Memories
There she stood. All the trees surrounding her needed to be bucked, yet she just stood there staring at the tree in front of her. As she stared a memory flashed to life within her mind. The memory was one that she was particularly fond of. It was the time when she first met Rainbow Dash.
She was walking along humming a lively tune to herself. She stopped at the tree where she had left off the night before. She reared up her hind legs and gave the tree a mighty buck staking all of its precious fruits loose and they fell into the buckets she had placed on the ground.
She walked over to the next tree and reared up to buck again. As she began to send her hooves towards the tree an apple core struck her on the head, causing her to lose her concentration, and to fall over.
She angrily looked up into the tree and shouted, "Whoever's up there, better come on down!"
She saw a flash of blue and suddenly a blue furred rainbow maned pegasus was standing in front of her. The orange earth pony faltered back a little, due to the pegasus' speed.
She glared at the smiling pegasus, who extended her hoof towards her and said, "Hi, I'm Rainbow Dash."
The orange earth pony hesitantly extended her hoof forward and the two shook hooves.
"Ah'm Applejack, and you just ate Apple family property."
The pegasus' eyes went widened in a slight terror and said, "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I had no idea! I promise I'll pay for it!"
Applejack thought about it for a second or two while the pegasus eyed her intently.
After the brief pause, Applejack smiled warmly at the pegasus and said, "No need. It's on the house. Ah'm sorry, but Ah didn't catch yer name eariler."
"It's Rainbow, Rainbow Dash.", the pegasus said with a smile.
"Well Rainbow Dash, do you live near here?", Applejack inquired.
"Yeah, I live on a cloud near Ponyville. I'm soon going to be taking over the weather team here."
"Well I just hope you're better than Derpy.", Applejack said with a giggle.
"Trust me! It won't be hard.", Rainbow Dash said as the two erupted into laughter together.
This was how one of Equestria's greatest friendships started.
Applejack reared up and kicked the tree with a thunderous buck, forcing the tree to reliquish its prized fruits into the baskets on the ground. She gathered the baskets and carried them on a stick across her back to her wagon, and dumped them in tenderly, making sure not to bruise the delicate fruits.
She turned and walked to another tree and placed her baskets on the ground. She kicked the tree with a mighty buck, and gathered her baskets. She poured them into the wagon, and she repeated this process several more times before she decided to take a break.
She sat down in the shade of one of her beloved trees and wiped the sweat away from her eyes as she began to drift into another memory of her dearest friend.
"Hey AJ! Whatcha doin'?",, Rainbow Dash asked her friend.
"Oh hey there Rainbow! Ah was just sittin' here thinkin' 'bout the picnic with the girls we have planned fer today. Ah just don't know what Ah should bring.", Applejack said.
"Well duh! Just bring some apple fritters! Your apple fritters are the best AJ!", Rainbow Dash said with a confident smile exuding from her face.
Applejack smiled at the compliment, and decided that apple fritters wasn't such a bad idea. She got up from her seat on the porch and walked towards the front door.
When she openned the door she turned to her friend and asked, "Ya wanna help me make'em?"
"I don't know AJ. I'm not that great at baking.", Rainbow Dash replied with the confidence she had just moments ago.
"Oh you'll be fine! 'Sides Ah only need help with the dough."
"Al...alright! I'm game!", Rainbow Dash said returning to her normal cocky self.
The two friends entered the house and walked into the kitchen. Applejack started grabbing the food items she would need to make the fritters, while Rainbow Dash grabbed the utensils, a cutting board, and a mixing bowl. Soon everything that was needed was displayed on the counter. Applejack walked Rainbow Dash through how to make the dough as she chopped up some apples with a knife. Soon the dough was ready as was everything else. The two sat about mixing the dough with the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
The two friends broke out into a little food fight when Rainbow Dash took some of the dough and smeared it on Applejack's face. The two ponies tossed unused apple bits, small balls of dough, and even hole apples at one another until Rainbow Dash final conceded victory to Applejack. The friends proceded to evenly place clumps of dough on a cookie sheet, and carefully slid the sheet into the oven. Applejack sat a timer and the two of them walked into the living room.
Rainbow Dash sprawled out on the couch, while Applejack sat in a rocking chair and began to gently rock back and forth.
"So AJ? Have you ever thought about doing something other than farming?", Rainbow Dash questioned.
"And do what RD?", Aplejack replied with a hearty chuckle.
"I don't know, maybe be a rodeo pony? I know you'd be awesome at that!", Rainbow Dash replied.
"Ah couldn't do that RD.", Applejack said with a hearty chuckle.
"Why not?", Rainbow Dash inquired.
"My family needs me here Rainbow. Without me, they'd lose Sweet Apple Acres.", Applejack said evenly.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. But still, you have to admit, that you'd be an awesome rodeo pony!", Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"Awesome? Heck nah, Ah'd be the best rodeo pony in all of Equestria!", Applejack exclaimed, each word brimming with confidence.
The two friends continued to talk about what they had been up to recently until they heard the timer chime.
"Fritters are done! What do ya say we head out now?", Applejack asked with a slight grin.
"Oh yeah! This will be the best picnic ever! Let's go!", Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she lofted into the air.
Applejack pulled the fritters out of the oven and placed them in her saddle bag. The two friends walked out of the door talking about how great this picnic was going to be, and how they couldn't wait to see all of their friends.
Applejack decided that break time was over, and she stood up from her shadey spot. She walked over to her baskets and gingerly picked them up. She began to trot back over to where she was at last until she heard the tell-tell sound of a Sonic Rainboom.
She turned her attention to the sky and smiled as she watched the rainbow streak which had made the rainboom, soar through the sky away from the epicenter of the aerial display.
'Always showin' off.', Applejack thought to herself.
She began to walk back to where she had stopped bucking trees, but she wasn't thinking of the task at hand. She was thinking of her friend, and how she couldn't wait to make many, many more good memories with her.
Rainbow's Memories
Rainbow Dash ripped through the air like a soaring eagle. She glanced down at the clouds and saw a nice comfortable spot to nap. She glided down and land softly on the white puffy could. She could never get over the changes in texture between the ground and clouds. The ground was hard and stony where as a cloud was almost like walking on soft cotton.
She walked over to the edge of the cloud and looked down to the ground below. There she saw Sweet Apple Acres, and her best friend, Applejack. She watched as Applejack seemingly worked tirelessly bucking the trees, and then she carried the fruit to her wagon. She just made it all look so easy, but Rainbow Dash knew better as she began to slip into a memory.
It was a calm cool day in Equestria. Rainbow Dash was performing some of her incredible stunts for her friends. She did back flips, barrel rolls, tight turns, and topped it all off with her signature Sonic Rainboom. A few moments later she gracefully landed and was greeted by a wave of approval from all of her friends.
"Spectacular darling!", Rarity exclaimed.
"Awesome!", Fluttershy said quietly.
"Amazing!", Twilight said.
"Extracoolariffic!", Pinkie exclaimed while vibrating in place.
"Yeah, I know.", Rainbow Dash said as she looked at her friends with a grin. "Hey wait! Where's Applejack?", she questioned.
"I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, but she said she couldn't make it. You know with it being apple bucking season and all.", Fluttershy said quietly.
One by one all of her friends said goodbye and left. Rainbow Dash looked up into the sky and saw that it was around noon. She had nothing better to do so she decided to see if Applejack needed some help with the apples. She took to the sky and soared over to Sweet Apple Acres. She quickly found her friend trotting towards the barn with her wagon following in suit.Rainbow Dash flew down to friend and landed next to her at the barn.
"Hey Applejack, want some help?", Rainbow Dash asked.
"Naw, Ah'm good.", Applejack said.
"Remember what happened last time AJ, when you wouldn't let anypony help you?"
Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a look of determination before it slowly melted away into a small grin.
"Yeah, Ah remember."
"I just don't want you over working yourself, and besides, as your friend, I want to spend some time with you."
"Well alright then, but no slackin'!",, Applejack said with a smile.
The two mares began to work on the trees, and honestly Rainbow Dash had no idea just how hard it was to buck the apples down. After one or two failed attempts at bucking the trees, she opted to flying up and attacking the branches.
After a couple of hours Applejack said, "Well, Ah reckon we can take the rest of the day off seeing how we're well ahead of schedule. How 'bout some cider RD?"
Rainbow Dash's mouth flooded with saliva at the mentioning of cider, "Of course I want some cider!", she said excitedly.
The two friends sat, drank cider, talked, and laughed for the rest of the day together.
Rainbow Dash decided to give her friend something that might cheer her up for a little while. She took to the air and flew as fast as she could. She flew faster and faster until,
"BOOM!"
The sound ripped through the air as colors pulsated outwards from the epicenter.
'I did it! I did a Sonic Rainboom!', she proudly proclaimed to herself. She slowed herself down and landed on a nearby cloud to catch her breath.
'Boy it's been a while since I did that!', she thought to herself.
She sat down and began to take in the day as she laid down on the cloud and stared up at the sky. She began to feel herself fall asleep, but she sat up. Besides her nap time wasn't for another hour. She then allowed herself to be drawn into another memory about her friend Applejack.
Rainbow Dash was flying gracefully through the sky. She sliced through the air like a warm knife through butter. The wind whipped through her mane and she felt so alive. She came to a hover when she heard what she thought sounded like screaming.
She glanced around and saw a pink thing plummeting from the sky. She raced towards it and saw Pinkie Pie and Applejack in the basket below it. They fell faster and faster towards the ground, and Rainbow Dash kicked it into high gear to catch up to her friends. She grabbed Pinkie Pie up in her hooves and Applejack hopped on her back. Rainbow Dash had to use every bit of strength in her body to hold her friends and herself aloft until they reached the ground. Then she collapsed for she was to drained to stand.
Applejack glazed over at Pinkie Pie after catching her breath and said, "Confounded girl! Ah told ya not to use that cannon of yers in there! You almost got us all hurt or worse!"
Pinkie looked down to the ground with tears in her eyes and said quietly, "I'm sorry Applejack."
She stood up after awhile and slowly began to walk away, until Applejack called after her, "Pinkie, Ah'm sorry fer speaking to ya like that. Ah'm just upset is all. Ah know ya didn't mean to do it."
Pinkie Pie perked up a bit and trotted over to Applejack. She enveloped her in a big hug and apologized again and again. Applejack just kept telling her everything was alright. Rainbow Dash finally had enough strength to stand up and walk over to her friends. She joined in on the hug and almost began to cry.
Pinkie Pie suddenly realized that she had to get back to Sugar Cube Corner because she was going to watch the twins for the Cakes this after noon. As soon as she was out of sight Rainbow Dash hugged Applejack again, but this time she couldn't stifle the tears or the sobs.
Applejack broke the hug and looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes and said, "Rainbow what's wrong? Are ya hurtin'?!"
"I almost lost you.", she replied quietly enough to rival Fluttershy.
"Aw Sugarcube, Ah'm fine, Pinkie's fine, we're all ok.", Applejack said warmly.
Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, "I know, but... it's just..."
"Just what sugarcube?" Applejack asked in a tender tone.
"I can't bare to lose you." Rainbow Dash whispered. "I... I love you, Applejack. I have for a long time now."
Applejack just stood there for a few moments before the words had finally sank in.
"I understand if you don't want to hang out with me anymore. I guess I'll just be going now." Rainbow said in a heartbroken tone.
"RD wait!" Applejack practically shouted.
"Yes Apple..." was all Rainbow Dash was able to say before Applejack kissed her.
As their lips parted Applejack smiled, "I love you too, RD."
"Rainbow is that you?"
Rainbow Dash snapped out of her flashback, looked over the side of the cloud she was on, and saw Applejack standing below her. Rainbow Dash smiled sheepishly and waved.
"Ya know yer not suppose to see yer mare to be the day before the wedding right?", Applejack asked playfully.
"And you know you shouldn't be working today right?", Rainbow Dash replied with a coy smile.
"How long have ya been spyin' on me?", Applejack said with her eyebrow arched while smiling still.
Rainbow Dash flew down to the ground and kissed Applejack passionately.
After the kiss was broken Applejack looked into her love's eyes and asked, "Are ya sure about tomorrow?"
"Of course I am! It's going to be awesome!"
"Ah'll see ya then, you better get a move on, you know how Big Mac is about some traditions."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. See you tomorrow.", Rainbow Dash said as she lifted off the ground and flew away.
As she flew she began to let her mind wonder about the future and how many other great memories she was going to make with Applejack.