Chapter 8

Cherry’s Ranch, Appleloosa (The Morning of the Festival)

Applejack stared at her underwear clad form in the bathroom mirror, hoping that this day would end in her favor. In her heart, she knew that even with all of the preparation and wishful thinking in the world, her feelings for the woman she had come to admire over the past few months might be one-sided. Despite their familiarity, never once did Sunset mention her sexual preferences. For all AJ knew, the former unicorn might find the thought of female romance disgusting.

But…she had to do this. She had to admit her feelings regardless of the consequences. Otherwise, she’d be forever haunted by the specters of what if and could have been. She chuckled, thinking of something Granny always told her when she found herself burdened by a difficult decision: “It’s better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all.”

Taking a deep breath, AJ splashed a handful of water onto her face to help clear her mind. After using a towel to dry off, she nearly stumbled into the tub when someone knocked on the door. She hesitated to answer because, quite frankly, she wasn’t exactly decent. Furthermore, due to her distracted state of mind, she’d completely neglected to bring any clothes with her into the bathroom. So, she was stuck in the bathroom with only risqué undergarments to preserve her “modesty”.

“Uhh…in case ya haven’t noticed, the bathroom’s currently occupied!”

A muffled giggle came from the other side of the door. “Not to worry, it’s only me darling.”

“Still doesn’t change the fact that ah ain’t decent!”

“While I believe that modesty is an admirable trait in a woman, this is neither the time nor place for such nonsense. We have a date to prepare for! And for that matter, why on earth would you be embarrassed to be seen by me? We literally went to spa naked together, dear.”

AJ’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “Alright, gimme a sec to unlock the door.”

Rarity smirked upon entering the bathroom, noting that AJ had chosen to wear the bra and panties they’d purchased back in Ponyville. Hmm. It looks like she’s pulling out all the stops. I have to admire her determination…and her boldness, of course. Even so, I’m sure she won’t mind if I help spruce her up a bit more.

“Ah know that smirk! You’re up to somethin’. Go on and spill the beans.”

“A thought occurred to me, Applejack. While you have a gorgeous dress and sexy lingerie, we have neglected something.”

AJ sighed. “And what would that be?”

“Why, your make-up of course!”

“Aw hell no! Wearin’ make-up is a huge pain in the ass. Ya spend hours puttin’ it on, just to worry if it’s gonna get smudged while ya go about your business. Are you…sure it’s necessary?”

“I’m one hundred and ten percent certain. Ooohh I know the perfect eye shadow to compliment your dress. Give me a moment to fetch my purse and we can begin, post haste!”

Rarity came back mere seconds later, sporting her glittery purple purse. AJ sighed and sat on top of the toilet seat so that Rarity could work her magic. Much to the farmer’s surprise, Rarity only got out a single tube of lipstick and some eyeliner. Ah gotta admit, I’m surprised. Considerin’ how dolled up she gets sometimes, ah was expectin’ her to bring enough make-up to fill up a department store. Hopefully that means it won’t take forever.

“Hold your breath darling, I’m going to apply some hairspray. Trust me; it’s not something you want to ingest.”

“Now hold on a just a damned minute! Ah though you were only puttin’ make-up on me. You never said anythin’ about mah hair.”

Rarity clicked her tongue. “Well, if I’m going through the effort of beautifying you, I can’t leave your hair unattended.”

“Ughhh…alright. Just make it quick. Ah don’t wanna sit in here all day.”

Ignoring her blonde friend’s attitude, Rarity applied a few final touches of make-up, satisfied with the results. With a few careful applications of hairspray, she curled AJ’s flowing locks into a style that was more befitting of a movie star rather than a simple farmer. She was pleasantly surprised to note that AJ’s hair was actually…well cared for. Other than a few split ends, it was as smooth and soft as silk. Rarity clapped her hands in satisfaction as she gazed upon her work.

“You’re all set darling. Go ahead and take a look at yourself.”

AJ slowly opened her eyes and gazed upon her reflection. The face of the woman that stared back at her was nearly unrecognizable. Her hair was groomed into many elegant, short curls that flowed behind her like strands of spun sugar. Light purple eye shadow now adorned her eyelids, contrastingly wonderfully with her emerald irises. Finally, her lips were coated in dark red lipstick, giving them some extra luster and volume. AJ was speechless.

“Did I do a good job?”

“Good job? No Rares, ya didn’t do a good job. What you did…was downright amazing! A-ah look like a princess!”

“I didn’t do very much. You were already beautiful to begin with. I just…emphasized what you already had. It was nothing, darling.”

“Well it sure as hell ain’t nothin’ to me. Ah had mah doubts at first but…I’m glad we decided to do this.”

“As am I. I’ll be rooting for you tonight.”

AJ wrapped Rarity in a tight hug. “Ah can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. I’m damned lucky to have a friend like you. For what it’s worth, ah hope everythin’ works out with Spike too.”

“I hope so as well. Now, go find Sunset and head off to the festival.”

“What about you?”

Rarity waved her hand. “I have to stay behind and make myself presentable. Rest assured Spike and I will arrive within the hour.”

Sunset yawned loudly as she stepped out of the shower and padded over to her dresser. She was never much of a morning person (or pony) and hated getting up early unless it was absolutely necessary. Even though she was technically on vacation, she didn’t mind it since today was the Summer Festival. Before last night’s highly amusing events, she was under the impression that they were going to attend the festival as a group. However, it seemed that Rarity, Fluttershy and even Applejack were against the idea.

She knew why Spike wanted to be alone with Rarity, but she had no idea that Fluttershy was interested in Braeburn. Then again, it wasn’t as if she paid much attention to the shy girl’s love life or her regular life for that matter. Sunset was more curious about Applejack. Why had she insisted that they go separately? Maybe the cowgirl was privy to her compatriots’ romantic interests and being the good friend that she was, had decided to help move things along.

Whatever the case was, Sunset didn’t mind going with Applejack. She was one of the few people in this world that Sunset considered a close friend. Plus, the farmer was generally fun to hang out with and easy to talk to. Sure, her experience wasn’t going to be nearly as romantic as Rarity’s but that didn’t dampen her spirits whatsoever. Today was all about enjoying herself and the company of a close friend. She could live with that.

Speaking of living with choices…she was having a terrible time picking out a decent set of underwear. Back in Equestria, a mare didn’t really have to concern herself with such a burden because undergarments simply weren’t needed. In this world, however, they were somewhat of a necessity. Instead of teats, human females had these fleshy protruding breasts that dangled off of their chests. It was so annoying! Worse yet, they needed to be contained within a bra, otherwise they’d sag or the males would give her lewd stares.

The panties weren’t too bad, she supposed. But they were aggravating to wear whenever it was hot, making them stick to the skin, causing terrible chafing. With a growl of frustration, she slammed the dresser drawer shut and stared at the digital thermostat sitting in the window. Appleloosa was hot this time of year, and today was no exception. Even this early in the morning, the temperature was already in the upper seventies. It was going to be unbearably hot today.

“Aww fuck it! I’m not wearing underwear today.”

Decision made, she rummaged through her dresser once more to pick out a dress. She chose a brightly colored yellow sundress covered in floral designs. Satisfied with her choice, she slipped it on and went back into the bathroom. The only thing she had to worry about now was her hair. Sunset’s hair was still somewhat damp from the shower so she decided to just flatten it out in her usual style. Why change what worked?

Giving herself one final look over, she exited the bathroom and put on her favorite leather boots. She made her way to the kitchen to grab something light for breakfast, not that she was particularly hungry, but because it was simply not healthy to skip the first meal of the day. After a few moments consideration, she chose to pour herself a bowl of corn flakes and a cup of coffee.

Sunset nearly spat out a mouthful of hot coffee when she saw AJ enter the room. It was like looking at an entirely different person. The once simple looking country girl, now looked like she belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine. AJ took a seat next to Sunset and greeted her, but the former unicorn was unable to formulate a response.

“Hey Sunset are you feelin’ alright? You’re lookin’ a bit pale.”

Sunset cleared her throat. “Sorry, you caught me off guard. You look…amazing! It’s like you’re a totally different person. My compliments to whoever picked out the dress. It suits you quite well.”

AJ blushed. “Thanks. Heh…ah was the one who picked out the dress. Rarity did all the rest.”

“So…what’s the occasion?”

“Well, ah thought it would be nice ta get dolled up for the festival.”

“Huh, if you say so…”

“Are you implyin’ that just because I’m a country girl and ah like ta get mah hands dirty, that ah can’t pretty mahself up every one and a while?”

Sunset waved her hands. “NO! I didn’t mean anything like that. It’s just that…I’ve never seen you dress up like this before.”

“Ah reckon you haven’t. Are you sure ya don’t mind goin’ to the festival with me? We can always do somethin’ else if it makes ya feel uncomfortable…”

“Well, I didn’t come all the way out to Appleloosa just to stare at a bunch of tumble weeds. Of course we’re still going! And why would you think I’d feel uncomfortable?”

AJ twiddled her thumbs. “Ah dunno. Maybe ‘cause everyone else is bringin’ a fella along.”

“Pssht. If Rarity and Fluttershy want to turn this into something romantic, that’s their prerogative. I’m perfectly happy spending a day having fun with a good friend.”

“A good friend…r-right.”

Sunset took one final bite of her cornflakes. “Let’s get this show on the road!”

AJ and Sunset were having so much fun that hours passed by as if they were mere seconds. Initially, it had been difficult for AJ to get into the spirit of things because her mind was so focused on the difficult task that lay ahead of her. However, once the two of them walked around the grounds for a while and played some games, she began to loosen up. After enjoying a veritable buffet of severely unhealthy fried morsels, the two of them sat upon a bench, allowing their poor stomachs to digest. AJ blushed heavily after loosening a rather audible belch a few seconds later.

“Sorry…ah guess that one slipped out.”

“I’m shocked that such a refined lady could be so uncouth!”

“Shut up! It ain’t mah fault that fried foods give me gas.”

Sunset belched even louder. “Hahaha! Don’t sweat it, Applejack. I was just messing with you. You can burp as loud as you want around me.”

“Ughh…just don’t mention that around Rainbow. She’ll make it into a competition.”

“Noted. So, is there anything in particular you’d like to do next?”

“Hmm. Ah think ah saw a target range down yonder. Ya up for a little friendly shootin’ match?”

“I could be convinced. What’s the wager?”

AJ stroked her chin. “Winner gets ta decide what we do this evenin’. Sound good?”

“Sure, why the hell not? All I planned to do tonight was curl up in my bed and read.”

“Seriously? That’s what ya do in your free time? Ah didn’t take ya for the scholarly type.”

“I used to be the princess’s top student, remember? Reading was my bread and butter! At least it was until I had my episode…”

AJ frowned. “Damn it! I’m sorry Sunset. Ah didn’t mean to dredge up a bad memory.”

“No…it’s alright. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve put my past behind me but…it has a way of sneaking up on me from time to time.”

“That’s a relief. Mind mah askin’ but what sort o’ books do ya like to read?”

“As weird as it sounds, I really enjoy a good old fashioned romance novel. Not those smutty ones they keep pumping out that’re all about bondage and stuff. You know, stories with an actual plot.”

AJ chuckled. “I’m willin’ ta bet Rarity’s read a few o’ those. Even if she won’t admit to it. Any particular reason ya like ‘em?”

“They speak to me, I suppose.”

“What do ya mean by that?”

“The way that the main characters fall so deeply in love, it’s beautiful to me. It makes me want to feel something like that. I want to find someone who’s strong and dependable but gentle enough to comfort me when I hit rock bottom. All of this sounds terribly corny, doesn’t it?”

AJ bit her lip. “A-ah don’t think so.”

“Ha! You don’t have to lie to me, Applejack.”

“Ah ain’t lyin’! There’s nothin’ wrong with a gal wantin’ some romance in her life. ‘Sides, ah thought what you said was rather poetic. Ah might even agree with ya on some points.”

“Hmm. Applejack, what do you look for in an ideal partner?”

“Let’s see…they’ve gotta be easy ta talk to and have a decent sense of humor. Plus, they’ve gotta be honest and have a good work ethic! O’ course, it wouldn’t hurt if they were good lookin’ too.”

Sunset giggled. “I expected as much.”

“Well, excuse me for bein’ so pre-dic-ta-ble!”

“Hey, no need to get your panties in a bunch. Your criteria just happened to match what I thought you’d say because I know you so well.”

“Mhmm. Ah think it’s high time we get a move-on to the shootin’ gallery.”

The two of them took their time getting to the shooting gallery due to the severe food coma that just so happened to hit them right as they started walking. But as soon as they arrived, the competitive spirit burning within their bellies energized them once more. The mustachioed man running the stand noticed their excitement and immediately began to rub his hands together. Nothing pleased him more than people willing to blow a ton of money in the name of competition.

“Good afternoon ladies! I take it you’re interested in a fine game of shoot-out?”

AJ nodded. “Sure am! How much are ya chargin’?”

“Why it’s only a mere five dollars for one hundred rounds!”

“I’ll take two hundred rounds and two guns.”

The chipper gallery vendor eagerly took her money and showed the two of them the target area. AJ was expecting it to be your run of the mill range with simple metal placed at varying intervals. What she got was some gaudy, over the top circus show. Sure, there were a few metal targets but the majority of them were life-sized plastic mannequins that happened to look like creepy circus clowns. Their grinning plastic faces only made AJ want to shoot them even more. She hated clowns with the unbridled passion of a thousand suns.

Sunset thought she was doing pretty well when she managed to hit a small metal target about twenty five yards away. However, that was nothing compared to the carnage AJ was laying down. Clown after clown had their face shot repeatedly as AJ cackled like a madwoman. Both Sunset and the gallery owner looked at each other, unsure if they should say anything. In the end, they wisely decided not to say a word and let AJ’s little tantrum play out.

“Take that ya slimy little varmints!”

The gallery owner shut down the targets. “Well…I think we have ourselves a winner!”

“What in tarnation? Ah didn’t think this had any prizes…”

“Not normally ma’am, but this is a special case! Enjoy this complimentary basket of assorted wines and cheeses.”

“Uhh…thanks ah guess.”

Sunset whispered into the owner’s ear. “Was that really a prize?”

“Of course it wasn’t! That was supposed to be a gift for my sister in law. But I don’t really like that cold-hearted bitch anyway. Now, if you don’t mind, could the both of you kindly leave my gallery? I have a lot of cleaning up to do.”

“That was some pretty fine shooting, Applejack! As promised, you get to decide what we’re doing next. So…what do you want to do?”

AJ shuffled her feet. “Ah heard there was gonna be a fireworks display later in the evenin’. I’d like ta find a nice secluded spot so we can watch it without all the crowds. Heh…we could even enjoy some o’ that wine and such.”

“Huh. That’s the second time you’ve surprised me today. I was kind of expecting you to want to go mechanical bull riding or something.”

AJ huffed. “Whatever. Are ya gonna join me or not?”

“Sounds good to me, lead the way.”

The two young women sat on a blanket, spread out near an old oak tree, about a quarter mile away from the festival grounds. Just as AJ had promised, there wasn’t another living soul in the vicinity. The two of them were far enough from the grounds that the only sounds they heard were the occasional chirping of crickets and spring peepers. AJ giggled as she took a big sip from her bottle of wine, wiggling her toes in the cool grass at the edge of the blanket. Sunset had decided to take off her boots as well and was quietly nursing her own bottle.

AJ sighed. “Ain’t it beautiful out here?”

“Mhmm. How’d you ever find this place?”

“Back when we were kids, Brae and ah used to catch frogs ‘round here.”

“Well, you made a good choice. At this point, I don’t even care if we see any fireworks or not.”

AJ snickered. “Be that as it may, ah don’t intend ta be made into a liar.”

As if on cue, several fireworks shot into the sky, exploding into a cacophony of vibrant colors. Some were pink, blue, green and even gold. Most of the colorful explosives lacked any kind of pattern, other than a simple circle but a few formed into the crude shapes of animals. AJ couldn’t help but giggle when she saw a really bad caricature of a rabbit flash into existence. After about ten minutes (fireworks are expensive you know) the show ended, allowing nature to continue its nocturnal symphony once again.

AJ took one final swig of her wine, hoping that it would give her the courage to tell Sunset about the long suppressed feelings of affection she’d kept hidden for months. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling nervous despite her obvious state of intoxication. This was it. Her entire relationship with Sunset hinged on what she said next. It would either bring them closer together, or further apart.

“H-hey Sunset. Do ya mind if ah tell ya somethin’…personal?”

“Go ahead, I’m listening.”

AJ nervously rubbed her palm. “Over the past few months, I’ve c-come ta consider ya a close f-friend.”

“As have I.”

“A-a-and…perhaps, just maybe…I’ve entertained thoughts that we might…umm…become more than that.”

Sunset cocked her eyebrow. “Oh?”

“W-what I’m trying’ ta say is…ah…AW TA HELL WITH IT!”

AJ grabbed Sunset by the cheeks and pulled the fiery haired woman into a passionate kiss. After a few seconds AJ pulled away, leaving a strand of saliva between them. Sunset just sat there, eyes widened in total disbelief, desperately trying to come to her senses. On the other hand, AJ was blushing profusely, hoping that she hadn’t made a huge mistake.

“Ah should’ve known. This was a bad idea. Ah didn’t even ask if ya were into…”

AJ was interrupted when Sunset returned an equally passionate kiss upon her lips.

Sunset panted. “Thank Celestia! You don’t know how happy I am to know that like me!”

“Uhh…what?”

“Applejack, didn’t you know I was a lesbian?”

“Quite frankly, no. Ya never mentioned before. A-and what about that Brad fella? Weren’t ya datin’ him for a while?”

“Why does everyone think that I fucked him? What we had wasn’t even the least bit romantic! I was just using him at the time, that’s all.”

“Oh. So…you’re happy that I like ya?”

Sunset caressed her cheek. “Of course I am! DO you even know how many months I thought about you? It drove me insane! I always thought you were straight, so I didn’t try to make any moves.”

“Ah ain’t exactly straight. But ah ain’t a lesbian either.”

“Oooh, so you’re bi? That’s…surprising.”

“Yeah, it took me a while ta come ta terms with that. But that don’t change the fact that ah like ya. Ehem…so what attracted ya to me?”

“You’re far more attractive than you give yourself credit for, Applejack. In the end though, it’s probably the fact that I have a soft-spot for blondes. What about me?”

“Ah love your hair too but…what ah admire the most about ya is your personality. Ya had all o’ those terrible things happen and yet…ya didn’t let that get ya down. It’s downright inspirin’.”

Sunset kissed AJ on the neck. “How about I show you just how inspiring I can be?”

“Inspire me, sugarcube.”

Sunset wasted no time relieving AJ of her dress, revealing the lacy green lingerie that lay beneath. The sight made Sunset’s heart melt, realizing that Applejack must have worn them just to impress her. It also ignited a fire in her loins because AJ looked so damn sexy, laying there in frilly underwear with a blush painted on her face.

Sunset growled. “I love it when my presents are covered in such beautiful wrapping paper. Can’t. Wait. To. See. What’s. Inside…”

AJ moaned softly when Sunset removed her lacy green bra and began to fondle her left breast. She grasped the other breast and gently flicked her tongue across AJ’s hardened nipple, enjoying the slightly salty taste of her lover’s skin.

“Unnghh…Sunset! That…f-feels amazin’.”

Encouraged by AJ’s response, Sunset refocused her attention on the farmer’s beautifully sculpted abs. With her finger, she traced a figure eight pattern amid the hardened pack of muscles. Sunset could feel AJ’s body shiver from her ministrations. In response, AJ let out a cry that sounded like something in between a whimper and a giggle.

Sunset licked AJ’s abs. “Do you want me to go lower?”

AJ could already feel a damp spot forming in her panties. Her lips practically screamed for attention. They wanted to be kissed, licked, and played with. They wanted anything to relieve the burning desire that surged through them.

“Take ‘em off! Lick mah pussy for all it’s worth. Ah need it so bad…”

Sunset peeled off her panties. “Don’t mind if I do.”

The scent coming from AJ’s swollen lips was overpowering. It made Sunset all the more eager to taste her lover’s sweet nectar. She used two of her fingers to spread AJ’s lips slightly, to gain better access inside. Sunset slowly inserted her tongue, letting it probe AJ’s deepest depths, relishing the sweet and musky flavor it had to offer. While she continued to swirl her tongue, she used her other fingers to gently pinch AJ’s clit. In response, AJ gasped as her muscles contracted around Sunset’s tongue.

“Sunset…ah…oohhh lord…that feels so good! J-just keep it up! Ah think I’m getting’ close.”

A few seconds later, AJ’s entire body contorted upwards as Sunset felt a something wet trickle onto her face. The former unicorn smiled as she removed her tongue from AJ’s honeypot, enjoying the sight of her lover’s exhausted and sweaty form. She wiped her face on the blanket and stripped out of her own dress, tossing it in the grass nearby.

AJ’s eye’s widened. “Ya…weren’t wearin’ underwear the whole time?”

“Nope. It was too damn hot out. Do you like what you see?”

“Nah. Ah don’t like what I see. Ah love what ah see.”

AJ sat up and ran her fingers through Sunset’s hair while planting a deep kiss upon her lips. She became aroused once more when she tasted a hint of her own juices in Sunset’s mouth. AJ wasn’t sure how much her lover enjoyed being played with, but she was far too horny to care.

Instead, she decided to go straight for the jugular (or the honeypot in this case). She pushed Sunset onto the ground and started grinding her pussy against her lover’s, causing Sunset to moan loudly. The two of them continued scissoring for several minutes until Sunset finally reached her climax, followed closely by AJ.

Once they finished, neither of them felt the need for words. The only sound that escaped their lips was the occasional bout of panting as they tried to calm themselves down. AJ huddled closer and set her head on Sunset’s soft breast, enjoying the pleasant scent of sweat and roses that wafted from her lover’s skin.

AJ kissed Sunset’s nipple. “Can we just snuggle for a while?”

Sunset sighed contentedly. “I’d like nothing more.”

Author's Note

Well I hope everyone enjoys the Sunnyjack shipping. I tried to make it feel as authentic and natural as I could. Hopefully it didn't feel forced. Hmm...what to say about the lesbian clop? I'll admit, it's not my forte. But damn it! I did my best to make it as sexy as possible. The next chapter's still going to be during the Festival but from Spike x Rarity's/ Braeburn x Shy's perspective.

~Look forward to it!

-Enc