Applejack and Rainbow Dash stepped out onto the observation deck of the Equestria State Building. It was raining rather heavily, so they huddled close together under their 40 bit souvenir umbrella. The wet Manehattan skyline revealed itself to them.
“Well, would ya look at that view, RD? Pretty darn amazing...”
“Yeah, I guess that's pretty cool. At least to an earth pony,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirking glance at Applejack.
“Oh, so you'd rather be shoppin' for fancy dresses with the other gals, then?”
“Nah, I can only handle so much sissy stuff in one day.”
“Uh huh, I hear ya. I don't mind the occasional dress up, but at the end of the day I'm most comfortable in my stetson,” Applejack said, while adjusting her hat to demonstrate.
The two friends walked up to the railing and looked down.
“Whoa, we're mighty high up, Rainbow.” Applejack once again grabbed her hat by reflex.
Rainbow gave her a smug look. “Pfft, don't tell me you're scared of heights or something?”
“I'm not whatsoever! I couldn't even count the number of times I've had to raise and repair barn roofs. Remember, I'm tied with you for most darin' pony!”
“Hehe, I'm just kidding, AJ. Apart from myself, you're the most daring pony I know.”
A moment of silence passed as the two friends thought things over.
“Y'know... Sometimes I feel we sort of have a special connection, you and I. It's like we're on the same page, or somethin' like that,” Applejack said.
Rainbow looked at the floor and scratched the back of her neck. “Yeah, don't tell the others I've said this, but... I think you're my best friend, AJ.” She glanced up and smiled slightly at the earth pony.
Applejack just smiled back silently, and then continued to look out at the cityscape.
Rainbow Dash looked away in a different direction, and spotted Fancy Pants and Fleur Dis Lee at the other end of the deck. The stallion was holding a large, frilly umbrella over the supermodel's head, who was looking through a telescope.
“Hey, there are those high society ponies from Canterlot we met on the boat to the Statue of Equality yesterday.” Rainbow said, pointing a hoof at the couple.
“Uh huh, not all that surprising. Despite the weather, this spot is pretty romantic, wouldn't you say?”
Rainbow Dash did not know what to say to that.
Applejack braced herself. I need to do this. Otherwise, why did I drag her up here in the first place? It's now or never. She looked straight into the pegasus' eyes. “Look, you know me, I've gotta be honest with ya." Rainbow returned the look, and Applejack continued. "There is something I feel I must say, and this is probably the best moment I'll get. I hope you won't judge me for this...”
Rainbow Dash felt her heart rate go up, as weird pieces were falling into place somewhere in her mind.
Is this... what I think it is? If it's not, then why is she looking at me like that? And why can't I stop looking back into her eyes?
The only sound Rainbow Dash could hear right then was the hypnotic noise from the smattering rain. It seemed to be getting louder by the second, as AJ's eyes seemed to be getting closer. And her own cheeks started getting redder.
Wait, how long has it been now? A few seconds, a full minute? She hasn't even blinked yet, and she's smiling at me. Oh, this is real, isn't it?
Applejack finally started speaking again, silently. “Rainbow, I don't know... I think I'm-”
“Oh, there they are! Hi, girls!!”
The voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard, as it ripped the two ponies out of their entranced state. They looked towards the source of the noise, and saw Twilight Sparkle staring at them incredulously from the entrance.
After a few seconds of trying to grasp the situation she had walked into, Twilight started mumbling.
“You... you've dropped your umbrella...”
Applejack and Rainbow just looked at Twilight for a while, both realizing the same thing.
She saw us. She understands what's going on. Wait... do I understand what's going on?
“Uh... th- thanks, Twilight,” Applejack stuttered. She picked up the umbrella, water dripping from her mane. Two of their other friends appeared behind the princess.
“Oh, wow. Look at that view! They're both soaking wet! And all red faced!” the pink, bouncy one exclaimed.
“Uhh, you're already done with your shopping spree?” Rainbow asked.
“Yes, the stores are closing soon anyway,” Fluttershy replied. “Perhaps you should have come with us, the weather up here is awful.”
“Oh, they don't seem to mind too much,” Pinkie Pie said. “They look rather warm and cozy.”
Twilight spoke up. “Perhaps you two should go inside and dry up. We'll have a quick look at the city from up here, if you could lend us that umbrella. You weren't using it anyway.”
“Uh, sure thing, Twi! See ya'll downstairs then?” Applejack said, still a bit disoriented.
Twilight grabbed the umbrella with her magic as AJ and Rainbow went indoors.
The earth pony and the pegasus travelled down together in the elevator in complete silence. A silence which continued when they reached the lobby. It took somepony else to break it.
“Excuse me? You are Miss Rarity's Ponyville friends from the boat yesterday, right?”
The ponies turned around to see Fleur Dis Lee looking at them with a gentle smile.
“Why, yes ma'am!” Applejack said, making herself smile back. “Actually, we spotted you and Fancy Pants upstairs, but we didn't want to disturb your romantic outing.”
“Likewise,” Fleur said, studying the two ponies' nervous reaction. “I guess we will see each other at the fashion show tomorrow, as well?”
“Fleur, dear?” Fancy Pants called from the exit.
“Coming, sweetheart!” the model replied, and turned back to the two friends. “Don't leave any loose ends, okay?” She gave them a final knowing smile, before she walked off gracefully.
Rainbow and AJ just stood there for a while afterwards, again in silence.
Applejack finally said something. “Hold on a second, will ya? I just wanna go get a souvenir.”
She approached the souvenir counter, and returned shortly with a red and blue Manehattan-themed baseball cap.
“What are you going to do with that ugly thing?” Rainbow asked.
Applejack smiled. “This... goes right on here!” She pushed the cap down onto Rainbow's head. “Just somethin' for ya to remember this day by.” Without waiting for a response, she trotted towards the exit.
The wheel kept spinning. Manual labor like this was in a way slightly meditative. Perhaps more so under better circumstances. But it still helped Rainbow take her mind off things that bothered her. However, other things started to bother her instead. She hadn't thought much about what had happened earlier that day, but now she couldn't get it out of her mind. She looked at the piles of yarn on the floor. Loose ends... She felt it was time for action.
Rainbow Dash stepped away from the spinning wheel with a sore hind leg, and approached Applejack, who had been cutting and folding sheets of fabric for hours.
“Hey, AJ... I need to talk to you... in private, okay?”
Applejack looked at her for a while, before realizing what Rainbow wanted to speak to her about. She braced herself and followed Rainbow out into the hallway. Their friends were too busy and tired to take notice. With the exception of Twilight, who shot them a quick glance as Rainbow closed the door behind them.
“You know, about what happened earlier. I... I'm not quite sure what to make of it, AJ.” Rainbow Dash said, forcing herself to look into the earth ponies eyes.
“Well, Dashie..." Applejack averted her gaze. "Actually, I don't know what to make of it either anymore..." She managed to look back at Rainbow Dash again. "Right now, let me just say that you should know you are my very best friend too.”
Rainbow felt herself putting on a silly, involuntary little smile. After a while, that smile faded into slight confusion. “Oh... is that... all?”
“Honestly..,” Applejack sighed, “I'm not sure. I guess, right now, for the moment... that is all.”
A long silence followed. They could hear the rustling of their hard-working friends through the door.
“So... what happens know?” Rainbow asked. She was getting slightly irritated.
“Oh, I dunno. I reckon we'll just have to see. After all, we've got all the time in the world to figure stuff out.” AJ tried to give Rainbow a reassuring look. “Right now though, we should be helping somepony with more pressing issues.” Applejack started walking towards the door.
Rainbow refused to leave it at that. For her, this was a pressing issue. One final thing. This is it. She rushed in front of Applejack and blocked her path to the door. “Hold on a second, AJ... I just want to repay you for that gift you gave me today.”
Applejack stopped in her tracks and chuckled. “Oh, don't worry abouhhmmfff-”
Rainbow pulled Applejack towards her in a clumsy kiss. After they parted, their cheeks were as red as apples. Applejack looked into Rainbow's eyes with bewilderment.
“Rainbow, wh- why... did ya do that, just now?”
Rainbow Dash managed a breathless response. “I... just didn't want to leave any loose ends.”
Applejack started smiling again. “I guess you really should hold the title of most daring pony, after all.”
Rainbow smiled back. “Well, let's just keep this out of the diary... for now. I'm not that daring.”
And so they walked back into the hotel room to help their friends with their tiresome labor, as if nothing had ever happened. Except for them, the remaining work felt only half as tiresome.
END
Author's Note
*Sigh*
So this was my second short fic. I wanted to try writing a small shipfic. I'm not sure how happy I am with it. Emotionally rushed, perhaps? I really wanted to finish it in time for the EQD deadline. Thanks for reading!