The Shipping Collection

Chapters

Appledash: True Feelings Realised
Rarishy: The Stylist and The Introvert
Twinkie Pie: New Experiences
Appledash: One Night Under The Apple Tree (Mature Content)
LyraBon: The Right Note

Appledash: True Feelings Realised

Twilight sat up and stretched. She had just spent the best part of three hours studying. Around her were piles upon piles of dusty old tomes, ranging from local history in the past one hundred years, to the origin of their species. So far she had only managed to get through the one book, but she had a free day, so she was certain she could blast through another seven or so. She continued her stretching,listening to her joints crack into place. Finally she stood up properly, giving her tail a playful flick as she did. She did a quick scan of the room and quickly noticed something was wrong.She couldn't see Spike anywhere, although it was rare for him to leave without annoucing it.
"Spike?!"
Across the room, a few books shifted and Twilight was certain she heard a low groan. She darted over the numerous book piles to where the groan had come from. She nudged a few books away to reveal a small purple arm.
"Spike?"

The books shuddered again and Twilight nudged them away until all that was left, was a purple, baby dragon.
"Spike, are you ok?"
Spike sat up and rubbed his forehead.
"Yeah, i'm fine. You really need to work on your awareness while studying."
Twilight blushed. Spike was right, it wasn't the first time that this had happened. Spike got to his feet.
"Now you're expecting me to tidy this aren't you?"
Twilight snapped out of her thoughts to reply.
"No !Of course not! I'll do it."
Twilight focused her magic, causing her horn to glow. Books started to levitate from their stationary positions and up onto the shelves.Spike sat and watched as the last of the books were put away.
"So what now?"
Twilight sat back on her haunches, and thought to herself. She had planned to spend the entire day studying, but it wasn't healthy to revise too much.
"Maybe we could go for a walk?"
"Maybe you could go for a walk Twilight. I'm gonna stay here, my head hurts a little."

Twilight gave a small smile, and trotted over to the door. She slipped outside, leaving Spike some time to rest. Now that she was outside she wondered how she could pass the time. She decided to stroll up to Sweet Apple Acres to see if Applejack was home. She set off at a steady pace and soon reached her destination. Twilight could see Applejack out in the field and walked over to her.
"Hey AJ"
"Twilight! How're y' doin'?"
"I'm ok, just taking a stroll. Say, do you fancy coming with me?"
"Ah dunno Twi, Me 'n mah brother have our work cut out here"
Applejack gestured to the orchard, where Big Macintosh was pulling a large cart of apples.
"Well maybe Big Macintosh could let you take a break?"
"Ah'll go 'n check"
Twilight watched as Applejack galloped over to her brother and asked him for a break. Twilight gently tapped the floor with her hoof, tapping the time away. Soon enough Applejack galloped back over to her.
"He says he'll rest up and wait fer me to hop on back."
"Great!"
The two ponies turned tail and set a course for the town square. Applejack turned back briefly to shout something to her brother.
"An don't you be startin' without yer sister ya hear?!"
Applejack didn't wait around for a respone, but Big Macintosh gave her an "Eeyup" just in case.

As the two ponies approached the square, something flew over their heads. This something happened to be a pegasus pony named Rainbow Dash. Both Twilight and Applejack stopped to stare at the aerial spectacle. Rainbow Dash, realising she had an audience, started to perform for the forming crowd. She looped in circles, twisted through the air, and landed without so much as one fault. The crowd stomped their hooves in approval, as Rainbow Dash basked in the appreciation
she was getting. Eventually the crowd grew weary of cheering and soon dissipated, leaving only Twilight and Applejack behind.
"Those were some nice moves Rainbow!"
"Thanks Twilight! Although you didn't expect anything less from Ponyville's best flyer did you?"
"Heh, of course not!"
"How about you AJ, did you enjoy the show?"
"Uh, yeah! You were really somethin' Dash"
Rainbow Dash soaked up the compliment, like the many she had received beforehand.
"So where were you guys heading?"
"Oh we were just going for a stroll, say do you want to come with us?"
Before Rainbow Dash could utter a response, Applejack butted in.
"She can't! She's got trainin' to do, right Dash?"
"Well I didn't have anything planned, but I guess a little more fine tuning wouldn't hurt. Catch you guys later."

With that said, Rainbow Dash took to the sky, leaving a bewildered Twilight, and a relieved Applejack behind. Applejack quickly started to hurry off, forcing Twilight to quickly catch her up.
"Twilight, can ah have yer honest opinion on somethin'?"
"Sure Applejack, what is it?"
"What do you think of fillyfoolers?"
"I don't think there's anything wrong with them, if that's what's troubling you. If a filly wants to love another filly, then that's
fine. Why do you ask?"
"Because..."
"Because?"
Applejack turned away from Twilight.
"Ah think ah love Rainbow Dash..."
"What was that? I didn't quite catch it."
Twilight leant in closer to hear what Applejack had to say.
"Twilight, ah think ah love Rainbow Dash..."

Twilight took a step backward in shock.
"What do you mean by, you think?"
"Ah'm not too sure, ah just git this feelin' ev'rytime she's around..."
"What kind of feeling?"
"Jus this kind o' happy feelin'. Butterflies in mah stomach y'know?"
"Hmm, I remember reading something that said that those are a few of the things associated with love for someone."
"What should ah do Twi?"
"Well you'll have to tell Rainbow Dash at some point."
Applejack lowered her head and looked to the floor.
"Ah know Twi, ah know."
"Have you told anypony else?"
"You would be the first Twi..."
"Maybe you should ask some of your other friends, see if they can make the situation easier for you?"
"Ah dunno Twilight. What if they don' like me because of what ah am?"
"Applejack! They're your friends, it shouldn't matter to them whether you're a fillyfooler or not."
"Ah guess yer right Twilight, thanks."

Applejack bolted off, heading in the direction of Rarity's boutique. Twilight headed off to go see if Spike was feeling any better. Applejack soon arrived at Rarity's place of work, the carousel boutique, and rapped her hoof on the door. After a few minutes the door swung open to reveal a white unicorn with a purple mane and tail.
"Applejack! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"Ah need to talk with ya about somethin'. Could ah come in?"
"Of course Applejack! Business has been rather slow as of late."
Rarity stepped aside to allow Applejack inside. Applejack hurried inside, checking around to make sure that no-pony else was present.
"Rarity, it's just us here right?"
"Of course. Sweetie Belle is at school, and as I mentioned before, business is a bit slow."
"Oh ok, good."
"Applejack, if you don't mind me asking, what's wrong? You seem very nervous about something..."
"Well that's what ah came here to talk t' ya about. Ah'm in love wi-"
"You're in love?! Oh that's wonderful news Applejack! Come, we should talk more in private, oh you must tell me every little detail!"

Rarity locked the door, and took Applejack further into the boutique.
So tell me Applejack, who's the lucky colt? Where did you two meet?"
"Rarity, ah'm in love with Rainbow, not some colt."
Rarity stopped in her tracks.
"Rainbow, as in Rainbow Dash?"
Applejack nodded nervously.
"Well, you certainly have shocked me Applejack. Though I congratulate you on finding someone. Might I ask how you came to the conclusion that you were in love with Rainbow Dash?"
"Everytime ah'm around her, she makes me feel like ah'm on air. Ah feel so happy, just bein' near her is so upliftin'."
"Hmm well Applejack, I'm happy for you. Are you certain that Rainbow Dash is a fillyfooler as well? I'd hate for you to embarrass yourself.."
"Ah'm not certain mahself, but there's only one way t' find out!"
"Yes of course. Well Applejack I wish you the best, and I hope all turns out wonderfully for you."
"Thank ya Rarity."

Rarity unlocked the door, and Applejack left the boutique, a spring in her step. Talking with Rarity and Twilight had certainly helped her confidence, now she felt like she could easily tell Dash her feelings.The only problem she had left was to actually find Rainbow Dash. It wasn't going to be easy to find someone who spent most of their days in the sky. She decided she would check all the places on the ground that Dash usually trained at. The first wasn't too far away from Sweet Apple Acres, so she decided to check there first. She took off as fast as she could, her desire to tell Rainbow of her feelings only spurred
her on. Applejack arrived at the field and looked about for Rainbow Dash. Sadly there were no signs of her at all. Applejack turned away, saddened, and began to trot off back to town. She hadn't managed to move more than a few paces, when a familiar voice called out to her.
"Look out below!"
Applejack dashed to one side, hoping that this new distance would be enough to avoid the object hurtling towards her.

Applejack heard a loud thud, and a cloud of dirt and dust covered her vision. She batted aside the cloud and looked to find the cause. The cause was obvious to Applejack, it had been Rainbow Dash, probably trying some sort of new trick. She found Rainbow Dash shaking dirt from her body. Rainbow looked up at Applejack apologetically.
"Sorry about that AJ. New trick, haven't quite got the hang of it yet."
"Ah'm glad you dropped in Dash. Ah've got somethin' t' say t' you."
"Oh cool. I could use something funny to forget about that little
failure back there"
"Well actually this is kinda serious..."
"Oh, that's ok too I guess."
Rainbow Dash sat on her haunches and waited to hear what Applejack had to say. Applejack cleared her throat.
"Rainbow Dash. Ah...love you."
The two ponies sat in silence for a few minutes, before Rainbow Dash broke the silence.
"Pfft Hahaha! That was great AJ. Oh man, you really had me going there. The way you said it was perfect. I never knew you were such a joker!"
As Rainbow Dash spoke, she beat her wings causing her to rise into the sky.
"Later AJ!"
Applejack sighed.
"Later Dash..."
Rainbow Dash took no notice of Applejack's obvious disappointment and soared into the sky. Applejack turned away and headed back home to Sweet Apple Acres, her heart filled with sorrow.

Later that day, Rainbow Dash met up with Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy to talk about her meeting with Applejack.
"Hey guys! Have you talked to Applejack recently?"
"Only this morning."
"Same here."
"I haven't seen her at all."
"Well Fluttershy, all I can say is that you missed out on some pretty hilarious stuff!"
Rarity and Twilight both shared the same look of confusion. Fluttershy was the only one not confused.
"What did I miss Rainbow Dash?"
"Ok ok, get this. Applejack told me, that she loved me!"
Rainbow Dash started to laugh uncontrollably, while Fluttershy chuckled to herself. Twilight spoke out to correct Rainbow Dash.
"She was serious, Dash."
Rainbow Dash stopped laughing and looked at Twilight.
"What?"
This time Rarity spoke out.
"She really does love you, she told me so earlier today."

By this point Fluttershy had also stopped laughing, and gasped as she heard this news. Twilight and Rarity approached Rainbow Dash.
"Dash, what did you do when she told you?"
Rainbow Dash looked at the floor and spoke quietly, almost on a Fluttershy-esque level.
"I laughed at her. She told me that she honestly loved me, and I laughed and called her a joker."
Twilight and Rarity became a little annoyed at Dash's ignorance, but they kept their cool. Rarity took it upon herself to make sure Dash did the right think next.
"Well Rainbow Dash, I think you should go straight to Applejack and take her confession a little more seriously this time."
"Yeah, you're right."
Rainbow Dash took to the sky, a solem look plastered on her face. She didn't fly off with any grace or style, much like she normally did. Instead she simply drifted along, making little haste.

Night soon fell and Applejack was laid on her bed, her head buried in her pillow. She had come straight home after suffering her embarrassment with Dash. She hadn't told Big Mactintosh what had happened, she just locked herself in her room, shutting herself off from the outside. So one can imagine her surprise when she heard a tapping on her window. Normally this wouldn't be classed as odd, it could've been a branch or something knocking against it. However Applejack's room wasn't on the ground floor, it was on the first floor. Plus there weren't any plants or loose items to knock against the window. So Applejack got up, sniffing back any remaining tears she had, and made her way to the window. She couldn't see anything outside, but she knew something was there. She opened the window and was greeted by a voice.
"I'm sorry Applejack"
Applejack didn't say anything, just incase it was a prank, albeit a very hurtful one.
"I didn't know you were being serious. I never thought you were the sort of pony who went that way, let alone the sort of pony to love somepony like me..."

Applejack was almost certain that this was who she thought it was.
"Dash? Is that you?"
Rainbow Dash moved a little further towards the window, allowing the light from the room to illuminate her features.
"Yeah, it's me."
"You really hurt mah feelin's y'know that Rainbow?"
"I know, and I can't even begin to imagine how you must have felt at that moment. I just came here because I wanted to make it up to you..."
Applejack didn't get chance to ask what she meant, because that was the moment that Dash kissed her. Applejack didn't struggle, she simply embraced the act of love Rainbow Dash presented to her. She closed her eyes, thinking of the times she had prayed for a moment like this, and now here she was, living that very moment. Eventually their loving embrace came to a close, and the two ponies moved back a little.
"Dash...does this mean..."
"I feel the same way? Yeah, it kind of does."
Applejack stepped back from the window.
"Then git in here Dash."
Rainbow Dash slipped through the window, however she clipped a wing against the frame and fell to Applejack's bedroom floor. Applejack stifled a giggle, and helped her up.
"Yeah yeah, laugh it up."
Applejack nuzzled up to Rainbow Dash.
"Ah've just got one thing t' say sugarcube..."
"What's that?"
"Thank you fer comin' back Rainbow."
Rainbow Dash blushed and nuzzled Applejack. The two ponies spent that entire night together, and tommorow they would tell their friends about the best night of their lives.

Rarishy: The Stylist and The Introvert

Fluttershy sat outside her hut, the sun shining down on her. She relished in glorious days like this, there was just something about that made her feel so fantastic. She surveyed the landscape; all of her little animal friends seemed to be enjoying it as much as she was. Bunnies chased each other through the various floras, while birds soared overhead. She wished that everyday could be like this, although if that happened there might be serious repercussions for the environment. Starting to lose herself in the tranquility of the meadow, Fluttershy snapped back to her senses, only to realise she was supposed to meet Rarity at her boutique. In one swift movement, she shattered the peaceful atmosphere by charging towards her destination. Fluttershy wanted to turn back and apologise to her friends but that would make her late for her appointment, and she'd hate to disappoint Rarity as well. Onward she went, not stopping for any reason, until she reached Rarity's place of work.

Once there she knocked on the door. Of course with this being Fluttershy, a mouse could've knocked louder than she did. Fluttershy knocked again, this time a little bit louder. Fluttershy was sure she could hear some approaching from the other side of the door. Fluttershy waited with baited breath, just in case it wasn't Rarity who answered. The door opened to reveal a white unicorn, with an incredibly stylish mane and tail.
"Fluttershy my dear! You made it!" exclaimed Rarity.
Fluttershy winced from the loud noise her friend made.
"Hi Rarity…" said Fluttershy meekly.
"Well don't just stand there, come on in!" Rarity moved aside, beckoning Fluttershy inside with her hoof.
The yellow Pegasus entered the boutique, walking straight to the centre of the room.
"Rarity? What did you want to see me for?"
"Well, I was commissioned to make a dress, one that has strong ties to nature. Basically like the one I made you for the gala." Rarity busied herself with some materials.
"So why not just recreate mine?"
Rarity gasped loudly.
"Fluttershy! This has to be an original! I can't just recycle something that I made before!"
Fluttershy scraped the floor with her hoof, a little bit embarrassed.
"Oh….ok…"

Rarity ushered Fluttershy over to a piece of paper she had tacked to the wall. Printed on the paper was an outline of a pony, no clothes, just a naked pony. Rarity called upon her magic to start sketching ideas onto the outline.
"You see Fluttershy, making the dress isn't a problem. Making sure it would suit the wearer is the hard part. So that's why I called you here, so you could model them for me."
Fluttershy remembered the last time she had modeled for her, and that wasn't something she wanted to do again.
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly…" squeaked Fluttershy.
Rarity turned to face her friend, giving her quite the glare.
"But you must! You simply must!" insisted Rarity.
"I'm not sure if I…" protested Fluttershy.
"Pleeeaaaaassse!" pleaded Rarity, her face now pressed right up against Fluttershy's.
The yellow Pegasus backed up and looked to the ground.
"…ok, I'll do it…"

Rarity leapt into the air, then composed herself again with a simple 'ahem' and a flick of her mane. She then set about her work, starting with the concept designs. Fluttershy on the other hand remained still, something was troubling her. Specifically it was when her face had touched Rarity's. Normally she would've felt extremely awkward after something like that, yet she didn't, she felt right. She didn't understand why she was feeling this way; did she have some sort of attraction to Rarity? Fluttershy watched the unicorn as she constructed her dress. As she watched she started to feel an odd sensation in her stomach. She felt like her stomach was doing back flips, the feeling made her feel a small bit nervous. Although it seemed that no matter how nervous she got, she just couldn't take her eyes off Rarity.

What seemed like an age passed the two ponies by, but eventually Rarity had finished her dress. She helped Fluttershy into it and ran off to find a mirror, leaving Fluttershy alone with her thoughts, if only for a brief while. When Rarity returned with the mirror, Fluttershy was able to see the amount of detail that she had put into the dress. The dress was of course green, an obvious nature colour. Along the hem Fluttershy could see a floral pattern that snaked all the way around the base of the dress. The same pattern could be seen around the neck, except that coloured thread had been used, giving it more of a floral feel.
"Oh Rarity, it's beautiful" enthused Fluttershy.
Fluttershy heard a voice inside her head as she spoke.
'Is it as beautiful as someone else you know?'
Fluttershy spun her head around, and in the process accidentally knocked her muzzle against Rarity's. Fluttershy felt her lips brush against Rarity's for the briefest of seconds. The two ponies blushed, but neither of them spoke of that moment. Rarity took the dress and proceeded to hang it up.

She had just finished when she heard a voice from the other side of the room.
"Rarity, how do you know if you're in love?"
Rarity looked slightly shocked, but her expression soon turned into a calmer one.
"Have you got your eyes set on somepony?" cooed Rarity.
Fluttershy nodded, her eyes fixated on Rarity.
"Well, usually you might get nervous around them, stare at them for long periods of time, or feel new feelings that you haven't experienced before."
Fluttershy realised that she had experienced all those things in a few hours with Rarity. All the signs pointed to her having feelings of love for Rarity, all that was left was to confess them.
Rarity….I…love you…muttered Fluttershy, her words trailing off towards the end.
"What was that dear? I didn't quite catch it."
Fluttershy summed up all her will and increased the volume.
"Rarity, I love you…"
Rarity's features lit up with pure surprise, this was not something that she expected from Fluttershy. Fluttershy saw Rarity's surprised face and took it as a bad thing; she had done wrong by confessing. She didn't want to be here anymore; she made a hasty exit, and didn't stop as Rarity called out to her.
"Fluttershy! Wait!" yelled Rarity.

Fluttershy ran away, back to the meadow, where she could find comfort in nature's solitude. She stopped at the bridge outside her home, taking a moment to peer into the river. Her delicate reflection was disrupted by the tears that dripped from her face. Each tear splashed into the water, distorting the image until Fluttershy was barely recogniseable. She had messed up, she should have known that Rarity didn't go that way, it was so obvious. She heard a soft voice in her ear, the tone almost apologetic.
"Fluttershy…"
Fluttershy knew exactly who the voice belonged to.
"Rarity…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything…"
Fluttershy's response was met with an action, rather than words. She felt Rarity nuzzle up against her, causing her to blush.
"It's ok Fluttershy, I want to be with you…" cooed Rarity softly.
Now it was Fluttershy's turn to be surprised.
"A-are y-you serious?" said Fluttershy, her voice quivering with emotion.

Rarity continued to nuzzle against Fluttershy, putting her hooves around her and giving her a gentle peck on the cheek.
"Of course I am sweetie."
Fluttershy shifted her position around to give Rarity a hug.
"Thank you Rarity…" gushed Fluttershy.
The two ponies sat there, embracing each other, a streak of red blush plastered across their faces. The tranquility that Fluttershy had experienced earlier had returned, and now she had someone to share it with…

Twinkie Pie: New Experiences

Twilight sat with her five friends as they chatted about the exciting day they had all experienced. Today was the day that Rarity and Fluttershy had became a couple. This meant that there were now two couples in their circle of friends, Rarity and Fluttershy, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The group often joked that Twilight and Pinkie Pie were next, although they vehemently denied it. Well, Twilight denied it, while Pinkie just giggled at the idea. Eventually the night wore on and the ponies had to retreat to their homes. Applejack and Rainbow Dash went back to Sweet Apple Acres, to spend the night with each other, while Rarity and Fluttershy went back to the Carousel Boutique. Twilight and Pinkie Pie parted ways, and were the only ones to go home by themselves. Twilight returned to the library and made her way upstairs to her room. Spike was flat out in his basket, his snores drifting through the silent library. Twilight settled down into her bed, ready to just drift off into a deep slumber. However her plans were dashed by quick knocking on the library door, which just didn't seem to let up.

Twilight sighed, and got up, her sleeping routine was already ruined. She headed downstairs, and approached the door.
"Who's there?" questioned Twilight.
"Oh Twilight! You're up!" yelled the voice.
Twilight recognised the voice almost instantly, and opened the door.
"Pinkie, what do you want?"
"Twilight! Can I come in? This is a matter of the super most urgency!"
Twilight stepped aside and the pink pony bounded inside, allowing Twilight to shut the door.
Pinkie turned around, still bouncing on the spot.
"I've been locked out of Sugarcube Corner! So I was wondering, seen as though we're super best friends, if I could stay here?" said Pinkie, her features forming into a wide smile.
Twilight toyed with the idea in her head, and eventually decided on letting her stay. Although she soon started to regret it, as Pinkie Pie seemed to unleash all of her hyperactive behaviour at once. She started bouncing around, shouting yay constantly, making Twilight wondered how Spike was still sleeping.

She managed to get the hyper pony to calm down a little, and came up with an idea, that she hoped would keep her calm.
"Say, what do you say we call this a sleepover Pinkie? It would be my second, and you do like a good party..."
Pinkie gasped loudly, she actually sounded like she stopped breathing at one point.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea Twilight!"
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that Pinkie might calm down as the night progressed. Of course this was Pinkie Pie, she was talking about, so the chances were unlikely.
Pinkie bounded upstairs, with Twilight hot on her heels.
"So what are we gonna do first Twilight huh huh?" questioned Pinkie.
Pinkie was bouncing up and down with a childish happiness twinkling in her eyes.
Twilight crossed to her bed, and started to get into it.
"Well Pinkie, it's rather late, so maybe we could sleep now, and have the sleepover tomorrow?" said Twilight softly,
Pinkie Pie looked disheartened.
"Is there nothing we could do? Nothing at all?"

Twilight summoned her magic, causing her horn to light up with magic. She slowly drifted a book towards Pinkie, laying it out on the floor for her. The book was the same book that Twilight had used during her sleepover with Applejack and Rarity.
"Well why don't you look through the book, and see if there's anything to do. I'm just going to rest my eyes for a bit..."
Pinkie Pie flicked through the book, her usual bubbly tone, replaced by a more dull and saddened variety. Eventually she found something that Twilight hadn't checked off from the last time, the 'practice making out' option. Pinkie thought it would be a good idea to try it out, in case there was some truth in the jokes her friends made. She climbed onto Twilights bed and settled down beside her, causing Twilight to stir.
"Pinkie? What're you doing?"
Pinkie smiled widely.
"I found something in the book, something we could try..."
Twilight hadn't expected to hear those words, she was certain that there was nothing in that book they could've done. It was these thoughts that prompted her next response.
"What is it Pinkie?"
Pinkie Pie took this as her cue to act out her activity.

Pinkie leant in quickly, pressing her lips against Twilight's. The two locked lips with each other, starting off what was to become a deeply passionate kiss. Pinkie moved her hoof towards Twilight's cheek and began to stroke it gently, pressing herself closer to the purple unicorn. Twilight was visibly shocked, her mind was rocked with new sensations, but she was focused on how gung-ho Pinkie Pie was about this. It was freaking her out a little, but at the same time she also found it calming. Eventually Pinkie broke the kiss, sitting back on her haunches, exclaiming how much fun it was. Twilight just looked at the pink pony, wondering if this meant that the jokes her friends had made were truths.
"Uhm, Pinkie Pie, how did that activity make you feel?"
"It felt good Twilight! I felt tons of new feelings I've never felt before, there was admiration, love, oh I could go on forever!" said Pinkie, rambling a little.
Twilight picked up on one particular part of her speech.
"Pinkie, did you say, love?"
Pinkie Pie nodded enthusiastically, while Twilight continued.
"Then, do you think we could uhm, do that again?"
"Of course Twilight!" said Pinkie Pie gleefully.

The unicorn sat up, and the two ponies kissed again, this time more passionate, and more adventurous. There was no doubt left in Twilight's mind that the two of them were going to be a couple. She laughed inside her head, wait until her friends found out about this, they wouldn't be joking anymore. The two ponies continued their embrace, placing their hooves around each other as they hugged as well. Meanwhile, just a few feet away from Twilight's bed, sat a rather disgruntled dragon. He had been woken up by the noise the new couple were making. He just sat and watched the two of them, as he muttered something under his breath.
"I knew it..."
Then he rolled over, and tried to get back to sleep.

Appledash: One Night Under The Apple Tree (Mature Content)

Author's note.
Mature content is featured after the page break. Just a warning for all those not wanting to read that sort of thing.

News had soon spread around Ponyville about the recent coupling of Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie. Needless to say many ponies were shocked, some even choosing to ignore the news, or pretend it didn't happen. Of course there are always those that decide to be immature about the situation, those that spend their time making fun of others, in order to fulfill their meager existence. Sadly Ponyville had its fair share of these miscreants and they were wasting no time in making Twilight and Pinkie's lives hell. At this very moment the aforementioned couple was making their way over to Sweet Apple Acres, trying to draw as little attention as possible. Sadly that wasn't easy to do when you're in a relationship with someone as hyperactive as Pinkie.
"Oooh where are we going Twilight, huh huh? You haven't told me yet! Is it a surprise? Oooh I love surprises!"
Twilight sighed, keeping oneself on the down low was almost impossible with Pinkie around. Ahead of her she noticed a group of ponies turning a corner, setting them face to face with Twilight and Pinkie. Twilight stopped in her tracks, leaving her stood next to a side street, should she need a quick exit. Pinkie Pie on the other hand, continued to bounce onwards, towards the other ponies, blissfully unaware that Twilight had stopped.
"Pinkie!" yelled Twilight.

The pink pony stopped in her tracks, looked around and bounded over to Twilight. Thanks to Twilight's sudden outburst, the group of ponies was able to correctly identify the couple. Some of them hurled insults, while others just pointed and laughed. Twilight grabbed Pinkie, and made a dash for the side street, she made her way down the labyrinthine back alley, until she emerged at the edge of Ponyville. She scanned the area quickly, just to make sure if more running was required or not. Pinkie Pie was oblivious to the events that had just transpired; she was still more interested in their mystery destination.
"Are we almost there? Oo oo I know this place, this is the road to Sweet Apple Acres! Are we going to see Applejack? We are aren't we?"
Twilight was satisfied that they hadn't been followed and gave a quick nod to Pinkie.
Yay! I worked it out! Does that mean I spoiled the surprise?"
Twilight ignored Pinkie and made her way to Sweet Apple Acres, while Pinkie bounced along behind her.

Eventually the two ponies arrived at their destination and Twilight announced their presence, by knocking on the door. The ponies waited there for a few minutes, before the door swung open to reveal a tired looking Applejack.
"Mornin' Twi" yawned Applejack.
"Morning AJ, I came to talk, and I brought Pinkie Pie along, circumstance kind of requires her at the minute."
Applejack shook her head, she had only just woken up, meaning it was way too early to try and comprehend complex sentences.
"Ah've just woken up Twi, it's still too early to work out yer fancy talk."
Twilight blushed, a little bit embarrassed. Although she had to admit, Applejack usually got up at the crack of dawn and was never tired, so getting up at midday should've been a breeze. Applejack yawned a final time and allowed the ponies to enter her home. Once inside, they entered the kitchen, only for another voice drifted downstairs to greet them.
"AJ? Who was at the door?!"
Twilight and Pinkie both looked at Applejack, waiting for her response.
"It's just Twilight and Pinkie Pah! Why doncha come down and meet 'em?"

There was a soft thud upstairs, as the owner of the voice made its way downstairs. Twilight thought she recognized it, although the ceiling had muffled the voice, making her unsure. Instead of continuing her efforts to work it out, she instead waited for the pony to show themselves. Her wait was short lived, as soon enough, Rainbow Dash had joined them in the kitchen, shocking Twilight considerably.
"Rainbow Dash? You stayed over here? Where did you sleep?"
"Uhm, with Applejack?"
"Oh! You mean like a sleepover right? Each pony has a different place to sleep right?"
"Uh no Twilight. Applejack and I were in the same bed…"
Twilight was about to respond, but Pinkie cut her off.
"Wow! We have to do that sometime Twilight; sounds like it could be fun!"
Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash shared the same looks of complete surprise.
"Twilight, are you an' Pinkie…" Applejack started.
"…a couple?" finished Rainbow Dash.
Twilight rolled her eyes. She had hoped that she could've told them herself, rather than them guessing from one of Pinkie's trademark outbursts.
"Yes…" said Twilight, in a rough, dry, tone.

Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash, with the sky blue Pegasus returning her gaze. The two ponies then burst out laughing, leaving Twilight somewhat embarrassed.
"Oh mah! Ah can't believe this actually happened!"
"I know right? We joked about it, but it finally happened!"
The two ponies collapsed, continuing their laughing fit from the floor. Twilight and Pinkie Pie stood over them, stern looks on their faces. Applejack and Rainbow took their time to calm down, but once they saw Twilight and Pinkie's faces, they knew they hadn't found it funny. Applejack decided to apologise, quickly before anything bad had a chance to happen.
"We're sorry Twilight, you too Pinkie, but we jus' didn't expect the jokes t' come true…"
Twilight sighed, she couldn't stay mad at them, and after all it was a little bit funny. She stepped back a little bit, allowing the two jokers room to get up. Pinkie Pie joined Twilight, her stern look replaced with a more pleasant one. As Applejack got up she decided to ask Twilight why they had came here. Twilight then launched into a long winded story, detailing her reasons. She had come to Sweet Apple Acres, to tell Applejack how some ponies are reacting to the news of same gender relationships. They had already heard about herself and Pinkie, but Twilight was trying to keep them from finding out about the others. In short, she was asking them to try and keep as far apart as possible from each other, when they were in public.

Her story managed to go on for hours, even though she only had a few points to cover. By the time she had finished, and all of the relevant questions had been answered, it was late afternoon. The ponies were starting to get hungry, all except Applejack, who had been acting distant throughout the entire time. Eventually Twilight left, taking Pinkie Pie with her, leaving Rainbow Dash and Applejack alone once more. Rainbow Dash made her way to the cupboards, looking for something to eat, while Applejack headed out to the orchard. Rainbow Dash was a little suspicious of her abnormal behaviour, she was never so quiet, nor did she usually seem distant. She abandoned her search for food and followed Applejack. Applejack made her way into the apple orchard, sitting down right on the far edge of the orchard. Rainbow Dash trotted up behind her, sitting next to her.
"AJ? What's wrong?"
Applejack turned to face her Pegasus friend. Her eyes glistened as tears had begun to form. This was completely out of character for a pony that always seemed to be strong when it came to emotions.
"Ah love you Rainbow….but…"
Rainbow Dash's mind told her to expect bad news, and she too started to get emotional, albeit just a little.

The Pegasus put her hoof around Applejack, pulling her into her warm embrace.
"But what AJ?"
Applejack sniffed, and the tears started to roll down her face.
"Ah'm not sure if ah can stay with you Dash…"
That little bit of emotion that Rainbow Dash started to feel, soon blossomed into a full emotional outburst.
"What! Why?" screamed Rainbow Dash, tears now streaming down her face.
"Ah didn't think others would mind me an' you bein' a couple Dash. Ah jus' don' think ah can take bein' the butt of their cruel jokes for all time" sobbed Applejack as she nuzzled up to Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash felt her heart split into pieces; she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"But you're Applejack…one of the strongest and most dependable of all ponies…how can you let something so trivial split us up?"
Rainbow Dash was slowly pulling away from Applejack; it was all just too much to take in. Applejack sat there, thinking about Rainbow Dash was saying. Sure enough it was trivial, and she did really love Rainbow Dash, surely she could find a way to ignore it? "A-applejack…I-I…"
Rainbow Dash was finding speech to be an incredibly difficult task.

Applejack was still in deep thought, something that was starting to annoy Rainbow.
"Say something Applejack! "Commanded Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow…do you honestly believe ah'm one of th' strongest and most dependable of ponies?"
"I do AJ, I really do…"
"Then ah shouldn't let you go. Who cares what other's think, ah've got you, 'nd that's all that matters!"
Applejack sniffed once more, her tears stopped flowing. Rainbow Dash continued to cry, but it wasn't from sadness.
Applejack nuzzled her friend, before settling down next to an apple tree, Rainbow Dash joined her.
"Can ya forgive me Rainbow?"
Rainbow Dash smirked, composed herself, and grabbed Applejack's hat from her. Then in her best Applejack impression she gave her response.
"Ah'm sure ah can!"
Applejack smirked. Rainbow Dash lay down next to Applejack, before sprawling out over her. Applejack shifted onto her back, allowing Rainbow Dash to lie on her stomach.
"Ah love you Dash" sighed Applejack, blissfully.
"I know Applejack, I know" replied Rainbow Dash.
So the two ponies lay there, together, under the apple tree.

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

A couple of hours passed, and Rainbow Dash felt a questioning burning to be answered.
"Applejack?" questioned Rainbow Dash.
"Yeah sugar cube?" replied Applejack
"Have you ever thought about…uhm…taking this relationship to the next level?"
Applejack blushed, the mixture of red and orange mimicking the sunset.
"Actually ah have…"
Rainbow Dash's features lit up, and she gave Applejack a quick kiss. She thought for a second then went back for a more passionate kiss. Rainbow slipped her tongue into Applejacks mouth, which shocked the orange pony. However Applejack soon followed suit, and allowed her tongue to meet with Rainbow's. The ponies lapped at each other, eliciting a slight groan of pleasure from each. Rainbow Dash and Applejack explored every inch of each others mouths, before they pulled away. Rainbow licked her lips, claiming that she had a taste of apples stuck in her mouth. Applejack hugged Rainbow Dash and pulled her to the ground.
"Ya got anymore little tricks sugar cube?"
Rainbow Dash gave her a sly grin and nuzzled against her cheek. Applejack nuzzled back while Rainbow Dash lifted her head up, so her mouth was level with Applejack's ear.

Rainbow then leant in and nibbled upon her ear, gently clamping her teeth around it. Applejack flicked her ear rapidly, letting out a noise that sounded like a combination between a pleasurable groan, and a blissful sighing. Rainbow slowly added pressure, trying not to hurt Applejack. For Applejack, the more pressure that was applied meant that she got more pleasure from it. She hadn't expected to get any sensations from someone nibbling on her ear, so she was certainly impressed. Rainbow Dash added on one final bit of pressure, giving the biggest response from Applejack yet. Her ear flicked back and forth quickly, she groaned loudly, and started to squirm a little.
"Gotcha…" thought Rainbow Dash.
Not wasting any time, Rainbow lowered her head down to Applejack's neck, giving it a gentle kiss. She then moved her head further down, and repeated the kiss, she repeated this entire process. Applejack was starting to lose herself in the moment, she was ready to give in to Rainbow, but she remained in control for the time being.

Once Rainbow reached the base of Applejack's neck she moved onto the next phase of her plan. She started to lick at her body, with short quick licks. Applejack let out a long, drawn out, 'mmmm'. She placed a hoof on top of Rainbow's mane and began to stroke her, occasionally tussling it. Rainbow enjoyed the stroking, and decided to use the same technique on Applejack. She placed one of her hooves on Applejack's stomach and began rubbing in circles. Applejack's lower half squirmed, as Rainbow Dash's rubbing, sent a tingling sensation through her body. Rainbow Dash changed the pace of her licking from quick licks to longer, more sensual licks. She combined the new licking technique with slow movements downward. As she got further and further down Applejack's body, she found that it got much more sensitive. She only had to give it small touch with her tongue and Applejack would let out a quiet moan. She reached her stomach and the combined pleasure of rubbing and licking the same place, drove Applejack to moan a little louder, and bite her lip.

Rainbow Dash shifted her position, so that she was now directly in front of Applejack. Again she resorted to licking and rubbing, still working her way lower. Applejack could see how close she was to most pleasurable spot of them all. Her mind was willing Rainbow Dash on, to give her the satisfaction she so craved.
"Rainbow…"
Rainbow Dash giggled a little, it excited her to see how her hard work was paying off. By this point she was mere inches away from her grand finale, but she decided to tease Applejack some more. She rubbed at Applejack's inner thighs, making sure to get dangerously close to a specific location. The teasing was too much for Applejack, her moaning became almost constant.
"Rainbow…p-please…"
Rainbow Dash chuckled, and started to slide her hooves towards her prize. She teased Applejack one more time, this time by tracing the outline of the area. Applejack made a slight animalistic noise, and Rainbow took that as a signal to dive in.

Rainbow began licking within an instant, sending spikes of white hot pleasure through Applejack. Applejack's eyes shot open, her breathing became short and quick. She looked down to see Rainbow Dash working away, with a look of pure lust in her eyes. It was at this point that Rainbow's tongue licked over a specific spot, sending Applejack over the edge into sexual oblivion. She threw her head back with a loud gasp, and began to pant like a dog. Rainbow Dash seemed to be so good, that Applejack had to wonder if she'd ever done this before. Pleasurable feelings continued to rack her body, and they kept on going, thanks in part to Rainbow Dash's desire to go deeper. Applejack could feel Rainbow's muzzle inside her, furiously licking at anything her tongue could reach.

Applejack felt her heart pounding in her chest, her mind unfocused due to her arousal. She knew one thing for certain, this lovemaking session was about to draw to a close.
"Rainbow...Ah'm…"
She couldn't finish, she had to be able to think straight to finish, and in this situation, thinking straight was not something she could do. Nonetheless Rainbow understood what she was trying to say, and prepped herself for the finish. She licked a few more times and pulled out from Applejack. For Applejack, the feeling of Rainbow pulling out was the final straw. She practically screeched her approval, as she rode the pleasure high. Rainbow Dash watched as her friend went from a screaming high, to an exhausted low in a matter of seconds. Rainbow Dash took up her original position, and sprawled out on Applejack's stomach. Applejack tussled Rainbow's mane, speaking in broken sentences, because of her heavy breathing.
"Rainbow…next time…it's your go…"
Rainbow Dash just giggled. She shifted position a final time, leaving her on Applejack's stomach. She sighed as the motions of Applejack's breathing caused her stomach to rise and fall, lulling her into sleepy daze. Applejack's exhaustion soon got the better of her as well, and the two ponies fell asleep.

LyraBon: The Right Note

Lyra sat backstage waiting for her call to go onstage. It wasn’t her first time performing, but it was certainly her first time she had performed at something like this. She was currently at the Canterlot Theatre for the Musical Arts, where she shared the evening’s bill with some of Equestria’s most famed musicians. Just the thoughts of sharing a stage with musicians like Octavia, made her feel incredibly nervous. What if she didn’t perform to an equal calibre? She didn’t want to think about what would happen should that thought come true. Out on the stage Lyra heard a round of stomping applause, and realised that she was soon going to find out whether or not she could match her predecessors. Lyra caught sight of Octavia as she headed into the wings, where she received plenty of praise for a show well done. Lyra looked around her and she realised just how lonely she was. There was no-one waiting in the wings for her, no-one to praise her for a show well done.

Meanwhile, a pony by the name of Bon-Bon was stood in the audience, stomping her hooves in approval of Octavia’s fantastic performance. As Octavia left the stage Bon-Bon recalled the event schedule in her head. As she scrolled through the names in her imagination she recalled a particular musician, a pony by the name of Lyra. The schedule had claimed that she was supposed to be from Ponyville, Bon-Bon’s home town. She’d never seen any sort of musical ponies around the streets of Ponyville for as long as she had been there. Maybe she hid her talent away from prying eyes? Either way Bon-Bon was excited to hear her play. She calmed herself a little as the lights around the stage began to dim. As her eyes adjusted once more to the darkness, she began to search the stage, looking for this mysterious musician. She caught sight of a chair floating out from the wings, followed by some sort of instrument case, with a pony following behind. The chair took it's place at the stage's centre, with the case resting just beside it. The pony removed the instrument from it's case and the crowd began to wonder what sort of music she would share.

A single spotlight shone down on the musician, illuminating her for all to see. On-stage, Lyra's nerves were on edge, although she soldiered on regardless. She sat upon the chair, slouching a little, but regaining some of her composure. Already the crowd was buzzing as people began to mutter amongst themselves about Lyra's unique sitting position. Undeterred, Lyra levitated her lyre into the air and and gently plucked the strings. A melodic sound rung through the audience, silencing those still whispering. She transitioned from those simple first plucks to more complex rhythms with surprising ease. Bon-Bon let her ears drink the wonderful sounds that Lyra created. Her mind began to swim as each delicate note pranced through her head.

"Oh this is wonderful!" thought Bon-Bon to herself.

Lyra continued on, a tiny bead of sweat forming on her brow. Her melody began to build up, her plucks becoming more and more rapid. Bon-Bon could tell that the performance was coming to it's climax, yet she did not wish for it to end. Her mind felt hazy, her body filled with a warm sensation, almost like she were drunk. She let her body sway side to side, lost in Lyra's beautiful music. She wished that this feeling would last forever, alas all good things have their end. Lyra's melody concluded in an almighty crescendo, culminating with the soft 'prang' of Lyra's hoof connecting with the string. A small minority of the audience erupted into a stomping applause, Bon-Bon was included in that minority. The remainder of the audience applauded apathetically, and many applauded out of courtesy.

"I have to meet her in person" mumbled Bon-Bon as she made her way through the crowd.

Lyra packed up her instrument and bowed to the audience, before exiting stage right. Bon-Bon made her way to the main foyer, hoping to catch Lyra before she left for Ponyville. She glanced around the crowded space, searching for any evidence of the mint green pony. Other ponies began to fill the foyer and Bon-Bon started to realise just how fruitless this was becoming. Just when she was ready to give up, she caught side of a mint green and white tail disappearing through the exit doors. Bon-Bon cut through the crowd, like a knife through butter, and slipped outside.

"Lyra?!" yelled Bon-Bon hoping she'd got the right pony.

A voice returned her outcry with a simple response.

"Who wants to know?"

Bon-Bon wasn't sure how to respond, she didn't want to come across as some sort of crazed of fan, even though that's exactly how she felt.

"Uhm, just a fan, I guess" replied Bon-Bon, hoping that was the correct answer.

Lyra stepped out from the darkness, revealing herself to Bon-Bon.

"A fan? That's...new" Lyra responded.

"What? Do you mean to say people don't congratulate you after your performances?" asked Bon-Bon.

"Not really no, I mean I don't really give them chance to. I tend to just pack up and leave once I'm done." answered Lyra, solemnly.

"Why?" questioned Bon-Bon.

"Well, did you see how they reacted tonight? A few people appreciated my performance, mainly those with little to no appreciation for my music, no offence intended. The real connoisseurs didn't even bat an eyelid, they just applauded because they felt like they had to out of courtesy. Don't tell me that I couldn't know that, because I do know that. I could see it from the stage, it was pretty obvious. Now unless you have anything else to say, I would like to get home." replied Lyra hotly.

Bon-Bon just stood there, unable to think of a suitable response. Hundreds of sentences whizzed around in her head, yet she couldn't bring herself to speak them. Even as Lyra began to walk away, one specific sentence burned inside her skull.

She's trying too hard too please others, and it's eating her up inside...

Bon-Bon turned around and made her way back inside, wondering if there was any way that she could help Lyra see her problem.

Meanwhile Lyra found herself on the road to Ponyville, alone.

"Well you could have handled that better couldn't you?" said Lyra to herself.

Lyra sighed, of course she could have handled that better. For starters she could've avoided storming off like that. Second, she could of done with the whole mini rant that preceded her exit.

Way to go Lyra, you probably alienated the only pony who actually considered herself a 'fan' of yours...

Lyra sighed once more, and then grunted as she bumped into something.

"Now then, what 'ave we 'ere?"

Lyra looked up to find nothing but a dull white smile staring back at her.

"It's dangerous t' be out 'ere by yerself missy. Ain't y' ever been told that?"

Lyra gulped, and shook her head.

"They say that there be those that prey on mares that walk alone in the night...An' yer tellin' me that you ain't ever been told that?"

Lyra shook her head once more.

"Well maybe we should show ye what yer've been missin'"

We?

"Come on lads!"

Lyra suddenly felt a strong force from nowhere shoving her to floor. She struggled against it, but it was too strong.

"That's it lad, lets see what we got 'ere..."

Lyra felt hooves patting against her body, stopping as they reached her lyre case.

"Well, this could sell for a few bits...Pleasure doin' business with ya missy. Now you just wait there, an' we wont have to come back an' make you wait...ok?"

The thieves took off at a fairly quick pace, certain that they would make a clean getaway. Lyra felt the force holding her down release her from it's grasp, letting her get to her hooves. Without wasting a moment of time she gave chase towards the lyre thieves. She wasn't going to let them get away with her lyre, it held deep sentimental value to her. She closed in on the thief holding her lyre and leapt onto his back, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Her lyre case skittered a few feet away from her. Lyra scrambled over to it, pulling it towards herself, and curling up in a ball.

"I warned ya missy, now we're gonna 'ave to make sure ya wait..."

Without another word, hooves trampled across her body, pain flooding through her senses. She felt her lyre case being dragged away from her.

"Was it worth going after missy? This stupid piece o' metal an' string?"

Lyra whimpered, as the stallions continued to beat their point into her. She then heard a sound that sickened her to her core. It was a sharp twang and Lyra knew instantly what it was. He was cutting the strings to her lyre.

"How d' ya feel now?

Twang!

"Still think it was worth it?"

Twang!

"Well?!"

Twang!

Lyra had taken as much as she could of this torture, she was ready to accept her situation and give up. This was until a familiar voice rung through the darkness.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

The thieves made themselves scarce, the moment they heard that voice. Lyra's lyre clattered to the floor, it's appearance looked somewhat similar to it's owner, battered and bruised. Lyra pulled it towards herself and cuddled up to it, weeping softly.

She could hear hooves making their way towards her, with a voice calling out to her.

"Hell-Lyra? Is that you? What happened?" exclaimed the voice.

The sound of hooves sped up, as the pony made their way over to the injured musician.

"Lyra, Lyra what happened? You! Help me with her! We need to get her some place safe now!"

Lyra saw that the mystery pony was Bon-Bon, standing alongside a pony she didn't recognise, an escort perhaps?

Bon-Bon helped Lyra up, splitting Lyra's weight between her and her escort. Making sure that Lyra's lyre was properly secured, the three of them began making their way towards Ponyville.