A Beautiful Love

Rainbow Dash landed softly out in front of Applejack's farmhouse. The orange mare had invited her out, but she wasn't sure what for. Raising a hoof, the cyan pegasus prepared to knock on the front door.

A loud snore came from outside the door- Seemed that Granny Smith was asleep again. Otherwise the farmhouse was quiet- Big Macintosh and Applebloom were in the living room, playing a board game or something...

*Knock knock*

"Hello?" Rainbow Dash called into the quiet home.

"Just a minute, please! I'll go get iiiit!" a sophisticated, sing-song-y voice called from upstairs. Come to think of it, it sounded a bit like Rarity...

Rainbow pondered who it could be for a few moments, before shrugging and deciding that everything would be answered when the door swung open.

And the door opened right up. In the doorway stood Applejack, who smiled sweetly, her eyelashes heavily made up and her hairdo no longer the free, wild mane of before. Rather, it stood off of her hair in an intricate braided bun, green eye shadow over her eyelids.

But the thing that Dash noticed most of all was the flattering green dress that clung to Applejack's body, and sparkled in the moonlight.

Rainbow Dash looked up and down Applejack's body, trying to figure out if what she was seeing was real. She fought with several emotions in her own head, but one eventually fought its way to the surface, as the pegasus mare doubled over, laughing uncontrollably.

"Applejack... AHAHAaaa... Wh-what are you... *snrk* wearing?!"

Applejack's artificial smile died fast, and she scowled. "Quiet, you! I didn't get mahself all dolled up fer nothin'! We're s’posed ta be meetin' mah Aunt n' Uncle Orange fer dinner tonight, and they expect etiquette!"

She tilted her head. "An what're you wearin'? That ain't gonna do! I told ya to try an’ look all decent-like!"

Rainbow got herself up, wracking her brain. Now that she thought about it, Applejack had said something about looking fancy... but the pegasus hadn't really been paying attention at the time.

"Uhm... I... forgot?" Rainbow responded with a sheepish smile.

Applejack sighed. "Well, least gel yer hair back or somethin' so they don't think yer a ruffian. They ain't gonna vouch for ya for the Wonderbolts if ya can't get fancy."

Rainbow Dash's ears perked up at this, and she was immediately up in Applejack's face.

"Whaaaat?! YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT-OHMIGOSH-OHMIGOSH-OHMIGOOOOSH!!!"

Applejack winced, pushing Rainbow's face away with a hoof.

"I told ya like three times, Rainbow. Garsh, did Derpy an' you trade brains? You've been gettin' all fergetful an' all!"
Rainbow dash was beside herself, running in circles and rambling, far beyond being able to hear anything the Apple mare said at this point.

Applejack sighed, putting out a hoof and making Rainbow Dash stumble, rolling her eyes. "Fer landsakes, Rainbow, pipe down! Just rush upstairs an’ I'll see if I can make ya presentable..."

By the time Applejack finished her sentence, Rainbow Dash was already halfway up the stairs, her excitement too much to possibly be contained in one pony. She zipped up the staircase and down the hall, setting down outside of what she knew was Applejack's room, and began to pace again.

Applejack trotted up behind her marefriend, sighing and shaking her head. Looking around nervously, she smiled, wrapping her forehooves around Rainbow Dash's shoulders and holding her in place.

"Rainbow?"

Rainbow Dash managed to calm herself down long enough to lock eyes with the orange mare. She cracked a nervous smile, blushing a bit at her own actions.

"Y-yeah?"

"Keep yer cool," Applejack whispered. "Yer gonna be fine. Jus’ keep yer tongue speakin' fancy if it can, or jus' keep quiet n' say 'yes' n' 'no'. Get on in there an' lemme doll you up a bit 'afore we head on down to the train ta Canterlot."

"A-alright..." Rainbow responded quietly, her smile spreading a bit wider. She trotted into Applejack's bedroom, ready for her crash course in "fancy".

Applejack followed her, smiling softly. "What was that? Not even a peck fer yer marefriend?" she giggled.

Rainbow blushed, feeling pretty embarrassed. She smiled sheepishly, and then reached forward with her neck, placing a kiss on Applejack's nose.

Applejack hummed, nuzzling into Rainbow's neck. "Alright, Dashie," she murmured. "Step in front of the mirror so I can git yer hair done up."

Rainbow Dash followed the instructions given to her, standing before the mirror in her marefriend's room. "So, what're you gonna do to me?" the pegasus asked.

"Nuthin' naughty yet, ya dirty filly," Applejack giggled, nipping Rainbow's neck from behind. "Jus gonna slick back this mane an' put in some earrings."

Rainbow started at the bite, letting out a cute "Eep!" and then blushing in embarrassment. If she knew Applejack, teasing was soon to follow the slip in her usual demeanor.

Applejack chuckled mischieviously. "Ya got yer ears pierced, right? I dun want ya to be in pain fer this here meetin'..." She reached around Rainbow's body and grabbed some mane gel, slathering a hefty load of it onto her hooves.

Rainbow nodded, she'd had them done once for an outfit Rarity had put together, and still occasionally wore some studs or rings in her ears for special occasions. She surrendered herself to Applejack's ministrations, trusting the mare to do a good job.

Meanwhile, Applejack started slathering the gel into Rainbow Dash's wild, windswept mane, chuckling behind her. "Fraid I can't get too close, I don' wanna crinkle this here fancy dress... But I can tease ya'll in a number o' other ways..."

Rainbow flushed. Well, here came the teasing.

Applejack giggled, massaging the gel into Rainbow Dash's hair, leaning in to give her a quick peck on the neck.

Rainbow wriggled a bit, both from the kiss and the alien feeling of the gel in her hair. Her face turned even redder as she was teased, Applejack knew ALL of her weak spots.

Applejack giggled. "Ya like it there, don't cha?" she murmured, still rubbing the cool, gooey gel into Rainbow Dash's mane, nibbling on her neck. "I think you shoulda worn yer glasses tonight instead of them contacts... Makes ya look professional. And sexy..."

Rainbow blushed again. She would never admit it to anypony who didn't know her as a friend, but she did have glasses. She didn't like them, since they were hard to fly in, but Applejack couldn't get enough of them.

"I... I could fly back and get them..."

Applejack chuckled. "I think ya 'fergot' the pair I got you fer ya birthday here. Put em in the drawers downstairs..." she nipped Rainbow's neck again, the gel now sinking into her scalp, Applejack's hooves gentle against it. "Don't want ya flyin' at night with 'em... Too dangerous..."

Rainbow smiled and sighed as Applejack's hooves worked their magic on her scalp. The pegasus relaxed as her marefriend continued to style her mane. She, again, would never admit it, but she liked wearing her glasses for Applejack. Rainbow liked it that she liked them, and that was all it took, really.

"Important thing is," Applejack murmured, "You don't do nothin' you don't think yer capable of. I jus want ya'll to be safe, Dashie..."

She licked her neck, grinning. "Ya mean a lot to me."

Satisfied with the gel job, she began slicking back Rainbow's mane, pulling back clumps of hair and smoothing and sculpting it as needed.

Rainbow Dash smiled, knowing that Applejack wouldn't lie. That meant a lot to her, and she was glad that she had such an honest marefriend. Applejack's hooves wove through her mane, and the cyan pegasus sighed contentedly.

The hooves traveled, backwards, again and again, revealing Rainbow Dash's forehead for the first time that Applejack had ever seen it. A few licks refused to go back, but Applejack let them be– somehow, they looked Rainbow Dash enough...

She smiled, kissing Rainbow's neck. She was looking pretty nice now...

Rainbow smiled and blushed as her neck was lavished with kisses from her special somepony, trying her hardest to keep from giggling as Applejack passed over her ticklish spots. She couldn't hold it forever, though, and after a few moments let out a cute snort of laughter.

"Hold still," Applejack mock-scolded. "I'm gonna put in some earrin's now..."

She reached into her drawer, her hoof paying about until it found a pair if pearl earrings, round and near-perfect. "Don't try go an' scratchin' these, okay? These belong to Granny, an’ she'll tan yer caboose afore I do if anythin' happens to 'em. I'm trustin' you, Rainbow. Okay?"

Rainbow Dash nodded carefully, then allowed Applejack to put the earrings in her ears. She would be sure to be incredibly careful, not being the kind to betray another pony's trust. Especially not Applejack's.

As she fitted the earrings inside of the pinprick holes in her ears, Applejack nipped at them, giggling gently.

"Could ya take out them contacts now?..."

Rainbow smiled, blushing, and giggled at the nibble on her ear. She pulled away lightly and moved her hoof up to her eyes, carefully pulling out the small lenses. She placed them on the nearby dresser, then stood there in the world that had suddenly become blurred to her.

"Uhm... You're gonna have to help me with the glasses, Applejack.." Rainbow murmured, embarassed at her dependence.

Applejack grinned widely, licking Rainbow's ear and taking her hoof in hers. "You look 'bout halfway presentable now," she giggled. "I think I've got a red scarf or somethin' retro flypony like that up in the attic..." she looked down at her ensemble, grimacing.

"I'll make Applebloom get it," she murmured, starting to lead Rainbow out of the room.

Rainbow followed Applejack, needing to be led, as she couldn't see a damned thing. Being farsighted sucked. She trusted Applejack to guide her, though, and she smiled as she was led.

"We're at the stairs, Rainbow," Applejack said with gentle warning. "Ya might wanna hover a bit over the steps."

She could hear the gentle thumps of step after step of wood as Applejack trotted down the steps, her marefriend in tow.

Rainbow flapped her wings gently, floating above the ground as she followed her marefriend carefully. Landing softly on the ground, she followed the tug from Applejack.

A rattling noise could be heard in front of her as Applejack rooted through the drawers, then... Clarity. Applejack stood in front of Rainbow, giggling. "How ya feelin'?"

"Better, now that I can see again." Rainbow answered, grinning. "So, how do I look?"

Applejack gave Rainbow a little peck on the lips. "Glorious," she murmured. "Applebloom! Run up n' git one a Macintosh's ties, please! Rainbow needs somethin' fancy ta wear!"

Rainbow blushed at the kiss, smiling at Applejack. She looked over at the looking glass on the cabinet nearby to inspect herself. She whistled quietly; Applejack had done a great job.

Her mane had been slicked back, shining gently in the lamplight, bright slashes against her multicolored mane. The glasses were thick, but they were stylishly so, black and large, her eyes somewhat magnified behind them. They looked, at the very least, a bit professional. Applebloom rushed in with a bright red tie, which Applejack tied around Rainbow's neck with a giggle. She glanced at the clock, and nodded.

"Alright, looks like yer about ready! We can jus make the train!"

Rainbow smiled at her reflection. She had to admit that she looked pretty good in the getup. Turning and looking at her marefriend, she smiled. "Let's go, then!" the rainbow-maned pegasus responded excitedly.

***

A few hours later, the train pulled into Canterlot. Applejack checked her hair in the reflection of the mirror, sighing in satisfaction as she leaned up against Rainbow.

Rainbow pulled Applejack into a loose hug, her mind wandering to what was going to happen that night. She was so excited! But... she was also nervous... What was that word that Pinkie Pie had used once? Nervicited?... she was very "nervicited".

Applejack sighed, tilting her head so that her intricate hairdo would go unperturbed by Rainbow's embrace. She leaned back, compensating with a kiss to Dashie's cheek.

Rainbow looked down at Applejack and smiled. She leaned down, careful to not disturb her marefriend's mane, and placed a return peck on her nose. The train slowly pulled to a complete stop, and the conductor yelled out for anyone getting off at this stop.

"The things we'll do fer dessert," Applejack said with a sultry tone, getting onto her hooves and grinning. "C'mon. Les git dinner over with."

Rainbow blushed, stumbling over herself as she got up and followed Applejack, pushing her glasses up her nose with a hoof before trotting off to catch up with her.

Applejack let out a mischievous giggle. "Careful, Dashie! Don't you go messin' up that there mane o' yers!"

***

She trotted down the station, her manicured hooves clapping against the pavement. Local ponies turned their heads to look at the sophisticated Manhattanite trotting down the hall.

Some eyes trailed to the fledging pegasus secretary, but for the most part they stayed focus on the mare of the minute that traveled the Canterlot streets. Applejack stopped for a moment, looking back and grinning. "Now, Rainbow! Do hurry along!"

"Heh, d-don't worry Applejack!" Rainbow said back, still a bit flustered. She followed her marefriend down the station, looking on in awe as the farm pony attracted the eyes of so many upper-class citizens. She could hardly believe that it was actually Applejack that she was following. She could only hope that she looked half as good!

Rainbow smiled wide and caught up to her marefriend. "S-so, what should I e expecting?" The cyan pegasus asked.

"Minimal food, maximum conversation, my dear," Applejack said, not a hint of cowgirl in her voice, though she still got the bitterness through. "These Manehattanite ponies have no regard for grub, so to speak. They'll focus on your Wonderbolts aspirations and getting to know you. Don't talk casually, and you should be well."

"S-so, just talk about whatever they ask?" Rainbow asked, incredulous at the seemingly easy shift in her marefriend's demeanor. The pegasus smiled; she could do this. As long as she stayed polite, and had Applejack, she was sure of it.

"Eeyup," Applejack said. "And do try to keep it short if you can. ‘Yes ma’am' and 'no maam' should be sufficient."

Rainbow nodded. "Yes ma'am," she responded with a grin.

Applejack chuckled, shaking her head. "Cheeky... They won't like cheeky. Do try and act professional."

They came up to a fancy-seeming Canterlot cafe, the night sky above purple and the night air crisp and cold. Applejack shivered slightly, waving towards an elder pair of ponies.

"Aunt Orange! Uncle Orange! Hello!"

Rainbow saw two ponies look up and smile, waving back. They were very spiffed up, a far cry from her outfit. Rainbow Dash suddenly felt very underdressed...

She looked over at Applejack again, though, and smiled. It would all be okay, as long as she had her marefriend.

"Applejack!" Aunt Orange cried. "Good heavens, it has been an eternity since we've last met!"

"I know, Auntie!" Applejack giggled, her face a plastic smile. "And how are you?"

Rainbow just smiled, standing and waiting to be addressed. She would get her turn to speak in time.

Uncle Orange gasped, poking his mare in the side gently. "And who is that dashing ruffian at your side?" he cried, a smile on his face.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you! When we come in," Applejack said, trotting towards the restaurant with Rainbow Dash in tow.

Rainbow followed, smiling again at being called a "dashing ruffian". She followed Applejack to a seat at the small table outside of the chic cafe. As she nodded politely and took her seat next to Applejack, she again waited for her turn to speak.

Applejack smiled at her aunt and uncle, taking Rainbow's hoof and sighing. "Rainbow Dash, this is my Aunt Valencia Orange and my Uncle Naval Orange. Uncle Naval, Aunt Valencia, this is Rainbow Dash, a Wonderbolt trainee and... And a very close personal friend of mine." She blushed slightly, shifting in her seat.

Valencia's eyes narrowed a bit, but Naval chuckled gently, shaking his head and lifting a hoof for Rainbow to shake. "Charmed, Miss Dash."

Rainbow smiled and took the hoof. "It's very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Orange," she said, choosing to ignore the venomous glare that she was getting from the latter of the two ponies. She was comfortable with herself here, with her hoof in her marefriend's, and she would not falter in that confidence because of a look.

"It's not often we're pleasured by the meeting of an athlete if your caliber," Naval said gently, nudging his wife again. "You're a trainee? For how long?"

Rainbow looked up in thought for a moment, then back down to meet Naval's eyes. She smiled again. "Officially? About a year, ever since I was accepted to their camp," she responded, "But, really, I've been training my whole life for the team, sir."

Naval smiled. "I'm a big fan of the team. Don't worry if you don't get immediately accepted. I know that Soarin' took maybe five years of official training before he made it in! It's a long refinement process they go through and I, personally, wouldn't have it any other way."

Rainbow nodded vigorously. "Oh, I agree completely! They wouldn't really be as great as they are if they didn't thin the pack a bit, you know?" She paused to push her glasses up her nose again, as they had drifted down while she talked.

Naval chuckled. "I hope your disability hasn't affected your ability to fly?"

"I don't believe that it's a disability, Uncle," Applejack clipped, shaking her head. "With all due respect intended..."

Rainbow looked over at her marefriend and smiled, silently thanking Applejack for defending her. Turning back to Naval, she shook her head.

"No, normally I wear contact lenses, sir. I just decided to wear my glasses for this occasion." She responded, still smiling.

"You do look rather dashing in them," Naval said gently, taking his wife's hoof in his. She sighed, but allowed it, glancing about to make sure they weren't being seen with a pair of fillyfoolers.

Applejack's smile visibly faltered a bit.

Rainbow looked over at Applejack and squeezed her hoof. She smiled a bit at her marefriend, silently urging her to calm down. She knew exactly how angry the orange mare could get at people who didn't accept her and Rainbow's union, and she very much didn't want that kind of anger running wild in this conversation.

Applejack sighed, nuzzling against Rainbow gently, making Valencia grimace. Naval laughed it off, smiling at the two of them. "May I say you two look absolutely dashing this evening?"

The waiter arrived, a little purple colt without a cutie mark, grinning adorably, "I'll take your orders now, misses and misters..."

Rainbow ordered herself a simple salad, deciding that it would be better for impressions if she kept her meal smaller. She was very glad for Naval's kindness, the stallion obviously not bearing the same beliefs about fillyfoolers as his wife. The conversation had also been going very well, if Rainbow did say so herself.

Applejack ordered a slice of apple pie, to the incredulous looks of both relatives, who ordered leafy greens. The little colt nodded, then ran off to fetch their order.

"So..." Aunt Valencia began.

Rainbow looked over at Valencia, surprised that she'd started talking at last. Dash had thought that the Manehattan mare surely wouldn't even bother with trying to talk with her. However, she was a mare who believed in second chances, so she allowed the other mare to redeem herself.

"So...?" Applejack said quietly, raising an eyebrow.

Aunt Valencia swallows, looking over at Uncle Naval. "H-How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long have you too... Been..." She gestures towards both her and Rainbow, her neck strained. "Together?"

Rainbow smiled; even if the mare wasn't being particularly nice about it, at least she was trying to make conversation. She decided to answer for the pair.

"It's been about two years now, ma'am," She responded, looking over at Applejack happily.

Applejack nodded. "Think it was... Running of the Leaves, was it? We knew it was true then, correct?"

Her Aunt cringed as Applejack nuzzled into Rainbow Dash's cheek.

Rainbow grinned at the memory, and leaned into Applejack a little bit. "Yeah, when I went to go apologize, and we just got to talking. One thing led to another, and you asked me to dinner the next day."

Applejack chuckled, putting her hoof onto the table. "I wasn't so sure about it then... I was still kind of wondering what I wanted. But when dinner was over, little Dashie here starting gushing..."

Naval chuckled, pulling his struggling wife close.

"Hey!" Rainbow argued in mock-indignation, "It wasn't THAT bad!" She grinned again and stuck her tongue out at her marefriend.

Applejack chuckled, giving Rainbow Dash a peck on the nose. "Oh? So I didn't hear 'Applejack, please love me forever and ever' out of your mouth?"

Rainbow blushed and turned away, giggling a bit. "Oookay... Maybe it was that bad."

Valencia swallowed gently. "S-So why didn't we see you at the reunion, M-Miss Dash?"

Naval chuckled. "Honey, please..."

Rainbow smiled again at Valencia, glad that she was warming to the conversation. "Well, I'm the head of the weather team in Ponyville. It was a bit of a hectic day, so I wasn't able to make it."

"I see," she murmured. "When is the wed... Are you two going to... Tie the knot? G-Get a union?"

Rainbow looked over at Applejack to gauge her reaction to the question, not quite sure how to respond to Valencia.

Applejack flustered, looking away. "I... I don't really... Uhm..."

Rainbow looked back to Valencia, squeezing Applejack's hoof to comfort her. "We haven't really thought about marriage yet, ma'am." She said politely.

"Well, j-just saying, now's the time to d-do it, because they recently legalized it," Valencia murmured.

"Say, Rainbow Dash, do you know what a rooster is?" Naval said, trying to change the subject.

Happily accepting the new conversation, Rainbow looked over at Naval. "Sure, guy chickens, right?" She responded, unsure why the stallion was asking.

Naval tilted his head. "Yes, and what is a chicken?"

Applejack groaned, putting her head into her hooves. "Oh, not this again..."

"Uhm... Birds?.... I'm not following where this is going, sir." Rainbow responded, confused.

Naval Orange sighed. "Valencia, my dear, we may never learn what a 'rooster' really is at this point!"

Rainbow frowned. Was there some joke that she was missing? "I'm really not sure what you're talking about..."

Applejack sighed, leaning close to Rainbow Dash.

"They don't know what a rooster is."

The cyan pegasus looked incredulously at the two city ponies, then back at her marefriend. She whispered back, "What, seriously?!" in a shocked voice.

Applejack nodded grimly. "Eeyup," she said in her normal voice, before raising her socialite tone again. "I must say, pleasant weather we are having, right?"

Rainbow looked back at the two Manehattanites and grinned sheepishly, trying oh so hard not to laugh. "Y-yeah..."

Applejack sighed. "A nice, cool night..."

The other two socialites nodded.

Rainbow smiled. It was nice, just sitting there, having a calm conversation, her marefriend right there with her. The pegasus mare snuggled up a bit closer to Applejack, then reached up and adjusted her glasses again.

Applejack sighed, looking over her aunt and uncle again. "I... I need to ask you something, Uncle. Rainbow Dash needs somepony to vouch for her Wonderbolts application..."

Uncle Naval chuckled. "So you went to the biggest stockholder. Smart."

Rainbow blushed a bit, looking away. Normally, she'd never be one to ask for anypony's help. But, when her dream was on the line, she was willing to suck up her pride and grovel a little.

"Y-yeah... Any help you could give me would be really appreciated..." She said, then quickly added, "Within reason of course! I don't want to cheat my way onto the Wonderbolts..."

"Well, I'd have to see you fly first, but I believe word of your exploits have been whispered in social clubs before," Naval said gently. "Perhaps it can seem... Economically viable to take you as a team member."

Valencia quickly leaned over and whispered harshly in Naval's ear. He winced, and then sighed. "It's going to... Have to... Wait, though. For a bit."

She leans back with a smug expression on her face. Applejack's plastic smile falters again.

"Why so?"

Rainbow nodded solemnly, her mood dampening a bit. She'd been so very close... But, at least there was still hope. That kept her smiling, if weakly, for the next few moments.

Naval's smile became forced, while Valencia's smile turned into a somewhat wicked sneer. Applejack breathed gently, then spoke again.

"Why is it gonna have to wait?"

Naval sighed. "Complications."

Rainbow frowned, catching on. Pulling away from Applejack, but still holding her hoof, she sat up. Now she was a bit pissed.

"With all due respect, sir," She said, maintaining a calm voice, "These... complications... they have to do with my sexuality, don't they."

Naval pulled at his tie. "Oh, no, not at all! Not... Not at all, no. I wouldn't do that to you!"

He flashed her a nervous grin. "Please, let's sit down. Th-the food is here, let's eat and forget all about it, hmm?"

Rainbow was not about to let this go. With an air of venomous calm, she nodded, then turned to the mare across from her. "Then, with all due respect, ma'am..." she said, slowly and carefully, "I would like to let you know that I have been bullied my entire life for being a fillyfooler. And yet, here I am, talking to you in a nice diner, next to a beautiful mare, talking about my hopes and dreams."

"So, if you think that stopping me here is going to put me down somehow, then I would ask you to find somepony else to project your hatred on, because frankly, I don't give a damn." She finished, curtly, frowning slightly. Then she turned, excused herself from the table, and trotted off to the bathroom.

Applejack sighed. Somehow, she knew this was a bad idea... As the food came, she, too, excused herself to the bathroom, and trotted back into the resturant to find Rainbow Dash.

"Dashie?"

She trotted into the bathroom, her face a portrait of concern. "Dashie?!"

Small sobs were coming from a stall in the back. Rainbow couldn't believe it. She had gotten this far, only to be sent flailing back down the ladder by one stupid cunt.

Applejack rushed to the stall, knocking on it. "Dashie, hey, c'mon, nothin' major happened. It's fine..."

Dash took off her glasses, and let the tears fall silently as she was plunged into a blurry world. "I... I kn-know..." she said between sobs, "I... I just... I just wi-wish ponies weren't s-so m-mean sometimes..." She was taken back in a memory to a time when she was a filly, always being made fun of, always being forced to prove that she could do anything...

She sighed... "I just... I want to g-go home..."

Applejack pulled Rainbow Dash into a hug, abandoning all needs to be fancy, letting her mane get messed up. "Yer right. Let's head on out of here. I can talk to 'em on the phone or summat later. Without Aunt Valencia there...."

Rainbow accepted the embrace, hugging Applejack and nodding. She shook as she cried silently, just happy that her marefriend was there for her.

Applejack held Rainbow close, stroking her mane gently, letting the gelled hair get messed up underneath her hooves. So be it. It didn't matter...

Rainbow stopped crying eventually. She wiped her eyes, and smiled weakly. "Who needs them, anyways?" She said, shakily but confidently, "I'm so good that the Wonderbolt's will be begging to have me on their team in a few years time."

"That's the spirit," Applejack murmured, her makeup smeared. She smiled at Rainbow, taking her hoof and leading her out of the bathroom, to the train station.

Rainbow followed, still blind. She paused to wipe her eyes again, then placed her glasses back on her nose, and followed her marefriend out of the bathroom.

***

It was a few hours later that Applejack woke up on the train, her mane a mess and her face covered in smeared makeup, Rainbow Dash sprawled out on her lap. She sighed, nuzzling her marefriend.

Rainbow stirred, throwing her hooves around and asking for five more minutes sleepily. She rolled, and fell, landing in a heap on the floor of the train. She groaned, but did not bother to move.

Applejack giggled, lowering a hoof to help her marefriend up. "C'mon, we're almost home, sugarcube."

Grumbling and lifting an idle hoof, Rainbow lifted herself back into Applejack's lap, where she hugged the apple mare tightly.

Applejack sighed. "I love ya. Way, way too much... If the farm went up in flames an' I had nothin', I'm glad that, at the very least, I'd have you..."

Rainbow nuzzled her marefriend's neck. She knew that Applejack couldn't lie, and she knew that she didn't have to thank her for her truthfulness. It was just the way she was.

"I love you, Applejack..." the pegasus sighed, hugging the other pony tight.

"Next stop, Ponyville!" the conductor cried. Applejack sighed, looking deeply into Rainbow Dash's eyes, sighing.

She leaned forwards and kissed her, gently.

Rainbow smiled, pressing her lips to Applejack's in a slow, passionate kiss. A kiss that said just how much love each pony had for the other. A beautiful kiss for two beautiful mares sharing a beautiful love.