Sleeples Nights In Equestria

             Closer to the glowing orb in the sky than the other ponies, the rainbow maned mare sat on her favorite cloud and let only the stars and moon witness her tears.

Rainbow Dash was NOT a crier... nor was she weak. But her heart was lonely, and her mind was a mess. She was so very lost... so confused... she thought back on the days events, to try and get her self sorted out...

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               It had been a gorgeous morning. Rainbow Dash had gotten up early, because her best friend Applejack had asked her to assist with the end-of-summer harvest at Sweet Apple Acres, the Apple family farm, and home.

Rainbow had just finished her early morning cloud clearing duty, and hurried over to the farm on the outskirts of Ponyville. She was flying fast and had her eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of the wind in her mane, clearly not paying attention to where she was flying, because the cyan Pegasus flew straight into Applejack who had just emerged from her apple cellar.

The pair tumbled into the bushes on the eastern side of the barn, causing Applejacks dog Winona to bark like mad in excitement at seeing the Pegasus.

Rainbow looked apologetically at the orange earth pony, starting to get up, but stopped.

AJ's mane had fallen out of its ponytail, and it was fanned across her freckled face, concealing her emerald eyes. Rainbows breath caught in her throat as she hesitantly lifted her hoof to brush her friends golden mane away from her face.

Rainbow stared... Unable to look away. Applejack chuckled softly and licked her friends nose playfully, whispering "Somepony love struck, there sugarcube?"

She said softly. Rainbow shook her head and got up, figuring she had imagined her heart beginning to race.

"Nah! 'course not!!!" Dash scoffed, picking up AJ's hat and taking off with it laughing at her friend who laughed back and chased the blue pony.

Once she had wrangled her hat back from Rainbow, the two ponies got to work, hauling buckets, barrels and wagons full of apples from beside the barn and throughout the apple orchard into the apple cellar.

They worked hard together all day, and finished just as Princess Celestia was beginning to lower the sun. They stacked up the buckets and whatnot in the tool shed, and began to travel back to Applejacks house, all the while, Rainbow Dash chattering on about a possible date with the Wonderbolt named Soarin'. Applejack listened intently, but realized that her friend was not as enthusiastic as she normally would be when talking about dating a member of her idolized flying group, the Wonderbolts... But she kept that to herself. She began thinking about how she would word what she was about to say, Then she realized Rainbow was getting ready to leave.

"Hay, ya could always stay the night ya know. Apple bloom is havin' a sleep over with her friends in their club house, Granny Smith is in Dodge Junction visitin' Aunt Apple Rose, and Big Macintosh is helpin some family up in Baltimare fix a leaky roof... So if ya feel like it..." the orange pony trailed off.

Rainbow Dashs reply was a surprise.

"Really?! I'd love to!!"

Rainbow dash looked surprised at her own words, but smiled anyway, and challenged AJ to a race back to the house.

Once back home, Applejack fixed Rainbow up with a slice of homemade apple pie, and some for herself.

She smiled warmly as the rainbow maned pony dug in to her helping, disregarding the fork by the plate.

Applejack hadn't realized that she was just sitting there gazing at her friend, until Rainbow Dash looked up and caught her.

AJ giggled at Rainbow, who had apple pie filling smeared across her mouth.

"What?" Rainbow asked smiling. AJ shook her head and trotted around the table reaching for a napkin to wipe it off her face, when Rainbow suddenly took Applejacks face in her hooves, and got very close to her.

"Here... Want some?"

Not waiting for a reply, the cyan Pegasus pressed her lips to the orange ponys, and kissed her long and slow.

Applejack returned the kiss without hesitation, wrapping her front legs around Rainbows waist.

AJ was ecstatic! She'd finally be able to tell Dash that she loved her...

She broke the kiss, looking at her friend lovingly.

"Rainbow Dash... Ah've... Ah've wanted ta tell ya this for quite some time now.... Ah love ya.... Ah'm in love with ya.... And ah sure as sugar do hope ya like me too..."

Rainbow blushed. She had the same feelings for the golden maned pony... But she felt embarassed... Everyone thought shed be dating a Wonderbolt... But to be honest, Rainbow used that merely as a cover...

She'd fallen for applejack way back... And she finally wanted to come out and say it.

She looked in AJs astonishing green eyes, as tears poured from her own, and finally spoke the truth she'd been covering up for some time...

"AJ, I have loved you since I first met you. I've been so ashamed to admit it... Because every pony expects me to end up with a Wonderbolt or something... And those who don't, are under the belief that I'm a lesbian, because of the rainbow mane and such... Because apparently rainbows symbolize being gay now? Anyway... I didn't know how you felt about me... So I just let it be... But now... In my own strange way... I'm telling you... That I love you, Applejack. I truly do."

Rainbows little confession brought tears to Applejacks eyes...

She smiled and yanked rainbow dash to her, kissing her deeply and holding her close as they toppled to the floor. Rainbow dash felt so much better, and now she could finally be with the mare she truly loved.

She rolled Applejack over, so that they laid side by side and she kissed AJs soft nose smiling.

They laid that way for a while, not caring about anything but one another.

"AJ... I'm so happy.... I-..."

Dash was interrupted by Granny Smith and Big Mac entering the house loudly, clearly returning home early from their trips.

Rainbow looked at Applejack frantically, but the orange mare merely smiled, sitting up with her front legs still wrapped around Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow shook nervously as the other two ponies approached the kitchen. She was afraid that they would judge her... Or worse, judge AJ... Possibly disown her!!!

Granny and Mac rounded the corner.

Granny saw dash and AJ first, her old face splitting into a wide sly old grin.

"I had a feelin', child..." she said softly to her granddaughter.

But Rainbow Dash didn't hear properly over the ringing in her ears.

She tore away from applejack and took off into the night to her cloud home, leaving applejack staring after her, crying on her big brother who had just congratulated his little sister on having a mare friend.

Rainbow dash sobbed all the way back to her home, locking herself in her room...

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               Dash looked down at the tiny speck of land that was the farm, cursing herself for leaving like that.

She loved applejack. Not some stallion. Not Soarin.. Not even another mare... All she wanted was Applejack

But she couldn't bear to see her rejected by her own family just for loving her...

She buried her face in her hooves, crying softly, letting only the moon know her sorrows...