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                      In Dreams Awake                      
                      -by Ten Speed-                       
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                         Chapter 1                         
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Chapter 1
Rainbow Dash stood proud; victorious before the Fair Lady Applejack.  The Timberwolf King that terrorized the countryside of Sweet Apple Acres-upon-Everfree cowered at her hooves, subdued.  Her armor, battered and marred from the grueling battle, still yet held a defiant sheen.  Briskly she removed her helmet and whipped her mane, time seeming to slow down as it caught in the sunlight.  She stared down the fearsome beast.  She spoke!
“Thou gibbering slobberknocker! Upon thy belly dost thou mire with the low-creatures of the pit! Most unclean-”  Dash smacked a hoof to her forehead as she muttered under her breath, “Ugh, I  can't believe ponies used to talk like this.”  She turned back upon the hulking timberwolf.  “Look, buddy...  I'm only gonna say this once, but I better not catch you around here ever again, capeesh?  The once great king only whimpered in response.  Dash's eyes hardened.  “I said do you understand!”  A weak nod was all she received.  “Good!  Now go on, get outa here!  And remember:  If you ever come back, I'll be here waiting to kick your flank again!”  The brave knight let out a roar as the overgrown timberwolf scurried off towards the forest to disappear in the treeline with it's tail tucked firmly between it's legs.
“Oh, most courageous knight... these lands and the ponies within it's borders are free, and thou hast saved me from the wicked Timberwolf King and his tyranny.  How could I ever repay thy awesomeness?” Lady Applejack curtsied as she spoke.
Grinning wickedly Rainbow Dash's wings carried her the short distance to land before Applejack - an impressive display of agility to be sure.  She took the saffron mare's hoof in her own as she answered.  “I don't know,” she said slyly.  “I mean, I am pretty awesome.  A few apple ciders for the road would be nice, but I think I got something better in mind.”  Slowly she raised Applejack's hoof to her lips and planted a gentle kiss.
Applejack fawned at the gesture, “Rainbow Dash...”
“Shhhh.  You don't gotta say anything.”  In one fluid motion, Dash laid the fair lady upon the grass, stroking her soft, golden hair and engaging her in a hypnotic kiss as her tongue jumped lips and crossed teeth, flicking against her partner's teasingly.  She eagerly kissed along Applejack's neck, savoring the sweet taste like honey as she nibbled at her collar.  She stopped and lifted herself to look into those inviting, emerald eyes.  Those eyes that begged  to be ravaged.  “Let's help you outa that dress.”
Pulling at the material with her hooves, Dash attempted to untie the lace holding the bodice together.  Removing the dress, however, proved to be a greater challenge than anticipated and she struggled against its bulk.  Verily, by the design of a sadist, set upon the world to vex heroes such as herself.
“One sec,” Dash reassured, knitting her brows, her tongue sticking out for that extra bit of concentration.  She pushed away the excess only to become more wrapped up in the flowing garment.  It had a mind of it's own as it slithered around her fetlocks like a python constricting it's prey.  “I almost got it.”  The dress proved a most stubborn and powerful opponent, indeed - perhaps the most formidable she had faced yet, lo she would not be defeated so easily.  Nay, she would conquer the foul dress, then conquer the fair maiden.  She grunted with continued rigorous effort, her hooves flailed in an attempt to be rid of the blasphemous vesture.  Finally, a victor emerged.
“Oof!”
She hit the cold, cloud floor.
“Oh, c'mon!  I was just getting to the good part,” the pegasus complained, splayed out, tangled in her bedsheets.  A perturbed sigh escaped her lips before her eyes settled on the tortoise next to her.  “Hey, Tank.  Mornin',” she said, annoyed with herself.  The tortoise only blinked it's slow, patient response as this wasn't the first time he had beheld this sight.
Grunting, Dash righted herself and stood up.  She threw the sheets back on the bed, not concerned with making it up proper.
She turned back to Tank.  “You probably want some breakfast, huh?”  He simply blinked.  “C'mon.”  Scooping him up she flitted groggily towards the kitchen and set him down again.
Dash was a procrastinator.  It wasn't that she was lazy (okay, maybe she was a little lazy), but the philosophy was:  Why do today what can be put off until tomorrow?  Unfortunately, therein lied the problem: Tomorrow was always tomorrow, and never today.  And this morning was another reminder of that as she opened her fridge to a depressingly sad state of emptiness, much like her stomach.  Sometimes she wondered why she even had one.  Aside from taking up space it only served an ancillary purpose of collecting dust and having sharp corners to stub her hoof on.
“Son of a...”  She hissed in pain as she did just that, which by her count, was at least the hundredth time that week.  That number may have been slightly exaggerated.
Favoring the hoof she'd just kicked, Dash turned around to rummage through her cupboards.  “Why don't I ever have anything to eat?” She groaned, hobbling to the pantry – also barren.  She let her head thump against the door in defeat.  It was a notoriously bad habit of hers.  If ever there was a day the markets were closed, there was no question about it: she would starve.  Probably to death.
“Guess I'm eating in town this morning.  I'll bring ya back something.”  Tank only looked to his food dish than back to her.  “Yeah, yeah, I know.  Look, I'll make it up to you later.”
She grabbed the saddle bag off the back of the kitchen chair and slung it across her back.  Some fresh air would improve her lousy mood and flying was the most assured way to get some.  A few good stretches to get the blood flowing and she was out the door headed into town.
…..............................................................................
The sun blazed overhead.  In the distance, the mountains twisted and bent, quivering under the torment of the desert heat.  Applejack turned her collar to the godforsaken waste; her duster at least kept the sweltering winds from blasting her with sand.  She Tugged at the brim of her hat as she inspected the hoofprints in the pulverized crust.  She'd been tracking this scoundrel pegasus for days.  She was getting close.
Keeping a vigilant eye on the horizon, she knelt down to drink from the shallow pool.  This little oasis was the only water for miles and her prize was bound to return to it.  She would wait.
A buzzing filled her ears as she drank.  Quiet at first, but it soon drowned out everything, almost maddeningly so as tremors rippled through her skull.  She searched for the source.  It was coming from above!  Applejack looked up only to be blinded by the conflagrant disc in the sky.
“Time to wake up, Lazy Daisy!  Yer burnin' daylight!” Granny Smith said as she opened the curtains.  The early morning sun poured into Applejack's eyes.
Applejack winced as she sat up in bed.  She blinked away the black spots that swarmed her vision, swatting dismissively at the fly buzzing lazy circles around her head.  “Mornin', Granny.”
“Ya better move yer caboose if yer gonna make it into town an' set up shop,” Granny said with a smile.
“Thanks, Granny.”
Applejack swung her legs over the edge and hopped out of bed as the old mare left the room, a dull thunk as her hooves found the worn floorboards.  Murky thoughts swam through her head like she was looking for something.  Her eyes settled on the curry comb on her dresser in front of her mirror.  That must have been it.  Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she chuckled as she looked herself over; she looked like she had tussled with a manticore in a balloon pit, and come out on the loosing end the way her mane was sticking out in all directions.  She quickly ran the comb through her mane to get the tangles out before tying it back and grabbing her trademark hat.  She took another moment to inspect herself.  AJ wasn't normally one to fuss over appearance she still needed to look presentable if she were going to be running shop in town.  Nopony was gonna buy from a seller who looked like they'd just escaped from the funny farm – except maybe Pinkie Pie, but that was another story.
Downstairs Applejack grabbed a quick breakfast and jotted down her chores for the week at Granny's dictation.  It was a tall order, but nothing she couldn't handle if she threw in the extra hours.  She and Apple Bloom had been planning a camping trip for weeks, and she would be dipped in manure if she was going to disappoint the filly and cancel it this coming weekend.  After sticking the list of chores to the fridge she was out the door, hitched to the apple cart, and on the road to Ponyville.
….............................................................................
Rainbow Dash flew into Ponyville with all the enthusiasm of a brick.  One painted blue and falling through the air faster than any brick had right to.
She soared low, her head fuzzy, and trying to think was like trying to...  She grimaced.  It was way too early to think.  Dash hated waking up early on days like this.  Or any day ending in “y” for that matter.  As disinterested as she was, the majesty of the sunrise wasn't entirely lost to her as it did its utmost to blind her.  Like some needy foal desperate for attention.  She tried to ignore it.  Food was a much higher priority at the moment than some big, orange thing.  There was only one absolute truth about this morning:  She'd still rather be sleeping.  And she was hungry.  And that sun was really annoying.
Swooping down on the market below,  Dash landed in the middle of the square and looked around.  Definitely too early.  Only one vendor was even open, which she rolled her eyes at.  She could never win.  Either she showed up late and everything was thoroughly picked over, leaving her with the scraps, or... well, this was kind of a first, actually, being this early to market.  It was a rare treat.  One that she would have better appreciated were she more awake.
She immediately perked up seeing who it was working the stall and what they were selling.
“Hey, AJ.”
Applejack was still setting up one side of her stall when Rainbow trotted up.  She hadn't even flipped her sign to open yet.  “Mornin' RD.  Surprise seein' ya this early.  Ain'tcha usually still sleepin' 'round this time?”
Rainbow frowned, her mood inexplicably soured at the perceived slight.  Applejerk.  Her tone turned slightly huffy.  “I'm just looking for something to eat.  Can I just get a few... whatever?”
“Apples?”
“Yeah, those.”
“Sure thing, Sugarcube,” Applejack smiled as she loaded apples in Rainbow's saddle bag.  The playful jab raised her friends hackles more than she had expected.  Dash had been a bit testier than usual lately, but she wrote it off as just being the early hour for the otherwise late-to-rise pegasus.  “That'll be three bits.”
“You're welcome.”
“Pardon?”  AJ had been distracted and “you're welcome” didn't register.  Evidently it didn't register for Rainbow either as she stared back with a blank expression.
“Huh?”  Dash shook her head and collected her saddlebag.  “Nothing, just...”  All she wanted was to curl up and go back to sleep.  And eat breakfast.  Yes.  Breakfast first.  Nap later.  “I'll catch ya later.”
“Alright, Dash, ya have yerself a good'un.” AJ chuckled, returning the farewell.  That pegasus was cute when she was tired.
Dash exerted as little effort as possible as she took off at a sluggish pace that even Fluttershy could outrun.  How could anypony be so smiley this early in the morning?  It wasn't natural.  AJ was a freak of nature.  Or a changeling.  She was leaning more towards the freak side of the spectrum.  Either way, she was a hot, changeling, freak of nature.  Too bad they would never be together...
Dash shook the thoughts from her head; it was too early to dwell on could have beens.  She turned her thoughts towards work.  Hopefully there would be time to get a nap in; the cloud schedule was suppose to be relatively light for the day.  Maybe she could play hooky; there were plenty of other fliers to cover her shift.
A few more half-hearted flaps and she was off towards her sector of the sky.
….................................................................................
It had been a busy day for Applejack.  As busy a day as there could be, sparing a royal summon to ward off the next apocalyptic event anyways.  It had been a few weeks since the last one, she was sure the next one was around the corner.
The stetson wearing pony sucked in the pleasantly warm, fall air as she looked out over the hills surrounding the farm, and she smiled.
It had certainly been a booming day for business in town, which allowed her to be back on the farm by noon.  Being the ever-industrious pony she was however, rather than reward herself with the rest of the day off, the farmer put herself to work in the orchard.  Maybe she was just a glutton for punishment, but she liked the sense of accomplishment that went with it.  There was just something about a good, honest, hard days work that just couldn't be beat.  The dull ache in her legs and back were a badge of honor.
Whichever the case may be, she had a field to buck, and a bet to win.  Big Macintosh wagered she couldn't have the north field done by supper, and the loser would give Granny her sponge bath the rest of the week.  Of course, that was all in good fun and the bigger incentive was the upcoming camping trip to Winsome Falls.  She had already taken a sizable dent out of it the day before, and finishing by supper would be easier than pie.  Apple pie, naturally.
Pulling the stetson hat from her head, Applejack wiped an errant bead of sweat before it could sting her eye.  The soft breeze felt refreshing on her lathered skin.  She looked to the baskets littered about while she gauged her progress.
Even if she knocked off for an hour she would still be well ahead of  both goals.  A break couldn't hurt, surely she'd earned it.  Planting her hat proper, Applejack put her back against the nearest tree, reclining comfortably against it.  There was something about curling up under the orchard canopy that just felt right.  The sky could be falling on her, and she still wouldn't wish to be anywhere else.
A low moan escaped her, the ache in her legs lessening as she stretched them out and gently massaged them.
Maybe Dash would be by, she would appreciate the company.  She liked her work well enough, but having a pony to talk to made it far more enjoyable, and none of her friends made it quite as invigorating as Dash did.  The pegasus had a clever way of turning work into play.  She had to laugh.  Dash was always a bit of a softy when they talked after one of their games.  Not that she would ever tell any of their friends.
The brim of her hat slid down over her eyes and her breathing soon shallowed, finding a slow, steady rhythm.
….............................................................................
The rodeo was an amazing place.  A place where the most rugged cowponies in Equestria, ranging far and wide, came to seek their shot at fame and fortune.  A place where heroes were made and dreams were trampled into the arena floor.  A place that few understood.
  Applejack understood.
Few would ever achieve the white-hot spotlight.  Fewer still would keep its fickle favor – but that wasn't the point.  To anypony that knew anything about the rodeo, it was the dust and mud of the arena; the joy and pain; the pride and shame that came with each go round.  With success came the champion's purse and the coveted gold buckle – the mark of a true rodeo champion.  All too often, however, broken bones and an empty billfold were all most would ever have to show for their years spent drifting from rodeo to rodeo.
Gritting her teeth, AJ wrapped the bull rope around her hoof.  It was tight, nearly cutting off circulation.  Perfect.  She sat atop one of the rankest bulls on the circuit.  The bull bucked in the chute, nearly crushing her leg when it slammed against the gate.  When the mountain of flesh she straddled calmed enough, she gave the nod to the pony working the chute.
The gate opened.
In an explosion of fur and fury, the two were locked in a duel of perpetual motion.  Immediately, the bull spun into her hoof and Applejack found herself off balance, in danger of going down in the well.  The next buck and Applejack was violently thrown back the other direction, almost over-correcting as her opponent sucked back the other way.  As they came down the bull crow-hopped sideways and threw it's head, hooking Applejack's hat and flinging it into the dirt.
That was all the motivation Applejack needed, and she dug in.  Every muscle pulled tight, ready to burst through her skin like a cord of rope as she found her center and settled into the next spin.  Her years of training and experience coalesced into this single moment of instinct.  For the rest of the ride they moved as one in an indescribable homogeneity of power and grace; truly, poetry in motion.  No matter how the bull rolled underneath her, she stayed with it.  When the buzzer sounded at the end of eight seconds, both bull and bull rider came to a halt.
The stadium erupted with thunderous applause.  Applejack allowed her rope to slide to the ground and she dismounted, joining her opponent in waving to the crowd, her cheeks flushed a rosy pink.
“Sorry 'bout your hat back there, Applejack.  I ain't ever had a rider stick a full eight before.  Sorry 'bout in the chute too, I get claustrophobic.”
AJ grinned, offering an outstretched hoof.  “Aww shoot, it ain't nothin', Slim.  Ya almost had me with that turn-back back in the beginnin'.  You keep it up and you'll make bull of the year.”
There was nothing “slim” about Slim.  He was a 2000 pound dusty-brown behemoth; a giant on the circuit.
Slim chuckled, accepting the hoofshake, “Not if I get stuck goin' 'gainst you again.”
As they parted ways the judges announced her score for the ride.  A 94 left her comfortably in first place with only one rider left to challenge her position.  Exiting through the gate Applejack looked up into the crowd again where a figure, some shadowy shape caught her eye, and a sense of foreboding washed over her.  She suddenly felt cold, like whatever it was had stared straight through her soul.  It was for but a moment and the shape disappeared.  She questioned if she had seen anything at all.
She quickly dismissed the feeling as the announcer called the next contestant, but she missed the name.  Curious, AJ took a position leaning over the panels on the edge of the arena, ready to watch the last ride of the night.  She knew most the cowpokes involved in the circuit, from athletes to stall hands, but this late entry intrigued her.  That intrigue turned to utter disbelief as she recognized the pony settling into the chute.
The rainbow hued mane was unmistakeable, yet Applejack still blinked, surprised.  What was Dash doing at a rodeo?  Better yet, what was Dash doing participating in a rodeo?  A million questions forced their way into her head.  Not one of which manifested in anything more than a coughing fit as they caught up in her throat.
In an instant, the gate slung wide and a freight train hurtled into the arena, a sorely out of place pegasus strapped to it's back.  It was not a pretty site as the rider bounced around like a rag doll, daylight showing between her and the bull.  Unfortunately, for all her her physical prowess, Rainbow had no understanding of even the most basic of mechanics, and pure athleticism was no substitute for proper technique.  Quickly she found herself off balance and out of position, drifting to the outside as the bull started its spin away from her hoof.  The bull bucked once, twice and  the hapless pegasus was catapulted from it's back.
Applejack's eyes widened.  Slack-jawed, she found her legs cemented in place, unable to comprehend the pony-turned-projectile flying straight at her.
….............................................................................
The air rushed from the farmer's lungs as something immensely heavy cratered into her chest.  “Hrrk!”  Pain shot through her ribs.  Adding insult to injury, or injury to injury rather, Applejack's body involuntarily doubled over and she cracked her head against a boulder.
"Rai-ain-bow D-Dash!  Get... Off!" she choked out through short, choppy breaths.
The pegasus floundered as she tried to untangle herself.  Applejack saved her the trouble, shoving her off instead.  The earth pony glowered as she clutched at her sides, drawing in raspy breaths.
“What the buck is wrong with you?”
Rainbow Dash stood back, squinting and rubbing the dull ache in her skull from getting headbutted.  “Uhh, I fell out of a tree?” she answered sardonically.  “I was taking a nap, not like I meant to land on you.  At least you broke my fall right?”
Applejack was fuming.  She had half a mind to throttle her snarky friend.  The sky had fallen on her and she was wishing she was at the house with a bottle of aspirin.  “What did I tell ya 'bout sleepin' in my trees, Rainbow?”
Dash rolled her eyes. “That you better not catch me doing it.”  She was glad AJ was tough, it was one of her best qualities, but right now she wished the farmer was just a little less tough.  Scratch that, she'd feel worse if AJ started tearing up.
“Consarnit, that's just like you, ain't it?”
“Hey, you never said don't sleep in your trees.  And if I hadn't fallen, you wouldn't have caught me doing it.”
AJ bit her lip.  It was a technicality, but Dash was right.  Even still, she couldn't bring herself to forbid it because, maybe then, Dash would stop coming around.  She wasn't even sure why it bothered her so much.  One of these days she was gonna knock Dash on her flank and give the other mare a piece of her mind, even if she didn't know what that was yet.
She looked past Rainbow Dash at the sun now melting into the horizon, and she cursed under her breath.  That overgrown feather duster was lucky.  If it hadn't been so late Applejack would have let her know how much of a nuisance she was.  As it was, Granny would be wondering if she got lost; she'd have missed supper by now.  Not only that but she hadn't finished apple-bucking, defaulting Big Mac as the winner of their bet.
Applejack Took a deep breath and held it for a moment before before releasing it in a relenting sigh.  “Just as well.  Reckon I needed to get up and get back to the house anyhow.”
Rainbow Dash cocked an eyebrow.  There was no way Applejack was letting her off this easy.  Her threats always were excuses at best, but she expected, at the very least, a “let me catch you again, and we'll have a seven-legged race to the hospital to have my hoof removed from your flank.”
“So, you're not mad at me?”
“Nah... guess I ain't.”
Dash turned and spread her wings, looking back over her shoulder as she spoke, “Good.  Well, I'm glad your alright. I'll catch ya later, AJ.”
“Later, Dash.”
Rainbow kicked off into the air, leaving the earth pony behind.  Applejack shook her head and put a hoof to it after watching Dash shrink into the sunset.  The pegasus' apology left something to be desired, but that was just how she said sorry.  It was the best she'd get without hogtying the other mare down and forcing it out of her.  She stood watching for a moment longer as the sun sank in a sea of orange, wondering why Dash would choose the same tree to sleep in, and not wake her up if she needed something.  Grabbing up a few baskets, she settled them across her back and made direction for the farmhouse.
….................................................................................
When she'd gotten back, as expected, Granny asked as to her whereabouts.  The old mare didn't seem to mind that she had fallen asleep, but her brother's smirk was one of being all too pleased with himself.  AJ cast a dirty look, like it was his fault she had over-slept, which he only chuckled at before going up to his room.
After a cold supper Applejack drew a bath for Granny.  Helping her grandmother wash wasn't to be mistaken for punishment, but it wasn't always the most pleasant of tasks.  The old mare never missed an opportunity to corner them and pry into their personal lives, particularly where relationships and dating were concerned.  She was none too subtle in making it known she expected Big Macintosh and Applejack to settle down and raise a family eventually.  Sooner rather than later.
“Ya fancy any stallions in town today?”
Real subtle.  Like cracking an egg by dropping an anvil off a roof.  A real conversation starter.  “No, I ain't been lookin' at any stallions,” she said as she scrubbed her grandmother's back with a loofah.
“What 'bout mares then?”
Heat flashed across her face.  “Granny!  I was running an apple stand, not a kissin' booth!  I ain't seein' nopony!”  That came off more flustered than she wanted, and the old mare latched on.
“What 'bout that Rainbow friend a yers?”  Applejack nearly fell in the tub at that point.  “She's been spendin' an awful lot a time 'round the farm lately, an' Apple Bloom said she caught ya'll out in the pasture.  Sounded like things were gettin' hotter'n a couple a rats in a wool sock.”
Of course...  It had been a week since the filly happened upon the two of them at the worst possible moment.  One of their contests had concluded with Dash on her back and AJ over the top of her, their muzzles practically touching.  It wasn't her fault Dash was a sore loser and stole her hat, but try explaining that to a little filly.
Worse still, she not only had the audacity to accuse them of “playing kissy-face”, but she started asking questions a pony her age had no right even knowing existed.  Dash left so red-faced it would have been thought Apple Bloom had asked about the collection of “Flyers Illustrated – Wet Feathers Edition” magazines that she totally didn't keep stashed under her mattress.  Applejack was pretty certain the blood in her cheeks was going to spontaneously combust; a lot like right now.
“Th-That ain't true.  We were doin' nothin' of the sort.  Dash is just a good friend.”  That came out strange.  Who she was trying to convince; her Granny or herself?  She needed to play this right:  Not too defensive, and not too indignant, lest she fall under the “thou doth protest too much” category.
“Y'all'd make quite a pair,” Granny chuckled, unphased.
“Really?”
Immediately she was kicking herself.  That wasn't what she meant at all.  Applejack seriously considered jumping in the tub.  Maybe that would cool the burning that swept through her entire body, or at least create a enough of a fog for her to make a get away.  She wished she could tell Granny to mind her own business, and leave it at that.  She would have if it were anypony but.
A wry smile crossed Granny's face.  There was a twisted pleasure she took in these talks, but she figured she had traumatized her granddaughter enough for one evening.  “Reckon I oughta get out 'fore I turn prunier than I already am,” she said, and not a moment too soon as far as Applejack was concerned.
Once Granny was out of the tub and turned in for the evening Applejack drew a bubble bath for herself.  Little soap bubbles tickled her nose as she sunk into the tub and tried to forget what just happened.  She'd have soaked until her hooves turned pruny if Big Mac hadn't kept coming by and knocking on the door.  By the third time she finally surrendered and got out.
Dusk had long since yielded to a star-spangled night sky as she continued to go about her evening routine.  Big Macintosh was the only other pony still awake when she had finished buttoning up downstairs, and he sat in his room hunched over a candle at his desk, working on his “fancy mathematics.”  At least he hadn't started heckling her about Dash too.  That was probably because he could sympathize, being needled by Granny just as ruthlessly as well as dealing with Apple Bloom's antics.  At least the little filly hadn't tried to poison her with a potion.
She had just hung up her hat and was scraping her hooves across the floorboads to her bed, before her legs decided she was going to sleep in the middle of the floor for the night.  Crawling under the covers she doused the lamp on her nightstand, bizzare thoughts from that evening coming back to her.  Granny didn't know what she was talking about; she didn't look at her friend that way.  No offense to the little filly, but Apple Bloom was a less than reputable source for such gossip.
Still...  Seeing Dash astride a bull was oddly satisfying – waking up with her in the middle of her chest was not.  That was strange happenstance.  Applejack was sure there was a word for it, though it escaped her at the moment.  Maybe she would take a look at that dictionary Twilight insisted she borrow.
She grimaced.  Twilight would be mortified if she knew it had been serving as a doorstop for the last several months.  She hadn't intended on it being so permanent, but she grabbed whatever was on hoof and the dictionary happened to be it.
Her mind was wandering and she needed to stop worrying about things that didn't matter.  What mattered was how she was going to get caught back up, and get the west orchard watered tomorrow.
A deep yawn weighed AJ down as though gravity decided to get heavier all of the sudden and pull her through the mattress.  Even her eyelids felt like lead.  Wrapping the sheets tightly around herself she rolled over one last time.  Her mind fuzzy under the allure of sleep, images of Rainbow Dash quietly crept back into AJ's thoughts.
…...............................................................................
Rainbow Dash welcomed the water beating down on her.  She watched aimlessly as the dirt curved a path towards the shower drain. It was little wonder she had never managed to land a date with Applejack.  It wasn't for a lack of trying, but every time she did or said some bone-headed thing and the moment was gone.
Going for gusto and impressing the farmer didn't work – the applesauce incident was still a sore subject.  She had even tried being subtle about it.  Of course, when Rainbow Dash deployed subtlety it was the equivalent of dropping a piano.  Which, actually, was a strikingly accurate description of what happened.  Even still, intentions always went by the wayside and things always ended in some argument before she could ever get the words out.  So eventually she did the impossible:  Rainbow Dash gave up.
Her head thumped soundlessly against the wall.
It felt like the day that would never end.  Somepony stole her idea to play hooky, and it resulted in Dash pulling double duty, which robbed her of the nap she so desperately wanted.    The silver lining in that was the rest of the week was hers to do whatever, and she had intended on asking AJ about hanging out.  Dating or not,  Applejack was still her best friend, but even that was getting difficult.  Especially over the past week.  If she didn't know better, she would have sworn Apple Bloom was using some creepy earth pony magic to read her thoughts.
She drifted back to the present, and how she had screwed up again.  It wasn't like she planned on using AJ as a trampoline.  She had been running on fumes all day, and seeing the farm pony sleeping under a tree, she couldn't will herself awake any longer.  Next thing she knew, she was thrown off a bull and scrambling to get off her friend; her head was still throbbing.
The whole thing was weird.  She'd had weird dreams before, but that one was extra weird.  Weird again that AJ didn't put up more of a fuss.  Welcome to Weirdville, population: Rainbow Dash.
It was just another bungled meet up.
The cloud slowed to a drip as it ran out of precipitation, interrupting Rainbow's thoughts.  Her chest collapsed in an exaggerated sigh.  Stepping out of the shower to towel off took far more effort than it should have, but she was exhausted and her legs were being less than cooperative.  She felt like a zombie (minus the craving for pony brains) as she shuffled towards her bedroom.  She even had the shambling walk down, and her mane was still damp and clinging to her face, giving her the look.  She moaned into the pillow after flopping onto the bed.
On the nightstand sat Dash's most current reading selection.  Or Twilight's, rather.  The librarian insisted Rainbow “broaden her horizons” beyond just Daring Do, which made a complete lack of sense.  Daring Do's adventures stretched across every continent, how could the horizon possibly get any broader than that?  What puzzled her more was what Twilight called “classic literature” was little more than a thinly veiled romance novel, but she took it home, if for no other reason than to get the nagging pony off her back.
Dash rolled onto her back and glanced over at the book.  She should just take it back and lie about reading it.  So what if the heroine was an awesome pegasus knight-errant fighting monsters and rescuing damsels to fulfill her raison d'etre?  Whatever that meant.  Bottom line: it was still romance; and the characters talked funny; and it wasn't Daring; and...
She glance back over at it.  Maybe just one more chapter.  Pulling it off the nightstand, she opened the yellowed pages where she last left off.
"Her chest heaved against her sterling armor. She needed to free the maiden locked away in the highest room of the tallest tower, guarded by a terrible, fire-breathing dragon.  All the spawn of Tarturus stood in her way..."