure?" Sweetie Belle offered. "Since we're so close to home, I'll wait. I'd prefer not to use a public restroom."

"Me too," Apple Bloom said, "I'll be fine."

"On that note we'll be right back," Scootaloo said.

"I’m so full of whoa. Whoa is me."

"Well, you could always rhyme ‘whoa’ with ‘tell them where to go’?" suggested Sweetie Belle.

"But where would I tell them to go?"

"Most ponies would normally assume you meant Tartarus…"

"Oh! Yeah, that works…"

Scootaloo and Babs hopped off the wagon and walked into the station.

"Excuse me," Babs said as she looked up at the pony behind the window, "Can you show me where the restroom is?"

"Why certainly little lady," the pony replied, coming out from behind the desk.

Babs glanced back at Scootaloo and smiled when she saw Scootaloo wasting no time going behind the counter. Babs quickly turned her attention back to the pony escorting her. Scootaloo was glad that from the angle Rainbow Dash was standing she couldn't see the ticket counter. Sweetie Belle was keeping her distracted, helping her write emo poetry.

With everyone in position, Scootaloo grabbed a time slip from the counter. She looked around and saw a pile of slips the clerk had already filled out in one of the drawers in his desk. Scootaloo took a pen and forged his signature on the paper. She made sure everything was back to the way it was and moved out from behind the desk. A few minutes later Babs and the clerk came back from the restroom area.

When Babs and Scootaloo came back out of the station, they saw Rainbow Dash had already hooked the wagon harness back up and was tapping her foot impatiently. Scootaloo walked over to her and gave her the time slip.

"What's this?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused. "I thought he wouldn't change the time."

"While we were inside I told him how hard you worked to get us back here on time and how much it would mean to you to be able to say you got back here at ten. Let's face it, two minutes shouldn't penalize you like it would if you tell Spitfire what time you got back here," Scootaloo said.

"I can't believe you did that," Rainbow Dash replied, staring at the ticket.

It was her chance to prove to the Wonderbolts she could handle whatever they threw at her, even if she had to bend the rules a bit. Scootaloo was right – it was only two minutes. And she had lost more time than that thanks to Princess Celestia’s interference anyway. Rainbow Dash picked up the ticket and grinned at her younger sister.

"Thanks."

"Anytime sis," Scootaloo replied.

"Hug! Hug! Hug!" The three fillies chanted in the back of the wagon.

Rainbow and Scootaloo glanced back at the fillies, who promptly chanted louder. They both moved closer to one another and reached out toward the other. When they were inches from hugging, they both took a step back and laughed.

"Awwwww," three disappointed voices called out.

"We've got to go. We're late as it is, and your sisters are going to kill me," Rainbow Dash replied as Scootaloo and Babs hopped in the wagon.

Rainbow Dash pulled the wagon down the street away from the train station toward Carousel Boutique. She had promised to have the fillies home this evening and wasn't at all surprised to see Rarity waiting for her when she pulled the wagon next to the building.

"You're late," Rarity said, "You promised to have them home twenty minutes ago."

"Things change," Rainbow Dash replied, "At least they're home now."

"Oh Rarity I'm so glad to see you again!" Sweetie Belle shouted, rushing up and hugging her older sister.

"It's good you're home. You have school in the morning, so right to bed with you. You can tell me all about your trip tomorrow over breakfast. I’ll make pancakes, with some toast, and scrambled eggs, why that would be delightful, now wouldn’t it?"

"Yes," murmured Sweetie Belle as she stifled a yawn, "Do I have to go to bed? I’m not even tired."

"You say that, and yet you can barely keep your eyes open. Perhaps if Rainbow Dash had the responsibility of being an older sibling, she would understand that she shouldn’t keep fillies up past their bedtimes."

This was met by giggles from the four Crusaders. They would let Rainbow Dash explain her adoption of Scootaloo in her own words and at her own leisure.

"I fail to see the humor in my statement," Rarity rolled her eyes.

Sweetie Belle walked back to Rainbow Dash and gave her a hug, which made Rainbow Dash's face turn several shades of red. Rarity allowed herself a rare un-ladylike moment to laugh at Rainbow Dash’s reaction, while the rest of the Crusaders continued to giggle. Rainbow Dash realized the only way to get Sweetie Belle to stop hugging her was to hug her back, so she did so. Just like that the embarrassing moment for Rainbow Dash was over.

"Thanks for taking me with you," Sweetie Belle said.

"Anytime kiddo."

Sweetie Belle bounded back to Rarity, and together they walked into the boutique. Rainbow Dash turned and looked at her sister and her friends, who were trying to stifle their laughter. The blue pegasus mare pulled the three fillies on the wagon from Carousel Boutique across town to Sweet Apple Acres. When they got to the farm Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo stopped on the road and watched as Apple Bloom and Babs made their way to the farmhouse. Once Rainbow Dash saw the door to the house open, she turned away and took Scootaloo to their home in Ponyville.

"Where is everypony?" Babs asked, "The lights are on but nopony's here."

"Granny Smith is probably asleep by now. Big Macintosh and Applejack could be anywhere."

"Look at this," Babs said, looking at a note on the counter.

Apple Bloom, Babs,

We hope your trip went well. Granny Smith went to sleep early tonight. Applejack and I were hired to repair Ponyville Elementary School. We'll be there mixing and pouring the cement for the foundation for the west wall of your classroom, then we'll come home and get sleep. We'll head back very early tomorrow to continue repairs. We have a deadline of Monday, when school resumes, to have repairs completed, so we're not going to be home much if at all tomorrow.

We know you've done a lot of traveling but we need help keeping up with things on the farm while we're both away. Applejack and I figure if you and Babs work together it shouldn't take you long to do it. What we need you to take care of is going through the south side of the Apple Orchard. Rows 43 to 50 on the map in the barn. Pick up all the apples that were blown down by the wind and discard the bad ones. Bring whichever good ones you find on the ground back to the barn and put them up with the rest.

You needn't worry about harvesting any from the trees by yourselves. When we finish this project we'll start the harvest then, and you and Babs can help us as much as you want.

We love you and hope you both had a great time.

Big Macintosh

"Guess we've got a chore to do tomorrow morning," Apple Bloom said.

"I don't know how big those orchards are, but we've got to get it done fast," Babs replied, "We've got other things that have to be done tomorrow, too."

"Let's go turn in. We'll get some sleep and start early. We might be able to have it done by 9 o'clock."

"Well...about that..." Babs said.

"You're not still thinking about going out tonight? If Applejack or Big Macintosh come back and find you not here they're going to be furious."

"They won't even know I'm gone. They're at the school. That's at the opposite end of town from where I'll be. The shops are all closed by now, so it's not likely they'll go back through town for any reason. The shortest distance between here and the school is to take the outskirts of town, not cut through it. Besides, with any luck this won't take long."

"You don't know what you're going to run into out there. What am I supposed to tell them if you get in trouble?"

"You're forgetting that I've done this before. Trust me, I'll be fine."

Apple Bloom watched as Babs snuck out the backdoor. She wanted to go after her and stop her from doing this, but she knew her cousin had far more experience in these things than she did. She knew how hard her family worked to keep the farm going. Although it was harvest season and business would be great for the farm, Apple Bloom knew that wouldn't last. Eventually the cider they make would be gone until next season, and they would have to live off whatever they saved up until then.

Applejack and Big Macintosh primarily worked on the farm, but there were times they would take odd jobs away from the farm building this or repairing that to earn extra income. Her siblings worked so hard on the farm to support the family. It made Apple Bloom feel guilty for not being able to do more. Both of her siblings had told her many times that her responsibility is to go to school and get good grades. There'd be a time when she was done with her school, and then she could help them on the farm more.

Apple Bloom sighed and took their stuff to her room. She lay down for a few minutes and closed her eyes, trying to take her mind off of her cousin. The more she tried to think about something else, the more her mind focused on what Babs was doing. After five minutes Apple Bloom realized she wouldn't be able to get any sleep as long as her cousin was out potentially risking her life. Applejack herself had said reward in life doesn't come without sacrifice. If you want something you've got to work for it. It was those words that caused Apple Bloom to decide to go after Babs.

Apple Bloom crawled out of bed and went back downstairs. She slipped outside, carefully closing the door behind her so as not to wake Granny Smith, and ran after her cousin. Babs was a good distance away from Sweet Apple Acres and didn't know her cousin was trying to catch up to her, so she didn't slow down. Both fillies managed to keep about the same pace as they made their way back to town, never closing or extending the gap between them. When Babs got to town the first thing she did was get off the main road going through town. She didn't know Ponyville very well, but she knew she stood a better chance avoiding detection if she wasn’t on the main road.

Her cousin, on the other hoof, knew Ponyville exceptionally well. What she didn't know is exactly which way her cousin had gone. She had made it from the farmhouse all the way back to town and hadn't seen Babs once along the way. Apple Bloom looked to her left and right, and saw no sign of Babs. She didn't know which way to go, but she knew staying where she was wasn't going to help her find Babs any faster.

The young filly started walking down the street, looking down every alley and side street she came to. When she heard voices coming from one of the alleys she turned and walked toward the sound of the voices. She got near the end of the alley and saw two colts standing next to about a dozen boxes.

"That makes fourteen. Six more and we're good," one of the colts said.

"So where's the drop point?" the other colt asked.

"Same place as last time. They'll pick them up soon as we get them there," the first colt said.

"Hey wait a second," one of the colts said, looking at Apple Bloom, "We've got ourselves a witness."

"The boss don't like witnesses," the other colt said.

"Wait! I'm not a witness!" Apple Bloom protested, "I want to join you."

"Join us?" the first colt asked, laughing, "Join us doing what exactly?"

"I'm guessing you're moving these boxes to somewhere. I can help you," Apple Bloom offered, "In exchange for being paid, of course."

"Not very subtle, are you?" the second colt asked, sounding annoyed, "Saying things that shouldn't be said. Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. You smell like a cop."

"You're not a cop are you?" the first colt asked menacingly.

"What? No! I'm not!" Apple Bloom shouted.

"Drawing attention to yourself. That's not a good sign, either," the second colt replied, "Let's take care of her already and get on with this. We've got a schedule to keep."

"I don't know. We take her out that'll draw attention to us. Attention we don't need or want."

"We can't simply let her go. She'll rat us out the first chance she gets."

The two colts moved away from the boxes and converged on Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom backed up into the alley but the two colts were both bigger and faster than she was. One of them moved slowly toward her, the other took a different route and got behind her, cutting off her only means of escape.

Author's Notes:

I apologize for the long time between updates. Part of the delay was that all of the preceding chapters have been edited (to fix errors) and a few scenes have been added as well. Nothing that alters the story (so it's not necessary to go back and reread them) but hopefully the additions will help expand on a few things and offer some extra laughs in the process.