Red Cedar

@PathfinderCS Applejack darted to and fro, simultaneously trying to keep on her hooves as she ran to the benches she thought she could most easily loosen at the strange angle the airship was sitting at. At every one she would turn, and without nearly the finesse she would show one of her own trees, lash out at bench until it broke free of its base and was now a plank lying on the ground. The urgency was taking its toll, however. Every jolt of her body prying loose another bench was sending a shock of pain into her sore shoulder now, leaving her more aware than she had ever been before that bucking was a full-body chore, not just the rear half. But there was no time to think about that now. She galloped awkwardly to the next bench, turned to deliver another kick, raised herself on her front legs and... Applejack's chin hit the floor. With a squeal she didn't think she could have done again since her foalhood, her shoulder gave out and she collapsed on it. The pain tore through her. She sucked in a breath through her teeth, tears streaming down her face. She tried to will herself to get up, but her body wouldn't co-operate. With her good hoof, she scratched at the deck, cursing herself for being so weak now of all times. She turned her cheek to the deck, contemplating just rolling over and letting whatever was going to happen to her happen to her, when she glanced out the hole in the hull. Hazy though it was getting out there, she could make out the shape of a blue unicorn... bowing? Letting herself go was one thing. There was no way she was not going to do everything she could for somepony else. Pushing herself up on the three legs she had, she hobbled through the pain, making her way towards Trixie. Draping her sore leg around Trixie, as much to lead her as to lean on her, she started guiding Trixie back into the airship. "C'Mon!" she called out over the rising wind. "We're not out of this yet. I need help with this hole before we get buried."

@Randimaxis Your go.

Under no circumstances could I ever be paid enough to live in the Middle East. Quite aside from the fact that half the countries there are embroiled in some sort of violence, they are all intolerant, barbaric and despotic theocracies.

The staff come quick enough if you do something you shouldn't, so just start playing.

Quake. Always Quake. Started with the first and never looked back.

@Randimaxis Your go.

@PathfinderCS Your go.

Agreed. Fortunately I was able to tell her to her face that I thought she was a great addition to the show at the last local con.

@PathfinderCS Applejack nodded quickly. She sure hoped whatever injury Trixie had had happen to her wasn't going to flare up again after this. "All right. I need y'all to get out there and try to cut that balloon loose from the ship any way you can! I figure magic would be quickest. Otherwise that wind could pick us up and drag us around by it and not only would we be in for a hay of a ride but we could wind up anywhere and then they'd never find us!" Applejack took a deep breath and looked Trixie straight in the eyes. "Keep one eye over your shoulder, and get back in here before that thing gets too close, whether y'all have got it done or not. I'm gonna try and find something to plug that hole with before we get sandblasted in here." "Good Luck!" Applejack called, and with that, galloped as quick as she felt she could to the nearest bench seat of the ship, still attached to the floor at an odd angle. After sizing it up a moment, she turned her back to it, raised her hind legs off the deck and unleashed a buck hard enough to detach it from its nails, and nearly break it in two. Applejack winced almost as soon as she had, forgetting just how much force her front legs also put into applebucking. Her shoulder gave a throbbing ache. "Ow."

No, Thanksgiving counts. And I agree, I think Americans definitely make that holiday their own like no other, even though we celebrate it in Canada, too (except in October).

Okay, I have no idea how this thought came into my head, but it's been there for a while, and since this forum has a fairly large sampling from a number of countries around the world, I thought I would ask this of you all: Other than your country's national holiday, which holiday that your country celebrates widely best defines or is most emblematic of your country and why? It could be any holiday at all, whether religious or secular, whether celebrated in many places around the world or if it's really meaningful only to your country, but what holiday is most essentially unique or uniquely celebrated by your country? Why, yes, of course I'll go first. I'm Canadian, and I think the most uniquely Canadian holiday would be Victoria Day, celebrated on the Monday of or before May 24th. Originally, it was celebrated to commemorate the birthday of the British monarch that granted Canada its independence (after we asked politely). Since then, however, it is celebrated as a turning point in the year. It's seen as the unofficial start of Summer in Canada, a long weekend of first barbecues, first camping trips and other outdoor activities to mark the end of another seemingly endless and harsh Canadian winter. So, how about everyone else?

@Randimaxis Applejack smiled, sitting back herself a little. A little more rest now simply meant she could go longer later. As Groovi made her far more intelligible offer, she nodded. "Well, I've been having a lot of fun today, too. I mean, I always enjoy talkin' while I work, but my big brother, well, he's the strong silent type most of the time. If y'all want to keep comin' back during the harvest, I'd be happy to have ya!" she said, smiling. "You'll be an expert at this in no time. And, I'm willing to pay y'all in bits, too, not just jam."

@PathfinderCS Applejack stood up to get a better look, her weight on three of her legs, and glanced out again. Almost immediately, she took in a sharp breath that was audibly cut off by the sudden closing of her throat. Her cousin Braeburn had told her in his letters about dust storms in great detail, including how much damage they could do to the buildings in Appleloosa, but this... This was something else. It was huge. It reached as high as the eye could see. And it was coming almost straight for them. Applejack found her airway again and took in a few quick breaths, her mind racing, glancing this way and that about the inside of the ship, until she finally looked up like she remembered something, and turned hastily to Trixie. "How well do y'all think you can use your magic right now?" she asked quickly.

@PathfinderCS Applejack nodded idly. "She definitely puts her own spin on things, that's for sure." she said, taking another deep sigh, feeling the day start to heat up again. Well, hopefully the warmth would be better for her shoulder. Peering over at Trixie, she noticed her glancing once more out the hole in the hull. Applejack sat up again. "What is it?" she asked. "You see something out there?"