Homesick

by cataracts

Rating: teen
Tags: Human, Romance, Slice of Life
Length: 31884

Humanized AppleDash - Years after first meeting, a lot has changed with the six friends. It had been a year since AJ had seen her best friend, and when a tragedy brings them back together, they find even more is about to change between them.

Human AppleDash !

A lot has changed in recent years - Rainbow Dash has left home to pursue a promising career as a Wonderbolt. It's been almost a year since she's seen her friends, but she's suddenly brought back home when tragedy strikes. She returns to a grief-stricken Applejack, who is now left with the task of managing Sweet Apple Acres. The two friends will find a lot has changed between them since they'd last seen each other, and maybe some new feelings have developed.

::This will be a semi-long project, and will take span across three arcs, during different parts of their relationship. Enjoy!::

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-05-10 12:16:35 UTC

Making Mountains of Molehills

“AJ? Are yuh in here?” Mac slowly closed the door behind him and entered the house. He wiped his feet on the mat before continuing in through the main entrance. He was sure he saw his sister come in a moment ago.

“Howdy, Mac! Guess who’s here?” Applejack made her way down the stairs; she was smiling ear to ear for the first time since Granny Smith had passed. Instinctively, her older brother smiled back at her – He knew only one person could make his sister pull out of the slump she had been in.

“Rainbow Dash, ah reckon?” He gave a quick shrug, as if it could have been anybody else.

“Yup! She just got here, gonna be stayin’ with us for a few weeks, helpin’ us around the farm while we get stuff sorted out.”

Mac couldn’t help but to keep smiling, he was elated to see his sister happy again. He simply nodded at her, and then continued into the kitchen. “Ah’m gonna get dinner started. Come down when yuh like”, and with that, excused himself into the other room.

“Did he say dinner?” Rainbow Dash stepped out of the guest room she had settled into, and headed towards the stairs. “I’m starved! It’s about time.”

Applejack knew no matter how sentimental or sappy she got with her friend, she would always bounce back and revert to her old self. Silly, lethargic Rainbow, who in most cases simply had flying, food or sleeping on her mind.  She caught herself staring at the Pegasus, who was slowly approaching her on the staircase.

“AJ? You coming?” She pointed downstairs, obviously too impatient to wait any longer to satisfy her insatiable appetite.

AJ blinked, and with a quick nod started following her down the stairs.

The three crowded in the kitchen, each doing a small task to help prepare dinner. Mac occasionally smiled as he overheard his sister and the cocky Pegasus banter back and forth.

“Ah know how I could get up to Cloudsdale to visit you in the future”

“Really?! That would be awesome! How?”

Applejack patted Dash on the head, “Ah could use your big head as a blimp”.

Rainbow Dash blushed, she couldn’t believe she fell for that. She wasn’t sure if it was more disheartening to know her friend was poking fun at her, or that she was joking about visiting her. She felt her friend wrap an arm around her shoulder and give her a gentle squeeze.

“Ah’m just messin’ with you, sugarcube. If it makes ya feel any better, ah’ll come to as many shows as ah can next season…”

Dash smiled a bit, it was a good start. “Any time…I’ll get you front row seats.”

For the past year, Dash had mostly played a minor part in the Wonderbolts. She definitely was not one of their stars, she appeared in a few small shows, and occasionally stood in. She mostly just trained, so there really wasn’t much of a reason to attend the shows, Applejack thought. Plus, it was rare Dash was even near their hometown anymore. But, next season, Dash would be performing a lot more often, and they were building a new performance area in Canterlot for shows. That, at least, would make it a little easier to see her friend while she was away.

“Hello? Ah’m home!” A high pitched voice squeaked. The three heard the door slam, and moments later the youngest member of the Apple family entered the kitchen “Hey AJ!  Do ya think you could help me w-“. The youngest suddenly paused, realizing there was a third person in their kitchen working. It only took a moment to recognize her, and she squeed with excitement.  “RAINBOW DASH! RAINBOW DASH!”

“Hey squirt what’s up?” Dash turned to the girl, and crouched down a bit to give her a hug. Applebloom nearly strangled her as she pulled her in. “Too…Tight….” Dash gasped.

“What’re you doin’ here? Ah thought you were gonna be with them fancy flyers for a while?” Applebloom innocently asked.

‘She sounds just like her sister’ Dash mused to herself. Before she could answer, Applejack stepped between them, and motioned the younger sibling to back up and give Dash her space.

“Dash just came by to visit fer a few weeks, then she’s right back to trainin’ with the Wonderbolts.”  She noticed the smile disappear from her little sister’s face.

“Oh. Well, it was nice of yuh to come here. Are yuh stayin’ with us?” Applebloom seemed somewhat hopeful again. “Are…Are yuh here because ah what happened?”

AJ’s heart skipped a beat. She looked over at Dash, but before either could answer, they heard the eldest Apple clear his throat.

Big Macintosh set down the knife he was using to mince vegetables, and turned to his youngest sister. “Applebloom, why donchya go upstairs and get started on yer homework… Ah’ll come up n’ help yuh, and then we can bother Dash more at dinnertime.” He looked back at the girls, who simply refused to make eye contact with him. Applebloom was prepared to protest, but she knew better than to question her brother. He folded his arms up, and raised an eyebrow at the girl. She retorted by pouting, and giving him puppy-dog eyes. “C’mon now, Ah’ll give you a piggyback ride upstairs.”

Applebloom giggled as her brother effortlessly picked her up, and rested her atop his shoulders. He turned his head back for a brief second, and winked at the two girls, before exiting the kitchen. The girls could hear him making some horsey noises as he ran up the stairs.

Applejack sighed. “Sorry, Rainbow. The whole thing has been rough on her, too, as you could imagine. Well…Actually, she’s probably been tha strongest out’f all of us. She’s young, so she don’t really hafta worry about takin’ care of the farm, and the bills and…” She paused, realizing she was unloading all of these onto Dash, who was shooting her friend a concerned look. “Anyway…”

“You can talk about it if you want, AJ.” Rainbow Dash smiled, and of course playfully elbowed her friend, as if to coax her on to talking about it. She had promised she would be there for her friend, and make it up to her for being AWOL for so long.

The farm girl shook her head. “Ain’t your concern, don’t worry yerself over it. We’re managin’, ah just don’t want Applebloom to be thinkin’ about it too much. She’s just a kid; she doesn’t need to be worryin’ about that, and certainly shouldn’t be botherin’ you about yer business.” With that, Applejack turned back to the counter, and began preparing the food again.

Rainbow Dash followed suit, and the two quietly returned to the task of making dinner.

~ ~ ~

The four really enjoyed their evening together. It had been the first time the Apple siblings felt comfortable again. A heavy burden was lifted from the middle sibling, just knowing her best friend was home supporting her. Despite the confusion, and anger she felt for Dash being gone so long, and missing something important to the young farmer, she realized it really was out of Dash's control. She did leave the Wonderbolts a few weeks early, and was here to stay for an entire month...Longer, according to the pegasus, need be it. Applejack looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was assisting Applebloom in playing with her food. Her lips curled into a smile for a second. It was comforting to know that despite them growing up, and leading adult lives, some things never changed. Rainbow Dash was just a kid at heart, making mischief, and more interested in flicking peas than the standards of polite adult society.

Eventually, Big Mac took Applebloom upstairs to get ready for bed, but said he'd be back down to clean the dishes in a bit. "Don't worry 'bout it, AJ. Ya'll finished makin' dinner, ah can take care of that."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Mac."

He simply nodded, then excused himself from the table.

Applejack seemed to be lost in her own thoughts for a few more minutes while Rainbow Dash shoveled down her second helping of food (It was really just Applebloom's left overs, but the pegasus would never let food go to waste).

“Man, I haven’t had a home cooked meal in months…I forgot how much I loved your cooking, Applejack.” Rainbow gave a satisfied smile, patting her stomach simultaneously. The farm girl chuckled, then tipped her hat slightly.

“Shucks, ain’t nothin’ special. Glad yah liked it though.” She stood up from the table and grabbed Dash’s plate, which, of course, was licked clean. After dropping it in the sink, she turned back to her friend, who was ungracefully picking food out of her teeth. Applejack shook her head. ‘How charming…’

“Hey…How ‘bout you n’ me go for a quick walk? Maybe stop into town, see a few of the girls? Ah’m sure they’d be thrilled to see ya…”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “But I’m so fuuulllll…”

“Rainbow…” The blonde glared for a moment, although she wasn’t really upset, she was hoping it could persuade her friend, she knew exactly what to do to get her way.

“Fine…But, uh…Do we have to go into town? I’m…Not sure if I’m ready to see the girls yet. I’m kind of tired from traveling, y’know?” Dash gave a quick shrug, and hoped that could gain some pity points from the farmer.

“Well…Alright, how about a quick walk ‘round the orchard, then we can settle in for the night. Sound like a plan?” AJ was usually able to bargain with her friend, and this time was no different. Dash pulled away from her seat, and let Applejack lead the way.

It was truly beautiful outside, a nice warm evening; the sky was full of stars, and not a cloud to be seen. The smell of fresh apples surrounded the duo as they took a slow stroll down the path leading through the orchards. Rainbow Dash was somewhat overwhelmed; it had been so long since she last enjoyed the smell of the farm. It was sweet, and musky, and fresh. It had been like a home to her for so long, she had just gotten used to it. She took advantage of the little pleasures the farm offered. Countless days were spent napping up in the trees, playing horseshoes with the family, sitting out on the porch and enjoying some cider while the sun set, sitting on the roof of the barn, watching Applejack work, humming some tunes as if she didn’t have a worry in the world. Applejack…

“Rainbow?”

“Huh?” She was pulled away from her memories as her friend called out to her. She realized she had fallen behind a bit; she gave her friend a sheepish smile, and dashed to her side. As soon as she was at her friend’s side again though, she put her head down and got lost in her own thoughts.

“Everything okay, sugarcube?” The farm girl was concerned, usually Dash wasn’t so quiet. It seemed she always had something to mouth off about. Some trick she did, or some Daring Do book or…Well, anything.

“Just tired, I guess. It’s been a long day and all.” That was about all the Pegasus had to offer. “Uh…Sorry…Was there anything you wanted to talk about?”

“Ah guess not. Ah’m just happy to be out here with you. It’s like old times, ain’t it?”

Dash didn’t respond, she just continued to follow the apple farmer up through the orchards, until they came to a halt. She wondered why they had stopped. She noticed Applejack had removed her hat, and pressed it gently up against her own chest. ‘Oh…’ Dash looked down, then back at AJ. She wasn’t sure what to say.

“Hey Granny Smith…Ah I was just comin’ to say g’night...”

The tombstone had a short, sweet epitaph, and was surrounded by dozens of flowers. Most of them were wilted now, but it still looked kind of beautiful, Dash thought.

‘Oh Celestia. Why did she bring me here for this? I can’t take it when AJ’s all sappy…’

The Pegasus was noticeably uncomfortable. She could hear her own heartbeat pound in her head for a few seconds. ‘ohmygoshohmygosh what am I supposed to do’ – Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand softly squeezing her own. Dash looked over to her side; Applejack was still staring down at the grave below her, but had joined hands with her friend for a moment.

“Sorry…Ah didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Ah just thought maybe…”

Rainbow understood. She knew her friend wanted to get back a moment she’d felt was lost, and Dash really did want to make it up to her. She released her freckled friend’s hand, and pulled her in to a hug. Applejack rested her head on Dash’s shoulder, and reciprocated by wrapping her arms around her.

“Ah miss her so much, Dash. Ah’m not sure how to handle all this yet…Ah’ve got a farm tah run, a sister to raise, there’s expenses to be paid, ah wish I could hear her voice one more time…Get some wisdom…Some insight…Ah…Ah don’t know…” She felt her friend stroking the back of her head gently. It brought her some comfort, at least for a moment.

“Listen, AJ. I’m not good at this stuff,” Dash whispered into Applejack’s ear, brushing a stray hair behind it before she continued, “but…If she were here, I’m sure she’d tell you you’re a strong woman. Life keeps going whether we’re ready for it to keep going or not, y’know? And…Well…” Dash could hear her friend sniffling a bit, and tried not to let it distract her.

“AJ, you’re an amazing person. You’re my best friend, you’re strong, sensible, hardworking, and you have the best family in the world backing you. I don’t just mean Big Mac and the squirt, either. I mean all of us here in town. The girls….We love you.” She knew that did the trick. Applejack started weeping into Dash’s shoulder, but at this point, Dash was used to it.

When the tears died down, Applejack pulled out of her friend’s now sopping wet shoulder, and met her gaze. She smiled, and then did something completely unexpected by the Pegasus. She gave her a quick peck on the lips, then pulled away from the embrace. Dash was in total shock, unable to move her body for a few seconds until the daze wore off.

“Uuuuuhhhhh” was all the rainbow-haired girl could manage.

“A..Ah’m so sorry Rainbow. Ah was just overwhelmed. Ah didn’t mean nothin’ by it!” AJ was the deepest shade of red Dash had ever seen. She continued to stare at her friend, still taken aback by the moment.

Rainbow Dash knew her friend had just said something, but it didn’t register. A few seconds later, she noticed her friend heading back down the path, back towards the house. Rainbow’s brain finally clicked on, and she started to follow.

“AJ?”…No reply. She decided to trail behind her, quietly letting the moment replay in her head a few times. She pressed a few fingers against her lips, then let her arm fall back down at her side. 'What...Was that..?'. When they finally reached the farm house, Applejack simply held the door open for Rainbow Dash, but otherwise the girls went their separate ways for the night without saying a word to each other.

The Pegasus was walking from the bathroom back to the guest room, and noticed Applejack’s door still open a crack. She didn’t dare enter, but she did lean in close to the door, and simply said “Good night, AJ”, before proceeding back to her room. She really had no idea of what to say or do now. She couldn’t think about it anymore, either. She was physically and mentally exhausted, so she did the only thing she could do. Dash rolled onto the bed and pulled the covers over herself, hoping a good night’s sleep would help clear her head.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Applejack was pacing back and forth in her room. Unlike the girl slumbering away in the guest bedroom, Applejack’s mind was restless. She couldn’t get to bed, instead she just tossed and turned for about an hour before she decided to get out of bed again and converse with herself.

“Oh Celestia, what’d I do? Ah must’ve scared poor Dash away fer good. She’ll probably never come back home after this…” The farm girl looked out of her window longingly towards the sky, praying maybe an angel would reach out to her. The trees rustled outside as the wind blew through them, but that was about it. No angels came crashing through her window, no fairy godmother appeared, no nothin’. Applejack sat on the edge of her bed and sulked. ‘What’s the matter with you, AJ? Y’know Dash is just yer friend…’ She let out a sigh. There was a sudden knock on her bedroom door, Applejack was afraid to respond though, thinking it may have been the very girl she’d been dreading to talk to.

“AJ? Y’alright?” A deep voice echoed behind the door.

Applejack let out a sigh of relief. “Yeah, ah’m fine. Y’all can come in, Mac”. The door clicked open, and her big brother came and joined her on the edge of her bed.

“It’s purdy late, sis. Why’re you still up? Sometihn’ on yer mind?”

“Well…Uh”

“Is it Granny?”

The blonde girl shook her head gently.

“…Is it Dash?”

Her silence said it all.

“Y’don’t hafta talk about it if y’don’t wanna. Just know ah’m always here tah listen.”

“Ah made a mistake, Mac. Ah….Well. We were out walkin’ in the orchard, and ah took her to the grave. Ah thought it might make me feel better, get some closure or something or, er…Ah dunno.”

Mac simply nodded. “Did that help yuh?”

“Yes…And no.” AJ buried her face in her hands, frustrated by her own actions from earlier. “Ah told her I needed some advice, that ah wanted to hear Granny say somethin’, and…She said somethin’ real sweet. It just made mah heart melt, like Granny put the words right in her mouth or somethin’. I was overwhelmed by it, and ah gave her a small peck on the lips.” She was afraid to look over at her brother, so she kept her gaze fixated at the window straight ahead.

She could tell it was a lot for her brother to take in, and just waited while Mac rubbed his chin slowly, thinking of the right words to say.

“Didja tell her all this?” He finally responded.

“Sort of…Ah didn’t really know what to say. Ah don’t even know what it meant. It wasn’t really affectionate…Ah guess I was just so happy for a split second, ah didn’t know how else to react.” She shrugged, and finally felt comfortable making eye contact with her brother. “What d’ya think ah should do now?”

Mac gave her a pat on the back, perhaps a bit too rough, but he was a big guy after all. “Tell ‘er exactly whatchya told me, AJ. She’s yer friend, and she’ll understand. Don’t go makin’ mountains out of molehills. Tha more ya overthink it, tha worse it’ll become.”

Her brother was right, of course. She gave him a quick nod before reaching over to hug him. “Thanks, Mac.”

“Eeyup”. The young man gave his sister one more pat on the leg before getting up and heading back to his own room.

“G’night, AJ. Sleep tight.”

“Night, Mac. Ah love you.”

“You, too.”

With that, Applejack rested her head back down onto her pillow, and gazed at the ceiling above her for a few minutes until her eyelids became heavy. She’d talk to Dash in the morning, she thought. Dash would understand. Like Mac said, she was her friend. So why was she so worried?

“Dash…”  She sighed before finally drifting off to sleep.

Resolution

Applejack was up bright and early, as usual. She shifted to her side and cracked her eyes open a bit, the sunlight was starting to flood through the window in her room and she knew it was time to face the new day. The farmer had barely gotten any sleep; most of her night was plagued by the memory of kissing her best friend just that previous evening. Every time she felt herself drifting off to sleep, she’d think of Rainbow Dash’s face as she pulled her lips away, and she would feel the adrenaline begin to rush through her body again. She finally slid the covers away from herself, and sat up, moving her body towards the edge of the bed. The rooster outside began to crow, which meant the rest of the Apple family would be up shortly as well. She figured it would be best to get some work done around the farm, and speak with her friend privately a little later, once she woke up on her own of course.

It was especially warm out today, so the apple picker dressed appropriately. She was wearing a black t-shirt, red bandana around her neck, short jeans that came up above her knees, and of course her signature boots and hat. After a few glances in the mirror, she decided to head downstairs and get the day started. Applejack was able to keep herself pretty busy around the farm, doing her usual chores and tasks. About an hour after she’d started, she saw her older brother head out of the house, and go straight to plowing the fields. Although they passed each other a few times during the day, neither really exchanged any words. Sometimes they’d give a quick nod, or smile at one another, but Big Mac knew better than to pester his sister when she was in this kind of mood. He was sure she’d be too embarrassed to face him, after what they’d discussed last night – And he was right, Applejack had no idea how Mac felt about all of it, and wasn’t really eager to find out. She knew her brother would love her unconditionally, but Mac must have had his own thoughts over what happened, and, well, it made the younger sister a little uncomfortable. After a few hours of hard labor, both of the Apple siblings retired back to the house to grab some lunch. Although it was quiet, it wasn’t uncomfortable really. Applejack was less focused on her older brother now, and more focused on what she was going to say to her friend when she finally awoke. The girl stared down at her barely touched sandwich, and realized she wasn’t very hungry. She motioned the plate towards her brother, offering him the remainder of her lunch.

“Yuh sure?” He asked, already pulling the plate closer to him. She forced a small smile and nodded. He shrugged a bit before finishing off his sister’s lunch in a few quick bites. Before she knew it, Big Mac was heading back out the door to get his work done for the day.

AJ glanced at the clock, it was already past one o’clock, and there was no sign of Rainbow Dash. She knew the young athlete must have been exhausted from her travels, but that was still pretty late to sleep in, even for her. She originally planned on leaving her be and letting her sleep, but as the hours passed, AJ was growing more and more anxious. She wondered if she ought to just wake the Pegasus herself.

‘Maybe ah’ll just head upstairs and make sure she’s alright. She’s been asleep an awful long time…’ The blonde girl finally concluded. Satisfied with her decision, she headed upstairs. She slowed down as she reached the top of the stairs, barely shuffling along down the hallway. She felt her heart pounding against her chest, and it felt like sandbags were tied to her legs, trying to hold her back. She was so gun-ho before, so why could she barely move now?

‘Doggonit, what was I gonna say to her again? Oh for Pete’s sake!’ She mentally cursed. She found herself standing outside of the bedroom door, and knew it was now or never. She balled her hand into a fist, and held it up for about ten seconds before finally knocking on the door. There was no answer. ‘She must still be asleep…’ She wrapped her hand around the door’s knob, and turned it very cautiously, trying to make as little noise as possible. She pushed the door open just enough to peek her head in and look around.

“…Rainbow?” She realized the Pegasus wasn’t even in the room. She threw the door open and stepped inside, looking completely puzzled as her eyes shot around the room. “Where the hay did she go?!”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Just moments earlier, Dash was sitting up in her bed thinking about the night before. She still had no idea what to make of it, and her mind was going a million miles an hour. There were so many questions, she knew she would just have to face AJ and talk it out. Unfortunately, that wasn’t something she was ready to do. There were a few problems here – For one, if AppleJack told her she had feelings for her, what was Rainbow going to do? She had considered it a few times, sure, but her friendship was too important to her, so she never risked letting those feelings develop for her closest friend. Did Dash really love her back? And if so, what was she going to do about it? Could a relationship work? If Dash didn’t feel the same way, how was AJ going to take it? Would their friendship become too strained? Was she about to lose her best friend? Or, what if Applejack really didn’t mean anything by the kiss?

She heard Applejack shuffle around downstairs a bit, and figured she had come in for lunch. ‘I guess I should just talk to AJ about it…’ Dash sighed, and started getting herself dressed. Just seconds after she slipped her tank top on, she heard a body coming up the stairs. She knew it was Applejack, and the reality of it all hit her like a sack of bricks. Dash quickly looked over at the door, then the window next to her dresser. ‘Okay, Dash. You can do this…’ – The footsteps stopped. She knew Applejack was right behind that door, and the Pegasus completely froze up. ‘Oh Celestia what am I doing?’ and in one swift motion, Rainbow had shoved the window open, and leapt out. She took to the sky, flapping her wings as fast as she possibly could, feeling a weight lifted from her chest every foot she put between herself and the apple orchard. She thought it would be best to head into town first, spend some time away from the farmer and bounce some thoughts of her friends before hearing her best friend out.

Well, she hoped that was the right choice. She was sure she would have to face her friend’s wrath later for taking off so abruptly, but she could deal with that.

Dash was pretty fortunate, actually. None of her friends knew she was in town yet, so she had her pick of where to go. No one would really be looking for her, or bothering her about hanging out. She thought Twilight would be a pretty good start; she was very sensible and was usually the voice of reason. After a few minutes, Rainbow Dash found herself approaching the young magician’s library. She was praying Twilight was home. As she understood it, Twilight was between here and Canterlot a lot more now, considering she had been made royalty just a little over a year ago. The Pegasus brought herself a little closer to the library and caught a glance of Spike through the window, barely visible behind a stack of books he was carrying. That was a good sign, Dash thought. Spike wouldn’t be keeping himself so busy if Twilight weren’t there to order him around. She made a quick landing, and then circled around the library to the front door.

Dash gave a few quick knocks before just letting herself in. “Hello? TWILIGHT?” - Dash really had no idea what an inside voice was.  Spike was surprised by the sudden break in silence; he turned quickly, and ended up letting a few books slip out of his grip. In a failed attempt to catch them, he stumbled over a pile of books he had set behind him. Before he had time to register what had just happened, the boy felt a pair of helpful hands pulling him up.

“Thanks…” the young boy kicked a few books behind him, as if to spite them for tripping him, then looked up to see the cocky grin of a dearly missed friend. “Rainbow Dash!”

“What’s up, kid?!” Rainbow Dash pulled the boy into a headlock, and began to mercilessly noogie him. Spike just laughed and playfully tried to pull away. After a few quick seconds of torture, she let the kid go, laughing quietly at his now untidy hair.

“Spike, who’s down there with you?” A third voice arose in the house.

Dash was quick to remember why she came by in the first place, and darted towards the stairs, leading up to her friend’s room. Spike just shrugged, and carried on with his work, starting by picking a few of the stray books off the floor. Twilight was just getting ready to come down, but before she could even turn away from her desk, Rainbow Dash was just inches away from her face.

“WWAAAAAAAAAHHH” Twilight placed a hand over her chest, clutching her shirt for a second. “Rainbow Dash?!” After the initial shock wore down, she rose out of her chair to hug her friend.

“What’s up, Twi?” Dash returned the hug, and chuckled as it lingered long after she had already let go. Twilight pulled away just a few seconds later. She was beyond thrilled to see her friend back.

Dash sized up her friend for a moment, noticing not much had changed (Besides the addition of wings). She still wore her purple hair the same way, could care less about her fashion sense, and from the looks of it, had been up all night buried in some book.

“Dash, what are you doing here? I had no idea you were coming back into town…Do the girls know?” As usual, the young magician had a million questions.

Rainbow shook her head “No. Only Applejack knows I’m here…And, well, you obviously.”

Twilight’s smile faded away. She realized why Dash had come home.

“Oh…So you came home because of…”

“Yeah”, Dash cut her off, seeing that the topic made her friend uncomfortable. “It was sort of an unplanned visit, but to be fair I was going to come back for a few weeks when my season break started. But, Applejack sent me a letter last week explaining what had happened, and… Well, here I am.”  She shrugged, what other explanation was really needed?

A small smile returned to the bookworm, it really was great to see her long-time friend, she had just wished it could be under better circumstances. She placed a hand on the small of Rainbow’s back, and began to lead her away from the desk.

“C’mon, let’s go downstairs and talk. I’ll make us something to eat.”

That, of course, put a smile back on the pegasus’ face.

~ ~ ~

“An’ then Soarin’ decided he wasn’t just gonna stand there and take that kinda talk from Spitfire anymore!” Dash was flailing her arms around as she told the story to her friend. She spoke between bites of food, and, much to her friend’s dismay, was spitting breadcrumbs everywhere as she spoke. Twilight just politely shined it on, though. “So he goes up to her, and she’s yellin’ at all of the other flyers, telling them to stop laughing –“, She paused to take another bite of her sandwich, “an’ before she can say anything, SOARIN’ DIPS HER DOWN and LOCKS LIPS WITH HER!”

“Oh my gosh…What did she do about it?” Twilight was trying to seem as interested in her friend’s story as possible.

“Let’s just say it was daytime, but Soarin’ was seeing stars for sure.” Dash began to laugh as she thought back to the moment. Twilight couldn’t help herself; she began to laugh at the story, too.

For about an hour, the two friends had been swapping stories, talking about new adventures, people they had met, places they had been, and of course, the latest Daring Do books. Twilight had plenty going on herself, given she was a technically a princess now, but her responsibilities were more mundane, and for the most part, too boring to discuss. She spent a lot of time in Canterlot trying out new spells or attending conferences, stuff like that. Dash didn’t mind hearing about it, though. She actually thought it was pretty cool to be close friends with someone so important.

“So, uh…Dash….How is Applejack? Does she seem to be doing okay?” Twilight finally switched the topic over. She thought it was important to discuss, she was genuinely concerned, and Rainbow Dash had been the last one to see her.

“Well…Uhhmm…Fine, I guess. At first she seemed pretty bent out of shape, but after we talked a little bit, she seemed alright. She took it pretty hard when I didn’t show up for the funeral, huh?” There it was - the elephant in the room.

Twilight had no idea how to put it delicately. She didn’t say anything right away, and that alone let Dash know the gravity of it. Dash lowered her eyes to the floor, kind of wondering why she had even bothered asking, when the answer was so obvious.

“Oh, Dash. She understood – It was so sudden, and it’s not like you chose to be so far away from home. It was just unfortunate circumstances.  We all know you would change that all in a heartbeat if you could.” The magician rested a reassuring hand on her friend’s shoulder. “She must feel much better now that you’re here. You did say she seems a little happier?” She offered.

Rainbow Dash sunk down in her seat a little bit. “Well…Everything was okay…I thought I had made it up to her, but…I think I blew it again.”

Twilight raised a brow “How do you mean? Did you guys have a fight or something?”

Rainbow had only wished. A fight, she could deal with.

“Not exactly…”

“Then…What happened?” Twilight impatiently egged her on.

She looked into her friend’s bright purple eyes for a moment, then let her gaze drop. Rainbow Dash took in a deep breath, and let it all come out.

“We were walking in the orchard last night, and she took me to see Granny Smith. I had no idea we were going there, by the way, and I was already freaking out. I knew she took me there because she wanted some closure; she wanted to make up for me not being there. She said everything that had been troubling her, I said a few things to make her feel better, and the next thing I know, she’s kissing me.”

Twilight seemed completely lost now. “Wow, that took an unexpected turn…”

“You’re telling me.”

“So…What did you?”

“Absolutely nothing”, Dash let out a soft sigh, “which I kind of regret now. Applejack seemed as surprised as I was by the kiss. She stormed off, and I just followed her back to the house without saying anything. I haven’t talked to her since.”

“So how do you know she’s upset with you?” The young heir to Equestria questioned.

“She wouldn’t talk to me, or look at me, she didn’t say good night, or anything. She must be…And, if she wasn’t already, she will be when I get back. I heard her coming upstairs, but I was too afraid to talk to her, so I left before she had the chance to.” Dash folded her arms up on the table, and let her head fall atop them. “I’m an idiot…”

“Dash, it just sounds like she’s confused, and most likely embarrassed by what happened. How would you feel if you accidentally kissed your best friend?”

Dash turned her head to the side, but didn’t break contact from the table. “Pretty lousy, I guess.”

“How did you feel about it?”

The question caught the Pegasus of guard. She raised herself off the table, and stared back at her friend. She still didn’t know the answer, and had been trying her hardest not to think about it.

“I felt…I dunno. Confused. I didn’t think AJ liked me like that.” She answered honestly.

“Do you like her like that?”

“NO! WELL, I mean…Okay, don’t get me wrong, I love AJ more than anything in this world, even more than being a Wonderbolt. She’s pretty much the only family I have. But, I can’t think of her in that way.”

“Why?” Twilight simply replied.

Rainbow Dash felt her heart racing in her chest. Why did she come to Twilight for advice again?

“B…Because. Well, like I said. She’s my family; you wouldn’t date your brother, right?” That wasn’t the entire reason, and Dash knew it. “Besides, we’re both busy. I’m barely ever at home, if…Let’s just say HYPOTHETICALLY IF I did feel that way about her, how could I ever bring myself to tell her? ‘Hey AJ, I love you, but I’m gonna leave home for a year and make you hate me more’, plus, if she doesn’t love me back, think of what would happen to our friendship! I would never risk that, ever –“, Dash paused, realizing she was ranting now. Twilight was staring up at her – at some point the Pegasus must have stood up without realizing it.

Rainbow took a seat across from her friend once more, and took another deep breath before continuing, more calmly this time.

“I guess I came here because I don’t know how to handle this. This isn’t really about how I feel; I just need to know what to do...I don't know if I'm ready to face her."

“I can’t really tell you what to do, Rainbow. Look, if it were me, I’d just be honest. If she says the kiss didn’t mean anything, then you have nothing to worry about. If she really does have feelings for you, at least hear her out. You don’t have to tell her what you told me, but I’m sure it’ll make her feel a lot better to get it off her chest, right?”

Rainbow nodded in agreement. Twilight had to be right, after all she felt much better speaking her mind about it.

“I know….But, I just can’t help feeling that it’s a lose-lose situation…”

“Because…You have feelings for her?” Twilight chimed in.

Dash felt a lump in her throat; it suddenly became very difficult for any words to come to the surface. “If…She tells me she likes me, I’ll probably just lie and say I don’t feel the same way…I can’t do that to her, not now, anyway. She doesn’t deserve to be with someone like me. Someone who would never be around to take care of her…” the Pegasus was very visibly starting to get frustrated. "I'm the stupid element of loyalty, and now I'm barely here to help my best friend" She slammed her hand down on the table; this caught Twilight by surprise. “Dammit, Twilight, why did she have to kiss me?! If she tells me she loves me, I’m going to break her heart. If she tells me she doesn’t love me, she’s just going to break mine! Either way, I can kiss our friendship goodbye. LITERALLY.”

Twilight watched her friend carefully, she noticed the Pegasus was choking back a few tears – she wouldn’t dare cry in front of anyone, in fact, this was the closest Twilight had ever come to seeing her actually cry.

“Alright, Rainbow Dash, calm down”, Twilight scooted in closer, and wrapped her arm around her friend in distress. “Maybe there’s just been this buildup of tension because….Well, because you both know you do want something more than a friendship. And, maybe it couldn’t hurt to try? I highly doubt that if it didn’t work out, that would be the end of it. I’ve seen you two get in pretty nasty fights…”

Rainbow Dash sniffled quietly, praying it wasn’t apparent she wanted to start crying. “I..I dunno. Do you really think we could still be friends?” she felt a little better hearing that.

“I know it. You two are inseparable. Plus, like you said, you two are family. Like Applejack would ever disown a member of her own family?”  The bookworm tried.

“I guess you’re right.” Dash was pretty defeated at this point. She didn’t much feel like discussing it anymore. She decided she should head home and let the situation actually play out. At this point, she just wanted to get it over with and move on. Twilight was right; this wouldn’t be the end of their friendship. She owed it to her closest friend to hear her out, and that’s what she was going to do, despite her own feelings. Once again, she had to think of Applejack, and stop thinking of herself.

“Alright, I guess I’d better head back. Thanks for everything though, Twilight. I really owe you one.” The Pegasus offered a quick smile before standing up. Twilight drew her into a quick hug before she took off.

“You’ll be fine, Rainbow. Let me know how it goes, okay?”

She nodded back. As Rainbow headed towards the door, Twilight couldn’t help but think she looked like someone who had just been given a death sentence. She looked downright…Mopey. It didn’t really suit Dash. It was out of her hands now, though. Rainbow had to decide on her own what to do. Her friend took off to the sky, headed back home to Sweet Apple Acres to get everything sorted out.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

“Dammit! For Celestia’s sake, how could ah mess up so bad?” The farm girl was angrily stabbing her pitchfork into the pile of hay in front of her, and carelessly tossing it over her shoulder. She had been doing this for quite a while now, undoubtedly paying little attention to the mess she was making. She jabbed the object into the ground and took a moment to wipe her brow off. ‘Ah scared that poor girl off fer good, just ‘cause I can’t even control mah own stupid feelings…’ She frowned, realizing she had done a terrible job at piling the hay up in the barn. “GOSH DARNIT!”

She snatched the pitchfork out of the ground, and grumbled to herself before continuing her repetitive and boring task.

“You’re pretty lousy at this, AJ.” Someone mused from above.

Applejack nearly dropped the pitchfork she was holding; she looked around for a moment, then finally up above her to the top of the barn. She placed her hand above her brow to block out the glaring sun. It really was her, she wasn’t going crazy…

“Dash! Where in tarnation have ya been?!” She yelled up to the Pegasus. “Ah’ve been worried sick!”

The Pegasus was sitting with her legs crossed atop the barn. She gave a quick wave to her friend on the ground below her. Applejack didn’t seem too angry…Well, not yet. She spread her wings out and sailed down to the ground to meet her flustered friend. She was trying her best to keep calm, not making it seem like less than an hour ago, she was having a full breakdown at their friend’s house.

“Well?” Applejack crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing at her feathered friend. The girl before her seemed barely intimidated.

“Jeez, I just left for a while to stretch my wings out, okay? Flew into town, wandered around for a bit, and now I’m back.”

“That’s a darn lie, Rainbow. If that were the case, why didn’t ya just tell me you were goin’ into town? Ah came into yer room after lunch and ya’ll were just gone!” The apple farmer was starting to raise her voice. She wasn’t buying it. “Now, are yuh gonna tell me what happened?”

Rainbow Dash wasn’t surprised that her friend could see right through her. Yes, Applejack could indeed read her like a book, but the Pegasus wasn’t going to back down.

“Look, I was just a little bit scatter-brained when I woke up this morning. I wanted to clear my head, so I went out flying. Sorry I forgot to tell you…What’s got you so upset?” Dash was doing her best to divert the conversation away from herself, and steer it towards what was really on Applejack’s mind.

Applejack couldn’t hold it in anymore. She had been waiting all day to confront the Pegasus, and now that she was finally here…

“Alright, Dash. It doesn’t matter. Ah’m just glad ya’ll came back…” Her voice softened a little bit, she was relieved to be getting this off of her chest. “I was needin’ to talk ya about somethin’.”

‘Here it comes…’ “What is it, AJ?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Dash. We need tah talk about last night. When ah…Gave ya peck on the lips? Ah just needed to apologize proper to yah for that. Ah didn’t mean anything by it, ya just have to understand…The things ya’ll were sayin’ were so sweet, ah guess ah got caught up in the moment. Anyway, ah hope you can forgive me?”

There it was. Dash let it soak in for a minute, all while staring blankly at the tall blonde girl. She had a pretty good poker face, so she let that play to her advantage here. It seemed so much…Simpler than she had expected. Here Dash was thinking this would be a big dramatic thing, and it was sort of the opposite.

“So…That’s it? You just wanted to apologize for kissing me?”

Applejack frowned. “Of course, sugarcube. Ah could tell it really threw ya off, and to be honest, ah don’t know why ah did it. But, ah’m hopin’ we can put that behind us, no harm done? Whaddya say, Rainbow?” She extended her hand out to the Pegasus.

Dash glanced down at it, then back at her friend. This moment was very reminiscent of the first time they’d ever met. AJ’s green eyes were flickering in the sunlight, and her lips were curled into a smile. Rainbow Dash smiled back, quickly grabbing Applejack’s hand, and gave it a firm shake.

“No hard feelings, AJ… It’s cool. Hehe…It didn’t bother me at all. I was just hoping you weren’t too messed up about it.” The Pegasus was lying through her teeth, but she thought this simple resolution was sort of a god-send. She wasn’t going to complicate it, even if it hurt to hear the kiss really didn’t mean anything.

AJ was grinning; her best friend’s words made her heart soar. “Aw, shucks! Ah was just afraid ah’d scared yuh off. Then ah really wouldn’t be seein’ yuh until after yer retirement!” the farm girl started to laugh.

“Hehe. Yeah, right! As if you could ever scare me off. I’m a Wonderbolt, remember? I do death-defying stunts every day. A silly little kiss is barely something to worry about. Besides, you’re my best friend, AJ. It’ll take a lot more than that to make me hate you.”

“Oh…Rainbow! Ah’m glad yah feel that way. Mac was right, ah was worryin’ over nothin’. Ah shoulda known mah best friend would understand.” She pulled the Pegasus into a quick hug; this time, Dash didn’t return the gesture, however. She pulled away, still smiling at her friend. Something didn’t seem right, although she had just reconciled everything with her friend, something still lingered in the back of Applejack’s mind. Rainbow didn’t seem quite right either, but she decided it wasn’t time to get into an argument over it. She gave the flyer a few pats on the back, then bent over to retrieve her pitchfork.

“Alright”, Applejack playfully poked her friend a few times with the tip of her farming tool, “whaddya say we get tah work? Maybe ya’ll can teach me a thing er two ‘bout doin’ this, since I’m apparently so ‘lousy’”.

Dash smiled gently. “Well, for one, the hay is on the ground, not in my stomach!” She shoved the pointed object away from her, and laughed a bit.

The two girls had no problem breaking any awkward tension between them, playing little pranks on each other, starting a few small competitions, and joking around as usual. Dash was content – her best friend seemed happy, at least. That was enough to put her mind at ease for now. Hours passed, and the sun was finally setting below the hill tops. Rainbow Dash was now perched in a tree, watching her friend on the ground below her finish the last of the chores before calling it quits for the night. She knew things would go back to normal soon enough – In just a few weeks, she’d be back training with the Wonderbolts, AJ would be handling the farm just fine, and they could forget this stupid kiss had ever happened.

“C’mon, bird-brain” AJ teased, breaking her friend’s train of thought “let’s head inside and get us some grub.”

The Pegasus slid down from her branch, ready to follow her friend back to the house. “Right behind you.”

~End Chapter One~

Chapter Two: With a Little Help from my Friends

A few days passed, and things really did seem to go back to normal. The night after their talk, Dash still seemed kind of uncomfortable, like something was bothering her. Applejack tried to pry it out of her, but Dash insisted nothing was wrong. It was then Dash realized she had to be better about hiding her feelings, or she would do exactly what she feared most; Put strain on their friendship. After that, Rainbow Dash pulled out of her slump, and things were right as rain.

~ ~ ~

“AJ, that fella from tha bank is here.” Mac was standing in the doorframe of his sister’s bedroom, watching as she brushed the last few knots out of her hair.

Applejack set the brush down, and hurriedly tried to put her hair up. “Alright, ah’ll be down in just a minute Mac. Go n’ offer him a drink or somethin’…”

With that, her brother started heading back down the hallway, returning downstairs to keep their guest occupied. Applejack knew her brother was awful with small talk and even worse when it came to holding an actual conversation with strangers. She would have to handle most of that herself, and she was not looking forward to it.

Today there was a scheduled visit from one of the bank’s representatives – no doubt to go over any debt left by their grandmother, what they’ll continue to owe on the farm, etc. The farm girl really knew very little about it, she just hoped it would be a quick and simple visit, no fancy legal jargon or anything. She finally headed downstairs to meet her brother and the formally dressed banker across the table from him. He was wearing a black suit, white dress shirt, and light blue tie – he had a pair of glasses which were set on the table, next to a pile of papers, and he was holding a pen, clicking the top the top every few seconds, surely to keep himself occupied.

“Ms. Apple” the banker smiled, politely standing up to greet the young woman. “My name is Mr. Green – You can call me Buck if you’d prefer though. I’m your personal banker, been dealing with the Apple family account for the past decade now.” He motioned her over to the seat next to her brother “Take a seat! I won’t bite.” They both lowered themselves to the table before he continued. “Now uh…Let’s see here…”

Applejack looked over at her brother while the businessman shuffled through his papers a bit. He was staring at the corner of the room; he had absolutely no interest in what the man was saying. It brought no comfort to the young woman to know her brother didn’t care the least bit.

“Alright!  Well, first let me say, my deepest condolences to both of you. I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother, she was a very sweet woman.” He started, but realized it gauged no reaction from either farmer. They clearly seemed nervous to be there with him. “Anyway…This doesn’t have to be anything formal. Just a quick little chitchat about what you owe on the farm, some debts we’re transferring to you now, stuff like that. Any questions?”

Again, utter silence.

The banker shuffled a few of his papers, then cleared his throat. “That’s alright…I know this is probably confusing to you two…I’ll try to explain everything as simply as possible…”

For a while, they went over some figures and charts, and neither farmer really seemed to understand fully what any of it meant. He discussed what they owed, some loans their grandmother hadn’t paid off fully yet, and certain payment plans they could choose for the next year. It was a lot to take in, but they listened as carefully as possible, understanding a thing here and there.

“So...Basically, we just gotta pay this here money to keep our farm, n’ transfer tha title over to Big Mac’s name?” Applejack said, somewhat unsure. She scratched her head for a moment while he eyed a piece of paper explaining how a transfer of ownership worked.

“To put it simply, yes…We’re just going to need a first payment by the end of the month….” Mr. Green laid a finger atop the paper Applejack was focusing on, right over the total due for that month. “This is what you’ll owe. As long as you make payments every month, you’ll be fine. Before that happens though, we need to get some information from you guys, and transfer the farm’s title over to Big Macintosh here.”

The cowgirl swallowed hard. That was a lot of money, she thought. She knew a little bit about her family’s expenses, and knew they barely scraped by most months, but seeing it on paper like that was more intimidating than usual. She felt her brother rest his hand on her shoulder.

“Alright, ah’ll take care ah that.” Mac finally offered something to the conversation. Applejack let out a small sigh of relief.

Another hour passed, it seemed to be filled with endless paperwork and the signing of this and that, and more about this money and that money and something about bringing a death certificate to the bank. The siblings could hardly wait for it to be over with.

After signing one final paper, the banker pulled his pen into his shirt pocket and gave a quick smile. “Good! It looks like we’ve got everything figured out.” AJ and Mac let out a breath of relief as he started to pack the paperwork into a folder. “Alright, let me just get everything together and I’ll be out of your hair. If you have any questions though, give me a call!” He set a business card down on the table, then finished packing up his bag.

“Thanks fer stoppin’ by, Mr. Green. We’ll be sure to holler if we have any questions fer ya.” Applejack gave the businessman a gentle handshake. She closed the door behind her when he was finally out of the house, and leaned against it for a moment, taking everything in. Big Macintosh was staring at her from across the room.

“Y’alright?”

Applejack nodded. “Ah guess so. We’ll figure it out, right? How hard can it be?”

Her brother gave a reassuring smile. “Eeyup.”

The two were silent for a few seconds, neither knowing what to say now. Applejack stepped towards the widow to make sure the banker was far out of sight, then turned back to Mac.

“Ah think ah’ll see what Rainbow’s up to. She’s outside practicin’ ah think.” All she wanted to do now was get away from the pile of paperwork left on her kitchen table, and see what her friend was up to. Rainbow Dash was told about the visit over dinner last night, and decided it would be best to stay out of the way. It was their business, not hers. Plus, if Applejack really needed anything, she could just ask.

~ ~ ~

Rainbow Dash stood atop the family barn, her Wonderbolt goggles pulled tightly over her eyes as she stared up to the blue skies above. There were clouds rolling by, but that wasn’t a problem, she could handle a few clouds. The athlete took a few deep breaths, preparing herself for this physical feat.

“One….Two….Three…” She bent her knees a bit, then took off to the sky, leaving her signature rainbow trail behind. In just a matter of seconds, she was now zooming past the clouds, going further and further up into the atmosphere. She splayed her wings out to slow herself down, and hastily dropped back down towards the earth. ‘Alright, Dash, you can do this!’

As she approached the clouds, she flapped her wings even harder, struggling to get top speed.

“Wow” Applejack simply remarked, she titled her cowboy hat up a bit to get a better view of the sky. She watched Dash spiral out of the sky, then pick up again, leaving hints of color behind her as she went. She spent a few minutes up there, moving almost too fast for the human eye to see. Her stunts were impressive, a lot more complicated than Applejack was used to seeing the Pegasus pull off.

When the flyer was finally done with her routine, she noticed a certain cowgirl on the ground below her, and drifted down to meet her. After landing next to her, she stared up at the sky to bask in the glory of her own creation. ‘Rainbow Dash’ was spelled out across the sky in clouds.

The Pegasus turned her attention to her friend, who was still focusing on the words in the sky. She gave a sheepish grin. “Pretty awesome, huh?”

The farm girl confirmed with a nod. Both stared for a minute, until the clouds started to pull apart again and separate into their own entities.  Dash pulled her shirt up a bit, revealing her flat belly while she used the fabric to wipe the sweat away from her face. She pulled her goggles up and rested them on her forehead finally, somewhat disappointed to see her latest creation falling apart.

“So…How’d it go?” Dash turned to her friend, who was still staring blankly at the sky.

“Huh?” Applejack looked back at the smaller girl. “Oh. It was good, ah guess. Ah didn’t understand everythin’ he was sayin’, but it made enough sense. ‘Sides, Mac and I are plenty smart; we’ll get ourselves through this.”

Dash knew it must have been hard on her. To be given this burden, handling the entire farm and business with her brother, raising her sister, having to hear about all this debt and money they owed barely a week after burying a family member. Applejack was stubborn though, she wouldn’t just give up, but she also wouldn’t accept much help. Despite everything AJ had confided in her about, how worried she was about it all, she knew when push came to shove, AJ would do everything she could for her family.

“Gotta work extra hard this month, though. The bank’s expectin’ some kinda payment by the end of this month, so Mac n’ I are gonna hafta scrape everything we got together. Nothin’ new there, though. We’re used tah it.” Applejack admitted. She rubbed the back of her neck for a few seconds, then turned back to her best friend. Her magenta eyes were staring, her face was pressed with worry.  “But it’s nothin’ for ya to worry about, sugarcube. We could use an extra hand ‘round the farm though, any help’s appreciated.”

“Of course, AJ, that’s why I’m here!” The Pegasus reassured her friend. “And…Hey, if you need money…I…”

Applejack shot daggers at her friend. “Dash, don’t you go offerin’ me none of yer money. Ah refuse to accept a penny I ain’t earned.” She was somewhat annoyed by the fact her friend was even offering. Dash knew she was way too stubborn to ever accept that, it was a miracle she even asked for Dash’s help.

“Don’t be like that. We’re family, and I totally owe you for everything you’ve done for me. You’ve given me countless meals, let me stay here where I had nowhere to go, it’s the least I could do.”

It was true, for years, Sweet Apple Acres had practically been home to Rainbow Dash. When Dash started working for the weather factory, she was able to move out and get her own place, but she still stopped by for meals pretty often when she was short on money. Still, Applejack would never ask for her friend to return the favor like that. Dash really didn’t owe her anything, she thought.

“Thanks fer the offer, Rainbow. But we’ll be alright, ah couldn’t ask that of ya. I’m lucky enough to have a friend as thoughtful as yerself, really.” The farmer was hoping that would put an end to the conversation.

Rainbow Dash wanted to roll her eyes, but her friend was staring right at her. Instead, she just shrugged, then folded her arms over her chest. “It’s nothing, seriously. You can ask me for help if you need it”

“Ya’ll can help me around the farm. That’ll be more than enough tah pay me back. Please, that’s all ah’m askin, Dash.”  AJ pleaded.

She knew she was defeated at this point; there was no sense in arguing. “Alright, alright, alright. You win, I’ll help you out around the farm.” Dash let out a heavy sigh. She had more than enough money saved up – The Wonderbolts paid handsomely, and since she was traveling with them, she didn’t have to worry about rent, or food, or clothes, or any of that. Everything was taken care of. Yes, the Pegasus was well off. She barely touched her savings.  But, she knew Applejack would sooner chew her own arm off than accept money from her.

“So…” The pegasus stretched out her arms and wings before changing the subject, “Whaddya wanna do?”

Applejack thought for a moment, “How about we git some work done ‘round here, then head into town to pick up some supplies?”

That sounded just fine to the Pegasus. Only a few chores had to be done around the farm today. They started out in the chicken coup, then made their way out to the orchard to harvest apples. When Applejack felt satisfied with the amount of work put into the day, she and Rainbow Dash went back in to get cleaned up, and then the duo headed into town.

______________________________________________________________________________

As the two walked side by side, Rainbow couldn’t help but notice Applejack would look over at her, stare for a few seconds, then divert her eyes any time she was caught. It happened a few times, and Dash wondered what was on her friend’s mind.

“Why do you keep looking over at me?” Dash was feeling a bit insecure suddenly “Do I have something on my face? My wings?” She stopped for a second to look over her shoulder and study her wings. They seemed to be fine.

Applejack smiled. “Sorry if ah’m starin’. Ah was just noticin’ your hair. Ya let it grow out a little bit…Ah like it, that’s all.” Her face was bright pink. She was embarrassed to be caught staring. The farm girl continued anyway, “It’s just been a while since ah’ve last seen ya…”

“Oh…Well, thanks. I guess I haven’t cut it in a few months. I’ll probably have to cut it before going back; it gets annoying to fly with long hair.” Dash felt flattered. Her friend didn’t compliment her looks often – it felt nice. “You look nice too AJ. Not that you’ve changed much…But, you always look nice.” Dash offered back.

AJ’s face flushed with more redness. Did Dash really just say that? The egomaniac rarely ever said anything like that. The last time she mentioned Applejack looked ‘nice’ was at the gala, when she was wearing one of Rarity’s signature dresses.  Dash was drunk, and asked her friend to a dance. Although Dash was a clumsy dancer, she was still charming. ‘You look nice, AJ. You should dress up more often. I’m sure a few dozen guys would come knocking on your door.’ Guys… Like Applejack really cared about the opinion of guys she had never met. She hated the idea of courting, it made her uncomfortable. She figured she’d find the right person eventually, but then again, didn’t really put much effort into finding them.

“Hey, earth to AJ? Where are we going?” Dash waved a hand in front of the girl’s face to get her attention. “Jeez, it was just a little compliment. Don't let it go to your head.”

“Sorry, Dash –“, She chuckled, her friend was just giving her a puzzled look. “Let’s stop at the Cake’s, ah need to get some bakin’ supplies.”

~ ~ ~

“What in the world? It’s dark in here, are they even open?” Rainbow Dash looked around, but couldn’t make anything out. The lights flickered on, revealing her four friends around a table; a cake was perfectly placed in the middle. ‘Welcome home, Rainbow Dash’.

“SURPRISE!” They all shouted in (almost) unison.

Rainbow turned to Applejack, who had a hand placed over her mouth. She began to laugh, “Y’oughta see your face, Rainbow.”

She looked back at her friends; they were approaching her now, coming closer to give the Pegasus a hug one by one. “Guys? You did all this for me?”

“Of course!” Pinkie was the first to speak. “APPLEJACK CAME BY YESTERDAY AND SAID guess who’s in town! And I said OH OH I LOVE GUESSING GAMES! IS IT BON BON? IS IT DERPY? IS IT…Then she told me to shut up, and said it was YOU!” Pinkie Pie began to giggle “And then I said OH MY GOSH! DASHIE! We just HAVE TO THROW HER A SURPRISE PARTY!” Her arms wrapped around the pegasus’ body, and Dash feared she may never let go. Pinkie Pie was especially affectionate, and out of her group of friends, was always the most verbal about missing her.

Dash was a pretty surprised by this. Lately, Applejack seemed to enjoy surprising her. This time, she couldn’t complain, though.

“When were you planning on telling us you were back, darling? We were elated to hear the news!” Rarity was next to speak – the young designer was trying to pull their pink-haired friend off of the guest of honor.

“Well uh…” Rainbow Dash didn’t really have an excuse prepared. She simply didn’t consider leaving her friend’s side, not since they had their talk about the ‘accident’.

“Aw shucks, she’s just been busy helpin’ me ‘round the farm guys. ‘Sides, she just got here a few days ago, and she’ll be here for another few weeks!” Applejack was quick to defend her friend. Dash looked over at her; the farmer gave her a subtle wink.

“It’s great to see you, Dash. How was your trip back?” Fluttershy gave her friend a very gentle hug, and let go quickly. It was the complete opposite of Pinkie’s grip.

“It took a few days to get back of course, and the train was a little cramped, but they did set me up in a nice private cabin. Said it was the least they could do for a Wonderbolt!” Dash boasted a bit.

Her friends gathered around and asked their various questions, wasting no time to catch up with each other. While Dash was explaining something to the group, Applejack shifted her position and made her way over to Twilight. The girl had said basically nothing since the two showed up.

“Everything alright, Twilight?” Applejack whispered, hoping they wouldn’t draw attention to themselves. “Ah noticed ya didn’t say anything to Dash when she came in. Y’ain’t feelin’ sour ‘bout her bein’ gone, are ya?”

Twilight raised a brow. “No, of course not. I already saw Dash, though. Earlier this week….I thought she would have told you?” Based on Applejack’s completely puzzled expression, the bookworm thought maybe it was a mistake to have mentioned that. “I mean…It was just for a bit –“, she attempted to backtrack, “She was around town and stopped by, and we talked for a little bit, that was it.”

Applejack looked over at Dash. She as still going on about something, and nobody seemed to be paying attention to the two of them having their own conversation. She knew the Pegasus must have gone to Twilight’s the night after the kiss, during those few hours she was MIA. She wondered why Rainbow Dash would leave that detail out.

“She didn’t mention that…” Applejack gave her friend a sad stare “Was she…Actin’ strange or anything?”

Before the magician could answer, Pinkie butted in. “What are you guys whispering about!?”

“N-Nothin’!” Applejack was a terrible liar. She looked back at Twilight, begging her to get her out of this situation.

“Oh. Nothing, Pinkie. We were just saying how great it is to see Dash again.” Twilight laughed nervously. She wasn’t much of a liar herself.

“OH I KNOW!” Pinkie squeaked back. “Having Dash here is the best! I haven’t been this happy since…Since Applejack came to see me and said GUESS WHO’S IN TOWN!”

Twilight looked back at the farmer apologetically. The conversation would have to wait until later. For now, they carried on with the party’s festivities. They still had a great time, all in all. Applejack wanted to know more about Rainbow’s visit with Twilight though. Twilight, on the other hand, wanted a moment alone to talk to Rainbow Dash, to see how her talk with AJ went. Twilight could at least assume everything was okay. They probably said a few things, made up, and things went back to normal.

At this point in the evening, the six friends were pretty buzzed. Fluttershy was a lightweight, so it took her no more than half a drink to get her tipsy. Rarity had a few drinks herself, however refused to drink any more, stating she had to get up tomorrow and finish an order. Twilight wasn’t much of a drinker, but it was hard to say to Pinkie’s punch. Pinkie could hold her alcohol like no other – The girl was small, but could drink like a sailor. And of course, the guest of honor, Rainbow Dash, and her Stetson wearing friend were now neck and neck in a drinking competition. It always amounted to this – Dash would tease AJ about being a lightweight, AJ would bet she could drink more, and the two would end up trashed by the end of the night.  They were each ten beers into the night, and there was no stopping now.

This time, Applejack came out victorious. The poor Pegasus had passed out, her body was curled up on the floor, and she was snoring. Loudly.

“Maybe we should call it a night?” Flutteryshy was the voice of reason here. They all nodded, agreeing it would be best to call it quits, now that their special guest drank herself into a coma.

Fluttershy and Rarity said their goodnights, then went their own separate ways. Pinkie said she would take Dash upstairs and get her settled in bed, then come back down to get the shop cleaned up. That just left Applejack and Twilight.

“So…” Twilight wasn’t sure if her drunken friend was even capable of talking anymore. “How are you feeling, Applejack?”

“What’d Dash come to yuh about?” Applejack said surprisingly clearly. Despite her ability to still talk, the room was spinning for the young blonde. She closed her eyes for a second, hoping that would make it stop.

“Are uh…You sure you want to talk about this now?”

“Ya don’t hafta tell me Twi. I know what she came ta yuh bout. M’sure she todlja aalll about what ah did.”

“Pardon?” Twilight was trying to seem oblivious to where this was heading.

“C’mon Twilight. Dash came tuh yuh. She toldja bout the kiss, probly said she was disgusted n didn’t wanna see me no more.” The apple farmer’s words were getting sloppier. “S’aright. Ah ain’t mad. Ah can’t blameerrr for feelin that way. Ah know she said errythin is a’right, but ah know she’s lyin’ to spare mah feelins.”

There were no more words. AJ was wobbling back and forth now, barely able to hold herself up. Twilight had no idea how the farm girl managed to get all of that out.

“You don’t look so good, AJ. Did you want me to walk you home? Or maybe you could stay the night with me? My place is a lot closer…” Twilight put Applejack’s arm over her shoulder in an attempt to keep her from falling over. AJ was a bit heavy though – the girl was a lot taller than Twilight.

“Twi…” Applejack finally whispered. “Ah…”

“Sorry guys” Pinkie was now bouncing down the stairs “I was gonna put her into bed, but then she said she was gonna be sick. So I took her to the bathroom, and watched her puke! It was way funny! But also kind of gross!”

‘Oh thank Celestia…’ Twilight wasn’t sure she could handle any more confessions. She knew exactly where Applejack was going with this, and would rather not have her spill it while this intoxicated.

“Hey, is AJ okay?” The pink-haired-party-animal pointed back at their friend. Twilight looked down, Applejack was crying.

‘Not now…’

“Maybe I’d better take Applejack back to my place, Pinkie…Get her into bed. She must not be feeling well.” Twilight tried to stand up, but was finding it difficult to bring her friend up with her. Pinkie came over and lifted Applejack from the opposite side, now that AJ was standing Twilight could handle walking.

“Thanks, Pinkie. Guess I’d better get going. Make sure Dash is okay, will you?”

“Can do!” Pinkie giggled, then followed the girls to the door. The two said good night, then Twilight began her long walk back to the library.

Luckily the farm girl around her shoulder stayed mostly quiet. She mumbled a few things, but it wasn’t anything Twilight could make out. When they arrived back at the library, Twilight took her straight upstairs, and laid her out on the bed. She stepped away from her slumbering friend to get a glass of water. When she returned upstairs, she set the glass down on the nightstand, and turned out the lights.

“Twilight?” She heard her friend mumble.

“Yeah, AJ?”

“Ah miss Dash…”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You’ll see her in the morning, I promise. Try to get some sleep.”

“Ah mean when she’s gone. All ah think about is stupid Dash. Dash, Dash. Dashhh…” Applejack quieted down for a second, Twilight was praying she’d fallen asleep. “Why do ah hafta care about stupid Dash so much?” The farm girl let out a heavy sigh, then turned over in her friend’s bed. Twilight stayed silent, waiting to see if her friend had finally drifted off into slumber. After a few minutes, she safely assumed Applejack was out for the night, and retired to the downstairs couch.

‘What am I going to do with those two?’

Night Terrors

“Dash…”

Rainbow’s eyes were locked with the young woman in front of her. She felt her heart racing as her friend pulled in closer, closing the gap between them as their lips brushed. The kiss was sweet, but too brief. The blonde pulled away, and suddenly her face changed. She looked surprised, and a little hurt.

“Dash?”

“Hm?”

“Wake up.”

She looked around. It was just her and her friend in the orchard, surrounded by its natural beauty.  Who was she talking to?

“Applejack…” She whispered.

Applejack leaned in again; Dash closed her eyes, expecting another kiss. Instead, to her dismay, she felt a finger roughly poking her cheek.

“W…What the hay?”

“WAKE UP”

“WAKE UP!”

Rainbow shot up in bed, she let out a quick gasp as she woke with a start. Where in the world was she?

“DASH!”

“WUH TH- PINKIE?” Rainbow Dash scooted away from her, nearly falling off of the bed. Her friend was staring back at her with her bright, blue eyes.

“Morning, sleepyhead! I thought you’d never wake up! Luckily you did though, thanks to me. I poked your face a bunch until you did! Before you were just squirming, and going ‘Applejack, Applejack!’ Which was silly, because Applejack isn’t here, just me!” Pinkie was babbling, as usual.

Dash rubbed her temples and shut her eyes again. This was not the first thing she wanted to hear in the morning, especially not when she was this hung over.

“Why…Did you wake me up..?” Dash mumbled. Her head was pounding.

“Oh! Because I was bored!” Pinkie started to giggle. “But I brought you some coffee; I thought it would make you feel better! You were puking all night!”

Rainbow Dash glanced at the coffee, it made her stomach turn. She let out a load groan, and allowed her body to fall back onto the bed. She pulled the pillow out from under her, and shoved it into her face. “Uuugggggghh, wwhhhyyy” Dash whined.

“Why what?” Pinkie questioned. She set the coffee down on the nightstand, and took a seat on the bed next to her friend.

Dash thought back to the dream she was having just minutes ago. She wished she could just drift back to sleep and pick up where it had left off, before a certain pink-haired girl so rudely awakened her. No matter how much she tried to push the memory away, it still managed to leak through the depths of her subconscious.

The Pegasus finally sat up again, and turned to face her friend.

“Do you know where AJ went?” It was the only thing on her mind.

“Hmm…I think Twilight took her back to the library! Did you want me to go down there with you?”

“That’s okay, Pinks. I’m just gonna pick her up and head back to the farm. Thanks for letting me crash here though, and uh…Sorry if I hurled on anything…” Dash winced, the room faintly smelled of vomit.

“Aaww, alright…” Pinkie picked herself up off the bed and headed towards the door “Well, enjoy the rest of your day! Oh, and Dashie?”

“Yeah Pinks?” Dash responded, not paying much attention to the other girl, but instead concentrating on slipping her shoes on.

“You really oughta tell Applejack how you feel! She really likes you, you know!”

“Sure, thanks P…W-wait, what?!”

Rainbow turned herself to face the door, but found her friend was gone already. She paused to consider if she should track her friend down and talk to her about it. It didn’t take long to decide against it – Pinkie was, somehow, probably halfway across town by now. Plus, she wasn’t really someone Dash wanted to have this conversation with. Although she was a great friend, she was a total scatter-brain, hardly keeping on one topic for more than a second. She shook her head, then headed towards the bedroom window to take off. It was time to head to the library and find the missing cowgirl.

~ ~ ~

As the Wonderbolt was flying towards the library, she kept replaying what Pinkie Pie had stated right before leaving. ‘She really likes you, you know!’ Dash’s heart skipped a beat every time the memory repeated.

‘How would she know that? Does AJ talk about me when I’m gone? Did she say something to Pinkie?’ Before she knew it, she was at her friend’s place, and had to rid herself of these thoughts. She knew Applejack would notice something was bothering her, and try to coerce the girl into talking about it. Dash already promised herself she wouldn’t start acting that way again.

Rainbow Dash noticed the door was ajar, so simply pushed it open and took a step inside. She saw that Twilight was already keeping herself busy; no doubt reorganizing her bookshelves (She did this once every few weeks). She seemed so infatuated by her work, she didn’t notice the Pegasus clear her throat a few times.  Dash rolled her eyes, growing more and more impatient by the second.

“Twilight?” She finally said, breaking the magician’s concentration. Twilight turned to face the girl on the opposite end of the library, but still didn’t break her concentration. A few books hovered around the room before finding their proper place on the shelves. Twilight mumbled a few words to herself as finished her task.

“And…Done!” Twilight gave a proud nod, then headed in her friend’s direction. “Morning, Rainbow Dash!  How are you feeling?”

“My head hurts, I’m queasy, I feel like I slept on a pile of bricks, and I can’t remember most of last night. Otherwise, fine.” The Pegasus smiled, her comment made her friend laugh a bit. Although she was complaining, those things really didn’t bother her much, she was used to it. Plus, she was a little distracted by something else.

“Well, if you came to find Applejack, I’m afraid you’ve missed her…” Twilight began, “She headed back to the farm half an hour ago. She said she couldn’t afford to sleep in and miss any work.”

Rainbow Dash frowned. “Oh…Well, I guess I should head back home and help her out. She’s probably having a miserable time…If she’s as hung over as I am, anyway.” She gave her head a quick rub.

Twilight nodded in agreement. “You two should stop by soon though; maybe have a nice, quiet dinner. Something a little tamer than last night…” She smiled, thinking back to the Pegasus and farmer drinking themselves to oblivion.

Dash giggled. “Sounds nice, Twi. Anyway, thanks for taking care of AJ…I’ll seeya later, alright?”

She was now headed towards the door. Twilight lowered her head for a moment and bit her lip, she wondered if she should ask now, or just let it go…

“Hey Dash? How uh…Did everything go with Applejack? Your talk, I mean.” Twilight was kicking herself for that, it was so abrupt, but she couldn’t resist asking. Rainbow Dash seemed taken aback by the question, just staring blankly at the library’s wooden floor. She turned back to face her friend.

“Oh…It was okay. Pretty good, actually…” Twilight didn’t seem satisfied by the answer. She had her eyes set on the pegasus, waiting patiently for a more detailed answer. Dash took a deep breath.  “I mean, everything got sorted out. She apologized, I said it was okay, we agreed we’re just friends.”

“That was it?” Twilight still seemed pretty disappointed by her friend’s explanation.

Rainbow furrowed her brows. “That pretty much sums it up…”

“And you were okay with that?”

“Uh…Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be? Like I said, my main concern was losing AJ as a friend. If she’s happy with what we have, then I am too.” Dash knew it was a lie, and she knew Twilight would see right through it. “Look, can we talk about it later? I gotta get back…”

“Dash, I’m sorry…I just wanted to make sure…”

“I’m fine, Twilight. I gotta go.” She hurried out the door, slamming it behind her. Twilight saw her friend take to the sky through her window.  It was apparent to her that Rainbow wasn’t ready to have this conversation. She was rarely in such a rush to get to work; in most cases, Dash would find any excuse to procrastinate. It was just an excuse to avoid any more questions, and Twilight knew it. There was nothing she could do, though. Dash would talk about it when she was ready – In the meantime, Twilight had work to do, and she wasn’t about to let this distract her. She returned to the shelves on the library, ready to get back to it.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“What am ah supposed to do, Granny? Ah ain’t got a soul to turn to on this one…” Applejack was sitting cross-legged beside her grandmother’s grave, keeping her hands occupied by picking the petals off of flowers. “Ah feel like all mah family and all mah friends would look at me different… What would yuh think of me?” She stared at the now naked stem, and tossed it back onto the ground.

Applejack had gone straight to the burial site after Twilight’s.  Her mind was too occupied to work; she just needed some time to clear her head. Mac knew she would be home early afternoon to work, and was handling the load with Applebloom. Luckily, it was the weekend, so the young girl didn’t have any class to attend.

She lowered the rest of her body onto the grass, and now was lying flat against the earth; her hands were now resting atop her stomach, rising and falling with each breath. Her green eyes got lost in the clear blue sky above her – It was completely hypnotic. There wasn’t a cloud to be seen, just pools of light blue as far as the eye could see.

“Ah must be going crazy…Talkin’ to ghosts.” Applejack sighed. “What wouldja say tuh me, granny? ‘Hey, ah love mah best friend…’ ‘Well, Applejack, ah sure don’t understand whatchya whippersnappers find so appealin’ about datin’ other girls, but if it makes yuh happy!’” She shut her eyes for a moment. “Is that what ya’d say tuh me? Or…Shucks, ya’ll would probably never talk tuh me again. I wouldn’t blame ya…”

The farm girl let her hand wander at her side for a moment, looking for another flower to deface. When she finally got hold of one, she brought it close to her face, and began to pick the petals, whispering “She loves me…She loves me not…” as she delicately plucked each one. She winced when she realized what she was doing, and tossed the half-picked flower aside. Why was she doing this to herself?

Up above, the Pegasus was approaching the farmhouse, but noticed a tiny orange spec below her, lying flat on the grass. It perplexed her; she thought for sure the apple farmer would be working herself to death by now.  It worried her; it really wasn’t like the farmer to slack off…Something must have been bothering her.

“AJ!”

Applejack opened her eyes at the sound of a distant voice. “…Granny?” It wasn’t until the Pegasus was in sight she realized where the voice had come from. She was embarrassed for not realizing it.

‘Fer Celestia’s sake, does she really hafta bother me right now?’

Several seconds later, Rainbow landed beside her friend, and immediately kneeled down to be at her level.

“You okay, AJ?” Dash was giving her the sincerest of smiles. Seeing her was the only thing she needed to brighten her day.

Applejack nodded, not making eye contact with her friend. “Ah’m fine. Just wanted tuh stop by here before work n’ such…”

That didn’t seem out of the ordinary. Applejack had gone there every day, either to leave flowers, or just say a few things to her loved one.

“Ah…Ah’d kinda like to be left alone for a while…Ah don’t really like doin’ this in fronta others…”  Applejack pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them tight. She still was looking away from the Pegasus.

Rainbow Dash, of course, was ready to respect her friend’s wishes. She stood up and gave a quick stretch before leaving her friend’s side. “Alright…I just wanted to make sure you were okay…” There was no response from the farm girl. After a long pause, it became clear Applejack wasn’t in the mood to talk, either. Rainbow finally broke the awkward silence. “Guess I’ll see you down there…” Dash began moving down the path, glancing back over her shoulder occasionally to see if her friend was looking in her direction. Applejack was still sitting with her face buried in her knees, waiting for the Pegasus to be out of sight.

When Rainbow Dash further down the path, Applejack let out a small sigh of relief. She felt annoyed with the girl, but wasn’t really sure why. Maybe she just woke up on the wrong side of the bed – Getting to work would surely take her mind off of everything though. She concluded it would be best to keep herself busy, and forget how she was feeling today.

~ ~ ~

Night was approaching, but there was still plenty to be done on the farm. Dash was busy shaking the fruit from a tree, grumbling at the stubborn apples that wouldn’t loosen their grip from the branches. She noticed Applejack was approaching, carrying a bushel of apples over to a cart. She stopped her task to watch her friend on the ground below – They hadn’t really spoken at all today. Applejack was purposely avoiding her friend, and of course Dash took notice. Any time Rainbow Dash would approach her, she’d suddenly be finished with her task and hurry away to start something else. Truthfully, it was starting to get on Dash’s last nerve.

Dash leapt down to the ground below and gathered her apples quickly, then made her way to the cart, hoping to catch the farm girl. Applejack watched her friend approach her, silently chewing on a piece of straw. Dash set her barrel down on the cart, and forced a smile. Applejack thought nothing of it, and remained leaning against the cart. Her arms were now crossed against her chest. Rainbow Dash couldn’t stand it anymore, something was definitely wrong.

“AJ, are you mad at me or something?”

“Ah ain’t mad. Just tired.” Applejack responded bluntly, still not facing the shorter girl.

Dash wasn’t ready to accept her answer. “You won’t talk to me, you won’t even look at me. Heck, you can’t even stand to be around me for five seconds. If I did something wrong just tell me, I can’t stand this.” Rainbow Dash was starting to raise her voice. Applejack narrowed her eyes at the girl.

“Ah said I ain’t mad, Rainbow. Ah didn’t sleep much last night, heck I ain’t really slept so well the last few weeks. Sorry if ah’m bein’ short with ya.”

Dash took a few steps closer to the girl, now getting right in her face. Applejack could feel her blood boil, she knew the young Wonderbolt wasn’t about to let this go.

“AJ, you’re a terrible liar! I promise I’ll leave you alone if you just tell me what’s bugging you!”

Rainbow Dash was shocked when she felt her friend grip the collar of her shirt and pull her closer. Applejack removed the straw from her mouth and flicked it onto the ground. Their faces were inches from each other.

“Not everythin’ is about you, Dash!  Ah’m at my wit’s end here, ah’m tired, an’ stressed an’ confused an’...” She shook her head, then blew a stray hair from her face “so excuse me if ah ain’t in the cheeriest of moods right now!”

She loosened her grip around her friend’s shirt, and Dash took a few steps back. Applejack didn’t get physical like that often, but when she did, Dash knew not to push her any further.  AJ felt herself calming down, but before she could take a moment to apologize for getting so physical with her, Dash had already taken off. She watched Rainbow fly off into the distance, and it all sank it. She stomped her foot on the ground, losing her temper once again.

“GOSH DARNIT. Ah’m so sick of feelin’ this way!”

“…Applejack?”

“WHAT?”

The Stetson wearing farmer looked down to see her sister, giving her an innocent, somewhat confused look. Her face softened a bit.

“Ah…Ah’m sorry, Applebloom. What’d ya wanna tell me?” She said softly.

“Ah was just gonna tell ya me n’ Mac are headin’ in for dinner now…” The young red-head responded. “Are ya okay? Ya seem upset.”

Applejack nodded. She decided to kneel down to her sister’s level, and extended her arms out for a hug. “Ah’m alright. Sorry ah snapped at ya…Been a long day, ah guess.” The younger girl stepped closer, and accepted her sister’s embrace. She giggled as Applejack squeezed her close. She stood up, taking Applebloom with her as she got to her feet. “Let’s get washed up fer dinner. Ah’m starved.”

With that, she carried the younger girl inside, still feeling guilty over what had just happened. Hopefully Dash would be back before too long, so she could apologize for her actions properly.

______________________________________________________________________________________

It was well past midnight now. Applejack was lying awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. This had been her routine for the past few nights – She couldn’t get a wink of sleep. Every time she tried to drift off, something would cloud her mind, and she’d become too distracted and caught up in her thoughts. She sighed, and turned over to face the window.

She hadn’t seen Dash all night, either. She left a small plate of leftovers in the guest room, just in case she decided to sneak back in through the window later.

All she could think about was Dash’s face while she was yelling at her. How she had treated her all day, avoiding her for no reason and snapping at her when she clearly was just concerned about her friend. Her stomach flipped every time she thought back to how she acted.  How was she supposed to sleep?

The night carried on. Applejack was now lying with her back to the window, humming something to herself gently. She wasn’t sure what time it was, but it didn’t really matter. She knew there was no way she’d get to sleep before the sun came up anyway. There was a light tapping at the window; at first, she chose to ignore it, thinking it must have been a tree branch rattling in the wind. The knocking grew louder though, so she turned to face her window once again.

“…Dash?” She whispered to herself. She was surprised to see her friend was trying to come through her window, and didn’t simply come in through the front door, or the window she’d left ajar in the guest room.

She quickly moved over to the window, where a very tired looking Rainbow Dash was hovering outside. She slid the glass up, and allowed her friend to climb through. AJ took a seat on the edge of the bed.

“Thanks” Dash said quietly while closing the window behind her.

“Don’t mention it…So uh…”

“Before you say anything, Applejack, I just wanted to apologize. I don’t know what I did, but I didn’t help by pushing your buttons. I just came here to say I’m sorry, and, if you want some space, I can go crash somewhere else. It’s not a big deal…”

AJ’s heart sank. Why was Rainbow apologizing? She really didn’t do anything wrong, it was she who owed her friend an apology.

“Dash, ya didn’t do nothin’ wrong. Ah meant what ah said. Ah did get a little irritated at yuh today, but ah’m the one who should be sorry. Ah never shoulda treated you like that.” She felt her friend’s hand rest atop her head and give her hair a tousle.  Sure, it wasn’t a very affectionate way to show forgiveness, but it was Dash’s way. Applejack wrapped her arms around her friend’s waist and hugged it closely; much like the way a child would hug a parent and beg for forgiveness.

“It’s okay, AJ. Don’t get all sappy on me” Dash teased. Her friend pulled away, then looked up at the Pegasus. She was always so quick to forgive…

“Ya’ll don’t hafta go anywhere else, ya silly girl,” Applejack patted the bed, signaling for the other girl to take a seat next to her. Dash obliged. “Ya know I ain’t gonna kick ya out. Ah really am just tired of bein’…Well, tired. I ain’t slept in a few days…Too distracted, ah guess.”

Rainbow Dash began to rub her friend’s back, running her hand up and down it softly. “I know… Is there anything I can do to help?”

Applejack was silent for a few moments. She had an idea, but was too embarrassed to ask. Dash placed a hand atop the farmer’s, and gave it a friendly squeeze. “AJ, it’s alright. You can ask, I mean it. Anything you want.”

“Well…Ah mean…Ya’ll can say no if ya want, ah won’t be upset…” She paused to look over at her friend. “Ah reckon ya wouldn’t wanna spend the night with me? In mah bed?”

Rainbow Dash’s heart skipped a beat. She wasn’t really expecting that, but, she did say she would do anything to help, and if that helped…

“Are…You sure? I mean, I don’t mind, but…Earlier you couldn’t stand to be around me. Do you really wanna share a bed with me?”

Applejack nodded. “Ah can’t believe ah’m sayin’ this…But, when ah was little, right after mah folks died, granny used tuh come in to mah room, an’ hold me close while I was cryin’. I was havin’ terrible nightmares, night after night. When she held me though, ah felt safe. She’d sing me a lullaby, and before ah knew it, ah’d drift off tuh sleep…” She felt a lump in her throat as she swallowed. She tried to hold back her tears.

Rainbow was silent, and Applejack was afraid she unloaded a bit too much on her friend. She nervously scooted away from her Pegasus friend. “Sorry, Dash. Y’ain’t gotta do any ah that fer me…But thanks for offerin’…”

“Wow…I’m just. I dunno, I’m touched you told me that, AJ. That’s really…Beautiful.”

Applejack gave a soft smile. It was refreshing to see Rainbow Dash like this. Sure, she could be selfish, competitive and cocky, but there was a soft side she kept hidden away. It was as if it was especially reserved for Applejack – No one else really got the opportunity to see it.

“I’d love to spend the night here.” Rainbow Dash finally answered.

“Rainbow, it’s alright. Maybe that was a bit too much tuh ask.”

The Wonderbolt shook her head. “Come on. If you don’t like it, I’ll go back to my own bed, promise.” With that, Dash began to take off her shoes, and sloppily throw them across the room. She pulled the covers out, and tucked herself underneath.

Applejack sat there for another moment, and with a sigh, surrendered to her friend’s persistence.  She crawled to the opposite side of the bed, and pulled the covers over herself. She closed her eyes, and cleared her mind. This only lasted for a minute, unfortunately, and in flooded the usual thoughts. She shifted to her side and let out another sigh. Suddenly, she felt Dash wrap her arms around her, now spooning her from behind. Applejack squirmed a bit.

“Dash…Ah didn’t mean ya had to do that…” She whispered.

Rainbow loosened her grip as her friend turned to face her. “Sorry, I thought you’d like it.” She responded innocently.

She hated to admit it, but maybe it would make her feel better. She took a deep breath, then scooted closer to the Pegasus. “Alright…” she mumbled, and rested her head against her friend’s chest. Dash wrapped her arms around her friend once again, and rested her head atop the girl’s golden locks.  Although Applejack felt a little self-conscious, she was starting to feel comfortable in her best friend’s embrace. Her mind was no longer filled with the stress of her recent weeks, instead those thoughts were replaced with memories of Granny Smith holding her and rocking her gently to sleep.

She closed her eyes as Rainbow Dash began to rub her back. The farm girl was praying she could drift off to sleep now. Her breathing softened as Dash continued to hold her lovingly.

“Applejack…”

AJ’s eyes remained closed, but she nodded into her friend’s chest. “Mmm…what is it, Dash?”

She opened her eyes when she felt Dash’s lips pressed against her own. She jerked back, breaking the tight embrace they were in.

Applejack opened her eyes; her heart was pounding in her chest. She was still resting in her now slumbering friend’s arms. She let out a breath of relief. Rainbow Dash moaned, feeling her friend shifting in her arms.

“Ap..ple…jack…” she mumbled.

“Sorry…” AJ replied sheepishly. She was wide awake now. “Ah guess ah still can’t sleep…”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “Just close your eyes again…Try not to think about anything.” Her words weren’t the most comforting, but it was worth a shot. She felt Applejack shake her head, then pull away a bit.

“Ah’m sorry Dash…Ah don’t think this is gonna help me all that much…”

The farm girl turned away to face away from her best friend, and curled up into a more fetal position. It was no use, she wasn’t getting to sleep. The two laid there in silence for several minutes, AJ figured Rainbow Dash had just gone back to sleep. She was surprised to feel her friend press against her back once again.

“AJ…Can I try one more thing?” Dash’s head was rested against her friend’s back. Applejack didn’t respond to the question, but she did turn back to face her friend. She looked absolutely exhausted; her eyes were begging for some rest. Droopy, with dark circles around them.

Dash remained silent for a minute, then began to mumble something to herself. “Jeez…I can’t believe I’m doing this…”

Applejack really didn’t care what it was now. She figured anything the Pegasus would do simply couldn’t work. She waited patiently to find out what her friend was planning; it wasn’t like she was getting to sleep anytime soon anyway.

“Okay…Just…Don’t laugh.” Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. As she wrapped her arms around the sleepless apple farmer again, she began to hum. Applejack wasn’t sure what she was doing at first, but calmly listened. She closed her eyes, and visualized her grandmother humming a song to her while rocking her to sleep. AJ began to shake. Dash noticed immediately, and stopped.

“D…Dash…Where’d you…Learn that song?” Applejack breathlessly asked.

“I uh…I’ve heard you sing it to Applebloom before…Plus, you hum it around the farm sometimes, while you’re working.”

Applejack was taking jagged breaths. She felt so overwhelmed by it, she wanted to start crying, and she wasn’t sure if it was because she was overcome by joy, or sorrow.

“Sorry…I probably didn’t hum it right…I’m not very musically inclined.” Dash admitted.  She smiled as Applejack pulled her in closer, giving her a rib-crushing hug.

“W…Will ya sing it again?” Applejack whispered, her head now rested against her friend’s chest again. She felt the Pegasus nod.

She closed her eyes, and visualized Granny Smith once more. Holding her, humming, stroking her long, blonde hair gently. A few tears rolled down her cheeks, and in a matter of minutes, she was finally asleep. Dash continued for a while, until she heard light snoring coming from the exhausted cowgirl. She laughed quietly to herself, then closed her eyes, happy her best friend’s mind was put to ease.

Daring Dos and Donts

Another week passed, and everything was slowly getting back to normal. Rainbow was right – The world keeps spinning. Whether the Apple family liked it or not, they had jobs to do, and no time to feel sorry for themselves. Applejack still visited the grave every day, seeking some quiet comfort, but she felt herself gaining some confidence as well over time. Every day she would smile and laugh a little more, and think about the family tragedy a little less. She had felt the pain of losing a loved one before, and knew better than anyone that it would just take a little time.

Luckily, she had been sleeping better as well. Rainbow Dash slept by the young farmer’s side for a few nights, but returned to the guest bedroom when Applejack was confident she could fall sleep without her.

Life wasn’t exactly normal again, but AJ did have to admit that things were slowly getting better. There was one thing that still lingered in the back of her mind, though. She knew Rainbow Dash would be leaving in two short weeks, and it honestly scared her a bit. Dash had become somewhat of a security blanket to her – Always there when she needed her most. Seeing Dash go again would be difficult – maybe even harder than the first time they said their goodbyes. She knew she couldn’t ask her to stay, though. She was free to live her life of stardom; traveling around the world with the Wonderbolts, gaining thousands of fans, and infinite fame – Just as Dash had always dreamed.

The Apple farmers had been working especially hard this week, spending countless hours in town trying to sell apple family products, and even more strenuous hours on the farm getting work done. Mac and AJ went over the finances a few times, and at this point could only pray they were able to make enough this month. Even with the young Wonderbolt there helping out, they still seemed to barely have enough to get by.  Applejack had to admit she was worried, but tried to remain hopeful through it all, reassuring Mac that they could pull through it.

It was the end of another busy work day. Applejack was sitting on the porch out front, watching Applebloom tire herself out by playing fetch with Winona. She envied how carefree her sister could be; not having to worry about what would become of the Apple family now that everything was changing. She heard the door close behind her, and looked over her shoulder to see Rainbow Dash, fully geared up and ready for practice. She smiled at her – the girl looked pretty cute in her Wonderbolt suit and goggles.

Dash took a seat next to her friend, and watched Applebloom repeatedly throw the stick, then struggle to wrestle it out of the dog’s mouth. The both found themselves smiling as they watched her.

“I’m getting tired just watching her.” Dash admitted as she watched the youngest Apple chase after the dog, yelling about dropping the stick. “I wish I still had that kind of energy.”

Applejack chuckled. “Ya have more energy than a kid on Christmas mornin’, sugar.”

“Yeah, right. Since joining the Wonderbolts, I’ve barely had any energy. I used to work all day for the weather team, then stay up all night practicing my routines. I’d sleep a few hours, then take on the day again. Now, I can barely get through a day. I’ll fly for a few hours, then barely be able to walk up the stairs. I’d kill to have the energy of a kid again.”

“Ya’ll have been doin’ pretty good, workin’ the farm, then getting’ straight to practicin’!” Applejack argued. “Ah get exhausted wathchin’ ya rattle apples from trees all day, then take off n’ start doin’ your loop-de-loops in the sky!”

Dash started to snicker. “That’s because you’re an old fart, AJ.” She began to tease, sticking her tongue out at her friend. Applejack retaliated by flicking her friend’s nose.

“Alright, alright. No need tah get snippy with me, whippersnapper.”

They laughed and joked for a while, forgetting about their troubles and woes. Dash was getting lost in conversation, forgetting the point of coming out was to practice for a while. It could wait though. Her time with Applejack was more precious to her than that. They got onto the topic of what it’s like being a Wonderbolt. Applejack didn’t know much about it, but was fascinated by the life Dash led. Things were a lot different for her now.

“Hey Dash, can ah ask ya somethin’? Hope it isn’t too personal, but ah guess ah’m just curious…”

“Sure AJ. What’s on your mind?”

“Well, ah hear a lot about celebrities and what not getting’ around, ‘specially ones that are travelin’ all over like you are. D’ya ever…Y’know, sleep around?”

Rainbow Dash just stared. What was Applejack asking for? She noticed the farmer start to laugh nervously, now embarrassed by her own curiosity. Dash smiled coyly.

“Why do you ask, AJ? Jealous of all the tail I get while on the road?” Dash puffed her chest out proudly. The smile faded from the farm girl’s face.

“Uh…Well, no. Y’aren’t serious, are ya? Who’ve ya been gettin’ around with?” AJ was a little worried. She regretted asking; maybe she didn’t want to hear about what she’d been doing on the road.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t keep a straight face. She started to laugh, but her friend still seemed completely flustered. “Jeez, AJ. I’m just kidding, what kind of girl do you think I am? I haven’t been with anyone while I’ve been gone. Like I said, if I’m not practicing, I’m sleeping. I barely have time to think about that.”

Applejack’s face softened, she mentally sighed. ‘What a relief…’

“Why, you wanna mess around?” Rainbow Dash offered, completely deadpan.

Her friend did not find the offer amusing in the least. She was glaring back at the Pegasus, who, once again, could barely keep a straight face. The apple farmer rolled her eyes.

“Real funny, Rainbow. Ha ha.”

The Wonderbolt covered her mouth, trying to silence herself. She had no idea her friend would take that to heart. “S-sorry! I’m just messin’ around. Lighten up, will ya?” Rainbow nudged her friend with her elbow, trying to coax a smile out of her. “Some of the Bolts are like that…And I can’t blame them. I guess it gets pretty lonely out there on the road. And no one can really have a relationship. I won’t lie, I’ve thought about it…But I don’t think I can do it.”

Applejack let out a quick laugh. “Aw, now don’t tell me ya’ll are the sappy lovey dovey type, Rainbow. Never pegged ya as the kinda girl who liked romancin’ and what not.” Sure, she was poking fun, but it actually warmed her heart to hear all this about Dash.

“Yeah, yeah, alright, laugh it up. What about you, AJ? Have any rolls in the hay lately?”

“Sure, but who’s keepin’ count?” Applejack winked at her friend. Rainbow’s eyes widened.

“You’re…Kidding, right?”

“Aw shucks, of course ah am, ya bird brain. I ain’t been with anybody, I ain’t like that.”

“Oh…Well, how was I supposed to know! There’s tons of guys in this town who would kill for a date with you!”

“Sure, darlin’. And there’s thousands ‘f people who would kill tah go on a date with a Wonderbolt. But I ain’t like that. Like ya said, who has time?”

The conversation trailed off. The two friends returned to watching the sun set in silence – it was something they often did together before Rainbow Dash left home.

“I miss doing this kind of stuff with you, AJ.” Dash suddenly broke the silence between them.

“Me, too, partner. More than ya know.” She softly replied.

Rainbow lowered her head to the floor. Why did she feel like her stomach was in a giant knot? She never considered she would miss home so much, doing simple things most people took for granted every day. When you’re a Wonderbolt, you don’t get to laze around and watch the sun set, or nap up in apple trees. Dash was realizing just how much she gave up to gain this kind of fame.

“Ya gonna go practice, sugarcube?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Sorry…”

“Sorry…What’re you apologizin’ fer?”

“Since I’ve been back, you’ve talked about how much you’ve missed me. Everyone has. But I haven’t told you how much I’ve missed you, AJ. I see why you were so mad at me. I must seem like a selfish jerk. While I was gone, I barely thought about home. But now that I’m here...”

Applejack scooted in closer to her friend, just barely brushing up against her thin frame. “C’mon, sugarucbe. Don’t let that bother ya, yer followin’ yer dream. Ah couldn’t be prouder of ya. Heck, if I were in your position, I wouldn’t be thinkin’ about this ol’ run down apple farm either.”

Her lips curled into a small smile. “I do love being a Wonderbolt. But…I guess I’m also homesick. I really didn’t think I’d miss it this much…” Rainbow’s smile faded again.  “Do you ever think about me while I’m gone, AJ?”

The farmer draped an arm over her friend’s shoulder. “What kinda silly question is that? Of course ah do. Every single day.”

Dash slumped down a bit, starting to sulk. “Oh…”

“Dash…Ah just worry aboutchya. Yer mah best friend, and yer off travelin’ all over the place, doin’ dangerous stunts. Of course ah think about ya. I’m sure ah cross your mind every now n’ again.” She tightened her grip around her friend’s neck and playfully pulled her in closer. Dash struggled to get out of her friend’s headlock, until AJ finally released her from the hold.  It didn’t appear to amuse her Pegasus friend too much. Applejack’s smile turned into a look of concern, what was on her friend’s mind?

‘You really ought to tell Applejack how you feel! She really likes you, you know!’ Dash shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memory.

“I…I think about you a lot, AJ. When I’m feeling alone or kind of down, I read through your letters. They kind of smell like home…It’s nice.”

She really hated to see her friend moping about like this. She couldn’t blame her though – being homesick is tough. She recalled moving away to live with her aunt and uncle in the city, and how much she missed her family. That was only for a few weeks – Dash was gone for nearly a year.

The farm girl stood up and grabbed her friend’s hand, ready to lead her away from the house. Rainbow looked up at her friend, totally puzzled.  Before she could question it, she was on her feet, being guided down the path.

“C’mon, sugarcube. We’re gonna get yer mind off of all this.”

~ ~ ~

“What are we doing, AJ?” curiosity struck the rainbow-haired girl. She liked surprises, but it seemed like Applejack was kind of making this up as she went along. They stopped in front of the barn, and Applejack ordered her to wait outside.

After she went in, Dash tried her best to peek and look around, pondering more and more what her friend could be up to.   She couldn’t see a thing inside the barn, so she just stood outside with her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. When the Apple girl returned, she was holding something behind her back. Rainbow tried to circle the girl and look behind her back. Applejack simultaneously turned, and used one hand to hold her friend back. The other arm still remained behind her back.

“Cut that out, will ya? It’s a surprise! I ain’t showin’ ya ‘til we get to tha top of Sweet Apple orchard.”

Dash groaned. She was impatient; her least favorite thing in the world was waiting to get something. Still, she obliged, following her friend through the orchard to the top of her favorite hill. Atop the peak was a large apple tree, Dash’s personal favorite (it was the best to nap in, obviously).

“Alright…Sit down n’ close your eyes…” Applejack instructed. The Pegasus stared suspiciously, but did as she was told. She fell back and crossed her legs, then placed her hands over her eyes.

“Okay. Now what?”

“Hold yer horses…Alright…Open yer eyes.”

Dash lowered her hands and stared up at her friend. At the end of her extended arms was a neatly wrapped present. She raised a brow.

“You…Got me something?” She took the gift from her friend’s hands, and examined it for a moment.

“Just a little somethin’ ah knew you’d like…Ah was gonna give it to ya on yer last night here…But ah figured maybe ya’d like it now, somethin’ ta keep yerself occupied.” Applejack took a seat across from her friend and motioned for her to open it.

Rainbow Dash looked back down, unsure of what to say. She picked at a corner of the wrapping paper, and slowly pulled away at it until it revealed what was hidden away.

“Is this…The latest Daring Do book?!” Rainbow was now grinning. She opened it up immediately and started to inspect the pages. “No way! I didn’t even know this was out yet. Where’d you get it?”

Applejack chuckled. “Ah asked Twilight tah get it for me. It ain’t out yet, technically. Doesn’t hurt tah be friends with a princess, though.”

“Ohmygosh! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” The Pegasus moved over to her friend and gave her a big bear hug.

“Heh…Glad to see that cheered ya up, sugarcube.” She gave her friend a gentle squeeze. Dash pulled away, now completely infatuated with her new book. “Ya seem eager to start readin’. How ‘bout ya read it tah me for a while? We can go relax under yer favorite tree and everything.”

Dash glanced at her friend, surprised by her notion. “Really? Are you sure? I didn’t think you liked Daring all that much. I can just read it later.”

Applejack reached over and gave her friend a few playful pats on the cheek. “C’mon, ya egghead.” With that, the blonde stood up, and tilted her head towards the tree, hinting that her friend should follow her.

For two hours, the pair sat beneath the tree, and became engaged in Daring Do’s latest adventures. AJ was leaning against the trunk of tree, her legs stretched out in front of her, while Dash was resting her head on them, her body perpendicular to the farmer’s. Applejack would occasionally admire her friend’s colorful hair, and take a moment to run her fingers through it. Rainbow Dash didn’t seem to mind – Sometimes she didn’t even notice.  They enjoyed their time together until it became too dark to see clearly anymore.

“Man, it was just getting good.” Dash pouted as she closed the novel. She placed the book atop her stomach, then tilted her head up to look at her friend. Applejack had fallen asleep at some point, her chin was making contact with her chest, and her arms were folded below her breasts.  Rainbow snickered; guess she really did find it boring.

She sat up, and gave her friend a few pats on the leg. Applejack’s head shot up, she was now eye to eye with her best friend.

“What uh…”

“You fell asleep.” Rainbow Dash stood up, and held out a hand, offering to help her friend up. Applejack grabbed hold, and hoisted herself up. She felt her cheeks warm up as they turned a bright pink.

“Sorry Rainbow. Ah must’ve been more tired than ah realized…” She farm girl gave her eyes a gentle rub.

“Come on, Not-So-Daring-Do. Let’s head back home. I, for one, am starving.”

Applejack gave her friend a sly grin. “Not darin’ huh? How about a race back - Loser does the dishes.”

“Oh, you’re so on!”

______________________________________________________________________________________

That was not well planned on Rainbow’s part. She didn’t realize running while gripping a book as if it were her own child would be a little more difficult than usual. Applejack beat her back to the house in record time, and now Rainbow was left to do the pile of dirty dishes left after dinner.

“Jeez, stupid dishes…” Dash mumbled to herself while scraping a stubborn piece of food off a plate. Applejack sat and watched from the table, laughing quietly to herself over her friend’s comments.

“Hey AJ…Can ah talk tuh ya for a sec?” Big Mac had entered the room; he was holding a few pieces of paper in his hand. Applejack nodded at her brother, and followed him into the next room.

“Everythin’ alright, Mac?”

“Ah’m not sure. Ah was lookin’ at what we’ve made so far this month…Ah don’t think we’re gonna make it, AJ. Ah just don’t see how we can get tha money on such short notice.” He looked down at the papers and began to shake his head.

“Are…ya sure?”

Big Macintosh handed the papers over to her so she could compare figures for herself. She read them quietly, then handed them back to her sibling.

“So…What should we do ‘bout it? Ah reckon if we talk tuh the bank maybe they’ll go easy on us. They know ‘bout what happened, they gotta cut us some slack.” Applejack offered.

The farm-boy shrugged. “Ah guess it’s worth uh shot…Not sure what else we can do…”

The Apple siblings went over a few options and ideas, considering what would work best. From behind the wall, back in the kitchen, Dash was listening on. She had stopped her dish washing, and given her full attention to them. She was frustrated at the entire situation – She wanted to go out there and talk sense into both of them, insisting she could help and put all this trouble behind them. She noticed the two had stopped talking, and rushed back over to the sink. Applejack entered the room again and took her place at the table once more. Dash was pretending to dry a final plate.

“Ya just about finished, sugarcube?”

She set down the plate, and turned to face her friend. “Yup! All finished, hehe.”

Applejack smiled at her, then let a small yawn escape from her mouth. “Mm…Ah guess I’d better get goin’ to bed…Don’t stay up too late…” She stood from the table, then pointed at the book to Dash’s side. Dash glanced at it, then smiled back at the farm girl.

“Heh, I’ll try! G’night, AJ!”

“Night, sugar.”

Once the siblings were both upstairs, she took a seat at the kitchen table and cracked open her book. She was distracted by the conversation she overheard though, and kept losing track as she thought back to it.

“Guh, I can’t concentrate right now!” Dash slammed the book shut, then rested her head in her hands. She was frustrated, why was her friend too stubborn to accept help from her?

Dash was pacing around the kitchen restlessly, wondering if it would be right to talk to Applejack about the money situation again or just let it go. She did promise she wouldn’t bring it up again, but it was beyond frustrating to hear her ‘family’ whispering about the trouble they were in, then reassure Dash that everything was peachy keen. They would not be willing to accept the help she was offering, either. Rainbow Dash knew she could so easily make it all go away – But Applejack was too proud to let anyone take care of her in that way.

The amateur Wonderbolt glanced at the clock, and now realizing how late it was, decided to retire back to her room. She wasn’t tired, but if Applejack happened to come down into the kitchen and notice Dash was still up, she would get a motherly lecture about staying up late, then, if Dash were lagging at work the next day, tired from staying up the night before, she’d never hear the end of it.

While Rainbow dragged herself down the hallway, gripping her new book to her chest, she heard a faint voice coming from Applejack’s room. She stopped in front of her friend’s door and listened on quietly, wondering why the farmer was still up, and what she could be talking about.

“Ah don’t know if ah should just ask Dash…What if she ends up hatin’ me? Ah know she said she wouldn’t…”

Dash’s heart skipped a beat. She stuck a finger in her ear and gave it a turn, then leaned in closer to the door to listen again. Applejack was speaking at barely above a whisper, and now the curious Pegasus could barely make a word out. It quickly became too frustrating for Dash to continue, and she marched on to the next door over. She tossed her book onto her bed, then took a seat on the edge of her mattress. It let out a loud squeak when she made contact with it.

“She must’ve been wondering if she should ask me for money…” Dash began to rub her chin gently as she thought more about it. “She’s probably too afraid to ask…Hhmmm…” She felt her eyes getting heavy.

The pegasus let her body fall back onto the bed, and she let out a loud yawn.  “Guess I’ll worry about it in the morning though.”

~ ~ ~

In the early morning the Apple siblings were up and at it, down on the farm doing their usual tasks. For hours Applejack had been working, doing the familiar task of apple picking. She hadn’t seen Rainbow yet today, but figured she still fast asleep (which was very possible, she did that often after staying up all night reading). Applejack was at the very top of a ladder, reaching up to grab some loose apples. As she dropped them below her, she noticed coming down the path. As it came closer, she realized it was none other than Rainbow Dash. Applejack was unsure why her friend was now entering the farm; had she been up working this entire time and didn’t take notice? She slid down from her ladder to greet the Pegasus.

“Howdy, Rainbow. Where ya comin’ from? Ah didn’t see ya leave the house this mornin’.”

“Oh! I uh…Figured you wouldn’t have. I just went flying... I got up a little bit ago and decided to do a lap around town, just to stretch my wings and stuff…”

Applejack looked at her friend suspiciously. Her excuse didn’t seem outrageous at all, but she did seem a little on edge.  She was familiar with how Dash acted when she was trying to hide something.

“Didja stop anywhere?” AJ decided to probe a bit.

“Who, me? No way, just went for a fly then came straight back here! Anyway I’d better get to work, looks like you have your hands full!”

“Dash, ya don’t hafta lie ta me ya know. Didja go to Twilight’s or somethin’?” She was worried this had become a regular thing. Maybe Dash was making a constant of it now, going over to their friend’s library to complain about her behind her back. She couldn’t blame her if she was; Applejack snapped at her a few times, and was amazed the Pegasus came back time and time again, simply able to shine it all on.  Since hearing about the first visit with Twilight, it was something AJ kept in the back of her mind.

Rainbow Dash looked utterly puzzled. “Twilight’s? No….Why do you ask?”

“Well…Ah know ya went there a few weeks ago. After, er…” The apple farmer trailed off there. “I figured ya’ll have been goin’ there. Maybe confidin’ in Twilight, talkin’ about how nuts ah’ve been drivin’ ya?”

“What?! That’s crazy, AJ. I went to Twilight’s a few weeks ago after…The incident, but it wasn’t to talk badly about you. It was more for…Myself, really.” Rainbow Dash felt herself getting backed into a corner here. She definitely did not want to relay what they had spoken about that day.

The farm girl shook her head. “Ah don’t get it, Dash. Ya can tell me the truth, ah won’t be mad. Ya went over there, but that day ya told me the same thing; ‘Ah just went for a quick fly is all’. Why wouldn’t ya just tell me ya went to Twilight’s too?”

“I…Just figured it wasn’t important. I went there for a little bit to catch up with her, but we just talked about boring stuff. Daring Do, Wonderbolts, princess stuff, yadda yadda…” That wasn’t technically a lie, but it also wasn’t the whole truth. “Believe me, AJ. I don’t have anything bad to say about you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but please believe me when I say I wouldn’t do that.”

Applejack sighed. Her friend seemed sincere in her response; it made her feel a little better about it, but didn’t put her mind at ease completely. Why would she be sneaking around and not telling her then? There must have been something Dash didn’t want to talk about.

“If ya say so. Ah guess it’s yer business, ah won’t bother ya about it anymore.”

This was one of Applejack’s guilt tactics. She would make it seem like everything was okay, then let Dash overthink it, and, eventually, she’d spill everything on her own. She was great at these kinds of mind tricks.

Dash narrowed her eyes – She knew exactly what her friend was up to, but this time she couldn’t let herself slip up. She was not going to tell Applejack about her visit to Twilight’s. Applejack simply carried on with her work, whistling to herself while she gathered the apples into a barrel. Damn, she was good.

“I’m gonna…Get to work…” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck nervously; waiting to see of Applejack would give any kind of response. Eventually  she gave a simple ‘yup’, then headed back up the ladder to gather more apples.

‘For Celestia’s sake! I’m getting out of here.’ And with that, the two girls parted ways. Dash went off to the opposite end of Sweet Apple Acres to work, avoiding Applejack the rest of the day at all costs.

When night rolled around, and all members of the house decided to retire to their separate bedrooms, Applejack had finally given up hope on making Rainbow crack. Maybe there really wasn’t more to say, maybe she was being honest with her. The farm girl was lying in her bed, eyes closed, trying to unwind from the day and get some rest. As she felt herself dozing off, she heard a knock at the door.

“AJ, it’s me”

Applejack sat up and turned on the desk lamp rested beside her on her nightstand. “Ya can come in, Dash.”

The door opened, and there stood a very sheepish looking Rainbow Dash. She took only a few steps in, but still kept her distance between herself and the bed. Applejack just sat there quietly.

“Uh…Didja wanna say somethin’, sugarcube?”

Dash tensed up. She took in a deep breath, then held it for several seconds. “OkayyouwererightAJ – I went to Twilight’s to talk about the kiss because I was confused  and didn’t wanna talk to you about it but Twilight convinced me to go back and let you explain yourself and I was afraid to tell you I went because..!” she paused to take another breath. Applejack was just staring on, totally mystified. The Pegasus was talking a mile a minute – She could barely understand what she was saying.

“Wow, slow yer roll partner. Ya went to Twilight’s ta talk about the…uh….accident, then what?”

“I…Well.” Dash froze up. Was it time to spill it, let it all come out and just deal with the consequences?  She wasn’t sure if she could do it… “I…Didn’t want to tell you because…I thought you’d be mad…That I told Twilight…About the kiss.”

“Oh.” The blonde was satisfied enough with that answer, but still had to admit she was irritated that Dash kept it from her so long. “Well, ah guess ah ain’t too happy she knows about it, but I ain’t mad at ya. Twilight ain’t a gossip, so ah doubt it’ll get around. Plus, ah can’t be mad atchya fer that…Can’t blame ya for needin’ someone to talk to after that.”

“So, I’m not in trouble anymore?” Dash said hopefully.

Applejack chuckled. “Who said ya were in trouble?” The cowgirl gave her a small wink – her little way of saying ‘I win again’.

Dash rolled her eyes. There was always some way to make a competition out of everything. She was at least relieved to know AJ was content with her explanation, and wouldn’t be bothering her about it anymore. In her own way, Dash won as well. They shot each other a quick smile before Dash headed back out the door. With the door still barely open a crack, Dash whispered “Have sweet dreams about me”.

“Ah’d rather have nightmares t’night,” Applejack teased. “Go get some sleep, silly. Ah’ll see ya in the mornin’.”

Chapter Three: All My Loving

::AUTHOR’S NOTE:: Sorry for the *Extremely long* chapter. I just had to get all this crap out – I’m impatient :O) Enjoy guys! (P.S. this chapter contains some naughtiness. It’s pretty PG-13 though…For now. Don’t read if you aren’t ready to clop ya’ll).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another week rolled by, and Applejack felt the stress piling on. It was less than week until Rainbow Dash returned to the Wonderbolt Academy, and just a few days after that, their payment to the bank was due. The Apple family was very close to having what they needed, but an extra week to get money wouldn’t hurt either.

The Stetson wearing farm girl was able to keep herself occupied most of the time anyway. She spent as much time as possible with Rainbow, dreading the inventible goodbye that was coming in just a few days. At least once she was gone, she could get her mind off of her feelings for the young Pegasus. Having her around was a blessing and a curse – She enjoyed her company more than anything, but also found it difficult to contain her own feelings sometimes. She would get snappy from time to time, frustrated by her own lust for her best friend. Other times she’d find herself staring for minutes at a time, knowing very well Rainbow took notice. It must have made her friend uncomfortable, and that, unavoidably, made Applejack feel uncomfortable in turn.

It was late morning, and Applejack had just come downstairs, fully dressed and ready for the day. She met her brother in the kitchen for a quick bite before getting started with everything. Mac was quietly beside her, reading the morning paper.

“Do ya know where Dash is?” AJ interrupted

“Ah think she’s still sleepin’, tuh be honest. She was up purdy late practicin’. Didja want me to wake ‘er up?” Big Mac offered.

Applejack shook her head. “It’s alright, let ‘er sleep. She’s been workin’ so hard, she deserves a day tah sleep in. ‘Sides, I’m gonna head over to the bank n’ try n’ sweet talk Mr. Green. Figured we’d better get this over with before the end of the month…”

Big Mac nodded in agreement. With that, Applejack was out the door, and headed into town to work her girlish charm.

It was an exceptionally hot day, and Applejack was worried she’d go into the bank drenched in sweat, looking like a drowned rat. She hated pulling the sympathy card, but she thought it was their best shot. There weren’t many options left, so it really did come down to begging, unfortunately. And when the farm girl gave you a sad look, and asked for something in her sweet, southern accent, it was difficult to say no.

When she reached the bank, she remained outside for a few minutes, practicing what she was going to once face to face with Buck Green. She removed the hat atop her head and began to fidget with it nervously.

“Alright…Here goes nothin’…” She took a step inside, and was immediately noticed by the personal banker, who was sitting at a small desk to her right side. He gave her a small smile and motioned for her to come take a seat.

“Ms. Apple, what a pleasant surprise! It’s nice to see you again, how is everything?”

She took a seat across from the dashingly dressed banker, and set her hat down onto the desk. “Well, uh…Ah reckon I’m pretty good, thanks fer askin.”

“What brings you in here today?”

The blonde’s eyes dropped down to the desk, her eyes started to dart around nervously.

“Well…Ah really hate tuh ask ya of this, Mr. Green…But…’Cause of the circumstances, we’ve had a real hard time this month with money. Ah can assure you we have most of what we owe, but…Well, couldja cut us some slack fer just this month, maybe? We’d really appreciate it…” Applejack’s heart started to race; The banker was just giving her a completely blank stare, but why? She thought for sure her little speech would at least tug on a few heartstrings.

“Ms. Apple, I’m not really sure what you’re talking about. Your payment’s already been made for this month…” The businessman finally replied.

Applejack scratched her head; Was he mistaking her for another client possibly? “Ah…Ah’m sorry. Didja say it’s already taken care of?” Applejack placed a hand on her forehead, the entire situation was completely baffling.

Mr. Green nodded. “Got paid off last week, here’s the paperwork for the payment and everything. It was paid off in cash, the full balance. Young lady said she was dropping it off for you.” The banker reached into his file and shuffled through a few folders until he found the correct document. He placed a single paper on the table, and Applejack’s eyes widened.

At the bottom of the paper was Rainbow Dash’s signature. She finally understood – Her friend came in on her own, and made the payment without telling her. She should have felt relieved, but instead she felt somewhat ashamed and upset at her friend for going behind her back like that.

“Ah…See…Ah guess she forget tah tell me she dropped it off.” She pressed her hand atop the paper, and shoved it back towards Mr. Green.

“It’s not a problem, Ms. Apple. I’m glad to see you guys are doing well for yourselves though – just a few missed payments and the bank could come take the farm, you know. I’d hate to see that happen to a sweet young lady such as yourself.”

Applejack nodded. Rainbow Dash did do her a big favor by doing this, but she was still not comfortable with her best friend giving up her hard earned money like that. It was Applejack’s responsibility to take care of the farm, and not Rainbow Dash’s.

“Sure am glad we’re doin’ alright for ourselves… Well er…If everything’s all set, ah reckon we ain’t got much business tuh go over. It was nice tuh see ya again though, Mr. Green.”

The banker smiled. “Pleasure’s all mine, Ms. Apple. You have a great day!”

The farm girl calmly walked out of the bank, trying her best to keep a straight head on about everything and not cause a scene. As soon as she exited the bank though, she felt her blood pressure begin to rise. This was so frustrating; she wasn’t sure if she owed the Pegasus another kiss on the lips, or a slap across the face. She started her brisk walk back to the farm, gathering her thoughts on how to face her friend.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Upon entering the house, the farm girl immediately heard two familiar voices coming from the kitchen. Big Mac and Rainbow Dash must have been starting lunch. She headed in to see them side by side, laughing as they worked. Dash was covered head to toe in flour somehow, it made Applejack crack a small smile for a second, until she remembered the purpose of coming to find her friend.

“Howdy guys, what are ya up to?” She started calmly

The pair turned in unison to face Applejack. Dash suddenly felt self-conscious about her sloppy appearance and tried to wipe some of the flour off of her torso and face. “OH, hey AJ! I asked Big Mac if he’d help me bake a pie – As you can clearly see, I have no clue what I’m doing…”

Applejack raised a brow at her brother. He gave her a worried look; she didn’t seem to be in the best of moods. He suspected things didn’t go so well at the bank.

“How’d it go, AJ?” Mac questioned

“Just peachy. Everythin’ is sorted out – I’ll tell ya all about it in a minute…” She paused to look over at Rainbow Dash, who was suddenly frozen in fear. “Ah was wonderin’ if Dash and ah could have a minute alone?”

Rainbow Dash was sure her heart was going to burst. She tried to act oblivious to what was happening, lettings her eyes wander around the room while shifting her weight back and forth from heel to toe. It didn’t take long for Big Macintosh to realize Dash was about to get a scolding from Applejack, and made his way out of the kitchen without another word.

The two girls stood there silently for a minute. Dash’s eyes wandered back up to Applejack when she heard a chair scrape along the floor. Applejack rested her hand on the chair’s back, then pointed to the seat, suggesting that Rainbow should come sit down. She took a few short steps over to the table and sat down, watching as AJ pulled the chair on the opposite end of the table away, and took a seat as well. Dash did not want to be the first to speak, so she sat patiently as her friend across from her tapped her fingers on the table and stared crossly at her.

“Alright…Ya gonna fess up, Rainbow?”

The Pegasus gulped. “Well uh…I…May have stopped by the bank a few days ago?”

“Uh huh. And?”

“I…Paid off the loan for this month. I didn’t think I’d get caught, though. I wasn’t exactly prepared to tell you about this.”

“How in the hay didja figure you wouldn’t get caught and hafta explain yerself Dash?”

“I had no idea you were going to the bank today. I’m going back to the academy in a few days, remember? I thought I’d be gone before you went in to make the payment, and then…”

Applejack cut her off with a sharp laugh, “Hah! So ya just figured ya’d do that then run off before ya could get in trouble? Real nice, Rainbow. What in the world is the matter with ya? Don’t ya remember what ah said tuh you? Ah ain’t anyone’s charity case.”

“I know, I know! But, I heard you a few nights ago. You were talking to yourself in your room, and…” Dash suddenly wanted to cram her foot in her mouth, why did she just spill that to Applejack, who was already beyond furious with her? It was too late now, though. “And…I….heard you say…You were afraid to ask me something.” Dash was shrinking back in her seat; Applejack’s expression grew angrier by the second. “I…”

“Gosh darnit, Rainbow! Y’know ah hate it when you prod in mah personal business like that! And fer yer information, that was NOT what ah was talkin’ about!” Applejack slammed her fist onto the table, intimidating her friend even further.

“Then…What were you talking about?”

“It’s none of yer business! It…It doesn’t matter right now! Listen tah me…”

“AJ, I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you…I promise…” The pegasus said barely above a whisper

“First off, ah’m payin’ you back every penny ya ‘lent’ us. Secondly, if ah catch ya snoopin’ on me again, I’ll…”

“I said I was sorry! What do you want me to do about it? You guys were obviously in trouble, I felt like I needed to do something. Just let someone else take care of you for once, AJ!”

Applejack clenched her teeth together. “Ah had one request, Rainbow Dash! One thing ah asked of yuh! And yuh totally disrespected me!” Applejack’s face was turning bright red. Dash had never seen her get this angry before.

“I…Just…” Dash could barely speak. She just wanted to curl up and die – She’d been in fights with her best friend before, but she had never felt so degraded.

“Not another word, Dash! Ah want you outta tha house. Go somewhere else fer the night! Ah can’t even stand tuh look at you right now!”

“Please…” It was all she could muster up.

“GET OUT!” The farmer had snatched the Stetson atop her head, and threw it onto the ground in a fit of rage.

Rainbow Dash knew she was not messing around. She hurried to the door, not bothering to look back. She swung it open, and took off, not taking the time to close it behind her. Applejack just stood there shaking for a moment. It took a minute to register what had just happened, and it all started to sink in. It was a few minutes later Mac found himself back in the kitchen, figuring the argument must have been over now. Applejack still stood there, staring at the open door.

“What happened, AJ?” Mac placed his hand over her shoulder. She turned to face her brother, who was giving her his signature ‘look’ – his eyes soft and smile inviting. She always felt vulnerable around him, like she no longer had a filter when he worked his brotherly charm. Her lip began to quiver, but she bit it down, trying to keep herself from crying. Mac pulled her into a hug.

“S’alright, don’t cry. What were you n’ Dash yellin’ about?”

“Rainbow Dash went tuh the bank last week n’ paid everythin’ off. I told her not to, but she was worried cuz she overhead me sayin’ somethin’ about needin’ help, and…”

“Whoa, slow down.” Mac was confused by his sister’s jabbering, “Why’re ya so mad at ‘er then? Ah agree that it ain’t right talkin’ other people’s money, but Dash is our family. Why, ya’d do tha same for ‘er if she were in yer situation.”

“Ah…Ah don’t want her thinkin’ ah’m usin’ her. Askin’ fer money all the sudden, now that she’s famous…”

“Y’know she doesn’t think that.” Mac reassured “She loves ya, AJ. She’s just worried ‘bout ya. Ah betchya she’d give up everythin’ she had to make ya happy…”

Applejack pulled away from her brother a bit, and he took a few steps back, seeing the anger brood within her. “AH DON’T WANT HER TO THOUGH! That’s what’s got me so darn…Irritated! Ah don’t want ‘er feelin’ sorry for me, or takin’ care ‘f me or any ‘f that! She always goes on about how she’d drop bein’ a Wonderbolt n’ come home if ah asked, an’ sayin’ she’d send all her money home if we needed it…and…”

“So, what’s the problem with all that?”

“THE PROBLEM IS AH DO WANT HER HOME. Ah hate it when she’s gone, Mac. But ah couldn’t even hint that ah need her or let her start doin’ this stuff, or she’ll make up her own mind and come home! Just ‘cause ah can’t handle mah feelings properly! And she’ll resent me fer the rest of her life – Even if ah don’t say ‘Dash, ah want ya tuh come home’ right to her face, ya heard what happened with tha bank. She went n’ did that on her own. If ah start actin’ like ah depend on her she’ll give up her entire life. Just for stupid me…”

Her brother was speechless. He’d never heard his sister talk about missing Rainbow Dash so open heartedly. There was nothing he could say at this point, he was heartbroken by the idea his missed her best friend, and worried so much.

“Stupid you? AJ, ya’ve given plenty to Dash. Ah doubt she thinks of ya in that way. So what if she’d do that all fer ya? It’s ‘er life, she has a right tuh choose. Ya shouldn’t be so worried ‘bout controllin’ her. I ain’t gonna say anythin’ else about it, but ah think ya owe her an apology at least.”

Applejack crossed her arms, she knew he was right, but didn’t want to admit it. They were both stubborn as mules. After a few moments of silence, Mac decided he’d had enough, and headed out the open door.

“Ah’m gettin’ some work done. Ya can do what ya want.”

He gently closed the door behind him, leaving his sister to brew in her own guilt.

~ ~ ~

Dash was far above the earth now – lying face down in a cloud, her arm hanging over the side, completely lifeless. She couldn’t recall the last time she had felt this bad. Nothing had ever made her feel quite like this; Not being bullied at school, not being belittled by her parents, not even the past fights she had been in with AJ. Dash pulled her arms in, and wrapped them around her own body. She was trying to hold her tears back, but it was a losing battle. She buried her face back into the cloud, and began to cry. Harder than she’d ever cried before.

She remained up in the blue skies for several hours, tossing and turning on the makeshift cloud bed. No one took notice; sans the occasional other Pegasus flying overhead, but no one bothered her. It was warm enough out to just stay up there for the night – She didn’t really feel like letting any of her friends see her like this. There was no way she was going to Pinkie’s; in her mood she might strangle the party girl to death. Rarity would just want to gossip about it, and Twilight would poke into her business and make her talk about her feelings. There was Fluttershy, but Dash didn’t particularly like staying her place, which was completely overrun by animals.  It was settled, then. She’d just stay up there for tonight, then return to the farm in the morning to see if Applejack had cooled down.

“Maybe I should just head back to the academy early…” Dash sighed. “I could go back and pack up my things…Get out of Applejack’s hair…” She watched the clouds roll by, becoming mesmerized by the small tufts above her. Before she knew it, the sun was setting, and darkness filled the sky. She turned her gaze away from the stars, now turning onto her stomach, and looked back down to the greenery below her. Not far off in the distance was the farm – She wanted so badly to go back and set things right. She wasn’t about to go and defy another one of her best friend’s wishes, though; it would be nice to return to the Wonderbolts with both wings intact.

“Dash? Rainbow Dash!”

The still silence was suddenly broken by a voice off in the far distance. Rainbow Dash rolled back over, then sat up. Was she just imaging that? No, she was sure of it. Someone was chanting her name off in the distance.

“Uhh…Hello? Who’s out there?” She waited for a few seconds, no reply. “HELLO?” She tried a bit louder.

“Rainbow Dash?”

Dash furrowed her brows. Who was flying around at this hour looking for her? She spread her wings hopped off the cloud; she attempted to move towards the mysterious voice.

A few hundred feet in front of her was another girl, walking in circles around a cloud. “DAASSSHH?” She heard again. When she was finally close enough, she realized it was none other than the princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Twilight…?”

Twilight spun around. “Thank Celestia, Dash! There you are!”

The Wonderbolt landed on the cloud beside her friend. What was this all about? There were a million questions in Dash’s mind.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you, Twi…But…Why are you flying around out here?”

“Applejack’s been all over town. She stopped at everyone’s house looking for you; when she came to the library she said it was the last place she could think to check. When you weren’t there, she got worried.”

“Applejack…Came looking for me? I don’t understand.” Dash was equal parts relieved, and confused, to hear that.

Twilight shrugged. “I thought maybe something had happened to you. And AJ said she was worried you’d left for good. But anyway, it’s not important. I told her to head home and wait, and I’d come looking for you.” She gave her friend a bright smile.

Dash stared down at the puffy cloud beneath her feet. “You spent all night looking for me? Twilight, you didn’t have –“

“Of course I did. One of my best friends was worried sick, I wasn’t going to let her stay up all night thinking something had happened. You can thank me later, okay? Just head home and talk to Applejack. I’m sure she’ll be relieved to see you.” The young princess moved closer to give her friend a reassuring hug. “You’ll be alright.”

Dash nodded. “Thanks, Twi…” She whispered to her friend while being released from the hug. She took off to the night sky and headed home.

________________________________________________________________________________

When Dash was close enough, she landed atop a cloud, just hovering over the barn. She saw Applejack sitting on the porch, leaning with her arms rested against her legs, staring headlong at the floor. It pulled on her heartstrings a bit to know she’d been worrying so much. It was a fast change of heart, especially for Applejack, who stubbornly held onto grudges for eons. There were days they wouldn’t talk after a fight – Dash found this situation very surprising.

She took a deep breath. ‘Well, here goes nothing…’

“Applejack?”

The farmer’s head lifted, she felt some life return to her body. That was definitely Dash, and she had never been happier to hear her voice before.

“Rainbow!” She jumped up from her spot on the porch and moved around a bit, searching the skies. She finally spotted her on a cloud off near the barn, and began to sprint in her direction. Dash was just beginning to touch ground when the apple farmer nearly tackled her into the grass. She let out a loud huff as the wind was knocked out of her by her friend’s grip.

“AJ…Let me…Go…” the Pegasus begged.

Applejack loosened her grip and pulled away, grinning at the site of her friend. That quickly went away though - Applejack’s heart sank into her stomach at the sight of her face – She must have been crying all night. Her cheeks were still stained by tears; her eyes were slightly red and puffy.  What had she done? She’d gotten into plenty of fights with Dash, but Dash had never managed to make her cry before. She felt…Awful. She removed her hat and lowered it down, pressing it against her chest.

“Rainbow Dash…Ah’m so sorry ah snapped at ya. I overreacted…”

The pegasus gave her a blank stare. Was that it? That was her apology?

Applejack rubbed her own arm nervously. “Ah uh…Maybe overreacted a lot…Ah guess ah owe ya an apology, huh?”

“WOW, you THINK?” Dash shouted back. “You don’t know how hurt I am, AJ. You’re the only family I have, and I got totally chewed out just for caring about you. Seeing you freaking out was killing me. You’re an idiot if you think I care about money or my work more than you! And, completely nuts if you think I’d ever let anything happen to you, so go ahead and yell again or tell me you don’t need my help or whatever. I do-“ Dash was cut off by Applejack’s finger, pressed firmly against her mouth.

“Ah know, ah know. Ya don’t have to tell me Dash. Ah didn’t come lookin’ for ya to scold ya more…” She pulled her finger away from the pegasus’ mouth. “You’ve been nothin’ but sweet and helpful since yuh been here, sugarcube. Ah’ve been impossible tuh deal with, ah’m sure. It’s just…With everythin’ that’s happened…Ah let mah emotions get the better of me. And that was a mistake…Ah can’t apologize enough. But ah’ll try tuh make it up to ya. I’ll massage yer wings, I’ll help ya with yer routines, heck, ah’ll letchya borrow mah hat for a week if it’ll make yuh happy.”

Rainbow took a moment to let her friend’s words sink in. Applejack was nervously fiddling with her hat in her hands. She also wore the sweetest, most apologetic smile she’d ever seen on her freckled friend’s face. It was hard to stay mad at her; she looked so completely innocent; like a child being punished for something they didn’t understand they’d done wrong.

The Pegasus took a few deep breaths, still coming down from the emotional breakdown she’d just had. “AJ…What do you think of me?”

The question perplexed the farm girl. She wasn’t exactly sure what she meant.

“Er…How do ya mean?”

Dash shut her eyes for a moment. ‘You should tell Applejack how you feel! She really likes you, you know!’ Pinkie’s bubbly voice replayed in her head. This only made Rainbow more frustrated.

“I mean. What am I to you? You say I’m like family, but you barely treat me that way. You won’t even let me help you. So…What am I?”

Applejack’s heart sped up a bit.

“Rainbow…Y’know darn well how I feel about yuh.”

“No, I don’t. Applejack…” She paused, not knowing exactly how to put it, “Do you consider me as more than a friend?”

The question completely threw Applejack for a loop. She was surprised the Pegasus was so blunt; it was rare they were so brutally honest with one another. Maybe it was time to let it all come out, though. It was time she owned up to her element, and was completely honest with her best friend. She owed that much to her, even if it was difficult to do. Her friend deserved to hear the truth after everything she’d been put through.

Applejack moved a bit closer to her best friend “Of course, Rainbow. Y’are like family tuh me…Maybe even more than that…” The farm girl dropped her gaze. Her cheeks were turning a rosy pink.

“…More? So…Like…” Rainbow Dash stopped, hoping Applejack would fill in the blank for her. Her green eyes met the pegasus’ magenta irises again, and she took another step closer. It visibly made Dash a little tense.

“Ah…Guess ah consider ya as more than a friend…Ah care about ya a great amount…And…Ah don’t love ya like ah love Big Mac or Applebloom…It’s…Different.”

Dash’s mouth was open slightly; she was completely lost in her friend’s gaze now.

“Different? Wha…”

“Ah’m sorry if that makes ya uncomfortable.” Applejack interrupted her friend’s thought, not intentionally, but she felt the need to get it all out now, before she lost the confidence to do so. “Ah really didn’t wanna tell yuh, thinkin’ ya’ll probably didn’t feel the same way…But it ain’t right to keep it to mahself anymore. Dash, ah love ya. More than ah can express. Ah just hope that doesn’t ruin our friendship.” She immediately shut her eyes, not wanting to see the look on her friend’s face.

Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash closed the gap between the two, and pressed her lips against the farm girl’s. She wasn’t surprised to feel Applejack returning the kiss, and wrapped her arms around her friend’s neck to deepen it. After what seemed like a lifetime, Rainbow pulled away, her heart melted at the sight of her friend’s tender smile.

“Applejack…” She was cut off by another kiss, this time initiated by the blonde. She pulled away after a few blissful seconds, then continued. “I care about you…” she was stopped by another gentle kiss. Applejack finally pulled away, now letting her friend finish her thought. She planted a soft kiss on the pegasus’ cheek, then gave her the opportunity to speak. Dash was staring longingly at her best friend’s lips; her head was clouded with the euphoria of this moment. She was on cloud nine – She never thought this day would come. All she wanted to do was connect with the farmer’s supple lips again, but that would have to wait.

“I…Want this…More than anything.” She paused, taking a second to gauge Applejack’s reaction. She just kept a soft smile on her face, listening patiently. “I mean…Jeez, AJ. I’ve thought about this for years. But…I don’t think we should do this…”

Her elation was taken away by the complete look of hurt on the apple farmer’s face.

“Ah don’t understand…Why not?”

The young flyer hated to see the person she loved like this. She clenched her eyes shut, trying her best to gather her thoughts. She found it difficult to speak to her friend when she looked at her like that. She felt her friend’s hand meet her face; her thumb began to stroke her cheek gently. It calmed her mind for a moment, and gave her the confidence to speak up again.

“Because…This isn’t the life you deserve. You don’t deserve to be with someone who’s gone ten months out of the year, who can’t even make it to something as important as a funeral. What kind of relationship is that? I love you too much to do that to you.” Dash was surprised when she felt another sweet kiss planted on her lips. The sensation made her tingle – This was all a tad bit overwhelming for the Pegasus.

AJ moved away, barely leaving an inch between them “Sugarcube… Ah know what ah’m gettin’ myself into…” She began softly, “Ah don’t care. Even if yer not here, there ain’t gonna be anyone else who makes me feel like ah do about you.” She brushed her lips against Dash’s once again. Dash did not protest this time, she pulled herself in closer, meeting AJ’s with an intense passion. She couldn’t help it; she had been longing to do this not long after she’d met the farmer. Applejack cupped her lover’s face for a moment as they continued the kiss. She turned her head slightly to the side and parted her lips just barely, teasing her love’s lips, and giving Rainbow a rush of pleasure. She released her from the kiss when she heard the Pegasus moan quietly. Just a second later, Rainbow Dash leaned in again, longing for more. Applejack met her lips with a simple peck, but quickly pulled back to continue. It was getting difficult to remember what they were even talking about.

She smirked at her best friend’s look of disappointment. Before Dash took the opportunity to engage in tonsil hockey, the farm girl continued. “Ah’m willin’ tuh make a long distance relationship work, Rainbow. If yuh think we could pull it off, then…Well, ah think it’s worth a shot.”

Dash took a moment to ponder. A long distance relationship? Would that really work? Dash was an extremely jealous girl; she knew Applejack wouldn’t cheat on her, but, what if other people showed interest? What if they were hitting on her girlfriend? She wouldn’t even be there to defend her.  Then again, she didn’t really need to be defended. She was a big girl; she could probably knock Big Macintosh out if she were angry enough. Still…

Dash shook the thoughts out of her head. “I…I dunno, AJ.  I want to say yes, but…I’m afraid. What if things don’t work out? What if this…Ruins our friendship? I don’t know what I’d do…”

“Shucks, Dash. You never hafta worry about that, ah mean it. We can give it a try, and if it don’t work out, we’ll go right back tah how things were.”

Applejack seemed sincere, but it didn’t completely put Dash’s mind at ease. Maybe Applejack could go back to just being friends, but Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure if she could do the same. Her best friend seemed hopeful though, and that was enough to get her on board for now.

Dash began to nod. “Alright…I’ll give it a try, Applejack. Who knows, with you coming to shows more often, it might not be so bad. Plus, I can probably visit home more now that I’m not in basic training. And, hey, it’s just another couple years. If it works out, I can come back to the farm permanently.”

The two met in a tight embrace; Applejack rested her head on the pegasus’ shoulder. A minute later, she turned her head in, and gave Dash a kiss on the cheek. Still wrapped in the embrace, Dash angled her head down, and gave Applejack returned the favor with a kiss on the lips. This time, they explored each other’s mouths a bit more. Dash nibbled on her lover’s bottom lip gently, which won a soft moan from her. Her tongue began to run along the farm girl’s lips, until they barely parted, welcoming it in. The two met, dancing back and forth, wrapping around each other passionately. In the midst of their romance, Dash had opened her wings, and let herself fall slowly back onto the ground, still holding the blonde girl firmly against her body. With Applejack atop her, they began to feel each other’s bodies. Applejack was lightly rubbing the girl below her’s shoulders, and every so often, sliding her hands down her body, then slowly dragging them back up. It made the Pegasus shudder in pleasure. Dash had one hand wrapped around AJ’s head; her fingers intertwined with her hair. The other was gliding up and down the girl’s back, sometimes going down past the waist and slipping into her pants for a moment, quickly teasing her, before pulling back up to a more appropriate area. Every so often they would part lips, feeling each other’s hot breath, then hungrily go back for more, deepening the kisses each time. After several minutes of this, Dash pulled away, and began to shift her body. Applejack showed no struggle, and followed her best friend’s direction. She slid off of her friend, and now allowed the Pegasus to take control on top. This was completely fine with the farmer, though. Dash straddled her hips for a moment, then finally leaned down, leaving barely an inch between their lips. Applejack took the opportunity to wrap her arms around her friend’s neck.

“AJ…” She panted.

“Mhm?” The farm girl was getting impatient, she kissed the Pegasus softly.

She smiled as they pulled away. “I love you.”

She closed her eyes for just a brief moment, letting the words linger “Ah love ya too, Dash.” She whispered to the girl atop her.

Dash felt her body tingle again. With that, they were back at it. They let their bodies melt into each other, becoming more and more entwined as minutes passed. Dash could feel her wings throbbing; they would twitch every so often – especially when Applejack would run her hands over them. She began to moan as pleasure built, she knew it was getting intense, but wasn’t sure how far to take it at this point. Dash just kept her eyes shut, enjoying each nibble of the lip, each stroke of the hand, each jagged breath. She felt her own throbbing member begging for more intimacy, and decided to be more daring. She moved her lips away from Applejack’s mouth, and began to plant kisses on her face, then moved down her neck; she stopped there for a moment to suckle, and occasionally run her tongue along it. She heard the farm girl’s breathing become more uneven as she did that, and that only made her own body beg for more. She bit gently on the side of her friend’s neck now, and moved her hands over her breasts. Her pointer finger tugged the girl’s collar, then began to fiddle with the top button of her orange blouse. Dash pulled her mouth away from AJ’s neckline, and she lowered her gaze. She was able to get two buttons undone before she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. She lifted her gaze back up to the farm girl, who was breathing heavily below her.

“Dash…We can’t…Not here.” Applejack begged breathlessly.

Rainbow pulled her hands away, slightly embarrassed for getting so caught up in the moment. Applejack chuckled, then leaned up to give her lover a heartening kiss.

“Not ‘cause ah don’t want to…But ah don’t want us getting’ caught out here.” She whispered to the girl atop her. She ran her fingers through her colorful hair, hoping that would reassure the Pegasus that she was not in any trouble.  Rainbow did find this comforting, although she still felt sheepish; she knew Applejack was longing for it as much as she was. Applejack rested her back against the ground once more, bringing the smaller girl with her. Dash let out a soft sigh as she rested her head against her friend’s chest. She never thought there could be a sensation quite as wonderful as flying, but lying with her eyes closed, listening to her best friend’s heart lightly beat, having her hair stroked by her kind hands, was just as amazing. She never wanted this moment to end.

It seemed like an eternity they simply rested there, enjoying each other’s embrace. Neither girl had ever done anything this intimate, this special. Dash could spend the rest of her life wrapped up in her friend’s arms. Applejack burrowed her nose into Rainbow’s colorful mane and gave the top of her head a kiss, causing the smaller girl atop her to shift a bit. Dash positioned her head so she was able to see her best friend’s face. She scooted in a bit closer, bringing their faces within inches of each other again.

“Should we go back? Pick up where we left off inside?” Dash offered her friend a coy smile.

Applejack brushed a few hairs out of her friend’s face. “Ah reckon we should…” She began to sit up, prompting the Pegasus to shift her weight back and slide off of her friend’s stomach. They both took a moment to stretch out before standing.

“C’mon, sugarcube.” The farm girl took her new lover’s hand and let their fingers intertwine.  Without another word, they began to walk back home together.

Chapter One: The Emotion Commotion

It was an absolutely perfect day – Work on the farm was done well before sundown for once, and there was now a peaceful serenity surrounding the farm-girl and she lie in the tall, unkempt grass of Sweet Apple Acres. Her arms were folded behind her head, her signature hat pulled forward so it would carefully shield her eyes from the sunlight, and she had her knees bent up, her right leg draped across the left. The skies were mostly clear, although an occasional cloud would roll by, temporarily lending the young apple farmer some shade, before drifting along. Applejack let out a soft sigh as she continued to chew a piece of hay. It wasn’t often she got this kind of peace and tranquility, no. Usually, work was hectic, not to mention the fact she had to chase a toddler around the farm on top of all that. But today no more work, no Applebloom, no nothing. Applejack could finally take a moment to just relax and unwind…Or, so she thought.

“Hey!” An unfamiliar voice broke the silence, causing Applejack to shift a bit. Must have just been a Pegasus flying overhead or something…

“Let me go you idiot! Don’t touch me!”

Applejack let out a heavy sigh, and finally sat up. She kept her legs crossed for a moment while she readjusted her hat, and rubbed her eyes, hoping that would help her become acclimated to the sunlight again. She finally stood up, and followed the voice through the orchard.

“Ahm just tryna help” The eldest apple farmer pleaded – “Y’seemed to have had a pretty nasty fall”. The young man’s hands were placed under the pegasus’ armpits, he was holding her up as if she were a wet cat – dangling away from him and struggling to get out of his grip. She stopped struggling when she heard some familiar voices call out – “Where did Rainbow Crash go?!”

“Just let me go!” The Pegasus finally managed to elbow the farm boy, prompting him to drop her. She fell to her knees, but was quick to get back up and start running.

‘What in tarnation is goin’ on with Big Mac down there?’ Applejack watched as the rainbow-haired Pegasus desperately escaped from his grip, and bolted.  She noticed the other girl was making a clean break in her direction, and decided to maneuver at just the right moment to cut her off. Luckily, the Pegasus had her head turned away, looking over her shoulder to see if the boy had been following her. Before she could react, the blonde girl had stepped in her way, and put her hands out to stop the impact of the sprinting Pegasus. Unfortunately, they were both knocked to the ground, the young Pegasus atop the farm girl - Applejack was quick to react though. As she saw the other girl turn and push off the ground, she wrapped her forearms around her stomach, as if to give her the Heimlich maneuver, and held her against her body.

“Wouldja quit strugglin’!” Applejack could barely keep her grip on the other girl; her wings were flapping and her entire body flailing against her. Luckily, the apple farmer had a few inches on the mysterious newcomer, so she was finally able to wrestle her down onto the ground and keep her still by sitting atop her. “Calm down! I ain’t gonna do anything to you, okay?”

She heard the girl below her mumble something incoherent. “Come again?” Applejack offered.

“I said get off of me! Jeez! You’re crushing my wings!”

“Ah’ll get off of you if you promise you won’t run off again.” She bargained. There was just silence for a moment, but she finally saw the Pegasus nod in defeat. Applejack slid off of the smaller girl, then extended her arm out.

Applejack helped the stranger up, and offered her a quick smile. The colorful Pegasus was avoiding eye contact; instead she just kept her eyes fixated at the ground. She finally lifted her gaze when she saw a hand extended in front of her.

“Name’s Applejack!”

The Pegasus crossed her arms for a moment, and then finally held out her hand to meet the eager grip of the girl adjacent to her. “Rainbow Dash”.

The young blonde chuckled, “Yer name suits ya well…” She pointed at Rainbow Dash’s hair. Her hair, amazingly enough, was a spectrum of colors. All colors of the rainbow, in fact. The farmer had never seen anything like it. It was pulled back in a tight ponytail, but a bit frazzled, considering what had just happened to the girl. The Pegasus simply responded by rolling her eyes. “Anyway…What brings ya to Sweet Apple Acres?”

“Well…” Rainbow Dash started, “I was in a race with some stupid boys from my flight school. After class today they were teasing me, calling me the usual names. ‘Try not to run into anything on your way home, RAINBOW CRASH!’ It ticked me off, so I challenged them to a race, just to the outside of your farm“ - The girl paused for a moment to wipe some of the dirt off of her shirt before continuing. “Anyway…I was pretty far ahead; I couldn’t believe that I was winning! I knew I was getting close to the finish line too, so I started pulling in closer to the ground. I turned my head to the guys, ready to flaunt my victory…But then…”

Applejack stared, eagerly waiting for the young flyer to finish the rest of her story “And…And then what?”

“I…uh…Hit….thssiididbbbrrr” Rainbow Dash mumbled.

“Come again?”

“The side of your barn… I slammed right into the side of your barn!” The Pegasus blurted out. She frowned as she watched the apple famer struggle to keep a straight face. It was to no avail; Applejack lost control and burst out laughing. Dash glared for a few seconds, shaking a bit from embarrassment.

“Shut up! Jeez! You guys are a bunch of morons.” Dash quickly turned away and waved to the girl behind her “I’m going home!”

Applejack’s laughter quickly came to a halt, and she reached out to grab Dash’s upper arm. “Now hold on a second! Ahm sorry I laughed…Ah just couldn’t help myself. I ain’t ever heard of a person runnin’ into a barn before. Are you alright?”

Dash scoffed “I’m fine. The only thing hurt is my pride…”

There was an awkward silence for a moment, neither girl knowing what to say really. “Anyway…” Rainbow finally mumbled, ready to head home and hide herself away for the next year. Before she could continue, Applejack wrapped her arm around her shoulder and pulled her a little closer.

“Why dontchya stay for dinner, sugarcube? Sounds like you had yerself a mighty rough day, maybe a warm meal and some cider will put you in a good mood. Whaddya say?”

Dash looked up at the girl’s face; she had a genuine, warm smile. Her green eyes lit up, they were kind and inviting. It was hard to say no to that…

“I uh…Guess I could stay for dinner. If you wouldn’t mind having me that is…” Rainbow Dash finally let a small smile grace her lips. “Thanks...And…Sorry I called you a moron…”

“Don’t mention it partner. Now let’s go inside and get you cleaned up. Oh, Big Mac’s gonna get kick outta this! Wait ‘til he hears about what ya did!” Applejack began to lightly chuckle at the thought.

“H..HEY! Don’t you dare!”

Applejack began to laugh a bit harder now, and this time, Dash couldn’t help but to join in.

“Come on! I’ll race yuh down to the house. I ain’t ever raced a Pegasus before!”

Dash smiled back the farmer.

“You’re on!”

Seven years had passed since the two had met. Applejack stood quietly in the field, letting the memory play out in front of her for a few moments. She couldn’t help but smile a little bit as she thought about it. She thought back to this day pretty often, actually. Almost any time she was in this part of the orchard. The day she met her best friend was very sentimental to her, but today, she was feeling especially nostalgic, and a bit melancholy.  She let out a jagged sigh, trying to hold back tears. She had been crying most of the morning, pretty much until she had run out of tears and couldn’t take it anymore. She walked Applebloom off to school, and then headed back to the farm to do some work. She found herself too distracted to work though, and decided to start heading back to the house to see what Big Macintosh was up to. She found it difficult to be alone right now, too caught up in her own thoughts and feelings. One week ago, Granny Smith had passed, leaving the young Apple farmers to take over and pick up where she had left off. All of Applejack’s friends and family had come for the funeral, with one small exception…

…Rainbow Dash…Unfortunately, the newest addition to the Wonderbolts was on tour, and although Applejack sent a letter to her best friend, explaining what had happened, and how badly she needed her, she knew Dash was likely not going to make it back in time for the funeral.  No, the now famous flyer was worlds away. She knew it would take days for Dash to get back, and she wasn’t sure if Dash could get time of at all to come home.

Applejack snapped out of her thoughts when she caught Big Macintosh waving at her from afar. The young blonde forced a small smile, and waved back. Applejack had grown into quite a beautiful young lady, standing just a bit shy of six feet tall. She still kept her blonde locks well past her waist, always tied up neatly so it wouldn’t get in her way while working. She never outgrew her freckles either; in fact, they seemed to have multiplied over the years, if anything. Big Mac stood a good six inches taller than his sister, he had a broad body – He was by no means overweight, but he was a big guy – Broad shoulders, thick neck, and forearms the size of most folk’s thighs. Luckily he was as gentle as could be though, a soft spoken farm boy who mostly kept to himself.

“Everything alright, sis?” Mac asked, wiping his brow as his sister approached him.

“Ah guess…I just can’t concentrate on my work right now. I thought maybe you’d wanna take a break and cool off? Have a few drinks?”

Big Macintosh placed his hands on his hips and looked around for a moment, taking in the amount of work he’d gotten done for the morning. He seemed satisfied by it, and nodded. “Eeyup”

A few hours had passed, and Big Mac decided he ought to head back out and finish up some work before nightfall. He assured his sister it was just fine if she wanted to stay in and relax a bit – It had been a very stressful week, after all. She decided to retire to the front porch and watch the sun set; it was a good way to clear her mind. She meandered in her own thoughts for a while, silently staring down at her feet while gripping a beer with both hands. After several minutes she was pulled away from her thoughts when she heard feet shuffling towards her, and suddenly, a shadow was just touching the tip of her feet.

“Done with work already, Big Mac?” Applejack asked softly, not breaking her concentration from the ground.

“AJ?”

Her heart skipped a beat. Applejack’s head shot up, and there she was, wearing an apologetic smile on her face. She looked almost ashamed to be there, but tried to seem somewhat upbeat for her friend.

“Rainbow?”

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Words seemed to fall short between both of them after that brief exchange. Rainbow Dash’s rose-colored eyes locked with Applejack’s emerald irises for a moment, before Dash attempted to break the awkward silence again.

“So…” The Pegasus was never good with words. It was one of her shortcomings, she was bold enough to take on any physical challenge, do any dangerous stunt, but when it came time to say something meaningful to her closest friend, she just drew a blank.

Luckily Applejack butted in, taking the reins of the conversation.

“What’re you doin’ here?” The cowgirl’s tone was a fair mix of confusion, and irritation.

Rainbow frowned back at her friend, not really sure how to respond to that. “What…Do you mean? I came here for you…I got your letter…” She began to dig into the messenger bag attached at her shoulder, as if her friend had forgotten she had written it.

“That’s not what ah mean, Dash. Ah mean…I’m glad to see ya, but…How did you manage to get time off to come home? I figured I wouldn’t be seein’ the likes of you ‘til you were retired.” Applejack meant that somewhat jokingly, but there was also some sincerity in that thought.

Dash looked somewhat hurt by the comment, but figured it wasn’t the time to get snippy or argue with her friend. It was time for her to set aside any negative feelings, and stay positive – For Applejack. Besides, she expected some snide comments like that when she returned. She had been gone for almost a year, only to be heard from through letters, or occasionally her friends got the pleasure of reading a quick article about her in the papers.

It took Dash a moment to gather her thoughts, and she tried to force a smile back on her face before responding. “Well…Uh…” Nothing came to mind… ‘Oh screw it!’ Dash couldn’t keep the comments to herself, she was gonna let AJ have it.  “Seriously, AJ? You didn’t think I’d come home when my best friend needed me?”

“Well ah…”

“I was worried sick. The moment I got your letter I went straight to Spitfire and told her I had to get home. She wasn’t happy, no, but she understood. I even missed the last show of the season, but I didn’t care.” She stopped for a moment to grab the letter from her bag, and waved it in front of her best friend’s face. “You said you needed me, and I came home. Now that I’m home, you’re acting like you don’t want me around? You know – “

“Dash” Applejack finally interrupted. The Pegasus continued her rant for a few more seconds, before the blonde got fed up and finally stood up. That shut her up for a second – Applejack could definitely be intimidating. She was a good few inches taller than her winged friend, and when she was furrowing her brows like that…

“I…”

“Shut up.” Applejack snapped “I didn’t mean tah hurt your feelings, you bird brain…I just…”

Rainbow’s heart suddenly sank into her stomach. She watched as tears started to well up in the cowgirl’s eyes – Applejack pulled her Stetson over her face, hoping to hide the inventible from her friend. She lowered her hat to her side when she felt Rainbow pull her into an embrace. At first, she hesitated to return the gesture, but a few moments later couldn’t take it anymore. She gripped her friend, so hard she heard the air expel from Dash’s lungs, as if she’d had the wind knocked out of her for a second. Then, she buried her head into Dash’s shoulders, and sobbed.

“Ah…Just…Was hurt…And…” Applejack could barely gasp out the words she had been longing to say to her best friend. She took in a deep breath, and tried at it again. “When you didn’t show up to the funeral…”

“AJ…” Dash tried to interrupt, knowing exactly what was coming. It wasn’t going to be pretty.

“Ah just wanted you to be there so bad, Rainbow. Ah needed my best friend there. Ah…Ah know I had my family, and all the girls…But” She stopped again to take a breath, and wipe some of the tears away from her eyes.  “All ah wanted was this! Ah wanted ya’ll to hug me and tell me it’d be alright and…And…I dunno!” At this point, Applejack had her face buried into her friend’s sternum, and she was pounding her fists against her slender shoulders. Dash kept her hands gently placed on her hands hips, waiting for the tantrum to end.

“I would have given anything to be there, Applejack” the young flyer reassured her friend, and pulled her into a hug again. “You know that. You know I was halfway across the world. I wish more than anything I had been right here, not sitting on a train for days worrying about you.”

“Ah know that…” Applejack sniffled, she felt herself calming down, now that it was all coming out. All of her frustration, all of that excess emotion, everything that had been lingering in the back of her mind for days. “But…It doesn’t make me miss ya any less…Fer years I was so used to you being right here, Rainbow. Always here when I needed ya, and for the first time, you weren’t…And…”

Rainbow was starting to break down, it took a lot to break down the pegasus’ rough exterior, but Applejack had a special way of doing it. Any time she saw her like this…

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, AJ. I’m sorry about Granny Smith, I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I’m sorry I’m never here, I’m sorry about everything. Celestia, I’m terrible friend…”

And with that, AJ lowered her head back into Dash’s sternum, and started crying.

‘Oh jeez…’

The friends didn’t say anything for several minutes. Rainbow Dash simply held her friend, and occasionally stroked her back or hair. Dash honestly preferred this over talking, for a few reasons. When AJ’s sobs became nothing but small hiccups and a few tears, she finally pulled away from her friend’s shoulder. Their eyes met for a second, and as if perfectly timed, both of them smiled softly, and said “Sorry”. They laughed nervously before silence fell between them again.

“You have nothing to be sorry about, AJ” The Pegasus raised her hand to the farm girl’s now pinkish face, and wiped the few remaining tears from her cheeks. Her eyes were puffy and red, and still glazed over with a few tears. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m here now. For as long as you need me.”

“Dash…”

“It’s alright. Our season break was coming up in a week anyway. Like I said, we only had one show left…”

Applejack frowned at her friend, and then playfully hit her on the arm. “Ya missed yer last show? Dash! This is yer first year as a Wonderbolt, ya gotta make a good impression!”

Rainbow Dash was genuinely confused. It was nothing new, though. Applejack had a way of making her feel guilty, no matter the situation.

“Jeez…I can’t win! Don’t come home to be with your friend, you get in trouble. Leave your job to be with your friend, get in trouble!”

For the first time in days, Applejack let out a chuckle. It made Dash’s heart flutter for a moment, then smile a toothy grin at her friend. “Hehe… Anyway, it’s no big deal. I’m not in trouble or anything. I’ll just have to work twice as hard when I get back to show Spitfire I’m still as serious as ever. But that’s not for another month…So…”

“Ah appreciate you offerin’, sugarcube.” Applejack pulled away from the embrace they had been in, and instead just gently rested her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “But ah can’t ask you to drop everything just fer my sake…It was real nice of you to come down here, to be honest….Ah didn’t think you’d be comin’ at all.” She felt guilty saying it, but she was the element of honesty after all. Of course, this made AJ consider that her best friend *was* the element of loyalty, and she should have known better than to think her friend would simply put her on the back burner.

“I won’t take no for an answer, AJ. I’m staying here with you; I don’t care how long it’s for. I mean it.” Rainbow Dash crossed her arms and gave her friend a stern look. AJ chuckled again, and gave a gentle nod. She slipped her Stetson back on, then pulled her smaller friend into another quick embrace.

“Ah wouldn’t expect anything less from the most loyal girl in all of Equestria…”

Rainbow Dash gave the girl a quick squeeze, “You’re darn right!” she mused for a second, then pulled away from the hug.

“C’mon” Applejack was motioning Rainbow towards the house. The cowgirl had grabbed the messenger bag, which had slipped off of the Pegasus and onto the ground without either really noticing. “Let’s getchya set up inside.”