FaR- April Fools Day Special
'It has to be perfect.' Applejack thought to herself, staring at the table before her. It was the dining table of the Apple family, but it looked nothing like the raggedy old thing that it usually resembled. The old oak table, beginning to rot and fall apart, had been covered with a bright picnic blanket design tablecloth. Atop said tablecloth sat a variety of candles, small and large, accompanied by a single perfect, breathtakingly prepared apple pie.
The lights in the room were off, allowing the candlelight to illuminate the table beautifully. The orange earth pony stood before the table, admiring her work. In most cases to much exaggeration would give a prank away, but when it came to the self acclaimed 'fastest flier in Equestria' the more the merrier. The moment Rainbow Dash saw that pie, she was as good as pranked.
The farm pony had even taken the time to tend to herself, brushing her coat over and over to ensure perfection, then braiding her golden-blonde mane, embroidered with small flowers. With her signature Stetson hat atop her head, the farm pony was sure that she had never looked so beautiful in her life. In truth, she would never have even thought of trying to look 'pretty'. Applejack was accustomed to living in the Apple fields, dirty and tired. She just hoped that her effort wouldn't give away her plan.
She wanted to stun Rainbow, not scare her.
Applejack gave out a slight snicker as she pictured the Pegasus diving into the pie, only to find that it was no ordinary apple pie...
Slowly Applejack crept across the small kitchen, making her way to the nearby window and peeking outside. It was a beautiful April morning. The sky was a navy blue, the first lights of day struggling to gain a presence in the distance. The many apple trees of Sweet Apple Acres stood still in the breezeless morning, a slight frost decorating their leaves.
'It's time.' Applejack thought, turning from the window and advancing towards the staircase that led to the second floor of her home. She moved quietly, being careful not to awake the rest of her family- or Rainbow Dash. As the farm pony stepped stealthily across the chilly wooden floor a powerful yawn escaped her. 'Ah'm gunna be tired all day, but it was worth gettin' up so early to trick Rainbow.'
Step by hesitant step Applejack ascended the staircase. Then, once finally at the top, snacked her way down a large wooden hallway. Past her own room, Applebloom's room, Big Mac's room, and then the room of Great Granny Smith. Being a recent addition to the farm house, Rainbow Dash's room was at the end of the hallway. The hinges squeaked quietly as Applejack nudged open Rainbow's door.
The room was a strange mixture or wood and cloud. The framework of the room was set in a firm wooden foundation, along with the floor and walls. However, the roof and most of the room's furniture were cloud, and very Rainbow Dash in design.
Applejack quickly made her way across the room to where Rainbow slept on her bed of cloud, loosing her need to sneak. After all, she was about to wake Rainbow any moment now.
"Good mornin', darlin!" Applejack whispered softly, placing a hoof on one of Rainbow's shoulders to shake her lightly. Rainbow did not wake, nor did she make any sign that she planned to any time soon. "Rainbow?"
Nothing. Nothing but the soft snores of a deeply sleeping Pegasus.
Leaning in a little closer, Applejack tried again, shaking the Pegasus a bit rougher. "Rainbow, please wake up? Ah have a surprise for you!"
Instead of receiving an audible answer from the Pegasus, Applejack quickly found herself being pulled down on top of her filly-friend and into a tight embrace.
"Mmbrgle" Rainbow spoke in her sleepy state, rolling so that the two ponies lay side by side. Despite Applejack's struggles to escape, the sleeping Pegasus was strangely persistent.
"Aww, c'mon now Rainbow, Ah really need ya to-" Applejack began to speak, but was cut off by a firm kiss. Then, as quickly as it happened, Rainbow backed away and fell back onto her pillow, leaving a red-cheeked Applejack confused and frustrated.
"Oh, come on, Rainbow!" Said Applejack, pushing herself from the bed and punching her cyan friend in the chest lightly. "You can restrain me, and kiss me, and ignore me, but ya can't wake up and come share a pie with me?"
Suddenly Rainbow's eyes bolted open, two pink orbs staring intensely at Applejack.
"Did you say... Pie?" Rainbow said, her previous grogginess non-existent. After a confused nod from Applejack, Rainbow continued. "Well why didn't you say so in the first place! I an not the kind of Pegasus to leave a good pie to waste!"
Rainbow Dash, vivid with excitement, jumped out of bed; Applejack not far behind her. Then, before Applejack knew what hit her, she was nearly nicked over by the force of a certain Pegasus tackle-hugging her.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Rainbow squeed, using her wings to enforce the hug.
"Mah pleasure, Sugar Cube," said AJ as Rainbow finally let up, but not before giving the farm pony a quick peck n the cheek. "Now then, follow me, will ya?"
Without waiting for a response Applejack turned to the doorway, and began phase two of her plan; baiting the Pegasus. Rainbow followed closely behind, hopping like Pinkie Pie out of excitement. Despite Applejack's attempts to quite Rainbow, to avoid waking the whole family, it seemed as if Rainbow would be impossible to shut up.
And so the two trotted down the long hallway, and descended the old squeaky staircase.
The moment Rainbow entered the kitchen her eyes went wide, darting left and right in an attempt to take in the scene. The dinner table, covered in all sorts of wonderful candles, lit up the whole room. It was strange, seeing the Apple family kitchen so clean. It was usually a mess, with dirty plates and half-full cooking pots scattered here and there. Now it was pristine, as if the family was expecting royalty, and the ever present odor of cooked apples was replaced by the sweet scent of vanilla, courtesy of scented candles.
"This is... Beautiful," Rainbow spoke, her mouth agape in awe.
"Ah know," Applejack responded, a pearly smile stretched across her face.
Suddenly Rainbow's expression changed, to one of... Fear? Applejack began to panic. Had Rainbow figured it out? Was all of this too fancy, too over the top?
"Hey, AJ?" Rainbow spoke, her eyes still locked on the scene before her.
"Yes, Sugar Cube?"
"W-why is all of this here?" Rainbow's voice was strange; sad. "Why is all of this here? Did you do something wrong, and are trying to make up for it? Or are you leaving for a long time, and this is goodbye? I don't understand!"
Rainbow turned to Applejack, her eyes reddened and fighting off tears. "Please don't leave me?"
Applejack was quick to act, moving close to her filly-friend and placing a kiss on her forehead. Then, locking eyes with Rainbow, she began to speak. "No, darlin', of course not! I'd never leave ya! This is just something I made for ya because I love you."
This seemed to do the trick, a smile smile replacing Rainbow's frown.
"Now then, hurry up and-"
"Wait!" Rainbow cried, her eyes going wide once again, this time staring directly at Applejack. Then, before Applejack knew what was going on, Rainbow Dash trotted past her, keeping her Pegasus eyes focussed on the farm pony. "Wow, Applejack! You look beautiful!"
The orange pony sighed in relief, her fears getting the best of her.
"Well thank ya, darlin', but Ah think it's about time you ate that there pie," said Applejack, maneuvering towards the table to sit down; Rainbow taken a seat across from her. Her plan was working. Flashing Rainbow a bright smile, Applejack pushed the pie across the table to the rainbow-maned Pegasus. "Before it gets cold."
"Aren't you going to have any?" Rainbow questioned, eyeing the pie hungrily. The alluring scent of freshly baked Apple was pulling her in, and AJ knew that the Pegasus was hooked.
"No, this one's all for you," said Applejack, trying to hide her excitement as Rainbow leaned closer. "Now why don't ya take a nice, big, juicy bite and tell me what you think?"
Rainbow didn't bother to reply, and with mouth open wide she moved in on the doomed treat. Applejack, moving as quickly as possible, dived under the table, just in time to hear-
BOOM!
The explosion was loud, and sure to wake the rest of the Apple family. The pie- or rather pie bomb- was everywhere. From under the table Applejack could see the walls of the kitchen covered in sweet apple pie, and small bits of the desert drip from the table's edge.
Excited to see the effect of her creation, Applejack jumped up from her hiding place, screaming, "APRIL FOOLS!"
The sight before her was not what she had imagined. The pie was gone, leaving nothing in it's place. The whole room was coated in the thing, even the ceiling hidden behind a layer of deliciousness. Rainbow Dash, the target of the 'harmless' prank, lay face down on the floor, her cyan coat dripping wi sugary goodness.
And she was not moving.
Applejack was sure that Rainbow would be up the moment the pie bomb went off, searching for a way to get back at the farm pony, but instead there she lay, victim to a murder most delicious.
"Rainbow?" Applejack cried, vaulting straight over the table to the Pegasus's side. "Rainbow please, get up!"
Nothing. Not even a twitch, or a muffled moan.
Tears began to stream across AJ's cheek as she fell on top of the cyan Pegasus, shaking and prodding at the limp form.
"What is goin' on down there!" Big Macintosh called from upstairs. A loud clopping filled the room, emitting from the staircase, and soon emerged the red stallion. He did not look happy. "Ah'm tryin to get my-"
The stallion stopped in his tracks, taking in the disaster around him. "Applejack!"
"Big Mac, help!" Applejack spoke between sobs, pulling her brother's attention to the limp body below her. In the blink of an eye the large pony was beside her, pushing away Applejack to inspect Rainbow Dash. The room once again fell silent, filled only by the sobbing of a pony with a broken heart.
Several minutes past, but to Applejack it felt like hours. Then, finally, Big Mac turned to Applejack.
"I'm sorry, AJ, but..." Big Mac spoke, avoiding his sister's eyes.
"You mean... She's..." Applejack fell to her knees.
"Eeyup."
"April Fools!" Rainbow Dash screamed, jumping to her hooves with a full pearly smile stretching from ear to ear. Then, laying eyes on Applejack's disbelieving eyes, Rainbow fell to the ground in laughter, hooves folded over her gut. "Bwahahaha! You should have seen your face!"
"What- I-" Applejack stuttered, her vision still a little blurry with tears. "Why you!"
Without a second thought Applejack pounced on the Pegasus, causing them to tumble across the kitchen floor. One over another they continued to roll, until they hit the wall opposite the kitchen sink; Applejack crying with happiness that Rainbow was okay, and Rainbow still laughing happily. Applejack found herself triumphantly above Rainbow Dash.
"Seriously though, Applejack, I got you goo-" Rainbow was cut off by the pressure of a familiar muzzle against her own. Then, without warning, Applejack simply collapsed onto the Pegasus, her coat plastered in Apple Pie.
"You scared me."
Applejack slowly wrapped her hooves around Rainbow's shoulders, letting her head rest against one of Rainbow's wings. Rainbow happily returned the embrace.
"Applejack?"
"Yeah, Sugar Cube?"
"You owe me an apple pie."
