Gettin' Blue

by Spell 25

Rating: mature
Tags: Romance, Sex, Derpy Hooves, Slice of Life, Main 6, Applejack, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Comedy
Length: 10793

Rainbow Dash and Applejack just want some...time together. Is that so much to ask? Apparently, yes. Yes it is.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack have been secretly seeing each other for a few months now. They saw no reason to tell everypony about it. It was just a casual arrangement between friends, after all. But things change. Feelings change.

Now, as Applejack returns from a week-long trip, all she and Rainbow want is a little time together. If only it were that simple. As oblivious friends and relatives, and even fate itself, conspire against them, they will learn the hard way that secrets and lies can have consequences. Awkwardness ensues.

WARNING: Here thar be nookie.

Published 2013-05-27 20:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-05-27 20:10:01 UTC

Gettin' Blue

The first thing Applejack saw when her train pulled into the station and the door to the platform slid open was a pair of bright, blue eyes.

“Welcome home, Applejack!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed amid a burst of confetti.

“Bah!” Applejack started and fell back on her haunches, only for a pair of pink forelegs to reach into the train, wrap themselves around her, and whisk her out of the car and into the open air of Ponyville. The frazzled farm mare instantly found herself at the center of four smiling, giggling faces.

“We’re sooooooooo happy you’re back!” Pinkie said, squeezing the life out of Applejack with a crushing hug. “And I have a welcome-back-to-Ponyville party set up at Sugarcube Corner. Doesn’t that sound super-fantasterrific?!”

“Uh, Pinkie,” Applejack wheezed. “I know you're excited to see me n’ all, but I’m fixin’ to suffocate here.”

“Heeheehee!” Pinkie released her death-grip and took a step back.

Applejack took a few deep breaths, adjusting her disheveled hat and saddlebag and grinning blushingly at her friends. “Gosh, thank y’all kindly for the warm welcome, but you didn’t need to make a big hullabaloo out of it. I was only gone a week.”

“Nonsense, Applejack!” Rarity assured, stepping forward to nuzzle the farm mare warmly. “It’s no trouble at all to show how much we missed you.”

“Rarity’s right,” Twilight spoke up behind her fellow unicorn. “Ponyville just isn’t the same without you.”

Fluttershy nodded her agreement, smiling sweetly.

“Aw, shucks.” Applejack blushed again, more deeply now. “Ain’t y’all sweet? Well, I reckon I’d be delighted to spend some time with ya gals. It’d be a shame to let a good party go to waste.”

“Now we’re talking,” Pinkie chirped, practically vibrating with excitement.

With a sudden breath of realization, Applejack realized somepony was missing. She scanned the area, and her heart leapt at the sight of a prismatic shock of mane hair behind Rarity’s and Fluttershy’s smiling faces. Tilting her head to the side, the rest of Rainbow Dash’s face came into view. Their eyes met, green and ruby locked in a moment of unspoken thoughts passing through the tingling air. Then, Rainbow Dash gave a devilish grin that left nothing to the imagination, and Applejack felt as though her knees might give out on her.

Time resumed its usual pace, their friends oblivious to the silent exchange.

“Applejack, ol’ buddy, ol’ pal!” Rainbow proclaimed theatrically, making her way to the earth pony and giving her an exaggerated hug.

“Why, hello Rainbow, my completely platonic friend!” Applejack replied with the same measure of showponyship, darting her eyes among their on-looking friends. If the others suspected anything from the pair’s strange behavior, they hid it behind unwitting smiles. Applejack silently wondered what it would take to make them notice. Kissing? Sex? A written confession notarized by royalty?

As the two hugged, Rainbow brought her muzzle to Applejack’s ear and whispered, “Tonight. You.” Then, just as quickly as it began, the hug ended, Rainbow giving Applejack a wink and a secretive smile before turning to the rest of the group. “Alright, enough of this touchy-feely baloney,” she said aloud, stepping in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. “Let’s get this show on the road!”

Once she regained the proper use of her motor skills, Applejack took a shaking breath of anticipation and began to follow the pegasus, marching away from the train station and towards the heart of Ponyville, flanked on either side by her chattering friends.

“So, how was Tall Tale Tail, darling?”

“Are your cousins doing well?”

“Did they manage to get the harvest done in time? W-with your help, that is?”

“…and music and dancing and games and snacks and – Oh! I hope Gummy hasn’t gotten into any of the food; the little guy has a bit of a sweet tooth, which is ironic, ‘cuz, well, you know, but anyway! – and streamers and party hats and…”

Applejack tried to uphold her end of the conversational maelstrom, but her eyes were continually drawn to the lithe, well-toned cyan form walking in front of her. Rainbow Dash gave a glance over her shoulder, catching Applejack in the act of checking her out. With a smirk, the pegasus gave a teasing swish of her tail, allowing Applejack a glimpse of what waited underneath. A bead of sweat ran down Applejack’s face.

Sheets clean and turned down all nice like? Check. Candles lit for am-bee-ants? Check. Door closed and family asleep? Check. Get myself all gussied up?

Applejack looked at herself in the mirror. In the light of the candles, her mane, tail, and coat still had a sheen from her bath earlier that evening. Her golden mane hung luxuriously about her shoulders, free of its usual ponytail.

Check and check, she thought with a chuckle.

Satisfied with her appearance, she stepped toward her bed to wait, before stopping suddenly and tonguing the inside of her cheek.

Spend too much time around Twilight and pick up some of her bad habits? Check.

Applejack waited for all of two minutes before the rat-a-tat of a hoof against glass sounded from her bedroom window. Leaping from her bed with the same enthusiasm as her leaping heart, Applejack all but sprinted to the window and opened it, exposing her bedroom to moonlight, a cool night breeze, and the impure grin of a pegasus.

Without even touching the floor, Rainbow Dash swooped inside, swept Applejack off her hooves, performed a gleeful aerial maneuver, and deposited the both of them on Applejack’s bed, their lips already locked in a hungry kiss. As their tongues danced, they embraced with something like desperation, encircling each other with their limbs and pressing their bodies together as if hoping to merge into one organism. Finally, they broke the kiss, panting for breath but not relinquishing another inch of contact between their bodies.

“Good golly, Rainbow,” Applejack almost gasped. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say ya were glad to see me.”

“If you knew better, you’d know that’s a dumb question,” Rainbow replied, her expression sincere before melting into a grimace. “Ugh, this has been the longest week of my life!”

“Tell me about it. I love my cousins, and I was glad to help ‘em out, but…” She trailed off, tracing her hoof over Rainbow’s chest.

Rainbow nodded in understanding, then grinned. “Well, I hope your body is ready, because I’ve been saving up all week and I’m set to pop. Not even a hoof-job to tide me over or anything.”

Applejack looked at her flatly. “Well, as flattering as that is, Rainbow, I hope you missed somethin’ about me other than bumpin’ uglies.”

“Hey, there’s nothing ugly about our bumping!” Rainbow replied with a smirk. Seeing the unamused look in the other mare’s eyes, Rainbow sobered. She kissed Applejack again, more tenderly this time, and then smiled with drooping ears. “I missed everything about you, AJ. Okay? So much it…kind of hurt.” She shifted uncomfortably following her confession, blushing.

Applejack’s breath caught in her throat at the normally brash pegasus’ rare display of affection. Her face broke out in a wide smile, almost misty eyed. “Now there’s the sweetheart that won me over,” she whispered, tilting her head down and nuzzling her marefriend’s chest. “Why can’t ya say things like that more often?” There was no anger or accusation in her tone – only contentment.

Rainbow seemed to ponder this for a moment, before grinning yet again. “’Cuz then it wouldn’t be as special when I do,” she chirped, as if it were obvious.

Applejack chuckled into blue fur. “I reckon so. Still, it’s a shame you have to act so tough all the time.”

“Said the pot to the kettle.”

“Oh, hush. You know what I mean. I don’t think our friends even know this side of you exists.”

“Yeah, well,” Rainbow droned. “There are a lot of things they don’t know about.”

Rainbow regretted the statement as soon as it left her mouth. It hung awkwardly in the air, and Applejack sighed, rolling out of Rainbow’s embrace and staring up at the ceiling. “I know, sugarcube. I don’t like it either. Lyin’ to our best friends about…about us. It just don’t feel right.”

Rainbow gazed forlornly at the space now between them and muttered. “We could always tell them, you know. I’m sure they’d be okay with it.”

Applejack knew she was right. Their friends were understanding, supportive ponies. Heck, Pinkie Pie would probably want to throw a party, and Rarity would insist on making them matching outfits. But in spite of this, for reasons Applejack herself did not entirely understanding, the idea of telling them and everypony else frightened her.

The whole situation had started innocently enough. One night, over too many mugs of cider, Rainbow and Applejack had gotten to talking, and the topic of romance came up. It wasn’t something the two mares discussed very often, but alcohol has that effect on ponies. As it turned out, neither of them had had much luck in that department recently, and as they bemoaned their loneliness, a proposition was made. Applejack didn’t even remember who it was that suggested it. The idea was simple enough: the two of them, being such good friends and all, should…well, be there for each other.

Being a casual arrangement, neither of them saw much point is making a fuss over it. Better to keep it quiet and avoid needless drama, they reasoned, especially in such a tight-knit group as theirs. But as the following months went on, things had started to change. New and confusing feelings began to take root. What began as an arrangement of mutual beneficence between friends evolved into…more.

The thing about lying, through: Once you tell one lie, it’s easier to tell a second than it is to come clean. And so, here they were.

“We’ll have to tell them eventually, you know,” Rainbow said, oblivious to Applejack’s ponderings. She bit her lip as she added, “Right?”

Applejack nodded and said, “Yeah, reckon we will. But…I just don’t feel ready yet. I’m sorry…”

“Hey, don’t be sorry! If anything, I’m sorry for even bringing it up. We can wait as long as you want. I just don’t like seeing you tear yourself up over it, is all.”

The two lay in silence for a moment, until Rainbow looked at the other mare suggestively. “In fact, I think it’s high time I cheer you up.”

Pouncing across the meager distance between them, she planted a fiery kiss on Applejack’s lips, and, after a beat of hesitance, Applejack started kissing back, bringing her hooves up and around the back of Rainbow’s head and forgetting her melancholic thoughts. They melted into the sensation of their embrace, their bodies once again pressed together. A week of pent-up passion sparked to life like the closing of an electrical circuit between them.

As they made out, Rainbow traced a hoof down Applejack’s body, leaving a line of twitching muscles in its wake. The hoof finally found its destination between a pair of strong, orange thighs and made contact with moist folds. Applejack gave a low moan – a sound that found its echo in Rainbow’s throat when the earth pony’s hooves made their way down Rainbow’s back and to the sensitive nerves between her twitching wings.

Spurred on by the added stimulation, Rainbow finally broke free of Applejack’s lips and began kissing the mare’s neck and jaw line, all the while continuing her hoof’s magic against Applejack’s marehood.

Applejack’s back arched off the bed as something like a growl escaped her lips. Her bleary green eyes roamed Rainbow’s sleek form, finally settling on the mare’s flaring wings. She raised her hooves to cradle one of the feathery limbs and drew it closer to her face. Craning her neck, Applejack clamped her mouth over the wrist of Rainbow’s right wing, gently gnawing on the tender joint.

Rainbow cried out, her body practically draping over the farm mare as pleasure seemed to spark from the ends of her coat hairs. She removed her hoof from between Applejack’s legs and repositioned it between her own, rubbing the already lubricated hoof against the crest of a swiftly approaching orgasm.

Applejack shifted the weight of the limp pegasus above her to afford her better access to the mare’s wing, and began moving up the appendage, sucking and nipping at its leading edge. Rainbow was practically whimpering from the combined stimulation of Applejack’s mouth on her wing and her own hoof against her vagina. Her face twitched as the pleasure built and built and built and…

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Both mares froze, eyes blinking wide. They didn’t even breathe.

“Applejack?” ventured a fillyish voice beyond the bedroom door. The door’s handle began to turn slowly, and a creak sounded from its hinges.

With a gasp, Applejack shoved her yelping partner clear off the bed and pulled the sheets over herself, adopting every appearance of a mare who been roused from slumber, rather than one interrupted from the task of pleasuring an amorous pegasus. Said pegasus, for her part, dropped to the floor with a grunt. As light came pouring into the room through the opening door, Rainbow folded her wings to her sides and rolled under Applejack’s bed.

“Applejack?” the cautious voice repeated. “Y-you awake?”

“Apple Bloom?” Applejack said with a painfully fake yawn. “What’s the matter, sugarcube? Why ain’t ya in bed?”

“I-I’m…I’m scared,” the filly admitted with drooping yellow ears. “I keep hearin’ noises, like moanin’ and stuff. I thought maybe we had a haint in the house.”

“Moanin’?” was all Applejack could mutter, her cheeks reddening.

“Yeah…” Apple Bloom scuffed at the floor with an anxious hoof. Then she stopped and blinked into Applejack’s bedroom. “Uh, sis? Why do ya have all these candles lit?”

“Oh! I was, um…” Applejack fidgeted with her sheets. “I was meditatin’!”

Apple Bloom quirked an eyebrow. “Meditatin’?”

“Sure! After a long day, it does wonders to clear up the ol’ noggin.” She chuckled nervously, shifty-eyed and sweating. “And everypony knows ya can’t…uh, meditate without…candles…”

If one were to listen closely during the awkward pause that followed, one might have heard the sound of a hoof meeting a face from somewhere under Applejack’s bed.

“If ya say so,” Apple Bloom finally replied with a shrug. “Anyways, I was wonderin’ if I could sleep in your bed tonight.” She trotted into the bedroom and began approaching the bed in question.

“My bed?” Applejack glanced down, noticing the spots of less-than-filly-appropriate fluids marring the sheets, as well as the aroma of sweat and arousal hanging in the air. “No!” she said, more loudly than she intended.

Apple Bloom jerked to a stop, looking hurt.

“Erm, I mean, let’s go to your bed, darlin’.” Applejack got out from under her sheets and lowered her hooves to the floor. “I’m sure you’ll be more comfortable there. And there’s nothin’ to be scared of, I promise. I’ll be durned if any haints get their ectoplasm on my lil’ sis!”

Apple Bloom gave a happy giggle. “Thanks, Applejack.”

The two made their way out the bedroom door. Before closing the door behind her, Applejack poked her head into the candlelit bedroom and whispered, “I’m so, so sorry, Rainbow. I’ll make it up to ya, I promise.”

The door clicked shut, and silence reigned for a moment. Then, a cracking voice piped up from under the bed.

“…What the hay just happened?”

Applejack removed her Stetson and fanned herself with it under the noonday sun. To her right, apple trees stretched as far as the eye could see, with nothing but leaves in their branches. Big Macintosh trudged by with a fresh bushel balanced on his back. To her left, more trees, these bespeckled with red fruit. She sighed, but the corners of her mouth lifted into a contented smile, nevertheless.

Suddenly, a pair of hooves reached around her head and covered her eyes.

“Guess who!” commanded a voice.

“Gee, I dunno…” Applejack droned. “Raspy voice. Blue hooves. The sound of flapping wings. Maybe…Rarity?”

“Hardy har,” Rainbow said, removing her hooves and hovering around in front of the earth pony. “How’s it hangin’, AJ?”

Applejack’s eyes roamed over Rainbow’s toned, pegasine figure dangling in the air in front of her. “It’s hangin’ mighty fine,” she murmured, almost salivating. Snapping out of her reverie, she shook her head. “Erm, listen, Rainbow, about last night…"

“Thbbft!” Rainbow raspberried. “Don’t worry about it.” Her left eye twitched ever so slightly. “It’s in the past, and today is another day. That’s why I dropped by, actually. How’s your day looking?”

“Well, we’re ahead of schedule, for once. I was just thinkin’ of takin’ a break.” She eyed Rainbow with some mixture of hope and suspicion. “Why? What are ya up to?”

With a waggle of her eyebrows, Rainbow set her hooves on the ground and nudged open the flap of her saddlebag, revealing the folded corners of a blanket. “You feeling up for a…picnic?” Her smirk left no doubt of what was on the menu.

Applejack gulped. Her eyes traced the graceful lines of Rainbow’s body – the way the sun gleamed off her blue coat, the dance of the breeze in her colorful mane, the desirous intensity in her rosy eyes.

Applejack’s answer came in the form of her teeth clamping down over Rainbow’s tail and dragging her across the lengths of Sweet Apple Acres. “Hey, Macky!” she called around the colorful threads. “I’m takin’ a break. Will ya be fine here on your own? Good! See ya in a bit!”

When Big Mac turned to look, all he saw was a cloud of kicked up dust trailing into the orchard and out of sight. He shrugged and went back to work.

The sun had scarcely moved in the sky when a blanket was thrown open and laid down in the center of a quiet, grassy clearing in White Tail Woods. Applejack collapsed on the blanket, setting her hat to the side and basking in the sunlight as it sifted through the leaves overhead. She warmly recollected that some of her fondest memories of Dash had taken place in these very woods.

“This was a mighty fine idea ya had, Rainbow.” She stretched languidly. “Shouldn’t have to worry about interruptions out here. I can’t imagine a nicer place to mmmmfff!”

Applejack suddenly found it very difficult to speak, what with Rainbow’s tongue getting in the way. Not that she minded, of course. She returned the kiss, sucking on the tongue and wrapping her forelegs around the mare who had just dived on top of her. They lay there for a moment, making out and running their hooves over each other to the gentle chorus of song birds and the rustle of wind in the leaves.

Rainbow shifted her position a little, bringing her knee between Applejack’s thighs. Applejack almost gasped from the contact, and began thrusting her hips against Rainbow’s leg, moaning into the pegasus’ mouth. Finally breaking the kiss, Applejack pressed her head into Rainbow’s shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut as she focused on the grinding motion and the pleasure surging through her.

Wanting for occupation, Rainbow’s mouth found its way to Applejack’s ears, licking and nibbling on them, eliciting an added degree of heat to her marefriend’s moans. Having a sudden idea, Rainbow placed her hoof on Applejack’s shoulder, getting her attention, before withdrawing from her embrace. Applejack mouth formed a faint frown, but them opened in a pant as Rainbow began kissing down her body, licking and raking her teeth through orange fur.

Arriving at Applejack’s hind legs, Rainbow sat up for a moment and grinned. “Gee, I’m awfully hungry. Let’s see what we have in the picnic basket.” Placing her hooves on Applejack’s knees, Rainbow parted the mare’s legs. “Hmm. Choices, choices.”

Applejack almost snickered at Rainbow’s attempts at what she assumed was supposed to be dirty talk, but nonetheless watched in anticipation as Rainbow lowered herself down between Applejack’s legs and ran her hooves in sensual, massaging motions over her apple-emblazoned flanks. The weather flyer peppered kisses against Applejack’s inner thighs, and then teasingly nosed Applejack’s vagina in feather-light touches, causing Applejack to squirm.

Rainbow Dash looked up along Applejack’s body, and their eyes met, pleading green staring into merciful magenta.

With a happy sigh, Rainbow leaned her head forward and gave Applejack a long, practiced lick. The orange mare moaned, eyes closing as her body shot through with pleasure. Encouraged, Rainbow proceeded to eat her marefriend out, the world around her fading into obscurity at the edges of her concentration.

So it was that Applejack was the first to notice it. Her ears flicked as a noise bubbled up, and she raised her head and focused through the pleasure to look into the surrounding trees. The noise grew louder, more pronounced, until what could only be described as tremors danced against Applejack’s back.

She reached a hoof to her partner’s head and almost whispered, “Hey, Rainbow. Stop for a second.” Rainbow did as instructed, looking at Applejack with a raised eyebrow, her muzzle damp. “Do ya hear that?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow’s head tilted to the side, turning an ear to the air. Then her eyes widened as she, too, heard the sound. Both mares slowly turned their gazes to the south, then gave a start as a crashing sound echoed through the trees. Rainbow squeaked and sat up on her haunches, facing the crashing crescendo.

With an explosion of foliage, a bear erupted from the tree line. Rainbow and Applejack screamed, embracing each other in a trembling hug.

The bear, however, barely seemed to notice them, running across the clearing with frightened warbling sounds. The mares watched it thunder past, their fear fading to cautious confusion. The seemingly terrified creature disappeared into the opposite tree line, and soon the sounds of its flight began to fade. In the growing silence, a new sound was suddenly audible to them, this time much fainter, like something soft brushing against leaves.

The mares turned to see a yellow, pink-maned pegasus floating out of the trees. “Harry, wait!” Fluttershy cried in what must have been a yell by her standards. “It’s for your own good!” Secured under her foreleg like a jousting lance was a ridiculously large medical syringe.

Fluttershy sighed, and then noticed her two friends sitting in the clearing. She blinked wide. “Oh, h-hello, you two.”

As if suddenly realizing that they were still hugging each other in fright, the mares leapt apart. Rainbow turned to wipe her still-soaked muzzle clean on the blanket as Applejack nervously smiled their friend’s way. “Well, howdy there, Fluttershy. Havin’ trouble?”

“Oh, yes. It’s time for Harry’s vaccinations, and he just won’t sit still long enough for me to give it to him. He’s scared to death of needles, the poor thing.” Eyes blinking even wider, Fluttershy took stock of their surroundings. “Um, what are you doing way out here, anyway?”

“Oh! We, uh…umm…” Applejack coughed into her hoof to stall.

Rainbow turned back, her muzzle matted but dry, and said, “We’re having a picnic! Yeah! See the blanket?”

Fluttershy looked at said blanket, then back at her friends. Rainbow smiled too widely, and Applejack coughed again, avoiding Fluttershy’s gaze.

“I see,” the timid pegasus said. She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you…um, didn’t you bring any food?”

Both mares paled. Then, with an exaggerated groan of annoyance, Applejack turned to Rainbow and theatrically said, “Darn it, Rainbow! You forgot the food?! How are we supposed to have a picnic without food?”

“Hey! Don’t look at me, Miss Professional Caterer. If anypony should’ve brought food, it should’ve been—”

She trailed off, noticing Applejack’s exasperated glare. The earth pony motioned with her eyes towards their meek friend and raised an eyebrow.

“Oh! Right. Uh…darn it to heck!” Rainbow said with a mannered swipe of her hoof. “How could I have been so stupid? Where is my mind lately? Aw, shoot.”

Fluttershy giggled, a musical thing. “Oh, Rainbow. Don’t worry, you aren’t the only one. Sometimes I think I’d forget my own wings if they weren’t attached to my body.” The sound of a bellowing bear rang through the trees, and Fluttershy’s face fell. “Oh, r-right. I guess I’d better try to give Harry his medicine again.”

“Do ya need any help, sugarcube?” Applejack offered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rainbow casting here a wide-eyed, open-mouthed glance, even so slightly shaking her head from side to side.

“Oh, could you? I mean, if…if you aren’t otherwise occupied, of course…”

“Well, now that you mention it,” Rainbow piped up, “we were just ooof!”

Rainbow rubbed her sore foreleg as Applejack withdrew her elbow. “C’mon, RD. Fluttershy needs our help. Besides, we’re not doing anything, right?”

Rainbow gave her a long, pleading glance, but Applejack’s gaze was hard and hollow. The pegasus hung her head.

“Ugh, fine…”

“Oh, thank you, thank you!” Fluttershy exclaimed with a bright smile.

“Yeah…don’t mention it,” Rainbow mumbled.

Applejack retrieved her hat, and Rainbow grudgingly folded the blanket and stowed it back in her saddlebag. Everything packed, the three mares darted into the woods in pursuit of the uncooperative bear. As they galloped, Rainbow glanced aside at her marefriend, who merely looked straight ahead. Rainbow grumbled and took wing.

After finally catching up to the bear, Rainbow and Applejack helped to restrain it as Fluttershy administered the vaccination. The task done, Applejack excused herself, saying that she was expected back at the farm, and that, “The apple trees won’t buck themselves.” For all Rainbow was concerned, that was exactly what they could do.

That night, Rainbow tossed and turned, wrestling with the urge to plunge her hoof between her legs and relieve the libidinous quasar burning away inside of her. But she resisted, refusing to settle for anything less than the touch of her marefriend. It was a vendetta at this point. To give in now would be tantamount to an admission of defeat. So instead, she began to consider other options – some way for the two of them to have some time together in peace and privacy.

A gentle evening breeze blew into her bedroom through the window. Her cloud house was always so peaceful at night. It was peaceful most of the time, in fact. Here, far above the lights of Ponyville; beyond relatives and prying eyes and random rampaging carnivores.

If only AJ were a pegasus, Rainbow thought as she yawned. We could just do it here! If only she could walk on clou—

Suddenly, Rainbow grinned. She might have even laughed maniacally.

With a smile, Twilight Sparkle gently closed the Trotstoevsky biography she had been reading and set it down. Her gaze wandered to a rose sitting thirstily in a glass of water, off on the side of her reading desk. She lifted the rose in her magic and gave it a happy sniff, sighing as recent memories glowed in her mind. She was alone in the library, the tree silent but for the sound of her breaths and the ticking of the wall clock.

…At least, until the front door burst open, startling the rose out of Twilight’s telekinetic grip. “Augh!” she cried, almost falling out of her seat.

“Hiya, Twilight! How’re you this fine day?” Rainbow asked loudly, marching into the library with a wincing Applejack in tow.

“Well,” Twilight began, her heart still fibrillating. “I was enjoying some peace and quiet, until—”

“Sounds super, Twi. Hey, can I ask you a favor?”

“Oh, I’m certain you can,” Twilight droned, magically lifting the rose and returning it to its glass. She took a deep breath, fought off the first waves of a headache, and smiled her friends’ way. “What can I do for you guys?”

“We need you to hit AJ up with your fancy cloud-walking spell,” Rainbow said.

“Oh?” Twilight’s ears perked up. “What for, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Well, uh…” Applejack spoke up, then faltered, feigning a cough to the side to hide her face. Thankfully, Rainbow came to the rescue.

“I’m rearranging my living room! She’s gonna help me move furniture.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You mean the furniture that’s made out of condensed cloud matter, and that a foal could move around?”

“Well, uh…” Rainbow fumbled. “It’s, erm, mostly for…for her…decorating sense. Yeah! She’s gonna show me how to do my living room up in flank shui.”

Twilight’s eyebrow climbed about another inch. She turned to Applejack. “You know flank shui, Applejack?”

“Apparently I do.” A bead of sweat ran down the farm mare’s cheek.

Twilight eyed the pair for a moment, and then shrugged. “Meh, fair enough. One cloud walking spell, coming right up!”

Rainbow very nearly squee’d in her excitement, not noticing Applejack sighing at her side.

The door to Rainbow’s cloud home opened with a flourish, and through the entryway stepped a practically buzzing blue pegasus. “Well, here we are!” she said with a sweep of her hoof. “Make yourself at home, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, and all that."

Applejack stepped inside tentatively, still unused to the texture of clouds beneath her hooves and looking at the floor as if she might fall through it at any moment. But her attention was then stolen away by something else entirely; namely, the assortment of soda cans, magazines, candy wrappers, broken goggle straps, tortoise toys, and various other detritus strewn about the room as if from the force of an explosion.

The farm mare stopped in her tracks, blinking. “Sweet Celestia’s gilded bidet, Rainbow! Callin’ this place a pig sty would be an insult to pigs!”

“The maid’s off today, so sue me,” the pegasus said with a roll of her eyes. “It’s not like I have company up here very often.”

Applejack paid no attention to her marefriend’s excuse, her features suddenly drooping as her eyes turned to the floor. “I guess I could help ya clean this mess up. That would be sort of like bein’ a decorator, I reckon. Better than nothin’, leastwise.”

Rainbow barely suppressed a groan. “Do you still have your saddle in a twist about that? I told you, it was just a little white lie. That’s the price we have to pay if we wanna keep…us under wraps.”

“Little white lies?” Applejack glared at her. “Oh, is that all? Well, guess what, Rainbow: all these ‘little white lies’ are addin’ up to a great big dirty lie, and I’m gettin’ mighty tired of it, y’hear?! I’m tired of lyin’ to my friends and family, I’m tired of havin’ to sneak around and hide, I’m…” She sighed, averting her eyes. “I’m just tired, okay?”

The room was silent for a moment, Rainbow nervously rubbing one foreleg with a hoof, her ears flat against her head. “I’m sorry, AJ. I know it hasn’t been easy on you, and I—”

“No,” Applejack interrupted, composing herself. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at ya like that. It’s because of me that we’re keepin’ it a secret, and you’re just doin’ yer best to make it work. And here we are, in your house to spend some time together, and I throw a hissy fit like a lil’ filly. Can ya forgive me, RD?”

“Pfft, there’s nothing to forgive,” Rainbow grinned easily, walking to Applejack’s side and draping a foreleg over her shoulders. “We’re cool. I just want you to be happy, is all. Now, go take a load off, and I’ll get us some drinks. What’ll you have?”

“Um, just water, I guess,” Applejack replied warmly.

With a salute, Rainbow zipped into the kitchen. Applejack did as instructed, wading through the refuse to the couch, which, by the looks of it, must have been in Rainbow’s family for generations. It squeaked unflatteringly as Applejack sat on it, removing her hat and setting it on a cluttered coffee table. Her nose scrunched as an odor she could only hope was rotting cabbage wafted from somewhere in the cushions. She caught a flicker of movement in her periphery, but whatever it was had vanished by the time she turned her head. She silently prayed that it was merely Tank, and not some species of stratospheric rodent.

In moments, Rainbow was back, balancing two glasses of water on her hooves as she flapped her way over and down onto the couch. Applejack took the offered glass and took a sip, the pure cloud water quenching her thirst admirably.

Rainbow, however, drained her glass in a few mighty gulps and then belched loudly before setting her glass down. “Well,” she stretched rather melodramatically and not-so-inconspicuously placed a foreleg around Applejack. “What to do, what to do?”

“Gee, whatever could be on yer mind, Rainbow?” Applejack rolled her eyes, but smiled in spite of herself. She looked into Dash’s rosy eyes – desperate, almost pleading – and found any last vestiges of her sour mood melting under a wave of sympathy for her sex-starved marefriend. Rainbow had been so patient with her, so understanding of her unwillingness to make their relationship public. She felt a warmth in her heart and raised a hoof to run it through Rainbow’s beautiful mane.

Their eyes met, and they leaned in and kissed tenderly. They reclined back into a lying position on the couch, their hooves exploring each other’s bodies as their tongues wrestled. This continued for some minutes, the two mares simply enjoying the kiss and the shared warmth of their bodies. But Rainbow Dash’s attention span only extends so far, and soon her hoof migrated between Applejack’s toned thighs, making contact and drawing a gasp from the earth pony.

Under the spell of Rainbow’s hoof, Applejack felt herself heating up, passion replacing compassion as the fuel for her side of the kiss. Returning the favor, she brought her own hoof to Rainbow’s nethers. They broke their kiss, touching foreheads as they panted and continued to rub each other’s vagina.

It was Rainbow who arrived at the logical conclusion first, withdrawing from Applejack and, with a little bit of maneuvering, positioned her marehood against Applejack’s. Once contact was made, the two proceeded to scissor on Rainbow’s couch. Rainbow grabbed one of Applejack’s hind legs and hugged it to her chest for leverage as she ground her hips, almost whimpering for release. Applejack, for her part, grabbed onto the couch cushions and squeezed her eyes shut as she, too, drew nearer to climax.

Then, between the sounds of their panting and moaning, a new sound pierced the sky above Ponyville. It was faint, muffled by the walls of the cloud home, but still audible, and increasingly so. The grinding mares stopped simultaneously, their ears perked and swiveling in the direction of the noise. It was a descending, high-pitched whine, like a ballistic whistle. Every instinct in their bodies came alive to the conclusion that something was falling – quickly, and in their general direction.

Before they could even react, there was an explosion of disrupted water vapor as something burst through the cloud wall. Something winged, and something gray. A pegasus landed on the living room floor, sending garbage flying as it slid to a stop against the far wall. After a moment, the pegasus, a mare, stood on shaky legs, brushed off a bit of condensed cloud matter that had stuck to her bubble-emblazoned flank, and tried to focus her eyes in the same direction.

“So sorry, Rainbow Dash!” Derpy said, adjusting her mailbag. “I had to swerve to miss a bird, and I guess I was going a little too fast, because I spun out of control and… well, here I am. I’ll help you patch up your wall, of course.”

Her appearance finally in order, Derpy turned, and froze upon seeing the two wide-eyed mares on the couch, crotches still pressed together practically in mid-thrust. There was an uncomfortable silence, and nopony moved a muscle.

Derpy raised an eyebrow. “Wait just a minute…”

Rainbow and Applejack grimaced.

“Applejack, I didn’t know you could walk on clouds!” Derpy said with a look of wonderment.

Rainbow might have facehoofed, were she not still petrified with shock.

“Uh, well, you see…” Applejack began, carefully removing herself from between Dash’s legs, pausing to tug her own right leg from the pegasus’ grip. “It’s like this…”

“I don’t know why I’m surprised,” Derpy interrupted with a shrug. “You and your friends always up to something or other. Well anyway, I’d better get back to my route.” The mailmare trotted back to the gaping hole in the wall. “I’ll be back after my shift to fix this. Is that alright with you, Rainbow?”

Rainbow managed a nod, her first sign of movement since the plummeting pegasus perturbed their passion.

Just as Derpy was spreading her wings for takeoff, Applejack spoke up suddenly. “Wait, Derpy!” she said, grabbing her hat and placing it on her head. “Could ya give me a lift back to the ground?”

“What?!” Rainbow cried, her whole body now miraculously gifted with motility, leaping from the couch to stand between her marefriend and the patiently waiting mailmare. “Applejack, you’re leaving?”

“Rainbow, I…”Applejack whispered, biting her lip and avoiding Dash’s gaze. “I’m startin’ to think this just isn’t meant to happen, sugarcube. I’m not even sure we deserve it to happen. This is the third dang time we’ve been interrupted, for pete’s sake. Maybe it’s a sign, like the universe is tryin’ to tell us somethin’. I just…can’t right now. I need to be alone for a bit, Rainbow. I’m sorry.”

Rainbow stood helpless as Applejack walked past her, watching as Derpy lifted up, grabbed Applejack around the midsection, and flew out of the hole, down towards the ground. She only vaguely heard Derpy ask, “Um, what’s not meant to happen, exactly?”

Rainbow stood alone in her living room for a long moment. An experienced observer would have noted the tautness of her facial muscles, the slight, agitated twitch of her wings, and the erratic flicking of her tail, and known, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what was coming next. With a snarl, she spun and bucked, bucked, bucked the closest thing to her with all her disgruntled might – which happened to be the wall. By the time she was finished, Derpy’s impromptu entryway had nearly tripled in size. Some of her fury vented, Rainbow collapsed on her back and stared at the ceiling, breathing heavily.

In her mind’s eye, she saw Applejack’s pained, guilt-tortured expression. The thought of her marefriend beating herself up over their relationship, of it driving Applejack to betray her honest nature, was like a brick in the pegasus’ stomach. But what could she do, so long as Applejack wanted to keep their relationship under wraps? Maybe if they weren’t put in a situation to lie in the first place…

Rainbow casually looked down along her belly and out the widened hole in her wall. In the distance, she spotted Canterlot hanging from its mountainside perch. She looked at the city, pondered it. And then, she grinned.

How many ponies did they even know in Canterlot?

“…And so, against my better judgment, I let Sweetie Belle use the kitchen. ‘It’s just a bowl of cereal,’ I told myself. ‘How much harm could she do?’” Rarity adjusted the weight of her saddlebags and cast a haunted look to the east, where the sun was still low in the sky. “Never again. Oh, you should have seen the looks the fireponies gave me, as if it were all my fault. How was I to know that silverware is flammable?”

“Well, at least that explains why my ‘something is burning’ and ‘you’d better call a metallurgist’ Pinkie senses went off at the same time last night,” Pinkie said thoughtfully, tonguing her cheek.

Rarity giggled under her breath. “You wouldn’t happen to have a ‘beware of Sweetie Belle’ Pinkie sense, would you?”

“Well, usually that’s a sharp pain in my haunches, but that part of me was a little distracted last night, if you know what I mean.” She nudged Rarity with an elbow, winked, and gave a cartoonish approximation of a wolf whistle.

“Honestly, Pinkie Pie.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Could you be more immature?”

“Hmm. I guess I could, but I’d need a barrel of cider, some old Spike Pones records, and rocking horse bondage gear.”

Rarity gave a double take in Pinkie’s direction and stared at her for a moment, then shrugged. Just as she opened her mouth to steer the conversation away from such unsettling topics, she stopped, spotting an unexpected sight in front of her. Two familiar mares, a rainbow-maned pegasus and a blonde earth pony, were stepping onto the Ponyville train platform, each wearing heavily-laden saddlebags.

“What in the world?” she asked nopony in particular, trotting towards the train station with an equally baffled Pinkie in tow. She called out in her sing-song voice: “Yoohoo! Applejack? Rainbow Dash?”

The two ponies in question froze, turning to look at their approaching friends. Something like fear crossed over Rainbow’s features, casting a worried glance at Applejack. She began urging the sedated earth pony towards the train more quickly, but not quickly enough to avoid Rarity catching up with them just as they prepared to board the train.

“Wherever are you two going?” Rarity asked, slightly winded.

“Out of town,” Rainbow responded curtly, barely even looking at the unicorn.

Pinkie tilted her head to the side. “How long will you be gone.”

“The whole time.” Rainbow finally managed to usher herself and Applejack onto the train just before the doors slid closed.

In moments, the train was moving, chugging its way from the platform. Rarity and Pinkie watched its departure, their mouths hanging open. Blinking wide with realization, Rarity trotted to the posted train schedule and ran her eyes over it. “Canterlot? Why would they be going to Canterlot all of a sudden? And without telling us?!”

“I have no idea,” Pinkie answered, still watching the train as it rounded a bend. “But Applejack sure looked like she needed some cheering up.” Her lower lip quivered.

“Maybe Twilight knows what’s going on. Come, Pinkie!”

The two mares galloped from the train station and towards the town library.

“And they didn’t say where they were going?” Twilight asked once Rarity had finished recounting the incident.

“Not a word!” Rarity replied with an indignant toss of her forelock. “I was hoping they might have told you something.”

“Oh my, I hope everything’s alright.” Fluttershy shuddered. “I ran into them the other day, and they were acting kind of funny. They were out in the middle of the woods, just sitting there awkwardly, like I was intruding on some private moment.”

“Hmm,” Rarity puzzled. “What could they have been talking about that they didn’t want you to hear?”

“Now that you mention it,” Twilight spoke up, “they came by here yesterday, and they were acting weird then, too. They wanted me to put a cloud-walking spell on Applejack, saying that Rainbow needed her ‘decorating skills’.”

Rarity’s scoff could be heard on the street outside.

“You know,” Pinkie piped up for the first time since their arrival at the library. “Maybe they’re just…well…” She made some obscene gestures with her hooves. Her three friends stared at her, uncomprehending. Pinkie sighed, then said, “What I mean to say is, maybe Rainbow’s developed a liking for apple juice, and Applejack’s getting plenty of rain for the orchard.” The other mares looked at each other and shrugged. Pinkie looked at them flatly. “Maybe they’re having wild, mare-on-mare sex.”

Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy blinked at her in stone-faced silence. It was Twilight who spoke first. “Um, we appreciate you trying to lighten the mood, Pinkie Pie, but it’s neither the time nor the place. Something could be wrong with our friends.”

Pinkie lifted her hoof to protest, but it was too late.

“You know, I seem to remember Applejack having a cough,” Fluttershy said.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, me too!”

“And I happened to overhear Sweetie Belle talking with her friends yesterday afternoon,” Rarity said, pacing. “Young Apple Bloom mentioned something about Applejack doing strange prayer rituals in her bedroom, I believe.” Her face was suddenly stricken with horror. “Oh dear Celestia! What if Applejack is ill, and she’s gone to Canterlot to get treatment?! And Rainbow, being such a dear, loyal friend has gone with her to give her comfort. But, in her desire to spare us grief, Applejack is waiting to tell us until something more definite is known about the severity of her illness!”

Twilight and Fluttershy gasped.

“Poor Applejack!” Fluttershy whisper-wailed with tears in her eyes.

“And Applejack just got back from a sudden, mysterious week-long trip,” Twilight added, as if fleshing out a hypothesis. “I’m not even sure I remember her mentioning relatives in Tall Tale Tail before, now that I think about it.”

“Oh, to think our dear, dear friend was hospitalized for an entire week, all alone! We should go to Canterlot and be there for her!”

“Or get some answers, at least.” Twilight nodded sagely, then stood up with a determined expression. “Come on, girls. We have a train to catch. Spike! Canterlot! Be back soon!”

“Yeah, okay,” came the dragon’s bored reply from the kitchen.

The three frantic mares galloped from the library. Pinkie Pie sat still for a moment, eyes wide and blinking. Finally, she sighed and took off after them, muttering, “Sometimes I think I’m the only sane pony in this group.”

Several hours and one train ride later, four sets of hooves galloped away from Canterlot Central Station, coming to a stop in a wide intersection.

“Okay, girls,” Twilight said breathlessly. “We’re here. Now, we just have to find some sign Applejack or Rainbow Dash.”

They began looking back and forth for clues. All around them were ponies, ponies, and more ponies. Building after building, block after block, street after street of ponies stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction, all under the watchful spires of Celestia’s palace. The sheer metropolitan size of Canterlot weighed down on the mares, and they gulped.

“M-maybe we should have thought this through,” Fluttershy said.

“It will be like finding two needles in a fabulous hay stack!” Rarity groaned, giving a dainty stomp of her hoof to the cobblestone street.

“Uh, girls?” Pinkie said suddenly.

“I suppose we can start by checking the hospitals,” Twilight suggested.

“Hey, girls…”

“And if that doesn’t work, we could see if Celestia is willing help us o—”

“Girls!”

Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity turned to look at their pink companion, who raised a hoof and pointed behind them. Following the motion, they turned their eyes, and gasped. From out of a nearby shop – a drug store, judging by the wrought-iron guild sign in the shape of a medical cross hanging over the front entrance – stepped Rainbow Dash, holding a white paper bag in her mouth. The pegasus was oblivious to the gaping mares, turning down the sidewalk at a deliberate trot.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Rarity whispered.

With a relieved smile, Twilight made to catch up with their friend, but a white foreleg obstructed her path. Twilight met Rarity’s eyes, and the fashionista shook her head. “Perhaps we should keep our distance and just follow her for now,” Rarity muttered conspiratorially. “They’re obviously hiding something from us, so I propose we try to learn something for ourselves before we confront them.”

Twilight gnawed on her lip, not entirely happy with the prospect of spying on their friends, but some combination of concern, dread, and desperation brought a nod to her head in spite of her ethical reservations.

On soft hooves, the four mares began following the pegasus, keeping within sight, but far enough away that they could blend in with the crowds of shoppers, tourists, and socialites. They nearly lost her once or twice, but the flyer’s distinctive coloration worked in the pursuers’ favor, as did Canterlot’s strict flying regulations. It would have been a lost cause if Rainbow had been airborne.

Finally, Rainbow crossed the street and entered a large, elaborate building. Twilight instantly recognized it as one of Canterlot’s nicer hotels. The mares ducked into a book shop across the street to strategize.

As soon as they were inside, Rarity took a seat by the front windows and said, “Well, at least we know where they’re staying.”

“Poor Applejack,” Fluttershy whimpered. “I can’t be a good sign that they’re going to be here long enough to take out a room.”

“And I wonder what Rainbow Dash bought at the drug store?” Twilight wondered.

“Some kind of…prescription medication for Applejack, perhaps?”

They exchanged sad glances. Even Pinkie, who had been uncharacteristically quiet in her skepticism of her friends’ theories, felt her heart sink as the evidence seemed to pile up. They sat for a moment in heavy silence, fighting lumps from their throats.

“You know what?” Twilight suddenly said. “Enough sneaking around. We should go talk with them. Better we all be there for Applejack, what…whatever happens.”

They all gave a grim nod and filed out of the shop.

Rainbow Dash tossed the white paper bag onto the bed. “Here you go, AJ,” she said, walking over and sitting in a chair positioned by a window that overlooked the street below. If she had looked over her shoulder, she would have seen four familiar mares trotting across the street.

“Thank ya kindly, Rainbow,” Applejack said, picking up the bag and removing a bottle of aspirin from it. “This mountain altitude always gives me headaches somethin’ awful. You’d think I’d be used to it by now, heh.”

“Don’t mention it,” Rainbow replied with a wave of her hoof.

“This is a really nice place.” Applejack popped a couple of pills in her mouth and washed them down with some water. “Had to have cost a pretty penny. I’d be more than happy to reimburse ya for half.”

“No way! This is my treat. I’ve got plenty of bits saved up from weather shifts and stuff, and I’m happy to spend it for something like this. I think you and me getting away from Ponyville for a bit will be just what the doctor ordered.”

“Well, it’s all mighty romantic, I’ll give ya that.” Applejack gave Rainbow a sultry look as she reclined back on the bed, caressing her own flank with a hoof.

Getting the message, Rainbow smirked, stood from her chair, and crawled up onto the bed beside Applejack. Their lips met gently, with a tenderness that would have surprised anypony familiar with their tough exteriors. They were in no rush here; for now, they were content to kiss, to hold each other, to bask in each other’s presence. They ran their hooves over each other in reverent appreciation. Rainbow’s hoof made its way down to Applejack’s cutie mark, massaging it and—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Slowly, Rainbow raised her head to look over Applejack’s frozen form, giving the door a glare that would have made Celestia herself take a step back.

“Surely, I must be imagining things,” she said in an intense, yet eerily calm voice. “I put a do-not-disturb sign on the door, so it can’t possibly be someone disturbing us. Not here, in Canterlot, on our vacation. Because if they are, it will be the last thing they ever do.”

“Rainbow?” queried a voice beyond the door. “Is that you I hear? Is Applejack in there, too?” The voice was friendly, concerned, familiar – like something out a nightmare.

Applejack drew a sharp breath. Rainbow began trembling, tears coming to her eyes. “N-no…it’s not possible…it has to be some kind of a sick joke…”

Another knock, more insistent now. “Come now, darling. We know you’re in there. Just let us in, please!”

Rainbow shook her head, unable to accept that this was even happening.

“Rainbow, we…we know, alright?” Twilight said. “We know about Applejack.”

“You don’t have to hide anything from us,” came a timid, barely audible voice. “We love you.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie finally spoke up, a strangely serious tone in her voice. “We should all be together for something like this.”

Rainbow and Applejack exchanged puzzled glances. “Together?” they mouthed to each other.

“Okay, that does it, guys. Sorry, but we’re coming in!”

A violet aura seeped through the door, encased the handle, and began to turn it, the sound of clicking tumblers filling the air. With a surprised, instinctual yelp, Rainbow grabbed Applejack and flew the two of them into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind them. They sat on their haunches on the tiled floor, panting and trying to wrap their minds around this turn of events.

“What are they doing here?!” Rainbow whispered, shivering. “How did they know where to find us? I didn’t tell anyone we were coming here.”

“Do they really know about us?”

“How could they?”

“Shh! I hear ‘em.”

The sound of hooves walking on carpet filtered in under the bathroom door. “Where are they?” came Twilight’s voice.

“Are you certain this is the right room, darling?”

“It’s the one the clerk said they were staying in. Besides, I’m pretty sure I heard Rainbow’s voice.”

“And look, there’s Applejack’s hat on the nightstand,” said Fluttershy’s voice.

Rainbow cast Applejack a glare, and the earth pony grimaced. Then their attention was stolen by a strange combination of sounds out in their room.

“Whatever’s wrong, Pinkie Pie?” A pause, and then was the unmistakable sound of Rarity gasping. “Oh! Is it your Pinkie sense?”

Rainbow’s pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks, and Applejack audibly gulped. There was a pregnant pause outside, then more hoofsteps, and finally, a knock on the bathroom door.

“Come on, guys,” Twilight said. “You can tell us. I think…yes, we have a right to know what’s going on with Applejack.”

Rainbow ground her teeth together.

“Rainbow Dash? It’s Fluttershy. P-please, don’t shut us out.”

“I agree. Why you ever felt it was necessary to hide this from us is simply beyond me. You don’t have to be alone in this.”

“Yeah! If you’re alone, then you’ll be lonely. And if you’re lonely, you’ll be sad. And if you’re lonely and sad, but you don’t tell you’re lonely and sad, how will the rest of us know to cheer you up?! That’s just silly!”

“Oh, for pete’s sake!” Rainbow shrieked, unlocking the door and throwing it open, revealing four concerned mares. “Fine! You caught us! The cat’s out of the bag! Are you happy? Applejack and I are sleeping together! We’re knocking hooves, parting the red sea, traversing the fjord, and tapping flank! We’re doing the horizontal mambo, the pony pokey, and the bedroom rodeo! We’re making the beast with two backs, driving Miss Daisy, ploughing the Elysian fields! We’re boinking, banging, shagging, and just generally sexing it up all over the place! And I’m gosh darn proud of it! Applejack is pretty awesome, and I can’t think of anypony I’d rather be getting my freak on with! Okay? Is that fine with you?!”

The only forthcoming answer came in the form of four slack-jawed faces and eight wide eyes dancing back and forth between the livid pegasus and the apprehensive earth pony. Twilight’s lips began to move, struggling to form sounds. “Y-you…you mean…Applejack’s not…”

“Told you so,” Pinkie whispered, the expression on her face not changing.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Rainbow continued, “I have some unfinished business with my marefriend. Thaaaaaaat’s right, I said ‘my marefriend’. If you don’t like it, you can fill out a complaint card and leave it in the box, because I can’t be bothered to care right now!” With that, Rainbow slammed the door shut in their faces and fell onto her haunches, breathing heavily.

Silence filled the bathroom. The weight of what she had just done fell on Rainbow Dash, and she blushed and chuckled nervously. “Erm, I guess I got a little carried away, huh? Sorry Applejack, that really wasn’t cool. I shouldn’t have told them without aski—”

Rainbow suddenly found herself on the business end of a passionate, almost animalistic kiss. The sheer force of Applejack’s pounce rolled the pegasus onto her back. Not that Rainbow had any complaints, of course. All of her frustration and incredulity were melting as their legs intertwined, their bodies brushed together, and their tongues explored each other’s mouth. This went on for some moments before they came up for air.

“What was that for?” Rainbow asked, reeling from the kiss.

“For bein’ you,” Applejack replied breathily. “That was somethin’, Rainbow – you stickin’ up for us like that. It’s like a weight’s been taken off my shoulders. Bein’ honest about everything…well, it’s kinda lit a fire in me, I think.”

Rainbow gave her a smirk. “So, wait, let me get this straight: Are you telling me you have an honesty fetish?”

“Reckon I just might,” she replied, a hunger in her eyes.

“But…the only reason we were lying to them in the first place was because of you; because you wanted to keep our relationship under wraps.”

Applejack simply gave an apologetic shrug.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Ugh, mares. I swear to Luna.”

Rainbow’s half-hearted annoyance was cut short as Applejack started kissing down her neck. “Let me make it up to ya,” the earth pony said between kisses and licks, making her way down Rainbow’s body and between her legs. Her warm breath wafted over the already moist opening, and Rainbow bit her lip in anticipation. And then, Applejack took a long, deep lick, causing Rainbow to cry out, her back arching up off the floor.

Applejack proceeded to eat the pegasus out, driving her tongue into the folds and tasting Rainbow’s pent up desire as it flowed into her mouth. Rainbow moaned and whimpered, her hooves searching for something to hold on to, finally settling for Applejack’s blonde mane. She thrust her hips into the other mare’s face, each instance of contact between mouth and vagina sending sparks through her bloodstream. A solid week of waiting, followed by days of relentless interruption, suddenly seemed worth it, if they bought pleasure like this. She panted, savoring the sensations and the loving attention of her marefriend.

Rainbow knew, however, that she wouldn’t last long as this rate. But that was alright; she had never been more ready for anything in her whole life. She squeezed her eyes shut and said, “I’m c-close, AJ…”

With a smile, Applejack decided to grant her marefriend the release she craved. She attacked Rainbow’s clit, sucking the nub between her lips, applying consistent pressure to it with her lips and tongue. Rainbow gasped, squirmed, squeaked, and finally jolted, her thighs clamping tightly to either side of Applejack’s head as a long sought-after orgasm rocketed through her. A scream tore its way out of Rainbow’s throat, seeming to shake the linoleum beneath them.

The orgasm lasted for an unusual amount of time, cresting a few times like waves against a cliff before tapering off, almost as if every orgasm that had been denied her these past few days all joined in for a grand finale. By the time the waves receded, Rainbow was limp, twitching. Applejack extracted herself from between Rainbow’s legs and climbed on top of the pegasus, kissing her again.

They lay for a moment, breathing heavily, cuddling, kissing frequently. Then, without warning, Rainbow rolled Applejack onto her back, without breaking their kiss. A blue hoof made its way between Applejack’s legs and made contact with the apple farmer’s lower lips, which swelled and moistened under the circular, sensual motions of Rainbow’s hoof. Applejack moaned into the pegasus’ mouth, at least until Rainbow broke the kiss and began gentling nibbling on her marefriend’s orange ear, adding volume to Applejack’s vocalizations.

But Applejack was a considerate pony. It just didn’t seem proper for her to receive pleasure when she could be doing something to return the favor. So it was that one of her hooves made its way to Rainbow’s marehood, and she was not surprised in the least to find Rainbow ready and willing again; if their months together had taught Applejack anything, it was that Rainbow had a flyer’s stamina.

Rainbow suddenly withdrew her hoof, which was now coated in Applejack’s nectar. Rainbow cast a devilish look at her marefriend, took a long lick of the liquid, and then kissed Applejack, allowing them to share the flavor. They broke the kiss, staring into each other’s eyes as a strand of some fluid or another stretched between their mouths. Incensed, Rainbow almost dove away from Applejack’s face, burying her muzzle between the earth pony’s thighs and drinking directly from the tap, causing Applejack to call out loud in euphoria. Rainbow ate for a moment, before bringing a hind leg up and over Applejack, straddling her, effectively positioning her own sex over Applejack’s face. Applejack wasted no time in diving in.

They lost track of how much time they spent eating each other on the bathroom floor. Nothing existed but the two of them. They ceased even to think, their thoughts written in a language of desire and sensation. All their licks and moans and caressing hooves synchronized, like a clock preparing to strike the hour. As the pleasure built, their licking became something like a frenzy, accompanied by the sound of moans and groans and wild whimpers.

When they finally came, it was within seconds of each other, crying out in bliss and trying to drink as much of the juices of the possible. All too soon, the aftershocks died down, and they once again became fuzzily aware of the world around them.

Rainbow barely managed to maneuver herself around before collapsing on top of her marefriend and kissing her deeply. Then, breathing deeply, they just looked into each other’s eyes. Applejack saw something in her partner’s expression – something a little confused, almost frightened, but steadily being replaced by resolve and warmth.

The pegasus opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. At last, she said, “I…I l-love you, Applejack.”

Applejack’s breath caught in her throat, having never heard those words from her marefriend, even after these months of deepening feelings. She kissed her pegasus on the forehead and whispered, “I love ya too, Dash.” Rainbow smiled, and then nuzzled into Applejack’s neck. A contented silence hung over them as they simply held each other and enjoyed the moment.

Before long, though, Rainbow began to fidget. “You’re not gonna believe this, AJ, but I think I’m ready for another round.”

Applejack chuckled. “That works for me. But what do ya say we move this to the bed? My butt’s startin’ to fall asleep.”

With a happy snort, Rainbow stood, extending a hoof to help Applejack off the floor. As she stretched her legs, several of her joints popping, she cast a glance to the side. “You know, I feel bad for yelling at the others like that. I probably ought to apologize. I wonder where they’re staying.”

Rainbow put a hoof on the door handle, turned it, and opened the door…

…promptly causing Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, who had been leaning against the door with their ears pressed against it, to spill into the bathroom and onto the couple in an avalanche of mare.

“What in tarnation?!” Applejack cried.

“What the hay is going on?” Rainbow snarled. “Have you guys been here the whole time?! Were you listening to us?!”

Twilight blushed furiously and tried to stand, “Well, you see, we…we uh…we were about to leave, and…um…”

"Fluttershy you…seem to have a little nosebleed,” Pinkie squeaked.

“Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!” The pegasus almost disappeared under her own mane, blushing like the surface of the sun.

“Oh dear Celestia…” Rarity muttered, somehow turning paler. “I just stepped in something warm and wet. Why is there something warm and wet on the floor?!”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack exchanged glances. In spite of how embarrassing this situation was, they began to smile. Without a word being spoken, they both realized that no matter what happened, at least they had each other. And apparently, their friends would be there for them, too…whether they wanted them there or not.

The train ride back to Ponyville would later be remembered as the most awkward in the history of the Equestrian Transportation System.

Author's Note

Well, here we are, for what it's worth. Sorry again for the wait. I'll try not to take two-and-a-half god-forsaken months to write another one. See you then.